Gesundheit!

In today's contest you can win a physical Switch copy of ABZU from Super Rare Games!

Hey gang, remember me??? I'm the guy who used to give stuff away like every single day. Then life happened and well it's been a few weeks. Allow myself to reintroduce...myse??lf. I'm Wes, I'm 34 years old, and I like to roll around on the ground with bubble wrap duct taped around my body.

Super Rare Games just dropped their physical release of ABZU, so? ?grab some bubble wrap and win yourself a copy!

The water terrif??ies me, so I'm letting them describe the game.

Discover a lush hidden world as you descend into the heart of the ocean, where ancient secrets lie forgotten and encounters with ma?jestic creatures await.

• A new adventure... - From the artistic mind behind Journey and Flower, ABZU is a beautiful underwater adventure that evokes the dream of diving.
• Immersive underwater world - Immerse yourself in a vibrant ocean world full of mystery and bursting with color and life. Perform fluid acrobatics as the Diver, using graceful swimming control.
• The secrets of the sea - Discover hundreds of unique species based on real creatures and form a powerful connection with the abundant sea life. Interact with schools of thousands of fish that procedurally respond to you, each other, and predators.
• Stunning exploration - Linger in epic seascapes and explore aquatic ecosystems modeled with unprecedented detail. Descend into the heart of the ocean where ancient secrets lie forgotten. But beware, dangers lurk in the depths.

I think I'll stay on shore, thank you very much.

Super Rare Games' super rare physical edition of ABZU (only 5,000 total co?pies produced!) includes:

• Fully assembled Nintendo Switch game with cartridge
• Interior art
• Full-colour manual
• Exclusive sticker
• 3 card trading card pack

Use the widget below to enter to win. While you're waiting around, remind me of things I've given away, or maybe even suggest stuff to give away in the future! I've got som?e cool stuff in the works, but you can never give away too much free ?crap!

We're giving away one copy of the standard edition of the game; we'll draw winners next Thursda??y. Since this is shipping directly from SRG, there are no shipping restrictions -- anyone can win! Just be advised that if your country/province/mom charges and sort of import tax or fee associated with shipping, you're responsible for that. Entering acknowledges this and agrees that if you complain later I get to flick you in the titty.

ABZU is available now from the adventurous folks at Super Rare Games.

Contest: Win ABZU on Switch from Super Rare Games

The post Contest: Win ABZU on Switch from Super Rare Games appeared first on Destructoid.

Just add water

If the newest Xbox sale were a movie, it'd probably by Deep Blue Sea. Or Open Water. Or maybe the best name would be Ocean's 48.

Xbox is unwavering in its commitment to the theme of the Deep Sea Discounts sale. It's 48 games that are purely aquatic one way or another. For some, it's the nightmares that lurk below the water. For others, it's just a whole lot of fishing. Maybe ?you'll catch a nightmare!

This? one runs through October 5. Here's every??thing included in the Deep Sea Discounts sale:

• Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden -- $1.49 (90% off)
• The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human -- $5.99 (60% off)
• Aqua Kitty UDX -- $2.69 (70% off)
• Aqua Moto Racing Utopia -- $6.49 (50% off)
• Atlas (Game Preview) -- $14.99 (50% off)
• Beyond Blue -- $15.99 (20% off)
• Black Desert: Conqueror Edition -- $49.99 (50% off)
• Black Desert: Explorer Edition -- $24.99 (50% off)
• Black Desert: Traveler Edition -- $14.99 (50% off)
• Captain Cat -- $2.49 (50% off)
• Chaos on Deponia -- $4.54 (65% off)
• Close to the Sun -- $16.74 (33% off)
• Death in the Water -- $1.49 (50% off)
• Deep Ones -- $1.99 (60% off)
• Deponia Collection -- $17.99 (55% off)
• Depth of Extinction -- $10.04 (33% off)
• Dovetail Games Euro Fishing -- $6.10 (67% off)
• Dread Nautical -- $9.99 (50% off)
• Euro Fishing: Ultimate Edition -- $17.39 (60% off)
• Fishing: Barents Sea Complete Edition -- $20.09 (33% off)
• Fishing Planet: Bassboat Explorer Pack -- $29.99 (25% off)
• Fishing Planet: Golden Pack -- $34.99 (30% off)
• Fishing Planet: Rainforest Journey Pack -- $19.99 (20% off)
• Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour + Quad Lake Pass -- $21.49 (50% off)
• Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour -- Quad Lake Pass -- $18.49 (50% off)
• The Flame in the Flood -- $4.99 (75% off)
• Freediving Hunter: Spearfishing the World -- $15.99 (20% off)
• Hydrophobia -- $1.79 (80% off)
• Legend of the Skyfish -- $4.79 (40% off)
• Maneater -- $25.99 (35% off)
• Nightmares from the Deep 3: Davy Jones -- $2.99 (80% off)
• Nightmares from the Deep Collection -- $8.99 (75% off)
• Outbuddies DX -- $8.99 (50% off)
• Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire -- Ultimate Edition -- $38.99 (35% off)
• Purple Chicken Spaceman -- $2.99 (70% off)
• Radio Squid -- $2.99 (40% off)
• Riptide GP: Renegade -- $4.99 (50% off)
• Shantae and the Seven Sirens -- $23.99 (20% off)
• Squid Hero for Kinect -- $1.99 (80% off)
• Stranded Deep -- $14.99 (25% off)
• Submerged -- $1.99 (90% off)
• Subnautica -- $20.99 (30% off)
• Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition -- $6.59 (67% off)
• Super Volley Blast -- $4.99 (50% off)
• Surf World Series -- $8.99 (40% off)
• Swim Out -- $4.19 (30% off)
• Swimsanity! -- $17.49 (30% off)
• Ultimate Fishing Simulator -- $20.99 (30% off)

Deep Sea Discounts [Xbox]

The post It’s gonna be a real beach sifting through Xbox’s new big sale appeared first on Destructoid.

This game rules

In today's contest you can win a PC copy of Maneater!

It's Shark Week! I actually kind of hate Shark Week, because it's terrifying. Sharks are terrifyin??g. The ocean is, in fact, fucking terrifying. I had a nightmare the other night where? I was in a plane that flew directly into the ocean, and I could see all the aquatic life out the window. Huge whales, fish, squids, sharks -- it was all there, and it was all just too much.

Despite all of that, I actually played Maneater last week, and I love it! You're go??nna love it, too. I'm so confident?? that I'll personally guarantee that you're wrong if you don't! Talk about confidence. Win a PC copy so you can be right, like me.

I don't get to say this much, but I actually played this one! And I loved pretty much every minute of it. The whole thing is a tongue-in-cheek, arcadey shark "sim" centered around a fake Deadliest Catch-style TV show. A Cajun hunter is hellbent on killing dangerous sharks, and good news! You're a dangerous shark. You'll swim around the semi-open world to different hubs and pretty much e?at everything in sight, all the while leveling up your fishy fish with ridiculous "mutations" like bone-plate armor and electric teeth. It's unabashedly silly. Add in Chris Parnell narrating the whole thing and the ability to eat most bosses right off their boat like any other NPC, and you've got a recipe for success with this one.

Also, it's perfectly short! It took me about 13 hours or so to Platinum on PS4, which I consider a good thing. It left me wanted more, unlike most open world affairs where I'm struggling to st?ay motivated to see the credits roll. This one is a blast from front to back, and easily a GOTY contender for me.

So, win your copy now! Comment below telling us your favorite campy, arcadey game. This one brings back fond memories of the oddity that was Jaws Unleashed for PS2 and Wii, and hits many of the same notes (while being completely self-aware). We need more of this kind of thi?ng, so give us your suggestion for what to play next!

We have four PC copies available, redeemable from the Epic Games Store. Winners will be drawn Friday, August 14. Make sure to comment using a Dtoid account with your current email address on file -- if you're new, create an account now!

Maneater is a total gem, and available now via the Epic Games Store.

The post Contest: Win Maneate??r on PC to celebrate the terrifying event that is Sha?rk Week appeared first on Destructoid.

HIS NAME WAS ROBERT CLAWSON

Every so often, something hits my Dtoid inbox that's so gloriously stupid that I have to write about it. Fight Crab is this week's gloriously stupid find.

