Category: Gamespot

Heavenly Sword, Enslaved, and DmC: Devil May Cry developer Ninja Theory has released a new video for its next major project, Hellblade.

The footage shows in-development combat gameplay, and starts off with main character Senua contending with a voice in her head. Mental health issues are a key theme in the game and, as seen in the video, are explored through inner voices who speak to Senua throughout her journey.

Following this, Senua is seen fighting a towering enemy wearing a skull as a helmet. Unlike previous games the studio has released, the framing of combat is much tighter, with the camera hovering at the over-the-shoulder perspective.

Combat seems to be more focused on holding ground and using a combination of strikes and dodges to push the enemy back. Ninja Theory’s previous games had focused more on chaining combos, multiple weapons, and explosive movements, so Hellblade could represent a break from tradition.

Senua is seen walking around some the game’s eerie environments, where the studio’s penchant for ambient narrative and creative construction of game worlds can be glimpsed.

Eventually, Senua comes up agains another–much larger–enemy, who has hefty, sweeping attacks that break guard and look like they cause significant damage.

Ninja Theory has said Hellblade will deliver “ninja-class melee gameplay, strong character stories, and a unique art vision.”

The studio has said it is attempting to deliver a blockbuster, triple-A quality title on a modest budget, and will do so by coming up with creative–and cost effective–alternatives for aspects such as motion capture.

Sony has secured Hellblade as a timed PS4 exclusive. However, the game is also in development for PC.

Ninja Theory has also released a new developer diary, discussing the main character, Senua, and the game’s approach to exploring mental health.

Powered by WPeMatico

Heavenly Sword, Enslaved, and DmC: Devil May Cry developer Ninja Theory has released a new video for its next major project, Hellblade.

The footage shows in-development combat gameplay, and starts off with main character Senua contending with a voice in her head. Mental health issues are a key theme in the game and, as seen in the video, are explored through inner voices who speak to Senua throughout her journey.

Following this, Senua is seen fighting a towering enemy wearing a skull as a helmet. Unlike previous games the studio has released, the framing of combat is much tighter, with the camera hovering at the over-the-shoulder perspective.

Combat seems to be more focused on holding ground and using a combination of strikes and dodges to push the enemy back. Ninja Theory’s previous games had focused more on chaining combos, multiple weapons, and explosive movements, so Hellblade could represent a break from tradition.

Senua is seen walking around some the game’s eerie environments, where the studio’s penchant for ambient narrative and creative construction of game worlds can be glimpsed.

Eventually, Senua comes up agains another–much larger–enemy, who has hefty, sweeping attacks that break guard and look like they cause significant damage.

Ninja Theory has said Hellblade will deliver “ninja-class melee gameplay, strong character stories, and a unique art vision.”

The studio has said it is attempting to deliver a blockbuster, triple-A quality title on a modest budget, and will do so by coming up with creative–and cost effective–alternatives for aspects such as motion capture.

Sony has secured Hellblade as a timed PS4 exclusive. However, the game is also in development for PC.

Ninja Theory has also released a new developer diary, discussing the main character, Senua, and the game’s approach to exploring mental health.

Powered by WPeMatico

The cost for a one-month or three-month subscription to PlayStation Plus in the UK is set to rise, Sony has confirmed to GameSpot.

Currently the UK price for one month of PlayStation Plus is £5.49 ($8.57), while a three-month subscription costs £11.99 ($18.71). From September, these prices are set to rise, though final figures have yet to be confirmed. This affects all UK subscribers regardless of the platform they use, be it PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, or PlayStation 3.

An annual PlayStation Plus subscription, which costs £39.99 ($62.40), will not be changed, Sony said.

“We are dedicated to bringing PlayStation Plus members the best possible service with the most compelling content,” read a statement from PlayStation UK.

“From September 1, 2015 we will be increasing the price of monthly and three-month PlayStation Plus subscriptions in line with market conditions.”

It is not clear whether Sony’s price review will extend to the US, though it is more likely that price changes will be enacted across European countries. Typically, the North American and European arms of PlayStation work independently from one another.

In October, Sony raised the price of PlayStation Plus in multiple countries, such as South Africa, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and India. In some instances, the price hike was significant, such as in South Africa, where the price of a three-month PS Plus subscription has climbed by 50 percent to R219 ($19.55).

“We will continue to invest in PS Plus to ensure an unparalleled experience, featuring the best quality games and features,” Sony said.

PlayStation Plus is a versatile games service that gives subscribers discounts on certain PS Vita, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 games. On PS4, a subscription is required to connect with other gamers online.

Along with this, customers receive free games to play each month, which can be played for as long as the subscription is maintained. For August, the free games include

• CastleStorm Complete Edition (PS3, Vita)
• God of War: Ascension (PS3)
• Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (PS4)
• Limbo (PS4)
• Sound Shapes (PS4, PS3, Vita)
• Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones (PS4, PS3, Vita)

Sony has said it expects to sell 16.5 million PS4 consoles during the financial year spanning April 2015 to March 2016. This is slightly higher then its previous forecast of 16 million.

