We haven't heard from this series since 2013-ish

It's been a while since we've heard from Killzone. Now, thanks to a slight change? on Sony's end, it seems like it's going to be a bit longer.

Folks who tried to visit Killzone's official site this past week ?were greeted with a new message straight from developer Guerilla Games, which noted th?at the site is now dead; and will instead direct visitors to PlayStation.com.

Here's the full statement:

"Dear Killzone.com visitor,

The official websi?te for the KILLZONE franchise has retired. Going forward, visitors to Killzone.com will be directed to PlayStation.com.

While this change doesn’t affect the online multiplayer modes, player statistics or ranking data for KILLZONE MERCENARY and KILLZONE SHADOW FALL, it is now no longer possible to create or manage clans in KILLZONE SHADOW FAL?L. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Thank you to Killzone.com’s many fans and visitors throughout the years for their en??thusias?m and support.

Sincerely,

Guerrilla."

It looks like Guerrilla Games, which is owned by SIE Worldwide Studios, has moved on, or has been ordered to move on. The developer is now hard at work with the smash-hit Horizon series, and is still working on the sequel: slated this?? year for PS4 and PS5.

Naturally, just as 343 picked up the mantle of Halo from Bungie, Sony could stick any studio it wants with a Killzone revival. They still own the IP after all.

Killzone.com has retired [Killzone]

The post Killzone’s future might be bleak, as Sony has killed the series’ website appeared first on Destructoid.

Goodnight, sweet prince

[Update: It seems as if the rep that spoke to Comicbook.com was misinformed, or Sony had a change of heart. Mercenary servers are back online.]

As we continue our "farewell tour" for the PlayStation Vita, we can add another stop: Killzone: Mercenary's online play.

As confirmed by Comicbook.com through Sony support, the platform holder has shut down Killzone: Mercenary's online servers, seemingly for good, without a warning. For reference, Mercenary was one of the Vita's marquee (and frankly, upper echelon) first-party games fr??om 2013 on, and people were still playing it. Giving a heads-up before shutting down services for big-name games l??ike this is customary, but didn't happen here.

Destructoid has also confirmed the shutdown. Busting out our trusty (I won't joke that it's "dusty" as it has been next to my bed for the past eight years!) OG OLED Vita, we tried to boot up Mercenary's online component to no avail. You can find said confirmation?? below.

This is the second Vita related diss track in a week!

PlayStation Quietly Shuts Down a Game's Servers With No Warn??ing [Comicbook]

The post (Update) Sony shut down Killzone: Mercenary’s Vita servers this past week appeared first on Destructoid.

Spoilers: The settlement is secret

Sony, Guerrilla, and Killzone are no strangers to controversies about graphics, after their E3 trailer for Killzone 2 was complete and utter bullshot. When it came to light that Killzone: Shadowfall??'s ??multiplayer uses a clever technique to render at 1080p, someone decided ?to lawy??er up and try to sue Sony over it claiming it wasn't true 1080p as advertised. 

Yesterday that court case was settled, the terms of which ar?e sealed meaning we will never know who agreed to what. Both parties, however, agreed to pay their own court costs. Hope it was worth ??it, as lawyers aren't cheap.

What do you think: is a 960 by 1080 re?so??lution upscaled to 1920 by 1080 not true 1080p, or is all 1080p created equally?

Kil??lzone : Shadow Fall graphics lawsuit DISMISSED! [NeoGAF]

The post Sony ag??rees to settlement in Killzone: Shadow Fall la?wsuit appeared first on Destructoid.

Sons and daughters of Helghan, get down with your bad selves!

It's been a decade since the original Killzone arrive on PlaySta??ton 2, and Guerrilla Games has seen fit to commemorate the milestone "with the people who made it all possib??le" -- the fans.

Sure hope you guys like downloadable content! Guerrilla is rolling out a bunch of celebratory Killzone: Shadow Fall DLC over the next month. The studio has a new expansion pack out now, (free to season pass holders) giving you "unprecedented" personalization options, including new ?character and owl skins, additional voice packs, extra player card icons, and even customizable crosshairs. Customizable crosshairs...

A pair of free multiplayer maps are also in the pipeline, one based off Radec Academy plus another specifically designed for the Intercept co-op expansion.

Guerrilla also plans to host "festive" livestreams of (heh) "classic" Killzone titles, Shadow Fall and Mercenary ?tournaments, and an art exhibition in Leeuwarden, Holland later this month.

Killzone celebrates its 10th anniversary [Guerrilla Games]

The post Killzone franchise ??celebrates 10 years of Halo-killing appeared first on Destructoid.

Available for $19.99 via PlayStation Network

Killzone: Shadow Fall: Intercept is now available as a stan??dalon?e release via the PlayStation Store.

The four-player co-operative experience is a satisfying add?ition to the campaign and competitive multiplayer modes. It places a heavy emphasis on teamwork and features a compelling risk/reward system that ratchets up the tension amidst the never-ending stream of Helg??hast hordes.

Whether Intercept is worth the $19.99 asking price is open to debate, though. As much as I enjoy it, that valuation seems a tad steep for something so thin and limited in ?scope -- especially considering the full game doesn't cost much more than that at retail these days.

The post Killzone: Shadow Fall co-op mode now availab?le as st?andalone appeared first on Destructoid.

Ordered chaos

Killzone: Shadow Fall was a respectable launch game. It showcased the power of the nascent PS4 with?? scintillating visuals, and paired its aesthetic beauty with a competent campaign and sound multiplayer component. 

The shooter wasn't exactly a revelation, but the glossy sheen, at the very least, provided a fine entrée to the new generation. It's been nearly a year since then, and Guerrilla Games has kept the lights on with a myriad of alternations and enhancements, the most recent of which has arrived in the co-operative expansion Intercept.

Killzone: Shadow Fall: Intercept [PlayStation 4]
Developer: Guerrilla Games 
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Released: June 25, 2014 / August 2014 (Standalone version)
MSRP: $9.99 (free with Season Pass) / $19.99 (Standalone version)

Intercept is essentially a horde mode wherein you and three squadmates must hold down an outpost as wave?s of enemies crash against your defenses. 

Teamwork is key to success in staving off the threat, as players attempt to stockpile enough points ?to achieve victory. This is done by downing f?oes, supporting allies, and recapturing beacons from enemy control (more on that later).

There'??s a catch, though. Points must be banked back at a central base to count toward anything. It's entirely possible to get cut down by a squad of Helghast s?oldiers whilst en route to cash in your chips. Deciding when to liquidate your funds, though, that's a calculated game of risk and reward.

