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Sid Meier's Ace Patrol review: Strategy simplified
There's a certain stigma attached to strategy games, where deep systems and mechanics can hoist a sky-high barrier for the uninitiated. Sid Meier's Ace Patrol sidesteps these stigmas, presenting a turn-based experience so simple that even the strategically challenged will be able to play and excel. Designed for iOS devices, Ace Patrol is a dogfighting game set in WWI. With a series of taps, intense air combat is engaged over a battlefield of hexagonal grids. Using these taps, players execute everything from strafing to swooping dives, hard banking, the Immelman turn and other expert maneuvers.%Gallery-188035%
Sid Meier's Ace Patrol lands on iOS May 9
Sid Meier's next project is an iOS game set in World War I called Ace Patrol, a dogfighting strategy game created by Meier himself. Ace Patrol will launch on the App Store May 9 as a free download. Ace Patrol is comprised of four campaigns – all downloads gain access to the British campaign and multiplayer side; in-app purchase is required to access the other campaigns. Of course, you can also throw some coin down on the typical tactical and cosmetic boosts, like new planes and elaborate paint jobs. Multiplayer pits two squadrons against each other, allowing for either hot-swapping a device or asynchronous matches over Game Center.%Gallery-187246%
Firaxis' Haunted Hollow appears on, disappears from the App Store
There's good news, bad news, and the best news on this one, and I'll give you the good news first. Firaxis' Haunted Hallow appeared on the App Store this morning, which means the game is just about ready for prime time. The free-to-play strategy title was one of my favorite games I got to see at GDC a few months ago. It's a board game, basically, in that you move various monsters around a board trying to claim and conquer space as best you can, though there's a fun house-building mechanic as well, in the way you choose which monsters to summon and fight for you. Firaxis, the creators of Civilization and the recent hit XCOM: Enemy Unknown, are some of the most experienced strategy developers out there, and Haunted Hallow is a free-to-play gift from them straight to the App Store, so it's great to see the game is almost done. The bad news, however, is that while I was writing this post to let you know the game was out, the title has disappeared from the US App Store. It is still available on the New Zealand App Store, so if you want to change your country to download the app from there, you can do that. But presumably this means the app wasn't supposed to be live on the US Store yet, so either there's more testing to be done, or we'll have to wait until this evening, as new App Store titles go official across the world. The best news is that Haunted Hallow is just the beginning. Firaxis has also announced that it's porting XCOM to the iPad in the future, and there are some other, not-yet-announced exciting strategy titles on the way as well. Firaxis has some great things planned for iOS, and this game is only the first. At any rate, Haunted Hallow is almost ready, and that's worth getting excited about. It's free to play (you get a certain number of monsters to start with, and you'll be able to buy more via in-app purchase), so whenever it is ready to download in your region, it'll be a must grab for sure. Update: 2K has confirmed that this was an accidental release. The game will be available worldwide next Thursday, May 2. So we just have a short wait until then!
Firaxis's Haunted Hollow spooks App Store [update]
XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Civilization series developer Firaxis Games hits the App Store today with Haunted Hollow, a free-to-play strategy game in which players command an army of semi-fearsome ghouls and ghosts.Haunted Hollow takes place over a series of one-on-one, tug-of-war style matches in which players compete to scare the residents of a nearby village. Multiple unit types are available, and you'll need to plan carefully in order to claim territory and fend off your opponent's attacks. The town itself isn't too pleased with the sudden influx of hauntings, either, and players will need to carefully route their creatures in order to avoid pitchfork-wielding mobs.Haunted Hollow features a Game Center-driven asynchronous multiplayer option, along with single-player and local multiplayer pass-and-play modes. Firaxis is also working on an iOS port of that other strategy game, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, coming this summer.Update: 2K has pulled the game from the App Store, sending out the following statement: "Some of our fans may have noticed our latest mobile title, Haunted Hollow, pre-maturely appearing on the App Store this morning as a result of a testing error. We have removed this build to add a few final updates, so the game can be as polished as possible when it launches globally. But fans won't have to wait long – Haunted Hollow will be available for free to download from the App Store next Thursday, May 2, 2013! We apologize for any confusion this may have caused, but please stay tuned for more information."
