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All Articles: E3 2015
Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 will be released on September 15
As promised, Konami officially announced Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 today and revealed a ton of new details about the soccer simulation. First things first, Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 will be released on September 15 for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Developed using Konami’s proprietary Fox Engine, PES 2016 will make a variety of major changes to the series:
- New Master League – The famous and hugely popular Master League enjoys a total revamp, allowing users to immerse themselves in the managerial world of soccer. Every element has been redesigned or reworked, from the vibrant and involving menus to the new and exciting player transfer system, PES 2016 see one of the series most integral modes redefine the single-player experience.
- New Visuals – Incorporating the many advancements of the Fox Engine, the visuals have seen a huge upgrade. See the rain splash as players slide in to win possession, or the turf kick up as you strike the ball into the top corner. New night-time lighting and real turf textures are among some of the many improvements.
- Dynamic Weather – For the first time in the PES series, dynamic weather has been introduced, with the chance of rain starting during the game. Combined with the ever more realistic ball physics, the rain changes how the game can be played with passes speeding up, and less skilled players likely to struggle with trapping. The defender taken by the 1-on-1 will also be more likely to slip and fall due to incorrect studs or blades. This feature is applied to all offline modes including the Master League, and is an important element to decide the outcome of the match.
- Human Motion – Seeking to humanize player movement, 3x new animations have been added to bring the in-game superstars to life. Goalkeepers have seen an abundance of save animations added, while outfield players shoot, pass, dribble and tackle with incredible variety depending on the situation. Players complain when a foul isn’t given, or lament a teammate when a pass isn’t made when in open space. The new 1v1 control also benefits from this, with players being able to fool their opponents with shimmies and feints that can result in causing the opposing player to lose his balance and fall in the wrong direction!
- New Ball Physics – The past few years has seen the series make huge advancements in ball physics, and for PES 2016 new levels of realism have been reached. Each spin, bobble and ricochet has been calculated using real ball physic data, helping keep every moment in every game unique and unpredictable.
These additions and enhancements are only the beginning of Konami’s plan to rework PES 2016. The developer will also include a significantly improved collision system, a “aerial battle” experience, improved 1v1 player control, more intelligent player AI, individuality in performance for goalkeepers, and “Celebration Control” prompts. That’s right, PES 2016 gives players the chance to input a series of button presses to create their own unique celebration.
Konami will reveal even more information about Pro Evolution Soccer 2016, along with the first screenshots, during next week’s E3 Expo.
Xbox One controller to be included with Oculus Rift; Touch motion controller introduced
Oculus kicked off the Pre-E3 festivities with a Press Conference today focusing on their virtual headset, the Rift. A price tag or final release date weren’t announced, but we did learn a very interesting piece of new information: every Oculus Rift will come bundled with an Xbox One controller and Microsoft’s new Xbox One-to-PC controller adapter. While some Rift games might require a mouse and keyboard, the inclusion of the Xbox One controller as a standard input will possibly cut back on the trepidation some gamers have towards the headset.
The other big news to come out of the Press Conference today was the unveiling of the Oculus Touch controller. The Oculus Touch is actually a pair of motion controllers and each half features an analog stick, two face buttons, and a trigger. I’m not sure what advantages it would have over a standard Xbox One controller, but Oculus says the controllers “let you take your VR games and experiences further than ever before” on the Rift’s official website.
According to GameSpot, Oculus founder Palmer Luckey took the stage and said the Oculus Touch is perfect for introducing players to “hand presence, the sense of feeling as though your virtual hands are actually your real hands.” Luckey went on to say: “This is critical to nailing the sense of overall presence. Once you have your hands involved, you really need tracking to be absolutely perfect, accurate, and low latency, or you’re going to feel like your hands are dead.”
Like all things Oculus-related, this is all very interesting, and a little weird. We’ll see how it all comes together when the consumer version of the Oculus Rift launches in early 2016.
