Dying Light Showcase

The dilapidated streets and shambling zombies are scary enough, but as the sun drops below the horizon, getting back to safety becomes my biggest concern. The crude crowbar weapon I’m wielding seems to only stun these creatures, and the deadlier predators come out at night. Switching tactics from fight to flight, I leap over low walls, scurry over fences, and dash across rooftops to avoid the undead below. I pause only long enough to re-arm some of the traps around our base, and barricade myself inside as the last light fades from the sky. I hear a “Volatile” howl in the distance, signaling that things are about to go from bad to worse in Dying Light.

In a crowded genre of open-world-zombie-survival games, Dying Light needs a few gimmicks to stand out, especially as it looks like an improved version of Dead Island (also developed by game studio TechLand back in 2011). Fortunately, Dying Light has a list of features to persuade zombie killers from other games: four player drop-in-and out co-op, dynamic day-night cycle featuring deadlier creatures of the night, and “parkour” or free-running enables mobility as the preferred option to escaping zombie bites. In fact, new players may feel discouraged at first as their character struggles to use basic blunt objects against the undead, until they have a chance to level up and unlock better skills. Even with deadlier skills and weapon arsenals, free running around the city and dodging zombies is just too much fun! If you’re looking for even more fun, become an even deadlier “night hunter” zombie and invade other players’ games!

In a nutshell, Dying Light is a tense, exciting, and relatively bug free experience. It’s not just an improved version of Dead Island, it’s a VERY improved version. It’s challenging, fun, and ultimately very satisfying! eBash Video Game Centers are featuring an exciting Dying Light Showcase from February 2nd – 13th, leading up to a big Friday the 13th Lock-In party with free pizza and other prizes! Up to four players can play Dying Light at a time, either alone or co-op!

Dying Light is rated ‘M’ for Mature for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language. It is available on Tuesday, January 27th, on PC, Xbox One, and PS4.

New Betas and Demos

A few big titles went into “beta” state this past week. Traditionally, a game will go through several phases in development: early “alpha” builds are usually only seen by the game studio and are the most flexible in terms of adding or removing features and content; early “beta” builds are nearing the finished product and become either “closed betas” or limited access or “open betas” for anyone to play. An “open beta” is near completion, but the studio wants as much public feedback as possible AND wants to stress-test their server capacity for multi-player features.

Lately, it seems like people are confusing “open beta” with “demo” which are also open to the public before a big game is released. Demos, like the name implies, are available to let potential customers get their hands on a game and see if they like it. This can help generate hype and drive up pre-order numbers.

The first big “beta” to open to the public last week was “Evolve” from Turtle Rock Studios. This is the same studio that developed Left 4 Dead 2, and features a unique twist to the 4-player co-op experience: a 5th player competes against the other 4 player “hunter” characters as the giant monster they are trying to trap! The monster begins each match as an imposing creature, but if it can evade the hunters long enough to consume smaller monsters populating the terrain, it can “evolve” into larger and deadlier variations!

This beta is clearly in its nearly-finished state, and Turtle Rock Studios is “rolling out” more features and access to different platforms as it gears up for the game’s release in February. (The Xbox One platform gets the beta on January 15th with “smaller technical test” betas starting on the 16th for PC and the 17th for PS4.) Speaking of that beta/demo confusion, downloading the beta from the Xbox Live Marketplace lists it as a “demo.”

Described as an “early access alpha” release on Steam, H1Z1 is a “zombie survival MMO” made by Sony Online Entertainment. In other words, expect it to come to the PS4! The “zombie survival MMO” genre is already represented by games like “Day Z” and “Rust” on PC, so this will be the first time something like that will appear on console. When it is ready.

Calling it a “beta” is not only wrong, it’s unfortunately not even close to that stage of development. As soon it was ready, people started streaming their experiences on twitch.tv and youtube – to unintentionally hilarious results. With no release date advertised, SOE can take as long as they want to fine tune H1Z1.

Hopefully, gamers and gaming enthusiasts will learn the differences between alphas, betas, and demos. Stay tuned to eBash Bits and Bytes for more stories about upcoming games!

