Gamescom 2023 has had quite a few vague "this exists" trailers, and Killing Floor 3 is one of them.

Look, I really dig the staying power of the Killing Floor series. The second game in particular remained relevant for several years after its initial 2016 debut, well into its release on Xbox One a year later.? It's a great take on the ?typical horde mode formula, and Tripwire Interactive spawned an entire diehard audience out of it. Now, a third entry is in the works.

If y??ou're interested, here's a synopsis from Tripwir??e to hold you over:

"Killing Floor 3 is the next installment in the legendary co-op action/horror FPS series. The year is 2091, 70 years after the events in Killing Floor 2, and megacorp Horzine has produced the ultimate army: an obedient horde of bio-engineered monstrosities called Zeds. Now, the only thing standing between these infernal creations and the future of humanity is the rebel rogue group known as Nightfall. This intense first-person shooter puts players in the role of a Nightfall specialist, joining forces with up to five teammates as they battle through a war-ravaged, dystopian future, surviving unr?elenting waves of Ze??ds, unlocking new skills, and building the ultimate arsenal."

Okay, an even more futuristic take on the series? I can work with that! It sounds like we could ge??t even more lore tid??bits this time around, with the clash between Nightfall and Horzine.

Killing Floor 3 will arrive on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S for sure (with no?? prior generation console releases planned): but it currently has no release date, or even a releas?e window.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6Yq3fBkDTA

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Supermarket Sweep

Embracer Group, continuing on its apparent mission to become the only company in existence, has been on another sh??opping spree, walking away with several studios, publishers, and million-dollar IPs in a mighty sweep of its seemingly bottomless wallet.

Announced this morning, Embracer's recent purchases include Lord of the Rings IP holder Middle-earth Enterprises, Maneater developer Tripwire Interactive, Japanese studio Tatsuji, accessory brand Giotech, karaoke hardware company Singtrix, and popular boutique retailer Limited Run Games. The identity of a further acquisition remains?? unannounced as of this writing.

A?ll of Embracer's gaming entities will be managed within a new operating division in the holding company known as "Embracer Freemode." The total purchase price for all of the listed acquisitions is reportedly in the region of SEK 8.2 billion, or roughly $787 million USD.

"Today Embracer becomes an even better group. I am pleased to welcome an amazing group of entrepreneur-led companies to the Embracer family and to extend our portfolio with some truly remarkable IPs and franchises, including The Lord of the Rings," said Embracer C?EO?? Lars Wingefors of the purchases.

"It is encouraging that our group has become a natural and preferred buyer of creative, growing and pro??fitable companies within Gaming and Entertainment. Several discussions with entrepreneurs now joining have been ongoing for more than three years before the stars aligned today, which underlines the importance of a long-term perspective in building our group."

Middle-earth Enterprises has held the licensing rights to J.R.R Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit for some 50 years. In an accompanying statement, Embracer appeared to show great interes??t in exploring the characters and worlds that exist within Middle-earth, which frankly sounds like a Di??sney-style abundance of movies and TV shows might be headed our way in the future.

Embracer Group has been incredibly proactive with its purchase power in recent years. In the gaming sphere, the umbrella corporation already has stakes or full ownership in companies such as THQ Nordic, Saber Interactive, Koch Media, Gearbox Entertainment, Aspyr Media, DECA Games, and all of their respective subsidiaries, alongside numerous independent studios.

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Does anyone else remember Live from Daryl's House?

To this day, I don't think I ever ended up finishing Maneater, but I'd still recommend it to anyone wanting a silly arcadey action diversion with RPG progression to keep you going. It's been out for two years, and if you never got around to it, today's your day to grab Maneater for free from the Epic Games Store. The PC copy is up for grabs until June 16.

The game lets you conquer your oceanic fears �instead of a helpless human, you play the power-hungry shark who's out for (well-justified!) revenge. Of course, you'll start off as a weakli??ng in the shallows before bulking up enough to face your fisherman rival as the apex predator. The game has a satirical story for those who need some rising stakes.

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

I would've been fine exclusively focusing on the "game"-ier elements: fighting other aquatic life, feeding, gaining mass, and evolving new abilities. I mean, I'm the sorta person who grew up on educational (?) stuff like Odell Down Under. They had me at "shark game."

Fun as it is to flop around on land as a massive shark, I didn't necessarily care to chomp down on beach-goers, and I definitely liked the roaming hit-squad boats the least of anything in Maneater. You may feel differently, though! This is a somewhat uneven game whe?n you rattle off nitpic??ks, but if you're mostly after exploration, collectibles, and powering up your shark like I was, there's fun to be had without too many unfun bits.

Maneater was a "free" game for PlayStation Plus subscribers, so I'm sure plenty of you played this and can speak to it as an experience you invested more time than money in. Worth adding: the expansion, Maneater: Truth Quest, is not included with this Epic Games Store fre?e-to-keep deal?? �you're just getting the eight-ish-hour base game.

Next week's free PC game, Supraland, will be claimable from June 16�3. I've been meaning to check it out! Inspired by Zelda, Metroid, and Portal, it's a first-per??son action-puzzle game that "assumes that you are intelligent and lets you play independently."

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Partners distance themselves from CEO's SB 8 celebration

Tripwire Interactive'??s John Gibson has stepped down from his position as company president after ignitin?g controversy with a tweet expressing pride at Texas' recent and draconian anti-abortion legislation.

The controversy began on September 4, when Gibson took to Twitter to state that he was "Proud of #USSupremeCourt affirming the Texas law banning abortions for babies with a heartbeat". Gibson noted that he felt it?? was "important to go on the record as a pro-life game developer."

//twitter.com/RammJaeger/status/1434245??886670901250?s??=20

Texas' new law, "TX SB 8", effectively bans abortion procedures from as early as six weeks into pregnan?cy, earlier than many women will even realize that they are pregnant. SB 8 also facilitates the ability for private citizens to sue not only abortion providers, but also those believed to have helped a woman receive an abortion �for example, friends who drive a patient to a clinic, or help finance the procedure. The law carries no exception for rape or incest, and only a very narrow exception to be enacted in the most at-risk of scenarios.

On September 5, developer Shipwright Studios, (which works with Tripwire on titles such as Maneater and Chivalry 2), quickly distanced itself from the publisher, noting that it would be taking steps to immediately cancel all existing contracts with ?the company.

"While your politics are your own, the moment you make them a matter of public discourse you entangle all those working for and with you," stated Shipwright on Twitter. "We cannot in good conscience continue to work with Tripwire under the current l??eadership structure."

This sentiment?? was then echoed by Canadian developer and Tripwire Interactive project partner Torn Banner Studios, who also moved to swiftly distance itself from Gibson's comments.

"We do not share the opinion expressed in a recent tweet by the president of Tripwire, publisher of Chivalry 2," tweeted Torn Banner. "This ??perspective is not shared by our team, nor is it reflected in the games we create. The statement stands in opposition to what we believe abou??t women's rights."

While Gibson found some support for his comments in corners of the media and the video game community, clear condemnation came from various high-ranking industry figureheads, including God of War director Cory Barlog and Gears of War's Cliff Bleszinski. Gibson's original tweet was fast to fill up with replies from players stating that they would be choosing to boycott all of Tr??ipwire Interactive's releas??es in the future.

Thus, this morning, Tripwire Interactive directly addr??essed the weekend's controversy.

"The comments given by John Gibson are of his own opinion, and do not reflect those of Tripwire Interactive as a company," begins Tripwire's statement. "His comments disregarded the values of our whole team, our partners and much of our broader community. Our leadership team at Tri??pwire are deeply sorry and are unified in our commitment to take swift action and to foster a more positive environment."

"Effective immediately, John Gibson has stepped down as CEO of Tripwir?e Interactive. Co-founding member and current Vice President, Alan Wilson, will take over as interim CEO. Alan has been with the company since its formation in 2005 and is an active lead in both the studio's business and developmental affairs [...] His understanding of both the company's culture and the creative vision of our games will carry the team through this transition, with full support from t??he other Tripwire leaders."

Considered among the mos?t extreme abortion laws in modern American history, Abortion rights advocates have stated that TX SB 8 is not only prejudice against women of color, teenagers, and low-income households, but also that the new legis??lation can and will encourage a horrifying culture of "bounty hunting" �essentially deputizing private citizens to investigate, stalk, or otherwise terrorize women in hopes of receiving a court-appointed reward. Healthcare specialists believe that around 85% of patients seeking abortion will be denied help under the new ruling.

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Fin Baller

You all know me... know how I earn a living. I'll review Maneater for you. But it ain't gonna be easy. Switch port. Not like booting up the PC to go down to Resident Evil Village. This? port report embargo... swallow your weekend... a little eyestrain, a little finger cramp, and down you go.

