Category: Gamespot

Gears of War Creator Cliff Bleszinski directed his followers on Twitter to a concept art gallery for his new, free-to-play first-person shooter currently codenamed Project Bluestreak.

The gallery shows off some of the game’s weapons, including the gun you can see below. The description for the image says it’s a near final version of the LAW gun, or Light Acceleration Weapon.

The gallery also gives us a look at a shoulder mounted rocket launcher called the ANVIL launcher, though according to the website these are just concepts for now. In addition, the gallery above also contains several concept art images for maps and characters from the game.

Bleszinski, of course, worked at Epic Games for two decades before quitting in October 2012, eventually opening his own studio, Boss Key Productions.

The studio’s first title, Project Bluestreak, is set in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world. The PC game will be published by free-to-play juggernaut Nexon America. No release date for the game has been announced.

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No, Microsoft isn’t trying to buy the Silent Hill franchise from Konami, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has confirmed on Twitter, denying a rumor that circulated earlier this week.

“Sorry, this isn’t true,” Spencer said in response to a question from a fan. “Not sure where the rumor started but I don’t want to mislead anyone.”

The rumor, which came from an anonymous source, claimed that Konami’s Silent Hills was 80 percent complete when it was canceled, and that Microsoft tried to buy the franchise from the Japanese game company for “billions” of dollars. That alone should have been a red flag considering that Microsoft bought the far more successful Minecraft for 2.5 billion last year.

Yesterday, Konami addressed recent reports of its intention to distance itself from the console gaming market in favour of mobile, as well as rumors surrounding the departure of Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima.

“Konami will continue to embrace the challenge of creating entertainment content via different platforms,” Konami president Hideki Hayakawa said said. “Not only mobile platforms, but for home consoles, arcade units, and cards, to meet the changing needs of the times.”

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You can play Nintendo’s paint shooter Splatoon by tying a Wii Remote Plus controller to a Wii U Pro Controller, the company has revealed.

This method only works in the game’s local, 1v1 Battle Dojo local multiplayer mode, but it’s still strange and kind of awesome.

To use this input method, on the controller selection screen for Battle Dojo, press and hold down on the +Control Pad, press and hold B, and then press ZR and ZL.

“It seems a Wii Remote Plus is necessary to perform this incredible feat. This technique also appears to be possible when using a Classic Controller or Classic Controller Pro!” Nintendo said on Splatoon’s official Tumblr. “When using a Wii U Pro Controller, first press ZL and ZR to select that as your controller, and then press the 2 Button on the Wii Remote Plus to activate it.”

How you keep those controllers stuck together is up to you.

Check out GameSpot’s Splatoon review in progress, and what other critics are saying about the game.

Are you playing Splatoon this weekend? Let us know in the comments below.

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Ubisoft has retired Frag Dolls, its all-female professional gamer team, 11 years after it was founded, the Frag Dolls have announced.

“The Frag Dolls team – after almost 11 years, 22 team members, and who-knows-how-many games played together – is finally being retired,” Frag Doll Morgan “Rhoulette FD” Romine, who retired from her role as Team Captain of the Frag Dolls in 2011 said in a post to the team’s official website.

“Sad as it is to see something we have loved so much, for so long, reach its final days, there is a sweetness in this simple closure,” Romine said. “As the wide community of gamers grows up, we are beginning to learn how to incorporate this burgeoning diversity into our cultural identity. There are growing pains, like with any cultural sea change. But as we say goodbye to the Frag Dolls, we welcome the emerging world in which it will be taken for granted that women do, of course, play and love games, because video games truly are for everyone.”

Ubisoft didn’t say why it was retiring the Frag Dolls, but several team members have left this year.

Romine thanked Ubisoft for its support over the years, and cited the team’s Cadette program as its proudest accomplishment. The program, which provided mentorship and work experience in the gaming industry, helped more than 80 women land jobs at Electronic Arts, Blizzard, Nintendo, Oculus, and more.

According to Frag Dolls’ website, the team also made history by becoming the first all-female team to take the first place in a professional LAN tournament (the Cyberathlete Professional League).

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Microsoft has started sending out codes for the remastered version of Halo 3: ODST on Xbox One.

Earlier this week a release date indicating the game would be available on 29 May appeared on Xbox.com. However, the official Halo Twitter account said the date was actually “a placeholder.”

It seems the Xbox.com date wasn’t far off, as Xbox One owners that played Halo: The Master Chief Collection between its November 11 release date and December 19 are receiving messages on Xbox Live with a code to download the game.

According to an update on Halo Waypoint “all distributed codes will disappear from the in-console message after June 30, 2015, but will still be redeemable.” After June 30, users can contact the support forum for further assistance.

The remastered version of Halo 3: ODST was announced as recompense for significant matchmaking issues in Halo: The Master Chief Collection during its launch period. The re-release provides ODST’s single-player campaign running at 1080p and 60 frames per second.

Halo steward 343 Industries has confirmed the re-release “does not include the Firefight game mode and contains the campaign only.”

