Hellraid preview: dungeons, demons, and déjà vu
Written by Matt Cabral
Hellraid , Techland's forthcoming first-person action title set in a dark fantasy world, boasts plenty of potentially interesting bullet points—2-4 player co-op, Story, Arena, and Mission modes, character customization, randomly-generated loot, and some RPG-flavored depth.
, Techland's forthcoming first-person action title set in a dark fantasy world, boasts plenty of potentially interesting bullet points—2-4 player co-op, Story, Arena, and Mission modes, character customization, randomly-generated loot, and some RPG-flavored depth. Sadly, my hands-off demo barely scratched the surface of these promised features.
The first half of my 20 minute preview showed the player hacking and slashing through various types of skeletal soldiers. The action was well-animated and the setting—the bowels of a medieval monastery—was appropriately unsettling, but everything felt a bit too familiar; as someone who's carved through his fair share of dungeon-dwelling freaks from behind light and heavy attacks, I felt more déjà vu than excitement. Environmental kills—like dropping chandeliers on unsuspecting foes—injected some variety, but not enough to separate Hellraid from the been-there-hacked-that pack.
Things got more interesting, however, when the “Hircus” literally stomped onto the scene. Described by Techland producer Marcin Kruczkiewicz as “an infernal beast from the third circle of hell”, the demon-man-goat lived up to its billing. Light attacks did little to slow down the towering monster, and it often evaded more powerful strikes—an agile skill apparently not possessed by lower-level threats. Unlike the earlier, button-mashy battles, this one required more strategic elements, such as the liberal use of a “dodge” move.
Based on the genuinely strained look on the player's face, the next encounter appeared to feature a Dark Souls-rivaling level of difficulty. It was its disturbing character model—more than the encounter itself—however, that hit me as hard as the creature's double-bladed axe. Prior to meeting this menace, dubbed the “Blinded”, Hellraid's visual presentation (powered by Techland's proprietary Chrome Engine 6) struck me as pretty, but very familiar. But the Blinded—a former paladin who can't see because his king nailed his helmet to his skull—stood out as something that could possibly pop-up in my future nightmares; sporting a detail-drenched suit of armor and an ugly mug penetrated by spikes, its inspired design struck a disturbing contrast between his once regal reputation and the grotesque creature he's become.
There's still lots to learn about Hellraid. In addition to the aforementioned features that weren't shown, Kruczkiewicz promises the ability to shape the protagonist without being restricted to a traditional character class; the demo player's ability to swap between magic-spitting staves and more melee-focused weapons on-the-fly gave me a taste of this, but I would've liked to see the presentation delve much deeper into this character-molding mechanic.
Outside of its impressive visuals and handful of strategic encounters with more imaginative enemy types, Hellraid looked like yet another opportunity to slay re-animated skeletons in creepy gothic settings. It doesn't land until next year, though, so hopefully my next date with its underworld baddies will put me behind the gamepad and allow me to test out its co-op play, varied modes, and other potentially differentiating features.
Square Enix announces Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, the long-awaited sequel to Guardian of Light
Rise of the Tomb Raider may have been front-and-center during the first day of E3, but that's not the only thing Lara Croft is getting up to these days.
may have been front-and-center during the first day of E3, but that's not the only thing Lara Croft is getting up to these days. She'll also be starring in a new action-adventure game entitled Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, the sequel to the hit 2010 release Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.
I have no idea why Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix decided to keep the announcement of a new Lara Croft game (as opposed to a new Tomb Raider game) so relatively low-key. Two is a crowd, perhaps? Even so, given the very positive response to Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light—we awarded it a score of 87 in our review—you'd think that somebody might make a little bit of noise about Temple of Osiris.
I guess it falls to me, then, so here we go: The new game will bear more than a passing resemblance to its predecessor, with isometric action-adventure gameplay starring the famed raider of tombs alongside a rival treasure hunter named Carter Bell and the Egyptian gods Horus and Isis, who have been imprisoned by the wicked god Set. Players can come together to solve puzzles and dodge traps, or compete to see who can grab the most treasure and artifacts, all while mowing down endless hordes of enemies from the Underworld.
"After the immensely positive reception we received for our debut co-op adventure Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, we always hoped that we would find the time for Lara to return in another classic AAA digital arcade title," Square Enix's Darrell Gallagher said. "Four-player co-op in Lara's world combined with Crystal Dynamics' high production values are being brought to a new generation of platforms and we are excited for more friends to share in the adventure together."
Four-at-a-time multiplayer is the big hook but the game will offer a single-player campaign as well. No launch date has been announced, but you can find out more at LaraCroft.com.
Gauntlet's pre-E3 "Relics" trailer shows off some flashy ways to kill
The '80s were a long time ago, so I don't remember all that much about the original Gauntlet stand-up in the arcades.
The '80s were a long time ago, so I don't remember all that much about the original Gauntlet stand-up in the arcades. But as I recall your primary weapons against the overwhelming hordes of evil were food and quarters. The new Gauntlettakes a somewhat more modern approach, according to this new pre-E3 trailer, allowing players to gear up with "relics" that will enable all sorts of new and interesting ways to turn enemies into paste.
A guy with a sword – even a big guy with a big sword – can only do so much damage at once. It's a limitation that becomes especially problematic when you're facing a room packed with 30 other big guys with big swords, all looking to do you harm. The solution? Relics: Powerful magical items that grant players unique and deadly abilities. Apparently they make you look pretty cool, too.
I had my doubts when the rebooted Gauntlet was first announcedbut I like the looks of what I've seen so far. I don't think we're in for any kind of Meaningful RPG Experience with it, but as a high-velocity monster-masher, it might be alright. Look for it to make a digital debut on September 3 as part of the launch of the WB Games Vault.
Metroid-inspired Ghost Song: A Journey of Hope gets first gameplay video
The last Metroid is in captivity.
The last Metroid is in captivity. The galaxy is at peace. Wait—this isn't Metroid! It's the first gameplay video for Ghost Song, a Kickstarted 2D action game that isn't at all shy about its dark, moody influences. The Super Metroid vibe is heavy in this first 10 minutes of footage, from the main character's arm-mounted weapon to the spooky atmosphere and music. There's a bit of Dark Soulsmixed in, too—the first NPC encounter bears more than a passing resemblance to the very first NPC encounter in Dark Souls' Undead Asylum.
"I'm one of those people who has been bandying about the 'Dark Souls inspired' tag since the beginning," Ghost Song creator Matt White wrote in his. "Super Metroid and Dark Souls. I think the Metroid influences have always been self evident, but with this video I hope to show you that I really meant it on both counts. This is a love letter to my favorite games of all time."
White posted the game to Steam Greenlightalong with the new video, so the Metroidvania-starved can vote for it while waiting for the complete game.
Check out 10 minutes and 10 seconds of straight, unedited Ghost Song footage below.
DC Universe Online Hand of Fate expansion zaps into existence
Eager heroes and villains yearning to step into the boots of Doctor Fate and Felix Faustin DC Universe Online's Hand of Fate DLC should strike their best victory pose right now, as the $10 expansion released for download via its official website.
In addition to the aforementioned pair of Legendary PVP characters, Hand of Fate brings additional trinket slots through utility belt attachments, six new Operations in which to sink your costumed fist into costumed stomachs, and 60 new side missions peppering Metropolis, Gotham City, and other locations. This is the fifth major update for DC Universe Online so far following the PVP overhaul of the previous Last Laugh content pack.
Mortal Kombat X PAX gameplay is ten minutes of unrelenting violence
Are you ready for an even more photorealistic Mortal Kombat game?
Are you ready for an even more photorealistic Mortal Kombat game? I'm not sure I am. The below gameplay video is ten minutes of Mortal Kombat Xgameplay footage captured from a PAX Prime stream. It shows Scorpion and Sub Zero having a very serious argument. Skulls are snapped from spines and, well, other stuff happens, but I couldn't bring myself to watch.
Raiden and Kanoalso have it out in the second half of the video, and the comparatively cheery forest environment doesn't offset the brutality whatsoever. I think I'm just getting too old for this, but the fighting itself looks pretty tight.
Mortal Kombat X releases next year.
DC Universe Online's PvP gets a well-executed overhaul in the latest DLC pack
I've always enjoyed DCUO's PvP.
I've always enjoyed DCUO's PvP. The complex combo, blocking, and interrupt systems for all weapon attacks make player skill paramount, and the Legends system that lets you play as pre-made iconic DC characters provides a gear-agnostic zone to duke it out on a theoretically level playing field.
But while PVEers have gotten three huge updates since the game's transition to free-to-play late last year, PvPers have been chugging on mostly the same content. Yesterday's DLC release, The Last Laugh, makes up for lost time with huge additions that dramatically improve the PvP experience and reward cycle.
PvP changes that are free for everyone
Before we get into the Last Laugh DLC content itself (which subscribers get free, but F2P players need to pay $10 to unlock), let's take a look at the free PvP changes that came to everyone in the last two patches. Game Update 13 upped the skill ceiling by adding a Counter-Attack Immunity buff that grants complete immunity for a very short period after a successful Block Break, Interrupt, or Block Counter.
