Considering myself a veteran hero shooter and MOBA player, I decided to grab fellow editor and MOBA noob Devon McCarty to see what his experience with the Battleborn Open Beta was like compared to mine.

Story Missions

Nathan (the veteran): I’m not sure if there’s going to be much of a story joining Battleborn‘s story missions, but they are definitely fun to play. A group of up to five players jump in, choose their characters and run through a linear environment killing everything in their path. I loved that the environments in both missions looked very different to each other. One was set on an icy planet, while the other was set mainly inside a metallic structure. The mission structures were fairly similar for both missions, with a mini boss fight about halfway through, and then a final boss fight at the end. They were a lot of fun, and took roughly 30 minutes on the normal difficulty. There aren’t really any MOBA elements in the story missions, apart from levelling up your hero from level one each session, so I believe they will be perfect for newcomers to test out the different playable characters and their abilities.

You can tell that Battleborn is being developed by the minds behind Borderlands, with the same witty humor peeking its head up in the dialogue.

Devon (the noob): For my first foray into the game, a lot of the people that joined in on my campaign were just running around and blasting the hell out of everything. Everyone joined in easy enough and we all followed whatever path was available for us to take. For the Beta, there were only a handful of missions available, and obviously it was limited and left me wanting to see what else was in store. Saying that, the last few beta’s I’ve played left me with the same feeling, and when the game came out, far exceeded my expectations.

5v5 Multiplayer Game Modes

Nathan: This was the first time I’d played Battleborn‘s multiplayer modes, and I was interested to see how much they drew from MOBA games like League of Legends, DOTA 2 and SMITE. There were two game modes in Battleborn‘s open beta, Incursion and Meltdown (a third will be available at launch called capture).

Incursion sees each team moving minions along a single lane to try and destroy two enemy spider tanks. The spider tanks are essentially turrets from the MOBA genre. It keeps the action centered as each team meets in the middle of the map and participates in a tug of war. I’d say this is MOBA newcomer friendly, with novices not having to worry about protecting three lanes. There appears to be enough strategy for veteran MOBA players with three neutral camps to fight over which spawn powerful allied mercenaries that help push the lane. There are also turrets and health stations to purchase around the map with the game’s currency, shards, that players can collect from crystals on the map and from minion deaths. It’s very fast paced, and the 30 minute time limit kept games from dragging on.

It should be said that at first Incursion can be a little daunting, even for a veteran player like myself, because of how focused the action is. Battleborn is a very pretty game with lots of colourful explosions and attacks flying across the screen, and it can be confusing telling what’s what until you become more familiar.

Devon: Meltdown was my instant favourite. It was the only time where I knew exactly what was going on and had a blast with it. The goal was simply to escort your minions (little robot dudes) into the giant robot face of your opponent. The little dudes would run into their robot face and destroy it.

I know it sounds simplistic, but I had a blast defending my guys, and destroying the other teams. Of all the game modes available on the Beta, Meltdown was easily my favorite.

Nathan: Likewise, my favourite game mode was also Meltdown. Like Devon said, Meltdown is played on a smaller two-lane map and has teams pushing minions into an incinerator to score points, with the first to 500, or the most points after 30 minutes, winning. This map required more strategy because if one lane was left open, the other team could gain the advantage by pushing its minions into its incinerators. Like Incursion, there are turrets and health stations to purchase around the map to provide advantages for your team.

I like that Battleborn has taken MOBA elements, and changed the formula a bit to create game modes that are accessible for veterans and newcomers alike, but also have room for strategy. The 30 minute timer is a great edition, with most games over by the 20 minute mark anyway.

The Heroes

Devon: I’m still pretty new to MOBA style games. So I kept picking Oscar Mike, which turned my game into a first person shooter. There are so many different character classes to pick from, each with their own level tree to follow, that I would have probably been even more confused by picking something I didn’t understand. At least with Oscar Mike, I had a solid foundation to work from because a dude with a rifle is the same all over.

Nathan: Battleborn‘s hero selection appears to be quite impressive. There’s a nice variety of heroes to fit each playstyle, and most of them were fun to play as. Not every hero will be playable from the get-go, with players unlocking heroes by levelling up or by completing a challenge associated with the hero. Some are even unlocked by playing the main story missions.

Class wise, there are long range snipers, damage absorbing tanks, support characters that heal and shield, assassins with skills that hit hard and fast, and mages that deal steady damage. Each class has a different playstyle and they were all fun to use. My favourites were Rath, a melee based swordsman who’s attacks give him lifesteal, Orendi, a ranged mage who throws down an area of effect spell that is great for clearing minions, and Reyna, a ranged character who can apply an overshield to herself and an ally while launching homing missiles at enemies. With 25 playable characters, it will be interesting to see how balanced all of the characters are when the game launches, especially the characters unlocked at later levels.

The most important topic: Gameplay

Devon: Playing “Meltdown” was the only time I ever fully understood my objective. I played through the campaign with some people and we couldn’t figure out what was going on. We had already killed everything to kill, and then we couldn’t find a path or objective to pursue. It was frustrating because all of the sudden, a gate that was up dropped and we could continue. No one had done anything, it just decided to do so. I’m hoping little things like that are fixed for the full release of the game.

Nathan: Battleborn‘s gameplay was so much fun; I couldn’t stop playing. It’s a first person shooter at its core, and almost feels similar to Borderlands in this regard too. Each character gets a primary attack, a secondary attack, a couple of skills and an ultimate attack. The skills all run on a cooldown system, so you don’t have to worry about mana consumption which keeps the action fast paced.

