#bioshock 2 survivor concept

[queenofthursday6599-blog]

You know, someday someone will write a Bioshock story that has these guys in it:

Because the idea of survivor camps hidden away in different parts of Rapture, is just too logical not to show up in a fanfic somewhere.

There has to be at least a small subset of people in Rapture who never got into splicing. It can’t literally just be Sinclair, Grace, Sophia Lamb, Tenenbaum, and Stanly who never touched the stuff and lived to 1968.

Like the couple that tried to escape in that crashed bathysphere that we find early on into Bioshock 2. They don’t sound like splicers, they sound completely coherent (something splicers don’t tend to sound).

I just love the survivor idea so much. That and how there would have been be a pneumo trading system with them. Which I think could have replaced the vending machine system, at least in some parts of Rapture.

Such as Dionysus Park, where it’s been flooded since before the war. So all of the vending machines (or at least their content) should have logically been ruined.

Different traders would focus on different things, as you can tell the picture above is of the ammo trader’s inventory.

It’s just that when I really got into looking up removed content from the games this is one of the things I was sad never made it into the final game. So I’ve always wanted to see someone write a fic exploring the idea.

So I’ve got fic idea below, involving Eleanor’s childhood friend Amir being a survivor if you want to read any of it:

Personally I’ve always wanted to see a fic with Eleanor’s childhood friend Amir turning out to be a survivor. Just because Eleanor deserves nice things, and should be able to escape Rapture with her childhood friend on a stolen submarine like she’d wanted too as a child.

Also it’d just be a great reunion anyways, because you know both Eleanor and Amir would think the other is either dead, or spliced to the point it’d be less horrible to think they’re dead.

The survivor camps are supposed to be isolated from the rest of Rapture. No splicers or splicing among the survivors means no reason for little sisters to come around because there would be nothing to gather. The survivors wouldn’t care about Lamb and what she has to say. She’s just another adam obsessed leader of the most recent cult of personality. Just like Atlas, and Fontaine, and Ryan. Everything she says just sounds like weird drug cult nonsense to them.

Amir might not even know Eleanor survived the war at all if he doesn’t know her last name. Because my guess is that the last he heard of her was that she was seen around town as a Little Sister, and then the civil war broke out and she was gone. They were both pretty young kids back then, so Amir could very well not even know or remember Eleanor’s last name was Lamb. [After all, we the audience never learn Amir’s last name from Eleanor. He’s just Amir.] So even if he does hear Sophia’s sermons about the “People’s Daughter” and the random Splicer’s ramblings, and that girl being referred to as Eleanor. The idea that it could be the Eleanor he knew from childhood doesn’t even come to mind.

Eleanor who punched him in the face without an ounce of hesitation the first day they met. Who was sneaking out of her house so frequently her controlling mother installed a security system to keep her inside. Who, when they were kids, once looked him in the eye and asked, completely seriously, if he was a dog eating dog in a human suit. He’s supposed to think that girl is this weird cult’s all forgiving, all knowing, messiah figure?

Eleanor was feral, and Amir knew that. It’s the whole reason they were friends.

So there’s only 4 options in Amir’s mind: A) Eleanor died as a little sister during the New Years Eve Riot, because that’s when she disappeared, and a lot of people died during the riot. B) Eleanor survived the New Years Eve Riot, but later died as a little sister. Death was very common among little sisters, it’s why little girls were worth so much in Rapture. C) Eleanor survived the riot, and was one of the lucky little sisters to get swept up by Jack Ryan and Dr. Tenenbaum and is now living a normal life on the surface, with Rapture being just a distant memory. [God does Amir hope this is what happened.] Or lastly D) Eleanor survived as a little sister all the way through to being turned into a big sister. And she’s now one of those shrieking, murderous giants running around Rapture. [The option Amir dreads the most.]

Eleanor on the other hand definitely hasn’t heard hide nor hair of Amir since she got swept up in the Gatherer program. Sophia didn’t want Eleanor to have friends anyways, and Eleanor was actively breaking out of the house in order to go see Amir and the rest of her friends.

So when Sophia found Eleanor again she 100% kept her under lock and key, and certainly wouldn’t have told Eleanor anything about her old friends. Friendship meant a more significant emotional attachment. Friendship meant favoritism among the masses. A flaw in the utopian mindset that Sophia was obsessed with molding her child to have.

So Eleanor assumes that Amir was killed as a child during the civil war, or that he’s possibly a splicer, but she finds the second idea highly unlikely. The idea that Amir could have survived as a non-splicer survivor doesn’t really cross her mind, as the non-splicer survivors rarely cross her mind.

Eleanor is in a prison and can only see and hear into the world beyond where the little sisters are. The non-splicer survivor camps had long since blocked up the little sister vents that lead to their camps. Due to the fact that a big daddy would never be too far behind one. Along with the possibility of a splicer following the adam rich smell of a little sister into their camp area.

Most non-splicer survivors who are scavengers (who are the ones how leave their camp/safe area to find supplies) tend to be older than Eleanor (and Amir). After all, parents who managed to keep their kids alive, sure as hell wouldn’t be trying to send them off into the dangerous splicer ridden battle field that is the city beyond their safe area.

So even when she gains the eyes and ears of the little sisters, Eleanor doesn’t ever see proof of Amir still being alive. Or even being a still living splicer from the memories of dead splicers.

[hellshire-harlot]

Ayo anyone who actually knows how to make decent, non game-breaking perks for DBD? I need your help! I’m working on several Killer concept spotlights and I need someone more familiar with the technical side of the game to help fine tune the perks.

Here are the following concepts I’m working on:

Chapter concept Blood of the Covenant, featuring the new Killer (The Bride) and the new survivor (Onyx Spokayne). The Bride’s abilities allow her to hinder team efforts and grant bonuses for interrupting teamwork.

Chapter concept Portal crossover (hear me out), featuring the new Killer (GLaDOS, the Android) and the new survivor (Chell). The Android’s abilities allow for fast traversal of the map, as well as enabling her to take a more direct approach in getting survivors.

Chapter concept Bioshock crossover, featuring the new Killer (A Big Sister, the Gatherer) and two new Survivors (Jack Ryan and Elizabeth Comstock). have like, no ideas for the Gatherer’s perks help

Chapter concept Little Nightmares crossover, featuring the new Killer (The Lady) and the new survivor (Six). The Lady’s perks allow her to stealthily take down survivors and hinder their progress more easily while also applying pressure to any Survivors attempting to be stealthy.

Chapter concept Martyr’s Lament, featuring the new Killer (The Cure) and the new survivor (Ceres Browne). The Cure’s perks punish survivors for working together and force them to stray from each other, allowing for a divide-and-conquer strategy.

I have ideas for addons, but not for what they do or what perks they connect to. I’m more interested in the story and lore of the game than in the gameplay, so I’m mostly doing this for fun. Anyone who wants to help can message me privately and we can discuss ideas!

[yanderes-galore]

Hi! Recently stumbled on your blog and love your yandere Bioshock. If it's okay, would you be interested in writing a platonic yandere Big Sister with either a sane (or sane-ish?) former Little Sister darling or a survivor darling that are attempting to escape Rapture? Thanks for reading this request and have a great rest of your day!

I haven't completed Bioshock 2 due to me disliking the combat in it compared to the others so I had to research this. However! I've concluded they act similar to Big Daddies and I can do this!

I don't do child darlings but this is the only exception for this concept as it fit the plot.

Yandere! Platonic! Big Sister with Former Little Sister! Darling

Pairing: Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Female Darling, Yandere-like behavior, Brainwashing, Possessive behavior, Overprotective behavior, Kidnapping, Manipulation, Delusional behavior, Implied child darling but you could also interpret it as teen.

- How you met your Yandere! Big Sister was when you were still a Little Sister.

- She was in charge of protecting and managing you, often carrying you in the basket on her back.

- Her basket was often decorated with bows from other girls, you included.

- Along with drawings on her oxygen tank.

- She had many Little Sisters to carry and manage, but you were always around her.

- Often being fascinated by her and following her around.

- In a way you loved her and she loved you too.

- It isn't until you're saved most likely by Delta that the obsession she has over you is strained.

- The Big Sister becomes distraught when she finds out you're gone.

- Her favorite Little Sister, gone?

- No!

- No no no...

- She screeches, distraught when she doesn't find you right away.

- Nevertheless, you're safe for now.

- Delta saves you from the sea slug corrupting your mind and you become a normal girl....

- You think you're placed somewhere safe until the Big Sister finds you.

- She's been so worried for you....

- Even more worried when you don't come and hug her right away.

- What did that rogue Big Daddy do to you?

- Don't you love her?

- She tries reaching out to you in your hiding spot, but you turn away.

- She makes an upset whining noise before trying again.

- Yet again, no response.

- "Go away..."

- Go... away?

- No.

- She's your protector!

- She can't leave you all alone again...!

- Against your consent, you're dragged out of your hiding spot.

- No matter how much you kick and scream, the Big Sister refuses to let you go.

- Putting you in the cage on her back, she begins to run off.

- You plead as much as you can to her, but she won't fall for it.

- That Big Daddy must've hurt you!

- She won't let it happen again....

- You're her Little Sister to protect and care for...

- You'll never leave Rapture with her hovering by you.

- You may even grow up alongside her, the Big Sister acting as a deranged parental figure.

- You still love her, don't you?

- Either way, she'll never let you out of her sight again without a fight.

[tacticalhimbo]

SUMMER GAMES FEST 2023 THOUGHTS

lots of notes. lots of betrayal.

i am so 😐 at the fact phantom liberty had no news and they're keeping it behind one of their small sgf play days. we were hyped for a main event reveal. i literally sat through the event JUST FOR THIS.

thoughts below the cut and very much unformatted idc

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

- Loved the mixed trailer; Gameplay! more companies need to do this

- Not really into 2D BUT I would play that

- actually available on xbox one! yes this is a note im making on entries

Mortal Kombat 1

- Reboot! new timeline. inchresting.

- This year?? wow. WOW. good secret.

- I played some of the og Xbox games... dunno much lore but 👁 curious

- Story seems kinda cool tho with the modern take and retelling of some of the lore; subzero and scorpion are brothers??? okayyyyy 💅 cain and abel 2 electric boogaloo!

- kameo fighters... allies!

Path of Exile 2

- uhmm... idk shit about this! congrats to the fan girlies

- is it supposed to be like LoL and WarCraft? looks like it.

Street Fighter

- looks cool! more of a mortal kombat gay myself

- aritifical intelligence companion? robotic ryu?

- why is everyone a robot- ohhh... idk what exoprimal is but okay!

NICK CAGE DBD I'M STILL PISSING OVER THIS

- NICK CAGE INTERVIEW IMMMM

- the suit is nice. it's a good shade of green

- "horror is my fave genre and it's a museum of horror that's good enough for me"; also aww family inspo. probably one of his kids if he has those.

- at least it was confirmed that he is, sadly, a survivor. killer nick cage would've been funny.

Witcher Season 3

- Very surprised Netflix is doing a season 3 of a show! Definitely a way to try and distract from the WGA strike bc why pay for writers when we can announce a beloved series and make people forget?

- Don't like Cavill for some things he's done but good for him to play a role he has passion for. I know he said he wasn't gonna be in season 4 bc of the writing direction so.

- It is what it is. Won't be watching regardless bc I wanna learn the game lore first.

Witchfire

- Epic can make good cames and honestly? Visually appealing.

- Not my cup of tea honestly

Crossfire Sierra Squad

- VR gunfire. That makes my head hurt!

- Looks kinda gun tho.

Remnant

- Looks interesting

- Co-op shooter souls game realness

- I wanna know the lore because it looks like a cool universe

Sonic Superstars

- OH!!!! cute

- the music still slaps i couldnt stop wiggling to pay proper attention

- multiplayer!

- xbox one!!! let's go!

Honkai StarRail

- i've been curious about this one; it's made by hoyoverse tho

- genshin wasn't my cup of tea and this probably wouldn't be either (minus the universe; i do kinda like the aesthetics)

Lies of P

- inspired by pinnochio??? that's quite the opening line

- resident evil energy lowkey... another interesting universe concept

- music is nice!

- like resident evil, final fantasy, and bioshock infinite had a weird little baby

- shark submarine!!!

- xbox one

Sand Land

- art style is interesting; made by the person who made dragonball

- looks cool but not my kinda play style

- ur telling me THATS not on xbox one???

