Project Cars developer Slightly Mad Studios announced that it's making a sequel to its car simulator. Just like the first, Project Cars 2 will be crowdfunded and tested by the community.
In a post on the game's website, the developer outlined the additions and improvements coming to the sequel. Among the changes are more tracks and motorsports, such as Rallycross and hill climbs. The game will also feature cooperative careers for players who want to take the role of spotters, co-pilots, or drivers. Additionally, the studio is focusing on making Project Cars 2 a platform for expansion,
This game will be funded via the studio's World of Mass Development crowdfunding platform, and players will be able to assist in development along the way. Contributors will get access to PC builds and will be able to give feedback on the status of the game.
You can read our review of the first Project Cars here. The sequel is planned for PC (including SteamOS), Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
Now, Xbox marketing head Aaron Greenberg has revealed that no one is currently working on the game. In an interview with Gamertag Radio, Greenberg said that the game does not have a developer, although it has not been officially canceled.
"We're currently exploring what we're going to do longer-term with Phantom Dust," he explained when asked about the game. "The project is not canceled, but we don't have an active developer on it right now."
He continued, "It's a project that, like many things, will take a little more time, but at this point we're not giving any more updates on it."
Phantom Dust was announced at E3 2014 with a short trailer confirming that it's a reboot of the 2005 Xbox game. The only details we have about it come from leaked gameplay footage. It looks like we'll have to wait to get new information about the game.
At a number of retailers this week, you'll be able to buy an Xbox One and get your choice of free select games. Participating stores include Amazon, Best Buy, and the Microsoft Store, with eligible games including recent title like The Witcher 3, Mortal Kombat X, and the out-this-week Batman: Arkham Knight.
Save $15 when you buy Batman: Arkham Knight and any of the Christopher Nolan Batman movies (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, or The Dark Knight Rises) on DVD at Target. You can also get 10 percent off the game's season pass at Target.
Buy Batman: Arkham Knight on Xbox One or PS4 (or the PS4 system bundle) at Best Buy and get a free controller skin (pictured right).
Microsoft's latest Deals With Gold promotion is on, discounting a handful of Xbox One and Xbox 360 games, such as Battlefield 4 for $16, Forza Horizon 2 for $30, and Forza Horizon 2's Storm Island DLC for $10. You can check out all the deals here.
The first episode of Telltale's Game of Thrones series is free on Xbox Live.
HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset for PC & PS4 -- $90 (Amazon)
Amazon prices are accurate as of publishing, but can fluctuate occasionally throughout the day.
GameSpot's gaming deals posts always highlight the best deals we can find regardless of retailer. We also occasionally use retailer affiliate links, which means that purchasing goods through those links helps support all the great content (including the deals posts) you find for free here on the site.
Most people have heard about the big titles at E3 2015: Mirror's Edge Catalyst, Star Wars: Battlefront, Rainbow Six Siege, and others. But E3 is a massive conference, and dozens of games are on display. There are really awesome games at the show that are easily missed, but we had the opportunity to check out some of them. Here are our four unexpected highlights of E3 2015.
Into the Stars:
When Fugitive Games' Ben Jones pulled up the first exploration opportunity in the demo of Into the Stars, I was intrigued. He gave me the choice of three places to explore, and I told him to travel to a volcano. It ended in ruin, with half of his ship's crew taking a lot of damage and requiring time in the medical bay. Visually, it was just a series of menus, much like FTL. But I'm a sucker for that sort of choose-your-own-adventure storytelling, so I liked it already.
Then, Jones exited the menu to a command bridge looking out over the depths of space. I was struck by the beautiful view, and thought that it was a nice backdrop to the exploration. But he pressed the arrow keys and the ship moved. It's a fully maneuverable ship flying in three-dimensional space, and each sector you travel to has several planets, asteroids, and debris to fly to and visit. It seemed peaceful to fly through the blackness of space, stopping at whichever landmark stuck out.
Watching the demo made me want to be in the world and to uncover all the secrets it contains. The points of discovery held small stories and the decisions made those stories unique, each choice coloring your experience.
