The Last of Us: Part II is one of the most anticipated PS4 games of the moment, but things have been pretty quiet since the game’s E3 2018 gameplay reveal. However, developer Naughty Dog has now offered a small glimpse into the post-apocalyptic game’s development progress.
Creative director Neil Druckmann tweeted an image of the game’s final script page. The page simply reads, “Cut to black. The end.” His caption, meanwhile, states the team has finished shooting that scene.
The image comes just a few days after Druckmann posted an image on Instagram stating Laura Bailey, who plays an as-yet-unknown character, has wrapped her shooting schedule on the project. It therefore appears Naughty Dog has finished–or is close to finishing–shooting its motion capture scenes.
While development of the game could still be ongoing for a while yet, finishing this stage is nevertheless an important milestone. In any case, many fans feel they’ve been starved of information about The Last of Us: Part II, so to see it approaching the end of at least one important phase of development is a promising step.
No release date, or window, has yet been announced for The Last of Us: Part II. A spoof website recently reported the game would launch in 2019, but Naughty Dog responded by saying it would share more information when it’s ready. For more on the much-awaited PS4 game, check out everything we know about The Last of Us: Part II.
Swamp Thing has been a favorite of DC fans for many years, but most viewers would probably agree that neither of his previous two on-screen adaptations captured the spooky, horror edge that made his comic books so popular in the ’70s and early ’80s. Hopefully that will all change next month when the new Swamp Thing show launches on DC Universe. The first teaser has now been released.
The video doesn’t reveal much actual footage from the show, but it’s still highly effective. The camera tracks slowly across the waters of a spooky swamp, before stopping to show us Swamp Thing emerging from its depths. The creature’s make-up looks fantastic and the teaser certainly suggests that the show will be going in a horror-based direction. Check it out above.
Swamp Thing stars Andy Bean (Agents of SHIELD, the upcoming It: Chapter 2) as Dr Alec Holland, the biologist who transforms into the elemental monster after working in the Louisiana swamp. Derek Mears, who is best known for portraying the iconic killer Jason Vorhees in the 2009 reboot of Friday the 13th, plays the creature. The cast also includes Virginia Madsen (Candyman), Jennifer Beals (Flashdance), and WiIl Patton (Halloween). It hits DC Universe on May 31.
The first season of Swamp Thing was originally intended to be 13 episodes. However, it was reported this week that production was abruptly halted and the season will now run for 10 episodes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “creative differences” have led to the shortened season, but DC and Warner have not commented on the issue.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of other shows in the works for DC Universe. The DC Universe panel at Wondercon last month gave fans a first look at Courtney Whitmore in Stargirl, which will premiere in early 2020. In addition, it was recently reported that Game of Thrones star Iain Glen has been cast as Bruce Wayne in the second season of Titans, which is scheduled for a Fall 2019 release.
Developer Treyarch continues to expand Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 with updates, and there’s a new one available now on PS4, Xbox One, PC that adds a map variant for free. There’s also two new modes on the way and plenty more.
The new map variant is named Arsenal Sandstorm. As you might deduce from the name, it’s a version of Arsenal that has been overtaken by a dangerous desert storm, and it’s available for free for all players now.
PS4 players have a new mode called Deathmatch Domination to enjoy. Treyarch describes it as a “first-of-its-kind mode for the Black Ops series” in which teams can increase their score by capturing objective points and by killing enemies. It’s essentially a cross between Team Deathmatch and Domination, then.
Xbox One and PC players aren’t totally left out. While they can’t enjoy Deathmatch Domination just yet, they do now get to play Infected, which was previously only available to PS4 players and is now live on all platforms. The mode involves infected players running around attempting to pass on their disease to survivors in order to turn them to the infected side.
The remainder of the update is primarily made up of balance tweaks–most notably to the Rampart 17 and KN-57 assault rifles–and stability enhancements. You can read the full patch notes below, via Treyarch.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 April 17 Update — Patch Notes
As we put the finishing touches on three additional Multiplayer maps launching with our next Operation later this month for Black Ops Pass holders, we’re excited to release our newest alternate-weather map free for all players: Arsenal Sandstorm.
Hot on the heels of Contraband Hurricane, Arsenal Sandstorm is our most intricate map makeover yet in Black Ops 4. Players will need to adapt their playstyles to waves of sand sweeping across the environment, with limited visibility throughout the facility encouraging shorter-ranged engagements. We’re excited to see how player strategies will evolve on Arsenal Sandstorm, now in rotation on all platforms.
Deathmatch Domination Debuts on PS4
If you’ve ever wished your team could play the objective in Domination even if they’re just there for the streaks, we’ve got great news. Introducing Deathmatch Domination on PS4, a first-of-its-kind mode for the Black Ops series. In this new take on Domination, teams now have two ways to earn points toward the score limit: by capturing objectives, and by earning kills throughout the match. No matter how you play, you’ll be playing for the team. Get out there and let us know what you think in the comments.
Infected Now Live on All Platforms
Infected is now live in Multiplayer on all platforms! We’ve also made some improvements to gameplay and stability, including the addition of 10 seconds to the game clock instead of 30 when a Survivor becomes infected, to help keep matches from running longer than intended. Check out the patch notes below for what’s new, and if you’re an Infected newbie, be sure to get familiar with the preset Survivor classes so you’re ready to hit the ground running… for your life.
We’ve also made additional updates across all modes since our last community update, including weapon tuning to the Rampart and KN-57, an extension to the final Collapse timing in Blackout’s Alcatraz map, and more. Read on for the full list of what’s new.
Summary
Free Arsenal Sandstorm Multiplayer map in rotation today on all platforms.
Deathmatch Domination added as Featured Playlist in Multiplayer on PS4.
Infected added as Featured Playlist in Multiplayer on Xbox One and PC.
Barebones Moshpit, Stockpile, Mercenary Deathmatch Moshpit (consoles), and Half-Off Heist (Xbox One) added to Featured category in Multiplayer.
Weapon tuning for Rampart and KN-57 in Multiplayer, Blackout, and Zombies.
Alcatraz final Collapse time increased from 60 seconds to 120 seconds.
PC curated playlists updated, including new Lone Wolf playlist.
Gameplay and stability improvements added for Infected.
All Platforms
Multiplayer
Maps
Arsenal Sandstorm
Game Modes
Infected
When a Survivor becomes infected, 10 seconds will now be added to the game clock instead of 30.
General stability fixes for Infected.
Weapon Tuning
Rampart 17
Increased ADS-in speed.
KN-57
World League Hub
Statistics
Blackout
Alcatraz
Weapon Tuning
Rampart 17
Increased ADS-in speed.
KN-57
Slightly reduced recoil.
Zombies
Weapon Tuning
Rampart 17
Increased ADS-in speed.
KN-57
PS4
Multiplayer
Game Modes
Deathmatch Domination
Added as new Featured Playlist on PS4.
Teams have two ways to earn points toward the round score limit: capturing objectives and earning kills.
Addressed an issue where Medals were not displaying properly.
Featured Playlists
Barebones Moshpit, Infected, Stockpile, and Mercenary Deathmatch Moshpit join Deathmatch Domination in the Featured category this week.
Xbox One And PC
Multiplayer
Infected
Infected added as Featured Playlist on PS4.
Players are divided into two teams: Survivors vs. Infected, with one player randomly selected as the first Infected.
Infected players hunt down the Survivors and attack them to spread their disease, converting their victims into members of the Infected team.
Survivors choose from preset classes and kill/avoid the Infected throughout the match.
Survivors win by having at least one surviving member when the timer runs out. Infected team wins by infecting every Survivor in the map before time runs out.
Infected team can respawn an infinite number of times. Survivors have one life before they become Infected.
Timer resets every time a Survivor falls victim to the Infected team, or when a Survivor becomes Infected via suicide.
