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.
At Gamescom today, Capcom announced a new title being developed by Dontnod named Remember Me. The game is set in the year 2084 in Neo-Paris which is much fancier, lighter and cooler looking than regular old Paris. Players will take control of Nilin, a former memory hunter who went rogue after losing her memory and now seeks the truth that has been hidden from her.
Remember Me focuses on human memories and their significance. As Nilin, you can access the memories of other people in the world through a digital disc like object located at the nape of the neck. What Nilin does is presumably not something just anybody could do. Her unique skill to tap into memories allows her to steal the memory which can reveal vital information to her mission or she can alter the memory. Altering a memory can have a variety of different effects depending on how and what is altered. For instance, in the gameplay trailer revealed, Nilin alters a man's memory to make him believe he killed his wife. When the police approach him, he panics and shoots himself. The gameplay sequence in which the memory is altered almost acts as a small minigame. It challenges players with a puzzle; you are given a set of objects to manipulate which may seem insignificant but prove to have more serious ramifications in the end. The trailer demonstrates that choosing the wrong object doesn't result in immediate failure so it poses the question of whether or no there will be a limited number of attempts.
Other skills that Nilin posses include the ever so popular and useful art of parkour. She can scale buildings, shimmy on ledges and make dangerous jumps allowing her to get around in a variety of ways.You can catch a glimpse of combat in the announcement trailer which shows Nilin utilizing a lot of hand-to-hand melee combat against large groups of enemies.The gameplay trailer shows off some great visuals; the futuristic skyline of Neo-Paris looks stunning. as Nilin roams the streets, we get a good look at all sorts of digital advertisements, commercials and even a wanted ad for Nilin herself. The city is under heavy surveillance and Nilin is forced to evade floating security bots and other authorities. At a couple points in the gameplay demonstration, she uses some kind of scanning device which lets her identify enemies and their fields of view which are highlighted in red.
Announcement Trailer
Gameplay Trailer
Remember Me is a great concept which resonates with something similar to the story of Jason Bourne. The focus on memory stealing and alteration should also provide great plot elements as well for a story more unique to game players. As of now, I have to say that I'm impressed and personally can't wait to see more on Remember Me. The game is slated for a May 2013 release on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC as of now.
In the first hands-on footage for Hitman: Absolution, shown at E3, Producer at IO Interactive, Luke Valentine gives us some insight on what we can expect in the game. Our favorite bald assassin is after the King of China Town and the demo shows how assignments in Absolution can be completed in a variety of different ways. As Agent 47, you can draw attention to yourself and make a scene, do things quietly or just make the hit look like an accident. In the game, it's up to you.
The gameplay also does an excellent job of demonstrating the crowd effects in Absolution. Unlike the Mardi Gras level from Hitman: Blood Money, the crowd in Absolution behaves realistically. You can overhear conversations, you see people eating, buying or doing different kinds of jobs on the jumbled streets. All of it adds up to create an experience that feels like a real situation. Absolution also makes fine use of a more present soundtrack as well featuring plenty of low, foreboding tones.
You can see some of 47's new tricks and all the methods he employs to complete his assignment in the video below. What do you think of Hitman: Absolution so far?
An all new zombie outbreak has spread globally in Resident Evil 6 which Capcom showed off some awesome footage of at E3. Resident Evil 6 will be a new experience that Capcom promises, will stand out greater than any past entry in the series but will still resonate with long-time fans of Resident Evil.
Instead of following a single character, Resident Evil 6 follows the treacherous adventures of three different heroes. Fans of the series will notice a handful of familiar faces and Resident Evil 6 will also introduce some new characters as well. Two fan-favorite veterans, Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield will each have their own story-line and newcomer Jake Muller, son of Albert Wesker will have an adventure of his own. Capcom has stated that each character's story-line amounts to the length of a full game; with an average of 10 hours to complete a game, Resident Evil 6 could very well be stretching past the 30 hour mark.
The campaign for each character features a different style of gameplay. Fans of the early Resident Evil games will enjoy playing as Leon in the fictional American town of Tall Oaks, where an outbreak occurs and even the President is infected. Leon is still part of the Secret Service and it was his duty along with his partner, Helena Harper to protect the president; however, after the president's infection and death, the blame is put on Leon and Helena themselves. Leon's campaign will feature more traditional zombies and will build suspense and tension with a slower paced play style. Ammo and supplies will be harder to come by and you'll need to conserve as much as you can during Leon's campaign if you're going to survive.
