http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Thu, 05 Jun 2014 08:33:34 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dead-rising-3-coming-to-pc-this-summer-system-specs-revealed/1100-6420128/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMTJa2TkqJs" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FiMTJa2TkqJs%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DiMTJa2TkqJs&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FiMTJa2TkqJs%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Capcom<a href="http://www.capcom-unity.com/gregaman/blog/2014/06/05/dead-rising-3-coming-to-pc-this-summer" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> announced today</a> that after <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dead-rising-3-has-shipped-1-million-copies/1100-6417261/" data-ref-id="1100-6417261">shipping one million copies on Xbox One</a>, open-world zombie game<a href="/dead-rising-3/" data-ref-id="false"> Dead Rising 3</a> is coming to PC this summer on Steam. The PC version includes full Steam support, including Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, Trading Cards, leaderboard, and controller support.</p><p style=""><ins><b>Minimum System Requirements:</b></ins></p><ul><li><b>OS:</b> Windows 7 64-bit edition, Windows 8 64-bit edition</li><li><b>Processor: </b>Intel Core i3-3220 @ 3.30GHz (or Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 @ 2.83GHz) / AMD Phenom II X4 945 @ 3.00 GHz or higher</li><li><b>Memory: </b>6 GB RAM</li><li><b>Hard Drive: </b>30 GB free</li><li><b>Video Card: </b>NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 / AMD Radeon 7870 or higher</li><li><b>DirectX: </b>Version 11</li><li><b>Controller: </b>Keyboard (international and standard), Mouse (up to 4 buttons), Xbox 360 PC compatible controller or compatible gamepad</li><li><b>Connection: </b>Broadband internet connection and Steam account required</li></ul><p style=""><ins><b>Recommended System Requirements:</b></ins></p><ul><li><b>OS:</b> Windows 7 64-bit edition, Windows 8 64-bit edition</li><li><b>Processor:</b> Intel Core i5-4570 CPU @ 3.20GHz or AMD equivalent</li><li><b>Memory: </b>8 GB RAM</li><li><b>Hard Drive:</b> 30 GB free</li><li><b>Video Card:</b> NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2GB / AMD Radeon 7970 2GB</li><li><b>DirectX:</b> Version 11.1 or greater</li></ul><p style=""><em>This is a breaking news story. More information will be added shortly.</em></p> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 08:21:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dead-rising-3-coming-to-pc-this-summer-system-specs-revealed/1100-6420128/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-of-the-month-may-2014/1100-6420041/ <p style="">Before we delve into the incredible experiences we were treated to in May, let's first award a trophy to something a little larger. Even though we've had a steady stream of excellent games demanding our attention since January, it wasn't until May that both the diversity and quality of releases made us squeal with joy. So the Month of the Year award goes to May, for giving us something marvelous every week.</p><p style="">So what games demanded our love, though didn't quite reach the heights of the month's winner? Well, things started with the competitive delights of <a href="/sportsfriends/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/sportsfriends/">Sportsfriends</a>. Try not to laugh with befuddlement as you wildly contort your body in Super Pole Riders or succumb to the watery depths in BaraBariBall. And if you want something more cerebral, there's the beautiful <a href="/transistor/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/transistor/">Transistor</a>, which houses one of the finest soundtracks around. <a href="/wolfenstein-the-new-order/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/wolfenstein-the-new-order/">Wolfenstein: The New Order</a> provides another tonal shift, as Nazis meet their long-coming death, and <a href="/watch-dogs/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/watch-dogs/">Watch Dogs</a> introduces you to a side of Chicago that's much creepier than reality.</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2456598" data-img-src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2456598-stf-new1.png" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2456598-stf-new1.png" data-ref-id="1300-2456598"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2456598-stf-new1.png"></a></figure><p style="">Which leads us to our two finalists. The runner-up? <a href="/mario-kart-8/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/mario-kart-8/">Mario Kart 8</a>. It was painful keeping Koopa Troopa and company from reaching the checkered flag. Mario Kart 8 is so blindingly fun that we'll be playing it for years to come, but it's still only second best.</p><p style="">The winner is <a href="/super-t-i-m-e-force/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/super-t-i-m-e-force/">Super Time Force</a>. We know that you're surprised, and we certainly didn't expect Capybara's time-bending shooter to land in the top spot, either. But the more we talked about how crazy, inventive, and satisfying this game is, the more clear it became that it deserved to be number one.</p><p style="">At first, Super Time Force gets by on its ridiculous story and novel time mechanic. Being able to rewind your actions so you can fight alongside your past self is so darn intriguing that we were immediately sucked in. Super Time Force is so much more than one great idea, though. Although you can often use brute force to succeed, when you push yourself to be more proficient, a beautiful elegance emerges. Working in tandem with your previous characters creates a smart dynamic in which you must use completely different play styles simultaneously, maybe powering through with Jef Leppard while being a defensive rock as Shieldy Blockerson.</p><p style="">It was not until we vanquished the shocking end boss that Super Time Force really opened up, though. Once you unlock Super Hardcore mode, you see the full potential of this brilliant game. No longer can you use brute force to survive. Instead, every life matters, so you must play with patience and precision, even while the clock is ticking to your doom. It's this mode that pushes the initial concept farther than we thought possible, and that turned us completely to Super Time Force's side.</p><p style="">Like a flash of hope, May burst upon us with more amazing games than we could ever have imagined. We haven't even mentioned the likes of <a href="/kentucky-route-zero/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/kentucky-route-zero/">Kentucky Route Zero</a> or <a href="/the-wolf-among-us/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/the-wolf-among-us/">The Wolf Among Us</a> yet, which furthered their already mesmerizing stories. Who would have thought the month before E3 would make us care so much about the present rather than wonder what the future holds? But that's what May had in store for us, and Super Time Force was the best of the bunch.</p><p style=""><br /></p> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-of-the-month-may-2014/1100-6420041/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-controllers-now-work-on-pc/1100-6420127/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549814-pcdriversxboxone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549814" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549814-pcdriversxboxone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549814"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2549814-pcdriversxboxone.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft today released new PC drivers for the Xbox One controller, meaning you're now able to use your console controller to play computer games. The drivers are expected to launch widely through a Windows update in the "near future," but you can download them today via the direct links below, courtesy of <a href="http://majornelson.com/2014/06/05/pc-drivers-for-the-xbox-one-controller-available-now/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://mjr.mn/XboxOnePCDriversx86" rel="nofollow">PC Drivers for Xbox One Controller (x86)</a></p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://mjr.mn/XboxOnePCDriversx64" rel="nofollow">PC Drivers for Xbox One Controller (x64)</a></p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We know our fans have wanted PC compatibility, and we know they wanted to be able to use the Xbox One controller with the same games and applications they have been playing with using the Xbox 360 controller," Microsoft said in a statement. "We can't wait for them to play their favorite PC games with what we consider the best controller ever made and we're excited for fans to experience the improved D-pad, redesigned battery compartment, new comfortable design, and offset analog sticks."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Once you've installed the drivers, your Xbox One controller will work with any game that featured gamepad support for the Xbox 360 controller. All you need to do is download the drivers, connect your controller to your PC through a micro USB cable, and you're set.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In late May, Microsoft teased that the PC drivers would be released "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-controller-support-coming-to-pc-very-soon/1100-6419847/" data-ref-id="1100-6419847">very soon</a>." Earlier this week, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said Microsoft <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-we-need-to-do-more-for-pc-gaming/1100-6420024/" data-ref-id="1100-6420024">needs to do more for gaming on Windows</a>. "Part of my Xbox role is to bring back our Windows gaming focus," he said at the time.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft will share more details about its upcoming games lineup during the company's <a href="http://gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">E3 press conference on Monday, June 9 at 9:30 a.m. </a>GameSpot will carry a livestream of the event, as well as interviews and analysis video features immediately following the event.</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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 07:56:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-controllers-now-work-on-pc/1100-6420127/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ed-boon-explains-how-to-say-mortal-kombat-x/1100-6420126/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419094" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419094/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/mortal-kombat-x/" data-ref-id="false">Mortal Kombat X</a> was announced on Monday, with a trailer giving us a first look at how it plays. But it didn't tell us how to pronounce the title. Now we know, as series creator Ed Boon says on Twitter (via <a href="http://www.siliconera.com/2014/06/03/pronounce-mortal-kombat-x/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Siliconera</a>) that the official pronunciation is "<a href="https://twitter.com/noobde/status/473572797684256768" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Ex</a>," though he expects some people will call it "ten" instead."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Whatever you call, it Mortal Kombat X will launch in <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-mortal-kombat-launching-in-2015-for-xbox-360-xbox-one-ps3-ps4-and-pc/1100-6420023/" data-ref-id="1100-6420023">2015 across Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Since Mortal Kombat X's announcement this week, Boon has kept busy answering fan questions about the game on Twitter. He also revealed that <a href="https://twitter.com/noobde/status/473886228698263552" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">at least two new characters</a> for the game will be announced at E3, alongside <a href="https://twitter.com/noobde/status/474204146120138752" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">new story details</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/noobde/status/474200006606340097" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">maybe even a gameplay trailer</a>. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">E3</a> kicks off next Monday, June 9, and runs through June 12.