Preset classes for Survivors include:
Scrapper
Primary Weapon: Cordite w/ Laser Sight and Extended Mags
Secondary Weapon: Mozu w/ High Caliber
Equipment: Concussion
Perks: Gung-Ho, Lightweight, Dexterity
Wildcard: Perk 2 Gluttony
Impaler
Primary Weapon: VAPR-XKG w/ ELO and Bayonet
Secondary Weapon: Strife
Equipment: Molotov
Perks: Scavenger, Dexterity, Dead Silence
Wildcard: Primary Operator Mod
Lead Spitter
Primary Weapon: Titan w/ Reflex, Stock, and Quickdraw
Secondary Weapon: RK 7 Garrison
Equipment: Frag
Perks: Skulker, Dexterity, and Team Link
Wildcard: Perk 2 Greed
Perforator
Primary Weapon: ABR 223 w/ Suppressor, Quickdraw, and Extended Mags
Secondary Weapon: Strife
Equipment: Molotov
Perks: Scavenger, Skulker, and Dead Silence
Wildcard: Primary Gunfighter 1
Meat Bagger
Primary Weapon: Mozu w/ Speed Loader and Quickdraw
Secondary Weapon: MOG 12 w/ Quickdraw
Equipment: Concussion
Perks: Scavenger, Dexterity, and Team Link
Wildcard: Underkill
Headhunter
Primary Weapon: Paladin HB50 w/ High Caliber and Stabilizer
Secondary Weapon: MOG 12 w/ Long Barrel and Barrel Choke
Equipment: None
Perks: Dexterity, Skulker, and Tracker
Wildcard: Perk 2 Greed
Featured Playlists
Xbox One
Infected, Barebones Moshpit, Stockpile, Mercenary Deathmatch Moshpit, and Half-Off Heist added to the Featured category this week.
PC
PC
Multiplayer
Core Playlist Updates
Match Start Requirements
Reduced Mercenary Deathmatch Moshpit match start requirements from 10 players to 8.
Reduced Hardcore Deathmatch Moshpit match start requirements from 10 players to 8.
Reduced Objective Moshpit match start requirements from 8 players to 6.
Reduced Hardcore Objective Moshpit match start requirements from 8 players to 6.
Fortnite Season 8 is now in its eighth week, which means there are new challenges to be completed. You can see a full list of the Season 8, Week 8 challenges here, and you’ll no doubt notice that there are a few tricky ones among them. One of those asks players to “search the treasure map signpost found in Paradise Palms.”
This is a multi-stage challenge and has two parts. Naturally, treasure hunts can lead to a lot of head-scratching and aimless wandering, but we’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen. To save you time and effort, we’ve completed the challenge and put together a guide that shows you exactly where you need to go and what you need to do.
To complete this challenge, you’ll need to first head to Paradise Palms–obviously. More specifically, you’ll need to head to the center of the area and find the little alley there. Stick to the rooftops and you’ll spot the map signpost on a wall below you. For part two of the challenge, you’ll need to follow the map to find the Battle Star. It actually leads you to Frosty Flights, specifically at the end of the runway. Once you’ve made it there, the challenge should complete.
Take a look at the map below for more details on where you can find the Battle Star.
Fortnite Signpost Treasure Map Locations
Signpost Treasure Map: This is located at the center of Paradise Palms in an alley behind the building there.
Treasure Map Battle Star Location: Frosty Flights at the end of the runway.
If you still need a hand completing challenges, make sure to check out our complete Fortnite Season 8 challenge guide. We’ve been keeping that up to date with guides on the difficult challenges on a week-by-week basis. Season 8 is going to start to wind down soon, so if you want to unlock all the cosmetics, that companion piece will be very useful.
In other Fortnite news, a new LTM oriented around dogfighting has been added to the game. Patch 8.40 introduced Air Royale, which lets players “pilot the X-4 Stormwing in this Limited-Time Mode as you fight to become the last plane flying! Complete free Challenges to unlock brand-new Wraps as you rule the skies.”
