Until Dawn - Choices

Take-Two CEO shoots down comparisons between GTA 5 and Mafia 3

Take-Two looks at GTA 5 and Mafia 3 as two different games and won’t compare the two, ever.During an earnings call following last night’s Take-Two financial report, CEO Strauss Zelnick dismissed any attempt at comparing Mafia 3 to Rockstar’s iconic GTA series.“Mafia 3 is a completely different experience. I wouldn’t compare it to anything else out there. The reveal [at Gamescom] was great, but it stands alone.”Zelnick added that Rockstar and Hangar 13 (Mafia 3 developers) do not share technology and described 2K and Rockstar as “two distinct labels”.“We don’t use any other game in the same sentence as Grand Theft Auto. It is the industry’s standard-bearer. It’s not up for comparison,” added Zelnick.In addition, Take-Two narrowed down a release window for Mafia 3. The company expects it to ship during its fiscal year 2017. Which means it will not ship earlier than April 2016.

Gamescom 2015: It's Very Likely There'll Be More PS4 Remasters, Says Sony

There have been a spate of PlayStation 4 remasters since the system's launch in 2013, but it doesn't look like Sony's done yet. The platform holder's lined up Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection for later this year, but speaking with PlayStation Germany, SCEE boss Jim Ryan has hinted that there may be more new-gen ports on the way."We know that there are lots of PS4 owners that have either never played games before or used to have an Xbox or a Nintendo who have never had the chance to play something like the Uncharted trilogy," he said. "But it has to be a great game if we're going to go to the trouble of re-mastering. I can't talk specifically, but I think that it's very likely that there'll be more."To be honest, we're struggling to think of many other games that it could re-release. Gravity Rush is the most likely next candidate, but beyond that, we're stumped. We suppose that something like Puppeteer could find a home on the PlayStation Store, but we doubt that the Japanese giant will bother with brands such as Resistance.

The Technomancer - Gamescom 2015 Trailer

UNTIL DAWN - Aftermath Trailer

Mafia III – First Official Details

2K Games has just revealed some new details and a set of screenshots for Mafia III. Mafia III is set in a reimagined New Orleans in 1968, one of the most tumultuous years in American history. This version of New Orleans is bustling with activity, complete with era-inspired cars, fashion and music.

During this turbulent time, a cloud of corruption hangs in the air and the city has become a haven for organized crime. The Italian mob controls illegal gambling, drugs, and prostitution, while corrupt police and politicians line their pockets with the proceeds.

Mafia III follows the story of Lincoln Clay, a disenfranchised Vietnam veteran, returning from combat and looking for a home and a place to belong. Orphaned as a child, Lincoln at last achieves a semblance of family with the city’s black mob, finding the surrogate father and brother he has longed for. But when Lincoln’s new family is betrayed and slaughtered by the Italian mob, he becomes fixated on revenge and wages a brutal war against the Italians, disrupting the balance of power in the seedy underworld of New Orleans. As the story progresses, Lincoln allies himself with other criminals and builds an empire and a new family of his own that transforms the city.

Throughout the riveting story of Mafia III, players choose their path to revenge and build their own crime empire using cunning, stalking and deception, or through overwhelming force and firepower. Mafia III combines the best of cinematic storytelling with a dynamic narrative structure that responds to player choices, set in a vibrant city that responds to Lincoln’s actions.

Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K, said:

“Mafia III continues the strong franchise tradition of a captivating story set in the treacherous and calculated world of organized crime. Mafia III captures Hangar 13’s mantra of ‘every player story is unique’ through a cinematic narrative that responds to player choice.”

Haden Blackman, studio head and creative director at Hanger 13, added:

“The Mafia franchise is known for its immersive sense of time and place, and for presenting compelling stories about life within organized crime. In Mafia III, we are introducing players to an unexpected new anti-hero and an iconic city to explore, all within a hard-boiled drama set during one of the most turbulent years in American history.”

Mafia III is coming to current-gen platforms in 2016.

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst Gameplay Trailer

Need for Speed Official Gamescom Trailer

Assassins Creed Syndicate - The Twins Evie and Jacob Frye Trailer

Mafia III Reveal Trailer

FIFA 16 - New Season Trailer

Rise of the Tomb Raider Gameplay Walkthrough Gamescom 2015

Homefront The Revolution Gameplay Walkthorugh Gamescom 2015

Just Cause 3 Burn it Trailer Gamescom 2015

Official Homefront The Revolution Thank You Trailer

Mad Max Stronghold Trailer

Rise of the Tomb Raider - No Loading Screens, Bigger Areas to Explore and More

What’s a guaranteed way to kill immersion? Loading screens. Well, Rise Of The Tomb Raider is throwing those out of the window.Rise Of The Tomb Raider is promising a seamless experience, without a single loading screen. Game Director Brian Horton described the experience as such:

“As soon as you start a new game if you never died or don’t quit you will have a seamless streaming experience throughout the whole game.”

