Tag Archive

The Division To Allow Some Realtime Swapping

Posted on November 14, 2015 by Kenny Keelan

The Division

In a pretty awesome Q&A video with the developers of The Division, some pretty neat details about the game are revealed: first and foremost, the ability to hotswap abilities and gun customizations while in the open world and in combat situations. It’s said that you can have two active abilities at any one time, however, you can swap those abilities out for any of the abilities you’ve earned to that point and the same goes for the appearance and utility of your weapons. It is insinuated, though, that you have to do so through the menu interface so while you’re able to swap during combat situations it’s not recommended that you do so unless you can do so very quickly.

It’s also touched on that you can have four characters maximum attached to an account; this is handy for those who want to experiment with different play styles or loadouts. However, there’s some light insinuation that level difference between characters will be considered when matching them so keeping the level of your characters varied may be a good thing to keep in mind.

Also, for some crazy reason, there’s been an outcry for a couple types of hats… and that’s just… well, it was addressed. Just gonna leave that one at that.

If you want to watch the video, follow the link.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 review: Here we go again all over again.

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Erika

Black Ops III

Please note that this review covers the PS4 version, and some features are not available for the PS3/Xbox 360 versions

Treyarch does an amazing job once more with another installment in the Call of Duty franchise, Black Ops 3. The series has come a long way from the World War II era setting of World at War, to Cold War settings of Black Ops 1, and the more recent near future settings of Black Ops 2 and now 3.  Just like Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, Treyarch tries to keep the Call of Duty fresh and engaging for it’s fans, and I feel that it has succeeded with those objectives.

Upon starting up the game and getting the necessary content downloaded to be able to play single player, I brought up the menu and happened upon the Identity section and was immediately taken aback when I explored further into it. I was taken aback due to the fact of the sheer level of customization that can be done with individual weapon setups. A new feature in the franchise is the ability to customize optics, attachments, camos, and paint jobs. In addition to that, the player can save multiple variants of individual weapon setups and use them across Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies, provided that the weapons and attachments are unlocked though each mode. One thing to note is that similar to the emblems, paint jobs add an individual flair if one wants to take the time to make use of a whopping 64 layers for the left and right sides, and the top of the gun. All of that can be done within Gunsmith or Paintshop sub-menus. Also making returns are unlockable calling cards and customizable emblems, franchise staples introduced in Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops 1, respectively. Expanding upon those two features you are now the abilities to unlock calling cards via Campaign, Zombies, and from Supply Drops found in Multiplayer.

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The Marksmen Have Arrived! lets take a look at Graves! With Hoodie Joy

Posted on November 12, 2015 by Broken Joysticks

League Of Legends Logo 2015

League of Legends preseason for season 6 has hit, and it’s a doozy. We’ve got some heavy hitting changes, and one of the heaviest hitters is Graves. Graves has always had trouble finding his niche to fit, but now it’s even harder. Because he can go everywhere. 

Graves is overpowered. You can argue people just haven’t learned him  yet, but this is pretty empty considering he can burst people down faster than he can fire three shots. Top Laner, ADC bot lane, Jungle, you could probably even Mid Lane him, no position is safe from his long arm of the law. This man has had a few changes to make him work everywhere, and I’m gonna make a quick review of how to fight against, or as, this Cigar lacking powerhouse.

Graves is all about the burst, and that extends to even his auto attacks. He finally has a real shotgun now, and each shot is a spread of multiple bullets. The more bullets hit, the more damage dealt. When Graves gets a critical strike, he fires more bullets in the same spread area, for more damage. Graves uses an Ammo system, which can be seen by all players in the game. He has unlimited ammo, like everyone else, but only two shots can be used at a time, before a notable “reload” delay. Graves has to reload then, significantly reducing his fire rate. He automatically reloads when inactive, walking around, whenever he gets the chance. So you only need to worry about ammo when combat rolls around. Your auto attacks should be planned well, and interspersed with his powerful abilities. Before we continue, he has one more very important passive, although it is rather easy to ignore at first. Graves gains bonus armor and magic resist while in combat, including last hitting minions, jungle camp fighting, everything.

