Stealth
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Stealth Inc: Ultimate Edition tip-toes to PS4 in March
Curve Studios' stealthy platformer Stealth Inc will receive a special Ultimate Edition version on PS4 in early March, the developer announced today. The bundle will include the base version of the game formerly known as Stealth Bastard as well as its two DLC add-ons, The Teleporter Chambers and The Lost Clones. The pieces of downloadable content add 40 levels to the game's already-existing 80. Stealth Inc launched on PSN for Vita and PS3 in July 2013, following its November 2012 launch on PC and April 2013 release on Mac and Linux. While it was Cross-Buy-enabled on PSN then, the developer noted today that the Ultimate Edition will not be free for current Stealth Inc owners to download. Still, it is "looking into ways we can offer a very significant discount to people who already own Stealth Inc," and will reveal as much in the coming weeks. [Image: Curve Studios]
Thief Video Preview
What does your moral compass say about Thief, a game in which you covet all that glitters and pinch every penny like a delicious, mineral-heavy morsel before dropping it into your gaping pocket? In our new video preview we find there's still an illicit thrill in stealing professionally as master thief Garrett, who returns in this Eidos-Montreal reboot of 1996's Thief: The Dark Project. And let's be honest: having spent several games looting fresh corpses, eating curative sponge cakes straight from the garbage and gutting leopards for tacky ammo pouches, kleptomania just comes naturally to us all. Thief is coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on February 25. For more on the game's open world, read our last preview, "Stalking the City in Shadow."
David Hayter-voiced République sneaks to iOS on December 19
Camouflaj's stealthy crowdfunded game Republique will launch this Thursday, December 19 on iOS. Republique Director Ryan Payton noted in an interview with IGN that the game's PC and Mac versions will arrive next year. Republique earned $555,662 on Kickstarter in May 2012 and features both David Hayter and Jennifer Hale as voice actors. The indie action game, which resurfaced in February with new 3D backgrounds as opposed to its original pre-rendered ones, will cost $4.99 on the App Store. The game stars Hope, "a young woman trapped within a shadowy totalitarian state," drawing inspiration from George Orwell's classic novel 1984. Players take control of "Big Brother," protecting Hope and guiding her through the game by influencing the environment through unlocking doors, powering down lights and tapping phone calls.
WildStar shows off the Stalker
WildStar's recent class re-reveals have all lacked a certain something. A certain panache, a certain trait, a certain ability to sneak past a huge number of enemies before stabbing something in the back and walking away. That's what the Stalker brings to the table, and for everyone who loves classes that involve stealth and stabbing, you'll be very happy. Not that the class is that one-dimensional, of course; like all of the game's classes, Stalkers have a big bag of tricks. It's just that invisibility is a pretty good trick. Stalkers are equipped with twin retractable claws as well as nanoskin and a variety of other high-tech gadgets. The nanoskin serves multiple functions -- it allows for Stalkers to become tougher, more evasive, and even do that invisibility trick while in combat. Combined with their natural agility and controlling tricks, Stalkers can easily be on the front lines of a battle or tuck themselves away and assassinate key targets. Check out how it works in the video just past the break. [Source: Carbine Studios press release]
Worms developer to publish stealthy PC game Light
Stealthy indie game Light will be published by Worms developers Team17, the publisher recently announced. Currently in development for PC, Mac and Linux by Just a Pixel, Light is a top-down 2D game in which players guide a square icon through a maze of doors and rooms, hacking terminals and avoiding guards along the way. This is Team17's first foray into publishing for almost two decades, as it once funded games like Super Stardust and Alien Breed on Amiga, but has since focused on games in the Worms series, including Worms: Clan Wars and Worms 2: Armageddon. The prototype video of the game above shows off its simple style and basic mechanics, which players can expect to see firsthand sometime in 2014. Light is currently seeking community approval via Greenlight to achieve distribution on Steam.
