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The Firehose: Issac Rebirth, Starcraft Universe ++

Creepy new trailer released with news of The Binding of Issac Rebirth launching on Steam in 2014. The trailer is creepy, strange and neat all in one.

Starcraft Universe is a new fan created Starcraft II map that is essentially a Starcraft MMO. Blizzard highlights the new mod in a recent blog post and video tear down giving us all more reasons to play Stacraft 2 again.

http://us.battle.net//sc2/en/blog/8996231#best

PC Gamer creates a list of the top 25 shooters of all time. Unreal Tournament, BioShock, Wolfenstein, Counter-strike, Left 4 Dead 2, Borderlands 2, Doom, Quake III & Half-life 2 all make the list and one spot they gave to Team Fortress 2.

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Travis Admin wrote on 08/24/2013 at 01:54am

Oh holy hell, that trailer is disturbing.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/24/2013 at 04:26pm

Yeah, it is. When one bag head squirted tears it was somewhere between funny and creepy for me.

BR Supporter wrote on 08/24/2013 at 04:51pm

I think I'm going to have nightmares because of that. Moms foot was really creepy.

beansmyname Supporter wrote on 08/26/2013 at 08:23pm

Well, that IS Isaac's projectile weapon. I am so looking forward to this. I've only beaten Mom once and have not been able to get back since.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/26/2013 at 08:26pm

@beansmyname you are one up one me, haven't made it to Mom yet.

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Destiny Mini Doc: Out Here in the Wild

"Delve deeper into the world of Destiny with the Bungie team to discover more ways to become legend on this new adventure."

Destiny looks beautiful and this documentary shows off how much time and polish Bungie has been spending on it. I am interested to see how the on the fly co-op works in the game as well as experience the lush visuals first hand.

Interview with FTL Composer Ben Prunty

In a world of impossibly difficult rogue-likes FTL ups the challenge but dares to be fun and unique. One large element in the mixture of FTL's awesomery is the score. From the opening track of Ben Prunty's "Space Cruise" to the more etherial "Engi," the score is important to building the overall feel of an open and lonely universe. I picked up an FTL bundle on Steam that included the score and was impressed with Ben's work.

I contacted Ben and he was kind enough to answer some questions I had about FTL and the other stuff he is up to right now. He just launched a pre-order for his new album "Curious Merchandise" and has two preview tracks "Fractal Wheel" and "Swamp... Read All

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Cinematic Drops

How long could peace in Sanctuary last after Diablo III? Apparently not too long as it turns out. Interested in a new D3 expansion but I am somewhat put off by some of the cinematic. To keep this post spoiler free i'll put my thoughts on it in the comments.

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/reaper-of-souls/

UPDATE: I am collecting all the news bits of the expansion in the comments section and so far have collected some really interesting information about the new Crusader Class and the new "loot run" game mode. This expansion is starting to shape up to be very interesting.

hardeyez wrote on 08/21/2013 at 07:42pm

So new Act V, new class, "increased level cap" (wonder if that's base levels and how that interacts with the Paragon levels)... Sounds like a $20 add-on, not a ton of new stuff, and they still haven't shipped all the stuff they promised in base D3 :)

Travis Admin wrote on 08/21/2013 at 08:19pm

It's on base levels, new cap is 70. Paragon levels are now unlimited, account-based rather than character-based, and let you pick increases across all your characters. Like badass rank in Diablo 3.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/21/2013 at 11:55pm

Dig an idea for a new class. Its kind of a Barb but not a Barb. Interested to see how that plays out.

I hope Act V is big because if its about as long as act I I am not sure if adding one class and an Act means they deserve the $60 price. Not to say if the charged it I wouldn't buy it, but I am just not sure its a $60 expansion for what we know now which isn't much.

That said I have a beef with the trailer. Ok so there is a new kid on the block, the Reaper of Souls. Awesome, totally down, yay Death. I am so ready to send Death to his grave.

But Diablo's soulstone is still around? Diablo is still around? WTF? WHYYY? Ugh. Seriously. Didn't we kick that fucker into the dirt a zillion times? Then again, if he was really dead they'd have to call the game "Reaper of Souls III: The Reaper of Souls."

