Star Wars has always been big news, but now it’s just one of the many blobs that are trying to slather themselves over every inch of the media landscape and suck th??e time right out of us. A long time ago, it used to feel like it belonged to the fans.

Before the prequel trilogy started production, it seemed like no one was really sure what to do with the license. There were novels, comic books, and video games; things that the mainstream largely ignored. It became something more for nerds (like myself) who would delve into the lore. New entries felt as though they were made for that audience. It was very disciplined and gentle, as Star Wars was such a precious thing. Though, it was still very messy at times.

1995’s Star Wars: Dark Forces is slightly more blunt with its handling, but it’s nowhere near the demolition that was just on th?e hor??izon. It has a quaint charm that a lot of people from that time connected with, so it’s not much of a surprise that the remaster professionals at Nightdive would want to touch it up.

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster (PC [reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox SeriesX|S, Switch)
Developer: LucasArts, Nightdive Studios
Publisher: Nightdive Studios
Released: February 28, 2024
MSRP: $29.99

In 1995, the first-person shooter was just beginning to establish itself. In 1992, Wolfenstein 3D built the formula, and 1993’s Doom lit the fuse. Immediately, people looked at this newfound perspective and thought, “This would be awesome if it was Star Wars.�In fact, Star Wars: Dark Forces�project leader Daron Stinnett, even said that the game was partially inspired by a Doom mod that take place in the Death Star.

At the time, 1993’s Star Wars: Rebel Assault and Star Wars: X-Wing were dabbling in creating new storylines around the movies for players to muck around in, so Star Wars: Dark Forces did the same, creating the character Kyle Katarn, a sarcastic mercena??ry who used to work with the Empire. He’s the guy who stole the De??ath Star plans! I think that story has been told three or four times with different people responsible in each one. But according to LucasArts, in 1993, it was Kyle Katarn.

After making that minor contribution to Star Wars history, Katarn is then assigned by Mon Moth??ma to look into the Empire’s new super-weapon, the Dark Trooper. That sounds like a foe that my friends and I would have made up on the schoolyard, and it’s exactly what you’d expect. They’re big evil dudes with big guns and indestructible armor that can wipe out entire Rebel bases, but they can’t beat Kyle Katarn.

O??ne thing that I do respect about this story, however, is that there aren’t any Jedi. Nary a lightsaber to be glimpsed. Just good old inelegant blasters and blaster-adjacent we??apons.

Star Wars: Dark Forces isn’t much of a diversion from other �em>Doom clones�at the time. The biggest difference between it and the FPS that came before is objectives. The best levels in the game have Katarn infiltrate an Imperial installation, do whatever he’s th??ere for, and then escape with the help of his pilot, Jan Ors. The less impressive levels have you get to whatever you’re looking for, then it just tells you, “Open Main menu to end mission.�That’s okay. I guess I have an imagination and can just assume that Kyle Katarn walks back the way he came.

Actually, regardless of whether or not Jan descends to pick you up, you still have to open the menu and click “next mission�to advance, which is not a meth?od of transition that has been widely adopted since.

Another addition that Dark Forces makes to the formula is cutscenes. Every so often, you get to see glimpses of the characters going over the mission. They’re mostly dialogue, but it’s a step better than the text scrolls in Doom. There ar??e also location transitions, so you can see your ship fly toward a planet or something. It’s worthwhile dressing.

Nightdive touched up the cutscenes, which feels a bit unnecessary but are nice anyway. They essentially just made everything smoother, both in motion and in pixelation. The cutscenes still kind of look pretty retro, but if you’re familiar with the original look, the difference is?? obvious. In fact, the option to turn off the enhanced cutscenes is available, so you can compare if you feel like i?t.

In general, Nightdive’s remaster is as solid as usual. As with previous projects, the game has been transferred to the Kex Engine. The sprites and textures have been upscaled and touched up to be higher resolution than the originals. They look a lot better at higher resolutions, but they still have a bit of a pixelated look. According to Nightdive artist Albert Marin Garau, the original assets were upscaled 400%, then “handpainted and touched up.�/p>

There’s also optional bloom and “true�3D perspective (like most games that use raycasting for 3D, the perspective in Dark Forces would warp ??when you ??look up and down). All of this is optional. In fact, with a press of a button, you can shift the game into software rendering, making it appear exactly as it did in 1995. Or at least a reasonable facsimile. I never felt this was necessary, but it’s always nice to have the option.

The fact that Star Wars: Dark Forces can easily run on modern platforms and consoles makes the remaster worthwhile. I always had difficulty getting it to run reliably with DOSBox, so the best bet was to find a source port, which always took a bit of tweaking. A fan recently created “The Force Engine,�which is a pretty good option. The author of that port worked with Nightdive on Dark Forces remastered. However, I feel? like an “out-of-box�experience is always preferable.

Beyond that, Nightdive has included some behind-the-scenes content. While this provides some in??teresting background, the most interesting inclusion is a cut level called “The Avenger.�It takes place in a Star Destroyer and was apparently used as the demo for CES.

The problem is, like with some of Nightdive’s previous projects, such as Turok 3 and PowerSlave, Star Wars: Dark Forces just isn’t all that great, which I’m sure Stephen Kick would disag?ree with.

The level design is just butt. From a technical standpoint, they use a lot of great trickery to emulate room-over-room 3D, and they often look pretty decent. However, they contain a lot of awkward world geometry, strange dead-ends, pointless rooms, and unclear paths to your obj??ectives.

Limitations of raycasting engines of the era made it really difficult to create realistic environments. Most of the time, they instead went in a more abstract direction. That’s not really the problem here. The problem is that Dark Forces likes to hide its paths to its objectives. There were?? times that I thoug?ht I was finding a secret room, and it turned out to be the intended path.

Also, whoever decided it would be fun to hide landmines under clusters of i??tems was wrong.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t really like when I get funneled through an area. I think exploration was one of the biggest strengths of �0s shooters that was lost when they began following the more linear Half-Life formula. However, a feeling of constant progression is an important part of level design, and too much of that is lost walking in circles while trying to figure out how t??o advance.

The first time I played Star Wars: Dark Forces was a very long time ago, but what sticks ??in my mind is dropping the game because I got stuck on the sewer level and couldn’t find where I was supposed to go. I didn’t have the problem this time around, nor did I hit a barrier I couldn’t overcome, but I was very ?aware of the moments where I lost the trail.

Amusingly, the cut level is better than most that made it into the game. While it, too, gets a little unclear in terms of where you need to go and has rooms with no purpose, the fact that it’s designed in a way that feels more like a real place and, as a result, is more?? interesting to explore.

Beyond that, much of Dark Forces takes place in narrow corridors, and of its arsenal, I only made consistent use of two weapons. They were a blaster and another type of blaster. This is kind of the downside to the gentle care that Star Wars was handled with that I alluded to at the beginning of this review. People making stories in the universe would rarely invent new devices, and there wasn’t a whole lot of variety needed ??for the movies.

The result is that, among the stormtroopers that you fight, there are enemies that don’t really make much sense. Probe droids were used a lot in older games, but the movies kind of presented them like disposable reconnaissance units. The one Han fights in The Empire Strikes Back even self-destructs when attack??ed. Alongside this are interrogation droids and one of those little hovering ball things that Luke Skywalker uses to train with in exactly one scene. Even if you accept their presence, they really just shoot at you like almost everything else does.

