Author - Jerry Paxton

Paradox to Publish Harebrained Schemes BATTLETECH

STOCKHOLM – May 12, 2017 Paradox Interactive today announced a partnership with Harebrained Schemes, the studio behind the Shadowrun Returns series, to publish BATTLETECH, the first turn-based tactical ‘Mech PC game in over 20 years. Set in the MechWarrior universe, the game is being led by Jordan Weisman, creator of BattleTech and MechWarrior, Mitch Gitelman, Producer of the MechCommander series, and Mike McCain, Creative Director of the Shadowrun series. BATTLETECH was successfully Kickstarted in November 2016, and now Paradox is providing a full loadout of publishing support in BATTLETECH’s march to launch.

MechWarriors and Mercenaries alike can see the first trailer for BATTLETECH here:

“We couldn’t miss the chance to work with Harebrained Schemes given how big of fans we are of their work on the Shadowrun Returns series. The opportunity to reintroduce our strategy-minded players to the tactical roots of the BattleTech universe makes this partnership even sweeter,” said Johan Sjöberg, Chief Product Officer of Paradox Interactive. “We are as excited about BATTLETECH as the early backers are, and we can’t wait to do our part to bring the game to market.”

“We at HBS have enormous respect for the long history of quality strategy games that Paradox has published and we are proud to have BATTLETECH become part of that history,” said Jordan Weisman, CEO of Harebrained Schemes. “We are confident in our ability to create a game worthy of the MechWarrior franchise’s legacy and are really excited to have Paradox’s expertise as a publisher to help us present BATTLETECH to the widest possible audience.”

Thanks to the generous support of the Kickstarter community, BATTLETECH will be the first turn-based tactical BattleTech game on PC in more than 20 years. Set in the year 3025, the universe is trapped in a cycle of perpetual war, fought by militarized noble houses utilizing huge, mechanized combat vehicles called BattleMechs. Players will take command of their own Mercenary outfit, struggling to stay afloat as they find themselves drawn into a bloody interstellar civil war. BATTLETECH features explosive tactical `Mech combat, deep Mercenary management gameplay, a rewarding story campaign, and addictive PvP multiplayer. The game is scheduled to launch in 2017.

Harebrained Schemes was cofounded in 2011 by Jordan Weisman and Mitch Gitelman, and received widespread critical acclaim for Shadowrun Returns, their recreation of classic cyberpunk RPG, Shadowrun. Paradox Interactive was founded in 1999, and is known for its development of grand strategy titles such as Europa Universalis, Crusader Kings, and Hearts of Iron. As a publishing partner, Paradox most notably worked with Obsidian for the launches of Pillars of Eternity, Pillars of Eternity’s DLC content, and Tyranny.

5.11 Tactical XPRT MultiCam Tactical Pant Review

5.11 Tactical has been in the tactical gear and apparel industries for many years and they have a great reputation among airsofters looking at quality gear that won’t completely break their budgets. One of the most popular products they sell to airsoft gamers is the MultiCam TDU Pant. For just under $80 dollars, this pant has some great durability and construction quality that stands up to rugged gameplay. It was with great excitement that I saw they had announced the line of XPRT tactical apparel at SHOT Show 2017.  With a much higher price point, I was curious as to how they would hold up and compare to their lesser-expensive counterparts. 5.11 Tactical sent over a pair and I was able to find out.

In terms of design and layout, the XPRT MultiCam Tactical Pant is similar to its older sibling with some important deviations. First, the new XPRT MultiCam Tactical Pant features 16 pockets! This time, you can even find pockets in the lower ankle areas of the pants! This pair of pants even features magnetic closures on the multiple cargo pockets so that you don’t end up making a bunch of noise like you could with Velcro or zippered pockets. The fabric is nice and durable, being very similar to the MultiCam TDU Pant, and I didn’t feel as though it would rip very easily – although, I should note that I did not purposely try and tear them just because they are an expensive pair of pants. The belt loops of the new XPRT MultiCam Tactical Pant are nice and large to accommodate thicker rigger/gunner belts and the waistline of the pants features a nifty elastic adjustment system that enables the wearer to custom fit them to their particular dimensions. As an added bonus, there is a comfortable padding on the inside of the waistband to make wearing those thick belts a bit more comfortable.

