By Anonymous on Apr 26, 2015 10:56 pm
Developer Treyarch has officially revealed some major details about Call of Duty: Black Ops III today, including the game's first trailer, which you can watch below. Black Ops III is being developed for next-gen consoles and PC and is set for a November 6, 2015 release date. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's preview of Call of Duty: Black Ops III, the big changes coming to multiplayer, and the PC minimum system requirements.
By Anonymous on Apr 26, 2015 10:30 pm
The future of Call of Duty is a much discussed topic. What will they do next year? How will next year's studio build on last year's effort? How will they keep the series fresh? When will players finally tire of the Call of Duty formula? These questions are asked in message boards and on discussion shows, but also inside the walls of developer Treyarch. Now in their tenth year of developing Call of Duty games, the folks at Treyarch have had a hand on the wheel of this series for some time now, and have confronted these questions again and again. This year, with Call of Duty: Black Ops III, they have an eye not just on the future of Call of Duty, but on the future of humanity itself. In Black Ops II, Treyarch took the Cold War setting of Black Ops and paired it with a drone-dominated future, linking the two with overarching themes of enthusiasm and trepidation about the use of cutting-edge technology in military and espionage operations. This core conflict returns in Black Ops III, extrapolated years beyond Black Ops II into a future where human augmentation has replaced drone technology as the freaky tech du jour. Humanoid battle robots are now commonplace, but the real power--and threat--lies with human soldiers who boast robotic replacement parts and neural networking implants. Strong as the dickens and smart as the data they can instantly access, these soldiers have mental and physical capabilities that provide the driving force for Black Ops III's campaign. In the pre-taped gameplay demo I saw during a recent visit to the Treyarch studios, the player character arrived in a train station in Cairo that served as a makeshift outpost for the allies he or she was there to contact. Black Ops III is the first CoD game that allows the player to choose the gender of the campaign protagonist, and while there is separate voice acting for both male and female characters, the script is roughly the same. According to Jason Blundell, the campaign director for Black Ops III, they took inspiration from the character of Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect series; a strong character can be a strong character without the world around them bending to accommodate their gender. The train station entry scene used one of my favorite gaming tropes, the on-rails transit sequence that establishes the scene before the player can really even move. After exiting the train, the player proceeded to seek out an informant to help them get to the bottom of a massive intelligence leak that originated at a CIA facility. The echoes of Edward Snowden resounded around the room as the developers spoke about the thing that made this kind of leak even more compromising for a futuristic soldier: the direct neural interface.  The DNI is basically a computer and sensor network implanted in the soldier that allows them access to data and communications, lets them hack into computer tech, and even helps them regulate their own biological functions. Having your password leaked means a lot more when your ability to walk is on the line. In the Black Ops III campaign, the abilities associated with the DNI (and any robo-parts you might have) are called cyber cores and cyber rigs. You'll be able to choose which of these abilities to acquire, similar to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare's exo suit modifications. It didn't seem like the upgrade tree would be a broad as in, say, Deus Ex: Human Revolution; I got the impression that you'd be able to use most of the abilities in the course of the campaign, rather than choosing specific paths. There are some limitations to your loadout, however, and these make it valuable to coordinate your cyber choices with your teammates. Your human teammates. Yes, Black Ops III has four-player online campaign co-op throughout the entire campaign (and two-player splitscreen local co-op). During the campaign demo, we saw two skirmishes, the second of which was designed to show off the larger environments that the studio designed in order to accommodate their co-op structure. In this scene, the players sallied forth from a formidable mobile wall dropped into place by a friendly helicopter. A broad concrete area stretched out ahead of them, barely recognizable as a street thanks to enemy fortifications and ruined vehicles. The goal was to use a handheld launcher to shoot explosive charges into the columns below the street and then detonate them to collapse the whole area. Of course, the charges were also effective against softer targets. Ready to blow.But targeting the supports and holding off the enemy attack took a bit more than just a big gun. Using the DNI to scan