So, the result is a decent remaster of an okay game. Not bad, better than middling, but not good. Given that it has the Star Wars license, Dark Forces was no doubt successful in 1995 and will most likely be successful now. And it should be. Because even mediocre game??s can be worthwhile, and they often have a story to tell. I’ll always be grateful when Nightdive and other studio?s go to the effort to revive them, and I will always be here asking for more.

Speaking of which, when can we have Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2?

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Hey, gamers! Wanna feel old? What if I told you that the classic LucasArts title Grim Fandango just turned 25? Time is indeed marching on unabated. However, to offer some small comfort, you can now get the game's soundtrack on LP?.

As spotted by TechRadar, the good people at iam8bit have launched a vintage black vinyl that features the remastered orchestral soundtrack to Grim Fandango. Not onl??y that, but it comes with a "diecut cover" that has the many faces of one Manny Calavera.

While the soundtrack was released a few years ago for the game's 20th anniversary, ?this represents a chance to ??own it on a neat-looking vinyl set. It's currently priced at $42.99.

Perhaps one of Schafer's finest works (commence disagreements)

Released October 30, 1998, Grim Fandango is something of a relic of a ?bygone (and almost certainly missed) era of PC gaming. The story concerns the aforementioned Manny, a travel agent working for the Department of Death, selling luxury packages to souls as they make their way to the afterlife.

In typical 90s LucasArts fashion, the point-and-click narrative of the game was notorious for its convoluted, sometimes illogical puzzles. It w?as a simper time though, a?nd any frustrations were quickly offset by the story's sharp writing, courtesy of Tim Schafer.

It's not too late to play Grim Fandango for those who missed out. A remastered version was released in 2015, which maintains its original look but adds some modern tweaks. To sweeten the deal a bit, you can get the game for a massive 75% off through Steam or GOG until November 6.

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Nightdive Studios has been hard at work bringing us remasters and remakes of classic FPS games from a bygone era. We've already had revamped versions of the first two Quake games, and now the developer is bringing back Star Wars: Dark Forces.

In a recent trailer on the studio's YouTube channel, Nightdive will be collaborating with Lucasfilm Games (formerly LucasArts) to create a remaster of the mid-90's Star Wars title.

//youtu.be/4b9TTurkH4c

The trailer (which demonstrates alpha footage) shows off some of the work so far. You'll definitely want to check out the renewed cut scenes. Much like previous projects done by Nightdive, it'll still look and feel like Dark Forces, but will be given a modern lift with 4K visuals, plus "advanced 3D rendering, m??odern gamepad support, trophies and achievements, and more."

The (dark) force is strong in this one

The original game was released all the way back in 1995, and was the first in the Jedi Knight series. It was developed on the aptly named Jedi engine, which is a toolkit that shares similarities with Build, the engine that powered the likes of Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior. Nightdive's remaster of the ancient Star Wars game will utilize the KEX engine instead, which the studio has used in a number of projects, including for the Quake remaster.

We recently got treated to a modern version of Quake 2, which improved the graphics (particularly in the lighting departmen??t) while also adding qua?lity-of-life changes and the DLC.

At the moment, we don't know when Star Wars: Dark Forces will be coming out, but it's set to release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Ninte?ndo Switch, and PC.

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I buckle a mean swash

If you were a friend of mine around the launch of the Special Edition of Secret of Monkey Island, I probably tried to thrust it upon you. I was in the midst of exploring the point-and-click adventure genre, as I had passed it by when I was young, and Secret of Monkey Island was the new high point. Maniac Mansion is a wonderfully well-designed puzzle box, but Secret of Monkey Island is a symphony. Its ?puzzle design is near perfect, and its humorous script makes it e?xtraordinarily rewarding to solve them.

Monkey Island 2 might be better than that, but following those two hits, the series took a dive. Curse of Monkey Island, Escape from Monkey Island, and Tales of Monkey Island are all fine. Oka??y even. But the first two game?s weren’t fine, they were magic.

So Ron Gilbert has rejoined Dave Grossman on the series and has promised to deliver Monkey Island back to its lofty status. Well, I don’t remember him saying that; he probably didn’t. However, that’s how us fans all took it. But can Return to Monkey Island really live up to those classic titles?

Return to Monkey Island (PC [Reviewed], Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Terrible Toybox
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Released: September 19, 2022
MSRP: $24.99

Leading up to launch, I heard a lot of speculation about Return to Monkey Island ignoring everything after the second game and being a direct sequel to LeChuck’s Revenge. I want to be clear here, that is not the case. I don’t know that it needed to be the case because the Monkey Island continuity was hardly ever perverted. The fi?rst two games didn’t start some overarching narrative that was fumbled when handed to other teams. They were dumb, self-aware pirate tales. There’s even a joke early on that the games are typically bad with conclusions.

No. Murray the Skull has returned, Elaine and Guybrush are already married, and Guybrush even recalls a situation from Tales of Monkey Island. Do you need to have played those games to appreciate Return to Monkey Island? No, but also yes. Return to Monkey Island leans heavily into self-reference. Much of the adventure takes place in locations from the first game, and characters from those tur??n up. So many of the jokes lean on the “good ‘ol days�that I’m not?? sure I would have appreciated them as much if I had missed out. Considering my memory is foggy of some of the later titles, I probably missed a fair few, even as a fan.

[embed]//youtu.be/nKub-41C0BE[/embed]

You look like a guy without many options

The story has Guybrush Threepwood recalling a tale to his son. This time, it’s on the subject of the Secret of Monkey Island. But not that one time he did it, this is a different time. He arrives back on Melee Island to assemble a crew and fund another expedition to the island. This time it’s different! There’s a different assortment of pirate leaders, and he secures passage in another way. No, I lied, it’s about as inconsequential as the other Monkey Island narratives.

Being back on Melee Island gives the game an excuse to roll out an assortment of returning characters. Return to Monkey Island eventually does set sail, only to return back. I guess what ??I’m saying is to keep expectations very low on wha?t kind of story is being delivered here.

On the other hand, I’m happy to report that the puzzle design is about where it used to be. You can choose to play on an easier “casual�mode that cuts down on the puzzle complexity. I didn’t check it out because I’m not certain why I’d want to play an adventure game with fewer puzzles. I’d recommend you do the same since there’s also a hint book available in-game to prevent you from running circles. It’s pretty handy; first pointing you in the direction of where you’re looking, then giving more and more hints until it outright tells you. There’s nothing as obtuse as Monkey Island 2’s infamous “use monkey on pump�puzzle, so if?? you’re comfortable with �0s adventure games, you’ll be fine here.

Use pamphlet on ghost pirate

The humor is also on point, even if it does stick its thumb out to previous games a bit too much. When left to its own devices, Return to Monkey Island has some sharp insight into the world and humanity’s more selfish side. Guybrush himself has a habit of ruining lives just to further his personal goals, and it’s really given the spotlight. It’s less wacky than the latter-day Monkey Islands and closer to the shar?p wit of the first two titles, and I think that?’s what I and a lot of other fans were hoping for.

It also marks the return of Dominic Armato to the role of Guybrush’s voice. While he didn’t take on the identity until the third game, he’s sort of become the de facto voice of Guybrush. He has this sort of ineffectual front that makes him seem naive while secretly being dizzyingly acidic. He’ll charm you with his naivety, then steal a precious family heirloom just to ruin it to get an item of qu??estionable value.

Other? big voices make their return, but since so much time is spent listening to Guybrush and so little of it ?on the other characters, Dominic’s return is rather key.

No, you say bye first

The big question here is if Return to Monkey Island manages to reach the quality of the original classic titles. The answer is yes, but also no. This is absolutely the closest the series has come to returning to its pinnacle. The puzzle design, the ch??ar??m, and the game’s flow are all pretty much spot on. Above all, the humor is still as sharp as a shattered Jolly Rancher, landing a lot of chuckle-worthy strikes.

