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At first glance, Valiant Hearts: The Great War seems bizarre at best and flippant at worst: a cartoon-style puzzle game set during the ugly brutality of World War I. But fortunately, looks are deceiving, as Valiant Hearts is one of the most intriguing (and dare I say it, educational) games of the year.
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Ninja Theory has announced that they’re going it alone with their next game, Hellblade. The developer plans to self-publish the PS4 exclusive, which was announced today during Sony’s Gamescom Press Conference, sometime in the not-so-near future.
Hellblade will be released digitally through the PlayStation Store (Ninja Theory is calling it “Independent AAA”) and will be a sword-based combat game starring a young woman named Senua. Her battles will take place within a mythical world based on Celtic myth and, as you can see from the teaser trailer above, Hellblade definitely looks unique.
Hellblade is still very far out, but Ninja Theory wants to share the development process with their fans. To that end, they’ve launched an official website which includes concept art and a behind-the-scenes video discussing the game.
Activision’s decision to switch to a three-team development cycle for the Call of Duty franchise was to give each of the teams more room to shake things up. Sledgehammer Games is attempting to do their part by massively revamping the multiplayer experience in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. And by “revamping,” I mean that they’re adding in a ton of sci-fi touches like mech suits, invisibility devices, and jetpack jumps:
With the all-new exoskeleton, players can boost jump, dodge, dash, slide, slam and more as the action goes vertical, while using future-tech, cutting-edge capabilities and a brand-new weapon class as part of nearly 350 custom weapons. Offering a new reward system, including more than 1,000 in-game player rewards, and nearly limitless customization options that create more than two billion unique player combinations and more, the title offers the most in-depth, robust and advanced Call of Duty multiplayer experience ever on both next generation and current generation systems.
Also, the much loved Pick 10 create-a-class is back with even more customizable options than before with Pick 13. Gamers can now choose their favorite scorestreaks, which are fully customizable, and include them in their preferred class, raising the bar on personalization from top to bottom. The introduction of co-operative scorestreaks also allows friends to experience Call of Duty multiplayer together in a new way, as for the first time ever, two players can now join a scorestreak and work co-operatively.
The technology of the future in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare wouldn’t be complete without advancement in weapon technology, beginning with the debut of a directed energy class of weapons. This all-new weapon class for Call of Duty uses the power of focused energy to overcome enemies and relies on tactical heat management instead of reloads. Players can test out this new class, along with all their weapons, on the new Virtual Firing Range, a brand new feature that allows players to instantly test-drive their favorite weapon loadout with the click of a button before the next match starts.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will also include a comprehensive create-a-character mode known as Create-An-Operator that will allow players to “personalize their soldier however they want.”
Finally, Activision has announced that a special “Day Zero Edition” will be available to those who pre-order the game. Available one day early, on November 3, the package will include the game itself, two custom weapons, and double XP on “Day Zero.” For the rest of us plebes, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will be available on November 4 for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Microsoft stopped reporting Xbox One sales totals in the Spring, but Sony has gleefully continued to count every PS4 sale. During their Gamescom presentation today, the consolemaker revealed that more than 10 million PlayStation 4 consoles have been sold since the system’s launch last year.
Shawn Layden, SCEA’s President and CEO, said: “On behalf of our entire team, I want to thank you for your support and passion. You’re the reason that PS4 is the #1 next generation console in the world and we’re grateful for your continued enthusiasm and for always pushing us to new heights.”
Sony announced more than a dozen new titles during their Gamescom Press Conference, so there’s plenty of upcoming games for present and future PS4 owners to look forward to.
Microsoft has announced that Killer Instinct‘s second season will begin on October 15. On that date, new fighters Maya and TJ Combo will go on sale for $4.99 each. Six more characters will follow at a rate of one new fighter per month. But a pair of package deals will also be available to get all eight characters (and other goodies) at a discounted rate.
The “Ultra Edition” will be priced at $39.99 and it’ll include:
Microsoft will open up pre-orders for Killer Instinct: Season 2 beginning on September 23. Gamers who pre-buy the “Ultra Edition” will instantly be able to download TJ Combo and Killer Instinct 2 Classic.
Meanwhile, the “Combo Breaker” pack will be half the price ($19.99), but it’ll only include access to the eight fighters from Season 2. Still, it’s a pretty significant discount.
Pharrell Williams has completed his curation of the NBA 2K15 and 2K Games announced the final tracklist on their Facebook page today. As you’d expect, there’s plenty of Pharrell to be found on the soundtrack. The “Happy” singer has three songs on the soundtrack as well as a featured credit on another. There’s also appearances by Lorde (“Team” ), Lauryn Hill (“Doo Wop (That Thing)”), Snoop Dogg (“Drop It Like It’s Hot”), and Depeche Mode (“Personal Jesus”).
I’ve got to admit, I wasn’t expecting “Personal Jesus.” Here’s the full soundtrack:
2K has created a Spotify playlist if you’d like to listen to the soundtrack right now. Or you can wait until October 7 when NBA 2K15 is released for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
We knew that Activision had plans to revive the Sierra publishing label as their indie games arm, but I don’t think anybody quite expected this. As part of their announcement revealing Sierra’s return, the publisher confirmed that Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions and a King’s Quest remake are in the works.
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions will be available this Fall and its currently in development at Lucid Games, which is a team comprised mostly of former employees of Bizarre Creations. If you remember, Bizarre Creations was the original developer behind the first two Geometry Wars games:
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is an exciting new evolution of the fast-paced, frenetic Geometry Wars gameplay fans love, and will introduce full 3D action and both cooperative and competitive multiplayer for the first time in the franchise. In addition to a full single-player campaign with 50 unique challenges and over 10 battle modes – five of which are brand new to the series – Geometry Wars3: Dimensions features dynamic and persistent progression, offering players a consistently new experience each time they play.
As for King’s Quest, it will be developed by The Odd Gentlemen (The Misadventures of PB Winterbottom) for a 2015 release:
King’s Quest is a fully reimagined version of the fan-favorite Sierra game fit for both the old and new generation of King’s Quest players. Huge fans of the original King’s Quest series, The Odd Gentlemen are crafting a charming new adventure with an awe-inspiring art style, engaging puzzles, and a wondrous interactive narrative brimming with humor. In the new story, King Graham – revered as the greatest adventurer to ever live – shares his life’s adventures with his curious granddaughter, Gwendolyn. It is through these tales that Gwendolyn discovers the true greatness of her grandfather.
It’s unknown exactly where Geometry Wars 3 or King’s Quest will land, but Pete Wallace, the Studio Head at Lucid Games, said that their game will launch on “more platforms than ever before.” And with Sierra’s plan to release games through Xbox Live, the PlayStation Store, and Steam, that could be a lot of platforms.
As announced by 343 Industries during the Xbox Gamescom Media Briefing, the multiplayer beta for Halo 5: Guardians will begin on December 29 and run for three weeks.
The beta, which is available to buyers of the upcoming Halo: The Master Chief Collection, will focus on 4v4 arena-based fights. All players in the beta will start with the same loadout to “ensure matches are balanced and competitive” and seven maps, three gametypes, and a variety of different armour sets will be included. We’ve also learned that the beta will run at a respectable 60 frames per second.
“It’s celebrating the legacy of competitive gameplay that’s always been at the heart of Halo’s multiplayer,” said Josh Holmes, Executive Producer on Halo 5: Guardians. “Having a beta this early in development is crucial because it gives us as developers the opportunity to react to the feedback we get from fans and take it into account as we complete the multiplayer experience for Halo 5: Guardians”
Halo 5: Guardians will be released sometime next Fall.
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