Arkham Origins moved development away from series creators Rocksteady Studios, and is written by Corey May and Dooma Wendschuh. The game's main storyline is set five years before that of 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum and follows a younger and less refined Batman who has a bounty placed on his head by crime lord Black Mask, drawing eight of the world's greatest assassins to Gotham City on Christmas Eve. The game is presented from the third-person perspective with a primary focus on Batman's combat and stealth abilities, detective skills, and gadgets that can be used in both combat and exploration. Arkham Origins is the first game in the series to feature multiplayer gameplay.
A companion game, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, is scheduled for release alongside Arkham Origins for Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita. A spin-off game of the same name for iOS and Android platforms is scheduled for release in late 2013.
Gameplay
Arkham Origins will feature similar gameplay to its predecessors. New gadgets to the Batman: Arkham series include: the Remote Claw, which allows Batman to target two objects and pull them together allowing him to knock enemies together or hit them with objects, while tethering two walled-points together creates a tightrope that Batman can traverse; the Shock Gloves, which allow Batman to block electric attacks, instantly disable some enemies and stun shielded ones, and short circuit some objects within the environment; and the Concussion Detonator, capable of stunning large enemy groups. Some gadgets from the previous games return in Arkham Origins, including: the Cryptographic Sequencer, which is used for hacking security consoles; the Batarang, a throwing weapon; the Batclaw, used for hooking on to surfaces; Smoke Pellets, used for stealthy exits and entries; Explosive Gel; the Disruptor, which can remotely disable guns and explosive mines; and the Grapnel Accelerator, an earlier version of the "Grapnel Boost".
The game introduces a fast travel system, allowing Batman to remotely summon his plane, the Batwing, to transport him to other areas of the game world quicker than gliding or grappling can allow. Enemy tower installations prevent Batman from summoning the craft in some areas and must first be disabled using various gadgets and abilities to make the Batwing available; the Batwing is not player controlled.Some towers can only be disabled when the player has obtained the necessary equipment.Players can traverse enemy-controlled areas using stealth or direct combat. Enemy attacks are prompted with a warning icon, which indicate the attack can be countered. Combat introduces a tracking system which assesses the players' efficiency, highlighting various achievements in battle such as avoiding damage and using gadgets. Combined with chaining attacks together, the performance is rewarded with experience points. These points can be used in a branching upgrade system to enhance Batman's abilities and gadgets, allowing players to upgrade multiple paths or specialize in one. The game introduces two new enemy types: the "Martial-Artist" who is capable of blocking, evading and countering Batman's attacks, and the "Armored Enforcer" who is invulnerable to harm until he is dazed and de-armored. Some enemies are armed with guns which significantly damage Batman. The player can use predatory tactics through stealth to tilt the odds in their favor. Many areas feature stone gargoyles placed high above, helping Batman remain concealed in between movements to set traps and knock out enemies.
Arkham Origins offers side missions including: "Crime in Progress", where Batman can assist the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) to improve his reputation by accomplishing tasks such as rescuing police officers from a gang or preventing an informant being thrown to his death; "Most Wanted" allows Batman to pursue villains outside of the main story such as Anarky, who plants bombs around city. The Dark Knight system offers tasks of escalating difficulty that promote improvement in stealth and combat. Additionally, Batman's radio scanner also allows him to locate side missions. Completed side missions are rewarded with experience points and upgrades to Batman's equipment.
The game features an emphasis on Batman's detective skills: Batman can scan a crime scene using his "Detective Vision" (displayed in first-person perspective) to highlight points of interest and holograms act out theoretical scenarios of the crime that occurred. The crimes can be reviewed on the Batcomputer in the Batcave at will, allowing the player to view virtual recreations of the scene from different angles with the ability to move back and forth through the timeline of the crime, view it in slow motion, or pause it while looking for clues to advance and solve the crime. Small and large crime scenes are spread out over Gotham City.For example, reviewing the downing of a helicopter, Batman is presented with false and accurate clues; investigation of the scene can reveal that the helicopter was shot, allowing Batman to trace the bullet's trajectory to a murdered police officer and another crime scene. Once a crime is solved, the player is shown a Batman-narrated rundown of the crime. The Batcave also serves as a hub where Batman is able to change costumes, upgrade his equipment, and access challenge maps to practice combat - these maps were accessed separately from the main game in previous installments. Collectible objects will also be returning, in similar style to the "Riddler challenges" of previous games. A "1 vs. 100" mode tasks the player with surviving in combat against 100 increasingly difficult enemies. After completing the story mode, a "New Game Plus" mode is unlocked enabling the player to replay the game with all of the gadgets, experience, and abilities that they have attained; enemies are tougher and the on-screen icon that warns players of imminent attacks is disabled. Completing "New Game Plus" unlocks "I Am the Night" mode, in which the game ends if Batman dies.
