Number sense: you know your way around figures, can manipulate them quickly, line them up, cut them down to size. Calculating a tip, or guesstimating interest rate accrual. It’s a vague skill practiced from childhood in a million ways, large and small. Good to have for sure, but not exactly fun on its own. Every now and then a puzzle game makes regular arithmetic and number sense into centrepieces, and polishes each until it shines and fascinates. Divide by Sheep makes the player into a click-clack abacus for sheep destruction, keeping the challenge varied by rotating new mechanics and obstacles at a bracing pace. It can count itself among the lucky few games to make the ordinary deeply satisfying.
Each level has a setup of islands, sheep, obstacles and other dohickeys to fiddle with. The goal, ultimately, is to gather up sheep in groups with specific numbers and usher them onto the lifeboats. In a way this is a pathing problem, but really it breaks down into numbers, operations, and ordering. You have the raw material of the level presented right at the get-go, and just flick to send the sheep from one platform to an adjacent one. Maybe they fall into the water, get eaten by wolves, diced by lasers, mutilated by explosives…or maybe they join ranks with another group of sheep. Add, subtract, multiply, divide: the game is a primer on how these nominally dull operations work when placed at your fingertips.
The puzzles are clearly presented from the get-go, meaning the player can mentally model and consider a variety of potential solutions relatively easily. Puzzles are about tinkering and manipulating the field to see if that solution sitting in your head plays out nearly as neatly in reality. On that front, the game is extremely responsive and easy to play. It’s accessible from a practical and theoretical standpoint. Each move has a spatial element (paths matter) and a numerical element (how many sheep matters), so in combination the levels are just vexing enough to be challenging without blocking forward momentum. Mental struggle gives way to fireworks as that indefinable eureka moment comes, again and again.
Besides sheep and platforms, there are lasers, bombs, spatial vortices, Charon ferries, bouncing plates and safety nets, slippery pigs and voracious wolves. Each works distinctly, with a few of them counter-intuitive (pigs in particular take priority in some unusual cases) but in general the elements combine in naturally exciting and stimulating ways. ‘Fun’ in puzzlers means constantly teasing new possibilities
The progression and total amount of levels is rather generous, but if you’re already great at this sort of thing the game might more accurately be more of an appetizer and less of a main dish. (As opposed to, say, The Talos Principle, The Witness, Stephen’s Sausage Roll). Still, full marks for using dozens of levels to explore the variety of possible challenges. New tools, new obstacles, little redundancy or repetition. Still finite though, and exhaustible. Each ‘world’ has a different palette, standard set of mechanics and thirty levels, so in total there are one-hundred and fifty levels, with little to no redundancy between them.
If there were one avenue of criticism, it would be that Divide By Sheep’s puzzles can be solved by brute force, just messing around very quickly and carelessly with the possible permutations of moves. It’s not as inscrutable as other puzzle games, which might refuse to crack at all until the proper insight makes itself known. Each level in Divide By Sheep has three stars, and a ‘perfect score’ is not necessary to advance past a level, but a certain amount is required to move to new worlds. This means less gatekeeping and greater accessibility, but it also comes across as padding content somewhat. So whether these features are a liability or a reasonable compromise is a matter of perspective, but they are deliberate and present in the game.
In terms of design and art direction, the game’s buoyant blend of cartoonish gore matches the game perfectly. Messing around just to see the animations and mayhem is fun, as it well should be. It conveys the tone of gameplay deftly and sets the mood without being too flashy or forward.
All in all, the game makes for an excellent romp. Yes, it’s an excellent way to get anybody to practice their sums but that’s like praising a dish for ‘sneaking’ vegetables into it. Edifying to be sure, but a delight in its own right.
Smoke and Sacrifice sees Sachi, a mother forced to give up her son, adventure into a grotesque underworld on a quest that will lead her to a darker truth. As she ventures into a hidden land, will Sachi ever discover the truth of what happened to her son?
Celebrating the Best of the Xbox Community with the New Xbox MVP Site
From the world’s most powerful console with Xbox One X, to the most advanced multiplayer network with Xbox Live, Xbox is one of the best places to play today’s hottest games with a fantastic gaming community. The Xbox MVPs play an important role within the Xbox community, and with the launch of the new website, we’re putting an even brighter spotlight on these amazing gamers.
The Xbox MVP award recognizes gamers for doing something extraordinary within the gaming community. From running major charity organizations like Gamers Outreach, to solo efforts working to make gaming more inclusive for everyone, Xbox MVPs hope to be an inspiration to the broader gaming community. Each year, Xbox MVPs are invited to Microsoft campus in Redmond, WA to engage directly with teams at Xbox to help shape the future of gaming by giving feedback on unreleased products, games, and services. From games like Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2 to services like Xbox Game Pass, the Xbox MVPs have been able to use their expertise to be the voice of the gamer in the development process.