A timer is constantly counting down, encouraging players to hold out until the clock strikes zero. Waiting until this moment to deposit your stash will level up a multiplier that impacts scoring. It's a compelling gamble that adds to Intercept's intensit??y, as swarms of Helghast steadily bear down on your position, and you weigh securing objectives against helping an imperiled teammate and trying to stay alive.

Staying alive is important, as respawning cannibalizes your team's overall score. Once that score hits zero the game is basically over, meaning working together is of the utmost importance. Each player is given a different skillset, including a close-quarters assau??lt trooper, a long-range specialist in the marksman, the defensive-minded tactician, and a support-oriented medic with healing, reviving, and supplying abilit??ies.

It's imperative that players?? know their roles, as the medic or tactician will get torn to pieces in a headlong ??firefight, but are indispensable to the team's success. These classes are also great, because they give folks who may not be first-person shooter experts an opportunity to contribute to their unit's success.

While fending for life, players need to control three beacons scattered across the map in a triangle configuration, lest risk seeing the team's overall score dwindle to oblivion. When doing so becomes too stressful, petrusite fuel rods can be inserted into a comp??uter back at your bunker, which activate fun bonuses like mortar strikes, jet packs, miniguns, or turrets.

It's typically a dynamic and engrossing experience, but could use a bit of?? tinkering in the overall difficulty and balancing department. Waves aren't based on time; rather, they seemingly just happen at random  intervals. This means some matches can be spiritless affairs, while others will have you sweating bullets. And your mileage may vary based on the caliber of your teammate??s. 

Intercept is a surprisingly enjoyable experience that entwines havoc, synergy, and drama into a lovely bundle. It's a tad repetitive and light ??on content, though, so I certainly hope Guerrilla Games continues to support the expansion as it nears the standalone release.

The post Review: Killzone: Shadow Fall: Intercept appeared first on Destructoid.

Or die quickly

More than six months after release, Guerrilla Games' Killzone: Shadow Fall is getting an expansion that reinvents the title's multiplayer aspect. In Intercept, rather than shooting at one another, players are tasked? with teaming up to take aim at the Helghast. After a short hands-on time at Sony's recent Pre-E3 event, it's painfully obvious that the "teaming up" bit needs to be priority number one.

The Intercept DLC serves as a cooperative defense mode of sorts, where the mission at-hand is to intercept (go figure) Helghast military tra?nsmissions at enemy bases. Each map seems as if it'll be made up of three capture points that the enemy can attack at any time. Four unique classes are employed: Assault, Marksman, Medic, and Tactician -- each extremely varied and important -- and the game only allows one of each type to be used.

If the average player's experience is anything like what we saw, the Medic will be far and away the most useful member of the team. It didn't take much for the pesky Helghast to swarm on a location and make quick work of any given person. It was a common sight fo??r someone to yell "Medic! Medic!" down the row of four people, vainly hoping that they'd be able to get there in time before a (usually) inevitable death.

In the event of dying, it's not game over for th??at player. The team banks points for kills, captures, and implementation of abilities, and these can be to revive fallen comrades. Supposedly, team score can also be used for more interesting and effective perks such as calling in air raids and equipping jetpacks. We didn't get anywhere close to that, as we were taunting each other over who could drain the points and respawn the quickest.

That particular brand of inefficiency is probably a side-effect of seeing something like Intercept at a preview event. Unfamiliarity with maps, classes, and the people you're playing alongside almost ensures a feeble attempt at victory, or maybe more accurately just staving off inevitable defeat for as long as possible. Still, it wasn't difficult to realize that this DLC has all the pieces in place t??o allow talented teams to really shine.

But, one thing will define "talented" teams, and that's their ability to stick to their individual roles and act as a cohesive unit. Marksmen can't wander into the thick of the fray for too long. Tacticians need to focus on turret placement rather than gunplay. Medics, well, they need to be ready to revive anyone at any given time. Any group that can handle that will probably get a lot of enjoyment out of Intercept; a group that can't will probably only fin?d frustration.

The post Killzone: Shadow Fall’s Intercept DLC will force you to work as a team appeared first on Destructoid.

Four-player defensive mode

Guerrilla detailed the online cooperative expansion pack Intercept for Killzone: Shadow Fall season pass owners today ahead of its release next month. It's a survival mode for four?? players, each with a specific role -- Assault, Marksman, Medic, and Tactician -- playable across four maps themed around locations from the game's single-player campaign.

Players will defend against Helghast troops while establishing Hacking Uplinks and the mode is based around a Team Score that increase??s as Uplinks are defended and players bank their Personal Score earned from kills, ability uses, and recaptures. Respawns deduct points from the team, as do the loss of Upl??inks. You'll work to earn bonuses like artillery strikes and jetpacks and avoid running out of Team Score -- that's when it's game over.

So, yeah. Standard stuff, really, not that I'm complaining. There are also plans to release this Intercept expansion as a standalone later thi?s year. I like when ??games do that.

Interce??pt Adds Online Co-Op Action To Killzone Shadow Fall [Killzone]

The post Killzone: Shadow Fall adding online co-op in June appeared first on Destructoid.

Remember all those people who said nothing comes free?

It's been over a couple months since the first two free multiplayer maps for Killzone: Shadow Fall dropped, so it's about high time we had another arena to play in, right? Well, have I got news for you! "??The Canyon" released today and, as ever, it's absolutely free to download.

The fine folks over at PlayStation also put together a nice little clip to show off "Canyon" in all its demolished glory, and it looks like it's a lot of fun. I honestly haven't played Shadow Fall in quite awhile, so I suppose free a?dditional content ??is a better reason than any to jump back in.

The post ‘The Canyon’ is the next free Killzone: Shadow Fall map, out today appeared first on Destructoid.

A new class, abilities, weapons, modes, and more

Killzone: Shadow Fall Season Pass owners and those with $9.99 to spare can download the game's first big multiplayer offering, the Insurgent Pack, as of today.

There's a lot included here, but the new Insurgent class and its ability to steal weapons and other abilities from downed enemies as well as hack ground automata is of special note. ??The Assault, Support, and Scout classes are also getting some love with the new E-Pulse Emitter, Tactical Echo Emitter, and Guard Drone abilities, plus weapon?s: the M82, StA-14, and LS12 SMG Pistol.