I'm gonna keep it quick, that'll bring back the players, put all your eShop customers on a paying basis. But it's not gonna be pleasant. I value free time more than your gaming Twitter clout, Chief. I'll check out your Switch port. I'll install it for 3,000 click??s, but I'll play it — and review it — for 10. Carter got no volunteers, and I've got no mates. But you gotta make up your minds: 10,000 clicks... For me, by myself.

For that you get the screencaps...? the summary... The Whole Damn Thing.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, Tripwire Interactive has returned with a Nintendo Switch port of its open-sea adventure, Maneater, which troubled doomed beachgoers and out-of-their-league fishermen back in the spring of 2020. Lauded by many as "a game they didn't know they wanted," Maneater won over a cult of bloodthirsty fans who were able to push through numerous gameplay issues and technological shortco?mings and simply bask in the gleeful nihilism and wanton violence found in the fathoms of Port Clovis.

Maneater sees the player oversee the life of a young bull shark, torn from her mother's carcass and tossed back into the waters by ornery Cajun fisherman, (and reality TV star), Scaly Pete. Players guide the young shark as she evolves from a helpless orphan into a terrifying local legend. As the player explores Port Clovis (a thinly-veiled stand-in for the Louisiana Bayou), our dead-eyed protagonist will battle dangerous predators, ward off fame-seeking hunters, damage the local scenery, and slaughter holidaymakers, before ultimately coming jaws-to-face with her parent's killer in an apocalyptic, operatic, clash of the titan?s. Eat your heart out, H?emingway.

Nintendo fans will be pleased to hear that the Switch port of Maneater is more than serviceable. While the original game was never a resource-hungry powerhouse, it's worth remembering that it launched on PC and consoles with myriad technical problems — from quest-?breaking bugs and a brutal save-wiping glitch, to a strange technical issue that ?would cause consoles to overheat! A year on, most of these more serious problems have thankfully long since been eliminated.

That isn't to say Maneater for Switch is perfect. I've frequently come across an issue where prey — be it fish or human — will simply "freeze" into position, requiring a nudge or bite to get them moving again. I've also had on-screen prompts hang around a little longer than they were needed... minutes longer. While some players admit that the adventure's imperfections are part of its charm and appeal, it should be clearly stated that while Maneater?'s most egregious problems are no longer a concern, the Switch port features its own finful of minor irritants.

Maneater runs smoothly in both docked and handheld mode. Frame rate is important in a title such as this, where atmosphere and immersion are dictated by the natural flow of the water. Save for a couple of extremely brief drops upon resurrection, or when entering a new area of the map, Maneater scores high in the all-important stability stakes, albeit with a little sacrifice of both resolution and draw distance.

It should also be noted that Maneater is a control-heavy title, with battles requiring frequent use of almost every button on the Joy-Con, often in quick succession. As such, I found handheld mode a little unsuitable for longer sessions, with a sense of hand cramp building during particularly long fights. Toss in Maneater's notoriously unruly camera, and this might be a job f?or the Pro Controller.

The Switch port of Maneater sports comparable visuals to its PS4/Xbox One brethren. While none of the scenery or character models were ever top-tier, Maneater's palette of comic-book colors and atmospheric lighting bring life and variety to its aquatic world, giving each area of Port Clovis — as well as its gorgeous "Grotto hubs" — unique identity. The Switch handles these effects admirably, though it should be reiterated that Maneater — even on the most powerful platforms — is typified by its "last-gen??" a??esthetic.

So, should you bite? It's a tough call. Maneater as a whole is a fascinating example of raw gameplay built around the concept of fun, action, and chaos. Nobody can take that away from it. But it remains both the title's blessing and its curse. While Maneater boasts an engaging story, uniquely told, and offers players a meat-and-potatoes thrill ride akin to the gaming of yesterday, Tripwire's dramatic adventure is undeniably a repetitive one, offering much of t?he same objectives ??and action over and again, with only the slightest of variables.

This is not a fault of the game's design, per se, but more of its conceptual limitations. After all, there isn't really all that much for a shark to do other than jet through the surf, chewing up fish and hapless fools in dinghies. Quite honestly, I think Maneater's price weighs heavily on its value. The Switch port is launching at $40, while the PS4/Xbox and Epic Games Store editions — now 12 months old —  often feature innumerable sales. The cheaper you can find Maneater, the more likely you are to overlo?ok its negatives and enjoy its many posi?tives.

A year into its reign of terror — and on the crest of its first major DLC expansion — Maneater's Switch debut is a solid one. The repetitious nature of its core gameplay remains an undeniable downer, but the unbridled catharsis of being mankind's greatest predator, (now with electric teeth!), is as spirited as ever. Maneater for Switch is a suitable purchase for those wishin?g to go portable for the aquatic apocalypse. Those with access to other platforms might be better served picking up the original release.

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

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Have THEY gotten to you too?

Tripwire Interactive has released the first details for the previously announced DLC expansion to crazy, bloodthirsty "shaRkPG," Manteater. Coming at some point this summer, Maneater: Truth Quest wi??ll return to the waves for more over-the-top boat??-chomping action.

Following on from the events of the 2020 Shark-'em-up, Truth Quest will venture into the realm of internet conspiracies, as roving reporter Trip Westhaven investigates the growing rumors and theories surrounding the Naval Wildlife Organization. (4 life). Supported by an army of ViewTube followers - or "Questers" - Westhaven embarks upon a boat-rocking journey (literally) to uncover the clandestine government repor?ts of  armored, toxic, and electrically powered sharks lurking in the deep blue.

"The team has been hard at work on Maneater: Truth Quest and we're excited to announce the first details on the downloadable content that so many fans have been asking for," said Tripwire creative director Sean McBride. "We're aiming to give players more of what they loved from the original Maneater, with the ability to grow bigger, ?explore an entirely new region off the coast of Port Clovis, and evolve further tools of destruction [...] we pick up where we left off and join Trip Westhaven and the shark's journey down the rabbit hole of conspiracy and military cover-ups as you eat, explore and evolve through these uncharted waters."

Maneater: Truth Quest will feature a brand new Evolution set, raising the XP cap to 40, increasing maximum shark size, and offering a selection of new organ evolutions - giving the array of evolved "hunt" creatures and the new "Uber" apex predator, you're going to need them, chum. If this wasn't hazardous enough, then new military adversaries will arrive to attack your shark pal by land, sea, and air, determined to fill you full of ??holes without the ?aid of any gas canisters.

Additionally, two new modes are incoming in the form of a ring-based Time Trial challenge and a tail-whipping new mini-game called "Failure to Communicate." All of the above should provide hunters of the Blue Planet with more than enough content to ensure no Maneater fan goes hungry come the holiday-making season.

The Maneater: Truth Quest DLC will launch this summer on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms, priced at $15.99. A Nintendo Switch port of Maneater will launch May 25.

...And if you've tricked me, Tripwire, then you're gonna need a bigger boat.

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The magic words: 'it's free'

It's not going to top many (or any?) game-of-the-year lists, but I can't close out 2020 without remembering Maneater. It's not every day we get to be a shark, much less morph into an unstoppable terror with RPG-style upgrades, and beyond the cold-blooded chaos, I enjoyed tracking dow?n all of t??????????????????????????hose just-hidden-enough collectibles. Honestly, the region-based exploration was my favorite part.

Tripwire is going to jog my memory in November with a free next-gen upgrade for Maneater.

We're in??credibly pleased to announce that Maneater will swim onto next-gen systems at launch! Fully evolved for the new hardware with a free upgrade for all current-gen owners!

🦈â¤ï¸ðŸ•¹ï¸ pic.twitter.com/XMGI4PyJzR

— Maneater (@maneatergame) September 23, 2020

If you bought Maneater on PS4 or Xbox One, you'll be able to upgrade to a decked-out version on PlayStation 5 (starting November 12) or Xbox Series X/S (starting November 10). In other words, this is an unexpected day-one launch title for both systems. As for the lower-spec Xbox Series S specifically, the developer says that players will "benefit from increased graphical fidelit?y and frame rate."

Unlike other games that are getting a next-gen refresh, "this is not a different application/game, and?? where the platforms support it your stats, saves, and trophies/achievements ??will carry forward."

Beyond the upgrade, Maneater will have new physical editions on PS5 and Xbox Series X. The studio teased that "more Maneater" is ?on the way and said PC will get "visual enhancements" in 2021.

With free upgrades, I feel like some of these current-gen games can really stand out on PS5 and XSX. That's not to say there's nothing to play at launch, but once we're done with the big-hitters, games like Maneater will be calling my name. After all, I'm a few trophies shy of earn??ing that platinum.

