The Game Jar

8 out of 10 – The Pretty vs Good Paradox

RyanSyrett — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:33:48 +0000

Now that the lid has been taken off the next-gen Tupperware you would think the world would be salivating at the concept of the upcoming ‘next-gen graphics’. Traditionally when a new generation of consoles are released its treated as a wonderful, almost hallowed experience that yields all manner of delights and veritable leaps forward in how us gamers consume media. Over time we have seen multiple colours, more ‘bits’ and a transition in to full 3D. Things truly have improved in leaps and bounds over the last thirty years and it’s been an amazing ride. More recently, as systems have evolved, giant visual leaps have taken a back seat to overall refinement and additions. We’ve been offered more RAM, online gameplay, DLC and more recently Apps have been the contemporary flavor of the month. Quite frankly, although the latter sounds a little boring, they have been just as important as any other advancement. Console progression has been a great journey and is something that I’ve had the delight of watching evolve over the years. As time drags on and features have overridden full-on graphical evolutions I have found myself wondering… what’s next? What is this generation’s quantum leap? What’s going to be the next big game change? What’s the next Vanilla Coke? Well with Sony, Microsoft and poor, poor Nintendo’s recent releases and announcements it’s very clear that huge graphical overhauls are most likely to again take a back seat, and it’s understandable as, well… what’s the point? We have come into an age where to genuinely improve the look of something it has become as much the consumer’s job as the developers. To get the most out our console games we are now required to spend a sizable amount of cash on a large super 3D LCD mega laser TV or projector. However, if you are like me and are not quite sold on the relevance of 3D, or at least resent wearing the stupid goggles and consider yourself to be a regular non-gaming-PC fanatic, anything outside of a noticeable graphical improvement is hard to come by. It’s not that I don’t want to get the best image out of my games – I just can’t justify the outlay of purchasing something I will fleetingly use (does anybody bother with subscriptions to 3D TV?) or an upgrade to the latest high-tech screen. Let’s be honest, who really has the money to do either of these things, let alone the want? We no longer live in a time where the idea of a third dimension is soul-churningly desirable, and the honest truth is home console gamers are up to a point where the graphics in most titles are more than acceptable. Worryingly this is the crux of my article. Remember when Crysis first came out and threatened to blow everyone’s poor little processors to kingdom come with its unrelenting beauty? Remember when Far Cry 2’s engine was the paradigm of a breathable open world? Or when Star Wars: Force Unleashed showed off its ‘amazing’ wood breaking physics? Well guess what? When Crysis 2 came out it was nothing but a fairly standard FPS, Far Cry 2 was broken, Star Wars was incredibly dull and when Crysis 3 came out no one gave a flying shit about how it looked. Why? Because the gameplay was unrelentingly and indiscriminately average. Now I am not saying Crysis 3 is a bad game in the slightest, but I am beginning to see a trend where almost every other triple-A game that is advertised as high-end graphics now has fairly standard gameplay features. Reviewers often get confused by the paradox of pretty vs. good and end up giving the game a decent score by default. Although this may sound like a good deal to developers hoping to maximise decent review publicity, the next part of the trend is that these titles quickly fade into the distance and are forgotten, which at the end of the day is the saddest thing. I’m not trying to say that games shouldn’t strive to look good or anything like that because that’s stupid, but that some high-end developers seem to turn their ultra-graphics horse blinkers on and start believing in the imaginary finish line of visuals being the be all and end all of how to make an amazing game. The simple truth is that a great game designer will use graphics as tool, as part of a bigger assembly to create a remarkable experience as a whole. I believe the games industry has grown and evolved to the point where story and immersion kicks the backside of conventional mega graphics and the general public are no longer as easily impressed by shiny things as they used to be. Arcade, indie and smartphone titles like Swords and Sworcery, Angry Birds and Journey have retrained people into understanding that just because a game may look like it’s from a bygone era or be moderately cheap on the market, doesn’t mean they’re not firmly footed in the ‘now’ of cognitive presentation or even at the forefront of it. The days the true graphics whores have all but migrated to the PC and thus the living room has been left with a gaping hole of publishers trying to sell console high-end visuals to a quickly shrinking demographic of gamers. It’s bizarre, as trends would point to the fairly obvious conclusion that tight presentation, artistic design or simple and addictive playability are as important now as they have ever been.

