Does Destiny's future involve something called "Eververse"?
On May 19, Bungie filed three trademark applications with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) related to that name. One is for "Eververse"; another covers "Eververse Trading Co."; and a third pertains to the "Eververse" logo you see below.
Each covers a long list of things, ranging from the expected--video game software--to things like Halloween clothing and action figures.
Bungie has not announced anything called Eververse, so we're left scratching our heads on this one. We've contacted Bungie, asking for additional insight on the matter.
The developer also recently trademarked something called The Taken King.
The "Eververse Trading Co." reference is particularly interesting, given Bungie's previous comments about the possibility of Destiny one day introducing a player trading system.
"The investment designers, there's a lot of conversations I'm sure that happen about that," Destiny creative director Christopher Barrett said in April. "We're always considering features like that. Personally, I'd prefer not to have player trading. But you'll get different opinions across the entire team."
Target has some nice prices on recent games, offering Final Fantasy Type-0 HD for $28 (PS4, Xbox One) and Mortal Kombat X for $38.49 (PS4) or $42 (Xbox One).
Microsoft's latest Deals With Gold promotion is on, discounting a handful of Xbox One and Xbox 360 games, such as Alien: Isolation for $24 and Screamride for $27. You can check out all the deals here.
Amazon prices are accurate as of publishing, but can fluctuate occasionally throughout the day.
GameSpot's gaming deals posts always highlight the best deals we can find regardless of retailer. We also occasionally use retailer affiliate links, which means that purchasing goods through those links helps support all the great content (including the deals posts) you find for free here on the site.
Video game retailer GameStop on Monday announced the first details for this year's GameStop Expo, the company's annual public event that coincides with its managers' meeting. After last year's event was held in California, this year's GameStop Expo 2015 will take place in Las Vegas, on Wednesday, September 2.
That's just days after another gaming event, PAX Prime, wraps up on August 31.
A scene from GameStop Expo 2014
The GameStop Expo 2015 will be held at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, featuring more than 250,000 square feet of demo booths and more. Confirmed attendees so far include industry heavyweights such as Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Warner Bros, and Take-Two.
GameStop also said virtual reality technology will be available to try at the GameStop Expo 2015. In addition, there will be panels with industry experts and "gaming legends," as well as tournaments, celebrity appearances, and autograph sessions.
This is the GameStop Expo's fourth year and second in Las Vegas. GameStop merchandising VP Bob Puzon said this year's event will be "bigger, better, and the ultimate gaming event for our fans."
Registration for the GameStop Expo 2015 is now open. You can buy a general admission pass for $40 or a $110 VIP pass that comes with perks like early access to the show floor, a lounge, and a swag bag. There is also a $20 student pass, but this is available on-site only beginning at 3 PM on September 2. The show itself runs 11 AM through 6 PM.
You can buy tickets to GameStop Expo 2015 through this website or at a local GameStop store. People under 17 need to be accompanied by an adult.
Wasteland 2 developer inXile Entertainment has announced a special offer for early supporters of the studio's upcoming crowdfunding campaign for The Bard's Tale IV. Anyone who backs the game's Kickstarter campaign with $20 or more during its first 24 hours will get a free game--and the options are pretty great.
Your choices are PC copies of inXile's Wasteland 2 or CD Projekt Red's The Witcher or The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. The free game will be delivered at the end of The Bard's Tale IV's crowdfunding drive in July. Wasteland 2 can be redeemed on either Steam or GOG, while The Witcher and The Witcher 2 can only be redeemed on GOG, which CD Projekt Red owns and operates.
The Kickstarter campaign for The Bard's Tale IV will open tomorrow, June 2, starting at 6 AM PDT / 9 AM EDT. June 2 marks the 30th anniversary of the original game's release in June 1985.
"This is our way to show our gratitude to those who continue to support us," inXile CEO Brian Fargo said in a statement. "We're also very happy to be working with our friends at CD Projekt, who have shown they understand the right way to treat your fans."
The Bard's Tale IV was announced earlier this year, and we learned more about some of its new features last month. The most recently released game in the series is 2004's The Bard's Tale, also developed by InXile. The Bard's Tale IV, however, is positioned as a sequel to The Bard's Tale III, released all the way back in 1988.
inXile is looking to go three-for-three on Kickstarter, as the studio previously successfully raised millions of dollars for Wasteland 2 and Torment: Tides of Numenera, which is still in development.
