Watch those particles fly

There's nothing quite like returning to?? a leaderboard-centric game after a long absence only to find out that all of your unstoppable high scores have been trounced by some jabroni. Th?is is how grudges form!

Housemarque is giving Resogun players an excuse to return and assess the damage with a new 4K and high-dynamic range update. Base PS4 owners can take advantage of HDR assuming they have a corresponding TV, while PS4 Pro players are looking at 4K (and, score, there's supersampling).

Besides the visual f?lourishes, there are "some vfx additions and bug fixes" as well.

Resogun 4K + HDR Patch Now Available! [Housemarque]

The post Resogun lands 4K and HDR support appeared first on Destructoid.

Also HDR

Resogun graced the PS4 back in 2013, and was one of the console's first PlayStation Plus games. But Housemarque (a wonderful developer that knows its niche) isn't done with it yet, as it has announced a 4K/HDR update alongside of its new game, Nex Machina. Resogun already looks i?ncredible, so on the right set, this update s??hould really make it shine.

And if y??ou somehow haven't played it already -- go ahead and pick it up. It's a fantastic arcade experience so even without the upcoming visual enhancements you'll still be able to come back to it.

The post Resogun is back…in 4K form appeared first on Destructoid.

And a soundtrack

If you boot up Resogun right now, you'll find a number of new updates awaiting you. For starters, Season Pass owners will get a PS4 soundtrack for free, which includes 17 tracks. The pass also includes Wipeout-themed ships ($1.4?9 each separately), and "Human Packs," which alter the skins of the citizens in y?our game.

The Resogun Season Pass is a pretty odd duck. It's been almost two years since the game's release, and it's still adding content at a rate of about every six months or so. Since a lot of PS4 owners got Resogun for free by way of PlayStation Plus though, it's a pretty great deal and has thankfully kept this shooter alive and relevant for so l??ong.

Reso?gun Soundtrack, Wipeout Ship?s, New Human Packs Out Today [PlayStation Blog]

The post Resogun just got some Wipeout themed DLC appeared first on Destructoid.

What a great game with great support

Housemarque did a fantastic job with Resogun. While I enjoyed it at launch somewhat it wasn'??t until the subsequent custom ship updates and extra mode DLC came out that I really started to play it in earnest. Now you can get a look at the game's development internally with Housemarque's new Post Mortem video series.

In the video above you'll be able to see some early concepts for the game, information like the fact that it was built on top of Super Stardust Delta, why it was a PS4 exclusive, as well as som?e developmental insi??ght into the process.

The post Resogun de???veloper Housemarque offers post mortem thoughts on its PS4 shooter appeared first on Destructoid.

Yup, it's time to play this again

As a semi-jaded gamer, I typically despise the concept of DLC. Often times we are presented with content that either doesn't live up to the price or publishers push their content too early in a game's life. Resogun Defenders for the PlayStation? 4 is the exact opposite of that.

Even if you're a casual fan of Resogun and haven't picked it up for some time (like me), at $4.99, Defenders gives you so much value and pleasure that you'll want to drop whatever AAA title?? you're currently stuck on and really get into this -- because ??there's a lot to get into.

After recently adding challenges and a photo mode for free, Resogun Defenders adds two new game modes -- Protector and Commando. Both are fantastic and make the game significantly better. I admit, I've never been terribly good at Resogun, but I always enjoyed it nonetheless. With these added modes combined with challeng??es, I now have a desire to del?ve deeper and get better.

In Protector mode, you race around the map trying to rescue as many humans as possible. The fun starts when you're suddenly flooded with humans and the panic overtakes?? your body. Gotta catch 'em all is pretty ??much your goal -- as impossible as it seems at times.

My favorite mode, Commando, ditches the traditional Resogun ship and has players take on the role of a human. With a heavy Space Invaders influence, you are essentially protecting your home from falling balls of fire and the myriad of other enemies the game wants to throw at you. The mode even has a nice little surprise. I don't want to completely spoil it for you, but let's just say your little human will sound like a certain commando and former California governor.

If you even remotely enjoyed your time with Resogun or have been looking for a reason to start playing ??again, then consider saving those penn?ies and picking this DLC up. Whether it be the challenges meshed with the new game modes or fantastic co-op (both locally and online), you won't be bored or disappointed with this.

The post Resogun Defenders is DLC done right appeared first on Destructoid.