I must admit that at first it was all very overwhelming because of how colourful Battleborn is, but, like most MOBAs and team-based shooters, once I worked out what each heroes’ skills looked like, it was easy to keep track of what was going on. Gearbox has made several great shooters, and Battleborn‘s Open Beta suggests Gearbox’s next venture could be no different.

Overall thoughts on the Battleborn Open Beta

Devon: Battleborn has a heck of a lot going for it. It’s fun, lighthearted, and easy to pick up and run around in even if you’re not exactly sure what to do. The most fun I had (like any game) was playing with some friends and having them coach me through our objectives. My main concern would be the connectivity issues with doing big parties. That’s the concern with any online heavy game and I always try to be a little easier on a Beta since it is just that. However, if I pick the game up and start having the same connectivity issues I had with the beta, I will be very disappointed. Overall I am looking forward to this title and look forward to hearing more about it.

Nathan: Unlike Devon, I had no connectivity issues during the Open Beta, playing across both Xbox One and PC. I’m extremely excited for Battleborn, and I’m glad it’s not too far away. From my brief weekend with the game, it appears to be shaping up to be a solid first person shooter with interesting re-imaginings of staple MOBA elements. The hero selection can make or break games like this, but it looks like Battleborn is on the right track. I was worried about Battleborn‘s multiplayer modes and thought they might be dumbing down the MOBA genre for shooter fans, but I actually really like the direction Gearbox Software is taking with the multiplayer.

Battleborn will be available worldwide next Tuesday, May 3rd.

Possibly one of the most noticeable features of the beta was the inclusion of loadouts for multiplayer. Taking inspiration from more modern shooter titles, players were forced to select which weapons they spawned with prior to actually spawning. This came as a shock to many of us here as the older titles placed emphasis on locating stronger weapons strewn about the levels rather than being given rocket launchers or sniper rifles at the outset of your life. Multiplayer gameplay obviously cannot be identical to single player, but spawning with such powerful weapons, even if their damage levels have been decreased from what you may expect, caused a disconnect between our past experienced with the franchise and this new title. Modifying and updating gameplay is to be expected, particularly when there has been a 12 year gap between titles, but simply being handed power weapons and allowing everyone to run rampant through the map with them did not feel like Doom, it felt like Halo or Call of Duty, particularly with loadouts being present. The other oddity pertaining to loadouts was the fact that players could only unlock custom loadouts and some of the better weapons by increasing their multiplayer level. This meant that if you were just starting to play the beta, you were at a disadvantage against more experienced players not only due to their familiarity with maps and gameplay, but because they also had access to more powerful weaponry and the ability to create their own loadouts. Awarding things such as perks to players as they level up is a great incentive for progression, as are skins and experience boosts, but keeping certain power weapons locked or preventing new players from customizing a loadout or two is absolutely ridiculous in any multiplayer game which wants to be viewed as competitive.

During the beta there were two game types available to play. One was a typical team deathmatch mode while the other was called Warpath, essentially a King of the Hill mode in which the hill changes its location over time. Warpath was a nice option for those seeking a slightly more strategic mode as every player converged on a single location, but regardless of which game type you found yourself in, running through the maps in groups was almost a necessity. Early on it became clear that attempting to be a lone wolf player in this game would not result in much success. Even if there is no communication between teammates, traveling in packs is the only way you won’t repeatedly find yourself outnumbered and outgunned. The available levels to play were large enough that you had time to run around without being instantly killed but small enough to guarantee you would encounter enemies on a consistent basis, once again reinforcing that there is indeed strength in numbers. In this regard, DOOM seems to have found the perfect balance given the team sizes.  You were kept on your toes at all times but very rarely felt cramped or limited in your options for mobility. With a plethora of pillars, cliff edges, and teleporters, you could find new ways to access areas or get the jump on an opponent. The maps had a great deal of verticality to them as well, allowing combat to span across various heights. Level design has always been Doom‘s strength and if these multiplayer maps are any indicator, the upcoming entry in the franchise will keep that trend going.

The weapon variety is another positive experienced in the beta, as every player style will have at least one weapon available to them. While the multiplayer could benefit from modifying how power weapons are obtained, as previously mentioned, the number of options open to players is fantastic. The Static Rifle is easily the most creative weapon, forcing players to constantly move around to charge up a round but dealing ludicrous amounts of damage with a single shot. When concepts like this are seen it provides some hope for what we might see in the finished title, but based strictly on the beta, it was the only weapon which stood out from the rest. The fan favourite Super Shotgun made its mandatory appearance, and was used by nearly every player we encountered, although many seemed shocked at how little damage it did in multiplayer. This is another example of how the loadouts have negatively affected the multiplayer, as leaving the Super Shotgun as a pick-up around the arena could have given some freedom to keep its damage output closer to what players experience during the franchise’s single player campaigns. Overall, the weapon selection is pretty good but if fewer weapons were readily available in loadouts and spawned throughout the level instead, there would be a much greater sense of cohesion with the rest of the franchise and there would not be such a drastic contrast in damage between single player and multiplayer.

By the time the beta came to a close, I was left with a feeling of indifference. There is no mistaking that the multiplayer games are filled with action and chaos, but unfortunately there are some glaring issues with the way in which the action is delivered. Without getting a glimpse of the single player component, there is no way of knowing if any of these problems have also found their way into the campaign and disrupted the traditional style of Doom‘s gameplay. We can only hope these controversial changes have been made solely on the multiplayer side of things in an attempt to capture the attention of gamers who have not played the earlier titles in the franchise and may be more accustomed to newer IP’s such as Call of Duty, Battlefield, or Halo. Reviving an old franchise such as this one will always come with a burden of trying to balance appealing to new players while providing a faithful sequel to long-standing fans. Based solely on the beta, I’m not certain either camp will be terribly pleased with the result in this case, but with the full retail release just around the corner, we will undoubtedly find out soon.

