Cloud in Final Fantasy VII. Realistic hair? No. Iconic hair? HECK YES.
Oh my pretty hair. Remember Cloud? You know that blond spiky headed anime guy from Final Fantasy VII? Of course you know exactly who he is even if you never played FF7. If there is something that gives a video game character well… “character”, it is their hair.
The hair technology in videogames has changed dramatically but has not kept up with advancements in other important game mechanics such us A.I., Physics, Face-Enhancement features ala “LA Noire”, etc. Just to name a few. Why is this? Because it’s SO freakin’ hard to render hair in real time! That’s why!
Current-gen Lara Croft Tomb Raider 2013 hair on the left vs next-gen on the right.
As should be obvious, the PC has the edge in this videogame hair technology as of right now over consoles (and probably always will). But could this be something that next gen consoles can acquire and do so successfully in comparison to the power of PC technology to render hair? Will the Xbox 720 or the PS4 be able to compete in the videogame hair-rendering department? Well, we’ll just need to wait and find out (and won’t have to wait long, the Xbox 720 will get revealed in TWO DAYS).
TressFX developed by AMD is a technology that allows the hair on a character to render in real time and gives you an immersive experience that’s very lifelike… However this technology is only available on the PC version of games.
If you have a PC copy of the new Tomb Raider 2013 for example, and have plenty of PC horse power (such as an AMD Radeon HD 4870 or better or NVIDIA GeForce 480 GTX or better) you can select this realistic TressFX hair-rendering feature in the Options Menu to really see the difference that realistic hair makes to Lara Croft in Tomb Raider 2013 and to characters in videogames. Females in particular really shine with realistic hair.
This what hair in videogames of the future (next-gen) will look like!
And what better example than to see this realistic hair on than Lara Croft herself? See realistic videogame hair in action in the video below, which compares Lara Croft’s Tomb Raider 2013 normal hair with the TressFX hair via in-game gameplay footage of both side-by-side.
Also here is the “Fermi Hair Demo” by Nvidia. Brought to you by the DX11 tessellation and the GeForce GTX 400 series video cards that allow you to realistically simulate and render interactive hair in real-time. Check it out!
– Thanks to “FreedomJay” for contributing this article!
What are Lara Croft’s 2013 Top Ten Moments of Tomb Raider 2013 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)? This video gives you a look at them.
I absolutely can’t wait to play this game. It looks so amazing IMHO. I was hoping I’d be able to get my hands on a review copy, but no such luck. So I’ll have to play it some time at a later date. I hope the game sold extremely well, it deserves it IMHO. I think the developers went in a unique and fresh direction from what I’ve seen.
Deep dark little secret of mine. I’ve NEVER played a Tomb Raider game! :O *hides in closet* I’M SO ASHAMED! One day I will play all of them. I’ve always wanted too and back in the day before I was a multi-console-gamer I used to watch my cousin play the Tomb Raider games.
Ghosts: Call of Duty or COD: Ghosts will be released on November 5th 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, as well as next-generation systems (which most likely means Xbox 720 and PS4. WiiU was not specifically mentioned. Does that mean the game is skipping WiiU? God let’s hope not…. If that happens it is a major, major blow to Nintendo’s next-gen system).
The newest installment in the ever-loved, ever-hated, ever-popular, phenom of a FPS series is being developed by Infinity Ward, who was responsible for the Modern Warfare series. It is not being developed by Treyarch, who is responsible for the Black Ops series. This thus continues the tradition of switching off between the two developers for the yearly COD installments.
Call of Duty: Ghosts (the official title) will feature an all-new storyline with all-new characters, a next-generation engine (for both current and next-gen consoles) and an all-new setting; although more details will be forthcoming as we speed ever-closer to E3 2013.
Activision promises that COD: Ghosts features “a riveting all-new gameplay experience built on an entirely new story, setting and cast of characters, all powered by a new, next generation Call of Duty engine that redefines the series for the next generation.”
“Everyone was expecting us to make Modern Warfare 4, which would have been the safe thing to do,” said Infinity Ward executive producer Mark Rubin, “but we’re not resting on our laurels. We saw the console transition as the perfect opportunity to start a new chapter for Call of Duty. So we’re building a new sub-brand, a new engine, and a lot of new ideas and experiences for our players. We can’t wait to share them with our community.”