Throne and Liberty

- oh god an amazon game

- noticing a trend of characters opening doors in trailers

- it looks okay honestly; i like that you can turn into creatures

Warhaven

- Free to play adventure thingy; Reminds me of For Honor

- You can turn into supernatural stuff? Looks aight

Party Animals

- another gang beasts clone

- i mean it's a good genre of game but i personally dislike it

- vague releases... xbox x only or all xbox? specify!

Dying Light Update

- Okay! I've been interested in this series

Crash Team Rumble

- online multiplayer... style is cute!

- forgot crash bandicoot still had things going for it

Alan Wake 2

- been interested in this series too honestly; know some moots will be excited

- what i have seen of the universe looks cool as fuck

- love me a good survival horror with interconnected timelines. i'm a sucker for transdimensional fuckery

- the creator seems very chill. his voice is nice.

- the gameplay looks good for being unedited and unfinal

- maybe i'll finally check this series out... not on xbox one tho 😔

Warhammer Space Marine 2

- co op campaign? aight. up to 3 players is ofdly specific but the squad does look like a predetermined trio

- space marines... looks abt right. style is cool

- gameplay and cinematics look intetesting too; reminds me a bit of gears of war

Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall

- OOH PIXELS!! i genuinely loge softer styles like this

- honestly would check out the story if anything

TOXIC COMMANDO

- oooh john carpenter made it

- the characters look cool, the monsters look cool too

- the bad singing,,, me and my friends fr!

- bit fast paced for me but i'd honestly give this one a shot

- no xbox one 😔

Baldur's Gate 3

- OOH more official news and release stuff

- idk shit about the franchise but i've seen so many cool looking ocs and i wouls check it out for the character creation alone

- it looks pretty !!

- i forgot wotc was involved with it tho... hate them ♡

Spider Man 2

- YESSSSS GOOD SHIT

- i watch my brother play these games and that last trailer they released at the playstation showcase had me 👁

- nice box art; nice conceptual art too! that venom art is fucking SICK. curious to see where that goes bc it's not eddie brock and idk any lore like that

- manhattan, queens, and brookyln holy shit. that's a huge map

- october 20th release date woagh!!!

PalWorld

- ope world survival crafting...

- pokemon... with guns??? this man has some interesting openers

- HUH?????? THE MINIGUN????? SHEEP WITH MINIGUNS?????

- what the actual fuck am i witnessing im-

- i didnt know i needed this but I NEED IT

- early access next year okay periodt

BLACK DESERT

- ooh souls combat style

- looks pretty

- i got so excited but it's black desert dlc

LOTR: Return to Moria

- NEW LOTR????

- DWARVES!@@@ O7GYYYYYY

- my face was just the poggers emote the whole time

- FOR ROCK AND STONE BABEYYYYT 💅✨️

- i hope this isnt bad like golem PLSSS

Final Fantasy: Ever Crisis(?) I couldn't read that font I'm sorry

- IOS/andoird?

- hey bitch where u at 🤳

- oh... okay.... that looks.... 😐

- hm. there are too many styles at once u got the chibi cutscenes the rendered battles and the anime portraits

Banishers Ghost of Eden

- oh hot character... oh no he looks like john seed that's why

- gameplay looks cool; i fw that mutated hound that showed

- TRANS-DIMENSIONAL LOVERS!!!!! devotion 100%

Like A Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name

- YAKUZA!!!!

- Codename Joryu 👀

- i didnt play like a dragon but i know bits of it and this looks just as cool

- OH NO THE BBE IS HOTTTT

- xbox one!

Under the Waves

- ooh underwater game; no thank u i get too scared.

- looks pretty!

- xbox one babey!

Call of Duty Season 4 MW2 Warzone

- medieval castle?? soccer stadium?? zoo???

- vondel is the name of the place

- looks cool! too bad i can't play it (or anybody for that matter since cheat menus are currently grabbing ips and force crashing)

- my xbox cant run warzone anyway even on lowest graphics

Porsche

- im not a car guy but congrats on however many years it was

- pretty xbox console

- waiting for someone to say it went woke

- not for sale?? it's a competition?? boy. y'all coulda made MONEY

Fae Farm

- cozy games my beloved

- the style looks like mysims

- omg wheelchair user!!!

- i'd probably play this it looks adorable

Marvel Snap

- ... okay ig

- imma be real i don't get card games; esp collectible ones

- this guy is. okay! good for him for being so enthusiastic. even tho he has that classic marvel personality (derogatory)

- PROZD????? i'd play his card game over that.

King Arthur Legends Rise

- mobile/pc fantasy squad rpg

- cullen rutherford is that you? KDJDKDJDJD

- why that dragon look like the lotr one?

- cinematics look okay, gameplay looks better than i thought tbh

Wayfinder

- the comic style of this is cute. so are cinematics

- love a resurrection arc

- playstation and steam only. huh.

Stellaris Nexus

- turn based space game

- ngl i havent played turn based stuff

- heard stellaris was cool tho

Space Trash Scavenger

- cute style! huge 3d platformer

Star Trek Infinite

- oooh star trek. a franchise i know fuck all about

- it looks cool tho!

Twisted Metal

- Peacock? I used that service once. It kinda sucked ngl

- big beefy clown,, i wanna [redacted] his [redacteds]

Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior

- duplicating oneself to multi task? aight

- OUGH THE STYLE I WANNA EAT IT

- fuck it's so pretty

- gameplay style is cute too!

- love the protag's design and voice ♡

- seems like a cool concept

Immortals Og Aveum

- fps magic shooter?? now that seems interesting

- interesting splash art

- the in game cinematics look good; so does the combat style

- very surprised to see ea behind it but i mean what arent they behind nowadays

- the gameplay looks decent tbh. it'd take me some time to learn bc it's minimal (which i do like minimal uis), but honestly? im curious

Fortnite C4S3

- i still cannot believe transformers are gonna be canon in the universe now too

- i probs wont get this battlepass but it looks cool.

- you can ride raptors. and ride vines!!

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

- hä? i thought this was supposed to be like. phantom liberty?? or like. something. kinda a let down for a finale (at least bc of the hype i've seen)

- good news for the final fantasy gays tho. y'all got fed today with some stuff.

- this is a franchise that makes me curious but i've heard it's so convoluted that i never got into it.

- ANDREW TATE LOOKING HEADASS????? LMAO

- like usual: looks great, combat is wild, good shit from someone who knows nothing

- ps5 exclusive looks like

CDPROJEKT WHYTYY 😭😭😭 i feel annoyed and betrayed wym it's on one of their play days!!!

[handweavers]

why do u like bioshock 2 more? genuinely curious, i do think the game gets shit on 2 much but imo didnt expand upon the original in a way i (personally) enjoyed, would luv 2 hear ur thoughts

tbh i don't like the idea that games have to "reinvent the wheel" to be considered good, bc its just resulted in games constantly trying to outdo each other and focus on whatever Brand New Thing they can add to a game whether it's graphics or some new button you can press or whatever, rather than focusing on how to tell a good story and ensure a player experience that is impactful or enjoyable. like how a major draw with anthem was the jetpacks and being able to fly everywhere, which was "groundbreaking", except the actual game sucked ass and less than a year after release very few people actually play it. so i don't find it really helpful to measure a game by how original it is but by how well it was executed and the ways in which it impacted those who played it.

& from that perspective bioshock 2 is one of my favourite games, because it took the most striking parts of the original (like the setting) and created a story out of it that i found a lot more emotionally meaningful and asked philosophical questions that weren't 1) easy to answer and 2) felt more relevant and applicable to my own human experience. it ties into my central storytelling philosophy that if it doesn't center love or passion in some capacity i don't really care about it. it took bioshock's setting and elaborated more on the dehumanizing aspects of capitalism and the ways in which people will harm others for their own gain, whether financial or social or otherwise, and the abuse parents inflict on their children and call it love.

subject delta's story has stayed with me since i first played it 6? 7? years ago. bioshock 2's story of a man who was captured and violated and stuffed into this metal suit he's now completely reliant on for survival and brainwashed by some libertarian capitalist dystopia under the sea and put in charge of caring for a little girl who would be violated in similar ways by her own mother, who then murders him when she realises that her daughter and this "monster" love each other as parent and child more than her daughter loves her, who is then resurrected by the daughter when she escapes from her mother as an adult so you can help save her and other little girls from being brainwashed and abused and violated is a 100000x more impactful for me than than the story in the original bioshock, which i would argue is not a story centered around passion or love, at least not in a way that is as meaningful. it's a good story and a good game, but it hasn't stayed with me like delta's story in bioshock 2.

the entire game you're trying to find eleanor, your daughter in every way that counts, and you can choose to become the monster the capitalists tried to brainwash you into being or you can save as many people as possible. subject delta is traumatised but wholly motivated by love for his daughter. through the game you examine the ways in which capitalism dehumanizes all of us, but especially the most vulnerable in society by denying them agency, self determination, an identity. subject delta broke his programming by loving eleanor, he broke his programming to find her and he breaks his programming by defying his "creator" over and over again to do what is right. in the "good" ending, you've saved every little sister, every Actual Tiny Child, from being brainwashed and experimented on and turned into a resource harvesting machine for profit, and you've saved eleanor, and for the first time all of them have the right to self determination. you die, yes, but you sacrifice yourself for them, and you live on forever as part of eleanor and she carries what you taught her with her for the rest of her life and chooses to do good and break her own capitalist programming. she defies her mother and the years of abuse she suffered at her hands to carve her own story and do the right thing by preventing her mother from hurting other children the way she was hurt.

i love subject delta. he physically cannot speak the entire game because capitalism has literally taken away his voice, but hes still able to use his "voice" by impacting the lives of others and making the deliberate choice to do the right thing. throughout the story you begin to understand what they did to this man, who he was before, what they made him do, what they took from him, and it's so tragic and heartbreaking and painfully relevant to our current society. while the game is science fiction, everything i've mentioned is applicable to any capitalist society especially our own. capitalism doesn't want us to be motivated by love or passion, it doesn't want us to do the right thing no matter the cost, it doesn't want us take back our agency from those who oppress us, it wants us to be quiet and subservient and do as we're told because it lines the pockets of the powerful. it's an incredibly powerful story from that angle, but also to approach it as an abuse survivor. your parent might love you, but not in the way you deserve to be loved, not in the right way, and you are allowed to carve your own destiny without them.

to me, bioshock 2 is about saying "no, you do not get to decide who i am, you do not get to erase my humanity" and emphasizes something core to me: loving people and being loved by people is the greatest honour, and it makes everything else we suffer through in this life worthwhile. loving people in the right way, in a selfless way, is a holy thing, and in a world that wants us broken and yielding to stand up and fight for the people you love and do the right thing is worth it at any cost. that entire concept is central to who i am as a person, its fundamental to my perspective and the way i live my life, which is why that same narrative thread in bioshock 2 hits me like a brick, for better or for worse.

[deco-devolution]

Limetown & BioShock

A basic timeline of the expanded universe as I imagined it.

1946: The city of Rapture is opened to the public.

1958: The city falls to the massive riots and civil unrest. It is left in ruins.

1960: The events of BioShock take place.

1968: The events of Something In The Sea take place. The events of BioShock 2 take place.

1970-1979 (Estimate): Emil Haddock is likely born, given his later contact with Oscar.

1980: The American channel PHE airs the two-part special Fact From Myth. The concept of a hidden society focused on science and industry resonates with Renard Brahms Villard, though his age is unknown at the time. He has little to go on save the rumors of advanced mental powers and isolation, and does his own research into the neuroscience required to make this a reality. He is introduced to the work Oscar Totem during this search.

1990-1999: Emil Haddock contacts Oscar Totem for help with his latent gift. Totem shares this with Villard, who sees this as a prime starting point to base his own city on, as well as his house his own research. 

2002: Limetown is established.

2003: Both the town and the research facility are launched.

2004: Limetown is destroyed in The Panic. 

This is all I have so far! I liked the idea of both taking place in the same universe, but not totally overlapping. Rather, the events of BioShock and BioShock 2 helped to inform the events leading up to the Limetown canon. 

I also have the idea that Rapture survivors who still have traces of ADAM in their system are have thoughts that are harder to read to the tech of the Limetown survivors, and a few survivors have built a kind of mutual, unspoken bond over their shared trauma.

