Quantcast
Channel: Games – Den of Geek
Viewing all 9334 articles
Browse latest View live

Sleeping Dogs Movie Is Apparently Underway

0
0

The Sleeping Dogs movie is still happening, according to star Donnie Yen.

NewsSimon BrewJohn Saavedra
Feb 6, 2018

Sleeping Dogs is the latest video game to make a jump to the movies. Set in Hong Kong, the game follows a police officer who must infiltrate the Sun On Yee Triad organization. The original game is worth digging out, if only for its mix of Grand Theft Auto's open-world shenanigans with martial arts and Asian culture. You'll find a worthy hardboiled cop drama here. 

A movie take has been on the cards for a while now, understandable given the cinematic influences that run through the game. But we hadn't heard anything since the movie was first announced in early 2017. It seems that things are right on schedule, though, with Donnie Yen (Rogue One) set to star as undercover cop Wei Shen. 

According to a recent post on Yen's Instagram, the wheels are turning for the Sleeping Dogs movie…

There’s no official release date, or further news just yet, short of that Original Film is backing the project. Neal Moritz is producing, but we've not heard word on a director or any other castings. We’ll keep you posted as we hear more, though…


The Nintendo Switch Has Outsold the Wii U

0
0

Try to act surprised.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jan 31, 2018

In what may just be the most inevitable milestone in video game history, Nintendo has announced that the Switch has officially outsold the Wii U

In less than a year, Nintendo has sold 14 million Switches. A reported 7.23 million of those units were sold in the last quarter alone. By the end of last December, Nintendo had reportedly sold about 14.8 million Switches. 

As you might imagine, the success of the Switch has translated into a ton of cash for Nintendo. The company's earnings reports indicate that Nintendo experienced a 261% revenue bump from last year. They took in about $4.44 billion in revenue during the last recorded fiscal year. However, it's important to remember that not all of that revenue comes from the Nintendo Switch.

"For the Nintendo Switch software, Super Mario Odyssey was released in October and has been a big hit, with global sales reaching 9.07 million units," reads the report. "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, released in April, has sold 7.33 million units, and Splatoon 2, released in July, has sold 4.91 million units, bringing to 8 the total number of million-seller titles for this fiscal year including the titles of other software publishers.

Get a Free Trial of GameFly on Us!

Nintendo also stated that they saw a slight bump in 3DS sales during the holiday season. It seems the most recent Pokemon titles - Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon - may have triggered a slight spike in that system's sales. On top of all that, Nintendo reported strong earnings from the Super NES Classic Edition, their downloadable markets, their mobile gaming endeavors, and their Amiibo line. 

What we're getting at here is that Nintendo is doing quite well. Some have speculated that the Switch's second-year success will be tied to how many major releases Nintendo can churn out in 2018, but the Switch's ability to attract so many third-party developers may make it immune to the woes suffered by other Nintendo console in-between the release of major Nintendo games. 

Pokemon Go Update Hints at a Forthcoming Quest System

0
0

References in a new update may hint that a new story-driven quest system is coming to Pokemon Go...

NewsRyan Lambie
Feb 7, 2018

There's a subset of Pokemon Go fans who are extraordinarily good at digging into the smartphone app's files and finding hidden details - whether they happen to be as-yet unreleased shiny Pokemon or features that Niantic hasn't even announced yet.

On Reddit, scrutiny of the latest update may just indicate that some fairly major changes are on the way for the monster-catching mobile game: specifically, some form of quest where fulfilling certain objectives will further an ongoing story. 

According to the Silph Road subreddit, multiple references to quests can be found in the update's data, which include such terms as STORY_QUEST and CHALLENGE_QUEST, as well as indications of what objectives will have to be fulfilled in order to complete those quests - these include typical things like hatching eggs, feeding Pokemon, and winning gym battles.

The data also hints at an expanded role for the game's human characters, including Professor Willow, and that player avatars will soon be getting facial expressions. These certainly suggest that Niantic has something major in the works for Pokemon Go, though it's not yet clear when these quests might start rolling out. It's even possible that the references are merely the last few remnants of ideas tested but later abandoned. It's not uncommon for programmers to leave unused but harmless bits of code lying around behind the scenes. 

As Eurogamer points out, though, Niantic recently appointed its first editorial person, which suggests there's at least one person at the company charged with writing stories for its app. 

The mere notion of a quest mode is an appealing prospect. If you're somewhere between level 30 and 40 in Pokemon Go, you may be looking for a new reason to play the game beyond grinding for XP and catching Legendary monsters. Quests could be just the shot in the arm Pokemon Go needs.

More on this as we get it.

MLB: The Show 18 Release Date, Trailer, & Everything Else We Know

0
0

What you need to know about MLB: The Show 18, including latest news, release date, trailers, and much more!

NewsDen of Geek Staff
Feb 7, 2018

The 2017 World Series came to a close with the Houston Astros winning their first title in the franchise's history, but that doesn't mean baseball has to be over. Sony Interactive Entertainment has already announced next year's edition of MLB: The Show, which features New York Yankee Aaron Judge on its cover. 

Here's everything else we know about MLB: The Show 18...

MLB: The Show 18 Trailer

Babe Ruth is coming to MLB: The Show 18! Check out his debut in the trailer below:

Here's the debut trailer for MLB: The Show 18. It introduces the New York Yankees' Aaron Judge as this year's cover athlete. Check it out:

MLB: The Show 18 Release Date

MLB: The Show 18 will arrive on March 27, 2018. The game is coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4. Additionally, those who pre-order the game at GameStop or the PlayStation Store will get to play the game a few days early, starting on March 23.

MLB: The Show 18 Pre-order Bonus

There are a few bonuses for those who pre-order the game either at GameStop or the PlayStation store. Here's what you can get:

PlayStation™Store

Early Access starting March 23, 2018
10 Standard Packs
1 Legend Card
5,000 Stubs
Instant Reward | Aaron Judge for MLB The Show 17

GameStop

Early Access starting March 23, 2018
10 Standard Packs
Additional 5 Standard Packs
1 Legend Card

Other Retailers

10 Standard Packs
1 Legend Card

MLB: The Show 18 Editions

There are several different editions to choose from for MLB: The Show 18 on top of the Standard Edition:

MVP Edition: $69.99 (Approximately $135 value)

Full Game
Limited Edition MVP Edition Steel Book (available only with physical copy

In-Game DLC items include:
Mission Starter for a Gold Player
5,000 Stubs
1 Sponsor Pack
1 Classic Stadium
10 Standard Packs
30 MLB PS4 Themes

Digital Deluxe Edition: $99.99 (Approximately $200 Value)

Full Game
Mission Starter for a Diamond Player
Mission Starter for a Gold Player
Digital Deluxe Lead Off Pack
11,000 Stubs
1 Sponsor Pack
1 Classic Stadium
20 Standard Packs
30 MLB PS4 Themes

All Rise Edition: $99.99(Approximately $205 Value)

Approximately $205 value
Full Game
Exclusive New Era All Rise Edition 9FIFTY® Hat
Limited Edition MVP Edition Steel Book
In-Game DLC items include:
Digital Diamond Dynasty New Era All Rise Edition 9FIFTY® Hat for use in game
Diamond Mission Starter for a Diamond player
Gold Mission Starter for a Gold player
11,000 Stubs
1 Sponsor Pack
10 Standard Packs
1 Classic Stadium
30 MLB PS4 Themes (one for each MLB team)

MLB: The Show 18 Cover

The 2018 edition of MLB: The Show features Aaron Judge from the New York Yankees on the cover. Check it out below:

Injustice 2: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Gameplay

0
0

The new trailer for Injustice 2's shows off all four of the Ninja Turtles in action!

