At first glance, the player will easily relate to titles goalkeeper also very successful lately that's Man At Arms. However, the attractive elements in gameplay made Defenders: Origins TD becomes different. Specifically, the increased level of the towers can be bought with money or the strengths and weaknesses of each tower are informative. In addition, the game also updated with a lot more additional modes including campaign mode expansion and "survival".
A noteworthy point Game Defenders: Origins TD this time it is the collection of cards. There will be two options for players to choose which is "Evolution" and "Fusion". In "Evolution", players can combine two cards of the same type to unlock higher evolutionary level. Meanwhile, "fushion" will allow you to combine the different card types together to create a powerful new cards have been increased considerably, it can be a defensive cards, or just attack attack and defensive.
Each characteristic of Defenders: TD Origins may have been seen in other titles goalkeeper, but this game has done a good job of combining them into a mounting block. In addition to the factors mentioned above, the tower in the game is something that you should not ignore. With more than 20 types of towers and upgrade 25 different ways you can unleash rampage in the game with his creativity. See more : Why Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 is Harmless
There was a major game release in Asia recently, a title that won't be released overseas. That usually isn't cause for much attention - a lot of games remain in that region. But this one, Dead or Alive Xtreme 3, is notable because of the exclusion. Previous entries were localized, but this one wasn't. Some were upset about this, others not so much. It's region-free and in English though, which means attention is being paid. But, people should also make a note, because it isn't as bad as many would think or expect it to be.
Now that Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 has been released, we can see exactly what it is. It isn't insulting, especially not purposely. It doesn't damage people who play it. And of course it doesn't hurt anybody. This scantily clad, vacation simulator is silly and unrealistic. People can't fault it for that.
I'm a woman and have, on occasion, gone on vacations that send me to tropical locations. I may have played volleyball or engaged in stupid games by the ocean or pool while in a swimsuit. Maybe even a two-piece! But, I'm sorry to say, I've never climbed a cliff in a swimsuit or pole danced for my friends before. I'm sorry to dash your dreams. Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 basically presents an over-the-top vacation with unrealistic physics, and we shouldn't get too upset about that or fault people who want to enjoy frivolous adventures.
Especially since there are fanservice games out there that are a lot more insulting and demeaning. The Dream Club games are one. You go every day to a hostess bar to spend time with women whose only goal is to get you to spend your money. You shove bananas and ice cream in their faces, because it seems suggestive. One heroine's storyline essentially leads the player character on before she ditches him. There's also Gal*Gun, a game where women wearing little clothing all throw themselves at one man, and he fends them off with a gun that gives them "pleasure."
These are games that can be legitimately insulting and demeaning to women. They're the sorts of titles that people should get upset about, if they want to look for games to be mad at. Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 isn't game of the year material, but it's more silly and innocuous than anything else. Are some of the people who play it going to be creepy? Sure. But some who play it won't be.
Basically, Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 isn't all that bad. Now that it's been released, we can see it for what it is. The game is escapism, pure and simple. The original Dead or Alive series has always been about fanservice, sometimes even turning the men into eye candy with skimpy bathing suits too. Sending the heroines off to the beach again for some minigames, relationship building, and fanservice isn't the worst thing. There are more valid things to be about upset about than this.
An upcoming first-person adventure game, Firewatch follows the story of Henry, a volunteer fire lookout in the aftermath of the Yellowstone fires of 1988. Through exploration of the surrounding area, Henry uncovers clues about mysterious occurrences in the vicinity that are related to the ransacking of his tower while out on a routine patrol. The player’s only means of interaction is a walkie-talkie that he uses to communicate with his supervisor Delilah. Depending on the player’s choices, the dynamic of Henry’s relationship with Delilah will be affected.
Firewatch will release on February 9th for PS4, PC, Mac, and Linux.
Star Fox Zero
Yet another game that has faced the curse of the 2015 delays, Star Fox Zero was originally scheduled for release in November 2015 but was pushed back to 2016 in order to allow for more development time. This title has been stated to be neither a sequel nor a prequel to the original Star Fox game, yet it won’t be a strict remake of the game either.
Star Fox Zero largely follows the gameplay of its predecessors in which the player controls Fox McCloud as he pilots his ship through various levels. Players will use the Wii U gamepad, which shows the cockpit from Fox’s iconic Arwing, whilst making use of the gyroscopic controls to aim the ship’s weapons. As revealed in a recent Nintendo direct, some of the vehicles in the game can transform, allowing for the Arwing to transform into the land-based Walker. The Landmaster tank can also transform into the Gravmaster, which can perform extended aerial maneuvers.
Star Fox Zero will release April 22nd, exclusively for the Wii U.
Honorable Mentions:
Whilst these games didn’t make it onto our full list, we want to highlight a few 2016 releases that we are also looking forward to.
