By Anonymous on May 13, 2015 12:19 am
Ubisoft believes the newest entry in the Rainbow Six series has the potential to become the best-selling shooter in the company's history, even surpassing Far Cry 4. During a conference call with investors today, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot made it clear the company has high hopes for the game. "Over its lifetime, we believe Rainbow Six: Siege has the potential to become the highest-selling shooter in Ubisoft's history," he stated. Later in the call, Ubisoft was asked about its ambitions with the game. CFO Alain Martinez responded by pointing out that Rainbow Six games traditionally sell about three million units, "versus Far Cry [4] that this year has exceeded seven million." Despite this, Martinez said, "We believe that Rainbow Six--because of replayability and multiplayer--might have a potential to [do] better than Far Cry over its lifetime." Guillemot chimed in to reinforce that Ubisoft isn't expecting this to happen during the current fiscal year (ending March 31, 2016), but over its lifetime. "It's very important to consider that this game will continue to live for a long time as we will introduce new content on a regular basis because it will be a multiplayer game," he said. Guillemot believes Siege's replayability "will be key to the game's success." He did not address the fact that Siege is available only on current-gen consoles and PC, whereas Far Cry 4 was also available on Xbox 360 and PS3. While another Tom Clancy game, The Division, was delayed until 2016 today, Ubisoft reaffirmed a 2015 launch for Siege. A specific release date was not announced, but the company said it expects the game out sometime between October and the end of the year.
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 11:26 pm
 Kevin and Alexa chat about their initial impressions of Assassin's Creed Syndicate after the reveal this morning.
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 11:14 pm
Obsidian Entertainment's licensed role-playing game South Park: The Stick of Truth has sold more than 1.6 million copies, publisher Ubisoft announced on Tuesday as part of the company's latest earnings report. Ubisoft CFO Alain Martinez revealed the figure during an earnings call this afternoon.  The game--which Ubisoft purchased for $3.2 million in the THQ bankruptcy auction--was released in March 2014 for last-generation consoles and PC, garnering a generally positive critical reception. This is the first time Ubisoft has released an official sales number for The Stick of Truth. Last year, the publisher said the game enjoyed "better-than-expected" sales, with a strong performance digitally. Obsidian recently released Pillars of Eternity and is currently working on a tank MMO called Armored Warfare.
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 10:40 pm
Ubisoft's ambitious open-world game The Division has been delayed and is now expected out early next year, the publisher revealed today. As part of today's financial results announcement for the year ending March 31, Ubisoft offered a new release window for the latest game to bear Tom Clancy's name. An outline of games coming during the company's 2016 fiscal year (which runs April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2016) lists The Division as coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC during its fourth fiscal quarter, which translates to January-March of 2016. The Division was at one point expected out in 2014, something an anonymous development source described as "laughable" at the time. In May, it was delayed until 2015, though we've never gotten a more specific release date than that. Ubisoft recently revealed that, along with Massive Entertainment, a total of four studios are working on The Division.
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 10:19 pm
As part of Ubisoft's latest earnings report today, the Assassin's Creed publisher teased an unannounced AAA game. Although Ubisoft is not yet sharing specifics about the game, the publisher says the title will be released sometime in the company's current fiscal year. That means it'll be out before April 2016.  This game will be announced sometime this fall, not at E3 next month, a Ubisoft representative told GameSpot. During an earnings call this afternoon, an analyst asked Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot if the game would be a sequel to an existing franchise or a new IP. The executive said he "can't comment at the moment on that." Guillemot also confirmed that this new game--whatever it turns out to be--will not be released for last-generation consoles. If it's a sequel, one possibility is Watch Dogs 2, as Ubisoft has spoken openly before about returning to the franchise. On top of that, the unannounced game was just recently spotted on an employee's resume. It's been a busy day for Ubisoft. In addition to a positive earnings report, the company announced Assassin's Creed Syndicate and delayed The Division.
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 10:17 pm
 Embody the new Assassin Jacob Frye in Assassin's Creed Syndicate and become a gang leader to break the corrupt stranglehold on London.
