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Best of the Rest: Ludwig's picks of 2014
ATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris. Jazzpunk Jazzpunk is likely to be misunderstood, or impossible to understand, by design. You could say explanation comes as an insult to its eccentricity. The gist of it is that you're a spy completing missions in a surreal, robot-dominated world, the kind you might dream up after dozing off in the middle of a late-night Leslie Nielsen movie marathon. And while the convoluted wordplay wouldn't feel out of place in a Zucker spoof - in Japan, for example, you're asked if you prefer kimonos or kistereos – the barbs of reality are what really make Jazzpunk stick. Take its odd vision of dystopia, which is regularly mocked through one-off minigames (like a first-person shooter dubbed ... Wedding Quake). Here, you can put on a special visor that lets you see and blast nonsensical Wi-Fi passwords as they dance in the air around you. I mean, that's weird, but ... think about it. The concept is kind of weird to begin with, right here on Earth. Taken as a form of escapism, then, Jazzpunk is silly without taking you too far from the truth.
Best of the Rest: Earnest's picks of 2014
ATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris. Forza Horizon 2 Don't let the checkered flags and supercars speeding from point to point fool you, Forza Horizon 2 is not a racing game. It's a driving game; a game that's equally entertaining whether you're speeding from point A to point B in a pack of supercars, or languidly navigating a scenic highway on the Italian coast. Say what you will about the game's less-than-realistic physics modeling (the polite term is "arcade-style"), but developer Playground Games absolutely understands what makes cars cool. Driving endless laps around a tarmac track might work for NASCAR, but vehicular works of art like the Lamborghini Aventador need equally picturesque surroundings. Southern Europe works nicely, but the impressive bit is that Playground Games managed to capture all the aesthetic highlights of the region in a relatively small space tuned explicitly for racing. It's a good thing the setting works so well, because once you've arrived it's hard to leave. Not just because the driving mechanics feel so right, and not because the game's leveling system is fiendishly moreish, but because the virtual world is stocked with a truly vast number of races and events. 120 levels in, I've seen maybe 20 percent of what the game has on tap. At this rate, Forza Horizon 2 isn't just one of the best games I played in 2014, it's probably going to be one of the best games I play in 2015 too.
You can still browse New Years deals on the Xbox Marketplace
New year, same simple pleasures - Shockingly, it turns out that saving money in 2015 is just as fun as it was in 2014! In recognition of this truth, Xbox Marketplace's existing, week-long New Years deals have been extended until January 6, providing a range of savings across the Xbox One and Xbox 360 libraries. We've noticed discrepancies when checking for sale prices between console and browser-based store views however, so keep that in mind as you explore. The sale's highlights include $44.99 price tags for Destiny and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare on both platforms, Alien Isolation for $29.99 on Xbox One ($33.49 on Xbox 360), Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition for $39.99 and Forza Horizon 2's Day One Deluxe Edition for $67.99. The Telltale Games Collection for Xbox One is also 50 percent off ($55), though despite Major Nelson's related post listing it as a general offer, that price is only available to Xbox Live Gold members. If none of the above strike your interest, perhaps you'll find something by browsing the sale in its entirety. You do own The Orange Box and Red Dead Redemption by now though, don't you? [Image: Activision, Telltale Games, Sega]
New expansion takes Forza Horizon 2 off-roading in a storm
Open-world racing hit Forza Horizon 2 grows a little larger today with the launch of the Storm Island expansion, a DLC addition that adds new cars, new areas and new events to the already sizable racer. Like the Rally Expansion Pack for the original Forza Horizon, the Storm Island expansion is decidedly focused on off-road racing, especially in bad weather and at night. In lieu of svelte Lamborghinis, the expansion opts for six new, more rugged vehicles, such as the Dakar Rally-winning Mini All4 Racing X-Raid and the 1985 MG Metro 6R4 Group B. The expansion also adds 90 new events and five new event types to Forza Horizon 2, including competitive midnight drives through the forest in the midst of a tropical storm that are just as tense as they sound. The Storm Island expansion is slated to launch today at a price of $20. It is not included in the Forza Horizon 2 Car Pass, but Forza Horizon VIPs receive a discount and can purchase the expansion from the Xbox Live Marketplace for $10. Beyond the break you'll find a trailer highlighting the expansion's more dramatic moments. [Image: Microsoft]
Six new DLC cars roll into Forza Horizon 2's garage
