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You bet. en-us Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:14:46 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dark-souls-2-graphics-downgrade-claims-addressed-by-from-software/1100-6418396/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2449558-frpg2_2014_03_05_115222.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2449558" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2449558-frpg2_2014_03_05_115222.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2449558"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/536/5360430/2449558-frpg2_2014_03_05_115222.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">From Software has responded to claims that the final version of <a href="/dark-souls-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Souls II</a> did not match the visual quality of the game's prerelease footage.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Throughout the game development process, a game is constantly being balanced not only in game playability, but also in the realm of resource management," a <a href="http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/from-software-responds-to-dark-souls-ii-graphics-downgrade-concerns/0129831" rel="nofollow">From Software representative told MCV</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Dark Souls II was released last week to critical acclaim, but some people were concerned that the final game did not look like they expected. YouTube user HypeBitHero, for instance, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykbT03r_9Zo" rel="nofollow">compared scenes from the final build of the game</a> with those shown back in April 2013.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In response, From Software added that "a developer is always challenged with creating the most rewarding gaming experience while delivering continuity in graphical quality, gameplay dynamics, and balance within the game."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The final version of Dark Souls II displays the culmination of this delicate balance and we're very proud of the positive media and fan reception for the game."</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417601" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417601/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Wed, 19 Mar 2014 03:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dark-souls-2-graphics-downgrade-claims-addressed-by-from-software/1100-6418396/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/south-park-stick-of-truth-developer-partners-with-paradox-for-new-rpg/1100-6418395/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2457633-pillars.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457633" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2457633-pillars.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457633"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/280/2802776/2457633-pillars.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Developer Obsidian Entertainment has announced its partnership with publisher Paradox Entertainment for upcoming PC role-playing game, <a href="/project-eternity/" data-ref-id="false">Pillars of Eternity</a>. The publisher will be looking after marketing and distribution for the game, with Obsidian Entertainment retaining full control of development. </p><p style="">Originally known as Project Eternity, Pillars of Eternity drew over<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/project-eternity-closes-with-over-41m/1100-6398388/" data-ref-id="1100-6398388"> $4.1 million in funding as a Kickstarter project</a>. The game will combine elements of role-playing titles like Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment.</p><p style="">Obsidian Entertainment CEO Feargus Urquhart confirmed the money raised via the crowdfunding campaign will be spent solely on the game's development. He also confirmed that the game would be released in 2014, stating "we will deliver the game we promised to our backers, and we will deliver it this year."</p><p style="">Earlier this year, it was announced that Pillars of Eternity would be<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-dev-s-pc-rpg-pillars-of-eternity-delayed/1100-6417549/" data-ref-id="1100-6417549"> delayed from its original release date</a> to the second half of 2014.</p><p style="">For more on the game, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/project-eternity/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="html"><iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HKoDTzea79Y?feature=player_detailpage" height="360" width="640"></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 23:16:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/south-park-stick-of-truth-developer-partners-with-paradox-for-new-rpg/1100-6418395/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/roundabout-could-be-the-surgeon-simulator-2013-of-driving-games/1100-6418393/ <p style="">In Roundabout, you're basically hydroplaning nonstop. That's the easiest way I can think to describe this open world puzzle game where you attempt to drive a powder blue limousine that's endlessly spinning on its axis. This means if you try to drive in any single direction you will just end up spinning donuts. It's a ridiculous constraint, but Roundabout revels in ridiculousness. In a way, its intentionally-awkward controls lend to driving what <a href="/phoenix-cms/reviews/form?id=6407419/" data-ref-id="false">Surgeon Simulator 2013</a> lends to surgery. Roundabout uses its cumbersomeness to its advantage and offers up an obstacle course based around driving in circles.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7FpsGHrWyw" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fs7FpsGHrWyw%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Ds7FpsGHrWyw&amp;image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fs7FpsGHrWyw%2Fhqdefault.jpg&amp;key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=youtube&amp;wmode=opaque" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">When I first stepped into the driver's seat I found it almost impossible to go anywhere except into the nearest wall. Just getting the car to move in a straight line is a nigh impossible challenge best fit for a Hollywood stunt driver and not someone who regularly wipes out in Mario Kart. It didn't help that I was driving through a claustrophobic city played from a top-down perspective--similar to the early Grand Theft Auto games. Trees, other cars, lamp posts, and really cramped alleyways that I had no business driving down were the bane of my existence.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">When I say "bane of my existence" what I really mean is that my car would explode if I bumped into too many things. And I bumped into <em>a lot</em> of things. Thankfully, the game constantly doled out checkpoints so that I could quickly retry tricky spots. This was especially helpful when I was attempting one of the game's missions, which all involved me picking up a friendly stranger and bumbling through some hellish urban maze on the way to his or her destination. Except for the one where cars started raining down from the sky. That one got a little weird.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Speaking of weird, the game also employed full motion video cinematics. These campy cutscenes provided some context for you missions, such as the lazy soccer star who wanted me to drive him to the soccer field, and then drive a soccer ball into the goal for him. The talent for these scenes is pulled primarily from developer No Goblin's own backyard of Seattle, Washington, including other local developers, YouTube personalities, and whoever responded to their <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLJp1Ze2oE" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">brilliant casting call</a>. No matter how vexed I got while driving, it was well worth it just to see the next super-cheesy, 70's-inspired interstitial.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2457590-rb_2b.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457590" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2457590-rb_2b.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457590"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/949/9490474/2457590-rb_2b.jpg"></a><figcaption>You can unlock special powers for your limo, such as jumping or slowing down its rotation. Oh, and don't worry about the blood.</figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">If all this sounds like I'm putting down on Roundabout, know that isn't my intention. Wrapping my head around its unusual control scheme was definitely a challenge at first, but after spending some time with the game I found there were moments when everything just clicked. By timing the rotation of my car perfectly I could glide in, out, and around every little obstacle without even a scratch--for a minute or two at least. There's a method to this madness, provided you don't get too dizzy along the way. Roundabout is coming to PC, Mac, Linux, and Xbox One though ID@XBOX later this year.</p> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 21:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/roundabout-could-be-the-surgeon-simulator-2013-of-driving-games/1100-6418393/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-sony-unveils-ps4-virtual-reality-initiativ/2300-6417811/ PlayStation maker reveals virtual reality initiative at Game Developers Conference; current devkit has 1080p display and 90+ degree field of view. Tue, 18 Mar 2014 20:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-sony-unveils-ps4-virtual-reality-initiativ/2300-6417811/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/yaiba-ninja-gaiden-z-video-review/2300-6417774/ Kevin VanOrd cleaned his mouth out with soap to prepare for this video review of the clumsy and cockamamie Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. Tue, 18 Mar 2014 18:20:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/yaiba-ninja-gaiden-z-video-review/2300-6417774/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/uther-plunders-in-blackheart-s-bay-heroes-of-the-s/2300-6417807/ Uther and his fellow heroes plunder merc camps and chests to win Blackheart's favor. Tue, 18 Mar 2014 18:05:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/uther-plunders-in-blackheart-s-bay-heroes-of-the-s/2300-6417807/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-announces-ps4-virtual-reality-initiative-project-morpheus/1100-6418391/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457586-morpheusnew.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457586" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457586-morpheusnew.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457586"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1179/11799911/2457586-morpheusnew.