Telltale’s second ‘Batman’ episode arrives September 20th
Telltale took its sweet time readying the first episode of its Batman adventure game series, but you won’t have to wait too long to see what happens next. The studio has announced that the second episode, Children of Arkham, arrives on September 20th on Windows (through Steam), PS4 and Xbox One. Mum’s the word on what happens in the next episode (some PAX West guests will already know by the time you read this), but it’s reasonable to presume that it’ll continue to balance Bruce Wayne’s attempt to balance his normal life with his vigilante side.
There’s more on the way, too. If you insist on a disc-based copy, you can buy the previously unveiled retail version (which includes the first episode and a season pass for the rest) on September 13th. And you should hear about more platform support this month — if you aren’t willing to switch devices just to follow the Caped Crusader’s exploits, you may be in luck.
Source: Telltale Games
Razer and Maingear partner on an all-out gaming PC
Maingear isn’t playing favorites when it comes to partners for over-the-top gaming rigs. The PC builder is teaming up with Razer for the R1 Razer Edition, a tower PC that’s as much about showing off as boosting your frame rates. Razer, as you might have noticed, handles the design — it’s monolithic, flashy and loaded with green lighting, including for the optional liquid cooling system. Even the wiring is kept super-tidy to both improve airflow and impress your friends.
Of course, there’s some steak to go with the sizzle. A base model starts at $999 with a 3.2GHz Core i5, 8GB of RAM, a GeForce GTX 1060 and a 1TB hard drive. If you can open your wallet wide enough, though, it’s possible to go wild. You can outfit the R1 with the aforementioned liquid cooling as well as up to a 10-core i7, dual GeForce Titan X video cards, 128GB of RAM and exotic storage options like a 1.2TB PCI Express solid-state drive. If you’re eager to see what Razer can bring to desktop gaming beyond its Lenovo collaboration, you can order the R1 today.
Source: Maingear, BusinessWire
Watch Nintendo’s 3DS-focused Direct here at 10AM ET
Nintendo is giving some love to its handheld 3DS console at its IFA 2016 Nintendo Direct event this year. Expected titles include Shin Megami Tensei 4 Apocalypse, Yo-kai Watch 2, Pokemon Sun & Moon and more. We can also expect some Amiibo figurines that work with Nintendo’s New 3DS and New 3DS XL, or on the older models via a reader.
What we’re really hoping to see, however, is an appearance by Detective Pikachu, the Japan-only game that sees the Pokemon character make like Sherlock Holmes. Luckily, we won’t have to wait long to find out, as the Nintendo Direct show starts streaming on Twitch, or you can see it below at 10AM ET.
Source: Nintendo (Twitter)
More of Sierra’s classic adventure games come to Steam
Sure, Sierra’s biggest adventure game titles (such as King’s Quest and Space Quest) have been around in their original forms on Steam for a while, but many gamers remember playing a lot more than that. What about arresting perps in Police Quest, or saving the day in Quest for Glory (aka Hero’s Quest)? You’re set from now on. Sierra and Activision have released a wave of further classics on Steam, including the Police Quest Collection, the original Gabriel Knight trilogy and the two Phantasmagoria games. You’ll get a handful of non-adventure titles published under Sierra’s wing, too, such as Arcanum and Caesar 4.
As a rule, the adventure franchises are worth a look. Police Quest was a police procedural at a time when cops in video games were cartoonish at best. Quest for Glory merged adventure and role-playing game elements, and Gabriel Knight had a novel-like quality. And did we mention that the first Phantasmagoria broke ground in both live-action video and pushing the boundaries of mature content in games? There’s a good reason that Sierra founders Ken and Roberta Williams received honors at the Game Awards.
This definitely isn’t a comprehensive expansion of the Sierra roster. Where are The Black Cauldron, Freddy Pharkas and Gold Rush, dammit? Still, it’s a good way to either revisit the Sierra hits of your youth or see how far adventure games have progressed over the years.
Via: Wired, The Verge
Source: Steam
‘Gran Turismo Sport’ delayed to sometime in 2017
Polyphony Digital has a reputation for taking its sweet time to bring Gran Turismo games to Sony consoles, and Gran Turismo Sport won’t be an exception to the rule. The studio has delayed its first PS4 racing game to sometime in 2017 after having previously committed to a November 2016 launch. Why the sudden change of plans? Polyphony chief Kazunori Yamauchi says his team doesn’t want to “compromise the experience in any way” — as is frequently the case, the company would rather be late than sully its obsessive vision. That’s wise given the history of rushed driving game launches (case in point: Driveclub), but it’s unfortunate for PS4 owners who’ve been waiting for what’s likely to be their console’s definitive racing title.
Source: PlayStation Blog
PlayStation Now is available on your PC
Sony was vague about when PlayStation Now would reach PCs, but apparently you didn’t have to wait long at all — it’s available today. If you have a sufficiently beefy Windows PC (a 3.5GHz Core i3 or better), you can stream PS3 games to your computer that include recent additions like Tomb Raider: GOTY Edition or Heavy Rain. You’ll still need a fairly pricey subscription. You’ll ideally want a DualShock 4 controller (either wired or through the $25 wireless adapter due in September) to play as well, although it’s not strictly necessary — an Xbox 360 gamepad is fine if you don’t need Sixaxis support, for instance. As it is, Sony is sweetening the pot through a promo that gives you a year of PS Now for $100. That’s inexpensive enough that it could be worth a shot, especially if you’ve never owned a PlayStation and want to see what the fuss is about.
