http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Sat, 07 Jun 2014 00:34:15 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/borderlands-2-review/1900-6415786/ <p style="">Borderlands 2 is a big game. The PlayStation Vita? Not so big. And yet the sprawling cooperative shooter has arrived intact on the portable platform, delivering long hours of shooting, looting, and butt jokes. Well, almost intact. Game design changes, like knocking the maximum player count down from four to two and changing the enemy death animations, do a good job of cutting corners while preserving the core action. Technical shortcomings, however, leave little doubt that this is the lesser version of Gearbox's great sequel. Dialogue and sound effects frequently sound flat and occasionally disappear, while the frame rate often slows down in combat and makes the chaotic action feel unwieldy.</p><p style="">Despite these limitations, Borderlands 2 on the Vita is still, very clearly, Borderlands 2. The world is colorful and diverse; the writing is witty and sometimes affecting; the loot is bountiful and rewarding; and the combat is entertaining and rowdy. Teaming up with another player and working your way through myriad quests on the path to increased skills, richer rewards, and Pandoran glory is great fun. It's just as easy to happily while away dozens of hours in this portable version as it is in its console and PC counterparts.</p><p style=""><em>(This review will focus primarily on the Vita-specific strengths and limitations of Borderlands 2. To read a more in-depth analysis of the game in general, check out our <a href="/reviews/borderlands-2-review/1900-6396650/" data-ref-id="1900-6396650">original Borderlands 2 review</a>.)</em></p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418700" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418700/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p style="">In any transition from console or PC to the Vita, there is a question of controls. The Vita has fewer button inputs than other platforms, and this often necessitates the use of touchscreens for buttons, often with mixed results. In Borderlands 2, the default control scheme puts some pretty important actions on the front and rear touchpads. Some of my battles got a little more heated due to a sprint or a melee attack not registering on the first tap, but for the most part, I was able to act when I wanted to, and my co-op partners reported no troubles (you can also freely remap the buttons if a particular input is tricky for you).</p><p style="">Combat in Borderlands 2 is naturally a bit floaty and loose, largely due to way player movement and enemy behavior are paced. As a result, it can accommodate the small degree of control imprecision added by the touchscreens and be none the worse for it. Likewise, the smaller range of motion of the analog sticks may cause some making the PC/console transition to balk a bit, and indeed, aiming can initially feel ungainly if you're used to the game on other platforms. After you adjust the aim sensitivity and spend some time wandering the wastelands, however, the mercenary satisfactions of long-range headshots and up-close bullet barrages are well within reach.</p><p style="">And taking on enemies in Borderlands 2 is very satisfying. Raving psychos that run toward you in serpentine patterns, heavy flamethrower troops that wield bulky shields, speedy lizards that can turn invisible and teleport, lumbering insects that spew corrosive acid, giant attack robots that build other robots, and shotgun-wielding midgets that jump out of lockers are just some of the diverse forces arrayed against you. To combat them, you arm yourself with a standard variety of weapon types made distinctly nonstandard by varying scopes, firing patterns, and elemental effects. Throw in a wide selection of grenades, shields that can damage enemies, and your character's customizable action skill, and you've got a lot of different strategic options. Marshaling these options and bringing gleeful destruction to your enemies is a lot of fun, and the variety of adversaries and environments helps keep combat fresh many hours into the game. </p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/542/5424362/2551017-2014-06-06-151122.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2551017" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/542/5424362/2551017-2014-06-06-151122.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2551017"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/542/5424362/2551017-2014-06-06-151122.jpg"></a><figcaption>Play as the Mechromancer and summon a flying killer robot to keep you company.</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">During<span> </span><span>full-on firefights there can be a </span><span>lot happening onscreen, and here's where the Vita struggles. The frame rate slows down and makes things look choppier, adding a bit more chaos to an already chaotic situation. On another platform, you might feel like you still have a grip on things when the action gets frantic; on the Vita, that grip is a bit more tenuous. In many cases, it's just an added nuisance, but in the worst moments, it's another consideration you must add to your decision-making process. Lining up your sniper shot takes a little more patience, and your berserk shotgun rampages have to be a little more wild; it feels like you need to exaggerate whatever your chosen play style is, or maybe get comfortable with having less control.</span></p><p style="">But this isn't to say that everything spirals out of control when the frame rate suffers; the effect is not nearly that severe. There are a lot of elements that combine to make combat in Borderlands 2 chaotic and satisfying, and while the frame rate adds to the former and not the latter, it doesn't tip the scales. This still feels like proper Borderlands 2 action, complete with all the thrills and challenges that it boasts on PCs and consoles. The cycle of exploring the world, vanquishing enemies (who vanish in a spurt of blood instead of melting or falling down or whatever else they do in the other versions), and collecting loot is still enthralling.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/542/5424362/2551019-2014-06-06-145605.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2551019" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/542/5424362/2551019-2014-06-06-145605.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2551019"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/542/5424362/2551019-2014-06-06-145605.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">This cycle gets even better when you play with a friend, something that is no less true even though you can team up with only one other player on Vita, as opposed to three. You need an online connection, though, because there's no local connection option. You can ask the game to find a match for you, or peruse the available matches in a list, and after a lengthy loading screen, you're in the action seamlessly. Whether someone joins your game or you join someone else's, the frame rate issues are about the same, so it's generally as smooth as playing by yourself. Playing with someone else not only adds the usual camaraderies, it also lets you use complementary abilities and tactics, pits you against tougher enemies, and gives you bigger rewards. It's like playing a souped-up version of the game, and it's great.</p><p style="">Of course, you might end up with someone who just constantly asks to trade weapons and leaves when you don't comply; such is the risk of all online play. The built-in Vita mic is also active by default, which could either be a great way to communicate and make a new friend, or an annoyance that you quickly mute. The audio landscape in Borderlands 2 is already quite crowded, given all the sound effects, enemy taunts, character quips, dialogue, and voice-over lines. Many of these effects sound flatter and less rich than they do on consoles and PC, even through headphones, and occasionally dialogue lines or effects drop out and leave a conspicuous silence. The lines dropped tend to be prioritized well, though, so you aren't likely to miss any crucial dialogue. This leaves you free to enjoy the irreverent and relentless humor, which is one of the game's greatest strengths. </p><p style="">Audio and video in Borderlands 2 seem to push the limits of what the Vita can handle, but the system merely strains and does not break (though the game did crash once or twice in my dozen or so hours with it). The Vita version also comes with two of the sizable downloadable mission packs, two extra playable characters, and an assortment of bonus goodies. And you can take advantage of the cross-save capability if you own Borderlands 2 on the PlayStation 3. The result is an impressive package that delivers exciting combat, hilarious dialogue, entertaining quests, and delightful rewards.</p> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 18:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/borderlands-2-review/1900-6415786/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/hardcore-moba-vain-glory-from-former-rockstar-and-riot-devs-has-a-catch-it-s-on-tablet/1100-6420180/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419146" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419146/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">What game are you playing on your tablet right now? Maybe it's Monument Valley, Threes!, or the guilty pleasure that is Candy Crush Saga? One new startup is hoping that, over the next few months, you'll be looking to play a hardcore MOBA on your iPad.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Super Evil Megacorp is currently working on Vain Glory, a MOBA for tablets that's gunning to recreate the success of <a href="/league-of-legends/" data-ref-id="false">League of Legends</a>. My first reaction was, well, immensely sceptical. And then I remembered that, earlier this week, I spent an evening at a game night where scores of people were sitting around in the same room playing <a href="/hearthstone-heroes-of-warcraft/" data-ref-id="false">Hearthstone</a> against each other, all with their own laptops and tablets. And then last night I watched as the GameSpot office exploded in noise after a game of <a href="/towerfall-ascension/" data-ref-id="false">Towerfall Ascension</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">That's Super Evil Megacorp's gamble, then: pretty much everyone has a tablet, and there's a growing market for technical, dense games that a group of people can play together in one room.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The company's freshly minted executive director Kristian Segerstrale, who previously co-founded Playfish, says that the iPad and iPhone "are capable of these incredible core gaming experiences, but the software just hasn't been made yet."</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550993-superevilmegacorp_vainglory_gameplay.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550993" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550993-superevilmegacorp_vainglory_gameplay.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550993"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/1493/14930800/2550993-superevilmegacorp_vainglory_gameplay.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Still, the first thought most of us have when it comes to the App Store are Flappy Bird and Candy Crush clones. There's a reason so many people are skeptical about playing long, intricate titles on their tablets, right? "There's been a bunch of games that sort of market themselves as 'core', where they look core in their marketing messaging, they look core in their first five minutes of gameplay, and then it turns out they are very shallow. We feel like it just hasn't been done yet, except with the possible exception of Hearthstone... which I think is the first piece of software that's been crafted for tablets that actually shows what the hardware is capable of."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">CEO Bob Daly has put together a team, currently of around 16 developers, that includes former staff from Riot Games, Rockstar, and Playfish to work on Vain Glory. It's a 3 vs. 3 brawler, so slightly smaller than the main modes of League of Legends and Dota 2, and the game is being created with its own proprietary engine. Right now Vain Glory is being beta tested in Southeast Asia, and Daly says the team is specifically targeting players of LoL and <a href="/dota-2/" data-ref-id="false">Dota 2</a>. A wider, global rollout of beta invites is scheduled to begin in the next few months. The studio has just secured another $11.6 million in financing, which brings its funding total to $15 million. That sounds like a lot, but this is team gunning for League of Legends, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/league-of-legends-revenues-for-2013-total-624-million-update/1100-6417224/" data-ref-id="1100-6417224">which is estimated to have grossed $624 million in 2013</a>.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550992-superevilmegacorp_playtime.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550992" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550992-superevilmegacorp_playtime.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550992"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/1493/14930800/2550992-superevilmegacorp_playtime.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">But does the game work? Is it fun? How on Earth do you play a MOBA, a genre which requires hundreds of mouse clicks and button presses, on a tablet? Super Evil Megacorp isn't talking about any of that stuff right now--it says it's just looking to unveil the studio and communicate their design philosphy.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The real question, then, is whether this developer can walk the walk after so many others have tried and failed. Segerstrale, however, points to the team's work on creating its own bespoke engine as a sign of its intentions. "If you think about Apple's announcement of Metal," said Segerstrale, "it shows how very serious game engines are." And what about the games? "I think the pointers are there, but nobody has made the defining software for these devices. Somebody is going to do that. In the next 12, to 18, to 24 months, somebody is going to come out with a defining core product for tablets. We're working very hard to be that company, but it could be somebody else. It will happen."</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 17:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/hardcore-moba-vain-glory-from-former-rockstar-and-riot-devs-has-a-catch-it-s-on-tablet/1100-6420180/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/militant-e3-2014-trailer/2300-6419192/ Check out the Militant E3 2014 trailer. Fri, 06 Jun 2014 17:07:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/militant-e3-2014-trailer/2300-6419192/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-forest-early-access-review/1100-6420176/ <p style=""><i>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.</i></p><p style="">It was the nearly naked guy with a flashlight strapped to his head who did me in. I've little doubt that he'd waited there in the darkness by the shore long enough to watch me stumble through my own campfire like an idiot, setting my clothes aflame moments before I prepared to lie down for the night. Relieved that I'd ended that little emergency, I looked up to find him and his two friends illuminated by the soft orange light. And so I died again, satisfied that I'd at least managed to survive two days this time. A record. Such is life in The Forest, a new survival sim available on Steam.</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2550941" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2550941-%D0%96%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%89%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BC%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82-the-forest.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2550941-%D0%96%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%89%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BC%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82-the-forest.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550941"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/725/7253563/2550941-%D0%96%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%89%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BC%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82-the-forest.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Shades of BioShock reveal themselves in the opening moments, when the hero's plane falls out of the sky and strands him smack in the middle of a community of nutjobs. (Thankfully, there's no need to worry about water pressure or objectivism.) There's a kid who clings to your arm as the plane breaks apart, but he's taken away by a guy who looks like he last worked as an oliphant teamster in <i>The Return of the King</i>. Is he your son? Your MacGuffin? It's never expressly stated, and 30 minutes into my attempt to build shoddy lean-tos and cook iguanas I realized I'd briefly forgotten the tyke even existed. I suspect he'll pop up later, since I have to watch him get taken away from me every time I start the game anew after dying.</p><blockquote data-size="large" data-align="center"><p style="">It was the nearly naked guy with a flashlight strapped to his head who did me in.</p></blockquote><p style="">As survival sims go, there are far worse options than The Forest, even in its unfinished state. It lacks the austerity of, say, DayZ, since it complements its statuses about needing food or cleaning off blood before an infection sets in with an unobtrusive UI element that shows meters for thirst, hunger, and temperature. Experimentation is also largely a no-no. Our hero carries in his pocket the world's most comprehensive survival guide (accessible by pressing B), which provides templates for everything from log cabins and weapons to totems cobbled together from the heads and limbs of your foes. All airlines should start carrying this thing.</p><p style="">Crazed cannibals aside, it's kind of a nice life in an Idaho-mountain-man kind of way. The seaside landscape evokes the Douglas fir forests of the Pacific Northwest, and there's even a Mount Rainier look-alike that dominates the skyline from the beach. You can climb trees, and occasionally birds flutter down and land on your arm. Sometimes when the thunderheads start to roll in or the light breaks through to a small meadow, it's worth just sitting there gawping at the beauty. Small trees and weeds rustle and shake just as they would if you hit them with a real axe, and trees fall with a satisfying thud. In time, developer Endnight claims, you'll be able to sample all this in a peaceful mode without the threat of gruesome deaths from the natives. It's an attractive idea, sort of like reliving the story of Christopher McCandless but with the chance of a happy ending.</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2550943" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2550943-theforest-flare.jpg" data-size="medium" data-align="right" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2550943-theforest-flare.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550943"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/725/7253563/2550943-theforest-flare.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">But as much as I hate to admit it, The Forest probably needs its barely clothed antagonists. They add a necessary dose of tension to every action. Maybe, I'd think, I could get about eight logs by chopping down that tree. The problem is, it might draw their attention. Ambling out onto the beach to scavenge for supplies? You're so exposed that it's always a risky venture. I also like the way cannibals move. These aren't idiotic zombies; they circle around you, trying to stay in your blind spot to catch you off guard before charging. Too bad the alpha state of the game often gives them an unfair advantage; I once swam out to sea in an attempt to escape, only to witness one of them walking under the water as carefree as you please. It didn't end well.</p><p style="">Fortunately, that doesn't always mean dying. Sometimes the cannibals drop you off in the back of a cave, where you wake up next to a poor fellow who's had his intestines yanked out through his T-shirt. Here, too, the unspoken narrative gets a little muddy. Dozens of bodies hang upside down from the cave's ceiling, and jumping up and touching them--hey, I was curious--triggers something to the effect of "1 out of 160 Passengers Found." Were these the passengers on my plane? Aside from the boy and a flight attendant with an axe buried in her chest, the plane was empty during the crash. It's ultimately a small complaint since they do little else besides hang there, and at any rate, you have a cave to escape.</p><p style="">I suppose you could die in the attempt, but I never have. The Forest reveals the presence of enemies with the subtle stroke of an autoharp, usually providing just enough time to prepare. One time after being captured, I chanced upon a gang of three cannibals blocking the exit to the cave, but I was able to kill them by blasting them with some starting pistols I'd found and chopping them with my trusty axe. Good thing they left me with all my supplies when they captured me (and I'm still not entirely sure if that was a bug).</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2550944" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2550944-theforest-bloody.png" data-size="medium" data-align="left" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2550944-theforest-bloody.png" data-ref-id="1300-2550944"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/725/7253563/2550944-theforest-bloody.png"></a></figure><p style="">Escape, and you live to fight another day. Or at least a couple of hours. The Forest currently piles on the enemies a little too thickly, to the point that it's difficult to go 10 minutes without seeing one. This is a problem when you're building stuff. Case in point: I've never been able to survive long enough to sleep in a shelter I've built and thus save my progress; the cannibals always find me first. (I hear that sleeping is bugged right now anyway.) My death in the opening paragraph? That was but moments before I'd planned to sleep in the little hunter's shack I'd just finished. Developer Endnight Games might do well to limit thine own appearance of cannibals based on whether it's night or day.</p><p style="">The Forest is a nice counterpart to DayZ's heavy emphasis on interactions with other players. Here, it's just you against the world. Given time, the game might even be great. But right now the glitches are almost as common as the cannibals, whether it's little stuff like seeing logs float well away from where they're supposed to be when you're building something or more pressing concerns such as the water-walking baddies. Only seconds after I booted it up for the first time, I was stuck in a rock-bashing animation that couldn't be fixed without a full restart. It's a lot better than you normally get with games labeled "alpha" these days, but it's an alpha nonetheless. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to playing.</p><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><b>What's There?</b></p></td><td><p style="">A single-player survival game that pits you against the trials of the wilderness and some hungry cannibals.</p><p style=""> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><b>What's To Come?</b></p></td><td><p style="">Possibly a multiplayer or cooperative mode, but Endnight wants to deliver a different "feel" than DayZ and Rust.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><b>What Does it Cost?</b></p></td><td><em>$14.99</em></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><b>When Will it Be Finished?</b></p></td><td><p style="">There's currently no concrete release date.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><b>What's the Verdict?</b></p></td><td><p style="">Despite its cannibals, The Forest delivers a survival experience that feels more "real" than many of its counterparts. You hunt, build shelters, and fight in a beautiful world that's oblivious to the action. It's largely playable in its current state, but you might want to wait a bit for the team to iron out some significant bugs and glitches.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 17:06:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-forest-early-access-review/1100-6420176/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/kill-the-bad-guy-review/1900-6415785/ <p style="">Sometimes a title really an get the point across. Set-piece puzzler Kill the Bad Guy lays your motives bare with its blunt moniker, which nicely sums up your primary goal. The game has you murdering a rogues' gallery of ne'er-do-wells via assassinations that play out like gory outtakes from old cartoons, and lets you see the real aftermath of Elmer Fudd shooting Daffy Duck in the face. Yes, this is a game about killing, but it's a fun, lightweight game about killing that mostly succeeds by blending cunning logic- and physics-based puzzles with a great sense of humor relating to the daydream revenge fantasies that we all have about taking out everyone from serial killers to that guy in the Volvo who just cut you off.