Tag Archive

theHunter: Call Of The Wild Has Some Amazing Visuals


Posted on January 26, 2017 by Les Major

theHunter Call Of The Wild

Sport hunting titles seem like they’ve been around forever. I remember back in the 90s playing Deer Hunting simulators that felt like DOOM mods. It’s a genre that has quite a history. Even GTA 5 had deer hunting, let alone the entire hunting section in Yakuza 5. That long lineage makes it difficult to create something new. theHunter: Call Of The Wild is a game that has been in development for a decade, with much of it’s development cycle coming from Expansive Worlds free to play version of theHunter.

One thing I find to be a wonderful addition about theHunter series that will hopefully carry over into this new release is that you are also armed with a camera. It may sound silly to mention with a game that is geared towards hunting very specifically, but it is a way to open up this amazing terrain to a wider audience. I don’t think there is any reward per say for photographing the wildlife and beautiful surroundings, but it’s such a large and lush environment that it is a wonderful option to give players.

The game boasts 50 square miles of varied terrain to explore. It sounds like this title is even rendered in the same engine as Just Cause 3! That’s a lot of natural splendor to take in. Anyone who knows me knows I just want to wander off and explore this vast wilderness. Just look at the trailer below! That’s all in engine content!

Naturally it’s not all exploring the forest and potential photography. This is a selection of rifles, handguns and even bows to use in the game that can be customized with scopes and various ammunition types. Your character can also unlock new skills and equipment along the way. As usual, the game allows you to track animals as well or even use scents and callers to lure them out. I haven’t experienced the hunting stealth aspects of the game yet but we do hope to get some hands on time soon to see how theHunter: Call Of The Wild plays.

The release date for Steam has been set for February 16th, 2017.


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Free To Play Title Mobius Final Fantasy Coming To PC


Posted on January 26, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Windows PC players will be able to explore the world of Paramitia as one of million potential Warriors of Light in the Steam port of Mobius Final Fantasy. As they follow the path set out before them  players are guided by are these disembodied voices commanding the Warriors of Light to continue their quest, are these apparitions really on the level? The whole narrative sets an interesting precedent for online only Final Fantasy titles, sure in FFXIV everyone is the main character, as far as lore is concerned, but in the world of Mobius there are thousands or millions of contenders but only one true WOL and the rest are doomed to fail.

Battles in Mobius Final Fantasy draw from other games in the series – with common items, summons and spells making an appearance but what really sets Mobius apart from other entries in the franchise is the fact that its battle system is turn based +  card based. Players can have multiple jobs – each with their own unique decks of cards. Players will have to stack the cards in their favor by unlocking new cards by completing quest and defeating monsters in order to survive the main scenario. and build the best possible decks The cards themselves use different base elements such a stone, ice, fire, cure and more which can lead to interesting strategic options.

Mobius Final Fantasy was originally released on iOS and Android and has multiple free to play chapters available for play. Users on Steam who login to the game will not only be able to claim some freebies including ability tokens and other rarities but also participate in the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake cross over event.

Here’s the Steam trailer, the game will arive on Feb 6th.


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Rising World Is A Fun Minecraft Alternative To Explore


Posted on January 18, 2017 by Les Major

There are tons of Minecraft like titles out there and it’s hard to tell what isn’t just more of the same. Back in the earlier days of the series, many indie titles filled the gap of similar games on Xbox 360 before the titan of voxel building made the leap to consoles. There’s one thing that I always wanted in a game of this type though, and that was smoother landscapes. EverQuest Next: Landmark had a style like that, but unfortunately it seems to have gone through some complex times and won’t be around much longer. However Rising World is in early access and already it’s looking like a wonderful game in this style to play.

The big thing I always wanted out of Minecraft was exploration. In general though, I feel that it’s more about building and online play than really getting out there and seeing the world. Rising World however has given me some neat surprises in my first few experiences that it makes me want to wander. One of the latest updates even adds dungeons! Currently they are just empty ruins to explore, but enemies are on the way. An abandoned shack I found, which is tied to that update, did contain a treasure chest and the remains of a skeleton.

