Kirkman: FPS Walking Dead "Would Be Pointless"

Last week, Activision announced its own take on the zombie-infested world created by Robert Kirkman. The Walking Dead Video Game is a first-person shooter based on the TV show scheduled for a 2013 release. The announcement caught many off guard as Telltale Games just put out the second  of five The Walking Dead: The Game episodes.

However, now the FPS announcement is odd for a different reason. Back in March, Kirkman was interviewed about the Telltale title and asked at the 1:47-mark why the game wasn't a first-person shooter.

“

But to do a Walking Dead game that's just that would be pointless.

"You can play Left 4 Dead," Kirkman said. "You can play Dead Rising. You can play Resident Evil -- those are all great games and I do that, and I think other people should do that. But to do a Walking Dead game that's just that would be pointless. I think that you would always be compared to that, and you'd either be better or you'd be worse -- but you'd be the same kind of game, and that's no fun."

Kirkman goes on to say that The Walking Dead isn't about shooting and killing, it's about the interaction between characters and their personal evolutions. "It has heart" and that's something Telltale is able to incorporate in the game.

"Which they wouldn't be able to do if it was just a run-and-gun, like 'I like to cut people up' kind of game, which again are great but that's not what Telltale does," he said. "And that's why they're doing The Walking Dead game."

IGN reached out to Kirkman's publicist for a comment from the author, but an email was not immediately returned. Of course, Kirkman was talking in broad strokes about the first-person shooter genre, so perhaps Activision and developer Terminal Reality came to Kirkman with an idea that broke the "run-and-gun" mold.

We'll find out as we learn more about The Walking Dead Video Game in the coming months.

Greg is the executive editor of IGN PlayStation, cohost of Podcast Beyond and host of Up at Noon. Follow IGN on Twitter, and keep track of Greg's shenanigans on IGN and Twitter. Beyond!

Source : ign[dot]com

StarCraft II – IPL Team Arena Challenge 3 – Week 9 Preview

Welcome to another look at IGN Pro League Team Arena Challenge, the StarCraft II tournament featuring the very best teams in the world. In each match the teams play a Best of 9, elimination style match, where the winning player stays on while the losing player is replaced by another player on their team. First team to five wins is the victor.

In this weekly column we preview the upcoming matches with some analysis of their current performance and their performance in the tournament thus far.

This week marks the Western teams last stand against the top Korean organizations.

TSL v Acer

Rosters

Acer

Bly, DarkHydra, Mondragon, Nerchio, ParanOid, Scarlett

TSL

RevivaL, Polt, Symbol, Hyun, Cyrano, Inori, Punisher, Shine, Dream, RagnaroK, Ultimate

Road So Far

Acer

• Won 5 - 4 v Eclypsia


• Lost 4 - 5 v Prime


• Won 5 - 3 v Mouz


• Won 5 - 1 v aTnType

TSL

• Won 5 - 0 v Check 6


• Won 5 - 4 v FXO


• Lost 4 - 5 v StarTale

Analysis

Acer keeps finding themselves in an underdog role and they keep plowing through their opponents. In the most recent match, the polls still put aTnType as the favorite, but Nerchio made quick work of their European rivals, winning 4 matches to close out a slaughter started by his teammate ParanOid.

TSL had a close match again, this time losing out to StarTale in a great comeback by Squirtle after StarTale was down 4-2. The lack of closing power is something that is uncharacteristic for TSL, usually Polt is a sure finisher, but Squirtle had too much momentum in this match.

Acer looks to be very strong with Scarlett joining the team, but this is still a team without a lot of depth, and not a single Protoss player on the roster. Even their only Terran player DarkHydra is suspect and is relatively untested and unproven. However, with three very strong players in Bly, Scarlett and Nerchio, it is very possible on of these could carry their team to an upset. All the stars would have to align for this to happen though, and I would say TSL will win a relatively close match; the depth of the TSL roster is far greater than Acer's.

Prediction - TSL 5 - 3 Acer

MVP v Karont3

Rosters

MVP

DongRaeGu, Dream, Finale, Keen, KeePing, Lure, Monster, Noblesse, sC, Sniper, TAiLS, Vampire, Galaxy

Karont3

LoLvsxD, LucifroN, Ryo, VortiX, AlastOr, MikOeL

Road So Far

MVP

• Won 5 - 0 v Evil Geniuses


• Lost 1 - 5 v IM

Karont3

• Lost 2 - 5 v Quantic


• Won 5 - 2 v Check 6


• Won 5 - 1 v Empire

Analysis

MVP looked surprisingly bad in their last match against IM. In what looked like it could have been a league final, IM completely rolled over MVP without using any of their top players. Only DongRaeGu managed to take just a single map before being defeated by Happy. They will need a much better effort against Karont3.

Speaking of Karont3, VortiX looks to be the hottest player in Europe right now after qualifying for TSL4, defeating HasuObs, Socke, LoWLey, Select and Golden consecutively, and then all killing Empire's best possible lineup after Violet left the team earlier this week. This Spanish team is proving it's here to stay with two of Europe's fastest improving players, capable of catching lightning in a bottle and then dominating any high level team.

Karont3 will need both their stars to be in top form to take this match as MVP is the most talented team they have played thus far. And while Karont3 has proven they can beat any Western based team, they still haven't had to go against a Korean lineup. MVP won't be able to look ahead however, as if they don't take Karont3 seriously, its very possible for them to lose. Still it's MVPs match to lose, and assuming they play at top strength, should be able to take this.

Prediction - MVP 5 - 3 Karont3

NsHoSeo v Evil Geniuses

Rosters

NsHoSeo

Sage, BanBans, San, Tassadar, Jjakji, Seal, Sculp, Sting, Freaky, Fairy

Evil Geniuses

DeMusliM, IdrA, iNcontroL, JYP, HuK, LzGaMeR, Machine, PuMa, ThorZaIN

Road So Far

NsHoSeo

• Won 5 - 3 v FXO.CIS


• Lost 2 - 5 v SlayerS

Evil Geniuses

• Won 5 - 3 v Infinity Seven


• Lost 0 - 5 v MVP


• Won 5 - 3 v DtG


• Won 5 - 2 v Dignitas

Analysis

EG recovered nicely after the thrashing they took from MVP Monster two rounds ago. They cruised past Dignitas behind a strong performance from HuK, who continues to make appearances and now finally has made his mark on an EG team league match. It seems as though EG may have fallen into a rhythm, however, as we stated last time, Dignitas was a team without a direction, and NsHoSeo will be much harder for them.

NsHoSeo could have beaten SlayerS, if they had used their best player and GSL Champion Jjakji. Why Jjakji was absent remains a mystery, but if he plays in this match, it will be much easier than SlayerS was for them. All of HsHoSeo's supporting cast are comparable to every player on EG, but with more consistency across the board.