The post Maneater has a 4K60FP??S upgrade for PS5 and Xbox Series X on launch day appeared first on Destructoid.

This game rules

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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(Tail)whip it good

There's not much about Maneater that's confusing. See food, eat food. About halfway through this aquatic power fantasy, your baby shark has grown big enough that most less-capable predators go down in a couple chomps. You will eventually reach a point in Maneater&nb?sp;where you know nothing the game throws at you will be too tough of a challenge. That's kind of the way it goes when you're the most fearsome beast in t??he sea.

On a couple of occasions, however, Maneater throws a curveball. But it's not something that's hunting you and wants you dead. It's just an obstacle meant to impede your progress. There are opt?ional gates between some areas that allow for free-flowing traversal to and fro. Honestly, they're kind of a moot point because you can just fast travel to any area at any time.

Still, Maneater vaguely gives instructions for opening the gates by telling you to hit the switch. Ah, but it's not that simple! After spending some time?? popping out of the water and angling my shark so that its body hits the button, I remembered that I have a rarely-used attack that might help the cause. The tailwhip is the key to this poorly-explained riddle, as I demon??strate in this video:

However -- and this is so weird -- I couldn't get the second gate to open w?ith a tailwhip. No matter how many times I tried, the Prosperity Sands gate just wouldn't open. Instead, I had to pick up a Mako shark?? in my mouth (holding right trigger to bite it once but not fully devour it), hop out of the water, and spit the shark at the button.

I don't remember Maneater ever teaching this mechanic. I??f it was taught, I definitely never used it. Bu?t, it's necessary for getting through the gates.

While the gates aren't important for efficient traversal, completionists will want to knock them out. They don't count toward objectives for reaching 100% completion in any region, but they are required for the Queen of the Ocean achievement/trophy for hitting 100% completion in all regions (and the subsequent platinum trophy). So, if you're missing something in Maneater but have already completed all objectives, these annoying gate??s are likely the culprit.

The post Here’s how to hit switches and open gates in Maneater appeared first on Destructoid.

Ooooo here she comes (totally original subheader, do not steal)

Maneater is exactly the kind of bonker?s idea we need right now: a people-e??ating shark sim.

I know what yo??u're thinking though. While there is plenty of dumb meme potential baked in, Tripwire actually managed to create a fun little arcade foundation for all ??of that madness to stand on.

Maneater (PC [reviewed], PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
Developer: Tripwire Interactive, Blindside Interactive
Publisher: Tripwire Interactive, Deep Silver (retail release)
Released: May 22, 2020
MSRP: $39.99

While this idea would be stale and gimmicky in the hands of a lesser studio, this is Tripwire we're talking about (with Blindside Interactive): the same people who brought us the endlessly entertaining Killing Floor series.

The thing you need to realize quickly is that Maneater wears its campiness on its sleeve. Your main foe is a Cajun hunter who considers killing sharks "his sacred honor." Killing 10 innocent beach-goers is your first "main quest." The insanity keeps ramping up from there. You can comically breach on land where you have a reverse oxygen meter. The whole thing is framed around a Deadliest Catch-style reality show with Chris Parnell's "Dr. Spaceman" voice serving as a narrator, which cleverly gives it a hook.

Maneater's other key DNA strand is the ability to level-up and evolve, growing and taking on new customizable body parts. The first thing that comes to mind is E.V.O.: Search for Eden for the SNES. I rented it on a wh??im one day and it completely dominated the next five days (ah rental periods) of my life. Similarly, you play as an evolving, rampaging creature with options for said evolutionary track.

And really, that's the only thing that I can think of in terms of a direct comparison (Spore is a little different): a nearly three-decade-old Super Nintendo game. While many publishers like Devolver market "wacky and unique" experiences as a constant selling?? point, this one hits that mark more than most games in recent memory.

The core gameplay, as previously mentioned, is extremely arcadey. You're going to be mashing that "bite" button a whole lot (it can get tiring), as well as the defensive-minded tailwhip (which you don't really need) and dodge buttons. Our sharky protagonist can leap out of the ocean and chomp people off of boasts; and comically, bosses — outside of a few scripted ones that have armored boats — can be chomped like any other person for? the most part.

To achieve all this you'll need to navigate a very wonky lock-on system (that's more of a "camera focus") as well as an uncooperative camera. Here's the thing: I can easily circumvent strange camera angles as long as I have control and can compensate. But in Maneater, the game constantly shifts between a "skimming" camera and an underwater one. It's hard to reconcile the two during a huge boss fight? when the game is fighting itself; trying to figure out which focus you want after a pivotal lunge.

Then, moments later, you're back at it, smiling again. Having a shark flop around on land for extended periods in a Sea World parody park, eating people in the stands, isn't something you see every day. There's a lot of exciting moments with beast-to-beast combat, where it almost feels like a jousting match of apex predators. The constant stream of shark facts (again, enthusiastically delivered by Chris Parnell) is sure to delight, and the beautiful environments remind me of the recent bold and bright Hitman 2 aesthetics from IO Interactive.

It's also interesting how adversarial the game is. Humans are constantly looking for you like GTA cops. Gators, other sharks, or eve??n aggressive fish, just plain hate you. There are no real "friends?" or "helpful NPCs," you kind of just kill and eat everything. It's refreshing!

Amid all that madness, it does become apparent that some of the RPG elements feel tacked-on or rote. You can take on enemies two to even three times your level with a certain degree of skill, but the leveling portions feel like an attempt ??to stretch out the game. "Quests" ar??e usually "kill things" as you propel yourself toward the end of the "story." That's...mostly fine! This is an arcade action game: it's almost framed like a beat 'em up, stage-by-stage. 

As far as open-world comparisons go, the structure actually reminds me of the last few Far Cry games (right down to the "named"?? boss enemies with big bounty rewards), for better or worse. There's "hidden package" open-world collectibles to find, hubs you can fast travel to so you can level up, and plenty of sidequests. The campaign will run you roughly 10 hours; slightly more if you do everything.

Beyond my umbrage with some of the RPG elements, there's also the matter of Maneater-specific minor bugs. You can't fast-travel unless you're? out of combat, but many times there would be no enemy in sight (and no one searching for me) and I still couldn't trigger it. Some NPCs don't count for quests even though they're the same exact type and right in the target area. Many of the "apex" creatures (minibosses) are just bigger models with the same strategy. Again, it's mostly minor, but it adds up.

Maneater squanders some of its potential, but it's perfect for a rainy weekend when you're craving something original. With some tweaks and patches, it'll have an even brighter legacy; or at the very least, become a cult classic alongside more out-there projects in gaming history like Stubbs the Zombie. 

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

The post Review: Maneater appeared first on Destructoid.

The gate is a trap!

Maneater might seem like a wacky shark si?mulator, but there's a method to its madness.

Distilled, it's actually an open world chomper that has a lot in common with games like Assassin's Creed. In other words, there's a ??certain degree of map navigation involved.

Here's how to get out of th?e first area, Fawtick Bayou.

Take a good look at the map above.

Fawtick Bayou, the portion highlighted in yellow, is the very first zone you'll come across after the prologue (which takes place on the right). After completing a number of "main quests" in the bayou (denoted by teal exclamation points), you'll unlock the ability to move on to the next zone: this is basically the cadence in which the critical path is completed in Maneater.

The thing is, it isn't immediately apparent how to exit the first zone as there's several options. The right side is blocked off until you reach the "Elder" status (that corresponds to your level), which is much later in the game. You might be tempted to go south and try to figure out a way past the giant gate to no avail, but that's not the correct route either. Instead, head west and slam into the grate circled in red in the above image. That'll take you to D?ead Horse Lake, where you can continue the campaign!

While it may seem obvious, there's n??o indicator for it, so a lot of you might miss it the first time around.

The post Here’s how to get out of the first area in Maneater appeared first on Destructoid.

Here's the launch trailer ahead of the game's May 22 release

Maneater might not top anyone's most-wanted-games list for 2020, but a budget-friendly open-world action-RPG about a shark?? "eating [its] way up the ecosystem" sounds cathartic. E?very few years someone captures my imagination with a promising animal-based adventure, and I show up every time.

Lately, Tripwire Interactive has been focused on showing bits and pieces of Maneater with bite-sized trailers for "apex predators" like the barracuda. The launch trailer – which is out today, even though Maneater doesn't r?elease on PC, PS4, and Xbox One until M?ay 22 – is all-encompassing by comparison.

I'm not convinced I'll ?dig the narrated campaign "set against the backdrop of a reality TV show." I'm also less interested in chomping on innocent people than I am taking down vile sea creatures. That s??aid, the promise of an oceanic open-world game – fantastical or otherwise – is tantalizing to me. I'm coming in with modest expectations, and I think I'm gonna have a great time. If this is even a seven, I'll be stoked.

