e3-2014
Latest
Pac-Man comes to Super Smash Bros
Pac-Man has been revealed as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS. The news comes from a special event going on ... right now at E3 2014, hosted by series creator Masahiro Sakurai. He appears as he did in Pac-Land (similar to the design seen above), while some of his attacks transform him into his more familiar "pizza with a missing slice" appearance. His attacks also involve eating dots and throwing fruit. [Image: Namco]
Sony's Freedom Wars spins single player in the US in 2014
Freedom Wars outwardly looks like a near and dear family member of the Japanese monster hunting clan. Grand pappy Monster Hunter set the trend on PSP, and descendants like PS Vita's Soul Sacrifice and Toukiden have carried it forward with aplomb. Those games tend to sing based on their multiplayer joys, though. The solo experience is ancillary to teaming up with friends to fell towering freaks in local and online sessions in those games. Freedom Wars, meanwhile, is a heavily single-player affair as explained by Sony at E3. They're keeping it under wraps, though. Nick Accordino, producer on Freedom Wars, confirmed that the PS Vita exclusive is still planned for 2014 in the US but it's not guaranteed. When it arrives it'll let you play through a long, bizarre story on your own in addition to teaming up with others. Unlike in a game like Monster Hunter or even Vita-mate Soul Sacrifice, the two are separate. Four-player cooperative sessions and eight-player versus matches will let you collect goods to earn your custom character new weapons and gear-or years off your million year prison sentence-but these missions are wholly separate.
Seen@E3: World of Tank's next-gen tank controls
What says World of Tanks is available now more than a giant, fake tank bursting through a giant booth at E3 2014? Nothing. The answer is nothing, in case you were trying to guess. Just don't ask us to park any of those tanks. The free-to-play multiplayer tank game is available on PC and on Xbox 360.
Halo 5: Guardians beta launches December 27
Microsoft's planned Halo 5: Guardians beta will begin December 27 and run for three weeks, ending on January 17, 343 Industries Studio Head Bonnie Ross tells Joystiq. Beta access will be available via 343's upcoming Halo: The Master Chief Collection, launching on November 11 for the Xbox One. The collection – revealed during Microsoft's E3 media briefing yesterday – includes each game in the Halo series which features Master Chief as its protagonist: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition, a new anniversary update of Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4.
Seen@E3: The Joystiq Project Morpheus Luge Experience
Project Morpheus didn't loom large during Sony's E3 2014 presentation on Monday, but the company's VR helmet did peek its head above ground and was available for brief demos on the show floor. In addition to the knight combat demo that appeared at the headset's GDC debut and CCP's Valkyrie, Sony had a brand new luge racing game. In the game, you're hurtling down a mountain road, hugging turns and dodging speeding semi trucks, with none of the forgiving distance of just watching a digital vehicle on a television screen. First, Anthony got into the Project Morpheus to try the luge. Then Richard got in the luge. Then Susan got in the luge. Then all of them freaked right the heck out. It looked kind of like this. Then it kind of looked like this.
'More than 200 cars' available at Forza Horizon 2 launch
If you were disappointed with the relatively paltry selection of exotic rides in Forza Motorsport 5, the developers of Forza Horizon 2 have good news for you: The car culture incarnation of the franchise will boast over 200 cars when it debuts on September 30. Following a developer-led demonstration of the game's lovely European vistas and wildly expensive vehicles, I asked Ralph Fulton, creative director at developer Playground Games, if Forza Horizon 2 would follow the Forza Motorsport 5 tradition of debuting alongside a handful of cars, then trickling the rest out to fans in the form of downloadable content. Though Fulton admits that post-launch DLC vehicles are nigh-inevitable, he told me that "more than 200 cars" would be available at launch, ranging from exotic supercars to off-road vehicles to hatchbacks. [Image: Microsoft]
Nintendo Direct E3 2014 recap: Amiibo, squid-girls, Smash Bros.