With that in mind, to kick off a year of AA Roundtables, the Analog Addiction editors have gathered to tell us what games they tend to go back to when there’s nothing new to play.

Jamie Briggs – Rocket League
Rocket League may have only released last year on PlayStation 4 and PC platforms, but it’s easily become the game I go to when there is nothing new to play. What makes Rocket League a perfect stop-gap experience is the constant excitement I have during each match, which offers a unique and challenging experience every time I start a new match. But most of all, it’s constantly full of fun, crazy and insane moments.

Rocket League developer Psyonix has also made the game feel fresh, which is a strong reason why I find myself continuously going back for more. From the array of free content on offer, crazy game modes (like an ice hockey variation) and the promise of more out of this world maps going forward, there is always something new to do. The constant stream of additional free and paid content keeps me coming back, and makes every new gaming session feel new once again.

Rocket League is an excellent game in its own right, but it’s also one that will stay on my PlayStation 4 for years to come, keeping me entertained when nothing new is available to play.

Devon McCarty – Mario Kart

In the spirit of not echoing our fearless leader, I’ll swap Rocket League for Mario Kart 8

I would argue that 90% of us grew up playing Mario Kart in one form or another. When Mario Kart 8 was announced for the Wii U, I didn’t question buying the console because I knew it would be a game I would go back to on a regular basis. In the midst of all these fancy pants AAA titles, I keep doing just that.

Mario Kart 8 is the game that never lets you feel comfortable. You could know the courses like the back of your hand, but that doesn’t keep you safe from either a blue shell or a bolt of lightning.

While I love The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and several other games in my collection, Mario Kart 8 is a great way to wrap up the evening before going to sleep. Especially now since my Wii U is up in my room, and the tablet is wireless and can literally be played while I lay in bed and my wife grumbles at me cursing the tablet every time bob-omb ruins my life.

Hope Hornsby – Dragon Age Minecraft

I hope you’re all ready for me to say Dragon Age. Aren’t you? Well it’s not. It’s Minecraft.

As a latecomer to the video game scene, the early alpha versions of Minecraft is where my love of gaming started. A friend bought me the game back when it was only $15 a copy, and it’s been a staple of my system ever since.

Most of the games I like playing are deep and involved story RPGs. Sometimes after work or before bed, I’m not up for a mountain of fetch quests and dialogue I’ll forget by morning, so I load up Minecraft.

It may turn out that I’ll sit for an hour finding a new resource pack to play with, or I may log on to a friend’s server and help with whatever maniacal red stone scheme they’re working on at the time, but punching trees is always on the agenda.

Eric Pepper – NHL

Being Canadian, I’m legally obligated to use the NHL games as my answer.

Whether you simply want to play a quick game with a friend, practice your shootout technique, progress in your created player’s career, manage a team as a GM would, or play an online game, the NHL titles provide all of that. The control scheme is intuitive enough that when you return to the titles, you remember precisely how to play, and you can tweak all of the rules and settings to give yourself precisely the kind of game you want to enjoy.

You can get lost in the games for minutes or hours, and no two games will be identical. The NHL titles don’t provide any immersive stories or branching skill trees, but they certainly provide entertainment and memorable moments.

Rebeccah Bassell – SSX 3

Surprisingly enough, I am not going to say Psychonauts! I take pride in being a bit more expansive in my tastes than that – I think all of us here at AA have “that obvious choice we go back to”, but, like my fellow AAers have said, we’re all less predictable than you’d think. Tongue emoticon

One of the first games I remember playing back in my PS2 glory days was the SSX series, particularly SSX 3, as that was my first introduction to the series (Tricky is great too – please put down your pitchforks, invisible Internet audience…). As such, my go to when there’s nothing new to play would definitely be SSX 3.

There are so many separate things I enjoy about this game. For one, the simple joys of customizing your rider, pulling off impossible, showy stunts, and punching Mac in the face whenever he says something douchey to you (re: whenever he opens his mouth) never get old. I can always pull out my trusty PS2 and know that I’m in for a great time (and will be treated to a fantastic early 2000’s soundtrack on Radio Big – shout out to DJ Atomika for introducing me to Basement Jaxx and Placebo).

I’m also a very social gamer – I enjoy playing against my friends and shouting various obscenities as a friendly afternoon hang out quickly turns into a test of friendship. One thing that’s particularly great about SSX 3 is that it’s very newbie friendly – friends who’ve picked up a controller maybe a handful of times in their lives can quickly get into the action and fun of SSX 3, and it makes it even that much more fun for me, a gaming vet, to see them get excited about playing a game.

Robbie Key – The Legend of Zelda: Orcarina of Time

While there are many games I venture back into and during dry release times in gaming, I’m going to cheat a little here and pick one game and a series: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and any Super Smash Bros. title.

I have easily beaten Ocarina five or six times, and that doesn’t include the two times I’ve played through Master Quest – once on the Wind Waker pre-order Gamecube disc, the other time on 3D. Nostalgia is not what brings me back to this game 18 years after its release (disclaimer: that’s part of it). It’s simply an enthralling adventure that holds up well in numerous aspects among today’s industry, a feat thousands of other games can’t achieve. I love everything Ocarina offers, including the dreaded Water Temple, which is oddly easier in the Master Quest version.

… and Super Smash Bros.