TT Games has announced its Minecraft-like building game, Lego Worlds, is available to play now on Steam Early Access.
The game, which did not have a pre-release announcement or build up, is described on Steam as allowing players to "explore environments filled with adventure ... discover secrets and treasures ... create your own models."
Naturally, as an Early Access game, developer TT Games and publisher Warner Bros. Interactive have invited players to submit feedback.
"LEGO Worlds will be a fully open-world, creativity-driven game so we want to ensure that we provide it with the utmost care and attention as we expand on our ideas," Warner Bros. says.
"So much of this game will be about building and sharing and by sharing our plans with the community, we hope to incorporate their feedback and build an experience together that fans of Lego and this genre of video games can enjoy."
A host of new images can be found below:
Click on the images below to view in full screen.
According to the Steam Early Access page, Lego Worlds will be in Early Access "through 2015 at which point we hope to have our full list of features in place."
"We'll evaluate a release candidate in early 2016," it continues, "but we won't consider the game complete and ready for release until we believe our community feels we have delivered a great game."
Publisher 2K has revealed XCOM 2, the sequel to its acclaimed turn-based tactical action game, which is set to ship on PC first in November.
According to 2K the sequel "transports players 20 years into the future, where humanity lost the war against the alien threat that has established a new world order."
"The secret paramilitary organization known as XCOM is largely forgotten, and must strike back to reclaim control of Earth and free mankind from the aliens' rule."
Check out the trailer below.
Here's a story overview provided on the official XCOM 2 website:
"Twenty years have passed since world leaders offered an unconditional surrender to alien forces and XCOM, the planet's last line of defence, was left decimated and scattered. Now the aliens rule Earth, building shining cities that promise a brilliant future for humanity on the surface, while concealing a sinister agenda below and eliminating all who dissent from their new order.
"Only those who live at the edges of the world have a margin of freedom. Here, a force gathers once again to stand up for humanity. Always on the run, the remnant XCOM forces must find a way to rise from the ashes, expose the insidious truth behind the occupation, and eliminate the alien threat once and for all."
In the game, the XCOM is now the invading force and must manage dwindling resources while evading the alien threat in a new mobile headquarters.
"Players must use a combination of firepower and stealth-like tactics to help XCOM recruit soldiers and build a resistance network, while attempting to expose the evil alien agenda and save humanity."
2K is touting procedurally-generated levels, which it says "will make each experience unique to the player," along with a "deeper level of modding support." The game will also feature five updated soldier classes, increased soldier customisation, a variety of new alien and enemy types, evolved tactical combat, "and more."
XCOM: Enemy Unknown designer Jake Solomon returns for the sequel as creative director. According to Solomon, the feedback from players has had a big part to play in the development on XCOM 2.
Click image to view in full screen
"The feedback from the passionate XCOM community played an important role in the development of XCOM 2," he said.
"We're thrilled to implement long-time fan requested features such as procedural levels and modding support, as well as adding more of what makes XCOM great like new aliens, enemies and soldier classes."
Other noteworthy elements of XCOM 2 are the new Advent enemies that "offer a distinct tactical challenge".
Here's a feature list of XCOM 2 features:
XCOM On The Run: Take command of the Avenger, an alien supply craft converted to XCOM's mobile headquarters. Guide your strike force around the world, build popular support and expose the aliens' sinister plans.
Recruit Resistance Fighters: Five soldier classes, each with its own skill tree including new class abilities like Momentum, let you create specific soldiers for your tactical plan.
Tactical Guerrilla Combat: New gameplay systems offer more tactical flexibility in combat. The state of the world affects each combat mission's environment. Use concealment to ambush enemy patrols. Loot enemies for precious gear and artefacts. Rescue VIPs and save fallen comrades by carrying them to the extraction point.
A New Breed Of Enemy: A diverse cast of enemies from powerful new alien species to the Advent, enforces of the alien regime, offer a distinct tactical challenge.
Research, Develop and Upgrade: Configure and build rooms on the Avenger to give XCOM new capabilities on the battlefield. Use your Scientists and Engineers to research, develop and upgrade weapons and armour to fit your preferred tactics.
Each Mission is a Unique Challenge: Go on missions around the world, from wildlands to the heart of the alien-controlled megacities, to the depths of alien installations. There are virtually infinite combinations of maps missions, and goals.
