The new indie title Dyscourse has been fully funded thanks to Kickstarter. Owlchemy Labs began this campaign in early November, receiving more funding than they set out for. The original goal was for $40,000, but at the end they earned $44,134 from 1,816 backers.
In this psychological survival game, you play as Rita, a full-time coffee barista who unfortunately gets stuck on an island after her plane crashes. Along with other tourists, you (as Rita) have to decide whether or not you want to be a team player and work for the good of the team, or be a lone wolf and look out for your own survival. This game will test every fiber of the human element through interactions, bonds, decisions, and even betrayals between the group. Not only do you need to watch out for the dangers of the island, you have to be careful of the people sleeping in the same camp as you. But as the saying goes, “Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.”
The beta for Dyscourse on the PC will start in May 2014, and will be on Steam. Everyone that contributed to the Kickstarter fund will receive a Steam key for the game. Check out the Kickstarter page here.
The Video Game Awards on Spike TV used to be good for one thing, showing off new trailers and videos for the upcoming games of the next year. Now rebranded as VGX, it seems they are still looking to keep up that side of it as Ubisoft and Obsidian Entertainment have put out a new teaser for South Pack: The Stick of Truth.
The new teaser is for the new trailer for South Park: The Stick of Truth that will be airing during VGX and so it doesn’t show off much, but has the depth of humor that South Park is known for. Namely, Cartman showing off his mad fart throwing skills.
Those wanting to check out the teaser in preparation of the full trailer at VGX can find it embedded below. South Park: The Stick of Truth is set to release in 2014 for Xbox 360 and PS3, while VGX will be airing on Saturday, December 7th at 6 EST.
ICEBERG INTERACTIVE LAUNCHES ALL NEW 4X SPACE STRATEGY GAME STAR LORDS, AVAILABLE NOW ON STEAM’S EARLY ACCESS PROGRAM
Arkavi Studios’ Firstborn Offers Rich New Galaxy to Explore, Tough AI, Modding and More
Haarlem, The Netherlands – December 6, 2013 – Veteran game publisher Iceberg Interactive announces today that its latest 4X space strategy game Star Lords is available now on Steam’s Early Access program store.steampowered.com/app/246940/. In development with up-and-coming Portuguese developer Arkavi Studios, Star Lords offers many features that fans of the genre know and love, including a large universe to explore, deep and complex gameplay, customization options, and much more.
Players can purchase the game now in Steam’s Early Access program and be involved in the rest of the development process by providing feedback and suggesting what they would like to see updated, changed or added to the game. Early Access players can then play as the game evolves throughout the entire development process.
“Star Lords is an amazing 4X game, and we are thrilled to be working with the talented Arkavi Studios team,” says Iceberg Interactive CEO, Erik Schreuder. “We are looking forward to players joining early as the game evolves, and hearing what they would like to see improved and implemented in the game. Early Access provides such a unique addition to the development process and we are looking forward to hearing what players and fans have to say.”
Star Lords is a tactical, turn-based space-strategy game showcasing eight major races in an epic-sized complex universe with some new twists to the 4X genre. Star Lords is set in space where players can take command of one race to join the struggle for supremacy in the galaxy. As the leader of an empire, players explore the stars, colonize new worlds, manage their empire and conquer whoever dares to oppose. In the Early Access Alpha, some features are not available yet such as multiplayer, huge galaxies and domestic policies, as these are still very much being tested. They will be opened up further down the line in Early Access.
Star Lords Key Features:
Living, Breathing Universe: in addition to the major powers, independent races and pirate clans also claim the galaxy as their residence – use them to your advantage
Economic and Political Layers: War isn’t the only way to weaken one’s enemies; diplomacy, intelligence and trade are very powerful and effective tools
Eight major races each with their own ship designs, technologies, unique traits and unique abilities
Create and customize your own ship designs
Generals: Unique and powerful units evolve as they battle
Randomly generated universe, tech tree and units – never play the same game twice
Empire shattering: unrest might lead rebels to start a civil war which in turn might lead to the creation of a new, independent empire that might grow to rival your own
Plotting: secretly finance a war against your enemies in order to weaken them or prepare a surprise joint war along with your allies in a bid to destroy that frighteningly fast growing empire
Human-like AI that doesn’t cheat and plays by the same rules as human players, while presenting a constant challenge. Or play with your friends in hotseat mode.
