With the recent release of Hitman 3 and IO Interactive’s acquisition of the James Bond licence, it’s unlikely that we’ll be seeing any further adventures from everyone’s favourite barcode-ready assassin in the near future. Although it might be nice for Agent 47 to have a holiday – god knows he’s earned it – I can’t help but feel that there’s a world of locations that the hitter of men has missed out on.
Here’s a brief list of locations we never got to see. Maybe next time 47… …
If you’re going to survive a playthrough of The Enemy Within there’s a few points you’ll first have to consider. Firstly you’ll need a strong heart and stomach to avoid gruesome creatures popping out at you from all angles. Secondly you’ll need to conserve your ammo, only using it when absolutely necessary. And finally you will need to use your wit avoiding traps and instead, using them to your advantage.
This new trailer shows you just how devastating traps can be in The Evil Within, but also shows how you can turn them to your advantage. Some traps can be avoided and turned on enemies, others can be dismantled and used to create stronger weapons and ammo. One things for sure, you’re going to need to use your head just as much as your gun to survive.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Trailer – Gameplay, Mechanics And More
Set between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is an open world game that follows Talion, a ranger killed along with his family by the minions of Sauron. Talion is brought back to life by an Elven spirit and is bestowed with new powers as he seeks revenge for the death of the people he loved.
The below video explains more about the game’s story and mechanics and shows some of what you should expect gameplay wise.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is due to be released in Europe on October 3rd for PC and consoles.
Fresh back from a weeks holiday I feel as if my gaming interests have been reinvigorated. I bought a ton of games in the Steam sale and look forward to playing them all over the next… five years. In fact recently I’ve almost completely abandoned console gaming in place of hours on end of Spelunky and some multiplayer PC games, which just goes to show that the recent crop of game releases really hasn’t grabbed my attention quite as much as I thought it would. Thinking ahead the only two console games I’m remotely interested in are The Witcher 3 and Forza Horizon 2, while I’m spoilt for choice right now on PC. Oh how the times are changing.
Jon
So. Much. Watch_Dogs.
I’m walking along the road having just finished watching a cutscene heavy on exposition yet light on plot, when I see a Porsche-analogue screech to a halt. It then reverses furiously up the road, before slamming on again, and turning back to face me. There’s a beat, then it moves off again slowly following a line of traffic. It stops at the traffic lights behind a black SUV meters from my position.
The penny only drops when it pulls off again a little too slowly: I was being hacked by another online player and I (really stupidly) hadn’t realised. I was fascinated by the weird behavior of the car, for some reason not realising that it was probably another player behind the wheel.
I whip out my heavy machine gun, pop the two back tyres and unload the clip into the car as it tries to flee. As I reload the car slams into an oncoming vehicle. I fire another clip into the car and it explodes. I’m granted some xp, and a civilian calls the police.
Glorious.
Watch_Dogs aside I’ve been playing Rodina. It’s a space-based game where you fly from asteroid to planet, to asteroid collecting supplies and data packages. It fairly rough around the edges, but as you can actually get out your ship, walk around, and then visit every room In Your ship, it could possible be the game we’ve all been waiting for…
It’s early-early access but it’s already quite impressive. I’ll have words up on it this week.
Talat
Why oh why have I not played the Witcher series sooner? After watching E3 and being stunned by the look of Witcher 3, I decided to pick up the first two installments on STEAM’s Summer Sale, at £4.39 for both, who could resist?
I played the first Witcher for around 8 or 9 hours, before the unintuitive combat system and dull voice acting irked me just that little bit too much. “Blasphemy!” I hear you shout “you didn’t even finish the first game!”, not to worry friends, I caught up on all the lore via the Witcher Wiki before moving onto Witcher 2 (with quite extensive knowledge I’ll have you know), and I was pleasantly surprised to find absolutely every problem I had with the first game had been abolished. Combat is a joy, the voice acting is spectacular and the graphics are so vastly improved you can actually feel yourself fully immersed in the world of Geralt of Rivia. I plan on giving the first game a try once I finish my second playthrough of Witcher 2 because many claim that the story in the first far exceeds that of the second’s (however I find hard to care about many characters and their motivations when they’re blander than a documentary on monotony itself), but I’ll give it a try.
Witcher 3 looks to improve even further on the second installment, with a massive open world teeming with side quests and monsters, I can’t wait to get my hands on it. In the meantime, the world of the Witcher has engrossed me so much, I’ve actually looked at purchasing myself the original books, and finding those which haven’t been translated into English yet online. The books take place before the game series even starts, so it’ll be nice to find out a little bit more about Geralt’s roots.
