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The Daily Grind: What's the most challenging MMO you've played?
I've played my fair share of challenging MMOs over the years. From obtuse interfaces to steep learning curves to tough-as-nails combat, the myth of MMOs being nonstop faceroll games has been disproven time and again. However, if I had to pick the single most challenging title, it would be The Secret World, hands-down. Nothing about The Secret World comes easy. The combat has you struggling sometimes against standard mobs, the game's many systems are complex and non-intuitive, the story isn't spelled out for you, and some of the quests tax my brain far more than my reflexes. Don't get me wrong; I love TSW to its core, but it's stupid hard at times, so much so that it's kept me from seriously pursuing an alt. What would you say is the most challenging MMO that you've ever played? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
All of the nightmares live in Five Nights at Freddy's
We found where the nightmares live. They reside at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a fictional children's eatery featuring animatronic singing animals that wander the crusty, marinara-stained halls at night. In Five Nights at Freddy's, you're the security guard who must keep the robots at bay each night. You watch the giant animals on a series of security monitors – until your limited power supply cuts out and the lights go dark. Then all of the doors are disabled and you're at the mercy of whatever lurks behind those giant, dead eyes. Yeah. Nightmares. Five Nights at Freddy's was Greenlit via Steam and is now out on PC for $5. One dollar for each night, or for the number of times you'll say "NOPE" and force quit the game. Per minute. [Image: Scott Cawthon]
Kojima promises Silent Hills will make players ruin their pants
Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima confirmed that the interactive horror game unvealed during Sony's Gamescom 2014 press conference is indeed Silent Hills, a new, pluralized game in Konami's Silent Hill series. Kojima is working with Hellboy director Guillermo Del Toro on a game that will make players "shit their pants," as Kojima said through a translator during Konami's livestreamed Gamescom event today, joking that a limited edition version of of Silent Hills will include an extra pair of slacks (you know, for all the pants-shitting you'll be doing). The interactive teaser, now available on PSN, was briefly discussed during Sony's event yesterday under the name P.T. As it turns out, that only stood for "Playable Teaser," as there's "no deep meaning into it." Kojima clarified, "you see all these trailers and teasers, but it is a game so I wanted to have something that was really interactive that you could play through and after playing it, clearing something, you will finally get to the IP or title or whatever it was."
P.T. teases first-person horror on PSN
An "interactive teaser" for P.T. is now available on PSN, Sony announced during its Gamescom 2014 press conference in Cologne, Germany today. The accompanying video shows some first-person corridor traversing and a few screaming folks with controllers in their hands.
Knock-Knock dev plagues us with Pathologic teaser [Update]
Dear Knock-Knock developer Ice Pick Lodge, stop freaking us out already. We know you discussed a revival of your 2005 psychological horror game Pathologic back in December, but we didn't think you were serious about it. Now you have this live-action teaser trailer called "Feverish Feeling," and we weren't sure what to think once we saw it. It turns out that feeling is pretty creepy, and not the sort of fever we were hoping for. Knock-Knock was one thing, and we kept our lights on a good four months after that, but now you're talking about The Black Death pandemic and putting viewers in a simulated, contaminated environment to force them to make decisions quickly. Pathologic made us complete quests to find the source of The Sand Plague and make decisions that impacted its meta-narrative. Based on the countdown timer ticking away on your teaser site, we'll learn more about this reanimation on Friday, September 4. Update: Pathologic's teaser countdown ends on September 4, not August 29. We've adjusted the article accordingly. [Image: Ice Pick Lodge]
Chaos Theory: The value of The Secret World's DLCs, part 2
Last week we began our exploration of the value of The Secret World's DLCs by looking at the cost of the additional content relative to those who subscribe, those who don't, and those who are lifetime member grandmasters. But money isn't everything to everyone. As noted previously, value is a subjective judgment determined by whatever factors are most important to the individual making the assessment. So making the call on value will depend on which category/categories are used in the judging process. With that in mind, this week we're going to delve into the content aspect of the various DLCs. Specifically, we'll look at quantity, quality, and type of content in each issue and sidestories pack. Other key factors that are of equal -- if not paramount -- importance to some players are whether or not the additional pack is necessary to further TSW's story (who wants to miss some important tidbit?) and how fun playing through it actually is.