The knee pad area of the XPRT MultiCam Tactical Pant has also been updated a bit. It more easily fits 5.11 Tactical’s new ENDO.K knee pad, a semi-rigid foam pad which I highly recommend. I squeezed these pads into my older MultiCam TDU Pants and simply love them – however, the fit is somewhat awkward. The new pocket is much more accommodating and shaped to these knee pads. you can still fit 5.11 Tactical’s softer knee pads in there if you like, but I highly recommend switching over to the ENDO.K pads.

The older MultiCam TDU pants tended to be a bit tight in the crotch – especially when in a crouched position. If posted up for a time, this could be pretty uncomfortable. The best way to combat this problem was to buy a size larger pair of pants than you would normally need. This gave the crotch area more material for stretching, and worked fine, except that the rest of the garment was a bit looser than I would prefer. Thankfully, this issue is now longer anything to worry about with the XPRT MultiCam Tactical Pant. 5.11 Tactical has replaced sections of the pants with a stretch fabric that moves with you and allows you to perform squatting and prone maneuvering without a problem.

[mks_col]

[mks_one_half]The Good

  • Rugged construction
  • Stretch fabric where needed
  • Lots of pocket space
  • Adjustable waistline
  • Fits ENDO.K knee pads very well

[/mks_one_half]

[mks_one_half]The Bad

  • Price point
  • Magnetic closures tend to snap closed when you might want them to stay open

[/mks_one_half]

[/mks_col]

Overall, the biggest problem with the 5.11 Tactical XPRT MultiCam Tactical Pant is its price point. At $269.99 the pants are more expensive than a set of Crye Precision G3 combat pants. Now, is the XPRT MultiCam Tactical Pant great and amazing: YES! If you can afford these pants, you should. However, for most airsoft gamers out there, the price point is quite a bit more than what they will be comfortable with or used to paying for such an item.


5.11 Tactical XPRT MultiCam Tactical Pant Review Score

[mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#2542e8″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#2542e8″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#2542e8″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#2542e8″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star-o” color=”#2542e8″ type=”fa”] (4 out of 5 Stars)

Official Product Page


 

New Images from Valerian: City of Alpha Mobile Game

Los Angeles – May 11, 2017Spil Games unveils new details of Valerian: City of Alpha, the official mobile game of the upcoming EuropaCorp feature film, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, directed by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Lucy) and starring Dane DeHaan (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and Cara Delevingne (Suicide Squad). The game will debut before STXfilms releases the sci-fi epic in theaters in the United States in 2D and 3D beginning July 21.  The game will be available on iOS and Android.

Spil Games and EuropaCorp announced their agreement last year but details about the Valerian universe have been kept under wraps, as momentum builds toward release.  Now for the first time Spil Games can give an inside look at the game and reveal its title.

With Valerian: City of Alpha, fans will become immersed in the Valerian universe as the game delves into the backstory of the ever-expanding metropolis of Alpha, which hosts thousands of different species from all corners of the universe.  Players will create and grow their own space station in this strategic builder simulation game.  It will keep players glued to their mobile devices with its riveting visual experience and highly polished and engaging art.

“We are very excited to be working with Spil Games to expand the Valerian universe,” said the film’s producer Virginie Besson-Silla of EuropaCorp. “They are bringing the stunning visual experience of the film from the big screen to mobile and engaging players in a unique and immersive game, while simultaneously offering an exclusive deep dive into the backstory of the world of Valerian.”

“We’re so excited how this game will take movie fans, sci-fi lovers and gamers beyond the film,” added Spil Games’ CEO Tung Nguyen-Khac. “The game’s story explores the Valerian universe 590 years before the film and delves into the backstories of the film’s characters and planets.  The game’s mind blowing art, look and feel will keep everyone engaged in the Valerian universe.”

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Total War: WARHAMMER 2 Lizardmen Trailer and E3 Demo News

May 10, 2017 – Roaring out of the dense jungles of Lustria, these ancient, cold-blooded warriors are the servants of the Old Ones, enactors of the Great Plan and the true protectors of the world.