NewsGavin Jasper
Feb 7, 2018

The further a fighting game goes with their DLC characters, the more pizzazz is needed. NetherRealm Studios set the ball rolling a few years back when their final DLC reveal for Mortal Kombat 9 was Freddy Krueger. Since then, Mortal Kombat’s featured the likes of Alien, Predator, Leatherface, and Jason Voorhees. Smash Bros. has brought in everyone from Cloud to Ryu to Bayonetta. Killer Instinct has Arbiter from Haloand Rash from Battletoads. Tekkenis about to bring in Fatal Fury’s Geese Howard. Injustice 2 has already played around with Sub-Zero, Raiden, and even Hellboy.

Now it’s motherfucking pizza time.

Check out a brand new gameplay trailer below:

And here's the reveal trailer for Fighter Pack 3:

Injustice 2’s Fighter Pack 3 will bring us the Atom and Enchantress. No big deal, as Enchantress has been obvious from the beginning and Atom’s trailer was released a while ago. But then the trench coat-wearing interloper turns out not to be the Question or even Rorschach...but Raphael, accompanied by his three reptilian bros.

Can’t say I ever saw that one coming. I’m pumped. I’m not even mad that Booster Gold isn’t there!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are no strangers to fighting games, of course. They’ve had various one-on-one titles in the 8-bit/16-bit era and even a Smash Bros. knockoff at one point. They’re even no stranger to the DC Universe, as they’ve recently been having regular crossovers with Batman that have been outstanding.

Presumably, the Turtles will be like Mortal Kombat X’s Triborg, who was four different movesets for one character spot (Sektor, Cyrax, Cyber Smoke, and Cyber Sub-Zero). If anything, it’ll be fun to see all four of them each having specific dialogue against the likes of a talking gorilla and a half-woman/half-cheetah.

In a world where Capcom won’t put mutants in their own superhero fighting game, NetherRealm’s decided that four will do just fine.

The Atom will be available for early access on December 12 with the rest presumably sometime in 2018. Meanwhile, Hellboy will be available on November 14.

Gavin Jasper feels that Sub-Zero’s Shredder costume from Mortal Kombat: Deception has finally paid off. Follow Gavin on Twitter!

Square Enix's Marvel Avengers Project: Everything We Know

0
0

Marvel and Square Enix are working on a line-up of games based on the popular superhero universe. Here's what we know so far!

NewsJohn Saavedra
Feb 7, 2018

Marvel announced in January 2017 that it has signed a multi-year, multi-game deal with publisher Square Enix to develop titles based on the popular superhero universe. The first title in the works is an Avengers game. 

According to Marvel, the game will feature a completely new and original story, and will introduce a universe gamers can play in for years to come. The project will be jam-packed with characters, environments, and iconic moments that will thrill Marvelites.

Check out the trailer below:

We can gather a few story details from the trailer. The game seems to take place at a time when superheroes are persecuted by the public and the Avengers are all but broken. The setting looks very bleak, indeed. From the looks of it, Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor will appear in the game in some form. It's unclear who is narrating, though. 

It also looks like Marvel will continue the trend of hiring top-notch talent for games based on their most popular characters. "The Avengers project," as it's being referred to at the moment by Marvel, is being developed by Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider), with help from Eidos Montreal (Deus Ex). Shaun Escayg, former Naughty Dog creative director, and Stephen Barry, a 27 year games vet from EA and Visceral Games, have also joined the project in leadership roles at Crystal Dynamics.

That's one hell of a team-up. It's too early to call, but based on the teams working on this game, this could be an action-adventure superhero game with a nice helping of RPG elements.

More details on The Avengers project and other games will be announced in 2018.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Will Reportedly Be Released in 2018

0
0

This new game will reportedly adopt a more "grounded" setting.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Feb 7, 2018

A report by Eurogamer suggests that the next Call of Duty game will be Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. That report cites multiple sources close to the development of the game who claim that Treyarch - the developer of the other Black Ops games - is working on a new Black Ops title that is set to release before the end of the year.

Based on vague information that may or may not come to fruition, it seems that this next Black Ops game will move beyond the heavy sci-fi settings of Black Ops 3. Instead, this next game will employ a more "grounded" setting that occurs in an unspecified era.

As previous Black Ops games have taken us as far back as the Cold War, we're willing to guess that this game might go as far back as World War II or will otherwise present some kind of alternate take on modern combat. 

All other information surrounding the development of this game is a bit up in the air at the moment. However, some reports suggest that Treyarch is even working on a Switch version of Black Ops 4. Whether or not that version of the game will launch alongside the other versions of Black Ops 4 has not been confirmed at this time. 

Get a Free Trial of GameFly on Us!

It seems logical enough that the next Call of Duty title would be Black Ops 4 considering the previous release schedule of recent Call of Duty games. Recently, Black Ops games have arrived on a three-year release schedule and it has been three years since the last Black Ops title. Furthermore, the Black Opsgames have historically sold quite well in comparison to even the "main" games in the Call of Dutyfranchise.

What is somewhat surprising is the notion that Black Ops 4's setting may be impacted by the negative reception to recent Call of Duty titles. Historically, the Black Opsgames have kind of marched to their own beat. As such, it's admittedly odd to consider that the next installment in the franchise may adopt a more crowd-pleasing setting and tone. Of course, we have no doubt that some of the trademark weirdness of Black Opsseries will live on regardless of the era this game happens to take place in. 

Evo 2018: A Guide to the 8 Games of Evo

0
0

The Evolution Championship Series will be returning in August, but we now know the line-up. Some huge surprises are in there!

The ListsGavin Jasper
Feb 7, 2018

Since the early 00s, the Evolution Championship Series has been like the Olympics of one-on-one fighting games. The three-day event will return once again and take place August 3-5 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Formerly called the Battle by the Bay, this will be the seventeenth official Evo tournament (not counting the recent Evo Japan). As usual, the roster of games has been revealed with a little over half a year before showtime.

Several games will return for another year. Several games will be replaced with upgrades or have some DLC added. But there's also a couple games that get cut completely due to new blood. This year especially, since they've gone from nine games to eight.

Now, before I get to the games we will be getting in Evo 2018, I have to mention the biggest news: there will be no Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.

The two-on-two X-Men-less fighter isn't even getting one year to disappoint before fading into obscurity. It's simply off the table to begin with. That is kind of insane! Keep in mind, every single American Evo has had a Marvel vs. Capcom game in it up until this point. Only the very first Battle by the Bay didn't and that was in 1996 when Marvel vs. Capcomwasn't even a thing yet!

