It happens every year at E3. With so many megaton announcements, it’s all too easy for the smaller games to slip through the cracks. Fear not though readers, as we’ve been keeping an eye out for the hidden gems of E3 2015 and Wayward Sky certainly deserves your attention, so take a look at this teaser trailer.
This new title will work with Sony’s Project Morpheus VR headset (which was a bizarre no-show on Sony’s stage this year) in what the developers have dubbed a ‘look and click VR adventure.’ The trailer shows a mix of third-person exploration and platforming along with first-person scenes of investigating certain areas in detail.
We see a father and daughter crash land on a floating factory-like building in the sky. The father is then promptly kidnapped by a flying robot, leaving us in the shoes of the daughter, Bess, to save him. What follows is a mix of puzzle and platforming. It looks like the Morpheus headset will be especially useful when the camera goes first-person and the player can freely look around the puzzle for what could be an intuitive and immersive experience. Continue reading Wayward Sky brings ‘look and click’ genre to Project Morpheus→
Hands up. Who’d given up on ever seeing a Final Fantasy VII remake? I certainly had, especially after reading one interview with Square-Enix a while back where they said they wouldn’t even consider it until they’d made a game as good as FFVII. Considering the XIII trilogy (they made three!) exists, it didn’t look good.
Now that all the E3 2015 press conferences are finally over, I’ve been able to take a much-needed step back and reflect on the games that have really stood out. And The Last Guardian stands out in way that few others did.
While we had explosive blockbuster displays and epic reveals from the like of Horizon: Zero Dawn, Fallout 4, Halo 5, Doom and many more, nothing really formed an emotional bond as much as the reappearance (demo video below) of The Last Guardian. But why? Continue reading Was The Last Guardian the real star of the most explosive E3 yet?→
A packed E3 2015 showing from EA included a rather tasty gameplay trailer for Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst where we see Faith in action. The first-person free-running skills are looking slicker than ever as Faith perform wallruns, slides and even boots enemies clean through windows. Unlike some, I was never struck with motion-sickness with the original, but that new backflip may take some getting used to!
Rumours of an open-world city to explore were confirmed and there will be no loading screens at all. Having a huge playground to explore with Faith’s skillset sounds like a fantastic way to expand on the ideas of the under-rated original title. Hopefully there will be lots of collectibles littered around the city to encourage lots of sky-high climbs and death-defying last-gasp gap leaps. Devilishly tough time trials are sure to return also, which will be great if they include ghost images of the best times again. Continue reading Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst debut gameplay trailer and release date→
Frankly, it’s a surprise it’s taken this long for the team at Traveller’s Tales to get their hands on the Jurassic Park license. But on the plus side, it’s meant they have managed to squeeze the brand new Jurassic World entry into the game alongside the original trilogy.
In fact, if you want to dive into the new movie straight away, you can after the prologue level. But if, like us, you love the original movies, you’ll want to play through from the very start. By now, TT are seasoned pros at reproducing iconic moments from films into family-friendly games. They’ve had their work cut out for them though as the original movie is surprisingly violent, so the game has been heavily reimagined or cut. So nobody really dies, goat spines don’t land on sunroofs and you certainly won’t be seeing Samuel L. Jackson’s severed arm flopping onto Laura Dern’s shoulder. Hell, even Dennis Nedry has even been slimmed down (because Lego doesn’t do fat). I’m surprised (disproportionately outraged) the electric fence scene has been completely cut though. Continue reading Lego Jurassic World (Review) – Closed for maintenance→
A reliable sign you’re playing an absorbing game is how it makes the time fly. I was constantly interrupted by my TV’s two-hour auto-shutdown notification throughout my time with The Witcher III: Wild Hunt. Geralt’s adventures will cut through the days and nights so fast it’ll shock you.
