Added: 19.06.2015 2:48 | 14 views | 0 comments

E3 is over; let's review Sony's showing.

With E3 coming to a close it's time to sit back and cast judgement on the big three. Overall, Sony had a great show. Despite the fact that it had very little to get excited about in 2015, the company dropped some serious megatons. Our assessment of its press conference is split up into three sections. The first highlights the most important and exciting moments. For Sony, these happen to be the announcements of a highly-sought after remake, a sequel for one of the most beloved series of all time, and the return of a project thought abandoned. This is followed by some areas we would have liked to see improved which, surprisingly, includes more time on the PlayStation Vita. Finally, we end with games they actually showed.

Highlights: Final Fantasy 7 Remake

It finally happened! At Sony's press conference, Square Enix announced it is remaking one of the most beloved Japanese role-playing games of all time. This is exciting for multiple reasons. Firstly, because everyone can now get on with their lives and stop constantly bringing this up. Secondly, because it seems this is more of a reimagining than a remake. Project director Tetsuya Nomura has indicated that the story is likely to deviate from the original's. Of course, there is one downside to all this: That Aerith scene is back in valid spoiler territory again.

Highlights: The Last Guardian

Good news! That adorable bird, chicken, dog thing from The Last Guardian is alive and well. As is the game, for that matter. After years of no-shows, Team ICO's latest has finally resurfaced, and boy did it win us over. Just one look at the main character skipping down the stone stairs, raising his knees to his chest, and doing his best not to take a tumble, erased all the frustration created by the ambiguity of its release. Better yet, Fumito Ueda, the mastermind behind ICO and Shadow of the Colossus also showed up to give the game his approval. It looks like The Last Guardian will be as magical as the studio's previous games.

Highlights: Shenmue 3

Sony's third and final meltdown inducing announcement was the reveal of Shenmue 3. Like Final Fantasy 7, this is one of those projects that fanboys lose sleep over. Well, it's time to rest easy, it's happening. The project is being crowdfunded on Kickstarter and shot past its goal in a matter of hours. Although initially cagey on the business side of it, Sony has confirmed it will be forking up some cash for the project too. Forklifts will return, and look better than ever.

Highlights: Horizon Zero Dawn

After years of creating nothing but Killzone, Guerrilla Games is finally developing something new, and it. Looks. Awesome. Horizon: Zero dawn is a third-person action game in which a lone hunter battles against giant robot dinosaurs. As dude-bro as that sounds, it feels like there's also a lot of heart to it too. We're not quite sure what's happening in terms narrative; we have a lot of questions, and that's definitely a good thing.

Needs Improvement: PlayStation Vita

Hey Sony, not sure if you noticed but people did actually buy the PlayStation Vita. Sure, it's not as many people as you'd like, but we're still out here, and we'd really like it if you show us some cool, unique games you're making for the portable gaming device we spent our hard-earned cash on. Sure hope you have some at GamesCom.

Needs Improvement: Games We Can Play Soon

Sure, Sony basically made dreams come true this year, but we're not so easily fooled. Behind all the grand announcements was a severe lack of games being released in 2015. Sure, there was Call of Duty and Batman, but those are third-party games. Where's the big new 2015 titles from Sony? Oh, there are none. No, HD re-releases don't count. Sorry Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection

Biggest Games: Uncharted 4

Holy moly! Did you see Uncharted 4? It looks fantastic. Along with the obvious visual improvements (that market got torn to shreds), it looks like Naughty Dog is making big changes to gameplay. At various points it almost looked like areas were going a bit open-world, instead of the usual guided down a set path series fans are used to. Of course, there was also plenty of the crazy over-the-top set pieces we all know and love.

Biggest Games: No Man's Sky

Yes, we're right there with you, we still don't completely understand what No Man's Sky even is. However, Hello Games has got demoing that game down to an art. Every time nervous Sean Murray shows up on stage and shows us just how insanely large the galaxy of No Man's Sky is, our minds begin to run wild with possibilities. More than anything, the idea of finding something cool that no one else is likely to ever see keeps us hanging on to the hype. We still can't wait to get our hands on it.

Biggest Games: Dreams

In typical Media Molecule fashion, the studio's latest game, Dreams, was really weird and also really charming. We're not completely sold on the whole creation element, especially since it relies on the DualShock 4's motion capabilities. Also, were not exactly confident that we'll be able to create anything that won't induce horrible nightmares. However, the idea of exploring a web of interconnected worlds created by other players definitely interests.

Biggest Games: Destiny: The Taken King

Destiny. Yes, Destiny. We will not be ashamed of how much some of us here at GameSpot enjoy Bungie's Destiny. And the upcoming expansion, The Taken King, looks like it will introduce interesting new content. Destiny is finally starting to realise the vision Bungie originally set out with, and The Taken King is a big step towards doing that. We are excited and there's nothing you can do about it.