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Dark Souls II – E3 2013 Screenshots

Jennifer Taylor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:16:40 +0000

Developed by From Software, Dark Souls II is the highly anticipated sequel to the punishing 2011 breakout hit - Dark Souls. The unique old-school action RPG experience captivated imaginations of gamers worldwide with incredible challenge and intense emotional reward. Dark Souls II brings the franchise’s renowned difficulty & gripping gameplay innovations to both single and multiplayer experiences

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Armored Core Verdict Day – E3 2013 Screenshots

Jennifer Taylor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:27:33 +0000

Command a squadron of fully customized Armored Core Units in a dystopian future ravaged by war and stripped of its natural resources; The last remaining resources needed for the survival of your faction are scavenged and bitterly fought for in the No Man’s Land, a bleak landscape that offers little hope for survival. Enlist into one of the various in-game factions and strategically adapt your weapon systems to wrestle control of territories away from other players and establish a much needed peace. A heavy trigger finger, innovative customization and tactical teamwork will be all that stand between survival and total annihilation in ARMORED CORE VERDICT DAY.

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GTA 5 – E3 2013 Screenshots

Jennifer Taylor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:07:18 +0000

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Pokemon X & Y – E3 2013 Gameplay Trailer 2

Jennifer Taylor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:42:03 +0000

Watch the latest gameplay footage from Pokémon X and Pokémon Y! Discover the new Fairy type, meet Noivern and Vivillon, and check out all-new Pokémon game features!

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Pokemon X & Y – E3 2013 Screenshots

Jennifer Taylor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:37:53 +0000

Rounding off an exciting week of Pokémon activity at E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, The Pokémon Company International and Nintendo announced that the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y video games will launch worldwide on Saturday, October 12, 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. The simultaneous worldwide release of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y will allow new and veteran Pokémon fans around the globe the opportunity to battle and trade never-before-seen Pokémon and past favourites with each other immediately.

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LEGO Marvel Super Heroes – E3 2013 Trailer

Jennifer Taylor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:26:53 +0000

Marvel at your favorite LEGO Marvel Super Heroes in this all-new trailer, featuring legendary Marvel characters, such as Captain America, Wolverine, Thor, Human Torch and Mr. Fantastic. Prepare yourselves for more brick-smashing good time as several LEGO Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains make their epic debut at E3 2013! LEGO Marvel Super Heroes features an original story crossing the entire Marvel Universe. Players take control of Iron Man, Spider-Man, the Hulk, Captain America, Wolverine and many more Marvel characters as they unite to stop Loki and a host of other Marvel villains from assembling a super-weapon capable of destroying the world. Players will chase down Cosmic Bricks as they travel across LEGO Manhattan and visit key locations from the Marvel Universe, such as Stark Tower, Asteroid M, a Hydra base and the X-Mansion. Set for release this Autumn, the game will be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation3, Wii U, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita, PC, as well as next-gen consoles Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

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Disney Infinity – E3 2013 Gameplay Trailer

