http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Tue, 20 May 2014 08:35:20 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-announces-surface-pro-3-the-tablet-that-can-replace-your-laptop/1100-6419755/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536579-surfacepro3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536579" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536579-surfacepro3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536579"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2536579-surfacepro3.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Today during a special event in New York City, Microsoft officially announced the Surface Pro 3, "the tablet that can replace your laptop." It is the latest revision in Microsoft's Surface line, following Surface and Surface 2.</p><p style="">Microsoft's Surface boss Panos Panay says the Surface Pro 3, at 9.1mm, is the thinnest Intel Core product ever made. It weighs 800 grams, which is lighter than the Macbook Air, though Apple's product has a built-in keyboard, of course.</p><p style="">The Surface Pro 3 features an Intel Core i7 processor. It's also durable, as Panay dropped the device on the (carpeted) floor during the presentation and there was no damage to it.</p><p style=""><em>The is a breaking news story. Check back later for more or <a href="http://live.cnet.com/Event/Microsoft_Surface_event" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">follow along with GameSpot sister site CNET's liveblog</a>.</em></p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 08:21:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-announces-surface-pro-3-the-tablet-that-can-replace-your-laptop/1100-6419755/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/how-a-gorillaz-video-and-jet-set-radio-inspired-su/2300-6418874/ Insomniac Games talks about how Sunset Overdrive almost became Day Z, until Gorillaz 'On Melancholy Hill' intervened. Tue, 20 May 2014 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/how-a-gorillaz-video-and-jet-set-radio-inspired-su/2300-6418874/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/goat-simulator-gets-huge-patch-on-june-3-that-introduces-new-goats-map-and-multiplayer/1100-6419754/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjJZ04DLgdA" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FfjJZ04DLgdA%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DfjJZ04DLgdA&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FfjJZ04DLgdA%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Coffee Stain Studios announced today that Patch 1.1 for PC game <a href="/goat-simulator/" data-ref-id="false">Goat Simulator</a>, which it calls the "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/world-s-dumbest-game-goat-simulator-channels-dead-island-for-its-epic-launch-trailer/1100-6418619/" data-ref-id="1100-6418619">world's dumbest game</a>," will arrive on June 3. The huge patch introduces a host of updates and changes, including new goats, a new map, and a splitscreen multiplayer mode.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The update was previously expected to launch in May, but Coffee Stain Studios said it needed extra time to "shock players" and to ensure that the new map was "even better" than the original. Patch 1.1, which is free, includes the following:</p><ul><li dir="ltr">A new playable map that's about the size of the old map.</li><li dir="ltr">Local splitscreen multiplayer for up to four players goats.</li><li dir="ltr">The ability to wall-run and balance on your front legs.</li><li dir="ltr">The ability to ride bicycles and skateboards.</li><li dir="ltr">New playable goats like "Tornado Goat," "Shopping Goat," "Classy Goat," and "Repulsive Goat."</li><li dir="ltr">Various optimizations, achievements, and "all kinds of other cool jazz."</li></ul><p style="">Goat Simulator launched on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/world-s-dumbest-game-goat-simulator-launching-on-april-fools-day-of-course/1100-6418097/" data-ref-id="1100-6418097">April Fools' Day (of course)</a> and is <a href="http://www.goat-simulator.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">available today for $10</a>. Another animal-focused simulation game, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/people-donated-100-571-to-pay-for-a-game-about-being-a-bear/1100-6419158/" data-ref-id="1100-6419158">Bear Simulator</a>, is in development. Creator John Farjay raised a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/people-donated-100-571-to-pay-for-a-game-about-being-a-bear/1100-6419158/" data-ref-id="1100-6419158">whopping $100,000 through Kickstarter</a> to make the game.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 07:55:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/goat-simulator-gets-huge-patch-on-june-3-that-introduces-new-goats-map-and-multiplayer/1100-6419754/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bulletstorm-dev-reveals-canceled-game-that-was-l-a-noire-meets-uncharted/1100-6419753/ <p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Prior to releasing 2011's FPS <a href="/bulletstorm/" data-ref-id="false">Bulletstorm</a>, Polish developer People Can Fly spent a year working on a "moody as f**k detective thriller with a supernatural edge" called Come Midnight. Former boss Adrian Chmielarz, who <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-judgment-creative-director-leaves-studio/1100-6391206/" data-ref-id="1100-6391206">left </a>People Can Fly (<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-judgment-dev-renamed-epic-games-poland/1100-6415921/" data-ref-id="1100-6415921">now called Epic Games Poland</a>) in 2012 to open his own studio, told <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-19-why-thq-canned-bulletstorm-devs-la-noire-like-game-come-midnight" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-05">Eurogamer</a> in a new interview that this game was in development for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and "would have been absolutely incredible."</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536551-comemidnight.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536551" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536551-comemidnight.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536551"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1179/11799911/2536551-comemidnight.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Chmielarz said the game was targeted to launch in 2007, but that would never come to be, as publisher for the game, the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-dissolved/1100-6402838/" data-ref-id="1100-6402838">now-defunct THQ</a>, canceled the game in 2006. He explained that part of the issue with Come Midnight was simply explaining what it was all about.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The game mixed genres like noire, survival horror, adventure, thriller, and love story, Chmielarz said. "The closest I can give you would be a more streamlined <a href="/l-a-noire/" data-ref-id="false">L.A. Noire</a>--L.A. Noire meets <a href="/uncharted-drakes-fortune/" data-ref-id="false">Uncharted</a>, in a way. You are a private eye and you start a normal investigation, but it turns out that there are some otherworldly powers at work, and you can communicate with the dead."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The character you would have played, a detective, died for a brief moment, but came back to life. As such, he kept his ability to see into the afterlife, Chmielarz said. "Great narration, third-person perspective like <a href="/resident-evil/" data-ref-id="false">Resident Evil </a>mixed with L.A. Noire, and full of surprises," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Chmielarz said Come Midnight would have included shooting, melee combat, and adventure elements, but it was truly focused on the idea of "what it would be like to be a supernatural detective in the '40s."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">So why was Come Midnight canceled? Chmielarz said THQ decided to drop the game for "reasons outside of the game itself."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"THQ seriously f***ed us over at this point," he said. "They just cancelled. 'OK we're just cancelling the game--see ya.' It's all corporate bulls***; three weeks before, they cancelled all communication--no phone calls, stopped answering emails. Absolute a**holes."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">People Can Fly later teamed up with Epic Games for Bulletstorm and <a href="/gears-of-war-judgment/" data-ref-id="false">Gears of War: Judgment</a>. Epic Games would later acquire People Can Fly, rebranding the studio Epic Games Poland. Chmielarz said he still wanted to make Come Midnight, but the powers that be deemed the game "too different."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Chmielarz went on to say that he's not sure who currently owns the rights to Come Midnight, as THQ is out of business. Come Midnight was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-dissolved/1100-6402838/" data-ref-id="1100-6402838">not mentioned in the THQ bankruptcy auction last year</a>.</p><p style="">Right now, Chmielarz and his team as indie studio The Astronauts are working on PC game <a href="/the-vanishing-of-ethan-carter/" data-ref-id="false">The Vanishing of Ethan Carter</a>, due out this summer.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIDRFWxEBa8" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FAIDRFWxEBa8%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DAIDRFWxEBa8&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FAIDRFWxEBa8%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 07:14:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bulletstorm-dev-reveals-canceled-game-that-was-l-a-noire-meets-uncharted/1100-6419753/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-coming-to-chuck-e-cheese-s/1100-6419752/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536530-chucke.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536530" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536530-chucke.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536530"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2536530-chucke.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is coming to Chuck E. Cheese's. The kid-friendly restaurant/playplace founded by gaming icon Nolan Bushnell announced today that it is now testing a "Chuck E. Cheese's Virtual Ticket Blaster Experience" using the virtual reality headset in select markets. The first is Dallas, with expansions planned for San Diego and Orlando.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Kids today have unprecedented access to game consoles and tablets," said Roger Cardinale, president of Chuck E. Cheese's owner CEC Entertainment. "Our challenge is to deliver an experience not available at home, and there is no doubt virtual reality does just that. Oculus Rift technology is the next frontier in the gaming industry, and we're thrilled to be able to say it's part of the Chuck E. Cheese's lineup."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As part of a six-week trial run in the three test markets, kids will get to use the Oculus Rift headset to try out the "Virtual Ticket Blaster." The <a href="http://www.chuckecheese.com/activities/games" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">standard Ticket Blaster</a> is a game where kids stand in a chamber and must grab tickets as they fly by. But the Oculus Rift version of this experience will have them doing so in virtual reality.</p><p style="">The Virtual Ticket Blaster game/experience was created by Dallas-based effects studio <a href="http://www.reelfx.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Reel FX</a>. "We believe that virtual reality eventually will be as popular as our handheld devices," Reel FX founder Dale Carman said. "It's a game-changer, and we're investing incredible time and talent into developing content for the Oculus Rift."