Tag Archives: Consumer Discretionary

Hideo Kojima’s Xbox game is the cinematic horrorfest ‘OD’

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Hideo Kojima officially unveiled his upcoming game (that leaked in 2022) at the Game Awards 2023. Previously described as something “no one has ever experienced or seen before,” the cinematic OD (previously known as Overdose) will include a collaboration with horror director and comedian Jordan Peele.

OD’s 90-second trailer includes intimate closeups of actors reading nursery rhymes and other dialogue as they grow increasingly frantic. In the clip’s final moments, you catch a glimpse of a door opening in the reflection of their eyes (with a creaking sound hammering the point home). Wherever the game’s plot takes us, the trailer makes it clear it falls squarely in the horror genre (as expected).

We already knew the title would be published by Xbox Game Studios, relying heavily on Microsoft’s cloud technology. Previous leaks indicated Death Stranding actor Margaret Qualley would play the protagonist, although she was nowhere to be found in the trailer. The billed cast in the trailer includes Sophia Lillis, Hunter Schafer and Udo Kier.

You can watch OD’s cryptic trailer below.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hideo-kojimas-xbox-game-is-the-cinematic-horrorfest-od-024342457.html?src=rss

Get a good look at Fortnite’s Rocket Racing mode ahead of its launch

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If riding velociraptors and giant mechas wasn't enough for its discerning players, Fortnite is incorporating a semi-standalone racing game into its free-for-all universe. On Thursday at the 2023 Game Awards, Epic revealed more cinematic gameplay footage mere hours before the game is set to launch. 

Developed by Psyonix, the folks who built Rocket League (itself an e-sport staple), the Rocket Racing mode operates within the larger Fortnite game. The action is set at the Festive Falls track where racers go head-to-head to compete for the top spot. 

In the trailer shown at the Awards, players raced through the track using directional boosters to launch their cars over obstacles, drift them through turns, and fly through hidden shortcuts. Players will also apparently be able to call items from their inventories to use mid-race, blinking them into existence in their opponents' paths. Rocket Racing is set to officially launch on Friday December 8.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/epic-games-shows-off-more-of-fortnites-rocket-racing-mode-ahead-of-its-launch-023944541.html?src=rss

Get a good look at Fortnite’s Rocket Racing mode ahead of its launch

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If riding velociraptors and giant mechas wasn't enough for its discerning players, Fortnite is incorporating a semi-standalone racing game into its free-for-all universe. On Thursday at the 2023 Game Awards, Epic revealed more cinematic gameplay footage mere hours before the game is set to launch. 

Developed by Psyonix, the folks who built Rocket League (itself an e-sport staple), the Rocket Racing mode operates within the larger Fortnite game. The action is set at the Festive Falls track where racers go head-to-head to compete for the top spot. 

In the trailer shown at the Awards, players raced through the track using directional boosters to launch their cars over obstacles, drift them through turns, and fly through hidden shortcuts. Players will also apparently be able to call items from their inventories to use mid-race, blinking them into existence in their opponents' paths. Rocket Racing is set to officially launch on Friday December 8.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/epic-games-shows-off-more-of-fortnites-rocket-racing-mode-ahead-of-its-launch-023944541.html?src=rss

Supermassive’s Dead by Daylight spin-off is ‘The Casting of Frank Stone’

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Supermassive Games just dropped a trailer for its forthcoming single-player interactive story game set in the Dead by Daylight universe. The Casting of Frank Stone is a character-driven narrative adventure that features all of the character choice and tension of Supermassive-developed titles like Until Dawn and The Quarry.

The developer promises “powerful life or death choices” and an entirely new cast of characters. Supermassive says this is a “whole new way for horror fans” to experience the franchise, and that’s something of an understatement. Dead by Deadlight is an asymmetrical multiplayer title in which one player is the killer and the others are trying to survive. It’s like a really intense version of hide and seek. Obviously, a single player adventure would have to be completely different, which the trailer certainly leans into. 