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Separately, retailers <a href="http://www.gamestop.com/collection/mortal-kombat-x" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">GameStop</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Kombat-X-PlayStation-4/dp/B00KOOUVNI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1401978376&sr=8-3&keywords=mortal+kombat+x" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Amazon </a>have posted product pages for Mortal Kombat X, showing off what could be the game's official box art. It's also possible, however, that this is the a non-final version of the game's box art. For more on Mortal Kombat X, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-what-you-missed-in-the-mortal-kombat-x-trailer/1100-6420036/" data-ref-id="1100-6420036">GameSpot's feature about what you might have missed from the game's debut trailer</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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 07:31:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ed-boon-explains-how-to-say-mortal-kombat-x/1100-6420126/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-uses-version-of-avatar-2-facial-animation-system/1100-6420125/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549799-advancedwarfare.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549799" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549799-advancedwarfare.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549799"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2549799-advancedwarfare.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">This fall's <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare </a>uses a facial animation system powered by the same technology and techniques that will be used to produce James Cameron's upcoming movie <em>Avatar 2</em>. That's according to a<a href="http://www.edge-online.com/magazine/e268-future-tech-powers-a-revolution-in-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> teaser for <em>Edge'</em>s story </a>about Advanced Warfare.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Publisher Activision previously said that Advanced Warfare will deliver a "near photorealistic" world. We've already seen some of the game's facial animations, as a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-official-reveal-trai/2300-6418631/" data-ref-id="2300-6418631">story trailer for Advanced Warfare </a>got up close with actor Kevin Spacey's impressive-looking character, Jonathan Irons.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Cameron's original <em>Avatar</em> hit theaters in 2009. <em>Avatar 2</em> is expected to be released in December 2016.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">According to Activision, the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/two-studios-making-this-year-s-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-activision-promises-near-photorealistic-world/1100-6419400/" data-ref-id="1100-6419400">new three-year Call of Duty development cycle </a>meant that Advanced Warfare developer Sledgehammer Games was able to create a "near photorealistic world unlike any Call of Duty before." At GDC 2013, Activision R&D staffers showed off some <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-shows-off-next-gen-visuals/1100-6406090/" data-ref-id="1100-6406090">seriously staggering next-gen character models</a>, though they cautioned that they do not represent actual game assets.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Advanced Warfare launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/two-studios-making-this-year-s-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-activision-promises-near-photorealistic-world/1100-6419400/" data-ref-id="1100-6419400">November 4</a> for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. Sledgehammer Games is working on the Xbox One, PS4, and PC versions, while a studio to be named later is handling the Xbox 360 and PS3 iterations. For more on Advanced Warfare, check out <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" 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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 07:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-uses-version-of-avatar-2-facial-animation-system/1100-6420125/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-raises-300-000-for-make-a-wish-in-may/1100-6420124/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549791-makeawish1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549791" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549791-makeawish1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549791"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2549791-makeawish1.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">GameStop is giving back. The Make-A-Wish Foundation announced today that proceeds from the retailer's month-long drive to support the organization reached more than $300,000.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In May, shoppers at GameStop and its subsidiary Spring Mobile could donate to Make-A-Wish at the point of sale. This drive was a big success, as the $300,000 figure is well above the company's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-launching-new-make-a-wish-donation-program/1100-6419295/" data-ref-id="1100-6419295">original $100,000 target</a>. GameStop has supported Make-A-Wish since 2006.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"In typical GameStop fashion, we set a goal and then beat it by a long shot. What an incredible accomplishment for the GameStop family," GameStop CFO Rob Lloyd said in a statement. Lloyd is also a Board member for Make-A-Wish's North Texas branch.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">GameStop's partnership with Make-A-Wish has so far supported more than 1,000 shopping sprees at the retailer. According to Make-A-Wish's data, every week, 4-5 children request to shop at GameStop as part of their wish.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This latest Make-A-Wish effort from GameStop brings the retailer's total contributions to the organization to more than $1.7 million.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a non-profit organization that grants "wishes" to children with life-threatening medical issues. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/search/?indices%5B0%5D=game&page=1&q=world%20of%20warcraft/">World of Warcraft </a>and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/search/?indices%5B0%5D=game&q=diablo/">Diablo</a> developer is also a regular supporter of the Make-A-Wish foundation, most recently <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-world-of-warcraft-mount-and-pet-sales-to-benefit-make-a-wish/1100-6416337/">donating sales of World of Warcraft pets and mounts last year to benefit the organization</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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 06:40:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-raises-300-000-for-make-a-wish-in-may/1100-6420124/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-metal-gear-solid-5-ps4-gameplay-footage-emerges/1100-6420123/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RlKSegcO-0" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2F8RlKSegcO-0%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed%26start%3D3354&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D8RlKSegcO-0&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F8RlKSegcO-0%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="">During a special Konami Station video presentation today, the publisher performed a live demonstration of the PlayStation 4 version of upcoming open-world game <a href="/metal-gear-solid-v-the-phantom-pain/" data-ref-id="false">Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain</a>. The gameplay demonstration begins around 56 minutes in.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549780-tppmap.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549780" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549780-tppmap.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549780"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1179/11799911/2549780-tppmap.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">In the video, we see Snake--voiced by <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/metal-gear-solid-5-kiefer-sutherland-discusses-voicing-snake/1100-6417601/" data-ref-id="1100-6417601"><em>24</em> star Kiefer Sutherland</a>--stealthily moving about a desert camp using his iconic box for stay hidden. It's also shown in the video that Snake can now burst of out boxes to surprise enemies. What did you notice in the video?</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Also during the video event, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima showed off a map (at left) displaying the massive size of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Konami will give a gameplay demonstration of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain at <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">E3 </a>next week, Kojima <a href="https://twitter.com/HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN/status/474158862224740352" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">says on Twitter</a>. The Phantom Pain is a sequel to this year's <a href="/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes/" data-ref-id="false">Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes</a>, though there's no word on when it will be available.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For more on The Phantom Pain, check out <a href="/metal-gear-solid-v-the-phantom-pain/" 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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 06:17:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-metal-gear-solid-5-ps4-gameplay-footage-emerges/1100-6420123/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/this-fall-s-lord-of-the-rings-game-gets-an-e3-trailer/1100-6420122/ <p style=""> </p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419143" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419143/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Monolith Productions today released an new <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">E3 </a>CG trailer for this fall's console and PC Lord of the Rings game, <a href="/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor/" data-ref-id="false">Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor</a>. Titled "Gravewalker," the trailer shows off protagonist Talion as he seeks vengeance for his family's murder.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Two new runes for Shadow of Mordor were also announced today, and you can grab them by <a href="https://www.shadowofmordor.com/register/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">signing up for a WBID account at the Shadow of Mordor website</a>. First is the Orc Hunter rune, which increases your terror attributes after a stealth takedown. The second is the Gravewalker Rune, which you can unlock after signing into WBID and accessing the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/this-shadow-of-mordor-ios-app-listens-while-you-play-creepy-or-awesome/1100-6417323/" data-ref-id="1100-6417323">Palantir </a>at launch. This rune "spreads fear among Sauron's army when his Captains are defeated."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Shadow of Mordor launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/is-shadow-of-mordor-the-lord-of-the-rings-game-we-ve-been-waiting-for-we-ll-find-out-october-7/1100-6418725/" data-ref-id="1100-6418725">October 7 </a>for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. Set between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Shadow of Mordor picks up the night of Sauron's return to Mordor. You play a ranger named Talion who loses his family and his own life, only to be brought back by a mysterious spirit, granting him Wraith-like abilities in the process.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For more on Shadow of Mordor, check out <a href="/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor/" 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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 05:46:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/this-fall-s-lord-of-the-rings-game-gets-an-e3-trailer/1100-6420122/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tomb-raider-dev-announcing-new-game-at-e3/1100-6420121/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549751-crystal.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549751" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549751-crystal.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549751"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2549751-crystal.