Pokémon GO is quite possibly the Pokémon game that fans have always wanted. The ability to catch your very own Pokémon on your mobile device warrants this game a place on the list, despite being a mobile game.
Dangan Ronpa 3 is the third major title in the series and features a group of High School students who are forced to work out which of their fellow students has murdered one of their own. Excitingly, this is the first Dangan Ronpa game to be coming to a major console.
XCOM 2 takes place 20 years after the events of Enemy Unknown and follows the continuity that XCOM lost the war. Players will take command of the Avenger, an alien supply barge that has been converted into XCOM’s mobile base as they begin to free humanity from alien rule.
Overwatch is the new first-person shooter from Blizzard which is currently in beta. The player takes control of one of many varied characters, each with their own special abilities.
With so many huge releases coming out in 2016, gamers are going to have to pick their battles in order to experience as much of the year as possible. It looks like next year is going to have something for everyone, assuming that there aren’t even more delays coming.
Which games are you most looking forward to playing in 2016? Let us know in the comments below.
A beautiful game set around exploration of a highly imaginative universe, No Man’s Sky is rumored to feature 18 quintillion different planets, making it an almost incomprehensibly huge game. No Man’s Sky will feature exploration and space-based battles, while also allowing players to gather resources and defeat predators across the galaxy.
For even more immersion, the game will feature a journal that records all the details of previously explored planets, allowing players to look back on the worlds they have already visited, as well as the flora and fauna that inhabit them. Though the developers have left the story and gameplay vague for now, the unfettered exploration is mighty enticing.
No Man’s Sky will release in June for the PS4 and PC.
Final Fantasy XV
The Final Fantasy series is a hugely successful franchise in gaming history and the latest title is all set to follow suit, featuring an open-world setting and action-based gameplay similar to another of Square Enix’s big moneymakers, Kingdom Hearts. Final Fantasy XV will be host to a revamped combat system in which there are no load screens or transitions; instead, players can avoid combat if they run away from an enemy before a timer counts down.
Fans of the series will be happy to note that developers Square Enix have confirmed the inclusion of Moogles in the latest game‘s plot, an old standby of the series. And new details about the highly anticipated game will be released next month, including more battle information and an extended look at the antagonistic Niflheim Empire.
Final Fantasy XV is confirmed for a 2016 release for the PS4 and Xbox One.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is the sequel to Human Revolution and promises to show great improvements to the highly-acclaimed 2011 release. The series explores ideas about human advancement, globalization, and transhumanism, while containing engaging gameplay and a thought-provoking story. Previously, the series has shown its ability to revolutionize gameplay with a deft blend of dialogue, FPS-elements, and stealth-driven tactics.
In Mankind Divided, the player will have a range of options when it comes to the game’s story, including the choice to complete the game without killing anyone0e using nothing but stealth. Even the game’s boss characters can be defeated using stealth abilities and do not have to be killed. This will be the fifth game in the series and it aims to bring a surge back to the series’ popularity.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will release on August 23rd for the PS4, Xbox One and PC.
A brand new first-party title coming to PlayStation 4, The Last Guardian follows the story of a young boy who befriends a giant bird, dog, and cat hybrid creature named Trico. The adventure is based around solving puzzles by manipulating Trico in order to get around obstacles and enemies.
Amazingly, the title has been in development since 2007 and was originally aimed for a 2011 release date on the PS3, but the launch was postponed due to hardware limitations. Now The Last Guardian finally has a gameplay trailer and it looks like the game is going to be both unique and beautiful.
The Last Guardian is confirmed for a 2016 release, exclusively for PS4.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
The Mass Effect trilogy is well-known as one of the most iconic and successful franchises that modern gaming has seen, so it should be no surprise that the next title, Mass Effect: Andromeda, is one of our most anticipated games. Andromeda takes place after the events of the original trilogy, in an entirely different galaxy, complete with new races to encounter and new planets to explore.
While the iconic Commander Shepard will not be returning in Mass Effect: Andromeda, Bioware’s history of excellent character development ensures that the new protagonist and their companions will be as fleshed-out and detailed as we’ve come to expect from the company.
Mass Effect: Andromeda will release in the 4th Quarter for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Crackdown 3
An impressive 6 years after the release of the previous entry in the franchise, Crackdown 3 is set to explode onto our consoles next year. Famous for the series’ extreme physics and destructive nature, Crackdown 3 looks like it will live up to all expectations. With an engine that aims to allow everything and anything to be destroyed, the sandbox game has been an ambitious task for developers Reagent Games and is one of Microsoft’s flagship exclusives.
Crackdown 3 will release in the 4th Quarter, exclusively for Xbox One.
