Analysis – Don’t Count On A 4K Future Quite Yet

Last week, Kotaku reported that Sony was planning a new version of its PlayStation 4 hardware, which could play games at 4K resolution. Before you speed over to your nearest big-box retailer and throw your wallet at a new television, however, keep a couple of things in mind. First, while a few anonymous sources have said that such a device is in the works, it’s not anything close to an official confirmation. Indeed, playing games at 4K is just one of several possibilities. But more importantly, such a console simply isn’t viable considering the current state of the market.

On its surface, the idea of running games at 4K resolutions sounds great. Right now, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 top off at resolutions of 1080p, which is 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. A 4K display bumps that up to either 4,096 x 2,160 or 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, depending on which of the two standards you’re using (DCI 4K or UHD-1, respectively). 

The Tech Is Expensive…And Big
Want to build a new PC that supports 4K and does it well? Prepare to spend some cash. A GeForce GTX Titan X video card can run you upward of $1,000 alone. It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, but it’s an important point. Digital Foundry ran an excellent feature that speculates on several possible hardware configurations and strategies for a so-called PlayStation 4.5, including one designed to push the GPU significantly over the existing PS4 hardware. As they call out, however, the numbers seem unrealistic for a mid-generation hardware refresh. 

It’s unlikely that Sony would – or could – produce something that could compete with the bleeding edge of PCs. High-end gaming rigs are big, heavy beasts that need space and airflow to keep their components from melting their way into the Earth’s core. Consoles are typically based on technology that’s hit the sweet spot between performance, price, and production availability, which isn’t necessarily where hardcore PC enthusiasts call home. It’s more likely (which shouldn’t be confused with meaning “likely”) that Sony would instead make a more modest improvement to the hardware in this reality. Keeping it at a $399 price point while goosing the GPU and adding the necessary faster RAM would be tricky, even considering updated manufacturing techniques that would be available in 2017.

Not Enough People Own 4K Displays
Let’s pretend that manufacturing costs aren’t prohibitive. Who’s going to be able to play these 4K games? Right now, the current install base for 4K displays sits at around 10 percent, with even bullish projections estimating it will take four years for the tech to hit a 50-percent market share. 

Compare the current state of 4K to where HD was in 2006, when the PlayStation 3 launched. By then, several dozen networks were broadcasting content in that format. It seems small compared to the options available to us today, but it was a good start. Now look at 4K. Aside from a few select Netflix shows, some YouTube videos, and video rentals from Sony’s Video Unlimited, you don’t have much to show off on your spiffy new set. Streaming video in that format requires a pretty fat online pipe – Netflix recommends 25Mbps or faster – so you’re also at the mercy of your ISP. 

ESPN is dipping its toes into the 4K waters, filming some events in that format, but they aren’t regularly broadcasting in that resolution. The network was an early adopter of HDTV, and its sports broadcasts wowed viewers with how crisp and bright the then-burgeoning format looked. Where sports go, it seems everyone follows. For the time being, the network is on the 4K sidelines, slowly edging onto the field. 

Sony has helped spur emerging technology along with its consoles, helping to bring CD, DVD, and Blu-ray players into homes, but not with a hardware revision. Mid-generation updates have traditionally been reserved for incremental upgrades such as incorporating Ethernet ports into the PlayStation 2 slim, or shrinking the form factor and creating quieter units. Introducing something as substantial as 4K gaming support to the PlayStation 4 seems like a big stretch.

VR Booster?
One of the driving factors in a decision to develop more powerful hardware could be connected to Sony’s VR push. The hardware demands of rendering gameplay at 90 frames per second is significant, and several developers expressed their dissatisfaction about the console’s power relative to the Oculus Rift and its PC-powered counterparts. As it stands, developers have to make compromises in visual fidelity to support the peripheral, which is something that competitors don’t necessarily have to worry about. 

The PlayStation VR also requires an external processor that, at least in this stage of the hardware, is about the size of a Wii console. That’s a bulky add-on; perhaps Sony is trying to work on an integrated solution, and it’s being misinterpreted as being a straight-up hardware upgrade?

It’s possible that Sony is indeed working on some kind of insanely powerful PlayStation 4.5 that will somehow play 4K games without taking up a mini-fridge-sized footprint or warming up your house like a space heater. Plausible? Nope. While it’s true that, yes, there are 4K displays that you can actually own, don’t expect Sony Computer Entertainment to be the company to roll out the red carpet for the fledgling technology – especially not in the middle of a console cycle.

from www.GameInformer.com - Top Five http://bit.ly/1RFZk0f

Replay – Kabuki Warriors

Receiving the low, low score of .5 out of 10, Kabuki Warriors is one of the lowest scored titles in Game Informer history. Andy McNamara, who gave the game this abysmal rating, joins us for a look back at one of his most detested games. Kabuki Warriors was developed by Genki and released exclusively for Xbox on November 19 2001.

We dive into the game's career mode to show off its unique fighting mechanics, dance moves (yes, you read that correctly), and character trading. We also play a few competitive rounds, with Andy giving us a good look at a fighting style that made his Kabuki Warriors review famous. Does he still have the skills to hit the buttons with his...well...you'll have to watch the episode to see what Andy does, but you may want to hide the children first.

After this brief look at another horrible game from yesteryear, comes the first round of the Super Replay Showdown with matches between Jeff Cork and Kyle Hilliard, Dan Tack and Brian Shea, Jeff Marchiafava and Javy Gwaltney (named by George Lucas), and Kim Wallace, Ben Reeves, and me. If you aren't familiar with our annual Super Replay Showdown, the winner of the tournament gets to play the game of their choosing for an entire Super Replay! That's a complete playthrough of a game with our commentary and shenanigans included.

Enjoy the episode, and we hope your Super Replay Showdown brackets aren't destroyed after this first round. We'll see you again in seven days!

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For more episodes of Replay, check out our Replay hub, or click on the banner below to watch episodes on YouTube.

from www.GameInformer.com - Top Five http://bit.ly/1RuFguy

15 Unexplained Mysteries In The Division

The Division doesn't feature the most focused narrative, but Ubisoft Massive has built up a fair amount of intrigue surrounding the society-crashing Dollar Flu and what happened to the first wave of Division agents. However, I've run into deeper and much more puzzling questions while plundering the streets of Manhattan. Here are some of The Division's biggest unexplained mysteries.

