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Double Fine Struggles Show The Problems With Steam Early Access
Once upon a time Double Fine hoped to keep in-progress space station sim Spacebase DF-9 going for five years. Now, however, they’re abruptly pulling the plug, omitting many planned features from the “final” version. Fans are, understandably, upset. Double Fine says it all comes down to one unfortunate reality: money. Late last week Double Fine…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 22, 2014 -
Tips & GuidesDestiny Raid Tips From The First People To Ever Beat It
Destiny‘s first ever raid is not—by any stretch of imagination—a cakewalk. For one, the raid is obtuse and frequently merciless, and for two Destiny is sadly bereft of cake. Unless you are these people, it’s probably giving you fits. I decided to ask the first clan ever to beat it for advice. Here’s what they…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 20, 2014 -
Check Out A Whole Bunch Of Quirky Indie Games, Live
Indie game festival Fantastic Arcade is in full swing in Austin, Texas, and I’m there! You can be too, sorta. There’s a live stream of every panel and presentation running all weekend, including one about soon-to-be-re-released classic Grim Fandango. Watch now. If you want to follow along, there’s a full event schedule on Fantastic Arcade’s…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 19, 2014 -
Microsoft Explains Lack Of Halo On PC
Halo: Master Chief Collection would—in theory—be a perfect point of entry for PC gamers who’ve missed out on the series over the years. So why is it, for now, Xbox One-only? And could that change? Halo is Microsoft’s flagship game series on the Xbox, but they’ve also got that whole Windows thing going on. You…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 18, 2014 -
First Gameplay Footage Of Legendary RPG Successor Torment
Planescape Torment is widely lauded as one of the best-written (not to mention weirdest) games of all time. It’s so revered that the Kickstarter for its spiritual successor, Torment: Tides of Numenera, raked in a whopping $4.1 million. How’s it shaping up, though? Now, finally, you can see. Giant brain scrambling squid monsters, quivering lumps…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 17, 2014 -
Meet The People Who Beat Destiny‘s First Massive Raid
They were the first in history to finish Destiny‘s mind-boggling raid, and—despite lives, jobs, and significant others—they’re not going anywhere. 1,605 deaths. That’s how many times uber-clan PrimeGuard collectively keeled over before finally finishing their ten hour run of Destiny‘s mad minotaur labyrinth of a raid, the Vault of Glass. They survived (well, eventually survived)…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 17, 2014 -
I’m Worried About These Halo Remakes
I came into a recent Halo: Master Chief Collection preview event expecting to think, “Yep, it’s Halo alright” and be on my merry way. Instead I encountered a surprising number of problems. Halo 2 Anniversary, specifically, left me curiously cold, which is worrisome because the game is only a couple months from release. I got…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 17, 2014 -
There’s More Halo 5 In Halo Master Chief Collection Than I Expected
Halo 5 won’t be out until next year, but creator 343 Industries says Halo: The Master Chief Collection will offer plenty of information on the still mystery-shrouded shooter. If you can find it. At a recent preview event in San Francisco I sat down with executive producers Dan Ayoub and Kiki Wolfkill to discuss what…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 17, 2014 -
Getting Upset At Video Games Is Probably Terrible For Your Health
I tend to get angry at little things in video games. A lot. Sometimes really, really, really angry. I’m starting to think I should stop. Why? A recent study explained just how bad for us small yet frequent day-to-day stresses really are. The short version? Life-threatening. I know I’m not the only one (shit, I…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 16, 2014 -
Super Smash Bros Characters Sure Have Changed Over The Years
We’ve talked a bunch about Super Smash Bros‘ new characters, but what about the classics? Mario, Link, Samus, and pretty much every other major character in Nintendo history? Turns out they’ve changed since Super Smash Bros Brawl/Melee in ways both big and small. (That rhymed. I apologize.) These two videos demonstrate the tweaks and alterations…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 16, 2014 -
