For no reason other than “We were at the same conference and his work sounded interesting” I ended up scheduling a meeting with Dan Cox. He focuses on level art at Ubisoft Toronto and his work has most recently appeared in Splinter Cell: Blacklist. He was in Paris to give a talk about interior design in games so it turned out he was more than happy to answer some of my questions about how artists make sense of spaces in video games*.
What spooky use do you have for £3.13 this Halloween night? A bag of Haribo Fangtastics, a Screme Egg, and a can of Stella? Oh you could buy that, you could. You might also quite like Marginalia. It’s a spooky trip into some spooky woods with a spooky tale narrated by a spooky/quite pleasant man and spooky music. It’s got a few problems, but if let yourself drift along with the story, carried by the wailing ’70s horror soundtrack, it’s pleasantly unsettling.
Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
Run Sackboy! Run! – (Freemium)
The stitched-up star of PlayStation's LittleBigPlanet series comes to the App Store in an all-new runner game.
Although not specifically an Oculus Rift game, it’s hard to imagine playing Narcosis without the headset. The game is an underwater survival story which demands the player manage his or her oxygen supply as they navigate the ocean depths when an incident leaves them stranded.
“The perception is that it’s a horror game and that’s cool,” says David Chen, part of the development studio Honor Code. “But we’re definitely hoping for some moments of beauty.”
The old saying about a picture being worth a thousand words is often times true. And with Death's Gambit, about all we have to go on is a few pictures. Now, I could waste your time and write a thousand-plus words, or I could put the pictures up and let you judge for yourself.
All we know for certain right now is that it's an action-RPG, enemies range from beasts to knights to horrors and can be huge, and that a Kickstarter is coming at some point in the future. Updates are sure to appear on the official website.
The stunning graphics of Odallus: The Dark Call depicting a savage world forsaken by its gods are not just beautiful. They ensured its success on IndieGogo while conveying the epic atmosphere any fantasy, action exploration game needs. Having played through the latest beta of the game though, I can assure you Odallus is not a game that merely looks good in its NES-inspired attire. It's a rich and complex game instead. A game you'll love exploring and whose hurdles you'll love overcoming; mostly using a big sword.
Happily the game is almost done and pre-orders for Windows are already open; pre-ordering will grant you access to game's latest beta too. Oh, and you can still find its old demo here (direct download).
Download Nintendo Voice Chat Here
Can NVC stop the Titans?! Only Pandamusk knows for sure.
Download Nintendo Voice Chat Here
Good news for Smash Bros. fans - it'll now be releasing November 28 in Europe and November 29 in Australia.
An announcement on the official Nintendo Twitter account confirmed that (almost) everything detailed so far will be releasing on November 28. The one exception being the Smash Bros. Amiibo bundle, which remains at December 5.
The full list of everything you'll be able to get your hands on come November is as follows: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U + GameCube controller adapter for Wii U bundle, the Nintendo GameCube controller (Super Smash Bros. Edition), and a solus version of the GameCube controller adapter for Wii U.
I don’t know what Alan Hazelden has against blocks. He’s always pushing them around, shoving them into unlikely places. Oh sure, they might be dressed up as adorable snowmen or chemicals, but he’s still barging blocks about. I bet he forces them to dress that way too. “You lot, get in these crates now,” he threatens, holding the block up against a wall by its lapel. “You! You’re dressing up as mirrors!” he demands, slapping a long, thin line of PuzzleScript against his palm. The quake, they quiver, and they slip on their mirrored jumpsuits.
You can see the results of his most recent sokobullying in Mirror Isles, a free web-based puzzler.
Far Cry 3 may not have been all things to all people, but it was many different things to many different people. For me, it was a game mostly about driving offroad and getting into various scrapes involving three-way battles between myself, a gathering of Komodo Dragons and a gang of gun-toting grunts. For some, it was a game in which they could hunt goats with a rocket launcher and maybe there were even some people who thought the story missions were the best bit as well. It’s essentially a game about vehicles and animals falling over.
The sequel, which is out in three weeks, should allow you to relive all of your favourite Far Cry memories while killing your friends. With an elephant. The three PvP modes are explained in the video below.