Did you ever play Jaws Unleashed? I never did, but I'm hoping to atone with Maneater. One last thing: if you caug?ht the Nintendo Switch logo in the trailer, keep in mind, that version is due "later this year."

The post Maneater is the kind of ‘comfort food’ game I need right now appeared first on Destructoid.

It's not blue, but monkeys aren't green

When you're a shark, you have to feel pretty confident about your standings in the underwater food chain. It's like being a human on land. Sure, may??be a bear will ruthlessly murder me and play with my skull, but there's only a very slim chance that's how I go out. I'm much more likely to die when my o??wn car runs me over.

Maneater's whole goal is to devour people -- it says it right there in the name -- but there are some threats in the water. Like this barracuda that has razor-sharp teeth and is the sea-equivalent of Usain Bolt. The barracuda is on some prehistoric shit, like every nightmare fish on this list.

Developer Tripwire is out to show us all the baddest creatures in the sea. They're the "apex predators" (I doubt Randy Orton is next), one policing each region in Maneater. Besides the barracuda, Tripwire also revealed the alligator which grabs hold and deathrolls our beloved ba?by shark. Being at the top of the food chain just means yo?u gotta always watch the throne and protect ya neck.

Maneater's reign of terror in the deep blue sea begin?s on May 22 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

The post Maneater’s barracuda is lying low in the weeds and I bet it’s gonna ambush me appeared first on Destructoid.

People are keto...probably

There's a new threat that's f?loating under the radar...and under the wa?ter, too.

Tripwire Interactive, best known for Killing Floor, has another sort of blood-thirsty monster. It's Maneater, a game where you play as a shark who's trying to eat as many people as possible. Maneater has been known about for a while now, but its tra?iler at The ??Game Awards gave us some new details.

It seems as though Maneater is now coming to PC (via Epic Games Store), PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. Deep Silver has signed on as the publisher. Maneater will launch -- err,?? swim? -- on May 22, 2020.

The post You’re a hungry shark in Tripwire’s Maneater, and humans are the tastiest snack appeared first on Destructoid.

Midgets on stilts!

Tripwire Interactive took the stage at the PC Gaming Show to show off some of Killing Floor 2's next seasonal event, titled Summer Sideshow. This is a (free) limited time event that will last for a mere mon?th and comes with 50 cosmetics, two new weapons, an?d crazy game modes.

Oh, and it kicks off tomorrow! There's also a free week and sale starting tomorrow, which sounds like a perfect jumping off point for people like me who haven??'t jump on board yet. The trailer does a great job of showing off the style and humor of the event.

The post Killing Floor 2’s Summer Sideshow event hits tomorrow in addition to free week appeared first on Destructoid.

Always nice to see this sort of stuff for free

At the risk of reminding Zack that we played Killing Floor 2 together once, had a good time, then proceeded to never cooperatively* fend off the Zed hordes again, I'd like to point out that there's a free new Descent Content Pack out now for the game,???? both on PC and PlayStation 4.

The part of the update that got my attention was the seari?n?g Spitfire revolvers (which you can delightfully dual-wield), but there's also a new Stoner 63A light machine gun, and a pair of maps.

The first map, The De?scent, was created for the new Holdout mode in which every wave "takes place in one of ten different rooms, and the rooms are in a random order after the first, so each time you play you get different experience." The other map, Nuked, is a design straight from the co??mmunity.

For the full patch notes, look no further. And for curious potential players, Tripwire is holding a 50% off sale and a "Free Weekend" promo for Killing Floor 2 on Steam starting Thursday, March 23 at 10:00am Pacific. Folks on PlayStation 4 also have a f??ree trial and a ??sale (33% off) that's already live.

_{[*No less than half the bullets fired in our match were mine, but Zack got 99.8% of the kills.]}

The Descent Pack [Killing Floor 2]

The post Killing Floor 2 adds a n?ew mode, maps, and weapons appeared first on Destructoid.

~400 hours and counting

Over the last year and a half, I've been playing a ton of Killing Floor 2 (just under 400 hours) during its time on Steam Early Access. It's an in-staff joke at this point: if news about the game pops up, the team knows I want to read it and cover it. The number of times I've begged  my co-workers to play with me is bordering on pathetic. I'm sorry that I wanted to play one of my favorite cooperative shooters ever with you, guys. How dare I wa??nt to share with you some of the most satisfying gunplay?? I've ever seen?

Of course, with it finally leaving Early Access, I have to separate the time that I've played from what's actually being presented in the final product. I have to ignore the ups and downs during development, the numerous balance changes, the focus shifts. I'll do my best, but I'm pretty su??re yo?u can already tell I love this damn game.

Killing Floor 2 (PC [reviewed], PS4 [tested on both regular and Pro])
Developer: Tripwire Interactive
Publisher: Deep Silver, Iceberg Interactive
Release: November 18, 2016
MSRP: $29.99 (PC Standard Edition), $39.99 (PC Digital Deluxe Edition, PS4)

A biotech company called Horzine went and created a bunch of horrible monsters, and now soldiers, mercenaries, and survivors are trying to clean up the mess. Killing Floor 2 follows a very simple loop, but it does it so well that I don't mind. You and up to five friends have to fight ten waves of Zeds (genetically engineered monsters), earning money with each kill so you can buy increasingly ridiculous weapons. At the end of the ten waves, you fight one of two bosses. Aside from the Versus mode -- more on that later -- that's it for now. Other modes will assuredly be added, as Tripwire Interactive supports its games for much longer than most develop??ers. 

If you need a campaign or multiple modes to keep your attention, this might not be the game for you. It's essentially a horde mode turned into a full game. While that may sound repetitive, the insane tactility and attention to detail put into the weapons and combat has kept my attention for longer than I thought possibl?e. There are ten perks (classes) to choose from: Berserker, Commando, Demolitionist, Field Medic, Firebug, Gunslinger, Sharpshooter, Support, Survivalist, and S.W.A.T. Leveling them up and gradually becoming better-versed in survival on the hardest difficulties just hasn't stopped being sati??sfying for me.

There are eleven ??different monsters ranging from basic zombie-like creatures called Clots that shamble toward you to Scrakes, well-muscled menaces with ??a chainsaw for an arm. Some perks are better-geared towards killing certain enemies, so teamwork is more important here than most co-op games I've played. When you feel comfortable enough and move onto higher difficulties, the Zeds gain new abilities in addition to more health and damage. Due to the new tactics employed by your mutated opponents, playing on the hardest mode, Hell on Earth, is frantic and fast-paced, feeling like a completely different game than Normal difficulty.

After cleaving through the ten waves, it's boss time. You'll fight either Dr. Hans Volter, an emaciated sadist in an exoskeleton suit, or the Patriarch, the former CEO of Horzine who's now an abomination equipped with a rocket launcher and a gatling gun. Both bosses can kill careless players in seconds, so it's best to stay close to your friends and keep each other healed. Volter and the Patriarch can both heal themselves three times, which can make the boss battles feel formulaic at times, but there are n??ow ways to prevent them from doing so. When Hans' health is low, he has a forcefield and he'll try to grab you and drain your life. If you can do enough damage, you can knock the shield off. The Patriarch will try to cloak and run away to stick himself with a healing syringe. If you block his exit or leave C4 on him and detonate it at the last moment -- boom, you win.

Each perk has 25 levels, with two abilities to choose from on every fifth level. While some of these skills can't compare to each other and there's an obvious choice, it's always exciting to find reach the next tier and further realize your perk's potential. Most of the classes don't quite feel specialized until you reach about level ten, but beyond that, you'll be earning fun abilities that can help you narrow down your role. For example, Demolitionist can focus on being a crowd clearer with a larger area of effect p??er explosion, or honing in on taking out the big bads. Gunslinger and Sharpshooter, perks focused on dual pistols and ranged weapons respectively, get a skill later on that provides extra damage if you chain headshots, turning aiming into a sort of minigame.

The first fifteen levels go by rather quickly, but reaching the cap for each perk takes a looooong time. Again, I have about 380 hours in the game and I haven't maxed out each one (though the tenth perk was only added last week). I'm almost there, but if you don't plan on putting as much time into this game as I have?? over the last year and a half and want to reach the harder difficulties, I'd recommend focusing on a f??ew perks instead of trying to do all of them.

A game this simple lives and dies by how satisfying it is to shoot all the things, and Killing Floor 2 has some of the most sublime combat I've ever played. There are about 40 different weapons, as well as original grenades and knives for each perk (aside from Survivalist, which can use everyone else's weapons). Almost every weapon is unique and a joy to use, whether it's based on a real weapon like a SCAR or is something more outlandish like the microwave gun, which turns every monster into popcorn, exploding in a shower of gore. The attention to detail with the weapons actually makes Tripwire Interactive's staff seem like terrifying gun nuts. They all sound great, have fun idle animations that you can trigger when hitting reload with a full magazine, and all just feel right.