“Infinity Ward set the gold standard for first-person action for a generation, and they’re going to do it again with Call of Duty: Ghosts,” said Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg. “Ghosts delivers an all-new story, all-new characters, an all-new Call of Duty world, all powered by a next generation Call of Duty engine, which is a leap forward for the franchise. Infinity Ward is going all-in to create the next generation of Call of Duty worthy of the world’s greatest fans.”
Although COD: Ghosts is not a console-exclusive entry, Activision has already stated that the game WILL be shown for the Next-Xbox (Xbox 720?) on May 21st when Microsoft fully reveals and announced their new, next-gen console. So Call of Duty fans won’t have long to wait! Don’t forget to check out the official COD Ghosts Box Art.
Woohoo! Duke Nukem Forever 2001 Graphics Mod! The way it was originally meant to be… many, many years ago!
It takes a giant company *cough* Gearbox *cough* to ruin one of PC gamings most iconic characters and one of the most recognizable gaming icons in history. While Duke Nukem Forever was released by Gearbox in 2011, it was not what most of us old school gamers expected it to be. And even though I didn’t get that awesome feeling playing it, it still felt good to, FINALLY, play the real deal. Maybe because it was a Duke Nukem game and we had been waiting… forever. Literally, for it to appear.
However now thanks to Gambini and the guys at Mod Database, we can get that old feeling back!
Just seeing all those old school graphics and classic gameplay takes me back to the good old days when I started PC gaming. Thank God for modders that take the time to clean up the mess, take charge and get to work on creating awesome stuff like this for us to enjoy. Feel the love baby! Kick ass and chew bubblegum!
The 2001 trailer on the left, the mod on the right.
– Thanks to “FreedomJay” for contributing this article! Expect a review of the mod soon!
Metro: Last Light is nearly upon us, and this video explores the Weapons and Inventory in the upcoming atmospheric First-Person Horror Shooter.
This includes a look at the unique equipment and brutal, hand-made weaponry every Ranger needs to survive the perils of the Metro, this chapter also teaches you how to use light as an ally (or even as a potential weapon) as well as detailing Metro’s infamous bullet-driven economy and gun trading and customization mechanic.
A Castle of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse remake has been announced for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC via Steam. The remaster will hit this Summer! This is an exciting development, especially considering that we’re also getting DuckTales Remastered this summer too! Both of these games are classic Disney videogame masterpieces, so it is absolutely awesome to see them getting revived.
Sega will be publishing with Sega Studios Australia set as the developer. The game will be completely remastered from the ground up, including stunning new graphics and visual effects, and all-new gameplay mechanics that update the game for the modern era but will remain faithful to the original; As players step into the big black shoes of Mickey Mouse himself on a quest to save Minnie Mouse from the clutches of the evil witch Mizrabel.
The original game was released way back in 1990 for the Sega Genesis/Megadrive (also developed by Sega) to critical acclaim, with outstanding control, graphics, music and a unique feel. That was the first game in a series. It was then followed by “Land of Illusion” for Sega Master System in 1992 (ported to Sega’s Game Gear portable in 1993), and “World of Illusion” released in 1992. Finally, the last game in the series was “Legend of Illusion” released for Game Gear in 1994 (it was also ported to Master System exclusively in… BRAZIL, of all places, in 1998). Additionally, the portable version of the second Epic Mickey game was titled “Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion” for 3DS and was a reference, a tribute, to the phenomenal Illusion series.
“The original Castle of Illusion was tremendously entertaining and has a well-deserved reputation as a SEGA classic. Castle of Illusion Featuring Mickey Mouse brings this great game to a new generation,” said Chris Olson, vice president of Digital Business at SEGA of America. “Mickey is back and he looks fantastic.”
Strangely the game has not been announced for the WiiU eShop, hopefully WiiU owners will not get the shaft…
Remember Me will be released on June 4th 2013 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC for this newest IP from Capcom.
Here is 10 minutes of awesome gameplay footage of Remember Me.
Remember Me is an action adventure title that features an innovative “memory gameplay” mechanic where the combat and battles are highly customizable.
