Skyrim Creation Kit Coming
Bethesda have shared some details about the Creation Kit for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, along with the 1.4 update which aims to fix some of the most common issues players have encountered.
The Creation Kit will first be available as a beta on Steam, to allow players to opt into and back out of as they need. The 1.4 update and Creation Kit are currently undergoing testing, with plans to release for the PC on Steam next week, along with submitting console versions for certification.
More information will be available soon.
Resident Evil 6 – Official Trailer
Capcom have now revealed the official trailer for Resident Evil 6:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1lEs5y4udA]
Ten years after the incident at Raccoon City, the President of the United States has decided it’s time to reveal the truth about what really took place. However, a bioterrorist attack leaves the President transformed beyond recognition, and series hero Leon S. Kennedy has to make a hard decision..
The game is set for release on PS3 and 360 on 20th November 2012, with a PC version to come later.
From an Elevator to The Blind Monk’s Society
Two mods came to my attention this week: Elevator: Source, a mod built on Garry’s Mod, and The Blind Monk’s Society, a mod for Half Life 2.
Elevator: Source is an elevator simulation by Pixeltail Games. You get on the elevator, and then wait until it stops on a one of the 28 randomised floors..
First I got to look out into a freezing world.. I wanted to step out and have a look, but there was an invisible wall 🙁
After this, there was a dingy corrridor from which an NPC appeared.. she joined me and waited.. the next stop had the doors open in space, with a strange spinning kaleidoscope pattern. There is an end-level where you can leave and walk around a games room, play pool and watch TV, but I just didn’t feel like sitting through more floors to get there.
I had the second mod to get to.. Blind Monk’s Society, where you play the part of a blind monk!
The game has no visuals, so to find your way around you have to listen very carefully. I had read about this game over on Rock, Paper Shotgun and seen a recommendation to shut my eyes. This actually helped a lot as it removed the distraction of my room and forced me to just listen..
You are greeted by two other monks, who really are channeling Monty Python with some very strange voices, silly singing and random phrases. I got told off rather a lot as they explained my first task, for not keeping up as they started walking!
The first task is to collect a wind-chime, making your way alongside the river and up to where you can just hear them chiming. My path up to the chime was extremely hesitant, after I stepped into the river and quickly backpedalled to get out, then didn’t want to end up lost. The return journey was guided by the ringing of a bell, although I was nearly distracted by a crazy monk chattering about sitting in the grass and getting a wet bum!
I consider my hearing to be poor, so I was surprised to find that on the second mission, I was able to follow the audio cues rather easily, retrieving the second wind-chime and returning rather quickly.
I would have loved to see an overview of the path I’d made afterwards, but as the game was made as a project in navigation, there weren’t any visuals. I would also rather like to see a horror game using some mechanics like this.. scary as it would be!
Darksiders II – Behind the Mask: Death Rises
THQ have released a new developer diary for Vigil Games’ Darksiders II, focusing on Death..
The story in Darksiders II runs alongside that of Darksiders, with War having been convicted and sent to Earth by the Charred Council. The remaining three Horsemen are informed of this, but believe War to have been set up. Death sets out to prove War’s innocence.. with a much larger game world filled with quests, loot, and powerful enemies to defeat.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnjqzZBlttE]
In the developer diary, the Vigil team talk about the differences between War and Death, Death’s fighting abilities and the types of weapons he can use.. with a brief mention of the improved depth to the world players will experience in Darksiders II.
Darksiders II is planned for release in June for the PC, PS3 and 360, with a Wii U version planned for the launch of that system later in 2012.
Magicka: The Other Side of the Coin
Paradox Interactive have also announced an expansion to Magicka, entitled Magicka: The Other Side of the Coin.
In this expansion, players take on the roles of Alucart the Vampire and his Necromancers, fighting against the forces of good, and opposing Vlad’s attempts to improve the poor relations between humans, dwarves and elves.
The expansion will add a new Elven environment to the game, along with a new Challenge map, playing as Necromancers, along with custom objectives and achievements.
A Game of Dwarves
Paradox Interactive have just announced that they are to publish A Game of Dwarves, a strategy game by Zeal Game Studios for PC and PS3.
A dwarven prince is on a quest to reclaim his people’s country, travelling across a continent and unearthing the buried mysteries of the Great War.
The gameplay consists of exploration, building and controlling various dwarven settlements in order to strengthen your clan. Each level starts with a new, uniquely-generated world which you must explore and build your settlement in, with the building options allowing some freedom to design great-looking as well as practical homes for your dwarves.
The dwarves themselves level up as you progress, gaining new skills and becoming stronger warriors or master craftsmen.
As you dig deeper in search of the resources you’ll need to improve your buildings and equipment, you’ll also need to be prepared to defend your settlement from the enemies lurking in the depths..
Dear Esther – First Trailer
Dear Esther is the reimagining of an interactive ghost-story by the same name, originally created using the Source engine and released as a mod for Half Life 2, by Dan Pinchbeck and The Chinese Room, a development research project at the University of Portsmouth, UK.
With an overhaul of the graphics and level design from Robert Briscoe, a professional game artist, the project became so much more than a simple mod, and then with the support of Valve the team were granted a license to turn Dear Esther into a completely independent release. The Indie Fund have also helped by providing investment funding for the project.
The first trailer for the game shows off some of the beautiful environments on the island:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7VJ4lP-05A]
Dear Esther is planned for release on Steam on the 14th Feb 2012.
Star Trek Online goes F2P For All
Cryptic Studios‘ MMO RPG Star Trek Online goes free-to-play for all today, following two weeks of free play for previous customers of the game.
Star Trek Online was originally released in February 2010, with updates being added at regular intervals throughout 2010 and 2011. The game originally launched with two payment options: the usual monthly subscription, and a Lifetime subscription, which waived the monthly fee. Additional content was also made available through microtransactions using Cryptic Points or the C-Store.
Existing subscribers become Gold Players, with the same access to the game as they have had up until now, while free, or Silver players will be able to explore the Star Trek universe as the captain of their own ship, but with a few restrictions compared to Gold members. They will also have access to additional content via the C-Store or through Cryptic Points, the in-game and web-based virtual goods store.
Man vs. Machine
Man vs. Machine is a browser-based FPS game intended to be playable for just one day as part of a world-record attempt / demonstration of Unity and load-balancing server technology PikkoServer from Swedish non-profit organisation MuchDifferent.
The World Record attempt will be made on 29th Jan, 2012. On that day, players pick their team: Gamers (Man) or Developers (Machines), and then play. Man is equipped with an explosive projectile dealing splash damage, whilst Machine uses piercing, precision lasers to deal damage to single targets.
Man vs. Machine will be limited to 1000 players concurrently, with slots only becoming available if players leave the game.
More information, including technical aspects of the game, is available here.
THQ Denies Problems
THQ have denied there are any plans to cancel the 2014 line-up, and they say no decision has been made as yet in regards to the Warhammer 40,000 MMO, Dark Millennium Online.
A statement was given to VG247 from THQ’s Australian PR arm, denying these rumours and citing the great performance of Saints Row: The Third, which was one of the best-selling games of 2011.