Deep Silver have just announced to the zombie craving world that there is another Dead Island game in the works. Approximately nothing is known about the title but the name: Dead Island Riptide. That ‘approximate’ is thanks to a few snippets of information that have emerged via the @deadislandgame Twitter feed. Conversations with other tweeters have revealed that Riptide is not DLC, and will be retailing as a physical disc, not a download. To quote one of the tweets from the official feed: full game! Wooooooooo!!!!
It’s being developed by Techland, who produced the first Dead Island game and are also behind the Call of Juarez series. Deep Silver have promised a big announcement in the summer, but for now that’s all the juicy detail we’re getting. The game will be releasing on “consoles and PC” and is currently in full development. Riptide as a title suggests that things are going to be spreading uncontrollably away from the island setting of before, a force of nature whipping the virus to new, bigger, better locations. But who knows, we’ll have to wait and see…it might just be something that surfers want to avoid.
Ever since it was first revealed three years ago, inquisitive minds have wondered what a more action packed Metal Gear title would be like. After a few years of silence it was revealed that Platinum Games had begun working on the title under Konami, which piqued fan interest even more. Now that E3 has come upon us, and us at it, Konami has given us a chance to get our hands-on impressions of the title. Now the demo stations that Konami provided for the title could easily be misconstrued as a tutorial, but it did give us a chance to try out nearly everything in Revengeance’s arsenal.
The first technique we were taught to use was the Blade Mode. In this mode time slowed down to a crawl for everyone around us due to Raiden’s acceleration. In this mode we were given full control of Raiden’s sword and were able to guide his slashes in any direction we wanted to. At first it was fine to simply slash away at the targets presented to us, slicing them up into, quite literally, hundreds of pieces. However we were soon shown that sometimes precise slices are necessary to deal with specific targets who may have only tiny openings in their armor.
Through the use of Blade Mode we could easily slice through nearly every object around us, including watermelons, people, large stone pillars, helicopters and even tanks. The visual presentation of slicing through a human enemy and chopping them into tiny little pieces is something many will likely not forget. Sadly however, the Blade Mode did have a few drawbacks as it was not shown whether or not the distance between Raiden and the object being targeted was too far away or not, making entire slashes miss without any actual notification.
There is much more to Raiden’s arsenal than just his sword however, as he is a more than capable fighter with his bare hands and legs as well. Raiden can take on enemies with a standard set of moves with punches and kicks, though nothing is truly standard when it comes to Raiden anymore. His basic punches are quite powerful and easily chained into long combo attacks, allowing me to easily pound our way through a slew of enemies that were thrown at us. Even more impressive is when the player uses Raiden’s powerful (and bladed) legs to deal out damage. Using jumping dive kicks, a standing onslaught of kicks that would put Chun-Li to shame or even just a simple set of kicks could easily decimate foes. However true decimation comes when I approached a near dead enemy and was able to press a button combination to launch him into the air, enter Blade Mode and slice through him as both of us flew through the air, leaving the enemy a pulp upon landing.
Besides the fast paced and bloody melee combat, Raiden can also pick up some secondary weapons around the area as well, including a heat seeking rocket launcher capable of dealing out devastating damage, which was certainly helpful against the first large Gecko enemy I battled against. Now this Gecko only has certain moments of weakness… when the player parries one of its attacks. Oddly enough, the parry button is the exact same as the kicking button, which led to some minor confusion at first. However this confusion may have turned out for the better, as Raiden was grabbed by a large wire tendril coming out of the Gecko. However through the use of a short and simple quick time event, Raiden was able to dislodge the tendril and use it to spin the Gecko around in a circle before slamming it heavily into the ground, making it easy prey for a slicing and dicing Blade Mode.
This impressive demo continued with a helicopter hell bent on slaying Raiden with missiles. However through a slow motion run, quite literally, up the missiles being fired at Raiden, this helicopter was soundly dealt with after doing a large amount of damage before. Now with all this fast paced action and blood flying around, Raiden’s movements always felt relatively fluid and his combination attacks flowed together perfectly, though it feels odd that he is unable to jump just a tad higher. As it stands the visuals of the game are a bit impressive, as the slice-and-dice mechanic is sure to amaze many and give fans of Metal Gear the most action packed game in the franchises history when it releases in 2013.
