With titles like No Man’s Sky just being released this week, you’d figure it would be difficult to be anyone else. That’s not the case with Acttil Steam release of Ray Gigant which is still holding strong on the popular new releases list. Originally released for the PlayStation Vita, the game sees players tackling a visual novel story with dungeon crawling elements included. If that isn’t enough to grab your attention, the story feels like an interesting mix between Neon Genesis Evangelion (without the mecha) and almost a Percy Jackson vibe as you join with others who have powers given by a mysterious power known as Yorigami. Potentially you could even compare it to Pacific Rim with how the aliens just pop up and are classified. The characters are part of a school which seems to just be there to support these gifted individuals to fight back against these aliens who are called Gigants.
Combat in the game itself is turn based and the story itself plays out very well between the cast. At least the bit I’ve played so far doesn’t feel sluggish which I really appreciated for a more action based title. I’m really digging the feel of the story and clearly it’s piqued Steam users curiosity as well. That and the artwork is just beautiful! Both in battle and overall.
When you combine that with the fact that the game is 40% off until August 17th, it’s certainly a risk worth taking. The only complaint I’ve heard so far is so possibly some issues with the music not syncing up with the rhythm game section some battles have, but even that doesn’t seem to be a major issue. At $17.99 USD, it’s been a fun ride so far and I’ll be releasing a review in the coming future.
After following id Software’s DOOM revival for more than two years I finally got the chance to chew through the lengthy campaign for this reimagining of the 1990s FPS classic. While the reception of the game’s multiplayer component have been met mostly with jeers the single player surprised critics and fans alike. Now that the game is available at hefty discounts should you reenlist with the United Aerospace Corporation or sit this one out?
Unlike the over decade’s old Doom III this new DOOM is well aware of why fans are going to be playing this game’s single player: to brutally murder hordes of demons in several different spectacular splat fests, collect an ever expanding array of over the top weapons, sprawling levels and at the end of the adventure do battle with a larger than life CyberDemon that commands the forces of Hell. The developers didn’t try to fit the existing DOOM franchise into a new mold – in contrast to Doom III’s survival horror inspired design decisions, this new DOOM embraces its gory roots and plays it up with an almost comedic effect.
One again dawning the iconic green armor of one of the FPS mainstays..no not Master Chief… but the grandfather of all other Space Marines DoomGuy. Throughout the 9 – 12 hour campaign (it took me about 10 hours to beat single-player on the medium difficulty) DoomGuy will explore several different compartments of the UAC facility on Mars where a portal to hell has caused hundreds of the damned to flood the halls of this technological wonder. Unlike other titles in the DOOM series this particular game doesn’t begin with a version of the UAC Mars Facility prior to the demonic invasion – instead, DoomGuy will pick up a pistol within the first 15 seconds of beginning the single player and immediately starts slaying Demons to pumping rock music.
Destroying the forces has never felt as satisfying as it has in 2016’s DOOM, this has a lot to do with just how id Software has improved upon the combat systems of old to make them fresh while keeping in things like the over the top violence that makes this reimagining distinctively DOOM. Typically the DoomGuy will take on encounters of 5 – 10 demons with several more waves spawning once the previous group has been destroyed. Unlike other games in the franchise, enemies will flash bright orange or blue if you’ve defeated them quickly enough. Rushing forward and clicking the right stick while this flashing animation will have the DoomGuy perform a “gory kill” – which can range from ripping off an enemy’s arms and beating them with them or ripping out a demon’s entrails and feeding them to them. Yes they are gruesome, and they do get repetitive but the gory kills can provide absolutely necessary extra health to DoomGuy during the middle of an encounter.
The other thing that makes the combat in this game so satisfy in the weaponry. A lot of the DOOM classics return – the pistol, the shotgun, the super shotgun, the pulse rifle and the BFG 9000 to just name a few but iD Software has once again outdone themselves by adding a bevy of secondary modes and modifications for each weapon. While playing challenges will passively be completed throughout the campaign awarding “weapon upgrade” points that can be spent on your arsenal. A standard set of enhancements will be available right from the get-go, such as enhanced magazines and quicker reload speeds but what really makes the weapon upgrade system so robust is the inclusion of modifications. By locating weapon drones in each level DoomGuy can unlock a set of modifications for each weapon. These modifications range from placing an explosive barrel underneath the shotgun to equipping the heavy machine gun with a scope – giving you options that allow you to deal with both up-close groups and far away targets. One of the best parts of the weapons modification system is that once you’ve unlocked multiple of them for a single weapon you can easily swap them with the press of the D-Pad.