Hitman
The Hitman series has been a popular franchise for almost 15 years, becoming famous for its intuitive gameplay and creative methods of completing missions. The new game, which received an impressive looking gameplay trailer at E3 2015, will be the first major Hitman game since 2012’s release of the critically acclaimed Hitman Absolution. Hitman will release on March 11th, for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
A community as large as the one Dark Souls has amassed makes a game like this hard not to be excited about. Whether or not the fiendishly hard and punishing gameplay is something that appeals to you, there’s sure to be plenty of content featuring the game that makes it entertaining to follow. The third entry in the series, Dark Souls 3 will draw the best elements out of its predecessors as well as some from FromSoftware’s Bloodborne, in order to create improved combat, well-designed environments and a scattered but impressive story. Dark Souls 3 will release April 12th for PS4, Xbox One and PC. Persona 5
Whilst many people who follow video games may not be too familiar with the franchise, Persona 5 is one game that should not be passed over in 2016. Originally a spin-off of Shin Megami Tensei, the Persona series is full of rich, fleshed out characters and impressive story links. For those new to the series, each game is an individual story so Persona 5 will be a good starting point.
Persona 5 is confirmed for a 2016 release for PS3 and PS4.
Pokkén Tournament
2016 is going to be an exciting year for Pokémon and one of the reasons for this is undoubtably the Pokémon x Tekken title that is Pokkén Tournament. The game will feature a number of popular Pokémon, battling it out in arcade-style combat. Originally only for Japanese arcades, it was recently announced that Pokkén Tournament would see a Wii U release in 2016.
What we’ve seen so far looks very impressive and there are several new elements coming to the console release of the game, such as new playable Pokémon and even the never-seen-before creature, Shadow Mewtwo.
Pokkén Tournament will release in the 2nd Quarter, exclusively for Wii U.
Another game that was also featured in last year’s Most Anticipated list, Tom Clancy’s The Division was revealed at E3 2013 with an impressive gameplay demo, and players have been hyped for its release ever since.
Now, the game finally has a release date and we’re only a few months away from jumping head-first into the open world, massively multiplayer online shooter. The Division is an ambitious combination of genres but everything in last year’s second gameplay demo suggests that it all works well.
Tom Clancy’s The Division will release on March 8th for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
Gears of War 4
The fifth major installment in its series, Gears of War 4 caused a lot of excitement after it was revealed in January last year. However, Gears 4 has a lot of questions surrounding it, most notably whether The Coalition will be able to carry on the work of Epic Games/People Can Fly.
While some may see a developer switch as a cause for concern, seeing more of Marcus Fenix’s story following on from the wild ride that was Gears of War 3, might just help quiet some of the complaints. 2016 also sees the release of the Gears of War Ultimate Edition for Windows, which allows PC users to experience the story of the first game again with remastered graphics.
Gears of War 4 will release in the Q4 for Xbox One.
The Legend of Zelda
Another game initially scheduled for a 2015 release date, The Legend of Zelda (Working Title) for Wii U has generated plenty of hype since its announcement. The first Zelda game to be developed with HD graphics, the title also features a huge open-world that is said to be larger than any of the previous games, and as big as the Wii U hardware can handle.
The next The Legend of Zelda title aims to allow players to travel wherever they want and complete dungeons in any order they choose, as opposed to the series’ standard linear nature. There are plenty of reasons to look forward to this game, with producer Eiji Aonuma even calling this “the ultimate and most complete Zelda game”.
The Legend of Zelda doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet but it was recently stated to still be coming in 2016, exclusively for the Wii U
Now that we’re approaching the end of 2015, it’s time to look forward to all the titles we’re most excited for that are releasing next year. As it turns out, 2016 is going to be host to a huge amount of titles, from multi-platform juggernauts to highly anticipated exclusives. Due to an unfortunately large amount of game delays, several of the names in this year’s list have also made an appearance on our Most Anticipated Games of 2015 post, though there are also lots of new titles to look forward to. Without any further ado, here are Game Rant’s 20 Most Anticipated Games of 2016. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
A prequel to the 2008 parkour-based game, Mirror’s Edge, this latest project from DICE reveals Faith’s origins, as she travels in style around the futuristic city of Glass. Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst promises more of the same gameplay as its predecessor but will remove the previous game’s weak gun combat, in place of a new free-flowing melee system.
Catalyst also reportedly introduces a new multiplayer element to the game and while it’s not the standard multiplayer modes that gamers are used to, it’s exciting to think that players will be able to see traces of each other’s presence in their story experience.
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst will release on May 24th for the PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
With this year’s release of The Nathan Drake Collection, more and more PlayStation users are now looking forward to Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End‘s release. Unfortunately, the latest in the Naughty Dog series was delayed from its 2015 release date in order for the developers to perfect the game’s ending and will now launch in April of next year.
