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'Sunset Overdrive' shows Ubisoft just how easy it is to put female assassins in a game
We're pretty big fans of Insomniac Games' upcoming Xbox One release Sunset Overdrive 'round these parts, but now that love has grown a bit more. In the latest episode of the development team's web series, noticed by Eurogamer, it was revealed that you can create a female avatar in the game. What's more, if you want to be a dude in a skirt, you can totally be a dude in a skirt -- Insomniac isn't really worried about it either way. The funny part of this is that the female character that's shown is dressed in garb that looks pretty similar to what we've seen a certain male killer from Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed 2 wear. If you're asking yourself what all of this means, well, last week Ubisoft said putting playable female characters in the franchise's next entry, Assassin's Creed: Unity, would require resources the team simply doesn't have.
Sunset Overdrive embraces female characters, gender-neutral customization
Insomniac Games is reiterating (following our preview) that it will feature a broad range of playable female characters in its upcoming Xbox One-exclusive action game, Sunset Overdrive. A new promotional video seems to poke fun at recent claims that adding playable female characters to Assassin's Creed: Unity would require "a lot of extra production work." The "Sunset TV" episode above showcases a female avatar clad in a robed outfit, similar to those worn by Assassin's Creed: Unity's all-male co-op troupe. Insomniac also notes that gender will not limit avatar customization options in Sunset Overdrive. "If you want to be a dude in a skirt, you can be a dude in a skirt," Insomniac's Brandon Winfrey quips in the video above. Insomniac Games additionally revealed that Sunset Overdrive will feature tower defense-like "trap" mechanics during night sequences. Announced traps include flame-spewing jump pads and the Pandora's trap, which summons surprise helper characters like "pick-axing gnomes who enjoy using inappropriate language." [Video: Insomniac]
Doctor Who-inspired animation one of Sunset Overdrive's most requested respawns
Since it revealed "next-gen respawning" in Sunset Overdrive – the popular culture-infused animations that return players to the action after death – developer Insomniac Games has been flooded with suggestions from fans. Insomniac Creative Director Marcus Smith says that one of the themes most suggested to him by fans is something inspired by Doctor Who. "People want to see that Tardis spinning in," he told me at an event showcasing Microsoft's upcoming lineup. Smith wouldn't give away any final respawn animation secrets.
Video preview: Sunset Overdrive grinds out its own rules
In the chaotic world of Sunset Overdrive there are virtually no rules: Realistic physics are merely a suggestion, weapon designs were likely first scrawled in a composition notebook by a madman, and returning to the battlefield after death is a mashup of nostalgia and insanity. All of these are positive points. Insomniac's Xbox One-exclusive third-person shooter is set to launch this fall. For a more detailed look at the game, make sure you read Joystiq Editor-in-Chief Ludwig Kietzmann's preview. To see the game in action, watch Joystiq's video preview above, lovingly crafted with as much irreverence as the upcoming Microsoft-published title. [Image: Insomniac]
How to make an entrance in Sunset Overdrive
Respawning after death is a given in many video games across genres, but never has a game seemed to have so much fun with the idea. In Sunset Overdrive, the upcoming Xbox One exclusive from developer Insomniac Games, your character returns to the action by way of spaceship, Bill & Ted homage, magical sarcophagus and more. Check out a few examples of in-game respawn animations – in hypnotic GIF form! – after the break.
Joystiq Weekly: overdrive the sunset, a million dark souls and sample Destiny
Welcome to the Joystiq Weekly wrap-up where we present some of the best stories and biggest gaming news from our sister-publication.
