Destiny 2: Beyond Light – Stasis "Deeper Look" Set For August 27th
The Season of Arrivals continues but Bungie is continues to hype up Destiny 2's next expansion Beyond Light. Though it released a trailer showcasing the different Stasis sub-class abilities, there will be a "deeper look" at the element on August 27th. This will take place at Gamescom Opening Night Live which begins at 11 AM PT on Thursday.
Stasis manifests as ice and is associated with the Darkness. Beyond Light will see players traveling to Europa to face off against Eramis, Kell of Darkness and her House of Darkness. Players will also explore Deep Stone Crypt, a new raid and also the subroutine which created the first Exo consciousness.
Destiny 2: Beyond Light releases on November 10th for Xbox One, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X, PS5 and Google Stadia. Its release coincides with the vaulting of several current locations, activities, Exotic quests and campaigns including the base game's Red War, Curse of Osiris and Warmind. Stay tuned for more details on Stasis later this week at Gamescom.
Embrace darkness. Tune in for a deeper look at Stasis. https://t.co/42mg8ya2J9
— Destiny 2 (@DestinyTheGame) August 24, 2020
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – New Details We Learned About It
It's now been over five years since Batman: Arkham Knight came out, and in the time that has passed since then, curiosity around what Rocksteady's next project is going to be has grown to epic proportions. At the recent DC FanDome event, that next project was finally unveiled as Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. And though all we got was a cinematic trailer, thanks to that and an interview with creative director Sefton Hill in the panel itself, we've learned plenty of interesting things about the game. Here, we're going to round up some of the biggest talking points about Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League that you should know about.
PREMISE
If ever there's a competition for games with incredibly descriptive names, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will surely be in the running for the top prize. The name pretty much says it all- you're playing as members of the villains-turned-heroes group known as the Suicide Squad, and you've been tasked with taking down the Justice League. But how exactly has this group found itself in this situation? Amanda Waller has implanted nanite bombs in the heads of the Suicide Squad and is forcing them to fight against a big threat in Metropolis. That big threat is the Justice League, and their primary target is none other than Superman himself- all of them have gone rogue.
JUSTICE LEAGUE
So let's talk about the Justice League itself- we know Superman and his fellow superheroes have gone rogue, but how exactly did that happen? Well, based on the trailer, we can say that Brainiac involved, so there's probably some mind control shenanigans going on, but anything beyond that is just a guessing game right now. Other than that, something else we're excited to learn more about is exactly which superheroes we'll be squaring off against in the game. Superman, obviously, but beyond him? The Flash was mentioned briefly during the panel after the game's reveal trailer was shown off, so we can probably expect him to show up, but how about the likes of Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and more? Given the game's subtitle, all of them seem like a pretty big bet.
There is one notable member of the Justice League we've left out though, and there's a good reason for that…
ARKHAMVERSE
Something else that Rocksteady have confirmed is that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is going to be set in the Batman: Arkham universe. According to Sefton Hill, this is a continuation of that universe, and, as he puts it, "a lot of the threads and storylines you're going to see come to fruition in this game." That would have been interesting no matter what, but given how Arkham Knight ends, it becomes even more so. By the time Arkham Knight comes to a close, Batman is publicly considered dead, though the game's very last moments do hint that the Caped Crusader is still at large. Given that, how will he figure into Suicide Squad's story? Is he still an active member of the Justice League? If he isn't, does that mean he hasn't gone rogue like his fellow Justice League members have? That all remains to be seen, but our curiosity is definitely piqued.
METROPOLIS
The thing that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's reveal trailer makes abundantly clear before anything else is that it is going to be set in Metropolis, and based on that cinematic trailer, its vibrant and colourful palette is going to present an interesting contrast to the dreary and gothic environments of Arkham's Gotham City. Sefton Hill has also talked about wanting to bring Metropolis to life like never before, and while it's hard to gauge much from that – this isn't the first time we've heard marketing buzz words and phrases like that about an open world game – we're still curious to see what Rocksteady will do with this location. The game's reveal trailer makes it look like Metropolis is under a devastating attack from super-powerful forces that are completely ravaging the city, so it's entirely likely that the open world environment players will be placed in won't be a very bustling one- at least not in the traditional sense of the word.