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style="">Today during a special Game Developers Conference presentation in San Francisco, Sony announced a new PlayStation 4 virtual reality initiative that the company hopes will "push the game industry forward."</p><p style="">The head-mounted display prototype is currently called Project Morpheus. It is "by no means" the final prototype, Sony president of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida said. Sony will continue to improve the device over time, he said.</p><p style="">"Nothing elevates the level of immersion better than VR," Yoshida added.</p><p style=""><ins><strong>The current Project Morpheus devkit includes the following functionality:</strong></ins></p><ul><li dir="ltr">1080p display</li><li dir="ltr">90+ degree field of view</li><li dir="ltr">100hz tracking</li><li dir="ltr">3 meter working volume</li><li dir="ltr">Full 360 degrees</li><li dir="ltr">Supports forward prediction</li><li dir="ltr">Works if you wear glasses</li><li dir="ltr">Current iteration is wired</li><li>DualShock 4 and PS Move detection with same camera</li><li>Fully adjustable</li><li>It's name is not reference to <em>The Matrix</em>, but rather the Greek God of Dreams</li><li><p dir="ltr" style="">Supports custom headphones and wireless headsets</p></li></ul><p style="">Of course, Sony's Morpheus device will compete with Oculus Rift. Yoshida said Sony has "nothing but respect" for what that device has achieved so far. He also congratulated Valve on their own efforts in the virtual reality space.</p><p style="">Dr. Richard Marks, of Sony's R&amp;D department, said virtual reality will become the "preferred medium" and will even extend beyond games to other industries. Sony has also partnered with NASA to create a demo that allows the gamer to feel like they are standing on the surface of Mars.</p><p style="">If Sony's Project Morpheus is to succeed, it needs to be easy to use, Marks said. He envisions a future where the device is sitting on your coffee table and you are able to pick it up and quickly get into "VR mode." Marks also said that Project Morpheus will be comfortable and might even be able to automatically adjust to the size of your head.</p><p style="">Project Morpheus will be on display at Sony's booth at GDC this week. Demos at Sony's booth include a special re-working of Square Enix's <a href="/thief/" data-ref-id="false">Thief</a>, as well as a game called The Deep from Sony's London studio, a game called The Castle, and <a href="/eve-valkyrie/" data-ref-id="false">EVE Valkyrie</a>.</p><p style="">Another Sony R&amp;D engineer, Anton Mikhailov, said virtual reality is an entirely new medium and "the rules are different." He also touched on the issue of motion sickness, saying head motion "is law" when designing virtual reality experiences.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457511-partners.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457511" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457511-partners.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457511"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_medium/1179/11799911/2457511-partners.jpg"></a><figcaption>List of initial partners for Project Morpheus</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">Mikhailov also said that virtual reality must keep latency slow, keep frame-rate high, calibrate well, render clean images, and "seal the deal" with 3D audio. He also said that Project Morpheus can work with online multiplayer and local couch multiplayer. "The multiplayer aspect of [VR] is really cool," he said.</p><p style="">Some of Sony's first partners for Project Morpheus include Epic Games, Unity, Crytek, and Autodesk, among others.</p><p style="">Sony has been exploring virtual reality technology for more than three years, even enlisting the help of God of War studio Sony Santa Monica to create multiple prototypes, Yoshida said. One prototype even allowed the user to become Kratos.</p><p style="">Early prototypes used Sony's own HMZ head-mounted display in conjunction with PlayStation Move controllers.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417811" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417811/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:41:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-announces-ps4-virtual-reality-initiative-project-morpheus/1100-6418391/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/plague-inc-evolved-early-access-review/1100-6418387/ <p style=""> </p><p style=""><i>GameSpot's early access reviews evaluate unfinished games that are nonetheless available for purchase by the public. While the games in question are not considered finished by their creators, you may still devote money, time, and bandwidth for the privilege of playing them before they are complete. The review below critiques a work in progress, and represents a snapshot of the game at the time of the review's publication.</i></p><p style="">More often than we probably think, the course of human history has been guided by the effects of disease. Oddly enough, that's not a factor considered in most strategy games. You almost never, for example, have a disaster involving some super lethal strain of the flu. Plague Inc: Evolved., on the other hand, explores the effects of sickness on the human population. It gives you one microorganism and asks you to exterminate every person on the planet. To do so effectively, however, requires a fair bit of forethought. The game nails many of the basics that make it fun to poison billions across the globe, but it doesn't quite live up to its potential--yet.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2457319-notwithouthumor.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457319" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2457319-notwithouthumor.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457319"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/416/4161502/2457319-notwithouthumor.jpg"></a><figcaption>Despite its grim subject matter, Plague Inc. is not without a sense of humor.</figcaption></figure><p style="">At the start of each game, you have your choice of disease, ranging from bacterium (cause of the Black Death) to prion (mad cow disease) to some more wacky, video game-y plagues like a viral bioweapon (as in Deus Ex) and worms that take control of people's brains (as in Resident Evils 4-6). From there, you pick a starting country and begin infecting everyone you can. As your disease spreads, you get DNA points through clickable bubbles that let you add new symptoms or traits to your fledgling microorganism. Each of these decisions carries with it certain costs and benefits. Some choices increase virulence or "infectivity," making it easier to spread your disease throughout the world in certain conditions, whereas others tack on symptoms to help weaken hosts and destabilize civilization a bit faster.</p><p style="">These upgrades also draw attention from humans, ultimately leading to your discovery. From that point on, the populace tends to respond appropriately to your choices. For example, picking up tissue necrosis and hemorrhagic fever as symptoms causes people to die en masse in some of the most horrible ways imaginable. The game incentivizes this by rewarding you with even more DNA points to spend on further upgrades. However, that pairing of symptoms is so horrific that the general population mobilizes every available scientist and doctor to work out a cure. People are remarkably fragile, but they are not without defenses, and unlike in the real world, once they've figured out how to eradicate your disease, you will be extinct in a matter of days. It's one of the stranger design choices, but it also serves as an appropriate hard boundary.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2457321-population.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457321" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2457321-population.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457321"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_medium/416/4161502/2457321-population.jpg"></a><figcaption>Plague Inc. does a great job of nailing home how largely irrelevant some of the wealthier countries are in terms of sheer population. If you take Asia, Africa, and South America, you have a huge majority of the people on Earth.</figcaption></figure><p style="">All of the decisions you can make in Plague amount to some kind of tactical trade-off. Picking a wealthy country as your first target, while making it difficult to spread disease quickly, allows you to farm some of the continuous and randomly spawning DNA points, helping you get some valuable upgrades before people begin to take notice. It's also a lot easier to spread sickness around the globe from a country like the United States, which has a lot of land and sea trade routes to other locations, versus a country like Algeria, which can only spread your disease to neighboring countries. Islands are also really tough to break into (Greenland and Iceland gave me the most trouble), but that can also be a boon. Infecting an island in the beginning can guarantee everyone has it before you spread outward, effectively guaranteeing that any ships or planes departing your newly conquered nation will help your cause.</p><p style="">Plague Inc. almost necessitates reflection during gameplay. Much of your time is spent waiting for people to move around the globe and working really hard to guarantee their destruction. Our modern era, with all of its comforts and affordances, does very little to prepare us for a globe-spanning, death-dealing disease of this sort. Where, when, and how people would really react to something like this is, even now, a topic of intense discussion.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2457322-stats.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457322" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2457322-stats.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457322"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_small/416/4161502/2457322-stats.jpg"></a><figcaption>One of the many additions to this version is a more detailed breakdown of critical statistics. </figcaption></figure><p style="">As the people of Earth inch closer to extinction, the countries that remain begin acting increasingly irrational. More than once, I saw humanity make its last stand against me by bombing or executing any of the infected citizens. That kind of homicidal desperation isn't something we're generally faced with, and offers a much more complex and realistic moral quandary than the classic "There's a bomb somewhere in the city. Do you use torture--yes or no?" that games have been doing forever. And yet, I'm not the one making those choices; my targets are. It's a surreal experience, and one that's unique within gaming. Even so, there are a number of features I'd like to see in the final product. Everything on display so far is about infection, control, and then extermination. Surviving in this world would be remarkable, particularly if you could form a kind of seasonally recurring pathogen. Killing everyone is plenty of fun and certainly a challenge on the higher difficulty levels, but it also means there's nothing left to do. When all the people are dead, you have no place to go, no vessel or host to abuse.