Meet the Xbox MVPs
We’re making it easier than ever to spotlight Xbox MVPs so you can get to know them better. From learning about their interests and efforts they’re leading, to connecting with them directly, the Xbox MVP profiles showcase these gamers and the great things that they do. Want to find an MVP that speaks a certain language? You can do that, too. Want to find an MVP that hosts a podcast? There’s a way to filter the roster. Click here to check out our awesome Xbox MVPs.
Collaborate with Xbox MVPs
Whether you’re on a team at Microsoft that needs feedback, a professional in the gaming industry, or a gamer who would love to team up with an Xbox MVP to work on a great idea, we’ve created a universal way to get in touch with and work alongside the Xbox MVP Program. With just one click you can contact the Xbox MVP team to utilize the diverse roster of Xbox MVPs for your project.
Nominate a new Xbox MVP
One question we see often from Xbox gamers is, “What makes someone deserving of the Xbox MVP Award” We believe that gamers know gamers best, and that’s why we look to them to nominate new Xbox MVPs. When thinking about nominating a gamer there’s really one question to ask yourself. Does the gamer exemplify and encourage a positive experience on Xbox and in their daily lives?”
Our main goal has always been to be as open-minded as possible when considering new Xbox MVPs, and we’re excited to see diversity in the gamers you nominate to be part of the Xbox MVP program. Nominate gamers today.
With the launch of the new Xbox MVP website we’re thrilled to provide a better spotlight on the Xbox MVP Award recipients and use them as inspiration for new and different ways for every Xbox gamer to become more involved. The Xbox MVPs are laser-focused on continuing to ensure that Xbox is a fun and positive place to play.
We’ve just rolled out an update that makes it easier to find downloadable content for your favorite games. Any game that offers DLC will now have a sortable, featured page of all of its DLC in one place. Furthermore, (and especially for games that have a tons of DLC) we’re providing ways for developers to customize how these pages by creating lists, adding branding and specifying which titles to feature.
In the Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS game, build, play and share your own side-scrolling Super Mario levels using a wide variety of tools. Want to make your cannons shoot coins or have Bowser fly? With the intuitive touch-screen controls of the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, creating levels is easy and fun. Plus, you can take on 100 built-in courses as you tackle the Super Mario Challenge.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D game brings Link’s classic adventure to Nintendo 3DS. This remastered and enhanced version features a cast of memorable characters, unforgettable gameplay and a dark and mysterious story. With control of time itself, Link must save the world of Termina from destruction by helping citizens, battling bosses and solving challenging puzzles.
Join ace pilot Fox McCloud in the Star Fox 64 3D game, an action-packed space shooter that puts you in the control of the classic Arwing ship as you blast, warp and barrel roll across space. Each mission in the game takes you through a different planet of the Lylat system as you face off against enemies, collect power-ups and fight powerful bosses on the way to the final battle against the evil Dr. Andross.
Anyone looking to play these great games on a system in the Nintendo 3DS family can pick up any one of these affordable options:
A black-and-turquoise or purple-and-silver New Nintendo 2DS XL system* pre-loaded** with the Mario Kart 7 game at a suggested retail price of $149.99.
A Scarlet Red or Electric Blue Nintendo 2DS system with the New Super Mario Bros. 2 game pre-installed** at a suggested retail price of only $79.99.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-17-2019, 11:53 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Jurassic World Evolution and Planet Coaster have crossed 2 million sales
All three of Frontier Developments’ self-published game franchises have hit new sales milestones.
As reported in the company’s latest trading update, both Planet Coaster and Jurassic World Evolution have surpassed 2 million base game sales worldwide, while popular space exploration sim Elite Dangerous has now sold over 3 million base copies.
For context, Plant Coaster launched in November 2016, Jurassic World Evolution hit shelves in June 2018, and Elite Dangerous landed all the way back in December 2014.
The studio also revealed development of its fourth franchise remains on track, and said the mystery title should launch during the upcoming financial year.
“We are very pleased with the success of Jurassic World Evolution, which has been our biggest launch to date,” said Frontier CEO, David Braben.
“Elite Dangerous and Planet Coaster also continue to perform well, as our strategy of supporting, nurturing and enhancing each of our game franchises continues to deliver.”
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-17-2019, 11:38 AM - Forum: Lounge
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This Week's PS4 Game Deals On The US PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Network winter sale had a good and surprisingly lengthy run, but now it's finally ended. The new crop of deals is significantly less robust, but there are still a few bargains that may be worth your while. Plus if you're looking for new dynamic themes and avatars, hoo boy!