For those of you that haven’t played the Witcher series, you’re missing out on the RPG experience of a lifetime, and if you can get past the rusted mechanics of the first game, I’m sure more RPG treasure awaits you there. I shall report back when I do!
Kevin
This week has seen me go gaming crazy after buying a boat load of games during the recent Steam sale. I’ve dabbling with Commandos, Magicka, Serious Sam, Unreal Tournament, Spelunky (as always) and laterally Torchlight II.
Since trying out Path of Exile my interest in ARPG’s has increased dramatically and I’ve taken quite a shine to Torchlight II in the past few days. I’ve not tested out the multiplayer side of things as of yet but the singleplayer is easy to pick up and really enjoyable to play. Of course I rolled a fire mage as is standard for any game ever, and though I might not be totally clued in on stats and equipment I have yet to die so I must be doing something right!
Chris
Very limited gaming this week, I’ve been too busy with work and the World Cup to get down and dirty with anything really. I might, with some luck, have some words on GRID: Autosport and Pro Cycling Manager soon.
Are achievements spoiling your enjoyment of games?
There used to be a time when I loved the unique chime that sounded as an achievement popped, a time when I would battle through a game on the hardest settings just to hear it ring out and feel the sense of accomplishment as X amount of gamerscore accumulated into my total. Alas, the novelty of achievements have long since passed me by an now they serve only to annoy and distract me from immersion in a game.
I swear with every day that passes I feel like I’m turning into a grumpier, more critical version of myself. Always talking about how I enjoyed things more when I was younger and how I wish I could change them for the better. Achievements have now become just one of those things for me, to the point that I feel they regularly detract from my enjoyment of a game. I don’t need an achievement to tell me that I’ve accomplished story completion or that I pulled off a lucky kill by assassinating an elite from a 200m jump. The enjoyment is there to be had regardless and the fact that developers have to point out the ‘best bits’ of games by tagging them with achievements feels cheap in the same way that you went to see that one movie because the trailer looked great but they ended up being the only good parts of the whole film.
What’s worse is the whole nature of achievements mean that they have the potential to reveal (and spoil) major aspects of a game to someone before they’ve even played it. More recently this has happened with Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and Dark Souls 2 but the practice of revealing plot details in the words of an achievement has long been around. I understand why some gamers love achievements and in turn why developers put these achievements into their games. But if they have to be there wouldn’t it be better for everyone if they were all made secret? Imagine starting a game not knowing anything about it, no gameplay, no interviews, no reading of achievements, just the naked experience of playing a game for the first time and discovering what it has to offer. I for one think that would be brilliant, but the way the media and gaming industry operate these days it’s almost impossible to actually accomplish this, at least for the larger AAA games.
Microsoft have recently pushed the achievement system to the ‘next-gen’ of annoyance by introducing non-game achievements to the Xbox One. These include such things as viewing a certain number of films in a certain time frame or rating content after using it. It almost feels as if the technology behind Kinect was pushed a step further version 3.0 could have the potential to have our whole lives encapsulated by digital achievements through motion tracking. That’s the direction I sense Microsoft are heading with this and how strongly I feel it’s a bad idea.
But this can’t just be the botheration of one sour faced gamer, surely there are more of you who share in this annoyance? Or maybe you love achievements and always will. Share your pain or elation in the comments section below, where we will decide the larger public view.
Kodu: Microsoft’s Tool for Schools – An Interview with Stuart Ball
The summer, does anyone remember that time of the year? A time when it was warm and the sun lit up the world past half-four in the afternoon? I do, and I have located an interview I did at the Wales Games Conference which took place back in June. There was a stand for Kodu, a product from Microsoft Research which is in effect the forerunner to Project SPARK. I had the chance to speak to Stuart Ball from Microsoft Partners in Learning about what Kodu is, how Microsoft is helping with IT education in Britain and more. Hit the jump if you wish to find out more. …
The next generation of consoles is here at last, well at least it is the US with the PlayStation 4 going on sale yesterday. Over the next few weeks, us lucky Brits will see Sony’s machine and the Xbox One from Microsoft launch. I was in Game in Cardiff a few nights past and saw the new look shelves heralding the imminent arrival of the new machines.