Mystery #1: Why Are So Many Rikers Gang Members Named Alex?
Whenever I gun down a member of the Rikers gang, there seems to be about a 25-percent chance one of his buddies will respond by shouting, "He shot Alex!" How in the world does a gang contain that many Alexes? Do they only allow ex-prisoners named Alex to join? That seems like a pretty strict requirement, but given their impeccably coordinated wardrobes, not out of the realm of possibility. Or maybe there's some kind of Fight Club-style Robert Paulson situation going on? Seeing as how they all shoot at me on sight, I'll probably never know. Stinkin' Alexes.

Mystery #2: When Did Neck Tattoos Get So Popular?
The Division launched with 28 different neck tattoos that you can customize your character with. After picking your gender, you have a selection of eight heads to apply them to. I'm willing to give Massive a pass on why all Division agents look so similar, but what the heck is the lore behind the sudden popularity of neck tattoos? Given the fact that most of society has died from an infectious disease, maybe stabbing a needle into your neck thousands of times isn't the best idea. And who the heck is doing all this post-apocalyptic neck tattooing anyway? At least it's good to know that hideous body art doesn't disqualify you from landing a cushy job in a top-secret government agency.

Mystery #3: What Kind Of Super Batteries Is New York Running On?
I can buy into the premise that New York City has been ravaged by a modern-day plague and been completely abandoned. I can even accept the idea that escaped prisoners and rogue garbagemen might set up competing gangs to take over control of the city. What I can't swallow, however, is the fact that New York's ruined streets are somehow still awash in the headlights of abandoned cars. Everywhere I go, I come across chirping cellphones and glowing laptops – in the real world, I'm lucky if I can make it through a full work day without my phone running out of juice! What kind of remarkable battery technology was invented in the lead-up to the apocalypse? Because honestly it might be worth it...

Mystery #4: Is Heather Lau A Super Hero?
As any Division agent can tell you, unloading 30 submachine-gun rounds into an enemy's dome isn't necessarily a guaranteed kill. Yet when you track down your handler's missing sister, Heather Lau, you find out she somehow offed an attacker with a single swing of her acoustic guitar. Which begs the question: What kind of secret, super-human strength does Heather Lau possess, and why isn't she the one out there saving the city? Seriously, she's got plenty of spare guitars lying around her apartment...

Taking back New York would be a heck of a lot easier if you could one-shot every enemy you come across – even if your weapon of choice is a musical instrument.

Mystery #5: How Many Copies Of Discovering New York Do You Need?
I mean, even if you're new to the city, you should be able to get by with like...five copies. This guy's got eight on just two of his bookshelves! Along with other riveting reads like Banking, Real Estate, Beaches, and the number-one bestseller, Money. What a collection!

Coming Up Next: The real nature of The Division agents...

from www.GameInformer.com - Top Five http://bit.ly/1MHFyKq

Both Nintendo NX Controller Hoax Perpetrators Tell Us How They Tricked The Internet

The Internet was recently enamored by a convincing fake mock-up of a Nintendo NX controller. Assorted message boards debated its veracity, and a few days later another photo appeared of a similar controller. Yesterday, the creator of the original mock-up came clean, showing off the process of how he created the image. A video showing how the second photo was created appeared hours later, detailing how its creator designed and 3D-printed the controller. We were able to speak to both creators through e-mail to see how the projects came together independently.

Anatole Korczak created the original image. He's a mobile-game developer who publishes mobile games under the name Noname Games and has so far released three games.

Why did you decide to do this? Were you hoping it could help point people to your games after revealing yourself?
I'm a fan of Nintendo and I like what they do, and I decided to make it for fun. I did not think it would catch so much attention.

How long did it take?
The creation started 10 days ago, when I made drawings and some different designs. I've never studied graphic design, so I'm self-educated.

Have you done anything like this before?
I made another fake console that you can see here.

Why pick the Nintendo NX? Was your design based only on the patent?
I'm a fan of Nintendo, and I'm enthusiastic about this new console. The design was purely based on the patent with some modifications, as well as other rumors. I didn't have any inside knowledge of the future console.

Once you released the images, did you work with anyone to cultivate the hype?
The images were first released on Reddit and I also sent an email to Dualpixel. Nothing more.

How did you feel about the reactions before you revealed yourself?
I was hungry and tired! I was thinking there would be be a lot more hate reactions. I followed all the reactions, articles, forums, and news about it. It was fun because a lot laughed about it and others hated it. There were two teams, #teamreal which believed it and the #teamfake (on Neogaf), which wanted to prove that it was fake. Many people thought it was 3D printed and not a render.

What did you think of the 3D printed follow-up hoax? Did you guys interact at all?
With the first comment on Reddit, I said that I would maybe send other pictures and videos. Many expected me to do a 3D print (via 3dhub) with my model and to send out a photo and video of the print. Then the other photo appeared and I decided to make my video in three hours with After Effects. The photo of the other fake made me rush on it. My idea was to make a video where I removed the adhesive to reveal the word, "FAKE".

Do you have any regrets? Would do anything differently if you were to do it again?
Yes, I would have continued the fake and put the video I posted yesterday on YouTube on April 1. I also would have added changing buttons on the pad and made the console with the pad.

Are you excited about NX? Are you worried about Wii U?
Yes, for sure. I follow all the news about Nintendo and also rumors. For me, the Wii U has not been on my mind since they announced the new console.

After revealing yourself, did you hear anything from Nintendo?
Yes, they sent me a Nintendo NX. Do you want a picture of it?

Coming Up Next: Read our interview with the man who created the 3D-printed controller, and see the fabled tree that Internet detectives believed connected the game to Ubisoft Massive...

from www.GameInformer.com - Top Five http://bit.ly/1MHFxpR

The Inside Story Of Recording Metal Gear Solid

The first Metal Gear Solid on the original PlayStation was a turning point in the game industry. In 1998, Hideo Kojima and his team at Konami delivered a game widely praised as one of the most cinematic, interactive experiences in gaming. A large part of the game's positive reception hinged on some of the most memorable voice-work in the industry. On this special edition of The Game Informer Show, we  take a deep dive into the history and recording process of that first game.