Chaos Theory: The value of The Secret World's DLCs
This question was posed to me recently by a few different readers and stream viewers: Are The Secret World's DLCs a good value? As I pondered the question, I decided that instead of answering each query personally, it would be a good topic to explore here in Chaos Theory. Besides, the answer is definitely not a short one! (It can't even fit in a single column!) So why can't I just fire off a simple yes or no to this question? The biggest problem is trying to provide an objective answer to a very subjective situation. While the meaning of value itself is clearly defined, said definition emphasizes that the judgment is individual to whoever is involved. How each player defines value is very personal, so I can't really answer for anyone except myself. What I can do, however, is provide as much of the objective information that I can so you can make your own subjective judgment on the value. Are TSW's issues and sidestories packs worth it? Let's look at the value from various viewpoints and you decide!
Steam lights a path to PC and Mac for 2D horror game, Claire
It's been awhile since we heard from Claire, the pixelated 2D horror game from Hailstorm Games; almost three years, actually. Having gathered enough votes on Steam Greenlight since then, the game is now complete and available to purchase on Steam. Claire follows the life of a young girl named Jennifer - just kidding, her name is totally Claire. Anyway, like most young children, Claire has nightmares about the things that go bump in the night. Unlike most children, Claire actually has something to fear, as her nightmares become real and invade the real world. Armed with a flashlight, Claire must explore and survive the darkness as she seeks out her mother. Claire has been available since the beginning of the month for PC, but Mac users just got their chance at exploring its haunted pixels earlier this week. [Thanks, David!] [Image: Hailstorm Games]
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite Secret World deck outfit?
Before I get to the traditional question that powers the Daily Grind, I'd like to give a pre-emptive heads-up to any Massively newbs in the audience. Yes, it was a slow news day when this piece was published (8:00 a.m. EDT). Yes, this is pure fluff meant for fun and perhaps discussion over a cup of coffee. With that out of the way, let's talk The Secret World. More specifically, let's talk about the game's spiffy deck-based outfits. I just finished collecting all of them on my Templar. Some of them are truly butt-ugly, but a handful of them make my character look even more badass than he actually is (which is pretty badass, don't get me wrong). Anyway, which deck outfit is your favorite? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Daily Grind: How much time do you spend on irritating quests?
Yesterday I spent an hour and a half doing this stupid jumping puzzle in The Secret World. It was the fifth tier of a six-tier sabotage quest in Transylvania, and I absolutely hated every minute of it! I kept at, though, inventing a few new curse words along the way, and I finally finished the quest. What about you, Massively readers? How much time do you spend trying to complete frustrating or irritating quests? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Chaos Theory: The Secret World anniversary celebration, take two!
It's that time of year again: time to celebrate another anniversary in The Secret World! And that means taking on world bosses, soaking up oodles of AP, and collecting lore, clothes, and (the best part) pets. Yep, definitely sounds like a party. The birthday bash lasts through July 17th, but the double AP portion of it ends on the 11th, so if you have new builds you want to test and you like the feel of all that AP popping up every few steps, now is the time to get into the game. If you attended last year's Guardians of Gaia celebration, you're no doubt familiar with the set up of the event; you may have even completed everything. If not, you now have the chance to catch up on everything, including collecting all the lore and pets. On top of that, there are new goodies to collect this time around. There's even a new achievement involving all the pets! Here are some tips and tricks for getting the most out of TSW's second anniversary celebration.
Choose My Adventure: Adventuring in ArcheAge
Although ArcheAge has many different things to do, you decided that Massively's MJ should continue her adventures with quests, so that's what she's been doing. After showing off her favorite spot in game and brilliantly demonstrating death by jellyfish, she's been running to and fro delivering notes, assembling statues, and killing whatever vermin are bothering the locals. And there's certainly no lack of vermin! During those questing adventures MJ has come across a dungeon, and she's looking forward to taking you inside. Hopefully she'll find other in-game companions to enter with her as well, else she'll surely experience death in a new and spectacular way! If she's alone, will you still have her enter? Join us live at 7:00 p.m. to decide her fate live! And don't forget to participate in the next vote to decide which crafting profession MJ should pursue next week. Game: ArcheAge Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Wednesday, July 9th, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below.
The Secret World releases new Love & Loathing mission pack
A new mission pack has hit the item store in The Secret World and you're all invited to check it out. Sidestories: Love & Loathing is now available for 960 Funcom points. This mission pack arrives just in time for The Secret World's second anniversary today and it features five missions that dive deeper into the story of Kaidan. Speaking of that anniversary, Funcom is gifting players with double AP and various other bonuses through July 11th! Take note that you'll need to own Issue #9: The Black Signal and have access to Tokyo to play the Sidestories: Love & Loathing content.
