Everyone's favourite thriller-novelist Alan Wake is back battling The Taken once again.
Developer: Remedy Entertainment | Publisher: Microsoft Studios | Genre: Third-Person / Horror
Windows PC| Xbox 360
As a quick fix to fill the anxious wait for an Alan Wake 2, American Nightmare provides enough satisfaction but lacks key aspects that made the original so good.
Taking place neither before or after the first Alan Wake game, this time around players take control of Wake within the TV show; 'Night Springs' - those who played the original might recognise it. In this specific episode, Wake discovers he has an evil doppelganger known as Mr. Scratch - a violent and disturbed version of himself. Mr. Scratch has a mission to tear away everything Wake holds dear to his heart, quickly making him the biggest threat in the game. Naturally. However, with Wake's ability to alter history and reality, he plans to make use of that to defeat Mr. Scratch and other forces of evil once and for all.
Whilst by definition, this game should be as scary and eerie as the original, it's not - instead Wake is greeted with enemies that are way too easy to defeat, characters that promote humour instead of horror with the exception of Mr. Scratch of course, who is a complete maniac. To reinforce the fact you're playing through a television show, many cutscenes are real life sequences, namely showing off Mr. Scratch's evil doings. Gameplay feels similar to the original, however everything feels so much more casual - the amount of ammo scattered around is so much it often takes away any challenge of defeating The Taken, and whilst this is perfect for some, those looking for a genuine tough time will be disappointed. REVIEW1
The separate arcade mode, which serves as a timed survival onslaught of enemies, provides the most challenging gameplay, especially on Nightmare mode - this is a nice addition and gives you something extra to do upon finishing the main game. Speaking of which, this game is short - very short. There are 3 acts, which are replayed over and over but with different scenarios due to Wake's ability to alter history, and whilst this sounds like a great way of mixing up the gameplay, it doesn't - instead you go on the same fetch quests you just did but with a slight twist each time.
Wake's primary methods of disposing the Taken is through his trusty flashlight and pistol - "it's gonna be like that again, huh?", Wake says appropriately upon discovering those familiar weapons, which is also a nice nod to the original. Speaking of the original - you are once again able to collect manuscripts to expand the narrative or they can be used to unlock weapon crates, usually containing powerful weapons such as a shotgun or the fully automatic carbine. Also spread around each level are TVs and radio players, often consisting of strange broadcasts from Mr. Scratch as well everyone's favourite talk show; Night Springs Radio. It's nice being able to collect all of these things as it adds a depth of replayability and a further understanding of the events surrounding the game.
Once again, you can find refuge in numerous safe havens, giving you a breather from taking on the Taken, although most are generally easy to defeat. Apart from the usual type of Taken, you'll often be greeted with The Splitter - a newly introduced enemy that multiplies its presence upon being shot at, making for interesting gameplay in terms of how you take on this particular enemy. Other notable enemies include hordes of spiders who don't have any type of shield, making them easy to kill but can cause a minor challenge when a large group of them surround you at once - nothing a flash grenade can't sort out.
Overall, American Nightmare provides a further insight into the life of Alan Wake even though the narrative has nothing to do with the original - it's still nice being able to control Alan once again. A variety of enemies will keep you in the action long enough to forget about the repetitive fetch quests - a ton of replayability is available, especially with the arcade mode, which will truly test your skills. The length is the game's true downfall - reusing environments from previous levels doesn't really keep your interest long enough to be convinced this game is actually long, maybe with more original levels this would have been a much more satisfying experience. With that said, this isn't a full retail game so it can get away with being short in length, but it would be nice to have the same experience as the original - unfortunately, this game doesn't provide that.
The game's first DLC content will be available April for both PS4 and PC.
Developers of the game Red Barrels has posted details regarding the upcoming DLC titled 'Whistleblower', which is to give players a narrative surrounding the events leading up to Outlast.
You'll take control of "Waylon Park, software engineer under contract with Murkoff and the man who emailed journalists around the world - including Miles - at the beginning of Outlast.", the official description goes on to say:
"Spending a couple of weeks at Mount Massive, during which he was unable to even talk to his wife and son in Boulder thanks to strict security protocols, Waylon developed a deep-seated distrust of the profit-motivated scientists and doctors leading dangerous and irresponsible experiments on their parents. Identifying with those poor souls fueled Waylon's anger, and set the stage for his unmasking of Mount Massive's rotten core."
