http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Thu, 03 Jul 2014 05:42:33 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-murdered-soul-suspect-dark-void-developer-has-shut-down/1100-6420870/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/1/6/7/7/2041677-703515_20130607_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2041677" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/1/6/7/7/2041677-703515_20130607_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2041677"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/mig/1/6/7/7/2041677-703515_20130607_003.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">[UPDATE] Writing on Twitter, Airtight Games thanked fans for their support and said goodbye.</p><div data-embed-type="html"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p style="">Thanks to all of the fans, family, friends and colleagues who supported us and made the last 10 years possible.</p> — Airtight Games (@AirtightGames) <a href="https://twitter.com/AirtightGames/statuses/484420055413694465" rel="nofollow">July 2, 2014</a></blockquote><script charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async=""></script></div><div data-embed-type="html"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p style="">Thanks to all of the amazing people that worked on Dark Void, Quantum Conundrum, Murdered, Soul Fjord, Pixld and DerpBike.</p> — Airtight Games (@AirtightGames) <a href="https://twitter.com/AirtightGames/statuses/484421933354590208" rel="nofollow">July 2, 2014</a></blockquote><script charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async=""></script></div><p style=""><em><strong>The original story is below.</strong></em></p><p style=""><a href="/murdered-soul-suspect/" data-ref-id="false">Murdered: Soul Suspect </a>developer Airtight Games has reportedly shut its doors. <a href="http://www.geekwire.com/2014/airtight-games-taken-last-breath/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Geekwire </a>reports that the independent game studio quietly closed its Redmond, Washington office this week. The move comes less than a month after the release of supernatural thriller Murdered: Soul Suspect for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. You can <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/murdered-soul-suspect-review-roundup/1100-6420067/" data-ref-id="1100-6420067">read reviews for the game here</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Geekwire visited the studio's physical working space and reports that office equipment is being sold off at "heavy discounts." A sign outside the studio indicated that Airtight Games was shutting down. The company <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/murdered-soul-suspect-developer-cuts-14-jobs-no-projects-affected/1100-6418728/" data-ref-id="1100-6418728">cut 14 jobs in April</a> as part of a move that the company described as a "necessary restructuring." At the time, the studio said it was seeking out partners to release future games.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We attempted to reach Airtight Games by email today, but received a "mail delivery failed" message when trying to do so. Geekwire has also been unable to reach the company for comment.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Airtight Games opened in 2004. The studio released Murdered: Soul Suspect and <a href="/soul-fjord/" data-ref-id="false">Soul Fjord </a>this year, before that launching <a href="/portal/" data-ref-id="false">Portal</a> designer Kim Swift's puzzle game <a href="/quantum-conundrum/" data-ref-id="false">Quantum Conundrum</a> in 2012. The studio is perhaps best known, however, for its development of 2010 action game <a href="/dark-void/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Void</a> for publisher Capcom. Swift has since <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/amazon-is-serious-about-gaming-hires-portal-and-far-cry-designers/1100-6418727/" data-ref-id="1100-6418727">left the company </a>to take a job at Amazon Game Studios.</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> Thu, 03 Jul 2014 04:40:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-murdered-soul-suspect-dark-void-developer-has-shut-down/1100-6420870/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/backlash-erupts-after-women-barred-from-upcoming-hearthstone-tournament/1100-6420880/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2372635-pandaria.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2372635" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2372635-pandaria.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2372635"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1197/11970954/2372635-pandaria.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">[UPDATE 2] The IeSF has formally reversed its controversial gender-specific policies. The organization<a href="http://ie-sf.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=iesf_notice&wr_id=105" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> released a statement</a> explaining the news on its website.</p><p style="">"On 2nd of July, 2014, the IeSF's policy about gender division, which separates the female division and the male division, has been brought into question. The IeSF has listened to the gaming community and has carefully considered their opinions. Upon hearing these concerns, the IeSF convoked an emergency session of the IeSF Board to respond," the group said.</p><p style="">"As a result, IeSF shall have two event categories: "Open for All" events and events that are reserved for women. The events which were initially set aside as the male division will now be open to all genders, and the events which were initially set as the female division will remain as they were."</p><p style="">"The IeSF Board addressed its reason for maintaining events for women, citing the importance of providing female gamers with ample opportunities to compete in eSports--currently a male-dominated industry. Female gamers make up half of the world's gaming population, but only a small percentage of eSports competitors are women. The IeSF's female-only competitions aim to bring more diversity to competitive play by improving the representation of women at these events. Without efforts to improve representation, e-Sports can't achieve true gender equality."</p><p style="">[UPDATE 1] Blizzard Entertainment has issued a statement on the matter, saying it has spoken with the IeSF and they now expect that all players--regardless of gender--should be able to take part in the tournament.</p><p style="">"One of our goals with eSports is to ensure that there's a vibrant and also inclusive community around our games," a Blizzard representative said. "We do not allow the use of our games in tournaments that do not support this, and are working with our partners to ensure they share the same goal. To that end, we've separately been in contact with IeSF and understand that they've updated their rules to make it clear that their Hearthstone tournament will be open to all players."</p><p style=""><em><strong>The original story is below.</strong></em></p><p style="">One upcoming competitive gaming tournament is barring women from participating in competition for Blizzard's <a href="/hearthstone-heroes-of-warcraft/" data-ref-id="false">Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft</a>, drawing no small amount of controversy over the announcement. The drama originates from a <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/hearthstone/comments/29kvuv/a_friend_just_linked_me_this_and_you_must_be/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Reddit user</a>, who yesterday posted an email from a Finnish gaming organization called Assembly that puts together qualifiers for the South Korea-based <a href="http://ie-sf.org/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">International eSports Federation </a>(IeSF). In this email, Assembly wrote that participation in an upcoming qualifier event is "open only to Finnish male players." This is <a href="http://www.assembly.org/summer14/esports/pro/hearthstone-iesf-qualifier" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">reiterated on the tournament's official website</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This triggered backlash, and Assembly organizer Markus Koskivirta said in a statement to <a href="http://www.pcgamer.com/uk/2014/07/02/hearthstone-tournament/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">PC Gamer</a>: "In accordance with the International e-Sports Federation's (IeSF) tournament regulations, since the main tournament event is open to male players only. This is to avoid possible conflicts (e.g. a female player eliminating a male player during RO8) among other things."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">IeSF has for more than a year now held its competitions by gender. This year, men can play <a href="/dota-2/" data-ref-id="false">Dota 2</a>,<a href="/starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm/" data-ref-id="false"> StarCraft II</a>, <a href="/hearthstone-heroes-of-warcraft/" data-ref-id="false">Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft</a>, and <a href="/super-street-fighter-iv-arcade-edition/" data-ref-id="false">Ultra Street Fighter IV</a>. Meanwhile, the women's roster includes games like <a href="/starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm/" data-ref-id="false">StarCraft II</a> and <a href="/tekken-tag-tournament-2/" data-ref-id="false">Tekken Tag Tournament 2</a>. The group says, "The decision to divide male and female competitions was made in accordance with international sports authorities, as part of our effort to promote e-Sports as a legitimate sports."</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p dir="ltr" style="">"Our top priority is to promote eSports in the best ways we can. We believe that listening is important, and we're now collecting your opinions from the social media, and we will update soon" -- IeSF representative</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="">Since Assembly's tournament is only a qualifier for the larger IeSF championship, it makes sense that Assembly would need to abide by the rules set forth by the IeSF. However, Koskivirta went on to say that the Finnish eSports Federation, which organizes the Assembly qualifier, isn't taking the news sitting down.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We would also like to point out that the Finnish eSports Federation is currently lobbying for the equal rights of male and female players in the IeSF tournaments," he said. "This is an ongoing process and we of course welcome any support in this matter.".</p><p dir="ltr" style="">On IeSF's Facebook page, the group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IeSFederation/posts/730325323690290?reply_comment_id=730359617020194&total_comments=10" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">provided a statement of its own</a>, which you can read in full below.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>"To all our fans and eSport enthusiasts, in the last hours we have received lots of feedback from you regarding the IeSF 6th e-Sports World Championship, particularly regarding the male/female tournament division. We want to thank you for your interest in eSports and for sharing your opinions. The eSports community opinion is always important to the IeSF. Our top priority is to promote eSports in the best ways we can. We believe that listening is important, and we're now collecting your opinions from the social media, and we will update soon."</em></p><p dir="ltr" style="">Responding directly to a fan on Facebook, the IeSF <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IeSFederation/posts/730325323690290?reply_comment_id=730359617020194&total_comments=10" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">went on to say</a> that it is "absorbing" feedback about the matter.</p><p style="">"The IeSF believes in a world where there is no discrimination against anyone," the representative said. "We believe that everyone from everywhere can participate in eSports, doesn't matter where they're from, what their gender is or what they believe in. Based on this, we will keep absorbing your feedback and other's. We do strive to create the best e-Sports event we can, and we'll work hard to make sure everyone can enjoy it."</p><p style="">We have reached out to a Blizzard Entertainment representative for comment, but have not heard back.</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> Thu, 03 Jul 2014 04:15:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/backlash-erupts-after-women-barred-from-upcoming-hearthstone-tournament/1100-6420880/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fox-news-copies-bioshock-infinite-logo-report/1100-6420895/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2585255-foxnews_bioshockcomparison.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2585255" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2585255-foxnews_bioshockcomparison.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2585255"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2585255-foxnews_bioshockcomparison.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">The logo for 2013's <a href="/bioshock-infinite/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock Infinite</a> has allegedly been copied and appropriated for use on Fox News, <a href="http://kotaku.com/fox-news-allegedly-rips-off-the-bioshock-infinite-logo-1599541472" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku </a>has reported.</p><p style=""><span>The version of the logo shown on Fox News was used to illustrate an interview with the governor of Texas about immigration.</span></p><p style=""><span>The logo shares a similar shape to that of the BioShock Infinite logo, and uses a similar colour scheme. The stars used in BioShock Infinite's logo also remain in Fox News' design.</span></p><p style=""><span>In response to the logo's appearance, BioShock creator Ken Levine </span><a href="https://twitter.com/IGLevine/statuses/484397121534435328" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">tweeted</a><span>, "It's irony."</span></p><p style="">BioShock Infinite was released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in March last year to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/bioshock-infinite-review/1900-6405762/" data-ref-id="1900-6405762">very positive reception</a>. The game has gone on to sell <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-2-ships-9-million-units-bioshock-infinite-climbs-to-6-million/1100-6419623/" data-ref-id="1100-6419623">six million copies</a>.</p><p style="">Do you think it's just coincidence, or has somebody at Fox News blatantly copied the design used on the BioShock Infinite logo? Let us know in the comments below.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Zorine Te is an associate editor at GameSpot, and you can follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/ztharli" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @ztharli</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> Thu, 03 Jul 2014 00:01:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fox-news-copies-bioshock-infinite-logo-report/1100-6420895/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/official-pokemon-online-store-coming-in-august-cou/1100-6420894/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2585158-screen+shot+2014-07-02+at+6.18.37+pm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2585158" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2585158-screen+shot+2014-07-02+at+6.18.37+pm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2585158"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2585158-screen+shot+2014-07-02+at+6.18.37+pm.png"></a></figure><p style="">If you felt like you always missed out on neat Japanese Pokemon merchandise exclusives that only came out in places like the Tokyo Pokemon Center, you may soon get a chance to buy them yourself. Nintendo today launched the countdown clock for an <a href="http://www.pokemoncenter.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">official online Pokemon Center</a>.</p><p style="">Of course, the US already has a Nintendo store in New York, and several smaller shops in Washington, but a site like this holds the promise of making limited-edition, Pokemon-specific items more easily accessible and readily available to other parts of the country. </p><p style="">Right now you can order three things: a plush Pikachu for $12.99, a set of Eevee evolution charms for $23.92, or a purple Mewtwo Tumbler for $17.50. The countdown isn't set to end until August 6, so we'll have quite a long wait to find out what exciting items the store will have available once it goes live. Personally, I'm holding out for a<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41o3aEXx0nL.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> classy Pikachu in a polo</a>. </p><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong>Justin Haywald is a senior editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/JustinHaywald" rel="nofollow"> Twitter @JustinHaywald</a></strong></p><p style=""><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Wed, 02 Jul 2014 18:16:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/official-pokemon-online-store-coming-in-august-cou/1100-6420894/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-forest-early-access-impressions/2300-6420042/ Teetering between moments of bone-chilling horror and utter beauty, The Forest is an early access title that aims to set itself apart from the over saturated genre of open world survival sims. Wed, 02 Jul 2014 16:42:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-forest-early-access-impressions/2300-6420042/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trials-fusion-dev-teases-co-op-mode-and-new-areas-/1100-6420889/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2585091-2763735669-waste.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2585091" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2585091-2763735669-waste.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2585091"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1539/15391776/2585091-2763735669-waste.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""><a href="/companies/redlynx/" data-ref-id="false">RedLynx</a>, developer of the 2D platforming-racing game <a href="/trials-fusion/" data-ref-id="false">Trials Fusion</a>, teased future plans for the game and detailed its first DLC pack today.</p><p style=""><a href="http://blog.ubi.com/trials-fusion-riders-of-the-rustlands-dlc/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">In an interview on the Ubisoft blog</a>, Creative Director Antti Ilvessuo said that a cooperative multiplayer mode is coming to Trials Fusion. He didn't explain this feature, but he did say, "Imagine playing Trials for your Teams, against other Teams on tracks and in tournaments and, in a little bit later down the road, online."</p><p style="">He also hinted where you will be able to ride in future Trials Fusion content. "We are planning to take the world of Trials Fusion to places that no Trials game has gone before," he said, "into the clouds, under the sea and even deep underground."</p><p style="">Ilvessuo also provided some new details for the game's first of six DLC packs. Called Riders of the Rustlands, the pack will take you to the outskirts of the futuristic city where the main game takes place. It launches on July 29.</p><p style="">The pack comes with a bunch of new tracks, challenges, and editor objects. It costs $4.99, but season pass holders can download it for free.</p><p style="">You can see the full list of what's included below.</p><ul><li>5 new achievements/trophies</li><li>10 new tracks <ul><li>6 classic Trials tracks</li><li>2 new Supercross tracks (local multiplayer)</li><li>One new Skill Game ("Laws of Motion")</li><li>One new FMX track ("The Gauntlet")</li></ul></li><li>18 new Track Challenges, including tasks such as: <ul><li>Infiltrate the Outsiders' hidden base</li><li>Compete in a game show against penguins</li><li>Find more secret squirrels</li></ul></li><li>New editor objects, including: <ul><li>Steel pipe set</li><li>Wooden ramp set</li><li>Computer mainframes</li></ul></li></ul><p style="">Trials Fusion DLC is planned to be released until May 2015. Free content updates will come between the packs, so keep an eye on GameSpot for future details on upcoming content.</p><p style="">When Fusion launched in April, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/trials-fusion-review/1900-6415733/" data-ref-id="1900-6415733">GameSpot thought that it was great</a>. Riders of the Rustlands will be available on <a href="/xbox-360/" data-ref-id="false">Xbox 360</a>, <a href="/xbox-one/" data-ref-id="false">Xbox One</a>, <a href="/playstation%204/" data-ref-id="false">PlayStation 4</a>, and <a href="/pc/" data-ref-id="false">PC</a>.</p><p style="">Where do you want to see future Trials packs go? What do you want to see from a co-op Trials mode? Let us know in the comments!</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Alex Newhouse is an editorial intern at GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/alexbnewhouse" rel="nofollow">Twitter @alexbnewhouse</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Wed, 02 Jul 2014 16:18:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trials-fusion-dev-teases-co-op-mode-and-new-areas-/1100-6420889/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/spoiler-alert-review/1900-6415811/ <p style="">A game based on a single gimmick can remain entertaining for only so long. Spoiler Alert, a 2D platformer from indie developer Megafuzz Games, flips the usual script by running each of its 100 levels filled with patterned enemies and scalable cliffs in reverse. The hand-drawn hero shuffles his feet backward as he un-jumps on enemies, sucks fireballs back into his gullet, and coughs up the coins collected when the level was originally conquered. It's a clever twist on a genre everyone is familiar with, but unfortunately, Spoiler Alert shows off its best and only trick almost immediately, and fails to introduce anything beyond it.</p><p style="">For reasons beyond understanding, you play as a spicy chili pepper who uses his stubby legs to moonwalk all the way to the "start" of the game. Since he has already conquered each level, the character simply walks backward as you control when and where he jumps. You revive crumpled enemies by reenacting well-timed jumps, while power-ups that give you the ability to breathe fire or throw hammers have to be collected and returned to their original positions before a world can be considered complete. The actions in which the character originally collected coins, dealt with enemies, and scaled obstacles must be re-created, giving you little wiggle room from level to level.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2584983-2014-07-01_00004.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584983" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2584983-2014-07-01_00004.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584983"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2584983-2014-07-01_00004.jpg"></a><figcaption>Character design is about as wacky as it gets.</figcaption></figure><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2584985-2014-07-01_00015.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584985" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2584985-2014-07-01_00015.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584985"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/416/4161502/2584985-2014-07-01_00015.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">The timing of it all can be frustrating early on: anticipating the arc of your jump to land on the lifeless body of a colorful gnome takes a few tries to get right. However, after you catch your groove, you can rush through an entire world packed with 30 unique stages in 10 to 15 minutes. Besting screen after screen of challenges is rewarding, but once you understand the mechanics and see the clear patterns, the one-note design becomes apparent and the flow continues uninterrupted. Spoiler Alert concludes not long after you defeat the first--or technically final--boss. You'd expect 100 levels to lead to hours of action, but since the majority of stages might last fewer than 10 seconds, you can easily see all of the provided content in under an hour's time. There's a certain satisfaction to mastering the game's timing and besting level after level without a hitch, but there's not enough content to back up the design. Spoiler Alert feels less like a full release and more like a paid trial. There's a speed run feature where you're asked to un-play the entire game from finish to start, but after you've un-beaten the game once, it's difficult to find motivation to trudge your way through it all again.</p><p style="">Take away the feature attraction of undoing stage after stage of activities, and you're left with a colorful yet monotonous runner devoid of challenge and inspiration in which the only substantial change between locations is the scenery. If you're unsatisfied with the suite of content provided, there's a level editor included with the Steam-exclusive Collector's Edition that allows you to flex the muscles of your imagination. All of the in-game assets are easily dragged and dropped into your own unique levels, and the simplicity and scope of Spoiler Alert's stages make creating your own reverse runner more straightforward and appealing than the typical suite of such tools.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2584984-2014-07-01_00008.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584984" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2584984-2014-07-01_00008.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584984"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2584984-2014-07-01_00008.jpg"></a><figcaption>This is the type of scenery you'd expect when the hero is a chili pepper.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The accessible creation options notwithstanding, the glitz covering this stunted platformer isn't enough to glamorize its one-note concept. Spoiler Alert fails to remain interesting over the course of its brief runtime, and while I found myself interested in seeing what would be thrown my way early on, a lack of imagination keeps the entire package from feeling complete. A unique concept needs a supporting cast of good ideas to flourish, and Spoiler Alert's lone conceit doesn't have the charms to carry the weight of an entire game on its shoulders.</p> Wed, 02 Jul 2014 15:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/spoiler-alert-review/1900-6415811/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/if-you-haven-t-tried-pc-gaming-then-it-s-about-time-you-did/1100-6420883/ <p style="">Everyone loves to argue whether gaming is better on consoles or PCs, but let's be honest: it really comes down to personal preference. But, if you haven't given PC gaming a chance, you really should. Free from the shackles of brand identity and oversight, the PC, as a platform, creates an ecosystem defined by freedom, first and foremost. It harbors innovation and experimentation, and apart from the associated cost of powerful hardware and the desire for console exclusive games, there's no reason why you shouldn't invest a little cash and take the plunge into the world of PC gaming.</p><p style="">Why, exactly? Allow me to elaborate.</p><h3><b>Thousands of Games to Choose From</b></h3><p style="">For starters, there are more games available on PC than there ever will be on a traditional console. PCs are backwards compatible with games that are years, if not decades, old. Granted, it takes know-how to overcome some operating system incompatibility issues, for which the Internet at large is a great resource, but there's nothing stopping you from playing most of the thousands of games released on PCs over the last 30 years or so. You've potentially got a lifetime's supply of games at your fingertips.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2584935-allofthegames.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584935" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2584935-allofthegames.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584935"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1406/14063904/2584935-allofthegames.jpg"></a><figcaption>At the moment, there are 12,698 PC games available on Steam.</figcaption></figure><h3><b>Open Publishing Format</b></h3><p style="">Sure, there are quality-assurance tests to overcome to get your game onto Steam, Valve's digital game sales and distribution service and the most popular among consumers, but based on the variety of games in that catalog alone, it's a welcoming place for offbeat and unusual games. This leaves developers free to create games as they wish; they don't even have to worry about getting them rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. The bottom line: There are few bureaucratic concerns for developers when developing games for PC. If they want, developers can also skip the likes of Steam altogether and publish their games completely independently. They might not want to, but the point is, they can. There's no platform that's more open to technical and artistic experimentation than the PC, and as good as that is for developers, the resulting variety of games to choose from ultimately benefits consumers.</p><h3><b>Configurable Hardware That's Not as Expensive as you Think</b></h3><p style="">In terms of hardware, consoles are static products. The hardware inside, apart from maybe the hard drive, will never change simply because you want it to. PCs are great because, ultimately, you're in control of how powerful your machine is. Maxing out a PC can be extremely costly if you need to be on the cutting edge, but it's not an all or nothing game. You can upgrade your PC piece by piece, and since the price/performance ratio scales with time, you won't have to drop a huge sum of money in one fell swoop to keep up with rendering techniques and the capabilities of consoles.