So much Resogun, so little time

If you own a PS4, then you should already own Resogun. It's a quality game. Trust me. For those that left this game on the virtual back shelf for a while, it might be time to check out what's changed.

Starting today, a gigantic and free content update called Resogun Challengers is adding "a new system of player levelling which is achieved ??by earning Challenge Points as a reward for completing new challenges and feats across all existing game modes."

The fr?ee upd??ate also adds a Human Gallery and Photo Mode. Oh, and if you're a trophy whore, they added some more of those too.

All this free stuff is coming on the back of the announcement of Resogun Defenders, the next paid expansion that will be ava?ilable ?Feb. 17.

Resogun Defenders is adding two modes to the game: Protector an?d Commando mode. In Protector, you will attempt to do just that, protect. There will be new power-ups and an all new planet flip mechanic.

In Commando, you take on the role as a human equipped with a mini-gun. The best part of this?? mode is that it supports both co-op and competitive multiplayer.

If you were still wanting to pick up Resogun, the main game will be availab??le for 33% off for t?he next two weeks.

Resogun Defenders Blasts Onto PS4 Feb. 17th [PlayStation Blog]

The post Resogun free update available now, expansion ?co??ming appeared first on Destructoid.

Portable voxels incoming!

Resogun is coming to??? PlayStation 3 and Vita tomorrow with cross-buy support.

Dale North gave Housemarque's voxel-charged shoot-'em up a glowing review when it first arrived on PS4. He called it "the ideal system launch game," reasoning it's something players will?? be happy to come back to time and again.

While it may not be a launch title for its new platforms,? the fact remains this is a gorgeous shooter t??hat just about anyone should be able to enjoy for a long time. It's fantastic more people will have the opportunity to experience the game this week.

The Drop: New PlayStation Games for 12/23/2014 [PlayStation Blog]

The post Resogun weaves its way onto PS3 and Vita tomorrow appeared first on Destructoid.

The former has Cross-Buy support with PS4/PS Vita

Just days ago, we learned that PlayStation 4 shooter Resogun was more than likely coming to PS3 on top ?of the already-confirmed PS Vita release. It's true!?? And it's happening soon.

The ports are releasing December 23 and, best of all, you only need to buy the game once to get access to it on all three systems. Saves are cross-platform, too. The downside is that Resogun will run at a locked 30 frames per ??second, not 60, on PS3 and PS Vita. Curse those voxels.

An expansion, Resogun: Defenders, is also in the works. When it launches next year ($4.99 standalone, or included in the Season Pass), it'll add modes (Protector and Commando), sh??ips, and planets. A free PS??4 update will bring new challenge and feats across all existing modes.

In other Housemarque news, the studio's earlier shoot-'em-up, Super Stardust HD, is headed to PlayStation 4 early next year. Besides the new name, Super Stardust Ultra will have extras like ??the ability to send and receive challenges to online friends and an interactive streaming mode in which viewers "vote periodically ??to change up your gameplay as they watch."

It's gonna feel weird going back to Super Stardust after Geometry Wars 3.

Resogun Blasting to PS3, PS Vita on 12/23 [PlayStation Blog]
Resogun: Defenders Expansion Pack Revealed [PlayStation Blog]
Super Stardust Ultra Hits PS4 in Early 2015 [PlayStation Blog]

The post Resogun conf?irmed for PS3, Super Stardust Ultra announced for PS4 appeared first on Destructoid.

It's like Defender except I don't hate myself afterwards

Housemarque's arcade shooter Resogun was the first PlayStation 4 game I played and, a year later, I still think that was the right choice; someone had to save those humans and it might as well have been me. Did they all survive? Well, no, but uh -- quick, look at that voxel explosion!

There's a PlayStation Vita port on the way from Climax Studios -- that'll be good in short bursts -- and, according to a ratings board listing in Europe??, a PlayStation 3 port is happening, too.

Though the latter version of the game hasn't been officially confirmed, its existence sounds reasonable enough. Plenty of people don't own a PS4 yet and won't anytime soon. Some of them would buy Resogun if given the opportunity. Until then, that new Geometry Wars is fun.

[Via Gematsu]

The post Looks like Resogun is also coming to PS3 appeared first on Destructoid.

Also, a sale

Recently a free update dropped for Resgoun that added new features to the game, like a ship creator and full-on local co-op. Now we're getting a DLC in the form of Resogun Heroes, which adds two new modes and a new game world.