Create Custom Mods: Community-focused tools allow you to create your own campaign, tactical gameplay, aliens, classes, strategy game features, and share within the Steam Workshop.
Engage in Head-to-Head Multiplayer: Mix-and-match squads of humans and aliens battle head-to-head on randomly-generated maps.
New, luxury-themed vehicles and accessories will be available in Grand Theft Auto V's multiplayer mode starting next week, developer Rockstar Games announced on Monday. The items include all manner of over-the-top things such as solid gold airplanes and helicopters, as well as gold-plated guns.
"Due to a surge in high-end crime across southern San Andreas, demand for luxury goods and services is at an all-time high," Rockstar says. "Upscale merchants of all kinds are scrambling to fill their inventories to serve the newly wealthy."
The new content is coming to GTA Online through the two-part "Ill-Gotten Gains" update. The second installment is due out later this summer, though Rockstar didn't say more about what it might contain.
For now, you can check out some of the new items in the image gallery below.
Following yesterday's Japanese Nintendo Direct event, Nintendo of America on Monday released a 17-minute "Nintendo Direct Micro" video featuring new game announcements and more.
You can watch the entire video below, while a roundup of key announcements follows further down.
Below are some of the key takeways from the event, divided by platform. Looking ahead, we're expecting Nintendo to make more announcements during its E3 briefing on Tuesday, June 16.
3DS
Bravely Second: End Layer
Chibi-Robot!: Zip Lash -- This new side-scrolling action game casts players as the lovable robot who uses his plug to whip enemies and solve puzzles. The game launches in October. A Chibi-Robo! Amiibo toy will also be available, but only through a special bundle. More details will be announced later.
Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure -- The puzzle series returns with a new "Miracle Cure" item that "activates a variet of capsule- and virus-eradicating powers." The game is available to pre-buy today before its official launch June 11.
Bravely Second: End Layer -- The sequel to Square Enix's RPG Bravely Default is coming to the west in 2016. Previously, it was confirmed only for Japan.
LBX: Little Battlers eXperience -- Based on the anime and toy line, this game allows players to build, customize, and battle robots. There are 130 models and more than 4,000 parts available. The game, which also supports local wireless play, launches August 21.
Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition -- This comes with two free unlockable worlds for Puzzle & Dragons Z and Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition. What's more, Nintendo said it plans to start releasing free content for Puzzle & Dragons Z on a weekly basis.
Wii U
Splatoon-- New content is coming to the game today. Starting at 7 PM PDT / 10 PM EDT, Nintendo will release a weapon called the "N-Zap '85." As you can see in the video, it's based on the classic Zapper peripheral released thirty years ago for Duck Hunt. A new map, called Port Mackerel, is also coming to Splatoon today. The weapon and the map are free. Plus, Nintendo said Splatoon's ranked battle mode will also be updated to support characters level 10 or above.
Art Academy: Home Studio -- The new app lets aspiring artists take virtual lessons and then try their hand at making whatever they want. The game even lets players publish time-lapse replays of their creations to YouTube. The app launches on June 25. People who already own Art Academy: Sketchpad will receive $4 off the purchase of Home Studio.
Project Treasure-- Nintendo released a new video for the new four-player co-op game from Bandai Namco and Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada. Watch the video here.
Wii U and 3DS
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games -- Due to launch around the time of the Olympic Games next summer, this new game adds new events like soccer and table tennis for the 3DS version. On Wii U, you can play soccer, rugby, and beach volleyball. More details will be announced later.
Other
Need more Nintendo in your life? Nintendo now has dedicated accounts for Periscope and Snapchat. Just search for the name @NintendoAmerica
Dead Rising: Watchtower, the original movie based on Capcom's zombie series that skipped a theatrical release, will be available to buy or rent through most major digital platforms across the world on July 1.
Watchtower was initially released back in March by way of Sony's Crackle streaming service. It follows Chase Carter, a reporter played by John Tucker Must Die's Jesse Metcalfe. He's looking for a story, but finds himself in the midst of a horrific zombie outbreak.
Some fans were critical of the movie skipping a theatrical release, but director Zach Lipovsky (Leprechaun: Origins) says a smaller budget comes with the freedom to be more experimental.
"Online there is no ratings board, there is no run time limit, there are no rules," he said back in October. "This is an experiment for Legendary, and they have been incredibly willing to take creative risks. Every crazy idea I've had has been met with excitement."
