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Techland Discusses Differences Between Dead Island & Dying Light

Tim Turi — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:05:00 GMT

The Dead Island series is polarizing. Hacking apart zombies in first-person is fun, but the games are blemished with technical bugs. It makes sense, then, that developer Techland might want to create distance between Dead Island and Dying Light – a new IP with a startlingly similar premise coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and current-gen systems. Players team up with up to three friends to explore a tropical setting, hack apart zombies, and craft items. Dying Light innovates on the formula by injecting free running and a day/night cycle, but we couldn’t ignore the elephant in the room during a live presentation of the game. We asked Techland’s brand manager, Blazej Krakowiak what separates the two titles.

Krakowiak reveals Dying Light is being developed by the core team that worked on the original Dead Island. The more criticized follow-up, Dead Island Riptide, was developed by the company’s studio in Warsaw, Poland. I asked Krakowiak to explain how Dying Light relates to the developer’s past zombie games.

“I hope it shows that we are really trying to build something from a different starting point here,” says Krakowiak. “Zombies as a genre are huge, not just in terms of popularity, but also in terms of potential and where you can take them. Our game, the first Dead Island, was a good example because it was so unexpected for people. You have little beautiful games like The Walking Dead and so on, and so on. There’s a lot of room in the [zombie] space so we feel like we can do something unique and interesting. In this case, this game’s development began back in early 2012 with the original Dead Island team, the big core team that we have. After finishing the first game they really wanted to do something even bigger and better. Not by evolving something existing, but starting a new IP with a completely different focus. This is the case: Dying Light is a new, original IP with no relation to Dead Island whatsoever.”

While Krakowiak says there is no direct relation between the titles, the developer is applying lessons learned from Dead Island to this new IP. Krakowiak didn’t go into specifics, but affirms that, “…there isn’t a single game that we’ve released that we haven’t learned from.”

Dying Light’s free-running gameplay is one of the core elements that separate it from Dead Island. Krakowiak believes this contribution also helps separate it from all other zombie games.

“Free running, for us, is a survival mechanism,” says Krakowiak. “This is not something those characters are doing to show off. This is something they have to do, because that’s how humans avoid getting eaten in zombie situations. This is something that we believe Dying Light can really contribute to the zombie genre.”

On the topic of survival, we asked Krakowiak if Dying Light will go as far as open-world zombie games like DayZ by adding hunger and thirst meters.

“I don’t think we’ll go that far,” says Krakowiak. “We are looking at options of maybe including something like that as a completely hardcore offering. With the main game this is definitely not our goal so please don’t take this as a promise. We are of course looking at this trend, but Dying Light will be an action-survival game. This has to be a blast to play. We don’t want to punish people. We don’t want them to spend the day in a hideout just trying to dress their wounds, or something. “

It’s tempting to jump to conclusions regarding the games’ similarities, but this is just Dying Light’s first showing. Techland isn’t spilling all the beans just yet, so we’ll have to hang tight until we get our hands on the game at E3 before drawing more parallels. Dying Light will be arriving on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 by the end of the year.

The Makers Of Dead Island Announce Dying Light

Tim Turi — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Today, Dead Island developer Techland and publisher Warner Bros. Interactive announced they’re delivering a new next-gen IP called Dying Light. At a glance this first-person zombie-slaying title looks a lot like Dead Island, but Techland is changing things up with Mirror’s Edge-like maneuverability and a persistent day/night cycle. Game Informer got an early peek at the game during a pre-E3 event last week in Santa Monica, California.

Techland demoed the next- and current-gen game with a hands-off presentation. Players scavenge for supplies in the day time to prepare for the night. The time of day shifts without load times. Techland says daylight will last about 30 minutes and nighttime will be slightly shorter. It supports four-player co-op and a variety of characters. Melee appears to be the main focus for combat. Work benches are also scattered across the world to craft items like electric machetes. The shared elements between Dying Light and Dead Island are impossible to ignore, so we spoke about that with Techland brand manager Blazej Krakowiak.

The demo begins with survivors holed up in a concrete safehouse. A helicopter soars overhead and drops off two care packages somewhere in the seaside shantytown. This tropical city is just one area of several for players to explore. The player must hurry to these supplies before the competing survivors get there. The dev at the controls sprints through narrow back alleys, deftly mantles obstacles, and strings melee kills without breaking stride. Movement through the environment looks seamless and beautiful. This preview build was running on what Techland described as a high-end PC with power comparable to next-gen consoles.

On the way, the protagonist passes by a two-story dwelling and hears a child crying from above. The ground-level doors are locked. Players must examine the environment to uncover unconventional routes through the disheveled town. The dev finds a telephone pole, climbs it, and leaps onto a balcony. In what appears to be a scripted event a zombie grabs our hero’s leg and takes a bite. Krakowiak tells us this bite is of less consequence because this character is already infected. After patching himself up, the dev rescues a little girl from a closet. A voice chimes in over the protagonist’s earpiece, telling him someone will pick up the rescued girl and that he should hurry to the care package. Techland says side-missions like this will emerge organically throughout the game.

Colored smoke billows on the horizon, indicating the position of the closest supply drop. The hero leaps a barricade to cross the highway. A row of wrecked cars holds back what looks like dozens of zombies. It was difficult to determine from the presentation if you could interact with these zombies or if they were blocked off behind an invisible wall. The throng of undead looked to rival the amount of onscreen enemies seen in the Dead Rising series.

By the time he reaches the first care package it’s too late. A group of heavily armed soldiers, under orders of a man named Rais, pull their guns on him. He automatically raises his hands in a nonthreatening display, backing away from their crate. We’re not sure, but our guess is they would’ve opened fire if the player had pressed his luck.

The sun is sagging towards the horizon so he hightails it towards the second supply drop. The dev at the controls is bee-lining it at this point, only stopping to kill crucial enemies on his way. A recently turned zombie bursts out of an alleyway. He appears more human than previous foes, and screams in agony as he grasps at his remaining humanity. A threat is a threat, and the player kicks the unfortunate soul into a spiked wall behind him.

During the sprint we see a full demonstration of the character’s free-running style. He slides under low obstacles, leaps across rooftops, and decapitates zombies while sprinting by. At one point he performs a running kick on a zombie, sending himself and the zombie flying off a building through the roof below. Once on the ground he pulls out a giant hammer as a group of zombies encroach. The player taps into a special ability which activates a powerful, 360-degree attack with the sledgehammer. Bodies go flying in every direction. When the player nails zombies with critical hits like these, the action slows down and an x-ray effect shows bones shattering.

Night has fallen as our hero finally reaches the care package. He clicks on his flashlight, opens the crate, and removes something that looks like a big vial. Techland wouldn’t elaborate on the significance of this prize. When the sun sets, Dying Light shifts from a Dead Island-esque zombie slaying adventure to a tense horror experience. More powerful undead roam the streets, so stealth is key. The player uses a special sonar ability to locate this unique breed – a benefit of having infected blood. Eventually his cover is blown and the quiet sneak back to the safe house breaks out into an intense chase. The extra- nimble enemies close in on the hero quickly, apparently capable of all his parkour abilities. It looks like players will be able to slow down time and peak over their shoulders to see how close their stalkers are. The demo concludes with the player getting tackled to the ground, fending off the snapping jaws one of the swift zombies.

Techland isn’t talking about much else at this point. We know that items found during the day will used in a crafting system that seems similar to Dead Island. The day/night cycle’s promise of nightly hold-the-line scenarios makes us think players may also be crafting defenses. Folks who didn’t enjoy Techland’s unpolished Dead Island offerings may be understandably skeptical about Dying Light, but the project makes a promising first impression. We’ll know more when we get our hands on it during E3. The game is destined for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 this year.

Be sure to check out the impressive next-gen screenshots in the media gallery below.

Narrative Solutions to the Sequels of Games with Multiple Endings

Jeremy Sturgill — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:58:00 GMT

Spoilers for Half-Life and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

The current generation should be known as the generation of multiple endings. Games such as: BioShock, BioShock 2, Dishonored, Far Cry 3, Mass Effect 3, and Catherine are a few games that have separate endings based on choices made or the morality of the player during the game. Of course, there are more examples, but for the time being you should get my point.

Many games which feature multiple endings have a large enough fan base to warrant sequels. So, the question becomes how do you decide what will frame the foundation of the narrative moving forward. Deciding how best to deal with these story decisions can have far reaching consequences for the consumer. Continuing the story in a world that was not chosen can cheapen the experience for some gamers. Having a narrative that combines elements from multiple endings without fully embracing any of them as canon can be confusing. What can be done to combat these issues? There are three ways to resolve this problem that I would like to discuss.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Multiple Endings Equal Separate Dimensions/Storylines

LoZ: Ocarina of Time is an outlier on this list. The ending of OoT is not a choice by the player. In fact, the true nature of the timeline split was not revealed until the release of Hyrule Historia. The ending of OoT has three endings that are implied. (1) The Hero is defeated and leads to the events of A Link to the Past. (2) The Hero is victorious, and his childhood is restored by Zelda after his victory and leads to the events of Twilight Princess. (3) The Hero is victorious, and he remains an adult and leads to the events of The Wind Waker. Each timeline has separate ramifications for the world of Hyrule.

