Supernatural thriller Dishonored 2 hits PS4, Xbox One, PC in November

By Danny Cowan May 3, 2016

dishonored 2 launches in november dish2date header — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Publisher Bethesda revealed that Arkane Studios’ first-person, stealth-action game Dishonored 2 will hit the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC platforms on November 11.

A direct follow-up to 2012’s Dishonored, Dishonored 2 continues the story of supernatural assassin Corvo Attano, and introduces an array of upgradable weapons and abilities for players to master. Dishonored 2 also introduces a new playable character, allowing players to experience the game’s story from the perspective of former Empress Emily Kaldwin.

According to Bethesda, Dishonored 2‘s narrative is defined by player choice, and in-game events can have multiple outcomes depending on how players approach the challenges they’ll face throughout.

“Will you make your way through the game unseen, make full use of its brutal combat system or use a blend of both?” Bethesda asks. “How will you combine your character’s unique set of powers, weapons and gadgets to eliminate your enemies? The story responds to your choices, leading to intriguing outcomes as you play through each of the game’s hand-crafted missions.”

In addition to offering an alternate perspective on the game’s storyline, new playable character Emily Kaldwin brings an arsenal of unique abilities into battle, including a “Shadow Walk” skill that allows her to transform into a cloud of fog. Returning protagonist Corvo will also earn new stealth-oriented powers throughout the quest.

Bethesda previously hinted that players can expect to see a third path through the game’s storyline, but did not divulge further information regarding additional playable characters. Thus far, Bethesda has revealed few details regarding Dishonored 2‘s cast of characters, though its story is known to take place 15 years after the events of the original Dishonored.

Dishonored 2‘s first-ever gameplay footage will premiere during Bethesda’s 2016 E3 Showcase, to be held on June 12th in Los Angeles California. The event will be streamed live via Twitch and YouTube starting at 7 p.m. PT.

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Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…

Gaming

Inside the unlikely Final Fantasy spinoff that time forgot

King Regis runs through Insomnia in A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV.

Did you know that Square Enix released a retro-inspired beat ’em up based on Final Fantasy XV in 2016?
Even hardcore Final Fantasy fans might not remember the forgotten game well nowadays, but it’s quite the hidden gem. Titled A King’s Tale: Final Fantasy XV, the unlikely spinoff game was released as a pre-order bonus with Final Fantasy XV. It follows King Regis as he tells Noctis a bedtime story about defeating Ultros, a monstrous crystal thief causing daemons to spawn all over Insomnia and Duscae. In practice, it's a side-scrolling beat ’em up that pays homage to the classic brawlers while implementing Final Fantasy magic, enemies, and more.
A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV Is Available Now For Free!
Though A King’s Tale only lasts an hour and doesn’t have co-op, it’s a polished and exhilarating experience that Final Fantasy fans shouldn’t forget. It was a pleasant surprise to find this deep within my backlog ahead of the fifth anniversary of its stand-alone release, but its existence also raised many questions.
How did this project come to be? Why is it so polished? And why aren't more short but sweet games like this used to excite fans for notable game releases? I spoke to Cord Smith, executive producer and creative director on the project, to learn its history and how this forgotten Final Fantasy spinoff connects with everything from Dead Island to Masters of the Universe to Stranger Things.
At its heart, this is a story about an ambitious marketing agency that created a new kind of game through a multi-studio effort on a tight budget. And it all starts with Dead Island 2.
Retro Revenge
In the mid-2010s, Smith worked at a creative agency called Platform. This agency would often produce screenshots and trailers used in the marketing of video games. Around the time Dead Island 2 was in development and set to release, Smith and other people involved with channel marketing at the company pondered whether it could make a retro game that marketing could use to sell a notable game.
Smith asserted that it was possible, but thought it had to be done the right way to avoid producing a bad game. He found game development and animation partners to craft a small but satisfying retro game that could tie into the then soon-to-be-released Dead Island 2.
While his pitch had a high budget, Dead Island 2 developer Deep Silver and Platform accepted it. Smith and his partners now had to build something that wasn’t done much before and hasn’t been done much since. “Sure, it was a promotional game, but we were putting it on console, and we were treating it like a real game project,” Smith tells Digital Trends.