The controversial McGee Act of 2000 has not yet been repealed, despite the revolt led by Tale of Tales’ The Path, so it remains the case that every videogame based on a fairy tale must be a broody platformer starring a young lady with a weapon. While we await Snow White: Dwarves Of Darkness and Rapunzel: Hairway To Hell, we can Halloween it up with today’s demo of Woolfe – The Red Hood Diaries.
It’s Red Riding Hood with an axe and an acute case of Burtonitis, innit.
… [visit site to read more]
Have You Played? is an endless stream of game recommendations. One a day, every day of the year, perhaps for all time.
Crack!
‘Did I get him? I think I got him. Is he just injured? I’m not sure if he’s–’
Crack! ‘I didn’t get him.’
Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad is a multiplayer first-person shooter steadfast in its commitment to historical accuracy and to the grim realities of war. So why do I enjoy it so much?
Dungeon of the Endless is a roguelike defense game that rewards fast thinking, inventive solutions and tactical awareness. No, that’s not quite right. Dungeon of the Endless is a cocktail of genres that rewards inhuman omnividence, uncanny forward thinking and strategic oversight. Closer?
Dungeon of the Endless is an original creation made of familiar parts and further proof that Amplitude are a studio enjoying a rapid ascent to peak power.
Fallout and Elder Scrolls publisher Bethesda has released a new teaser trailer for its upcoming 32-player free-to-play online PC game, Battlecry.
The game, which was announced back in May, is in development at Austin, Texas-based BattleCry Studios--a new company led by Star Wars: The Old Republic veteran Rich Vogel. Battlecry is the developer's first game since its formation in 2012.
One thing that may stand out to you in the trailer above is Battlecry's distinctive art style. This "expressive world" was designed by Viktor Antonov, who was responsible for Half-Life 2's City 17. He also worked on Dishonored.
Bethesda also has announced that the first beta tests for Battlecry will begin in Australia and New Zealand in early 2015. If you're attending Pax Australia this weekend at the Melbourne Convention Centre, however, you can play the game at the show.
Gamers in Australia and New Zealand can sign up for the Battlecry beta at the game's website. Plans for the US and Europe were not specified. For more on Battlecry, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
GameStop will once again be holding a "Skylanders Day," with discounts and access to exclusive figures.
The event will take place this Saturday, November 1. Customers will have access to two limited edition Eon's Elite characters, Spyro and Chop Chop, as well as the ability to pre-order the Elite version of Trigger Happy that will release on November 28. Eon's Elite figures are more expensive versions of the existing characters, with a metallic paint-job and three times the power.
Discounts will include a 3-character pack with the purchase of a Starter pack, $10 off a Trap Team Starter Pack, and a free Punch Pop Fizz character if you buy $30 or more in characters. It will also offer $25 off a Kindle Fire HDX and Trap Team Starter bundle. You can find participating locations through the official site.
Ubisoft has released a mysterious trailer for Assassin's Creed Unity today that suggests that at least one section of the upcoming game will be set during World War II.
In the trailer, which Ubisoft calls "Time Anomaly," we see Unity hero Arno in Paris running across rooftops in French Revolution era Paris when a voice calls out:
"Assassin, watch out. The French Revolution simulation is collapsing. I don't know what time period you'll land in, but you need to get out of there. Run!"
Arno runs, and in a flash, we see him in what appears to be World War II era France. He climbs the Eiffel Tower and from the top, mans a machine gun and fires at an enemy plane.
In the video's description on YouTube, Ubisoft teases: "In Assassin’s Creed Unity, all of French Revolution Paris is yours to explore, and perhaps more."
Interestingly, World War II is one of the most-requested eras for a future Assassin's Creed game, according to previous comments from Ubisoft. Others include ancient Egypt and feudal Japan.
Unity is coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Meanwhile, Ubisoft will also release Assassin's Creed Rogue on November 11, but for last-generation consoles.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Mechanical keyboards. What, dear readers, is the schitnitz? Dare I say it, there is such a thing as the mechanical keyboard movement. Indeed, we’re now at the point where there’s significant debate within that community over various types of mechanical keyboard switches. Knowing your Cherry MX Red from your Blue and Brown absolutely matters. But what exactly is a mechanical keyboard, why is it rapidly becoming so revered by some gamers and should you pop out and pick one up? While we’re talking keyboards, are programmable keyboards with per-key full-colour RGB LED backlighting the next big thing? For answers to all these questions (at best), ride your rodents to the other side. … [visit site to read more]
A new live-action trailer for the upcoming Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has been released by Activision.