Powered by WPeMatico

The cost for a one-month or three-month subscription to PlayStation Plus in the UK is set to rise, Sony has confirmed to GameSpot.

Currently the UK price for one month of PlayStation Plus is £5.49 ($8.57), while a three-month subscription costs £11.99 ($18.71). From September, these prices are set to rise, though final figures have yet to be confirmed. This affects all UK subscribers regardless of the platform they use, be it PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, or PlayStation 3.

An annual PlayStation Plus subscription, which costs £39.99 ($62.40), will not be changed, Sony said.

“We are dedicated to bringing PlayStation Plus members the best possible service with the most compelling content,” read a statement from PlayStation UK.

“From September 1, 2015 we will be increasing the price of monthly and three-month PlayStation Plus subscriptions in line with market conditions.”

It is not clear whether Sony’s price review will extend to the US, though it is more likely that price changes will be enacted across European countries. Typically, the North American and European arms of PlayStation work independently from one another.

In October, Sony raised the price of PlayStation Plus in multiple countries, such as South Africa, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and India. In some instances, the price hike was significant, such as in South Africa, where the price of a three-month PS Plus subscription has climbed by 50 percent to R219 ($19.55).

“We will continue to invest in PS Plus to ensure an unparalleled experience, featuring the best quality games and features,” Sony said.

PlayStation Plus is a versatile games service that gives subscribers discounts on certain PS Vita, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 games. On PS4, a subscription is required to connect with other gamers online.

Along with this, customers receive free games to play each month, which can be played for as long as the subscription is maintained. For August, the free games include

• CastleStorm Complete Edition (PS3, Vita)
• God of War: Ascension (PS3)
• Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (PS4)
• Limbo (PS4)
• Sound Shapes (PS4, PS3, Vita)
• Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones (PS4, PS3, Vita)

Sony has said it expects to sell 16.5 million PS4 consoles during the financial year spanning April 2015 to March 2016. This is slightly higher then its previous forecast of 16 million.

Powered by WPeMatico

Rising Thunder, an approachable new fighting game designed to emphasise strategy and reading the opponent over execution, is now in the open alpha testing phase.

To gain access to the in-development PC game, sign up here. The website reminds that “Rising Thunder is currently in the Alpha phase of development,” which means the development team is “still rapidly improving the game, adding new content and optimizing the game’s performance.”

Rising Thunder was originally announced at EVO 2015, a yearly fighting game tournament held in Las Vegas, and is designed by Seth Killian, a fighting game luminary that has worked at Capcom and Sony Santa Monica.

Also working on Rising Thunder are Tom and Tony Cannon, who co-founded the EVO fighting game tournament. The duo also created Good Game Peace Out (GGPO), middleware that became popular for providing near lagless online gameplay for arcade titles. The technology has been used in numerous fighting games, including DiveKick, Street Fighter 3: Third Strike Online Edition, and Marvel Vs. Capcom Origins.

At the heart of Rising Thunder is a control scheme that throws out complex motions for single-button special moves, thus allowing players to focus on strategy over perfectly-timed button presses.

The online-only game will be launched with a free-to-play business model. Cosmetic upgrades for its cast of robot fighters will be available to purchase but, importantly, these do not impact the balance of the game.

GameSpot interviewed Killian to discuss how and why his team are building an easy-to-play fighting game experience. Read the full Rising Thunder interview here.

Powered by WPeMatico

Rising Thunder, an approachable new fighting game designed to emphasise strategy and reading the opponent over execution, is now in the open alpha testing phase.

To gain access to the in-development PC game, sign up here. The website reminds that “Rising Thunder is currently in the Alpha phase of development,” which means the development team is “still rapidly improving the game, adding new content and optimizing the game’s performance.”

Rising Thunder was originally announced at EVO 2015, a yearly fighting game tournament held in Las Vegas, and is designed by Seth Killian, a fighting game luminary that has worked at Capcom and Sony Santa Monica.

Also working on Rising Thunder are Tom and Tony Cannon, who co-founded the EVO fighting game tournament. The duo also created Good Game Peace Out (GGPO), middleware that became popular for providing near lagless online gameplay for arcade titles. The technology has been used in numerous fighting games, including DiveKick, Street Fighter 3: Third Strike Online Edition, and Marvel Vs. Capcom Origins.

At the heart of Rising Thunder is a control scheme that throws out complex motions for single-button special moves, thus allowing players to focus on strategy over perfectly-timed button presses.

The online-only game will be launched with a free-to-play business model. Cosmetic upgrades for its cast of robot fighters will be available to purchase but, importantly, these do not impact the balance of the game.

GameSpot interviewed Killian to discuss how and why his team are building an easy-to-play fighting game experience. Read the full Rising Thunder interview here.

Powered by WPeMatico