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Autodesk expands Stingray VR support and streamlines Maya character creation
Autodesk is looking to give developers more ways to create by advancing its toolset with updates to its Stingray game engine and Maya LT 2016 animation and modeling software.
Unveiled at this week's GDC conference in San Francisco, Stingray v1.2 continues the push towards virtual reality with additional support for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift SDK v0.8, and improvements that speed up common tasks within the engine.
Talking specifically, the addition of multi-core completion will allow for faster project and asset imports with multi-CPU compiling. Entity support in story will enable shading environments to be animated with global illumination, fog, and depth of field.
The addition of improved UI flexibility also makes it possible to move, snap, and scale Stingray tools independently of each other and use multiple monitors in development, while rendered outline highlights should make it easier to find lost objects within large scenes.
The new Maya LT Extension 3 update, coupled with Stingray v1.2, will integrate several modeling, UV creation, rigging and animation improvements, and includes an updated exporter to simplify character creation.
Throughout GDC, Autodesk will also host a series of sessions spotlighting developers such as Eidos-Montreal and Fatshark, and present Stingray technology demos, including a session on building VR experiences.
For a full list of scheduled sessions just click here.
Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM.
Grab Your Jet and Fight the Elders of Madness
With strange eons even death may die, sure, but death seems just fine and dandy in Elders of Madness .
. It probably seemed like a good idea at the time though, grabbing a jet fighter and really taking it to the hordes of Lovecraftian horrors that came swooping in. I mean, it seems like a better plan than curling up into a ball while unworldly colors out of space left your sanity in tatters. Well, sometimes attacking a monstrous god with a machine gun in a flimsy jet works as well as you can imagine, meaning lots and lots of flaming wreckage and some very intact elder gods. You might fare better than I did playing the collaborative student project that is Miguel Ángel García Guerra’s Elders of Madness , but you will still die, and often.
Elders of Madness ‘ shmup action is pretty intense, and fill with all the tentacled, gelatinous monstrosities one would expect from a Lovecraft story. They’re all well-armed, too, and since one hit sends you all the way back to the start of the stage, expect to get real comfortable with how each level starts off. Now, horrors from beyond time and space are enough trouble, but you can’t really have a game inspired by Lovecraft’s work without some sanity effects. In Elders of Madness , this means that you have a sanity meter that steadily trickles down as you fire away. As it drains, your sight grows dimmer, eventually leaving you with only a small circle of light around your ship. The game is already hard enough as is, but once you’re about to crack up from sanity loss, you can barely see any of the shots coming.
Elders of Madness is a collaborative project between 120 students from the Colegio San Juan Bosco in Madrid, Spain, where Miguel Ángel García Guerra works teaching several subjects. Drawing students from many different disciplines helped show the connections that mathematics and literature bring to games, drawing from all manner of departments to create a singular vision. The project is now available for free for anyone who wants to test their reflexes against the brutal monsters of Elders of Madness . Best of luck trying to shoot down the embodiment of insanity!
For more information on Miguel Ángel García Guerra’s work and Elders of Madness, you can head to his websiteor follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and YouTube.
The Football Playbook’ Coming To Mobile; PC Version Now Free
‘The Football Playbook’ Coming To Mobile; PC Version Now Free
If you’re unfamiliar with The Football Playbook , it is a game about precise puzzle timing more than it is about football (or soccer if you come from my parts o’ town).
, it is a game about precise puzzle timing more than it is about football (or soccer if you come from my parts o’ town). The whole theme and setting behind it is soccer based though, which makes for an easily accessible title.
What’s better than an easy pick up and play title? A pick up and play title on a mobile device of course! The Football Playbook , which originally released on PC, is now being updated and ported over to the mobile/tablet side of gaming. While there’s not a release date or price set in stone, PC gamers will be happy to find out that it is now available to play for free!
Originally reviewed last month, our very own Sam Adonis praised The Football Playbook for its quick and enjoyable puzzles, a match made in heaven for the mobile platform! To pick up The Football Playbook on the PC be sure to head on over to the official website. To keep up with developer and get up to the minute news on the mobile release follow them on Twitterand Facebook.
Smite trailer shows overhauled Conquest map
Over at the Smite World Championship, Hi-Rez has just announced the Season Two changes planned for the god-bothering lane pusher.
Over at the Smite World Championship, Hi-Rez has just announced the Season Two changes planned for the god-bothering lane pusher. First up is a new three-lane Conquest map.
For the full details of the map—and to see screenshots—head over to Chris's announcement post. If, however, you want to see the cinematic trailer published alongside the announcement, just cast your eyes below.
We'll have ongoing coverage of the Smite World Championship. If you'd like to get involved, check out our rundown of everything you need to know.
Ice Escape – Free, Frozen Dinosaur Puzzler
Ice Escape: Steakosaurus Rescue , the puzzle game for iOS, Android, PC and Ouya showed up in my inbox after Vinny Parisi, the mastermind behind IGM’s newest Gameplay section for indie streamers, forwarded it over with one sentence attached; “This game is adorable.
section for indie streamers, forwarded it over with one sentence attached; “This game is adorable. We have to cover it.” Well, I couldn’t disagree, and here we are.
Corey and Jesse, the developers behind this icy multi-platform game have promised an experience that will take gamers back in time – not quite to the prehistoric ages – but to the retro styling and sound of games such as Banjo Kazooie and the ice caves of early Pokemon games.
In this prehistoric outing, dinosaurs are no longer extinct, having thawed out after being frozen for millions of years. The plight of the dinosaur is never over, though, and despite surviving the meteors that wiped out their brethren, three dinosaurs must now escape 100 icy mazes. Each remaining dino has their own special abilities – of which I know very little, but assume that they’re as awesome as their scaly owners – and these will have to be used and combined if escape is ever going to be a possibility.
Swiping a finger across a touch-screen device sends the creatures sliding across the ice until they hit a wall, at which point they’ll dust themselves off and do it again until they reach the exit – feeling maybe a little worse for wear, but just grateful not to be buried under layers of sedimentary rock, I’d imagine. As expected, the game is said to become gradually more difficult, with a dinosaur hunter called Van Hyde lurking about, and a carnivorous beast of sorts, called Tasukete.
Ice Escape is available now as a free game with no ads whatsoever. Even if it didn’t have dinosaurs as its protagonists, that makes it worth checking out. These dinosaurs waited millions of years to make it to our screens, so it’s only fair that we all try to help them out of their maze crisis, right?
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Our Verdict
Smite makes the MOBA more approachable with smart tweaks to the formula and action RPG-inspired combat.
"They have no idea I'm here," says GamesRadar's Lucas Sullivan as he sneaks up behind two enemy gods in my lane. I'm casually killing minions in front of my tower in Conquest mode, Smite's take on the 5v5 Multiplayer Online Battle Arena codified by Dota and League of Legends. On a strategic level, Smite plays almost identically to League, but it tucks the camera in close behind the back of my character—a god pulled from the pages of Greek or Hindu or Egyptian mythology—and feels more like a third-person action game as I cast magical abilities with the keyboard and sling attacks with the left mouse button.
"They have no idea I'm here," Lucas repeats, giddy, as he moves into attack range behind our opponents, kills one with a flurry of special abilities, and is on top of the next before I can even move in to help. Two free kills. An easy gank, in MOBA terms. They never saw Lucas coming because they never turned around. And if you never turn around in Smite, you're probably going to die.
By taking away the lifesaving peripheral vision of a top-down camera, Smite transforms the MOBA into a game of close-range kills, clutch dodges and precision skillshots. In an overcrowded market full of overly similar games, Smite distinguishes itself from other MOBAs not with what it adds to the formula, but with what it strips away.
Same MOBA, new angle
I spent somewhere north of 1000 hours playing League of Legends before giving it up. I relapsed a couple times like any good addict, but I've been clean for the better part of a year now. Smite manages to scratch the same competitive itch as League while simultaneously feeling like a very different game. I'm getting that tug of addiction again without the familiar feeling that I've done it all a thousand times before.
That said, Smite does slavishly adhere to the MOBA template: Two teams of five players face off on a map built with three lanes, separated by an intertwining "jungle" filled with agnostic AI enemies that grant XP and buffs to speed, magic, or damage. Minions march inexorably down each lane. Players kill them to earn gold, buy items, and level up. Teams begin to group up and fight together, relying on characters of different roles to perform specific functions. Tanks like Hades and Athena stun and taunt the enemy team. Carries like Neith and Anhur pump out consistent damage. Assassins like Loki and Bakasura lunge in to get kills.
The team that wins fights pushes up the lanes, destroys towers, and eventually takes down the enemy Titan for the win. A quick match will be over in 25 minutes. A long one will drag on for an hour. Smite's matches trend towards the shorter end of that spectrum, which I find welcome in a MOBA: they're long enough to invest in but short enough to avoid being exhausting.
Smite's third-person camera sends ripples of change through the MOBA infrastructure. Most attacks in the game are "skillshots," meaning they have to be judged, aimed, and timed for range and speed. Judging distance in three dimensions is far harder than it is with a top-down camera. In League of Legends, many champions can land basic attacks and devastating abilities with a simple click. They can't miss. In Smite, almost everything can miss. In a match I played as Vulcan, the Roman Smith of the Gods, I had Egyptian goddess Neith dead to rights. She was down to a sliver of health when I launched my Ultimate ability, a heavily damaging rocket that drops an AOE damage circle as wide as a lane. There was no way she could flee the circle in time. But at the last second, she used Back Flip—not to jump out of the circle, but to be up in the air when the missiles landed. She got away.
Aiming and landing attacks is instantly challenging and gratifying. Each attack landed, whether it's Egyptian god Anhur's javelins or Poseidon's blasts of water, feels like a minor victory. Each attack anticipated and dodged without peripheral vision feels like a major accomplishment.