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 10:00 pm
Ubisoft has released the official announcement trailer for Assassin's Creed Syndicate, providing the first-look at the game's setting and new hero, as well as a quick overview of the story. Assassin's Creed Syndicate is set in 1868 London during the height of the industrial revolution. The game stars two protagonists, a brother and sister duo named Jacob and Evie Frye, who have been raised as assassins. Jacob and Evie arrive in London at the start of the game and begin a campaign to subvert the social and power dynamics of the city, while rallying the criminal element to unite against The Templars. Ubisoft has also released a new trailer focusing entirely on Assassin's Creed Syndicate's Jacob Frye, who is characterised as a charismatic hero that never passes up an opportunity for a quick brawl. The trailer shows off some of the weapons that will be available to Jacob, including knuckledusters, a revolver, and a Kukri knife. On top of Assassin's Creed Syndicate's overhauls to combat and stealth, the game will also introduce vehicle jacking. Players will be able to drive carriages and use them as moving platforms. Read our full story to find out more about Assassin's Creed Syndicate's GTA-style vehicle mechanics. For a complete overview on the game, read everything we know about Assassin's Creed Syndicate here. Take a closer look at Assassin's Creed Syndicate in the screenshot gallery below. Click on images to view in fullscreen          
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 10:00 pm
We've broken up our preview into two parts. If you want our spoiler-free impression of the combat, keep reading. Check out part two for a full run-down of the story, setting, and characters in Syndicate. In addition to bringing the franchise to an all-new location with a new set of heroes, Assassin's Creed Syndicate is retooling the franchise's long-standing combat system. It's clear that developer Ubisoft Quebec has invested much in its vision of 1868 London, creating a world that is as boisterous as protagonists Jacob and Evie Frye. Players will explore the city's seven boroughs, overthrowing opposing crime lords and building an underground Assassin-led network hellbent on destroying Templar control. It's the first title in the series set in the modern era, giving developers a perfect opportunity to modernize the game's systems as well.  The way Assassin's Creed titles have handled stealth of this point revolve around available cover, and you had to base your sneaking around on the presence of hay bales and bushes and blending into crowds. Stealth was based on hiding and taking refuge, waiting out enemies and staying unseen. In Syndicate, the hard snap is gone, and you won't be spending your time painstakingly trying to meld into groups of people. In the London underground, there's no need to hide who you are. In Syndicate, stealth abandons the need to hide entirely and instead focuses on allowing players to manipulate the environment in ways that allow them to sneak around. The game features more physical stealth, the same crouching and crawling mechanics used in more recent action-adventure games. You won't be hitting buttons to enter and exit cover; instead there will be a "softer snap," in which you can tap a button to move fluidly from navigation into stealth when you need it. Assisting players in this new kind of stealth is the whistle, which was been brought back from previous Assassin's Creeds for use in Syndicate. A soft whistle from Jacob will lure unsuspecting police and criminals to wherever he is hiding, allowing him to dispatch them quickly and quietly away from crowds. Throwing knives have also been made more versatile. In addition to throwing them at enemies, they can be used to cut down objects hanging over the London streets, like barrels and cargo in nets, and chucked into fire sources to inflict burns on enemies and cause a distraction.  Feeding back into the new stealth mechanics, creative director Marc-Alexis Cote noted that navigation has been developed to be smoother in order to accommodate the removal of cover-based sneaking and the addition of new items like the rope launcher. Cote also noted that, after complaints about windows being too hard to move over and into in Unity, windows in Syndicate have been retooled for smoother use. You'll also be able to climb up more things; chimneys, for one, offer an excellent point on which to get a great view of the city. During a presentation of the game, I watched protagonist Jacob climb up one such chimney to get a good look at his next objective. As the camera turned to take in the white beacon shooting into the sky that indicated his next mission, I saw St. Paul's Cathedral in the distance. Nearer, the factory district was crowned in black smoke, a tiny forest of black chimneys poking into the sullen sky. After one last look Jacob took a leap of faith into a cart full of hay, then trotted out on his way to a brawl.  As for combat, everything has been brought into close quarters. Syndicate focuses on melee combat, with Jacob and his street gang pulling enemies into fist fights on the city streets. The birth of organized crime saw the uptick in use of concealed weapons, making Jacob's arsenal the perfect set of tools for the time. Combat is no less brutal than in previous games, but bringing fights between you and your enemies closer allows for some seriously cool-looking fast-paced skirmishes. It also shifts the initiative from the AI to the player; you won't be expecting them to react to you sniping a target or have to wait for them to take turns attacking. Multiple enemies can converge on Jacob simultaneously, making brawls more about crowd control than taking out everyone. Opponents can be stunned or manipulated into taking one another out for you--this is where throwing knives into fire sources can spark fights among your enemy groups. It's a significantly greater test of the player's reflexes than it has been in previous games. Another promising feature is the reworking on all side activities. Rather than have certain fetch quests or mini-missions to gather items or do something frivolous, every activity within the game--every main quest mission and side mission--will feed back into your goal of controlling the city. That means everything you do has some impact, in some small way, on what you're striving to accomplish. The storyline and the sidequests will intertwine as one, developers say, creating a smooth experience that doesn't throw any curveballs that break you out of the narrative. Recruitment goals are back as well, because your ultimate goal is to build Jacob's underground army of the poor and scrappy of London. Once you've amassed followers, you can participate in gangs wars, giant group brawls that take up whole city blocks and soak the cobblestones in blood. The leaders of the boroughs--Templars, of course--will notice when you take over one of their strongholds and show up with their minions to challenge you. "The fantasy that we have in Victorian London is to become the masters of the criminal underground."
