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PlayStation platformer 'Shu' has Vita-exclusive goodies
Sony isn't showing the PS Vita handheld any love, but indie developers sure are. The latest example is the 2.5D platformer Shu. "Shu feels right at home on the handheld and is a great experience, especially since it's running at 60 FPS," a post by developer Coatsink on the European PlayStation Blog reads. More than that, the Vita version will have some exclusive bits and bobs when the game comes out sometime later this year. Coatsink says that supporting the handheld is something that the team feels "very strongly about" and it's been hard at work ensuring that the portable version isn't a lazy port.
Flee from a toothy, clawed storm in 2.5D platformer Shu
Surely you can outrun a perilous, world-ending storm, oh proven master of the platformer genre, but what about fellow villagers that don't have your finesse? Would you just run past, leaving them for the ominous black cloud that's sporting a full set of teeth? "Of course not," you (probably) said, because you (probably) have a heart! You can lead endangered villagers to safety in Shu, a 2.5D platformer that's dashing and floating its way toward PS3, PS4 and Vita. In Shu, saving villagers gives you more than just warm, fuzzy feelings. Villagers boast unique abilities, which you'll be able to harness if you spare the time to lead them from danger. You'll need to convince them to tag along quickly though, because if the incessant storm reaches you, it'll snatch your companions one by one. You don't want to lose your adorable fellow villagers and, on a definitely-less-important note, the abilities that you can only borrow in their presence, right? Shu was originally conceived by Secret Lunch, but has since turned into a collaboration with Coatsink Software. Shu is planned to reach PlayStation platforms in mid-2015, but you can get a better sense of what you'll be running from right now in the trailer after the break. [Image: Coatsink Software]
Know Your Lore: Tauren at the end of Mists
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. There are an awful lot of loose threads around the tauren right now. The Grimtotem are scattered, making temporary pacts with the Alliance in Stonetalon, besieging the night elves in Feralas, and their greatest leader was last seen claiming an artifact of elemental power. In the wake of Cairne's death, Baine Bloodhoof chose to allow Garrosh to rule uncontested - but that position clearly changed over time, and Baine led tauren troops to the support of Vol'jin's rebellion against the Warchief, rather than simply challenging him as his father did. Ironically, this choice shows a certain political maturity - recognizing that trial by personal combat might not be the best means to effect regime change in the Horde - while it also shows a bit of a break with the old ways of both the Horde, and the tauren people. Baine's father Cairne chose to live, and die, by the older ways of ritual and honor. Betrayed by Magatha, he died from poison on Garrosh Hellscream's axe and with him seems to have died the last vestiges of the tauren ways of the past. Baine led an expulsion of those Grimtotem that would not swear allegiance to him over Magatha that culminated in a battle against their last leaders in Mulgore, and at the end of that battle, Baine ruled the shu'halo as undisputed chieftain of all. But in doing so, he also led his people into their last break with the past, and following the defeat of Garrosh and the ascension of Vol'jin to the seat of power as Warchief, one must ask - what role do the tauren fill in the Horde to come, and where will Baine's current choices lead them in the future?
Mists of Pandaria beta: A guide to pandaren pronunciation
Mists of Pandaria brings us an all-new continent with a ton of brand-new races, quests, storylines, and characters. Along with those characters comes a whole host of names that look a lot easier to pronounce than they actually are. With names commonly found in the troll race, it's a simple matter of navigating your way around all of the apostrophes. Old Gods, for the most part, sound just like they are spelled. But with the names you find in Mists, there's an actual precedent for pronunciation, and most words definitely don't sound like they look. Simon, one of our readers who also happens to be fluent in Chinese, took some time out of his busy day to drop an email in my inbox detailing just a few of the Chinese words, their meaning, and their actual pronunciations. According to Simon, many of the names you'll encounter in Mists are actually written using the standard PinYin system, which, when accurate, is usually pronounced differently than how it looks.
Dynasty Warriors Online set for American release by Aeria Games
The Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history is one of those settings that people just can't seem to get enough of, with other free-to-play games mining the territory with vigor. The Dynasty Warriors franchise, however, has quite a bit of pedigree, with a long tradition of character-based storytelling and impossibly large battles. American fans of the franchise can take heart, as it has just been announced that Aeria Games will be publishing Dynasty Warriors Online in North America, with the game currently accepting beta applicants. Fans of the series will be happy to know that the game hasn't lost sight of its roots, with the engine focusing on allowing player-created characters to face off against huge hordes of NPC opponents. The game will also allow players to have a direct influence on the historical setting, with the outcome of battles affecting the delicate balance between Wei, Shu, and Wu. Naturally, there will also be the same psuedo-historical personalities made famous in the series and in the source novel. Dynasty Warriors Online is set for an official launch later this year, and if you're on the fence, take a look at the gallery below to get a feel for the game's appearance. %Gallery-99390%
Kingdom Heroes shows off PvP in new screens
Aeria Games wants players to know what to expect out of Kingdom Heroes, and one of the biggest draws can be explained in three letters: PvP. More specifically, large-scale PvP that features up to 100 participants on each side, culminating in the bloody Kingdom Wars that are shown off in a new set of official screens. The first picture in the gallery is a brief moment of calm before the storm, with the subsequent images showing off just how bloody the fighting can get. Set during China's Three Kingdoms period -- the setting for Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the Dynasty Warriors series among others -- the game is still in open beta, with a variety of weekend events running to help entice new players. If you're fond of the historical setting (with some exceptions made for the sake of gameplay) or just fond of large-scale PvP, take a look at the gallery and consider giving Kingdom Heroes a shot. %Gallery-97107%