Jennifer Taylor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:18:25 +0000

Now the Disney Infinity E3 2013 Trailer experience of a lifetime is the Disney Infinity E3 2013 Trailer event of the year. Astonishing. Visionary. More title cards than ever before. With special appearances from Sulley, Captain Jack Sparrow, Mr. Incredible, and countless Disney and Pixar characters in player-created worlds of adventure, high-octane racing, combat, and visceral, heart-stopping ornamental shrubbery. Disney Interactive presents DISNEY INFINITY, where your favorite Disney and Pixar characters come together in countless adventures that are as wild—and irreverent—as your imagination. Play in their worlds. Experience the worlds of Pirates of the Caribbean, The Incredibles and Monsters University. Take on the role of Sulley, the naturally gifted “scarer”; become Captain Jack Sparrow, and fight Davy Jones to rule the Seven Seas; or transform yourself into Mr. Incredible, and use your super strength to save the city from Syndrome and his robot army. Or create your own. Unlock virtual toys, characters, vehicles, buildings, weapons, gadgets, and more—and bring them into the Disney Infinity Toy Box where you can mix them all up to create your own worlds and adventures. Race. Fight. Build. Fly. Compete. Grief your friends. In the Disney Infinity Toy Box, there are no rules. If you can dream it, you can do it.

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The Evil Within – E3 2013 Screenshots

Jennifer Taylor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:03:48 +0000

While investigating the scene of a gruesome mass murder, Detective Sebastian Castellanos and his partners encounter a mysterious and powerful force. After seeing the slaughter of fellow officers, Sebastian is ambushed and knocked unconscious. When he awakens, he finds himself in a deranged world where hideous creatures wander among the dead. Facing unimaginable terror, and fighting for survival, Sebastian embarks on a frightening journey to unravel what’s behind this evil force in The Evil Within.

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Wolfenstein: The New Order – E3 2013 Screenshots

Jennifer Taylor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:54:50 +0000

Europe, 1960. The war is over. And the Nazis are triumphant victors. Using unrelenting force and brutal intimidation, the Nazis have brought even the most powerful nations to their knees. The Nazi regime now rules the globe with an iron fist. You are Captain B.J. Blazkowicz, the American War Hero. After emerging into this world of darkness, you must launch an impossible counter-offensive against the monstrous Nazi regime. Only you dare stand up against an unstoppable army of Nazi robots and hulking Super Soldiers. Only you can stop Deathshead. Only you can rewrite history.

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The Elder Scrolls Online – E3 2013 Screenshots

Jennifer Taylor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:37:32 +0000

Bethesda Softworks have announced that The Elder Scrolls Online is in development for both the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft. The game will launch on these consoles, in addition to the previously announced PC and Mac versions, in Spring 2014. The Elder Scrolls Online is the latest chapter of the award-winning franchise – and will bring the legendary experience online for the first time. Players can choose their own style of play as they embark upon an epic adventure across all of Tamriel, playing alone on a heroic quest as in previous Elder Scrolls games, exploring the huge, rich world with a few select friends, or playing with hundreds of others in massive PvP battles to save the Empire. “We are thrilled to bring this game to consoles, in addition to the PC and Mac,” said Matt Firor, game director of The Elder Scrolls Online. “It’s something our fans have been requesting since we first announced the title, and something our team is excited to offer. Everyone will be able to play The Elder Scrolls Online the way they want to play”

