Tag Archives: Games

TGS 2015, Nintendo’s New President, Halo 5, and Need For Speed – IDL NEWS

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Monday, Monday, Monday.

The day the new week starts and new news starts coming in. E3 is over, Gamescom is over, PAX Prime is over. Tokyo Game show is coming up this weekend, and then the year’s shows should be done. Luckily I’m almost caught up on the news as those shows take up a lot of time. I’m not sure yet if Tokyo Game Show actually has press briefings or not, or if it’s just a game showroom. Will continue to investigate. <- *Update at the bottom*

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Onward though, to news:

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

Night Dive Studios has announced that it will be restoring and publishing modernized versions of Turok 1 and Turok 2. Both Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil will be getting graphical upgrades and other improvements. Unsure yet if this is only PC, or console release.

Mad Max 1080p and the Map Isn’t Finite

Avalanche Studios has revealed that Mad Max is 1080p which is nice to see, as a lot of the games to date on the Xbox One have not been true 1080p. And the map is also not finite.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Release Date

Square Enix and Eido Montreal have announced the release date for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. The sequel to Human Revolution will be released on Feb 23rd, 2016 and is set 2 years after the events of HR, in the year 2029 with augmented people separated from normal residents. I’m super excited for this sequel, and should probably replay the first at some point. Hopefully it’s backwards compatible before February.

Borderlands Backwards Compatibility

Speaking of backwards compatibility, the original Borderlands is among the games that will be backwards compatible day one in the upcoming update in November.

GTA V Online Freemode

GTA V Online is getting a new feature update that will have structured events pop up in the open world for the players to join and play, with entering a lobby first.

Released tomorrow, the goal is to blend the freeform gameplay with structured events that offer rewards. Every 12 minutes in the open world, a new Freemode Event will start, with a countdown alerting players. If you miss the start or opt not to join, you can still spectate. Over 200 variants will be available at launch including cooperative battles, stunt challenges, king of the hill modes, and damage and speed limit tasks. Two new adversarial modes will be made available as well.

Nintendo’s New President

Nintendo has announced that Tatsumi Kimishima, 65, will assume the role of President and Representative Director for the company. The election will be for a 1 year term.

Kimishima’s appointment as the new head of Nintendo comes two months after the sudden death of former president Satoru Iwata from a cancerous bile duct growth. Iwata was 55.

Halo 5’s 60 FPS

SIMG_5039tudio head at 343 Industries has confirmed that Halo 5 will consistently run at 60 frames per second. The goal from the outset was to deliver 60 fps across all game modes. This meant re-engineering the gameplay systems at the core and uses a “progressive resolution system” that scales the games resolution based on what’s on the screen at that time.

“This enables us to deploy resources where they have most impact across a diverse series of experiences throughout the game while delivering the most visually stunning Halo game ever.”

PC Need For Speed Stalls

Ghost Games has announced that the latest PC installment of Need for Speed, titled Need For Speed, has been delayed. Expected to be released alongside its console counterparts in November, the PC version wont be seeing its released until “Spring 2016”.

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Well, that enough news for today I think. Tomorrow we’ll talk about some more news, and new games and deals, and awesome things. Wednesday will be a Metal Gear Solid V wrap up: part 2. More game previews around the corner and then Tokyo Game Show 2015 stuff around the weekend.

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Tokyo Game Show takes place from September 17th-20th, and is getting kicked off with Sony’s keynote tonight at midnight, so I should have a wrap-up later in the week. Sony, Square Enix, and Capcom are some of the main companies in attendance, so there should be some exciting news coming soon.

Stick around!

-iRogan

ACHIEVEMENT OF THE WEEK – Lovers In a Dangerous Spacetime

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Last Tuesday I picked up Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime as my Tuesday game of the week. It’s a fun little co-op game built around relationships and communication, in space. You can check out my review for it here: iReview – Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

The nice thing about the game is it’s designed around co-op, so both participants in the game get achievements, which is nice, and sorely lacking from other co-op games: Rayman, and Chariot, to name a few.

Also, there’s co-op centric achievements, like playing the game in co-op, augmenting a turret while it’s being used by your partner, and having two missile turret weapons collide. All original, fun achievements.

The rest of the game’s achievements are dedicated to defeating bosses, and boss specific actions, and collection types. All pretty expected.

I’ve chosen two achievements of the week though, for this game, and both dedicated to the co-op portion. I chose two because they’re similar: play one way with a friend, and try to play the exact opposite.

