Bethesda Announces "Hearthfire" DLC for Skyrim

Bethesda recently announced some very unique DLC for Skyrim that will allow players to build and customize their very own house. Hearthfire will allow you to construct your own house outside of city walls on your own plot of land where you can fill the insides with a multitude of items and furnishings. 

  

 

A new drafting and carpenter's table allow you to craft items that will fill your house. Looking at the video that was released with the announcement of Hearthfire, it looks like you'll also be responsible for crafting not only your furniture and decorations, but even the fine details such as locks and hinges for doors will be important in constructing your home.

You'll be able to construct various rooms that meet your characters needs such as an alchemy lab, mage's tower, training room, an armory or even a trophy room. The trophy room in the video shows off some awesome looking trophies which look like preserved enemies ranging from trolls and Draugr, to Hagravens and Dwemer sphere warriors.

The customization doesn't end inside though;outside you can build gardens and other areas responsible for harvesting food and consumable items. Stewards can be hired to maintain your home, provide transport and deliver furniture to your home as well. A new adoption system will allow you and your spouse to adopt children to live in you house. You can raise your children by assigning them chores or playing a game with them. In maintaining your house, it is important to wipe out skeever infestations and fend off those nosy, dumb giants to protect your family and livestock.

This is a new level of customization to The Elder Scrolls and should be popular among players. Allowing players to build a house to their liking is so cool because you can really interject your character's personality and skills into the game. If you're a mage or an alchemist, having a large greenhouse, garden, and mage's tower complete with a lab can be built to meets your character's specific needs. If you have a lot of rare weaponry and armor you want to show off, you can now build an entire room dedicated to displaying your collection. Being outside of city walls and being able to choose your own plot of land is even more intriguing since you can find the perfect climate and piece of land to settle your estate on. 

 

Right now, Hearthfire is only slated to release on the Xbox 360 on September 4, for 400 Microsoft points. As for the PS3 and PC however, there has been no word on when or if they will receive the Hearthfire content. This raises concerns, especially for PS3 players who are still waiting for the release of "Dawnguard" the first DLC released for Skyrim. Dawnguard has been available to Xbox 360 players and recently to PC players but is still not ready for the PS3 due to "performance errors". 

I'm sure Hearthfire will be released on the PS3 and PC eventually but Bethesda is playing catch-up still. Bethesda VP, Pete Hines explains that they "are working on multiple projects, even beyond those two things," and that Hearthfire will not effect the work on Dawnguard for the PS3. No release date on Dawnguard for PS3 has been given but we can only hope that it will be soon.

New Dishonored Trailer Schools You in Stealth

Corvo, the protagonist of Bethesda and Arkane Studios' new game Dishonored, is a deadly assassin who is out for revenge after being framed for a murder he did not commit. As an assassin, stealth will play a very important role in achieving your goals as you guide Corvo.

A new trailer released by Arkane Studios gives some tips on sneaking around and assassinating unsuspecting guards. Dishonored allows you to employ many traditional stealth tactics such as putting out lights, peeking around corners or keyholes, and using distractions; qualities that are sure to please sneaky players. In addition to these abilities, Corvo can also utilize unique powers that he's been endowed with. You can see everything in the video below which is sure to get you even more excited for Dishonored.

Dishonored hits store shelves October 9 and will be available on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

Get a closer look at Dishonored

In a interview with Morgan Webb, Co-Creative directors, Raphael Colontonio and Harvey Smith show off the  Steampunk and stealth based gameplay featured in their upcoming game, Dishonored. Smith and Colontonio emphasize the focus on the stealth aspect in Dishonored and go as far as to claim that players can go through the entire game without killing a single person.

Players assume the role of Corvo, former body-guard to the empress. After being framed for her murder, he gains supernatural abilities (similar to Plasmids in Bioshock) and combined with his marksmanship and talent as a swordsman, he sets out for revenge against those actually responsible for the empress' death. We get a glimpse of these powers Corvo has throughout the demo. One of the powers demonstrated is called 'Blink' which allows Corvo to teleport over short distances. He can use the power to dodge enemy attacks, sneak past guards or even reach areas that are normally inaccessible. At one point in the demo, Corvo strangles a guard and must hide his body to avoid being detected; the player uses the Blink ability to teleport into the second story of a vacant building to hide the corpse.