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/tomb-raider/" data-ref-id="false">Tomb Raider </a>studio Crystal Dynamics will announce a new game during <a href="http://gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">E3</a> next week, according to the <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/news-post/75245/e3-2014-spike-tv-and-gametrailers-coms-all-access-schedule-revealed" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">schedule for Spike's All Access Live Show</a>. Not only will Crystal Dynamics reveal what the game is, but the studio will also debut its first footage. The exact wording is that Crystal Dynamics will "make a new game announcement," suggesting that this project is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-gen-tomb-raider-sequel-confirmed-by-square-enix/1100-6412371/" data-ref-id="1100-6412371">not the already-confirmed Tomb Raider 2</a> for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">It's possible that this is the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/crystal-dynamics-working-on-new-ip/1100-6348190/" data-ref-id="1100-6348190">studio's all-new IP confirmed back in 2012</a>, or possibly even the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/crystal-dynamics-rebooting-soul-reaver-report/1100-6367143/" data-ref-id="1100-6367143">rumored Soul Reaver reboot</a>. Whatever the case, we won't have to wait long to find out, as Crystal Dynamics is scheduled to make the announcement on Monday, June 9.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The most recent game from Crystal Dynamics was 2013's Tomb Raider reboot for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, which was followed this year by an <a href="/reviews/tomb-raider-definitive-edition-review/1900-6415647/" data-ref-id="1900-6415647">Xbox One and PS4 "Definitive" version</a>.</p><p style="">E3 is expected to bring a bevy of game announcements, including <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-will-announce-a-major-frostbite-3-game-at-e3-what-do-you-think-it-is/1100-6419476/" data-ref-id="1100-6419476">six new reveals from Electronic Arts alone</a>. The action kicks off on Monday, June 9, when Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, and EA all hold their annual press conferences. Nintendo will follow the next day, June 10. For more on this year's E3, check out <a href="http://gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's roundup of everything you need to know</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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 05:24:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tomb-raider-dev-announcing-new-game-at-e3/1100-6420121/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-moon-dance-trailer/2300-6419123/ The doomsday trailer was so great that 2K and Gearbox wanted to find a way to top them with the moon dance sequence. Thu, 05 Jun 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-moon-dance-trailer/2300-6419123/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-gets-october-release-date-dance-filled-trailer/1100-6420114/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419123" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419123/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">A new trailer for <a href="/borderlands-the-pre-sequel/" data-ref-id="false">Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel</a> released today has revealed the game's release date of October 14. More importantly, it contains a healthy amount of moon dancing.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The dubstep-laced trailer provides a look at the game in action, showing us new environments, new enemies, an argyle-skinned weapon, and--if you look carefully--some of the skills two of the new classes have at their disposal. Halfway through, the trailer pauses for a "moon dance break," which 2K says it worked on with <a href="/dance-central-3/" data-ref-id="false">Dance Central</a> maker Harmonix in order to best the Claptrap dance routine from <a href="/borderlands-2/" data-ref-id="false">Borderlands 2</a>'s <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/borderlands-2-doomsday-trailer/2300-6350811/" data-ref-id="2300-6350811">"Doomsday" trailer</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Along with the release date, 2K announced the bonus meant to entice you to preorder the Pre-Sequel: the Shock Drop Slaughter Pit. No details were offered on this save for what's in the image to the right. It reads, "Enter the Shock Drop Slaughter Pit and face off against the toughest Scavs on Pandora's moon, Elpis! Survive the battle and you'll be feared and respected by the few left alive… not to mention the experience and gear you'll earn!"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Pre-Sequel, as the name suggests, is set before Borderlands 2, the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-2-is-now-the-best-selling-game-in-2k-s-history/1100-6418865/" data-ref-id="1100-6418865">best-selling game in 2K Games history</a>. Unfortunately for those itching to see what the series will be like on next-gen hardware, it will only be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-new-borderlands-game-isn-t-coming-to-xbox-one-or-playstation-4/1100-6418862/" data-ref-id="1100-6418862">available on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC</a>. Its price has yet to be announced, because its scope has <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-not-as-big-as-borderlands-2-may-not-be-full-price/1100-6419012/" data-ref-id="1100-6419012">not been determined</a>--Gearbox Software (which is co-developing the game with 2K Australia) president Randy Pitchford has said it may end up being somewhere between the original <a href="/borderlands/" data-ref-id="false">Borderlands</a> and Borderlands 2.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For more on The Pre-Sequel ahead of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">E3</a> next week, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-first-look-blowout/1100-6418858/" data-ref-id="1100-6418858">GameSpot's preview</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-gets-october-release-date-dance-filled-trailer/1100-6420114/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-s-forza-horizon-2-is-1080p-30fps/1100-6420120/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549743-horizon2new.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549743" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549743-horizon2new.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549743"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2549743-horizon2new.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Xbox One version of Microsoft's upcoming racing game <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/check-out-first-images-of-xbox-exclusive-forza-horizon-2/1100-6420048/" data-ref-id="1100-6420048">Forza Horizon 2</a> will run in 1080p at 30fps, creative director at Ryan Fulton has confirmed. 2012's original <a href="/forza-horizon/" data-ref-id="false">Forza Horizon</a> for Xbox 360 ran at a locked 30fps, and Fulton says it was imperative that the studio carried this forward for the sequel.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think what we did on Horizon was demonstrate that, and this is really important, a locked frame rate that's absolutely solid and never drops is the most important thing for our game," Fulton told <a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/04/forza-horizon-2-resolution-framerate-music-more-detailed-ign-first?page=1" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">IGN</a>. "30 [frames-per-second] actually enables us to realize that experience."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Concerning visual performance, Fulton said, "I think I remember that's always a hot-button topic, until a game comes out and people go, 'Oh, this actually really works.' But 1080p was an absolute must for us; it's the benchmark for next-gen."</p><blockquote data-align="right"><p dir="ltr" style="">"1080p was an absolute must for us; it's the benchmark for next-gen -- Forza Horizon 2 creative director Ryan Fulton</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="">By comparison, last year's Xbox One launch title <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/forza-motorsport-5-will-run-in-1080p-at-60fps/1100-6409332/" data-ref-id="1100-6409332">Forza Motorsport 5 fan in 1080p at 60fps</a>. Forza Horizon 2, however, is an open-world title, and this comes with its own set of technical challenges, Fulton said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The biggest difference [between Forza 5 and Forza Horizon 2] is that, obviously, we're an open-world streaming game," Fulton said. "We need to be able to drive in any direction at up to 270 miles an hour, if you're gonna soup up a Veyron or something like that."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"So one of the big technical challenges that we had to face was making sure that we could stream in a world that is next-gen beautiful, but fast enough to keep up with the fastest car," he added. "That's a huge tech challenge but it's one that our guys just eat up."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Also in the interview, Fulton says Forza Horizon 2 will retain the original game's focus on music. As such, he revealed that the game's soundtrack will be deeper and broader than what you heard in the original game. "Music is incredibly important to Horizon," Fulton said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We want a soundtrack you can explore in the same way you can explore our world," he added. "To that end we've doubled the number of radio stations in the game. We've doubled the amount of music that we're going to be shipping with the game on disc."</p><p style="">Forza Horizon 2 launches this fall for Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Playground Games is developing the Xbox One version, while Sumo Digital is handling the Xbox 360 iteration. </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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-s-forza-horizon-2-is-1080p-30fps/1100-6420120/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/witcher-3-box-art-leaked/1100-6420119/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549733-witcher3art.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549733" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549733-witcher3art.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549733"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2549733-witcher3art.jpg"></a><figcaption>Image credit: Videogamer</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Ahead of CD Projekt Red's annual <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-the-witcher-3-cd-projekt-red-live-stream-here-on-june-5/1100-6420101/" data-ref-id="1100-6420101">summer conference later today</a>, the box art and what appear to be the preorder bonuses for upcoming role-playing game<a href="/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/" data-ref-id="false"> The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt </a>have leaked. The back page of the latest issue of trade publication MCV contains the image you see above, captured by <a href="http://www.videogamer.com/ps4/the_witcher_3_wild_hunt/news/the_witcher_3_box_art_and_pre-order_bonuses_revealed.html" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Videogamer</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As you'd expect, a fierce-looking Geralt dominates the box art, which we see is the same for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC versions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. There's a selection of bonus items also featured in the image, including a game map, stickers, official soundtrack, a Witcher Universe Compendium, and a game manual. It appears these are preorder bonuses.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">CD Projekt Red's surprises today were not entirely spoiled, as the developer also plans to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-the-witcher-3-cd-projekt-red-live-stream-here-on-june-5/1100-6420101/" data-ref-id="1100-6420101">announce a Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Collector's Edition </a>during its livestream event, which kicks off at 11 a.m. PDT/2 p.m. EDT. You can<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-the-witcher-3-cd-projekt-red-live-stream-here-on-june-5/1100-6420101/" data-ref-id="1100-6420101"> watch the event live on GameSpot</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt launches in February 2015 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. United States president Barack Obama recently <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/obama-mentions-the-witcher-during-trip-to-poland/1100-6420055/" data-ref-id="1100-6420055">mentioned "The Witcher" during an address in Poland</a>, saying the franchise--developed in Poland--is a great example of how the country contributes to the global economy.