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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate, the newest installment in the Assassin's Creed franchise, is adding a series first: systemic vehicles.
In Syndicate, players can hijack any horse and buggy they see on London's streets. Simply punch out the driver, rip them from the carriage seat, and take the reins. London's streets are choked with traffic, making it fairly easy to spot and grab some wheels when you need to quickly get to a mission point--but no Grand Theft Auto-style cart-jacking is without consequences.
If you don't follow traffic rules--yes, you have to stick to the left side of the road when driving carriages, just like in the real world--the police will come after you. If they see you hijack a carriage or cause a traffic problem, they'll come after you too. Carriages use a lifelike physics, bumping and rattling along the roads, and when they slam into objects and other carriages, it's possible to be jostled out of place and even tip over.
According to creative director Marc-Alexis Cote, you can even use the carriages to cause diversions. Crashing one into another will call the police to the scene, which you can then flee while they are otherwise occupied. If you're not careful (or time it right), you can use a crash to launch yourself out of the driver's seat and into the air, grab onto a ledge, and scurry up a building out of sight.
In addition to stealing carriages, players will be able to jump from moving carriage to moving carriage like moving platforms, hide inside them, and coerce people into the ones you drive in order to kidnap them. Perhaps the coolest use of these carriages is the ability to fight on top of them. During a presentation of the game, I watched a police officer climb onto the roof of the carriage I had stolen. After abandoning that carriage and jumping onto another one, I watched Jacob punch out another police officer who had followed him onto the vehicle.
Cote said executive producer Francois Pelland noted that all AI within Assassin's Creed Syndicate has been reworked to utilize and react to these vehicles. You'll see people run out of the way of your speed carriage and police scramble to come after you. He also noted that the reason for adding vehicles came from a desire to have places interact more deeply with the game environment, not just riding on things to beeline to activities around checkpoints. The new vehicle system will, the team hopes, give players greater interactivity within London and give them a more intimate Assassin's experience.
"We started to think of London of 1868 and looking at footage and references and books that we're talking about, how dense and how chaotic the city of London was back then," Pelland said. "Like I said before, it cannot be just cosmetic. It cannot just be props lying around the city. It's kind of within that mindset. I remember that discussion; if we want to have Victorian London, an open world city of London, we absolutely need to make the vehicles systemic, physics driven, that are talking to all the key pillars of the game--stealth, navigation, and combat. It needs to be done."
Assassin's Creed Syndicate will also feature trains and boats, though in what way, Ubisoft Quebec has not yet revealed.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate will introduce an important new tool to the assassin arsenal: the rope launcher, a string dart that works similar to Batman's grapple hook in the Arkham games.
On first glance, the rope launcher--worn by assassin Jacob Frye--doesn't seem like much. It's attached to the assassin gauntlet on his left forearm, resting on the outside of his arm while the hidden blade is nestled on the underside. The rope launcher can be used not only in combat but to scale buildings and traverse the city, making it one of the most versatile weapons in Assassin's Creed Syndicate.
Since the streets of Victorian London are much wider than what players are used to--the cramped alleyways of previous franchise locations didn't offer much room to brawl or make quick escapes--the rope launcher becomes integral in navigation. Buildings in London are also much taller than what we've previously dealt with, making it more difficult to maintain fluidity when parkouring through town assassin-style. Players can shoot the rope launcher to the tops of buildings, then use the dangling rope to quickly climb up the side. It's a quick process, allowing Jacob to get to the rooftops in no time. The launcher also doesn't need to be manually retrieved; it's ready when you are, always.
The rope launcher can also be used to cross London's wider streets. From the rooftops, players can shoot and connect the tool to an opposite building, allowing them to climb across or use the rope like a zipline, depending on the incline. There is no limit to where the rope launcher can attach, either. Any surface you see on the buildings in Assassin's Creed Syndicate will accept its hold.
In combat, the rope launcher makes it easier to whisk you away from enemies and back into stealth mode up on rooftops. Ziplining around London's high rises is also an excellent way to stay out of anyone's sight while on missions. And while moving along their makeshift tightrope, players can use any of London's airspace to set up an aerial assassination, making it much easier to take out tricky-to-reach targets in crowds.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate, the latest installment in the Assassin's Creed franchise, features dual protagonists with their own storylines: twin siblings Jacob and Evie Frye.
We've broken up our preview into two parts. If you want details on the story and setting, keep reading. Check out part one for a full run-down of how Syndicate is making over the series' combat, stealth, and navigation mechanics.
Born in Crawley, a rustic borough just under 30 miles from the city of London, Jacob and Evie were raised as assassins. At the start of Assassin's Creed Syndicate they are newcomers to London, and you'll discover the city alongside them, learning its dangers and advantages in tandem and mastering industrial technology. In the open world of Assassin's Creed Syndicate, players can choose between playing as Jacob or Evie at any time, though both will have their own specific story missions. Each sibling also has his or her own skill tree.
