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Posted by Joystiq Mar 16 2013 01:45 GMT
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This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer. Around here, we have a bit of a tradition: If the resident JRPG columnist opts to move on, they finish their tenure by writing about their favorite role-playing game. Since this will be my last column with Joystiq, it's time to discuss how much I love Valkyrie Profile.

Valkyrie Profile has pretty much everything I'm looking for in an RPG. It has solid customization; visual flair; a strong story; great music; and a large cast. But what really takes it above and beyond for me is that little added twist; that certain je ne sais quoi that really makes it something special.

Posted by Joystiq Mar 13 2013 02:15 GMT
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Sleeping Dogs' Year of the Snake DLC is out today, complete with a brand new trailer to replace the one that leaked back in January. Year of the Snake throws protagonist Wei Shen onto the Hong Kong police force to dismantle the Cult of the Snake. With police batons. And guns. And physics-defying leaps between moving vehicles, as the trailer demonstrates.

Year of the Snake includes three new outfits, two new weapons and two new abilities. Also out today is the Law Enforcer pack, which features police attire, vehicles and weapons. The Wheels of Fury DLC pack is also due out in Q1, but there's no sign of it launching today.

Posted by Kotaku Mar 12 2013 18:00 GMT
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#sleepingdogs The hero of United Front's hit open-world title spent most of the game undercover, acting more as a gangster and stirring up trouble to win the trust of the Hong Kong underworld. Now, Wei Shen finally gets to be an out-in-the-open law enforcement official in the new Year of the Snake DLC for Sleeping Dogs. More »

Posted by Joystiq Mar 12 2013 14:15 GMT
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A plethora of Square Enix games and DLC for the Xbox 360 are currently available on the Xbox Marketplace for 50 percent off. Until the recent ultimate deals, The Xbox Marketplace has generally had laughable "deals." See, we couldn't even use that word without putting it in quotation marks. As of late, however, the Xbox Live Marketplace is stepping up its game and wandering into Steam-esque style sales.

There are a couple exceptions to the 50 percent discount, with Deus Ex Human Revolution at $14.99 (60% off), Kane and Lynch 2 at $9.99 (25% off) and Sleeping Dogs for $19.99 (44% off). The sale will conclude on March 18. Check out the full list of cost augmentations after the break.

Posted by Kotaku Mar 12 2013 01:00 GMT
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#tombraider Tomb Raider wears its cinematic aspirations on its grimy, blood-soaked sleeve. In the mode of Uncharted, this is a game that very much wants to be a movie—its 'camera' is a constant companion, never missing the opportunity for a close-in tension shot or a jumbled, handheld action sequence. As Lara Croft runs through the rain and engages in Croftian derring-do, you can feel the invisible cameraman's loping stride as he follows behind. More »

Posted by Joystiq Mar 11 2013 14:30 GMT
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Tomb Raider received a PC patch this weekend, with fixes for the Nvidia-associated stability issues high on the agenda. The patch notes mention fixes for "some stability and startup issues on machines that have both Intel and Nvidia graphics hardware" and "some small improvements to TressFX hair rendering," these the chief issues which led to Nvidia apologizing for the game's unstable performance on its GeForce cards at max settings

Going by the Steam and Eidos forums, the patch does provide significant improvement for some of the stability issues, although by the sounds of it TressFX is still somewhat flaky.

Posted by Kotaku Mar 09 2013 01:00 GMT
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#tombraider After about seven hours with Tomb Raider, I'm on board with Evan's endorsement. It's a very good game, and a very strong example of the whole "game that's like a movie" thing that Uncharted laid out a few years back. But what of the PC version? More »

Posted by Joystiq Mar 08 2013 13:30 GMT
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One million raiders are already exploring rebooted tombs, developer Crystal Dynamics revealed last night. Global brand director Karl Stewart tweeted that a million people were playing Tomb Raider less than 48 hours after the game's launch on March 5.

We're not taking that in the literal sense, though; a million concurrent players would be very impressive, but the game selling one million units in two days is a tad more likely, albeit still impressive.

It's also surely sweet music to the ears of Crystal Dynamics and publisher Square Enix following the performance of the series' last major entry, Tomb Raider: Underworld. That game took over a month to sell a disappointing (apparently) 1.5 million units, with layoffs at Crystal Dynamics occurring soon after. At this rate, the Tomb Raider reboot will hit that figure by the end of the week.

Posted by Kotaku Mar 07 2013 11:30 GMT
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#socialgames There's nothing wrong with social games, m'kay? Social games are fine. But maybe it's time to ditch that moniker. According to Takehiro Ando, a mobile game producer at Square Enix, recently did a post on Famitsu titled "Sayonara Social Games", that might not be a bad idea. More »

Posted by IGN Mar 06 2013 22:54 GMT
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Something seems oddly familiar about the new Tomb Raider. We dig into our treasure chest of beloved classic games to find out if Tomb Raider really is for you.