With its focus on quick paced combat and first person platforming, it might not sound like DOOM is a game that you’d want to play for the story but id Software has actually spent a considerable time crafting the world of DOOM. Upon completing levels players will unlock dossiers on iconic enemies like the Pinky Demon, Cyber Demon, Hell Knight, Imps ,and others – these dossiers not only flesh out the traits & mechanics of these enemies but also does quite a lot to inform players about the societal structure of hell. Particular attention should be paid to the in-game narrative cutscenes and hidden PDAs contained in the levels because the sci-fi narrative about a mysterious corporation helmed by the first sentient artificial intelligence. For what could have been a throwaway narrative designed to simply introduce reasons for the DoomGuy to slaughter the minions of Hell, I found the narrative quite engaging.
DOOM’s single-player is a damning critique of the 4-hour campaigns we’ve seen in other FPS titles, whether that was id Software’s intention is debatable. What is clear is that they’ve taken the time to craft a very detailed science fiction universe for a franchise that is known more for splattering demon’s brains against the wall than it is for its storytelling. By marrying an optional rich world. gunplay that provides dozens of tools and upgrades to explore, the series’ trademark gore and large levels with dozens of secrets iD Software has managed to create a campaign that is nearly double the length of its competition and demands to be replayed. Finding all of the secrets can be daunting and failing a demon encounters on higher difficulties a few times can be frustrating but none of that detracts from just how slick of a package that DOOM’s single player is.
I like survival games. Day Z, and ARK, are a part of my regular rotation of play. I like even more the battle royal homages, that usually come with these games. Games like H1Z1 King of the Kill, and The Culling have spilt these off in to their own games, with great success. Now its time to see if that formula can transition to the world of low-rez 2d.
The game
PQUBE Ltd is bringing its game Hunger Dungeon to Steam Greenlight. A 1-6 player round-based Multiplayer Online Battle Arena game. It aims to bring the excitement and fun of battle royal to a less graphical interface.
So with out further talk lets enter a cutthroat arena with more than 10 heroes to choose from, including the Skeleton Assassin, the Cunning Profiteer, Cat Ninja, Princess Ranger, and Black Knight.
Unlock new heroes as you progress, each with unique skills allowing for different tactics to always have the advantage over your opponents! Mix and match skill scrolls and equipment between rounds to optimize your build. Additional added effects are available for you to create your personal combat tactics.The victor of the final round takes all. Scheme and strategize carefully for your grand victory! The game will be free-to-play and premium. Premium players will have access to additional characters and equipment.
Features
2D battle style
Free-to-play and premium players play together
Up to 6 player online matches
A roster of distinctive characters
Skins for each individual character
30+ customizable skill scrolls
40+ customizable equipment
40+ stages to explore
Epic boss fights
Sure looks great! check out the trailer and the green light page and follow the game on social media!
After launching our first title on the Nintendo Wii U, Ratalaika Games is breaking into the portable market on the Nintendo 3DS. After several months of development, Defend your Crypt will be released in the Nintendo eShop tomorrow. The game will be released simultaneously in the Nintendo eShop for both the 3DS and Wii U, in North America as well as Europe.
In addition to the Nintendo eShop, Defend Your Crypt will be available on the same day on PC via Steam in a package that includes the game, the original soundtrack, and a few extras.
Is Mountain a form of modernism or a screensaver? On one hand, Mountain offers a serene landscape and a breathtaking view of a mountain. On the other hand, it ages and becomes its own identity. Mountain lets you look at all sides and the more you look, the more it grows. What sets this mountain apart from other games? A game that offers no control of the outcome, but draws you in.
Mountain was created by David O’Reilly and is a relaxing simulator where its art is defined as not just art, but art horror. Why is it considered art horror? The art is understandable but why horror? We will go into that a little later. If you are a fan of the movie Her, then you might have seen David O’Reilly’s work. The game’s the main protagonist plays are a collection of his works. Unfortunately, those games you cannot play. So instead, David O’Reilly gives us Mountain, a small taste of what he has stored up in his head.
When we think about games we think of a range of things: full controller support, saving, music and sound effects, progression, character design, story, begin and end, protagonist and antagonist, etc.. While this game has some of those elements, it boasts a whole new mindset to instill into the player.