Smite's combat is so fun I ended up spending more time playing its action-focused Arena mode than the MOBA Conquest. Arena is essentially team deathmatch with accelerated leveling—if Conquest is Smite's version of the gods participating in a noble game of grand strategy, Arena is its mythologically jumbled barroom brawl. Each kill peels points away from the enemy team's score, and the whole thing is over inside of 20 minutes. Arena's a great way to test out a new god and learn how their abilities work, but it also proves how much work the action half of this action-MOBA hybrid does to keep Smite engaging.
Smite also has an equivalent of the chaotic ARAM (All Random All Mid), a popular mode born out of custom MOBA matches that eventually got its own matchmaking queue in League of Legends. And Smite has a goofy daily mode that's good for a laugh, such as a 5v5 match of everyone playing Greek god Chronos. Chronos' ultimate ability lets him turn back time to reverse all damage he took for the past eight seconds. 10 people doing that simultaneously is a nightmare scenario that would send Doc Brown into a space-time continuum fit.
ARAM is the go-to not-so-serious mode in League of Legends. It's like a sloppy real-time strategy match. Smite's ARAM feels just as throwaway, but Arena's combat focus gels perfectly with the third-person camera. Arena feels more like a simplified MMO PvP mode. It's more fun, makes better use of its gods' variety of skills, and it's still easy to shake off a loss when a match lasts 15 minutes.
No trouble with the curve
Despite the demand for precise skillshots, Smite is more approachable than League of Legends or Dota 2. Fights are frantic, but most gods have generous escape abilities to leap out of combat or chase a fleeing opponent. Hades, one of my favorite gods, has an ability that drops him underground and warps him to a target location where he pops back up and deals damage to any enemy nearby. Early game, while I'm laning, I'll use the ability to close in on squishy gods, then throw out Hades' silence ability and AOE attack to do some damage. Late game, it's a great way to initiate team fights. Because Hades is a tank, I usually live long enough to survive until the ability's cooldown is up, and if I'm hurt, I'll pop Death From Below again to flee from the battle.
Hi-Rez smartly targeted some of the MOBA genre's lingering ambiguity and stripped it out to soften the learning curve. I picture their designers sitting around a table having a eureka moment: "What if we just made everything a little bit easier to understand without ditching the complexity?"
Experience and gold are shared within a short range, so getting the last hit on a minion to kill it isn't a critical part of the laning phase. Last hits still net more gold. Jungle minions drop their buffs onto the ground so any teammate can pick them up, instead of granting it to the last hitter. One of the side lanes, traditionally reserved for a powerful solo champion, is noticeably shorter than the opposite side, subtly beckoning a solo laner while also making that lane slightly safer from ganks.
A robust voice command system adapted from Tribes: Ascend simplifies callouts like "missing in action," "retreat," "defend right lane," and so on. In my time playing Smite, players have regularly used this system to communicate, which makes teamwork with strangers surprisingly effective.
General items, activatable items, and consumables are separated out and serve different functions. Active items that refill mana or place wards every 90 seconds save money and encourage staying in lanes longer.
Smite even welcomes newcomers with tools that circumvent the challenge of learning item builds and ability orders. Auto-buy and auto-level are enabled by default, spending gold and experience on a set path for each champion. I turned the systems off to force myself to learn my way around the item store and each god's abilities, but they're not just tools for beginners. The auto-buy paths for each god can be customized in Smite's launcher to adhere to whatever order you prefer.
Genuinely free to play
Smite's free-to-play economy is, likewise, refreshingly streamlined. There are no rune pages or masteries, nothing to spend money on that affects gameplay balance. Real money and in-game currency are only used to buy new gods, skins, and voice packs. And if you don't want to grind out games to earn new gods, you don't have to. A $30 god pack buys every god in the game—there are 51 as of this writing—and every god Hi-Rez ever releases in the future. In League of Legends, new champions cost about $7.50 a pop. All of Smite's gods cost 200 gems, or $4. $30 for the whole pantheon, present and future, is an absurdly good deal for a free-to-play game.
I love that I don't have to spend dozens of hours—or dozens of dollars—earning in-game currency to spend on items that incrementally buff my characters. It's rare for a free-to-play game to truly put balance ahead of profit. Smite does. Still, the meta leveling progression is missing something. Leveling an account to 30 simply grants access to ranked league matches, with no unlocks or rewards along the way. Why not let me jump into ranked play earlier, if I want to?
The leveling system feels like a leftover F2P element that doesn't fulfill its original purpose. By level 10, I felt like I knew Smite well enough to dip my toes into a ranked match, even if I would've been stuck in the lowly bronze league.
The 30-level arc isn't there to stop me from having fun, though. It's to stop me from ruining other people's fun in ranked play—to ensure I'm not going cluelessly die over and over again like a chump and waste 40 minutes of my team's time. Hi-Rez could've come up with a better way to gate access to ranked play, but the 30 level system does, at least, preserve the competitive balance of ranked games.
In the dozens of hours of Smite I've played, only other human beings could sour the fun. You know these people: the ones who drag down your team but blame everyone else. The ones who ignore pleas for teamwork. The ones who leave mid-match, crippling your team in 4v5 fights. The ones who claim "mid" or "solo lane" because that's the most fun for them. They're playing Smite, too. But there don't seem to be as many of them. Perhaps thanks to the voice command system, Smite has one of the least vitriolic competitive communities I've played with.
MOBAs are vastly complex games that demand skill and study and patience. Mechanical execution will win fights, but strategy and coordination win games. Smite demonstrates a rare willingness to teach, with tools and genre tweaks that show how thoughtful design can cut through the barrier that makes MOBAs so intimidating to learn.
The high skill cap is still there if you want to reach for it. It may not sit on the tallest, Misty Mountainest peak alongside Dota 2, but Smite's skill ceiling balances the approachability of action RPG combat with deep MOBA strategy. The gods are surprisingly diverse in abilities and playstyles, and though balance is always a moving target, almost every god shows up regularly in online play and is capable of deicide in the right hands.
Perhaps the strongest endorsement I can give Smite is that I keep trying out new gods instead of sticking with one that I can play reliably. In League of Legends, I spent a long, long time mastering one champion that I loved. In Smite, I'm finding something to like in almost every god I play. Learning dozens of movesets feels like an excuse to keep playing rather than an intimidating knowledge gap to struggle against. I don't think I've truly mastered any of the gods yet, but I have, at least, learned to watch my back.
The Verdict
Smite
Smite makes the MOBA more approachable with smart tweaks to the formula and action RPG-inspired combat.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR As hardware editor, Wes spends slightly more time building computers than he does breaking them. Deep in his heart he believes he loves Star Wars even more than Samuel Roberts and Chris Thursten, but is too scared to tell them.
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Shadow Heroes: Vengeance in Flames Enters Steam Greenlight
Shadow Heroes: Vengeance in Flames is an RTS by developer Allied Games Inc.
is an RTS by developer Allied Games Inc. Players will fight in epic battles commanding hundreds of units using weapons, magic and tactics. The game allows the player to hire new units and customize their load-outs with items that have been collected. Items can also be combined with one another creating even stronger weapons that will give players an edge in combat.
The game offers a single-player mode and a multiplayer mode. The single-player experience of the game sets players on a conquest of Hendrika, a divided kingdom of eight warring nations. Players can take upgrades they find in the multiplayer mode and transfer them to utilize in their single-player campaign. Items are divided into two categories: active and passive. Passive items provide bonuses to a unit’s stats and, in some instances, abilities. Active items only provide bonuses when a player selects a unit with the item and activates it. These usually come with some added bonuses or additional control like focusing on individual targets.
Shadow Heroes: Vengeance in Flames is currently on Steam Greenlightand is up for voting. If the game passes on Greenlight it will be released on PC first with a later release on Mac and Linux. To learn more about the game visit the official website. To learn more about Allied Games Inc, visit their websiteor follow them on Twitter.
Dot.’ Review – The Techno Geometry Edition Of Asteroids
‘Dot.’ Review – The Techno Geometry Edition Of Asteroids
Are you a fan of simple, arcade style games?
Are you a fan of simple, arcade style games? How about electronic music? If you’ve said yes to either of those questions I strongly recommend that you check out Dot. . Dot. is the first game from indie developer Rebusmind and was released for Android devices on the GooglePlay Store September 5 th. To play the game, you control a blue dot that shoots laser beams at red dots in waves. The background music is made up of simple beats (that aren’t too loud to distract the player from the game itself), which blend well with the laser noises made whenever your dot fires:
As you can see from the above trailer, the game’s music blends in well with its’ simplistic style. Players have the option of playing with a touch/tap interface, or to control their dot by playing in dual joystick mode. Regardless of the player’s preference, the game swiftly becomes difficult as your dot grows by picking up loot drops from vanquished dots or shrinks when injured. The larger the dot is, the more difficult it is to manipulate; however, smaller dots cannot survive being injured very much as they are closer to being completely destroyed by the other dots.
Just to make the gameplay even crazier, once a red dot has been shot, it fragments, and the fragments have to be avoided as well. Luckily, some of the drops from defeated dots also give your dot additional laser beams, which increase your capacity to destroy, at least until you’ve been hit again, which causes you to lose any additional beams you have gained. Once you’ve progressed further into the game, some of the red dots begin to produce angled lines across the screen that will also harm your dot if it passes through them before they are destroyed.
Dot. is simple, yet addictive, but don’t come to the game expecting any plot. It is very much a ‘what you see is what you get’ type of game. However, it promises exactly what it delivers: Fast-paced shooting action in the palm of your hands, floods of enemies and bullets everywhere, and growing and shrinking abilities that can be used to your advantage. Another great feature of the game is an online leaderboard that allows you to see how you stack up against others playing the game. If your gaming streak has a competitive side this is totally a bonus, especially due to the fact that there are relatively few players so far.