</p><p style="">The single-player-only Kill the Bad Guy puts you in the employ of an international guild of assassins out to kill every villain who ever got off on a technicality, escaped the long arm of the law, set up a terrorist attack, parked in a handicapped spot, and so forth. You do so by rigging up various traps that allow the murders to look like accidents, presumably because any half-decent international guild of assassins wouldn't want its dirty work winding up on the cover of the New York Post. Everything takes place in real time, although you can pause the action or even speed it up to zip past dull spots when you're waiting for your victim to get into position for the kill.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2550976-0001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550976" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2550976-0001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550976"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2550976-0001.jpg"></a><figcaption>Rigging manholes so they turn into explosive geysers is just one of the many fun ways to murder people in Kill the Bad Guy.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Each of the 60 levels (split into six chapters with 10 levels in each) included in the game is a small set-piece affair that involves no more than a couple of city blocks. The bad guy enters on one side of the map--which is sparsely populated by stores, vehicles, garbage trucks, pedestrians, and so forth--and walks around a set route until he exits a minute or so later. Everything is given a surreal, art-house style, with most of the backdrop presented in black and white. Only the bad guys really stand out, because they come equipped with colorful sporty jackets (think Starter in the '90s), faces painted with bull's-eye targets, and loads of bright red blood, which tends to end up smeared all over the landscape by the close of each level.</p><p style="">Dark objects in levels can be manipulated with basic left and right clicks of the mouse, while light ones are just part of the scenery. How and when you manipulate these objects is where the puzzle part of the game comes into play. Victims don't just stroll straight to their deaths, so you need to adjust the landscape to both nudge them into the right spots and set up various kooky traps. You can indirectly guide bad guys by putting obstacles in their way. So whenever you want to discourage targets from going down a street, you throw a stop sign in their way, or the glass from a broken bottle, or even a dead dog. Or lure them where you want them to go with goodies like porno mags and, um, French bread.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2550977-0002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550977" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2550977-0002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550977"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2550977-0002.jpg"></a><figcaption>Black humor doesn't mesh well with real-life monsters like Albert Fish...although few people in human history are more worthy of being crushed into bloody goo by a piano.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The trick is not being seen. At first, you just have to avoid the viewing cone of the victim (which can be toggled on and off), because he flees in panic if he spots anything suspicious (oddly enough, dropping a dead dog directly in front of somebody produces a pretty dramatic reaction). But later levels introduce patrolling cops, police cruisers, pedestrians, security cameras, and the like. Commit any sort of criminal act in front of them, and you instantly fail the mission.</p><p style="">Kill the Bad Guy murders are always pulled off in elaborate ways reminiscent of Saturday-morning cartoons as reimagined by Edward Gorey. Falling pianos, explosive manhole covers, runaway cars, flaming pools of oil, and more all figure into the mayhem here. You might combine a rope with a crate and then hang the contraption on a building for the moment that your target walks past. Or rig up a wannabe catapult with some parking stanchions and a metal bar from a nearby construction site. Or spill some water and then cut a power cable right as a bad guy is getting his feet wet.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">This is a game about killing, but it's a fun, lightweight game about killing that mostly succeeds by blending cunning logic- and physics-based puzzles with a great sense of humor.</p></blockquote><p style="">Objects function in realistic, physics-based ways, but the game features sort of a "horseshoes and hand grenades" leeway where you can generally kill a baddie by getting reasonably close with a falling crate, an explosive, or a runaway lawn mower. You can never be foiled by any didn't-quite-get-me moments reminiscent of the grinning pigs in Angry Birds. Get close enough, and you can guarantee that you'll soon be seeing a screaming, flaming corpse-in-waiting running frantically around the map.</p><p style="">Trapping and killing are imaginative and fun for the most part. There are a lot of chuckles to be had, as well as some devious plots to concoct. Levels offer a fair bit of replay value. There are almost always multiple ways to kill targets, as well as bonus goals like finding a victim's passport and grabbing the tooth that always pops out of a bad guy as he expires. Levels fly by, too, making this a very catchy game you can play on the fly when you have only a few minutes to spare. You can whip through even the toughest levels in little more than 10 minutes, and the average and easy ones can generally be solved in no more than a couple of minutes on your first attempt.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2550980-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550980" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2550980-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550980"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2550980-0003.jpg"></a><figcaption>Aldrich blew up real good.</figcaption></figure><p style="">But the developers don't push the design enough, and repetition is a problem. There are really just a handful of go-to ways to kill bad guys, so the thrill eventually evaporates from even wacky murders, such as slingshotting a dead dog onto somebody's head. Each of the game's six chapters also brings in a new gameplay element, like the aforementioned security cameras, and then the next few missions are fairly easy introductions to this added feature. As a result, the game isn't as challenging as it could be.</p><p style="">The dark humor sometimes goes a little too far. Bad guys are given biographies in the splash screens before each assignment. Most are irreverent and goofy, but some reveal that you're taking on too-close-to-home villains like one of the Columbine killers, serial killer Albert Fish, and even Hitler. Profiling these real-life monsters with the game's blackly humorous text can be a little off-putting.</p><p style="">Even though Kill the Bad Guy has its moments, it's never quite as challenging or as engaging as it could be. The biggest problem may be the platform. Such lightweight and casual play would likely work better on a phone or a tablet, especially at a cheaper price than the $14.99 sticker virtually attached to this Steam-distributed game. Still, even with these flaws, this is a diverting, innovative puzzler with more than enough charm to make staging loony-tunes murders look like an appealing pastime.</p> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 17:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/kill-the-bad-guy-review/1900-6415785/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-ea-sports-ufc-wants-to-show-off-ps4-and-xbox-one-potential/1100-6419785/ <p style="">I'm entranced by the sight of UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones' rippling pectoral muscles bouncing around the Octagon. That's me, by the way. Lying on the ground is Alexander Gustafsson, the other guy, whose stomach rises and falls with each simulated breath, seconds before Jones crash lands on top of him into a flurry of punches, quickly securing victory by TKO. I win! Sure, it's not the most refined and discerning train of thought I've ever had, but I'm spending a lot of my time ogling the graphics. Because, captured at the right angle, watching a round of EA Sports UFC play out is mesmerising.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/ufc-ultimate-fighting-championship/" data-ref-id="false">EA Sports UFC</a> is both EA's first title to only support Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and its first entry in the UFC license after the publisher and UFC owner Dana White resolved their "war" from back in 2009 this time last year to become best friends, honest. But developer EA Canada now has a new battle of its own to solve; much of its potential playerbase almost certainly don't know how to throw a proper punch, let alone handle the multiple combat disciplines on display in MMA. How is it possible to strive for a sense of authenticity when almost all of the game's players won't be able to actually understand it? The solution, at least to me, seems to be to capture the recognisable sense and feel of the UFC broadcasts, emulating the the way the sport looks on TV than rather how it plays out in real life.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Emulating the way UFC is broadcast is something EA has obsessed over. "Our replay and presentation cameras mimic the stuff that fans are used to seeing," says creative director Brian Hayes. "When you throw something in there that is 'video gamey', like if we're going to attach a camera to the fist as it flies towards your opponents face, that's something that, although it can look cool, immediately snaps you out of the immersion," he continues, arguing that such a mechanic would take away "the sense that you're actually watching a real event."</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418883" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418883/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think, as a general philosophy, EA Sports is really focused on striving for more authentic sports broadcast presentation," Hayes adds. It's a very different approach from EA's last attempt with the sport in 2010's ill-fated <a href="/ea-sports-mma/" data-ref-id="false">MMA</a>, which showed an x-ray camera when dealing with submissions. UFC, on the other hand, has submission attempts play out via an octagon-shaped mini-game, and it's the one moment of gaminess in an otherwise painstaking emulation. Like Hayes said, even this tiny detraction cracks the illusion.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">One of the most daunting parts of an MMA game is capturing the amount of martial arts disciplines and the various elements of a fight--striking, grappling, submissions, the ground game--into an understandable control system. The four face buttons control striking, with attacks modified by the bumpers. The right trigger is a general purpose block, though it can be modified to specifically, and more effectively, guard high or low attacks by pressing a punch or kick button. Time a block just right and you'll leave your opponent open to a counterattack, in a fashion similar to EA Canada's Fight Night series.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2537482-1920x1080_pettismelendez_june20_wm_resize.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2537482" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2537482-1920x1080_pettismelendez_june20_wm_resize.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2537482"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/1493/14930800/2537482-1920x1080_pettismelendez_june20_wm_resize.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">But that's all the stuff that's easy to understand, basically. "People almost instinctively understand standing in front of somebody and throwing punches and kicks, because there's a long history of games--whether it be Fight Night, Street Fighter, Soul Calibur, or Tekken--where you stand at striking range and throw different strikes at an opponent that can block, and defend, and move. But when things go to the ground? That's where everybody is a little bit lost."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">I know I am. I've done my best to avoid taking fights to the ground in every UFC game I've ever played. But EA's take on the series has opted to make this part of an MMA brawl more lethal than previous titles. Matches can easily be won or lost by securing an advantageous position on the floor. "It's the thing that varies the most from any [UFC] game that's come before us," adds Hayes."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Be warned, then: those who pick up UFC at launch and intend to take it online might have to deal with a lot of submission attempts coming their way in the first few weeks. "At the beginning of the EA Sports UFC lifespan there will be people that are the Royce Gracies' at UFC 1," Hayes predicts. "The people that take the time to learn the submission game, and dominate so many other people, until they realise how to handle submissions and level the playing field. There will definitely be an upside for users who take the time to learn the submission side and get good at it."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2537481-1920x1080_jonjones_june20_wm.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2537481" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2537481-1920x1080_jonjones_june20_wm.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2537481"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2537481-1920x1080_jonjones_june20_wm.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">There's more risk and danger, then, as players frantically tussle to get into, or get out of, the full mount with quarter-circle spins of the right analog stick. Most new players tend to lose their cool at this point, Hayes says. "As soon as a fight goes to the ground and people are playing for the first time, they just starting hitting every single controller input they possibly can. It's always better to try and do one thing, see if it works, and if not try something different. Don't try eight things at the same time."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Overall, Hayes argues that this lethal ground game will work out after players take the time to adjust to it. "If it doesn't seem dangerous then the impetus for you to learn, and grow, and get better, is lessened."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Hayes is also expecting that some people will pick up UFC based on the strength of its visuals, in a situation reminiscent of Fight Night Round 3 during the last console generation. "We knew that the performance of Fight Night Round 3, as a boxing game, really outpaced the popularity of boxing as a sport. It really performed the way it did on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 because people had just gotten these new gaming consoles, and it was one of the first games that came out that people said 'oh yeah, that's why my PlayStation 2 isn't good enough anymore.'"</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2537483-1920x1080_brucelee_june20_02_wm.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2537483" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2537483-1920x1080_brucelee_june20_02_wm.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2537483"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/1493/14930800/2537483-1920x1080_brucelee_june20_02_wm.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">"So we saw the exact same opportunity [with EA Sports UFC]. It's why we've spent so much effort on making the game look like it does. People will have purchased their Xbox One or their PlayStation 4, and they're going to be looking for something that makes them happy about their decision to upgrade. That's one of the things we really focused on."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As a developer heavily invested in the strength of their graphics, then, how is EA Canada finding working across the Xbox One and PS4. What console is easier for developers to work with? "The technology in each box is slightly different. The game on PS4 looks slightly different from Xbox One because of, like, black levels, and different things. If somebody asked me: what's better black levels? I don't know. That's really up to you."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Hayes also adds that the game's tech guys were looking at the possibility of having the game run at a higher resolution on PS4 in time for the game's launch: the UFC demo runs at 1600x900, according to a <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-ufc-demo-performance-analysis" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Digital Foundry report</a>. "They were looking at whether or not we could have the PS4 [version run] at a higher resolution," he says, "but whether or not their investigations were successful? I don't know at this time."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">EA Sports UFC will be released for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on June 17.</p> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 16:39:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-ea-sports-ufc-wants-to-show-off-ps4-and-xbox-one-potential/1100-6419785/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gunpoint-developer-releases-new-game-floating-point/1100-6420182/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2552283-7606660926-ss_1e.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2552283" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2552283-7606660926-ss_1e.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2552283"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1539/15391776/2552283-7606660926-ss_1e.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Tom Francis, developer of the stealth-puzzle game <a href="/gunpoint/" data-ref-id="false">Gunpoint</a>, released his newest game today, Floating Point. And it doesn't cost a dime.</p><p style="">In Floating Point, you take control of a grappling hook, and the game is all about swinging and collecting points. The more you swing and the less you hit, the faster you go and the more points you earn.</p><p style="">Player performance affects the sensory experience of the game, too. As Francis describes on the Steam product page, "As you pick up momentum, you start to glow, the bars you're collecting rise up, the music kicks in, and your trajectory burns a bright red line in the air, drawing huge, beautiful mathematical curves of your arcing flight."</p><p style="">The game is peaceful, surprisingly engaging, and will run on almost any Windows, Mac, or Linux <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pc/" data-ref-id="false">computer.</a></p><p style=""><a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/302380" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">It is available today for free on Steam</a>.</p><p style="">Tom Francis' first game, Gunpoint, was received positively on GameSpot. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/gunpoint-review/1900-6409472/" data-ref-id="1900-6409472">You can read our review here.</a></p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Alex Newhouse is an editorial intern at GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/alexbnewhouse" rel="nofollow">Twitter @alexbnewhouse</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 16:39:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gunpoint-developer-releases-new-game-floating-point/1100-6420182/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-witcher-3-details-drop-batman-arkham/2300-6419193/ Mortal Kombat X is revealed, Arkham Knight is pushed to 2015, Forza Horizon 2 graphics details revealed, and what's going on with Uncharted 4?! Fri, 06 Jun 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-witcher-3-details-drop-batman-arkham/2300-6419193/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/once-upon-a-time-bethesda-almost-went-out-of-business/1100-6420177/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/0/1/9/3/640193-dlx_6118370_20050210_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-640193" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/0/1/9/3/640193-dlx_6118370_20050210_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-640193"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/mig/0/1/9/3/640193-dlx_6118370_20050210_003.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Developer Bethesda Game Studios was almost shut down in the late nineties, executive producer and game director Todd Howard revealed recently.</p><p style="">Speaking in an interview with German gaming publication Gamestar, translated by <a href="http://kotaku.com/bethesda-might-have-gone-out-of-business-if-not-for-mor-1587098880" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku</a>, Howard spoke of the difficult times following the developer's release of <a href="/the-elder-scrolls-chapter-ii-daggerfall/" data-ref-id="false">The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall</a>.</p><p style="">"We spread ourselves thin. We started doing a lot of games, and they just weren't good enough. And they weren't the kind of games we should've been making at the time," Howard said.</p><p style="">With Zenimax's acquisition of Bethesda, he described the studio as being granted "a new lease on life" which it was able to use to work on <a href="/the-elder-scrolls-iii-morrowind/" data-ref-id="false">The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind</a>. The game went on to be well-received by critics, and is what Howard describes as "kind of the new genesis of Bethesda." According to him, "bits of code" that were used in Morrowind still appear in Bethesda games today.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Zorine Te is an associate editor at GameSpot, and you can follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/ztharli" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @ztharli</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:34:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/once-upon-a-time-bethesda-almost-went-out-of-business/1100-6420177/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/what-we-d-like-to-see-at-e3-from-nintendo/1100-6420172/ <p style="">At the Wii U's reveal two E3s ago, Nintendo introduced a system that would have <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2011-wii-u-boasts-m-rated-third-party-support/1100-6317579/">a large amount of third-party support</a> (for a Nintendo console). Though things <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-not-developing-anything-for-wii-u/1100-6408481/" data-ref-id="1100-6408481">didn't quite pan out the way the company planned</a>, that's just made every release for Nintendo's systems that much more important.</p><p style="">The Wii U may not have an overabundance of games, but the ones that do come out tend to be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-wonderful-101/">unique</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/mario-kart-8/">fun</a> experiences. And the 3DS is still the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/3ds-sales-reach-11-5-million-in-us-alone-nintendo-calls-system-a-powerhouse/1100-6417058/">reigning champion of handheld gaming</a>. The highly anticipated <a href="/mario-kart-8/" data-ref-id="false">Mario Kart 8</a> launched last week, <a href="/super-smash-bros-for-nintendo-3ds/" data-ref-id="false">Super Smash Bros.</a> is on the near horizon, and Nintendo has already announced that its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/update-nintendo-to-integrate-skylanders-like-figurines-with-wii-u-and-3ds/1100-6419497/">NFC figurine program</a> will make an appearance at this year's E3. But what surprises does the company have in store? GameSpot's editors discuss what they most want to see on the Wii U and 3DS at this year's gaming convention.</p><p style=""> </p><h3><strong>Something Old, Something New - Carolyn Petit</strong></h3><p style=""> </p><p style="">Oh, Nintendo. I hope you know what you're doing. I want all three console makers to have strong showings at E3 because I love getting to play great games on every platform, but it's Nintendo whose games can still tap in to my childlike love for gaming. With the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-we-are-to-blame-for-poor-wii-u-sales/1100-6410425/">Wii U's sales having been so disappointing</a>, and with the company opting for a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-will-again-forgo-a-traditional-e3-press-conference/1100-6419283/">Nintendo Direct in lieu of a proper press conference</a>, I worry that a strong E3 for Nintendo is too much to hope for. But hope I do.</p><p style=""> </p><p style="">Rumors abound that Nintendo is going to reveal some sort of new technology that may not even be purely gaming-focused, but I want Nintendo to show us why those of us who bought a Wii U should still be excited, and maybe why those who haven't yet bought a Wii U will want to buy one in the future. For me, that means a few different things.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2550893-8934027663-25383.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550893" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2550893-8934027663-25383.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550893"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1534/15343359/2550893-8934027663-25383.