Upon entering the game you are greeted with a very lush and green hill top. Sound effects in the background of blowing wind or chirping birds may come up and clouds blowing past. You spin this hunk of land and you see nothing but a normal looking mountain . You look underneath this massive landmark and you see gravel and foundation. This mountain is floating in space and is surrounded by an aura to keep in the atmosphere.
Overtime, it may rain or snow, but you soon realize that is just a common thing that happens naturally. This is everything you see in the first minutes of game play.
Once you realize that you can’t do anything but look at this monument, you leave it on in the background thinking you might have just bought a screensaver.
Suddenly, a thought pops up in the upper left-hand corner. Some omnipresent being is having a thought while observing.
As the time passes and music cues in, you start to realize things that were not there before. Your mountain starts growing new things and evolving into its own identity.
This is one of the game’s unique features. Once you start the game, you cannot start it over. Each mountain is unique to the gamer. As it slowly spins, more things show up on it. The longer you have the program running the older the mountain becomes.
My mountain is in its infancy, so there is a giant toy block to represent its age. At night, little pixies dance in the trees. It has an adorable look to it. If the day is clear, then the omnipresent voice might type how it wishes to share this with somebody. When the day is rainy and dreary, the voice might express matching emotions, which gives you mixed feelings of who this lonely person is.
After every new dawn, you are greeted to a chime and the game saves for you making sure you did not lose any progress as you leave the game open. Thus, the cycle continues.
What makes this game different from other simulation type games. I think it has something to do with an underlining story and you are the audience watching it unfold. Instead of naturally progressing the game yourself, you are reading this story as it is happening, almost like raising a child.
I think that is where the horror comes in. For new parents, it is a crazy ride and you don’t know what to expect. The danger and fear around every corner and not knowing what will happen next. You may have limited control, but you just have to take it day by day. The messages you get are an inner monologue and interpretation of what a child may be thinking as it sees the world through its eyes. The mountain grows as it ages, like a child would and if you stop watching for a moment something amazing might happen. Art is supposed to be interpreted several hundred ways and this is what I see.
For a game that is only $0.99, I recommend giving it a shot. See what bundle of joy you can create and leave a snapshot in the comments below!
Great news for photo journalists who happen to have a knack for taking selfies with the undead, Capcom has announced that the original Dead Rising will be slashing its way onto Windows PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 later this year. Alongside the release of the original Capcom will also bring Dead Rising 2 and it’s spin-off Dead Rising 2: Off The Record to PS4 and Xbox One as well.
Here is a brief statement that Capcom issued to Eurogamer about the upcoming ports:
“Capcom will be bringing Dead Rising to Xbox One, PS4 and PC. In addition, Dead Rising 2 and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record will make their way onto Xbox One and PS4. We will have more news to share soon.”
All of these announcements were made ahead of the upcoming Christmas release for Dead Rising 4, which for a full year will be an Xbox One + Windows 10 exclusive following its release. We got the chance to check out over six minutes of extended gameplay at E3 with a developer walkthrough. If you want to see what we saw, head on over to our video preview from last month.
The original Dead Rising was released for the Xbox 360 in the summer of 2006 and pretty much stayed an exclusive on that platform save for a down-scaled motion controlled port released for the Wii in February 2009.
Dead Rising 2 marked a shift in development from an in-house Japanese Capcom team to the Vancouver, BC based Capcom Vancouver (formally Blue Castle Games) in 2010. Dead Rising 2: Off the Record a retelling of the events of Dead Rising 2 but staring Frank West from the original title was released a year later on PS3/360 and PC. Dead Rising 3 was an Xbox One / PC exclusive and never made the jump to the PlayStation 4.
It sounds like Capcom has some big plans for its undead series in 2016. Speaking of the undead, this year also marked the release of several ports of Resident Evil games on Xbox One and PS4 a head of the surprise reveal of Resident Evil 7.
Ty Taylor‘s unique take on the match 3 puzzle formula, Tumblestone, is now available for free to all Xbox Live Gold subscribers on Xbox One and we got a chance to ask him a few questions. In our brief discussion we talked about what it was like to work with Microsoft on Games With Gold, the local Seattle indie games scene and what Ty’s plans are for the game post launch.
Ty Taylor of The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild with his game, The Bridge.
Broken Joysticks: How does it feel to have Tumblestone finally complete and about to be in the hands of potentially millions of players?