</p><p style="">I was able to breeze through most of the content that's available so far in just a few hours. Most of the unlocks come from completing the game on increasing difficulty with different kinds of diseases, but that doesn't last too long. There are plans to add quite a bit of content in the form of the obligatory zombification virus, some competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes, and a mode that promises to help you make your own scenarios and plagues to share with others.</p><p style="">Even in its beta state, Plague Inc: Evolved is a worthy expansion of its predecessor, but it's also one that makes me want more. I want to compete with other players for kills. I want to be capable of destabilizing society in more nuanced ways. While I was frustrated with the ease at which I was able to finish Plague, it's also the best kind of incomplete. It's a game that shows off just enough potential that I want to stick around and see how it all turns out.</p><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><strong>What's There?</strong></td><td><p style=""><em><strong>A relatively short epidemic simulator that highlights both how fragile life is and how determined a species faced with extinction can be.</strong></em></p></td></tr><tr><td><strong>What's to Come?</strong></td><td><p style=""><em><strong>Multiplayer, scenario editors, graphical upgrades, and new plague types are all expected to be in the final package.</strong></em></p></td></tr><tr><td><strong>What Does it Cost?</strong></td><td><p style=""><em><strong>Plague Inc. Evolved currently runs $15, but it's not yet in a state that justifies the price difference between the smartphone version and this one.</strong></em></p></td></tr><tr><td><strong>When Will it be Finished?</strong></td><td><p style=""><em><strong>It's not yet known when the game will be released in full, but there's a soft target for later this year.</strong></em></p></td></tr><tr><td><strong>What's the Verdict?</strong></td><td><p style=""><em><strong>Plague Inc. flips everything we know about strategy games, and in so doing provides fertile soil for future expansion. </strong></em></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/plague-inc-evolved-early-access-review/1100-6418387/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/farcry-the-shaun-method/2300-6417805/ This week Chris and Danny sub in for Shaun while hes away and try their hands at mastering his method in the classic Far Cry. Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:03:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/farcry-the-shaun-method/2300-6417805/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/25-new-indie-games-confirmed-for-xbox-one/1100-6418390/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457415-idxbox.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457415" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457415-idxbox.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457415"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1179/11799911/2457415-idxbox.jpg"></a><figcaption>Inside Microsoft's ID@Xbox event today at GDC. Image credit: Microsoft</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Today during the Game Developers Conference, Microsoft <a href="http://news.xbox.com/2014/03/games-id-xbox-games-first-look" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">announced</a> 25 new indie games coming to Xbox One. In total, more than 250 developers have now received Xbox One development kits through ID@Xbox, Microsoft's self-publishing program for indies.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You can check out a list of the 25 games below, but understand that the list is "neither comprehensive nor chronological," and no release dates have been announced. More games are also in the pipeline, and will be announced in due course, the publisher said.</p><p style="">"Our goal has always been to make Xbox One the best place to play games, and that means having a diverse portfolio for gamers to choose from," Microsoft Studios corporate vice president Phil Spencer said. "We've worked closely with independent developers to bring their own brand of creativity and innovation to the platform and today is just the beginning."</p><ul><li dir="ltr">"1001 Spikes" by Nicalis</li><li dir="ltr">"Calibre 10 Racing Series" by Bongfish GmbH</li><li dir="ltr">"CastleStorm" by Zen Studios</li><li dir="ltr">"Chariot" by Frima</li><li dir="ltr">"Chuck's Challenge 3D" by Niffler</li><li dir="ltr">"Contrast" by Compulsion Games</li><li dir="ltr">"Divekick Addition Edition +" by Iron Galaxy Studios</li><li dir="ltr">"Forced" by BetaDwarf ApS</li><li dir="ltr">"FRU" by Through Games</li><li dir="ltr">"Guacamelee Super Turbo Championship Edition" by DrinkBox Studios</li><li dir="ltr">"Gunscape" by Blowfish Studios</li><li dir="ltr">"Habitat" by 4gency</li><li dir="ltr">"Hyper Light Drifter" by Heart Machine</li><li dir="ltr">"It Draws a Red Box" by Other Ocean</li><li dir="ltr">"Nutjitsu" by NinjaBee</li><li dir="ltr">"Pinball Arcade" by FarSight Studios</li><li dir="ltr">"Q.U.B.E. Director's Cut" by Toxic Games</li><li dir="ltr">"Riptide GP2" by Vector Unit</li><li dir="ltr">"Roundabout" by No Goblin</li><li dir="ltr">"Sixty Second Shooter Prime" by Happion Laboratories</li><li dir="ltr">"Spectra: 8bit Racing" by Gateway Interactive</li><li dir="ltr">"Strike Suit Zero" by Born Ready Games</li><li dir="ltr">"Super Time Force" by Capybara</li><li dir="ltr">"The Last Tinker" by Mimimi Productions</li><li>"Wulverblade" by Darkwind Media</li></ul><p style="">More information about these games is <a href="http://news.xbox.com/2014/03/games-id-xbox-games-first-look" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">available on Microsoft's Xbox Wire website</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6370592" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6370592/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 16:31:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/25-new-indie-games-confirmed-for-xbox-one/1100-6418390/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/professor-layton-vs-phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-re/1900-6415695/ <p style="">Why would the amiable Professor Layton be interested in squaring off against the uncomfortably awkward Phoenix Wright? Answer: He's not. The first thing to understand about the awkwardly named Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is that the two title characters are allies, not adversaries. Pure and simple, what you've got here is a bromance between two of the DS and 3DS's most captivating stars.</p><p style="">And it works. The problem of how to combine two franchises that operate in fundamentally different ways has been deftly overcome by transplanting this entire 30-hour-plus (yes, 30 hours...plus!) adventure to a new time and place. Proceedings begin in London but quickly move to Labyrinthia, a medieval town of a fantastical disposition featuring witches, knights, magic, and a storyteller capable of changing the future by rewriting it.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2454313-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2454313" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2454313-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2454313"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_small/416/4161502/2454313-0003.jpg"></a><figcaption>Inquisitor Barnham is one of the few secondary characters of genuine interest, predominantly because of his role in Phoenix's sequences.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Once the narrative has satisfied its initial inflated sense of self-importance--resulting in an opening act that is tediously long--the ebb and flow of how the two protagonists act and interact makes sense and feels natural. As Layton, accompanied by his apprentice Luke, you primarily spend your time wandering about town, talking to its inhabitants, and solving the kinds of puzzles that made him famous in the first place. In the process of doing so, you're consistently collecting evidence that Phoenix, along with sidekick/secretary/apprentice Maya, uses to defend his clients in the courtroom.</p><p style="">There is some small degree of crossover between character pairings in that, for example, it might be Maya and Luke solving puzzles, or Layton joining Phoenix in the courtroom, but the procedure of solving puzzles in a bid to inform courtroom trials never really changes. As a result, it can feel as though you're playing through two completely separate games that just happen to be bundled together into one package; first you do the Layton-focused puzzles, then you do the Phoenix-focused courtroom trials, and then you do some more Layton.</p><p style="">It's a successful approach. Especially during Phoenix's trials, anything other than an extended and uninterrupted period of witness cross-examination and contradiction hunting would make the process feel tame and shallow. There are times when the sheer volume of onscreen dialogue and exposition during Layton's puzzle-solving gambits around Labyrinthia makes you yearn for more involving courtroom sequences, but because the two styles of gameplay are kept apart, they're allowed space to breathe and grow as the story rolls on.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2454314-0005.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2454314" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2454314-0005.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2454314"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_medium/416/4161502/2454314-0005.jpg"></a><figcaption>The storyteller holds the key to many of Labyrinthia's mysteries.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Due to the prevalence of witch trials in this world, Phoenix's courtroom cases are grandiose, exaggerated, and some of the most charming and wacky he has ever been involved with. The blue-suited, hedgehog-haired lawyer has always been prone to misfortune, but here such things make more sense than they ever have given that he's in a strange land and is unaccustomed to many of the courtroom procedures.