</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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 04:32:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/witcher-3-box-art-leaked/1100-6420119/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/pushmo-world-review/1900-6415782/ <p style="">I always love it when a game has a limited range of incredibly simple mechanics that you grasp immediately, but that you find allow for lots of complexity once you actually start putting those mechanics to use. You see this in great recent action games like <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/nidhogg/" data-ref-id="false">Nidhogg</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/samurai-gunn/" data-ref-id="false">Samurai Gunn</a>, and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/towerfall/" data-ref-id="false">Towerfall</a>. And in a very different way, you see it in Pushmo World. This is a puzzle game that initially pulls you in with its simple gameplay and tranquil tone, but keeps you absorbed with spatial puzzles that have a pleasingly tactile feel and sometimes require a level of focus that has you forgetting about your worldly troubles. Pushmo World doesn't do much that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pushmo/" data-ref-id="false">Pushmo</a> didn't do already, and it's not as natural a fit for a console as it is for a handheld, but it's still a reliably good puzzle game that gives you more of what made the original Pushmo a success.</p><p style="">As in the original 3DS game, you play as Mallo, a character who looks like a marshmallowy, sumo-wrestling cat, but who never demonstrates either the agility we normally associate with felines or the strength in physical combat that we associate with sumo wrestlers. Instead, Mallo rescues babies who have somehow gotten trapped in the puzzles (called "pushmo") that the aptly named Pushmo Park is filled with. The parents of the region clearly need some guidance in how to prevent their poor infants from becoming enclosed in these puzzles, but until that happens, Mallo is there to come to the rescue.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2549396-ci-25508788830376002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549396" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2549396-ci-25508788830376002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549396"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/78/787590/2549396-ci-25508788830376002.jpg"></a><figcaption>This pushmo looks like a cow!</figcaption></figure><p style="">It wouldn't surprise me if, in his heart of hearts, Mallo is glad that the babies in the area are again in need of rescue just so he has an excuse to solve those puzzles. But alas, the deeper realms of Mallo's psyche will have to be explored only in Pushmo fan fiction--the focus here, thankfully, is entirely on the puzzles themselves. Each pushmo starts out as a flat, colorful mural of sorts, made up of separate panels, and you manipulate the puzzles by pushing and pulling on those panels.</p><p style="">Your goal in each pushmo is to reach the baby atop one of the panels, and pushing, pulling, walking and taking short leaps are your only means of interacting directly with the puzzles. Reaching the baby at the summit can be quite challenging, requiring you to concentrate on understanding the puzzle in three-dimensional space, and it's the way that the puzzles take hold in your brain as tangible, three-dimensional objects that you can manipulate in easily understandable ways that makes these puzzles absorbing. It's relaxing to focus so intently on the pushmo, and there's a pleasant sense of progress as you find yourself getting a better grasp on the logic required to solve some of them.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2549412-ci82126211230376003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549412" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2549412-ci82126211230376003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549412"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/78/787590/2549412-ci82126211230376003.jpg"></a><figcaption>Moving the camera around to survey the puzzle can help you work things out.</figcaption></figure><p style="">This isn't to say that the game becomes easy, though; as you progress, puzzles become larger and more intricate, requiring more steps to solve. And they introduce gadgets like colored manholes (hop in a manhole of a certain color here and you'll pop out of the corresponding manhole elsewhere on the puzzle) and switches that, when stepped on, make panels of a particular color pop out or retract.</p><p style="">Pushmo World becomes quite challenging, but it's hard to pull yourself away because you know that the solution is right in front of you, that all you have to do is push and pull the panels in the right order to make your way to the top. How hard can it be? Pushmo World eases you into its challenge with a training area that introduces you to new concepts as they arise, and it lets you skip any puzzles that just aren't clicking for you. Pushmo World is the sort of game in which sometimes, if you come back to a puzzle that previously stumped you with fresh eyes, the solution is so apparent, you wonder how you didn't see it before.</p><p style="">You can also create your own pushmo using the easy and intuitive editor and send them to other players as QR codes, as well as visit the Pushmo World Fair to play pushmo created by other players, though this feature wasn't available to test during the writing of this review. Given the importance of spatial awareness in solving pushmo, the 3D capabilities of the 3DS made it a particularly good fit for these puzzles, and hunkering down in your living room with a console to play a puzzle or two doesn't feel quite as breezy as playing them on the go, so Pushmo World isn't quite the revelation on Wii U that Pushmo was on the 3DS. But the logic of these colorful puzzles is still as satisfying as ever.</p> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 00:01:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/pushmo-world-review/1900-6415782/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-music-of-transistor-in-the-key-of-red/1100-6420099/ <p style="">A good composer knows how to meet your musical expectations; a great composer knows how to subvert them.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was one of the greats. His music is known even outside the concertgoing public; there's a good chance, for instance, that you have heard his music written for the ballets <em>The Nutcracker</em> and <em>Swan Lake</em>, and his 1812 Overture remains among the most popular works ever composed. My favorite Tchaikovsky work, however, is his sixth symphony, known as the Pathétique, and it was this symphony I thought of when I recently listened to Darren Korb's Transistor soundtrack.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Korb's work and Tchaikovsky's are miles apart in terms of harmonic and melodic content, but they have some commonalities that struck me, and one commonality in particular stood out: the use of 5/4 meter. Tchaikovsky's sixth uses this time signature in its second movement, which sounds like an off-kilter waltz in which the dancers keep forgetting a step. In the Transistor track called "In Circles," Korb also uses the same meter to evoke tension, albeit a different flavor of it. Both works play with your expectations. Most music we listen to is organized into twos, threes, and fours; 5/4 meter has a different kind of lilt, and can be vaguely unsettling to listen to. Korb, however, eases the tension by moving from five beats per measure to three during the track's refrain.</p><div data-embed-type="html"><iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2382383956/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=1602672213/transparent=true/" seamless="">&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://supergiantgames.bandcamp.com/album/transistor-original-soundtrack"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Transistor Original Soundtrack by Darren Korb&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;</iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">With this track in mind, I got in contact with Korb to probe his musical mind, and asked him about this choice. "I knew I wanted to play with some non-standard time signatures early on," he says. "I thought a hint of 'math' would be in keeping with the computer-ey terminology of the game. It also tends to add extra tension!" That's not Korb's only tool for instilling anxiety, however. "One thing I like to do for building tension is to have rhythmic elements that fight a bit. In 'Gateless,' for example, the piece is in five but the bass line for the B section is in three, so it ends up feeling really tense. I also tend to use a lot of chords with close intervals for tension building as well."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Ah yes--another musical idea I associate with Tchaikovksy. Now I think of the sixth symphony's final movement, which features low cello and contrabass chords. In my early composition classes, I was taught that close chords in those deep ranges sound muddled and should be used with caution. If you own a piano, play a minor triad using extremely low notes; then, do the same in a higher register. The lower rumbling notes, rich as they are in overtones, sound goopy and indistinct, whereas the upper registers ring out more clearly. Used properly, however, close chords like this weigh heavy on the heart, and both composers deftly utilize that musical heft. Korb also uses dissonant chords in the upper range to create unease, such as in the opening of Transistor's first musical track, 'Old Friends.'</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418870" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418870/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">'In Circles' still stands out to me above the other tracks, however, not just for its use of 5/4 meter, but also for its vocals, which are provided by singer Ashley Barrett, so I asked Korb about this collaboration. "After working with Ashley on a couple projects now," he says, "I feel like I've gotten a better sense of how to write for her voice. For me, that's the main consideration that affects my writing process. Our sessions are pretty laid back. If a melody line doesn't feel quite right in her voice we will change it on the fly."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">It isn't just Barrett's voice that Korb must be conscious of, however. Compared to most soundtracks, Transistor's musical score doesn't feature a great diversity of instrumentations. Instead, Korb uses a lot of plucked string instruments like guitars, along with accompanying drums and other synthesized instruments. The result is consistent, but also surprisingly varied given the narrow tonal range, thanks to Korb's imaginative melodies and rhythms. "I tried to focus on a handful of instruments to help define the musical palate for Transistor," says Korb. "There is a lot of heavily delayed electric guitar and sampled drums, but I also tried to include a number of 'old-world' instruments: accordion, harp, mandolin, etc. In each piece I tried to include some of these elements to help create some continuity for the score, even though the individual pieces could be quite different from one another."</p><div data-embed-type="html"><iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2382383956/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=1969767334/transparent=true/" seamless="">&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://supergiantgames.bandcamp.com/album/transistor-original-soundtrack"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Transistor Original Soundtrack by Darren Korb&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;</iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Regarding Transistor's vocal tracks, Korb adds, "I tried to write all of the vocal pieces from Red's point of view. Greg Kasavin, our creative director, had a massive world document with a lot of backstory for her character, and I tried to use that to guide the writing process." This kind of close partnership isn't standard in the games industry; music is often one of the last things to be added, and is often not a consideration in a game's early planning. Korb composes for Supergiant on a full-time basis, however, and is part of the process from the very beginning. "On Transistor, we spent months prototyping our various disciplines. I ended up writing six or seven pieces before I felt I had gotten the tone right. During prototyping, the team put together a 'tone piece,' which was a video that combined concept art, music, and narration, with the purpose of trying to express the feel of the game. This definitely helped us to align the art, music, and writing."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Given the artistic cohesion of Supergiant's previous game, Bastion, it's no wonder that Transistor's aesthetic is just as cohesive. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is one of the best soundtracks of 2014 thus far, and is likely to remain near the top come year's end. Red is a troubled character in a troubled world, and Darren Korb's musical contributions play a vital role in how Transistor communicates her apprehension.</p> Wed, 04 Jun 2014 17:03:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-music-of-transistor-in-the-key-of-red/1100-6420099/