Devastated Dreams is the new 2D side-scrolling survival horror game by Infinitap Game's Matt Gilgenbach. And the demo I played was just as terrifying and personal as its predecessor, Neverending Nightmares.
The game is set in a rural village in the Philippines where you play as a pregnant Filipino woman who must journey through twisted nightmares filled with monsters from the country's folklore. What I played had me treading through dark ominous Philippine village pathways, exploring huts, finding keys, and enduring some well-timed jump scares.
In terms of survival horror, this sounds like more of the same. But these elements aren't what makes the Devastated Dreams stand out. What makes the game so compelling is just how personal it feels. Inspired by the upcoming birth of Gilgenbach's first child, the game feels like a nightmarish simulation that dives into his own personal fears arising from constant images of pregnancy-related death. Regardless, Devastated Dreams was an eerily visceral and gut wrenching experience that I can't wait to see more of.
Armed and Gelatinous:
This delightful game is a four-person local multiplayer shoot-em-up that makes players take control of gelatinous blobs. You can move and have a dash attack, but slowly weapons start appearing in the level. Guns will stick to your blob and you can shoot the ones you've acquired. It's all about acquiring the most weapons and becoming the biggest moving arsenal in the round.
It was hilarious to see dozens of weapons stuck all over my character's body, making it grow to gigantic proportions. The bigger you get, the more powerful you are. However, you also become a bigger target. If you take too many shots, you explode and your guns float into the level, open for anyone else to pick up.
It's a simple game, but over the several rounds I played, I developed a bit of strategy. Sometimes it's not a good thing to get the weapons. Staying small keeps your character quick, and you're able to dodge out of the way of the bullets and dash into bigger enemies.
One of the marks of a good local multiplayer game is how much noise the players make during the rounds, and we were loudly laughing throughout the entirety of our time with the game. Armed and Gelatinous is hilarious and enjoyable, and it's coming out for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
SMS Racing:
This hilarious game is built for the Samsung Gear VR and it tests your ability to text while driving. Think you can just glance down when you're driving? Think again. SMS Driving will show that you're not as good at multitasking as you believe you are.
If you take too long to send a text in reply to a friend, they will think you are rude and the friendship is over. Lose three friends and you automatically fail the race. This game becomes a juggling match of trying to drive blind and remember when to turn, trying to race as fast as you can while looking down at a phone.
I was horrible at this game. I came in dead last and got lapped by the AI racers in front of me, who also text and drive erratically. But it was a blast to play, and this absurd concept will hopefully manifest in a funny VR experience when the game launches.
The fifth installment in the Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim, has remained popular since its launch in 2011. It has been supported by a huge modding community on the PC, giving the game all sorts of additions and improvements to keep it fresh. Now, a new mod is aiming to let you team up with your friends to explore the game's huge world.
Called Tamriel Online, the mod is still very much in its beginning stages. Made by reddit user Siegfre, the mod doesn't yet support events such as battling monsters together, but it still provides a glimpse at what the Skyrim experience could be like with a friend. You can watch an overview of the mod in its current state below.
Right now, the creator is looking for help to test the mod and to pinpoint where it needs improvement. Siegfre has already solved several problems including situations that cause the game to crash and save issues.
This is a pretty remarkable feat of modding work, especially considering development on multiplayer mods for the game have been in progress for several years. Siegfre writes in the opening post that he or she has worked on Tamriel Online for only a couple weeks before getting a playable build up and running.
You can check out the state of the mod and how to download it here, but don't expect it to run completely smoothly for a while. It's still very much early on in development, but it's striking to see the potential of a cooperative Skyrim.
[Update]: Bethesda has clarified that, while the Xbox One and PS4 versions of Fallout 4 will run at 1080p and 30fps, the "resolution and FPS are not limited in any way on the PC."
Original story continues below:
Bethesda has confirmed Fallout 4 will run at 1080p and 30 frames per second on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 when it released later this year.