</p><p style="">For example, multiple witnesses take the stand in unison--providing you the opportunity to cross-reference their testimony against one another. However, seeing as each witness tends to be as far from impartial as it's possible to be, each is more than willing to flat-out lie to you to have their stories match and find the accused guilty. In the middle of trials it's not unusual for one or more witness to change their tune completely, giving Phoenix more than enough of an excuse to don his trademark flustered face.</p><p style="">Perhaps more than any other, though, it's these multi-witness moments that represent the best--and certainly the funniest--pieces of dialogue in the game, and they go a long way toward preventing you from getting too frustrated when you arrive at a sticking point. Recurring town drunk, Emeer, and local Bard, Birdly, provide some particularly humorous lines--the former mispronouncing words while swilling various forms of alcohol, the latter insisting on singing at every opportunity.</p><p style="">With the illegal use of magic resulting in defendants landing in the dock in the first place, under accusation of witchcraft, it's easier to forgive those sometimes ridiculous leaps of logic that Ace Attorney games have always required you to perform. After all, if magic is possible in Labyrinthia, what else might be? Thinking way outside of the box, more than ever, is critical to success in a world that can seem wholly illogical until you've wrapped your head around its unique way of doing things.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2454316-0004.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2454316" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2454316-0004.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2454316"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_small/416/4161502/2454316-0004.jpg"></a><figcaption>The fully animated cutscenes are stunning in quality </figcaption></figure><p style="">On the flip side, Layton's puzzles, while generally well crafted and boasting diversity, come off as a little underdeveloped in comparison to the trials. The new setting and the multiple witness angle means playing as Phoenix feels fresh and exciting, while puzzle solving is the same as it ever was.</p><p style="">Identifying the odd one out, navigating a maze, solving faux-mathematical number puzzles and besting diluted variations of popular games (chess, for instance) feel very much like brain teasers that we've seen and done before in more than one other Layton game. Those included do a good job of mimicking the magical tone of Labyrinthia, but at their core the format is familiar enough to trigger déjà vu and for you to wonder if you've solved this same puzzle somewhere else previously. This is going to be a greater or lesser problem depending on how many Professor Layton games you've already played--if you've played them all, then fatigue is going to set in before the finale.</p><p style="">That said, both sides of the game are undoubtedly of high quality; it's just a shame that one side feels fresh and new while the other remains exactly as we've always known it. If you've never played a Layton game, however, or haven't played one in recent history, you'll find nothing to complain about.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">Phoenix's courtroom cases are grandiose, exaggerated, and some of the most charming and wacky he has ever been involved with.</p></blockquote><p style="">There can certainly be no complaints, however, regarding the quality of the production values. Fully animated video cutscenes and voiced dialogue appear often, while the design and implementation of the touch-screen controls and in-game menus exude the kind of quality you'd expect from two franchises that have been doing the rounds for so long.</p><p style="">Layton vs. Phoenix Wright is a long game--at least as long as a Professor Layton game and a Phoenix Wright game combined--and relatively little of it is genuine crossover. But that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. What is here is big, it's often silly, and it's sometimes unwieldy, but it's rarely anything less than engaging thanks to some great execution on tried-and-tested ideas. It's Phoenix, however, in his element in this magical world, that well and truly steals the show.</p> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 16:01:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/professor-layton-vs-phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-re/1900-6415695/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-mgs-v-ground-zeroes-beaten-in-10-min-do-ga/2300-6417796/ Xbox One to be released in more places, new PS4 update, MGS:V Ground Zeroes finished in ten minutes, and Riot dev says game plots are "overrated"? Tue, 18 Mar 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-mgs-v-ground-zeroes-beaten-in-10-min-do-ga/2300-6417796/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/all-guitar-hero-dj-hero-and-band-hero-dlc-going-away-march-31/1100-6418389/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/4/1/0/6/1584106-991402_20100930_005.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-1584106" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/4/1/0/6/1584106-991402_20100930_005.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-1584106"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/mig/4/1/0/6/1584106-991402_20100930_005.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">All Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, and Band Hero DLC, as well as the Guitar Hero mobile game itself, will no longer be available after March 31, Activision announced today.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We want to thank all of you for supporting Guitar Hero over the last nine years," Activision said in a post on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GuitarHero/photos/a.88575948619.84770.29438478619/10152295986523620/?type=1" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Guitar Hero Facebook page</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Guitar Hero servers will stay online and all the songs you already purchased will remain playable.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As a "thank you" to fans, Activision will make select songs available at a 50 percent discount for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii through the end of the month. In addition, you can <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/guitar-hero/id374801345?mt=8" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">download the Guitar Hero mobile game from iTunes for 99 cents</a> until March 31.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">By comparison, thousands of DLC songs remain available for Harmonix's music game franchises, including Rock Band and Dance Central.</p><p style="">Both the Rock Band and Guitar Hero franchises are expected to return some day. Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos has pledged that Rock Band will return "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/harmonix-rock-band-will-return/1100-6409223/" data-ref-id="1100-6409223">at the right point in time</a>," while Activision Blizzard CEO Robert Kotick is hopeful that a "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-reinventing-guitar-hero/1100-6324714/" data-ref-id="1100-6324714">reinvented</a>" Guitar Hero will come to market some day.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6280751" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6280751/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 15:36:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/all-guitar-hero-dj-hero-and-band-hero-dlc-going-away-march-31/1100-6418389/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/strife-beta-code-giveaway/1100-6418370/ <p style="">Strife looks to be the next-generation of MOBA games, but that's up to you decide. Enter your email below to get a beta code and register <a href="http://strife.com/account/create" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">here</a> to enter the closed beta.</p><p style="">We have limited supplies of codes, hurry and grab one while they last!</p><div data-embed-type="html"><div id="woobox-root"> </div><script type="text/javascript">/* <![CDATA[ */ (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//woobox.com/js/plugins/woo.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'woobox-sdk')); // ]]></script><div class="woobox-offer" data-offer="xzu4p2"> </div></div><p style=""> </p> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:40:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/strife-beta-code-giveaway/1100-6418370/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/electronic-arts-is-again-in-the-running-for-worst-company-in-america/1100-6418386/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457285-earedwood.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457285" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457285-earedwood.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457285"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1179/11799911/2457285-earedwood.jpg"></a><figcaption>EA's headquarters in Redwood Shores, California</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Electronic Arts is yet again in the running for the title of "Worst Company in America" from the recently launched poll arranged by consumer affairs blog <a href="http://consumerist.com/2014/03/18/have-fun-breaking-down-this-years-worst-company-in-america-bracket/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">The Consumerist</a>. EA was named "Worst Company in America" in 2012 and then again in 2013.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In the first round of this year's poll, EA is up against Time Warner Cable. The only other game-related company featured in the poll is Xbox maker Microsoft. However, EA is the only company on the list whose businesses operations are focused exclusively on gaming.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Companies featured in the poll were based on reader nominations. The Consumerist did not say what behavior warranted EA's nomination to the list, but there was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-on-battlefield-4-simcity-issues-when-you-push-innovation-you-miss-other-things/1100-6418234/" data-ref-id="1100-6418234">significant controversy surrounding the release of Battlefield 4 in October </a>over its widespread technical troubles.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Voting for this year's Worst Company in America begins tomorrow, March 19. The winner will take home the "Golden Poo" trophy. We've reached out to EA regarding their nomination to the poll and will update this story with anything we hear back.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417809" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417809/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 13:52:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/electronic-arts-is-again-in-the-running-for-worst-company-in-america/1100-6418386/

