Monthly Archives: June 2015
For Honor and the Bushido Blade Effect
Ubisoft Montreal has revealed its next big new IP, For Honor, a melee-only combat game focusing on brutal battles between three factions: The viking Warborn, the knightly Legions, and the Chosen samurai.
“In some ways for me the story begins with Bushido Blade,” Creative Director Jason VandenBerghe told IGN. “It was a very hard, very ruthless sort of game. It had no time for your weakness, but it captured the way you feel when you’re facing an opponent, that sense of danger, like, ‘Oh, god, one miss and I’m in trouble.’”
That tension and fear of death is important in For Honor as it was in Bushido Blade. “In multiplayer, you want that high lethality,” otherwise the tension fizzles out over the course of an exhausting duel. Expand on Bushido Blade’s ideas -- fast fights, near-instant death -- and add multiple teams of four players apiece, and you’ve suddenly got a terrifying competitive experience where safety is a rare commodity.
The Division Excels in its Little Details
Two years after Ubisoft revealed The Division, we finally got a chance to go hands on with the ambitious, open-world RPG shooter. I joined a squad with two other players (in the final version, you can have teams of four), and was plopped down right at Times Square. Our mission was to infiltrate the Dark Zone, a former military area-turned quarantined block, and recover some essential supplies. First off, yes, the demo was gorgeous, and yes, the shooting feels great. But it was the little details that really left a lasting impression on me.
Watch the brand new E3 2015 gameplay demo of The Division.
So for that first part first – Ubisoft has created one hell of a pretty game. A sad, decrepit husk of Manhattan is fantastic looking. It looks like the same care that was given to Chicago in Watch Dogs is applicable this time around. The shooting also feels great. Anyone who played the underrated Splinter Cell Blacklist will be immediately familiar with how The Division controls. Ducking behind a piece of cover, pointing to the next piece and highlighting it, and scampered there all feels great. Your character has a great sense of weight, momentum, and inertia to them, and throwing your body against a piece of cover feels wonderful.
Rainbow Six Siege Terrorist Hunt Returns
The destruction-happy Rainbow Six Siege blew us away at its E3 2014 debut, and then continued to impress (mostly) when we got hands-on time with its closed alpha earlier this year. But I know the nagging thought in the back of your mind: you were worried that Rainbow's reboot would pull an Evolve, i.e. packing great gameplay but with no proper single-player campaign and a bit skimpy on content.
Fortunately, the E3 2015 reveal of the fan-favorite Terrorist Hunt mode in Siege goes a long way to vaporize those unhappy thoughts. And the mode, called TerroHunt, is a blast, to boot. The Ubisoft Montreal development team wants you to "never have the same experience twice" as you lock and load with four friends against waves of AI-controlled bad guys across 11 world locations and across several game modes.
Bryan Hitch’s Justice League of America Launches This Week!
We all want the best of the best, so let us point out the hottest comics and collectibles released each week. We spotlight our favorite comics that we know are money-well-spent, new books that look cool, and any toys we can't wait to play with.
Check out our picks, then take to the comments to let us know what looks good to you!
By Bryan Hitch | DC Comics
It’s finally here! Ever since we heard Bryan Hitch was doing JLA, we’ve been pumped to see what he has in store for us. Obviously it will be packed with widescreen visuals and insane action scenes, but we’re also intrigued to see what sort of story he tells using the main seven Leaguers.
Just Dance 2016 Officially Announced
During its E3 press conference today, Ubisoft officially announced Just Dance 2016 for Wii U, Wii, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, and PS3. You can register for a free demo here.
Coming October 20, Just Dance 2016 uses a free app "that turns your smartphone into a controller that scores your dance moves" for those without visual detection devices.Additionally, Ubisoft announced Just Dance Unlimited, a subscription service for Xbox One, Wii U, and PS4.
Ubisoft Announces Anno 2205 Coming Later This Year
Ubisoft has announced Anno 2205, a city-builder set for release on November 7.
During its E3 press conference today, the company confirmed a beta would be coming for the PC title later this year.
Mobile users, swipe the image above to view the gallery.
A trailer shows off a futuristic city and a truck driving on the moon, with a spaceship taking off and returning to Earth. A gameplay trailer was then shown, explaining you'll need to "develop your resources" in farming areas before being able to "race to space".
Luke Karmali is IGN UK News Editor. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on Twitter.
The Division Beta Begins This Year
The Division beta will begin this year for Xbox One owners, and next year for PlayStation 4 and PC.
We've finally played The Division. Find out what we thought in the video above.
Ubisoft announced that Xbox One owners will be able to play The Division beta in December earlier today at the Microsoft E3 press conference. Ubisoft did not announce a specific time frame for PlayStation 4 and PC beta, other than that it will be available early next year.
The Division Release Date Revealed
Tom Clancy's The Division will drop March 8, 2016 Ubisoft announced at its E3 press conference.
Watch the brand new E3 2015 gameplay demo of The Division.
Originally scheduled for 2014, The Division has been pushed back a number of times by the publisher and developers Ubisoft Massive, Red Storm Entertainment, Ubisoft Reflections and Ubisoft Annecy.
"It is never an easy decision to move a launch date," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said of The Division's latest delay, stating that each delay has "always benefited the company."
Trials Fusion Awesome Level Max Revealed
During its E3 2015 Press Conference, Ubisoft revealed Trials Fusion Awesome Level Max. It stars a cat who rides a fire-breathing unicorn. Yup.
The DLC contains two halves. One of which is the insane Awesome Adventure content, and the other is called RedLynx vs All-stars. This mode consists of 22 new levels -- half of them are designed by developer RedLynx, the other half by fans of the series.
The expansion to the tough-as-nails puzzle game is set to release on July 14.
Mobile users, swipe the image to see the screenshot gallery.
For all things E3, bookmark our E3 Hub.
Marty Sliva is a Senior Editor at IGN. He once ate a whole blueberry. Follow him on Twitter @McBiggitty.
The Crew Wild Run Expansion Pack Announced
Ubisoft has announced the first expansion for The Crew, titled Wild Row, will be available on November 17.
Though not much information was released about the game, a new trailer (watch it above!) reveals cars and motorcycles will join the party, while a complete graphics overhaul is also coming. A new ongoing championship feature, called "Summits", was also referred to.
A Vintage Car Pack and Vintage Live Update were both recently brought to the full version of The Crew, adding some classic cars, the Blitz Brawl PVP mode, and four additional missions.
If you're not sure if the game's for you, a free demo for The Crew was recently brought to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for those who want to try before they buy.