[victorluvsalice]

AU Thursday: Tell Me Where To Find Shelter – The Absurdly Complicated Multiverse Version

Okay, so – remember this post about me vs my brain on the name of this AU (I'm still a bit torn between the current one and "Fallout of Darkness")? In which I revealed that I'd considered an even more complicated AU situation that brought Victoria and Emily in again via Portal and BioShock? And mentioned I'd likely talk about it one Thursday in the tags?

It's one Thursday – let's go ahead and talk about it, just for funsies. Now, for any potential fanfic purposes, I have basically settled on a "Sole Survivor Victor and Fledgling Alice" FO4/VTMB crossover. But when I first started coming up with crossover stuff, one of my first thoughts actually involved the Portal series – specifically, how Cave Johnson might have reacted to the Institute. And that reminded me that the Perpetual Testing Initiative is a thing in the sequel, and that reminded me of the "tears" in BioShock Infinite, and – well, for a tiny bit there, I had a crossover that more or less spanned every game in my Steam library, starring characters from Corpse Bride and American McGee's Alice. XD Let me try to break it down for you:

-->Obviously, for Fallout 4 and Vampire: the Masquerade – Bloodlines, we have Sole Survivor!Victor and Fledgling!Alice, as per standard

-->I'd also already come up with a concept for Emily in BioShock – have her be a Wintry Houdini Splicer who, thanks to not completely overdosing on the cosmetic Plasmids, still retained her mind (if not her original skin and hair color)

-->That left Portal and Victoria, so I whipped up a backstory where Victoria ended up in Aperture Science as a test subject after her family's money finally ran out for good; she'd be part of the Perpetual Testing Initiative, with a modified portal gun that can make non-test-ready areas testable (that is, she has a gel sprayer to allow her to make surfaces portal-able)

-->Now, how do we get these all together? Well, you could figure out a way to have them all exist in the same universe (it would take some kludging, but I think it could be done), but as you probably already guessed, I went for "something makes it so they can access each other's universes." Portal already has a canonical multiverse thanks to the PTI, and BioShock has its tears, so I just had to think up ways to get Fallout 4 and Bloodlines involved. I figured something could go wrong at the Institute to get the former on-board (teleporter accident?), and the latter. . .well, the best I could come up with is that weird portal you use to get in and out of Ming-Xiao's inner sanctum interacting weirdly with one of the other methods. Though I guess a Tremere doing something inadvisable with blood magic also works. . . Basically, reality ends up getting ripped open and portals between all four worlds open up, and the characters stumble through them. Much WTFery ensues.

-->I never got very far with the potential plot for this absurdly complicated crossover, though, mostly because I never satisfactorily answered one of the big questions about the verse – where are the counterparts? That is, where's Alice, Victor, and Emily in Test Subject!Victoria's Portal verse, where's Alice, Victor, and Victoria in Splicer!Emily's BioShock verse, and do we have the same set-up with Fledgling!Alice and Sole Survivor!Victor in their verses? I came up with three potential answers, but never fully settled:

1. The Easy Version: For whatever reason, none of them met the others in their respective universes – Sole Survivor!Victor wasn't pushed into marrying Victoria and ended up with the default Nora, for example. They’re all meeting for the first time here, and finding they like each other. Makes life a little easier, but never really appealed to me.

2. The Funny Version: The others do exist in the other universes, though in varying states – Fledgling!Alice has her standard set up with Victor, Victoria, and Emily; while Victoria's verse now looks more like my RP verse "Aperture Wage Slave" (where Victor is a very disgruntled scientist at Aperture, and Alice also a test subject – Emily's probably part of that group too). This sets up some pretty amusing culture clashes between counterparts (Aperture!Victor probably thinks his company was somehow responsible for Sole Survivor!Victor's apocalypse despite not being in the same world), and I like the idea of people in various universes doing double-takes whenever two or more of the same person is together. However, I felt like the fun was dampened a little by Victoria and Emily being dead in Sole Survivor!Victor's universe. . .

3. The Angsty Version: Which is when I came up with the variation that the others did exist in all the other universes – but those who the "main characters" knew died right in front of them. For example, Fledgling!Alice arrived too late to save Victor and could only hold him as he died in her arms, while Splicer!Emily maybe saw Victoria murdered by some of her less-sane brethren during the fighting when Rapture was really going down the tubes. Naturally, this leads to the characters having some pretty distinct feelings when they see alternate, alive versions of their friends/loved ones/guy she felt really guilty about not being able to save. (And makes Sole Survivor!Victor, who would get that angst no matter what, stand out less.) Interesting story potential, but it did occasionally feel too dark.

-->Honestly, this AU was mostly about fun mental images from the main four all interacting with and trying to understand each other's worlds, with two particular ones that I kept coming back to:

1. A Super Mutant Behemoth getting loose in Bloodlines' Los Angeles, with the gang having to team up to try and take it down before it does too much damage – and LaCroix absolutely losing his shit (specifically at Strauss, because he thinks it's an escaped Tremere experiment – "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" "NOTHING THIS ISN'T OURS" "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO STRAUSS")

2. Cave Johnson Destroyer Of Worlds – aka Cave realizing vampirism means immortality when he gets a look at the Bloodlines universe, getting himself Embraced (he'd go Ventrue if he could), then making plans to use his new state to take over all of the universes on display, with a particular eye toward grabbing Rapture and/or Columbia first so he can also use Plasmids and Vigors to his advantage. If this weird overcomplicated thing had a plot, it would be taking down this version of Cave before he could ruin everything. Like he does.

And that's about it, really. Like I said, the idea didn't stick around that long – I quickly realized I was setting myself up for the same overcomplicated, overthought nonsense that basically killed my BioShock AU, and dialed it back down to the current "three games, one movie" crossover. But hey, what's this tumblr for if not to tell you all the weird crossover ideas I have? XD

[barbosaasouza]

Weekend Console Download Deals for July 6: PlayStation Mid-Year Sale Begins

The year is halfway over. You can tell, because Shacknews has already picked our Best Games of the Midyear. But you can also tell because PlayStation is holding a massive Mid-Year Sale. This deal offers up dozens of AAA and upper-tier games on sale for PS4, PS3, and Vita.

Elsewhere, Xbox is celebrating anime and also offering up some of the top indie family games. And Nintendo is offering up some of the best Shin Megami Tensei games on 3DS.

On top of that, the monthly freebies have rotated out, so be sure to double-check what's coming in for Games with Gold and PlayStation Plus.

Here's our selection of this weekend's console deals:

Xbox One

The following games are a part of Xbox One Games with Gold/Deals with Gold. An Xbox Live Gold Subscription is required to receive these discounts.

Assault Android Cactus - FREE!

Smite - FREE!

EA Sports UFC 3 ICON Edition - $38.49 (45% off)

Forza Motorsport 6 VIP - $5.00 (75% off)

Has-Been Heroes - $5.00 (75% off)

There are more Xbox One games on sale in this week's Deals with Gold.

The following deals are available to all Xbox One users. Xbox Live Gold members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy - $20.00 (50% off)

Attack on Titan - $35.99 (40% off)

Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 & 2 Combo Pack - $15.00 (50% off)

Anime is on sale all month! Check out the anime and anime-inspired games on sale this week during the Xbox One Anime Month Sale.

Yoku's Island Express - $14.99 (25% off)

A Hat in Time - $20.09 (33% off)

Slime Rancher - $11.99 (40% off)

Armello Deluxe Bundle - $22.50 (50% off)

Celebrate the best in family-friendly indie games with the Xbox One Indie Family Game Sale.

PlayStation 4

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Far Cry 5 - $47.99 (20% off)

Overwatch Legendary Edition - $44.99 (25% off)

Assassin's Creed Origins - $35.99 (40% off)

FIFA 18 - $23.99 (60% off)

For Honor - $25.79 (57% off)

Fallout 4 - $17.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster - $14.99 (40% off)

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - $24.99 (50% off)

Star Wars Battlefront II - $23.99 (60% off)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition - $23.99 (40% off)

Prey - $17.99 (40% off)

Rocket League - $11.99 (40% off)

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands - $25.79 (57% off)

Diablo III: Eternal Collection - $35.99 (40% off)

South Park: The Fractured but Whole - $25.79 (57% off)

Final Fantasy IX - $16.79 (20% off)

DOOM - $15.99 (20% off)

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 - $29.99 (50% off)

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Advanced Edition - $35.99 (40% off)

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection - $25.79 (57% off)

Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood - $23.99 (40% off)

Dragon Age Inquisition GOTY Edition - $13.19 (67% off)

The Order: 1886 - $4.99 (75% off)

BioShock: The Collection - $25.79 (57% off)

Mass Effect Andromeda - $9.89 (67% off)

Infamous: First Light - $7.49 (50% off)

Journey Collector's Edition - $9.99 (60% off)

Titanfall 2 Ultimate Edition - $11.99 (70% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation 4 Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Heavy Rain - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Absolver - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Extreme Exorcism - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Space Overlords - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Fallout Shelter: PlayStation Plus Pack - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Fortnite Battle Royale: PlayStation Plus Celebration Pack 2 - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Nintendo Switch

Mercenary Kings Reloaded - $13.39 (33% off)

Yooka-Laylee - $29.99 (25% off)

Bleed - $4.07 (67% off)

Axiom Verge - $14.99 (25% off)

Sine Mora EX - $11.99 (60% off)

The Jackbox Party Pack 2 - $12.49 (50% off)

Nintendo Wii U

Axiom Verge - $14.99 (25% off)

Trine 2: Director's Cut - $9.99 (50% off)

Trine Enhanced Edition - $7.49 (50% off)

Xbox 360

The following games are a part of Xbox 360 Games with Gold/Deals with Gold. An Xbox Live Gold Subscription is required to receive these discounts.

Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown - FREE!

Boom Boom Rocket - $1.49 (85% off)

Monster Jam Battlegrounds - $1.99 (80% off)

The following deals are available to all Xbox 360 users. Xbox Live Gold users may be eligible for additional discounts.

Dynasty Warriors 8 - $29.99 (50% off)

Mega Man 10 - $3.99 (60% off)

Mega Man 9 - $3.99 (60% off)

Anime is on sale all month! Check out the anime and anime-inspired games on sale this week during the Xbox 360 Anime Month Sale.

PlayStation 3

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

The Last of Us - $5.99 (40% off)

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition - $14.99 (50% off)

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition - $11.99 (60% off)

Red Dead Redemption - $11.99 (60% off)

Midnight Club Los Angeles Complete Edition - $7.99 (60% off)

Yakuza 5 - $20.99 (30% off)

Guacamelee! Bundle Fantastico - $11.99 (40% off)

Flower - $2.79 (60% off)

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII - $11.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy VII - $5.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy Origins - $5.99 (40% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation 3 Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Rayman 3 HD - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Extreme Exorcism - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Nintendo 3DS

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth - $14.99 (25% off)

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker - $14.99 (25% off)

Etrian Mystery Dungeon - $14.99 (25% off)

Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars - $7.99 (60% off)

Shin Megami Tensei IV - $11.99 (40% off)

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers - $14.99 (25% off)

Citizens of Earth - $4.49 (67% off)

PlayStation Vita

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Dragon Quest Builders - $27.99 (30% off)

Full Throttle Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Day of the Tentacle Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Grim Fandango Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Axiom Verge - $9.99 (50% off)

Crypt of the NecroDancer - $4.49 (70% off)

Mega Man Legends 2 - $3.99 (60% off)

Final Fantasy VIII - $5.99 (40% off)

Chrono Trigger - $5.99 (40% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation Vita Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Space Overlords - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Weekend Console Download Deals for July 6: PlayStation Mid-Year Sale Begins published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

[itsanonagon]

A Response to SolePorpoise on the topic of Ludonarrative Dissonance

I just watched a video by a YouTuber by the name of SolePorpoise (great name, btw) about what he perceives to be the misuse of the term Ludonarrative Dissonance in games journalism/criticism (linked at the bottom). While it was a very well made and presented video, and while I much sympathize with his complaints regarding low-quality buzzword soup games journalism, I disagree with his core argument and thought a proper response deserved more than a Youtube comment. So here I am resurrecting my Tumblr to write one. I guess this is a games criticism blog now.

