Hellblade’s first gameplay trailer gives us a glimpse at the game’s focus on mental illness

Posted on June 11, 2015 by John Scalzo

Ninja Theory has pulled the curtain back on the first gameplay trailer for Hellblade, their Celtic swordfighting game, a few days ahead of this year’s E3 Expo. The developers also revealed that Senua, Hellblade’s main character, isn’t just fighting back against a viking invasion, she’s also battling mental demons in her own personal Hell:

The Hell in question is no ordinary Hell, but is in fact a Hell that is the manifestation of Senua’s mental illness. Senua experiences psychosis, including hallucinations and delusions, as well as suffering from anxiety and depression. As a player you will witness Senua’s living nightmare through her own eyes.

The developers from Ninja Theory believe they are approaching this subject with the respect it deserves. To that end, Ninja Theory has secured the services of Professor Paul Fletcher, a professor of Health Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, to guarantee the accuracy of their portrayal. They’ve also teamed with the Wellcome Trust, “a global charitable foundation which aims to build a greater public understanding of science and in particular health.” The final piece of the puzzle will be a series of interviews with individuals suffering from mental illness. Ninja Theory will use their experiences to help shape Senua’s personality and actions.

Hellblade will be available for the PC and PS4 sometime in 2016. A Developer Diary discussing their work with Professor Fletcher can be found after the break.

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Supergiant’s Transistor is now available on iOS App Store

Posted on June 11, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Supergiant Games quietly released Transistor on the iOS App Store this morning. Originally released for the PC and PS4 last year, Transistor combines an isometric action RPG with a more thoughtful turn-based fighting system. Transistor on Apple devices will include “an intuitive new touch interface,” as well as traditional gamepad support with “Classic Controls.” Priced at $9.99, Transistor is a Universal App designed for cross-device play with iCloud saving. Supported devices include iPhone 5 (or newer), iPad 4 (or newer), and iPad Mini 2 (or newer).

Starring an amnesia-stricken singer named Red, the titular Transistor is a futuristic sword that helps her do battle with the evil group in control of the city. Logan Cunningham, the narrator from Bastion, provides the voice of the Transistor. Supergiant also tapped Ashley Barrett for a second time to collaborate with composer Darren Korb on the game’s soundtrack.

Supergiant’s Bastion eventually found its way to a variety of different platforms after its PC and Xbox 360 debut. If the same holds true for Transistor, this iOS port is just the beginning.

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Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition announced as publisher continues to tease Darksiders III

Posted on June 11, 2015 by John Scalzo

darksidersii-ps4-boxNordic Games has officially announced that Darksiders II will get the remaster treatment this Winter and be re-released as Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition for the PS4 and Xbox One.

Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition is in development at Gunfire Games, one of the studios founded in the wake of Vigil’s closure. If you remember, Vigil Games created both Darksiders games for THQ before the publisher declared bankruptcy. While the developer is well-versed in how the game originally looked, they do plan to offer some improvements as part of the Deathinitive Edition. The PS4/Xbox One version of the game will include all of the previously-released downloadable content, as well as tuned game balancing and reworked loot distribution. Naturally for any remaster, the Deathinitive Edition will also feature an improved graphical engine for better lighting and shadows with visuals rendered in 1080p resolution.

But while announcing their new project, Nordic couldn’t stop themselves from teasing Darksiders III one more time. Reinhard Pollice, the company’s Business & Product Development Director, said: “We took over the franchise roughly two years ago and thought about the next chapter for Darksiders ever since then. Naturally (and extremely excitedly!), there will be a large-scale project based on Darksiders, but for now it is very important for us to take care of the existing games and make those available to a broader audience.”

Obviously, any official announcement regarding Darksiders III is still a very long way in the future.

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Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst unveiled with new art; prequel comic series on the way

Posted on June 10, 2015 by John Scalzo

mirrorsedgecatalyst-e32015The 2015 E3 Expo beckons and Electronic Arts is getting the show started a bit early with a glimpse at Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst. The new artwork displays the game’s protagonist, Faith, doing what she does best… clinging to the side of a futuristic building. Hyper-modern skyscrapers pierce the horizon while the watchful eyes of a squad of surveillance helicopters hover at the edge of the scene.