</p><p style="">Even if you're building a PC from scratch, you can get started without spending much more money than you would on a new console. In April, we tried to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/can-we-build-a-gaming-pc-on-a-console-budget/1100-6418829/" data-ref-id="1100-6418829" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/can-we-build-a-gaming-pc-on-a-console-budget/1100-6418829/">build a gaming PC</a> that's comparable in performance to a next-gen console for the same price as an Xbox One with a Kinect, which was the only option at the time. We built one machine based on AMD parts, and another with Nvidia and Intel hardware. Our tests prove that, at the time, a gaming PC running cross-platform games can outperform consoles in most cases, for about the same cost. Again, after a few years, you can throw a little more cash towards new parts, and theoretically topple the rendering capabilities of consoles. Yes, you may spend $200 to $300 on a single upgrade, but that's cheaper than buying a brand new console if/when the next generation arrives, which probably won't happen for a very long time.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2584945-configurablehardware" data-ref-id="1300-2584945" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2584945-configurablehardware" data-ref-id="1300-2584945"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1406/14063904/2584945-configurablehardware"></a><figcaption>PC upgrades are a simple affair once you know what you're doing.</figcaption></figure><h3><b>The Potential to Play Games Anywhere, Anyway You Like</b></h3><p style="">One of the great things about hardware technology is that as it improves, it also tends to shrink in size. Therefore, we are now able to have thin laptops that are also powerful, and that means gaming on the go has never been easier or more convenient. Massive gaming laptops still exist, but with the likes of Razer's Blade and Blade Pro, we're beginning to see a shift, and it's possible to carry a device that's more powerful than a console, with its own screen, in your backpack.</p><p style="">It's also worth mentioning that, beyond laptops, PC gaming at home is no longer limited to the desktop. Technically, it never was, but it's now easier than ever to send a video signal to your living room. Again, Valve is leading the way with its in-home streaming application, which allows you to send content from your PC to a cheap and small device connected to a TV with little technical expertise required.</p><p style="">As a PC user, you also have a massive selection of accessories and peripherals to choose from. It's a bit of a wild west situation, in that manufacturers from all corners of the globe are experimenting with new hardware, especially now that virtual reality is a hot commodity, but that just means there's a greater chance you can find a mouse, keyboard, or controller that's perfectly suited to your needs. There are also solutions for people with disabilities, including controllers that work with your feet, eye movement, and gestures of all kinds. In terms of accessibility, the PC is second to none when it comes to gaming.</p><h3><b>Game Mods are Easy to Create and Share</b></h3><p style="">It's easier than ever for the player to double as a developer if they want get something new out of an existing game. Want to play <a href="/grand-theft-auto-iv/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/grand-theft-auto-iv/">Grand Theft Auto IV</a> with the powers of Iron Man? No problem! Had enough of <a href="/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/">Skyrim</a>'s dragons? Swap them out with Macho Man Randy Savage! User-generated content continues to grow in popularity, and developers are getting better at giving people the tools they need to create add-ons and mods for their games, but the ubiquity of said tools, and their potential, is greatest on PC. In a lot of cases, PC games are highly flexible, allowing you to use external tools to create new assets, and alter code to change the behavior of in-game elements. Plus, with Valve's Steam Workshop pipeline, accessing and sharing mods is easier than ever. Mods allow players to explore the extent of their imagination and share it with the world, and for better or worse, anything goes on PC when it comes to mods.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2584953-8674662512-5518-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584953" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2584953-8674662512-5518-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584953"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1406/14063904/2584953-8674662512-5518-.jpg"></a><figcaption>Macho Man Randy Dragon.</figcaption></figure><h3><b>Cheap Software and Services</b></h3><p style="">The Steam summer sale just wrapped, and those who dared to open their eyes and their wallets probably ended up buying a few more games than they reasonably needed. Why? Because so many great games were cheap to the point that it would be silly not to buy them. Maybe game X wasn't attractive at $20 because you weren't sold on its premise or gameplay. But when that same game is $5, the risk of investment wanes, and you're more likely to take a chance. The allure of low-risk purchases can lead to a backlog scenario that many PC gamers are all too familiar with, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Who cares if I have 20, 30, or 100 games in my Steam library that I haven't played yet? At least I have them should the day come that I run out of something to play.</p><p style="">To be fair, there are often sales on console games, but there are barriers to accessing those prices. Most of the time, you have to belong to a premium subscription service like PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold to get these discounts, but also, to play games online. Unless you're talking about subscription-based massively multiplayer online games, you're able to play online multiplayer PC games free of charge in nearly every case.</p><h3><strong>What About Consoles?</strong></h3><p style="">I still love console gaming as it exists today, but I appreciate it for different reasons than I do PC gaming. For now, there are reasons to argue for both sides of the PC vs. console debate, but if you've shied away from PCs in the past because they're not immediately user-friendly, consider giving PC gaming a chance for the reasons mentioned above, and you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by everything the platform has to offer.</p> Wed, 02 Jul 2014 15:29:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/if-you-haven-t-tried-pc-gaming-then-it-s-about-time-you-did/1100-6420883/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/xenonauts-review/1900-6415810/ <p style="">Let's be honest. If aliens were to invade right now, chances are pretty good humanity would have a tough time of it, but we might have a chance. In 1979, though? Before we had stealth fighters, before we had directed energy weapons, before supercomputers or the Internet as we know it today? We'd be crushed. Xenonauts places the future of Cold War-era humankind on your shoulders, and it's about as punishingly difficult as it should be given the setting. If the brain-melting strategy doesn't scare you away, you'll find a beautifully atmospheric game that evokes the purest dread and desperation.</p><p style="">Any discussion of Xenonauts must make a nod to its clear inspiration, X-COM. While I'd like to say that this is a spiritual sequel to 1994's <a href="/x-com-ufo-defense/" data-ref-id="false">X-COM: UFO Defense</a>, it's a lot more accurate to say that it's more of a remake than even Firaxis' <a href="/xcom-enemy-unknown/" data-ref-id="false">XCOM: Enemy Unknown</a>. Xenonauts strikes a balance between large-scale, real-time global logistics and small-scale personnel tactics. You must capture and research alien technology in the dire hope that humanity can reverse-engineer weapons to match and ultimately exceed those of the invaders before it's too late. You may also name your squads after friends and family to make ckear the human costs of war. With these parallels, Xenonauts struggles to establish its own identity. There are only a handful of substantive differences between it and the games that preceded it, and while each difference adds a lot to the game, it's also impossible to shake the feeling that you've done this all before.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2582167-0001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2582167" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2582167-0001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2582167"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2582167-0001.jpg"></a><figcaption>As you capture alien technology and pass it off to your research team, you learn more about your foes and move closer to discerning their true intentions.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The war for Earth is pretty slow at first. The aliens you face hail from a planet with an extremely thin atmosphere, and they have to modify their ships before they can land. This minor narrative touch may seem insignificant, but it gives the early hours coherence by explaining the slow ramp-up in the enemy offensive. It's apparent that you're living on borrowed time. These visitors aren't friendly, and they have Earth surrounded.</p><p style="">Your main goal is to construct and maintain bases that monitor and guard as much of the world's airspace as possible, as well as to launch ground missions to recover alien technology or capture one alien leaders. And thus rises the multilayered strategy that links everything together. You need cash to run your bases, supply your troops, and keep the aliens from wiping out humanity. Missions help keep the international community happy, which keeps the money flowing. Every mechanic feeds into another, and a weak plan on one front can have a lot of critical repercussions. When starting up Xenonauts for the first time, I attempted to build two bases right off the bat. I wanted to secure a decent chunk of the planet and steadily expand from there. Unfortunately, founding and supplying two facilities rapidly drains your cash and keeps you from being able to carefully invest in the development of new, efficient weapons and tech for your soldiers and fighter jets. That doesn't mean it's impossible, but poorly conceived plans lead to humanity's doom.</p><blockquote data-align="left" data-size="medium"><p style="">It's immediately apparent that you're living on borrowed time.</p></blockquote><p style="">Failing to protect some regions causes your program to steadily lose funding as those regions lose faith in the Xenonauts project. Because humanity as a whole is on the defensive, downing enemy aircraft is your bread and butter. You need to keep UFOs from bombing cities, abducting citizens, or straight-up attacking your bases. Initially, that's not a tall order. At first, only small craft like probes and corvettes can be modified to enter Earth's atmosphere. Intercepting them carries virtually no risk. You can have battles auto-resolve, with the game using basic aircraft statistics to determine the victor. If you prefer more direct interaction, you can play out the dogfights with a system that very closely resembles Cold War-era radar screens. Ships and planes are represented by green 2D sprites, and their firing arcs and weapon ranges are clearly displayed. If you're careful, manual dogfights can assist you in your path to victory. About midway through the game, I was lagging behind my fighter upgrades and couldn't keep up with the stronger, faster alien vessels, but I could still survive thanks to smart maneuvering. With a few careful clicks and some liberal use of my afterburners, I kept two of my jets in the aliens' blind spots and downed the ships before they could reach Dublin and initiate a wholesale slaughter.</p><p style="">When you can successfully scrap a UFO over land, you have a narrow window in which you can launch an automated airstrike to clear out all of the alien troops and pick up a moderate amount of cash, or you can choose to launch a ground mission. These have you organize landing squads to scavenge what alien tech you can and bring it back for future research. They also give your soldiers an opportunity to accumulate valuable battlefield experience, dramatically improving their stats over time. The surviving extraterrestrial troops and robots attempt to fight you off, making these missions dangerous propositions. The technological superiority of your foes makes itself readily apparent here; the extraterrestrial soldiers can immediately kill one of your soldiers if you're not extremely careful. Your weapons, and later your cheap imitations of the alien weapons, just aren't as effective. These ground missions help distinguish Xenonauts from its influences. Whereas XCOM: Enemy Unknown had small, tight levels that helped clearly identify threats, Xenonauts has sprawling levels with extremely limited visibility. Cover is also of limited use; in almost every case it can be destroyed with a few shots or a stray grenade. During night missions, your soldiers have severely limited visibility. The aliens, once again, have an advantage, with infrared vision. The result is an extremely lethal set of missions that help drive home the overwhelming danger posed by Earth's visitors.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2582168-0002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2582168" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2582168-0002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2582168"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2582168-0002.jpg"></a><figcaption>I might be a little paranoid about what's on the other side of this door. But my fear is not unwarranted.</figcaption></figure><p style="">During one excursion, with a squad of battle-hardened veterans, I caught myself screaming at my computer screen, begging them to stop succumbing to a previously unknown line of alien androids for just a few more turns. After the anger and panic subsided, I realized I had no one else to blame but myself for the loss. Yes, Xenonauts is lethal, but never unfairly so. The environments are almost completely destructible with the right gear, and once you've cleared an area of civilians, wanton destruction comes with almost no penalty. Xenonauts necessitates a metered ruthlessness, a barely contained thirst for devastation that you periodically release to ensure absolute dominance. This is ultimately the game's single best design decision. Xenonaut's gameplay ably complements its narrative. You aren't just told to feel desperate; you must take desperate measures to have any hope of victory.</p><p style="">Unfortunately, while Xenonauts creates a network of mutually reinforcing sections, it borrows too heavily from the 1994 X-COM in some not-so-flattering ways. The user interface can be obnoxious and obtuse. Even with an internal game manual, I didn't figure out that right-clicking and dragging would change which direction a soldier was facing until a few too many hours into my first run. Outfitting your squads with the gear and equipment they need can also be a pain. In addition, the game's uninspired visuals lack the panache of its more recent competitor, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, which magnified powerful attacks with its cinematic, over-the-shoulder camera. A similar brand of drama could have made Xenonauts' battles all the more thrilling, but the distant camera keeps the action at arm's length.