halloween
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Today's Guild Wars 2 update summons the Tower of Nightmares
Guild Wars 2's third content update of the month is set to release right on schedule today as the Tower of Nightmares hits Tyria. Players will join up with NPCs Marjory Delaqua and Kasmeer Meade to investigate the newest threat to Kessex Hills: the toxic krait and their powerful new ally. In addition to this new questing content, this update will also introduce rewards such as the Antitoxin Spray, a universal healing skill that cleanses players and nearby allies of poison, toxins, and other nasty effects. You can find more information on the update, including screenshots, desktop wallpaper, and a video, at the official site and our own previous coverage. [Source: Arenanet press release]
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams updates with new Halloween level
Indie developer Black Forest Games has released a new Halloween-themed level for its Kickstarter-funded 2.5D platformer Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams and its PC follow-up Rise of the Owlverlord. Today's free update extends the sisters' dimension-shifting adventure with a lengthy and challenging Halloween map, joining previously released Christmas and Halloween-themed bonus episodes from 2012. The update is also available for Rise of the Owlverlord, a recently-released standalone expansion that offers its own collection of unique levels. The new Halloween level is exclusive to PC platforms, though Black Forest Games' managing director Adrian Goersch notes that "there are several things planned for 2014," with regard to upcoming console-specific Giana Sisters content. Twisted Dreams is also available via Xbox Live Arcade, the PlayStation Network, and the Wii U eShop.
Sharks, skulls, and ships: One year of Pirate101
Pirate101 is a strange beast. It is a family-friendly, free-to-play, colorful MMO with silly characters, simple design, and quirky environments. Adventuring in Pirate101 sometimes demands that you investigate the secrets of a city that literally sits on top of a flying whale or that you and your friends (a fencing crab, perhaps, or a sharpshooting fox) leap onto a flaming, flying pirate ship in order to punch sharks in the face and steal their treasure. Hidden underneath the silliness, however, is a relatively deep turn-based strategy game designed to engage younger gamers while ensuring their adult counterparts have a good time. KingsIsle Entertainment isn't in the business of making kids games; instead, the studio strives to create titles that kids and parents can play together. The success of Pirate101 in its first year demonstrates that KingsIsle might just be on to something. Let's take a little peek back on the last 12 months of Pirate101 to examine its major milestones.
Prime World introduces two witchy heroes with new videos
Just in time for Halloween, Prime World has introduced two new heroes to the MOBA that fit right into the witching-hour theme: Witch and Moira. While both ride a broom and are accompanied by an iconic black cat familiar, the two couldn't have more different beginnings; Witch had a life of privilege in a castle, whereas Moira had it rough from day one in a small Andornian village. How do these two enchantresses play? Watch these two gameplay videos for a look at each hero's various talents and skills in battle and to glean some hints and tips for playing these newest additions. [Source: Prime World press release]
The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV is (not) Halloween
It's my favorite time of the year again. Really; there is absolutely nothing I love more than the relentless Halloweening through October. I love the decorations, I love the genuine scares, I love the humorous antics, and I love the whole atmosphere. So you can be sure that I was as enthusiastic about Final Fantasy XIV's newest incarnation of All Saints' Wake as possible. I was up early just to try out what the game had to offer. Afterward, I was somewhat less than impressed. It's not that I think it's a bad event, just that it's a bit lackluster, something that the game has suffered from thus far on the holiday front. So let's talk about what went right, what went wrong, and what can be improved for the next few years of the game's operation for at least this one holiday because darn it -- Halloween events matter. Unless you really don't like holiday events, in which case I don't know what to tell you.
Minecraft treats Xbox players to Halloween texture pack
Minecraft on Xbox 360 is getting into the spirit of the season with a Halloween-themed texture pack, available now through November 3 on the Xbox Marketplace. You can spookify your world by adding ghosts, jack-o-lanterns and more for the low, low price of free. Even Internet monster Slenderman seems to make an appearance. Hi Slende--AAAAAaaaaaaa!!
The Tattered Notebook: Navigating EQII's Nights of the Dead
Halloween is by far my favorite holiday, and EverQuest II is easily one of my favorite games of all time. So when the two combine, it's a match made in heaven. But just like the game itself, the Nights of the Dead live event has so much to it and so much to do that it is easy to become overwhelmed. Cue The Tattered Notebook! I know what it's like to want to participate fully in an event but not know where to start. And now with so many more new players (thanks in large part to the Heroic Characters), it's not even a matter of finding the little changes to this year's event. Let's be honest: Even those of us who have taken part previously can't remember every detail from year to year, especially when more is added each holiday season! So today I'm going to provide a guide to introduce you to all things Nights of the Dead.
The Game Archaeologist: Classic MMOs in October
You think your fancy modern MMOs have the patent on Halloween? Mister, classic games own this holiday. They were out picking pumpkins and decapitating spooks long before you were a twinkle in the character creator's eye. Halloween's back in many of our older titles this month, and for those of you who have been away from a beloved classic, it may just be the best time to return for another go. Anarchy Online not only has the return of Uncle Pumpkinhead but some pretty good subscription deals right now. EverQuest has the Haunting of Norrath, Pixel Pirates is offering seasonal items in the store, Guild Wars probably toggled its Halloween 2013 switch, RuneScape's got a brand-new questline, and Dark Age of Camelot is up to its standard tricks with the Pumpkin Moon. Of course, October wasn't just about trick-or-treating; plenty of other events have happened to the classic MMO collective. From a record-setting expansion to invasions to a very happy birthday, this month kept hopping (and growling, slithering, and lurking). Let's check it out!