http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:14:46 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dark-souls-2-graphics-downgrade-claims-addressed-by-from-software/1100-6418396/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2449558-frpg2_2014_03_05_115222.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2449558" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2449558-frpg2_2014_03_05_115222.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2449558"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/536/5360430/2449558-frpg2_2014_03_05_115222.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">From Software has responded to claims that the final version of <a href="/dark-souls-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Souls II</a> did not match the visual quality of the game's prerelease footage.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Throughout the game development process, a game is constantly being balanced not only in game playability, but also in the realm of resource management," a <a href="http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/from-software-responds-to-dark-souls-ii-graphics-downgrade-concerns/0129831" rel="nofollow">From Software representative told MCV</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Dark Souls II was released last week to critical acclaim, but some people were concerned that the final game did not look like they expected. YouTube user HypeBitHero, for instance, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykbT03r_9Zo" rel="nofollow">compared scenes from the final build of the game</a> with those shown back in April 2013.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In response, From Software added that "a developer is always challenged with creating the most rewarding gaming experience while delivering continuity in graphical quality, gameplay dynamics, and balance within the game."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The final version of Dark Souls II displays the culmination of this delicate balance and we're very proud of the positive media and fan reception for the game."</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417601" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417601/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Wed, 19 Mar 2014 03:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dark-souls-2-graphics-downgrade-claims-addressed-by-from-software/1100-6418396/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/south-park-stick-of-truth-developer-partners-with-paradox-for-new-rpg/1100-6418395/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2457633-pillars.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457633" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2457633-pillars.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457633"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/280/2802776/2457633-pillars.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Developer Obsidian Entertainment has announced its partnership with publisher Paradox Entertainment for upcoming PC role-playing game, <a href="/project-eternity/" data-ref-id="false">Pillars of Eternity</a>. The publisher will be looking after marketing and distribution for the game, with Obsidian Entertainment retaining full control of development. </p><p style="">Originally known as Project Eternity, Pillars of Eternity drew over<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/project-eternity-closes-with-over-41m/1100-6398388/" data-ref-id="1100-6398388"> $4.1 million in funding as a Kickstarter project</a>. The game will combine elements of role-playing titles like Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment.</p><p style="">Obsidian Entertainment CEO Feargus Urquhart confirmed the money raised via the crowdfunding campaign will be spent solely on the game's development. He also confirmed that the game would be released in 2014, stating "we will deliver the game we promised to our backers, and we will deliver it this year."</p><p style="">Earlier this year, it was announced that Pillars of Eternity would be<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-dev-s-pc-rpg-pillars-of-eternity-delayed/1100-6417549/" data-ref-id="1100-6417549"> delayed from its original release date</a> to the second half of 2014.</p><p style="">For more on the game, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/project-eternity/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="html"><iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HKoDTzea79Y?feature=player_detailpage" height="360" width="640"></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 23:16:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/south-park-stick-of-truth-developer-partners-with-paradox-for-new-rpg/1100-6418395/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/roundabout-could-be-the-surgeon-simulator-2013-of-driving-games/1100-6418393/ <p style="">In Roundabout, you're basically hydroplaning nonstop. That's the easiest way I can think to describe this open world puzzle game where you attempt to drive a powder blue limousine that's endlessly spinning on its axis. This means if you try to drive in any single direction you will just end up spinning donuts. It's a ridiculous constraint, but Roundabout revels in ridiculousness. In a way, its intentionally-awkward controls lend to driving what <a href="/phoenix-cms/reviews/form?id=6407419/" data-ref-id="false">Surgeon Simulator 2013</a> lends to surgery. Roundabout uses its cumbersomeness to its advantage and offers up an obstacle course based around driving in circles.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7FpsGHrWyw" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fs7FpsGHrWyw%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Ds7FpsGHrWyw&amp;image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fs7FpsGHrWyw%2Fhqdefault.jpg&amp;key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=youtube&amp;wmode=opaque" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">When I first stepped into the driver's seat I found it almost impossible to go anywhere except into the nearest wall. Just getting the car to move in a straight line is a nigh impossible challenge best fit for a Hollywood stunt driver and not someone who regularly wipes out in Mario Kart. It didn't help that I was driving through a claustrophobic city played from a top-down perspective--similar to the early Grand Theft Auto games. Trees, other cars, lamp posts, and really cramped alleyways that I had no business driving down were the bane of my existence.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">When I say "bane of my existence" what I really mean is that my car would explode if I bumped into too many things. And I bumped into <em>a lot</em> of things. Thankfully, the game constantly doled out checkpoints so that I could quickly retry tricky spots. This was especially helpful when I was attempting one of the game's missions, which all involved me picking up a friendly stranger and bumbling through some hellish urban maze on the way to his or her destination. Except for the one where cars started raining down from the sky. That one got a little weird.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Speaking of weird, the game also employed full motion video cinematics. These campy cutscenes provided some context for you missions, such as the lazy soccer star who wanted me to drive him to the soccer field, and then drive a soccer ball into the goal for him. The talent for these scenes is pulled primarily from developer No Goblin's own backyard of Seattle, Washington, including other local developers, YouTube personalities, and whoever responded to their <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLJp1Ze2oE" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">brilliant casting call</a>. No matter how vexed I got while driving, it was well worth it just to see the next super-cheesy, 70's-inspired interstitial.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2457590-rb_2b.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457590" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2457590-rb_2b.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457590"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/949/9490474/2457590-rb_2b.jpg"></a><figcaption>You can unlock special powers for your limo, such as jumping or slowing down its rotation. Oh, and don't worry about the blood.</figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">If all this sounds like I'm putting down on Roundabout, know that isn't my intention. Wrapping my head around its unusual control scheme was definitely a challenge at first, but after spending some time with the game I found there were moments when everything just clicked. By timing the rotation of my car perfectly I could glide in, out, and around every little obstacle without even a scratch--for a minute or two at least. There's a method to this madness, provided you don't get too dizzy along the way. Roundabout is coming to PC, Mac, Linux, and Xbox One though ID@XBOX later this year.</p> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 21:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/roundabout-could-be-the-surgeon-simulator-2013-of-driving-games/1100-6418393/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-sony-unveils-ps4-virtual-reality-initiativ/2300-6417811/ PlayStation maker reveals virtual reality initiative at Game Developers Conference; current devkit has 1080p display and 90+ degree field of view. Tue, 18 Mar 2014 20:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-sony-unveils-ps4-virtual-reality-initiativ/2300-6417811/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/yaiba-ninja-gaiden-z-video-review/2300-6417774/ Kevin VanOrd cleaned his mouth out with soap to prepare for this video review of the clumsy and cockamamie Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. Tue, 18 Mar 2014 18:20:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/yaiba-ninja-gaiden-z-video-review/2300-6417774/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/uther-plunders-in-blackheart-s-bay-heroes-of-the-s/2300-6417807/ Uther and his fellow heroes plunder merc camps and chests to win Blackheart's favor. Tue, 18 Mar 2014 18:05:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/uther-plunders-in-blackheart-s-bay-heroes-of-the-s/2300-6417807/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-announces-ps4-virtual-reality-initiative-project-morpheus/1100-6418391/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457586-morpheusnew.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457586" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457586-morpheusnew.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457586"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1179/11799911/2457586-morpheusnew.