The Witcher III marks the series’ debut on PlayStation and as such will be played by many gamers unfamiliar with the past games. There’s no getting around the fact that you’re going to be at a loss just diving in, I’d seriously advise reading a few wiki summaries of past events and brushing up on some of the main characters so you won’t feel too left out. Continue reading The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (Review) – An unpolished classic?→
UK Beta users of game streaming service, PS Now, have reported that the new prices that have been added to the service and they’re pretty outrageous. How Sony expects to succeed with such high prices for rentals is beyond anyone’s imagining, especially seeing as many titles can be bought outright physically for similar prices. There’s a lot of work to be done, if PS Now wants to survive beyond launch. Continue reading Sony’s PS Now UK Rental Prices are taking us for chumps→
The consumer model of the Oculus Rift has just been unveiled via a live stage show broadcast on Twitch. Here are all the updated details about the Virtual Reality headset that you’ve been waiting for along with the new game announcement details and some incredible details about TWO new controller input options that have just been confirmed.
Coming in Q1 2016, the Virtual Reality headset has been eagerly awaited for the last few years since smashing its kickstarter goal and more recently, being acquired by Facebook for millions. And we’re edging ever closer to making Virtual Reality an actual reality. So how about some details about that consumer model headset? First up, it’s no longer this awkward, large and bulky set of boxes and straps. The ergonomics of the headset have been tweaked over the years to create a lightweight unit, that can be put on with the simplicity of a baseball cap. Continue reading Oculus Rift rundown of new details and new controllers→
It’s been a long time coming, but we finally caught a glimpse of full-on gameplay for the eagerly-awaited Hellblade. Until now, we’d only seen gameplay through basic design animation tests during Ninja Theory’s dev diaries.
The story for Hellblade has taken a new turn. Senua’s trip into hell is actually a manifestation of her mental illness after the trauma of a Viking invasion. Sounds a bit Silent Hill to us. Psychosis is now a central theme of the game and the studio has been working with Psychiatrist and Professor of Health and Neuroscience at Cambridge University, Paul Fletcher, to develop these themes. Fletcher said: “True understanding of mental health is not simply about books, lectures or verbal descriptions but from deeper engagement on all levels. Working with Ninja Theory has shown me the potential that gaming has for sharing in a character’s experiences and engendering empathy in ways that go well beyond those offered by simple academic descriptions. Maybe this approach will contribute powerful new ways of challenging stigma.” Continue reading Hellblade E3 trailer finally shows some gameplay→
We’re a lucky generation. It’s never been cheaper to buy behemoth-sized TV screens and the visuals for games and movies have never been clearer thanks to the rapid dominance of HD screens and the success of the Blu-ray medium for the movie industry and as a physical media for console games. But there’s a tiny issue spoiling games today. One so small, you’ll probably have to squint to see it.
It’s all in the small print. Why, with these massive screens and crystal clear pictures, do we constantly have to squint or move closer to read the text in video games? The Witcher III: Wild Hunt is another in a long line of big-name games that should really know better. Continue reading Witcher III and many others are being spoiled by a tiny problem→
If ever a PS4 game deserves its own extensive strategy guide, it’s Bloodborne. Sony’s PS4 exclusive by From Software has rapidly become the PS4’s most essential title, adored by fans of Demon’s Souls and the Dark Souls series, as well as a fair few new fans, myself included.
I know what many of you are thinking, ‘why do I need a guide book, when the internet is out there?’ It’s a fair point and one impossible to ignore during this review. But having browsed multiple online wikis and read the weighty 550 pages of this guide with official information gathered from the devs themselves, it’s clear that this hardback guide is an essential purchase for fans of the game, whether they’re just getting started, looking for ways to finish off those last few bosses, master the incredible depths of the Chalice Dungeons or discover new weapons and how to use them. No stone is left unturned. Continue reading Bloodborne Collector’s Edition Strategy Guide Book (Review) – A light in the dark→
So, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is finally official. Sony confirmed the PS4 remaster of the trilogy this morning with an announcement trailer, but we’ve been running cheap preorders since yesterday. It would have been nice to have seen some actual gameplay in the reveal trailer but it’s a safe bet that’s being saved for their E3 show.