Lastly, the DLC contains the Campaign Elite and Multiplayer Collectibles modes, additional Trophies and Challenges, and extra personalization options including an OWL Skin, a Voice Pack, and three Spotlight Moves. Seems like reason enough to dig out that copy of Shadow Fall.

Killzone Shadow Fall Insurgent Pack Out Today [PlayStation Blog]

The post Killzone: Shadow Fall’s Insurgent Pack released appeared first on Destructoid.

No PlayStation Plus subscription? No problem

Guerrilla Games is celebrating the launch of Killzone: Shadow Fall's first map DLC with a week of free multiplayer. The festivities kick off tomorrow and conti??nue until March 11, giving those without Pl??ayStation Plus subscriptions an opportunity to join the fray for a limited time. 

Also free of charge are the new battlegrounds, ?which take inspiration from the derelict ISA vessel and dreaded hangar level from the single-player campaign. Those will debut on March 4 alongside the weekly PlayStation Store update.

Free Multiplayer Access Week [Guerrilla Games]

The post Killzone: Shadow Fall multiplayer, new maps free ??this week appeared first on Destructoid.

Taking third & fourth...Killzone and Battlefield?

So, one of the reasons for the delayed PS4 launch in Japan was the games lineup, right? They had to get more games for that audience? I'm not sure how good of a job they did if Battlefield 4 and Killzone Shadow Fall still cracked the top five sellers.

Meanwhile Knack is taking the Wii Sports appro??ach of "selling"? well by virtue of association (in a bundle).

It's a little surprising the PS4 sold there as well as it did. Good thing they managed to get the new Yakuza game out. I wonder when/if we'll get it.

1. Knack  (322,083)
2. Yakuza Restoration (73,086)
3. Battlefield 4 (26,878)
4. Killzone Shadow Fall (25,978)
5. Dynasty Warriors 8 (13,576)

プレイステーション4用ソフト販売本数TOP5が判明　『龍が如く 維新！』や『バトルフィールド4』などが上位に [Famitsu]

The post Bundle bump: K?nack was the best selling Japanese PS4 game appeared first on Destructoid.

Perhaps not as far off as originally thought

In a video about Killzone: Shadow Fall and developer Guerrilla Games posted to the PlayStation Japan YouTube channel, the studio's next project was ever so briefly talked about again.

"We are working on a new IP," said executive producer Angie Smets. "We started on that already two-and-a-half years ago, but unfortun??ately we cannot share details yet of the new IP so you'll have to be a bit more patient on that."

Last we heard of the unannounced game, Shadow Fall lead designer Eric Boltjes said Guerrilla "[wants] to keep it fresh," remarking that the title was "completely different to Killzone." Always a pleasure to hear that this stuff is in the works instead of yet another sequel.

The post Guerrilla’s new IP has been in the works for 2.5 years appeared first on Destructoid.

Patch 1.09 can be downloaded now

The update that introduces Guerrilla Games' early work in supporting clans in Killzone: Shadow Fall is available for download as of today. Players can now display their tags as part of their name in-game and invite clan members to a party, among other things.

Another new feature is the option to lock the framerate in at 30 frames per second in the campaign mode for people who want consistency, and extra save points have been added to the single-?player. Lastly, the range-increasing flashlight exploit for the VC30 has been addressed.

Good. Great. Grand! Anyone still actively playing Shadow Fall? How's it been treating you?

Killzone Shadow Fall Patch v1.09 is out [Killzone]

The post Killzone: Shadow Fall patch a?dds framerate lock option appeared first on Destructoid.

Helghan you believe it?

Killzone: Shadow Fall was the one big old "next gen" carni??val Sony had to stick to its PlayStation 4 and it seems that time in the uncontested limelight proved positive for the underdog series.

The PlayStation 4 sold 4.2 million consoles in 2013. It seems half of those owners also bought Shadow Fall, which boasts 2.1 million global sales as of January 15, 2014. This includes physical copies and digital?? -- I'd like to see what the percentage breakdown there is.

Worldwide software sales were at about 10 million since launch earlier this month, so the new Killzone boasts an impressive chunk of that. It certainly has to be the best the series has performed thus far. It will be mildly interesting to see if the next big thing, Infamous: Second Son, continues the trend.

Killzone: Shadow F?all global sales top 2.1 million [Joystiq]

The post Killzone: Shadow Fall has sold over 2.1M copies appeared first on Destructoid.

He's in the Garfield clan

It strikes me as unusual that Killzone: Shadow Fall wouldn't include a clan system out of the gate when that functionality has become so common among not only first-person shooters, but competitive multiplayer games more generally. It is on the way though, Guerrilla assures: "...we apologize for the time it's taking to implement our full vision for the clan system. To make the wait more bearable, we've decided to roll out clan features in mult??iple phases."

Patch 1.09, due out in early February, is the first part of that content rollout. It adds support for clan tags and "basic clan management functionality" such as making a clan, adding or removing members, and promoting individual users to ?the rank of clan officer.

"In subs??equent phases, we will expand on these features through free game patches and site updates, based in part on your feedback," says the studio. I've come to associate clan tags with a sinking feeling th?at I'm about to get my ass kicked. Anyone else?

Clan System is Coming [Killzone]

The post Killzone: Shadow Fall clan support incoming appeared first on Destructoid.

The first free multiplayer maps

Guerrilla Games has given a first look at two upcoming multiplayer maps in Killzone: Shadow Fall. The pair of maps, The Cruiser and The Hangar, are based on environments from the game's single-player campaign -- that often seems to be the case, doesn't it? One is all about close-quarters combat, the other, not so much. You can guess which i??s which.

These maps are going to be free once finished, with or without a Season Pass. Guerrilla also says it's working on the first DLC expansion for Shadow Fall, among other things. I haven't been playing the game, but I'll go out on a limb and say that players are ??going to appreciate getting these new maps before too long. It's nice to have a little variety.

First FREE Killzone Shadow Fall MP Maps Revealed [Killzone]

The post Here are two of Killzone: Shadow Fall’s free maps appeared first on Destructoid.

You can pre-load now

PlayStation Plus members who have yet to purchase Killzone: Shadow Fall will be given access to its multiplayer mode for free in an "extended open weekend" running ?from December 28??-31.

Plus members can pre-load Shadow Fall in preparation for the open weekend right now; those taking advantage of the free weekend will have full access to Shadow Fall's multiplayer, including any competitions and tournaments currently taking place.

Guerrilla Games notes that pre-loading Shadow Fall for the open weekend will also cause users to automatically download single-player content (you can make it so that the multiplayer portion downloads first), though said single-player content will remain ??locked.

