Why You shouldn't Worry About The Exclusivity Of The New Tomb Raider

It was recently announced at Gamescom earlier this week that Rise of the Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics' sequel to the 2013 reboot, will be released exclusively on the Xbox One. The announcement was certainly unexpected. Playstation 4 fans of the series are crying foul and have already started a petition or condemned Microsoft and the series altogether. However, one key fact you may have overlooked would go to show there's no reason to get your panties in twist.

Fortunately for PC and PS4 players, the deal Microsoft and publisher Square Enix agreed to was to release Rise of the Tomb Raider as a timed exclusive for the Xbox One. Phil Spencer broke the news during an interview with Eurogamer where he confessed, "obviously, the deal has a duration. I didn't but the IP perpetuity." This means that the game will only remain exclusive for a certain period of time. Whether the period of exclusivity will last for six months, an entire year, or even longer has not yet been revealed. So while PS4 and PC players will have to wait, they will likely see Lara raid her way onto their platforms after the exclusivity period has expired. That part is up to publisher Square Enix.

Gamers are an irksome bunch however and many are asking why the sequel to a game that was released on multiple platforms would suddenly become an exclusive. Well there could be a few reasons for that. Perhaps Microsoft and Square Enix saw an opportunity to help one another out. Microsoft's Xbox One has been trailing behind Sony's PS4 in system sales for the seventh month in a row. Nabbing exclusive rights (albeit timed) to a big franchise and a sequel to one of the highest rated titles of 2013 could certainly help tilt the scales in the Xbox One's favor. Tomb Raider also stands as a staunch contender for the Uncharted sequel which is arguably Sony's most popular exclusive. And it seems more than coincidence the very comparable adventure titles are both being released in the 2016 holiday season.

Coming in the 2016 holiday season, who will prevail?

After a rocky year in 2013 with both Hitman: Absolution and the Tomb Raider reboot not meeting expected sales, Square Enix could have also spied this deal as an opportunity to make up for some of the money they may have lost. Crystal Dynamics' Darrell Gallagher also explained via Tumblr that he believes Microsoft will be able to market the game to players more effectively and provide the support the game needs to contend with other well-known franchises.

So, in a nutshell, it all boils down to money. Microsoft wants to increase system sales and Square-Enix wants to make up the money they lost in 2013 and see Tomb Raider become a contender for big action titles like Uncharted and Assassin's Creed. And really, no one should be surprised by that; no one is getting ripped off and in the end, Square Enix and Microsoft are businesses and businesses need to make money. What's important is that it seems very likely, everyone will get to play the game on the platform of their choice, eventually.

Source: Eurogamer

Websites for Geeks: Loot Crate

Have you ever craved to order a box full of random geeky toys, clothes and collectibles sent to your house every month for a nominal fee? Well, there's a website that provides that very service! I discovered Loot Crate last summer while browsing through the interwebs, likely looking for nonessential things to spend money on. Loot Crate is a website that allows you to subscribe for a service in which they send you a box full of goodies every month. Every month has a theme; for instance there was a survive crate which included zombie related items such as the zombie survival guide and a punny Walking Dead t-shirt. The value of the items packed into the crate is advertised as at a value of more than forty dollars. It's all pretty geeky stuff ranging from Star Wars to Doctor Who and everything in between like superheroes and all kinds of game related gear.

However, there is a catch; you won't know what exactly is in the crate until it's dropped off at your door and you open it up. This is why I was a little skeptical to sign up in the first place. While you can get the crates fairly cheap (maximum you pay with shipping is under $20) I wasn't sure how I felt paying for completely random items. Part of the idea is fun and the idea of being surprised is cool but at the same time, you might also worry about receiving something you already own or just have no interest in. So it's kind of a coin-flip. There is the possibility of being the winner of the fabled mega crate though. One customer every month will win the mega crate which is valued at nearly eight hundred dollars. Wow! These puppies contain exclusive collectible gear, replicas and in some cases consoles and video games. You can browse through the past crates on their site and see what the contents were to get a better idea of what to expect though should you decide to sign-up.

You can also just be like me and wait for a theme that really excites you, like dragons. That's right, the theme of April, is dragons. I like that as opposed to the more general themes the website has chosen over the past few months like celebrate or launch. I feel like with those themes, I don't know what to expect. But dragons, well there can only be one thing inside, and that's dragons! So I caved. I'm hoping for some cool Skyrim related swag or anything awesome to do with dragons, because, well, dragons. I have faith the loot crate team will impress me and I plan to do a video review which I'll post here on my blog. Their website is definitely worth checking out and while you don't have to subscribe right away, you can always keep your eyes peeled for a theme that interests you!

The Darth Maul Game That Could Have Been

It looks like there was a Star Wars game in production before Lucas Arts was sold off that could have rivaled the much anticipated bounty hunter adventure, Star Wars: 1313. I was reading an article on GameInformer yesterday about such a game that had been being developed at Red Fly studios that focuses on one of Star Wars' most badass characters, Darth Maul. Yeah just let that sink in for a moment. I know, it's incredibly depressing because this looks like it truly had potential to be an awesome game worthy of Darth Maul and we won't ever get to play it. You can see some gameplay for yourself in the video below, courtesy of GameInformer.