We’ll learn more about Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst next week, but for now, Senior Producer Sara Jansson discussed the development team’s vision on the game’s official website:

The team has spent a lot of time re-evaluating every aspect of the game and making it a new experience. This is not a sequel, this is not Mirror’s Edge 2. We have landed on a vision that honors the first game — pushing the boundaries of first person movement and diving deeper into the story behind our heroine Faith — but also brings a lot of great new, interesting gameplay and features to the experience for our players.

In addition to next week’s E3 reveal, fans will get another look at that vision in Mirror’s Edge: Exordium, a prequel comic series which will be published by Dark Horse. The first issue, which will be written by Narrative Director Christofer Emgard, will be available on September 9. The six-issue series will also feature art from some of DICE’s in-house artists including Mattias Haggstrom, Robert Sammelin, Henrik Sahlström, Erik Persson, and Emgard himself. You can sneak a peek at the cover of Exordium‘s #1 at the Dark Horse Blog.

Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst is currently in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One at DICE. It is expected to be released sometime next Spring.

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

Kickstart This! Defragmented, Pixel Starships, Severed World

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Andrew Rainnie

A short time ago we featured Dimension Drive in our Kickstart This! column. The developer, 2Awesome Studio, thought it had the money in the bag, until one of the donations was deemed fraudulent. However, Kickstarter allowed 2Awesome to relaunch the project straight away, and with two weeks to go the game is already fully funded, so we’re thrilled that everything worked out for the best.

Turning our attentions to some brand new crowdfunding projects, we begin with top-down cyberpunk shooter Defragmented, moving on to starship management strategy game Pixel Starships, before finishing with 2D MMORPG Severed World.

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Posted in Mobile, PC, Top Story |

Daily Scoop: June 10, 2015 – More great shirts

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Nicole Kline

Today is a little light on sales, but at least it’s got some great t-shirts!

There are some weekly sales happening over at the Humble Store. You can get Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas for $8.99, Galactic Inheritors for $13.49, and Arms Dealer for $6.49. It’s also the last day to get the Slitherine Bundle, so be sure to check that out while you’re there!

There’s a new Daily Deal over at Steam. Today only, you can get TinyKeep for just $2.50. So you can experience permadeath for 75%. Sounds great to me!

And now for the shirts!

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Posted in Daily Scoop |

Sega will bring Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice to the 3DS this Fall

Posted on June 10, 2015 by John Scalzo

Even though Sonic Boom didn’t speed its way into the hearts of fans last year, Sega is sticking with the series by announcing Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice.

Once again developed by Sanzaru Games, Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice will feature five playable characters (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Sticks, and Amy) along with a brand new supervillain (D-Fekt) and the return of Dr. Eggman. In addition to a new bad guy to stomp, Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice will include special fire and ice powers for each character:

To create an entirely new experience, Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice will infuse fire and ice elements throughout gameplay, enabling new abilities to play out in special character moves and interactions with environments. The new title also delivers gameplay that enables players to run through the game at top speed, or take their time with deeper exploration and puzzle play.

Besides the single-player portion of the game, Sanzaru plans to add a speed-focused multiplayer minigame, Bot Racing, to Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice. Players will be able to unlock character-themed Bots to challenge friends as they work their way through the campaign.

Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice will be available exclusively for the 3DS this Fall.

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Xbox Store Today: The Elder Scrolls Online, Monster Jam Battlegrounds

Posted on June 10, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Two new games have been added to the Xbox Games Store… one is an expansive MMO set in a sprawling medieval world while the other is a monster truck simulator.

The sprawling medieval world belongs to The Elder Scrolls Online. Bethesda’s fantasy role playing game doesn’t require on the Xbox One and all players will be able to “explore dangerous caves and dungeons in Skyrim, or craft quality goods to sell in the city of Daggerfall.”

On the other side of the spectrum is Monster Jam Battlegrounds, a monster truck simulator for the Xbox 360. It “replicates the world renowned Monster Jam stadium and arena events” with 23 official Monster Jam trucks including Grave Digger, Max-D, and Monster Mutt.

More information on both of these titles can be found after the break.

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