However, it’s the third time this joke has been told, and time hasn’t made it any fresher. So much of Return to Monkey Island is callbacks that it doesn’t feel like it stands on its own. It’s an excellent companion piece for the other games, and a love letter to the fans of the series, but I also feel like it takes a few jabs at them. I can only ever see myself playing it again in sequence with the rest of the ??series. At the same time, it’s a breath of fresh air after the middling titles we’ve been given since 1991. At least we can stop holding our breath and laugh again.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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The sincerest form of flattery

Back when I covered Cybernator, someone suggested that I try 1995's Metal Warriors on Super Nintendo. It was touted as a sequel to Cybernator. It’s not, ?but we’ll get to that. I said I didn’t have that kind of money to drop on a single game. Well, time makes fo??ols of us all, as now I have a copy. Don't ask.

Metal Warriors is something I only knew existed because of its value. I have a whole book on the history of Lucasarts, and I don’t remember it even mentioning it (though it has been a while since I last cracked its spine). It was designed by the creators of Zombies Ate My Neighbors, a game that I am very familiar with. However, Metal Warriors�pricetag kept me away. W?hich is ??one of the biggest problems with the collector’s market.

Not to be confused with Metal Combat or Metal Marines

So, no, Metal Warriors isn’t any sort of sequel to Cybernator. It’s true that Konami published both, but it seems that the design was entirely up to Lucasarts. Completely unrelated developers worked on it, and it is not considered part of the Assault Suits series that Cybernator belongs to.

With that said, it certainly looks and plays like a sequel. Imitation is th?e sincerest form of flattery, I guess.

Metal Warriors is a side-scrolling mech game, and while there are differences, if you played Cybernator, this is going to be really familiar. The controls, mechanics, and movement are largely the same. The way the narrative unfolds is also It’s plain to see that it wasn’t built directly over the bones of Cybernator, but the inspiration is painfully obvious.

You gotta find first gear in your giant robot car

If there’s one big difference between the two titles, it’s that Metal Warriors seems absolutely thrilled to be here. While Cybernator seemed to have a dour commitment to the gruesome realities of war, Metal Warriors feels more like its design was based around the phrase, “wouldn’t it be cool if…�/p>

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could get out of your mech and board unmanned ones? Yeah, that’s pretty rad, and they handle it really well. If you get out of your mech and a li?ttle dude gets near it, they might jack it from you. You also sometimes have to gun your way t??hrough guys on foot to reach your objective. It’s a stylish dash of variety, and there’s some strategy in trading out your armor for something a little less dinged up.

Wouldn’t it be cool if there was no HUD, and everything was communicated right there on the mech? Absolutely. There are visible indications that your stompy robot isnâ€??™t feeling well. It’s a lot less obvious how much harder you can push your mech, while a health bar would make it apparent when it’s time to back off and find health.

Woul??dn’t it be cool if your? robot had a sword? Obviously.

Wouldn’t it be cool if your robot was hot rod red? ??Definitely.

Chicks dig giant robots

One thing that I wish Metal Warriors didn’t follow Cybernator on is its limited continues. Both games required a certain amount of level memorization to get through cleanly, and it’s hard to gain that when you’re forced to star??t from the beginning after five deaths. One of the game’s nine missions only pops up if you manage to get through the previo??us one without using a continue, so you might not even see it if you don’t replay until perfection.

There’s a reasonable amount of variety among the levels. Each one usually folds in a wrinkle to keep you guessing. There’s also some opportunity for exploration, as pick-ups can be hidden in vacant corners of the map. Different paths can be taken to get to your objective. Mission five, for example, allows you to take a tunnel under the map to avoid some of the big guns at ground level. So, while Metal Warriors is a bit of a dick for forcing you to start over when you run out of continues, it’s hard to s?tay mad at it.

War is hell. However�/h2>

Metal Warriors is just really happy to be here. While its narrative seems to imitate Cybernator’s “space-war is hell�message, it doesn’t feel as sincere when each mission is bookended by some rad cutscenes. Even the opening where it shows the pilot firing up their mech feels flashy on another level. Cybernator felt like it was making a statement (even moreso in the unedited Japanese version), whereas Metal Warriors just thinks it’s the coolest.

Even the music, while a bit repetitive, has a high-energy feel to it in contrast to Cybernator’s more cinematic efforts. It’s maybe not the best soundtrack,? but it’s got some pretty good earworms mixed in there.

There’s also a versus mode, which I’m told is excellent. However, it’s difficult to convince my husband to play anything adversarial against me, and alternative company is hard to come by these days. There are certain hints in the game’s dialogue that make it sound like Metal Warriors was supp??ose??d to feature co-op, which would be cool, but that’s just conjecture.

Robo-flavor

While Metal Warriors and Cybernator are irrefutably similar, they do have their own special flavors. Even if Metal Warriors is more feature-packed, I’d have a difficult time claiming one is bett??er than the other. They seem to have been developed with different goals in mind, and both achieve them just as deftly.

One thing that can be said for certain is that Mike Ebert and Dean Sharpe clearly loved their creation. There’s an excitement that exudes from every facet of the game. It’s just a shame that it came and went without much of a splash. Nintendo was reportedly going to publish the game but dropped it. Konami picked it up but only published a small run of the title. I don’t want to speculate too much on the possibility of a re-release, but few games deserve one more than Metal Warriors.

For other retro titles you may have missed, cl?ick right here!

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The beloved series makes a triumphant return

Of all the games in the point-and-click genre, the Monkey Island series is up there as being one of the most classic. The first four games in the series were created by George Lucas' video game studio LucasArts (now known as Lucasfilm Games), and are known for their witty dialogue and challenging puzzles. Now, thirteen years after the last release in the series, Monkey Island's original director Ron Gilbert and publisher Devolver Digital have announced that they have a new title, Return to Monkey Island, releasing in 2022.

In addition to Gilbert's return, other developers attached to the project include original co-writer Dave Grossman, and composers from LucasArts Michael Land, Michael McConnell, and Clint Bajakian. Tim Schafer, another Monkey Island co-founder now known for creating the Psychonauts series with his studio Double ?Fine, wi??ll not be rejoining the team.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=sahskKAxSCY

Devolver Digital released a teaser trailer on their YouTube channel, which basically serves as a cute way to drop the news by way of a little animated scene, as opposed to showing us anything substantial about what the game will be like. If it's any indication of what the art of Return to Monkey Island is going to look like, though, I think we have a lot to?? look forward to.

While Return to Monkey Island will technically be the sixth game released in the series, it will serve as a direct sequel to the second game, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge, which was originally released in 1991. After taking to Twitter, Gilbert shared that he and his team at Terrible Toybox have been working on the game "in complete secrecy," and while he may want Disney to sell him the Monkey Island IP, this is certainly the next best thing.

_{[Featured Image Source: NME]}

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The Moon and Warcraft director would still like to take on the LucasArts classic

Director Duncan Jones has tackled video game adaptations before, and there's still one he wants everyone to know he's game for: Full Throttle.

Jones, the director of Moon and Warcraft among other films, has expressed his love for Full Throttle before on social media. At the start of 2021, Jones posted about a reimagining of Full Throttle for 2020 that Tim Schafer had shared a link to, and how it encouraged him to write a fan script for the game.