Epic has also thrown the Food Fight LTM back into the mix, but this time it’s in the form of a variant called Deep Fried. There are a number of other tweaks and changes to the game, and you can see it all in the Fortnite update 8.40 patch notes.
A shipwreck on a mountain top, a flying tentacle beast, and psychotic hallucinations of skin melting off people’s faces. With an opening as eerie as this, it wasn’t difficult to get swept up in the bizarre intrigue of The Sinking City, the latest from Frogwares–a studio that’s known for its work on the cult favorite Sherlock Holmes adventure games. But any lover of H.P Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos should find these motifs familiar. It’s the sort of stuff that makes these tales of eldritch abominations and the unfortunate souls who discover them so captivating. Attempting to unravel these mysteries kept me thoroughly invested in my demo of The Sinking City, but it was the unsettling world and its potent realities that gripped me the most.
Set in the fictional half-submerged city of Oakmont, Massachusetts during the 1920s, you play as Charles Reed, a troubled WW1 veteran and private investigator traveling in search of a cure for his persistent hallucinations. But the moment The Sinking City begins, this task becomes far more complicated. Mysterious creatures known as wylebeasts infest Oakmont’s streets, and worse yet, the city is embroiled in a tense race war between two grotesque human-animal hybrids. Even the normal humans who occupy Oakmont have their own personal prejudices against outsiders and the hybrid races.
The first hybrid I met was a wealthy man named Robert Throgmorton, whose ape-faced appearance threw me off-guard. Aside from Charles’ initial hallucinations, everything I’d seen up to that point felt grounded in a semblance of reality. But talking to Throgmorton changed all that–at least until he was revealed to be a pompous and repulsive being whose xenophobic and eugenics-fueled rhetoric disgusted me. Suddenly, my disbelief came barreling down to an ugly reality that was all too true to life.
My first case had me trying to find Robert Throgmorton’s missing son in exchange for information about Reed’s mysterious visions. The search took me all around the Oakmont Pier where I mostly interviewed suspects, searched crime scenes, and gathered evidence. Exploration and investigation in The Sinking City are incredibly open-ended, challenging you to chase up your own leads across the game’s large world as opposed to being told where to go. At times, my investigation was disturbed by otherworldly forces, as portals into a spectral realm opened up in and around crime scenes. I even began to hear voices speaking in tongues to me. All the while, more hallucinations spawned on screen–a phenomenon determined by your exposure to disturbing imagery found in the world.
This is what The Sinking City seems most effective at, shocking you and forcing you to suspend your disbelief only to reveal a darker, more grim reality underlying its haunting surrealist visuals.
Oddities like this occurred often, but the stories I discovered in their midst remained the same: violence and murder as the result of an ugly cycle of intolerance and greed, whether intentional or not. This is what The Sinking City seems most effective at, shocking you and forcing you to suspend your disbelief only to reveal a darker, more grim reality underlying its haunting surrealist visuals.
As I explored Oakmont’s flooded streets and pieced together clues, I couldn’t stop thinking about the unnerving racial conflict discussed in my conversation with Robert Throgmorton. His family despises another hybrid race known as the Innsmouthers, who are migrants that are fish-like in appearance. However, that hatred is shared on both sides, as the Innsmouthers aren’t above equally hateful beliefs and behaviors. And each one I met wasn’t shy to let that fact be known.
The end of my first case inevitably forced me to make a choice: incriminate an Innsmouther in the murder of Robert Throgmorton’s son or let them walk free. Without spoiling it, the facts set before me made that choice incredibly complicated. I ended up choosing the latter, but I still find myself second guessing that decision, even now. But with one mystery solved, there opened up numerous others that all seemed to dive deeper into all of society’s worst tendencies and the grander, mysterious phenomenon that potentially play a part in fueling them. This is still a Lovecraftian mystery, after all.
