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Dishonored exacts revenge on October 9
Bethesda's steampunk-ish assassin action game, Dishonored, will make its way to North American and European retailers on October 9 and 12, respectively.We'll find out more about Dishonored – this fall's other assassin game and best summed up as BioShock + Assassin's Creed + Dickens – and get some hands-on time with it at E3 in a few weeks.%Gallery-154130%
Dishonored screens take a stab at ... well, everything
It looks like Ezio and co. are getting a run for their money in Bethesda's latest, Dishonored. The new slew of screens depict more of the madness we've seen in previous Dishonored media: giant walkers, stabby knives, and ... let's call them "ladies of the night." Take a peek for yourself below.
Dishonored's steamy, Dickensian world as seen from its rooftops
Yesterday's tease from Bethesda depicting a Kurt Cobain-esque character down on his luck was in no way indicative of today's blistering, vengeance-filled Dishonored trailer. Sure, we've seen the game's crazy giant walking machines before, but glimpsing them in action threw us right back to similarly terrifying experiences in and around City 17.Regardless, Arkane Studios' latest for Bethesda Softworks looks to be a thrilling mix of Assassin's Creed-like sneaking, BioShock-like power-based action, and ... uh ... early Industrialization era Neo-Darwinism. Color us intrigued! Take a look for yourself in the lengthy new trailer, just above.
Latest Dishonored screens depict Steam Punk X Dickens crossover
If "Dishonored" doesn't pick up steam as a marketable title, they can always fall back on "Steam Punk X Dickens."
Dishonored screens may light your fire, definitely light a guy on fire
Dishonored, the latest game from the crew at Arkane, and the first to be published by its new corporate overlords at Bethesda, still has that new game smell. Take this screenshot above, for example: Did you realize that this "retro-futuristic" world, based on 1666 London and powered by whale oil, had leggy robot flamethrowers? Strange, that new game smells kinda smells like burning.%Gallery-130183%
The blubber-based world of Dishonored
In a video diary posted on CVG (along with a few new screens), Arkane co-creative director Raphael Colantonio introduced the setting behind Dishonored -- a "retro-futuristic" world based on London of 1666. And as such, all the futuristic and offensive technology found in the game world is powered by ... whale oil. On top of that, you have "spells" and abilities that allow you to possess people and animals and warp from place to place. Colantonio outlined an emergent gameplay mechanic discovered by testers, in which the player uses a "stop time" spell right when an enemy fires, then possesses that enemy, and walks him in front of his own bullet before exiting the body and restarting time. We think we saw something like that on an episode of Out of this World.
First screenshot from Dishonored shows off swordplay
Game Informer has posted the first screenshot from Dishonored, the new stealth/action IP from Arkane Studios. As you can see by the gun, sword and garb, the title takes place in an early industrial world -- one with some fantasy twists. Players will be cast Corvo, a talented (and somewhat supernatural) former bodyguard who's wrongly imprisoned for the murder of an Empress he was supposed to be protecting. Like Thief and Deus Ex, also games made by Dishonored co-creative director Harvey Smith, the title will be built around a series of open-ended tasks involving stealth and combat. Game Informer mentions using "mobility, powers and gadgets, environment, and AI" to affect the gameplay, and letting the player do things like stop time to distract guards, or summon a rat swarm, and then "possessing" one of the rats to sneak away. Our interest is piqued, but don't let the excitement get the best of you, just yet -- the game isn't due out until sometime next year.
Dishonored is Arkane's next title, with Deus Ex and Half-Life 2 veterans
Bethesda announced its acquisition of Arkane Studios at last year's QuakeCon in August, and Arkane CEO Raphael Colantonio promised to reveal the game in the future, "including at QuakeCon." While we may have been incorrect in thinking Colantonio meant last year's QuakeCon, we're pretty sure this year's event will have more info. You see, it's the cover of Game Informer's August issue. Meet Dishonored, the latest project from the studio that delivered Arx Fatalis, Dark Messiah of Might & Magic, and the never-released The Crossing. With a creative team that includes Colantonio, Harvey Smith, of Deus Ex fame, and Viktor Antonov, the artist behind Half-Life 2's celebrated City 17, it's going to be tough to remain journalistically impartial. Want to know what it's all about? We'll let Game Informer do the talking here since, well ... they've actually seen it: Dishonored is the antithesis of a edge-of-your-seat roller-coaster ride. It's a game about assassination where you don't have to kill anyone. It's a game about infiltration where you can set up traps and slaughter the entire garrison of an aristocrat's mansion rather than sneak in. It's a game about brutal violence where you can slip in and out of a fortified barracks with nobody ever knowing you were there. It's a game about morality and player choice where the world you create is based on your actions, not navigating conversation trees. Okay, that's hitting all our spots, but years of chronic disappointment have taught us to temper our expectations. Deus Ex designer coupled with Half-Life 2 artist backed by Bethesda's deep pockets? Nope, we're not going to budge. [Update: The press release just hit the wires, and has a few more details. Dishonored is being developed for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Like many of Bethesda's other games, the PC release will support Games for Windows. Finally, it's scheduled for release sometime in 2012. Full presser can be found after the break.]