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style="">Today during a special Game Developers Conference presentation in San Francisco, Sony announced a new PlayStation 4 virtual reality initiative that the company hopes will "push the game industry forward."</p><p style="">The head-mounted display prototype is currently called Project Morpheus. It is "by no means" the final prototype, Sony president of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida said. Sony will continue to improve the device over time, he said.</p><p style="">"Nothing elevates the level of immersion better than VR," Yoshida added.</p><p style=""><ins><strong>The current Project Morpheus devkit includes the following functionality:</strong></ins></p><ul><li dir="ltr">1080p display</li><li dir="ltr">90+ degree field of view</li><li dir="ltr">100hz tracking</li><li dir="ltr">3 meter working volume</li><li dir="ltr">Full 360 degrees</li><li dir="ltr">Supports forward prediction</li><li dir="ltr">Works if you wear glasses</li><li dir="ltr">Current iteration is wired</li><li>DualShock 4 and PS Move detection with same camera</li><li>Fully adjustable</li><li>It's name is not reference to <em>The Matrix</em>, but rather the Greek God of Dreams</li><li><p dir="ltr" style="">Supports custom headphones and wireless headsets</p></li></ul><p style="">Of course, Sony's Morpheus device will compete with Oculus Rift. Yoshida said Sony has "nothing but respect" for what that device has achieved so far. He also congratulated Valve on their own efforts in the virtual reality space.</p><p style="">Dr. Richard Marks, of Sony's R&amp;D department, said virtual reality will become the "preferred medium" and will even extend beyond games to other industries. Sony has also partnered with NASA to create a demo that allows the gamer to feel like they are standing on the surface of Mars.</p><p style="">If Sony's Project Morpheus is to succeed, it needs to be easy to use, Marks said. He envisions a future where the device is sitting on your coffee table and you are able to pick it up and quickly get into "VR mode." Marks also said that Project Morpheus will be comfortable and might even be able to automatically adjust to the size of your head.</p><p style="">Project Morpheus will be on display at Sony's booth at GDC this week. Demos at Sony's booth include a special re-working of Square Enix's <a href="/thief/" data-ref-id="false">Thief</a>, as well as a game called The Deep from Sony's London studio, a game called The Castle, and <a href="/eve-valkyrie/" data-ref-id="false">EVE Valkyrie</a>.</p><p style="">Another Sony R&amp;D engineer, Anton Mikhailov, said virtual reality is an entirely new medium and "the rules are different." He also touched on the issue of motion sickness, saying head motion "is law" when designing virtual reality experiences.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457511-partners.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457511" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457511-partners.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457511"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_medium/1179/11799911/2457511-partners.jpg"></a><figcaption>List of initial partners for Project Morpheus</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">Mikhailov also said that virtual reality must keep latency slow, keep frame-rate high, calibrate well, render clean images, and "seal the deal" with 3D audio. He also said that Project Morpheus can work with online multiplayer and local couch multiplayer. "The multiplayer aspect of [VR] is really cool," he said.</p><p style="">Some of Sony's first partners for Project Morpheus include Epic Games, Unity, Crytek, and Autodesk, among others.</p><p style="">Sony has been exploring virtual reality technology for more than three years, even enlisting the help of God of War studio Sony Santa Monica to create multiple prototypes, Yoshida said. One prototype even allowed the user to become Kratos.</p><p style="">Early prototypes used Sony's own HMZ head-mounted display in conjunction with PlayStation Move controllers.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417811" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417811/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:41:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-announces-ps4-virtual-reality-initiative-project-morpheus/1100-6418391/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/plague-inc-evolved-early-access-review/1100-6418387/ <p style=""> </p><p style=""><i>GameSpot's early access reviews evaluate unfinished games that are nonetheless available for purchase by the public. While the games in question are not considered finished by their creators, you may still devote money, time, and bandwidth for the privilege of playing them before they are complete. The review below critiques a work in progress, and represents a snapshot of the game at the time of the review's publication.</i></p><p style="">More often than we probably think, the course of human history has been guided by the effects of disease. Oddly enough, that's not a factor considered in most strategy games. You almost never, for example, have a disaster involving some super lethal strain of the flu. Plague Inc: Evolved., on the other hand, explores the effects of sickness on the human population. It gives you one microorganism and asks you to exterminate every person on the planet. To do so effectively, however, requires a fair bit of forethought. The game nails many of the basics that make it fun to poison billions across the globe, but it doesn't quite live up to its potential--yet.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2457319-notwithouthumor.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457319" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2457319-notwithouthumor.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457319"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/416/4161502/2457319-notwithouthumor.jpg"></a><figcaption>Despite its grim subject matter, Plague Inc. is not without a sense of humor.</figcaption></figure><p style="">At the start of each game, you have your choice of disease, ranging from bacterium (cause of the Black Death) to prion (mad cow disease) to some more wacky, video game-y plagues like a viral bioweapon (as in Deus Ex) and worms that take control of people's brains (as in Resident Evils 4-6). From there, you pick a starting country and begin infecting everyone you can. As your disease spreads, you get DNA points through clickable bubbles that let you add new symptoms or traits to your fledgling microorganism. Each of these decisions carries with it certain costs and benefits. Some choices increase virulence or "infectivity," making it easier to spread your disease throughout the world in certain conditions, whereas others tack on symptoms to help weaken hosts and destabilize civilization a bit faster.</p><p style="">These upgrades also draw attention from humans, ultimately leading to your discovery. From that point on, the populace tends to respond appropriately to your choices. For example, picking up tissue necrosis and hemorrhagic fever as symptoms causes people to die en masse in some of the most horrible ways imaginable. The game incentivizes this by rewarding you with even more DNA points to spend on further upgrades. However, that pairing of symptoms is so horrific that the general population mobilizes every available scientist and doctor to work out a cure. People are remarkably fragile, but they are not without defenses, and unlike in the real world, once they've figured out how to eradicate your disease, you will be extinct in a matter of days. It's one of the stranger design choices, but it also serves as an appropriate hard boundary.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2457321-population.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457321" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2457321-population.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457321"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_medium/416/4161502/2457321-population.jpg"></a><figcaption>Plague Inc. does a great job of nailing home how largely irrelevant some of the wealthier countries are in terms of sheer population. If you take Asia, Africa, and South America, you have a huge majority of the people on Earth.</figcaption></figure><p style="">All of the decisions you can make in Plague amount to some kind of tactical trade-off. Picking a wealthy country as your first target, while making it difficult to spread disease quickly, allows you to farm some of the continuous and randomly spawning DNA points, helping you get some valuable upgrades before people begin to take notice. It's also a lot easier to spread sickness around the globe from a country like the United States, which has a lot of land and sea trade routes to other locations, versus a country like Algeria, which can only spread your disease to neighboring countries. Islands are also really tough to break into (Greenland and Iceland gave me the most trouble), but that can also be a boon. Infecting an island in the beginning can guarantee everyone has it before you spread outward, effectively guaranteeing that any ships or planes departing your newly conquered nation will help your cause.</p><p style="">Plague Inc. almost necessitates reflection during gameplay. Much of your time is spent waiting for people to move around the globe and working really hard to guarantee their destruction. Our modern era, with all of its comforts and affordances, does very little to prepare us for a globe-spanning, death-dealing disease of this sort. Where, when, and how people would really react to something like this is, even now, a topic of intense discussion.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2457322-stats.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457322" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2457322-stats.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457322"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_small/416/4161502/2457322-stats.jpg"></a><figcaption>One of the many additions to this version is a more detailed breakdown of critical statistics. </figcaption></figure><p style="">As the people of Earth inch closer to extinction, the countries that remain begin acting increasingly irrational. More than once, I saw humanity make its last stand against me by bombing or executing any of the infected citizens. That kind of homicidal desperation isn't something we're generally faced with, and offers a much more complex and realistic moral quandary than the classic "There's a bomb somewhere in the city. Do you use torture--yes or no?" that games have been doing forever. And yet, I'm not the one making those choices; my targets are. It's a surreal experience, and one that's unique within gaming. Even so, there are a number of features I'd like to see in the final product. Everything on display so far is about infection, control, and then extermination. Surviving in this world would be remarkable, particularly if you could form a kind of seasonally recurring pathogen. Killing everyone is plenty of fun and certainly a challenge on the higher difficulty levels, but it also means there's nothing left to do. When all the people are dead, you have no place to go, no vessel or host to abuse.