I like that the trees in Rising World use physics as they fall. It’s something nice that has been included in some other games, like The Forest I do believe, but it’s neat to see the tree actually topple and roll down a hill. Then you chop it up into logs and craft them into lumber. With the game having smoother polygonal mesh over the voxel world it’s build upon, everything feels more like an adventure in a non-building first person open world game. But you can indeed build in Rising World as well.

Rising World Crafting

Having only just started the game I’m not too sure about things like smoothing terrain to build a happy little home on. Which of course I’m sure I could just make a block foundation for instead. However Rising World does come with an in game journal to give you some gameplay info as well. It is your usual fare of crafting, building, and the like, but with a more natural looking world and some neat stuff to explore. With a variety of biomes and some neat stuff to create it’s a neat place to let your imagination run wild for awhile. That and the game is still in early access as well so further updates are on the way. You can check out Rising World right now on Steam.

I’m enjoying the single player aspect and from what I’ve heard that’s a favored focus for the game. I have yet to try out multiplayer however.


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Avernum Is An Incredible Retro Experience


Posted on January 15, 2017 by Les Major

Avernum 2 Cover

Somehow, as a long time PC gamer, I missed the Exile series. The original top down RPG Exile: Escape From The Pit was released in 1995! Like some of my friends, I’d just assumed that Avernum was a newer series that played off the old retro style of the 90s. In fact, it’s actual a product of that decade, revamped. The original Exile was remade into Avernum in 2000, and then again in 2012. I’m sure there are ways to get the classic version to run just fine, or perhaps it does already, but it’s great to see these titles being updated for current machines but still keeping the wonderful style that Spiderweb Software introduced in 1999 with Nethergate. They sort of have an Ultima appearance and that just adds to the charm.

Avernum 2 Inventory

I’ve been playing Avernum 2: Crystal Souls which doesn’t require playing through the original to enjoy. At first I thought it would just be an okay adventure to take, but now I’m completely hooked! The game has a very tabletop gaming aspect to it, including lots of narration text as you wander through the catacombs of the underworld. Avernum is a subterranean land that in a way brings back memories of Ultima Underworld. The setting also adds so much rich lore and interesting locations that it feels like a classic role playing adventure from source books I loved in the 90s. That feeling of leafing through campaign materials is there and it just draws you in even more. Avernum’s aesthetic feels like home.

Avernum 2 - Level Up

Best of all, I don’t find Avernum 2 to play clunky at all. Back in the day some classic games could be cumbersome. Instead, much of the Avernum setup just flows right along. You’re not scrounging around for items for example. You simply just press a button and you can see what is on the ground around your characters. All that loot and gear ready to be dropped into your inventory should you wish. Combat is straight forward but with a good feeling of tabletop action with a variety of options. The game even features choices so you can either attack that roving band of enemies, or let them wander by… for now. Lot alone more detailed decisions as well. It feels like a role playing session a lot of the time, and that’s what really keeps me playing.

Avernum 2 Rooms

Just today I loaded up the game during my morning coffee like I have lately. My cast of characters, the pre-made ones the game offers you at the start (but you can make your own), were standing outside of one of the main forts at the start of the game. I popped open my quest log and went down the list of tasks I could tackle. We’d already cleared out the brigands from a nearby town in a wonderful battle through their hold. That was filled with exploration and some goodies to find along the way that I still have equipped. So now what? Well, a race of humanoid cat people had built a stronghold to the east and I hadn’t bothered with that quest yet. Why not. To begin with, I had a map on me that indicated a hidden cave entrance and some word scrawled on the page. Exploring to the east I found a hidden passage to the cave, actually discovered by standing near it, and went inside to find another small but elaborate dungeon to explore. Various rooms, some goblin battles, and a triggered trap later, I found a gateway that required a special word to be spoken. Using the one scrawled on the map I was able to wander along into the fort of the cat people.