I'm not going to ruin it too much with unnecessary words: This is a game where the gods have bestowed Fighting Rage to crabs, who now must battle one ?another with weapo??ns for Ultimate Crab Supremacy. Watch this trailer.

What are crabs if not aquatic spiders? They're similarly shaped, have the same number of legs (I think), move the same way, and thoroughly creep me out. The big difference? Crabs are delicious, whereas spiders are not. What I'm saying is, today the gods are ?giving crabs roid rage. Tomorrow it could be spiders. We've all been warned, and must take heed of this impending doom.

Fight Crab scuttles creepily onto Steam on July 30 and Nintendo? Switch on September 15.

The post Fight Crab, a brawler featuring armed crabs, is both stupid and?? amazi?ng appeared first on Destructoid.

One grand prize winner, five runners-up

In today's contest, we've got copies of VR title Battlewake up for grabs -- as well as a PSVR unit!

It's not often we get a prize as cool as a brand new PSVR unit. In fact, we've never gotten one. A real shame! VR has some really, really cool stuff, and I think it'd be awesome if more people were able to get their hands on? a unit.

Well, good news! Our friends over at Battlewake decided they want you to play their game, so they've given us a PSVR bundle for you to give their game a spin. Isn't that ?lovely of them?

Take to the high seas in the brand new virtual reality pirate game. In Battlewake, you'll control one of four legendary pirates as you captain your ship in epic 10-player PvP ship battling action. Fighting other players not your thing? There's also an immersive 20-chapter story campaign for you to take to the high seas as a solo captain. Fight enemy ships, the elements, and aw shit is that a giant squid?! I knew it was too good to be true! Why they gotta add s?cary crap like that, man?!

Read these game features while I ?google how to get rid of a giant squid.

• Powerful ultimates and abilities 

  • Play as four Pirate Lords (Diego, Rev, Calavera and Zhang) and channel ancient magics for special and ultimate attacks only rec??alled fro??m tall tales. Unleash mighty tsunamis, send your enemies’ ships flying in stormy maelstroms, and literally release the Kraken.

• Solo, Co-op and PvP Modes

  • Navigate the epic 20-chapter story of the Pirate Lords’ quest to discover an ancient seat of power in solo/co-op Campaign Mode, work together to complete?? objectives in dynamic Warfare Mode (up to 4 playe?rs), or embrace the pirate’s life in free-for-all PvP deathmatch (up to 10 players).

• Fully-Armed, Upgradable Warships:

  • Thirteen different ship-b??ased weapons draw in??spiration from naval battles both real and imagined. Command flak cannons, ballistae, axe-throwers and more.

• Player Progression

  • From your Captain’s Quarters, spend gold earned from matches to boost your ship’s stats and arsenal, as well as levelling up your own Pirate Lord skills and abilities to turn the ti??des in your favor.

• Technology:

  • No sea-sickness: From Raw Data’s teleshift to Sprint Vector’s fluid locomotion, Survios has?? made great strides in c??hallenging the standards of VR movement. Battlewake marks Su??rvios’s first venture into vehicular locomotion and combat in VR, with a proprietary ?technology coined the Immersive Vehicle System. Using Adaptive Physics and Peripheral Effects subsystems, players can focus on the battle at hand and take on the wildest waves, while limiting the common triggers of sea-sickness.

  • Reactive Water: the sea turns from peaceful to extreme as comets and tentacles blast into the wat?er, bosses arrive and send out shockwaves, ultimates transform water into whirlpools, tidal waves and maelstroms to make truly epic battles.

So, that's the ga?me. As mentioned, they've ?also included a PSVR bundle including the headset, PS Camera, two Fun Wands (that's what they're called, right?), and the 87 wires required to hook up to your console! This is a brand new unit, so if you've got a PS4, you'll be able to plug in and hop right into the game. After you set it up and download everything, of course. 2019!

Ok, so to enter to win the grand prize use the widget below to leave your name and email address. You can enter daily. For bonus chances,? follow Dtoid and developer @Survios on Twitter, and share our contest post with your friends.

To enter to win just a digital copy of Battlewake, help me ge?t rid? of these damned giant squids. Like, what am I supposed to do, here? I can't get seem to banish them from the mortal realm. Did I hit the wrong button? Tell me in the comments below.

We have one grand prize package featuring a PSVR bundle and a digital PS4 NA copy of Battlewake; five runners-up will receive a digital PS4 NA copy of the game, chosen from the comments below. You must have a United States shipping address in order to qualify for the grand prize. Winners will be drawn Monday, September 16. Make sure to comment using a Dtoid account with your current name and email addr?ess on file.

Battlewake is available now for PS4, as well as PC platforms, exclusively in VR. Head over to our sister site PlayStation Enthusiast for more chances to win the game!

Contest: Win a PSVR bundle, and?? a copy of Battlewake to play on it!

The post Contest: Win a PSVR bundle, and a copy of Battlewake to play on it?! appeared first on Destructoid.

no no no no no no no no no no no

Hey EU readers, we've got a contest just for you! Win Submersed on PS4, ya winners!

I keep telling you lot in the EU that I love you. I know you guys sometimes get shafted on contests, but I really do try to get you guys in as much as I can! I swear! So t?o make up for it, today's contest is all about you, boo.

I've got some PS4 keys for this absolute nightmare of a game Submersed, so don't say I never gave you anything!

Read this very quick synopsis:

A first-person survival horror game, Submersed pays tribute to many classic video games as well as other classic horror and sci-fi movies. Jack Ballard, a recent widower, just arrived as a paramedic at the coastguard service, has to investigate a distress call from Jack will need to use every one of his skills to make it out of there alive.

Ok, so confession time. The sea scares the shit out of me. Like, the total, ever-loving shit out of me. It's terrifying and horrible in each and every way. Look at t??hat shark! No, no no no no no! No, a thousand times over. ?This shit looks #2spooky for me. This is actually the reason this is an EU-only contest -- I wanted to keep this game as far away from me as possible. If no one in America can win it, then it doesn't exist. I've outsmarted you, Europe! Take that!

To enter to win, pontificate on why I'm so scared of the open ocean. I have a few reasons, but i??t's up to you to wildly speculate why I'm such a wiener when it comes to the sea! 

We have five PS4 copies to give out -- they are for EU PlayStation accounts only. Winners will be drawn on Wednesday, May 15. Make sure to comment using a Dtoid account with your current email address on file. New users can sign up here to make fun of my phobias!

Submersed is available now for PlayStation 4.

The post EU Contest: Win a PS4 copy of deep-sea? nightmare Submersed appeared first on Destructoid.

Don't forget to bring a towel!

No eating 30 minutes before entering our contest for Waterworld on Blu-ray.

For most of us in the northern hemisphere, it's winter. In a lot of places, it's been a pretty damned cold one, at that. Wouldn't you just like to be transported t??o a place where you can swim in the sun at your heart's content?

Well, now you can, by winning a Blu-ray copy of one of the biggest blockbuster flops of all time, Waterworld!

The polar ice caps have melted, covering the world in what used to be frozen at the far ends of the planet. Humanity has had no choice but to adapt to the clime and survive entirely off the endless ocean. Welcome to Waterworld! This epic disaster of a Hollywood blockbuster doesn't actually get the love it deserves. In many ways Mad Max on a rainy day, this movie has it all: Huge explosions, big-name actors really hamming it up to sell the damned thing, and even a big dumb water worm! And honestly, as much fun I'm poking at the movie here, the sets are really something special. In a time when you couldn't just pay 7,000 animators to make realistic water effects, you had to have actu?al water. And man, this movie has actual water.

And they di?dn't skimp on the bonus features for this one:

• New restoration from a 4K scan of the original negative by Arrow Films, presenting the film in three cuts
• Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo audio options
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Six collector's postcards
• Double-sided fold-out poster
• Limited edition 60-page perfect-bound book featuring new writing on the film by David J. Moore and Daniel Griffith, archival articles and original reviews
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Paul Shipper
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the original theatrical cut
• Maelstrom: The Odyssey of Waterworld, an all-new, feature-length making-of documentary including extensive cast and crew interviews and behind the scenes footage
• Original archival featurette capturing the film's production
• Global Warnings, film critic Glenn Kenny explores the subgenre of ecologically aware Hollywood blockbusters
• Production and promotional stills gallery
• Visual effects stills gallery
• Original trailers and TV spots
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the extended US TV cut, which runs over 40 minutes longer than the theatrical cut
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the extended European 'Ulysses' cut, which includes censored shots and dialogue

Three different cuts of Waterworld! THREE!