The Sinking City’s bleak world and characters suck you into its bizarre, yet grimy tales of otherworldly urban crime. The surprisingly convincing racial conflict the game sets up colors the storytelling in a way that’s both haunting and engrossing. While this isn’t the first time we’ve had a backdrop like this in games, The Sinking City’s surreal depiction of 1920’s-era racial prejudice and violence was undoubtedly its most standout quality for me; clumsy shooting mechanics and somewhat glitchy animations notwithstanding. Whether or not the game makes good on the social commentary it introduces, The Sinking City has at least piqued my interest–even if playing it may mean enduring an ugly cycle of violence that calls to mind the worst of what can still be seen today.
The Sinking City is set to release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on June 27.
Following its surprise announcement earlier this week, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate‘s big 3.0 update is now live. The patch adds a wealth of new content and features to the acclaimed Switch fighting game, including a new playable character and Stage Builder mode, plus a long list of balance tweaks for various fighters.
Headlining the update is Persona 5’s Joker, who is now available as a DLC character. Joker comes alongside a brand-new stage, Mementos, as well as nearly a dozen music tracks lifted from the Persona series and a handful of Persona Spirits. Additionally, an assortment of Persona- and Sonic-inspired Mii Fighter costumes are available for purchase. The costumes run for $0.75 each, while the Joker Fighter Pack costs $6. Joker is also included as part of Smash Ultimate’s $25 Fighters Pass.
The aforementioned Stage Builder, meanwhile, is available free for everyone, and it allows player to create and share their own Smash Ultimate levels. Nintendo has also added a video editor. This feature gives players the ability to combine their saved video clips and adds subtitles, sound effects, and more. The videos can likewise be shared with other players through the new Smash World hub in the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app.
Rounding out the update is a litany of gameplay adjustments. Among other things, several of Diddy Kong’s attacks have been buffed, and now all characters will be penalized more for continuous dodging. You can see the full list of character tweaks on Nintendo’s support website, while the general patch notes for the 3.0 update can be found here.
Nintendo still has four more unannounced DLC characters on the way for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as well as a few more Amiibo figures. Three of them–Pichu, Pokemon Trainer, and Isabelle–will hit retailers starting July 26. Figures of Squirtle, Ivysaur, Snake, and Simon Belmont are also on the way this year, although no release date has been announced yet.
It’s been an exciting week so far, with PS5 details and an Avengers: Endgame leak. If you’re a Fortnite fan, the week is about to get even better with a new wave of challenges to complete. Naturally, spending the time and effort to finish these mini-quests will score you Battle Stars that level up your Battle Pass and unlock cosmetics.
As always, there are two sets of challenges. The first is a free set that’s available to anyone playing the game, while the second is exclusively for those that have spent V-Bucks on a premium Battle Pass. In the former’s category, players will need to find a treasure map, use vending machines, and dish out damage to enemies while also using a balloon.
Meanwhile, if you’ve got a premium Battle Pass, you’ll need to search Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces, dial the Durrr Burger number on a specific phone, take out enemies in Dusty Divot or Lucky Landing, and then kill two enemies from at least 50m away.
Fortnite Season 8, Week 8 Challenges
Free
Stage 1: Search the treasure map signpost in Paradise Palms (1) — 2 Battle Star
Use Vending Machines in different matches (3) — 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage to opponents while using at least one balloon (100) — 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Search Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces under bridges and in caves (7) — 5 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Dial the Durrr Burger number on the big telephone west of Fatal Fields (1) — 2 Battle Stars
Eliminate opponents at Dusty Divot or Lucky Landing (7) — 10 Battle Stars
Eliminate opponents from at least 50m away (2) — 10 Battle Stars
The latest Fortnite update added a new LTM oriented around dogfighting. Patch 8.40 introduced Air Royale, which lets players “pilot the X-4 Stormwing in this Limited-Time Mode as you fight to become the last plane flying! Complete free Challenges to unlock brand-new Wraps as you rule the skies.”
Alongside it, Epic also brought back the Food Fight LTM, but as a variant called Deep Fried. It features higher restaurant bases, which means teams must build up to them to protect their mascots. There are a number of other tweaks and changes to the game, and you can see it all in the Fortnite update 8.40 patch notes.