For those who attended a special viewing of Dishonored, Bethesda had a special treat for everyone. Rather than show off some pre-recorded footage, we were shown live footage from the game despite it not being set for release until October of this year. In this footage we were shown the exact same story mission segment where the player must assassinate two corrupt politicians who are staying at a bathhouse called the Golden Cat. Now the reason we were shown this mission twice is thanks to the fact that Bethesda chose to show off both a stealthy run of the mission, killing only the targets and one or two others, and a brutal run, killing everyone in sight.
Now the first playthrough we were shown was of a stealthy run of the mission. Players will make use of the main character’s special abilities to sneak into the Golden Cat undetected. They can do this by sneaking up behind enemies and choking them, hiding bodies of unconscious enemies and sneaking around. The sneaking is made easy thanks to the fact that players will be able to peak around corners as well as peer through the locks in doors to see what lies on the other side. Also helpful is the fact that noises in the game will act as they would in real life, with voices muffled at a distance and noises sounding as they would in the real world.
Now they will also make use of the main character’s supernatural powers as well, which can be upgraded through the acquisition of Runes in the main game. For this presentation however the developers chose to unlock every power at its highest level, presenting quite a few amazing results. There are multiple ways to get into the Golden Cat, eight of them in fact. However with the use of the player’s special possession ability, he was able to take possession of a fish, swim through a drainage pipe under the Golden Cat and end his possession under the building, effectively teleporting him inside without the knowledge of any of the occupants.
All of these powers take energy to use and will need to be replenished through the use of an item, or regenerate over time, though the demo showed an infinite stock of power for the sake of impressing those of us in attendance. Among the powers presented we were shown a “Dark Vision” ability which allows the player to see through walls, locate other humans and also see their fields of vision, “Blink” an ability to teleport short distances and “Windblast” a blast of air capable of sending enemies flying through the air.
In an effort to remain undetected, the player snuck into the room with the Golden Cat’s owner, allowing him to pick pocket the key to open up every door in the building. Interestingly enough, if he chose to the player could also have assassinated the owner or simply choked her into unconsciousness from behind. There are plenty of ways to navigate the interior of buildings as well, as we witnessed the player jump and climb onto a light on the ceiling to sneak over the heads of unaware guards. As we watched the player make his way to the target, it was revealed that the target’s locations would always be randomized, so no two playthoughs would be exactly alike. The assassination itself was not even close to bloody either, as the player used the recently stolen key to kill their target with the steam room’s environment, effectively baking him alive.
Now at the highest levels, skills will provide impressive benefits. In fact, the possession ability can allow the player to possess humans as well, which turns out to be quite helpful considering he was able to possess his other target, make him walk out onto the balcony and then shove him over the side with a Windblast. While that was all nice and sneaky, what would happen if the player chose to simply slaughter everyone they came across? Well it would certainly make the game much harder that is what.
Although quite bloody, as he was able to decapitate an enemy with a crossbow bolt, brutally stab to death multiple guards, throw sticky grenades around a room, use a time slowing ability to fire multiple cross bows into frozen enemies, he fell in battle and failed his mission. Not only is brutal gameplay discouraged through the higher level of difficulty, it also may push the player down a darker ending.
That was in fact not the ending to the presentation however, as the development team had one more area to show off… the flooded district. Now the flooded district has become infested with a plague, and the reason that the police are on top of stilts and called Tall Boys, is that their job is to keep the infected within the flooded district without becoming victims as well. Combat against the tall boys is a bit difficult but not impossible as we witnessed multiple tall boys defeated and even one possessed so that the player could enter a previously restricted area.
Dishonored already looks like it may be one of the most impressive titles of 2012 and with what we were shown today it can only get better from here on out. Those looking to pick up the title will be happy to learn that it is set to be released on October 9th of this year.
At E3 this year, Activision have given us more information on their latest Spyro series, Skylanders. The next game in the Skylanders series will be called Skylanders Giants and is looking like a promising entry in the series.