Minor gripe but yeah, I wonder if we will still be killing Diablo when we are 60?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/22/2013 at 02:04am

Gameplay trailer for the Crusader. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGp5dkJdi0w

Looks fun.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/22/2013 at 02:08am

http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/08/21/diablo-3-reaper-of-souls-announced/

"Crusaders wield shields and flails, and are described as “mid-range melee” warriors, specialising in shield bashing and smiting. Diablo 2′s Fist of the Heavens holy lightning strike returns and Crusaders can follow up with Falling Sword, a teleporting drop attack that turns the Paladin’s heavily armoured body into an artillery strike. Paladins were all about support, Crusaders have replaced their benevolent auras with AOE zones that help co-op partners and injure enemies at the same time."

AND

"Blizzard are rebalancing loot drops in a big way to try and make more drops relevant to your character. There will be fewer common (white) drops, and they can be melted down into a new crafting reagent to stop them being completely useless past level 10. Rare drops will be reduced but there’s a high chance of a “smart drop.” These items will feature stats tuned to your character. More legendary items will drop, and they’ll come with new interesting new effects. Blizzard’s examples included a weapon that spawned an instant treasure goblin when equipped, and a staff that adds a chance to spawn hydras from dead bodies.

They’re also adding a new artisan: The Mystic. She can transmogrify items, letting you transfer desirable stats onto items you like the look of, preserving your warrior’s sense of style. They can also enchant items, which lets you re-roll one affix for an item you own. Enchant your Barbarian’s sword and there’s a chance that pointless +100 intelligence stat will flip into a +100 strength stat, for example. It’s another system designed to give players a way to make powerful but unusable items relevant."

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/22/2013 at 02:09am

AND HOLY SHIT THE COOLEST FEATURE FROM THAT PC GAMER ARTICLE:

"Finally, Reaper of Souls will add a new game mode called Loot Run. This lets you and a few friends run an completely randomised 15-20 minute dungeon. Assets, layout, lighting, weather, monsters, loot and the end boss are all randomised. It’s designed to offer a fresh and profitable dose of Diablo 3 in a manageable chunk of time."

Travis Admin wrote on 08/22/2013 at 03:03pm

I had intended on writing up a post on all this last night, but I worked til 11PM. You've covered it all and yeah, I'm super excited about all of this. I can't freakin' wait.

hardeyez wrote on 08/22/2013 at 08:13pm

Yeah, loot run is killer... I spent a ridiculous amount of time with the Diablo 1 demo and a trainer that some group made which just respawned random dungeons with random monsters or a mix you picked. It was crazy having 50 Butchers yelling "Fresh Meat" at once and swarming you...

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/22/2013 at 08:50pm

Hahaha, yeah that would be awesome. Hopefully they put some rad stuff at the end of each run.

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Plants vs. Zombies 2 Is A Scary Amount Of Fun

Plants vs. Zombies 2 is what I have been playing since it was launched last week. It's free to play and available on iPhone and iPad and I seriously recommend you play it.

this game is challenging

One of my biggest complaints with the original Plants vs. Zombies was that it was a bit too easy. If you figured out a pretty good build you could use that all the way to the end without much change required. You would get new plants and often it made sense to chose a new one over an old one, but often times you could use the same build all the way to end.

PvZ 2 is much more challenging and I love it. I've lost a few matches already and have had to adapt my strategy to win.... Read All Plants vs. Zombies 2 is what I have been playing since it was launched last week. It's free to play and available on iPhone and iPad and I seriously recommend you play it.

this game is challenging

One of my biggest complaints with the original Plants vs. Zombies was that it was a bit too easy. If you figured out a pretty good build you could use that all the way to the end without much change required. You would get new plants and often it made sense to chose a new one over an old one, but often times you could use the same build all the way to end.

PvZ 2 is much more challenging and I love it. I've lost a few matches already and have had to adapt my strategy to win. Certain missions have you accomplish certain tasks, like protect a particular plant, only play with a certain plant build or start the game with a fixed amount of sun and stand your ground. I love the new play modes and how hard they are and have spent all my time unlocking each level and beating it one at a time.

free to play isn't annoying or hamfisted

One of the elements of Plants vs. Zombies 2 I was very nervous about was the free to play element. I was worried EA would dump out a stupid Facebook game or game very similar to the mobile free to play crapware. So far, my fears are entirely unfounded as the free to play element is present but not required to win or have fun. If you want, you can buy gold to toss on power ups or boosts and unlock plants. Or you could just go through each mission and unlock them yourself.

crazy dave and time machine are fun

I really like that they brought back Crazy Dave from the first game. They introduced a new character in a sentient time machine that not only serves to take you back in time but also a sort of NPC that propels you through the stories and levels. For some reason the time periods you go back to have Zombie infestations and they game doesn't quite explain why but it doesn't matter, the Zombies need killin'.