During the presentation, I watched Bloody Nora--the badass leader of one of the boroughs--hunt down Jacob and challenge him to a fight. As she drew her gun to shoot Jacob down in cold blood, his sister Evie, materializing seemingly from nowhere on a rooftop, shot the gun out of Nora's hand with her rope launcher, prompting Nora to call her gang to her aid.  Like a scene out of Gangs of New York, Jacob and a handful of his men swaggered across a stony square to meet Nora and her men. One of Jacob's men threw the first punch, and from there it was an all-out brawl. Total chaos. People came from every side to create a mass of flailing limbs and incoherent shouting. A horde of men and women (all in pants, I might add) ran into the square, punching, kicking, and stabbing each other. Within minutes it was all over, the ground littered with bodies and splashes of blood. Jacob emerged victorious, taking out Nora himself and claiming the borough for he and his sister Evie to lead. "I think the biggest challenge [in making a game] is defining a clear fantasy for our players to engage in, identifying that fantasy and then relating everything to it," Cote explained. "The fantasy that we have in Victorian London is to become the masters of the criminal underground. Then we can attach a lot of things to this. You use the criminal underground to take back the control of London. It fits super well within the open world, with the concept of dominating the map and London. On the other end, we can use the main storyline to explore the different ways the Templars are controlling the city and use your gang to fight that." For more details on Assassin's Creed Syndicate, read up on everything we know so far. Take a closer look at Assassin's Creed Syndicate in the screenshot gallery below. Click on images to view in fullscreen
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 10:00 pm
As part of its official announcement, Ubisoft has released a trailer for Assassin's Creed Syndicate showcasing the destructive powers of Jacob Frye, one of the games two protagonists. In the trailer, which is made from pre-alpha in-engine footage, we're given a quick overview of Jacob's history and goals, before launching into a lengthy exhibition of his penchant for deadly close-quarters combat. As Jacob moves from one outmatched enemy to the other, the trailer spotlights some of the tools of his destructive trade, which include the Kukri blade, a classic six-shooter revolver, brass knuckles, and a multi-purpose gauntlet. For the latest entry in the series, the gauntlet, traditionally only used to conceal the iconic assassin's blade, also features hallucinogenic darts, and a rope launcher. Ubisoft has overhauled stealth the latest entry to place less of a focus on hiding behind cover points. Instead, players can manipulate the environment to create opportunities and use physical stealth such as crawling to get around. Find out about all the changes to stealth and combat in our in-depth breakdown of Assassin's Creed Syndicate's new systems. For more on the game, read our full report on Assassin's Creed Syndicate's story, characters, and setting. Take a closer look at Assassin's Creed Syndicate in the screenshot gallery below. Click on images to view in fullscreen
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 07:30 pm
In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the sacred is always at war with the profane, and beauty is always at war with blood. The series has always contrasted its world's physical glamor with its intrinsic violence, but never has that contrast been this uneasy, this convulsive. That The Witcher 3 depicts the immediate brutality of battle in great detail is not a surprise; many games fill the screen with decapitated heads and gory entrails. It's the way this incredible adventure portrays the personal tragedies and underhanded opportunities that such battles provide that makes it so extraordinary. It is more than its thematic turbulence that makes The Witcher 3 extraordinary, actually. Excellence abounds at every turn in this open-world role-playing game: excellent exploration, excellent creature design, excellent combat mechanics, excellent character progression. But the moments that linger are those that reveal the deep ache in the world's inhabitants. In one quest, you reunite two lovers, one of which is now a rotting hag, its tongue lasciviously lolling from its mouth. In another, a corpulent spouse-abuser must find a way to love two different lost souls, each of which test the limits of his affection. Don't worry that these vague descriptions spoil important events: they are simple examples of the obstacles every resident faces. On the isles of Skellige and in the city of Novigrad, there is no joy without parallel sorrow. Every triumph demands a sacrifice. Every horse Geralt has owned is called Roach. Talk about an identity crisis. As returning protagonist Geralt of Rivia, you, too, face the anguish of mere existence, sometimes in unexpected, unscripted ways. The central story, which sees you seeking your ward and daughter figure Ciri, as well as contending with the otherworldly force known as the wild hunt, often forces this anguish upon you. But it was my natural exploration of the game's vast expanses that proved most affecting. At one point, I witnessed a woman sentenced to death, doomed to starve after being chained to a rock. It's a chilling sentence, of course, but it was only later, when I accidentally sailed past the tiny island where her corpse still rested, that the horror of her punishment sunk into my heart. The Witcher 3's story did not script this moment; it was merely a passing detail that might have been lost in the waves or overlooked in favor of the harpies circling overhead. Yet there she was, a reminder that my actions--actions that felt righteous and reasonable as I made them--allowed this woman to rot in this faraway place. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings touched on similar repercussions, but The Witcher 3 makes them personal. Political tensions run as hot as they always have in this series, and your decisions still divert the paths of barons and kings in intriguing ways. But where The Witcher 2's focus on plot came at the expense of characterization, the sequel gives the wartime struggle great heft by giving Geralt intimate connections to every major player. The connection between Ciri and Geralt proves to be the story's strongest driving force, but Ciri is not a damsel to be rescued, though it may seem so at first, especially in this particular world. This is a place where women struggle to find respect as political candidates, as armorsmithing masters, and even as proper members of a functioning culture. Roasting a crowd of witch hunters is not only satisfying on its own terms, but has a sweet justice to it: the first steps you make in the city of Novigrad lead you to a witch-burning in progress.
You can always count on a sorceress to get the job done when you're in the middle of a somersault.Women, as it happens, are also this story's strongest force. If you have played a Witcher game before, you know many of them already. The most powerful of them are former members of the Lodge of Sorceresses, few of them outright likable, and each of them defiant in the face of death. In certain circumstances, you take control of Ciri herself, and she wields swords just as capably as a witcher does. (Her phantom dashes also bring a zippiness to her sections that Geralt lacks.) The occasional dose of gratuitous toplessness sometimes proves to be a needle scratch, particularly in a sauna scene that seems to have been constructed specifically to get you up close and personal with a woman's anatomy. In other moments, however, the nudity is a natural element of a scene's sensuality, such as the tutorial scene that features Yennefer and Geralt sharing a relaxed intimacy that surpasses the obvious physical connection. The Witcher 3 is enormous in scope, though "big" is just a descriptor, a statement of neither good nor bad. It is fortunate, then, that The Witcher 3 does not subscribe to the "make a big world and fill it with copy-paste content" design philosophy. Instead, it finds a nigh-perfect sense of balance between giving you things to do and allowing its spaces to breathe. You follow a path not just because there's a question mark on your map, but also because it must lead somewhere new and interesting. The intrigue builds naturally: Every quest is a story of sadness or triumph waiting to absorb you, asking you to make decisions that change the landscape in various ways. You won't always know what the consequences are; some decisions have noticeable, game-altering repercussions, while others barely draw your gaze. But the consequences are there, and you often notice them, even though the game doesn't go out of its way to call attention to them. The Bloody Baron shows intriguing personal growth over the course of his story. No relation to the ghost at Hogwarts of the same name. Of course, story quests, side quests, and monster-killing contracts typically involve the same set of activities: killing, talking, and activating your witcher senses, which reveal footprints and scent trails and turn Geralt into a particularly violent private investigator. It is the details that keep every task as inviting as the one that came before. It might be a change of scenery that turns an otherwise typical contract into a clash for the ages: you pull out your crossbow and shoot a screaming wyvern out of the sky with a well-placed bolt, then plunge your silver sword into its heart, all while a fire rages in the outpost beyond and lightning bolts tear across the dark sky. It might be fear that disrupts your state of mind: you search for spirits as you trudge through a murky swamp, lighting the mist with the green light that emanates from your magical lantern. The Witcher 3 makes grand gestures and small ones, too; you may battle werewolves and match wits with kings and barons, but hearing an angel-voiced trobairitz sing a plaintive ballad is a stunning show-stopper. The writing can be best described as "lusty." Many of the land's inhabitants serve a god, but their gods have no apparent problem with them making murderous accusations and shouting obscenities. It's fitting that these people would turn to the gods yet curse them in turn, given fields ravaged by battle and littered with bloated corpses. There are a few moments that reveal the screenplay's seams: some of Geralt's lines may not make sense if you choose them in a particular order, for instance, and Geralt is concerned only with money and prefers to stay out of politics, except for when he's not like that at all, because the plot demands as much. But at least the witcher's signature dry growl remains intact, and the rambunctious Irish and Scottish accents that pervade particular regions may inspire you to head to the pub and grab a pint. Burn, bandits, burn! As cutting as some characters' wit may be (Sigismund Dijkstra's sarcastic barbs make him one of the game's foul-mouthed delights), you do most of your cutting with the blades sheathed on your back. The Witcher 2's combat was overly demanding at the outset, but The Witcher 3 is substantially easier; I recommend, in fact, that you choose a difficulty