Composer Reveals the Original Ending of Halo 2
Halo 2 has gone down in gaming history for having one of the biggest cliffhanger endings in a single-player campaign, resulting in the iconic scene of Master Chief delivering the powerful line “Sir. Finishing this fight.”
In a recent interview with IGN Unfiltered airing later this week, however, composer Marty O’Donnell revealed this was not the original ending planned for Halo 2.
According to O’Donnell, the original ending of Halo 2 had a much cleaner resolution, ending with Master Chief finding the Ark of the Covenant on Earth, then working with the Arbiter (then known as the Dervish) to stop the Prophet of Truth.
Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 5 Dated, Also Getting 3 Extra Episodes
Telltale's Minecraft: Story Mode series will receive its fifth episode next Tuesday, March 29. Episode 5 was expected to be the end of the first series, but Telltale has also announced that three more "post-season" episodes will arrive throughout 2016.
Episode 5, titled "Order Up!" will bridge the gap from Episode 4's concluded Wither Storm story arc to the new content, and sees the series' heroes arrive in an entirely new (and extinction-threatened) world, Sky City. The voice cast will be joined by Lord of the Rings' Sean Astin.
After the finale, however, the three extra episodes will follow hero Jesse and his group on further adventures into new worlds. They'll be treated as add-ons to the existing series, meaning you'll need to have downloaded at least Episode 1 to purchase them.
Smite Enters Open Beta on PS4
Smite has entered open beta on PlayStation 4.
That means anyone with a PS4 and an Internet connection can download the popular MOBA for free and take it for a test spin.
As this week is also the second anniversary of Smite, developer Hi-Rez has a few promotions lined up, with a new event each day up until March 28. At the moment, the Ultimate God Pack – which contains access to all current and future gods – is available for 50 percent off the asking price.
If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, now’s as good a time as any to plug our review, where we said “Smite's unique camera angle alone is enough to set it apart from other MOBAs, and developer Hi-Rez didn't stop there. Each map is polished, every God looks and sounds great, and exceptional Match of the Day modes offer plenty of variety. Some late-game balance issues aside, Smite’s divine execution of innovative ideas make it a worthy contender.”
Face2Face: The Most Amazing Face-Swapping Tech We’ve Seen Yet
There's been a rise in real-time face-swapping solutions recently, with apps like Snapchat and MSQRD dominating our free time, but Face2Face might be the most impressive take on the tech we've seen.
Also: terrifying.
As Gizmodo reports, Face2Face requires only target footage (say: a video of Vladimir Putin from a news broadcast) and an off-the-shelf webcam - and renders everything in real time, after analysing the footage frame-by-frame.
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Face2Face in action.
DriveClub Studio Closed Down by Sony
Sony has confirmed the closure of Evolution Studios, creators of MotorStorm and DriveClub.
Last year the developer was hit with layoffs that affected 55 people. Now GamesIndustry.biz reports Sony has made the decision to make the rest of the staff redundant.
"Where possible we will try to reallocate people onto other projects," says Sony's statement. "If appropriate opportunities are not possible within the company, we will assist staff in any way we can, including speaking with local employers and with other development companies."
Yakuza 0 Western Release Window Announced
Yakuza 0 is coming to North America and Europe in early 2017, Sega has announced.
Yakuza 0 was first announced for a western release at PSX 2015. There was some confusion over whether it would be coming to Europe too, but Sega has now confirmed this is the case.
The Yakuza prequel came out in Japan last year on PS3 and PS4, however Sega is only localizing the PS4 version for release next year. A physical edition will be released in addition to the digital one, and Sega is targeting a simultaneous release in both territories.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’s Nuk3town Map Now Free
The previously pre-order exclusive Nuk3town map for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 has now become freely available to all players on Xbox One, PS4 and PC, alongside a new personalization pack of Nuk3town-themed in-game cosmetics.
The updated version of the Black Ops' series perennially popular close-quarters multiplayer map will be added to map rotation across a number of playlists, and a Nuk3town-only playlist will be available for the next week, according to an Activision blog post.
Choose Whether to Kill Gary Busey or Gary Cole in Hitman
The Hitman developers have asked fans to choose between Gary Busey and Gary Cole.
But this isn't a popularity contest, as whoever "wins" the vote will become a target in an upcoming Hitman contract this summer. In the video below, the two actors each give very convincing arguments as to why they deserve to die.
Head over to ChooseYourHit.com to make your decision. Either #KillBusey or #KillCole.
Io Interactive and Square Enix have stepped up the Hitman marketing game this time around, with ChooseYourHit following on from British children's entertainers The Chuckle Brothers playing Hitman in real life.
Next Rise of the Tomb Raider DLC Release Date Announced
The Cold Darkness Awakened DLC for Rise of the Tomb Raider is coming out on March 29.
This is the third and final piece of downloadable content, and according to the announcement on Xbox Wire it will have Lara Croft encountering "an army of nightmarish predators."
"A decommissioned Cold War research base has been breached, unleashing a deadly affliction from its Siberian slumber," reads the description. "As the illness seeps into the wilderness surrounding the base, Trinity soldiers transform into bloodthirsty killers who thrive on carnage. To prevent the affliction from spreading, Lara must rely on her wits, physical agility, and crafting abilities to overcome this new enemy and shut down the decommissioned base."
How Journey Changed a Young Girl’s Life
Sony has released a heartwarming video showing a young girl's dream coming true as she visits Thatgamecompany, creators of Journey.
Sophia Ouellette was just 15 when her father was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. It was a tragic period in her life, but she has now spoken out about how playing Journey with her father in late 2012, just before his passing, helped both of them gain peace. Check out the video below.
"Towards the end of the game it suddenly gets really cold and icy, and it becomes really difficult to progress," said Sophia. "Eventually your character sort of gives up, you can't go on any longer and at that point my dad and I thought it might have been the end of the game, it was sort of a sad ending.