Esports company ESL [official site] have partnered with Intel to found the AnyKey organisation. The group’s aim is “supporting diversity in and around the competitive gaming industry.”
ESL goes on to add:
“The organisation’s core goal is to create more opportunities and inclusive spaces, whilst advocating for the underrepresented members of competitive communities, such as women, LGBTQ participants, and people of colour.”
When I first caught wind of Vampyr [official site], an action-RPG set in the Spanish Flu-ravaged streets of early 20th century London, I was quite excited. When I discovered Remember Me and Life Is Strange developers Dontnod Entertainment had their name on it, I was really quite excited. We haven’t seen the game in motion yet, but we can today have a look at its style in the first set of screenshots. They’re a bit, um…. on the bland side? Come see for yourself.
Ridealong is our monthly feature where Brendan travels deep into game worlds to meet, question and journey with the inhabitants that dwell within. This week, he dives into the most notorious and offensive server Minecraft has to offer to meet an archivist who is trying to save as many creations as possible.
Minecraft [official site] murderers can enjoy a little more vim in their BAM! and a little more pow in their BIF! now version 1.9 of the mega-popular craft ‘em up has arrived. It’s nicknamed the ‘Combat Update’ for its focus on overhauling violence, with changes including adding shields and charged attacks so fighting is less about clicking frantically. But it also brings new blocks to build with, new enemies, and delicate wings which let people glide gracefully rather than plummet to their death.
Cinematic! What a loaded word it’s become. Once the game industry’s marketing buzzword du jour, the descriptor certainly earned its current status as a groanworthy sign that a developer would much rather be doing something else.
With such a disclaimer then, it’s safe to specify why It Came From The Desert, and in fact most games from its developer Cinemaware, had “cinematic” firmly in their sights. But in a good way.
Superhot [official site] is the uber-stylish, time-manipulating first-person shooter that you might’ve spotted Adam praising recently. It’s out now but developers Superhot Team aren’t slowing down, having revealed future plans that include free content updates and the small matter of virtual reality support.
Total War: Warhammer [official site], The Creative Assembly’s adaptation of Games Workshop’s warworld, will be storming a virtual battlefield near you in less than two months’ time. Until then, below is an almost-13-minute look at some of the key battle mechanics you’ll want to get to grips in your quest to conquer the war zone.
