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Hunted: The Demon's Forge review: A streamlined slaughter
Your first hour in the desperately dark world of Hunted: The Demon's Forge is not going to be a pleasant one. The preface-free introduction doesn't exactly instill a sense of literary excellence. The characters presented could generously be described as "grating." Combat is limited to a fairly uninspired mix of plain ol' shooting and plain ol' stabbing. There's a troubling realization that the game contains items, but no inventory, which everyone should be able to agree is absolute madness. Slowly but surely, however, the game's oddly-shaped puzzle pieces begin to plop into place. See, most of the issues observed above are never really remedied -- instead, developer InXile Entertainment seems to have made an unconventional and fascinating decision to thoroughly nurture a small handful of other genuinely great ideas. %Gallery-121458%
Hunted: The Demon's Forge launch trailer: co-op partners are so happy together
This launch trailer for Hunted: The Demon's Forge doesn't do the game too many favors, unfortunately, as it's a little dark and too chaotic to show off much of the co-op-centered gameplay. But the song choice makes up for those faults -- it's just plain inspired.
Hunted sound design video takes sneak peek around dark corners
As you inch along in the darkness, you reassure yourself that the noise is just the sound of a game designer rubbing his cello bow all over a kitchen pot. But even if that's really all it is, isn't that still kind of scary?
Watch this monstrous new Hunted: The Demon's Forge video
While the latest Hunted: The Demon's Forge behind-the-scenes video is sadly devoid of Lucy Lawless, it is positively packed to the gills with the game's monstrous baddies. From the brutish minotaur to the svelte assassin, there should be plenty to keep players hacking and slashing.
Hunted: The Demon's Forge trailer whips up a world
When it comes to fantasy RPGs, nothing is more important than the setting in which all the looting takes place. Judging by this new dev diary, Hunted: The Demon's Forge seems to have this fact on lockdown, thanks in no small part to the inclusion of some user-generated dungeon tools.
New Hunted video focuses on story, characters
The latest behind-the-scenes video for Hunted: The Demon's Forge examines the game's rich story. The developers at inXile looked to the ancient Mayans for inspiration. Long ago, those proud people ... wait, where are you going? Okay, okay, it also has Lucy Lawless. Happy now?
The forging of Hunted: The Demon's Forge
In this behind the scenes look at Hunted: The Demon's Forge, inXile hammers out the basics of its "modern, co-op, cover-based action game" -- you know, where you're "running through dungeons and killing monsters with really cool swords" and "amazing spells" and stuff.
Hunted preview: Co-opportunity knocks
Hunted: The Demon's Forge was plagued by a number of issues, both technical and fundamental, when Joystiq last saw it two months ago. At Bethesda's recent "BFG 2011" media event, developer inXile Entertainment brought a markedly improved build, if not a less generic game title. "Feedback has been a large part of the process," David Clayman, associate brand manager for inXile, told me at the event. Gone is the shoddy blocking animation Joystiq encountered in the last build that registered a block no matter if your shield was facing an enemy or not. (inXile has since added an auto-targeting mechanic that turns your character to face the nearest attacking enemy as you begin blocking.) And fixed is the indicator that now more clearly and immediately alerts you to your partner being down and in need of a healing potion. %Gallery-121458%
Hunted: The Demon's Forge preview: Through thick and thin
Hunted: The Demon's Forge has a major problem. It's a Gears of War clone, but it also wants to be a deep, character-driven RPG. The issue is that it far too often relies on the gameplay mechanics of the former and doesn't offer the exploration elements of the latter. During a recent San Francisco event, I was able to sample not only the introduction of the game, but a later mission in co-op mode. The game opens with a dream sequence, where the brawny and more burly of the two protagonists, Caddoc, is having a nightmare. Within, he catches a glimpse of a buxom, pale-skinned sorceress named Seraphine (voiced by Lucy Lawless) who'll play an integral role in his adventure.%Gallery-99360%
What's in a Name: InXile Entertainment
It's time for another titular origin story! Today, Matthew Findley, president of inXile Entertainment, explains the creation of a studio name haunting English teachers everywhere: I worked with Brian Fargo at Interplay for a number of years and we both left Interplay at the same time. We knew we wanted to stay in video games, so starting a company seemed like a good idea -- he spent 20 years at Interplay and I was there for 13. When we were first out there, trying to figure out what to do next, we kinda felt like we were in exile, and we made fake cards with a fake company name just to have a card to go to E3 with. And before we ever thought of the name "inXile," Brian put as his job description on the cards: "Leader in exile." People got such a kick out of that card, we kept saying "in exile, in exile, in exile" so much that we just thought, "Why not make up a new word?" And so we did. InXile is currently working on Hunted: The Demon's Forge, which will launch on the Xbox 360 and PS3 on June 1. Like this feature? Be sure to check out the What's In A Name Archives.
Hunted gameplay trailer shreds monsters, guitars
Bethesda has always made it clear that it wants gamers to associate Hunted: The Demon's Forge with action games like Gears of War. Watching the latest trailer, we'd say "mission accomplished." Honestly, the only thing missing at this point are chainsaws, curb stomps and a dead Carmine brother.
Brink to launch in May, followed by Hunted: The Demon's Forge in June
You thought that Bethesda would leave you alone until it assaulted your wallet with Rage in September, and then The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in November. No such luck, we're afraid. The company just announced it'll release parkour-based shooter Brink on May 17, followed by fantasy action game Hunted: The Demon's Forge on June 1. Have they no compassion? In related news: We never noticed until this exact moment, but wouldn't Brink and Hunted be great names for a duo of hardened private dicks with noses for trouble? You know, just two long-gone daddies with fists of steel and hearts of gold mixing it up with the local toughs? Maybe May and June are their kind-hearted, cocktail waitress girlfriends? ... We're ... we're all going along on this one, aren't we?