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2582169-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2582169" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2582169-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2582169"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2582169-0003.jpg"></a><figcaption>Completing missions yields experience and war medals for your soldiers, which sets them apart from new recruits and further encourages you to protect them.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Xenonauts is an unlikely success, a challenging clone of a beloved classic with enough tweaks to entice fans and newcomers alike. It might look rather cheap at first glance, but underneath that rough exterior lies something special. Breaking the game down and looking at all of its pieces in isolation would do the game a disservice, because every facet helps focus the true luster of the whole.</p> Wed, 02 Jul 2014 15:08:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/xenonauts-review/1900-6415810/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/primary-assassin-s-creed-development-duties-shift-to-different-ubisoft-studio/1100-6420888/ <div data-height="100%" data-width="100%" data-ref-id="2300-6419587" data-embed-type="video"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419587/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Ubisoft's crown jewel, the <a href="/assassins-creed-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed</a> franchise, is undergoing a shift, as the company today announced plans to have Ubisoft Quebec lead development of future games in the series.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This move takes the lead development duties out of the hands of Ubisoft Montreal, the longtime primary developer of the series.Quebec doesn't come in lacking any experience with Assassin's Creed; it's contributed to the series since 2010's <a href="/assassins-creed-brotherhood/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood</a>, having worked on <a href="/assassins-creed-revelations/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed: Revelations</a>, <a href="/assassins-creed-iii/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed III</a>'s Tyranny of King Washington DLC, and <a href="/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag</a>'s Freedom Cry DLC.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Since 2010, our understanding of the franchise has increased each year," said Ubisoft Quebec managing director Nicolas Rioux in an interview the official <a href="http://blog.ubi.com/ubisoft-quebec-assassins-creed/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Ubisoft blog</a>. He added, "We have the confidence of the brand team and also from Ubisoft to take leadership of an upcoming Assassin's Creed title. The team is ready for the next big step."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Quebec certainly doesn't lack for manpower; it has more than 350 people at its disposal and has plans to reach 425 employees by 2018. Presumably Ubisoft will continue to have multiple studios working on each Assassin's Creed game--<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/10-studios-are-working-on-assassin-s-creed-unity-that-s-three-more-than-ac4/1100-6419664/" data-ref-id="1100-6419664">ten studios, including Quebec and Montreal, are at work</a> on the upcoming <a href="/assassins-creed-unity/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed Unity</a>. It's unclear what role Ubisoft Montreal will play in the series going forward; even while leading development on the series, it's continued to work on a multitude of other projects, including <a href="/watch-dogs/" data-ref-id="false">Watch Dogs</a> and <a href="/far-cry-4/" data-ref-id="false">Far Cry 4</a>. We also don't know exactly why Ubisoft is making this move, but we've contacted the company for comment and will report back with anything we learn.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Coinciding with this news regarding Assassin's Creed is word that Ubisoft plans to relocate its Quebec operations. It will be moving the studio to a new location in the St-Roch district of Quebec in spring 2016 that will be home to a "cutting-edge studio" for at least the next 14 years. From a previously announced $28 million CAD (about $26.2 million USD) investment in Ubisoft Quebec, $4 million CAD (about $3.75 million) will go toward the new digs. Quebec City has also announced a new program that will see it make a $500,000 CAD (about $468,000) investment to help outfit the new location.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Ubisoft Quebec is already at work on a new Assassin's Creed game, although no details on that project were forthcoming. The only upcoming game in the series currently announced is Unity, which will be available for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-assassin-s-creed-unity-coming-to-xbox-one-ps4-and-pc-on-october-28/1100-6420262/" data-ref-id="1100-6420262">October 28</a>. A separate game <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-2014-s-other-assassin-s-creed-game-will-let-you-play-as-a-templar/1100-6418593/" data-ref-id="1100-6418593">allowing players to assume the role of a Templar</a> is reportedly in the works for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. There has been no official word on that as of yet, although Ubisoft has indicated it's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-not-ready-to-abandon-xbox-360-ps3-just-yet/1100-6419673/" data-ref-id="1100-6419673">not ready to abandon last-gen hardware</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Do you like the direction the Assassin's Creed franchise is headed in? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/thesmokingmanx" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Wed, 02 Jul 2014 15:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/primary-assassin-s-creed-development-duties-shift-to-different-ubisoft-studio/1100-6420888/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sniper-elite-iii-review-roundup/1100-6420885/ <div data-height="100%" data-width="100%" data-ref-id="2300-6420019" data-embed-type="video"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6420019/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">As a tactical, third-person shooter with an emphasis on sniping, <a href="/sniper-elite-iii/" data-ref-id="false">Sniper Elite III</a> is decidedly different from the industry's most popular shooters, like <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty</a> and <a href="/battlefield-hardline/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield</a>. But what, if anything, does that mean for the quality of the newly released shooter? We've rounded up a helping of reviews to help you decide if it's worth a look.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">If you're in the market for a new shooter on the platform of your choice--it's available on PC and every current console that Nintendo doesn't have a hand in--it sounds as if you could do worse than Sniper Elite III. The game includes a campaign mode in addition to competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes, the latter of which lets you play through the entire campaign with another player.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sniper Elite III recently made headlines with its new game when it <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sniper-elite-3-steam-keys-bought-in-good-faith-revoked-as-result-of-scam/1100-6420803/" data-ref-id="1100-6420803">revoked an unspecified number of Steam keys</a> for the new shooter that were reportedly stolen. Those affected will be getting a piece of DLC for free.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A selection of reviews follow below. Look for GameSpot's soon; for more in the meantime, check out <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/sniper-elite-iii" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot sister site Metacritic</a>.</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><strong>Game:</strong> Sniper Elite III</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Developer:</strong> Rebellion</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Platforms:</strong> PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Release Date:</strong> July 1</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Price:</strong> $49.99 (PC, Xbox One, PS4); $39.99 (Xbox 360, PS3)</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr">Eurogamer -- 7/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"The package as a whole is still very much a rough diamond, but it's a definite improvement over its predecessor. The gruesome kill-cam remains a deliciously wrong thrill and the unifying force that holds the game together, but it's doubtful that it would be enough to paper over the cracks in a fourth game without a major overhaul of the AI and physics code. Even with its flaws, though, Sniper Elite 3 is a solidly enjoyable mid-tier action game. It may not hit the bullseye, but it's getting closer with every shot." [<a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-06-26-sniper-elite-3-review" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-06">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">Edge -- 5/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"Campaign missions are lengthy, packed full of optional objectives that smooth your progress, such as taking out searchlight operators or disabling vehicles. A leveling system doles out new kit for your customizable loadout, and there's co-op and online multiplayer to contend with when Fairburne's mission is complete. But content is no substitute for quality, and while Sniper Elite III might have made for an engaging design document, it isn't much of a game." [<a href="http://www.edge-online.com/review/sniper-elite-iii-review/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">PC Gamer -- 70/100</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"It's all very similar to <a href="/sniper-elite-v2/" data-ref-id="false">Sniper Elite V2</a>, but SE3 does everything a little better, and it does the campaign much better. I wish I could celebrate its classic stylings without any caveats, but as much as I personally enjoy it, I can't look past the bugs, the exploitable AI, and the annoying movement system. The multiplayer is good, but there are too few maps and modes, and I'm not optimistic about mod support. I'm sure there will be plenty of DLC, though." [<a href="http://www.pcgamer.com/review/sniper-elite-3-review/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2584973" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2584973-se3+xray.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2584973-se3+xray.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584973"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2584973-se3+xray.jpg"></a><figcaption>A look at the game's X-ray kill cam.</figcaption></figure><h3 dir="ltr">IGN -- 8.2/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"Sniper Elite III's open level designs and objectives pack in more than enough variety and stealthy tension to counterbalance its thin story and shaky enemy intelligence, and experimenting with its explosive traps is almost as fun as popping skulls with a sniper rifle. The skeleton-shattering, long-distance kills are still its riveting centerpiece, of course, but even without the element of dumb fun they offer, Sniper Elite III would still be a smart, unexpectedly memorable experience." [<a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/26/sniper-elite-iii-review" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">Game Informer -- 6.5/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"I openly admit that I love gory kills and living the hero sniper fantasy, but Sniper Elite III only partially delivers on the latter. If you can't get enough of dramatic, transparent shots of enemies getting shredded by sniper fire, Sniper Elite III has you covered in spades. If you're interested in more motivation beyond the glory of the kill, look elsewhere." [<a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/sniper_elite_3/b/playstation4/archive/2014/07/01/game-informer-review-sniper-elite-3.aspx" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">Official Xbox Magazine -- 6/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"Glitchy level geometry and the gung-ho tone render it a touch too charmless to rank as one of the great B-games, but it competently delivers on its premise. With each level supporting multiple different approaches past its idiotic guards, and stuffed with collectibles you'll easily overlook amid the drab design, it could easily soak up those long days waiting for the next Xbox One release. You'll know that you could be doing better things with your time, but you probably won't mind." [<a href="http://www.totalxbox.com/78692/reviews/sniper-elite-3-xbox-one-review/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">Rock, Paper, Shotgun</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"I'd love to have seen Rebellion weave more WW2 history into their solo campaign, and put a bit more love and novelty into their online play modes. Other than that, mark me down as a satisfied customer. The prospect of a second campaign playthrough--this time in Authentic mode (no threat radar, aiming aids, or saves!)--is genuinely enticing as is the thought of spending further evenings online, crouched in shadows, waiting and watching…" [<a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/06/30/sniper-elite-3-review/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/thesmokingmanx" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Wed, 02 Jul 2014 13:49:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sniper-elite-iii-review-roundup/1100-6420885/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/exploring-the-new-worlds-in-world-of-warcraft-warl/2300-6420037/ Julio and Justin school Danny and Chris about the new character models and areas to explore in the latest WoW expansion. Wed, 02 Jul 2014 12:12:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/exploring-the-new-worlds-in-world-of-warcraft-warl/2300-6420037/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-gist-5-awesome-e3-2014-trailers-you-may-have-m/2300-6420025/ We cover you off on 5 of the coolest looking trailers that debuted at E3 this year that you may have missed out on. Wed, 02 Jul 2014 12:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-gist-5-awesome-e3-2014-trailers-you-may-have-m/2300-6420025/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/fire-the-intern-sniper-elite-iii-nut-shot-fail-the/2300-6420036/ Alex the Intern has to get 3 nut shots in Sniper Elite 3 or lose his coveted position. We'll miss you Alex. Wed, 02 Jul 2014 11:54:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/fire-the-intern-sniper-elite-iii-nut-shot-fail-the/2300-6420036/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/divinity-original-sin-first-impressions-the-lobby/2300-6420034/ Kevin VanOrd shows off where he's currently at with his Divinity: Original Sin review and gives us a look at the skill and spell lists. Wed, 02 Jul 2014 11:40:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/divinity-original-sin-first-impressions-the-lobby/2300-6420034/