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QPAD MK-80 Keyboard review

Josh Mathews — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:02:45 +0000

So keyboards, right? They’re just a big bunch of buttons! Well yeah, but while cheap keyboards do the job there are plenty of things that can be improved to make sure you’re comfortable. One thing I now know is that keyboard geeks are a thing and most of them really dislike the squishy rubber domes that you find frequently. Because of this desire for comfort the mechanical keyboard is making a comeback. I don’t know what those keyboard guys are talking about but they’re right about mechanical being the way to go. The QPAD MK-80 that I’ve been typing with over the last couple of weeks is certainly a step up from my old Saitek Eclipse 2. It’s sold as Pro Gaming hardware, but I would say it’s pretty good for typing in general too! The MK-80 has Cherry MX blue switches – that sounds like a flavour of slushy to me and means nothing to everyone who doesn’t dig keyboards. To use the back of the box a Cherry MX blue switch is “50g tactile and clicky switch”, but that isn’t a great way of describing it either… The switches have a hard tactile feel accompanied by a kind of loose bounce before the switch goes off with a sharp click (and thud if you’re really beating on them), the sound is both satisfying and informative so you know when something has been pressed and it becomes much easier to avoid mistakes. If you’re really going for it the noise can get quite loud and I hope that you aren’t near anyone irritable when you’ve got an essay to write! As I spend quite a bit of time recording video the keyboard sounds really pick up on a mic and can become annoying in the background. After being used to my ancient Saitek Eclipse with much softer and quieter rubber dome keys, this was new to me, but ultimately much more pleasant as it was less work for my fingers and going back to my old board now can make them ache. The keyboard doesn’t look too flashy, but it has a nice form factor. There really isn’t too much to say about the shape of it – it’s pretty much your standard affair – but I like that there aren’t any superfluous bells and whistles. It fits nicely on my desk and doesn’t take up too much room. If you pick it up it feels quite hefty for what it is (at 1.27Kg) but solid and durable. With the wrist pad the keyboard only gets a couple of inches taller but I feel it is necessary – with the stabilisers down the whole thing is quite far off the desk. It is covered by a soft matt plastic that is rather comfortable to the touch as the wrist pad is also made from it. This plastic is rather prone to showing up finger prints and marks but aside from that it looks really good. They keys have a cylindrical shape that’s a good standard for most boards and are coated with a much harder but nicely textured plastic, The lettering is made by spaces in this coating so the back-lights can shine through. This gives me doubts about the longevity of the lettering as the plastic may fade away around them over time, but it seems pretty durable so I guess we shall see. The extras the QPAD MK-80 does have are are quite useful if you ever find the need for them, but don’t get in the way otherwise. There is a mic and headphone jack incorporated into the top right next to two extra USB ports. I hate wires, so fortunately the extensions for these are put into a single cable with the PS/2 plug so you don’t have to deal with tidying up the back of your PC. I didn’t find a use for the Jacks, but the USB hub was quickly put into use as a pen drive station! It took me a while to figure out how to turn on the key backlights, but once I did (Fn+Numpad8) the attractiveness really went up – the otherwise dull (but readable) keys became much more appealing. Aside from the MK-80 itself in the box were some pretty ugly orange key caps that are shown as replacing the WASD for some reason. I’m not sure why you would want to do that, but overall it’s a good idea to have some spares. The most useful thing though is the key puller! I love that little bit of plastic; it make removing keys so much easier so you can clean and replace them super-fast. Buy your QPAD MK-80: QPAD.com

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DeathByRobots Podcast Episode 75

The DBR Podcast — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 12:24:30 +0000

Episode 75 of the DeathByRobots video game podcast is brought to you this week in association with the console war. Join Jenn, Ryan, Ant and Sam as they discuss the conferences of E3 – Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft, EA and Square Enix. As you can imagine, not everyone agrees with each other… chanting ensues. What would you like us to discuss? What would you like us do more or less of? Who would you like us to have on an episode as a guest? Download .mp3 Not an iOS user? That’s OK, just whack our RSS feed into your podcasting thingy of choice and you’ll be good to go. [feed://www.thegamejar.com/author/dbrpodcast/feed/] Tweets from the team Tweets from @TheGameJar/death-by-robots-podcast Podcast Credits Thank you to the lovely Garf for his posters to co-incide with the DBR Podcast. You can find more of his work on his website: thegarf.co.uk Thank you to the amazing Code Marla for the intro music. You can find more of his work on his website: codemarla.com

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Goodbye Deponia – E3 2013 Teaser

Jennifer Taylor — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:05:20 +0000

In accordance with the start of E3, we bring to you a teaser for Goodbye Deponia.

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Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag – E3 2013 Cinematic Trailer

Jennifer Taylor — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:21:45 +0000

You are Captain Edward Kenway, a pirate among assassins. Set sail for a unique adventure in the Caribbean where you will live by your own rules, explore uncharted islands and discover the gritty life of the legendary outlaws of the 18th century.

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