Hosts Ben Hanson and Tim Turi (who is no longer with Game Informer) are joined by voice director Kris Zimmerman Salter and the stellar menagerie of voice actors involved with that first game, including David Hayter (Snake), Cam Clarke (Liquid), and others, to tell the full story. This is not your typical interview on The Game Informer Show, it has been edited to be more of an audio documentary (with a YouTube component) so we hope you enjoy the show.

You can watch the video below, subscribe and listen to the audio on iTunes, or listen to this episode on SoundCloud. Also, be sure to send any feedback to podcast@gameinformer.com.

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To jump to a particular point in the discussion, check out the timestamps below... 

2:38 - Casting and auditioning for Metal Gear Solid
11:08 - The surprising recording process
20:05 - Kris Zimmerman Salter's directing style
22:35 - The voice of Solid Snake
26:55 - Recording Otacon
32:33 - Creating the classic Game Over screams
33:30 - Recording Meryl
34:50 - Recording Liquid Snake
41:30 - Recording Vulcan Raven
47:43 - The fan reaction to Metal Gear Solid
57:55 - David Hayter's thoughts on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
1:03:50 - The legacy of the first Metal Gear Solid 

from www.GameInformer.com - Top Five http://bit.ly/1RE5I8q

Opinion – Manhunt Is The Dark, Underappreciated Masterpiece We Deserve

Manhunt was just re-released on PS4 this past week, so I thought I'd talk about why it's so fantastic.

It's hard for me to imagine any other company than Rockstar emerging as the defining video game developer in the first decade of this century. Not only did Rockstar popularize the open-world genre with Grand Theft Auto III and its decade-bouncing siblings, but the developer's constant courting of controversy ensured that its games would be up front and center in all mainstream news outlets. Though the technical and creative achievements of the Grand Theft Auto series are indeed laudable, for me, 2003's Manhunt has always been the developer's strongest game and remains my favorite title from the seventh console generation.

Manhunt was released in 2003 and was developed mostly by Rockstar North. The game cast the player as death-row inmate James Earl Cash, who is given another chance at life by disgusting snuff-film director Lionel Starkweather (brought to life by Brian Cox in a great performance). After being released from a dark room by Starkweather, Cash has to journey across modern-metropolis-turned-hellscape Carcer City while brutally killing members of various gangs and military outfits who have been paid by Starkweather to hunt him down. Starkweather films you via thousands of cameras placed all over the city while you murder these people in gruesome detail with scythes, baseball bats, shards of glass, and various firearms. Survive the night, do what you're told, and you'll earn your freedom, so says Starkweather. It's a pretty grim premise and more than just a tad grody.

So what makes Manhunt so great then?

I'm In Control, Right?
Nearly four years before BioShock would wow everyone with a twist ending that revealed you were just a puppet following the orders of some jerk in the midst of a power struggle, Manhunt created a narrative that constantly toys around with notions of player control in subtle but diabolical ways. Within the game, a rating system hinges on the sorts of executions you perform on enemies. The majority of Manhunt takes place in the shadows, with you sneaking around foes to get behind them and kill them. While you're standing there holding the attack button, a colored ring orbits your target's head. It goes through three phases depending on how long you hold the button: white, yellow, and red.

If you release the button during the white phase, Cash quickly dispatches the bad guy with whatever weapon he has in an animation that's brutal, but also over quickly. Animations tied to the yellow ring take a bit longer, and are generally more gruesome, while red-ring animations are absolutely disgusting and drawn out. Earning the most points for each level means nabbing as many red-ring animations as possible. To say it plainly: We're being scored on just how cruel and malicious we can be to other characters. It's revolting. It's monstrous. It's absolutely enthralling.

Yes, it's a sick game, but it's hard to deny just how fun it is (and how much skill it takes) to pull off those brutal stealth executions. You have to move quietly and think strategically, using mundane items like bricks and bottles to distract enemies so you can get the drop on them. Even years later, Manhunt plays extremely well and provides a constant challenge; it plays so well that that it turns off the part of my brain that should be horrified with the fact that I'm plunging shards of glass into strangers' eyeballs over and over again, fantasy or not. Manhunt constantly puts me in a contradictory state, one of both being horrified and entertained, and that works because the game itself is so caught up in its own contradictions. For example: the player is both Cash and the director, Lionel Starkweather, at the same time.

During executions, the camera flips to Starkweather's view, showing Cash killing his target in a bloody close up, with arterial spray often splashing across the screen. Starkweather, often acting as a sadistic dungeon master, gives you various objectives to complete as the game goes along. Kill this goon over here with a certain weapon to unlock a door. Rescue some people. Guide a drunk through the streets. Neither Cash, Starkweather, nor I, the player, can progress until these actions are complete, no matter how grotesque they may be. Manhunt, all at once, holds players hostage and encourages them to indulge in the most violent of fantasies. And what lies at the end of the game, after you've jumped through all of Rockstar's hoops? A bloody, nihilistic ending that offers neither closure or absolution, but is instead a showcase of the violent acts you've committed. You're not the savior of this story. Everything you do, both as Cash and Starkweather, brings misery and death to other people. You're a two-headed monster that doesn't deserve redemption. 

Perhaps the only way to win Manhunt in any true sense is to turn the game off in defiance of the power it wants to hold over you. But that's a battle I've lost many, many times and will continue to lose as I return to the game year after year, ready to prowl its dismal streets and earn yet another perfect rating.

I Spy With My Little Eye...
Games are often just as much the product of the culture they were produced in as they are the creations of the development teams that made them. In 2003, reality television was quickly becoming hip, with both Survivor and American Idol taking off and demonstrating that people wanted content that felt "more real." They didn't actually want reality, though; that would be too boring. Instead they wanted something that appeared to be real while still being grounded in the high-stakes drama of fiction. Reality television, whatever you may think of it, was good at producing this sort of experience: handheld cameras surging toward contestants crying, everyday people being pushed too far to the edge and then responding violently or with profanity-laced rants. It was exhilarating and raw.