As I understand it, SolePorpoise’s definition of Ludonarrative Dissonance requires two things that most common uses of the phrase lack:

1. That the gameplay allows meaningful engagement with its narrative themes (e.g. Little Sisters in Bioshock) 2. That the narrative contradicts those themes in a way that insults the player’s suspension of disbelief. (e.g. the “Would You Kindly” twist)

SolePorpoise states (somewhat incorrectly, but we’ll get to that) that these two things are fundamental to the original conception of the term in Clint Hocking's blogpost on Bioshock. (also linked at the bottom) 

The first of those two requirements bugged me as soon as I heard it. To me it read as this: “If your game does not making a meaningful attempt to connect the gameplay to the themes, it is free from criticism about how its gameplay and narrative/themes don’t line up”. Essentially its a free pass for lazy developers, and the axe for developers who try but miss the mark. I’m sure SolePorpoise didn’t intend it in such a harsh manner, but its the logical conclusion of his argument. There should not be a “trigger” for ludonarrative dissonance or consonance to happen, because all games with a narrative have the potential for it, regardless of an attempt by the developers (or lack thereof) to connect the themes of its gameplay to those of its narrative. The only “trigger” is having themes at all, and all games have themes and messages in their gameplay. 

Take for example a highly abstract game like Tetris. Despite the complete lack of contextualization for its gameplay, Tetris sends some pretty clear messages: Last as long as you can. Keep things orderly. If you wanted to, you could interpret Tetris as a meditation on a good work ethic, of keeping your to-do list cleared so as not to be overwhelmed. These themes may be unintentional, but they are there. If you were to hypothetically retrofit a narrative around Tetris, its entirely possible that narrative conflicts with the themes of Tetris’ gameplay, even if there was no attempt to have those themes connect.

This isn’t to say that its not important when a game allows engagement between its gameplay and the narrative themes, of course. There’s a reason Clint Hocking brought up the Little Sisters in the first place. The Little Sisters are not a “trigger” for ludonarrative dissonance to happen in the first place, but rather a cue for the players to pay attention to the relationship between the two disparate parts of the game, which serves to make the dissonance obvious.

The problem with the second requirement is less severe, but still important - the ludonarrative dissonance in Bioshock exists without the twist. Clint Hocking himself declares the dissonance between gameplay and narrative themes before even bringing up the twist. The way that Bioshock insults the player’s suspension of disbelief is only tangential to the presence of ludonarrative dissonance - it is the thing that turns the dissonance from “disturbing” to “insulting”.

Perhaps there should be a term to describe the twist in Bioshock, the moment where suspension of disbelief is vitiated, but its clear ludonarrative dissonance is not that term. Its obvious in its etymology. The actual requirements for ludonarrative dissonance, as far as I’m concerned, are:

1. Game has a contextualizing narrative. 2. The major themes/messages of the gameplay and of the narrative contradict one another.

This is, unfortunately, just the kind of broad term SolePorpoise wishes it wasn’t, but that doesn’t mean its without use. While its clearly incorrectly used when applied to a game like Uncharted, (or really any time the “they kill people but aren’t a sociopath?!?” argument is given) there have been some really great applications of the term in modern games criticism. One example is Joseph Anderson’s video on Tomb Raider 2013 (linked at the bottom). In it he notes a dissonance between the positioning of the narrative as an origin story, themed around Lara’s growth from a vulnerable girl into a brutal survivor, and the lack of a significant difference in how it feels to control Lara from the beginning of the game to the end. While he doesn’t actually use the term, ludonarrative dissonance is exactly what it is. Its not the most significant example, but it is one, and pointing it out is valuable for the game developers of the future.

Also important to note is that despite the connotation of the word “dissonance”, ludonarrative dissonance is not a universally negative thing. There can be value in it, both as a #deep meta-commentary thing where its obvious and intentional, and as a minor thing where the developer accepts a bit of dissonance to make the gameplay and/or narrative a smoother or more fun experience. The prior example of Tomb Raider could be an example of the later - the developers may have considered having Lara “nerfed” at the beginning of the game, and decided against it to have the gameplay be more immediately fun.

So yeah, that’s that, I guess. SolePorpoise said at the end of his video that he’s working on a video about Nier: Automata and the ludonarrative dissonance he perceives in it. I haven’t played that game yet, but I guess I have to now, because I do want to see if Nier has it, or if it has the vitiation of engagement Bioshock does, or both, and I also want to see if a second good example can make SolePorpoise’s argument make more sense.

SolePorpoise’s video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8PAWO4Y_rY Clint Hocking's blogpost: http://clicknothing.typepad.com/click_nothing/2007/10/ludonarrative-d.html Joseph Anderson’s Tomb Raider Critique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CkUxBwPd_0

[comiconverse]

Game Review: Prey

Prey is a sci-fi “immersive sim” by Arkane Studios – and a spiritual successor to System Shock 2. Available on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (PlayStation 4 version reviewed). Alan Stock bashes everything in sight with his wrench in case it’s a Mimic, whilst bringing you this review for ComiConverse.

Game Review: Prey

Prey is a game built on the back of giants. First, a gaming history lesson for anyone interested in the origins of this title (skip down a few paragraphs if you want to get to the actual review). To understand Prey’s influences and the long legacy which it builds on, we need to look at the “immersive sim”. These are games which focus on immersion, usually from a first person perspective. In this genre, open-ended gameplay allows you to tackle problems in various creative ways, with multiple ways to build your character. You can often make choices during the game which change the outcome of the story.

Welcome to Talos 1. Credit: Arkane Studios

It all began with Looking Glass Studios in the 1990’s – who pioneered the genre with the influential and critically acclaimed sci-fi horror System Shock and the dark fantasy Thief series. When Looking Glass reached the end of its life in 2000, many of its staff had moved on to other studios like Irrational Games and Ion Storm but continued to produce brilliant immersive sims inspired by those classics. Irrational Games made System Shock 2 – considered to be one of the best sci-fi games of all time, and years later they produced the Bioshock series, the spiritual sequels to System Shock 2 (under their new name of 2K Games).

Meanwhile came the defining cyberpunk title Deux Ex from Ion Storm, many of its developers having come from Looking Glass as well. Years later, Deus Ex got a successful series reboot by Eidos. Those early Looking Glass games were so influential that their presence is still found in many other games to this day too – and they are what Arkane Studios took their inspiration from with their Dishonored games and now, Prey. Arkane even has staff from those old companies. To me, it’s fascinating that one development studio almost 30 years ago created a genre – but even after its death, its staff continued the Looking Glass legacy in multiple new companies by using that gaming DNA.

The views of space are awesome from the station. A great touch is that as Talos 1 orbits the Earth, the sunlight dynamically moves through the rooms – changing the mood of each location with windows over time. Credit: Arkane Studios

For Prey, a sci-fi adventure game set on a failing space station overrun by hostile aliens, Arkane has openly said this is another spiritual successor to System Shock 2. Although Bioshock was the first game to take that crown, Prey is definitely the most System Shock game that we’ve had to date – and it’s not shy in acknowledging it. The 3D video technology used in Prey’s universe is even called “Looking Glass”. So, Prey takes its ideas and concept from the whole immersive sim backlog, as well as a host of other sci-fi horror games and movies. It has all the generic tropes you would expect from titles like Alien or Dead Space. But strangely, although Prey takes its brand name from an average 2006 sci-fi game, there’s almost nothing in common between the two – aside from shooting and a lone protagonist trying to survive an alien threat.

On paper, Prey reads like a checklist of sci-fi horror game cliches. Ill-advised secret research on corporate space station Talos 1 has ended in disaster. The aliens – known as the Typhon – have escaped confinement and killed most of the crew. You play as co-station boss Morgan Yu – but of course, an experiment has caused you to lose your recent memories. You fight or avoid the Typhon invaders using guns or abilities, both human and alien. You can customise your character and weapons as you wish using skill trees and upgrades.

Credit: Arkane Studios

You scour the environment as you go, rummaging in cupboards and boxes for crucial supplies and ammo, which you then have to manage in your grid-based inventory. Dead crew are everywhere, you uncover their backstories and learn more about the station by reading their emails and picking up audio logs helpfully strewn around the environment. Predictably, many of these messages contain passwords and keycodes to locked doors and safes. You are free to wander Talos 1 as you see fit, and approach encounters and obstacles using the approach that you want. That might be using stealth, all-out combat, hacking, secret shortcuts, using the environment to your advantage or maybe a special ability to problem-solve in a creative way. The few survivors on board give you orders and requests by radio and you don’t really know which of them to trust. Pretty original, right?

Loot everything. Thankfully, some smart refinements of looting mechanics in Prey make it quick and easy to clear out areas, removing a lot of the looting tedium found in older sims like Bioshock. Credit: Arkane Studios.

Fortunately Prey does have some of its own ideas. The most memorable of these is probably the Mimic, a spider-like Typhon which can take the form of a normal inanimate object. It will hide itself as something innocent looking, like a box or a cup – and when you least expect it’ll  suddenly reveal itself and jump at your face. It’s an idea that’s been used before, RPG treasure chest monsters and popular Garry’s Mod creation “Prop Hunt” spring to mind – but Mimics aren’t just passive traps. If you shoot a Mimic but don’t kill it, it will scurry away and try to hide and transform again. If you’re quick, you can even see them morphing into objects. It’s a great idea that keeps you on edge when exploring and makes for some great and unscripted jump scares. When your character is weak in the early stages of the game Mimics induce real paranoia. Was that box there when you were last in this room? You’ll start bashing everything with your wrench and shooting suspicious chairs – just to be sure….

Ensnaring a Mimic with the Gloo Gun. Credit: Arkane Studios

Prey’s roster of weapons and abilities have their share of originality too. The Gloo Gun, which you find early on, allows you to slow and trap enemies with blobs of Gloo, allowing you to smash them at your leisure. Gloo can also be used to put out fires and even make makeshift pathways on walls, allowing you to climb to higher levels. As you progress through Talos 1, you gain access to Typhon abilities for yourself, with uses for both combat and puzzle solving. These include the Mimic’s ability to morph into an object, clumsily rolling past enemies disguised as a cleaning sign, for example – or you could use it to fit through small gaps. Then there’s the Lift Field, an ethereal column which pushes yourself or enemies into the air – which can be used with traps or maybe as a way to get to higher floors. Or the rather evil Phantom Genesis ability which summons an alien ally – by sacrificing a nearby human corpse.

Your brother Alex – is he a friend or a foe? Credit: Arkane Studios.

The ability skill tree is explained in the game’s lore, through technology called Neuromods. Just shove a massive needle into your eye (ouch) and they will imbue you with new skills. Neuromods are nicely tied into the storyline in a similar way to Bioshock’s ADAM. Acquire too many Typhon abilities and the station’s turrets will consider you alien – shooting at you on sight. It’s possible to do a “purity” run relying on human abilities alone, but the alien powers are too fun to pass up on. You quickly realise that Neuromods are a Very Good Thing and you want to find, or create as many as possible.

Just part of the large skill tree – you have to be selective about the path you want to take as Neuromods are in short supply. Credit: Arkane Studios

Which leads us to fabrication, another of Prey’s good ideas. Recycling machines around Talos 1 allow you to turn any junk or item that you pick up into their base components. This wonderful machine takes your unwanted nik naks and satisfyingly plops out cubes and spheres of matter in return, with compelling clinky-clunky sounds as they fall into the Recycler’s metal dispenser. You can then use this base matter to construct items at similar Fabricator machines. Once you find a Fabricator blueprint for an item, you can make that item as many times as you want at a Fabricator (if you have enough matter).

In gameplay terms, it’s a great solution to the genre’s problem of inventory junk and clutter. It allows you to reforge items you don’t need into something more useful, and as resources are usually low, difficult choices must be made. What’s more important to you right now – a medkit or shotgun ammo, or maybe risk it and just make a new Neuromod instead? Recycling also encourages you to scour the environment for items – for once you’re happy to pick up useless junk and banana peels, because you know you can turn it into sweet, sweet matter. There’s even an awesome weapon- the Recycler grenade – which blasts enemies, objects and you, if you’re not careful, into those wonderful little cubes and spheres.

At the start of the game you can choose the sex of your hero – Morgan Yu. It only affects the voice acting but it’s a nice touch to have. Credit: Arkane Studios.

Prey’s combat is a mixed bag. Although the weaponry feels meaty enough, many of the enemies aren’t particularly satisfying to fight. Most Typhon are made up of the wispy black alien smoke you see on the game’s cover and have the ability to teleport around, moving and attacking very quickly once alerted. This makes most combat frantic and enemies cause a lot of damage too. There’s little time for tactics and plans go out the window once shots are fired due to the combat’s pace and your low survivability – although fortunately the item/weapon wheel does pause time – allowing you to switch to an appropriate tool for the job.