Todd Howard, creative director at Bethesda Game Studios, told Digital Spy that the upcoming post-apocalyptic open-world RPG would is "1080p on everything," continuing to confirm it would also run at 30fps, as opposed to 60fps.
Fallout 4 was shown at length during Bethesda's E3 2015 press conference. During the event, Howard appeared on stage and discussed the game's deep customisation features, showed off the overhauled Pip-Boy, and revealed the real-life Pip-Boy that will be available with special editions of the game.
As a spiritual sequel to Yoshi's Island, Nintendo is lining up another egg-chucking, platform-hopping adventure with Yoshi's Woolly World.
This time, however, Mario's faithful companion is wrapped up in knit. But is it a comfortable romp on the Wii U, or an irritating fit? We've gathered up reviews to get a general consensus of how Nintendo's latest has fared with critics.
Check out a sampling of review scores and editor opinions below. And be sure to visit GameSpot sister site Metacritic for even more on the game's critical reception.
Release Date: June 26 (EU), October 16 (NA), July 16 (JP)
Price: $50
GameSpot -- 6/10
"Everything worth your time in Woolly World is only available if you choose to hunt it down. You don't need to collect a single hidden item on your journey from 1-1 to the final boss. If you want to be fully entertained, the hard road is the only real option. It is your own degree of curiosity, and your compulsive nature, that will determine which route you'll take." [Full review]
VideoGamer -- 6/10
"Excellent occasionally, good in parts and downright dull in others, Yoshi's Woolly World is a disappointment." [Full review]
GamesRadar+ -- 3.5/5
"Those looking for something cuddly and vibrant to play with a child or sibling will find it most welcoming, while Nintendo die-hards will recognise this as a safe and uninspiring spin-off, sent out to fill time in between core Mario titles. Everyone, however, will agree that Yoshi's actual yarn-pooping is the cutest thing that'll happen to games in 2015, and for that it deserves a massive hug… but not a stellar score." [Full review]
NintendoLife -- 9/10
"Yoshi's Woolly World has been absolutely worth the wait. It's accomplished platforming within Yoshi's quirky and unique template, and has enough soft cuteness to charm young gamers and melt the hearts of the most jaded of veteran gamers. Along with some of Nintendo's best co-op platforming, tough collectible challenges for skilled players and some simple but neat use of amiibo, it also delivers where it matters the most with clever, witty stage design. This stands up as one of the Wii U's elite games - perfect for snuggled in gaming time." [Full review]
Square Enix has announced the PlayStation 4 version of the PC port of Final Fantasy 7 will be available on October 16 across North America and Europe.
The re-release will be available for $16.99 (£12.99).
At E3, the PC-to-PS4 port of Square Enix's beloved role-playing game had its release date delayed until winter this year. In addition, the company confirmed that the game would be coming to iOS.
This port is completely separate from the the Final Fantasy 7 remake that was announced at E3 2015.
The Final Fantasy VII remake me be more of a reimagining, if comments from Nomura suggesting it could deviate from its source material are any indication. Speaking to GameSpot, Nomura suggested he didn't see a reason to release the exact same game again.
"We've announced an HD port version on the PlayStation 4, and then we have the remake coming to PS4," he said. "You'll have this extremely, very, very pretty FFVII existing on the same plane. We feel that if that happens, it's like, why have the same exact game?
According to Dylan Cuthbert, president and executive producer at the studio, the genre-bending PlayStation 4 exclusive will likely be available in Fall 2015, which means between September and November.
Revealed during Gamescom 2014, The Tomorrow Children combines shooting, world-building, resource gathering and management, tower defence, strategy, and multiplayer co-op.
Cuthbert said the team has been "adding tons of new features previously unseen in trailers and the closed alpha last fall" and "enriching the story and setting."
"Although the world of The Tomorrow Children is encased in the bleak Void, life still flourishes as humanity claws its way back from the brink of extinction, and players in the roles of Projection Clones will take that life into their own hands," Cuthbert explained.
"Players will take control the fate of their town and eventually the world itself as they build up and expand it from a nearly empty outpost into a lively home filled with shops, facilities, and even a home of their very own, all while defending everything they've built in life and death struggles with invaders from the edges of existence."