For those that do not qualify for a free code, the Halo 3: ODST re-release will “soon be available for purchase from the Xbox Store for $4.99 USD.”

343 Industries’ Bonnie Ross previously said the developer is giving the game to players for free to thank them for sticking with Halo: The Master Chief Collection during its troubled launch.

“This has been a humbling experience and highlighted how we as a studio can – and need – to do better for Xbox fans around the world,” Ross said. “We are so grateful to our fans who have stood by our side and we appreciate all of your patience as we worked through these issues.”

An update for The Master Chief Collection is also now available and weighs in at 2.4 GB. It includes the previously announced reimagined version of Halo 2‘s multiplayer map Relic for all owners of The Master Chief Collection.

“First introduced in “Halo 2” as “Relic,” the “Halo 2: Anniversary” multiplayer map “Remnant” is set on a large island on Installation 05 and is renowned for its expansive, asymmetrical level design, making it perfect for intense, sniper combat. Of course, this re-imagined version of the classic map sports its share of innovations.”

For more on The Master Chief Collection, check out GameSpot’s review and previous coverage.

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Nintendo’s new shooter (of sorts), Splatoon, is now available on Wii U, and we’ve gathered up some of the first reviews to give you an idea of what to expect.

Despite looking like a third-person shooter, Splatoon’s focus is less about simply eliminating the enemy team, and more about covering the level in paint. The game features a single-player component alongside online multiplayer, the latter of which is much more of a focus here than in the average Nintendo game. Being a family-friendly game, however, it lacks voice chat.

A set of Splatoon-themed Amiibo go on sale today alongside the game itself; they’re likely to sell out, but Amazon will be selling them at specific times throughout the day.

• Game: Splatoon
• Developer: Nintendo
• Platforms: Wii U
• Release Date: May 29
• Price: $60

GameSpot — review in progress

“[W]hile the gameplay and progression systems in Splatoon are enjoyable and varied, the maps you play on are too similar, and I can’t think of a single one that stands out. There are some elements that you’ll pickup on, but these are isolated pieces that you recognize rather than recall fondly. For the most part, you swim over flat land, up a ramp, and maybe through a wire mesh, but I haven’t noticed a case where a map emphasizes one particular element over another. Maybe this is a casualty of the game’s painting mechanic, making every map feel like a big, neon puddle, but good level design should be able to overcome this” – Peter Brown [Full review]

Polygon — 8.5 (provisional)

“As of launch, though, Splatoon has enough going for it between the single-player and multiplayer to keep me happy. Nintendo has built two separate gameplay tracks that use the same mechanic yet feel discrete. They’re both a ton of fun, and they both have some obvious areas ripe for improvement. I can’t say whether Splatoon will become the next big franchise for Nintendo, with sequels every generation and spin-offs and endless fanboy buzz. But after this strong debut, it certainly deserves some attention.” – Philip Kollar [Full review]

Destructoid — 8.5

“In some ways, Splatoon’s online component is disappointing, and the lack of so many features will likely push other shooter fans away. But most of those shortcomings can be forgiven in my mind because of how damn fun it is. As a shooter it’s refreshing, and as a 3D platformer it’s up there with some of Nintendo’s greatest creations. You’ll quickly forget about the fact that you’re playing Turf War over and over as you squid down an alley, leap across a gap, and shoot enemies in the air as you fall. All Nintendo needs to do is keep supporting Splatoon, because the foundation is fantastic.” – Chris Carter [Full review]

USgamer — 4/5

“Nintendo takes a chance with this odd, risky rethink of the arena shooter. Splatoon moves away from guns and grit, offering a shooter anyone of any age can enjoy. The game’s single-player is an absolutely amazing puzzle platformer that deserves some expansion. Multiplayer is a bit light on content at launch, but Nintendo is already promising more this summer.” – Mike Williams [Full review]

IGN — review in progress

“Nintendo’s take on the third-person shooter is refreshingly original, with lots of impressive tools and skillful mobility. Matches are consistently fun and tense, and the mechanics feel simple enough that almost anyone can contribute positively. Splatoon really needs the extra modes and content Nintendo says is coming once a portion of the community levels up a bit, and not having voice chat is a bummer, but what is here feels polished and kept me claiming turf for hours.” – Jose Otero [Full review]

GamesBeat — 83/100

“Splatoon is clever, creative, and fun. The multiplayer is a fun twist on the team-based shooter. However, the single-player campaign is surprisingly the best thing in the game. It offers the kind of quality level design you’d expect from a Mario title, but with a healthy dose of shooter mechanics.” – Mike Minotti [Full review]

GamesRadar — 3.5/5

“It breaks my squid-loving heart to be so down on Splatoon, because the core gameplay offered is one of the freshest and most exciting things to come out of Nintendo in years. But I can’t help but feel like this game should have come out three, maybe six months later, when all of the content is finished and included on the disc. As it stands, there’s simply not enough game here on day one to make Splatoon anything more than a weekend curiosity, and there’s no telling whether the content coming down the pipeline will be worth sticking around for.” – David Roberts [Full review]

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