WHAT EVEN IS IT?
Rocksteady made a name for themselves as one of the best developers of melee combat, exciting traversal, and empowering stealth in the industry with their Arkham games, but Suicide Squad is an entirely different beast. So what even is it? Sefton Hill called it a blend of genres- it's an action-adventure game, but third person shooting also seems to be a big focus… which isn't surprising, given some of the playable characters involved- more on this in just a bit. We can probably expect melee combat to play a big role as well, but when it comes to traversal, there isn't much that Rocksteady have said yet.
CHARACTERS
Let's get down to brass tacks- what characters are going to be the stars of the show in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League? The four main playable characters have been confirmed as deranged clown lady Harley Quinn, deadly marksman Deadshot, mutated aquatic beast King Shark, and snarky trickster Captain Boomerang. Harley Quinn and Deadshot have both had pretty prominent roles in the Arkham universe in the past, while King Shark and Captain Boomerang have also been involved (outside of the games, especially), so it'll be interesting to see how Rocksteady build upon those foundations with these four characters.
COMBAT
Given the fact that we're playing as these four very different characters, combat in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League promises to be interesting. All four of them will have their own unique abilities and skills, of course, and different weapons to master and upgrades to unlock- and it seems there's going to be plenty of depth across all four of them as well. Harley Quinn uses her baseball bat and has a certain love for explosives; Deadshot can get around using his jetpack, and fights with his arm canons, a fuel gun that allows him to set enemies on fire, and, of course, his sniper rifle; King Shark has his two deadly claws, raw brute strength, and can wield a massive machine gun; and Captain Boomerang looks to be the most agile one of the lot, and uses, as his name implies, a special boomerang. What's exciting is that there's apparently going to be a lot more to each of these characters than that, with Sefton Hill claiming that each of them will have more depth to them than Batman did in the Arkham games.
CO-OP
Leaks had been suggesting for a while that Rocksteady's Suicide Squad game would be a live service co-op title, and though the developers haven't yet said anything about whether or not it's a service game, they have confirmed that it's a co-op game. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will allow up to four players to play together- but you'll still be able to play the entire game solo if you wish. When playing solo, the three characters that you're not controlling will be controlled by the AI, and you will also have the option to switch between them whenever you want.
LAUNCH
Given how long it's been since Arkham Knight came out, we can probably assume that Suicide Squad has been in development for a while- and it's going to remain in development for a while longer. The game is coming out in 2022, and unlike Gotham Knights, which is also releasing on PS4 and Xbox One in addition to next-gen consoles, it won't be a cross-gen release, and will be releasing only on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
Nintendo Might Launch a New Version of the Switch in Early 2021 – Rumour
Since early 2019, there have been plenty of rumours that Nintendo are planning on releasing multiple new variants of the Switch, and though the company said following the reveal of the Switch Lite last year that it had no further plans for another model of the console at that time, reports of a more powerful Switch variant have still emerged every now and again in the months since.
Now, a report by Tapei-based outlet Economic Daily News (via The Edge Markets) has added further fuel to that fire. The report states that as per sources in the Nintendo Switch's supply chain, a new version of the Switch is currently in the works and will be releasing in 2021. This new model will allegedly have better display quality and will make upgrades to "interactivity."
With the PS5 and the Xbox Series X launching later this year, the power different between the Switch and other consoles in the market – which is already pretty steep with current-gen consoles – will grow even wider, so it would make sense for Nintendo to release a more powerful variant of the Switch.
If this does turn out to be accurate, it's worth noting that the impact of the pandemic on manufacturing, supply, and distribution lines is something that will have to be considered. Though Nintendo have said that things have started recovering of late, they are still cautious and wary of the fact that if the situation should worsen, they will be adversely affected.