And there we are. Over the three days, thousands of fighting game players from around the world will be playing these eight games on various feeds, whittling down the numbers until it's clear who’s the best via double elimination tournaments. Of those games, Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Tekken 7, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition will get the high-profile finals on Sunday.

So let’s take a closer look at what we have to look forward to...

STREET FIGHTER V: ARCADE EDITION

First Year: 2018
Replacing: Street Fighter V
Game Type: 1-on-1, best of 3 rounds

Despite its crossover brother falling to his doom, Street Fighter Vtends to succeed quite a bit at Evo. Not only was it the final game of the last two years, but it also got featured on ESPN2. The game evolves by design as Capcom decided to just keep adding DLC content instead of releasing a brand new game with the same assets plus a couple extras.

Regardless, they still released Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition. It's a free upgrade to people who already own the original and it ushers in even more new names, alterations in balance, and now the ability to choose between two V-Trigger buffs for each character. Once again, we're set to have the granddaddy of the fighter genre get top billing.

GUILTY GEAR XRD REV 2

First Year: 2017
Game Type: 1-on-1, best of 3 rounds.

The absolutely beautiful Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- was introduced to Evo back in 2015 and made enough of an impact that its follow-up Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator- replaced it a year later. The upgrade Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2hit in 2017 and much like its predecessors, it's a feast for the eyes. Last year saw a very unique Top 8 where none of the players used the same characters.

In a year with more Arc System games than any other company, this will probably be Guilty Gear's last showing, but it will certainly be worth watching.

SUPER SMASH BROS. WII U

First Year: 2015
Game Type: 1-on-1, 2 lives

Smash 4 is making a fourth appearance. Last year saw DLC addition Bayonetta win the whole ball of wax. While it didn’t set the world on fire, the game was a bit easier to watch than its elderly brother. At least in my opinion. Mainly because the rounds are half as short. Smash 4rounds have two character stocks while Melee does four stocks.

SUPER SMASH BROS. MELEE

First Year: 2007
Game Type: 1-on-1, four lives

Despite some major reluctance on Nintendo’s part, Melee was re-added to the Evo roster in 2013 due to a charity auction that raised nearly $95,000. It ended up getting huge support, both in terms of players showing up and viewers watching it online, so it has since become an Evo staple. All this despite the game being from 2001.

Join Amazon Prime - Watch Thousands of Movies & TV Shows Anytime - Start Free Trial Now

Even with Smash 4 around, Meleestill gets a lot of play due to its insane fanbase. While it's a very divisive addition, Meleepretty much pays the bills with its huge following. It's like commercials: you just have to put up with them. Last year, Meleedidn't get to make the big stage on Sunday, annoying its players. This time, they'll return to the promise land while Smash 4 sits on the sidelines.

TEKKEN 7

First Year: 2015
Game Type: 1-on-1, best of 3 rounds.
Tekken 7 was released just a month before Evo 2017 and yet the game has been part of Evo since 2015. It was the damnedest thing where it was out in the Japanese arcades, so they just used the Japanese arcades in the Evo tournament. They did it again in 2016 with the upgrade Tekken 7: Fated Retribution.

Now that it's been out for a year internationally, it's a more even playing field. Since last year, there's been a couple names added as DLC, so the real change will come from how the competitive scene has taken to the game over time. Once again, it's all about evolution.

INJUSTICE 2

First Year: 2017
Game Type: 1-on-1, two life bars

The NetherRealm games have been gradually been getting accustomed to the competitive fighting game scene. They bounced between Mortal Kombat 9, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Mortal Kombat X, and then Injustice 2. Last year's showing ended a little flat, but it was still sort of huge because player Sonic Fox FINALLY lost a tournament. That guy's relentless with NetherRealm fighters.

The game has had more time to breathe and more DLC has bulked up the roster. Hopefully the Top 8 is nothing but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Maybe one Hellboy.

BLAZBLUE CROSS TAG BATTLE

First Year: 2018
Replacing: BlazBlue Central Fiction
Game Type: 2-on-2, tag team

BlazBluehas regularly been one of the under-the-radar games at Evo and last year's show announced this upcoming tag game that mixes BlazBlue's roster with Persona 4 Arena and RWBY. The game won't be coming out until early June, so it'll be a very raw debut year. Its success is up in the air, but the reveal that half of the game's roster is DLC hasn't exactly sat well with fans.

Keep in mind, despite being unreleased and pissing off its fanbase, it's STILL getting in over Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.

DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ

First Year: 2018
Replacing: Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, King of Fighters XIV
Game Type: 3-on-3, tag team

And here's the true main event of Evo. The holder of the hype. The game that labeled Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite obsolete the moment it was announced. While BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle features plenty of reused assets, Dragon Ball FighterZ is the one game on Evo 2018's list that truly feels fresh and brand new.

Newly released, Dragon Ball FighterZ is pretty widely enjoyed and Arc System Works' quality shines through. Sure, we may not get a Marvel vs. Capcom game this year, but we will get another frenetic six-man tag fighter like all the other years. It's just by a different company with a different set of licensed superheroes shooting lasers.

Still, while I've focused on Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite's snubbing, I have to note that it's a bummer to see King of Fighters XIV getting the shaft too. I wish it had one more year in it, but the numbers last year were dire as hell, so there you go.

Gavin Jasper sighed upon realizing that King of the Monsters got passed over yet again. Follow him on Twitter!


Nintendo Confirms Toad's Mushroom Top Is His Actual Head

0
0

Strangely, that leaves us with more questions than answers.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Feb 7, 2018

Super Mario Odyssey producer Yoshiaki Koizumi recently posted a dev talk video in which he addressed the kind of questions that only seem to surround Nintendo games. Chief among those questions was a query regarding whether or not Toad's mushroom top is a hat or his actual head.

That might sound ridiculous, but you have to admit that you've probably asked yourself a version of that question at some point. The topic has reached a fever pitch of debate ever since Super Mario Odyssey made hats a canonical part of the Mario universe. According to Koizumi, though, Toad's headgear is something that he was born with. 

"So that, as it turns out, is actually Toad’s head,” said Koizumi. “I’m going to have to leave it to all of you to figure out exactly how that works out. Maybe there’s something inside…”

What's strange about that response is that we've seen Toad treat his mushroom top like a hat in certain non-video game Mario properties. You would think that Super Mario Odyssey would have given the team an excuse to make Toad's top a canonical cap, but it seems they are sticking with their guns by saying that it's his actual head. Needless to say, that visual doesn't exactly help us sleep well at night. 

Get a Free Trial of GameFly on Us!

That video also addresses a couple of other topics that we know are near and dear to the darkest thoughts of Nintendo fans everywhere. For instance, it turns out that the reason Mario has nipples but no belly button in Super Mario Odyssey is because of a possible design oversight. 