Anyone planning on taking advantage of this?

Try Killzone Shadow Fa??ll multiplayer for fr?ee 28th-31st December [PlayStation Blog]

The post Killzone: Shadow Fall’s multiplayer is free this weekend appeared first on Destructoid.

No, seriously

Sony partnered up with Adult Swim recently to task the guys over at Robot Chicken with creating an amusing little ad for Killzone: Shadow Fall. It starts out with Sweet Tooth enjoying the game in his living room, and getting ready to share a clip of him throwing a grenade at a Helghast soldier's crotch. The soldier doesn't want to be embarrassed on Facebook ?for Kratos to see, so as a "professional courtesy" the two of them plank on top of Sweet Tooth's house to impress Kratos instead.

So, the moral of the story here is to plank on top of your house instead of using the DualShock 4's share button*. In all seriousness, it's a fun, silly ad that clearly doesn't take itself seriously, ?which is refreshing considering most first-person shooter ads these days try to sell to the hyper-bro crowd.

*Please don't actually do this.

The post Swe?et Tooth planks in?? this Robot Chicken Killzone ad appeared first on Destructoid.

Left-handed support among the additions

A new patch for Guerrilla Games' Killzone: Shadow Fall has been released,?? alte?ring certain aspects of the game's campaign, fixing various issues, and adding controller support for left-handed players.

Chapters seven and eight, of Shadow Fall's single-player campaign have been improved; the end section of 'Secure the Target' has been shortened and 'Outcast' has been made less frustrating by having the collision ceiling raised. Meaning that you'll be able to fly over more buildings instead of just? hitting into them and dying over and over and over and over. And over.

Be sure to have a look at the full patch notes and let us know if you think Gu?errilla has neglected to include a partic?ular fix or feature that is still needed.

Killzone Shadow Fall v1.05 Patch Notes [Killzone Community]

The post Killzone: Sha??dow Fall patch fixes things?? and adds stuff appeared first on Destructoid.

Welcome to Amsterdam

Fallout: New Vegas' lead creative designer, John Gonzalez, has joined the team behind the Killzone franchise over in Amsterdam.

Back in March of 2011, Gonzalez left Obsidian Entertainment and joined Warner Bros. Games where he worked as lead designer for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, a yet-to-be-released RPG prequel to The Lord of the Rings. According to his LinkedIn profile, Gon??zalez left WB Games back in August of this year and had j??oined Guerrilla a month later.

As for what Gonzalez is developing with Guerrilla, he's written that he's, "Up to something new. Couldn't be more excited."

Oooh! Let's guess stuff!

Fallout: New Vegas writer joins Guerrilla Games [GamesIndustry]

The post Fallout: New V?egas creative designer joins Killzone team appeared first on Destructoid.

Best. News. Ever.

A new patch for Killzone: Mercenary is coming in a few weeks. The patch will reduce the size of the previous patches so more patches can come along and patch th??e patches with more patches. Patches.

After releasing a pair of rather hefty updates alongside its portable first-person shooter earlier this autumn, Guerrilla Cambridge will provide PlayStation Vita owners with tiny memory cards some reprieve (at least momentarily) w?ith a third update designed to free up around 800MB of s?pace occupied by its predecessors. 

Three additional updates will arrive next year, the first of which is scheduled to drop sometime in January with matchmaking and connectivity fixes. A considerably larger one will arrive with two free multiplayer maps and offline Botzone for the Mercenary and Guerilla Warfare modes. The final update includes "continued refinements" and PS Vita TV suppo??rt. So much for freeing up all that memory card space.

Enjoy the patches!

New Killzone Mercenary Updates Coming, Free Multip??layer Maps [PlayStation Blog]

The post Killzone: Mercenary ??gets patch so it can g?et more patches appeared first on Destructoid.

Review Round-up: Week ending 11/16

The Playstation 4 dominated this weeks review schedule and rightfully so. Killzone: Shadow Fall, Knack, Resogun, and Contrast dominated our postings -- a??nd as of last night my Facebook wall (please turn off your notifications friends) -- but they were not the only games worth talking about this week. 

Perhaps the biggest individual release of the week was Nintendo's latest in The Legend Zelda franchise, A Link Between Worlds. It was by far our most popular story of the week with tons of amazing comments. There was also the new Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus and the long awaited DLC to BioShock Infinite that brought us back to Rapture: Burial at Sea Episode One.

All in all it was a pretty exciting weeks for games. This year is quickly coming to an end, but we still have the Xbox One's looming release and one of the Destructoid's staff's most anticipated titles Super Mario 3D World right around the corner. 

BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea Episode One (PC [reviewed], PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Developer: Irrational Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Released: November 12, 2013
MSRP: $14.99 (included in Season Pass)

Don't expect a whole lot of playtime without the second piece of the package, as Episode One's narrative will last you a solid hour or so, and you can tack on another hour or two (at maximum) if you want to explore everything. While I don't want to spoil it for you, Burial leaves off on a massive cliff?hanger at the very end, which is pretty much the o?nly point where it feels relevant.

I wasn't too impressed by Burial at Sea Episode One, mostly because it just doesn't add a whole lot to the overall franchise outside of the last 30 seconds, and it's simply not compelling enough. While it's quite possible that Episode Two will tie everything together in a neat bow and blow us all away, Irrational Ga??mes?? has yet to make a legitimate case for a return to Rapture.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Read the full BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea Episode One review

XCOM: Enemy Within (PC [reviewed], PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Developer: Firaxis Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Release Date: November 12, 2013
MSRP: $29.99 (PC download upgrade) / $39.99 (Console disc)

If you haven't played the newest XCOM yet, now is a perfect time to do so with the Enemy Within package. For all the XCOM veterans out there, you'll find a solid amount of new activities to engage in, as well as an unprecedented amount of squad customization. In other words, this is now the definitive Enemy experience.

Verdict: 9/10

Read the full XCOM: Enemy Within review

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus (PS3)
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: November 12, 2013
MSRP: $29.99 (Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty included for free)

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus doesn't make great strides to change up the series, but fans won't be disappointed. Nexus is short, sweet, and to the point, with hardly a dull moment in sight, making it a fitting conclusion to the Future series. When you add in the fact that the game is budget priced and you get Quest for Booty for free, it only sweetens the deal.