For now though, this is unverified information, so take it with a grain of salt. We'll keep you updated should we learn anything more, so stay tuned.
15 Video Games Where You Came Back From Death To Beat The Bad Guys
The dead never rest in video games and we're not just talking about zombies. There have been a number of heroes throughout the years that have returned and even if they're not always stronger, any who oppose them quickly wish they didn't. Let's take a look at 15 such heroes that fall into this category. Story spoilers lie within but we've avoided major ones for the most part.
Ghost of Tsushima
The initial skirmish between the Samurai clans and Mongol army doesn't really go well with pretty much everyone killed, save for Jin's uncle Lord Shimura. Jin himself would have been a goner if not for Yuuna. And while he doesn't necessarily wallop Khotun Khan in their first encounter, it does mark the beginning of his terrifying reign as the Ghost.
Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War Confirmed for Gamescom Opening Night Live
Activision has confirmed the next Call of Duty, titled Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War, and will reveal the game in Call of Duty: Warzone on August 26th. If you can't be fussed to load up Warzone then aside from waiting on the trailer to hit YouTube, simply tune into Gamescom Opening Night Live. Host Geoff Keighley has confirmed a "world premiere new look" at the shooter.
Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War is being developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, and according to rumors, it serves as a reboot of the Black Ops franchise. Not much else is known about it, save for all the Cold War connections, but recent art work teases the possibility of two protagonists. So that's something.
It remains to be seen if Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War will still release this year, much less for Xbox Series X and PS5 along with current-gen consoles. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime. Gamescom Opening Night Live takes place on August 27th at 11 AM PT and will feature 38 games in total (though they won't all necessarily be new games).
Don't miss a world premiere new look at @CallofDuty Black Ops – Cold War.
Live during @gamescom Opening Night Live on Thursday at 8 pm CEST / 2 pm ET / 11 am PT
Watch at https://t.co/FjoDbKUBkl pic.twitter.com/HciGWttPUX
— Geoff Keighley
Opening Night Live (@geoffkeighley) August 24, 2020
15 Video Game Stories That Need To Be Resolved
As much as we'd like every story to neatly wrap up its various plot threads, that's not always possible especially with how complex some can be. This is the case across a number of media and video games are no exception. Nevertheless, we just can't help but pine for some kind of official resolution after so many years. Let's take a look at 15 such unresolved threads that need immediate closure. Numerous spoilers abound including for recent games like The Last of Us Part 2.
Destiny 2 – The Dreaming City Curse, Uldren's Revival, etc
You could write a book on the number of unresolved plot points in Destiny 2. The Dreaming City curse, Uldren's revival as a Guardian, Mara Sov's disappearance, the Nine, the Dredgen, Mithrax – the list goes on and on. Heck, we're only now seeing some plot progression regarding the Darkness aka the giant pyramid ships, but that's at a venerable snail's pace. Don't even get us started on all the threads from Destiny 1 that are still yet to be resolved (like what the Traveler even is).
Marvel's Avengers Launch Trailer Teases a Reassembling
Marvel's Avengers launches within the next two weeks, following three consecutive weekend betas. To that end, a launch trailer has been released which sees the Avengers coming back together despite their differences. There's also the perfunctory "Avengers, assemble" line because of course there is.
As a completely original story, Marvel's Avengers sees our heroes forsaken by the world after the disaster of A-Day. Several years later, A.I.M. has risen up to cause mayhem. Newly-turned Inhuman Kamala Khan steps up to not only fight back but also bring the Avengers back together.
Marvel's Avengers is out on September 4th for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Google Stadia with Xbox Series X and PS5 versions coming later this year. As a games-as-a-service title, we'll see more heroes added over time including Antman, Hawkeye and Spider-Man (but not the same one from Insomniac Games' blockbuster). Stay tuned for more details on the game in the coming weeks.