Avernum 2 Map

I found myself enjoying the game so much I just had to share about it. You can wander into towns, explore them, read interesting descriptive text along the way to help paint the world of Avernum in your imagination, and even sell some of that loot you discovered. There are people to talk to, quests to undertake, and just so much to enjoy. I’ve only scratched the surface of Avernum 2 and I’ve fallen in love. I grew up playing games like Dark Sun: Shattered Lands and Avernum 2 brings back so much of that role playing experience that I adore. Even better, Avernum feels even more expansive with an overworld map and many areas to wander to. There are lots of games with 3D graphics and modern style, but there’s just something Avernum has that feels better. Even the artwork used when leveling up feels like something from RPG source books. Avernum gets it all right, and it should, it’s roots are in the 90s, and it’s grown into a beautiful series with many additional titles from Spiderweb Software using a similar engine.

There’s even a demo for Avadon: The Black Fortress on Steam. So don’t just take my word for it, give it a whirl. Spiderweb Software does have an official website if you’d prefer to buy from the creator and support these games directly.


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Lego City Undercover Spies On Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4 and PC This Spring


Posted on January 12, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Warner Bros Interactive is assigning their veteran LEGO cop Chase McCain to another adventure through LEGO City with the current generation re-release of 2013’s previously Wii U exclusive LEGO City Undercover.

LEGO City Undercover is an open world city exploration titles that allows players to guide McCain through 20 unique districts filled with both minor crimes, collectables and story missions to keep the detective busy.  Over 100 different vehicles roam the streets of LEGO City with a number of different categories including motorcycles, helicopters, sports cars, trucks and some truly exotic rides.  LEGO City Undercover wouldn’t do the franchise justice without dozens of movie references and allusions to pop culture that allow the LEGO games to be enjoyed by gamers of all ages.

We reviewed the original Wii U version back in 2013, Here is a sample of what Les Major had to say about that version:

It’s hard to find faults with this game. I loved it! For long time gamers or youth, there is content to be enjoyed here. From movie parodies, to just the comedy in general, the writing is fun, clever, and keeps you interested throughout the game. 

Make sure to check out the embedded trailer below for the cross platform version:


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Steam Sale or Why I Should Stop Buying So Many Games


Posted on January 2, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

LORD GABEN BE PRAISED

Today is the final day for Valve’s annual holiday Steam Sale and that means you have less than 24 hours to save money on some of the biggest games of 2016 as well as an ever expanding catalog of indie titles. It’s time to rifle through your wishlist, search the couch cushions for spare change and make any last minute purchases….. or should you? Here’s some insight into my own personal account.

First here is what Valve has selected to tease store pursuers with today:

Today’s Highlighted Deals

Grand Theft Auto V – $34.99
Counter Strike: Global Offensive – $11.29
H1Z1: King of the Hill – $14.29
Euro Truck Simulator 2 – $5.49
Doom Franchise Up To 60% off
Portal 2
Witcher Franchise 40% off
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain $32.99

All Prices In CDN

Most of my Steam library is most definitely the result of multiple sales over the course of the last seven years. With over 300 titles it can sometimes feel like there is too much to play, I never thought I could be paralyzed by too much choice but as Alivin Toffers work on Overchoice shows us – sometimes when presented with too many choices an individual can become confused, anxious or dissatisfied as the number of choices increases. When staring at my library I often ask myself “Do I want to venture back into Fallout 4 or replay an old favorite like Unreal Tournament or perhaps a try out one of indie games I picked up cheap?”. It is great to have some of my favorite PC classics at my finger tips but it can also be paralyzing.

