240°

Long-awaited 'Below' gets gorgeous Xbox One X footage

Below is a top-down roguelike game which focuses on exploration and melee combat. You're tasked with exploring a network of underground areas as you acquire better gear. However, death is permanent and once you're killed, you have to start again.

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DigitalRaptor2241d ago (Edited 2241d ago )

What they've shown previously looks way different (and way better) than this. It's dark... really dark... you can barely see anything and everything is too zoomed out to see what going on in addition to this which makes an already difficult looking game more difficult for no good reason or payoff. The gameplay I saw previously made it look a lot more appealing. This just looks annoying, which is a shame cuz I like Capybara Games.

Interesting to note that this game is self-published. It will be XB1/Steam at first, likely followed by a PS4/Switch ports a few months after launch.

ShottyatLaw2240d ago (Edited 2240d ago )

The perspective looks the same, and has been discussed by the dev a few times now. They used the perspective and zoom as a way to show the scale of the world. What videos have you seen?

The darkness was always there too, but we had not previously seen much of the deeper underground areas (the "below").

Also, they've said it's only timed exclusive since 2013. They've been set to self publish through id@xbox since MS finally changed the old policies against it.

It might take a bit more than a few months to reach the other consoles based on how things have gone in the past, but hopefully it gets there quickly. This one looks really special, and CB deserves the success imo.

DigitalRaptor2240d ago (Edited 2240d ago )

It's every single other demo that has been shown before this one. It's never been shown to be this dark before, not even close.

The perspective alone, I have no issue with. It's combined with it being so dark that you can't see much - that is the problem.

Kiwi662240d ago (Edited 2240d ago )

The game is set underground where it is typically dark so maybe that's the effect they are going for or do you think it should be really bright or something ?

DigitalRaptor2240d ago (Edited 2240d ago )

I would advise you to check out every other demo of this game before this one, and you'll notice what I'm talking about.

The lighting is significantly different. I've been looking forward to this game for a while, and I'm talking about my personal disappointment that the game looks like it could be really frustrating because of how they've chosen to reduce the visibility compared to how it used to look.

coolbeans2240d ago

-"It's every single other demo that has been shown before this one."

So, I decided to do a bit of digging based on these prerequisites.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

You're either exaggerating your rhetoric with "way different" & "way better" or don't really have a clue what you're talking about. I'm not trying to be an a** here, but there's literally no big night&day difference as you suggest from previous gameplay footage (and what I grabbed is from 2 years ago). Sure, it's not hard to spot some side-by-side contrast but not to the point you're personifying.

DigitalRaptor2240d ago (Edited 2240d ago )

The video you posted has a rather wide diameter of light surrounding the main character which makes it clear to see what action is happening. You can see big open stretches of environment due to the lighting. The latest video is so much darker because that diameter has been tightened and shrunk significantly to the degree that I can't make out what is happening more than a couple of inches in any direction, and to me that is way different and way worse and looks like it will be more frustrating.

Now I'm open to it being the case that there are varying degrees of lighting in the game and this is one of the darker sections overall, but the developer of the game came on to ResetEra and clarified that this is a "dark game", and didn't do anything to make those who are concerned about how it's hard to see what's going on any more satisfied. https://www.resetera.com/po...

coolbeans2239d ago

@Digital

I mean...sure there's some disparity in the amount of light present in environments but the way you're categorizing it is still baffling to me. The scale looks relatively the same and it's been intended to be a 'dark' game from the start so...I still don't buy your personification of its changes.

agnosticgamer2240d ago

The game is Xbox Console Exclusive... It will be released for PC as well... No PS4 or Switch versions will come out.

mark_parch2240d ago

@agnosticgamer sorry but that just isn't true, it is 100% releasing on ps4 not 100% on switch but it's possible

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jhoward5852241d ago

I really don't care for this game.

ziggurcat2241d ago

I've been waiting for this game since they announced it, personally.

Saijahn2240d ago

While there's a place for games like this, it's not for me. Where's our god of wars and the last of us at? Strong Narrative and gameplay, adult, gory and dark themes...I want something to get lost in.

Jinger2240d ago

Then go play those games?

Yetter2240d ago

Below is the type of game I get lost in

starrman19852240d ago

You want something to get lost in, in a strong narrative game? Sorry, but youre contradicting yourself there. I am not shunning either of those games but Below looks far more like a game to lose yourself in.

mark_parch2240d ago

@Saijahn God of war comes out in a few weeks and the last of us 2 is releasing next year hopefully. if you only game on xbox i would also recommend getting a ps4 and with regards to below it's a console launch title so will release on other consoles in the future

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Sm00thNinja2240d ago

Looks interesting. A bit dark

OffRoadKing2240d ago

"gorgeous", come on now 95% of its pitch black.