level one notch higher than the one you would typically choose, presuming you don't default to the most stringent one straight away. Even when things get easy, however, the combat is always satisfying, due to the crunchiness of landing blows, the howls of human foes scorched by your Igni sign, and the fearsome behavior of necrophages, wandering ghosts, and beasts of the indescribable sort. It's easy to get sidetracked and outlevel story quests, but even lesser beasts require a bit of finesse; drowners attack in numbers, for instance, knocking you about and making it difficult to swing, while winged beasts swoop in for a smackdown and require you to blast them down with a flash of fire, a shockwave, or a crossbow bolt. The familiar magical signs return in The Witcher 3. Geralt is no mage, but he still calls on the powers of magic to assist him in combat. Character advancement is substantially improved over the previous games, providing not just passive improvements to your magical trap and your force-push technique, but also altering their very behavior. Casting Igni, for instance, initially produces a brief flash of flames. Certain upgrades, however, allow you to spray a stream of flames for as long as your energy supply supports it. Roasting a crowd of witch hunters in this way is not only satisfying on its own terms, but has a sweet justice to it: the first steps you make in the city of Novigrad lead you to a witch-burning in progress. How appropriate that you turn this punishment on the same factions that would rid the world of sorceresses and their cohorts. The Witcher 3 finds a nigh-perfect sense of balance between giving you things to do and allowing its spaces to breathe.
 Loot has a huge role to play in the game, thanks to the high degree of armor and weapon customization. Different armor sets in particular are a joy to uncover, making Geralt look more and more hardened as you progress. In many role-playing games, hunting for treasure is more of a chore to be marked off of the to-do list than a pressing adventure of its own. In The Witcher 3, discovering a diagram of new and improved chest armor is a cause for celebration. Geralt can get a shave and a haircut (and delightfully, his beard grows back over time), but otherwise, you cannot customize his physical appearance; new armor means a new look, and with it, a new visual attitude. Geralt's look evolves from that of a battered soldier, to robed battle wizard, to wisened commander, all on the basis of the game's exquisite armor designs. The Witcher 3 also benefits from its hugely expanded potions system, which allows you to quaff potions during combat--though as always, witcher potions are dangerous, and Geralt can only have so many in effect due to their rising toxicity. Between gear diagrams and potion ingredients, I became a digital hoarder, a trap I typically avoid in role-playing games. Again, it comes down to balance: your inventory fills rapidly, but for the most part, this is not just "stuff" for the sake of "stuff." I knew that the ingredients I collected would allow me to create a potion that in turn let me dive for treasure without being annoyed by pesky sea-dwelling drowners. I knew that I could break down those horse hides I collected into armor components the local smith needed to make me look even mightier. In Velen, the wind blows particularly violently. From one hour to the next, the compulsion to examine the landscape grows. Some of the joys that arise in the wilds are quiet ones: you mount your horse Roach and trot over the hill in time to see a rich sunset, always a treat in The Witcher 3, whose saturated reds and oranges make the sky look as beautiful and as blood-sodden as the meadows beneath them. You discover a boat and embark on an impromptu voyage through the islands of Skellige, taking note of the ship wreckage that mars the beaches and cliffs. The music swells, and a soprano intones a euphoric melody that accentuates the peacefulness. The peacefulness is always broken, however--perhaps by a journey into a dark dungeon where your torch lights the pockmarked walls and a snarling fiend waits to devour you, or by the shout of a boy crying out for your assistance. At the time of this writing, I have only played the PlayStation 4 version, as it was the only version provided for advance review, but it is undoubtedly beautiful, though prone to occasional bugs and visual glitches. Solving a quest's subtasks in a particular order caused the game to stick at a perpetual loading screen. Roach decided to stop galloping and lurch ahead in a weird way for minutes on end until I quick-traveled away and returned. Geralt's hair blew in the wind, even when he was indoors. It's jarring should you enter an area after quick-traveling and the citizens have yet to pop in, including quest-givers. Silence, creature of the sky! I am here to slaughter you! These distractions stand out in part because The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is otherwise incredible and sumptuous; the little quirks are pronounced when they are surrounded by stellar details. And make no mistake: this is one of the best role-playing games ever crafted, a titan among giants and the standard-setter for all such games going forward. Where the Witcher 2 sputtered to a halt, The Witcher 3 is always in a crescendo, crafting battle scenarios that constantly one-up the last, until you reach the explosive finale and recover in the glow of the game's quiet denouement. But while the grand clashes are captivating, it is the moments between conflicts, when you drink with the local clans and bask in a trobairitz's song, that are truly inspiring.
