Schlagwort: bithell games

  • What Would Flynn Do? Making Disney’s Tron: Catalyst the Right Way

    What Would Flynn Do? Making Disney’s Tron: Catalyst the Right Way

    Reading Time: 6 minutes

    What Would Flynn Do? Making Disney’s Tron: Catalyst the Right Way

    • Mike Bithell Creative Director, Tron: Catalyst

    Tron: Catalyst Hero image

    Disney’s ‘Tron’ is a movie steeped in the history and culture of video games. It is, and I say this without hyperbole, a film as important to arcade culture of the ’80s as any game was. It set a tone, it created or popularized a lot of computer terminology, and it gave us the first pop culture image of a game designer: Kevin Flynn.

    Kevin Flynn was cool. Kevin Flynn made badass games and fought the man to maintain his rights to them (seriously, more of that film than you remember is concerned with copyright and IP ownership). He annihilated games in the arcade in front of throngs of fans – oh, and he owned the arcade in which he did so. He was an icon. And I wanted so very much to be him when I grew up.

    I’ve had thirty-nine years on this earth. I’ve played games, and I’ve made games. For macroeconomic reasons I do not own an arcade, but I did get to build an amazing team of creatives and work with them to bring you Disney’s Tron: Catalyst, which was released on Xbox this week.

    Tron: Catalyst is a celebration of the Tron franchise, but even more than that, it is a celebration of games. One mantra was repeated more than any other on the team: “This is a world created by a game designer”. We let that north star guide us to Vertical Slice, a city with game design built into its very source code.

    I don’t want to give away all the game’s secrets, but an early one is the glitch loop. You’ll get caught in, and control, a time loop. Doing so lets you relive the events you’ve encountered, making changes, finding new paths and messing with the rules. It’s like playing a game where god mode is the default. Because of course it is, this is a world created by a game designer.

    Tron: Catalyst Screenshot

    We also have some fun with your expectations of a game set in the world of these beloved films. You won’t make it out of this game without being sent on an escort mission or engaging in a little out-of-nowhere stealth. I grew up playing that magical subset of licensed games which used the verbs and settings of film worlds to create truly original and interesting games. I wanted this game to have perfect Light Cycle control, I wanted it to give me full access to Disc-based combat, and yes, I wanted to kick that Disc out of the air and back at enemies whenever it made strategic sense (and often when it didn’t).

    Tron: Catalyst also tells a new story. If you’re a fan of Tron: Identity and the Tron films, you’re going to find a lot of familiar threads and themes weaved in and expanded on. If you’re new to the Arq Grid, then we’ve built the game to immerse you in the rich culture and politics which define it. A handy codex lets you research any topic that comes up too. What does a society of AI programs left to their own devices for thousands of cycles evolve into? And what do they think of us? As Flynn would say, “Bio-digital jazz, man.”

    Tron: Catalyst Screenshot

    I hope you dig our game. I’ve been designing it in my head since the 1980s, and I’ve been building the team to make it since the 2010s. We’ve worked hard, alongside our friends at Disney and Pixar Games and Big Fan Games, to craft a compelling, engaging game which immerses you into a neon world like no other. I hope you enjoy its stories, its characters, and its opportunities for Light Cycle combat. I can say with absolute certainty that we made the game we wanted to.

    We did it because Flynn would.

    TRON: Catalyst

    TRON: Catalyst

    Big Fan Games

    ☆☆☆☆☆ 5
    ★★★★★

    $24.99
    Get it now

    TRON: Catalyst pulls you back into the world of Disney’s TRON to battle multiple opposing factions in the latest imaginative story from Bithell Games (Thomas Was Alone, Subsurface Circular, TRON: Identity). TRON: Catalyst is an all-new story-driven, isometric action adventure game, set in the immersive and diverse locations of the Arq Grid introduced in TRON: Identity. Play as Exo, a highly resilient and resourceful program wielding an unexpected power known as the Glitch, gaining strength and abilities which the overlords of the Arq Grid’s crumbling society seek to bring under control. Ride Light Cycles, engage in Identity Disc combat, and more as you’re relentlessly pursued through the city and beyond by Conn, a malevolent program with an agenda of his own, while uncovering more about the glitches that threaten the stability of this world. FEATURES Dynamic Combat System
    Battle a legion of fearsome enemy programs in melee and ranged combat, both on-foot and while riding a Light Cycle. Master advanced techniques like parrying and Disc kicks to gain the upper hand, while exploring the Arq Grid and collecting Data Shards to upgrade your code base with new abilities. Immersive New Story Dive into an original TRON storyline. Meet the programs of the Arq Grid, uncover their secrets and fight to survive in a chase across the city and outlands. Playing as Exo, a courier working in this grid’s capital city, your life is turned upside down when a mysterious package explodes, granting you powers beyond any program’s normal function. With the Arq Grid’s ruthless ‘peacekeepers’ in hot pursuit, you’ll unlock the mysteries of this grid, and learn what kind of hero it needs you to become. Exploit The Glitch
    The Arq Grid is losing stability. Glitches roll back the clock, catching the world in a series of system level time loops… and only you can see them. Utilize Exo’s unique ability to uncover secret areas and shortcuts, and influence the factions jostling for control over the Arq Grid. Authentic World of TRON
    Explore the neon-lit streets of the Arq Grid on foot or Light Cycle, and navigate your way through the intriguing – often dangerous – characters that inhabit this high-stakes world. Travel through a diverse Grid filled with intriguing stories within a budding revolution all set to an immersive soundtrack from composer Dan Le Sac (TRON: Identity). If you’re a fan of Disney’s TRON, get ready to step into the universe you love like never before. If you’re new to this story, prepare for a thrilling adventure. Now… Finish the Game."