Verdict: 8/10

Read the full Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus review

Football Manager 2014 (PC [reviewed], Linux, Mac)
Developer: Sports Interactive
Publisher: SEGA
Release: October 31, 2013
MSRP: $49.99 / £34.99 

...this year's edition is building on what was already established; it will please longtime fans and keep them engaged as Football Manager 14 gives them all the depth ?and options they would want. There could still be more done to ease new fans into the series but that will maybe have to wait unti?l next year.

Verdict: 8/10

Read the full Football Manager 2014 review

Beer Pong! (PlayStation 3)
Developer:  JV Games
Publisher: JV Games
Released: October 22, 2013
MSRP: $4.99

There's just no reason to play this. Beer Pong! is a joyless shell a college drinking game. It revolves entirely around mechani??cs that do not function with any sense of accuracy or preci??sion. Save your money and play the real thing. Or do anything else. Anything at all.

Verdict: 1/10

Read the full Beer Pong! review

Final Exam (PC, PSN, XBLA [Reviewed])
Developer: Mighty Rocket Studio
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Released: November 5, (PC, PSN); November 8, 2013 (XBLA)
MSRP: $9.99

...it’s not the worst of games. It does an admirable job bringing some modern systems into an old school brawler and at a more than affordable price. It controls well and the visuals are mildly entertaining with all the gooey giblets that are constantly flying around. It’s just  a game you'll go through once and neve?r go back to again.

Verdict: 5/10

Read the full Final Exam review

Resogun (PlayStation 4)
Developer: Housemarque
Publisher: SCE
Released: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $14.99 (Free for PlayStation Plus members)

Resogun is a satisfying arcade-style game with a next-gen look and feel -- the ideal system launch game. It’s an eye-searing blur of a loop that you’ll be happy to jum??p into again and again. Don’t miss it.

Verdict: 9.5/10

Read the full Resogun review

Knack (PS4)
Developer: Sony Japan Studio
Publisher: SCE
Released: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99

Knack is still a fun romp, and definitely worth a play. It’s easy to pick up, a?? joy to look at, and and some of the boss battles are pretty great. My recommendation is that you take it in smaller doses, or try out the drop-in/drop-out cooperative play, which will definitely help when the going gets tough.

It’s not the next blockbuster platformer you'd want out of a launch title, but you need a break from shooters or want something with some personality, Knack is worth a look. 

Verdict: 7/10

Read the full Knack review

Killzone: Shadow Fall (PS4)
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Released: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99

 like Killzone: Shadow Fall for its change of direction from previous series games, as well as its change of pace over other first-person shooters. Guerrilla has tried a few new things this time arou?nd, and should be commended as such. I welcome the almost sandbox-ish level approach, and the stealth segments did a nice job of breaking up the standard shooting action. It’s r?eally nice when gameplay concepts win out over big set pieces and cinematic events. 

Oh, and it’s beautiful. A stunner. Killzone: Shadow Fall is the gam?e that will make you hap??py to own a PS4. This needs to be on your PS4 launch game list.

Verdicts: 9/10

Read the full Killzone: Shadow Fall review

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS)
Developer: Nintendo EAD Group No. 3
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: November 22, 2013
MSRP: $39.99

A Link Between World's main problem at the end of the day is a complete lack of heart. There's no defining moment, no memorable villains or characters, and no truly "new" items that make their mark on the series. It's certainly playable in every sense of the word, but I didn't fe??el the magic I had felt so many times before.

In fact, the only real legacy it leaves behind beyond being a serviceable Zelda game is its welcome streamlining, which I hope is carried over to future iterations. It's a great way to return to the world of Link to the Past, but outside of some we?lcome streamlining, it doesn't ??surpass it, or even meet it.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Read the full The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds review

Risk of Rain (PC)
Developer: Hopoo Games
Publisher: Chucklefish Games
Release: November 8, 2013
MSRP: $9.99
Rig: AMD Phenom II X2 555 @ 3.2 GHz, with 4GB of RAM, ATI Radeon HD 5700, Windows 7 64-bit

All things considered, Risk of Rain is a lot of fun. Though it is held back by its t??echnical faults (which can be reasonably expected from a project created by two students), it has the right stuff to elicit the "just one more run" response that roguelike games are known for. With a little more polish, it ??could be truly great, but as it is now, it's still totally worth checking out.

Verdict: 7/10

Read the full Risk of Rain review

Contrast (PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 [reviewed], Xbox 360)
Developer: Compulsion Games
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Release Date: November 14, 2013
MSRP: $14.99 (Free on PlayStation Plus)

There really isn't a whole lot to Contrast throughout its roughly three hour tale. It's a perfect game to pick up on PlayStation Plus ?for free, but if you're a non-subscriber or you're musing on another platform, I'd wait for a sale. It does a nice job of weaving a sweet little tale of a young girl and her struggle to maintain her innocence in a (literal and figurative) dark and dreary world, but it's nothing special, and nothing you haven't really seen before.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Read the full Contrast review

The post The best and worst games of the week appeared first on Destructoid.

What to get, and what to skip

As we draw closer to PS4 launch day, November 15, we will be bringing you reviews and previews from the launch window and beyond. This is where we'll collect al?l of our coverage, updating it daily as embargoes lift and more titles are released.

Think of this PS4 launch title guide as your one-s?top destination for our coverage. If we're missing any titles you'd like to hear about??, please let us know! 

Launch Day

Killzone: Shadowfall 
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99
Score: 9.0 (review here)

I like Killzone: Shadow Fall for its change of direction from previous series games, as well as its change of pace over other first-person shooters. Guerrilla has tried a few new things this time around, and should be commended as such. I welcome the almost sandbox-ish level approach, and the stealth segments did a nice job of breaking up the standard shooting action. It&r??squo;s really nice when gameplay concepts win out over big set pieces and cinematic events. 

Oh, and it’s beautiful. A stunner. Killzone: Shadow Fall ??i??s the game that will make you happy to own a PS4. This needs to be on your PS4 launch game list.

Knack
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99
Score: 7.0 (review here)

Knack is still a fun romp, and definitely worth a play. It’s easy to pick up, a joy to look at, and and?? some of the boss battles are p?retty great. My recommendation is that you take it in smaller doses, or try out the drop-in/drop-out cooperative play, which will definitely help when the going gets tough.

It’s not the next blockbuster platformer you'd want out of a launch title, but you need a break from shooters or want something with some personality, Knack is worth a look. 

