Games are canceled all the time for lots of reasons. Sometimes they're secretive projects that never get revealed to the world, and sometimes they're games we know about and follow closely to the bitter end. But sometimes, in very rare cases, being canceled isn't the end. Sometimes those games are brought back to life.
To celebrate Halloween, we rounded up a few standout games that were seemingly lost, only to come back from the dead.
From the Depths of Nintendo Power
From the very beginning, Mother 3, the sequel to cult classic Earthbound had a rocky road. Shortly after starting development in 1994, the SNES sequel was shuffled over to the N64 and promoted in the US as Earthbound 64. Like many gamers, I only learned about the title from tiny screenshots and captions in the official Nintendo magazine Nintendo Power. But the upgraded hardware proved to be the game's undoing, and after a number of delays, the game was officially canceled in August 2000.
But then in 2003, Mother 3 came back, this time as a Game Boy Advance title. The graphics were scaled back to fit the less-powerful hardware, but it didn't detract from the emotional, mature story when it was finally released in 2006. Mother 3 still has yet to come out officially in the US (though it did come to Virtual Console in Japan last year), but there's a great fan translation available over at Mother3.fobby.net if you want to experience this nearly canceled classic in English. -- Justin Haywald Managing Editor
Alien Autopsy
It's hard to forget the ill-fated Prey 2's debut trailer from E3 2011. It depicted a grimy, Blade Runner-esque world and cast players as a futuristic bounty hunter armed with all manner of gadgets and weaponry--not to mention some serious parkour skills. Sadly, Human Head Studios' vision for the franchise never quite came together, and when publisher Bethesda shut the project down, Prey's future seemed not just uncertain but...empty. Fast forward to 2016 and the franchise has suddenly returned, revived by Dishonored developer Arkane Studios and reimagined as a sort of creepy, System Shock-inspired shooter. The reboot--simply titled Prey--might bare little resemblance to either the original game or its intriguing sequel, but it still proves no series is ever completely dead and gone. -- Scott Butterworth, Editor
The Legacy Lives On
By 2008, Rainbow Six had established itself as a franchise you could expect a new entry or expansion in every one to two years. Yet there was an eight-year gap following Rainbow Six Vegas 2 before we'd get a new game. This wasn't for lack of effort: Ubisoft originally intended to take the franchise in the direction of a story-driven experience with Rainbow Six Patriots. A 2011 video showed tense moments like you and your family being taken hostage in your home, and there was talk of "tough ethical decisions," which is a far cry from what we'd eventually get in Rainbow Six Siege. Patriots was canceled in 2013 when it was deemed "not good enough." When it returned in 2014 as Siege, Ubisoft had brought in almost a completely new set of developers to focus on a much different sort of vision: a multiplayer, esports-centric title that now appears to be paying dividends. -- Chris Pereira, News Reporter
From Modern War Simulator to Hat Simulator
Team Fortress started out as a Quake mod, helping to pioneer the concept of class-based shooters. For its follow-up, Valve revealed the expected sort of sequel. It featured a shift from World War II to modern warfare, and its 1999 showing at E3 garnered awards. Despite that, repeated delays ensued, years passed, and the game largely disappeared from sight. Its reappearance in 2007 came as something of a shock, as its realistic art style was abandoned in favor of a Pixar cartoon-esque look (while retaining the class-based gameplay). In the years since launch, it's arguably undergone an even more significant transformation, adding an incredibly deep loadout and customization system. This has led to the not-entirely-inaccurate joke that the game is now, first and foremost, a hat simulator--not something you would have ever guessed back in the late '90s. -- Chris Pereira, News Reporter
Attack on Titan
While Blizzard put its Titan MMO out to pasture, the game was ultimately resurrected as Overwatch. Like most zombies, if you look at the game closely enough, you can find traces of its former self.
Titan was originally billed as an MMO shooter that had players traversing around a sci-fi version of Earth. The planet had just defended itself against an alien invasion and there were classes like the reaper or jumper, the latter of which was purported to allow you to quickly teleport around environments. Blizzard eventually made the switch from aliens to Omnics for Overwatch and reaper morphed from a class to one of the game’s most bad-ass characters. The jumper class also evolved into Overwatch’s iconic Tracer.
While Blizzard’s CEO Mike Morhaime said that the company “didn’t find the fun” in Titan, Blizzard kept the game’s core development for Overwatch. Even though the game has a much smaller scope, strong remnants of Titan’s DNA still remain. Aside from re-using certain assets, there’s still a certain globe-trotting element to the game with Overwatch’s diverse locales. While the fall of Titan may be tragic for Blizzard, one of the best shooters in recent memory arose from its ashes. -- Jimmy Thang, Technology Editor
Battlefront Lives On
Star Wars Battlefront III might be dead and buried, but its legacy lives on with DICE's new Battlefront shooter, released in 2015. The game lacked the kind of depth some hardcore players might have wanted, but it appealed to a wide audience, going on to ship some 14 million copies. That makes it one of the best-selling Star Wars games in history.
The story of Star Wars Battlefront III is a long and twisted one, muddied by the fact that LucasArts (which has since closed down) never even acknowledged that it was in development. A playable version of Battlefront III, which was in development at Free Radical, emerged earlier this year, providing one of the best looks yet at the ill-fated game.
