Sony and Microsoft super fans will have a hard time admitting it, but Nintendo has created the most incredible catalog of properties in the history of gaming. They may get made fun of for their slow development time and occasionally repetitive entries within their biggest franchises, but people just can’t get enough of that feeling they get when they re-discover Mario jumping on Goombas or Kirby transforming into his nemeses....
While the Assassin’s Creed franchise is best known for weaving historical settings and stories with a massive overarching sci-fi plot and the ongoing war between Assassins and Templars, the games from Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood onwards also feature a very decent multiplayer with colorful characters and a mix of stealth and action style gameplay. The multiplayer for Assassin’s Creed has included elements of co-op in the past, such as Assassin’s Creed III’s Wolfpack mode, but since the premise for the multiplayer is that it’s simply a training program in the Animi used to hone the Templar’s skills, it’s never had much in the way of an actual narrative....
After years of development, BioShock: Infinite launched to rave reviews and solid sales figures - giving gamers a major title to champion in early 2013. Both the gameplay (which allowed players a lot of room for experimentation and improvisation) and story (grounded in a mind-bending sci-fi storyline) became topics of passionate debate in the gaming community as players shared their favorite vigor combinations and analyzed Infinite’s thought-provoking final act. Still, the one thing that most players agreed on: they wanted more BioShock from creator Ken Levine and the team at Irrational Games....
Last week, Ken Levine and the development team at Irrational Games kicked off their video series on BioShock Infinite’s “Heavy Hitters” with the unveiling of an utterly creepy George Washington doppelganger - whose broken up porcelain face, Gatling gun, and American flag-coated wings painted as much a sadistic portrait of Columbia’s Founders as it did an intriguing light on BioShock Infinite’s gameplay. This week’s Heavy Hitter had his work cut out for him if he wanted to stack up against the heroic general/robotic minion, but it turns out that he may be the most intimidating member of the pack yet....
With only a few short months between us and Borderlands 2, excitement is quickly building for the sequel to the well-received IP. Today, 2K Games and Gearbox Software have announced a little bit more of what we can expect from the game’s various special edition packages. Even though Borderlands 2 isn’t due until September, it’s certainly not too soon to drool over the extra goodies it has to offer. However, is the trend of big-boxed game releases becoming too much for the average gamer?...
Although some studios and publishers will be saving big reveals for E3 2015, when it comes to the Call of Duty franchise, it is pretty difficult to surprise the fans. A new installment arrives every fall like clockwork and once the developing studio has been announced, the community usually has a pretty good guess what kind of game will be arriving. The assumption that this year’s sequel would be Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 ended up being correct and since its announcement, details have been arriving on a daily basis....
With hardcore gamers everywhere anticipating exactly how Activision’s new Call of Duty Elite will or will not change the landscape of social gaming, a brand new trailer has been released to give further explanation. The Call of Duty Elite Beta kicked off today, but the launch trailer isn’t focused on trying to convince intimidated players from joining in on the fun. Instead, the developers are explaining why the new system is perfectly tailored for Call of Duty’s most dedicated players....
One of the golden rules of video game development is to not punish the player. In rare circumstances, that extra bit of challenge is part of the appeal and Dark Souls is one of those rare examples. During a time when The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and The Witcher 2 fought for every fantasy RPG gamer’s valuable time, Dark Souls stood out and offered something very unique. Dark Souls 2 (hopefully) plans to do the same....
April Fool’s Day is a fun time of year for game developers, and many take the opportunity to inject unique features into their games to commemorate the holiday. For instance, those who play Dying Light today will discover their character has received a superpower that makes killing zombies extremely enjoyable. Not to be left out of the fun, it looks like the folks over at Bungie have concocted their own April Fool’s Day Easter Egg....
Following numerous delays for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Ubisoft pushed the shooter back even further during March - and a subsequent May release date for consoles was confirmed. Fans of the series, who had been wondering when they’d be able to experience the PC version of the latest installment in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon franchise, now have an answer. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier will release for Microsoft Windows PC on June 12th while the tactical shooter will also be available for digital download....