Watch Dogs Byte Sized Review

In June of 2012, Ubisoft blew the roof off the E3 in L.A. by revealing a brand new game at the very end of their presentation. Called “Watch_Dogs,” the game features a vigilante protagonist that can manipulate almost anything in the city by hacking it with his phone. Trying to escape in a car chase? Turn all the traffic lights green in a busy intersection and let the ensuing chaos take out your pursuers. Low on cash? Hack pedestrians’ phones as they walk by and withdraw money from their accounts at any ATM. The game looked unbelievably realistic, and ran away with multiple ‘best of’ awards from many gaming websites.

When it missed its 2013 launch window and got pushed back to spring of 2014, some of that hype died down. Ubisoft went on to break records with the release of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag instead, so I don’t think it bothered them too much. There WAS enough hype left over for Watch_Dogs after all, as it broke those ACIV records by selling 4 million copies in one week!

Is it good? I think Watch_Dogs is very deserving of all the praise it can get as it truly feels “next gen” to me. There are the obvious comparisons to open sand box games, especially Grand Theft Auto and even Ubisoft’s own Assassin’s Creed. Players can accept main story missions or explore Chicago (and Pawnee!) for side missions and more advantage over the “CitOS” that runs everything. These side missions can vary from stopping potential crimes, driving missions, or solving missing person cases, and are pleasantly distracting from the main story.

Aiden Pearce compliments his hacking with impressive melee take downs, expert driving, and lethal firearm skills. It’s really fun to use a combination of these skills, like hacking a car alarm to distract a guard or blowing a gas line to even the odds in a firefight. Car chases and firefights require a lot of quick thinking and the game is pretty challenging. The controls are solid, though Aiden isn’t a super hero that can take a lot of damage. Timing a traffic jam in a hacked intersection is a lot harder than it sounds, as the enemies seem better at dodging other cars than one would expect. To ease the frustration, the game is generous with check points and missions can usually be restarted at any time.

If all of this sounds like another Grand Theft Auto or Assassin’s Creed game, but with hacking, you’d only be half right. The extra features of Watch_Dogs push it beyond the limits of the “sand box” genre into its own “next gen” world. I’m very happy with the way they’ve seamlessly integrated multi-player features into the single player experience; allowing players to “invade” or be invaded by other players simply by using Aiden’s smartphone. Some of my favorite gaming experiences so far have been playing games of “cat and mouse” with other players, or trying to evade the police cars and obstacles another player pits against me using a *free* companion mobile app! That’s right, someone that doesn’t even OWN Wach_Dogs can get a mobile game that lets them control a collection of “hacks” and police vehicles to try to run down another person in their “normal” single player game. It’s so ridiculously fun! There are other MP modes, including full team vs team modes, that I look forward to trying.

The hype is still alive at eBash Video Game Centers, as Watch_Dogs has been consistently checked out since it’s release. It’s open sand box game play and “next gen” integrated multi-player makes it a great fit for gaming alone or with friends at eBash!

Content Descriptors: Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol

Other: Includes online features that may expose players to unrated user-generated content (Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

eBash Memorial Day 48 Straight

Summer is almost here, and that means it’s time for the annual Memorial Day 48-Straight at eBash!

This is a special Lock-In event that runs 48 hours straight at your favorite eBash Video Game Center. Don’t worry, you do not HAVE to stay the entire time, and MOST players head home during the first night to sleep and recover for the second night. Players also have the option to buy a 24 hour pass for one day or the other.

Official times are going to be Friday May 23rd at 8 AM until Sunday May 25th at 8 AM.

Costs and Details:

48 Hour Pass VIP – $45
48 Hour Pass Regular – $55
$5 discount for reserving your spot before May 20th with $10 down

48 Hour Pass Includes:

• 48 Hours of gaming between 8 AM Friday and 8 AM Sunday
• Pizza and drink both nights
• Donuts and Milk/Juice both mornings
• Special Edition 2014 Memorial Day 48 Straight T-shirt

24 Hour Pass VIP – $25
24 Hour Pass Regular – $30

24 Hour Pass Includes:

• 24 Hours of gaming between 8 AM Friday and 8 AM Saturday
• OR from 8 AM Saturday until 8 AM Sunday
• Pizza and drink
• Donuts and Milk/Juice
• Special Edition 2014 Memorial Day 48 Straight T-shirt

More Bits Before E3

It appears Microsoft isn’t the only big company revealing new game information before E3. Ubisoft announced they will be releasing “Far Cry 4” this November, but their ambitious single/multi-player emergent survival shooting game “The Division” will be pushed back until next year.

Last year at E3, Ubisoft’s main stage presentation featured the best lineup of games, in my opinion, and they are sure to dazzle again this year. Announcing Far Cry 4 NOW, instead of during that show, makes me wonder what other secrets they might reveal? For the past two years, Ubisoft’s E3 presentation followed the same pattern: they showed off title after title, keeping their “best” titles for last, only to surprise the audience with ONE MORE game that shocked and amazed everyone. In 2011, the big shocker was “Watch_Dogs” an ambitious title that was supposed to be released late last year, only to be pushed back until the end of May. In 2012, “Watch_Dogs” was their “best” title saved for last, only to surprise everyone with something called “The Division.”

Far Cry 4’s development hasn’t been kept as a very good secret, so Ubisoft’s “out of the blue” announcement about it’s November release date is intriguing – but I can’t WAIT to see what secret title they reveal in just a few weeks!

Meanwhile, Microsoft keeps making announcements before THEIR big E3 presentation, with promises that their main show will be nothing but games, games, and more games. So, if they are already announcing games, now, how many MORE games will they announce at E3? I can’t wait to find out!

Elder Scrolls Online Delayed on Consoles

Despite having one of the smoothest launches in MMO history on the PC, the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the Elder Scrolls Online game have been delayed for about six months. These console versions were scheduled to be released in June, so perhaps they’ll be ready by December.

Elder Scrolls Online is a fun hybrid of single player Elder Scrolls games, including a great amount of player freedom in character creation and exploration, and “normal” Massively-Multiplayer-Online games featuring huge PvP battlegrounds and challenging content designed for groups. The action is handled on PC capably with a mouse and keyboard, but I can tell that it will be really enjoyable for console controls.

The delay is unfortunate, but there is some good news: customers that buy and play the PC/Mac version before the end of June will have an option to transfer their characters and progress to either the Xbox One or PS4 version of their choice for only $20, including another 30 days of play time.

The PC version of ESO has been getting a decent amount of play by some of the regulars at eBash. I can only guess how many more people are waiting to try it on the Xbox One, but now they’ll have to wait.

Elder Scrolls Online

Elder Scrolls Online is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a Massive Multi-Player Online (MMO) game set in the fantasy world of Tamriel, made popular in other Elder Scrolls games like Oblivion and Skyrim. It doesn’t provide the open sand box game play of a single player Elder Scrolls game, but it does offer more character and “class” options than traditional MMOs. In summary, it rests somewhere in the middle, and those that temper their expectations may find a lot to do and enjoy in ESO.

For starters, ESO is a very well made game. The graphics are beautiful, and the sound effects, music, and voice acting are as top notch as one would expect from a single player ES game. I’ve noticed first hand the progress made from each successive beta test weekend, and as part of the five day head start, I can already testify that nearly everything works as it should. Some of the quests are bugged and can’t be completed, but those issues can be fixed.

The game plays as a hybrid of traditional MMOs and previous ES games. The left and right mouse buttons activate attacks and blocks, and the camera can switch from first to third person views, just like Skyrim. But the bottom of the screen has a number of “hot keys” for quick access to spells and special attacks. Some of these are weapon specific, and are only available if the correct weapons are equipped, but others are weapon independent.

Long time MMO players, like myself, will appreciate the options available when it comes to actually playing the game. Characters can be created from nine races (ten if the “Imperial” edition is purchased) and four different classes. Each of these classes have their own specialty or “trait” lines to choose skills from, but every class can wield every weapon and wear every armor type in the game. Each weapon has its own “trait” line, and so do the different guilds and factions in the game. As characters progress, the number of abilities to choose for the “hot keys” grow almost out of control.

The host of character options are enormous, and that almost makes up for the way the game funnels players through its different zones. The quests are almost all story-centric, and need to be completed in a set order before the next quests and zones become available. Optional side quests are conveniently placed and are easy to pick up and complete during the “main” quests, but I think they can be missed if the zones are completed first. With all the combat options at players’ disposal, it also seems strange that combat can be almost completely avoided at times, which makes enemy encounters feel incidental or optional.

Preferences for ESO may vary. In some ways, ESO does not feel like a regular ES game, which are known for their openness and player freedom. But, compared to other MMOs, ESO feels like a nice evolution of the genre. Rarely have I been given boring “kill x number of y creature” quests, and some of the story quests are quite moving. Personally, I often felt overwhelmed by the open nature of previous ES games, so I actually LIKE that I’m shown where to go next and I LIKE that I’m making progress. Some of the features, like the overly complicated crafting system, don’t appeal to me – but others might think that’s the best part of the game. As long as people temper their expectations, ESO is a well made game that has a lot to offer. I repeat, this is NOT an open sandbox game like Skyrim that also happens to have hundreds of other players; this IS an MMO that features more player freedom, fantastic art and sound, and more interesting stories and quests than older, more “traditional” MMOs.

Elder Scrolls Online launches April 4th on PC, and will be available for Xbox One and PS4 later this year. It is rated ‘M’ for Mature for Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, and Violence.

April League of Legends Tournament at eBash

eBash is very excited to host their first triple-location League of Legends Tournament, this April 5th!

eBash Indy

This is an online tournament, but you have to participate in one of the three eBash locations: Terre Haute, Indianapolis, or Evansville. The event will be capped at eighteen teams, the cost will be $150 per five-person team, and the prize pool is $2,000!

Starting February 19th and running through March 26th, LoL players have a chance of competing at any eBash location in the weekly “LoL Wednesdays” game night. This isn’t a team event; players just have to pay to play at eBash, compete in Season 4 Ranked matches, and earn points. These points accumulate each week, and the top two players at each eBash will win a free team pass for the April 5th Tournament!

The entire event will be broadcast online from the Indianapolis location on twitch.tv.

More information and registration for the Tournament can be found here. This Wednesday (the 26th) is the last chance to earn points and win a free team pass!

Registration is filling up fast, so don’t wait until the last minute!

GDC News Bits

GDC 2014 (Game Developers Conference) in San Francisco is wrapping up today, so now is a good time to look back on some of the top stories.

Sony probably made the biggest news by unveiling their VR headset, codenamed “Project Morpheus.” The headset utilizes existing technologies, namely, the “PS Eye” camera and its light tracking capabilities, motion sensors such as those found in the “Move” and “SIXAXIS” controllers, and a head mounted display. Even though it will be an accessory for the PS4, Sony cautioned that we shouldn’t think of it as just a peripheral, but rather a standalone entertainment medium.

Oculus may not have the name-brand recognition that Sony has, but it has been researching and developing VR headsets for years. Their latest version, simply named Dev Kit 2, features even lower latency and higher resolutions than previous prototypes. It might not be considered a “consumer” product, but for only $350, those people that are super excited about virtual reality and don’t want to wait for a final product, can pick one up as early as August of this year.

Ubisoft had a new video showcasing the power of their new “SnowDrop” graphics engine, revealed more information about upcoming releases like Watch_Dogs and The Division, and revealed that the Assassin’s Creed franchise will see two releases in 2014: “Comet” for PS3 and 360, and “Unity” for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. “Unity” will be set during the French Revolution.

Microsoft has to be pretty happy with sales from Titanfall, especially in the UK where it has DOUBLED the number of Xbox One consoles being sold. The Titanfall/Xbox One bundle is currently available for only $450! The Xbox One has an estimated 3.9 million total sales, compared to the 6 million PS4 consoles sold, but the One has only been released in about half the territories as the PS4. On the technical side, MS explained the advantages of their new graphics API, Direct X12, and how it will benefit multiple platforms ranging from PCs, the Xbox One, to even mobile devices. In short, it will boost performance in a way that takes about 50% of the workload off the hardware, which in turn, will free the hardware up to do other work. In one video, MS showed off the Xbox One’s racing game “FORZA 5” which looked identical to the current version, but to point out it was using 50% fewer resources to do so.

These are just a few of the stories from GDC 2014. More information can be found here: http://www.gdconf.com/