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">First and foremost, it means that Nintendo needs to trot out really exciting new entries in its legendary franchises. And when I say exciting, I mean daring games, games that take chances rather than play it safe. Give us a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-legend-of-zelda-wii-u/">new Legend of Zelda</a> game that breaks out of the mold that every console Zelda of the past few generations has adhered to, perhaps <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/what-we-d-like-to-see-in-the-next-legend-of-zelda/1100-6418783/" data-ref-id="1100-6418783">looking to the challenge and mystery of the original NES game</a>, and to the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/dark-souls/">Dark Souls</a> games, for inspiration.</p><p style=""> </p><p style="">Give us a new Mario game that is as bold and brilliant a reinvention of the platforming genre as <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/super-mario-galaxy/">Super Mario Galaxy</a> was. And <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/metroid/">Metroid</a>. Give us Metroid! Please! A Metroid that's scary and that makes you feel as alone and uncertain as the alien landscapes of the original game did so long ago, a game that looked and sounded and played like nothing else at the time.</p><p style=""> </p><p style="">But do more than this. Show us that your days of creating amazing new franchises aren't behind you, that it's not just going to be Zelda and Mario and Metroid forever. Reveal a new franchise that you're pouring as much time and money and creativity into as you've ever poured into a Mario or Zelda game. Show us that you can still be the company that you used to be, when you didn't just rely on amazing established properties but constantly innovated and created amazing new properties, too.</p><p style="">That's all I want, Nintendo. I don't think it's too much to ask.</p><p style=""> </p><h3><strong>The Future Retro - Thomas Mc Shea</strong></h3><p style="">I have placed my unquestioned faith into the hands of Retro Studios. Only one of their five games thus far--<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/metroid-prime-3-corruption/">Metroid Prime: Corruption</a>--was less than a masterpiece, so the prospect of seeing what their ingenious minds concoct next has caused me to babble with senseless delirium. E3 would be a major success in my eyes if we got even a whisper of what they have in store for us, no matter what project they deem worthy of their talents. I don't care if it's another <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/donkey-kong-country-returns/">Donkey Kong Country</a>, a return to the Metroid adventures that started their fame, or a new enterprise that no one could have expected. I want to see Retro's effort flaunted.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2550891-8132556805-36162.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550891" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2550891-8132556805-36162.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550891"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1534/15343359/2550891-8132556805-36162.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">But if I'm being greedy (which I am), then my wishes don't stop with just one game. As is a requisite when talking about Nintendo, I do want an older franchise to be brought to the present. And my dream rebirth would be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/f-zero/">F-Zero</a>. Oh, I know how dangerous investing money in a game that has a limited market would be, but business issues don't matter at all to me. We haven't seen this futuristic racer since the awe-inspiring <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/f-zero-gx/">F-Zero GX</a> more than a decade ago—actually 11 years!--and the time is ripe for next-generation, zero gravity racing. Please, Nintendo, make it so.</p><p style=""> </p><h3><strong>Fuzzy Pickles! - Justin Haywald</strong></h3><p style=""> </p><p style="">We might have to wait for the next Nintendo console for my wish to come true, but I'm waiting for Nintendo to finally announce Virtual Console integration between 3DS and Wii U. The fact that you have to buy an NES game like Super Mario Bros. 3 separately for each system (and that there's no cross-save) feels ridiculous, especially looking at the close integration between the PS4, PS3, and Vita.</p><p style=""> </p><p style="">And of course I want to finally see the next version of Zelda, Mario, Metroid, and Nintendo's other storied franchises. But there are two revivals I'd like more than any other: <a href="/the-legend-of-zelda-majoras-mask/" data-ref-id="false">Majora's Mask</a> on 3DS and the official release of Earthbound sequel Mother 3.<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/forums/system-wars-314159282/nintendo-puts-majoras-mask-in-the-legend-of-zelda--29454853/" data-ref-id="false"> The Skull Kid mask in A Link Between Worlds</a> is only the latest tease from Nintendo that a potential remake of the game (a la Ocarina of Time) is in development. One of the leads on the <a href="http://mother3.fobby.net/" rel="nofollow">Mother 3 fan translation</a> even <a href="http://mother3.fobby.net/blog/2013/04/20/offer-to-nintendo/" rel="nofollow">offered his version up for free</a> if it meant the game could come to the West. Earthbound came out on Virtual Console last year, so maybe anything's possible?</p><p style=""> </p><p style=""><i>You've read our thoughts, but what games do you want to see from Nintendo? Let us know in the comments below!</i></p><p style=""> </p><p style=""><em>And For even more E3 discussion, check out our full pre-E3 series:</em></p><ul><li><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/what-we-d-like-to-see-at-e3-from-sony/1100-6420028/">What We'd Like To See at E3 From Sony</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/what-we-d-like-to-see-at-e3-from-microsoft/1100-6420112/">What We'd Like to See at E3 From Microsoft</a></li><li>What We'd Like to See at E3 on PC [COMING SUNDAY]</li></ul><p style=""><em>And</em></p><ul><li><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-press-conferences-what-does-sony-need-to-do/1100-6420070/">E3 Press Conferences, What Does Sony Need to Do?</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-press-conferences-what-does-microsoft-need-to-do/1100-6420144/" data-ref-id="1100-6420144">E3 Press Conferences, What Does Microsoft Need to Do?</a></li><li>E3 Press Conferences, What Does Nintendo Need to Do? [Coming Saturday]</li></ul><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">See more coverage of E3 2014 →</a></p> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/what-we-d-like-to-see-at-e3-from-nintendo/1100-6420172/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tomodachi-life-review-roundup/1100-6420175/ <figure data-ref-id="1300-2550931" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2550931-tomodachi.jpg" data-size="small" data-align="right" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2550931-tomodachi.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550931"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/123/1239113/2550931-tomodachi.jpg"></a><figcaption>Yeah, it gets weird.</figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">More than a year after its launch in Japan, Nintendo's quirky new 3DS life simulation, <a href="/tomodachi-life/" data-ref-id="false">Tomodachi Life</a>, is now available at retail and on the eShop. There were some questions before launch about whether the game deserved to be positioned as a regularly priced game--it sells for $35--and with its release today, we now have a number of reviews to provide some sense of what to expect.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Tomodachi Life made headlines recently due to its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-explains-why-it-won-t-allow-same-sex-relationships-in-tomodachi-life/1100-6419489/" data-ref-id="1100-6419489">lack of same-sex relationships</a>. Confusion over a patch for the Japanese version led some to believe Nintendo had deliberately removed the presence of gay marriage, but the company claimed that was not the case. A petition to have Nintendo add the option for the Western release of the game started up, and even comedian <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/comedian-john-oliver-takes-on-nintendo-s-controversial-same-sex-apology/1100-6419743/" data-ref-id="1100-6419743">John Oliver chimed in on the subject</a>. After Nintendo released a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-explains-why-it-won-t-allow-same-sex-relationships-in-tomodachi-life/1100-6419489/" data-ref-id="1100-6419489">widely-criticized comment</a> on the situation, it <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-responds-to-criticism-regarding-same-sex-relationships-in-tomodachi-life-update/1100-6419530/" data-ref-id="1100-6419530">corrected itself by committing to</a> "strive to design a gameplay experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players" if it develops a sequel.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Over on <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/3ds/tomodachi-life" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot sister site Metacritic</a>, Tomodachi currently sits with an average review score of 71. Check out the reviews we've collected below and feel free to share your QR codes--allowing you to bring other people's Miis into your game--in the comments.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Destructoid -- 9/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"In all, Tomodachi Life is filled with pure, unbridled joy. It puts a stupid grin on my face and keeps it there through its duration. Some might complain that it is 'not a game,' but they can go on hating. It does require the player to put in some love, flair, and wit, but what comes out is magic." [<a href="http://www.destructoid.com/review-tomodachi-life-275940.phtml" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">Edge -- 7/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"Given Nintendo is considerate enough to publish an annual report discussing how its practices could effect positive societal change, it's doubly disappointing that Tomodachi Life promotes a lifestyle that will exclude many, with some features gated off until two characters get married and have a child. Otherwise, this is a delightfully strange and often surprising piece of work; it's more plaything than game, perhaps, but the smiles it generates will be broad and frequent." [<a href="http://www.edge-online.com/review/tomodachi-life-review/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">GameSpot -- 7/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"What you're left with is a sophisticated Tamagotchi, and a repetitive cycle of feeding, nursing, and entertaining that is hardly the most absorbing of pastimes. A much deeper system of development for Miis would have gone a long way towards keeping things interesting. That said, there are so many hilarious and curiously bizarre moments to be found along the way that even if the journey to fully fledged family life is a short one before the repetition sets in, it's well worth the trip." [<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/tomodachi-life-review/1900-6415783/" data-ref-id="1900-6415783">Full review</a>]</p><div data-height="100%" data-width="100%" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq4bSdxudrg" data-embed-type="video"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Ffq4bSdxudrg%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dfq4bSdxudrg&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Ffq4bSdxudrg%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><h3 dir="ltr">Eurogamer -- 5/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"Tomodachi Life is a simple, throwaway toy, then - one with plenty of cute tricks, but not quite enough of them to stop you from tossing it aside after a handful of hours. There's no shame in that, of course - especially from a company that's excelled in novelty ever since Gunpei Yokoi's Love Tester, a device obliquely referenced in the metrics that measure the compatibility and chemistry between each of your islanders. Yet despite its exuberance and eccentricity, it's hard to recommend a life simulator with no real sense of simulation, and very little in the way of life." [<a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-06-05-tomodachi-life-review" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-06">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">IGN -- 8.4/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"Tomodachi Life offers a great kind of humor: it's just fun to laugh at yourself and your friends in absurd situations. Nintendo gets a lot out of mileage out of this <a href="/the-sims-4/" data-ref-id="false">Sims</a>-like concept, but still manages to find ways to make it simple, accessible, and entertaining. The stiff, robotic voices could use improvement, but the effect of hearing the Miis speak is still novel in its own way. The easy-breezy pace makes it ideal for short bursts of play, and it leaves me eager to check in on my town early and often." [<a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/06/tomodachi-life-review" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">Joystiq -- 3.5/5</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"I don't regret the time I spent in Tomodachi Life's strange alternate universe, but like <a href="/animal-crossing-new-leaf/" data-ref-id="false">Animal Crossing</a>, the experience loses its luster once you've seen the bulk of what it has to offer. Tomodachi Life wore out its welcome for me quicker than any Animal Crossing game ever did, due to its comparative lack of structure and progression, and its brilliant spark of creativity fades much more quickly than you'd like." [<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2014/06/06/tomodachi-life-review-the-surreal-world/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">USGamer-- 4/5</h3><p style="">"[T]hat's basically the appeal of the game in a nutshell: The ability to create stunningly faithful cartoon renditions of everyone you know and love, then set them free to be weird. To let them have odd conversations and pursue impossible romantic relationships. There's a certain therapeutic value to the game as well — a chance to woo your secret crush, or torment the avatar of someone you hate. Like so many of Nintendo's casual titles, it's the kind of game you don't play in marathon sessions but rather return to regularly for little sessions to lord over a tiny world and watch it spin into hilarious chaos. And it's the kind of game that makes you want to return for those little sessions for a long, long time to come." [<a href="http://venturebeat.com/2014/06/06/tomodachi-life-is-evidence-that-nintendo-can-still-make-anything-fun-review/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:50:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tomodachi-life-review-roundup/1100-6420175/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-rumors/1100-6419935/ <p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">E3 </a>2014 is now just <em>days</em> away. We're expecting a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-expecting-an-army-of-huge-franchises-at-e3/1100-6418625/" data-ref-id="1100-6418625">bevy of announcements from Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo</a>, as well as third-party publishers like Ubisoft and Electronic Arts, which alone <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-will-announce-a-major-frostbite-3-game-at-e3-what-do-you-think-it-is/1100-6419476/" data-ref-id="1100-6419476">plans to make six announcements at the show</a>. It promises to be a busy week in Los Angeles, but there's already a considerable amount of buzz built up thanks to a slew of rumors about what we may see at the show.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We have rounded up some of these rumors and provided details below. We will continue to update this story as more rise to the surface, and please don't hesitate to ping us to share rumors directly. For more on E3, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's roundup of everything you need to know about this year's show</a>.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Make-Your-Own Mario Game for 3DS.</h3><p style=""><a href="http://nintendoenthusiast.com/news/rumor-nintendo-showing-mario-maker-game-e3/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Nintendo Enthusiast</a> has obtained an image from Nintendo's booth on the E3 show floor that features an unannounced 3DS game called Mario Maker. Going off the picture alone, it looks like you'll be able to create your own levels in the Mushroom Kingdom. Sounds fun! But is it real? We'll find out next week.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2550659-mariomakernew.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550659" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2550659-mariomakernew.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550659"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2550659-mariomakernew.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>NFC Figurines for Super Smash Bros. </strong></h3><p style="">Nintendo France said that the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/super-smash-bros-wii-u-will-use-nfc/1100-6419826/" data-ref-id="1100-6419826">upcoming Super Smash Bros. is going to take advantage of the Wii U's NFC capabilities</a>. Pair that with the<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/update-nintendo-to-integrate-skylanders-like-figurines-with-wii-u-and-3ds/1100-6419497/" data-ref-id="1100-6419497"> confirmation by Nintendo of more figurine details at E3</a> and you don't have to stretch your imagination to put the two together. Will these miniatures involve unlockable characters? We'll find out during the E3 Nintendo Direct.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543950-18ae9073ac47de4104bbda82fc3003e03b869298.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543950" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543950-18ae9073ac47de4104bbda82fc3003e03b869298.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543950"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2543950-18ae9073ac47de4104bbda82fc3003e03b869298.jpg"></a></figure><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Grand Theft Auto V comes to Current-gen</strong></h3><p style="">We've been waiting a long time for GTA 5 to come to PC (<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-pc-petition-passes-700-000-signatures-game-is-now-taking-longer-than-gta-4-to-hit-pc/1100-6419280/" data-ref-id="1100-6419280">at this point it's taken longer than the same port for GTA 4</a>), but maybe part of the reason for the delay is that the game is also being optimized for current-gen consoles.</p><p style="">Rockstar has said that they plan on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/rockstar-games-to-release-a-ps4-xbox-one-game-by-march-2015/1100-6419610/" data-ref-id="1100-6419610">releasing an Xbox One/PS4 game this fiscal year</a>. While that could be the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ahead-of-e3-take-two-extends-its-agent-trademark/1100-6419837/" data-ref-id="1100-6419837">recently renewed Agent</a>, an update of one of the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/grand-theft-auto-5-has-now-shipped-32-5-million-copies/1100-6417498/" data-ref-id="1100-6417498">best-selling games of all time seems a little more likely at this point</a>. But the bigger question: Will it be a timed exclusive for Sony or Microsoft?</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543961-original.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543961" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543961-original.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543961"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2543961-original.jpg"></a></figure><h3><strong>Dance Central 4</strong></h3><p dir="ltr" style="">While <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-boss-talks-price-drop-says-e3-will-be-all-about-games/1100-6419604/" data-ref-id="1100-6419604">talking about the Xbox One price cut and removing Kinect from Xbox One with Microsoft's Yusuf Medhi</a>, he casually said, "Certainly some gamers are Kinect-focused, say Kinect Sports Rivals, Dance Central." While it's possible that he was referring to an Xbox 360 version of the game or the franchise in general...but it's also possible he accidentally leaked an upcoming Dance Central reveal.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Neither Harmonix nor Microsoft responded to follow-ups about the game, but E3 may give a lot of gamers a reason to use their Kinect for more than voice commands.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543953-18j2w3zj50bh8jpg.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543953" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543953-18j2w3zj50bh8jpg.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543953"><img src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2543953-18j2w3zj50bh8jpg.jpg"></a></figure><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>More PlayStation 4 HD Remakes</strong></h3><p style="">A lot of rumors have leaked about current-gen remakes of the Halo games, but we've heard rumblings that Sony has their own HD reveals as well. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-what-the-last-of-us-looks-like-on-ps4-in-1080p/1100-6418898/" data-ref-id="1100-6418898">We already know about The Last of Us for PS4 update</a>, but you can expect a few more games to get a chance for more exposure. The most surprising rumor we've heard: some of the PS4 updates might come from the Vita.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543956-ps4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543956" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543956-ps4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543956"><img src="http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2543956-ps4.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>New Mortal Kombat [CONFIRMED]</strong></h3><p style="">[UPDATE] As expected, Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon revealed the next game in his fighting series: <a href="/mortal-kombat-x/" data-ref-id="false">Mortal Kombat X</a>. And just in case you're wondering <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ed-boon-explains-how-to-say-mortal-kombat-x/1100-6420126/" data-ref-id="1100-6420126">he clarified that it's pronounced "ex."</a></p><p style="">[ORIGINAL] Ed Boon has been <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mortal-kombat-poster-possibly-reveals-upcoming-ed-boon-announcement/1100-6419941/" data-ref-id="1100-6419941">teasing an announcement for the past few weeks</a>, and while that's set to fall on Monday (pre-E3), we're guessing that the inevitable Mortal Kombat reveal will also make a big splash at E3.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419058" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419058/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><h3><strong>Big Third-Party Xbox One Exclusive</strong></h3><p style="">An reliable source has confirmed that Microsoft is going to have at least one "big" third-party exclusive reveal during their stage show. We don't know the exact game, but our source said the game is both something "unexpected" and "something people will be <em>really</em> excited about."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543945-questions.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543945" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543945-questions.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543945"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2543945-questions.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Halo: The Master Chief Collection</strong></h3><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft says the "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/forums/games-discussion-1000000/halo-5-guardians-announced-coming-to-xbox-one-in-2-31264589/" data-ref-id="false">journey</a>" to <a href="/halo-5-guardians/" data-ref-id="false">Halo 5: Guardians </a>(2015) will begin this year, but what could that mean? According to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-getting-master-chief-halo-collection-games-1-4-report/1100-6419703/" data-ref-id="1100-6419703">Engadget's sources</a>, Microsoft is bundling <a href="/halo-combat-evolved/" data-ref-id="false">Halo: Combat Evolved</a>, <a href="/halo-2/" data-ref-id="false">Halo 2</a>, <a href="/halo-3/" data-ref-id="false">Halo 3</a>, and <a href="/halo-4/" data-ref-id="false">Halo 4</a> in a special package for Xbox One called the Master Chief Collection. There's no word on whether nor not <a href="/halo-3-odst/" data-ref-id="false">Halo 3: ODST</a> or <a href="/halo-reach/" data-ref-id="false">Halo: Reach</a> would also be included. Those are not "core" installments in the series, so we wouldn't be surprised if they were left out.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2543745-newhalo.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543745" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2543745-newhalo.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543745"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2543745-newhalo.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Majora's Mask on 3DS</strong></h3><p style="">Maybe Nintendo is just playing with nostaligic fans' hearts, but Nintendo has made several references to the N64 classic over the years, including a Skull Kid cameo in Smash Bros. and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/forums/system-wars-314159282/nintendo-puts-majoras-mask-in-the-legend-of-zelda--29454853/" data-ref-id="false">decorative mask in Link Between Worlds.</a></p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2550926-8239816577-lkkJW.png" data-ref-id="1300-2550926" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2550926-8239816577-lkkJW.png" data-ref-id="1300-2550926"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2550926-8239816577-lkkJW.png"></a></figure><h3 dir="ltr"> </h3><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Collection for PS4 and Xbox One</strong></h3><p dir="ltr" style="">Earlier this month, <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/comments/25thuq/cod_mw/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Reddit user GTA678</a> posted an image of a "Modern Warfare Collection," which will reportedly bundle <a href="/call-of-duty-4-modern-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare</a>, <a href="/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2</a>, and <a href="/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3</a> in a special package for PS4 and Xbox One. The games will all reportedly run in 1080p at 60fps, with new textures, lighting effects, and sounds. Rumor has it this bundle will launch November 25 and even contain exclusive content for this fall's <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare</a>.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2543737-mwcollection.png" data-ref-id="1300-2543737" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2543737-mwcollection.png" data-ref-id="1300-2543737"><img src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2543737-mwcollection.png"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Battlefield Hardline [CONFIRMED]</strong></h3><p dir="ltr" style="">That escalated quickly.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/battlefield-hardline/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield Hardline</a> isn't much of a rumor any longer, as Electronic Arts this week <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-hardline-video-leaks-online-shows-new-gameplay-footage/1100-6419910/" data-ref-id="1100-6419910">confirmed that the game is indeed real</a> and developed by <a href="/dead-space/" data-ref-id="false">Dead Space </a>creator Visceral Games in conjunction with DICE. The developer's VP took to Twitter today to say that a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/leaked-battlefield-trailer-was-six-months-old-e3-will-have-the-real-deal/1100-6419939/" data-ref-id="1100-6419939">leaked trailer for the game is six months out of date,</a> and we already have the official trailer from EA below. The <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-hardline-october-release-leaked-in-new-trailer/1100-6420148/" data-ref-id="1100-6420148">game is slated for Oct. 21</a> on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">Tune in and find out</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418988" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418988/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Project Beast for the PS4</strong></h3><p dir="ltr" style="">Stemming from images <a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=812089" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">posted on 4Chan and circulated on popular gaming forum NeoGAF</a>, this is reportedly the working title for a new game from <a href="/demons-souls/" data-ref-id="false">Demon's Souls</a> and <a href="/dark-souls/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Souls </a>studio From Software in conjunction with Sony Japan. Demon's Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki--now <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/demon-s-souls-dark-souls-director-named-president-of-from-software/1100-6419775/" data-ref-id="1100-6419775">president of From Software</a>--worked on this year's <a href="/dark-souls-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Souls II </a>only in a supervising role; he focused most of his attention on an unannounced mystery game. Is Project Beast this game? We may not have to wait much longer to find out.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2543735-projectbeast.png" data-ref-id="1300-2543735" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2543735-projectbeast.png" data-ref-id="1300-2543735"><img src="http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2543735-projectbeast.png"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:26:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-rumors/1100-6419935/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wildstar-review-in-progress/1100-6420170/ <p style="">WildStar makes a striking first impression. It's an absolutely gorgeous game, saturated with bright, inviting colors, and loaded with ornate details that bring this massively multiplayer role-playing game to life. 20 hours in, and the most striking sight must still be the herds of gazelle-like grazers that elegantly leap across the screen. With such a rich-looking world, I'm drawn to explore it because I might find something unexpected. The mix of fantasy, science fiction, Saturday morning cartoon, and comic book makes WildStar stand out. You might be tempted to compare WildStar's aesthetic to World of Warcraft's, given the exaggerated shapes and hand-drawn textures, but on a whole, WildStar's art design is very much its own, in spite of its obvious inspirations.</p><p style="">I still love the way WildStar looks, though I've spent enough time with my level 20 Mordesh spellslinger that the visuals have lost some of their vibrant appeal. The same art style that makes the game attractive at certain times makes it look cluttered at others. Every object and feature draws your eyes to it--the swirling grass textures, the sprouting flowers, the hanging lamps, the smoking fires, the bubbling lava, the dust motes and the twinkles and the dreamcatchers and all the colors of the rainbow. One moment, WildStar is overwhelmingly attractive. The next, it's just overwhelming.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419118" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419118/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">With E3 almost here, it will probably be a few weeks before I am ready to pen my full WildStar review. But in advance of the review, I wanted to share a few impressions of my time on the planet of Nexus. And honestly, most of that time has been positive. WildStar is not breaking new ground; its fundamentals are firmly entrenched in the formula we've come to expect in online RPGs, in which you take quests, kill monsters, team up with others, and go looking for treasure out in a big, unknown world. But WildStar delivers the expected with huge doses of character and glee. The brief character quips are charmingly delivered, the quest-givers aren't averse to cracking a few jokes, and some of the adventuring circumstances are adorable. I've played a lot of games featuring races that can't use pronouns and verbs properly. "Go, clock ticking. Wait… may be bomb. Have to check," says one member of a rodentlike race called the Chua. But this odd sentence structure belies a chua's tendencies towards gleeful evil. As a Mordesh, I may not like the Chua, but I sure do respect their dedication. There are dark moments too, however, many of them involving my own character's race, which suffers from a contagion that threatens our future.</p><p style="">The overarching story is typical where MMOGs are concerned, focusing primarily on the conflict between the game's two factions: The Exiles and the Dominion. It's a simple narrative, but I am invested, in part because I witnessed the Dominion bomb a giant tree called the Elderoot. The Elderoot was kindly when we spoke, and his biomechanical design made him stand out from all those other giant world-trees that show up in games. The broad voice acting and intriguing visual design made me care more about that tree than I ever cared about any of The Elder Scrolls Online's bland, talkative characters. I am ready for vengeance against the Dominion.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419117" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419117/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">There are eight races to choose from and six total classes. I'm a spellslinger, which is a bit of a misleading title, since pistols are my primary weapons. The extensive skill trees make me equally adept at being a damage-heavy class or a healer, and while I usually stick to damage, I've found some fun in healing my teammates in the insanely chaotic player versus player matches. Attacks and skills are primarily cone-based, so I never need to specifically target enemies; whatever lands in my damage area is unlucky enough to get hit. This system keeps me mobile, since enemies also signal their most powerful attacks with visible cones and damage arcs as well. That's particularly true in the two competitive arenas I've unlocked so far, which keep me scurrying around so that I can avoid incoming attacks while staying in range of my team's healers. It's terrific fun, though I admit that the game's hypercommunicative visuals can make for muddled battles.</p><p style="">One of my favorite aspects of WildStar thus far is the path system, which has you selecting one of four professions (of a sort). I chose to be a settler; I collect resources as I move through the world and then deposit them in predesignated areas in order to build machines that provide bonuses to you and everyone else. I can also reanimate plants, repair broken items, and the such, and it's fun to feel like I'm bringing life to the world. Every so often, I feel stuck in an endless loop, constantly interacting with objects only to have my work wiped away minutes later. As a result, these interactions become needless busywork, but I still greatly enjoy how I can contribute to other players' enjoyment and success by frequently stopping and collecting vital resources.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419122" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419122/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Look for a review in a few weeks' time, but if you're on the fence so far and are curious about what I think, I must say, WildStar isn't overflowing with brand-new ideas. Nevertheless, the game possesses a strong identity and uses its abundant charms to draw you in. From there, it executes on its potential, offering solid fundamentals, and then freshening them up by looking at them from new angles. The group adventures are a good example of such an angle. They may seem at the outset to be more or less like a standard group dungeon, but the open areas and the chance for group members to vote on which objectives to accomplish make adventures a treat even beyond your first run. And honestly, WildStar makes it fun to move about its world, giving you a lot to look at, and a lot of ways to cooperate and compete with others. Aside from some long queue times you might face when first logging in, it's mostly stable and feels feature complete. It's a game I could see myself sticking with if the endgame content is compelling enough, if only because I like uncovering its sights, sounds, and adventures.</p> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:17:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wildstar-review-in-progress/1100-6420170/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/linkin-park-releases-game-to-promote-album-and-environmentalism/1100-6420173/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2550913-4650940812-linki.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550913" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2550913-4650940812-linki.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550913"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1539/15391776/2550913-4650940812-linki.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Rock band Linkin Park has apparently decided that it wants to do something unconventional to promote its newest album, and so it has developed and released a game.</p><p style="">Officially entitled Linkin Park Recharged - Wastelands, the game is described in a press release as "a third-person action shooter with tactical elements set in the not-too-distant future."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The band created the game with assistance from Swiss developer Kuuluu Interactive Entertainment AG exclusively for the iPad. A purchase will also get you Linkin Park's newest single, "Wastelands."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2550908-5015585284-screen.jpeg" data-ref-id="1300-2550908" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2550908-5015585284-screen.jpeg" data-ref-id="1300-2550908"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1539/15391776/2550908-5015585284-screen.jpeg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">According to the announcement, the game takes place on a devastated Earth devoid of most natural resources. "Society and the few remaining energy stores are now under the control of machines, the Hybrids, and an elite minority," the release explains. "As a member of a specialized resistance unit, the player will fight through hostile territory and complete missions through judicious use of resources."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Linkin Park says that it has an ulterior motive to releasing this game, however, that goes beyond just promoting its music. The game is designed to provide commentary on environmentalism, pollution, and use of resources.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In 2012, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/linkin-park-frontman-composed-medal-of-honor-warfighter-score/1100-6390091/" data-ref-id="1100-6390091">Linkin Park worked with Electronic Arts to produce music and videos related to Medal of Honor: Warfighter</a> to promote its last album. In March, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/linkin-park-teams-up-with-xbox-for-a-wild-interactive-music-video/1100-6418529/" data-ref-id="1100-6418529">it created a music video in Project Spark featuring one of its new songs</a>. It seems that this time, the band members chose to take matters into their own hands.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">If you want to see what it's all about, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id875835535?mt=8" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">the game is available today on the iOS App Store and costs $2.99.</a></p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Alex Newhouse is an editorial intern at GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/alexbnewhouse" rel="nofollow">Twitter @alexbnewhouse</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:14:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/linkin-park-releases-game-to-promote-album-and-environmentalism/1100-6420173/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-are-the-2014-games-that-have-been-delayed-to-2015/1100-6420118/ <p style="">Is it just me, or does it feel like we've seen a bunch of games get delayed over the past few months? E3 2014 might be on the horizon, so we'll see a lot of titles unveiled for the 2014 holiday season next week, but here are some of the games that none of us will be playing until next year.</p><h3><a href="/batman-arkham-knight/" data-ref-id="false"><strong>Batman: Arkham Knight</strong></a></h3><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549489-delay+01+arkham+knight.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549489" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549489-delay+01+arkham+knight.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549489"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2549489-delay+01+arkham+knight.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""><a href="/batman-arkham-knight/" data-ref-id="false">Batman: Arkham Knight</a> went from announced to delayed in just under three months, and if that's not a record then it must be pretty close. Rocksteady marketing manager Guy Perkins said to GameSpot that "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/batman-arkham-knight-for-xbox-one-ps4-and-pc-delayed-to-2015/1100-6420046/">we want to make sure we're absolutely nailing it 100 percent</a>."</p><h3><a href="/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/" data-ref-id="false"><strong>The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt</strong></a></h3><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549490-delay+02+the+witcher+3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549490" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549490-delay+02+the+witcher+3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549490"><img src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2549490-delay+02+the+witcher+3.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Polish developer CD Projekt RED insisted that the hotly-anticipated, open-world RPG <a href="/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/" data-ref-id="false">The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt</a> would have been ready for its original fall 2014 release, but it still delayed the game to February 2015. Why? So the game could reach a "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-witcher-3-delayed-to-february-2015-for-xbox-one-ps4-and-pc/1100-6418237/">quality that will satisfy us, the quality gamers expect from us</a>."</p><h3 dir="ltr"><a href="/the-order-1886/" data-ref-id="false"><strong>The Order: 1886</strong></a></h3><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549491-delay+03+the+order.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549491" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549491-delay+03+the+order.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549491"><img src="http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2549491-delay+03+the+order.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">PS4 exclusive <a href="/the-order-1886/" data-ref-id="false">The Order: 1886</a> is still shrouded in mystery, even after Sony <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-order-1886-remains-shrouded-in-the-neo-victorian-london-fog/1100-6417770/">attempted to show off the game back in February</a>. But we do know the third-person adventure, and its intriguing Victorian London setting, won't be out in 2014. "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-the-order-1886-delayed-to-2015/1100-6419882/">As we keep on pushing on this game, we really want to deliver on the experience that we promised</a>," said Ready at Dawn creative director Ru Weerasuriya to GameSpot.</p><h3 dir="ltr"><a href="/quantum-break/" data-ref-id="false"><strong>Quantum Break</strong></a></h3><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549492-delay+04+quantum+break.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549492" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549492-delay+04+quantum+break.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549492"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2549492-delay+04+quantum+break.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/quantum-break/" data-ref-id="false">Quantum Break</a> never had an official release date, but everyone expected to see it in 2014. That's not happening. The Xbox One-exclusive title, a mix of a third-person action game with time-bending powers and a live TV show, will be arriving in 2015. Don't expect it to appear at E3 2014, either; developer <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-exclusive-from-max-payne-creator-confirmed-for-2015/1100-6419951/">Remedy says that we'll see it next at Gamescom in August</a>.</p><h3 dir="ltr"><a href="/dying-light/" data-ref-id="false"><strong>Dying Light</strong></a></h3><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549493-delay+05+dying+light.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549493" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549493-delay+05+dying+light.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549493"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2549493-delay+05+dying+light.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/dying-light/" data-ref-id="false">Dying Light</a> is a parkour-inspired open-world title from the makers of <a href="/dead-island/" data-ref-id="false">Dead Island</a> where you kill zombies. A whole bunch of zombies. But the game has <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/open-world-ps4-and-xbox-one-zombie-mulcher-dying-light-delayed-to-2015/1100-6419507/">now slipped to 2015 because developer Techland wants to improve the free-running mechanics</a>. "After careful consideration, we have decided to release our upcoming game in February 2015," said Techland in a statement to GameSpot. It'll be at E3 2014 next week.</p><h3 dir="ltr"><a href="/tom-clancys-the-division/" data-ref-id="false"><strong>The Division</strong></a></h3><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549494-delay+06+the+division.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549494" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549494-delay+06+the+division.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549494"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2549494-delay+06+the+division.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">This one was obvious, really. After its apocalyptic world was first unveiled at E3 2013, nobody really thought <a href="/tom-clancys-the-division/" data-ref-id="false">The Division</a> would see the light of day in 2014--one developer is even reported to have said the idea was "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-division-s-2014-release-window-is-laughable-claims-ubisoft-source-report/1100-6416976/" data-ref-id="1100-6416976">laughable.</a>" Ubisoft kept maintaining that the release date was accurate, though. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-s-the-division-delayed-to-2015/1100-6419662/">Right up until the point that it wasn't</a>.</p><h3 dir="ltr"><a href="/mad-max/" data-ref-id="false"><strong>Mad Max</strong></a></h3><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549495-delay+07+mad+max.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549495" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549495-delay+07+mad+max.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549495"><img src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2549495-delay+07+mad+max.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/mad-max/" data-ref-id="false">Mad Max</a> is the next game from Avalanche Studios, the team behind Just Cause 2, and it was supposed to be coming out this year. Vehicle combat is said to be a major focus, as you might expect. I imagine the Thunderdome will also feature. But, really, is this game being made instead of Just Cause 3? Did the Mad Max delay make Max Madder? <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/just-cause-developer-s-mad-max-game-delayed-to-2015/1100-6419213/">We'll have to find out in 2015</a>.</p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Valve's Steam Controller</strong></h3><figure data-embed-type="comparison" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550287-delay+controller+real.jpg,http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550288-delay+controller+owl.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550287,1300-2550288" data-size="large" data-image-titles="An Owl,Valve's Steam Controller" data-resize-urls="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1493/14930800/2550287-delay+controller+real.jpg,http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1493/14930800/2550288-delay+controller+owl.jpg" data-resized="" data-resize-url=""><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550287-delay+controller+real.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550287" title="An Owl"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1493/14930800/2550287-delay+controller+real.jpg"></a><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550288-delay+controller+owl.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550288" title="Valve's Steam Controller"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1493/14930800/2550288-delay+controller+owl.jpg"></a><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Delays aren't limited to software, of course. Valve recently announced that the Steam Controller, which features haptic feedback instead of traditional thumbsticks, wouldn't see its way into our curious hands in 2014. Valve product designer Eric Hope said that the development team is currently conducting live playtests, but that "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/steam-controller-delayed-to-2015/1100-6419914/">we're now looking at a release window of 2015, not 2014.</a>" Cue gag about <a href="https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Valve_Time" rel="nofollow">Valve Time</a> and something something something Half-Life 3.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 12:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-are-the-2014-games-that-have-been-delayed-to-2015/1100-6420118/
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Sat, 07 Jun 2014 00:34:15 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/borderlands-2-review/1900-6415786/ <p style="">Borderlands 2 is a big game. The PlayStation Vita? Not so big. And yet the sprawling cooperative shooter has arrived intact on the portable platform, delivering long hours of shooting, looting, and butt jokes. Well, almost intact. Game design changes, like knocking the maximum player count down from four to two and changing the enemy death animations, do a good job of cutting corners while preserving the core action. Technical shortcomings, however, leave little doubt that this is the lesser version of Gearbox's great sequel. Dialogue and sound effects frequently sound flat and occasionally disappear, while the frame rate often slows down in combat and makes the chaotic action feel unwieldy.</p><p style="">Despite these limitations, Borderlands 2 on the Vita is still, very clearly, Borderlands 2. The world is colorful and diverse; the writing is witty and sometimes affecting; the loot is bountiful and rewarding; and the combat is entertaining and rowdy. Teaming up with another player and working your way through myriad quests on the path to increased skills, richer rewards, and Pandoran glory is great fun. It's just as easy to happily while away dozens of hours in this portable version as it is in its console and PC counterparts.</p><p style=""><em>(This review will focus primarily on the Vita-specific strengths and limitations of Borderlands 2. To read a more in-depth analysis of the game in general, check out our <a href="/reviews/borderlands-2-review/1900-6396650/" data-ref-id="1900-6396650">original Borderlands 2 review</a>.)</em></p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418700" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418700/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p style="">In any transition from console or PC to the Vita, there is a question of controls. The Vita has fewer button inputs than other platforms, and this often necessitates the use of touchscreens for buttons, often with mixed results. In Borderlands 2, the default control scheme puts some pretty important actions on the front and rear touchpads. Some of my battles got a little more heated due to a sprint or a melee attack not registering on the first tap, but for the most part, I was able to act when I wanted to, and my co-op partners reported no troubles (you can also freely remap the buttons if a particular input is tricky for you).</p><p style="">Combat in Borderlands 2 is naturally a bit floaty and loose, largely due to way player movement and enemy behavior are paced. As a result, it can accommodate the small degree of control imprecision added by the touchscreens and be none the worse for it. Likewise, the smaller range of motion of the analog sticks may cause some making the PC/console transition to balk a bit, and indeed, aiming can initially feel ungainly if you're used to the game on other platforms. After you adjust the aim sensitivity and spend some time wandering the wastelands, however, the mercenary satisfactions of long-range headshots and up-close bullet barrages are well within reach.</p><p style="">And taking on enemies in Borderlands 2 is very satisfying. Raving psychos that run toward you in serpentine patterns, heavy flamethrower troops that wield bulky shields, speedy lizards that can turn invisible and teleport, lumbering insects that spew corrosive acid, giant attack robots that build other robots, and shotgun-wielding midgets that jump out of lockers are just some of the diverse forces arrayed against you. To combat them, you arm yourself with a standard variety of weapon types made distinctly nonstandard by varying scopes, firing patterns, and elemental effects. Throw in a wide selection of grenades, shields that can damage enemies, and your character's customizable action skill, and you've got a lot of different strategic options. Marshaling these options and bringing gleeful destruction to your enemies is a lot of fun, and the variety of adversaries and environments helps keep combat fresh many hours into the game. </p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/542/5424362/2551017-2014-06-06-151122.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2551017" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/542/5424362/2551017-2014-06-06-151122.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2551017"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/542/5424362/2551017-2014-06-06-151122.jpg"></a><figcaption>Play as the Mechromancer and summon a flying killer robot to keep you company.</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">During<span> </span><span>full-on firefights there can be a </span><span>lot happening onscreen, and here's where the Vita struggles. The frame rate slows down and makes things look choppier, adding a bit more chaos to an already chaotic situation. On another platform, you might feel like you still have a grip on things when the action gets frantic; on the Vita, that grip is a bit more tenuous. In many cases, it's just an added nuisance, but in the worst moments, it's another consideration you must add to your decision-making process. Lining up your sniper shot takes a little more patience, and your berserk shotgun rampages have to be a little more wild; it feels like you need to exaggerate whatever your chosen play style is, or maybe get comfortable with having less control.</span></p><p style="">But this isn't to say that everything spirals out of control when the frame rate suffers; the effect is not nearly that severe. There are a lot of elements that combine to make combat in Borderlands 2 chaotic and satisfying, and while the frame rate adds to the former and not the latter, it doesn't tip the scales. This still feels like proper Borderlands 2 action, complete with all the thrills and challenges that it boasts on PCs and consoles. The cycle of exploring the world, vanquishing enemies (who vanish in a spurt of blood instead of melting or falling down or whatever else they do in the other versions), and collecting loot is still enthralling.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/542/5424362/2551019-2014-06-06-145605.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2551019" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/542/5424362/2551019-2014-06-06-145605.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2551019"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/542/5424362/2551019-2014-06-06-145605.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">This cycle gets even better when you play with a friend, something that is no less true even though you can team up with only one other player on Vita, as opposed to three. You need an online connection, though, because there's no local connection option. You can ask the game to find a match for you, or peruse the available matches in a list, and after a lengthy loading screen, you're in the action seamlessly. Whether someone joins your game or you join someone else's, the frame rate issues are about the same, so it's generally as smooth as playing by yourself. Playing with someone else not only adds the usual camaraderies, it also lets you use complementary abilities and tactics, pits you against tougher enemies, and gives you bigger rewards. It's like playing a souped-up version of the game, and it's great.</p><p style="">Of course, you might end up with someone who just constantly asks to trade weapons and leaves when you don't comply; such is the risk of all online play. The built-in Vita mic is also active by default, which could either be a great way to communicate and make a new friend, or an annoyance that you quickly mute. The audio landscape in Borderlands 2 is already quite crowded, given all the sound effects, enemy taunts, character quips, dialogue, and voice-over lines. Many of these effects sound flatter and less rich than they do on consoles and PC, even through headphones, and occasionally dialogue lines or effects drop out and leave a conspicuous silence. The lines dropped tend to be prioritized well, though, so you aren't likely to miss any crucial dialogue. This leaves you free to enjoy the irreverent and relentless humor, which is one of the game's greatest strengths. </p><p style="">Audio and video in Borderlands 2 seem to push the limits of what the Vita can handle, but the system merely strains and does not break (though the game did crash once or twice in my dozen or so hours with it). The Vita version also comes with two of the sizable downloadable mission packs, two extra playable characters, and an assortment of bonus goodies. And you can take advantage of the cross-save capability if you own Borderlands 2 on the PlayStation 3. The result is an impressive package that delivers exciting combat, hilarious dialogue, entertaining quests, and delightful rewards.</p> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 18:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/borderlands-2-review/1900-6415786/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/hardcore-moba-vain-glory-from-former-rockstar-and-riot-devs-has-a-catch-it-s-on-tablet/1100-6420180/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419146" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419146/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">What game are you playing on your tablet right now? Maybe it's Monument Valley, Threes!, or the guilty pleasure that is Candy Crush Saga? One new startup is hoping that, over the next few months, you'll be looking to play a hardcore MOBA on your iPad.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Super Evil Megacorp is currently working on Vain Glory, a MOBA for tablets that's gunning to recreate the success of <a href="/league-of-legends/" data-ref-id="false">League of Legends</a>. My first reaction was, well, immensely sceptical. And then I remembered that, earlier this week, I spent an evening at a game night where scores of people were sitting around in the same room playing <a href="/hearthstone-heroes-of-warcraft/" data-ref-id="false">Hearthstone</a> against each other, all with their own laptops and tablets. And then last night I watched as the GameSpot office exploded in noise after a game of <a href="/towerfall-ascension/" data-ref-id="false">Towerfall Ascension</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">That's Super Evil Megacorp's gamble, then: pretty much everyone has a tablet, and there's a growing market for technical, dense games that a group of people can play together in one room.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The company's freshly minted executive director Kristian Segerstrale, who previously co-founded Playfish, says that the iPad and iPhone "are capable of these incredible core gaming experiences, but the software just hasn't been made yet."</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550993-superevilmegacorp_vainglory_gameplay.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550993" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550993-superevilmegacorp_vainglory_gameplay.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550993"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/1493/14930800/2550993-superevilmegacorp_vainglory_gameplay.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Still, the first thought most of us have when it comes to the App Store are Flappy Bird and Candy Crush clones. There's a reason so many people are skeptical about playing long, intricate titles on their tablets, right? "There's been a bunch of games that sort of market themselves as 'core', where they look core in their marketing messaging, they look core in their first five minutes of gameplay, and then it turns out they are very shallow. We feel like it just hasn't been done yet, except with the possible exception of Hearthstone... which I think is the first piece of software that's been crafted for tablets that actually shows what the hardware is capable of."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">CEO Bob Daly has put together a team, currently of around 16 developers, that includes former staff from Riot Games, Rockstar, and Playfish to work on Vain Glory. It's a 3 vs. 3 brawler, so slightly smaller than the main modes of League of Legends and Dota 2, and the game is being created with its own proprietary engine. Right now Vain Glory is being beta tested in Southeast Asia, and Daly says the team is specifically targeting players of LoL and <a href="/dota-2/" data-ref-id="false">Dota 2</a>. A wider, global rollout of beta invites is scheduled to begin in the next few months. The studio has just secured another $11.6 million in financing, which brings its funding total to $15 million. That sounds like a lot, but this is team gunning for League of Legends, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/league-of-legends-revenues-for-2013-total-624-million-update/1100-6417224/" data-ref-id="1100-6417224">which is estimated to have grossed $624 million in 2013</a>.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550992-superevilmegacorp_playtime.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550992" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550992-superevilmegacorp_playtime.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550992"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/1493/14930800/2550992-superevilmegacorp_playtime.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">But does the game work? Is it fun? How on Earth do you play a MOBA, a genre which requires hundreds of mouse clicks and button presses, on a tablet? Super Evil Megacorp isn't talking about any of that stuff right now--it says it's just looking to unveil the studio and communicate their design philosphy.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The real question, then, is whether this developer can walk the walk after so many others have tried and failed. Segerstrale, however, points to the team's work on creating its own bespoke engine as a sign of its intentions. "If you think about Apple's announcement of Metal," said Segerstrale, "it shows how very serious game engines are." And what about the games? "I think the pointers are there, but nobody has made the defining software for these devices. Somebody is going to do that. In the next 12, to 18, to 24 months, somebody is going to come out with a defining core product for tablets. We're working very hard to be that company, but it could be somebody else. It will happen."</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 17:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/hardcore-moba-vain-glory-from-former-rockstar-and-riot-devs-has-a-catch-it-s-on-tablet/1100-6420180/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/militant-e3-2014-trailer/2300-6419192/ Check out the Militant E3 2014 trailer. Fri, 06 Jun 2014 17:07:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/militant-e3-2014-trailer/2300-6419192/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-forest-early-access-review/1100-6420176/ <p style=""><i>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.</i></p><p style="">It was the nearly naked guy with a flashlight strapped to his head who did me in. I've little doubt that he'd waited there in the darkness by the shore long enough to watch me stumble through my own campfire like an idiot, setting my clothes aflame moments before I prepared to lie down for the night. Relieved that I'd ended that little emergency, I looked up to find him and his two friends illuminated by the soft orange light. And so I died again, satisfied that I'd at least managed to survive two days this time. A record. Such is life in The Forest, a new survival sim available on Steam.</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2550941" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2550941-%D0%96%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%89%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BC%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82-the-forest.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2550941-%D0%96%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%89%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BC%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82-the-forest.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550941"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/725/7253563/2550941-%D0%96%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%89%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BC%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82-the-forest.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Shades of BioShock reveal themselves in the opening moments, when the hero's plane falls out of the sky and strands him smack in the middle of a community of nutjobs. (Thankfully, there's no need to worry about water pressure or objectivism.) There's a kid who clings to your arm as the plane breaks apart, but he's taken away by a guy who looks like he last worked as an oliphant teamster in <i>The Return of the King</i>. Is he your son? Your MacGuffin? It's never expressly stated, and 30 minutes into my attempt to build shoddy lean-tos and cook iguanas I realized I'd briefly forgotten the tyke even existed. I suspect he'll pop up later, since I have to watch him get taken away from me every time I start the game anew after dying.</p><blockquote data-size="large" data-align="center"><p style="">It was the nearly naked guy with a flashlight strapped to his head who did me in.</p></blockquote><p style="">As survival sims go, there are far worse options than The Forest, even in its unfinished state. It lacks the austerity of, say, DayZ, since it complements its statuses about needing food or cleaning off blood before an infection sets in with an unobtrusive UI element that shows meters for thirst, hunger, and temperature. Experimentation is also largely a no-no. Our hero carries in his pocket the world's most comprehensive survival guide (accessible by pressing B), which provides templates for everything from log cabins and weapons to totems cobbled together from the heads and limbs of your foes. All airlines should start carrying this thing.</p><p style="">Crazed cannibals aside, it's kind of a nice life in an Idaho-mountain-man kind of way. The seaside landscape evokes the Douglas fir forests of the Pacific Northwest, and there's even a Mount Rainier look-alike that dominates the skyline from the beach. You can climb trees, and occasionally birds flutter down and land on your arm. Sometimes when the thunderheads start to roll in or the light breaks through to a small meadow, it's worth just sitting there gawping at the beauty. Small trees and weeds rustle and shake just as they would if you hit them with a real axe, and trees fall with a satisfying thud. In time, developer Endnight claims, you'll be able to sample all this in a peaceful mode without the threat of gruesome deaths from the natives. It's an attractive idea, sort of like reliving the story of Christopher McCandless but with the chance of a happy ending.</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2550943" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2550943-theforest-flare.jpg" data-size="medium" data-align="right" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2550943-theforest-flare.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550943"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/725/7253563/2550943-theforest-flare.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">But as much as I hate to admit it, The Forest probably needs its barely clothed antagonists. They add a necessary dose of tension to every action. Maybe, I'd think, I could get about eight logs by chopping down that tree. The problem is, it might draw their attention. Ambling out onto the beach to scavenge for supplies? You're so exposed that it's always a risky venture. I also like the way cannibals move. These aren't idiotic zombies; they circle around you, trying to stay in your blind spot to catch you off guard before charging. Too bad the alpha state of the game often gives them an unfair advantage; I once swam out to sea in an attempt to escape, only to witness one of them walking under the water as carefree as you please. It didn't end well.</p><p style="">Fortunately, that doesn't always mean dying. Sometimes the cannibals drop you off in the back of a cave, where you wake up next to a poor fellow who's had his intestines yanked out through his T-shirt. Here, too, the unspoken narrative gets a little muddy. Dozens of bodies hang upside down from the cave's ceiling, and jumping up and touching them--hey, I was curious--triggers something to the effect of "1 out of 160 Passengers Found." Were these the passengers on my plane? Aside from the boy and a flight attendant with an axe buried in her chest, the plane was empty during the crash. It's ultimately a small complaint since they do little else besides hang there, and at any rate, you have a cave to escape.</p><p style="">I suppose you could die in the attempt, but I never have. The Forest reveals the presence of enemies with the subtle stroke of an autoharp, usually providing just enough time to prepare. One time after being captured, I chanced upon a gang of three cannibals blocking the exit to the cave, but I was able to kill them by blasting them with some starting pistols I'd found and chopping them with my trusty axe. Good thing they left me with all my supplies when they captured me (and I'm still not entirely sure if that was a bug).</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2550944" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2550944-theforest-bloody.png" data-size="medium" data-align="left" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2550944-theforest-bloody.png" data-ref-id="1300-2550944"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/725/7253563/2550944-theforest-bloody.png"></a></figure><p style="">Escape, and you live to fight another day. Or at least a couple of hours. The Forest currently piles on the enemies a little too thickly, to the point that it's difficult to go 10 minutes without seeing one. This is a problem when you're building stuff. Case in point: I've never been able to survive long enough to sleep in a shelter I've built and thus save my progress; the cannibals always find me first. (I hear that sleeping is bugged right now anyway.) My death in the opening paragraph? That was but moments before I'd planned to sleep in the little hunter's shack I'd just finished. Developer Endnight Games might do well to limit thine own appearance of cannibals based on whether it's night or day.</p><p style="">The Forest is a nice counterpart to DayZ's heavy emphasis on interactions with other players. Here, it's just you against the world. Given time, the game might even be great. But right now the glitches are almost as common as the cannibals, whether it's little stuff like seeing logs float well away from where they're supposed to be when you're building something or more pressing concerns such as the water-walking baddies. Only seconds after I booted it up for the first time, I was stuck in a rock-bashing animation that couldn't be fixed without a full restart. It's a lot better than you normally get with games labeled "alpha" these days, but it's an alpha nonetheless. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to playing.</p><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><b>What's There?</b></p></td><td><p style="">A single-player survival game that pits you against the trials of the wilderness and some hungry cannibals.</p><p style=""> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><b>What's To Come?</b></p></td><td><p style="">Possibly a multiplayer or cooperative mode, but Endnight wants to deliver a different "feel" than DayZ and Rust.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><b>What Does it Cost?</b></p></td><td><em>$14.99</em></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><b>When Will it Be Finished?</b></p></td><td><p style="">There's currently no concrete release date.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><b>What's the Verdict?</b></p></td><td><p style="">Despite its cannibals, The Forest delivers a survival experience that feels more "real" than many of its counterparts. You hunt, build shelters, and fight in a beautiful world that's oblivious to the action. It's largely playable in its current state, but you might want to wait a bit for the team to iron out some significant bugs and glitches.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 17:06:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-forest-early-access-review/1100-6420176/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/kill-the-bad-guy-review/1900-6415785/ <p style="">Sometimes a title really an get the point across. Set-piece puzzler Kill the Bad Guy lays your motives bare with its blunt moniker, which nicely sums up your primary goal. The game has you murdering a rogues' gallery of ne'er-do-wells via assassinations that play out like gory outtakes from old cartoons, and lets you see the real aftermath of Elmer Fudd shooting Daffy Duck in the face. Yes, this is a game about killing, but it's a fun, lightweight game about killing that mostly succeeds by blending cunning logic- and physics-based puzzles with a great sense of humor relating to the daydream revenge fantasies that we all have about taking out everyone from serial killers to that guy in the Volvo who just cut you off.</p><p style="">The single-player-only Kill the Bad Guy puts you in the employ of an international guild of assassins out to kill every villain who ever got off on a technicality, escaped the long arm of the law, set up a terrorist attack, parked in a handicapped spot, and so forth. You do so by rigging up various traps that allow the murders to look like accidents, presumably because any half-decent international guild of assassins wouldn't want its dirty work winding up on the cover of the New York Post. Everything takes place in real time, although you can pause the action or even speed it up to zip past dull spots when you're waiting for your victim to get into position for the kill.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2550976-0001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550976" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2550976-0001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550976"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2550976-0001.jpg"></a><figcaption>Rigging manholes so they turn into explosive geysers is just one of the many fun ways to murder people in Kill the Bad Guy.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Each of the 60 levels (split into six chapters with 10 levels in each) included in the game is a small set-piece affair that involves no more than a couple of city blocks. The bad guy enters on one side of the map--which is sparsely populated by stores, vehicles, garbage trucks, pedestrians, and so forth--and walks around a set route until he exits a minute or so later. Everything is given a surreal, art-house style, with most of the backdrop presented in black and white. Only the bad guys really stand out, because they come equipped with colorful sporty jackets (think Starter in the '90s), faces painted with bull's-eye targets, and loads of bright red blood, which tends to end up smeared all over the landscape by the close of each level.</p><p style="">Dark objects in levels can be manipulated with basic left and right clicks of the mouse, while light ones are just part of the scenery. How and when you manipulate these objects is where the puzzle part of the game comes into play. Victims don't just stroll straight to their deaths, so you need to adjust the landscape to both nudge them into the right spots and set up various kooky traps. You can indirectly guide bad guys by putting obstacles in their way. So whenever you want to discourage targets from going down a street, you throw a stop sign in their way, or the glass from a broken bottle, or even a dead dog. Or lure them where you want them to go with goodies like porno mags and, um, French bread.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2550977-0002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550977" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2550977-0002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550977"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2550977-0002.jpg"></a><figcaption>Black humor doesn't mesh well with real-life monsters like Albert Fish...although few people in human history are more worthy of being crushed into bloody goo by a piano.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The trick is not being seen. At first, you just have to avoid the viewing cone of the victim (which can be toggled on and off), because he flees in panic if he spots anything suspicious (oddly enough, dropping a dead dog directly in front of somebody produces a pretty dramatic reaction). But later levels introduce patrolling cops, police cruisers, pedestrians, security cameras, and the like. Commit any sort of criminal act in front of them, and you instantly fail the mission.</p><p style="">Kill the Bad Guy murders are always pulled off in elaborate ways reminiscent of Saturday-morning cartoons as reimagined by Edward Gorey. Falling pianos, explosive manhole covers, runaway cars, flaming pools of oil, and more all figure into the mayhem here. You might combine a rope with a crate and then hang the contraption on a building for the moment that your target walks past. Or rig up a wannabe catapult with some parking stanchions and a metal bar from a nearby construction site. Or spill some water and then cut a power cable right as a bad guy is getting his feet wet.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">This is a game about killing, but it's a fun, lightweight game about killing that mostly succeeds by blending cunning logic- and physics-based puzzles with a great sense of humor.</p></blockquote><p style="">Objects function in realistic, physics-based ways, but the game features sort of a "horseshoes and hand grenades" leeway where you can generally kill a baddie by getting reasonably close with a falling crate, an explosive, or a runaway lawn mower. You can never be foiled by any didn't-quite-get-me moments reminiscent of the grinning pigs in Angry Birds. Get close enough, and you can guarantee that you'll soon be seeing a screaming, flaming corpse-in-waiting running frantically around the map.</p><p style="">Trapping and killing are imaginative and fun for the most part. There are a lot of chuckles to be had, as well as some devious plots to concoct. Levels offer a fair bit of replay value. There are almost always multiple ways to kill targets, as well as bonus goals like finding a victim's passport and grabbing the tooth that always pops out of a bad guy as he expires. Levels fly by, too, making this a very catchy game you can play on the fly when you have only a few minutes to spare. You can whip through even the toughest levels in little more than 10 minutes, and the average and easy ones can generally be solved in no more than a couple of minutes on your first attempt.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2550980-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550980" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2550980-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550980"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2550980-0003.jpg"></a><figcaption>Aldrich blew up real good.</figcaption></figure><p style="">But the developers don't push the design enough, and repetition is a problem. There are really just a handful of go-to ways to kill bad guys, so the thrill eventually evaporates from even wacky murders, such as slingshotting a dead dog onto somebody's head. Each of the game's six chapters also brings in a new gameplay element, like the aforementioned security cameras, and then the next few missions are fairly easy introductions to this added feature. As a result, the game isn't as challenging as it could be.</p><p style="">The dark humor sometimes goes a little too far. Bad guys are given biographies in the splash screens before each assignment. Most are irreverent and goofy, but some reveal that you're taking on too-close-to-home villains like one of the Columbine killers, serial killer Albert Fish, and even Hitler. Profiling these real-life monsters with the game's blackly humorous text can be a little off-putting.</p><p style="">Even though Kill the Bad Guy has its moments, it's never quite as challenging or as engaging as it could be. The biggest problem may be the platform. Such lightweight and casual play would likely work better on a phone or a tablet, especially at a cheaper price than the $14.99 sticker virtually attached to this Steam-distributed game. Still, even with these flaws, this is a diverting, innovative puzzler with more than enough charm to make staging loony-tunes murders look like an appealing pastime.</p> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 17:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/kill-the-bad-guy-review/1900-6415785/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-ea-sports-ufc-wants-to-show-off-ps4-and-xbox-one-potential/1100-6419785/ <p style="">I'm entranced by the sight of UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones' rippling pectoral muscles bouncing around the Octagon. That's me, by the way. Lying on the ground is Alexander Gustafsson, the other guy, whose stomach rises and falls with each simulated breath, seconds before Jones crash lands on top of him into a flurry of punches, quickly securing victory by TKO. I win! Sure, it's not the most refined and discerning train of thought I've ever had, but I'm spending a lot of my time ogling the graphics. Because, captured at the right angle, watching a round of EA Sports UFC play out is mesmerising.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/ufc-ultimate-fighting-championship/" data-ref-id="false">EA Sports UFC</a> is both EA's first title to only support Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and its first entry in the UFC license after the publisher and UFC owner Dana White resolved their "war" from back in 2009 this time last year to become best friends, honest. But developer EA Canada now has a new battle of its own to solve; much of its potential playerbase almost certainly don't know how to throw a proper punch, let alone handle the multiple combat disciplines on display in MMA. How is it possible to strive for a sense of authenticity when almost all of the game's players won't be able to actually understand it? The solution, at least to me, seems to be to capture the recognisable sense and feel of the UFC broadcasts, emulating the the way the sport looks on TV than rather how it plays out in real life.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Emulating the way UFC is broadcast is something EA has obsessed over. "Our replay and presentation cameras mimic the stuff that fans are used to seeing," says creative director Brian Hayes. "When you throw something in there that is 'video gamey', like if we're going to attach a camera to the fist as it flies towards your opponents face, that's something that, although it can look cool, immediately snaps you out of the immersion," he continues, arguing that such a mechanic would take away "the sense that you're actually watching a real event."</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418883" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418883/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think, as a general philosophy, EA Sports is really focused on striving for more authentic sports broadcast presentation," Hayes adds. It's a very different approach from EA's last attempt with the sport in 2010's ill-fated <a href="/ea-sports-mma/" data-ref-id="false">MMA</a>, which showed an x-ray camera when dealing with submissions. UFC, on the other hand, has submission attempts play out via an octagon-shaped mini-game, and it's the one moment of gaminess in an otherwise painstaking emulation. Like Hayes said, even this tiny detraction cracks the illusion.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">One of the most daunting parts of an MMA game is capturing the amount of martial arts disciplines and the various elements of a fight--striking, grappling, submissions, the ground game--into an understandable control system. The four face buttons control striking, with attacks modified by the bumpers. The right trigger is a general purpose block, though it can be modified to specifically, and more effectively, guard high or low attacks by pressing a punch or kick button. Time a block just right and you'll leave your opponent open to a counterattack, in a fashion similar to EA Canada's Fight Night series.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2537482-1920x1080_pettismelendez_june20_wm_resize.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2537482" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2537482-1920x1080_pettismelendez_june20_wm_resize.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2537482"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/1493/14930800/2537482-1920x1080_pettismelendez_june20_wm_resize.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">But that's all the stuff that's easy to understand, basically. "People almost instinctively understand standing in front of somebody and throwing punches and kicks, because there's a long history of games--whether it be Fight Night, Street Fighter, Soul Calibur, or Tekken--where you stand at striking range and throw different strikes at an opponent that can block, and defend, and move. But when things go to the ground? That's where everybody is a little bit lost."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">I know I am. I've done my best to avoid taking fights to the ground in every UFC game I've ever played. But EA's take on the series has opted to make this part of an MMA brawl more lethal than previous titles. Matches can easily be won or lost by securing an advantageous position on the floor. "It's the thing that varies the most from any [UFC] game that's come before us," adds Hayes."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Be warned, then: those who pick up UFC at launch and intend to take it online might have to deal with a lot of submission attempts coming their way in the first few weeks. "At the beginning of the EA Sports UFC lifespan there will be people that are the Royce Gracies' at UFC 1," Hayes predicts. "The people that take the time to learn the submission game, and dominate so many other people, until they realise how to handle submissions and level the playing field. There will definitely be an upside for users who take the time to learn the submission side and get good at it."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2537481-1920x1080_jonjones_june20_wm.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2537481" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2537481-1920x1080_jonjones_june20_wm.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2537481"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2537481-1920x1080_jonjones_june20_wm.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">There's more risk and danger, then, as players frantically tussle to get into, or get out of, the full mount with quarter-circle spins of the right analog stick. Most new players tend to lose their cool at this point, Hayes says. "As soon as a fight goes to the ground and people are playing for the first time, they just starting hitting every single controller input they possibly can. It's always better to try and do one thing, see if it works, and if not try something different. Don't try eight things at the same time."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Overall, Hayes argues that this lethal ground game will work out after players take the time to adjust to it. "If it doesn't seem dangerous then the impetus for you to learn, and grow, and get better, is lessened."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Hayes is also expecting that some people will pick up UFC based on the strength of its visuals, in a situation reminiscent of Fight Night Round 3 during the last console generation. "We knew that the performance of Fight Night Round 3, as a boxing game, really outpaced the popularity of boxing as a sport. It really performed the way it did on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 because people had just gotten these new gaming consoles, and it was one of the first games that came out that people said 'oh yeah, that's why my PlayStation 2 isn't good enough anymore.'"</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2537483-1920x1080_brucelee_june20_02_wm.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2537483" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2537483-1920x1080_brucelee_june20_02_wm.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2537483"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/1493/14930800/2537483-1920x1080_brucelee_june20_02_wm.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">"So we saw the exact same opportunity [with EA Sports UFC]. It's why we've spent so much effort on making the game look like it does. People will have purchased their Xbox One or their PlayStation 4, and they're going to be looking for something that makes them happy about their decision to upgrade. That's one of the things we really focused on."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As a developer heavily invested in the strength of their graphics, then, how is EA Canada finding working across the Xbox One and PS4. What console is easier for developers to work with? "The technology in each box is slightly different. The game on PS4 looks slightly different from Xbox One because of, like, black levels, and different things. If somebody asked me: what's better black levels? I don't know. That's really up to you."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Hayes also adds that the game's tech guys were looking at the possibility of having the game run at a higher resolution on PS4 in time for the game's launch: the UFC demo runs at 1600x900, according to a <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-ufc-demo-performance-analysis" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Digital Foundry report</a>. "They were looking at whether or not we could have the PS4 [version run] at a higher resolution," he says, "but whether or not their investigations were successful? I don't know at this time."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">EA Sports UFC will be released for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on June 17.</p> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 16:39:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-ea-sports-ufc-wants-to-show-off-ps4-and-xbox-one-potential/1100-6419785/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gunpoint-developer-releases-new-game-floating-point/1100-6420182/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2552283-7606660926-ss_1e.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2552283" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2552283-7606660926-ss_1e.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2552283"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1539/15391776/2552283-7606660926-ss_1e.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Tom Francis, developer of the stealth-puzzle game <a href="/gunpoint/" data-ref-id="false">Gunpoint</a>, released his newest game today, Floating Point. And it doesn't cost a dime.</p><p style="">In Floating Point, you take control of a grappling hook, and the game is all about swinging and collecting points. The more you swing and the less you hit, the faster you go and the more points you earn.</p><p style="">Player performance affects the sensory experience of the game, too. As Francis describes on the Steam product page, "As you pick up momentum, you start to glow, the bars you're collecting rise up, the music kicks in, and your trajectory burns a bright red line in the air, drawing huge, beautiful mathematical curves of your arcing flight."</p><p style="">The game is peaceful, surprisingly engaging, and will run on almost any Windows, Mac, or Linux <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pc/" data-ref-id="false">computer.</a></p><p style=""><a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/302380" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">It is available today for free on Steam</a>.</p><p style="">Tom Francis' first game, Gunpoint, was received positively on GameSpot. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/gunpoint-review/1900-6409472/" data-ref-id="1900-6409472">You can read our review here.</a></p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Alex Newhouse is an editorial intern at GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/alexbnewhouse" rel="nofollow">Twitter @alexbnewhouse</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 16:39:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gunpoint-developer-releases-new-game-floating-point/1100-6420182/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-witcher-3-details-drop-batman-arkham/2300-6419193/ Mortal Kombat X is revealed, Arkham Knight is pushed to 2015, Forza Horizon 2 graphics details revealed, and what's going on with Uncharted 4?! Fri, 06 Jun 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-witcher-3-details-drop-batman-arkham/2300-6419193/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/once-upon-a-time-bethesda-almost-went-out-of-business/1100-6420177/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/0/1/9/3/640193-dlx_6118370_20050210_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-640193" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/0/1/9/3/640193-dlx_6118370_20050210_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-640193"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/mig/0/1/9/3/640193-dlx_6118370_20050210_003.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Developer Bethesda Game Studios was almost shut down in the late nineties, executive producer and game director Todd Howard revealed recently.</p><p style="">Speaking in an interview with German gaming publication Gamestar, translated by <a href="http://kotaku.com/bethesda-might-have-gone-out-of-business-if-not-for-mor-1587098880" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku</a>, Howard spoke of the difficult times following the developer's release of <a href="/the-elder-scrolls-chapter-ii-daggerfall/" data-ref-id="false">The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall</a>.</p><p style="">"We spread ourselves thin. We started doing a lot of games, and they just weren't good enough. And they weren't the kind of games we should've been making at the time," Howard said.</p><p style="">With Zenimax's acquisition of Bethesda, he described the studio as being granted "a new lease on life" which it was able to use to work on <a href="/the-elder-scrolls-iii-morrowind/" data-ref-id="false">The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind</a>. The game went on to be well-received by critics, and is what Howard describes as "kind of the new genesis of Bethesda." According to him, "bits of code" that were used in Morrowind still appear in Bethesda games today.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Zorine Te is an associate editor at GameSpot, and you can follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/ztharli" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @ztharli</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:34:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/once-upon-a-time-bethesda-almost-went-out-of-business/1100-6420177/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/what-we-d-like-to-see-at-e3-from-nintendo/1100-6420172/ <p style="">At the Wii U's reveal two E3s ago, Nintendo introduced a system that would have <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2011-wii-u-boasts-m-rated-third-party-support/1100-6317579/">a large amount of third-party support</a> (for a Nintendo console). Though things <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-not-developing-anything-for-wii-u/1100-6408481/" data-ref-id="1100-6408481">didn't quite pan out the way the company planned</a>, that's just made every release for Nintendo's systems that much more important.</p><p style="">The Wii U may not have an overabundance of games, but the ones that do come out tend to be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-wonderful-101/">unique</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/mario-kart-8/">fun</a> experiences. And the 3DS is still the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/3ds-sales-reach-11-5-million-in-us-alone-nintendo-calls-system-a-powerhouse/1100-6417058/">reigning champion of handheld gaming</a>. The highly anticipated <a href="/mario-kart-8/" data-ref-id="false">Mario Kart 8</a> launched last week, <a href="/super-smash-bros-for-nintendo-3ds/" data-ref-id="false">Super Smash Bros.</a> is on the near horizon, and Nintendo has already announced that its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/update-nintendo-to-integrate-skylanders-like-figurines-with-wii-u-and-3ds/1100-6419497/">NFC figurine program</a> will make an appearance at this year's E3. But what surprises does the company have in store? GameSpot's editors discuss what they most want to see on the Wii U and 3DS at this year's gaming convention.</p><p style=""> </p><h3><strong>Something Old, Something New - Carolyn Petit</strong></h3><p style=""> </p><p style="">Oh, Nintendo. I hope you know what you're doing. I want all three console makers to have strong showings at E3 because I love getting to play great games on every platform, but it's Nintendo whose games can still tap in to my childlike love for gaming. With the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-we-are-to-blame-for-poor-wii-u-sales/1100-6410425/">Wii U's sales having been so disappointing</a>, and with the company opting for a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-will-again-forgo-a-traditional-e3-press-conference/1100-6419283/">Nintendo Direct in lieu of a proper press conference</a>, I worry that a strong E3 for Nintendo is too much to hope for. But hope I do.</p><p style=""> </p><p style="">Rumors abound that Nintendo is going to reveal some sort of new technology that may not even be purely gaming-focused, but I want Nintendo to show us why those of us who bought a Wii U should still be excited, and maybe why those who haven't yet bought a Wii U will want to buy one in the future. For me, that means a few different things.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2550893-8934027663-25383.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550893" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2550893-8934027663-25383.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550893"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1534/15343359/2550893-8934027663-25383.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">First and foremost, it means that Nintendo needs to trot out really exciting new entries in its legendary franchises. And when I say exciting, I mean daring games, games that take chances rather than play it safe. Give us a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-legend-of-zelda-wii-u/">new Legend of Zelda</a> game that breaks out of the mold that every console Zelda of the past few generations has adhered to, perhaps <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/what-we-d-like-to-see-in-the-next-legend-of-zelda/1100-6418783/" data-ref-id="1100-6418783">looking to the challenge and mystery of the original NES game</a>, and to the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/dark-souls/">Dark Souls</a> games, for inspiration.</p><p style=""> </p><p style="">Give us a new Mario game that is as bold and brilliant a reinvention of the platforming genre as <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/super-mario-galaxy/">Super Mario Galaxy</a> was. And <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/metroid/">Metroid</a>. Give us Metroid! Please! A Metroid that's scary and that makes you feel as alone and uncertain as the alien landscapes of the original game did so long ago, a game that looked and sounded and played like nothing else at the time.</p><p style=""> </p><p style="">But do more than this. Show us that your days of creating amazing new franchises aren't behind you, that it's not just going to be Zelda and Mario and Metroid forever. Reveal a new franchise that you're pouring as much time and money and creativity into as you've ever poured into a Mario or Zelda game. Show us that you can still be the company that you used to be, when you didn't just rely on amazing established properties but constantly innovated and created amazing new properties, too.</p><p style="">That's all I want, Nintendo. I don't think it's too much to ask.</p><p style=""> </p><h3><strong>The Future Retro - Thomas Mc Shea</strong></h3><p style="">I have placed my unquestioned faith into the hands of Retro Studios. Only one of their five games thus far--<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/metroid-prime-3-corruption/">Metroid Prime: Corruption</a>--was less than a masterpiece, so the prospect of seeing what their ingenious minds concoct next has caused me to babble with senseless delirium. E3 would be a major success in my eyes if we got even a whisper of what they have in store for us, no matter what project they deem worthy of their talents. I don't care if it's another <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/donkey-kong-country-returns/">Donkey Kong Country</a>, a return to the Metroid adventures that started their fame, or a new enterprise that no one could have expected. I want to see Retro's effort flaunted.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2550891-8132556805-36162.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550891" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2550891-8132556805-36162.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550891"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1534/15343359/2550891-8132556805-36162.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">But if I'm being greedy (which I am), then my wishes don't stop with just one game. As is a requisite when talking about Nintendo, I do want an older franchise to be brought to the present. And my dream rebirth would be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/f-zero/">F-Zero</a>. Oh, I know how dangerous investing money in a game that has a limited market would be, but business issues don't matter at all to me. We haven't seen this futuristic racer since the awe-inspiring <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/f-zero-gx/">F-Zero GX</a> more than a decade ago—actually 11 years!--and the time is ripe for next-generation, zero gravity racing. Please, Nintendo, make it so.</p><p style=""> </p><h3><strong>Fuzzy Pickles! - Justin Haywald</strong></h3><p style=""> </p><p style="">We might have to wait for the next Nintendo console for my wish to come true, but I'm waiting for Nintendo to finally announce Virtual Console integration between 3DS and Wii U. The fact that you have to buy an NES game like Super Mario Bros. 3 separately for each system (and that there's no cross-save) feels ridiculous, especially looking at the close integration between the PS4, PS3, and Vita.</p><p style=""> </p><p style="">And of course I want to finally see the next version of Zelda, Mario, Metroid, and Nintendo's other storied franchises. But there are two revivals I'd like more than any other: <a href="/the-legend-of-zelda-majoras-mask/" data-ref-id="false">Majora's Mask</a> on 3DS and the official release of Earthbound sequel Mother 3.<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/forums/system-wars-314159282/nintendo-puts-majoras-mask-in-the-legend-of-zelda--29454853/" data-ref-id="false"> The Skull Kid mask in A Link Between Worlds</a> is only the latest tease from Nintendo that a potential remake of the game (a la Ocarina of Time) is in development. One of the leads on the <a href="http://mother3.fobby.net/" rel="nofollow">Mother 3 fan translation</a> even <a href="http://mother3.fobby.net/blog/2013/04/20/offer-to-nintendo/" rel="nofollow">offered his version up for free</a> if it meant the game could come to the West. Earthbound came out on Virtual Console last year, so maybe anything's possible?</p><p style=""> </p><p style=""><i>You've read our thoughts, but what games do you want to see from Nintendo? Let us know in the comments below!</i></p><p style=""> </p><p style=""><em>And For even more E3 discussion, check out our full pre-E3 series:</em></p><ul><li><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/what-we-d-like-to-see-at-e3-from-sony/1100-6420028/">What We'd Like To See at E3 From Sony</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/what-we-d-like-to-see-at-e3-from-microsoft/1100-6420112/">What We'd Like to See at E3 From Microsoft</a></li><li>What We'd Like to See at E3 on PC [COMING SUNDAY]</li></ul><p style=""><em>And</em></p><ul><li><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-press-conferences-what-does-sony-need-to-do/1100-6420070/">E3 Press Conferences, What Does Sony Need to Do?</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-press-conferences-what-does-microsoft-need-to-do/1100-6420144/" data-ref-id="1100-6420144">E3 Press Conferences, What Does Microsoft Need to Do?</a></li><li>E3 Press Conferences, What Does Nintendo Need to Do? [Coming Saturday]</li></ul><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">See more coverage of E3 2014 →</a></p> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/what-we-d-like-to-see-at-e3-from-nintendo/1100-6420172/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tomodachi-life-review-roundup/1100-6420175/ <figure data-ref-id="1300-2550931" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2550931-tomodachi.jpg" data-size="small" data-align="right" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2550931-tomodachi.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550931"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/123/1239113/2550931-tomodachi.jpg"></a><figcaption>Yeah, it gets weird.</figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">More than a year after its launch in Japan, Nintendo's quirky new 3DS life simulation, <a href="/tomodachi-life/" data-ref-id="false">Tomodachi Life</a>, is now available at retail and on the eShop. There were some questions before launch about whether the game deserved to be positioned as a regularly priced game--it sells for $35--and with its release today, we now have a number of reviews to provide some sense of what to expect.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Tomodachi Life made headlines recently due to its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-explains-why-it-won-t-allow-same-sex-relationships-in-tomodachi-life/1100-6419489/" data-ref-id="1100-6419489">lack of same-sex relationships</a>. Confusion over a patch for the Japanese version led some to believe Nintendo had deliberately removed the presence of gay marriage, but the company claimed that was not the case. A petition to have Nintendo add the option for the Western release of the game started up, and even comedian <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/comedian-john-oliver-takes-on-nintendo-s-controversial-same-sex-apology/1100-6419743/" data-ref-id="1100-6419743">John Oliver chimed in on the subject</a>. After Nintendo released a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-explains-why-it-won-t-allow-same-sex-relationships-in-tomodachi-life/1100-6419489/" data-ref-id="1100-6419489">widely-criticized comment</a> on the situation, it <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-responds-to-criticism-regarding-same-sex-relationships-in-tomodachi-life-update/1100-6419530/" data-ref-id="1100-6419530">corrected itself by committing to</a> "strive to design a gameplay experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players" if it develops a sequel.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Over on <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/3ds/tomodachi-life" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot sister site Metacritic</a>, Tomodachi currently sits with an average review score of 71. Check out the reviews we've collected below and feel free to share your QR codes--allowing you to bring other people's Miis into your game--in the comments.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Destructoid -- 9/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"In all, Tomodachi Life is filled with pure, unbridled joy. It puts a stupid grin on my face and keeps it there through its duration. Some might complain that it is 'not a game,' but they can go on hating. It does require the player to put in some love, flair, and wit, but what comes out is magic." [<a href="http://www.destructoid.com/review-tomodachi-life-275940.phtml" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">Edge -- 7/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"Given Nintendo is considerate enough to publish an annual report discussing how its practices could effect positive societal change, it's doubly disappointing that Tomodachi Life promotes a lifestyle that will exclude many, with some features gated off until two characters get married and have a child. Otherwise, this is a delightfully strange and often surprising piece of work; it's more plaything than game, perhaps, but the smiles it generates will be broad and frequent." [<a href="http://www.edge-online.com/review/tomodachi-life-review/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">GameSpot -- 7/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"What you're left with is a sophisticated Tamagotchi, and a repetitive cycle of feeding, nursing, and entertaining that is hardly the most absorbing of pastimes. A much deeper system of development for Miis would have gone a long way towards keeping things interesting. That said, there are so many hilarious and curiously bizarre moments to be found along the way that even if the journey to fully fledged family life is a short one before the repetition sets in, it's well worth the trip." [<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/tomodachi-life-review/1900-6415783/" data-ref-id="1900-6415783">Full review</a>]</p><div data-height="100%" data-width="100%" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq4bSdxudrg" data-embed-type="video"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Ffq4bSdxudrg%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dfq4bSdxudrg&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Ffq4bSdxudrg%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><h3 dir="ltr">Eurogamer -- 5/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"Tomodachi Life is a simple, throwaway toy, then - one with plenty of cute tricks, but not quite enough of them to stop you from tossing it aside after a handful of hours. There's no shame in that, of course - especially from a company that's excelled in novelty ever since Gunpei Yokoi's Love Tester, a device obliquely referenced in the metrics that measure the compatibility and chemistry between each of your islanders. Yet despite its exuberance and eccentricity, it's hard to recommend a life simulator with no real sense of simulation, and very little in the way of life." [<a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-06-05-tomodachi-life-review" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-06">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">IGN -- 8.4/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"Tomodachi Life offers a great kind of humor: it's just fun to laugh at yourself and your friends in absurd situations. Nintendo gets a lot out of mileage out of this <a href="/the-sims-4/" data-ref-id="false">Sims</a>-like concept, but still manages to find ways to make it simple, accessible, and entertaining. The stiff, robotic voices could use improvement, but the effect of hearing the Miis speak is still novel in its own way. The easy-breezy pace makes it ideal for short bursts of play, and it leaves me eager to check in on my town early and often." [<a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/06/tomodachi-life-review" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">Joystiq -- 3.5/5</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"I don't regret the time I spent in Tomodachi Life's strange alternate universe, but like <a href="/animal-crossing-new-leaf/" data-ref-id="false">Animal Crossing</a>, the experience loses its luster once you've seen the bulk of what it has to offer. Tomodachi Life wore out its welcome for me quicker than any Animal Crossing game ever did, due to its comparative lack of structure and progression, and its brilliant spark of creativity fades much more quickly than you'd like." [<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2014/06/06/tomodachi-life-review-the-surreal-world/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">USGamer-- 4/5</h3><p style="">"[T]hat's basically the appeal of the game in a nutshell: The ability to create stunningly faithful cartoon renditions of everyone you know and love, then set them free to be weird. To let them have odd conversations and pursue impossible romantic relationships. There's a certain therapeutic value to the game as well — a chance to woo your secret crush, or torment the avatar of someone you hate. Like so many of Nintendo's casual titles, it's the kind of game you don't play in marathon sessions but rather return to regularly for little sessions to lord over a tiny world and watch it spin into hilarious chaos. And it's the kind of game that makes you want to return for those little sessions for a long, long time to come." [<a href="http://venturebeat.com/2014/06/06/tomodachi-life-is-evidence-that-nintendo-can-still-make-anything-fun-review/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:50:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tomodachi-life-review-roundup/1100-6420175/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-rumors/1100-6419935/ <p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">E3 </a>2014 is now just <em>days</em> away. We're expecting a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-expecting-an-army-of-huge-franchises-at-e3/1100-6418625/" data-ref-id="1100-6418625">bevy of announcements from Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo</a>, as well as third-party publishers like Ubisoft and Electronic Arts, which alone <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-will-announce-a-major-frostbite-3-game-at-e3-what-do-you-think-it-is/1100-6419476/" data-ref-id="1100-6419476">plans to make six announcements at the show</a>. It promises to be a busy week in Los Angeles, but there's already a considerable amount of buzz built up thanks to a slew of rumors about what we may see at the show.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We have rounded up some of these rumors and provided details below. We will continue to update this story as more rise to the surface, and please don't hesitate to ping us to share rumors directly. For more on E3, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's roundup of everything you need to know about this year's show</a>.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Make-Your-Own Mario Game for 3DS.</h3><p style=""><a href="http://nintendoenthusiast.com/news/rumor-nintendo-showing-mario-maker-game-e3/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Nintendo Enthusiast</a> has obtained an image from Nintendo's booth on the E3 show floor that features an unannounced 3DS game called Mario Maker. Going off the picture alone, it looks like you'll be able to create your own levels in the Mushroom Kingdom. Sounds fun! But is it real? We'll find out next week.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2550659-mariomakernew.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550659" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2550659-mariomakernew.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550659"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2550659-mariomakernew.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>NFC Figurines for Super Smash Bros. </strong></h3><p style="">Nintendo France said that the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/super-smash-bros-wii-u-will-use-nfc/1100-6419826/" data-ref-id="1100-6419826">upcoming Super Smash Bros. is going to take advantage of the Wii U's NFC capabilities</a>. Pair that with the<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/update-nintendo-to-integrate-skylanders-like-figurines-with-wii-u-and-3ds/1100-6419497/" data-ref-id="1100-6419497"> confirmation by Nintendo of more figurine details at E3</a> and you don't have to stretch your imagination to put the two together. Will these miniatures involve unlockable characters? We'll find out during the E3 Nintendo Direct.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543950-18ae9073ac47de4104bbda82fc3003e03b869298.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543950" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543950-18ae9073ac47de4104bbda82fc3003e03b869298.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543950"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2543950-18ae9073ac47de4104bbda82fc3003e03b869298.jpg"></a></figure><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Grand Theft Auto V comes to Current-gen</strong></h3><p style="">We've been waiting a long time for GTA 5 to come to PC (<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-pc-petition-passes-700-000-signatures-game-is-now-taking-longer-than-gta-4-to-hit-pc/1100-6419280/" data-ref-id="1100-6419280">at this point it's taken longer than the same port for GTA 4</a>), but maybe part of the reason for the delay is that the game is also being optimized for current-gen consoles.</p><p style="">Rockstar has said that they plan on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/rockstar-games-to-release-a-ps4-xbox-one-game-by-march-2015/1100-6419610/" data-ref-id="1100-6419610">releasing an Xbox One/PS4 game this fiscal year</a>. While that could be the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ahead-of-e3-take-two-extends-its-agent-trademark/1100-6419837/" data-ref-id="1100-6419837">recently renewed Agent</a>, an update of one of the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/grand-theft-auto-5-has-now-shipped-32-5-million-copies/1100-6417498/" data-ref-id="1100-6417498">best-selling games of all time seems a little more likely at this point</a>. But the bigger question: Will it be a timed exclusive for Sony or Microsoft?</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543961-original.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543961" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543961-original.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543961"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2543961-original.jpg"></a></figure><h3><strong>Dance Central 4</strong></h3><p dir="ltr" style="">While <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-boss-talks-price-drop-says-e3-will-be-all-about-games/1100-6419604/" data-ref-id="1100-6419604">talking about the Xbox One price cut and removing Kinect from Xbox One with Microsoft's Yusuf Medhi</a>, he casually said, "Certainly some gamers are Kinect-focused, say Kinect Sports Rivals, Dance Central." While it's possible that he was referring to an Xbox 360 version of the game or the franchise in general...but it's also possible he accidentally leaked an upcoming Dance Central reveal.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Neither Harmonix nor Microsoft responded to follow-ups about the game, but E3 may give a lot of gamers a reason to use their Kinect for more than voice commands.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543953-18j2w3zj50bh8jpg.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543953" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543953-18j2w3zj50bh8jpg.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543953"><img src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2543953-18j2w3zj50bh8jpg.jpg"></a></figure><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>More PlayStation 4 HD Remakes</strong></h3><p style="">A lot of rumors have leaked about current-gen remakes of the Halo games, but we've heard rumblings that Sony has their own HD reveals as well. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-what-the-last-of-us-looks-like-on-ps4-in-1080p/1100-6418898/" data-ref-id="1100-6418898">We already know about The Last of Us for PS4 update</a>, but you can expect a few more games to get a chance for more exposure. The most surprising rumor we've heard: some of the PS4 updates might come from the Vita.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543956-ps4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543956" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543956-ps4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543956"><img src="http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2543956-ps4.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>New Mortal Kombat [CONFIRMED]</strong></h3><p style="">[UPDATE] As expected, Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon revealed the next game in his fighting series: <a href="/mortal-kombat-x/" data-ref-id="false">Mortal Kombat X</a>. And just in case you're wondering <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ed-boon-explains-how-to-say-mortal-kombat-x/1100-6420126/" data-ref-id="1100-6420126">he clarified that it's pronounced "ex."</a></p><p style="">[ORIGINAL] Ed Boon has been <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mortal-kombat-poster-possibly-reveals-upcoming-ed-boon-announcement/1100-6419941/" data-ref-id="1100-6419941">teasing an announcement for the past few weeks</a>, and while that's set to fall on Monday (pre-E3), we're guessing that the inevitable Mortal Kombat reveal will also make a big splash at E3.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419058" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419058/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><h3><strong>Big Third-Party Xbox One Exclusive</strong></h3><p style="">An reliable source has confirmed that Microsoft is going to have at least one "big" third-party exclusive reveal during their stage show. We don't know the exact game, but our source said the game is both something "unexpected" and "something people will be <em>really</em> excited about."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543945-questions.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543945" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2543945-questions.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543945"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2543945-questions.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Halo: The Master Chief Collection</strong></h3><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft says the "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/forums/games-discussion-1000000/halo-5-guardians-announced-coming-to-xbox-one-in-2-31264589/" data-ref-id="false">journey</a>" to <a href="/halo-5-guardians/" data-ref-id="false">Halo 5: Guardians </a>(2015) will begin this year, but what could that mean? According to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-getting-master-chief-halo-collection-games-1-4-report/1100-6419703/" data-ref-id="1100-6419703">Engadget's sources</a>, Microsoft is bundling <a href="/halo-combat-evolved/" data-ref-id="false">Halo: Combat Evolved</a>, <a href="/halo-2/" data-ref-id="false">Halo 2</a>, <a href="/halo-3/" data-ref-id="false">Halo 3</a>, and <a href="/halo-4/" data-ref-id="false">Halo 4</a> in a special package for Xbox One called the Master Chief Collection. There's no word on whether nor not <a href="/halo-3-odst/" data-ref-id="false">Halo 3: ODST</a> or <a href="/halo-reach/" data-ref-id="false">Halo: Reach</a> would also be included. Those are not "core" installments in the series, so we wouldn't be surprised if they were left out.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2543745-newhalo.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543745" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2543745-newhalo.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2543745"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2543745-newhalo.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Majora's Mask on 3DS</strong></h3><p style="">Maybe Nintendo is just playing with nostaligic fans' hearts, but Nintendo has made several references to the N64 classic over the years, including a Skull Kid cameo in Smash Bros. and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/forums/system-wars-314159282/nintendo-puts-majoras-mask-in-the-legend-of-zelda--29454853/" data-ref-id="false">decorative mask in Link Between Worlds.</a></p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2550926-8239816577-lkkJW.png" data-ref-id="1300-2550926" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2550926-8239816577-lkkJW.png" data-ref-id="1300-2550926"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2550926-8239816577-lkkJW.png"></a></figure><h3 dir="ltr"> </h3><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Collection for PS4 and Xbox One</strong></h3><p dir="ltr" style="">Earlier this month, <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/comments/25thuq/cod_mw/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Reddit user GTA678</a> posted an image of a "Modern Warfare Collection," which will reportedly bundle <a href="/call-of-duty-4-modern-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare</a>, <a href="/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2</a>, and <a href="/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3</a> in a special package for PS4 and Xbox One. The games will all reportedly run in 1080p at 60fps, with new textures, lighting effects, and sounds. Rumor has it this bundle will launch November 25 and even contain exclusive content for this fall's <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare</a>.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2543737-mwcollection.png" data-ref-id="1300-2543737" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2543737-mwcollection.png" data-ref-id="1300-2543737"><img src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2543737-mwcollection.png"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Battlefield Hardline [CONFIRMED]</strong></h3><p dir="ltr" style="">That escalated quickly.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/battlefield-hardline/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield Hardline</a> isn't much of a rumor any longer, as Electronic Arts this week <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-hardline-video-leaks-online-shows-new-gameplay-footage/1100-6419910/" data-ref-id="1100-6419910">confirmed that the game is indeed real</a> and developed by <a href="/dead-space/" data-ref-id="false">Dead Space </a>creator Visceral Games in conjunction with DICE. The developer's VP took to Twitter today to say that a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/leaked-battlefield-trailer-was-six-months-old-e3-will-have-the-real-deal/1100-6419939/" data-ref-id="1100-6419939">leaked trailer for the game is six months out of date,</a> and we already have the official trailer from EA below. The <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-hardline-october-release-leaked-in-new-trailer/1100-6420148/" data-ref-id="1100-6420148">game is slated for Oct. 21</a> on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">Tune in and find out</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418988" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418988/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Project Beast for the PS4</strong></h3><p dir="ltr" style="">Stemming from images <a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=812089" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">posted on 4Chan and circulated on popular gaming forum NeoGAF</a>, this is reportedly the working title for a new game from <a href="/demons-souls/" data-ref-id="false">Demon's Souls</a> and <a href="/dark-souls/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Souls </a>studio From Software in conjunction with Sony Japan. Demon's Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki--now <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/demon-s-souls-dark-souls-director-named-president-of-from-software/1100-6419775/" data-ref-id="1100-6419775">president of From Software</a>--worked on this year's <a href="/dark-souls-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Souls II </a>only in a supervising role; he focused most of his attention on an unannounced mystery game. Is Project Beast this game? We may not have to wait much longer to find out.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2543735-projectbeast.png" data-ref-id="1300-2543735" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2543735-projectbeast.png" data-ref-id="1300-2543735"><img src="http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2543735-projectbeast.png"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:26:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-rumors/1100-6419935/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wildstar-review-in-progress/1100-6420170/ <p style="">WildStar makes a striking first impression. It's an absolutely gorgeous game, saturated with bright, inviting colors, and loaded with ornate details that bring this massively multiplayer role-playing game to life. 20 hours in, and the most striking sight must still be the herds of gazelle-like grazers that elegantly leap across the screen. With such a rich-looking world, I'm drawn to explore it because I might find something unexpected. The mix of fantasy, science fiction, Saturday morning cartoon, and comic book makes WildStar stand out. You might be tempted to compare WildStar's aesthetic to World of Warcraft's, given the exaggerated shapes and hand-drawn textures, but on a whole, WildStar's art design is very much its own, in spite of its obvious inspirations.</p><p style="">I still love the way WildStar looks, though I've spent enough time with my level 20 Mordesh spellslinger that the visuals have lost some of their vibrant appeal. The same art style that makes the game attractive at certain times makes it look cluttered at others. Every object and feature draws your eyes to it--the swirling grass textures, the sprouting flowers, the hanging lamps, the smoking fires, the bubbling lava, the dust motes and the twinkles and the dreamcatchers and all the colors of the rainbow. One moment, WildStar is overwhelmingly attractive. The next, it's just overwhelming.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419118" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419118/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">With E3 almost here, it will probably be a few weeks before I am ready to pen my full WildStar review. But in advance of the review, I wanted to share a few impressions of my time on the planet of Nexus. And honestly, most of that time has been positive. WildStar is not breaking new ground; its fundamentals are firmly entrenched in the formula we've come to expect in online RPGs, in which you take quests, kill monsters, team up with others, and go looking for treasure out in a big, unknown world. But WildStar delivers the expected with huge doses of character and glee. The brief character quips are charmingly delivered, the quest-givers aren't averse to cracking a few jokes, and some of the adventuring circumstances are adorable. I've played a lot of games featuring races that can't use pronouns and verbs properly. "Go, clock ticking. Wait… may be bomb. Have to check," says one member of a rodentlike race called the Chua. But this odd sentence structure belies a chua's tendencies towards gleeful evil. As a Mordesh, I may not like the Chua, but I sure do respect their dedication. There are dark moments too, however, many of them involving my own character's race, which suffers from a contagion that threatens our future.</p><p style="">The overarching story is typical where MMOGs are concerned, focusing primarily on the conflict between the game's two factions: The Exiles and the Dominion. It's a simple narrative, but I am invested, in part because I witnessed the Dominion bomb a giant tree called the Elderoot. The Elderoot was kindly when we spoke, and his biomechanical design made him stand out from all those other giant world-trees that show up in games. The broad voice acting and intriguing visual design made me care more about that tree than I ever cared about any of The Elder Scrolls Online's bland, talkative characters. I am ready for vengeance against the Dominion.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419117" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419117/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">There are eight races to choose from and six total classes. I'm a spellslinger, which is a bit of a misleading title, since pistols are my primary weapons. The extensive skill trees make me equally adept at being a damage-heavy class or a healer, and while I usually stick to damage, I've found some fun in healing my teammates in the insanely chaotic player versus player matches. Attacks and skills are primarily cone-based, so I never need to specifically target enemies; whatever lands in my damage area is unlucky enough to get hit. This system keeps me mobile, since enemies also signal their most powerful attacks with visible cones and damage arcs as well. That's particularly true in the two competitive arenas I've unlocked so far, which keep me scurrying around so that I can avoid incoming attacks while staying in range of my team's healers. It's terrific fun, though I admit that the game's hypercommunicative visuals can make for muddled battles.</p><p style="">One of my favorite aspects of WildStar thus far is the path system, which has you selecting one of four professions (of a sort). I chose to be a settler; I collect resources as I move through the world and then deposit them in predesignated areas in order to build machines that provide bonuses to you and everyone else. I can also reanimate plants, repair broken items, and the such, and it's fun to feel like I'm bringing life to the world. Every so often, I feel stuck in an endless loop, constantly interacting with objects only to have my work wiped away minutes later. As a result, these interactions become needless busywork, but I still greatly enjoy how I can contribute to other players' enjoyment and success by frequently stopping and collecting vital resources.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419122" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419122/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Look for a review in a few weeks' time, but if you're on the fence so far and are curious about what I think, I must say, WildStar isn't overflowing with brand-new ideas. Nevertheless, the game possesses a strong identity and uses its abundant charms to draw you in. From there, it executes on its potential, offering solid fundamentals, and then freshening them up by looking at them from new angles. The group adventures are a good example of such an angle. They may seem at the outset to be more or less like a standard group dungeon, but the open areas and the chance for group members to vote on which objectives to accomplish make adventures a treat even beyond your first run. And honestly, WildStar makes it fun to move about its world, giving you a lot to look at, and a lot of ways to cooperate and compete with others. Aside from some long queue times you might face when first logging in, it's mostly stable and feels feature complete. It's a game I could see myself sticking with if the endgame content is compelling enough, if only because I like uncovering its sights, sounds, and adventures.</p> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:17:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wildstar-review-in-progress/1100-6420170/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/linkin-park-releases-game-to-promote-album-and-environmentalism/1100-6420173/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2550913-4650940812-linki.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550913" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2550913-4650940812-linki.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550913"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1539/15391776/2550913-4650940812-linki.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Rock band Linkin Park has apparently decided that it wants to do something unconventional to promote its newest album, and so it has developed and released a game.</p><p style="">Officially entitled Linkin Park Recharged - Wastelands, the game is described in a press release as "a third-person action shooter with tactical elements set in the not-too-distant future."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The band created the game with assistance from Swiss developer Kuuluu Interactive Entertainment AG exclusively for the iPad. A purchase will also get you Linkin Park's newest single, "Wastelands."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2550908-5015585284-screen.jpeg" data-ref-id="1300-2550908" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2550908-5015585284-screen.jpeg" data-ref-id="1300-2550908"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1539/15391776/2550908-5015585284-screen.jpeg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">According to the announcement, the game takes place on a devastated Earth devoid of most natural resources. "Society and the few remaining energy stores are now under the control of machines, the Hybrids, and an elite minority," the release explains. "As a member of a specialized resistance unit, the player will fight through hostile territory and complete missions through judicious use of resources."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Linkin Park says that it has an ulterior motive to releasing this game, however, that goes beyond just promoting its music. The game is designed to provide commentary on environmentalism, pollution, and use of resources.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In 2012, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/linkin-park-frontman-composed-medal-of-honor-warfighter-score/1100-6390091/" data-ref-id="1100-6390091">Linkin Park worked with Electronic Arts to produce music and videos related to Medal of Honor: Warfighter</a> to promote its last album. In March, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/linkin-park-teams-up-with-xbox-for-a-wild-interactive-music-video/1100-6418529/" data-ref-id="1100-6418529">it created a music video in Project Spark featuring one of its new songs</a>. It seems that this time, the band members chose to take matters into their own hands.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">If you want to see what it's all about, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id875835535?mt=8" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">the game is available today on the iOS App Store and costs $2.99.</a></p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Alex Newhouse is an editorial intern at GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/alexbnewhouse" rel="nofollow">Twitter @alexbnewhouse</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:14:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/linkin-park-releases-game-to-promote-album-and-environmentalism/1100-6420173/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-are-the-2014-games-that-have-been-delayed-to-2015/1100-6420118/ <p style="">Is it just me, or does it feel like we've seen a bunch of games get delayed over the past few months? E3 2014 might be on the horizon, so we'll see a lot of titles unveiled for the 2014 holiday season next week, but here are some of the games that none of us will be playing until next year.</p><h3><a href="/batman-arkham-knight/" data-ref-id="false"><strong>Batman: Arkham Knight</strong></a></h3><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549489-delay+01+arkham+knight.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549489" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549489-delay+01+arkham+knight.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549489"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2549489-delay+01+arkham+knight.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""><a href="/batman-arkham-knight/" data-ref-id="false">Batman: Arkham Knight</a> went from announced to delayed in just under three months, and if that's not a record then it must be pretty close. Rocksteady marketing manager Guy Perkins said to GameSpot that "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/batman-arkham-knight-for-xbox-one-ps4-and-pc-delayed-to-2015/1100-6420046/">we want to make sure we're absolutely nailing it 100 percent</a>."</p><h3><a href="/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/" data-ref-id="false"><strong>The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt</strong></a></h3><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549490-delay+02+the+witcher+3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549490" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549490-delay+02+the+witcher+3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549490"><img src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2549490-delay+02+the+witcher+3.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Polish developer CD Projekt RED insisted that the hotly-anticipated, open-world RPG <a href="/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/" data-ref-id="false">The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt</a> would have been ready for its original fall 2014 release, but it still delayed the game to February 2015. Why? So the game could reach a "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-witcher-3-delayed-to-february-2015-for-xbox-one-ps4-and-pc/1100-6418237/">quality that will satisfy us, the quality gamers expect from us</a>."</p><h3 dir="ltr"><a href="/the-order-1886/" data-ref-id="false"><strong>The Order: 1886</strong></a></h3><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549491-delay+03+the+order.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549491" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549491-delay+03+the+order.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549491"><img src="http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2549491-delay+03+the+order.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">PS4 exclusive <a href="/the-order-1886/" data-ref-id="false">The Order: 1886</a> is still shrouded in mystery, even after Sony <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-order-1886-remains-shrouded-in-the-neo-victorian-london-fog/1100-6417770/">attempted to show off the game back in February</a>. But we do know the third-person adventure, and its intriguing Victorian London setting, won't be out in 2014. "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-the-order-1886-delayed-to-2015/1100-6419882/">As we keep on pushing on this game, we really want to deliver on the experience that we promised</a>," said Ready at Dawn creative director Ru Weerasuriya to GameSpot.</p><h3 dir="ltr"><a href="/quantum-break/" data-ref-id="false"><strong>Quantum Break</strong></a></h3><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549492-delay+04+quantum+break.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549492" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549492-delay+04+quantum+break.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549492"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2549492-delay+04+quantum+break.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/quantum-break/" data-ref-id="false">Quantum Break</a> never had an official release date, but everyone expected to see it in 2014. That's not happening. The Xbox One-exclusive title, a mix of a third-person action game with time-bending powers and a live TV show, will be arriving in 2015. Don't expect it to appear at E3 2014, either; developer <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-exclusive-from-max-payne-creator-confirmed-for-2015/1100-6419951/">Remedy says that we'll see it next at Gamescom in August</a>.</p><h3 dir="ltr"><a href="/dying-light/" data-ref-id="false"><strong>Dying Light</strong></a></h3><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549493-delay+05+dying+light.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549493" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549493-delay+05+dying+light.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549493"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2549493-delay+05+dying+light.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/dying-light/" data-ref-id="false">Dying Light</a> is a parkour-inspired open-world title from the makers of <a href="/dead-island/" data-ref-id="false">Dead Island</a> where you kill zombies. A whole bunch of zombies. But the game has <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/open-world-ps4-and-xbox-one-zombie-mulcher-dying-light-delayed-to-2015/1100-6419507/">now slipped to 2015 because developer Techland wants to improve the free-running mechanics</a>. "After careful consideration, we have decided to release our upcoming game in February 2015," said Techland in a statement to GameSpot. It'll be at E3 2014 next week.</p><h3 dir="ltr"><a href="/tom-clancys-the-division/" data-ref-id="false"><strong>The Division</strong></a></h3><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549494-delay+06+the+division.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549494" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549494-delay+06+the+division.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549494"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2549494-delay+06+the+division.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">This one was obvious, really. After its apocalyptic world was first unveiled at E3 2013, nobody really thought <a href="/tom-clancys-the-division/" data-ref-id="false">The Division</a> would see the light of day in 2014--one developer is even reported to have said the idea was "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-division-s-2014-release-window-is-laughable-claims-ubisoft-source-report/1100-6416976/" data-ref-id="1100-6416976">laughable.</a>" Ubisoft kept maintaining that the release date was accurate, though. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-s-the-division-delayed-to-2015/1100-6419662/">Right up until the point that it wasn't</a>.</p><h3 dir="ltr"><a href="/mad-max/" data-ref-id="false"><strong>Mad Max</strong></a></h3><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549495-delay+07+mad+max.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549495" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2549495-delay+07+mad+max.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549495"><img src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2549495-delay+07+mad+max.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/mad-max/" data-ref-id="false">Mad Max</a> is the next game from Avalanche Studios, the team behind Just Cause 2, and it was supposed to be coming out this year. Vehicle combat is said to be a major focus, as you might expect. I imagine the Thunderdome will also feature. But, really, is this game being made instead of Just Cause 3? Did the Mad Max delay make Max Madder? <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/just-cause-developer-s-mad-max-game-delayed-to-2015/1100-6419213/">We'll have to find out in 2015</a>.</p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Valve's Steam Controller</strong></h3><figure data-embed-type="comparison" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550287-delay+controller+real.jpg,http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550288-delay+controller+owl.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550287,1300-2550288" data-size="large" data-image-titles="An Owl,Valve's Steam Controller" data-resize-urls="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1493/14930800/2550287-delay+controller+real.jpg,http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1493/14930800/2550288-delay+controller+owl.jpg" data-resized="" data-resize-url=""><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550287-delay+controller+real.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550287" title="An Owl"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1493/14930800/2550287-delay+controller+real.jpg"></a><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2550288-delay+controller+owl.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2550288" title="Valve's Steam Controller"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1493/14930800/2550288-delay+controller+owl.jpg"></a><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Delays aren't limited to software, of course. Valve recently announced that the Steam Controller, which features haptic feedback instead of traditional thumbsticks, wouldn't see its way into our curious hands in 2014. Valve product designer Eric Hope said that the development team is currently conducting live playtests, but that "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/steam-controller-delayed-to-2015/1100-6419914/">we're now looking at a release window of 2015, not 2014.</a>" Cue gag about <a href="https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Valve_Time" rel="nofollow">Valve Time</a> and something something something Half-Life 3.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 12:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-are-the-2014-games-that-have-been-delayed-to-2015/1100-6420118/
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