Page 72 – Green Man Gaming Blog

The Lowdown – Steel Division: Normandy 44

Steel Division: Normandy 44 is a new Real-Time-Strategy game from Paradox Studios, releasing on 23rd May. It uses the Eugen engine which is known for powering games such as Wargame, R.U.S.E. and Act of War. This games specialise in huge, tactical battles that allow you to zoom right into the action as you command your armies around a map. If you’re interested then read on, as I give you the lowdown.

It’s World War II

Following in the footsteps of many other successful strategy games, Steel Division brings the large-scale, intense and tactical battles of the Western Europe campaign to your screen. Set during the invasion of Normandy by Allied forces in 1944, you must command up to six different armies to win battles across the bocage-strewn lands of Western and Northern France. The armies include: U.S. 101st Airborne, the German 21st Panzer and SS divisions, 3rd Canadian division, and British Para regiment. Steel Division features up to 400 individual units, all replicated from real-world models of WWII vehicles, weapons and uniforms.

The Battles

The battle mechanics in Steel Division are similar to Wargame, in that you have a map with borders, deployment zones and the ability to spawn reinforcements throughout the game using Deployment Points. The map is separated by a visual frontline that moves as your units take over the area. Buildings can be garrisoned, guns and mortars can be set up, and planes can be called in for strafing runs and air cover. Every 10 minutes of the game, the game moves into the next Escalation Phase. There are 3 labelled A, B, and C. Different units can be spawned in different phases, meaning every escalation will bring more danger and amp up the game’s tension.

Unit Types

There are 8 different types of units that categorise the 400 different units in Steel Division. These are: Recon, Infantry, Tanks, Support, Anti-Air, Anti-Tank, Artillery, Air. There are many different types of each for each army, meaning Battlegroups (see below) will be drastically different. Units have different jobs on the battlefield. Recon, for example, specialise in scouting out the enemy forces in the fog of war beyond the front lines, Support units supply your army with more ammo and move them from place to place, and Air units will come in for bombing runs or dog-fight with the enemy Air units.

Battlegroups

The Battlegroup mechanic allows players to choose the configuration of their own division, by picking different packs of units, and putting them into their army. It’s essentially deck-building in a card game. You have a limit per type of unit, as well as a Deployment Cost for each. As mentioned before each unit belongs to a Deployment Phase (A, B or C), and as such you must strike a balance between filling your Battlegroup with too many weaker units that will be less effective in game, or likewise too many stronger units that you will not have access to for the first 20 minutes of the battle.

If this has got you interesting in playing Steel Division: Normandy 44, then you can pre-purchase the game from the Green Man Gaming store.

Reservoir Dogs Is A Bloody Good Time

Reservoir Dogs: Bloody Days is the new strategic shooter from Big Star Games that released today. It’s a clever little game that takes some of the gory inspiration from the cult classic film by Quentin Tarantino.

If you’re a lover of the film, you can’t expect the same gritty and hazy monochrome-like shady setting, instead the scarlet red splatters, bold waxy animations and vibrancy that lines the design, makes the game feel standalone. The game does however, take the same characters from the film and give us an insight into the heists that the Dogs carry out, before the films grisly aftermath.

Characters

Due to the fact that Steve Buscemi’s face does not appear in the game (because of legal reasons) the change up in character appearances was a little skewed. Although the slick, suited approach was very on point, it didn’t give way to the original characters rough edges and slightly cheeky bravado.

They do however; have specific attributes in game, such as Mr Pink having the ability to collect more money after each heist or Mr White controlling a crowd of civilians.

Heists

Each of the heists faced, require two characters chosen for you by the game, with a third chosen by you. There are 18 heists, varying in difficulty, but each leading up to the fateful diamond heist, making the game a potential prequel to the 90s film. The gore on each heist is intense, as you have to scramble for bats, pistols and shotguns and if all else fails, use your fists to battle down mobsters and cops.

Each heist is timed, ultimately making it a score attack game, with the aim to collect as much money as you can stash at the end in the allotted time.

Time-travel

The top down gameplay is similar to that of Hotline Miami, a progressive, and extremely violent shooter. However, Bloody Days has a unique and fun time-travel feature, which adds a puzzler dimension to the game. As you progress through a mission, you’ll have a certain time in order to complete heists and your band of Dogs will probably take a bullet or two. The time-travel element from the game allows you to travel back in time and adjust and strategise before moving forward in the game.

You’ll travel through the characters one by one, rewinding time to cover your fellow Dogs mistakes (your mistakes). It’s a clever system, which is easy to get carried away with on the first couple of missions. Pressing space will switch you between characters and this is how you will control the game. This is where the puzzle element comes in, by completing mission’s swiftly and without casualties. The more you play, the easier this feature will become and soon you’ll be dodging bullets and performing stealth manoeuvres at an accelerated pace.

Reservoir Dogs: Bloody Days is out now on PC, so suit up and pave the way to successful heists!

Injustice 2 – Launch Event and Impressions

Injustice 2 is launching and to celebrate WB Games held a launch event in sunny South London.

The main event involved a tournament organised by ESL and a games journalist tournament, but I wasn’t there for them. I was there to play Injustice 2.

The event itself was held behind these arches, in a dimly lit cavern deep in South London’s seedy underbelly (OK, maybe more like a fancy venue next to Blackfriars Bridge, but let me be poetic). Filled with cosplayers and PS4s, I went in with eyes only for the game.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUKNAvhhjBd/

Fueled by a cupcake with the Green Lantern logo on it, I set to playing the game. I went in for single player, as I was on my own and also I hadn’t played Injustice before, or indeed any fighting games, and figured that a sound drubbing from a foe would turn me off playing any more.

Injustice 2 has a fine tutorial, that takes you through not only the basics of the control scheme but also going in deep to the intricacies of game systems. The only issue I have here was…and this is very shameful…it was too hard for me! There was one set of moves I couldn’t pull off, so I missed the end of the tutorial.

Armed with this knowledge, I decided to play on the easiest setting possible. Now I know many of you reading this will huff and sigh and think less of me, but that’s fine, I am rubbish at fighting games, and at least this way I get to play it!