Modding support
LAN, hotseat and online multiplayer (not available yet) with matchmaking
The Alpha version of Star Lords is available for $19.99 on Steam’s Early Access Program. For more information about Star Lords please visit www.starlords-game.com.
SteamWorld Dig rocked the Nintendo 3DS eShop earlier this year by mixing platforming action with mining and exploration. Now, developers Image & Form has brought the mining platformer to PC through the Steam distribution service. The PC version boasts high resolution textures, new graphics, gamepad support, and Steam Trading Cards.
Story
Rusty the robot visits to the old mining town of Tumbleton where his uncle used to call home. There, he is roped in by the residents to mine the tunnels his uncle once worked in an attempt to bring the town back to its former glory. Since his uncle’s death, the monsters have become active which has turned the tunnels into a dangerous place. Rusty must now unravel the mystery of the monsters and discover the fantastic technologies his uncle has left behind.
SteamWorld Dig’s plot is a classical JRPG tale in a unique and wonderful setting as the steampunk western is a memorable combination. The game is salted liberally with humour and a sad observation on the possible fate of humanity. SteamWorld Dig occurs after humanity has wiped itself out and is now buried underground. All that is left of us are ugly mutated troglodytes that are mere shadows of their former selves. The plot is a little thin, but the world is well crafted.
Gameplay
SteamWorld Dig takes the mining genre that has gained popularity since the successful launch of Minecraft and mixes it with classic platformers like Castlevania and Metroid. The ground beneath Tumbleton is randomly generated, providing a brand new experience with each playthrough. The game is split between three main zones: the town will provide a place for Rusty to sell his spoils and purchase upgrades, the mines underneath Tumbleton is where Rusty will spend the majority of game mining and exploring, and the caves will provide Rusty a place to solve puzzles and find new technologies that will provide him with new abilities.
In the caves are puzzles and platforming challenges. I found most of the puzzles were agility based, requiring the player to traverse deadly traps and hostile enemies to reach the end of the cave. However, there are a few logic puzzles that were surprisingly difficult in some of the caves. Luckily, unlike dying in the mines, there is no financial penalty for dying in a cave. Rusty will simply respawn at the cave entrance and everything will be reset. If a puzzle was done incorrectly, Rusty can simply exit the cave, re-enter, and make another attempt at the puzzle.
About 40% of the caves cannot be skipped as they contain technologies that are necessary to complete the game. The rest are optional caves that will provide bonuses on completion. Within the mandatory caves are tons of secret areas and extra bonuses. There is an achievement for speedrunning SteamWorld Dig, but there is also plenty of content for obsessive completionists.
There is a good balance between the mining/exploration and platforming portions of the game. Most of the mining can be skipped over if players are willing to sacrifice a few of the optional upgrades. The final boss is tons of fun, but it was so well done that it made me wish there were more boss fights in the game.
SteamWorld Dig supports both controllers and keyboards. Personally, I found the keyboard controls were adequate, but the inability to customize key bindings was frustrating as I did not like the default bindings. I highly recommend playing the game with a controller as the experience will definitely be more enjoyable.
Visuals
SteamWorld Dig has a colourful eye catching art style that that melds steampunk with classic westerns. The character designs take traditional western archetypes and reimagines them as steam powered robots. The ground under Tumbleton contains three distinct areas. The first level is a traditional mine under the desert, the second layer is a toxic swampy mess that has entombed the remnants of humanity, while the final level is a grey high tech world full of wiring and robots. Image & Form have done a fantastic job in creating a memorable world.
The PC port has brought significant improvements to the game’s visuals. PC gamers who do not keep up with the Nintendo 3DS could easily forget that the game is actually a port. The graphical customization options are a little thin. The game automatically selects the largest full screen resolution the monitor is capable of, though the windowed mode scales to however large the window is. The system requirements are pretty low to begin with, but sluggish computers will only have the option to remove the bloom effects to improve performance.