The DLC's narrative will also "stretch past the events of the first game to show the final chapter in Mount Massive Asylum's story."
Zombie Studios' survival-horror will be making its way to PS4 and PC in April 2014.
Through a short video posted over at IGN, it has been revealed Daylight is to have both a PS4 and PC release set for April - however, no specific day was given.
Daylight puts players in the first-person perspective, whilst combining elements of the survival-horror genre, allowing the player to truly immerse themself in this horrifying experience.
Check out an earlier look at the game HERE, which gives more detail on the dark narrative and various gameplay mechanics.
The highly anticipated survival-horror is to hit shelves this August.
Bethesda has given The Evil Within a release date of August 26 in North America and August 29 in Europe - the game will be Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami's most recent horror game, promising some intense horrific gameplay, complete with a dark narrative and many forms of monsters to deal with.
Players will take control of Detective Sebastian Castellanos, who is brought to the scene of a mass murder taking place at an asylum, however upon arriving he loses consciousness and awakes in a gritty envrionment filled with gruesome monsters and gallons of blood.
The Evil Within will be available on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Developers Midnight City has revealed the first-person horror will be making its way to consoles and will include exclusive features.
Currently only available on iOS and Windows platforms, Slender: The Arrival is to make its console debut and will release sometime in the first quarter of 2014.
The Arrival is the sequel to the 2012 indie hit; Slender: The Eight Pages, in which players had to navigate a wooded area to find a total of eight pages, all whilst being stalked by Slender Man himself - an internet meme that started in 2009.
The game will feature two exclusive levels specifically designed for the release, although this content will be available to the original release shortly after the console release.
Sega have officially revealed Alien: Isolation as a first-person horror game.
With lots of action generally tied to most Alien games, Isolation will provide a more stealthy approach to the franchise, whilst promoting first-person based horror mechanics. Instead of blasting through masses of Xenomorphs, the emphasis will be on survival using what little resources you'll encounter along the way.
According to the official website, players will take control of Amanda, the daughter of Ellen Ripley - the now 15 year old Amanda will "battle for survival, on a mission to unravel the truth behind her mother's disapperance."
The world will become "increasingly volatile" and players will often find themselves "confronted on all sides by a panicked, desperate population and undpredictable, ruthless Alien."
Alien: Isolation is to be released late 2014 on PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, and PS4 - check out the trailer below.
Atlus has uploaded a new trailer showcasing hints of the game's narrative as well as first-person horror gameplay.
Developed by Zombie Studios, Daylight will offer players a terrifying horror experience that utilizes the new Unreal Engine 4, which according to the videos description "enhances the visuals of your escape to freedom like never before, heightening every bone-chilling detail of your surroundings."
First of, we see a yet to be revealed woman wake up in a state of panic and confusion, and to make things worse - she happens to wake up in an abandoned hospital, complete with a huge Spider.
The hospital is said to have a "dark history" full of secrets that have been hidden away for many years - with only a phone equipped acting as the primary light source and means of navigation, it is up to the player to explore the vast building to eventually find a way out.
We see various paranormal goings-on in the trailer such as objects moving on their own and a very creepy ghostly figure that has every intention of creeping up on you to keep players on their toes.
One of the most unique features is the game's ability to generate different levels each playthrough, meaning environments will never be the same as the last, in turn this will make for massive replay value. Check out the new trailer below.
Gaming Till Dawn looks back at the original Resident Evil but does it still stand strong 17 years later?
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: March, 1996
Genre: Survival-Horror
History/Storyline
First, a bit of history on how the game originated - back in the mid 90s, a group of novice developers were assigned to create Resident Evil, this new IP would stem influences from the earlier Capcom game; Sweet Home on the Famicom, which when played today, will present very clear similarities - roaming a gigantic Mansion in the middle of a forest, fighting numerous monsters, and so on. It's also worth a play if you haven't already. FEATURE1
The story behind the game is that through various reportings of strange murders surrounding the infamous Raccoon City, a specialist rescue service known as the Special Tactics And Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) are sent to investigate - the first group known as Bravo Team lose contact, so it becomes Alpha Team's mission to both look into their disappearance as well as the grizzly murders that have taken place.