It’s Heartbreaking To Say Goodbye To My Old World Of Warcraft Name
I didn’t have many real-life friends in high school. I’m pretty sure I heard my WoW name more than my real name in those days—to the point where my WoW identity and my own were inseparable. Flash forward to today. Blizzard’s reclaiming old, dormant WoW names, and I’m crushed. It should be noted that if…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 16, 2014 -
Finally, A Game That Lets Me Play As A Finger
And not just any finger. A finger wearing a top hat. Antbassador is a very silly, sometimes frustrating physics-based game from the makers of the equally ridiculous Octodad. As in the world’s—nay, universe’s—foremost caring father, secret octopus sim, Antbassador sees you masquerading as something you’re not for the greater good. In this case, you’re a…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 15, 2014 -
Why Super Smash Bros Players Are So Obsessed With Ridley
I mean, this character isn’t even playable. What’s the deal? A vocal contingent of Super Smash Bros fans have an obsession. They’ve wanted one of Metroid‘s prime villains, Ridley, as a playable character for years—long before the latest installment in the series was even announced. Their campaign has thus far yielded nothing tangible, leading to…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 15, 2014 -
Destiny Tower Bears An Uncanny Resemblance To Halo‘s Master Chief
Bungie created Halo. Now they’ve moved on to “shared world” sci-fi shooter Destiny. That does not, however, mean they’ve left the past behind. It’s just, um, on the back of a tower now. According to Reddit user SmokingGhost, you can find the very… familiar-looking tower during a Mars strike mission. “It is the back side…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 15, 2014 -
A Racing Game I’m Actually Really Excited About
I don’t like very many racing games, but Distance‘s high-flying antics and F-Zero-style looks have got my attention. I mean, check that out. It’s all speed, air, and pulsating lights that are one-part Tron and one-part skeezy underground rave. Also, cars can get cut in half and regenerate, and—unlike a not insignificant number of cars—these…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 12, 2014 -
Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Star Lord Dance Recreated In Destiny
Good job, the Internet. You’ve made us all proud with this one. If you’ve seen Guardians of the Galaxy, you’ll recognize this whole bit—music, dancing, and all—from the beginning, right before Star Lord (also known in our significantly more boring universe as Chris Pratt) steals the Important Thing from Those Jerks Who’ve Never Heard Of…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 12, 2014 -
I’m Pretty Glad The Original Doom Wasn’t A Modern Shooter
This isn’t the Doom you know. It’s… it’s something else This video combines some mods (including the ever popular Brutal Doom) and clever After Effects usage to re-imagine Doom—first-person shooting’s great grandcyberdemon—as a modern shooter in the vein of, say, Call of Duty or Counter-Strike. I’m mixed on this. On one hand, that actually looks…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 12, 2014 -
U.S. Smash Bros Demo Out Today For Some, Next Week For Everyone
Nintendo just announced on its Treehouse live stream marathon that the long-awaited English version of the Super Smash Bros 3DS demo is coming out today for “select” Platinum members. Everyone else will get it next week. If Nintendo’s deemed you worthy of early demo access, you should receive an email with four codes (sharing is…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 12, 2014 -
What New Forza Is Doing About Forza 5‘s Disastrous Economy
Forza 5 launched with some nasty microtransactions, made more upsetting by the fact that people already spent $60 to buy it. Players were pissed, and creator Turn 10 spent months re-tuning the otherwise solid racer. What does this mean for open-world spin-off Forza Horizon 2? No microtransactions whatsoever. At first. I spoke with Playground Studios’…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 11, 2014 -
The Rise And Fall Of Nintendo… As A Rock Band
Link as a European EDM legend. Wario’s dumb laugh. Mario’s sex tape and drug addiction. Skater Mega Man. Bowser’s tiny puppy. Peach’s pop career. The band going viral. Rolling Shell Magazine. Yoshi gets an island. Yoshi gets an island. This video is perfect. I’m not often prone to straight out gushing, but this video re-imagining…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 11, 2014
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