Meanwhile Dead or Alive 5 Last Round has a slew of DLC packs on sale, offering a variety of different costume sets at price ranges from $10 to a whopping $65. Plus the store is offering dozens of avatars and dynamic themes, in case the new year has you feeling in the mood for a refresh.
Review: YIIK: A Postmodern RPG – EarthBound For A New Generation
People have been waiting years for YIIK: A Postmodern RPG’s release. The game’s been in development since 2014, and you can go read interviews floating around from 2015 onward for more background on its journey. Finally, the big day is here… but can it live up to nearly a half-decade of anticipation? Before we begin, rest assured, this will be a minimal-spoiler review.
YIIK (that’s pronounced “why two kay,” as in Y2K), at its base, is a 3D indie RPG. There are turn-based battles, an overworld with random encounters, dungeons with puzzles to solve, and plenty of memorable NPCs. Beneath these simple genre trappings, however, is a game that defies summary.
Meet Alex, the primary player-protagonist, who comes home to the town of Frankton from an unnamed American college one summer day. Alex is the beating heart of the narrative drive. He also wears a red plaid shirt, big dark-framed glasses, a fuzzy beard and a full salvo of orange hair.
Yes, Alex is a hipster. He listens to vinyl records by obscure artists and speaks fondly of classic video games. He has also grown accustomed to a somewhat upper-class lifestyle. Alex’s status as a privileged (but otherwise unexceptional) white boy forms the plot’s subtext; or, at least, receives some story treatment. The point is, this “Postmodern RPG” is nothing if not self-aware.
YIIK is wagering on something here: there’s probably a ton of people out there who can relate to Alex in varying degrees. He is intelligent but lacks ambition. After earning a degree, he’s struggling to achieve the measure of success his parents have attained. He enjoys hanging out with friends but falls short when it comes to forming meaningful relationships. He is lonely. He would rather stay in bed today.
The plot takes place in the year 1999, and at times Alex can be found browsing a weird internet forum. How many of us were doing the same at one time, discovering the World Wide Web and poking around in its strange corners? YIIK places a bet on this nostalgia, and at times it really lands well. For those who ever felt ‘adrift’ at this point in their life, and perhaps found a little solace in odd BBS forums, the whole journey will land even more poignantly.
And, oh boy, what a journey it is. Once Alex is back in town, he renews contact with Michael, an old neighbourhood friend who had moved away years prior. Then, you eventually see a loose cat, and pursue it into the woods, and then to an old factory. There, Alex meets a young woman named Sammy, who is suddenly torn out of reality by interdimensional beings of unknown origin. Alex is powerless to prevent this, and his anguish over the event begins turning the wheels of the entire storyline.
It’s a lot to take in, and only the beginning of a breathtaking spiral of strangeness. This is a game where Weird Stuff Happens, and much of its appeal is going to hinge on whether you have an appetite for a continual serving of more Weird Stuff at every turn. YIIK is absolutely gunning for the Weird Stuff throne, full tilt, and truly swings for the fences in that regard. You want surreal visuals and utterly unconventional quest chapters? Search no more, for you have found your huckleberry.
Oh, right: beneath its splashes of stylish colouring and deep dives into the bizarre, there’s a video game! Alex really wants to save this girl, even if figuring out how to do so will get pretty tricky. He, along with a growing and rotating cast of support characters, will embark all over the landscape to visit different towns and caves and dungeons to find his way.
Combat is a highlight. Enemies present a healthy challenge, along with designs ranging from insipid (a piece of poo) to inspired (Sheep Man is a woolly wonder, he’s the best). Your characters can use healing items, attempt to run and so on, but the attacks are the real hook here, of course.
Each character has their own standard attack that relies on button-press timing. You may be holding down your analog stick and trying to release it at a certain time, or pressing different face buttons to match the swings of a hula hoop. Records will spin and obey your commands to drop the needle, swords might lash out at all enemies rather than just one – it’s a turn-based party, and you’re invited.
Each character also has their own skills. These vary wildly, with each character serving a very distinctive niche, from healing to adopting “stances” to change their fighting style to the one-of-a-kind ability to “banish” certain enemy types. Like fellow indie RPG darling Undertale, YIIK dares to ask, “How does a pacifist character work in battle?” Some of the skill attacks are performed by mastering 16-bit pixel microgames, which are just adorable. Much like the regular attacks, these will be a test of reaction timing and focus.
But nimble fingers won’t win the day by themselves. The dungeons in this game pose some real lateral-thinking challenges. As Alex and friends embark to locales spanning from a mountainside cave to… like, spaces within the mind-consciousness or whatever, players will quickly realize that conventional tactics may not suffice. There is definitely in-game logic going on, as it’s all never truly random or unfair, but this is the kind of game where, once or twice, you may turn your Switch off in frustration and have to sleep on it before you realise what you need to do in order to progress. At least, that was our experience.