“Well to be perfectly honest, I didn’t really expect that to be a topic among fans,” said Koizumi on the nipple/belly button debate. "Once I heard that people were talking so much about Mario’s belly button, it made me start to think about whether we should revisit the topic on the design side."

Koizumi also asked that players no pry into the personal life of Mario by questioning the nature of the Mario/Peach/Pauline relationship dynamic. So far as that goes, we'll just say that Pauline is mayor of a major metropolitan world and clearly likes hats as much as Mario. Peach, meanwhile, only calls when she's been kidnapped. 

Dead Rising Developer Capcom Vancouver Suffers Massive Layoffs

0
0

The scope of the next Dead Rising title may have been drastically reduced.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Feb 7, 2018

Dead Rising developer Capcom Vancouver has laid off a sizeable portion of their staff.

Kotaku states that the studio has fired about 50 people from their formerly 250 person staff. Their report on the matter suggests that these layoffs were related to the next Dead Rising game. Apparently, the studio plans for that project were "over-scoped" for the resources that the studio had access too. In an official statement to Eurogamer, Capcom shed a little more light on their decision to reduce the Vancouver studio's staff. 

"Capcom Vancouver has undergone a restructure which has impacted approximately 30 percent of the studio, as part of its regular periodic assessment of upcoming projects and overall studio goals," said Capcom. "The team is continuing to work hard to support the recent release of Puzzle Fighter for mobile and is dedicated to its flagship Dead Rising series."

Not mentioned in that statement is a report which suggests that an unannounced title being developed by Capcom Vancouver was canceled as part of this round of layoffs. As for the next Dead Rising game, it appears that its development will continue, but it will likely be altered to accommodate for the recent lack of resources at the Vancouver studio. 

Get a Free Trial of GameFly on Us!

While Vancouver didn't develop the original Dead Rising - that was made by Capcom's Production Studio 1 - they have been responsible for every Dead Rising title since Dead Rising 2: Case Zero. That essentially makes them the development face of the franchise. 

Sadly, it seems that they may have leaned too hard on the success of the Dead Rising franchise in recent years. While Dead Rising 3 reportedly sold ok as an Xbox One launch title, Capcom eventually decided to remove Dead Rising 4's Xbox exclusivity due to the fledgling sales of that particular installment. It's believed that Capcom hoped to sell about two million copies of that game across all platforms. It hasn't been confirmed whether they ever reached that goal. 

We hope to learn more about the next Dead Rising title sometime later this year.  

Square Enix Remains Committed to Single Player Games

0
0

Despite concerns, the studio's CEO says that they are not pursuing questionable revenue sources.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Feb 7, 2018

Amidst growing concern that the single-player game industry is dying, Square Enix reaffirmed its commitment to creating single-player gaming experiences in the future.

In an interview with Metro, Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda addressed concerns regarding a comment the company had previously made which suggested the studio was interested in pursuing more "games as a service" initiatives. Some fans took that to mean that the company will be adding more microtransactions and loot boxes to its games. However, Matsuda says that the situation isn't quite that simple. 

"Recently people have been discussing loot boxes and people not using that properly, I think that’s all linked to this bad perception people have to the words 'games as a service,'" said Matsuda. "But really, the way we’re looking at it, what it boils down to is… that idea of keeping people engaged with our games and enjoying them for longer periods of time."

Matsuda expanded on that idea by stating that, "The way we use that expression, really… the whole idea, for a single-player game particularly, is the idea that you have the game released and you keep adding more content to keep the players engaged and enjoying the game. And that helps to make it more of a full experience, and that brings in more players to the original game. That’s the rough approach we take to the idea, and that’s why we described games as a service in that sense."

Get a Free Trial of GameFly on Us!

If recent examples of game companies abusing the concept of games as a service have you worried, it's worth considering that Square Enix's recent releases seem to exemplify what the company hopes to accomplish via this initiative. Final Fantasy XV, for instance, has enjoyed a great deal of post-release content in the form of planned DLC and unplanned events. Before IO was dropped by the publisher, the Hitman series also featured quite a bit of post-release content designed to keep the game fresh. 

A steady stream of extra content added to a single-player game after its release seems to be what Square Enix is working to achieve with its promise to keep looking into games as a service. However, we'll have to monitor this situation as it develops to say for sure whether that is the case. 

Hunt: Showdown Impressions - A Potentially Game-changing Multiplayer Shooter

0
0

Hunt: Showdown delivers on its big ideas despite a few hiccups. Here are our thoughts on the game after playing the closed alpha!

FeatureMatthew Byrd
Feb 8, 2018

A great idea is only worth so much. As anyone who has ever sat in a room with some particularly stoned people will tell you, it’s easy to say things like, “Let’s grow our own weed” or “Let’s get off the couch and go get tacos.” Accomplishing a great idea is another matter entirely.

Still, there is some value to a good idea. That’s especially true as it relates to video games. Even though the indie market is filled with novel ideas, its pattern of releases is starting to become more predictable. Retro platformer, dungeon crawler with roguelike elements, survival-crafting, and so on.

This is where Crytek comes in. You may remember Crytek as the makers of Crysis, a game so technologically demanding that it became a meme for what your computer was capable of running. Sadly, the company has faced tough times since then. Crytek has struggled to really find that next great idea that captures the imaginations of PC gamers.

In Hunt: Showdown, Crytek hopes it has found just that. And you know what? Judging from a recent closed alpha, this multiplayer survival horror shooter might be exactly what the studio needed.

Hunt: Showdown isn’t a game that’s easy to explain with a few Steam tags - this tutorial video does a great job of breaking it down in full - but it’s also not an overly complicated game. You start by picking a hunter (your avatar). The in-game character models for these hunters take cues from both the American West and Victorian England. Each hunter also comes equipped with his own items, abilities, and weapons.

Once you’ve chosen your hunter, you’ll have the option of jumping into a game. Now, you can play solo, but we don’t recommend it. The better option is to partner with a friend or a randomly matched companion. We’ll discuss why that is in just a second.

For now, what you really need to focus on is the objective of the game. Once you and your partner - or just you - are thrown into one of the game’s maps, you’ll be tasked with collecting clues scattered across the area. The location of these clues can be identified by using a special sight power that allows you to see a lightning bolt above the general location the clue.

On your way to these clues, you’ll encounter various types of monsters. While some are little more than basic zombies, others will require a bit of strategy to take down. Better yet, you might just want to ignore them entirely.

In any case, collecting clues will narrow down the number of possible locations the area’s target bounty - boss - is at. Once you’ve found the boss, you and your partner will need to take it down, collect the bounty, and get out of the area via an extraction point. Do this, and you can build your character at the end of the match.

What makes all of this so very interesting is that you are not the only hunter tasked with collecting the boss bounty in each given area. While you’re collecting clues and fighting monsters, other players are wandering the map trying to do the same. Running around trying to kill them is a perfectly valid strategy, but it’s not the only one. For instance, you can just wait until another team kills the boss and triggers the bounty. At that point, you’ll be alerted to their location and can hunt them down. You can also find the location of any taken clues that may be in another character’s possession.