Stealth Inc sneaking to iOS next week
Curve Studios' stealthy platformer Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark will launch on iOS on November 14. The fast-paced puzzle platformer includes 80 levels, Game Center-supported achievements and leaderboards, and a "one off in-app purchase" that unlocks 1,800 community-created levels. Stealth Inc originally launched as Stealth Bastard on Steam in November 2012 before undergoing a name change when it arrived on Vita and PS3 in July. The game will be compatible with iPad 2, iPad Mini and iPhone 4S devices and up. Curve Studios didn't list a price for the game, but will announce it next week.
Shift the city's architecture in cyberpunk stealth platformer Interference
French artist Anthony Beyer launched an Indiegogo project for Interference, a stealthy puzzle-platformer for PC, Mac and Linux. The game has players joining a cyberterrorist organization called The Interferers, an underground group that are opposed to a totalitarian government. The group grants players access to a device known as The Glitcher, which allows players to slide pieces of the city Arachnopolis around to create paths and avoid enemies. Interference relies heavily on stealth mechanics similar to that of Klei's Mark of the Ninja, though Beyer said he wants to create his own game "with a fully-realized and immersive universe that isn't disjointed by levels." Players will unlock districts of the city similar to the Metroid and Castlevania series, but can freely traverse the open parts of Arachnopolis at will. Beyer is seeking €25,000 ($33,475) by December 11 to fund the game's development, and plans to deliver it by June 2014. He also made a pre-alpha demo available to download for both PC and Mac owners, found on the game's website. [Thanks, Andrew!]
Elder Scrolls AMA talks stealth mechanics and more
Now that the furor of The Elder Scrolls Online's business model announcement has died down, ZeniMax can get back to its regularly scheduled content drip. Wait, who are we kidding? Fans are still frothing at the mouth over TESO's launch subscription, but fortunately none of that discourse makes its way into this week's Ask Us Anything post. Instead, the devs focus on topics like character roles, magic, the UI, and stealth mechanics. This last one is particularly interesting given ZeniMax's description of how the tactic will function in PvP. "If you are in stealth, you will be invisible to enemy players unless they detect you. It will take more than just a casual look in a stealthed player's direction to uncover them," the post explains. "During a recent playtest, one of our developers was ambushed by a hidden enemy. It was a very effective tactic; the ambusher took advantage of the fact that his target wasn't being cautious and using the Magelight ability, which would have thwarted the ambush."
The Summoner's Guidebook: Stealth mechanics, stiletto heels, and League of Legends
Recently my League of Legends games have included a lot of solo mid (mostly by choice), and while I play Syndra quite a bit because she's really fun, I've had the most success playing Evelynn. I've had a fair number of games where I've carried my team kicking and screaming over the goal line despite their insistence on making awful decisions. I just walked into teamfights, hit R, and proceeded to steamroll their entire team after a completely dominating laning phase where I ganked everywhere including the enemy jungle. Evelynn's pretty much the polar opposite of Poppy. They both have blue skin, but the similarities pretty much end there. Poppy is a tiny tomboyish warrior in plate and chain with a mighty hammer and a direct approach to problems. Evelynn is a subtle temptress with stealth, vampiric abilities, a supermodel figure, and an outfit that suggests that "lady of the night" might have a double meaning.
US Navy's X-47B is the first unmanned plane launched from an aircraft carrier (video)
After limbering up with taxi tests since December, the X-47B unmanned combat air system has finally taken off from an aircraft carrier, making it the first pilotless plane to have successfully done so, and with a catapult launch to boot. Despite the craft's ability to fly on its own, it was controlled by a human aboard the George H.W. Bush after it was flung from the ship. Once in the air, the Northrop Grumman-built craft was guided back for a landing on a runway planted on terra firm. Now that the bird's proved it can handle launches at sea, other excursions will put the automatic navigation and landing features through their paces. Hit the break for a video of the X-47B taking to the skies.
