Assassin's Creed IV: "More Open And Free Than Ever Before"

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flagwill launch this fall for both current and next-gen systems, and it should be quite the rousing adventure.

The game's lead scriptwriter Darby McDevitt talked toPolygon about the story and environment we can expect in the latest AC entry.

As many have seen, there are some sexually explicit themes going on, and that's because, as McDevitt says, protagonist Edward Kenway is a "raucous and bawdy chap." He's married but that doesn't mean other women aren't involved. He's out to prove himself a "man of quality" and if other ladies like the infamous Anne Bonny cross his path, well, so be it. He uses his influence over the fairer sex by getting women to seduce and distract targets during gameplay; presumably, this will be similar to the Courtesans in past entries.

We see an example of that in the reveal trailer:

"While this scene in the reveal trailer was clearly designed hint at the pirate lifestyle, there is a gameplay element here, to show that you can use certain NPC characters to more effectively achieve your goals. You might have noticed that the woman in the foreground seduced his target at the end of the trailer (eagle-eyed fans have already pointed out that they are the same woman)."

As for the environment, we'll still have pre-scripted missions so you can't change those. However, McDevitt says the gameplay has been designed to be "more open and free than ever before," hinting that there may be some decision-making involved. As for the Templar angle, which is a staple of the franchise's ongoing plot, McDevitt didn't say much. We just know the Templars will be comprised of a "diverse cast of characters from three different empires." Secrecy is expected.

As usual, any Assassin's Creed has the potential to be a masterpiece. We still think Ubisoft could've taken a year off, though.

Tags: assassins creed iv black flag, aciv black flag, a

Kojima: MGS Legacy Collection Just Too Massive For Xbox 360

Well, that's what you get for using a woefully outdated software format.

The massive bundle known asMetal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection consists of a grand total of 7 games and over 60 hours of content. And that is precisely the reason why it's exclusive to the PlayStation 3.

This collection is so huge that it actually requires two Blu-Ray discs to hold the majority of the franchise's quarter-century saga. They didn't even get it all in there; we'd probably need a third disc if they had. So on Thursday during a Kojima Productions radio broadcast, boss man Hideo Kojima clarified that The Legacy Collection would've needed 6 DVDs on the 360. We don't have an exact release date just yet, but hardcore fans are anxiously waiting already... Don't worry, it might drop in June.

To be honest, as much as I'm a supporter of multiplatform releases so all gamers can get a chance to play certain masterpieces, I'm fine with this.Metal Gear Solid's legacy is firmly planted in the PlayStation universe. I know it began on other earlier consoles but let's face it; the MGS legend is rooted in PlayStation history; it's synonymous with the brand. I know it has gone multiplatform now, but it'd almost be like having a Halo collection on the PS3. It just doesn't make much sense, I say.

Watch Dogs On PS4 Is "A Truly No Compromises Experience"

The more we see of this game, the more encouraged we become. How about you?

Watch Dogs is a cross-generation title slated to for both the PS3 and PS4, and it seems that all versions will be available on November 19. In the meantime, check out a PlayStation "Conversation With Creators" feature that focuses on Ubisoft's upcoming blockbuster.

As revealed over at the PlayStation Blog, the video introduces you to two of the driving forces on the Watch Dogsteam: Dominic, the senior producer, and Jonathan, the creative director. The team worked in close collaboration with PlayStation so as to harness the full power of the PS4-

"This gives them the opportunity to create a truly no-compromises experience with high-resolution environment textures and advanced special effects. The game experience, much like the city you’ll get to play in, will be rich, deep, and detailed."

They want to convey what it feels like in a "hyper-connected" world, and they wish to give players "new and different ways to connect with each other." Personally, a "hyper-connected world" scares the sh** out of me but I'm obviously in the minority on that. And besides, this game should befantastic. Is it Game of the Year quality...?