    The post What Would Flynn Do? Making Disney’s Tron: Catalyst the Right Way appeared first on Xbox Wire.

    Website: LINK

  • Become The Baba Yaga in John Wick Hex, Out May 5 on PS4

    Become The Baba Yaga in John Wick Hex, Out May 5 on PS4

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    “They let us make a John Wick game.”

    That thought still hits me every couple of days. Lionsgate, Thunder Road Pictures and a bunch of film makers let me and my team re-imagine their fantastic film franchise as a game, and go some odd places with it. But more than just letting us, Lionsgate and Thunder Road Pictures encouraged us to be brave with the source material, along with our choice of genre.

    Let’s talk about genre. John Wick Hex is a ‘timeline strategy’ game, meaning it’s a game where you take control of Wick’s second to second decision making, but crucially, it’s not turn based, it’s time based. Actions take a specific amount of time to perform, so as you play, you’ll need to time your performance around that of your enemies. It’s a dance, choreography. Fight choreography specifically. And it’s fight choreography informed by the action team behind the John Wick movies, so your action will follow the rules and challenge of what you’ve seen in the films. Indeed, in playtesting, we found that players who were fans of the movies actually play better, so re-watching the trilogy between now and our launch might be a good idea! Chad Stahelski was editing John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum while giving me feedback on our mechanics, he’s a multitasker. A multitasker with lots of great opinions we’ve worked into our design throughout development.

    Bringing the game to PlayStation has been a lot of fun. The fine people at Ant Workshop have collaborated with the game’s original creators to create a version of the game redesigned from the ground up to put Wick’s skills at your thumb-tips. The game just feels right on DualShock 4, in a way that surprised even us. You’ll hit a speed and grace as you play strategically which is surprising and rewarding, and you’ll need to if you want to grab every Trophy on offer.

    This is a game which will serve well as an introduction to the strategy genre, if you’ve always wanted to play one but been too afraid to try. At the same time, it’s a game which rewards the new skills strategy veterans will be developing as you go, and as I said, some of those top tier Trophies are going to take some work. If you already love John Wick, this is a new adventure with the voice talents of Ian McShane and Lance Reddick reprising their roles from the movies, joined by the ever awesome Troy Baker as our new villain, Hex. As you’ll see in the new PlayStation trailer, there is a whole new rogue’s gallery between you and your final standoff with Hex. If you’re new to John Wick, wow, am I excited for you to see the movies, but you’re safe to experience the game first. The fanboy in me wants you to immediately go and watch the movies though.

    I am so hyped for you to play. I’d love to see you get inside John Wick’s head — it’s time to put things right. Working on this game was an amazing opportunity for us, and I hope you dig our weird approach to capturing the action of the series.

    Website: LINK

  • Become The Baba Yaga in John Wick Hex, Out May 5 on PS4

    Become The Baba Yaga in John Wick Hex, Out May 5 on PS4

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    “They let us make a John Wick game.”

    That thought still hits me every couple of days. Lionsgate, Thunder Road Pictures and a bunch of film makers let me and my team re-imagine their fantastic film franchise as a game, and go some odd places with it. But more than just letting us, Lionsgate and Thunder Road Pictures encouraged us to be brave with the source material, along with our choice of genre.

    Let’s talk about genre. John Wick Hex is a ‘timeline strategy’ game, meaning it’s a game where you take control of Wick’s second to second decision making, but crucially, it’s not turn based, it’s time based. Actions take a specific amount of time to perform, so as you play, you’ll need to time your performance around that of your enemies. It’s a dance, choreography. Fight choreography specifically. And it’s fight choreography informed by the action team behind the John Wick movies, so your action will follow the rules and challenge of what you’ve seen in the films. Indeed, in playtesting, we found that players who were fans of the movies actually play better, so re-watching the trilogy between now and our launch might be a good idea! Chad Stahelski was editing John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum while giving me feedback on our mechanics, he’s a multitasker. A multitasker with lots of great opinions we’ve worked into our design throughout development.

    Bringing the game to PlayStation has been a lot of fun. The fine people at Ant Workshop have collaborated with the game’s original creators to create a version of the game redesigned from the ground up to put Wick’s skills at your thumb-tips. The game just feels right on DualShock 4, in a way that surprised even us. You’ll hit a speed and grace as you play strategically which is surprising and rewarding, and you’ll need to if you want to grab every Trophy on offer.

    This is a game which will serve well as an introduction to the strategy genre, if you’ve always wanted to play one but been too afraid to try. At the same time, it’s a game which rewards the new skills strategy veterans will be developing as you go, and as I said, some of those top tier Trophies are going to take some work. If you already love John Wick, this is a new adventure with the voice talents of Ian McShane and Lance Reddick reprising their roles from the movies, joined by the ever awesome Troy Baker as our new villain, Hex. As you’ll see in the new PlayStation trailer, there is a whole new rogue’s gallery between you and your final standoff with Hex. If you’re new to John Wick, wow, am I excited for you to see the movies, but you’re safe to experience the game first. The fanboy in me wants you to immediately go and watch the movies though.

    I am so hyped for you to play. I’d love to see you get inside John Wick’s head — it’s time to put things right. Working on this game was an amazing opportunity for us, and I hope you dig our weird approach to capturing the action of the series.

    Website: LINK