Most Recent: PS4

Alien: Isolation officially announced for late 2014 release

Well that didn’t take long. Sega has officially announced Alien: Isolation, just a few hours after Microsoft prematurely added a product listing for the game to Xbox.com.

Developed by Creative Assembly, Alien: Isolation wants to put the Alien back into games based the Alien film series and is ditching the Colonial Marines versus Xenomorphs style that has been used in most of the games based on the franchise. Eschewing the action-focused shooter model, the game is being developed as a survival horror where Amanda Ripley, the daughter of series star Ellen Ripley, attempts to escape from a single Xenomorph. Creative Assembly also plans to position the game as “lo-fi sci-fi” and they’re heavily leaning on the 1970s view of the future featured in the first movie.

Al Hope, the Creative Lead, said that the decision to base Alien: Isolation on Alien was made because, “[N]o one had created the game we wanted to play, which is one that captures the spirit of the original movie.”

Alien: Isolation will be available in late 2014 for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Creative Assembly has also uploaded a behind-the-scenes video where the developers discus the “Origins” of Alien: Isolation. You can find it after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Alien: Isolation story, boxart leaked by Xbox.com

alienisolation-boxKotaku outed Creative Assembly’s Alien project, Alien: Isolation, a few months ago. Today, a product listing on Xbox.com has confirmed the game’s title as well as the starring role for Ripley’s daughter, Amanda, and the presence of only a single Xenomorph:

Discover the true meaning of fear in Alien: Isolation, a survival horror set in an atmosphere of constant dread and mortal danger. Fifteen years after the events of Alien, Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda enters a desperate battle for survival, on a mission to unravel the truth behind her mother’s disappearance. As Amanda, you will navigate through an increasingly volatile world as you find yourself confronted on all sides by a panicked, desperate population and an unpredictable, ruthless Alien. Underpowered and underprepared, you must scavenge resources, improvise solutions and use your wits, not just to succeed in your mission, but to simply stay alive.

As you can see, Xbox.com has also provided an early glimpse at the game’s box art. Alien: Isolation is in development for the “current-generation consoles” (obviously including the Xbox 360), “next-generation consoles,” and the PC. Hopefully, Sega will make an official announcement soon, but after the Aliens: Colonial Marines debacle, I understand why they’re being secretive about Creative Assembly’s Alien game.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Looks like Deep Down will officially be titled Deep Down after all

deepdown-workingtitle-header

When Capcom announced Deep Down, they were quick to stress that the game’s rather oddball title was just a placeholder and that they’d give it a more permanent name in the future. Instead, Capcom has decided that the working title is a perfectly cromulent name, so Deep Down it is!

The official title was revealed thanks to an application Capcom filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office on December 17. But we all probably should have seen this coming, the game’s most recent trailer didn’t include the “working title” designation.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged

Another Deep Down trailer mixes monsters and medieval knights

Deep Down will make its debut on the PlayStation 4 sometime next year as a free-to-play title. While we still have no idea how that’ll work, Capcom has released a new trailer showcasing the game’s “Prologue” scene.

OK, I watched it and I still have no idea what Deep Down is going for.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged

Zen Pinball 2 for PS4 added to PS Store

playstationstorelogoYou know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen, but do you recall that Zen Pinball 2 is now available on the PlayStation Store?

The PS3 pinball simulation is now available to download for the PS4. If you’ve never played it before, there are plenty of additional tables to add to the free game. But if you’ve already got a complete collection of PS3 tables, they can now be imported into the PS4 version:

Zen Pinball 2 (Free)
All of your favorite pinball tables are now available on the PlayStation 4 system! Download the free Zen Pinball 2 platform and access the best pinball library available. The fantasy-themed “Sorcerer’s Lair” table is available for free play for all players!

That’s it for yesterday’s update, but be sure to visit the PlayStation Blog for a rundown this week’s new game add-ons.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged

Techland shows off 10 minutes of gameplay from Dying Light

Techland, the company behind the Dead Island series, has released a 10-minute video (well, nine minutes and 29 seconds, to be precise) showcasing its upcoming multiplatform survival horror title, Dying Light. The clip offers an example of night-time gameplay, as the main character Antoine runs a mission for the encampment he is part of, racing against the setting sun to activate various power relays scattered around the city. The character rigs up a number of traps along the way, including an electric fence and a car bomb.

Not straying too far from their zombie roots, Dying Light’s monsters change demeanor between day and night, from stumbling, easy to kill zombies to bloodthirsty, adrenalin-fuelled psycho killers. As the video illustrates, once the sun sets, things go a little bit crazy.

As first impressions go, Dying Light certainly looks to redeem some of Techland’s credibility after the fun, but deeply flawed, Dead Island series. Dying Light will be released for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One in 2014.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

EA describes Battlefield 4 lawsuit as “meritless”

battlefield4-header

Beleaguered uber-publisher Electronic Arts has hit back against claims contained in a series of lawsuits that are currently being explored by multiple law firms including Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd and Holzer Holzer & Fistel on behalf of the company’s investors. EA’s official response, delivered to Polygon by a spokesperson for the company, is that these lawsuits are frivolous:

“We believe these claims are meritless. We intend to aggressively defend ourselves, and we’re confident the court will dismiss the complaint in due course.”

However, there may be more merit than EA is letting on, especially given the fact that Robbins Geller is the same law firm that took on the Enron class action lawsuit. Their lawsuit accuses EA executives of being able to sell “artificially inflated” shares prior to the release of Battlefield 4 due to releasing “materially false and misleading statements highlighting the purported strength” of the game. In other words, the lawsuit is claiming that EA executives were aware of the defective state of Battlefield 4 and purposely raised expectations surrounding its release to inflate share prices.

The law firm has until February to find someone brave enough to stand as the lead plaintiff in the case. If they do, and the case goes to court, it may set a precedent that prevents developers and publishers from releasing products with game-breaking bugs. But there’s also the long-standing concept of “caveat emptor” (or “buyer beware”) to consider. A ruling against EA in this case would likely make it open season on content creators.

UPDATE: A third law firm, Brower Piven, has announced plans to challenge EA is court over their Battlefield 4 statements.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Call of Duty: Ghosts getting four map packs and a season pass… surprised?

Activision has just announced that Call of Duty: Ghosts will receive four post-launch map packs (Onslaught, Devastation, Invasion, and Nemesis). Each pack will be priced at $14.99 apiece, with a $49.99 Season Pass also available. None of this should really be news. The last three or four CoD games got the same treatment.

Each map pack will include a new set of multiplayer maps, bonus weapons, and an “Extinction” scenario. Each “Extinction” scenario will build on the one before it to create what Activision is calling “an episodic Extinction experience.”

If you decide to spring for the Season Pass, you’ll receive access to the “Free Fall” multiplayer map as well as unique “Team Leader” in-game content: MP Character Head, Weapon Camo, Reticle, Player Patch, Player Card, and a Player Background.

The first map pack, Onslaught, will be released sometime in 2014 with the rest to follow.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged