Gamespot's Site Mashup

http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Mon, 28 Oct 2013 08:40:06 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-pokemon-game-a-3d-detective-adventure-with-pikachu-report/1100-6415812/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2357462-pikachu+detective.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2357462" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2357462-pikachu+detective.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2357462"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1493/14930800/2357462-pikachu+detective.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Following <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-hints-at-a-pokemon-game-where-pikachu-mimics-facial-expressions/1100-6415698/">images last week </a>of a Pikachu that would react to a user's facial expressions, new information says that Nintendo is working on a 3D Pokemon detective adventure with a Pikachu as the player's sidekick.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The game (<a href="http://www.serebii.net/index2.shtml" rel="nofollow">detailed via Serebii</a>) is being developed for 3DS and is targeting a 2015 release. The game is said to feature a rare Pikachu as the game's villain--although there are concerns about the game's audience liking a villainous Pikachu, Serebii reports.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A special blue Pikachu will also feature, who can speak, though it is unclear if the talking Pikachu is the game's antagonist.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The information was revealed as part of a Japanese TV interview with Pokemon Company boss Tsunekazu Ishihara.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Two screenshots were shown, with a player holding a magnifying glass and navigating a 3D environment on the search for clues.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A beta version of a sequel to puzzle game Pokémon Trozei was also shown, along with the information that the game is aiming to be a downloadable release.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6415368" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6415368/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Mon, 28 Oct 2013 07:55:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-pokemon-game-a-3d-detective-adventure-with-pikachu-report/1100-6415812/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sim-city-cities-of-tomorrow-preview/2300-6415767/ Kevin VanOrd is joined by Jason Haber from Electronic Arts to show off some gameplay from Sim City: Cities of Tomorrow. Mon, 28 Oct 2013 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sim-city-cities-of-tomorrow-preview/2300-6415767/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wwe-2k14-review/1900-6415512/ <p style="">Who's the greatest showman of the 20^th century? Michael Jackson? Harry Houdini? Or maybe you're partial to Ted Danson. These are all fine choices, if you like going the obvious route. How about someone who transformed the flashy fisticuffs of professional wrestling into an art form? Enter Randy Savage. No one else could have made sequined robes seem like the perfect attire for a burly man. And it's not like my high opinion of Savage is because of my hazy memory. His gruff, stilted speech and deliberate mannerisms enthrall me just as much today as they did so many years ago. The Macho Man was a theatrical genius, and the embodiment of everything that makes professional wrestling so compelling.</p><p style="">When the wrestlers of my youth faded into the sunset, so too did my interest in the WWE. But the nostalgic flame of yesteryear still burns inside me. All of those old feelings were rekindled in WWE 2K14. There's a mode called 30 Years of WrestleMania that focuses on the history of wrestling's Super Bowl. I got a warm glow in my chest when I replayed some of these classic matches. Remember when The Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan exchanged clotheslines in the center of the ring? Oh, how thrilling it was to see these two titans go toe-to-toe to settle whatever feud they had. By the end of the fight, Warrior's face paint had chipped away, and we could finally see what the real man looked like. And then there was the time Andre the Giant callously tossed hundred-dollar bills after triumphing over Big John Studd. Such a blatant and hilarious disregard for money!</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2355884" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2355884-wwe+2k14+-+savage+vs+ricky+-+2013-10-23+11-23-1605.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2355884-wwe+2k14+-+savage+vs+ricky+-+2013-10-23+11-23-1605.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2355884"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/725/7253563/2355884-wwe+2k14+-+savage+vs+ricky+-+2013-10-23+11-23-1605.jpg"></a><figcaption>Randy Savage will always be a champion.</figcaption></figure><p style="">WWE 2K14's celebration of its prestigious history is very well done. We expect entrance themes and costumes to be ripped from the archives, but the game goes even further than that. By completing historical objectives within each match, brief cutscenes are cued up that mirror what happened in real life so many years ago. Have Hulk initiate a grapple outside of the ring against Andre the Giant, and watch the galoot from Grenoble headbutt the ring post just as Hogan ducks away. These scenarios are so expertly crafted that they drew me in completely to the main event. And even when I had never seen the match in the first place, I was still roped in to the drama because of how well it's presented.</p><blockquote data-align="right" data-size="medium"><p style="">By the end of the fight, Warrior's face paint had chipped away, and we could finally see what the real man looked like.</p></blockquote><p style="">Before I realized that wrestling was scripted, I would recoil when one of my heroes would take a chair to his back or have his head forcibly slammed into the ground. But even once I knew their tricks, I would still wince. My emotions would overwhelm my senses, and I would think how much it would hurt to be thrown to and fro. Have you ever slammed your elbow into a ring after missing a flying leap off the top rope? It must be at least a little painful. WWE 2K14 communicates the dramatic punishment of professional wrestling. Most hits have serious impact, so much so that you wonder how someone could possibly survive some of these moves. Thunderous sound effects and elaborate wind-up animations make you grimace despite yourself.</p><p style="">If only strikes carried as much weight as other moves. When WWE 2K14's wrestlers mimic bar-room brawlers by throwing haymakers, the game's relationship to reality crumbles away. The wrestlers punch and kick so quickly that there's no weight behind them. And considering how often you perform these moves, there's an odd separation that makes matches feel imbalanced. Furthermore, the core action is so reliant on counterattacks that it's closer to a sequence of quick-time events than a body slam ballet. Instead of rewarding positioning or smart tactics, victory goes to the wrestler who taps a button first. This strips away much of the appeal of competitive matches because the same tactics can be used to win, no matter who you are or who you play against. After participating in one clunky, awkward match after another, I longed for the fluid choreography of the real thing. Absent WrestleMania's finest moments, the matches are dry affairs that do little to spark the imagination.</p><p style="">Such issues cut even deeper when more than two men enter the ring. The utter chaos of multi-man bouts never comes close to being captured in WWE 2K14. What should be satisfyingly crazy turns into a series of clunky one-on-one battles with no one quite sure what's expected of him. Really, all of the non-traditional fights lack the excitement that should exist when rules are shaken up. Escaping a steel cage, for instance, requires you to tap a button at the optimal position to go faster. Cramming your main objective into a simple minigames is oddly disconnected from the core action. And if you should climb to the top of a Hell in a Cell cage, don't expect to be able to recreate the infamous match between Mick Folley and The Undertaker. You can neither toss your opponent off nor fall through the cage, and the awkward animations preventing such disasters look hopelessly cartoonish. Stick to traditional fights in WWE 2K14 unless you want to see just how limited the combat is.</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2355889" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2355889-wwe+2k14+%28360%29+-+the+shaun+method+-+2013-10-25+03-40-3606.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2355889-wwe+2k14+%28360%29+-+the+shaun+method+-+2013-10-25+03-40-3606.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2355889"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/725/7253563/2355889-wwe+2k14+%28360%29+-+the+shaun+method+-+2013-10-25+03-40-3606.jpg"></a><figcaption>An abomination only possible in the character creator. You should see his feet.</figcaption></figure><p style="">If you ever wanted to be Vince McMahon (minus the ridiculous walk), Universe mode lets you tinker with the behind-the-scenes drama. Create feuds between wrestlers who used to be best friends and shake up the calendar if you've ever wished that Raw would air on Tuesdays. Universe mode is certainly interesting if you've ever dreamed of crazy scenarios, but it doesn't make up for the lackluster wrestling once you step back in the ring. At least there's one element outside the ring that anyone could enjoy. Creation mode let's you design an unholy monster to be your champion, which is absolutely riveting if you have a maniacal disposition. Make someone with teeny, tiny legs and cross your fingers that his femur doesn't snap in the middle of a bout. Or maybe you want his bones to break. Whatever floats your boat.</p><p style="">It's a shame the wrestling isn't up to par in WWE 2K14 because the elements surrounding it are so interesting. Though not nearly as captivating as Randy Savage, The Undertaker has a mode dedicated to his undefeated record in WrestleManias. You have the option to knock him from his lofty perch with a willing participant, or fend off everyone clamoring for your throne as The Undertaker. It's a neat mode that embraces one of the iconic personalities in the sport, but none of these activities have lasting appeal because fights are so dreary. When WWE 2K14 does work, its because of its recreation of history. For anyone who grew up loving professional wrestling, be prepared to be swept away in a tide of nostalgia. If only the core action could have been as compelling.</p> Mon, 28 Oct 2013 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wwe-2k14-review/1900-6415512/

http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Mon, 28 Oct 2013 08:40:06 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-pokemon-game-a-3d-detective-adventure-with-pikachu-report/1100-6415812/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2357462-pikachu+detective.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2357462" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2357462-pikachu+detective.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2357462"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1493/14930800/2357462-pikachu+detective.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Following <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-hints-at-a-pokemon-game-where-pikachu-mimics-facial-expressions/1100-6415698/">images last week </a>of a Pikachu that would react to a user's facial expressions, new information says that Nintendo is working on a 3D Pokemon detective adventure with a Pikachu as the player's sidekick.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The game (<a href="http://www.serebii.net/index2.shtml" rel="nofollow">detailed via Serebii</a>) is being developed for 3DS and is targeting a 2015 release. The game is said to feature a rare Pikachu as the game's villain--although there are concerns about the game's audience liking a villainous Pikachu, Serebii reports.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A special blue Pikachu will also feature, who can speak, though it is unclear if the talking Pikachu is the game's antagonist.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The information was revealed as part of a Japanese TV interview with Pokemon Company boss Tsunekazu Ishihara.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Two screenshots were shown, with a player holding a magnifying glass and navigating a 3D environment on the search for clues.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A beta version of a sequel to puzzle game Pokémon Trozei was also shown, along with the information that the game is aiming to be a downloadable release.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6415368" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6415368/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Mon, 28 Oct 2013 07:55:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-pokemon-game-a-3d-detective-adventure-with-pikachu-report/1100-6415812/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sim-city-cities-of-tomorrow-preview/2300-6415767/ Kevin VanOrd is joined by Jason Haber from Electronic Arts to show off some gameplay from Sim City: Cities of Tomorrow. Mon, 28 Oct 2013 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sim-city-cities-of-tomorrow-preview/2300-6415767/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wwe-2k14-review/1900-6415512/ <p style="">Who's the greatest showman of the 20^th century? Michael Jackson? Harry Houdini? Or maybe you're partial to Ted Danson. These are all fine choices, if you like going the obvious route. How about someone who transformed the flashy fisticuffs of professional wrestling into an art form? Enter Randy Savage. No one else could have made sequined robes seem like the perfect attire for a burly man. And it's not like my high opinion of Savage is because of my hazy memory. His gruff, stilted speech and deliberate mannerisms enthrall me just as much today as they did so many years ago. The Macho Man was a theatrical genius, and the embodiment of everything that makes professional wrestling so compelling.</p><p style="">When the wrestlers of my youth faded into the sunset, so too did my interest in the WWE. But the nostalgic flame of yesteryear still burns inside me. All of those old feelings were rekindled in WWE 2K14. There's a mode called 30 Years of WrestleMania that focuses on the history of wrestling's Super Bowl. I got a warm glow in my chest when I replayed some of these classic matches. Remember when The Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan exchanged clotheslines in the center of the ring? Oh, how thrilling it was to see these two titans go toe-to-toe to settle whatever feud they had. By the end of the fight, Warrior's face paint had chipped away, and we could finally see what the real man looked like. And then there was the time Andre the Giant callously tossed hundred-dollar bills after triumphing over Big John Studd. Such a blatant and hilarious disregard for money!</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2355884" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2355884-wwe+2k14+-+savage+vs+ricky+-+2013-10-23+11-23-1605.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2355884-wwe+2k14+-+savage+vs+ricky+-+2013-10-23+11-23-1605.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2355884"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/725/7253563/2355884-wwe+2k14+-+savage+vs+ricky+-+2013-10-23+11-23-1605.jpg"></a><figcaption>Randy Savage will always be a champion.</figcaption></figure><p style="">WWE 2K14's celebration of its prestigious history is very well done. We expect entrance themes and costumes to be ripped from the archives, but the game goes even further than that. By completing historical objectives within each match, brief cutscenes are cued up that mirror what happened in real life so many years ago. Have Hulk initiate a grapple outside of the ring against Andre the Giant, and watch the galoot from Grenoble headbutt the ring post just as Hogan ducks away. These scenarios are so expertly crafted that they drew me in completely to the main event. And even when I had never seen the match in the first place, I was still roped in to the drama because of how well it's presented.</p><blockquote data-align="right" data-size="medium"><p style="">By the end of the fight, Warrior's face paint had chipped away, and we could finally see what the real man looked like.</p></blockquote><p style="">Before I realized that wrestling was scripted, I would recoil when one of my heroes would take a chair to his back or have his head forcibly slammed into the ground. But even once I knew their tricks, I would still wince. My emotions would overwhelm my senses, and I would think how much it would hurt to be thrown to and fro. Have you ever slammed your elbow into a ring after missing a flying leap off the top rope? It must be at least a little painful. WWE 2K14 communicates the dramatic punishment of professional wrestling. Most hits have serious impact, so much so that you wonder how someone could possibly survive some of these moves. Thunderous sound effects and elaborate wind-up animations make you grimace despite yourself.</p><p style="">If only strikes carried as much weight as other moves. When WWE 2K14's wrestlers mimic bar-room brawlers by throwing haymakers, the game's relationship to reality crumbles away. The wrestlers punch and kick so quickly that there's no weight behind them. And considering how often you perform these moves, there's an odd separation that makes matches feel imbalanced. Furthermore, the core action is so reliant on counterattacks that it's closer to a sequence of quick-time events than a body slam ballet. Instead of rewarding positioning or smart tactics, victory goes to the wrestler who taps a button first. This strips away much of the appeal of competitive matches because the same tactics can be used to win, no matter who you are or who you play against. After participating in one clunky, awkward match after another, I longed for the fluid choreography of the real thing. Absent WrestleMania's finest moments, the matches are dry affairs that do little to spark the imagination.</p><p style="">Such issues cut even deeper when more than two men enter the ring. The utter chaos of multi-man bouts never comes close to being captured in WWE 2K14. What should be satisfyingly crazy turns into a series of clunky one-on-one battles with no one quite sure what's expected of him. Really, all of the non-traditional fights lack the excitement that should exist when rules are shaken up. Escaping a steel cage, for instance, requires you to tap a button at the optimal position to go faster. Cramming your main objective into a simple minigames is oddly disconnected from the core action. And if you should climb to the top of a Hell in a Cell cage, don't expect to be able to recreate the infamous match between Mick Folley and The Undertaker. You can neither toss your opponent off nor fall through the cage, and the awkward animations preventing such disasters look hopelessly cartoonish. Stick to traditional fights in WWE 2K14 unless you want to see just how limited the combat is.</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2355889" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2355889-wwe+2k14+%28360%29+-+the+shaun+method+-+2013-10-25+03-40-3606.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2355889-wwe+2k14+%28360%29+-+the+shaun+method+-+2013-10-25+03-40-3606.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2355889"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/725/7253563/2355889-wwe+2k14+%28360%29+-+the+shaun+method+-+2013-10-25+03-40-3606.jpg"></a><figcaption>An abomination only possible in the character creator. You should see his feet.</figcaption></figure><p style="">If you ever wanted to be Vince McMahon (minus the ridiculous walk), Universe mode lets you tinker with the behind-the-scenes drama. Create feuds between wrestlers who used to be best friends and shake up the calendar if you've ever wished that Raw would air on Tuesdays. Universe mode is certainly interesting if you've ever dreamed of crazy scenarios, but it doesn't make up for the lackluster wrestling once you step back in the ring. At least there's one element outside the ring that anyone could enjoy. Creation mode let's you design an unholy monster to be your champion, which is absolutely riveting if you have a maniacal disposition. Make someone with teeny, tiny legs and cross your fingers that his femur doesn't snap in the middle of a bout. Or maybe you want his bones to break. Whatever floats your boat.</p><p style="">It's a shame the wrestling isn't up to par in WWE 2K14 because the elements surrounding it are so interesting. Though not nearly as captivating as Randy Savage, The Undertaker has a mode dedicated to his undefeated record in WrestleManias. You have the option to knock him from his lofty perch with a willing participant, or fend off everyone clamoring for your throne as The Undertaker. It's a neat mode that embraces one of the iconic personalities in the sport, but none of these activities have lasting appeal because fights are so dreary. When WWE 2K14 does work, its because of its recreation of history. For anyone who grew up loving professional wrestling, be prepared to be swept away in a tide of nostalgia. If only the core action could have been as compelling.</p> Mon, 28 Oct 2013 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wwe-2k14-review/1900-6415512/