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 12:31 pm
When you're reflecting on a recently completed game, hating it is just as helpful a feeling as loving it. Whether your opinions are glowing or scathing, strong feelings in either direction mean that you'll have plenty to share with others when the topic comes up. It's the middling game--inoffensive but unremarkable--that really haunts you. I don't feel any regret about the time I expended playing Toren, but that's the problem. I don't really feel much about that time at all. In Toren, you direct a small girl known as Moonchild to the top of a crumbling tower. Like the tower of Babel, it was built by people seeking great power who were punished severely for their hubris. Mankind's last hope is a girl trapped inside the tower, doomed to die and be reborn endlessly until she can scale it and slay the dragon that shares her prison. It's a web of myth and mysticism where each individual thread is vaguely familiar but has been woven into something distinct and original. Dragons never breathe nice things, do they?Moonchild starts as a toddler stumbling around the overgrown lower level, but the endearingly uncoordinated flopping of her limbs gives way to composure and poise the farther she progresses up the tower. The enchanted sword that takes all her strength to first lift is soon wielded with ease. Aspects of Moonchild's maturation are handled very well, including her evolving design, with one notable exception. In her awkward preteen stage, her childhood dress tears into a convenient deep V-neckline with straps slipping away from her shoulders and three large round gaps in the cloth exposing the majority of her back. This is not what happens when someone outgrows a piece of clothing, and considering that the player saw this same character toddling around in baby bloomers about thirty minutes prior, this phase of her costume evolution comes off as somewhat creepy. The actual act of climbing the tower involves solving relatively simple environmental puzzles, fending off assorted enemies, and exploring optional dream sequences where Moonchild's mentor explains her situation and some broader philosophical musings about the nature of mankind. This is where the your experience can be seriously derailed; if you skip these optional (and easily missed) sequences, it becomes quite hard to follow the plot. You'll never want for those lofty chin-stroking tidbits, though, even though they're some of the least interesting things the game has to say. Kind of a Princess Mononoke meets Frozen thing going on here (and I'm into it.)Storytelling gripes aside, the hands-on feel of playing isn't great either. The best illustration of this comes in the form of the shapes that Moonchild must fill with sand during her dreams. Each dream has at least one of these to complete, and to do so, you hold down the interact button and direct her around the shape's outline. The game very weakly snaps her to the path, but it's incredibly easy to stray. It's even easier if you disregard the warnings and elect to play with a mouse and keyboard instead. (Don't do this. Seriously.) These sand tracings are the most annoying part of the game; even when you perform well (controller and all), it looks like Moonchild has spread the sacred sand with as much care as a toddler spilling cereal all over the kitchen floor. I wish my problems with Toren ended there, but I can't leave out the times that I somehow managed to wedge Moonchild in places where the camera steadfastly refused to follow, the times when she simply slipped through the floor geometry and fell into oblivion, the times when Moonchild's arms froze in place while her legs continued to animate normally, the times that her sword hit foes with so little effect that I kept attacking, not realizing that they were already dead, the times that I took a jump too early but the game graciously floated me over to the destination platform as though I'd triggered some sort of moon gravity mode, the time that I fought the dragon, fudged the timing, and darted back to regroup before it could perform its "you're too slow" instant kill... only for the game to snap Moonchild back into its talons anyway. Disclaimer: Your sword may vary.And yet Toren is not without its charms. In spite of some conspicuously low-quality models, it's a delightful thing to look at: its colors are vivid, its world is small but detailed, and it doesn't shy away from dramatic use of its camera and lighting effects. A couple of the dream sequences elicited quiet gasps as I proceeded through them, and even the credits (which feature painted illustrations unfurled to a vocal version of the game's beautiful theme) are worth watching. For all the problems, it's easy to recognize the flashes of something special in Toren. It's a loaf of homemade bread, proofed and kneaded, laid in a pan, and sprinkled tenderly with rosemary but unfortunately pulled from the oven a few minutes before it could pass the toothpick test. However complex the recipe, Toren just feels undercooked.
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 07:30 am
 Before Duke Nukem there was… a crapload of other games! Dan and Ed revisit their 90's PC gaming childhoods by racing through the 3D Realms Anthology!