While Battlefront III was not meant to be, DICE's reboot of sorts is a welcome replacement. EA sees a future for it, too, as a sequel is currently on the way from DICE and Motive Studios. Little is known about the sequel, but EA has said it will feature content from "the new movies." -- | Eddie Makuch, News Reporter
November is yet another big month for releases, including Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the launch of Sony's PS4 Pro, the long awaited Final Fantasy XV, and much more. With so many games slated for this month, we've compiled every major game release date for your convenience. Below you can find some of the month's biggest releases, as well as a comprehensive table covering every single game launching in November.
For a full list of everything coming out during the rest of this year, check out our full 2016 game release date list.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare -- November 4 (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare takes place in a distant future; you __play as Captain Nick Reyes (Brian Bloom), a Tier 1 Special Operations pilot tasked to lead a crew to defeat the Settlement Defense Front, a hostile military organization vying to take over the entire Solar System.
Further Reading:
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare's Campaign - What We Know
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Beta Wraps Up, Changes Coming Based on Feedback
Dishonored 2 -- November 11 (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
Dishonored's tumultuous saga of revenge continues in its sequel. Dishonored 2 puts you in control of Empress Emily Kaldwin and Corvo Attano as they work together to restore their power and influence over the Empire of the Isles.
Further Reading:
Dishonored 2's Clockwork Mansion Will Astound and Frustrate You
New Dishonored 2 Gameplay Shows a Stealthy, Non-Lethal Approach
Pokemon Sun / Moon -- November 18 (3DS)
Pokemon Sun / Moon takes place in the Hawaiian-inspired Alola region and contains a multitude of new Pokemon to catch. Like other games in the series, you __play as a young trainer as they explore the land and engage in Pokemon battles.
Further Reading:
Pokemon Sun/Moon Demo Coming Soon, New Trailer Reveals Starter Evolutions
Pokemon Sun & Moon Demo Livestream
Watch Dogs 2 -- November 18 (Xbox One, PS4) / November 29 (PC)
Watch Dogs 2 is taking us away the gloomy streets of Chicago, moving us to to the bright, colorful city of San Francisco. With a new protagonist to play and a wealth of new hacking options available, the upcoming sequel is looking to be an exciting new adventure that could overcome the shortcomings of the first.
Further Reading:
Watch Dogs 2 Already Seems Better Than the Original After Two Hours
What Makes Watch Dogs 2 More Lighthearted and Creative Than the First
Final Fantasy XV -- November 29 (Xbox One, PS4)
After nearly a decade of waiting, Final Fantasy XV (formerly Versus XIII) is finally coming out. You play as Noctis, the crown prince of the Kingdom of Lucis, who must emark on an epic journey to retake his homeland from the empire of Niflheim.
Further Reading:
Final Fantasy 15's First 15 Hours
Five Things We Learned from Final Fantasy 15
Full November Release Schedule
Game
Platform
Release Date
Owlboy
PC
November 1
Root Letter
PS4, PS Vita
November 1
Seraph
Xbox One, PS4, PC
November 1
Super Dungeon Bros.
Xbox One, PS4, PC
November 1
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Xbox One, PS4, PC
November 4
Football Manager 2017
PC
November 4
Mario Party Star Rush
3DS
November 4
Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization
PS4, Vita
November 4
Eagle Flight
PlayStation VR
November 8
Harvest Moon: Skytree Village
3DS
November 8
Robinson: The Journey
PlayStation VR
November 8
PlayStation 4 Pro
PS4
November 10
Tyranny
PC
November 10
Dishonored 2
Xbox One, PS4, PC
November 11
Silence
PC
November 11
Overcooked Gourmet Edition
Xbox One, PS4
November 15
Watch Dogs 2
Xbox One, PS4
November 15
The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - A New Frontier Episode 1
Having already acquired Red Faction and Darksiders, THQ Nordic--formerly known as Nordic Games--announced today that it has purchased even more gaming franchises.
The Austrian publisher inked a deal with NovaLogic Inc. to acquire all games owned by that company, including military franchises like Delta Force, Comanche, F-22, and Joint Ops. Additionally, THQ Nordic gets the NovaLogic trademark as part of the acquisition. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.
2009's Delta Force Xtreme 2
NovaLogic CEO and founder John Garcia said in a statement, "After 30 years of creating ground breaking computer and video games, we are proud to pass the baton to THQ Nordic."
For its part, THQ Nordic's Reinhard Pollice teased in a statement that the company is open to possibly reviving the franchises.
"We are extremely satisfied with the new additions to our portfolio, and also very thrilled about how to continue some of said franchises. We are open for talks in this regard if any developer approaches us with a concept for a potential sequel to any IP," he said.
THQ Nordic gets the following franchises from NovaLogic as part of the deal:
Delta Force series
Comanche series
Joint Operations series
Armored Fist series
Tachyon: The Fringe
F-22 – series
F-16 eries
NovaLogic Trademark
"and more…"
THQ Nordic acquired Darksiders, Red Faction, MX vs. ATV Alive, and other franchises during THQ's bankruptcy auction. In August this year, Nordic Games announced that it acquired the THQ name, rebranding itself as THQ Nordic.