While this has the greatest potential for narrative continuity and creative freedom for the developers, it also can be quite confusing. Support of multiple dimensions/storylines also requires multiple games. With the financial commitment required to execute this solution, it is not viable for many developers. Zelda is the poster child for this approach, but it found success in a very different time in the industry. The release of Ocarina of Time did not spell out the narrative approach immediately. It was much more ambiguous. However, in the modern gaming space keeping a secret of this magnitude would be nearly impossible. Making the split obvious could lead to consumers choosing their preferred timeline and lead to sales that would cripple the franchise.

Half-Life - Recognize or Imply One Choice/Option/Ending as Canon

The conclusion of Half-Life proposes a simple yes or no choice to Freeman. One option will end in the story continuing the other will end in Freeman's death (probably). To avoid specific spoilers, I will not speak to the ending beyond this. At the beginning of Half-Life 2, you find yourself on a train bound for City 17. The opening sequence makes it obvious that only one ending is considered canon because the player must take the offer that will continue the narrative or there is no Half-Life 2.

Randy Pitchford referred to providing this type choice to gamers in Borderlands during a recent keynote speech at D.I.C.E. Two guns are provided; a choice is given, but the stats cancel each other providing no true choice. With this approach, the importance is giving a choice and allowing the player to feel a sense of ownership over the narrative when no such ownership actually exists. This approach makes it easiest to create a cohesive narrative, but it ignores the desire of the player. In the generation where player feedback is readily available, it appears highly arrogant to completely disregard the tendencies of those who play your game. While the power to create and direct content should remain a function of the developer, assimilating player tendencies and feedback into the experience moving forward is integral to growing the industry as a whole.

Infamous: Second Son executes on this previous statement by taking player feedback from which PSN trophy was unlocked first in relation to the final choice. Thus, the desire of the player in relation to the ongoing plot of Infamous was clear. They gave a choice and recognized one choice as canon based on player feedback. Proper use of fan feedback employed by Sucker Punch Productions will lead to the satisfaction of consumers and greater profit from Second Son (theoretically). Second Son is an example of the stronger potential relationship between those who create and consume an interactive form of entertainment over those who create and consume a more detached form of entertainment.

BioShock - Ignore the Conclusion by Creating a Narrative Unaffected by the Previous Endings

In the first two entries of the BioShock franchise, the endings are based on choices made regarding the Little Sisters. (In BioShock) While black and white morality is not the most original way to create multiple endings, each ending felt distinct and a fitting end. However, for the narrative of BioShock 2, the entire narrative conclusion of Jack, Ryan, and Fontaine has no bearing on the story of Sofia Lamb and Subject Delta and little involvement in the city of Rapture. (In BioShock 2) The narrative was separate and created a different story that was unencumbered by multiple endings.

This approach does have problems as well. Creating a sequel that is truly a separate narrative will leave those who desire more of the original story disappointed. Also, it can lead to a sense of frivolity to the narrative. When you can end it in a way that has no bearing on the narrative moving forward, the creators can ignore the foundation set by other games in a series and disregard their own ending because it does not matter, narratively, moving forward.

Other Approaches

Only a few solutions to the narrative issues are fully discussed here. Shadow the Hedgehog had a canonical ending that was unlocked by viewing the first ten endings to the game. The Resident Evil series integrates parts of various endings that would seem to imply that no one ending is complete or canon by itself. Other solutions are also viable options for many current franchises.

What Does This Mean for the Next Generation of Games You Love?

Mass Effect 3, Dishonored, and Catherine have multiple endings with separate implications for the world, for the character (protagonist), and for the player. I could see Mass Effect 4 taking the multiple universes approach. Dishonored could easily interpret one ending as canon (High Chaos/Low Chaos) while disregarding the other. Catherine could focus on an entirely separate individual's questions regarding relationships. Any of these games could move forward in a variety of ways, and no one direction can be proclaimed right or wrong. Each situation is different and must be handled in the way that the developer or publisher feels best. Hopefully, developers will gather player feedback and tendencies within the industry to create memorable sequels to beloved franchises that will satisfy the desire of consumers and the goals of the publishers.

What approach do you prefer?

Are there any approaches that I have not discussed that you prefer for your favorite franchises moving forward?

Are there any next generation titles that you are looking forward to that will have to overcome this narrative dilemma?

5th games I play next pt. 4 the semi-finals

Juanolo — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:25:00 GMT

Were back once again, seeing who goes on. Now, we are seeing who you guys decide to go on to the championship. We have are final 4, but who will go on top? Who will advance to the championship? Remember you can head over to forum and vote twice if you want. Here's your choices

Uncharted 2 vs. The walking dead

God of war 3 vs. Batman Arkham city

There they are. The championship will be up Saturday sometime, and the winner will be up Wednesday morning or Thursday evening. Thanks again to all voters. You've made this again successful. You can vote twice in forums if you want. Well that's it. Please vote if you want, and see you Saturday in the championship.

My youtube channel

brainraider1 — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:10:00 GMT

If anyone is interested I just uploaded 3 videos on to my youtube channel. One is one the xbox one conference and the other two are a Naruto chapter Review and a Bleach chapter review. So if anyone who follows me on gameinformer is interested in seeing me in video format check out my youtube channel. I just started out so any subscribers are good subscribers. More videos are on the way! i'm going to start reviewing Bleach and Naruto on a weekly basis since both of the manga;s are in their final arcs. So my channel is going to be focused on gaming anime and manga. If you are into any of that then check out my channel.

Here is the link to my youtube pagehttp://www.youtube.com/user/KingMickD/videos

Also here is the link to my twitter https://twitter.com/ExaltedMichael

and my tumblr http://michaelfuckingdavis.tumblr.com/

The Honest Battlefield 3 Review

NumbKillinSkull — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:03:00 GMT

Let me start off by saying this game is absolutely amazing! It's perfect in every single way! The campaign is the BEST campaign I've ever played! You'll mostly hear the soldiers say the f-bomb all the way through. That's pretty awesome! In the beginning of the game, you're a soldier being interrogated by a bald guy in fine clothing. You really feel intimidated during these cut-scenes. You're being forced to retell your story to this bald guy in fine clothing. People might say that this is an exact rip-off from Call of Duty Black Ops, but I say "NO!" In Black Ops, you're being interrogated by a faceless guy, but in here, you're being interrogated by a bald guy in fine clothing - which is TONS better!

The campaign is extremely linear. But this is just amazing! If it were more open like the other games, it won't be as fast paced as running down an ally way. Don't worry! It still feels like BF! As there is a level that has you driving a tank in a very beautiful, brown desert! The graphics are amazing, and just the overall look is incredible! The grass is green and the dirt is brown. I wouldn't have it any other way. The graphical prowess is unmatched! If you look all the way down, you get to see your legs. You actually have legs in this shooter! This is extremely unique - especially compared to today's standards. I don't know a single shooter, scifi or modern, that has this kind of realism! Being able to look at your legs is revolutionary.

The guns are extremely realistic! I have not seen a single game with this kind of realism in weapons! Realism is all that matters in a game like Battlefield! Having recoil is necessary! It may not be overly fun, but it's realistic, and that's what Battlefield is all about. So, I welcome all the recoil! The vehicles in the game is fun as well! The helicopters are nearly impossible to kill - especially if an engineer is in there. But if you try and use the Stinger to destroy the helicopter, you'll probably get banned from the game by admins. I'm completely fine with this! That's your fault for disobeying their rules! You may also get banned for being too good. Again, this is a good thing. Because nobody wants to play with good players. Everyone should be sure to be fair, and share the kills. None of that lone wolf stuff! This is Battlefield after all.

There's also a coop mode! This is pretty much just the same as the campaign, but with people! The coop is insanely fun, because the campaign was fun, and since this is a copy and paste feature from the campaign, this is fun. In one level, you're able to drive a helicopter. I love this mission, because if I'm in the gunner seat, I don't have to do anything in the level, because the weapon isn't very powerful! This gives me time to use the bathroom, and eat my dinner. Trust me, you'll have a good time with coop.

This is one of THE best games I have ever played. I recommend this game to everyone! Even if you like RPGs and racing games alone, you'll love this masterpiece. If you don't own this game, go buy it! You're not doing yourself justice. Battlefield 3 is as revolutionary as shooters can get! I really don't want a Timesplitters 4 or a Half-Life 3, because I'll be playing this beautiful work of art for the rest of my life!