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Friday the 13th Game Manages To Reach Kickstarter Goal

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Broken Joysticks

With only a few days left on the clock, the Friday the 13th project by relatively new studio Gun Media has managed to inch past its 700.000 dollar goal on kickstarter. The game, which will be a multiplayer focused title pitting one player controlling Jason against seven camp counsellors, is set to be released in October of next year for PC, Xbox One, and PS4.

This game is very similar in concept to a Kickstarter project that more than doubled its much more modest goal of 50.000 dollar called Last Year. Ironically, if both are going to launch during their planned window, Friday the 13th will beat it by a month. Whether or not they took inspiration from this smaller title we’ll never know, but it’s still a very novel idea and I think it can support two games if both are decent. The Friday the 13th series has never been my thing, having hit its apex before I was even born, but I adore asymmetrical multiplayer when it’s done well. The concept is certainly solid, and I hope they can find a way to build it out into a solid game.

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Check Out 30 Minutes of HD OverWatch Footage

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Rae Michelle Richards

Now that the excitement of BlizzCon 2015 has come to pass it’s time to settle down and write about other games like… who am I kidding? Everyone on our staff is super excited for OverWatch and our new video partners WhyINeedDiverseGames got into the game’s closed beta. In the embedded player below you can check out 30 uninterrupted minutes of HD gameplay from the closed beta.

We’ll be bringing you more videos from WhyINeedDiverseGames over the course of the next couple of weeks. Based in Chicago, IL WhyINeedDiverseGames focuses on critiquing games through the lens of diversity.

Are you in the OverWatch beta? Let us know what you think of it in the comments.

[youtube id=”qfs0kIOC02Q”]

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OverWatch for Consoles Confirmed By Blizzard Ahead of BlizzCon 2015

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Rae Michelle Richards

Blizzard’s surprise reveal from BlizzCon 2014 turned recent internet sensation, OverWatch, will be heading to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One alongside the Windows PC version Blizzard announced today.

It seems that several retailers – namely GameStop USA – put out store displays for OverWatch: Origin Edition ahead of tomorrow’s BlizzCon 2015 opening ceremonies.  The Origin Edition of the still in closed beta First Person Shooter will include a number of goodies and will be priced at $60 USD – although reports of at least one redditor scoring the Origin Edition for $40 USD have surfaced.

Here’s what is included in the retail version of OverWatch according to a now delete Battle.net page:

21 Heroes
5 skins:
Blackwatch Reyes (Reaper)
Strike-Commander Morrison (Soldier: 76)
Overgrown Bastion
Security Chief Pharah
Slipstream Tracer

Overwatch-themed content for several Blizzard Entertainment games:
Heroes of the Storm™ – Tracer Hero
World of Warcraft® – Baby Winston Pet
StarCraft® II Portraits
Hearthstone® Cardback
Diablo® III – Mercy Wing

As of press-time OverWatch is not listed on any major retail website checked by us – including GameStop USA, Amazon.com, Amazon.ca or BestBuy.com. Presumably all of the individuals that have reported pre-ordering OverWatch before the reveal have done so physically in-store.

We also don’t know anything the monetization strategy for OverWatch. Whether it will be a purely buy-to-play title with optional micro-transactions, similar to Counter Strike: Global Offensive or free-to-play similar to Blizzard’s own Heroes of the Storm.

Blizzard has also released the official pack shot for all 3 retail versions of Overwatch: Origins Edition:

OverWatch_Consoles

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3 new flight modes to be added in Star Citizen 2.0 Release

Posted on October 31, 2015 by Fionna Schweit

Star Citizen

Star Citizen has been pretty controversial recently. Robertson Space Industries, the developer, has been accused of not delivering of having major staff issues, many backers requested updates on time tables and finances, and it even seemed some former employees corroborated these stories.  Well RSI hopes to put to bed all the malcontents with patch 2.0 for the alpha which brings major changes.  The change will add three new flight modes, Quantum travel, and move to a “third order motion control system,” what ever the heck that is.

Here’s what we know about the three modes: ships will now launch in the first flight mode precision mode. During this launch top speed is reduced and acceleration scaled back in exchange, the player gets  finer and easier maneuvering. An opposite mode will be called cruise: “Velocity at the expense of control,” as Cloud Imperium Games explained in yesterday’s update. The third mode, which is called SCM  is quite the same as the current area commander flight model, but now calculates maximum velocity dynamically as a function of force and mass in order to optimize each ship’s performance in a fight.

StarCitizenDev-2015-10-16-14-17-57-96

Additionally we will get Quantum Travel, which sounds like something out of bad scifi, but is similar to cruise mode, utilizing a quantum drive, and enabling long distance travel over short time periods. The limitations of the Quantum Drive mean that any ship equipped with one can achieve the same maximum velocity of 0.2c—that’s one-fifth the speed of light—but some will take longer to get there than others. In the blog post it says

 “At these speeds, tiny variations in angle will result in massively different flight paths, so this is where slower ships will have the chance to escape a faster ship accosting them,”Of course, traveling at these incredible speeds is quite dangerous, so the ship computer will automatically pull you out of Quantum Travel if the possibility of collision is detected or the ship has any downed shields.”

2.0 will also feature many bug changes, fixes, and the standard patch balancing and content addition you are used to seeing in a major patch release.

 

check out the blog here for full info and some nice videos of the new stuff in action.

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Overwatch’s newest character is a Star Craft II Pro

Posted on October 31, 2015 by Fionna Schweit

The newest addition to the line up for Blizzards huge MOBA overwatch has been annoucned. Her name is D.VA (pronounced DIVA). She appeared briefly on Blizzards official over watch twitter with a link to the  StarCraft 2 WCS site. In game  Hana “D.Va” Song is, in game lore, a real StarCraft 2 pro. She’s the best in the world, in fact, but she’s taking a break from the game so she can serve her homeland.

“At the age of 16, D.Va became the #1 ranked player in the world and proceeded to go undefeated for the next three years in all competitions,” her official StarCraft 2 player biography states. “D.Va is an international star, beloved by her fans at home and abroad, and has toured in exhibitions around the world. Recently, she has taken a step back from competition to focus on her commitment to protect the safety of her homeland.”

Capture

Intrestingly she is not yet listed on the Blizzard official Overwatch site, so we have no idea what she can do. Personally id love to see her pilot a mech, as many forum posts and websites have guessed.  She is also described as “MEKA’s newest recruit” on Twitter, lending that theroy even more credence.

We will wait official word from Blizzard then update the story!

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Rocket league to get mutators with free DLC

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Fionna Schweit

Our oppinions here at brokenjoysticks on Rocket League are well known, our review posted here was glowing to say the least. So any time we hear about DLC or new content for that game we get EXTREMELY excited. So what could make an already amazing game where you shoot around in cars that have rockets even more amazing? The answer lies in Mutators

[youtube id=”cEH2hUw-d_U”]

Mutators at first seem simple, you can change all sorts of things, the size of the ball, the gravity in the field, the shape of the ball (is it still a ball if its square? I DONT KNOW) etc. Some that we know about already include: Cube (turns ball in to a cube), Moonball (lowers gravity), and Time warp (presumably warps time?) The new modifiers will appear in custom games and in a rotating playlist called unsurprisingly Mutator Mashup. I personally cant wait to get my hands on these game modes, the basic mode of rocket league was always where I had the most fun, and this will add so much more. Plus its bound to make it easier right? no i guess probably not, but thats the fun isint it?

Also announced is a hockey mode for later on in December. The Mutator DLC is free and will be available in the coming weeks. An additional preview will be provided today via a live stream.

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Community Created Battlefield 4 Map Deployed

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Rae Michelle Richards

I’m sure of one thing – that the Battlefield community certainly is passionate about one of their favorite games, Battlefield 4. Developers at DICE LA have been working with the community for the past six months on a brand new map called Operation Outbreak which has now been released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Windows PC for free!