Whether it’s with friends or battling solo against multiple computers, each Smash Bros. has its own unique feel, and they each hold up incredibly well – though I won’t argue against the original’s descent into showing its age. Whether it’s the best in the series – Melee – or the 3DS and Wii U versions, the latter being my personal favorite, Smash Bros. is a series that can be booted up and allow anyone to jump in on and have fun, or have serious one-on-one bouts. I always enjoy trying to complete any unaccomplished challenges, attempting to beat old records and battling tough computer opponents, even more so with the merciless amiibo bots.

Nathan Manning – Halo multiplayer

I always find myself going back to the multiplayer mode in the Halo games when I’ve got nothing else to play. Usually it’s the most current in the series, so I’ll be saying Halo 5: Guardians at the moment. I think Halo 5 is my favourite multiplayer experience of the Halo games. The new movement options have improved the Halo gameplay so much. There feels like there is much more flexibility in fire fights because the new movement options give players plenty of different choices when attacking or fleeing. It makes the game more interesting. In an age where shooters are trying to copy Call of Duty’s success, Halo has managed to carve itself out a slice of the genre, and with Halo 5 343 realised that it had to stick to what makes Halo unique. In Halo, everyone starts off equal. Everyone has the same weapons and abilities, and the only way to get an edge over your opponent is to control the weapons around the map and have more skill with the tools at your disposal. It’s this tug of war and constant battle over key map areas that draws me to Halo multiplayer over and over again. The new monthly ranking system, which can also be seen in games like Hearthstone, is also a big draw card as I can strive to reach something higher each time I come back.

I’m a big fan of multiplayer gaming, and I absolutely love the Halo multiplayer experience, so it’s a no-brainer that Halo 5 is my fall back game.

So those are our games we always find ourselves playing in down times. But the conversation doesn’t end there. We want to know what you play when you’ve got nothing else to play. Leave a comment below, or on the post on Facebook or Twitter, and you could be featured in next month’s AA Roundtable.

But is that bad?

Here at Analog Addiction, we love us some video games. Be they old, new, or forthcoming; we can’t wait to get our hands on them. In our latest AA RoundTable the crew and I discuss what video games we would want continued, rebooted, or remastered for our current consoles.

Hope Hornsby – Dragon Age: Origins

Treatment: Remastered

Rationale: I know a lot of console players weren’t wild about Origins, but as the first Bioware game I came to, it swept me off my feet. The story, the characters, the lore, all of it just kind of stole my heart. Even some of the glitches are endearing, I’m not going to lie. I don’t want a direct sequel, because I like that my warden’s story remains unfinished, and I don’t want a reboot because as far as I’m concerned, they did it right the first time.

But if you gave me Inquisition graphics and the Origins story line, I may never leave my desktop again. That said, I’d also like the warden to remain a silent protagonist. From what I’ve heard however, updating the game would mean using an entirely new engine and changing a ton, so if my ideal scenario can’t come to pass, perhaps it’s best to let sleeping dragons lie.

Eric Pepper – Jet Force Gemini

Treatment: Next Gen Sequel

Rationale: Many gamer’s may have been introduced to the original Jet Force Gemini through the recently released Rare Replay, making this the perfect opportunity for Rare to revitalize the classic title. Given its inclusion in the aforementioned collection, there’s no need to have a remastered version. A sequel or even spiritual successor following different protagonists would be phenomenal on modern consoles. Upgraded control schemes and visuals while maintaining those same vast planets, the drop-in/drop-out co-op, playing as multiple characters all with unique abilities, and the expansive arsenal of weapons would all do wonders for the IP.

It would be nice to follow Juno, Vela, and Lupus again, but it would be tough to pitch a compelling story involving the same trio that compares in scale to the original. Keeping the furry Tribals is an absolute must if the title were to receive a sequel as they provide an immense amount of charm but also create a great degree of tension while attempting to rescue all of them. Jet Force Gemini had been absent from the gaming landscape for 16 years before reappearing in Rare Replay, although it wasn’t a full remastering of the game. Given the modern game development treatment, I fully believe that a sequel to Jet Force Gemini could be a blockbuster AAA title.

Nathan Manning  – Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Treatment: Remastered or a Sequel

Rationale: I don’t care what form it comes in, I just want more Kingdoms of Amalur. The game is one of my personal favorites from last generation, and it was not experienced by enough people (hence the studio closing down). It’s such a tragedy too because it means we probably never will see a sequel or remaster because EA does not think there is enough demand for it. It’s also worth noting that last we had heard, Rhode Island still held the rights to a sequel.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is such an amazing game across the board. The world had a deep lore and interesting characters, and every environment looked gorgeous. However, my favorite part about KOA was the combat, and how easy it was to change your play-style. KOA had some of the best action-RPG combat I’ve ever experienced. It was fast paced and made you feel like a badass. The skill system also allowed you to reset your skill trees for a small fee so you could craft your character in different ways whenever you wanted. I’m very well against remasters because I think resources could be spent elsewhere, but I’d be willing to make an exception for Reckoning.

Jamie Briggs – Banjo Kazooie

Treatment: Next Generation Sequel

Rationale: Like many gamer’s from the 90’s I loved Banjo Kazooie on the Nintendo 64. It was such a momentous title, that provided some excellent open world levels, a memorable soundtrack, and a lovable cast of characters; to simply list everything Banjo Kazooie did right would take too long. Which still leaves me speechless to say…there has been no actual (Nuts and Bolts does not count) third installment in the beloved Banjo Kazooie franchise. So why not bring Banjo back on Xbox One?

The mascot platformer/open world genre is alive and well, with huge excitement for the upcoming Ratchet & Clank reboot, the millions Yooka Laylee was able to raise on Kickstarter, and even the constant requests for a new Jak & Daxter release. There is no reason why Banjo and Kazooie should not come to the Xbox One in an official third installment; Banjo-Threeie anyone?