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Thu, 05 Jun 2014 08:33:34 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dead-rising-3-coming-to-pc-this-summer-system-specs-revealed/1100-6420128/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMTJa2TkqJs" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FiMTJa2TkqJs%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DiMTJa2TkqJs&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FiMTJa2TkqJs%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Capcom<a href="http://www.capcom-unity.com/gregaman/blog/2014/06/05/dead-rising-3-coming-to-pc-this-summer" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> announced today</a> that after <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dead-rising-3-has-shipped-1-million-copies/1100-6417261/" data-ref-id="1100-6417261">shipping one million copies on Xbox One</a>, open-world zombie game<a href="/dead-rising-3/" data-ref-id="false"> Dead Rising 3</a> is coming to PC this summer on Steam. The PC version includes full Steam support, including Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, Trading Cards, leaderboard, and controller support.</p><p style=""><ins><b>Minimum System Requirements:</b></ins></p><ul><li><b>OS:</b> Windows 7 64-bit edition, Windows 8 64-bit edition</li><li><b>Processor: </b>Intel Core i3-3220 @ 3.30GHz (or Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 @ 2.83GHz) / AMD Phenom II X4 945 @ 3.00 GHz or higher</li><li><b>Memory: </b>6 GB RAM</li><li><b>Hard Drive: </b>30 GB free</li><li><b>Video Card: </b>NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 / AMD Radeon 7870 or higher</li><li><b>DirectX: </b>Version 11</li><li><b>Controller: </b>Keyboard (international and standard), Mouse (up to 4 buttons), Xbox 360 PC compatible controller or compatible gamepad</li><li><b>Connection: </b>Broadband internet connection and Steam account required</li></ul><p style=""><ins><b>Recommended System Requirements:</b></ins></p><ul><li><b>OS:</b> Windows 7 64-bit edition, Windows 8 64-bit edition</li><li><b>Processor:</b> Intel Core i5-4570 CPU @ 3.20GHz or AMD equivalent</li><li><b>Memory: </b>8 GB RAM</li><li><b>Hard Drive:</b> 30 GB free</li><li><b>Video Card:</b> NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2GB / AMD Radeon 7970 2GB</li><li><b>DirectX:</b> Version 11.1 or greater</li></ul><p style=""><em>This is a breaking news story. More information will be added shortly.</em></p> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 08:21:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dead-rising-3-coming-to-pc-this-summer-system-specs-revealed/1100-6420128/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-of-the-month-may-2014/1100-6420041/ <p style="">Before we delve into the incredible experiences we were treated to in May, let's first award a trophy to something a little larger. Even though we've had a steady stream of excellent games demanding our attention since January, it wasn't until May that both the diversity and quality of releases made us squeal with joy. So the Month of the Year award goes to May, for giving us something marvelous every week.</p><p style="">So what games demanded our love, though didn't quite reach the heights of the month's winner? Well, things started with the competitive delights of <a href="/sportsfriends/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/sportsfriends/">Sportsfriends</a>. Try not to laugh with befuddlement as you wildly contort your body in Super Pole Riders or succumb to the watery depths in BaraBariBall. And if you want something more cerebral, there's the beautiful <a href="/transistor/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/transistor/">Transistor</a>, which houses one of the finest soundtracks around. <a href="/wolfenstein-the-new-order/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/wolfenstein-the-new-order/">Wolfenstein: The New Order</a> provides another tonal shift, as Nazis meet their long-coming death, and <a href="/watch-dogs/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/watch-dogs/">Watch Dogs</a> introduces you to a side of Chicago that's much creepier than reality.</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2456598" data-img-src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2456598-stf-new1.png" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2456598-stf-new1.png" data-ref-id="1300-2456598"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2456598-stf-new1.png"></a></figure><p style="">Which leads us to our two finalists. The runner-up? <a href="/mario-kart-8/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/mario-kart-8/">Mario Kart 8</a>. It was painful keeping Koopa Troopa and company from reaching the checkered flag. Mario Kart 8 is so blindingly fun that we'll be playing it for years to come, but it's still only second best.</p><p style="">The winner is <a href="/super-t-i-m-e-force/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/super-t-i-m-e-force/">Super Time Force</a>. We know that you're surprised, and we certainly didn't expect Capybara's time-bending shooter to land in the top spot, either. But the more we talked about how crazy, inventive, and satisfying this game is, the more clear it became that it deserved to be number one.</p><p style="">At first, Super Time Force gets by on its ridiculous story and novel time mechanic. Being able to rewind your actions so you can fight alongside your past self is so darn intriguing that we were immediately sucked in. Super Time Force is so much more than one great idea, though. Although you can often use brute force to succeed, when you push yourself to be more proficient, a beautiful elegance emerges. Working in tandem with your previous characters creates a smart dynamic in which you must use completely different play styles simultaneously, maybe powering through with Jef Leppard while being a defensive rock as Shieldy Blockerson.</p><p style="">It was not until we vanquished the shocking end boss that Super Time Force really opened up, though. Once you unlock Super Hardcore mode, you see the full potential of this brilliant game. No longer can you use brute force to survive. Instead, every life matters, so you must play with patience and precision, even while the clock is ticking to your doom. It's this mode that pushes the initial concept farther than we thought possible, and that turned us completely to Super Time Force's side.</p><p style="">Like a flash of hope, May burst upon us with more amazing games than we could ever have imagined. We haven't even mentioned the likes of <a href="/kentucky-route-zero/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/kentucky-route-zero/">Kentucky Route Zero</a> or <a href="/the-wolf-among-us/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/the-wolf-among-us/">The Wolf Among Us</a> yet, which furthered their already mesmerizing stories. Who would have thought the month before E3 would make us care so much about the present rather than wonder what the future holds? But that's what May had in store for us, and Super Time Force was the best of the bunch.</p><p style=""><br /></p> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-of-the-month-may-2014/1100-6420041/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-controllers-now-work-on-pc/1100-6420127/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549814-pcdriversxboxone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549814" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549814-pcdriversxboxone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549814"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2549814-pcdriversxboxone.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft today released new PC drivers for the Xbox One controller, meaning you're now able to use your console controller to play computer games. The drivers are expected to launch widely through a Windows update in the "near future," but you can download them today via the direct links below, courtesy of <a href="http://majornelson.com/2014/06/05/pc-drivers-for-the-xbox-one-controller-available-now/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://mjr.mn/XboxOnePCDriversx86" rel="nofollow">PC Drivers for Xbox One Controller (x86)</a></p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://mjr.mn/XboxOnePCDriversx64" rel="nofollow">PC Drivers for Xbox One Controller (x64)</a></p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We know our fans have wanted PC compatibility, and we know they wanted to be able to use the Xbox One controller with the same games and applications they have been playing with using the Xbox 360 controller," Microsoft said in a statement. "We can't wait for them to play their favorite PC games with what we consider the best controller ever made and we're excited for fans to experience the improved D-pad, redesigned battery compartment, new comfortable design, and offset analog sticks."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Once you've installed the drivers, your Xbox One controller will work with any game that featured gamepad support for the Xbox 360 controller. All you need to do is download the drivers, connect your controller to your PC through a micro USB cable, and you're set.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In late May, Microsoft teased that the PC drivers would be released "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-controller-support-coming-to-pc-very-soon/1100-6419847/" data-ref-id="1100-6419847">very soon</a>." Earlier this week, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said Microsoft <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-we-need-to-do-more-for-pc-gaming/1100-6420024/" data-ref-id="1100-6420024">needs to do more for gaming on Windows</a>. "Part of my Xbox role is to bring back our Windows gaming focus," he said at the time.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft will share more details about its upcoming games lineup during the company's <a href="http://gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">E3 press conference on Monday, June 9 at 9:30 a.m. </a>GameSpot will carry a livestream of the event, as well as interviews and analysis video features immediately following the event.</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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 07:56:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-controllers-now-work-on-pc/1100-6420127/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ed-boon-explains-how-to-say-mortal-kombat-x/1100-6420126/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419094" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419094/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/mortal-kombat-x/" data-ref-id="false">Mortal Kombat X</a> was announced on Monday, with a trailer giving us a first look at how it plays. But it didn't tell us how to pronounce the title. Now we know, as series creator Ed Boon says on Twitter (via <a href="http://www.siliconera.com/2014/06/03/pronounce-mortal-kombat-x/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Siliconera</a>) that the official pronunciation is "<a href="https://twitter.com/noobde/status/473572797684256768" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Ex</a>," though he expects some people will call it "ten" instead."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Whatever you call, it Mortal Kombat X will launch in <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-mortal-kombat-launching-in-2015-for-xbox-360-xbox-one-ps3-ps4-and-pc/1100-6420023/" data-ref-id="1100-6420023">2015 across Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Since Mortal Kombat X's announcement this week, Boon has kept busy answering fan questions about the game on Twitter. He also revealed that <a href="https://twitter.com/noobde/status/473886228698263552" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">at least two new characters</a> for the game will be announced at E3, alongside <a href="https://twitter.com/noobde/status/474204146120138752" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">new story details</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/noobde/status/474200006606340097" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">maybe even a gameplay trailer</a>. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">E3</a> kicks off next Monday, June 9, and runs through June 12.