What's even more surprising is this is all prototype and concept stage material. (I posted some concept art below) Red Fly didn't have a script or a clear idea of where they were going with this game. I feel that doesn't even matter though, just looking at how beautiful Maul looks slashing through Mandalorians with that double bladed lightsaber feels so satisfying. There would be no shortage of possible plot-lines the studio could have chosen to follow as well and with a team of writers, a script would have been a cinch. While I would have preferred an origin type story line that takes place before Maul's appearance in Phantom Menace, I wouldn't mind taking control of a cyborg Maul as he rises from the ashes.

This Twi'lek appears here and in the art above. She may have been some kind of companion

Unfortunately, since Disney's acquisition of Lucas Arts, we may never see games featuring Darth Maul or something similar to Star Wars: 1313. EA still holds the rights to Lucas Arts video game properties though and Battlefront III is definitely a step in the right direction. Hopefully they step up their game and take cues from concepts like this in the future. Check out some of the concept art below (again, courtesy of GameInformer) and feel free to let me know just how bad you would have loved to play this game.

It looks like Red Fly was planning a story after Phantom Menace due to the robotic legs

Awesome Indie Games: Papers Please

I think the five dollars I spent last weekend on Papers Please is easily one of the best purchases I've made on Steam. Papers Please puts you in the working role of an immigration inspector working at a border checkpoint to the fictitious country, Arstotzka. You are tasked with inspecting the documents of incoming immigrants and keeping an eye out for forged passports, terrorists, criminals and smugglers. If all the information in the papers of the immigrant match up, you can admit them into your country. If not, they get a big ole' fat denial and in some cases, you can have immigrants arrested. Making mistakes earns you citations and racking up too many and you'll have your pay docked.

Your pay is central to the game. The more immigrants you successfully approve or deny the more money you make, but you only have so much time in a day and if you go too fast, you can miss small discrepancies. At the end of each day, you are shown how much money you made or lost and are allowed to manage your expenses. Your money pays for rent, food, and heat for you and your family. Rent is mandatory but you can decide whether or not to pay for heat and food. Careful though, ignore them and your family members will get sick and you'll need to pay for medicine. I'm sure you can guess what happens if you don't pay for medicine.

It doesn't sound too hard but you realize at the very start of the game you're in for a rough ride. When you arrive to work, you are given very little instruction on how to do your job; likely similar to how lower-class working conditions were in that period. The game definitely makes you feel like a replaceable cog in the machine. When you start to feel like you're getting the hang of it, the game changes things up and adds in new documents to inspect, tools to scan or procedures to use. Things are usually changed day-to-day so you need to remain ever vigilant.

You're also challenged with moral dilemmas like a mother trying to see her son for the first time in 10 years without the right papers or a man trying to escape his war-torn country for safety in yours. I was surprised how my attitude quickly became very selfish. Helping people would directly hurt me and my family and that's what was important to me.  But not all of these encounters are given in complete selflessness, a revolutionary group seeking reform will compensate you for your cooperation in their plans.

Papers Please has 20 different endings, I've only unlocked 5 of them myself. Some are only slightly different while others give you a drastically different ending. You can also unlock an endless mode. In both story and endless modes, the entrants are randomized so you can't retry days and expect the game to follow a script that you can memorize. I definitely recommend Papers Please for any puzzle or simulation enthusiasts but it also makes a fun experience for more casual players.

Alien Isolation Developer Diary: The Stuff of Nightmares

While Sega's Aliens: Colonial Marines game was an utter failure, Alien: Isolation certainly looks like a step in the right direction. Developed by Creative Assembly, the team best known for the Total War games is developing Alien: Isolation to be much more of a survivor-horror adventure experience where players are fighting to survive a single unpredictable Alien.

Players take control of Ellen Ripley's daughter, Amanda approximately 15 years after the events of Alien. Amanda is searching for information regarding the disappearance of her mother when one of her leads take her to a space station. Unbeknownst to her however, the station has been overrun by a Xenomorph. According to Creative assembly, the Alien cannot be killed and players must use stealth tactics to survive. Weapons in the game are sparse and are only used to fight non-alien enemies.

Alien: Isolation can be compared to games like Amnesia or Outlast where players need to monitor how much noise they make and hide using their surroundings to escape enemies. One significant change which makes the idea of playing Alien: Isolation terrifying is that the Alien A.I. has been programmed to learn from the player and use the senses of sight, smell and sound to hunt down the player. The Alien is also programmed to not follow a predetermined path making it's movements and behaviors unpredictable which will certainly add to the scare factor and give the game some originality on subsequent plays.

I have much higher hopes for Alien: Isolation than I did for Aliens: Colonial Marines. The game is being designed to fit the horror genre more and emulate the look and feel of the original Alien movie with the retro sci-fi technology. I'm a survival-horror junkie and Alien: Isolation looks like it has the potential to be a truly definitive title for the Alien franchise. What do you think? Will Alien: Isolation be a success or is it destined to flop like its predecessors?