Playground Games' open-world racer Forza Horizon 2 picks up its second post-launch DLC pack today, which includes six new vehicles for players to race, paint and smash to pieces against the picturesque countryside. The highlight of the Falken Car Pack is the 2014 Alfa Romeo 4C, the beautiful Italian sports car seen in the screenshot above, which earns special notoriety as the first mass-produced Alfa Romeo to be sold in the United States since 1995. For something a bit more German, the Falken Car Pack also includes the 2014 BMW M4 Coupe, a twin-turbo beast that is just at home on the racetrack as it is being driven to the marina by a stockbroker named "Chet." Rounding out the pack are the 2014 Chevrolet SS, the 1988 Lamborghini Jalpa and the 1969 Toyota 2000GT, a car as rare as it is expensive. These five cars are priced at $5 (or "no additional cost" for players who purchased the Forza Horizon 2 Car Pass). If you'd rather not spend any money, however, Playground has also released a free DLC car, the 1990 Subaru Legacy RS, to all players. [Image: Microsoft]
Joystiq Weekly: Vib-ribbon launches, Driveclub Review, RE: Revelations 2 preview and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. "Better eight years late than never," PlayStation Network users probably said during this week's return of Vib-ribbon. Sure, we're not exactly in drought season, but what's stopping you from impulsively bailing on 2014's release calendar to revisit a 1999 cult classic? Beyond money and life's responsibilities, anyway. If Vib-ribbon is fair game for a 2014 appearance, can we go ahead and get our hopes for comparably-unlikely surprises? Sure, StarCraft: Ghost's indefinitely-on-hold status is probably irreversible at this point, but if Blizzard felt like continuing development in secret for years and launching it without warning, we wouldn't be upset. Valve, you're more than welcome to do the same with fresh installments in the Half Life or Left 4 Dead series. There was more to this week than feeble wishes though, including resolution news for Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Assassin's Creed: Unity, reviews for Driveclub and Neverending Nightmares, and previews for AC: Unity and Resident Evil: Revelations 2. All those and more are tidied up for you after the break!
Forza Horizon 2: Xbox 360 vs Xbox One graphics showdown
We quite liked the Xbox One's new flagship racer Forza Horizon 2, but how does it perform on older hardware? According to this seven-minute video from the techies at Digital Foundry, the answer is "surprisingly well." [Image: Microsoft]
Don't expect Forza Horizon 2 DLC on Xbox 360
Playground Games has issued a clarifying statement revealing that the Xbox 360 version of its open-world racer Forza Horizon 2 will not share any of the DLC planned for the game's Xbox One release. The announcement follows up on this week's launch of the Mobil 1 Car Pack, the first of several planned add-ons for the Xbox One version of Forza Horizon 2. The Xbox 360 edition, developed by Sumo Digital, will also lack support for the Forza Rewards program. "We are currently planning to release DLC only for the Xbox One version of Forza Horizon 2," Forza Community Manager Brian Ekberg explained. "Also, Forza Rewards benefits are only available in the Xbox One version of Forza Horizon 2. This means that Xbox 360 players will not receive Forza Rewards credits or cars." Ekberg continued: "Progress in the 360 version of Forza Horizon 2 does not count towards your Forza Rewards Tier Level score. Only progress in the Xbox One version of Forza Horizon 2 will count towards your overall Forza Score (and Tier Level) in Forza Rewards." [Image: Microsoft]
Forza Horizon 2's first car pack rolls out on Xbox One
Microsoft has released its first batch of add-on content for the Xbox One version of its open-world racer Forza Horizon 2, adding a collection of six new cars to player garages. The pack introduces the 2015 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe, the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, the 2013 Renault Clio RS 200, 1988's Volkswagen Scirocco 16v, and the 1957 Maserati 300 S. This month also marks the launch of the 1988 BMW M5, which all players can download today free of charge. Joystiq's Ludwig Kietzmann found that Forza Horizon 2 excelled in providing a laid-back structure and player-determined pacing, describing the experience as akin to "a big, bouncy summer drive." The Mobil 1 Car Pack is priced at $5, and is available as a free download for players who purchased the $24.99 Forza Horizon 2 Car Pass. [Image: Microsoft]
FIFA 15 holds off Mordor, Forza, Smash in this week's UK charts
FIFA 15 survived a three-way attack to score a second week as the UK No. 1, despite a 70 percent drop in sales. EA's soccer sim shimmied its way past multiplatform action-RPG Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Xbox-only racer Forza Horizon 2 and porta-brawler Super Smash Bros 3DS, placing second, third and fourth respectively. While the trio of new releases couldn't topple the UK's love of FIFA (and let's face it, few can), they did do enough to outplace Bungie shooter Destiny, which dropped from second to fifth in its fourth week on sale. Minus the PS4 retail edition of Minecraft (which UK databod Chart Track denotes as another platform for Minecraft: PlayStation Edition), the other new release in the top 40 was Crimes & Punishments: Sherlock Holmes in 27th. Finally, while Chart Track tends to hold back specific sales figures, it did release some interesting platform differentials for a few of this week's big hitters. For example, the Shadow of Mordor split is 56 percent PS4, 41 percent Xbox One and 3 percent PC (that doesn't include download sales), while Forza Horizon 2 geared in with a 73:27 ratio between Xbox One and Xbox 360. As ever, the full top ten and increasingly traditional music video are below the break.