Banjo and Kazooie are one of the most beloved pairings in the industry and it’s a sad day that such a strong franchise is left on the bench. While we are at it, let’s also bring back Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon and many more, in real next generation releases. Who’s with me?

Robert Key – Either Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I & II or KOTOR III

Treatment: Next Gen Remaster/Sequel

Rationale: I had major Star Wars fever for a while before The Force Awakens finally hit theaters. The fever continued after I watched it twice (and soon to be viewing No. 3), which prompted me to boot up the first Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and I’ll likely start the sequel afterward. In the most important ways, the game still holds up incredibly well. The unique combination of Dungeons & Dragons mechanics, action/turn-based gameplay hybrid and story are still amazing to this day.

However, both games have also not aged quite as gracefully in at least a few areas. There isn’t much NPC alien variety when compared to the movies, many NPC faces and alien languages look and sound exactly the same (don’t get me started on how hilariously long it takes Zalbaar the Wookie to say “Goodbye.”), the lack of a real fast travel system is sometimes dreadful when doing quests and the game could use a better tutorial to explain certain aspects in building characters.

I strongly believe a full remake of both KOTOR games and/or a true sequel are deserving and would be highly welcomed by Star Wars fans or those simply looking for a fantastic RPG. Either one — preferably both of course — is possible with EA owning both the rights to making new Star Wars games and Bioware, the developing studio of the original KOTOR. This fan of the galaxy far, far away would be ecstatic for more KOTOR.

Devon McCarty – Legend of Dragoon

Treatment: Next Gen sequel.

Rationale: The Legend of Dragoon is definitely one of my all time favorite games. The characters were great, the concept of dragons eyes becoming your key to an entire suit of armor was and powers was something I hadn’t experienced yet in a video game and I found it awesome! I loved the story and the concept that the different elemental dragons would have a direct effect on the way you experience those abilities. I joined the RPG scene of gaming way later than any of my friends did. I started very slowly, borrowing games like Chrono trigger and Final Fantasy just to get my feet wet. Then, one day I was looking through his stuff and came across Dragoon.

I would not want either remake or reboot. Those memories are saved in my brain and I don’t think playing through the story again would do it any justice. I want to leave the past right where it is. I would much rather see a sequel to the property. Let them pickup the story with Dart, its lead, explaining to his great grandson on his death bed about the suit of armor. And then obviously have everyone die and pickup the story from there. Maybe even take the new protagonist on a journey that puts him/her in touch with some of the classic characters of the original or even their offspring. Kongol was the last of the Gianto, is he still out there? King’s don’t let their linage die off so I’m sure someone in Albert’s line is ruling somewhere. I would love to see those continuations but only for small references and cameos. The new team should be just that.

Rebooting it seems dangerous because I so loved the original story that I don’t want to just jump back into the world, I want that story continued. I have always loved bloodline continuation stories. Something about them just feels epic and powerful. If they were to just do away with the original I would feel cheated. And now, they could add so many more elements to that game. Character customization, drop-in/drop-out options, dialogue choices and so many more possibilities.   I know the chances are slight with such a niche game, but the second they announce anything like that coming to PlayStation 4, I would buy it in a heart beat.

Today in our last episode of AA Plays NBA 2K15, Analog Addiction showcases the MyCareer mode, where players can take their created player from the NBA draft all the way to NBA championship gold. Hosted by PlayStation Editor, Jamie Briggs, Analog Addiction begins a fresh career as we watch one of the angriest draftees in history.

If there are any aspects of NBA 2K15 you’d like to see, simply comment below and we will cover them as soon as possible. Stay tuned over the next few days for more NBA 2K15 gameplay.

Today we showcase MyTeam Mode, which allows you to collect packs of NBA cards in order to form your own team of NBA players. Hosted by PlayStation Editor, Jamie Briggs, we showcase some of MyTeam’s best points, alongside some of the problems we encountered.

If there are any aspects of NBA 2K15 you’d like to see, simply comment below and we will cover them as soon as possible. Stay tuned over the next few days for more NBA 2K15 gameplay.

Choosing Platforms to develop on

King has acknowledged that Australian developers have not really hit it big in the PC and console market. He puts it down to a capacity constraint, “we literally don’t have enough developers to allow for teams of that magnitude! I remember reading a while ago that after the downfall of Team Bondi, the number of game developers in Australia was cut in HALF. One studio closes its doors and half of Australia’s developers disappear overseas? That’s insane!” Nevertheless, his team is giving it a go.

The team chose the PC “mostly because the PC is the most forgiving platform to develop for at the moment. We started working with C# and XNA when we were 16, and PC development has grown as a natural extension of that. Although we’ve been trying to push ourselves in different directions recently (more on that in a second), it’s hard to escape the powerful debugging, lack of necessity for memory management (although that’s a horrible assumption) and strong 3rd party and online support that comes from PC development.”

When I asked about developing for consoles, King responded, “Although we’d love to develop for consoles, our company isn’t strong enough to extensively test games developed for those platforms and we’d be hamstrung by trying to pass certification. Although the new ‘indie’ initiatives introduced by Sony and Microsoft with the launch of their new consoles are very promising for companies like us, it’s still a little out of our reach.”