Watch Dogs is an upcoming action-adventure stealth video game set in an open world environment. It will be developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, WiiU, XBox 360 and XBox One. Watch Dogs centers on the player's ability to hack into various electronic systems, either to obtain and control information or to destroy those devices completely at specific times. The game was first unveiled during Ubisoft's press conference at E3 2012 and will be released worldwide in November 2013.
Gameplay
Watch Dogs is an open world action-adventure stealth video game in which players control a vigilante named Aiden Pearce (voiced by Noam Jenkins), who can hack into various electronic devices tied to the city's central operating system (ctOS), allowing various methods for the player to solve numerous objectives.Examples include hacking into people's phones to retrieve bank data and steal funds, triggering malfunctions in equipment to distract other characters and hacking into traffic lights to cause collisions. Players can also receive information on civilians via augmented reality feeds, providing the player with information on demographics, health and potential behaviour. Objectives showcased in presentations include finding specific targets to kill, evading the police and following potential victims in order to stop their would-be killers. Combat utilizes a combination of stealth components and parkour, along with the mechanics of a cover-based third-person shooter.
The game features an elusive online multiplayer element. The "multiplayer" experience is a one-on-one interaction between two human characters in which one player seamlessly and secretly joins the single player experience of another player.The first player (which entered the other player's world) is tasked with finding the second player (which is initially unaware that another human is in their game session - no notification is given to the second player). Once the first player finds the second player the objective is updated. The first player's new objective involves installing a back door virus into the second player's smartphone, then hiding while that virus siphons off a portion of the data the second player has collected. This stolen information increases the first player's power once they return to their own single player session. The second player must stay within a certain radius of the first player for the download to progress. Once the download is initiated by the first player the second player is alerted that they have been hacked and that data is being stolen from their smartphone. Once the second player has been alerted of the intrusion their objective is to 1) locate the first player who is stealing their data, and 2) either kill the first player or cause the first player to flee to such a distance that the download is halted (a certain minimum distance must be maintained for the download to progress). It is unclear how long the first player must remain within range of the second player for the download to be successful. In all gameplay released by Ubisoft so far the hacks have been unsuccessful. In one gameplay video there are two hacking attempts. In the first attempt the first player successfully flees once they are identified by the second player (causing the download to fail). In the second attempt the first player is again identified by the second player, but the first player lures the second player into an alley where a gunfight ensues, ultimately resulting in the first player (the hacker) killing the second player (the hackee). A successful hack will give the hacker "a portion of information that you will gather through the game"; it is unclear exactly what is gained.
Grand Theft Auto V has broken seven Guinness World Records, including the fastest entertainment property to gross $1 billion.
The latest entry in Rockstar Games' open-world series took over $1 billion in revenue within three days of its launch on September 17, and has now overtaken the lifetime sales of Grand Theft Auto IV in the UK within three weeks of release.
Previous holders of the records were entries in the Call of Duty series, and movies The Avengers and Avatar.
"Gaming is no longer a niche hobby, as GTA 5 has proved, and how exciting that it's taken on the might of Hollywood and won! I'm also doubly proud as a Dundonian to welcome this home-grown series back into the Guinness World Records book,” said Guinness World Records editor-in-chief Craig Glenday in a statement.
Last night the Guinness World Records claimed that Grand Theft Auto V sold 11.2 million copies in its first day on sale, but Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive would not verify the report.