</p><p style="">The Oculus Rift was created by 21-year-old Palmer Luckey. The device came to life through a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/vr-headset-oculus-rift-kickstarter-successful-on-first-day/1100-6389671/" data-ref-id="1100-6389671">wildly successful Kickstarter campaign in 2012</a>, culminating in Facebook purchasing the company, Oculus VR, and the headset earlier this year is a<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/facebook-buys-oculus-rift-company-in-a-massive-deal-worth-an-estimated-2-billion/1100-6418540/" data-ref-id="1100-6418540"> surprise $2 billion deal</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 06:35:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-coming-to-chuck-e-cheese-s/1100-6419752/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/listen-to-meshuggah-guitarist-s-music-for-wolfenstein-the-new-order/1100-6419751/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418871" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418871/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Fredrik Thordendal of acclaimed Swedish metal band Meshuggah <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/guitarist-from-swedish-metal-band-meshuggah-working-on-wolfenstein-the-new-order/1100-6419582/" data-ref-id="1100-6419582">wrote music for Bethesda's just-released Wolfenstein: The New Order</a>, and now you can hear the track in its entirety. Bethesda posted the cut, "<a href="http://cdn.bethsoft.com/wolfenstein/tno/audio/Fredrik%20Thordendal%20-%20Herr%20Faust.mp3" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Herr Faust</a>," on its blog. It certainly has the driving intensity you'd expect from a Meshuggah song.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">There's also a <a href="http://www.bethblog.com/2014/05/19/meshuggahgames/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">quick interview with Thordendal featured on the Bethesda Blog</a>, wherein he says that he's always wanted to make music for a video game and was quick to say "yes" when Wolfenstein: The New Order creative director Jens Matthies (a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/guitarist-from-swedish-metal-band-meshuggah-working-on-wolfenstein-the-new-order/1100-6419582/" data-ref-id="1100-6419582">big-time Meshuggah fan</a>) initially approached him.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Wolfenstein: The New Order is available today on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. We gave the game an <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wolfenstein-the-new-order-review/1900-6415765/" data-ref-id="1900-6415765">8.0 in our review</a>, which you can <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wolfenstein-the-new-order-review/1900-6415765/" data-ref-id="1900-6415765">read</a> or <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/wolfenstein-the-new-order-video-review/2300-6418871/" data-ref-id="2300-6418871">watch</a>.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 06:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/listen-to-meshuggah-guitarist-s-music-for-wolfenstein-the-new-order/1100-6419751/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/pokemon-snap-the-shaun-method/2300-6418867/ Shaun celebrates the 15th anniversary of Pokemon Snap as he subjects himself to ridicule and laughter. Join the chat ... can you help catch em all? Tue, 20 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/pokemon-snap-the-shaun-method/2300-6418867/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/wolfenstein-the-new-order-sega-ghostbusters-greg-m/2300-6418868/ Join us this week on The Lobby as we battle some Nazis in Wolfenstein: The New Order, Have Tech Time with Peter Brown and the Retron 5 and welcome Greg Miller for some Ghostbusting action for Video Game History Month! Tue, 20 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/wolfenstein-the-new-order-sega-ghostbusters-greg-m/2300-6418868/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-civilization-beyond-earth-is-improving-proxy-warfare/1100-6419746/ <p style="">The Civilization series has a slant towards open warfare. Sure, diplomacy is an option, but if you <i>really </i>need another civilization dealt with, then declaring war is often the best--and only--solution. However, this often carries with it serious ramifications, be it economic, political, or even nuclear (looking at you, Gandhi). I recall several games of <a href="/sid-meiers-civilization-v/" data-ref-id="false">Sid Meier's Civilization V</a> in which I tried to circumvent open warfare in favor of fighting proxy wars by supplying extra troops and gold to civilizations at war with my rivals. Typically, the other civilization would just pocket these "gifts" and declare peace shortly thereafter, or get itself killed. Either way, I just flushed a lot of resources down the drain.</p><p style="">Fighting proxy wars--and generally harassing other players--is a lot of fun, especially for a series such as Civilization, which has always taken place on the global stage. It's also something Civilization: Beyond Earth co-designers Will Miller and David McDonough have been expanding upon in the next chapter in this long-running strategy series. If you're not already caught up on Beyond Earth, be sure to check out our <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-next-big-game-beyond-earth/" data-ref-id="false">extensive coverage of the game</a>. Otherwise, read on to learn more about the changing face of galactic warfare.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2536338-screenshot_e3_be_supremacy_combat.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536338" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2536338-screenshot_e3_be_supremacy_combat.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536338"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/949/9490474/2536338-screenshot_e3_be_supremacy_combat.jpg"></a><figcaption>Open warfare is always an option, but Beyond Earth has some more subtle ways to harass your opponents as well. </figcaption></figure><p style="">"We wanted the state of war to be fuzzier in Beyond Earth," said Miller. "Very rarely, if ever, in the modern age does Congress declare war and go through all the formalities involved. It's just not the way the world works. I feel like we needed that binary state in past Civilization games--either you're at war or not at war--but adding these secondary vectors for offense and defense in Beyond Earth was a goal of ours from the beginning. There's the covert ops system, which can produce some serious damage to another player you're not at war with, as well as stations and the orbital layer."</p><p style="">While the covert ops system is still under wraps--<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/beyond-earth-takes-civilization-to-the-stars/1100-6418906/" data-ref-id="1100-6418906">and the orbital layer has already been discussed</a>--Miller and McDonough were able to shed some light on stations, which are Beyond Earth's spin on Civilization V's city-states. Stations are created when a group of your citizens decide to form their own research lab or military base or hydroponic garden or some other facility elsewhere on the map. They will approach you with plans for two types of stations, and the one you chose to support will appear on its own tile somewhere close by--but outside of--your empire. Similar to city-states, stations can be used to help augment a weaker part of your empire, such as by producing military units or generating research points. You can trade with them, and through trade improve your relations with the station and earn greater benefits.</p><blockquote data-size="medium" data-align="right"><p style="">Other civilizations can roll up and wipe out a valuable station without having to declare war on you first.</p></blockquote><p style="">However, stations are vulnerable if they're not within your national borders. Other civilizations can roll up and wipe out a valuable station without having to declare war on you first. And if you relied on that station for, say, military aid, losing it can be a crushing blow. As Miller explained, "[Stations] can be a means to wage proxy wars or shadow competitions with your neighbors, so you can see where other players are strong and where their interests lie and then attack them there. That's one of the ways you can cripple an opponent's infrastructure and apply diplomatic pressure without declaring war."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2536337-screenshot_terrain_lush03.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536337" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2536337-screenshot_terrain_lush03.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536337"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/949/9490474/2536337-screenshot_terrain_lush03.jpg"></a><figcaption>Don't worry, allowing a station to establish itself doesn't take away from your civilization's population.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Of course, you could also take a more peaceful approach to dealing with another player's station by establishing trade routes of your own and competing for that station's favor. This could force any number of responses from the other player, such as doubling-down on trading frequency with that station or destroying it. And unlike city-states, stations don't function as miniature versions of the other civilizations: they don't occupy surrounding tiles, and you can settle in close proximity to them. Measuring another player's response to a particular station is a sly way to get some insight into their larger strategy.</p><p style="">It should be noted the design and play style of stations is still in flux, and could change before Beyond Earth's final release. Hopefully, when they're combined with the rest of the game's more underhanded options, they create a viable way to muscle out the competition without having to rely purely on brute force. You can see how it all shakes out for yourself when <a href="/sid-meiers-civilization-beyond-earth/" data-ref-id="false">Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth</a> is released later this year.</p> Tue, 20 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-civilization-beyond-earth-is-improving-proxy-warfare/1100-6419746/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thieves-steal-thousands-of-dollars-worth-of-video-games-from-north-carolina-wal-mart/1100-6419750/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536519-walmartgamesnew.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536519" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536519-walmartgamesnew.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536519"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2536519-walmartgamesnew.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Authorities in Kinston, North Carolina are looking for two men suspected of stealing thousands of dollars' worth of video games from a local Wal-Mart on Monday.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Police spokesperson Woody Spencer told area news site <a href="http://www.wcti12.com/news/police-looking-for-video-game-thieves/26063158" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">WCTI12</a> that the two suspects took the games from the Wal-Mart between 1:45 a.m. and 12 noon on Monday, May 12. The store is open 24 hours.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">There's no word on how the suspects, seen in the surveillance<a href="http://www.wcti12.com/news/police-looking-for-video-game-thieves/26063158" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> image posted here</a>, were able to steal the games, or which games they made off with. Kinston is about 90 minutes outside of North Carolina capital city Raleigh.