Source: PlayStation Blog
‘Halo 5: Forge’ reaches PCs on September 8th
It won’t take much longer before you can get a taste of Halo 5 on your PC. Microsoft and 343 Industries have revealed that Halo 5: Forge, the multiplayer level creation experience, will reach Windows 10 on September 8th. As mentioned earlier, it’s all about playing multiplayer matches on custom maps created either on the PC or the Xbox One. You won’t get either the single-player campaign (possibly a good thing) or the stock maps from the console release. You do get the perks of playing on more flexible hardware, though, such as support for 4K displays and a interface that takes advantage of finer-grained mouse and keyboard controls.
At the same time, Xbox One owners are getting a Halo 5: Guardians update (Anvil’s Legacy) that brings them in sync with the Windows release. You can play Forge maps from Windows creators, and you’ll get both two new maps (one for the Arena mode, one for Warzone) as well as new weapons, attachments and skins. No, it’s not the same as getting the exact same game on both platforms, but it’s clear between this, Forza and Gears of War that the days of Xbox-only flagship games are over.
Source: Xbox Wire
PSN’s first Humble Bundle gives you Capcom games at a discount
Humble Bundle is best-known for its PC game offers, but it’s branching out in a big way. It’s partnering with Capcom and Sony to launch PSN’s first-ever Humble Bundle, the appropriately titled Humble Capcom PlayStation Bundle. Pay at least $1 and you’ll both get a handful of Capcom titles as well as donate some of your purchase toward the American Red Cross, Rettsyndrome.org and Save the Children. You can choose how much goes to charity versus the developer, so there’s an incentive to splurge in the name of a good cause.
As always, what you get depends on how much you’re willing to spend. Everyone who chips in will get Strider, Final Fight: Double Impact, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 and a 45 percent discount for Street Fighter V. They’re nothing to write home about (Strider is the only PS4 title at this tier if you’re not buying SFV), but it’s still a good value. Naturally, things get more interesting the more you’re willing to pay. Pay above the average and you’ll snag the HD remasters of Okami and Resident Evil alongside four other games. Spend at least $15, meanwhile, and you’ll score Devil May Cry HD, Resident Evil 0 Remastered and a half-off coupon for Mega Man Legacy Collection.
If you like what you see, you’ll have until September 5th at 2PM Eastern to take advantage of the Humble Bundle. It’s not a killer deal, but it could be a good way to catch up on games that you missed the first time around. And look at it this way: if this offer proves to be a hit, you might just see other developers offering PSN bundles of their own.
Source: Humble Bundle, PlayStation Blog
‘Star Citizen’ presentation hints the game is coming together
We won’t blame you if you’re skeptical that Star Citizen will ever be a finished, shipping title. Even now, it’s not so much a game as a collection of modules: you can explore space and get into gun battles on foot, but not much more. However, Roberts Space Industries just gave an indication that things might be coming along. The studio has shown a 52-minute presentation at Gamescom that illustrates a truly cohesive (if still imperfect) experience coming with the 3.0 alpha. You can board your ship at a space station, fly between planets, pick up missions and touch down on strange new worlds without transitions. It’s all modeled as one seamless universe.
The planets are noteworthy all by themselves. They’re not only vast (the demo planet is over 1,240 miles in diameter), but detailed. You can see fellow players taking a base elevator from the comfort of your ship, if you’re flying close enough. Planets even have distinct atmospheric properties, so a more aerodynamic spaceship may be more maneuverable. Think of it as No Man’s Sky, only without the extreme procedural generation and more of an emphasis on civilization than wildlife.
There’s still plenty left unfinished. A base in the demo doesn’t have working shops, for example, and promises of people coming and going with their own schedules have yet to be fulfilled. You’ll have to wait until closer to the end of 2016 to try the 3.0 alpha for yourself. However, what’s shown here still feels much more like… well, a game. Star Citizen is still relying heavily on its “trust us, it’ll be cool” hype to get by, but at least far enough into development that you can get an inkling of what the complete experience could be.
We’re live all week from Cologne, Germany for Gamescom 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Source: Roberts Space Industries
Microsoft will let you try Windows 10 games early
The Xbox Game Preview program is a nice way to try indie console games before they’re finished, but what about PC gamers? Where’s Microsoft’s answer to Steam Early Access? At last, it’s here. Microsoft has announced that Xbox Game Preview is coming to Windows 10, giving you a chance to play early desktop games and potentially influence their design. The company has only confirmed Rockfish Games’ Everspace as one of the launch titles for the initiative, but it’s vowing that there will be “many more to come.”
The effort could help Microsoft generate some of the indie buzz that has been missing on the Windows Store. You might not have to go to Steam to find the next Ark: Survival Evolved or Kerbal Space Program while it’s still in development. There’s no doubt that the crew in Redmond faces an uphill battle, though. Steam is still the default portal for many gamers, and they may not feel compelled to switch unless they can expect to find a similar volume and quality of titles in Microsoft’s digital shop.
Source: Xbox Wire
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