Manhunt, developed and released right around the same time as this boom, was also doing the same thing with video game violence, making it more real and disturbing than what gamers were used to. During execution sequences, everything comes together to create incredibly unnerving spectacles, from the chop chop chop sounds of Cash lopping off a mercenary's head with a machete to the little splatters of meat that splash over and stick to wall when you take off half of some guy's face with a baseball-bat swing.

However, more than a decade down the line, and the significance of Manhunt's visual language and the themes connected to it has evolved with the times. In the aughts (and now, but to a lesser degree), Americans often voiced their fear of the surveillance state, that the government could and would be listening in on our phone calls and watching us at any given time. As the years passed, this idea became more bearable because it shifted into the surveillance society. Thanks to the explosion of social-media platforms and the role that such tech plays in our lives, people everywhere are either comfortable or resigned to being observed as long as they can observe others as well. We live in an age where, in a matter of moments, we can watch events unfold halfway across the world, or we can send a message to someone who we haven't spoken to in a decade just to see how they're doing. We pay for these privileges not necessarily with cash, but instead with our personal information for corporate databases and marketers to use.

In Manhunt, both Cash and Starkweather mutually benefit from working together via the wireless headset in Cash's ear and the cameras located all around the city. There are certain situations where Starkweather will tell Cash where a valuable weapon is or give him certain information to help him along for the sake of making the action more exciting. As Cash does more of what Starkweather wants, his odds for surviving the night increase while the director gets more footage for his snuff masterpiece. Like us, Cash is being watched, but he's receiving beneficial information in return thanks to the tech he and Starkweather are using to communicate, though the director certainly has the upper hand in the relationship given that he's able to keep tabs on Cash and manipulate the scenarios Cash finds himself in. It's a very twisted take on mutualism, but it's one that fits Manhunt's predatory universe — a world that mirrors our own in an uncomfortable number of ways.

Continue on to Page 2 to read about more about where Manhunt and the real world meet.

from www.GameInformer.com - Top Five http://bit.ly/1T9OOh0

An Exclusive Interview With The Actors Behind Gears Of War 4

With the announcement of our April cover story on Gears of War 4, we also revealed the actors that will be playing the game's three playable characters. In this feature, it's time for the actors to talk about their experience working with The Coalition on Gears of War 4. While visiting the studio, we sat down with Liam McIntyre (JD Fenix), Eugene Byrd (Del), and the prolific Laura Bailey (Kait), to discuss the excitement and pressure of bringing the characters for the next generation of Gears to life. If you're looking to learn even more about the new characters in Gears of War 4, check out our story from earlier this month.

Watch the video interview below to learn how JD's voice will compare to Marcus' and more.

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from www.GameInformer.com - Top Five http://bit.ly/1RBoqai

All Of Those 'NX Controller' Pictures? Fakes

As with most recent console releases, the NX can now be listed as having been faked to fool the internet. The original picture of the NX controller was photoshop work and the two shots of the odd-looking device on a desk were the work of a 3D printer.

The two videos evidencing the creation of the items now clearly modeled after a Nintendo patent emerged online in the last 14 hours. The first, from Idriss2Dev, who “leaked” the first image to site Dual Pixels shows how he made the image look convincing.

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The other two images, which look identical to Idriss2Dev’s mockup except in black, were in fact based on that first falsehood. You can see how Frank Sandqvist made the physical fake below.

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“So, uh, it’s fake,” Sandqvist says at the start of his video. He then proceeds to show exactly how he fooled a willing fanbase.

Only one thing is for sure when dealing with pictures that randomly appear online purporting to be something entirely unseen: people will go to great lengths to make others fall for a prank.

[Idriss2Dev video via GoNintendo]

 

Our Take
The sooner Nintendo reveals the NX, the happier I’ll be. I’m not a fan of the speculation over anonymously posted pictures with no established credibility. Reports with solid sourcing are one thing, but people aren’t shy about their willingness to play upon others’ excitement for a cheap thrill or self-promotion.

from www.GameInformer.com - Top Five http://bit.ly/1T9naAJ

GI Show – The Future Of Games, NX Rumors, Jason Mewes Interview

The annual Game Developers Conference was last week, and with it came a flood of news about the potential future of the gaming industry. From Microsoft and Sony both reportedly eyeing a shift in the traditional console cycle to rumors swirling about Nintendo's bold, new direction for their mysterious NX console, there's a lot to break down. On this week's show we are joined by three editors that took the pulse of the industry at GDC: editor-in-chief Andy McNamara, Matt Bertz, and Javy Gwaltney. In addition to a lot of industry talk and speculation, we also cover some of the more promising indie games from the show and the early verdict on PlayStation VR. After all of that adult stuff is out of the way, we're joined by Justin Woodward from Interabang Entertainment and actor Jason Mewes to talk about the pitch for their crowd-funded brawler Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch.

You can watch the video below, subscribe and listen to the audio on iTunes, or listen to episode 292 on SoundCloud. Also, be sure to send your emails to podcast@gameinformer.com for a chance to have them answered on the show and win a prize by becoming Email of the Week!

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To jump to a particular point in the discussion, check out the timestamps below... 

:30 - The history of GDC
7:55 - Developing in VR/PlayStation VR Impressions
19:50 - Rumors of PlayStation 4.5 and improving the Xbox One
26:55 - The most promising indies at GDC/"The Indie-pocalypse"
47:40 - Nintendo on iOS
50:20 - Nintendo NX rumors
1:00:30 - Emails
1:28:15 - Justin Woodward and Jason Mewes on Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch

from www.GameInformer.com - Top Five http://bit.ly/1pKIgKC

Opinion – Redefining Victory As Gaming Goes More Mainstream

Growing up, the bus ride to school served as the bragging grounds for my friends and me. I distinctly remember reveling in my accomplishment of getting through the special zone of Super Mario World, only to have my friend throw his successful completion of Mega Man 2 in my face later that week. Constantly trying to one-up each other was always fun, but the feeling of accomplishment was what made the battle most worthwhile.