Gamers in Myanmar ran into a problem recently with EA's digital PC platform, Origin. Namely, it didn't work at all. The good news is that EA is on the case, pledging to restore access to users in the country.
This came to light on Reddit recently, where someone in Myanmar reported they received an "Access Denied" message when trying to do anything through Origin. An EA support volunteer apparently said EA brought Origin down in Myanmar to comply with the US government's trade embargo on the nation.
On October 7, United States president Barack Obama ordered that economic sanctions on the country be lifted, so it's not exactly clear why Origin was blocked in the country. As the person on Reddit said, other digital platforms like Steam and GOG were unaffected.
In a statement to Polygon, EA explained that it is "working to restore access to Origin for our players in Myanmar." No reason for the block was provided, but EA apologized for it.
"We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and we'll share updates on timing as soon as possible," the publisher said.
We'll report back with more details as they become available.
Deadly Premonition director Hidetaka Suehiro, better known as Swery65, has announced his departure from Access Games. This news comes a year after he announced a "short break" from game development due to health problems.
Swery shared the development on Twitter, stating, "Day 360, unfortunately I retired from Access Games after all. However don't worry, because my health condition is getting [to] be fine. Love you!"
The Deadly Premonition image accompanying Swery's tweet
Last November, Swery revealed he would put his game development career on hold to recover from reactive hypoglycemia. "I'm already slow enough at making games as it is, and I feel like all I ever do is make my fans wait... But I've decided that I need to take a rest here, so that I can hopefully continue to make games in the future."
He also added at the time, "When I recover from my illness, I'm going to do my best to make games that are better and more awesome than ever before!"
It's unclear what his plans are now that he's parted ways with Access Games, though he did recently share a photo of himself for the upcoming Men of Game Development calendar. In response to a tweet today, he said, "I hope I will be back. Because I AM SWERY65."
Aside from Deadly Premonition, Swery has also worked on games like Tomba 2, Spy Fiction, Lord of Arcana and, most recently, D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die. If you've never played it and are looking for what's essentially the video game version of Twin Peaks, Deadly Premonition is currently on sale in Steam's Halloween sale for $2.49.
The system requirements for the PC version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered have been announced. As you might expect, they don't call for the same level of hardware as this year's brand new Call of Duty game, Infinite Warfare.
Like Infinite Warfare, Modern Warfare Remastered requires a 64-bit operating system (Windows 7 or newer), but from there it asks for much less from your computer. You'll need only an Intel Core i3-530 or AMD Phenom II X4 810, 6 GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GTS 450 or AMD HD 7850 with 1 GB of VRAM.
You'll need at least 55 GB of free hard drive space to go along with that, and potentially more as updates and new content is released. We already know six more maps are set to be released later this year.
This is all less taxing than Infinite Warfare, which also doesn't go too wild with its system requirements (Core i3-3225, 8 GB RAM, and a 2 GB GTX 660/HD 7850).
It is fun, however, to look at what the original version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare called for back in 2007. You could be running Windows XP with 512 MB of RAM (or 768 MB if you went wild and were using Vista), a Pentium 4, and an Nvidia GeForce 6600 or ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (yes, ATI, not AMD). Oh, and you'd need a whopping 8 GB of free space, which is an amount you might find insulting if you were now given a promotional thumb drive of that size.
Modern Warfare Remastered launches alongside Infinite Warfare on November 9. It's only available with premium versions of that game; for the time being, it won't be offered as a standalone title.
You can see the full minimum specs for Modern Warfare Remastered and Infinite Warfare below. Recommended specs have not yet been announced.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered Minimum System Requirements
OS: Windows 7 64-bit / Windows 8 64-bit / Windows 8.1 64-bit / Windows 10 64-bit
Earlier today we saw a really rad Pokemon Go Halloween costume, and now comes another Pokemon-related Halloween story.
Actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson dressed up as Pikachu to entertain his daughter Jasmine for the spooky occasion. Watch the video below to see The Rock, in a giant Pikachu suit, dance to "Watch Me Hit Em" by Fly Tye.
"What Pikachu didn't know was that Jazzy would start crying when he stopped dancing and demanded he continue to shake his tail with a loud 'EH!' So, Pikachu danced over.. and over.. and over.. and over... and over.. again," The Rock explained.
The Rock, who is the world's highest paid actor, stars in the upcoming Jumanji sequel, which is shooting right now in Hawaii. He also voices a character in Disney's Moana, which comes out in November.
Rise of the Tomb Raider's sequel--which has been hinted at but not announced--might be called "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" and it's possible Crystal Dynamics won't be its developer.
This information comes from an unexpected source: a person on a subway. Reddit user Tripleh280 posted the picture below, which shows the name Shadow of the Tomb Raider on a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation for the game. There is more text on the slide, reportedly detailing some element of the game's visuals, but it's too blurry to make out.
Kotaku heard from a source today that Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the name of the next Tomb Raider. That Square Enix would make another Tomb Raider game is no surprise, but what stands out more is that the site claims Thief and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided developer Eidos Montreal is working on the unannounced game.