The full list of records claimed by Grand Theft Auto V:
1. Best-selling action-adventure videogame in 24 hours
2. Best-selling videogame in 24 hours
3. Fastest entertainment property to gross $1 billion
4. Fastest videogame to gross $1 billion
5. Highest grossing videogame in 24 hours
6. Highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours
7. Most viewed trailer for an action-adventure videogame
While GTA Online is a massively multiplayer online game, you actually only play with 15 other people at any given time. It features pretty much the same open world as the single-player version, and you’re free to roam wherever you want. However, specific missions and activities are instanced – ie, you get put into an area where only you and whichever other players you’ve grouped up with directly can see each other.
While you’re wandering around the open world, you’re fair game for other players, so stay on your toes. If you want to play Online solo, load the story mode, and simply select GTA Online from the menu as “invite only.” Playing solo does limit your character’s development somewhat; the best way to play is to hook up with other players as soon as possible and spawn whatever instanced activity you’re interested in. That way you can keep out of the way of griefers, and simply concentrate on completing missions and having fun.
There are measures in place to discourage players from constantly killing other players, but the reality is, if someone wants to be an ass, they will. So when you’re in free roam, watch out for stuff like getting sniped the moment you exit a hospital after being killed. Cars can also be booby-trapped, so treat tempting-looking vehicles with caution and look closely at how they’re parked. If it doesn’t feel right, move on. 1
To get the most out of GTA V, you need friends to work with. Take the initiative and invite people to join you. Most of the time, people are happier to work together than waste money and time fighting each other.
What to do when you arrive in GTA Online
Watch for white dots
They’re the other players you’re sharing your server with. If you see one approaching you at speed, get ready. They might just be fleeing for cops, or simply passing through on their way to a job. But they might also be a griefer out for blood, so find cover, pull out your gun and stay frosty until you know what’s up. One thing to remember: most stores and businesses are PvP-free zones, where players can do little else than insult you. So seek refuge if you need to, and sit it out until the person moves on. 1
Find some friends. Or frenemies. Either will do
The best way to play GTA Online is to invite people to join you as a group – or simply wait for someone to initiate a group invite. If the people you’re playing with are a bit crap, you might want to go off and do some of the solo activities outlined below. But if it turns out they’re quite handy, you can keep on playing with them by using the post-job voting menu to replay the prior job (highly recommended if it’s easy and/or lucrative), or start a new one.
Group activities generate 20% more rep than solo runs. Also, it’s always worth playing a mission again to get a perfect score, as it’s always easier the second time around, and if you do get it all right, the Rep bonus is sweet.
Remember that if you are an aggressive player and kill a lot of other players, you’ll become a bounty target and will likely be hunted down for money. Also, if you’re a dick and yell at people, you’ll very likely get negatively ranked. Although it’s early days, it seems that Bad Sports are thrown into servers with like-minded players – which might be fun if you like that sort of thing, but should be avoided if you don’t want to fend for yourself against 15 other people who just love being jerks.
Don't grab the first car you see (unless it's a nice one). Find one that you can live with, as the first car you get is the one you're stuck with until you buy another.
What next?
First objective: Steal a nice car
When you arrive in Los Santos for the first time, don't steal the first car you see. Look around for one that you like - because the first car you steal is the one you have to use until you can buy a new one. Unlike the single-player game, you won’t be able to find premium cars initially, so look for something that’s decent enough to live with, and won’t piss you off over the long run.
When you earn a bit more cash, you can take a car you want to keep to a Los Santos Customs shop, go to Loss/Theft Prevention and buy a Tracker for it. It’s $2,000, but it makes the car yours - and lets you easily recover it should it go "missing". Get insurance too. It’s expensive, but it’s also worth it in the long run for reasons that’ll become clear. Like some twit stealing your ride and parking it at the bottom of a reservoir. 1
Second objective: Get a good gun
The Online version of Los Santos is a wretched hive of scum and villainy, and is not the sort of place you want to walk about armed with nothing but a semi-automatic pistol. So unless you’re Martin Riggs (look it up, kids), your immediate objective should be getting your hands on a decent gun so that you can at least protect yourself, or engage in some offensive combat should the opportunity arise.
Assuming you have enough money, the “best” gun to buy is the one you’re most comfortable and effective with. So that should make it a simple choice: buy whatever gun you use the most in the single-player game.