But what about mobile devices, a trend currently present in the Australian game industry?
“I don’t think we’ve necessarily gone against the mobile trend, we’re just a little slow to arrive to the party is all. The few projects that we’ve completed on PC have taught us buckets about our own ability, the development cycle, how long certain tasks are going to take, and how hard it is to market your titles. Bringing all of that knowledge to mobile development means we have fewer new things to learn, focusing instead on unique ways of using the touch interface and other inputs, and working within the memory and size constraints. We’ve actually just invested in some mobile development technologies, so expect some Chaos Theory titles to pop up on the Play Store or iTunes store soon.” (Since the interview took place, Chaos Theory Games has announced two mobile games in development, Novae and Desola)

A love of multiplayer

Chaos Theory Games currently has three titles available – Oversight, a single player game, Infinite Loop and S.W.A.P, which are both multiplayer titles. I asked King why, at the moment, the studio gravitated towards the multiplayer landscape. While King admitted he does not prefer one genre over the other, he did acknowledge that it was a “subconscious shift towards multiplayer experiences.”

“Perhaps it’s because our company was formed from a strong friendship that grew out of multiplayer experiences. When the 3 Chaos Theory directors get together to share a vision, multiplayer is the thing we think of that we can all easily agree on and get excited about. Most of our collective gaming knowledge comes from endless nights spent playing couch co-op games. However, looking back on many of our brainstorming sessions and the ideas we force ourselves to come up with on a fortnightly basis, most of what we want to do is single player.”

“When the idea for S.W.A.P was first pitched, it was a single player game with a heavy emphasis on plot. The main mechanic, the ability to exchange bodies with someone, was what started everything. We loved the idea that if I put myself in imminent danger and then exchanged bodies with an enemy, it was possible to kill them, without using weapons!

As the concept progressed, the developers began to see the game’s multiplayer potential.

“We quickly developed a prototype to see what gameplay would be like. It was frantic, disorienting, interesting but most of all it was fun! I had never thought about the number of strategies and moves that could be executed. It was really refreshing playing a game that opened my mind and caused me to explore new ideas, rather than just using the standard mechanics of a FPS because that’s what everyone is used to.”

One of the contributing factors to S.W.A.P being a multiplayer concept was the fact that the original project was created by a group of students working with a limited time frame. “Rather than make a single player game with a short play through and limited replayability, we would create a multiplayer experience that would be enjoyed for a much longer period of time. We realised that good multiplayer experiences will develop their own content, due to the ability to create divergent gameplay from limited mechanics.”

However, this was another occasion where the students were over ambitious, not giving themselves enough time to implement everything they wanted. Once their degrees had been completed, the original group, bar King and lead programmer Greg Nott, went on to pursue other career pathways. King decided to team up with his friends at Chaos Theory Games so he and Nott could have some assistance completing the project. While it was a setback, King admits, “we are always coming up with improvements and enhancements that we would love to one day implement, perhaps creating a revised version, using all the skills we have learned.”

Oversight

King also provided an insight into their lone single-player game, Oversight. While it is a single-player experience, King admits that CTG has wanted it to be a multiplayer title ever since.

“It was released at an awkward time for all of us and we didn’t want the added stress of learning networking from the ground up, as Oversight really only suited an online or LAN based multiplayer experience.”

Infinite Loop

Chaos Theory Games’ Infinite Loop, currently available through Desura, was “born from an overnight obsession with Teknopants’ Samurai Gunn which we literally couldn’t stop playing after six straight hours.” King tells me this is what lead to their desire to make a multiplayer game at a game jam. That concept is now Infinite Loop.
“I guess I would say having multiple people sharing an experience really reminds me of the human element in gameplay.”

See, developers are like gamers

Just as most gamers like to dabble in various genres rather than sticking to one, game developers like to do that too.

“Although our titles have had a strong multiplayer focus so far, we really just want to stick our fingers in every pie and try developing games from every genre. There is so much good to be said about the strong community-forming aspects of multiplayer games, and some of the hilarious moments that arise when a group of like-minded people are able to have fun together.”

Next week in our final part of the Chaos Theory Games interview, Nico King discusses S.W.A.P’s Open Beta and what comes next for the studio.

Recently, Analog Addiction has had the pleasure to talk with Futurlab founder and managing director, James Marsden. In this interview, we speak about the currently-in-development title Velocity 2X, Furtulab’s support of Sony, and the PlayStation brand, alongside getting an interesting look at how this studio came to be.

Analog Addiction How did FuturLab begin? And how has your studio changed over the past 2 years with the success your team has had?

James Marsden FuturLab began when the CEO of a start-up I joined in 2002 decided to emigrate with my wages and the wages of a colleague. I had the option of either getting another job or starting a company with the client relationships we’d built together during the previous year. We chose the latter with just a year’s experience of rudimentary web development. I’ve since been on a 90 degree learning curve.

Analog Addiction Velocity 2X was announced last year, and we were recently treated to some beautiful screenshots from the PlayStation 4 Alpha version. Is the PlayStation 4 allowing you to truly emphasise the vibrant visuals that were in-place in Velocity Ultra?

James Marsden Velocity 2X is a PS Vita game that is also being released on PS4, so it’s the PS Vita that has allowed us to achieve the vibrant visuals, not PS4. Remember that Ultra was PSP code visually upgraded, so our codebase for V2X is much more refined and mature having been written from scratch to target PS4 and Vita.

Analog Addiction How has developing for the PlayStation 4 differed from previous development? Has the transition to new hardware been smooth and simple?

James Marsden It’s easier to develop for across the board, from the hardware architecture to the tools support and package creation processes.

Analog Addiction Velocity 2X will have a female lead character named Kai Tana. How does Kai find herself in this situation? And what is her end-goal throughout Velocity 2X?

James Marsden If I answered this question it would be a spoiler.

Analog Addiction Velocity 2X alters the formula of the original release quite significantly, with the inclusion of new on foot puzzle platforming sections. What inspired your team consider to add these mechanics? Lots of sequels these days stick to the same formula without many new features. Was it simply the fact the team wanted to try something new?