The first ever Zombie to be seen in the series - an extremely iconic moment and very intimidating to newcomers.
Upon investigation, Alpha Team soon discover a series of disturbing events - a severed hand laid in the grass, followed by a herd of Zombie Dogs that are all too keen to sink their teeth into some tasty flesh - dead or alive. Fortunately, this isn't the case as the team escape into a beautiful Mansion where they thought safety would be guaranteed - of course, the house is full to the brim with Zombies, Dogs, Hunters, but more about the game's enemies later on.
See the full intro movie below, which at the time was very impressive despite the awful acting, this was actual real-time footage...in a video game.
The original opening sequence - complete with an introduction to the game's main character's.
The Characters
One of the most unique things about Resident Evil was the option it gave players to choose between two different characters, each of which held different traits as well as the rearrangement of particular items - this often lead to multiple playthroughs. Jill Valentine
Everyone's favourite "master of unlocking", Jill Valentine would provide players with an easier approach to the game's core mechanics - whilst she couldn't endure much damage, she came equipped with a total of eight item spaces and ammo/health would become commonplace. Jill sports an all-blue uniform, which would become an iconic look in the franchise but don't let her innocence fool you, as proved throughout the game, Jill can take care of herself and isn't scared of getting her hands dirty in Zombie guts.
Chris Redfield
Before injecting mass amounts of steroids, Chris was once a humble member of the Alpha Team within S.T.A.R.S. and posed players a more challenging gameplay experience - he would have only six item spaces, less ammo/health to find, and often crucial items were placed somewhere different in order to heighten the game's difficulty. Interestingly enough, Chris would encounter the only surviving Bravo Team member; Rebecca Chambers - Rebecca would often heal Chris' wounds at certain parts to ease the game's often challenging obstacles.
Other non-playable characters included Albert Wesker - an undercover agent for the Umbrella Corporation who purposely lead the remaining S.T.A.R.S. members to the mansion. Wesker would also hold a manipulative trait which can be seen throughout the game. But who can forget Barry Burton? The middle-aged family man who would famously save a certain character from becoming a "Jill Sandwich" - Barry makes his own way through the mansion, often encountering Jill along the way.
Graphics
Like most retro games, graphics aren't their strong point in today's gaming environment, but at the time they were definitely nothing short of incredible - 1996 was introducing more and more 3D games, Resident Evil being a shining example of just that.
The game used pre-rendered backgrounds, which showed incredible detail of the environments - combining this with the character's animations proved to be spectacular, a lot of games used pre-rendering back then but Resident Evil definitely stands out as one of the most memorable.
Wesker, Barry and Jill as they enter the first mansion,
showcasing a pre-rendered envrionment.
Each enemy had a distinguishable look, whether it be the the ripped blood-soaked clothes of a Zombie, the Zombie Dogs that looked as if they a horrible rash had taken over their entire body, or the huge Tyrant at the end of the game - everything had its own look which made the graphics unique and made it a great experience to simply absorb what the game had to offer.
Something that always stands out are those blood particles that spray off of enemies when you blast them - every time you put a bullet in an enemy, you'd feel like your really doing some damage because of the amount of blood shown on the screen, as well as making you feel like a true Zombie killer. Music/Audio
It wasn't so much the music that made Resident Evil that much creepier, although it was brilliant at setting the atmosphere at certain parts of the games - it was a few simple sounds that could cause a situation to become more intense.
An example of this would be when you first enter a room and you can't actually see any enemies, but you can hear those all too familiar footsteps coming towards you, yet you don't want to get closer as the camera angle has put you in a blind spot, which would often give the enemy the upper-hand. More of the camera in the next section though.
Another example are the growlings of the Zombie Dogs as they rapidly run towards you, its still a scary experience if you play the game today, especially if you're low on health - that combined with the fact they're extremely fast can create a bad situation in mere seconds, and its because of the added audio that makes it that more intense.
