General gaming

General gaming

Darksiders 2 Builds a Bigger, Better Sequel

Posted: 22 Mar 2012 09:52 PM PDT

In 2009, Darksiders blindsided the industry and helped rekindle a flame for action-adventure games not named The Legend of Zelda. After presenting a darker take on Nintendo's family-friendly world and setting up a bitter war between Heaven and Hell, developer Vigil Games took their new series a step further by laying a solid gameplay foundation through a smart control scheme: A setup that allowed players to effortlessly switch between up-close melee combat, ranged combat, powerful special abilities, and smooth traversal through large dungeon environments.

As you'd expect, Darksiders 2 aims to expand the ideas of the original by adding more substance and adventure elements. I got a quick glimpse of their efforts during a recent three-hour demonstration, which began at the final dungeon of the Maker's Realm, one of four main major zones in the sequel. It's an area that players will encounter about six hours into the campaign. I gained control of the main character, Death -- the brother of Darksiders protagonist War -- at level 11 and dug into my stack of unspent skill points.

Dark Souls is this Generation's Best 8-bit Game

Posted: 22 Mar 2012 04:20 PM PDT

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Dark Souls is this Generation's Best 8-bit Game

How From's RPG revolutionized the genre by drawing on some very classic ideas.

By: Bob Mackey March 22, 2012

Anyone who's soldiered through From Software's Souls series has the psychological scars to prove it; the games' brutal difficulty and often-impenetrable nature stand in defiance to some of the more disappointing design trends of the past 20 years. Detractors commonly regard these RPGs as "unfair," and yes, they can seem that way when compared to the outright friendliness of just about every other game released during this generation. But Souls supporters know that, above all else, From Software forces its victims to sincerely think about each and every action they make -- an utterly terrifying prospect for many. For those that can handle the challenge, though, this lack of a safety net is often regarded as the games' greatest feature; putting so much responsibility in the hands of the player makes each and every victory all the more rewarding.

If you've been alive long enough to grow up alongside video games, you might have noticed that both of these devious RPGs feel very old-school -- and not just in terms of controller-throwing frustration. With a great deal of hindsight at their disposal, From Software designed their most popular creations by making deliberate choices that have been M.I.A. from video games for quite some time. And this 8-bit design philosophy absolutely shines in Dark Souls, which renovated the many technical and mechanical flaws of Demon's Souls to become what many regard as the greatest RPG of this generation. Dark Souls may innovate in many areas, but its greatest strength can be found in the deliberately antiquated sensibility baked into the game's sprawling world. The following ideas are hardly new, but it's certainly nice to see them return in such a big and beautiful package.

Wasteland 2 Kickstarter May Start an Admirable Trend

Posted: 22 Mar 2012 01:02 PM PDT

Wasteland 2 Kickstarter

The Wasteland 2 Kickstarter has already more than exceeded its goal of $900,000. With 25 days still to go, it's approaching $1.5 million in pledges, a figure which will ensure the game lands on Mac and Linux in addition to PC. It's nice to see a game like Wasteland that is nearly 25 years old get the opportunity for a sequel thanks to a new method of funding, but this particular Kickstarter may result in more than just a (very) long-awaited sequel being made.

The latest update on the Kickstarter, written by inXile boss Brian Fargo, recounts a story of how Fargo was kind to a young neighbor of his 20 years ago. He used this as the launching point to talk about a Kickstarter initiative he'd like to help start which he is calling Kick It Forward.

Posted by Shri Krishna

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