Rebusmind ’s Dot. is available on Google Playfor $0.99, as well as the Amazon AppStore. If you’re looking for more information on Rebusmind , you can check out their website, as well as their Twitter account. Though they’ve only released the one game so far, Rebusmind has other games currently in development and we here at IGM think that they are defiantly worth keeping an eye on.
[review pros=”Great Music, addictive game-play, runs smoothly” cons=”You have to start from the beginning each time” score=85]
The Multiplayer Shooter of the Year 2012: PlanetSide 2
Playing PlanetSide 2 is like being eight and riding a bike without holding on to the handlebars.
Playing PlanetSide 2 is like being eight and riding a bike without holding on to the handlebars. Mum! Are you watching? Did you see that sniper shot? Were you watching when I jumped off the roof of that building, clamped C4 to a tank's hull, jetpacked over a cliff edge, and pressed the detonator? Did you see the time I spawned a Liberator gunship and picked Chris up at a base south of a bio lab being taken by the New Conglomerate? He hopped in the gunner seat, mum, and together we destroyed the enemy's only Sunderer! We blunted their advance mum! Mum! Are you still looking? Keep looking, mum, I'm going to do something cool now!
You're never more than a few minutes from something cool in PlanetSide 2. Vehicle spawn delays mean you can't spawn the same vehicle too soon after producing a previous one of the same type. Rather than frustrating, this provides me with an excuse to run the gamut of PlanetSide's varieties of warfare. I usually start fights in a one-man Mosquito fighter, trying to swat enemy pilots out of the sky with air-to-air missiles. When I crash or get shot down, I change pace and climb aboard my Sunderer battle bus, providing a respawn point for my pals and healing any other vehicle that comes near with my engineer's repair tool.
When that, too, meets an explodey fate, I retreat to the relative safety of my Prowler tank chassis, the thick armour offering some relief against boom-happy enemies. Until, inevitably, I get shot in the rear with a rocket and I have to begin the whole chain again. This time, maybe I'll spawn a Liberator and try to cajole someone into gunning for me.
Other shooters do the best they can with one form of combat. Battlefield 3 tries mid-range vehicle fighting. Call of Duty does close-up reaction shooting. Only PlanetSide 2 offers everything. Most impressively, it does them all well. It's a well-stocked tasting menu of a game: what would sir/madam like to try tonight? Some quad-biking with a base-capturing squad? Certainly, it'll be right out. May I recommend the massive armour column? It's really very good.
Read More: Planetside 2 reviewand our guide to how to conquer Indar
Runners Up: Tribes Ascend and Natural Selection 2.
Indie Videos – A Chasm, A Cave, And A Castaway
Discord Games is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter for Chasm , a 2D action-RPG featuring procedurally generated Metroid -like dungeons and stylish pixel art.
-like dungeons and stylish pixel art. A demo is available for Windows/Mac/Linux on the Kickstarter campaign page, and Discord Games plans to release the game in early 2014, if the campaign is successful. Chasm is inspired by the 2D platformers of the past, and will utilize gamepad support to compliment the game’s retro art-style.
“…this game can not be made without your support,” Discord Games says on the campaign page. ” We’ve been waiting forever for a game like this, but game publishers today just aren’t interested in projects like this one. With your support, we will be able to finish the game ourselves and give you a truly amazing experience.”
Set for a Summer 2013 release, Volcosis is a game which allows the player to alternate between a 2D and a 3D platforming experience, in order to progress through the levels and gradually take the protagonist deeper into the cave. The game is set to feature a level editor, and a level-share system to allow other players to check out what you’ve created. Volcosis already features over eighty levels, and will come with gamepad support, local co-op, and customizable controls. There is a Beta-build available on the game’s official website.
Paul Greasley, Chris Geehan, and Michael Reitzenstein’s island survival simulator, Under the Ocean , was one of the first games chosen for Steam’s new “ Early Access” program which allows games still in development to be purchased and updated as the development process proceeds. Under the Ocean has players scrounging for supplies on a randomly generated island. The game is supported by a crafting system which allows player to construct things like rugged spears, planks for building shelter, traps for hunting, or a raft to attempt to escape the island upon.
Under the Ocean is available for pre-purchase on Steam, and through the Early Access program, buying now allows instant access to the latest build.
If you are an indie developer, or simply want to share a cool indie gameplay video or trailer, shoot an email to tom[at]indiegamemag[dot]com and put “indie videos” in the subject line.
Screenshot Weekly – Locking Down the Secret Boogey Clowns
Welcome back to Screenshot Weekly !
! Every Tuesday, IGM brings you exclusive looks at upcoming games in various stages of development. The featured image introducing each game will always be original, and made especially for IGM, so you’ll see them for the first time right here! Without further ado, let’s take a look at this week’s screenshots (remember to click the pictures to appreciate them in all their fully-sized glory):
Boogey Boy
Goon Studios isn’t afraid of the boogeyman, but they’re willing to bet most people will still want to run away from him before he gets them. A mix of 3D infinite-running and side-scrolling platforming, Boogey Boy tasks players with avoiding the various creatures of the night while outrunning the shadowy figure out to… what do boogeymen even want anyway? Brains? Souls? Anyway, the game features 5 procedurally generated levels, just as many power ups, 2 different gameplay modes, and leaderboard support. Best of all, Goon Studios is promising there won’t be any in-app purchases. In fact, the Pasadena CA-based team prides themselves on creating “entertaining and visually engaging games” without ever implementing IAP. For more information about either the game or the development team, be sure to visit their official website.
Clown’s Secret
Harkening back to the days of classic black-and-white cinema, Clown’s Secret is a 2D adventure game starring two detectives named Hal and Halbert living in the city of Tomainia. The duo have taken a new assignment and are tasked with investigating the disappearance of a high class woman just after her marriage. The developers at Expression Studios are passionate about this era of film, but are also committed to infusing the old-school style with modern life, “daring to reimagine them and [make] them playable.” In terms of gaming influences, the team takes their inspiration from titles including Monkey Island , Machinarium , and the recent Broken Age . A true labor of love for the team, Expression Studios says that Clown’s Secret “ is incredibly funny, full of distinctives [ sic ] and remarkable characters through the always unused Tomai nia.” Additional details about the iPad and Steam-bound game can be found on their websiteand Twitterprofile.
Lockdown Protocol
According to the developers at FRACTiLE Games, “ Lockdown Protocol is a high score oriented shooter/platformer game with a built-in level editor and basic network deathmatch support. You play as a lone scientist in a secret research facility on lockdown , trying to fight your way out alive.” To make matters worse, something in the facility has gone catastrophically wrong, and for some reason everyone and everything is now trying to kill the player. (Just once I’d like to see something go catastrophically right at the start of a game, and explore a world where everybody loves me.) For those interested in checking out Lockdown Protocol , the game is actually in the public Alpha stage of development, so anyone can take the game for a spin by visiting the website and downloading the free demo. Of course, if you’d like to pay for the game afterwards, you can pick it up right now for 40% off the intended launch price.
That’s it for this week’s Screenshot Weekly . Be sure to come back next week to see more exclusive looks of the latest indie games in development! Let us know in the comments section what upcoming indie games you’d like to see featured in a future installment. As for any indie developers who would like to see their screenshots featured in an upcoming segment, feel free to send an email to IGM at editors@indiegamemag.com with the Subject Line: “Screenshot Weekly”. Or, if you’d like to be part of our Magazine’s Screenshot Monthly segment, include that in the email as well!
Tribes: Ascend Marksman update adds Sentinel gear, 100% inheritance Blinksfusor, Rage tweaks
I think I might start playing Sentinel again in Tribes.
I think I might start playing Sentinel again in Tribes. Though I was courted away from the sniper class by the speed and glory of the flag-capping Pathfinder, yesterday'sis wooing me. The patch gives Sentinels the SAP20, a more powerful Phase Rifle variant, a secondary shotgun, and speed-activated mines. I could be in the minority, but I quite like all of them.
Sentinel stuff
The SAP20 rifle sucks up more energy than the original Phase Rifle, but does more max damage than either the Phase or BTX1 rifles. Since I always preferred the BTX1, I'm not used to the Energy constraint, but the power is worth it. I switched my perks to Ultra Capacitor I and II for my new build to compensate.
The Accurized Shotgun deals less damage than the Pathfinder's shotty, but its tightened spread makes it effective at longer ranges. It requires a lot of precision amid the jet-powered close-quarters skirmishes, but it's effective enough that I make a comfortable living chasing slower-moving mammals as they try to trundle off with the flag. Its range keeps surprising me, and I'm a fan even though it may not be objectively better than the Sentinel's other secondaries.
The new Motion Mines pull off a cute trick, only detonating under targets traveling over 120KPH. Experienced flag-cappers are pretty good at clearing the flag stand with their Spinfusor, but the speed traps at least slightly increase the odds of scoring a useful hit - no more big guys stomping all over my stuff. They're also harder to spot than Claymores.
I don't know if this new build will keep me locked into a scope forever, but it's at least renewed my interest for now. And that's all I'll say about it, because I'm probably one of the few talking about the marksman-related updates in the Marksman update.
"100% inheritance"
No, everyone is talking about the Pathfinder's new Blinksfusor and its 100% inheritance. That means that, unlike all other Spinfusor variants, its projectiles inherit 100% of the user's velocity when fired. The others only inherit 50%, giving them an odd, but classic drag which can take a while for new players to get used to. But, of course, now that we're all used to it (and were before Tribes: Ascend), the addition of the Blinksfusor has some baffled. Others see it as more logical than regular spinfusors (yeah, it sort of is), while others yet say, "Eh, whatever. I guess you could use it if you want." I'm with that camp. It felt weird for a bit, but didn't have a noticeable effect on my accuracy. I won't use it.
Rage redone
Also notable is an update to the Rage perk. Rage actives when a flag grab occurs near the player, briefly increasing Energy and reducing player mass to jump-start the chase. With this update, the Rage effect makes players immune to their first self-inflicted damage after it activates, though self-harm also removes the effect. It was a much asked-for adjustment.