I haven’t had any rivalries like that in my adult life, so when a fellow Game Informer editor challenged me to keep a record of all the games that I beat in 2016, I jumped at the chance to reignite the sense of competition that I enjoyed so much during my youth. I started off strong, beating both Rise of the Tomb Raider and Tales from the Borderlands within the first two weeks of the year, but after plowing through a couple more titles, I realized the games I’ve polished off feel different than the ones I played during my formative years.

The games I beat during my childhood rivalries – titles like Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Donkey Kong Country, and Earthworm Jim – felt like achievements to finish. That feeling that you accomplished something not just anyone could do was fueled by the competition my friends and I used to take part in. Reaching the end and vanquishing the final challenges required the right level of skill mixed with persistence, and made you feel good about your skills as a gamer. 

With the continued rise of narrative-focused games over the past several years, many games have become less a test of skill and more of a pathway to experience a new story. Games like Bloodborne and XCOM – not to mention the swarm of indie games that capitalize on the retro-difficulty niche – still offer the challenge many gamers crave, but even more traditional action experiences like Uncharted present a default difficulty setting that strips away most of the challenge in favor of narrative. Instead of coming into the office and proudly proclaiming that I beat a game, I feel more compelled to discuss the various plotlines with another player, much like I would a television show I share in common with a coworker. 

Without difficulty driving the sense of accomplishment, these types of games reward players in different ways. The Lego Star Wars series may play like old-school action titles, but as I neared the end of my time with those games, the excitement I felt wasn’t centered on the climactic battles I was about to experience. Instead, I was just pleased to see the familiar story wrap up in a fun and unique way. 

While I enjoy these games for different reasons, they engage me in distinct ways. Beating some games is simply a matter of how long you stick with the game rather than how much skill you possess. Sometimes I feel more like I’m escorting the protagonist from one point of interest to the next, rather than actively fighting for my survival, but when narrative is the main draw, that might not be a bad thing. Modern innovations such as autosaves and strong checkpoints have thankfully eliminated much of the need for perfection in order to beat something. These are overall for the betterment of the medium, but it also makes for an experience that eliminates some of the blood, sweat, and tears aspect so many gamers love.

Too often, gamers want to elevate one of these styles as superior to the other, but having more varied experiences in the industry makes it a more inviting medium. Whether you count yourself among the most hardcore difficulty junkies or you’re a part of the wider swath of players that enjoy the narrative experiences, there are always new games to appeal to your tastes.

The games that have made the decision to sacrifice skill-based accomplishment for experiential reward have opened the industry to a wider and more diverse audience. While I love the sense of achievement that difficult games provide, I also enjoy guiding characters that feel like an extension of me through a story that I know I’ll be able to experience in full as long as I stick with it. 

Meanwhile, modern games that are difficult by design have enjoyed a strong resurgence; no longer commonplace, that sense of skill-based accomplishment has garnered titles such as Dark Souls and Hotline Miami a cult-like following. They can give players a higher level of investment in what is going on in the world, since they know their success is by no means guaranteed.

The fact is that most games do land in the middle. However, it’s unsurprising that the games that truly manage to marry these two experiences – like BioWare’s Mass Effect series and Rocksteady’s Arkham series – typically end up being my favorites. 

I’ll always love games like Super Mario World and Donkey Kong Country, but that enjoyment doesn’t prevent me from also liking less-challenging experiences. More importantly, it’s not an either/or proposition: We’ll always have hand-crampingly-difficult games to take our skills to task and trophies to show off when we finish them. The only difference is we now also have the easy-going experiences that anyone can enjoy regardless of their expertise. If that means that more people can enjoy the hobby I’ve been so passionate about my entire life, I’m fully on-board. 

from www.GameInformer.com - Top Five http://bit.ly/1RAejCI

Fallout 4 Automatron DLC Impressions: All Brains And Brawn

From Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's meaty Shivering Isles expansion to Fallout 3's numerous (and exceptional) add-ons, Bethesda Game Studios has a long history of making meaningful downloadable content for its games. Fallout 4's first DLC offering follows suit. Automatron features a wonderfully penned quest line that, while short, ends up affecting the entire Commonwealth, and adds a nice layer of depth to an already deep experience.

Once downloaded, Automatron integrates into your existing Fallout 4 playthrough, but requires the player be at least level 15 to access the first mission. As soon as a save file is loaded, your character is alerted of the impending robot war. Bethesda wastes no time throwing players into harm's way. Before you even know anything about the war, you are pulled into a battle against a powerful legion of robots. This new crop of enemies challenge you in different ways. Some robots are all about fire power, while others use an octopus-like smoke-screen ability to mask their movements. The new enemy types are in great abundance, and they all drop unique loot.

After the first skirmish, your character runs into a friendly robot named Ada, who becomes a customizable companion. In this moment, she serves the purpose of a story data dump, quickly bringing you up to speed on a new adversary named the Mechanist. She doesn't say too much about him, but does enough to establish him as a threat that must be taken down immediately – if that wasn't already apparent from the everything-must-die directive of his mechanical creations. 

What comes next is a series of fairly straightforward fetch missions to uncover beacons that lead to the Mechanist's location. These missions introduce a new raider faction, even more robot adversaries, three great boss fights, and a satisfying story that dives deep into the role artificial life plays in a world run by organics. It's a heady story, but one chock-full of humor and interesting new characters. One enemy wears unique Tesla Power Armor that you can add to your collection after defeating it.

While Automatron's story stands on its own nicely, it has a lasting effect on Fallout 4's world, giving players the ability to build their own robot companions through a new workbench. Crafting a war machine is as easy as assembling a new suit of Power Armor, but has more of an immediate allure. as most robot adversaries drop new parts for you to add to your collection. The thought of "I want to add that to my robot now" runs through the entire new quest line. And yes, you are given some outrageous parts, ranging from saw blades to a wide variety of chassis.

The DLC can run longer in time if you haven't been harvesting the world of supplies. Building robots requires plenty of rubber, adhesives, ceramic, circuit boards, and more. I ended up having to create vegetable paste for adhesives, which meant scouring the world for corn and fruit. The idea of questing for corn to make a robot doesn't seem right, but that's part of this experience if you aren't loaded up on components.