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120°

Is 2K Games actually making FIFA 25, the next “best” entry yet?

FIFA president Gianni Infantino teases the future of FIFA games in a brand-new interview, and NBA 2K24 studio 2K Games might be behind it.

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Cacabunga7h ago(Edited 7h ago)

I truly hope so.. day one buy

Ninver5h ago

Time for a change. Football games haven't evolved much.

Cacabunga4h ago

It’s tough when there is no competition

anast4h ago(Edited 4h ago)

The barber shop and roulette wheel are going to be awesome.

CrimsonWing694h ago(Edited 4h ago)

It’ll be monetized to all hell, regardless

StormSnooper3h ago(Edited 3h ago)

Hmmm, let’s see how they do. If they riddle it with microtransactions, hell no. Otherwise, I’m excited.

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200°

Sorry George Miller, but you’re wrong about the Mad Max game

George Miller expressed dismay toward the 2015 Mad Max game recently, but Avalanche Studios' take on the lore is still so good to this day.

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lelo2play21h ago

Mad Max is a good game... George Miller should STFU.

-Foxtrot16h ago

I think the funny thing is if Kojima made a Mad Max game it would be so trippy and "out there" I don't think it would feel like Mad Max by the time he's done with it. This is why he's better off with original new IPs.

Kojima seems like a buzz word these film directors use because he's probably the only big name they've heard from the gaming industry.

Wretchedstain11h ago

Article is correct in my opinion, Miller is wrong. That Death Stranding II trailer is bonkers, looking forward to that in itself.

And I agree, unless Mr Kojima wants to change his tune, or laughably, be told what to do, you're right, it wouldn't be Mad Max or close.

porkChop11h ago

Yup, Kojima really doesn't suit Mad Max. Avalanche did a great job though. It looked, felt, and played like what I'd expect from a Mad Max game. I really enjoyed my time with it, and the sand storms were handled incredibly well.

TheGamingHounds10h ago

I never played it but the recent buzz around Mad Max has piqued my interest. Will check it out this year for sure

maelstromb10h ago(Edited 10h ago)

MM is not a perfect game by any means as it was held back by lots of repetitious, standard open-world copy and paste missions, but the devs SO perfectly captured the world, atmosphere, lore and brutality. It also just so happens to boast one of THE best photo modes out there and some of the most impressive explosions I've ever seen in a game to date. The car combat is of course another impressive standout, both vicious and fun. MM is a game which I have revisited multiple times since its release, and now having just seen Furiosa, I can feel it calling me back again.

There's a ton to love there, but I think you'll pickup on the areas where the devs struggled likely due to reigning in the scope, budget and time constraints, leading to an incredibly fun, albeit uneven experience. Though, as mentioned, it's absolutely a game worth experiencing once, and I truly hope you enjoy it. The game really does deserve a sequel.

victorMaje8h ago

Word for word. Exactly this. A lot of fun to be had in there. A true Mad Max game. Sequel can’t come soon enough.

gigoran83m ago

and the fact that they originally had an American voice actor until everyone kicked up a big stink about it?

maelstromb10h ago

Honestly, Kojima would do the game justice, but given his studio's current workload, it's a bit far flung. I could much rather see Bend Studios (Days Gone dev) doing a Mad Max follow-up. I'm playing through DG right now for the first time and I see lots of similarities between the games to where imo Bend could develop an impressive MM sequel.

VersusDMC10h ago

While i like the Mad Max game and think it's underrated...i don't know why people are mad at George Miller for not liking the game based on the IP he created. Especially since a lot of people hated it at release as well looking at that 69% metacritic.

-Foxtrot4h ago

I think the issue is the studio was told by higher ups and most likely himself to make something linear yet when they got a first look at it they didn’t like it and wanted something open world

The head guy was basically like “you’ve just hired an open world dev and forced them to do a linear game yet now you want open world which has just wasted a year of development which we could have done from the start”

I think that’s why people are p****** because of the context the lead dev at Avalanche has given us.

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240°

Neil Druckmann clarifies true intent of new Naughty Dog game comments

Following a recent interview with Sony, Naughty Dog head Neil Druckmann claims the original intent was “unfortunately lost” in the process.

just_looken13h ago

He can take dog shit put it in a oven with seasoning then call it waistland cookies the sony fans will pay $40 a cookie give them a medal of cooking.

No mater what trash this sobs puts out/talks about it will sell.

