Back in 1995, games studio Parallax released Descent, blowing players away with some of the first truly 3D, omnidirectional gameplay. Things have moved on a lot since then, but the classic game's creators, Parallax co-founders Matt Toschlog and Mike Kulas, are ready to stage a revival. Today, they've released Overload, a spiritual successor that brings back the zero-G combat that redefined first-person shooters (FPS) two decades ago.
Full article on Engadget's website.
Read MoreThere are plenty of connected cameras to record the goings-on in your home or office. But few offer as much value as the $20 WyzeCam, which packs a surprising amount of functionality into a tiny stationary frame. But for those who need more coverage from their camera, the company has a new model that can rotate 360 degrees and tilt its lens up and down. The Wyze Cam Pan costs only $30, a bit pricier than its predecessor but with a lot more capability.
Full article on Engadget's website.
Read MoreThe tech world has been bracing for a new set of European privacy rules that go into effect: the General Data Protection Regulation, better known as GDPR. The regulations are intentionally broad, which has led them to affect industries that aren't typically thought of as trafficking in user information -- like gaming. But in complying with the EU regulations, gaming companies are nervous that they'll inadvertently run afoul of the new law's vaguely written rules.
Full article on Engadget's website.
Read MoreSubset Games' 2012 space command simulator FTL wasn't the first roguelike indie game to come out during the subgenre's renaissance, but it stood out from the rest. Last February, the studio teased its second game, Into The Breach, a grid-based strategy game where the player's trio of mechs must fight off an invading onslaught of colossal bugs while saving as many people as possible. The game comes out today -- and anyone that loved the studio's tough-but-rewarding first game will be equally charmed by its sophomore release...
Full article on Engadget's website.
Read MoreMonster Hunter: World is the latest entry in a decade-plus game franchise dedicated to killing huge monsters. But the series has another reputation: barely explained mechanics, labyrinthine menus and difficult co-op play. Capcom smoothed out a lot of those rough edges for Monster Hunter: World and released it simultaneously worldwide, which has made it the most accessible of the franchise. Now, finally, it can take the crown as the best co-op boss fight experience out there.
Full article on Engadget's website.
Read MoreThe first Super Smash Bros. game launched on the N64 almost 20 years ago and became an instant classic. Every main Nintendo console since has brought a new entry to the series, but the inevitable iteration on the Switch hasn't been announced. Tomorrow, gamers will get the next best thing: Brawlout, the 2D fighter heavily inspired by the Smash Bros. franchise. But will reaching Nintendo's console first let Brawlout win fans' hearts?
Full article on Engadget's website.
Read MoreWolfenstein: The New Colossus improves on everything you liked in the franchise's soft reboot, 2014's Wolfenstein: The New Order. The action, set pieces, characters and writing are all sharper this time around. So is the thoughtful terror in the alternate universe's setting. After striking a blow in Europe against the global Nazi regime in the first game, The New Colossus brings protagonist BJ Blazkowicz and his anti-Nazi crew back to the US — where they find many Americans have gleefully accepted Nazi rule.
Full article on Engadget's website.
Read More"South Park used to be a lot funnier," I catch myself thinking as I play through the franchise's latest game, The Fractured But Whole (TFBW). Maybe I'm just too old, or has the world moved on while South Park stayed the same? Humor is crucial to the success of the game, which relies on superficial mechanics and an overload of fetch quests and collectibles to pad its length; It's TFBW's jokey tone and writing that hold the game together. But if you aren't already a fan of the show, there's little reason to play the game.
Full article on Engadget's website.
Read MoreIf you ever wanted to run away from home — if you were young and restless, if controlling parents or a remote hometown locked you down — you will get why the titular heroine of Soupy Leaves Home fled her family to hop train cars as a bona fide hobo in the Depression-era United States. Released in early May, the graphic novel is a delightful paean to liberation by self-determination, a tale of the costs of leaving an old life behind...
Full article on LARB's website.
Read MorePyre is the latest title from Supergiant Games, the indie studio that earned instant acclaim for its debut Bastion and follow-up Transistor. Like its predecessors, Pyre features lush hand-drawn art and a vibrant soundtrack, along with a pulpy fantasy-esque plot. But unlike the sword-and-gunplay of Supergiant's earlier hits, Pyre does something few fantasy games dare: It makes you play sports. Which means it could be the game that slips past players' defenses and opens these siloed genres up to each other.
Full article on Engadget's website.
Read MoreWhen Nintendo announced the SNES Classic earlier this week, nerd hearts everywhere were aflutter at another opportunity to relive old gaming glory after the wildly successful (but hard to find) NES Classic. But make your peace with officially-licensed old-school gameplay when the SNES Classic lands on Sept. 29th. It'll probably be the last retro console Nintendo releases.
Full article on Engadget's website.
Read MoreSince it launched in 2014, Blizzard's free-to-play digital card game Hearthstone has dominated its niche. The studio has alternated expansions between Adventures, which guarantee cards for a $20 flat fee, and larger sets that dole out cards in randomized packs bought with in-game gold or real-world currency. Last week, the studio announced it will ditch Adventures entirely in favor of three full-size expansions in 2017. While this means more cards, it will be harder -- and more expensive -- to get all of them.
Full article on Engadget's website.
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