Automatron is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC for $9.99. I enjoyed the hell out of this new quest (which is one my favorites next to any relating to Nick Valentine), and it gives the player a companion that can truly be built from the ground up.

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10 Modern Games That Are Challenging Yet Rewarding

The release of Dark Souls III is only a few weeks away, and with it comes an uptick in the discussion about challenge and difficulty in games. When most people talk about these factors in modern video games, they seem to equate everything to the Souls series. This can marginalize the Souls games in a way (especially when they aren’t really that punishing), but more importantly, it neglects the many other titles that still provide a good challenge in an industry that often favors mass-appeal experiences.

With that in mind, we've created a list of modern games that rival Dark Souls in terms of challenge, but also maintain a similar sense of reward and accomplishment. It's important to note that these titles are in no particular order. 

The Banner Saga
Developer: Stoic Studio
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC, iOS, Android

There's a whole lot to deal with in The Banner Saga at any given time. You need to maneuver your units in a calculated, deliberate way or face the unchangeable consequences, but that's only the first layer of this tactical RPG. The game is split between dangerous, methodical turn-based grid battles and travelling the countryside with your caravan of soldiers while making significant choices to keep them healthy and hopeful. Proper management is the key to everything, from character stats and resources to gear availability and morale. Add to that the fact that your actions and decisions affect the story in drastic ways, and you may even end up losing an important character due to a poor dialogue choice. The high-risk, high-reward mind games of The Banner Saga are always gratifying for those that take the journey.

Galak-Z
Developer: 17-Bit
Platform(s): PS4, PC

There are no second chances in Galak-Z. When you die, you die. All of your upgrades, currency and bonuses are lost and you’re sent back to the beginning of whichever five-part chapter you’re on. At first, this might sound too daunting to be any fun – but the spacefaring combat of this 2.5D shooter is what will keep you coming back. Galak-Z’s controls allow you to boost, strafe, shoot and dodge all at the same time, assuming you’re quick enough to do so. The tense dogfights between your highly maneuverable transforming ship and the smart, powerful AI make each victory a thrill. As your piloting skills improve, you’ll be able to accumulate more and more enhancements in order to carry yourself to the game’s growing challenges.

Darkest Dungeon
Developer: Red Hook Studios
Platform(s): PC

Just as it preys on the minds of its characters, Darkest Dungeon tests the willpower of the player more than anything else. With its oppressive atmosphere, daunting narration, bleak visuals and threat of permadeath, it almost seems as if this roguelike RPG wants you to give up. You’ll be doing a lot of dungeon crawling as you handle mechanics like selecting your individual party members, coping with their stress levels, and accumulating loot to enhance them and the hub town they live in. But those who persevere through the decrepit, procedurally generated depths of each dungeon will find dangers and prizes in equal measure. Managing the dwindling sanity of your party members, outwitting the increasingly deadly opponents, and bringing your wealth back to fuel your town’s growing economy soon becomes a deeply fulfilling loop.

Rogue Legacy
Developer: Cellar Door Games
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Vita, PC

While it looks and feels somewhat similar to the older Castlevania games, Rogue Legacy is a great example of the roguelike genre moving forward. It doesn't relent on the genre's naturally punishing design, but it does provide a very good reason to continue playing after you die (dozens of times). The cash you've accumulated during your last run through a randomly-generated castle is kept to buy upgrades for your next hero. It's not as easy as hoarding money over time, though, since all of it needs to be spent on that new hero before they can enter the castle. Each successor is different, and each one contributes to the game's variety as you fight through nknowable castles full of enemies and traps.

Bayonetta 2
Developer: Platinum Games
Platform(s): Wii U

As the sublime sequel to one of the best action games ever made, Bayonetta 2 carries on the original's dedication to difficulty. Playing as the sultry witch is even more fun this time thanks to the game’s rock-solid controls and performance. Understanding how and when your angelic enemies will telegraph their attacks is crucial to avoiding defeat, but having the reaction time to dodge and punish with a beautifully flashy combo is what sets good players apart. The game rewards skillful execution with its tantalizing medal rankings and halo bonuses after each encounter, driving you to not only progress but to actively get better.

Five more games await on the next page, ready to test your reflexes, your wits, and your micromanagement skills.

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Exclusive Interview Dives Deep On Destiny Spring Update

Bungie is rolling out info about its Destiny April Update through a series of three live streams, the first of which just concluded. Ahead of the stream, we were able to ask some questions of Ryan Paradis, the live events lead designer who has been in charge of preparing the update, and he provided additional detail about what’s on the way. If you missed the live stream, or you want to learn a little more about what you can expect, dive on in.

This week’s content reveals zero in on new activities, so we’ve focused on those in our questions. Specific details about gear, Crucible updates, and other facets of the Destiny experience won’t be explored until later. Read ahead to learn more about the April Update’s story, what you’ll be doing as you aim to hit the new light cap of 335, changes to King’s Fall, a major update to Prison of Elders, and more. 

After you read the interview, don't forget to check out our dedicated media gallery for the April Update, which includes over 100 screens that show off the new activities. 

What is the goal for the April Update? When you began development on this new content, what were the most important objectives for your team?

Our goal with the April update was to hit a few different fronts. We have a lot of fans who fell in love with exploration on the Dreadnaught, with our Strikes, and with the Prison of Elders, but they’ve moved past them. We wanted to revitalize some of these favorites, and at the same time provide new challenges and rewards. As the Live team has done in the past, we wanted to provide awesome new vanity items for players to both express themselves better, and to look like the badasses they truly are. 

Another thing that was really important for us to accomplish with this update was to provide players more choices in how to become more powerful. The raid is a great endgame option, because it’s challenging, requires tons of coordination, and features our most complex mechanics, but for players who aren’t routinely raiding, we wanted to provide viable endgame gear upgrade options in Prison of Elders, Strikes, the Court of Oryx, and Crucible activities.

What’s the top-level story idea for the April Update? How does the new story content dovetail from the events of The Taken King release?