Well, it's 2022 and almost a full year later, and Jones' interest has not waned. Over this last weekend, Jones tweeted about Full Throttle again (thanks for the spot, Eurogamer). "If you could all tell Disney Studios how much you'd love to let me make Full Throttle for Disney+, that would be adorable and?? I'd be very? appreciative," Jones wrote.

//twitter.com/ManMadeMoon/s???tatus/1480051376017137664

Disney has the LucasArts rights thanks to its deal to purchase LucasFilm Ltd., which came in at an estimated $4.05 billion. There have since been some remasters of games like Full Throttle and others, but that doesn't exactly give ??hope quite yet for a streaming deal.

Among the stable of LucasArts classics like Day of the Tentacle and Grim Fandango, Full Throttle is certainly no slouch. And of those games, it would certainly be an interesting one to see, and a neat way to build out what feels like an overlooked, ?or even underutilized, part of the massive Disney acquisition. We can dream, right?

Jones' Warcraft movie received some mixed reception, though other movies he's directed like Moon have garnered high praise. Maybe with Jones at the helm, a Full Throttle adaptation could happen. Considering how popular video game adaptations have become these days, I'm not ruling any possibiliti??es out just yet.

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Cult adventure series set to make a comeback

Sharpen your best sword and get your knapsack packed, as indie outfit Studio 2.21 has dropped the surprising news that long-lost franchise Little Big Adventure is currently in the ea??rly stages o?f receiving an exciting new sequel, the first original release in the series in over 25 years.

The original Little Big Adventure launched on PC way back in 1994, a popular contributor to?? the then-pioneering CD-ROM market. The fantasy titled followed the adventures of hero Twinsen and his girlfriend Zoe as they explore the fascinating and colorful worlds of Twinsun, uncoverin??g a conspiracy of clones and a chase for power that will define the fate of the entire planet.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX1LxYWtwPs

Highly heralded in its day for its interesting fantasy world, use of polygonal characters and locations, and composer Phillipe Vachey's immersive score. Unfortunately, the title was not a sales success, with some pointing to publisher EA's confusing approach to marketing the title and various name changes. Little Big Adventure did succeed in finding a cult audience, however, which would lead to an? equally enjoyable sequel launching in 1997. Back in 2014, Dotemu also published a direct mobile port of the original game.

No details were offered by Studio 2.21 regarding the new Little Big Adventure, with development on the title yet to begin. However, for adventure fans of a certain ?age, who miss the strange and amusing adventures of Twinsen and Zoe, this is most certainly cause for celebration. Here's hoping that we hear more concrete details regarding this surprising comeback very soon.

//twitter.co??m/2point21/status/1435578917058801666?s=20

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Much like the fluctuating movie franchise in general, Star Wars video games have had their peaks and valleys. After a few positive releases including Jedi: Fallen Order and Squadrons, I'm cautiously hopeful the upward trend will carry into 2021 with Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – and even beyond.

In a blast from the past, the Lucasfilm Ga??mes brand?ing is mounting a comeback. Well, kind of.

It's not the same situation as before Disney came into the picture – Lucasfilm Games won't suddenly start dreaming up in-house Star Wars games like it did decades ago – but? the brand is being?? refreshed.

G??oing forward, Lucasfilm Games will be the "official identity for all gaming titles from Lucasfilm."

To be clear, the current strategy is still in effect: Star Wars games will be "developed in collaboration with the finest studios across the industry." In other words, EA seemingly isn't going anywhere. You'll be able to keep tabs on future Lucasfilm Games happenings on Twitter and Facebook, if you like.

I can't help but wonder if the smash success of The Mandalorian has opened up any doors – doors that shouldn't have been closed in the first place – with respect to who can work on what, and when. The sheer potential of Star Wars in gaming is invigorating and frustrating all at once. ?It's beyond untapp?ed.

I'm longing for the days when something like Shadows of the Empire could get made.

Lucasfilm Games Begins a New Era [Star Wars]

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Born to be wild

Classic LucasArts adventure game Full Throttle Remastered is now free on GOG.com. The offer will be valid for the next two days and is being handed out to promote GOG's "Winter Sale." A ton of great games are on sale and you'll even get Everspace for free if you spend $15 or more.

You can head over here to jump on Full Throttle and I'll l?ist? some of my top picks for GOG's sale.

• Civilization IV: Complete Edition - $7.49
• Hollow Knight - $9.89
• Mages of Mystralia -$5.99
• Samorost 3: Cosmic Edition - $4.59
• SWAT 4: Gold Edition - $4.99
• The Vanishing of Ethan Carter - $2.99

Winter Sale [GOG]

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More likely to leave in the future

[Update: It seems that Jurassic Park: The Game and all previous seasons of The Walking Dead have been removed from Steam. You will stil??l retain access if you've already purchased them.]

According to a report from GameDaily, Telltale Games is now entering the liquidation phase of its closing process. This is coming after September's shock announcement ?that the studio had laid off a majority of its staff and kept around 25 employees to finish off contractual obligations to other companies. It still seems like yesterday that we were first hearing about this.

While most people don't really care to hear all the business mumbo-jumbo behind this process, the immediate effect for customers is that some games have been delisted from Steam. Currently, you will no longer be able to buy Back to the Future: The Game or Tales of Monkey Island from Valve's digital storefront. As of the time of writing, both games are still available on GOG.com.

This is likely more to do with licensing issues for both titles instead of the liquidation process, but the titles are likely to disappear from other storefronts in the near future. If? you have been eying picking up either game on PS3 o??r PC, make sure to do it now before they completely disappear.

If you are more interested in learning about the business behind these decisions, GameDaily's report goes into pretty extreme detail about who is handling the liquidation and what it will mean for the current employees of the company.?? Since I'm not so up to speed on business jargon, it loses me in the middle, but it seems that Telltale will be closing a lot sooner than expected.

Telltale Games is ?closing, liquidation underway and games being removed from Steam [GameDaily]

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$14.99

Run, you pigeons! Double Fine has revealed that Grim Fandango Remastered will launch on Switch today for $14.99, during the observation of Día de Muertos. The new trailer below is mostly re-purposed footage from the various? remaster releases with a tiny nod to the Switch at the end:  no Switch-specific features have been announced.

Tim Schafer had a bit to say about the release, noting: "It’s been 20 years since I created Grim Fandango at LucasArts and boy, it was a journey to say the l??east. But knowing how much enjoyment it brought players, it was all worth it. The ?best part of releasing on Switch is that returning players can now take it on the go and we have a chance to show it to a whole new generation."

As a reminder, Grim Fandango launched all the wa??y back on October 28, 1998. A whopping 18 years later it was?? revived by Double Fine in the form of a remaster on PS4, Vita, mobile, and now, Switch. It centers around the antics of the departed Manny in the Land of the Dead, framed around an old school LucasArts style adventure game shell. It's a classic, fellers.

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It belongs in a museum

For a franchise as storied and beloved as Indiana Jones, you'd think its entries into gaming would be widely available on digital platforms. While it might be understandable that the closure of LucasArts has halted that, you can still nab Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis on GOG and Steam, for instance. Why not any of the others?

While maybe not the game I would go with, the notorious Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine is now finally available on GOG for purchase. While praised in its day, the game has earned quite the reputation for being a poorly conceived Tomb Raider knock-off. Personally, I've never played? it, but I can't imagine going back to tank controls for a 3D action-platformer.

Regardless, this is the first time Infernal Machine has been re-released since it debuted 19 years ago. That has to be worth something and with GOG's pedigree for getting older games running on modern hardware, it is bound to be the best possible version of the title yet. You can nab it for $5.99 right now.

Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine gets first digital release in 19 years [PC Gamer]

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UNCANNY VALLEY

Zen Studios' Pinball FX series is no stranger to Star Wars tables, so obviously some DLC based on The Last Jedi was in the works. Now available for Pinball FX3 on everything but S?witch, you can relive Rey's training with Luke on Ahch-To and stare at some very creepy renditions of Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill. Like, seriously, Rey looks terrifying.

The DLC al?so includes a second table that acts like a basic summary of the plot of the film, which is neat. Captain Phasma and Finn end up looking better, but I still can't get over how stiff and awkward the posing is. I wonder how the actors feel about portrayals like this.

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What if?

Maybe in another time line far, far away, we could have already experienced developer Free Radical's now cancelled Star Wars: Battlefront III. Judging by the plethora of pre-release footage available online -- that showcases seamless transitions f?rom ground-to-space battles -- it probably would have been a magical experience.

Sadly though, we're in the darkest of time lines. The same one that ironically doesn't include Free Radical's version of a dark Star Wars time line that they were seemingly already in the early stages of planning i?f this massive dump of concept art is anything?? to go by.

Everything from a dark Luke, Obi-wan and Leia. While on the flip side, a Jedi Dooku, Ventress, and Maul. Also appearing are plenty more bizarre, stylized characters in this massive Imgur dump from user “LukeLandwalker,” who also had this say, regardin??g the ??potential concept of the game:

“Star Wars Battlefront IV was supposed to take the Star Wars story line into a different direction, with a perfect "What-if?" scenario where the tides wer??e turned. This means the characters you see in 1-6 were flipped, such as Kenobi becoming a Sith ??Lord, or Anakin not losing his limbs on Mustafar.”

Although a fair amount of information about Battlefront III is out there in the void of the internet, not much is k?nown abou?t Battlefront IV. The potential concept of a role reversal scen??ario sounds like a pretty interesting idea, but, as we all now know, these games wo??uld eventually end up on the chopping block and Free Radical would then go on and make the PS3 exclusive Haze... we all know how that went.

Cancelled Star Wars Batt?lefront 4 art s??hows dark side Luke, Jedi Maul [Eurogamer]

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Attack of the ZZZ's

Are you sick of EA's Battlefront II and want an actually good Star Wars multiplayer shooter to play? Well, the upcoming Star Wars: Rivals probably isn't for you, but that isn't going to stop Disney from trying. Soft launched last June in Australia and New Zealand, Rivals will soon be available for downl?oad from the Google Play and iOS App Stores. You can pre-register to get in on the action the second it is ava?ilable.

The gameplay is apparently more Overwatch and less Battlefront, so at least you'll be able to play as iconic Star Wars characters from the g??et go. That means no crazy microtransactions to unlock ?Darth Vader, though you can happily part with $99.99 to get something in-game.

The game will feature cross-platform multiplayer, so users of any mobile devi??ce can scream about cooldown timers and overpri?ced cosmetic items together. At the very least, you won't need to drop $60 first.

Disney Announces Mobile Shooter Star Wars: Rivals [Game Informer]

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Pro-tip: The Chainsaw is a lie

A genre-defying, point-and-click head-scratcher is back, as the original Maniac Mansion is now available for purchase on Steam.

The original LucasArts graphic adventure, which first released in 1987, paved the way for a host of games designed for the SCUMM engine. These include sequel Day of the Tentacle, the famous Monkey Island series, Sam and Max Hit the Road, Full Throttle and Zak McCracken and the Alien Mindbenders.

Like all the games listed above, Maniac Mansion is an ico?nic but baffling affair, often requiring the most abstract chain of events in order to ultimately achieve a simple task. An example would be making and mailing away your band's demo tape in or?der to win favour of a tentacle creature. The game allows you to choose two kids to accompany hero Dave into the lair, with different paths to victory required for each combination of characters.

I haven't played Maniac Mansion in about twenty-five years, it's probably super-clunky today. But I loved it when I was a kid, and I thought punk gal Razor was cool as all hell. If you fancy taking a puzzling stroll down memory lane, Maniac Mansion is ?available to purchase on Steam now, for a limited time pri??ce of $4.

Maniac Mansion [Steam]

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Let the Past Die

Another year, another Star Wars film to over analyze and get all nitpicky about. While I found The Last Jedi to be a weaker film than The Force Awakens, I had a good time with it and was surprised at how many tropes the film subverted. Instead of going for the obvious, we got a Star Wars film that was?? unafraid of making new choices and taking ??the story in some interesting directions.

Obviously, this post is going to be loaded with spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the film yet, please don’t continue on. I don’t want to be held liable for ruining any surprises for you and there is one moment, in particular, which made me i??ncredibly happy. Anyway, this is your formal warning, so proceed with caution.

The biggest theme from The Last Jedi is one that I find very intriguing: “Let the Past Die.” As the franchise currently stands, Star Wars is all about trying to recreate that wonder of that original trilogy and playing up nostalgia for cheap thrills. As good as I found Force Awakens, the fact that it was a pseudo-remake of A New Hope is basically the opposite of what The Last Jedi is trying to tell you.

A bunch of moments in the new film are direct callbacks to The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, but they don’t end up at the same conclusion. You have a master reluctant to teach a new ??pupil, said pupil questio?ning her master at every step, a confrontation with the supposed big bad guy and even the student entering a cave to seek out their lineage. All of these, though, are taken in bold new directions that call back to the theme I mentioned above.

When Rey arrives on Ahch-To and hands Luke his saber, he tosses it over his shoulder and tells her to leave. You’d be forgiven for assuming this would be a direct parallel of what Yoda did in Empire (dismissing Luke as too old to learn the ways of the Force), but the truth is that Luke is actually scared. He essentially created Kylo Ren (by attempting to assassinate him and backing down) and that fear nearly consumed him and led him down the path of t??he Dark Side.

His reason for staying secluded is be??cause he is holding onto the past. Luke can’t come to terms with how he failed his sister, his best friend, his nephew, and his own legacy. He was the Jedi that brought order to the force and stopped the insidious Emperor Palpatine; how could his man fall so hard? How can he look into the eyes of his admirers and tell him he is the reason for their doom?

Rey is propelled through the plot not because she is courageous or even destined to help the world, but because she wants answers to her past. Re?y might be skilled at a lot of things, but she holds a tremendous amount of a??nger at her parents for abandoning her. She has a propensity towards the Dark Side because of this, which is exactly what Luke fears the most.

Kylo Ren,? on the other hand, is aggravated that people keep comparing him to his ?ancestors. Lord Snoke constantly reminds him of the death of his father, Han Solo, and berates him for not living up to the name of Darth Vader. Kylo also can’t get over his misinterpretation of Luke’s intentions on the fateful night that sent him spiraling out of control.

If you look to the past, you&rsqu?o;d believe that Luke eventually sees the power in Rey, Rey ends up being a distant ancestor to Obi-Wan or Luke and that Kylo Ren would turn on his master and see the Light Side. Everything you think is going to happen doesn’t.

Luke, for instance, is reluctant to actually destroy the Jedi. Even though he hates the order for causing a tremendous amount of grief in his life, it is the only thing he has known for 30 some odd years. Despite saying he wants the Jedi to die, he has trouble letting go and can’t give up that part of his life. It takes a surprise visit from Yoda’s spi?rit to change Luke’s tune.

Once Yoda comes and destroys the Jedi text against Luke’s will, he drops some great knowledge (“The greatest teacher, failure is”) and gets Luke to understand that the old ways are no longer relevant. Luke can only see the event that changed his life, but has failed? to learn anything from it. Instead of letting the past go, Luke has he??ld on and caused more troubles.