Resogun
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $14.99 (free with PS+)
Score: 9.5 (review here)

Resogun is a satisfying arcade-style game with a next-gen look and feel -- the ideal system launch game. It’s an eye-se?aring blur of a loop that you’ll be happy to jump into again and again. ??Don’t miss it.

Flower
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $9.99, but free to owners of the PS3 version
Score: Coming soon (our original review can be found here) [8.0]

An already beautiful game now looks even better. Flower has been ported from PS3 to PS4, now running at 1080p at 60 frames per second. Visually, the improvement is so massiv?e that it's almost unbelievable. Fields look more lush with the increased detail, and the motion is so fluid that it feels like a brand new game. While the improvements are purely visual, anyone that enjoyed the original should?? definitely try it again. The best news is that it's free for owners of the PS3 title. If you're buying it for the first time on PS4, you'll be able to download it on PS3 or Vita, too.

Sound Shapes
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $9.99
Score: (our original review can be found here) [7.0]

Like Flower, Sound Shapes gets a PS4 ?update. It's essential??ly the same game, but now you have another platform to play it on.

Assasssin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99
Score: (our original review can be found here) [8.5]

Updated impressions here.

Call of Duty: Ghosts
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99
Score: (our original review can be found here) [5.0]

Updated impressions here.

DC Universe Online
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: Free-to-play
Score: [N/A]

FIFA 14
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99
Score: [N/A]

Battlefield 4
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99
Score: (our original review can be found here) [8.0]

Like Call of Duty on the PS4 and Xbox One, Battlefield 4 benefits significantly on a next-gen system, giving it feature parity with the PC. Now you can experience Battlefield the way it was meant to be played, with full 64 player ????matches and enhanced visuals.

The PS4 version is slightly sharper than the Xbox One release, so if friends aren?'t an issue, I'd go with the fo??rmer -- Chris

Just Dance 2014
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: 
Score: [N/A]

Injustice: Gods Among Us
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99
Score: (our original review can be found here) [8.5]

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99
Score: (our original review can be found here) [8.5]

Madden 25
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99
Score: (our original review can be found here) [7.5]

NBA 2K 14
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99
Score: [N/A]

Need for Speed: Rivals
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99
Score: 8.0 [review here]

Skylanders: Swap Force
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99
Score: (our original review can be found here) [8.5]

Blacklight Retribution
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: Free-to-play
Score: (our original review can be found here) [9.0]

Contrast
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $14.99 (free with PS+)
Score: 6.5 [review here]

Super Motherload
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $14.99
Score: 8.0 [review here]

Trine 2: The Complete Story
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $14.99
Score: [N/A]

Warframe
Release Date: November 15, 2013
MSRP: Free-to-play
Score: [N/A]

Launch Window

Doki Doki Universe
Release Date: December 2013
MSRP: TBA

Doki Doki Universe is adorable, but I'm still not quite sure what it is even after spending a few hours with it. I mean, I like?? whatever it is, but I still don't ?understand it. I have a feeling that figuring out just what it is may take awhile.

I??n this game you play as a robot named OT3. This poor robot has been standing on a little planet for 11,432 days, waiting for his family to come back. On that 11,432nd day, he learns from a new alien friend t?hat they're probably never coming back. And to make matters worse, this friend tells him that his model is being discontinued, and that he's to be scrapped.

But QT3 has a chance to stick around by showing that ?he's capable of humanity. To do this, he travels on the back of his choice of interstellar steed (I picked a flying beaver) to different planets to meet beings and become friends with them. In my short time with the game I've fed a friendly zombie chicken, danced, learned how to make earthquakes, collected dust bunnies, and more. You are supposed to meet with a therapist to see how you're doing on your humanity quest. Mine farted when I gave him a castle. 

Yeah. I don't know what's going on. But I like it.&??nbsp;

Awesomenauts: Assemble
Release Date: TBA 2013
MSRP: $14.99
Score: [N/A]

Impressions coming at the launch of the game.

Beyond launch

Child of Light
Release Date: TBA 2014
MSRP: TBA

In our first hands-on preview, we played the PS4 version of Child of Light, which was impossibly pretty. Ubisoft's JRPG-inspired storybook fairy tale uses hand-drawn art, dialogue written in verse, and a battle system that takes from RPG classic Grandia 2. It's powered by the same engine they used for Rayman Legends, so theres's some serious potential here.

So far, it's looking like Child of Light could b??e the PS4's first true role-playing game. W??e can't wait.

inFamous: Second Son
Release Date: TBA 2014
MSRP: TBA

We're super bummed that Sucker Punch's inFamous: Second Son didn't make launch. But we played the lates?t?? build this week and it looks to be shaping up.

Blasting faces with fire coming straight from Delsin's hand was...well, a blast. But I liked running around to explore his home town of Seattle more, mostly because getting around is so much fun. Using super powers to fly is great, but turning into smoke to instantly teleport thorough grates is much more fun. But, neither are anywhere near as satisfying as Delsin'??s neon powers, which lets him run in any direction -- up walls or even in the air. It's like having some kind of god mode on. It almost feels wrong.

Oh, and Second Son looks amazing. Explosions look like something you'd see in a movie, and the special effects tied to Delsin's powers pop right off the screen. But some of the subtle visual stuff also makes an impact. Seeing signs and other lights reflected in the puddles of the streets of rainy Seatt?le really goes a long w??ay toward making the game's setting seem real.

The demo was just a small taste of Delsin's destructive powers. I want more. Let's hope the wait isn't ??going to be too much longer.

War Thunder
Release Date: TBA 2014
MSRP: TBA

WarThunder has five million people signed up for its PC beta, so this free-to-play title is already off to a good start before it lands on the PS4. We saw the latest build running on PS4, played with a DualShock 4 controller. Their control system takes flying and makes it easy, with movement and aiming tied together in analog stick moves, giving players what are essentially first-person shooter controls in the sky. But, if flight sims are your thing, the PS4 version will support flight sticks as well as mouse/keyboard control, permitting ?full, unassisted control.

Flight sims have been niche titles, but WarThunder looks r??eally easy to get into. Anyone can jump in and blow stuff up in more than 300 available planes. Soon they'll add tank??s to the mix, and ships later. 

The PS4 ver??sion will be fully cross-compatible with the PC version.

The post Destructoid’s PlayStation 4 launch title guide appeared first on Destructoid.

A fresh start

For franchise ??sequels that accompany system launches, it's not uncommon to see the reuse of assets or game engines. We've come to ex??pect a simple turning up of the graphics, if you will. The good stuff? The brand new stuff? That usually comes later.