As you can see, the game looks slow, moody and cinematic, which is a stark departure from the source material. The trailer's short of actual gameplay details, but there are some first person shots of a flashlight in the woods, so that's something. 

We already knew this crossover was in the works, but the trailer debut at The Game Awards is our first real look at the game. Supermassive is known for putting its own B-horror spin on things, so The Casting of Frank Stone should be a good time when it launches in 2024 for Xbox X/S and PC via Steam and Windows. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/supermassives-dead-by-daylight-spin-off-is-the-casting-of-frank-stone-020153336.html?src=rss

Supermassive’s Dead by Daylight spin-off is The Casting of Frank Stone

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Supermassive Games just dropped a trailer for its forthcoming single-player interactive story game set in the Dead by Daylight universe. The Casting of Frank Stone is a character-driven narrative adventure that features all of the character choice and tension of Supermassive-developed titles like Until Dawn and The Quarry.

The developer promises “powerful life or death choices” and an entirely new cast of characters. Supermassive says this is a “whole new way for horror fans” to experience the franchise, and that’s something of an understatement. Dead by Deadlight is an asymmetrical multiplayer title in which one player is the killer and the others are trying to survive. It’s like a really intense version of hide and seek. Obviously, a single player adventure would have to be completely different, which the trailer certainly leans into. 

As you can see, the game looks slow, moody and cinematic, which is a stark departure from the source material. The trailer's short of actual gameplay details, but there are some first person shots of a flashlight in the woods, so that's something. 

We already knew this crossover was in the works, but the trailer debut at The Game Awards is our first real look at the game. Supermassive is known for putting its own B-horror spin on things, so The Casting of Frank Stone should be a good time when it launches in 2024 for Xbox X/S and PC via Steam and Windows. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/supermassives-dead-by-daylight-spin-off-is-the-casting-of-frank-stone-020153336.html?src=rss

Big Walk is the next project from the Untitled Goose Game team

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Not content to rest on its honkin' laurels after the success of 2019's indie smash hit Untitled Goose Game, House House unveiled the first teaser footage for its new adventure title at the 2023 Game Awards Thursday night. 

Big Walk looks to be a significant departure from its predecessor in both tone and scope. The team describes it as "a cooperative online walker-talker" that encourages players to "hang out and get lost with close friends in a big world." 

The online coop game is set on an expansive bruch-covered island that's overflowing with mysteries to uncover and challenges to overcome. In the trailer we can see a group of oddly-limbed avatars strolling around a hillside, solving puzzles, exploring strange caves and setting off signal flares. Cooperation will be a big part of the game. Players will need to work together to navigate through the terrain and keep in contact with one another while out and about. 

“Our favourite part of playing online coop games is when they give you enough direction for the group to keep up a good momentum, but it’s relaxed enough that you’re mostly just able to enjoy spending time with your friends. We hope Big Walk gives players that direction, and space, to focus on and enjoy those group dynamics, whether you’re playing with one friend or as a big group,” Jake Strasser, developer at House House, said in a Thursday release. Big Walk is slated to arrive on Steam and the Epic Game Store in 2025.     

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-walk-is-the-next-project-from-the-untitled-goose-game-team-014503842.html?src=rss

Big Walk is the next project from the Untitled Goose Game team

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Not content to rest on its honkin' laurels after the success of 2019's indie smash hit Untitled Goose Game, House House unveiled the first teaser footage for its new adventure title at the 2023 Game Awards Thursday night. 

Big Walk looks to be a significant departure from its predecessor in both tone and scope. The team describes it as "a cooperative online walker-talker" that encourages players to "hang out and get lost with close friends in a big world." 

The online coop game is set on an expansive bruch-covered island that's overflowing with mysteries to uncover and challenges to overcome. In the trailer we can see a group of oddly-limbed avatars strolling around a hillside, solving puzzles, exploring strange caves and setting off signal flares. Cooperation will be a big part of the game. Players will need to work together to navigate through the terrain and keep in contact with one another while out and about. 