While writing this blog post I actually decided to dig into some of my account’s statistics – while I’ve had a Steam account since the day Half Life 2 launched in 2004, I didn’t start collecting games on the platform until 2009 when I built my first gaming rig.  My most played titles are either open world RPGs like Fallout 3, Fallout 4 or MMORPGs like Rift Online and Eve Online. Clearly I enjoy being fully immersed an expansive never ending world but that means I’ve also neglected a lot of linear experiences in my library. Apparently I’ve only ever spent an hour or more in 30% of my games, meaning that approximately 245 interactive experiences haven’t even been installed by me in the last half decade.

So what is the solution? Is it to simply stop buying games, creating wishlists and playing titles that I’ve already dedicated my money too? Perhaps to an extent this is correct – I’m sure a lot of the smaller games that I’ve collected over the years like Analogue: A Hate Story could be completed in a single session while other idle time spenders like Cities: Skylines could see more playtime during particularly boring evenings. On the other hand it’s almost impossible to NOT get swept up in the excitement of the winter sale or to eagerly anticipate an upcomming title – I’m counting the days until Gravity Rush 2 and I haven’t even finished Final Fantasy XV yet.

So, I don’t have the solution to the glut of backlog games that I have accumulated over the years. I was gifted a $50 Steam Card over Christmas and of course I spent the entire thing before the holiday sale even ended.  Others have come up with some creative solutions – like this one Engagdet writer who keeps a spreadsheet and organizes their unfinished RPGs in order of importance, which helped them finish the original 1998 Fallout.  Others, such as one post in this thread on r/Patient Gamers suggested finishing 2 older games before investing the cash in a newer title. Sites like Backloggery can also help you track the progress on uncompleted games!

It is only the second day of 2017 and I am already swamped with games. Here’s hoping I can make that 70% unplayed rate in my Steam library statistics come down by the end of the year, instead of hording more games.


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Mass Effect Andromeda Gameplay To Be Shown At CES


Posted on December 31, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

New gameplay footage from Bioware’s next space RPG adventure Mass Effect Andromeda will be shown at Nvidia’s Consumer Electronics Show keynote event on January 4th. The confirmation of a brand new gameplay trailer, which will reportedly focus on in-game environments, comes via the official Mass Effect Twitter account.

Here is the tweet that confirmed the brand new gameplay segment to be shown during CES:

Here is Nvidia’s official description of their upcoming keynote which will also be live-streamed:

“This January, NVIDIA will kick off CES and usher in a new year of technology innovation when co-founder and CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang, takes the stage to give the preshow keynote address on January 4, 2017, 6:30 p.m. PST, of the industry’s most exciting tech unveilings in artificial intelligence (AI), self-driving cars, and gaming.”

We’ve known about the existence of Mass Effect: Andromeda for quite a while – with first word of the project coming over four years ago on “N7 Day” back in 2012. Since then EA & Bioware have been quite open about the development of the game, showcasing early engine technology and animation reels at E3 2014 before officially unveiling the game’s title at last year’s E3. More recently they released the first gameplay trailer from Andromeda, which you can watch below.

Mass Effect Andromeda is expected to be on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One and Windows PC Via Origin.


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Resident Evil 7 PC Demo Released


Posted on December 19, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Capcom’s viral success for Resident Evil 7 is now no longer contained to the PlayStation 4 as the publisher releases the completed Resident Evil 7: Beginning Hour for PC via Steam. This demo lets you experience everything that PlayStation owners had to wait months for – as Capcom rolled out several updates to the demo throughout 2016.

When you find yourself in an abandoned farmhouse, what will you do to survive? Here is the official synopsis of the demo from Capcom:

“A thrillingly immersive horror experience for the five senses. This full model change to the frightening “Isolated View” player perspective, and photorealistic graphics of the cutting-edge RE Engine mark a new beginning for survival horror. Enter a terrifyingly new world of horror and survive.”

Now PC players can finally experience the mystery of the severed dummy finger and other riddles that plagued the Resident Evil fanbase for months. The Steam demo of beginning hour does not support VR in any capacity – as PlayStation has a year long exclusive on VR content for the game.