A Square Enix representative told GameSpot, "We don't comment on rumors and speculation."
At Gamescom 2015, Square Enix boss Phil Rogers let slip that a third game in the Tomb Raider franchise that began with the 2013 reboot was on the way. This came up when we asked him about the controversy and backlash surrounding Rise of the Tomb Raider's exclusivity deal with Xbox.
"We believe first and foremost this is the right thing to do with Tomb Raider right now," Rogers said about the deal with Microsoft. "What it's done for the sake of the studio and the next beat with the Tomb Raider trilogy[emphasis added]... But the backlash is--we've watched carefully and we believe it's the right thing to do."
In August this year, Crystal Dynamics hired Visceral Games veteran Ian Milham to become a game director for the Tomb Raider franchise, which furthered the suggestion that the studio was making a new Tomb Raider game. Crystal Dynamics is also working on a new IP.
Rise of the Tomb Raider finally came to the PlayStation 4 in September in the form of the 20 Year Celebration Edition.
As Mod Kelpie announced last week, we're holding off on the Bounty Hunter reboot for a couple more weeks to ensure it's as polished as possible.
That means it's a patch week, and we've made a number of nice tweaks to make your 'Scaping experience that little bit more enjoyable.
Among these are a number of updates to the Arc, including high-level Cooking and Crafting urns, chat for the spirit dragon and Iago bird pets, and stackable pocket-slot items that summon your contract giver to an Uncharted Isle.
Elsewhere, Surge spells do up to max-level spell damage in Daemonheim, and the Ninjas have put an array of teleportation jewellery options into neat interfaces, rather than dialogue trees.
Read the patch notes for the full list of today's updates, and look out for BTS November this Friday for full details of the upcoming month's content.
The RuneScape Team
This Week's Streams
You can catch our live streams over on the RuneScape Twitch Channel.
Tuesday, November 1st | 17:00 __game Time | November Month Ahead
Come and see what we have planned for the month of November.
Tuesday, November 1st | 18:00 Game Time | The Loot from 5,000 Elite Clue Scrolls
Cluetober finishes � this week with 5,000 Elite Clue Scrolls � don�t miss it straight after the Q&A!
Friday, November 4th | 20:00 Game Time | Update preview with Mod Shauny
Join us to check out some of what you can expect with Monday's update.
Sunday, November 6th | 17:00 Game Time | PvM with Mod Lee!
Mod Lee will be hosting some Community PvM goodness live !
Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! This week I, @zombiepie, am honored to be your host as we look back on the best offerings from the greater Giant Bomb Community. With less than one week to go, we are in the homestretch before the Giant Bomb Extra Life charity drive is in full swing! November 5th will mark the official start to the charity effort, and this week in the weekly housekeeping section you will find a number of users that plan on participating in the event! As always, thank you so much to everyone participating this year, and best of luck in reaching your goal!
Extra Life Information
Let's all do this together!
The Extra Life 2016 General Thread (By: @matt)
This is the thread that has all of the information on how you can join and support the Giant Bomb Extra Life Team. Feel free to also link to your Twitch channel once you have joined the team as well.
Giant Bomb Extra Life Team
This is the general Giant Bomb Team page for Extra Life 2016. Thanks to our wonderful community the team has already raised almost $40,000 even before the event started! You are all wonderful people!
Giant Bomb Explosive Runs
Explosive Runs is still the one-stop shop for all your streaming needs if you want to watch a bunch of Extra Life live streams at once.
Extra Life 2016 Giant Bomb User List (By: @riostarwind)
Want an easy to use list of every single Giant Bomb user that plans on hosting an Extra Life stream? You are in luck because RioStarwind has created such a list! Check it out to learn who needs your support the most, and get your name on it if you have not already done so.
Want to watch a number of grown men struggle at using cables? Around a year ago Jeff resorted to calling Vinny to get a live stream up and running with Jason and Drew out of commission. This week Mepsipax merged the West and East coast periscopes into one for everyone's benefit.
I Made A Giant Bomb/Full House Mashup (By: @chris7626)
Inspired by Bob Buel's fantastic GB/Family Matters video, chris7626 created this Giant Bomb x Full House mashup, and it's a wonderful view.
Giant Bomb Galleria
Banner - Giant Bomb Persona 4 Poster (By: @supernormalstep)
SupernormalStep really outdid himself with the Giant Bomb Persona portraits for the site's social media channels. Look for this amazing banner on Giant Bomb's YouTube Channel.
Jeff X Manjimutt (By: @btns)
Over on Tumblr BTNS created this artwork based on Jeff’s visceral reaction to Manjimutt during the Yo-Kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits/Fleshy Souls Quick Look.
Community Activities
Titanfall 2 Networks
You can have fun with Titanfall 2 with other GB users!
PlayStation 4 Giant Bomb Network
PC Giant Bomb Network
Xbox One Giant Bomb Network
The Titanfall 2 Giant Bomb PS4 Community (By: @spaceinsomniac)
The PS4 Giant Bomb Community for Titanfall 2 has its own community thread that you can check out and participate in! Talk all about your pew pew robots.
