Monthly Archives: June 2018
Kingdom Hearts 3 Director Explains Delay to 2019
Kingdom Hearts 3 finally has a release date of Jan. 29, 2019, but for many fans, it's just a little later than they may have expected. The reasons for it, though, are actually quite practical.
Speaking to IGN during E3 2018, franchise and game director Tetsuya Nomura said the delay from the originally intended 2018 release window came about less so for development reasons and more to be mindful of the game's worldwide launch window.
"The timing of release that we were actually looking at, we were told by many people, including hardware manufacturers, marketing teams, sales teams that it just wasn't a good timing in the year," Nomura said via translation, explaining that the differences in holiday lengths and how stores behave in different regions were a note of concern.
Control Is Like a Supernatural Quantum Break
Yes, Remedy’s first multiplatform game since Max Payne 2 shares a lot in common with their ambitious 2016 cinematic action-adventure, Quantum Break. No, that’s not a bad thing. It’s most welcome, in fact, as it feels like a spiritual sequel, but with a tighter focus. Oh yeah, and supernatural powers too.
You play Jesse Faden (played by Quantum Break’s Courtney Hope), the new director of the Federal Bureau of Control. She’s been promoted there in the wake of the death of the previous director, and with that promotion comes certain...abilities, which will be useful in defending against The Hiss, a strange force that has invaded our reality and corrupted Bureau workers. She can use telekinetic abilities like Shield, which pulls clocks off of walls and chunks of nearby columns and holds them in front of her defensively, as well as Launch, which does the same but turns that debris around as an offensive weapon (at one point later in the demo, Faden flung a forklift at a target). She can also levitate, which became more useful the longer my demo went because the physics-defying three-dimensional transitions that got more and more outlandish the deeper inside the Bureau headquarters Faden went -- a space called The Oldest Place. And she even becomes the keeper of a nifty transforming pistol that only the Director can wield.
Hitman 2 Is More of the Same, and That’s a Very Good Thing
It might have a new publisher, a new release style (no more episodes!) and a snazzy new Flamingo Mascot suit, but the most notable take-away after playing a 40 minute demo of Hitman 2 is how much it feels like the last game. It seems like we’re getting a Season 2 in all but name - and that’s just great.
New content to complement the last game was always Io Interactive’s grand plan for this new incarnation of the legendary assassination simulator and, after a very tangible scare that there might not be any more Hitman at all, it’s a pleasant surprise to find new caretaker Warner Bros. is letting the Danish studio get its way.
The Last of Us 2 is all About Honoring Ellie
Talking to Naughty Dog about The Last of Us Part II isn’t easy. There’s only so much the team can say about the story beyond what they showed us in the trailer, and there are a lot of groans and hair-pulling around whatever NDA they’ve signed or blood pact they’ve made to keep things a secret. The one constant everyone can say aloud, though, is The Last of Us Part II is about honoring Ellie.
Five years have gone by since Ellie and Joel arrived in Jackson. Joel is around - new character Jessie confirms Ellie’s ball-busting ‘old man’ is definitely in Jackson - but he’s not seen. Instead of leaning on Joel in a brutal world of cat-and-mouse survival, Ellie’s settled into a life of regular teenagehood. “It’s kinda normal,” said Druckmann when I spoke to him at the E3 Coliseum. “They go to a festival, there’s electricity, they go to parties.”
New The Last of Us Part 2 Gameplay Details Revealed
New gameplay and story details about The Last of Us Part 2 have been revealed.
Writer and director Neil Druckmann, along with co-game directors Anthony Newman and Kurt Margenau, shared new information about the highly anticipated PlayStation 4 exclusive during an E3 Coliseum panel, hosted by IGN's own Lucy O'Brien.
Ellie's ability to move around the environment will be key to survival. The game's expanded traversal and stealth mechanics allow Ellie to interact with the environment in a much deeper way than the first game and add an extra sense of realism to the experience. Unlike the first game, a jump button is included, and the new dodge mechanic shown off in the recently released gameplay demo is an important part of the combat.
Cyberpunk 2077: CD Projekt Addresses First-Person Fan Response
Cyberpunk 2077's E3 2018 trailer was one of the most memorable moments of the entire conference. But things go even crazier during CD Projekt RED's live gameplay demo. We got a chance to see 45 minutes behind-closed-doors, and we learned so much about the gameplay, mechanics, and world.
But one of the most striking things we learned about Cyberpunk was that unlike The Witcher series, where we saw Geralt from a third-person perspective, Cyberpunk is a first-person RPG through and through. This major component of the game caused quite a bit of conversation online, with some Witcher fans vocal in their disappointment of the change in perspective.
Ghost of Tsushima Is a Gorgeous, Brutal Look at Ancient Japan
There’s a startling contrast to Ghost of Tsushima. As you pause to appreciate a gorgeous landscape or admire a billowing cloud of smoke on the horizon, you’re likely to be shaken from your reverie by the clash of steel and a sudden splatter of blood coating the foliage around you.
Sucker Punch, the studio best known for the Infamous series, has created a realistic, vibrant world overflowing with color and beauty, but as a backdrop set against a brutal, real-life conflict full of war and violence.
In a presentation behind closed doors at E3, Sucker Punch co-founder Chris Zimmerman explained that the team had three core tenets in mind when designing Ghost of Tsushima: mud, blood, and steel. Based on the demo we saw, all three are ever-present.
Splatoon 2: Octo-Expansion Gets Surprise Release Tomorrow
Splatoon 2's single-player DLC, Octo Expansion, is getting a surprise release tomorrow June 13, 2018.
As revealed on Twitter, the expansion will be available to download for $20 USD. The DLC has players assume the role of an Octoling named Agent 8.
You'll be helping the new playable character navigate a mysterious underground test facility while trying to reach the surface of Inkopolis. The campaign will feature over 80 missions, and completing all of them will unlock the ability to play as Octolings in multiplayer.
You can unlock new in-game gear as well by clearing additional challenges. Purchasing the DLC will also net you two octo-themed in-game gear, Studio Octophones and Octo Layered LS.
LEGO DC Super-Villains Makes Being Bad Feel So Good
I've been playing LEGO video games since I introduced my then-four-year-old son to LEGO Star Wars 2. In the decade since, it's been a pleasure seeing LEGO games evolve and become bigger, better, and funnier. In my time with LEGO DC Super-Villains, I took the first step toward super villainery, helped Joker and Harley make it to the top of a clock tower, and broke Lex Luthor out of Strikers Island.
LEGO DC Super-Villains feels comfortably familiar, with classic LEGO-game sound effects like stud collection and building mixing well with the DC villain characters. TT Games has the LEGO minifigure models down pat, with subtle textures that make them look like their real-world plastic counterparts. There are even LEGO logos visible on the arms, bringing the graphics closer to the ultra-realism seen in The LEGO Movie and LEGO Batman. But what really popped for me is just how bright and exciting the color palette is.
Fortnite Supports Built-in Voice Chat on Switch
Switch players won't need to rely on Nintendo's voice chat app to communicate with each other while playing Fortnite for very long.
During Nintendo's E3 Treehouse stream today, Epic Games announced that Fortnite, which released today on Nintendo's console, will support voice chat directly through the Switch's headphone jack beginning Thursday.
Switch's voice chat app released in July 2017. While many gamers have found it to be a peculiar and frustrating solution, Nintendo views it as being an ideal means for communication on Switch.