However, you’ll want to choose your battles carefully. As bad as it is to lose out on a bounty, it’s even worse to lose your character. That’s because once your hunter dies, he's dead for good. You can earn “bloodline” XP that carries over to your next hunter, but dying in this game can undo a lot of progress.

That death system, combined with the presence of other hunters, creates a level of tension that few multiplayer games can match. Adding to that tension is a series of clever mechanics that make it feel like you’re truly hunting (or being hunted). The most apparent of these mechanics is the game’s excellent use of visual and audio cues. Run through some rusty chains or trigger a flock of crows and you’ll tell anyone in the area where you are. The same is true of gunshots.

This all leads to a genuine feeling of horror that we don’t typically get from multiplayer modes. Granted, it certainly doesn’t hurt that Hunt is bathed in classic horror film atmosphere. The wide-brimmed hats and woefully ancient firearms will speak loudly to those who harbor fantasies of becoming Van Helsing. As for the graphics...well, this is Crytek. Hunt is a stunningly beautiful game that demands the absolute best out of your gaming PC.

The game may have suffered through several redesigns, but this version of the game does truly feel like the idea that the studio has been dreaming of delivering to those in need of a game that doesn’t feel quite like anything else out there. However, there is a big difference between an idea and the execution of that idea.

Where Hunt fails to get off the couch is in Crytek’s ability to make the player feel like he or she is really getting the full experience the game’s concept promises. That does start with the game’s quite severe framerate issues. Yes, this is a closed alpha, but this is also a game that Crytek submitted to streamers out of a desire to show it off in its current state.

That may have been a slight miscalculation considering how rarely Hunt is able to maintain a playable state. Even a few errant gunshots can send the frame rate plummeting. Again, the game is lovely - the use of rich foliage as a constant tool is particularly brilliant - but this current build of the game does make you suffer for that loveliness. At present, the game doesn’t even offer custom graphical options.

Given that the alpha’s performance improved over the course of its first few days, we are confident that Crytek will address these technical issues. However, that’s not the only element of the game that may leave you feeling like you’re missing out on the full experience.

For instance, there’s reason to question just how deep the game’s strategic elements truly go. As it stands, it’s really not that difficult to wait until another hunter has collected the final bounty and then track him down. There’s enough time from when you’re alerted to the location of the hunters doing battle with the boss to the time they’re able to extract that you’ll rarely be entirely out of position.

Combat also feels somewhat awkward at this point. Smaller monsters can - and should - be taken down with quiet melee weapons. Bosses will demand nearly all your ammo and resources. Larger wandering monsters, though, are fairly easy to ignore. There’s really just not enough incentive to battle them.

The best part about fighting other players, meanwhile, is the thrill of the hunt. Did you leave that door open? If you rush that basement, will you be walking into a trap? Did you just hear the rattling of chains? It’s the same kind of tension that makes PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds one of the most popular games in the world.

The difference between the two is that PUBGis always rewarding you. You get to watch the player count tick down and the zone decrease. You pick up increasingly better loot. You get to play the game at your pace. Worst comes to worst, you just queue into a new match.

Hunt’s psuedo-permadeath system and currently long load times make it so that you almost always have to play at a very deliberate pace and employ the cheapest strategies possible. Meanwhile, there’s the issue of not really having enough incentive to make that first move as doing so puts a huge target on your back. As such, getting caught by a lucky shot or simply being outflanked doesn’t always leave you feeling like you should hop back in.

As for the gunfights, there’s definitely some tweaking to be done here and there. Aiming these old weapons shouldn’t be easy, but there are some rifles that can take down an opposing hunter with just two shots to the chest from a decent distance. Those same weapons aren’t great for boss monsters, but that can be compensated by your partner’s weapon selection.

Yet, we don’t have a single issue with Hunt’s alpha that we feel can’t be fixed by technical tweaks and gameplay incentives that encourage players to consider and employ a variety of strategies. That’s the value of a great idea. It gives those truly willing to work towards something great a foundation to stand on that wobbles, but doesn’t falter. There is enough passion flowing through this game to suggest that Crytek has the motivation needed to turn Hunt from a fantastic idea into something that’s truly great.

Metal Gear Solid V's Hidden Cutscene Has Accidentally Been Unlocked

0
0

The game has prematurely celebrated the end of nuclear warfare.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Feb 8, 2018

A secret cutscene hidden within Metal Gear Solid V that was supposed to take a superhuman effort to unlock has just been unlocked for no discernable reason. 

See, Metal Gear Solid V dataminers uncovered files related to a hidden "nuclear disarmament" cutscene not long after the game launched. Along with uploading the actual cutscene, they also stated that unlocking the video within the actual game requires all players on a specific platform to dismantle all nuclear weapons within the game. Yes, that means that every single player on a given platform would need to work together to meet this objective. 

Naturally, most MGS V fans considered the task to be impossible. However, that nuclear disarmament cutscene was recently triggered within the PC version of the game. Given that recent readings via Steam suggest that over 10,000 nukes remained armed via that platform, fans have many questions regarding how this cutscene was unlocked. 

It turns out that Konami isn't quite sure how to answer those questions. In a statement on Twitter, the company confirmed that the cutscene had been triggered without the necessary requirements being met. Because of that, they issued an apology for the "inconvenience," and wish to "reassure you that we will investigate the matter as well as take the necessary action to avoid this in the future."

Get a Free Trial of GameFly on Us!

While that investigation is still ongoing, fans have already begun speculating that Konami themselves are responsible for triggering the cutscene either by accident or via some malicious purpose related to their falling out with Kojima. Of course, there is no evidence available at this time which suggests that is the case. 

Still, it's incredibly odd that this seemingly impossible cutscene just happened to be achieved even though the condition required to unlock it was nowhere near completed. It seems likely that there was an error in the code somewhere or that good old-fashioned human tampering is to blame for this mistake. 

Vampyr Release Date, Trailer, News, and Everything Else We Know

0
0

Everything you need to know about Vampyr, including latest news, release date, trailers, and much more!

NewsDen of Geek Staff
Feb 8, 2018

Life Is Strange developer Dontnod's latest project is an RPG called Vampyr. The game stars a vampire named Jonathan, who stalks the streets of a flu-infested London, fighting off monster hunters and feeding on the living in order to survive.

According to Dontnod, Vampyr will include brawling, shooting, crafting, and a range of missions doled out by non-player characters. The twist, however, is that you'll have to find mortal victims to slake your thirst for blood.

"Don’t forget: sooner or later, you will have to feed, and make a difficult choice... who will be your prey?" Dontnod's press release reads. "Absolutely all characters in the game are potential victims of your vampiric lust. Carefully study the habits of your next victim, his or her relationships with other characters, and set up your strategy to feed, unnoticed: seduce them, change their daily habits, or make sure they end up alone in a dark street..."

It sounds like a solid concept and a clever use of its early 20th-century setting. If Dontnod can couple the world building of Remember Me with a more compelling combat system, we could be in for a claret-spattered treat.

Here's everything else you need to know about the game:

Vampyr Release Date

Vampyr arrives on June 5. It is coming to XBO, PS4, and PC. 