Make no mistake, NsHoSeo will need Jjakji to win this match. All of EGs players have proven themselves at this point with HuK, IdrA, JYP and PuMa racking up wins in the tournament thus far. NsHoSeo remains slightly less proven though as none of their roleplayers have stepped up as a primary #2 player to Jjakji. EG has a really good chance at taking this match and I think it will be close regardless. However, at their best NsHoSeo is a better team, and I expect them to barely hold on to win this match.

Prediction - NsHoSeo 5 - 4 Evil Geniuses

Prime v FXO

Rosters

Prime

AnNyeong, BboongBboong, Byun, Creator, MarineKing, Maru, AriA, Classic, Dayfly, Salmosa

FXO

asd, Choya, Crane, Gumiho, jks, Leenock, Lucky, Sirius, Supreme, TheBest, Tear, Tree, Weekend, Whale

Road So Far

Prime

• Won 5 - 4 v Acer


• Lost 3 - 5 v Team Liquid

FXO

• Lost 4 - 5 v TSL


• Won FF v Quantic


• Won 5 - 3 v compLexity

Analysis

Prime had a stunning defeat at the hands of Team Liquid, or more specifically, Liquid`TaeJa who all killed Prime, the defending GSTL, KSL and Team Arena Challenge champions. Prime has now looked vulnerable in a few matches, with their near loss against Acer coupled with their loss to Team Liquid. While they haven't had one particular weakness in their game, they will need a stronger effort all around to defeat FXO.

Meanwhile, FXO has looked like they have taken a step back. While Tear has proven to be a top player now with big team league wins for several weeks in a row, losing Oz and the fall of Gumiho and Leenock is starting to show. Neither player are as good as they once were in late 2011, and while Lucky has been a bright spot for them, they will need more than just two players to carry the load. Unless FXO gets help from their former superstars, they will be in a lot of trouble against Prime.

Prime still has one of the top 5 players in the world in MarineKing, and Creator has proven himself to be the ace that Prime needs, winning in the clutch in a few matches. At only 15 years old, it's astonishing what Creator has been able to do in carrying his team through wins. FXO's only chance is a strong performance from Tear, and then Leenock, Lucky and Gumiho returning to their former glory. Prime will be just too good for them.

Prediction - Prime 5 - 3 FXO

What do you think about this week's matches? Can FXO reclaim their past riches, or will Prime continue it's team league dominance?

Let us know in the comments below and make sure you watch all of these great games on the IPL site and tune in next week for a wrap-up of these matches and our breakdown of Losers Round 4.

Source : ign[dot]com

Company of Heroes 2: Creating an Authentic Experience

When it comes to tackling World War II, Relic Entertainment strives to do it respectfully. The studio’s Company of Heroes franchise is a testament to this, with previous titles in the real-time strategy franchise presenting the battles, heroes and horrors of the Greatest War to players in ways that felt more lifelike -- and, consequently, more unsettling -- than many had come to expect. Of course, as a company whose goal is to create video games, Relic must make its titles fun -- something that can easily take away from the authenticity of the experience.

How do they do it, then? How does a team that’s built a name making some of the most critically acclaimed and authentic strategy games take what they’ve learned from travelling around the world -- studying the weapons, mechanized monsters and battlefields where millions laid down their lives -- and apply it to the upcoming Company of Heroes 2? We interviewed Game Director Quinn Duffy to find out.

Now we present Duffy's insight, alongside some of Relic’s photographs, sound design clips and videos they’ve used to inspire, create and shape the direction of Company of Heroes 2’s Eastern Front.

Bread, Bullets and Battlefields

When you're making a game about the Eastern Front, it's safe to say one of the best ways to get an understanding of it is to saturate yourself in it. To gain valuable insight into the Russian people of the past and the present, Relic did just that in March of 2011, when the team leaders traveled to Russia and Germany. "We went to St. Petersburg, the former Leningrad, and went to a number of battle sties in and around the city," Duffy detailed, with regular stops to museums so they could, "see and feel and get reference images of all the equipment" for the game.

The rations people live off of. Click the image to see more photos from Relic's travels.

It didn't even take all that much effort to find what they needed in Russia since, as Duffy put it, "[the Russians] just went gangbusters on celebrating the Great Patriotic War." The Relic crew found ample material in an array of museums that cataloged everything from specific types of weapons to what Duffy refers to as "dark stories." In one instance Duffy and the Relic team got to see the food ration given to the people under siege at St. Petersburg, which he described as being "smaller than your computer mouse...125 grams of s***ty bread a day for non workers. A million people...a vast number of people starved."

“

They went gangbusters celebrating the Great Patriotic War.

That understanding of the darker side of the Eastern Front history was something Duffy felt the team really benefited from. "To be in Russia and then to go to Berlin again...It brings it to life," he said. Essentially, visiting the places where people died and became heroes brought it all home for the team, "We say, 'oh, 70 years ago,' but when you stick your finger in a bullet hole it doesn't feel that long ago. It brings it to life in a really dramatic way. That was hugely important trip for the leads team and for reinforcing the direction of the game."

The Human Element

The Company of Heroes franchise has always had much more believable infantry than most strategy titles, with soldiers who react to being shot at, scream when they're harmed and generally act like you might imagine soldiers did those 70 years ago. Like the previous games, Duffy said the goal in Company of Heroes 2 is to get across "real soldiers, real battlefields, real war. The team therefore added a lot of animations and contextual speech to "create this sense that these guys are really aware of their environment." Watching real combat footage, the team at Relic has seen the way panic affects soldiers, the way that people can become a bit confused, and they try to integrate that into their characters. Though Duffy does acknowledge that their characters have "a bit of that Hollywood" layered in since in real combat "you rarely see the enemy, guys aren't moving around a ton," and, "you don't have the sort of second-to-second type of reactions that you want in a game."

The foundation for more realistic characters may have been in place from their previous games, but Relic really wanted to take the knowledge gained from traveling and reading memoirs from people involved in the war and instill, as Duffy says, the "fatalism" and "unbelievable bravery" of the Russian people. Duffy said this will come across in "their speech, their acknowledgements, their griping, their bitching," all of which the team wrote to set the tone for a people pushed to the brink. Duffy wants to get past the Russia we know from movies like Enemy at the Gates, so that "you start to see the reach character, that these guys were soldiers like any other soldier," who "faced the most unbelievable hardships."

This philosophy and understanding of the Russian people has also played into the new mechanics for the Red Army. Duffy really, really didn't want "automagical b**lshit kinds of things going on" with how they functioned. The last Company of Heroes games gave you abilities to break suppression, for instance, where troops pinned down by machine gun fire could overcome their fear by pressing a button. This time around Duffy wants to avoid "the magical button," instead focusing on providing context for why soldiers are less likely to be suppressed. An example given was Soviet penal battalions, who had to fight until they either died or succeeded -- regardless of the situation. Contextually it would make sense why they're more likely to go through gun fire brazenly, as opposed to standard Russian infantry.