Uncharted 4 will bring about the end to the tale of Nathan Drake’s adventures, which means that this final game will be one last chance for Naughty Dog to pull out all the stops as the story concludes.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will release on April 26th, exclusively for PS4.
Street Fighter V
The Street Fighter franchise has been mostly well received over its history and the latest in the series, Street Fighter IV, was no exception. With most major reviews placing the game over the 9/10 mark, the 2014 edition, Ultra Street Fighter IV, is known for being one of the best fighting games of all time.
Street Fighter V is the start of a whole new chapter for the series, releasing with several never-seen-before characters, new mechanics and a massive graphical overhaul. The recent beta testing periods have even sparked speculation that this Street Fighter game may even contain some sort of story elements in addition to the popular multiplayer.
Street Fighter V will release on February 16th for the PS4 and PC. It will also support cross-platform play.
Quantum Break
The first of our list to be coming to the Xbox One, Quantum Break also got an honorable mention in 2015’s Most Anticipated Games list. The game follows the story of two men with the ability to manipulate time after an experiment gone wrong, which causes the world’s chronology to fall apart.
Initially set to release in 2014, Quantum Break has been on gamers’ radars for quite some time, with fans of developer Remedy Entertainment begging for more info . Now as we rapidly approach the release date, the developers have released a brand new cinematic trailer to get gamers excited once again for the story-driven game.
Quantum Break will release on April 5th, exclusively for the Xbox One.
Gamers have long loved the entertainment value in video games, but for some, those games provide more than just a distraction. Games open opportunities for relationship building, teamwork experiences, and ways to learn and grow.
And thanks to a new study, it looks like at least one game, Tetris, may even have the power to help people who experience PTSD flashbacks. What the study found is if people play Tetris right after a flashback experience, the game has the ability to interfere with the power of a traumatic memory and help heal the person of their PTSD episodes.
Final Fantasy 14 Mac Sales Suspended, Refunds Issued
Every once in a while, a developer will release a game on a new platform and discover that the title experiences game-breaking issues. Usually, said developer can make a few quick updates to fix those issues, but other times the game is so broken, the developer has not other choice than to recall the game and offer a refund.
This was the case when Square Enix released Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn for Mac late last month. The title was so fractured, the developer has suspended all sales of the game and is offering any gamer who purchased the game a full refund. Hopefully, for Final Fantasy fans, the developer can make the needed updates quickly so gamers can have another go at it.
Star Wars Battlefront 4K Screenshots Surface
Gamers were elated when EA released a couple bits of gameplay footage for Star Wars Battlefront at this year’s E3 conference. Since that moment, gamers have been begging for more details and footage for the game. Fortunately, one of the gamers who attended EA’s alpha test for the game captured a handful of 4K screenshots on the game’s highest graphics setting, and has shared them with the world. Check out the screenshots below.
This last week was exciting for comic fans, as San Diego’s Comic Con produced some new and exciting revelations for both movie lovers and gamers. Among the news came new information about Halo 5, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, and Disney Infinity 3.0, among others. With the excitement around Comic-Con, there were a few stories from this past week that didn’t make the front page on Game Rant, but that were interesting enough we wanted to take a moment and spotlight them in our weekly Video Game Round-Up. Here are a few stories from last week worth checking out: Hitman Gameplay Footage Leaks Online It’s become a regular occurrence for gameplay footage to leak online, which usually causes headaches for those games’ developers. In the case of Hitman, someone shared a few bits of Alpha gameplay online, giving fans a taste of the upcoming Agent 47 title. The footage was originally shared on Vid.me, though it was quickly taken down due to copyright issues. However, it seems other gamers picked up the videos and have continued sharing them anywhere they can. Check out the brief bit of gameplay above, which shows Agent 47 at work in the upcoming Hitman title. Hitman Release will not Include Whole Game, but a Sizable Chunk
In addition to the leaked gameplay footage, gamers received a bit of extra information concerning the next installment in the Hitman franchise. According to a Q & A piece on the Hitman website, the game that launches on December 8th will not be the full Hitman game, but rather a “sizable chunk of it.” What’s left of the game, including the remaining locations and missions of the game’s story arc, will be released “throughout 2016,” and will be included in Hitman’s original $60 price tag.
When reading this, it’s hard not to feel like Square Enix is trying desperately to prepare fans for the fact that Hitman could very well be broken – and will now surely be incomplete – at launch. This tactic may be a way for the developer to release their game on time, while trying to avoid kickback from gamers, but maybe it would just be better if the team behind Hitman delayed the game until next year and avoid any potential issues. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.