Creaks Interview – Inspiration, Development Challenges, Future Updates, and More
Halfway through 2020, Creaks just came out of nowhere and took everyone by surprise. Though Amanita Design's puzzle-platforming adventure had been on the radar of some people for a while, thanks to its beautiful visual aesthetic and its promise of a rich world, no one expected it to be quite as good as it turned out to be. With solid puzzle design, effective storytelling, and striking visuals, it's quickly become another example of how indie studios are often the greatest sources of creativity.
Recently, we sent across some of our questions about the game, its development, and what the developers have in store for its future to the folks at Amanita Design, hoping to catch up with them and look back on things now that Creaks is out in the hands of players. You can read our conversation with the game's artist and lead designer Radim Jurda below.
"It was clear from the initial reactions to trailers that there are people who will enjoy the audiovisual experience, but it wasn't clear to us if the game as a whole will impress them until it was out."
Congratulations on the launch of Creaks! How does it feel to finally have your game out there, and for players to be responding to it in such positive fashion?
Thank you! It feels great, and it's a huge relief. The game was in development for eight long years and it's the first released title of our dedicated team within Amanita Design. As the release date got closer, we were getting more nervous about how the game was going to be received. It was clear from the initial reactions to trailers that there are people who will enjoy the audiovisual experience, but it wasn't clear to us if the game as a whole will impress them until it was out.
The beautiful art style of Creaks is one of the game's most notable aspects, especially at first glance. How did you land on that look for the game, and what inspired it?
The aesthetic is based on book illustrations, traditional animation and painting techniques, that I and my friend and co-artist Jan Chlup explored during our studies at high school and later at university. The art styles that appear in Creaks are actually our favorite techniques, and it was exciting for us to make them come to life in a game. We draw inspiration for our world from different sources, for example, the part of the mansion that we call Palaces was inspired by various collections we observed while visiting several European museums. Many of our colleagues at Amanita grew up in the same environment, attended the same fine arts schools, so naturally, Creaks fits into the studio's general aesthetic. I also desired to introduce this style to a genre that's different from Amanita's usual production.
The world that Creaks is set in as something that has drawn a lot of praise from players. Can you talk to us about how you went about conceptualizing it, and what primary goals you had in mind for it while doing so?
The story begins similarly to Alice in Wonderland, as our hero finds a small door to a vast, fantastic world. The world of Creaks has surreal rules, but in contrast to Alice, in which basically anything can happen, it's built to be relatively logical and cohesive. We achieved that by using some motifs throughout the entire game. For example, the motif of looking for a book plays a big role in the main storyline, and it also appears in the collectible paintings and various statues. The key theme of Creaks is ambiguity, and my goal was to create a world that feels like a real fantasy place, but can also be perceived as a metaphor for the hero's subconsciousness.
"The key theme of Creaks is ambiguity, and my goal was to create a world that feels like a real fantasy place, but can also be perceived as a metaphor for the hero's subconsciousness."
Creaks constantly strikes a deft balance between storytelling and engaging puzzle-platforming gameplay, always focusing on both in equal measure. How hard was it to strike that balance, and ensure that both elements worked in harmony with each other?
From the beginning, we wanted to offer an adventure experience with a story, and the work on Creaks started with a very thorough storyboard. There are no words in the game, so we made the storyboard very detailed and tested it on our friends to see if the story is understandable just from the pictures. When designing the puzzle gameplay for Creaks, we noticed it could be a bit difficult for players to solve riddles all the time, so adding those story cutscenes or mechanical paintings brings the elements of relief and reward between each puzzle section. Creating each district of the house was quite challenging as we were trying to put the gameplay and story rooms together in a nice and frugal composition.
What were the biggest challenges you faced during the development of Creaks?