Insomniac is developing the Oculus-exclusive Anarctic adventure Edge of Nowhere
Insomniac Games dropped a major bombshell at today’s Pre-E3 Press Conference from Oculus Rift. The developer behind Sunset Overdrive and Ratchet & Clank announced Edge of Nowhere, a third-person action-adventure game that will be available exclusively for Oculus Rift users:
Edge of Nowhere is a VR third-person action-adventure from acclaimed independent developer Insomniac Games. Travel to the far reaches of the Antarctic mountains in search of a missing expedition team. What appears to be a rescue mission takes a turn as you venture into the deep unknown, and discover a surreal world that will test your wits and sanity. Scale towering mountains and use makeshift weapons to survive and avoid descending into madness. In Edge of Nowhere, nothing is what it seems and the unexpected lurks from all sides.
Edge of Nowhere’s release date is a big question mark right now, as is the big mystery at the center of the teaser trailer. It’s also unknown if the game will ever be available for non-Oculus platforms. As with all teasers, the developer has promised that we’ll learn more details about the project “soon.”
Posted in News, PC
Tagged E3 2015, Edge of Nowhere
Latest Street Fighter V gameplay trailer introduces the V-Gauge battle system
While Street Fighter V may have a visual style when placed side-by-side with 2008’s Street Fighter IV, Capcom is taking the battle system for their upcoming one-on-one fighter in a completely new direction.
The “Variable System” (AKA V-Gauge) is a three-tiered gauge that will slowly build as you play the game, though it’ll fill faster as your character takes damage. As the V-Gauge fills, players will be able to perform special skills and reversals, or enter into a unique “V-Trigger” state once the V-Gauge fills completely. A second bar, the EX Gauge, will allow players to unleash a “highly damaging, cinematic attack” known as a Critical Art.
A very informative post on the Capcom-Unity blog breaks down the mechanics of the Variable System and how it’ll apply to the four currently-revealed characters:
V-Skill
V-Skills are unique skills per character that can be accessed at any time by pressing medium punch and medium kick together. These skills do not require use of the V-Gauge and have different uses per character (e.g. mobility, offensive, defensive). V-Skills are rather important in battle as they may help a character in an area they’re weak at or help to fill up the V-Gauge quicker. Learning how to properly and efficiently use each character’s V-Skill will be key in winning matches.V-Reversals
V-Reversals take up one stock of V-Gauge, and allow a player to counter the attack of the opponent while blocking, thus creating some breathing room. They are similar to “Alpha counters” from the Street Fighter Alpha series, but this time not every counter results in a universal effect; some push the opponent back, some knock them down and some switch sides. Players should explore each character to see how their V-Reversals function.V-Trigger
V-Triggers are unique abilities per character that can only be activated once the V-Gauge is full, by pressing heavy punch and heavy kick together. V-Triggers, much like Ultras in Street Fighter IV, are a way for your character to turn the tide of battle. That, however, is where the similarities end. Activating the V-Trigger, which allows access to a character’s full potential, is merely step one. It is completely up to the player to properly utilize the benefits received from the V-Trigger to change the course of the match. As V-Triggers add quite a bit of depth to each character, mastering their use will be paramount to victory.EX Gauge
That’s not all, however, as there is also the EX Gauge, which builds as you deal damage to the opponent. The EX Gauge allows characters to perform powered up versions of their special attacks and when maxed out, their Critical Art. Critical Arts are highly damaging, cinematic attacks that are unique to each character.
Street Fighter V will be released for the PC and PS4 next year. Capcom plans to bring the game to this year’s E3 Expo, so we should learn a bit more about it next week.
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged E3 2015, Street Fighter V
Hellblade’s first gameplay trailer gives us a glimpse at the game’s focus on mental illness
Ninja Theory has pulled the curtain back on the first gameplay trailer for Hellblade, their Celtic swordfighting game, a few days ahead of this year’s E3 Expo. The developers also revealed that Senua, Hellblade’s main character, isn’t just fighting back against a viking invasion, she’s also battling mental demons in her own personal Hell:
The Hell in question is no ordinary Hell, but is in fact a Hell that is the manifestation of Senua’s mental illness. Senua experiences psychosis, including hallucinations and delusions, as well as suffering from anxiety and depression. As a player you will witness Senua’s living nightmare through her own eyes.
