Our game news recap starts off with some surprise news from Good Old Games. GOG.com has re-released SWAT 4. Despite being widely regarded as a classic of the FPS genre, SWAT 4 has been an elusive title in recent years. SWAT 4 is a cornerstone of Tactical Shooters, and was noteworthy for implementing squad-based tactics and non-lethal takedowns in addition to its realism. For the first time, SWAT 4 is now readily available online through GOG.com. GOG conducted a Q&A with creators Paul Hellquist and Bill Gardner to celebrate the release, available for a read here.
Banner Saga 3 Kickstarter
Banner Saga garnered attention in 2014 for its hand-drawn art and animation. Visually styled after the classic animated films from the likes of Disney and Ralph Bakshi, the Banner Saga was also praised for its storytelling. The turn-based RPG was always intended to be a trilogy. The second title was released this past year, and already developers Stoic have started the Kickstarter for the third and possibly final installment. Fans of the series can check it out here.
Ghost Recon Wildlands
At the end of last week, Ubisoft posted the first look at single-player gameplay for the next game in the Tom Clancy Ghost Recon franchise. Titled “Ghost Recon: Wildlands,” it’s the first game in series to feature open world gameplay. It also marks a return to a modern setting; the last several titles having been in more futuristic settings. The third-person shooter has the player take control of a US Army special operations soldier to fight drug cartels in Bolivia. GR Wildlands’ open-world will take advantage of Bolivia’s diverse geography, and features dense jungles, expansive mountains, and salt flats. Right now Ubisoft is targeting March of this year for release. The 20-minute gameplay walkthrough can be found here.
Halo Wars 2 open beta
Also announced at the end of last week, Halo Wars 2 entered open beta. Like the original, Halo Wars 2 is a real-time strategy set in the Halo universe, this time made by seasoned RTS developers Creative Assembly (known for the Total War franchise). This title takes place shortly after Halo 5 in the Halo canon. In Halo Wars 2, players control either human military, UNSC, or a new faction of aliens -- The Banished. The Blitz mode open beta continues through the 30th of this month and those interested can sign-up through the Microsoft store. The full release of the game is slated for February 21st.
Tim Sweeney lifetime achievement
Our gaming news roundup closes with the news that Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney will receive the GDC Lifetime Achievement Award. Sweeney’s first release was ZZT, but he is better known for his work on the Unreal Engine and eponymously named games created on the engine. The Unreal Engine was released by the Epic Games company Sweeney founded and continues to run. Since then, Epic Games has gone on to release a variety of titles including Gears of War and Paragon. Congratulations to Tim Sweeney.
- Keegan “HornetSting” Gallick