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Valve releases the first multiplayer campaign for 'Dota 2'
Dota 2 isn't just an ever-repeating, five-on-five race to destroy your enemy's base. Every so often, Valve adds temporary cooperative game modes to the MOBA that unite the toxic player base against an entirely different end goal. In the build-up to The International 7 -- a yearly tournament that's like the Wimbledon of Dota -- Valve has just released the most elaborate of these yet. It goes so far as to call "Siltbreaker: Act I" the first multiplayer Dota campaign, since it plays more like a quest-centric RPG than anything else. Unlike the core MOBA, though, it's not free-to-play.
'The Sims' find a new home on iOS and Android
It's been 17 years since The Sims was first released on PC but finally (finally) the venerable social simulator is going mobile. EA announced on Wednesday that it is bringing its truest port of the game to date to Android and iOS.
Fight as Spidey or Hulk in Marvel's free-to-play console RPG
Marvel Heroes 2016, the free-to-play role-playing and MMO hybrid is coming to the PS4 and Xbox One consoles as Marvel Heroes Omega this spring, developer Gazillion revealed. As with the PC version, it'll let you play as Spider-Man, Captain America, the Hulk and 38 other heroes, or the entire Avengers or Defenders teams. It features a nine-chapter story campaign that'll see you defending Manhattan and taking on Doctor Doom, Loki and other super villains.
'Planescape: Torment' remaster arrives on April 11th
For many veteran gamers, Planescape: Torment was a definitive role-playing title -- it combined an unusual setting with a deep story, memorable dialogue and gameplay mechanics that still hold up. If you're one of those fans, you won't have long to wait to relieve that experience on modern hardware. Beamdog, Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast have revealed that they're launching Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition on April 11th. As with most better remastering efforts, this involves more than a little spit and polish to make the game run on newer hardware.
What we love and hate about 'Mass Effect: Andromeda'
A veteran Mass Effect player and a complete novice walk into a bar. This isn't the beginning of a terrible joke: Instead, it's the premise of a conversation between Engadget associate editor Timothy J. Seppala and senior reporter Jessica Conditt, both of whom have been playing the latest Mass Effect game, Andromeda, over the past few weeks. Tim has devoured and adored the Mass Effect series for almost a decade while Jessica has never touched the games before. How does Andromeda compare to previous Mass Effect games? Does it stand on its own as a worthy addition to the sci-fi genre? Are the animations always this messed up? In the following conversation, Tim and Jessica discuss Andromeda's highs and lows from two vastly different perspectives -- and somehow, they end up with similar conclusions. Spoilers for the entire Mass Effect series reside below; you've been warned.
'D&D Beyond' takes the pen and paper out of tabletop RPGs
Despite all the newfangled ways one can play Dungeons and Dragons, there's something special about playing it the old fashioned way -- in person with a bunch of friends and a geometrical mess of dice. Still, if you want to modernize your tabletop adventure just a little, you'll have the option soon. Wizards of the Coast just announced that it's working with Curse to create an official digital toolset designed to replace the pen and paper character sheets of yore.
Nautical horror game 'Sunless Sea' heads to iPad
Aquatic RPG Sunless Sea has been a big win for British indie developer Failbetter Games. The well-reviewed game has sold half a million copies since its 2015 PC release, and soon, iPad users will be able to get in on the Victorian Gothic adventure. Not long after sequel Sunless Skies very quickly exceeded its Kickstarter funding goal, Failbetter Games announced that Sunless Sea is headed to iPad on March 23rd.
EA Access members get 'Mass Effect: Andromeda' five days early
If you're an EA Access subscriber you'll be able to play Mass Effect: Andromeda's first ten hours almost a week ahead of everyone else. Like Electronic Arts has done for games in the past, folks on Xbox One will be able to play the highly-anticipated sci-fi RPG five days before its retail release on March 21st. Sound familiar? That's because EA did the same thing for the most recent entry developer BioWare's other role-playing series, Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2014. The news comes by way of a tweet from Xbox's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb. Xbox One is the only console where Access is available, but PC owners have the same deal with Origin Access according to Game Informer.
Online RPG 'Asheron's Call' to shut down after 17 years
Well-done online role-playing games tend to have a long shelf life, but the Asheron's Call series has lasted longer than most. It got started way back in 1999, and has lasted through three publisher changes, a shift to a buy-once model and even a full-on resurrection, among other tribulations. However, even classics have to call it quits at some point. Turbine has announced that it's ending support for both the original Asheron's Call and Asheron's Call 2 on January 31st, 2017. The series will be completely free to play for any account holder until then, but you won't get to create a new account to see what the fuss is about.
'Persona 5' US release delayed to April 2017
The localized, English version of the highly anticipated JRPG Persona 5 just got an official release date. According to Atlus's John Hardin, Persona 5 will land on PlayStation 4 and PS3 consoles in the US and the rest of the west on April 4th, 2017, with both the Japanese and English dubs available as a free DLC.
'Skyrim Special Edition' audio took a step backward
As a rule, remasters of classic video games are supposed to be clear steps forward in audiovisual quality. However, Bethesda didn't get that memo before launching Skyrim Special Edition. PC and Xbox One owners have noticed that their version of Skyrim is using highly compressed audio that's noticeably worse than in the original release. You're fine if you have the PS4 version (or are willing to modify your PC copy), but it's a rude surprise for everyone else.