Ty Taylor: It’s certainly nearing complete! We’re still working 20-hour days to put as much into the game as we can, fix any last bugs, and just generally polish the game. I’ve been so busy it seems I haven’t really had time to stop and reflect on the project’s soon completion. In terms of number of players, that’s always an interesting and surreal experience. I remember with The Bridge, on our first Steam sale with a front-page feature, we sold nearly 90,000 copies in one day. I opened up a picture of the Seattle soccer stadium that was at full capacity with around 70,000 people, and I ended up starring at that for about an hour. More people had bought my game in one day than people in that picture, and that visualization was literally paralyzing. I try not to think about it at that scale. I try to think about it at an individual level. If my games can make a single person feel smarter, smile, laugh, grow a friendship…then it’s worthwhile. Having that effect on millions of individuals is just millions of times more rewarding.
Broken Joysticks: What was the experience of collaborating with Microsoft like? Did you ever expect Tumblestone to be chosen for Games With Gold?
Ty Taylor: Microsoft has been pretty excited about Tumblestone since early on. It helps considerably that I live and work 10 minutes away from the Xbox (and Nintendo, and Valve) headquarters, so I somewhat regularly see these people at local Seattle game developer events and can talk to them and show them updates on Tumblestone, but more importantly, they can watch other people play Tumblestone. The game has this magic to it that is hard to describe, but when we take it to events like PAX, it gets huge crowds and so much enthusiasm that is contagious. Microsoft themselves has sponsored the game at six different shows, even though there is a soft rule where they usually only sponsor an ID@Xbox game at a show one time. When I started having conversations with them about Games with Gold, I definitely got the feeling that Microsoft was already extremely interested in the prospect.
Four player competitive mode of Tumblestone.
Broken Joysticks: What can players expect in terms of post launch support and release on other platforms?
Ty Taylor: No software is ever free of bugs or issues, and we’ll fix them as they come in on all platforms. Updating Steam is something we can do in a matter of hours. Updating the game on consoles is a bit more of a hassle, but we will likely patch each game with some minor touch-ups and bug fixing/usability fixing/balancing a handful of times after launch as needed. And we’re still going to be working on it. My philosophy is to release on as many platforms as I possibly can, and while that is unfortunately not happening at the first launch, platforms such as mobile and micro-consoles are on our radar within the next year. If the game is well-received, we might even consider some sort of DLC packages for it down the line.
If you own an Xbox One make sure to grab the game on the Xbox Store, if you’re playing on PC the game is available on the Steam Store. Congratulations to Ty and his team on completing the game!
Virtual Reality has been available to consumers on PC after years in development. While the system requirements can be a little daunting, new mainstream video cards like the Radeon RX480 and upcoming Geforce 1060 are helping to ease the pain on both owner’s wallets and their system’s power supplies. When it comes to the choice of headsets potential VR early adaptors have quite a few options – there are the rather expense HTC VIVE and Oculus Rift, probably the two biggest names in Head Mounted Displays, but other alternatives also exist. You can get a comparable experience out of mid-tier headsets like the Razer HDK and other Open Source VR-compliant devices that will be just as immersive without handing over an entire month’s rent.
The HDK Versus The Competition
From a technical standpoint Razer’s current Hacker Development Kit (HDK) V1.4 won’t go blow for blow with the hardware on offer from the big names in the VR space but what it does provide is a stable and enjoyable VR experience complete with 3-Dimensional positional tracking at almost half of the price of other VR solutions. It should be noted that the HDK, as it’s name implies, is aimed primarily at developers & hardware hackers who are comfortable getting a little dirty with the small parts that make the device work.
Razer HDK V1.4
Oculus Rift CV1
HTC VIVE
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080 (960×540 per eye)
2160 x 1200(1080×1200 per eye)
2160 x 1200 (1080×1200 per eye)
Screen Refresh Rate
60HZ
90HZ
90HZ
Positional Tracking
Yes
Yes
Yes
Room Tracking
No
No
Yes – via Lighthouse modules
Open Source Drivers
Yes
No – Closedcommercialdrivers
No – Closedcommercialdrivers
Steam VR Support
Yes * With additional software download
Yes – out of the box support forSteamVR
Yes – out of the box support forSteamVR
MSRP
$299 USD
$599 USD
$799 USD
Setting Up Your HDK Step 1: Getting The Core Drivers
Using the OSVR HDK isn’t as easy as simply plugging the headset into your computer and expecting it to work. You are going to need one of two packages in order to make use of your OSVR – either the “OSVR Core” package which includes the server software needed to connect the headset to your PC or the “OSVR Runtime Package” which includes the aforementioned OSVR server but also drivers, an IR tracking program designed to test the infra-red camera and “Direct 3D demo” which is an interactive simple demonstration program designed to make sure the headset is working correctly.