Vampyr Trailers

A new dev diary from DontNod fleshes out Jonathan Reid, Vampyr's protagonist, and what the deal is with monster-infested London. Check it out below:

The E3 2017 trailer gives us a look at the highly cinematic - and very dark - London setting that those who choose to take a chance on the game will inhabit. 

This next gameplay trailer promises vampiric combat, RPG elements, and, most interestingly, the ability to choose who Jonathan feeds on. Jonathan's ability to take control of a victim, escort them to a dark place, and drink their blood is by far Vampyr's most intriguing gameplay element thus far. 

Check out the gameplay trailer below:

You can see the first teaser trailer below:

Vampyr DLC

Cédric Lagarrigue, president of publisher Focus Home Interactive, told MCVUK that Vampyr will not feature any DLC. 

"This is a purely solo experience; we did not plan DLC. We would prefer, if the reception of the game justifies it, to think about a sequel," Lagarrigue said. "We and Dontnod already have some ideas, as there are so many incredible things to offer in such a universe." 

Fortnite: Valentines Day Event Release Date & New Items

0
0

Share the love.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Feb 8, 2018

Epic Games has revealed more information about their upcoming Valentine's Day event for Fortnite and Battle Royale

While Epic hasn't revealed every piece of content included in this new event, they have showcased a few of the new items it will include. The most prized of these new possessions may end up being the new Valentine's Day skins. So far, those include a winged statue that we believe is supposed to resemble a combination of St. Valentine and Cupid. There's also a humanoid pink teddy bear that is much creepier than possibly intended. There's no word on whether or not other skins will be included with the final event release. 

However, we do know that the upcoming Valentine event will add a crossbow to the game. Specifically, it's a gold and pink crossbow that will apparently allow you to "hunt your prey the old-fashioned way." This crossbow is available as a rare and epic and fires arrows that can be found on the ground and in treasure chests. 

Battle Royalemode isn't the only mode getting some love as part of this update. Fortnite's Save the World mode will also receive a new questline which is described as a love story "told the Fortnite way." At this time, there's been no confirmation regarding the details of this mode or whether or not any additional content will be added to Fortnite when this update goes live on February 14th. 

Get a Free Trial of GameFly on Us!

Following the release of the Valentine's Day event, Fortnite will receive an Update 3.00 patch on February 21st that will add a new quest line to the game, new items to the store, and a new rendition of the game's music (referred to as the "Orchestra Edition"). On February 28th, a 3.1.0 update will tweak player movement in the game, improve the quest map, and also add some as of yet unidentified features. 

It's no surprise that Epic is investing so many resources into the growth of Fortnite. The game has become one of the most played titles on PC ever since its free-to-play Battle Royale variant was introduced. It continues to grow and has inspired Epic to devote more attention to it moving forward while removing resources from other, failing projects. 


Hearthstone's Next Event Is All About Wild Mode

0
0

Get your Doctor Booms ready to go...

NewsMatthew Byrd
Feb 8, 2018

The next Hearthstone event will heavily emphasize the game's sometimes overlooked Wild mode. 

From February 19th to March 11th, HearthstoneArena players will find that Wild cards have been added back into popular mode. Wild cards are any cards that are currently not playable in the game's main competitive mode. That rotation is determined by a yearly update which sends cards from previously released expansions into the game's Wild mode in order to freshen up the game's competitive meta. Wild cards are kept out of Arena mode - an in-game mode in which players compete with custom drafted decks - for a similar reason. 

Sometime before April - the likely release window for the next Hearthstone expansion and yearly rotation - there will be two special Tavern Brawl events designed around Wild cards. The first will simply allow players to play custom-made Wild decks and compete against each other. That Brawl is expected to debut first at an unspecified date. 

The second Brawl, though, is much more interesting. Called "The Wild Brawliseum," this new event will allow players to construct custom decks using Wild and standard cards and compete in an Arena-like setting. That means that you'll try to achieve 12 wins before losing three games. The more wins you earn in this mode, the better rewards you receive at the end of it. The set-up is similar to the previously utilized "Heroic Brawl," but this mode will allow you to use cards from Wild. The prizes this Brawl offers are not known at this time, but it has been revealed that your first run through this Brawl will be free. After that, you'll have to pay an entry fee with cash or in-game gold. 

Get a Free Trial of GameFly on Us!

It's certainly nice to see Blizzard give Wild mode a little love. While the studio stated early on that Wild mode is supposed to live up to its namesake, some of those who prefer playing in the mode have stated that it's become a bit too untamed. Because the mode allows you to use any Hearthstone card that has ever been released, it's possible to build some truly outlandish decks that can absolutely overwhelm most opponents. 

Still, it's nice to revisit Hearthstone's past and play with some of the great cards gone by. 

DayZ Coming to Xbox One in 2018

0
0

The DayZ development team also wants to bring the game to PS4 sometime in the future.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Feb 8, 2018

Revolutionary apocalyptic survival horror game DayZ is finally exiting Early Access and will soon be available to Xbox One owners. 

The DayZ development team has recently reiterated that they intend to bring the game to Xbox One sometime in 2018. Furthermore, they have stated on Twitter that they also want to bring the game to PlayStation 4, but have no idea when they might actually be able to do so at this time. 

"As soon as the PC BETA is headed in a way we like, we're still committed to bringing DayZ to Xbox, where we have a large community of gamers patiently (very patiently!) waiting for a truly hardcore online survival game," said developer Bohemia Interactive in a post on the DayZ blog designed to keep DayZ's fans in the loop regarding what's coming next. "All of that will (and must) happen next year - meaning we're just about to start what could possibly be the most exciting year for DayZ so far. In short: DayZwill be out of Early Access next year, and we'll also finally deliver it to console players in 2018."

For perspective's sake, consider that the original DayZ mod was released in 2012. That same year, DayZ creator Dean Hall announced that DayZ was being developed as a standalone game. At that time, DayZ was hailed as a revolution in game design. The mod used the ultra-realistic military series Arma as the framework for a post-zombie apocalypse multiplayer simulator. DayZ required players to scavenge for supplies and survive a world populated with humans and zombies. The mod is the undisputed inspiration for titles like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

Get a Free Trial of GameFly on Us!

In the years since DayZ's release, it has fallen on some hard times. Development of the game has been painfully slow. Indeed, DayZ has become something of a poster child for the entire Early Access concept. Its flaws have sometimes been written-off by mentions of the notion that it is not a completed project. 

That's what makes this announcement such a big deal. If the DayZ team is serious about bringing the game out of Early Access, they'll need to be able to fix several lingering technical and design issues. In that same blog post, the development team already alludes to the implementation of new features such as more zombies, improved combat, and new animations. Other ideas, such as base building, are being put on the long-term backburner. 

As for the game's console release, it will supposedly come sometime in 2018 near or after the time of the game's exit from Early Access. 