Metareview: Dead Island: Riptide

Dead Island: Riptide, the pseudo sequel to paradise-gone-wrong simulatorDead Island, shares one clear trait with its predecessor. No, not zombies (but, yeah, those are in there). It's that reviews are all over the place for the game's launch. The original Dead Island entered into a similarly hostile critical climate, but went on to sell 5 million units globally. Our Riptide review will be available later this week.

• Game Informer (80/100): "Riptide's flaws are many, but they couldn't hold me back from having a blast. Few games nail the visceral feel of melee combat and co-op fun like Dead Island. At its worst, an annoying hiccup breaks the immersion of the grizzly trek through a zombie-infested paradise. At its best, Riptide hits the same high notes as the original."
• IGN (72/100): "Technically, it's done nothing to build itself into a great game. Rather than fix the graphics and the performance problems that plagued the original two years ago, Techland slightly modified the setting and delivered a new character and more content. It's a fun time, but there are no surprises or killer new features to make it an impressive package."
• Eurogamer (60/100): "What makes that so sad is that this feels like a series only a few great decisions away from being really good. A better script with a sense of humor, a bit more imagination in quest design, more coherent inventory management and character development... These things shouldn't be unattainable goals for a developer that must be flush from the unexpected success of the first game."
• VideoGamer (50/100): "On the whole however Riptide is yet another missed opportunity, and just too painfully average, wonky and padded out with filler to truly recommend."
• Gamespot (40/100): "Riptide is dumb, and mind-numbingly slow, and somehow manages to make the art of zombie-slaying feel like utter tedium. And if slaying zombies isn't fun in a game that's all about slaying zombies, why bother? "

Metal Gear Solid 'Legacy Collection' brings a box of Snakes to PS3 in June

The Metal Gear Solid "Legacy Collection" found on a Korean rating has now been officially announced by Konami. The PS3 collection brings together Metal Gear Solid, the HD Collection versions of Metal Gear Solid 2, 3, and Peace Walker, and the "Trophy Edition" of Metal Gear Solid 4, along with the relatively hard-to-find Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions and two digital graphic novels by Ashley Wood, in a handsome package that might make some consider buying them again. 

Metal Gear fans have an affinity for fancy cardboard boxes. The collection will be released in North and South America in June. Konami has yet to specify a price.

The Evil Within protagonist makes do without 'extraordinary powers'

The Evil Within won't empower the player beyond "appropriate" weaponry and a delicate dearth of ammunition, claims Director Shinji Mikami.

"We're not giving the player really any extraordinary powers," he told IGN, "but we don't want to go in the opposite direction and not give them any means of fighting back – that would violate the rules of survival horror. So we're looking at appropriate types of weapons with a limited amount of ammunition in order to get them through ... if they're good."

The Evil Within follows a detective named Sebastian, an unfortunate soul summoned to a distorted, labyrinthine asylum crawling with creepy things. Mikami sees the premise as a source of proper scares, and frames it in an overtly cinematic way – right down to the survival-horror game's wider aspect ratio of 2.35:1. (As with some films, this means you'll see black bars above and below the image on HDTVs, which are typically in 16:9 ratio.)

Mikami's approach is reflected, arguably to a fault, in a live-action trailer forThe Evil Within. If you have trouble stomaching the more grotesque parts, just substitute the gore for gourmet foods. The gnarled corpse becomes chicken, and the final shot is spaghetti escaping confinement in a microwave.

Bloomberg: Next Xbox has X86 AMD chip

Microsoft will match Sony's example and use an X86 series processor from AMD in its next console, according to Bloomberg's anonymous sources. The still-unannounced console is said to use a "Jaguar" CPU with integrated GPU, abandoning the IBM PowerPC tech used in the Xbox 360.

That means, like the PS4, the new Xbox will have difficulty emulating its predecessor, since it will be built on different architecture. The good news, however, is that with both of those consoles (allegedly) using similar architecture, and PCs also similarly laid out, multiplatform game development will be much easier.

Except for the Wii U, of course.

The Verge reports that Microsoft is holding some kind of event on May 21, believed to be an Xbox event.