RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

With ongoing speculation of Borderlands 2‘s unofficial existence, the title has now been formally announced by developer Gearbox. CEO Randy Pitchford was reportedly disappointed that the information had been leaked, but it was confirmed that the title will see a release sometime in publisher Take-Two’s 2013 Fiscal Year; sometime between April 1 of 2012 and March 31 of 2013.

Some details about the gameplay were revealed as well. Borderlands 2, like its predecessor, is a four-player co-op shooter, though players will control a new cast of characters with the originals appearing simply as NPCs. The three-branch skill tree remains intact, and Eridium now serves as both currency and the means to upgrade weapons and vehicles. NPC interactions are reportedly deeper as well, from conversation to enemy AI. And lest we forget, the iconic yet annoying robot Claptrap will show up in the game as well.

Sources: 1UP, Eurogamer

The upcoming Diablo III will require that players stay connected to the internet, even for single player, due to new Battle.net and auction house features. Reacting to the news, fans expressed frustration over the design decision, stating that the game won’t be playable for those without a stable internet connection and that pirates will simply crack the restriction anyway.

In response to the complaints, Blizzard’s online technologies Robert Bridenbecker explained the decision to require a constant connection. Having an offline mode would mean “introducing a separate user flow, a separate path that players are going to go down. And, at the end of the day, how many people are going to want to do that? It then becomes a matter of having to find a way to deal with those offline players when they suddenly want to go online. Do they then have to leave everything behind? We said we don’t want to look at that [in Diablo III]. Let’s just keep everything clean.” He also stated that preventing piracy wasn’t a major consideration for this decision.

No release date has been announced.

Source: 1UP

As many Couriers are aware, the final planned DLC for Fallout New Vegas was originally slated to release back in July. In a post on the official forums, senior producer Jason Bergman stated that “due to circumstances beyond our control, Lonesome Road won’t be out this month.” The team is reportedly working to release it ASAP, but no timeframe was given.

Source: Joystiq

Much of Fallout‘s peculiar style comes from its tongue-in-cheek treatment of SCIENCE! – yes, the allcaps-exclamation is an important distinction – as imagined through the lens of nuclear age wonder and Cold War paranoia. Old World Blues, the latest Fallout New Vegas DLC, doesn’t so much as run with this concept as drags it into a rocket pointed at Mars. Although dialogue is somewhat bloated, Blues‘ rampant craziness is a welcome change of pace from the gravely serious Dead Money and Honest Hearts. And if that’s not enough for you, then know that this is still a fun, well-balanced adventure with more ground to cover than any Fallout DLC to date.

Continue reading ‘Fallout New Vegas: Old World Blues – Staff Review’ »

Hey-hey-hey, how’s everybody doing?  Well, we’re all still here, so Debtastrophe 2011 hasn’t completely screwed us over yet.  Still, with markets worldwide getting antsy it’s anybody’s guess what, exactly, is going to happen tomorrow.  The safe money says “bad things.”  In the meantime, let us converse on the following.

• Square Enix posts a bad Q1, which is what happens when you don’t have any major releases for that period.  My take: Squenix needs a Final Fantasy IX.  Well, I want one, at least.
• Atlus scores (relatively) big with Catherine, breaking the 200k mark in its first week.  Larger developers would be aghast at the numbers.  Atlus’ response: “Got a problem?”
• Team Bondi pulls a Blackwater and tries to rebrand itself by getting bought out… by a company that hired many of its ex-employees.  Awk-waaard~
• South Korean officials arrest hackers and programmers for breaking into online games and funneling cash to Best Korea, presumably to fund Kim Jong-Il’s Farmville addiction.
• EA declares that Battlefield 3 will not show up on Steam.  An EA spokesperson is quoted as saying “We hate money and hate ourselves even more.”
• John Carmack gives a great keynote speech at QuakeCon.  He spends some time talking about the technology behind iD’s long-delayed Rage…
• …and provides some fascinating insights into the technical side of game development.  I summarized as best I can in the podcast, but give the whole thing a listen if you have time.