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has revealed release details for new Mortal Kombat X DLC character Tanya, as well as a new trailer for her.
Tanya will be available as part of the Mortal Kombat X Kombat Pack, which is a season pass that provides early access to four new characters and skin packs. The characters included are Jason Voorhees (check him out here), Predator, Tanya, and Tremor. The Samurai Pack is also included.
Thus far Goro and Jason Voorhees have been released, with Tanya expected on June 2 for Kombat Pack owners, and June 9 for everyone else.
Tanya can be purchased from the PlayStation Store, Xbox Marketplace, and on Steam for $7.99 (£6.49) with the first Klassic costume.
The character can be acquired on her own (sans the Klassic costume pack) for $3.99 (£3.29). Finally, the Klassic costume pack on its own can be purchased for $3.99 (£3.29).
With just a few more weeks to go before Batman: Arkham Knight's release, developer Rocksteady has published the next installment in the "Arkham Insider" video series that offers an inside look at the action game. The video covers a variety of topics, one of which is Arkham Knight's New Game Plus mode.
Director Sefton Hill explained how it will work.
"When you complete the main story, you're going to unlock New Game Plus," he said. "In New Game Plus, you can go in and take all of your XP through, take your gadgets through that you've unlocked; which is a big thing, because that means basically you can do some of the challenges from earlier on in the game but with a whole new suite of gadgets you never had the first time or the upgrades. And any Riddler trophies that you've found are shared on both playthroughs."
"No loading screens as you play through the whole game," he said. "You can play from the start of the game to the end of the game and you won't see any loading screens. That's all a really big important thing for us."
What's more, the video reveals some new weapons and gadgets for Arkham Knight's Batmobile, one of which is an EMP weapon. Players can use this to immobilize other vehicles for a short period of time. In addition, the EMP weapon can redirect incoming missiles, so as to "give you a little window of opportunity," Hill said.
The Batmobile also comes equipped with a "Drone Virus" weapon that Batman can deploy to hack into drones. Doing this essentially corrupts their friend/foe intelligence, meaning the drones will turn on their allies and actually help Batman.
Describing the Batmobile in general, Hill said, "It's one car versus and army. So this has to be the most badass car you've ever seen."
Also on display in the video related to the Batmobile are some of the Riddler sequences. In this mode, players must drive through an ever-changing maze that not only tests player's driving skills, but also offers an "intellectual assault." For more on the Batmobile, check out GameSpot's recent video preview.
Did you see last night's episode of HBO's Game of Thrones? If so, you probably caught a glimpse of band members from metal group Mastodon portraying "wildlings."
Photo credit: Helen Sloan/HBO
Mastodon's Brann Dailor, Bill Kelliher, and Brent Hinds traveled to Northern Ireland to act as extras in the most recent episode of the popular fantasy show, based on the works of George R.R. Martin.
Mastodon already wrote an original song, "White Walker," for the Game of Thrones mixtape Catch the Throne Vol. 2. But the band was specially invited to appear in the show by executive producer Dan Weiss, who is obviously a big fan of Mastodon.
Here's what Dailor, Mastodon's drummer/singer, had to say about playing a role in the show courtesy of a Reprise Records press release (via Pitchfork).
"It was such an incredible experience to be on set as extras for our collective favorite show Game Of Thrones and to be wildlings murdered and then brought back to life by White Walkers was beyond amazing," he said. "I watched my best friends Brent and Bill, murdered right in front of me as I myself was stabbed in the stomach and had my throat slit multiple times, and I didn't mind at all. It made me love being in Mastodon even more. We are more than privileged and honored to have been a part of one of the greatest stories ever told on film, and the catering wasn't bad either."
Mastodon is currently on the road, supporting their latest record, Once More Round the Sun.
Cuellar also confirmed that, even if the PS4 edition of Ultra Street Fighter 4 is patched before the tournament begins in the middle of July, the Xbox 360 edition will still be used.
Ultra Street Fighter IV saw its exclusive current-generation release for PS4 last month. Almost immediately, players discovered numerous and significant issues with the new version of Capcom's fighting game. These problems included character moves not working properly, strange visuals, and input lag.
Suffice it to say, using this version for a major competitive event could be a disaster.
For its part, Capcom addressed the issues in a statement last week, saying it was working alongside Sony to clear up the problems with a new patch. It's also important to note that Sony's third-party production group developed and published the game, not Capcom itself. Sony has promised to release a new patch for the game this week to clear up the problems.
