Nintendo are saying no Zelda or NX at this year's E3, so what else do we have to look forward to? We round up the most likely news stories coming out of Nintendo in two weeks time.
The BBC's upcoming Grand Theft Auto TV movie, Game Changer, will depict Rockstar Games co-founder Sam Houser and anti-game lawyer Jack Thompson on a "collision course." That's according to actor Bill Paxton, who regarding the movie's use of the Grand Theft Auto IP, but not to stop the film from airing.
Actor Daniel Craig is set to play super-spy James Bond in this year's Spectre and reportedly another movie to follow. But who will take over for Craig for any future installments in the beloved action series?
Activision's toys-to-life franchise, Skylanders, has now sold through more than 250 million toys since the franchise debuted four years ago, the publisher revealed today as part of the announcement of the next game in the series. As by its latest count, while sales figures for Disney Infinity are unavailable.
Halo 5: Guardians, Gears of War & Rise of the Tomb Raider are all likely to appear at Microsoft's E3 Press Conference, but what else does the software giant have up it's sleeve?
Developer Monogon Games describes Interloper as a real-time strategy game with five-minute matches, but I would call it an RTS for people who hate the genre. This quirky example features all of the catchy conquering, tactical thinking, and fast-paced combat of the average real-time strategy game without being burdened by the base building, resource management, and game duration that scare off some of the potential audience. Toss in puzzle-like maps, an unusual setting, and faintly surreal visuals and sound, and you have a pick-up-and-play RTS for the masses that even genre veterans can appreciate for its innovations and challenge.
Simplicity is Interloper’s greatest asset. This is a two-player game in which you battle the AI or an online human opponent on small and slightly-less-small maps that never feature more than a handful of key assets to claim. The main unit is a Sentinel, a big mama that looks like a manta ray or some kind of microscopic bug, depending on which of the three tribes you are controlling (the appearance of Sentinels and color are all that differentiate the factions). Your goal is to swim through the fluid-filled corridors of each map (which are colorful and cute here, but would probably be gooey and gross in reality), claiming domain as you go. After you pass, tunnels turn your faction’s color, reminding me of ʼ80s arcade classic Crush Roller. Taking 75 percent of a map results in an instant win, which isn’t particularly easy as the enemy Sentinel and his pals are doing the exact same thing as you.
Interloper looks like Crush Roller--on drugs!
Maps feature a small number of key control points that are claimed by Sentinels. You provide juice to unit-producing centers called Assemblers by connecting them to local Power Sources, at which point they begin to automatically crank out Drones. In keeping with the quasi-organic appearance of the game, these core units look like spermatozoa...or tadpoles, depending on how you look at these things. Drones can then be used as shock troops to attack enemies en masse, or sent over to the only other building, the seed pod-resembling Factory. Here, multiple Drones are turned into the game’s three other unit types. Defenders absorb three hits of damage, making them great guards. Snipers automatically blast enemies from a distance with a recharging shot. And Destroyers serve as assault tanks that can take three hits as well, while also regenerating over time.
Smart unit deployment is another essential. Even the three specialty units offer a lot of tactical depth. I loved using Snipers, which can be brutally effective at preventing enemy attacks and blowing away Drones on their way to enemy Factories. Get a mass of Snipers in the right place--which isn’t always easy, as the enemy does this, too--and I could lock down maps in short order by setting up murderous choke points. Defenders were incredibly helpful in blocking enemy approach routes and guarding Sources. And Destroyers were perfect for late-game assaults that cleaned up large numbers of enemy Drones. I loved rolling them out in the end to obliterate the last remnants of my rival’s sperm army.
Enemy AI is generally excellent when playing solo, which features a campaign of sorts with an absolutely perfect series of tutorials along with skirmish. The AI can also be adjusted via multiple settings that up the general difficulty, add to aggression, and so forth. I was challenged on most maps by the default AI. I could quibble with some of the computer’s tactics: it would occasionally get bottled up early on, which led to almost instant destruction, but it never failed to move in on areas that I left unprotected. And it sure did beat me on a fairly regular basis. Multiplayer is something of a concern right now, however. Not many people are playing, making it tough to find a match. Since the single-player is limited when it comes to the number of maps, this could impact longevity. Still, for $10, you’re getting a lot of game here.
Sober second thought is paramount when capturing and protecting those oh-so-valuable and oh-so-vulnerable Sources.
The atmosphere is distinct. I was never sure if I was in some kind of parallel dimension, a microscopic world of bacteria, or a stoner’s daydream, but it worked. Everything is weird, but not too weird, and the aesthetics never interfere with gameplay. Colors nicely blend light and dark, as well, with everything getting brighter and brighter and even pulsing if you’re cruising to a win. Sound is as offbeat as the graphics. A techno score reminiscent of second-rate Tangerine Dream (yes, that’s a compliment) and brittle sound effects accompanying unit destruction adds an oddly fitting, yet oddly sterile, sci-fi mood.
Interloper distills the core elements of every good RTS and adds a little extra to put it over the top. No matter if you love or loathe traditional real-time strategy, the deep tactics and puzzle solving crammed into a nicely condensed package here come highly recommended.
Hitting a new level in a role-playing game isn't always terribly exciting--but it was for one player in comes a terrific level-up video in which a player reaches level 20 by slicing off his enemy's head. This, for some reason, sends the now-headless body sailing into the ocean.
Well done.
I've only leveled up a few times so far in The Witcher 3 and certainly haven't done so in as epic a fashion as this player. Have you? Let us know in the comments below.
Nintendo are saying no Zelda or NX at this year's E3, so what else do we have to look forward to? We round up the most likely news stories coming out of Nintendo in two weeks time.
Bethesda's acclaimed open-world RPG series returns with Fallout 4 for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
Splatoon is surprising because it bucks trends that have held back shooters for years, opening the genre up to all comers, casual and hardcore alike.
Halo 5: Guardians, Gears of War & Rise of the Tomb Raider are all likely to appear at Microsoft's E3 Press Conference, but what else does the software giant have up it's sleeve?
Play with the original Kano, Sonya Blade, and Liu Kang skins in this Klassic Skin pack for Mortal Kombat X.