Chris' play style will surely appeal to newer fans of the series as it will follow the formula used In Resident Evil 4 and 5. Chris is still part of the BSAA and has been sent to fictional Chinese city, Lanshiang to aid in another recent outbreak with his companion Piers Nivans. Playing as Chris, you can expect a more intense, fast-paced action experience. Along with traditional zombies, Chris will face the J'avo as well; a direct result of the new C-Virus, J'avo are able to communicate, plan attacks, use weapons and even heal themselves. They also have increased agility and strength and have a regenerative mutation ability which will make them a formidable enemy.
As for the newcomer, Jake Muller, Capcom has created a unique play style. Jake will feature a mix between the play styles of Leon and Chris but adds a heavy emphasis on melee combat. Jake, son of Wesker is immune to the virus strands and thus has nothing to fear by engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the infected. His techniques and maneuvers are reminiscent of his father's. Jake is accompanied by Sherry Birkin, daughter of William Birkin who worked alongside Wesker; she will aid Jake as they evade authorities across Eastern Europe and fight through hordes of zombies and the J'avo. Fans of Resident Evil 3 will especially enjoy the Jake's campaign due to the fact he is constantly hunted by a creature known as, Ustanak.
Ustanak operates similarly to Nemesis in that he is constantly hunting you down. He is equipped with an interchangeable mechanical arm. In the trailers we see a claw like arm and another with a whip attached to it. It seems his main purpose is not to kill Jake but capture him, possibly for his unique blood. At one point in the trailer, you see Jake escaping from a cage fixed to Ustanak's back. Ustanak is sure to provide for some intense chases and punishing fights.
Resident Evil 6 will support co-op play whether it be split-screen or over the internet with a friend. Each companion of the heroes listed above is playable. Playing over the internet finds you someone who is at the same part of the story so that you or other players don't have the game spoiled for you.
Capcom has also decided to interject new features into Resident Evil 6. New tweaks will allow players to shoot and move simultaneously for the first time ever in a Resident Evil game. No doubt long time fans won't be crazy about the idea but it does make sense to be able to move and shoot at the same time. Additionally, you can now utilize a cover and shoot system and employ dives and rolls into the zombie fighting action. At one point during the gameplay demonstration, Leon almost seems to be wielding two handguns too. Melee combat will play a larger role; one video shows Leon hacking zombies up with an ax and Jake Muller relies heavily on melee based fighting. Inventory management has been improved too, allowing players to assign weapons to hot-keys and heal themselves on the fly with the push of a button.
The trailers reveal some details of the story but also leave us asking questions; one in particular, who are the people that have captured Helena Harper and why have they abducted her sister? I'll leave readers to come to their own conclusions but I have a few guesses. More familiar faces such as Ada Wong and Leon's link to the Department of Security relations, Ingrid Hunnigan, make a return in Resident Evil 6 as well. Hunnigan seems to be helping Leon in secret due to the fact that he and Helena have been blamed for the death of the President.
The trailers also reveal a very troubled and more somber Chris Redfield. It seems his involvement in the attacks become more personal after he helplessly watches his comrades become infected and is forced to kill them. Chris is seeking vengeance against Ada Wong, who he believes is behind the attack. Ada is now working for Neo-Umbrella who is responsible for the bio-terrorist attacks but the corporation itself is still shrouded in mystery. The story lines of the characters seem to cross as well as the trailers show Leon and Jake fighting alongside one another and Chris meeting Jake for the first time and realizing a resemblance of Albert Wesker in him. With all the different story lines, seeing how they relate and differ from each other should make them very engaging.
I felt the Resident Evil 6 may have strayed too far from the series' original formula but seeing the new footage and getting the details on the gameplay have re-instilled my faith in Capcom and their ability to make a successful sequel to this loved series. The gameplay looks solid so far with great visuals, intense action and exciting set piece moments. What do you think of Resident Evil 6 so far? Is the series no longer what it used to be or are the addition of new features and a heavier focus on action a good idea? Look for Resident Evil 6 on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on October 2, 2012.
If you aren't excited for Assassin's Creed III at the moment, some new trailers should surely change your mind. Fans have been eager to see what kind of gameplay we can expect from a true sequel to Assassin's Creed II released all the way back in 2009 and Ubisoft really delivered during their press conference. A cinematic, jaw-dropping trailer made Mel Gibson from The Patriot look like child's play as we watch, protagonist Connor, fight alone, through a battlefield of British soldiers to hunt down his Templar target.