Here are the minimum specs:

MINIMUM:

OS: WINDOWS® 7,8,8.1,10 (64-BIT Required)
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-4460, 2.70GHz or AMD FX™-6300 or better
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 760 or AMD Radeon™ R7 260x with 2GB Video RAM
DirectX: Version 11
Sound Card: DirectSound compatible (must support DirectX® 9.0c or higher)

RECOMMENDED:

OS: WINDOWS® 7,8,8.1,10 (64-BIT Required)
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7 3770 3.4GHz or AMD equivalent or better
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: TBA (4GB VRAM)
DirectX: Version 11
Sound Card: DirectSound compatible (must support DirectX® 9.0c or higher)

Resident Evil 7 will be released on PC, PS4, PSVR and Xbox One on January 24th 2017.

 


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Exile’s End | REVIEW


Posted on December 18, 2016 by Jason Nason

The Metroidvania style of game is one that many people have fond memories of, especially if you grew up in the days of the original Metroid and Caslevania games (where the genre name comes from) on the original NES. They were notorious for their immersive gameplay, huge environments, and very little room for error. Healing items were sparse, you had to defeat enemies in order to get “drops” of items, and there was always the sense of fear for your life. That style of gameplay and experience is emulated well in Exile’s End which is a great homage to the genre.

Much like the games from which it is inspired, Exile’s End throws you right into the thick of things.

In the far future, a massive corporation called Ravenwood controls commerce on Earth and on numerous other worlds across the galaxy. They are not unlike a nation, with their own army, economy, and would-be government.

exiles_end_screen_01

When the son of Ravenwood’s president goes missing on a remote mining planet, and all contact with the miners’ colony is lost, a mercenary team is hastily assembled and sent out to determine just what happened. Among the members of this team is Jameson, an old soldier with a dark past he’s trying to forget.

Just as the ship carrying Jameson and his team arrives, however, it experiences a catastrophic electrical failure and crash-lands upon the planet’s surface, with Jameson the only apparent survivor. Trying to reopen communications with the Ravenwood corporation, he comes across what’s left of the mining operations upon this desolate planetscape, and learns a truth far more sinister than he ever could have imagined.

You start the game marooned on this planet with nothing to your name, not even a weapon. Thus begins your odyssey to try to escape the planet, and survive.

As you progress through the game you’ll get upgrades to your suit armour, find weapons, and other items to use. You’ll also have to solve puzzles by riding wind currents, draining waterways, weighing down switches, and more.

The environments is frought with dangers too, including armed soldiers, wild animals, and other creatures to do you harm. There are also spikes to contend with, both above and below. Word to the wise. Don’t land in the spikes. This game treats them just like they would were this a real survival experience. Falling into a pit of spikes equals instant death.

exiles_end_screen_02

While the game can be brutal with healing items and death, it is very forgiving in the way of saving. In the game (the Wii U version was played for this review) the game auto-saves at every load screen, so if things go horribly wrong you lose very little progress. So one wrong move, while resulting in death, won’t cost you much time.

Exile’s End looks great in a nice retro SNES pixelated style. You’d swear that you were playing a Virtual Console SNES title on your Wii U. The game even adds to that retro feel by having an option in the settings which makes the game’s visual presentation mimic the look of an old tube television.

Going along with the retro look is an amazing retro soundtrack. The game’s soundtrack was composed by Keiji Yamagishi, the legendary composer for Ninja Gaiden for the NES, Tecmo Super Bowl, and Dynasty Warriors. The music varries from intense to silently unsettling, which adds to the atmosphere of the game.

Exile’s End also supports off-tv play on the GamePad.

The game is massive, with hidden treasure chambers and more than 1,200 separate screens to explore through. These screens are spread between multiple different environments, which you’ll be treated to multiple times. In true Metroidvania-style progression, acquiring a new item or ability may open up new areas to explore in past areas.