Joystiq Weekly: Destiny's loot cave, Shadow of Mordor review, building narratives and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Season passes that add content to separately-sold video games that also offer bundled in video games? Ubisoft's dollop of Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China on top of this year's double-portion of Assassin's Creed is interesting, both due to being bundled in a season pass and its sidescrolling platformer nature. We're already looking forward to when season passes include trilogy HD remasters, which will in turn include their own season passes, complete with spinoff-pack ins. Everything is connected, you see. There was a lot more to this week than alternative business strategies though. Have you heard of a little series called Super Smash Bros.? What about Lord of the Rings? We've got reviews of the latest (interactive) installments in both, as well as news of Destiny's loot cave, features on developing narratives and what developers and YouTubers think of Steam Curators. They're all joined by many other stories, waiting for you after the break!
Joystiq Streams: An early drive with Forza Horizon 2
Forza Motorsport always wore its deep love of (and lust for) cars right on its sleeve. Forza's races were enamored with driving as a reflection of the vehicle's capabilities and how a driver worked in concert with it. There wasn't any room left in those games for a love of driving on the open road, for putting on a killer album and taking the car anywhere without overly worrying about turn radius. Hence Forza Horizon and its lovely successor on Xbox One, Forza Horizon 2, and its clear adoration for driving first, cars an intimate second. Ludwig Kietzmann has wrapped up his review of Forza Horizon 2 but has yet to slake his thirst for its open world driving, so we're streaming it early this week on Joystiq.com/Twitch. Tune in at 4:00PM EST for a long drive with nothing to think about. Joystiq Streams airs every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch. To catch our many irregular streams, follow us on Twitch! And if you like it when we get weird, always tune in before hand for the pre-show. [Images: Microsoft]
Forza Horizon 2 review: Fetch the Bentley, we're going for a drive
Forza Horizon 2 is the kind of racing game that expands the idea of 'simulation' to include less material, more ambiguous parts of driving. What it feels like to zoom along the breezy coast in a lovely LaFerrari. The cringe of your beastly Nissan GT-R scraping through a tight turn in the castle town of San Giovanni. Inhaling for your Ford Raptor as it squeezes through a green gauntlet of fir trees. Oh, and what it's like being a rich generi-dude who identifies every techno song on the radio as an 'anthem.'
Forza Horizon 2 rewards series loyalty with sweet rides
Experienced Forza players will hit the ground running in Forza Horizon 2 this month, as Turn 10 Studios will carry on with the series' loyalty program introduced last year. Announced just over a year ago, Forza Rewards hands the keys to some sweet digital vehicles to players that raced in past entries in the series, and the upcoming game will offer up to five cars to returning drivers. Forza Rewards gives players points based on their in-game actions, starting with Forza 2 on. Earning points for owning a large number of cars in Forza 5, for example, will add to players' point totals and increase their reward level tier. Upon starting Forza Horizon 2 for the first time, tier two and above loyalty program participants will receive one car right away, depending on their reward tier. The five in-game cars include the 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe (Tier 2), the 2013 Viper GTS (Tier 3), the 2015 Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 (Tier 4), the 2014 Local Motors Rally Fighter (Tier 5) and the 2013 McLaren P1 (Tier 6). Forza Horizon 2 will launch on September 30 for Xbox One and Xbox 360. Microsoft also issued a launch trailer for the game today, found after the break. [Image: Microsoft]
Final update brings Forza Horizon 2 garage to 210 cars
After weeks of slowly unveiling cars from Forza Horizon 2 developer Playground Games has now reached its final update and is ready to show the world the remaining 22 cars slated for inclusion in the upcoming open-world racer. No single theme unites this bunch of classic vehicles. Some, such as the 2003 Ford Focus RS are sporty cars equally at home running to the grocery store as they are drifting around a race track. Others, like the 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 or the 1987 Ferrari F40, are wildly expensive supercars only purchased by the sort of people who have other people to pick up their groceries. And then there are cars like the 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II, a revered classic racer that is so costly and hard to find that your odds of ever driving one in reality hover between "unlikely" and "laughably unrealistic." For a full rundown on the latest additions to the Forza Horizon 2 garage, and all the cars slated to appear at the game's September 30 launch, visit Xbox Wire. [Image: Microsoft]