When designing it, Smith and his development partners didn’t have a playable build of Dead Island 2. They got a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of what that game was supposed to be and additional information to draw from. The result of this effort was Dead Island: Retro Revenge, an on-rails beat ’em up set within the Dead Island universe.
“I love taking someone else’s IP and doing something that respects it and honors what they’re doing. but surprises them by where we can take it in spite of our limitations,” Smith explains. Ultimately, Deep Silver and Smith were thrilled with how Retro Revenge turned out. But there was a problem: Dead Island 2 was never released.
“Dead Island 2 did not make it to release, but Dead Island: Retro Revenge did, so they put it in a collection,” he explains. “That was a shame as we didn’t get to see it reach what we built it for. It never got to be the pre-order promotional thing that we wanted.”
"Sure, it was a promotional game, but we were putting it on console, and we were treating it like a real game project."

Gaming

The Wolf Among Us 2 will launch in five parts next year

Bibgy smokes a cigarette in front of a full moon.

More than two years after its reveal at The Game Awards 2019, Telltale Games re-revealed The Wolf Among Us 2 on The Game Awards' YouTube channel today. A new trailer was released and a 2023 launch was confirmed.
The trailer follows Bigby as he discusses his tactics as a private investigator to a support group and confronts some magical criminals, including the Scarecrow and Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz. His opponents get the upper hand, but Bigby becomes a werewolf to fight back.
The Wolf Among Us 2 - OFFICIAL Full Trailer (2022)
In an interview after the trailer, the developers explained that this game takes place six months after the first game. It will follow Snow White and Bigby as they try to rebuild Fabletown in a less corrupt way. The presentation also confirmed that Adam Harrington and Erin Yvette will reprise their roles as Bigby and Snow White, respectively. The actors teased increased tensions between the two characters as Bigby is a loose cannon and Snow White doesn't want to pick favorites while she's mayor.
The whole season will last five episodes, though Telltale and developer AdHoc teased that episodes won't come out until all of them are done and can be released in quick succession. As such, it seems like all episodes will be out in 2023, and we won't have to wait several months between each piece of the story like we did with season 1.
The Wolf Among Us 2 will be released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 2023. The PC version will be an Epic Games Store exclusive at launch.

Gaming

OlliOlli World: 4 tips and tricks for beginners

The player character gets nervous while skating down a hill in OlliOlli World's cinematic trailer.

OlliOlli World is easy to pick up and play. At its core, players just press one button to push themselves forward and move the left stick to perform tricks. Still, it has a high skill ceiling thanks to its deep move pool and scoring system. As OlliOlli World tracks scores and features multiplayer leagues where players can compare them, some important tips will give players the edge over the competition.
This game gives back as much as players put into it. So whether it comes to move variation, challenges, or the routes taken in levels, there's a lot to sink into even after players beat OlliOlli World's six-hour campaign. Keep these four tips in mind, and you'll be at the top of those leaderboards and have the best time experiencing one of February 2022's best games.
OlliOlli World – Official Cinematic Trailer ESRB
You can pull off every trick from the start
OlliOlli World drip-feeds mechanics and new tricks to players through tutorials. It'll even teach players new things in the final world. Despite that, all of the player's moves are usable from the start of the game. While some early levels might not have rail grinding or wall riding, players can still pull off grabs, manuals, and other more complicated tricks from the get-go. Those who played the first two OlliOlli games can jump right in, and might even appreciate that a level run doesn't end if they don't land correctly.
Of course, new players probably won't pull off advanced tweaks and manuals from the start, but OlliOlli World naturally gives players ample time and space to learn these moves. Those that want to maximize their score totals on early game levels should take a look at the Tricktionary, OlliOlli World's move list glossary, in the game's main menu and discover all the cool moves that players can pull off as soon as they start.

Don't use the same trick over and over again
Players going for the top spots on leaderboards or playing score-based side missions need to keep this in mind. If a player repeats a trick during a combo, they'll get fewer points than they did the first time. Players will want to build combos by constantly linking different moves together between grinds, wall rides, and manuals to get a big high score. Varying up movements also makes the game feel more refreshing and fun as a deeper appreciation is gained for OlliOlli World's easy to pick up but hard to master gameplay.