And exploration is key in the game.

exiles_end_screen_03

Multiple times I became stuck in the game, wondering where I was supposed to go next. At times it isn’t clear what the next objective is, especially after finding a new item or skill. Since the game autosaves, playing around with items can help figure things out without worry of “wasting” items. Using the right item in the right place, or finding a wall that can be broken through can be key.

When I wasn’t getting stuck and lost this game was really fun. Exile’s End is one of those games where you sit down and play it for a long time before putting it down, and then think about it when you’re not playing it. Where you go back and forth between screens so that enemies respawn so you can kill them for their item drops, hoping for a little bit of health. Often ending up with less than you started out with.

If you’ve ever played a Metroid or a Castlevania game and you love the look and feel of retro SNES-styled games, then Exile’s End will fit right into your digital collection. The game is available for Wii U, PS4, PS Vita, and is also available on Steam.


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Diner Duo | REVIEW


Posted on December 5, 2016 by Meghan Kass

So far, in it’s short existence, the Vive has had an interesting selection of games. These games range from literally nauseating to impressive, but most have the feeling as a tech demo at this point. Many Vive games have a lot of style and gimmicks, but lack in actual gameplay or even fun for a stretch of times. While the horror genre and arcade style games have shown us some virtual reality gems, what are other some other types of games that are worth the time and money that the Vive or, any VR system require? One of the more fun games I have played for the Vive recently is one called Diner Duo.

Diner Duo is an asymmetrical multiplayer game by publisher, Whirlybird Games. The game’s concept is simple; you and your partner are running a diner and have to keep the customers happy and served the correct food and drink in a timely manner. You achieve this by having one person, using the VR headset, be the cook and the other person using a traditional keyboard and PC controls running around the diner, taking orders and serving food and drink. The game closely resembles a two player Diner Dash in both its concept and mechanics if you are playing as the server and loosely resembled the chef level of Job Simulator if you are the cook. You can unlock hats and other cosmetic customization. If you don’t have or want to play with a partner, there is also a single player mode where you can see if you have what it takes to be the top chef.

I played single player and played the multiplayer with a partner and see if we had what it took to run a restaurant. As the chef, the controls were slightly clumsy and I tended to drop my fair share of food and it would occasionally take two or more attempt to grab the item I wanted.I also found it wasn’t obvious how to initiate some options, such as scaling the kitchen for the chef, but that didn’t inhibit the gameplay and could eventually be learned. I also noticed the table would knock ingredients out of your hands or the knife would get stuck while trying to cut cucumbers. While annoying, these quirks were not enough to stop playing and didn’t stop the fun.

b9d9d3_ce18a1d63b4b4e17a62d36e23043d1bb-mv2

As the server, I found the gameplay to be smooth for the most part and fun. As someone who has played Diner Dash type games in the past, this was more of the same. It took a minute or two to get the hang of the controls, but once I did, the levels flew by and a rhythm was established and I found myself loudly, but efficiently communicating with my chef and making sure to keep customers happy with plenty of pie during more chaotic times. The only hiccup I experienced as server was that during more rushed and advanced levels, if I wasn’t paying attention, it would be very easy to pour the wrong drink or give the food to the wrong customer unintentionally, leaving a customer who had been waiting longer getting progressively angrier.

Overall, this game is best experienced in multiplayer mode and is a much needed addition to the VR collection. The world of VR can be a lonely one, so more asymmetrical games are not only welcomed, but necessary in a library full of arcade or horror games. This game may not be the most complex and it has no narrative, much like so many VR games, but the multiplayer aspect it brings and the fun that comes with it makes it worth the money.

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No Man’s Sky Devs Call Discussion Of Game ‘Dramatic’ And ‘Intense’


Posted on November 26, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Hello Games, the developers behind the past summer’s highly anticipated space exploration title No Man’s Sky, have broken their nearly two month long silence since the game’s last major update. After shipping seven patches across PC & PlayStation developers at the company took the past two months to look at the feedback both the community & critics had about the game to look at some of the fundamental systems that make up No Man’s Sky.