At the event, a new trailer has been released from the game for gamers everywhere to enjoy. The Skylanders series of games is a series where gamers collect real-life figures from the games universe and then are able to integrate them into the gameworld. This is an interesting concept and it will be cool to see where this game takes that concept in the future.
Words cannot describe the beauty that is Trine 2. Today, Trine 2: Director’s Cut was revealed as a launch title for the platform, and this game indeed looks to show off the power of the Wii U with the stunning visuals on full display. For those unfamiliar, Trine 2 released a while back for the PSN, PC, and Xbox Live Arcade and featured an interesting gimmick where players could instantly switch between three characters to navigate the world within and solve environmental puzzles.
Being a full retail title, the Director’s Cut is simply going to expand upon the digital releases with more, but not a lot has been told on what the disc version will withhold. Feast those eyes on the trailer below though, and get a look at art in motion.
We all knew Darksiders II was coming for the Wii U, but THQ have now begun to show off the game in action for the platform, and does it ever look savory. This new developer interview with David Adams of Vigil Games is a bit brief and gives us a better look at the concept of Death, as well as how the Wii U Gamepad will come into play for that particular version of the game.
The Gamepad looks to be used for controlling an inventory, as well as for viewing your map and other trinkets within the game. Yes, it’s looking sharp, and yes, we are dying to get our hands on it. As of now though, you can get a better look on the Wii U version of Darksiders 2 by checking out the interview below, and stay tuned as our hands-on impressions won’t be too far off.
Yes, Aliens Colonial Marines is headed to the Wii U as well and looks very impressive. Most of you knew this, but today Randy Pitchford gave the world a nice sneak peak of what the Wii U will bring to the game itself. The Gamepad for the platform can be used as a motion tracker, and utilized to scan areas for other forms of life. Pitchford claims that this will assist in adding immersion to the experience, and he does seem correct with that statement as holding the Wii U’s Gamepad and seeing the red dots appear is something that is sure to add tension to an already intense atmosphere.
Check out the video below, and let us know what you think of the Wii U’s Gamepad gimmirckry for the game in the comments below.
Today, with much spectacle and press coverage, Danica Patrick announced that she would be a playable character in a Sonic All Stars: Racing Transformed. In addition, she also took the wraps off a new NASCAR, which is being sponsored by SEGA and GoDaddy. This holiday, Danica will be driving around the track in the #7 car, and Sonic will be there right along with her. Check out the gallery and video below.
What do you think of this announcement? Will it really help sell Sonic games? Will you be more likely to buy Sonic All Stars: Racing Transformed? Be sure to leave a comment below.
Want to see a tour of the Nintendo Wii U’s Gamepad? Well, you are in luck as Nintendo have posted one in video form, showing off the functionality for the controller – with details about what every button can do. Most of it is pretty basic for the most part, as the Gamepad’s main scheme is self-explanatory. Some more unique inputs however put this little piece of hardware over the top, such as the Home Button that can take players back to the menu without interruption, as well as the built in microphone and camera for your socialization and video game interactivity.
Check out the full tour below, and keep checking back, as more E3 2012 news for the Wii U is on the way!
E3 is of course one of the best times to show off newly announced titles and give the press a chance to take a look at early builds of games. Last year Bethesda wowed everyone in attendance with their presentation of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Now only one year later Bethesda had another Elder Scrolls treat for those of us in attendance… a first look at The Elder Scrolls Online in action as well as a few details that hadn’t yet been revealed.
When the presentation began it is quite obvious that the environmental graphics were nearly as impressive as Skyrim’s in their detail and textures (one thing worth noting is the fact that a bookshelf full of books can be lit on fire from a spell, whether this involves more environmental interaction of this like is not known at the moment), although the same could not be said about the player characters nor the races players can choose from, as the Argonian and Khajiit appear similar to what they looked like in Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.
Moving on from that, the setting of Elder Scrolls Online takes place 1,000 years before the events of Skyrim, and the land of Tamriel is in the middle of a massive war, with three factions vying for power. In the North East the EbonHeart Pact has created a strong foothold, while the North West is held by the Daggerfall Covenant. In the south likes the Aldmeri Dominion, while the kings of Cyrodiil have fallen far, so far in fact they have made a pact with the Daedric Prince Molag Bal. Unfortunately for them, this has not gone how they wanted it to.