And let me tell you, very easy is so easy I was able to make progress! Starting off as Batman I beat the heck out of people, before moving on to play as Harley Quinn to beat the heck out of some people.

A lot of noise has been made about the quality of the faces in the cutscenes and it’s utterly true, they’re so real looking it’s uncanny valley time. I kept on having to check that it wasn’t real humans. All the while being looked at by the green ice Batman who lurked near the entrance.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUKyswOhaUz/

I made slow but steady progress through the first few missions and I won’t spoil what happens because it’s pretty dense on the old story, but having not played the original Injustice I have to say I was a little lost with some of the plot details I managed to pick up during the opening hour, but I did get a good overall view of what had happened in the first game.

What I did play of the game was crisp and easy to pick up and dive into, even for an absolute noob like me. For the more experienced fighter, I imagine there’s loads of depth for you to get into, stuff the tutorial hinted at with all sorts of moves that I learned about but then in the heat of the moment couldn’t pull off with any degree of confidence.

I left the event much more impressed with Injustice 2 than I thought I would be, and more interested in fighting games overall as a result. For someone who’s just not info fighting games, I’m intrigued by Injustice 2, and I might have to have a go at it when I can get my hands on it.

Just one question, why does Superman look like Michael Bluth?

8 PlayStation Titles You Need To Play

Let’s not forget these PlayStation gems that have been released on PS4 over the last few years and if you own the console, bump these to the top of your ‘need to play’ list.

Heavy Rain

The story driven game from Quantic Dream is a third person experience where you take on multiple characters in order to piece together the mystery of the Origami Killer. The impending sense of dread and satisfying story reveal adds a desperate weight to this game. The actions and choices are simple and the story plays through everyday dialogue and scenes, building up to the agonising and harrowing ending. Decisions and control skills, will see if the characters survive till the end. It was like playing out a season of a pulpy detective crime thriller, edging closer to a raw and brutal conclusion.

Little Big Planet 3

Take a break from the first person shooters, the horrors, the side quests and the survival games for Little Big Planet 3. This wonderfully innocent and adorable platformer can be played with up to four players, although it will get a little messy.

The planets are varied, vibrant and fun, with quirky side characters and art design like no other. The game offers tonnes of customisation as you take your own sackboy through the tantalising world of Little Big Planet 3. You’ll be able to dress your character up, add stickers, a headset, a fancy skirt or bold patterned skin. All set along to the soothing voice of Stephen Fry. So put on the hot chocolate and marshmallows and settle down for an evening of pure enjoyment.

The Last of Us Remastered

One of the games in the long list of ‘zombie’ titles, fresh when the zombie media outbreak spread across our screens. Yet, The Last of Us offers so much more and the game swiftly swerved around the undead and branded their infected as ‘The Infected’ and they were simply humans infected by a fungus that fed on their higher brain function. You come up against different forms of The Infected from a freshly infected runner to a highly infected bloater, that’s a bit harder to take down.

The Last of Us follows the lives of Joel and Ellie. You play as Joel who has been tasked with delivering Ellie safely to the Fireflies, an anti-government movement. It’s a linear, survival story, centered around two strong character leads, balancing between dark rooted moments and softer exchanges that bring this game to life.

Uncharted 4 (The Nathan Drake Collection)

Uncharted 4 is the third person action adventure game, where you play as thrill-seeking explorer Nathan Drake. If you’re new to the Uncharted series, The Nathan Drake Collection incorporates the previous three games and they’re a great lead-up to Nathan’s fourth game and story.

The Uncharted games are normally set in rich, golden, island settings where you’ll explore forgotten caves, hidden treasures and sandy expanses. Nathan Drake and the other characters that appear throughout the franchise are core to the game’s exciting and pacy gameplay, and if you’re a fan of the Tomb Raider games then you’ll love the Uncharted series. Uncharted is a light combat game, with gripping puzzles, mesmerising stories and characters that continue to surprise.

Journey

The unique, sweet and stunning game that is Journey, soared to the top score for reviews when it was released in 2015. The game has since won a showcase of awards and continues to be a talking point for games that adventure lovers should play.

The delicate features, haunting music and magical gameplay, make this a must for PlayStation gamers.

Horizon Zero Dawn

Players take on the role of Aloy as she explores a lush and vibrant land dominated by machines. Set approximately 1000 years in the future, where robotic creatures roam free, a new threat rears it’s ugly head and it is up to Aloy to vanquish it and save the world.

Horizon Zero Dawn is a fantastic action RPG which isn’t afraid to challenge players. With it’s unique approach to combat and fantastic visuals. Horizon Zero Dawn is a must play for anyone who loves a great in-depth story and gameplay that makes you think tactically.

Bloodborne

A twisted nightmare of a game, Bloodborne is the gothic fantasy RPG that takes the Dark Souls formula and perfects it. The follow up game after Dark Souls for From Software mastermind Hidetaka Miyazaki, it’s a faster and more brutal game than Dark Souls, with you being cast in the role of a hunter. It takes you on the offensive through Yharnum and its environs, hunting the healing church and the truth behind the mysterious rumours of blood. It was expanded with a The Old Hunters, which took you on a journey to a different time and saw the hunt go across new areas against disgusting but beautiful new foes. The online aspects of the game are still bustling today, two years after release, so there’s always a good time to start Bloodborne for the first time.

And may the good blood guide your way.

Nioh

A vast rampaging RPG that packs intense fighting and large-scale menacing enemies. Nioh is extravagant and brilliant, lighting up the screen with blows of fierce combat as you hit the ground running in a land stricken by civil war. This game is fast-paced and satisfying, but it requires patience as you learn about each individual enemy and their weak spots before attacking.

The game is a good mix between fantasy and action, with a surprising light hearted feel.

All these games are available on the Green Man Gaming Store for US customers only.

Forrest Dowling’s ‘The Flame In The Flood’ Developer Diary

Fallout Games Ranked From Worst To Best

The Fallout series has had some highs and lows. More highs than lows, but there’s still some.

Obviously games are a subjective thing, you like what you like and it doesn’t matter what anyone else says about a thing. If *you* love it, then that’s good enough and lists are basically pointless things just made to drive arguments.

That said, here’s the OBJECTIVE list of Fallout games, from worst to best.