The game begins in 1868 London, at the height of the Industrial Revolution, close to the era's end. At this time, England has built the greatest empire humanity has ever known, spurred by its role as the epicenter of technological evolution. According to Creative director Marc-Alexis Cote, developer Ubisoft Quebec chose this era because not only was it an age of marvels in which our world drastically changed for the better, it was an age in which it changed for the worse; the strife of London's people, the poverty and oppression in which the lower classes lived compared to the comfort and power of the rich, sets the perfect stage for another great battle between the assassins and Templars.
"Only 75 years separate [Syndicate] from the French Revolution of Assassin's Creed Unity," Cote said during a presentation on the game, "but for players it will feel like 1000 years, because of the technological breakthroughs you'll see.
"We are leaving behind the medieval era," he said of the Assassin's Creed series. "I think it's a good pace breaker in the line since it allows us to bring a lot of maturity and a lot of freshness to the game play and to the storytelling that we're going to do."
Victorian London was always under construction, and so will be Syndicate's London. Players will see the first pieces of the London subway being built, unpaved streets and unfinished buildings. The streets are full of carriages only, with foot traffic regulated to the sidewalks. Developers have worked to painstakingly create Syndicate's London with the look and behavior of real 1868 London.
"We are leaving behind the medieval era."
As famous English author Charles Dickens wrote: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Players will come to know what this means in Assassin's Creed Syndicate. Many significant revelations have wildly altered the world by 1868. Darwin has published his theory of evolution, which loosens Christianity's grip on people and politics. Modern medicine is born, allowing those who could afford the treatment to extend their lives. The British pound sterling is the currency the world revolves around, with London itself representing the pinnacle of what humanity can achieve.
Speaking of Dickens and Darwin, according to Cote, both will be present in Assassin's Creed Syndicate. The franchise will continue its tradition of weaving famous historical figures into its narratives with the timeless writer and theorist. Cote promised that more familiar figures will be revealed for the game throughout the summer.
"Charles Dickens, I think is someone that our English audience will be very familiar with, as familiar as our French audiences with Napoleon, for example because you were forced to read them probably in school," he said. "Charles Darwin well, it goes without saying that his theory has really changed a lot of ways we see our place in humanity's history."
The above, the world of the wealthy and privileged, is not the world you'll be a part of in Assassin's Creed Syndicate. As impoverished twins Jacob and Evie Frye, players will get to know the opposite side of society's coin, the seedy underbelly of London. During the Industrial Revolution, people moved out of the countryside into London in droves looking for work. They went to work as young as four years old and many kept 12 hour work days; the average lifespan of workers was 30 years old and the infant mortality rate was so high, some didn't bother to name their children. Around 95 percent of the population couldn't vote--six out of seven men didn't have the right and women were left out entirely--leaving their fate in the hands of the upper-class five percent.
London in 1868 was a prosperous era of realized dreams, but at the same time it was an age of unrest, resentment, and sorrow. This gave birth to the rise of organized crime--the life Syndicate's assassins will lead. And by grounding the game in a modern setting, according to Cote, it has allowed developers to explore themes in ways more ancient era could not allow.
"For me, [bringing the game to a modern era] allows us to do different things, to touch on different themes as well, and to have new tools for the player," Cote said. "The rope launcher is definitely something that feels more technological for our players. I think this sentiment and using everything that we do, just the vehicles as well, having those. All the density of this traffic, the variety... It's quite funny. The more I read about this period, the more it felt like it really laid the groundwork for our society today. A lot of the concepts, we're still stuck with today, comes from this exact era. This is something that our players will be able to see."
Syndicate's London is already promising in terms of its diverse cast. A gameplay demo shown during a preview event introduced Clara, a little girl in braids working in the tavern where Jacob and Evie host their home base. Clara serves as their informant, feeding them rumors and other information on the Frye's enemies from other bar patrons. The demo also introduced Henry Green, a Indian immigrant to London and the leader of the city's assassins. He doled out a mission to the Frye twins, and as the pair stomped away he very quickly stopped young Clara from drinking the beer the pair left on the table.
"...One of the best Assassin's Creeds was done during a time with no war..."
Another element new to Assassin's Creed is the prominent of female opponents. Late 1800s London had its fair share of female crime lords, and Syndicate does not shy away from this fact. You'll be fighting against both male and female NPCs as you clean out the Templars, some of them carrying out their superiors' grunt work, and some of them those same superiors. The demo shown introduced Bloody Nora, a borough leader, a nasty woman with short-cropped black hair that seems to have it out for the Fryes.
But despite the gang wars happening in London, Cote noted that the era was actually one of peace. There was no world war or civil war going on, and for all intents and purposes, life during that time was generally free of combat. The gang wars were a result of unrest in this time of peace, but they were nothing compared the power struggle between other countries.