Metro Exodus Release Date, Trailer, & Everything Else We Know

0
0

Exodus will bring some sweeping changes to the Metro formula.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Feb 8, 2018

4A Games returns with Metro Exodus! Much like the previous Metro games, this one appears to contain a mix of subterranean and overworld exploration gameplay spiced up a bit by the inclusion of challenging combat. As for the timeline, this appears to be a sequel to the previous titles, but that is largely based on the degenerative nature of the universe rather than any specific plot points. 

Otherwise, this title appears to share many of the gameplay and environmental aspects that make the Metro franchise so unique. If anything, there may be a slightly stronger emphasis on creature combat over human encounters (if the footage shown is any indication, at least) but we'll wait until more of the game is revealed before making too many assumptions. 

Here's everything else we know about the game:

Metro Exodus News

The latest issue of Game Informer reveals some new information about Metro Exodus

It seems that Exodus will start in the fabled Metro but will quickly allow players to explore a much larger outdoor setting. However, Exodus is not an open-world game. It's a series of large, objective-based levels that can be freely explored but are tied together by a narrative. The catch is that you can't return to an area after you've completed the main objectives in a given level. That means you'll want to take care of any sidequests first.

The series' combat and stealth mechanics will receive an overhaul as part of this new emphasis on exploration. There's no word on exactly how they will be changed, but it seems the studio is aiming for general improvements. Furthermore, the traditional hub area from previous Metro games will return in the form of a train called the Aurora that will follow you between most levels. Players will also be able to access several smaller vehicles. 

Finally, it seems that Exodus' story will take place across the course of an entire year. Previous Metro games occurred over just a few days.  

All and all, it sounds like Exodus will make some pretty bold changes to the series' formula. We just hope it maintains some of the distinctive design elements that make the Metro franchise a special - if overlooked - gaming experience. 

Metro Exodus Release Date

Metro Exodus arrives in Fall 2018. It is XBO, PS4, and PC.

Metro Exodus Trailer

A new trailer premiered at The Game Awards 2017. Check it out below:

And here's the reveal trailer for Metro Exodus

What a 1988 Superman NES Game Tells Us About the Man of Steel

0
0

Thirty years old this year, the Nintendo Entertainment System’s Superman is one of the weirdest licensed games ever...

FeatureRyan Lambie
Feb 9, 2018

There are certain characters and stories that are so ingrained in our popular consciousness that it’s difficult to imagine not knowing anything about them. For much of the planet, the sights and sounds of the Star Wars franchise are immediately recognizable. Just about everyone could look at a silhouette of Batman, say, or Bart Simpson, and tell you who that character is.

Imagine for a second, though, that you’ve just met a visitor from the distant past, or an explorer from another planet. They’ve never heard of Superman; they’ve never read the comics, or seen the movies, or heard John Williams’ triumphant score. They’re blissfully unaware of what Kryptonite is, why a godlike superhero would disguise themselves as a bespectacled journalist, or why they should care about Jimmy Olsen or Lois Lane.

Now let’s take the thought experiment on an abrupt left turn. Rather than show our clueless visitor some comics, or the classic movies, or even one of Zack Snyder’s Man Of Steel efforts, we’ll subject them to the half-forgotten Superman videogame released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988 - quite possibly one of the weirdest licensed games ever created.

Given that this is their first exposure to the Son of Jor-El, would exactly would they learn? First, here’s a brief introduction.

A brief introduction

Programmed by a relatively obscure Japanese firm called Kemco, Superman is a free-roaming platformer - it’s what we might now term a Metroidvania, although the quality of its production is so far from Metroid and Castlevania that it might as well be from a different decade entirely. Indeed, it’s remarkable to think, just from playing Superman for a few seconds, that this game actually came out after those classics of the 8-bit era; with its shaky collision detection and counter-intuitive controls, it feels a good deal older.

The object of the game is to take control of Superman (and, initially, his alter-ego Clark Kent) and save Metropolis from a series of villainous threats, ranging from Lex Luthor to General Zod to, bizarrely, a Chinese gang that’s somehow gaming the stock market. To do this, Superman jumps, hops and flies from location to location, punching bad guys, using his super powers and generally saving the day.

For a licensed game, Supermans scale is at least semi-ambitious. Pressing start pulls up a map which shows Metropolis’ various locations, which range from parklands to sewers to the interiors of skyscrapers. Completing the game requires a Metroid-like criss-crossing of these locations, with each boss triggered by fulfilling certain objectives. The execution of almost every element in Superman is, however, slapdash almost to the point of comedy.

Superman SD

On firing up Superman, the most striking thing is its graphic design. Where Taito’s arcade machine released the same year, successfully created a muscular Superman straight out of the comics, the graphics in the Nintendo Entertainment System version look more like something out of Samurai Pizza Cats; it’s an example of what’s known in Japan as Super Deformed, or SD - a visual style marked out by tiny bodies, large heads and expressive, childlike eyes.

It’s quite a cute look, in its own way, but an odd choice for a property about strength, daring and heroism; in the opening scene, Clark Kent stands in the spartan offices of the Daily Planet (or Daily Planets, as the game’s iffy translation calls it), where Jimmy Olsen looks like some kind of long-nosed ghoul and Lois Lane just stands in a corner, staring blankly. Talk to her, and she’ll mutter something about strange things going on in the park. Weirdly, nobody explains why there aren’t any desks, or typewriters, or anything a reporter might need to do their jobs - all you’ll find are a bank of telephones the size of family cars. (Incredibly, the original Japanese version of the game featured an even more kawaii version of Kent and Superman; the American version actually made the character sprites' heads much smaller, as you can see at the Cutting Room Floor.)

Anyone unfamiliar with Superman would be forgiven for thinking that it’s some kind of surreal three-panel cartoon strip from a Japanese newspaper rather than a classic American comic book. Incredibly, things only become more strange from here.

Everyone hates Clark

Leave the newspaper headquarters (frustratingly, using doors involves pressing down on the control pad), and Clark will find himself on Metropolis’ bustling streets. Well, we say bustling: the entire place is teeming with identical hoodlums in blue hats and suits, all itching to shoot Clark on sight. Maybe it’s because of the hideous pea-green suit Clark insists on wearing.

At any rate, Clark has no qualms about using his super powers to save himself in tight situations - pressing jump will send him leaping about 30 feet in the air, which you’d think would have those gangsters scattering in terror. Instead, they just keep shooting at Clark like heavily-armed zombies.

Superman’s not all that super

Fortunately, a handy phone booth stands mere feet away from the Daily Planet’s front door. At least, we eventually figured out that it’s a phone booth: the structure’s about five times Clark’s height, so we thought it was the entrance to a supermarket at first. It was only on pressing down in front of it, and seeing Clark turning into Superman, that we realised what it actually was.

So Clark’s now Superman, and it’s here that you might think that things would improve. As it turns out, Superman isn’t any more handy in a fight than Clark; hoodlums still take about three punches to kill, and Superman’s still painfully vulnerable to their bullets. Although Superman can fly from location to location (more on this later), he can’t actually fly around the screen - he just sort of hops, pretty much the same as Clark. Incredibly, landing on a hoodlum’s head will injure Superman but not the hoodlum, which actually makes the Man of Steel less powerful than a certain Italian plumber.

