News:: Housemarque's Nex Machina will have a replay system and seasons

Nex Machina is looking more and more like a crowd-pleaser among Housemarque fans.

The Resogun studio took to the PlayStation Blog today to discuss a few extras making it into the upcoming PC and PlayStation 4 top-down shooter. Most notable? Probably the game's season system, in which players will compete for Ranks, XP, and Season Coins while facing different challenges that "[make] your gameplay experience a lot more skill-based and long-lasting."

On that note, Housemarque designed Nex Machina such that the rules can be easily mixed and matched. "One example is the game speed, which can be adjusted to be twice as fast to really test how long you can survive -- or you could have a challenge with enemy revenge bullets meaning that all the enemies would start spawning those, adding a new layer of reactive gameplay," says the studio.

And, lastly, there's going to be a replay mode. It's just what it sounds like: you'll have the ability to scroll through the leaderboards, study how your nemesis achieved their high score, and retaliate.

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2pjVuy8

News:: 'Nex Machina' will show you exactly how someone hit a high score

Finnish developer Housemarque's ode to Robotron: 2084, Nex Machina is out for PC and PlayStation 4 this summer. And while we debuted it in December, details for the frantic arcade shooter have been relatively scarce since. But that's slowly changing. Perhaps the most exciting new wrinkle we've learned about is its replay mode. "All of the leaderboard entries are effectively recorded, which means it's possible to enter the leaderboards, select an entry and watch the replay," a post on the PlayStation Blog reads.

Source: PlayStation Blog

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2pjIuIR

News:: Undead Labs talks maps and survivors in State of Decay 2

Despite some rough patches, State of Decay made its mark as a memorable zombie survival sandbox game with some genuinely interesting ideas. I wasn't as head over heels with it as some of you surely were, but I am looking forward to this year's sequel on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC, definitely.

A recent pair of blog posts out of Undead Labs has placed State of Decay 2 back on my radar.

The first post -- which is said to be a four-parter! -- covers the survivors. "Just as in the original State of Decay, you don't play as any one individual," says the studio. "Instead, you're a community of survivors, all of whom have their own unique combination of appearance, traits and needs. It's up to you to manage and satisfy these needs while executing your strategy in pursuit of not just surviving, but instilling belief among your community that tomorrow will be a better day."

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2pjGfFy

News:: Live your Kamehameha-blasting dream with 'Dragon Ball Z' VR

Somewhere high on the list of childhood fantasies is the dream to hurl balls of energy from your hands. Capcom knows this urge, which is why they stuck a Hadoken-throwing simulator in their Ultra Street Fighter II Nintendo Switch port. But the king of palm-fired ki blasts has stepped up to the technological plate. A Dragon Ball Z-themed VR headset is coming out along with a downloadable mobile app so you can toss virtual Kamehamehas until your inner child is sated.

Via: Kotaku

Source: MegahouseJP (YouTube)

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2pfS2re

News:: 2017 upcoming game deals: Prey, FFXIV: Stormblood, Morrowind, and more

Picture this: Late 2016. Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare were on the eve of release and no reasonable pre-order deals on the PC were to be found. Sad gamers everywhere.

Fast forward to today, months into 2017 and we're happy to report that pre-order deals are a bit more plentiful this season. While wild 30% pre-order discounts we use to see are done, the "standard" 20% off markdown by the highly competitive retailers such as GMG are now making a return. This is especially true with a temporary seasonal coupon code, marking a further 5% off many titles.

If you were looking to catch a deal on a game you're sure to purchase for release week, this week may be the time to do so. Bethesda's Prey, The Elder Scrolls Online Morrowind upgrade, and Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood expansion plus more upcoming games are getting discounts of at least 19% (and in many cases up to 24%).

Below you'll find the best deals to date on games releasing in the next few months. Coupon code expires on April 18 at 10am Pacific. So act fast if you're interested.

