Bithell Games' Single-Session Game Subsurface Circular Is Coming To Switch
In August of last year, Mike Bithell of Thomas was Alone and Volume fame, surprise announced and released Subsurface Circular. That game will be making its way to Switch in March.
The game is meant to played in a single session and lets player unravel a mystery taking place on a train. In a press release for the announcement, Bithell quipped, “Nintendo Switch is an ideal platform for players to experience Subsurface Circular, a game perfectly suited to playing on an actual train.”
The game will be available March 1 for $5.99. For more details on the game, head here.
Our Take
I am in to this kind of experience – one that treats your time as valuable. I also like Switch a lot, so this is all working out for me.
The Secret of Mana remake is launching in mere hours. You’ll notice reviews are starting to pop up, but ours isn’t ready yet. I’ve played a large chunk of the remake, but feel I need more time to assess how it measures up to the original and what it offers modern gamers. I adore Secret of Mana, but this remake has me conflicted over the design decisions.
The colorful world and music still are alluring, but the voice acting leaves much to be desired, often making scenes feel unnatural. I would recommend playing without the voice acting. The A.I. has also been a problem for me, as I’ve had to babysit them constantly and even watched them run into walls on a few occasions. I’ve also had some technical stutters interrupt the action. I’m planning to play more co-op to see if that eases some of my frustrations, but you should always be able to play alone without the A.I. becoming an obstacle. I’m also taking time to go back to the original to see just how directly it's ported.
Some positive changes include being able to assign shortcuts for items, weapons, and magic. It cuts down some of the menu heavy elements of the game, although you still go into them quite a bit. I still love what the world offers, from imaginative baddies to huge bosses that are satisfying to take down. It’s been an interesting trip down memory lane. Secret of Mana is my favorite game of all time, but so far this remake doesn’t appear to make it better, and in some areas, makes it worse.
Stay tuned for our full review coming in the next few days.
In the meantime, you can check out our New Gameplay Today to see the game in action.
We recently discussed how video game-to-film adaptations usually fall through the cracks with rare exceptions, such as the Five Nights at Freddy's film adaptation finding a director recently. Call of Duty is another property that's been simmering in Hollywood for almost a decade, but it seems that dormant projects like this are starting to come back to life.
Variety says that the multi-billion dollar juggernaut has allegedly found a director in Stefano Sollima: an Italian film and TV director who's currently working on the action-packed film Sicario 2: Soldado, featuring Josh Brolin and Benecio del Toro. Activision Blizzard Studios - a fairly new division that has worked on the Netflix series Skylanders Academy - would be developing the Call of Duty movie with a script penned by Snowden writer Kieran Fitzgerald.
There have been talks among Activision Blizzard Studios' presidents Stacey Sher and Nick van Dyk about developing a cinematic universe for Call of Duty in an interview with The Guardian, which would connect disparate films inspired by the likes of Black Ops and Modern Warfare with potential ideas for a Band of Brothers-esque television series. As for Sollima's supposed involvement with a film helmed by him, details are currently nonexistent as the division declined to answer Variety.
If you'd like to see how Activision has applied a more cinematic approach to Call of Duty's marketing, check out Ben Hanson's previous interview with Activision and Infinity Ward heads as they discuss the link between movies and video games.
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Our Take
The rumors indicate that this cinematic universe wouldn't pull any characters or major plot elements from the video games. That's somewhat disappointing, but the general idea of a tightly connected military universe sounds interesting if risky since Call of Duty has always struggled with making players attach to protagonists. However, it'd be cool to see connections similar to how Treyarch wove together elements from World at War and the Black Ops series.
Sometimes it seems like cats are taking over the world. You can’t get more than three videos into a YouTube binge without coming across some sort of cat clip. If any of those cats have half the personalities that cats have had in video games, we understand why. Here are some of the coolest cats we’ve come across in video games.
Morgana — Persona 5
Morgana might argue with you if you call him a cat, but his coolness can be broken down into three parts: There’s the real-world version, who is able to communicate with other Metaverse users via some sort of meowing telepathy. Then, we have Codename: Mona, a spunky combatant who also acts as the gang’s guide through the Metaverse. Finally, there’s Mementos Mona, who can turn into a freaking cat van and shuttle everyone around the darkest corners of the Metaverse. Add it all up and you have yourself a formula for one of the best games of 2017 and a pretty cool cat (sorry, Morgana).