Connor wades through a retreating Continental Army, toward the British force, despite the warnings of the revolutionaries. Connor mounts a horse and begins a full on sprint toward the redcoats dodging cannon fire and musket shots until he reaches their lines, unscathed. Armed with his deadly tomahawk and a dagger, Connor is untouchable as he drops soldier after soldier with deadly fluidity. Before long, he fights his way to the Templar Commander and ends his life.
The sequence is truly amazing in terms of visual presentation and just pure awesomeness. Some videos and screen shots of gameplay have shown Connor engaging the Redcoats on an open battlefield similar to the cinematic trailer and I'm sure we can expect the same level of intensity from these battles in game.
The gameplay trailer shows the new 'wilderness' environment which Ubisoft reps explained will be traversed multiple times, through winter, summer, fall and spring. The seasons and weather change and will effect gameplay. For instance, the demo takes place during the winter and high snow drifts impede Connor's movement forcing him to trudge his way through unless he takes another route. The dense forest will provide a completely new Parkour playground for players to explore. Connor swings, jumps and climbs swiftly from tree to tree and the movement looks natural and realistic.
I was almost worried it'd be difficult to make a forest work for the Assassin's Creed style of travel but the demo re-instilled my faith in the setting. The trees don't look awkward or in any way like they are made a special way to enhance the free running. It's almost like the perfect camouflage; the trees make up the forests we will explore but they serve the dual purpose of being the focus of Assassin's Creed III's Parkour. The beautifully rendered forest is teeming with wildlife which we see in the beginning of the demo. Connor hunts down a deer with his bow but the scent of blood draws in a pack of wolves. Ubisoft has explained you'll confront different animals, docile and hostile in the wilderness and that hunting these animals will serve different benefits. You can collect pelts, meat and other materials from the animals you hunt which can be sold or traded.
After hunting the deer and delivering the meat to a nearby, dreary looking Continental camp, Connor speaks with a soldier asking where to find a Templar named Silas. The man answers the question and begins to explain how Connor can help Continental army but the assassin assures him he has no interest in aiding the patriots. Connor sets out into the forest again and locates the the fort, deep in the forest, where the Templar is hiding. From the trees, Connor attacks the group of redcoats guarding the gates and we see the new chain-blade weapon in action here as Connor uses it to strangle one unfortunate soldier.
A slew of new violent kill animations are sure to spice things up; they're one of the first things that caught my during the intense combat. Connor uses his tomahawk and dagger combination to manipulate the bayonet mounted muskets against their users. He directs the fire of the guns at their companions or drives the bayonet into one of the redcoats effectively impaling him. The combat is as fluid as ever and looks freshly satisfying compared to the kill animations of Altair and Ezio which have become stale over the past few years.
Connor makes his way into the fort and locates the target. He causes an explosion distracting the soldiers and throwing them into a disorganized frenzy allowing him to chase after Silas and complete the assassination. The gameplay has so much more to offer this time around and while it's the third game in the series (fourth if you count Brotherhood and Revelations) it almost looks like a new game entirely.
Ubisoft didn't stop there however; they revealed that Connor will take to the high seas in naval combat where you can command your own ship and crew, canons and all. The trailer shows Connor steering the ship as the crew fires off canons sinking several British ships. The action will even include the iconic ship boarding battles that occur in pirate movies. Check out the trailer below and see for yourself. Look for Assassin's Creed III in stores October 30, for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
Microsoft made it clear that Sam Fisher is still a badass when they revealed Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Sam is making a comeback after the President of the United States assigns him to a 'black than black'
special ops team. The team is formed after a group of hostile nations composes a list containing plans for terrorist attacks to be carried out if U.S. troops are not evacuated from their countries.
A cinematic trailer reveals that Third Echelon has been shut down as Sam Fisher hitches a ride into a Middle-Eastern terrorist compound crawling with goons. Sam uses his impressive, yet deadly skill-set to infiltrate the base and take out some unfortunate guards. It's obvious he hasn't lost his edge after he swiftly kills a group of terrorists in the blink of an eye. The action is amped up when Sam rappels down the side of a building and makes quick work of some more terrorists. A man being held prisoner by the terrorists is freed by Sam and given a gun. The two head into the hallway of the building and engage in a fierce fire fight while Sam's partner provides cover fire with a sniper rifle from a nearby building.