Insomniac unveils Sunset Overdrive gameplay footage, Day One Edition
Insomniac Games has released its first gameplay video for Sunset Overdrive, an Xbox One-exclusive third-person shooter with a focus on high-powered weaponry and urban traversal. Insomniac notes that velocity defines Sunset Overdrive's open-world gameplay, as players will need to wall-run, springboard off of cars, and grind on rails while annihilating armies of mutants. "It's a lot more fun than cowering behind a crate," the trailer quips. Players who pre-order the Day One Edition of Sunset Overdrive will receive exclusive in-game digital content, including the "Nothin' but the Hits" vinyl record-firing gun, the "It's Me! Fizzie!" character outfit, and the "Hardcore! Hammer" melee weapon. Sunset Overdrive will launch for the Xbox One this fall. [Video: Insomniac Games]
Slide until you die in Xbox One's crazy Sunset Overdrive
Sunset Overdrive is a goofy explosion of vivid colors and anything-goes attitude, though it's not without shape. The outline resembles Jet Set Radio, with weapons on loan from Ratchet and Clank, and a dash of Fable's fuck-you to dying. We all know it's a video game, but listen - Sunset Overdrive is conspicuously a video game. In some ways it's a beacon of independence for Insomniac Games, which has historically aligned itself with PlayStation on major franchises like Ratchet & Clank, Spyro the Dragon and Resistance. Some players probably think the developers at Insomniac make up a huge studio owned by Sony – or that they are Sony – but here we are, talking about an exclusive game for Xbox One from a 20-year-old independent studio.
Rumor: UK retailer lists Ratchet & Clank Trilogy for Vita
It looks like UK retailer ShopTo jumped the gun this week by posting a listing for an unannounced Vita version of the Ratchet & Clank Trilogy. Sony re-released Ratchet & Clank, Going Commando, and Up Your Arsenal in a PS3 HD Collection back in 2012, and since then we've seen PS3 entry Into the Nexus get rated for Vita in Europe and Brazil. ShopTo's since removed the listing, but our screengrab shows the box-art the UK retailer posted along with a June 20 due date and a PEGI rating of 7. When contacted by CVG about a possible Vita re-release, Sony declined to comment.
PSA: Resistance PS3 trilogy going offline on April 8
Sony let us know last year that online play for the PS3's Resistance trilogy would end in early 2014, and a recent tweet from developer Insomniac Games has narrowed that ending date to April 8. Insomniac's post encourages fans to get online for the trilogy's final moments and "make some memories" with some of Insomniac's own employees. In response to an inquiry about continuing online support for the Vita's Resistance: Burning Skies, Insomniac tweeted they're "not sure" about that game's potential loss of online play. An optimist would take this as a significant withdrawal of the Chimera invasion, but with Sony's June 2012 statement that no Resistance games were in the works, it's a little sad to think we won't get another chance to fight back the invasive alien race. [Image: Insomniac Games]
Celebrate two decades of Insomniac Games with this music video
The above nostalgia blast is either a cute way to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Ratchet And Clank developer Insomniac Games, or it's a cruel reminder that those of us who remember the Reagan years are being constantly, endlessly stalked by the encroaching spectre of human mortality. [Image: Insomniac Games]
Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus rated for PS Vita in Europe, Brazil
A portable release for Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus grows increasingly likely, as multiple ratings boards report content submissions for a still-unannounced PlayStation Vita version of Insomniac Games' lombax-and-robot buddy platformer. The Pan European Game Information (PEGI) system reports an age rating of 7 for the supposed Vita version of Into the Nexus, while Brazil's ratings board also suggests that a Vita port is in the works. The ratings submissions follow up on a Vita listing at Amazon France earlier this year, reported by PlayStation Universe. The PlayStation 3 version of the game was found to list a Vita edition in its trophy set upon its launch last month, but Sony has yet to comment on the possibility of a release for its portable platform.