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Separately, retailers <a href="http://www.gamestop.com/collection/mortal-kombat-x" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">GameStop</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Kombat-X-PlayStation-4/dp/B00KOOUVNI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1401978376&sr=8-3&keywords=mortal+kombat+x" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Amazon </a>have posted product pages for Mortal Kombat X, showing off what could be the game's official box art. It's also possible, however, that this is the a non-final version of the game's box art. For more on Mortal Kombat X, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-what-you-missed-in-the-mortal-kombat-x-trailer/1100-6420036/" data-ref-id="1100-6420036">GameSpot's feature about what you might have missed from the game's debut trailer</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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 07:31:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ed-boon-explains-how-to-say-mortal-kombat-x/1100-6420126/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-uses-version-of-avatar-2-facial-animation-system/1100-6420125/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549799-advancedwarfare.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549799" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549799-advancedwarfare.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549799"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2549799-advancedwarfare.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">This fall's <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare </a>uses a facial animation system powered by the same technology and techniques that will be used to produce James Cameron's upcoming movie <em>Avatar 2</em>. That's according to a<a href="http://www.edge-online.com/magazine/e268-future-tech-powers-a-revolution-in-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> teaser for <em>Edge'</em>s story </a>about Advanced Warfare.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Publisher Activision previously said that Advanced Warfare will deliver a "near photorealistic" world. We've already seen some of the game's facial animations, as a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-official-reveal-trai/2300-6418631/" data-ref-id="2300-6418631">story trailer for Advanced Warfare </a>got up close with actor Kevin Spacey's impressive-looking character, Jonathan Irons.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Cameron's original <em>Avatar</em> hit theaters in 2009. <em>Avatar 2</em> is expected to be released in December 2016.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">According to Activision, the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/two-studios-making-this-year-s-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-activision-promises-near-photorealistic-world/1100-6419400/" data-ref-id="1100-6419400">new three-year Call of Duty development cycle </a>meant that Advanced Warfare developer Sledgehammer Games was able to create a "near photorealistic world unlike any Call of Duty before." At GDC 2013, Activision R&D staffers showed off some <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-shows-off-next-gen-visuals/1100-6406090/" data-ref-id="1100-6406090">seriously staggering next-gen character models</a>, though they cautioned that they do not represent actual game assets.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Advanced Warfare launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/two-studios-making-this-year-s-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-activision-promises-near-photorealistic-world/1100-6419400/" data-ref-id="1100-6419400">November 4</a> for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. Sledgehammer Games is working on the Xbox One, PS4, and PC versions, while a studio to be named later is handling the Xbox 360 and PS3 iterations. For more on Advanced Warfare, check out <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" 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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 07:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-uses-version-of-avatar-2-facial-animation-system/1100-6420125/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-raises-300-000-for-make-a-wish-in-may/1100-6420124/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549791-makeawish1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549791" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549791-makeawish1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549791"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2549791-makeawish1.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">GameStop is giving back. The Make-A-Wish Foundation announced today that proceeds from the retailer's month-long drive to support the organization reached more than $300,000.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In May, shoppers at GameStop and its subsidiary Spring Mobile could donate to Make-A-Wish at the point of sale. This drive was a big success, as the $300,000 figure is well above the company's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-launching-new-make-a-wish-donation-program/1100-6419295/" data-ref-id="1100-6419295">original $100,000 target</a>. GameStop has supported Make-A-Wish since 2006.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"In typical GameStop fashion, we set a goal and then beat it by a long shot. What an incredible accomplishment for the GameStop family," GameStop CFO Rob Lloyd said in a statement. Lloyd is also a Board member for Make-A-Wish's North Texas branch.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">GameStop's partnership with Make-A-Wish has so far supported more than 1,000 shopping sprees at the retailer. According to Make-A-Wish's data, every week, 4-5 children request to shop at GameStop as part of their wish.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This latest Make-A-Wish effort from GameStop brings the retailer's total contributions to the organization to more than $1.7 million.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a non-profit organization that grants "wishes" to children with life-threatening medical issues. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/search/?indices%5B0%5D=game&page=1&q=world%20of%20warcraft/">World of Warcraft </a>and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/search/?indices%5B0%5D=game&q=diablo/">Diablo</a> developer is also a regular supporter of the Make-A-Wish foundation, most recently <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-world-of-warcraft-mount-and-pet-sales-to-benefit-make-a-wish/1100-6416337/">donating sales of World of Warcraft pets and mounts last year to benefit the organization</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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 06:40:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-raises-300-000-for-make-a-wish-in-may/1100-6420124/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-metal-gear-solid-5-ps4-gameplay-footage-emerges/1100-6420123/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RlKSegcO-0" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2F8RlKSegcO-0%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed%26start%3D3354&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D8RlKSegcO-0&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F8RlKSegcO-0%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="">During a special Konami Station video presentation today, the publisher performed a live demonstration of the PlayStation 4 version of upcoming open-world game <a href="/metal-gear-solid-v-the-phantom-pain/" data-ref-id="false">Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain</a>. The gameplay demonstration begins around 56 minutes in.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549780-tppmap.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549780" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549780-tppmap.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549780"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1179/11799911/2549780-tppmap.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">In the video, we see Snake--voiced by <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/metal-gear-solid-5-kiefer-sutherland-discusses-voicing-snake/1100-6417601/" data-ref-id="1100-6417601"><em>24</em> star Kiefer Sutherland</a>--stealthily moving about a desert camp using his iconic box for stay hidden. It's also shown in the video that Snake can now burst of out boxes to surprise enemies. What did you notice in the video?</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Also during the video event, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima showed off a map (at left) displaying the massive size of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Konami will give a gameplay demonstration of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain at <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">E3 </a>next week, Kojima <a href="https://twitter.com/HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN/status/474158862224740352" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">says on Twitter</a>. The Phantom Pain is a sequel to this year's <a href="/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes/" data-ref-id="false">Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes</a>, though there's no word on when it will be available.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For more on The Phantom Pain, check out <a href="/metal-gear-solid-v-the-phantom-pain/" 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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 06:17:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-metal-gear-solid-5-ps4-gameplay-footage-emerges/1100-6420123/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/this-fall-s-lord-of-the-rings-game-gets-an-e3-trailer/1100-6420122/ <p style=""> </p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419143" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419143/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Monolith Productions today released an new <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">E3 </a>CG trailer for this fall's console and PC Lord of the Rings game, <a href="/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor/" data-ref-id="false">Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor</a>. Titled "Gravewalker," the trailer shows off protagonist Talion as he seeks vengeance for his family's murder.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Two new runes for Shadow of Mordor were also announced today, and you can grab them by <a href="https://www.shadowofmordor.com/register/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">signing up for a WBID account at the Shadow of Mordor website</a>. First is the Orc Hunter rune, which increases your terror attributes after a stealth takedown. The second is the Gravewalker Rune, which you can unlock after signing into WBID and accessing the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/this-shadow-of-mordor-ios-app-listens-while-you-play-creepy-or-awesome/1100-6417323/" data-ref-id="1100-6417323">Palantir </a>at launch. This rune "spreads fear among Sauron's army when his Captains are defeated."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Shadow of Mordor launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/is-shadow-of-mordor-the-lord-of-the-rings-game-we-ve-been-waiting-for-we-ll-find-out-october-7/1100-6418725/" data-ref-id="1100-6418725">October 7 </a>for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. Set between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Shadow of Mordor picks up the night of Sauron's return to Mordor. You play a ranger named Talion who loses his family and his own life, only to be brought back by a mysterious spirit, granting him Wraith-like abilities in the process.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For more on Shadow of Mordor, check out <a href="/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor/" 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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 05:46:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/this-fall-s-lord-of-the-rings-game-gets-an-e3-trailer/1100-6420122/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tomb-raider-dev-announcing-new-game-at-e3/1100-6420121/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549751-crystal.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549751" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549751-crystal.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549751"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2549751-crystal.