Along with the High Elves, Dark Elves, and one race yet to be announced, the Lizardmen are one of the four playable races in Total War: WARHAMMER II, and will be playable on the show floor at this year’s E3 in the first hands-on build of the game.

Brought low in millennia past by the daemonic incursions of The Great Cataclysm, their grand civilisation now lies in ruin. But a handful of Slann Mage priests still live, and with them hope – that their people may rise anew. Tireless in their quest to restore order to the world, the Lizardmen field a glittering diversity of scaled warriors, from the humble, nimble Skink, to the titanic Carnasaur: apex-predator of the Lustrian jungles.

View the new in-engine cinematic trailer right here.

For more information, visit www.totalwar.com

Medusa’s Labyrinth Release Date

Skövde, Sweden – May 10, 2017 Get ready for a whole new level of horror in ancient Greece, as Guru Games is unleashing its popular horror title Medusa’s Labyrinth, on VR for Oculus Touch and HTC Vive on May 25th. Immerse yourself in a beautiful yet terrifying environment where you must use your few, precious resources to survive in a place that even the gods have forsaken!

“We were thrilled with the response Medusa’s Labyrinth received from players and critics last year when it launched on PC, and it seems like a natural progression to release it on VR for that  fully immersive, terrifying experience”, said Daniel Strom, CEO of Guru Games.

Set in ancient Greece, Medusa’s Labyrinth brings horror to one of the most recognizable and epic chapters of history as you immerse yourself in stories written more than two thousand years ago – stories still with us today. Using stealthy prowess and a few precious resources, you must maneuver through claustrophobic caverns, encountering horrific monsters along the way in order to survive the labyrinth and discover its sinister secrets. Medusa’s Labyrinth has been downloaded more than 250,000 on Steam and will be available on Oculus Touch and HTC Vive on May 25th for $9.99.

Landing page:http://gurugames.se/medusa-vr/
Steam page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/624560/Medusas_Labyrinth_VR/
Pricepoint: $9.99

Divinity: Original Sin 2 Game Master Mode Revealed

GHENT, Belgium – May 9, 2017Larian Studios has today revealed detailed information about Game Master Mode, a feature in Divinity: Original Sin 2 that lets players use Divinity’s combat and roleplaying systems to create their own custom tabletop RPG campaigns. To show the flexibility and authenticity of Game Master mode, Larian have invited Matt Mercer, Game Master of Geek and Sundry’s Critical Role show, to stream a campaign of his own design today at 4:00 PM Pacific Time.

Tune in to the stream, which will feature popular livestreamers Jesse Cox, Dodger, Strippin, and Bikeman as brave and noble adventurers in Mercer’s world, at https://www.twitch.tv/larianstudios.

Developed as a fulfilled stretch goal from Divinity: Original Sin 2’s Kickstarter campaign, Game Master mode is an ambitious undertaking that captures the tabletop RPG experience for four players and their game master. Game Master Mode is focused on storytelling, and game masters have complete control over the campaign they create. They can choose from a wide array of campaign maps or upload their own images to serve as the global stage for their adventure, and choose from a huge number of pre-built settings and character models to create combat and roleplaying encounters. Game masters can also use Divinity: Original Sin 2’s completely overhauled modding tool to build their own battle arenas, provincial villages, haunted ruins, and many other classic fantasy adventure settings.

Role playing and NPC interactions are facilitated through a “vignettes” system, which allows game masters to create text “cards” that allow players to choose between multiple dialogue and decision options and make dice-based skill checks. Just like in real tabletop games, success is determined by the game master alone, who is free to fudge the numbers however he or she sees fit. When fights do break out, game masters and players have Divinity’s full tactical combat system at their disposal – game masters can let enemies fight automatically, or take direct control over NPCs to match their players in head-to-head combat or support them in battle.

Campaigns can be uploaded and shared through Steam Workshop, making it easy for game masters and players to find new adventures to play. For more information please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/larianstudios/divinity-original-sin-2/posts/1880437 

Learn more about Divinity: Original Sin 2 and download on Steam Early Access here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/435150/.