The horrors of the Neuromod. Thankfully you only have to watch the eye-stabbing animation the first time you use it, with future uses being instantaneous. I hate to picture the reality though, of my Morgan stabbing himself in the eye about 50 times with Neuromods during my playthrough. Small mercies. Credit: Arkane Studios.

There are various types of enemy in Prey that do require different tactics and are fun to fight. But combat against the Phantoms and Mimics which you’ll encounter most the often just devolves into fast and chaotic battles. This goes against the more deliberate approach that the rest of the game tries to achieve – and their rapid movement makes the use of terrain and cover pretty meaningless. Still, getting the drop on unaware enemies is fun, and the game makes good use of combos similar to Dishonored, where one item or weapon followed up by another can bring creative destructive results. It’s just a shame that most of the amorphous black blobs that are the Typhon lack any kind of character. Aside from the Mimics they are mostly unmemorable – there’s nothing like the iconic Big Daddies of Bioshock or the creepy mutants of System Shock here.

Scanning the Typhon lets you unlock lore, tactical information and new abilities – providing a good incentive to stay stealthy or at least survive whilst your scan completes. Credit: Arkane Studios.

Although initially Prey comes across as a sci-fi horror title, the fear factor soon fades once you have discovered each of the different enemy types. There aren’t any that manage to disturb or unsettle once the initial encounters have been had. Although Prey does have a few creepy moments and the Mimics provide good jump scares, this isn’t a scary game overall. But the game doesn’t need scares to succeed – the atmosphere on Talos 1 is still excellent, just in more of a mysterious sci-fi vibe than a horror one. To be honest, I found it refreshing for once to enjoy wandering an abandoned space station populated by monsters without being terrified half the time.

Ah, the joys of Mimicking a coffee cup. Some objects like big boxes are awful to move around as – too many flat sides. Cups though, they can roll, baby! Credit: Arkane Studios.

It’s in Talos 1 that Prey’s biggest strength lies. The huge station is a thing of glory, with wonderful architectural design – a far cry from the generic sci-fi interiors we’ve come to expect from these games. Staff common areas look more like a luxurious hotel than a space station, but more familiar industrial sections like the Reactor and Hardware still have their own distinct look and feel. But cosmetics aside, it’s navigating and exploring Talos 1 that provides the real draw here. The station is massive and the open structure of the game allows you to explore much of it at your own leisure – with the main story and side quests providing direction when you need it. Although many sections are locked off initially, as you progress you will frequently be revisiting areas and unlocking new ones. Once you get the ability to go outside the station into space and explore the exterior in zero-g – the scale is awesome. Brilliantly you can see the various sections of the station you’ve been to from the outside and jump into airlocks you’ve unlocked from the inside, as a form of quickly getting around. Talos 1 feels more real and cohesive than any sci-fi setting in a game yet.

It’s awesome to fly around in Zero-G outside the station and it’s easy to control. Other sections have Zero-G too but it’s a shame there aren’t more gameplay and puzzle implications. Credit: Arkane Studios.

The environment design rewards thorough exploration with countless shortcuts and secrets to discover. Many of these have multiple avenues of access by using your items and abilities cleverly. Unfortunately, new enemies regularly appear when revisiting areas, and long load times between station segments (at least on console) makes getting around a bit of a drag towards the end of the game – when the story and side quests have you constantly running from one end of the station to the other. The area and plot pacing with the large amount of backtracking could have used a little work.

Uncovering the stories of the inhabitants of Talos 1 through the many side objectives and the emails and transcribes scattered through the station is a compelling reason to explore. The crew’s backstories, although short, paint snapshots of their life aboard. There’s lots of little sub-plots to discover – often told as much through the environment and nice details as the messages they leave behind. A nice feature is that you can hunt for staff via security terminals using their tracking bracelets to discover bodies and survivors, allowing you to find eventually find anyone you may have missed.

Another highly secure space station where everyone loves to send each other door codes via open emails. Credit: Arkane Studios.

The main storyline, although familiar to anyone who’s played the System Shock or Bioshock games, is still intriguing enough to enjoy – with plenty of mysteries and mistrust making you eager to uncover the truth. Prey begins with a great introduction – although anyone who’s played the demo will have already seen it. In true immersive sim fashion – there are a number of game endings based on the choices you make throughout, with a great finale not to miss after the credits have rolled. Fortunately, the story choices that you make don’t drastically affect the gameplay experience, so you won’t be missing out on any crucial content whatever you choose to do.

The hacking mini game is actually quite tough sometimes, and is decent as far as these go if you can accept that guiding a blob through a maze is a fair approximation of a hacker’s skills. Credit: Arkane Studios.

Prey won’t be for everyone – immersive sims just aren’t some people’s cup of tea. But for anyone who likes this kind of game, who likes adventure, who likes sci-fi, it’s a real winner. Prey is very polished and although yes, it borrows many concepts and tropes that we’ve seen before, it also refines and improves upon them, whilst adding its own innovations. There’s a significant amount of depth here and the difficulty’s a welcome challenge too – forcing you to think tactically and scavenge for resources (I recommend playing on Hard or higher). The game’s not perfect – the combat is a bit messy, the later stages of the game could have used more depth and less backtracking, and there are some technical issues. But, as an immersive sci-fi experience and a worthy homage to System Shock 2 – it’s fantastic. We’ve mostly seen it all before, but Arkane has just executed it so well. Talos 1 is an amazing setting that you’ll want to explore every inch of, to discover its secrets and the fates of the inhabitants. Long live the immersive sim.

The post Game Review: Prey appeared first on ComiConverse.

[battleborntap]

First Person Shooters as a genre have been around since Doom was released in 1993, and ever since, it has been widely considered one of the most liked genres (at least by Americans). With a wide variety of games and an even wider variety to the genre itself, let's take a look at some of my personal favorites!

Please note, these games all take place in the first person perspective, and have one of their main mechanics involving firing a gun or weapon of some kind. Games like Mirror's Edge and The Stanley Parable are omitted on the grounds that they are more First Person Puzzle Solvers rather than shooters, despite having the ability to shoot in these games. Also, I will only be doing one game from any given franchise, simply because I could pack this list with four or five sequels easy with all the games I've played. And finally, I can't say this enough, this is all based on my personal favorites and opinions. If you don't agree, that's fine! We all have our favorites, but this is simply a way for me to talk about mine!

So, without further delay, here are my Top Ten Favorite First Person Shooter Games!

#10. CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS (2010)

Of course a Call of Duty game made it onto this list, and MAN what a game it is! Call of Duty: Black Ops released on Ps3 and Xbox 360 in 2010 to much fan praise, and is often considered one of the last good Call of Duty games. While I am quick to argue that point (Advanced Warfare brought a focus to story for the first time in years and Black Ops 2 had probably, in my opinion, the best multiplayer in recent history), The original Black Ops had all three main modes (Story, Multiplayer and Zombies) on point for the launch of the game.

While the Multiplayer may not have aged well for the game, the Story mode is simply wonderful, and unlike the rest of the Black Ops series, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING IN THE STORY! If you have to read a plot summary to fully understand what the hell happened in it, it's not a good story. As for Zombies, simply letting players become former presidents and fighting time traveling nazi zombies...what more do i need to say?

Overall, it's an impressive game by all accounts. It helped to prove that Treyarch had what it took to keep delivering on the CoD formula, and while it wasn't World at War 2 like me and several others had hoped for (Still hoping for it, personally), it was a great game to play all the same.

#9. DOOM (2016)

Doom is the grand daddy of all First Person Shooters, and the latest iteration into the franchise really does not disappoint. With brutal carnage kills, impressive graphics, and a return to what made the franchise fun in the first place, DOOM (2016) is easily one of the best games of that respective year.

The story is as basic as it comes; Hell has invaded Mars, and you were about to be sacrificed when s**t goes sideways. You escape, get a Master Chief Power Armor ripoff, and fight through rooms and hordes of Demons to try and prevent Hell from getting to Earth...You know, like the last three Dooms!

The combat in this is where it truly shines, giving you the ability to kill enemies when they are weakened with brutal finishing attacks. The weapons are all fantastic, and the enemies are tough, but manageable. The real problems are outside the story; Multiplayer seems tacked on and rushed, while SnapMap, the mode I was really excited for, is basically just Corridor maker, the more. Still, the story itself is fun as all hell...

#8. BIOSHOCK (2007)/ BIOSHOCK INFINITE (2013)

This one might seem like a bit of a cheat, but hear me out...I personally feel that these games are very much the same thanks to something called "Service to the Brand."

Let me ask you this. Why do people in Bioshock use plasmids? They are a part of a world where everything has gone to Hell, and now they need to do whatever they need to survive, including injecting themselves with chemicals to give them super powers! Now why do they do it in Bioshock Infinite use vigors, which are basically plasmids?...There's really no reason is there? The reason they use them is because the last two games released had Plasmids, and it wouldn't be the same game without them!

This is a common problem with sequels that differ from their original game, and honestly, the only reason I decided to lump them together is that, aside from story and some situations you encounter, they are basically the same game. Well crafted gun play with elemental magics, expertly written dialogue and story, and an all around impressive and fun universe to explore, these games fill me with a sense of wonder each time I play them. If I had to choose one, it would have to be Infinite, but it's by such a slim margin that I felt it best to lump them together. My list, my rules...

Also, We don't talk about Bioshock 2...just...no.

#7. STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT (2015, Fight Me)

I know the original Battlefront games are well regarded and adored. I know many of the people who played this felt betrayed and hurt by the micro transactions and lack of content. I know it just feels like Battlefield with a Star Wars skin...But you know what? I don't care!

Star Wars: Battlefront is the Star Wars game I wanted to play when I first put the original Battlefront into my PS2. Was I disappointed by the lack of content? Sure. Did it feel like a cash grab on EA's part because they has acquired the license? Of course, it's EA. But I still enjoy the hell out of it.

The game play is fun and engaging, as well as more balanced than some large scale shooters. The available content, while infuriating that it's behind paywalls and a slow progression system, are rewarding and fun. The Heroes are overpowered, but not too much. Overall, I feel the game is good for one simple fact; for the first time in years, I felt like I was in the boots of a Stormtrooper.

Also, you occasionally get a Wilhelm scream to occur when you kill someone...so there's that.

#6. LEFT 4 DEAD 2 (2009)

How do you make a sequel to a decently balanced multiplayer zombie shooter? Change only who you play as and what their main quest is, then add more! That's exactly what Valve did with Left 4 Dead 2, and it worked great.

Playing as four new survivors with fun personalities, the game introduced three new special infected to deal with on top of the five introduced in the last games, the addition of choosing melee weapons instead of pistols, and helped to balance old issues and new ones that made the game well rounded and just plain fun to play ,whether you were with friends or a few randoms online.

Then Valve went one step further; They added in new content through DLC, some of which included the original five levels from the first game, where you can play as the first four survivors in the first five campaigns from the original game, but with the new enemies, weapons and everything! In general, Left 4 Dead 2 is just a damn fantastic game is you AXE me! HAHA!!

            I'm sorry...

#5. HALO 3 (2007)

Bungie hit pay dirt with the Halo franchise, and the third installment in the game is where all that effort peaked. Great gun play, multiplayer modes, and engaging story line that (mostly) resolved the conflicts of the last two games and more, the game was damn impressive on Xbox 360 when it came out, leading to it becoming the fifth best selling game on the console!

This was one of the big games me and my friends played for days on end, sometimes literally. It's one of the first games to give me a true love for shotguns in first person shooters, and the rest of the games since haven't felt as impacting to me. They've been fun to play, but this was the last game that made me truly enjoy the franchise in a nostalgic sense.

Maybe I'm just getting old? Maybe...

#4. PORTAL 2 (2011)

Portal 2 is much like Left 4 Dead 2; change little to nothing about the game, but improve the writing, add more content, and fix some bugs from the previous game. Unlike Left 4 Dead, however, this game didn't have a multiplayer mode in the original, so this one added one!

While the first game was a series of puzzles linked loosely together by an uncaring, vindictive god/computer named GLaDOS yelling at you and calling you names, the second game is a series of puzzles linked loosely together by an uncaring, vindictive god/ computer named GLaDOS yelling at you and calling you fat before you overthrow her and put a mentally inept ball in her place who slowly begins destroying everything around you, shoves GLaDOS into a potato and sends you both into a 1950's version of the labs you were exploring to be yelled at by a 1950's style billionaire voiced by J.K. Simmons!