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Gamespot's Site Mashup

http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Mon, 21 Oct 2013 09:06:14 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/batman-arkham-origins-official-gameplay-walkthroug/2300-6415666/ Check out some of the skills you'll be using to brutal effect as Batman in Arkham Origins. Mon, 21 Oct 2013 08:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/batman-arkham-origins-official-gameplay-walkthroug/2300-6415666/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/crytek-s-first-f2p-game-warface-out-today/1100-6415684/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2349546-warface17.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2349546" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2349546-warface17.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2349546"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1179/11799911/2349546-warface17.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Crysis and Ryse: Son of Rome developer Crytek today released its first free-to-play game. <a href="/warface/" data-ref-id="false">Warface</a> is <a href="https://gface.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">available today</a> through Crytek's new online hub called GFACE.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Players must register through GFACE to play Warface and agree to the platform's terms and conditions before they can jump in.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Crytek also announced today that based on feedback from the Warface beta, the game's Medic and Engineer classes won't be unlocked until a certain amount of time has passed.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Gamers must play around 30 minutes in the game's tutorial to unlock the Medic class and around 1 hour for the Engineer class.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In Warface, players start out with a rank of 1 and can level up by gaining XP through taking down enemies and achieving objectives.</p><p style="">Warface, which runs on the CryEngine 3, will be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warface-coming-to-xbox-360-in-2014/1100-6413787/" data-ref-id="1100-6413787">released on Xbox 360 in 2014</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6404598" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6404598/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Mon, 21 Oct 2013 08:03:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/crytek-s-first-f2p-game-warface-out-today/1100-6415684/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-v-review-southland-sprawl/1900-6415483/ <p style="">Grand Theft Auto V deserves accolades for its innovative triumvirate of antiheroes, its many and varied missions, and the sprawling depiction of Los Santos and the hillbilly outbacks. But to rip off what an erudite author once said about Oakland, there is no "there" there. I can't imagine any scenario in which a literary icon like Gertrude Stein would be critiquing a video game, but that legendary putdown can also apply to the Greater Los Santos Area. There is something missing in GTAV that makes the game less engaging than the sociopathic sandboxes of GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas, the two GTA games that will perpetually be my measuring sticks for the franchise.</p><p style="">What is missing most of all is a solid sense of place. Both Vice City and San Andreas reveled in nostalgia. Vice City reeked of the '80s, from the pitch-perfect radio stations to the Crockett and Tubbs lookalikes that showed up in their Testarossas--er, Cheetahs--when you cranked your wanted level to three stars. San Andreas evoked the early 1990s in a similar way. San Andreas' theme was not as developed as Vice City's, but the game still depicted a recognizable time and place in its grim cartoon look at Los Angeles--with sidelong glances at LA County, San Francisco, and Las Vegas--during the explosion of rap and the racial tension that saw a good chunk of SoCal go up in flames after the Rodney King verdict.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6414795" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6414795/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Both San Andreas and Vice City seemed like real places. Rockstar's biggest achievement in these games was in creating places that you wanted to visit. Vice City was most successful at this. I practically moved to Vice City; I knew the streets by name and could find my way around there better than in the real world. This devotion speaks to Vice City's power to invade my waking thoughts. Long after the game's release, I would go for long drives around town, listening to the radio and indulging my inner hooligan in a rampage or three. The same is true of San Andreas, although the allure of the '80s theme usually won out before I got the San Andreas disc into the system. Rockstar hasn't forgotten how to do this sort of thing. I liked visiting the faux West of Red Dead Redemption just as much as I did Vice City, and still load up the game to ride around the lonely prairie.</p><p style="">GTAV, much like its immediate predecessor, GTAIV, is too almost-modern for its own good. While the setting is ostensibly today, the plot goes back to the 2008-2009 depths of the Great Recession. The story feels dated, and not in the good way of Vice City and San Andreas, which were intentionally retro. Instead of thinking, "Cool! That Exploder: Evacuator Part II movie commercial perfectly sums up how dumb action movies really were in 1986!" you're thinking, "Man, the developers started writing this stuff a long time ago."</p><blockquote data-size="large" data-align="center"><p style="">Look beyond the jokey stuff, and you discover an unrelentingly bleak, black-hearted look at humanity.</p></blockquote><p style="">Not that the economy is really a whole lot better today, of course. But worries about the housing crisis, the implosion of Lehman Brothers, and the bursting of the housing bubble in the US--all things that clearly motivated a lot of the storyline in GTAV--are not exactly current. We've moved on to new economic meltdowns, like the stateside debt ceiling crisis. It's critique of mainstream media is equally archaic; taking shots at reality television for being crass also isn't cutting-edge comedy. Grand Theft Auto V was a clearly expensive game to make and obviously took a long time to develop, but a story that is only contemporary when work begins in earnest on a project of this magnitude ultimately looks dated. It suffers from the curse of trying to be too current.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2346987-8904847019-2052375-634490_20130826_003.jpg+" data-ref-id="1300-2346987" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2346987-8904847019-2052375-634490_20130826_003.jpg+" data-ref-id="1300-2346987"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_medium/416/4161502/2346987-8904847019-2052375-634490_20130826_003.jpg+"></a><figcaption>The triumvirate of protagonists represents the before, after, and way after of humanity.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Los Santos, at least, is brilliantly realized, particularly as a technical achievement. The city and the surrounding meth-producing rural environs form the most realistic depiction of a metropolitan area to ever grace a game. The whole burg lives and breathes, offering colorful slices of life whether you're creeping through backyards in the dead of night or just wandering down the sidewalk in the middle of the afternoon. I don't think I ever encountered any window dressing; all of the people seemed to be present in their own moments, not just there to serve as my personal backdrop. But it's so damn big. I long for the simpler layouts of Vice City and even the more sprawling San Andreas. You could get to know them in a reasonable amount of time, which added to that easy sense of familiarity that turned them into real places in short order.</p><p style="">This is the most personable GTA game, with a strong emphasis on the three lead characters that delves into their psyches (and even into your own psyche by the end of the storyline). That isn't always a good thing, especially when it comes to Trevor, who's probably the most reprehensible dirtbag protagonist in the history of gaming, if not everything. Still, I couldn't look away. Trevor's most malevolent lines were also some of the most hilarious in the game. He forms a vital part of the triumvirate of playable characters, which are a commentary on life in 2008-era America. Trevor represents bottoming out, while burned-out Michael is the guy who's got it all and is still up to his neck in ennui (he's sort of Tommy Vercetti, 25 years later), and up-and-coming Franklin is the man on the rise who's eager to do anything to make the money needed to be regarded as a success in Los Santos. The three are a before, after, and way after.