One of the biggest challenges was maintaining focus and trust for the game throughout so many years of development. There were moments when it was challenging to find a passion for working hard every day. Luckily, we didn't expect it to take so long, so after a few years of development, I thought it would take like one more year, and then we are done. But it actually took many more years. Good that we didn't know it at that moment! Maintaining the focus would have been even more difficult…
Since the game's launch, is there any particular bit of feedback or criticism from the community that stands out to you and that you are considering addressing with future updates?
Some people were missing a hint system in the game if they got stuck on a puzzle, but I like it when games bring people together, and those people help each other solve the riddles. There were requests on our Discord server for adding numbers to individual scenes so players can refer to them more easily when they are giving hints to each other without sending spoiler pictures. It was a great idea, and we are preparing this small but useful feature for the next update.
"One of the biggest challenges was maintaining focus and trust for the game throughout so many years of development. There were moments when it was challenging to find a passion for working hard every day."
Of course, Creaks hasn't been out for that long, so I understand if this isn't a question you're prepared to answer just yet, but are you considering making new content for the game, or perhaps working on a sequel, especially given how positively people have responded to the game?
As you said, it's a bit soon to tell. I need to rest now and give myself the freedom to think of ideas for some completely new games. Despite the many years I have spent in the world of Creaks, I like it very much and have got new ideas for interactions between the furniture monsters and even some new creatures sitting in my drawer. Let's wait a bit to see if enough ideas and passion for a sequel will rise and if the players would like to see more of Creaks.
Given how close we are to the launch of PS5 and Xbox Series X, have you given any consideration to bringing Creaks to next-gen consoles?
Of course, we would love to bring Creaks and our new and upcoming projects to the new consoles, but it's a little bit early for us to be specific about that.
No Straight Roads Launch Trailer Promises a Rocking Musical Journey
Metronomik's musical action-adventure game, No Straight Roads, launches imminently, and to celebrate its release, the developers have put out a new launch trailer for the game, which you can view below.
Led by game director Wan Hazmer (lead game designer on Final Fantasy 15) and creative director Daim Dziauddin (concept artist on Street Fighter 5), No Straight Roads sees players stepping into the shoes of indie rock duo Zuke and Mayday, who fight to free the Vinyl City from the corrupt reign of an evil EDM empire. The game promises musical rhythm-based combat, a variety of boss fights, extensive progression, and more. The trailer below highlights the game's vibrant aesthetic particularly well- make sure to check it out.
No Straight Roads will launch tomorrow, August 25, for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. On PC, it will be exclusive to the Epic Games Store. You can get more details on the game via our interview with game director Wan Hazmer through here.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum Combines Stealth With Vertical Parkour, New Teaser Released
It's not often that we get Lord of the Rings games, that too centered on the manipulative Gollum. But Daedalic Entertainment's The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is looking to explore that perspective, mixing in stealth with some vertical parkour. A new teaser is available now but there also new details courtesy of IGN.
Lead designer Martin Wilkes spoke to the publication and said that the movement is reminiscent of Prince of Persia. "If you want a reference you might think of it as similar to Prince of Persia. It is mostly a non-combat game, but Gollum will be able to stealthily take out enemies. However, this will not be easy and always come with big risks. We want players to carefully weigh these encounters. After all, Gollum's strengths lie in cunning not combat."
Gollum will have choices to make on his journey, which means choosing between the Smeagol and Gollum personalities. Along with the narrative branching out, certain decisions will also affect the overall game feel. Animations, in-game dialogue, soundscapes and whatnot will change depending on persona that's more dominant.
With regards to combat, Gollum won't have weapons but he can distract foes by throwing items and ideally sneaking by. He can also use the environment and call upon "special allies" to help. These "special allies", as per lead narrative designer Tilman Schanen, will be familiar to players and they play smaller roles "for the most part." However, there are some cases where their roles will be "very significant".
It's all fairly interesting and offers a different take on the Lord of the Rings trilogy that we know and love. The Lords of the Rings: Gollum is out in 2021 for Xbox Series X, PS5 and PC. Stay tuned for more details in the coming year.