'City of the Shroud' is an RPG with a truly player-driven story
Adventure and role-playing games have always focused on telling stories, and that tradition has permeated into almost every other genre. Whether with linear plots or with branching, adaptive tales, developers are putting story everywhere. And just as the technology powering games is evolving, so too are the narratives within them. One game, however, is pushing forward into entirely new territory: City of the Shroud. Partially funded by a small-scale Kickstarter campaign earlier this year, City of the Shroud is being developed by Abyssal Arts, a small team strewn across the US and UK, with some assistance from Japan. It's a hard game to categorize. It's an RPG, yes, but it blends tactical elements from X-Com, The Banner Saga and Final Fantasy Tactics with a real-time combat system that borrows from classic fighting games.
BioWare's 'Jade Empire' gets another shot at life on iOS
BioWare is virtually synonymous with Mass Effect and Dragon Age these days, but it has had its share of experiments. Remember Jade Empire, its China-inspired (and critically well-received) action role-playing title? Aspyr does -- it just released versions of Jade Empire: Special Edition for the Mac and, crucially, iOS. You can now relive the story of a martial artist restoring balance to the world using your phone or tablet, not just your computer at home. There are simple controls in the iOS version if you're not comfortable with a touchscreen, but you can also switch to an expert mode when you're comfortable with using taps and swipes to defeat other warriors.
Sex and sexuality: The Jane Austen game breaking the MMO rules
Ever, Jane is an online role-playing game set in the dramatic, romantic worlds of Jane Austen. It invites players to attend sophisticated dinner parties and fancy balls, share gossip, keep secrets, fall in love, get married and climb the ribbon-lined social ladder of Regency-era England. It is definitely not a sex game, though sometimes players get wrapped up in this universe of exquisite gowns and forbidden desire, and they simply can't help themselves. "Let's just say that we had to put in private chat," Ever, Jane creator Judy Tyrer says with a laugh.
'Skullgirls' is coming to mobile with a role-playing twist
Lab Zero's hyper-stylized fighting game Skullgirls has been available on almost every modern platform at some point in its history, but you couldn't play it on your smartphone... until now. Hidden Variable (best known for producing versions of Threes) has revealed that it's developing a Skullgirls game for Android and iOS that shakes up its formula. Rather than making a straightforward brawler, the studio is adding role-playing elements -- you collect, equip and upgrade characters as they progress through the story. There's even a Fight Assist option that lets you focus more on the bigger picture and less on the moment-to-moment action.
Coming to terms with my game backlog
I used to be scared of the RPG genre. Growing up, I played plenty of video games like any other kid, but I stuck to stuff I could pick up and put down. Mario, GoldenEye, Doom. I lacked the dedication, the loyalty and the skill to tackle an intimidating dozens-of-hours role-playing adventure. And yet I would ogle screenshots in GamePro or exotic box art like on the SNES game Secret of Evermore or even just mysterious, enticing names like Chrono Trigger. The idea of these cartridges, and the fantastical little universes they contained, had a pull over me: They promised a story-based experience that's unique to the medium of the video game. Sure, I made some stabs at playing the games, but even the high-school-freshman version of me was too busy for the commitment. I had just gotten a car and a part-time job. I played sports, there were girls to date. You know, non-nerd stuff. But oh, how I longed for the nerd stuff.
'The Division' is getting an open beta next week
If you didn't participate in The Division's recent closed beta, don't worry -- you're going to have another chance to play the game soon. Ubisoft has announced open beta dates for its new Tom Clancy title, which will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Interestingly enough, gamers with a Microsoft console can start playing February 18th, with PS4 and PC support to come the following day. The open beta runs through February 21st, so you better enjoy it while it lasts. As a refresher, The Division launches March 8th, assuming there aren't any more unexpected delays.
'The Division': Experience New York City as you never have before
New York City's Flatiron District is pure chaos. As I peer around the corner of a skyscraper, automatic rifle in hand, all I see are abandoned cars and people shouting in the streets. I'm not alone, though: I'm with three comrades prepared to shoot anyone who seems to have bad intentions. But this isn't the Midtown Manhattan I know; it's a scene from Ubisoft's The Division, the new Tom Clancy game that's scheduled to release March 8th on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
Sony Online's former chief opens his own game studio (updated)
John Smedley may have left Sony Online Entertainment just months after its acquisition, but he's still staying true to his roots. He recently co-founded a studio, Pixelmage Games, and is already off to the races building his first title: meet Hero's Song, a crowdfunded action role-playing game with a few unique twists. It's more "measured" than frantic hack-and-slash titles like Diablo III, and it revolves around a system of gods that shape the world, the challenges when you die (if you lose, you're dead forever) and your future. You can even become a god, if you're good enough. Unsurprisingly, Hero's Song will be playable both solo and online against many other adventurers.
Poorly-named 'League of Legends' players get psychology surveys
League of Legends has roughly 67 million players, so the developer has a big challenge when it comes to monitoring the community the size of a small country — and curbing the worser elements. While it's involved itself with how players interact with the game, this time it's doing something more: it's recently started asking ill-named players to take psychological self-evaluation tests. LoL players can report others for inappropriate character names that don't gel with the game's terms of use. However, this week, some players noticing a different naming process for characters that weren't okay the first time around. Gamers now have to complete a survey, play 50 matches, then follow that up with another survey. After that, players can change their name to something that follows the rules. (Before, cheekily-named users got a temporary name until they picked a better one.)