Best of Blogs
audioBusting and Wrighteous86 are just a few of the Extra Life participants this year.
Our First Livestream... For the Kids! (By: @wrighteous86)
Wrighteous86 will be hosting an Extra Life stream for the Giant Bomb Team! Read all about why he feels motivated to do this, and how you can support the effort on his blog!
My First Extra Life! (By: @audiobusting)
audioBusting will be running a 24-hour live stream on 5 November 2016 for Extra Life, and wants you to know what inspired him to join the fun this year.
Rockstar Sucks At Multiplayer (By: @dharmabum)
There really is too much Final Fantasy on this website.
DharmaBum has a singular, but an ultimately pragmatic issue with Rockstar as a developer: he dislikes every attempt at multiplayer modes in their games. Read how this issue alone has been enough to temper his excitement for Red Dead Redemption 2.
No Place Like Home: On Skyrim's Special Edition (By: @egge)
Egge briefly comments on how he found the Special Edition of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to be a "return to home," that felt otherwise meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
Zeroing In: Explaining Final Fantasy Type-0's Story, Sorta&Sunday Summaries 23/10/2016: Final Fantasy Type-0 (By: @mento)
Giant Bomb moderator Mento is still on the "Final Fantasy Pain Train," and managed to survive Final Fantasy Type-0. This week he wants you to know how crazy its story gets. His usual Sunday column is available for reading too.
Kinda Late But Thoughts On Nintendo's New Console: The Nintendo Switch (By: @eder)
There are plenty of users excited to talk about Red Dead Redemption 2
Eder may be late, but you should still check out and read what his early impressions of the Nintendo Switch are, and if he plans on purchasing one.
What's In A Name? (By: @morecowbell24)
morecowbell24 used Red Dead Redemption 2 as a case study to examine the video __game industry's tenuous relationship with names and franchises.
Ratchet’s Clank Problem (By: @darth_navster)
Darth_Navster uses his foray with the Ratchet & Clank reboot to discuss his issues with the Clank specific scenes and why he finds them to be the series' Achilles' Heel.
Fighting Final Fantasy IX - Parts 27-37: Fearing And Loathing The Ebbs And Flows ofJRPGs (By: @zombiepie)
Ranking every single Legend of Zelda sounds like a monumental task, but MajorMitch did just that!
Final Fantasy IX continues to haunt every waking moment of ZombiePie's life. Read all about how he's slowly coming around to the game, but still wants to set Zidane on fire.
Open World Map Exploration: Organic or Incentivized? (By: @pezen)
Pezen tackles the issue whether or not open world maps work best if exploration is incentivized or organic.
Scumbags: An Analysis of Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days (By: @gamer_152)
Moderator Gamer_152 comments on Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days's commitment in depicting its cast members as terrible human beings.
Ranking of Zeldas (By: @majormitch)
Calling a Quest for Glory __game "horror?" Say it ain't so!
MajorMitch "ranked" the entire Legend of Zelda franchise with a couple of other Giant Bomb users! Here are the results for you to mull over.
Halloween Horror Games: Quest for Glory 4 (By: @mikelemmer)
MikeLemmer's Halloween themed blog series begins with an examination of the "horrifying" Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness.
Join the Discussion
How has the action mayhem of Titanfall 2 been treating you?
Titanfall 2 General Discussion Thread (By: @glots)
Regardless of the platform that you are playing it on, what are your impressions of Titanfall 2? Join the rest of the community in discussing the robotic mayhem to be had in the game.
Titanfall 2 Platform Poll and Discussion Thread (By: @rebellion91)
What platform are you enjoying Titanfall 2 on? Share and discuss your platform of preference over here
Where Does Battlefield Go Next? (By: @hoossy)
Where would you like to see the Battlefield go next in its depiction of conflicts and settings? Join our discussion on where you would like to see the franchise go next. How about that Bombcast e-mail pitch of Battlefield Bad Company: 2143 from four years ago?
Is it convenience that "breaks" a game? You decide!
The Great Debate: Should Quest Markers Be Included In Open World Games? (By: @xdeser2)
Should ALL open world games include quest markers? That's the debate that has recently absorbed the Giant Bomb community so feel free to share your two-cents worth on the issue.
Applicable Life Skills Learned From Games (By: @ksck26)
What are the most applicable life skills that video games can confer? From typing to mathematics share what games have taught you.
Ashes of Ariandel Impressions Sharing Thread (By: @ivdamke)
Dark Souls III fans unite! Share your impressions of the Ashes of Ariandel DLC with the rest of the Giant Bomb community.
Music That Defines A Franchise For You (By: @turambar)
What game franchises do you feel are defined by their soundtracks and vice versa? Join the discussion over here.
Lovable Lists
Sonic approves of your achievement obsession!
S-Rank'd (By: @mento)
Mento joins the bandwagon in listing his game achievement S-Ranks! Learn which were especially difficult to acquire.
S-Ranks! (By: @buzz_clik)
Community artist buzz_clik took the time to list every achievement S-Rank he managed to accomplish over here.
StealthRUSH's Top 100 Favorite Simulation Games (By: @stealthrush)
StealthRUSH enjoys a good racing, sport, or vehicle-action simulation video game. Here are his 100 favorites.