“Our favourite part of playing online coop games is when they give you enough direction for the group to keep up a good momentum, but it’s relaxed enough that you’re mostly just able to enjoy spending time with your friends. We hope Big Walk gives players that direction, and space, to focus on and enjoy those group dynamics, whether you’re playing with one friend or as a big group,” Jake Strasser, developer at House House, said in a Thursday release. Big Walk is slated to arrive on Steam and the Epic Game Store in 2025.     

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-walk-is-the-next-project-from-the-untitled-goose-game-team-014503842.html?src=rss

Windblown is the next game from the creators of Dead Cells

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Dead Cells developer Motion Twin dropped one of the first eye-popping trailers of the Game Awards 2023 (in the pre-show, no less). The visually striking Windblown is billed as “a lightning-fast action roguelike,” bringing “a whole new level of speed to the action rogue-like genre.”

Windblown takes place in The Ark, a floating village in the sky, full of “innocent souls.” It orbits the deadly Vortex with its army of Sentinels, as they threaten to “devour” the protagonists’ aerial home. Playing solo or multiplayer, you’ll control characters called Leapers, who “absorb the memories of the fallen warriors who came before, learning how to master the fighting styles of their predecessors to unleash their full potential.”

The game’s blurb invites you to “find your rhythm” in the fast-paced combat, which the trailer appears to back up. Both its cutscenes and gameplay use a cel-shaded art style that should at least comfort you with plenty of eye candy as you die 20 times in a row.

Windblown is scheduled to arrive in early access on PC in 2024. You can add it to your Steam wishlist now.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/windblown-is-the-next-game-from-the-creators-of-dead-cells-012941545.html?src=rss

Windblown is the next game from the creators of Dead Cells

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Dead Cells developer Motion Twin dropped one of the first eye-popping trailers of the Game Awards 2023 (in the pre-show, no less). The visually striking Windblown is billed as “a lightning-fast action roguelike,” bringing “a whole new level of speed to the action rogue-like genre.”

Windblown takes place in The Ark, a floating village in the sky, full of “innocent souls.” It orbits the deadly Vortex with its army of Sentinels, as they threaten to “devour” the protagonists’ aerial home. Playing solo or multiplayer, you’ll control characters called Leapers, who “absorb the memories of the fallen warriors who came before, learning how to master the fighting styles of their predecessors to unleash their full potential.”

The game’s blurb invites you to “find your rhythm” in the fast-paced combat, which the trailer appears to back up. Both its cutscenes and gameplay use a cel-shaded art style that should at least comfort you with plenty of eye candy as you die 20 times in a row.

Windblown is scheduled to arrive in early access on PC in 2024. You can add it to your Steam wishlist now.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/windblown-is-the-next-game-from-the-creators-of-dead-cells-012941545.html?src=rss

Thrasher looks like another nightmare-inducing game from the artist behind Thumper

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The Game Awards got off to a flying start with a string of fascinating announcements during the pre-show. One of the freshly revealed games that's coming your way soon is Thrasher, which is from Brian Gibson, the artist and composer behind the 2016 nightmare factory Thumper. 

Gibson (who is also the bass player in the band Lightning Bolt) teamed up with Rock Band VR and Fuser alum Mike Mandel to form Puddle Games. Gibson handled Thrasher's art and music, while Mandel was responsible for coding and research and development. The pair collaborated on the design.

Thrasher will see you take control of a space eel at the dawn of time. You'll need to master "fast-paced gesture controls" to evolve this creature into a so-called megabeast. While it might not be a direct sequel to Thumper, the trailer suggests it'll share some of the previous game's DNA. It seems like there will once again be mind-melting visuals to match a pulsating, anxious soundtrack. I'm terrified already.

Thrasher is coming to Meta Quest and other virtual reality platforms in 2024. It'll arrive on consoles and PC at a later date.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/thrasher-looks-like-another-nightmare-inducing-game-from-the-artist-behind-thumper-010802152.html?src=rss