The puzzles introduce familiar and new concepts, keeping them fresh well into the game. The dialogue is on point through out, with minimal dialogue feeling out of place or forced. The humor is even better than the first, allowing for visual gags more than the first game did and a few running jokes to boot. Ultimately, an impressive sequel to an already impressive game.

Also, this game made me fear/ hate certain birds...just sayin'

#3. BORDERLANDS 2 (2012)

how do you top a game that had literally a bajillion guns, a rapid fire sense of humor AND a cell shaded art style set in a semi-unique world? MORE GUNS! MORE HUMOR! MORE CELLS SHADED! AND A VILLAIN!

Yeah...if you really think about it, the first game didn't really have a main villain. Sure you had some minor ones, like Baron Flynt and Mad Mel, but they were more like sub-bosses than anything. Borderlands 2 had plenty of sub-bosses, but also gave us MOTHERF**KIN' HANDSOME JACK, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE BEST VIDEO GAME VILLAIN OF ALL TIME EVER PERIOD! With an actual story to get through, a villain to thwart, tons of fun new characters and old returning ones, as well as giving personality to the playable characters and the first games characters who act as NPC's this time around, the game did everything it needed to and then some.

This game established Borderlands as a franchise that's here to stay, and with follow-ups including The Pre-Sequel (Not bad, but not great) and Tales from the Borderlands (Fantastic Story, weird execution thanks to it being a TellTale game), there's no doubt in my mind that Borderlands is here to stay...

Can't really say the same for Battleborn...which is sad cause I kind of liked that one...

#2. OVERWATCH (2016)

Honestly, how could this one NOT be on this list? What is easily one of the best new franchises in YEARS, Overwatch brought exactly what it needed, and we keep getting more! With new characters and game modes being added, as well as regular balancing updates and more, the game shows no sign of slowing down.

If I had one complaint, it's that the game doesn't have a story mode. That said, we get plenty of information about the world and its characters thanks to digital comics, animated shorts, in-game dialogue and costumes, and a few other means. The roster is rich with diversity and ranges from easy to play to hard to master, and overall just is a fun time for everyone.

Hell, hte game hasn't even been out for a year yet and already we have three new characters, a new map, a new game mode and additional features like being able to make your own game mode ADDED IN FREE OF CHARGE! That's doing it right!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The following five games are all fantastic in their own right, but didn't quite make my top ten. To save time, I'll only do a quick sentence or two for each, so please enjoy!

COUNTER-STRIKE: SOURCE - One of the first first-person shooters I played. Good combat and lots of customization both in game and in the variety of game modes.

GOLDENEYE 64 - A fun multiplayer title with an okay story mode. Best played with friends split screen...No Odd Job, please?

KILLZONE - I like to think of this as Sony's answer to Halo, but with space Nazi's instead of aliens. Regardless, it really made you feel like a soldier in an army instead of a lone wolf like most FPS games.

DESTINY -  Bungie's follow-up to Halo after leaving their flagship behind, the online, MMO hybrid was engaging, but didn't have much staying power if you didn't have a dedicated group to play with. With that and a lack of a real story, it felt like this was a half bake idea that will hopefully be more fleshed out in the sequel.

TITANFALL 2 - Improving on some of the pitfalls of the first game (Like console exclusivity), this is fun, fast paced, and in general a good game to play, especially if you have a friend or two in tow. Also, the story mode grabbed me with it's tutorial mode...so that says something.

Now, without delay, Here's Number 1!

#1. TEAM FORTRESS 2 (2007)

What started as a Quake mod eventually became the military themed hat simulator free-to-play sequel that Valve won't let you forget about. Tons of games release on Steam with some tie in to this, usually being a hat themed after whatever you're buying.

That said, once you get past the confusing as all hell economy the game has, there's a fun and engaging "Hero"-based shooter underneath. With nine classes to choose from, nearly limitless combinations for cosmetic customization and weapon loadouts. The story to the game is don similarly to that of Overwatch (Animations, comics, in game items, etc) but unlike Overwatch, many of the comics, animations and such contribute to the overall story of the game instead of just add little references to it.

The story itself is long, convoluted and silly, and perfect for the style of game it's trying to be. Overall, it's the game I've spent the most time in since I bought it back in 2007 (That's right, some of us PAID for this game), and it's easily my favorite First Person Shooter!

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! Wat are some of your favorite First person shooters? Let me know in the comments below, and until next time, I'm McNutty891! Have fun!

source : http://ift.tt/2oGhx4Q

[mwcollege2017-blog]

FPS Shooters and BioShock

Brief history of first person shooters: SO WHAT WAS THE FIRST FPS Originally Wolfenstein 3D (created by id Software and released in 1992) was an instant success, fuelled largely by its shareware release, and has been credited with inventing the first-person shooter genre which would progress on to more great first person shooters.

Game 1 Bioshock

Realeased: August 21, 2007

Created by: Ken Levine and 2K Games

The game is set in rapture this is an underwater world.

Each game that I have mentioned has a set difficulty,

Easy- For people new the First-person shooters

Medium-  People who like more of a challenge

Hard- For people who are experienced at FPS shooters

Survivor- Very difficult to find supplies and ammo must count because it is hard to come by

  Characters:

Jack: You play as him as you progress through the game.

Andrew Ryan: The owner of rapture who escaped to avoid scrutiny from government and others

Frank Fontaine/Atlas: He Is a criminal mastermind of rapture and is the arch-enemy of Andrew Ryan

Sander Cohen: A Crazed Artist that you have to do several things for throughout rapture

Bridgid Tenenbaum: A Scientist who helps the little sisters find a way out of the possessive state they have been left in.

Yi Suchong: A crazed scientist who does studies on the effects of plasmids on individuals

  J.S. Steinman: A American surgeon in cosmetics after adam was introduced. Adam produced no boundaries and became a reason for him to start mutilating his patients. He is the first encounter that you end up disposing of

 Main Theme:

The main theme of the game is based around the ideas of Marxism and owning what own and ultimately working for what you have got the game often references the words “Parasite” referring to people who don’t work for what they have earned. The owner of Rapture Andrew Ryan often talks about “free enterprise” which means an economic system in which private business operates in competition and largely free of state control. But you go to rapture when it has gone out of control and splicers have been addicted to the ADAM that gives you special types of powers. You can harvest little sisters for more ADAM for yourself or you can save them for less ADAM but you have to be careful because the little sisters are protected by the Big Daddies.

Game Engine:

BioShock uses a heavily modified Unreal Engine 2.5 with some of the advanced technologies from Unreal Engine 3. Unreal Engine 2.5 is a complete suite of game development tools made by game developers, for game developers. From 2D mobile games to console blockbusters and VR, Unreal Engine 2.5 gives you everything you need to start, ship, grow and stand out from the crowd.

  Gameplay

BioShock is a first-person shooter with role-playing game customization and stealth elements, and is similar to System Shock 2. The player takes the role of Jack as he is guided through Rapture towards various objectives. The player collects various weapons and plasmids as they work their way through enemy forces. The player can switch between one active weapon and one active plasmid at any time, allowing them to find combination attacks that can be effective against certain enemies, such as first shocking a Splicer then striking them down with a wrench. Weapons are limited by ammunition that the player collects; many weapons have secondary ammo types that can be used instead for additional benefits, such as bullets that inflict fire damage. Plasmid use consumes a serum called EVE which can be restored using EVE syringes collected by the player. The player has a health meter that decreases when they take damage. The player can restore their health with medical packs found throughout Rapture. If the player's health reduces to zero, they will be regenerated at the last Vita-Chamber that they passed with limited amounts of health and EVE. A patch for the game allows players to disable these Vita-Chambers, requiring players to restart a saved game if the character dies.

            Bioshock 2

Released: February 9, 2010

Created by: This time Ken Levine passed on the creation of BioShock 2

2K Games

In this portion of the game instead of starting as a character who has just come from a wreckage of a plane you start of as a big daddy in an old-style diving suit.

Gameplay

BioShock 2 is presented as a first-person shooter, with the player taking on the role of Subject Delta, a prototype for the Big Daddies 8 years after the events of the first game. As in BioShock, the player explores Rapture and fights off splicers, the remaining psychotic human population of the undersea city, using a combination of the environment, weapons, plasmids, and tonics. Plasmids and tonics are special genetic-reencoding liquids that grant the user active or passive abilities, respectively, and include many of those introduced in BioShock as well as new ones. For example, plasmids can give the player the ability to use telekinesis or to invoke fire, while tonics can improve the player's movement speed, attack damage, or damage resistance. Several of the weapons in BioShock 2 were previously seen carried by Big Daddies in the first game, including a powerful drill and a rivet gun. The player can use each weapon in a close-range melee attack, unlike in the first game, and is able to equip a weapon and a plasmid at the same time, which they can use in quick succession to destroy enemies. For example, the player might freeze a foe using a plasmid then shatter it using a spear gun. If the player is killed, they are revived in the nearest "vita-chamber."

 As the player explores Rapture, he will collect ammo, health, recovery items, money and EVE (a liquid used to power plasmid use). Money can be used to purchase more items at vending machines scattered around the city.  The player will also encounter security systems which can be hacked through a mini-game; this requires the player to stop a quick-moving needle one or more times in the correctly coloured areas of a gauge. Stopping it within a green area progresses the sequence or potentially ends it.

 Also to add that Bioshock 2 has a multiplayer on the PS3 and Xbox 360 but not on the remastered on PS4 and Xbox one.

   Multiplayer

BioShock 2 features a story-driven multiplayer mode called Fall of Rapture in which the player takes on the role of one of Rapture's citizens before the events of BioShock, during Rapture's 1959 civil war. The player is sponsored by the plasmid manufacturer, Sinclair Solutions, to test out their weapons, plasmids, and Tonics in a consumer reward program. As the player progresses through the multiplayer experience, new weapons, tonics, and plasmids will be unlocked (provided by Sinclair) in addition to the story of the Rapture civil war being told through audio diaries available in the player's apartment.

You can choose from 6 different characters to serve as an in-game avatar. The characters are: Jacob Norris the welder, Barbara Johnson the housewife, Danny Wilkins the football star, Buck Raleigh the businessman, Naledi Atkins the pilot, and Suresh Sheti the Indian mystic. Two additional characters Zigo and Blanche were available as a pre-order bonus from Game, Gamestation and Gamestop in the USA all these had their own different roles to play.

Multiplayer Modes:

two of which have a single-player and team-based mode The modes include Survival of the Fittest, a free-for-all death match mode; Civil War, a team death match, Capture the Sister, a capture-the-flag-style mode where one team defends a Little Sister while the other attempts to capture her, and Turf War, where teams compete to control specific areas of a map.

Multiplayer Maps

Arcadia

Farmers Market

Fontaines Home for the Poor

Fort Frolic

Hephaetus

Kashmir Restaurant

Medical Pavilion

Mercury Suites

Neptunes Bounty

Point Prometheus

DLC Pack Maps

Dionysus Park

Fighting Mcdonaghs

Fontaine Fisheries

Paupers Drop

Siren Ally and Smugglers Hideout

Mechanics/Game Engine:

The mechanics of the game are very similar to first game similar settings of environment set in rapture and similar weapons, with a few minor differences of a few different weapons that you can use. There are also several audio dairies laying around rapture that all develop into a story as you collect and listen to them.

BioShock Infinite:

Release date: 26 March 2013

Created by Irrational and 2K Studios

The game is set in a city in the sky called Columbia with a character named Booker DeWitt. Booker is a detective who has found himself on the sky city of Colombia. BioShock Infinite is not a direct sequel/prequel to any of the previous BioShock games, and it takes place in an entirely different setting, although it shares similar features, gameplay and concepts with the previous games. You can earn money through killing enemies and looting their corpses much like the other games.

Each action you make has a choice with a consequence just like the previous two games. Countless amounts of enemies to kill while chasing the main villain Comstock, and while this is happening you are being chased by a songbird while progressing with character Elizabeth who can open up portals named ‘Tears’ which shows a brief part of history through a time travel type thing. Booker DeWitt is actually Zachary Comstock, as they are both the same person. Booker Dewitt, after going through the war. Comstock being Brooker grown up and older. Eventually after finding Comstock in which you do end up killing him.

 Game Engine:

Irrational had initially considered using the heavily modified Unreal Engine 2.5 used for the original BioShock, but it was deemed inadequate for their vision. According to Levine, Infinite was designed and developed from scratch, with none of its assets taken from previous BioShock games.