Keep up with all things Larian and Divinity on social media:

Funcom’s Secret World Legends Gets Release Date and Trailer

OSLO, Norway – May 9, 2017 – Mark your calendars: Funcom’s shared world RPG Secret World LegendsTM will hit Steam on June 26 this year. Going from buy-to-play to fully free-to-play, Secret World Legendsis a reboot of Funcom’s conspiracy-themed massively multiplayer game The Secret World. Now reimagined as a shared-world role-playing game, Secret World Legends puts more focus on the player’s experience uncovering the vast storyline and their journey through locations that spans the real, modern-day world.

Funcom also released a video today that gives a brief overview of what Secret World Legends is all about.

Secret World Legends features a revamped combat system, newly designed progression system, updated visuals, and more. You can choose to explore and uncover the story by yourself, or you can team up with other players. In the game’s central hub, Agartha, you can meet and socialize with hundreds of other players, while player population in the adventure areas beyond will be tightly controlled to make sure that the experience is as immersive as possible and that the focus remains on you and your journey.

Secret World Legends plunges players into a shadowy war against the supernatural in an adventure that crosses our world with the realms of ancient myth and legend. As players traverse the globe unraveling complex investigations into the unknown, they’ll need to uncover clues and use their own wits as much as their characters’ abilities. A highly extensive and customizable arsenal of firearms, weapons, gear and otherworldly powers will give players the strength to battle the forces of darkness as they dig deeper into these vast and mysterious lands. Players can go at it alone and enjoy the over 100 hours of story at their own pace, or team up with others as they explore the world and unravel its mysteries.

For more information on Secret World Legends, including a detailed breakdown of the game’s features, visit www.SecretWorldLegends.com.

ROCCAT Announces First Game Titled Sick City

Hamburg, May 9 th 2017 – ROCCAT is moving deeper into the gaming sphere with its very first in- house developed title, Sick City, a Real Time Tactical Combat game. Sick City breaks with both conventional genre and developmental norms. The newly founded ROCCAT Games Studio will not only create a unique interpretation of action-based tactical combat, but more importantly, deeply integrate player feedback into core development decisions. This close proximity relationship between developer and community is the future of gaming. No other early access title integrates its players and prospective buyers so thoroughly in production.

Players will have the opportunity to actively participate in decisions that will shape the retail version of Sick City. New maps, factions, game types, campaigns, even the future of Sick City in eSports – these decisions will be placed in the hands of the player. It is a truly collaborative project. Sick City has a unique, unmistakable art style that’s timeless and very much ROCCAT. Factions and vehicles vary wildly, but they all come together in the world of Sick City in a way that players will instantly recognize. Gameplay is a modern twist on familiar genre favorites. It combines the strengths of tactical classics like Commandos’ exciting espionage maneuvers and the direct action of Company of Heroes without time-consuming foundation construction, topped with a dose of W arcraft 3’s unique heroes and powerful abilities.

The melding of these components makes Sick City a unique player experience that strategy- enthusiast have not yet experienced; Fast-paced action and tactics in a post-apocalyptic world with unique squads, all with a valuable component to add to your combat strategy. That’s Sick City. René Korte, founder and CEO of ROCCAT says,” In the peripheral sector, we have increasingly involved the community in development of our products, the Sova and Modulok being prime examples. Gamer input was a key factor in making Sova a success, and building out the final Modulok concept.

Player input in the development process is the future, and we’re applying that to our game development process. Sick City is a competitive title, we design competitive products, it only makes sense to bring the competitive gaming community into our dev process. Community is an essential part of ROCCAT Games Studio’s endeavors. Our talented development team looks forward to working hand-in-hand with gamers to create a final product that is unique in the gaming world while still maintaining the classically ROCCAT signature everyone knows and loves.”

https://www.sickcity.com/en/Home.html

Blade Runner 2049 Official Trailer

May 8, 2017 – There are still pages left in this story. Watch the NEW trailer for #BladeRunner2049, in theaters October 6.
Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

From executive producer Ridley Scott and director Denis Villeneuve, #BladeRunner2049 stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana De Armas, MacKenzie Davis, Sylvia Hoeks, Lennie James, Carla Juri, Robin Wright, Dave Bautista and Jared Leto.

Follow #BladeRunner2049 on social media:
http://bladerunnermovie.com
http://facebook.com/bladerunner2049
http://twitter.com/bladerunner
http://instagram.com/bladerunnermovie