Stellaris: A Fresh Take on the 4X Strategy Genre?
Are there too many space strategy games? Between Galactic Civilizations, Distant Worlds, StarDrive, Endless Space, and many more, it seems like the genre is thoroughly colonized. But there’s also room for a disruption beam: most of these other games are on the same foundation that Master of Orion 2 built, a Civilization-in-space with tactical combat and ship customization. It’s too similar; Stellaris could be a breath of fresh air.
Also giving hope: Paradox Development Studio has been on a ridiculous hot streak lately. With Crusader Kings 2 and Europa Universalis 4, Paradox took their games’ typical strategic depth, and especially in Crusader Kings’ case, did things that hadn’t done before, like putting The Sims-like interpersonal relationships at the heart of a grand strategy game. It’s that level of creativity, of infusing a traditional form with novelty that Stellaris and the space 4x genre need (4x: eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate--the traditional form of a Civilization-like game). Happily, Stellaris looks like they have the right people on the job.
X-Men: Secrets You May Have Missed in the Trailer
Our first trailer for Bryan Singer’s X-Men: Apocalypse is here and it’s packed with characters new, old, and new versions of old characters.
Here’s what’s worth noticing in the trailer.
New DC Anthology Comic Will Revive Old Characters
DC Comics has announced a new anthology comic series in Legends of Tomorrow. Not to be confused with DC's Legends of Tomorrow TV series, the comic will pair four DC brands with some of their past teams and creators.
Legends of Tomorrow art page by Aaron Lopresti.
WWE 2K16 Lets You Upload Your Face with Creation Studio App
You can now use WWE 2K16's Creation Studio app to upload your face right into the game. The app is available for free on iOS and Android devices.
The app's face photo feature allows you to snap a photo on your phone, or use a photo you already have, and export it onto your character. The logo capture lets you upload images for use as tattoos, arena decals, Championship designs, billboards, and show logos.
2K Studios boasts the app's ability to connect to your phone's camera or photo library, upload images, and access tools to edit your photo—like cropping, sizing, and adjusting the contrast or brightness. The app will also help you remove distracting backgrounds from the image, as well as "filter out parts of an image by color."
Uncharted 4 Director Explains Dialogue Options
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End director Neil Druckmann has gone into a bit more detail about the game's dialogue options.
Speaking to Kinda Funny Games, Druckmann said that the dialogue choices were a “nod to fans” and that, “There was a few spots in the game where we felt dialogue options would give us something interesting."
He added that people like to argue about which Uncharted game is the best in the series, so dialogue options like the one seen in the trailer at PlayStation Experience, give the player a way to “start the story however you want.”
Spielberg Recommended Abrams for Force Awakens
J.J. Abrams got one of the best possible job recommendations for Star Wars: The Force Awakens — one from Steven Spielberg.
Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy spoke with Spielberg as she was looking for a director. Kennedy and Spielberg had worked together on E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Jurassic Park, and the legendary director was confident he had the answer.
"Kathy, there's only one director that really should undertake this daunting, epic task," Spielberg tells 60 minutes. "And that's J.J. Abrams."