Zenimax trademark 'Dishonored' points to potential new game
Bethesda Softworks parent company Zenimax has filed for an extension of a trademark for a potential new game called Dishonored. System Link just found the trademark, which extends to a few domain registrations -- all signs point to this being an unannounced game right now. Everything else at this point is speculation, though we're fairly certain that Bethesda and id aren't involved -- both have Skyrim and Rage to worry about at present. Zenimax does own several other studios, however, including Machinegames Sweden AB, Tango Gameworks, Arkane Studios and Vir2L Studios, any of whom could be tapped for this project. Finally, let's not forget Zenimax Online Studios, the parent company's MMO developer formed in 2007 ... right around when the trademark was first filed. Coincidence?
See gameplay 'target' footage of Spielberg's canceled Project LMNO
It's common practice for developers to create "target" footage of their games early in the development process in order to give their artists and designers something to shoot for. Following its look back at the now-canceled collaboration between EA and director Steven Spielberg, Project LMNO, 1UP has posted what it says is target gameplay footage from the cooperative "escape" game. It's a (very) brief clip, but it clearly shows the A.I.-driven future girl "Eve" from a first-person perspective, and actions that imply that it's the player's character looking at her. The player sniffs a rose that's sitting in a vase on the table of the diner they appear to be in, and passes it to her. Eve smells it next, showing a range of reactions on her face, then abruptly bolts from the table when a sinister black Humvee pulls up outside. This is presumably the beginning of an escape sequence, and sees Eve performing inhuman acrobatic moves to traverse the restaurant. The footage is clearly pre-rendered, and it's not much to go on, but it's unquestionably neat to see what Project LMNO could have looked like. You can see for yourself just after the break.
1UP examines Spielberg's LMNO, the game that 'tried to do too much'
If EA and the Steven Spielberg couldn't pull of a first-person hybrid built on "escape gameplay" and driven by an emotional co-op dynamic, featuring an AI-controlled partner -- spoiler alert -- from the future, whose character evolution was to be determined by non-verbal interaction with the player, then who could pull it off? Probably no one. "LMNO," as this project was code-named, was officially canned by EA last month -- and it's been dead for at least a year, according to 1UP's new in-depth investigation into the game. The report -- and definitely read the whole thing -- is a compelling tale in and of itself: the inside scoop on a big-budget experiment (a "hyper-replayable" 2- to 3-hour game with no multiplayer) that would later morph into an Uncharted clone (complete with "an alien version of Megan Fox"), dubbed The Escape Artist, before being canceled altogether. But the LMNO story is also a striking reminder of just how inflexible AAA game development has become. EA tried admirably to invest in new IP several years ago, but its actually released games didn't provide the returns the publisher had expected from consumers. Had it come together as original designers Doug Church and Randy Smith once envisioned, LMNO could have been EA's most ambitious original IP to date. Instead, it fell apart as the industry fell back on iteration (you know, "sequelitis") and made jaw-dropping investments in socially-networked casual gaming as the path to future profitability. LMNO once carried the heavy burden of being the video game that would finally "make you cry." Assuming that the industry has yet to recognize this milestone as having been achieved, the mission now seems better suited for an indie developer with nothing to lose; one free from the concerns of the corporate goliath: namely, staying in business. [Pictured: Pre-Megan Fox "Eve" character concept; source: 1UP]
Arkane Studios acquired by Zenimax; new project to be announced soon
Even Bethesda can't resist releasing some (tangentially) BioShock-related news today. During QuakeCon, Bethesda's Pete Hines announced that parent company Zenimax has acquired Arkane Studios, who most recently worked on level design for BioShock 2. The developer is also responsible for Arx Fatalis and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. At the keynote, Arkane CEO Raphael Colantonio expressed his delight at being in the same company as id Software and Bethesda Softworks, and teased an unannounced game to be shown in the future, "including at QuakeCon." Which is, in fact, right now. So we'll find out about the product of this union really soon.
Bioshock 2 coming to Japan, courtesy of D3 Publisher
Good news, Japan! D3 Publisher is localizing Bioshock 2 for you and, this time around, you won't have to wait that long to get your ADAM-soaked hands on it. Andriasang reports D3 Publisher will release the 2K Marin, et al.–developed sequel sometime in early 2010 -- presumably close to the February 9 US release date. We just hope the new Japanese ad campaign dials back the completely frightening a bit.