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Thu, 03 Jul 2014 05:42:33 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-murdered-soul-suspect-dark-void-developer-has-shut-down/1100-6420870/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/1/6/7/7/2041677-703515_20130607_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2041677" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/1/6/7/7/2041677-703515_20130607_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2041677"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/mig/1/6/7/7/2041677-703515_20130607_003.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">[UPDATE] Writing on Twitter, Airtight Games thanked fans for their support and said goodbye.</p><div data-embed-type="html"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p style="">Thanks to all of the fans, family, friends and colleagues who supported us and made the last 10 years possible.</p> — Airtight Games (@AirtightGames) <a href="https://twitter.com/AirtightGames/statuses/484420055413694465" rel="nofollow">July 2, 2014</a></blockquote><script charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async=""></script></div><div data-embed-type="html"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p style="">Thanks to all of the amazing people that worked on Dark Void, Quantum Conundrum, Murdered, Soul Fjord, Pixld and DerpBike.</p> — Airtight Games (@AirtightGames) <a href="https://twitter.com/AirtightGames/statuses/484421933354590208" rel="nofollow">July 2, 2014</a></blockquote><script charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async=""></script></div><p style=""><em><strong>The original story is below.</strong></em></p><p style=""><a href="/murdered-soul-suspect/" data-ref-id="false">Murdered: Soul Suspect </a>developer Airtight Games has reportedly shut its doors. <a href="http://www.geekwire.com/2014/airtight-games-taken-last-breath/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Geekwire </a>reports that the independent game studio quietly closed its Redmond, Washington office this week. The move comes less than a month after the release of supernatural thriller Murdered: Soul Suspect for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. You can <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/murdered-soul-suspect-review-roundup/1100-6420067/" data-ref-id="1100-6420067">read reviews for the game here</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Geekwire visited the studio's physical working space and reports that office equipment is being sold off at "heavy discounts." A sign outside the studio indicated that Airtight Games was shutting down. The company <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/murdered-soul-suspect-developer-cuts-14-jobs-no-projects-affected/1100-6418728/" data-ref-id="1100-6418728">cut 14 jobs in April</a> as part of a move that the company described as a "necessary restructuring." At the time, the studio said it was seeking out partners to release future games.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We attempted to reach Airtight Games by email today, but received a "mail delivery failed" message when trying to do so. Geekwire has also been unable to reach the company for comment.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Airtight Games opened in 2004. The studio released Murdered: Soul Suspect and <a href="/soul-fjord/" data-ref-id="false">Soul Fjord </a>this year, before that launching <a href="/portal/" data-ref-id="false">Portal</a> designer Kim Swift's puzzle game <a href="/quantum-conundrum/" data-ref-id="false">Quantum Conundrum</a> in 2012. The studio is perhaps best known, however, for its development of 2010 action game <a href="/dark-void/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Void</a> for publisher Capcom. Swift has since <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/amazon-is-serious-about-gaming-hires-portal-and-far-cry-designers/1100-6418727/" data-ref-id="1100-6418727">left the company </a>to take a job at Amazon Game Studios.</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> Thu, 03 Jul 2014 04:40:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-murdered-soul-suspect-dark-void-developer-has-shut-down/1100-6420870/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/backlash-erupts-after-women-barred-from-upcoming-hearthstone-tournament/1100-6420880/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2372635-pandaria.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2372635" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2372635-pandaria.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2372635"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1197/11970954/2372635-pandaria.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">[UPDATE 2] The IeSF has formally reversed its controversial gender-specific policies. The organization<a href="http://ie-sf.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=iesf_notice&wr_id=105" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> released a statement</a> explaining the news on its website.</p><p style="">"On 2nd of July, 2014, the IeSF's policy about gender division, which separates the female division and the male division, has been brought into question. The IeSF has listened to the gaming community and has carefully considered their opinions. Upon hearing these concerns, the IeSF convoked an emergency session of the IeSF Board to respond," the group said.</p><p style="">"As a result, IeSF shall have two event categories: "Open for All" events and events that are reserved for women. The events which were initially set aside as the male division will now be open to all genders, and the events which were initially set as the female division will remain as they were."</p><p style="">"The IeSF Board addressed its reason for maintaining events for women, citing the importance of providing female gamers with ample opportunities to compete in eSports--currently a male-dominated industry. Female gamers make up half of the world's gaming population, but only a small percentage of eSports competitors are women. The IeSF's female-only competitions aim to bring more diversity to competitive play by improving the representation of women at these events. Without efforts to improve representation, e-Sports can't achieve true gender equality."</p><p style="">[UPDATE 1] Blizzard Entertainment has issued a statement on the matter, saying it has spoken with the IeSF and they now expect that all players--regardless of gender--should be able to take part in the tournament.</p><p style="">"One of our goals with eSports is to ensure that there's a vibrant and also inclusive community around our games," a Blizzard representative said. "We do not allow the use of our games in tournaments that do not support this, and are working with our partners to ensure they share the same goal. To that end, we've separately been in contact with IeSF and understand that they've updated their rules to make it clear that their Hearthstone tournament will be open to all players."</p><p style=""><em><strong>The original story is below.</strong></em></p><p style="">One upcoming competitive gaming tournament is barring women from participating in competition for Blizzard's <a href="/hearthstone-heroes-of-warcraft/" data-ref-id="false">Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft</a>, drawing no small amount of controversy over the announcement. The drama originates from a <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/hearthstone/comments/29kvuv/a_friend_just_linked_me_this_and_you_must_be/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Reddit user</a>, who yesterday posted an email from a Finnish gaming organization called Assembly that puts together qualifiers for the South Korea-based <a href="http://ie-sf.org/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">International eSports Federation </a>(IeSF). In this email, Assembly wrote that participation in an upcoming qualifier event is "open only to Finnish male players." This is <a href="http://www.assembly.org/summer14/esports/pro/hearthstone-iesf-qualifier" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">reiterated on the tournament's official website</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This triggered backlash, and Assembly organizer Markus Koskivirta said in a statement to <a href="http://www.pcgamer.com/uk/2014/07/02/hearthstone-tournament/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">PC Gamer</a>: "In accordance with the International e-Sports Federation's (IeSF) tournament regulations, since the main tournament event is open to male players only. This is to avoid possible conflicts (e.g. a female player eliminating a male player during RO8) among other things."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">IeSF has for more than a year now held its competitions by gender. This year, men can play <a href="/dota-2/" data-ref-id="false">Dota 2</a>,<a href="/starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm/" data-ref-id="false"> StarCraft II</a>, <a href="/hearthstone-heroes-of-warcraft/" data-ref-id="false">Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft</a>, and <a href="/super-street-fighter-iv-arcade-edition/" data-ref-id="false">Ultra Street Fighter IV</a>. Meanwhile, the women's roster includes games like <a href="/starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm/" data-ref-id="false">StarCraft II</a> and <a href="/tekken-tag-tournament-2/" data-ref-id="false">Tekken Tag Tournament 2</a>. The group says, "The decision to divide male and female competitions was made in accordance with international sports authorities, as part of our effort to promote e-Sports as a legitimate sports."</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p dir="ltr" style="">"Our top priority is to promote eSports in the best ways we can. We believe that listening is important, and we're now collecting your opinions from the social media, and we will update soon" -- IeSF representative</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="">Since Assembly's tournament is only a qualifier for the larger IeSF championship, it makes sense that Assembly would need to abide by the rules set forth by the IeSF. However, Koskivirta went on to say that the Finnish eSports Federation, which organizes the Assembly qualifier, isn't taking the news sitting down.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We would also like to point out that the Finnish eSports Federation is currently lobbying for the equal rights of male and female players in the IeSF tournaments," he said. "This is an ongoing process and we of course welcome any support in this matter.".</p><p dir="ltr" style="">On IeSF's Facebook page, the group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IeSFederation/posts/730325323690290?reply_comment_id=730359617020194&total_comments=10" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">provided a statement of its own</a>, which you can read in full below.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>"To all our fans and eSport enthusiasts, in the last hours we have received lots of feedback from you regarding the IeSF 6th e-Sports World Championship, particularly regarding the male/female tournament division. We want to thank you for your interest in eSports and for sharing your opinions. The eSports community opinion is always important to the IeSF. Our top priority is to promote eSports in the best ways we can. We believe that listening is important, and we're now collecting your opinions from the social media, and we will update soon."</em></p><p dir="ltr" style="">Responding directly to a fan on Facebook, the IeSF <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IeSFederation/posts/730325323690290?reply_comment_id=730359617020194&total_comments=10" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">went on to say</a> that it is "absorbing" feedback about the matter.</p><p style="">"The IeSF believes in a world where there is no discrimination against anyone," the representative said. "We believe that everyone from everywhere can participate in eSports, doesn't matter where they're from, what their gender is or what they believe in. Based on this, we will keep absorbing your feedback and other's. We do strive to create the best e-Sports event we can, and we'll work hard to make sure everyone can enjoy it."</p><p style="">We have reached out to a Blizzard Entertainment representative for comment, but have not heard back.</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> Thu, 03 Jul 2014 04:15:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/backlash-erupts-after-women-barred-from-upcoming-hearthstone-tournament/1100-6420880/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fox-news-copies-bioshock-infinite-logo-report/1100-6420895/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2585255-foxnews_bioshockcomparison.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2585255" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2585255-foxnews_bioshockcomparison.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2585255"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2585255-foxnews_bioshockcomparison.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">The logo for 2013's <a href="/bioshock-infinite/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock Infinite</a> has allegedly been copied and appropriated for use on Fox News, <a href="http://kotaku.com/fox-news-allegedly-rips-off-the-bioshock-infinite-logo-1599541472" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku </a>has reported.</p><p style=""><span>The version of the logo shown on Fox News was used to illustrate an interview with the governor of Texas about immigration.</span></p><p style=""><span>The logo shares a similar shape to that of the BioShock Infinite logo, and uses a similar colour scheme. The stars used in BioShock Infinite's logo also remain in Fox News' design.</span></p><p style=""><span>In response to the logo's appearance, BioShock creator Ken Levine </span><a href="https://twitter.com/IGLevine/statuses/484397121534435328" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">tweeted</a><span>, "It's irony."</span></p><p style="">BioShock Infinite was released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in March last year to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/bioshock-infinite-review/1900-6405762/" data-ref-id="1900-6405762">very positive reception</a>. The game has gone on to sell <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-2-ships-9-million-units-bioshock-infinite-climbs-to-6-million/1100-6419623/" data-ref-id="1100-6419623">six million copies</a>.</p><p style="">Do you think it's just coincidence, or has somebody at Fox News blatantly copied the design used on the BioShock Infinite logo? Let us know in the comments below.