Audio
SteamWorld Dig has a great western themed soundtrack that reminds me of cheesy spaghetti westerns. Though the number of songs are a bit on the short side, I found that I did not tire of listening to the same few songs for extended periods of time. The sound effects are top notch as they match the world perfectly.
Overall
SteamWorld Dig is a great buy at $9.99. The gameplay is a fun mix of platforming and exploration, the difficulty is at the right level, the visual and audio experience is well crafted, and the replayability factor is very high. Although there are some room for small improvements in the quality of the porting, Image & Form have created an excellent game.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Game publisher Iceberg Interactive have announced today that Star Lords, the latest title from indie developer Arkavi Studios, is available on Steam Early Access now.
Star Lords is a 4X space strategy game in the vein of Galactic Civilizations or Sins of a Solar Empire. The game will offer a large universe to explore, deep and complex gameplay, customization options, and more.
Features include:
Living, Breathing Universe: in addition to the major powers, independent races and pirate clans also claim the galaxy as their residence – use them to your advantage
Economic and Political Layers: War isn’t the only way to weaken one’s enemies; diplomacy, intelligence and trade are very powerful and effective tools
Eight major races each with their own ship designs, technologies, unique traits and unique abilities.
Create and customize your own ship designs
Generals: Unique and powerful units evolve as they battle
Randomly generated universe, tech tree and units – never play the same game twice
Empire shattering: unrest might lead rebels to start a civil war which in turn might lead to the creation of a new, independent empire that might grow to rival your own
Plotting: secretly finance a war against your enemies in order to weaken them or prepare a surprise joint war along with your allies in a bid to destroy that frighteningly fast growing empire
Human-like AI that doesn’t cheat and plays by the same rules as human players, while presenting a constant challenge
Modding support
LAN, hot seat and online multiplayer with matchmaking
For $19.99 you can get access to the game via Steam and be involved in the rest of the development process by providing feedback and offering suggestions for updates.
A week has gone past us already, and it is time for the awesome folks over at Disney to shower us with free Disney Infinity maps in this week’s Toy Box Challenge. As with previous weeks, there are five free maps for Disney Infinity owners to download, as well as a new Toy Box Submission Challenge, and a video that showcases the winners of the previous challenge. Without further adieu, lets get into it!
TOY BOX SUBMISSION CHALLENGE
This week’s Toy Box Submission challenge will be a tricky one. The theme for this week is the North Pole Challenge! Which is quite fitting considering Disney’s Frozen is about to hit theaters, and it is of course the holiday season. I will let you in on a little secret – If you have the figurine for Elsa, she unlocks a special giant snowball that would go PERFECTLY in this challenge!
As always, you can create and share your Toy Box creations though, using these instructions:
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U
Bring up the Pause Menu and select “Online/Multiplayer.”
Then select “Toy Box Share” > “Disney’s Toy Boxes” > “Submit to Disney.”
Follow the prompts. You’ll be asked to give your Toy Box an original name and description. Choose carefully – they will be shown to everybody if your Toy Box is featured.
iPad
Bring up the Pause Menu and select “Toy Box Share.”
Then select “Disney’s Toy Boxes” > “Submit to Disney.”
Follow the prompts. You’ll be asked to give your Toy Box an original name and description. Choose carefully – they will be shown to everybody if your Toy Box is featured
TOY BOX COUNTDOWN
This week’s Toy Box Countdown features the top 5 user generated maps that were submitted to Disney for the previous DuckTales Challenge Check out the video below to see the top 5 entrants in the challenge. All of which you can download right now!
You can check out last week’s winning Toy Box maps here.
That’s another week of Disney Infinity updates for you passionate Disney fans out there. Were you happy with the Toy Box Countdown winners? Will you be downloading any of the maps (wither from the winners, or from Disney)? Let us know in the comments below, and remember that for all the Disney Infinity news as it becomes available, stay tuned to Capsule Computers.
Dark Souls II will soon be here. In just a few short months, gamers around the worlds will be gripping their controllers, trying not to throw them through their TV screens as they die again and again and again. Well until then, to tie us over, Namco Bandai have been providing us with a bunches of screenshots from the upcoming game that tease certain aspects, and today that time has come again.