To enter to win, comment below putting 90s-era?? Kevin Costner? in a more ridiculous film. Try to beat mine:

In a wor??ld where children's? imaginations have betrayed them, turning the ground into actual lava, mankind has had to adapt...

To living in the sky!

Kevin Costner stars as Fran Hambone, a sky-butcher who sails the skies in his hot air balloon selling his wares for fuel. But when a vegan zeppelin pirate (played by Designing Women's Meshach Taylor) tries to end Fran's noble career, h?e will st??op at nothing to save the woman he loves. And the sky-meats he loves even more.

Don't miss Lavaland, in theatres this November.

We have two copies to give out. As this is a physical prize, you must have a United States shipping address to win. Winners will be drawn on Monday, January 28. Make sure you comment using a Dtoid-generated Disqus account, and that your account is up to date with your current email address. New users can create an account here!

Waterworld is available now from MVD Entertainment. Head over to our sister site, Flixist, for more chances to win!

The post Contest: Win a Blu-ray copy of Arrow Video’s Waterworld appeared first on Destructoid.

Darling it's better down where it's wetter, so win Sunless Sea

You're no doubt familiar with my feelings on the deep sea. It's horrible and there's no air and there's lanternfish and why the hell would anyone in their right mind go there? I guess it's good that Sunless Sea exists because it accurately depicts what it's like being trapped 20,000 leagues under the sea in the nam??e of exploration.

It sucks.

But hey, the game is pretty cool, so come win a PS4 key for Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition!

With a tagline of, "LOSE YOUR MIND. EAT YOUR CREW. DIE." you know a game means business. Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition is a narrative-driven survival title taking place in a Victorian Gothic/steampunk hybrid world of deep-sea exploration. Traverse the depths of Fallen London in your steamship as you search for your father's bones. You'll encounter giant crabs, hostile encampments, and ??worst of all, insanity,? as you make your way farther into the depths, and further into madness. Can you stave off hunger and paranoia long enough to make it out? Probably not, but A for effort there, chap.

To take the plunge, comment below with your region (NA or EU) and a description of?? what finally drove you completely insane in your travels in the deep ocean. I saw a whale that spoke French, which actually wasn't all that weird next to the giant squid wearing a zoot suit. How he managed to get one of those was the final thought I had before eating my engineer. At least I'm not hungry anymore.

We have three NA and three EU up for grabs, s??o get your entries in?? now. Winners will be randomly drawn on Thursday, September 6. Make sure you comment with a Dtoid account that has your email address on file. I've skipped over a lot winners lately because I couldn't email them. Don't be like them.

Sunless Sea is available now on Steam, iOS, and PlayStation 4.

The post Giveaway: Brighten your day with a free PS4 copy of Sun????less Sea appeared first on Destructoid.

Yes please.

With the Wave Race series being shelved for nearly two decades, along with plenty of other Nintendo IPs, it wouldn't surprise me to learn if the success of Switch has N?intendo looking over which of their old IPs to revitalize next for th??at sweet, sweet portability factor.

For many, I'm sure, a new Wave Race is high on the wish list and small tidbits of i??nformation over the years have kept their hopes up. That said, it would appear the producer of the series, Shinya Takahashi, wants you to keep doing exactly that!

Speaking with Fandom, Takahashi was asked whether or not Switch owners could expect to see the series make a return on the system, responding: “You may see that game again, we have been trying to make many games and that may be one of them… I personally love Wave Race!”

While this isn't obviously a definitive confirmation, it still gets my hopes up. Especially when you consider the rumor of Gamecube Virtual Console releases potentially making their way to the Switch. Also, back in 2016, Nintendo applied to renew the Wave Race trademark in Eu?rope - so it's clear they still consider the IP valuable enough to hold on to. Here's to hoping Wave Race gets a chance to shine again.

Wave Race Producer Teases Series Reviv??al For?? Switch [Fandom]

The post Wa?ve Race producer teases the possibility of a return on Nintendo Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Deep Blue Something

[Feel like you're drowning in spooky blogs yet? Well too bad! Michael Giff walks us through yet another horrible video game water level, and the shockingly simple way he was able to overcome his fear of it! Dtoid is always looking for cool blogs to promote to the front page, so get out there and write something cool! Make sure you brush your teeth tonight! - Wes]

It's impossibly deep! You flail around, hoping in vain that you tread enough water to stay afloat. Despite your best efforts you can't keep your head above the water and begin your slow, steady descent to the bottom of the seemingly endless void. Once your feet do touch the ground you try your best to keep moving but the water pressure crushing your body makes you feel as if you were Atlas with the weight of the entire world on your shoulders. Surely things can't get any worse! Then you hear it. The dreaded music. Move over Jaws - this is the most terrifying theme to ever shred through water! The pounding symphony of destruction comes faster and louder with each passing second; if your heartbeat were a canon it would make the guns of Navarone look like a child's play thing! Stricken with terror it finally happens, the music stops, and you die, drowned like a rat - or in? this case a ??hedgehog.

Like most gamers of the early '90s, water levels were the bane of my existence - but the Sonic games took the duress of under water gameplay to a whole new level. Every hero ?has his Kryptonite and for Sonic it's water: Once he touches it he is instantly drained of his speed and precision. Taking away Sonic's speed is like taking away Hercules' strength - it's what defines him and is his greatest defensive and offensive weapon. When under water and moving at two miles an hour you feel vulnerable, and downright helpless. To add insult to injury you're then forced to seek out air bubbles that crawl out of crevices in the earth at a snail's pace, and with your speed and jump severely hampered it's no guarantee that you'll even be able to access the air once you find it as it all too often slips though Sonic's fingers as his lungs fill up with water.

Now what I just described is by itself not scary or terrifying in the least! It's just hella frustrating. But once that satanic, 16-bit stanza starts playing everything changes. I don't know what it was but every time I heard that music barreling down at me like a locomotive, a panic would just grip me. Knowing that I only had seconds to act the once-proud, proficient platfomer I was shrank into a clumsy coward. No matter how fast I smashed the jump button to get away, there was no escaping the music. All I could do is watch in abject horror as my hedgehog's lives withered away to zero. What was a Giff to do? Why could I not control my fear? How was I going to face the musi?c?

Hours became days, days became weeks, weeks became months and I still had no answer to the march of death. It looked like I would die of a heart attack before conquering my fears, then one day, when the death knell was queued and I knew that the end was near, I snatched the TV remote controller off the floor and hammered the buttons! I wanted something else on the TV screen NOW! Whether what happened next was a complete accident or some act of divine intervention I will never know, but the answer to my pr??oblems was laid bare on the screen. The solution to how a Giff can face the music!

Remember kids - hear no evil, fear no evil!

So what video game sounds and music use to freaked you out as a child? Let me know in the comments below. Till next time I'll shut?? up and play.

The post Overcoming Fear: Deep Blue appeared first on Destructoid.

And knowing is half the battle

[Anyone who says they aren't afraid of water levels and the awful music that typically plays as you watch your hero clutch their throat for air in a futile attempt to continue being a living person is a liar. Cedi, thankfully, is a truthful person. Join them as they recount a horrible fear of drowning in a hotel pool, and how they eventually learned to move beyond that fear with reason. Get your work on Dtoid's front page by participating in our monthly Bloggers Wanted prompts! Have a spooky Halloween! - Wes]

Confession time: Despite how much I like to project strength, when it comes to games invoking a sense of fear I’m a big wuss. Jump scares make me seizure and lock up more than any flashing lights do, and I was diagnosed with autism and seizures from an early age. Horror games and movies are my “no thanks” genre. I’m plenty alright with creepy, unnerving, and disturbing atmospheres, but if a game wants to make me actually be afraid, my gut reaction is to throw the controller out of my window and into my neighbor’s window, whom I then beg to play the game in m??y stead.