Red XIII — Final Fantasy VII
Some people argue that Red XIII is a dog, but we’re team cat. Early on in Final Fantasy VII, Cloud and his party meet Red XIII while infiltrating the Shinra headquarters to rescue Aerith. After the rescue is completed, Red surprises Cloud and the rest of the party with his ability to speak. As the game progresses, more of Red XIII’s intelligence and sense of honor are revealed, leading to one of the more satisfying character arcs in the game. Here's hoping his character remains true to the original when the Final Fantasy VII remake comes out.
Katt Monroe — Star Fox series
Katt Monroe isn’t an official part of the Star Fox team, but she’s always ready to lend her skills to the cause, which basically makes her the Han Solo of Star Fox. Before Falco left to join Fox and his crew, both he and Katt were part of the Free-As-A-Bird gang together. She shares Falco’s cocky demeanor, mostly seen through ribbing at Falco’s expense. Katt has been featured in Star Fox 64, Star Fox Command, Star Fox 64 3D, and Star Fox Zero.
Evil the Cat — Earthworm Jim series
All cats are a little evil, but Evil the Cat embraces it to the fullest with his name. He rules over Planet Heck with an iron fist and his kingdom is filled with all things evil, from Shadow Demons to elevator music. He has razor-sharp teeth and claws but isn’t above hurling an acidic hairball Earthworm Jim’s way. He can be defeated, but only after players work through all nine of his lives. Even so, Evil the Cat will take his defeats as minor setbacks, go off to lick his wounds, and rise again, more determined to steal Earthworm Jim’s power suit and take over the galaxy.
King Tom — Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
You know what’s really cool? A redemption story. When first meeting King Tom in Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, he fits the bill for the stereotype of the fat, lazy cat. With his heart broken and his enthusiasm stolen, he’s apathetic to the mice infestation that has taken over his kingdom. Through Oliver’s intervention, King Tom eventually pulls himself up by his bootstraps and becomes the leader his kingdom needs.
Felicia — Darkstalkers series
There’s a lot more to Felicia than meets the eye, which is really saying something. After being taken in by a nun named Rose, Felicia grows up and dreams about bridging the gap between humanity and Darkstalkers through song. Along her travels, she meets up with other catwomen and never gives up on her dreams of becoming a pop star. She also kicks serious tail in the numerous fighting games that she’s been featured in, including the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise.
Meowth — Pokémon series
Meowth’s popularity rose due to the anime, but he first appeared exclusively in Pokémon Blue. One of the few Pokémon that speaks a human language, Meowth’s sense of humor and antagonistic attitude acts as a great foil to Ash’s Pikachu. In the games, Meowth is described as a bit of a hoarder that’s easily distracted by shiny things like coins. Don’t take it lightly, though. Meowth isn’t afraid to use its razor-sharp claws to attack or its signature move Payday, which is great to use if its trainer is strapped for cash. In Pokémon Sun and Moon, Meowth is one of the few Pokémon whose appearance changed in the land of Alola.
Mae Borowski — Night in the Woods
Anyone who has had an unresolved complex about their hometown can relate to a character like Mae. A college dropout who returns to her home of Possum Springs, Mae deals with the reasons that brought her back as well as the changing landscape of a place that used to be familiar. Her cynicism manifests in charming ways, such as the doodles that fill her journal or the inside jokes she shares with her BFF, Gregg. Mae’s internal struggles come to a head as a mystery unfolds, but it’s the relationships Mae cultivates with her friends and family that help her through and made Night in the Woods one of our most memorable gaming experiences of 2017.
M’aiq the Liar — Elder Scrolls series
The Khajiit are already one of the more exotic races in the Elder Scrolls games. They make excellent traders, thieves, and assassins, and remain cool even when they refer to themselves in the third person. But if we had to narrow it down to one Khajiit, it would have to be M’aiq the Liar, the Elder Scrolls’ least trustworthy historian. M’aiq appeared in Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, and Elder Scrolls Online and served as an Easter egg that provided witty commentary on the franchise. We don’t know if M’aiq is immortal or if each game features a different descendant in the M’aiq bloodline, but every appearance of this sharp-tongued Khajiit is as memorable as the last.