"When you look at most of the settings that we've explored, there's a lot of war going on," Cote said. "One of the things that's been clear to me since the beginning is that we wanted to recapture the essence of Assassin's Creed II and the Renaissance. A lot of people have asked me the question, how are you going to do an Assassin's Creed in a setting in which there is no war? Well, I think one of the best Assassin's Creeds was done during a time with no war, which is another era of transformation for humanity. The reason we chose the year 1868 is because of the amount of historical characters that are so relevant to our world today that we can showcase in the game."
Jacob is described as a "charismatic brawler," always prepared for a quick and dirty fight. While roaming the city he completes his assassin look with a fancy top hat; only when he's heading into a mission does the hat come off, and the iconic beaked hood comes up.
Melee combat is the focus of Assassin's Creed Syndicate, and Jacob has been given the appropriate tools to participate. In one hand he wields a Kukri, a curved blade from Nepal, and a set of bone-crushing brass knuckles. Clamped to his other arm is the traditional assassin's gauntlet with its hidden blade, but this time around it has two additions: hallucinogenic darts and the rope launcher, the franchise's game-changing new weapon. At Jacob's disposal are also a six-shooter revolver and throwing knives, the latter of which can now be used to create diversions--like cutting down hanging objects--and not just for kills.
Jacob and Evie's sibling dynamic is a stark contrast to Assassin's Creed Unity's romantic leads, adopted-siblings-turned-lovers Arno and Elise. Cote said that developers chose to make the main characters siblings rather than lovers because a romantic plot would have clouded the story they wanted to tell.
"I wanted to stay away from the romance because it sucks everything out, it becomes all about the romance between those two characters," Cote said. "While that can be fun, I think the rivalry and complicity you can have with a brother and sister is something a lot of people will be able to better identify with.
"We've had our two actors [playing Jacob and Evie] spend a lot of time together so they can develop this brother and sister chemistry, and I actually think they've gone overboard with it," Cote added. "It's really transferred into the game, and it's a lot of fun.
"Jacob and Evie allows us to explore [the story] from different sides, they have these two personalities that bounce off each other," he added. "I think it'll freshen up the storytelling as well."
Currently, Ubisoft has only shared details on Jacob. More information on Evie will be revealed this summer.
Evie also marks a major turning point for the Assassin's Creed franchise. Up to this point in the series, there has been no playable female assassin in a major title. Spin-off titles have featured two playable ladies: Assassin's Creed III: Liberation for PlayStation Vita starred Aveline de Granpre, and the recently released Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China included concubine-turned-assassin Shao Jun.
"...Discussions from last year sparked by a comment about women being "too hard to animate" had absolutely no bearing on Syndicate's cast."
Cote said that Evie inclusion was planned from the start of development; the team always knew they wanted scrappy brother and sister twins at the forefront of their game. But setting the game in Industrial Revolution London also meant creating a more diverse world. Men and women from all walks of life participated in the evolution of London, and it was not uncommon for the ringleaders and prominent figures within its criminal underground to be women. Assassin's Creed Syndicate will see not only a female assassin but also female crime lords like Bloody Nora, the Templar pulling the strings in one of London's boroughs.
"We've got a lot of women working with us on this game in leadership positions," he said. "it came naturally, creating a world that is more diverse. It's something I want our players to be able to really feel and identify with more. It's been our intention since the beginning.
The next main entry in the long-running Assassin's Creed franchise is Assassin's Creed Syndicate, previously known through content leaks as Assassin's Creed Victory.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate--set to launch this fall on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC--brings the franchise into the modern era. We learned tons of new information about the game, so be sure to check out our other stories detailing the highlights. If any other big stories break, we'll add them here:
Set in 1868 London at the height of the Industrial Revolution, Syndicate follows twin sibling assassins Jacob and Evie Frye as they rally the city's criminal underground to a common cause: overthrowing the ruling Templar power.
The "Syndicate" in the name comes from what will ultimately be players' goal: to create their own criminal syndicate, a group of people fighting for the common cause of bringing down the Templars. According to the developers, every activity within the game--every side mission as well as the main story missions--will in some way contribute to this goal.
Although some story missions are designed for either Jacob or Evie, most of the time you'll be able to choose which twin to play as. Both have their own skill trees, offering up two unique individuals to develop. At their disposal will be new systematic vehicles, which can be hijacked Grand Theft Auto-style as well as used to cause diversions, and the Arkham-esque rope launcher.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate has been in development for almost three years with Ubisoft's Quebec City studio. The studio has been contributing to the Assassin's Creed franchise since Brotherhood, the most recent content including Assassin's Creed III's Tyranny of King Washington and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag's Freedom Cry DLC. While Ubisoft's other nine studios are contributing to the project, Ubisoft Quebec is heading main development on Assassin's Creed Syndicate.
Ubisoft Quebec noted that there are no plans to release Assassin's Creed Syndicate on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or Wii U.
Ubisoft has confirmed the Assassin's Creed Syndicate release date as October 23 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The PC version is currently only listed for "Holiday 2015."