Honourable Mention: Van Buren – RIP

Lets start it off with a sad but honourable mention, Van Buren was the Fallout 3 that was in the works by Black Isle. It never saw the light of day unfortunately, as Interplay shuttered the studio and sold the rights off, meaning we’ll never see the Prisoner’s adventure, nor will we see the war between the New California Republic and the Brotherhood of Steel. But not all is lost, plot details and screenshots made it out into the world, and some of the story elements did get incorporated into Fallout: New Vegas.

It’s last here just because we never got to play it.

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel – 2004

Right, now we’re onto games that were released. Brotherhood of Steel is an action RPG similar to Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance. The first Fallout game to make it to console, it didn’t have a great reception at the time, and it has since been rendered as non-canon entry in the series. Taking a different approach to the other, turn based games of the time, it was a more linear experience taking you through 50 areas as you smashed and combatted your way through the story.

Fans didn’t like it so much though to the point where now if you mention it, you’ll get blank stares.

Fallout Shelter – 2015

To be honest I only put this in here so that I wouldn’t get comments like ‘I can’t believe you forgot Fallout Shelter’.

It’s fun, but it’s throwaway. Moving on,

Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel – 2001

Fallout Tactics, at least in the way the game is presented and how combat works, is very very similar to Fallout and Fallout 2. It’s turn based and uses similar skills to those entries. So it should be higher up on this list yeah?

NO. It’s non-canon again so that means that it’s out of the running, sorry Tactics! The combat is good and fleshed out like the other turn based entries, which is just as well because it’s Fallout Tactics not Fallout Chat With People. Taking a mission approach, you join the Brotherhood of Steel and work your way up the ranks, eventually dealing with a threat that has been building in power; the mysterious Calculator.

Alas again, it’s the forgotten child of the Fallout universe.

Fallout 3 – 2008

Fallout 3 was Bethesda’s first foray into the Fallout world, and changed almost EVERYTHING.

Fallout 3 switched the location from the West coast to the East coast, made the character nothing to do with the Vault Dweller or Chosen One, and biggest of all changes, made it first person.

Derided by fans as ‘Oblivion with guns’ before release and lauded as ‘the best game ever’ after launch, the truth of course is somewhere in between. It had some wonderful moments and areas to explore, but it also took a bit of a backseat in regards to roleplaying and story. Also the combat suffered a little from the change to first person, leaving in between being a shooter, and an RPG, but excelling at neither.

It’s a good game, but it’s not the best Fallout game.

Fallout 4 – 2015

Fallout 4 took everything that Fallout 3 did, and made it better. The world is more cohesive, the story more interesting, the size of the world made it feel like a real place and less like a theme park. It also brings back some of that nice inter-faction play, with a whole load of competing factions wanting your time.

Also it’s got Piper, the best worst journalist on the planet.

Altogether, Fallout 4 is Fallout 3+. If the move away from isometric turn based RPG-ness doesn’t float your boat, then you still won’t be happy with Fallout 4, but it’s a pretty great game y’know? Loads to do, fun people to shoot, other less fun people to shoot, and you can build a HOME for your friends.

brb gotta finish building Sanctuary.

Fallout – 1997

This is it, the one that started it all (sit down, Wasteland). Described by one PC gaming magazine as ‘Doncaster on a night out’, Fallout laid down THE formula for post-apocalyptic role playing games, and we haven’t looked back as a species since. It’s sterner in tone to any of the later entries, but it does find time for some fun. It introduces much of what became staples of the Fallout series, the Vaults, Dogmeat, The Brotherhood of Steel, Mutants, Deathclaws.

It’s got a sense of sadness to it, when you visit locations like The Glow or see The Boneyard, you get the real sense that this was a world, and it’s no longer anywhere worth living.

Featuring the creepiest antagonist in anything, ever, and the most bittersweet ending known to videogames, Fallout’s ace, and you should play it.

Fallout: New Vegas – 2010

The dream team is back together! Made by Obsidian who are made up of a large proportion of ex-Black Isle devs, New Vegas takes the Fallout 3 formula and transplants it into somewhere a bit more cohesive as a world, the Mojave desert.

OK it’s a big empty world, but at least it feels like it’s inhabited, and it makes a kind of sense. Featuring some of the stuff meant to be in Van Buren and a whole heck load of Jingle Jangle Jingle, this’d be the best game in the series if it weren’t for the fact that it was probably a bit rushed out of the door, there’s a fair few bugs that made it into the release version, and they’re still there.

That said, it’s an amazing place to be in and the Mojave desert feels a lot like home now. It’s got factions competing with each other, multiple endings, it feels like a return to the Fallout formula in a way that Fallout 3 didn’t at the time.

Maybe that makes it a bit of a backwards step in some ways, but the Fallout formula is so good, why step anywhere else?

Fallout 2 – 1998

New. Reno.

That’s why this is the best of the Fallout series. Don’t get me wrong, the rest of the game is also amazing, a town of ghouls, an underground town of humans, a quest to explode a toilet to retrieve a watch, the ‘aliens’ hiding in a mine. It’s a brilliant and fun world to be in and unlike the previous game in the series, it lifts the time limit and lets you really explore the world. That sense of sadness has eased somewhat too, as people are beginning to put their lives together again, and it’s a wonderful place to be in and to explore and have adventures in.

But then you get to New Reno and the game goes from ‘great’ to ‘stratospheric’.

Join the mob, become a boxer, become a porn star, get your car stolen, retrieve your car, push a person down a hole and throw a bomb after them, find out where Jet is being made, stop Jet from being made, storm a military base, get a divorce, sleep with the Don’s daughter, sleep with the Don’s wife, rob the Don.

ALL THIS AND MORE.

New Reno is the playfulness and the darkness and the grim humour turned up all the way, and after you’ve been there, simply no other Fallout will compare.

So there you go! The DEFINITIVE Fallout list telling you finally, once and for all, that Fallout 2 is the best.

Disagree? Let us know in the comments below, or on social media!

Birthdays The Beginning From The Creator Behind Harvest Moon

Birthdays The Beginning is the latest game from Yasuhiro Wada, the creator of Harvest Moon. The new sandbox game that released last week, allows players to shape and experiment in the creation of their own unique world using cubes.