The latest screenshots, which you can check out below give a little hint as to how the Covenant (see: PVP) element of the game will work, including things like the blue and red phantoms. Check out the screens and let us know in the comments whether or not you were big on the PVP element of Dark Souls/Demon Souls and if you will be participating in it for Dark Souls II. As always, be sure to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Dark Souls II news as it becomes available.
A big complaint I often hear people crying about video games is a huge lack of creativity these days – everything is a clone of something. Ironically, the titles that attempt to do something truly unique these days often don’t get that much exposure and don’t get much praise outside indie circles. Perhaps it all comes down to what the player is used to and what they expect. Meet Darklings, a creative and unique title delivering intense arcade action to mobile devices. I need to be honest – Darklings is certainly worth checking out for those looking for something fresh and it’s getting praise left and right, but this reviewer can’t get his head around it. Perhaps it all comes down to a matter of taste.
Gameplay
When you strip Darklings down to it’s core, it basically comes down to the childhood game of Simon Says. Players step into the shoes/Casper-ghost-tail-thingy of Lum, the game’s hero defending against various forms of beasts. The catch is Lum can’t move and must fight back by teleporting in the enemies’ position which kills them…or something. It doesn’t make much sense, but just go with it. To do this, players must use their finger to draw patterns which appear above the enemies heads. Waves of villains increase and the numbers quickly grow larger and larger and the swift, arcade-styled action can get pretty intense. Think Typing of the Dead, but drawing patterns instead of typing and you’re pretty much there. Power ups can also be collected and improved upon through a shop, where a currency can be earned by dragging stars towards Lum from fallen foes. Boss battles are also a nice touch where players must draw the patterns quick enough to avoid certain death. The theme for Darklings (besides spooky darkness and stuff) is to think simple. Simple concept, simple controls, simple gameplay. But personally I’ve found everything comes across as tricky. The difficulty can be a little much, the learning curve will have you stumbling for a bit and sometimes the game won’t register your drawing as the correct pattern, leading you to certain death. That’s the biggest problem with Darklings – it can be frustrating and not in the good way. If you suck at a game that’s fine, but if you’re doing something and the game isn’t responding to that you have a huge problem on your hands. It’s not that the game is broken, it just has a very small margin of error. Also the game is a little difficult, which doesn’t help much either. That being said after a while if you get good at it, it gets enjoyable and sometimes addictive, you just got to give it a chance. Ok, maybe a couple chances.
Audio & Visual
Filled with artistic shadows and lots of black and white, Darklings is a very aesthetically pleasing game very reminiscent of titles such as Limboin some degree. Animations are nice and assist in making the gameplay feeling smooth as well. Swipes are also accompanied with colourful, fluent animations reminiscent of Fruit Ninja as well which really pop amongst all the black and white. As for audio, sound from Lum and the other creatures have unique screeches that burst with personality and the creepy yet cartoonish soundtrack help the gamer to engage with the game as well. When it comes to presentation, it’s a no brainer that the audio & visual aspects of Darklings are the biggest highlights of the game as they make everything much, much more enjoyable.
Overall
Darklings is far from being a perfect game, but it is a refreshing one. The concept is engaging although it’s execution can be hit and miss at times. While the gameplay is simple it’s learning curve is far from it. It looks and sounds beautiful but the gameplay won’t hook in some gamers straight away as many of it’s flaws are evident from the start. If you stick around, you’ll find something special. But it’s one of those titles you’ll need to give time before realising it’s true potential.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
In the coming months, the NIDA Parade Theatres are going to be very busy. Here’s a breakdown of all the events you can expect.
The NIDA Independent Program provides emerging artists and theatre companies with access to the outstanding facilities of the NIDA Parade Theatres to assist in the development of new work and the production of innovative theatre. The program offers two opportunities for artists and companies to explore new work and theatrical creativity:
The Production Program, offering access to the Parade Studio to present a season of work.
Creative Development Residency, offering access to the Parade Studio to develop a new idea, work, script or performance concept.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to join the NIDA Independent Program in 2014. Click here for more information and to apply today.