the area revealed the target areas and tagged any enemies spotted by the player or the player's squad. This location data is shared passively to your allies because all your DNIs are connected. Linking the player's eyes into a (potentially corruptible) network opens wide the possibility for messing with the player's perception, and Treyarch is proud of their history of messing with players' minds. There were strong hints that what you see might not always be what is actually going on, and while there won't be branching story decisions like those in Black Ops II, they did describe the storytelling as "layered," teasing that there might be more to discover on subsequent playthroughs. This playthrough showed off a few more abilities, including hacking a flying drone and turning its machine guns against those who deployed it. A cloaking device automatically activates when using this ability is triggered, so you can use it mid-battle without scurrying into a corner first. And then there were the terror bees, technically known as fireflies, which are a cloud of flying nano-robots that swarm enemies and, when upgraded, can set them on fire. Drone hacking and flaming terror bees join a list of about 40 upgradeable abilities that players will be able to use in the campaign. The other campaign skirmish took place during an assault on the train station and started with a nasty new drone that looks like a metal yoga ball. In a gory scripted moment, an enemy ball rolled up to an ally of mine and deployed sharp metal blades that skewered the poor guy right in front of my face. Yes, it was gross, and yes, these balls are available as scorestreak rewards in multiplayer.  While shooting these drones and the bipedal warrior bots that marched into the shattered atrium, the player showed off some tricks of the new traversal system. I was curious to see what Treyarch would do the high-energy exo suit mobility system from Advanced Warfare, and I was glad to see they had their own take on those invigorating movement mechanics. But while Advanced Warfare was largely focused on quick, darting motions for speedy incursion and evasion, Black Ops III is more interested in fluidity, and in letting you have your gun out as much as possible. Instead of a double jump, or a jump-and-midair-dash, Black Ops III has a thrust jump. It can boost you to a higher ledge or extend your jump distance, and it operates on an analog energy meter instead of firing at a specific burst intensity. So leap straight up and tap the jump button to hover in the air with small puffs of energy. Use the same feathering technique to extend your jump with mid-air hops, or burn the whole meter to glide in a long, floating arc. The booster is omnidirectional as well, preserving the diversity of movement offered in AW, but it doesn't function when your feet are on the ground. For ground-based mobility, there's the power slide, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Activated by holding the crouch button for a moment (say goodbye to dolphin diving), this move triggers a slide in the direction you are facing. But once you're sliding, you are free to aim wherever you like, making this not only a powerful evasive maneuver, but also a potent offensive tactic. Landing your jump directly into a slide, or sliding past a door while aiming in are just a few of the effective applications we found while playing multiplayer. Over the course of a few hours, I got to play a dozen or so rounds of Black Ops III multiplayer. Getting the hang of the traversal system didn't take very long, as recent experience with Advanced Warfare, the Halo 5: Guardians beta, and Titanfall had prepared me for more movement trickery in my first-person shooters. The latter reference applies particularly to the wall run, which is fueled by the same energy bar as the thrust jump and power slide. Like in Titanfall, you need to approach at an angle to get your wall run going, and leaping between walls resets your energy meter. Black Ops III throws in a new twist, allowing you to change directions mid-run just by turning around and tapping the jump button. Also, there are water areas on certain maps, and you can swim, with your gun pointed ahead at all times. This is one of the core goals of Black Ops III multiplayer, allowing you to keep your gun up and be ready to fire as much as possible. A new mantling system streamlines movement by allowing you to clamber over obstacles you encounter while moving in any direction (yes, including backwards) with the tap of a button, and keeping your gun up all the while. The more your gun is up, Treyarch's thinking goes, the more likely you'll be prepared for combat when it comes and the less likely you'll feel like there was nothing you could've done to avoid being killing. And if you can have your gun up in more situations, that expands the combat possibilities in a non-trivial way. He's not your chap.The biggest change to multiplayer comes with the introduction of specialists. In addition to choosing a loadout you've designed in Treyarch's signature pick-ten system, you must now choose from one of nine specialist characters. These are individual soldiers