The worlds you can create are limitless; building from scratch a wonderful diverse place that can include sweeping mountain landscapes and intricate forests. The vibrant and colourful aesthetic is a reminder of childhood, educational games such as Zoombinis and Zoo Tycoon, whilst the boundless gameplay creates a surprising and satisfying experience. The game is a celebration of life and the creation is a wonderful glimpse into the complexity of an eco-system.

CREATE

With no two planets alike, creating your world is the first step in this glorious and innocent sim game. You’ll have the choice to fill up troughs of water and build tall mountains, whilst keeping track of your playtime and the age of your world. By constantly rejigging and moving certain aspects of your world, you’ll form plant life, which will give birth to animals, dinosaurs and more, that gradually evolve.

NURTURE

When you successfully create plants and animals, you’ll be able to ‘capture’ more details on them to learn and adjust your world. This will allow you to access an encyclopaedia of information on the animals and plants you’ve discovered. With a handy evolution tree to adapt your planet by adjusting the temperature, moisture and land height to encourage the planet to grow, learning and nurturing the life that springs there.

CELEBRATE

As you level up, you’ll have access to more information, which means different types of builds are available to you and your planet will continue to evolve, with helpful pointers guiding you along the way. With an evolution tree and the possibility of a human civilization, you’ll be able to understand and flourish your planet to give birth to a number of possibilities, including a tyrannosaurus!

Birthdays The Beginning is hours of nostalgic fun for adults and a genius wonder for children to learn about evolution and control and manage an entire eco-system.

Rising Storm 2: Vietnam FAQ

Rising Storm 2: Vietnam is the next game from Red Orchestra and Killing Floor creators Tripwire Interactive and is being developed by Antimatter Games.

Want to know about it? We’ve put together a little FAQ about the game!

What actually *is* Rising Storm 2: Vietnam?

Following on from the hit multiplayer ‘expandalone’ Rising Storm and the ultra-realistic Red Orchestra series, Rising Storm 2: Vietnam relocates the action to the middle of the Vietnam war, with players taking on both sides of the controversial conflict.

The Red Orchestra series has become a byword for accuracy, letting you play an FPS in the World War II European theatre in incredible detail. Rising Storm took that basis and took the series to the Pacific Theatre, and it’s now with the advent of Rising Storm 2: Vietnam that we see the series move into uncharted areas by jumping forward in time to a war unlike any they’ve shown before.

tl:dr, it’s a multiplayer FPS with a focus on accurately depicting the conflict it’s set in.

How many players does it support?

Rising Storm 2: Vietnam lets you take up to 64 players into battle, with players making up the teams from US forces and North Vietnamese forces.

How’s the accuracy, is it like Red Orchestra?

Yep! They’re going the extra mile again with their crusade for fidelity. They’re modelling accurate weapons, gear, uniforms, everything to try and make sure that when you play Rising Storm 2: Vietnam, you feel like you’re there.

But the US and the Vietnamese weren’t on a level footing

That isn’t a question, but nope they weren’t so there’ll be accommodation made to portray the asymmetrical nature of this conflict. Each side will get certain special abilities, like ambushes, traps, napalm attacks, and airstrikes.

There’ll also be systems unique to each side, like traps, tunnelling, and improvised weapons.

OK, what guns are there?

Here you go!

United States Weapons

M16 Rifle
M14 Battle Rifle
M60GP Light Machine Gun
M79 Grenade Launcher
M3 Grease Gun

North Vietnam Weapons

Type 56 Assault Rifle
RPD Light Machine Gun
RPG-7 Rocket Launcher
MAT-49 SMG
SKS Carbine

And that’s just for STARTERS.

Are there vehicles?

There are indeed, you get some sweet helicopters to buzz around in. There’s three confirmed helicopters so far for the US forces, AH-1 Cobra, OH-6 Loach and the UH-1 Huey.

Can I customise my character?

There’s a whole levelling up system in place, that’ll let you customise how your character looks. Tattoos, glasses, clothing, and more will become available to you for you to put together your player the way you want them.

How about teaming up with friends?

Again, not really a question. You can make squads with your friends, setting up easy ways to play together and find each other in the heat of battle. Unique identifiers will mean you won’t lose your pals when the air’s full of bullets, and squad-based VOIP will mean they can hear your cries when you’re suppressed in a foxhole!

Will I get a parade?

We can promise you a parade, but whether or not you’ll actually get one…that’s a different matter.

So that’s Rising Storm 2: Vietnam. Want to grab it and dive right into the middle of this conflict? Grab it here on Green Man Gaming!

The Surge: What You Need To Know

The Surge is coming to our store today, and we’ve compiled a list of all the things you need to know about it. In short, its a Sci-Fi Dark Souls with some interesting new mechanics and combat, and more of a focus on difficult mob enemies and loot than bosses. Now you’ve had the short of it, here’s the long:

Who Made It

The Surge is made by Deck 13 and published by Focus Home Interactive. You’ll know Deck 13 for their game Lords of the Fallen, an interesting Dark Souls-like that have had fans eagerly awaiting their next title in the genre. Focus Home Interactive are a publisher who have released quite a few games that we really like, such as Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, Styx, and the upcoming Vampyr.

Setting

Set in a world ravaged by war and global warming, The Surge is what many are referring to as a Dark Souls but in a sci-fi setting. You play as an employee of CREO, a mega-corporation that is promising to save the world. Having woken up strapped into a heavy-grade exoskeleton in a destroyed part of a CREO complex, you must defeat haywire robots and AI, fellow exoskeleton-wearing co-workers who have gone mad, and find out what’s really going on.

Exo Suit

The Exo Suit is the source of all your abilities, including your superhuman strength, cybernetic implants and weaponry. There are myriad weapon and armour combinations, with differing attack and finisher animations. Do you take the heaviest armour in The Surge, and have a massive two-handed blade? Or lighter armour and a chainsaw blade that allows you to dash and move about more freely? As you use weapons, you will gain proficiency in them, so your character will become more specialised. You will also need to manage your suit’s power supply, as it can only power so many things at once. You will want to not only find out what your favourite combo of weapon and armour is, but the most power efficient.