This latest update – titled the ‘foundation update’ – will address some of the in-game systems, add the foundation for a ‘base building’ system that has been awaited since the game’s launch and will add additional ground work for future updates. Previously, in August, Hello Game’s delayed the roll out of base building and large space freighters as the company worked on the number of issues that early adopters brought to their attention.

In the somewhat vague but lengthy post on the game’s official steam page Hello Games called some of discussions that they observed from both critics and the community ‘dramatic and intense’. Some of the feedback from the community included lengthy reddit posts that ‘documented’ features mentioned by or asked of game director Sean Murray. It should be noted that some of these features were never announced and were simply the speculation or idea of fans and interviewers. Other critical feedback included criticism of sections they didn’t even play – most notably Joe Vargas’ review of No Man’s Skies which included criticism of the centre of the galaxy, a place he never reached.

Here is the full statement from Hello Games:

This week Hello Games will be releasing an update to No Man’s Sky. We’re calling it The Foundation Update, because we have added the foundations of base building, and also because this is putting in place a foundation for things to come.

Detailed patch notes will follow, and release will be soon.

Coming from five years of intense development, immediately after No Man’s Sky released the team spent six weeks updating the game with 7 patches across both platforms. The last of these was 1.09 on Sept 24th which you can read about here http://www.no-mans-sky.com/log/. These fixed many of the most common or critical bugs and issues post-release.

In the nine weeks since then our small team has been hard at work on development, testing and certification for the Foundation Update. It won’t be our biggest update, but it is the start of something.

The discussion around No Man’s Sky since release has been intense and dramatic. We have been quiet, but we are listening and focusing on improving the game that our team loves and feels so passionately about.

Positive or negative feedback, you have been heard and that will truly help to make this a better game for everyone.

This update will be the first small step in a longer journey. We hope you can join us.


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OSVR Support Officially Comes To Steam


Posted on November 23, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Support for Open Source Virtual Reality hardware – an initiative known as OSVR, which allows a wide range of hardware manufacturers and developers to contribute to a open VR ecosystem for Windows PC, Linux and Mac– is finally coming to Steam officially.

Today’s announcement means that OSVR supported content will is now visible on the Steam Store alongside content made specifically for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. Users can now sort via preferred supported platform within the store and a special OSVR badge will be displayed alongside the other platforms within the store interface.

steam-osvr

Razer’s OSVR Lead, Christopher Mitchell, had this to say in the announcement made by the OSVR Consortium:

“This is a great milestone for VR, giving users access to more hardware and content and driving Valve’s and OSVR’s shared vision of totally open VR content to everyone”

OSVR allows both professional and amateur developers to tie a number of discrete hardware platforms together for use in a unified VR platform. High profile examples include the PSMoveServices which allow use of the PlayStation Move controllers on Windows or the OSVR Fusion plugin which allows input from a number of different pieces of hardware including Wiimotes and the Microsoft Kinect.

The Razer HDK V1.4 is my preferred VR platform and it continues to evolve with the support of some great community members and corporate partners. For more OSVR content make sure to check out my Guide to Setting Up An OSVR HDK. You can also join in on the community discussions with the Official OSVR Reddit which is a great way for community members, players, developers and corporate reps to discuss the future of this platform.


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Pirate Pop Plus | REVIEW


Posted on November 21, 2016 by Meghan Kass


When I was younger, I played a lot of simple games. I clearly remember getting a CD with a collection of old games, including Dangerous Dave and Skunny the Squirrel games. In between playing Civilization games and Sims games and my NES, I played these quite often. These games weren’t the most sophisticated by any means, nor were they even great, but they made me smile and they were oddly relaxing and had short play times for when I wanted to play a game,, but didn’t have enough time to invest in a longer game (I was a busy kid with a bedtime, after all). After playing the Pirate Pop Plus, I can say, this game would have fit right in with those nostalgic titles I enjoyed in that obscure collection of odd computer games. It is not the most sophisticated, complex or story driven game, but it brought me a relaxing, enjoyable time.