Snag either the full runtime package or core builds right here.
Setting Up Your HDK Step 2: Steam VR Integration
SteamVR integration, that is playing games on the OSVR headset using Valve’s open API approach to VR isn’t as easy as downloading the SteamVR package, but it is pretty painless if you can follow some simple steps.
Make sure your Steam install is up-to-date and that you are logged in.
Go to Library and then select “Tools” and search for SteamVR.
Install the standard version of SteamVR package – which is a 1100 MB download.
Within the directory structure of the OSVR SteamVR plugin zip file find the SteamVR-OSVR/lib/openvr folder
Extract the OSVR folder to %ProgramFiles(x86)%\Steam\steamapps\common\SteamVR\drivers\osvr\bin \win32″ if you are using the default Steam file structure.
Hook-up your VR headset, Run the OSVR server and get ready to enjoy some great VR content.
Optional Step 3: Headtracking and SBS (Side-By-Side) For Non-VR Games
If you are looking to experience some of your favorite titles in Virtual Reality but they don’t natively support OSVR/SteamVR you have a few choices to make your game of choice playable on your headset. Essentially there are two components that go into this: ensuring your content is displayed on the headset correctly and adding in optional head tracking to the game so that your view moves with your headset in first person games, for example.
For Viewing Content:
Steam packs in a free “Steam Theatre” mode that you can activate with any non-SteamVR game by left clicking on the game in your library and selecting “Play In SteamVR”. The SteamVR theatre essentially makes it appear as if your content is being displayed on a large screen in front of you.
Use a paid program like Tridef Ignition to split the image into two distinct halves. As of the writing of this guide Tridef does not support “direct mode” rendering – that is sending the image directly to your headset, you’ll have to display content in “extended mode”. Tridef also does not support lens distortion so your image may be cut off when viewed through the OSVR without some sort of barrel distortion add-on like SweetFX running on top of Tridef.
Use a free program on the Steam Store like Big Screen Beta to display the content of your monitor (or Monitors if in Extended) in a virtual environment. Like Steam Theatre mode this won’t support all titles and may have some lag.
For Headtracking
I highly recommend FreePIE for your head tracking needs, it is an open source fork of GlovePIE and allows your computer to take one form of input and translate it into another. The most common use of this software is to translate the head tracking movement from the OSVR headset and map it to the mouse for use in games like Fallout 4, Skyrim and other first person titles.
Below is the headtracking script that I personally use for non VR titles – more scripts, including one that uses a Wiimote for headtracking, check out this forum thread:
## change z or x to any key board key you want.
toggle = keyboard.getPressed(Key.Z)
toggleoff = keyboard.getPressed(Key.X)
## you can bind this key to a mouse button by changing this to
## toggle = mouse.middleButton
## or you can just bind z to a mouse key useing your mouse key software
## please change this script to how ever you like.
if toggle:
enabled = not enabled
off = 0
if toggleoff:
off = not off
The Future For VR Hardware?
To say that Virtual Reality is in its infancy would be an understatement – none of the headsets listed in this article, even the OSVR have been on the market for six months. VR is an evolving experience that manufacturers and developers are still exploring – some headsets offer resolutions beyond Full HD, while others limited room sensing which enables players to walk around a physical environment. A VR experience in 2016 may feel nothing like the VR experiences of 2018 or even sooner, before making the leap into VR potential owners should be well aware that regardless of your choice in hardware there is a chance within the next 24 months that new expensive headset could be outclassed by the competition or even replaced with a newer model. Oculus has gone on record stating that it could be a while before we see the second generation headsets from them however.
Razer has already announced the OSVR HDK 2 – a fully upgraded headset that features a higher resolution screen among other enhancements. The display resolution of OSVR2 is exactly the same as the Oculus Rift & HTC Vive – 2160 x 1200 – providing an impressive 441 PPI and optimized for 90hz. The HDK2’s impressive display does come at a financial cost – it is priced at $399 USD – $100 more than the 1.4 and as of the writing of this article is currently on back-order.
Useful Community Resources
The OSVR community is alive and well and if you’re new to the community you might wonder where you can get some help with your headset or just catch up on the latest developments within the Open Source Virtual Reality movement. Below are a few of the key sites that I feel every OSVR HDK owner should check out, regardless if they are a developer or not. Thanks for reading my guide to the OSVR Headset, please look forward to more videos and instructional guides surrounding VR in the coming weeks.