Ever since its reveal last year, developer id Software has been very clear about Rage 2 being the game that the original should have been. Co-developed with Avalanche Studios, the sequel has been toted as a true open-world game compared to its predecessor’s attempt at one, leaning heavily on hectic gameplay within a vast and dynamic environment. Though Rage 2 is all about blending together the fast, punchy corridor-shooter action that id software is known for with Avalanche’s sense of scale and breadth of content from their world-exploring games, our last few impressions didn’t give us the opportunity to see those aspects really come together.
However, we recently got to play two hours of the final game ahead of its May 14 release. While exploring the setting at our leisure, we got more of a clearer picture of how Rage 2 injects id Software’s old-school design within the framework of a modern open-world game. We also spoke with id studio director with id Software studio director Tim Willits about the making of the sequel to the 2011 post-apocalyptic open-world shooter, and how it’s introduced them to some new rethink their familiar design philosophies.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and readability.
When you think back to the original game after playing this one, they’re pretty night and day by comparison. Rage 2 feels like it’s entirely its own thing.
Yes, it is. Firstly, I like to say that Rage 2 delivers on all that Rage 1 promised. I’ve joked that the biggest lesson I’ve learned from Rage is don’t make an open world game without an open world technology, which is what we did with our id Tech 5 engine for the original. But you’re right, it’s kinda like we’re launching a new franchise. It’s very exciting. We often get people asking, “Well, do I need to have played the first one?” And I’m like, “No. Don’t worry about it. We got you covered.” You can just jump in and play. Don’t be nervous by the 2.
After playing about two hours of this game, I do have to say that it felt more comfortable with being an id-shooter in an open world. Whereas the original felt like it was trying brute force its way into that mold.
I’m glad you noticed that. It was the number one thing we set out to do with this game. When we were started pitching the game internally, I made this presentation and one slide had said “Rage 2.” People were like, “okay, Rage 2, that’s cool,” and then the next slide was the Id logo and the Avalanche logo, and when people saw that they were like, yeah, that’s cool! And then everything from there just made sense.
It seems like Avalanche coming on was very instrumental in helping id Software transition its particular gameplay into the open world.
Well, the great thing about working with the Avalanche team is they not only bring the Apex Engine technology, which is awesome, but they also bring that experience. They’ve been making open-world action games for a long time, so they just think about things differently. How we tell the story, how we write the dialogue, and how we approach the missions, those things really leveraged on a lot of their expertise. We have some amazing technology, but just for this style of game, we found that it was better to work with a company that had the experience with their own [open-world] tech and gameplay. Working with Avalanche on this game was kind of a match made in heaven.
Truth be told, I played Rage 2 previously at other conventions, and it was difficult getting a sense of the world and scale of the game. The previous demos tended to focus more on enclosed encounters–which seemed more in-line with traditional id shooters, rather than an open world game.
Yeah, it’s not the same experience getting to dive into this game at your own pace versus playing a 20-minute chunk at a show. At E3 last year, we had the Eden’s Gate complex, which is very classic id Software style-level. It was fun, it was cool, but you are right–We stuck you in a box, and obviously, this game is not a box. We wanted people to believe that we had that id-style combat in this world, so we really focused on proving that first, which is one of our biggest milestones in the project. We really had to figure out how it felt to play, what the endgame content was like, and what the weapons were like. Are they loud enough, powerful enough, fast enough? So it was definitely a hurdle we needed to jump over early.
But I’m glad you were able to play a big part in the game just now. You know, it’s funny, now, when you play the game, you’ll get that Eden’s Gate mission, and you’ll be like, “this is so small compared to everything else I saw”. When you play through it normally, you’ll just blast through it. It’s such a different feeling when you actually get to see it the world.
This game will also see some interesting updates after launch which will affect the state of the world. In a recent trailer, there were some references to in-world event that has you fight mutants for a TV program.
