TechSmart 121, October 2013 TechSmart 132, September 2014 | Page 46

GAMES

Gamescom 2014
goes for New Glory

goes for New Glory

Besides E3, another gaming
convention that causes players to
perk up and listen, is Gamescom.
This year, the gaming show in
Cologne, Germany, delivered a
healthy helping of new titles that
not even an initial heaping of
controversy could diminish

HOLD ONTO YOUR
WALLETS, BECAUSE IT
LOOKS LIKE THE REST
OF 2014, AND WELL INTO
2015, IS GOING TO BE AN
AMAZING TIME AHEAD
FOR GAMERS.

G

amescon 2014 started
with controversy, with
the announcement by
Microsoft and Crystal Dynamics that
Rise of the Tomb Raider would
be an Xbox exclusive – news which
caused invective, directed at both
companies, to flow more freely than
a quiver full of Lara’s arrows fired at
Solarii guards. Turns out though that
the next Tomb Raider title likely won’t
be stranded on the Xbox One island
indefinitely, as it is apparently a timed
exclusive, rather than a complete
abandonment of other platforms.

Show me the new
Beyond this storm in a teacup, there were plenty of
reasons to watch out for the year ahead. Ninja Theory,
the developers beyond Heavenly Sword, Enslaved:
Odyssey to the West and more recently, DMC: Devil May
Cry, used Gamescom to announce that they are working
on a new IP called Hellblade. The studio promised that
players can expect to see its trademark touch on the new
game – namely “ninja-class melee gameplay, strong
character stories and a unique art vision.” In other words,
everything that we loved about DMC: Devil May Cry.
Also announced was that there is a new Silent Hill
game in the works, named Silent Hills. This from the
formidable team-up of Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear) and
Guillermo Del Toro (Pacific Rim) in the director’s chair.
While not much else – including a release date – is known
at this point, the combination of directing talent alone is
good reason to stay on the edge of your seat.
As if dealing with real estate agents wasn’t scary enough
already, the new releases continued with the haunted
houses theme, as Until Dawn was resurrected from the
PS3 development graveyard. The game will see eight
friends (one of which will be voiced by Hayden Panettiere)
apparently hunkering down in a remote mountain cabin,
for a sleepover in Alan Wake/ Cabin in the Woods style.

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September 2014 | TechSmart