Horizon: Zero Dawn’s Incredible Balance of Action and RPG
Guerilla Games' reveal of Horizon: Zero Dawn immediately grabbed our attention with its gorgeous world, massive mechanical beasts, and intense combat scenarios. But in a behind-closed-doors demo of the game at E3 2015, the studio delved much deeper into Horizon's mechanics, flow, and backstory, all of which helped vault it to the top of my list of most exciting games of 2016.
The project, which began back in 2011 and really ramped up production after the launch of Killzone: Shadow Fall, looks to be the most ambitious game Guerrilla has ever worked on. According to the studio, the single-player, completely open-world (meaning that anywhere you see, you can go) action-RPG falls halfway on the spectrum between the action-oriented open world games that Ubisoft has been producing for the past 7 years, and the most RPG-focused adventures that Bethesda works on.
Sony Still Not Pursuing Backward Compatibility for PS4
Despite news of backward compatibility on Xbox One, Sony still doesn't plan on implementing similar technology on PlayStation 4.
Earlier this week at E3 in Los Angeles, Microsoft announced that over 100 Xbox 360 games will be able to run on Xbox One, and that Xbox One users will be able to play older titles online with 360 owners. But while the announcement undoubtedly pleased many Microsoft players - especially considering the newly announced Rare Replay collection - Sony isn't re-evaluating its stance on backward compatibility.
You Can Play Dota 2 Reborn Right Now
The beta for Dota 2 Reborn is live and available for download.
Valve announced the upcoming Dota 2 overhaul over the weekend, promising the beta would be available next week. Well, guess what? It's next week, and the beta really is ready for download.
To get in on the beta, you first need to have a copy of Dota 2 already installed. From the Play tab, simply select the "Dota 2 Reborn Beta" and click "install" to begin the download.
Valve wants you to know that every time you boot up Dota 2, you'll be prompted on which version you want to play. Match histories, items, rank, and friends will be the same across all versions.
Fan Pre-Orders Fallout 4 Using Over 2,000 Bottle Caps
A Fallout 4 fan has found an clever way to pre-order Bethesda's recently-announced open-world game.
Ever since playing Fallout 3 for the first time, Imgur user GatorMacheteJr has been saving bottle caps for the past 7.5 years. As Fallout 4 is now available for pre-order, they have amassed an estimated 2,240 bottle caps (over 11 pounds) with the intention of covering their pre-order using Fallout's iconic legal tender.
"If it's not obvious, I'm a pretty big fan of the series," Gator said in a letter to developer Bethesda. "Needless to say, I got pretty excited when I started seeing more and more of Fallout 4. I've also noticed you're now accepting pre-orders. I only saw prices listed in pre-war dollars, and I wasn't exactly sure what the exchange rate is these days, so I went ahead and sent everything in I've been able to save since I played Fallout 3 for the first time."
Sony Discounts PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 Games for E3
In honor of Sony's presence at this year's E3, a number of notable PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 games have been discounted on the PlayStation Store.
The sale includes big games such as Destiny, Grand Theft Auto V, Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition, Infamous Second Son, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, and Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. Discounts range from 22 to 60 percent off, depending on the game. Visit the PlayStation Store web page to see all of the discounted games and movies.
DayZ Creator Making SteamVR Game
Dean Hall, creator of DayZ, is working on a game for Valve's virtual reality platform SteamVR.
Hall told Eurogamer that his studio RocketWertz is currently developing a virtual reality game separate from its space game Ion. Ion, another game from Hall, was announced at E3 for Xbox One and PC.
Hall said Valve's Chet Faliszek was a huge mentor, and helped convince him to develop for SteamVR.
"He contacted me very early on in DayZ's development," told Eurogamer. Hall said that seeing Faliszek speak at a VR conference in Iceland helped push the decision. "To be honest, that was the final convincing for me," Hall said, adding "I really liked what he had to say."
FF7 Director Wants to Remake More Final Fantasy Games
Square Enix's recently announced remake of Final Fantasy VII may not be the only classic entry in the series to get a major overhaul for current-gen consoles, as series director Tetsuya Nomura has expressed interest in remaking both Final Fantasy V and VI.
"Considering that we have remakes of Final Fantasy up to IV and then we have VII — I’ve been working with Mr.
Kitase since Final Fantasy V, and we’ve noticed that V and VI are missing. That bothers me," Nomura told VentureBeat. "How come we skipped over those two?"
Halo Composer Marty O’Donnell Reveals Details About New Studio and Game
Veteran game composer of Martin O’Donnell and his newly founded studio Highwire Games want to create unique emotional experiences for players.
“We hope that you feel like you care about who you are in the game,” O’Donnell told IGN in an interview during E3 2015. “You care about the characters in the game in a really intimate way, as much as you care about any really powerful story that you’ve ever read or played or played a game.
“At the end of playing this game or while you were playing this game, you’re actually going to care about the characters that we’re presenting. And the story of what’s going on," the award-winning music composer said. "It’s an emotional connection we really feel is the most powerful thing a game can do.
New Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Details
Microsoft has revealed several new details about how the upcoming Xbox One backwards compatibility feature will work.
During a demonstration today, the company confirmed Xbox One owners will be able to play older titles online with gamers who own an Xbox 360, and also explained a bit more about what functionality the games will have.
The Xbox button on the controller will take you to the soon-to-be-revamped Xbox One home screen, but pressing the View and Menu buttons simultaneously will bring up the old Xbox 360 guide replete with all its features. Screenshots and DVR support are also present.
Aaron Paul Signs Onto New Hulu Series, The Way
Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul has been cast as the male lead in The Way, a new Hulu original series.
Paul will play Eddie Cleary, "a convert to a controversial movement with a wayward past. He's a husband (to Sarah Cleary played by Michelle Monaghan) and father who suffers a crisis of faith when all that he's come to accept as truth in his life is fundamentally challenged."
Paul in Need for Speed.
The Way tells the story of a family at the center of a controversial movement "struggling with relationships, marriage and power." Each episode of the Hulu series will provide "an in-depth look at what it means to choose between the life we live and the life we want."