Polygon has published a new report on Costume Quest 2, which was just confirmed for the Wii U eShop today. Here’s what we know thus far:
– Similar to the first game
– Play as twins Reynold and Wren
– The two set off on a trick or treating adventure
– Reynold and Wren will fight evil Grubbins in Halloween costumes that grant them superhuman powers
– In the sequel, everything is set in a new suburb in Louisiana
– Double Fine keeping quiet on story details
– Only saying that it’s set right after the DLC add-on Grubbins on Ice
“It’s probably our most requested sequel, besides Psychonauts. People have been asking for it forever. I think it’s that every Halloween you’re reminded about the game. We have a lot of people who are coming back to us saying they replay it every year.” – Greg Rice, Double Fine publishing manager
– Double Fine wants to give fans of the original more of what they loved while addressing some of Costume Quest’s shortcomings
– Battle system is being refined
– Attack combos have been added
– Slight changes in the timing of button presses in battles
– Players will need to press the action button as their character strikes with their attack, not beforehand
– The same is true for defending against enemy attacks
– You can get a follow-up attack (and a third) by nailing the timing on attacks
– More Halloween costumes will be included
– Fan favorite costumes will be back
– At least 4 new costumes: the Clown, the Superhero, the Pterodactyl and the Candy Corn
– Clown: healer, can replenish the hit points of his or her teammates with a move called Laughter is the Best Medicine
– Superhero: looks like the superman of Double Fine’s Middle Manager of Justice, attacks with big punches and can throw a bus for an area of effect attack
– Candy Corn doesn’t do anything
– Unclear what the Pterodactyl does
– Candy Corn costume: player wearing it sits out his or her turn — every single time
– The only action is a message explaining the character’s inaction, something along the lines of “Candy Corn has nothing to prove” or “Candy Corn decides to sit this one out”
– Double Fine hopes to have somewhere around a thousand variations on that line that explains why Candy Corn just stands there idle
– Double Fine has an achievement built into the game for players who wear the Candy Corn costume the entire game, limiting your party to two members, instead of three
– Party’s health won’t automatically regenerate after each battle this time around
– Will need to find water fountains to replenish your hit points
– Cards are being added that players can use to enhance their battle abilities
– Cards are a combination of the Battle Stamps — modifiers that each character could equip — and the collectible Creepy Treat Cards from the first game
– Purchase cards from vendors or earn them by completing tasks
– Bring cards to battle, which will give you an advantage
– Cards will have limited uses in battles
– Some cards may take a few battles to recharge before they can be used again
– Explore the world and take on side quests when you’re not battling
– All kids wear heelys this time around (in the first game, most players opted to wear the Robot costume, as the outfit’s roller shoes let players glide around at high speed)
– For side quests, Rice says that in the first game “a lot of those were a bit fetch quest-y, but in this one they’re a little more [tied to] game mechanics.”
– Side quest example with the Clown’s horn:
The kids wanted to join a group of street musicians as they played some New Orleans-style jazz in the game’s version of the French Quarter. But the band demanded that we rustle up an audience if we wanted to play, so, horn in hand, we chatted up a few tourists milling about. After drawing an audience with an ear for brassiness, the band acquiesced and let us toot along with their street jazz in a simple rhythm game. The reward? Candy, of course, and maybe a little street cred.
– Can hunt down hidden pinatas stuffed with candy
– If you beat up those pinatas rhythmically, they’ll unleash more candy
– Improvements made to Double Fine’s engine
Costume Quest 2 will be released this Halloween on Wii U, PS4, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Mac, and Linux.
Twitch has gone live with its streaming schedule for E3 2014, and it lists several unannounced titles for Nintendo. There are actually four in total – assuming each is original and won’t be repeats.
Aside from this, Twitch will be hosting the Nintendo Digital Event and Super Smash Bros. Invitational.
You can find the full schedule below.
Little Orbit has published the first screenshots for Falling Skies: The Game, and we have several details about the title as well.
Falling Skies: The Game is in development for Wii U, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Steam. The tactical strategy RPG, due out this fall, takes place “in the tense, gritty world of the critically acclaimed series from Amblin Television.”
An overview is posted below:
Survival of the human race is at stake. Players will dive into a world gone wrong and command a squad of recently-rescued survivors who have been recruited into the human resistance fighting to save the planet. The team will engage in covert tactical operations against the Espheni fighting to survive against alien invaders while also rescuing and recruiting survivors to the join the 2nd Mass. With addictive strategy-based gameplay, players will be immersed into the unique story line with all their favorite heroes from the show.
Falling Skies: The Game offers “engaging tactical combat and an immersive story driven experience”. It will also provide players with “a never-ending list of missions as they join the 2nd Mass and fight the alien invasion including Mechs, Skitters and Harnessed Humans.” Hundreds of character skills and equipment upgrades can be unlocked, and dynamic enemy AI and map randomization are among the included features.
SEGA has shared new details about Sonic Boom for both Wii U and 3DS. Overviews for each can be found below.
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (Wii U)
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric will deliver a different experience than past titles. The detailed levels and emphasis on each character’s unique abilities will showcase the distinctive feel of an action- adventure game, giving players more choice in exploration as they work as a team to stop the deadly snake-like ancient villain, Lyric, before he can power up his army. The gameplay will challenge players with over-the-top speed runs, but the heart of the game will focus on intense combat and brand-new abilities including the Enerbeam. This new feature in the game gives players an energy-charged cord that can be used by characters to navigate the world like never before. Players will be able to swing or zip-line across gaps, explore alternate paths, grab and throw enemies and take away their shields in combat.
Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal
Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal is a standalone adventure that shares key characters, events and lore of the Sonic Boom universe with exclusive environments and characters. For the first time ever, gamers will be able to take on the role of Sticks, the newest member of the team who will play an integral role in the story after her best friend Amy gets kidnapped by the ancient villain Lyric. While the Wii U version is focused on action-adventure and exploration, Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal will place a bigger emphasis on platforming and puzzles. Additionally, unique collectibles featured in the Nintendo 3DS version will unlock special content on Wii U via Wi-Fi connectivity.