Oprah is a household name, and the richest, most successful African-American woman of our time. She’s also extremely influential, especially with the female demographic… to them, she’s basically a God! Now, fans in Australia can experience a hilarious portrayal of the icon in Oprahfication.
Throughout her illustrious career as actor, news anchor, and host of her own TV talk-show, Oprah has delivered to us the most interesting celebrities, politicians, royals, medical specialists, spiritualists and some of the greatest thinkers of our time. Her ability to never shy away from the tough questions and controversial topics led the Wall St. Journal to coin the term ‘OPRAHFICATION’ – a public confession used as a form of therapy.
This side-splitting, multi-award winning piece is brought to you by Rachel Dunham (Rock of Ages) whose extraordinary portrayal of the fading talk-show queen coupled with an unforgettable original score by Shanon Whitelock, guarantees to have you screaming for more.
Runs from the 25th of February to the 2nd of March.Click here to book your tickets.
Truman Capote was one of the United States’ most controversial authors, and the new one-man show entitled TRU – presented and directed by Vel Subra and performed by Jay Presson Allen from the words and works of the titular author – takes a confessional look into the man himself.
Set in 1975 at his New York apartment, Capote has fallen out with his elite socialite gadabouts after he published their most intimate secrets through fictionalised characters in Esquire magazine. Soothing himself with pills and booze, Truman muses over his checkered life, novels and friends. A gutsy, confessional one-man show plentiful with wit, comedy and turns, TRU will have you laughing in bouts and moved to tears by the end of the show.
Runs from December 9-10. Click here to book your tickets.
Is economic growth forever sustainable? What impact would a stagnant or declining population have on GDP? Can mathematical models guide policy makers in answering these questions? What is the strategic plan for planet Earth?
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see some of the world’s leading thinkers address these questions next week.
Graciela Chichilnisky (Professor of Economics, Columbia University),
Ross Gittins AM (Economics Editor, Sydney Morning Herald)
Clive Hamilton AM FRSA (Professor of Public Ethics, Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics)
Peter Harper (Deputy Australian Statistician for the Population, Labour and Social Statistics Group at the Australian Bureau of Statistics)
Ken Henry AC (Economist, Former Secretary of the Department of Treasury)
Graeme Maxton (Economist, Fellow of the International Club of Rome)
Jørgen Randers (Professor of Climate Strategy, BI Norwegian Business School)
Peter Victor (Professor in Environmental Studies, York University).
Tickets are $50 (transaction fee may apply). Click here to book.
Need for Speed Rivals Developer:Ghost Games Publisher:EA Platforms: Xbox One (Reviewed), PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PC Release Date: Out Now Install Size: 40GB (Xbox One), 16GB (PS4) Price: $79.00 – Available Here
Overview
For many people video games are about escapism and racing games, especially the Need for Speed franchise embody that perfectly. I probably wont ever drive an emerald-green Aston Martin Vanquish down windy country roads, ducking police cruisers and dropping mines behind me – but in Need for Speed: Rivals I feel like I am. Not only does the latest installment in the arcade-styled racer let you dream big, but with its amazing visuals, top notch audio and two intertwined career paths that offer up far more depth and moral ambiguity than you would expect from a racer, Need for Speed: Rivals carves out its place as one of the most fun racers I have ever played.
Story
Set in the fictional Redview Country, Need for Speed Rivals features the escalating war between street racers and the police. The two have been at odds for years, with the police feeling that the racers pose a threat to the society at large, while the racers believe it is the officer’s harsh tactics that are pose the real danger.
The two campaigns intersect nicely and show both opposing sides of the ongoing conflict. Neither side sees themselves as the “villain,” and each believe that the other is the true menace to society. It is actually a really cool way to present the story, as each side feels that they are in the right and that their rivals are dangerous. Showing us both sides of the coin really presents a moral ambiguity that you don’t usually see out of racing games. This gives the story a lot more depth than you would initially expect.
The campaign itself although thought provoking is only fleetingly referenced during actual gameplay. The last mission of any chapter is usually tied to the campaign and will have you performing the actions that were mentioned in the previous cinematic, but other than that there are no real strong ties between the two. This works in the game’s favor as it allows you to freely choose your path as you play.