</p><p style="">I was able to breeze through most of the content that's available so far in just a few hours. Most of the unlocks come from completing the game on increasing difficulty with different kinds of diseases, but that doesn't last too long. There are plans to add quite a bit of content in the form of the obligatory zombification virus, some competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes, and a mode that promises to help you make your own scenarios and plagues to share with others.</p><p style="">Even in its beta state, Plague Inc: Evolved is a worthy expansion of its predecessor, but it's also one that makes me want more. I want to compete with other players for kills. I want to be capable of destabilizing society in more nuanced ways. While I was frustrated with the ease at which I was able to finish Plague, it's also the best kind of incomplete. It's a game that shows off just enough potential that I want to stick around and see how it all turns out.</p><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><strong>What's There?</strong></td><td><p style=""><em><strong>A relatively short epidemic simulator that highlights both how fragile life is and how determined a species faced with extinction can be.</strong></em></p></td></tr><tr><td><strong>What's to Come?</strong></td><td><p style=""><em><strong>Multiplayer, scenario editors, graphical upgrades, and new plague types are all expected to be in the final package.</strong></em></p></td></tr><tr><td><strong>What Does it Cost?</strong></td><td><p style=""><em><strong>Plague Inc. Evolved currently runs $15, but it's not yet in a state that justifies the price difference between the smartphone version and this one.</strong></em></p></td></tr><tr><td><strong>When Will it be Finished?</strong></td><td><p style=""><em><strong>It's not yet known when the game will be released in full, but there's a soft target for later this year.</strong></em></p></td></tr><tr><td><strong>What's the Verdict?</strong></td><td><p style=""><em><strong>Plague Inc. flips everything we know about strategy games, and in so doing provides fertile soil for future expansion. </strong></em></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/plague-inc-evolved-early-access-review/1100-6418387/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/farcry-the-shaun-method/2300-6417805/ This week Chris and Danny sub in for Shaun while hes away and try their hands at mastering his method in the classic Far Cry. Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:03:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/farcry-the-shaun-method/2300-6417805/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/25-new-indie-games-confirmed-for-xbox-one/1100-6418390/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457415-idxbox.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457415" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457415-idxbox.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457415"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1179/11799911/2457415-idxbox.jpg"></a><figcaption>Inside Microsoft's ID@Xbox event today at GDC. Image credit: Microsoft</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Today during the Game Developers Conference, Microsoft <a href="http://news.xbox.com/2014/03/games-id-xbox-games-first-look" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">announced</a> 25 new indie games coming to Xbox One. In total, more than 250 developers have now received Xbox One development kits through ID@Xbox, Microsoft's self-publishing program for indies.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You can check out a list of the 25 games below, but understand that the list is "neither comprehensive nor chronological," and no release dates have been announced. More games are also in the pipeline, and will be announced in due course, the publisher said.</p><p style="">"Our goal has always been to make Xbox One the best place to play games, and that means having a diverse portfolio for gamers to choose from," Microsoft Studios corporate vice president Phil Spencer said. "We've worked closely with independent developers to bring their own brand of creativity and innovation to the platform and today is just the beginning."</p><ul><li dir="ltr">"1001 Spikes" by Nicalis</li><li dir="ltr">"Calibre 10 Racing Series" by Bongfish GmbH</li><li dir="ltr">"CastleStorm" by Zen Studios</li><li dir="ltr">"Chariot" by Frima</li><li dir="ltr">"Chuck's Challenge 3D" by Niffler</li><li dir="ltr">"Contrast" by Compulsion Games</li><li dir="ltr">"Divekick Addition Edition +" by Iron Galaxy Studios</li><li dir="ltr">"Forced" by BetaDwarf ApS</li><li dir="ltr">"FRU" by Through Games</li><li dir="ltr">"Guacamelee Super Turbo Championship Edition" by DrinkBox Studios</li><li dir="ltr">"Gunscape" by Blowfish Studios</li><li dir="ltr">"Habitat" by 4gency</li><li dir="ltr">"Hyper Light Drifter" by Heart Machine</li><li dir="ltr">"It Draws a Red Box" by Other Ocean</li><li dir="ltr">"Nutjitsu" by NinjaBee</li><li dir="ltr">"Pinball Arcade" by FarSight Studios</li><li dir="ltr">"Q.U.B.E. Director's Cut" by Toxic Games</li><li dir="ltr">"Riptide GP2" by Vector Unit</li><li dir="ltr">"Roundabout" by No Goblin</li><li dir="ltr">"Sixty Second Shooter Prime" by Happion Laboratories</li><li dir="ltr">"Spectra: 8bit Racing" by Gateway Interactive</li><li dir="ltr">"Strike Suit Zero" by Born Ready Games</li><li dir="ltr">"Super Time Force" by Capybara</li><li dir="ltr">"The Last Tinker" by Mimimi Productions</li><li>"Wulverblade" by Darkwind Media</li></ul><p style="">More information about these games is <a href="http://news.xbox.com/2014/03/games-id-xbox-games-first-look" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">available on Microsoft's Xbox Wire website</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6370592" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6370592/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 16:31:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/25-new-indie-games-confirmed-for-xbox-one/1100-6418390/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/professor-layton-vs-phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-re/1900-6415695/ <p style="">Why would the amiable Professor Layton be interested in squaring off against the uncomfortably awkward Phoenix Wright? Answer: He's not. The first thing to understand about the awkwardly named Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is that the two title characters are allies, not adversaries. Pure and simple, what you've got here is a bromance between two of the DS and 3DS's most captivating stars.</p><p style="">And it works. The problem of how to combine two franchises that operate in fundamentally different ways has been deftly overcome by transplanting this entire 30-hour-plus (yes, 30 hours...plus!) adventure to a new time and place. Proceedings begin in London but quickly move to Labyrinthia, a medieval town of a fantastical disposition featuring witches, knights, magic, and a storyteller capable of changing the future by rewriting it.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2454313-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2454313" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2454313-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2454313"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_small/416/4161502/2454313-0003.jpg"></a><figcaption>Inquisitor Barnham is one of the few secondary characters of genuine interest, predominantly because of his role in Phoenix's sequences.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Once the narrative has satisfied its initial inflated sense of self-importance--resulting in an opening act that is tediously long--the ebb and flow of how the two protagonists act and interact makes sense and feels natural. As Layton, accompanied by his apprentice Luke, you primarily spend your time wandering about town, talking to its inhabitants, and solving the kinds of puzzles that made him famous in the first place. In the process of doing so, you're consistently collecting evidence that Phoenix, along with sidekick/secretary/apprentice Maya, uses to defend his clients in the courtroom.</p><p style="">There is some small degree of crossover between character pairings in that, for example, it might be Maya and Luke solving puzzles, or Layton joining Phoenix in the courtroom, but the procedure of solving puzzles in a bid to inform courtroom trials never really changes. As a result, it can feel as though you're playing through two completely separate games that just happen to be bundled together into one package; first you do the Layton-focused puzzles, then you do the Phoenix-focused courtroom trials, and then you do some more Layton.</p><p style="">It's a successful approach. Especially during Phoenix's trials, anything other than an extended and uninterrupted period of witness cross-examination and contradiction hunting would make the process feel tame and shallow. There are times when the sheer volume of onscreen dialogue and exposition during Layton's puzzle-solving gambits around Labyrinthia makes you yearn for more involving courtroom sequences, but because the two styles of gameplay are kept apart, they're allowed space to breathe and grow as the story rolls on.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2454314-0005.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2454314" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2454314-0005.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2454314"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_medium/416/4161502/2454314-0005.jpg"></a><figcaption>The storyteller holds the key to many of Labyrinthia's mysteries.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Due to the prevalence of witch trials in this world, Phoenix's courtroom cases are grandiose, exaggerated, and some of the most charming and wacky he has ever been involved with. The blue-suited, hedgehog-haired lawyer has always been prone to misfortune, but here such things make more sense than they ever have given that he's in a strange land and is unaccustomed to many of the courtroom procedures.</p><p style="">For example, multiple witnesses take the stand in unison--providing you the opportunity to cross-reference their testimony against one another. However, seeing as each witness tends to be as far from impartial as it's possible to be, each is more than willing to flat-out lie to you to have their stories match and find the accused guilty. In the middle of trials it's not unusual for one or more witness to change their tune completely, giving Phoenix more than enough of an excuse to don his trademark flustered face.