I am really interested to how this game evolves over time. It seems EA set up PvZ 2 as a game that can be updated with new levels after launch and I hope this gives PvZ a long life. I happily paid for the original Plants vs. Zombies on my PC and later my iPhone because it was so much fun. I kind of feel bad that I am getting so much enjoyment from PvZ 2 and it hasn't cost me a dime yet. If I make it to the end of the game and haven't purchased anything I may just do it to sort of vote for the game with my wallet.

All that said, Plants vs. Zombies 2 is well worth your time and available for the ridiculously low price of free.

Try Guild Wars 2 Free This Weekend

I have been wanting to try Guild Wars 2 for some time and this weekend i'll get my chance. Guild Wars 2 will be free this weekend starting this coming Friday @ 12:01 AM and ending at 11:59 PM PDT on Sunday.

If you are thinking of checking the game out, let me know and we can try and create characters on the same server. I created an event for people to join so if you are thinking about checking it out, join the event and add it to your calendar!

Register for the free here:

https://register.guildwars2.com/trial?cid=7:5:HomepageBanner:Static:1292x444:Global:40:4:

Join the CG event here:

http://cheerfulghost.com/jdodson/events/38

Int. w Robin Meijer of Ronimo Games & Awesomenauts

Back this on Kickstarter!

For me Awesomenauts is the perfect MOBA. It's accessible, easy to pick up and fun. It takes the MOBA formula, strips it back to its best elements, tosses in humor and some great art to make a seriously addicting game. After picking it up as part of the Humble Bundle 8 I couldn't put it down. As such I wanted to talk to Ronimo about the game and know a bit more about it from behind the scenes.

As luck would have it Ronimo also just announced a new Kickstarter for the new Awesomenauts: Starstorm. The expansion looks to add 3 new classes, spectator mode, global chat, twin-stick controller support & some new music. The backer levels are pretty intense so if you are an... Read All

Official Age of Empires 2 Expansion: The Forgotten

No too long after the release of Age of Empires II HD we are getting a new official Age of Empires II expansion called "The Forgotten." You might remember a Age of Empires II fan expansion that was released called "Forgotten Empires." Apparently the team that made that is partnering up with SkyBox Labs and Microsoft to incorporate much of that content into the new expansion.

Not only will they be adding 5 civilizations such as the Italians, Indians, Slavs, Magyars & Incas. The expansions will also include new technologies and 4 new in game campaigns as well as integrated Twitch.tv support and multi-player observer mode.

Awesome.

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Mother 4: An Upcoming Fan Made "Earthbound Game"

Yes, you heard correctly. Some seriously dedicated fans to the Earthbound/Mother series have taken it upon themselves to create Mother 4. Oh, and it looks awesome too.

"Mother 4 is a traditional RPG set in an idealized vintage America, following the adventures of a young boy and the leader of a biker gang, who get caught up in the whirlwind events surrounding a group calling themselves the Modern Men."

Travis, Meryl, Leo & Floyd are the new characters Mother 4 brings to the forefront and each one has a different backstory. The art style is fresh, yet very reminiscent of the Mother series. They recently launched the above linked trailer and set the release date for... Read All

Why you should sign up for the Cardhunter beta

So, I've been beating the Cardhunter drum for a while now, and I thought I'd take a few moments to explain why it's been absorbing 95% of my gaming hours.

First up, it's a genre-bender. We've got a grid-based playing field and turn-based play flow, like many strategy wargames. We also have a deck-and-card element ala Magic: The Gathering, and we have characters, classes, and levels like any classic RPG.

When your characters start out at level 1, they have a few equipment slots - a warrior, for example, will have slots for two weapons, and one pair of boots. Each piece of equipment represents a number of cards in your deck, and when you place a piece of equipment into a... Read All So, I've been beating the Cardhunter drum for a while now, and I thought I'd take a few moments to explain why it's been absorbing 95% of my gaming hours.

First up, it's a genre-bender. We've got a grid-based playing field and turn-based play flow, like many strategy wargames. We also have a deck-and-card element ala Magic: The Gathering, and we have characters, classes, and levels like any classic RPG.

When your characters start out at level 1, they have a few equipment slots - a warrior, for example, will have slots for two weapons, and one pair of boots. Each piece of equipment represents a number of cards in your deck, and when you place a piece of equipment into a slot, you get the cards that come with the equipment - a dagger, for example, might have a few low-damage armor piercing cards on it, while a hammer would be more about bludgeoning and bashing cards.