Hyperbole aside, I a??ctually used to ask my sister play the haunted levels of Sonic Adventure 2 Battle because I was that afraid of the ghost??s that pop up out of nowhere. She had rarely played the game outside the Chao Garden before that point?. So when I saw that this month’s Bloggers Wanted prompt was about facing and overcoming fear, I took a big gulp. How could I possibly pretend to overcome fear when I’m so timid that I constantly try to avoid it?

Well…when I reflect deeply on this matter, ?I think I can share something f??rom this game.

You probabl??y already know what fear I’m referring to if my game of choice is?? ;Sonic Adventure DX of a??ll things, but for those who’re less familiar with Sonic ??series staples, let’??s rewind. The GameCube port of Sonic Adventure was the first Sonic game I’d ever played. I was in it for the radical attitude, the gnarly levels, the righteous graphics, the dank story, and the wicked? gameplay. You know, what we thought was cool back then. It’s still one of my favorite gam??es despite how poorly it aged, largely thanks to Sonic’s controls, but that’s a topic for another day.

One of my favorite things to do in the game was just mess around in the hub worlds. I loved jumping off of hills. I enjoyed spindashing and running my own routes around them. I got excited for discovering secrets. I liked talking to NPCs. I found joy in just relaxing in places like the Master Emerald shrine, or the mazes ??of the ruins, or standing around inside Station Square’s hotel pool! Oh, and did I mention the-

XFUHEMCGRVNJKGHD WHAT.

WHERE DID THAT LOUD MUSIC COME FROM.

WHY IS THERE A FIVE ABOVE MY HEAD.

IT’S COUNTING DOWN. WHY ??IS IT COUNTING DOWN.

THE MUSIC IS GETTING FASTER.

WHAT DOES IT… OH. OHH. OHHHHHHHH FUDGE! FUDGING, GET OUT OF THE POOL SONIC! JU?MP! GET OUT! BREATHE! BREATHE! STAY OUT OF THAT DEATH TRAP!

…that was the moment I developed a fear for?? lengthy underwater segments in games. That fear stuck with me not just through the rest of my Sonic Adventure playthrough, but any other game in which you have a limi?ted air supply. Whenever I was eventually able to give Super Mario 64 a spin, Jolly Roger Bay gave me the chills. Sure, I was able to get out of that tiny pool easily enough, but next time…what if I can’t? What if the game wants me to go into the dark depths without any air to quickly leap back into? The thought of dying not to a malicious enemy or hazard, but to suffocation? That unn?erved me no matter what game I played. But especially in Sonic games, where that dread of drowning is constantly accentuated by an abrupt, bombastic, terror-inducing theme, composed specifically to strike panic into the hearts of unsuspecting children.

The weird thing is…I’m not reall??y afraid of it?? anymore, or at least not hugely so. Not even in Sonic games that bring back the drowning theme in full force. But nor do I have any specific memories of exactly when I stopped fearing underwater sections. It just kinda…happened. Why? It was mostly a matter of understanding more about them.

 Ever since that first virtual drowning incident, I was horrified of stepping too deep into waters in Sonic Adventure. Yet I? also had a certain morbid curiosity about me; exactly why, or when, does that music appear? Do you really die if the counter reaches zero? Against my fear’s judgment, I threw another anthropomorphic animal into the deep drink, prepared to accept that worst-case scenario for the sake of science. I waited, patiently. The music came, and a shiver ra??n across my spine. I kept waiting. The number hit zero. I winced. I died.

I respawned. Min?us one life, but having added the knowledge of exactly what was going on with that drowning mechanic. I was still deathly afraid of staying in deep water in Sonic Adventure for too long, but I had at least felt confident in dipping my toes into it once again. So long as I get out soon enough to not dance with the countdown, anyway. Through little experiments and experiences like tha?t, my understanding of the mechanic developed. Yes, the dreaded drowning was back - and a necessary threat - in later Sonic games I’d play, but I also would discover tools like bubbles and Knuckles’ Air Necklace to even the odds i??n my favor.

Come to think of it, the Air Necklace from SA2 is in a ghost stage, isn’t it? After a while, I found a willingness to play those, too. Well, not really; I hated them all the same, but I had begun to understand that the ghosts only spawned upon touching certain enemies or objects. My solution was to avoid any such objects like the plague unless it was necessary to do otherwise. It didn’t always work, and I was playing cowardly all the same, but at least I was actually playing the game. On a similar note, the haunted levels in Sonic Heroes left me with a foreboding first impression, but after playing through them, I r??ealized they were not nearly as prone to jump scares, giving me the confidence to face ??them head on.

Gradually, I developed a stronger sense for game ??de??sign, especially for my favorite series such as Sonic. It occurred to me that the drowning music is so scary because, well, that’s the point; it’s meant to act as a warning to the player that they need to get some air. It might be more shocking than it needs to be, but at least it does its job of informing the player of how vital that countdown appearing above their heads is. I became critical enough to ask myself que??stions like, “Would the designers give me this underwater section if I couldn’t safely clear it?” and come to logical conclusions. Asking myself such questions and answering them was probably the point where I overcame my fear of drowning in video games, at least to an extent.

Fear is rooted in the anticipation of something b?ad happening, but it’s intensified by a lack of certainty in what that something bad is or when it will happen. The classic quote, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustif?ied terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance,” is applicable here. We often run away from our fears because we think them to be worse than they actually are. One of the best solutions to that problem is to discover reasons to think otherwise, and to support those reasons with logic and facts.

Of course, in the case of video games themed around horror, knowing too much can take away a lot of the fun. Horror games can’t hurt people (except perhaps the faint of heart, but that’s more so? just the heart condition?). That’s why they’re a popular genre. And it’s also why playing video games blindly is so important to everyone - especially horror game fans. I’ve never bought a horror game because I’ve got enough on my backlog and to-buy lists…but I did download the HD Resident Evil remake from PS Plus. Perhaps this Halloween, I’ll finally be brave enough to give it a try? But I&rsqu??o;m going on a bit of a tangent.

My big takeaway from my experiences with drowning mechanics in Sonic games is that I became much braver in the face of them once I knew much more about them. Having a strong understanding of what I was afraid of relieved me from the panic of that fear’s sudden appearance. While I regret letting that fear hold me back ages ago, I want to move beyond that; not just in a few games, but in other areas of my life where fear intimidates me. It’s with a comprehension of my capabilit??ies and securities that I intend to overcome fear. Knowledge is not enough to eliminate fear; Michael Giff's cblog on this sam??e prompt got a jump out of me just by playing that drowning theme via SoundCloud. But it's a tool that may help us out when we're cornered by it.

The post Overcoming Fear: Knowledge is Power appeared first on Destructoid.

Dive deep

Over this past Fourth of July extended weekend, I spent much of my time chilling out in the hotel pool while on vacation with my family. It was nice to just sit back and let the water envelope my body, to get some exercise swimming from end to end, and to dive down to the bottom, seeing how low I can go before freaking out and surfacing, gasping for air like the pansy I am. Oh yes, I love the water. Water levels in games? Not so much. Sure, The Legendary Starfy proved an entire game built around water levels could be a blast, but for the most part, water levels slow the action to a crawl, taking away precise controls in favor of a more floaty chal??lenge. Some, however, float high above the rest.

A person more eloquent than me could argue Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is the greatest platformer ever made. A person more stupid than me should be able to convince you it’s the greatest Donkey Kong game ever made. Retro Studios’ imaginative sequel to the game that revived the franchise is one of the standout titles on the Wii U, managing to 1-up its predecessor in nearly every way. From graphics to gameplay to music, Tropical Freeze excels. In respect to gameplay, the return of water levels, missing from DKC Returns, was a welcomed reintroduction for the series. Donkey Kong Country games have always been home to memorable water levels, and Irate Eight from Tropical Freeze just happens to be the best one ever made.

Amiss Abyss may be the more visually arresting level, but the challenge, urgency, and creativity of Irate Eight make it so much more dynamic. Featuring a cover of DKC2’s Lockjaw’s Saga, Irate Eight is a race for survival against the nefarious Squiddicus, returning from Donkey Kong Country Returns. There, it was the main obstacle in Stormy Shore. Here, it is one of many dangers you have to avoid, al??ong with sinking spikes, mines, Mama Saws, Finleys, and Pufftups. The race to escape Squiddicus unwi?nds over three parts: the initial chase, dodging its tentacles as you swim towards safety and one final chase where it literally brings down the stage to stop you. Just thinking about it right now makes me want to stop writing this and go play that level again.