Completely reinventing the Match-3 genre, containing fast-paced action-puzzle multiplayer gameplay as well as a deep and cerebral single-player mode, Tumblestone arrives in the Wii U eShop today.
Tumblestone is being billed as the first original action-puzzle game of the past fifteen years. The game has the standard online and local multiplayer but also has a single player story mode. The story mode is said to boast a 40+ hour campaign that will test your puzzle-solving prowess. The game also features more than ten gameplay modifiers, challenge puzzles, and boss battles.
Check out a trailer for the game below, as well as some screens from the puzzler. In addition to the Wii U eShop, the game is also being released on the Xbox Live and on Steam today. Some last minute technical issues has delayted the PS4 digital release. While there is no price listed on Steam or PlayStation, the game is set to retail for $24.99 USD / $27.99 CAD in the Wii U eShop. The game will also be released in stores at a future date.
Idea Factory International’s latest fourth wall breaking, self referential JRPG Hyper Dimension Neptunia VII is now available on Steam for Windows PC. Neptunia VII sees the return of several key characters from the console wars of GamesIndustri – heroine Neptunia, medic Compa and Neptune’s little sister Nepgear.
Neptunia VII brings several new features to the franchise including the ability for characters to link up for joint attacks allowing your party to reduce enemy stats and enter ‘Giant Battles’. Unlike other titles in the franchise VII actually tells three different interconnecting narratives across three different scenarios.
I reviewed the PlayStation 4 version of+ this game last November when it was released on PS4. The Steam version comes in three different flavors, each with additional bonus items:
Neptunia VII Steam Version
Neptunia VII Digital Deluxe – Steam Key + Artbook + OST
2011 was a big year for a lot of people. Many huge events happened that year, so it can be forgiven if you didn’t notice Flying Wild Hog publishing their love story to old school atmospheric cyber punk shooters, which they called Hard Reset. The game was a love story to the old slower paced atmospheric shooter. No regenerating health, a boat load of weapons, and a complex story that involves tons of cut scenes in a comic book style of narrative. Now they are back with Hard Reset Redux.
This game has a story but if you asked me what it was I wouldn’t be able to tell you, not because the story wasn’t good, but because I was way too busy killing robots with the games insane array of weapons to pay attention to it. I am reasonably sure most gamers could entirely skip the cut scenes (and no doubt many will) and still derive the same amount of intense enjoyment that I did from blasting robots and giant bosses.
Look at the size of this one!
If you have ever playedPainkiller, or you are familiar with the work of people can fly (bullet storm), then you can expect a lot more of the same out of this game. Its basically a simple formula played out well in an expansive world that we really don’t get to know much about. Hordes of enemies swarm our protagonist who has but a load of guns to beat them back with. These guns are fantastically unique, and none of them really just “shoot bullets” but instead might shot lightning, homing rockets, or even create a mine that site on the ground waiting for an enemy to come.
What you will not find in this game, is cover, regenerating health, or any of the other trappings of most modern shooters. This is a classic FPS, one that had it come out in the late 90s would have been called a Doom clone. You are big, strong and fast, you have many weapons, and must kill many enemies. Are you getting the idea yet? That is what this game is, it’s a classic scifi romp through the long hallways of shooter history. At a time like this that’s full of generic yearly installments off the same set of games, this type of game play is so refreshing.
Enemies in this game are vicious, one of the biggest improvements from classic to redux is enemy AI, placement, and types. Players of the original hard reset redux will remember enemies chasing them across entire levels. That still happens. I can’t count the number of times I retreated desperately looking for a health pick, running back towards the levels start. Only to take a shot in the back from a pursuing enemy. AI is restless but not plagued by the problems it had in Hard Reset. Most of which were simple clumping issues. Often I would run in to a room of 20 or 30 enemies and simply be hard stuck, having to kite away and try to pull one or two at a time to kill them.This has mostly been fixed in the new game. I no longer feel like I have to pull enemies, kiting is still very necessary, but that’s just the kind of game this is.
You can shoot Chain Lightning from the NRG
Most of your time is going to be spent going back and forth and shooting. That being said I still died. Like a lot. Not Dark Souls level, but way more than most FPS games. I consider myself to be pretty good at FPS games. Hard Reset Redux made me reconsider that notion.