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 06:27 am
15. The Interceptor
It's not so outlandish as other vehicles in Mad Max: Fury Road, but this beat-up Ford Falcon with a classical rust patina is one of the most iconic cars in the Mad Max series, appearing in all four of the films.
14. The Nux Car
Nicholas Hoult stars as the psychopath Nux in Mad Max: Fury Road, but his ancient, turbo-charged Chevrolet may steal the show. The prominent front grill looks convenient for catching roadkill.
13. The Big Foot
It's only natural that the WWA World Heavyweight Champ Nathan Jones would drive this massive, reconfigured Dodge pickup for his role as Rictus Erectus. When you need to cross the desert after catastrophic worldwide calamities, this beast is your top choice.
12. The Dodge
The Dodge is a junkyard attack dog: a modified hot rod that spews flames across the citadel.
11. The Mack
The Mack is an R-series wrecker with mounted harpoons. It's tasked with bringing up the rear of the Australian armada, scooping up the spoils of war left behind.
10. Buggy #9
Buggy #9 looks like a Corvette that's been to hell and back. It's got a custom gunner seat mounted to the rear for fending off all the maniacal death gangs of the desert.
9. The War Rig
The War Rig strikes a formidable pose. A semi-truck with precious cargo needs an Apocalypse-Now-esque number of skull trophies to scare off plundering bandits.
8. Prince Valiant
This muscle car comes equipped with an outlaw arsenal of molotov grenades and a rear-mounted flamethrower. Those fierce licks of fire across the hood aren't just for decoration.
7. The Cranky Frank
The Cranky Frank is a chopped-top rat rod with a mean tower of carburetors. This vehicle also serves as the trailblazer in the main villain's military entourage, a predatory gang known as the War Boys.
6. Elvis
With nitrous injection and twin GMC V6 engines to power it, Elvis boasts the top acceleration of the war rig convoy. Not bad for the ghost of a three-window coupe.
5. The Ploughboy
The Holden EH Station Wagon was a popular Australian car in the 1960s, but after the apocalypse, it was necessary to outfit it with a hydraulic plough and an off-road frame.
4. FDK
Punch buggy brown! The first thing that jumps out about this rugged Volkswagen monstrosity is those fuel barrels attached to the side, perfectly engineered to spew flames into the face of any bloodthirsty fugitive daft enough to come near.
3. The Peacemaker
The Peacemaker belongs to the Bullet Farmer, and it's another piece of classic Mad Max iconography. This vicious vehicle looks like a roadster mashed up with some makeshift tank tracks.
2. The Gigahorse
The Gigahorse is like the conjoined twins of Cadillac Coupe DeVilles. They're both carried aloft on the chassis of a giant monster truck with two massive V-8 engines spilling forth from its intestines. It's truly the stuff of nightmares.
1. The Plymouth Rock
If Beetlejuice drove a Plymouth sedan through a field of sand worms, we imagine it might look close to this. This nasty piece of work scavenges the desert hunting for the decaying flesh of dead animals, and it's officially the wildest we've seen so far from Fury Road.
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 06:27 am
1. Legless Princess Peach
Nintendo's Amiibo toy figurines have become quite the rage in the collectible market. While the typical retail price for an Amiibo is only $12.99, their relative scarcity has caused prices to skyrocket. For example, this legless Princess Peach, the result of a manufacturing defect, sold for $25,100 on eBay.
2. Dual Cannon Samus
Metroid's famous bounty hunter, Samus, gets a serious price upgrade when she dual-wields her iconic arm cannon. For thrifty shoppers, two-can Sam can be found for a mere $2,500–ten percent of the cost of her compatriot, legless Peach.
3. No-Lefty Luigi
Rounding out the collection of top-tier manufacturing defects, this Luigi Amiibo showed up on eBay missing his left hand. The auction winner is now out $500. Beyond Peach, Samus and Luigi, though, most defects don't seem to positively impact the value of Amiibo figures.
4. Villager
If you're not into factory mistakes and want to focus on collecting intact Amiibo, finding the Villager from Animal Crossing is a quest in itself. Unless you spot one in the wild, expect to pay upwards of $70 on auction sites to grab the little guy.
5. Greninja
Good luck grabbing a pre-order for the elusive Pokemon ninja. As is often the case with Amiibo figures, Greninja sold out long before he even hit store shelves.
6. Little Mac
Little Mac became one of the most popular Nintendo fighters after his inclusion in the new Super Smash Bros. That new stardom led to his Amiibo becoming a hot commodity, too. Pro tip for winning him in an auction: Dance like a fly, bite like a mosquito.