The release date was revealed in the announcement trailer, which also detailed The Darwin and Dickens Conspiracy as pre-order a bonus. These missions take players "into the inner sanctums of London's most influential men."
"Defend Charles Darwin's discoveries from those who would kill to silence him, and help a friend of legendary writer Charles Dickens keep a secret that could get him killed," reads the official website.
Multiple versions of the game are currently available for pre-order on the game's website. The Gold Edition includes the season pass and the Darwin and Dickens Conspiracy Mission, while the Standard Edition only has the Darwin and Dickens Conspiracy Mission.
The Assassin's Legendary Hidden Blade and Gauntlet Edition includes a "functional hidden blade," while the Cane Sword Edition features a "fully detailed sword and a button triggered spring-loaded scythe blade."
Finally, the Collector's Edition will have the season pass, Darwin and Dickens Conspiracy Mission, a Jacob figurine, a poster of London, an artbook, and the official soundrack.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is set in London at the height of the industrial revolution and stars a brother and sister duo as its central protagonists.
Another of the game's big new additions is the ability to jack vehicles. 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.
Assassin's Creed publisher Ubisoft on Tuesday announced earnings for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended March 31, revealing that, while fourth quarter sales were down, full-year sales were on the rise.
For the quarter, total revenue was €169.9 million ($190.9 million), compared to €194.1 million ($218.2 million) for the same period last year, which represents a 12.4 percent decrease. Ubisoft notes, however, that this performance exceeded its expectations.
For the full year, total revenue rose 45.3 percent to €1.4 billion ($1.58 billion). Profit was €87 million ($97.8 million), compared to a loss of €65.5 million ($73.6 million) last year.
Although Ubisoft did not share any hard sales numbers, the French publisher pointed out that three of its games--Assassin's Creed Unity, Far Cry 4, and Watch Dogs--were among the top ten best-selling games of 2014.
Another bright spot for Ubisoft during the year was the company's digital business, which jumped by a healthy 96.8 percent and reached €382.7 million ($430.2 million) for the year. Digital sales made up 26.1 percent of total revenue in the year, compared to 19.3 percent during the year prior.
Ubisoft also called out mobile and DLC as growth leaders for the year. In addition, the publisher said back-catalog sales, which reached €233.0 million ($260.9 million) during the year, was another positive for the period. Finally, Ubisoft increased its marketshare by three percentage points to 12.8 percent, the company said.
Check back soon for more, as Ubisoft will hold an earnings call starting at 9:30 AM PDT / 12:30 PM EDT to discuss these results and answer analyst questions.
The updated re-release will be priced at $24.99 (£19.99), and those that pre-order will receive extra costumes for Lady and Trish, while PS4 owners will also get a custom theme.
Capcom has also released a new trailer for the game, showcasing gameplay for all five playable characters, in addition to some of the new modes added to update. Watch the trailer above.
In addition to Dante and Nero, who were both playable in the original version of DMC 4, Dante's brother Virgil is being added to the re-release. He will play like a mixture of his Devil May Cry 3 and 2013 DmC: Devil May Cry versions, according to Capcom's blog. The remaining two characters are Trish and Lady.
Legendary Dark Knight mode has also been added and lets players fight through waves of enemies. This mode was first seen in the PC version of DMC 4.
The game will run at 1080p at 60 frames per second, on top of "improvements to the game tempo and balancing," and new costumes.
Nintendo said Tuesday that it will announce its plans for E3 2015 tomorrow, May 13. The announcement will come at 9 AM PDT / 12 Noon EDT, the Japanese game giant said in a bizarre tweet.
Below is a breakdown of the expected E3 2015 press conference schedule. Microsoft, Ubisoft, Sony, and Nintendo have not announced their plans yet, so we've used historical data.
According to DeNA, this membership service will connect smart devices and Nintendo's own systems, including Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, PC, and the NX whenever it is released.
Neither Nintendo nor DeNA have shared specifics about the new membership service, but Nintendo president Satoru Iwata offered a high-level description during an earnings presentation recently.
"Our members will be able to visit Nintendo's website and log in with one ID, and they will receive various services including the ones based on their past purchases and gameplay records as well as services that will be an improved version of the current loyalty program," he said at the time.
According to Iwata, Nintendo plans to "offer advantages to consumers who use one ID across multiple devices." He went on to say that Nintendo's overall ambition for the new service is to "make playing Nintendo games with game pals more fun regardless of which platform they are accessing."