The focus for the April update is on the Reef and what’s going on there after the devastation. While they’re beaten, they’re not down for the count, and Variks will be guiding you through the update. Although Oryx is dead, the Taken are still as strong as ever, and Variks is tasking you to stop them from resurging. The new story is intended to provide a small continuation of the Taken King storyline, and dovetail into our new Strike and Prison of Elders content.

Will there be new Grimoire cards to acquire? 

With everything we’ve added in this update, there are of course new Grimoire Cards to further expound on the deeper lore of Destiny. I don’t want to spoil any of the new lore, but there are new grimoire cards for some of the new activities, some of the gear you’ll encounter, and even some bosses you’ll be fighting. We know how passionate the fans are about the lore we put in the Grimoire, and wanted to make sure to scratch that itch with this update, too.

What’s the concept behind the Blighted Chalice strike? 

Variks is going to leverage your particular set of skills to track down a new Taken threat. The Blighted Chalice Strike is the conclusion of that questline.

King’s Fall is being updated with gear that goes up to light value 330. Are these the same pieces that were previously available in the raid, but at a higher level? Or are there new gear pieces/weapons? Have the King’s Fall fights themselves changed at all? Will this version of King’s Fall (with 330 gear) be a third difficulty?

With the increase in overall light, both current difficulties will be adjusted to provide additional challenge and commensurate rewards. The Challenge Modes will still be available, but we aren’t adding a third difficulty tier, or any new encounters. 

How will Court of Oryx change? Can you tell us anything about any of the new bosses or fights that Guardians might encounter there? Is the highest level fight still triggered with an Antiquated Rune?

With Court of Oryx, Guardians will continue summoning enemies with existing runes. No changes there. We have boosted the drops coming out of the Court to better prepare Guardians for the other challenges we’ve setup in this update, though.  

Next Page: Learn about the big changes coming to Prison of Elders.

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The New Direction For Gears Of War 4's Story

We've touched on how Gears of War 4 is tweaking the gameplay to the beloved series, but with this feature we want to focus on the game's story and The Coalition's approach to storytelling for the new generation of Gears of War. While visiting the studio for our Gears of War 4 cover story, we spoke to Gears of War 4's creative director Chuck Osieja and studio head Rod Fergusson about updating the series' tone, avoiding character archetypes, and the goal of launching a larger Gears of War universe.

Watch the video interview below to learn more about The Coalition's ambitions and the story fans will experience in Gears of War 4.

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Playing The Opening Hours Of Hyper Light Drifter's Mysterious World

Developer Heart Machine announced the release date this morning for its upcoming Hyper Light Drifter. The game will be available next week, so we've decided to post our extended feature on the game that appeared in our March 2016 issue of the magazine. You will find the fill feature below.

Hyper Light Drifter has no spoken dialogue or written sto ry. A few lines of text appear during the opening moments to discuss small mechanics, but that’s the last time you see any words. The way currency works is not immediately apparent, because there are no numbers. You have to test your weapons and upgrades because no tutorial explains their function.

“The main motivation is we want to be subtle and implicit,” Hyper Light Drifter’s creator Alex Preston says, “Being explicit can ruin the mystery, or you can’t make the story quite your own.” Everything in Hyper Light Drifter is explained through animation and imagery, and everything is learned through player intuition and experimentation. The result is a narrative led by emotion rather than transparent facts, and gameplay built on discovery instead of tutorial.

From the beginning, Hyper Light Drifter presents a world of mystery and intrigue. The Drifter, the player character, is seen standing amid a collection of dead bodies.  A shadowy creature attacks and the scene shifts as he finds himself in front of gigantic humanoid, possibly robotic titans who shatter before him. It’s unclear if this sequence is a peek at the history or future of this world, or if it’s a dream. When I finally get control of the Drifter, I only take a few steps before he hunches over in pain, coughing as the screen fills with red pixels. Thankfully a health pack is nearby, and one of the few tutorials instructs me how to pick it up and use it. The Drifter is suffering from some kind of sickness, but it does little to debilitate his movement and combat abilities.

The Drifter can blink from one position to another. I zip around the combat field as I encounter my first enemy – a small goblin-like creature who takes exactly three hits to dispatch. Combat is fluid, and though I have the mobility advantage, the goblin can dole out damage quickly if I don’t stay on my toes. Battles are thoughtful and fast, without getting overwhelming and even the smallest enemy poses a threat.

The blink ability quickly proves to be much more than a combat mechanic, as I use it to move across chasms and between platforms. Blink has no limit to how much I can use it, and it quickly becomes my main mode of movement, even when there are no obstacles requiring its use.

The Drifter makes his way outside, but the mysterious plague grips him again. As the screen fills with red pixels, a shadowy creature, perhaps the same one seen in the aforementioned opening, attacks and everything goes black before he wakes in a house surrounded by computer equipment.

Leaving the home reveals a town, and a device that heals and serves as a platform for fast-travel. Anthropomorphic animals and alien creatures mill about, and a few have stands set up to sell items, but I don’t have any money. Guards stand by the town’s exits, but do nothing to prevent my departure, so I point the Drifter east.

For more from our time with Hyper Light Drifter, as well as interviews with its creators, head to page two.

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The 10 Greatest Versus Rivalries In Video Games

The upcoming release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has us thinking about some of the memorable confrontations in gaming. We’ve chosen these one-on-one contests not just because they made for great fights, but because the conflict between the two individuals in each case defines our memory of the game. Sometimes a powerful rivalry is as potent and engaging as the most romantic of love stories or enduring of friendships. Here are our picks for the greatest video game match-ups in history.

NOTE: Most of the games on this list are older classics, but they do discuss SPOILERS about the major conflicts and characters of those games. You have been warned.

10.   Little Mac vs. Mike Tyson (Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!)

Little Mac has fought his way up through one boxer after another, learning their moves and mastering different offensive strategies. At long last, the Dream Fight beckons, and the diminutive Mac steps out into the ring opposite the greatest fighter of his generation: Mike Tyson. Dynamite punches begin to fly, and the David vs. Goliath battle is on. Mac’s confrontation with Mike Tyson was the definitive video game battle for a whole generation, and the dynamic between the two boxers is a classic underdog tale, presuming you can ever land that final punch.

