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The PAXpocalypse List: The Best of PAX East 2013
We don’t have the PAX pox, but what if the entire convention center was put under quarantine because of some mystery illness? What would you do? What would you see? We’d endure the PAXpocalypse by spending all of our time with the 13 games (nine playable, three developer-guided demos, and one board game) below. Though it would have to be after pushing the hordes of undead off our doorstep. Because any pox affecting PAXgoers would almost certainly have to lead to a zombie uprising. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Features, Mobile, PC, PS3, Top Story, Wii U, Xbox 360
Tagged Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians, Delver's Drop, Diablo III, Legend of Dungeon, LocoCycle, Luftrausers, PAX East 2013, Saints Row IV, Secret Ponchos, Shovel Knight, Tabletop Games, Transistor, Watch Dogs
Imangi releases update to fix Temple Run 2 objectives
Temple Run 2 is one of the biggest games currently available for mobile platforms. The game racked up over 50 million downloads within two weeks of its mid-January release, and its surely surged past the 100 million mark by now (or, if not, it will soon). The game has also been plagued by a bug that prevented some players from completing some of the higher level Objectives. But with today’s new version 1.1 update, that bug is a thing of the past!
The update also adds multiple opportunities to collect more cons including daily and weekly challenges as well as Friend Challenges. Imangi Studios assures us it squashes another pesky bug where you couldn’t “stack” two powerups of the same type.
So what are you waiting for? It’s… Time… To… Start… Running!
Posted in Mobile, News
Tagged Temple Run 2
Kickstart This! The Post-Veronica Mars Edition
Kickstarter has been receiving a lot of attention in the press this week, mostly due to cult TV show Veronica Mars. Rob Thomas’ 24-hour success story (currently sitting at 175% funded) has been perceived by some as a wake-up call to the film industry, and by others as the end of Kickstarter’s indie innocence. The latter group highlighted the fact that Warner Bros. still owns the rights to the franchise, and that the multi-million dollar company will reap the benefits of the charitable donation of others. Those who have donated will have unprecedented access to information on the film during production, and fans donating over $35 will receive a digital copy of the film. While my own opinion on the positives and negatives of this project fluctuate, there was one detail that seemed very worrying. All of the reward levels come with a disclaimer saying “AVAILABLE TO US AND CANADA (NEW!) BACKERS ONLY.”
Thomas does acknowledge the fact, saying “there are hoops to jump through” in order to include other territories. It could be this is inherent in the dangers of crowdfunding a project where the rights are held by an entity whose aims are not wholly aligned with the spirit of Kickstarter. We have seen this in the past with rewards that required attendance to an event, but even then, people were still allowed to donate, and had the option to travel. For a show that aired globally, this seems like a worrying, xenophobic trend, one that I hope does not translate to other industries.
In light of this, I thought this month I would focus more on smaller indie projects, including classic side-scrolling action-adventure Shovel Knight, euphoric exploration game SoundSelf, first-person survival horror Pulse, retro pixel-art adventure Bik, surfing sim Kahuna Surfer, and last but not least, sci-fi RPG Reflux: The New World. (more…)
Grimm Bros. plans to bring a darker mentality to PC/tablet RPGs
Grimm Bros. is on a mission. They want to bring the darker notions of Grimm, Chaucer, Tolkien, Stoker, and many others to the world of PC/tablet RPGs. The studio, which plans to showcase their first title at next week’s Game Developers Conference, was started earlier this year by Ash Monif, the former COO of Human Head, and artist Randis Albion.
Speaking to the Cogswell Polytechnical College blog, Monif said, “I have always been a fan of complex subject matter. I grew up reading the classics Grimm, Chaucer, Tolkien – and I feel that today’s games gloss over a lot of the richness that can be found within these great works. Our goal is to build a community of core and mid-core gamers who are seeking out a redefined RPG experience.”
The Cogswell blogger pitched the team’s sensibilities as “Evil Dead meets Monty Python.” You hear that? That’s the sound of a gaggle of geeks just shrieking in joy.