with names and callsigns and back stories that are linked to the fiction of the Black Ops III universe. More crucially, each has a unique weapon and a unique ability that can be deployed during combat. You pick your specialist, you choose the weapon OR the ability (not both), and then you're ready for combat. Maybe you'll pick Seraph, a woman from the Chinese cartels who can whip out a one-shot kill pistol called the Annihilator or boost the rate at which she earns progress towards scorestreaks for a short time. Or perhaps you'll go with Outrider, an archer from the Brazilian favelas who gibs her enemies with explosive arrows or activates a radar pulse that highlights any nearby enemies with red silhouettes. If you're playing a Capture the Flag match, an American soldier named Ruin might be your choice for his ability to trigger temporary movement acceleration, or you might just enjoy ground pounding anyone in the area to death with his leaping gravity spike attack. And then there's Reaper, the robot who looks like a cross between a terminator and a geth. Its arm can transform into a deadly minigun, but it's its ability to warp to where it was six seconds prior that is the most disruptive of all the specialists we saw (only four out the nine). Understanding and predicting your opponents' positions is absolutely crucial in multiplayer combat, and with Glitch, Reaper can be in front of you one second and then behind or above you the next. Run into a crowded room, drop C4, and then Glitch away. Leap into pool, then Glitch back out and shoot the enemy that followed you in. The potential for psyching out opponents and gaining a positional advantage is huge. That's Ruin. He ruins things.Use of specialist weapons and abilities is limited, though, as they are controlled by an energy meter. This meter is always filling up and does not reset upon death, like scorestreaks, so specialist powers are something all players will be able to use, regardless of skill. More skilled players, however, will be able to use them more frequently, as XP-earning actions will help the meter fill faster. Speaking of XP, in addition to the traditional global XP and weapon XP, each specialist character earns XP and has a progression pathway that will unlock stuff, but what exactly that stuff is wasn't divulged at this time. But there was a lot of information shared in this first look at Black Ops III, and we're expecting more to come at E3, where the game will be playable on the show floor. Treyarch has confirmed there will be a zombies mode, complete with a weird-as-heck story line and a full XP progression system, but they played coy about further details. They also talked about gunsmith, their new weapon customization system which boasts multiple cosmetic variants for common attachments, as well as three fully paintable surfaces on each gun. How will they keep their weapons from being plastered in butts and swear words? Only time will tell. And while PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 versions of the game are confirmed, what is in store for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 players? Perhaps another studio is working on a scaled-down version of the game, or maybe this is the year CoD leaves behind the last generation. The novelty of the specialists and the smoothness of the traversal system were the highlights for me during my play time. I'm eager to see what other specialists bring to the table, and how they mix with the abilities and weapons we've already seen. Though at first the specialist system seemed an odd addition, after a few matches they felt like just another element of a deadly battlefield. Scorestreak rewards have basically functioned as special powers for years, and having something that powerful that you can reliably use is an appreciated bonus for someone who doesn't often chain together long streaks. Adding new things while preserving the core experience is the perennial challenge for the Call of Duty franchise, one that Treyarch is taking head on in the lead up to the November 6th release of Black Ops III.
By Anonymous on Apr 26, 2015 10:30 pm
Developer Treyarch has officially revealed some major details about Call of Duty: Black Ops III today, including that its multiplayer mode will have Titanfall-style wall running, and "Specialist" characters that have unique weapons and abilities. Wall running will work much like it does Titanfall. You need to approach at an angle to get your wall run going, and leaping between walls resets your energy meter, which you can also use to powerslide and thrust jump high in the air.  Another completely new addition to how you get around in Call of Duty multiplayer is swimming. There are water areas on certain maps, and you can dive in with your gun pointed ahead and working at all times. Perhaps the biggest addition to multiplayer are the nine Specialist characters, each of which can bring either a special ability or weapon into a match. So far, we've seen four Specialists: - Ruin -- A fearless infantry soldier with a "gravity spikes" weapon that creates an area of effect attack, and the "Overdrive" ability, which gives him a burst of speed.