The trailer shows Lara making a perilous climb up the side of a mountain, overcoming the elements to reach a cave which, judging from the voice over emphasising "discovering the secrets of the world," she goes on to raid thoroughly.
The trailer also teases a full reveal during Microsoft's E3 press conference on June 15. Watch it below.
Although neither Sony nor Square Enix have talked about Rise of the Tomb Raider on other platforms, it is possible the game could come to PlayStation 4 or PC sometime down the road.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is being developed by Crystal Dynamics and is a direct sequel to 2013's Tomb Raider reboot, which has sold more than 8.5 million copies, making it the best-selling Tomb Raider game of all time.
Later this month, the focus of the gaming world will be on E3 in Los Angeles, but that's not the only gaming show this summer. Xbox company Microsoft has now said it preparing to have a major presence at Gamescom in Germany this August, promising a breadth of content as significant as what we'll see at E3.
"We should have as much new content at Gamescom as we will at E3," Xbox boss Phil Spencer said to a fan on Twitter who asked if Microsoft would be holding some major reveals for Gamescom.
Spencer didn't elaborate further about Microsoft's plans for Gamescom, which will be held this year in Cologne, Germany August 5-9. Unlike E3, Gamescom is open to the public, and historically draws crowds in the hundreds of thousands.
This news may not come as much of a surprise, as Microsoft has a history of making blockbuster reveals and announcements at Gamescom.
This isn't the first time Microsoft has talked up its Gamescom showing. The company previously said that its 90-minute E3 show won't include everything it wants to talk about, meaning some reveals will be saved for Gamescom.
"This year, we have an amazing games lineup to share (who knew it'd be so hard to pack all of our exclusive E3 premieres into an hour and a half?)," Microsoft said last month. "So we're saving a lot of exciting reveals for Gamescom in August."
It's the first of the month, which means June's free Games With Gold titles are now available for Xbox Live Gold subscribers across Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
What's notable about Massive Chalice is that today, June 1, actually marks the game's release date.
Xbox 360 owners, meanwhile, can grab Avalanche Studios' excellent sandbox game Just Cause 2 for free through June 15.
At school or work? Click through the links below to queue up your download from the Xbox Online Marketplace. Alternatively, you can start your download through the SmartGlass app.
The update will include a fix for the XP bug that first came to light last week, along with "significantly enlarged" GUI and HUD elements, including fonts, to resolve the game's small, hard-to-read text issue.
Also included are "general stability and performance improvements." And you may be happy to learn that Geralt will no longer interact with candles near chests, which I've found to be somewhat annoying.
The list below represents only the "most requested changes" and not everything that will be included with 1.04 (console) /1.05 (PC).
And looking beyond 1.04/1.05, CD Projekt Red said it has "a lot more fixes on the way," though none were named outright.
Witcher 3 1.04/1.05
Geralt will no longer interact with candles near chests and other interactive element
General stability and performance improvements
Significantly Enlarged GUI and HUD elements (including fonts) on consoles and slightly on PC.
Improved camera smoothness
Performance improvements during some cutscenes
Fixed case where game was crashing on loading a save in certain situations
Various bug fixes and user experience improvements in GUI panels.
Fixed issue where some players were unable to run after Wandering in the Dark quest
Fixed issue where players were unable to talk to Eight after the Lord of Undvik quest
Too many wild hunt minions were spawned during Ciri's Story: Fleeing the Bog quest.
Fixed issue where Keira could sometimes fall under terrain during Wandering in the Dark quest
Fixed issue where Player was unable to move freely during Blindingly Obvious quest
Fixed issue where Player was unable to activate portal during Wandering in the Dark quest
Fixed issue where Player could get trapped in Turseach castle ruins
Fixed issue where Roche was not present at Hanged Man's tree during Eye for an Eye quest
Fixed issue where Player was unable to talk or interact with certain NPCs
Fixed issue where Sirens in quest Lord of Undvik could be invulnerable
Fixed issue where player was unable to use certain actions after Carnal Sins quest
Fixed issue where Geralt was sometimes unable to mount Roach
Fixed issue where some players where experiencing infinite loading screen during King's Gambit quest.