As such, undead armies have begun roaming the land in an effort to vanquish Cyrodiil’s foes. In fact, the player character himself/herself has undergone quite a devastating theft by the evil Daedric Prince for he has stolen your soul and doomed you to an eternity of death and revival, which puts an interesting twist on the fact that if a player falls in combat, they will simply respawn. Now the main quest for The Elder Scrolls Online focuses on the retrieval of your soul from Molag Bal and Bethesda has revealed that the main quest can be finished entirely solo if players choose to do so
However even if the player chooses to fight solo, they will still run into plenty of other players in the world and with the use of Bethesda’s real time combat system, players will always be able to help one another. If, for example, a warrior stumbles upon a mage who is battling against enemies, they can step in and combine their powers together, sometimes causing a combined skill effect, and finish the enemies off, rewarding both players with EXP and drops. Now this mechanic is accentuated by Elder Scrolls Online’s class system, as the Bethesda representative stated that classes can always play more than one part in a party thanks to these strategies, regardless of their class tree. In fact, skilled fighters will receive something called Finesse Points. At this time, Bethesda hasn’t stated much about these FP, but when demonstrated on-screen, the player received an extra treasure chest of loot as a bonus, so it currently appears to be a reward system for smart fighters.
Now the combat for Elder Scrolls Online will play out in real-time and players will be able to react to their opponents moves in real time as well. For example players can be trying to cast a spell or unleash a skill, see an enemy about to hit them and then block this blow to keep themselves alive. This is quite useful given the fact that the enemies that players will run across will often help one another out and work together. An example of this was shown by Bethesda, where a necromancer immediately raised the skeleton of an enemy just killed by the player, effectively returning them to the fight despite just dying.
Interestingly enough, rather than go the World of Warcraft approach and present a multitude of toolbars and hotkeys, Bethesda has chosen minimalistic approach with their HUD, offering only a small tool bar of skills, the main compass to navigate the map as well as a display of the player’s Health, Stamina and Magicka. This does provide quite an interesting looking title as it makes the game look as if it were a 3rd person multiplayer version of past Elder Scrolls games. This feeling was made even more prominent when Bethesda showed off a number of memorable areas from past titles, including areas from Skyrim, Oblivion, Marrowind and even Daggerfall. These areas will all be available for exploration in ways never before shown.
Now one thing that looks to set The Elder Scrolls Online apart is the fact that the game doesn’t contain any simple quest hubs like other titles, but instead will feature the compass which will point out areas of interest to the player. These points of interest usually contain a quest of some sort, which often will revolve around The Elder Scrolls’ lore. Now NPCs will still give out quests in various areas, with quest givers having a golden aura around them. These quests that players will receive often contain various side-objectives as well. Now while these side-objectives are completely optional, there are consequences for your actions. Saving an ally in one of these side-missions may present an even longer quest-tree or special rewards, while ignoring issues may cause trouble later.
Now with all of these various quests and combat, what about end-game features? Bethesda revealed a number of interesting pieces of content which will keep end-gamers happy, as The Elder Scrolls Online will feature various instances and raids that players can undertake with others and of course, Player vs. Player. Bethesda looks to be trying to create massive battles as they stated that their goal is to have up to two hundred players fighting on screen at any given time, especially when these fights are part of a guild war.
These battles can occur in an open field or even in the castle of another guild, allowing players to either lay siege to others or defend their castle from invaders. The battle presented to us featured around 50 fighters but was rather impressive in scope as it featured plenty of sword fighting, magic spells and more. Now despite these impressive goals, the Bethesda rep stated that they are aiming for a low-spec necessary title, allowing people with computers up to five years old to play the game. Since the company didn’t state what graphical settings we were presented with at the time of the show, the quality can and probably will degrade on older machines.
As it stands, The Elder Scrolls Online looks like it just may be the next WoW killer, as it offers a unique questing system as well, impressive massive player vs player and a world many of us have grown familiar with over the past two decades. We’ll know much more soon as Bethesda is aiming to release The Elder Scrolls Online in 2013 for the PC & Mac.