Palicoes — Monster Hunter World
Along with making a hunter in Monster Hunter World, players are also tasked with creating a feline companion called a Palico. These are no ordinary house cats. In addition to being adorned in the most adorable outfits, our cat sidekicks constantly save our butts. Whether they courageously distract a Diablos so we can sharpen our weapons or has the wherewithal to notice we need healing, these cats are always there when we need them most. And that’s pretty cool.
Now, if we could just figure out how to get these cats to come down from our favorite video game trees, we might be on to one of the biggest gaming crossovers ever. Do you also like crappy video game lists? If so, have we got a scoop for you.
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, an upcoming indie adventure from Dim Bulb Studios, is set to release on February 28.
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine will be released on February 28! That's... That's not very far away. https://t.co/QqHrQv5eFv
— Johnnemann 🌹 (@johnnemann) February 14, 2018
In this beautifully-drawn tale, players embark on a journey across America during the Depression, swapping stories with numerous characters along the way. Headlined by Sting as the wolf narrator, Where the Water Tastes Like Wine weaves a folksy narrative that has stuck with us since we first saw the game at the 2017 Game Developer's Conference.
Dim Bulb Studios was founded by Johnnemann Nordhagen, one of the developers behind Gone Home. Where the Water Tastes like Wine is releasing for PC, Mac, and Linux, while other platforms have yet to be announced.
[Source: Twitter]
Our Take
Between the blending of 2D illustration and 3D overworld, a beautiful soundtrack, and a talented team of writers bringing in a variety of tales of Americana, we're thrilled to get more than just a taste of this indie darling.
A new update rolling out for the Xbox app today allows players to voice chat with a party through Android or iOS devices.
To access the feature, open the Xbox app and tap the icon with multiple people at the top and start a party by inviting people. From there, simply speak into your phone, and make sure your device can access your microphone as well. You can also manage the party with actions such as muting or removing people.
Since December, Xbox users have participated in voice chat beta tests for the app. Previously, party chat functionality was limited to Xbox consoles, and on Windows 10 in recent years.
Download the Xbox app for Android here, and on iOS here.
[Source: Major Nelson on Twitter]
The debate on loot boxes continues to rage. Despite the ESRB saying it didn't consider Loot Boxes to be gambling last October, groups within and outside of the gaming industry are urging the rating organization to reconsider.
The latest effort comes from New Hampshire Democratic senator Maggie Hassan. Hassan sent an open letter to the ESRB, questioning the predatory tactics that surround microtransactions, especially their effect on minors. You can read the full letter for yourself here:
Patricia Vance
President
Entertainment Software Ratings Board
Dear Ms. Vance:
I write to today regarding an important gaming issue that was recently brought to my attention by a constituent.
The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) has an important mission in both providing parents with the necessary information to make decisions about the suitability of games, and their content, for children, as well as ensuring that the industry is following responsible marketing practices.
The ESRB rating system is of great value to parents across the country, empowering parents to make informed decisions on behalf of their children. As technology advances, ESRB must work to keep pace with new gaming trends, including the in-game micro-transactions and predatory gaming tactics, particularly as they are deployed on minors.
The prevalence of in-game micro-transactions, often referred to as ‘loot boxes,’ raises several concerns surrounding the use of psychological principles and enticing mechanics that closely mirror those often found in casinos and games of chance. The potential for harm is real. Recently the World Health Organization classified “gaming disorder” as a unique condition in its recent draft revision of the 11th International Classification of Diseases. While there is robust debate over whether loot boxes should be considered gambling, the fact that they are both expensive habits and use similar psychological principles suggest loot boxes should be treated with extra scrutiny. At minimum, the rating system should denote when loot boxes are utilized in physical copies of electronic games.
To that end, I respectfully urge the ESRB to review the completeness of the board’s ratings process and policies as they relate to loot boxes, and to take into account the potential harm these types of micro-transactions may have on children. I also urge the board to examine whether the design and marketing approach to loot boxes in games geared toward children is being conducted in an ethical and transparent way that adequately protects the developing minds of young children from predatory practices.
Further, I urge the ESRB to consider working with the relevant stakeholders – including parents – to collect and publish data on how developers are using loot boxes, how widespread their use is, and how much money players spend on them.