"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." - Kevin VanOrd [Full review]
IGN -- 9.3/10
"Though the straightforward and fetch-quest-heavy main story overstays its welcome, the option of joyfully adventuring through a rich, expansive open world was always there for me when I'd start to burn out. Even if the plot isn't terribly interesting, the many characters who play a part in it are, and along with the excellent combat and RPG gameplay, they elevate The Witcher 3 to a plane few other RPGs inhabit." - Vince Ingenito [Full review]
Game Informer -- 9.75/10
"The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt encompasses what I hope is the future of RPGs. It stands out for its wonderful writing, variety of quests and things to do in the world, and how your choices have impact in interesting ways. Usually something is sacrificed when creating a world this ambitious, but everything felt right on cue. I still think about some of my choices and how intriguing they turned out--for better or worse." - Kimberley Wallace [Full review]
Kotaku -- "Should You Play This Game? Yes"
"Wild Hunt is a grand adventure that feels distinctly of its time. It manages to set new standards for video game technology while accentuating the fleeting nature of technological achievement as an end unto itself. It is a worthy exploration of friendship and family, mixing scenes of great sorrow with scenes of ridiculous lustiness, tempering its melancholy with bright splashes of joy and merry monster guts. Come for the epic showdown between good and evil; stay for the unicorn sex." - Kirk Hamilton [Full review]
[UPDATE: We've re-published this story today, May 12, to include The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt]
CD Projekt Red's open-world RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt recently receive a perfect 10 out of 10 review score here on GameSpot. And it's not often that a game gets a 10/10, so it's an understandably big deal. After all, since 1996, just eight games have earned that rare rank. In no particular order, they are:
Bayonetta 2
Review date: October 13, 2014
"Bayonetta 2's combat is so expertly constructed, and its presentation so joyously insane, that you'd have to try so very hard to get bored of it all." Read the full review.
Grand Theft Auto IV
Review date: April 28, 2008
"Yes, this is another GTA game in which you'll likely spend the bulk of your time stealing cars and gunning down cops and criminals, but it's also much more than that. GTAIV is a game with a compelling and nonlinear storyline, a game with a great protagonist who you can't help but like, and a game that boasts a plethora of online multiplayer features in addition to its lengthy story mode. It's not without some flaws, but GTAIV is undoubtedly the best Grand Theft Auto yet." Read the full review.
Soul Calibur (Dreamcast)
Review date: August 9, 1999
"Yes, it is a fighting game, a genre with a fairly limited scope, but insofar as fighting games go, Soul Calibur is mind-numbing perfection. Namco has taken the best and made it considerably better. The level at which the company has done so is practically unprecedented. Think state of the art. Absolutely brilliant in all aspects, as far as games of this type go, Soul Calibur is the undisputed king of the hill. It is essential in any gamer's collection." Read the full review.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Review date: May 21, 2010
"Everything is so well designed and so entertaining that it's easy to get sucked into this world for hours. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is so phenomenal that it's difficult to imagine where Mario could possibly go in the future. But that's hardly your concern now. Mario proves that he is still the king of fun." Read the full review.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Review date: October 29, 2001
"The Tony Hawk series has always had style. The first game reinvented a genre and set off a series of clones and pretenders that still flood the market today. The second game refined the formula, but its higher level of difficulty and steeper learning curve turned off casual players. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 brings it all together in one package that makes everything before it almost unplayable by comparison." Read the full review.
Chrono Cross
Review date: January 6, 2000
"With Square agonizing over every detail of its flagship property, the Chrono Cross team was apparently left mostly to themselves. Consequently, the game shares an all-out enthusiasm and joie de vivre found in the best 16-bit titles -- back before games became multimillion dollar properties that had to answer to glaring shareholders. Chrono Cross may not have had the largest budget, but it has the largest heart." Read the full review.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Review date: June 13, 2008
"Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the most technically stunning video game ever made. It's also a fine example of storytelling prowess within its medium, combining gameplay and narrative so slickly and beautifully that it's impossible to extricate one from the other. It's likely you will emerge awestruck from your first play-through, wishing the experience would continue yet nonetheless satisfied with its conclusion. It's difficult not to sound hyperbolic when discussing MGS4 because every part of its design seemingly fulfills its vision, without compromise. There is no halfway." Read the full review.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Review Date: November 23, 1998
"The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the real thing. This is the masterpiece that people will still be talking about ten years down the road. This is the game that perfectly exhibits the 'quality not quantity' mantra that Nintendo has been touting since the N64 was released. In a word, perfect. To call it anything else would be a bald-faced lie." Read the full review.
You can read more about exactly what GameSpot's review scores mean in this post, but we also wanted to let Senior Reviews Editor Kevin VanOrd answer some of your other big questions about review and how scoring works:
How long have you headed up GameSpot's reviews, and how did you get here?
Kevin VanOrd: I've been heading up GameSpot reviews since 2011, but I actually started at GameSpot in 2006. I was originally hired to be tournament coordinator! Back then we held tournaments that culminated with an episode of Tournament TV, a show that Rich Gallup hosted when I first started. Lord, it seems so long ago. I had been a moderator in the GameSpot forums for years, and was also freelancing for GameSpy, so it was a smooth transition, even though for me, it was a big deal, since I was moving from Maryland across the country.