Sam and the man reach the roof and are momentarily clear of the action. The man asks Sam what agency he's with in which he receives the reply, "Welcome to Fourth Echelon."
While the cinematic trailer is great, we see the true brilliance of Blacklist in the gameplay demonstration (posted below). The trailer begins with Fisher using a disguise to gain access to an Iraqi terrorist camp where we see an improved mark and execute system. Sam uses his iconic goggles to survey the camp yard and tracks about seven terrorists. He tags the three closest and exits the tent in which he was hiding. The game enters bullet time and Fisher delivers one bullet to each of the three men while running toward a fourth. The game re-enters real time and the fourth man gets a knife in the neck as Sam marks the last two enemies. He slides over the hood of a pickup and violently executes the last two.
The whole sequence is stunning as Sam flows seamlessly from kill to kill. It all looks so clean and happens so fast, that when Sam had killed the last enemy, the guy was just reaching for his gun. Sam goes on to fight through the camp where he encounters a mounted machine gun and more terrorists. At one point, the player uses a voice command with their Kinect to call in an air-strike which disposes of the machine gun. The action of Splinter Cell has definitely been turned up a notch but still features plenty of stealth opportunities for player who prefer to keep things quiet.
Splinter Cell: Blacklist is slated for a Spring 2013 release as of now. What do you think of Blacklist? Is Fisher too old to still be doing this or does age not even matter at this point?
During their press conference, EA games was happy to share some stunning footage of Dead Space 3 which confirmed that the game will feature a co-op game mode. Isaac will no longer dismember necromorphs all by his lonesome but instead he will be accompanied by a man wearing similar armor by the name of, John carver. In a trailer featuring a montage of necromorph kills and co-op action, Carver reveals he is after the markers, like Isaac and will stop at nothing to destroy them. With similar interests in mind, it seems the two of them will be teaming up to bring an end to Unitology and the necromorphs.
It wasn't clear whether or not Carver will accompany Isaac throughout the entire game but the drop-in, drop-out cooperative play implies that it is very likely. If this is true, it will be the first time Isaac ever has a partner for more than a chapter or two. The addition of Carver will no doubt add an interesting mix into the horror filled combat and hopefully won't detract from Dead Space's usual spine-tingling, survival horror theme which the series has always executed so well. Boss battles can be approached in new ways such as one player focusing on shooting weak points on a giant brute while the other player takes out necromorphs descending on the pair of you. Players will likely be able to share weapons, ammo and health supplies but must also collect enough of these provisions to support each of themselves.
The gameplay trailer also reveals that necromorphs won't be the only enemy the duo faces off against. After Isaac and Carver destroy a large out of control drill and kill some necromorphs, they head outside and engage in a firefight with what appear to be Unitologists or soldiers from EarthGov. Isaac and Carver maneuver behind some boxes, dodging pulse rifle shots by crouching and rolling and firing back at the group of enemies. The shootout is interrupted by a giant insect-like necromorph which begins swallowing everything in sight.
After a brief fight with the monster, Isaac gets a little too close and is swallowed by the giant necromorph. The screen fades to black and the crowd at the conference cheers as the trailer has seemingly ended but then the eerie green glow of Isaac's visor illuminates the inside of the monster's gullet revealing he is in the process of being digested alive.
Dead Space 3 looks great so far and with an all new setting, enemies, weapons and characters it is sure to deliver the best Dead Space experience yet. Expect to see Dead Space 3 on store shelves sometime in February of 2013 and check out the trailers below.
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.
The last news we had on Tomb Raider was that it had been delayed until early 2013. Square-Enix has confirmed Tomb Raider will hit shelves on March 5th of 2013 and they also unveiled a nice gameplay trailer for us. The trailer details the new, dramatic approach to Tomb Raider. Lara Croft and her adventures have been completely over-hauled and she's back at square one in her first adventure ever here.
The game will focus on survival and puzzle-solving more than it will combat it seems. I think this is a good change of pace for the Tomb Raider games. Watching the trailer, I already feel as though I like Lara more as a character and that I'm much more intrigued by her. She seems so much more interesting than the hard, bad-ass, dual-wielding pistol Lara that we're used to. I'm hoping more is revealed on the story as well and we learn who these strange islanders are that have it out for Lara. Square-Enix has confirmed they will be showing more at E3, so let's hope this is just the tip of the iceberg. Check out the trailer below.
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.