PS4 Exclusives You Should Think About Owning (By: @humanity)
Humanity recently picked up a PS4 and decided to annotate the games that best showcase the prowess of the console.
Useful User Reviews
@extintor comments on why he thinks Mafia III's pacing is the game's ultimate Achilles' Heel on his review.
@riostarwind's NBA 2K16 review assesses the game from the perspective of someone who rarely plays sports games.
You can’t get away from zombies. They in your comics, your TV… and even in your browser with these five shambling games!
Zombies, man. You can’t live with ’em, and you can’t live without… well, no, that’s it, really, because a zombie roommate would kind of suck, even apart from the whole “my flesh, my flesh, it’s eating my flesh” thing. I’m pretty sure they can’t pay rent, you’d be forever picking bits out of the furniture, and out of work C-list celebrities are forever dropping by to do “cameos”. But zombie games? Now, those I’m on board with. If you’re looking to put a little putrefaction in your day, here are five tasty zombie games to put some drag in your step. Feel free to share your favourites!
Evil Dog and SickDeathFiend’s Lab of the Dead features a bit less pew pew pew grr argh BAAAAAAAAARBRA when it comes to the zombie apocalypse, and a lot more questionable science. In it, you play a scientist who’s holed up in an underground lab after the end of the world, performing experiments on the undead, and only kind of for kicks and giggles. See, your theory is you can interact with the restrained zombies and prompt reactions that will further your research and maybe, just maybe, work towards unlocking some hidden spark of humanity buried inside them… and a way to control them. Because THAT’S bound to turn out well.
Lab of the Dead is, bluntly put, a weird little game, but that’s why we like it. While you can whack away at your zombies with sticks and other weapons, there’s something strangely rewarding about coaxing out less animalistic responses to things like books, toys, and meat that didn’t come off of a person. Seeing your zombie look puzzled and vaguely sad when presented with a child’s teddy bear instead of shrieking in mad fury just may make you feel a little more kindly towards them… or maybe you’ll just keep beating them with sticks. I don’t know your life. Research new objects and reactions as the days progress to unlock more content, and presumably some extra “haha”s on your MUHAHAHA mad scientist laugh.
Look, I know the end of the world seems… bad. There’s no WiFi, pizza delivery is non-existent, and without the internet, you’re going to have to find new ways to express rude anonymous opinions to strangers. But that doesn’t mean we’re all going to sit around banging rocks on cave walls for all eternity! Sarah Northway is pretty sure you’re the right choice to lead humanity into this brave new world, and in her turn-based strategy sim Rebuild 2, your cup runneth over with choices and potential. You’ll start off with a small colony of survivors, whom you’ll need to keep happy and fed, and need to expand and explore the randomly generated city to find new allies, convert derelict buildings into useful structures, and more. Just make sure you have people on hand to defend the place if zombies get wind of you.
What makes Rebuild 2 stand out from other sims is how much freedom you’re given, and the wide variety of endings to unlock. Do you squash a strange new religion that begins to rise through your settlement? Maybe you keep the discovery of a shack in the woods to yourself. Or maybe you’ll devote precious resources to trying to find a cure. Scenarios frequently arise that require you to make choices that aren’t always cut and dry, and often have consequences beyond what you might expect. It’s that rare combination of simple to pick up, yet also compelling and complex, making it hard to tear yourself away from. All it’s missing is a wonky synthesized ’80s soundtrack and for you to choose who will betray you first… the weird, weathered, stoic survivalist who says things like “Everyone closes their eyes sometimes,” or the wise-cracking, disconcertingly smug everyday Joe Schmoe.
Zombotron sounds like some Daft Punk/Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” tribute brand, but actually it’s a clever physics-based platformer by Ant Karlov that will make all your dreams of offing zombies using an assortment of flaming barrels, precarious crates, bottomless pits, and of course, the gentleman’s choice, the gears of a heavily descending elevator. As you explore the levels, tracking down secrets and coins to upgrade your arsenal, you’ll quickly learn that there are a wide variety of ways to kill zombies aside from mere bullets, and the __game will pop up with a description of each one as it happens.
Unlike a lot of other zombie games, Zombotron isn’t particularly gory or explicitly violent. There’s a weird, Looney Tunes-esque vibe to everything that sort of makes one wish it had some sort of madcap, Benny Hill-style soundtrack. Trying to figure out how to meet each level’s optional objectives usually takes a bit of thought and planning, though blasting your way through the destructible bits of scenery to crush your enemies beneath an avalanche of rubble is always satisfying on its own. I mean, you get me when I say that, right? That’s why I love you guys. You’re way more understanding than my therapist.
Con Artists Studios has been making sweet zombie games for years, but if the MMO aspects of The Last Stand – Dead Zone don’t tickle your proverbial fancy, then The Last Stand 2 might just have coyly dropped its kerchief at your feet. In it, an escape attempt from an apocalyptic zombie scenario goes awry, and you find yourself stranded with 40 days to reach Union City before all boats and aircraft leave for good. Playing the __game means fending off the zombies that sprint at you to try and tear apart your shelter during the night, then spending a few precious hours trying to figure out where you should scavenge for more weapons and the supplies needed to travel. The clock is always ticking, after all.