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2346990-6795455625-22383.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2346990" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2346990-6795455625-22383.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2346990"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/416/4161502/2346990-6795455625-22383.jpg"></a><figcaption>Scripted missions are the best part of GTAV, especially the multipart heists.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The script is brilliant, from the start with Franklin and his idiotic buddy Lamar, through Michael's spoiled-brat family life, through Trevor's meth-lab murders, through the multiple-choice endings. GTAV gets back to the psychopathic comic strip best represented in the craziness of Tommy Vercetti in Vice City, but with more plot points and tighter characterizations to hold the story together. This game hates everyone and everything, expressing an unrelentingly bleak, black-hearted look at humanity, with even the few rays of sunlight bookended by atrocity. Trevor shows mercy on occasion, though the biggest act of charity he offers in the entire game comes right after introducing a guy to creative uses for a car battery and a monkey wrench.</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p style="">The appeal of exploring the map on your own has been diminished.</p></blockquote><p style="">If you have a dark sense of humor, there are more laugh-out-loud moments here than in all of the previous GTA games combined. Being able to switch between the members of this trio at will is a great mechanic that accentuates the humor. Flipping over to see what Trevor is doing almost always results in tuning in to pure insanity. My favorite such event was dropping in on him just as he was looming over a bikini-clad girl on Vespucci Beach, while wearing nothing but a filthy muscle shirt and tighty whities, saying something about her licking his white bits. Such moments are likely scripted, given how this Walter White moment led directly into a mission opening where Trevor dropped his undies in front of hapless Floyd, but it all seems organic when you're playing.</p><p style="">Missions have also been laid out almost perfectly, with loads of options as to how you play them, especially when it comes to the big multipart heists that see you planning and executing jobs with the help of hired operatives. Events get overly surreal at times, with the trio working together to form something of a James Bond team adept at everything from flying planes to scuba diving. Still, it's all incredibly captivating, and the game does everything at least reasonably well. Flying and landing planes, for instance, still aren't fully enjoyable tasks, but they've come a long way since San Andreas.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2346995-9641516373-22383.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2346995" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2346995-9641516373-22383.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2346995"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_medium/416/4161502/2346995-9641516373-22383.jpg"></a><figcaption>Women have few roles to play in GTA V. Here's the most common.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Unfortunately, the appeal of exploring the map on your own has been diminished. Attempts at free-form chaos inevitably had me switching back to the scripted stories and missions, which yielded far more entertainment. The only thing I enjoyed about exploring was stumbling upon random occurrences, such as robberies, an apparent bus hijacking, and police shootouts with other criminals. Yet even these great little touches paled in comparison with the scripted missions, and core components of the game design have been tweaked to raise the profile of scripted story at the cost of the open-world concept that has powered previous GTAs. You can still go gonzo in style, but it's not nearly as easy to explode in a random manner when the mood strikes you.</p><p style="">One reason the zaniness feels so limited is that the police are extraordinarily good at what they do and extremely aggressive. They arrive on the scene of even one- and two-star wanted level incidents almost immediately, and a police chopper is quick to show up the moment you hit three stars. Police boats roar up quickly if you try to take to the waves, and cops shoot extremely well, to the point where they can tag you with bullets from a good block away. Basic patrol cars accelerate almost as well as the average Pegassi Infernus, and their drivers are expert at cutting you off and blocking you in. If you want to go on a satisfying tear, you need to armor up, make sure you have loads of the best hardware that Ammu-Nation carries, and have a zippy car nearby. Walking out of a hospital in a bad mood and going berserk with cathartic anger generally gets you wasted again in very short order.</p><blockquote data-size="large" data-align="center"><p style="">It's a lot more fun to escape the cops by slamming a car into a Pay 'n' Spray booth at a hundred miles an hour than it is to cower in an alley for five minutes while the police gradually give up their pursuit.</p></blockquote><p style="">You can still go on rampages and evade the police, of course, but you have to do it more realistically by switching cars, hiding in bushes, ducking into somebody's backyard, hanging out in a parking garage, and so forth. This is a more lifelike way of ditching the boys in blue, but it's not very entertaining, especially if you like the intensity of one-man-stand firefights. The best way to eliminate a wanted level now is to hide. I had the most success by driving off-road where the cops couldn't follow me very well. Then I just stuck the car in a gully and sat back until my wanted level vanished completely.</p><p style="">Long gone are the days when you could clock six stars (the game now tops out at five stars), get the army after you, and still escape justice simply by scraping into a Pay 'n' Spray a second ahead of the long arm of the law. Pay 'n' Spray shops have actually been pulled out of GTAV entirely in favor of Los Santos Customs, which is more of a car modification garage than a ready way to escape the cops, since it's useless unless you've already lost your pursuers. Magic car paint in Vice City and San Andreas may have been pretty ridiculous, but it was also a great game mechanism that emphasized the catch-me-if-you-can excitement that made sandbox rampages so integral a part of the GTA experience. It's a lot more fun to escape the cops by slamming a car into a Pay 'n' Spray booth at a hundred miles an hour than it is to cower in an alley for five minutes while the police gradually give up their pursuit.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/6/5/8/2/2236582-gsm_169_gta_v_vr_ps3_091513_m1_320.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2236582" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/6/5/8/2/2236582-gsm_169_gta_v_vr_ps3_091513_m1_320.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2236582"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/mig/6/5/8/2/2236582-gsm_169_gta_v_vr_ps3_091513_m1_320.jpg"></a><figcaption>World-weary Michael is a memorable character who seems like a Behind the Music look at Tommy Vercetti, 25 years later.</figcaption></figure><p style="">This is a considerably different style of game than either San Andreas or Vice City, with more structure and less of that eyes-wide-open world where the most fun was surveying the landscape and seeing what kind of trouble you could get into. This is a new GTA, one that is a great game on its own terms, but also one that fails to capture the magic of the freestyle adventures that set the tone for the series. I can't see myself coming back to GTAV very often now that I've wrapped the main storyline, save to check out the expansions that Rockstar is undoubtedly prepping for 2014, or to get into the multiplayer, if and when it lives up to its potential. Here, because the game's structure is so tight, done is done. That's typical of how I play games. But it isn't typical of how I play GTA games.</p> Fri, 18 Oct 2013 15:29:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-v-review-southland-sprawl/1900-6415483/