Source : ign[dot]com

Ice Age: Continental Drift Review

And so the Ice Age gravy train continues to rake in money hand-over-fist. The animated series has thus far grossed more than two billion dollars world-wide, and the fourth film in the franchise will doubtlessly dramatically swell that figure.

Yet while the filmmakers could have taken a lazy approach to Ice Age: Continental Drift, rushing the sequel into cinemas and cackling maniacally as the money floods in, they actually seem to have taken some time and care over this one. So while the narrative is nothing to write home about, following the template of countless family flicks, the visuals are striking and lush and the jokes consistently hilarious.

Proceedings commence in classic Ice Age style, with series mainstay Scrat endeavouring to guard his beloved (and seemingly cursed) nut. His efforts take him to the centre of the earth, where the prehistoric squirrel tears up the tectonic plates and causes the continents to split.

Scrat’s isn’t an isolated story this time around, however, with his immense mishap having a devastating effect on the characters in the main story – namely Manny the mammoth (Ray Romano), Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo), and Diego the sabre-toothed tiger (Dennis Leary).

For the land division sets them adrift on a tiny iceberg, separating the triumvirate from their family and friends. The rest of the film documents their efforts to be reunited with said loved ones, as they embark on an action-packed journey across the high seas.

Along the way they encounter intense storms, malevolent pirates, deadly sirens and kindly whales, and these lively sequences deliver many of the movie’s highlights.

Less successful is the parallel story that unfolds back home, and revolves around Manny’s daughter Peaches befriending the ‘cool kids’ before being rejected by the buggers. A predictable and preachy tale of teenage angst, it slows the story down and feels more like an episode of Family Ties than a diverting blockbuster sub-plot.

Mercifully Scrat is on-hand to perk proceedings up, his mini-movies transporting the squirrel to a nutty desert island and, most memorably, Scratlantis, where he encounters a quite hilarious vocal cameo.

And it’s the voice work that really brings Continental Drift to life. Romano, Leguizamo and Leary deliver the goods once again, but Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage gives them a run for their money as Captain Gutt, a pesky pirate primate with a penchant for sea shanties and death.

Nick Frost is also on scene-stealing form as Flynn, an intellectually-challenged prehistoric seal. But it’s Curb Your Enthusiasm favourite Wanda Sykes who dominates the feature as Sid’s sassy Grandmother.

Arriving in a fine Beverly Hillbillies sight gag, she then proceeds to jive talk her way through proceedings, the film coming to life whenever she’s onscreen. And in a surprise twist, her simple story arc delivers the heart and soul that the Peaches’ plot-line so spectacularly fails to nail.

Granny’s feisty efforts, combined with beautiful 3D images that pop off the screen in spectacular fashion, produce as good an Ice Age film as we’ve yet seen.

It certainly isn’t a Pixar-beater, the narrative too simplistic and one-dimensional to compete with the best that that studio has to offer. But taken on its own terms, Continental Drift is a consistently funny and entertaining sequel that should enthral children while at the same time teasing more than a few belly laughs from their parents.

Source : ign[dot]com

Believe in Namco’s Super Smash Bros.

Masahiro Sakurai promised the world that change would come to the Wii U and 3DS versions of Super Smash Bros., but few would have interpreted that to mean Project Sora wouldn’t develop the game entirely on its own.

In the aftermath of the announcement that a core team from Namco Bandai will assist in executing Sakurai’s vision, many wondered if developers responsible for the likes of Tekken and Soulcalibur could bring the appropriate tone and feel to Smash Bros. Those games, though technically all existing in the fighting genre, are worlds apart in virtually every respect. That’s to say nothing of the folks involved with other Namco franchises like the Tales of RPG series and Mobile Suit Gundam.

Change can be feared, or it can be embraced. What Smash Bros. fans should understand is the series has been developed in an environment of constant change. Though the first installment was technically developed by HAL Laboratory, both Melee and Brawl were created by completely different ad hoc teams assembled specifically for those projects. Those teams technically don’t exist anymore. This situation with Namco Bandai is no different. In fact, the developer is doing its own version of a team scramble, pulling not only from its Tekken and Soulcalibur veterans, but Tales, Ridge Racer and Mobile Gundam developers as well.

Namco and Sakurai appear to be seeking balance in the Smash Bros. team, pulling in folks responsible for a wide range of genres, skillsets and ideas. And in the end, that could be the best thing for the Smash Bros. franchise, which has increasingly tried to do more yet incrementally achieved less innovation and, some might argue, quality.

Take the single-player Subspace Emissary mode in Brawl. It not only suffered in terms of storyline but a feeling of progression and achievement as well. Don’t give us stickers and a bizarre plot featuring subspace goblins. Give us something more meaningful that has a strong sense of purpose, with mechanics to support that. Bringing in members of the Tales team, including series producer Yoshito Higuchi, who will be directing the upcoming Smash games, is the perfect way to address some of these issues. Developers responsible for 60-plus hour RPGs understand how to sustain a lengthy campaign, and the idea that Smash Bros. will benefit from that experience is reassuring.

While most of the focus of Tekken and Soulcalibur developers working on Smash Bros. has been on tone, my immediate reaction is that the series will now have the combined experience of two groups responsible for highly technical, highly competitive fighting games. Smash Bros. has grown as a competitive fighting series, yet as most dedicated fighting game enthusiasts will tell you, Brawl isn’t exactly the most balanced game. In fact many have taken to developing their own mods to attempt and bend the game to have a more technical edge to it. While Tekken and Soulcalibur no doubt have their fair share of issues, most fighting games evolve over time through patches and adjustments. The key, however, rests in the fact that Tekken and Soulcalibur rest on core concepts that have a great deal of depth and nuance when executed properly. Though Smash never needs to get too complicated, a solid foundation is something that any fighting game ought to have.

Namco’s cherry-picked team doesn’t end there, even looking to projects such as Ridge Racer and Mobile Gundam for assistance. Developing two Smash Bros. games at once, and attempting to design them to interact with each other, is a massive undertaking the likes of which Nintendo has rarely seen. It’s the sort of ambition that Sakurai is no doubt used to, having developed Melee and Brawl under extreme, last-minute conditions.

The news of Namco Bandai assisting with development of Smash Bros. should highlight several important things. First, the game is going to be made faster. In his statement released alongside the Nintendo Direct broadcast, Sakurai mentioned his new team has already developed a prototype that “looks pretty good, and [is] working great.” Had Sakurai attempted to build a team from scratch much in the way he did for Melee and Brawl, he’d likely still be figuring out the pieces to his own development puzzle.

Additionally, the larger implication of Nintendo’s willingness to work with outside partners is something that should be embraced by fans. While there is a risk that a team won’t capture Nintendo’s magic, we’ve seen time and time again that the publisher’s mentorship and collaboration can bring considerable benefits. Look at projects with Rare, Retro, Square and Capcom. Look at how incredible Project X Zone looks. Consider some of the more subtle partnerships we’ve seen, such as the case of Monolith Soft assisting with Skyward Sword development. Best of all, Namco’s teams have years of experience working in HD, meaning their skills can immediately help Sakurai’s Sora crew cross many hurdles.