Overall:

Characters: Bald guy in fine clothing=Thumbs Up

Weapons: Recoil=Thumbs Up

Story: Typical military adventure=Thumbs Up

Setting: Deserts and grass=Thumbs Up

Note* This was written for comical purposes due to the boredom of the author. Thank you, and have a good day.

A Bureaucrat's Life for Me in Papers, Please

David Chandler — Thu, 23 May 2013 03:24:00 GMT

I always feel a mild panic when I present identification papers at the airport. The skeptical look from the tired employee, the line of people impatiently waiting behind me, the questions they inevitably ask about my birth date all blend together in a miasma of claustrophobia and pressure that's only assuaged with the loud thud of an approval stamp on a passport. It's a cold, mechanical process; it's also a fascinating game mechanic.

Papers, Please, a game designed by Lucas Pope, puts the player in the seat of a border bureaucrat--someone with a dull job, a dismal home life, and a surprising amount of power. As the border guardian of the fictional Arstotzka, you will scrutinize details and documents of a vast number of immigrants seeking entry to the Communist nation for whatever reason, be it work, transit, or terrorism. But their entry all comes down to you: a person with a digital stamp.

Here's the description of the game from Pope's website:

The communist state of Arstotzka has ended a 6-year war with neighboring Kolechia and reclaimed its rightful half of the border town, Grestin.

Your job as immigration inspector is to control the flow of people entering the Arstotzkan side of Grestin from Kolechia. Among the throngs of immigrants and visitors looking for work are hidden smugglers, spies, and terrorists. Using only the documents provided by travelers and the Ministry of Admission's primitive inspect, search, and fingerprint systems you must decide who can enter Arstotzka and who will be turned away or arrested.

Pope bills the game as a "A Dystopian Document Thriller," and based on the time I spent with the beta, the description seems apt. The world is drab and gray. Muted colors of hazy blues and ashen blacks are only briefly punctuated by a dull, lifeless red that highlights the important areas of a document. Every dead-eyed hopeful steps up to the desk is drawn in ugly lifelessness. The music, too, is loud and authoritarian in Orwellian tones and oppressive beats. It's an art style that elicits empathy from misery, and it's disturbingly effective.

This aesthetic carries through in the gameplay and story. You work at the desk to earn money for your destitute family, and each mistake you make means less money at the end of the day. The game begins with simple criteria to fulfill in order to allow admittance, but as tensions between nations rise, the screening process becomes more intense. You will make mistakes because you didn't notice a visa expired or the names on the four different documents didn't match. You will let people in who offer you money, or you will keep a mother from seeing her dying son because you can't afford to receive another demerit for incompetence.

In my time with the game, I was captivated by the rhythmic process of scrutiny as each character seeking entrance became a really satisfying puzzle to solve as the line of hopeful travelers inched forward. I liked finding out the illegal intruder and sending him to be jailed. It's satisfying to help those who go through proper channels and turn away those that look for an easy way in. The game rewards your vigilance, though with meager funds and an ailing, unseen digital family. As I earned little money, I began to resent anyone who wanted to enter Arstotzka under false identities.

Then, the game made bolder moves. Bribes had me measuring my missteps to see if I could suffer a notice from my employers to let someone slip by. I took the money and was quite pleased with myself until I split up a couple seeking admittance when one of them didn't have the correct papers. I believed the character when she said she just misplaced her documents, but I had already let someone in who shouldn't have been. I mistakenly strip-searched a man when I mistook his country of origin for the one responsible for a recent bombing at the border. My higher ups were not happy. I became bored and just admitted and denied people just to see what would happen. Turns out, I let in a man who killed numerous people the next day. I stopped playing for a while.

Papers, Please attempts to create empathy through mundane gameplay, and it's pretty damn successful. When a migrant worker tells you that a murderer is behind her, and you arrest him even though he has the proper papers, resulting in a notice from your employers, you start to wonder whether the normal reward systems we expect from games are really all that rewarding. As I played, I lost track of an hour or so to the bureaucratic, hypnotic thump of an approved/denied stamp. When I took stock of my time with it, I wasn't sure why I was still playing this miserable game; I didn't know if the intelligent system of checks and balances puzzle gaming was worth the moral and aesthetic coldness of the system. Distraught, I paused the game and walked away from the computer to pull a copy of Orwell's 1984 from the shelf in order to find connections to write about in an article. Then, I sat back down and called the next person to the desk. The line never seemed to shrink.

So have you checked out Papers, Please? What're your reactions? Does this seem like a gameplay idea that you find interesting?

Cheers,

--David

David is working on his PhD and currently writes for awesomeoutof10.com, where this article was originally published. Follow his hilarious acts of academic vigilantism on twitter and please feel free to ask questions and offer criticism!

Bioshock Infinite - Creating a Rift in Itself

DesertOcelot — Thu, 23 May 2013 03:01:00 GMT

The beauty of video games is that they are a type of media that encompasses all other forms of entertainment; literature, cinema, music. As long as it's interactive it's still considered a video game. People complain that visual novels like Katawa Shoujo or cinematic dramas such as Heavy Rain are not video games because they focus on literature or cinema rather than gameplay. I believe it's wrong to assume that a video game is good or bad based on how many cutscenes it has but rather how well it's able to engage the player in whatever it's trying to accomplish.

Bioshock Infinite is a game that plays with this idea that a video game can be something more than just gameplay by trying to bring the player a riveting narrative and engaging FPS action. Unfortunately, its achievement in presentation overshadows its effort in gameplay which leaves the game unbalanced.

From first entering Columbia to the mind-numbing finale, the game embeds your brain with beautiful imagery, symbolism, and narrative through its gorgeous graphics, stellar musical numbers, and believable voice-acting. Every line of dialogue and event appear to be carefully scripted and well thought out. Every character and their intertwining fates, the backstory and subplots, and every situation comes about in such a cinematically, methodical and beautiful manner that it's obvious that the developer's first priority was to tell a story as exploration is compromised for almost on-rail story-telling.

The main and most damning problem that Bioshock Infinite has stems from its methodical story-telling. As stated earlier, the story appears to be Irrational's first priority making the gameplay an obvious second. This becomes a problem for two reasons; with a story that's the main focus the gameplay becomes a glaring distraction, and the gameplay loses a ton of potential.

While the story may have some problems, it's evident that the developers put forth the time and effort to bring the player a thrilling cinematic experience and they succeeded. The player has a reason to continue, not because they want to shoot mindlessly at random enemies but because they want to continue the tale of Booker and Elizabeth. The problem here is that the gameplay is not thrilling enough to compete with the game's cinematic elements and therefore becomes a distraction. The same problem arose with Spec Ops: The Line where the bland third-person shooting felt like a hindrance in the wake of the narrative. While the gameplay of Bioshock Infinite definitely has a lot more depth than Spec Ops', it, nonetheless, becomes a hindrance as well. While vigor combinations and dimension-tearing are amusing for a bit it all starts to lose its shimmer when with every room comes a wave of the same enemies that can be killed with the same vigor/weapon combination. While experimenting with vigors, I found that Shock Jock and Possession are really the only ones needed. As far as the weapon choice goes, I found very little difference with each weapon or not preferring one over the other. The only reason I would switch a weapon was when I exhausted my ammo, then I would continue the assault the same as before.

All of this brings a lack of strategy among other things that really would have other-wised balanced out Infinite and made all of its parts shine. Picking up a certain weapon should bring about a sense in the player that they should switch up their style of gameplay to suit the gun or choose a gun based on the situation. All Infinite offered was a sniper rifle, the only different gun in the game. Every other gun from the pistol to the rocket launcher felt exactly the same albeit the blast radius and that was a problem. There were also other elements in Infinite that felt like they could have been expanded upon. Using sky-rails could been implemented better as they were only used as a way to progress the story or for a quick escape when a wave of enemies became too tough. I imagined entire fights above the skies on the rails, switching from one to the other, using melee andgrapples, or electrocuting them through the metal with your vigors . . . but no, none of that.

The world of Columbia is such a strikingly beautiful place but as you play through the game it becomes apparent that all Columbia was meant to be was a setting. The game itself is very linear not just in a narrative sense but in a gameplay sense as well. There is no emphasis to explore the beautiful city and lacks the ability to backtrack and explore Columbia in spare time. I find it unforgivable, given this gorgeous world rich with lore, that an emphasis on exploration was not accentuated.

Infinite suffers from being a mindless shooter as the game is composed of wave after wave of enemies. There were a few tiny portions, and I mean tiny, that if expanded upon, could have really improved the gameplay. One was a stealth sequence in which an enemy would be on look out and if spotted, he would call a wave of creepy prisoners to attack you. It was a breath of fresh air to be able to use the environment as cover and sneak your way passed, or if you'd rather, just rush in and take them all head on. There were only two instances of this and they occurred near the end of the game. The other example of lost potential being the controlling of allies on the battlefield (I'm not talking about Possession and I can't say who you control exactly with the fear of giving away spoilers). Controlling an ally, only happens once, while was not the most thrilling, it was a change in gameplay that was another breath of fresh air. Infinite's problem comes down to a lack of variety.