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/tomb-raider/" data-ref-id="false">Tomb Raider </a>studio Crystal Dynamics will announce a new game during <a href="http://gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">E3</a> next week, according to the <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/news-post/75245/e3-2014-spike-tv-and-gametrailers-coms-all-access-schedule-revealed" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">schedule for Spike's All Access Live Show</a>. Not only will Crystal Dynamics reveal what the game is, but the studio will also debut its first footage. The exact wording is that Crystal Dynamics will "make a new game announcement," suggesting that this project is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-gen-tomb-raider-sequel-confirmed-by-square-enix/1100-6412371/" data-ref-id="1100-6412371">not the already-confirmed Tomb Raider 2</a> for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">It's possible that this is the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/crystal-dynamics-working-on-new-ip/1100-6348190/" data-ref-id="1100-6348190">studio's all-new IP confirmed back in 2012</a>, or possibly even the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/crystal-dynamics-rebooting-soul-reaver-report/1100-6367143/" data-ref-id="1100-6367143">rumored Soul Reaver reboot</a>. Whatever the case, we won't have to wait long to find out, as Crystal Dynamics is scheduled to make the announcement on Monday, June 9.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The most recent game from Crystal Dynamics was 2013's Tomb Raider reboot for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, which was followed this year by an <a href="/reviews/tomb-raider-definitive-edition-review/1900-6415647/" data-ref-id="1900-6415647">Xbox One and PS4 "Definitive" version</a>.</p><p style="">E3 is expected to bring a bevy of game announcements, including <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-will-announce-a-major-frostbite-3-game-at-e3-what-do-you-think-it-is/1100-6419476/" data-ref-id="1100-6419476">six new reveals from Electronic Arts alone</a>. The action kicks off on Monday, June 9, when Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, and EA all hold their annual press conferences. Nintendo will follow the next day, June 10. For more on this year's E3, check out <a href="http://gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's roundup of everything you need to know</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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 05:24:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tomb-raider-dev-announcing-new-game-at-e3/1100-6420121/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-moon-dance-trailer/2300-6419123/ The doomsday trailer was so great that 2K and Gearbox wanted to find a way to top them with the moon dance sequence. Thu, 05 Jun 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-moon-dance-trailer/2300-6419123/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-gets-october-release-date-dance-filled-trailer/1100-6420114/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419123" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419123/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">A new trailer for <a href="/borderlands-the-pre-sequel/" data-ref-id="false">Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel</a> released today has revealed the game's release date of October 14. More importantly, it contains a healthy amount of moon dancing.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The dubstep-laced trailer provides a look at the game in action, showing us new environments, new enemies, an argyle-skinned weapon, and--if you look carefully--some of the skills two of the new classes have at their disposal. Halfway through, the trailer pauses for a "moon dance break," which 2K says it worked on with <a href="/dance-central-3/" data-ref-id="false">Dance Central</a> maker Harmonix in order to best the Claptrap dance routine from <a href="/borderlands-2/" data-ref-id="false">Borderlands 2</a>'s <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/borderlands-2-doomsday-trailer/2300-6350811/" data-ref-id="2300-6350811">"Doomsday" trailer</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Along with the release date, 2K announced the bonus meant to entice you to preorder the Pre-Sequel: the Shock Drop Slaughter Pit. No details were offered on this save for what's in the image to the right. It reads, "Enter the Shock Drop Slaughter Pit and face off against the toughest Scavs on Pandora's moon, Elpis! Survive the battle and you'll be feared and respected by the few left alive… not to mention the experience and gear you'll earn!"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Pre-Sequel, as the name suggests, is set before Borderlands 2, the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-2-is-now-the-best-selling-game-in-2k-s-history/1100-6418865/" data-ref-id="1100-6418865">best-selling game in 2K Games history</a>. Unfortunately for those itching to see what the series will be like on next-gen hardware, it will only be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-new-borderlands-game-isn-t-coming-to-xbox-one-or-playstation-4/1100-6418862/" data-ref-id="1100-6418862">available on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC</a>. Its price has yet to be announced, because its scope has <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-not-as-big-as-borderlands-2-may-not-be-full-price/1100-6419012/" data-ref-id="1100-6419012">not been determined</a>--Gearbox Software (which is co-developing the game with 2K Australia) president Randy Pitchford has said it may end up being somewhere between the original <a href="/borderlands/" data-ref-id="false">Borderlands</a> and Borderlands 2.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For more on The Pre-Sequel ahead of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">E3</a> next week, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-first-look-blowout/1100-6418858/" data-ref-id="1100-6418858">GameSpot's preview</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-gets-october-release-date-dance-filled-trailer/1100-6420114/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-s-forza-horizon-2-is-1080p-30fps/1100-6420120/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549743-horizon2new.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549743" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549743-horizon2new.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549743"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2549743-horizon2new.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Xbox One version of Microsoft's upcoming racing game <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/check-out-first-images-of-xbox-exclusive-forza-horizon-2/1100-6420048/" data-ref-id="1100-6420048">Forza Horizon 2</a> will run in 1080p at 30fps, creative director at Ryan Fulton has confirmed. 2012's original <a href="/forza-horizon/" data-ref-id="false">Forza Horizon</a> for Xbox 360 ran at a locked 30fps, and Fulton says it was imperative that the studio carried this forward for the sequel.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think what we did on Horizon was demonstrate that, and this is really important, a locked frame rate that's absolutely solid and never drops is the most important thing for our game," Fulton told <a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/04/forza-horizon-2-resolution-framerate-music-more-detailed-ign-first?page=1" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">IGN</a>. "30 [frames-per-second] actually enables us to realize that experience."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Concerning visual performance, Fulton said, "I think I remember that's always a hot-button topic, until a game comes out and people go, 'Oh, this actually really works.' But 1080p was an absolute must for us; it's the benchmark for next-gen."</p><blockquote data-align="right"><p dir="ltr" style="">"1080p was an absolute must for us; it's the benchmark for next-gen -- Forza Horizon 2 creative director Ryan Fulton</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="">By comparison, last year's Xbox One launch title <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/forza-motorsport-5-will-run-in-1080p-at-60fps/1100-6409332/" data-ref-id="1100-6409332">Forza Motorsport 5 fan in 1080p at 60fps</a>. Forza Horizon 2, however, is an open-world title, and this comes with its own set of technical challenges, Fulton said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The biggest difference [between Forza 5 and Forza Horizon 2] is that, obviously, we're an open-world streaming game," Fulton said. "We need to be able to drive in any direction at up to 270 miles an hour, if you're gonna soup up a Veyron or something like that."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"So one of the big technical challenges that we had to face was making sure that we could stream in a world that is next-gen beautiful, but fast enough to keep up with the fastest car," he added. "That's a huge tech challenge but it's one that our guys just eat up."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Also in the interview, Fulton says Forza Horizon 2 will retain the original game's focus on music. As such, he revealed that the game's soundtrack will be deeper and broader than what you heard in the original game. "Music is incredibly important to Horizon," Fulton said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We want a soundtrack you can explore in the same way you can explore our world," he added. "To that end we've doubled the number of radio stations in the game. We've doubled the amount of music that we're going to be shipping with the game on disc."</p><p style="">Forza Horizon 2 launches this fall for Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Playground Games is developing the Xbox One version, while Sumo Digital is handling the Xbox 360 iteration. </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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-s-forza-horizon-2-is-1080p-30fps/1100-6420120/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/witcher-3-box-art-leaked/1100-6420119/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549733-witcher3art.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549733" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2549733-witcher3art.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549733"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2549733-witcher3art.jpg"></a><figcaption>Image credit: Videogamer</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Ahead of CD Projekt Red's annual <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-the-witcher-3-cd-projekt-red-live-stream-here-on-june-5/1100-6420101/" data-ref-id="1100-6420101">summer conference later today</a>, the box art and what appear to be the preorder bonuses for upcoming role-playing game<a href="/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/" data-ref-id="false"> The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt </a>have leaked. The back page of the latest issue of trade publication MCV contains the image you see above, captured by <a href="http://www.videogamer.com/ps4/the_witcher_3_wild_hunt/news/the_witcher_3_box_art_and_pre-order_bonuses_revealed.html" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Videogamer</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As you'd expect, a fierce-looking Geralt dominates the box art, which we see is the same for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC versions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. There's a selection of bonus items also featured in the image, including a game map, stickers, official soundtrack, a Witcher Universe Compendium, and a game manual. It appears these are preorder bonuses.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">CD Projekt Red's surprises today were not entirely spoiled, as the developer also plans to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-the-witcher-3-cd-projekt-red-live-stream-here-on-june-5/1100-6420101/" data-ref-id="1100-6420101">announce a Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Collector's Edition </a>during its livestream event, which kicks off at 11 a.m. PDT/2 p.m. EDT. You can<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-the-witcher-3-cd-projekt-red-live-stream-here-on-june-5/1100-6420101/" data-ref-id="1100-6420101"> watch the event live on GameSpot</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt launches in February 2015 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. United States president Barack Obama recently <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/obama-mentions-the-witcher-during-trip-to-poland/1100-6420055/" data-ref-id="1100-6420055">mentioned "The Witcher" during an address in Poland</a>, saying the franchise--developed in Poland--is a great example of how the country contributes to the global economy.