Grand Theft Auto 5 may be almost two years old, but that hasn’t kept it from maintaining a place among the best selling games this year. Granted, Rockstar Games didn’t roll out Grand Theft Auto 5 to PC until recently, but that doesn’t make the game’s success any less impressive. One would think that two years after release Rockstar would leave Grand Theft Auto 5 behind and focus on their next project, but the developer has shown they’re dedicated to supporting the latest GTA for a while yet....
In the few short days since its explosive release, ArenaNet’s Guild Wars 2 has been taking the MMO world by storm. Its breathtaking visuals, well thought out gameplay and immersive storyline drew countless players immediately on its early release (which was available to players who pre-purchased the game), and again when it was officially released on the Tuesday. On the flip-side of its success and huge following, however, the World of Warcraft successor is already dealing with the negative aspects of growing very large, very quickly....
By now most gamers have grown tired of the Half-Life 3 confirmed rumors and the subtle teases by Valve staff members. They hope that Half-Life 3 might eventually become a reality, but are prepared for disappointment as Valve focuses on properties like DOTA 2 and Team Fortress 2. Nevertheless, this latest rumor is sure to draw some eyes, if only because it’s Half-Life 3 related. Or rather, it may not be Half-Life 3 related, but it’s certainly strong enough for some people to make the connection....
A lot change is in store for Halo 4. Not only does Master Chief find himself adrift on a shadowy Forerunner planet, but his longtime loyal companion, Cortana, is an enigma - she’s certainly not the guardian angel Chief once knew. Taken in conjunction with the tweaks and twists of multiplayer, and developer 343 Industries looks primed to transform the way longtime fans will enjoy the game. Much of this has been evident in the steady drumbeat of Halo 4 news over the last few weeks - including details on the new Regicide mode, insight on the campaign and Spartan Ops cooperative mode, and even footage of Conan’s first multiplayer adventure....
The Xbox Series X is just a few months away from release and, like with the PS5, console gamers are faced with one giant question: should I upgrade? There are many factors related to this question, including price, launch games, and more. But at the heart of the question is one core idea, that being how meaningful a step forward the new console is. And while Xbox boss Phil Spencer may not be an unbiased source to ask this question, he’s nevertheless confident in his response....
Sucker Punch’s inFAMOUS: Second Son is the first major 2014 exclusive for Sony’s PlayStation 4, the game fans have been waiting for since it was announced alongside the console early last year. The third game in the inFAMOUS series brings back the idea of super-powered individuals with a new protagonist in Delsin Rowe and a new setting in real-world Seattle, home of developer Sucker Punch Productions. Rowe is a 24 year-old Native American who spends his time as a self-proclaimed “delinquent,” spray-painting graffiti in public spaces....
Final Fantasy 7 Remake isn’t just a technical reimagining of the 1997 classic, it’s also a cultural one. When it launched last year, a number of players noticed that Square Enix was being surprisingly inclusive in how it depicted LGBTQ+ themes and identities. It was a welcome inclusion, and we recently had a chance to talk with co-director Motomu Toriyama to talk about the importance of such exploration in modern media, and how Final Fantasy 7 Remake hoped to embrace it in a way the franchise never has before....
In the sea of available video games on the market, it can sometimes be difficult to find a truly original concept. While generic first-person shooters are a dime-a-dozen, it’s refreshing to see a game that doesn’t mind trying something new. Due to the risk associated with breaking away from the ordinary, there are many developers that tend to shy away from the idea. There are other developers though, that see this as a challenge and set out to make a game that truly feels new....
Splinter Cell Blacklist is one of the most anticipated games of the year. Unfortunately, players will have to wait a few extra months thanks to the recent delay from its original spring date to August 20th. Dedicated Tom Clancy video game enthusiasts have something extra to invest in for as Ubisoft announced earlier this week the Paladin Aircraft Collector’s Edition for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (no Collector’s edition for PC players that we know of yet)....
It’s been almost three years to the day since CD Projekt RED released the highly anticipated fantasy RPG sequel The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings on PC, which means that we’re feeling more than ready for the next chapter in Geralt of Rivia’s story. Following delays, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is now set for release in February 2015. CD Projekt RED has developed something of a reputation for going against the AAA grain, the most significant example of this being the developer’s decision to do away with DRM entirely for The Witcher 3....