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Role Models’ »

There’s something oddly fascinating about refreshing the stock ticker throughout the day. It’s like 2008 all over again. But enough about my weird hobbies; you’re here for the media. Here’s what we have today: Dragon’s Dogma, Final Fantasy Tactics iOS, Frontier Gate, Labyrinth Xross Blood Reloaded, Rune Factory 4, and Tales of Xillia.

Continue reading ‘Mass Media 08/04/2011’ »

With the release of Fallout: New Vegas, it seems Bethseda is trying answer what fans wanted when Fallout 3 was released: a setting familiar to long-time fans featuring established factions and dozens of callbacks to Fallout 1 and 2. On a more fundamental level, Fallout: New Vegas builds on its predecessor in a number of ways, from basic improvements to game mechanics to a far more twisty, open-ended plotline, but it also has a number of unique issues. Even this far from release, New Vegas has bugs that range from the annoying (frequent freezing) to the catastrophic (quest failure), and has a few issues in setting and art direction left over from earlier Fallout games. Taken as a whole, New Vegas is an extremely enjoyable experience, but as so many have said so frequently of this series, it could really have used better bug testing.

Continue reading ‘Fallout: New Vegas – Staff Review #3’ »

Read the back of the Fable II box and it’ll promise you adventure and the chance to “experience how [your] choices change you and the world forever.” While the game does provide players with a decent adventure, it fails utterly to show the effect of any choices you make in the world. Fable II offers a big, beautiful world to romp around in. Unfortunately, it’s coupled with weak story-telling, and choices that have only the most superficial effects on the world. It’s a fun game, but it suffers when compared to others offerings in the genre.

Continue reading ‘Fable II – Staff Review #2’ »

CD Projekt has announced that the 360 version of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has been pushed back to the first quarter of 2012. CEO Adam Kicinski stated the delay gives the developer more time to polish the title, but it was confirmed that the ongoing legal dispute with Namco Bandai over 360 publishing rights is also a factor.

CDP added that it would show a video featuring new DLC as part of “an upcoming, as-yet-unannounced update” for the PC version. No further details were given.

Source: VG 24/7

Released last year for the PC, the school-setting, dungeon-based RPG Labyrinth Xross Blood will see a rerelease on the 360. Developer Experience is adding new event scenes and character voices to the game, which is subtitled as Labyrinth Xross Blood Reloaded. Currently set for a November release in Japan, Reloaded will retail for ¥7140 and includes an artbook and soundtrack.

Source: Andriasang

Appearing in Famitsu is the news that Namco Bandai has a title underway called Heroes Phantasia. At present little is known, though the game will feature characters from various anime series, including the following: s.CRY.ed, Darker Than Black, Read or Die, Slayers Revolution, Sergeant Frog, Blood+, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, Rune Soldier, and Mai Hime.

Gonna be cross if Yomiko Readman doesn’t show up, N-B. Just saying.

Source: Andriasang

Apple has just approved the iOS adaptation of Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions. Originally scheduled for a September 15 release last year, it was since pushed back pending said approval. Tactics will hit the App Store this Thursday, August 4, pricing at $15.99 US.

Source: 1UP

In a statement by mobile games developer G-Mode, CEO Takeshi Miyaji passed away recently. A co-founder of the studio, Miyaji is best known as one of the directors for the Grandia series, having worked on the original Sega Saturn game and its Dreamcast sequel. He had also worked alongside his brother Yoichi for Game Arts on titles like Lunar: The Silver Star and Silpheed. Takeshi later left the company to co-found G-Mode.

Miyaji died this past Friday at the age of 45, though no further information was given.

Source: 1UP

A source close to Gearbox Software has revealed that the developer is currently working on a sequel to Borderlands, with an intent to release sometime next year for 360, PS3, and PC. Although Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has not made any official confirmation, he has indicated the team intends to revisit the series at some point, and one developer’s online resume did make mention of a Borderlands 2.

Reportedly, publisher 2K Games will make a formal announcement soon.