There are tons of other tweaks, nerfs, knob-twists, and so on, so have a look at the complete patch notes.
Joe Danger Touch’ Coming To iOS This Month
‘Joe Danger Touch’ Coming To iOS This Month
The developers at Hello Games came to the conclusion that Joe Danger , the hit Xbox 360 and PS3 trickster, would translate good to mobile platforms, and it looks like we won’t even have to wait that long for the release!
Coming off the heels of a very successful intro to the series and the following sequel, Joe Danger Touch is entirely a new game, not a port from its predecessors. In fact, Joe Danger Touch will come with extra characters, courses, and Game Center integration including the newest addition, Challenges.
Joe Danger Touch will have in-app purchases, but it will be entirely possible to earn everything if you’re just a bit more patient. If you thought that it was impressive that the original Joe Danger was made by only six guys, then you’ll be shocked to hear that Touch is being developed by only two men from the studio.
Speaking to CVG, Sean Murray of Hello Games stated that “I don’t think Joe Danger Touc h feels like anything else I’ve played. I want it to feel like it could only work on iOS, because we’ve built it specifically for the device. Towards the end of the game, it gets super difficult, probably more so than the console version. I’m amazed what levels I can handle sometimes, and the subtlety possible with just a touch interface.”
“Playtesters keep telling me it’s a nice blend of their other favorite games on iPhone – Bike Baron, Jetpack Joyride and Rayman Jungle Run,” he continued. “Usually that would really wind me up, but I kind of see it as a compliment here, that Joe Danger feels at home on iOS, and is being compared to some of the best games on the device.”
I was very fond of the original game back when I played it on the PlayStation 3, so this is very exciting news! Joe Danger Touch is expected land on the App Store this month we’ll give you the update when it does.
Robot Unicorn Attack 2’ Review – As Advertised
‘Robot Unicorn Attack 2’ Review – As Advertised
What do you get when you cross robots, unicorns, rainbows and death by rock giants who shoot lasers out of their eyes?
What do you get when you cross robots, unicorns, rainbows and death by rock giants who shoot lasers out of their eyes? Yes, it’s Robot Unicorn Attack 2 (RUC2), and as sequels go it’s a welcome improvement over the original and still just as addictive.
There’s no need for a story here, simply select your robotic unicorn hero then jump and dash as far as you can go, rinse and repeat. But its appeal isn’t necessarily the game itself, but it’s unusual and colourful setting. RUC2 places its focus firmly on taking the best parts of the late 70’s and early 80’s science fiction, namely the likes of Heavy Metal or Flash Gordon.
You’ll have three runs (known as wishes) per game, with your score an overall combination of the three. The two areas on offer, filled with Rainbows or Ice, provide branching pathways and slightly different hazards, but with flying enabled you might find it easier to dodge between them all as the pace quickens. Depending on when you play, the chosen level you run will change, adding some much needed variety instead of the same thing over and over. In a nice touch, you can choose to replay a run to increase your score, at a cost of course but it’s always helpful. You can also purchase a fourth wish if you’re so inclined, though I rarely did.
As a sequel, there’s plenty of new incentives too. You’ll be able to upgrade your chosen Unicorn from a host of different body, wing and horn types. Each one provides a different result to your run, whether it’s a better or longer jump or a faster running speed, which can make a difference in terms of your overall result. I would have loved some extra options here though, such as the ability to choose your Unicorn’s colours or size to make it more about your own personal creation.
Before your three wishes, you can put some of your collected currency towards boosts, special abilities that can allow you to dash automatically through obstacles or suck up collectibles just by being nearby. The cost of these boosts aren’t too high, but the more you use them the quickly you may lose track of how much you have left over, leaving you with little to upgrade your Unicorn (which is arguably more important if you’re after a higher result).
The biggest addition of all, however, is the ability to fly. Yes, wings are now an important part of the RUC2 experience and once you unlock that ability and reach the required score to use it, you suddenly have a better chance of not only dodging difficult areas but reaching others where you couldn’t before.
Community driven incentives provide that final layer of polish, giving you a reason to keep playing past the first handful of wishes. It’s not a huge thing, like the ability to upload levels of your own design (RUC3 perhaps?) or a direct connection to the players, but a few bonus prizes for your efforts isn’t something to sniff at.
By now you all know how I feel about runners (the fact that most of them seem the same, where’s the originality, etc.) but honestly I threw that thought out as soon as I booted Robot Unicorn Attack 2 up for the first time. It’s a clever combination of what would normally be deemed ‘simplistic’ gameplay with a colourful, 80’s era inspired world that makes it worth playing, especially for an elder like me.
Plus, you can purchase the NeverEnding Story theme song! Winning!
[review pros=”Simple but enjoyable, easy on the eye, NeverEnding stooorrrrrrrrrrryyyyy!” cons=”Really built for short bursts only, doesn’t provide anything ‘new’ gameplay wise” score=88]
Tribes: Ascend "Accelerate Update" to remove XP cost for upgrades, add 27 weapon variants
The next major Tribes: Ascend patch, the Accelerate Update, is coming later this month.
The next major Tribes: Ascend patch, the Accelerate Update, is coming later this month. It's named for a big change to Tribes' player progression system: weapon and gear upgrades will no longer cost XP. Instead, you'll earn upgrades over time by using your equipment, and only have to spend XP on them if you want a shortcut to mastery. The change will "dramatically speed up" weapon upgrading, says Hi-Rez Studios COO Todd Harris.
That's just for upgrades, though -- you'll still need to purchase new weapons with Gold or XP, and there are 27 new variants coming. The new weapons are tweaked versions of existing guns, and offer stat trade-offs rather than new mechanics. The Devastator Spinfusor, for example, does less area of effect damage than the Heavy Spinfusor, but gets a direct hit damage bonus. Aside from the obvious motivation -- having more things to sell -- it sounds like Hi-Rez is attempting to add deeper customization while minimizing the risk of a major balance upset.
On the subject of balance, Harris says that the patch will introduce "the most comprehensive balance changes to date," which were conceived by watching and conversing with competitive players. He didn't list any of the adjustments, but they'll be in the patch notes when it's live. Have a watch of the update announcement trailer below:
Oh, one more thing: Hi-Rez also released a dramatic teaser to announce that the next step for the Tribes series is already on paper, along with Todd Harris' head.
Indie Intros: ‘Plupons’
Block matching games are always exceedingly popular titles for mobile, and with good reason.
Block matching games are always exceedingly popular titles for mobile, and with good reason. They take good reflexes, forward thinking and problem-solving skills to play well, yet playing a round can take up as little as only a few minutes of your time. They’re the perfect game for when you’re waiting for the bus, or sitting on the toilet (come on, we all do it), which is exactly why there are always new block matching games being released.
Plupons is a brand-new match-3 game from first-time indie developer Kristaps Auzins. Plupons is the story of the aptly-named Plupaliens, inhabitants of titular planet of Plupons, whose day is rudely interrupted by the arrival of a rather excessive number of blocks from outer space. Now, it’s up to you to use your wits and your colour-coordination skills to save the entire planet from destruction.
There’s plenty of content in Plupons to keep you entertained while you’re playing. With a total of 50 levels in 3 different locations, side missions, achievements, trophies and special challenges, and even a whole host of character customization options, Plupons is a game that is sure to keep you busy for weeks to come.
If you want to find out more about the game, there’s loads more information on the game itself over on the Plupons websiteand Facebookpage. But, if you just can’t wait to get your hands on the game itself, you can pick it up right now over on the App Storefor only $0.99.
Average Giants Episode 29 Pt 2 – Black Ice PvP Edition!
IGM Presents… The Average Giants!
IGM Presents… The Average Giants! A weekly webseries where we play indie games while chatting with their developers. Come watch (and “follow”) the show live on our hitbox channelevery Monday night at 9:00pm EDT.
Or you can just sit back and watch all our live streams right here on our new IGM Livepage.
Original air date: September 29, 2014
Play Tribes: Ascend with us - livestreaming now!
Update: It's over!
Update: It's over! Thanks for playing with us!
PC Gamer now has its very own Tribes: Ascend server -- [VGW]! You can find it in Play Now > Custom Servers in the North America - West region. If you like to go fast, join us -- we're playing from 4:00 pm PST (6 pm CST, 7 pm EST, 12 am GMT) until we're going slow. Watch our livestream inside or at twitch.tv/pcgamer-- we'll be giving out codes for free Tribes Gold in the chat!
Sage Solitaire Sails Smoothly Onto iOS
Fans of Ridiculous Fishing and SpellTower may be interested to hear that Zach Gage is releasing another game for mobile: Sage Solitaire.
Mr. Gage explains his new game by detailing the history of Solitaire: “ Microsoft is reportedto have included solitaire in Windows to socialize the new mouse-style input required to operate a graphical user interface.”
The problem, he says, is that since its inclusion with Windows, digital Solitaire hasn’t changed much. When it was ported to mobile devices, it seemed as though not much effort had gone into actually adapting the game for mobile devices and their constraints — smaller screens, a touch interface, and the frequent necessity for games to be fast and lightweight, since many people play during a commute or just during a few minutes of downtime.
Sage Solitaire aims to bring Solitaire properly to mobile devices, with large, easy to read cards, and with a variant of the game built just for mobile. The game plays off of what many people would recognize as Solitaire or Patience, and which is more technically known as Klondike. Players need to clear cards from stacks, just as they would in Solitaire, but instead of building down from the deck, all the cards they’ll play with are on the stacks. Players will have to craft Poker hands from the face-up cards, and try their best not to leave any cards on the table.
The game released on Thursday, August 27 for iOS only(the version currently on Android is a clone, not a release from the developer), though based on Gage’s other projects, it’s possible that Sage Solitaire may come to other platforms as well. The game is free, with an optional in-app purchase to get rid of ads and unlock a little bit of extra content for $2.99 USD. Those interested can check out Zach Gage’s website, which lists other projects he has worked on.