Some of this satisfaction is due to the games' M.E.A.T. (Massive Evisceration and Trauma) system, which makes it so Zeds can be dissec?ted in 22 different ways. By the time you leave a room, it's going to drenched with persistent blood that remains until you finish the level. Popping off limbs and heads should be horrifying -- and the game definitely isn't for kids -- but it mostly provides great feedback for each shotgun blast or melee slice. Using weapons like katanas and shovels is especially fun, feeling more tactile and solid than melee combat in most first-person shooters. Directional combat, power attacks, and a block and parry system help to flesh the fighting out.

The other main mode, Versus Survival, divides players into Zeds and humans. It plays similarly to Left 4 Dead's Versus mode. When Tripwire introduced this mode earlier this year, it wasn't met with a ton of fanfare. It was initially poorly balanced, and though it was actually pretty damn cool to play as the monsters, the playerbase gradually dwindled. I hadn't played it for awhile until recentl?y, but it's a lot more fun than I remembered. I'm hoping that it'll find more players on PS4. It needs some more tuning, as you sometimes feel rather weak as some of the smaller monsters, but I do lik?e the idea. Playing as the Scrake and the Fleshpound (a hulking monstrosity with spinning mallets for arms) and terrorizing the humans gives me hope that a fresh infusion of players will give Versus Survival new life.

At launch, Killing Floor 2 has twelve different maps ranging from the streets of Paris (with the Eiffel tower burning in the background) to the catacombs under Italy. Each one has its spots that are best for hunkering down and holding out, but you can play in a more mobile way if you like. Despite red being the main color you'll see in the game, almost every map uses vibrant colors that helps to make them stand out. For instance, the snowy Outpost level has a glowing blue/green aurora borealis floating above, and the Prison map has a purple sky with what looks like the Paleblood moon from Bloodborne staring down at you from the heavens.

While it may be overshadowed graphically by games like Battlefield 1 due to still using a modified version of Unreal Engine 3, Killing Floor 2's strong art direction, use of vibrant color, and great animations make it one of t??he smoothest games I've played, especially on PC. I've been testing it on both the PlayStation 4 and the PS4 Pro as well, and while it still looks great, the frame rate isn't consistent. On the Pro, it uses checkerboard rendering at 3200x1800 for a 4K experience and gets the added benefit of the PC version's Ultra textures. While it looks similar to the PC version on higher settings, it ranges from 40-60 frames per second, which might be jarring for some players. For me, staying at 40 and above is fine when I'm on a console, but I still vastly prefer the look of the PC version (especially with my 144 Hz monitor....mmm). Plus, Hell on Earth requires such p?recision and coordination that I'm not sure I'd be able to pull it off on a controller. Some of you probably will do just fine, but the game feels much faster with a mouse and keyboard.

Since we're talking about treats to the senses, I have to mention the audio. The gun pornography I mentioned earlier is especially effective because each weapon just sounds so powerful. The Zeds, which didn't have voices at the beginning of Early Access, emit horrible noises now, and it makes them much more menacing. All of this mayhem is set to the music of metal bands like Demon Hunter, Impending Doom, and Living Sacrifice and the more industrial stuff is done by zYnthetic, who did music for the first game. While I prefer zYthetic's stuff overall, the metal gives it that this is a goddamn video game feel that Doom does. You can ??turn on the vocals as they're disabled at the start, but I r?eally didn't get on with them.

On PC, there's a large amount of content such as maps and gametypes already available via Steam Workshop. Tripwire has expressed interest in keeping the PC and PS4 updated side-by-side, but it remains to be seen how it can achieve that without the Workshop being available on console. What is in both versions is the Zedconomy, which is ??a system that has weapon skins and wearable cosmetics drop daily. These can be sold and traded on the PC version, but it's not yet live on the PS4 so I can't determine how it'll work. I imagine you'll just be able to buy those items as microstrans??actions if you'd like, but that's purely speculatory for now. I get a kick out of getting some of the more bizarre cosmetics (especially when they drop for free daily), but players who don't like this should know that it's completely optional and doesn't affect gameplay in any way. There are no stat bonuses or anything like that here.

Killing Floor 2, like its predecessor, is something I'll be returning to for a long time. It's not often that I stick with a multiplayer game for any length of time, but this one has its hooks in me deep. At the end, yes, you're fighting the same enemies with the same weapons over and over again, but the level of challenging chaos keeps me coming back. Just know that as high as my score is, this is a repetitive game by nature. However, as previously mentioned, Tripwire updated the first game for years with new weapons, maps, modes, and enemies, too, so this is like an investment that I've already broken even on and will continue to reap benefits from. If you need something simple where you can jump in and shoot some of the best guns ever, Killing Floor 2 is your game. Now fuckin?g play it with me, Jordan (and all of you guys,?? too!).

The post Review: Killing Floor 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Codes are over at GameSpot

If you've been reading me gush about Killing Floor 2 for the last year but don't own a PC, you might be in luck. A closed beta for the PlayStation 4 is av??ailable starting today and ending tomorrow.

The beta is a pared-down version of the main g??ame, with only three maps (Burning Paris, Biotic Labs, and Evacuation Point) available for the moment. Aside fr??om that, there are fourteen characters, both the survival and versus modes, and nine player classes to choose from.

If you want to be part of the beta, there's a form over on GameSpot that you have to fill out. You'll also have to follow them on Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube. After that, you immediately get the code for either NA or EU depending on your prefer??ence. Just make sure you fill out the right region, or you'll get an invalid code!

I've played a few matches already to get a feel for the console version and compare it to the game I've already poured almost 400 hours into. It mostly runs at a solid 60 FPS until things get hectic, and the control scheme is more comfortable than I was expecting. Since this is one of the titles that's supposed to benefit from the PS4 Pro, I'm curious to see how that looks on my TV (there's footage here).

As chaotic and tense as Killing Floor 2 can get on Hell on Earth difficulty, I'll probably still be sticking with the PC version (plus stats and levels don't carry over), but it seems like a solid port for those who prefer PS4. I'm still wondering if we'll see Sony-exclusive characters or weapons; blasting Zeds as Uncharted's Drake would be a good time.

Killing Floor 2 PS4 Closed Beta Key Giveaway [GameSpot]

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Mix and match, baby

As Killing Floor 2 creeps closer to full Steam release this November, players have been wondering what the final perk (character class) would be. Some community folks dug into the code and found references to the Martial Artis?t, which everyone assumed would be a faster Berserker variant with katanas and throwing stars, but Tripwire Interactive recently announced that Martial Artist would not be the tenth perk. I asked the developer what it was going to be, and today we have the answer: the Survivalist.

Instead of new weapons and a new focus, the Survivalist is a hybrid class that allows you to create your own build. Players have been demanding more cross-perk support, and?? this might fill that niche. While the perk won't specifically excel at what other classes specialize in, it can allow your dreams of being a flaming Berserker or a healing Demolitionist to come true. I'll let the Tripwire design team describe its intentions:

The Survivalist perk functions a bit differently than other perks in that it is a jack of all trades perk, whereas all the others are specialists.  The Survivalist has passive abilities that make it effective with a wide range of weapons and capable of withstanding an impressive amount of damage, while its skills allow the perk to serve in a number of roles based on player cho?ices.  For example:

Want to be a better medic than just using your injector, but also ?want bigger explosions and to carry more weapons?  The Survivalist can do that.  Want some extra power in melee combat, but you a??lso want to have healing grenades? The Survivalist can do that too.  While the Survivalist will not be as effective as other perks in their chosen specialty (a Survivalist will never have the raw healing potential of a Field Medic), they can fulfill multiple roles in a team and use combinations of weapons from multiple perks more effectively than other perks.

Because of this level of complexity, the Survivalist needs more attention to skill choices and playing to your strengths than other perks.  The Survivalist is a? veteran player’s perk as it will take knowledge and skill to make use of the synergies the Survivalist can create through skill selection, weapon load outs, etc.  The Survivalist is sort of building block perk; it’s got a lot of awesome pieces, but it’s up to the player to build them in an effective combination.

We? went with this perk in order to give players who wanted the ability to customize their characters more ways to do so.  Instead of making perks that were half one thing an??d half another, we created a single perk that allows players to dip into lots of different perks, letting them choose their play experience from a wider variety of options than the existing perks allowed. Secondarily, we wanted to create an option for players to fill a specific role in a game, like medic, without being limited to playing a single perk. Now players can be competitive across multiple roles instead of being limited to one.  And they can use all the weapons in game effectively while doing so.

