DaC's Random Mash-up #1

Tofu Man · Post by **Tofu Man** » Sat Oct 15, 2011 3:15 pm

[ Community -> Article ] - More info on <a href="http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Bryan Mitsoda">Person: Bryan Mitsoda</a> | More info on <a href="http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/DoubleBear Studios">Company: DoubleBear Studios</a> | More info on <a href="http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Syndicate">Game: Syndicate</a> | More info on <a href="http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/The Walking Dead">Film & TV: The Walking Dead</a>

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends and this, DaC's first general gaming news mash-up, brought to you by Small Dusty Box Of Some Sort (tm), a segment where we take a short look at some not-so-random upcoming titles and end on a slightly-more-random general tip.

One) Heading off the segment is <a href="http://www.deadstate.doublebearproducti ... trong>Dead State</a>, the upcoming zombie survival RPG by former Troika employee Bryan Mitsoda and his chaps at Double Bear.
<img src="http://www.deadstate.doublebearproducti ... _final.jpg" alt="Dead State convo" width="640" height="480" />
It's been a slow past couple of months on the update front (for instance, the game's site list its last press appearance as a RPS mention slightly over a year ago and the site itself hasn't been updated in five months) but activity in <a href="http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/in ... .html">the game's forums</a> and timely design updates by the devs indicate that it's still alive and kicking. And looking for help, so if you've free time, relevant skills and aren't called Cakester, do <a href="http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/in ... ml">follow the link</a>. Release TBA.

Two) Earlier this week, Syndicate got its very own first narrated playthrough-for-promotional-purposes. Oddly enough (on the video upload that's linked below) it seems that only the fans of the old game got wind of it, if Youtube comments and that like-bar-thingy are anything to go by.

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To be released 21/02/2012 (Cheeky, huh? Why not 20/12/2012 instead? Better yet, why not 99/99/9999???)

(Spotted @ <a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com">Rockpapershotgun</a>)

Three) Deus Ex: Human Revolution publishers/developers are doing the ever so popular "let's split our game into 10 pieces so we can ask 200 dollars for it", starting with The Missing Link dlc. Woooo, ambitious. <a href="http://www.computerandvideogames.com/32 ... view/">CVG reviewed it yesterday</a> and as I'm not particularly fond of doing the pokemon "collect all the missing missions (for 15$ each)", I'll let them say their piece, however positive.
<blockquote>
(...)Among the other mild downers, dialogue animations are as bizarrely spasmodic as ever, though the dialogue itself is very good, and the plot, while graced by some entertaining characters, is a predictable tale of corporate skulduggery. The game's big card - human trafficking - might have been played with more edge.

Still, it's more than a match for the average DLC plotline - more than a match, in fact, for many full-priced solo action releases. As opening gambits in a DLC strategy go, The Missing Link is a hard act to follow. Here's hoping this is but the first link in a solid gold chain. (Edwin Evans-Thirlwell for CVG.com)
</blockquote>
If it turns out they're wrong and you just wasted 15$, don't say I didn't warn you. Out on October the 18th.

(Spotted @ <a href="http://www.computerandvideogames.com">ComputerAndVideoGames</a>)

Four) Fourth item's a bit of a doozy. A strategic flash game that's not about towers and defenders and something I caught completely by chance, Sarah Northway's sequel to <a href="http://www.kongregate.com/games/sarahno ... g></a>, Rebuild 2 (I KNOW! IT'S UNCANNEH!). I haven't played it yet, but if it's anything like it's predecessor then it's a pretty cool little timekiller and a pretty interesting new take on that ol' zombie apocalypse background that keeps pumping out shooters.
Here, however, your job is to reclaim your city, block by block, as you juggle your assets on several fronts. Should you have the soldiers clear out the farm next door or should you have them guard the fence instead? Try and recruit other survivors, or just take their block and forcefully evict them? Features multiple endings, too. <a href="http://www.kongregate.com/games/sarahno ... ld-2">Play it here</a>.

and... Random!) Ok, random today isn't that random, rather keeping with the whole brain-gobbler "theme". The Walking Dead season 2 premieres tomorrow, so if you like what you saw previously, then you get more of that. If you didn't, you should at least know this first episode's written by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Dar ... rong>Frank Darabont</a> of The Mist, Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile fame, so there's that. But then he did write and direct at least some of the 1st season so... huh... your choice.
If you're american, that's on on AMC. If you're not, then there's always The Pee Bee.

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Alternatively, you could always go <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyziG5bUuBE">sit in front of some government building today</a>.

Post by **King of Creation** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 6:51 am

Anyone else watch The Living Dead? I thought Season 1 was pretty good, but far too short. Never read the comics though. I seem to remember Dogmeatlives saying they were excellent.