Achievement of the Week – Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

106008-hiCouples Dance Lesson – 10G
Pirouette 15 times in a single level.

To get this achievement, you have to cross paths with your partner 15 times during the level. It may not come naturally. Every time the two players cross paths, they perform a little pirouette dance before moving on.

105998-hiCooties – 50G
Finish a level without crossing paths with your partner.

This one is a lot harder to accomplish and will require an effort. Essentially it’s the exact opposite of the achievement above – do not cross paths with your partner. It’s a lot harder than one might think, and both people have to be on the same page to accomplish it – as the levels can get hectic at times.

The rest of the achievements this past 2 weeks were mainly in Lovers, WWE2k15, and Metal Gear Solid V. There was a break for a bit when I went down to PAX 2015.

Wednesday, Sept 2nd – Sunday, Sept 13th

Halo: Master Chief Collection

  • Bro Hammer (Complete any co-op level on Legendary) – 10G
  • Gunslinger (Halo 4: Beat the par score on Dawn) – 10G
  • Dawn (Halo 4: Complete Dawn) – 10G
  • Dark Fortress (Halo 4: Beat the par score on Requiem) – 10G
  • Requiem (Halo 4: Complete Requiem) – 10G
  • Lord of Admirals (Halo 4: Activate Terminal 2 on Forerunner) – 5G

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

  • Awakening (Completed “PROLOGUE: AWAKENING”) – 15G
  • Captured (Captured an outpost or guard post) – 15G
  • Phantom Limbs (Completed “PHANTOM LIMBS”) – 15G
  • Extraction (Fulton extracted an enemy soldier) – 15G
  • Interrogation (Interrogated an enemy soldier) – 15G
  • Undertaken (Completed a SIDE OP) – 15G
  • Platoon (Increased Moth Base staff to 50 or more personnel) – 15G
  • Beekeeper (Completed “WHERE DO BEES SLEEP?”) – 15G
  • To The Rescue (Extracted a female prisoner) – 15G
  • Enhancement (Developed 50 or development items) – 15G
  • Battalion (Increased Mother Base staff to 250 or more personnel) – 15G
  • Cry Havoc (Made D-Dog available for deployment) – 15G
  • Gears Turn (Completed “HELLBOUND”) – 15G
  • Apprentice (Completed a mission using a Combat Unit staff member) – 15G
  • Trusty Steed (Raised bond with D-Horse to the maximum) – 15G

WWE2K15

  • Ringmaster (Strike or wrench an opponent in 5 different chain hold positions) – 15G
  • Tap! Tap! Tap! (Make an opponent tap out with a submission that is not a Signature) – 30G
  • Gas tank never on empty (Win a match without reaching Stamina Level 3) – 15G
  • One foot in the grave (Win a match by a leverage pin) – 15G
  • True Champion (2KShowcase – Complete Hustle, Loyalty, Disrespect) – 20G
  • You’re so desperate! (Win a match using a Desperation Pin) – 15G
  • Read for the big leagues (MyCareer – Completed the NXT part) – 20G

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

  • Romantic Getaway (finish the tutorial) – 10G
  • Seat Warmer (Use every station in a single level) – 10G
  • Generosity (Throw a gem into a station that is being used by another player) – 10G
  • First Date (Beat any level in two player mode) – 10G
  • Clearing the Air (Finish a level after removing all fog of war) – 50G
  • Couples Dance Lessons (Pirouette 15 times in a single level) – 10G
  • Bear-Knuckle Boxing (Defeat Ursa Major) – 50G

Back to newsy type stuff tomorrow, new games Tuesday, What i’M Playing wrap-up, Preview, potentially not a Review (depending how much further I get in MGS V) and all that good stuff.

Bye…

-iRogan

IDL PREVIEW – LawBreaker

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In my ever expanding quest to find new things to write about, I’ve decided to dedicate some time towards a dedicated preview of an upcoming game that catches my fancy.

Weekly I discuss the news when there is some (mostly always), the new releases, a discussion on what I’m currently playing, usually a review, and my achievement of the week. The news usually catches any big updates on a game before its release – but nothing truly fleshed out – and my What i’M Playing feature and iReview catch it afterwards, but I think I’m going to try and dedicate a post to previewing a game, an in-depth preview.; discuss its announcement trailer, gameplay, release, etc. This may not be weekly, but maybe as often as news and games permit. And it’ll really only be for notable games I might find interesting.

This format allows me to slide it under the Features section as well, and allows me to revisit and update the post, if new info comes to light.

