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'XCOM 2' infiltrates PCs in November
Prepare for permadeath. XCOM 2, the sequel to 2012's wonderfully rich strategy game XCOM: Enemy Unknown, is due to hit PC in November. XCOM 2 comes from publisher 2K and developer Firaxis Games, the very same team behind Enemy Unknown. They've been teasing a big announcement with a website for the Advent Administration, a futuristic government that advertises gene therapies and other technologies that rid humans of all illness -- but the site has been hacked with messages that suggest all is not as rosy as it seems.
JXE Streams: Boldly exploring space in 'Sid Meier's Starships'
Sid Meier scares the crap out of me. I'm deeply familiar with the famed strategy game creator's resume -- from the history-spanning Civilization series to the high seas simulations in Sid Meier's Pirates! -- but I've only ever played one of his games. The reason I never picked another up after trying Civilization III is that once I started playing I didn't stop for about 36 hours. The man makes a deeply cerebral game but also a deeply addictive one. Let it never be said that I won't try things twice, though! Today on JXE Streams, I'll give into the allure of deep space exploration and play Sid Meier's Starships.
JXE Streams: 'Grand Theft Auto Online,' heists and you
The best laid plans of crooks and thugs lead us to nothing but loot and hugs! At least that's what we're hoping happens when we play the newly released heists in Grand Theft Auto Online on JXE Streams. Nearly 18 months after Rockstar released Grand Theft Auto V, the game's online multiplayer mode finally has heists, new missions in which you and a crew of other players try to execute multi-tiered virtual crimes. Think Ocean's Eleven but with markedly less George Clooney and markedly more video game violence. We'll be playing through the very first of the heists to give an overview of how they work on today's show.
JXE Streams: Life finds a way in 'Evolve'
Steps up to mic. Cues "Muzzle" by Smashing Pumpkins. My name is Anthony John Agnello, onetime Joystiq community manager, host of Joystiq Streams and known scallywag. I've been knighted in three countries, thrown out of the Madame Tussauds wax museum five times (but only once for a good reason) and I've been writing about video games professionally for eight years. My work's appeared in The Onion's The AV Club, The Gameological Society, Edge, Digital Trends, Fast Company and many more.
'Borderlands' on PS4 and Xbox One comes in a $399 edition with a robot
No, the trend of recycling games for modern consoles isn't over yet -- if anything, it's gathering steam. Gearbox and 2K have unveiled Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, a bundle that spruces up both Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (along with their downloadable content) for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. If you buy the garden variety $60 edition when it arrives on March 24th, you'll get the obligatory improved graphics, cross-platform saved games and four-way split-screen cooperative action. They're nice touches, although it's hard to see a die-hard fan buying this role-playing influenced shooter a second time just for those perks. This is more for first-timers who missed what all the fuss was about.
'BioShock' arrives on iOS with a heavy price tag
It took 2K Games a little longer than originally expected, but the publisher has finally released its iOS version of the original BioShock. The mobile version of the popular title is compatible with newer iPhones and iPads, which means you're out of luck if you have, say, an aging 4S handset or an older tablet from Apple. Naturally, you can expect a familiar storyline, so be ready to shoot a lot of weird-looking creatures. For those of you looking forward to it, just be prepared to pay a premium -- BioShock for iOS is a whopping $15 on the App Store. There are no in-app purchases in sight, however, meaning that you'll get the full game experience from the get go, rather than having to buy add-ons here and there.
Now you can play XCOM: Enemy Unknown on Android, too
Android gamers who've been yearning for XCOM's deep, turn-based tactics just got their wish: 2K has released a version of XCOM: Enemy Unknown for Google's mobile platform. Much like last year's iOS edition, you'll get to fight off invading aliens and build your bases in an interface optimized for touch. This is one of the pricier Android games on the market at $10, but our pals at Joystiq are already fans of the mobile version. It's likely worth the cash if you're looking for something engrossing to play on your spring vacation -- especially if you can't get enough of it on your PC or console.
2K Games tries to save Civilization, Borderlands from GameSpy server shutdown
Gamespy's impending server shut-down might be cutting off Wii and DS multiplayer at the head, but not all games have to suffer this fate: PC publishers are starting to migrate their multiplayer servers to new platforms. Three of EA's Battlefield games are already slated for transition, and now, so are two of 2K Games' biggest franchises: Civilization and Borderlands. On May 31st, Civilization III, IV (and their expansions) and the PC version of Borderlands will all begin transitioning to Steamworks, temporarily disrupting online services for a few days.