http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Mon, 21 Oct 2013 09:06:14 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/batman-arkham-origins-official-gameplay-walkthroug/2300-6415666/ Check out some of the skills you'll be using to brutal effect as Batman in Arkham Origins. Mon, 21 Oct 2013 08:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/batman-arkham-origins-official-gameplay-walkthroug/2300-6415666/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/crytek-s-first-f2p-game-warface-out-today/1100-6415684/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2349546-warface17.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2349546" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2349546-warface17.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2349546"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1179/11799911/2349546-warface17.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Crysis and Ryse: Son of Rome developer Crytek today released its first free-to-play game. <a href="/warface/" data-ref-id="false">Warface</a> is <a href="https://gface.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">available today</a> through Crytek's new online hub called GFACE.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Players must register through GFACE to play Warface and agree to the platform's terms and conditions before they can jump in.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Crytek also announced today that based on feedback from the Warface beta, the game's Medic and Engineer classes won't be unlocked until a certain amount of time has passed.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Gamers must play around 30 minutes in the game's tutorial to unlock the Medic class and around 1 hour for the Engineer class.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In Warface, players start out with a rank of 1 and can level up by gaining XP through taking down enemies and achieving objectives.</p><p style="">Warface, which runs on the CryEngine 3, will be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warface-coming-to-xbox-360-in-2014/1100-6413787/" data-ref-id="1100-6413787">released on Xbox 360 in 2014</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6404598" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6404598/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Mon, 21 Oct 2013 08:03:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/crytek-s-first-f2p-game-warface-out-today/1100-6415684/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-v-review-southland-sprawl/1900-6415483/ <p style="">Grand Theft Auto V deserves accolades for its innovative triumvirate of antiheroes, its many and varied missions, and the sprawling depiction of Los Santos and the hillbilly outbacks. But to rip off what an erudite author once said about Oakland, there is no "there" there. I can't imagine any scenario in which a literary icon like Gertrude Stein would be critiquing a video game, but that legendary putdown can also apply to the Greater Los Santos Area. There is something missing in GTAV that makes the game less engaging than the sociopathic sandboxes of GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas, the two GTA games that will perpetually be my measuring sticks for the franchise.</p><p style="">What is missing most of all is a solid sense of place. Both Vice City and San Andreas reveled in nostalgia. Vice City reeked of the '80s, from the pitch-perfect radio stations to the Crockett and Tubbs lookalikes that showed up in their Testarossas--er, Cheetahs--when you cranked your wanted level to three stars. San Andreas evoked the early 1990s in a similar way. San Andreas' theme was not as developed as Vice City's, but the game still depicted a recognizable time and place in its grim cartoon look at Los Angeles--with sidelong glances at LA County, San Francisco, and Las Vegas--during the explosion of rap and the racial tension that saw a good chunk of SoCal go up in flames after the Rodney King verdict.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6414795" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6414795/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Both San Andreas and Vice City seemed like real places. Rockstar's biggest achievement in these games was in creating places that you wanted to visit. Vice City was most successful at this. I practically moved to Vice City; I knew the streets by name and could find my way around there better than in the real world. This devotion speaks to Vice City's power to invade my waking thoughts. Long after the game's release, I would go for long drives around town, listening to the radio and indulging my inner hooligan in a rampage or three. The same is true of San Andreas, although the allure of the '80s theme usually won out before I got the San Andreas disc into the system. Rockstar hasn't forgotten how to do this sort of thing. I liked visiting the faux West of Red Dead Redemption just as much as I did Vice City, and still load up the game to ride around the lonely prairie.</p><p style="">GTAV, much like its immediate predecessor, GTAIV, is too almost-modern for its own good. While the setting is ostensibly today, the plot goes back to the 2008-2009 depths of the Great Recession. The story feels dated, and not in the good way of Vice City and San Andreas, which were intentionally retro. Instead of thinking, "Cool! That Exploder: Evacuator Part II movie commercial perfectly sums up how dumb action movies really were in 1986!" you're thinking, "Man, the developers started writing this stuff a long time ago."</p><blockquote data-size="large" data-align="center"><p style="">Look beyond the jokey stuff, and you discover an unrelentingly bleak, black-hearted look at humanity.</p></blockquote><p style="">Not that the economy is really a whole lot better today, of course. But worries about the housing crisis, the implosion of Lehman Brothers, and the bursting of the housing bubble in the US--all things that clearly motivated a lot of the storyline in GTAV--are not exactly current. We've moved on to new economic meltdowns, like the stateside debt ceiling crisis. It's critique of mainstream media is equally archaic; taking shots at reality television for being crass also isn't cutting-edge comedy. Grand Theft Auto V was a clearly expensive game to make and obviously took a long time to develop, but a story that is only contemporary when work begins in earnest on a project of this magnitude ultimately looks dated. It suffers from the curse of trying to be too current.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2346987-8904847019-2052375-634490_20130826_003.jpg+" data-ref-id="1300-2346987" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2346987-8904847019-2052375-634490_20130826_003.jpg+" data-ref-id="1300-2346987"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_medium/416/4161502/2346987-8904847019-2052375-634490_20130826_003.jpg+"></a><figcaption>The triumvirate of protagonists represents the before, after, and way after of humanity.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Los Santos, at least, is brilliantly realized, particularly as a technical achievement. The city and the surrounding meth-producing rural environs form the most realistic depiction of a metropolitan area to ever grace a game. The whole burg lives and breathes, offering colorful slices of life whether you're creeping through backyards in the dead of night or just wandering down the sidewalk in the middle of the afternoon. I don't think I ever encountered any window dressing; all of the people seemed to be present in their own moments, not just there to serve as my personal backdrop. But it's so damn big. I long for the simpler layouts of Vice City and even the more sprawling San Andreas. You could get to know them in a reasonable amount of time, which added to that easy sense of familiarity that turned them into real places in short order.</p><p style="">This is the most personable GTA game, with a strong emphasis on the three lead characters that delves into their psyches (and even into your own psyche by the end of the storyline). That isn't always a good thing, especially when it comes to Trevor, who's probably the most reprehensible dirtbag protagonist in the history of gaming, if not everything. Still, I couldn't look away. Trevor's most malevolent lines were also some of the most hilarious in the game. He forms a vital part of the triumvirate of playable characters, which are a commentary on life in 2008-era America. Trevor represents bottoming out, while burned-out Michael is the guy who's got it all and is still up to his neck in ennui (he's sort of Tommy Vercetti, 25 years later), and up-and-coming Franklin is the man on the rise who's eager to do anything to make the money needed to be regarded as a success in Los Santos. The three are a before, after, and way after.