Saturday, March 11, 2017

News:: ELEX is odd and janky, but totally open

Breath of the Wild has given me a whole new appreciation for open-world games. I love the amount of freedom you have in tackling the quest (or not bothering with it) and the order in which you can tackle it. While games like Grand Theft Auto and the more recent Elder Scrolls games give you snippets of that, they tend to hold your hand throughout their main questlines, which inevitably makes the player want to rebel against the set path.

Much to my surprise, ELEX is possibly more open-ended than Zelda. You’re given total freedom to explore any area of the game. If you see a distant mountain, you can travel to it. If any of the NPC’s look at you wrong, you can kill them. If you feel like giving the middle finger to the main quest, go right ahead. The game world will compensate for that lack of quest giver and allow some other option for progression. That sounds an awful lot like Morrowind (except that game would just consider the quest failed).

ELEX is odd and janky, but totally open screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2mdo3L1

News:: This company can track motion with sound instead of light

When it comes to tracking physical objects in virtual spaces, pretty much every company is relying on light in some form. Oculus and HTC have their light mapping sensors, while Sony's PlayStation VR relies on infrared for its motion tracking camera. Hauoli, a young Austin-based startup demoing at SXSW, has something different in mind. It's developed a way to track virtual objects with sound. It's entirely software based and works with just about any speaker, so it also removes the need for expensive motion tracking hardware.



via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2my7P2n

News:: Sine Mora EX will feature a co-op mode and new challenges

While I didn't sit down to actually try out Sine Mora EX, I did get a chance to chat with one of the developers at the THQ Nordic booth today. Since I am a big fan of the original, I was curious what changes were being made to designate this as "EX". Turns out there is a pretty big surprise for fans of cooperative games.

The entire story mode will now be fully playable in co-op. You'll also have access to new, exclusive challenges, a fixed aspect ratio (now supporting 16:9 instead of just 16:10) and an English voice-over option (the original only sported Hungarian). There is also going to be a "Normal" difficulty option added to the game so that lesser skilled players can experience the campaign mode.

My biggest surprise was that owners of the original version on PC will be given a free upgrade to the EX version. While that hasn't been finalized, THQ Nordic did note that they previously gave out upgrades for Darksiders and Titan Quest, so there shouldn't be any problem rewarding early adopters for their trust. We then made some jokes about Gearbox charging $50 for Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, even if we both really enjoyed that game.

As for when EX will be releasing, the date is still a tentative summer. I'll definitely be looking out for this version, especially since I owned the original on PC. Hopefully this re-release gives the game a new chance to attract a bigger audience and lets the developers create a sequel.

Sine Mora EX will feature a co-op mode and new challenges screenshot



via destructoid http://ift.tt/2nhfRLu

News:: We reviewed every Switch launch exclusive, see how they measure up

Although the Switch's launch lineup seemed weak at first (it was basically just Zelda), the good news came rolling in.

Fast RMX was announced just a week before the console arrived as a launch title. Snipperclips, which wasn't even dated until just several weeks ago, was dated. Shovel Knight's third expansion Specter of Torment was confirmed as a timed launch exclusive, and Blaster Master Zero would hit Japan on launch day before arriving west the week after.

It's a wonderful start (better than a lot of other consoles in the past decade), and it hopefully should get better from here. Check out our reviews for the exclusies and ports below in case you're wondering what to get after Zelda.

Exclusives

We reviewed every Switch launch exclusive, see how they measure up screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2nh4fIg

News:: Redeemer is brutal, bloody, and old-school

I’ve always had a fondness for classic beat-'em-ups. Games like Turtles in Time and Final Fight are favorites of mine and getting newer, more modern takes on the genre is usually an easy success. Sure, we get a dud every now and then, but Castle Crashers showed that arcade action could have a place in the present without resorting to cheap quarter-sucking tactics.

Redeemer may not be an evolution of beat-'em-ups, but it is definitely right up my alley. The art style may be bleak (and the main character looks like Kratos), but the game is so gloriously gory that any lack of combat depth washes away when you’re smashing a dude through a door or cutting someone up with a table saw.

Redeemer is brutal, bloody, and old-school screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2mxCRaV

News:: Weekend deals: NieR Automata's Steam key discount, plus rare Nintendo sale

Sweet Android mayhem is coming to Steam next week Friday the 17th in the form of NieR: Automata and the best part is you need not pay full price. Steam keys are going on sale at GMG, where you can implant $11 in savings by becoming a VIP member there (creating an account). Final price is down to $49.29 and you get the Day One Edition, so extra DLC goodness.

GMG also has a reasonable 20% discount for this month's other sci-fi RPG Mass Effect Andromeda. This discount cuts an Origin key down from $60 to $48. Slightly better savings, or you can pre-order the PS4 or Xbox One console version at Dell and get a bonus $25 eGift Card.

Captain Toad's Treasure Tracker is also at its lowest price ever this weekend as part of Nintendo's MAR10 Day sale. The sale actually began yesterday on select Wii U and 3DS games on Nintendo's eBay page, many of which are at historic lows.

On the hardware side, we've got Xbox One S wireless controller for only $39 at Walmart; an actual Nintendo Switch bundle available for purchase at GameStop (with delivery by April 16); a hot Radeon RX 470 deal for only $115 at Jet after coupon/rebate combo; and finally a Corsair K70 mechanical gaming keyboard for only $60.

Top Weekend Deals

Hardware

Recent Releases

Upcoming Releases

PC Game Deals

GOG Spring Sale

More PC Game Deals

Console Game Deals

PS4

Xbox One

Wii U

3DS

Laptop Deals

Desktop Deals

HDTV Deals

Hardware Deals

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

Weekend deals: NieR Automata's Steam key discount, plus rare Nintendo sale screenshot



via destructoid http://ift.tt/2mxozHh

News:: The Morning After: Weekend Edition

Welcome to the weekend.

If you're missing the usual editor's letter then know that we are too, and the man that usually wrote it. After six years with Engadget Michael Gorman is moving on, but you can still find him at @numeson.

As for the rest of the weekend, expect to see many dispatches from the crew at SXSW 2017. Until then, we have Reggie Fils-Aime talking Switch issues an update on the Winklevii Bitcoin push and an uncomfortable truth about who powers the surveillance state highlighted by WikiLeaks.



via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2mwM1Ek