Though many players may think at the start they get only two weapons, the game actually provides a huge diversity of weapons via the “modes” these two guns can change in to. The CLN (read like clean) and NRG (energy) are the two bases of your arsenal. On top of this you get sort of like mods, where you upgrade the guns to shoot grenades, rockets, rail gun shots, chain lightning, or shields. There is a dizzying diversity of different things your two base guns can do. The modes for the guns are able to be changed on the fly, so there is really no worry of being locked in to one weapon. I found myself mostly using the rail gun feature of the NRG weapon and the rocket launching capabilities of the CLN.
This ended up being my play style but some players may opt for better or more configurations or just to try different things sometimes to kill larger swarms. Redux also adds a super powerful melee attack in the form of a “cyber katana”. I found it next to useless, but some players may appreciate the classic melee style combat system of slash, slash, slash. It is a really cool weapon, but I feel its totally unneeded.
Upgrades to the gun are unlocked with the games in game currency “nano” which you get for killing stuff. Dead enemies drop a wealth of items, which shine with pretty particle effects. Drops are quite abundant, and I really appreciate that in each of the games levels there is at least one Doom style secret room, usually full of armor and nano. There are no shortages of money sinks in this game either. Frequently you will encounter terminals that offer you upgrades, to your gun, health, shield, and armor.
The bulk of the game can’t be played without grabbing some of these upgrades so killing the hordes of enemies has a real tangible feel to it. Each upgrade makes you a little bit stronger. While its not that satisfying major power boost like you would get with say, Diablo III, it still feels good.
Boss fights are major productions, like Zelda but with guns. I was actually able to capture a whole boss fight at PAX east, and you can see that video here. I didn’t get to play that boss fight but what I got from watching it was the sense of scale, the player is this lone warrior left, fighting the huge mega army of almost never ed
The major attractor here is going to be the old school run and gun gameplay. If you were a fan of say Doom, or Star Wars Dark Forces, this game is going to feel like home. Its easy to settle in here play a level or two and forget that its 2016, where most shooters have to have regenerating health, and a classes you select from the start, and multiplayer.
The game never sells itself out in this respect; you get what’s on the box, a shooter in the style of old school shooters. There aren’t any turret sequences, there aren’t any escort missions, this is a game devoted to the art of old school shooters. If you like me enjoy the feeling of playing a walking human tank, then this game is going to be right up your alley.
I often found myself feeling giddy after each fight, as I would run around collecting the glowing leavings on my just finished carnage. The Redux version of the game has a brand new graphics engine, and it shows. Textures are tighter, lighting is a bit toned down (it is after all cyber punk) and the AI is much improved.
Slow movement form the original redux has been removed, and the player now zips around a rate somewhere between Master Chief and Doom Guy. Players now move faster than the robot hordes, and so its easier to kite enemies. There is also the silly cyber katana to use if you get in close.
So if your looking for an old school shooter, that feels right out of blade runner, has a cool diversity of weapons, huge boss fights, and an awesome world, Hard Rest Redux is probably for you. If you were a fan of Pain Killer or Serious Sam, this is the type of game you will love. These games have become few and far between with the prominent style of shooter switched over to the more modern cover based or fast COD like shooter, so its refreshing to see a AAA effort at an older style. I think this game is worth playing even if you played the first version. That’s just how much difference the upgrades have made. Just be prepared for a few frustrating moments of crap I died again, and some massive hang ups at boss fights!
THROUGHOUT STEAM’S SUMMER SALE, I WILL BE REVIEWING GAMES THAT ARE RIPE FOR THE PICKING. THESE GAMES ARE HIDDEN GEMS THAT I THINK WOULD BE WORTH YOUR TIME AND HARD EARNED LUNCH MONEY. SOME GAMES WILL BE NEW AND SOME WILL BE OLDER TITLES, BUT ALL GAMES WILL BE ON SALE AND THAT IS TRULY WHAT MATTERS. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET US MEET OUR NEXT CONTESTANT!
ONE FINGER DEATH PUNCH PLATFORM: PC, XBOX 360, IOS, ANDROID DEVELOPER: SILVER DOLLAR GAMES
PUBLISHER: SILVER DOLLAR GAMES & MOBIRIX (ANDROID, IOS)
RELEASE DATE: MAR 3, 2014
MSRP: $4.99 SALE: (50% OFF) $2.49
One Finger Death Punch is not your typical action & beat ’em up game. It is much, much more than that. This gory and fast paced game has one of the most simplistic controls for any game. There are two buttons you need to push for ultimate glory; left key and right key. One Finger Death Punch was Microsoft’s Dream.Build.Play grand prize winner in 2012. If you read my last review, this makes two games that Microsoft truly helped this project get off the ground. created by the team at Silver Dollar Games, this is their first game created and they certainly set the bar high for themselves. Let us dive in and see what makes this game so grand and soon the student will become the master.
