Category: Video Games

Rockstar Co-Founder Dan Houser’s New Game Will Be an Open World Adventure Set in a Sci-Fi Expanded Universe

Rockstar Games co-founder and Grand Theft Auto writer and producer Dan Houser is hard at work on a new game with his new studio, Absurd Ventures. And we think we know a little more about what that game looks like, including its setting, which is a new sci-fi universe the studio is creating called A Better Paradise.

Houser announced his new endeavor last year, revealing that Absurd Ventures would be “building narrative worlds, creating characters, and writing stories for a diverse variety of genres, without regard to medium, to be produced for live-action and animation; video games and other interactive content; books, graphic novels, and scripted podcasts.”

The studio was seemingly founded way back in 2021, with Houser serving as co-founder and director.

Earlier this week, several outlets noticed that recent job openings for Absurd Ventures were looking for developers on “an open world action-adventure game” it currently had in the cooker. One listing in particular specified “best-in-class combat” and “third-person action across multiple game modes,” and requested developers familiar with a mix of both melee and shooting action mechanics, “non-combat forms of action gameplay (driving, mounts, climbing, traversal, platforming, etc),” Unreal Engine 4 or 5, and working with co-development partners.

Then, yesterday, Absurd Ventures separately announced a release date for its audio fiction series set in its new sci-fi universe, A Better Paradise. The series launches on June 10 and will span 12 episodes, but buried in the release is the news that Absurd Ventures is also making video games in the same expanded universe. “In addition to launching Volume One of the A Better Paradise audio series, Houser, Lazlow [Jones], and the Absurd Ventures team are in various stages of development on multiple projects set in the A Better Paradise universe, including additional audio fiction seasons, as well as television and video game titles.”

Sounds an awful lot like that’s the universe for the new open world action-adventure game, right? An insider source affirmed our suspicions that this was the case, which means we can infer a little more about the new game. According to the official website, the universe is “set in the near future” and follows “the ill-fated development of an ambitious but addictive digital game-world project led by inventor and psychologist, Dr. Mark Tyburn.”

As the advanced software they developed began delivering unexpected and disturbing results, the team fell apart under strange circumstances and the project was abandoned. The game world and the super-intelligence within were discarded, left dormant and undiscovered. Until now.

Admittedly, we can’t say yet how all this fits together with the transmedia franchise Houser and Absurd Ventures seems to be building. And we similarly don’t know how it’s all connected to the audio series — do we need to listen to all 12 episodes to understand this eventual game? Who knows!

For now, it’s all speculation, but Houser has quite the resume to back himself up here. He was a writer and/or producer for almost every single Grand Theft Auto game, as well as both Red Dead Redemptions. And he was an executive producer on L.A. Noire, Max Payne 3, and a writer on Bully. Houser resigned from Rockstar way back in 2021, and seems to have been quietly cooking on this new series ever since. His brother and fellow Rockstar co-founder, Sam Houser, is still at the company as its current president.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Elden Ring’s Latest Enemy Reveal Looks Familiar For More Than One Reason

Elden Ring developer FromSoftware has teased another gruesome foe ahead of the release of its highly anticipated DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, next month.

An image of the enemy, a gold-faced, long-haired being with bladed disc-like weapons, was shared on the official Elden Ring X (formerly Twitter) account. Story details about how the unnamed creature fits into the wider world of Elden Ring were not revealed, leaving players to guess how it may play a part.

“Fearsome foes of unfathomable power await you in the Realm of Shadow,” the post says.

Players speculate that the hunched, golden-dress-wearing enemy may be one of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s new bosses. Some have gone as far as to guess that the creature may be related to Godwyn the Golden, as they share a similar scar on their back. The enemy also features the same, twisted Omen horns as Mohg and Morgott, Godwyn’s brothers.

It’s hard to guess exactly how the mysterious enemy fits into Elden Ring lore without playing Shadow of the Erdtree for ourselves, but some theories do have us scratching our heads. There have also, of course, been plenty of fans pointing out that the image FromSoftware shared looks undeniably like a uterus.

Elden Ring will bring new challenges for players to conquer when Shadow of the Erdtree launches June 21, 2024. For more on FromSoftware’s action RPG hit, you can read our 10/10 review of the base game. You can also check out the other, Bloodborne-like enemy the developer revealed earlier this week.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Random: New University Course Helps Students Gain A “Deeper Understanding” Of Fire Emblem

Alear-ning curve.

Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has opened a new student-taught class which delves into the game design of the Fire Emblem series. Yes, Fire Emblem. At university. And there we were thinking that ‘Film Studies’ sounded cool.

‘Fire Emblem Design and Analysis‘ will be getting underway at Carnegie Mellon in the Fall semester of this year and promises to help students “gain a deeper understanding of the game design, mechanics and writing of the Fire Emblem series”. To do this, the class will be examining such topics as the evolution of game mechanics (durability and the weapon triangle both get a shoutout), unit archetypes and series lore before being graded via in-class quizzes and projects.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

What Lydia Knows, a Deep Visual Novel and RPG Double-Game Pack, Arrives on Xbox

  • A unique pivot in the Outbreak universe.
  • Visual novel features branching paths, 24 endings, and mini-games.
  • Bonus rogue-like game Outbreak RPG is designed for replayability.

Greetings Survivors! I’m Julia Wolbach, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Dead Drop Studios. Today we are launching a two-game pack, Outbreak The Fedora Files: What Lydia Knows, on Xbox Series X|S.  This includes our first ever visual novel as well as the rogue-like Outbreak RPG!

Up until now, you may know the Outbreak series for its survival horror gameplay.  We love daring players to carefully manage their resources, explore, and conquer unspeakable monsters by the skin of their teeth. This sort of tense gameplay is one way to experience the compelling world of horror, but for this project, I wanted to do something very different.

The horror genre is about more than fun scares and over-the-top gore; character-driven drama drives a compelling story that sticks with players long after it’s over. This switch to the visual novel format allowed me to meaningfully expand on the characters and the universe that we’ve created in a way we simply can’t in a traditional survival horror game. As a woman, I’m also excited to have written our main character as an empowered female lead; instead of serving as a damsel in distress or a mere plot point, Lydia is a passionate heroine with a strong sense of justice and a “can do” ’attitude. She is the type of character that I myself would like to see more of in video games!

OFFWLK screenshot

An Average day on the Job Becomes Far Deadlier than Lydia Bargained for.

The primary draw of What Lydia Knows is its deep and interactive story. In this canon prequel to the upcoming Outbreak: Shades of Horror, Detective Lydia Daniels is desperately trying to solve the mystery behind her partner’s disappearance. There are so many paths the story can take; not only are there a whopping 24 endings to discover, but there are also constant choices to make and mini-games to complete along the way. This isn’t simply like reading a book or watching a movie; our visual novel takes full advantage of the interactivity of video games to put you and your personality in the driver’s seat. Even the order that you choose to prioritize different parts of your investigation will affect the outcome.
Throughout the journey, you’ll meet a diverse cast of shady characters who may either lend a hand or put a wrench in Lydia’s plans. Depending on how you treat these characters and the route you take, aspects of the story will change and lead you to a different destiny. As such, Lydia’s fate is in your hands; if you make the wrong choice, her life may come to an early and tragic end! Completionists will want to replay the game to discover each and every possible epilogue.

OFFWLK screenshot

One Fateful Night, Cypress Ridge Experiences a Nearly Endless Nightmare.

On the other side of the coin, Outbreak RPG represents yet another way we’ve challenged ourselves to do something different with the Outbreak series. This is a rogue-like, turn-based adventure where survival is far from guaranteed. While most of our games explore survival horror gameplay from an action-oriented perspective, Outbreak RPG instead approaches this from a slower-paced, cerebral point-of-view.

The premise is simple; embark on a quest to evacuate survivors out of Cypress Ridge as the city has fallen to a zombie apocalypse. In this game, though, you need to manage a four-character party, complete with character-specific strengths and weaknesses, to take out deadly foes strategically. Do you attack with Lydia’s handgun for a higher chance of critically injuring monsters, or do you use Hank’s shotgun to hurt multiple ghouls with a single blast? Do you spend a turn to search for supplies or heal, or do you attempt to run away from an encounter entirely? Is it best to use a precious grenade when you’re out of ammo, or should you try to whittle down your opponent with a melee attack? These are the types of questions you’ll constantly need to answer correctly if you’re going to emerge from the city victorious.