It made me think about the generation which is now the old-gen. The humble Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are but things of a bygone era now. In reality they will still be fairly important to gamers and the industry for a year or so yet as people wait for the inevitable price cuts or a wider range of titles to launch. …
Welcome to The Reticule’s definitive roundup of gaming releases throughout December 2013. All release dates stated are for the EU, across all currently available platforms including Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
Still catching up with this months games? November’s release schedule can be found here.
3rd Rainbow Moon
PSV
Battlefield 4: China Rising
PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, XO
In the China Rising expansion pack, the all-out war of Battlefield 4 is expanded with four massive maps, using all-new vehicles and high-tech military equipment. Ten new assignments and a new game mode, Air Superiority, are also available.
4th Broken Sword: The Serpent’s Curse
PC
Paris in the spring. Shots ring out from a gallery… A robbery – a murder – and the beginning of another epic, original Broken Sword adventure. An adventure that will hurl intrepid lawyer George Stobbart and sassy journalist Nico Collard onto the trail of a murderous conspiracy forged in the cauldron of war-torn Europe. A conspiracy whose roots lie in mysteries older than the written word. Armed only with logic, integrity and a wry sense of humour – can George and Nico outwit evil forces both ancient and modern and save mankind from disaster? From a Curse forged by the Devil himself?
Gran Turismo 6 will introduce new locations where the drama will continue to unfold: the Goodwood Hillclimb course, a very exclusive track that only a few selected guests had experienced until now, is recreated for the first time in a video game; the Silverstone Circuit, the holy ground of the GT Academy that nurtured gamers into professional racing drivers; and the legendary Brands Hatch of UK fame, for a total of 7 new tracks included at launch. No matter if you’re driving alone or if you are challenging rivals, GT6 will set the stage for your new drama.
Scribblenauts Unlimited
Wii U, 3DS
Zumba Fitness World Party
XO
10th Unity of Command: Black Turn
PC
11th Europa Universalis IV: Conquest of Paradise
PC
Europa Universalis IV: Conquest of Paradise is the first expansion for the critically praised empire building game Europa Universalis IV, focusing on exploration of the new world and the Native American nations. The expansion allows you to send your ships off to the west and discover a new world, unlike any you’ve seen before – for the first time in a Paradox Development Studio game, you are given the option to discover a completely randomized American continent.
Welcome to The Reticule’s definitive roundup of gaming releases throughout November 2013. All release dates stated are for the EU, across all currently available platforms including Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
Still catching up with this months games? October’s release schedule can be found here.
1st Battlefield 4
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Battlefield 4 is the genre-defining action blockbuster made from moments that blur the line between game and glory. Fueled by the next-generation power and fidelity of Frostbite 3 it provides a visceral, dramatic experience unlike any other. Only in Battlefield will you blow the foundations of a dam or reduce an entire skyscraper to rubble. Only in Battlefield will you lead a naval assault from the back of a gun boat. Battlefield grants you the freedom to do more and be more while playing to your strengths and carving your own path to victory.
WWE 2K14
PS3, Xbox 360
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
PS3, Xbox 360
Lilly Looking Through
PC
Monster High 13 Wishes
DS, Wii, Wii U, 3DS
5th Call of Duty: Ghosts
PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360
7th Wii Sports Club
Wii U
8th Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Collection
PS3, Xbox 360
Assassin’s Creed Heritage Collection
PS3, Xbox 360
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
Wii U
Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy
3DS
11th PixelJunk Shooter
PC
12th Disney Frozen: Olaf’s Quest
3DS
SimCity: Cities of Tomorrow
PC
13th Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus
PS3
World of Warplanes
PC
15th XCOM: Enemy Within
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
XCOM: Enemy Within is the expansion to the 2012 Game of the Year award winning strategy game XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The new content adds an incredible array of new abilities, upgrades and weapons to combat new enemy and alien threats. It also introduces new maps, new tactical and strategic gameplay, and new multiplayer content providing a fresh new gameplay experience.
Baldur’s Gate II — Enhanced Edition
Andriod, iOS, PC
Deadfall Adventures
PC, Xbox 360
X Rebirth
PC
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360
Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW!
PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360, 3DS
18th The Lord of the Rings Online: Helm’s Deep
PC
19th Need for Speed Rivals
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
22nd Ryse: Son of Rome
XO
Ryse: Son of Rome tells the story of Marius Titus, a young Roman soldier who witnesses the murder of his family at the hands of barbarian bandits, then travels with the Roman army to Britannia to seek revenge. Quickly rising through the ranks, Marius must become a leader of men and defender of the Empire on his quest to exact vengeance – a destiny he soon discovers can only be fulfilled much closer to home.