Added: 18.06.2015 6:16 | 3 views | 0 comments


So, ever since DOOM 4 (or just DOOM, apparently) was announced, Weve been getting the itch to go back and battle the minions of hell head on with my trusty shotgun. So, in the spirit of all things DOOM, Kyle did just that and dove back into id Softwares DOOM 3. Kyle found that the game holds up well for a title released way back in 2004 [Editors note: Has it really been that long? Dear lord, Im old I remember upgrading to a Geforce 4 just to run it]. Despite being over a decade old, the spookier nature of DOOM 3 compared to its forebears remains effective, and Kyle even got startled by some of the early jump-scares all over again (that damn bathroom, we swear to God). The shooting mechanics feel a bit dated, but they still function; and theres nothing more satisfying in this world than shooting a corpse until it melts away into a red skeleton. Check out his gun happy time! If enjoyed the video, let us know by sharing your thoughts about it, or DOOM 3, in th...

Added: 17.06.2015 16:16 | 36 views | 0 comments


Despite a largely positive reception, Tomb Raider fans had plenty of feedback to offer to the developers of the 2013 reboot. Judging by what we've seen of Rise of the Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics has had its ear to the ground, listening.

Added: 17.06.2015 4:10 | 5 views | 0 comments

The hunter Aloy stood on a cliff, surveying the expansive landscape before her. Grassy plains stretched outwards towards mountains topped with snow and peppered with tall trees. A healthy blue sky set the backdrop for the scene. It was a picturesque presentation of the natural world, and one that players could expect to explore most of, a developer explained.

will be an open-world game which players can choose to explore at their own pace. Its setting juxtaposes a natural world inhabited by very unnatural machinery and somehow makes the two blend together in a fashion that works. It was during a live play-through of the game with developer Guerilla Games at E3 2015 that I realised the game's ability to mix the old and the new in a way that allowed them to fit together.

For all of the natural beauty on display in the world of Horizon: Zero Dawn, strange robotic creatures would be its lifeblood. Aloy stalked through the underbrush towards her prey, armed with a bow and arrow for long-ranged attacks and a knife for quick stealth kills. She sprang out from cover to take down her target, but it was not an animal like I would have expected a hunter like her to tackle; no, it was a mechanical four-legged creature comprised of metal and tubes. Despite its cold grey exterior jutting out sharply against the warm greens and oranges of the vegetation around it, it fit in. Aloy stabbed at it in the same manner that I would have expected her to do with animal prey. Its last cries quickly dissipated as she muttered a brief prayer for it. It was a seemingly strange thing to do for a robot, but the action spoke volumes of how mechanical lifeforms were viewed in this world. All things natural and synthetic were equally respected, and it was that prayer which cemented the relationship between the two in my mind.

Even when faced with a large lumbering metal beast Aloy's tactical arrow shots were similar to how an archer would take down a mammoth. She was a hunter garbed in simple cloth and furs, and yet her weapons and enemies were seemingly synthetic, human-made, technologically advanced.

Aloy rained down explosive arrows, harpoon-like arrows with ropes, and armor piercing arrows to take the mechanical beast down. It wasn't supposed to make sense, but it did, and the ancient-modern oxymoron of the setting was what made it so interesting.

The paradoxical nature of Horizon: Zero Dawn both intrigues and perplexes me, and I look forward to unearthing its secrets when the game is out next year.

Added: 17.06.2015 4:10 | 5 views | 0 comments

The hunter Aloy stood on a cliff, surveying the expansive landscape before her. Grassy plains stretched outwards towards mountains topped with snow and peppered with tall trees. A healthy blue sky set the backdrop for the scene. It was a picturesque presentation of the natural world, and one that players could expect to explore most of, a developer explained.

will be an open-world game which players can choose to explore at their own pace. Its setting juxtaposes a natural world inhabited by very unnatural machinery and somehow makes the two blend together in a fashion that works. It was during a live play-through of the game with developer Guerilla Games at E3 2015 that I realised the game's ability to mix the old and the new in a way that allowed them to fit together.

For all of the natural beauty on display in the world of Horizon: Zero Dawn, strange robotic creatures would be its lifeblood. Aloy stalked through the underbrush towards her prey, armed with a bow and arrow for long-ranged attacks and a knife for quick stealth kills. She sprang out from cover to take down her target, but it was not an animal like I would have expected a hunter like her to tackle; no, it was a mechanical four-legged creature comprised of metal and tubes. Despite its cold grey exterior jutting out sharply against the warm greens and oranges of the vegetation around it, it fit in. Aloy stabbed at it in the same manner that I would have expected her to do with animal prey. Its last cries quickly dissipated as she muttered a brief prayer for it. It was a seemingly strange thing to do for a robot, but the action spoke volumes of how mechanical lifeforms were viewed in this world. All things natural and synthetic were equally respected, and it was that prayer which cemented the relationship between the two in my mind.

Even when faced with a large lumbering metal beast Aloy's tactical arrow shots were similar to how an archer would take down a mammoth. She was a hunter garbed in simple cloth and furs, and yet her weapons and enemies were seemingly synthetic, human-made, technologically advanced.

Aloy rained down explosive arrows, harpoon-like arrows with ropes, and armor piercing arrows to take the mechanical beast down. It wasn't supposed to make sense, but it did, and the ancient-modern oxymoron of the setting was what made it so interesting.

The paradoxical nature of Horizon: Zero Dawn both intrigues and perplexes me, and I look forward to unearthing its secrets when the game is out next year.