Woodle Tree Adventures from Fabio Ferrara and Chubby Pixel is a 3D platformer that takes place in a natural and soft yet rather angular world. You are the offspring of a giant mustache-toting square tree who tasks you with collecting fairy tears to quench the thirst of the increasingly demanding world you inhabit. With a rucksack on your back for storage and a magic leaf to defend yourself, our cute little tree stump hero ventures across eight levels (increased from the original six), swatting enemies, jumping around and collecting berries as you go.
The mandatory objective in each themed world is to collect three magical fairy tears to progress, which then unlock new worlds to explore. There’s also a secondary task, which is to collect berries to gain access to three projectile-based power upgrades for your leaf attacks. Thing is, even with the extra worlds and the upgrades, your completion time probably won’t go over two hours. While it’s easy on the eye with its cute and charming animation, the overall experience lacks impact and detail.
Aside from the opening monologue, there are no names for the worlds and no indication within the level as to how many berries you’ve collected. Aside from the fact there are no bosses or extra tasks that deviate from the platforming, there is very little kinetic energy or effects to give the worlds life. As well as being relatively linear and not overly vast or complex, these levels are generic in terms of themes, offer little variety in the structure of the landscape and boasts few landmarks or points of interest.
There are some water jets that propel Woodle upward and platforms that present more complex shapes in the later stages, but for the most part, the range of textures, depth in colour palette and lighting are quite limited. In terms of audio, woodland animal sounds, occasional sound effects for collecting berries, hitting enemies and Woodle jumping are accompanied by a sometimes ambient but other times oddly jarring piano-based soundtrack.
While the game is enjoyable to a degree, there are a few design and mechanical issues that, while not game breaking, certainly restrict the freedom of exploration and detract from your enjoyment. First of all, there’s issues with the camera. You’re only able to zoom the it in and out, which severely interrupts traversing the static platforms. There are even some instances where the camera won’t budge and you find yourself hidden, so blind trial and error are constantly necessary. When the camera is autonomous, it’s sporadic to the point that it zooms in to the extreme, making your platforming duties even more frustrating.
Despite boasting improvements on previous versions, Woodle’s general movement and traversal of the levels just don’t feel anywhere near as tight or as varied as its competitors. Although by default, Woodle walks at an awkward and leisurely pace, there is a sprint button rather than analogue control to increase his speed. While there isn’t much in the way of obstacles, only Woodle himself has a shadow which makes gauging distance to gather berries or jumping across high platforms barely tolerable.
The whole experience doesn’t feel very tactile, and enemies dotted around the worlds don’t have much in the way of attack patterns or are even distinguishable as enemies in the first world, and the game even directly addresses this early on in dialogue. Thankfully, foes pose more of a threat later, but the sparse nature of interaction combined with inconsistent collision detection is progressively disappointing.
Conclusion
Even with extra content and performance enhancements, a frustratingly limited camera and lack of variety reduce Woodle to a cheap and cheerful but flawed and basic 3D jump and collect-athon. While its cute and whimsical charm and uncomplicated nature make it suitable and accessible to younger audiences, there are still plenty of contemporaries on the eShop that are more accomplished and polished. While adequate considering its price, it’s nonetheless an idyllic yet simple little game.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-07-2018, 06:08 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Civilization V mod adds realistic superintelligent AI research
Researchers from the University of Cambridge’s Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) have released a mod for Civilization V that introduces superintelligent AI into the game.
The project was managed by CSER’s Dr. Shahar Avin, who specifically chose Civilization V to draw attention to the impact and risks AI can have if they become smarter than humans, because of the educational benefits games provide.
“We want to let players experience the complex tensions and difficult decisions that the path to superintelligent AI would generate,” explains Avin. “Games are an excellent way to deliver a complex message to a wide audience. The Civilization games series has an amazing track record of presenting very complex and interlocking systems in a fun and educating way.”
As Rock Paper Shotgun notes, the Superintelligence mod adds AI technology to the tech tree, which includes players interacting with concepts like machine learning and constructing AI research labs in order to compete and be the first to develop artificial superintelliegence.
If players don’t manage their resources carefully, then an unaligned superintelligent AI will be created and all civilizations will be destroyed. CSER developed this mod to explore future risks derived from AI, and it can be downloaded on Steam.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-07-2018, 06:08 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Video: How reference data was captured for Forza Motorsport 5
3D artists have to create environments and worlds largely from their own imagination. In Forza Motorsport 5, designers had to piece together elements from the real world and their own fiction in order to place a race track right in the heart of Prague.
In this GDC 2015 session, Microsoft Studios’ Arthur Shek discusses the technologies behind gathering reference data for Forza Motorsport 5, explaining how the method can be used to create more assets at a lower cost.
The talk goes over best practices for taking environment references, where Shek explains reference planning as the process of documenting everything about a space so that environment artists can create those results in 3D. He goes on to highlight how this gathering technique became the foundation for creating content quickly and efficiently.