So we can choose our o??wn grenade types and find awesome combos? I'm into it. I still wish we could have tried out Martial Artist, but maybe we'll see it later on down the line. Initially, I thought the Survivalist seemed like a copout because it's not a new perk per se, but now I'm excited to go on r/KillingFloor and see what combinations everyone comes up with. The players who miss when Sharpshooter and Gunslinger were rolled into one class can have that back again! As of right now there's no word ??on when Survivalist will release, but with launch coming so soon, it can't be too far off.

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Full release is edging closer and closer

Tripwire Interactive's Killing Floor 2 has had somewhat of a tumultuous Early Access. I've mostly enjoyed it from the beginning (it's my go-to shootgame because it feels so dang good), but that's not to say it's all been smooth sailing. Some players were upset that it wasn't ready for release in 2015, and others review bombed the game's Steam page when cosmetic? mictrotransactions were introduced.

Since the beginning of the year, the develo??per has been redoubling its efforts on making sure to communicate with the playerbase. The most recent update released last week, Tactical Response, shows the fruits of that labor are delicious indeed.

The main addition is the SWAT perk and the Infernal Realm map (made by modder Swift_Brutal_Death), but there is so much more here that rounds out the game in preparation for its November release. You can find all of the major changes on this page, but here's a condensed list if you don't want to c?lick away from the beautiful jbsgame.com: loyalty pistol and armor skins for Early Access players, a better cosmetic dro?p rate, new achievements, and new Zed behaviors and resistances.

SWAT is all about fast-firing submachine guns (MP7, MP5, P90, Kriss Vector, in supposed order of effectiveness) and having a ton of armor. Tripwire's gun pornography is on full display here, and as always, everything is fun to shoot. Th??e only one that seems out of place is the MP5. It??'s a second-tier weapon that seems like a bit of a downgrade from the MP7 in that it loses the nice dot sight, but it was recently made more powerful. That helps a bit, but I still usually skip it in order to go straight to the Vector, which is laser-accurate and helps to take down Scrakes like a champion.

Infernal Realm is a glorious little chunk of hell. There's a gigantic? ;doomsday clock that rings throughout the halls, adding ambiance to an already impressive level. Cobbled-together skeletons and corpses in cages hang about, and green flames flicker against the stone. I'm amazed that one person was able to build this whole thing, as polished as it is.

The loyalty skins seem to be a hit with many players that I've seen in the last few days. The pistol skins are a little bit too busy for my tastes, but the armored skin that makes you look like a futuristic soldier and can be worn by most characters is a cool bonus. I imagine a variant of it will eventually be for sal?e so players who buy after Early Access will be able to wear it too, but that remains to be seen. Cosmetic drops in general have been tuned to drop once a day instead of once every week, and supposedly better items will now appear instead of just cheap headband after headband.

By far my?? favorite part of this update are the new Zed behaviors. All of the nasties that want to hurt you seem more eager to survive, dodging and defending themselves instead of walking straight into your bullets. For a time, higher difficulties like Suicidal and Hell on Earth just felt like faster versions of the normal game. Now, they're a devilish treat, as crawlers skitter away when you aim at them and Scrakes block their faces with their massive chainsaws. New squads of?? enemies also spawn now, so you might get five Husks all the sudden, or a Scrake on a really early wave. This all adds up to a more organic difficulty that's nice and tense, where I can't predict how every battle will go.

On top of those big changes, there are smaller things that make Killing Floor 2 feel just about ready for release. On the title screen there's a small portal that can take you to the official forums, to polls about current game balance, the Killing Floor: Uncovered short film, and other related materia?l. It's a smart move to get more people involved in the Early Access program, providing more collated feedback. There are also UI noises that make the menus seem more concrete. It's the little stuff, folks. I'm also happy t??o hear the Fleshpound finally have a terrifying voice again.

It's been a bit of a ride, but Killing Floor 2 is almost out. Once the tenth and final (for now?) perk is released, it'll be November 18 and the PC and PS4 versions will be out for everyone to enjoy. I've gushed about the game a ton on this site, and as always I'm happy to play with anyone ?here. Let's paint the town red.

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Strings what make the booms

It's been some time since we've written about Antimatter Games' and Tripwire Interactive's Rising Storm 2: Vietnam. Last time was about how squads and ironsights will differ in relation to comparable war games. Now we get to see a couple of explosive weapons in action, including the o?ne that Tripwire is named for.

These are in a bit of strange format (.webm), so the only way you'll be able to see them is by clicking these links: one for American C4, and one for the Vietcong's tripwire bombs. You might have trouble if you're on mobile. For now, this is all work-in-progress but it looks to be shaping up nicely. I was a little surprised by the amount of gore, but considering Tripwire is behind Killing Floor 2, I probably shouldn't have been.

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Incursion coming soon, Bullseye is out now

At the PC Gaming E3 show, a new trailer for Tripwire's Killing Floor 2 was dropped that details the brand new Bullseye update, which reintrodu??ces the sharpshooter class back into the fi??ght against murderous mutant clones.

Not only that, but the update is live right now. They did one of those launch-dur??ing-the-event deals.

But that wasn't it from Tripwire, as it also announced Killing Floor Incursion, a whole new Killing Floor game for the Oculus Rift and Oculus Touch controller. It isn't an adaptation of Killing Floor 2, but instead it's its entirely own project.

No date has been given for Incursion, however Killing Floor 2 is set to leave early access this autumn.

The post Killing Fl??oor Incursion announced for Oculus VR, and a new Killing Floor 2 update is live today appeared first on Destructoid.

It's finally here

There aren't many games that make me obsessively speculate about upcoming character classes, but I and many others have been waiting for Killing Floor 2's Sharpshooter perk (read: class) since it released on Steam Early Access last year. Since it was in the first game and was?? missing in action for the past year in the half, most of the playerbase has been anticipating being able to use their sco??ped weapons to kill tougher enemies. Though Sharpshooter isn't officially out yet (Tripwire Interactive is making an announcement next week at E3), you can play the huge new update right now.

By right-clicking Killing Floor 2 in your Steam? games list and going to properties, you can access the beta tab. Select "preview -" and you'll begin downloading the new Bullseye update. This includes the Sharpshooter perk, a reworked Berzerker, Demolitionist, and Commando, two new maps, an updated Hans fight, a new tutorial mode, a new enemy resistance and incap system, and a crapload of other fixes. I plan on writing up detailed thoughts tomorrow, but here's what I feel in the few hours I've played:

Sharpshooter is great so far, even at low levels. The M14EBR is incredibly fun to use, though I wish you could turn off the laser sight. As far as the most powerful weapon at the perk's disposal, the rail gun, I love how it looks and feels, but I'm a little unsure of it's ability to lock on to Zed weak points. It should either take a bit longer to lock on or have a smaller cone, since Sharpshooter is all about skill-based headshots. I like the new tutorials and tooltips, since Killing Floor 2 can be overwhelming for new players. The biggest change that is throwing me off right now is the resistances; it may because I'm not used to these, but right now certain Zeds feel bullet spongey depending on the weapon/perk you're using. I know this is to give each class a more dedicated role, but it seems a little drastic. I might change my tune after a few more hours with it! We'll see tomorrow. Here's the some of the gigantic changelog (the rest can be found here):

• Sharpshooter Perk
  • M14
  • Railgun
  • Liquid Nitrogen Grenade
• 2 Community Maps
  • Containment Station
  • Hostile Ground
• Added Basic Training - Tutorial (cosmetic items rewarded for completion)
• Resistance/Weakness System
• Incapacitation Changes
• Updated Perks
  • Demo
  • Commando
  • Berserker
• VS Survival update
• Updated Hans Fight
• New Character - Rae
• 32 New Achievements
• Menu/UI Design Updates
• 2 crates 2 USBs (new precious items)
• Several battlescarred weapons updated to look better
• Steam market item view inside Trading Floor
• Support for Double Byte Character sets
  • Chinese Localization added
  • Japanese Localization added
  • Wider range of special characters
• Performance Optimizations

General:

• All incapacitations (knockdown, stumble, etc. ) will now build up and fall off over time unless they reach the triggering threshold
• Resistance and Weakness system added per weapon type - See wiki charts for more information

Menu/UI

• Weight added to the HUD
• New kill alert added when human teammates die
• Interaction widget updated, will now resize itself to fit the text inside it.
• Info text added to matchmaking and solo game menus
• Loading Screen Tips
• Perk menu layout changed to make reading passive bonuses and skills easier
• Menu bar updated
• Added boss health bar
• Players can now choose to recycle all their duplicates of an item at once (leaving one behind)