The Heroes DLC will drop on June 24th, and the price is confirmed at $4.99. A Season Pass is also planned to arrive on the same day for future DLC, and includes Heroes -- it's priced at $7.99. Resogun is also on sale from June 24th until July 7th.

It kind of went dark for a while after launch, but now we're getting all this Resogun news, which is a great thing.

The post Resogun’s new massive update gets a stylish trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Also, more trophies

Resogun is still one of the best games on the PlayStation 4, and over the weekend, it got a free update that added quite a bit of content. In addition to a pretty badass ship editor (which people have already gone to town with), there are also a number of gameplay tweaks, as well a??s the big get of local co-op, and more trophies.

If you haven't booted up Resogun in a while, go do it, and grab a friend.

Resogun Update Ou?t Tomorrow: ??Ship Editor, Local Co-op, More Trophies [Resogun]

The post Free Resogun update adds ship editor, co-op appeared first on Destructoid.

Patch and expansion out later this month

I really enjoyed Resogun -- in fact, my only real complaint was that there wasn't more of it. More is coming, though, and it's not just new levels. First up is a patch, scheduled for June 23, that will add a ship editor and local cooperative play for free. Then, a day later, the game will get its Heroes expansion ??for $4.99. This will be the first of the paid DLC coming this year.

The first half of the Heroes DLC is Survival, an endless mode that has tweaks to scoring and gives parachutes to the humans you're trying to rescue.?? "There are a lot of cool new things to learn while you take the ride, but as we intend to stay true to the arcade feeling, we will let you discover the twists yourself," says Housemarque. There's even a day/night cycle!

Next is Demolition, a mode that borrows from Arkanoid. You no longer have a boost, overdrive, or bombs -- instead, you use a wrecking ball to smash through enemies. "You will die a lot," says the developer, and there's going to be lots of pickups like multiball. Sounds like chaotic fun and a nice departure from the core Resogun gameplay.

If you ??don't own the title yet, look for a $9.99 sale starting June 24.

//b?log.playstation.com/2014/06/09/resogun-new-modes-ship-editor-and-more-comin??g-this-month/#sf3225029Resogun: N?ew Modes, Ship Editor, and More Coming This Month [PlayStation Blog]

The post Resogun is getting local co-op, tw??o new modes, and a ship editor appeared first on Destructoid.

Are you still playing it?

Back in January, I was floored to hear that my favorite PS4 launch game Resogun had DLC in the works. But it's been almost five months since then with no word on when said DLC would actual?ly drop -- until now, that ??is. Developer Housemarque has confirmed that it will arrive in June -- although it's still up in the air as to what it actually is (co-op is rumored).

All we have to go on actually is this teaser image in the gallery below, but either way I'm excited t?o jump back into the fray again.

HouseMarque Team [Twitter via NeoGAF]

The post Resogun DLC confirmed for a June release appeared first on Destructoid.

More Resogun is a good thing

It's safe to say that in my household, Resogun was the clear-cut winner on top of the pile of PlayStation 4 launch games. But after over a week of extended play, I kind of saturated everything there is to do in the game, and I was left wanting more. Thankfully, Housemarque has confirmed that DLC is?? on the way, while simultaneously stating that a Vita version is not in the works.

This follows their nomination for Action Game of the Year by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, which they're pretty excited about. Hous??emarque has also confirmed that another PS4 related project is on the way. I can't wait!

Resogun – Erhält DLC und für DICE ?Award nomi??niert [Inside Games.ch via VG24/7]

The post Resogun developer confirms that they’re working on DLC appeared first on Destructoid.

Speed, accuracy and evasion

I've spent more time playing Resogun than anything else on my PlayStati??on 4, and with pretty good reason. As a rather de?ep arcade shooter, it enjoys a high degree of challenge and scoring potential that makes it easy to return to again and again. 

The biggest criticism I have is that Resogun does a rather poor job of explaining how its mechanics come together in a scoring sense. Lacking any kind of direct tutorial, you're left to try and divine strategies from loading screen tooltips. All well and good if you have the patience for it, but if you need a primer on how to play Resogun well, the above video lays out a variety of tips and strategies?? for scoring over 100 million points in the game's median difficulty.

The post How to score huge in Resogun appeared first on Destructoid.

I hadn't realized there was co-op

Today was a particularly busy day in what's been an all-around busy week. Did you happen to read Dale's review of Resogun? I think it's a safe bet to call this ??the go-to PlayStation 4 laun?ch game -- just look at it! And the fact that it's free for PS Plus members is beyond words.