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In March, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wal-mart-taking-on-gamestop-will-soon-accept-video-game-trade-ins/1100-6418369/" data-ref-id="1100-6418369">Wal-Mart launched a video game trade-in program</a> in stores across the country and online.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This isn't the first robbery tied to video games this year. In January, a man called a GameStop in Nashville, Tenn. and asked the employee to set aside an Xbox One and copies of <a href="/nba-2k14/" data-ref-id="false">NBA 2K14</a>, <a href="/just-dance-2014/" data-ref-id="false">Just Dance 2014</a>, and <a href="/call-of-duty-ghosts/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Ghosts</a>. He later <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/21/gamestop-robber-call-of-duty_n_4633707.html" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">showed up and robbed the store at gunpoint</a>, also making off with $600 from the register.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 05:41:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thieves-steal-thousands-of-dollars-worth-of-video-games-from-north-carolina-wal-mart/1100-6419750/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ratchet-clank-developer-gives-7-500-to-help-make-new-amplitude-a-reality/1100-6419749/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536497-insomniacamplitude.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536497" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536497-insomniacamplitude.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536497"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2536497-insomniacamplitude.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/harmonix/amplitude" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kickstarter campaign for a new Amplitude game for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4</a> has drawn the support of <a href="/ratchet-and-clank/" data-ref-id="false">Ratchet & Clank </a>and <a href="/sunset-overdrive/" data-ref-id="false">Sunset Overdrive</a> developer Insomniac Games. Writing on the<a href="http://www.insomniacgames.com/join-insomniac-in-backing-amplitude-hd-on-kickstarter/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> developer's website</a>, Insomniac Games CEO Ted Price announced that the studio has contributed $7,500 to the campaign, which ends on Friday, May 23.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Price said his company adores music games (the company even used to have frequent Rock Band/Guitar Hero competitions) and called on his fans to support the new Amplitude campaign however they can. "We are big fans of both Harmonix and Amplitude, and we want to see Amplitude HD. We hope if you liked Amplitude or Frequency, or just love great music games in general, you'll consider pledging too."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Kickstarter campaign for new Amplitude game for PS3 and PS4 is around 60 percent funded ($437,000 of its $775,000 goal) with three days to go. If the Kickstarter campaign comes up short, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-amplitude-for-ps3-ps4-won-t-happen-unless-crowdfunding-is-successful/1100-6419640/" data-ref-id="1100-6419640">the game will not be made</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Insomniac Games had a number of options to choose from for its backer reward for supporting the game at the $7,500 level, and the developer ultimately decided to put one of its songs in the game. They chose "Crazy Ride," a funny track featured in a music video Insomniac Games put together earlier this year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the company. You can watch this video below.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Writing on <a href="https://twitter.com/johntdrake/status/468517290481553409" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter</a>, Harmonix PR director John Drake said, "Can't tell you how crazy it is to get support from another 'big independent'. Insomniac Games knows the ups & downs we go through. Means a TON," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Insomniac Games' current project is the Xbox One-exclusive Sunset Overdrive, which launches later this year.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHVjKXMlr6M" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FAHVjKXMlr6M%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DAHVjKXMlr6M&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FAHVjKXMlr6M%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 05:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ratchet-clank-developer-gives-7-500-to-help-make-new-amplitude-a-reality/1100-6419749/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/witcher-3-won-t-have-platform-exclusive-content/1100-6419748/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2427511-_bmuploads_2014-01-29_8610_online_screenshot_%282%29.png" data-ref-id="1300-2427511" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2427511-_bmuploads_2014-01-29_8610_online_screenshot_%282%29.png" data-ref-id="1300-2427511"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2427511-_bmuploads_2014-01-29_8610_online_screenshot_%282%29.png"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Upcoming role-playing game <a href="/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/" data-ref-id="false">The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt</a> will not feature any platform-exclusive content because that runs contrary to developer CD Projekt Red's values, cofounder Marcin Iwinski said in a new interview.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We'll not deliver exclusive content to any of the platforms, nor will we artificially delay release of the game on any of the platforms because somebody's paying us money for that. It's definitely against our values," Iwinski told <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-14-witcher-3-dev-vows-no-exclusive-content-for-any-platform" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-05">Eurogamer</a>. "We are not doing that."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Iwinski's comments came in response to a question about The Witcher 3's showing at E3 2014 next month. He says that "hopefully" The Witcher 3 will appear at the show, prompting Eurogamer to wonder if CD Projekt Red was close to announcing some sort of exclusivity deal with Microsoft or Sony. But it doesn't sound like that's going to be the case</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are treating all gamers equally," Iwinski said. "What we are doing in terms of marketing cooperation, you'll see that at E3."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This is an uncommon stance for a major multiplatform game, as such games often dole out exclusive content, or at least timed-exclusive content, for competing platforms. For instance, <a href="/watch-dogs/" data-ref-id="false">Watch Dogs</a> and <a href="/destiny/" data-ref-id="false">Destiny</a> are getting exclusive content on PlayStation platforms, while Call of Duty expansions come first to Microsoft systems thanks to an <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-dlc-will-come-to-xbox-first/1100-6419394/" data-ref-id="1100-6419394">exclusive arrangement between Microsoft and Activision</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Finally, Iwinski teased that CD Projekt Red has more to share regarding The Witcher 3's online functionality in the time ahead. "We will be talking about it when the time comes," he said. "It's too early right now."</p><p style="">The Witcher 3 launches in <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-witcher-3-delayed-to-february-2015-for-xbox-one-ps4-and-pc/1100-6418237/" data-ref-id="1100-6418237">February 2015</a> for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC--and it's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-witcher-3-no-more-delays-dev-promises/1100-6419648/" data-ref-id="1100-6419648">not likely to be delayed</a>. For more, be sure to read <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 04:40:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/witcher-3-won-t-have-platform-exclusive-content/1100-6419748/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/play-a-video-game-on-youtube/1100-6419747/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2536410-bladesofexcalibur.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536410" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2536410-bladesofexcalibur.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536410"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2536410-bladesofexcalibur.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Action game Blades of Excalibur will be making its way to the Western market this year, but players can try the game out for free on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/BLADESLITE/blades" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">YouTube</a>.</p><p style="">Developer and publisher Kabam announced today that a working preview of Blades of Excalibur is currently being hosted on YouTube.</p><p style="">According to Kabam, the game will be "the first Web-based fighting game that has the speed, responsiveness and graphical sophistication of a console."</p><p style="">Blades of Excalibur will be free-to-play upon release. The game is set in medieval England and centres on the trials of King Arthur, aided by Merlin the wizard and the Knights of the Round Table. Head on over to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/BLADESLITE/blades" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">YouTube page</a> to try the game out.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Zorine Te is an associate editor at GameSpot, and you can follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/ztharli" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @ztharli</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Mon, 19 May 2014 23:06:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/play-a-video-game-on-youtube/1100-6419747/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wolfenstein-the-new-order-review/1900-6415765/ <p style="">It's 1960, and the Nazis have taken over the world. Once-beautiful cities like Berlin and London have been transformed into oppressive urban landscapes. Propaganda posters are plastered over miles of depressing concrete, while loudspeakers echo the doctrine of the Nazis' totalitarian regime and the punishments that follow for breaking it. The streets are patrolled by technological terrors--Nazi mechs and robotic guard dogs, whose imposing grey forms against the drab grey concrete are broken only by the deep red of Nazi banners. This is the world of <a href="/wolfenstein-the-new-order/" data-ref-id="false">Wolfenstein: The New Order,</a> a world where resistance seems futile. But there is one man who is up to the task: William "BJ" Blazkowicz--the same Blazkowicz who escaped Castle Wolfenstein, shot a lot of Nazis, and took down Mecha Hitler in 1992's <a href="/wolfenstein-3d/" data-ref-id="false">Wolfenstein 3D</a>.</p><p style="">But what is Wolfenstein's place today? The series spawned the first-person shooter genre, but like The New Order's alternate-history setting itself, times have changed. Can a Wolfenstein game in 2014 marry the bombastic action and narrative drive of today's shooters with the series' own simple pleasure of shooting Nazis in the face? With this fresh and interesting setting, powerful and satisfying weapons, and a new, robotics-focused take on the Nazi war machine, developer MachineGames, formed by ex-Starbreeze veterans, has figured out how to answer these questions.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534685-wmplayer+2014-05-18+20-14-17-35.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534685" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534685-wmplayer+2014-05-18+20-14-17-35.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534685"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1536/15366587/2534685-wmplayer+2014-05-18+20-14-17-35.jpg"></a><figcaption>The New Order's visual design captures the drab and depressing nature of life under Nazi control.