It’s not hard to be attracted to Rival Games’ upcoming crime noir The Detail. Its comic book flair is layered with the atmosphere of a Sin City or even a Seven, while its promised mix of action, mystery, adventure and RPG mechanics can’t help but intrigue. The game is on its way to PC and mobiles, and we caught up with Jukka Laakso, CEO of the Finish studio, JD Sorvari, lead writer, and Timo Naskali, lead programmer, to find out more as the team put the final touches on the game’s first episode.
The traditional journalistic approach to gaming has been the go-to method for swallowing up whatever the indie scene puts on the table. It’s a method that developed alongside mainstream gaming and, just like mum’s Sunday roasts, you typically know what to expect. But the independent scene is completely different; it’s like a never-ending banquet of hot weird experimental stuff that you’ve probably never tasted before.
It’s a landscape that’s truly dynamic. It’s a scene where traditional methods of play are being pushed in new and exciting directions. And while there are times when you’re gag reflex will be given a proper work out when they do get it horribly wrong – you’re never going to uncover those great gaming moments in your life unless you’re willing to taste something you’ve never tried before.
Beautiful surf, tropical drinks and a dangerously overweight Polynesian rocking out on his ukulele – that’s the kind of mental image I see when people talk about islands of the South Pacific. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like heaven to me. Designed by German-based developer USM, Kahuna comes so close to delivering a similarly pleasurable experience. However, it falls well short of being an iOS gem due to a number of fundamental technical flaws in its design.
Lets start with the basics. A match in Kahuna is played over three continuous rounds where you and your opponent battle for control over 12 deserted islands in the South Pacific. Each player is initially dealt three cards, which construct bridges. If you control the majority of bridges connected to an island you will conquer it with a Kahuna stone. The person who conquers the most islands at the end of each round will ultimately emerge the victor.
Blizzard’s free-to-play collectible card game (CCG) Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft recently made the transition from closed to open beta and it’s really taken me by surprise. While I’m an avid lover of anything Warcraft related, I tend to steer clear of card games because I literally know nothing about their structure and rules – I’m basically a complete CCG noob. However, the game does a brilliant job of teaching you the fundamentals of the game – the rest is up to you to learn. And that’s what makes Hearthstone so addicting.