My Time with Titanfall

So it's been about a week since Titanfall dropped but I still wanted to share some of my experience with the game here. I hope it can also serve as an opinion from someone not affiliated with any huge media sources.

I've been saying it for a while that Respawn did what Infinity Ward and Treyarch, could not. They took the first-person shooter genre and exciting online-play of games like Call of Duty and made it fun again. The game adds enough new features and uses the maps in very creative ways that allow play to flow so smoothly making the experience of playing Titanfall one of the best and unique online shooter experiences I've ever had. When I first sat down to play the game with my brothers, we traded the controller between matches without moving from the couch for at least seven hours. That's something we haven't done since the first Modern Warfare game and there are very few games, even now, that I could play for seven hours straight.

What makes Titanfall so engaging is the versatility the game offers you. The game takes place in the future and players take control of pilots on the battlefield equipped with what Respawn has termed, 'jump-kits.' These jump-kits allow players to traverse along walls, scale buildings and other structures and attack enemy titans from above. The wall-running mechanic works so well and you feel so cool while doing it. You can shoot and aim while wall-running which takes a little more refinement but wall-running works perfectly for reaching new vantage points, flanking and just getting around the map in general in an effective way. The maps are built for this mechanic and there was never a point where I thought, "damn, I wish there was a wall here." It's strange how easy the wall-running comes. In one map, the first time I played, I just started running and jumping and found myself running along the rooftops of buildings. It comes so naturally and the maps flow in a way that make it so simple and fun.

The maps are also designed large enough to fit the massive titans. Theoretically, there can be 12 titans on the map at a time if every player on each team has earned one but the most titans I recall in a game at one time was 8, still an impressive amount. Titans are earned by players racking up kills; each kill reduces the amount of time before your titan is ready. Playing in the titan is where Titanfall is really able to mix things up. Even as an opposing pilot, you need to think and be more cautious with the giant mechs out on the field. One thing to always keep in mind though is that pilots aren't as under-powered as you might think.

For instance, I jumped out of my titan at one point and took to the rooftops while my titan continued fighting another foe on the ground. While my titan engaged the enemy, I jumped from the roof onto the back of the titan and began blasting into the core dealing some heavy damage. This left the pilot in a bit of a predicament. Eventually my titan and myself would cause enough damage to 'doom' the enemy titan. This gives the pilot a certain amount of time to save his or herself and eject before their titan implodes. He could try to save his titan by getting out and trying to shoot me but my titan would make quick work of him. He could also stay in his titan and cause as much damage to my titan as possible before being finished off. You can usually depend on the titan's A.I. to do what you'd expect it to do as well and any kills it earns while you aren't in it count toward your score.

Engaging titan to titan is also a blast. Equipped with giant guns and rocket launchers, the battles can get really out of hand fast if you're not careful. One ability titans have to counter these deadly weapons is a shield that allows them to block all incoming fire and then launch it back at the enemy titan. It's pretty wild seeing all the bullets, rockets and whatever else accumulate mid-air and then send it back. You can also get in close and personal and start throwing punches. Engage a weakened titan in melee combat and you might perform an 'execution' which allows you to rip the enemy pilot from the cockpit and crush them. when your titan takes to much damage, it goes into a 'doomed' state which gives you a certain amount of time to eject from your cockpit, hundreds of feet into the air. One ability I loved to equip my titan with was the 'nuclear ejection.' Upon eject, your titan's nuclear core would obliterate anything in range making it a good tactic if you're ever swarmed by titans.

Customizable loadouts are available for both pilots and titans and offer a wide range of options. You can create the perfect pilot load-out for turning titans into scrap metal or take a stealthier approach with specific skills related to active camo. Customization feels more key when it comes to the titan however. You can chose from three models. The Atlas is the default model balanced in both armor and damage. It has good mobility and can hold its own in a fight while dealing a fair amount of damage. The Ogre on the other hand has the highest damage output and armor but lacks mobility. But if mobility is what you crave, you can chose the Stryder at the sacrifice of damage and armor. With a slew of weapons and perk-like upgrades you can make a titan perfect for many styles of play.

One of my only gripes with Titanfall is the lack of a single player campaign. The campaign is all played online. There are still cut-scenes, character and a story but all the gameplay is done online. It's interesting but I would have preferred the classic single player campaign, or at least a co-op type of deal. However, in campaign, you can play through as both factions offering different unlocks and story perspectives which is cool. I also realize that this genre appeals more to people that don't normally play a campaign and this may be Respawn's way of 'testing the waters.' This doesn't detract from the great experience that Titanfall offers. I definitely recommend playing Titanfall, especially if you're someone that hates Call of Duty. This is leagues ahead of Call of Duty and I expect it to really turn the tide when it comes to the CoD series. It's still early for Titanfall and the Xbox One but I don't doubt that it will eventually replace CoD and become the go-to shooter for fans of the genre.

Revived by Reboot: Devil May Cry

The Devil May Cry series from Capcom  has had players slaying demons and stringing combos together since 2001. The games follow Dante, a human with demonic powers who makes a living fighting and occasionally saving the world from demons. The games were all well received and the series had quite a following being one of the most popular stylistic action games on shelves. After four entries in the series though, Capcom decided to switch things up, reboot the game and start from scratch. Nobody really saw it coming and fans complained it didn't need a reboot.