Soar Through the Distorted World of Perfect Moon
Perfect Moon is best described as a dream – familiar things, imprinted in a distorted surreal world, not exactly aware if these things are relevant, but it’s those very things that make it so intriguing.
Perfect Moon is a platformer, with warped gravitational physics and an unconventional control scheme in comparison to classic platformers. The control scheme has not been clearly described, but developer Will Sykes claims that it’s intuitive and allows for depth without overly simplifying the gameplay.
Though there doesn’t seem to be a clear narrative to Perfect Moon , you play as a shaggy haired, shirtless man. You’ll soar, float, and run through a dream like world composed in black and white. In each level you’ll have a number of diamonds you must collect while being timed, though it doesn’t seem you’ll be battling against time. The levels showcased in the Perfect Moon trailer are surreal and beautifully simplified, showcasing the protagonist jumping through clouds that castle-like-structures float upon, leaping from moon-to-moon, and dodging treacherous obstacles such as giant saws and spikes.
Will Sykes, formerly a part of UsTwo (the developers behind the breathtaking Monument Valley ), has departed to pursue his own direction as an indie developer, with Perfect Moon being Sykes’ debut release.
Perfect Moon is available for Android now hereand is expected on iOS very soon. You can also ‘Like’ the game’s official Facebook page here.
Be sure to stay up to date on the latest indie game news by following Indie Game Magazine on Twitter!
Tribes: Ascend's Tartarus Update adds new maps, introduces loadouts
Today's Tribes: Ascend version 1.0.961.0 patch adds phosphorescent flora and bunches of updates.
adds phosphorescent flora and bunches of updates. The biggest deal is the new CTF map, Tartarus, which is similar in scale and design to Katabatic, but with more green stuff to get in the way. The visual variety is nice, but the mystical forest aesthetic seems out-of-place in rotation with the other maps. But hey: fun new skiing routes to discover! I did some practice-mode exploring of Tartarus in the video above to give you an overview.
The patch also adds a similarly lush new Arena map called Hinterlands. Unlike the other maps, Hinterlands lacks inventory stations and features a circular border.
The biggest feature addition is loadouts, which allow players to quickly swap between customized class presets. Extra loadouts cost 40GP or 5200XP. I generally play Pathfinder or Sentinel and stick to the gear I'm comfortable with, but perhaps others will find more use in rapid tweaking of perks and weapons. The Numpad Enter key can now quick-switch between classes and the new loadouts, which is a nice usability improvement.
On the topic of perks and weapons, a new "daily deal" feature has been added. Players will now see personalized price reductions on items they don't own -- my deal for today is 35% off the Infiltrator's Mercenary skin.
In balance changes, vehicle prices have been reduced, the distance a flag can be punted (knocked forward with an explosive) has been reduced, and the exit speed from a Shrike has been capped at 200kph, which maintains the Shrike grab tactic, but makes its "That Just Happened" moments less ridiculous.
Also notable: players who use the "Super Heavy" perk will now hear a satisfying splat when they body check headstrong little Pathfinders. Those who play the "Heavy on flag" role too often go without enough thanks, but at least now they can enjoy squashing flag grabbers a little more.
See more of the new maps and features in developer Hi-Rez's overview video above (the new "splat" sound is at the very end), and read the complete patch notes here. If none of that made any sense, you should really give Tribes: Ascenda go.
IGM Dream Team: Futurlab And Hermitgames
IGM Dream Team is a new feature series in which I pair up two great indie studios which I believe are compatible in terms of developmental ethos, style, and other factors.
IGM Dream Team is a new feature series in which I pair up two great indie studios which I believe are compatible in terms of developmental ethos, style, and other factors. I will be discussing how they would work together, and how their hypothetical collaboratively-developed game would turn out. It’s basically an outlet for my nerdy gaming fantasies. I hope you enjoy it!
My very first IGM Dream Team is a marriage of two of my all-time favourite indie studios, and it’s the fantasy team-up that inspired this entire feature concept. I simply love everything that has come from both of these developers, and I see a definite affinity between the two. My selections for the first IGM Dream Team are Futurlab and hermitgames . Below is a quick burst of information on both studios for the unfamiliar.
Name: Futurlab Releases: Coconut Dodge, Velocity, Fuel Tiracas, Beats Slider, Surge, Velocity Ultra, Coconut Dodge: ReVitalised Platforms: PSP, PS3, PS Vita, iOS Speciality: Bite-sized yet compulsively playable arcade experiences, adddictiveness, classic twitchy and reaction-based gaming. Name: hermitgames Releases: fren-ze, Leave Home, Qrth-Phyl Platforms: PC, Xbox Live Indie Games Speciality: Creating new spins on classic genres, a brilliantly arresting and quintessentially ‘gamey’ use of audio and visual design, finely-tuned score-chasing gameplay.So now you know a little about the studios in question, if you didn’t already. Now you’re probably just wondering why I think Futurlab and hermitgames are so well-suited, and why I believe that a collaboration would yield such fantastic results. Well, as I touched upon above, both of them tend to focus on old-school score-based arcade experiences — particularly the shoot-em-up genre, which both developers have shown a proficiency for. Futurlab ‘s Velocity and hermitgames’ Leave Home are, for my money, two of the best modern “shmups” available, thanks to solid underlying mechanics and — crucially — a healthy dose of new ideas. The teleportation mechanic of Velocity and the adaptive difficulty of Leave Home are both worthwhile and transformative additions to an otherwise aging genre. Imagine a shmup that combined the imagination of both of them! It makes me excited just thinking about it.
Matt James, the lone developer working under the hermitgames moniker, has also tweeted his appreciation for Futurlab’s Velocity in the past, which shows they’re on the same wavelength. An appreciation of one another’s work would be crucial for a successful collaboration, so this tweet makes me feel even more sure that this dream team-up would be a successful one.
Besides a mutual background of developing innovative shoot-’em-ups, there is a more intangible and difficult-to-define connection between the two. Both studios appear to share a development ethos; a tribute to the classics without pandering or being in thrall to the past, a focus on gaming purity and mechanics above all else. As much as I enjoy the interactive storytelling and progressive ‘games as art’ movements that are kicking off in the indie community, I will always be most interested in games that hook me on a purely gaming level, and I appreciate that for developers like Futurlab and hermitgames that is still the primary objective.
That’s why I feel that a joint project between Futurlab and hermitgames would be a dream team. Agree with me? Disagree? Have your own suggestions for ideal development team-ups? Let us know in the comments, take to the IGM forums where I’ve started a threadon the topic, or tweet me @PleasantPig! We’d love to hear your feedback on this topic.
You can learn more aboutandon their official websites, or via their Twitter accounts: @Futurlaband @hermitgames.
Sketchphrase’ Gets An Upgrade
‘Sketchphrase’ Gets An Upgrade
Kihon Games, the minds behind Baby Monkey and several other games, recently released a game called Sketchphrase .
. For those of you unfamiliar with it, the game is sort of a mix between Pictochatting on a DS and the old-school game of telephone. There are three roles in each round of the game: one player writes a phrase, the next must attempt to draw it, and the third attempts to guess what the phrase was. As you may have guessed, the result is ensuing hilarity. But don’t worry, all you lone wolves out there — you don’t need three friends online to play the game. Other players can be selected by the game from the massive pool of people who play, or you can just do your part and wait for your buddies to get their tails in-game. The following video sums it up pretty well:
Kihon has recently added some updates to the game, including “lowered prices for in-app purchases, a new Hall of Fame and gallery browsing abilities, and more chances to earn coins.” If you are considering buying the game I’d suggest doing it now, while the price is only $1.99. If you enjoy tormenting your friends with impossible-to-draw phrases or showing off your amazing artistic ability, this looks like a good game for you. (Well, I suppose you’ll need either an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to go along with your general sense of mischievousness if you want to play this game — it’s currently an iOS exclusive, and optimized for the iPhone 5.)
The game can be purchased on the iTunes App Store,and more about Kihon activities can be learned at their official website. Speaking of Kihon activities, everyone should keep an eye out for their upcoming game, Dojo Danger , which is scheduled to be released in the coming weeks.
Why is Tribes: Ascend free to play?
How things change.
How things change. A few years ago the words "free to play" used to strike fear in my naive mind. I'd think of exploits, affluent winners and infinite credit card debt. No more. Now I associate free to play with a game I can play... for free. It's a payment model that Hi Rez studios controversially adopted for Tribes: Ascend, the competitive team-based shooter that's just gone into open beta.
Executive Producer Todd Harris has the payment model to thank for the boost in the player base of their previous MMO-shooter, Global Agenda: "Just before going free-to-play, we had a very generous free trial, but by changing it from a free trial to free-to-play, we increased the number of people who download and play dramatically. That was a good learning for us... we thought we did an effective job making the game free-to-play, but not pay-to-win and the community tended to agree with us."
The community are right. After a few hours in Tribes: Ascend, it's obvious that Hi Rez' priority isn't in milking players dry via microtransactions. "Going into Tribes Ascend we wanted a big group to try it," says Todd. We wanted it to be competitive in terms of the PvP and in not being pay-to-win. We wanted to put more of our resources into the development of the game versus the marketing of the game. Free-to-play lets people try the game first."
It also means that Hi Rez could spend less on marketing, and more on development. "We don't have to convince them with television ads to plop down fifty bucks ahead of time, we'd rather rely on word of mouth and a free download to let people try it for themselves."
It was probably a daunting prospect. After all, it's easy to piss off a Tribes veteran. Early feedback from the community prompted Hi-Rez to lower the amount of hitscan weapons and even redefine the class system entirely. As a result, the community appreciated the tweaks and got back on board. Todd seems proud of Hi Rez's open attitude.