The developers from Ninja Theory believe they are approaching this subject with the respect it deserves. To that end, Ninja Theory has secured the services of Professor Paul Fletcher, a professor of Health Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, to guarantee the accuracy of their portrayal. They’ve also teamed with the Wellcome Trust, “a global charitable foundation which aims to build a greater public understanding of science and in particular health.” The final piece of the puzzle will be a series of interviews with individuals suffering from mental illness. Ninja Theory will use their experiences to help shape Senua’s personality and actions.
Hellblade will be available for the PC and PS4 sometime in 2016. A Developer Diary discussing their work with Professor Fletcher can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged E3 2015, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst unveiled with new art; prequel comic series on the way
The 2015 E3 Expo beckons and Electronic Arts is getting the show started a bit early with a glimpse at Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst. The new artwork displays the game’s protagonist, Faith, doing what she does best… clinging to the side of a futuristic building. Hyper-modern skyscrapers pierce the horizon while the watchful eyes of a squad of surveillance helicopters hover at the edge of the scene.
We’ll learn more about Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst next week, but for now, Senior Producer Sara Jansson discussed the development team’s vision on the game’s official website:
The team has spent a lot of time re-evaluating every aspect of the game and making it a new experience. This is not a sequel, this is not Mirror’s Edge 2. We have landed on a vision that honors the first game — pushing the boundaries of first person movement and diving deeper into the story behind our heroine Faith — but also brings a lot of great new, interesting gameplay and features to the experience for our players.
In addition to next week’s E3 reveal, fans will get another look at that vision in Mirror’s Edge: Exordium, a prequel comic series which will be published by Dark Horse. The first issue, which will be written by Narrative Director Christofer Emgard, will be available on September 9. The six-issue series will also feature art from some of DICE’s in-house artists including Mattias Haggstrom, Robert Sammelin, Henrik Sahlström, Erik Persson, and Emgard himself. You can sneak a peek at the cover of Exordium‘s #1 at the Dark Horse Blog.
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst is currently in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One at DICE. It is expected to be released sometime next Spring.
Looks like Dark Souls III will be released in early 2016
IGN has somehow gotten their hands on a promotional image for Dark Souls III, which reveals that the game is much closer than previously thought. Expected to be announced at this year’s E3 Expo, the lone image features a rather haggard-looking knight and a caption promising an “Early 2016” release date. The news outlet reached out to Bandai Namco, but the publisher declined to comment.
Meanwhile, Game Informer is reporting on a second promotional image, which confirms that From Software will indeed return as the developer of Dark Souls III. So fans can breath a sigh of relief on that front.
That is, unless this whole thing is bogus, which is a very real possibility this close to the start of E3.
Posted in News
Tagged Dark Souls III, E3 2015
Activision officially announces Call of Duty: Black Ops III for PS3 and Xbox 360
I don’t know what took them so long, but Activision has officially announced Call of Duty: Black Ops III will be coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360 on November 6. In joining the previously-announced PC, PS4, and Xbox One editions of the game, Activision also confirmed the game will not be released for the Wii U.
In development at Beenox and Mercenary Technology, Black Ops III on the previous-generation consoles will substitute four-player cooperative play for two, but otherwise offer the same campaign:
Xbox 360 and PS3 players will be able to experience Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’s gameplay across campaign, multiplayer and zombies. While the teams are working to deliver the best possible experience for Xbox 360 and PS3, naturally there will be some differences across generations. For instance, the campaign mode on Xbox 360 and PS3 is currently in development with a goal of enabling two-player cooperative play, instead of the four-player cooperative campaign on next-gen. There will also be some other features and functionality built specifically for the new generation of consoles that cannot be supported on Xbox 360 and PS3. We’ll be sharing more information regarding feature differences from one console generation to another later this year as launch on November 6 approaches.
Finally, Activision promised they would reveal more information about Call of Duty: Black Ops III at this year’s E3 Expo. The biggest game convention of the year will open its doors on June 16, but the Call of Duty franchise typically takes center stage at Microsoft’s Press Conference, which is scheduled for Monday, June 15 at 12:30 PM (Eastern Time).
[Source: Activision Games Blog]