As promotional material and trailers became available, fans really began to voice their concern, some threatening to never buy Capcom games ever again. I completely disagree though. The games never seemed to have a solid story nor did they ever continue from game to game. That isn't a bad thing but they just weren't being executed right and they were beginning to feel stale. The gameplay was fun, but that isn't always enough. This reboot really served to revive the Devil May Cry series.

One of the first major changes of the series was to the main character, Dante himself. Dante's long white hair was traded for a modern brunette cut and he was given a more "western" look. Promotions were released early on depicting the younger-looking Dante as a delinquent, punky guy. He definitely has the, I'm too cool for everything look, which I think put a lot of people off initially. Fans of the series were frustrated with the re-imagination of Dante but I honestly can't fathom why. The original Dante looked like some kind of gigolo stripper. Of course, I loved the series when I was younger and I thought Dante was awesome, but compared to the new Dante, the shirtless, leather pants wearing Dante of the original series just seemed silly in retrospect.

New Dante                                Vs.                                         Old Dante        

The redesign of Dante wasn't the only improvement however; it was only one of many. Perhaps my favorite improvement was to the actual story of the game. Instead of featuring some dude who runs a shop called Devil May Cry and contracts himself out as a demon killer, the reboot decided to take a less corny route. The reboot focused on telling the origin story (many reboots do these days) of Dante and begins with him before he even began fighting against the demonic forces. I won't spoil the story here but it does a great job of explaining where Dante's demonic powers emanate from and his motivation for fighting against the demons. It reveals a lot about Dante as a character and his grim past and the war between demons and angels and how mankind fits into the picture. The game also does a great job of creating an engaging story without sacrificing the self-reflexive humor and occasional one-liners of the original series; the only main difference is the voice actors in the reboot and their ability to not make the game sound like a B rated film on the SyFy channel.

The third and arguably greatest improvement the reboot featured was the enhanced combat. Don't get me wrong, the combat in the original games was amazing and the fact that the reboot was able to improve upon that, is phenomenal. Capcom spiced up the combat with new weapons players earn through the course of the game which can be switched on the fly without ever pausing or using a menu. Dante is still armed with his trademark sword Rebellion and trusty pistols, Ebony and Ivory but he can also equip an arsenal worth of other useful weapons.

These new weapons include a scythe that makes juggling multiple enemies at a time a cinch, an ax for obliterating armored foes, a pair of bladed boomerangs for crowd control and some heavy iron fists for pummeling enemies into a pulp. Dante also gains grappling weapons he can use to pull himself toward enemies or pull the enemies toward him for some deadly punishment. These new weapons allow players to create some seriously insane combos and makes the gameplay fun for newcomers as well. They also help create plenty of variety to increase your stylish rank score which earn you more points to spend on new abilities and upgrades. The combos and weapon switching isn't hard at all. You can be very effective without button mashing and without concentrating on any complicated button presses. The combat is very fluid, smooth and you feel like a total badass the entire time.

I know there have been some bad reboots out there but in some cases, I think a reboot can definitely turn things around for a series and reinvigorate the experience of the game. Devil May Cry is only one example and while many fans of the original series condemned the reboot, the game received mostly positive reviews. I'm eager for news concerning the sequel and I hope to see Capcom follow up with more demon slaying action. What do you think? Did this reboot save the series, or should Capcom have stayed with their original formula?

Batman: Arkham Knight Announced with Trailer

Rocksteady has wasted no time in their development of another Arkham title with Batman hitting the streets of Gotham once again to round up the criminals. The trailer lasts an awesome four minutes and  depicts Gotham, overrun with criminals and villains like Two Face and Penguin. The city seems to be in the process of being evacuated as citizens flee in terror. Thomas Wayne, father of Bruce narrates the trailer as Batman jumps into sweet looking new Batmobile and kicks some butt.

The trailer looks great and the game is looking a little different from the previous Arkham titles. Bruce, while still muscular looks a little slimmer. He's not quite as buff and his arms don't look to short for his body. His body looks more realistic and more proportional than it had before. That kind of bothered me in the other games and I thought he always looked a little strange. His suit also looks, Blacker? There's definitely something cooler looking about the suit but I can't quite pinpoint it.

Despite how awesome it looks though, this announcement is also very surprising, especially after Arkham Origins was just released in October. Arkham Knight is already available for pre-order and is currently slated for a October 14th release. That's a pretty fast turn around for a game. I'm wary for what this means for the Arkham series. Arkham Origins was met with generally postive reviews, but many noted the game was more of the same and did little to mix things up.

So what does that mean for Arkham Knight? Is it too soon for another Arkham game, or does it just need to be done right? Will Rocksteady take the advice of the fans and change things up a bit, or should we expect more of the same? And on that note, what do you want from this new entry? What would really get you excited for this game? Speaking of exciting things, I almost forgot to mention, Rocksteady also revealed that sweet new Batmobile is integral to the game and Gotham is being built to accommodate some driving! Yeah, just think about that for a little bit.