Killzone: Shadow Fall does not follow that pattern. Gue??rrilla Games went back to the beginning, starting fresh with its first PS4 game. Sometimes a fresh start is the best thing. 

Killzone: Shadow Fall (PS4)
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Released: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $59.99

Killzone: Shadow Fall is set some 30 years after Killzone 3, in a time where the ISA and the Helghast are practically next-door neighbors, separated by a massi??ve dividing wall -- a Berlin Wall-type situation. While there are still ?smaller bouts of fighting, the situation now leans more toward political conflict and distrust. There are two sides of this piece of Vekta, half covered with life and progress, and the other half with slums where refugees are barely scraping by. 

So now, instead of going against waves of soldiers in all-out war, the fights in Shadow Fall are small and quiet, and are usually based around secret missions where protagonist Lucas Kellan has to keep a low profile as a c??overt operative. These are missions that are of the utmost importance to ISA, though Kellan begins to question their importance as he comes to understand the Helgan side of the story. 

Shadow Fall is more open than any of the previous games, taking players out of corridors and into vast, open play spaces. In fact, the game’s first area is so large that I got lost in it more than once. I immediately found myself hiding in the bushes, nervous over just how much ground there was to cover. Fans of the series as well as shooter players will notice a new flexibility and openness here, with many stages having multiple options for approaches. For these areas, there are no wrong choices. You’re free to go with what ??fits your play style and mood best, which is a refreshing change. 

It seems that avoiding engagement with any more than a couple of enemies is the going theme for Shadow Fall. It’s you against the Helgan world, so you’re best served by laying low, working to pick off enemies individually if possible. Of course, if you’ve got the chops, you’re free to take on everyone at once. But it seems that Guerrilla built Shadow Fall around more careful play, maybe taking cues from stealth games like Dishonored. This tone makes everything you set out to do feel a bit more meaningful, and that feeling ties in? nicely with the game’s story.

Most of the game’s missions have you doing things like sneaking across enemy lines to meet informants, or crawling in ducts to quietly? take a target out. ??It’s stealth right alongside guns-a-blazing, making for a really entertaining mix across the 10 or more hours of the single-player campaign. In some cases, you can choose to play missions either way, though you’ll find a lot of them are best approached carefully.

But you’re not completely alone out there. A remote drone called OWL is at your command, ready?? to be sent out to peek around corners and get some suppression fire going so that you can take a quick breather. OWL can also set up a temporary shield, jam other shields, hack into enemy security systems, and even send out a zip line for you. To call OWL useful would be an understatement. I don’t think I would have made it through this game without it.

OWL’s control makes use of the DualShock 4’s touch pad, with directional swipes triggering its four main functions. Think of these swipes as a stand-in for more buttons on t??he controller. For example, to send OWL out to take down baddies, simply swipe upward to turn on its attack mode, move the reticle to where you’d like it to go, and then tap L1. OWL magically appears and starts laying down the hurt. Another tap of L1 brings him back. The zip-line function?? works the same way: swipe to the right, point, tap L1, and ride down.

Shadow Fall’s objective system is simple and elegant. A tap up on the d-pad will give you a quick reminder of what you’re supposed to be doing as well as turning on a temporary waypoint to head toward. Holding up on the d-pad lets you get a better look at your objective as well as review your past o??nes. 

The rest of the d-pad is used for other abilities, with the most useful being a scanning pulse echo that lets you see the position of enemies and items through walls. Holding down the direction increases the range of the pulse, but holding it too long sends out static that makes your location known to enemies. The opposite direction on the d-pad gives you a shot of adrenaline, which temporarily heals you up as well as slows ??down time, giving you a short double advantage. 

Guerrilla attempts to break up the s??hooti??ng with sequences with other types of action, though not all of these attempts are as enjoyable as others. Short sequences that have Kellan floating through space were a nice change of pace.

Basic puzzles, mostly relating to unlocking doors or other pathways, reminded me of Dead Space, and were fine. But platforming in first-person is not an easy thing, and trying to do so on narrow platforms while dodging fast-moving obstacles was supremely frustrating. Finally, while the game??’s couple of free-fall segments looked great, their control is clunky, which had me d?ying dozens of times each. 

But these sequences are a small issue when factored into the full experience. Shadow Fall’s sin??gle-player campaign is well designed, thoroughly challenging, and full of surprises. It’s a journey that takes you from filthy underground ghettos to the top of tower?ing skyscrapers, going up against everything from tiny automated robo-spiders to terrifying, building-sized sentries. There was never a dull moment. 

Even if the single-player side of the game is good enough to warrant the price of entry, there’s still a robust multiplayer offering to add to it.? Expect three classes, 10 maps, and almost two dozen weapons to play with. This 1080p, high-frame-rate offering will be what keeps you playing your PS4 beyond the launch window.

Among the modes, Wargames have match rules changing over time to keep things lively. You’ll be thrown into games that have you capturing or destroying points alongside your standard deathmatches, all in a random?? rotation. And speaking of lively, all of the weapons are available from the start. 

Instead of fighting to earn experience, you take on challenges during multiplayer to bene??fit your profile. Your rank goes up as you check items off the challenge list. For example, blowing up an enemy turret will add ??to your rank. 

The action in Shadow Fall’s multiplayer keeps you on your toes, especially in one mode called Paranoia in the Park, where only scouts can play. You get one life, one gun for sniping, and no radar -- it’s kill or be killed. I spent a lot of time in the kill cams in this one. Play is fast, but not so fast that it’s hard to keep up. Being ab?le to use the pulse echo to see all of your enemies within a short range is really nice, though they can see you just as well. 

Matches take place across 10 maps, with fights going down anywhere from factories to penthouses to a future indoo??r shopping center. My favorite has you out in the woods in a wide area with plenty of hiding places in bushes and cave-like rock formations. You can climb up in tree perches to get your sni?pe on, but you’re a sitting duck for all those in hiding. Having cloaking abilities here makes things particularly interesting. 

Guerrilla leaves it up to the players to determine match rule sets. Get a??s specific as you’d like with weapon requirements, lives, and player types, or leave it all open -- it’s up to you. 

Of course, the feel is more important than any mode or progression method. I’m happy to say that Killzone: Shadow Fall is butter smooth in multiplayer, with aiming and movement that feel precise and well-tuned. I’m sure that Guerrilla put some solid work in under the hood to make this happen, but I feel like the DualShock 4’s new sticks and triggers are doing their part as ???well. I was surprised at just how quickly I became connected with multiplayer’s feel. Never has a game’s multiplayer locked in so quickly for me.