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The <a href="/articles/the-old-school-beginnings-of-wolfenstein-the-new-order/1100-6418085/" data-ref-id="1100-6418085">first few hours</a> of The New Order take place in 1946. Despite the Fuhrer's demise, the Allies are losing. Blazkowicz spearheads a last-ditch assault on the new, heavily fortified headquarters of the Third Reich. The operation goes awry, and Blazkowicz takes a piece of shrapnel in the head. He spends the next 14 years in a vegetative state, recovering in a Polish mental institution.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">The Blazkowicz that emerges into this strange new world is still the same Blazkowicz of Wolfenstein 3D: a blunt instrument.</p></blockquote><p style="">This isn't just a convenient plot device to bring the majority of the game's action into the Nazi-controlled world of 1960. You see, the Blazkowicz that emerges into this strange new world is still the same Blazkowicz of Wolfenstein 3D: a blunt instrument. He isn't tormented by a dark past like <a href="/bioshock-infinite/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock Infinite</a>'s Booker DeWitt; he does not suffer a deep-seated sense of loss like <a href="/the-last-of-us/" data-ref-id="false">The Last Of Us</a>' Joel; and he has no trouble reconciling his nature as a killing machine like <a href="/spec-ops-the-line/" data-ref-id="false">Spec Ops: The Line</a>'s Martin Walker. He is a man who, as a side character excitedly exclaims, "was born to kill Nazis." Though Blazkowicz emerges from his vegetative state fully functional, he still doesn't know how to view the world unless it's down the twin barrels of assault rifles akimbo. If a switch needs a gentle press, Blazkowicz punches it. If a door needs opening, Blazkowicz kicks it down. For as much as The New Order's plot is about Blazkowicz rebelling against the Nazis' iron grip on the entire planet, it's also about the friction created when the original first-person shooter protagonist drops into a first-person shooter designed for 2014.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534691-wmplayer+2014-05-18+20-02-05-50.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534691" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534691-wmplayer+2014-05-18+20-02-05-50.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534691"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1536/15366587/2534691-wmplayer+2014-05-18+20-02-05-50.jpg"></a><figcaption>The Nazi forces include a mixture of humans, superhumans, robots, dogs, and robot dogs.</figcaption></figure><blockquote data-align="right"><p style="">"Nazis dead. Nazi robot dead. Broke all your shit. Helicopter secured."</p><cite>BJ Blazkowicz</cite></blockquote><p style="">As Blazkowicz escapes the institution and contacts the resistance, its members give him highly technical objectives--patch this module into the control tower so we can hijack this helicopter--as he stares back at them, dumbfounded. Blazkowicz's inner monologue upon completing such an objective offers cogent insight into his thought process: "Nazis dead. Nazi robot dead. Broke all your shit. Helicopter secured." Friendly side characters describe him as "ape-like" and "the crazy American." A Nazi who attempts to subdue Blazkowicz with what he describes as "enough tranquiliser to put an elephant to sleep" exclaims in shock, "There must be something wrong with your cerebral cortex," as Blazkowicz simply walks it off.</p><p style="">But there is nothing wrong with Blazkowicz's brain. He simply says and does things a shooter protagonist from 1992 would say and do were complete motion capture and voice acting available at the time--most of which is shooting Nazis. Blazkowicz is positioned as a lens through which you see how the nature of first-person shooters has changed since his first appearance. Tonally, the result is an overarching sense that the world has left Blazkowicz, and his intentional lack of nuance, behind.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534690-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-56-52-11.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534690" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534690-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-56-52-11.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534690"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/1536/15366587/2534690-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-56-52-11.jpg"></a><figcaption>Weapons have iron sights, but it's not necessary to use them, as firing from the hip does not incur an accuracy penalty.</figcaption></figure><p style="">In combat, Blazkowicz even functions like a 1992 shooter protagonist--he needs health and armour pickups to stay alive, and he can carry all of his guns at the same time. This immediately allows for a wider range of options in any particular combat situation than a shooter with a weapon carry limit would offer. Those guns are big, loud, and satisfying to shoot. Most weapons can be dual-wielded, which works well because you don't lose any accuracy by not aiming down the sights, a tweak that lends the combat a sense of finesse despite its fast pace. Individual enemy AI isn't particularly complex, but it works in the context of this kind of shooter. Instead, larger enemies like Nazi robots add variety to combat through their increased threat and the fact that different tactics are required to take them down, such as using Tesla grenades to stun them, or shooting off specific pieces of armour. All the while the combat feedback is dialled to 11, with effects like near-comedic squelching sounds as stick grenades shatter Nazis into tiny giblets.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">There is enough variety in the combat spaces, and the enemy combinations within, that The New Order's levels feel well paced, and combat feels tense without being unmanageable or overwhelming.</p></blockquote><p style="">Levels flow back and forth between tight corridors and wide, open arenas. A lunar museum sees Blazkowicz running through backstage passageways and around large, spacious exhibits. A level set on a massive, destroyed bridge requires Blazkowicz to squeeze through train carriages precariously dangling over the edge, whilst crossing back and forth over the larger, open structure of the bridge itself. Though enemy numbers never reach those of the <a href="/doom/" data-ref-id="false">Doom</a> or <a href="/serious-sam/" data-ref-id="false">Serious Sam</a>-like hordes, there is enough variety in the combat spaces, and the enemy combinations within, that The New Order's levels feel well paced, and combat feels tense without being unmanageable or overwhelming.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534688-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-52-13-57.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534688" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534688-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-52-13-57.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534688"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1536/15366587/2534688-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-52-13-57.jpg"></a><figcaption>Stealthy takedowns unfold with brutal animations, and prevent commanders from calling in reinforcements.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Some rudimentary yet functional stealth mechanics allow The New Order to craft entire levels where Blazkowicz is armed with nothing but a knife. These are interesting because they add variety to the game's pacing, providing quiet, tense moments in which you are required to pay attention to enemy patrols and lines of sight, but which don't end in a "game over" screen if you get spotted. Nazi commanders, who can call in reinforcements if they detect you, create a hierarchy of high-value targets in a single room. When those commanders are present, the interface shows your distance to them, but not their exact location. It's rewarding to feel like you're stealthily stalking them, taking them out silently, and then are free to pull out the big guns to clear an area in the most efficient manner possible. With these mechanics, along with some interesting mission locations and stellar environmental design, The New Order offers a wide variety of combat experiences.</p><p style="">In an effort to further allow for play style personalisation, a perks system lets Blazkowicz gradually unlock both stealth and combat abilities. However, the tasks required to unlock individual perks--such as stealth-killing a certain number of Nazis--are mostly actions that you perform naturally over the course of the game. Combine that with the fact that the majority of the perks themselves have only subtle effects, such as slightly extra ammo, and you'd be forgiven for forgetting the system exists at all. Outside of the perks system, weapon upgrades can be found throughout the game's levels and permanently attached to your guns. Assault rifles can be upgraded to fire underslung rockets, and shotguns can be made to fire shells that bounce off walls, effectively turning them into <a href="/unreal-tournament/" data-ref-id="false">Unreal Tournament</a>'s flak cannon. The upgrades are useful, opening up new avenues for tactical approaches to taking down the tougher Nazi foes.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534689-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-51-08-44.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534689" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534689-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-51-08-44.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534689"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1536/15366587/2534689-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-51-08-44.jpg"></a><figcaption>Having to stop and use this laser cutter gets really old, really fast.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The New Order also requires Blazkowicz to make regular use of a laser cutter. It is both a weapon and a utility that can manipulate the environment. However, its use is mostly relegated to cutting Blazkowicz-sized holes in the only pieces of metal grating that are blocking forward progress in the first place. There are a few panels which hide secret areas containing health and ammo pickups, but although you can cut any shape you like, unless it's a square you won't fit through it.</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p style="">The game is both a celebration of the Wolfenstein series and what feels like a fitting send-off for it.</p></blockquote><p style="">Both the laser cutter and the perks system feel like missed opportunities at worst, because even aside from them, The New Order's combat intensity and variety have granted the Wolfenstein series a breath of fresh air, whilst still managing to hit the nostalgic highs that I expect from the series. It has injected some substance into the primal pleasure of shooting Nazis by way of an interesting tone that addresses the changing roles of first-person shooter protagonists. Through this, the game is both a celebration of the Wolfenstein series and what feels like a fitting send-off for it. The New Order could be the last hurrah of William "BJ" Blazkowicz, an outing which, for all its excess and bombast, is far from mindless. </p> Mon, 19 May 2014 21:01:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wolfenstein-the-new-order-review/1900-6415765/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/robots-knives-and-nazis-wolfenstein-the-new-order-/2300-6418878/ There are a variety of ways to kill Nazis in Wolfenstein: The New Order. Here are just a few. Mon, 19 May 2014 21:01:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/robots-knives-and-nazis-wolfenstein-the-new-order-/2300-6418878/