Upcoming PC Game Deals for 2017

Use coupon code: EASTER

April

• 04/20: Syberia 3 (Steam) — $30.39  (list price $40)
• 04/20: Syberia 3 Deluxe (Steam) — $37.99  (list price $50)
• 04/25: Dragon Quest Heroes II (Steam) — $48.44  (list price $60)
• 04/25: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 + Season Pass (Steam) — $36.57  (list price $50)

May

• 05/05: Prey (Steam) — $45.59  (list price $60)
• 05/23: Mirage: Arcane Warfare (Steam) — $24.29  (list price $30)
• 05/23: Steel Division: Normandy 44 (Steam) — $31.63  (list price $40)
• 05/23: Steel Division: Normandy 44 - Deluxe (Steam) — $47.30  (list price $60)

June

• 06/02: Tekken 7 (Steam) — $42.06  (list price $50) <- no code needed
• 06/06: The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind: Upgrade — $31.15  (list price $40)
• 06/06: The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind — $48.44  (list price $60)
• 06/06: The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind Digital Collectors — $64.59  (list price $80)
• 06/06: Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood — $31.63  (list price $40)
• 06/06: Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood - Digital Collector's — $47.30  (list price $60)

August

• 08/22: Middle-earth: Shadow of War (Steam) — $45.59  (list price $60)
• 08/22: Middle-earth: Shadow of War - Gold (Steam) — $75.99  (list price $100)
• 08/22: Middle-earth: Shadow of War - Silver (Steam) — $60.79  (list price $80)

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2pjmPkf

News:: Blue Reflection season pass: $85 for over 300 costumes

Blue Reflection will follow Dead or Alive-senpai's business strategy: sell a bunch of digital clothes for their virtual Barbies. The season pass is 9,180 yen (~$85) and, aside from a single $1 event, consists entirely of cosmetic outfits (no gameplay benefits).

If you don't want to buy them all, there are smaller packages to choose from, though you can't handpick exactly which individual outfits you want. Each of the 15 characters will receive five types (A through E) of each outfit. It's 648 yen to get the five types of a given outfit for three characters, or 2,700 yen for the full set.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2oHSy0s

News:: If only Scarecrow had a brain in his full Injustice 2 gameplay trailer

When Scarecrow's rad, gangly Injustice 2 design was first revealed, I was hoping he would play equally as rad. After seeing his combos in action, I'm slightly disappointed. I'm happy his design is an after-effect of the fear toxin (that's a good touch), but I was hoping for wackier attacks or something. 

Look, I don't know what I really wanted here but something is amiss. We've seen better characters, and we've seen worse. Scarecrow is right in the middle. 

Too bad about those Source Crystals though. 

Injustice 2 is out on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One May 16.

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2pj52cL

News:: The Caligula Effect stays soft with pre-order bikinis

When The Caligula Effect creeps out this May 2, you won't be able to get a physical edition. Even Limited Run Games tried to make it happen, but were not successful. On the bright side, it will only cost $39.99, €39.99, or £29.99 and come with free pre-order bonuses. You'll get a theme and 19 avatars for your Vita, and in-game bikini DLC.

I'm happy we're getting the game at all. Not selling it at a full $60, like Akiba's Trip did, is another bonus. I'll definitely be picking this one u--oh right, Vita only. Well, guess I should pick up a Vita one of these days.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2piA9p5

News:: Review: Logitech Pro G Keyboard

When Logitech started their G Pro Gaming line with a mouse, I found it to be a simplistic but efficient device that would work well for eSports. Well, at least, I think it would. I'm not good enough for tournaments. I'm happy just to finish a match in any game without someone yelling at me about how I'm a shitstain on this Earth and I don't even deserve to play.

I digress.

Logitech now has a tenkeyless keyboard specifically designed for eSports, which I'm going to pretend I am qualified enough to judge.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2oHRQ3e

News:: Next 'Layton' game is coming to Android and iOS before 3DS

Last we knew, the new Professor Layton game's differences from prior releases were relegated to its protagonist and the absence of its original puzzle designer. Now word is out that Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire's Conspiracy will arrive on Android and iOS this July 20th, ahead of its stateside debut on Nintendo's 3DS handheld. According to publisher/developer Level 5 (spotted by Kotaku), the only way to play on 3DS at launch will be with an imported version and a Japanese console. Domestically, a localized version will release at some point after the mobile versions.