New-gen remasters are a source of controversy amongst many gamers, and we’ve certainly seen a few dubious ones ourselves. But rather than judge them as a whole. we like to think we examine each one on it’s own merits. So let’s take a look at Uncharted and try to establish if this is a quick cash-grab while Sony treads water or an essential purchase. Continue reading Uncharted PS4 Collection – Treading water or essential purchase?→
The new E3 trailer for Battleborn has been released early and it’s looking pretty good. We’ll remain cautious until we’ve got our hands on the new FPS/MOBA hybrid as Gearbox’s output in recent years has varied considerably (Borderlands series – ace. Aliens: Colonial Marines and Duke Nukem’ Forever – balls.).
It’s undeniably pretty though, reminding me of the colourful aesthetic of WildStar. Unlike WildStar though, Battleborn will be coming to the PS4 and Xbox One as well as the PC. With any luck we’ll find out how the FPS/MOBA model is going to work out as more details emerge during E3. Continue reading E3 Battleborn trailer shows off gameplay→
You’ve all seen the new Fallout 4 trailer right? Go on, we’ll wait. Well it’s time to gauge the reactions of gamers around the world by examining one of the hottest trending topics we’ve seen in a while.
Hands up. Whose PS4 or Xbox One is completely full already? Quite a few of you we imagine, especially seeing as most games seem to move in with about 40GB of space on your hard-drive.
Today we’ve heard leaks about a new 1TB hard-drive PS4 model and the rumours of an Xbox One slim with a bigger drive have been doing the rounds too. Of course, PS4 owners can buy their own 1TB drive and install it and there was briefly a 1TB XO (the COD model), but why the hell has it taken Sony and Microsoft so long to wake up to the fact the 500GB drive is a joke? Continue reading 1TB PS4 and Xbox One models are appallingly overdue→
The announcement of this standalone expansion prequel to last year’s excellent Wolfenstein: The New Order was an excellent surprise and the news that it was only going to cost about £15 was even better. Fast forward a few short weeks and you can pick up a copy for about a tenner. You’re looking at the best bargain of 2015, folks.
While the majority of the last game was set in the alternative version of the 1960s where the Nazis won WWII, The Old Blood takes place towards the end of the war in the mid 40s. You’re attempting to infiltrate Castle Wolfenstein, an enormous fortress built into the side of a mountain. The word ‘imposing’ doesn’t really do it justice as you approach it via cable car. Continue reading Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (Review) – “Ein Hotdog!”→
The latest trailer for Lego Jurassic World ties in neatly with the new movie as it gives you a tour of the newly opened Jurassic World theme park. We’re sure the opening will run smoothly. No wait, little Lego people are running for their lives and I’m pretty sure I saw a Raptor doing a wheelie on a bike. Clear your backlog people, this game is going to have you glued to your seats until that Platinum Trophy pings. Enjoy the trailer and take a look at our roundup of the best preorder deals for every format below. Continue reading Lego Jurassic World trailer takes you for a tour while we dig up the best prices→
Today’s new video for Batman: Arkham Knight shows seven minutes of continuous footage from a segment of the game. This gives us an excellent impression of the different play styles available in the space of a few short minutes. We’re always happy to see gameplay over snappily edited snippets of cutscenes.
Over the course of seven minutes, we’ll see Batman swoop over Gotham’s beautifully lit Chinatown, before he dives through a building’s glass skylight and straight into an indoor brawl with no loading sequence at all. This part of the story sees him rescuing a rather underdressed Poison Ivy (where are your pants, Ivy!) from Scarecrow’s goons. There’s nothing spoilery to look out for though.
After a quick cutscene Batman gives her a lift in the batmobile to Gotham PD, giving Warner and Rocksteady the chance to show off how you can smash through buildings for shortcuts as alternatives to the route-planning line on the HUD. There’s a brief battle against the Arkham Knight’s armoured tanks on the way, which is a good excuse to transform the Batmobile into Battle Mode for some quick strafe and shoot rocket-fuelled fun. Take a look for yourself below and maybe play through Asylum and City to get ready for Batman: Arkham Knight in a month’s time. Continue reading 7 mins of new Batman: Arkham Knight footage→
Gaming reviews, previews and features by Brendan Griffiths
The No Sleep Gamer 