Third objective: Buy a garage
While pricey, this is the next thing you need to get. It’s where you can store your cars, and you really do need to do that. 1
Don't forget to sign up for Rockstar's Social Club. If you do, once you get a garage, visit the Legendary Motorsports website on your phone and buy a free Elegy RH8. This thing is an awesome base car for Street Racing.
What you should be doing
Building up your Rep
You can build up your reputation a variety of ways. If you’re a confident driver, you can annoy the cops and then evade them to slowly and steadily build up reputation. Just make sure you don’t hit more than three stars unless you’re really confident, as you’ll end up wasting a lot of time trying to beat the heat.
Doing jobs and generally helping fellow players makes you a “Good Sport” and will inevitably earn you Rep and bonus cash. So, ironic though it may sound considering you’re playing one of the most violent games around, resist the temptation to run around like an idiot, shooting everyone you see. And be pleasant to people, even if they’re not. Some players are quick to nerd rage, and if they do, just quit out of the group and avoid getting sucked into their nonsense.
Low risk money: Stealing cars
If you just want to do things solo, the safest initial way to make money is to steal cars. Cruise the streets looking for common everyday cars, which are worth good money. Once you’ve jacked your ride, head to the nearest Los Santos Customs shop. Don’t drive like an idiot: the more minty fresh the car is when you get there, the more it’s worth. Cars sell for between $3-$8k, which on a long-term average works out about $4.5k per delivery. A nice, steady income, particularly if you enjoy driving and don’t consider it a grind.
Big tip: don’t go stealing high-end sports cars, as those aren’t in demand. SUVs and Coupes are usually very good money. Sedans and econoboxes are generally worth less.
Also remember that you can only sell one car per in-game day, so that means one every 45 minutes or so. Keep an eye on the clock, and you can keep the green coming in, particularly if you combine it with another low-risk activity.
Another way of generating cash for cars is through Simeon. Check your phone regularly for his text messages in which he’ll ask for specific cars. Deliver that vehicle to him, and you’ll earn a nice chunk of change. And again, be careful when taking the car to the drop-off point. Speed of delivery is not as important as making sure your stolen ride arrives in pristine condition.
Key cars to watch for
Felon GT: $9,5k
Gallivanteer Baller: $9k
Lampadati Felon: $9k
Ocelot F620: $8k
Ubermacht Oracle: $8k
If you want to rob stores, get a face mask. This will help you avoid being recognized in the future.Higher risk money: Robbing places
Knocking off stores is another good way to make cash, though obviously much riskier than a bit of grand theft auto. First of all, before you do any kind of hold-ups, buy a facemask from the store at Vespucci Beach (they have some fun ones). This is essential to ensure you don’t get recognized if you ever return.
Once you’re suitably equipped, start hitting stores and you’ll earn decent money. Note that the bigger stores outside of Los Santos generally yield more cash than smaller stores. Yell into your mic or shoot at the store fixings to make a shopkeeper hand over the money more quickly, always keep your gun trained on him or her, and always stay alert. Some shopkeepers will shoot back given half a chance, so don’t turn your back on them for more than a second or two. Once outside, jump into your car and floor it. The cops will be hot on your tail, but you can use your usual single-player avoidance tactics to shake them off. However, there’s an even easier way to do this… 2
Helicopters are the best getaway vehicles. You can steal one from the airport fairly easily. There's also one on the hospital roof.
Get to da choppa!
One of the keys to easy money is to steal a helicopter and use it as a getaway vehicle. But exactly how do you get one?
Grab a car, drive to the airport and go around the perimeter until you get to the fence near the flight school. With a bit of finessing, you can either drive through the fence or jump over it by using the nearby steps. Once you’ve negotiated this barrier, run over to whichever helicopter takes your fancy, and steal it.
Now the fun can really begin. Fly to your robbery target location, and land safely nearby, well out of line of site of the entrance to the business you want to knock off, so the shopkeeper can’t get an easy shot at you while you’re climbing back inside your chopper with your ill-gotten gains. Pull off your heist, and fly off.