Rise of the Tomb Raider Lara Croft Looked ‘Too Real’
Game developers work hard to give gamers the best, most visually impressive experience they can. However, thanks to a recent Polygon interview with Crystal Dynamics Senior Technical Artist Jon Robins, it seems there is such a thing as “too real” when it comes to character development.
As the art team behind the upcoming Rise of the Tomb Raider built the latest iteration of Lara Croft, they discovered that their character looked a little too much like the actress who voices the popular Lara Croft. That, in turn, led the team to take a step back and reevaluate their character model, so they could make it more like Lara Croft, and less like Camilla Luddington, who lends her voice to Croft in the game. In the end, the team at Crystal Dynamics is happy with the change, as it affords Lara Croft her own, unique identity.
Sony and IO Interactive release a new trailer for the first season Hitman that displays the potential for a sleek and highly stylized level of danger and sophistication. Ever since Hitman‘s gameplay trailer at E3 2015, fans of the long-running stealth action series have been interested to see where developer IO Interactive would be taking the franchise. Now, after having recently revealed the forthcoming game’s episodic structure a few weeks ago, the studio has released a brand new trailer for the title, promising a dark and intriguing storyline, proclaiming, “We live in a world of assassination. And once you know, there’s no going back.” Although the trailer below offers no actual gameplay for Hitman, it does provide fans with an idea of the first season’s plot, which apparently concerns protagonist Agent 47 completing hits for the International Contract Agency (ICA) in order to “bring balance to the power struggle.” According to IO Interactive’s Community Manager, Travis Barbour, the release will be akin to the way modern TV shows’ stories are paced, as he explains: “The episodic nature of Hitman allows us to craft both individual stories centered on Agent 47’s targets as well as longer season stories involving 47, Diana Burnwood, the ICA, and an entirely new main cast. “The structure is inspired by contemporary TV series and will unfold over multiple seasons. To begin with, the overall story and the individual mission stories run in parallel but as the first season progresses, the tracks will merge and become one.”
On top of today’s trailer, IO Interactive reiterated that Hitman‘s beta will be coming first to PlayStation 4 on February 12, with a test for PC set for availability on February 19. The studio also announced that PS4 players will get exclusive access to six bonus contracts that center around a self-contained side-story about ex-members of CICADA, a paramilitary unit, in a pack called The Sarejevo Six.
The first of the contracts exclusive to Sony’s current gen console will come out on March 11, and it’s called “The Director.” Agent 47 will seek out a target named Scott Sarno, who is the Director of European Operations for the CICADA private military corporation.
While IO Interactive’s sales pitch for Hitman is definitely enticing, the fact that it’s being developed episodically means that the writing will have to be top-notch to assure people are engaged enough to keep playing. Plus, some gamers may still be on the fence about experiencing the game through installments. After all, when the pre-orders were initially cancelled, folks were rightfully miffed about having to pre-order it again under such confusing circumstances.
Taking all of this into consideration, a lot of fans may have changed their mind about Hitman being one of the most anticipated video games of 2016, but only time will tell whether or not developers can deliver a solid product.
What do you think about the new Hitman trailer? Does its dark tone and premise of global intrigue interest you, or has the game’s episodic nature turned you off altogether? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The first season of IO Interactive’s Hitman debuts March 11, 2016 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
One writer sets out to explain how episodic content is becoming more commonplace within the gaming industry, and how it might not be the detriment it has been made out to be. The financial aspect of video games has long been a driving force behind internet discussions regarding the medium. Gamers have held hotly contested debates over just how much money is reasonable in purchasing a game that provides, say, forty hours of content versus the abnormally large amount of content games like The Witcher 3 contain. For a game that is relatively short, players might look at the first large addition of downloadable content as something that should have been included in the base game, while those same fans would likely have no problem shelling out an extra $10 or $20 for the first expansion to The Witcher 3. It’s all relative to the amount of value gamers believe they are receiving with each purchase they make, and that principle has informed the decisions being made by developers as they continue to look at new and innovative ways to present their work in both an engaging and profitable manner. This debate has existed for some time, and it’s no closer to an answer now than it was in its infancy. Yet the industry has continued to evolve, and lately it has been the discussion centered around episodic content, not DLC, that has dominated internet forums and side-blog thinkpieces alike. Episodic content is an interesting premise that, though it has existed in various forms for a while now, first truly came to prominence during the rise of TellTale Games The Walking Dead series. Episodic content was a perfect fit for a narrative-based video game attempting to emulate a television show, and gamers and critics both happily embraced the way TellTale provided gaps in between episodes to really maximize the emotional impact of each installment. The prevailing argument, then, is that episodic content can work, with an addendum that it won’t work for everyone and that it’s a methodology that indie developers should primarily consider. Episodic content in AAA titles, however, has been met with a level of vitriol that is usually reserved for pay-to-win schemes in multiplayer games. It’s easy to see why gamers might be hesitant to embrace this kind of content model – at its core, it promises several different installments of a game that will each cost a certain amount of money over time rather than getting all of the content up front. The result? A trial in both measured spending habits and patience, something that not all gamers consider their strong suits.