If Killzone: Shadow Fall is what next-gen looks like, I’m pleased. Guerrilla aims to impress right out of the gate, with an opening that shows the high level of detail over what looks like millions of futuristic buildings gli?mmering in the sunlight.

The full 1080p resolution with a solid framerate never let me down, and I got so used to how that looked that picki??ng up a current-generation shooter right after was almost shocking. Background textures are almost photorealistic in places, and Guerrilla makes excellent use of PS4’s power to light scenes at every opportunity. 

My only real visual gripe were the doughy faces and stiff animations in some of the cutscene closeups, though they have no bearing on gameplay. Aside from that, there was the rare set detail that looked poor in comparison to the foreground stuff, and some of the NPC models weren’t up to snuff. But for the most part, Shadow Fall is one hell of a looker. 

I like Killzone: Shadow Fall for its change of direction from previous series games, as well as its change of pace over other first-person shooters. Guerrilla has tried a few new things this time around, and should be commended as such. I welcom??e the almost sandbox-ish level approach, and the stealth segments did a nice job of breaking up the standard shooting action. It’s really nice when gameplay concepts win out over big set pieces and cinematic events. 

Oh, and it’s beautiful. A stunner. Killzone: Shadow Fall is the game that w??????????????????????????ill make y?ou happy to own a PS4. This needs to be on your PS4 launch game list.

The post Review: Killzone: Shadow Fall appeared first on Destructoid.

The PlayStation 4's flagship launch game sure looks pretty

Killzone: Shadow Fall is locked, loaded, and ready to unleash a torrent of next-generation gunfire on PlayStation 4 later this week. With just a few days remaining until the opening volleys echo across the world, Sony has unveiled a pair of new vid?eos to build anticipation for its exclusive first-person shooter.

It's clear developer Guerrilla Games aims to take its marquee franchise to new heights with Shadow Fall, as the series veers into new territory with an increased focus on storytelling, new tactics and gameplay hooks, and, of course, the stunning visual?? wizardry. 

The post Killzone: Shadow Fall launch trai?ler is a sight to behold appeared first on Destructoid.

PS4 isn't available yet, but it's hottest exclusive sure is for some reason

Killzone: Shadow Fall went on sale at GameStop today, because reasons. With the PlayStati??on 4 launch still more t?han a fortnight away, that leaves quite a lot of time to stare at the box and, well, not a lot else actually.

I imagine the next two weeks are going to be a lot like some of my childhood rides home from the local game shop. Prospective PS4 owners everywhere will be sitting there with Killzone: Shadow Fall in hand, intensely fixated on this wonderful g??ame they can't yet play.

It's just too bad the first-person shooter doesn't come equipped with a shiny manual full of lovely art to look at. On the bright side though, Blu-ray disc??s make for way better Frisbees than Super Nintendo cartridges ever did.

Oh, in case you don't have enough useless stuff strewn across your desk already, the DualShock 4 and PlayStation 4 Camera are also already on sale at select locations. Novem?ber 15 can't get here soon enough.

Killzone: Shadow Fall [GameStop via Polygon]

The post Need a drink coaster? Killzone??: Shadow Fall is out now appeared first on Destructoid.

Downloading the initial 7.5GB should be enough to get you started

A previous report pinned Killzone: Shadow Fall as being around a 50GB download for PlayStation 4 users who opt for the PlayStation Network version. According to Eurogamer, ?the title is now 39.7GB in Europe and closer to 37GB for regions which include fewer languages.

This is optimized, mind you -- Killzone 3 had a larger file size despite the fact that Shadow Fall is, by technical director Michiel van der Leeuw's estimates, "five to 10 times bigger" in term?s of surface area.

"I think at some point the di?sc image that we were generating was around 180 gigs," he said. "And if we would have put all the levels in, which we didn't, because then the disc image generator broke, it would have ?been around 290 gigs of data.

"So we had to completely re-architect how we deal with ??data. And we did a lot of work -- this is actually something I'm extremely proud of -- to optimize our disc access pattern. Sony made special libraries for us because we were the first ones hitting these sort of problems. I think it's something that a lot of people will need to be doing in future."

Juggling installations is not something I'm fond of doing after spending much of this current console generation stubbornly sticking with an origina?l 20GB Xbox 360 hard drive. As okay as I am with ditching physical copies of my media, that's not looking like a viable option in the long run. Although, come to think of it, discounts on the store will be the end of me.

Why Killzone Shadow Fall is almost 40GB (it used ??to be 290...) [Eurogamer]

The post 40GB sound bad? Killzone: Shadow Fall could’ve been 290GB appeared first on Destructoid.

Graphics thralls, unite and be delighted!

The Killzone series has always pushed graphical horsepower as one of its biggest selling points, and it's hard not to get excited at all the pretty lights and motion blur. As such, gorgeous gif images tend to crop up whenever a new game is in the works, and Killzone: Shadow Fall is no exception. 

These images, taken from Revision3's preview footage and cultivated by Gamepur, showcase the gorgeous visuals in the upcoming PS4 launch title. Yes, there are? lovely lighting effects, and the animations are indeed beautiful to behold. However, I'm firmly of the opinion that art direct?ion trumps raw graphical power any day of the week. 

Shadow Fall seems to deliver in that regard, combining power with actual artistic talent. You don't see too much of that in the so-called ??"AAA" sphere. 

For me, it's the strong, contrasting architecture of the Helghan and Vektan environments, as well as the bold color schemes, that get me off. It takes money to make a game look pretty -- it takes skill to make a game look trul?y stunning. All that cash means nothing if you can't do anything definitive with it. 

This is where Shadow Fall succee??ds, at least looking at these images. Check 'em out below, but be aware there's a ton of moving pictures down there!

The post Killzo?ne: Shadow Fall gifs showcase ??power and design appeared first on Destructoid.

This is our home

Look, I'm not necessarily a Killzone person or even a shooter person (I usually only play the campaigns). But Killzone: Shadow Fall looks great. I suppose the franchise fans out th?ere will get more out of this brand new story trailer than I did, but I still have a full appreciation of how fantastic?? it looks, and am glad that this is a PS4 launch title. 

I'm looking forward to playing it,? dying often in it, and exploring what looks to be a pretty deep storyline. 

What do you think? Is ??this on your launch day list?

The post Killzone: Shadow Fall gets a new story trailer appeared first on Destructoid.