Insomniac's Sunset Overdrive pinned for 2014 by Microsoft
Hidden in Microsoft''s Xbox One launch blurb is a fresh 2014 release window for Insomniac shooter Sunset Overdrive. Insomniac didn't date the Microsoft-published game when it was announced at E3, but it's on course for next year according to the big M. Sunset Overdrive is in a playable state and has "passed its vertical slice" according to Microsoft Studios Corporate VP Phil Spencer, which in non-management speak means it's been demo-ed successfully. Speaking to Polygon, Spencer said, "We're playing a full section of the game and feeling really good about the open world gameplay that they've put together. I like the investment around new IP at the launch of a new console." Insomniac hasn't revealed too much about its stylized open-world shooter, which looks to be an over-the-top, vibrant multiplayer game like Fuse once was. With Spike TV's VGX show around the corner, we wouldn't be surprised to hear more in the near future.
Epic auctions 3 signed Lancers to aid Insomniac intern after hit-and-run
Insomniac Games interning artist Ana Kessel recently lost her leg in a hit-and-run accident, and Epic Games has stepped up to help raise money for her medical bills. Epic is auctioning three signed replica Lancers from Gears of War on Ebay, with all proceeds going to Kessel's recovery fund. Epic has put up a replica original Lancer, a retro Lancer and a gold retro Lancer on Ebay, each signed. They'll be available for bidding through November 22. "All proceeds from this auction will be going to help with Ana Kessel's medical bills," the Lancer descriptions read. "She was an intern at Insomniac Games, a local video game company here in the triangle area, who was recently involved in a hit-and-run accident while on her scooter. She has been in the hospital since Monday, and had to have one of her legs amputated. Without having medical insurance, the financial burden will be immense, which is why I am auctioning off a few pieces of memorabilia from our video game."
PSN Tuesday: XCOM: Enemy Within, Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus
It's a big week for PS3 content on the PlayStation Store. XCOM: Enemy Within makes its debut on PS3 today, as does the latest entry in the Ratchet & Clank series, Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus, from Insomniac Games. Two new Wonderbook adventures, Diggs Nightcrawler and Walking With Dinosaurs, are also available today, as is Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition and a special everything-but-the-kitchen-sink version of Grid 2. The first episode of BioShock Infinite's Burial at Sea DLC is also up for grabs. Ibb and Obb is free on PS3 for PS Plus members, who will find a new plethora of deals to sift through on PSN this week. Highlights include cheap fighters like Divekick and Street Fighter X Tekken, plus Ubisoft franchises such as Scott Pilgrim, Beyond Good & Evil HD and From Dust.
Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus comes with free Quest for Booty
If you've yet to hit Quest for Booty, look no further than the upcoming Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus. Sony Computer Entertainment announced that Insomniac's conclusion to the Future saga brings with it a free download voucher for Quest for Booty - that applies to both the disc and download versions of Into the Nexus. SCE revealed the freebie on the PlayStation Blog, where it also announced Into the Nexus' asking price of 30 bucks. Insomniac released Quest for Booty back in 2008 as a short downloadable follow-up to Ratchet and Clank's PS3 debut, Tools of Destruction. That game began the Future series that will end with Into the Nexus, but the Lombax and robot duo are set to return in 2015. That is, however, via the medium of cinema screens. The last bit of news is only a slight downer, as Europeans are now getting Into the Nexus a week later than planned on November 20 - that's November 21 in Spain, and November 22 in UK and Ireland. By the way, for some reason in Europe the game's subtitled Nexus rather than Into the Nexus. Well, you know what they say about us Europeans and prepositions? We just don't see the point them [LAUGHTER]. As for the North American version, it's out on retail and PSN on November 12.