Via: Kotaku

Source: Level 5 (Japanese)

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2pfzKqa

News:: My Nintendo gets a new Yoshi themed reward

Have you logged into My Nintendo anytime in the past few months? Probably not.

Either way you might want to drop in just to see what's up, as you might want a new adorable Springtime Siesta Yoshi 3DS theme. Because really, that's about it outside of a few odds and ends like Mario discounts and Zelda/Animal Crossing guides.

I hope that at some point, once more Switch content starts to roll out, that Nintendo makes this actually worth interacting with. It has a lot of potential, and if they can increase gold coin earn rates and give us some actual good rewards (like Switch software discounts), people will be rolling in.

Rewards [My Nintendo]

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2piCIak

News:: The Legendary World of Zelda's awful cover art hides a truly unremarkable book

In my library, which is what I call the large shelf high up in my closet, sits my small but growing collection of Zelda keepsakes. Perusing the shelf you’ll find the excellent Legends of Localization Book 1: The Legend of Zelda, my copy of Hyrule Historia, a reprint of the Nintendo Power A Link of the Past Comic, the now obsolete The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy: I Link Therefore I Am, a few Link action figures, some pre-order swag, and the complete set of Zelda manga. It sounds like a lot, but the shelf is actually quite big and I’m always on the lookout for more Zelda goodies.

The Legendary World of Zelda will not be added to my shelf.

Written by Game Informer associate editor Kyle Hilliard and published by Triumph Books, The Legendary World of Zelda is billed as the ultimate unofficial guide. Throughout its 143 pages of legally required reminders the book is neither sponsored nor endorsed nor licensed nor authorized by Nintendo of America, Hilliard takes readers through the history of Zelda from its beginnings up until whatever trailer for Breath of the Wild he watched before sending this off to his publisher. The book is billed as a “30th Anniversary Special Edition,” though as I was unable to find a standard edition of the book or any previous editions, I’ve concluded those are nonsense words added to this astoundingly lazy cover art to make it seem like a must-buy for any Zelda fan who comes across it at a Walmart or 7-11.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2pilrOC

News:: The Caligula Effect stays soft with pre-order bikinis

When The Caligula Effect creeps out this May 2, you won't be able to get a physical edition. Even Limited Run Games tried to make it happen, but were not successful. On the bright side, it will only cost $39.99, €39.99, or £29.99 and come with free pre-order bonuses. You'll get a theme and 19 avatars for your Vita, and in-game bikini DLC.

I'm happy we're getting the game at all. Not selling it at a full $60, like Akiba's Trip did, is another bonus. I'll definitely be picking this one u--oh right, Vita only. Well, guess I should pick up a Vita one of these days.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2piA9p5

News:: Hoard of cheap Xbox One games & laptops in the Microsoft Spring Sale

The bread and butter of the Microsoft Stores online are there Surface Tablets and the occasionally hot Xbox One console offers. We're not getting great offers in those areas this year in the Microsoft Store Spring Sale, instead a ton of Xbox One games have been discounted along with some fairly decent laptop offers.

XCOM 2, Gears of War 4, Black Ops III, NBA 2K16, NHL 16, and more XOne games are hitting new low prices. Recent releases like Watch Dogs 2, Halo Wars 2, and Assetto Corsa are also relatively cheap and worthy of a purchase.

The Microsoft Store has a few dozen laptops on sale. The gaming variety aren't as impressive as the non-gaming. Decent prices are on mid-ranged i5 machines.

Xbox One Game Deals:

• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare — $39.99  (list price $60)
• Halo Wars 2 — $39.99  (list price $60)
• Destiny - The Collection — $39.99  (list price $60)
• Titanfall 2 — $39.99  (list price $60)
• Halo 5: Guardians — $39.99  (list price $60)
• Just Cause 3 — $29.99  (list price $60)
• Dying Light: The Following - Enhanced Edition — $29.99  (list price $60)
• Watch Dogs 2 — $29.99  (list price $60)
• WWE 2K16 — $29.99  (list price $60)
• Mafia III — $29.99  (list price $60)
• Assetto Corsa — $29.99  (list price $50)
• Gears of War 4 (Xbox One/PC Download) — $29.99  (list price $60)
• XCOM 2 — $29.99  (list price $60)
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain — $24.99  (list price $40)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops III — $24.99  (list price $40)
• LEGO Marvel Avengers — $19.99  (list price $50)
• NBA 2K16 — $17.99  (list price $60)
• Destiny: The Taken King Legendary Edition — $14.99  (list price $30)
• NHL 16 — $14.99  (list price $60)
• Transformers: Devastation — $14.99  (list price $50)
• Snoopy's Grand Adventure — $11.99  (list price $50)
• FIFA 16 — $9.99  (list price $40)
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 — $9.99  (list price $40)
• Evolve — $7.99  (list price $40)

Laptop Deals:

• Alienware 13 R2 i7-6500U, 16GB, 256GB SSD, GTX 960M, QHD+ Touch — $1,599  (list price $1,749)
• Dell XPS 15 i5-6300HQ, 8GB, 256GB SSD, GTX 960M, 4K UHD Touch — $1,549  (list price $1,699)
• Dell Inspiron 17 i7-6500U, 16GB, 2TB HDD, Radeon R5 M335, 1080p — $799  (list price $1,099)
• Asus ZenBook Flip M3-6Y30, 8GB, 256GB SSD, FHD 1080p Touch — $499  (list price $749)
• Dell Inspiron 13 i5-7200U, 8GB, 1TB HDD, 1080p Touch — $499  (list price $749)
• HP Pavilion x360 i5-7200U, 8GB, 1TB HDD — $479  (list price $729)

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2peWFBU

News:: Get the billionth Namco collection to date on Switch with Namco Museum

In case you don't already own a ton of these classic Namco games a million times over, the Nintendo Switch is getting an exclusive Namco Museum package this summer. Featured games include: Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaga, Galaga ‘88, The Tower of Druaga, Rolling Thunder, Rolling Thunder 2, SkyKid, Splatterhouse, and Tank Force. Granted, Splatterhouse is a pretty good get among a few others.

This edition will sport an online leaderboard system, as well as vertical orientation support for the Nintendo Switch tablet, and a challenge mode for each game. This is kind of a hard sell, especially given some of the PS2 retro collections (back before digital existed, and publishers could piecemeal out content) that had double, maybe triple the amount of games back in the day -- but I might bite.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2pf6Bez

News:: Xbox One update makes your game streams easier to find

We know you're probably still salivating over the latest Project Scorpio details and the promise of next-gen games, but for now you've still got a perfectly good console tucked under your living room TV. Microsoft recently pushed a major Xbox One update -- a redesigned UI and support for Beam broadcasting among the highlights -- and it's just started rolling out even more new features. Nothing huge, but likely welcome all the same since Microsoft says they were all inspired by user feedback. There's a new "Join broadcast" button on profile pages that lets people quickly view live game streams, for one, as well the ability to hide, pin and filter posts on the Activity Feed tab.

Source: Major Nelson

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2oyEzcO

News:: Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection headlines PSN flash sale

Ah, Sony and their flash sales. They're the best! Thankfully I've been reviewing stuff for years and already own a lot of these, as I'm prone to impulse buys.

So what's happening with this one? Well there's a number of gems in there, like triple-packs for Dead Rising and Resident Evil, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, Deus Ex: Human Revolution: Director's Cut, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, Devil May Cry HD Collection (get this for $5 for DMC 3 alone), and both recent Wolfenstein games.

There's also plenty of older stuff like both Dark Clouds (the original is better, time to fight!) and Okami HD. The point being, there's tons of great games in there, just check out the whole list.

PlayStation Store [Sony]

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2oHlupc

News:: Sega unleashes a trio of Sonic Forces trailers

While I vaguely remember Sega renaming this year's 3D Sonic game to Sonic Forces, I can't recall when that happened. I suppose I'm just so much more interested in Sonic Mania that I've almost blocked Forces out of my mind. The small bit we saw from the Nintendo Direct on Wednesday had me a bit interested, though, so its nice that Sega is following that up with some trailers.