James Marsden We wanted to keep surprising our players. That’s how good review scores and loyalty amongst players is earned and maintained.

Analog Addiction After looking throughout some of the previously released screenshots of the puzzle-platforming sections, I get reminded of DrinkBox Studios’ Guacamelee. Were there any titles that inspired these sections? Or perhaps any game that may mirror how Kai herself will control during these moments

James Marsden Turrican 2 is the main inspiration, but V2X controls very differently to other platformers. Kai is incredibly nimble.

Analog Addiction I noticed Velocity 2X will feature “dual format bosses,”which will include puzzle-platforming and ship combat. Can we get a little more insight into how these bosses will take place? How difficult has it been to include both formats into these boss encounters?

James Marsden Shoot a boss in your ship to disable shields, then teleport inside the boss to wreak havoc to its insides, before teleporting back outside to finish it off.

Analog Addiction One of the most impressive aspects of Velocity Ultra was the amazing soundtrack. Joris de Man will be returning for Velocity 2X; can we aspect to encounter as many addictive tracks as we did in the original release? What is your personal view on the soundtrack? Can it top Velocity Ultra?

James Marsden There’s a lot more music, with better production, more musical variety and more emotive, energetic & engaging themes. It’s far far better than Ultra’s soundtrack. If Joris doesn’t win an award for it I will be very disappointed.

Analog Addiction FuturLab has clearly aligned itself with Sony over the past few years, but still released titles to iOS and PC. How did this strong partnership with Sony begin? And would you ever consider releasing your titles to other handhelds/consoles?

James Marsden I’m a genuine fan of Sony’s ethos. Did you watch Kaz Hirai’s CES keynote? That perfectly illustrated why I love Sony. It’s not a business governed by profits alone. There is a joyful passion and curiosity for innovation that is carried through the company by its staff.

Analog Addiction Some have said the PlayStation Vita has been unsuccessful due to lack of sales, though the attach rate for the system is over 10 games per console. That being said FuturLab is one of the most supportive developers of the handheld console, what is pushing your studio to develop for the handheld and has this high attach rate been financially beneficial for your studio?

James Marsden We make games for PlayStation platforms because of what I said above, and because Sony supports our creativity. The important thing to understand about FuturLab is that whilst we care a great deal about our players, our business priority is helping to uphold PlayStation’s incredibly strong brand and ethos. That is something we have taken upon ourselves from the beginning, and I suppose that must be quite flattering to the people that work at PlayStation. Those are good conditions for a relationship to blossom.

Analog Addiction FuturLab has had a few games involved in the Instant Game Collection for PS Plus members; how has providing these games for the service treated the studio? Did you see a strong increase in sales numbers when these games were involved? And are there any benefits depending on the number of times your title is downloaded?

James Marsden PS+ is a fair deal, and provides great exposure.

Analog Addiction When can we expect to see the release of Velocity 2X? At the moment it is scheduled for 2014, but is there a particular month your studio is aiming for?

James Marsden Sorry, we don’t know yet.

Analog Addiction Finally, is FuturLab in the process of creating any other unannounced titles? Perhaps even bringing more titles from your PS Mobile/Mini releases to handhelds/consoles?

James Marsden We’re always working on something. It’s the Futur part of FuturLab that I’m most interested in.

Analog Addiction would like to thank James Marsden for taking the time to answer these questions. For more interviews regarding some of the other independent studios working with Sony, check out our interview with Curve Studios and Housemarque.

Jamie Briggs manages Analog Addiction and you can like them on Facebook, follow his daily life on Twitter @JamieAA, his personal blog and his videos on YouTube.

Analog Addiction’s second award feature is going to be quite big, as it covers Sony’s PlayStation 3, Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Nintendo’s Wii U, the almighty PC, and the ever growing mobile platforms. First, let’s take a look at the PS3. The best five games of this year are the following:

• Splinter Cell: Blacklist
• Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
• Rayman Legends
• Grand Theft Auto V
• The Last of Us

And the winner is…

The Last of Us

“The truth is, there is so much I love about The Last of Us that a review cannot fully justify what I have to say. If I had endless amounts of time, and my reader had endless amounts of patience, I could tell you every little piece about The Last of Us that just makes it so special. By the time the credits roll, The Last of Us will have moved you and you will seldom be able to deny the impact this game has.” You can check out our full review, here.

Moving on, let’s see what did the 360 bring to the table, this year. And the nominees are:

• DmC: Devil May Cry
• Grand Theft Auto V
• BioShock Infinite
• Tomb Raider
• Rayman Legends

And the winner is…

Grand Theft Auto V

“Grand Theft Auto V is one of two very good ways to end this generation – the other being Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us. GTA V succeeds in just about everything it sets out to do, ranging from its satirical outlook on modern American life, to making sure the gameplay is so finely tuned to deliver the fun and memorable experience we have here. Everyone simply owes it to themselves to own this game, before making the jump to the next generation consoles.” You can check out our full review, here.

Next, let’s take a look at Nintendo’s Wii U. Even though the console still has a few problems on the sales side, it undoubtedly brought some great games to the market, this year. Here are the best five:

• Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
• The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
• Duck Tales Remastered
• Batman: Arkham Origins
• Super Mario 3D World

And the winner is…

Batman: Arkham Origins

“Warner Bros. Montreal had a tough task at hand – to deliver a Batman game experience equal to what Rocksteady essentially built from the ground up. For the most part, they succeeded. Among others, the multiplayer presents interesting ideas, and players finally get to trek through the streets of Gotham-“freaking”-City. Arkham Origins is well worth your time with all there is to do in Gotham. Though it wasn’t made by Rocksteady, Batman: Arkham Origins deserves your acknowledgement as canon to the franchise.” You can check out the rest of our review, here.