The first time I'd ever been to San Francisco was for the job interview. The second time was the day before I started at GameSpot, after three days of cross-country driving. Little story: I stopped on the drive across the country, somewhere in Indiana, to get a pumpkin latte (this was in September), and spilled it in my car. Ever since then, my car has smelled like pumpkin.
Sadly, tournaments stopped being a thing, and Jeff Gerstmann brought me over to the editorial team full time, though even before that, I'd written some GameSpot reviews. Jeff, Alex Navarro, and Greg Kasavin had vital roles in molding how I wrote and how I wanted to grow as a writer.
What makes a game a 10, and has that definition changed over the years? Does a 10 mean it's "perfect"?
A 10 is a game the reviewer thinks is so phenomenal that it deserves a place on the shelves of everyone that plays games. GameSpot has used different words to describe a 10 over the years. When I started at GameSpot, a 10 meant "perfect," which to us meant that it couldn't have been reasonably expected to be much better than it was. When we switched scoring systems to .0s and .5s, a 10 became "prime," though in retrospect, that's a pretty silly word, all things considered. After we re-launched the site in 2013, we started using the word "masterpiece," but in time decided that "essential" might be an even more appropriate term.
I don't think any piece of art or entertainment could be considered perfect. Even the games that are largely considered to be the best ever made aren't beloved by everyone. But I do think that a 10 should be rare. It should mean that the game has something so meaningful to offer that you simply can't ignore it. Something that will remain with players for years to come.
A review is obviously just one person's opinion, so how do you deal with conflicting thoughts on a game, both for high and low scores? What if someone else on GameSpot thinks a game deserves a much higher (or lower) score?
10s are a big deal, right? But in some sense, we want every score to be a big deal. We want every score to be carefully considered. And yes, we have all sorts of arguments about games, because we're not a hive mind! The text is the primary consideration, and it must argue the score. What makes the game so special, or not special? If it's boring, or exciting, how does it do that? Some games have a greater impact on one person than another, and it's up to the critic to express his or her thoughts in a way that really sells that score.
But the entire editorial team has the opportunity to go over the review, and sometimes, being devil's advocate is an important role to have, and it's a role that I am happy to take on. A very common email exchange with a freelance author might be: "Are you sure this is an 8? Are you sure this game is truly great? Because it sounds pretty good, but I don't know if you're selling that 8." The author might then say, "Hey, you're right, this really is just a pretty good game," or she might say, "Man, this game is absolutely great; what do I need to do to really get that across?" The author is always the owner of his own work, but the rest of the crew still helps to ensure the review is all it can be.
You talk a lot with publishers, developers, and PR, so how do you make sure that reviews remain unbiased by those relationships?
Most of my interactions with PR people come down to, "Hey, we're sending you review code," and me replying, "OK, use the usual address." My own bosses are usually the people that have the most face time with PR folks and publishers. These days, most reviews are actually assigned to freelance critics who typically don't have any direct contact with PR people. When reviews are done in house, we try to assign them to people who have not previewed the game to any significant degree. This is one of the reasons why I personally don't do a lot of previews...so that I can go into reviews as fresh as possible. My bosses essentially function as shields: they absorb the business side of things so that I can focus on just the games.
In the end, where reviews are concerned, it's the game that's important. If a reviewer feels, or I feel, that there is some kind of conflict, the review is assigned to someone else. That's pretty rare, though. My managers deal with the primary business aspects, and I do my best to not know what that stuff entails. For me, I mostly just assign reviews as games come in, and coordinate the logistics of that process.
What are the plans for GameSpot's reviews in the coming year? Any big changes in store?
I don't see anything big happening for the time being, but it's hard to tell! We're at the mercy of a business that's much bigger than us alone, and as games change, so to does the way we cover them. When I started, we never reviewed free-to-play games, for example. Imagine if we had held to that rule! Right now, however, my focus is on always improving the reviews themselves, both in terms of how they are written and in terms of honing our critical eye. I'm really excited by how much deeper game critics are willing to go nowadays with their analyses. And I hope GameSpot can be a positive force in that overall discourse.
Do you have more questions about reviews on GameSpot? Leave us a comment below, or use the site's messaging system to contact us directly!
The Evil Within's final DLC, titled "The Executioner," will be available from May 26 and will allow players to take control of The Keeper, an enemy that appeared in the main campaign.
Interestingly, the DLC adopts a first-person perspective, instead of the game's usual over-the-shoulder third-person perspective. As The Keeper, players will have access to a wide-range of devastating weapons and return to the Victoriano Estate "for a rematch with the most iconic adversaries of The Evil Within."
The previous DLC for The Evil Within, The Consequence, completed the story of Juli Kidman that began with The Assignment. The Assignment, The Consequence, and The Executioner are included with The Evil Within's $20 DLC pass.