Take Forza Horizon 2 out for a test drive next month
The demo for Forza Horizon 2 will be available for players to download on September 16. Playground Games' open-world racer will launch in full on September 30 for Xbox One, and will feature over 200 cars at launch. Microsoft also disclosed the game's achievements list, which can be found at Xbox Wire. The developer did not reveal which vehicles will be available to drive in the demo, just that the selection is limited to a "handful" of cars that have been picked to "give you a brief taste of what to expect" when the full version of the racing game rolls to retail. Forza Horizon 2 will debut without microtransactions and will feature a Kinect-enabled assistant known as "ANNA." [Image: Microsoft]
Forza Horizon 2 adds 28 more cars to its extensive roster
It's been 11 days since we last checked in on the 200-strong vehicle roster developer Playground Games is slowly unveiling for open-world racer Forza Horizon 2, and in that time the developer has introduced another 28 cars, both exotic and commonplace. On the all-time classic side of things, we have mid-century gems like the 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe and the gorgeous, exceedingly British 1958 Aston Martin DBR1. If you prefer your older cars a bit more muscular and hailing from the hallowed automotive plants of Detroit, Michigan, Forza Horizon 2 will also include the 1968 Dodge Dart HEMI Super Stock. For those who wouldn't set foot in anything older than a Disney Channel starlet, Forza Horizon 2 includes a surprisingly fun duo of agile cars that won't break the bank: the 2013 Subaru BRZ and the 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo. Of course, if your budget is infinite and you just want a car that can go as fast as possible while looking really, timelessly cool, you could instead opt for the classic 1993 McLaren F1 pictured above. Keep in mind, these are just the highlights of the latest vehicles to join Forza Horizon 2. For a proper look under the hood, you'll need to visit the Xbox Wire car showcase where Playground Games is unveiling new cars every week in the run up to the September 30 launch of Forza Horizon 2. [Image: Microsoft]
Catch up on the latest trailers from Microsoft's Gamescom press conference
Microsoft made a ton of announcements during its Gamescom 2014 press conference -- so many that we could hardly keep up! Here's a collection of newly-launched trailers that you might have missed during the commotion. Hit the break below for new looks at Quantum Break, Dying Light, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, and other upcoming games for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
Veyron, Enzo among new additions to Forza Horizon 2 garage
With the September debut of Forza Horizon 2 rapidly approaching, developer Playground Games has unveiled 31 more vehicles slated to appear in the open-world racer. Unlike the initial deluge of cars revealed last month, Playground is now unveiling vehicles in smaller, thematic packs. The first 16 "were chosen with heritage in mind," according to Playground, and the list includes such highlights as the 2002 Ferrari Enzo Ferrari, the 1967 Corvette Stingray 427 and, because a list of iconic cars isn't complete without at least one 70s-era American muscle car, the 1971 AMC Javelin AMX. Playground later unveiled a list of 15 cars with "notable racing history," including rallycross stars like the 1992 Lancia Delta HF Integrale EVO, classics like the 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe and 1971 Plymouth Cuda 426 HEMI, and high-powered supercars like the 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. Granted, the Bugatti doesn't have a lengthy history of racing wins, but it does have a massive price tag only matched by the horsepower under its hood, so apparently it qualifies. Forza Horizon 2 is slated to launch on September 30 on both Xbox One and Xbox 360. For more on the cars available at release, please see Playground's latest Xbox Wire update. [Image: Microsoft]
Microsoft unveils 100 cars from Forza Horizon 2 garage
With the debut of Forza Horizon 2 less than two months away, publisher Microsoft has unveiled the first 100 cars included in the open-world racing sim's roster of exotic machines. Though not a complete list - Playground claims that Forza Horizon 2 will ship with 200 cars in tow - the 100 vehicles mentioned today provide a nice glimpse of what the game's garage will look like. Ferrari, Jaguar, Lexus, Volkswagen, Ford, Audi and all the other manufacturers you'd expect are included, and alongside the typical high-powered sports cars, the Forza Horizon 2 roster even includes a few novelty vehicles, such as the World War 2-era 1945 Jeep Willys and the countercultural icon 1963 VW Type 2 De Luxe van. Notably absent are any vehicles from Porsche, though given the manufacturer's long-standing licensing agreement with EA that omission should come as little surprise. For a full rundown of the first 100 vehicles included in Forza Horizon 2, pay a visit to the Xbox Wire website. [Image: Microsoft]
