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The Behemoth’s Game 4 will officially be known as Pit People

Posted on July 8, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Slightly more than a year after it was first announced, The Behemoth has finally settled on an actual name for Game 4, their upcoming strategy RPG for the PC and Xbox One. Ready? Here it comes…

“Game 4 will henceforth be known as Pit People.” Confused? I’ll let the developer explain:

The Pit is the place where our story’s heroes get a fresh start in life! It’s basically what you and I know more commonly as an arena.

Pit People was the name written on the original concept sketch that started it all. Every interaction took place in an arena. Over time, adventuring became a big part of the game. However, a key moment in the story now occurs in the Pit, and so the name remained! In the end, we’re in the beginning!!!!!!!!!!

With a shiny new name all picked out, The Behemoth has also opened Pit People’s official website, which is packed with trailers, screenshots, and in-depth details on the game’s development. However, one hting you won’t find is a release date, as Pit People’s launch date is still “To Be Announced,” or more accurately, “When it’s done.”

[Source: The Behemoth Blog]

Posted in News, PC, Xbox One | Tagged

Brazilian stage confirmed for Street Fighter V… and Blanka’s sure to follow

Posted on July 8, 2015 by John Scalzo

Yoshinori Ono, the Executive Producer of Street Fighter V at Capcom, is heading to Brazil. More specifically, he’ll be attending this year’s Brasil Game Show to announce a new character addition to Street Fighter V. Ono teased this announcement in the trailer embedded above by revealing the game’s Brazilian stage.

Hmm… a Brazilian stage… an announcement in Brazil… this can mean only one thing… E. Honda is coming to Street Fighter V! Wait, wait, wait. On second thought, I’m not sure that’s correct. Let me try again. I’m sure to get it right this time…

Blanka is coming to Street Fighter V! Yup, that makes a lot more sense.

The 2015 Brasil Game Show will be held from October 8 through October 12 at the Expo Center Norte in Sao Paulo.

Posted in News, PC, PS4 | Tagged

Collect jelly beans in The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure this November

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Josh Griffiths

I was never a fan of Peanuts when I was a kid, mostly because the majority of it was written well before my time, though I did enjoy the holiday specials. But I have to admit, I’m not a fan of the newfangled CGI look the film has adopted. That said, I am a fan of the companion game, The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure, based on the reveal trailer.

In The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure, Snoopy explores the fantastical worlds of his imagination to track down Charlie Brown and his friends in an intricate game of hide-and-seek. As he follows their trails, Snoopy will acquire new costumes (based on his many alter egos) that provide unique abilities for overcoming obstacles and reaching new levels, including flight stages that let him take off as the Flying Ace. From the jungle to Paris to the moon itself, each environment is painted gorgeously in the same visual style as The Peanuts Movie to bring to life every colorful detail of Snoopy’s wild daydreams. The game also includes voice talent from the film.

The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure reminds me of old school platformers, though maybe I’m just nostalgic to see a 2D platformer get a physical release. Since they’re directly basing it on the movie, and it’s staring everyone’s favorite cheeky fictional dog, there’s a good chance this might even be a good game. The art style has an almost clay look to it, and you’ll have plenty of abilities to unlock, along with help from a potential second player as Woodstock (he can also be computer-controlled assistant if you’re by yourself). And the whole point of the game is to collect jelly beans! How old school is something as trivial as that? Well, I’m excited at least.

The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure will be available on November 3 for the 3DS, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. If you’re attending this weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con, a playable demo of the game will be available at the Peanuts booth (#1637).

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The Escapists: The Walking Dead will infect PC, Xbox One later this year

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Josh Griffiths

Prison escape strategy game The Escapists proved to be pretty popular for Team 17, and the developers have responded by expanding the game with a series of donwloadable content. Now, the UK-based team is going back inside with a sequel/spinoff based on The Walking Dead, because by law every game franchise eventually has to add zombies.

The Escapists: The Walking Dead looks to be completely different than anything Team17 has done before. Whereas the original game required strategic planning to break out of a modern prison, this time around players will experience a more linear escape situation, along with a recurring narrative, in a hospital.

If you’re anything like me, you’re just disappointed it doesn’t have anything to do with the excellent Telltale series. An 8-bit Rick Grimes leading a group to safety will have to do.

The Escapists: The Walking Dead will arrive on PC and Xbox One later this year. But interested fans can try it out this weekend (July 10 and 11) at the Walker Stalker Fan Fest, which will take place at Petco Park in San Diego.

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Game Critics Awards panel declares Fallout 4 the “Best of Show” at E3 2015

Posted on July 7, 2015 by John Scalzo

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The Game Critics Awards, a panel comprised of journalists from 38 different publications, have handed out their 2015 “Best of E3” honors and Bethesda’s Fallout 4 took home the big prize… which should come as a surprise to pretty much no one. In addition to being named “Best of Show,” Fallout 4 was also awarded “Best PC Game” and “Best Role Playing Game.”

However, Fallout 4 couldn’t win all the awards, and its quantity was actually matched by Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, which collected three awards of its own. Among the traditional awards, Nathan Drake’s next adventure won “Best Console Game” and “Best Action/Adventure Game.” But it was also selected for a “Special Commendation For Graphics” award by the Game Critics Awards panel.

