Sunday, July 13, 2014
Iron Brigade, Towerfall, State of Decay: Lifeline, Hellraid: The Escape, and Plundernauts!
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Links:
Up first tonight, we had a whole slew of content go up at
@Gamecritics over the last week. In case you missed any of it,
they're right here for your convenience! Handy, yes?
Go! Go! Nippon! By @KayinAmoh
Sixty Second Shooter Prime by @GC_Danny
1001 Spikes by me!
Monster Monpiece (Second Opinion) by me!
State of Decay: Lifeline by @GC_Danny
Super TIME Force by me!
Final Fantasy X/X-2 by @Gelles22
Also,
for those who listen, we just recorded a new episode of the GC
podcast last night. Sorry to keep you waiting for so long, but it's coming soon! Promise!!
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Games:
It's been a bit scattershot lately… Between work and hanging out
with the kids this summer, there hasn't been a lot of dedicated game
time. I thought I'd be able to start blowing through some of my
backlog, but that hasn't exactly happened. Still, I've been playing a
bit, for sure.
Since
my oldest has been here for the summer, I've been looking for good
co-op games to play with him that are also appropriate when my 5yo is
looking over our shoulders, and I randomly remembered that I
downloaded a demo for Double Fine's Iron Brigade (360) back in 2011 and
never actually tried it.
I'm not the biggest fan of Double Fine (you might even say that I don't care for their work) which is probably why I never started the demo, but I figured "hey, it's got robots and we can play together, so why not?" To my immediate surprise, it's pretty freaking fantastic. It doesn't feel at all like the rest of their recent works, and in this case, that's a great thing.
On
PS4, my son and I got in some local-co-op with Towerfall, formerly of
Ouya fame. It's not something I would've ever paid for but it was
free on PS Plus, so it was no skin off my nose to DL it.
As
a local game cooperatively, it's pretty fun. Basically, each screen
is one whole level, and if a player falls down a pit, they simply
circle around and reappear at the top. The same goes for moving left
to right. Players fire arrows at enemies, but the hook is that you
need to go and actually get the arrow after you fire it, so it
becomes a bit of a balancing act between how much you want to fire
and how defensive you need to be. Players can also catch arrows
(which is important because you can shoot each other) and the action
gets very, very hectic.
We're
a bit stalled out on the final level of the game since it's pure
chaos and we need to practice a bit more. In terms of the versus, we
haven't tried it and I have to say that I don't have any interest.
It's chaotic enough as it is, and going head-to-head with my own
family members rarely ends well.
When
the little one's in bed, I've been putting some time into the new
expansion for the 360's State of Decay, titled Lifeline. It's an add-on so it's
essentiallly the same game, but there are some really awesome
improvements like the ability to load multiple pieces of gear into a
car, and ordering teammates to accompany you at any time is a huge
plus. It's also set in a whole new map, and the story of a group of
soldiers trying to hold it down is solid.
On
the other hand, there are still a few things that need tweaking, and
the inability to give someone orders (Stay here! Carry that bag!)
still seems like a really big thing that needs to be added. Also, I'm
finding it to be pretty freaking hard – although to be fair, after
talking with @GC_Danny, I think I've been taking the wrong approach.
Rather than going with the quiet sneaky-sneak of the core game, he
suggests going balls-out assault at all times. It's hard to break the
habit of being ultra-conserative in a survival-horror-ish game like
SoD, but he may have a point. Gonna restart and see what happens.
Mobile-wise...
Well, look, I'm not going to lie. I'm still putting quite a bit of
time into Marvel Puzzle Quest.
The mechanics are constantly
improving, new content keeps coming, and it's great to get 5 or 10
minutes here and there. However, I have been dabbling in other things
on the go.
Firstly,
my spider senses have been tingling about Hellraid from Techland,
which is coming to PS4, XBO, etc. later this year or perhaps 2015. On
the surface it doesn't seem particularly special, but there's just
something about it… I have a feeling it's going to be a good one.
As such, I was pretty interested in the new quasi-prequel that just
hit iOS titled Hellraid: The Escape.