Irate Eight is a goddamn fantastic level and anybody who tries to argue it is??n’t the absolute best water stage is nothing bu?t a barnacle.

Chris Carter

The muted beauty of Mario 64 has been heralded throughout the ages, but whenever the phrase "water level"?? is ever uttered, that harrowing encounter with the giant eel from ??Jolly Roger Bay immediately comes to mind.

The game's miniature sandboxes are a triumph. They're big enough to warrant exploration, but not so bloated where you're looking at icon diarrhea. I remember pretty much every Star objective fr??om every world, which in this case is augmented by the treasure chest puzzles coupled with the deathly fear of drowning.

Everything from the soothing music to the ?welcoming ??layout ensure that I'll never get sick of the Bay for years to come.

Peter Glagowski

Unpopular opinion time: I think the "Water Temple" from Ocarina of Time is one of the best dungeo??ns in that game. Not only is the entire dungeon set up like a giant puzzle, but it requires you to have an understanding of 3D spaces to truly progress through the thing.

Changing the level of the water to reach different heights and areas is a mind-bending ordeal that can drive you insane if you forget one tiny detail. Eventually spotting an area you need to reach, only to realize the water level isn't correct, can be maddening. The dungeon makes ?you work to see the end and it caps off with a decent enough boss fight.

It also has Shadow Link in the middle, even if he is a bit brain dead. It's a surreal moment in a game filled with precious memories. Oh, and the longshot is awesome, if only because you can now hook to stuff across an entire room. Hell, even the Master Quest version of the dungeon is neat (and I friggin hate Master Quest).

The Great Bay Temple in Majora's Mask might make better use of water (you have to change its direction and freeze it), but it doesn't have the same labyrinthine design as Ocarina's Water Temple. This dungeon captures the essence of the NES original in 3D form and ??I wouldn't want it any other way.

Well, the N64 h?ad that awful inventory management, but the 3DS v?ersion fixes that. So, problem solved!

Anthony Marzano

Even more of an unpopular opinion time, I'm one of those people who would counter-pick Delfino Plaza in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and a lot of the time even up series as Ganondorf (who will henceforth from this point be called Dorf) and because of that, it earns my best water level. It has to be in Brawl, simply because in Brawl Dorf was the definition of bad. Slow, clunky, open for attacks at even the slightest misstep, basically just a lumbering hitbox. At least on the Wii U he was marginally better but it's not hard to improve on being so bad that you have your own tier. So in order to have any chance of winning as Dorf in Brawl, you had to take every advantage you could, one of the biggest was stage sel??ection. Dorf was slow but when he hit he hit hard, so it helped to have a level where enemies were forced to slow down. Because of this Delfino and I became very acquainted over my brief run at competitive Smash.

Ordinarily, I hate stages that move, it throws off the pacing of the match and allows for cheap deaths or unwarranted survivals. But in Delfino there was water in a few of the stage transformations where characters could get stuck, and because of the slower mechanics of Brawl they could be in there for a few seconds which to a Dorf player is better than the other two Triforce pieces on Christmas. I wish I had the stats on how many of my kills came from spiking while my opponents were stuck in the water. It was even funnier when it was a Dorf off (basically the exact opposite of the popular Fox off from Melee) between me and my friend because the second one of us went in the water the entire objective of the game changed and it was like watching two people who can't swim? vigorously try to kill each other.

Not to mention that the stage was downright beautiful and the music cheery and lovely. It almost made me go back and actually play Super Mario Sunshine but li??ke my opponents in the water?, those plans ultimately sunk.

Rich Meister

Let's make a quick return to fairly popular opinions. Banjo-Kazooie is fantastic, and although many of the levels in the ?Rare classic prominently feature water, Clanker's Cavern is the true underwater world.

The third world in Banjo-Kazooie keeps with the game's fantastic soundtrack ?and makes swimming through grimy water all while looking at a slightly unsettling mechanical shark somehow enjoyable. 

Leave it to Rare to make one of the few water levels that I a??ctually enjoy. 

(Artwork courtesy of Joel Sousa)

Joel Peterson

While Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is not my favorite game in the franchise, it does have one of my favorite stages, Hyd??rocity Zone in its entirety is i??ncredible to me. The color palette, the gameplay, the music; everything just fits so well together.

I love the way that Sonic 3's stages, especially when paired with Sonic & Knuckles feel so seamless. You are on a big adventure, and it really feels like you are ?going from one region to the next with the way the stages transition.

Hydrocity is not a traditional water stage. There are a few parts where you risk drowning, but most of the time you are zipping around on water slides, running from walls closing in on the stage, the music is remixed in the second act to great effect and the boss at?? the end is a ton of fun to fight as you use the bombs he drops to laun??ch yourself above him, or jump on the pillars of water the explosions leave behind. Just awesome.

Jonathan Holmes

Bubble Man from Mega Man 2, no contest. Even today, it's still my favorite. Not only is it exquisitely paced, but it also single-handedly redefined what a "water level" in a video game could be. It p?roved that just because there is water doesn't mean you have to swim in it. In fact, swimming isn't even close to being the most fun thing you can do under water. Jumping incredibly high and then slowly, gracefully returning to the ground as you shoot a giant robot fish that shoots robotic shrimp out of its? That, on the other hand, is definitely top thre??e.

Also, the use of scale to make large enemies (the fish) seem huge and the small enemies (the baby frogs) seem minuscule, the way the collapsing platforms offer a tough but fair challenge, and ??of course the music, are all literally perfect. 

Mike Sounders

Super Mario Land is one of the overlooked gems in Mario's long history of games. Notorious for being so different from the rest of the franchise, a?nd notable for being an early Mario title with no involvement from Miyamoto, many elements have yet to return in modern Mario.

However, it is home to the greatest goddamn water level in a Mario title. World 2-3, where Mario goes 'Screw this nonsense', gets in a? submarine, and turns the level into a sidescrolling shoot 'em up, with Mario lighting up foes with torpedoes left and right. Brickwall? Torpedo. Fish? Torpedo. Seahorse? Torpedo. Octopus? Torpedo?.

No more underwater swimming nonsense, no more frustrating enemies like Blooper. the only thing stopping him from getting to that princess is the ancestor of Kingdra from Pokemon, and Mario's?? got a torpedo wit?h their name written on it.

Marcel Hoang

Banjo-Kazooie is really a ma?sterclass in great level design to me. Nevermind the collect-athon design elements, each and every level is memorable. Rich might've picked Clanker's Cavern but I absolutely love the concept behind Jolly Roger'??s Lagoon.

What's the worst thing about water levels? The air restriction, usually with slower pacing right behind it. Some games get around this by having no air mechanic but Banjo-Tooie makes Jolly Roger Lagoon special by making it the unique water level to remove its normal air mechanic with in-game reasons. The level looks like an unassuming pirate village until you realize there's an immense sinkhole in the lagoon. Only after using Mumbo Jumbo to ?oxygenate the lagoon do you realize that an entire world lies just beneath the normally dreaded surface.

When you've gotten used to the idea of swimming with tension for holding your breath underwater, along comes Jolly Roger's Lagoon to show you an enjoyable level free of the constricting nature of an air mechanic. I also love that there's a whole sub-level that's only accessible after you've transform??ed into a submarine because the extreme depth means extreme pressure. Of course, that's where the excellent boss encounter is too.

Patrick Hancock

Look, water levels don't have to be objectively good for them to be a favorite. I have a lot of very fond memories of the Big the Cat levels in Sonic Adventure. Playing the game with my cousin in a single night, perfecting Big the Cat's end-of-level dance, and straight up hat?ing the game's fishing mechanics because they made no sense. Hell, even watching Egoraptor play through the game gave me great joy as he endured the same struggles as I did all those years ago. Then, the above speedrun at this year's AGDQ was absolutely amazing to watch. 

Big the Cat has taken on a bit of a meme status since, but I've got some genuine lov?e for that big dumb feline oaf. I mean, he fights Chaos with a fishing pole!