Dark Souls II: Strategy Guide Debate

As the release date for Dark Souls II draws closer (March 11) and my anticipation builds, I've been considering whether or not to purchase a strategy guide. When I jumped into the first Dark Souls game last year, I was lucky enough to be able to reference a number of online, user submitted guides whenever I ran into trouble, which was a lot. Finding strategies for bosses, weapon locations, examining character builds, bugs and exploits, and which way to go next where all invaluable pieces of information as I played through the game.

Now with Dark Souls II on the horizon, I have the chance to go in completely cold since it will take quite some time for walkthroughs to make their way onto the internet. I could of course buy the strategy guide, but I'm afraid it would ruin the experience. I could easily use the guide to find out if I'm going the right way, missing a weapon or a secret area or just doing everything wrong. It'd be so convenient, which is part of the problem. It might sound kind of masochistic, but I want this kick to kick my butt. I think that's a good deal of where the fun will emanate from. Having the guide would just give me all the answers, like cheating on a test. I could also resort to purchasing the guide and using it only for emergencies, when I get stuck and I feel completely and utterly hopeless.

That's where I'm at with my internal debate. I'm leaning toward going in completely cold but I don't want the game to frustrate me to the point that I just end up hating it and giving up. What do you think? Does Dark Souls II warrant an occasion to grab the guide or should I go in blind.

I'm Suddenly Excited for Guardians of the Galaxy After this Trailer

The first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy hit the web last night after it made its debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live and its full of awesome looking space-pirate, alien prison, and ship battling action. The movie follows a space pirate, Quill played by Chris Pratt who prefers to go by the moniker, Star Lord. Quill finds himself on the run after he steals a mysterious orb from the film's villain, Ronan (Lee Pace) who desires the orb to complete his evil plans, threatening the universe. Quill is forced to join forces with a rag-tag band of misfits and become the titular Guardians of the Galaxy.

Judging by the trailer, the Marvel movie directed by James Gunn seems to follow the the same style of the Avengers movie. Combining an all-star cast of heroes for an action packed adventure with some quirky humor rubbed in for comic relief. Bradley Cooper will be voicing the animated and snarky, Rocket-Raccoon and is teamed up with the tree-like alien, Groot voiced by Vin Diesel. Ron Pearlman, Zoe Saldana, and Dave Bautista are just a few of the other stars with roles in the movie. 

Guardians of the Galaxy wasn't originally on my movie radar but after watching the trailer, I'm feeling very hyped and I can't wait to see the movie in theaters on August first. What do you think? Does this movie look awesome, or are you still skeptical. 

NECA Announces Ellen Ripley Figures

NECA, the toy company responsible for making awesome action figures like the Predator line and figures from the Alien series made a big announcement yesterday. NECA has finally gained the rights to the likeness of Sigourney Weaver and they have confirmed that Lt. Ellen Ripley action figures, plural, are on the way. NECA is planning a figure of Ripley in a Nostromo spacesuit and at least one other figure from Aliens, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see more.

This is such big news because Ripley is easily the most important and recognizable character from the Alien series. Weaver however wasn't interested in being made into an action figure and collectors were forced to be content with characters like Hicks, Hudson, and Dallas among a few others (might I note, these figures all look incredible still). NECA was recently able to get approval from Weaver though; perhaps she saw what a great job the guys over at NECA were doing and realized just how bad fans wanted the figure. NECA's Twitter feed was full of fans expressing their thanks and excitement over the news that they will finally be able to fill that gap in their collection.

As a fan of the Alien series, I am also very pleased to see that NECA will be making a Ripley action figure. I don't think there is any company that could do it better, nor any that I would prefer oversee the making of this figure. I'll be looking forward to the prototype reveal in summer during Comic-Con and purchasing them later this year hopefully. What other iterations of the Ripley figure would you want to see? 

Bioshock Studio, Irrational Games Shutting Their Doors

Ken Levine, founder of Irrational Games and one of the minds behind iconic games like System Shock, Bioshock, and Bioshock Infinite has announced that the studio will be shutting down. Levine states in a letter on the Irrational Games' website that he will be, "winding down Irrational Games as you know it. [he'll] be starting a smaller, more entrepreneurial endeavor at Take-Two." All but fifteen members of the Irrational team will be joining Levine. This means that unfortunately, the other remaining members of the team will be laid off.

Levine did express his concerns for these employees however and explained that they will all receive financial support. He also went on to explain that they will be allowed to use the studio's resources to build their portfolios and that Take-Two will be hosting a recruiting day for employees who wish to interview for positions with third-party studios.

While it is unfortunate to see such a creative mind make a decision that feels so painful, I can understand. The Bioshock franchise was great but after Infinite, it felt like a conclusion. More Bioshock games would just feel superfluous or overplayed. I think Levine made the right decision do something new. I trust that even though he'll be working on smaller projects, that he'll create great narrative stories, just like he did with Bioshock. Levine listed some of his goals in the letter explaining that he wants to develop "highly replayable" games for hardcore gamers that will be delivered digitally. So it is clear he has a vision and I'm excited to see him fulfill it.