Finally, I ask that you develop best practices for developers, such as ethical design, tools for parents to disable these mechanisms, or making them less essential to core gameplay.
The ESRB has not yet responded to Hassan's letter.
For more on Microtransactions, here's a list of the most outrageous ones.
[Source: Rolling Stone]
Our Take
Microtransactions and lootboxes continue to be a hot topic in games. Their prevalence and effect on gameplay loops have annoyed players, but clearly not enough to set off the huge profits that publishers make off them. There's a lot on the line in this war over microtransactions for both publishers and players, and it will be fascinating to watch this topic become unavoidable during 2018.
In the Lunar Year event patch that brought along changes to Doomfist and Reaper, subtle ones intended for Overwatch's public test realm made their way into the update that brought significant tweaks to Sombra, as principal designer Geoff Goodman broached in the official forums. He also discussed Blizzard's recent experimentation with new abilities and alterations to Hanzo's kit. With revelations like these, vice president Jeff Kaplan has taken to an official developer update to disclose what's in the works for several heroes.
The order of business starts with Mei, who Kaplan has addressed in the official forums recently given fan outcry about her place in the meta. Blizzard is buffing her by increasing freeze time from 1 second to 1.5 seconds and giving her more icicle ammo before needing to reload her Endothermic Blaster. Many of the previously disclosed changes for Sombra are going through, which include no longer generating ultimate charge off of hacked health packs and a 10 percent decrease to her Machine Gun spread. However, the biggest shakeups come with an increase to her hack time and disabling more abilities for characters, with Kaplan providing examples of Genji not being to double jump and Pharah losing her hover jet. Other similar abilities were already detailed by Goodman in his post linked above. Doomfist is getting an additional buff to his Hand Cannon that allows him to recover bullets much faster.
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Hanzo is not receiving any fixes with this PTR update, but big plans are in store for the Shimada bowman. Blizzard has been testing out new abilities and replacements for his often-maligned Scatter Arrow. One such example is "Piercing Arrow," which would have allowed Hanzo to shoot a fast, deadly bullet that penetrates through barriers, but the ability wasn't playtesting well. The team also attempted Hanzo only being able to use Scatter Arrow on walls instead of the ground, but found this nerfed it too much. Success has potentially been found with an ability mapped to the reload button that grants Hanzo the chance to shoot three arrows in rapid succession. Another option includes a bounding leap that can be used to swiftly and suddenly surprise or retreat from the enemy team.
No announcements for Symmetra or Torbjörn are ready for the time being, but Kaplan assured players that the team wants to tweak them to bring their playtimes up across the board.
If you'd like to read about even bigger changes that Blizzard could bring to Overwatch, check out our recent feature on ideas for single-player and multiplayer modes. In addition, stay tuned to Andrew Reiner's series of ongoing interviews with Overwatch League players. His most recent chat is with San Francisco Shock's "Babybay" which you can read by clicking here.
[Source: Overwatch on Twitter]
Our Take
I don't think Mei was necessarily in a bad place, but Sombra and Hanzo were absolute musts for Blizzard to address. Sombra has always felt like a circumstantial hero for dealing with Symmetra because once her teleporter is gone, most players switch. Increasing her weapon accuracy and power of her hacking should make her more viable to deal with other characters like Mercy and Pharah when they prove to be pesky. As for Hanzo ... Scatter Arrow has to be nerfed in some way. I think removing its ability to ricochet off floors would be balanced out by a new ability like this jump (which sounds like a lot of fun), but this Piercing Arrow thing is tricky. Anyway, now Blizzard has to gently nerf Junkrat and buff Mercy's resurrrect again and most of my current gripes will be dealt with.
For Honor continues to grow its player base. Ubisoft recently revealed that this medieval-themed, close-combat title has amassed more than 7.5 million players in total, along with 1 million unique players each month.
It's also For Honor's anniversary today, having released exactly a year ago. In a recent Ubisoft earnings call, the publisher brought attention to For Honor's success, stating that it is the fifth most viewed 'new' game on Twitch.
For Honor's success is linked to Ubisoft's dedication to the game, by bringing forth regular and consistent updates. Are any of you still playing For Honor? How have you found the game has grown since release? Let us know in the comments below.