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Zorine Te is an associate editor at GameSpot, and you can follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/ztharli" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @ztharli</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> Thu, 03 Jul 2014 00:01:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fox-news-copies-bioshock-infinite-logo-report/1100-6420895/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/official-pokemon-online-store-coming-in-august-cou/1100-6420894/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2585158-screen+shot+2014-07-02+at+6.18.37+pm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2585158" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2585158-screen+shot+2014-07-02+at+6.18.37+pm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2585158"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2585158-screen+shot+2014-07-02+at+6.18.37+pm.png"></a></figure><p style="">If you felt like you always missed out on neat Japanese Pokemon merchandise exclusives that only came out in places like the Tokyo Pokemon Center, you may soon get a chance to buy them yourself. Nintendo today launched the countdown clock for an <a href="http://www.pokemoncenter.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">official online Pokemon Center</a>.</p><p style="">Of course, the US already has a Nintendo store in New York, and several smaller shops in Washington, but a site like this holds the promise of making limited-edition, Pokemon-specific items more easily accessible and readily available to other parts of the country. </p><p style="">Right now you can order three things: a plush Pikachu for $12.99, a set of Eevee evolution charms for $23.92, or a purple Mewtwo Tumbler for $17.50. The countdown isn't set to end until August 6, so we'll have quite a long wait to find out what exciting items the store will have available once it goes live. Personally, I'm holding out for a<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41o3aEXx0nL.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> classy Pikachu in a polo</a>. </p><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong>Justin Haywald is a senior editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/JustinHaywald" rel="nofollow"> Twitter @JustinHaywald</a></strong></p><p style=""><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Wed, 02 Jul 2014 18:16:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/official-pokemon-online-store-coming-in-august-cou/1100-6420894/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-forest-early-access-impressions/2300-6420042/ Teetering between moments of bone-chilling horror and utter beauty, The Forest is an early access title that aims to set itself apart from the over saturated genre of open world survival sims. Wed, 02 Jul 2014 16:42:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-forest-early-access-impressions/2300-6420042/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trials-fusion-dev-teases-co-op-mode-and-new-areas-/1100-6420889/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2585091-2763735669-waste.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2585091" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2585091-2763735669-waste.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2585091"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1539/15391776/2585091-2763735669-waste.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""><a href="/companies/redlynx/" data-ref-id="false">RedLynx</a>, developer of the 2D platforming-racing game <a href="/trials-fusion/" data-ref-id="false">Trials Fusion</a>, teased future plans for the game and detailed its first DLC pack today.</p><p style=""><a href="http://blog.ubi.com/trials-fusion-riders-of-the-rustlands-dlc/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">In an interview on the Ubisoft blog</a>, Creative Director Antti Ilvessuo said that a cooperative multiplayer mode is coming to Trials Fusion. He didn't explain this feature, but he did say, "Imagine playing Trials for your Teams, against other Teams on tracks and in tournaments and, in a little bit later down the road, online."</p><p style="">He also hinted where you will be able to ride in future Trials Fusion content. "We are planning to take the world of Trials Fusion to places that no Trials game has gone before," he said, "into the clouds, under the sea and even deep underground."</p><p style="">Ilvessuo also provided some new details for the game's first of six DLC packs. Called Riders of the Rustlands, the pack will take you to the outskirts of the futuristic city where the main game takes place. It launches on July 29.</p><p style="">The pack comes with a bunch of new tracks, challenges, and editor objects. It costs $4.99, but season pass holders can download it for free.</p><p style="">You can see the full list of what's included below.</p><ul><li>5 new achievements/trophies</li><li>10 new tracks <ul><li>6 classic Trials tracks</li><li>2 new Supercross tracks (local multiplayer)</li><li>One new Skill Game ("Laws of Motion")</li><li>One new FMX track ("The Gauntlet")</li></ul></li><li>18 new Track Challenges, including tasks such as: <ul><li>Infiltrate the Outsiders' hidden base</li><li>Compete in a game show against penguins</li><li>Find more secret squirrels</li></ul></li><li>New editor objects, including: <ul><li>Steel pipe set</li><li>Wooden ramp set</li><li>Computer mainframes</li></ul></li></ul><p style="">Trials Fusion DLC is planned to be released until May 2015. Free content updates will come between the packs, so keep an eye on GameSpot for future details on upcoming content.</p><p style="">When Fusion launched in April, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/trials-fusion-review/1900-6415733/" data-ref-id="1900-6415733">GameSpot thought that it was great</a>. Riders of the Rustlands will be available on <a href="/xbox-360/" data-ref-id="false">Xbox 360</a>, <a href="/xbox-one/" data-ref-id="false">Xbox One</a>, <a href="/playstation%204/" data-ref-id="false">PlayStation 4</a>, and <a href="/pc/" data-ref-id="false">PC</a>.</p><p style="">Where do you want to see future Trials packs go? What do you want to see from a co-op Trials mode? Let us know in the comments!</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Alex Newhouse is an editorial intern at GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/alexbnewhouse" rel="nofollow">Twitter @alexbnewhouse</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Wed, 02 Jul 2014 16:18:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trials-fusion-dev-teases-co-op-mode-and-new-areas-/1100-6420889/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/spoiler-alert-review/1900-6415811/ <p style="">A game based on a single gimmick can remain entertaining for only so long. Spoiler Alert, a 2D platformer from indie developer Megafuzz Games, flips the usual script by running each of its 100 levels filled with patterned enemies and scalable cliffs in reverse. The hand-drawn hero shuffles his feet backward as he un-jumps on enemies, sucks fireballs back into his gullet, and coughs up the coins collected when the level was originally conquered. It's a clever twist on a genre everyone is familiar with, but unfortunately, Spoiler Alert shows off its best and only trick almost immediately, and fails to introduce anything beyond it.</p><p style="">For reasons beyond understanding, you play as a spicy chili pepper who uses his stubby legs to moonwalk all the way to the "start" of the game. Since he has already conquered each level, the character simply walks backward as you control when and where he jumps. You revive crumpled enemies by reenacting well-timed jumps, while power-ups that give you the ability to breathe fire or throw hammers have to be collected and returned to their original positions before a world can be considered complete. The actions in which the character originally collected coins, dealt with enemies, and scaled obstacles must be re-created, giving you little wiggle room from level to level.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2584983-2014-07-01_00004.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584983" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2584983-2014-07-01_00004.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584983"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2584983-2014-07-01_00004.jpg"></a><figcaption>Character design is about as wacky as it gets.</figcaption></figure><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2584985-2014-07-01_00015.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584985" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2584985-2014-07-01_00015.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584985"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/416/4161502/2584985-2014-07-01_00015.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">The timing of it all can be frustrating early on: anticipating the arc of your jump to land on the lifeless body of a colorful gnome takes a few tries to get right. However, after you catch your groove, you can rush through an entire world packed with 30 unique stages in 10 to 15 minutes. Besting screen after screen of challenges is rewarding, but once you understand the mechanics and see the clear patterns, the one-note design becomes apparent and the flow continues uninterrupted. Spoiler Alert concludes not long after you defeat the first--or technically final--boss. You'd expect 100 levels to lead to hours of action, but since the majority of stages might last fewer than 10 seconds, you can easily see all of the provided content in under an hour's time. There's a certain satisfaction to mastering the game's timing and besting level after level without a hitch, but there's not enough content to back up the design. Spoiler Alert feels less like a full release and more like a paid trial. There's a speed run feature where you're asked to un-play the entire game from finish to start, but after you've un-beaten the game once, it's difficult to find motivation to trudge your way through it all again.</p><p style="">Take away the feature attraction of undoing stage after stage of activities, and you're left with a colorful yet monotonous runner devoid of challenge and inspiration in which the only substantial change between locations is the scenery. If you're unsatisfied with the suite of content provided, there's a level editor included with the Steam-exclusive Collector's Edition that allows you to flex the muscles of your imagination. All of the in-game assets are easily dragged and dropped into your own unique levels, and the simplicity and scope of Spoiler Alert's stages make creating your own reverse runner more straightforward and appealing than the typical suite of such tools.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2584984-2014-07-01_00008.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584984" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2584984-2014-07-01_00008.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584984"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2584984-2014-07-01_00008.jpg"></a><figcaption>This is the type of scenery you'd expect when the hero is a chili pepper.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The accessible creation options notwithstanding, the glitz covering this stunted platformer isn't enough to glamorize its one-note concept. Spoiler Alert fails to remain interesting over the course of its brief runtime, and while I found myself interested in seeing what would be thrown my way early on, a lack of imagination keeps the entire package from feeling complete. A unique concept needs a supporting cast of good ideas to flourish, and Spoiler Alert's lone conceit doesn't have the charms to carry the weight of an entire game on its shoulders.</p> Wed, 02 Jul 2014 15:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/spoiler-alert-review/1900-6415811/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/if-you-haven-t-tried-pc-gaming-then-it-s-about-time-you-did/1100-6420883/ <p style="">Everyone loves to argue whether gaming is better on consoles or PCs, but let's be honest: it really comes down to personal preference. But, if you haven't given PC gaming a chance, you really should. Free from the shackles of brand identity and oversight, the PC, as a platform, creates an ecosystem defined by freedom, first and foremost. It harbors innovation and experimentation, and apart from the associated cost of powerful hardware and the desire for console exclusive games, there's no reason why you shouldn't invest a little cash and take the plunge into the world of PC gaming.</p><p style="">Why, exactly? Allow me to elaborate.</p><h3><b>Thousands of Games to Choose From</b></h3><p style="">For starters, there are more games available on PC than there ever will be on a traditional console. PCs are backwards compatible with games that are years, if not decades, old. Granted, it takes know-how to overcome some operating system incompatibility issues, for which the Internet at large is a great resource, but there's nothing stopping you from playing most of the thousands of games released on PCs over the last 30 years or so. You've potentially got a lifetime's supply of games at your fingertips.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2584935-allofthegames.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584935" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2584935-allofthegames.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584935"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1406/14063904/2584935-allofthegames.jpg"></a><figcaption>At the moment, there are 12,698 PC games available on Steam.</figcaption></figure><h3><b>Open Publishing Format</b></h3><p style="">Sure, there are quality-assurance tests to overcome to get your game onto Steam, Valve's digital game sales and distribution service and the most popular among consumers, but based on the variety of games in that catalog alone, it's a welcoming place for offbeat and unusual games. This leaves developers free to create games as they wish; they don't even have to worry about getting them rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. The bottom line: There are few bureaucratic concerns for developers when developing games for PC. If they want, developers can also skip the likes of Steam altogether and publish their games completely independently. They might not want to, but the point is, they can. There's no platform that's more open to technical and artistic experimentation than the PC, and as good as that is for developers, the resulting variety of games to choose from ultimately benefits consumers.</p><h3><b>Configurable Hardware That's Not as Expensive as you Think</b></h3><p style="">In terms of hardware, consoles are static products. The hardware inside, apart from maybe the hard drive, will never change simply because you want it to. PCs are great because, ultimately, you're in control of how powerful your machine is. Maxing out a PC can be extremely costly if you need to be on the cutting edge, but it's not an all or nothing game. You can upgrade your PC piece by piece, and since the price/performance ratio scales with time, you won't have to drop a huge sum of money in one fell swoop to keep up with rendering techniques and the capabilities of consoles.