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343 is reportedly 'starting from scratch' on Halo development after layoffs
343 is reportedly 'rebooting' development of Halo games, including a switch to Unreal Engine.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection review: Chief salad
Xbox One Before Halo 2 launched in 2004, I must have watched the trailer a hundred times – easily accessible from its permanent home on my college computer's desktop. Like many fans, my anticipation for the Xbox follow-up was ... let's say substantial. And, like many fans, I was a little disappointed by the campaign and its abrupt, cliffhanger ending. Thankfully, a genre-defining multiplayer suite did more than enough to salve any abrasions left behind by the rough campaign. Now, ten years later, 343 Industries and Saber Interactive have taken another energy sword stab at Halo's most maligned moment, slathering it with pristine visuals, a fully remastered musical score and gorgeously recreated CG cutscenes for Halo: The Master Chief Collection. All of these additions go a long way toward delivering the kind of grandiosity that original developer Bungie probably intended, even if they don't quite take away the sting of the campaign's final minutes (or some of the less interesting levels, for that matter). And this time around, you've got every single main series Halo game to soothe any lingering discontent, including Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 3 and Halo 4. That's every campaign level across all four games, every multiplayer map, player-created maps and gametype sharing, saved films, and a lovely kitchen sink, all flowing at a liquid 60 frames-per-second.
Fan-favorite Halo 2 map Coagulation returns as Bloodline
Among the many, many multiplayer maps included in the Xbox One's upcoming Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a remake of Halo 2's Coagulation, boasting improved graphics, new vehicles and a pair of EMPs that will stop Warthogs in their tracks. Xbox Wire describes Bloodline as "like a "Best Of" collection for all the iterations of Blood Gulch," but notes a few key additions that weren't seen in prior Blood Gulch homages. In Bloodline, Hornet attack ships spawn behind both red and blue bases, the map features a new, neutral base stocked with weapons and vehicles at its midpoint and if you find your base being overrun by Banshees and Warthogs, you can shut down all of your mechanized attackers at once with an EMP burst. And, of course, the map includes all of the rocket launchers, sniper rifles and explosive pink shard cannons players have come to expect from Halo. Beyond the break you'll find a video highlighting Bloodline's multiplayer gameplay. If you've ever squeezed off a few rounds in any iteration of Blood Gulch, it should seem immediately familiar. [Image: Microsoft]
Halo 2: Anniversary's new cinematics are a Blur of beauty
Halo: The Master Chief Collection made an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con this week, bringing with it new screenshots of the re-imagined "Zanzibar" map and a trailer showcasing Halo 2: Anniversary's revamped cutscenes. Blur Studio, which has had its hand in many of today's most visually spectacular cinematics and commercials - including those for Halo 4 and Batman: Arkham Origins - is the company to thank for Master Chief and friends' high-res makeovers, while 343 Industries and Certain Affinity can claim responsibility for the new Zanzibar. Scope out the map and concept art below to prep yourself for the battles waiting for you on November 11. [Image: Microsoft]
Joystiq Discovers... What's in the box?!
Earlier this afternoon we received a chest. We had no idea how to open the box, so we started a stream on our Twitch page and asked the Joystiq biomass if they knew a clever way to get inside the puzzle case. Above you'll see the results from Alexander Sliwinski, with assistance and quiet voice (sorry about that!) of Richard Mitchell. If you want to skip ahead to the reveal, it happens after about 13 minutes and many tribulations of tools later. Spoiler after the break...
