XCOM: Enemy Unknown is facing a daunting task; reboot a series that has been dormant for years while not upsetting the longtime fans that have been waiting patiently for a new release. Firaxis Games' Lead Designer, Jake Solomon, is well aware of the potential pitfalls of bringing back a beloved series while making it appeal to both fans of the original and new gamers who may not even know the original exists. He's abundantly aware of the dilemma because he is one of those fans of the original XCOM, yet he is working on a game that he hopes will demand the attention of a larger audience. In his own words, one of the goals behind the deign of Enemy Unknown was to "be respectful, and then be fearless."
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MTV Multiplayer › Previews
'XCOM: Enemy Unknown' Developer Dedicated To Being Respectful And Fearless
Posted 3/15/12 11:46 am EST by Jason Cipriano in Interviews, Previews, PS3, Xbox 360
"Nightfall" Card Game Edging Closer to iOS Release [Screenshots]
Posted 3/13/12 12:30 pm EST by Matt Morgan in iPhone / iPad, Previews
iOS card game fans, prepare yourself for Nightfall. Playdek Games will soon release the Nightfall card game to the iOS app store, where the developer has previously racked up "Game of the Year" honors with their iOS version of Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer. Now they've set their sights high, partnering with card game publisher AEG to adapt Nightfall, which was named in MTV Geek's own "Top 5 Games of 2011" roundup.
Given Playdek's success making iOS card games, and Nightfall's status as a proven card game commodity, this app has "must play" written all over it. Although the release is still a few weeks away, the first screenshots of this app have just hit the net, so it's time to take a peek at what gamers have in store for them.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown Preview - The Sectoids Return
Posted 3/7/12 3:58 pm EST by Jason Cipriano in PC, Previews, PS3, Xbox 360
A few months ago, 2K Games rewarded some of the most patient gaming fans ever by announcing the first proper sequel to the beloved strategy game XCOM in well over a decade. Enemy Unknown is a return to form for the genre-defining franchise, and the first time that an XCOM game has been developed for both PC and console gamers. At a recent demo in New York, the Firaxis Games development team took some time to show off some of the similarities and differences between the classic and the update, as well as talk about just what Enemy Unknown has in store for fans and newcomers to the series.
Preview: 'Marvel: Avengers Alliance' Brings Turn-Based Superheroics to Facebook
Posted 2/27/12 12:15 pm EST by Charles Webb in facebook, PC, Previews
Social and online game developer Playdom (Mobsters, Gardens of Time) have been busy plugging away at their big social Avengers game in advance of the Marvel superhero team's big screen debut this summer. With that in mind, I had a chance to play Marvel: Avenger's Alliance, a turn-based RPG with the usual social hooks for a Facebook game (gifts, etc.). While the gameplay isn't a huge leap forward in social gaming, for fans of the Marvel Universe, it looks like it might be a fun, free way of having them duke it out with some of the publisher's major and minor characters.
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Preview - The Secret World MMORPG Modern Meets Massively Multiplayer
Posted 2/27/12 11:50 am EST by kevinkelly in PC, Previews
Funcom has been hard at work on The Secret World, and they've only recently starting letting people loose in the game to check things out. We visited the Funcom offices in Montreal recently for a look, and while it still holds a lot of secrets and riddles, it's not so secret anymore. Read More...
Preview: The Six Best Things About 'Street Fighter X Tekken'
Posted 2/10/12 3:53 pm EST by Jason Cipriano in Previews, PS Vita, PS3, Xbox 360
Based on their stellar track record, fighting fans have come to expect great things from Capcom, since they always seem to go the extra mile when it comes to their marquee brawler franchises. Over the last few years they have set the 2D fighting bar higher and higher, first with Street Fighter IV, and then with Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, but their first joint venture with Namco Bandai, Street Fighter X Tekken, truly proves why they consistently stand above their competition, even when their competition is in their game. Gamers are just a few weeks away from finally get their hands on SF X T on March 6, and when they do, here are some of the things they are going to be talking about the most.
Preview: The Physics-Based Platformer 'Vessel' (PC)
Posted 2/10/12 11:45 am EST by Charles Webb in PC, Platformer, Previews
I have a friend who was receiving a bunch of submissions for a design competition who complained that there should be a note to would-be indie devs: cut it out with the moody platformers. Indeed, the darkly-lit, grim puzzle-platformer has become the black and white student film of game development—deeply personal, occasionally emotionally impenetrable, and really more about some implied message than actual gameplay. And hey, there are some pretty fantastic puzzle platoformers out there, it just feels like for every Limbo, there some young designer's attempt to work through his parents' agonizing divorce with physics puzzles.
Thankfully, although full of the requisite dark and somewhat moody, my time with Strange Loop's Vessel isn't the buzzkill that its art style would imply. The chunk of gameplay on display here is the thing and there's a very, very solid physics-based puzzle game under the rain-drenched, cave-dwelling exterior.
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'Spec Ops: The Line' Preview - Putting Morality To The Test
Posted 2/8/12 1:00 pm EST by Jason Cipriano in Previews, PS3, Xbox 360
By Jason Cipriano
Spec Ops: The Line isn't your ordinary third person shooter. The Line was created by the team at Yager Development, and is the ninth game in the Spec Ops series, a series that dates back to 1998. The Line takes place in a dust storm ravaged Dubai, where a U.S. Army Colonel has gone missing after a rescue mission. The Line puts you in the boots of a three-man Delta Force team who soon learn that their rescue mission is not what they expected. The Line will test your sense of morality as you decide whether or not to execute U.S. soldiers who think you are their enemy. The Line will force players to endure a barrage of psychological events that will make you question whether or not you are. Spec Ops: The Line leaves an impression on you.
Preview: 'Yesterday' (PC)
Posted 2/6/12 12:00 pm EST by Charles Webb in PC, Previews
You might recall that a couple of weeks back we ran some screens from the upcoming adventure game Yesterday and that I was pretty impressed with the art style on display for the March release. Well with the release about a month out, the developer, Pendulo Studios, sent along a build of the first chapter from the game for us to check out.
Featuring maybe 30 minutes or so of gameplay, the build is pretty much adventure game bread and butter: that's to say, while there aren't any leaps forward in the genre here, its odd tone and kitchen sink story might be of interest to you if the team at Pendulo resolves a few interface, technical, and localization issues before the release date.
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Demo Impressions: 'The Darkness II' Is Chock Full of Gore and Guns (Xbox 360)
Posted 1/23/12 3:30 pm EST by Charles Webb in Demos, PC, Previews, PS3, Xbox 360
The recently-released demo for The Darkness II presents a nice little snapshot of the upcoming FPS from Digital Extremes and 2K Games. How does it stack up to the 2007 original? How does it feel to be quad-wielding weapons? Find out more in my demo impressions below.
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