FiringSquad: How will the events in the comic book be handled in the second game chapter? Will there be an actual real time cow race?
Dan Conners: The cow race was a huge challenge since so many expectations come with it, but I think we nailed it. It was very important to us that this portion of the game feel immersive and exciting, but not have a gameplay mechanic that's foreign to the rest of the game. I won't spoil the surprise. I'm going to let people play it to see what we've done with it.
FiringSquad: What other mini-games or tasks will there be in The Great Cow Race?
Dan Conners: Smiley needs to build a cow suit, Phoney needs to convince the locals to bet on the Mystery Cow, and Fone needs to impress Thorn. There are games to play at the fair, a giant bee to outsmart, rat creatures to get away from, and a really bad love poem to create.
FiringSquad: How will the second chapter improve on the gameplay of the first Bone game chapter?
Dan Conners: It's much less linear this time out. The middle part of the game requires you to switch between the three cousins to solve puzzles, which is kind of a tribute to Day of the Tentacle. It's also more challenging for gamers and there's a lot more to do. We really have taken the feedback to heart in the creation of this game.
FiringSquad: Will there be any visual improvements for The Great Cow Race?
Dan Conners: The game looks better overall, but we're still trying to be as compatible as possible. Our visuals aren't about the latest shaders or normal mapping, but they are about quality art.
FiringSquad: What is the current status of The Great Cow Race and when will it be released?
Dan Conners: It's just about wrapped up. Look for it in the middle of April
FiringSquad:: Is the third Bone chapter in production now and if so how will it be handled?
Dan Conners: We are mulling over the design at this point.
FiringSquad: Telltale Games took a risk with episodic games. Looking back does the team believe that this way of presenting PC games will become more popular among other developers?
Dan Conners: Definitely. The move to episodic games is unavoidable for so many reasons.
FiringSquad: Can you give us a brief update on the Sam and Max game?
Dan Conners: We are currently working on the design.
FiringSquad: Finally is there anything else you wish to say about The Great Cow Race and Telltale in general?
Dan Conners: The Great Cow Race is a very cool game. We've listened to gamer feedback and responded. The Bone story takes a big step forward, as well. I think after playing The Great Cow Race, people will really start to understand the benefits of this model. Regarding Telltale, we're going to continue to build unique games that aren't the same old thing. We appreciate the support and feedback we've received from the gaming community and vow to keep improving.
Batman: Arkham City PC Review Batman: Arkham City is the sequel to 2009’s smash-hit action game Batman: Arkham Asylum. As the name suggests, you will be reprising your role as the Caped Crusader and going against an even larger 'prison' filled with Gotham's criminals and villains. A textbook example on how to do a proper sequel, Arkham City takes what worked in the original, excised or improved upon what didn’t, and elevated everything to an even greater scope. The PC version suffered from a few months of delay, but in that time, Rocksteady worked closely to NVIDIA to implement some familiar technologies from the last game, such as PhysX and 3D Vision, along with new DirectX 11 optimizations. But how well was the whole package executed? Read on to find out!
Saints Row: The Third PC Review Saints Row is one of most unique series of games to build upon the open-world action template forged by Grand Theft Auto, and has met with plenty of critical and commercial success since it began on consoles back in 2006. This latest iteration, titled Saints Row: The Third promises the most outlandish fun and freedom of customization of them all, and in a much more PC-friendly package than its predecessor. Does it live up to those expectations and, more importantly, is it worth the price of admission? Find out in Will's latest review!
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim PC Review The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is Bethesda Softworks’ latest offering in their series of epic fantasy RPGs, as well as one of the most highly-anticipated PC titles of 2011. As the Dovahkiin, or Dragonborn, prepare to take the fight to the mythical beasts that have returned to the realm after centuries of slumber, all the while exploring a huge and highly-detailed open world.
The PC version of the game promises enhanced graphical fidelity, standard RPG trimmings such as hotkeys and quick-save, as well as unbridled mod support, something we’ll all be thankful for once they release that SDK. Skyrim has already sold millions of copies and set records for play-time on Steam... Find out why in today's review, which happens to be one of the biggest and most in-depth articles on the subject out there!
L.A. Noire Complete Edition PC Review L.A. Noire, as the name clearly states, is a video game built on the tropes of one of the greatest periods of American cinema: film noir. Developed by the now defunct Australian developer Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games, this title has been out on consoles for a full six months before finally making its way to the PC. This “Complete Edition” of the game features improved graphics, keyboard/mouse controls, and every bit of previously-released DLC for free. But was it truly worth the wait? Read on and find out!
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Xbox 360 Review
The self-appointed "most anticipated game in history" launched worldwide this past Tuesday. Why, it's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, of course (of course), what else? Unsurprisingly, the military FPS debate between this and Battlefield 3 rages on, but now that both have been released, surely we can take a look and objectively evaluate them both? Luke's taken the Xbox version of MW3 for a spin this week, so to find out what he thinks of it in today's review!
Stronghold 3 Review
The latest sequel in the long-running real-time strategy franchise from FireFly Studios, Stronghold 3 is all about building your dream castle and defending it against sieging enemies. Almost exactly one decade after the first game was released, this new title promises a return to the classic and well-received gameplay that has been strayed so far from in more recent iterations. Does it live up to those expectations? Will (AKA Synchronous Failure) tells us all about it in his first official FiringSquad review, so read on!
Battlefield 3 PC Review - Single-player Impressions
One of the most highly-anticipated PC games of the year is upon us; Battlefield 3 is now available in North America! EA/DICE have finally delivered a sequel to the core Battlefield franchise, a proper follow-up to BF2. Having played through the game's single-player campaign already, ahead of the multiplayer festivities kicking off around midnight, I figured I'd share my impressions ASAP. Is it really a worthy addition to the core Battlefield series, or just another bullet point on the back of the box? Read on and find out!
Wrecked: Revenge Revisited Supersonic Software Interview
Following up on our hands-on preview from earlier this month, here's an interview with Supersonic Software, creators of Wrecked: Revenge Revisited. The game's coming out on XBLA and PSN in a matter of weeks, but for now, Luke chats with the developer about its predecessors Mashed and Micro Machines, how difficult it can be to get an indie game published, the closure of Codemasters' Guildford branch, and more!
Orcs Must Die! PC Review Orcs Must Die! is the first release from an independent developer named Robot Entertainment. Fans of classic real-time strategy games may have heard that name before, as the outfit is comprised of many veterans from Ensemble Studios, creators of the Age of Empires series.
Equal parts action and strategy, this is a tower defense game that not only puts you in command, but on the front lines of combat, as well. Slaughter thousands of orcs, ogres and other vile creatures of fantasy that invade your fortresses through 24 levels of the story-based campaign. With high levels of replayability thanks to its scoring and leaderboard functionality, multiple difficulty levels, and various styles of play, it sounds a steal at only $15. Does it deliver on all that’s promised, though? Read on and find out!
Wrecked: Revenge Revisited Hands-on Preview
FiringSquad’s new correspondent from across the pond, Luke Kaile, takes us hands-on with Supersonic Software’s upcoming downloadable racing combat game Wrecked: Revenge Revisited. Coming soon to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, this charming 4-player free-for-all is the spiritual successor to cult classic Mashed, released seven years ago for PC, PS2, and Xbox.