You simply can’t bring gaming in discussion, without mentioning the immortal PC. As always, the open-platform brought us a slew of new titles, this year, ranging from the smallest indie, to the biggest publisher. Here are the top five:

• Outlast
• Gone Home
• Rayman Legends
• BioShock Infinite
• Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

And the winner is…

BioShock Infinite

“BioShock Infinite is a game that many people will be talking about for many years to come. They’ll discuss the good. They’ll discuss the bad. From what you’ve experience in BioShock Infinite, you’ll remember it. One thing I do hope people remember is the hidden genius behind Infinite’s story telling and how you as the player are encouraged to get out there and discover the story for yourself. BioShock Infinite simply wants you to play the game which perhaps is a quality one might argue some developers have forgotten about over the years.” You can check out the rest of our review, here.

Finally, the mobile platforms have become so big, that they’ve earned themselves a spot in these awards. Sure, the list is smaller, but here are three games which are sure to keep you busy in your spare time on the bus, train, school (?) etc.:

• Device 6
• Plants vs. Zombies 2
• Year Walk

And the winner is…

Plants vs. Zombies 2

“PvZ 2 took vexations from the original addictive substance known as Plants vs. Zombies, and used its blueprints to build on the formula in a fantastic way. The new plants are formidable, the new Zombie types will make you think thrice about your strategy, the times you travel and its accompanying environments consistently keep the game at a fresh state, and the soundtrack maintains its delightful tone throughout your time-traveling endeavors.” You can read the rest of the review, here.

Agree? Disagree? We’re always eager to hear your thoughts, so don’t forget to put them down in the comments section below.

I recently had the chance to speak with Bithell regarding his inspirations for creating Volume, whether the game’s narrative will follow a similar meaningful tone as Thomas Was Alone, further information on the games fully-featured level editor and much more.

AA: It must be an exciting time for you, being able to finally talk about your latest project Volume. How long has the title been in development?

AA: Thomas Was Alone was a platformer at heart, what gave you the idea to move into a top-down stealth-based adventure? Did you feel confident to step away from that genre after its success?

Mike Bithell: I’ve been designing games in a bunch of different genres for many years, while Thomas was my first indie game, I didn’t want it to define any of the rest, so switching genres made a lot of sense. Always fun to mix things up.

AA: Was the idea for Volume something you have always wanted to do? Or was this an idea that was inspired by other titles?

Mike Bithell: I was a massive Metal Gear Solid fan as a kid, and always wanted to design my own game in the stealth genre. The game’s roots definitely lie in that more old-school approach to sneaking about. Making that player editable and accessible to everyone was a cool way of turning it into something that 15 year old me would have loved.

AA: What I truly loved about Thomas Was Alone, was its ability to tell a deep story through nothing but a variety of different shapes. Can players expect to find an over-arching narrative in a similar vein?

Mike Bithell: Absolutely. We’re playing our cards pretty close to our chests for now, but there will be a pretty substantial narrative, which will hopefully not disappoint fans of Thomas.

AA: From the handful of screenshots and videos you have released, the game looks brimming with bright colours. It is unusual to see a stealth-based title with so many vibrant colours, was this a decision that was made early on? And were there any influences towards the design?

Mike Bithell: I like bright colours art wise, but more importantly, they keep everything clear and readable. It’ll be interesting to see if the community shares my taste, or will change them.

AA: One of the main features announced for Volume, was the fully-featured level editor. Was this a tough process to implement?

Mike Bithell: There’s a lot of up front work involved in getting the editor made, but it actually speeds things up down the line, as I can get levels made really quickly. I use the tool myself, so it’s handy to have.

AA: As for sharing content amongst users, will there be a system in-place to allow players to rate levels so the best levels rise to the top of the community?

Mike Bithell: This is still being worked out, but we will be investigating ways to ensure good stuff is visible to players, and also to share things specifically with their friends.

AA: During your level-editor walkthrough we were given an explanation into two items our character can use to his advantage(Blackjack, Bugal). Will there be many more items throughout the game?

Mike Bithell: There’ll be loads of items! We’ll be expanding this list over the next year, and if the game proves popular, we’ll probably continue after release. It’s all about giving players cool opportunities to try different tactics to get through levels.

AA: You confirmed David Housden will be working on the score for Volume, was this an obvious choice after the beautiful soundtrack he provided for Thomas Was Alone?

Mike Bithell: I aim to work with David for many projects to come, he’s a bit of genius, and a pleasure to work with. He brought an amazing level of emotion to Thomas, and it looks like he’s going to bring the same to Volume.

AA: The announcement trailer states Volume will release in 2014, though no platforms have been confirmed. With your previous work with Sony to implement Thomas Was Alone on PlayStation consoles, are you looking to expand to other platforms for Volume’s release?

Mike Bithell: Not talking platforms for now I’m afraid.

AA: Well Mike thank you very much for your time. For those interested in Volume, where can they go to get all the details as they are released?

Mike Bithell: No worries, anyone wanting to find out more about Volume can visit my site, www.mikebithellgames.com, or follow me on twitter @mikebithell.

Are you excited to see Bithell’s Metal Gear Solid inspired stealth-title? Were you a big fan of Thomas Was Alone? Which platforms would you like to see Volume launch on? Let us know in the comments below and a massive thank you to Mike Bithell for taking the time to answer our questions.

Jamie Briggs manages Analog Addiction and you can like them on Facebook, follow his daily life on Twitter @JamieAA, his personal blog and his videos on YouTube.