Nintendo partnering with other developers isn’t exactly new. This work with Smash Bros. is one of the most high profile examples of that kind of development deal, but with Masahiro Sakurai watching over development, implementing his razor-sharp vision as he always does, it would seem premature to be anything but optimistic. We’re likely still years from seeing Smash Bros. arrive on the 3DS and Wii U, but thanks to Namco, that’s far closer to becoming a reality than before.

Rich is an Executive Editor of IGN.com, and the leader of the network's Nintendo team. He also covers all things Assassin's Creed, Resident Evil, WWE and more. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN, if you dare.

Source : ign[dot]com

First Look: The Art of ParaNorman

Everybody loves a good ghost story, especially one that not only gives us a fright, but shakes the creative juices and inspires the imagination. The world of ParaNorman should do just that for audiences when the Focus Features stop-motion animated film hits theaters at the end of the summer.

So what exactly is ParaNorman? “The film is very much, intentionally, John Carpenter meets John Hughes,” director Chris Butler suggests. “It's kind of like throwing the kids from The Breakfast Club into the story of The Fog and seeing how things unfold around them.”

ParaNorman focuses primarily on a young horror-film obsessed kid named Norman. Having grown up watching horror cinema at a very young age, he's become obsessed with B-movies, sci-fi and gritty horror films, from zombies to monsters, ghosts, killer dogs – you name it. This is embodied in Norman's own bedroom. It's a place of ghoulish delight, filled with bold, vivid colors, loving homage and surprising realism.

“The biggest influence to ParaNorman is my childhood, quite sadly,” Butler remarks. “When I was a kid, I loved the sorts of movies that I wasn't supposed to watch. And I would rent these movies, probably when I really shouldn't have been allowed, and they exposed me to all kinds of things. Gory horror films, sci-fi pictures, Italian B-movies, Dario Argento or Mario Bava's films – stuff like that. Norman is sort of drawn from those films, using their imagery.”

“We even got to make one of those movies,” co-director Sam Fell adds. “The film actually opens with a snippet from a crappy old zombie movie, circa 1981 – color, with a synthesizer soundtrack. It was great fun to do that.”

But to help paint a more realistic light on what a child's sanctuary is like, directors Chris Butler and Sam Fell and production designer Nelson Lowry traveled to the most logical place they could go – real bedrooms.

“We wanted it to be a very real place, so people from the production company sent us photos of their child's rooms.” said Butler.

“We also asked them not to clean them up for us,” noted Lowry. “We wanted to capture their rooms in their natural state. And we learned that almost all of the rooms were just a mess – crap all over the place – toys, games, clothes, junk. We ended up building on that.”

“I think, even at one point, I took photos of my child's room to help create a sense of realism to Norman's environment.” adds Fell. “Everyone was always moving things around to get it just right. We wanted it to be as real as possible, like live-action.

“While the room was art directed with a focus on real world influence, there was also the sort of garish color you'd see in Italian horror cinema. There's a lot of great fanboy stuff there, too. You've got an illuminating zombie head. We even have this zombie alarm clock where a hand pops out of the grave when the alarm goes off. It's rather wild.”

Fell also noted that virtually everything in Norman's room paid homage to vintage horror cinema. “All the posters and artwork came from us sort of racing through the libraries of vintage posters, with stuff that we loved or used to watch being our influence. We ended up making that the basis for Norman's room, with zombie posters and all kinds of crazy movie posters spread throughout his room.”

But Norman's room isn't the only place of horror cinema inspiration. “At one point,” comments Butler, “we go to a bar and it's called The Bargento. A few people thought it was too obscure, but I refused to change it.”

“There's lots of little bits and homages like that,” remarks Lowry. “We reference dozens of directors and other horror films throughout. There was a fun challenge in figuring out all the pieces and fitting in as much as we could.”

Like Coraline, the previous film from stop-motion production house Laika, ParaNorman was shot in 3D, not only to take advantage of 3D's depth, but also to add some flavor to the zombie mayhem.

“With stop frame animation there's a tactile quality to it,” Butler suggested. "You can see that it's a real object, and you want to reach out and touch it. 3D just adds to that. It gives depth to those hand-made sets or hand stitched costumes and all the craftsmanship that goes into the film. With ParaNorman, the film is a bit of a roller coaster ride. We want to draw you in with lurid colors and depth, but having said that, we would have been remiss if we didn't have zombie hands sticking out of the screen. We are, after all, tipping our hat to all these really in-your-face types of movies, so sometimes we have to go there. But it's always done with a wink. It's always very knowing.”

Obviously, between the ghostly imagery and horror-inspired narrative, ParaNorman isn't your usual watered-down horror film, either. And those behind the lens wouldn't have it any other way.

“Things are pushed,” suggests Lowry, “but not in a very provocative way. We never take the film to any sort of gratuitous place, or anything like that. But it does have an edginess that attracted a lot of people to the project.”

“The best kids’ stories have always been challenging,” adds Butler. "They make children think. They introduce dark things that may present themselves during their lives.I hate the idea that kids literature and entertainment has to be dumbed-down or sanitized. It's not what we're about, and it really shouldn't be what filmmaking is about.”

ParaNorman opens on August 14, 2012 in the U.S., September 22 in the UK, and September 20 in Australia.

"Loneliness will sit over our roofs with brooding wings." Become a friend of R.L. Shaffer on Twitter, Facebook or MyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!

Source : ign[dot]com

iPhone Turns 5, Now Available Prepaid at Virgin Mobile

Who would have thought the iPhone would be a $150 billion goliath five years after its introduction, with more than 250 million handsets sold around the world?

Certainly not the competition, which in 2007 included heavyweights like Nokia, Research in Motion and the now defunct Palm. These smartphone rivals had six months to prepare for the iPhone after its debut at Macworld Expo, finally hitting retail stores on June 29 - five years ago today.

The competitors left standing are feeling the pain of their inaction today as Apple remarkably continues to sell three out of the five models, with a sixth generation handset likely on the way this fall.

Apple is also leaving no stone unturned, with the iPhone 4S and previous generation iPhone 4 finally available at prepaid carriers across the United States.

The second in what's sure to be a long list of pay-as-you-go carriers to land the iconic handset is Virgin Mobile, the Sprint subsidiary who rolls out the iPhone on Friday, perhaps not so coincidentally timed with the handset's fifth anniversary.

In addition to being available wherever Virgin Mobile products are sold -- which includes Target, RadioShack and Best Buy, among others -- the company has opened 10 of its own branded retail stores across Chicago today. If successful, Virgin plans to roll out the red carpet at retail nationwide in the months ahead.