With such a strong narrative, it's a shame that the gameplay, while not the most thrilling but by no means awful, disrupts the flow of the entire game and leaves the latest installment of the Bioshock series an unbalanced loss of potential. The narrative and presentation are so engaging that the gameplay, as fulfilling as it may be, becomes a distraction. Bioshock Infinite's brilliant story and mediocre gameplay leaves the game far from perfection but has enough substance to keep the majority of players entertained.

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Gameplay:
Simple FPS gameplay expanded slightly with the use of vigors. The gameplay is focused on simply defeating waves and waves enemies by using a balance of weapons and vigors to dispatch them. Unfortunately, I found strategy to be unnecessary when simply blasting away enemies with any weapon you have and spamming Shock Jock will get the job done about 90 percent of the time. Elizabeth also simplifies fights to the point where I had to stop using her assistance. As soon as you run out of ammo, health, or salts she will instantly replenish them. After accepting a few of these items from her, it will take her a few seconds before giving you anymore. There is literally a price to be paid every time you die. Upon death, you will lose a reasonable amount of money before the battle once again restarts (from where you ended off and with the enemies' health slightly restored). The only boss fight in the game is very dull and the final standoff left more to be desired. There is a small change-up during the final moments of the game where some stealth elements were implemented but only lasted for a few sequences leaving the player to return back to the monotonous gunfights.

Playability:
The game plays quite well with the only complaint being that turning is a bit slow especially when you need to get out of a top spot and running only works when moving forward.

Camera:
The camera really shines when trying to move the player through the narrative. It worked in a very cinematic way to focus on the narrative.

Fun:
The enjoyment stems from the desire to continue the story and exploring the world and is held back by the sometimes monotonous gameplay. Not to say the gameplay is bad, it's just not as in depth as the narrative.

Lasting Appeal:
Infinite is a good-sized game, taking your time it'll probably give you over 15 hours but after that the only thing to do is play a higher difficulty or try 1999 mode.

Graphics:
Stunning visuals that bring the bright and grim world of Columbia to life.

Sound:
Top-notch voice acting, musical score, and 1900's renditions of modern songs add to the brilliance of the presentation.

Difficulty:
Pretty constant but things like Elizabeth's aide and tears give the game unnecessary dips.

Flow:
The gameplay slows down the gameplay especially when the main focus of the game is the story.

Update Tomorrow Re-Enables Features In SimCity

Kyle Hilliard — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:20:31 GMT

SimCity is receiving a hefty update tomorrow that adds new locations, and re-activates features that were disabled. You can check out the full list of upcoming updates below.

New: SimCity Launch Park, an exclusive new park just for our dedicated fans who were early adopters.
New: Region: Edgewater Bay. Seven city sites in one cluster around a beautiful bay with one great work site.
New: Your current server will now be shown in the options menu.
New: More detailed rollover information on buildings telling player’s if their Sims received happiness from a park or from shopping. Previous to this fix, this information was generic.
Re-Enabled Feature: Global Market prices now dynamically change during gameplay.
Re-Enabled Feature: Leaderboards will be active on EU West 3, Pacific 1 and Pacific 2 at the release. We will enable them on additional servers throughout the day.
Re-Enabled Feature: Region filters are now enabled on all SimCity servers. Players will be able to search for open games by Map Name, Sandbox Mode, and Abandoned Cities.
Rain Clouds: Fixed an issue where some cities would not have rain clouds to replenish their water table. If you had a city with this issue, you will start seeing clouds again within a game day.
Fire: Improved response time of fire trucks to fires. Improved the time it takes for a fire signal to reach a fire station.
Mission updates: Tuned Metals HQ and Community College missions. These were appearing too early, making them difficult to complete. They now appear later in a city’s development.
Solar Farm Great Work: Reduced fire risk at the Solar Farm Great work. Local fire engines were spending too much time at the Solar Farm.
Messaging: Improved pre-requisite messaging for Trade Port, Casinos, Smelting Factory and Oil Refinery. It should be clearer on how to unlock these buildings.
Graphics: Fix for flickering low wealth buildings on NVIDIA graphics cards.
Education: Fix for an issue some cities experienced where commuting students did not return from a neighbor’s city. This was causing a problem where students would disappear from a city in some cases.
Tuning: Sims will lose a small amount of happiness if they don’t have a place to shop. Cities without places to shop will see complaints and feel the effect of unhappy Sims. This will emphasize the importance of commercial zones.

SimCity has gone through quite a bit of controversy since release, with its online requirements causing a multitude of problems. Our review, which you can read here, reflects many of our issues with the game.

[Source SimCity forums via Polygon]

The One and Only thing that 'Call of Duty: Ghosts' can do to Stop the Series' Mad Descent

John Wrek — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:37:00 GMT

Call of Duty: Ghosts, and what it Can do to Stay Fresh-er

(Aka: Story, Story, Story)

I've been a skeptic pertaining to the matter of Call of Duty: Ghosts since day one, literally. This hasn't changed, although I must admit that the little "early-leak" trailer that Infinity Ward showed off was alright, and peaked even my interest in terms of looks and game aesthetics. Despite this fact, I must point out, as it is essentially my civic or community-wide duty to do so, that there is one major thing that this game can do to not only set itself head and shoulders above the past three entries in the series, but to remain fresh, and visibly be a concerted effort to regain the trust of fans disappointed with Black Ops 2 and MW3's flawed final products. I'm not denying that they were fun, or even good times- just that they certainly lacked some polish, for more reasons that I care to take the time to count. In order to get a bead on where my thoughts are on the Call of Duty series, look no further than my various remarks and comments pertaining to the games, as well as my MW3 Review and Black Ops 2 one, for reference. Well, and there is that one Black Ops: Declassified one, but you can hardly pass that stinking pile off as a true Call of Duty game, so we'll ignore it for the time being...

Anyway, having stated my opinion in blunt terms, and the fact that I am really hoping something major changes for the better in order to halt this downward spiral, I'll get a little more to my core point here. Please note, this blog will be pretty short as well, probably only a few paragraphs in total, simply as it is really a statement of intent and suggestion to Activision/Infinity Ward more than anything else- and a suggestion to any other designers willing to listen and learn from it as well. Story has been my biggest issue with, not just the Call of Duty series, but many First Person Shooter games for the past six years or so, more than previous times. Since we live in an age of improved graphical fidelity, and one where breakthroughs are constantly overridden by bigger breakthroughs, we shouldn't still be skimping on story. We have discs that can hold up to forty thousand times the RAM and ROM space used in classics such as the first Legend of Zelda or Mario. Come on folks, everyone likes a good story! So that is my thesis here, my bone to pick, my mantra: story, story, story. Story is key, even for gameplay juggernauts such as Call of Duty. Even titanic successes need a decent story at least, and its been proven that you can't get by on names alone anymore- as MW3 and Black Ops 2 go to show, having sold well, but still not as universally as previous series titles such as 4, 5, MW2, and BO1.

My hopes have been slightly elevated due to witnessing the setting of the gameplay and cinematic trailers, not because it looks beautiful and is past due for a graphics checkup- which it was and is, but because it shows narrative promise if penned correctly, as I think Activision knew when they signed on the lead writer of "Traffic". The decayed urban vibe is a departure from most other settings showcased, and could mean one of many things- ranging from the aftermath of a nuclear explosion (Maybe Ghost could survive and return to the places he used to roam?) such as MW1's, to a simply decaying shantytown such as the ones in Africa in MW3. It could be many things or nothing at all, but that simple factor alone shows a spark of ingenuity and promise, and I like that a lot. In a series that has disavowed many of us, much as Task Force 141 was disavowed unceremoniously, this could be the title to bring us back...or the one to shun us even more. It's all up to Infinity Ward at this point, and I hope they can do us proud, even without their original visionaries, West and Zampella, leading them. Those are my two cents, so be sure to let me know yours in the feedback zones appropriately. Thanks again, and until the next time folks.

EL FIN

Beautiful adventure through Columbia

Cowcommander — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:36:00 GMT

Bioshock 2 wasn't all that great but was good enough, But then this year Bioshock infinite came in and brought us a story we will never forget.

First off we received a well mannered gameplay that indeed keeps the controls of the other bioshocks so its really easy to use and smooth. As before you explore and still search items and fight off enemies like previous games. The sound is very great as you hear lots of gun sounds, screams, and explosions that blow the speakers. Also the soundtrack fits very nicely in background and battle scenes of gameplay. The graphics are amazing, the colors and lighting fits great into the game as does the framerate of the game. Overall the game shouldnt be missed out, especially the story that is very dramatic and suspenseful.