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Tue, 20 May 2014 08:35:20 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-announces-surface-pro-3-the-tablet-that-can-replace-your-laptop/1100-6419755/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536579-surfacepro3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536579" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536579-surfacepro3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536579"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2536579-surfacepro3.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Today during a special event in New York City, Microsoft officially announced the Surface Pro 3, "the tablet that can replace your laptop." It is the latest revision in Microsoft's Surface line, following Surface and Surface 2.</p><p style="">Microsoft's Surface boss Panos Panay says the Surface Pro 3, at 9.1mm, is the thinnest Intel Core product ever made. It weighs 800 grams, which is lighter than the Macbook Air, though Apple's product has a built-in keyboard, of course.</p><p style="">The Surface Pro 3 features an Intel Core i7 processor. It's also durable, as Panay dropped the device on the (carpeted) floor during the presentation and there was no damage to it.</p><p style=""><em>The is a breaking news story. Check back later for more or <a href="http://live.cnet.com/Event/Microsoft_Surface_event" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">follow along with GameSpot sister site CNET's liveblog</a>.</em></p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 08:21:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-announces-surface-pro-3-the-tablet-that-can-replace-your-laptop/1100-6419755/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/how-a-gorillaz-video-and-jet-set-radio-inspired-su/2300-6418874/ Insomniac Games talks about how Sunset Overdrive almost became Day Z, until Gorillaz 'On Melancholy Hill' intervened. Tue, 20 May 2014 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/how-a-gorillaz-video-and-jet-set-radio-inspired-su/2300-6418874/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/goat-simulator-gets-huge-patch-on-june-3-that-introduces-new-goats-map-and-multiplayer/1100-6419754/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjJZ04DLgdA" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FfjJZ04DLgdA%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DfjJZ04DLgdA&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FfjJZ04DLgdA%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Coffee Stain Studios announced today that Patch 1.1 for PC game <a href="/goat-simulator/" data-ref-id="false">Goat Simulator</a>, which it calls the "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/world-s-dumbest-game-goat-simulator-channels-dead-island-for-its-epic-launch-trailer/1100-6418619/" data-ref-id="1100-6418619">world's dumbest game</a>," will arrive on June 3. The huge patch introduces a host of updates and changes, including new goats, a new map, and a splitscreen multiplayer mode.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The update was previously expected to launch in May, but Coffee Stain Studios said it needed extra time to "shock players" and to ensure that the new map was "even better" than the original. Patch 1.1, which is free, includes the following:</p><ul><li dir="ltr">A new playable map that's about the size of the old map.</li><li dir="ltr">Local splitscreen multiplayer for up to four players goats.</li><li dir="ltr">The ability to wall-run and balance on your front legs.</li><li dir="ltr">The ability to ride bicycles and skateboards.</li><li dir="ltr">New playable goats like "Tornado Goat," "Shopping Goat," "Classy Goat," and "Repulsive Goat."</li><li dir="ltr">Various optimizations, achievements, and "all kinds of other cool jazz."</li></ul><p style="">Goat Simulator launched on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/world-s-dumbest-game-goat-simulator-launching-on-april-fools-day-of-course/1100-6418097/" data-ref-id="1100-6418097">April Fools' Day (of course)</a> and is <a href="http://www.goat-simulator.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">available today for $10</a>. Another animal-focused simulation game, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/people-donated-100-571-to-pay-for-a-game-about-being-a-bear/1100-6419158/" data-ref-id="1100-6419158">Bear Simulator</a>, is in development. Creator John Farjay raised a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/people-donated-100-571-to-pay-for-a-game-about-being-a-bear/1100-6419158/" data-ref-id="1100-6419158">whopping $100,000 through Kickstarter</a> to make the game.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 07:55:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/goat-simulator-gets-huge-patch-on-june-3-that-introduces-new-goats-map-and-multiplayer/1100-6419754/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bulletstorm-dev-reveals-canceled-game-that-was-l-a-noire-meets-uncharted/1100-6419753/ <p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Prior to releasing 2011's FPS <a href="/bulletstorm/" data-ref-id="false">Bulletstorm</a>, Polish developer People Can Fly spent a year working on a "moody as f**k detective thriller with a supernatural edge" called Come Midnight. Former boss Adrian Chmielarz, who <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-judgment-creative-director-leaves-studio/1100-6391206/" data-ref-id="1100-6391206">left </a>People Can Fly (<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-judgment-dev-renamed-epic-games-poland/1100-6415921/" data-ref-id="1100-6415921">now called Epic Games Poland</a>) in 2012 to open his own studio, told <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-19-why-thq-canned-bulletstorm-devs-la-noire-like-game-come-midnight" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-05">Eurogamer</a> in a new interview that this game was in development for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and "would have been absolutely incredible."</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536551-comemidnight.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536551" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536551-comemidnight.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536551"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1179/11799911/2536551-comemidnight.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Chmielarz said the game was targeted to launch in 2007, but that would never come to be, as publisher for the game, the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-dissolved/1100-6402838/" data-ref-id="1100-6402838">now-defunct THQ</a>, canceled the game in 2006. He explained that part of the issue with Come Midnight was simply explaining what it was all about.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The game mixed genres like noire, survival horror, adventure, thriller, and love story, Chmielarz said. "The closest I can give you would be a more streamlined <a href="/l-a-noire/" data-ref-id="false">L.A. Noire</a>--L.A. Noire meets <a href="/uncharted-drakes-fortune/" data-ref-id="false">Uncharted</a>, in a way. You are a private eye and you start a normal investigation, but it turns out that there are some otherworldly powers at work, and you can communicate with the dead."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The character you would have played, a detective, died for a brief moment, but came back to life. As such, he kept his ability to see into the afterlife, Chmielarz said. "Great narration, third-person perspective like <a href="/resident-evil/" data-ref-id="false">Resident Evil </a>mixed with L.A. Noire, and full of surprises," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Chmielarz said Come Midnight would have included shooting, melee combat, and adventure elements, but it was truly focused on the idea of "what it would be like to be a supernatural detective in the '40s."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">So why was Come Midnight canceled? Chmielarz said THQ decided to drop the game for "reasons outside of the game itself."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"THQ seriously f***ed us over at this point," he said. "They just cancelled. 'OK we're just cancelling the game--see ya.' It's all corporate bulls***; three weeks before, they cancelled all communication--no phone calls, stopped answering emails. Absolute a**holes."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">People Can Fly later teamed up with Epic Games for Bulletstorm and <a href="/gears-of-war-judgment/" data-ref-id="false">Gears of War: Judgment</a>. Epic Games would later acquire People Can Fly, rebranding the studio Epic Games Poland. Chmielarz said he still wanted to make Come Midnight, but the powers that be deemed the game "too different."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Chmielarz went on to say that he's not sure who currently owns the rights to Come Midnight, as THQ is out of business. Come Midnight was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-dissolved/1100-6402838/" data-ref-id="1100-6402838">not mentioned in the THQ bankruptcy auction last year</a>.</p><p style="">Right now, Chmielarz and his team as indie studio The Astronauts are working on PC game <a href="/the-vanishing-of-ethan-carter/" data-ref-id="false">The Vanishing of Ethan Carter</a>, due out this summer.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIDRFWxEBa8" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FAIDRFWxEBa8%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DAIDRFWxEBa8&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FAIDRFWxEBa8%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 07:14:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bulletstorm-dev-reveals-canceled-game-that-was-l-a-noire-meets-uncharted/1100-6419753/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-coming-to-chuck-e-cheese-s/1100-6419752/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536530-chucke.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536530" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536530-chucke.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536530"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2536530-chucke.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is coming to Chuck E. Cheese's. The kid-friendly restaurant/playplace founded by gaming icon Nolan Bushnell announced today that it is now testing a "Chuck E. Cheese's Virtual Ticket Blaster Experience" using the virtual reality headset in select markets. The first is Dallas, with expansions planned for San Diego and Orlando.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Kids today have unprecedented access to game consoles and tablets," said Roger Cardinale, president of Chuck E. Cheese's owner CEC Entertainment. "Our challenge is to deliver an experience not available at home, and there is no doubt virtual reality does just that. Oculus Rift technology is the next frontier in the gaming industry, and we're thrilled to be able to say it's part of the Chuck E. Cheese's lineup."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As part of a six-week trial run in the three test markets, kids will get to use the Oculus Rift headset to try out the "Virtual Ticket Blaster." The <a href="http://www.chuckecheese.com/activities/games" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">standard Ticket Blaster</a> is a game where kids stand in a chamber and must grab tickets as they fly by. But the Oculus Rift version of this experience will have them doing so in virtual reality.</p><p style="">The Virtual Ticket Blaster game/experience was created by Dallas-based effects studio <a href="http://www.reelfx.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Reel FX</a>. "We believe that virtual reality eventually will be as popular as our handheld devices," Reel FX founder Dale Carman said. "It's a game-changer, and we're investing incredible time and talent into developing content for the Oculus Rift."