Director Peter Berg, who directed Battleship and Lone Survivor, directed the spot which stars actor Taylor Kitsch.
In directing the trailer, Berg was careful to show only things that will be in the game. "We didn’t want to overpromise what the game could deliver," he told Variety.
The way the doors are broken down, the weapons shown, and the hoverbikes are all designed to replicate the actual game. Near the end of the trailer, the protagonist, shown naturally in first person, manages to avoid a plummet to certain death by deploying a grappling hook. It's very reminiscent of Just Cause 2 and if the trailer truly is an indication of gameplay, look forward to deploying it to get out of sticky situations.
Microsoft is making three games available for free download during the month of November.
Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox 360 will have access to 2008's Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise from November 1-15, and 2009's Red Faction: Guerrilla from November 16-30.
The Virtual Pet game takes player back to Pinata Island where they must Professor Pester and gather the remains of the island's destroy database. We loved Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise for its presentation and gameplay, and remarked on its exceptional replay value.
Volition's Red Faction: Guerrilla is a third-person open world shooter taking place on Mars, 50 years in the future. It has a lengthy single-player campaign but a rather weak story. Head over to our written review for a more detailed analysis.
As Halloween approaches, do you find that your hunger for horror is increasing? Fear not. Or ‘fear a lot’, I guess. The first three chapters of The Evil Within are now available as a demo on Steam, with demo saves carrying over into the full game should you choose to purchase it. There’s also a 50% discount on the Season Pass and anyone who buys the game during this promotion, or has already bought it, will receive a copy of Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth.
Those first three chapters are a fairly good taster, with a bit of spooky stealth, a big setpiece and just enough freedom and trapping to show what’s coming later.
Ubisoft announced today that its upcoming open-world action game Far Cry 4 has officially gone gold, meaning development on the game has finished ahead of its November release.
Ubisoft is not shying away from boasting about the game, saying its Himalayan world of Kyrat is the franchise's "most ambitious" yet. Overall, the publisher describes Far Cry 4 as a "major leap forward" for the franchise, and an entry that will "raise the bar" for the series.
In a statement on the Ubisoft Blog, marketing executive Tony Key said the critical and commercial success of 2012's Far Cry 3 means that Far Cry is now one of Ubisoft's marquee brands, though Assassin's Creed still appears to be the overall breadwinner of the bunch.
Far Cry 3 has shipped more than 10 million copies, 6 million of which came in the first year, Ubisoft revealed today during a financial call. Ubisoft is expecting bigger things from Far Cry 4, saying today that it expects the game to ship more than 6 million copies during its first year alone.
Far Cry 4 will be released across Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC on November 18. For more, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
Woah Dave! – ($1.99)
Woah Dave! is a frantic, score-chasing arcade game where players gun for digital glory by destroying monsters, stealing their loose change, and triggering more explosions. Have we mentioned it’s also incredibly difficult? Everything on the map--including your ammunition--is trying to kill you. And don't even get me started on the game's hard mode. It's borderline impossible, because apparently people who play games are masochists.
A Wal-Mart promotional display showcases the Amiibo figurines players will be able to use with Mario Kart 8.
IGN writer Lucas Thomas found the display, which shows Mario, Peach, Yoshi and Donkey Kong on the Mario Kart 8 compatibility list. The same list also shows the figures compatible with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, as well as the lone Link that will work with Hyrule Warriors.
Nintendo announced its upcoming Amiibo project at E3 this year. The figurines are Nintendo's answer to toy-infused franchises such as Skylanders and Disney Infinity, and after being registered with their respective Wii U console, can learn to fight based on the player's behaviors. IGN went in-depth with the feature in a recent preview.
The Talos Principle is a very clever, very calm creation. Which is a surprising new direction from Croteam, who have previously given us the splendid madcap frenzy of Serious Sam shooters. While clearly sharing the same fast-paced twitchy controls of the Serious Engine, and a similar design ethic of ruined civilisations, beyond this Talos is dramatically different. It’s a captivating first-person puzzle game, more influenced by Portal than Doom, with an intricate back-story questioning the nature of consciousness and personhood told through fascinating interactions with an AI. I’ve had a play of its first, extensive chapter.