Almost Every Single One Of These 60 New Killer Is Dead Screens Is Strange

Kyle Hilliard — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:36:18 GMT

If any of these 60 new screenshots are any indication, Killer is Dead, the upcoming third-person shooter from Suda 51, looks like it will be a strange game.

If you're unfamiliar, Suda 51 is the and and mind behind games like Killer 7, No More Heroes, Lollipop Chainsaw, and Shadows of the Damned. His games are always a little bit odd, and Killer is Dead looks to be no different.

You can check out some of the screens below, but if you want to see all of them, you will have to head here to our expanded gallery. Last time we received new assets for Killer is Dead, we received 40 new images. At this point, you should have a pretty good idea of what Killer is Dead is going to look like.

Killer is Dead is planned for release this year on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. For more on Killer is Dead, check out the latest trailer.

Don Mattrick is the One Who is "Backwards"

The Destroyer — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:32:00 GMT

In the recent reveal of Microsoft's controversial new console, the Xbox One, we've learned several surprising new facts about it, and have seen some questionable comments from Microsoft concerning some new policies they are implementing. The one that has struck me most appeared this morning, from Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick: "If you're backwards compatible, you're really backwards." Excuse me?

No softening the blow now; you have spoken, and the backlash WILL commence.

Following this statement in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mattrick said that Microsoft believed that 5% of people who bought a new console would play titles from the previous console on it, which is why it would be "backwards" to include backwards compatibility. From the comments I've already seen in places on the internet, as well as my own personal feelings...I know that I want backwards compatibility with the previous generation on a new system. I have seen people even complain about how Wii U cannot support Gamecube discs.

There are several reasons that backwards compatibility should be included in a new console, which I plan to discuss today, because Mattrick's comment has irked me and has had me thinking for most of the day. Also, I plan to look at what this says about the connection between console developers and their consumers; that will be toward the end. Even though Sony has also said they won't allow backwards compatibility with the PS4, I'll be mainly focusing on the connection with Microsoft, especially since Sony didn't act in such a rude manneron the subject and just put it bluntly for us, and also talked about offering previous titles through a PSN service.

First, including backwards compatibility doesn't need to only be about letting the consumer play those games: I think it can also be associated with a sort of mentality that the console manufacturers have. This comment from Mattrick seems to say that we, as gamers, do not care about things that were released before, and only look to buy more and more new games, instead of also revisiting old titles, as well as picking up used copies of old titles to give them a try. For example, I picked up a PS2 in order to play Kingdom Hearts, but I also bought OverBlood and Metal Gear Solid from the PS1 era to play on it. Anyway, I feel that a lot of us DO pick up old games to try them out, as well as pop in old ones to revisit them, and perhaps compare them to newer titles. Mattrick's statement ignores this fact, and makes it seem like Microsoft doesn't appreciate what it's done before, and only seeks to move forward. What if I wanted to compare Alan Wake to Quantic Break, or Halo 4 to the eventual 5 on One? Well, looks like I can't, unless I replug in the 360 again.

Yay, ONE console for everything!...except that stack of games over there that don't work...

That last statement is a reason why Xbox One specifically SHOULD have backwards compatibility-your whole main goal with this console is to create one convenient entertainment center, without the need to go anywhere else-except, well, I have to go somewhere else to play the games on the preceding system, unless I buy them again on your console. It seems so counter-intuitive to me, that their actual goal to create this one box for everything will be hindered because most people will push it aside and plug in their old console in order to play a game they loved, and not using the One's functionality while doing so. Sure, Wii U may not do this, but Nintendo has addressed they're working towards having Wii games running better on the system-Microsoft has flat out stopped me from using the Live TV functionality while I play an old game I felt like playing, because I'll have to drag another console out of the closet.

Like it or not, but at least Nintendo did it. OMG, IT'S HEROPON RIKI!

Besides just us wanting to play old games, a reasonable goal of Microsoft's "One" vision, and about showing how much Microsoft cares about the past, I think it's also just a bad business strategy. Even if it may seem stupid to not buy a console because it can't play old games, there definitely are people who decide their purchases based on this, and I myself have pretty much decided to not buy an Xbox One, though this is only a factor, and the main reason being that it seems it won't have enough games to make me play if enough, like 360 was this generation. In any case-I very much doubt that it would significantly raise the One's price to include backwards compatibility...or to even include digital transfer, as both Sony and Microsoft have confirmed that they won't have a transfer of previously owned titles on a system, like Nintendo has had with the Wii to Wii U transfer(all those strong little Pikmin).

So, moving on to that connection aspect-I guess I kind of already talked about that in the first reason, but I'll go a bit more in depth here: Mattrick seems to think we, as gamers, only care about the next big thing, and only want new things; otherwise, they'd include backwards compatibility, so we can relive old memories. On the contrary to what he thinks, we gamers actually care very much about it, demonstrated by the recent success of HD collections, and remakes of titles like Ocarina of Time in 3D and Halo: Combat Evolved in Halo: Reach's engine. We like to still go back to the past, especially because we invest a lot of money in our hobby. All those 360 games you bought? Only 10 would be $600 worth of product you can't use on Microsoft's new baby, not including any DLC, or downloadable titles you bought. It's that simple-their is a fundamental disconnect between us and the console manufacturers. Though Nintendo has satisfied this connection, they are missing in some other areas, but that's not for this blog-it's simply a problem with the two spec-powerhouses.

Another thing is that Microsoft and Sony haven't seem to have thought things completely through-what about when people trade in their consoles for a discount to the new ones? There is no doubt this will occur, with special offers from GameStop and other locales. Some people will jump on these deals, and will regret the decision later; I know I would, if I suddenly wanted to play Dead Space 3 on my One, found I couldn't use my disc, and had to purchase it again digitally for my new system. they really need to get into our heads, of the wants and motivations of gamers, instead of consumers in general, because we are their primary audience. At the moment, at least. Sony, I doubt they'll ever go this way, because they've shown their commitment to providing new games, as well as Nintendo. Microsoft though? That is questionable.

Well, there, that's the rant I wanted to give today. Don Mattrick's comment is out of touch with the world of gaming at large, and suggest a fundamental barrier between us and console manufacturers. It also represents how little Microsoft seems to have considered the idea, since it makes so much sense to put out all those 5 great exclusives over the past 6 years (I jest, I jest) playable on their new system that can do all this wonderful stuff, so we have the best console ever, according to them. Instead, for me...PS4U. I'm starting that now.

Well excuuuuuuse me Mattrick, but your comment reveals how backwards you are.

Techland Scores With Another Tribute To The West

Dan Ryckert — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:44:00 GMT

Developer Techland took a risk with their last Call of Juarez title, and it didn’t work out. The Cartel abandoned the Wild West setting of previous games, instead offering a ridiculous modern storyline that didn’t resonate with gamers. With the downloadable title Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, the series is back to its western roots and far better for it.

Gunslinger’s story mode is told almost exclusively via flashbacks, putting you in the role of bounty hunter Silas Greaves. As he regales curious bar patrons with tales about his wild past, you play through them. You’re left guessing about whether or not the protagonist is telling the truth, with plenty of gameplay segments being altered as you play them. You might be shooting at Native Americans one moment, only to see them morph into outlaws as Greaves gets his facts straight. This is a cool twist on the standard FPS format, but it sometimes feels like it’s putting the brakes on the action. As Greaves recalls details of the events you’re playing, the game often goes into slow motion as he narrates.

The story chapters are linear affairs, and task players with taking down Wild West legends such as Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy, Jesse James, and more. You’re rarely given the chance to go off the beaten path, as the developers seem more concerned with tossing you into firefight after firefight rather than letting you explore. Thanks to the fast-paced and responsive gunplay, I didn’t mind the linearity. Fans of western films will see many common locales here, including dusty saloons, trains, and steamboats. You won’t be getting an in-depth plot (it’s no Red Dead Redemption), but Gunslinger makes no attempts to be a serious take on the genre. It’s all about pistol-slinging action, and it does it well.

Two meters fill as you shoot your way through the West. One allows you to enter a bullet-time mode that makes enemy locations more apparent, and another allows you to perform a Matrix-like dodge when a lethal shot is headed your way. Both of these do a good job of mixing up the standard gameplay, and they saved my life dozens of times. Silas earns XP as he takes down enemies, and he can spend skill points on various abilities and stat upgrades. Some of these have a big impact on the gameplay, such as the ability to mash the reload button to load bullets into your revolver quicker.