Prototypes show the evolution of XCOM: Enemy Unknown
XCOM: Enemy Unknown art director Greg Foertsch conducted a GDC 2013 panel called Art Direction Autopsy: XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Foertsch shared a few internal videos chronicling the different directions considered by Firaxis Games, and was kind enough to share those videos with Joystiq.Above, you can see a video with a more survival-horror slant – a prototype with methodical pacing, centered around a lone farm house wrapped in dark atmosphere. Jump past the break for two more prototype videos.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown iOS won't have in-app purchasable upgrades
XCOM: Enemy Unknown won't go down the common iOS route of charging for upgrades, items and the like, mainly because the game's lead designer can't stand the idea. Firaxis' Jake Solomon made the blunt disclosure to IGN, reaffirming the upcoming mobile version of the 2012 strategy game is a straight port."Oh God, please...," Solomon responded to IGN when asked about in-app purchases like power-ups, "No. I'm not sure I would be able to sleep at night. My food would taste like ashes in my mouth."Solomon told us last month the iOS version, due this summer, is "the exact same game [as on PC or consoles], it's just now fully playable on an iPhone or an iPad." Given that it's the full game, it'll be "appropriately" priced at a premium point, although we're still waiting to see what that is. The iOS version will include the Elite Soldier DLC but not the Slingshot pack, while the Second Wave update remains a possibility.
Civilization 5: Brave New World launches in July, XCOM units playable
The Civilization 5: Brave New World expansion has been given a launch date of July 9 for North America, July 12 internationally.During today's Firaxis PAX East panel, the team also announced that the game will feature XCOM squads as late-game units. The units are paratroopers who can drop in 40 units away (delivered by Skyranger), the standard is 9. Would you expect any less from the elite squad of humanity's last hope?%Gallery-182905%
XCOM: Enemy Unknown on Mac April 25
XCOM: Enemy Unknown for Mac just received a release date of April 25 at PAX East.Announced earlier this month, the Mac version is the "elite edition," which includes the Slingshot and Elite Solidier downloadable content packs, as well as the second wave update.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown announced for iOS
XCOM: Enemy Unknown was just announced for iPad and iPhone during a PAX East panel."It is a straight port. We have not made any gameplay exceptions," XCOM: Enemy Unknown Lead Designer Jake Solomon told us. "You play the exact same game [as on PC or consoles], it's just now fully playable on an iPhone or an iPad."Asked about the game's pricing, Solomon wouldn't give specifics, saying, "It's going to be priced appropriately for what it is. It's going to be a premium price point. It is the game. It is the full game."In case you're looking for a definition of "premium" on iOS, expect to be more than $1 and probably push the limits like The Walking Dead does at $15.The game should be out by summer. We've been told it will not include the Slingshot pack downloadable content, however the Elite Soldier DLC will be included. Meanwhile, the free Second Wave update has not yet been ruled out.
Seen@PAX East: A tactical poster for your time
Hanging at the 2K booth at PAX East is an inspirational poster of marketing, featuring the characters from Firaxis' Civilization and XCOM: Enemy Unknown. If you're at the show, you can pick up the poster at the "Strategy Masterminds Mega Panel - Behind the Scenes at Firaxis Games" panel. The panel features the team of Firaxis showing off "never-before-seen footage" and teasing "big reveals" at 4:30PM.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown PC download on sale at Amazon
Commander, you'll find a wave of new recruits joining you soon. Thanks to a special XCOM initiative promotion, we're opening our doors like never before in an attempt to bolster our ranks against the enemy threat in XCOM: Enemy Unknown, offering enlistment via Amazon for $16.50.Look, we don't want to say you're doing a bad job, it's just – well have you looked out your window lately, Commander? Oh, right, you're underground, sorry. Just know that there are aliens everywhere now, we could really use the extra muscle and the council thinks this is a solid move for a positive monthly report in March.