</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> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 04:32:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/witcher-3-box-art-leaked/1100-6420119/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/pushmo-world-review/1900-6415782/ <p style="">I always love it when a game has a limited range of incredibly simple mechanics that you grasp immediately, but that you find allow for lots of complexity once you actually start putting those mechanics to use. You see this in great recent action games like <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/nidhogg/" data-ref-id="false">Nidhogg</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/samurai-gunn/" data-ref-id="false">Samurai Gunn</a>, and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/towerfall/" data-ref-id="false">Towerfall</a>. And in a very different way, you see it in Pushmo World. This is a puzzle game that initially pulls you in with its simple gameplay and tranquil tone, but keeps you absorbed with spatial puzzles that have a pleasingly tactile feel and sometimes require a level of focus that has you forgetting about your worldly troubles. Pushmo World doesn't do much that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pushmo/" data-ref-id="false">Pushmo</a> didn't do already, and it's not as natural a fit for a console as it is for a handheld, but it's still a reliably good puzzle game that gives you more of what made the original Pushmo a success.</p><p style="">As in the original 3DS game, you play as Mallo, a character who looks like a marshmallowy, sumo-wrestling cat, but who never demonstrates either the agility we normally associate with felines or the strength in physical combat that we associate with sumo wrestlers. Instead, Mallo rescues babies who have somehow gotten trapped in the puzzles (called "pushmo") that the aptly named Pushmo Park is filled with. The parents of the region clearly need some guidance in how to prevent their poor infants from becoming enclosed in these puzzles, but until that happens, Mallo is there to come to the rescue.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2549396-ci-25508788830376002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549396" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2549396-ci-25508788830376002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549396"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/78/787590/2549396-ci-25508788830376002.jpg"></a><figcaption>This pushmo looks like a cow!</figcaption></figure><p style="">It wouldn't surprise me if, in his heart of hearts, Mallo is glad that the babies in the area are again in need of rescue just so he has an excuse to solve those puzzles. But alas, the deeper realms of Mallo's psyche will have to be explored only in Pushmo fan fiction--the focus here, thankfully, is entirely on the puzzles themselves. Each pushmo starts out as a flat, colorful mural of sorts, made up of separate panels, and you manipulate the puzzles by pushing and pulling on those panels.</p><p style="">Your goal in each pushmo is to reach the baby atop one of the panels, and pushing, pulling, walking and taking short leaps are your only means of interacting directly with the puzzles. Reaching the baby at the summit can be quite challenging, requiring you to concentrate on understanding the puzzle in three-dimensional space, and it's the way that the puzzles take hold in your brain as tangible, three-dimensional objects that you can manipulate in easily understandable ways that makes these puzzles absorbing. It's relaxing to focus so intently on the pushmo, and there's a pleasant sense of progress as you find yourself getting a better grasp on the logic required to solve some of them.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2549412-ci82126211230376003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549412" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2549412-ci82126211230376003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2549412"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/78/787590/2549412-ci82126211230376003.jpg"></a><figcaption>Moving the camera around to survey the puzzle can help you work things out.</figcaption></figure><p style="">This isn't to say that the game becomes easy, though; as you progress, puzzles become larger and more intricate, requiring more steps to solve. And they introduce gadgets like colored manholes (hop in a manhole of a certain color here and you'll pop out of the corresponding manhole elsewhere on the puzzle) and switches that, when stepped on, make panels of a particular color pop out or retract.</p><p style="">Pushmo World becomes quite challenging, but it's hard to pull yourself away because you know that the solution is right in front of you, that all you have to do is push and pull the panels in the right order to make your way to the top. How hard can it be? Pushmo World eases you into its challenge with a training area that introduces you to new concepts as they arise, and it lets you skip any puzzles that just aren't clicking for you. Pushmo World is the sort of game in which sometimes, if you come back to a puzzle that previously stumped you with fresh eyes, the solution is so apparent, you wonder how you didn't see it before.</p><p style="">You can also create your own pushmo using the easy and intuitive editor and send them to other players as QR codes, as well as visit the Pushmo World Fair to play pushmo created by other players, though this feature wasn't available to test during the writing of this review. Given the importance of spatial awareness in solving pushmo, the 3D capabilities of the 3DS made it a particularly good fit for these puzzles, and hunkering down in your living room with a console to play a puzzle or two doesn't feel quite as breezy as playing them on the go, so Pushmo World isn't quite the revelation on Wii U that Pushmo was on the 3DS. But the logic of these colorful puzzles is still as satisfying as ever.</p> Thu, 05 Jun 2014 00:01:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/pushmo-world-review/1900-6415782/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-music-of-transistor-in-the-key-of-red/1100-6420099/ <p style="">A good composer knows how to meet your musical expectations; a great composer knows how to subvert them.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was one of the greats. His music is known even outside the concertgoing public; there's a good chance, for instance, that you have heard his music written for the ballets <em>The Nutcracker</em> and <em>Swan Lake</em>, and his 1812 Overture remains among the most popular works ever composed. My favorite Tchaikovsky work, however, is his sixth symphony, known as the Pathétique, and it was this symphony I thought of when I recently listened to Darren Korb's Transistor soundtrack.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Korb's work and Tchaikovsky's are miles apart in terms of harmonic and melodic content, but they have some commonalities that struck me, and one commonality in particular stood out: the use of 5/4 meter. Tchaikovsky's sixth uses this time signature in its second movement, which sounds like an off-kilter waltz in which the dancers keep forgetting a step. In the Transistor track called "In Circles," Korb also uses the same meter to evoke tension, albeit a different flavor of it. Both works play with your expectations. Most music we listen to is organized into twos, threes, and fours; 5/4 meter has a different kind of lilt, and can be vaguely unsettling to listen to. Korb, however, eases the tension by moving from five beats per measure to three during the track's refrain.</p><div data-embed-type="html"><iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2382383956/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=1602672213/transparent=true/" seamless="">&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://supergiantgames.bandcamp.com/album/transistor-original-soundtrack"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Transistor Original Soundtrack by Darren Korb&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;</iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">With this track in mind, I got in contact with Korb to probe his musical mind, and asked him about this choice. "I knew I wanted to play with some non-standard time signatures early on," he says. "I thought a hint of 'math' would be in keeping with the computer-ey terminology of the game. It also tends to add extra tension!" That's not Korb's only tool for instilling anxiety, however. "One thing I like to do for building tension is to have rhythmic elements that fight a bit. In 'Gateless,' for example, the piece is in five but the bass line for the B section is in three, so it ends up feeling really tense. I also tend to use a lot of chords with close intervals for tension building as well."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Ah yes--another musical idea I associate with Tchaikovksy. Now I think of the sixth symphony's final movement, which features low cello and contrabass chords. In my early composition classes, I was taught that close chords in those deep ranges sound muddled and should be used with caution. If you own a piano, play a minor triad using extremely low notes; then, do the same in a higher register. The lower rumbling notes, rich as they are in overtones, sound goopy and indistinct, whereas the upper registers ring out more clearly. Used properly, however, close chords like this weigh heavy on the heart, and both composers deftly utilize that musical heft. Korb also uses dissonant chords in the upper range to create unease, such as in the opening of Transistor's first musical track, 'Old Friends.'</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418870" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418870/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">'In Circles' still stands out to me above the other tracks, however, not just for its use of 5/4 meter, but also for its vocals, which are provided by singer Ashley Barrett, so I asked Korb about this collaboration. "After working with Ashley on a couple projects now," he says, "I feel like I've gotten a better sense of how to write for her voice. For me, that's the main consideration that affects my writing process. Our sessions are pretty laid back. If a melody line doesn't feel quite right in her voice we will change it on the fly."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">It isn't just Barrett's voice that Korb must be conscious of, however. Compared to most soundtracks, Transistor's musical score doesn't feature a great diversity of instrumentations. Instead, Korb uses a lot of plucked string instruments like guitars, along with accompanying drums and other synthesized instruments. The result is consistent, but also surprisingly varied given the narrow tonal range, thanks to Korb's imaginative melodies and rhythms. "I tried to focus on a handful of instruments to help define the musical palate for Transistor," says Korb. "There is a lot of heavily delayed electric guitar and sampled drums, but I also tried to include a number of 'old-world' instruments: accordion, harp, mandolin, etc. In each piece I tried to include some of these elements to help create some continuity for the score, even though the individual pieces could be quite different from one another."</p><div data-embed-type="html"><iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2382383956/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=1969767334/transparent=true/" seamless="">&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://supergiantgames.bandcamp.com/album/transistor-original-soundtrack"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Transistor Original Soundtrack by Darren Korb&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;</iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Regarding Transistor's vocal tracks, Korb adds, "I tried to write all of the vocal pieces from Red's point of view. Greg Kasavin, our creative director, had a massive world document with a lot of backstory for her character, and I tried to use that to guide the writing process." This kind of close partnership isn't standard in the games industry; music is often one of the last things to be added, and is often not a consideration in a game's early planning. Korb composes for Supergiant on a full-time basis, however, and is part of the process from the very beginning. "On Transistor, we spent months prototyping our various disciplines. I ended up writing six or seven pieces before I felt I had gotten the tone right. During prototyping, the team put together a 'tone piece,' which was a video that combined concept art, music, and narration, with the purpose of trying to express the feel of the game. This definitely helped us to align the art, music, and writing."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Given the artistic cohesion of Supergiant's previous game, Bastion, it's no wonder that Transistor's aesthetic is just as cohesive. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is one of the best soundtracks of 2014 thus far, and is likely to remain near the top come year's end. Red is a troubled character in a troubled world, and Darren Korb's musical contributions play a vital role in how Transistor communicates her apprehension.</p> Wed, 04 Jun 2014 17:03:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-music-of-transistor-in-the-key-of-red/1100-6420099/
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