For those of you unfamiliar with those fighting-game terms, players in DCUO can block at any moment by holding the Shift key. While blocking, the player takes significantly reduced damage and counters any heavy attacks made against them. So if you see someone executing a big attack, a quick tap of the Block key at the right time will not only reduce the enemy blow, but knock them on their butt too. As the attacker, you have to be aware of when your target is blocking and use a specific attack combo or power that has the ability to break through blocks. On top of that, some powers or combos channel over a period of time, and defenders can interrupt those channeled attacks or heals with the right moves. In this environment, the Counter-Attack Immunity buff rewards players who fight smart, watch what their opponents are doing, and actively work to counter them.
And because no amount of content can make unbalanced PvP fun, Game Update 14 brought a huge balance sweep of all the iconic Legends right before this DLC pack launched. I still find myself getting beat down by a few Legends in particular, like Bane, but I suspect that my ignorance of Bane's moves is as much to blame as any balance issues. The same update also added cross-faction PvP queueing to speed up queue times, with an option for roleplayers to opt out if they simply refuse to play on the other side's team.
Gear + progression changes
Without this DLC pack, PvP is a fun diversion in DCUO, but the progression path and the breadth of activities simply aren't wide enough for it to be a "lifestyle" within the game. You could technically PvP all you wanted, but you really had to do other activities if you wanted to stay sane while playing the game regularly. The Last Laugh pack tacks on a lot of extra goodies to the PvP lifestyle: new quests, gear, and—of course—maps.
The quests are my favorite addition to the PvP package, giving you mini-objectives within PvP matches to keep each session feeling different. I've gotten straightforward quests to KO 30 villains in PvP, but also quests to take out specific iconic characters like Harley Quinn in Legends matches. Quests come from the other big addition to your daily PvP activities: reward boxes. Completing the daily PvP Arena or Legend will give you two reward boxes.
One box will contain a piece of low-tier PvP gear and the other a consumable item. The gear will be useless for anyone already decked out in fancy PvP duds, but it's a great way for noobs to get competitive quickly. The consumables, on the other hand, will be incredibly welcome for everyone. They're the perfect mix of useful and fun to keep me using them constantly. Just some of the consumables I received are a healing barrel summon, explosive oil barrel summon, buff cola, healing cola, seeds that cause AoE freeze, an explosion with AoE knockdown, and good ol' Mark bundles to help you purchase gear more quickly.
The new tier of PvP gear (tier 4) included in this pack that you'll be working towards is modeled after the Checkmate security firm in the O.M.A.C. comic books. It looks great, but it's still as out-of-reach as ever, priced way too incredibly high, it seems, to simply to keep you playing the game. The stat difference between Tier 2 and Tier 3 PvP sets is less than seven percent, but the cost is more than doubled, with each piece of the Tier 3 set costing at least a week's worth of effort in PvP tokens. Each piece of the Tier 4 set costs a month's worth of effort.
A full set (minus weapons and trinkets) of Tier 4 gear costs 270 Marks of Strategy, and in the past week I've earned four. It feels completely out of reach as it stands. At the very least, the lower Tier items should be given at a faster rate to help motivate us PvP noobs to press onwards.
A new challenger approaches!
Robin, Harley Quinn, Joker, Two-Face, Batman, Cat Woman, Huntress, Nightwing—have you noticed the trend yet? Every playable iconic in the Legends PvP mode before this pack is a part of the Batman family. The Last Laugh DLC almost doubles the roster size by adding seven new iconics, all from the Superman and Green Lantern families. Kilowog, Power Girl, Arkillo, Jon Stewart, Bizarro, Ursa and Amon Sur all join the fight, and you get one for free with the DLC pack (via the opening quest). Unlocking the rest doesn't take too long as their Marks of Legends costs are quite reasonable.
Being a Batman fan myself, I wasn't too excited about these characters before they came out, but I've really grown to appreciate them this past week. Even if you don't like playing as the new Legends, it's refreshing to have a whole new set of enemies to face off against. Ursa has become my new nemesis, constantly flying around and punching me in the face.
Don't tell Two-Face, but Bizarro has actually become my new favorite Legend. A flyer with knockbacks and AoEs is a great change of pace. There's a sense of incredible force behind his punches that gives a similar satisfaction of the Barbarian's corpse-punting in Diablo 3. I burst into laughter the first time I KOed Robin in the Batcave with Bizarro's charge ability and his tiny, helpless body went flailing off the edge of the platform into the stalagmites below. Take that, Boy Blunder!
The voicework is as amusing as ever, with Bizarro throwing out quips like, "Bizarro kill you with kindness!" as he sends his foes packing. I was impressed by how many interactions the iconics have between each other that at least seemed to be custom-tailored to who they were fighting.
On the next page, we look at the new arena PvP maps, the Shield weapon type, and the new Duo.
Lords of the Fallen preview: Europe takes on Dark Souls, and they got the dying part right
Written by Chris Norris-Jones
In the span of my 30-minute PAX demo with Lords of the Fallen , a single player action RPG in the same vein as Dark Souls, I was killed perhaps a dozen times.
, a single player action RPG in the same vein as Dark Souls, I was killed perhaps a dozen times. I fought a total of six different enemies, successfully killing three. Suffice it to say this game did not want to be friends.
Maybe it was the class I chose upon the demo's introduction. My warrior, one of the game's three classes, was a lumbering, heavy-hitting monstrosity, whose slow attacks required near perfect timing and a strong understanding of the opponents I was facing. I had the caffeine shakes and at best a loose grasp of the controls. I guess I could have picked the quicker, lighter rogue character. Or the cleric, a jack-of-all-trades with the merciful ability to heal himself.
Perhaps I didn't choose the right weapon or armor. There was a large assortment of dark fantasy weaponry at my disposal, from swords to maces to scythes, and a seemingly endless array of potential armor sets, shields, even a magical gauntlet, which can be infused with various runes to create over a dozen different spell combinations. The animations for everything looked fantastic, with every attack and movement having been motion captured, I'm told. This is a visually impressive game, period.
The area I had the most trouble with in the short demo, though, was located around the campaign's midpoint, where you would be expected to have a firm grasp of the control scheme and an understanding of what to expect from your opponents. The first enemy I met I managed to dispatch, after a brutally close battle, with a resounding club to his skull. Then he stood back up, and I was informed that he would be invincible until I removed his heart from a nearby urn. Maybe I would have known that had I been playing up until that point.
There are a lot of potential explanations for my unsuccessful playthrough, but none of them stop me from walking away from Lords Of The Fallen feeling unsure. There is an overwhelmingly difficult tightrope a game such as this has to walk, between “difficult” and “frustrating,” and my experience fell firmly on the latter. Every strategy I used, every spell and weapon I tried, felt less successful than the one before it. The combat did not feel challenging, it felt unfair.
I am not saying that Lords of the Fallen looks like a bad game. When Demons Souls first came out it too had a learning curve. This game looks dark and beautiful, with a world that feels full of optional paths and hidden secrets. When the combat hits its stride you feel like you're in a real fight to the death, more like a fighting game than an Action RPG. The story sounds to be a grimdark fantasy with some potential, revolving around a released prisoner named Harkyn, who carries tattooed symbols of his sins across his face, fighting against the re-emerging spawn of a god thought to be long ago murdered by man. All of these things together have the potential for a great game.
A great game that does look and feel a whole lot like Dark Souls. The game's producer Blazej Zywiczynski did tell me that they are trying to differentiate themselves from their competitor. Lords Of The Fallen will not contain any multiplayer aspects, for example, and unlike Dark Souls will be a little more conventional in its presentation, with voiced cutscenes, and a traditional narrative structure.
A lot of what was discussed however were pages taken straight from The Book of Souls, which is how I imagine From Software names their design documents. Ideas like checkpoints where you spend experience to upgrade your attributes, a huge amount of character customizability, and a New Game + mode. If you want a game like Dark Souls on your shiny relatively-new consoles, than it is possible that Lords Of The Fallen will rekindle the feeling you crave.
But there was no moment of triumph for me at the top this demo's hill. Just a lot of tripping and falling on my face, or onto someone else's sword, or into a bolt of undodgeable magic. Lords Of The Fallen has a lot of possibility, and should be of interest to those who want another iteration of Dark Souls. But when I walked away from the demo I was just happy not to have to die one more time.
DC Universe Online Home Turf DLC allows PVP punch-outs in player houses
Sure, DC Universe Online fits the bill for caped crusading and ensuring the perpetual uselessness of both Metropolis and Gotham City's police forces, but where does an off-duty super-powered type go when not saving / destroying the planet?