"This month marks Virgin Mobile USA's tenth birthday," said Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group. "And what better way to thank our fans for ten years of loyalty than by giving them exactly what they want: the perfect plan for the perfect phone. That is the essence of 'A Higher Calling.'"

Virgin Mobile now offers the 16GB iPhone 4S for $649 or the 8GB iPhone 4 for $549, with three unlimited text and data plans ranging from $30 to $50 per month, depending on how many voice minutes are required.

Source : ign[dot]com

World of Goo Dev Names Next Game

World of Goo sure was a bizarre, adorable and entertaining little puzzle game, but since its release in 2008 we've been dying to find out what's next for developer 2D Boy. Well, the wait is almost over...kind of.

While 2D Boy isn't announcing a new title, Kyle Gabler, the co-founder of 2D Boy and designer of the acclaimed World of Goo, is working with a couple of gents under the name Tomorrow Corporation to release Little Inferno.

Details on Little Inferno aren't currently available, but the developer's blog says that this "strange new game" will be released "this winter on multiple platforms." The "first bits of real info" will apparently be posted on the blog in the coming days, so we will be checking back on the blog as more gameplay elements are detailed.

In all likelihood, though, with a name like Little Inferno, as well as a blog post that asks the question, "What would you most like to set on fire?," we can expect arson of some sort to factor into how this game plays.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Secret World Early Access Begins

If you’ve been looking forward to playing Funcom’s latest MMO, The Secret World, you don’t have to wait for the official July 3 launch. Pre-ordering the game, even now, gets you into the Early Access period, which just started up today and runs until launch.

Funcom operates two other MMOs, Anarchy Online and Age of Conan. It also just announced a new MMO project in conjunction with LEGO Group.

Instead of an orc and elf-filled fantasy setting, The Secret World bases its action in numerous real world locations. There’ll still be magic, ghosts, demons and monsters, but there’ll also be assault rifles, pistols and shotguns, which seems promising. You can check out our impressions of a recent beta test, and look for review coverage in the near future.

Source : ign[dot]com

E3 2012: Of Orcs and Men preview

Oftentimes, in role-playing games, the lead character is a typical male human off on an adventure to save the world/planet/galaxy. You may have some alien sidekicks, but for the most part you play as this human character.

So you can imagine my excitement when Cyanide Studios showed me Of Orcs and Men, an upcoming fantasy RPG that allows you to play as not one, but two fantasy creatures whose stories often remain unexplored in fantasy RPGs. Think of the last fantasy themed RPG you played; you likely encountered some orcs or goblins which you were tasked to kill for no apparent reason.

Of Orcs and Men plays off of this typical gameplay, but turns it upside down and puts you in control of two non-human characters - an Orc named Arkill and a goblin named Styx - who are off on a mission to assassinate the human emperor who waged war against their race. It may not be the most original story concept, man vs orc, but the different viewpoint could offer a different take.

Playing as an orc or goblin isn't the big catch here, at least for me it wasn't. What really helped Of Orcs and Men stand out was it's combat system which has you control both characters in tandem. In combat you can switch between Arkill, the incredibly strong orc who relies on heavy melee attacks, and Styx, the goblin trickster who relies on sneaking, stealth and ranged attacks.

The trick to the combat is to constantly switch between the characters and assign combat actions to them so that you aren't stuck with a useless AI partner that serves as nothing more than a punching bag. In combat you can slow down time to select these actions for your partner to perform and then switch to the opposite one that you want to control.  Although it sounds like a difficult slow process to slow time, controlling two characters actually creates a fast-paced feel. It's a little difficult to master at first, but once you get the hang of it the game provides rewarding gameplay experience.

The key to successful combat in Of Orcs in Men is how you initiate. The game allows you to plan your actions before performing them creating a multitude of ways to play; so for instance, you can control the goblin and sneak up on unsuspecting guards to take them out one by one or you can simply run in there with Arkill and pulverize them. Each tactic is feasible depending on how well you can assign actions.

It's hard to comment on story based on a 15-minute demo, but we were told that it will include a branching path with a variety of choices that ultimately lead to the same conclusion.  Styx will grant you the more conniving, lying route while Arkill is provides a more blunt, straightforward approach to conversations. Like I said, they will ultimately lead to the same ending for the main story.

The PC demo featured impressive graphics that created a dark fantasy world. There were some animation hiccups that you'd expect in an early build of a game, but other than that the game looked and ran surprisingly smooth for a game still in development.

Of Orcs and Men provides a unique twist on what some would consider a stale genre. You wouldn't think Orcs vs Men would be an interesting concept, but providing a unique aspect with exciting gameplay creates a solid game that RPG fans should keep their eye on. is set to release on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC this fall.

Source : gamezone[dot]com

Is World War Z in Trouble?

Paramount's adaptation of Max Brooks' zombie tome World War Z is heading for some serious reshoots -- seven weeks of them, to be exact.

The Daily Mail (via The Playlist) reports that the Brad Pitt production, which was recently pushed from its original December 21, 2012 release to June 21, 2013, is going back to Budapest for a new round of filming. The movie had originally started shooting last summer, but obviously something is wrong with the Marc Forster-directed project to require almost two months of additional filming.

First G.I. Joe: Retaliation and now World War Z. Paramount is having a bad couple of weeks, eh? Speaking of which, HitFix's sources are saying that the recent delay of the Joe sequel has led to a rift between director Jon Chu and the studio. "Things are starting to get genuinely contentious between director Jon Chu and the studio, and right now, there is a chance he won't be directly involved at all with the reshoots," says the site. "There's also a chance Chu might try to legally force his way back onto the film, which could create even more strain in the relationship he has with Paramount. Word is that producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura is firmly on Chu's side, which could help, but I shouldn't be shocked if we get word soon that Stuart Baird or someone similar is being brought on to 'consult.'"

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/04/is-world-war-z-in-trouble

World of Mercenaries Beta Launches

City Interactive has announced the World of Mercenaries closed beta. Beginning today, anyone with a beta key can redeem it through Steam and start playing immediately on two maps in two different modes.

According to City, the beta includes a “classic” mode and a “heavy team-oriented one,” as well as “an ultimate playground that you can cross as you see fit.” Six different weapons and a dual health system are also available to use on two maps, which are described as “very different” from one another. Players will also gain access to the beta forums to report feedback and discuss the game with other testers.

Blow up friends or enemies!

Players can obtain keys by heading to the game’s official site and creating an account. Access is limited for now, but more beta keys will be released in waves, and players will receive an email key if they’re selected.

World of Mercenaries is a teamwork-based first person shooter built on Unreal Engine 3. The game is set in the near future and puts players in control of a mercenary “in search for fame & fortune, fighting along and against other fierce warriors.” The game will be free-to-play and will be released exclusively for PC via Steam.

Source : http://www.ign.com

What To Do If You’ve Been Hacked in Diablo 3

As someone who's been hacked in an online game (World of Warcraft) and lost all my stuff, I know it can be distressing. It feels like a violation, as if someone forcibly taken something you deeply care about.  But it's important to remember that it's reversible, especially if you follow this advice.