Dynamic Targeting System

The combat in The Surge utilises what Deck 13 calls the Dynamic Targeting System. When locked onto an enemy, you can choose where your attacks will land: Legs, arms, body, head etc. This means you can target an enemy’s weak point, or their unarmoured limbs. Alternatively, you can target the part of their body and suit where their fancy weapon is, and hack it off for your own use! Find and loot equipment from other heavy-lifting or security suits, or even secret, highly advanced suits from CREO themselves.

The Surge comes out today on our store, with a hefty discount! Are you going to pick it up? Are you a fan of Dark Souls looking for something a bit different?

4 Top Tips For First Time Hitman Players

Even though the first season of Hitman has been out a while, there are still going to be some first time players out there. So we thought we would put together some handy beginner tips, follow this guide and you should be assassinating your targets in no time.

Distraction Is Key

Diverting your enemy’s attention is a much needed skill you need to master if you want to progress in Hitman. When used properly, distraction techniques can easily clear a room of guards in no time.

Coins are your main distraction tool as they are great for distracting single enemies. Coins can be used to lure guards into traps, or to just simply move them out of the way. If you run out of coins then most objects can also be thrown as a distraction.

Guns can be a great distraction too. If you aim your silenced pistol near enough to an enemy the sounds of the bullet impact works to distract them. That said, there is a chance that they can figure out where the shot is coming from. In the event that this happens, put the gun down and sneak away as fast as you can. The guard will find the gun and deposit it in the nearest security room. This tactic is a good way to disrupt guard patrol paths.

Get Used To Suspicion

Suspicion and Alert mechanics are some of the most basic tools Agent 47’s arsenal. learn how these mechanics work and you will be sneaking past people in no time.

When wearing any disguise there will still be some characters that can recognise you. For example, if you dress as a guard, some guards will just assume it’s your first day whilst others will probably get suspicious of you if you get too close, so be sure to keep a reasonable distance.

People who will recognise something is up will have a white dot above their head, make sure you move quickly and try not to arouse too much suspicion as they will be onto your case within seconds.

Throwing Blunt Objects Can Be More Effective

It can be argued that Hitman is developed in a way that discourages gun use. So a great way to take down enemies is to throw things at them, this is a great opportunity to get creative. Agent 47 can throw anything from bricks to soda cans. If you get close enough you will be able to lock onto the enemy and throw the object with great precision.

A thrown item will incapacitate an enemy on impact. Just make sure you don’t throw an item through a guard’s eye-line as you will get spotted.

Leave No Trace

Make sure you don’t leave a path of destruction (or indeed distraction) in your wake. Make sure you hide bodies anywhere you can, cupboards, containers even out of windows. Guards tend to discover bodies if they are lying in the middle of the floor and the last thing you want to do is arouse suspicion.

CCTV will also record anything that you do, so make sure you take out cameras or avoid them at all costs. If you come across a security outpost, you can erase the CCTV footage all together.

That’s it for our four fundamental tips for first time Hitman players. If you have any more advanced tips you would like to share, then let us know in the comments section.

Overwatch Year 2: 5 Things We Want To See

Overwatch will be one year old on May 24th, so we can expect some sort of celebration or event, and who knows what else in terms of goodies. It will also be a great opportunity to make any major changes to the game, as the developer team no doubt looks back at the success and failures of the first year. We’ve got our list of things we’d like to see, so read on!

Story Mode

Its a little known fact that Overwatch started off in life as an MMO simply referred to as Project Titan. The game was aborted, but the PvP part of the game lived on in Overwatch. Because of this history, Overwatch has a intriguing world with many characters that have deep backstories that we are only experiencing in bite-sized chunks and special event modes like Uprising. We’d like to see more single player and cooperative story missions, preferably even a full-sized single player campaign, using the leftover quests of Project Titan. After all, more story-based content has been hinted at by Blizzard.

Character Banning

There’s always one Hero that we hate, or think is overpowered, or who is overpowered, or the enemy team is spamming. Why not introduce some tactical banning into one of the game modes? This serves two purposes. One, it stops people rage-quitting and getting upset when they keep running into the same very strong Hero, and two, it encourages players to not stick to just the Hero they think they’re best at. As the Hero amount goes up, this becomes more viable as Heroes have more cross-over in their roles.

New Game Modes

Some FPS game modes are mysteriously lacking from Overwatch. We’ve got Escort, Control, Assault and Hybrid, as well as 1v1, 3v3, and the Brawls. But where is Capture the Flag, and Deathmatch? Granted there are some issues because of the types of Heroes there are: Tracer would make flag capturing a doddle and Offensive Heroes would dominate a Deathmatch mode, but I’m sure there would be some great ways of changing the mode to fit Overwatch. What about a Heroes of the Storm style objective where its a race to destroy AI opponents?

More CGI films

Overwatch’s trailers and CGI films are well-known for their quality and depth. The Last Bastion won 2017’s Best Writing in the Film and Video category at the Webby awards, despite the fact that there is no dialogue. And when your trailers for your game are being compared to Pixar films, you know you’re doing a good job. It gives each Hero more depth and allows players to connect to them more. I can’t wait to see some backstories for Heroes I don’t really care about right now, because I know they’re sitting on a goldmine of storytelling.

More Themed Skins

What’s better than playing with your friends, beating the opposite team and seeing yourselves victorious? Doing it whilst looking awesome! Some skins have a common theme, such as the Origins skins, Year of the Rooster, Christmas and others. If you’re team is lucky or buys them, you can get all the matching skins for your Heroes, and really make the enemy team jealous with your giant candy canes and snow globes or whatever. We want to see more themes and crossovers with characters from Marvel, or other Blizzard games, or sci-fi skins.

Those are our wishes for the second year of Overwatch. What do you want to see?

Dawn of War III: Death to the False-Emperor!

“In the grim dark future there is only war.”

It has been ten thousand years since Horus led his dark crusade across the galaxy, burning his brothers and setting the Imperium ablaze.

Ten thousand years since the eye of Horus met the golden crown of his father, the Emperor. Ten thousand years since the Imperium of Man fell into darkness, a darkness that has yet to lift.

