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The mysterious existential dread of Krillbite's 'Mosaic'
Adrian Husby and Martin Kvale have been working together since 2011, when they were finishing up their bachelor's degrees in Norway. That's when they began conceptualizing Among the Sleep, a surreal first-person horror game that puts players in the shoes of a toddler, waddling around a suburban house at night as stranger and stranger things creep through the floorboards. With their studio Krillbite, they released Among the Sleep in 2014. It was a hit, selling well across PCs and consoles and garnering a handful of awards. Today, Husby and Kvale are hard at work on their new project, Mosaic. It's a mysterious, atmospheric game that retains Krillbite's trademark creepy vibe. They only want to tease Mosaic for now; they don't want to give too much away before its expected release on PC and PlayStation 4 in late 2017. As they attempt to describe Mosaic while maintaining its mystery, Husby and Kvale play off each other as old friends do.
'Orcs Must Die' developers are plotting to enter eSports
Competitive online games are a rapidly growing industry, driven by the explosive popularity of eSports. Titles like League of Legends, Dota 2, Call of Duty and Overwatch dominate the professional gaming scene, and studios across the globe are implementing competitive modes in their games. Robot Entertainment, the studio behind the tower defense series Orcs Must Die, is no different. "I can't tell you everything, obviously, but we're always working on some maybe head-to-head competitive style gameplay with this," Orcs Must Die Unchained designer Jerome Jones says. "We have to figure out the right way to do it. ... We'll have to figure out our little niche, but we are definitely working on those types of things."
The next great indie game is about the dragon apocalypse
There's no such thing as an "overnight success." Sure, some folks get lucky with a snappy catchphrase or a $30 Chewbacca mask and they experience a wave of sudden, unplanned popularity, but generally, people don't achieve their dreams over the course of a single evening. Rich Siegel is living proof of this myth. He's an independent game developer who's been quietly working on his dream title, EarthNight, for years. It's a beautiful, hand-painted platformer about the dragon apocalypse. Players careen across the backs of massive, snake-like dragons as they soar high above the planet, all while an original chiptune soundtrack pounds away in the background. EarthNight has received some scattered press, but it's not a household name. When it finally lands on PlayStation 4 and PC, it will probably be a surprise to most people, another indie game in a sea of new releases. However, there's something special about EarthNight. It has all the trappings of a sleeper hit: It's gorgeous, unique and whimsical, and it feels fresh even as it embodies the nostalgia of classic platformers. It has built-in Twitch streaming capabilities, it's a blast to watch and it features permadeath, which means once players die, they have to start the entire game over. EarthNight inherently caters to competitive people and repeat plays. If any indie game is going to be an "overnight success" in 2017, this is it.
Killing children in 'What Remains of Edith Finch'
Young Calvin Finch sits on a swing perched atop a steep seaside cliff while the afternoon sun warms the waves, grass and trees. Calvin's left leg is in a cast, but he easily swings his feet back and forth, pushing higher and higher over the cliffside. He wants to do a full circle on the swing set; he knows it's possible if he tries hard enough. Back and forth, back and forth. Cast kicking, he climbs higher, parallel to the ground and shooting back down, swinging his legs even harder. And then, with a final determined kick, he does it. Calvin flies around and around, branches of the tree above him scratching his face and body, leaves and twigs falling to the ground. Suddenly, on the last high-velocity rotation, Calvin lets go of the chains, and his body soars over the cliff, cast and all. For a moment, he flies above the water, toward the setting sun. And then, he's dead.
This is why 'Destiny' studio Bungie stopped making 'Halo' games
Destiny is a self-contained example of 21st-century video games: It's online, ever changing and beautifully built by a team of practiced veterans. Destiny represents the evolution of Bungie, the studio that created Halo, and it also encapsulates the shifting nature of video games as a whole. Modern AAA experiences take advantage of online functionality more than ever before, but this connected gaming ecosystem is still new for the industry as a whole. Destiny helped normalize the idea in 2014, when players weren't yet convinced they wanted an MMO-like experience on a living room console.