The first thing to do is stay calm.  If you've been hacked, accept the situation and get to work reporting it.  If you can, log into your Battle.net account and change your password, as this will stop the hackers coming back and interfering with the restoration process or, even worse, accessing your billing details.

Occasionally, you won't be able to do this straight away.  You'll try to log in after being hacked and be greeted by the news that an authenticator has been placed on your account.  It's a despicable thing to do, but many hackers activate authenticators as they get to work so they can redistribute your stuff undisturbed.

“If you're especially impatient, you can phone customer support, but be prepared to have identification to hand.

If this is the case, contact Blizzard.  As we reported earlier, there's apparently been a spate of hackings recently which may mean it takes a while to sort your issue.  But it will be sorted.  If you're especially impatient, you can phone customer support, but be prepared to have identification to hand.  I had to scan in a copy of my passport and email it to them to prove it was me, but after that I had my WoW character and gear back within the hour.

As a caveat, while your character may be restored, there's no guarantee it'll be in quite the state you left it.  Often a 'rollback' is performed, returning your character to the state it was in a short while ago, and this can result in a loss of progress and items.

Once you've got your account and possessions back, you need to make sure you don't get hacked again.  One of the best things you can do is add your own authenticator, which can be downloaded free for iPhones or Android or bought in physical form from Blizzard.  It's pretty much a given that you will at some stage be the recipient of phishing emails from dubious characters purporting to be Blizzard needing your password; delete them, and always go to Battle.net to log in manually and check all is well.

Finally, it may seem like overkill, but some people recommend using Firefox to browse the web with the 'NoScript' add-on running.  A few years ago an advert embedded in a popular Warcraft database site contained a keylogger virus that was downloaded when vulnerable players moused over it.  It hasn't happened since, but if you've been hacked you're probably willing to go to extremes for a bit to make sure it doesn't happen again.

It’s not pleasant to be hacked, but if you know what to do, it shouldn’t inconvenience you for too long. Keep an eye on Blizzard’s forums to see how the Diablo situation develops.

Source : http://www.ign.com

Geeky Graduate Gift Guide

Is your child leaving the safe confines of home to venture out into the world of dorms and dining commons? Or maybe your significant other is donning their cap and gown to celebrate the adventures of the real world. Either way, we have a list of great gifts for your geeky graduate that will properly prepare them for the next stage of their lives.

Portal Bookends - $29.99

Education after high school means a quickly increasing collection of text books and required reading material. Keep those bookshelves organized with these Portal bookends directly from Valve.

Pop Quiz Clock - $26.99

Getting to class or your new job is important, but so is arithmetic. The Pop Quiz Clock from Think Geek makes sure that your numerical skills stay up to par, no matter what time of the day. If math isn't your strong suit, there's a science version too.

Interactive 8-bit Question Block Lamp - $74.99

As seen on Cheap, Crazy, Cool, these custom built-lamps will not only remind you of your favorite plumber, but will help you keep the lights on while celebrating life after lunch room food and locker room pranks.

Cooking for Geeks Cookbook - $34.99

As tasty as trips to the drive through or delivery pizza are, there's nothing like a home cooked meal. Cooking for Geeks not only provides a number of recipes, but also gives you facts about food and cooking processes to make sure you brain gets fed too.

Android Mini Toy - $7.50 each

Decorate your grad's desk with a 3-inch Android Mini Toy. With 13 variations, getting the perfect Droid for your giftee is an adventure in and of it self.

MOTHER 3 Handbook - $20+

Mother 3 was never released Stateside, but that didn't stop Fangamer from creating a beautiful, full-color guide, featuring everything from an in-depth walkthrough to a useful enemy guide.

IGN Apparel

Get fitted in shirts, hoodies and hats while representing your favorite gaming site. SplitReason has stuff for girls and guys, and you'll be instantly cooler the moment you put one of these on.

Star Wars Rebel Pilot Headphones - $29.99

Featured on Cheap, Crazy, Cool, these Rebel Pilot Headphones are perfect for your former padawan. In addition to its awesome Rebel Pilot decor, the headphones feature 40mm stereo speakers and can be easily folded up for quick travel.

Zombie Survival Course - Starting at $149.00

Just because your grad finished school doesn't mean their training is complete. Make sure that they're properly prepared for the dangers of the real world with some zombie survival training!

Sifteo Cubes - $149.00

Keep those valuable brains sharp with a set of Sifteo Cubes. These bite-sized games deliver a number of puzzles to stimulate the mind and can be expanded for difficulty by picking up additional cubes.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/18/geeky-graduate-gift-guide

Worldwide Samsung Galaxy S III Pre-Orders Reach 9 Million

Samsung, the largest handset vendor in the world, is approaching the release of yet another extremely popular Android phone, the recently announced Samsung Galaxy S III.

According to the Korea Economic Daily, around 9 million pre-orders have been placed across 100 global carriers, excluding the United States where carriers have yet to be announced, reports Reuters. The device will launch in Germany on May 29, with additional territories receiving the phone over the course of the new few months. To keep up with the high demand, the company's South Korean factory has been working at full capacity to push out 5 million handsets per month.

The Galaxy S II reached 20 million units shipped during its first 10 months on the market, and over 4 million units of Apple's iPhone 4S were sold during its opening weekend.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/18/worldwide-samsung-galaxy-s-iii-pre-orders-reach-9-million

Diablo 3 Guide: How To Kill Diablo Ads By Google » Blog Tags Today's Most Popular Videos »

Diablo, The Lord of Terror, is risen from the depths of the Burning Hells to end the world of man and it's up to you to stop him. But you needn't feel alone. We at G4 are here to guide you through the Diablo 3 boss fight against the Prime Evil himself, Diablo. Want to know how to kill Diablo in Diablo 3? We'll give you all the necessary tips and tricks to survive the Diablo battle.

First of all, congratulations on making it this far! You've climbed the steps of the tallest tower in all of existence to reach the Crystal Arch, where Angels are born. This very special place is what remains of the creator Anu, whos body forms the High Heavens. This also makes it a strategic target for the Lord of Terror, and should you fail, its destruction will spell the doom of all things. No pressure.

In other words: Good luck!

First, let's take a look at Diablo's stats, broken down by difficulty.

Normal: Diablo is level 30 on Normal difficulty, with 127,000 health. He grants those who defeat him 925 XP as well as various treasure. He has no special traits or resistances.

Nightmare: Diablo is level 50 on Nightmare difficulty, with 2,688,000 health. Quite a jump from the previous difficulty! He grants 3400 XP and various treasure. He has no special traits or resistances.

Hell: Diablo is level 60 on Hell difficulty, with 19,304,000 health(!) Putting this monster down will net you 7750 XP and some sweet loot for the hardest difficulty in Diablo 3, Inferno. He has no special traits or resistances.