Final Fantasy XIV tops 1.5M registered users
Final Fantasy XIV is going strong even with the subscription-only model, topping 1,500,000 registered users this week according to Famitsu. Of course, "registered user" is a murky term that may or may not apply to active players, but it's still a figure worth noting. The reborn title also is in the midst of its All Saints' Wake in-game holiday. Check out the website's lore for the event, and then head in-game to speak to a member of one of the shifty traveling troupes to get a special quest during this spooky time of year. All Saints' Wake will continue until November 1st, and our own Eliot will be talking about it in-depth in his column tomorrow.
It's storytime as Halloween event hits The Secret World
If you'd like to take a break from beating back the Filth in Agartha, take a trip to Solomon Island and delve into The Secret World's new Halloween events. What better place to celebrate this spooky holiday than the island covered in ominous fog and where pumpkins eternally decorate homes as well as try to kill you with chainsaws? In addition to the return of The Cat God (the chain of missions where players can visit ancient Stonehenge), players can participate in the new series based on various urban legends around the island. Those who gather all 10 stories by completing all the new missions will be rewarded with an in-game book of the full collection that can be enjoyed long after the holiday is done. Of course, there are rewards awaiting adventurers other than just a tome of stories; various Halloween-themed goodies are available from loot, quest rewards, and even the item shop. Many items are exclusive to the holiday, however, so if you want to get your bee-blessed hands on them, you have to get in before the event ends on November 8th!
Breakfast Topic: What does your Hallow's End pumpkin look like?
It's the Halloween -- sorry, Hallow's End -- season, which means many of us are carving pumpkins. Whether you're doing it for decor, to ward off evil spirits, or just for fun, there's no reason for your pumpkin to be any less game-savvy than you are. In fact, with Blizzard's pumpkin-carving contest, your fruit ninja skills -- yes, pumpkin is a fruit -- may even win you some cool swag. But contest-worthy or not, we're curious about the pumpkin that graces your holiday display this October. Have you gone with the traditional toothy-grin of a Jack-o'lantern? Or does yours have a geeky theme? Share!
Prices plummet on 3DS, Wii U Resident Evil games
To celebrate the spookiest holiday of the year, Capcom has slashed prices on its Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Resident Evil games by a sizable 50 percent. From now until the end of October, prospective bio-weapon slayers will find the Wii U version of Resident Evil Revelations priced at $20 on the console's eShop. The 3DS iteration of Revelations will set you back $10, a price point shared by the handheld Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D. After Halloween, these discounts will drift away like so many discarded Butterfinger wrappers on the streets of suburban America. With discounts in place, should you take this opportunity to add a new Resident Evil adventure to your shelves? That's a tough call. All three of the games included in this discount scheme are relatively middling Resident Evil entries. Our review of Revelations awarded the game 3 of 5 stars, saying that while the 3DS version of the game is impressive, its graphical prowess is notably less stunning on the more powerful Wii U. Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D on the other hand, received 2.5 of 5 stars, and is pithily described as "little more than a fully-priced proof of concept."
Five apps to up the spookiness as Halloween draws near
Fall is in the air, and the spookiest autumn holiday is right around the corner. To help get you in the mood for trick-or-treating, you should check out these five Halloween-themed apps. A StoryBots Halloween - Starring You as a Ghost, Vampire, Frankenstein, Werewolf & Mummy for Kids, Parents, Teachers [iOS Universal; Free] Add up to five photos to create a spooky Halloween video starring you and your friends or family. The app uses JibJab's iconic personalization technology to create these distinctive videos that you can share via Facebook, Twitter or email. Walking Dead: The Game [iOS Universal; Free] Zombies and more zombies, need I say more? A Stickman Pumpkin Shooting Showdown Bow and Arrow Pro : Halloween Edition [iOS Universal; $2.99] Can you shoot the pumpkin off stickman's head? Or will you miss and shoot him through the heart? Pumpkin Creation - Halloween dress game [iOS Universal; Free] Create your own virtual pumpkin carvings using five different shapes, 10 different skins and more than 20 kinds of facial features. Make each pumpkin as gorgeous or as ghoulish as you want. Halloween 13: Daily Spooky Surprises (2013 edition) [iOS Universal; Free] Engage in chilling daily challenges and uncover spooky surprises each day leading up to Halloween.
Massively's guide to MMO Halloween 2013
Halloween's arguably the biggest virtual holiday of the MMO year, with practically every game sporting some sort of special event, giveaway, limited-time challenge, or landscape makeover. Plus, there's lots and lots of candy that looks absolutely scrumptious but you can't eat because it's not real. That's just a massive tease by the MMO industry, in our opinion. With only a couple of short weeks to cram in as much trick-or-treating, pumpkin picking, haunted hayrides, spooky mansion tours, and headless boss fights as possible, we're here to help point you in the direction of all of the fun. So put on your scariest outfit and get ready to explore the dark side of MMOs with our guide to Halloween 2013!