The remembrancers will tell you that the so-called traitor legions turned against their father, their god, and led the galaxy into pain and suffering and a nightmare that lingers over us all. The Legiones Astartes will tell you that their former brothers are twisted by the warp, the Space Wolves will tell you it is Maleficarum that brought the heresy. The Inquisition will tell you that it is daemons, xenos, unsanctioned psykers, heretics, and mutants that caused the rift in the Imperium, a rift that can only be sealed with blood.

The Emperor though, the Emperor will tell you nothing. He is a withered corpse atop a throne of gold, barely alive, barely cognizant.

It is not enough.

The heresy, the ten millennia of torture, the pain humanity and the galaxy has suffered all lies at the feet of the Emperor. He deserve to suffer, and he deserves to know his creation, the Imperium of Man, will fall.

Look back through time, look back to ten thousand years ago, to the time of the nascent Imperium spreading its wings across an entire galaxy. Look at the Emperor as he strode across planets, a golden titan, bringing world after world under the flag of his imperial eagle. Look at the godhood he claimed in all but name. He led us all with the promise of a shining future and a home for us all.

He lied.

A million worlds lent their support, their lives to the dream of the Emperor, and he lied to us all. Was he a god? Was he light made flesh? He denied us worship, he told us he wasn’t a god, but then acted with a god’s powers and a god’s arrogance. How could we not worship him? How could the entire Imperium not bow down in praise for this holy being?

Then we found them. The pantheon, the real gods. Beings so far beyond our experiences that the only word we could apply to them is ‘gods’, but even that does nothing to encompass their enormity. They exist beyond reality, beyond time itself. Four gods stand there, real gods, gods that grant powers and can reach into the hearts of men and see the truth that lies within.

This is why the False-Emperor must fall, and why our war of ten thousand years cannot abate. He sits still, a testament to the lies he told through his actions of his own divinity, his entire existence a blasphemy against the true pantheon of the ruinous powers.

The entire Imperium of Man rests on a foundation of lies, that there is no divinity and that the warp is evil and twists man into unnatural forms.

The pantheon has shown us the truth. Divinity is real, and it reaches out to touch us. We are behoven to serve it, and every day we spend not worshipping the divine powers of Chaos Undivided are a blasphemous waste. Look at the beauty of our marines, they are blessed by divine powers. Flesh no longer bound by the petty mind of a half-dead Emperor, they burst out in beautiful ways, their armour mere shapes now as their holy forms spill out into the universe. How can you doubt the power and beauty of Chaos when looking upon our new forms? We are the holy right hand of our gods, and the Imperium will fall before us.

Even our Primarchs surpass those weak fools who stayed at the Emperor’s side. Whilst theirs are missing or dead, ours walk amongst us, living demigods whose forms and purpose are blessed by our holy pantheon.

Fulgrim is a divine serpent, devoted solely to pleasure and Slaanesh. Perturabo led his Iron Warriors into the depths of the Eye of Terror to fortify our worlds against incursion. Lorgar, holy Lorgar, devotes his time to worship and contemplation of the divine. Furious Angron rides a tide of anger, slaughtering all in the name of Khorne. Mortarion is the child of disease, his plagues bringing change and ruin to the galaxy. Magnus scries from his eternal tower, a burning eye that blazes through time itself to gaze at truth.

Where are the true sons of the Emperor? Dead or worse, apart from the patrician child Guilliman, they are are nothing compared to the beauty and stark terror of the Primarchs who opened their eyes to the holy truth.

You see, chaos is eternal. Chaos is entropy. Chaos is change. Without chaos, there is only stagnation. You can try to stave off chaos, but we were here before the universe and will be here long after.

Chaos is the beginning and end state of all things. This is a lesson we Astartes known as Chaos Space Marines have learned. This is a lesson the Imperium will learn, by fire and blood, if necessary.

– Dark Apostle Marduk, in a speech transmitted throughout Gothic sector, M41

(Dawn of War III is available from our store right now).

The Long Journey Home: Sci-Fi Game Checklist

What has been described as No Man’s Sky meets FTL with a dash of Star Control 2 , The Long Journey Home is a Sci-Fi game that ticks a lot of boxes. If you don’t know what The Long Journey Home is, then you have come to the right place.

Overview

The Long Journey Home is a game about being lost in space and trying to establish you and the human race as a big player in the universe, as opposed to the tiny fish you start out as. Players will start off with a crew of four characters and your main mission is to explore the procedurally generated universe, making sure all the elder races that make up the region you’re in know just who you are, and what you’re about.

Story

Even though the story in The Long Journey Home is very much what the player makes of it. ‘Sunless Sea’ writer Richard Cobbett takes the helm with the game’s major plot points and narrative snippets, describing the surrounding environment as soon as your crew lands on a planet to giving the player insight into ancient alien history. Some of the story might require some working out, as many of the aliens you meet who can give you info are translated from their respective languages, and as Star Trek taught us, translators aren’t perfect.

Your Ship’s Crew

Players will get the opportunity to build their very own crew right from the very start. You will be able to choose four crew members from a list of ten pre-built characters who come with their own skillset, job and starting item.

Procedural Generation

The fabric of pace is a mystery to everyone, so making the universe procedurally generated in a video game is the perfect way to truly explore the unknown. In The Long Way Home’s procedural generation covers planets, climates, aliens and events. In theory this means that the missions you take, planets you explore and aliens you meet will be unique to you and your crew. The alien races will have pre-determined personalities however, which brings us onto…

Aliens

As mentioned above the alien races will have a set of preprogrammed personalities as well as codes of conduct. Throughout your mission into deep space you will come across aliens who shoot first and ask questions later or demand you turn your shields down as a mark of respect before they even talk to you. So it is best to go into each encounter with a plan A and plan B, maybe a plan C, D and E just for good measure. If you’ve ever played older games like Star Control 2, and met aliens such as the Zot-Fot-Pik or the Orz, you’ll know just how important it is to understand actual ‘alien’ aliens, and The Long Journey Home brings that alienness to the fore with its roster of elder species.

Exploration

Exploration in The Long Journey Home is mainly planetary with the planets restricted to a 2D view. Once you are on a planet this is when the procedural generation really kicks in and throws up some breathtaking sights. The main aim when you land on an unknown planet is to scavenge for resources and looks for alien artifacts, which will then cast a trail of secrets for you to follow as to where you are and the history of the cosmos. The potential to lose hours of gameplay here is unreal.