The Last Stand 2 blends a lot of different elements, like gentle supply and time management, but its core gameplay boils down to defending your wall each night against the undead. Most of the useful things you scavenge are traps to impede the zombies’ progress, but you can also find better weapons, and even survivors who you can arm to fight alongside you when night falls. Unlike some defense game, your wall is not automatically repaired between levels, so you’ll need to choose when to allocate some time to fix that up if you don’t want to be torn to shreds. Don’t forget to allot time to create your rockin’ zombie road trip mix tape. I recommend Party in the USA and Bad Romance.
You know a game isn’t messing around when it sets its logo on fire. FlyAnvil’s Decision 3 is set, like most zombie games, after the end of the world. You control a grizzled fellow who’s set off trying to find a place to start over and exist in a world where everyone has come down with a bad case of dead. He winds up working for a small band of survivors in a crumbling city, doing odd jobs for the military presence that calls the shots there. And everybody knows you can always count on the military in a post-apocalyptic scenario where they represent the only law! All we’re missing is Danny Trejo and an unscrupulous businessman played by John Malkovich or Dennis Hopper.
Decision 3, like the first two titles in the series, is essentially a top-down shooter with some town-building elements. You explore dangerous areas filled with zombies, complete objectives, and find survivors, all while trying to keep your face firmly attached to your skull despite what the local monster population would prefer. As you clean out locales, you can capture them for your own use and build helpful structures, and even improve your own abilities and arsenal. Why, it’s like you’re the Johnny Appleseed of the wastes, dispensing stoic justice and headshots across the land! It’s practically a bedtime story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Writer: Dora Breckinridge / Itchy. Tasty.
Walk like a Zombie from 00:00 UTC on 27th October until 23:59 UTC on Monday 31st October.
Get in __game and receive your zombie task card by opening Treasure Hunter or by talking to Diango if you�re an Ironman.
Take on the card�s tasks and complete the rows and columns to unlock prizes shown at the ends. Complete all the tasks on the card to receive additional prizes that will really have you walking like a zombie.
This event will run until 23:59 UTC on Monday 31st October.
Stamps
Treasure Hunter is on hand to help you skip any tasks you don�t fancy. Dip in with your Keys and look for stamps, which can be used as a handy bypass.
Stamps are also given out by an NPC called Zrik who will be at various locations around the world.
Talk to him with the zombie card in your inventory to cross off his task and receive two stamps for free and a medium XP lamp (unless you�re an Ironman, of course).
You can do this once per completion of the card.
Prizes
Complete the zombie task card up to five times to unlock all the prizes available in this promotion.
Completion
Prize for completing a row or column
Prize for completing entire card
First
Piece of the zombie outfit with special bite ability + XP or coin item
Spine bow weapon override
Second
XP and coin item
Hand flail weapon override
Third
Second tier zombie outfit cosmetic upgrade (look more necrotic) + XP or coin item
Brain off hand and bone wand overrides
Fourth
XP and coin item
Zombie emote
Fifth
Third tier zombie outfit cosmetic upgrade (look even more necrotic!) + XP or coin item
'Walk like a zombie' animation
Special Bite Ability
The zombie outfit deserves a special mention as it comes with an ability that allows you to �bite� other players via a right-click option, giving your victim temporary zombification with an appropriately shambling gait.
You must be wearing the full outfit for this option to exist. The outfit is accessible from your inventory.
Post-Event
After the event ends you will have until November 14th to use any remaining stamps before they are cleared up and converted into 100 coins each.
We hope you enjoy this chilling chance to get your hands on a unique RuneScape cosmetic! Let us know all your feedback on the forums.
The RuneScape Team
What is Treasure Hunter?
Treasure Hunter is playable from within RuneScape, allowing players to use Keys to claim in-game items as prizes. These range from useful resources to rare weapons and exclusive gear.
Playing Treasure Hunter is simple - click the treasure chest icon that pops up when you log in. If you've not played before, just follow the on-screen guide.
Everyone gets at least one Key per day, and RuneScape members get two. You can earn more Keys while playing the game, or stock up by redeeming Bonds.
If you'd like more, you can also buy Keys on the website, or by clicking 'Buy Keys' within the Treasure Hunter interface in-game.
World of Final Fantasy released this week, and critics have delivered their verdicts on the Final Fantasy spinoff.
The game features multiple classic Final Fantasy characters, but the combat isn't like other games in the series. In World of Final Fantasy, you'll do most of your battling with monsters, only summoning classic Final Fantasy characters after you've met them in the story and dealt enough damage in battle. You can try it before putting down money, thanks to a demo that's available for PS4 and Vita.