There are a good number of classic rock tracks for fans who enjoyed the earlier games. But, to reflect the changing musical landscape since Guitar Hero first debuted a decade ago, Activision has added what might be considered non-traditional songs, such as Ed Sheeran's "Sing" and "Bangarang" from Skrillex.
"Guitar music is broader than it's ever been--so we're reflecting that in the range of music on offer," Guitar Hero Live creative director Jamie Jackson told the magazine.
Check out the list of songs below, but be aware that this is just a sampling of the "hundreds" of songs Guitar Hero Live will offer through its main soundtrack and online mode, Guitar Hero TV.
The full list of discounted games and add-ons this week is listed below. All deals are good through May 18, while an Xbox Live Gold subscription is required in all cases except Destiny for Xbox One.
Final Fantasy and Tomb Raider publisher Square Enix on Tuesday announced financial performance for its fiscal year ended March 31, 2015--and the results were strong.
Square Enix's video game division, called "Digital Entertainment," posted yearly revenue of ¥111.9 billion ($932.7 million), up 18.4 percent from last year.
Meanwhile, operating income was ¥17.3 billion ($144 million), which represents an even more dramatic increase of 61.3 percent compared to the prior financial year.
The publisher cited "strong" sales of catalog titles, which was particularly important since Square Enix also noted that it released fewer console games during the fiscal year compared to the year before.
In terms of smartdevices and PC games, Square Enix said Sengoku Ixa and Dragon Quest: Monsters Super Light "continued to show strong performance." Meanwhile, smartphone games like Schoolgirl Strikers, Final Fantasy Record Keeper, and Kai-ri-Sei Million Arthur also did well during the year.
What's more, Square Enix said MMOs Final Fantasy XIV and Dragon Quest X "have been making favorable progress," though no other details were divulged.
Overall, Square Enix--which also runs various non-gaming business units--posted revenue of ¥167.9 billion ($1.4 billion) for the year. That's up 8.3 percent. Profit, meanwhile, rose a healthy 49 percent from ¥6.6 billion ($55 million) to ¥9.8 billion ($81.6 million).
[UPDATE] Our 10/10 Witcher 3 review is now live. Read it here.
The original story is below.
CD Projekt Red's highly anticipated role-playing game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is now available to pre-load on PC through Steam and GOG, as well as Xbox One. The PC edition on Origin and the PlayStation 4 version will be ready to pre-load "soon," the Polish developer explained in its announcement today.
Pre-loading, of course, applies to digital copies of The Witcher 3 only. The appeal of pre-loading is that you can download the 35GB game ahead of time so that you can play the second it unlocks.
Digital copies of The Witcher 3 unlock at 1 AM CET on May 19, which is actually the afternoon/evening of May 18 in the United States. Boxed copies of the game arrive on May 19.
Check back soon for lots more on The Witcher 3, as we'll post our review at 7 AM PDT / 10 AM EDT today.
Norwegian developer Antagonist has announced that its third-person psychological horror game Through the Woods will debut for Windows PC, Mac, and Linux in Q1 2016. That means it should be out by April.
Haven't heard of Through the Woods? In the game, which has been in development since 2013, you play through a mother's re-telling of the "terrible events" surrounding the tragic disappearance of her son. The setting is a creepy forest, inspired by Norse mythology and Norwegian folk tales.
Antagonist said its overall goal with Through the Woods was to present the forest as they remember it from their childhood, as a frightening place to explore. The trailer below sets the tone.
In Through the Woods, players have only a flashlight to help them not only navigate the dark woods and its rundown cabins and deep caverns, but also to steer clear of "grotesque mythological abominations."
Antagonist also notes that Through the Woods has a special emphasis on sound design. Since creatures are attracted to your flashlight, at times you'll want to turn it off. When you do, the in-game volume increases. At the same time, another audio tweak will help you better understand the direction sound is coming from.
The developer says it's assembled a "world class sound team" whose previous credits include Telltale Games' acclaimed Walking Dead franchise. What's more, Antagonist worked with The Secret World and Age of Conan developer Funcom for various motion-capture sequences.
In terms of story, Through the Woods plays out as Karen, the mother, is being investigated over the disappearance of her son. Antagonist notes that the game uses "dynamic narration," meaning that the dialogue between Karen and the investigator may change based on how events unfold.
"Growing up in Norway, our parents frequently told us fables about horrifying atrocities that lived in the woods and preyed on children; not the watered down fairytales Hollywood provides kids today," producer Anders Hillestad said in a statement. "Through the Woods will deliver a terrifying experience, making players fear for Karen and all that she holds dear."
For more on Through the Woods, check out some images in the gallery below.
Playtonic Games, developer of Banjo-Kazooie spiritual successor Yooka-Laylee, has revealed a new innuendo-filled character called Trowzer.
The trouser-wearing snake is the first supporting character the developer has revealed, and has been described as a "flash, wheeler dealing serpent."
"Trowzer is a business-snake whose career never took off," Playtonic's creative lead, Gavin Price, explained on the official website.
