Hello, murder fans. We ve already played DOOM and QUAKE and OTHERS, but the demand for caps-locked first-person shooters with gibs and chaos somehow seems to grow. So here is DUSK [official site], an FPS from publisher New Blood, which is paying tribute to the classics of the genre the only way it knows how: by killing everything in sight with shotguns, scythes and explosives. It looks like the hellish speed of Devil Daggers combined with a more traditional homicidal experience. If you’re a fan of quick-paced killing, there s a trailer down here.

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Shhh. Do you hear that? Listen carefully. Yes, it’s the sound of Bethesda trying to breath life into Doom’s [official site] multiplayer. At long last the game is getting a Deathmatch mode and private matches. They’re coming in Free Update 3, so all of these goodies won’t cost you a thing. Bethesda have teased us with a brief Deathmatch trailer:

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After two decades, Doom still has a vibrant modding community. Now game designer JP LeBreton has opted to draft his autobiography, Autobiographical Architecture [official site], as a Doom II mod, deeming the game a perfect medium for the multi-volume telling of his life. Doom has been a huge influence on LeBreton. He started out making his own Doom levels in his bedroom, later finding a career including working on BioShock, becoming lead level designer for its sequel, and being a designer at Double Fine Productions, before going solo. Here’s a trailer showing a little of the mod:

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Hullo! One day later than usual because I spent yesterday on a beach next to an industrial estate, but as always, here’s what sold best on Steam last week. It is ever so faintly possible that you might have a very slight inkling as to what is number one. I could not possibly comment myself.

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I keep banging on about it to all who will listen, but like a mid-life-crisiseer and their ridiculous sports car, I am increasingly in love with my new ultrawide monitor. I had to use a standard 1080p one recently – oh the humanity! – and felt as though I was trapped inside a tiny box. 21:9 is the only way to play. At least until 32:9 arrives and I decide that of course I cannot live without that. CONSUME CONSUME CONSUME. Genuinely though, ultrawide is lovely: it really brings games to life. … [visit site to read more]

Last week’s best-sellers, today. Most of the recent mainstays are still hanging on in there, but it’s goodbye to Dead by Daylight (for now, at least). We do get two intriguing new entries, one glowering and one that is ALL THE FISH. Number one, meanwhile, is probably the number one you expected. That’s right: Limbo of the Lost is back-back-back!

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The first bit of Doom [official site] multiplayer DLC is out now for 12 and boy, I feel strange saying that. Look, expansions to id Software’s shooter have traditionally been a bit shaky, largely adding so-so singleplayer campaigns made by other studios, but… sheesh, 12 for three maps, a new gun, and some dress-up odds and ends? That’s fairly standard for shooters nowadays, I suppose, but it feels wrong for a game from shareware veterans. Not to mention that multiplayer is hardly Doom’s strongest side.

But hey, the base game is half-price all weekend to mark this, so that’s something.

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I do not believe that I shall ever come to terms with the fact that Quake III’s announcer was not, in fact, voiced by Michael Dorn. I believed that to be the case for so long, having been told it was so by someone at university. Watching this trailer for upcoming online shooter Quake Champions [official site], my heart leaped when I heard the familiar refrain in that familiar bass voice: “Excellent.” Worf! You’re back! No. It was never Worf, Meer. It is not Worf now. But maybe it is the original Q3A announcer returned. That would be something. You can hear Not-Worf for yourself in this first in-game footage of Champions, which rather looks like Quake III and Unreal Tournament had a baby. The speed of the former, the more vibrant palette of the latter. … [visit site to read more]

Even before we got a proper look at multiplayer in the new Doom [official site], it was clear that singleplayer would be its strength. It’s a shame Bethesda have only announced a load of multiplayer DLC, and adding new weapons and things across three paid DLC packs does sound weird for an id Software game. But hey, that’s the plan and it’s going ahead. Today publishers Bethesda announced the first pack will hit August 5th with a new pistol, a new playable demon, new maps, and so on.

New free stuff is coming too, mind. A free update tomorrow will bring new multiplayer modes along with more stuff for the SnapMap editor.

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Not that I’m saying Quake is not suitable for 21st century play – quite the opposite. It’s just that enormous and beautiful mod campaign Arcane Dimensions applies some of the design values we are accustomed to from later, flashier games to the ancient Quake structure. From flow to geometry to sheer size, it’s taking Quake to places id possibly could not have imagined when they first made it, and wrestling the engine into brand new shapes without actually losing its essential Quakeiness.

Because that’s the thing: playing Arcane Dimensions makes Quake once again feel like it felt when I first played it.

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