Although there haven’t been many blockbuster video game releases recently that have attempted to implement episodic content, there has been one notable debut that seems to have received less attention than it perhaps deserves. IO Interactive’s newest take on the Hitman series is episodic, and while it might not be the biggest release this year, it is certainly a game series with enough of a pedigree to merit some discussion when it decides to use a new release model. The Hitman franchise was big enough to spawn an admittedly poor movie – surely it still commands enough respect to generate some meaningful analysis of how episodic content might be implemented by giant publishers like Square Enix in the future.
Despite what popular opinion might hold to be true, it turns out that a stealth action game can pull off the episodic style just as well as a cel-shaded narrative adventure about the zombie apocalypse. The trick is, of course, in presenting something that on its own is worth the money spent but makes players want to spend more once additional content becomes available. If that is the goal, then Hitman has scored. Episode 1: Paris is an incredibly deep mission that, despite taking place in one location, offers well over twenty hours of gameplay in its palisade halls alone. For those wondering, the price of the first episode is $19.99, which equates to spending roughly a dollar an hour on quality entertainment.
Of course, the fact that the first episode is worth the money spent on it only solves half of the problem. The other is the very blunt question of whether or not it’s worth it for the game to use episodic content releases and if the series actually benefits from this specific model. The answer, though, is that Hitman might be the smartest take on episodic gaming yet from a series that no one would have marked as a prime candidate for installment-based content development.
In thinking about it further, though, episodes of Hitman just make sense. This is a game series that has prided itself on its nuanced level design and the creativity players are able to employ while controlling Agent 47 during his often ridiculous assassination missions. In previous games, however, I would find myself rushing through each level after finding one satisfying way of killing my target, eager to enjoy another level and another chance at making my completion of contracts look like accidents. I would progress all the way through the story, be satisfied with the narrative and the gaming experience, and then move on to the next game release without so much as a second thought.
See the problem? This kind of approach negates a lot of the theory behind what makes Hitman such an appealing game. In releasing just Episode 1: Paris however, I was forced to pace myself and really explore the level. It was the only one on offer, so I told myself to take my time and really engage with what the developers were offering me. The result was the best time I’ve ever had with the series, and at least fifteen hours spent inside that one mission with a few more creative assassinations left to try and tackle in the near future. That simply wouldn’t have happened had Hitman been released under its traditional content model.
While I was initially hesitant on the way Square Enix had been pushing for episodic content in its larger game series, I’m now more receptive to the idea – at the very least, I know it can be executed well enough that it feels like a benefit rather than a way to simply make more money. The true test, however, is coming soon. If episodic gaming is really something that can benefit both developers and gamers, I fully expect to see it executed to early perfection in the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Remake. I’m not saying that I believe Final Fantasy is a perfect fit for episodic content, but then again, I wouldn’t have said that about Hitman either. Going episodic allows Square Enix to create a narrative that goes more in-depth with each character in the beloved classic’s all-star cast, and might provide the developers a chance at having different episodes contain different gameplay content. Bringing Final Fantasy 7 into the modern era could be the episodic content model’s history-defining victory.
If episodic content is going to succeed at shedding the negative stereotypes that some gamers have associated with it, it is going to have to continue down the path that Hitman has now very successfully laid out for it. Games will need to both offer players good value on each episode in terms of content length and depth versus money spent while also having a good reason to embark down the path of episodic narration. The fact is, though, that it appears we might be progressing towards a new era in video game releases, and the future might not be nearly as gloomy as it has been made out to be.
Square Enix is announcing a beta for Hitman, as well as a beta launch trailer. The beta includes two training hits as part of “The Prologue” introductory mission.
The Hitman that so many expected went through a huge transition recently, shifting from a complete game sold as a single package to an episodic release sold in pieces over time. That won’t stop Square Enix from delivering a traditional lead up to the launch of Hitman‘s first episode. Today the publisher announced the Hitman beta, as well as releasing a launch trailer for the beta. The beta will be coming to both PC and PlayStation, though they’ll be running on separate dates.
Hitman‘s beta will include the introduction level of the first episode, titled “The Prologue.” It is not the full first episode though. It’s essentially a tutorial for the rest of the experient. In The Prologue, players are reintroduced to Agent 47, only 20 years prior to the main events of the game. This level will show Agent 47’s introduction to the ICA and his handler Diana Burnwood. Two hits are included in the beta, though they seem to be a part of a training exercise rather than full-on assassination. Square Enix is saving the real show for those who pay for admission.
