Serious Sam’s next adventure will be in virtual reality
Adapting classic gaming franchises to VR seems to be a theme at E3 this year. Fallout is getting a VR experience. So is Doom. So, what nostalgic game series is next? Serious Sam, of course. Today, Croteam announced Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope — a virtual reality smorgasbord of explosions, hordes of alien monsters and gratuitous 1990s video game violence.
The game’s teaser trailer is wonderfully silly — bursting with the over-the-top aggressive shtick Serious Sam is known for. Details on gameplay are a little sparse though: all we really know is that players will face off against new and old enemies in new and old locations, and that the game appears to be a standing rail action shooter akin to Space Pirate Trainer.
If the trailer seems a little shallow, that’s because it is — the title’s developer says that Serious Sam VR is just a “fun separate side project,” and reassures die-hard fans on twitter that a proper sequel is still in the works. “We’re still working hard on Serious Sam 4 as our prime goal,” Croteam wrote on Twitter. “Be patient!” There’s no word on when the official sequel will be ready, but folks with VR headsets will be able to play Serious Sam VR on Steam early access later this summer.
Source: Twitter
‘Prey’ reboot arrives in 2017
Yes, the Prey franchise is still alive — but you’ll want to forget that ill-fated sequel from years ago. Bethesda used its E3 event to unveil a series reboot, simply called Prey, that shares little (if anything) in common with either the 2006 original or the since-discarded follow-up. Arkane’s shooter puts you in the shoes of Morgan Yu, an experimental subject plunked aboard a space station and tracked down by invading aliens. You’ll have to use weapons, tools, and “mind-bending abilities” to win. Bethesda is only committing to a 2017 release window, but the new Prey will ship for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
Source: Bethesda Softworks (YouTube)
‘Titanfall 2’ explores the human-robot link on October 28th
EA isn’t waiting until its big E3 shindig to say more about Titanfall 2. The publisher has followed up leaks by posting a trailer revealing the first few details of Respawn’s next robotic shooter, including its widely-reported single-player campaign. You take the role of Jack Cooper, a Militia soldier who links with a Titan after its previous pilot is killed in action. From all indications, that human-robot connection will play a central role in the story — your Titan is as much a friendly helper as it is a relentless war machine.
As for the actual gameplay mechanics? There are six new Titans for multiplayer play as well as more weapons, greater customization (including new pilot skills) and a “robust” progression system. Titanfall 2 should drop on October 28th for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. We suspect that EA might have more to say about the game at its E3 event at 4PM Eastern today (the 12th), but what’s public is already a good indication of what to expect.
Update: EA showed off multiplayer at its E3 event (you can see the trailer below), and there are fresh movement elements such as grappling hooks and sliding. Naturally, this also gives you a good peek at the new Titans and weapons. And to round things out, there’s news of a multiplayer test ahead of the game’s launch, if you want to see what all the fuss is about.
Source: EA
Telltale’s episodic ‘Batman’ game launches this summer
At last, Telltale’s Batman game exists as more than a set of cryptic teasers. The studio has revealed the first screenshots of the episodic game (now titled Batman – The Telltale Series), its cast and its launch strategy. As you can see here, the look is very much what you’d expect — it combines Telltale’s signature comic book-inspired artwork with the moodiness of modern Batman stories. The cast is full of voice acting veterans, too, including Troy Baker as Batman (no stranger to other Batman characters), Erin Yvette (a regular in Telltale’s games) and Richard McGonagle (Sully in Uncharted).
The five-episode first season begins this summer on consoles, Macs and PCs. You can download episodes as they become available, of course, but there will also be a Season Pass Disc at retail that unlocks the first season. It’s too soon to tell whether or not Telltale’s Batman will be as successful as Rocksteady’s Arkham titles. However, the emphasis on the Bruce Wayne persona could add some variety after several years of straightforward (if very well-done) beat-em-ups.
Source: Telltale Games
The first ‘Star Trek’ VR game arrives this fall
If you’re a Star Trek fan, the odds are that your dream game (outside of a Holodeck) involves helming a starship as if you were really on the bridge. Well, you’re about to get your wish: Ubisoft has teased Star Trek: Bridge Crew, the sci-fi series’ first-ever virtual reality game. The title is set in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek universe, and has you taking on the captain, engineer, helm or tactical stations of the remarkably Enterprise-like starship Aegis as it resettles what’s left of the Vulcan population. Think of it as a very sophisticated VR version of Spaceteam — you have to coordinate with the rest of your crew to explore the galaxy and fight off enemies.