Posted by Kotaku Mar 06 2013 19:00 GMT
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#tombraider I've been looking forward to playing Tomb Raider on PC for the last week, ever since Evan's review made me think, "Okay, yep, sounds like this is indeed my kinda game." More »

Posted by Joystiq Mar 06 2013 17:45 GMT
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Graphics powerhouse Nvidia is working with developer Crystal Dynamics to address the "major performance and stability issues" occurring with GeForce cards playing Tomb Raider on max settings. A number of users on the Nvidia, Steam, and Tomb Raider forums complained about a range of GeForce-related issues, with common complaints including the game repeatedly crashing to desktop on 600-series cards, and AMD's TressFX hair rendering tech taking a chunky toll on performance.

Following no mention of Tomb Raider in its post on the latest GeForce beta drivers, Nvidia's Andrew Burnes took to the comments to explain the situation, revealing the company only received a final version of the game a few days ahead of launch.

"Unfortunately, Nvidia didn't receive final code until this past weekend which substantially decreased stability, image quality and performance over a build we were previously provided," said Burnes. "We are working closely with Crystal Dynamics to address and resolve all game issues as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we would like to apologize to GeForce users that are not able to have a great experience playing Tomb Raider, as they have come to expect with all of their favorite PC games."

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Mar 06 2013 17:00 GMT
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Tomb Raider is out, and I’ve played the single player to the very end. How does Lara fare in this reboot of one of gaming’s most famous series? Here’s wot I think:

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Posted by Kotaku Mar 06 2013 08:59 GMT
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#cosplay In the Kingdom Hearts games, Keyblades are the mysterious weapons wielded by the games' main characters. I've always thought they're pretty cool looking! Guess I'm not alone. More »

Posted by Joystiq Mar 05 2013 16:20 GMT
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The Thief reboot announced back in 2009 re-emerges from the shadows as the cover of next month's Game Informer magazine. The game is planned for PS4, PC and "other next-gen platforms" in 2014.

Game Informer mentions Thief finds series hero Garrett returning to the "Gothic, industrial metropolis" known as the City in the midst of social tension and a plague. Hopefully Garrett can make it through his adventure without becoming Dishonored.

The previous update we had about the project were rumors from last summer that development was in trouble.

The best news of all: It's not called Thi4f anymore.

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Mar 05 2013 15:45 GMT
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Sound the news-horn! Sound it from the highest mountains! Ready your loins! Thief is back.

Unconfirmed leak, yada yada, you know the drill. But, yes, this very much appears to be screenshots of Square-Enix’s rebooted Thief series and OHMIGOD THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING.

(more…)


Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Mar 05 2013 15:45 GMT
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Sound the news-horn! Sound it from the highest mountains! Ready your loins! Thief is back.

Unconfirmed leak, yada yada, you know the drill. But, yes, this very much appears to be screenshots of Square-Enix’s rebooted Thief series and OHMIGOD THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING.

Update: now confirmed as real, called ‘Thief’, out on PC and next-gen consoleboxes in 2014.

(more…)


Posted by Joystiq Mar 05 2013 04:59 GMT
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There's nothing quite like the word 'reboot' to stir the catcalls of cynicism. Based on the critical acclaim. including that from our own Richard Mitchell. the latest adventure for one of gaming's oldest series is more than just a reboot; it's a rebirth.
  • Digital Spy (100/100): "With a well written cast of characters, mightily impressive production techniques, sumptuous visuals, tight platforming and surprisingly enjoyable combat, Tomb Raider is most definitely a release to be treasured."
  • GamesRadar (90/100): "Its expert sense of pacing, captivating setting, and dark tone create a truly memorable experience that's further enhanced by an immense level of detail. Lara Croft, the old Lara Croft, is dead. In place of a dolled-up gunslinger is a do-what-it-takes survivor - and we hope she hasn't had her fill of adventuring just yet."
  • Polygon (90/100): "It's easy to point out the many ways that Tomb Raider borrows bits and pieces from other popular games of the last five years, but Crystal Dynamics has blended these disparate strengths into something remarkable. It's cinematic yet open, intense yet laid-back, fresh yet polished."
  • GameSpot (85/100): "The single-player campaign here is the main attraction, and it is excellent. It doesn't try to rewrite the book on third-person action adventure games. But with its excellent controls, engaging heroine, thrilling combat, and fascinating setting, it doesn't need to."
  • Edge (80/100): "Whether she's huddled up against the cold or sending five men to their doom with an explosive arrow, this is still Lara Croft, one of gaming's most distinctive heroes - and now she has a personality that extends far beyond the bounds of her bra straps. If the purpose of a reboot is to redefine a character and set them up for the future, then this is a job well done."