That is just some of the things you can expect from The Long Journey Home. Are you excited for this game? Let us know in the comments below.

Shadow of Mordor: 5 Reasons To Play

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is in our sale, which you can find here. We think it’s an absolute must-play for any fans of action-rpgs or The Lord of the Rings world. I’ve listed five reasons why you should pick it up and play it, if you haven’t already.

Friendly orcs

Orcs get a bad reputation. Anyone who’s read my posts on Warhammer knows that I’m a huge fan of the greenskins. In The Lord of the Rings, orcs are reduced to the personification of evil. Cruel, hateful, disgusting, and industrious without regard. In Shadow of Mordor, you will work with the orcs way more than any human, elf or dwarf. They’ll be under your power, and do as you say, but even then it’s hard not to root for your boy as he ascends the orc hierarchy, and strike down his rivals for him. Forming attachments to orcs is not something you’re inclined to do in games, movies or books. But I’m glad everyone had a chance to feel the same as me, and to care about these little guys.

Lore not shown in movies

Shadow of Mordor takes place between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It’s set in Mordor, and starts with the retaking of the Black Gate by Sauron’s forces. What follows is a revealing insight into the rise of Sauron, and the complete ineptitude of the friendly races of Middle-Earth. They may as well of invited Sauron to second breakfast in Minas Tirith and given him the keys to the white city right then and there! Either way, there’s lore about the origins of the Rings of Power and their maker, and other characters of The Lord of the Rings.

Mobile combat

Enough talk about lore and story, time to discuss the combat mechanics! Shadow of Mordor’s combat mechanics have been described as ‘Arkham Asylum’ and ‘Assassin’s Creed’-esque. This is definitely what you want to hear about a third-person action RPG that includes a lot of stealth. Whats more is the abilities of Talion the ranger are enhanced beyond mere mortality through his partnership/possession with Celebrimbor the elf spirit. The game’s abilities allow you to flit around taking off heads and stabbing green backs before disappearing into the long grass, in a much cooler way than Batman or Ezio Auditore de whatever.

Gollum

Back in 2004 when The Lord of the Rings films were released, the character of Gollum was considered a masterpiece of CGI, as well as acting. Even today he is considered as one of the best characters ever created. He is in this game! You can do side quests with the pale creature, and find him skulking around Mordor trying to get back his Precious. And as Middle-Earth scholars will tell you, his presence and eventual capture set off the chain of events that start in The Fellowship of the Ring.

Rangers are the coolest

Lets face it, the rangers in The Lord of the Rings are the coolest characters. They wear hoods, they’re experts at shooting bows, fighting with swords, tracking, hunting, they’re descendents of one of the most powerful race of Men, they are the silent protectors of Middle-Earth. And one of them becomes King and is basically the best person of the Third Age. So why would you not want to be one? In terms of badassery, Elves lose out from their detached haughtiness, and dwarves are just too grumpy and avarice-filled to be mainstream cool. Men were always destined to inherit Middle-Earth, and you can really tell when you meet rangers.

That’s our list. What did you like about Shadow of Mordor, and are you looking forward to the sequel?

10 Signs You Could Be Batman

The Batman Arkham franchise is our franchise of the month. You may be thinking that you are already Batman, however, here are 10 signs you may be the Dark Knight.

1) You get ready for work in the most dramatic of ways

2) You like to spend your free time hanging out on the highest point in the city

3) You like to make sure you and your friends adhere to a specific dress code

4) Locked doors mean nothing to you

5) You love to make an entrance

6) Your peripheral vision is second to none

7) You treat the people you hate like a punching bag

8) You walk so slowly it’s like you’re walking in slow motion

9) Remote control cars are your thing

10) To most people you maybe moody and dark, but you do have a true goofy side

Attack on Titan: 10 Signs You’re a Titan

Attack on Titan is the best Spider-man game that’s not a Spider-man game, and also the best anime about chopping the heads off giants. Want to chop the heads off giants or watch people chop the heads off giants? Attack on Titan is for you.

But you must examine yourself, what if you are a Titan? What if you’re destined to crunch the bones of tiny humans in your giant mouth?

Well here are 10 Signs That You’re a Titan, check them and check yourself.

1. You run like a baby

2. No seriously, you run like a baby. All your friends do too.

3. You have no patience with children

4. You’re a bit clumsy

5. You can be a bit…fighty

6. But you like a rest every now and again

7. You can be a bit dramatic

8. And you can be a bit of a wrecking ball

9. But you’re the coolest of the cool

10. But we gotta talk about this. You run like a baby.

Are you a Titan? Do you feel like any of these apply to you? Let us know in the comments below, or on social media!

But also if you are a Titan, please don’t eat us.

The Inspiration Behind The Beautiful Noir Thriller, The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter

Horizon: Zero Dawn Sequel – 5 Things We Want To See

Horizon: Zero Dawn is one of the best open world games of this console generation so far, as it proved by going head-to-head with Zelda: Breath of the Wind back in April. It came out fighting toe-to-toe (knuckle-to-knuckle, you get the idea). After playing it and loving it, we are in no doubt a sequel is in the works. Here’s what we’d like to see.

An even cooler name

Horizon: Zero Dawn. Its a trio of great words that look fantastic on a billboard in a cool font. Its enough to completely confuse any old folks. It also means nothing until way into the game. The opportunities for an ever better sequel title are numerous: What about Horizon: Zero Dusk? Horizon: Last Dawn? Robo-dinosaur Future Bow Laser Mega World? We don’t want Guerrilla to bend to norms and just put a 2 at the end. Or bend to the other norm and just call it Horizon.

More lone hunter/huntress gameplay

The most unique feeling about Horizon is the way Aloy interacts with the barren, desolate, but most often beautiful environments. She runs, jumps, rolls, slides, sneaks through the land as someone who was trained as a hunter would. And even when she’s with a group or NPC, she’s still working alone, spearheading any operations. If her exiled outcast status for most of her life didn’t make her a loner, then her hi-tech Focus separates her from society as special, but different. Even Aloy’s role as Seeker is probably the loneliest job title in the game. So we’d actually also really enjoy…

Co-op mode and story

Aloy is a great character, and she puts all the others in the game to shame in terms of personality. Although what is cool is when games have two or three really great main characters, that can interact with each other and be useful in different ways (Borderlands, Assassin’s Creed co-op, Diablo). Imagine playing Horizon but with one or two friends, and you’re a team of Seekers. Maybe someone is an expert in stealth, another is better at tracking, the third is the one who deals the most damage. You could take several different weapon types and combine the damage effects, you could bait enemies into traps. And probably the best thing, you can all split up and take care of the quest handing in waaay faster than you can solo.

