It’s not really a surprise that a sequel to Prometheus is in pre-production given that Prometheus was intended as the first installment of a trilogy. Still, it’s nice to see that the story will continue. Ridley Scott will be returning as director with the script being penned by Jack Paglen. Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender are expected to reprise their roles.
While I’ve seen and heard a lot of negative comments about the film, I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to what’s coming next. Most complaints I’ve heard were centered on all the loose ends and unanswered questions that Prometheus left viewers with; I didn’t really understand the validity of these complaints since Prometheus wasn’t intended as a one-off. Hopefully unsatisfied viewers will find what they’re looking for with the upcoming sequel.
With sales of the downloadable title exceeding expectations by five times, it’s understandable that Ubisoft would consider making this one-off a franchise. Michael Biehn, the voice of Blood Dragon‘s protagonist, stated in an interview with Microsoft’s Major Nelson that Dean Evans, the creative director for the testosterone-filled retro throwback, has a sequel in mind for Blood Dragon. It’s likely, given the success of the downloadable game, that we will be seeing more of Rex Power Colt in the future. The beautiful, neon laser filled, post-apocalyptic future.
The rumors regarding the rebranding of the XCOM shooter as The Bureau are true. The game is still set in the XCOM universe but is no longer an FPS as it has been repurposed as a “third-person tactical squad-based combat game” with team and tactics “at the forefront of our gameplay experience,” according to The Bureau’s creative director Morgan Gray.
Keeping with the spirit of the franchise, when squadmates die in this tactical shooter, they’re gone for good. While this gameplay element isn’t anything new for the franchise, it’s certainly something that isn’t seen in shooters. In regards to this, Gray continued saying, “Our plotline is always moving forward. The consequences of that loss are immediate and there’s no way to hide from them. The war will not stop for you.”
When it was first announced (simply as XCOM), fans of the original games were upset at its radical departure from its strategy game roots. The game went silent for quite some time before the recent rumors started circulating about its rebranding. It is nice to see that they’re not wholly abandoning the original concept and keeping the game in the XCOM universe, but it would have been interesting to see the original vision of the game fully realized. The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is being developed by Bioshock 2 developer 2K Marin and is scheduled for release August 20, 2013. The press release and trailer for this XCOM spin-off are below:
Set in 1962 at the height of the Cold War, The Bureau tells the origin story of the clandestine XCOM organization’s first encounter with a mysterious and devastating enemy. Originally established as America’s covert defense against the Soviet Union, The Bureau must adapt and overcome a threat unlike anything the world has faced before. As special agent William Carter, players will call the shots and pull the trigger, leading their squad of agents in the high-stakes secret war for humanity’s survival. Paramount to repelling the outside threat is The Bureau’s ability to cover-up the enemy’s existence in order to prevent worldwide panic.
In the spirit of the XCOM franchise, The Bureau’s calculated combat design requires players to think and act tactically. The game’s third-person perspective gives the player a sense of spatial awareness and grants them the freedom to transition in and out Carter’s unique Battle Focus ability seamlessly — heightening the tactical shooter action. The Bureau also fully embraces the concept of permanent consequence. As our last line of defense, every command can mean the difference between life and death for Carter, his squad and mankind.
While the filing of an extension to the trademark may not be indicative of any plans to revive the troubled sequel to 2006’s Prey, it does give those of us looking forward to Human Head’s sci-fi shooter hope.
Announced in 2011, Prey 2 promised to put players in the boots of a US Marshal turned bounty hunter with the freedom of an open alien world environment. Since the announcement, there hasn’t been much news regarding the production and many have speculated that the game was canceled; Bethesda has denied these rumors and claims that Prey 2 is still in development at Human Head Studios. The game was confirmed to be delayed, however, as its development wasn’t progressing satisfactorily.
The status of the game is still currently unknown, but perhaps more will be revealed with the filing of the trademark extension and E3 right around the corner.
Upcoming standalone add-on/spin-off to last year’s Far Cry 3 may be released on May 1, 2013–just 3 short weeks away–and will feature the voice talent of 80s movie star Michael Biehn. The game was announced officially earlier this month with a VHS-styled teaser that hints at all of the wonderful 80s-ness of this game. The synopsis that was pulled from the Xbox website (which has since been removed) is equally awesome:
Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon is THE Kick-Ass Cyber Shooter taking place on a bizarre open-world island crawling with evil. Welcome to an 80’s VHS vision of the future. The year is 2007 and you are Sargent Rex Colt, a Mark IV Cyber Commando who’s fighting against a cyborg army gone rogue. Your mission: get the girl, kill the baddies, and save the world. Experience every cliché of a VHS era vision of a nuclear future, where cyborgs, blood dragons, mutants, and Michael Biehn (Terminator, Aliens, Navy Seals) collide.
Someone also dumped glorious 80s awesomeness all over the box art, as well:
I’m more than a little excited about this upcoming retro-inspired open-world experience, so I’ll be sure to post more when new information is available.
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