Civilization 5 enters 'Brave New World' with expansion pack this summer
History can't be stopped and neither can developer Firaxis' Civilization 5 expansion packs, with "Brave New World" arriving this summer for Mac and PC. This is the second "massive expansion" for the strategy game, following last year's excellent "Gods & Kings," which added religion and espionage to the mix. Brave New World's big features are trade networks and ideology."Right at the beginning there are trade routes," Firaxis producer Dennis Shirk told us. "Caravans go back and forth in trade routes. Barbarians can attack them spawning more barbarians. Other players can attack to disrupt trade during wartime." Players will also have a button to easily display an overlay of trade routes in the game.Another major addition to gameplay is that when the industrial and modern eras roll around, ideology comes into play. "We just wanted to have that culture game be as engaging as the military victory," said Shirk. "Before it was just a really passive game style."Ideology will be used to enhance the experience of the cultural victory. Per usual, there will be more wonders and scenarios. We'll learn more about this latest expansion next week at PAX East.%Gallery-182905%
XCOM: Enemy Unknown coming to Mac
Good day, Commander. If you've been unable to experience XCOM: Enemy Unknown due to an allegiance for programs that run on OSX, your wait will soon be over. The award-winning turn-based strategy game is on its way to Mac in an "elite edition," which bundles all previously released downloadable content, including the Slingshot and Elite Solidier packs, along with the second wave update.XCOM took the silver in our 2012 Game of the Year awards. We've followed up with publisher 2K Games for a narrower release window on the Mac edition.
Civilization 5 'One World' expansion spotted in Steam database
Civilization 5 might be getting a new expansion titled "One World," according to a listing on the Steam Apps Database, as spotted by members of the 2K Games forums. The database lists only "Expansion - One World Content" and its executable file for PC, with no additional information. Neither 2K nor Firaxis have confirmed future DLC for the game.The previous expansion for Civilization 5 was Gods and Kings, which launched in June. We thought that expansion brought us pretty close to the "final version" of Civilization 5, but it seems there's always room for improvement. Rome wasn't built in a day, people.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown now on Xbox Games on Demand
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is available now from the the Xbox Marketplace's Games on Demand section. All it will cost you is a sectoid arm and a muton foot, which converts roughly to $59.99 (in the United States).For those not stuck in underground bunkers while the planet is under attack, more cost-effective hard copy options can be delivered to your door for $10 less (or more). But how you want to go spending your hard-earned alien limbs for one of the best games of last year is your choice, Commander.
Assaulting an alien battleship as a Triad defector in XCOM: Enemy Unknown's 'Slingshot' DLC
You probably remember the day that your best friend died on the field of battle in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. One of the coolest features of the Firaxis-developed remake is the ability to customize the names of individual soldiers that make up your army of alien-stompers, fostering a strong connection that adds weight to a soldier's permanent demise. It's unexpected, then, that for its first downloadable content in the rebooted XCOM universe – dubbed 'Slingshot' – Firaxis has decided to create a completely fictional character as its star.Zhang is a member of the Chinese Triad who defects over to XCOM when he comes to recognize the magnitude of the threat that the world faces. He's introduced in Slingshot's first mission via cutscene, a heavily scarred, besuited tough guy who stands as motionless as the Foo Dog statues that surround him.The Triad defector is a civilian in the first mission, a neutered unit that must be escorted by XCOM forces to a nearby evac location situated close to your Chinese cemetery rendezvous point. Alien forces attack from all sides, same as it ever was, and only tactical thinking sees you through. You'll probably think more than once "Why can't I just hand this Triad fellow a gun and tell him to point it at the invaders?"That opportunity comes later, as Zhang's defector status puts him on the outs with his former bosses. Complete the first Slingshot mission and your Triad buddy joins XCOM as a Heavy. He's just like any other soldier save for the fact that his name and appearance are locked. You don't even need to bring him along on the two Slingshot missions that follow, though his high stats might compel you to do so anyway.%Gallery-172363%
NPD: Dishonored sold 460K in October, XCOM hit 114K
October had two scrappy underdogs in Dishonored and XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The meticulous murder-em-up sold 460,200 units, according to the NPD, while the XCOM revamp from Firaxis sold 114,000 units.Dishonored and XCOM: Enemy Unknown launched on October 9 for Xbox 360, PS3, PC and through digital distribution, and later shared shelf space with big hitters like Assassin's Creed 3, NBA 2K13, Forza Horizon and NBA Baller Beats (kidding).The NPD only chronicles boxed retail sales in North America, so we don't have a full picture of the sales performance of either Dishonored or XCOM: Enemy Unknown. We already followed up with 2K for XCOM specifics, but the publisher told us it does not "comment on sales figures."