Gameplay
Need for Speed: Rivals has more under its hood than your typical racing game. First and foremost is separates itself from most of its kin by staying as a true arcade style racer instead of the hardcore racing simulator that has become popular in recent years. This includes having access to weapons, scoring points for sweet air time after jumps and even being rewarded for ramming your opponents head-on.
The game is split into two different campaigns: Police or Racer. Each follows the same fundamentals, but has some serious differences that put them apart from one another. It can be broken down to the obvious – racers race and cops try to bust them but of course it runs a lot deeper than that.
Racers have three unique events that only they can compete in – races, time trials and hot pursuits. Races are your typical race from Point A to Point B before anyone else does, and time trials are the same but without the stress of other racers on your tail the whole time. Where the game gets really interesting is the hot pursuits – they are effectively races featuring multiple drivers with the added twist of cops chasing you from the start. This adds an extra element to the game where the officers are trying to ram you and your buddies off the road while you are trying to concentrate on the sharp turn ahead.
Racers also have the option of triggering head to head events against other racers. Driving near enough to another racer offers you the prompt to start a head to head race, which is a one on one event. These can be started anywhere, anytime as long as you find yourself near enough to another racer. They can even be triggered while you are running from the cops.
Racing, completing events, avoiding the cops and other activities will earn you SP, which serves as the game’s currency. The amount of SP you earn is determined by your Heat Meter, which is a steadily increasing multiplier that affects how you race. The higher your Heat Meter the more the cops will try to relentlessly hunt you down, but it will also improve the amount of SP you earn, so there is a massive risk vs reward element to the game.
Adding to the risk vs reward is the fact that if you are busted by a cop or your car is wrecked, any SP accrued since you last checked into your home base is completely lost. Knowing that at any second a cop car can T-bone you and you will lose all the SP that you spend ages collecting adds a real sense of tension to the game. Checking into a home base is the only way to bank your SP but doing so will reset your Heat Meter and multiplier back to neutral, so there is incentive to keep pushing yourself. However, I can tell you there is nothing more stressful than having over 100,000 SP collected, with a 6 Heat Rating, battling off cop cars and helicopters while your car is at critical damage. There is an absolute adrenaline rush that can’t be ignored – and making it back safely can be the greatest feeling in the world.
SP is primarily used in the purchasing and upgrading of cars. Everytime a racer completes one of their Speed Lists, they will be given another car that they can choose to purchase. Once they do, they can customise the colour, stripes, liveries, wraps, license plate and performance of their beautiful machine. Aside from performance upgrades, you will also find yourself buying and equipping Pursuit Tech (vehicle upgrades). This is where the arcadey nature of the game comes in; you can give your cars EMP blasters, stun mines and a whole wealth of other abilities that will make you more formidable on the race track, and make it easier to escape the fuzz.
Cops have a much easier time in Redview County. They have similar events, but mostly their job is to cruise around and bust racers. This means that everything you do is at your discretion, nobody is going to come around the corner and flick their lights at you to start a chase. If you don’t want to chase someone down then just don’t chase them. In much the same way that racers can trigger Head-to-Head challenges against other racers, Cops can flick a button to turn on their siren and from there the chase begins.
Cops also earn SP a little differently than the racers. Completing objectives, events and busting racers all give cops SP, but these are really only used to purchase additional Pursuit Tech (vehicle weapons). Cops get cars gifted to them from completing their Speed Lists, and never have to spend a cent on their rides. The downside is that you can’t upgrade the cop cars, aside from adding new pursuit tech. Their strength, steering, acceleration etc are all set. This further helps to separate the cops from the racers in terms of how they play.
In addition to the division between cop and racer, there is a further split within each faction that determines how you play the game and progress through the story. This split is in the form of your Speed List Objectives or Assignments. Each Speed List has a group of different objectives for you to complete and when you do you will unlock the next car and progress through the campaign. Each of the Speed Lists deals with a certain play style, so you can pick the missions that suit yourself.