The true fact in the 8 years sense uncharted 4 his first time in the main seat to a point all this "amazing" team did was get 2 dudes to fuck in a van then destroy a franchise they never created.

But being a port studio they are decent at they should keep in there lane at being just that a glorified port studio.

fr0sty12h ago

Salty Bots... gotta love it.

just_looken11h ago

@frosty

Over what? naught dog under his command is a glorified port team tlou2 was mostly tlou 1 asset's with the same game play loop but forced a trans down your throat.

I would gladly help pay for this blight and his team to get removed from gaming in general.

fr0sty9h ago

Seeing a LGBT person exist in a work of fiction isn't "forcing them down your throat". Nobody is forcing you to play it. Nobody is forcing you to agree with it. If you think that just seeing a LGBT person exist is "force", it sounds like they make you very uncomfortable, and maybe you need to be doing some serious reflecting on exactly why... looks to me like you're suppressing something with all that fear.

just_looken8h ago

@fro

When i think of the last of us i think of a group of survivors crossing the apocalypse wasteland with a growing bond between 2 people that end up with Joel making ellie his new daughter.

Then you fire up the 2nd one bang joel is dead oh that comic series? bang dead

Oh you want to continue all that we grew in the first one? na f that toss it in the trash

Now here is a trans woman so strong superboy would blush go out there kill all what made tlou1 then halfway get a forced sex scene that you can not skip between 2 dudes.

The gameplay? just like the first game the combat/backpack system crafting sytem? 0 changes/improvements.

I could go on but lets face it they copy pasted that tlou 1 assets bin a shit ton of times.

There is nothing on the box or the ads or anything before the game that said you would going to spend most of the game controlling a new trans character that has no ties to anything of the first game the only existence was to kill what the first game made.

Oh but hey there is a mp mode coming out before 2022 wait what is that? oh we made it its own game then cancelled it now go but the game again as we port it a few times.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

mkis0076h ago(Edited 6h ago)

What has Straley or Henig released since they left ND? Not a thing! stop scapegoating! Which of them is credited with co-writing a majorly successful show?

just_looken5h ago

@mkis007

You bring up Bruce Straley really? someone that gave us 4 generations of amazing games and was there in the creation of 4 legendary franchises but was tossed in the trash for the pos niel druckmann not 7? years ago

So yeah in those 7? years you right all he has done is get 2 awards one is a game award for a puzzle game he made oh boy right like for fuck sake's all niel has done is one game that was a overhyped fan boy orgasm underneath all that ps jizz was just a typical 5/10 game.

Then you drag Amy Hennig that poor woman was also kicked out then became this century's Brendan Fraser with her sexual misconduct information coming out.

We all know how horrible people are treated behind the scenes she might have been sexual attacked groped or something.

So yeah all she did after was battlefield hardline forspoken now that new marvel 1945 game but hey Brendan Fraser was a great actor till he also said he was sexually attacked just now he is allowed back in no doubt she also had to take a leave of absence out and or was forced out on ice.

Man there are way to many out there that look at niel at the new gaming jesus when all he had done is some work on uncharted 4 then tlou2

Oh also the tvhshow? for real all they did was use stuff from the 2013 game its like saying GOT was a 10/10 but never watching past season 3

-Foxtrot2h ago

@mkis007

That's highly unfair to them both

Amy Hennig got messed around working on projects that got cancelled by the publishers (EA) and then ended up on a awful game (Forspoken) where you had 4 other writers working on it which is just a recipe for disaster. She is now working on Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra. Not her fault she was pushed out of NaughtyDog, something both Nolan North and Richard McGonagle have both said in interviews.

Bruce Straley left after burn out, the rest of the story we don't know and will never know just like what happened with Amy Hennig. He decided to take a break and wasn't sure if he wanted to come back to gaming however he had an idea he wanted to make so he founded Wildflower Interactive, a smaller studio where they are currently working on a new game.

Tacoboto1h ago

@the obvious stain of a commenter

The trans character wasn't Abby. Try playing Part 2 instead of gatekeeping what you think Part 1 was about and meant.

Maybe try watching the show while you're at it, because you're terribly off with your opinion on that too

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Rangerman120821h ago

Glad he clarified it but i'm still somewhat skeptical. Plus, his comments about how Ai will revolutionize storytelling were still pretty iffy.

anast20h ago

No need to bow down, Stan your ground. The AI comments were gross though.

S2Killinit20h ago

Pretty excited as I read these. I just cant wait to see what ND is up to.

Export18h ago

put a chick in it and make her gay !

shadowknight20316h ago

Next they need a diverse couple, and perhaps some climate activists