"Not that he knows it - the smug, serpent salesman thinks he's the bee's knees (not that he has knees), and for a little dosh he'll teach you some of the slick moves he picked up on the high-stakes sales floor."
Along with his trousers, tie, and fedora, the character completes the out-of-touch business-snake look with a large "Brickcom" phone.
"He'll take your money and count it (he's an Adder…) and because he knows best he'll even demonstrate the moves you just bought for you to replicate… if you can follow his jiggling."
Playtonic's character artist Steve Mayles also explained the design process behind Trowzer and attributed the idea of the snake wearing shorts to Price himself.
"I didn't want him to be a snake in the traditional sense, and when Gav suggested he should have shorts on (do I have to add shorts to all of my characters?!), a great idea for this was his body could curl back up through the other leg hole. So he'll move with a certain springiness, which will be fun to animate."
The crowdfunding campaign was launched with a $500,000 goal, with Igarashi explaining that he had already raised some funds for development. The Kickstarter campaign was to increase the overall budget, secure funding for bonus features, and release physical Xbox One and PS4 discs as backer rewards.
Igarashi will be serving as the game's director and producer, with Michiru Yamane-- another Castlevania veteran-- composing the music. Development will be handled by Inti Creates, the studio behind Mega Man 9 and Keiji Inafune's upcoming Mighty No. 9.
World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Heroes of the Storm developer Blizzard has apologised to European players of its online card battling game Hearthstone for recent connection issues, and offered free content as recompense.
Posting on the official Hearthstone forums, Blizzard admitted the online multiplayer aspect of the game was "spotty last week" and revealed two free Classic Hearthstone card packs would be offered as an apology.
"Sorry about that, and we really appreciate your patience as we worked to get the tavern back into shape," the studio said.
"As a thank-you for bearing with us, ALL Hearthstone accounts in the European Hearthstone region created prior to May 3, 2015 will enjoy two free Classic Hearthstone card packs, free of charge."
In order to claim the two packs, players need only to log in to Hearthstone "at [their] convenience" to find the card packs in the Open Packs section. The packs will not expire, so there is no time constraint.
In April, Blizzard updated the iOS version Hearthstone to officially support iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android devices. The latest version of the game is said to feature "an all-new intuitive interface handcrafted for the mobile experience. You can see a few screenshots of the iOS version below.
The face of masked murderer Jason Voorhees has never been revealed in fighting game Mortal Kombat X. However, a forum post on the Testyourmight forums shows a preview of a mod called Camera Hack being developed for the PC version of the game. The hack unmasks Jason to reveal that developer NetherRealm Studios did put effort into modelling the character's facial appearance, despite the fact that it was never meant to be seen in-game.
Jason in Friday the 13th (2009 remake)
Granted, the Mortal Kombat X version doesn't look as disfigured as other iterations of the character that have been present in the movies, but he does sport a few scars. It's likely the character's facial model was animated so that it would not look out of place during fatalities. Voorhees was added to the character roster in Mortal Kombat X through the Jason Voorhees bundle. Players who own the $30 Mortal Kombat X Kombat Pack were able to access the character from May 5. The Jason Voorhees Bundle can otherwise be purchased on May 12 for $8.
Mortal Kombat X enjoyed a record-breaking launch back in April. The game scored an eight in GameSpot's review, praised for its solid fighting mechanics and the challenges offered, but criticized for its monetization model.
Ubisoft will be lifting the curtain on its upcoming new Assassin's Creed game at 9 AM PDT on Tuesday, May 12. Stay tuned to this page on GameSpot if you want to catch the reveal as it goes live. More specific story details and previews will be posted soon. We will also be sharing our impressions of the reveal right after the stream.
Last week Ubisoft released a teaser image for the game featuring a set of brass knuckles. Inscribed on the melee weapon is the phrase "Strength Through Loyalty." The Assassin logo is featured in the centre of the weapon.
After collecting "enthusiastic feedback" from a survey launched in April, GungHo Online Entertainment America will bring classic role-playing game Grandia II to Steam for Windows PC, the company told GameSpot today.
Grandia II for Steam is being remastered using the game's Dreamcast version, which was published in 2000. In addition to an HD visual upgrade, Grandia II on Steam will have both mouse and keyboard and gamepad support as well as Steam achievements and Trading Cards.
The survey GungHo shared last month focused on properties by Game Arts, the studio behind the much-beloved JRPG series Grandia and Lunar, with several questions specifically referencing interest in PC games. Responses indicating a desire for a remastered Grandia II were "overwhelming," according to GungHo, so the company has chosen to move forward with the port.
"With the rise of digital downloads, it is especially important that classic games continue to remain available to play in some form," said president of GungHo America Jun Iwasaki. "Grandia II was chosen for a PC re-release because it represents both a hallmark of the Grandia series and an example of how great JRPGs can be."
What other classic GameArts games do you think should be remastered? Let us know in the comments below.
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