Before the game and console release, Housemarque has another video of the shoot-'em-up which goes into the various worlds and playable ships. (One of them is called "Phobos," a word I definitely did not learn from Doom. Nope.) The PlayStation B?log has a more detailed breakdown of the ships' strengths and weaknesses but I got too distracted by those particles going every which way. This looks like eye-melting fun. Be sure to bring a friend along.

Resogun Co-op Detailed, More Ships Revealed [PlayStation Blog]

The post Another mesmerizing?? Resogun trail??er for good measure appeared first on Destructoid.

Sweet chaos

Again. Again!

Housemarque already had my heart as the creators of Super Stardust. Their latest, PS4 launch title Resogun, shares some of Stardust’s spirit, but it’s a new experience -- a shoot-em-up in a cylindrical l??oop, built entire??ly from thousands of voxels.

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

Aliens have invaded. They’re taking the la?st of the humans. Everything needs to be blown up. Everything.

In Resogun, players are free to move either left or right through the five cylindrical stages, working to blow up every alien in sight, all while dodging the galaxy of debris bits and projectiles flying ??about. Between the oncoming waves and the debris they leave, you’re constantly navigating through near chaos, forced to watch your front and rear as attackers can come from either direction.

While managing all of that, you’re also responsible for saving the last of the humans from the invading aliens. They’re held captive in each stage, and the only way to free them is to kill a specific type of enemy called a Keeper. When freed, you need to scoop them up and bring them to safety, all while holding back the attacking hordes of enemies. If not saved, humans will be killed after a time. But successfully bringing them in to res?cue ports brings you big score bonuses as well as power perks, like bombs or extra lives.  

Killed enemies release green voxels that can be col??lected to boost an Overdrive ability. This invincible blast pulverizes enemies and everything around them, and it’s as beautiful as it is powerful.&?nbsp;

Each of the five stages is made up of three phases, with a boss battle capping the stage off. These bosses are so big that the top of the cylinder is raised to fit them in. They’re dazzlin??g piles of pulsing voxels that throw all manner of projectiles a?t your little ship. Each is its own challenge and visual treat.

While Resogun is easy to get into, some of its systems an?d unique features provide plenty of depth to welcome you back in for return visits. I initially used the Boost ability to blast out of harm’s way, but when I later learned that I could use it to blow through enemies to kill them, Boost turned into an offensive move for me. And later, when I realized that boosting through enemies recharges the boost meter, it added another layer of depth to the ability.

Successive kills increase a score multiplier, with eac?h adding on tenths of a point, topping out at five times. I learned to pace my movement to always have another kill within reach to keep the multiplier topped off. I l??earned to watch through the play field to see what would soon be approaching from the back of the cylinder to keep the multiplier up.

Resogun is absolutely gorgeous, running at full HD at 60 frames per second. When the sparks start flying,?? prepare to lose yourself in its splendor. Your ship stays in an unending shower of particles and lighting?? effects, from beginning to end. I consider the distracting beauty of this game as part of the challenge. 

Using your Overdrive ability for the first time is an experience for the eyes, but that’s nothing compared to seeing the remaining stage explode in slow motion after finishing off the bosses. They call it Armageddon. Every enemy, from the smallest grunt to the big path-blocking beasts, is a sight to behold. They’re all impossibly colorful and impeccably animated, to the point that they’re almost distracting. I expect to see the PS4’s screenshot function to be put to good use by Resogun players.

The musical score of Resogun is just as electric as its visuals are. Tense, high tempo pieces are a perfect underscore to the crazed action onscreen. None of the songs are as flashy as the gameplay and visuals are, but th?ey work to tie the whole audiovisual package togeth??er beautiful, and all of them will have your head bobbing.

Resogun has so much style that it hurts. From the hypnotic way enemies materialize to how they’ve synchronized the controller’s speakers with the in-game audio for score and bonus prompts, Resogun will stand out as the coolest game on the PS4 at ?launch. 

This is not an easy game, though. Resogun is easy to pick up and learn, but playing it well is something you'll have to work up to. Playing without dying is the first step, followed by attempting to understand the depth of its systems. Casual players may be ove?rwhelmed by the challenge at first.

At five stages long, Resogun can be finished in one sitting. But it’s so lovely and inviting that you don’t mind jumping right back in. Turning up the difficulty is a great reason to come back. Add in the systems that pile on new levels of depth and you’ll find new challenges each time. And, of course, when the leaderboards go live, the top score chase will provide endless reasons to return to the loop. But I do wish that Resogun were longer. 