With Game Informer's new cover story on Metro Exodus, we cover a lot of ground and explain the biggest changes that the series is making with the upcoming sequel. One of the most interesting aspects of previous games are the guns. This time around, not only will players be given more crafting options and the ability to clean their weapons this time around, but the team at 4A Games is going above and beyond to ensure that the weapons could be built in the real world. One of the leading voices in the visual direction of the game's guns is art director Sergei "Karma" Karmalsky. While visiting the studio in Malta, we spoke with Karma about the full creative process behind making new guns and how the new arsenal compares to Metro: Last Light's.
Watch the interview with Karma below to see some of the new guns in action.
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For more on Metro Exodus, be sure to check out our coverage by clicking on the banner below.
CD Projekt Red has announced via a recent Twitch livestream that its card-based game, Gwent, will grant players the opportunity to face off against Gaunter O'Dimm, The Man of Glass in a fresh Arena mode. While entering into a match with the intimidating opponent will cost 150 ore ($1.99) each time, players are guaranteed to receive a Keg by the end regardless of whether they complete nine contracts or exhaust all three of their lives during the run. A Keg contains five cards, four of which are randomized and the last being rare or better. Should you make it further in the run, you have a chance to gain a random legendary card. The mode is still in development and is subject to change, so a release date has not been unveiled.
In addition, a new faction challenge will be running until February 20 at 11 am EST. You can choose between the Skellige and Scoia-tael groups and play on either's behalf to earn faction-specific rewards, which you can read more about by clicking here.
Our Take
Much like Hearthstone, I love seeing what seems to be strong developer support behind keeping spin-off titles like these going. This is a mode that frequent players have been requesting since its beta release last year, so it goes to show that fan feedback can pay off.
The next book from Third Editions focuses on BioShock and releases tomorrow.
Through 192 pages, the central focus of BioShock: From Rapture to Columbia pores over the various processes each game went through in development. It details how elements such as the design, themes, music, influences, and stories came together, as well as "revealing anecdotes," Third Editions says.
The hardcover collector's edition of the book comes with a variant cover and limited edition dust jacket for $34.90. It can be ordered here. Third Editions has also published books on Metal Gear Solid, The Legend of Zelda, Dark Souls, and Final Fantasy.
On February 27, PC players looking to hack and slash and shoot their way through Dante's first adventure can do so for free with either a Twitch or Amazon prime account. According to a Capcom blog post, players will need to login via the Twitch Desktop app to claim the free game. Capcom has not stated how long this offer will be available.
Devil May Cry HD Collection, which contains Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2, and Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, is set to release for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on March 13. Perhaps this HD collection will prepare us for whatever Hideaki Itsuno's next project will be.
THQ Nordic has acquired Koch Media, the company that owns Saints Row, Dead Island, and Metro Exodus publisher Deep Silver, bringing back former THQ franchises under the same roof.
In the deal, THQ Nordic gets all of Koch/Deep Silver's titles as well as studios Volition (Saints Row/Agents of Mayhem) and Dambuster Studio (Homefront: The Revolution). Koch also owns a European physical games publisher/distributor and a film distributor/co-producer.
The acquisition completes the circle for former THQ titles. When THQ closed and sold off its properties in 2013, Nordic Games not only picked up almost $5 million in THQ games, but also the trademark (changing its name to THQ Nordic in 2016). At the time, Deep Silver bought other THQ IP such as Saints Row (and its developer Volition) and Metro. Now with the purchase of Koch/Deep Silver, THQ Nordic brings all the old THQ properties back together.
The first-person vantage point is an effective way to convey horror, reducing the literal and figurative distance between the player and character. The Evil Within 2 is letting players pick which way they want to experience the game with an optional first-person camera via a free update.
"I think exploring Union in first-person makes the scale feel even bigger than it does when you're in third-person," says Tango Gameworks' producer, Shinsaku Ohara. "Also, being able to see our environments and enemies up close allows players to get an even better look at how much effort went into their designs."
Players can switch between the first- and third-person cameras at any time in the game menu, and you can see how it works in action with the game's free trial. Progress in the trial, which contains the game's opening chapters, can be taken over into the main game if you purchase it and continue.
For more on The Evil Within 2, check out Suriel's review.
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