Yes! So, we’ll have events and we can churn in activities on the occasion. But you do not need to always be online for this game. So was a little bit of confusion recently, but if you are connected to the internet, you can participate in these live events. If you’re not, then just play the base game and have fun. We can make these cool events happen that will kinda keep people engaged as we can deliver them more content in the future.
So Rage 2 six to seven month from now will potentially be a different game than the one we’ve got at launch?
Yes, that’s the plan! Hopefully, people will stay with it. I do think we have a good plan. We have some cool beats that we’ll talk about after the game launches, and what the framework looks like moving forward. When you play the full game, you can see that there’s room for things to expand, and we will continually layer things in to keep people engaged.
It seems like the idea of the evolving game or a games-as-a-service title is becoming more commonplace now. Is Rage 2 in that similar school of thought?
No, it will just be a supported game. I don’t know, it’s so hard to–like someone needs to come up with a perfect definition of what a “games-as-a-service” game actually is. Many people have different ideas of that, and I may have confused people originally when I started talking about this. What we’re planning on doing is creating some updates and content for this game after we launch. So, we monitor the game, we monitor the players, we act in the community, we’re gonna support it, we’re gonna update it. It’s not like a subscription or a free-to-play game. But it will be supported.
Though previous id Software shooters have seen updates after launch, this game seems more about expanding the world itself and the content therein. This seems to be new territory for you all.
That’s true, but it’s honestly the direction that the industry is moving toward. Fans spend so much time with our games, and people want to know that the thing that they enjoy is being supported and that the developers stand behind it, and that they will continue to improve the experience. If you’re gonna dedicate so much of your time, when there are so many other things to do, you want that commitment from the other side. So that’s what we are gonna try to do, which is something that’s new for us, so hopefully, it’ll work.
Though the game itself is very modern in its focus, it still feels very old-school in its design. And we see that in its focus on offering cheat codes, which seems to be a rarity in today’s age.
We don’t take ourselves too seriously all the time, and those cheat codes should be pretty fun. The game shines when players just sit down and do what they want to do. I really believe, the more time you spend with the game, the more enjoyable it is. If you rush through it, you’re not gonna have as much fun as the person that spends twice as long. So, I would encourage people to take their time, experiment with the powers and upgrades, because there’s a lot. It’s definitely rewarding for people who spend the time.
There’s one cheat in particular called “Git Gud”, which kills all enemies in one hit once activated. It seems to be a reference to online game challenge culture. Do you have a particular stance on how you want your games to be designed in terms of difficulty and the barrier for entry?
So I’m a bit more old-school, I like to get thrown into a new mission and told to find the red key somewhere in the level. But in a game that’s this big and open, we do need to help players when they feel like they need some help and we do need to kinda direct them [with the GPS]. As for difficulty, we have several different difficulty settings, of course. If you want that extra challenge then you can play the Nightmare difficulty. You really have to strategize and play smart, it’s so tough. But yeah, if you’re a pretty hardcore player, I’d encourage you to play it on hard, not normal.
The openness that we have is the nature of this game, nothing is really off-limits. We may point you in the right direction, but we don’t really scale the difficulty of the enemies. So if you find an area that’s too tough, you can just come back to it when you have more upgrades and more abilities, and you can just tear through it. We give you that opportunity. With the open world nature of the game, I do believe that it allows for more accessibility than some of our other games. We tend to make intense games at id, and sometimes people accuse us of being a little too hardcore. But even though this game’s fast and can be tough, because it can change based on what you do and how you play it, I actually think it’s more accessible than any of our others games.
I think what’s especially noticeable about this game compared to the original is that it has a lot more personality.
Yeah, the first one sold well and people enjoyed it, but I definitely feel that we are firing on all the cylinders with the sequel. We have the right personality, we have the right developers, we have the right tech, we have the right style. It’s a good time, also, for this type of game. Because it is a little bit more unique than a lot of the other, kind of, post-apocalyptic games. And yes, you are absolutely correct. We really tried to make the game fun. So, if people play it, and their friend says, “Well, what do you think of Rage 2?” If they say, “That was fun!”, then I’m happy.