Also, more powerful items require "power orbs" to equip - you earn power orbs as you go up in levels, and they come in two flavors (blue, and the more powerful gold). But, you can never earn enough power orbs to slot everything on your character - about half of your orb slots will go unfilled, and therefore you'll be wearing at least some equipment that has a less powerful set of cards.

Already, this is a pretty neat concept - in just about any other deck-building game, when you find a great card, you put the maximum number of copies in your deck. The next time you find another copy of that card, it's useless - so the only way to keep collecting treasure you care about is to keep having cards that go up in power. This is a self-escalating problem that requires incredible game system management or will certainly implode. Cardhunter elegantly eliminates that problem by making every equipment decision a tradeoff. Weapon A has a single powerful attack card and a bunch of wimpy hits, Weapon B has no killer card but just a bunch of solid hits, Weapon C has some good offense and some blocking / defensive cards, Weapon D has some really neat attacks but needs two power orbs... I could go on at length. It really makes deck building fun in a way I've never seen before.

Character generation, likewise, is pretty slick - you get three characters, and you get to select a race and class for each. Each race has a different "default move" card (a mechanism that ensures you can move each character at least once a turn, but also allows for multiple moves), with elves being faster and dwarves being slower than humans. Each race also gets a special racial skill slot (humans are more about battlefield control, elves are about moving / scouting, dwarves are about holding positions). Classes are well-done, too; primary responsibilities are informed by equipment selections - fighters get weapons that have strong, close-range hits, while wizards get staves that have weaker, longer-range hits, and so forth. I've played through the campaign about six times now, each time with a different party makeup and each time the game is interestingly different.

Every time I play the game, I'm struck by the expertly thought-out system. Most of what happens is very intuitive, and the few areas where things get complex it's easy for me to see why the game decisions were made the way they were. I guess I'm saying that this is not your typical "hey, dudes, we should totally make a game" kind of arrangement - the folks who put this one together know what they're doing and it shows.

The last thing I want to touch on is the freemium model. Now, I've played a handful of freemium games, and i've seen myself how and why they quickly turn from actual games into money-spending competitions. I'm gonna come right out and say it - Cardhunter got it right. Here's the scoop: your "premium currency" (i.e., real dollars) can be spent on a couple things. You can buy gold, but gold isn't a great way to get equipment (you might use it to buy the One Neat Thing you want for your deck, but it's prohibitively expensive and the shops are randomized - you don't get to buy just whatever you want.) The second is that you can buy special "treasure hunt" maps, which are additional playable levels that guarantee at least one rare item as a reward for finishing... the first time you finish. After that, they're just regular campaign levels.

Finally, there's the membership, which is where I expect their bread and butter comes from. Membership is fairly inexpensive (at the time of this writing, somewhere in the neighborhood of $6 a month), and it improves your treasure hunting in a remarkably fair way: it's one more of the best category of treasure in a chest. That is, if a member opens a treasure chest that has three random items, and one guaranteed to be uncommon or better, their membership bonus is one more item uncommon or better. It's enough to be totally worth the membership, but it doesn't give me a serious advantage over the next player in line - and it doesn't give me access to anything exclusive.

I've been playing the game as a beta for about two months now. I'd have expected myself to get burned out on it by now, but so far, I'm still going strong. There have been a couple game balance tweaks and so forth, and it seems to me that Blue Manchu (the authoring studio) is really investing the time to get as much right as they can. I'm not going to put them on a pedestal or anything, but in an age of studios cheerfully belching out churnware, Cardhunter has a downright artisanal quality to it.

So, come join me in the beta! I can't remember the last time I was this enthusiastically happy with a game, and I'd like to hear the thoughts of my fellow gamers.

Cheers,

Cap'n Curry

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 08/19/2013 at 05:03pm

I think you've talked me into checking it out. Is it on Steam?

CapnCurry Supporter Post Author wrote on 08/19/2013 at 05:46pm

No, it's a stand-alone web game. You can submit your email for the Beta at cardhunter.com.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 08/19/2013 at 06:20pm

rad man

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 08/19/2013 at 08:37pm

I'm in the beta queue!

beansmyname Supporter wrote on 08/20/2013 at 09:00pm

Consider it done. Signed up. We'll see what happens.

Nayelianne wrote on 08/25/2013 at 01:36am

Signed up as well. Hopefully I'll still manage to get things done and not get too addicted, haha.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 08/25/2013 at 10:39pm

I did lose myself in it, until the free weekend of Guild Wars 2 lol

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