PSA: Halo 4 'Castle Map Pack' available now
Halo 4's final piece of DLC included in the War Games Map Pass, the Castle Map Pack, is available now on the Xbox Marketplace. For those without the pass, the map pack is $10.The pack adds three multiplayer maps (Daybreak, Outcast and Perdition), with Outcast featuring "frequent Mantis vs. Wraith battles." The maps were designed for objectives and vehicles.%Gallery-181272%
Halo 4 lowers drawbridge for Castle Map Pack on April 8
Halo 4 is getting yet another batch of DLC next month. Entitled the Castle Map Pack, the content adds three new multiplayer maps: Daybreak, Outcast and Perdition. The new maps are designed around objective gametypes and vehicle use, with Outcast in particular promising "frequent Mantis vs. Wraith battles."The DLC will be available for $10 staring April 8. A new 6-on-6 playlist catering to the DLC will launch on the same day. The Castle Map Pack also marks the third and final pack included with the War Games Map Pass.%Gallery-181272%
Halo 4 and Hitman: Absolution on sale on Amazon today
Halo 4 is on sale for $39.99 on Amazon today, and comes with $10 in Amazon Instant Video credit. What was that you said? You have more money to spend? Well you're in luck, because a PC download of Hitman: Absolution is on sale for $29.99 on Amazon as well, with Xbox 360 and PS3 versions at $39.99.Halo 4's Crimson Map Pack arrives December 10. For those without a calendar, that's tomorrow, which makes today's sale rather convenient. %Gallery-172273%
Halo 4 Crimson Map Pack, Extraction mode arrive December 10
It looks like this week's Halo 4 leak was true, at least where the Crimson Map Pack is concerned. The first Halo 4 map pack will indeed arrive on December 10, featuring three new maps. The maps include Wreckage, "a ravaged environment of crashed debris," Harvest, the planet where humanity first encountered the Covenant, and Shatter, a UNSC crystal-mining facility.Those with the map pack will also have access to a playlist exclusively featuring the new maps. The Crimson Map Pack will be available for 800 MS Points ($10) or via the $25 War Games Map Pass, which grants access to all three of the game's planned map packs (the pass is also included with the limited edition of Halo 4).Also slated for December 10 is a new multiplayer mode called Extraction. This mode tasks each team with "extracting assets from various sites around the map." This is done by planting and subsequently defending a beacon at specific locations. Successfully defending a beacon earns a team one point. The opposing team, meanwhile, can earn points by taking the extraction site for themselves.Check out a trailer for the Crimson Map Pack above and peruse some new screens in the gallery below.%Gallery-172273%
Start planning: Halo 4's Forge maps detailed on video
In the latest Halo 4 video, multiplayer designer Kynan Pearson from 343 and environment artist Lori Zawada from Certain Affinity walk though the game's new Forge maps: Erosion, Impact, and Ravine. We're already planning the ultimate "needlers only" map right now.
QuakeCon 2012 schedule has panels full of Valve, Bethesda, id
QuakeCon 2012 begins Thursday, August 2, with a keynote address from id Software co-founder John Carmack – and then the con gets real. Literally, it will be a real convention with a few interesting panels and people, as announced in the final lineup today.Friday begins with "The Making of Games," featuring Bethesda's Todd Howard and Insomniac's Ted Price. Then comes "Capture the Fan: Making Multiplayer Games That Last" with Chet Faliszek from Valve, Marty Stratton from id Software and Max Hoberman with Certain Affinity. "Looking Back at Looking Glass," and "Talking Shop: Skyrim, Modding and Steam" have Valve and Bethesda representatives, and "Virtual Insanity" closes out the night with Carmack.Saturday has "GameTrailers' Bonus Round" with Michael Pachter and others; "Celebrating id Modding" with Blendo Games, id Software and Double Fine; and the Idle Thumbs Podcast with Double Fine, Telltale Games, Bethesda and The Fullbright Company.Doors are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Check out the full schedule below.
Certain Affinity developing Halo 4's Forge mode, includes gravity augmentation [Update: now with video]
Halo 4's iteration of the Forge map editor is currently under development at Certain Affinity, the development studio responsible for Age of Booty, Crimson Alliance and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary's multiplayer. The announcement was made during a presentation at Rooster Teeth's second annual RTX event in Austin, TX.While a wide breadth of changes and additions have been made to the Forge editor, most interesting are the "Player Trait Zones," which allow map builders to modify the characteristics of any players that enter the effected area, changing the height of their jumps, the speed at which they run, etc. It's even possible to reverse the gravity in a given area by using "Grav Volume" field.Enhancements have also been made to the objects that can be placed by users: Elements can now be locked in place, magnetized and more efficiently duplicated. The editor's lighting system has also been overhauled; objects placed now cast and receive shadows normally. Finally, a map editor capable of bringing our upside-down film noir Halo dreams to life.Update: Now with video! Thanks, Austin!
Age of Booty coming soon to iOS, Android
Certain Affinity's Age of Booty can rekindle your passion for the pirate-themed, real-time strategy/board game with an upcoming iPhone, iPad and Android interpretation. The company announced this afternoon that an "all-new version" of the game is in the works, being developed with Chaotic Moon. This new Booty will include a single-player campaign, along with real-time multiplayer and cross-platform support. There's currently no announced release date. The console version of Age of Booty was sent out to die in the holiday fray of 2008, becoming a tale of woe for those who'd dare set sale with a downloadable title near the end of the year.