In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.
Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.
Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Americas
We know you’re busy and might miss out on all the exciting things we’re talking about on Xbox Wire every week. If you’ve got a few minutes, we can help remedy that. We’ve pared down the past week’s news into one easy-to-digest article for all things Xbox! Or, if you’d rather watch than read, you can feast your eyes on our weekly video show above. Be sure to come back every Friday to find out what’s happening This Week on Xbox!
New Games with Gold for January 2018 We’re counting down the days to the new year and preparing to celebrate with a great collection of games coming to the Games with Gold program in January 2018. On Xbox One, start your journey with the final chapter of the Van Helsing trilogy with The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III launching with Games with Gold on January 1, 2018. Then later in the month… Read more
Xbox Game Pass: NBA Playgrounds, Injustice, Devil May Cry 4 and $1 Game Pass for Limited Time Hello, fellow gamers! Welcome to your January Xbox Game Pass update. With the New Year just around the corner, we’re excited to share the latest catalog additions coming to Xbox Game Pass starting on January 1. At Xbox Game Pass, more is better, and to that note, we’re kicking off 2018 by adding 10 titles to the catalog! In addition to the over 100 great games… Read more
Celebrate the Season of Giving with Xbox This holiday season is all about giving. Whether you’re giving time to loved ones, giving gifts to family and friends, or giving your stomach more food than it can handle, Xbox wants to make it easy to play together and give together. From December 21 to January 4, you can join Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold for $1 each! Also, you can share your love of gaming by gifting… Read more
Countdown to 2018 with the Biggest Deals of 2017 The countdown to 2018 officially starts today with the biggest sale of 2017. Microsoft Store online and Xbox.com has more than 650 deals for fans including savings of up to 65 percent on select Xbox One and Xbox 360 digital games, discounts on select Xbox consoles and accessories, up to 50 percent off select movies and TV shows, savings on select apps for Xbox up to 50 percent off… Read more
Life is Strange Before the Storm Season Finale Available Now The season finale of Before the Storm is out now on Xbox One! In this third episode, the proverbial ravens come home to roost as the consequences of all your choices so far begin to come to a head. Chloe continues to struggle to deal with the difficult changes in her own life, while still needing to support her friend as Rachel’s world continues to be rocked and shaken… Read more
An Introduction to Vermintide 2 When making a sequel, you will eventually have to answer the question of how much to add and what to keep from the first game. Some improvements were easy to decide upon. More content being the most obvious one. The Warhammer world is immense and multifaceted and we have still only scratched the surface of all the places and creatures you may encounter in it… Read more
The Xbox Community Checks in with the Original PlayerUnknown Last month, in the lead up to the Xbox Game Preview launch of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) on Xbox One, we paid a visit to the game’s Creative Director, PlayerUnknown himself, Brendan Greene at the PUBG Corp. studios in Seoul, South Korea for a quick chat powered by you – the Xbox Community – to find out more about the world’s most played… Read more
Modern Family’s Nolan Gould Joins Xbox Live Sessions to Play Fortnite Battle Royale on December 21 Hope everyone is getting ready for the upcoming holidays and has a great list of Xbox games they hope to receive! Xbox Live Sessions is back this week with Nolan Gould, widely recognized for his role as Luke Dunphy on “Modern Family.” He’ll join the interactive livestream hosted on the Mixer Xbox Channel on Thursday, December 21 at 7 p.m. PT to take on Fortnite Battle Royale… Read more
Xbox Play Anywhere and Cross-Play Support Comes to Ark: Survival Evolved on Xbox One and Windows 10 The wait is finally over, survivors. Ark: Survival Evolved has officially launched in the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 and is available for download right now if you already own the Xbox One version! Or, if you haven’t yet set foot in the world of Ark, now’s the perfect time to join in on the fun with all of your Xbox friends via Xbox Play Anywhere and cross play… Read more
Killing Floor 2: Krampus Christmas Seasonal Update Arrives on Xbox Hi, I’m the new game director at Tripwire Interactive on Killing Floor 2. I’ve worked closely on this project from the very beginning as the creative director, so I’m excited to be heading up Killing Floor 2 content updates for the foreseeable future. Enough about me though — let’s talk about this amazing update arriving just in time for the holidays on the Xbox One family of devices… Read more
Xbox Savings in Time for the Holidays Join the Xbox family for only $199, just in time for some holiday gaming! Xbox One S offers the best value in games and entertainment, with 500GB bundles starting at $199 for a limited time this holiday through the end of December 2017. Drive, explore, and race all over Australia with the Xbox One S Forza Horizon 3 Hot Wheels Bundle (500GB), featuring… Read more
JRPG-Inspired Regalia: Royal Edition Coming Soon to Xbox One We started our adventure with Regalia a long time ago, and some of you might remember us from the successful Kickstarter campaign we did in 2015. Now we’re excited to bring our Polish JRPG to Xbox One in Q1 of 2018. Although we’re from Poland, we’re sure we knew how to recall that classic JRPG feeling to deliver a whole new take on fantasy storytelling… Read more
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Xbox Want to Send You on an Island Adventure PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is now available on Xbox One as a console launch exclusive through the Xbox Game Preview program! We love seeing our Xbox community parachuting onto the remote island of Erangel and duking it out for that delicious chicken dinner. To celebrate the launch of PUBG on Xbox One, we want to send you and a friend on an island adventure… Read more
‘Tis the Season for Roblox’s Holiday Event, Now Available on Xbox One Season’s greetings, Robloxians! Today we’re bringing some yuletide fun to the Xbox community with the Roblox holiday event, featuring three jingle-bell-rockin’ free-to-play games and awesome virtual prizes! This year’s event is extra special because you can now play a brand-new Roblox game filled with all kinds of hidden surprises and joyful holiday activities… Read more
Reddit users recently allowed their imaginations to get the better of them when it was revealed that Nintendo PR reps have been contacting journalists and requesting permission to re-quote reviews of A Link Between Worlds:
We did think it was a bit strange when we got this request from PR ourselves, as for some time A Link Between Worlds has been available as a budget Selects release in Europe. Of course, the first thing which comes to mind is “could a Switch port of this wonderful game be in the works?”