He does eventually come to Rey’s aide, though. Luke overcomes his own weakness and uses the last of his power to give the resistance a chance. He ap??pears at the end, confronts Kylo and distracts the First Order long enough for?? everyone to escape. With his past resolved and his embrace of the new complete, Luke fades away to join the Force as his master did before him.

Rey, on the ??other hand, has focused too much on what her past might mean. While she possesses a lot of skill and has been a competent fighter, she is so fixated on who her parents are and what that could mean to ?really see that she is fine without the knowledge.

The truth is that Rey, unlike what you’d expect, is nobody from nowhere and that doesn’t do a thing to change her present. If Rey was able to let go before discovering this, she could have better harnessed her powers and rejected all of the hatred in her?? heart. Even knowing she is nothing, she still believes in the good that Kylo has and tries to change him.

Once she tries and fails to actually get Kylo to change his mind, she knocks him unconscious and leaves to save her friends. If?? she can’t make Kylo see the past is holding him back, at least she can save the ones who will change the g?alaxy. This then leads to her finally adapting to the power within her and harnessing that strength without fear.

Kylo, while having a good ideal, ultimately learns nothing. He does turn on Snoke and en??ds up killing him, but the reason is because he is trying to erase his past. Instead of accepting his failures and moving on, Kylo wants them eradicated so that no one can remember them. He embodies the whole idea of “Letting th??e Past Die,” but with the wrong execution.

Kylo is right about starting ??new and allowing the next generat?ion to flourish, but he still has all of the resentment of his past. He holds on to the moment he killed his father and how his uncle potentially wanted him dead. He can’t get over how far he has fallen and even admits he is a monster as if that will justify his choices.

This film doesn’t just follow the main characters, but a couple of the side ones. You have Captain Poe, a sort of Han Solo like rogue, becoming irate wit?h Admiral Holdo because she isn’t General Organa. Poe is so used to looking at Leia’s past successes that he can’t accept someone stepping in while she is incapacitated.

That eventually comes to a head when Poe leads the charge through the resistance’s final base. They’ve discovered a way out while Luke is distra??cting the First Order and instead of anyone listening to his battle cry, they all look to Leia for confirmation. She simply rolls her eyes and says, “What are you looking at me for?” Even she understands that everything old isn’t automatically better.

Finn and Rose don’t really serve the overall narrative, but even their escapade echoes back to the main theme. They basically do everything the way Luke and Han did in A New Hope, but that fails spectacularly against ??the First Order. Finn and Rose don’t anticipate that reusing old tactics wouldn’t work against a new fo??e and that ultimately leads to them nearly dying.

Finn even assumes that sacrificing himself, kind of like Obi-Wan, would deal a crushing blow to the First Order, but Rose stops him and clues h?im into a different line of thinking. Don’t destroy that which you hate, but protect that which you love. While a cheesy statement, that new approach is a sentiment that hasn’t been tried up to thi??s point.

All of these sacred images, phrases and scenarios from the past are thrown out to wipe the slate clean for Episode IX. The Last Jedi isn’t just a neat name to refer to Luke, but also a message to audiences that this will be the last Star Wars with direct parallels to older films. The main takeaway y??ou should get is that while the old is good, we now need to make room for the new.

I’m actually convinced that this film is also a meta-critique on The Force Awakens and the general Star Wars fan base, as well. At this very moment, you can find a lot of fans crying foul about The Last Jedi because it doesn’t follow the tropes set up by the past. These are the same people that rip Force Awakens apart for being a remake of A New Hope. It is a??lmost funny ??how they seemingly missed the entire point of the movie.

While I won’t just ignore the faults that Last Jedi has, it more than lives up to the legacy of ?the franchise it is a part of. That the movie does something new and fresh with established ideas is also a real treat, since that is becoming increasingly rare in this current Hollywood era of cinematic un?iverses and franchise building.

Maybe I’m over analyzing things and putting meaning where it doesn’t belong, but I walked out of my showing of The Last Jedi with glee as the movie? practices ??what it preaches. Now if only Disney gets the message and stops with all these inter-quels and needless prequels.

The post How The Last Jedi challenges o?ur notions of what Star Wars can be appeared first on Destructoid.

Just launch it on GOG or Steam

There's an extremely high-profile Star Wars Battlefront II launching later this year, and it's going to sell 11 billion copies ?(all numbers approximate). But, a long time ago, another gam?e by the same name released and it's still beloved by many. It's set to make something of a resurgence.

GOG has worked with Disney to relaunch 2005's Star Wars Battlefront II's multiplayer component for Steam and GOG. This originally ended in 2014 when matchmaking?? middleware GameSpy shut down. Since then, people have used third-party tools to keep the game alive.

It's back now, though. GOG says that multiplayer will automatically work. All players have to do is launch the game through GOG or Steam. Go play some of this Star Wars Battlefront II before that other Star Wars Battlefront II starts commanding everyone's attention.

The post GOG’s bringing multiplayer back for 2005’s Star Wars Battlefront II appeared first on Destructoid.

I guess the war is back on

The closure of GameSpy in 2014 was a very unfortunate loss for the games industry. While the website had declined in quality over the years, their servers provided the foundation for a pretty large batch of PC multiplayer titles. Seeing all of those games lose online support was devastating, especially when it impacted big franchises like Battlefield and Star Wars.

In a move that is basically out of the ordinary for the modern games industry, Disney and Petroglyph have released a surprise patch today for the 2006 RTS game, Star Wars: Empire at War (and its expansion pack). In addition?? to re-enabling multiplayer support, the game also now has mod and Steam workshop support, giving the title a?? new lease on life.

On the Steam community forums, developer Petroglyph had this to say; "We have continued to watch the EAW community closely over the years and appreciate all the excellent support you have given us and the game. Our thanks to all of you for the great feedback, awesome m?od packs, and overwhelmingly positive reviews and Disney for facilitating the release of this work. We hope you enjoy this special update."

To celebrate this new update, the game is also on sale for 50% off. You can nab the game on Steam in its "Gold Edition" variant, which inc?ludes the base game and expansion pack in one package. Really, if you've ever had an interest in the title, now is probably the best ??time to jump in. With the game going for a tenner and receiving brand new features, how could you resist?

New Multiplayer Update! [Steam Community]

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This mockup is quite the what-if

I enjoy a good video game mockup every now and then, and this one is too rich of an idea not to share. Just imagine: John Carpenter's The Thing as a LucasArts-style poin???t-and-click adventure game.

Here's the final version of my LucasArts style #TheThing #adventuregame mockup. This was a lot of fun to work on. #pixelart #gamedev. pic.twitter.com/XuehQNZH2w

— Paul Conway (@DoomCube) May 30, 2017

Computer Artworks explored The Thing as a third-person shooter back in 2002, so we're very much overdue another adaptation. As amazing as Paul Conway's mockup here is, I'm not sure a pixel-art adventure would be my top choice over a more modern direction, but any game that tried to weave together the body horror, tension, and paranoia of the 1982 film woul??d be all right ?with me.

Fun aside: Carpenter plays and occasionally tweets about games. He's digging Prey!

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A definitive look at all the Star Wars games that I've played

May the fourth be with you! Ha-ha, just a little joke on today, May the 4th -- Star Wars day, to the uninitiated. It's perhaps our most American holiday: no d?ay off from work and in tribute to consumption of a multi-billion dollar entertainment product.