This is a nice way to earn steady money – between $1-$4k per robbery (more if you shoot the shopkeeper and pick up the additional cash). The helicopter enables easy getaways, so head for the hills, flying perpendicular to any main roads, and find a nice spot in a wilderness area where you can hover until you’re free and clear. Then simply turn back to Los Santos and head to the next business you’d like to relieve of their money.
As you do more and more heists, your wanted level will increase, and eventually you'll have to deal with Los Santos PD helicopters. Flying under bridges is a good way to slow them down, as is flying over water at zero feet (just be careful). Don't fly too fast, as they'll very likely respawn in front of you. What you want to do is kite them, staying ahead of them, but out of visual range. Eventually your stars will start flashing and they'll give up. Once you've mastered this tactic, you'll be nigh on uncatchable.
Don’t forget to deposit your cash!
It might feel great strutting the streets of Los Santos with a huge roll of notes in your pocket, but like everyone else in the game, if you get whacked, you drop a bunch of that cash, which can then be picked up and pocketed by the whackee.
How do you avoid this? Don’t carry tons of money: as soon as you earn it, whip out your phone, bring up a browser and use the bank’s online service to make an electronic deposit. You can still deposit your cash via an ATM if there’s one nearby, but the phone is by far your best bet.
Bounty hunting is one of the most dangerous and exciting activities in GTA Online. This is for the confident and skilled only: otherwise you might end up being the guy in the background.Shoot the red dots
If you’re confident about your shooting and combat abilities, you can hunt wanted people. Simply cruise around and look for red dots on the map. They’re targets with a nice bounty on their heads. Watch them from a distance, and then approach them at speed. Getting the jump on someone is half the battle in GTA Online. If you can initiate combat and get a few good hits in, you’ll swing the odds of success in your favor.
Obviously, be careful. Red dots are likely heavy PvP-er’s who do a lot of killing, so they’re probably not going to be chumps. However, it's this risk and danger that makes this aspect of the game really good fun. If you really want to test your GTA Online mettle, this is probably the best way to do it. Few GTA experiences will get your heart pounding as fast as a really good PvP encounter. But also remember that it’s just a game, and don’t get sucked into trying to get revenge if someone clearly outplays you. Learn from your mistakes, regroup and practice some more, otherwise you might end up getting yourself farmed, which is never a pleasant experience.
Violent Duct: grind big cash and rep the easy way
I had this as a quick tip, but I think it deserves a bit more explanation. At level 15, you can play the Violent Duct mission, which is a pretty easy job given by Gerald that pays a healthy $9k per completion. So far, it's the best time/profit ratio I've found to grind cash. It also awards 1k rep, which is a nice additional bonus that will help you level up quickly too.
The mission involves recovering a fat bag of coke by running the gauntlet of a bunch of thugs whose hideout is under an elevated freeway. First thing, grab yourself a shotgun. Unless you're really good with another weapon, a shotgun lets you tackle the mission very aggressively by running at the hoods and blasting the crap out of them. If this sort of tactic doesn't suit your style, simply hold back and use a long-range weapon to snipe your way to the target item. An AK-47 is ideal for this. It'll take a few minutes longer doing it that way, but it doesn't matter if it helps you complete the mission more easily. What you want is a safe completion, not necessarily a superfast one.
The best approach to this mission is with a team of two (or more). One person takes the right flank, and the other takes the left. Both of you run straight in, shotgunning everyone who gets in your way. Basically, it's a flanking exercise. The enemies are behind cover: run by them and then turn once you clear their cover and a couple of blasts will get them down. This is where the shotgun comes in handy, since it's devastating with this kind of tactic. There are about 10 or so targets to take care of, and once you've run the mission a few times, you'll learn a pattern that'll become second nature.
If you're playing solo, just pick a flank and follow the same tactic, but use more caution since you'll have all the enemies on the opposite flank firing at you. Run in, blast one flank, find cover and take care of any threatening targets by either aggressively running-and-shotgunning, or switch to your favorite long gun and take them out that way.
When you've got the coke, jump on one of the nearby bikes and head back to Gerald. Don't follow the GPS - take the fairly direct route straight there through the back alleys that you can see on the map. Once you've done it a few times, you'll be able to make the journey in next to no time.
Upon completion, like the mission and press RT to restart.
