Archive for October, 2011
"transmogrifying technobeast"
By RPS on October 28th, 2011.
RPS chum Paul Dean has been suited up for a look at Strike Suit Zero. What follows is his report. The game is set to be released on PC next summer.
I’ve never been very into the giant mecha thing and my enjoyment of the genre is mostly limited to the deconstructivist, apocalyptic, existential angsting (no, really) that is Neon Genesis Evangelion. However, if you want your giant robots with less clinical depression, Judeo-Christian symbology or Freudian themes, then doublesix’s Strike Suit Zero might be more to your taste. Actually, you can probably still keep the big Freudian weapons.
Read the rest of this entry »
DoubleSix, feature, preview, Strike Suit Zero.
By Andrew Smee on October 28th, 2011.
Say, do you remember No More Room In Hell? It was one of the first zombie source mods announced after Half Life 2′s release, way back in 2004. Cancelled twice, it still shambles on. Tomorrow Edit: actually, 31st October – finally sees the release of the re-imagined original concept. In development for three years, this new version is going to be an 8 player co-op survival shooter. 8 player co-op! That’s twice as many as Left 4 Dead. That means it’s going to be twice as good. That’s how it works, you know.
A meaty release trailer lurks, ravenous, in the shadows below.
Read the rest of this entry »
Co-op, multiplayer, no more room in hell, source, source mods, Zombies.
By Adam Smith on October 28th, 2011.
When a Bioshock Infinite video arrives in my lap, which is how I demand delivery of all gaming news, I do not expect it to feature actual human beings speaking at me. Ziplines and plummeting are gravely missing from this video. Although it does contain game footage, it’s mainly Ken Levine talking about the world he’s creating, which he sees as but one of the game’s main characters.
There’s a focus on actual people characters, with the voice actors behind Booker and Elizabeth also featured, breaking the rule that they, being the opposite of Victorian infants, should be heard and not seen. Now, in my mind’s eye, Booker Dewitt will always look like Troy Baker, whose name should immediately be attached to Syndicate’s antagonist.
Read the rest of this entry »
2K games, BioShock, BioShock: Infinite, irrational games, Ken-Levine.
By Andrew Smee on October 28th, 2011.
See that screen there? The screencap of one of Valve’s cute little cartoon instructional videos for Portal 2? Yeah, that’s not a frame from one of those adverts, that’s actually what the new Portal 2 level designer will look like. At least, according to the latest blog post on the Portal 2 website, which also brings news of simplified sharing and community tools, all designed to let users create, share and play new test chambers with relative ease.
Read the rest of this entry »
Portal 2, puzzle creator, Valve.
Simulation & wargame news
By Tim Stone on October 28th, 2011.
There are many different ways of gathering sim and wargame news. Me, I like to get up at the crack of dawn, grab my metal detector, and head into the forests that surround my hometown. It’s amazing what you find amongst the pines and birches: press releases, beta announcements, busts of Hitler, bog-entombed T-70s… Why, just yesterday I discovered a cache of Steel Beasts Pro Personal Edition info, a Ski Region Simulator demo, and some pages from a Rise of Flight diary stuffed into the barrel of an ivy-shrouded Jagdtiger.
Read the rest of this entry »
demo, free, Rise of Flight, Simulation, Ski Region Simulator 2012, Steel Armor: Blaze of War, Steel Beasts Pro Personal Edition, The Flare Path.
Seriously, I want a Critter toy
By John Walker on October 28th, 2011.
A decent full-length adventure game is as rare as a completely uncooked Banjo & Kazooie developer, so when one comes along it’s time to take notice. That’s what we’re doing here. While certainly flawed, if you’ve ever cared about adventure games, then you should find out Wot I Think about The Book Of Unwritten Tales.
Read the rest of this entry »
adventure, feature, King Art, Lace Mamba, review, The Book Of Unwritten Tales.
By Adam Smith on October 28th, 2011.
Electronic Arts’ digital storefront is expanding next month, with the news that Warner Bros., THQ and Capcom will begin offering some of their releases through Origin. Batman: Arkham City and Saints Row: The Third are the only games mentioned by name but more will be available and “additional titles” are promised in the coming months. Both of those games will still be available elsewhere so this is a case of choice rather than exclusivity. Maybe it will lead to discount wars, maybe it’ll lead to people shrugging and continuing to purchase games from their preferred distributor, but it does feel like a significant step for Origin. The future looks increasingly competitive. EA-speak below.
Read the rest of this entry »
capcom, Electronic Arts, origin, Steam, THQ, Valve, warner bros.
By Andrew Smee on October 28th, 2011.
Team Fortress 2′s sinewy neck of content has been slashed open once more, pumping forth a bloody torrent of hats and features. It’s the third annual Halloween update, and it brings full-body costumes for every class (including a fantastic “teleporter gone wrong” Brundlefly for the Engineer), an update for classic King of the Hill map Viaduct turning it into Eyeaduct, which features dimension-jumping slipgates and a spooktacular boss fight with the Demoman’s demon-posessed eyeball, and finally another superb Halloween-themed comic book depicting the origins of said demon eyeball. It’s all still Free to Play of course, with the new costume items being found randomly throughout the map or available to buy immediately in the MannCo store. A short demonstration of the boss battle is after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »
F2P, Halloween, hats, Team Fortress 2, tf2, Valve.
By Adam Smith on October 28th, 2011.
Wouldn’t it be great if someone took part roguelike and part platformer and stuck them in a programming pot, producing some tasty gaming gumbo? Yes, I know about Spelunky. I was spelunkying before all the hip kids jumped on board. I’m talking about something else here. Red Rogue is a work in progress, an entry into the IGF 2012, which isn’t really a roguelike platformer at all, it’s more like a sidescrolling roguelike. The graphics are minimalist and, to my eye, pleasingly effective, there’s already a great deal of variety in items and enemies, and if it wasn’t the beginning of a busy day, I’d probably end up playing this for hours. Current build here.
Read the rest of this entry »
aaron steed, free, indie, nitrome, red rogue, Roguelike.
By Andrew Smee on October 28th, 2011.
Take On Helicopters, Bohemia Entertainment’s civilian helicopter sim, has landed. Or taken off. Or remains hovering, terrifying, in the air, threatening to remove fingers from waving hands. Our lovely Tim was quite taken with it and now you can be too. It’s on Steam for $49.99 or £31.99 and is also available on a whole crate-load of international distributors. Tim recommended it for anyone with even a passing interest in flight sims, so fire up those rotors and watch out for crosswinds. The release trailer’s fuelling up after the jump, and features footage of some thrilling low-altitude flights through the tree line.
Read the rest of this entry »
bohemia interactive, flight sim, Take On Helicopters.
By Adam Smith on October 28th, 2011.
Jurassic Park: The Game is a change of pace from Telltale, previously known for its take on the slow time events familiar in point and click games through the centuries. With the addition of raging dinosaurs comes the addition of somewhat quicker events, such as running away, climbing a fence and being tossed through the air, reduced to nothing more than a bag of broken bones and ruptured organs.
This new video goes behind the scenes, demonstrating that there will still be puzzles and narrative alongside the screaming and devouring. I’m not sure how “picture in picture scene navigation” will work but I’m quietly intrigued. Oh, and there’s a short montage of dinosaurs murdering people starting at 2.05.
Read the rest of this entry »
adventure, beady eye, Jurassic Park: The Game, telltale.