Warner Bros. Interactive's Lego Jurassic World has taken the top spot on the UK all formats chart for the week ending June 20.
According to UK chart monitor Chart Track, it is the first Lego title to reach No.1 since The Lego Movie Videogame in 2014, and the seventh Lego title from Traveller's Tales to reach the position since Lego Star Wars in March 2005.
The Elder Scrolls Online, meanwhile, drops down to No.2, with sales falling by 71 percent in its second week on the chart.
The Limited Edition version of Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Knight has been delayed across multiple retailers.
The Limited Edition, which includes a steelbook case, an artbook, a comic book, a character skin pack, and a statue, is now listed as unavailable on Amazon. According to Eurogamer, GameStop Finland has also delayed delivery of the bundle.
Both retailers will reportedly send download codes for the game to those affected.
"We regret to inform you that we are not able to release the Batmobile Collector's Edition of Batman: Arkham Knight due to unforeseen circumstances that greatly compromised the quality of this extremely limited run of product," Rocksteady said in a statement.
"We are deeply apologetic for this unfortunate outcome."
In GameSpot's Batman: Arkham Knight review we said "Arkham Knight is another slick and enjoyable Batman adventure. But what it brings to the series' table is not always for the best."
Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, has explained how Xbox 360 game emulation is being achieved on the Xbox One, as well as the ethos behind the company's decision to support legacy content.
Speaking on Giant Bomb's E3 Day One podcast, Spencer said the decision to support Xbox 360 games was made to "make 360 owners look at Xbox One as a safe place to play."
"Millions of people made investments in 360 content," he said. "We thought the right thing to do was to make that content go forward, but we didn't know [how difficult it would be]."
"[Emulation] is hard," admitted Spencer, explaining that the company was dealing with having to harmonise PowerPC architecture with x86.
"The approach that we've taken is to actually emulate the full Xbox 360 hardware layer. So the [operating system] for the 360 is actually running when you run the game," Spencer explained.
"If you watch the game's boot you'll see the Xbox 360 boot animation come up. From a performance standpoint it allows [emulation] to work. We're able to get frame by frame performance equivalents."
"[Xbox Live] thinks you're on a 360, so people have been asking 'hey, why are you playing Mass Effect on the 360?,' I was actually playing on the Xbox One."
Spencer continued to explain that, since the Xbox One thinks it's playing a normal game, features such as streaming and screenshots are supported.
"The 360 games think they're running on the 360 OS, which they are. And the 360 OS thinks its running on the hardware, which it's not, it's running on an emulated VM. On the other side, the Xbox One thinks it's a game. That's why things like streaming, game DVR, and screenshots all work, because it thinks there's just one big game called 360."
Delving deeper, Spencer explained exactly how the emulator packages the Xbox 360 games, and how it compares to Xbox 360's emulation of original Xbox games.
"You download a kind of manifest of wrapper for the 360 game, so we can say 'hey, this is actually Banjo, or this is Mass Effect. The emulator runs exactly the same for all the games.
"I was around when we did the original Xbox [backwards compatibility] for Xbox 360 where we had a shim for every game and it just didn't scale very well. This is actually the same emulator running for all of the games. Different games do different things, as we're rolling them out we'll say 'oh maybe we have to tweak the emulator.' But in the end, the emulator is emulating the 360, so it's for everybody."
Asked about whether Microsoft would require permission from game publishers to adjust game code, Spencer clarified it would not be interfering with code.
"The bits are not touched," he said. "There's some caveats, and as always I like to be as transparent as I can be on this: Kinect games won't work from the 360, because translating between the Kinect sensors is almost impossible."
Finally, the subject of multi-disc games was also addressed. According to Spencer, it's an issue engineers are looking into.
"We're still working on multi-disc," he said. "Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon are some of my favourites from the 360. There's actually work in packing a multi-disc into single that requires us to go back and look at the original package on the multiple discs and reconfigure that."