In fact, he says very few games can afford to exist in a vacuum: "I think gamers are fairly cynical when it comes to advertising and marketing. They want to be shown and not told. They're very hands on and sceptical, and they should be, because there's so much product out there and so many choices. So I think there'll continue to be a handful of franchises with the name recognition and the known IP to host blockbuster events; those are kind of fun to celebrate, but they're the minority."
The latest issue of PC Gamer comes with a beta code for Tribes: Ascend and 350 gold - enough to unlock a specialist class, or pimp out one of you existing ones. Subscribe, or grab your copy of the March issue.
Werewolf Online: Howling at the MMO-OON
Werewolf Online is a large-scale social MMO in which you and Professor Lupin have something in common: You are a werewolf.
is a large-scale social MMO in which you and Professor Lupin have something in common: You are a werewolf. Despite your fearsome, lupine nature, things in the Riverlands have been thrown into chaos due to a sudden orc invasion. And before you can question how or why the orcs ambushed your homeland, you find yourself consumed in a conflict that may just be too much to handle on your own. Fortunately, developers Vorpalfox have captured and condensed the essential MMO experience into a portable adventure that is also playable offline—players will be able to interact with friends’ characters, and invoke their help in boss battles and raids.
Currently on Kickstarterand seeking approval on Steam Greenlight , Werewolf Online offers three unique classes to select from: Warrior, Scout, or Alchemist. Each class excels in different areas, which range from power-fueled sword attacks, stealth maneuvers, and magic-based onslaught. In addition to story-driven quests and raids, core gameplay is structured around resource gathering, which lends itself to crafting weapon upgrades, and much more.
Werewolf Online is expected for release on PC, Android, and iOS devices. You can stay up to date with the latest developments on the game through Twitterand Facebook. What do you think about Werewolf Online ? Let us know in the comments section.
Joe Danger Touch’ Drops Tonight At Midnight
‘Joe Danger Touch’ Drops Tonight At Midnight
Joe Danger Touch is revving its way onto the App Store tonight at midnight, January 10th!
is revving its way onto the App Store tonight at midnight, January 10th! Just last week it was announcedthat the hit stunt-star arcade game was making its way to iOS, and now it’s already here! The joy of iOS game releases!
Joe Danger Touch will have more than 30 characters, plenty of new adventures, and cross-platform multiplayer, just as the trailer states above! Touch will not be a watered down version of the Joe Danger series, in fact managing director Sean Murray stated that it will be “super difficult, probably more so than the console version.”
For you late night owls be sure to visit the App Store tonight to get your crash on. Need to go to sleep? Don’t worry, we’ll remind you in tomorrow’s App Store Update.
Source: @hellogames
Watch footage of our Tribes: Ascend show match. Behold our acceptable competence
"AAAEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.” A high-pitched sound was echoing through our Ventrilo server at 20:55 last Thursday.
"AAAEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.” A high-pitched sound was echoing through our Ventrilo server at 20:55 last Thursday. Rich was our sniper. Rich was nervous. Rich was making noises.
A few weeks ago we got a mail from Hi-Rezasking us if we'd like to participate in a Tribes Ascend showcase match against OnRPGand MMOHut. We accepted the challenge. The match was streamed live by LevelUpTVand commentated by top Tribes shoutcaster Ziggy Orzeszekand Hi-Rez eSports and Competitive manager Bart Koenigsberg.
To see Tribes: Ascend in its hyper-competitive e-sport glory, you'll need to watch a set of pros in action. However, if you're interested in watching the UK staff face off against some less experienced players, click away. Thanks to everyone involved for organising the match, and to OnRPGand MMOHutfor being such good sports. As Graham (who fulfilled his infiltrator role admirably) mentioned on Twitterafter the game, “We won via careful planning, hard work, and, um, having played it before, unlike our opponents.”
Don't forget that Tribes is now in open beta. If you like what you see, visit the official site and download the client. You've got nothing to lose apart from your bandwidth.
Match 1
[VAMS id="BBusI1r6PyLt0"]
Match 2
[VAMS id="sX2MxLtlSu1r5"]
Match 3
[VAMS id="4eA69mKxFG9C4"]
Armello Preview: Taking Tabletop to the Laptop with Impressive Results
Armello began as an idea by League of Geeks .
. After bring their idea to Kickstarter, which succeeded with flying colors, the game is now available on Early Access. What a ride! With the simple story and basic mechanics one would expect of a board game, the strategic mindset required for a card game, and a set of oft-admired graphics, Armello is one to watch, for sure. I quite enjoyed it, aside from a couple of annoyances (and that’s really all they were), and I come from a background of not having played many tabletop games, let alone tabletop-inspired PC games.
Some bears just want to watch the world burn
The story goes like this: The king, a mighty lion, is sick from a rot that has infected the kingdom. Four heroes of dubious motivation are trying to earn their ascent to the throne by any means necessary. Through a victory in the field that outlasts the king’s (quite short) time left, or by besting the king’s guard and the king himself to take the throne by force, players must choose their strategy carefully based on the attributes of their character (four classes are available), and the resources they come across along the way. Cards are put into play as buffs or traps on the board itself, and can be used in battle to aid the player against either other heroes, the guards, or the banes (evil creatures) that attack at night. The execution of these cards takes some getting used to, but overall it’s pretty solid, so far.
Where the game runs into a bit of a problem (at least, for me) is in the movement of the mouse, and how it interacts with the board. I don’t like to see my mouse cursor in the middle of the screen while action is occurring, so I’ve developed a habit of moving it to the side so I don’t get distracted. While on the map, which is the default screen for pretty much everything, moving the mouse to the side results in the map panning to that side. Since movement around the map is supposed to be dictated by either clicking and dragging, or using the WASD keys, this caught me off-guard, and resulted in a lot of frantic pressing of “F” (to snap to featured character, e.g. the one currently acting) and the space bar (to snap to my character) to be able to keep up with what was going on. There is helpful text at the bottom of the screen, so you’re not required to see everything that happens, but when you’re used to tabletops, you’re used to seeing AND hearing, so losing both of those (reading takes over for hearing) isn’t very comfortable. It’s a small thing that made a big difference.
The in-game tutorial is very thorough, with lots of information that tells players exactly what to do and expect. Even for those experienced in these types of RPGs, there may be a period of adjustment when it comes to the timing of card play, their use in battle, and how the turn-based system works in general. It’s a little like Fluxx , as well, with a new “law” being put into place every day that the king is still alive (and this law is chosen by the player with the most “prestige,” which is awarded through deeds and victories on the field). Keeping everything in mind is a bit difficult for those who may not be used to this sort of thing, and it’d be nice to have reminders of buffs and whatnot on-screen (even little symbols like those in open-world MMOs would be nice). There is a way of looking over cards in the game (through the menu), so that you can learn what they do and keep the functions in mind, but knowing them and remembering that they’re there are two different things; a bit of help for those who need it, to make it a bit more accessible to new players, might be nice.
Apart from those two things, I literally have nothing else to complain about. The graphics, as many know, are superb, as is the overall design. I would call it worth the $24,99, even in Early Access. While the price may seem steep at this point, I’d argue that if you’d spend that much on a physical table-top game to play with friends, you’re getting the same thing with a much wider pool of players to choose from. I’m not a regular tabletop gamer, but I enjoyed this enough that if it also happened to be available as a board game in the future, I would buy it.
If you’d like to find out more about Armello , you can visit the website. You can also contact the devs on Twitteror Facebookwith questions, or to get more news about Armello and future League of Geeks projects.
A Look At ‘Indie Game: The Movie – Special Edition’
Up until a few months ago I’d heard of Indie Game: The Movie , but I’d never watched it.
, but I’d never watched it. I knew there was copious amounts of hype surrounding the film itself so it seemed foolish of me (an avid video game fan) to not sample it’s delights.
Delights are in abundant supply in Indie Game: The Movie and even that was before the release of the Special Edition , which has just hit the Steam store this July.
For anyone clueless as I was as to what the premise of the movie is, it essentially documents the arduous journey that independent game developers have to go through, in order to get their game published. That and much much more, in all it’s raw, emotional glory!
Indie Game: The Movie focuses mainly on the development of three games: Braid , Super Meat Boy and Fez . It offers in-depth and utterly honest opinions from the developers of these titles, even in their moments of sheer depression and despair.
Don’t let that put you off though, observing these pioneers of the game industry reduced to stressed-out and panicky wrecks, is definitely worth it when they finally hit their targets. The make or break nature of their deals with big-time players in the industry, is a surefire crowd-pleaser and keeps you teetering on the edge of whatever you’re sitting on, the whole time!
The emotion that Indie Game: The Movie manages to evoke from not only myself, but thousands of other fans of video games, is just as powerful as any big-budget blockbuster action thriller.
If you’re curious or maybe I didn’t sum it up very well, here’s the official trailer:
So that’s the gist of the film really. Well not the plot, but what it’s about and how awesome it is. Now though, I’ll tell you a bit about the ‘DLC’. The Special Edition version of Indie Game: The Movie is cleverly pitched as DLC (downloadable content, for anyone who doesn’t speak the lingo).
Did you know that Indie Game: The Movie , is the first feature film to have it’s own DLC? It’s also the first movie to be released as an app on Steam. As if they weren’t already breaking boundaries with all that stuff, it’s also the first film to include Steam trading cards and achievements. Imagine that, an achievement for sitting down and watching a movie!
The DLC bolts straight onto the film, adding 100+ minutes of extra content – all in 1080p HD. This extra content includes a collection of epilogues from the likes of Phil Fish (Fez) , Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes (Super Meat Boy), and Jonathan Blow (Braid) .
Indie Game: The Movie Special Edition also boasts a collection of stories from other game creators, deleted scenes, ‘Team Meat Commentary’ and the swankiest menus in DLC history.