</p><p style="">Even if you're building a PC from scratch, you can get started without spending much more money than you would on a new console. In April, we tried to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/can-we-build-a-gaming-pc-on-a-console-budget/1100-6418829/" data-ref-id="1100-6418829" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/can-we-build-a-gaming-pc-on-a-console-budget/1100-6418829/">build a gaming PC</a> that's comparable in performance to a next-gen console for the same price as an Xbox One with a Kinect, which was the only option at the time. We built one machine based on AMD parts, and another with Nvidia and Intel hardware. Our tests prove that, at the time, a gaming PC running cross-platform games can outperform consoles in most cases, for about the same cost. Again, after a few years, you can throw a little more cash towards new parts, and theoretically topple the rendering capabilities of consoles. Yes, you may spend $200 to $300 on a single upgrade, but that's cheaper than buying a brand new console if/when the next generation arrives, which probably won't happen for a very long time.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2584945-configurablehardware" data-ref-id="1300-2584945" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2584945-configurablehardware" data-ref-id="1300-2584945"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1406/14063904/2584945-configurablehardware"></a><figcaption>PC upgrades are a simple affair once you know what you're doing.</figcaption></figure><h3><b>The Potential to Play Games Anywhere, Anyway You Like</b></h3><p style="">One of the great things about hardware technology is that as it improves, it also tends to shrink in size. Therefore, we are now able to have thin laptops that are also powerful, and that means gaming on the go has never been easier or more convenient. Massive gaming laptops still exist, but with the likes of Razer's Blade and Blade Pro, we're beginning to see a shift, and it's possible to carry a device that's more powerful than a console, with its own screen, in your backpack.</p><p style="">It's also worth mentioning that, beyond laptops, PC gaming at home is no longer limited to the desktop. Technically, it never was, but it's now easier than ever to send a video signal to your living room. Again, Valve is leading the way with its in-home streaming application, which allows you to send content from your PC to a cheap and small device connected to a TV with little technical expertise required.</p><p style="">As a PC user, you also have a massive selection of accessories and peripherals to choose from. It's a bit of a wild west situation, in that manufacturers from all corners of the globe are experimenting with new hardware, especially now that virtual reality is a hot commodity, but that just means there's a greater chance you can find a mouse, keyboard, or controller that's perfectly suited to your needs. There are also solutions for people with disabilities, including controllers that work with your feet, eye movement, and gestures of all kinds. In terms of accessibility, the PC is second to none when it comes to gaming.</p><h3><b>Game Mods are Easy to Create and Share</b></h3><p style="">It's easier than ever for the player to double as a developer if they want get something new out of an existing game. Want to play <a href="/grand-theft-auto-iv/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/grand-theft-auto-iv/">Grand Theft Auto IV</a> with the powers of Iron Man? No problem! Had enough of <a href="/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/">Skyrim</a>'s dragons? Swap them out with Macho Man Randy Savage! User-generated content continues to grow in popularity, and developers are getting better at giving people the tools they need to create add-ons and mods for their games, but the ubiquity of said tools, and their potential, is greatest on PC. In a lot of cases, PC games are highly flexible, allowing you to use external tools to create new assets, and alter code to change the behavior of in-game elements. Plus, with Valve's Steam Workshop pipeline, accessing and sharing mods is easier than ever. Mods allow players to explore the extent of their imagination and share it with the world, and for better or worse, anything goes on PC when it comes to mods.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2584953-8674662512-5518-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584953" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2584953-8674662512-5518-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584953"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1406/14063904/2584953-8674662512-5518-.jpg"></a><figcaption>Macho Man Randy Dragon.</figcaption></figure><h3><b>Cheap Software and Services</b></h3><p style="">The Steam summer sale just wrapped, and those who dared to open their eyes and their wallets probably ended up buying a few more games than they reasonably needed. Why? Because so many great games were cheap to the point that it would be silly not to buy them. Maybe game X wasn't attractive at $20 because you weren't sold on its premise or gameplay. But when that same game is $5, the risk of investment wanes, and you're more likely to take a chance. The allure of low-risk purchases can lead to a backlog scenario that many PC gamers are all too familiar with, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Who cares if I have 20, 30, or 100 games in my Steam library that I haven't played yet? At least I have them should the day come that I run out of something to play.</p><p style="">To be fair, there are often sales on console games, but there are barriers to accessing those prices. Most of the time, you have to belong to a premium subscription service like PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold to get these discounts, but also, to play games online. Unless you're talking about subscription-based massively multiplayer online games, you're able to play online multiplayer PC games free of charge in nearly every case.</p><h3><strong>What About Consoles?</strong></h3><p style="">I still love console gaming as it exists today, but I appreciate it for different reasons than I do PC gaming. For now, there are reasons to argue for both sides of the PC vs. console debate, but if you've shied away from PCs in the past because they're not immediately user-friendly, consider giving PC gaming a chance for the reasons mentioned above, and you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by everything the platform has to offer.</p> Wed, 02 Jul 2014 15:29:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/if-you-haven-t-tried-pc-gaming-then-it-s-about-time-you-did/1100-6420883/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/xenonauts-review/1900-6415810/ <p style="">Let's be honest. If aliens were to invade right now, chances are pretty good humanity would have a tough time of it, but we might have a chance. In 1979, though? Before we had stealth fighters, before we had directed energy weapons, before supercomputers or the Internet as we know it today? We'd be crushed. Xenonauts places the future of Cold War-era humankind on your shoulders, and it's about as punishingly difficult as it should be given the setting. If the brain-melting strategy doesn't scare you away, you'll find a beautifully atmospheric game that evokes the purest dread and desperation.</p><p style="">Any discussion of Xenonauts must make a nod to its clear inspiration, X-COM. While I'd like to say that this is a spiritual sequel to 1994's <a href="/x-com-ufo-defense/" data-ref-id="false">X-COM: UFO Defense</a>, it's a lot more accurate to say that it's more of a remake than even Firaxis' <a href="/xcom-enemy-unknown/" data-ref-id="false">XCOM: Enemy Unknown</a>. Xenonauts strikes a balance between large-scale, real-time global logistics and small-scale personnel tactics. You must capture and research alien technology in the dire hope that humanity can reverse-engineer weapons to match and ultimately exceed those of the invaders before it's too late. You may also name your squads after friends and family to make ckear the human costs of war. With these parallels, Xenonauts struggles to establish its own identity. There are only a handful of substantive differences between it and the games that preceded it, and while each difference adds a lot to the game, it's also impossible to shake the feeling that you've done this all before.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2582167-0001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2582167" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2582167-0001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2582167"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2582167-0001.jpg"></a><figcaption>As you capture alien technology and pass it off to your research team, you learn more about your foes and move closer to discerning their true intentions.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The war for Earth is pretty slow at first. The aliens you face hail from a planet with an extremely thin atmosphere, and they have to modify their ships before they can land. This minor narrative touch may seem insignificant, but it gives the early hours coherence by explaining the slow ramp-up in the enemy offensive. It's apparent that you're living on borrowed time. These visitors aren't friendly, and they have Earth surrounded.</p><p style="">Your main goal is to construct and maintain bases that monitor and guard as much of the world's airspace as possible, as well as to launch ground missions to recover alien technology or capture one alien leaders. And thus rises the multilayered strategy that links everything together. You need cash to run your bases, supply your troops, and keep the aliens from wiping out humanity. Missions help keep the international community happy, which keeps the money flowing. Every mechanic feeds into another, and a weak plan on one front can have a lot of critical repercussions. When starting up Xenonauts for the first time, I attempted to build two bases right off the bat. I wanted to secure a decent chunk of the planet and steadily expand from there. Unfortunately, founding and supplying two facilities rapidly drains your cash and keeps you from being able to carefully invest in the development of new, efficient weapons and tech for your soldiers and fighter jets. That doesn't mean it's impossible, but poorly conceived plans lead to humanity's doom.</p><blockquote data-align="left" data-size="medium"><p style="">It's immediately apparent that you're living on borrowed time.</p></blockquote><p style="">Failing to protect some regions causes your program to steadily lose funding as those regions lose faith in the Xenonauts project. Because humanity as a whole is on the defensive, downing enemy aircraft is your bread and butter. You need to keep UFOs from bombing cities, abducting citizens, or straight-up attacking your bases. Initially, that's not a tall order. At first, only small craft like probes and corvettes can be modified to enter Earth's atmosphere. Intercepting them carries virtually no risk. You can have battles auto-resolve, with the game using basic aircraft statistics to determine the victor. If you prefer more direct interaction, you can play out the dogfights with a system that very closely resembles Cold War-era radar screens. Ships and planes are represented by green 2D sprites, and their firing arcs and weapon ranges are clearly displayed. If you're careful, manual dogfights can assist you in your path to victory. About midway through the game, I was lagging behind my fighter upgrades and couldn't keep up with the stronger, faster alien vessels, but I could still survive thanks to smart maneuvering. With a few careful clicks and some liberal use of my afterburners, I kept two of my jets in the aliens' blind spots and downed the ships before they could reach Dublin and initiate a wholesale slaughter.</p><p style="">When you can successfully scrap a UFO over land, you have a narrow window in which you can launch an automated airstrike to clear out all of the alien troops and pick up a moderate amount of cash, or you can choose to launch a ground mission. These have you organize landing squads to scavenge what alien tech you can and bring it back for future research. They also give your soldiers an opportunity to accumulate valuable battlefield experience, dramatically improving their stats over time. The surviving extraterrestrial troops and robots attempt to fight you off, making these missions dangerous propositions. The technological superiority of your foes makes itself readily apparent here; the extraterrestrial soldiers can immediately kill one of your soldiers if you're not extremely careful. Your weapons, and later your cheap imitations of the alien weapons, just aren't as effective. These ground missions help distinguish Xenonauts from its influences. Whereas XCOM: Enemy Unknown had small, tight levels that helped clearly identify threats, Xenonauts has sprawling levels with extremely limited visibility. Cover is also of limited use; in almost every case it can be destroyed with a few shots or a stray grenade. During night missions, your soldiers have severely limited visibility. The aliens, once again, have an advantage, with infrared vision. The result is an extremely lethal set of missions that help drive home the overwhelming danger posed by Earth's visitors.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2582168-0002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2582168" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2582168-0002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2582168"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2582168-0002.jpg"></a><figcaption>I might be a little paranoid about what's on the other side of this door. But my fear is not unwarranted.</figcaption></figure><p style="">During one excursion, with a squad of battle-hardened veterans, I caught myself screaming at my computer screen, begging them to stop succumbing to a previously unknown line of alien androids for just a few more turns. After the anger and panic subsided, I realized I had no one else to blame but myself for the loss. Yes, Xenonauts is lethal, but never unfairly so. The environments are almost completely destructible with the right gear, and once you've cleared an area of civilians, wanton destruction comes with almost no penalty. Xenonauts necessitates a metered ruthlessness, a barely contained thirst for devastation that you periodically release to ensure absolute dominance. This is ultimately the game's single best design decision. Xenonaut's gameplay ably complements its narrative. You aren't just told to feel desperate; you must take desperate measures to have any hope of victory.</p><p style="">Unfortunately, while Xenonauts creates a network of mutually reinforcing sections, it borrows too heavily from the 1994 X-COM in some not-so-flattering ways. The user interface can be obnoxious and obtuse. Even with an internal game manual, I didn't figure out that right-clicking and dragging would change which direction a soldier was facing until a few too many hours into my first run. Outfitting your squads with the gear and equipment they need can also be a pain. In addition, the game's uninspired visuals lack the panache of its more recent competitor, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, which magnified powerful attacks with its cinematic, over-the-shoulder camera. A similar brand of drama could have made Xenonauts' battles all the more thrilling, but the distant camera keeps the action at arm's length.