MOAR robo-dinoSAURs

The robo-dinosaurs are what really brings Horizon to life. Or, as close as their programming can get to life. They fuel the central mystery of the game: Why are they here, who made them and who is still making them? They’re also a part of every game mechanic. Fighting, farming, travelling, even the watch towers are great big robo-dinos! So we’d like to see loads more. Granted, they may have used up a lot of the cooler prehistoric beasties (T-rex, crocodile, huge birds, raptors, sabertooth tiger) but there are plenty of more they could create. Or go full Jurassic World and combine them together! Giant robot Indominus Rex for the win.

Guerrilla Games to make the game they want to make

The success and ingenuity of Horizon is a good argument for developers making the game that they clearly wanted to make, and not sticking to what sells. Horizon has several mechanics that you’ll recognise from other open world games, but does it in a way that is more fresh, and combined with its intriguing world and story, elevates it up above the rest. If Guerrilla Games want to make a sequel that’s similar to the original, then they should. They shouldn’t feel forced to add on a multiplayer, or even bigger world, or a brand new protagonist with more sex appeal and loads more abilities…but more simpler to play. Essentially, we’re vetoing Horizon: Ezio Dawn.

That’s 5 things we really want to see in the Horizon: Zero Dawn sequel. What are you most looking forward to in the next game, and how do you think it can be an improvement on the original?

Why ‘Origins’ Is The Best Suffix

The word ‘origins’ has appeared in many game titles over the past few years. Now with the current leak and rumours going around about Assassins Creed Origins, we thought it would be a great idea to list the best games which use the origins suffix. Also, please play these games as they are amazing.

Dragon Age: Origins

Featuring the best origin stories in fantasy history (hence the name), DA:O started off BioWare’s epic dark fantasy series with a bang. Filled with allegories of every sort and the kind of political dramas not seen outside of Netflix, DA:O combines a wonderful world with rich storytelling, and a combat system so brutal that frankly those Dark Souls lot don’t know what they’re talking about. Romance, fight, and politicise your way through Thedas and save everyone from the Darkspawn. Or almost everyone, it depends on you!

Batman Arkham Origins

Even though many fans of the Arkham series think Arkham Origins is the weaker game, Arkham Origins by itself is a very decent game. It’s a great intro to the the villains of Gotham and the Arkham-verse as a whole. It also has a great battle system, a nice mini open world and you get to be Batman (who doesn’t want to be Batman?). This game is highly immersive and generally very good. It’s just a shame it’s put next to Rocksteady’s trilogy.

Rayman Origins

It may come as a surprise to most people that Rayman Origins is not the origin story of Rayman. It is in fact a colourful 2D game that brings Rayman back to it’s origins as a 2D platformer. It is a great homage to the original Rayman games. It has simplistic controls but a fun and vibrant world that is both engrossing and full of action. Rayman Origins is still one of the best 2D platformers of the Xbox 360 generation.

Condemned: Criminal Origins

The best hobo punching simulator on the market, Condemned: Criminal Origins is a brutal look at ‘what if loads of people went a bit mad and you had to beat them all up with pipes you tear off the wall’ combined with a really, really, really spooky horror game. Anyone who’s played it will remember with fear the mannequins, the school, and *gulp* the house. It’s Silent Hill meets Fight Club, it’s Rocky meets The Shining. It’s brilliant, but you have been warned.

It’s safe to say that the next Assassins Creed franchise is going down the right route by (possibly) using the origins suffix. Let’s just hope it doesn’t rely on the title alone.

Also we would love a Black Flag 2, please.

Top 5 Games We Want

I asked a whole bunch of staff over here to give me their personal Top 5 games on their wish lists. These are games they want that have either released or are announced; definitely games that do exist. I’ve collated them to find out what are our most wanted. I’ve also found out we all have widely varying tastes in games!

5. Persona 5

A game that is dominating the recent charts and gamer’s lists alike, Persona 5 is one of those rare JRPGs that simply everyone needs to play. It’s a great perfection of the genre, and everyone who has played it (see: our community) has raved about how good it is. As a PS4 exclusive, it’s quite impressive it’s made it on to so many lists.

4. Darksiders 3

Recently leaked and then announced, is Darksiders 3. The sequel to the much loved Darksiders 1 and 2, the third game is set to continue the trend of apocalyptic horsemen and women fighting and riding their horses and completing complex puzzles. If you’ve never played a Darksiders game, just think of it as The Legend of Zelda but more grown up and emo-y.

3. Divinity: Original Sin 2

Do you want to play Dungeons and Dragons with your friends but without that pesky person who insists on being the DM? Well looks like a lot of us do too! Divinity: Original Sin 2 is in early access, but the popularity and success of the first instalment has excited a bunch of us here. A pure RPG experience if there ever was one, enhanced by having drop in/out cooperative play.

2. Micro Machines World Series

A lot of people have fond memories of Micro Machines, especially the multiplayer. Those people’s opponents will have horrible memories, but at least they will always remember! With consoles like the Nintendo Switch and PC games bringing back split-screen and local multiplayer, a lot of us are excited to jump back into driving tiny cars around a kitchen work surface, shooting our friends so they fall off a giant fork into the sink. Good times.

1. Middle Earth: Shadow of War

The most wished for game among us is certainly a big one! Only announced a few months ago, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is the sequel the surprise hit Shadow of Mordor. No doubt one of the games that has gone furthest from the source material, Shadow of War has some truly fantastic looking improvements to it’s already unique features like the Nemesis system. I’m not sure what we’re looking forward to most: riding a dragon, conquering famous fortresses, or building up a Friends-esque group of trolls and orcs who we’ll never forget when we accidently get them killed. RIP Az-Laar the Demolisher.