</p><p style="">Perhaps more than any other, though, it's these multi-witness moments that represent the best--and certainly the funniest--pieces of dialogue in the game, and they go a long way toward preventing you from getting too frustrated when you arrive at a sticking point. Recurring town drunk, Emeer, and local Bard, Birdly, provide some particularly humorous lines--the former mispronouncing words while swilling various forms of alcohol, the latter insisting on singing at every opportunity.</p><p style="">With the illegal use of magic resulting in defendants landing in the dock in the first place, under accusation of witchcraft, it's easier to forgive those sometimes ridiculous leaps of logic that Ace Attorney games have always required you to perform. After all, if magic is possible in Labyrinthia, what else might be? Thinking way outside of the box, more than ever, is critical to success in a world that can seem wholly illogical until you've wrapped your head around its unique way of doing things.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2454316-0004.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2454316" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2454316-0004.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2454316"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_small/416/4161502/2454316-0004.jpg"></a><figcaption>The fully animated cutscenes are stunning in quality </figcaption></figure><p style="">On the flip side, Layton's puzzles, while generally well crafted and boasting diversity, come off as a little underdeveloped in comparison to the trials. The new setting and the multiple witness angle means playing as Phoenix feels fresh and exciting, while puzzle solving is the same as it ever was.</p><p style="">Identifying the odd one out, navigating a maze, solving faux-mathematical number puzzles and besting diluted variations of popular games (chess, for instance) feel very much like brain teasers that we've seen and done before in more than one other Layton game. Those included do a good job of mimicking the magical tone of Labyrinthia, but at their core the format is familiar enough to trigger déjà vu and for you to wonder if you've solved this same puzzle somewhere else previously. This is going to be a greater or lesser problem depending on how many Professor Layton games you've already played--if you've played them all, then fatigue is going to set in before the finale.</p><p style="">That said, both sides of the game are undoubtedly of high quality; it's just a shame that one side feels fresh and new while the other remains exactly as we've always known it. If you've never played a Layton game, however, or haven't played one in recent history, you'll find nothing to complain about.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">Phoenix's courtroom cases are grandiose, exaggerated, and some of the most charming and wacky he has ever been involved with.</p></blockquote><p style="">There can certainly be no complaints, however, regarding the quality of the production values. Fully animated video cutscenes and voiced dialogue appear often, while the design and implementation of the touch-screen controls and in-game menus exude the kind of quality you'd expect from two franchises that have been doing the rounds for so long.</p><p style="">Layton vs. Phoenix Wright is a long game--at least as long as a Professor Layton game and a Phoenix Wright game combined--and relatively little of it is genuine crossover. But that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. What is here is big, it's often silly, and it's sometimes unwieldy, but it's rarely anything less than engaging thanks to some great execution on tried-and-tested ideas. It's Phoenix, however, in his element in this magical world, that well and truly steals the show.</p> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 16:01:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/professor-layton-vs-phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-re/1900-6415695/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-mgs-v-ground-zeroes-beaten-in-10-min-do-ga/2300-6417796/ Xbox One to be released in more places, new PS4 update, MGS:V Ground Zeroes finished in ten minutes, and Riot dev says game plots are "overrated"? Tue, 18 Mar 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-mgs-v-ground-zeroes-beaten-in-10-min-do-ga/2300-6417796/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/all-guitar-hero-dj-hero-and-band-hero-dlc-going-away-march-31/1100-6418389/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/4/1/0/6/1584106-991402_20100930_005.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-1584106" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/4/1/0/6/1584106-991402_20100930_005.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-1584106"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/mig/4/1/0/6/1584106-991402_20100930_005.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">All Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, and Band Hero DLC, as well as the Guitar Hero mobile game itself, will no longer be available after March 31, Activision announced today.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We want to thank all of you for supporting Guitar Hero over the last nine years," Activision said in a post on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GuitarHero/photos/a.88575948619.84770.29438478619/10152295986523620/?type=1" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Guitar Hero Facebook page</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Guitar Hero servers will stay online and all the songs you already purchased will remain playable.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As a "thank you" to fans, Activision will make select songs available at a 50 percent discount for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii through the end of the month. In addition, you can <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/guitar-hero/id374801345?mt=8" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">download the Guitar Hero mobile game from iTunes for 99 cents</a> until March 31.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">By comparison, thousands of DLC songs remain available for Harmonix's music game franchises, including Rock Band and Dance Central.</p><p style="">Both the Rock Band and Guitar Hero franchises are expected to return some day. Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos has pledged that Rock Band will return "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/harmonix-rock-band-will-return/1100-6409223/" data-ref-id="1100-6409223">at the right point in time</a>," while Activision Blizzard CEO Robert Kotick is hopeful that a "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-reinventing-guitar-hero/1100-6324714/" data-ref-id="1100-6324714">reinvented</a>" Guitar Hero will come to market some day.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6280751" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6280751/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 15:36:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/all-guitar-hero-dj-hero-and-band-hero-dlc-going-away-march-31/1100-6418389/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/strife-beta-code-giveaway/1100-6418370/ <p style="">Strife looks to be the next-generation of MOBA games, but that's up to you decide. Enter your email below to get a beta code and register <a href="http://strife.com/account/create" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">here</a> to enter the closed beta.</p><p style="">We have limited supplies of codes, hurry and grab one while they last!</p><div data-embed-type="html"><div id="woobox-root"> </div><script type="text/javascript">/* <![CDATA[ */ (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//woobox.com/js/plugins/woo.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'woobox-sdk')); // ]]></script><div class="woobox-offer" data-offer="xzu4p2"> </div></div><p style=""> </p> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:40:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/strife-beta-code-giveaway/1100-6418370/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/electronic-arts-is-again-in-the-running-for-worst-company-in-america/1100-6418386/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457285-earedwood.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457285" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2457285-earedwood.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2457285"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1179/11799911/2457285-earedwood.jpg"></a><figcaption>EA's headquarters in Redwood Shores, California</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Electronic Arts is yet again in the running for the title of "Worst Company in America" from the recently launched poll arranged by consumer affairs blog <a href="http://consumerist.com/2014/03/18/have-fun-breaking-down-this-years-worst-company-in-america-bracket/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">The Consumerist</a>. EA was named "Worst Company in America" in 2012 and then again in 2013.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In the first round of this year's poll, EA is up against Time Warner Cable. The only other game-related company featured in the poll is Xbox maker Microsoft. However, EA is the only company on the list whose businesses operations are focused exclusively on gaming.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Companies featured in the poll were based on reader nominations. The Consumerist did not say what behavior warranted EA's nomination to the list, but there was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-on-battlefield-4-simcity-issues-when-you-push-innovation-you-miss-other-things/1100-6418234/" data-ref-id="1100-6418234">significant controversy surrounding the release of Battlefield 4 in October </a>over its widespread technical troubles.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Voting for this year's Worst Company in America begins tomorrow, March 19. The winner will take home the "Golden Poo" trophy. We've reached out to EA regarding their nomination to the poll and will update this story with anything we hear back.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417809" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417809/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 18 Mar 2014 13:52:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/electronic-arts-is-again-in-the-running-for-worst-company-in-america/1100-6418386/

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