THROUGHOUT STEAM’S SUMMER SALE, I WILL BE REVIEWING GAMES THAT ARE RIPE FOR THE PICKING. THESE GAMES ARE HIDDEN GEMS THAT I THINK WOULD BE WORTH YOUR TIME AND HARD EARNED LUNCH MONEY. SOME GAMES WILL BE NEW AND SOME WILL BE OLDER TITLES, BUT ALL GAMES WILL BE ON SALE AND THAT IS TRULY WHAT MATTERS. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET US MEET OUR NEXT CONTESTANT!
DUST: AN ELYSIAN TAIL PLATFORM: PC, MAC, LINUX, XBOX 360, PS4, IOS
CREATED BY: DEAN DODRILL DEVELOPER: HUMBLE HEARTS
PUBLISHER: MICROSOFT STUDIOS COMPOSER: HYPERDUCK SOUNDWORKS
RELEASE DATE: AUG 15, 2012
MSRP: $14.99 SALE: (80% OFF) $2.99
Dust: An Elysian Tail is an Action-Platform-RPG. Dean Dodrill, a self-taught animator and illustrator. Other than the soundtrack and ADR, as well as a few parts in the story, Dean programmed and designed the whole game. Dodrill submitted his concept to Microsoft’s Dream.Build.Play Challenge in 2009 and won. He would spend over three years following the competition to bring this game to life. With his release, Dust: An Elysian Tail was met with universal praise. High scores across all outlets and even Steam community gives it an Overwhelming Positive rating with over 12,000 reviews. So does Dust: An Elysian Tail live up to this grade? Lets find out!
Bandai Namco’s Tekken 7 PC Release will be available in Early 2017 via Steam. Confirmation of this comes as the official Steam Page for the game has gone live – you can view it right here.
During Microsoft’s E3 press conference the game was confirmed for both Windows PC & Xbox One with a trailer showcasing a battle between long time series antagonist Heihachi and new guest character, Street Fighter’s Akuma.
Tekken 7 is also expected to be released on PlayStation 4, although the publisher only had the Xbox One version of the game on display at E3, which we got the chance to play.
Here is the official description of Tekken 7 from the Steam Page:
Love, Revenge, Pride. Everyone has a reason to fight. Values are what define us and make us human, regardless of our strengths or weaknesses. There are no wrong motives, just the paths we choose to take.
Experience the epic conclusion of the Mishima clan and unravel the reasons behind each step of their ceaseless fight. Powered by Unreal Engine 4, TEKKEN 7 features stunning story-driven cinematic battles and intense duels that can be enjoyed with friends and rivals alike through innovative fight mechanics.
Capcom’s take the team based competitive FPS, set in the Resident Evil universe, Umbrella Corps, has only been available for a little more than 24 hours and it seems like overall response from the community can be summed up as a collective “meh”.
Over on the Steam user reviews section Umbrella Corps has been met with 67% of reviews bearing a ‘negative’ rating. In order to leave a review for a game users must have it in their Steam library, which means the visible reviews on the Umbrella Corps page reflect the opinion of players who have at least some time into the shooter.
Some have complained of broken aiming when using a mouse & keyboard as well as limited in game options:
Others have said that movement feels rather clunky, the over-the-shoulder camera feels limiting and that the mouse anchors in the middle of the screen:
In terms of server population players are finding that there are less than 300 concurrent players on at one time, at least for the PC version. Others have noted that Capcom has pretty muched butchered the marketing of this game with little in the way of advertisements, trailer spots or other pre-release hype. When we visited Capcom’s booth at E3 the game was nowhere to be found and instead the company had a large booth dedicated to the newly unveiled Resident Evil 7.
This post from Reddit sums up Capcom’s marketing failure when it has come to Umbrella Corps quite well:
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So, In the end did Capcom know that they were sitting on a turd of a game and that is why they chose not to throw any marketing muscle behind it? If you’ve played Resident Evil: Umbrella Corps please let us know your experience with the game in the comments section. I am probably going to steer clear of this game, I got burned with Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City a few years back and the low server population does not instill confidence that this game has any staying power – although, from the look of things it barely rose from the grave.
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