Dead Rising 3
XO
Crimson Dragon
XO
Forza Motorsport 5
XO
Peggle 2
XO
Killer Instinct
XO
Tearaway
PSV
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
3DS
Young Justice: Legacy
PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, 3DS
Battlefield 4
XO
Call of Duty: Ghosts
XO
Fifa 14
XO
Need for Speed Rivals
XO
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
PC, PS4, Wii U, XO
Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag begins in 1715, when pirates established a lawless republic in the Caribbean and ruled the land and seas. These outlaws paralyzed navies, halted international trade, and plundered vast fortunes. They threatened the power structures that ruled Europe, inspired the imaginations of millions, and left a legacy that still endures.
Just Dance 2014
XO
Madden NFL 25
XO
Skylanders: Swap Force
XO
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
XO
NBA 2K14
XO
29th Killzone Shadow Fall
PS4
Knack
PS4
Pinball Arcade
PS4
Warframe
PS4
The PlayRoom
PS4
War Thunder
PS4
One Piece: Romance Dawn
3DS
Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Welcome to The Reticule’s definitive roundup of gaming releases throughout October 2013. All release dates stated are for the EU, across all currently available platforms. Keep this page bookmarked for easy access, as we will link all previews and reviews when we post them on the site.
Still catching up with this months games? September’s release schedule can be found here.
2nd Rain
PS3
Rain is an adventure game in which the player takes up the role as a young boy who is invisible and can only be seen when standing in the pouring rain. When walking under shelter outside the rain, the boy cannot be seen and can only be tracked by his watery footprints. The player will have to utilize the visibility of the boy, and other creatures, in the rain to solve various puzzles and tasks throughout the game.
4th NBA 2K14
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
Wii U
BEYBLADE: Evolution
DS, 3DS
F1 2013
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death
Xbox 360
Just Dance 2014
PS3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360
10th
Defense Technica
PC
11th Moshi Monsters: Katsuma Unleashed
DS, 3DS
Beyond: Two Souls
PS3
Beyond: Two Souls, which features psychological, spiritual, and thriller elements, is centered around questions about what happens after death. The game lets the player take Jodie Holmes through 15 years of her life (ages 8 through 23) on a journey to discover the true meaning of the entity Aiden, who has been alongside her throughout her life. The game’s producer noted that players might be able to find out “what lies beyond” after playing it.
Dragon’s Crown
PSV, PS3
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2
DS, 3DS
SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton’s Robotic Revenge
DS, PS3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, 3DS
Turbo: Super Stunt Squad
DS, PS3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, 3DS
12th Pokémon X/Y
3DS
The he player controls a young trainer who goes on a quest to catch and train creatures known as Pokémon, and win battles against other trainers. By defeating enemy Pokémon in turn-based battles, the player’s Pokémon gains experience, allowing them to level up and increase their battle statistics, learn new abilities, and in some cases, evolve into more powerful Pokémon. Alternatively, players can capture wild Pokémon, found during random encounters, by weakening them in battle and catching them with Poké Balls, allowing them to be added to their party. Players are also able to battle and trade Pokémon with other human players using the Nintendo 3DS’s connectivity features. Like in previous games in the series, certain Pokémon are only obtainable in either X or Y, with players encouraged to trade with others in order to obtain all Pokémon from both versions.
18th Skylanders: Swap Force
PS3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, 3DS
Rambo: The Video Game
PS3, Xbox 360
Sonic: Lost World
Wii U, 3DS
Air Conflicts: Vietnam
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
21st Eldritch
PC
22nd Just Dance Kids 2014
Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360
Rocksmith 2014
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
24th The Sims 3 Into The Future
PC
25th Batman: Arkham Origins
PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360
Arkham Origins will feature similar gameplay to its predecessors. The Remote Claw is a new gadget which allows Batman to target two objects and pull them together allowing him to knock enemies together or hit them with objects. Tethering two walled-points together creates a tightrope that Batman can traverse. The Shock Gloves allow Batman to block electric attacks, instantly disable some enemies and stun shielded ones, and short circuit some objects within the environment. Some gadgets present in the Batman: Arkham series return in Arkham Origins, including: the Cryptographic Sequencer, which is used for hacking security consoles; the batarang, a throwing weapon; the batclaw, used for hooking on to a surface; Smoke Pellets, used for stealthy exits and entries; Explosive Gel; and the Grapnel Accelerator, an earlier version of the “Grapnel Boost”.
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate
PSV, 3DS
NARUTO Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