I’m basically just broadening my scope, dedicating more time to writing, as the regular news is just relaying the same info you can find anywhere else.

Unique content FTW! Without further ado . . .

LAWBREAKER

Lawbreaker is an upcoming video game developed by Boss Key Productions and published by Nexon. The game will be a free-to-play sci-fi arena shooter. Created by Cliff Bleszinski, formerly of EPIC and Gears of War fame, the game was originally codenamed Project BlueStreak. Expected release date is in 2016.

Boss Key Productions was founded by Bleszinski after he came out of retirement – retirement due feelings of gaming fatigue with gamers, developers and publishers alike.

lawbreakers

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The story goes that due to testing on the moon’s surfaced caused it to be split, and in turn, caused massive damage to Earth due to its gravitational forces, leaving seas churning and the Earth cracking. The effects were so severe that Earth’s gravity never went back to normal. But eventually life went on, and civilization was rebuilt.

After a time of peace, human nature started to return, and the strong started to pick on the weak as they tend to do. The year is 2105 and gangs have started utilizing gravity manipulation to become super strong. The gangs unified across the globe and became knows as the Breakers. Consecutively, Law Enforcement joined forces to fight the threat.

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The game is using the Unreal Engine, as Bleszinski is want to do. And he’s gone back to what he’s done best, arena shooters. The level design is unique, due to the gravity theme, as there’s floating islands and rock formations. Verticality and mobility will obviously play a large role in this game and will feature jet packs, gravity fields and grappling hooks. The three pillars are: guns, gangs, and gravity.

The gameplay trailer features some of the different playable characters. First up:

Kitsune – Assassin/ Gang. She runs around wielding two swords, grappling hook, and energy gun.
Breacher – Gunner/ Law. Breacher features an energy gun, shoulder gun, boost pack, and the trailer shows the ability for him to shoot backwards blindly, over his shoulder, and pistol.
Maverick – Skirmisher/ Gang. This character has a jet pack and almost wings, so he looks more aerial. Hes got a beam chaingun type weapon and throws grenades.
Cronos – Titan/Gang. This is the heavy. He’s a big character with powerful melee and ground smash, Equipped with a rocket launcher, and has the ability to rocket jump.

lawbreakers3.0.0

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Unknown yet is when the true release window is, and if this will be PC exclusive. Stick around for more info.

-iRogan

WHAT i’M PLAYING – MGS V: The Phantom Pain

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Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain – Open World Done Right

I’m currently about a 1/4 of the way through Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and it’s obviously clear to me now, that this is a very large game. I’m sitting at chapter 14 eager to continue, having completed a large handful of side-ops and Mother Base management, but I’m sitting already at 30 hours.

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I picked up the game last Tuesday, and have been dedicating 100% of my free time to it. It’s true what they say in the reviews already published – the game is a masterpiece.

I’ve always been a fan of the Metal Gear Solid franchise, and Hideo Kojima’s vision and humour. I initially jumped in at Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and it is one of the few games that I’ve continued to play though again, every couple of years. I bought the re-release package for the Xbox 360 with Snake Eater as well, but still own both on the PS2.

Kojima’s humour is still evident in V, with the cardboard box, and the animal buddies peeing or defecating. The cutscenes show his flair for direction and the dramatics. My mind is still somewhat blown after the intro sequence, really unable to comprehend what exactly happened, but I digress. The game is a masterpiece.

The style of V is very different from the franchise’s previous iterations. The scope of each new game has broadened. Sons of Liberty was very strict and refined, taking place on a large ship and then an off shore oil rig. Snake Eater broadened the play area and introduced the jungle, survival mechanics, and camouflage. IV, Guns of the Patriots refined the story telling mechanic, opened up the world a bit more with larger map areas, lengthier cut-scenes and new tools to fight the good fight.

V takes it to the next step and drops us in an open world environment in Afganistan fighting against a new army. Full day and night cycle with rotating enemy shifts, and sandstorms. The game is broken up into chapters now, each mission a set story chapter. Side missions are also available to be played at anytime while on the ground. Our Mother Base is our main home base where we can recruit new units and micromanage our finances and weapon development, and our helicopter is our aerial headquarters where we can select the next mission or side op, or manage our base from afar. heading back to Mother Base give us our chance to rejuvenate and progress some of the character story arcs, so it’s a necessity at times.  The story also branches off to Africa, a 2nd map to explore.

