Linux | Geekscape

E3 2016: Back Stabbings Abound In ‘Civilization 6’

by Josh JacksonJune 21, 2016

Even if you’re not a PC gamer, chances are you’re familiar with the legendary Civilization franchise, the turn based strategy series that asks players to take their own set of people and lead them from humble tribes to world superpowers over the course of centuries. After five other games and seemingly countless expansions and spinoffs, how do you improve such an established series when the sixth entry rolls around? At 2K’s E3 showing of Sid Meier’s latest, potential world builders will have to sleep with one eye open as long as their neighboring countries have anything to say about it.

As expected, would-be leaders will once again create a nation from ancient times until the modern era and beyond, all while negotiating with neighboring countries for resources in the hopes of benefiting both. New features include being able to build individual districts within your nation, with each bringing various levels of prosperity to your people. The video features everything from military bases to festival grounds and everything in between, ensuring your people are happy, prosperous and protected at the same time.

Then again, you aren’t the only country vying for power, so as your advancements begin to eclipse your neighbors, they might begin to have negative feelings towards your growing strength. So before you can think about launching rocket into space, you’ll have to keep an eye out for any potential attackers who could burn it all to the ground. Keeping the somewhat cartoony tone of the previous entries, the video we were shown explains this conflict by having Cleopatra attack the player’s modernized superpower and attempting to destroy its key districts. By investing enough resource into their defenses, the player’s country was able to retaliate with attacks by land, sea and on foot, leveling the opponent’s key districts while receiving minimal damage themselves. From there, we would have the option to destroy their country, or assimilate it as part of our own, which could prove useful when it comes to rebuilding the damaged areas from the battle and expanding their might at the same time. It’s these kind of decisions that will separate powerful leaders from temporary lands who will be forgotten by history.

Git gud.

All in all, Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 looks as in depth and rewarding as ever, with new mechanics that will surely keep longtime players on their toes. Civ players, what do you think of the new features so far? Let us know in the comments!

The world will be yours to control when Civilization 6 launches for Windows, OS X and Linux on October 21.

‘Octodad: Dadliest Catch’ Finally Gets A Wii U Release Date!

by Derek KraneveldtOctober 22, 2015

Briefly: Nobody would suspect it, but I love Octodad. I even had an opportunity to interview developer Young Horses Inc. before the game released, which you can read right here.

It’s probably one of the funniest games that I’ve ever played, and it still seems as though very few people that I mention it to have even heard of it. That’s crazy.

Oh, you’re one of those people that hasn’t heard of it? Check out the hilarious trailer, and tell me that it doesn’t look unique as hell.

https://youtu.be/oOpJiPISO3k

Yep. It’s about a Dad and husband, who is also a secret octopus. Nobody knows it, and it’s your job to keep it that way.

Young Horses has revealed that the game is finally slated to hit the Wii U in North America and Europe on October 29th, 2015. The game will be available for 20% off from October 29th-November 5th since you “awesome fans have been so patient”, meaning it’ll net you just $11/€11/£10.

The Wii U version of the game includes off-screen play, 4-Player co-op, and more, and I really can’t wait to play through this game again.

Planning to pick it up? Let us know in the comments below!

The Hype Is Real In This ‘Mad Max’ Gameplay Trailer!

by Shane O'HareApril 23, 2015

I’ll be honest. I haven’t been following the new Mad Max game OR movie. I know they exist, and the movie trailer looks badass but that is pretty much it. Heck, I have the issue of Gameinformer with Mad Max on the cover as my mousepad at work and it’s never been opened! (That may be more of an issue with Gameinformer magazine than Mad Max.)

So when I saw this Gameplay Overview trailer come across my digital desk, I wasn’t too interested. BOY WAS I WRONG!

The trailer provides a glimpse into the desperate struggle Max faces after losing it all – his family, his car, his sanity – and the steps he must take to survive in the harsh and desolate Wasteland. For the first time, players get an extended look at the deep car customization, metal grinding vehicular combat, brutal melee combat and a wide range of other activities they can engage in during their quest to build the ultimate survival vehicle, the Magnum Opus, and find solace in the Plains of Silence. All footage in the trailer is in-engine, comprised of actual game play and in-game cinematics.

This looks to be one of those rare few movie tie in games that turn out pretty good. Anyone remember that Wolverine game that was better than the movie? I sure a fuck do.

This trailer has changed my mind on the subject. The world looks gorgeous. The crafting system sounds badass, and I love a game where you start from nothing.

Mad Max hits North America on September 1st. You can pick it up on Xbox One, PS4, PC and…Linux? Yeah, Linux!