9. Mario vs. Bowser (Super Mario Bros.)

It’s a conflict born out of the very roots of the console gaming scene, and even in this first game, the battle comes back again and again. It’s hard to count how many times Bowser has kidnapped the hapless Princess Peach, and Mario has leapt up in pursuit, and that all started in the original Super Mario Bros. Bowser’s need to stop Mario extends out through every moment of the game – whether it’s his minion Koopas that threaten progression, or Bowser’s fireballs flung across entire stages to keep Mario at bay. The overall-wearing plumber jumps and sprints past it all, and flings Bowser down into the lava time and again. But the giant dragon-turtle king always finds a way to come back and disrupt the Mushroom Kingdom yet again. 

8. Kratos vs. Zeus (God of War III)

Don’t mess with Kratos. That seems to be the point driven home as we see the one-time god of war clamber over the murdered bodies of gods in pursuit of vengeance against his father, Zeus. The king of the gods feared that his son would usurp his throne just as he once did to his father, so he struck down the blade-wielding warrior to preemptively halt the inevitable succession. Big mistake. Kratos besieges Olympus with the angry Titans at his side, and eventually goes head-to-head with Zeus in a truly godlike confrontation. Father/son relationships turn out to be much more complicated when you’re an immensely powerful mythological figure – a lesson Zeus learns all too well as one bloody punch after another settles the matter once and for all.

7. Alucard vs. Dracula (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)

Video game characters must have rough relationships with their fathers; this time, it’s the complicated dynamic between the lord of vampires, Dracula, and his prodigal son. Alucard’s identity as Dracula’s progeny goes a long way to establishing his awesome powers, and he needs all the help he can get to survive the many dangers in his adventure. The fortress of Castlevania is a living edifice and representation of Dracula’s evil and power, so Alucard is effectively fighting against his father in every battle he tackles within the cursed castle. In the final conflict, Alucard is forced to confront a decision between his human nature and his cursed heritage, making for one of the most epic head-to-head exchanges in games.

6. Link vs. Ganon (The Legend of Zelda series)

Most of the entries on our list are focused on a confrontation that unfolds in a single entry of a series, but Link and Ganon make the list for the timeless nature of their confrontation, echoing through the Zelda timeline in a seemingly endless series of interactions.  Every time Ganon rises to threaten the world, a hero named Link arrives to save the day. The origins and backgrounds of Link and Zelda vary in minor ways between entries, but taken together, the story often comes down to the triumph of courage over power – a theme that helps this versus contest stand the test of time.

Next Page: Check out our picks for the five greatest versus contests in video games. 

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Submit Your Questions For Our Gears Of War 4 Podcast

This month we've been rolling out content based on our trip to The Coalition to see Gears of War 4, and now  we want to give our readers a chance to ask their own questions to the developers. Do you have a question about Gears of War 4's tweaked gameplay, narrative, or even the history of the series? Now is your chance to ask studio head Rod Fergusson! We'll be pulling questions from the comments section, but we should give you a heads up that The Coalition doesn't want to share too many new details on multiplayer just yet.

Post your questions in the comments section below. We'll be talking to studio head Rod Fergusson for a special edition podcast in the near future, and we'll use the best reader-submitted questions during our conversation.

To learn more about Gears of War 4, click on the banner below to enter our hub of exclusive content, including a video interview where we ask Rod Fergusson 105 questions.

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Test Chamber – Comparing The Ratchet & Clank Reboot With The Original

The Ratchet & Clank series has been around for quite a while, with new games coming out almost every year since its inception. This year, however, the dynamic duo are getting rebooted with a movie and game both releasing this spring.

Watch Ben Reeves, Kyle Hilliard and intern Connor Trinske as they reminisce about the history of Ratchet & Clank while taking a look at its new incarnation. After taking a look at the remake's opening, we pull up 2002 original and play the games side by side starting at the 11:00 mark to show off the similarities and the differences between then and now. You might be surprised by how the two games compare.

Ratchet & Clank is coming exclusively to PlayStation 4 on April 12. You can get the deeper details about the reboot in our written preview.

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The 10 Best Gameboy Advance Games Of All Time

Today marks the 15-year anniversary of The Gameboy Advance's release in Japan, so we're going to look back and determine what games were the cream of the crop for Nintendo's handheld powerhouse. From new, quality entries in established series to the birth of exciting franchises, here are the 10 best games made for the Gameboy Advance.

10.  Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
The popular Mario & Luigi series, itself a successor to Paper Mario and Super Mario RPG, began with this entry way back in 2003. Four entries later, Superstar Saga is still one of the best games in the series thanks to its timeless humor and innovative, fun RPG mechanics. For those who missed out on the game when it was originally released, you can grab it for the Wii U's Virtual Console.

9. Golden Sun
Golden Sun is a quality title with a gorgeous aesthetic that serves as a fantastic homage to the best RPGS for the Super Nintendo. Golden Sun ends up being one of the more memorable RPGs on the system thanks to its fantastic technical presentation as well as its hours upon hours of content. 

8. Metroid: Zero Mission
Zero Mission is an enhanced remake of the original Metroid. Beyond adding a lovely shade of color to the game, new items, mini-bosses, and areas were added in as well, making this more than just your run-of-the-mill remake. Zero Mission does right by its source material. Another bonus? One of the greatest games ever made is even better for a new generation.

7. Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem has a confusing history. Though this Gameboy Advance game was the first in the series to hit North America, it was actually the seventh game in the main series to be released. While it would take a bit for Fire Emblem's focus on tactics and permadeath to catch on in the U.S. with the likes of Awakening and Fates, this entry was a great introduction to the series and one of the more enjoyable strategy games on the device.

6. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Minish Cap, the third game in The Four Swords spin-off series, is a delightful adventure and easily one of the best Zelda games made for handhelds, standing comfortably alongside the likes of Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. The Minish Cap smartly cribs from Windwaker's colorful aesthetic and its shrinking mechanic makes for an entertaining time.

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