In between random battles, you will stumble into events that may aid you in your fight or even deal damage to your party.  The timing of your choices in and out of combat will also impact your initiative, which affects your luck. As you rescue each Survivor scattered throughout Cypress Ridge, you’ll receive perks ranging from increased health to powered-up weapons.  Once you find all ten civilians, endure a final boss encounter and victory is yours!  No play-through of Outbreak RPG is the same, however, and with four difficulty settings, you can re-enter the hellscape for a fresh challenge.

OFFWLK screenshot

Hungry Players and Zombies Alike Can Chow Down on a Feast of Fun Extras

Aside from the two distinct games included in What Lydia Knows, players can enjoy a variety of extra features!  Use the Scene Studio to make and save your own custom scenes using characters and locations you encounter during Lydia’s adventure. Unlock music from across the Outbreak series (including our smash hit Railbreak) and behind-the-scenes concept art as you discover more endings.  Once you finish the visual novel, you can even enjoy a preview of the next episode.  No matter where you look, What Lydia Knows has so much to see and explore!

OFFWLK screenshot

Think You’re Fit for the Task, Detective?

Explore a seedy city teeming with the undead when Outbreak The Fedora Files: What Lydia Knows launches for Xbox Series X|S on May 17.  Pre-orders begin on May 10th with a 20% discount available for pre-orders and the launch window. Do you have what it takes to solve Cypress Ridge’s latest mystery?


Outbreak The Fedora Files What Lydia Knows
Xbox Live

Outbreak The Fedora Files What Lydia Knows

Dead Drop Studios LLC

☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★


$19.99

$15.99
Get it now

Super and extra-natural phenomena around the world are officially disavowed. In the United States, these phenomena are unofficially investigated by an elite squad of agents known as the Federal Disaster Organic Response Agency, FEDORA. These are their stories…

This two punch, two game pack based in the Outbreak Universe, explore the before and after of the Outbreak with new eyes.

FEDORA Files: What Lydia Knows

In our first file of “The FEDORA Files” three part limited series: What Lydia Knows, play as intrepid detective Lydia Daniels as she tries to discover the mystery behind her partner’s disappearance. Search for clues, probe allies and enemies, and solve the mystery of the Jackson Street Sewers in this installment that acts a prequel to Outbreak: Shades of Horror.

Features

– Narrative rich visual novel with a deep and engrossing storyline.
– Multiple paths and endings to unlock where your choices matter.
– Meet, befriend, or alienate a wide cast of characters where your relationships matter.
– Solve devious puzzles and navigate crazy minigames as you hunt for the truth.

Outbreak RPG

In the aftermath of the Outbreak, play a group of survivors out to rescue their compatriots in Outbreak RPG! A Semi procedurally generated rogue-like RPG, every boot up is a new adventure. Rescued survivors will bring new skills and challenges with them.
Can you survive the Outbreak?!

Features:

– Semi procedurally generated rogue-like RPG
– Lead your party of four survivors through the apocalypse in turn-based combat
– Search for supplies to keep yourself armed and healthy
– Rescue a wide group of survivors, each of which joins your team with unique upgrades and abilities
– Challenging escalating enemy encounters as the city becomes further overrun with the undead
Hilarious and ridiculous dialogue in this non-canon adventure

The post What Lydia Knows, a Deep Visual Novel and RPG Double-Game Pack, Arrives on Xbox appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Grab a Blazing Fast 4TB PCIe x4 M.2 SSD (7000MB/s) for Only $182.74

SSD prices are trending upwards for 2024, so it’s much more difficult to find a fast 4TB M.2 SSD for under $200. Fortunately for a limited time, Amazon has dropped the price of the Silicon Power 4TB PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid state drive (SSD) to only $182.74 shipped after you apply a 15% off coupon code “U7ZRKH588ANB“. This SSD is fully compatible with the PlayStation 5 console, but it also functions admirably as a blazing fast and generously sized boot drive for your PC. This is far less expensive than any other 4TB PS5 SSD on Amazon.

Silicon Power 4TB SSD (PS5-Compatible) for $182.74

The Silicon Power 4TB meets all the requirements for your PS5 SSD upgrade. It supports transfer speeds of up to 7,000MB/s read and 6,500MB/s write which is well above the 5,500MB/s minimum threshold. However, it does not include a heatsink. Compatible heatsinks starts at $7 and they are very easy to install yourself.