Camelot Unchained explains stealth
There are five days left for Camelot Unchained's Kickstarter program, and it's less than $600,000 away from its lofty $2,000,000 goal. The developers figured that this was a fine time to explain not only how stealth will work in CU but also how stealth failed in past games. Mark Jacobs explained in the latest update blog that being killed by a stealther generates the most rage and angry email from players. But with Jacob's "bat-s**t crazy" idea regarding stealth, most of the frustration should be alleviated. The idea revolves around the concept of the Veil, which in simple terms is another dimension that exists alongside our own. Players can become VeilWalkers, moving in and out of the Veil and traversing over and through objects undetected by most players. But VeilWalking comes with consequences of its own in the form of VeilStalkers, players who cannot enter the Veil but can pull Walkers out of it by using skills and placing traps. Jacobs explained, "The Veil holds mysteries and power, but it comes with a price." What do you think? Is he bat-s**t crazy?
Gunpoint gears up for Steam
Gunpoint, a 2D collusion of quiet intrusion, espionage and elusion, will be available for PC through Steam once it's complete. The game stands out for its romantic combination of spy and electrician, letting you divert power in devious ways between switches and several objects in the environment.Lead designer Tom Francis has posted a new video (above) demonstrating Gunpoint's gadgets, some of which allow you to reprogram gun triggers, survive tremendous falls and scale steep surfaces.Note on something that should have been mentioned earlier: Clicking play on the video above has likely electrocuted a stranger somewhere in the world.
Star Trek Online outlines the fine details of Romulan ship progression
The Romulan faction in Star Trek Online's upcoming expansion does not play like mirrors of the Federation or the Klingons. The race's ships are less diverse in some ways, but its cloaking devices that allow for stealth even in combat make it clear that this is a race about subtle manipulation and careful subterfuge. A new development blog outlines the fine points of ship progression including refit ships, retrofit ships, and small craft for the faction. In addition to the cloaking devices, all Romulan ships feature a powerful Singularity Core that allows access to a different tier of special abilities for each ship. As with other factions, refits and retrofits of lower-tier ships can be purchased from the game's cash shop, complete with new customizable skins and new consoles for these variants. Players interested in seeing the full details should take a look at the development blog and get ready to remind the galaxy why the phrase "warbird decloaking" is never a sign things are going well.
The Repopulation expands dev team, publishes January update
It's a new month, which means it must be time for a new end-of-the-previous-month update from the team behind The Repopulation. January saw quite a few changes made to the sci-fi sandbox, including a new GUI, a military perks system, new mission types, a stealth revamp, and more. The dev team also expanded to include a lead musician, a new character artist, and a new level designer. Full details are available on The Repopulation's website. [Thanks to J.C. for the tip!]
Swordsman Online video demonstrates combat variety
Perfect World's upcoming Swordsman Online is all about combat, combat, and more combat, which means that combat needs to be divine. Today we've been treated to a video demonstrating six of the game's 10 "clans," the fighting styles that players can adopt in their war against high health bars. Within each of those clans are three paths that may be chosen by players at will. While the video doesn't clearly state which clan is on display, it still provides a useful look at Swordsman Online's fights. There is everything from hand-to-hand melee to whirling chains to giant cannons. Because in a game called Swordsman Online, it'd be silly not to have giant cannons firing quarter-ton balls, yes? Check out the video after the break and let us know which style suits you the best!
Duke University creates 'perfect' one-directional microwave cloak, might lead to stealthier vehicles
Most attempts at cloaking, no matter the slice of spectrum, usually leave clues as to what's there -- even microwave cloaks can spoil the surprise through reflections. At Duke University, researchers have licked some of those past problems with the first instance of a flawless microwave cloaking scheme. By crafting a special diamond-shaped cloak where the light properties stay consistent at the corners, the school's Nathan Landy and David Smith have successfully shielded a 3-inch wide cylinder from microwave detection without a hint that something was amiss. The gotcha, as hinted by the shape, is a two-dimensional nature that gives away the secret at less than ideal angles. Duke suggests that it still has the groundwork for something that could be vital for communications or radar -- we can imagine a stealth aircraft or ship in the far-flung future that could actively mask itself from radar signals. It's not quite the optical illusion we're looking for, but a refined version of the Duke project might be enough for a rare practical use of cloaking when fantasies are much more common.