Bridge Crew arrives this fall and will support both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift on PCs as well as PlayStation VR. More details will have to wait until Ubisoft’s E3 press event on Monday, but it’s already clear that the publisher is making good on its promise of a big VR gaming push this year. We wouldn’t be surprised if Ubi has more extra-immersive games to show when it takes to the stage.
Source: AP
‘Star Wars: Battlefront’ gets Lando and Cloud City on June 21st
You won’t have to wait too much longer to fill the Cloud City-sized hole in Star Wars: Battlefront’s content. EA has revealed that the promised Bespin DLC will arrive on June 21st for Season Pass holders, and two weeks later (July 5th) for everyone else. As before, the highlights of the paid add-on are the introduction of Lando Calrissian and Cloud City — you’re getting everyone’s favorite administrator-turned-general as well as a much-needed change of scenery.
The add-on also brings the bounty hunter Dengar and two fresh weapons (a blaster and a sniper rifle). There are also promises of new game modes, star cards and more, but EA is hush-hush on those details. You probably won’t know the exact value of the Bespin DLC until close to launch, then, but the odds are that it’s much like the Outer Rim pack. It’ll make the most sense if you’re either completely hooked on Battlefront, a Star Wars completionist or both.
Via: Polygon
Source: EA
Valencia CF is the next big soccer club to start an eSports team
At this rate, soccer (aka football) clubs signing eSports teams is quickly becoming an everyday occurrence: Valencia CF has become the first club in Spain’s La Liga to have its own eSports team. It’s not certain just how many games the new outfit will play (Hearthstone and Rocket League are in the mix), but it’s counting Twitch as an official partner. The first virtual match takes place roughly three weeks from now, in Madrid.
Valencia isn’t shy about the reasons behind the move. At the least, the eSports team will give greater visibility to the conventional sports club. However, the organization also sees the potential for big money. ESports are already pulling in hundreds of millions of Euros in Europe, and they’re only expected to grow in the next few years. The move could give Valencia a head start in a competitive gaming world that could easily hit the big time.
Source: Valencia CF
Valencia CF is the next big soccer club to start an eSports team
At this rate, soccer (aka football) clubs signing eSports teams is quickly becoming an everyday occurrence: Valencia CF has become the first club in Spain’s La Liga to have its own eSports team. It’s not certain just how many games the new outfit will play (Hearthstone and Rocket League are in the mix), but it’s counting Twitch as an official partner. The first virtual match takes place roughly three weeks from now, in Madrid.
Valencia isn’t shy about the reasons behind the move. At the least, the eSports team will give greater visibility to the conventional sports club. However, the organization also sees the potential for big money. ESports are already pulling in hundreds of millions of Euros in Europe, and they’re only expected to grow in the next few years. The move could give Valencia a head start in a competitive gaming world that could easily hit the big time.
Source: Valencia CF
‘Forza Motorsport’ gets an official eSports championship
Microsoft and Turn 10 definitely aren’t shy about turning the Forza Motorsport series into a competitive gamer’s dream. They’ve unveiled the Forza Racing Championship, a company-run league (no third-party collaborations here) that invites anyone to race for real prizes. Most details aren’t available yet, but the championship will kick off with Forza Motorsport 6 in the summer. And don’t worry, you’ll still get something out of it even if you have no intentions of making a name for yourself. Anyone who has played Forza 6 is getting a code for a free Ford GT Le Mans car, so you’ll have something new to try when you’re racing purely for fun.
Source: Forza Motorsport
‘Horizon: Zero Dawn’ pushed back to February 28th, 2017
Did Horizon: Zero Dawn’s 2016 release window seem overly optimistic to you given its open world game mechanics, David-versus-Goliath battles and novel setting? Your concern was well-warranted. Guerrilla Games has delayed the release of the PS4 title to February 28th, 2017. It needs the extra time to live up to its “ambitious vision” for the title. That’s not a gigantic setback, but it’s bound to be disappointing if you were hoping to hunt gigantic robot dinosaurs by the holidays.
Via: Polygon
Source: PlayStation Blog
AIVAnet 