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The game’s world is large, and we have the helicopter, or our trusty steed to get us around. The world is also littered with vehicles to commandeer, but note that everyone here hates you, and will shoot on site. The game is stealth espionage after all. The world is definitely not as populated as Grand Theft Auto or Far Cry, as it is the desert after all, but it still has its share of wildlife. It is however, lined with roads and paths, peppered with outposts and bases to attack. Unlimited things to do and collect, or sneak around as we progress through the story.

As Snake, we have resources and weapons and tools at our disposal.  Any of which can be supply dropped at our feet, or funnily enough, on an enemies head; see: Quiet Boss Fight. The favourite box returns, improved now to allow for diagrams, and better mobility; an e-cig allows us to speed up time; even a decoy prop to distract enemies. Bringing into the battle we also have buddies, start with a horse, and then a dog. Even an ally.

Metal Gear Solid V is beyond deep in its mechanics. Its story may suffer as a result, but each mission is its own story, on how you play it through. Hideo Kojima has outdone himself yet again, and its a shame that this may finally be his last MGS game. Sadder still that Konami took his name off the box, after their public fall-out.

I eagerly anticipate getting back into the game, and completing a full robust review, so stick around.

MGSV-afghanistan

-iRogan

WHAT i’M PLAYING/iReview – Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

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Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

“Wanna go to – wanna go to space.”

Publisher: Asteroid Base
Developer: Asteroid Base
Platform: Reviewed on Xbox One
Availability: Out on Xbox One and PC September 8th.

On a whim I picked up Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime last night, as my New Game Tuesday ritual dictates new games forever and always.

I’d previously seen the game at PAX Prime 2015 on display, but didn’t give it its due, instead only acknowledging its existence, and moving on. But after mentioning its launch yesterday in my wrap-up, and watching the trailer, I picked it up.

Sitting down and handing the 2nd controller to the person that lovingly sits beside me, we dove in together to this wonderfully coloured space game about rescuing lost bunnies. The game is part of the ID@Xbox initiative, and is about relationships.

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A relationship between you and your cumbersome spaceship traveling through tight corridors, gravitation orbits and asteroid fields. You must first manage your ship’s movements, but also simultaneously manage your character inside the ship’s interior, running from one terminal to the next, up and down ladders, trying to manage the engine, shield, and 5 different weapon booths.

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“WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT SPACE?
MINE IS SPACE.”

Your view is a side interior shot of an ill designed ship. The steering wheel is in the middle and this maneuvers the engine when maned. The 4 weapon turrets reside at 4 fixed points on the border, in their own rooms. A power weapon, which rotates around the circumference of the ship is controlled in a 5th area. And lastly, there is the flawed shield – only covering about a quarter of the ship’s hull – and, again, is controlled from a separate corridor. You are well tooled to fight space, but are drastically understaffed. Crucial decisions are constantly being made in where to sit.

Because of these choices, the game is also about human relationships. Play with a friend or loved one, and you’ll both assume your astronaut roles, and together must wrestle the clunky ship through space and enemies alike. Success hinges a lot on communication, but almost instinctually, you might find that you’ve resigned yourself to a set routine – one controlling the weapons, the other controlling the engine and the shield when in defense, and a spare turret when overwhelmed. Sometimes it doesn’t work out as smooth, especially when utterly surrounded or on the run, and this is when the game gets frantic. In solo mode, you’re tasked with commanding the AI buddy around to man certain stations.

“WELL TOOLED TO FIGHT SPACE, BUT ARE DRASTICALLY UNDERSTAFFED”

As you find and save the kidnapped bunnies, and progress through each level you can find upgrade gems for the ship and terminals, and each gem can augment its respective station in unique ways. Power gems add more power or higher frequency turrets; Beam gems will change the weapon to a beam type or change the engine to a beam propulsion engine; the Metal gem with change the weapon into a morning star type or change the shield into a metal spiked shield, or augment the engine to lay spike traps in your wake. The game encourages experimentation as each terminal supports a gem, and upgrades to your ship will eventually allow dual gem augments, adding more variety.

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The game is equally fun and stressful, colourful and challenging. Make sure you bring a loving partner along for the ride, as this is a game best played in pairs, but even then, love is far from guaranteed.

-For those who like bunnies, stressful micromanagement games, or doing pirouettes aboard a space ship.

Notable Achievements
Space-man’s Best Friend (Beat any level with the help of your trusty space-pet) – 10G
Cooties (Finish a level without crossing paths with your partner) – 50G

-iRogan