Resogun is a sati??sfying 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 jump into again and again. Don’t miss it.

The post Review: Resogun appeared first on Destructoid.

That's a lot!

Microsoft has shared some stats regarding the Xbox 360, letting ever??yone know that 80 million units of their gaming consoles has been sold worldwide since the launch in 2005. Along with that, 1.6 million units were sold in 2013 alone.

Software sales wise, the Xbox 360 reached $401.2 million. An impressive number, no doubt fueled by the release of Grand Theft Auto V.

We're just under a month away now before the next-gen arrives consuming our?? feeds, and in turn making current-gen become last-gen.

The post Xbox 360 hits 80 million consoles sold worldwide appeared first on Destructoid.

First hands-on with Housemarque's latest

Housemarque's latest, announced at this week's PlayStation press conference at gamescom, is PS4 title Resogun. Any fan of Super Stardust HD or Super Stardust Delta would be glad to hear that this game is a spiritual successor, though ?it adds some new ideas and some next-gen shine to the formula.

It's a shooter at heart, reminding of Defender, though it's not as space-y as you're fending off alien invaders in an attempt to save the last humans. Resogun plays cylindrically, with free back-and-forth movement. It's fast, but it's not so fas??t that you're overwhelmed. The left analog stick controls movement while the right? one fires either forward or back. And aside from a few buttons for special attacks, that's all you really need to know to jump in and have fun.

Resogun looks great with its sharp edges and its eye popping lighting effects. One of the coolest visual aspects is that the game's world is made up of little cubes. Its fully destructible environment has stray fire busting up walls and flooring. They all do this neat thing where they kind of disintegrate and fall downward. And as you progress through each level, you?'re actually slowly destroying this world, bit by bit. If you manage to beat the boss the entire world blows up into little cubes. Housemarque says that the game's engine is capable of displaying 500,000 on screen at any time, in full HD at 60 frames per second. They're already working the PS4 hard.

There's this nice feeling of accessibility even with all of the bullets flying anywhere. If you're well-versed in shmups, you'll do fine. But if not, there's still hope for you. Some guidance I received after dying a few times had me relying on a refillable forward boost. This move adds temporary invincibility, letting you get out of messes a bit easier. This co?mbined with spread bombs worked as training wheels until I got a good feeling of the game's movement. 

Once I got that down, I fell into this p?leasant, focused trance. After a clean series of dodges, close calls,? well-timed boosts, and clean back shots, I was grinning ear to ear. My score multiplier was climbing and I felt powerful. But just as I got cocky, the game ramped up with several different kinds of attackers, coming from all directions. The trance faded a bit, though I still was having a blast.

Resogun throws a small twist in to keep things interesting. One of the control labels has a funny name: "Throw Human." It turns out that you'll look for "the last humans" alive and pi??ck them up. They flail and dangle behind your ship until you can manage to safely take them to transport points. If you ??happen to be boosting by a transport point, you can actually throw the human in the proper direction. Properly transporting humans away from alien invaders will give you power-ups and other benefits. 

It seems they'?re still sitting on some details for Resogun. Perhaps co-op play? We'll have to wait and see.

I was pleased to learn? that a title with such great gameplay will be available at la?unch. Better, it's free with PlayStation Plus. 

The post Resogun is a blast, lets you throw humans appeared first on Destructoid.

Shoot all the things in the spiritual succesor to Super Stardust

Housemarque made a name for itself with the addictive, colorful Super Stardust HD, one of the PS3's early downloadable and indie exclusives. Housemarque followed with neat games like Dead Nation and the excellent Outland, but it's now going back to its shmup roots with Resogun.

The "arcade action shooter" Resogun was announced today at gamescom exclusiveely for PlayStation 4. It eschews Stardust's spher??ical system for a left and right moving circular one.  Accordingly, it's no longer a twin stick shooter, but? a horizontal one.

You rescue things, get power-ups, and drop bombs, of course. Cool, screen clearing blue energy bombs.So satisfying.. According to the PlayStation Blog, "[t]h?ere will also be a bunch of different ships, co-op multiplayer, plus a ton of things that we can’t really talk about just yet."

Resogun looks reso-fun!

The post Resogun: the?????????????????????????? PS4 e?xclusive shmup from Super Stardust dev appeared first on Destructoid.