Alas however, in North America the game hasn’t had a Selects release. It looks likely that a Selects release will be announced soon by Nintendo of America, which will be welcome news for 3DS owners who haven’t yet picked up this amazing game yet – and perhaps answers why Nintendo PR is asking for fresh review quotes.
Let us know your thoughts on this storm in a teacup with a comment below.
Global Adventures is an MMORPG for Windows PCs. As a newly recruited agent for the Treasure Hunters Association, you must travel the world conquering dungeons, digging up treasure, and taking down bosses with your friends!
Video: The dos and don’ts of putting together a creative portfolio
A portfolio is one of the most important things to perfect for those working in a creative industry. Trying to decide what to include can be daunting. How many pieces? How many different mediums, and in what format? With the Internet acting as a potential first impression for employers, should artists tweak their social medias accordingly?
In this GDC 2017 session industry artists Greg Foertsch, Alison Kelly, Wyeth Johnson, Lisette Titre-Montgomery, Shawn Robertson and Gavin Goulden discuss what can make or break a creative portfolio. They offer advice on what artists should include in order to catch the attention of future employers, as well as how to present themselves online in-between posting their creations.
The talk goes over crucial topics every artist should consider when putting together their portfolio. For example, Foertsch guides the conversation and asks artists to consider quality over quantity when picking out work. “Your portfolio is only as strong as the weakest piece in it,” adds Johnson.
In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.
Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.
Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Americas
The countdown to 2018 officially starts today with the biggest sale of 2017. Microsoft Store online and Xbox.com has more than 650 deals for fans including savings of up to 65 percent on select Xbox One and Xbox 360 digital games, discounts on select Xbox consoles and accessories, up to 50 percent off select movies and TV shows, savings on select apps for Xbox up to 50 percent off, and Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass each for $1 for the first month.
Save on Xbox Digital Games
Save up to 65 percent on 470 amazing games and add-ons including Call of Duty: WWII, Star Wars Battlefront II, Cuphead, Middle-earth: Shadow of War and more. There’s also plenty of deals on Xbox 360 fan favorites, playable on Xbox One via Backward Compatibility, like Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Red Dead Redemption, Skate 3, Fallout 3 and more. Don’t forget that Xbox Live Gold members save up to 10 percent more on most deals.
Save on Xbox Consoles and Accessories
Save on popular Apps, Movies & TV Shows
Save up to 50 percent on select hit movies and TV Shows including “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Game of Thrones,” “The Shannara Chronicles,” and more.
Save up to 50 percent on popular apps for Xbox including Nitrado, VUDU, Dolby Access, Karaoke One, and FandangoNOW.
Save on Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass
Join Xbox Live Gold for $1: This holiday season, you can get your first month of Xbox Live Gold for $1. Go Gold for exclusive savings and join the best community of gamers on the most advanced multiplayer network.
Get Xbox Game Pass, Play 100+ Games for $1: Get your first month of Xbox Game Pass for $1 and spend your holiday with unlimited access to over 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 games on Xbox One. With new games added every month, there is always a new adventure waiting for you.
For every Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Live Gold membership you buy or gift, Xbox will donate $10 of Game Pass to hospitals around the world with our partners at GameChanger. Learn more about the Season of Giving with Xbox.
All of these deals are available on console and online at Microsoft Store and Xbox.com starting today, so take advantage of the great deals before they end on January 4, 2018 (or as otherwise noted above). Availability and pricing vary by location. May not be combinable with other offers. Other limitations may apply. Not valid on prior orders or purchases. See webpage for each offer’s specific details.