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2346990-6795455625-22383.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2346990" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2346990-6795455625-22383.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2346990"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/416/4161502/2346990-6795455625-22383.jpg"></a><figcaption>Scripted missions are the best part of GTAV, especially the multipart heists.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The script is brilliant, from the start with Franklin and his idiotic buddy Lamar, through Michael's spoiled-brat family life, through Trevor's meth-lab murders, through the multiple-choice endings. GTAV gets back to the psychopathic comic strip best represented in the craziness of Tommy Vercetti in Vice City, but with more plot points and tighter characterizations to hold the story together. This game hates everyone and everything, expressing an unrelentingly bleak, black-hearted look at humanity, with even the few rays of sunlight bookended by atrocity. Trevor shows mercy on occasion, though the biggest act of charity he offers in the entire game comes right after introducing a guy to creative uses for a car battery and a monkey wrench.</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p style="">The appeal of exploring the map on your own has been diminished.</p></blockquote><p style="">If you have a dark sense of humor, there are more laugh-out-loud moments here than in all of the previous GTA games combined. Being able to switch between the members of this trio at will is a great mechanic that accentuates the humor. Flipping over to see what Trevor is doing almost always results in tuning in to pure insanity. My favorite such event was dropping in on him just as he was looming over a bikini-clad girl on Vespucci Beach, while wearing nothing but a filthy muscle shirt and tighty whities, saying something about her licking his white bits. Such moments are likely scripted, given how this Walter White moment led directly into a mission opening where Trevor dropped his undies in front of hapless Floyd, but it all seems organic when you're playing.</p><p style="">Missions have also been laid out almost perfectly, with loads of options as to how you play them, especially when it comes to the big multipart heists that see you planning and executing jobs with the help of hired operatives. Events get overly surreal at times, with the trio working together to form something of a James Bond team adept at everything from flying planes to scuba diving. Still, it's all incredibly captivating, and the game does everything at least reasonably well. Flying and landing planes, for instance, still aren't fully enjoyable tasks, but they've come a long way since San Andreas.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2346995-9641516373-22383.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2346995" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2346995-9641516373-22383.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2346995"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_medium/416/4161502/2346995-9641516373-22383.jpg"></a><figcaption>Women have few roles to play in GTA V. Here's the most common.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Unfortunately, the appeal of exploring the map on your own has been diminished. Attempts at free-form chaos inevitably had me switching back to the scripted stories and missions, which yielded far more entertainment. The only thing I enjoyed about exploring was stumbling upon random occurrences, such as robberies, an apparent bus hijacking, and police shootouts with other criminals. Yet even these great little touches paled in comparison with the scripted missions, and core components of the game design have been tweaked to raise the profile of scripted story at the cost of the open-world concept that has powered previous GTAs. You can still go gonzo in style, but it's not nearly as easy to explode in a random manner when the mood strikes you.</p><p style="">One reason the zaniness feels so limited is that the police are extraordinarily good at what they do and extremely aggressive. They arrive on the scene of even one- and two-star wanted level incidents almost immediately, and a police chopper is quick to show up the moment you hit three stars. Police boats roar up quickly if you try to take to the waves, and cops shoot extremely well, to the point where they can tag you with bullets from a good block away. Basic patrol cars accelerate almost as well as the average Pegassi Infernus, and their drivers are expert at cutting you off and blocking you in. If you want to go on a satisfying tear, you need to armor up, make sure you have loads of the best hardware that Ammu-Nation carries, and have a zippy car nearby. Walking out of a hospital in a bad mood and going berserk with cathartic anger generally gets you wasted again in very short order.</p><blockquote data-size="large" data-align="center"><p style="">It's a lot more fun to escape the cops by slamming a car into a Pay 'n' Spray booth at a hundred miles an hour than it is to cower in an alley for five minutes while the police gradually give up their pursuit.</p></blockquote><p style="">You can still go on rampages and evade the police, of course, but you have to do it more realistically by switching cars, hiding in bushes, ducking into somebody's backyard, hanging out in a parking garage, and so forth. This is a more lifelike way of ditching the boys in blue, but it's not very entertaining, especially if you like the intensity of one-man-stand firefights. The best way to eliminate a wanted level now is to hide. I had the most success by driving off-road where the cops couldn't follow me very well. Then I just stuck the car in a gully and sat back until my wanted level vanished completely.</p><p style="">Long gone are the days when you could clock six stars (the game now tops out at five stars), get the army after you, and still escape justice simply by scraping into a Pay 'n' Spray a second ahead of the long arm of the law. Pay 'n' Spray shops have actually been pulled out of GTAV entirely in favor of Los Santos Customs, which is more of a car modification garage than a ready way to escape the cops, since it's useless unless you've already lost your pursuers. Magic car paint in Vice City and San Andreas may have been pretty ridiculous, but it was also a great game mechanism that emphasized the catch-me-if-you-can excitement that made sandbox rampages so integral a part of the GTA experience. It's a lot more fun to escape the cops by slamming a car into a Pay 'n' Spray booth at a hundred miles an hour than it is to cower in an alley for five minutes while the police gradually give up their pursuit.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/6/5/8/2/2236582-gsm_169_gta_v_vr_ps3_091513_m1_320.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2236582" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/6/5/8/2/2236582-gsm_169_gta_v_vr_ps3_091513_m1_320.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2236582"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/mig/6/5/8/2/2236582-gsm_169_gta_v_vr_ps3_091513_m1_320.jpg"></a><figcaption>World-weary Michael is a memorable character who seems like a Behind the Music look at Tommy Vercetti, 25 years later.</figcaption></figure><p style="">This is a considerably different style of game than either San Andreas or Vice City, with more structure and less of that eyes-wide-open world where the most fun was surveying the landscape and seeing what kind of trouble you could get into. This is a new GTA, one that is a great game on its own terms, but also one that fails to capture the magic of the freestyle adventures that set the tone for the series. I can't see myself coming back to GTAV very often now that I've wrapped the main storyline, save to check out the expansions that Rockstar is undoubtedly prepping for 2014, or to get into the multiplayer, if and when it lives up to its potential. Here, because the game's structure is so tight, done is done. That's typical of how I play games. But it isn't typical of how I play GTA games.</p> Fri, 18 Oct 2013 15:29:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-v-review-southland-sprawl/1900-6415483/