If you have a gaming PC, this is one of the best SSDs you can get in terms of speed and capacity at this price point. Windows 11 requires 64GB all by itself. Games require as much or more space than even a gaming console. A 4TB SSD should be able to handle all the apps you’ll ever need to install. If you’ve built your own PC, you might have purchased a motherboard that already has an integrated SSD cooler. If that’s the case, you’ll be glad that this SSD doesn’t have a heatsink pre-installed.

Silicon Power 2TB PS5 SSD with Heatsink for $125.99

This same coupon code works on most Silicon Power SSDs. That means this 2TB Silicon Power XS70 SSD with preinstalled robust aluminum heatsink costs is also on sale. It’s $125.99 after the code “U7ZRKH588ANB” is applied, making it the best price we’re seeing right now for a 2TB PS5 with heatsink from a brand that we recognize and recommend.

If you want more options, check out our picks for the best SSDs of 2024.

Fallout Is Coming to Fortnite Battle Royale Based on New Tease

Fortnite has officially announced that a Fallout collaboration is on the way.

The mega-hit battle royale title’s official X/Twitter account confirmed the news today, sharing an image that show’s a dusty landscape and a proud-looking individual in some Brotherhood of Steel T-60 power armor. The post itself doesn’t share anything about what the crossover will entail outside of referencing Vault Boy’s iconic wink-and-thumbs-up pose.

Developer Epic Games also updated Fornite’s in-game news feed, confirming that Chapter 5 Season 3: Wrecked will arrive “courtesy of the Brotherhood of Steel” one week from today on May 24.

Fans will have to guess what Fallout content will drop into Fortnite, but with so many characters, items, and moments to pull from, there’s no telling what we have to look forward to. It at least looks like the Brotherhood of Steel, arguably Fallout’s most recognizable faction, will show up in some form, perhaps as a purchasable skin. Some music from the series, such as The Ink Spots’ I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire, could also pop up in some form, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see a Vault Boy skin either.

Fallout’s origin goes back to the release of the original game in the late ‘90s. Although it’s only grown in popularity since, the Bethesda and Microsoft IP seemed to reach new heights with the release of Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout TV series last month. With that in mind, players may want to consider that some of its characters, like Ella Purnell’s Lucy, Aaron Moten’s Maximus, and Walton Goggins’ Ghoul, could make appearances.

With the next season of Fortnite primed to launch so soon, it shouldn’t be too long before we learn more about what the Fallout collab has in store. For now, players are still enjoying Chapter 5 Season 2: Myths and Mortals.

For more on Bethesda’s bombshell post-apocalyptic franchise, you can read about why we think the original Fallout games deserve to be remastered. You can also read up on why Nintendo wouldn’t let Samus join Fornite.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Hades 2 will likely be in early access until 2025, with first big update to add new enemies, maps and features

As you might’ve heard, Hades 2 is out in early access, offering up the much-anticipated sequel to Supergiant’s mythical (and delightfully thirsty) roguelite. Though the sheer amount of polish and Stuff in even its pre-release form might have you thinking that a full 1.0 release can’t be too far down the line, the game’s creative director reckons we’ve still got around a year to wait before it’s considered all finished up.

Read more

Guide: Best Super Monkey Ball Games Of All Time

The best kind of Ai(Ai).

The years straddling the turn of the millennium were tumultuous for Sega and its fans. The launch of the Dreamcast in 1999 following a series of hardware missteps and company infighting was exciting, but the system failed to gain sufficient traction despite its innovations and array of patented blue-sky software. News in early 2001 that Sega would quit the hardware business to develop games on other platforms rocked fans to the core, but within a matter of months the company’s debut GameCube title — adapted from the arcade original that debuted in June ’01 — would demonstrate that, despite Dreamcast’s demise, Sega’s inimitable arcade style and spirit was alive and well.

Super Monkey Ball felt like a mission statement when it arrived as a GameCube launch title. With a premise as zany as it was instantly understandable, you shift a free-floating course below the feet (well, ball) of your monkey to guide them to a goal while collecting bananas. Simple! The game was a blast of colourful arcade fun from Sega veteran Toshihiro Nagoshi and signalled to fans not to worry, everything was going to be just fine.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com