Pirate Pop Plus is the newest title by 13AM Games, developers of Runbow and aims to recreate a classic arcade game from the late ‘80s. In this game you are the pirate, Pete Jr., who after waking up discovers that his arch nemesis, Bubble Pirate has trapped the local townsfolk in his devious bubbles. Pete Jr. must grab his anchor, and battle it out with Bubble Pirate to save the locals and of course, collect treasure. You pop bubbles without being hit and hurt by them all while being thrown off by Bubble Pirate’s anti gravity device that will send you flying around the screen. This is a game of endurance to see how long you can go and how many points and coins you can collect. You can use the coin to customize your portable game border. You can add stickers, change the color of the system, or you can try to test your skill on the “hyper” difficulty and see what new treasures await. You also can obtain weapons to shoot the bubbles more effectively and could save Pete Jr.’s life.

As far as simple games go, there are definitely worse games than this one. The gameplay was smooth with the exception of Pete Jr sometimes moving too fast or too far to make precise movem
ents and avoid bubbles or shoot my anchor correctly to hit the target. In spite of some flaws, this game still had me playing and trying to unlock my favorite colors and decals and even to see just how far I could go. Along with games like snake, Dangerous Dave and other repetitive simple games, this game is addictive. I feel some might get bored of the repetitive nature of the game and to some it may not be worth the money, as it seems like something to be played on the original Gameboy or an older cell phone, but for those who grew up with these types of games and looks back fondly on them, it is worth it for some quick, fun gameplay and cute pixel art.

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Pirate Pop plus may seem out of place in 2016, but it is a game that is addictive and entertaining for someone looking for a quick fix after a busy day. While it may not be to everyone’s taste, I had a fun trip down memory lane, back to those days I explored little unknown games that were unique and quirky. This game has beautiful art, a love of old arcade games and plenty of things to unlock and scores to beat to keep you playing. If you can spare the $5 on steam, Wii U or New 3ds and enjoy old arcade style games, I recommend it, but unless you are a fan of this particular type of game, it may be a pass in favor of something slightly more fulfilling.

 


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Killing Floor 2 Has Gone Gold On All Platforms


Posted on November 13, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Tripwire Interactive and publisher Deep Silver have jointly announced that Killing Floor 2 has gone gold on PS4 and Windows PC. This means that the zombie slaughtering team shooter will be leaving Steam Early Access after being in development for the past 18 months, originally going live in March 2015 on Windows.

Killing Floor was partially developed with the help of Sony Computer Interactive – as the motion capture for the game’s animations were captured at Sony’s Santa Monica California motion capture studios. Other technological innovations in KF2 include the evisceration system which allows individual limbs to separated with each enemies having five distinct separation points. The graphics team at Tripwire interactive also focused heavily on how blood was rendered in the game – spending considerable time on how blood was generate from wounds and how it split onto surfaces.

An open beta was available on PlayStation 4 for all the check out earlier this month. The physical release of Killing Floor 2 will be priced at $49.99 CDN on PS4.

Here’s a picture of the development team that Tripwire released in celebration of the game being complete:

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Free Version of Project Cars Available On Steam In North America


Posted on October 31, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Project Cars Pagani Edition allows players to enjoy a limited racing experience featuring cars from vehicles from manufacturer Pagani. This free version allows racers to experience the thrills of Project Cars with access to three unique tracks and five cars.

In terms of vehicles available the following Pagani cars will be available in Project Cars Pagani Edition –  They are the Pagani Huayra, Huayra BC, Zonda Cinque, Zonda R, and Zonda Revolucion. Driving these supercars gives drivers just a small taste of some of the fast paced action that the full version has to offer.

Three different courses from the full version of Project Cars are selectable -the Nürburgring and Nordschleife combo, Monza GP, and Azure Coast.

Full VR support for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive is available in Project Cars Pagani Edition and it can be downloaded in North America via this Steam Store Page.

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