 Controversies: Infinites themes of racism and religion much like the other 2 and ideological society caused controversy. Levine and Irrational games did receive criticism by various people upon the fact they felt they attacked the ‘Tea Part’ and some people felt they really attacked that movement using false propaganda.

The Character Comstock was portrayed as quite an ecstatic religious figure, which was the cause for more controversy and threatened somebody quitting from the Irrational Games team.

 Conclusion:

I think the development for first person shooters has definitely progressed through the years, I have noted the differences in each three of the games I have played and reviewed and I think if game industries were to continue to make similar games then I will continue to purchase them and would suggest to others that they do as well. A good storyline plot are big factors in games like these but I am aware of visual elements have a big impact too.

[barbosaasouza]

Weekend Console Download Deals for July 6: PlayStation Mid-Year Sale Begins

The year is halfway over. You can tell, because Shacknews has already picked our Best Games of the Midyear. But you can also tell because PlayStation is holding a massive Mid-Year Sale. This deal offers up dozens of AAA and upper-tier games on sale for PS4, PS3, and Vita.

Elsewhere, Xbox is celebrating anime and also offering up some of the top indie family games. And Nintendo is offering up some of the best Shin Megami Tensei games on 3DS.

On top of that, the monthly freebies have rotated out, so be sure to double-check what's coming in for Games with Gold and PlayStation Plus.

Here's our selection of this weekend's console deals:

Xbox One

The following games are a part of Xbox One Games with Gold/Deals with Gold. An Xbox Live Gold Subscription is required to receive these discounts.

Assault Android Cactus - FREE!

Smite - FREE!

EA Sports UFC 3 ICON Edition - $38.49 (45% off)

Forza Motorsport 6 VIP - $5.00 (75% off)

Has-Been Heroes - $5.00 (75% off)

There are more Xbox One games on sale in this week's Deals with Gold.

The following deals are available to all Xbox One users. Xbox Live Gold members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy - $20.00 (50% off)

Attack on Titan - $35.99 (40% off)

Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 & 2 Combo Pack - $15.00 (50% off)

Anime is on sale all month! Check out the anime and anime-inspired games on sale this week during the Xbox One Anime Month Sale.

Yoku's Island Express - $14.99 (25% off)

A Hat in Time - $20.09 (33% off)

Slime Rancher - $11.99 (40% off)

Armello Deluxe Bundle - $22.50 (50% off)

Celebrate the best in family-friendly indie games with the Xbox One Indie Family Game Sale.

PlayStation 4

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Far Cry 5 - $47.99 (20% off)

Overwatch Legendary Edition - $44.99 (25% off)

Assassin's Creed Origins - $35.99 (40% off)

FIFA 18 - $23.99 (60% off)

For Honor - $25.79 (57% off)

Fallout 4 - $17.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster - $14.99 (40% off)

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - $24.99 (50% off)

Star Wars Battlefront II - $23.99 (60% off)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition - $23.99 (40% off)

Prey - $17.99 (40% off)

Rocket League - $11.99 (40% off)

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands - $25.79 (57% off)

Diablo III: Eternal Collection - $35.99 (40% off)

South Park: The Fractured but Whole - $25.79 (57% off)

Final Fantasy IX - $16.79 (20% off)

DOOM - $15.99 (20% off)

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 - $29.99 (50% off)

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Advanced Edition - $35.99 (40% off)

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection - $25.79 (57% off)

Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood - $23.99 (40% off)

Dragon Age Inquisition GOTY Edition - $13.19 (67% off)

The Order: 1886 - $4.99 (75% off)

BioShock: The Collection - $25.79 (57% off)

Mass Effect Andromeda - $9.89 (67% off)

Infamous: First Light - $7.49 (50% off)

Journey Collector's Edition - $9.99 (60% off)

Titanfall 2 Ultimate Edition - $11.99 (70% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation 4 Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Heavy Rain - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Absolver - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Extreme Exorcism - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Space Overlords - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Fallout Shelter: PlayStation Plus Pack - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Fortnite Battle Royale: PlayStation Plus Celebration Pack 2 - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Nintendo Switch

Mercenary Kings Reloaded - $13.39 (33% off)

Yooka-Laylee - $29.99 (25% off)

Bleed - $4.07 (67% off)

Axiom Verge - $14.99 (25% off)

Sine Mora EX - $11.99 (60% off)

The Jackbox Party Pack 2 - $12.49 (50% off)

Nintendo Wii U

Axiom Verge - $14.99 (25% off)

Trine 2: Director's Cut - $9.99 (50% off)

Trine Enhanced Edition - $7.49 (50% off)

Xbox 360

The following games are a part of Xbox 360 Games with Gold/Deals with Gold. An Xbox Live Gold Subscription is required to receive these discounts.

Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown - FREE!

Boom Boom Rocket - $1.49 (85% off)

Monster Jam Battlegrounds - $1.99 (80% off)

The following deals are available to all Xbox 360 users. Xbox Live Gold users may be eligible for additional discounts.

Dynasty Warriors 8 - $29.99 (50% off)

Mega Man 10 - $3.99 (60% off)

Mega Man 9 - $3.99 (60% off)

Anime is on sale all month! Check out the anime and anime-inspired games on sale this week during the Xbox 360 Anime Month Sale.

PlayStation 3

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

The Last of Us - $5.99 (40% off)

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition - $14.99 (50% off)

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition - $11.99 (60% off)

Red Dead Redemption - $11.99 (60% off)

Midnight Club Los Angeles Complete Edition - $7.99 (60% off)

Yakuza 5 - $20.99 (30% off)

Guacamelee! Bundle Fantastico - $11.99 (40% off)

Flower - $2.79 (60% off)

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII - $11.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy VII - $5.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy Origins - $5.99 (40% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation 3 Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Rayman 3 HD - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Extreme Exorcism - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Nintendo 3DS

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth - $14.99 (25% off)

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker - $14.99 (25% off)

Etrian Mystery Dungeon - $14.99 (25% off)

Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars - $7.99 (60% off)

Shin Megami Tensei IV - $11.99 (40% off)

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers - $14.99 (25% off)

Citizens of Earth - $4.49 (67% off)

PlayStation Vita

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Dragon Quest Builders - $27.99 (30% off)

Full Throttle Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Day of the Tentacle Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Grim Fandango Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Axiom Verge - $9.99 (50% off)

Crypt of the NecroDancer - $4.49 (70% off)

Mega Man Legends 2 - $3.99 (60% off)

Final Fantasy VIII - $5.99 (40% off)

Chrono Trigger - $5.99 (40% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation Vita Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Space Overlords - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Weekend Console Download Deals for July 6: PlayStation Mid-Year Sale Begins published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

[barbosaasouza]

Weekend Console Download Deals for July 6: PlayStation Mid-Year Sale Begins

The year is halfway over. You can tell, because Shacknews has already picked our Best Games of the Midyear. But you can also tell because PlayStation is holding a massive Mid-Year Sale. This deal offers up dozens of AAA and upper-tier games on sale for PS4, PS3, and Vita.

Elsewhere, Xbox is celebrating anime and also offering up some of the top indie family games. And Nintendo is offering up some of the best Shin Megami Tensei games on 3DS.

On top of that, the monthly freebies have rotated out, so be sure to double-check what's coming in for Games with Gold and PlayStation Plus.

Here's our selection of this weekend's console deals:

Xbox One

The following games are a part of Xbox One Games with Gold/Deals with Gold. An Xbox Live Gold Subscription is required to receive these discounts.

Assault Android Cactus - FREE!

Smite - FREE!

EA Sports UFC 3 ICON Edition - $38.49 (45% off)

Forza Motorsport 6 VIP - $5.00 (75% off)

Has-Been Heroes - $5.00 (75% off)

There are more Xbox One games on sale in this week's Deals with Gold.

The following deals are available to all Xbox One users. Xbox Live Gold members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy - $20.00 (50% off)

Attack on Titan - $35.99 (40% off)

Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 & 2 Combo Pack - $15.00 (50% off)

Anime is on sale all month! Check out the anime and anime-inspired games on sale this week during the Xbox One Anime Month Sale.

Yoku's Island Express - $14.99 (25% off)

A Hat in Time - $20.09 (33% off)

Slime Rancher - $11.99 (40% off)

Armello Deluxe Bundle - $22.50 (50% off)

Celebrate the best in family-friendly indie games with the Xbox One Indie Family Game Sale.

PlayStation 4

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Far Cry 5 - $47.99 (20% off)

Overwatch Legendary Edition - $44.99 (25% off)

Assassin's Creed Origins - $35.99 (40% off)

FIFA 18 - $23.99 (60% off)

For Honor - $25.79 (57% off)

Fallout 4 - $17.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster - $14.99 (40% off)

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - $24.99 (50% off)

Star Wars Battlefront II - $23.99 (60% off)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition - $23.99 (40% off)

Prey - $17.99 (40% off)

Rocket League - $11.99 (40% off)

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands - $25.79 (57% off)

Diablo III: Eternal Collection - $35.99 (40% off)

South Park: The Fractured but Whole - $25.79 (57% off)

Final Fantasy IX - $16.79 (20% off)

DOOM - $15.99 (20% off)

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 - $29.99 (50% off)

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Advanced Edition - $35.99 (40% off)

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection - $25.79 (57% off)

Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood - $23.99 (40% off)

Dragon Age Inquisition GOTY Edition - $13.19 (67% off)

The Order: 1886 - $4.99 (75% off)

BioShock: The Collection - $25.79 (57% off)

Mass Effect Andromeda - $9.89 (67% off)

Infamous: First Light - $7.49 (50% off)

Journey Collector's Edition - $9.99 (60% off)

Titanfall 2 Ultimate Edition - $11.99 (70% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation 4 Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Heavy Rain - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Absolver - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Extreme Exorcism - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Space Overlords - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Fallout Shelter: PlayStation Plus Pack - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Fortnite Battle Royale: PlayStation Plus Celebration Pack 2 - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Nintendo Switch

Mercenary Kings Reloaded - $13.39 (33% off)

Yooka-Laylee - $29.99 (25% off)

Bleed - $4.07 (67% off)

Axiom Verge - $14.99 (25% off)

Sine Mora EX - $11.99 (60% off)

The Jackbox Party Pack 2 - $12.49 (50% off)

Nintendo Wii U

Axiom Verge - $14.99 (25% off)

Trine 2: Director's Cut - $9.99 (50% off)

Trine Enhanced Edition - $7.49 (50% off)

Xbox 360

The following games are a part of Xbox 360 Games with Gold/Deals with Gold. An Xbox Live Gold Subscription is required to receive these discounts.

Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown - FREE!

Boom Boom Rocket - $1.49 (85% off)

Monster Jam Battlegrounds - $1.99 (80% off)

The following deals are available to all Xbox 360 users. Xbox Live Gold users may be eligible for additional discounts.

Dynasty Warriors 8 - $29.99 (50% off)

Mega Man 10 - $3.99 (60% off)

Mega Man 9 - $3.99 (60% off)

Anime is on sale all month! Check out the anime and anime-inspired games on sale this week during the Xbox 360 Anime Month Sale.

PlayStation 3

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

The Last of Us - $5.99 (40% off)

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition - $14.99 (50% off)

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition - $11.99 (60% off)

Red Dead Redemption - $11.99 (60% off)

Midnight Club Los Angeles Complete Edition - $7.99 (60% off)

Yakuza 5 - $20.99 (30% off)

Guacamelee! Bundle Fantastico - $11.99 (40% off)

Flower - $2.79 (60% off)

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII - $11.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy VII - $5.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy Origins - $5.99 (40% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation 3 Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Rayman 3 HD - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Extreme Exorcism - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Nintendo 3DS

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth - $14.99 (25% off)

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker - $14.99 (25% off)

Etrian Mystery Dungeon - $14.99 (25% off)

Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars - $7.99 (60% off)

Shin Megami Tensei IV - $11.99 (40% off)

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers - $14.99 (25% off)

Citizens of Earth - $4.49 (67% off)

PlayStation Vita

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Dragon Quest Builders - $27.99 (30% off)

Full Throttle Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Day of the Tentacle Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Grim Fandango Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Axiom Verge - $9.99 (50% off)

Crypt of the NecroDancer - $4.49 (70% off)

Mega Man Legends 2 - $3.99 (60% off)

Final Fantasy VIII - $5.99 (40% off)

Chrono Trigger - $5.99 (40% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation Vita Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Space Overlords - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Weekend Console Download Deals for July 6: PlayStation Mid-Year Sale Begins published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

[barbosaasouza]

Weekend Console Download Deals for July 6: PlayStation Mid-Year Sale Begins

The year is halfway over. You can tell, because Shacknews has already picked our Best Games of the Midyear. But you can also tell because PlayStation is holding a massive Mid-Year Sale. This deal offers up dozens of AAA and upper-tier games on sale for PS4, PS3, and Vita.