SenisterDenister · Post by **SenisterDenister** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 8:06 am

New news about Dead State is awesome, I've been really liking their approach to the zombie genre, which is more to do with actual survival as opposed to bagging headshots all day every day.

Walking Dead had a good first season, I haven't read the comics so I can't really compare the two, but I'm looking forward to the second season.

Cimmerian Nights · Post by **Cimmerian Nights** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 7:45 pm

とふ　マン wrote: former Troika employee Bryan Mitsoda

I really like his work, VTM:Bloodlines had it's flaws, but writing and dialogue were stellar in my book.

re: Syndicate
Why does every genre now have to be shoe-horned into the cookie cutter FPS mold?
Part of the appeal to me was that it was squad based. Shooters are so tired.

At what point does Chess become a FP, real time game with combo attacks in the name of immersion?

VasikkA · Post by **VasikkA** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 8:53 pm

Looks like your average Deus Ex. What is so fucking wrong with isometric squad-based action?

SenisterDenister · Post by **SenisterDenister** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 10:00 pm

VasikkA wrote:What is so fucking wrong with isometric squad-based action?

I know right? The last game I remember coming out that was a squad based isometric turn based game was fucking Silent Storm, and that was eight years ago.

Cimmerian Nights · Post by **Cimmerian Nights** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 1:49 am

Silent Storm was good fun if a little under-produced.

But, what other industry does this? I mean if 4 door sedans are the best selling car you don't stop making everything else.

You just have to hope that this industry tanks again.
Hopefully with more platforms now we can see Indies step up more.

SenisterDenister · Post by **SenisterDenister** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:47 am

One thing I would love to see again are 4X turn-based space games like Master of Orion.

Wolfman Walt · Post by **Wolfman Walt** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 10:27 pm

My problem with the new Syndicate is the same problem I had with XCOM and to a lesser extent Fallout 3 in that - If you changed a-few names around and maybe one or two iconic images, no one would know it was related to the original franchise. Starbreeze is a good developer and I have no doubt this is more of EA's doing than not, but it still makes me sad to see a good franchise be morphed to such a degree that it alienates all the original fans except those who stopped caring.

Cimmerian Nights · Post by **Cimmerian Nights** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 10:50 pm

It makes no sense why they buy these IPs, but then they repackage it as something else to sell to a group for whom the IP holds no meaning, or are actually turned off by it.

But it's about ROI I guess.

SenisterDenister · Post by **SenisterDenister** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 10:50 pm

The Starbreeze that made Darkness and Riddick is gone, all those core members have moved on to other companies; its a shell of its former self.

Also, the new episode of Walking Dead was good - ended with one hell of a cliff hanger.

Tofu Man · Post by **Tofu Man** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 12:12 am

Cimmerian Nights wrote:It makes no sense why they buy these IPs, but then they repackage it as something else to sell to a group for whom the IP holds no meaning, or are actually turned off by it.

Well, they do get a bunch of older guys shouting obscenities, which is some form of free advertising. Plus the journos like crap they already know, saves them a hell lot of trouble in writing articles.

Other than those (lousy) excuses, you're right. No fucking sense whatsoever. I guess that's what happens when you have a multi-million dollar major treating gaming like it's the fucking movies.

SenisterDenister wrote:Also, the new episode of Walking Dead was good - ended with one hell of a cliff hanger.

Thought the episode itself was a bit meh and was already starting to curse them "not taking any chances" until that kick in the nuts at the end. Did not expect that. Do hope that that's not what the whole season is about, tho.

Kashluk · Post by **Kashluk** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 5:20 pm

Walking Dead
The show was/is pretty good, although I haven't watched the new S02E01
yet. I've read all the comics so far (I think there's around 90 issues) and
the show's story takes a different turn from around issue 5 onwards, I think.
But, this isn't necessarily a bad thing: if the show followed the comics
more strictly, it would be boring and/or predictable to follow. And on top of
that, few of the plot twists in the comics are pretty shitty, so I have high
hopes that they can avoid such stuff with the TV series. I think as long as
they keep the fundamental things, it'll be nice.

Syndicate / DE:HR
This game's looking pretty good, I guess it's pretty Deus Ex-y? I hope it's at
least half as good as Human Revelations, that'd make it worthwhile

About Deus Ex itself, I guess I'm going with the same plan as with FO:NV -
wait until all the DLC is out and they're selling it for a discount in one big
compilation thingy.

cazsim83 · Post by **cazsim83** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 9:00 am

King of Creation wrote: I seem to remember Dogmeatlives saying they were excellent.

They are. Most of the main characters die because they're retarded and don't pay attention. Serves them right.

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