On the PlayStation 4 Hitman‘s beta will be launching on February 12 at 8:00 PT, ending on February 15 at 8:00 PT. Oddly, AM or PM is not noted in the press release. The PC beta will come later, running from February 19 at 2:00 PT through February 21/22 (both dates are mentioned in the press release) at 2:00 PT. Sadly, it doesn’t look like there are any plans to bring the Hitman beta to the Xbox One. Sorry, Xbox players.
Hopefully everyone’s still reading, because Square Enix has included some fine print with regards to their Hitman beta. While beta access will be limited to pre-orderers only, not all pre-orderers will be provided beta access. That’s right, only pre-orderers of the digital versions of Hitman, or its Collector’s Edition, will be provided beta codes. Those who have pre-ordered the retail box from outlets like Amazon, which still lists that pre-orderers will get a beta code, will not be invited to the beta. Heck, Amazon still lists Hitman as a standalone $60 game, too.
For those who are excited about the Hitman revival, Square Enix’s decision shouldn’t prove too important. After all, the beta levels will be included in the first episode of Hitman and they’re only tutorial levels anyway. Still, considering that those who will be excluded from the beta will end up being those who pre-ordered earliest and when Hitman was a much pricier game, one has to wonder what Square Enix’s problem is. At the very least, everyone will be able to evaluate the game’s quality based on beta impressions.
The most likely scenario is that Square Enix hasn’t had enough time to prepare retail outlets for the shift to an episodic release schedule. Perhaps they’ve decided not to put out a retail release of the new Hitman until after all the episodes have been put out, much like Telltale has done for its episodic series. They’d lose a lot of preorders if they canceled the retail release though, so that seems doubtful. All that really needs to be said is that this feels messy and retail pre-orderers should be disappointed that Square Enix is ignoring them.
Publisher Square Enix officially announces that the physical release date for the episodic stealth-action video game, Hitman, is delayed until next year. When Square Enix and IO Interactive announced that Hitman would be a fully episodic game, the publisher and developer also confirmed the title would go on to have a disc version for purchase at the end of this year. Now, however, it has been revealed that the release date for the physical copies of the companies’ upcoming stealth-action game is being delayed until January 2017. The announcement comes just one day ahead of Hitman‘s digital debut on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. According to developers, Agent 47 will be the protagonist in seven separate episodes throughout the rest of 2016, with the first being set in Paris, followed by Italy, Morocco, Thailand, Japan the USA, and an undisclosed seventh location. While some folks may be disappointed by the delay, the press outlet VideoGamer received an explanation from IO Interactive detailing the reasons behind its decision to push Hitman‘s physical release back a bit, saying that it needed the additional time to ensure a smoother release for gaming fans. Regarding the matter, the developer’s statement reads: “This year is all about delivering the best episodic experience for Hitman and that takes us to Autumn/Fall. Releasing the disc version in January just makes sure we have enough time after the season concludes to dedicate to getting the best disc version of the game out.”
For those who can’t wait for Hitman‘s disc version, they can purchase the Intro Pack for $15, which includes “The Prologue” and a mission in Paris, the former of which was shown off in the game’s beta announcement trailer, as well as in the test itself. Following episodes will cost $10 a pop, but fans can go all-in with the “Full Experience” for $60.
Today’s declaration regarding the postponement of Hitman‘s physical release is the only the latest in a slew of various holdups for the game. For example, its initial 2015 release date was delayed so as to give IO Interactive some breathing room for the development of more content at its launch. Plus, in order to prepare for the disclosure of Hitman being serialized, players’ pre-orders of the game were cancelled on PlayStation Network, leaving fans bewildered about the fate of the title.
Granted, an extra month’s wait for the disc version of Hitman isn’t too long, but it’s not as if the announcement is good news. If anything, it sets the precedent for further delays in the future. Hopefully, though, IO Interactive will have all of the game’s materials ready for the physical release come January 2017.