It's
got totally different gameplay (it's a point and clicker, not a
real-time dungeon-crawl hack-n'-slash) but apparently it takes place
in the same setting as the main game, so I thought it was worth a
look. I'm really early, but from what I can gather, your character is
killed in the first scene and is reincarnated as a corpse. He's
trying to make his way out of a dungeon where the sorcerer in charge
saps everyone's soul energy to feed his own desires, so it's in your
interest to GTFO. The graphics are great and it runs pretty nicely on
my iPhone 4S, although I compared it on my wife's iPad, and it looks
pretty fantastic there.
In
other iOS news, I took a quick stab at Plundernauts. It's a small
ship-to-ship space combat game where the player is after a pirate
treasure IN SPACE, and must fight in tons of ship-to-ship battles
along the way.
Each craft has little hardpoints where guns and
different accessories can be swapped in and out, and the real-time
combat using a fingertip to trace flightpaths is actually pretty
good. I'm not sure this one has enough substance for me to stick with
it for the distance, but I've been enjoying it in quick bursts here
and there.
********************PR/NEWS/INFO********************
Deconstructeam
and Devolver Digital announced that upcoming indie thriller
Gods
Will Be Watching will
arrive on July 24 for PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam, Humble,
and GOG. The breakout debut game from the pensive minds at
Deconstructeam is now available for pre-order through both a standard
edition ($9.99) and a collector’s edition ($19.99) that includes the
original soundtrack, a digital art book, and a digital comic that
serves as the prologue to the haunting events ofGods
Will Be
Watching (godswillbewatching.com and http://store.steampowered.com/app/274290/)Gods
Will Be Watching is
a minimalistic “point and click thriller” centered on despair,
commitment, and sacrifice as players face intriguing puzzles and
tough decisions that will affect their entire crew’s wellbeing. Set
against the backdrop of an interstellar struggle, Gods
Will Be Watching follows
Sgt. Burden and his crew in six tense chapters that examine a
multitude of mature themes ranging from hostage situations and
wilderness survival to biological weapon prevention and agonizing
torture scenarios. Players are faced with incredibly difficult
ethical and moral choices as their mental fortitude and personal
limits are tested in every scenario. Each decision is crucial and
players will need to choose between the lives of their team and the
saving the world from genocide.
The Gods Will Be Watching Collector’s Edition includes:
• Gods Will Be Watching Official Soundtrack – More than 20 mesmerizing tracks by composer Fingerspit in high-quality MP3 files.
• Digital Art Book – 50-page of concept art, digital paintings, and design illustrations from the production and development of Gods Will Be Watching.
• Digital Comic Book – 40-page comic from Dayjob Studio that serves as a prologue to events of Gods Will Be Watching detailing the backstory of Sgt. Burden and Xenolifer.Gods Will Be Watching is now available for pre-order with a 10% off discount on the standard game and the Collector’s Edition. For more information on Gods Will Be Watching or to try the original prototype, visit godswillbewatching.com.
The Gods Will Be Watching Collector’s Edition includes:
• Gods Will Be Watching Official Soundtrack – More than 20 mesmerizing tracks by composer Fingerspit in high-quality MP3 files.
• Digital Art Book – 50-page of concept art, digital paintings, and design illustrations from the production and development of Gods Will Be Watching.
• Digital Comic Book – 40-page comic from Dayjob Studio that serves as a prologue to events of Gods Will Be Watching detailing the backstory of Sgt. Burden and Xenolifer.Gods Will Be Watching is now available for pre-order with a 10% off discount on the standard game and the Collector’s Edition. For more information on Gods Will Be Watching or to try the original prototype, visit godswillbewatching.com.
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Following
last month's release on Wii U™, The Game Bakers'
popular SQUIDS franchise
is now on Nintendo 3DS™ in SQUIDS
Odyssey, a tactical RPG available
for download in the Nintendo eShop. Designed specifically for
handheld devices, SQUIDS
Odyssey has casual combat with
quick levels that can easily be enjoyed on the go, alongside an epic
adventure storyline reminiscent of old-school JRPGs.
When
a mysterious black ooze seeps into the sea and disturbs the Squids'
peaceful kingdom, a scrappy shoal of heroes must fight back. During
turn-based combat against ooze-infected crab and shrimp, the Squids'
springy tentacles become their best weapons: stretch them with your
finger or the stylus, aim, and release to shoot your Squid toward its
target. Four hero classes, stat-boosting helmets, and power-ups add a
strategic element to the role-playing gameplay.