- Seraph -- A member of a crime syndicate with the "Annihilator" weapon, a high-caliber revolver, and the Combat Focus ability, which triggers a bonus multiplier towards Scorestreaks.
- Outrider -- She has a compound bow called "Sparrow" and a "Vision Pulse" ability that pings the surrounding area and tags the location of all enemies.
- Reaper -- An experimental War Robot with a "Scythe," an arm that transforms into a mini-gun, and the "Glitch" ability, which allows it to flashback to a previous position.
So far we've seen three multiplayer maps: - Combine: A vertical farming and sustainability research facility in the remote Egyptian Sahara.
- Hunted: A big game hunting lodge situated beneath a waterfall in the lush mountains of Ethiopia.
- Stronghold: A high-tech Swiss chateau in the frozen, mountainous Alps.
Treyarch also revealed Gunsmith, an all-new weapon customization system that will let you add up to five attachments to a weapon and create and apply custom paint jobs. As was revealed last week via leaked marketing materials, Black Ops III's campaign will support four-player co-op, and Treyarch will return to the Zombies mode it introduced to the series in Call of Duty: World at War, though it didn't have more details to share about that just yet. Black Ops III is being developed for next-gen consoles and PC and is set for a November 6, 2015 release date. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's preview of Call of Duty: Black Ops III.
By Anonymous on Apr 26, 2015 10:30 pm
Treyarch has finally given us our first good look Call of Duty: Black Ops III today, and it took the opportunity to reveal the game's minimum PC system requirements. You'll need at least an Intel Core i3-530 or AMD Phenom II X4 810 at least for a CPU, and a Nvidia GTX 470 or an ATI Radeon HD 6970 at least for a GPU. You'll also need at least 6GB of RAM.  By comparison, the game is only a little more demanding than Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare's minimum system requirements, which requires a slightly older GPU. Treyarch told GameSpot that it's putting a greater emphasis on good PC performance and stability this time around, which is why it's confident in revealing the minimum system requirements earlier in the development cycle. You can find the full minimum PC system requirements for the game below. Treyarch has revealed a ton of new information about Call of Duty: Black Ops III today, which you can read more about in GameSpot's full preview. - Operating System: Windows 7 64-Bit / Windows 8 64-Bit / Windows 8.1 64-Bit
- Processor: Intel® Core™ i3-530 @ 2.93 GHz / AMD Phenom™ II X4 810 @ 2.60 GHz
- Memory: 6 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 470 @ 1GB / ATI® Radeon™ HD 6970 @ 1GB
- DirectX: Version 11
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
By Anonymous on Apr 26, 2015 09:33 pm
Bandai Namco has released a trailer for another Tekken 7 fighter who's a completely new addition to the fighting game series. Gigas, as you can see in the trailer below, is a hulking monstrosity, with tubes bolted on to his body. He looks a lot like the Batman villain Bane, especially as he appear in the Batman Arkham games. Gigas will be a playable fighter in Japanese arcades starting April 28. Tekken 7 was announced last year. The game, which is powered by Epic's Unreal Engine 4, is already in Japanese arcades, but Bandai Namco has yet to announce when the game will hit other platforms in other territories. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Tekken 7.
By Anonymous on Apr 26, 2015 08:30 pm
 This week State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition comes out on Xbox One, we get the conclusion to Broken Age, Tropico 5 heads to PS4, Magicka Wizard Wars and Kerbal Space Program leave Early Access.