We've collected a series of review scores and editor opinions and compiled them into an easy-to-read list below. For an even wider view of the critical reception, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
Game: World of Final Fantasy
Developer: Square Enix
Platform: PS4, Vita
Release Date: October 25
Price: $60 on PS4, $40 on Vita
GameSpot -- 6/10
"Unfortunately, you have to put up with a fair amount of frustration and filler before you get to enjoy the best of what World of Final Fantasy has to offer, namely charming writing and Final Fantasy fan service. If you're willing to put up with some of the game's mundane sequences, you'll get some enjoyment out of it, but if you're not a Final Fantasy fanatic, the magic in these moments may be lost altogether." -- Heidi Kemps [full review]
Shacknews -- 9/10
"As the 30th anniversary of Final Fantasy approaches, there's no better way to celebrate the adventures that we've treasured than World of Final Fantasy. Even though the game is a huge crossover event, by making everything make sense in its own world of Grymoire, the game doesn't rely exclusively on nostalgia to hook players. Even though you'll see Sephiroth, Squall, and other friends in your quest, even those who somehow don't know these iconic characters can get enjoyment out of the great gameplay and lighthearted story of World of Final Fantasy." -- Brittany Vincent [full review]
GamesBeat -- 8.5/10
"World of Final Fantasy will please fans of one of gaming's longest-running series. But I think it'll also help find new players, who'll get a taste of what we old fogeys have loved about Square Enix's flagship for decades. With combat that's simple but has some depth and a story that fits in the franchise's lineage, this ramp up to next month's Final Fantasy XV is a great way to enjoy a story you love while also sharing it with others who are experiencing it for the first time." -- Jason Wilson [full review]
Game Informer -- 8.25/10
"Similar to my experience playing Final Fantasy XIII-2, I eventually just had to tune out the plot to enjoy the gameplay. That's a shame, but it doesn't erase the entertaining battle system, the satisfaction of building an unstoppable monster collection, or the thrill of seeing your favorite characters back in action. The barrage of references might be lost on casual followers who don't have the nostalgia to draw from, but that's okay. World of Final Fantasy is aimed directly at fans with fond memories of the series' first 15 years." -- Joe Juba [full review]
CGMagazine -- 7.5/10
"World of Final Fantasy is [a] spin-off title that prioritizes delivering fan service instead of the sort of powerful story that we've come to expect from one of the best RPG franchises. While I still enjoyed a lot of my time with the game due to its charming characters, wealth of humor, and fun gameplay, ultimately the core experience feels like a forgettable one compared to the numbered entries." -- Cole Watson [full review]
Polygon -- 7/10
"World of Final Fantasy wants to be fan service for everybody, an almost impossible task in such a long-running, varied franchise. In that regard, the game may look like lighthearted filler on the surface. But those shimmers of something greater and World of Final Fantasy's more original, modern elements are worthwhile, even if they don't quite make up for the hours of annoyances that pay lip service to nostalgia." -- Allegra Frank [full review]
GamesRadar -- 3/5
"With a bit of editing, World of Final Fantasy would have been an easy recommendation. The plot may be up there on the anime nonsense scale, but ultimately, it's a fun, effervescent Saturday morning cartoon-inspired romp through a greatest hits of Final Fantasy characters, locations, creatures, and tunes, and its twists are genuinely intriguing. For fans of the series, getting to watch Edgar from Final Fantasy VI hang out with Vivi from Final Fantasy IX is a rare treat, and for newcomers, it's a bizarre, magical tale filled with outlandish concepts you could only get from Final Fantasy. It's just a shame that getting to those moments slowly devolves into a disappointing chore." -- David Roberts [full review]
There are a bunch of games celebrating Halloween, and Gears of War 4 developer The Coalition announced that its shooter is, too. The latest Gears of War game sees a remix to its Dodgeball multiplayer mode, in addition to a themed gear pack and the return of pumpkin heads.
Pumpkin Ball is the new Dodgeball variant that reduces respawn protection and respawn times to one second. The Coalition describes it on its website as "a faster paced Dodgeball experience where the dead don't stay dead for long." In normal Dodgeball, teams of five try to eliminate the other team by killing each other. Downed teammates can be brought back only by killing an opponent and surviving for five seconds.
Five of the "darker" maps from Gears of War 4 can host Pumpkin Ball matches. These include Fallout, Forge, Harbor, Impact, and Lift. Players can earn bonus XP rewards in Pumpkin Ball as part of the game's Halloween celebration. Additionally, pumpkin heads make their return exclusively to the new mode and feature a new design inspired by Gears of War 4's Juvie enemy. You can see it in the image above.
Those interested in new gear have the Halloween Elite Pack to look forward to. It launches on October 27 and is a variant on the Elite Gear Pack, which includes a guaranteed card of Epic or Legendary quality. Any Legendary card from the Halloween pack is exclusive to the Day of the Dead Legendary Collection. It's available until November 1.
The Coalition recently detailed some of the changes it plans to make in future updates. These include harsher rage-quitting penalties, louder teammate footsteps, and various fixes. You can see the full list here.
Gears of War 4 received a score of 7/10 in GameSpot's review. Critic Mike Mahardy said, "This is a shooter teetering on the edge of something greater, but despite the improvements it makes to the storied franchise, its missteps hold it back. There is inspiration here, and creativity in the way Gears of War 4 rethinks its multiplayer modes. But the lackluster campaign and technical issues are blights on an otherwise exhilarating shooter. The result is a whole that doesn't reflect the quality of its often stellar parts."
You can get a wider view of the game's critical reception in GameSpot's review roundup.