Ratchet and Clank writer T.J. Fixman leaves Insomniac
Pen-behind-the-lombax Todd 'T.J.' Fixman announced his departure from Insomniac Games yesterday, saying he wanted to focus on mediums other than gaming. In a blog post, long-serving Ratchet and Clank writer Fixman said his "relationship" with Insomniac will continue, at least because he'll still be working on the Ratchet and Clank movie due in 2015. Fixman joined Insomniac in 2007, going on to become a senior writer at the studio and work on nine games including the Ratchet and Clank Future series, All 4 One, and Full Frontal Assault. Fixman said a surge in feature screenwriting opportunities over the last year had left his workload too great to keep his position at Insomniac, but added that the move is also about finding a new challenge. "I can look at my time at Insomniac and feel like I've done what I set out to do there," said Fixman. "As for other mediums, I feel like I'm just getting started. I'm excited by movies and television. I want to get back into graphic novel writing. I want to develop different projects with new characters and stories and worlds I can explore. Right now I have the opportunity to try all of it, and when you're handed a gift like that, you have to grab onto it with both hands." One of Fixman's last duties as an Insomniac employee was to write the script for new entry Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus, which rockets onto PS3 sometime this holiday.
Ratchet and Clank headed Into the Nexus this holiday [Update: Insomniac confirms]
Update: A post on the PlayStation Blog confirms Into the Nexus is a PS3 game, due this holiday for $30. Original story: Images posted online today suggest Insomniac Games is gearing up to announce a new entry in the Ratchet and Clank series, called Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus. The images showing Insomniac Games employees playing the unannounced game surfaced following a company Facebook post promising "big news" tomorrow. A NeoGAFfer discovered an Insomniac Games website (which has since been pulled) ready for tomorrow's announcement, outing Into the Nexus as "an original single-player epilogue to the acclaimed Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time." Players will engage in some "extreme planet hopping" (are space sharks involved?) in this "true return to form for the acclaimed series." Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus could be an updated version of PS2 game Ratchet and Clank: Nexus – a concept Insomniac Games eventually scrapped in favor of Ratchet: Deadlocked so many years ago. No platforms were listed in the now-pulled Insomniac Games' description.
Insomniac on working with Microsoft Studios for Xbox One exclusive, Sunset Overdrive
Insomniac Games' new open-world shooter, Sunset Overdrive, is exclusive to Xbox One and published by Microsoft Studios – and this partnership may require some explaining for "longtime fans," Insomniac CEO Ted Price writes. "When we first began discussing this idea with Microsoft, we were initially hesitant to shift back into an exclusive arrangement," Price writes in an Insomniac blog post. "But as the Microsoft team began introducing us to the abilities and philosophies driving the development of Xbox One, we knew that Sunset Overdrive was a perfect fit. The Xbox One and Xbox Live will support our ambitions to create an ongoing two-way dialogue with our community. It will also allow us to have quicker production cycles, enabling timely content updates for new weapons, characters, storylines and even pop culture-relevant content like memes based on social commentary." Independent studios aren't allowed to self-publish on the Xbox One, and Insomniac is definitely independent, Price says. This means the studio doesn't have to abandon its PlayStation roots or classic franchises such as Ratchet and Clank. "Insomniac has been, is, and will continue to be 100 percent independent. We have treasured that independence for the last 19 years. It now allows us to own and control our IP, and find the most suitable partners to make those IP a reality. While we are excited about partnering with Microsoft on Sunset Overdrive, that doesn't mean we can't or wouldn't make games with our longtime friends at Sony." Sunset Overdrive has an official site, and the trailer from Microsoft's E3 show is now viewable in our announcement post.
Grid 2 on pole in this week's UK charts, Fuse debuts 37th
Grid 2 crosses the line as the third different UK no. 1 in three weeks. That's despite a 29 percent drop in launch sales compared to Race Driver: Grid, which debuted in second place back in 2008 - albeit behind a Grand Theft Auto IV cruising to its fifth week on top. Perhaps the bigger story, however, is Fuse only just making the UK Top 40. The Xbox 360 and PS3 shooter crackled in at 37th in its first week. Considering the dearth of new releases this month, it's a disastrous showing for Insomniac Games and EA. Again, best exemplifying the quiet season is FIFA 13, still holding up in second place. Also proving to have strong sticking power is Dead Island: Riptide, which makes it six weeks in the UK top four. Tomb Raider may be about to drop out of the top ten in its 13th week, but much like Lara Croft it's clinging on for dear life.