Daily iPad App: XCOM: Enemy Unknown is great, if you've got the hardware
Firaxis recently announced that it was bringing a complete version of last year's console title XCOM: Enemy Unknown to iOS. The game is now available, at a premium price of US$20.00. That's costly for a mobile game, but the truth is that this is no "mobile" game as you might think of one. It's a full-featured experience that brings the old classic XCOM tactical, turn-based gameplay into the latest generation of graphics and gameplay design. The premise of the game is that you (yes, you) are the "commander" of XCOM, an internationally funded military research organization dedicated to fighting an alien threat. The game spans the entire organization: During fights, you direct soldiers in battle, and outside of combat, you direct funding and try to place satellites in the sky to protect the countries of the world as best you can. The game's balance is just brilliant. Research you do in the metagame opens up new combat options in the various skirmishes you'll fight, and winning fights (or capturing aliens) can kick your research into gear, which helps secure more tools and more funding. The game's graphics are excellent, and the grid-based combat experience used in the PC version has been translated to the touchscreen with care by 2K China. The one big issue with XCOM, however, is that because of its scope, it's a monster to run on Apple's touchscreen hardware. The iTunes listing says the game is best experienced on the iPad 4 and up, and they aren't kidding. I had some issues with slowdowns and crashes while running it on my iPad 2. Hopefully, future patches will fix optimization issues and the game will run better, but you shouldn't even think about playing this on anything older than an iPad 2 or an iPhone 4S. All of that said, however, XCOM is as premium an experience as they come on the App Store. This is a game designed for PCs and consoles, and we got it on iOS in a feature-full version, for half the price (the title is still $39.99 on Steam, though I expect that price to drop very soon). If you've got the hardware, this game is a must-play, both because it's so excellent, and just to support this kind of quality iOS release.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown invades iOS devices on June 20th
The world is under attack once more, and it's up to your squad of elite, turn-based soldiers to keep humanity safe. We've just gotten word that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is headed to a wide variety of iOS devices come this Thursday, June 20th. Everything from the iPad 2 to the fifth-gen iPod touch is getting a taste of Firaxis' XCOM effort -- should users choose to fork over the $19.99 asking price, that is. Aside from multiplayer (which is coming via free update post-launch), the iOS version is just about the same as its console and PC counterpart -- you build up resources and strike back against the alien menace threatening to tear apart Earth, with the occasional break to torturously study the enemy via "dissection." Whether the enemy is still alive at that point, well, that's a question for your science team. For a full list of supported iOS devices, head below the break. As for Android and Windows Phone 8 support? "We've only announced plans for iOS devices at this time," was all a 2K Games rep would tell us. Not exactly a hard no, but not a confirmation either.
Sid Meier's Ace Patrol now available on the App Store
We've been blessed with not one but two great strategy games from 2K Games recently. The first, the freemium Haunted Hollow, was a Firaxis title that put some board game mechanics around a haunted town. And this latest title, Sid Meier's Ace Patrol, is now out today on the App Store, and it's a turn-based flight combat simulator put together by none other than the grandfather of strategy himself, Sid Meier. This one is also free to play, and you can unlock extra nations to play with via in-app purchase. There are over 120 missions to play through, and as you go, you can upgrade your pilots and their maneuvers, giving you more options to take down the opposing team. The whole game seems very fun, and this is an iOS exclusive, straight from Sid Meier and his team. Both this and Haunted Hollow are excellent games, so if you haven't yet, go pick up Ace Patrol for yourself.
Civ Revolution updated, with multiplayer and more
Civ Revolution is one of my favorite apps on my iPad -- I'm a big Civ fan, and I think Civ Rev is a great touchscreen adaptation of the series. And now, it's even better: 2K Games has released an update for the app that adds a number of new in-app purchase packs, giving you the option to pick up new units, new buildings, new wonders and other new content. Each of the packs is available for just US$0.99, or you can get the "Master Bundle" for $3.99. In addition to that new content, there's also a multiplayer mode now available for in-app purchase. For $2.99, you can buy a mode that lets you and up to two other friends jump in and challenge each other for world domination, either in a custom game or a quick game. Yes, it's a little strange that this content is added in with an IAP, rather than offered up for free as it usually is with most other titles. But certainly 2K must have worked hard to port this feature over, so it's a small price to pay if you have friends waiting to play with you. And there's more good news: For a limited time, the app's price has dropped to just 99 cents, so you can save a buck or two there. Civilization Revolution is a great title that's a really fitting adaptation of the popular turn-based strategy series, and this update adds even more value to the app.
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Duke Nukem Forever Soundboard
Bad news if you got your hopes up about that Duke Nukem on iOS rumor a little while back. The game is indeed spreading to our platform of choice, but not in the form you wanted. Instead of a port or a separate game title, we've got a free soundboard app designed to kick up a little excitement for the release of (finally!) Duke Nukem Forever. There are over 25 included audio catchphrases from Duke himself, featuring tamely offensive gems like "Anybody mind if I take off my pants?" and "I've got balls of steel." If you're a Duke Nukem fan, this kind of humor probably appeals to you more than others, and the low price of free should make it easy to pick up. Still, it's too bad we didn't get a real port of Duke Nukem Forever for iOS. The game's gone gold master, but maybe there's still a chance we'll see an actual game (or related tie-in) for this big title coming later this year.
Duke Nukem Forever goes gold, will meet promised June deadline (really!)