Aside from the scary music, there were times you'd be instantly relieved and this was due to the track; Safe Haven (see below) - a piece of music that would give you this overwhelming sense of relief as it indicated you were safe for the time being with no threat of anything wanting to eat your brains.
The only criticism has to be the ending theme; Still Dawn (see below) - it doesn't fit the game's themes what so ever, sure its much more calming which is fine as you had just finished the game, but there's something about it that seems to distant itself from the rest of the soundtrack.
Still Dawn
Safe Haven
Gameplay Resident Evil is perhaps the most important game when it comes to the survival-horror genre, it practically created the genre - its influences can be seen in Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, and even Alan Wake. Its safe to say the series has gone further down the action route as opposed to survival horror recently, but that's a completely different feature.
When it was released, gamers were greeted with a style of gameplay they were not used to, and this was something extremely positive for the industry as the genre would promote a new way of thinking in video games.
Right from the start, its up to you where you go in this vast mansion - if only it were as simple as that, whilst exploring you'll encounter an array of enemies and are faced with various puzzles that may seem quite simple now, but back then would pose a genuine bit of intelligent thinking to overcome.
Initially, you'd run into Zombies, which would instantly become a staple in the series - whilst these particular enemies didn't cause much of a threat, there were plenty of them and you'd have to be careful to not waste all of your ammo as it wasn't for the later enemies that would cause any considerable damage.
These include the likes of the Hunter - an intimidating monster that looked as if it came straight from a toxic swamp, if your health was low and one of these were near, they'd happily rip off your head in a heartbeat, and if you didn't save your progress recently, that could cause quite a tantrum.
The Hunter getting ready to rip off Jill's head - definitely an enemy to fear.
Unlike contemporary games, you'd find yourself actually being scared for your life (in the game of course), and this was because of the saving system - in order to update your progress, you'd have to use ink ribbons at typewriters dotted around the game, the option to save where ever you please went straight down the sink.
And it was gameplay mechanics like this that would make the concept of survival really mean what it meant, you'd have to cleverly use your ammo and health-regenerating items in a way that would enable you to advance further into the game without being killed in a gruesome and horrible way.
Camera angles played a pivotal role in the game's gameplay, Capcom did an incredible job at keeping players in suspense because of the way certain angles were set - you would often enter a room with hardly anything to see except yourself, yet you'd know there were monsters lurking ready to tear you apart, but the camera wouldn't allow you to see those pesky monsters, which could lead to some entertaining and frightening moments.
Players might complain that the controls seem a little awkward - that it's difficult to turn around, but its because of this that made the game that much scarier, there's nothing worse when your health is low and you're having trouble escaping an oncoming Zombie Dog for example, its this kind of gameplay that adds a level of depth to the horror genre which makes Resident Evil so unique and at times, terrifying. Terrifying in the best possible kind of way.
Highlighting the success of its long-running franchise Resident Evil, Capcom have detailed the series' history and its future.
In a new feature on theofficial Capcom website, the company have spoke in-depth on the Resident Evil franchise in terms of why it's become such a success, origins of the very first title, and much more. Also included are insights from icons of series including Yasuhiro Ampo and Jun Takeuchi, among others.
Capcom talk about the difference between developing a game like Street Fighter compared to Resident Evil:
"While many veteran creators were brought together for "Street Fighter", which was highly anticipated within and outside the company, only young creators were assembled for the unproven "Resident Evil."
"They included many novices creating their first game. Therefore, despite some feelings among employees assigned to "Resident Evil" that it was a kind of demotion", going on to say these new developers "were not worried about that kind of environment."
When asking themselves how the series has become so successful, Capcom said:
"The secret lies in its elaborate settings and world. Horror is a common entertainment genre around the world, but "Resident Evil" adopted the setting of "epidemic disaster" that could be a reality rather than a wild fantasy in order to make horror convicing.", then going on to talk about the sense of realism, which according to Capcom "is smoothly incorporated into the story as well as feeding the fear as horror."
Other reasons behind its success are the "attractive characters", Capcom states.
"The main characters have made many appearances spanning all the titles and get older and more mature as the series goes on. A character who was a rookie police offer when he debuted is a member of an organization under the direct control of the president in the latest game. Rather than fading away over the 17 years, they have become even deeper characters. This character appeal has also helped to win firm fans."