Borderlands 2 has shipped 5M units to date, XCOM a 'critical and commercial success'
Gearbox Software's Borderlands 2 has shipped 5 million units to date, Take-Two interactive announced this morning in its second quarter financials. The company also noted that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is "proving to be a critical and commercial success." Both games are remarked as having "strong digital sales.""Take-Two's second quarter revenue and earnings exceeded our outlook, driven by the breakout success of 2K's Borderlands 2 and robust demand for our catalog and digitally delivered offerings," noted Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick. "Moreover, with Grand Theft Auto 5 slated for spring 2013, we are poised to generate substantial revenue and earnings growth in fiscal year 2014."Both Borderlands 2 and XCOM: Enemy Unknown currently hold near 90 Metacritic ratings.
How RPGs colonized some of 2012's best games
This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity. 2012 may not be remembered as a fantastic year for pure western role-playing games (especially without a Skyrim to sweep the end-of-year awards) but it's been a great year for me as a video game fan. Why? Because many of the "best games of the year" may not be RPGs, but they've adapted some of the best components of RPGs to become stronger games.XCOM: Enemy Unknown, for example, is one of the best-received games of 2012, due in part to its use of RPG mechanics. Tactics games are often associated with RPGs (especially Japanese-style tactics games) but the connection isn't always so concrete with "western" games. For example, I don't really qualify the original X-COM: UFO Defense as an RPG, due to its too-large squads filled with personality-free squaddies, whereas Jagged Alliance 2 certainly fit the mold.XCOM tweaks the initial game's form in ways that align with traditional role-playing games. The squad size is limited to 4-6 characters, traditional RPG numbers, and only having one base means you rarely need large numbers of squaddies – I never had more than 15 at once, and even that was high due to playing on "Classic" difficulty. It also slightly decreases the importance of the strategic decision-making level, putting the focus on the characters in the field.
Meeting Atypical Aliens and Assassins
You're reading Reaction Time, a weekly column that claims to examine recent events, games and trends in the industry, but is really just looking for an excuse to use the word "zeitgeist." It debuts on Fridays in Engadget's digital magazine, Distro. This holiday's unceasing glut of games is a go, with store shelves making room for the onslaught of snarling aliens, sneering assassins, and slow-mo soldiers walking away from large explosions – or sometimes partially melted helicopters. These are the usual, commercially sexy suspects.It's best not to judge a game by its cover, though, and this week's front-facing embellishments are exceptionally deceptive. At a shallow glance, XCOM: Enemy Unknown may seem like another case of meathead military dudes mowing down extraterrestrials. Dishonored, meanwhile, conveys a stylish stab-a-thon with its masked, supernaturally talented anti-hero out for revenge. Look longer and you'll find that both have roots in classic PC gaming, and both sell something console owners might not even know they want.