Sure, DC Universe Online fits the bill for caped crusading and ensuring the perpetual uselessness of both Metropolis and Gotham City's police forces, but where does an off-duty super-powered type go when not saving / destroying the planet? The Home Turf DLC, set to launch early 2013, answers that question with an abode for each hero and villain to call home and decorate with furniture, accessories, and the blood-splats of your arch-rival after perforating him with an energy beam.
A Mainframe and Generator combo spruces up your lair with perks and bonuses such as new allies and additional character abilities, but the Lair Duels feature far outweighs merely being able to hang up your cape in style after a day at the office. Expect one-on-one, round-based battles with environment damage for that chic "slagged apartment" look. Never fear, any items smashed during duels will automatically restore themselves after the fight.
As with previous content packs, Free and Premium players will be able to grab Home Turf through a download purchase while Legendary players can nab it for free.
Castle in the Darkness trailer makes the case for wailing guitars, giant owl bosses
What next for 1001 Spikes developers Nicalis?
What next for 1001 Spikes developers Nicalis? 100...2 Spikes? Tom: please don't give them any ideas. Nope: next on the agenda is Castle in the Darkness, a platforming Metroidvaniay RPG thingy, and one with a trailer reminiscent of that of a Falcom game. By which I mean: wailing '80s guitars. Castlevania, Mega Man, Zelda, Kirby, and Falcom's Ys games have all been mentioned as inspirations, and I'd say they've been represented pretty well.
Given that it's just been announced, you might be expecting Castle in the Darkness not to release for a good long while, but it's going to be coming to Steam this Summer. Nicalis' Matt Kap—he's worked on 1001 Spikes, and is doing the scrumptious pixel art for The Binding of Isaac Rebirth—has been working on CitD for the last two years. This game is described as a "fast-paced adventure platformer", featuring a levelling system, an equip menu, an "expansive world" with a ton of secrets, and "over 50 bosses", including that big friendly owl at the end of the video. Chris Packham is going to be apoplectic.
Thanks, Joystiq.
Jens Andersen on the future of DC Universe Online and DC's New 52 comics
I've been reading a lot of DC comic books lately, and the thing about the DC Universe is that it's quite large.
I've been reading a lot of DC comic books lately, and the thing about the DC Universe is that it's quite large. There are a ton of characters and settings that haven't made their way into DC Universe Onlineyet.
I tracked down DCUO's creative director Jens Andersen to find out what their plan is for the rest of the characters in the DC Universe, and if they're going to be adopting DC's New 52 lore anytime soon. Along the way, Andersen teases some of their focuses for the future.
PCG: When DC Comics' plan for a complete re-boot was announced during last year's SOE player gathering, DCUO's dev team assured players that they'd be staying in the “old” DC universe. DCUO recently added costumes themed after the New 52 styles—is this signaling a shift in the dev team's plans regarding the New 52? Do you have any plans to add New 52 characters or plotlines into DCUO?
Jens Andersen: Great question. We did state that, and I think we're holding true to it—in spirit. When we have opportunities to give fans something they want from the New 52, and it doesn't create any significant conflicts with DCUO continuity, then we're happy to add it.
So, you will see things that are clearly labeled “inspired by” the New 52 popping up once in a while. What we aren't doing is getting rid of our entire back story including: Exobytes, Brainiac, or Future Lex Luthor and Batman. These elements would simply be too disruptive to everything we've built should we remove them, and in order to truly be New 52 we would have to redo everything. But, I love the old and the new, so I for one am happy to try and draw from both where it makes sense.
PCG: DC's universe is quite broad, but DCUO focuses mostly on the traditional superhero/villain characters. How do you decide which characters to use in DCUO?
JA: That has always been a decision that is influenced by a case-by-case of variables. Mostly, we look at what we need to balance out our current play experience, what we have on hand or need to make, and what DC Entertainment might be focusing on in the comics at the time the content will be released.
It also depends on the type of content; we have seasonal events as well as major DLCs and each one demands a different kind of consideration when deciding what characters to choose. Time can have a lot to do with it to be honest—we're not going to try and pull off a complicated character addition if we don't have the time to do it right.
PCG: I've got a couple personal favorites that haven't made it into DCUO yet that I'm curious about. Can you give a Yes/No/Maybe response for whether you think these characters/series will ever make it into DCUO?
JA: Mr. Terrific, maybe. I love the T-spheres, so when we get our pet system perfectly in order I think Mr. Terrific would make a great addition to PvE and PvP content.
Frankenstein and S.H.A.D.E., maybe. Of course everyone has their favorite characters. Frankie seems like one that is getting some major play in the New 52. Perhaps he'll square off with Solomon Grundy one day in DCUO for an epic zombie showdown.
Jonah Hex, maybe. Sure, if we ever get around to a big Western DLC… why not?
Batwing, maybe. He might be a weird fit right now as he is fairly new and based out of another continent (not that we don't transplant characters a lot). We'll see how Batwing might fit in down the road.
Dial H for Hero, maybe. I wanted to get the dial in the game at some point, perhaps as a way to get Legends characters into normal PvE and PvP modes. I think it is a great hook. Although, that is less of a character, and more of a device, so it's easier to put in and get into the players' hands. There is definitely some juice there.
Animal Man, maybe. I love the idea of totemic/spirit powers. Tapping into character concepts like Animal man, Vixen, etc. is very compelling. They could make for some great Legends action!
PCG: That's a lot of maybes, Jens. What other characters not in the game do you want to see added to DCUO?
JA: Wow! No one has ever asked me that before. Perhaps you should let me know how many words you can have in this article so I don't ramble off the page. It's a hard question to answer because we have so many already in the game.
Well here goes (alphabetically): Amazo, Black Manta, Constantine, Darkseid, Elongated Man, Firestorm, Geo-Force, Highfather, Imperix, Jade, King Shark, Lobo, Man-Bat, Neron, Orion, Prometheus, Qwsp, Riot, Starro, Teekl, Uncle Sam, Vixen, Wally West, Xerxes, Yo-Yo, Zauriel… And yes, I ran out of steam at around X.
PCG: That is the trickiest letter in the alphabet. What characters currently in the game do you want to see play a bigger role?
JA: Well, to be honest, all of them. As a live game that grows over time, it's very important to be able to maximize the work you have already done. Thankfully, our license is serial in nature—Batman comics always feature Batman, usually in Gotham city, taking on new criminals and the schemes they plot. So we intend to have lots of our characters get time in the sun.
You will see much more from some of the other characters that aren't mentors. In fact, DLC 5 will put players into contact with some Magic characters from DCUO they might be familiar with already; these characters will be re-appearing, but with new adventures for players to explore in the open world.
PCG: Are there any DC characters/books that have no place in DCUO?
Never say never. But, there are some books/characters that, at face value, may not seem to fit. The beauty of this brand, however, is that it can all be justified through proper narrative context. For example, The Endless may seem like a weird fit for DCUO. But I would never say that we couldn't find a way to get Dream, Delirium and their brothers and sisters involved, if we had a great story to tell that could be supported with our gameplay. So, no, nothing is officially off the table.
PCG: Thanks for your time, Jens.
As always, you can download and play DC Universe Online for free from the game's official site. If you're not quite convinced yet, look at some of our past coverageto find out more about the game. If you're attending Comic-Con in San Diego next week, you can play the game at Sony Electronic's booth on the show floor.
Castle in the Darkness is cute, deadly and out now
Back in August 2014, I said that brutal retro Metroidvania Castle in the Darkness was "going to be coming to Steam this Summer", even though Summer was basically over, and the game is being published by Nicalis.
Back in August 2014, I said that brutal retro Metroidvania Castle in the Darkness was "going to be coming to Steam this Summer", even though Summer was basically over, and the game is being published by Nicalis. The days, the weeks, the months ticked by with no dimly lit castles in sight, before Matt Kap's platformer finally appearedon Steam in February 2015. Hey, that's this month! And this year! You can find it here, with an oddly specific 17% discount for the next few days.
The name Matt Kap not familiar? He was the lead artist on the scrumptiously pixelly Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, and this is his rock-hard tribute to the Castlevania and Metroid games of yore. With so many platformers these days embracing permadeath and procedural generation, it's a little refreshing to come across one that, y'know, allows you to properly save your progress and build your character without the threat of permadeath lingering Damocles-like over your noggin. By the looks of it, Castle in the Darkness is a lot faster and more hyperactive than its inspirations, and probably a lot more frustrating too.
There's no new trailer to celebrate the launch, but here's the first part of a sweary Let's Play from publishers Nicalis:
Exclusive behind-the-scenes look at DC Universe Online's next weapon type, the Shield
Shields and epic PvP battles are the big themes of DC Universe Online's next DLC Pack, The Last Laugh .
. This exclusive new video from the dev team shows off some of the new weapon type's animations-in-progress and talks about their goals for Shields in the game. I talked with the game's creative director, Jens Andersen, about the most iconic shield-bearers in DC comic books and exploded in happiness when I heard who we'll be fighting alongside in the pack's PvP arenas.
PC Gamer: The Shield weapon is a part of the huge PvP update, but is it designed for PvP primarily?