New Hunted video tracked down
Man, the world of Hunted: The Demon's Forge sounds like an awful place to live. Just listen to some of high points: A terrible rising evil, roving bands of monsters, antagonistic armies and, we're sure, plummeting real estate values. Check out the video to see why it's a buyer's market in Hunted.
Hunted: The Demon's Forge crafts exclusive pre-order content
Americans anxious to get down to the business of paying money for a game should know that Bethesda has announced pre-order incentives for its upcoming Unreal Engine 3-powered fantasy RPG, Hunted: The Demon's Forge. Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Steam, Direct2Drive and GameStop will all offer specific bonus content, so head on past the break to get it all straight. (Why does buying a game have to be like this?)
Interview: Brian Fargo on Hunted: The Demon's Forge
Brian Fargo is no stranger to the world of video game development, having originally founded Interplay back in 1984. He's worked on titles like the original Bard's Tale and Wasteland, and Interplay developed everything from Battle Chess to Fallout to Baldur's Gate. When Interplay was acquired by Titus in 2002, Fargo left and founded InXile Entertainment, which later released an updated Bard's Tale for PS2, Xbox, and PC. Now both Fargo and InXile are moving onto next-generation consoles with the swords and scorcery co-op title Hunted: The Demon's Forge. We recently spoke to Fargo about the game, which you can find just after the break. But be warned! Just prepare yourself for the sheer about of verbiage manages to foist upon us when we asked what the initial genesis for the game was. It's quite an answer! Read on to see what he has to say about the upcoming title, including why they limited to two characters, the depth of the puzzles in the game, and boob jiggle. Yes, boob jiggle.%Gallery-92197%
Impressions: Hunted: The Demon's Forge
Clicked: The Full-sized Gallery Bethesda's undoubtedly one of the best developers in the industry; however, as a publisher, it's had its fair share of ups and down. Last year's Wet and Rogue Warrior illustrate both extremes quite well. Earlier this year at GDC, when Bethesda unveiled the clumsily titled Hunted: The Demon's Forge – a new co-op dungeon crawler from inXile Entertainment, Interplay-cofounder Brian Fargo's new digs – we immediately wondered which side of that gulf it would live on. Would it be worthy of the Bethesda name on its packaging, alongside promising shooter Brink, surefire-hit Fallout: New Vegas, and id Software's Rage? Fargo certainly thinks so. In fact, Fargo is so sure about his new game, that he wasn't afraid to recall the past glory of games like the original Bard's Tale and Wizardry at a recent Bethesda press event, and Fargo had previously introduced the concept, saying "What you're going to see here today is a reimagining of the dungeon crawler, the classic game that got me into this industry." He continued, "It was the Might & Magic series, it was the Ultima series, Dungeon Master from FTL was a bit of a breakthrough product ... that's very much the experience I grew up with." And as action games supplanted the dungeon crawlers, Fargo "felt like the core experience of that good ol' dungeon crawl, getting lost in the dungeon, had sort of fallen away. And it hadn't fallen away because the titles were doing bad. People forgot or something." While we don't know if they forgot – Demon's Souls, Torchlight, and Diablo 3 say hi! – Fargo's "reimagining" certainly doesn't look like what you imagine when you think dungeon crawl. "The gamer today has a different metaphor for engrossing themselves, which is more the action, Gears of War-type thing," Fargo explains. "So what we need to do is take today's experience and mix those two together but ... we the take you someplace very different, and in the beginning we need to get your attention." Read to to find out where your attention will be going, and to find out if inXile has been successful in grabbing our attention. %Gallery-92197%
Interview: Bethesda's Pete Hines
Two years ago, our discussions with Bethesda were dominated by Fallout 3. Now, the publisher has four new titles in the pipeline: Fallout: New Vegas, Brink, Hunted: The Demon's Forge, and RAGE. Oh, and it also recently announced plans to dominate the world. At a press event each of those four upcoming games, we spoke with company vice president Pete Hines about future plans and, of course, Fallout: New Vegas. Read on for the full interview.
Bethesda sets up offices in France and Germany
A powerhouse purveyor to the discerning role-player, Bethesda Softworks, has announced the opening of two new offices in Europe. Situated in Frankfurt, Germany and Paris, France, the offices will oversee sales and marketing and act as regional custodians for Bethesda's stable of popular properties. Think of them as Fallout shelters that are thoroughly stocked with baguettes and sausages. Bethesda has appointed Frank Matzke -- formerly marketing director for central Europe at Vivendi Games -- as managing director for the German arm, and Julie Chalmette as MD for France (just that office, not the whole country). Previously, Chalmette worked as a general manager for Vivendi Games France.
Bethesda & InXile announce 'Hunted: The Demon's Forge,' a co-op 'roots' game
Click to descend into the Lair of Screenshots If you and your friends are eager to dive into a monster-filled dungeon -- and who isn't -- then Bethesda has a thrilling announcement for you: The publisher is handling a new co-op fantasy action game, Hunted: The Demon's Forge, developed by Interplay founder Brian Fargo's InXile Entertainment. Fargo describes Hunted as an "upcoming release that takes us back to our roots," and the screenshots (in our gallery below) paint a pretty clear picture of what that could mean: warriors and archers putting holes in orc-looking things with sharp objects and magic. Hunted: The Demon's Forge is in development for Xbox 360, PS3 and Games for Windows (PC). We'll have some impressions of the game later today. %Gallery-88224%