Eventually, Capcom do speak on the future of the series, which first started 17 years ago - "The environment surrounding "Resident Evil" has changed significantly over the past 17 years. However, the "Resident Evil" identity is constant. In the future, it will discover new possibilities and progress as a title that can compete globally without disappointing any expectations."
Very strong words at the end there, lets be honest - Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 disappointed a lot of core-fans, most claiming the origins of the series have been stripped away. Are you one of those people? Or do you believe the series is going in the right direction? Leave your comments below.
Just as the latest season starts of AMC's The Walking Dead, a special GOTY edition of the episodes becomes a huge possibility.
The ESRB (The Entertainment Software Ratings Board) have listed a Game of the Year (GOTY) edition of The Walking Dead - the episodic narrative following Lee Everett and his experiences during the outbreak.
It's safe to assume this particular version will include all five episodes, along with the 400 days DLC.
According to the ESRB website, the GOTY edition will be available on Macintosh, Windows PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
Although the PS Vita already has access to a package containing all of the content mentioned earlier, so it wouldn't be too suprising to see a release on Ios/Android devices.
In relation to The Walking Dead game, Telltale games announced earlier this year season 2 would be released sometime during Autumn 2013.
Blood? Check. Guts? Check. Gigantic man chasing you with a Chainsaw? Check. For the faint hearted? Definitely not.
More gameplay from Bethesda's upcoming horror The Evil Within has been released, with just under 12 minutes of footage, it's definitely worth checking out if you're planning on buying this game. I know I certainly am.
Judging from the beginning of the video, the game will be divided into different chapters, in this case the player can choose from two - Prologue or Perth House. Much of the gameplay shown has already been shown from E3 2013, so for the sake of what's new, I'll skip ahead to the extended parts of the video.
When the alarm goes off, the huge chainsaw-wielding maniac makes chase for Sebastian and eventually cuts into the flesh - I'm thinking there is an alternative way to progress through this particular part if the player doesn't set off the alarm.
With his leg in really bad shape, Sebastian still has to escape this horrific place - in true Metal Gear Solid 2 style, he hides in a locker and hopes he is not seen. This kind of thing never really works in horror movies, but it seems to in video-games.
Detective Sebastian Castellanos, lead character of The Evil Within.
The concept of escaping a murdering psychopath through the of hiding really reminds of the Clock Tower series, which I'm sure Bethesda got influence from.
Once the prologue gameplay is through, the video delves into the Perth House chapter, showing encounters with various monsters - the player burns the bodies once they have been killed, I assume if the bodies aren't burnt, they will re-animate at some point.
The monsters seen look like Zombies with a dose of Silent Hill - I know I keep mentioning other games, but many aspects so far instantly remind me of certain games.
Sebastian is bombarded with monsters as they come through the windows, so the player decides to use some Mine Traps - one of the many items available in the game, the idea being once the horde make their way into the building, the mines should take care of them. Should...
Towards the end of the video, Sebastian discovers the increasingly familiar multi-legged monster who I assume rips him apart judging from how the gameplay ends. Watch the video below and leave your comments.
Bethesda Softworks have released a new trailer for their upcoming survival horror The Evil Within, we saw quite a lot of this game at E3, but the trailer definitely gives more in terms of the narrative and how Detective Sebastian Castellanos got inside the mental hospital in the first place.
As Sebastian and his partner first enter the hospital, we see bloodied bodies that seem to have died from a vicious attack, the security cameras show guards trying to shoot off the opposing forces, yet fail quite drastically as they are all slashed to death within mere seconds.
The camera zooms in and we see a small glimpse of the killer - half of his face seems almost mangled, which is hidden in the shadows of his hood, and just like that he disappears.
This hooded killer doesn't simply walk or run away, it's as if he teleports somewhere, this suggests this particular enemy is not human and have extremely powerful abilities.
The killer appears behind Sebastian and then the trailer cuts to footage of the gameplay itself - not much we haven't seen before.
Maybe we'll get even more revealed at Tokyo Game Show, which starts September 19 and will finish on September 22. Trailer below.