How did the developers work with the community? By collecting feedback through various community forums, official polls, social media and other outlets to help shape every aspect of this map. Through what EA calls the Community Test Environment players were able to preview the map while in development.

The end result is the final infantry focused jungle map which EA has made the focus of a brand new trailer released through YouTube.

[youtube id=”7BpinisZBfg”]

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Tales From the Bordelands is Surprisingly Engaging

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Fionna Schweit

Review by Hoodie Joy

“what do you expect out of an episodic story based game?”

I found myself asking this often. Tales from the Borderlands is my first of this genre, and I took the opportunity to review it because it seemed like a good way to try out episodic games. I loved both Borderlands 1 and 2, but this game is not either of those.

Tales from the Borderlands was a pleasant surprise. I went into the game expecting a comedic game with somewhat likeable characters, that were more funny, than interesting or lovable. This might sound like a very negative outlook on the game, but I never really found much to love about borderlands characters. They were funny and amusing, but never made me care.

Being a story focused game, I am hesitant to spoil anything off the bat with specific facts, but some things are important: There is a Canon lesbian couple, who are both badasses. They are not queerbaited. They are not made fun of. They are treated the same as all the other crew, and were extraordinarily human. The game makes you like some people I really did not expect to like. This is of course, relevant to my specific playthrough, but there are many characters who have done some terrible things, and your choices can lead to very likeable and friendly outcomes. At the end of the story I believe there were around 5 characters I originally expected nothing but comedic amusement from, who not only delivered on that, but also showed a genuinely interesting and complicated character.

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Doom Closed Alpha Details, Recommended Specs & Trailer Revealed

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Rae Michelle Richards

Fans looking for their next fix of id Software’s upcoming Doom reboot might not have to wait long provided that they purchased or pre-ordered Wolfenstein: The New Order last year.  Id Software and publisher Bethesda have announced a closed alpha set to take place tomorrow through the end of this weekend.

In terms of scope the closed alpha will be quite limited – featuring only one mode (6 vs 6 team deathmatch) and one map called Heatwave. Also don’t expect any extended live-streams or huge let’s plays of this newly announced alpha test as id Software has made it very clear that all testers are bound by an NDA.

Alongside the announcement id has laid out all of the weapons, equipment and the minimum specs (PC) required to run the alpha.  Players will be able to try out a few weapons we saw in action as early as this past E3 including the Super Shotgun and Rocket Launcher as well as the Static Cannon and Plasma Rifle.

If you’re like me and didn’t get into the alpha – at least there a brand new trailer featuring a few quick montages of new deathmatch footage. It seems like this build is very similar to the one that id showed off to the press a few months back at QuakeCon.

[youtube id=”HifJgOossDk”]

Head on over to the full page view after the jump for a detailed breakdown of everything Doom alpha.Read More

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Friday the 13th Game Slashes onto Kickstarter

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Jason Nason

Have you seen the trailer for the new Friday the 13th? I don’t mean the movie, which is due out next February from Paramount Pictures. I mean the game. Yes, there is a game on the way.

Like the 2009 film was kind of a modern retelling of the original 1980 film, this is also a modern video game retelling. Heck, the last Friday the 13th game was for the NES way back in 1989!

So what is Friday the 13th: The Game?

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Turn-Based Wild West Shooting Game Hard West Releasing November 4th

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Broken Joysticks

Developed by CreativeForge Games, a new studio that has made exactly one game before this which I hadn’t heard of before googling them, Hard West is a strange beast. With a gameplay style shown in trailers that is reminiscent of the highly underrated Shadowrun Returns and a rather unique setting for a tactical game, this has been one I’ve been keeping an eye on for a while. And now it’s finally coming out November 4th! Read More

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Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII PC Release Date Moved To December

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Broken Joysticks

Although tentatively set for an Autumn release date, Square Enix has been mostly silent about the PC port of Lightning Returns. This morning however, producer Kitase Yoshinori has announced through twitter that the game port will be delayed and will instead be coming out around December.Read More

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