Nintendo skipped the traditional stage-based press conference this year at E3, but considering that allowed for a Robot Chicken-animated introduction and a Super Smash Bros.-inspired fistfight between Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime and Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, we're okay with that. Hopefully you were with us when our jaws dropped in a mixture of surprise and confusion, but if you weren't, we have a consolation prize for you: Recaaaaaaaaaap! Shall we?
Skylanders Trap Team takes character-driven action to ridiculous extremes
Today, I saw a monstrous piñata who spews candy and bludgeons his enemies with a gigantic lollipop, a tomato-blasting sentient artichoke who eats his own ammo to grow stronger, and an honest-to-god rock'n roll werewolf who shreds on a guitar and slides into his enemies on his knees, Pete Townshend-style. Believe it or not, I have not yet contracted E3 Flu, and my brain is not currently being wracked by fever dreams. These characters are all part of Skylanders Trap Team's playable cast, and developer Toys for Bob is clearly ramping up the creativity for the latest entry in its toy-powered adventure game series with an army of ridiculous characters and outlandish settings. [Image: Activision]
Alien: Isolation's challenge mode is a space-time conundrum
In addition to the main story-based campaign, Alien: Isolation features a separate time-based challenge mode that combines the game's space-based scares with an inherent need to get a move on. In the E3 demo I played today, the Xbox One build tasked me with escaping an area while a timer ticked upwards. There were three achievable bonuses that would cut into that accumulation of time spent, won by doing things like finding ID tags, locking down the stairwell and not using the motion tracker. That last one was never going to happen, especially without a map this time around to fall back on. The first time I played Alien: Isolation it creeped me out, but I only suffered death at the xenomorph's hands once. This time I died a total of 7 times across just over 20 minutes, and barely made it anywhere near the supposed exit. My drooling hunter gruesomely killed me no matter what I tried to do, be it crouching quietly behind barrels, hiding in a locker, or torching the fiend with a flamethrower. One full blast - all I had - merely scared the pursuer off, but my new found safety was always brief.
Oculus Rift and Alien: Isolation: I see you
Alien: Isolation is running in prototype form on Oculus Rift at E3. Two things about that: The full game isn't coming to Oculus Rift for sure just yet. It's terrifying. Creative Lead Al Hope first saw the Oculus Rift's horror potential after a demo at GDC in 2013, he told Joystiq. Creative Assembly decided to give it a try and built the demo now stalking the booths of E3 2014. "To be clear, what we announced last night is that we're showing a prototype of Alien: Isolation on Oculus Rift," Hope said. He made it clear that a demo didn't equate a full game, at least not for now. This is a blessing and a curse, because Alien: Isolation on Oculus Rift is great, and also greatly horrifying. We sat down with it on Oculus Rift dev kit 2.0, and those few dark minutes were easily 10,000 times scarier than the standard controller-and-screen version.
E3 2014: World of Speed trailer pimps its rides
We've got a new World of Speed trailer for you to check out today, fresh out of the E3 oven and into your eager hands. Careful, you wouldn't want to burn yourself on cars this smokin' hot. The trailer's focus is on customization, both with a car's look and its gear. The message here is clear: that your build can and will make a difference on the race track. Check it out after the break and fantasize about what you would want in your ride.
Seen@E3: The Fallen and Sparrow of Destiny
Guarding the entrance to E3 2014's South Hall is this detailed statue of a Fallen, from Bungie's upcoming "dont' call it an MMO, but it totally is" Destiny. Attendees at the show are getting their first chance to check out the game's co-op and competitive modes. After the break we've got a fuller version of the Fallen above, along with a Sparrow bike from the game, which is apparently set up for photo ops, but wasn't first thing this morning. Yeah, we're gonna have to go back and do that!
E3 2014: Final Fantasy XIV discusses ninjas and same-sex marriage
The first of two official livestreams for Final Fantasy XIV has just wrapped up at E3. While the stream focused on a variety of questions from the fans, two big points were hit during the discussion. The first was the revelation of a new class slated for introduction in patch 2.4: the Rogue class, which will lead into the Ninja job. This will be a damage-dealing class that dual wields knives and daggers, complete with enhanced movement skills and stealth abilities. Producer Naoki Yoshida also announced that the game's marriage system will allow any two characters to be joined together, regardless of race, nation, or gender. The translated answer explained that in the world of Eorzea, it seemed inappropriate to restrict the system. Players will be given the options of having their characters pledge eternal love or simply eternal friendship, with the possibility of special mounts for the happy couple. Massively's on the ground in Los Angeles during the week of June 10-12, bringing you all the best news from E3 2014. We're covering everything from WildStar and Landmark to Skyforge and H1Z1, so stay tuned!