The Statue of Liberty can talk

Here’s something else your alien visitor will be interested to learn: Superman’s best friend is the Statue of Liberty (or Statue of Freedom, as it’s called here). An opening cut-scene has the famous statue - here depicted with kawaii anime eyes - explaining the plot to Superman, which might just be one of the weirdest openings to any game ever. One of Superman’s secret powers is, it seems, being able to converse with inanimate objects. If only his other powers were as useful...

Superman sometimes rides the subway

Something else we never read about in the comics: Metropolis’ underground system is inaccessible for Superman - at least at first. Attempt to head down into the subway, and a dialogue box will tell you that Clark (or Superman) doesn’t have the requisite pass.

This raises two questions: first, you’d think Clark would have a pass for the subway by now, given that he works in the city every day; and second, you might also think that Superman would get a free pass, given that he’s fighting for truth, justice and the American way.

During the second mission, Jimmy Olsen finally gives Clark a rail ticket, which unlocks new areas of the game - and a disturbing sequence in which Clark (or Superman) is shown standing in a subway carriage, the only profoundly short person in a car full of normal-sized people. We have to say, this one brief moment raises more disturbing questions than we’ve time to even attempt to answer.

Running away is often the best option

Fiddling with a menu screen will reveal the wealth of powers Superman has available - these range from his super breath to his laser beam eyes. Unfortunately, these powers only appear to work in specific circumstances, so using the super breath on ordinary street gangsters will have no tangible effect. For the most part, then, Superman has to rely on his fists - an attack that works even when an enemy’s standing about three feet away.

Fighting enemies is so risky, though, that it’s often better to avoid confrontation than indulge in it just for fun. Take a look at some speed-runs of Superman on YouTube, and you’ll see players actively avoiding every enemy they can get away with, and will only fight if they need to get hold of a power-up.

If you didn’t know anything about Superman lore, then, you’d probably assume that he’s a squat little guy full of good intentions but completely useless in combat - like Pee Wee Herman in a cape rather than a lonely god who can lift a supertanker. Which leads us to...

Being Superman is temporary

Far from being indestructible, Superman’s prone to attack from even the weakest-looking foes, whether they’re rank-and-file gangsters or weird guys with cat ears. If he takes too many bullets or kicks to the head, Superman will revert back to his Clark Kent form - which means he’ll basically blow his identity to some of the worst scum and villainy in all Metropolis. Take a few more hits, and Clark will simply droop, clutching his chest.

By this point, we can’t help wondering whether the Last Son of Krypton might have bitten off more than he can chew.

Superman cares deeply about the stock market

Some of the most famous villains in Superman history make appearances in the videogame, though we’d be stunned if you’d recognise any of them on sight. Lex Luthor has horns; Ursa appears to wield a whip; General Zod looks like a garden gnome. Besides these villains, Superman’s given a bewildering assortment of missions, either by his boss at the Daily Planet (here simply billed as "the copy editor") or by shady-looking characters you’ll find in the sewers.

Our favorite of these missions involves working out why the stock market’s falling; a quick tour through Metropolis’ Chinese quarter later, and you’ll discover that a bunch of bearded gangsters have somehow manipulated it all. The problem’s solved by punching their ring leader until he stops moving.

Metropolis’ civilians are an eccentric bunch

As we’ve already seen, there are far more criminals in Metropolis than law-abiding people, which might explain why Superman destroyed the entire city in Man Of Steel - it was easy to wreck the lot and start again than deal with the crime problem one gangster at a time. Still, the few people who aren’t trying to kill you aren’t much better; like an RPG, you can talk to non-player characters in Superman, though we couldn’t tell you what half of them are on about.

One will simply say, “Got any news?”, as though it’s a journalist’s job to roam the streets and tell people the day’s headlines. Another will say something like, “Ooh, don’t touch me!”, which left us walking away with a shudder. One civilian will thank you for saving him from the Dragon gang, but then follow that up with the following: 

Superman as a whole was clearly translated in a hurry; even in an era when games were less expensively localized than they are today, its rash of spelling mistakes and barely-understandable dialogue was notably lacking in polish. Then again, this is a game whose entire final level involves punching blue blobs, running along a bit, and then punching a few more blue blobs.

Even the flying sequences, a bit of Superman that you’d think might have a bit of pace and verve about it, is reduced to a simple cut-scene here; you can only use flying to go to specific locations, so if you simply try flying just for the hell of it, you’ll be treated to a scene of Superman flying directly up to the top of a skyscraper and then straight back down again.

Supermanisn’t the worst game ever made, and incredibly, it isn’t even the worst Superman game ever, either - that accolade surely goes to Superman 64, a title so shoddy that it still lives in infamy. All the same, its difficult to think of another videogame that misses the point of its own license so profoundly. That the developers had to give Superman some vulnerability is understandable - it wouldn’t be much of a game if he couldn't be harmed - but it’s startling just how feeble this incarnation of the hero really is.

In fact, a visitor from the past or from outer space might find themselves feeling deeply sorry for the 8-bit Superman. Shot at by an entire city of gangsters, standing nervously on a subway full of giants, Superman is a delicate, lonely figure, like a character in an Alan Bennett play. His colleagues all talk gibberish; people on the street pester him for news. Desperate for friendship, Superman heads down to the shoreline, and in his solitude, looks up at the benign face of a 150 year-old statue. In the depths of his loneliness, he almost thinks he can hear the statue talk: “I’ll watch over you. Now go, Superman!”

Metroid Prime 4 Release Date, Trailer, and Everything Else We Know

0
0

Nintendo has reportedly given Bandai Namco the keys to one of its most prized ships: Metroid Prime 4.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Feb 9, 2018

After years of Nintendo dancing around fans' pleas for a new Metroid game, the studio finally decided to drop a humble reveal for one of the most anticipated games of the last ten years right in the middle of their E3 2017 showcase. What a truly Nintendo way to make such an announcement.  

Since the announcement of this project, Nintendo has confirmed that Retro Studios will not be handling the development of this new Metroid title. Instead, they have stated that the development is being handled by a "talented new development team.”

According to Eurogamer, that studio is none other than Bandai Namco Studios Singapore, which is collaborating with Nintendo on the new game. However, Metroid producer Kensuke Tanabe will be overseeing the development of this new title.

Here's everything else we know about the game:

Metroid Prime 4 Trailer

On the list of games that could possibly show up at E3 2017, Metroid Prime4 ranked somewhere alongside Half-Life 3. Nevertheless, here is the first preview for Metroid Prime 4.

Unfortunately, the reveal of Metroid Prime 4 doesn't actually tell us anything about the game itself aside from the fact that it is being worked on. However, given that most people had already given up hope that a new Metroid game would ever be released for the Nintendo Switch, we're going to go ahead and name this one of the best announcements of E3 2017. 

Metroid Prime 4 Release Date

There is currently no release date for Metroid Prime 4. The game is coming exclusively to the Nintendo Switch.

Viewing all 9334 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images