adventure posts

The Next Big Thing has had a number of different trailers, but almost all of them have the same footage. This one is no different, as the developers don't want to give away the entire game. Still, the visual style is certainly impressive. We're not too keen on the lip-syncing, but the voiceovers are excellent and the character designs are interesting. While this may seem like nitpicking when the game doesn't show in-game mechanics, it's an adventure game. Visuals and storytelling are the biggest elements!

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This is the playable demo for The Next Big Thing, a point-and-click adventure game that takes players on a humorous ride through the world of cinema where the main characters (Liz and Dan) solve an all-new case!

The demo allows you to play as Liz Allaire, one of the two main characters of the game, and to conduct a journalistic investigation with her colleague Dan Murray. You will play through the first chapter of the game when Liz and Dan are invited to the Fitzrandolph manor to cover the Horror Awards as official reporters. Continue after the jump to see the launch trailer and for system requirements.

Download The Next Big Thing Demo (792 MB)
Download The Next Big Thing Launch Trailer (57 MB)
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Arkham Asylum was one of our favorite games of 2009, so it only follows that Arkham City will likely be one excellent game as well. This trailer depicts Batman as he swoops throughout the new open environments, encountering characters such as Catwoman, Two-Face, and Harley Quinn. It's decidedly light on cutscenes and heavy on action, which is always the kind of trailer that we love. Mechanics are king, after all. Plus, it shows off the prominently featured new cast in motion and some of Batman's new take-downs.

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Those looking forward to gameplay footage for American McGee's new game - Alice: Madness Returns - will love and hate this new trailer. The love is due to the fact that it contains plenty of unique gameplay footage, and the hate is due to it looking very, very similar to the previous game in the franchise. Still, the dark tone and extreme action aesthetic to the combat makes it intriguing and definitely worth watching. Just don't expect anything revolutionary.

Download Alice: Madness Returns 'GDC 2011 Gameplay' Trailer
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Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is not long from release, and developer Ubisoft wants to get players pumped and ready for Ezio Auditore's foray into Rome. This trailer for the PC edition of the 2010 action title doesn't show us any new gameplay footage, but it does give a better glimpse into the characters and motivations at play in the game. Short of playing the game on the console, this is the best primer around to get ready for Assassin's Creed Brotherhood's launch in March.

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Indie darling Arcen Games has created two incredibly stellar titles: the difficult co-op strategy title AI War and the refined puzzler Tidalis. They aren't going to simply sit around and continue updating those two games, however, and their latest announced title is the intriguing A Valley Without Wind. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where monsters roam, supplies are scarce, and magic is rampant, it aims to bring procedural generation to the realm of adventuring. Set out in a direction and explore while interacting with inhabitants in interesting and meaningful ways. Erik Johnson and Chris Park of Arcen Games sat down with us to talk a little more about previous successes, the direction of A Valley Without Wind, and the future of Arcen Games.

Gallery: A Valley Without Wind Screenshots

We have to admit that this trailer for The Next Big Thing makes us a little uncomfortable. Why? Because it's blatantly sexist. Titled "The Ideal Girl," it pulls the old joke of saying somebody is one attribute and then showing them behaving differently. In this case it's Liz Allaire, the female protagonist. The problem stems from the attributes given to the ideal girl, which range from knowing how to listen to not drawing attention to oneself. This is the first time a trailer as actively made us anxious with its sexism, even if it's relatively tame. The game still looks like a stellar adventure game, it's just this trailer that bothers us.

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The Spanish developer Pendulo is known for one thing: Runaway, an adventure series that crosses several different themes. Now they are unveiling their newest adventure game, and the result is this beautiful trailer for The Next Big Thing. Apparently a love song to the fantastic adventure movies of old, the game bears a distinctive art style that reminds us of a more detailed Telltale title. Any possible comparison to Telltale in the realm of adventure games is a good thing, so we're mildly interested in this new title.

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Thongs of Virtue is a curious game. Some might think it's a sequel to DeathSpank, but the timing of the release certainly disproves that. If you ask Gilbert or the team at Hothead, they say that it's essentially the second half of the overall DeathSpank game. That's a lot more believable, and in the end, Thongs of Virtue's greatest weakness. It's a big improvement on its predecessor, both in terms of gameplay and in story, but in the end it is held back because it is not a stand-alone title, but rather just the second part of a larger game. We hope more is done with the gameplay and story seen here, since it's definitely a concept worth exploring further.

Hugo Strange is one of Batman's more tenacious and unknown foes. Premiering before crazies such as Two-Face or Joker, he is one of the only villains to correctly deduce Batman's true identity of Bruce Wayne. Naturally, in their desire to create another worthy villain for Batman to fight, the developers of Arkham City have included the deranged psychologist in their game, and if this trailer is any indication, he's going to be an absolute beast. It's a cinematic, and toes the line of the uncanny valley, but the action is spectacular and it really captures the brooding style of the comics.

Download HD Batman: Arkham City 'Hugo Strange' Trailer
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