APB Reloaded brings Fright Club and Certain Death to San Paro
While almost every game has some kind of Halloween celebration this time of year, only APB: Reloaded has nabbed the talents of the Scottish metal band Certain Death to add to the ambiance of this holiday update. The band picked three songs to add to APB's soundtrack, which the guitarist Steedo said "would fit the game as well as the new Halloween update." The Halloween shenanigans include new in-game content and challenges including Fright Club, the temporary relocation of the popular Fight Club mode to an abandoned asylum filled with ghoulish gang members. Starting today, players can also get a new Punk pack, complete with devil or bat wings, witch and wizard hats, pumpkin and bat glow-in-the-dark weapon themes, and a scoped version of the new primary weapon, the STAC 10 (Somatic Tactical Assault Carbine). The holiday-themed festivities run until November 6th, 2013. [Source: GamersFirst press release]
Don't Starve's free horror mod, The Screecher, turns survival into terror
Halloween is a good holiday for Don't Starve, since it generally involves a hefty amount of eating (candy) and more mad scientists than any other festive day. To celebrate, Don't Starve is half off on Steam, $7.50, and a horror mod called The Screecher is free to all owners. The Screecher turns the Don't Starve design on its head, offering players a view of the main character in third-person, from behind, rather than the front-facing angle in the main title. It's less of a "build things to survive" game and more of a "find dead bodies and blood in a dark forest and run away from the terrifying monster to survive" game. Think Slender Man meets Telltale's The Walking Dead with developer Klei's sensibilities. Yeah, it feels like Halloween now.
Aion opens Halloween-themed Nightmare Circus dungeon
Did you enjoy the novelty and rewards of Aion's double run of Shugo Kingdom Adventures, the limited-time instance that offered some pretty nifty rewards to those who chose wisely? If so, you might be glad to hear that Aion has introduced a new version themed for the holiday: Nightmare Circus. As before, only special skills can be used within the instance and only Daevas level 30 and above can enter. This time, however, instead of becoming a Shugo, players will be transformed into a bear-like Khum'gom. Even more power can be obtained if players transform into a Nightmare Circus Harlequin using an item available via quest and in the store. Also, anywhere from two to six players can participate. The instance consists of three stages, and rewards can include exclusive costumes and wings, dyes, consumables, manastones, and much more. For a full accounting of all the possible prizes and a breakdown of each stage, check out the official announcement. But if you want to get in on the event, you'd better hurry -- the Nightmare Circus is in town for only two weeks and packs up November 6th, 2013.
Blizzard store now offering full Halloween costumes
Halloween is fast approaching -- are you prepared? If not, the Blizzard Store might just be your ticket if you're looking for a quick solution and simultaneously wanting to show off your gamer pride. Three new costumes by Rubies have been added to the Blizzard Store, and unlike previous mask offerings, these are full-body outfits that will dress you up from head to toe. Along with the standard green orc, Illidan and Arthas are both available -- keep in mind, however, that if you're looking for a pair of Warglaives or Frostmourne, those don't come with the outfits. They may not be the height of cosplay perfection, but they're good enough for a Halloween party or three. The characters are pretty much instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with Warcraft, and really isn't that all anyone hopes for out of a Halloween costume? Head to the Blizzard store to check them out and perhaps pick up a costume of your own.
Flameseeker Chronicles: How to get your Halloween on in Guild Wars 2
It's the most wonderful time of the year. Halloween has returned to Guild Wars 2, and ArenaNet has introduced a new member of Mad King Thorn's family to cause mayhem all around Tyria. While this year's Blood and Madness event isn't quite as involved as last year's Shadow of the Mad King, there's still lots to do and some new rewards to earn. It helps that the content will be hanging around GW2 until November 11th, giving us quite a bit of time to soak in the jack-o'-lantern-lit atmosphere and get sick on candy -- not that any of us would do that (much). You've also got plenty of opportunity to finish up the storyline and the associated achievements, but it's probably more fun to get it done while it's fresh. With that in mind, I've written up a guide to help you chase off that whiny Thorn kid before the trick-or-treaters come knocking.
Dress for success in RIFT's Halloween costume contest
The old adage "dress for success" is getting a holiday makeover with RIFT's wardrobe contest, where your best Halloween-themed outfit can successfully net you one of a number of prizes. Together with Riftscene, Trion is hosting this in-game costume contest now through November 4th. To enter, players need to submit screenshots (preferably one from the back and one from the front ) of one of their characters dressed its best for the holiday -- the more unique, the better! The top 10 finalists will be highlighted on Trion's livestream November 15th where first, second, and third place will be decided. Prizes for first place include 15,000 RIFT store credits, all the Halloween masks, and a reaper mount. Additionally, the winning outfit will go on sale in the RIFT store with the entrant's name attached. Second place will take home store credits, the masks, and a mount while third also wins store credits. All 10 finalists will receive a special title.