Geekscape Giveaway: Win An ‘Assault Android Cactus’ Steam Key!

by Derek KraneveldtJuly 7, 2014

We played a lot of games at this year’s E3, but there’s an insanely quirky twin-stick shooter that kept us coming back over and over (and over) again.

It’s called Assault Android Cactus. The game describes itself as a “twin stick shoot ’em up with an emphasis on high pressure and stylish action. Expect screens full of enemies, buckets of bullets and high scoring combo chains”, and you can check out the demo on Steam yourself to see just how frantic it is.

Assault Android Cactus is an Early Access title that should have its full Mac/Linux/PC release in the next few months. Once those versions are completed, its developer Witch Beam will be bringing the game over to PS4, Vita, and the once consumer ignored and now beloved Wii U.

Witch Beam was kind enough to offer us a giveaway Steam Key for the game, so take a look at the trailer below and read on to learn how you could win!

So entry is pretty simple, just:

– Like Geekscape on Facebook
– Share this photo on your Facebook wall, and be sure to comment, letting us know what E3 title has you most excited.

Easy, huh? We’ll pick a winner this Saturday!

The Newest Update Video For ‘Mighty No. 9’ Has Us MEGA Excited!

by Shane O'HareMay 30, 2014

The team over at Comcept have just put out this new update video for their Kickstarter success story, Mighty No. 9. The spiritual successor for Megaman is looking more and more amazing the further the project goes.

http://youtu.be/q1iEFfOBP1o

Amassing over Four Million USD, Mighty No. 9 is the brainchild of Keiji Inafune. He wanted to bring the best of the 16-Bit era side scrollers to today.

You can grab Mighty No. 9 sometime in April 2015, and it’s on pretty much everydamn platform including; PC, MAC, Linux!

A SuperHot Kickstarter You Need To Check Out

by MoreLikeAndyMay 14, 2014

Part of the 7DFPS game jam in 2013, SuperHot stood out from the rest of the games created. With the mixture of interesting art design and controlling time a big gameplay mechanic, turning a first-person shooter into a real-time strategy game as well is something special indeed. Since time moves when you do, carefully planning out each step in hopes of evading bullets while setting up your limited shots is a challenge. Just have a look at some of the latest gameplay footage below for SuperHot and tell me that isn’t intriguing as hell.

Wanting to fully flesh out this amazing idea past the 7 day prototype built in 2013, SuperHot is looking towards Kickstarter to get it done. With a goal of $100,000 to complete this project, it may seem a little ambitious for what we have seen so far. After seeing some of the things the developers want to do in SuperHot, the amount seems more than fine. From the Kickstarter page, some of the goals are:

Story driven single-player campaign. SUPERHOT is more than just a shooter with a gimmick. We want to deliver a solid, interesting campaign built around a carefully constructed, not overly in-your-face story.

Improved visuals. We are keeping the original game’s minimalistic artstyle while making everything look a lot better. SUPERHOT is all about style.

Infinite mode. A lot of people have asked us for an endless, arena-style mode that will allow them to play SUPERHOT for as long as they want. Master the game’s mechanics and get ready for the ultimate time-bending challenges.

More weapons – shotguns, machineguns, grenades that change the way you play around with the time-bending mechanics.

More enemy types – thanks to improved AI the foes will use tactics and be able to work together to hunt you down.

More levels – imagine fighting in the middle of a motorway during rush hour, or close combat in an elevator – and other amazing, movie-like scenarios.

Slow-motion explosions!

Oculus Rift support. Dodge bullets flying right in front of your face and lean behind corners for increased immersion!

It’s about time we see some new innovations in FPS games. If you would like put some cash down to support SuperHot, $15 will get you Steam key as well as a DRM-free downloadable copy when the game releases. To see more pledge tiers, head on over to their Kickstarter page and have a gander.

Geekscape Interviews: Young Horses’ Philip Tibitoski Talks ‘Octodad: Dadliest Catch’!

by Derek KraneveldtFebruary 17, 2014

Octodad: Dadliest Catch launched for Windows, OS X, and Linux just a few weeks back, and as the insanely original title has been at the top of my radar since Sony’s 2013 E3 conference, I simply had to ask Octodad developer Young Horses a few questions about the quirky, hilarious, absolutely ridiculous game.

Haven’t heard of Octodad? Fall in love with the game’s trailer below, and read on for my conversation with Young Horses’ CEO Philip Tibitoski.

http://youtu.be/O-n7sH3ksVk

DK: First of all, congratulations on the launch! What have been your favourite gamer reactions to ‘Octodad: Dadliest Catch’ now that it’s available?