</p><p style="">The Oculus Rift was created by 21-year-old Palmer Luckey. The device came to life through a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/vr-headset-oculus-rift-kickstarter-successful-on-first-day/1100-6389671/" data-ref-id="1100-6389671">wildly successful Kickstarter campaign in 2012</a>, culminating in Facebook purchasing the company, Oculus VR, and the headset earlier this year is a<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/facebook-buys-oculus-rift-company-in-a-massive-deal-worth-an-estimated-2-billion/1100-6418540/" data-ref-id="1100-6418540"> surprise $2 billion deal</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 06:35:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-coming-to-chuck-e-cheese-s/1100-6419752/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/listen-to-meshuggah-guitarist-s-music-for-wolfenstein-the-new-order/1100-6419751/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418871" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418871/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Fredrik Thordendal of acclaimed Swedish metal band Meshuggah <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/guitarist-from-swedish-metal-band-meshuggah-working-on-wolfenstein-the-new-order/1100-6419582/" data-ref-id="1100-6419582">wrote music for Bethesda's just-released Wolfenstein: The New Order</a>, and now you can hear the track in its entirety. Bethesda posted the cut, "<a href="http://cdn.bethsoft.com/wolfenstein/tno/audio/Fredrik%20Thordendal%20-%20Herr%20Faust.mp3" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Herr Faust</a>," on its blog. It certainly has the driving intensity you'd expect from a Meshuggah song.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">There's also a <a href="http://www.bethblog.com/2014/05/19/meshuggahgames/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">quick interview with Thordendal featured on the Bethesda Blog</a>, wherein he says that he's always wanted to make music for a video game and was quick to say "yes" when Wolfenstein: The New Order creative director Jens Matthies (a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/guitarist-from-swedish-metal-band-meshuggah-working-on-wolfenstein-the-new-order/1100-6419582/" data-ref-id="1100-6419582">big-time Meshuggah fan</a>) initially approached him.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Wolfenstein: The New Order is available today on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. We gave the game an <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wolfenstein-the-new-order-review/1900-6415765/" data-ref-id="1900-6415765">8.0 in our review</a>, which you can <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wolfenstein-the-new-order-review/1900-6415765/" data-ref-id="1900-6415765">read</a> or <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/wolfenstein-the-new-order-video-review/2300-6418871/" data-ref-id="2300-6418871">watch</a>.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 06:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/listen-to-meshuggah-guitarist-s-music-for-wolfenstein-the-new-order/1100-6419751/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/pokemon-snap-the-shaun-method/2300-6418867/ Shaun celebrates the 15th anniversary of Pokemon Snap as he subjects himself to ridicule and laughter. Join the chat ... can you help catch em all? Tue, 20 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/pokemon-snap-the-shaun-method/2300-6418867/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/wolfenstein-the-new-order-sega-ghostbusters-greg-m/2300-6418868/ Join us this week on The Lobby as we battle some Nazis in Wolfenstein: The New Order, Have Tech Time with Peter Brown and the Retron 5 and welcome Greg Miller for some Ghostbusting action for Video Game History Month! Tue, 20 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/wolfenstein-the-new-order-sega-ghostbusters-greg-m/2300-6418868/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-civilization-beyond-earth-is-improving-proxy-warfare/1100-6419746/ <p style="">The Civilization series has a slant towards open warfare. Sure, diplomacy is an option, but if you <i>really </i>need another civilization dealt with, then declaring war is often the best--and only--solution. However, this often carries with it serious ramifications, be it economic, political, or even nuclear (looking at you, Gandhi). I recall several games of <a href="/sid-meiers-civilization-v/" data-ref-id="false">Sid Meier's Civilization V</a> in which I tried to circumvent open warfare in favor of fighting proxy wars by supplying extra troops and gold to civilizations at war with my rivals. Typically, the other civilization would just pocket these "gifts" and declare peace shortly thereafter, or get itself killed. Either way, I just flushed a lot of resources down the drain.</p><p style="">Fighting proxy wars--and generally harassing other players--is a lot of fun, especially for a series such as Civilization, which has always taken place on the global stage. It's also something Civilization: Beyond Earth co-designers Will Miller and David McDonough have been expanding upon in the next chapter in this long-running strategy series. If you're not already caught up on Beyond Earth, be sure to check out our <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-next-big-game-beyond-earth/" data-ref-id="false">extensive coverage of the game</a>. Otherwise, read on to learn more about the changing face of galactic warfare.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2536338-screenshot_e3_be_supremacy_combat.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536338" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2536338-screenshot_e3_be_supremacy_combat.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536338"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/949/9490474/2536338-screenshot_e3_be_supremacy_combat.jpg"></a><figcaption>Open warfare is always an option, but Beyond Earth has some more subtle ways to harass your opponents as well. </figcaption></figure><p style="">"We wanted the state of war to be fuzzier in Beyond Earth," said Miller. "Very rarely, if ever, in the modern age does Congress declare war and go through all the formalities involved. It's just not the way the world works. I feel like we needed that binary state in past Civilization games--either you're at war or not at war--but adding these secondary vectors for offense and defense in Beyond Earth was a goal of ours from the beginning. There's the covert ops system, which can produce some serious damage to another player you're not at war with, as well as stations and the orbital layer."</p><p style="">While the covert ops system is still under wraps--<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/beyond-earth-takes-civilization-to-the-stars/1100-6418906/" data-ref-id="1100-6418906">and the orbital layer has already been discussed</a>--Miller and McDonough were able to shed some light on stations, which are Beyond Earth's spin on Civilization V's city-states. Stations are created when a group of your citizens decide to form their own research lab or military base or hydroponic garden or some other facility elsewhere on the map. They will approach you with plans for two types of stations, and the one you chose to support will appear on its own tile somewhere close by--but outside of--your empire. Similar to city-states, stations can be used to help augment a weaker part of your empire, such as by producing military units or generating research points. You can trade with them, and through trade improve your relations with the station and earn greater benefits.</p><blockquote data-size="medium" data-align="right"><p style="">Other civilizations can roll up and wipe out a valuable station without having to declare war on you first.</p></blockquote><p style="">However, stations are vulnerable if they're not within your national borders. Other civilizations can roll up and wipe out a valuable station without having to declare war on you first. And if you relied on that station for, say, military aid, losing it can be a crushing blow. As Miller explained, "[Stations] can be a means to wage proxy wars or shadow competitions with your neighbors, so you can see where other players are strong and where their interests lie and then attack them there. That's one of the ways you can cripple an opponent's infrastructure and apply diplomatic pressure without declaring war."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2536337-screenshot_terrain_lush03.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536337" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2536337-screenshot_terrain_lush03.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536337"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/949/9490474/2536337-screenshot_terrain_lush03.jpg"></a><figcaption>Don't worry, allowing a station to establish itself doesn't take away from your civilization's population.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Of course, you could also take a more peaceful approach to dealing with another player's station by establishing trade routes of your own and competing for that station's favor. This could force any number of responses from the other player, such as doubling-down on trading frequency with that station or destroying it. And unlike city-states, stations don't function as miniature versions of the other civilizations: they don't occupy surrounding tiles, and you can settle in close proximity to them. Measuring another player's response to a particular station is a sly way to get some insight into their larger strategy.</p><p style="">It should be noted the design and play style of stations is still in flux, and could change before Beyond Earth's final release. Hopefully, when they're combined with the rest of the game's more underhanded options, they create a viable way to muscle out the competition without having to rely purely on brute force. You can see how it all shakes out for yourself when <a href="/sid-meiers-civilization-beyond-earth/" data-ref-id="false">Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth</a> is released later this year.</p> Tue, 20 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-civilization-beyond-earth-is-improving-proxy-warfare/1100-6419746/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thieves-steal-thousands-of-dollars-worth-of-video-games-from-north-carolina-wal-mart/1100-6419750/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536519-walmartgamesnew.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536519" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536519-walmartgamesnew.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536519"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2536519-walmartgamesnew.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Authorities in Kinston, North Carolina are looking for two men suspected of stealing thousands of dollars' worth of video games from a local Wal-Mart on Monday.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Police spokesperson Woody Spencer told area news site <a href="http://www.wcti12.com/news/police-looking-for-video-game-thieves/26063158" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">WCTI12</a> that the two suspects took the games from the Wal-Mart between 1:45 a.m. and 12 noon on Monday, May 12. The store is open 24 hours.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">There's no word on how the suspects, seen in the surveillance<a href="http://www.wcti12.com/news/police-looking-for-video-game-thieves/26063158" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> image posted here</a>, were able to steal the games, or which games they made off with. Kinston is about 90 minutes outside of North Carolina capital city Raleigh.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In March, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wal-mart-taking-on-gamestop-will-soon-accept-video-game-trade-ins/1100-6418369/" data-ref-id="1100-6418369">Wal-Mart launched a video game trade-in program</a> in stores across the country and online.