By Anonymous on Apr 26, 2015 08:30 pm
 With PlayStation Now released and in the full swing of things, you're probably curious what games are actually on it. As a cloud-based streaming service designed to give you access to a large number of PS3 games, PlayStation Now actually has quite an extensive selection to choose from. So here's a full-on list of every single game you can find on PS Now! ActionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionAdventureThe Walking Dead: The Complete First SeasonFightingUltra Street Fighter IVHorrorResident Evil 5: Gold EditionPlatformerRatchet & Clank: Into the NexusPuzzleechochromeRacingGRiD 2Role-Playing GameMass Effect 2ShooterBioshock: InfiniteSimulationThe Sims 3SportsNBA 2k14StrategyXCOM: Enemy Within
By Anonymous on Apr 26, 2015 07:54 pm
Elite: Dangerous is getting a major update called Powerplay, which will add faction gameplay to the space simulator, developer Frontier Developments has announced. Each faction, or "Power," is an organization that controls a section of human-occupied space. Each is led by a different figurehead, and comes with a different biography, political leaning, and faction-specific perks.  "When Powerplay launches, you'll be able to ally yourself with any one of a number of galactic Powers, earning valuable perks, reputation bonuses and credits for your allegiance," Frontier Developments said. "As a trusted ally of your chosen Power, you will be able to guide their strategy, take on special objectives to advance your shared cause, and dominate human space. Your choices and actions will have a direct and visible impact on the balance of galactic power." Players who prefer combat might want to join aggressive Powers with combat missions, while players who prefer trading could join a Power looking to expand its trade monopoly. Players who prefer to fly alone don't have to join any faction and remain free agent. Frontier Developments said the initial selection of factions will rise to a maximum of twenty, but that players will eventually have a hand in creating new powers, as minor local forces establish a foothold in a handful of systems. You can read about the update in much greater detail here. Like the previous Wings update, the Powerplay update will be free when it's released next month.
By Anonymous on Apr 26, 2015 04:58 pm
P.T., the "playable teaser" for the next Silent Hill game, will be removed from the PlayStation Store this coming Wednesday, April 29. Publisher Konami announced the news in a brief update on the game's site. "The distribution period of P.T. (Playable Teaser) on PlayStation Store will expire on Wednesday, April 29, 2015," the statement reads.  Head to the PlayStation Store here to queue up your free download before it's too late. Konami did not provide any kind of explanation for why P.T. is being removed, or what it's removal might mean for the future of Silent Hills. The decision to pull the PlayStation 4 game from the PlayStation Store comes amid a reported power struggle between Konami and developer Hideo Kojima. Last month, Kojima's name was removed from the P.T./Silent Hills website. Kojima is working on Silent Hills with Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro and The Walking Dead actor Norman Reedus. But not much else is known about the project. Silent Hills was originally revealed at Gamescom 2014 as horror game P.T., which was launched as a free PS4 demo on the PlayStation Store with almost no explanation as to what it was. Kojima later said that he wanted to make Silent Hills so scary that it will "make you sh*t your pants." He even joked at the time that the limited edition for Silent Hills would come with a fresh pair of pants.
By Anonymous on Apr 26, 2015 09:39 am
This week we brought you a full slate of exclusive The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt interviews, gameplay, and details. Now we're giving you a chance to look back on all the video features editors Danny O'Dwyer and Andrew Bauman put together. But we're not done quite yet. If you want to go even more in-depth, here are the full transcripts of our developer interviews: The Introduction This video highlights the history of the action-RPG franchise and how Wild Hunt's prologue will attempt to welcome newcomers. Iff you want to jump right into combat gameplay, check out this breakout on what combat is like in pubs and on horseback. The WorldJust how big is the world of the Witcher 3? Check out the video above for full details on all the areas in the game's open world. If you'd prefer a quick look that focuses exclusively on the map, check out this breakout video detailing the environs. The GameplayThis video highlights the quests, activities, and just plain random craziness you can get up to in Wild Hunt. If you'd rather learn more about the in-world collectible card game, Gwent you can check it out at this link. The LobbyFinally, does the Witcher 3 live up to the hype? Our intrepid documentarian duo share their thoughts and impressions on the game's first few hours. We'll have more content on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt leading up to its launch on May 19.
Recent Articles:
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment