Monday 21 September 2015

'Monument Valley' Game Developer Creates New Game, 'Land's End,' For VR

Land's End 

Imagine playing something like Myst, but as a virtual reality game. Now, imagine that this virtual reality game is using the best in modern technology to make everything look realistic, and keep the gamer from getting sick, as is often common with VR games.
According to game developer Ustwo, the creator of the hit mobile game Monument Valley, that game is almost here in the form of their new title Land's End, a virtual reality adventure game made exclusively for the Samsung Gear VR headset.
Land's End is a first-person game, sort of like Myst, but without all the pointing and clicking, basically because you don't need pointing and clicking in a VR game. Instead, players will use the headset to look around the game environment and navigate by fixing their gaze on items with indicators in that setting.
Of course, there's more to gameplay than just looking at things. There are also puzzles that require players to perform actions with their head movements, such as levitating objects and joining dots.
Interestingly enough, Ustwo didn't set out to create Land's End as a VR game, but with VR technology improving, that's the direction the game led them, especially with the introduction of Samsung's Gear headset. However, the company spent months tweaking the game so that it wouldn't induce nausea.
"The fact that [movement] is pretty much in a straight line and at a deliberate speed is good for nausea, but the fact that you focus on a point first, you're paying attention and your mind is focused in that direction really helps as well," said Ustwo's technical director Peter Pashley to Engadget.

Ustwo's previous title, Monument Valley, sold millions of copies, but it's likely they won't see that kind of success with Land's End, as very few consumers have actually invested in VR headsets yet. However, the company hopes that Land's End changes that.
"We hope that it'll be the thing that people use to show off Gear VR," said lead designer Ken Wong, "that if people have tried the Gear VR, they've tried Land's End."
VR gamers interested in trying out Land's End will get their chance on October 30, when the game releases to the public.


Dingo’s New Game Revealed as 38M Girls Project, an Action RPG for PC and Mobile

Hatsune Miku and Persona 4: Dancing All Night developer Dingo has revealed their new game, 38M Girls Project, a new action RPG for PC and mobile.
The game is a collaborative work between Dingo, Aniplex Mobile, and DMM Games. While Dingo is handling development of the game, Aniplex Mobile is helping by co-developing it, with DMM Games publishing the title.
38M Girls Project is set to begin its service sometime in the spring of next year across PC and Android, with an iOS release to come afterwards.

TGS 2015 – New Odin Sphere Leifthrasir Trailer

Atlus and Vanillaware are preparing the total overhaul of PS2 classic Odin Sphere for a January 14, 2016 release in Japan. Check out the TGS 2015 trailer above, presented by PlayStation Japan.

"Kuroko's Basketball" Anime Film Announced

 

In the wake of the "KUROBAS CUP 2015" event which featured performances by OLDCODEX and members of the voice cast of the Kuroko's Basketball TV anime, the official home page for Kuroko's Basketball has announced that an animated movie is in production.


So far, no additional details are currently available. The announcement simply indicates that Kuroko's Basketball: The Movie is in production and then thanks the fans for their continued support. Some fans speculate that the film may involve events from the Kuroko's Basketball: EXTRA GAME sequel manga by Tadatoshi Fujimaki, but whether or not this is the case remains unconfirmed at the present.

Sources:
Official Kuroko's Basketball home page

'Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4' release date: New mode, wicked boss fights and tons of animations cause game delay

The release of "Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4" has been moved to February next year instead of fall this year. During the Tokyo Game Show, CyberConnect2's Hiroshi Matsuyama clarified the reason behind the postponement, which turns out to be a bid to buy more time to buff up the title. 
IGN quotes Matsuyama as saying that the developers over at the game studio want "Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4" to be "powered up more" to make it the great conclusion their beloved fighting game franchise deserves and one that its huge fanbase expects. 
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The delay allows CyberConnect2 to work on more varying damage animations for every character in the roster, which is the biggest in the history of the video game series. This means that there will be unique simulation for every fighter when they are hit by the enemy's secret technique. 
To make the upcoming title more awesome to play, Matsuyama said that they are building a never-before-seen mode that will give the players the fun of discovering the world as they fight their way to the top. No further information about this aspect was provided, however. 
Fans can also look forward to cooler boss fights as the developer is fine-tuning those as well. Overall, gamers are in for some improvements on the graphics side of things as well as the gameplay. 
Just recently, an action-packed trailer showing off pre-order characters Boruto and Sarada in full warrior mode was released. Fans of the series will see familiar fighting tactics there, with the former showing off some moves like that of his father, Naruto. 
The clip also showed other characters from the film "Boruto: Naruto the Movie." If anything, this 2 1/2-minute-long trailer and its fast-moving impression will get fans of the video game really hyped up for "Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4," which is set for release on Feb. 4, 2016. 


Darius Burst: Chronicle Saviours TGS 2015 trailer

Darius Burst: Chronicle Saviours

Chara-Ani and Pyramid released the debut trailer for Darius Burst: Chronicle Saviours at the Tokyo Game Show.
The shoot ’em up will be released as a download title for PlayStation 4, PS Vita, and PC in Japan by the end of 2015, with the PS Vita version getting a retail edition.
Watch the trailer below.

Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch coming to PC with ‘high-quality’ graphics

Warhammer Quest developer Rodeo Games has announced that their mobile game, Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch, is making the jump to PC. An ‘Enhanced Edition’ of the turn-based strategy game will be available on Steam on October 20. Pricing was not announced but you can check out the Steam page for yourself here.
In Deathwatch, you command a group of Space Marines who do battle against the Tyranids, an alien race whose only drive and want is to eat. The new Enhanced Edition was developed using the Unreal Engine 4 and boasts ‘high-quality’ graphics. All missions have been ‘remastered’ with new lighting effects and more, while players can also look forward to controls and a UI that have been redesigned to fit a keyboard and mouse setup.
What’s more, the Enhanced Edition adds new Space Marines from the Dark Angels, Imperial Fists & Black Templars chapters. For a closer look watch the video below.

Top 10 Best Platform Games for the Xbox One

The Xbox One offers tons of fantastic platform games. Here are the ten best platformers. 

 


Platformers are for many of us our first exposure to video games, and we’re living in a real platformer renaissance. Tons of them have come out over the last five years and really reinvigorated the genre. There’s a certain feel to a good platform game that’s just right.
So what are your options if you’re playing on an Xbox One? We looked for the titles that have tight controls, original ideas, and the most interesting environments to come up with this list of the Top Ten Platform Games For Xbox One.

Super Time Force Ultra


The pixel-art style in Super Time Force Ultra may put some players off the game, but we think it looks great: the environments all have their own distinct character, weapon effects pop, and the characters themselves all bring a lot of pizzazz to the game. It’s got everything you could want from an ‘80s Saturday morning cartoon, too – dinosaurs on skateboards, explosions, and space ships.
The neatest thing about the game, though, is the team-based rewind mechanic. You’ve only got a short time to make it through each level, and in order to make it through all the enemies and obstacles, you use the “time out” feature to rewind time and insert other characters (or duplicates, even) into the action. What winds up happening is a mind-bending co-op session with yourself
This mechanic sets up all kinds of crazy action-based puzzles, including the boss fights. While they seem impossible to complete in the time limit at first, as you add more and more characters to the fight, you’ll eventually take them down in a couple seconds. Satisfyingly, too, once you’ve completed a level you get to watch the action replayed in real time.

Tembo the Badass Elephant

 


Tembo is an elephant commando, and his job is to save his town from destruction at the hands of the evil PHANTOM. The game is reminiscent of old Sonic the Hedgehog titles, with some Metal Slug thrown in for good measure: Tembo jumps and buttstomps his way through the PHANTOM forces, collecting golden peanuts and charging (literally) headlong into enemies. You’ll want to break as many PHANTOM tanks, structures, and soldiers as possible, while rescuing hostages scattered throughout each level.
A lot of folks were pretty surprised to see Tembo the Badass Elephant come out of Game Freak, who are known primarily for developing the long-running Pokémon series, but as it turns out this isn’t their first crack at the action-platformer: they also made Drill Dozer for the Game Boy Advance back in 2005.

  Trials Fusion

 


Hey, we know, this looks like a motorcycle game, but at its heart, it’s a speed-focused platform game. If you’re new to Trials, the idea is to drive a dirt bike along a track to the end of a level, shifting your weight forward and back to stay upright throughout all the insane jumps, flips, catapults, and explosions that happen along the way.
Fusion offers a single player story mode to the formula, but it keeps the series addictive time trial elements – it’s always possible to shave another couple tenths of a second off a run, or, maybe just make it to the end without falling off this time. 
There’s also four-player head-to-head racing, plus a fully-featured level editor. Once you’ve played through all the tracks in the game (plus six DLC packs), you can try out homemade tracks handpicked by the Red Lynx team.

Volgarr the Viking


This is a game for those players who pine for the old days of platform games being arcade-tough. Fortunately, Volgarr the Viking doesn’t make you pony up quarters every time you die, which will be often.
While it could be mistaken for a brawler, Volgarr is much more about careful memorization of enemy patterns and trap locations, and about perfect execution. Death is always imminent – getting hit knocks off a piece of equipment or armor, similar to the classic (and brutally difficult) Ghouls ‘n Ghosts.
Volgarr has tons of style, too. It’s a very obvious homage to the cabinet games of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, and features terrific art, enemy design, and music. Remember, though – this one is definitely aimed at the hardcore crowd.

Guacamelee


One of the best in class in the last couple years, Guacamelee combines the unlockable open-world of the best Metroidvanias with a combo-based combat system from brawlers. As the game progresses, you find new abilities to bring to bear against enemies that deepen the solid fighting system.
And Guacamelee is downright gorgeous. It’s a whimsical, colorful world with masterfully-crafted characters and animations set in a world of Mexican folklore. As Juan, you are resurrected as a magical luchador wrestler, and must save El Presidente’s daughter from an evil skeleton from the Land of the Dead. It manages to treat its subject matter respectfully without ever taking itself seriously at all.