Fixed issue where Simun was not properly spawned in An Unpaid Debt quest
Fixed issue where player might have had a progression break after choosing certain dialogue option when talking to Dijkstra in Count Reuven's Treasure quest
The Pyres of Novigrad quest is of course going to be fixed as well as the XP glitch
GameSpot's early access reviews evaluate unfinished games that are nonetheless available for purchase by the public. While the games in question are not considered finished by their creators, you may still devote money, time, and bandwidth for the privilege of playing them before they are complete. The review below critiques a work in progress, and represents a snapshot of the game at the time of the review's publication.
Like with any scene of disaster, it's hard to avert your eyes from The Magic Circle. The monochrome world it depicts is a shambles of spectacular proportions, so thoroughly misjudged that there's an almost perverse allure to it. Here, the genres of high-fantasy and sci-fi collide inexplicably; to the south of the game's map lies a mountain-sized hand that reaches up to the heavens, while to the east stands a vast star-gate holding open a cosmic tear into another galaxy. Spread between these two landmarks is a vulgar wasteland of unfinished artwork and abandoned structures, often rendered in hurried black scribbles. Various interiors are stripped down to placeholder textures, while elsewhere internal dev annotations remain exposed. Key characters, meanwhile, have yet to be animated. It's as if a snow of bad ideas had fallen overnight.
The Magic Circle's world is a black-and-white fiasco waiting to be exposed.
All of this, however, is intentional. The Magic Circle is a fictional game project plunged in limbo, developed and farcically mismanaged over two decades by the (also fictional) games industry icon Ishmael Gilder. Famed for his Spectrum-era text adventures, Gilder commenced work on The Magic Circle in the mid-nineties, seemingly inspired by the System Shock brand of sci-fi that was popular at the time. Then, some ten years later (probably as The Lord of the Rings fever reached its peak) it was decided that the project needed to be wholesale rebuilt with a new fantasy setting. Now, just days before its "E4" world premiere, it is neither sci-fi or fantasy; it has become a black-and-white fiasco, waiting to be exposed.
The Magic Circle's landscape is a beautiful mess of abandoned ideas.
In fourth-wall breaking fashion, you play as yourself beta-testing it (occasionally your Steam profile appears on screen, and during one unnerving journey into the game's code, it lists your exact PC specs). While the industry's propensity for hero narratives would suggest your role would be to rescue The Magic Circle from certain disaster, the opposite is true. Old Pro, an abandoned character from the sci-fi build who is now a ghost haunting the game world, wants you to sabotage Gilder's rescue project. And so begins a story of vengeance against the gods who have built a digital dystopia. Burn it all down.
However, a problem: Gilder's team has yet to finish coding combat features, meaning your character is little more than a first-person camera with an erect right hand. Old Pro, armed with an intimate knowledge of the game's rules, bestows upon you a spell that can cast a magic circle over nearby items and enemies. Anything trapped inside this digital lasso becomes a convulsing glitch and, at the press of a button, the player can rewire its synapses.
Once teleported inside the matrix of an in-game character's code, a surprising degree of alterations can be made. Does it move by land or air? Does it even move at all? Who are its allies? Who are its foes? Is it fireproof? Can it attract electrical signals? Does it attack with teleport beams? Is it part of a wider hive-mind? Can it heal others?
The sheer number of possibilities on offer, and the way in which you are free to discover them yourself, is perhaps The Magic Circle's greatest achievement. You can assemble a platoon of fire-breathing rocks, if you wish, supported by a paramedic unit of giant metallic wasps. Or, just for kicks, you could instead send out a pack of dogs with mind-manipulation powers. Experimenting with the alchemy of NPC behaviours is essential for progress, and while the solutions to some challenges (such as a horde of spiders defending a castle) are rather straightforward, elsewhere you'll spot puzzles and riddles that require more elaborate thinking. A key placed far out of reach, or a lethal turret at the end of a narrow corridor, inspires creative improvisation and small eureka moments.
The game's architecture is wonderfully imaginative.
Equally rewarding is the riddle at the game's heart. Early on, you'll spot a character stranded on a distant platform to the east of the map. Key to your revenge plot is casting your spell on this character, and while at first this seems impossible, the creations and ideas you encounter across the rest of the game will eventually give you enough tools and ideas to fashion your own solution. (There are, by the way, at least two possible ways to solve this final puzzle). Not since Portal 2 has a game so expertly taken you on that emotional journey from pure bamboozlement to sharp, bright, blissful clarity.