Greaves’ story wraps up in five or six hours, but Gunslinger’s arcade mode is a perfect way to hop back in for some quick shootouts. This mode takes out the narrative breaks from story mode, allowing you to focus squarely on making short work of dozens of enemies. You’re scored based on your performance, with combos boosting your score if you take foes down in quick succession. Killing enemies with headshots, explosives, and other skilled shots give you bonuses, and arcade mode features a leaderboard that lets you compare your score with friends. I wanted a reason to continue the action after completing Gunslinger’s story, and arcade mode is a good way to shoot up some baddies without any story breaks.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Gunslinger’s shootouts. The game certainly doesn’t turn any FPS conventions on their ears, but it still presents tense and entertaining shootouts frequently. Blasting through the game’s varied environments with a pistol in each hand never got old, and I always looked forward to the end-level duel with a legend of the Wild West. After the dreadful Call of Juarez: The Cartel, I was skeptical going into this downloadable offering. To my surprise, Techland has bounced back with a very enjoyable tribute to the tall tales of the Wild West.

A Breakdown of the Call of Duty: Ghosts Reveal Trailer

Reptar7 — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:14:00 GMT

This is a post I wrote for www.callofdutyghosts.us

In this article I will break down the Ghosts reveal trailer, piece by piece, scene by scene. There is a lot of information given in the trailer, and many campaign events are uncovered.

Meteor Shower

The trailer begins showing the sky as a meteor shower rains down from above. The meteors are bright yellow and the sky is a burnt light orange or yellow color with dark grey clouds.

: Just a man and his dog at the end of the world.

Crater

As the trailer pans down, a soldier is revealed standing next to his dog. The dog is wearing some sort of backpack, clearly indicating he is a member of the soldier’s squad. The pair are looking out over a valley, which upon closer inspect appears to be a crater that has a smashed city inside of it. To the right, a church leans over a cliff into the crater. The narrator begins by saying, “it’s been 10 years.” Ten years from what, we can’t help but wonder. Did an asteroid hit the earth? And these rocks falling from above are more asteroids?

Leaning Landscape

Next we cut to an angel in a courtyard that is leaning to the right as ash rain falls from above. The next few scenes show a monastery or church which is also leaning, and a very slanted hallway full of debris. The ash rain makes me think it was some sort of attack with a weapon, possibly nuclear. If it was an asteroid, there wouldn’t be much ash, would there? Unless it was coming off of buildings that the asteroid had caused to start on fire.

Welcome to the Jungle

The next cut is to a jungle scene where a soldier walks next to a huge, vine covered tree as the sun breaks through the top layer of the trees. The narrator says, “you start to forget… things you should remember.” There doesn’t seem to be any ash in the jungle.

Battlefield-esque?

Next we cut to a soldier who falls through ice. As he drifts to the bottom, we see below him is basically a whole squad along with their vehicles and supplies. This reminds me of that Battlefield trailer where the team is stuck in their jeep drifting to the bottom of some body of water.

Lots of dogs

Another dog is quickly shown. Then helicopters over what appears to be Caracas, Venezuela. As some soldiers in the helicopter are shown, the narrator says, “we’ve always had the power… not anymore.” Then there is a cut to some soldiers in the jungle and we see one is wearing a ghost patch where a US flag would usually be. The narrator says “what we have is each other.” Once again, there is no ash here. Maybe this scene is pre-attack or ash creating event?

A ghosts squad is then shown sneaking up on some sort of factory at night during a lightning storm. The scene is basically a blue sky with black jungle and buildings. A helicopter is then shown flying over the buildings. I’m guessing that helicopter is an enemy surveillance team. There doesn’t seem to be any ash here either, but maybe the dark makes it impossible to see.

Next there is a cut to a soldier and his dog come out of what appears to be a bunker to ash rain and dust filled sky. This really makes it seem like there was some sort of attack, and the world above was destroyed. Not only was there an attack or event that caused this ash to rain from above, but it was known about beforehand and people got to bunkers.

Next we run through a lot of events quickly:

A group of soldiers run through a river, including a waterfall that really reminds me of Jurassic Park: The Lost World, where the group of survivors run from a T-Rex.

A Helicopter drops off a team of ghillie-suited snipers in a field. I was really excited by this scene as I love the ghillie suit and sniper missions.

A soldier pulls on a ghosts mask as narrator says “ghosts haunt you.” The soldier then kills a guard in a hallway by stabbing him through the neck and dragging him back into the darkness from whence he came.

: Doesn't this look like a submerged clocktower?

Holy Diver

A dive team swims through what appears to be a water filled clocktower. This is very interesting. Are we to believe that an entire city is underwater up to the top of a clocktower? Could the campaign be about global warming? Or maybe the moon was destroyed and the tides changed, flooding some major cities?

More divers are shown in a coral reef. One flees to avoid a helicopter that is crashing through the reef towards him.

Skyscrappers, dogs, and a church

A man pets his dog. Soldiers grapple-walk down skyscraper, aiming their weapons as they go. That church from the beginning is shown again as it slides of the cliff and crashes into the crater. A soldier runs down a yellow industrial catwalk as a huge explosion goes off to his left. A helicopter is shown over the wreckage of that catwalk area. A Wooden paneled door is blown open and dog attacks a soldier. I wonder if we are playing as the dog in this scene. A soldier dives and slides through a skyscraper as it falls sideways towards the ground.

Waterworld

A soldier watches as water gushes down the city streets of a South American city. It seems like a dam broke or something for that much water to come at once. We then see a soldier swim through the same city streets.

Submarine

Next there is a cut to a massive nuclear submarine breaking through the ice as it slowly surfaces. I can tell it is surfacing slowly because when large submarines make emergency or fast breaks through the ice, they come nose first. This one is basically level as it rises. I thought perhaps this submarine is the source of the weapon that creates all that ash. As in perhaps the bad guys either hijack it or infiltrate it and either take or launch a weapon.

The trailer finishes with the written words “we’re all we’ve got.”

So what did we learn?

None of these things are for sure, but they do seem likely:

1). Dogs are really getting hyped up and we probably get to play as a dog.

2). There is some sort of event that causes ash to rain from the sky, there is a huge crater in South America, and lots of buildings are off their foundations.

3). Water floods cities for some reason, including a massive clocktower and a South American city.

4). There is a mission where you sneak into a protected facility at night.

5). There is a mission where you are a sniper with a ghillie suit.

Rockstar Bringing The Warriors To PSN Next Week As PS2 Classic

Mike Futter — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:01:00 GMT

Games that tie in with movies are usually pretty terrible. Thankfully, with Rockstar at the helm (and a couple decades of distance), The Warriors turned out quite well.

If you missed it when it was released on PlayStation 2, you have another chance to pick up the brawler next week when it hits the PlayStation Network. Starting on May 28, 2013, the title will be available as a PS2 Classic for the price of $9.99.

Rockstar is doing a great job of making its back catalog available, with 12 titles currently available for purchase through Sony's store. With Manhunt, The Warriors, all three PS2 Grand Theft Auto titles, Bully, Max Payne, and more available, one can only hope that these will somehow make their way to the PS4.

[Source: PlayStation Blog]

Things Infinity Ward MUST Do to Freshen up Call of Duty

Brandon Whiting is back — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:55:00 GMT

I'm just taking for granted everyone has seen the newest things about Call of Duty: Ghosts, so I figure I don't have much explaining to do. I also figure everyone knows that Call of Duty needs some new implementations to keep its success, and that I'm here to give you guys a list of what the game needs. With these assumptions out of the way, lets get this list started.

1. More Freedom in Campaign

I'm not just talking about more freedom in plot decisions, or class set ups etc. I'm talking about actual freedom in the missions. Do you want to sneak around the military base, or go guns blazing through it? Do want to pick the guards off with a sniper rifle, or just run up and shoot them? It would be cool if there were a few paths that you could take to get through missions. Black Ops 2 promised to do this, and only implemented the idea once in the entire campaign(coincidentally it was the one shown in the trailer). It would be a lot better, especially seeing as people complain about the linearity of FPS's all the time. And I understand that the developers want to show off their big, setpiece moments. And that's cool. But how about you let US, the PLAYERS, decide how you want to get to that setpiece moment, and THEN you can bottleneck us in your on-rails smorgus-board of explosions.

2. A Longer Campaign

Really, I think this is a must have. People always complain about how they breeze through campaigns these days. So how about make your campaign longer? It will give the player more time to enjoy the game, and bond with the characters, and really become immersed in the plot and setting. It will also allow the studio to do more with their game variety, and plow in MORE setpiece moments. If Infinity Ward REALLY wants this to be an emotional campaign, and one players would really enjoy, they would be raising the run time for 6-8 hours, to 16-18 hours worth of gameplay.

3. You Better Be Able to Play as a D*mn Dog

Now, THIS one is pretty explanatory. With all the different gameplay sequences the COD developers love to include, why not let the player play as a dog? The player could have full control through the eyes of the dog, with all of the dog's natural attributes included in the game; the screen is black and white, the dog can 'smell' explosives and enemies from a distance(the objects/people would be highlighted in red) and you would be able to run really fast. Not only that, but you could bite people! What isn't cool about that?! Also, while you're not playing as the dog, it would be cool if you could just give him orders i.e smell out area, attack that person, stay back, etc. The dog could become a really cool element in the game.