Perks:

• Added Sharpshooter
  • Level 5:
    • Sniper - Inflict 25% more damage while stationary with sharpshooter weapons
    • Marksman - Shoot 25% faster and move 10% faster with sharpshooter weapons
  • Level 10:
    • Stability - Inflict 30% more damage while crouched
    • Ballistic Shock - Stun power increased by 100%
  • Level 15:
    • Rack ‘em Up - Each consecutive headshot increases your damage by 5% up to 75%
    • Combat Ready - Reload your weapons faster
  • Level 20:
    • Deadeye - Reduce recoil by 10% and increase headshot damage by 10% when aiming
    • Always Prepared - Get 25% more ammo for sharpshooter weapons and grenades
  • Level 25:
    • Assassin - Headshot will knock down any Zed
    • Ranger - Headshots will stun any zed

• Demo Changes
  • Level 5:
    • Bombardier - Explosive demo weapons now do 25% more damage
    • Grenadier- Demo weapons fire 20% faster
  • Level 10:
    • High Impact Rounds - Do 25% more damage on a direct hit with demo weapons, but lose 3 ammo from the max ammo count per weapon
    • Extra Rounds - Increase max ammo by 5 for every demo weapon
  • Level 15:
    • Sonic Resistant Grenades - Demolition weapons have a 100% chance of avoiding siren scream destruction
    • Fragmentation Rounds - AoE of your explosions increase by 50% but AoE damage is reduced by 30%
  • Level 20:
    • Armor Piercing Rounds - Direct hits to a critical zone will do an extra 50% more damage
    • Concussive Rounds - The hit reaction, stun, stumble and knockdown of all demo weapons is increased by 50%
  • Level 25:
    • Destroyer of Worlds - Previously nuke, this has been tweaked slightly
    • Mad Bomber - Shoot and reload in near real time
    • Passive Changes

• Commando Changes
  • Level 5:
    • Tactical Reload - Reload 20% faster with commando weapons
    • Large Mags - Commando Weapons have 50% increased mag size
  • Level 10:
    • Backup - Pistol and knife do 60% extra damage and 50% faster weapon switch
    • Impact - Commando weapons have 150% increased stumble power
  • Level 15:
    • Health Increase - Increased health and Armor by 25%
    • Ammo Vest - Carry 2 extra mags per commando weapon
  • Level 20:
    • Hollow Point Rounds - Commando Weapons do 25% more damage and have 50% less recoil
    • Eat Lead - Get another 50% increase in mag size for Commando

    Weapons

  • Level 25:
    • Professional - Reload weapons at full speed and switch weapons twice as fast
    • Rapid Fire - Do 3% more damage with commando weapons and shoot 3x faster with all weapons
  • Passive Changes

• Berserker Changes
  • Level 5:
    • Dreadnaught - Increased health by 50%
    • Skirmisher - Move faster, sprint faster, regenerate health every second
  • Level 10:
    • Vampire - Heal yourself 4 points of health for every zed you kill with a Berserker weapon, also attack 15% faster with Berserker weapons
    • Butcher - Attack 20% faster and do 25% more damage with Berserker weapons
  • Level 15:
    • Resistance - Gain 20% resistance to all damage, gain an extra 20% resistance to poison and sonic damage
    • Parry - Parrying an attack will increase melee attack speed by 5% and damage by 35% for 10 seconds
  • Level 20:
    • Smash - Hard attacks do 50% more damage, plus an extra 25% more damage on headshots, which have 200% more stumble power
    • Massacre - Light attacks do 20% more damage and are 5% faster
  • Level 25:
    • Spartan - Attack in near real time and gain 25% of your total health
    • Rage - Move and attack in real time
  • Passive Changes

Zeds:

• Reduced gorefast headless damage 50% and reduced the attack speed
• Hans fight Update
  • Hans shield can now be broken
  • If broken before his heal, he won’t heal that phase
  • If broken during his heal it will be interrupted
  • Hans now has more overall health to compensate for how the fight plays out

Weapons:

• LAR - Sped up bolt time
• Crossbow - Reduced stun power
• HX25 - Modified spread to more reliably hit the target that was aimed at

Versus:

• New ZED awards
• Scoreboard and match layout UI
• Team Swap every match
• Player Zed Spawning Decoupled from AI Waves
• Updates to Player Zeds
  • Health, speed and damage changes
  • Some can now block: Scrake, Fleshpound, Bloat and Gorefast

Maps:

• Added Containment Station
• Added Hostile Ground
• Updated Buring Paris art assets to bring it more in line with later produced maps

Weapon Skin Revisions:

• Battlescarred Weapon Revisions on the following skins to look less battlescarred
  • SCAR | Spray Can
  • Katana | Cyberbone
  • Scar | Horzine Elite Red
  • Scar | Horzine Elite Blue
  • Scar | Horzine Elite Green
  • Scar | Horzine Elite White
  • 9MM | Tactical
  • AR15 | Tactical

Bug Fixes:
General:

• Fixed an issue where spawn prediction checks would fail allowing zeds to spawn within sight or potential sight of a character (behind their backs)
• Fixed an issue where Zed would get confused about who to target (and constantly switching targets) leading to them not attacking
• Fixed a case where a mis-sized Steam avatar would crash the game on launch
• Fixed another case where players would enter a solo versus game
• Fixed crate opening animations getting into an endless loop
• Fixed ultra bright gore for Flex High settings
• Fixed grenades not bouncing in Black Forest grass
• Fixed an exploit that allowed players to keep trader menu open during a round
• Fixed Crossbow bolts disappearing when hitting a destructible item
• Fixed Gamepad - Voice chat receive volume slider breaks when pushed all the way to the right
• Fixed an issue with the hammer staying up on the Winchester 1894
• Fixed audio issues with the Winchester 1894’s running and melee sounds not triggering
• Fixed audio issues with the Crossbow’s melee sound not triggering
• Fixed an issue with blood not showing up on the Bowie Knife
• Fixed an exploit that allows players to keep more than 15 weight when switching from Support perks using Strength
• Fixed an issue when receiving grenades/ammo from other players prevents the player from receiving grenades for the rest of the game
• Fixed an issue with the Lacerate skill not functioning with heavy and stab attacks
• Fixed the trader menu not correctly updating with the Experience and Level of the player
• Fixed an issue with the Trader giving too much armor to Medics when purchasing armor
• Fixed an issue with players not being able to parry/block behind the spawn points

Versus:

• Fixed Player Crawlers being able to be killed by others after they had triggered their suicide

Map Fixes:

• Various Map Fixes
• Outpost
• Black Forest
• Burning Paris
• Biotics Lab
• Prison

SDK:

• Fixed landscape de-vised patches block grenades and paths, and don't allow player to stand up when crouched

Known issues

• Bosses do not lose the freeze grenade frozen texture effect after thawing out
• Players are able to parry unparryable attacks from player controlled ZEDs in VS mode
• Some particle effects do not render when looking through scoped weapons
• Fire induced panic causes Sirens to stop screaming in some cases
• Doors on Containment Station map missing sounds
• Some visual issues on dynamic objects after swapping teams in VS mode
• Interaction messages on HUD (Opening doors, etc) will sometimes stay on screen until a new interaction message is prompted
• Some cosmetic items do not fit correctly on Rae
• Cosmetic item preview images are low resolution
• This beta has caused us to revert the Live Update balance changes for Versus Survival in the Live version. We do not recommend playing Versus in Live at this point

The post You can try Killing Floor 2’s Sharpshooter class right now with an opt-in beta appeared first on Destructoid.

Now it's easier to get to player-made maps and mods

Last week I wrote that Tripwire Interactive is bringing a competitive mode to Killing Floor 2. Some of you are excited to see how that turns out, and others would prefer the game to stick to its cooperative roots. Today, Tripwire announced that people who like to murder on the ground (eh? eh?) will be able to utilize full Steam Workshop integration and start downloading user-generated maps and mods. That means if you aren't happy with the upcoming Versus mode but still want more content to play, there's going to be an abundance to ch?oose from as folks start tinkering with the game.

Tripwire has found a way to make Killing Floor 2's workshop a little more intuitive than most games on Steam. Clients and servers are able to subscribe to maps and mods so that they'll automatically stay up-to-date. This cuts out the re-direct server in the middle, so people that want to enjoy player-made content can spend less time fiddling with updates. Tripwire President John Gibson says that this type of implementation leads to "a complete circle that makes it so much easier for modders to get their content in the hands of players," so hopefully this leads to a ton of creative, accessible mods and maps. The update is already live, though there's not a huge wealth of stuff to check out yet. Some of the maps that won Tripwire's Grindhouse mapping contest are ??available, in addition to some recolored monsters.