As for the other employees who are being laid off, it's great to see that they are being taken care of and being shown the respect and care they deserve. I wish the best for them as they were also a part in crafting truly unforgettable moments from some of my favorite games. What do you think; is Levine making a mistake, or are you excited to see what's next? The future of Bioshock is unclear still but it is possible that 2K Marin, the studio behind Bioshock 2 might pick it up. I honestly hope it's just left alone though, at least for now.

New York Toyfair: NECA Reveals Booker DeWitt, Team Fortress and More

Out of all the Bioshock fans out there, I was probably one of the most desperate when it came to waiting for NECA to reveal their Booker DeWitt figure from Bioshock Infinite. I've been tracking their Twitter page where they are always answering the questions of fans and posting updates on all the different figures they're working on. Day after day, since August, I checked their Twitter feed with no luck. It wasn't until this past weekend that photos of the Booker DeWitt figure surfaced on the internet from the NECA showroom at the 2014 New York Toy Fair.

After finally seeing it, I finally feel the satisfaction I've been yearning for. The figure is very impressive complete with details like the embroidery on Booker's vest, the leather shoulder holster and even the tie. They all work together to make the figure come alive. The face resembles Booker's character model perfectly and I couldn't ask for any more on this figure. It looks like he'll come with a shotgun and a Murder of Crows vigor but these may not be final. There's still no release date for the figure but hopefully it isn't far off. 

Booker wasn't the only reveal though. Video game fans will also be happy to see that a Red Spy and Red Engineer will be joining the collection of Team Fortress figures that NECA has been steadily rolling out. I would have liked to see a turret for the Engineer but who knows, it could be in the works. A prototype of Master Chief from the Halo series was on display as well, but is an early work in progress. Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight will be getting a 1/4 scale figure which captures the true menace of the character and looks great, even standing next to a 1/4 scale Batman from Arkham Origins.

There were also a slew of reveals for NECA's more popular lines like Predator and Alien. From the Alien series, Dallas in a Nostromo spacesuit, an indisposed Kane in a spacesuit with a face hugger, the android Bishop, and a Dog Alien are all looking phenomenal. The power loader from Aliens made an appearance and NECA has confirmed that figures can fit inside to operate it!

You can see almost two hundred images here that show just about everything NECA had presented in their showroom, check it out and go follow them on Twitter for updates and news on their figures. 

Review: Gone Home (Spoiler Free)

Gone Home is an indie first-person interactive adventure game developed and published by the Fullbright Company. In the game, players take control of Kaitlin Greenbriar, a young woman returning home from a long trip in Europe to find no trace of her parents or sister. The game relies on the exploration of players as they move about the house and collect clues.

Kaitlin's parents inherited the secluded mansion in which the game takes place from a recently deceased uncle and have been living in it for about a year when she returns home. The game does a great job of setting the mood; the game takes place at night during a violent storm and the house is alive with creaks and moans as you move about. It provokes a very unsettling feeling as you explore and dive into various notes, drawers and cabinets all while hearing footsteps and creaky floorboards just behind you. It's incredibly eerie and had my hairs standing on end quite a few times. Gone Home is also great looking visually. It does a fine job of crafting realistic looking environments and objects, all of which you can investigate up close and maneuver as you search for clues.

Gone home takes place in the year of 1995; a blast to the past when I was still playing Super Nintendo games and watching VHS tapes. In Gone Home, you'll find stacks of VHS recordings of the X-Files and audio cassette tapes, also reminiscent of my childhood. The focus of solving the mystery however lies in notes, letters, journal entries and newspaper clippings scattered throughout the house. Scavenging for these items and trying to determine what they mean is the core of the game.

The notes do a great job of getting players to know Kaitlin's family, almost to a point where you feel you know almost as much as Kaitlin herself. As you hover over certain clues, Kaitlin will occasionally make some kind of comment or remark. For instance, discovering a dirty magazine belonging to her father hidden under some books will prompt an "oh gosh, dad" on screen. As a player, I felt somewhat the same way and it was fun to see Kaitlin's realistic reactions to some of her discoveries. Digging through her father's books and VHS tape collection, you'll learn very fast that he's a sci-fi junkie. Going through the belongings of the mom and sister reveal characteristics as well but I'll leave that for you to discover.

There is no fighting in Gone Home nor is there any use for weapons or a flashlight. You have a map and will find keys to unlock certain locked doors in the house or combinations to unlock various compartments. You use the intricacies and details of the house to learn about members of the family and search for clues to learn of where they are. This was one of my only gripes about the game. I didn't need any fighting or weapons but for an interactive story based game, I felt it was lacking any challenging puzzles. Anyone with a good sense of direction and the ability to read can play the game without any trouble. Maybe that's what Fullbright was going for though. A game that just about anybody could play and enjoy.

However, the play doesn't last long. Even after I took plenty of time to read every note and scrap of paper I found and search every nook and cranny of that house, I finished the game in just two hours. The other sad thing is that there isn't really any point in replaying the game; you won't experience anything different. Gone Home normally retails for twenty dollars (thankfully I bought it for eight) which feels like a lot for a two hour game, so be wary if you plan to purchase.