So yeah, for now that's my list. I don't think I would need much more, campaign wise. Obviously I could go on and on with multiplayer, but I figure others will do that before me. So, if you've read this far, thank you, and a rate and comment would be appreciated. Good bye!

Game Informer Editors React To Xbox One News

Matt Bertz — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:35:00 GMT

Even with gaming taking a backseat to multimedia functionality, Microsoft threw a lot of new information at the public with its Xbox One press conference. Find out what the Game Informer team thinks about the new hardware, television features, cloud computing, and, most importantly, game announcements.

Matt Bertz
Given that E3 is right around the corner, I didn't expect Microsoft to focus on software much during the Xbox One Reveal, so I wasn't disappointed by the lack of compelling game announcements. Instead, Microsoft made its pitch to the masses with a new convergence device. This vision of a connected living room intrigues me - who wouldn't appreciate being able to switch from a football game to Madden in an instant to avoid the Ford F-150 commercial that Fox has playing on repeat every game break? I also love the idea of entertaining myself with something other than a static screen while I wait for a multiplayer match to begin.

After the press conference wrapped, however, I had more questions than answers regarding the feasibility of this bold new future. Getting different devices to talk to one another is hard enough work. Not only must Microsoft make the Xbox One compatible with dozens of different cable and satellite boxes, it needs to create a critical line of conversation with these providers and provide incentive for them to keep these systems simpatico through myriad software updates. Going halfway won't help. If Microsoft only lands deals with Comcast and U-verse, for instance, what would compel a DirecTV, Dish Network, or Time Warner subscriber to purchase an Xbox One? This degree of market segmentation could drive potential customers toward Sony before we even get to the games conversation.

Matt Helgeson
Yesterday's Xbox One unveiling event confirmed that Microsoft's play for the console video game market had always been about the control of the living room. This new system is designed to be an all-encompassing entertainment device, and that message was delivered loud and clear yesterday - perhaps to the expense of the system's gaming potential. But while the hardcore may say that Microsoft has lost focus on its roots, you have to admit that on a technological level the instant switching between apps, live, television is impressive. If successful, it could finally unify your home entertainment system into one clean interface. That's a plus for consumers.

Microsoft claims it has more new games in development that ever before, but we have to wait until E3 to see their big guns. However, if it managed to pack all this next-gen media functionality into a box that also has the capability to be a truly powerful gaming platform, we all win. If its push toward entertainment comes at the expense of their core gaming audience, they will learn how unforgiving the market can be. For me, I'm genuinely excited about a better, more advanced way to consume TV entertainment and I think Xbox One represents a step in the right direction. No one, including myself, is going to pay Microsoft money for a better cable box, and I think the company knows that. However, if I can get a system that will be great for games plus let me skip the hideous and unusable user interface of my Comcast box, I'd be genuinely excited.

Joe Juba
My enthusiasm for any new console is dependent on games. Lots of people feel the same way, which could be part of the reason that reactions to Microsoft's reveal turned negative. If you're a company releasing a video game console, shouldn't video games take center stage?

Microsoft didn't do that, and in that neglect, demonstrated its lack of regard for gamers. We're not the audience that Microsoft was talking to; the company was talking to people who liked Kinect, who don't already own six Netflix-capable devices, and who don't care about whether or not they can borrow games from a friend. Microsoft's reveal was a success in that it showed the company's strategic emphasis on multimedia entertainment, but a failure in the way it further alienated the hardcore gamers it once catered. E3 is Microsoft's chance to highlight the exclusive software that will distinguish it from the PS4, so I'm still excited about the potential of the Xbox One...but it's more in spite of what I saw yesterday than because of it.

Mike Futter
What I saw of the services has me intrigued. I would definitely use the television functions, as I often swap back and forth between live TV and my 360 when downloading content. I'm also hopeful about the game offerings that we'll see at E3. We haven't yet heard from Epic Games, 343 Industries' Halo (game) team, Crytek (Ryse), or Lionhead. I'm interested in learning more about Quantum Break, as I'm a fan of Remedy's past work. Once Microsoft has definitive answers (no matter what they are) regarding used games and connectivity, it'll be far easier for consumers to judge the landscape.

Microsoft has less than three weeks to get its messaging figured out. Yesterday fell apart from a public relations perspective, with different spokespeople offering a variety of answers to straightforward questions. If that happens again at E3 (or if Microsoft fails to provide concrete responses), the backlash is going to be substantial.

Adam Biessener
As someone who hasn't had cable in years and has no plans to purchase it again, I remain unsold on the Xbox One. The majority of the console's capabilities that Microsoft showed seemed to me to be a bunch of things I can already do on devices I already own. I mean, seriously - looking up info on cast members during a movie? Who is in the market for an Xbox One that doesn't already have a smartphone, tablet, and/or laptop that can accomplish that just as effectively? The one thing I saw that interests me is the tie-in to Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform. That could conceivably be used in interesting ways by game developers to create genuinely new experiences. It seems like a lot of engineering overhead for limited benefit for any multiplatform game, though, so I don't expect to see it used in any real way except in Xbox One exclusives. Sony reaching out to indie devs and embracing alternative business models seems far more useful to me and the games I'm interested in than anything Microsoft said yesterday.

Matthew Kato
I'm starting to warm up to the name and the form factor, but I'm worried what a mandatory, packed-in Kinect peripheral will do to the system's price. On the whole, a lot of the features announced for the system - like the PS4 - fall in the "nifty" category, but don't classify the system as a must-have. I'm sure when all is said and done, gamers will have plenty of great software to enjoy on the platform despite yesterday's TV-centric presentation. That said, I still think Sony's first-party stable of studios is stronger. I'm sure we can expect a few specialty Kinect and casual experiences to water down Microsoft's seemingly weighty declaration of fifteen platform exclusives and eight new franchises in the first year. As far as the used games/online connection debate, there is still too much we don't know to start casting stones.

Jeff Cork
Microsoft has some great ideas for the next generation, but it did a disastrous job of communicating them yesterday. Most of the negative comments and Tweets that I read were from people who felt betrayed at the company's focus on TV and seeming indifference to gaming. This is a video game console, right? Well, sort of. If you haven't noticed that these boxes are more than simple game systems, you haven't been paying attention. Microsoft is in a tough position. It's relatively late in the year for a 2013 hardware reveal, and the company needs to get people interested in its unique nongaming functionality. People who aren't keyed into gaming, in particular, who mighty think it's cool to say "HBO" and have their TV switch to that channel instantly. I'm guessing that Microsoft bet that a few game reveals (including an appearance from the latest Call of Duty) would be enough to keep everyone else busy until a major game-focused E3. That's a bet that they apparently lost. One last observation: Microsoft needs to get its people on the same page on basic items like "Will there be a fee added for playing used games?" When people are getting conflicting reports from various spokespeople - and when a Twitter handle @xboxsupport3 has to step in for a while - it's a sign that things have gotten out of control.

Ben Reeves
Initially I was disappointed with Microsoft's press conference. I wish it had shown more games, or at least shown more of the games that it did show. As interesting as the Xbox One's new TV functionality is, I felt it was a strange way to start a presentation about a new video game console. It makes me wonder if Microsoft has lost its focus. The system itself looks great. I love the design and I'm excited about the new controller. However, I found it silly that Microsoft didn't talk more about the new controller or the new Kinect. Most of the interesting details about the Xbox One weren't in the press conference, but had to be read online afterward. That said, I'm excited to get my hands on the system and play some of its games. But, if Sony doesn't charge a fee for used games, then I'll be buying a PS4 first.

Tim Turi
I leaned toward my Xbox 360 this generation. In the beginning I think this was a combination of the system launching before the PS3 and most of my friends being on it. Microsoft was also smart enough to pack in a headset and let me transfer my Xbox Live account from its first console, making my go-to system for online play this generation. But now Sony is taking online more seriously. The company is including a headset, unlike Microsoft, which is taking the Wii Speak route and having players use their Kinect to communicate. Sony also appears to be implementing an Xbox Live style party system. With the PlayStation 4 correcting its predecessor's mistakes, the gap is closing between the two companies. However, Sony's impressive PS4 showing could be temporary - we don't know everything yet. The company could be delaying the more unsavory details, including used game fees or other hidden tidbits. It's still early, and neither manufacturer has said much about games for the systems. Come E3 we'll have a clearer picture, but I'm leaning towards the PlayStation 4 at this point.