Synopsis
Neo-Paris. 2084. Personal memories can now be digitized, bought, sold and traded. The last remnants of privacy and intimacy have been swept away in what appears to be a logical progression of the explosive growth of social networks at the beginning of the 21st century. The citizens themselves have accepted this surveillance society in exchange for the comfort only smart technology can provide. This memory economy gives immense power over society to just a handful of people.
Remember Me is a 3rd person action adventure where players take on the role of Nilin, a former elite memory hunter with the ability to break into people’s minds and steal or even alter their memories. The authorities, fearful of her knowledge and capabilities have arrested Nilin and wiped her memory clean.
After her escape from prison, Nilin sets out on a mission to recover her identity, helped by her last and only friend. This search for her past leads to her being hunted by the very people that created this surveillance society. During the course of the story, Nilin will start remembering who she was and re-learning all the fighting moves that made her one of the world’s leading memory hunters.
Here is the Remember Me Debut Trailer.
Key features of Remember Me include:
* Speculative, Stunning Vision of Our Future – Discover Neo-Paris 2084, where augmented reality and memory digitization have taken control of people’s lives. * Play As Nilin, An Elite Memory Hunter With A Clouded Past – Become the most wanted memory hunter in Neo-Paris and experience the power to break into people’s minds to steal their memories. Gain the information you need directly from people’s heads, to complete your missions and recover your own memory. * Memory Remix – This innovative new gameplay mechanic allows players to use Nilin’s powers and alter parts of people’s memories in real-time gameplay. This will change characters’ complete perspective on their self-image and the people around them, which can have grave consequences for the world in 2084. * A Balanced Mix of Combat and Exploration – Fight your way through the different environments Neo-Paris has to offer, using Nilin’s proficiency in martial arts, as both hunter and prey! * Combo Lab – Remember Me will allow players to fully customize the combos Nilin uses during the game. Players can adjust combos on the fly to suit every situation.
Batman returns in a younger state with Batman: Arkham Origins.
Batman: Arkham Origins has been announced for WiiU, Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, outted by Game Informer magazine which will go in-depth into this 3rd game in the highly acclaimed series as it’s cover-story and World Exclusive reveal for their May 2013 issue of the American magazine.
Batman: Arkham Origins is a prequel tale telling the Origin-story not young Bruce Wayne, the that everyone knows and loves of how he turns into the menacing Caped Crusader and dons the cowl & cape to hunt criminals in the night as Batman (although I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of that pop up in the game), but rather the origin of Batman’s relationship with a lot of various characters and villains in the series. This game will also mark the first time that Batman gets to explore the streets of the iconic Gotham City.
Game Informer broke the worldwide exclusive on their cover.
The biggest change this time is the fact that Batman: Arkham Origins is being developed by Warner Bros. Montreal, an in-house WB Games studio, instead of Rocksteady; who was made famous by developing the first two games to incredible critical acclaim (highly regarded as the greatest superhero games ever made) and super sales that put the studio on-the-map. Thankfully, the team will be utilizing existing assets from Rocksteady’s portfolio in order to ensure that this game maintains the look that fans expect.
Hopefully we’ll get to see what Rocksteady is working on for WB Games (who bought them out after the wild success of Batman: Arkham Asylum) at E3 2013 in a couple months.
One of the lead designers on Batman: Arkham Origins is Eric Holmes who previously worked on the critically acclaimed Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction for last-gen systems as well as the Prototype series, so he knows a thing or two about creating successful superhero games. Thus Batman: Arkham Origins is in capable hands.
Looks very similar to the previous Rocksteady games.
Players will encounter new villains that haven’t yet been seen in the franchise (although that’s pretty much a given), including a number of assassin’s who converge on Christmas Eve to kill The Bat as a team.
Batman: Arkham Origins will be released on October 25th 2013, just in time for the holiday season. And may very well be one of a group of “swan song” triple-A titles released for current-generation consoles as we transition to the next-generation. Although a PS4/Xbox 720 release wasn’t announced, I wouldn’t be surprised if the game hits those systems at some point in the future.
Press Release:
“Batman: Arkham Origins features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline occurring several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City.
Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous villains and assassins, the game showcases a young, raw, unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight.
As the story unfolds, witness identities being formed and key relationships being forged.”
“WB Games Montréal is honored to have the opportunity to create Batman: Arkham Origins, a new chapter in this amazing franchise,” Reid Schneider, Vice President of WB Games Montréal said. “We are huge fans of the franchise and are committed to creating an experience that offers players more of what they love, as well as the chance to play as a younger Batman within a fresh storyline and expanded world.”
Resident Evil: Revelations remake will be released on WiiU, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC May 21st 2013 in America and May 24th in Europe. Preivously the game was a 3DS-exclusive. Tons of new features will be added including a new enemy called the Wall Blaster, an extremely tough “Infernal” difficulty setting, additional playable characters for the multiplayer Raid Mode and more.
The fear that was originally brought to players in Resident Evil Revelations on the Nintendo 3DS system returns redefined for home consoles and PC complete with high quality HD visuals, enhanced lighting effects and an immersive sound experience. This latest version of Resident Evil Revelations will also deliver additional content including a terrifying new enemy, extra difficulty mode, integration with ResidentEvil.net and improvements to Raid Mode.
Raid Mode, which was first introduced to the series in the original version of Resident Evil Revelations, sees gamers play online in co-op mode or alone in single player taking on the hordes of enemies across a variety of missions whilst leveling up characters and earning weapon upgrades. New weapons, skill sets, and playable characters including Hunk, take the Raid Mode experience to new depths.
The critically acclaimed survival horror title takes players back to the events that took place between Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, revealing the truth about the T-Abyss virus. Resident Evil Revelations features series favorites Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, plus their respective BSAA partners – Parker Luciani and Jessica Sherawat. The action begins on board a supposedly abandoned cruise ship, the Queen Zenobia’, where horrors lurk around every corner, before players head for the mainland and the devastated city of Terragrigia. With limited ammo and weapons available, the race is on to survive the horror of Resident Evil Revelations.
The WiiU version will feature specific enhancements including: Transfer the horror to the GamePad with Off-TV Play or play with the pro controller and TV alone. Utilizing the Miiverse functionality, leave dying messages on the Game Over screen for other players around the world, or add a personal message to fellow Raid Mode players with the Creatures Voice feature. Use your equipment – Analyze enemies and investigate areas with the Genesis scanner on the GamePad to reveal hidden items.
Key Features of Resident Evil: Revelations (console) include:
* Enhanced for Consoles: The fear that was brought to players in Resident Evil Revelations on the Nintendo 3DS system returns redefined complete with high quality HD visuals, enhanced lighting effects and an immersive sound experience. * Classic Survival Horror Gameplay Returns: The campaign mode’s single player experience sees gamers investigating a range of different locations including the dark confined spaces of a cruise ship and the treacherous snow covered mountains. With limited ammo and weapons, fight off infected enemies that lurk around every corner. * Hell Just Got Hotter: Infernal Mode, a new difficulty mode for console versions, is not just more challenging than Easy and Normal modes but also remixes enemy and item placement, so even those familiar with the game will discover new terrors. * Meet the Wall Blister: A brand new enemy , the Wall Blister is a mutated creature borne from the T-Abyss virus that spreads through water, adding to the horrors that lurk around every corner * Residentevil.net Support: Resident Evil Revelations will take full advantage of Residentevil.net with content available to users once the game launches. Earn weapons and custom parts and use them in-game, collect figures that can be used in dioramas and check your stats through the online web service. * Improved Raid Mode: New weapons, skill sets, playable characters including Rachel and Hunk and enemies exclusive to this mode are added for the this latest version.
Fans who pre-order at GameStop will net themselves the exclusive “Signature Weapons Pack” that contains the following:
* Samurai Edge – Jill Valentine S.T.A.R.S. model was originally based on the custom M92F “Samurai Edge” that Jill used during her time in S.T.A.R.S., but it has since been changed to the M9A1 and refined to match modern tastes. This handgun greatly increases your firepower * Government – Parker Luciani B.S.A.A. model is based on the powerful Government handgun, but given a stylish design made especially for Parker. Its ammo capacity has been sacrificed in order to add more power, due to Parker’s reputation for high precision. * PC 356 – Jessica Sherawat F.B.C. model has increased ammo capacity. A tan frame with the FBC seal carved into the polymer slide hides a weapon built for efficiency