Now don't get me wrong. I really enjoyed the game despite the ease and the short play through. The game has a great story and a twist unlike any other game I've played before. It's unconventional but at the same time, refreshing and fun. Gone Home has a good message and it is definitely worth  playing. I sat down to play for only a few minutes but found myself unable to put it down. I'd recommend playing it all in one sitting for the best effect. After playing, I'm looking forward to seeing more games from the Fullbright Company in this exploration style. I believe they executed it well, but they have the potential to do even better.

Dark Souls II Gets 'T' Rating: Is ESRB Becoming More Lenient?

Dark Souls II, now less than a month away has received an official rating from the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board). The surprise however is that the game has only received a 'T' (teen) rating for blood and gore, mild language, partial nudity and violence. Its rating is particularly interesting because the title's predecessors, Demon's Souls and Dark Souls where both rated M. It is also worth noting that Dark Souls II has all the same content descriptors as the first Dark Souls with the addition of mild language.

Based on game-play trailers and other demonstration videos, Dark Souls II doesn't look any less violent or gruesome than it's predecessors. Even The ESRB's description of the game notes content that is very similar to the first Dark Souls game.

ESRB Description:

This is a role-playing game in which players assume the role of an undead fighter in the realm of Drangleic. Players traverse dungeon-like settings and battle a variety of fantastical enemies (e.g., ghouls, zombies, skeletons, giant rats) to gain souls. Players use knives, swords, and arrows to defeat enemies. Combat is highlighted by cries of pain and small splashes of blood. Some locations depict instances of blood and gore: a giant snake boss holding its severed head; a giant boss creature composed of hundreds of corpses; dead ogres near a pool of blood; a torture device with streaks of blood. During the course of the game, a boss creature appears partially topless (e.g. hair barely covering breasts). The words 'bastard' and “pr*ck” can be heard in the dialogue.

With plenty of blood and gore and even the presence of nearly exposed breasts, it is a wonder why the game is only rated 'T'. I'm not disagreeing with the rating nor am I upset about it, just confounded. Could this be a sign the ESRB is taking it easy with the 'M' rating? Perhaps the 'M' rating is being reserved for games with more gun violence?

 I wouldn't worry about what this means for Dark Souls II however. I'm sure the game will deliver the same experience that fans love and expect from the series despite the 'T' rating. It'll be interesting however to see how this effects the future of other game ratings and if the ESRB will be more tolerant in their upcoming ratings. 

Moments: Solving the Mystery of Boone's Wife in Fallout New Vegas

This is another type of new article I will publish occasionally that takes time to remember truly unforgettable moments in video games. Whether these moments be exciting, heart breaking, terrifying, or especially tense, they deserve our attention and I'll write about as many as I can recall right here.

One of the new features in Fallout: New Vegas was the companion system. Throughout the desert wastelands of Nevada, you could find several individuals with specific skills and perks to accompany you on your adventures. One such companion and my personal favorite was former NCR sharpshooter, Craig Boone. When you find Boone in the small town of Novac, he's keeping his skills sharp serving as the town's night shift sharpshooter. Talking to Boone, you learn that part of the reason he seems so resigned from the world is his deceased wife.

Boone explains that she was taken by slavers from Caesar's Legion and he suspects one Novac's citizens is responsible for selling her into their custody. This begins a mission to gain Boone's loyalty named "One for My Baby." Boone tasks you with talking to several townsfolk to find out who sold his wife into slavery. After handing you his NCR beret, he tells you to wear it with the suspect in range of his rifle to signal you found the guilty individual. I set off to put my sleuthing skills to work and approach my prime suspect, Boone's former friend and NCR brother in arms, Manny Vargas. Manny is the one who had invited Boone to move to Novac after he had married Carla. However, Manny wasn't very fond of Carla. Carla hated Novac and was in a constant state of discontent. Manny certainly has the motive to have sold off Carla but I'm not convinced; it seems too simple.

I continue my investigation with Cliff Briscoe, the odd man selling dinosaur toys inside of the T-Rex. Perhaps he knows something that may help my investigation. I find out he isn't Carla's biggest fan either but beyond that he doesn't provide very much information. Outside, Ranger Andy also concedes that Carla wasn't popular among the townsfolk of Novac. Eventually, I find out that basically, everybody hated Carla. Well now, that doesn't really narrow things down. I review who I have left to interview for the mission and I remember a man near the entrance of the town who had been muttering nonsense when I arrived. It's No-Bark Noonan, the village idiot and I don't have high hopes he'll give me any good information.

But I figure it's worth a shot, so I go to talk with old No-Bark Noonan. In our conversation among some incomprehensible ramblings, he reveals some strange men had stopped in the lobby of the Motel. Finally, we're getting somewhere. I head inside and talk to Jeannie May Crawford, the Motel owner. She's a pleasant lady and when asked about Carla, she compares her to a cactus. She's nice to look at but hurts when you get close. So she feels the same as everybody else. I begin to explore the lobby looking for clues left behind by these strangers when I spot a safe behind the counter. The safe intrigues me not because of my investigation but because I tend to let my fingers wander where they don't belong. I wait for Jeannie May to leave before I indulge my obsession for robbing people of their caps.