23.06 | 0 komentar | Read More

Battlefield 4 Achievements revealed

The full list of Achievements for DICE's upcoming Battlefield 4 have been posted online.

Light spoilers for Battlefield 4 follow.

Listed by Xbox 360 Achievements, the game will launch with 42 Achievements, with 5 allocated towards multiplayer and the rest associated with the Battlefield 4 single-player campaign.

The Achievement listing also shows that the single-player campaign has three endings, alongside awards related to completing objectives in certain missions, alongside finding all of the 28 collectibles throughout the campaign.

Over on the multiplayer side, Battlefield 4 has Achievements for winning a match on each game mode, reaching rank 25, delivering five bombs in the game's Obliteration mode, obtaining 45 kills with the M1911, and performing five dog tag kills.

Battlefield 4 will be released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on October 29. Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions will follow at launch.

The full list of Achievements for Battlefield 4:

• Storm bringer (25G) - Obtain 20,000 points in the Singapore mission in the Campaign
• A one-man riot (25G) - Obtain 11,000 points in the Shanghai mission in the Campaign
• Terror of the deep (25G) - Obtain 11,000 points in the South China Sea mission in the Campaign
• Gladiator (25G) - Obtain 12,000 points in the Kunlun Mountains mission in the Campaign
• Above and beyond the call (25G) - Complete all Assignments in the Campaign
• Demolition man (25G) - Obtain 15,000 points in the Tashgar mission in the Campaign
• Guardian of the fleet (25G) - Obtain 6,000 points in the Suez mission in the Campaign
• Full arsenal (65G) - Unlock all assignments and collectibles in the Campaign
• Fish (20G) - Complete the Campaign on Easy
• Dunn's pride (25G) - Obtain 7,000 points in the Baku mission in the Campaign
• Braving the storm (20G) - Complete the Singapore mission in the Campaign
• Wolves in sheep's clothing (20G) - Complete the Shanghai mission in the Campaign
• The fall of a Titan (20G) - Complete the South China Sea mission in the Campaign
• Dead by dawn (20G) - Complete the Kunlun Mountains mission in the Campaign
• Guns at dawn (20G) - Complete the Suez mission in the Campaign
• Fishing in Baku (20G) - Complete the Baku mission in the Campaign
• Antediluvian (20G) - Complete the Tashgar mission in the Campaign
• It was on the way… (20G) - Find 6 collectibles in the Campaign
• Took a casual look around (20G) - Find 9 collectibles in the Campaign
• Methodical search (20G) - Find 15 collectibles in the Campaign
• Done some searching (20G) - Find 12 collectibles in the Campaign
• No stone left unturned (20G) - Find 18 collectibles in the Campaign
• Every nook and cranny (20G) - Find 21 collectibles in the Campaign
• Stumbled over it (20G) - Find 3 collectibles in the Campaign
• Wolf (25G) - Complete the Campaign on Normal
• Tombstone (25G) - Complete the Campaign on Hard
• Recon (65G) - Find 28 collectibles in the Campaign
• Well placed (20G) - Get 10 kills with C4 in the Baku mission in the Campaign
• Wrecker (20G) - Get 10 multi-kills in the Shanghai mission in the Campaign
• Blood wake (20G) - Get 30 headshots in the South China Sea mission in the Campaign
• War turtle (20G) - Get 15 kills with RPG in the Singapore mission in the Campaign
• Infiltrator (20G) - Get 10 adrenaline kills in the Tashgar mission in the Campaign
• Shawshank (20G) - Get 5 kills with Shank in the Kunlun Mountains mission in the Campaign
• For tombstone (20G) - Let the Valkyrie be destroyed in the Campaign
• For the people (20G) - Sacrifice Irish to save the Valkyrie in the Campaign
• For the cause (20G) - Sacrifice Hannah to save the Valkyrie in the Campaign
• Patience is a virtue (20G) - Experience all 3 endings in the Campaign
• Turn around… (10G) - Perform 5 dog tag kills in Multiplayer
• Won them all (10G) - Win a round of each game mode
• .45 old school (25G) - Perform 45 kills with the M1911 Handgun in Multiplayer
• Bomb squad (25G) - Deliver 5 bombs in Obliteration
• Call me "Sir" (50G) - Reach rank 25

23.07 | 0 komentar | Read More

WB Games Montreal adding 100 jobs

The Quebec government continues to support local developers.

As reported by CTV, the government has announced an investment of $1.5 million into Batman: Arkham Origins developer WB Games Montreal to expand the studio in terms of headcount and technology.

The initial $1.5 million grant is part of a larger $63 million initiative promised to WB Games Montreal for the company to add 100 jobs and buy new equipment by 2018.

The jobs at WB Games Montreal will pay a yearly salary of about $70,000 to employees who are around 30 years old. WB Games Montreal currently employs 325 full-time staff.

"By the end of five years, it'll be 2018, there should be 500 people here and I think we'll be one of the best-known studios in the world," Warner Brothers Interactive president Martin Tremblay said.

Quebec premier Pauline Marois said the video game industry in Montreal is one of the most important markets in the world for production, and the most acclaimed in Canada.

Last week, Ubisoft announced plans to add 500 jobs to its Montreal studio network by 2020, thanks in part to a $9.9 million grant from the Quebec government.

23.07 | 0 komentar | Read More

All foliage in Xbox One, PS4 ACIV: Black Flag has physics

All foliage in the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag will have physics assigned to them, game director Ashraf Ismail told GameSpot in a new interview. Various plants and leaves in the game will dynamically react to weather systems and player interaction.

"One thing that's very important to the brand of Assassin's Creed is credibility; having a world that you believe in. And on next-gen, as a quick example, we have physics on all the foliage in the world," Ismail said.

This technical achievement--highlighted in a recent trailer for the game--will go unnoticed by the masses, Ismail said.

"I guarantee 99.9 percent of the people won't even notice, but there's going to be a few people that pick up on certain details and it's this stuff that I think will show that we truly love this experience," he said.

Foliage effects aren't the only feature the next-generation versions of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag will make use of in an attempt to become the "most immersive Assassin's Creed yet." The game also features a "sea engine" that aims to replicate genuine movements of waves and colors of the water.

The game also features a weather system that includes independently lit rain drops, as well as dynamic puddles and volumetric fog.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag launches October 29 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, November 19 for PC, and as launch titles for the PS4 (November 15) and Xbox One (November 22).

The free-roaming action game set during the Golden Age of Pirates stars a young captain Edward Kenway, the grandfather of Assassin's Creed III's Connor and descendant of Desmond Miles. Players will meet up with legendary pirates including Blackbeard and Charles Vane as they journey through the West indies.

For more on Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, check out GameSpot's recent hands-on preview of the game.

23.07 | 0 komentar | Read More

Microsoft on Xbox One's advertising potential

One of Microsoft's Xbox marketing leaders Yusuf Mehdi has opened up on the advertising potential for the soon-to-be-released Xbox One console. Speaking during the recent Association of National Advertisers Masters of Marketing Conference, as reported by AdAge, Mehdi hinted at the possibility of making Xbox data available to advertisers.

"We are trying to bridge some of the world between online and offline," he said. "That's a little bit of a holy grail in terms of how you understand the consumer in that 360 degrees of their life."

"We have a pretty unique position at Microsoft because of what we do with digital, as well as more and more with television because of Xbox," he added. "It's early days, but we're starting to put that together in more of a unifying way, and hopefully at some point we can start to offer that to advertisers broadly."

Through its Kinect camera, the Xbox One will have a window into players' living rooms. This opens up a "huge new trove of data" about how people are interacting with TV ads, according to one marketer who spoke under the condition of anonymity.

"It could have a big impact on [advertising pricing]," he said, given the Xbox One's ability to determine if people are paying attention to advertisements or how their bodies respond to promotional material.

Last week, Xbox director of product planning Albert Penello said this kind of biometric data does not leave the local Xbox One console unless people allow it to and that Kinect was not designed with advertising in mind. Still, the advertising potential for Xbox One, should consumers allow this data to be shared, would be unprecedented, AdAge writes.

"If even a fraction of likely Xbox One users could be persuaded to share data, the technology could create the world's largest panel for measuring biometric responses to advertising."

The Xbox One launches on November 22 for $500.

→ More coverage of XBOXONE on GameSpot.com

23.07 | 0 komentar | Read More