Jens Andersen: We always want to add something to the player package [powers, weapons, movement, etc.] when we release a new DLC. In The Last Laugh, we added Shield as a new weapon option. Even though the new DLC focuses on PvP, Shield can be used effectively anywhere in the game, just like the rest of the weapons.
PCG: In your opinion, who's the coolest DC character to ever wield a shield?
JA: There are lots of characters that have hefted a shield in the DC universe. For example, Wonder Woman uses one in battle all the time, but typically she does so with a sword in her other hand. But this new weapon is different: it is all board and no sword.
The character that it was modeled after is named The Guardian. He was created by Jack Kirby in 1942, so he's been around for a long time. The Guardian is a super soldier, with superior strength, speed, endurance and regeneration. He wields an indestructible shield and is a master of hand to hand combat. The coolest part of the character is that he is a clone, and when one version of The Guardian dies, it's replaced by another clone. This process has been going on for decades.
I think people would really like the character if they checked him out and I hope we see more of him in the comics in the years to come.
PCG: What are one or two combos that the Shield has access to, and were they inspired by any particular comic book scenes?
JA: The combo tree for Shield is really cool. It's kind of like Staff, but it takes the [combo] chains to a new level. Each basic attack can transition into a heavy attack, but rather than having that heavy attack end the combo chain, players can keep it going by jumping back into the light attack change. They can go back and forth until they reach the end of the attack chain.
For example, light attacks would be [left-clicks]: L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, etc. Heavy attacks would be [left-holds]: H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, etc. So players could string the following combos: L1, H2, L3, L4, H5 or L1, L2, H3, L4, H5, L6. It's a very versatile combo tree and players are going to love it. The attacks range from bashing opponents with the shield, striking with the open hand and even powerful kicks.
PCG: Getting into the PvP side of the update, a lot of the new PvP content seems to be based in the opposing side's strongholds. Are these instanced Arenas, or are we actually invading the other faction's police headquarters and night clubs in the open world?
JA: Players are not invading the public versions of the HQs and Safehouses. These are Arenas. Players will use the queuing system to enter the Arena with random players or a pre-made group if they like.
PCG: Did you consider opening up the Safehouses in the open world, and why did you ultimately decide not to?
JA: We didn't want these to be public spaces for a few reasons. First, we want a balanced experience so the matchmaking system is important. Second, we wanted very specific game modes, rather than just a raid on the HQ where you may or may not run into resistance. In that scenario, you simply kill a particular NPC. By using this approach, we can make custom game modes tailored to the space and then expand on those in the future without messing up the previous versions. Third, there's no way to get into the HQs without zoning—you can't travel to them in the open world—so there were many complexities to queuing invaders into the space that didn't add much [value] at this time so we didn't pursue it.
PCG: Assaulting the Watchtower or Hall of Doom is a momentous feat. Will there be iconics showing up in the fight to help, like in the Arkham Asylum Legends map?
JA: Our goal with The Last Laugh was to bring the iconic characters to the forefront of PvP like never before. Legends PvP is getting a huge increase in the roster—oh yes, there are more!—and the new arenas will pull from a large roster of legendary heroes and villains to take part in the battle. Each team will have three iconic allies each match. Characters like Professor Zoom, Black Adam, Gorilla Grodd, Solomun Grundy, Cheetah, Superman, Shazam, Kilowog, Power Girl, Raven and many more will be making regular appearances. It's an iconic slug fest, and the players are right in the middle.
1001 Spikes will kill you 1001 times when it launches next month
There's nothing quite like that feeling of utter failure and anguish that only a hard-as-nails platformer can elicit.
There's nothing quite like that feeling of utter failure and anguish that only a hard-as-nails platformer can elicit. The latest in this star-studded canon comes in the form of 1001 Spikes, which is actually a revamp of a game dating back to 2011. This new edition offers a bunch of new levels and playable characters, but most importantly it offers a stunning array of new ways to die. And die you will: over and over again.
The premise of the game is masochistic: as intrepid Indiana Jones wannabe Aban Hawkins, you have 1001 chances to complete the game's 100 levels. This sounds generous, but it is not. The beauty of Super Meat Boy, for instance, is that its difficulty is offset by the immediacy and reliably of its respawns, but there's no such luxury in 1001 Spikes. Die 1001 times and that's it. This game is going to ruin lives.
I've played the beta for as long as my patience would allow, and given the complexity of the game's puzzles and the twitch responses needed to complete some its early levels, it'll be interesting to see how the game's 4 player co-op mode works, and whether any friendships can survive it. The game also features a versus mode.
Developed by 8Bits Fanatics and published by Nicalis, the game hits Steam on June 3 for $14.99. Owners of Cave Story or Night Sky can redeem a $5 discount.
Check out the latest 1001 Spikes trailer below, which focuses on some of the game's 18 playable characters.
DC Universe Online maps show you where to find everything
A while back, an OCD DCUO player put together a detailed map of the game's main hub for heroes, The Watchtower .
. Today, another industrious fan took it three steps further by building detailed interactive maps for all of DCUO's two major cities, Gotham and Metropolis, inside of Google Maps. And now he's in the process of adding icons to help you locate everything you could possibly want to find in the urban sprawl.
Going by the name Happy-Cat (located in "The Happy Cave" according to his profile) on DCUO's official forums, this hero didn't make the original maps, but has done a tremendous job of migrating and updating them to reflect the new positions of collections, briefings, bounties, and races as the game gets patched. He's still in the process of updating them with new information, so be sure to jump into this forum discussionto let him know what you'd like to see on the maps next.
As always, you can download and play DC Universe Online for free, and I highly recommend you do--especially after the latest content patch.
The 90s Arcade Racer attracts Nicalis publishing deal after successful Kickstarter
We were quite taken with The 90's Arcade Racer's modest Kickstarter bid , despite its nostalgia-baiting name and errant apostrophe.
, despite its nostalgia-baiting name and errant apostrophe. The game's developer was looking for a conservative £10,000 to add new tracks and cars into a racing game that was already well into production. Not only has it broken that total - hitting £14,515 with 59 hours to go - but now indie publishing house Nicalis are set to take it under their wing.
"We're working with Anthony on The '90s Arcade Racer," says Nicalis founder Tyrone Rodriguez. "Our collaboration will allow him to realize his vision of the game and make sure that he has the necessary Unity programming and design help he needs so that he can concentrate on art and other aspects."
Nicalis specialise in providing development support, porting and publishing for indie titles. They've previously worked on Cave Story, VVVVVV, Nifflas' NightSky, and are developing the upcoming Binding of Isaac remake.
"For anyone asking about the physics, both Anthony and I know what arcade racers should feel like. I also have experience with racing games and actual track experience; I worked on The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift (PS2, PSP), designing its drift physics. and have over 100 hours of real-world track time (open-wheel, street and race cars). Anthony and I won't stop until we get the tuning just right."
Sounds promising, and hopefully the deal will give the developer the support to push The 90's Arcade Racer beyond its initial scope.
Thanks, Indie Games.
Save the earth, then throw it at people in DC Universe Online's newest content pack
It's never good when things come out of Tartarus.
It's never good when things come out of Tartarus. For those of you that slept through Greek mythology (that's a class, right?), Tartarus is a horrible, horrible place in the darkest corner of the Underworld where only the most foul and dangerous of monsters/Titans/gods/people are imprisoned and punished for eternity. If something comes out of there you can know it's going to be two things: incredibly powerful and terribly pissed off.
And that's right where DC Universe Online's latest DLC pack, The Battle For Earth, starts: über-villain Braniac waltzing out of the gates of Tartaruswith a new arsenal of powers to obliterate mankind with.
Earth, Wind, Wat--no, cut the rest
Thankfully, the heroes and villains of the world have some new powers in their pack too, courtesy of the new playable Earth power set in the DLC. There's two things that had me really excited about this new powerset before launch. First, I was excited to try out Aftershock, the new mechanic the powerset's Seismic tree introduces that lets you cast a spell multiple times in a row before the cooldown goes into effect. The extra ability casts are usually increasingly more powerful versions of the original ability, but there are some unique effects as well.
I got my first ability with Aftershock yesterday: Upheavel, which launches a small tornado of dust that whips ahead, damaging and knocking down whoever it hits. Casting it once is pretty useless--the damage is underwhelming and the power cost is high. But with Aftershock, I can toss out four increasingly large and dangerous tornadoes that absolutely tear it up. One ability with all the Aftershocks was enough to clear most non-elite groups I faced. It's glorious and I love that it feels more involved than simply hitting the ability and moving on. Not to mention the tornadoes pick up, throw, and destroy other objects it runs into, which makes for a nice physics show.