The massive, bloody world of The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
Though the first two Witcher games offered a very convincing dark fantasy, roleplaying experience, too often they forced players to follow a linear, almost claustrophobic path. Not so in The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, where climbing to the top of a mountain offers an immense vista populated entirely by locations players can actually visit. But it's not just the structure of the virtual realm that impresses, as The Witcher 3 is defined by its smaller components: the slick of a puddle lying in the middle of a city street, a murky, methane haze rising from swamplands and mummified bats decorating the home of a magically-inclined crone. "At CD Projekt RED we pride ourselves on our attention to detail," the developers told me during a screening of the game's early moments. "It's all these details and more that make The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt a true open-world experience." [Image: CD Projekt RED]
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.
E3 2014: Skyforge previews classes and customization in new video and images
Sci-fi MMORPG Skyforge has landed at E3 with a brand-new video and new screenshots. Allods Team and Obsidian Entertainment promise players "a glimpse of Skyforge's unique Ascension Atlas, the Sunken Temple location, and three new character classes: the weapons-centric Gunner, the ruthless Berserker, and the merciful Lightbinder." The atlas itself allows players to customize their characters in "billions of ways with adapted skills, talents and spells." We'll have more from our E3 Skyforge demo later this week, but for now, enjoy the previews! [Source: My.com, Allods Team and Obsidian Entertainment press release]
E3 2014: The Crew launches November 11th, is totally an MMO
While a lot of attention has been focused on The Division, not as much discussion has gone on surrounding Ubisoft's other MMO-ish title, The Crew. According to a recent development blog, though, the game is totally an MMO, even if you're not necessarily taking all of it on as a group. The game is based around an asymmetric multiplayer model in a persistent world, and there are even different classes of cars for players to specialize in depending on preference. Of course, you won't have to rely upon the word of the developers about that for much longer. The game has been given an official release date of November 11th, with beta starting on July 23rd. There's also a trailer past the break that shows in-game time-lapse footage of driving from Miami to LA, covering the entire United States during the trip. Check out the development blog regarding customization, game mechanics, and the game's MMO nature as well.
Itagaki's action-packed Devil's Third coming exclusively to Wii U
Last we heard of Tomonobu Itagaki's Devil's Third, the game was nearly finished and ready for launch later this year, though we have now learned that the game will appear exclusively on Nintendo's Wii U console. Itagaki broke the news during an IGN E3 stream, though the developer most famous for the gravity-defying Dead or Alive franchise offered no further information on what we can expect from the Wii U game. Nintendo "really understood my vision," Itagaki stated, "so I felt I really had to work with them." Lacking from Itagaki's revelation was any sort of release date. [Image: Valhalla Games]
Mario Party 10 bows in next year with Bowser and Amiibo
Mario Party 10 is coming to Wii U in 2015, marking the series' first appearance on Nintendo's new console. The game stars the big baddie Bowser, and you can play as him using the Wii U gamepad against four friends. Bowser smash! Mario Party 10 uses Amiibo, Nintendo's new Skylanders-esque figurine and NFC system. In addition to the Bowser Party mode, the game also has a classic Mario Party mode. [Image: Nintendo]
Art Academy will turn your Wii U GamePad into a canvas
Art Academy is coming to the Wii U, with a multitude of new features designed to take advantage of the system's unique controller. Virtual virtuosos will be able to record and playback their artistic process, and subsequently hang their completed works in a digital gallery. The game will also enable artists to share images on Miiverse. Note that this game is different from the previously-released Art Academy: SketchPad. It will be coming to the Nintendo eShop sometime in 2014. [Image: Nintendo]