One of the other powers demonstrated in the game allows the player to posses animals such as the vile rats that scurry along the streets or even a human. When you use the posses power, you can use animals such as a rat or a fish to find vents or tunnels to access the domains of your enemies. When the player controls  rat at one point, he accesses a tiny vent which leads to the inside of a mansion. Once through the vent, the player ends the possession and resumes the game as Corvo having successfully infiltrated the mansion. It sounds strange but Smith and Colotonio explained there are almost endless possibilities in the world of Dishonored. You can approach your missions with stealth in mind and find these hidden access points and even use other powers at your disposal to infiltrate certain locations without alerting a single guard. Not many of the other have been revealed just yet but they imply that missions can be completed in a multitude of different ways.

Also important to keep in mind is that the choices you make as Corvo effect your morality and the outcome of the ending. Smith and Colontonio explain that sparing the life of certain enemies will have an effect on the game in the future but killing them will have different results that effect the game as well.

As the demo begins, you get a glimpse of Dishonored's Dystopian setting as the two directors explain the city named Dunwall (one of the various locations you'll frequent through out the game) is part of a completely fictional world and inspired by the streets of London with a Steampunk-esque vibe. You can see primitive forms of steam based technology such as generators to power lights and other machines.

You can check out the whole interview below and see just how awesome this game looks. If you're a fan of Bioshock, Thief, or just stealth games in general, you'll definitely want to keep your eye on Dishonored which is set to release on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC on October 9, this year.

Dishonored Trailer: Watch bad guys get devoured by rats

If vengeful assassins with supernatural powers are your thing, you may want to check out the new Bethesda title, Dishonored. You take control of body guard to the empress, Corvo, who is framed for her murder. Unfortunately for the people actually responsible for the murder, Corvo isn't a very forgiving individual.

The trailer (below) gives us a glimpse into the world of Dishonored, a Dystopian city ridden with a deadly plague. Guards dump dead bodies into ditches and rivers while armored vehicles patrol the streets and maintain the quarantine. The city resembles something out of the book 1984, where the government and upper classes hold all the power. Luckily for Corvo however, he has some power of his own. While he can use the traditional blade or firearm approach to eliminate his enemies, he also has unique abilities that allow him to summon rats to fight for him, stop time or even sprint towards enemies in a flash. One part of the trailer shows two guards being completely annihilated by a pack of rats, pretty gruesome. You can take a stealth approach to your missions creating distractions and silently killing guards or you can go all out killing everyone in your path.

Either way you chose, the game looks great so far and I'm really excited to see more. Share your thoughts on Dishonored below in the comments section.

Skyrim: Dawnguard trailer revealed

Bethesda gave us a glimpse of the first DLC pack for Skyrim entitled Dawnguard today. The plot gives players a choice of joining a vampire cult that plans to eclipse the sun eternally or you can align with Dawnguard, a clan of vampire hunters who seem to be longtime rivals of the vampire cult. Bethesda is also making good on their promise that the DLC for Skyrim won't simply feature more gameplay, but will change different aspects of the game. Vampires (enemies and players alike) look like they'll be getting some kind of beast form capable of flying or hovering above the ground. The beast form looks much more bat-like or something similar to a demon with bony wings protruding from its back.

Also present in the trailer was the addition of the rumored crossbow weapon which players can use to take down some new enemies. A look at a troll looking creature, new vampire monsters and some goblin looking enemies seem to be new additions to Skyrim's bestiary. Skyrim doesn't have a set release date as of now but I'm sure one will be available soon. Check out the trailer below and feel free to share your thoughts.

Prepare for mounted combat in Skyrim

Earlier today, the official Bethesda blog unveiled the premiere feature of the newest update for Skyrim, mounted combat. That's right, you'll be able to slash, hack and shoot bandits and monsters from the saddle of your trusted steed. There's no word yet on when we can expect the update to hit but PC players can get early access can access the beta through steam, now. 

This is definitely a feature I thought the game would have shipped with but I'm happy to see that it's now being added. I know I'll have a great time launching arrows from the back of Shadowmere and maybe we can even expect some special kill cams for mounted kills.