After watching the movie and the Special Edition in it’s entirety, I can safely say that you come to really care about and feel for the developers that you see on screen. The fact that they care so much about what they produce, instills an almost patriotic feel in your brain towards video games and their developers.
To catch a glimpse of this, check out the official trailer below…
It’s very difficult to give something as unique as this a rating, so I’d say that anyone remotely interested in video games should regard this film as a must watch. If you own a copy of Indie Game: The Movie on Steam, you can pick up the Special Edition ‘DLC’ for a small upgrade price here. Also, head over to the official websitefor physical DVDs, Blu-rays, poster, t-shirts and even more wicked merchandise!
Forza Horizon release date set for October
At today's Microsoft E3 press conference, MS revealed the official release date of Forza Horizon, the next motorsport racing game. The game's out October 23, 2012 in the US, and we'll have the new trailer here very soon. Here's the trailer: ABOUT THE AUTHOR Henry Gilbert Henry moved from the suburbs of northern Florida to work at GR+, and hasn't looked back once in seven years. When not collecting Mario toys, you can find him constantly checking his Twitter. Topics E3 Forza Motorsport Racing Forza Horizon We recommend By Zergnet Load Comments
Indie Videos – Fight In A Cave, Explore A Planet, Survive A Dungeon
Currently in development by Discord Games for Windows, Mac, and Linux, Chasm is a 2D action-RPG platformer featuring procedurally generated, Metroid -like dungeons for players to explore.
Discord Games has a screenshot Tumblr blogfor people to follow or browse through, something which other developers would be wise to emulate. Earlier in the week, the developers revealed the first gameplay trailer for Chasm , in anticipation of this year’s Game Developers Conference. Discord Games is in attendance, located at kiosk #7 in the play area.
Visit Chasm ‘s official websiteto find out more about the game, and follow the developer on Twitter.
Pathea Games is seeking funding for Planet Explorers , through Kickstarter. The team is seeking $100,000 to help them complete their sandbox adventure game. Currently a little over $27,000 has been raised, and there are still 25 days left in the funding campaign.
Planet Explorers puts players in the boots of a stranded space colonist, attempting to survive on planet, Maria. Players will be able to customize their character, create weapons, and partake in a full story-arc and side quests. Multiplayer will be a feature and will include a build mode, an adventure mode, a co-op mode, and versus mode.
“At where we stand,” Pathea Games explains on the Kickstarter page, “we have enough budget to finish a bare minimum game, but not enough to add in every feature, storyline, and technology that we want. That’s where Kickstarter comes in. We hope that what we’ve managed to put together so far is enough to convince you that it’s something you want to play when it’s completed, enough so that you will support us on our way there.”
FobTi Interactive is celebrating the release of Obludia’s Alpha version 1.5, with a new gameplay video, showing off some of the new content. The new build features a magic shop for upgrade purchases, updated visuals, new enemies and monsters, and an entirely new dungeon.
Inspired by Smash-TV and Robotron , Obludia takes the form of an old-school arena-based action game. Obludia is still in Alpha, but pre-ordering gets buyers immediate access to the current build, and all future builds. There is a pre-purchase discount as well, making the game 70% cheaper than what it will be upon launch. Visit Obludia’s official websiteand follow them on Twitter.
If you would like your indie game’s video to be featured in a future post, or if you simply want to share a video for a game you’re excited about, please email editors@indiegamemag.com with “Indie Videos” in the subject line.
Microsoft Spring Showcase 2012 round-up
It's been awhile since we've heard anything about Halo 4, and a new Forza game not from Turn 10? Find out in our stories below just what Microsoft is up to this year. Halo 4's Trailer dissected Forza Horizon announced Deadlight announced, first look preview Fable: The Journey - 6 reasons why we're excited for Kinect controls Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor preview Kinect Star Wars preview Fable Heroes - first look preview South Park: Tenorman's Revenge preview Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City - preview of Nemesis mode Minecraft 360 - split-screen multiplayer preview Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - new arsenal mode Trials Evolution preview Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure preview Wreckateer announced for Kinect Diabolical Pitch preview
Zombie Cruise’ Make Out And Dance Your Way To Survival
‘Zombie Cruise’ Make Out And Dance Your Way To Survival
What’s more fun than being on a cruise ship?
What’s more fun than being on a cruise ship? Being on a cruise ship with zombies (virtually at least). Originally established in 2006, Tuonela Productions have made The Club and Golems for iPhone, along with many successful board games. Tuonela is looking to bring some humor to the zombie craze with Zombie Cruise being developed for PC, Mac, and iPad and have a new live action trailer to show off.
In Zombie Cruise you play as DJ Alex Delay who wakes up one morning to find out he has bigger problems than a hangover and failed relationship. The cruise ship he’s on has been hit by a zombie infection and it’s up to Alex to use his his wits to survive. Unlike many zombie games out there today, it’s not just a shooter. Zombie Cruise is looking to be a challenging game of humor, romance, and action.
Some of the game mechanics revolve around more traditional means of surviving such as duck & cover, or fighting them by using items like tazers to buy you some time and get away. Where the game shines though is using more unconventional ways of survival.
With Alex being a DJ you can distract zombies from eating their pray and focus on their dance moves instead. The developers reasoning for this hilarious gameplay mechanic? Everybody who enjoys rave parties are utterly brainless, just like zombies. Another unique perk Alex has is picking up women. With Alex being a world-class DJ he can just walk up to them and make his move. This will protect him against zombies as they’ll think you’re one of them and enjoying a fresh victim.
To follow the development of Zombie Cruise , like them on Facebook, subscribe to the them on YouTube, follow Tuonela Productions on Twitter, and visit their official website. Be sure to check out the bizarre live ction trailer as well as some gameplay footage below.
New Releases Of The Week Feb 25 – March 1
So many apps are released every week across the board, it can be hard to keep up with all of them.
So many apps are released every week across the board, it can be hard to keep up with all of them. To help provide a little guide, here’s our picks for some of the best newly released games. Keep a close eye on IGM Mobile for the latest on these and more upcoming releases every week.
The Voxel Agents continue their domination of the world … I mean, the puzzle genre, as their well received iOS game Puzzle Retreat has made a welcome jump to Androiddevices. If you haven’t played it yet or don’t own an iOS system, believe us when we say it’s well worth your time.
We previewed Penumbear ( iOS) by Taco Graveyard just the other day, and now you can see what it’s all about. This platform and puzzle hybrid has you problem solving using light and darkness, all the while controlling a little bear on a mission.
Gravity Duck ( iOS) comes to us from the team behind League of Evil and Burrito Bison among many others, Ravenous Games, which has you controlling a duck who can flip gravity to his advantage. Sure, gravity defying games aren’t new, but a gravity defying duck? Can’t say I’ve heard that before.
For something you’ve not heard before but definitely should there’s Red Rusher ( iOS), a revenge story by Araso Pandan. This is a rather stylish mix of black and white comic book art mixed with music rhythm controls and 1st person, sword based combat.
Indonesian team Agate Studio have teamed with Chillingo to release Up In Flames ( iOS), which tells the story of a young dragon who must burn down a number of fortresses in order to save his friends. Think Angry Birds, but with fire.
Finally there’s Cognition: Episode 1 ( iOS) by Phoenix Online Studios , the first of four ongoing chapters. You play a young FBI agent who gains the power of pre-cognition, in other words when she touches a particular item she sees its past (where it came from, what it was used for, etc). Under ordinary conditions it may sound like a boring super power, but not to someone who’s out to catch a serial killer.
Valve removes Seduce Me from Steam Greenlight for "offensive material"
Steam Greenlight has been billed as a way to let the community decide what makes it to the Steam store and what doesn't, but it seems Greenlight is giving a red light to the Red Light District.
Steam Greenlight has been billed as a way to let the community decide what makes it to the Steam store and what doesn't, but it seems Greenlight is giving a red light to the Red Light District. If your game contains sexual content, you might not even be allowed to put your work to a vote, as Seduce Medevelopers No Reply Games discovered.
An article on Gamesindustry.bizdescribes the content of Seduce Me as "[comparable] to erotic literature, photography or film," and "scarcely more hardcore than 50 Shades of Grey or The Joy of Sex." Some of the screens on the official siteare fairly explicit, but the apparent bottom line is that sexual content is an immediate Steam barrier. While the article states that Greenlight's voters were polarized, Valve pulled the plug on Seduce Me before a community verdict could be reached. No Reply co-founder Miriam Bellard was taken off-guard by this.
"It was just a very generic e-mail saying we'd violated [the content guidelines] and the game was being taken down," she told Gamesindustry International. "It struck us as them not wanting to deal with it, not wanting to engage. We were actually really shocked when it went down, because we thought that it would at least be allowed on Greenlight to be discussed. We wouldn't have minded taking down some of the images if they were considered too racy for the forum, but there was no communication - nothing."
The guidelines stated by Valve simply refer to "offensive content," without any clarification on what, exactly, that consists of. Bellard criticized the interpretation of these guidelines as being largely American-centric, as much of the rest of the world would see the content of Seduce Me as far less offensive than many of the depictions of violence seen in games already on Steam.
"I personally don't think Valve needs [to play it safe]," she asserted. "I think Valve is in a position where they could push this if they wanted to. Sure, they might lose a very small amount of their audience, but they would gain others... Why they've chosen not to is possibly that they're part of that American culture, and they view this issue with that American point-of-view."
Sex in games is an evolving issue in a relatively new medium, but it's readily apparent that nudity and sexual themes are not as tolerated in an artistic context as they are in, say, film or literature. "There's still that historical view of games being for children," Bellard said in regards to the disparity. "And even though the average gamer is now 30 yeas old it's still the gut reaction. With books, you have children's books, teen fiction, adult books of all genres. But we tend to view games as one solid category. I think things like this can just be about habit; it's just what we're used to."
Should sex in games be less stigmatized? Is Valve failing to push forward, or take its international audience into account with its policy enforcement?