The safe is a cinch to crack and I loot the items inside. Unfortunately it only contains some rubbish and a handful of caps. But I look again and see an item named "Bill of Sale." What's this? I investigate further to learn it is a receipt from the Legion in which Jeannie May had sold Carla, and her unborn child into slavery! My head is whirling with disbelief. One, the guilty was one of the last people I would suspect. Two, Jeannie May sold Carla and her child. This lady is going down! With the town of Novac still shrouded in darkness I find Jeannie May and tell her to follow me to the dinosaur so I can show her something. What a fool! I walk with the wench until we're in range of Boone's rifle and I slip on the red beret.

Quietly, I wait, as Jeannie May stands, peering into the never ending black of the night, unaware that she's about to meet her untimely de- BAM! Her head explodes and fragments of her skull litter my TV screen as I jump like a little girl watching a horror movie. Her body, lifeless crumples on the sandy ground. I look up to the mouth of the dinosaur and see Boone with his rifle and I feel confident that justice has been served.

Keep an eye out as I will update my blog with more unforgettable moments.

Thief: Explore the Possibilities in this New Trailer

Over the past few months, I have been skeptical about the Eidos Montreal reboot of Thief. I played the original Thief games on the computer back in the nineties and the fantasy and fun that they created for me will be hard for this reboot to follow up. If you've been keeping up though, Eidos Montreal has flooded the web with walk through videos and demonstrations showing a variety of new possibilities in the upcoming reboot. Now, a new trailer released earlier today ties them all together for one big trailer filled with plenty of thieving.

The new trailer has me anticipating Thief more than I had been but I'm still cautious. Incredible looking visuals made possible by modern technology certainly breathe new life into the series. The last Thief game, Thief: Deadly Shadows was released nearly 10 years ago in 2004 so the jump of an entire generation of game consoles is quite the face lift. Eidos Montreal seems to have done a great job with the environments which capture the pivotal dark, steampunk atmosphere. They also seem to have adopted the ever popular free running style of navigating buildings and rooftops which is appropriate for someone in Garrett's line of work. Garrett's arsenal of tools and weapons at his disposable also seems to have been expanded allowing for plenty of ways to reach your goal. 

My main concerns aren't with visuals however, the size of the city or how many tools Garrett has in his inventory. I could return to the original Thief games on the computer and enjoy it for hours. What matters to me is the story and the true feel of Thief. Many have pointed out it looks Bethesda's Dishonored when in fact, Bethesda has admitted to having been heavily inspired by the early Thief games. I don't want Eidos Montreal to feel like they have to live up to Dishonored. 

No, Eidos Montreal needs to live up to the original Thief games by crafting Garrett as the character he was originally conceived as. He's a true anti-hero; a cynical loner shrouded in mystery. He does things his way, because he wants to. His interests serve only himself. He doesn't steal because he needs to, he steals because he wants too. He craves the challenge and the excitement of stealing. He's been compared to Robin Hood but he's more like a medieval Han Solo if you think about it. I think if Eidos Montreal can pull off the creation of Garrett the game will be a success. 

I'm sure many early fans of the Thief series feel the same way and they will have very high standards for this game. What do you think, fan or not are you looking forward to Thief? The game will be available on the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, PS4 and PC February 27th. 

Don't Starve: Why Can't I Get Into It?

I'm a big fan of Indie games. I find them to be refreshingly creative and original compared to some of the more mainstream titles we see on the shelves. I also enjoy the great majority of classical approaches developers have taken with their games like the top-down view in Hotline Miami, the 8-bit graphics of Minecraft, the retro style of Faster Than Light and side-scroll gameplay of many others. However, the open world survival adventure game, Don't Starve from Klei Entertainment has me at a loss. 

I love the concept of Don't Starve; it evokes images reminiscent of a Tim Burton movie mixed with something like Minecraft. You craft supplies from materials you collect, build fires to keep you sane in the night, explore caves and much more. The different monsters you find throughout the world are terrifying and add an element of horror to the game which I love. The game progresses through the seasons which alter your needs to survive. When you die, you are awarded experience to unlock more characters, each with their own perks. 

While it sounds fun and intriguing, I just can't get into it for some strange reason. The really weird thing is that I want to; I want to like Don't Starve but I can't bring myself to play it for more than 10 or 15 minutes before I move onto something else. I feel like I've explored the entirety of my world and I haven't come across anything particularly interesting. Then again, it's the only world I've played in, so maybe I should just die and generate a new world. If I were to die, I could also gain some experience which might allow me to unlock another character. I also haven't made it to winter which I hear adds more excitement to the game. I've also pondered if there are some secrets or lesser known features of the game I may not have yet discovered. 

Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll figure it out. I like Don't Starve and I want to enjoy it. Perhaps I just need to sit down and really grind for a bit and discover where the true fun is in this game. Have you had a similar experience with a generally well received indie game? Feel free to make suggestions for indie games I should check out too.