BioShock 2 Special Edition vinyl-y announced
Click to Big Daddy–size If you find yourself enraptured by everything BioShock, you're really going to love this. 2K Games has disclosed details on the BioShock 2 Special Edition release, limited to one production run and set for retail on February 9 alongside the slightly-less-special edition we saw the cover art for on Tuesday. If you're prepared to sink $99 into the set ($89 for PC) you'll be the proud (but poorer) owner of the game, a 164-page hardcover art book, three posters, the orchestral score on CD and the most special goodie accompanying this edition: the orchestral score on a vinyl 180g LP. You know ... a record. You know, big black disc DJs use? Yep, one of those. This is great news for audiophiles and those who refuse to own a CD player because lasers are obviously some kind of witchcraft. %Gallery-50342%
BioShock 2 cover is familiar, absolutely filthy
Not to be overshadowed by BioWare's latest effort to depict Mass Effect 2 in one epic cover, 2K Games has released the box art for BioShock 2 -- and it doesn't win any points for originality or cleanliness. Just like the first game's cover, it features Big Daddy (this time he's you!) and Little Sister (not you). Only now, everything's behind cracked, grimy glass and the logo's covered in barnacles. Eww. You can lay your eyes on high-res versions of the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC covers for the sequel in the gallery below. You might want to put on some rubber gloves and grab a can of Scrubbing Bubbles before you click on 'em, though. %Gallery-78401% [Thanks, Geoff]
Hands-on: BioShock 2
Having already taken a brief tour of Rapture through the eyes of a Big Daddy a few months back, we were okay with the fact that BioShock 2 looked and seemed to play very much like the original game -- only this time encased in a huge pressurized diving suit. Now that we've played through a full area of the game, our initial assessment more or less holds up, but that's not to say there aren't several noteworthy -- and even surprising -- changes and additions to expect when the game arrives next spring.Warning: We've done our best to keep what you're about to read as spoiler-free as possible, but the extremely sensitive should tread cautiously beyond this point.%Gallery-76773%
BioShock 2's plasmid-packed multiplayer trailer makes a splash
The first look at BioShock 2's multiplayer component in action surfaced this evening on GameTrailers TV. Our rough calculations reveal that the trailer -- which clocks in at just over two minutes in length -- is running at about .5 plasmid attacks per second (PAPS). It might just be the edit, but the gameplay looks extremely frantic, with several human-controlled players employing the likes of Incinerate, Winter Blast, Telekinesis and a host of other plasmid powers in rapid succession. There are also glimpses at turret-building, what appears to be the first game's Research Camera being used for something and, of course, someone playing as the prototype Big Daddy.Check out the trailer after the break and let us know that you thought of it in comments. Did it have you enraptured ... or leave you with a sinking feeling?
BioShock 2 given another helping hand in Arkane Studios
Have you heard the one about BioShock 2? You know: "How many devs does it take to screw up a BioShock sequel?" We haven't come up with the punch line yet, but 2K Games seems to be increasing the odds of something going wrong for BioShock 2 by adding a fourth studio to the company crowd of developers. Lyon-based Arkane Studios joins lead developer 2K Marin (in California), its collaborator 2K Australia (we repeat: Australia), and multiplayer specialist Digital Extremes (headquartered in Ontario) in a cast that's starting to look like a "We Are the World" tribute to the late Mr. Jackson. We know, we know: outsourcing and globalization are just signs of business as usual these days, but when you've got this many cooks in the kitchen, development could easily flip a wrong page to the recipe for disaster."Arkane is assisting in the creation of levels that embody the aesthetic and gameplay ideals that make BioShock such a unique and exciting experience," 2K Marin's Alyssa Finley explained, according to Develop. Oh, well, that's a relief. And here we were worried the plan was to recycle unused assets from the first game.%Gallery-50342%
Valve and Arkane's The Crossing 'on hold'
click for gallery of The Crossing Bad news for those of you anticipating Arkane Studios' and Valve's "crossplay" FPS The Crossing (and for those of you with good memories). After the two-year anniversary of the game's debut passed earlier this year, we renewed our attempts to get some information on the innovative shooter. In case you don't remember, The Crossing promised to merge single-player and multiplayer gaming (hence the "crossplay" moniker). Two years ago, the premise seemed impossibly ambitious; now, after the success of Valve's Left 4 Dead (and, specifically, its Versus mode) we're a lot more confident the approach could work. So, what happened to the project? "We ran into an unexpected financial challenge some months ago and we had to put The Crossing on hold," Raphael Colantonio, CEO and creative director of Arkane Studios, told us. "Since then, we shifted our efforts to other very good projects." Two of those projects are reportedly underway at Arkane's Austin studio, an FPS RPG and a "casual strategy game" for the iPhone, under the direction of Deus Ex-alum Harvey Smith.
EA job cuts have 'unfortunate consequence' for Arkane Studios
EA's recent curtailing of its work force by six percent has had a dramatic effect on independent developer and collaborator, Arkane Studios. Speaking to GameDaily BIZ, Arkane chief executive Raphael Colantonio confirmed that the cost-cutting maneuver came to the detriment of his studio's engagement with the publisher. The way Colantonio said it, it almost sounds like he rang EA's Los Angeles office the next day and found that there was nobody left to answer the phone. Not even Antonio."The next morning the team on EA's side was greatly downsized and we were told about the strategic decision and its unfortunate consequence on our collaboration," he said. Though the Arx Fatalis and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic developer still respects EA as a "great partner," it's already evaluating plans for the immediate future. "I need to find a deal as soon as possible to reassign the team affected by this event." There is no indication as to what project the thirty-strong team was working on.