Chaos Theory: The Secret World's Tokyo barrier
Blue Mountain: On the road through The Secret World adventures, this was the zone that would make or break many players. It's the point when you had to really start crafting your decks more carefully and applying synergies. Not all who felt the blow of this particular skill check powered through, making it a barrier to continuing on to Egypt and Transylvania as well as completing the story mission. Well, now there's a new barrier in town: Tokyo. As much as I had looked forward to the Issue #9 content, and as much as I am enjoying the content now that it is here, I have to admit that Tokyo is the granddaddy of barriers. Not only are there barriers to getting to the content, but there are some to enjoying it once you get there too. And any one of them might cause players to give up on Tokyo and The Secret World before experiencing the whole update. So to help folks avoid smashing into any barriers unexpectedly and leaving bruises, let me give you the scoop on what lies ahead.
Star Trek Online opens up Hearts and Minds for one day only
It's Friday the 13th today, the most ominous of all day-and-date combinations. (Tuesday the 21st doesn't have a horror film series named after it.) Star Trek Online is celebrating as a result by giving players access to a special mini-episode, Hearts and Minds, an irregularly visited mission that is available to players only until 9 a.m. EDT on June 14th. Players who choose to take part in the mission are sent to investigate a Vulcan doctor and see just what happens when some unconventional research goes a bit too far. The mission is short and is meant to be creepy rather than gruesome, a quick vignette for any captains above level 10. You can also get a special reward for taking part, although you might feel a bit... unsettled afterward.
NOPEing out of The Evil Within
I wasn't overly impressed with The Evil Within when I saw it last year. It felt too copy/paste to me, too many familiar elements from too many familiar games. It all felt like more of the same, and while I could understand the desire to return to the roots of survival horror, I didn't enjoy it. It wasn't my jam. I wasn't scared. I'm scared now. I was given the option of choosing which of two sections I'd like to try out, and I opted for the one that focused more on exploration, story, and puzzle solving. I'd seen the combat in previous demos and knew the drill there, but I wanted to get a sense of the atmosphere the game had to offer. Scarce resources and the need to burn your enemies (to make absolutely, positively sure they stay dead after you put them down) is a fine basis for combat, but if The Evil Within wasn't creepy, I wasn't going to be interested.
The Secret World ARG fails to fund
The Secret World's spin-off alternate reality game, The Black Watchmen, failed to meet its crowdfunding goal of $100,000 this week. As a result, all donations will be refunded and the team will hand out in-game outfits for its supporters. The team hasn't said die yet, stating: "We are working hard to find alternative solutions for funding this great project and we hope we will be able to count on you in our future endeavours." Currently, the team is doing a post-mortem and considering its next steps. Some of the possible options for future funding that the team is looking at include a Kickstarter campaign and a publisher. The Black Watchman was intended to be a long-running persistent ARG based in The Secret World universe.
World of Darkness apparently reached alpha three different times
Former CCP employees have revealed to The Guardian that the studio's World of Darkness MMO reached an alpha state on three separate occasions before it was cancelled earlier this year. "I tested it myself on two different occasions out of those three," said former dev Nick Blood (yes, really). "With the first playtest, I was amazed at how little of the core game was there -- at this point the game had been in development for over half a decade. I mean, there was just nothing, literally nothing, for someone like me, a complete outsider to the WOD IP, to appreciate." Blood goes on to reveal that the game had some sort of Assassin's Creed-style movement system, though he calls it "very basic in comparison."
Issue 9 of The Secret World is live
Tokyo has been squatting like a gargoyle on the horizon of The Secret World since its launch nearly two years ago. Now, it's time for players to get into it. Issue 9 has just gone live, bringing with it the addition of the Tokyo playfield along with new missions, new monsters, and new revelations for the overarching story. But really, would you expect any less from the source of the Filth infestation? Players will explore Tokyo starting at the same subway junction that set off the game's story, moving from there into the city proper. Once in the city, they'll be dealing with Orochi, Filth zombies, an oni infestation, and plenty of ghosts clustering about. If you want to know a little more about the content before you jump in, you can check out our tour of Tokyo from yesterday.
Chaos Theory: Touring Tokyo with TSW's Joel Bylos
It's Tokyo time! That's right, an end to the wait is finally upon us. Come Wednesday, everyone who buys Issue #9 The Black Signal for The Secret World and has acquired The Council's Seal will be able to cross the threshold into Tokyo. Like you, I've been dying to get in and check out this new zone, the first new area introduced to the horror game since launch. Thanks to a special tour with Game Director Joel Bylos and Communications Manager Tor Egil Andersen, I was able to preview the first of the three Tokyo zones so I could share that experience with you. We not only explored the city itself, but we completed one of the new -- and might I add, really spooky -- missions and utilized the new AEGIS system. So, how is it? Let me just say, it's worth the wait! And not just for the creepy homages to the Illuminati handler, Kirsten Geary.