State of Decay demonstrates the virtues of stealth
Pop quiz, apocalypse survivors: You desperately need to get into a nearby gun store to complete a mission, but it's surrounded by a small horde of zombies. Running through them and shooting your way in are both undesirable options, so what do you do? What do you do? In a short alpha video from Undead Labs, a State of Decay player instead uses tricks and stealth to achieve his goal. He tosses some fireworks from a nearby water tower, prompting the zombies to investigate and leave the scene. Following that, it's a quick dash in and out to trigger a job well done. You can watch this nail-biting footage after the jump, and don't forget to check out Massively's report on the game from PAX.
Swordsman Online focus test to feature player-created skills, stealth, and more
Perfect World's Swordsman Online is gearing up for a Chinese focus group test on November 17th. MMO Culture reports that the test will feature 10 playable clans and a focus on combat, instanced scenarios, and PvP. The site also mentions a "self-created skill function," and a stealth disguise feature, both of which will make their first appearance in a Swordsman test client. The aforementioned instances will boast "traps, dynamic events, and high AI mobs." Perfect World has also released a new batch of Swordsman Online screenshots, but it hasn't offered any sort of release window nor has it confirmed whether or not the title will appear in the West.
Mark of the Ninja review: Kneel in the shadows
Stealth games are really about a guy trapped in a temporal loop, forced to repeat his actions until he can shake off the mysterious clumsiness that has overridden years of tip-toeing experience. "Why would I just roll into that spotlight like an idiot?" wonders the grizzled agent, now on his fifth run through a secret terrorist compound. "Crap, landing on that grate was much louder than I thought." Cue alarms and a return to the last save point.Mark of the Ninja makes it awfully hard to be an oaf dressed in black. No, it hasn't been streamlined to the point of auto-play, and the inherent challenge of avoiding detection hasn't been crushed into a pulp to please the plebes. Rather, developer Klei Entertainment has flattened the genre into a legible, two-dimensional blueprint. That's why things are more likely to go according to plan.%Gallery-157960%
To Poke and Perturb: The Explicit Stealth in Mark of the Ninja
Stealth games have a creepy cousin in the survival-horror genre. The relation manifests in an oppressive environment, which isn't clearly designed or signposted to let the player succeed as easily as he would in a spectacle-driven action game. But while horror is really about conserving quantifiable resources within the claustrophobic confines of an inhospitable world, stealth games expect you to wisely expend your movements and other reckless displays of presence. When it comes to guard patrols and impenetrable installations, as you'll see in XBLA's Mark of the Ninja, your currency is quieter and more abstract."In a stealth game you're fundamentally undetected. The world is just kind of running and it's on the player to poke and perturb it after observing it for a bit, and you can just do a lot more interesting things there," says Nels Anderson, Technical Designer at Klei Entertainment. To think of the world as an unpredictable beast, one that might bite off your finger if you prod it in the wrong place at the wrong time, might be a good way to understand the polarized, frustrated relationship some players have with the stealth genre.According to Anderson, "the power dynamic that almost always falls out of that, to make that work, is that interplay between strength and weakness." Having the chance to study the environment and enemies is a huge advantage, but acting on that information can lead to failure. There's an expectation of perfection – I was spotted, so I have to revisit the last save and do it right! – yet a severe punishment of practice. Anderson thinks of it as a "gulf of execution," one that he thinks Mark of the Ninja can fill.%Gallery-157960%