Gun-Loaded Gameplay Trailer For ‘Monster Of Puppets’ Released
Drakkar Dev have released the first showcase of gameplay in the latest trailer for their all-slashing and all-whacking title, Monster of Puppets , and it’s looking fun people!
After teasing us with that welcoming teaser trailerof theirs, Drakkar Dev make the headlines again with yet another trailer for Monster of Puppets and this time their bringing the beef…well, gameplay at least. We may have a number of swipe-heavy titles gracing our touchscreens already, slicing everything from fruit to logs, but Monster of Puppets attends to fun with a whole bunch of new features to the experience.
Monster of Puppets is about destroying the army of evil puppets that an invading alien has breathed life into so as to form an army. Luckily, you’re here to stop them and have a wide variety of weapons to help you do just that. Swipe your finger to use your bladed weapons, tap to shoot with your vast amount of guns or hold down two fingers to blast the puppet scum with energy beams.
We still haven’t got a release date on this one yet but we do know that Monster of Puppets will arrive sometime soon on Android and iOS devices. More information on Monster of Puppets can be found on the official website.
Ghostbusters: Paranormal Blast’ Preview – I Ain’t ‘fraid Of No App!
‘Ghostbusters: Paranormal Blast’ Preview – I Ain’t ‘fraid Of No App!
Have you ever wandered around your home at night and felt like you weren’t alone? As if there was something creeping about that you couldn’t see even out of the corner of your eye? Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic? Well put these spooky thoughts to rest, because XMG Studios and the Ghostbusters have developed the latest in spectral identification and extermination technology. Introducing: Ghostbusters Paranormal Blast .
Do your part by joining your local Ghostbusters, all new recruits can pick out one of six avatars and hit the streets to track down spirits, ghouls and ghosts. Ghostbusters Paranormal Blast utilizes augmented reality and location based features to connect players with the more hostile members of the afterlife. Ray Sharma, founder and CEO of XMG Studios explains:
“Augmented Reality introduces virtual objects into a real-world environment as seen through your camera. Players use the iPhone location to find and catch local ghosts but will also need to use their accelerometer and gyroscope to blast-and-then-steer ghosts into a virtual ghost trap for containment and collection.”
When its time to call the real Ghostbusters, never expect a minute of dead air. Players will have full access to all the gadgets Egon can jam into the back of the Ecto-1, including the ever faithful Proton pack, Neutrona wand, and best of all your very own flight suit. Expect to be haunted by some fan favorites such as the Librarian ghost and of course Slimer. The game features more than 14 of these 3D intangible nasties and its your job to capture them. For every demon you cage you”’ receive city payouts in the form of in-game petty cash and members only buster bucks that you can redeem for upgrades to all your equipment.
Ghostbusters Paranormal Blast is available now on the App Store. It’s time to hit the streets, hunt some ghosts and keep your neighborhood Twinkies from reaching critical mass. But whatever you do, don’t cross the streams!
For all the latest info on Ghostbusters Paranormal Blast be sure to check out XMG Studios official website.
Monster Truck Announcer Hired For ‘Disco Dodgeball’ Trailer
Sunday, Sunday!, SUNDAY!
Developer 82apps went all out for the first official trailer of Robot Roller Derby Disco Dodgeball . Honestly, with a name like that, how can you not go all out?
The trailer debuted on 82apps YouTube channel yesterday, and has scooped up a few thousand hits, already.
Featuring the voice work talents of Bob Oakman of Pirate Studio,the trailer shows off Robot Roller Derby Disco Dodgeball in action.
Currently, a playable browser-based version of the Alpha is available on the 82apps website. Players use the WASD keys to move, the mouse to aim, and left-click to throw the dodgeballs they have rolled over and picked up. The free Alpha is availble to everyone, but limited to one game mode and three arenas. Those interested in supporting Robot Roller Derby Disco Dodgeball can opt to purchase the Early Access version, which allows access to the latest builds which, according to the website, includes four arenas and two game modes. The Early Access version is also the version which will receive the live patches, while the free Alpha will remain as is.
Robot Roller Derby Disco Dodgeball is in development for PC, Mac, and Linux operating systems. As development progresses, 82apps will look into getting the game onto the Steambox and Oculus Rift.
New Release Round-Up April 22nd-27th
Miss anything this week or looking for something new to play? Then here’s a quick round-up of some of the biggest and best releases on all mobile platforms:
by Adult Swim Games
by Somethin’ Else
Random Heroes 2 by Ravenous Games Inc
by Bulkypix
by Zing Games
by David Mondou-Labbe
Snakes and Ladders as a first-person shooter might be an excellent idea
Why do snakes always hang around ladders?
Why do snakes always hang around ladders? Why do ladders only allow upwards climbing? Why are we climbing the ladders, and what's so bad about staying at the bottom? It's possible we'll learn the answers to these pertinent questions in Snakes-N-Ladders: Origins, which is a modern first-person shooter take on the Snakes N Ladders universe. No doubt there will be plenty of gripping Snakes-N-Ladders lore to sink our fangs into.
"Millions of years ago there waged a devastating war between humans and reptilians for control over the galaxy," reads the official Steam Greenlight description. "Knowledge of this war has been passed down the ages and now exists in the form of a board game which is played to this date."
Sounds pretty good! It's a Greenlight project so the quality of the end result may vary, but overall I think it's about time someone delved head first into the rich possibilities of the Snakes and Ladders universe. "Episode 1 is a small game comprising of 6 levels in one giant earth-like swamp forest valley on an unknown planet," continues the description. "It delves into first contact between the two races and how the whole legend began. It is the stepping stone into the vast Snakes-N-Ladders: Origins saga to come."
Check it out here. Hopefully someone will consider developing a Hungry, Hungry Hippos RTS set in a gritty, post-apocalyptic hellscape.
Cyberpunk legend William Gibson working on MEG 9: Lost Echoes
"Within the hostile environment of the Probability Aperture, a high-tech research complex called Horizon vanished from the grid," explains the MEG 9: Lost Echoes announcement.
announcement. "In the darkness, surrounded by nightmarish creatures, the lone AI-construct MEG has triggered a distress call."
It's a thin setup, but intriguing, and all the more so because developer Skunkwerks Kinetic is creating the game in conjunction with William Gibson, author of the seminal cyberpunk novel Neuromancer. And it certainly sounds like it: The Probability Aperture is "a dimensional disjunction generated by the multinational corporation Quantum Multiphasics," which also happens to be your employer. Many different phenomena exist within the Horizon, the most dangerous of them called the Corruption, an intelligent entity that takes over equipment and power sources, turning them into lethal biomechanical monstrosities.
In this hostile environment, players will take control of the Rig, a massive, remotely-operated vehicle kitted out with cutting-edge military hardware, and use it to explore the "large facilities, beautiful oases, labyrinthine tunnels, and vast deserts" that make up the Horizon. The Rig can be upgraded and customized, while MEG will assist with collecting parts and artifacts, and hacking into Horizon's terminals. (Hey, it's William Gibson, remember.) Your goal is simple: Discover the truth.
A Skunkwerks Kinetic rep said Gibson is in "constant communication" with the team, helping with narrative direction and ideas. "William Gibson developed the backstory and many of the concepts showcased within MEG 9: Lost Echoes," the studio said. "We have been working with him since the very beginning of the MEG project to give our audience a unique sci-fi universe."
MEG 9: Lost Echoes is still in the early stages of development, but a playable demo will be available at PAX Prime later this month, so we should be hearing quite a bit more about it in the next few weeks. It's also up for your approval on Steam Greenlight.
Ildefonse’ A New Atmospheric Horror Out This Month
‘Ildefonse’ A New Atmospheric Horror Out This Month
Next week will mark the release of Ildefonse a brand new horror game that takes inspiration from the great horror seen in Japanese, Korean and Spanish movies.
a brand new horror game that takes inspiration from the great horror seen in Japanese, Korean and Spanish movies. Hopefully basing the game off these very original and different horror markets to the usual Hollywood market we will see some rather creepy and inspired scenes within the game.
The story is set in 1977 as you play a lawyer hired to collect the testament papers in a house, a house which saw a massacre back in the 1930s carried out by Mr Ildefonse. After his wife left with their children Mr Ildefonse lost his mind and grief struck went on a killing spree before committing suicide.
Ildefonse looks to be a very atmospheric game that will instil a great deal of fear into the player as you move through this creepy old house plagued with its grizzly past. This atmosphere is presented in a number of interesting ways including light attenuation when the torch gets turned off, dynamic footsteps, sound reverb dependant on room, hallucinations and the player’s fear factor.
With so many horror games constantly being released it can be difficult to make your game stand out from the crowd and actually do something a little different. Ildenfonse sounds to be taken in an interesting new direction drawing inspiration from the horrors seen in the east that I have found to generally add a great deal to the horror genre overall.
Ildefonse is almost finished and is scheduled for release on March 15 thof this year and is intended to be free for all, however you can of course show your support for the project and donate to the developer. To find out more about Ildefonse head over to the IndieDB page(as the official site is down).
Super Rude Bear Resurrection is a brutal platformer where dying is helpful
Super Rude Bear Resurrection's developer describes the game as a "masocore platformer anyone can beat".
Super Rude Bear Resurrection's developer describes the game as a "masocore platformer anyone can beat". Think Super Meat Boy only, instead of continuously throwing yourself against a spike pit to no avail, here you can continuously throw yourself against a spike pit to later climb up the corpses. It's rare you get to describe a game as usefully morbid.
Crucially, creator Alex Rose confirms that you can complete each challenge without the need for past lives. The challenge is present for those that want it. For those that don't, dead selves provide a natural difficulty curve that lets you directly benefit from past mistakes.
The game is also being built with speedrunning in mind, with timed ghosts, seeded events and "super hard shortcuts" all planned.
For more details, head over to Super Rude Bear Resurrection's Steam Greenlight page.