7. Gold Mario
He's not quite worth his weight in gold, but if you manage to find a Gold Mario Amiibo, he's currently valued at around around $60. Mama mia.
8. Marth
Marth's come a long way. He flummoxed many players in his first Smash Bros. appearance, but after the surprising success of Fire Emblem in the West, Marth has received a huge popularity boost. Acquiring his coveted Amiibo will cost you more than $50.
9. Pit
After languishing on the sidelines for more than a decade, Kid Icarus has officially made a comeback, thanks to the tireless efforts of Nintendo designer Masahiro Sakurai. Some Amiibo figures are rare because they're relatively unknown. Other characters, like Pit, are rare because they're so loved.
10. Wii Fit Trainer
That's it, feel the burn ... in your wallet, that is. Considered a rare unicorn by serious Amiibo collectors, the Wii Fit Trainer still goes for more than three times her retail price.
11. Ness
In a more just universe, the words "rare" and "Earthbound" would never appear together, but sadly, this is the timeline we inhabit. The consummate yo-yo artist Ness is an upcoming GameSpot exclusive. If you didn't pre-order, though, you'll need to cast PSI Hypnosis to persuade someone else to fork him over.
12. Meta Knight
Meta Knight got an avalanche of nerfs in the recent Smash Bros. game, but his weaker range didn't affect his popularity as a toy. Rumors abound that he'll be restocked in stores, but expect to pay close to $40 until then.
13. Ike
If you've kept your ear close to the ground, then you know the mercenary Ike is rumored for a summer restock. The smart bet would be to wait out his current price spike–$40–until then, just in case this royal bodyguard becomes a mere commoner.
14. Shulk
Behold the power of the Monado! Thanks to his rabid fanbase, Shulk's Xenoblade title became a bonafide hit in the West, and his Amiibo proved just as popular. Unfortunately, like the Wii game from which he hails, Shulk is a difficult man to track down.
15. Captain Falcon
Winning isn't about being lucky. It's about being bold. And you'll need to be bold to hunt down your very own Captain Falcon figure. Once you do, he'll cost you close to $35.
16. Rosalina
Who knew Rosalina would become such a lightning rod for controversy? One collector managed to frustrate the entire Amiibo collecting community by purchasing huge numbers of Rosalinas simply to keep her off store shelves. Luckily, the truly committed can still find her for around $30.
17. King Dedede
For the longest time, Dreamland's king has been unfairly maligned. Maybe Nintendo fans are finally celebrating his heroic nature, because his Amiibo has been one of the most popular.
18. Lucario
A well-trained Lucario can identify creatures more than half a mile away. We wish we had the same telepathic ability to spot which Toys "R" Us has the fabled Amiibo in stock. Expect to pay twice his retail price for a Lucario in the wild.
19. Fox
Fox McCloud may have what it takes to save the Lylat Galaxy, but you'll have to find him first. He's not impossible to discover, but he still remains one of the less common Amiibo originals.
20. Dankey Kang
What's a collector to do after tracking down the rarest and most valuable Amiibo figures? Well, there's a cool niche market of custom painted Amiibo characters to explore. Creators offer unique spins on classic characters, like the famous Jeopardy-themed meme "Dankey Kang," pictured above. While not officially produced by Nintendo, a custom painted work can be truly one of a kind.
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 06:26 am
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Almost a year ahead of the March 2016 release date, Team DC has dropped all kinds of teases and head shots to kick off the fan frenzy.
A new Batman
Ben Affleck will take over the role of the Caped Crusader. His new suit and Batmobile made all kinds of waves when released by director Zack Snyder.
Wonder Woman
Gal Gadot (maybe you saw her in Furious 7?) will bring Wonder Woman to the big screen in the Man of Steel sequel. Whose side will she be on?
Superman returns
Of course. And Henry Cavill will reprise his role as the Man of Steel. But still, can't stop wondering...why are he and Batman battling each other?!
Lex Luthor's very calm, very evil face
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) will play the iconic role of Lex Luthor, as seen in this sneak peek first revealed by Entertainment Weekly.
Batsuit reveal
The new suit and smaller ears have been a hot topic since the reveal of Ben Affleck's Caped Crusader outfit.
Teased Batmobile
The filmmakers let us catch a glimpse of the new Batmobile before we even got to see the new guy behind the wheel.
The Batmobile
Batman's new ride looks sleeker, faster and (a little) less militarized than Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight-era Batmobile.
Jason Momoa as Aquaman
Good news! Everybody's favorite Dothraki, Jason Momoa, will bring Aquaman out from the deep. To unite the seven, apparently.
Recent Articles: |
No comments:
Post a Comment