Second, I loved the concept of a pet tank class. Earth powers let you build mini-me statues and divert damage headed towards you or your groupmates towards the little rock-people instead. It sounds like a fun mini-game to tank with, and a little more interesting than the other two tank power sets in the game, which never grabbed my interest. My new Earth powers character isn't quite high enough level to really use the tanking system yet (you can unlock your first damage-diversion ability at level 12), so I can't report on how that feels yet. I'll be leveling up my little earth stomper as quickly as I can, though, and will report back once I get in my first few alerts as a real tank.
The top-end stuff
The new power set is only one tiny part of the update. The majority of the new content is up at level 30, so I hopped over to my max-level Sorcery healer and headed out to South Gotham. It took me awhile to find Braniacs new minions roaming South Gotham (hint: they're mostly on the Eastern edge of the Old Gotham section of the city), but man are there a lot of them! I haphazardly stumbled right into a nest of tiny leaping brain bugs and within 10 seconds, I was getting gangbanged by 20+ servants of Braniac. It was insane.
I never found the new daily quests that are supposedly out there somewhere, but I did manage to join up with a roaming group of heroes battling the robots down there. There wasn't anything mind-blowing in this open world portion, but the robots are varied and have some interesting attacks. It's a fun new section of the city for new level 30s to explore and get beaten to death repeatedly, and a good challenge for geared players looking to push their skills in a 1-on-200 gauntlet.
Once I tired of being a solo badass (and the long death runs that accompanied that), I decided to queue up for the new Duos--the only max-level content in the new DLC I'm geared enough to quality for. The new Alert, South Gotham Courthouse, requires Combat Rating 53 and the two new Raids, The Gates of Tartarus and The Prime Battleground, require Combat Rating 70. So I took my embarrassing Combat Rating of 43 and queued for all three of the new Duos (whose entrances are located around that new open-world area along the coast of southeast Gotham.
I got called into Riverside Hotel, which is trapped inside one of Braniacs' giant bottles. My partner and I were tossed into the bottle and given a simple instruction: destroy 16 of Braniacs machinery inside. These objectives are semi-random, rotating between one of three possible objectives each time (the second time I ran the Duo, I had to blow up cables attached to the buildings and there were a lot of conspicuous pods with humans trapped inside them that I suspect is the third optional objective).
Once you're dumped inside the bottle containing your building of choice, you can move around the area however you like. It's not a large area, but being able to move about the whole place freely and approach enemies however you wanted to was a great change from some of the other Duos that funnel you straight down hallways. The enemies were pretty straightforward, replicas of the enemies found out in the open world invasion area. Tiny brain droids that leapt through the air to ambush me from scaffolding above the alleyways were my personal favorite, and always caught me off-guard.
Unlike earlier duos, this one doesn't drag its feet--after you complete that one objective, its straight to final boss time. Both times, I fought against a massive robot that could pull and throw me around the entire bottle, summon waves of minions, detonate itself like a bomb, and heal itself. With a lesser-geared partner, it's a very tough fight that'll require you to stay on top of interrupting the boss' self heal. On my second run, I was paired up with a DPS god, who (after wiping twice) was able to burn through the bosses health with very little problem--jumping out of DPS range only to avoid the boss' bomb attack a couple times.
It's a solid, fun piece of content, even if it doesn't revolutionize Duos. And I like the design--reminiscent of WoW's Scarlet Crusade dungeons--that breaks up what would've been one long Duo into three separate bite-sized chunks. My first run through the Riverside Hotel took 20 minutes, and the second run took 8. That's a tiny time investment for 4+ chances at a gear upgrade and a daily bonus. In under half an hour, my character got 3 pretty decent gear upgrades, and put me a few Combat Rating points closer to tackling the big chunks in this new content.
Should you buy it?
Without having played the high-end raids, I can't give an unequivocal endorsement for purchasing this content pack for $10, but from what I've seen, I think this will definitely be worth top-end players' time. As a new player (you can download and play the game for freeright now), I'd recommend holding off on picking up this pack unless you have an intense, insatiable desire for Earth-themed powers. Play around with all the free power sets and see what role you like to fulfill in Alerts and Raids. Once you've figured that out, it'll be easy to pick between the 3 DLC packs when you're ready to throw down some cash. Hopefully by that point, you'll have a higher level character with decent enough gear to let you take advantage of the top-end content that comes with this pack too.
If you decide to jump into DCUO as a hero, this map'll help you navigate the Watchtower and find what you need.
The best Rocket League plays of previous weeks
The best Rocket League plays of the week: 11/08/2015
This week, technically, it's the best Rocket League plays of the last fortnight.
This week, technically, it's the best Rocket League plays of the last fortnight. Last week, Gamescom prevented me from rounding up the community's most jaw-dropping feats of skill. I returned from Germany with an inbox packed full of car-based wonderment. I've whittled those down to a slim selection of the toppest of the notch, and then thrown in a couple from Reddit for good measure.
A quick note: the site sometimes seems to struggle when multiple videos are embedded onto the page. If you're seeing any duplicates, that's probably why. Just refresh the page, and it usually sorts itself out. Also, if you can only see the top corner of a gfy, just hang tight. It usually resizes properly after a loop.
6. Eric
Kick-off is a chaotic and unpredictable time, and, as such, this is clearly more skill than luck. Still, what a bit of luck—getting demolished by your opponent, but forcing them to rise the ensuing shockwave all the way to an own goal.
What starts out as a premature celebration is transformed into some top showboating thanks to a generous helping of luck. Cobajonicle's opponents must be fuming.
4. Jamison
No mess; no fuss. Just good clean wall-riding, goal-scoring action. Lovely stuff.
Flying reverse bicycle saves are a thing now. Update your playbooks.
2. Ben
Not the first save, but the second. 99 times out of 100, the two defending players would have crashed into each other in an unhelpful goal-conceding manner. Here, though, one player clips the other, pushing them in the path of the ball and ultimately knocking it away. That's what you call teamwork. Or a total fluke.
1. Robert
The clock has ticked its final tock, and both teams have three goals on the scoreboard. If the ball touches the ground, it's all over—and so Robert carries it on his roof, and flicks it into the goal.
Bonus round: Here's some MLG pro-skillto finish things off.
Worms WMD finally gets Worms back to its 2D roots
People still remember 1999's Worms Armageddon fondly, and in some ways developer Team17 has fought against that nostalgia as it continues to develop the series.
has fought against that nostalgia as it continues to develop the series. As a lifelong Worms fiend, it’s been hard for me to enjoy the most recent Worms games on PC—Worms Revolution in 2012 and Worms Clan Wars in 2013—because they just seem so different. They are both good games, but Worms with varying stats and the cheesy 3D graphics kept it at arm’s length from the Worms experience I remember.
But the next installment, Worms WMD, is a love letter to Armageddon. It’s a homecoming for a series that may have strayed a little too far down the path of modernizing for the sake of modernizing. Team17 has stripped out the different worm stats and fancy water physics, and returned to 2D art that looks the way you (incorrectly) remember Armageddon looking. Digitally painted environments and characters that are downright gorgeous, especially compared to the 3D models of the games that came before it. The whole game looks stunning for its simplicity, and it feels like Worms.
Despite being made on a brand new engine, jumping, ninja roping, and carefully firing bazookas into the wind all worked just as I’d hoped. And the cheeky sense of humor present through all the games is still there, now updated with even more references. The voices available in the preview build I played included one that sounded like Bear Grylls, a cheese-obsessed character that sounded like Wallace of Wallace and Gromit, and (I imagine a recent addition) a worm clearly meant to be Bob Ross who would tell me “there are no mistakes, just happy accidents” every time I whiffed a shot.
Despite its reverence for classic Worms, WMD does introduce a handful of new mechanics to shake up the formula. The best of these new additions are buildings—areas of the map that look solid, but are actually mostly hollow. When one of your worms enters a building, the facade disappears to reveal the area inside. It’s pretty much just normal terrain, but the health bars and names of worms in a building don’t show up unless it’s your turn, and even then only if you are controlling a worm in that building. It’s a unique moment in a game of Worms where all the information isn’t clearly laid out in front of you, and remembering who's indoors is key.
Unfortunately the addition of vehicles doesn’t add nearly as much to the game as buildings do. The preview build I played had pilotable tanks and attack-helicopters scattered around the map, and they felt like a weird sidestep for the series. When jetpacks have such limited fuel and expert ninja rope skills can get you to otherwise unreachable locations, it seems wholly out of place to be able to spawn right next to an infinitely flying helicopter, entirely undermining both of those items. Additionally, each vehicle only has one mode of fire, which makes them a predictable set piece in a game that’s otherwise about variety.
Something I'm still undecided on is how the addition of crafting fits into Worms. A second tab in the weapon select screen reveals the crafting menu, where you can construct most of the weapons in the game. You can even make special upgraded variants of weapons, like a flame-launching bazooka or a proximity mine version of the iconic Holy Hand Grenade. Crafting requires crafting materials which drop from the sky in specially marked crates, similar to health packs and other supply drops.
It’s actually a pretty cool way of letting players tailor their arsenal to their needs mid-match. If you see the enemy is turtling up, craft more (or better) bunker busters. If they’re exposed, craft napalm air strikes and homing missiles. You can open and use the crafting menu while you are waiting during an opponent's turn in an online match, but I worry the feature was created entirely with online play in mind. In local games—the best ways to play Worms—you can only craft on your own turn, and those who can’t craft quickly will be at a pretty big disadvantage, especially considering turn time is usually of the essence for inexperienced players.
But even with these new changes, playing Worms WMD felt like familiar in all the right ways. I wasn’t able to play around with customizing my team or changing the ruleset of a match at all, so we’ll have to wait until the game launches on August 23rdto see if you can do things like turn off vehicles or alter crafting options, but WMD is a whole lot of fun. It brings back the Armageddon experience while still feeling like a fresh take for the series.
DC Universe Online Battle For Earth DLC release date set for March 13
The Battle for Earth DLC will finally give DC Universe Online players the chance to take down Braniac, who's been bothering Earth's citizens with his plans for world domination ever since DCU came out last year.
The Battle for Earth DLC will finally give DC Universe Online players the chance to take down Braniac, who's been bothering Earth's citizens with his plans for world domination ever since DCU came out last year. As mentioned in our DC Universe Online update reveal, heroes will be heading to Wonder Woman's home town on the island of Themyscira, aka Paradise Island. It sounds like a nice place for a superhero to take a holiday but THIS IS NO HOLIDAY. Unless you count fighting a giant robot sphinx as a holiday, which Batman probably does.
Anyway, it's out on March 13, and promises extra stuff for players of all levels. There's a big invasion of Gotham to deal with and there will be a suite of new Earth powers to acquire, explore, reject and eventually embrace, as the typical superhero origin narrative arc demands. Find out more about the Battle for Earth on the DC Universe Online site, and check out these superheroic scenes from the battleground of Paradise Island.
The EULA that PC gamers deserve
You've seen 'em.
You've seen 'em. You've agreed to 'em. You may have even actually read one of 'em. A EULA (end-user license agreement) is a legal contract between a game publisher and you, the purchaser of the game license, that you must agree to in order to play the game. These contracts are often dozens of pages long, can be altered at any time by the seller, and are non-negotiable.
Well, who says consumers can't draft their own long, one-sided legal document that game companies have to agree to as well? We call it a YOU-LA, and it's for you, the consumer! Just imagine submitting your credit card information, and having something pop up on their screen for a change...
YOU-LA
Very important: read this document before you process my credit card information for the software in question, hereinafter referred to as The Game. This constitutes an official and legally binding agreement concluded between you (the Game Company I Don't Entirely Trust) and me, the Consumer (Who Has Been Burned Way Too Many Times).
BY ACCEPTING MY CREDIT CARD INFORMATION, YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT THEM, DO NOT PROCESS MY CREDIT CARD.
Please note: the Consumer is nice enough to give The Game Company this YOU-LA before you process my credit card information, as opposed to The Game Company's EULA, which is given to the Consumer after they've already had their credit cards processed. The Consumer just wanted to point that out.
1. PROTECTION OF INFORMATION
You agree to protect the Consumer's information. This includes email address, home address, phone number, logins and passwords, date of birth, credit card numbers, and all other account information supplied by the Consumer. The Game Company will not send an email three weeks after a data breach letting the Consumer know their information may have been compromised because there will not be a data breach because you will PROTECT THE CONSUMER'S GODDAMN INFORMATION. Failure to protect the Consumer's information will result in an immediate refund, a private apology, a public apology, a second, better public apology to make up for the inevitably substandard first public apology, and a designated representative of The Game Company to come over to the Consumer's house and sit on hold with the bank while they issue the Consumer a new credit card number.
2. SUPPORT SERVICES
Simply stating the product is sold "as-is" in your EULA does not absolve you of the responsibility of providing adequate support services. Unless you give the Consumer a chance to fully test The Game in advance of purchase, the Consumer cannot possibly know what the hell "as-is" actually means. As such, you will staff an adequate number of support technicians in the event that "as-is" means "broken as all hell." After all, the Consumer is not giving you "as-is" credit card information with a couple of numbers missing, right? Right.
3. ALWAYS ONLINE DRM FOR SINGLE-PLAYER GAMES
If The Game requires an always-on internet connection but The Game is a single-player experience, please provide a reason, hereinafter referred to as The Obviously Transparent Lie. Prepare to have The Obviously Transparent Lie mocked, belittled, and quickly disproved by modders (hereinafter known as Heroes). Then prepare to sheepishly remove the always-online DRM in a future patch.
Better still, avoid all this unpleasantness and irreparable damage to your reputation by simply not making the Consumer always be online for single-player games .
4. HARDWARE SURVEY
You are required to list the specs of the computer The Game Company used for The Game's promotional trailers. If The Game requires, for instance, Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Titansupercomputer to achieve a steady 60 FPS and all those awesome post-processing effects shown in the trailer, the Consumer would sure like to know that in advance.
You are also required to provide footage showing The Game running on a PC using what you consider to be "minimum requirements" because what The Game Company and the Consumer consider minimum acceptable performance are probably two very different things.
5. DIGITAL DISCOUNT
Releasing The Game digitally rather than on physical media saves The Game Company money. It also makes it impossible for the Consumer to trade or sell The Game when the Consumer is done with it, which makes the Game Company money in additional sales from other Consumers. The Consumer can't help but notice that games sold digitally are still somehow the same price as retail games. The Consumer would really like an explanation for that, and more importantly, a discount for purchasing a game digitally. The Consumer is still waiting for these discounts to appear. The Consumer has been waiting for quite some time.
6. UPDATES
You will provide full and descriptive patch notes when issuing an update to The Game. Your patch notes will not simply state "various fixes" were made, which will cost the Consumer the time it takes to see if you've fixed the specific problem that's been preventing the Consumer from enjoying the game, or if one such various fix completely neuters the Consumer's favorite weapon to the point where it might as well just pop out a flag that says "bang" on it. If The Game Company has someone making "various fixes" it surely can't be much of a strain for them to write down a list of these fixes in a text file as they fix them, right? It takes two seconds. Honestly.
Besides, the Consumer loves reading comprehensive patch notes.
7. INTRODUCTORY LOGOS AND SEQUENCES
The Game Company agrees to make intro logos skippable. These logos constitute advertising and as the Consumer has already purchased The Game, it should be ad-free. The Consumer is already well aware by now that Nvidia definitely considers Nvidia to be the way games are meant to be played. The Consumer gets it. Really.
While we're on this topic, The Game Company also agrees not to make the Consumer look at introductory movie sequences every single time they start The Game. Once is plenty: after the first viewing, the intro sequence should be automatically disabled and only viewable from the main menu. Does The Game Company sit through the intro sequence to Boardwalk Empire or Homeland every time they watch an episode? Of course not, those intro sequences are boring and interminable. (Game of Thrones is one exception, because watching those little cities pop up is cool every single time. Is your intro sequence as cool as Game of Thrones? No? Then we probably don't want to watch it more than once.)
8. DAY ONE DLC AND RIDICULOUS PRE-PURCHASE "BONUSES"
Do we even have to get into this, The Game Company? I don't think we do. Look at you. You're blushing and looking away from the screen. You know what you're doing is wrong. We're not even mad, we're just disappointed. And mad.
9. CHANGE OF TERMS
The Consumer reserves the right to change, update, revise, supplement, or otherwise modify this YOU-LA at any time in the future (or, should the Consumer gain access to a time machine, which the Consumer recognizes as a distinct possibility, in the past). Changes will probably be based on how angry and frustrated the Consumer gets about any given thing at any given time. Changes will not be highlighted or called out in any way: you'll just have to read this entire agreement again and try to figure what the changes are.
Your continued use of the Consumer's money will be deemed to constitute acceptance of these changes.
Doom progression and customization options revealed in new video
With the Doom multiplayer open beta less than a day away, Bethesda has dropped a big load of information about how the game's player progression and customization systems will work.
will work. It looks to be very extensive, and designed to ensure that even not-great players will progress through the ranks: Half of the experience you earn in-game will be awarded just for “showing up and making an effort.”
Characters can climb up to level 50, after which they'll be reset to level 1 (without losing any unlocked gear) and awarded an “Echelon” rank. There are ten echelon ranks to earn, which means an awful lot of room for advancement and unlocking before the ceiling is hit.
On the customization side of things, Doom will offer nearly 300 pieces of armor divided into five themes—UAC, Demonic, Bounty Hunter, Templar, and Utilitarian—which can be tarted up with 50 different paint patterns. Weapons can be customized in a very similar fashion, with 96 colors, 60 patterns, and adjustable weathering.
Players will also be able to employ multi-tiered “Hack Modules” that offer small advantages in combat, like temporary infinite ammo or an alarm that goes off when an enemy is nearby, and carry equipment ranging from conventional frag grenades to Shield Walls that can be used to block movement and gunfire. And there are taunts—many, many taunts—which can get you (hilariously) killed if you unleash one at an inopportune time.
Of course, all the equipment in the world won't do you a bit of good without some big guns to wave around. Fortunately, we already took a look at (and cast judgment on) the full Doom arsenal, which you can dig into here. The Doom multiplayer open beta goes live at 12:00 am on April 15.
SOE announce deal with new European publisher, Planetside 2 will be region-locked
Sony Online Entertainment have announced that the running of many of their games is transferring to German publisher ProSiebenStat.1 Games Group in Europe.
Sony Online Entertainment have announced that the running of many of their games is transferring to German publisher ProSiebenStat.1 Games Group in Europe. Games affected include EverQuest II, DC Universe Online, Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, Free Realms, and this year's Planetside 2.
While SOE will continue to manage the European servers for their games, European players will no longer be able to play with friends in the US. The two providers will use separate account systems and virtual currencies, effectively splitting each game in two.
Existing European players will be asked to create an account with the new provider, and SOE will be offering a way to transfer characters and progress as well as any virtual currency in their possession. European EverQuest II players, meanwhile, will be able to use their SOE accounts as normal after the handover is complete. All new European players will go through ProSieben, however, meaning that Planetside 2 will be region locked.
SOE's FAQon the subject says that "generally speaking, prices for game content, in-game items and services will remain similar." We've contacted SOE for comment on what this means in practical terms, and whether European players should expect a price hike. We've also asked what measures are being taken to ensure that patches and updates are localised quickly. We'll let you know what SOE have to say.
The Rift Report: exploring the solar system, interactive art, and virtual reality Zelda
Every Tuesday Andy straps on the Oculus Rift and dives headfirst into the world of virtual reality in the Rift Report .
. Is it really the future of PC gaming? Let's find out.
So the new HD Rift development kit has been revealed, and it'll cost you a princely $350 to buy. We don't have one yet (don't worry, we will), and the low-res screen of the first devkit is looking pretty pathetic compared to the dazzling high-res screen that Sam tried at GDC. But I'm still enjoying the original model, and a slightly blurry screen doesn't diminish the power of the Rift for me.
Going on a cosmic voyage in Solar System Explorer
In classic documentary series Cosmos, astronomer Carl Sagan journeys through space and time in a 'spaceship of the imagination', visiting distant worlds and galaxies in a craft unbound by the laws of physics. Solar System Explorer gives you the same power, but limited to our own cosmic neighbourhood. It lets you fly freely around the solar system, and the planets feel genuinely massive. The distances between them are to scale, giving you a palpable sense of how bloody big the Universe is. You can even sit inside the 3D cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. Yes, really.
It's a remarkable feeling to float on Saturn's rings, watching the huge world turn in the distance, or seeing Jupiter rise over the horizon of one of its moons. Descend to the surface of Mars and you'll see the terrain, including the colossal Olympus Mons volcano. Dip below the Earth's atmosphere and the sky shifts to blue above you. The scale is dizzying, and it can be quite a humbling experience. Thinking beyond games, this could be a powerful teaching tool. Let a kid fly to Neptune from Earth in the Rift and it'll fire their imaginations more than just telling them how far away it is.
Interacting with art in Astralium
Artist Sander Bos describes Astralium as an “interactive virtual dreamworld” and an “abstract representation of a certain state of consciousness”, but the best description I could muster while traveling through its dazzling field of Unreal-powered particles was “Wooooah.” You use your head to steer through a web of shimmering points, floating towards a vast, glowing Mandala. As you move through the world, ambient music drifts through your headphones, and the way the particles slip past your field of view gives it a rich feeling of depth. It's like a screensaver for your brain.
The NES goes 3D in ZeldaVR
Developer Ubiquitron is remaking the original Legend of Zelda, first released on the NES in 1986, in 3D with Oculus Rift support. A beta version is available now containing the overworld and the first dungeon. Weirdly, despite the blocky visuals, it's a surprisingly convincing Rift experience, although it's the first VR game since Half-Life 2 to make me feel a bit sick. Nintendo are notoriously protective of their brands, so I'm not sure how long this will last before they bring down their Donkey Kong mallet of litigation, but it's worth grabbing while you can. The only way to play it is through VirtualReality.io, an actually pretty decent piece of software that's like Steam for the Rift, with a games library, tagging, and other neat features. I like being able to select something by just staring at it.
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Will the Rift impress non-gamers or frighten them? In other words, if I get one, should I give my mum a go on it? – CalmDownTom
YouTube is full of videos of old ladies trying out the Rift, and they all seem impressed. In a future Rift Report I'm planning to test the headset out on a variety of people of different ages and gaming backgrounds, so look out for that. I might even strap it onto a dog.
What's the best way to control games while using the Rift? – Dylan Walsh
It all depends on the game. For Elite: Dangerous, a flight stick is absolutely the way to go. Similarly, a force feedback wheel adds a whole extra level of immersion to games like Euro Truck Simulator 2. Many games use the Xbox controller, and will even have a 3D one resting in your character's hands when you look down (Lunar Lander and Solar System Explorer are examples of this.) For first-person games, the mouse and keyboard work fine. It feels a bit unnatural at first to turn with both your head and the mouse, but you soon get used to it. The Razer Hydra (which is similar to a Wii remote) is good too, especially in games where you can see your hands like Surgeon Simulator 2013.
What's it like with normal games? Could I use it to play Dark Souls? – Craig Lager
Sadly not. The Rift only works with games built for it, or that have been retrofitted to work with it. You can use software like Perceptionto 'hack' VR support into existing games like Dishonored, Dear Esther, and Skyrim, but it never works as well as games with native support.
For more adventures in virtual reality, return next Tuesday for the next edition of The Rift Report.
Id Software says Doom will have "a wide variety of advanced settings" on PC
The Doom open beta wrapped up on Sunday, and the response, at least from Team PC, wasn't entirely enthusiastic.
open beta wrapped up on Sunday, and the response, at least from Team PC, wasn't entirely enthusiastic. The open beta page on Steam is gone, but the Google cached versiontells an ugly tale: Of the more than 13,000 user reviews, 8200 were negative. That and a buck-fifty will buy you a cup of coffee, as the saying goes, but the criticism was sufficient to spur id Software CTO Robert Duffy toaddressing some of the concerns.
“We got a lot of feedback from the PC community with regards to capped framerates, monitor support, multi-monitor support and other PC features that weren’t emphasized in the Beta for various development reasons. So to clarify: At launch the PC framerate will not be capped,” Duffy wrote. “Further, the PC version of Doom will expose a comprehensive set of advanced game and rendering options that will allow players to dial the experience up or down based on their individual desires or hardware capabilities.”
Along with the uncapped frame rate, the PC version of Doom will support 21:9 monitors, adjustable FOV, and “a wide variety of advanced settings that allows any PC connoisseur the opportunity to make intelligent tradeoffs between visual fidelity and performance.” Current “expected” advanced settings include:
Manually Lock Framerate (un-locked by default) Lights Quality Chromatic Aberration Toggle Shading Quality Post Process Quality Particles Quality Game F/X Quality Decal Quality Directional Occlusion Reflections Quality Depth of Field Toggle Decal / Texture Filtering Motion Blur Quality / Toggle Sharpening Amount Lens Flare Toggle Lens Dirt Toggle Texture Atlas Size Show Performance Metrics Resolution Scaling UI Opacity Film Grain Rendering Mode FOV Slider Simple Reticle Show First-person Hands Toggle Use Compute Shaders Vsync (support or triple buffering)Duffy said more information about the idTech 6 engine technology, including “initiatives we have underway to broaden our minimum PC spec even further than our current expectations,” will be released over the coming weeks. System requirements for the Doom open beta were posted early in March, but the final, full-game requirements still haven't been announced. They have to be coming soon, though: Doom is set for release on May 13.
Leaked Doom trailer showcases single-player action
The focus on the Bethesda's Doom reboot has been almost entirely on the multiplayer action, but there is a single-player campaign in there too.
reboot has been almost entirely on the multiplayer action, but there is a single-player campaign in there too. A reminder of that fact turned up today in a video posted to Redditthat is purportedly a "canceled/unfinished" trailer for the game.
It obviously isn't an official release, and it might actually be old material: The game is referred to as "Doom 4" in the video label, and "Fight Like Hell" is the title of the live-action teaserBethesda released a couple of months ago. But it does look legit, and more importantly, it looks good. The multiplayer beta didn't really knock my socks off, but this has the appearance of something I'd actually like to play.
I've reached out to Bethesda to ask if this is in fact an actual, albeit incomplete, Doom trailer, and I'll let you know what I find out. In the meantime, what do you think—are you more interested in Doom now than you were an hour ago?
Time to take down Braniac: exclusive reveal of DC Universe Online's next big update
That intergalactic jerk Braniac has been bottling the cities in DC Universe Online and stealing Earth's citizens for too long.
That intergalactic jerk Braniac has been bottling the cities in DC Universe Online and stealing Earth's citizens for too long. His attempted take-over for Earth has been the primary storyline in DC Universe Online for the past year, since the game's launch in January 2011. A year and a few raids later, we're finally going to be able to go toe-to-toe with Mr. smarty-pants when the next content pack takes us to Wonder Woman's native island of Themyscira. We've got the exclusive scoop on what players will find there, and where DCUO is headed after its big, bad villain is down for the count.
PCG: Those hydras and architecture seem to indicate that we may be fighting on Wonder Woman's Themiscyra. Is that where this screen is taken? If so, is it a whole new open-world zone, or just an Alert?
Jens Andersen, Creative Director: Yes, this is on Paradise Island, otherwise known as Themyscira. The situation is so dire they're allowing men on the island to defend it, which is unheard of for the most part. The Gates of Tartarus have long been guarded by the Amazons. Suddenly they are taken by surprise as Brainiac emerges from the gates of Tartarus, having stolen the power he sought inside, and is now assaulting Themyscira from within with a surprise attack. It's a bad situation and the Amazons are looking for help from just about anywhere to aid the, in stopping Brainaic's Avator of Magic from escaping the Island.
PC Gamer: Braniac is fighting us directly? I always figured he was more of a “sit back and let minions take you out” sort of bad guy. What is it that finally pushes him to face us personally?
Andersen: As a comic-book cut scene explains in-game, this was actually Brainiac's final push, but Future Lex Luthor knew it was coming—and he hid the truth from everyone, even his past self. So, as history has unfolded, it's only now that we realize we've done little to divert Brainiac's plans. Future Luthor wanted the confrontation to play out as it did in his timeline, so HE could seize victory from Brainiac at the last moment. Thankfully, Future Batman doesn't break his promise that he will be "coming for Luthor," and he shows up at the end to save our bacon… or does he? It's a big cliffhanger to enjoy as we launch a new storyline surrounding these two mysterious iconics from an alternate future.
PCG: Braniac seems to be wielding some sort of demonic staff. Are those tentacles behind him coming from the staff, or is that his other arm doing something crazy?
Andersen: That's the Avatar of Magic. Throughout the fight, he will go through many different phases thanks to the power he obtained in Tartarus—the Flame of Change. It allows him to create Chimeric minions and alter his own form as he sees fit. Those are the Horns of the Bull he has on in the screenshot, and it lets him do some powerful charges.
PCG: It also looks like we might have just fallen in through that hole in the dome above. Will the fight feature changing terrain like that?
Andersen: The hole above is not where the players enter from, they can however look down into it from behind a portcullis at the start of the raid. The whole map makes a big loop around itself and you often get glimpses of what's coming next along with some fantastic vistas.
PCG: Braniac's been the ultimate bad guy of the entire game up until this point, is it time for players to take him out for good? It almost feels too soon for us to be taking him down. Is this the final act in the story arc that started at launch?
Andersen: Well, never count a comic book character out [laughter]. But yes, this is Brainaic's final push, but it will be an ongoing one as he tries to recover from the player's resistance and future Luthor's manipulation of everyone, including Brainiac. The presence of the new heroes and villains, our players, is what made us able to defeat Brainaic so soon in this timeline. The story will then move into a new phase, but Brainiac's actions will always have a lasting effect on DC Universe Online as he gave birth to the exo-bytes which created many of the new heroes and villains our players created in the game.
PCG: Will defeating him affect the bottled buildings around the game world?
Andersen: Once Brainiac's initial plans are thwarted in the raid, he is hamstrung, but not completely defeated. He will continue to try and regain control of the situation to continue his plan to assimilate the multiverse. Now the pressure is on for him to do that before Future Luthor takes his place. He's relentless after all. So the bottles and the actions of the Union around them will always be something players can take part in—an epic battle to save the Earth.
PCG: Will another mega-villain rise up to threaten the world, or will it go back to a semi-normal state? If so, is the idea to rotate the game world through various crises over time, such as No Man's Land Gotham? Roughly one year for every major crisis?
Andersen: We want to provide a many-colored tapestry for our players. Focusing on one storyline isn't needed with the pace at which we release content. So players can look forward to the next chapter in this story, resolutions to some of our launch stories, as well as totally new things in the years to come.
Rick and Morty Dota 2 announcer pack and courier up for voting
Have you seen Rick and Morty?
Have you seen Rick and Morty? It's an Adult Swim cartoon. I like it a lot, especially for Justin Roiland's improvisational voicing of its titular characters (he also plays Earl of Lemongrab on Adventure Time, if you couldn't tell). If you want to hear the pair a lot more, Adult Swim has put a Rick and Morty announcer pack up for votingon the Dota 2 Workshop, along with a Mr. Meeseeks courier. I sort of doubt they'll help your game.
Full disclosure, I played video games with Justin Roiland once. Sometimes weird things happen.
Never get lost in DCUO's Watchtower again with this detailed fan-made map
DC Universe does a lot of things really well, but building easily-navigable hangout spots is not one of them.
DC Universe does a lot of things really well, but building easily-navigable hangout spots is not one of them. The Justice League Watchtower and Hall of Doom serve as the primary meeting points for all Hero and Villain characters, respectively. Both house a ton of useful objects—like the Phase Shifter, which allows you to swap between PvE and PvP phases of the server at will—but not all of them are easy to find.
The cryptically-named RedDragon74 over at DCUO Life has done heroes a great service by putting together an all-encompassing mapthat labels the locations of everything you'll need in the Watchtower and also provides a full list of bounty locations and a complete breakdown of how to earn the different PvE currencies at endgame. It's not the prettiest map ever made, but all the info is here.
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be an equivalent for the Hall of Doom quite yet (sorry, Villains), but the endgame breakdown list should still be able to help ne'er-do-gooders.
The Rift Report: 10 of the best VR experiences
Every Tuesday Andy straps on the Oculus Rift and dives headfirst into the world of virtual reality in The Rift Report .
Every Tuesday Andy straps on the Oculus Rift and dives headfirst into the world of virtual reality in The Rift Report . Is it really the future of PC gaming? Let's find out.
The Rift Report will be taking a break until I get my hands and eyes on the higher resolution DK2. But before I go, here's a list of the games, tech demos, and other oddities I think make the most of the hardware. I've been using the Rift pretty frequently for a couple of months now, and it still manages to impress me. But the limitations of the original development kit are obvious, so I think I'll wait until the fancypants new model lands on my desk before I continue my virtual reality odyssey.
Elite: Dangerous
I've put this at the top, because it's my favourite VR game so far. The weighty ship handling and dramatic space battles are fun with just your archaic old eyes, but throw the Rift and a good flight stick into the mix and it's like being in Star Wars, but with fewer Ewoks.
Blue Marble
You're an astronaut, and you're drifting through space, away from the Earth, slowly, until you run out of oxygen and die. That's the setup in this atmospheric and evocative demo that I actually enjoyed more than Gravity. Being able to import your own background music is a nice touch.
BlockedIn
You can't move in this demo. You're pinned to a chair in a detailed, stylised room, and it seems like nothing's happening, until you turn around and notice that, outside, Tetris blocks are falling from the sky. It's like some surreal dream, and the lack of movement doesn't diminish its impact.
Spirited Away Boiler Room
Someone has recreated a key set from Studio Ghibli's brilliant, beautiful Spirited Away – the bath house boiler room – and it's a very weird experience to wander around a 3D version of a 2D environment you know so well from an animated film. Its creator is doing My Neighbour Totoro next.
Solar System Explorer
Another of my favourite demos. This sees you flying around an almost to-scale replica of the solar system. Distances between planets feel vast, and there's some incredible scenery, from sun flares, to the rings of Saturn, to Jupiter and its icy moons. A remarkable experience.
VR Cinema
This amazing demo simulates the experience of being at the cinema. The screen feels genuinely massive, and the lighting in the room dynamically mirrors whatever's on the screen. You can import most video files, including high-def Blu-ray rips. It's like having your own personal 500 inch TV.
The Cave
This is a proof of concept demo that simulates being Bruce Wayne in the Batcave. The holographic UI is really impressive, and I can see this being implemented into mission briefings for games. There's a batmobile in the cave, but you can't drive it, sadly. Just stare at its shiny bodywork.
Euro Truck Simulator 2
The genuinely, unironically good Euro Truck Simulator 2 works brilliantly with the Oculus Rift, especially if you have a force feedback wheel. The detailed 3D cabins give a good sense of depth as you look around, and the realistic handling makes for a satisfying sim experience.
Technolust
Only a single room of this cyberpunk adventure game is currently available, but a Kickstarter campaign will ensure we see more if it's successful. It's a bit like being in Deckard's apartment in Blade Runner, and the view of a futuristic city out of the window is particularly impressive.
RedFrame Environment Demo
This is probably the most realistic Rift demo I've seen yet. It's not exciting or interactive, but the quality of the modeling and lighting makes this bedroom (a sample environment from an adventure game) an eerily convincing and uncanny space to explore in VR.