Some of the mods that Tripwire made (like Boss Challenge and Pop the Cyst) should be coming online relatively soon as well. This should make waiting for the next official update easier?. And here I was, thinking I was going to a break from this game.

The post Killing Floor 2 now has full ??Steam Wor??kshop integration appeared first on Destructoid.

Wiggly, wobbly ironsights

During PC Gamer's Weekender streaming event, Antimatter Games and Tripwire Interactive revealed the first gameplay for Rising Storm 2: Vietnam. Titled Boots on the Ground, it shows the new, cleaner animations and the super-shaky ironsight mechanic.

The jungles of Vietnam look great in the trailer, and the expected 60's rock 'n roll helps establish a different tone from the previous game. Rising Storm 2: Vietnam also seems much larger in scope, e?specially when a player calls in an airstrike towards the end. There's no projected release date as of this moment.

The post Rising Storm 2: Vietnam’s first gameplay trailer shows airstrikes and wobbly ironsights appeared first on Destructoid.

Plus, all sharpshooter weapons revealed

During PC Gamer's Weekender event, Tripwire Interactive president John Gibson revealed some of the developer's upcoming plans for Killing Floor 2. The biggest addition is a humans versus Zeds PVP mode, where you can pl??ay as the various specimens and try to kill Horzine ?mercenaries.

Each Zed has their own set o??f abilities: crawlers can leap around al??l willy-nilly, slashers can jump twenty feet in the air, Stalkers are invisible as long as they aren't sprinting, and Clots can rally fellow specimens to give them a temporary buff. Both Hans and the Patriarch will be playable as well. I was at Tripwire's studio a few weeks ago and had a chance to check out the mode, but can't talk about it just yet. Soon, though!

Gibson also revealed the remaining Sharpshooter weapons that will arrive in the next big update. In addition to the lever action rifle and crossbow, those inclined to kill from a long range will have the M14EBR from the first game and a new Horzine Tech Railgun for their fourth tier weapon. We've still only seen the render of?? the lever action rifle, so I'm hoping t?o see what the other weapons look like in their finished state soon.

Two of the winning maps from Tripwire's mapping contest (Hostile Grounds and Containment Station) will be officially added to the game soon. Hostile Grounds plays like a standard Killing Floor 2 map: players will fight waves of Zeds until the boss comes out. Containment Station is an objective map where you have to defend points and find hidden objectives. This will be the first map with objectives since the original Killing Floor, so it should shake things up nicely.

The??????????????????????????re's no word on when the next update will be released. In?? addition to trying the Versus mode and Sharpshooter weapons while in the studio, Destructoid also captured a video interview with various members of Tripwire, so look forward to that soon. 

The post A Versus mode is coming to Killing Floor 2 where you can? play as the Zeds appeared first on Destructoid.

Now, I'm no gun nut, but dang, girl

The Sharpshooter perk/class in the first Killing Floor was a fan favorite for many reasons. The two most important are that it made taking down big Zeds like Fleshpounds and Scrakes easier, and that the Lever Action Rifle was so damn fun to use. Killing Floor 2's Early Access launch didn't include Sharpshooter, and almost a year later, it still isn'?t in the game. It's been a long,? painful wait, but Tripwire Interactive is starting to show off renders of the new Lever Action Rifle.

Here's what it looks like now:

I'll miss the ring sight from the first game, but otherwise the Winchester 1894 looks hawt. That wood grain. That knurling on the metal plate. Mmm. The crossbow is also in the works, but the render isn't finalized yet. I can't wait to see what the rest of the weapons look like. Whenever this update comes out, we'll be testing out these weapons in a new Prison map. I'll have Tripwire set the scene for you: "Now also coming with these two weapons is a new map we’ve been working on. Imagine yourself rushing to escape the dark as the freezing cold and the zeds approach. A walled and fortified looking structure offers perceived saf?ety. But how long can you survive in this old Soviet era relic? Welcome to the Pr??ison."

If there's not a guard t?ower that I can snipe from, I'm quitting my floor-killing career ??(no I'm not).

The post Killing Floor 2 sends you to prison with a sexy l??ever action rifle appeared first on Destructoid.

Mind, body (ass), and soul

"There??'s nothing to play right now" is an all-too-common sentiment when the novelty of holiday releases begins to wane. Personally, 2016 has already brought a wealth of Good Stuff that I'll be playing well in to the end of this year, and that's without even digging into the ever-ominous "backlog." What I didn't expect was to be simultaneously playing so many games that are omnidirectionall??y kicking my ass, via body, mind, and soul.

Let's start with body: I recently reviewed Dying Light: The Following, and realized that the harder difficulties improve the gameplay issues I had with the original campaign. When you can't automagically heal every time you get attacked, a delicious tension is formed. A nervous player can no longer mash the Q key for survivor sense and find every life-saving item in one quick sweep. Combat becomes a more deliberate affair, where an empty field of zombies can fill you with dread instead of hope for easily-gained experience. My reflexes w??ere tested in a way that I enjoy in ?horror-action games.

In that same vein, Killing Floor 2 has been exacerbating my inevitable carpal tunnel syndrome lately. While I have about 250 hours worth of playtime on the floor, I?? recently began attempting the hardest difficulty, Hell on Earth. If you play as certain perks that need to be re-balanced (support, demolitionist, looking at you), this mode can be brutal. A global lack of ammo is what I find to be the most challenging at the moment, so I've had to be very picky with choosing my shots. Despite feeling like loss isn't always entirely my fault, victory after these tough battles is a glorious triumph.

The Witness is breaking my mind a bit. Brett's fervent recommendations brought me back to the puzzle genre, one that I usually don't dabble in too often. Yet the eerie silence of Jonathan Blow's island combined with puzzles that smack you right in your slack-jawed face with the surprising momentum of epiphany keeps me coming back for more. Like other players, I now have a small Witness notebook next to me at all times??, because you don't know when Lady Revelation is going to come to you and sneak in a kiss. Even though some of these riddles are enough to get me to squeeze my dumb little wireless mouse until the middle button no longer clicks, I'm not going to give up.

Both my own soul, and the souls of my band of adventurers, are getting worn down by the constant afflictions and horrors found within the Darkest Dungeon. Yes, this would fit in the mind category as well (what with the threat of insanity always looming around the corner, promising to turn that fissure in your brain into a fault), but games generally are una?ble to demoralize me as much as this one. When my high-level Hellion, Judith Priest, succumbed to a heart attack in a momentous battle, I wanted to quit. When my Highwayman Danger Zone went on a drunken binge just when I neede?d him most, I wanted Red Hook Studios to quit. But I will not be deterred.

And who can mention soul-crushing without bringing up XCOM 2? When I named my squad after my friends, already relishing the thought of telling them how their in-game avatars were horribl??y felled, I didn't expect them to keep surviving by the skin of their teeth. When I tried to make myself and named him Zack "Dank" Furniss, I figured I'd make sure I/he lived until the end. And yet, Firaxis is trying to tell me something, because no matter what I do, Dank dies. I can be the most tactical bastard in the world, and somehow Dank is destroyed. This is only proving to make me save scum until my digital self gets to shoot whoever the hell is the last boss right in its alien crotch. If it has one.

What?? about y'all? What games are currently making you smile through bleeding teeth?

The post Games are kicking my ass right now, and it’s great appeared first on Destructoid.

Not everyone is happy about that

Killing Floor has a fairly hardcore following: these folks build wikis to know every single damage?? value in the game, and pore over enemy animations so they can know the best way to take them down. The Hell On Earth difficulty is where they test this knowledge, and I've gotten my ass kicked many times alongside other dedicated players.

With Killing Floor 2, Tripwire Interactive recently announced that a new mechanic called the Game Conductor will be able "to increase or drawback the intensity of the wave within some limits" based on player performance. The thought process behind this new system "is to find a sweet spot where the players feel challenged but not?? over or underwhelmed." Not everyone is happy with this idea, as they enjoy the rigidity of the current difficulty, and feel tha??t if you're getting wiped, you need to get better. As for myself, I'm tentatively interested; even if this only changes the composition of enemies in each wave, that might help the game from becoming stagnant.

The first pass of the Game Conductor should be coming in a quality of life patch coming this week or next, and there's full list of changes here. Also of note is that the demolitionist perk is being looked at to provide "options for better crowd destruction or to specialize as a larger zed exploding machine who may want to conserve ammo," and that Sharpshooter's Lever Action Rifle and Crossbow are in the rendering proc??ess now. Can't wait to ??see that sweet LAR in action.

WWAUT - Conducting the Killing Orchestra [Tripwire Interactive Forums]

The post Dynamic ??difficulty tuning? is coming to Killing Floor 2 appeared first on Destructoid.