You probably won’t mind too much, though, because the ride is a thrill. The increasing surreality of the story, along with the steady level-up progression, on top of the eye-kissing artwork, all blend together in a pleasant dish for gamers and compel you to keep moving forward. You can have a lot of fun just spotting different gaming references and detecting classic influences. Beyond that, without saying too much, just trust us when we say that this game really takes some imaginative leaps.
The music is a ride all of its own, sporting different collaborations on the soundtrack that lend to an eclectic flavour. Peppy horns will give way to eerie keyboards, only to be supplanted by an orchestral arrangement, only to be overtaken by a wave of sudden vocals and electric guitar. It’s all a little odd but the quality itself is never in question.
If you were looking for a concern, let’s have a word about pacing. How do you feel about dialogue? YIIK has loads of it. Trainloads and boatloads and bathtubs full of the stuff. If you’re into that sort of thing, it’s great; which is the kind of statement that sounds obvious but still bears mentioning.
The characters that form your adventuring party are going to have lots of conversations, some of them lengthy and many of them without any bearing on the plot. They are going to tackle topics ranging from the existence of God to the death of a family member, but also favourite anime and SNES RPGs. At its core, YIIK operates on the same frequency as a cross-country road trip with a few close friends. If that sort of tone resonates with you, you’re in for a treat of characterisations. Otherwise, you may feel stuck waiting for something to happen as the cast launches into another pseudo-philosophical conversation on the nature of the soul.
The level-up system, however, might be the low point. Levelling in YIIK does not happen naturally as characters gain EXP. In order to advance their stats, you have to enter Alex’s Mind Dungeon (ahem). There, Alex will walk into various doorways and stairwells in order to make his manual selections as to which of his stats to increase. It’s as tedious as it sounds, and although there is some more Weird Stuff that pops up in these sections, it’s ultimately not worth the added tedium, especially since some other game elements like certain attacks have already taken a slower approach. It’s hard to imagine why simply selecting stat increases from a menu would not have been an improvement.
Other than these hiccups, the game flows like a dream – quite literally, in some moments. YIIK captures a certain slice of Americana, when end-of-the-world hysteria was peaking but before everyone had a Twitter account. Not every beat works perfectly (the NPC kid who says they hope their mother marries her new boyfriend because he “doesn’t hit me as hard” as their dad is rather uncomfortable, to say the least), but if you’re willing to “buy in” on the experience a bit and let yourself be swept into the motif of late-night internet sleuths ignoring real-world woes by diving headlong into the paranormal, you might be in for something special.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-17-2019, 05:32 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Hitman Dev Opens New Studio, Hints At New Games
Hitman creator IO Interactive has opened a new studio in Malmo, Sweden, the company has announced. The developer says the new site will "strengthen IO Interactive's commitment to deliver exceptional content to the Hitman franchise," though it also hints at other projects in the works.
“Furthermore, this will expand our muscles for creating brand-new and exciting endeavours, new universes, new franchises," said IOI CEO Hakan Abrak. "In other words, IOI Malmo and [existing studio] Copenhagen are one family."
As yet there's no clue what IOI is working on beyond additional Hitman 2 levels and missions, though it has previously stated it wanted Hitman (2016) to consist of three seasons of content. The studio is primarily known for creating and developing the Hitman franchise, but it has also worked on the Kane & Lynch series and the 2003 shooter Freedom Fighters--though it should be noted the studio does not own the latter two brands.
Hitman 2 received a positive critical reception, including an 8/10 from GameSpot. "The addition of other minor mechanical changes--like concussive weapons, a picture-in-picture enemy activity alert, and visible security camera sightlines--help to improve Hitman 2 overall as a dense and accessible stealth assassination game," wrote critic Edmond Tran in our Hitman 2 review.
"But the new locations are the real stars, impressive and inventive sandboxes ripe for picking apart with exciting experiments. Hitman is about experiencing the anticipation of seeing whether a plan will work when you try it for the first time. It's about feeling the tension of briskly walking away from a bad situation, hoping you can lose the suspicious guards. It's the satisfaction of knowing the machinations of a level so well that when a target moves into a particular place at a particular time, you have the perfect way to intervene. Hitman 2 is a familiar experience, but in the Hitman world, familiarity is an incredible strength."
An Introduction to the Machine Learning Platform as a Service
Machine-Learning-Platform-as-a-Service (ML PaaS) is one of the fastest growing services in the public cloud. It delivers efficient lifecycle management of machine learning models.
At a high level, there are three phases involved in training and deploying a machine learning model. These phases remain the same from classic ML models to advanced models built using sophisticated neural network architecture.
Provision and Configure Environment
Before the actual training takes place, developers and data scientists need a fully configured environment with the right hardware and software configuration.