Inferno: Diablo is level 63 on Inferno difficulty, with a whopping 76,499,000 health. At this point you've exceeded every limitation a human being should be capable of, yet you'll still be rewarded with 8000 XP and some ultra fantastic treasure. Even on this, the hardest boss fight of Diablo 3, he still has no special traits or resistances.

On all difficulties, the tactics and fight against Diablo remain the same, as do Diablo's abilities and attacks. In addition to standard melee attacks, Diablo can also use:

Ground Stomp: This attack radiates damage in all directions, so don't stick close to Diablo for too long. It inflicts one-time damage when it hits.

Charge: A basic attack that tramples over anything in its way, Charge will allow Diablo to cover immense distances, taking away any safety you may have felt at range during this fight. More of a nuisance than a real worry, Charge is there mostly to keep you on your toes and be spatially aware.

Ring of Fire: And you thought listening to the song stuck in the backseat of your parents' van was torture. This Ring of Fire will deal continuous fire damage as it sets your hero aflame. In later phases and higher difficulties, these can be cast in rapid succession, overlapping one another. Steer clear!

Hell Spikes: While the spikes themselves don't do any damage, Diablo's Hell Spikes will encase your character in a cage, trapping him/her there until the demon lord makes his way to them, grabs hold, and slams them into the ground for massive damage, as well as the Curse of Destruction debuff. The ground will turn dark where they are about to appear, so always be on the move.

Shadow Vanish Grab: This is technically the grab mentioned above that gives the Curse of Destruction debuff, which deals damage over time to your character and any allies as well. Wham!

Shadow Clones: In the second phase of the final battle against Diablo, the setting shifts to the Realm of Terror. Here you'll face plenty of adds, just like the first phase, but every now and again Diablo will summon a shadowy doppelganger of your hero. They have access to the same Passive and Active Skills as your class, even ones you may not have equipped.

Overdrive: For the final phase of the Diablo fight in Diablo 3, the Lord of Terror will spam attacks and spells with increased power, speed, and smaller cooldowns thanks to being in Overdrive mode.

Lightning Breath: During the final phase, Diablo will also unleash his most devastating attack, Lightning Breath. Diablo will spray this foul attack across the stage in a 180-degree arc, and if you get hit, prepare to pay big time. If you're not protected against non-physical damage in this fight, it can even kill you instantly.

So now that you know what the Prime Evil is capable of, how do you protect yourself against such power? Well, since Diablo comes from the Burning Hells and many of his attacks revolve around fire, you'll want to buff up on fire resistance. Diablo's Lightning Breath can be an insta-kill if you're not protected against non-physical damage with Passive Skills or Spell Runes.

In other words, don't try to go for a glass cannon-style approach. The best tactics to use in the final fight of Diablo 3 include being patient, avoiding or weathering attacks, and hit-and-run damage dealing. You want to spec for survivability, not badassery against Diablo.

In fact, here are some suggested builds for each class to help you survive Diablo's onslaught. Note: each of these builds are for characters who have reached at least level 30.

Barbarian: For the best Barbarian Skills against Diablo, equip Pound of Flesh, Bloodthirst, and Superstition in your Passive slots. Pound of Flesh and Bloodthirst will help keep your hit points up, and Supserstition will help you survive should you be hit by an attack. As for Active Skills, go for Sprint, Overpower, Bash, Weapon Throw, Call of the Ancients, and Hammer of the Ancients.

Demon Hunter: For the best Demon Hunter Skills against Diablo, use Vengeance, Brooding, and Steady Aim as Passives. Vengeance and Brooding will help you stay alive so long as you avoid Diablo's attacks, and Steady Aim will keep you firing from outside his melee range. For Active Skills, equip Cluster Arrow, Entangling Shot, Impale, Marked for Death, Shadow Power, and Vault.

Monk: The best Monk Skills against Diablo will be, as above, those that balance survivability with damage. Go for Chant of Resonance, Exalted Soul, and Transcendence for your Passive Skills. Combining Transcendence and Exalted Soul will turn your Spirit into a practical second health bar, while Chant of Resonance will help keep you from running dry. For best Active Skills, use Mantra of Conviction, Mystic Ally, Serenity, Exploding Palm, Wave of Light, and Way of the Hundred Fists.

Witch Doctor: To choose the best Witch Doctor Skills against Diablo, go for Jungle Fortitude, Zombie Handler, and Spiritual Attunement as your Passive selection. Zombie Handler will give you extra ammo against your foes, while Jungle Fortitude will keep you and your dogs alive. Spiritual Attunement meanwhile will keep you from running out of Mana should you need to summon more. For Active Skills, try Summon Zombie Dogs, Firebats, Fetish Army, Spirit Barrage, Sacrifice, and Haunt.

Wizard: When selecting the best Wizard Skills against Diablo, you'll need to balance resources, health, and damage dealing. Use Blur, Astral Presence, and Cold Blooded. Blur and Astral Presence will keep you up and fighting, while Cold Blooded is great against Diablo, who can be chilled or frozen. With regards to Active Skills, go for Ray of Frost, Blizzard, Storm Armor, Archon, Teleport, and Spectral Blade.

Okay, so now you know your enemy's tactics, his abilities, and what you can do to prepare against him, but what do you actually do during the fight? There are three phases to the fight against Diablo, each more difficult and adrenaline-pumping than the last.

For the first phase, Diablo will start off pretty basic. Adds will spawn while Diablo casts Ring of Fire and Hell Spikes. Avoid these as best you can, weaving in and out to make your way to attack range and get a few hits in before retreating. Stick to the edges of the map as best you can, taking a moment to fill up at the health wells on either side. Each of these has a 30-second cooldown, so the waiting line isn't too bad. Just don't abuse them!

Once you've knocked Diablo down to 50% health, he will teleport to you and suck you both into the Realm of Terror. This shadow world can be difficult to see through and seem suffocating, but your tactics should remain mostly the same. There are more adds here however, so use AoE attacks or summonable allies to help you deal damage to Diablo while you manage the other enemies.

Every time you chip off a third of Diablo's health, he will summon a Shadow Clone of your hero. With the damage these doppelgangers can deal out, it's almost better to focus on them and burn them down quickly than fighting Diablo himself. No worries, they go down pretty quick.

Finally, once you've defeated Diablo's shadow in the Realm of Terror, you'll return to the Crystal Arch. Now fully energized and ready to stomp you into dust, Diablo will go into Overdrive, increasing his casting capabilities. Your tactics should stay the same, though it will be harder and harder to get a shot in, especially without taking damage yourself. The only new thing to watch out for here is Diablo's Lightning Breath, which sweeps across the field in a slowly turning 180-degree arc. If there is one thing you don't want to get hit by, it's that.

Don't get greedy and hang around inside Diablo's melee range too long, keep a careful eye on your health, don't be afraid to prolong the fight by sipping from the health wells or downing potions, and eventually the Prime Evil will topple. It's a slow, painful and risky fight, but he wouldn't be the Lord of Terror if it wasn't, would he?