Posted by Joystiq Mar 05 2013 00:30 GMT
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Tomb Raider is important to me. The 1996 original blew my 13-year-old mind, and it showed me what video games could be. It gave me a world ripe for exploration and begged me to suss out all its secrets, something the Crystal Dynamics games have also done with aplomb. Tomb Raider, to me, is a series about traveling the world, uncovering the plans and schemes of dead civilizations. It's about spending the better part of an hour to get ancient machinery rumbling again, all in service of opening a massive stone door.

There are no such doors in the new Tomb Raider. Grandiose puzzles have been excised in favor of smaller brainteasers. Globe-trotting has been replaced with a single, open world. Lara Croft spends more time mowing (and bowing) down bad guys than she ever has before.

It was hard for me to come to grips with these facts, and I spent many hours questioning Crystal Dynamics' new direction. That was until I realized the truth: It's all just a long con.

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Mar 01 2013 18:00 GMT
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Heroes & Generals isn’t a game. It’s two games. At least, that’s what the developers at Reto-Moto are aiming for. In one game you enter a battle as an FPS ‘hero’ while in the other you direct resources and army divisions as a strategy game ‘general’. Although it all comes in one package, the idea is that what happens in one world will ultimately affect the other. For example, moving a division of light armour to a nearby battle on the general’s map will cause tanks to appear for the players fighting on the ground. It’s not quite as simple as that, obviously, and there are a lot of requirements for things to go the way you want them when playing as a general but that’s the central idea. (more…)


Posted by Kotaku Mar 01 2013 15:40 GMT
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#bravelydefault Japanese developer/publisher/dream-ruiner Square Enix has become rather infamous for launching teasers and countdown clocks that get fans' hopes wayyy up, only to crush them later. Social games without music. Mobile games that only exist to take your money. That sort of thing. More »

Posted by Kotaku Mar 01 2013 10:00 GMT
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#finalfantasy Cloud Strife is one good looking video game character. He really is. Dude's got spiky hair, piercing eyes, and nice threads. But what if he wore cosmetics? What would he look like? More »

Posted by Joystiq Mar 01 2013 09:00 GMT
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This is the second, really final part of the last piece of the "Final Hours" Tomb Raider documentary. You can tell because there's footage of empty offices and retrospective piano music.

Posted by Joystiq Feb 28 2013 05:30 GMT
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The latest add-on for Square Enix's open-world action game, Sleeping Dogs, is available now for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. "Wheels of Fury" adds five new missions and a "weaponized supercar" to Wei Shen's quest. Fully equipped, the DZS-90 boasts two roof-mounted machine guns, an electromagnetic pulse weapon, four-wheel steering and the less palpable luxury of exuded intimidation.

Wheels of Fury is available for $3.99 (or 320MSP if you're on Xbox). You can see the DZS-90 in action in the gallery below.

Posted by Kotaku Feb 26 2013 12:30 GMT
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#tombraider Video game hair, generally speaking, looks awful. It really does. But computer giant AMD is changing all that with some fancy new hair tech. Oh yes, hair tech. More »

Posted by Joystiq Feb 26 2013 12:00 GMT
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Jimmy Fallon may have got the PS4 demo, but Conan 'Clueless Gamer' O'Brien seems happy enough with trying out Tomb Raider. Conan's commentary is unsurprisingly puerile - the video is probably NSFW - and things come to a head when Lara tries to navigate rapids.

Posted by Kotaku Feb 25 2013 15:00 GMT
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#tombraider I never wanted to have sex with Lara Croft. And I didn't want to protect her either. In the early Tomb Raider games that I played and loved, the relationship was simple. The lethal, archly snippy adventurer was me and I was her. I wanted what she wanted: to unearth the relics of antiquity. To go where human footsteps had never tread. To forge ahead into mystery. God, I remember swimming to Atlantis in Tomb Raider 1 so vividly. Any game that could create that much awe in me deserved its accolades, no matter what shape the character's polygons were sculpted into. More »

Posted by Joystiq Feb 25 2013 15:00 GMT
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Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix is headed west in the fall. Square Enix confirmed the PS3 localizations today, much speculated after series voice actor Jesse McCartney revealed he was working on a secret project.

The compilation features hi-def re-releases of PS2 games Final Mix and Re:Chain of Memories, the latter for the first time in Europe, and the former outside of Japan. It also includes hi-def versions of the cutscenes from DS game 358/2 Days. 1.5 HD Remix lays down its remastered beats in Japan on March 14.

Posted by Kotaku Feb 25 2013 14:05 GMT
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#kingdomhearts For PlayStation 3 only, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix—yes, that's the full name—will be coming to the U.S. this fall, Square Enix said today. More »

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Posted by Kotaku Feb 25 2013 12:40 GMT
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#finalfantasy Final Fantasy XIV's road to the PS3 has been rough. But now that the game is finally coming to the PlayStation 3, Square Enix's Yoichi Wada was asked whether or not the game is headed to the PS4. More »