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2582169-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2582169" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2582169-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2582169"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2582169-0003.jpg"></a><figcaption>Completing missions yields experience and war medals for your soldiers, which sets them apart from new recruits and further encourages you to protect them.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Xenonauts is an unlikely success, a challenging clone of a beloved classic with enough tweaks to entice fans and newcomers alike. It might look rather cheap at first glance, but underneath that rough exterior lies something special. Breaking the game down and looking at all of its pieces in isolation would do the game a disservice, because every facet helps focus the true luster of the whole.</p> Wed, 02 Jul 2014 15:08:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/xenonauts-review/1900-6415810/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/primary-assassin-s-creed-development-duties-shift-to-different-ubisoft-studio/1100-6420888/ <div data-height="100%" data-width="100%" data-ref-id="2300-6419587" data-embed-type="video"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419587/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Ubisoft's crown jewel, the <a href="/assassins-creed-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed</a> franchise, is undergoing a shift, as the company today announced plans to have Ubisoft Quebec lead development of future games in the series.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This move takes the lead development duties out of the hands of Ubisoft Montreal, the longtime primary developer of the series.Quebec doesn't come in lacking any experience with Assassin's Creed; it's contributed to the series since 2010's <a href="/assassins-creed-brotherhood/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood</a>, having worked on <a href="/assassins-creed-revelations/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed: Revelations</a>, <a href="/assassins-creed-iii/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed III</a>'s Tyranny of King Washington DLC, and <a href="/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag</a>'s Freedom Cry DLC.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Since 2010, our understanding of the franchise has increased each year," said Ubisoft Quebec managing director Nicolas Rioux in an interview the official <a href="http://blog.ubi.com/ubisoft-quebec-assassins-creed/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Ubisoft blog</a>. He added, "We have the confidence of the brand team and also from Ubisoft to take leadership of an upcoming Assassin's Creed title. The team is ready for the next big step."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Quebec certainly doesn't lack for manpower; it has more than 350 people at its disposal and has plans to reach 425 employees by 2018. Presumably Ubisoft will continue to have multiple studios working on each Assassin's Creed game--<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/10-studios-are-working-on-assassin-s-creed-unity-that-s-three-more-than-ac4/1100-6419664/" data-ref-id="1100-6419664">ten studios, including Quebec and Montreal, are at work</a> on the upcoming <a href="/assassins-creed-unity/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed Unity</a>. It's unclear what role Ubisoft Montreal will play in the series going forward; even while leading development on the series, it's continued to work on a multitude of other projects, including <a href="/watch-dogs/" data-ref-id="false">Watch Dogs</a> and <a href="/far-cry-4/" data-ref-id="false">Far Cry 4</a>. We also don't know exactly why Ubisoft is making this move, but we've contacted the company for comment and will report back with anything we learn.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Coinciding with this news regarding Assassin's Creed is word that Ubisoft plans to relocate its Quebec operations. It will be moving the studio to a new location in the St-Roch district of Quebec in spring 2016 that will be home to a "cutting-edge studio" for at least the next 14 years. From a previously announced $28 million CAD (about $26.2 million USD) investment in Ubisoft Quebec, $4 million CAD (about $3.75 million) will go toward the new digs. Quebec City has also announced a new program that will see it make a $500,000 CAD (about $468,000) investment to help outfit the new location.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Ubisoft Quebec is already at work on a new Assassin's Creed game, although no details on that project were forthcoming. The only upcoming game in the series currently announced is Unity, which will be available for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-assassin-s-creed-unity-coming-to-xbox-one-ps4-and-pc-on-october-28/1100-6420262/" data-ref-id="1100-6420262">October 28</a>. A separate game <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-2014-s-other-assassin-s-creed-game-will-let-you-play-as-a-templar/1100-6418593/" data-ref-id="1100-6418593">allowing players to assume the role of a Templar</a> is reportedly in the works for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. There has been no official word on that as of yet, although Ubisoft has indicated it's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-not-ready-to-abandon-xbox-360-ps3-just-yet/1100-6419673/" data-ref-id="1100-6419673">not ready to abandon last-gen hardware</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Do you like the direction the Assassin's Creed franchise is headed in? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/thesmokingmanx" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Wed, 02 Jul 2014 15:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/primary-assassin-s-creed-development-duties-shift-to-different-ubisoft-studio/1100-6420888/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sniper-elite-iii-review-roundup/1100-6420885/ <div data-height="100%" data-width="100%" data-ref-id="2300-6420019" data-embed-type="video"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6420019/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">As a tactical, third-person shooter with an emphasis on sniping, <a href="/sniper-elite-iii/" data-ref-id="false">Sniper Elite III</a> is decidedly different from the industry's most popular shooters, like <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty</a> and <a href="/battlefield-hardline/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield</a>. But what, if anything, does that mean for the quality of the newly released shooter? We've rounded up a helping of reviews to help you decide if it's worth a look.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">If you're in the market for a new shooter on the platform of your choice--it's available on PC and every current console that Nintendo doesn't have a hand in--it sounds as if you could do worse than Sniper Elite III. The game includes a campaign mode in addition to competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes, the latter of which lets you play through the entire campaign with another player.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sniper Elite III recently made headlines with its new game when it <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sniper-elite-3-steam-keys-bought-in-good-faith-revoked-as-result-of-scam/1100-6420803/" data-ref-id="1100-6420803">revoked an unspecified number of Steam keys</a> for the new shooter that were reportedly stolen. Those affected will be getting a piece of DLC for free.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A selection of reviews follow below. Look for GameSpot's soon; for more in the meantime, check out <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/sniper-elite-iii" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot sister site Metacritic</a>.</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><strong>Game:</strong> Sniper Elite III</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Developer:</strong> Rebellion</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Platforms:</strong> PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Release Date:</strong> July 1</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Price:</strong> $49.99 (PC, Xbox One, PS4); $39.99 (Xbox 360, PS3)</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr">Eurogamer -- 7/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"The package as a whole is still very much a rough diamond, but it's a definite improvement over its predecessor. The gruesome kill-cam remains a deliciously wrong thrill and the unifying force that holds the game together, but it's doubtful that it would be enough to paper over the cracks in a fourth game without a major overhaul of the AI and physics code. Even with its flaws, though, Sniper Elite 3 is a solidly enjoyable mid-tier action game. It may not hit the bullseye, but it's getting closer with every shot." [<a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-06-26-sniper-elite-3-review" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-06">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">Edge -- 5/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"Campaign missions are lengthy, packed full of optional objectives that smooth your progress, such as taking out searchlight operators or disabling vehicles. A leveling system doles out new kit for your customizable loadout, and there's co-op and online multiplayer to contend with when Fairburne's mission is complete. But content is no substitute for quality, and while Sniper Elite III might have made for an engaging design document, it isn't much of a game." [<a href="http://www.edge-online.com/review/sniper-elite-iii-review/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">PC Gamer -- 70/100</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"It's all very similar to <a href="/sniper-elite-v2/" data-ref-id="false">Sniper Elite V2</a>, but SE3 does everything a little better, and it does the campaign much better. I wish I could celebrate its classic stylings without any caveats, but as much as I personally enjoy it, I can't look past the bugs, the exploitable AI, and the annoying movement system. The multiplayer is good, but there are too few maps and modes, and I'm not optimistic about mod support. I'm sure there will be plenty of DLC, though." [<a href="http://www.pcgamer.com/review/sniper-elite-3-review/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2584973" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2584973-se3+xray.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2584973-se3+xray.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2584973"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2584973-se3+xray.jpg"></a><figcaption>A look at the game's X-ray kill cam.</figcaption></figure><h3 dir="ltr">IGN -- 8.2/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"Sniper Elite III's open level designs and objectives pack in more than enough variety and stealthy tension to counterbalance its thin story and shaky enemy intelligence, and experimenting with its explosive traps is almost as fun as popping skulls with a sniper rifle. The skeleton-shattering, long-distance kills are still its riveting centerpiece, of course, but even without the element of dumb fun they offer, Sniper Elite III would still be a smart, unexpectedly memorable experience." [<a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/26/sniper-elite-iii-review" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">Game Informer -- 6.5/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"I openly admit that I love gory kills and living the hero sniper fantasy, but Sniper Elite III only partially delivers on the latter. If you can't get enough of dramatic, transparent shots of enemies getting shredded by sniper fire, Sniper Elite III has you covered in spades. If you're interested in more motivation beyond the glory of the kill, look elsewhere." [<a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/sniper_elite_3/b/playstation4/archive/2014/07/01/game-informer-review-sniper-elite-3.aspx" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">Official Xbox Magazine -- 6/10</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"Glitchy level geometry and the gung-ho tone render it a touch too charmless to rank as one of the great B-games, but it competently delivers on its premise. With each level supporting multiple different approaches past its idiotic guards, and stuffed with collectibles you'll easily overlook amid the drab design, it could easily soak up those long days waiting for the next Xbox One release. You'll know that you could be doing better things with your time, but you probably won't mind." [<a href="http://www.totalxbox.com/78692/reviews/sniper-elite-3-xbox-one-review/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><h3 dir="ltr">Rock, Paper, Shotgun</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">"I'd love to have seen Rebellion weave more WW2 history into their solo campaign, and put a bit more love and novelty into their online play modes. Other than that, mark me down as a satisfied customer. The prospect of a second campaign playthrough--this time in Authentic mode (no threat radar, aiming aids, or saves!)--is genuinely enticing as is the thought of spending further evenings online, crouched in shadows, waiting and watching…" [<a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/06/30/sniper-elite-3-review/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Full review</a>]</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/thesmokingmanx" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Wed, 02 Jul 2014 13:49:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sniper-elite-iii-review-roundup/1100-6420885/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/exploring-the-new-worlds-in-world-of-warcraft-warl/2300-6420037/ Julio and Justin school Danny and Chris about the new character models and areas to explore in the latest WoW expansion. Wed, 02 Jul 2014 12:12:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/exploring-the-new-worlds-in-world-of-warcraft-warl/2300-6420037/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-gist-5-awesome-e3-2014-trailers-you-may-have-m/2300-6420025/ We cover you off on 5 of the coolest looking trailers that debuted at E3 this year that you may have missed out on. Wed, 02 Jul 2014 12:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-gist-5-awesome-e3-2014-trailers-you-may-have-m/2300-6420025/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/fire-the-intern-sniper-elite-iii-nut-shot-fail-the/2300-6420036/ Alex the Intern has to get 3 nut shots in Sniper Elite 3 or lose his coveted position. We'll miss you Alex. Wed, 02 Jul 2014 11:54:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/fire-the-intern-sniper-elite-iii-nut-shot-fail-the/2300-6420036/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/divinity-original-sin-first-impressions-the-lobby/2300-6420034/ Kevin VanOrd shows off where he's currently at with his Divinity: Original Sin review and gives us a look at the skill and spell lists. Wed, 02 Jul 2014 11:40:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/divinity-original-sin-first-impressions-the-lobby/2300-6420034/
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