Slay the beast, save the High Heavens, and become a hero! You've just learned how to kill Diablo and complete the final act of Diablo 3! Now let's crack our knuckles, pop open a new energy drink, and do it all over again on the next highest difficulty. Woo!

Source : http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/723819/diablo-3-guide-how-to-kill-diablo/

Ask Us Questions On Feedback! Ads By Google » Blog Tags Today's Most Popular Videos »

Tons of rumors are pouring in from gaming outlets all over the world, like rumors that Internet Explorer will be added to Xbox or rumors about Beyond Good & Evil 2 being a next gen title.  Next week on Feedback we're going to be discussing the rumors, the speculation and the hype leading up to 2012's E3. Have you heard any rumors that you would like us to discuss? Do you have any questions about what we expect to see at the convention? Ask us anything! The time is now!


Source : http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/723677/ask-us-questions-on-feedback/

Revelations 2012 Review

The end of the world has arrived, and things are looking grim.

Ancient Mayans swarm sacred temples, running up and down walls as if the laws of gravity have been repealed. Boulders pop into existence and fall to the ground, squishing you underneath. Your friends fall down shafts to their deaths, as they have somehow become incapable of using ladders. These and other horrors await you in Revelations 2012, an incompetent co-op shooter that tries to ape Left 4 Dead but gets almost nothing right. If this ridiculous game actually represents the near future, we might as well just give up now.

The greatest horrors have yet to come.

The incompetence begins with the cooperative campaigns. You join up to three others to fight your way through hordes of natives in loincloths and witches zapping you with magical green plasma. In the likely event you don't find anyone to play with, AI cronies fill in. But these computer-controlled morons have apparently lost their brains in the Mayan apocalypse and are incapable of behaving in any sensible manner. They can't pick up the healing or ammo items enemies drop on the ground. They can't use secondary fire, are unaware of deadly booby traps, and sometimes stand around doing nothing. Even on easy difficulty, you might be unable to get past the second of five campaigns: the AI easily gives up the ghost, and you end up fighting a miniboss that renders you unable to move and shoot with every ground pound.

You might be lucky enough to have friends who have a billion more brain cells than these cretins, but they won't remain friends for long if you force them to wade through this mess. Everyone gets the same mystic weapon that can morph into different forms: magical sniper rifle, magical peashooter, and magical shotgun. But regardless of what form you use, there's no sense of power. The audio is atrocious: water pistols sound more powerful than your weapon's mild peeps and clicks. When you kill foes, their skin melts away and their skeletons dissipate, which is a neat little effect. Another nice touch: sometimes your enemies lose limbs and pull their legless torsos along. But there are no animations to indicate impact; you just fire piddly lasers or swipe at your attackers until they fall down dead.

You encounter dozens and dozens of ancient dudes as you roam about slapdash environments that have no sense of design or pacing. You run around looking for levers to activate, grab some skulls, encounter a final boss, and everything is done. And every moment is laughably bad. The tribal hordes behave in the oddest ways. They climb up poles and columns for no apparent reason, defying physics as we understand them. They jump on top of swinging traps and get deposited on an AI companion's head. They even fall from above and get stuck midair, their legs treading ceaselessly as if in contact with the ground.

Nothing says 'Mayan Apocalypse' better than Arial font.

The "gotcha" traps are insane. A boulder rolls down a hill from behind, or a spiked log suddenly swings toward you, but there is no audiovisual cue indicating such an occurrence is possible. A dense field makes it impossible to see what you're shooting at. In one area, you navigate a trap of spears that move to and fro, but the spears aren't spaced or timed properly, and are not collision-enabled; it's impossible to get through undamaged. You deal with a set of rising and falling columns immediately afterward, where another legion attacks you in a dramatically tiny space. It's all so depressingly horrible.

All the while, your companions spout occasional quips, Left 4 Dead style, but have no discernible personalities aside from "obnoxious twerp," and have nothing interesting to say. (Endless profanity doesn't make for fascinating characters.) There isn't even anything interesting to look at in all this mess. You move from boring tan corridors to jungle clearings with low-polygon bushes. Light sources are static, textures are low resolution, and shadows are often nonexistent. There's no sense of art direction. Trees, statues, and sad brown flowers look randomly placed, as if someone just threw these objects into the level without any consideration of an overall aesthetic.

Revelations 2012 doesn't skimp on content, with five campaigns of multiple levels each, and several competitive modes, though your chances of finding a competitive match are even lower than finding a cooperative one. One of these modes could have been great: Battlegrounds. Conceptually, it's a mix of first-person shooter, real-time strategy, and online battle arena. Players on each of two teams must take down defensive towers as they push toward the opposing team's base and face a final boss. But they also command respawning minions, ordering them to battle opposing forces and defend key areas.

Ancient witch doctors could apparently cause boulders to drop from solid ceilings.

It's a cool idea utterly destroyed by execution problems. Minions get stuck trying to cross bridges and won't move. On one map, you use glowing portals to teleport into your enemy's base, but huge minion collisions can turn the battle into a horrible joke. But hey--if you get bored during the resulting stalemates on this map, you can also hit a key and watch your character dance a dumb jig from a third-person perspective. Heck, you can even shoot stuff while you do it, all while your own avatar performs animations that have nothing to do with shooting.

Perhaps Revelations 2012 is a sign of the times. If so, pray hard to the deity of your choice, because the end is nigh. Whatever you do, don't waste your precious last moments playing this horrendous shooter.


Source : http://www.gamespot.com/revelations-2012/reviews/revelations-2012-review-6375175/

Elder Scrolls Online confirmed for 2013

Skyrim fans yearning to explore the game's fantasy world with other people will get the chance next year, as Bethesda Softworks today announced The Elder Scrolls Online, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game take on the long-running series, set for release in 2013.

The Elder Scrolls is finally going online.

Bethesda didn't reveal any gameplay details, but a Game Informer tease for the magazine's cover story on Elder Scrolls Online revealed that the game will be cover the entire continent of Tamriel, including the lands featured in previous Elder Scrolls games like Cyrodiil, Skyrim, and Morrowind. The game will be set 1,000 years before the events of last year's hit Skyrim, and put the players into the world on the brink of demonic assimilation at the hands of the daedric prince Molag Bal.

Elder Scrolls Online will also feature three player factions, though they were not detailed. However, a rumor that made the rounds in March and correctly predicted the game's announcement suggested that they will be represented by animals: a lion, a dragon, and an unspecified bird of prey.

The Elder Scrolls Online will be the debut game from Zenimax Online Studios, which was established five years ago with Mythic Entertainment cofounder Matt Firor (Dark Age of Camelot) heading up the operation. Firor is also serving as game director on the project.




Source : http://gamespot.com/news/elder-scrolls-online-confirmed-for-2013-6374918