Josh Tolentino

When you say "water level", most folks think of a distinct area or point of a game when "water mechanics", be that some kind of swimming or submarine type of play takes over, but I think this could also mean a simpler change in theme or mood, like going to an underwater location in a game that's mostly landbound otherwise (say, Manaan in Knights of the Old Republic). This is me, of course, justifying my own pick for "water level", which is the ship/boating gameplay of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. 

Not only are the ship sequences the best part of AC4 (as well as the most surprisingly good bits of Assassin's Creed III and Assassin's Creed: Rogue), but they represent a rather dramatic shift in tone, from the more active and story-involved play of the series to something more relaxed and free. Combined with the cleverly selected shanties and the general allure of seaborne life itself, ship sequences are a great way to break the pace of the game itself. Adding to the fact that this is all fr??eely accessible for m??uch of the game, makes for a much more consequential "water level" than in most other games.

*****

The lot of you are nothing but a bunch of barnacles! Actually,?? th??ose are some damn fine water levels, especially those Big the Cat stages.

The post Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze holds gaming’s greatest water level appeared first on Destructoid.

Fighter of the Night Mare

Some of you may remember Resident Evil 2: Reborn, a fan remake of Resident Evil 2 developed for Unreal Engine 4 by indie outfit Invader Studios. The project was shut down after Capcom announced an official Resident Evil 2 remake, which is li??kely the best possible ending to tha??t story.

Invader Studios disagrees. Recently, the company announced Daymare: 1998, a Resident Evil 2-inspired survival horror game. It looks like a more polished version of its RE2 trailer, but th??at might be the only notch in its favor. There's no denying that it makes full use of?? the UE4 engine, with its deep shadows and vibrant lighting, so on that count you're getting exactly what it says on the tin. If this was an audition for the developers to get jobs at larger studios, then it would be a slam dunk.

But this proof of concept gameplay trailer looks pretty weak, promising toothless jump scares and an unkillable enemy that looks more like a generically nasty creature from that remake of The Thing rather than an iconic foe in the vein of Nemesis or Pyramid Head. There are fuses, keycards, strangely clean apocalypse graffiti, a pre-mortem diary page with a bunch of helpful Tipz 'n' Trickz for dealing with the zombies for "whoever finds this note" -- so far, it looks like Daymare?? has everything you expect but nothing you might want.

(Also, just an aside while we're on the topic of the diary page -- the zombies are weak to water?? The game is set in the Pacific Northwest -- as anybody who's been to a PAX West will gladly tell you, that part of the United States is wet as hell. Even when it's not actively raining, there's a constant mist in the air. Will the game have Bizarro Dying Light ?sequences, where it rains and the zombies get really weak?? Hell, people are 70% water, are we basically walking kryptonite?)

The press release mentions something about a Kickstarter -- if you're absolutely dying for a game like this and the official Resident Evil 2 remake is too far away, I guess this could work out for you. From where I stand, I know I don't want to spend my limited time on Earth luring a big monster from one end of a map to another so I can grab a keyc??ard.

The post New game from fan-made Resident Ev??il 2 remake team looks pretty dull appeared first on Destructoid.

We know water

Abzu is a game that we've had our eyes on for a long time. It's the debut from Giant Squid, a studio with instant clout as it's made up of key members from the team that made Journey. Abzu and Journey share a lot of the same qualities, but it'd be reductive and incorr??ect to say this is just more of?? that.

Zack shared his thoughts in his review, but here's the beginning of the game so you can see it for yourself. Maybe the visual learners in the crowd will glean more in?formation from this than they would from words.

If auditory's more your style, me, Zack, and Steven got together to record a special Podtoid where we discuss our feelings about Abzu. Look for that in the coming d?ays. Call it a deep dive.

The post Here’s a beautiful look at the beginning of Abzu appeared first on Destructoid.

Swim with the fishes

Decades of classical conditioning have trained us to abhor water levels. The likes of Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Ocarina of Time hold strained memories of great games gone awry, if just ever-so-temporarily. We're Pavlov'd into panic when air ??is fleeting, the music turns tense, and we can practically feel the crush against our avatar's lungs. It's Video Games Bad Times 101: Different song, same chorus.

Giant Squid's Abzu flips the script on a setting whose earmark is a constant sense of dread and imminent failure. What else would you expect from Matt Nava, who was the art director on Journey and Flower? The entire game is about the sea (the name literally means "to know water"), bu?t it's also about exploration. There's a whole new world to uncover once you break the surface of the water.

Giant Squid wants you to experience this underwater world at your own pace. The scuba-equipped protagonist has no concerns for oxygen; he's prepared to flipper-kick to new depths for as long as it takes. And, honestly, it might take a while, as Abzu's structured in such a way that you won't know always which direction to go. Even when you do, scouring every ?corner to absorb as much of this living environment might seem like the better route, anyway.

Before long, that exploration turns semi-mandatory in an unforced sense. Buried in the ocean floor are drones that need unearthing. These little guys follow along? your periphery and grant you small "upgrades" (so to speak) such as the ability to swim a bit faster.?? Most importantly, though, they're required en masse to clear some obstacles and open up new areas of the sea.

While the game maintains a linear progression, no two players will ever know Abzu in the exact same way. The outline of the world remains constant, but all plants and sea life are randomly generated. There's a framework about the scenery that'??s easily to pick out, but the living inhabitants will be mostly unique -- although, I'm not convinced it'll matter much. Once you get lost in the semi-open areas, all these could be static, and it'd feel just as fantastic of a setting.

Of course, there will be some about Abzu that's scripted. Toward the end of our 15-minute demo, a shark attacked one of our drones and sent him careening to the ocean floor in an unrepairable state. These set pieces seem as if they'll punctuate Abzu semi-freque??ntly -- just often enough to as?sert itself as a guided experience to some degree.

That shark attack was an example of how Giant Squid aims to carry over some of the tension that water levels are infamous for; after all, Abzu is nothing if not a giant water level. Speaking with Nava, he told us that this won't just be an underwater frolic. Although there are plenty of stretches of serenity, that isn't all the player will feel. Nava saysAbzu aims for moments that instill fear, dread, and stress, ??but it's a delicate balance. It's a given that with Austin Wintery working on the music, the score should greatly enhance whatever feeling?? the gameplay strives for.

Nava had no qualms talking about the emotion of Abzu, but it's unclear what long-term stakes those have. The game has no death state, so poor performance can be "punished" by loss of drones which means swimming slower. The better odds are that the emotion ties into narrative, which Nava wasn't as comfortable elaborating upon. He spoke mostly in vagueities about nebulous concepts like finding resources. It's apparent that Nava wants Abzu to be an experie??nce where the player slowly unfolds the game's meaning through playing -- not through an interview months prior to release.

It's almost a given that Giant Squid has something weighty waiting in the depths of the ocean. That's a safe bet just knowing the track record of the creators. Whatever it is will be a reprieve from what we're used to when video games venture underwater. However, there's still a fair chance whatever's down there will ring those Pavl?ov bells in our mind, just in a completely altered way. Same song, different cho??rus, really.

The post Journey art director’s next game goes deep under the sea appeared first on Destructoid.

Delicious

Like Chris, I had my first taste of Oddworld when it was new, back on the PlayStation in 1997. Abe's Oddysee and Abe's Exoddus were two of my favorite titles from that era, so when Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty ?was announced, I was pretty stoked to revisi?t the adventure through RuptureFarms and the surrounding areas.

To my chagrin, the PC version would not launch for many months after the PlayStation 4 version. At the very least, the wait is justified; New 'n' Tasty runs beautifully on my aging computer, and it features some of the bells and whistles that? come with a Steam release too.

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty (Linux, Mac, Windows [tested])
Developers: Just Add Water Developments, Ltd.
Publisher: Oddworld Inhabitants, Inc.
Released: February 25, 2015
MSRP: $19.99
Rig: AMD Phenom II X2 555 @ 3.2 GHz, with 4GB of RAM, ATI Radeon HD 5700, Windows 7 64-bit

A lot of the heavy lifting was already done for the console version, but it bears repeating: Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is a fantastic visual upgrade from Abe's Oddysee. The environments are all rebuilt and rende??red in-engine, making the transitions between nearby areas smoother than the? original. Seeing Oddworld in high definition is a treat. Loading times have been significantly reduced.