That's not to say The Magic Circle is as accomplished as Valve's flagship puzzle game in other key aspects. Cut-scenes eventually become rather tedious, and the dark comedy isn't as sharp as it needed to be. It also would have benefited from a basic command tutorial--as far as three-quarters into the game, I was unaware that there was a jump button.
Not since Portal 2 has a game so expertly taken you on that emotional journey from pure bamboozlement to sharp, bright, blissful clarity.
The overarching story, in particular, is disappointing. Clearly there is a challenge in portraying Gilder and his team, due to their existence in a physical world outside of the game. But the proposed solution--collectable audio tapes and virtual in-game avatars of floating illuminati eyes--falls short. As does the script, which is too preoccupied with uninteresting double-crosses, petty office politics, and flabby monologues. Don't be surprised if you fail to connect with any single character by the time the credits roll; their motivations are too vague, their redeeming qualities unknown.
The same shouldn't be said for the unnamed island itself, which is bursting with character and imagination. Unforgettably bizarre and abstract structures dominate the landscape, giving the unnamed island a mystifying, dream-like quality. Clouds of ink float across the sky, as though they were ideas that never landed, while towering space-station facilities dominate the skyline with purposely appalling jaggies (there is no anti-aliasing in developer hell).
The game's '90s sci-fi levels, found underground, are beautifully observed.
Perhaps the most imaginative idea of all can be found through the burrow holes that are dotted across the wasteland. These underground pathways lead you to the original sci-fi build of the game, as though Gilder and his team had buried it like a dark secret. It's the little details of this space station that impress the most; the lo-fi synth melodies, the modest beeps and bloops to save audio memory, the PlayStation-era texture mapping--it is all so legitimately '90s.
One cannot avoid the irony here: The Magic Circle is an interactive metaphor for development hell--a fairground mirror-image of a game project that has not been cared for. Yet it is also a more interesting place to visit than many of the spotless, by-the-book examples of sci-fi and fantasy games which it apes. For all The Magic Circle's other shortcomings, such a unique quality makes it a worthy consideration.
What's There?
A four-hour single-player campaign, which unlocks a very basic game editor once completed. Those who want to return after completion can begin a treasure hunt of hard-to-reach developer notes.
What's to Come?
Nothing has been announced, and unless entirely new features are added, it would appear that this build is near-final. It's not exactly clear why this version is on Early Access.
CD Projekt RED's open-world RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has taken the top spot on the UK charts for the second week in a row.
To do so, The Witcher 3 held off competition from Nintendo's quirky and colourful new shooter Splatoon, which debuts at No.2.
According to sales monitor Chart-Track, Splatoon is the fifth fastest selling Wii U game in the UK ever, and also "the biggest ever launch of new IP on the Wii U (overturning Ubisoft's Zombi U)."
Elsewhere in the chart, Grand Theft Auto V and FIFA 15 hold their positions at No.4 and No.5 respectively, while Farming Simulator 15 drops to No.6.
Take a look at the full top ten for the week ending May 30 below.
Microsoft has confirmed Windows 10 will be available for PCs and tablets worldwide from July 29.
The confirmation was provided on the Windows Blog, where Terry Myerson, Microsoft's executive vice president of its operating systems group, said the release was the start of Microsoft's efforts in delivering a "more personal computing, defined by trust in how we protect and respect your personal information, mobility of the experience across your devices, and natural interactions with your Windows devices."
As revealed in March, Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 users will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free for the first twelve months following Windows 10's launch.
Although Microsoft initially indicated those running pirated versions of Windows would also be able to upgrade to genuine Windows 10 for free, it has since said this is not the case.
"While our free offer to upgrade to Windows 10 will not apply to non-genuine Windows devices, as we've always done, we will continue to offer Windows 10 to customers running devices in a non-genuine state." Myerson said.
"Non-genuine Windows has a high risk of malware, fraud, public exposure of your personal information, and a higher risk for poor performance or feature malfunctions," he added. "Non-genuine Windows is not supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner."
Microsoft is, however, working with partners to make upgrading to a legitimate version more appealing.
"In partnership with some of our valued OEM partners, we are planning very attractive Windows 10 upgrade offers for their customers running one of their older devices in a non-genuine state," he said. "Please stay tuned to learn more from our partners on the specifics of their offers."
Nintendo's next console, codenamed the Nintendo NX, may use Google's Android platform as its operating system, according to Japanese newspaper Nikkei.