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This isn't the first robbery tied to video games this year. In January, a man called a GameStop in Nashville, Tenn. and asked the employee to set aside an Xbox One and copies of <a href="/nba-2k14/" data-ref-id="false">NBA 2K14</a>, <a href="/just-dance-2014/" data-ref-id="false">Just Dance 2014</a>, and <a href="/call-of-duty-ghosts/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Ghosts</a>. He later <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/21/gamestop-robber-call-of-duty_n_4633707.html" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">showed up and robbed the store at gunpoint</a>, also making off with $600 from the register.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 05:41:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thieves-steal-thousands-of-dollars-worth-of-video-games-from-north-carolina-wal-mart/1100-6419750/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ratchet-clank-developer-gives-7-500-to-help-make-new-amplitude-a-reality/1100-6419749/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536497-insomniacamplitude.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536497" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2536497-insomniacamplitude.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536497"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2536497-insomniacamplitude.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/harmonix/amplitude" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kickstarter campaign for a new Amplitude game for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4</a> has drawn the support of <a href="/ratchet-and-clank/" data-ref-id="false">Ratchet & Clank </a>and <a href="/sunset-overdrive/" data-ref-id="false">Sunset Overdrive</a> developer Insomniac Games. Writing on the<a href="http://www.insomniacgames.com/join-insomniac-in-backing-amplitude-hd-on-kickstarter/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> developer's website</a>, Insomniac Games CEO Ted Price announced that the studio has contributed $7,500 to the campaign, which ends on Friday, May 23.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Price said his company adores music games (the company even used to have frequent Rock Band/Guitar Hero competitions) and called on his fans to support the new Amplitude campaign however they can. "We are big fans of both Harmonix and Amplitude, and we want to see Amplitude HD. We hope if you liked Amplitude or Frequency, or just love great music games in general, you'll consider pledging too."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Kickstarter campaign for new Amplitude game for PS3 and PS4 is around 60 percent funded ($437,000 of its $775,000 goal) with three days to go. If the Kickstarter campaign comes up short, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-amplitude-for-ps3-ps4-won-t-happen-unless-crowdfunding-is-successful/1100-6419640/" data-ref-id="1100-6419640">the game will not be made</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Insomniac Games had a number of options to choose from for its backer reward for supporting the game at the $7,500 level, and the developer ultimately decided to put one of its songs in the game. They chose "Crazy Ride," a funny track featured in a music video Insomniac Games put together earlier this year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the company. You can watch this video below.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Writing on <a href="https://twitter.com/johntdrake/status/468517290481553409" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter</a>, Harmonix PR director John Drake said, "Can't tell you how crazy it is to get support from another 'big independent'. Insomniac Games knows the ups & downs we go through. Means a TON," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Insomniac Games' current project is the Xbox One-exclusive Sunset Overdrive, which launches later this year.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHVjKXMlr6M" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FAHVjKXMlr6M%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DAHVjKXMlr6M&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FAHVjKXMlr6M%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 05:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ratchet-clank-developer-gives-7-500-to-help-make-new-amplitude-a-reality/1100-6419749/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/witcher-3-won-t-have-platform-exclusive-content/1100-6419748/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2427511-_bmuploads_2014-01-29_8610_online_screenshot_%282%29.png" data-ref-id="1300-2427511" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2427511-_bmuploads_2014-01-29_8610_online_screenshot_%282%29.png" data-ref-id="1300-2427511"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2427511-_bmuploads_2014-01-29_8610_online_screenshot_%282%29.png"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Upcoming role-playing game <a href="/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/" data-ref-id="false">The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt</a> will not feature any platform-exclusive content because that runs contrary to developer CD Projekt Red's values, cofounder Marcin Iwinski said in a new interview.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We'll not deliver exclusive content to any of the platforms, nor will we artificially delay release of the game on any of the platforms because somebody's paying us money for that. It's definitely against our values," Iwinski told <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-14-witcher-3-dev-vows-no-exclusive-content-for-any-platform" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-05">Eurogamer</a>. "We are not doing that."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Iwinski's comments came in response to a question about The Witcher 3's showing at E3 2014 next month. He says that "hopefully" The Witcher 3 will appear at the show, prompting Eurogamer to wonder if CD Projekt Red was close to announcing some sort of exclusivity deal with Microsoft or Sony. But it doesn't sound like that's going to be the case</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are treating all gamers equally," Iwinski said. "What we are doing in terms of marketing cooperation, you'll see that at E3."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This is an uncommon stance for a major multiplatform game, as such games often dole out exclusive content, or at least timed-exclusive content, for competing platforms. For instance, <a href="/watch-dogs/" data-ref-id="false">Watch Dogs</a> and <a href="/destiny/" data-ref-id="false">Destiny</a> are getting exclusive content on PlayStation platforms, while Call of Duty expansions come first to Microsoft systems thanks to an <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-dlc-will-come-to-xbox-first/1100-6419394/" data-ref-id="1100-6419394">exclusive arrangement between Microsoft and Activision</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Finally, Iwinski teased that CD Projekt Red has more to share regarding The Witcher 3's online functionality in the time ahead. "We will be talking about it when the time comes," he said. "It's too early right now."</p><p style="">The Witcher 3 launches in <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-witcher-3-delayed-to-february-2015-for-xbox-one-ps4-and-pc/1100-6418237/" data-ref-id="1100-6418237">February 2015</a> for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC--and it's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-witcher-3-no-more-delays-dev-promises/1100-6419648/" data-ref-id="1100-6419648">not likely to be delayed</a>. For more, be sure to read <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 20 May 2014 04:40:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/witcher-3-won-t-have-platform-exclusive-content/1100-6419748/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/play-a-video-game-on-youtube/1100-6419747/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2536410-bladesofexcalibur.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536410" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2536410-bladesofexcalibur.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2536410"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2536410-bladesofexcalibur.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Action game Blades of Excalibur will be making its way to the Western market this year, but players can try the game out for free on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/BLADESLITE/blades" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">YouTube</a>.</p><p style="">Developer and publisher Kabam announced today that a working preview of Blades of Excalibur is currently being hosted on YouTube.</p><p style="">According to Kabam, the game will be "the first Web-based fighting game that has the speed, responsiveness and graphical sophistication of a console."</p><p style="">Blades of Excalibur will be free-to-play upon release. The game is set in medieval England and centres on the trials of King Arthur, aided by Merlin the wizard and the Knights of the Round Table. Head on over to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/BLADESLITE/blades" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">YouTube page</a> to try the game out.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Zorine Te is an associate editor at GameSpot, and you can follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/ztharli" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @ztharli</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Mon, 19 May 2014 23:06:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/play-a-video-game-on-youtube/1100-6419747/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wolfenstein-the-new-order-review/1900-6415765/ <p style="">It's 1960, and the Nazis have taken over the world. Once-beautiful cities like Berlin and London have been transformed into oppressive urban landscapes. Propaganda posters are plastered over miles of depressing concrete, while loudspeakers echo the doctrine of the Nazis' totalitarian regime and the punishments that follow for breaking it. The streets are patrolled by technological terrors--Nazi mechs and robotic guard dogs, whose imposing grey forms against the drab grey concrete are broken only by the deep red of Nazi banners. This is the world of <a href="/wolfenstein-the-new-order/" data-ref-id="false">Wolfenstein: The New Order,</a> a world where resistance seems futile. But there is one man who is up to the task: William "BJ" Blazkowicz--the same Blazkowicz who escaped Castle Wolfenstein, shot a lot of Nazis, and took down Mecha Hitler in 1992's <a href="/wolfenstein-3d/" data-ref-id="false">Wolfenstein 3D</a>.</p><p style="">But what is Wolfenstein's place today? The series spawned the first-person shooter genre, but like The New Order's alternate-history setting itself, times have changed. Can a Wolfenstein game in 2014 marry the bombastic action and narrative drive of today's shooters with the series' own simple pleasure of shooting Nazis in the face? With this fresh and interesting setting, powerful and satisfying weapons, and a new, robotics-focused take on the Nazi war machine, developer MachineGames, formed by ex-Starbreeze veterans, has figured out how to answer these questions.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534685-wmplayer+2014-05-18+20-14-17-35.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534685" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534685-wmplayer+2014-05-18+20-14-17-35.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534685"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1536/15366587/2534685-wmplayer+2014-05-18+20-14-17-35.jpg"></a><figcaption>The New Order's visual design captures the drab and depressing nature of life under Nazi control.