Survival smash 'The Flame in the Flood' comes to PS4 in January
The Flame in the Flood's distinctive approach to wilderness survival gaming was well-received when it reached PCs and the Xbox One earlier this year, so it's only natural that the game come to PlayStation gamers, right? Right. The Molasses Flood and Curve Digital have revealed that the game will reach the PS4 sometime in January. The dystopic title will arrive with a director's commentary offering a peek into the creative process, a "host of gameplay enhancements" and PS4-specific perks like avatars and a dynamic theme. More info about the updated mechanics should come soon.
All the reveals from PlayStation Experience 2016
It definitely feels like Sony showed off more games during the PlayStation Experience keynote today than it did at E3. Which is pretty impressive, when you think about it. The show started out with a glimpse at the next chapter of the Uncharted saga and ended with, well, the next chapter in the The Last of Us. Both were extremely unexpected treats from developer Naughty Dog, but in between those bookends were a ton of other teases and announcements from the company's 20-plus years of gaming history. If you wanted fresh versions of Parappa the Rapper and WipeOut, or even an updated take on the obscure Windjammers, you're all set. Oh, and how about the next game from Housemarque, the Robotron-esque Nex Machina? Now, let's get to the videos.
Ellie is all grown up in 'The Last of Us: Part II'
Sony closed out its PlayStation Experience keynote with the first trailer for The Last of Us: Part II, the sequel to Naughty Dog's breakout 2013 shooter. The stars of the original game, Joel and Ellie, return in Part II, older and apparently filled with a desire for vengeance. In the trailer, after strumming a guitar and singing for a while, Ellie tells Joel, "I'm gonna find, and I'm gonna kill, every last one of them." And it looks like she means it.
'Wipeout' comes to the PS4 through the 'Omega Collection'
Have you been suffering from Wipeout withdrawal symptoms since getting a PS4? You can relax. Sony has revealed that Wipeout Omega Collection is coming to the PS4 with remastered versions of three games (or two, depending on your point of view): Wipeout HD, Wipeout HD Fury and Wipeout 2048. It's not saying a whole lot about what's new, but it's safe to say that a graphical upgrade is on order -- especially for 2048, which was meant for the PS Vita. They're all getting 4K support, high dynamic range graphics and a "targeted" performance of 60 frames per second. You should see an "all-new" soundtrack, too. It's not a true sequel, and you'll have to wait until summer 2017 to get it, but it should at least end a years-long drought for people who have fond memories of racing hoverships to a thumping beat.
'Uncharted' is back on PS4 with 'The Lost Legacy'
There's a new Uncharted. Well, a new story chapter at least. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, from the looks of it, is a lot like The Last of Us: Left Behind. Meaning, it's a standalone story that fleshes out characters from the main game in a new way. The video that debuted on the PlayStation Experience stage showed a robed woman walking through a middle Eastern street, following instructions for a meet up by text message — only to be double crossed on a rooftop.
'Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite' hits PS4, XB1 and PC in 2017
Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite pits classic video game characters from franchises like Street Fighter and Mega Man against everyone's favorite superheroes from the Marvel universe. The debut trailer showed an epic battle among Ryu, Mega Man X, Captain Marvel and Iron Man. Infinite lands in late 2017 and fans will get the first look at its gameplay tonight at the Capcom Cup, which is being held at PlayStation Experience in Anaheim, California.
Watch the PlayStation Experience keynote right here!
PlayStation Experience kicks off today in Anaheim, California, offering a weekend of gaming, Capcom and Call of Duty eSports tournaments, and plenty of news for fans of Sony's wares. The keynote starts at 10AM PT / 1PM ET and it's poised to feature a handful of game announcements and information about the PlayStation 4, PS4 Pro and PS VR as we head into 2017. Catch it all live right here, regardless of your proximity to Anaheim. Sometimes, the internet truly is incredible.
'EVE: Valkyrie' blasts onto HTC Vive this month
EVE: Valkyrie might have started life as an Oculus Rift tech demo, but this month the space-shooter will arrive on Steam for HTC Vive owners. The exact release date is coming "soon," according to developer CCP Games. "We've also got some big celebrations planned for that weekend; all pilots on all platforms are invited," the blog post teases. Oh, and there's an announcement of some kind coming during the PlayStation Experience keynote this December 4th. Intriguing.