PT: People have been surprised with the turns that the story takes in the game and I think that’s the part of it I was most excited for people to see. There’s been a surplus of fanart, youtube videos, and songs all based on the game. It’s been great! I have a hard time deciding between Octodad The Musical and the Ryckerts playing the game together.

DK: ‘Octodad: Dadliest Catch’ is an extremely original game in a sea of sequels and remakes. When was the idea for the game originally conceived, and where did that idea come from?

PT: The idea for Octodad came about in June of 2010 at DePaul University here in Chicago. The whole Young Horses team was also part of that original team of 18. Inspirations for Octodad come from the film Being John Malkovich and the game Jurassic Park: Trespasser. From the beginning it’s been about micro-managing the movements of your character and giving the player the feeling of being awkward.

DK: It was very cool to see Octodad onstage at Sony’s E3 conference. How did that come to light? Sony seems to be doing some great things with independent developers this generation!

PT: Sony’s been following us since GDC 2011 with the first Octodad. We weren’t quite ready at the time to bring the game to consoles and so we waited, but while we did that Sony kept up with the game and its progress. At PAX East 2013 they came to our booth to check-in and that’s when we were offered Dev Kits for the PS4. From there we had one of our programmers, Kevin Geisler, get the game up and running in a months time. Sony seemed impressed with this and asked us if we’d like to show it off at E3. Like people say, the rest is history.

DK: What made the team decide to turn Octodad into a full-fledged title after the Independent Games Festival in 2011?

PT: We got a lot of positive feedback both from our peers and players after releasing the first Octodad game. After seeing so many folks play the game on YouTube and watching them have a great time we figured we could do even better by giving it a proper sequel.

DK: What were the biggest challenges in developing Dadliest Catch with such a small team?

PT: Keeping everyone clothed, fed, and happy was a serious task as most of us had to hold other full-time jobs while continuing to work on the project in order to afford basic amenities. It’s also a big challenge to make sure everyone is being heard, and communications between members stays steady + empathetic.

DK: Is any add-on content being planned for the game? It seems like a title that’s just asking for DLC!

PT: We have a whole slew of ideas that we could see bringing to players in the future. We don’t have any definite plans yet, but I certainly wouldn’t count us out of the DLC ring.

DK: If you could describe the game in just a few sentences to someone who had never heard of it, how would you sell it?

PT: Octodad is a game about being ‘other’. You’re an octopus with a human family, a wife and children who have no idea you’re an octopus. You keep this from them through managing Octodad’s limbs one at a time and being the best father/husband you can be.

DK: After ‘Octodad’, what’s next for Young Horses? Is there anything currently in the pipeline or being discussed?

PT: We have a lot of ideas, but nothing has formulated yet that we know will be our next project. Currently we’re finishing the game up on PS4 and then we’ll have to see!

DK: What other games is the team playing? What unreleased games are you looking forward to?

PT: I’m looking forward to Infamous: Second Son and the Witness. I know a lot of the team has played Broken Age recently and at least one is knee deep in the Titanfall PC Beta.

DK: What is the best advice that you could give to someone wanting to break into the industry? What do they do? Where do they start?

PT: Making a game is the best thing you can possibly do. Create something small on your own, and maybe start out trying to replicate an existing game to get comfortable with your toolset before venturing out on your own creative ideas. Just keep it simple! Even Tetris can be a challenging thing to create if you’ve never made a game before.

After that, keep making games and challenge yourself to create things different from other games out there. These will all help you land a job or maybe even start out on your own. The worst thing you can do is become complacent and admit defeat without having even tried.

Octodad: Dadliest Catch is available now on Steam, or directly from Octodad‘s official website. The game is coming soon to PS4, and it’s awesome. Buy it, love it, and let’s hope that Young Horses makes more!

‘Octodad: Dadliest Catch’ Is Now Available On Steam And GOG

by Derek KraneveldtJanuary 30, 2014

Briefly: We already know which game will be receiving the ‘Most Hilarious Title’ award at the end of the year.

As announced earlier this month, Young Horses Inc.’s Octodad: Dadliest Catch has just released for Windows, OS X, and Linux. The game can be purchased from Steam here, and Good Old Games here.

I’m beyond excited for Octodad, but I’ll be waiting for the PS4 version to check the title out. It definitely seems suited for a controller, and having it on my home console will also make it easier for others in the household to fall in love with it. I had the opportunity to play a demo of the game a few weeks back, and I was in stitches for its duration.

Take a look at the game’s launch trailer below, and let us know if you’ll be picking it up!

http://youtu.be/O-n7sH3ksVk

‘Octodad: Dadliest Catch’ Gets A PC Release Date!

by Derek KraneveldtJanuary 16, 2014

Briefly: Loving Father. Caring Husband. Secret Octopus.