SQUIDS
Odyssey for Nintendo 3DS
includes all the same content as on Wii U, with gorgeous artwork
thanks to a 3D-layered effect that shows off the Squids' lush kingdom
like never before. Game features include:
- Build your party from 15 different Squids in four classes -- shooters, scouts, troopers, and healers
- Win turn-based battles with strategy and skill, using the environment and your party's strengths to your advantage
- Lose yourself in an epic story across four exotic underwater kingdoms
- Engage in 90+ missions for more than 15 hours of gameplay in the main storyline, plus an expert Pro Mode that doubles the game length and provides extra challenge
- Boost your heroes' abilities with 65+ fun and funky-looking helmets
In
their positive review of the Wii U version, The
Official Nintendo Magazine called SQUIDS
Odyssey "difficult, but
charming ... a fun and unique, turn-based action game that's worth
spending a few squid on." NintendoLife praised
its "beautiful world and a good sense of humour,"
and Nintendo World
Report concluded, "In
terms of Nintendo eShop titles, you won't find many others that offer
the long hours of gameplay that SQUIDS
Odyssey provides."
The
Game Bakers' SQUIDS games
have had more than two million downloads since their 2011 debut on
mobile. As the franchise's first appearance on consoles, SQUIDS
Odyssey is the
ultimate SQUIDS compilation
that includes all content previously released, with tons of
improvement and tweaks. Content exclusive to SQUIDS
Odyssey includes a new campaign
that continues the adventure in the never-before-seen kingdom of
Wakame, a new Squid warrior named Oktoku, and four new helmets.
SQUIDS
Odyssey can be downloaded for
12.99€ / $14.99 (or equivalent in local currency) from the Nintendo
eShop. For more game details, visit:
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Just
days after their successful launch on Android, White Wizard Games
LLC, the company created by Magic: The Gathering Hall of Famers
Darwin Kastle and Rob Dougherty (developer and co-founder of the
Ascension deckbuilding game), today announced that they will be
releasing the explosively popular
Star Realms Deckbuilding Game on
iOS, with PC and Mac version to follow shortly.
The base game including a tutorial, unlimited solo play and a six mission campaign is FREE. With a $5 in app purchase, players can unlock harder AIs, nine additional campaign missions, pass and play, online play and more.
The base game including a tutorial, unlimited solo play and a six mission campaign is FREE. With a $5 in app purchase, players can unlock harder AIs, nine additional campaign missions, pass and play, online play and more.
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Defiant
Development sees
days of gaming in the cards for action RPG and collectible card game
fans, as the Kickstarter-funded title Hand
of Fate is
now available on Steam
Early Access.
The finished game will be coming to PS4 in Q4 2014 and PS Vita in Q1
2015.
In Hand
of Fate, players collect
equipment, items, artifacts and enemies as in-game collectible cards
in a card based RPG; then play their deck, bringing to video game
life a beautiful 3D world in which gamers make difficult decisions.
Sometimes their choices have unexpected consequences and players must
crush their foes utilizing a third person action-adventure combat
system. The more bosses a player defeats, the more cards they
obtain.
Players
must tread with caution as Hand
of Fate incorporates rogue-like
elements. If a gamer dies before defeating a level's boss the
player must start from the beginning of that stage in their next play
through. Each subsequent play through is unique as levels are
procedurally generated via luck of the dealer's draw. Inspired by
tarot cards and fantasy games, Defiant Development seamlessly blends
tabletop card gaming with their favorite videogame genres.
"Hand
of Fate combines the furious
fast-paced action of button mashers with fantasy and role-playing
elements that anyone who has ever picked up a 20 sided die will
recognize," Morgan Jaffit, Director, Defiant Development,
explains. "Anyone who falls in the cross section of PC
gamer and board or card game enthusiast will have more fun playing
Hand
of Fate than a Game
of Thrones fan reading the
manuscripts of the two unreleased books."
The
Early Access build of Hand of
Fate is now available for PC,
Mac and Linux on Steam at a discounted price of $25 USD, with the
final release planned for Q4.
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Posts
Question: Do the gameplay changes from Lifeline apply to the base game retroactively?
I haven't tested it, but I read some dev notes and it seems like the fixes DO apply to the main game.