Source: Eurogamer

Greetings to you all on this lovely Sunday, or as the media calls it, “two days until the world ends.” The debt ceiling might be on everyone’s mind these days – actually job creation is, or at least it should be – but we’ve still got some gaming news to cover. In tonight’s gravity-defying* episode:

• The Big N announces a sizable price drop on the 3DS and Iwata takes the heat for low sales numbers.  Some say this is brilliant, others that it’s risky; smarter people say it’s both.
• Alleged members of LulzSec are under increasing scrutiny from the UK authorities, leading to at least one arrest.  This is what happens, Larry!  This is what happens when you [censored by Standards and Practices]!
• Dragon Age 2 disappears from Steam in the wake of their Legacy DLC release, and EA and Valve bicker despite making so much money together off Portal 2.   Somewhere, Bobby Kotick is giggling like a schoolgirl.
• A major Battlefield 3 release party holds a “No girls allowed” stipulation.  Apparently, booting less-than-ideal representatives of the online community requires actual work.
• THQ ends the Red Faction series, wondering why people found a corridor shooter about killing aliens in a cave less interesting than a sandbox destruction simulator on the surface of Mars.
• Kinectimals DLC will add bears to the game.  The title: Kinectimals: Now With Bears! Would that more DLC could be so honest.
• Lastly, I offer some pointers about the debt ceiling fiasco: how we got here, what might happen, and what (little) we can do about it.

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Worldwide Economic Catastrophes, Now With Bears!’ »

The hard part about rolling up a fresh New Vegas character in preparation for Lonesome Road is remembering all the little things you can do along the way. To wit: I could listen to Chief Hanlon talk for hours. Anyway, time for some media. In today’s update: Class of Heroes 3D, Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime 3, Half-Minute Hero 2, Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, and Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2.

Continue reading ‘Mass Media 07/30/2011’ »

Following an investigation, ratings board CERO has declared some of the upcoming Atelier Meruru‘s visual content is unfit for its ‘A’ rating. CERO issued a statement claiming the content was not amongst the materials presented by developer Gust, and as a result have pulled the game’s rating.

For their part, Gust has complied with the decision and halted shipments, which will resume once the game is rerated accordingly. The nature of the inapprorpiate content was not specified.

Source: Andriasang

Phantasy Star Online 2 will inch closer to release with its upcoming Japanese alpha test, scheduled to begin in August. Additionally, further information about the game was unveiled, specifically the following:

• Individual areas will have a 12-person multiplayer limit, with players divided into groups of four.
• Players will have some degree of free aiming with attacks that can target specific body parts.
• Characters level up by class, which in turn grants access to new skills.

The official site was also launched, and can be found here.

Source: 1UP

Y’know the annoying thing about importing stuff? I mean, apart from the cost, the language barrier, the hassle of explaining to your credit card company that no, you’re really you and you’re okaying the transaction? Actually wait, that stuff’s annoying too, but it’s the waiting that really gets to me. Oh well. Anyway, on with some media: Atelier Totori, Disgaea 4, Growlanser 4 Overload, Noora to Toki no Koubou, and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.

Continue reading ‘Mass Media 07/25/11’ »

Summer rolls on and the heat just isn’t letting up. Who said suburban Chicago could turn into southern Louisiana? How’s everybody else out there holding up? If you’ve got time for the news, gather ’round and listen up. In this week’s episode:

• One of Sony’s insurance groups sues to avoid being legally liable for damage from the hack.  Next time Sony, get them to agree before showing the bill.
• Gameloft stands accused of forcing its employees to work 100+ hour weeks and faking deadlines to maintain crunch time.  And they thought Gameloft wasn’t ready for the big leagues!
• Capcom’s Twitter Guy accidentally implies fans are to blame for Mega Man Legends 3‘s cancellation.  The internet reacts in the usual reserved and dignified manner.
• 1UP posts some interesting analysis on the decline in JRPG localization.  It sure would explain an awful lot.  Looking right at you Square Enix.  Sega, you too.
• Wal-Mart prepares to publish its sales data for video games.  I’m sure that internal memo marked “Join Us Or Die” is just for marketing purposes.
• Zeboyd Games announces that jumping to Steam caused sales to skyrocket.  #pcgamingmasterrace

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Appetite for Production’ »