The highly anticipated (well, by me at least) release date of Young Horses, Inc.’s Octodad: Dadliest Catch has just been revealed, and as long as you’re a Windows, OS X, or Linux user, you’ll be able to act as a secret octopus in no time.

The game will hit the three operating systems on January 30th via Steam, Humble and Good Old Games. PS4 users (like me) will be left waiting for a couple of extra months, as the developer is hoping for a March launch on the platform.

To celebrate, Young Horses has debuted a hilarious (and heartbreaking) new trailer for the title. Check it out below, and let us know if you’ll be playing Octodad: Dadliest Catch later this month!

http://youtu.be/oOpJiPISO3k

Steam OS Announced! A Free Operating System Built Around Gaming

by Shane O'HareSeptember 23, 2013

With next gen home consoles being released just around the corner, a lot of gamers have been wondering what’s next for PC gaming? Well look no further, for the collective geniuses at Valve have done it again. Check out Steam OS!

Steam OS is a 100% free Linux based operating system that is designed around the Steam digital distribution system. It’s goal is to bring the Steam PC gaming experience into the living room on your big screen TV. Valve says that they have achieved a new level of graphical processing performance, and they are well on their way to better audio and input performance as well. They state game developers and hardware manufacturers are making new products with Steam OS in mind.

Steam OS Livingroom — Bring a Steam Machine into your living room!

Four new features (well three new ones and one old one) that Valve is bringing to the table are: In-home game streaming, Streaming media services (Think Netflix, Hulu, ETC.), Family Sharing and Parental Controls. These are all bullet points you can find on any home console right now, having them on the Steam OS is a huge step in the right direction.

I expect to see hardware partnerships in the near future, specialized console sized PC’s from hardware manufacturers like Asus, Lenovo, HP and Dell. I’ve always said that the moment Gaming on a Linux based machine was on the level as a Windows machine (No need to run virtualization, emulation or shoddy drivers) I would make the switch. My big concern with the Steam OS is the In-home streaming. This makes me believe that not all games will work on the Steam OS and you will still need a second PC, and if at the end of the day that is the case I don’t see the need to switch right away.

There are still TWO more announcements coming this week, so be sure to check back Wednesday and Friday to see what Valve has planned next!

Steam OS Announcement — Speculation is the second announcement is specialized hardware and the third is a new series of games.

Super Splatters Finally Gets a Release Date, Coming Late June to Steam.

by MoreLikeAndyMay 23, 2013

After what seemed forever, SpikySnail is now in the final push to releasing an updated version of their 2012 XBLA release, The Splatters. I had great things to say about The Splatters in my review so with some new tweaks, more modes to play and new insane levels to conquer, it’s only right that it’s called Super Splatters. Even better is that Super Splatters will work on PC, Mac and Linux so no excuses of not playing this game.

If you want to help out this very small team and play a really great physics-based puzzle game, you can pre-order Super Splatters over at superspaltters.com with 30% off until release. Steam codes will be given to those who pre-order or if you want, wait until Super Splatters shows up on Steam and pre-order it there.

Everybody’s Gaming For The Weekend Of July 6th, 2012!

by MoreLikeAndyJuly 6, 2012

Another week on the East Coast, another hot ass week. Perfect time to stay in the nice cool air-conditioned house and play some of this week’s recommendations.

Spelunky (XBLA – 1200 MS Points. Original version free on PC)

Tired of Super Meat Boy or Trials Evolution and want another game to kick you in the balls? Well Spelunky has got you covered this weekend. 2D platforming with rouge-like style is perfect for punishing you while getting caught in the repeating cycle of playing the same level over and over. This ends up being a good thing for Spelunky since there is so much to see that the only way to see everything is to risk exploring the levels and hope you survive long enough to find all the secrets. Just don’t dawdle too long or the ghost will one-hit kill you.

Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy (3DS – $39.99)

Somehow, making a Final Fantasy rhythm game actually works. It helps that the music Square Enix decided to put into Theatrhythm is the original music selected from Final Fantasy to Final Fantasy 13 and not some sort of new style remixes that mix it with speed metal. Ugh. With all the action that happens beneath the notes you must press on screen, it’s a shame that you can never take your eyes off the notes long enough to enjoy the visual masterpiece playing out during the song. Curious as to see what characters people put in their teams.

McPixel (Pc, Linux, OSX – $9.99)

I could try to explain this game but all you really need is the trailer to see just how insane McPixel is:

Going into this thinking that logic will help you solve the puzzles in the required 20 seconds will be your undoing. Usually the most stupid answer is the right choice.