The first episode of Hitman is set to release digitally tomorrow, March 11, 2016, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
One writer sets out to explain how episodic content is becoming more commonplace within the gaming industry, and how it might not be the detriment it has been made out to be. The financial aspect of video games has long been a driving force behind internet discussions regarding the medium. Gamers have held hotly contested debates over just how much money is reasonable in purchasing a game that provides, say, forty hours of content versus the abnormally large amount of content games like The Witcher 3 contain. For a game that is relatively short, players might look at the first large addition of downloadable content as something that should have been included in the base game, while those same fans would likely have no problem shelling out an extra $10 or $20 for the first expansion to The Witcher 3. It’s all relative to the amount of value gamers believe they are receiving with each purchase they make, and that principle has informed the decisions being made by developers as they continue to look at new and innovative ways to present their work in both an engaging and profitable manner. This debate has existed for some time, and it’s no closer to an answer now than it was in its infancy. Yet the industry has continued to evolve, and lately it has been the discussion centered around episodic content, not DLC, that has dominated internet forums and side-blog thinkpieces alike. Episodic content is an interesting premise that, though it has existed in various forms for a while now, first truly came to prominence during the rise of TellTale Games The Walking Dead series. Episodic content was a perfect fit for a narrative-based video game attempting to emulate a television show, and gamers and critics both happily embraced the way TellTale provided gaps in between episodes to really maximize the emotional impact of each installment. The prevailing argument, then, is that episodic content can work, with an addendum that it won’t work for everyone and that it’s a methodology that indie developers should primarily consider. Episodic content in AAA titles, however, has been met with a level of vitriol that is usually reserved for pay-to-win schemes in multiplayer games. It’s easy to see why gamers might be hesitant to embrace this kind of content model – at its core, it promises several different installments of a game that will each cost a certain amount of money over time rather than getting all of the content up front. The result? A trial in both measured spending habits and patience, something that not all gamers consider their strong suits.
Although there haven’t been many blockbuster video game releases recently that have attempted to implement episodic content, there has been one notable debut that seems to have received less attention than it perhaps deserves. IO Interactive’s newest take on the Hitman series is episodic, and while it might not be the biggest release this year, it is certainly a game series with enough of a pedigree to merit some discussion when it decides to use a new release model. The Hitman franchise was big enough to spawn an admittedly poor movie – surely it still commands enough respect to generate some meaningful analysis of how episodic content might be implemented by giant publishers like Square Enix in the future.
Despite what popular opinion might hold to be true, it turns out that a stealth action game can pull off the episodic style just as well as a cel-shaded narrative adventure about the zombie apocalypse. The trick is, of course, in presenting something that on its own is worth the money spent but makes players want to spend more once additional content becomes available. If that is the goal, then Hitman has scored. Episode 1: Paris is an incredibly deep mission that, despite taking place in one location, offers well over twenty hours of gameplay in its palisade halls alone. For those wondering, the price of the first episode is $19.99, which equates to spending roughly a dollar an hour on quality entertainment.
Of course, the fact that the first episode is worth the money spent on it only solves half of the problem. The other is the very blunt question of whether or not it’s worth it for the game to use episodic content releases and if the series actually benefits from this specific model. The answer, though, is that Hitman might be the smartest take on episodic gaming yet from a series that no one would have marked as a prime candidate for installment-based content development.
In thinking about it further, though, episodes of Hitman just make sense. This is a game series that has prided itself on its nuanced level design and the creativity players are able to employ while controlling Agent 47 during his often ridiculous assassination missions. In previous games, however, I would find myself rushing through each level after finding one satisfying way of killing my target, eager to enjoy another level and another chance at making my completion of contracts look like accidents. I would progress all the way through the story, be satisfied with the narrative and the gaming experience, and then move on to the next game release without so much as a second thought.
See the problem? This kind of approach negates a lot of the theory behind what makes Hitman such an appealing game. In releasing just Episode 1: Paris however, I was forced to pace myself and really explore the level. It was the only one on offer, so I told myself to take my time and really engage with what the developers were offering me. The result was the best time I’ve ever had with the series, and at least fifteen hours spent inside that one mission with a few more creative assassinations left to try and tackle in the near future. That simply wouldn’t have happened had Hitman been released under its traditional content model.
While I was initially hesitant on the way Square Enix had been pushing for episodic content in its larger game series, I’m now more receptive to the idea – at the very least, I know it can be executed well enough that it feels like a benefit rather than a way to simply make more money. The true test, however, is coming soon. If episodic gaming is really something that can benefit both developers and gamers, I fully expect to see it executed to early perfection in the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Remake. I’m not saying that I believe Final Fantasy is a perfect fit for episodic content, but then again, I wouldn’t have said that about Hitman either. Going episodic allows Square Enix to create a narrative that goes more in-depth with each character in the beloved classic’s all-star cast, and might provide the developers a chance at having different episodes contain different gameplay content. Bringing Final Fantasy 7 into the modern era could be the episodic content model’s history-defining victory.
If episodic content is going to succeed at shedding the negative stereotypes that some gamers have associated with it, it is going to have to continue down the path that Hitman has now very successfully laid out for it. Games will need to both offer players good value on each episode in terms of content length and depth versus money spent while also having a good reason to embark down the path of episodic narration. The fact is, though, that it appears we might be progressing towards a new era in video game releases, and the future might not be nearly as gloomy as it has been made out to be.