And in honor of this most American of holidays, I thought it would be prudent to rank the very best and very worst of Star Wars video games (that I've played). It's a crowded field. Star Wars has been around about as long as games and there have been a lot of Star Wars games, many with confusing names like Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader that all bleed together. 

Be sure to nam??e your favorites in the comments, and may the force be with you!

5. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron

Featuring classic sounds from the Star Wars universe, Rogue Squadron is a fast-paced game of dog-fighting and questionable draw distances. It's no Nuclear Strike, but as far as early console flight games, it was pretty good.

4. Star Wars Battlefront

Battlefield-developer DICE took the Battlefront (no relation, well, until there was) reins when EA signed a deal with Disney for exclusive development rights to Star Wars games not long after Disney dropped $4 billion to buy Lucasfilm. I only played the beta. It was fine. Kind of hard to see anything on the snow planet, though. 

3. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast

This was the first Star Wars game I played where you actually get to use a lightsaber, I think. That was pretty cool! Eagle-eyed fans will recognize the classic glowing sword as a staple of the Star Wars universe, having appeared in almost every Star Wars film, even the recent Rogue One, which has nothing to do with Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader that I'm aware of.

2. Star Wars: Battlefront II

Pandemic's Battlefront II improved on its original Battlefront game by featuring a Stormtrooper with blue tribal tattoos on its box art instead of the stuffy, classic all-white look. This might be explained in the story, but I only played it for its multiplayer, which was fun.

1. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

While not a Star Wars game per se, you can unlock and play as fan-favorite Darth Maul, who was introduced in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and voiced by someone other than the actor ??you see on screen, despite having only two lines of dialogue in the film. 

The post Ranking the best Star Wars games that I’ve played appeared first on Destructoid.

The open road awaits us

If there's one video game genre I missed out on, it's the point-and-click adventure titles. Hell, my first time with one was when I played Day of the Tentacle Remastered during the beginning of the year, which left me impressed with its Chuck Jones-inspired animations and t??he way how the cast reacts to your actions.

Prior to this joyous moment, I got to hear my friends say great things about the Monkey Island series and I Have No Mouth, but I Must Scream. Thanks to ??their passionat??e discussions about the genre, it made me I look forward to playing them one day.

As Double Fine Productions hits us with the remastered version of Full Throttle, the idea of witnessing their classic interactive tale through a biker's perspective felt like a great way to expand my experience with the point-and-click adventure genre. Just like the feeling that comes from getting a sweet new ride, it was worth taking thi??s baby for a spin.

Full Throttle Remastered (PC [reviewed], PS4, PS Vita)
Developer: Double Fine Productions
Publisher: Double Fine Productions
Released: April 18, 2017
MSRP: $14.99

From the moment Ben Throttle, the game's star, donned his goggles and started up his motorcycle, Full Throttle Remastered's narrative takes advanta?ge of its motif. It escalates from a story that felt like it would've been a heartwarming tale about a biker gang bonding with a motor company's owner through a shareholder meeting, to one about a leader going out of his way to save his boys from trouble. Throughout the adventure, we deal with the themes of corruption, tradition, and comradery while the title does it best to make us feel an array of emotions.

In a setting where hover vehicles seem to be the latest thing, Full Throttle Remastered remind?s us of the importance of keeping certain practices from dying out. Ben and the other bikers represent a group who wish to keep riding the endless roads while they feel the impact of their motorcycles touching the pavement. While many of the game's gang comes off as troublemakers, the title does a wonderful job in giving us a taste of their culture while they justify our lead's reasoning for taking certain actions to the extreme.

One thing that contributes to Ben's character is the way how the point-and-click elements compliment his biker? status. When things don't go as planned, we're given the option for him t??o perform some brutal tasks, such as kicking down a door with extreme force or using one's hands to do the persuasion. The timing and movement of his actions is handled in a way where you feel energized after you trigger the events to move forward. Perhaps the best command is the option to have Ben put his lips on things since it results in some hilarious moments when he actually does it. The main thing that contributes to the humor is that our lead is depicted as the badass who talks like he doesn't have a care in the world, so it's fun to see him get involved in a few humiliating segments here and there.

Going back to the theme of tradition, another big element in Full Throttle Remastered's story has to do with trying to expose the shady dealing happening within Corley Motors, the last manufacturing corporation that makes motorcycles, since it could mean ??the end of biker culture as we know it. With Ben's gang in danger, this puts him in a situation where the law and the company's cohorts are on his tail, which gives the player a sense of urgency to help the main cast reach their happy ending.

Like with many dangerous roads, the ride can get bumpy in some parts. During scenarios where you fight against rival gangs, you get to use your hands, feet and whatever weapon you have at your disposal to knock your opponent off of their bike. Unfortunately, these confrontations boil down to just keeping a steady distance from your target while you two exchange blows, and you don't have many options to avoid their moves. While these parts felt a bit tedious, there was something rewarding about watching your enemy taste the pavement-- especially when you use the r?ight tool against them. Because of these cool and funny events, the game managed to add some entertaining elements to these battles.

Another segment that wasn't fun is associated with an event that involves crashing into your opponents. This was due to the controls feeling sluggish when you move around. Thankfully, its puzzle elements helped it feel nice when you came out victorious. Seeing that these bumps make you feel good after you ride past them, they don't get in the way of Full Throttle Remastered's main destination, as the game's plot r?emains in high gear.

With the game having an assortment of upbeat rock tunes, Full Throttle Remastered makes sure that you're feeling a sense of adrenaline throughout your entire playthrough. In some cases, the musi??c slows down to capture the mood of being in a bar or truck stop during a road trip. Combined with the cast using accents to fit the bikers and the residents of a U.S. desert setting, the game's m??ood keeps you glued to the screen at all times.

Just like Day of the Tentacle Remastered's provided a new sheen, Full Throttle Remastered turns all of its design into smoother looking pieces. They all sport a nice simple look that complements the game's cartoony style. On top of that, the cast having outlines that match their features made everything feel natural. For those who prefer the pixel version, you're given the option to switch between the title's two graphical styles. Othe?r than that, there's a commentary mode to inform us about the creative process that went into making this adventure a reality. Considering that everyone likely had a blast with making this project, it's wonderful to hear the developers discussing their inspiratio??ns and reasons for the direction they took with their work.

Full Throttle Remastered serves as an example that shows players why many people adore these titles. Tim Schafer and his crew taught us the importance of upholding t??raditions and bonds ??through the ways of the biker gangs. At the same time, we're treated to a story where the characters' performances took us on a timeless ride that brought us joy and satisfaction.

Since it can take four hours or more to finish Full Throttle Remastered, you’re hit with a story that's paced in a manner that feels just right. Even if there are some small roadblocks along the way, there are plenty of detours that'll keep your spirits high as you head into the ??horizon.

In fact, reaching the e??nd of this game's tale is the equivalence of going through the ride of your life.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publi??sh?er.]}

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Coming to Xbox One and computers March 30

Thimbleweed Park, an adventure game led by industry legend Ron Gilbert, doubled its kickstarter goal when it was announced in 2014. It's a beautiful throwback to early Lucasarts adventure titles like Maniac Mansion and Day of the Tentacle-- which is appropriate, since Gilbert and artist Gary Winnick got their start working on the form??er. The title has been in development for two and a half years but it's finally nearing release, and the team announced today that it will be available on Xbox One, Windows, Mac and Linux on March 30.

Thimbleweed Park will launch with English voice and subtitles, and the subtitles can be changed to the French, Spanish, or Italian languages??. Russian subtitles are in development and will be added as a free update after launch.