This seamless experience is complemented by the huge map sizes. To be precise, Rise Of The Tomb Raider totes explorable areas three times the size of their previous game counterparts. This sizeable map change offered the team a chance to mix up the puzzle elements in a way that compliments the larger maps, and they delivered. Horton said they are “employing a ‘Nested Puzzle’ approach that means there are multiple puzzles that all work together to solve 1 big puzzle”.The team have not neglected their leading lady however, Lara also has some shiny new features to show off; most notably her new traversal mechanics. Lara can now climb trees, swim down rivers and underwater, and use her new abilities to “subtly approach an enemy and take them out from above or from below.”All this means traversing these huge areas will be even more swift and fluid, and will provide a great Tomb Raider experience without breaking immersion.

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition comes with the entire Gears collection for free

Thanks to backwards compatibility, those who purchase the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition will be handed the entire series to date.The deal applies to those purchasing the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Bundle as well, with a slight catch.In order to get the collection, Xbox Live players will have to log into the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition at some point between August 25 through December 31 to gain access to Gears of War, Gears of War 2, Gears of War 3 and Gears of War: Judgment.The Gears games will be added to Backward Compatibility when the service launches this fall.All Gears of War titles will be supported on Backward Compatibility when it launches publicly this fall, so if you already own Gears of War, Gears of War 2, Gears of War 3 or Gears of War: Judgment on Xbox 360, you’ll be able to play them on your Xbox One.Those who are part of the Xbox One preview program can play the original Gears of War today in Backward Compatibility.Gears of War: Ultimate Edition hits Xbox One on August 25. It’s also coming to PC,but has not been dated.

Gamescom Awards Nominees Announced: Star Wars Battlefront on Top, Final Fantasy XV and More Follow

Today the foundation Digitale Spielekultur, that runs the Gamescom Awards every year, announced the nominees for this year’s competition with a press release.The awards organization received 174 entries for the competition and the expert panel selected from among them the nominee in seventeen different categories.On top of those categories, there will also be one voted by the public, atly named “Public Award.” Voting will start on August 3rd via the official Gamescom app. The awards ceremony for all categories will be held on August 7th at 6:00 PM CEST, on the “Let’s play meets Gamescom” stage, in Hall 10.1.But without further ado, let’s check out the nominees, dominated by Star Wars Battlefront with four nods, followed by Final Fantasy XV, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Skylanders SuperChargers, Guitar Hero Live, Anno 2205 and Super Mario Maker with three.

Best Console Game Sony Playstation

• Final Fantasy XV

• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

• Star Wars Battlefront

• Uncharted 4

• Unravel

Best Console Game Microsoft Xbox

• Final Fantasy XV

• Halo 5: Guardians

• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

• Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2

• Tom Clancy’s The Division

Best Console Game Nintendo Wii

• LEGO Marvel Avengers

• Skylanders SuperChargers

• Super Mario Maker

• Xenoblade Chronicles X

Best PC Game

• Anno 2205

• Call of Duty – Black Ops 3

• Dark Souls 3

• Mad Max

• Star Wars Battlefront

Best Mobile Game (incl. Handheld, iOS, Android, Windows)

• The Airbender

• The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes

• Torchlight Mobile

Best Role Playing Game

• Dark Souls 3

• Dragon Quest Heroes

• Final Fantasy XV

• Tom Clancy’s The Division

• Xenoblade Chronicles X

Best Racing Game

• Forza Motorsport 6

• Need for Speed

• Skylanders SuperChargers

Best Action Game

• Mad Max

• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

• Star Wars Battlefront

• Uncharted 4

• Until Dawn

Best Simulation Game

• Anno 2205

• Forza Motorsport 6

• Grand Ages: Medieval

Best Sports Game

• FIFA 16

• Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash

• PES 2016

Best Family Game

• Guitar Hero Live

• LEGO Dimensions

• Dragon Quest Heroes

• Skylanders SuperChargers

• Super Mario Maker

Best Strategy Game

• Anno 2205

• Crookz – The Big Heist

• Unravel

Best Social / Casual / Online Game

• Guitar Hero Live

• Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2

• Super Mario Maker

Best Online Multiplayer Game

• Battleborn

• Call of Duty – Black Ops 3

• Halo 5: Guardians

• Star Wars Battlefront

• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Best Hardware (incl. Peripheral)

• Guitar Hero Live

• HTC Vive

• Xbox Elite Wireless Controller

The winner for the overall “Best of Gamescom” category will also be announced on August 7th.

The best part of Uncharted 4's E3 demo is what you didn't see

For reasons best known to Sony, the best thing at E3 was the longer version of its E3 Uncharted 4 demo that it didn't show at the conference. Behind closed doors, an extended version of the truck chase continued the sequence and raised the bar so high it might well break all other games.
What happens is impossible to describe without falling into hyperbole because holy Christ I nearly lost my shit, with gameplay that almost seemed to be mocking your ability to deal with it - piling sequence onto sequence, and building the pace and action up to to a level that's almost impossible to comprehend without seeing it. Nothing else out there can compete with what I saw: there's honestly a world before that demo and world after.