Below you'll find a "Modern" Sonic gameplay trailer, one that sets up the story and the main theme. From the looks of this, it seems to be Generations 2, so I'm happy with that. I'm sad 3D Sonic can't stand on his own, but then I've never liked any of the 3D games.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2peAxaX

News:: Classic puzzle-platformer 'Fez' is coming to iOS

It might be five years old, but Fez remains a masterclass in indie puzzle-platforming. The bright pixel art, the mesmerizing Disasterpiece soundtrack and perspective-shifting gameplay comes together in a wonderfully mysterious and serene collectathon. Following its release on Xbox 360, PC, Mac and various PlayStation hardware, Polytron is bringing the game to iOS. In a short teaser trailer, the eyepatch-wielding Geezer tells Gomez, the main character, how the "adventure is ready." A flashy cube appears in the sky, before the entire scene pans out to reveal the game running on an iPad. So yeah, you can expect a tablet-optimized version.

Via: Game Informer

Source: Polytron (Twitter)

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2peM4Hg

News:: This long distance parry in Zelda: Breath of the Wild is amazing

GirKart64's video shows just how far you can push the limits of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Attempting to set a record for farthest parry, they walk all the way up a mountain, get in clear view of a Guardian, and let it rip.

It's not so much the act itself (you can spend plenty of time calculating the shot for a video, and the parry timing is fairly forgiving), but the fact that you can do it at all. I've seen hundreds of videos over the course of the past month or so that have shown off all sorts of wacky things like this -- I love that hundreds of thousands of people are stretching what can be done in the game, and still finding more.

Will we see a trick like this years later? I hope so!

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2phmezk

News:: Blaze it with a new Rick and Morty game on April 20

Announced all the way back in July of last year, the Rick and Morty VR simulator is now ready. Appropriately launching on April 20, Rick and Morty Simulator: Virtual Rick-ality, which was originally just coming to the HTC Vive, is now also Oculus-bound.

Although it has the potential to be filled with plenty of great jokes and absurd situations like the show, don't expect a whole lot. The idea is that you're playing as a clone Morty wandering around various setpieces and screwing with Rick's stuff.

It sounds pretty limited in scope, but reminds me of those brilliant '90s experiences like Virtual Springfield and Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time, two of my favorite PC games.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2phs7Nd

News:: ICYMI: The story of Microsoft's Solitaire and volleyball-blocking robots

Way back in 1988, Wes Cherry was a Microsoft intern and during his time at the company he created the biggest time waster the world has ever known: The Solitaire computer game. Cherry built the game out of boredom instead of being directed by his superiors. But he bosses -- including CEO and founder Bill Gates -- liked the game so much they added it to Windows in 1990. Since then, Cherry has made exactly zero dollars on his creation. And you thought your internship was bad.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2otUmbl

News:: Nintendo shuts down Famicom Mini now too

Following the permanent discontinuation of the NES Classic in America, Nintendo has now decided to do the same in Japan. The only difference is, they say it's "temporary," leaving them room to fall back on it should they need it. Many speculate the reason for the end of the NES Classic and Famicom Mini is so that Nintendo can better sell virtual console titles on the Switch.

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2otVhIN

News:: The Morning After: Friday, April 14th 2017

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

This Friday, we're saying an unexpected goodbye to the NES Classic Edition and preparing for the Model 3's big reveal in July. Oh, and scientists took a picture of a black hole -- you just can't look at it yet.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2pgowP6

News:: Skype's 'all-new' Windows 10 app makes the trip to Xbox One

Although Microsoft isn't promoting its Xbox One camera add-on nearly as much these days (and using one on new systems requires an adapter just to plug it in), it has acknowledged the Kinect with a new version of Skype for the console. This "all new" edition is based on the Universal Windows version available on other platforms but redesigned to work in the living room. While Snap picture-in-picture chatting is no longer available, it has a new look, controller shortcuts and now features manual zoom control to go along with its automatic zoom capability. Despite a number of attempts, living room video calling has yet to take off, but if you're properly equipped then the new version should be available on your Xbox One now.

Source: Skype Blog

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2pd6QXs