Crimson Alliance receives 'Vengeance Pack' DLC Oct. 12
Crimson Alliance for Xbox Live Arcade will spring into action once again with the "Vengeance Pack" on October 12 for 240 Microsoft Points ($3). The DLC includes a more challenging mini-campaign of four levels and a challenge map with new mode "Fistful of Coins." FoC has players tasked with surviving wave after wave of beast, collecting gold as they go along. The group can leave and bank their loot at any time, which will help them ascend the leaderboards, but if they die, they'll lose everything. It's Crimson Alliance meets the masochism of Demon's Souls. Certain Affinity president Max Hoberman said, "When we finished the game back in May we had a few months to wait before the Summer of Arcade was over. So we devoted ourselves to building the kind of maps that we wanted to play: fiendishly difficult ones that are perfect for co-op." "We built Crimson Alliance to be expandable," Tim Fields, director of business development at Certain Affinity told us this afternoon. "For those who felt they went through the original campaign and thought it wasn't challenging enough, the Vengeance Pack is for them."
PSA: 'Free' Crimson Alliance download isn't the full game
It may be thrilling to see the "full game" of Crimson Alliance available on XBLM for free -- you may think it's a pricing error on Microsoft's part -- but that's just how the game works. It's not actually the full game. We knew that Crimson Alliance would be available either as an 800 point single-character pack or a 1,200 point download with all three; what we're just now learning on release day is how Microsoft is handling that. The "full game" is available for free, presumably so everyone online is playing the same base game. But that free download only includes "trial characters," and warns the player upon character creation that "You are creating a Trial Character. Game content will be limited for this character." There are prompts ... everywhere to buy the characters for 800 points each. This model of giving the game away for free, but severely limiting it, almost makes Crimson Alliance the first freemium game on XBLA, which already offers free trials for all games. [Thanks to everyone who emailed us about this.]
Crimson Alliance review: Born-again gauntlet
In gastronomical terms, Crimson Alliance is Nutella on toast to fans of the abandoned top-down action genre. It's inspiring in its toast-like simplicity. It shares Nutella's life-affirming sweetness and palatable smoothness. It's a decent mix -- but then, somebody puts a heaping helping of peanut butter on the toast. Okay, it still sounds good, if not a little messy, except -- is that marshmallow fluff? Yikes, alright, I guess we're making s'mores toast now. Wait, are you adding raspberry jam? That doesn't even make sense! This is Crimson Alliance: A peanut butter and s'mores sandwich with raspberry jam. %Gallery-129401%
Crimson Alliance trailer goes rogue
Crimson Alliance has introduced the menacing mercenary and the wackjob wizard. Now it's time for the final announced playable character, Moonshade the assassin, to take a stab at earning your $10 (you can also grab all three classes for $15).
Crimson Alliance's strange pricing structure isn't so strange, after all
Crimson Alliance is going to cost $15 for the full game when it launches September 7 on XBLA, which isn't very weird. The game features three classes -- mercenary, wizard and assassin -- and people who only want to play one class will be able to buy a separate version of the game, with just the one class, for $10. That is weird in an "all games should be sold like this" way. We were suspicious of Crimson Alliance's pricing model back in July, and we're glad to be pleasantly surprised now. Producer Tom Potter (he must hate J.K. Rowling) explains the pricing structure as a way for players to have "more options when buying Crimson Alliance." We see it as a way to save $5 just for knowing what we like, and that's not a bad deal.
Halo Anniversary adds 3 more maps, including PC version's 'Timberland'
Reports from the frontlines of Halo Fest, as relayed by Major Nelson, have revealed three new multiplayer maps for the upcoming Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. The highlight of the bunch is probably Timberland, the pine-studded arena from the PC version of Halo (original version pictured), suitable for 8 to 16 players. Next up is Prisoner, a symmetrical map with bridges designed for 2-8 players. Finally, a new Firefight map has been announced. Titled Installation 04, the map is based on the level "Halo" from the original game, which you might remember as the first level in which Master Chief set foot on the ring world (after crash landing). Update: We also learned of a neat new feature of the additional Firefight map while perusing Halo Fest: While you hold off the hordes of Covenant, you'll be aided by AI-controlled Marines, further simulating the level from the original game. Just don't, you know, kill them, or else you'll lose valuable points, and also probably fractions of your soul, because that's murder.
Crimson Alliance conjures up wizard trailer
The Crimson Alliance needs a magic user and it looks like all the goody-goody mages are busy teaching little wannabe wizards or wandering with hobbits. Direwolf, the mage, is just a little bit crazy, but when somebody can shoot fireballs from their hands, it's better to call them "eccentric."