In the original Sony press conference demo, Nate and Sully shot their way through a market, escaping bad guys and a gun-carrying APC truck in a smashy downhill drive. In the short version, Drake lassos an overhanging crane arm and swings alongside a bridge as it smashes him into obstacles. Fade to black, crowd goes wild.The extended demo continues this sequence, only with the swinging changing to dragging as Nate's pulled up onto a muddy road. There's what I can only describe as the best mud physics I've ever seen here, as Nate slops and slides along the ground behind the truck. Nathan's forced to take chaotic pot shots at gunmen in pursuing jeeps while he desperately tries to climb the rope and claim the truck.
From there, via a shootout on the back of the truck, Drake manages to jump to another jeep as he tries to catch up with his brother Sam's motorbike - the reason for the chase in the first place. Throughout all this, the speed and scale is huge. There's no sense of being on a single straight road with prop trees whizzing past; this is all taking place in a huge open environment. Vehicles careen and rattle between routes and obstacles, or go pinwheeling through the air in sheets of flame once the tires have been shot out. It's fast, loud and cinematically overwhelming.
And it's not even the best part. After fighting some goons who're trying Nate's jeep-hopping tricks to get from their ride to his, Drake catches up with his brother and jumps on the bike. From here, it just goes crazy. The camera switches to a front view as the pursuing APCs give chase, smashing through obstacles and skidding back and forth on their heels.

What's impossible to understand until you see it is just how kinetic and animated it all is. It's not a static rolling road creating a background for a shooting gallery. It's a twisting, turning, full-on car chase. Sam throws the bike around, leaning into skids or throwing a leg out for sharp turns. The view swings around the action and the bouncing bike as Nate peppers the pursuing vehicle's grill with bullets. Beautiful depth-of-field effects and camera angles create an incredible sense of velocity as the carnage unfolds.
It ends with the pair sliding the bike under a container as the APC explodes behind them. It's ridiculous and joyously over-the-top in a way that even the game seems to acknowledge, with Drake and Sam bursting into grins at the end like school kids that have just had the best fun ever.

It's definitely a return to Uncharted 2's sense of scale and action, recreating the thrill of that game's helicopter chase. But on a level so far above that, and what other games have achieved, that it's a literal game changer (I said there'd be hyperbole). The scale, speed, and sheer ambition of the sequence genuinely has the potential to redefine what's possible, drawing a line in this generation's games and not so much raising the bar as firing it into orbit.

Horizon: Zero Dawn – New Details on Traversal, Open World AND More

In an interview with Guerrilla Games, developers of the highly-anticipated Horizon: Zero Dawn, GamesRadar revealed a surprising number of details pertinent to the game’s combat and travel systems.

GamesRadar sat down with studio art director Jan Bart Van Beek, who explained that, “The whole world is explorable. Every mountaintop is accessible, every river you can go through, every valley, and this is basically one of many valleys.”

Zero Dawn was also revealed to be a post-apocalyptic game that happens “a thousand years beyond modern civilization’s collapse,” with promises of unique weapons and enemies that you will encounter on your travels. One such weapon is called the “Rope Caster,” and is utilized in pinning enemies to the ground so you can finish them off with stunning accuracy. Combat was explained to be “very tactical,” giving the edge to players who choose the intellectual route, rather than brute force strategies.

Beek also said that there are three distinct fighting styles available to players: “There’s one that’s very much focused on stealth, one that’s focused on firepower, one that’s focused on setting traps and hunting. So there are ways where you get to customise your character and tune her more towards your play style, or develop them all to make her more into a Jack of all trades.” All of the combat methodologies, however, will focus on the ever-important bow that the protagonist uses. Her people in the game “have a limited understanding of the technology,” says Beek, “enough that they can make explosive arrows from the shells that the machines use but they don’t have enough knowledge to reverse engineer any of this.”

Beek states that the experience system is very ingrained into the game’s various perks and abilities. There is a huge emphasis on RPG elements in Zero Dawn, some of which will have players harvesting parts from fallen robots; from this material, players will craft new armor, weapons and ammo types. Upgrading your character’s perks will allow players to progress in each fighting style, unlocking abilities like stealth kills or precision aiming mode – which is basically “bullet-time” for those of you familiar with other games utilizing the same mechanic.

Beek also went on to talk about Zero Dawn’s travel system, noting that players will have to cross all sorts of different obstacles: “you can climb up mountains, climb into trees, swim through rivers.” This will give players a second option away from combat, with the option of fleeing being a completely plausible strategy.

Zero Dawn will be a single-player game for the most part, according to Beek, however, “There are certain social features in there.”