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The <a href="/articles/the-old-school-beginnings-of-wolfenstein-the-new-order/1100-6418085/" data-ref-id="1100-6418085">first few hours</a> of The New Order take place in 1946. Despite the Fuhrer's demise, the Allies are losing. Blazkowicz spearheads a last-ditch assault on the new, heavily fortified headquarters of the Third Reich. The operation goes awry, and Blazkowicz takes a piece of shrapnel in the head. He spends the next 14 years in a vegetative state, recovering in a Polish mental institution.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">The Blazkowicz that emerges into this strange new world is still the same Blazkowicz of Wolfenstein 3D: a blunt instrument.</p></blockquote><p style="">This isn't just a convenient plot device to bring the majority of the game's action into the Nazi-controlled world of 1960. You see, the Blazkowicz that emerges into this strange new world is still the same Blazkowicz of Wolfenstein 3D: a blunt instrument. He isn't tormented by a dark past like <a href="/bioshock-infinite/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock Infinite</a>'s Booker DeWitt; he does not suffer a deep-seated sense of loss like <a href="/the-last-of-us/" data-ref-id="false">The Last Of Us</a>' Joel; and he has no trouble reconciling his nature as a killing machine like <a href="/spec-ops-the-line/" data-ref-id="false">Spec Ops: The Line</a>'s Martin Walker. He is a man who, as a side character excitedly exclaims, "was born to kill Nazis." Though Blazkowicz emerges from his vegetative state fully functional, he still doesn't know how to view the world unless it's down the twin barrels of assault rifles akimbo. If a switch needs a gentle press, Blazkowicz punches it. If a door needs opening, Blazkowicz kicks it down. For as much as The New Order's plot is about Blazkowicz rebelling against the Nazis' iron grip on the entire planet, it's also about the friction created when the original first-person shooter protagonist drops into a first-person shooter designed for 2014.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534691-wmplayer+2014-05-18+20-02-05-50.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534691" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534691-wmplayer+2014-05-18+20-02-05-50.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534691"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1536/15366587/2534691-wmplayer+2014-05-18+20-02-05-50.jpg"></a><figcaption>The Nazi forces include a mixture of humans, superhumans, robots, dogs, and robot dogs.</figcaption></figure><blockquote data-align="right"><p style="">"Nazis dead. Nazi robot dead. Broke all your shit. Helicopter secured."</p><cite>BJ Blazkowicz</cite></blockquote><p style="">As Blazkowicz escapes the institution and contacts the resistance, its members give him highly technical objectives--patch this module into the control tower so we can hijack this helicopter--as he stares back at them, dumbfounded. Blazkowicz's inner monologue upon completing such an objective offers cogent insight into his thought process: "Nazis dead. Nazi robot dead. Broke all your shit. Helicopter secured." Friendly side characters describe him as "ape-like" and "the crazy American." A Nazi who attempts to subdue Blazkowicz with what he describes as "enough tranquiliser to put an elephant to sleep" exclaims in shock, "There must be something wrong with your cerebral cortex," as Blazkowicz simply walks it off.</p><p style="">But there is nothing wrong with Blazkowicz's brain. He simply says and does things a shooter protagonist from 1992 would say and do were complete motion capture and voice acting available at the time--most of which is shooting Nazis. Blazkowicz is positioned as a lens through which you see how the nature of first-person shooters has changed since his first appearance. Tonally, the result is an overarching sense that the world has left Blazkowicz, and his intentional lack of nuance, behind.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534690-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-56-52-11.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534690" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534690-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-56-52-11.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534690"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/1536/15366587/2534690-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-56-52-11.jpg"></a><figcaption>Weapons have iron sights, but it's not necessary to use them, as firing from the hip does not incur an accuracy penalty.</figcaption></figure><p style="">In combat, Blazkowicz even functions like a 1992 shooter protagonist--he needs health and armour pickups to stay alive, and he can carry all of his guns at the same time. This immediately allows for a wider range of options in any particular combat situation than a shooter with a weapon carry limit would offer. Those guns are big, loud, and satisfying to shoot. Most weapons can be dual-wielded, which works well because you don't lose any accuracy by not aiming down the sights, a tweak that lends the combat a sense of finesse despite its fast pace. Individual enemy AI isn't particularly complex, but it works in the context of this kind of shooter. Instead, larger enemies like Nazi robots add variety to combat through their increased threat and the fact that different tactics are required to take them down, such as using Tesla grenades to stun them, or shooting off specific pieces of armour. All the while the combat feedback is dialled to 11, with effects like near-comedic squelching sounds as stick grenades shatter Nazis into tiny giblets.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">There is enough variety in the combat spaces, and the enemy combinations within, that The New Order's levels feel well paced, and combat feels tense without being unmanageable or overwhelming.</p></blockquote><p style="">Levels flow back and forth between tight corridors and wide, open arenas. A lunar museum sees Blazkowicz running through backstage passageways and around large, spacious exhibits. A level set on a massive, destroyed bridge requires Blazkowicz to squeeze through train carriages precariously dangling over the edge, whilst crossing back and forth over the larger, open structure of the bridge itself. Though enemy numbers never reach those of the <a href="/doom/" data-ref-id="false">Doom</a> or <a href="/serious-sam/" data-ref-id="false">Serious Sam</a>-like hordes, there is enough variety in the combat spaces, and the enemy combinations within, that The New Order's levels feel well paced, and combat feels tense without being unmanageable or overwhelming.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534688-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-52-13-57.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534688" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534688-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-52-13-57.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534688"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1536/15366587/2534688-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-52-13-57.jpg"></a><figcaption>Stealthy takedowns unfold with brutal animations, and prevent commanders from calling in reinforcements.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Some rudimentary yet functional stealth mechanics allow The New Order to craft entire levels where Blazkowicz is armed with nothing but a knife. These are interesting because they add variety to the game's pacing, providing quiet, tense moments in which you are required to pay attention to enemy patrols and lines of sight, but which don't end in a "game over" screen if you get spotted. Nazi commanders, who can call in reinforcements if they detect you, create a hierarchy of high-value targets in a single room. When those commanders are present, the interface shows your distance to them, but not their exact location. It's rewarding to feel like you're stealthily stalking them, taking them out silently, and then are free to pull out the big guns to clear an area in the most efficient manner possible. With these mechanics, along with some interesting mission locations and stellar environmental design, The New Order offers a wide variety of combat experiences.</p><p style="">In an effort to further allow for play style personalisation, a perks system lets Blazkowicz gradually unlock both stealth and combat abilities. However, the tasks required to unlock individual perks--such as stealth-killing a certain number of Nazis--are mostly actions that you perform naturally over the course of the game. Combine that with the fact that the majority of the perks themselves have only subtle effects, such as slightly extra ammo, and you'd be forgiven for forgetting the system exists at all. Outside of the perks system, weapon upgrades can be found throughout the game's levels and permanently attached to your guns. Assault rifles can be upgraded to fire underslung rockets, and shotguns can be made to fire shells that bounce off walls, effectively turning them into <a href="/unreal-tournament/" data-ref-id="false">Unreal Tournament</a>'s flak cannon. The upgrades are useful, opening up new avenues for tactical approaches to taking down the tougher Nazi foes.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534689-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-51-08-44.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534689" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1536/15366587/2534689-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-51-08-44.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2534689"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1536/15366587/2534689-wmplayer+2014-05-18+19-51-08-44.jpg"></a><figcaption>Having to stop and use this laser cutter gets really old, really fast.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The New Order also requires Blazkowicz to make regular use of a laser cutter. It is both a weapon and a utility that can manipulate the environment. However, its use is mostly relegated to cutting Blazkowicz-sized holes in the only pieces of metal grating that are blocking forward progress in the first place. There are a few panels which hide secret areas containing health and ammo pickups, but although you can cut any shape you like, unless it's a square you won't fit through it.</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p style="">The game is both a celebration of the Wolfenstein series and what feels like a fitting send-off for it.</p></blockquote><p style="">Both the laser cutter and the perks system feel like missed opportunities at worst, because even aside from them, The New Order's combat intensity and variety have granted the Wolfenstein series a breath of fresh air, whilst still managing to hit the nostalgic highs that I expect from the series. It has injected some substance into the primal pleasure of shooting Nazis by way of an interesting tone that addresses the changing roles of first-person shooter protagonists. Through this, the game is both a celebration of the Wolfenstein series and what feels like a fitting send-off for it. The New Order could be the last hurrah of William "BJ" Blazkowicz, an outing which, for all its excess and bombast, is far from mindless. </p> Mon, 19 May 2014 21:01:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wolfenstein-the-new-order-review/1900-6415765/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/robots-knives-and-nazis-wolfenstein-the-new-order-/2300-6418878/ There are a variety of ways to kill Nazis in Wolfenstein: The New Order. Here are just a few. Mon, 19 May 2014 21:01:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/robots-knives-and-nazis-wolfenstein-the-new-order-/2300-6418878/
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