Elsewhere, Xbox is celebrating anime and also offering up some of the top indie family games. And Nintendo is offering up some of the best Shin Megami Tensei games on 3DS.

On top of that, the monthly freebies have rotated out, so be sure to double-check what's coming in for Games with Gold and PlayStation Plus.

Here's our selection of this weekend's console deals:

Xbox One

The following games are a part of Xbox One Games with Gold/Deals with Gold. An Xbox Live Gold Subscription is required to receive these discounts.

Assault Android Cactus - FREE!

Smite - FREE!

EA Sports UFC 3 ICON Edition - $38.49 (45% off)

Forza Motorsport 6 VIP - $5.00 (75% off)

Has-Been Heroes - $5.00 (75% off)

There are more Xbox One games on sale in this week's Deals with Gold.

The following deals are available to all Xbox One users. Xbox Live Gold members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy - $20.00 (50% off)

Attack on Titan - $35.99 (40% off)

Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 & 2 Combo Pack - $15.00 (50% off)

Anime is on sale all month! Check out the anime and anime-inspired games on sale this week during the Xbox One Anime Month Sale.

Yoku's Island Express - $14.99 (25% off)

A Hat in Time - $20.09 (33% off)

Slime Rancher - $11.99 (40% off)

Armello Deluxe Bundle - $22.50 (50% off)

Celebrate the best in family-friendly indie games with the Xbox One Indie Family Game Sale.

PlayStation 4

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Far Cry 5 - $47.99 (20% off)

Overwatch Legendary Edition - $44.99 (25% off)

Assassin's Creed Origins - $35.99 (40% off)

FIFA 18 - $23.99 (60% off)

For Honor - $25.79 (57% off)

Fallout 4 - $17.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster - $14.99 (40% off)

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - $24.99 (50% off)

Star Wars Battlefront II - $23.99 (60% off)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition - $23.99 (40% off)

Prey - $17.99 (40% off)

Rocket League - $11.99 (40% off)

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands - $25.79 (57% off)

Diablo III: Eternal Collection - $35.99 (40% off)

South Park: The Fractured but Whole - $25.79 (57% off)

Final Fantasy IX - $16.79 (20% off)

DOOM - $15.99 (20% off)

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 - $29.99 (50% off)

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Advanced Edition - $35.99 (40% off)

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection - $25.79 (57% off)

Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood - $23.99 (40% off)

Dragon Age Inquisition GOTY Edition - $13.19 (67% off)

The Order: 1886 - $4.99 (75% off)

BioShock: The Collection - $25.79 (57% off)

Mass Effect Andromeda - $9.89 (67% off)

Infamous: First Light - $7.49 (50% off)

Journey Collector's Edition - $9.99 (60% off)

Titanfall 2 Ultimate Edition - $11.99 (70% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation 4 Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Heavy Rain - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Absolver - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Extreme Exorcism - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Space Overlords - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Fallout Shelter: PlayStation Plus Pack - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Fortnite Battle Royale: PlayStation Plus Celebration Pack 2 - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Nintendo Switch

Mercenary Kings Reloaded - $13.39 (33% off)

Yooka-Laylee - $29.99 (25% off)

Bleed - $4.07 (67% off)

Axiom Verge - $14.99 (25% off)

Sine Mora EX - $11.99 (60% off)

The Jackbox Party Pack 2 - $12.49 (50% off)

Nintendo Wii U

Axiom Verge - $14.99 (25% off)

Trine 2: Director's Cut - $9.99 (50% off)

Trine Enhanced Edition - $7.49 (50% off)

Xbox 360

The following games are a part of Xbox 360 Games with Gold/Deals with Gold. An Xbox Live Gold Subscription is required to receive these discounts.

Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown - FREE!

Boom Boom Rocket - $1.49 (85% off)

Monster Jam Battlegrounds - $1.99 (80% off)

The following deals are available to all Xbox 360 users. Xbox Live Gold users may be eligible for additional discounts.

Dynasty Warriors 8 - $29.99 (50% off)

Mega Man 10 - $3.99 (60% off)

Mega Man 9 - $3.99 (60% off)

Anime is on sale all month! Check out the anime and anime-inspired games on sale this week during the Xbox 360 Anime Month Sale.

PlayStation 3

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

The Last of Us - $5.99 (40% off)

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition - $14.99 (50% off)

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition - $11.99 (60% off)

Red Dead Redemption - $11.99 (60% off)

Midnight Club Los Angeles Complete Edition - $7.99 (60% off)

Yakuza 5 - $20.99 (30% off)

Guacamelee! Bundle Fantastico - $11.99 (40% off)

Flower - $2.79 (60% off)

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII - $11.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy VII - $5.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy Origins - $5.99 (40% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation 3 Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Rayman 3 HD - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Extreme Exorcism - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Nintendo 3DS

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth - $14.99 (25% off)

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker - $14.99 (25% off)

Etrian Mystery Dungeon - $14.99 (25% off)

Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars - $7.99 (60% off)

Shin Megami Tensei IV - $11.99 (40% off)

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers - $14.99 (25% off)

Citizens of Earth - $4.49 (67% off)

PlayStation Vita

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Dragon Quest Builders - $27.99 (30% off)

Full Throttle Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Day of the Tentacle Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Grim Fandango Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Axiom Verge - $9.99 (50% off)

Crypt of the NecroDancer - $4.49 (70% off)

Mega Man Legends 2 - $3.99 (60% off)

Final Fantasy VIII - $5.99 (40% off)

Chrono Trigger - $5.99 (40% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation Vita Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Space Overlords - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Weekend Console Download Deals for July 6: PlayStation Mid-Year Sale Begins published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

[barbosaasouza]

Weekend Console Download Deals for July 6: PlayStation Mid-Year Sale Begins

The year is halfway over. You can tell, because Shacknews has already picked our Best Games of the Midyear. But you can also tell because PlayStation is holding a massive Mid-Year Sale. This deal offers up dozens of AAA and upper-tier games on sale for PS4, PS3, and Vita.

Elsewhere, Xbox is celebrating anime and also offering up some of the top indie family games. And Nintendo is offering up some of the best Shin Megami Tensei games on 3DS.

On top of that, the monthly freebies have rotated out, so be sure to double-check what's coming in for Games with Gold and PlayStation Plus.

Here's our selection of this weekend's console deals:

Xbox One

The following games are a part of Xbox One Games with Gold/Deals with Gold. An Xbox Live Gold Subscription is required to receive these discounts.

Assault Android Cactus - FREE!

Smite - FREE!

EA Sports UFC 3 ICON Edition - $38.49 (45% off)

Forza Motorsport 6 VIP - $5.00 (75% off)

Has-Been Heroes - $5.00 (75% off)

There are more Xbox One games on sale in this week's Deals with Gold.

The following deals are available to all Xbox One users. Xbox Live Gold members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy - $20.00 (50% off)

Attack on Titan - $35.99 (40% off)

Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 & 2 Combo Pack - $15.00 (50% off)

Anime is on sale all month! Check out the anime and anime-inspired games on sale this week during the Xbox One Anime Month Sale.

Yoku's Island Express - $14.99 (25% off)

A Hat in Time - $20.09 (33% off)

Slime Rancher - $11.99 (40% off)

Armello Deluxe Bundle - $22.50 (50% off)

Celebrate the best in family-friendly indie games with the Xbox One Indie Family Game Sale.

PlayStation 4

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Far Cry 5 - $47.99 (20% off)

Overwatch Legendary Edition - $44.99 (25% off)

Assassin's Creed Origins - $35.99 (40% off)

FIFA 18 - $23.99 (60% off)

For Honor - $25.79 (57% off)

Fallout 4 - $17.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster - $14.99 (40% off)

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - $24.99 (50% off)

Star Wars Battlefront II - $23.99 (60% off)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition - $23.99 (40% off)

Prey - $17.99 (40% off)

Rocket League - $11.99 (40% off)

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands - $25.79 (57% off)

Diablo III: Eternal Collection - $35.99 (40% off)

South Park: The Fractured but Whole - $25.79 (57% off)

Final Fantasy IX - $16.79 (20% off)

DOOM - $15.99 (20% off)

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 - $29.99 (50% off)

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Advanced Edition - $35.99 (40% off)

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection - $25.79 (57% off)

Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood - $23.99 (40% off)

Dragon Age Inquisition GOTY Edition - $13.19 (67% off)

The Order: 1886 - $4.99 (75% off)

BioShock: The Collection - $25.79 (57% off)

Mass Effect Andromeda - $9.89 (67% off)

Infamous: First Light - $7.49 (50% off)

Journey Collector's Edition - $9.99 (60% off)

Titanfall 2 Ultimate Edition - $11.99 (70% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation 4 Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Heavy Rain - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Absolver - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Extreme Exorcism - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Space Overlords - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Fallout Shelter: PlayStation Plus Pack - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Fortnite Battle Royale: PlayStation Plus Celebration Pack 2 - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Nintendo Switch

Mercenary Kings Reloaded - $13.39 (33% off)

Yooka-Laylee - $29.99 (25% off)

Bleed - $4.07 (67% off)

Axiom Verge - $14.99 (25% off)

Sine Mora EX - $11.99 (60% off)

The Jackbox Party Pack 2 - $12.49 (50% off)

Nintendo Wii U

Axiom Verge - $14.99 (25% off)

Trine 2: Director's Cut - $9.99 (50% off)

Trine Enhanced Edition - $7.49 (50% off)

Xbox 360

The following games are a part of Xbox 360 Games with Gold/Deals with Gold. An Xbox Live Gold Subscription is required to receive these discounts.

Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown - FREE!

Boom Boom Rocket - $1.49 (85% off)

Monster Jam Battlegrounds - $1.99 (80% off)

The following deals are available to all Xbox 360 users. Xbox Live Gold users may be eligible for additional discounts.

Dynasty Warriors 8 - $29.99 (50% off)

Mega Man 10 - $3.99 (60% off)

Mega Man 9 - $3.99 (60% off)

Anime is on sale all month! Check out the anime and anime-inspired games on sale this week during the Xbox 360 Anime Month Sale.

PlayStation 3

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

The Last of Us - $5.99 (40% off)

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition - $14.99 (50% off)

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition - $11.99 (60% off)

Red Dead Redemption - $11.99 (60% off)

Midnight Club Los Angeles Complete Edition - $7.99 (60% off)

Yakuza 5 - $20.99 (30% off)

Guacamelee! Bundle Fantastico - $11.99 (40% off)

Flower - $2.79 (60% off)

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII - $11.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy VII - $5.99 (40% off)

Final Fantasy Origins - $5.99 (40% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation 3 Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Rayman 3 HD - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Extreme Exorcism - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Nintendo 3DS

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth - $14.99 (25% off)

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker - $14.99 (25% off)

Etrian Mystery Dungeon - $14.99 (25% off)

Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars - $7.99 (60% off)

Shin Megami Tensei IV - $11.99 (40% off)

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers - $14.99 (25% off)

Citizens of Earth - $4.49 (67% off)

PlayStation Vita

The following deals are available to all users. PlayStation Plus members may be eligible for additional discounts.

Dragon Quest Builders - $27.99 (30% off)

Full Throttle Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Day of the Tentacle Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Grim Fandango Remastered - $5.99 (60% off)

Axiom Verge - $9.99 (50% off)

Crypt of the NecroDancer - $4.49 (70% off)

Mega Man Legends 2 - $3.99 (60% off)

Final Fantasy VIII - $5.99 (40% off)

Chrono Trigger - $5.99 (40% off)

That's a small sample of what's on sale right now! Check out the full list of games in the PlayStation Vita Mid-Year Sale.

The following deals are available only to PlayStation Plus members.

Space Overlords - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma - FREE! for PlayStation Plus

Weekend Console Download Deals for July 6: PlayStation Mid-Year Sale Begins published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/