Control is a little strange with a keyboard, at least for somebody who is more familiar with console controls. With full controller compatibility this wasn't an issue past my initial experiments to see how it works on a keyboard. There were some issues with listed button prompts wh??en? switching between keyboard and controller mid-game, but for my only complaint, it's pretty minor.

The main point to note is that the PC port is technically competent; it is comparable to the PlayStation 4 version. I experienced? no bugs, glitches, or even slowdown, which is great considering my rig isn'??t exactly state-of-the-art.

Unsurprisingly, the Steam Achievements are the same as the PS4 Trophies, down to the artwork and descriptions. Steam Trading Card support is present, with Badges to craft and backgrounds to collect. A couple of the trading cards feature concept art unavailable in the console build. It isn't much, but it might be the one noticeable difference in the PC vers?i?on.

There is no Steam Workshop support, as Oddworld would have to be significantly tweaked to include user-created content. As a pie-in-the-sky idea, it could have been fantastic, but its nonexistence doesn't hurt New 'n' Tasty at all. Cooperative mode remains as bafflingly unnec???essary as it has always been; it achieves the same thing that handing a controller to a nearby friend does.

Alf's Escape, the piece of downloadable content released last August for New 'n' Tasty on PlayStation 4, is immediately a??vailable for PC.

Altogether, Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty transitioned well to PC. Although it does?n't take full advantage of the platf??orm, it has not lost anything in translation. If anything, the Steam version is a marginal improvement with a wider choice in control, the usual Steam baubles included, and a lower price tag.

So I can breathe a sigh of relief. One of my favorite games from the late '90s got a great remaster last year, and it moved to my platform of choice without a hiccup. Oddworld has always been a dark, fantastic place to explore, and the upgrade to New 'n' Tasty has only made it more consuming.

The post PC Port Report: Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty appeared first on Destructoid.

Other platforms to follow

There's been a fair amount of Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty news lately -- that dramatic trailer, most recently -- but it's the release info we've wanted most. Here it is: the revamped game will be available on PlayStation?? 4 via PSN on July 22, 2014 in North America and a day later in Europe.

What about all of those other versions? Developer Just Add Water says it's planning to release the game for PS3 and PS Vita on or as close as possible? to those dates. We'll hear specifics about those ports and others (Wii U, PC, etc.) before too long.

Oddworld Inhabitants [Twitter]

The post Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty hits PS4 first on July 22 appeared first on Destructoid.

Pricing revealed while teasing announcement of release date

Oddworld Inhabitants divulged a few salient details regarding the upcoming release of Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty, remake of the original Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee. Most notably??, the studio has announced that the game will be offered as a cross-buy title for $29.99 (€24.99 in Europe) with cross-save feature.

We also know now when we will know when w??e can buy the game, with the announcement of a forthcoming announcement regarding the release date to be delivered on June 9 (go ahead, read it again). Why, isn't that just one day before the Electronic Entertainment Expo kicks off? Wouldn't it be an interesting surprise if Sony made such an announcement a part of their press conference? Gadzooks, nobody will see that coming!

The post PlayStation cross-buy announced for Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty appeared first on Destructoid.

The definitions are so high

I've been a big fan of Oddworld from the very beginning. And the beginning is coming around again with the looming arrival of Oddworld: New & Tasty, a remake of the original classic Abe's Oddyssee in high-definition. I like my old versions just fine but, holy hell,?? the visual difference is staggering.

It would be so nice to get a new Oddworld game along the line here. It is a franchise which has frequently promised a lot more c??ontent than it has delivered, long seeming to struggle to find an audience large enough to match its ambition. While I appreciate that this beautiful updated version is going to exist, I just don't get the sense that this pursuit of re-releases is actually going to get us anywhere different when all is said and done.

The post Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty looking good in new gameplay trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

But first, a remake of Abe's Exoddus

In a candid discussion about sales expectations for Just Add Water's Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee remake, Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty, creator Lorne Lanning told Eurogamer that if 250,000 copies of the game are sold, that'll be enough funding for a remake of its sequel Abe's Exoddus. Going a step forward, 500k in sales would allow for the creation of an all-new, original Oddworld title.

Sounds attainable enough, I'd say. Though it should be pointed out New 'n' Tasty will charge $30 when it releases, whic??h might be more than you were expecting. "This game will play better, look better, and you'll have more fun with for more hours of play than games you're paying $60 for," said Lanning. "That's a promise. And I can say that with absolute confidence.  If this had a publisher, the price would be higher and they'd be calling in triple A."

As for the potential new game, it would come after the Exoddus remake -- assuming that moves forward -- and Lanning would like to one day revisit the concept behind the canceled The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot. "Over the last year and a half, I've designed Fangus extensively," he said. "And I would like to be able to move into Fangus as soon as a new IP in Oddworld."

It's wild to me that Just Add Water has been able to keep the Oddworld franchise going for all these years. Good on the??m.

New 'n' Tasty needs to sell ??500K to fund an original new Oddwo?rld game [Eurogamer]

The post 500k sales of Abe’s Oddysee remake could fund an all-new Oddworld appeared first on Destructoid.

Getting technical with underwater gameplay

Water is usually a background element in action/adventure games. Or at best, water gets a temporary spotlight in levels that let you take a break from standard play -- a quick splash and then back to land.  It's rarely ever a focus in these games. Usually, underwater segments are?? the worst parts of these games. Poor water.

The ocean played a sizable role in Assassin's Creed III with its naval battles, and while that was fantastic, it only served as a tease for what the ocean offered. Reacting to feedback, Ubisoft is now bringing the deep blue sea to the forefront in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. They've em??braced the open-world concept, and the free exploration extends to the ocean, not only by boat, but through underwater play. 

We visited the team behind Assassin's Creed IV's ocean tech, Ubisoft Singapore, to learn how deep they were willing?? to dive this time arou??nd.

The naval battles return in a big way, but to really explore the ocean means jumping in. For the first time in Assassin's Creed IV you can access the ocean from anywher??e in the ga?me's world; you're immediately in, with no loading or transitions. 

But, before jumping in, stop and enjoy the beauty of the ocean. No -- really look at it. Ubisoft Singapore put a lot of work into making the ocean as realistic as possible. They traveled to the Caribbean for r?esearch in order to nail the look, and put their research into even the smallest details, like new tech for the look of the sand and sunlight. They even have simulations for sea foam, with controls that can vary how it'll look when it washes up on sand or pools around rocks. They're not messing around when it comes to realism

The water's surface in ACIV o??n next-gen consoles is stunning. It shimmers in the s??unlight in a way that makes you want to take a snapshot. All of their technical work combines to make for some postcard worthy imagery.  

ACIV's engine is doing crazy work under the hood to make the waves look realistic, and that kicks into overdrive when simulating what happens when objects like ships move through it. We saw examples of how the engine scales f??rom calm waters to massive storms realistically -- impressive stuff. Ubisoft Singapore says that you can expect the water to look very good on current-gen consoles, but some water appearance features are only available on next-gen systems.

Ubisoft Singapore Senior Technical Director, Georges Torres, told us that they saw next-gen as an opportunity to do what they wanted with water in ACIII but didn't have the resources for. If you're looking for technical specifics of what you'd see in the next-gen over current generation versions, Torres says adaptive tessellation tech is the major thing. Expect more detailed waves -- a third frequency of wave is possible with next-gen consoles, over the two of ACIII. Also, the way the water interac??ts?? with objects in it will look better. For example, objects that fall into water will appropriately displace water. On the rendering side, there's much more detail to see with the new consoles' versions. 

Underwater is equally as lovely. Ubisoft Singapore has done a fine job in creating an underwater world you'll want to explore. Swim to whatever catches your fancy, enjoying the sea life that glitters among the almost glowing coral reef. You might see a treasure chest in the distance, but keep in mind your oxygen limitation. Oh, and sharks. While you can harpoon sharks from a boat, you're totally helpless underwater. 

The running and climbing gameplay we've come to expect from the franchise can't take place underwater, Ubisoft Singapore has worked in some similar elements for underwate?r navigation. Players can swim wherever they'd like, and once they get going they can pull on fixed objects to propel them forward as sort of a speed boost. It's not just flat swimming -- there's pushing and pullin?g on objects, escaping sea creatures, getting caught in water currents and more. 