Shrieks of joy (and terror) will also be produced when you view the Albion-created concept art (which may or may not be representative of Grimm’s first project) based on Little Red Riding Hood, Dracula, The Golem, and others after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC
Tagged Dragon Fin Soup, GDC 2013
A World of Keflings comes to Windows 8; Wii U version announced
NinjaBee has announced that A World of Keflings, the popular city-building game that came to the Xbox Live Arcade in 2010, is available in the Windows 8 Store now and will be released on the Wii U later this year.
Brent Fox, Art Director at NinjaBee commented, “Both of these new platforms offered us huge advantages and were ideal marketplaces for a light-hearted city-builder. Windows 8 gave us the chance to make the game mobile and add in very smooth, natural touch controls. The Wii U has allowed us to significantly enhance the game’s visuals and, with the Wii U GamePad, explore new ways to interact with the game and its characters.”
Gamers who sign onto Xbox Live on Windows 8 will be able to experience playing as their own Xbox Avatar, compete with Xbox Live Leaderboards, and be able to unlock 20 all-new Achievements. However, A World of Keflings on Windows 8 does not include multiplayer or support Avatar FameStar functionality.
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, Wii U
Tagged A World of Keflings
Ubisoft bringing guided demos of AC4: Black Flag, SC: Blacklist, Watch Dogs to PAX East
Ubisoft has announced their 2013 PAX East lineup and it’ll include all of their “heavy hitters” set for release later this year including Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and Watch Dogs. Sadly, all three will only be available as guided demos/videos controlled by Ubisoft staff. But you will receive an inflatable cutlass if you watch the Black Flag presentation.
If you’re looking for games to play, Ubisoft will have those available on the show floor as well. You can check out the list of playable demos right here:
- ShootMania Storm (PC)
- Might & Magic Heroes VI: Shades of Darkness (PC)
- Might & Magic: Duel of Champions Online (PC, iOS)
- Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (PSN, XBLA)
- Spartacus Legends (PSN, XBLA)
PAX East 2013 is being held from March 22nd through the 24th at the Boston Convention Center. Hit the jump for a few more details on Ubisoft’s “heavy hitters” lineup. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360
Tagged Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, PAX East 2013, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Watch Dogs
2D action RPG Delver’s Drop will be playable at PAX East
Pixelscopic has announced that their Zelda-like 2D action RPG Delver’s Drop has reached its Kickstarter goal of $75,000. Seven days remain on the pledge clock, but since reaching their goal, the people at Pixelscopic have plenty of exciting announcements to make.
First, they want everyone to know that Delver’s Drop will be playable at this year’s PAX East show (March 22-24). Second, they’re banging away at the PC/Mac version of the game and expect to have it available in October 2013. A release on iOS, Android, Ouya, and Linux will follow sometime in 2014.
So what exactly is Delver’s Drop? Here’s a more in-depth description and you can find a fantastic trailer after the break:
When indefinitely imprisoned high atop a towering castle complex, escape is the only option for survival and redemption. But few scoundrels will survive the Drop and live to tell the tale. The dungeons are rife with traps, monsters, and sinister secrets, awaiting the next unlucky Delver.
Delver’s Drop is a 2D Action RPG with fluid physics-based movement, snappy combat, shifting dungeons, and a rogue’s gallery of individually leveled character classes. With an emphasis on mystery and dynamic gameplay experiences, the game features randomization for infinite replay, enigmatic puzzle permutations to unravel, multiple narrative paths, customizable character growth, and layers of secrets to unearth.
Now then… onward to the trailer! (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC
Tagged Delver's Drop, PAX East 2013
Sonic Dash endlessly runs to iOS soon
It’s hard to believe that Sonic the Hedgehog hasn’t starred in an “endless runner” yet, but that’ll all change when Sega adds Sonic Dash to the iOS App Store “soon.”
Our spikey hero goes on a fast and frenzied 3D dash through the stunning grassy verges of Seaside Hill. Challenge your friends to run as far into the hill as you can and beat their best times!
Sonic Dash is being developed by Hardlight Studio, the same team that was responsible for 2012’s iOS hit, Sonic Jump.