The map itself – Redview County is a racer’s dream. Long stretches of open road, sharp twists, wicked S-bends and forest laden areas are all here. You can drive for hours and still accidentally end up in areas of the map you didn’t expect. I found that typically you will pass through some areas far more often than others, which allows you to become more acquainted to those areas while still finding new areas to explore. I found myself driving on the wings of an old abandoned plane that I randomly came across. I can’t even remember quite where it was, and that is part of the thrill.
The game integrates multiplayer into the single player experience, and tries to do so as seamlessly as possible. However sometimes it falls a little short of the mark. The game features the brand new All Drive system that puts you into a pre-existing game with other players either from your friends list or strangers from across the internet. If you want to interact with them you can, but often you wont even encounter them (unless you are playing as a cop, who wants to be a total jerk). This is a pretty cool feature, but it can sometimes take a considerable amount of time to find a game, and even when you are in-game you will randomly have to migrate host. Host migration is a pain in of itself as it takes you out of whatever you were doing at the time.
Visuals
Need for Speed: Rivals is an absolutely beautiful game. Running natively at 1080p and frame-locked to 30fps means that everything runs smoothly and elegantly, no matter how intense the on-screen action is. Even when I was surrounded by 5 police cruises, with a helicopter flying overhead, there was no slow-down, lag or input delay. The game just worked and ran smoothly.
As for the visuals themselves, Need for Speed: Rivals is a treat to look at, and really shows how far the jump between generations really is. Not only are the cars magnificently drawn and detailed to perfection. Cars look how they do in the real world, and while they aren’t quite on-par with the insane amounts of detail that go into some of the racing sim games out there, there is nothing to complain about here. They all look wonderful as they zoom through the game’s winding roads and various terrains.
Redview County is a driver’s paradise. It looks and feels like a map made to be driven on. All of the game’s various environments from the barren deserts through to the lush forest-like foliage and even the incomplete on-ramps all look amazing. The versatility means that there is a heap to see and there is enough detail for it all to catch your eye without it ever becoming distracting. Although, it is some of the more subtle visual cues that really make the game pop. Things like leaves rolling across the road, and being swept up in your slipstream as you rocket through at 180mph or the way that the rain droplets form condensation on your windscreen all combine perfectly. Although it should be noted that although Redview County is a driver’s paradise, it is by and large a barren wasteland with only a few houses at all filling the landscape, so while it works as a great setting for a game where you drive cars really fast, it doesn’t ever feel like a real location.
The audio does have one hiccup though, and it is the fact that sometimes when entering the map or returning to your base of operations, textures can take a while to load up. I spent a few moments driving around in a dull, lifeless looking box for a car while it was slowly built around me. It didn’t take took long, and it was an infrequent enough occurrence that it wont impede on your gameplay experience too often, but when it does happen, it is really noticeable.
Audio
Audio in racing games is always so hard to talk about. The roar and hum of an engine sounds great to me as a casual fan, but I am sure it means a lot more to die-hard racing enthusiasts or motor-junkies out there. All I can tell you is that I know the sound a high-end car makes as it speeds up, and Need for Speed seems to have nailed that perfectly. The way the engine hums at you as it picks up speed really adds to the immersion and the escapism of the game, and lets you for those brief fleeting moments feel like you are actually driving your dream car.
In addition to your engine roaring under the hood, you also are treated to police radio communications (no matter which side you are on). These provide context for the high-speed chases, letting you know what is happening and how close you are to victory. These can get a little repetitive if you play for a long period of time, but in small bursts they are a fun way to let you in on what’s going on around you.
While the roar of the engine and police radios communication can be fun, they quickly grow monotonous. Luckily, Rivals has you covered there and provides a killer soundtrack filled with licensed music to help you get into gear. The tunes are all relatively high tempo and make you want to put pedal to the metal and floor it through Redview County.
Overall
The racing game genre to me has always felt like it fits that niche market. Sure lots of people will flock to grab the latest and greatest game, but just as many will never be interested in picking up a racer. Well Need for Speed: Rivals aims to do away with that – its split campaign lets you play far more open-endedly and free than most modern racers (with the cop campaign not being about racing at all – just destroying people who want to race). With its impressive visuals, strong gameplay and a map that any driver would kill to take a spin on, Need for Speed: Rivals defines itself as one of the most fun racers in recent times.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