I got a chance to play an early version at PAX last year, and it's been near the top of my most anticipated games list ever since. A Steam page for Thimbleweed Park launched simultaneously with the announcement, though the price has yet to be determined. The game will hi??t Steam, GOG and Xbox Live on March 30, and iPad/iPhone/Android later this year. The team says they'd like to bring it to other consoles and platforms, but no other versions have been confirmed yet.

The post Thimbleweed Park’s pretty pixels get a release date appeared first on Destructoid.

STEALTH

I'm a pretty big fan of old-school point-and-click adventure games. Grim Fandango is one of my favorites and I do have fond memories of Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle. You'd think I'd have been all over the episodic King's Quest game, but I somehow let it slide past me. It looks cool and all, but I guess I just got sidetracked by other games. Damn you Steam sale!

For anyone who owns the complete season, a new epilogue chapter has just been released. It was released yesterday, as a matter of fact, without so much as a shout-out or PR statement. That is cool, like developer The Odd Gentlemen is living up to its name. A tip from one of our readers says the bonus chapter is roughly half a??n hour long, but a free addition is great regardless of any arbitrary length.

[Thanks, Edinko]

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SCUMM it up at PSX this weekend

Double Fine is bringing Full Throttle back into our lives with a remaster, and I am so thankful for that. I've somehow only partially played this beloved point-an?d-click adventure, so I'll happily take this as my chance at redemption. The music at the end of the trailer just feels so damn right.

"Players will be able to switch back and forth between classic and remastered modes, and? mix-n-m??atch audio, graphics and user interface options to their heart's desire. Also included is a concept art browser with work from Peter Chan, and a commentary track with the game's original creators.

Full Throttle was the first game with Tim Schafer as sole project lead, and a much beloved cult classic! This special e??dition has been lovingly restored and remade with the care and attention that can only come?? from involving the game's original creators. It's headed to PS4 in 2017."

I don't mind the new visuals at all, but I'll stick with the original art, which still holds up in my eyes two decades later. It seems that Double Fine has found a way to reliably balance putting out all-new games alongside these remasters of old favorites. What ?are you hoping to see ne??xt?

Make sure to check out the Full Throttle Remastered demo if you are at PSX this weekend. You can even try to put your lips on that... pic.twitter.com/BUHAteXSut

— Oliver Franzke (@p1xelcoder) December 2, 2016

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Xbox One...not so much

Microsoft has been killing it in terms of game selection for its Games with Gold service. Last month may have been a bit of a drag, but November has two stellar Xbox 360 titles on offer. Subscribers to Live Gold will be getting The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (the latter which runs better on the Xbox One).

On the Xbox One side of things, gamers can look forward to Murdered: Soul Suspect and Super Dungeon Bros. That last title is brand new, so that could be pretty cool. Murdered I'd give a hard pass t??o, but ?I suppose free is free.

Super Dungeon Bros. and Monkey Island will be available from November 1st to the 15th. Murdered and Blood Dragon will become available on the 16th, though it seems Murdered will be offered until D??ecember 15th. I'm not sure why, but extra time is never a bad thing.

If you somehow have never played Monkey Island, do yourself a favor and cha?nge that. The game is an excellent example of LucasArts' domination of the adventure genre in the early '90s. The remake is also quite amazing, featuring fully recorded dialogue, incredibly lush artwork and a very generous hint system.

Free Xbox On??e/360 Games With Gold f??or November 2016 Revealed [GameSpot]

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Because of course they did

In a move that should surprise absolutely no one, Disney's Lucasfilm division and Electronic Arts have put the kibosh on Galaxy in Turmoil, a Star Wars fan game from Frontwire Studios.

According to Frontwire president Tony Romanelli, his studio received a cease and desist letter from Lucasfilm on June 22, three weeks after Frontwire announced it had come to terms with Valve on a distribution deal that would bring the unofficial Battlefront 3 successor to Steam.

An alleged phone meeting with Lucasfilm followed where unnamed executives told Romanelli "they would of [sic] been open to the idea of negotiating a license for Frontwire to work on the Star Wars IP, that they are not able to due to their contract wit?h Electronic Ar??ts (EA)."

"I was told that Lucasfilm had already spoken with EA about Galaxy in Turmoil and that EA expressed no desire in letting our project continue," Romanelli added. "Their main concern was due to the possibility of Galaxy in Turmoil taking away attention from their Battlefront franchise.

"I tried to pitch the idea about putting Galaxy in Turmoil behind EA’s paywall but was told that EA had previously rejected that proposition as well. Due to their exclusive contract with EA, Lucasfilm was contractually obligated to deny our request for the use of the Star Wars IP for Galaxy in Turmoil based on EA’s decision. We tried to reac?h out to EA directly for more information, but we have so far gotten no res??ponse."

While Romanelli still believes his project falls under fair use, he has no intent of pressing the issue in court, and will instead remove all direct references to Star Wars while retaining it as inspiration.

"Going forward, Frontwire Studios will be pivoting away from Star Wars and embarking on a mission to create a new, original game in a never before seen universe. Our game will still have massive 64-player battles, ground-to-space combat, destructible capital ships, and a full single-player campaign. We will also still be releasing Galaxy in Turmoil on Steam as planned and it will r??emain a free game."

To bankroll the game's development, Frontwire plans to crowdfund, but will not be kicking off any campaigns until the game has a playable demo with both single and multiplayer con?tent.

The future of Galaxy in Turmoil [Frontwire Studios]

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Secrets from Monkey Island development

Aric Wilmunder worked on some of LucasArts' most famous classics, from Monkey Island to Day of the Tentacle. He sits somewhere between sentimental and pack rat, too, having kept a ton of the original documents behind the creation of these classics. Slowly but surely, he's uploading them to his website, where he explains, "Years ago I visited the LucasArts facility in the San Francisco Presidio and brought along two grocery bags of desig?n documents.  I asked if they had an archivist and I was told that since I had kept these safe for over two decades, it was best if I just kept them together."  

Our own Handsome Holmes sent in the "completely amazing" repository, noting one particular detail in the original flow document for The Secret of Monkey Island (then known as Mutiny on Monkey Island): "no breasts."

Wilmunder's work should put us all on no-tits; we need as many archivists of the medium as we can get to fill the industry's annals. Check 'em out. The good thing is, because it's LucasArts, th??ey're actually funny and a light read.

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'Not happy with what he did with The Force Awakens'

_{[Thanks to Dtoid community member Long John for the awesome video production work!]}

So far, my favorite thing about Uncharted 4 is the semi-secret cameo from Monkey Island's Guybrush Threepwood. I didn't think to ask Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert about that surprise piece of copyright infringement, as this interview predates the release of the latest Uncharted, but we did get to talk about some other enlightening ideas?? surrounding the ownership of his characters. 

Through our discussion, I discovered that Thimbleweed Park, Ron's current collaboration with classic Lucasfilm Games artist Gary Winnick, doesn't just look like Maniac Mansion. It will also feature a "very large mansion... that will have some very familiar places." That's exciting news for Maniac Mansion fans, though it sounds a bit risky, given how Disney owns the intellectual property. 

Ron seems unafraid of that risk, or of Disney in general. Though he was quite polite about it, he was very clear in how he's not a fan of what Disney and J.J. Abrams have done with Star Wars so far, and he's not enthusiastic about the idea of what they might do with his characters either. Since Disney is no longer developing games internally, I think the company would be wise to allow Ron and his team to make a new Monkey Island. Hopefully Disney isn't too insulted by Ron's dissatisfaction with The Force Awakens to make that deal. 

At least he liked Lost. 

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