Back in January, Gearbox Software released a Duke Nukem Forever trailer, and our inner 13 year-old -- only a lascivious gleam in his father's eye when the game was first announced! -- thrilled to its potty humor, gratuitous violence, and mosaic-obscured lady parts. We were skeptical about the promised May release date, since DNF has long been gaming's answer to Chinese Democracy, and sure enough that got bumped to June 10 (international) and 14 (North America). But now the game has gone gold, meaning real-life physical copies, rather than just one of gaming's longest running vaporware jokes. No confirmation that the game will ship via unicorn, but for more details devour the press release after the break.
Civilization V coming to OS X soon
Remember when Civilization IV came out, and Mac users had to wait nearly a year for the game to come to OS X? You'd be forgiven for thinking the same thing would happen with Civilization V, especially since there's been no official word from either Firaxis or 2K on when the turn-based strategy epic will make its way to the Mac. According to Mac Rumors, however, the wait for an OS X-compatible version of Civilization V may not be long at all -- they claim the Mac port may be coming sometime in the next few weeks. The Mac has enjoyed a sort of gaming renaissance in 2010, with Steam integration earlier this year followed by many high-profile titles (finally) making their way onto the platform. The Civilization series is one of the biggest names in PC/Mac gaming, so if it does indeed make it to OS X only a couple of months after its Windows debut, it's another hopeful sign that game developers are finally taking Mac-based gaming seriously. Civilization V requires registering with Steam, even if you bought a copy in a brick-and-mortar store. If you've already bought the game for Windows, you might not have to purchase it again to play it in OS X -- so far this has been the case for other titles released through Steam's online store, but it may or may not apply to copies bought through other retail outlets. Either way, I'll definitely be holding off on purchasing the game until after I finish my Master's thesis... because "Just one more turn" very quickly turns into, "Whoa, it's February already?"
Gearbox Software promises to finish Duke Nukem Forever, for real
The game, the myth, the curse -- Duke Nukem Forever has brought companies to their knees and dashed the hopes of a generation of gamers, but it's refused to go away for well over a decade; we just couldn't let it. Now a new company has stepped up to the challenge -- Gearbox Software (of Borderlands fame) has announced that it plans to finish the game, and that 2K Games will release it sometime next year for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Will it actually happen? We can't say we'd bet on it, but we want to believe. Update: If you still need a bit more convincing, there's an actual press release after the break.
The Gaming Iconoclast: A side of PlanetSide
"Come on, you apes! Do you want to live forever?" - Unknown WWI platoon Sergeant, as quoted in the epigraph of Starship Troopers, Robert HeinleinThis sort of chaos, of being flung into the maw of an overwhelming and relentless foe, very succinctly sums up the jovial insanity of Massively's foray into PlanetSide's world-event realm as so-called Black Ops. Replete with frenetic action, us-versus-the-world attitude, and the ever-so-helpful seismic and meteoric stylings of a GM eavesdropping on our Skype chat, TGI hopes that our incursion into PlanetSide's universe provided an entertaining distraction to the folks for whom it's been a long-time daily driver.Our efforts could politely have been called "lambs to the slaughter." They could less-politely be visualized as a well-worn combat boot meeting a sensitive part of TGI's anatomy, perhaps the one he sits upon, repeatedly and with great vigor.It was glorious.
Civilization Revolution demo on PSN this week
There will be a Civilization Revolution demo out this Thursday as part of this week's regularly scheduled PSN update. Since the title has been pushed back to July 8 instead of coming out on its original June 3 release, the folks at Firaxis and 2K Games thought it would be a good idea to give you something to play while waiting the extra month. The demo has two forces, Rome and Egypt. It also comes packed in with a tutorial for those new to the turn-based strategy game.This demo sounds a lot like the one we've played previously, so perhaps you might want to read our hands-on impression to get ready for this Thursday. Also, if you're really interested in Civilization Revolution, then you better watch our video interview with the creator himself, Sid Meier.
BioShock PS3 is official, out by October
2K Games have spoken up about BioShock on PS3 and reconfirmed that the game is due for October 2008. The game will have all the standard port stuff with the additional DLC and patches from the previous 360 version. However, Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K, assures us there's more coming: "Over the coming months we look forward to revealing the new features and content that will make this a must-have game for its new audience, as well as for those who enjoyed it on the other platforms." Excellent, we're looking forward to knowing what those "new features and content" are. In the meantime, sit tight everyone and just enjoy this fan made box art.
BioShock officially coming to PS3
We've heard rumors of it for months and now it seems that the most recent one circulated by 1UP's Quartermann is indeed on the money: BioShock is coming to the PS3. The news will apparently drop in the July issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly.All we know at this point is that the game may get some graphical improvements, it's due in time for the 2008 holiday season and that the port is being headed up by new BioShock creative director Jordan Thomas, a designer on the original. Check out the July issue of EGM for screens and some more info. BioShock developers 2K Boston and 2K Australia are owned by Take-Two. Get to know the company with our Take-Two Family Album.