Star Wars: Battlefront was the only other multi-award winner, taking home “Best Action Game” and “Best Online Multiplayer.” More interestingly, this year’s Best of E3 awards included two repeat winners… Super Mario Maker for “Best Family/Social Game” and No Man’s Sky for “Best Independent Game.”

A full list of this year’s winners can be found after the break. (more…)

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Lucid’s followup to Geometry Wars 3 is an “exciting” arcade action game

Posted on July 7, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Liverpool’s Lucid Games has been very busy in the last three years. Since their founding in 2011, the studio has produced a wide variety of mobile titles (including Grand Theft Auto V‘s iFruit companion app), as well as the Xbox One/Xbox 360 port of Goat Simulator. But they’re perhaps best known as one of the many studios to emerge from the closure of Bizarre Creations. In 2014, Lucid tapped the mathematical knowledge of their founders to create Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, the third entry in the wildly beloved twin-stick shooter series.

On the eve of Geometry Wars 3’s Vita launch, I got the chance to talk with Lucid’s Creative Director, Craig Howard, about the game. In addition to discussing Dimensions, Howard was also eager to talk about the team’s next game. If you’re a fan of the “arcade action” found in Geometry Wars 3, you’ll want to pay close attention to what he said: “Our core console/PC teams are working on a very exciting action game at the moment which will really appeal to a lot of our arcade action fan base. I hope we can announce more details of that game very soon as it’s really exciting.”

Be sure to read the rest of the interview to learn more about the development of Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions. And don’t forget, it’s available to download today from the PlayStation Store for the Vita. The Evolved update is also now available for iOS and Android devices.

Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Xbox One |

Interview: Looking at Geometry Wars 3 From All the Angles With Creative Director Craig Howard

Posted on July 7, 2015 by John Scalzo

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I thought the Geometry Wars series had gone dark forever after Bizarre Creations closed its doors in 2011. It was a surprising end for the developer that had created Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, a simple twin-stick shooter that many people consider the first great Xbox 360 game. Retro Evolved was followed by a well-received sequel in 2008, which lead Bizarre’s Craig Howard to admit to the MTV Multiplayer Blog that a third game in the series was already in the works.

Howard moved on after Bizarre’s closure and he’s now the Creative Director at Lucid Games, which teamed up with Activision’s Sierra Games imprint to finally release Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions last year. The game was an instant smash hit was fans of the series, as it expanded the playing field into the third dimension and added a wide variety of new weapons and modes to the franchise’s standard formula. But rather than jump right into Geometry Wars 4, Lucid doubled the size of Dimensions earlier this year with the Evolved expansion. The developer also wanted to take Geometry Wars 3 on the road with portable ports for iOS, Android, and the Vita.

I recently got the chance to talk with Howard about Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, which will be available for the Vita beginning today, and Lucid’s journey to bring the franchise back. (more…)

Posted in Features, Interviews, Mobile, PC, PS3, PS4, Top Story, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Capcom promises “exclusive reveals” for 2015 San Diego Comic-Con… and they’re selling a wearable Mega Man helmet

Posted on July 7, 2015 by John Scalzo

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The San Diego Comic-Con kicks off this weekend and Capcom plans to be in attendance with playable demos of several upcoming games at their booth.

The publisher will give players the chance to try out Resident Evil 0, a remastered version of the franchise’s origin story; Mega Man Legacy Collection, a remastered collection of the Blue Bomber’s 8-bit history; and Street Fighter V, the next entry in the seminal fighting series. Kiosks for a few currently available titles will also line the Capcom booth including Resident Evil Revelations 2, Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition, and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.

Capcom will also host a pair of panels this weekend, including their semi-annual “World of Capcom” panel, which will include an overview of the publisher’s upcoming game schedule. In addition to updates on Street Fighter V and Resident Evil 0, fans should be on the lookout for “exclusive first-looks, reveals, and special surprises.”

Panel: Street Fighter V
Thursday, July 9 at 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM (Room 6BCF)
Capcom’s Street Fighter experts will share the latest news on Street Fighter V, which will include a special guest appearance from Yoshinori Ono (Executive Producer, Street Fighter franchise). Learn how you can earn big money and everlasting fame by competing in the Capcom Pro Tour culminating in the Capcom Cup Finals later this year. Plus, get a first look at all the must-have Street Fighter licensed goods in store for the rest of the year.

Panel: World of Capcom
Thursday, July 9 at 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Room 7AB)
The Capcom team will share the latest updates on all the new and upcoming Capcom games including Street Fighter V, Resident Evil 0 and more, plus sneak peeks at all the latest Capcom merchandise and licensing products coming your way soon. There will also be some exclusive first-looks and reveals just for SDCC.

Finally, Capcom will erect a portable version of their Capcom Store, which will be packed the Capcom-iest merchandise around including two differnt light-up Ryu statues, a Street Fighter-branded PS3/PS4 fight stick, Monster Hunter clothing and pillows, and a Mega Man mini-helmet collection. Capcom’s Comic-Con store will give fans the chance to pre-order a life-size Mega Man helmet with working LED lights. And in case you were wondering, yes, you can wear it. Be sure to visit the Capcom-Unity blog for a few pictures of the Mega Man helmet in action.

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