Monthly Archives: January 2017
PAX Unplugged Announced, Focused on Tabletop Games
At PAX South today, the newest PAX event was unveiled: PAX Unplugged.
PAX Unplugged will be a yearly event and will focus on tabletop games. It will debut in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center from November 17-19 this year, with three-day badges set to go on sale this Spring.
PAX Unplugged's logo
According to PAX event organizers ReedPop, the event will focus on “board, card, and other tabletop games” and, like every PAX, will include game reveals, tournaments, panels, and special events like concerts.
Everyone Confirmed for Marvel’s Black Panther (So Far)
Cameras have started rolling on Black Panther. This latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe puts the spotlight on Chadwick Boseman's King T'Challa, and features a massive cast of both returning characters and new faces. It promises to have one of the biggest and most impressive ensemble casts in a superhero movie yet (at least until Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters).
To help keep track of the many casting announcements, we've put together a handy slideshow breaking down all the actors confirmed to be appearing in Black Panther. Click right through the below gallery to see who will be in the upcoming movie:
Could Heartbound Be the Next Undertale?
At its core, Heartbound is a charming indie game about a boy and his dog. It takes place from a top-down perspective, just like the old-school 16-bit style roleplaying games that inspired it. Comparisons to recent indie hits like OneShot and Undertale are obvious, but aren’t actually the chief inspirations for this latest experimental endeavor.
“The biggest inspirations for me were things that I personally went through in my life,” explains Jason Thor Hall, Game Director at Pirate Software, and lead programmer on the project. “Seeing how people deal with trauma and mental issues was a big factor and just learning how to gamify those topics in a way that's relatable but not overbearing. In terms of specific games from a narrative and design perspective, I loved Secret of Evermore, Secret of Mana, Earthbound, and Chrono Trigger.”
Hilarious Street Fighter Costumes Coming to Dead Rising 4
Dead Rising 4 will be getting two new difficulty modes and a Street Fighter outfit pack for free on January 30, Capcom has announced.
In addition, starting January 31 Dead Rising 4 will be getting an hour timed trial for Xbox One. Players will have access to Story Mode and multiplayer and all achievements earned and saved game progress will carry over into the full game if the game is purchased after the trial.
In the two new difficulty modes, enemies do more damage, Frank’s weapons break faster, and food restores less health than before. The five Street Fighter outfits, some of which can be seen below, can be accessed by visiting your in-game wardrobe.
Obsidian CEO Reveals Fallout 3 That Was Never Released
Obsidian Entertainment CEO Fergus Urquhart, who worked on a number of classic role-playing games, including the early Fallout titles and the Baldur's Gate series at Black Isle Studios, has come forward to shed light on a third Fallout game that was never released.
On the latest episode of our monthly interview show IGN Unfiltered, Urquhart revealed that before Black Isle began work on its more widely known Fallout 3 project, codenamed Van Buren, the studio also worked on another version of Fallout 3 that ultimately led to the creation of Icewind Dale.
"It was actually the second Fallout 3," Urquhart said of Van Buren, noting that Black Isle's first Fallout 3 project was in the works a bit earlier, after Fallout 2 was complete and Planescape: Torment was still in development.
Mass Effect: Andromeda Details a Few New Squadmates
Mass Effect: Andromeda is less than two months away, and - following the release of the latest cinematic trailer - we're beginning to see more information about the team you'll be leading in the game.
In a new "Andromeda Initiative" video on the Mass Effect website, Cora Harper, second in command under original Pathfinder Alec Ryder, introduces us to some of the team. Harper herself is a biotic, and takes charge of the team's ground missions. She has apparently served with Asari commandos, meaning we may see her as the bridge between the human team and their alien allies.
Nintendo Talks Us Through the Switch UI (a Little)
Nintendo has released a new rundown of features on the Nintendo Switch hardware, including a closer (if still limited) look at the Home menu UI.
The Nintendo UK website now lists a "Specifications" section, running through the various ports and features of the hardware (although offers little on its much debated internal CPU/GPU).
Included is a short rundown of the console's Home menu, explaining its news, eShop and album tabs (below):
Classic Halo Helmets Coming to Halo 5 Next Month
Halo 5: Guardians players will soon be able to adorn their Spartan with classic Halo helmets, as 343 Industries has announced that the Classic Helmet REQ pack will launch on February 9.
As noted in the latest Halo Community Update, the helmets won't be released alongside any additional content, as "they are their own thing and technically part of Monitor's Bounty." Additionally, 343 Industries is currently at work on various technical improvements and bug fixes and plans to roll out a maintenance update "sometime in the near future."
Nintendo Reveals New Stage for Splatoon 2
Ahead of its release for Switch later this year, Nintendo has revealed a new stage that will be featured in Splatoon 2.
The stage, which (as noted by Siliconera) is dubbed "Fujitsubo Sports Club" or "Barnacles Sports Club," was shown off in a group of screenshots posted on the official Japanese Splatoon Twitter account.
Barnacles Sports Club screenshot
Resident Evil 7’s Patch Adds Teaser for Free DLC
Completing Resident Evil 7 with the version 1.01 patch will provide players with an early glimpse at what's ahead in the upcoming "Not a Hero" DLC.
Warning: Resident Evil 7 "Not a Hero" DLC spoilers ahead.
Those who finish the game will be treated to the following teaser image (via Stevivor), which indicates that Chris Redfield - or someone calling themselves Redfield, at least - will play a central role in the free downloadable content. The teaser also confirms the DLC will launch sometime this spring.
Resident Evil 7 "Not a Hero" DLC teaser