In a recent article from the publication, Nintendo highlighted the fact that third-parties were not able to easily move between developing games for other gaming hardware and Nintendo's console.
Instead, the console's architecture required developers to create titles specifically for Wii U and, as a result, development costs tend to be greater.
Nintendo has not provided any information on its next console beyond the codename. With this in mind, it's important to note that this is currently a rumour, albeit one from a publication with a reliable track record.
At the time, Iwata said that the hardware project represents a "brand-new concept", but didn't elaborate further.
"As proof that Nintendo maintains strong enthusiasm for the dedicated game system business, let me confirm that Nintendo is currently developing a dedicated game platform with a brand-new concept under the development codename 'NX'," Iwata explained at the press conference.
"It is too early to elaborate on the details of this project, but we hope to share more information with you next year."
"Since we understand that E3 is an event for dedicated video game machines, we do not intend to discuss the smart devices as well as quality of life," said Iwata.
This week at Aussie retailers, a starter pack for Blizzard's MOBA Heroes of the Storm will be released for PC on June 3. The pack has a recommended retail price of $29.95 and includes an exclusive golden tiger mount, a Ronin skin for the hero Zeratul, and five heroes unlocked in-game: Sonya, Zeratul, Zagara, Li Li, and Jaina.
Heroes of the Storm is otherwise a free-to-play game, with players able to access up to seven heroes each week for free. Access to additional heroes can be purchased using real-world money or in-game gold. Players can earn in-game gold by leveling up their accounts, completing quests, or simply participating in matches.
Blizzard described Heroes of the Storm as a "fresh take" on the MOBA genre. Although its core is similar to that of games like League of Legends and Dota 2, the developer alleges it's a more welcoming experience for newcomers, dropping item management and offering shared experience across teams. Matches typically take no more than 15-20 minutes. Heroes of the Storm went into open beta two weeks ago, following a lengthy closed alpha testing process.
For more details on games out this week, check the list below.
The second volume of Prescription for Sleep: Game Music Lullabies has been released by Scarlet Moon Records. The album features tracks arranged by musician Norihiko Hibino, who is the composer for the Metal Gear Solid and Bayonetta series. Hibino is perhaps best known for his song "Snake Eater" which he composed for 2004's Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. A sample of a jazz version arranged for the album can be listened to below.
Nvidia has divulged new details of its GeForce 980Ti, the latest addition to its line of premium-priced graphics cards.
Starting at $650 (and bundled with a copy of Batman: Arkham Knight), the GTX 980Ti carries six gigabytes of GDDR5 memory. That's about half the capacity of Nvidia's $1000 Titan X graphics card, but Nvidia believes the 980Ti can perform to a similar standard at about two-thirds of the price.
A gallery below offers a closer look at the new GPU.
Click on the thumbnails below to view in full-screen
Much like with the Titan X, the 980Ti has a 336GB/s maximum bandwidth. Its display outputs are 1x HDMI, 1x DVI, and 3x DP, while it has two power connectors arranged as 1x 6pin and 1x 8pin.
Meanwhile, the GTX 980, due to its drop down the pecking order, will now be sold at $500.
Nvidia's new GeForce prices follow:
Titan X: $1000
980 Ti: $650
980: $500
970: $330
960: $200
Mark Aevermann, a spokesperson for Nvidia, told GameSpot that the GTX 980Ti was built with DirectX 12 features in mind.
"This is, by all rights, our flagship GeForce GTX GPU, built on the GM 200 chip," he said, "and we designed it for a lot of the top-end PC features, such as 4K, VR, and G-Sync. These are the things that this card excels at."
Earlier this week the game's Kickstarter campaign introduced a $3 million stretch goal that will bring it to Nintendo's console. After hitting that goal yesterday, the campaign listed two new stretch goals: the game will add asynchronous online multiplayer if it raises $3,250,000, and a PlayStation Vita port if it hits $3,500,000.
The update to the Bloodstained Kickstarter page explains that the asynchronous online multiplayer will let players "borrow" a friend's character stats, see other players' ghost data while fighting bosses, and other surprises.
If Bloodstained raises enough money, the Vita port will be developed by Armature Studio, which is also making the Wii U version. Founded by former Metroid developers, the studio has a long history of ports, including Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel for the recently released Borderlands: The Handsome Collection.
The PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 versions of Bloodstained, meanwhile, will be developed by Inti Creates. They are "going to continue developing the game as before, without compromise," the developer said.
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