There's some motivati??on for diving beyond just sightseeing. Of course, j??ust as in pirate days, there's treasure and money to be found. Also, blueprints can be retrieved from underwater to improve your ship.

There was no capability for this underwa?ter exploration in the existing game engine, so Ubisoft Singapore was tasked with creating it. Torres told us that it was from scratch. He said that they altered the perspective over the last game so that the player could see water, jump in it, explore it, and swim out of it back onto land seamlessly. 

Torres said that unifying these aspects of play wasn't easy. Moving from the ocean inland, a lot of loading needs to happen in the background for a seamless setting transition to happen for the player, and that's not to mention the animation sets that have to change the character itself. He said it looks natural, and seems simple, but in reality some very complex stuff goes on under the hood to make it all work. From what we saw?? of live gameplay at the studio, seeing it in action looks perfect, so here's a tip of our pirate hat to the team. 

But it's not just graphics and animation at work here. Torres told us that they've developed a full series of technologies to make the underwater experience as immersive and realistic as possible. The Singapore team built tech for the visuals, coloring, particle effects, ecosystem, animations, underwater audio, underwater behaviors, swimming simulations and much more. Even the way the light filters through water to c??reate a sense of depth was a focus for them. 

The takeaway here is that Ubisoft Singapore put a lot of hard work to draw players into the deep. Full teams were tasked with making the underwater experience as realistic and immersive as possible. Maybe Assassin's Creed IV open-world underwater exploration will make up for all of the crappy underwater le?vels we've had to put up with over t??he years. 

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For an MGS remake, Just Add Water

Abe's Oddysee: New n' Tasty developer Just Add Water has written an open letter to Hideo Kojima. The Metal Gear masterbrain recently revealed he was interested in looking for a studio to remake Metal Gear Solid, and the Oddworld team has stepped up to the plate.

"We read with great excitement on VG247 that you were looking for a studio to work with to develop a Metal Gear Solid remake using the Fox Engine, that your team has been hard at work creating," wrote the studio on its blog. "We at Just Ad??d Water feel ideally positioned to do the remake justice for several reasons."

The team cites its experience with remaking Oddworld games, th?e fact it employs a number of huge fans, and the all-important reaso??n -- it really, really wants to do it. 

Kojima has since claimed he's not looking for a studio to redo MGS, but I still feel it's incredibly cool to have a developer openly volunteer like that. When you get a display of genuine love for the industry and its games like that,?? it's worth celebrating. Just Add Water, you're alright!

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Expect high definition farts

Oddworld series developer Just Add Water is working on an untitled PS4 game, according to an announcement on the developer's blog.

"By now you’ll have eagerly lapped up all the information fro??m the Sony PlayStation announcement. You’ll have seen?? our name in the list of confirmed developers," community manager Daniel Morse wrote. "We’re delighted to finally be able to tell you that JAW are developing for the Sony PlayStation 4. We can’t talk about what we’re working on just yet. Just be assured it’ll be worth the wait."

After releasing PlayStation Network title Gravity Crash in 2009, Just Add Water (or JAW) took the reigns on the Oddworld series, putting out Stranger's Wrath and Munch's Odyssey in HD. With two upcoming Oddworld titles planned (Hand of Odd and an Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee remake), I suspect this PS4 title?? may also take place in the same series.

Check out ALL the PlayStation 4 coverage from today's event here. Console specs revealed, new contr??oller detailed, and tons of games announced!

[Via Dan Hindes]

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Studio seeks fan input

It's been terrific seeing Just Add Water carry the Oddworld franchise into the future. With a pair of HD re-releases under its belt and the upcoming Abe's Oddysee - New 'n' Tasty currently well into production, th??e England-based studio has put together a poll which asks fans what they'd like to see happen next.

Share your opinion, if you've got a moment. The company notes that "there’s a ?lot more than just popular consensus for us to take into account," so there understandably cannot be any guarantees. Still worth a shot, I reckon.

In particular, The Hand of Odd -- a previously canceled, then revived real-time strategy game -- sticks out to me as something Just Add Water should start on before giving us any more re-releases. Alternatively, The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot, which you can hear about fr??om?? Lorne Lanning in an old interview with Game Informer. I do also love that "Shut up and take my money!" is one of the choices in the poll.

Just Ad??d Water asks ??fans what Oddworld game they'd like to see next [Eurogamer]

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It's been a while

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD for the PlayStation Vita now has, after being delayed several times, a definite release date. Revealed on Just Add Water's Twitter page, Stranger's Wrath HD for the Vi?ta will be launching on December 18 in North America with a price tag of $14.99 -- the s??ame as that of the PS3 version.

As for Europe, the dev team said to "ask us next week." Stranger's Wrath will not, as confirmed by the tweets tha??t followed the announcement, come with cross play nor allow users to take advantage of cross buy. Some have expressed disappointment?? over these features being absent, with others saying that it's not really much of a big deal. 

Personally I'm fine with it, but how about you?

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD assaults Vita De?cember 18 [Joystiq]

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Will Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD ever find its way to Xbox 360? I had given up hope, but it sounds as if it's not completely ruled out. Speaking to VG247, Just Add Water CEO Stewart Gilray explained that while the studio has "given up on Microsoft doing an??ything with it," they haven't given up o?n the platform.

The team ran up against a number of policies which "stalled" the process for over 15 months. These included things like Microsoft not wanting it on Xbox Live Arcade because the original had already been on their platform, a required 1M units sold at retail and minimum asking price of $20 for Games on Demand, and the fact that Stranger's Wrath HD had come out first on PlayStation 3.

It's worth mentioning that, according to Gilray, it was Microsoft who came to Just Add Water two weeks after the game had been first announced for PS3, not the other way around. Now, JAW is talking ?with two other publishers in ??hopes of finally getting the game out to Xbox 360 players.

"We can’t wait forever," explained Gilray to VG247. "If we did, PS4 and 720 would be out. We have to, at some point, say, 'We tried. End of.' And that's sooner rather than late??r now. But people can't accuse us of not trying."

Stranger's Wrath HD XBLA finally ruled out [Eurogamer]
Stranger’s Wrath HD dev ‘gives up on Microso?ft’ ov?er 360 SKU [VG247]

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I remember first reading about Hand of Odd, way back in my school days. A simulation game set in the Oddworld universe, it had only promises to deliver until it was postponed in 2004. Last year, Just Add Water confirmed it would kick the? project back into gear, and now we got our first taste of it. 

That taste comes by way of a teaser site with a logo. Not much to go on, but the studio's Twitter account promises some more news soon. In the meantime, it's been confirmed that the game will not be like FarmVille, and that it's, "DEFINITELY NOT a Fa??cebook game."&nb??sp;

?Color me excited! I was always a big fan of the series and was sad when this project fell apart so long ago. Can't wait to finally ??see it resurrected.

The post Just Add ??Water teases Hand of Odd, which is great! appeared first on Destructoid.

If you got excited over Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD's recent remaster and still haven't gotten enough Oddworld, you may be happy to hear that Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD has been confirmed via Just Add Water's Twitter to be coming by the end of Q2 for PS3 and PlayStati??on Vit?a.

Originally released as a launch title for the Xbox, Munch's Oddysee was the second chapter of the unfinished Oddworld pentalogy. I personally never got a chance to check it out because I was too distracted with Halo: Combat Evolved and Brute Force, so I'm definitely looking forward to giving it a shot. Just Add Water also released a comparison of ??Munch's old model with his new one and seeing just that improvement has me excited already. I'm a sucker for HD makeovers.

Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD coming Q??????????????????????????2, ??see Munch's new model [Joystiq]

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Back in January of '05, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath slipped right past me, along with a multitude of other games I should have played, simply because it came out right after Halo 2. To this day, I still haven't played Stranger's Wrath. Whenever some??one talks about just how fantastic the game is, I feel extremely guilty inside.

I was so glad to hear that an HD remaster was in the works sometime back in 2010. Ever since then, I've eagerly been looking forward to its release. Word about the port was quiet for awhile, but it is now finally here on PSN with enhanced visuals, upgraded textures, re-mastered audio, trophies, bonus material and the promise of Move and 3D support coming later via a patch. Our review for Stranger's Wrath HD is coming?? very soon, but really the $15 price tag is all you need to convince you to pick this one up.

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