Pop Culture

Reboot: This Week In Games: "Call of Duty" Space Marines, "GTAV" Map Explained and Riot Game's PSA

Gaming is complex, catch up.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Gaming is complex, so catch up each week with the short and dirty in Reboot: This Week In Games.

This week we take a look the wealth of information being released - and leaked - about Grand Theft Auto V as well as the upcoming Call of Duty: Ghosts. COD also unveiled its single player campaign trailer highlighting space marines and flying attack dogs.

We will also peak at some upcoming goodies like Microsoft's plans to bring Cortana to a Windows phone near you so our lives can now sound like Halo. Check out the interesting prospects of Child of Lights and Valiant Hearts, both non-indie but indie-looking potential all-stars.

RELATED: Reboot: This Week In Games: Xbox One Release, "Enemy Within" Teaser and "GTAV" Gang News

RELATED: Reboot: This Week In Games: A Realm Reborn, "GTAV" Lives the Tangerine Dream and Nintendo Goes 2DS

RELATED: Reboot: This Week In Games: The "Destiny" of "The Bureau" and "Titanfall

We know how you feel Abrams.

Microsoft’s upcoming personal assistant app for Windows phones is codenamed “Cortana”. Yes, that Cortana. The inextricably sexy hologram AI from Bungie’s Halo series will possibly be making an appearance as the updated version of Windows’ TellMe speech recognition technology for mobile, going head-to-head with Apple’s Siri and Google Now.

A new gaming system dropped earlier ths week and it's as last-gen as possible. TheRetro5 N system from Hyperkin is compatibale with Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy Advanced cartridges. In addition, the console also works with Famicom, Mega Drive, Game Boy, and Game Boy color giving even more options for gamers. The package, which is now available for pre-order on Amazon, includes a wireless bluetooth controller and all the required ports.

In other news JJ Abrams spoke out about being "emotionally hurt" over how the last Star Trek video game was produced, or not. The game was half-baked and boring, earning it universal ire.

"To me the video game could have been something that actually really benefited the series and was an exciting, fun game with great gameplay, and instead it was not and was something that I think, for me emotionally it hurt, 'cos we were working our asses off making the movie and then this game came out and it got, this isn't even my opinion, it got universally panned and I think that it was something without question that didn't help the movie and arguably hurt it."

Advertisement

Don't riot and win.

Rage in online games is just part of the experience. But as the makers of League of Legends, Riot Games, has shown in this cute little PSA, it can cost you. Besides, who wants to ruin their own game by screwing up there team? Riot did a little research and found that team infighting results in defeat.

Valve has announced a new program called Steam Family Sharing. Allowing sharing of games among 10 Steam accounts, as long as they’re not playing the games at the same time.

"Our customers have expressed a desire to share their digital games among friends and family members, just as current retail games, books, DVDs, and other physical media can be shared. Family Sharing was created in direct response to these user requests."

In other money-saving news, the Humble Indie Bundle 9 dropped earlier this week. The pay-what-you-want distribution platform offers a huge amount of content in many different genres. he latest bundle gives PC, Mac, and Linux users the action/puzzle platformer Trine 2: Complete Story, 2D side-scroller Mark of the Ninja, puzzle game beta Eets Munchies, and the rock-oriented RTS Brutal Legend. All for a $4.41 average going price. As an added bonus you can pay more than the meager average price and unlock award-winning space strategy game FTL: Faster Than Light and the critically acclaimed puzzle platformer FEZ.

Be Valiant.

Ubisoft has revealed a new game created in their indie-like UbiArt Framework, Valiant Hearts: The Great War. A game that was based in part around the real-world war correspondents from Felix Chazal, a French solider and great-grandfather to Yoan Fanise, one of the developers.

Another game using UbiArt Framework is "Child of Light." One of the most interesting features of Child of Light is that it's made with families in mind. The game's main character, a young princess, goes on an epic adventure through strange worlds, fighting monsters in a coming-of-age story. A second player can also help playing as Nicholas, a spark of light, that can used to help the main character in both solving puzzles and in battle.

Games of Thrones has been poorly represented in video game form in the past but now we get an 8-bit classic NES styled platformer that has everything we love about the series. It's got stabbings, dire wolves, white-haired freaks and lots of dying. Spanish artist Abel Alves created the game using Arcade Game Studio.

Another interesting indie game announced this week is The Stanley Parable. Watch the trailer, then go about your day and try not to think about it. Can't be done! The game is exactly what the name says, a parable of the life of an office worker venturing forth from his secure, womb-like office into the great corridors and stairwells beyond.

Advertisement

So close yet so far away.

Grand Theft Auto V drops in just two days on September 17 and as such new info is coming out daily. So let’s wrap-up a little of what we learned this week. Rockstar released details of new characters in the game ranging from yoga housewives to Juggalo intellectuals.

GTAV's map was leaked earlier this week to which Rockstar offered a comparison to take into account its size compared it's other titles.


  • GTA III = 3 sq. mi.


  • GTA: Vice City = 3.5 sq. mi.


  • GTA: San Andreas = 13.6 sq. mi.


  • GTA IV = 6.8 sq. mi.


  • Red Dead Redemption = 12 sq. mi.


  • GTA V = 49 sq. mi.

This may be one of the contributing factors to make Grand Theft Auto V the most expensive game ever made. Rockstar reportedly put out roughly $265 million in combined production and marketing budget.

Another part of which is surely the huge online component GTA will have. Game Informer released a huge list of details about the online features giving details of how character creation works - by selecting lifestyle choices to determine skills - as well as the quick and dirty on how missions as wide ranging as corner store robberies to elaborate heists will be conducted. We also get some details about how players will spend their free time in GTAV Online, you know, when you're not robbing or shooting things you can just hang out with your cars.

All things Call of Duty

Infinity Ward released the trailer for the Call of Duty: Ghosts single player campaign this week. What's in store? A whole new world filled with new enemies and epic set-pieces, including space stations and possible the earliest historical depiction of space marines in a video game. A dystopian America where attack dogs take down helicopters! Not to mention the touchy feely family story of the life of stabbin' and shootin' for the red white and blue.

Eminem and Call of Duty: Ghosts are teaming up to offer fans a deal when both are released November 5. Ghosts and Eminem's new album drop on the day, fans of both can get a deal when they pre-order their launch copy of Call of Duty: Ghosts they will also receive a code to download a special edition of Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2 featuring a special bonus track for $8.99.

Cod's developers also released a few more details about features of the game. They have reworked the sniping systems in the COD yet only gave few additional details. Producer Mark Rubin explained:

"...In re-envisioning sniper rifles some aspects, such as sway timing, have changed the way sniper rifles function and so traditional 'quick-scoping' has been affected. Is it gone completely? Maybe. It certainly won’t be viable in the way it previously was."

Advertisement

Stay ahead on Exclusives

Download the Complex App