Dishonored locks in a release date

Dishonored secures a release date of October 9 with a slew of other games hitting stores this fall. The game will be available on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. Developed by Bethesda, Dishonored is looking to be one of the biggest titles to be released this year.

 You play as Corvo, personal body guard to an empress who's mysterious murder is pinned on you. Employing Corvo's deadly skills with a blade, expert marksmanship and god-like super natural powers you will seek revenge.

The game looks awesome so far and a new trailer was released not long ago; check it out below if you haven't seen it yet. This is easily one of my most anticipated games of this year and I know I'll be playing it the night it comes out.

Elder Scrolls Online teaser trailer and first screenshot unveiled

The first trailer for the Elder Scrolls Online has been released and is exactly what you'd expect of a 'teaser' trailer. The video itself reveals nothing but if you listen to the narration you get an idea of the current state Tamriel is in with no Emperor on its throne. Is there going to be a quest to pick up the royal bloodline to find a new emperor?

Along with the trailer, we were treated to the first visual of the game with a single screenshot. Now I'm not sure this screen was the best possible to release and I'm a little confused as to why this one in particular was chosen. I don't feel very impressed or excited by it. I'm actually  little bummed it has that cartoonish graphic style to it. While I know we can't expect Skyrim grade graphics I was kind of hoping for more but I'll admit it looks better than most MMO graphics I've seen. The shot shows two players who look like a wizard and a warrior of some kind battling a pair of Storm Atronachs. While we're only given a glimpse of the game here, I'm sure Bethesda is eager to show more of the game and there's no doubt we'll get more at E3.

Skyrim DLC officially named 'Dawngaurd'

Bethesda revealed that the first downloadable content for Skyrim will be named 'Dawnguard'. However, Bethesda also teased for fans to look forward to June which means that Dawnguard may only be just over a month away. The poster for Dawnguard above depicts Dovahkiin with orange glowing eyes; possibly something to do with the 'dawn' in Dawnguard. I'm sure more news will become available soon, possibly during E3. Bethesda has stated that DLC for Skyrim won't be mere additions but instead will include new elements and feel much more wholesome than the DLC we're used to.

The news of Dawnguard accompanied the release of the patch that gives Xbox players with Kinect the ability to use voice commands. The Kinect will allow players to use dragon shouts and commands to control many other aspects of the game.

Skyrim DLC on the Way? Possibility of Crossbows and Snow Elves?

Rumors are swirling after some investigative players found some interesting files hidden in the new update patch. The folder of files named 'DLC01' contains assets for a Snow Elf Prince and crossbows! This could mean players may be meeting with Snow Elves that haven't quite devolved into the wretched Falmer and that we can shoot them with crossbows...or not so much.

On a more serious note however, Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media has trademarked "Dawnguard". As of now it has not been announced what it is. It could be a new game or the name of this Skyrim DLC waiting to be announced. The name would fit well with the DLC if it were based on Snow Elves considering part of the reason they lost their sight was because they were driven underground and deep into caves.

Nothing is for sure though so I guess we'll have to wait patiently until Bethesda is ready to reveal their plans for the first of Skyrim's DLC.

Prey 2 Delayed Not Cancelled

It was recently reported that the sequel Prey 2 has been indefinitely delayed. The game was showing great promise with bits of news here and there until there wasn't anything at all. I assumed Human Head had decided to stay tight lipped until E3 but apparently that was not the case. Without going into too much detail because there really aren't many at the moment, it seems Bethesda is not satisfied with the quality of the game. In a PR statement from Bethesda they revealed the game will not get a 2012 release date but that they are working hard to ensure the game meets their quality standards.

Right now, it's good news the game isn't cancelled and that Bethesda has the fans in mind. In a way it's bittersweet; while the game won't be available this year the delay will hopefully ensure a higher quality and more successful game. Let's just hope work can continue on the game soon since it hasn't been touched since November of 2011.

 You can read the PR statement here.

Development of Prey 2 has not been cancelled but the game will not be released in 2012 as planned. The delay is due to the fact that game development has not progressed satisfactorily this past year, and the game does not currently meet our quality standards. Prey 2 has shown great promise and we regret disappointing our fans. We have made a substantial investment in game development to deliver the experience fans want. We are determined only to release the AAA game that fans rightfully expect, and are unwilling to compromise our quality standards to meet a release schedule.