Microsoft announced Xbox One backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games at its E3 press conference. According to the platform holder digital Xbox 360 titles already purchased via XBLA, as well as retail discs of last-gen titles, will eventually be "natively" playable on Xbox One.
Sony has released an update for its iOS and Android PlayStation App to make code redemption much easier.
The update, which is available now on iTunes and Google Play, allows "PlayStation Network Card numbers and promotion codes to be entered within the PlayStation App."
Furthermore, codes can now be redeemed either by entering them manually using a keyboard, or scanning it using the device's camera.
Another addition introduced in the update shows "comments that you receive while broadcasting from your PS4 system can now be displayed on the second screen."
The new model is also ten percent lighter, weighing a total of 2.5 kg, and uses eight percent less energy. The new model's hard drive bay cover now also has a matte finish.
At E3 2015, Sony made a number of big announcements, including the Final Fantasy 7 remake featured in the video above. Microsoft, meanwhile, revealed backwards compatibility for Xbox 360 games, and Nintendo showed of Star Fox.
Sony has announced it will be releasing a new PlayStation 4 bundle that features a 1TB hard drive capacity.
Dubbed the "Ultimate Player Edition," the new model will be available in "select Europe and PAL territories" from July 15. The model has yet to be confirmed for release across the US.
"Offering twice the storage of the existing PS4, you'll be able to download more of the games you love to your PS4, extend your play with more great add-on content and save and share even more of your best gaming highlights," Sony says.
Pricing information was not provided, as Sony is advising those interested to "check with your local retailer."
The new model is also ten percent lighter, weighing a total of 2.5 kg, and also uses eight percent less energy. It's hard drive bay cover now also has a matte finish.
In early June, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) certified two new PlayStation 4 models, indicating Sony was planning to release new SKUs in the US.
The first model was believed to feature a 500 gigabyte capacity, which is the same as current PS4 models, while the second seemed to have a one terabyte hard drive.
It may be that these models are announced for the US in the near future.
Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki has outlined the funding goals he needs to reach to achieve his grand vision for the elusive third game in the series, and has also discussed potential future entries.
Answering questions on a Reddit interview, Suzuki said that the first of his big ideas could be implemented at the $5 million milestone.
"I will say this," he said. "If we reach the $5 million mark, one of the things I really want to do with Shenmue 3 will become a reality."
According to Suzuki, Shenmue 3 will "truly have the features of an open-world" at the $10 million milestone.
Suzuki didn't elaborate on what these open-world features entail , however, he did detail some of the stretch goals, which include the much-discussed forklift gameplay, additional towns, and extra side-activities.
"There will be part time jobs that will be indicative of those you would find in China," he explained. "In the Stretch goals there will also be the old favorites."
Elsewhere in the AMA, Suzuki indicated that he has a vision for the future of the series beyond Shenmue 3, saying he'd like to complete the original 11-chapter story.
"There are a total of 11 chapters that make up the whole story," he said. "Over the past 14 years I originally planned for there to four or five games to the series. If at all possible, I would still like to realize the full story of 11 chapters."
The original Shenmue is considered to be the first chapter. The second chapter was delivered in the manga, while Shenmue 2 was chapter three, four, and five. Unless Shenmue 3 is massive in scope, it may be that at least one more game after it will be necessary to complete the narrative arc.
Suzuki said the game would be a "full-on Shenmue experience," and asked for $2 million in initial funding to start work on the project. Within a couple of hours the campaign crossed $1 million mark, and just a few hours later, its funding goal. At the time of writing this it has raised over $3,500,000, with 25 days to go.
Take a look at some of the artwork for the game in the gallery below.
Thinking of trying Smite, the Xbox One's first MOBA game? GameSpot AU is giving away ten Founders Packs for the game! The pack is worth AUD$39.95 and unlocks all current gods as well as future gods, 400 gems, and two exclusive skins.
To enter this competition, simply answer this question in 25 words or less: "If you could be a god, who would you be and why?" The GameSpot AU team will pick the best answers based on their creativity.
Competition closes June 29 at 8am AEST, so get your answers in! This competition is only open to Australian residents.
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