Kyle Hilliard
Presenting new consoles on a platform outside of E3 is a brand new world. Even Nintendo, which has fallen in love with its own Nintendo Direct presentations, revealed its Wii U at E3. Presenting the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 to the world in an online stream outside of the conference is a new idea in the world of video games, and I find myself considering this when thinking about Xbox One's presentation. Everyone is crying, "Where were the games?" and I can't help that feel that their absence was a calculated shortcoming from Microsoft. This was purely a chance to show off the base features and nothing else. E3, a show devoted to games, is where Microsoft will offer the exciting game-focused bombshells.

Underwhelming is a word a lot of people are using to describe the event, and I agree with that sentiment. We got to see the system and the new controller, which is very exciting, but everything else was blasé. I have a Kinect, but I don't use it, and I am doubtful that will change. I have a cable box and DVR that I have very few complaints about, and realistically I don't see myself using the Xbox One to change channels. Hearing about a new Call of Duty was akin to hearing about a new Madden. The games continue to be fun, but the next iteration in a yearly franchise is not exciting. Finally, even as a Halo fan, I don't see myself watching a show based on the franchise.

The most offensive takeaway for me is the incredibly confusing messaging about the future of used games and always online. I can begrudgingly accept the always-online aspect of the Xbox One considering my current consoles are always online as it is. However, not being able to simply place a game in my console and play, borrowed or purchased, is a problem. One of the main reasons I have always preferred consoles to PCs is the ease of play. Ultimately, I'm not sure what or whom to believe. Even internally Microsoft doesn't seem to know what it is talking about. I am willing to give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt on this issue as we learn more, but it's not looking very good right out of the gate.

Kimberley Wallace
I know Microsoft is saving plenty for E3, especially games, but I wanted more from the presentation. The TV features look nice and all, but they're not a deal breaker for whether or not I get a system. Games are the deciding factor. One thing that got me really excited was seeing the enhanced graphics of Call of Duty: Ghost. The attention to detail that developers can now give to characters models and environments looks promising. One of my biggest complaints with graphics currently is that they fail to capture realistic mannerisms and facial expressions in games. I'm wondering with the superior technology if developers can get it right in the upcoming generation. As an avid fantasy hockey player, the ESPN features to track stats and get alerts on players are a nice bonus, but that's how I feel about a lot of Microsoft's presentation. I just saw bonuses, not selling points.

Ben Hanson
I'm personally not that excited about the Xbox One. The name is fine, the console design is fine, the Kinect is ugly, but the push to appeal to avid television viewers and sports fans does not get my blood pumping. The controller looks great, but Microsoft's priorities don't align with my interest. While it cited gaming as its "beachhead" for the system, it also framed the power of the console as getting them that much closer to "playing real life" through graphical fidelity. I don't care about pores in the skin and imperfections in Forza cars. I would like to see something new in the gameplay space. That all said, it is way too early to write off the system, and I'm curious to learn more about the upcoming games at E3.

Visit our Xbox Reveal Headquarters for complete coverage of today's news.

Tech Comparison (This Gen Vs Next Gen)

Mike Futter — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:22:05 GMT

It's no surprise that Call of Duty: Ghosts will be making the jump to next generation this fall. At yesterday's Xbox One reveal, Activision showed off how much better the next generation title will look.

This video was originally presented on stage by Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg (whom we had the chance to interview yesterday). If you've heard about "the Call of Duty dog," but haven't yet seen what the buzz is about, now is your chance.

Call of Duty: Ghosts arrives on November 5, 2013 (though not necessarily that early for PS4 and Xbox One).

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Metro: Last Light Season Pass Available, First DLC In June

Mike Futter — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:24:00 GMT

If you're a fan of 4A Games' vision of post-apocalyptic Russia, you'll have the opportunity to return to the Metro this summer. Deep Silver has announced the upcoming release of DLC for Metro: Last Light.

A season pass is available now, which gives players an early opportunity to put money down the four different DLC pieces rolling out this summer. The Faction Pack and Chronicles Pack are new single-player expansions, the Tower Pack appears to be a challenge mission, and the Developer Pack enables unspecified exploration tools. The season pass also awards a new shotgun that can unleash six shells at once.

The Metro: Last Light season pass can be purchased for $14.99 (1200 Microsoft points) on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, or Steam. PlayStation Plus subscribers can save 25 percent through June 4. The first DLC, the Faction Pack, arrives next month.

The full press release is on page two.

Xbox One Reveal Impressions

Irwin529 — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:21:00 GMT

There's likely going to be many posts about the Xbox One, so I thought I'd share my own thoughts on the new console.

So yesterday, Microsoft finally unveiled their next-generation console, the Xbox One. While many people were disappointed in the announcement, it was more of a mixed bag for me, though I do tend to lean on the side of disappointment.

Inevitably, you have to compare it to Sony's Playstation 4 unveiling back in February. The PS4 announcement succeeded because it hit all the right notes with the people who will be early adopters of the console: gamers. Sony knows their audience and knows that people want a PS4 to play games. There was really something for everyone to like in their announcement.

Microsoft's Xbox One announcement was less about the games and more about being your all-in-one entertainment hub. Much of the focus on yesterday's presentation was about being able to watch live television and sports games on the console. MS is dead set on wanting to take over your living room, and it's hard not to admire their ambition. But from a gamer's standpoint, you can see why one would be disappointed. The few games they did show, like Forza Motorsport 5 and Quantum Break, certainly looked interesting but they didn't receive much focus. The games that did receive more attention were EA Sports games and Call of Duty: Ghosts. But those titles aren't reasons to pick up an Xbox One, as they will be on other consoles. However, there is one positive from this. The small focus on games opens the door for Microsoft's E3 presentation to be all about the games. They did mention that they have 15 exclusives planned for the first year, 8 of which will be brand new franchises. So that's something to look forward to.

All that being said, the Xbox One does look impressive. Being able to switch seamlessly between live TV, movies, and games looked great. Kinect looks more responsive. It looks like they took a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach to the Xbox 360 controller. But again, I'm not buying an Xbox One because I can watch ESPN on it.

It certainly seems like this unveiling was more about what the Xbox One can do that the Playstation 4 can't. It's becoming pretty obvious that Microsoft is holding back for E3. Let's just hope they make it worth the wait.

The Origins Of Infamous

Ben Hanson — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:00:00 GMT

Amidst our coverage of the upcoming Infamous Second Son, we thought that it would be interesting to look back on the creation of the original game in the ongoing series. As a stand-out new IP on the Playstation 3 and a studio-changing game for the talented team at Sucker Punch Productions, Infamous' three years of development is a lot to cover in one video. The team shed light on their other pitches to Sony after they finished the Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (one of which has a familiar name), the challenges of development, and what the studio learned from its release.

Watch the video below to learn from studio co-founder Brian Fleming and game director Nate Fox about the spark behind the Infamous franchise.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

To learn more about the future of the Infamous series, click on the banner below to learn more about Infamous Second Son.

Remedy's Sam Lake Addresses Alan Wake Fans In Video Message, Humble Bundle Launches

Mike Futter — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:38:00 GMT

In one of the classiest moves in recent memory, Remedy's creative director Sam Lake has taken to video to answer fan cries for a new Alan Wake title. The news isn't great, but the delivery strikes the perfect chord.

Lake talks about the studio's challenge to get a sequel to the title into production, even though Alan Wake has now sold three million copies since launch.

"When the game was released, that was not the case immediately," he said. "Even though we worked hard on it, the sequel was not happening. The time was not right for it. Sure we could have gone ahead and created something less ambitious, but we felt that would not have done justice to you guys, to us. We want to be really proud of everything we create. Certainly, it wouldn't have done justice to Alan Wake."

At yesterday's Xbox One reveal, we learned that Remedy is working on a new title called Quantum Break, which means that Alan Wake 2 is on the back burner. However, fans can purchase a new Humble Bundle, with previously unreleased material, right now. Additionally, sales are available on all Alan Wake titles and avatar items on Xbox Live.

This isn't the news that Alan Wake fans were hoping for, but the pitch perfect delivery may help ease the pain.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Everyone is now the Owner.

This World Begins With Us — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:14:09 GMT

I've made everyone in this clan an owner. You can now post blogs and maybe forums or whatever and stuff. You're welcome, noobs.

DO NOT MAKE ANYONE A MODERATOR FOR THIS CLAN, Y'ALL. THAT WILL GET YOU BANNED FROM GAMEINFORMER.COM.

I'll be back later with cookies. And milk!

Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition Is Coming To PC In July

Mike Futter — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:07:51 GMT

NetherRealm Studios is doing right by PC gamers this July. 2011's Mortal Kombat is finally coming for those who have shunned the console way of life.

The title will arrive on July 3 via digital delivery platforms (specific avenues were not mentioned), and August 6 at retail. This version comes with all of the downloadable characters, fatalities and skins that were released for the console iterations. The only thing you won't be getting in this version of Mortal Kombat is Kratos (who was exclusive to the PS3 and Vita versions).

The full press release is on page two.