GTA V Screenshot Breakdown

by Roger Havens

Have you been dying for more Grand Theft Auto V news? Well thanks to the fine folks over at Rockstar Games, we now have 10 new screenshots that we can analyse and comb through. Give em a look and enjoy. Please keep in mind that Rockstar clearly stated that these screenshots are all from current gen consoles. For one, this game looks awfully good for current gen. Secondly, is Rockstar making a next gen version of the game? Is that partly why the game was delayed until September? One can only hope.

Maybe I am just being picky, but Rockstar, where is the brake handles? That question aside, this might show a new gameplay mechanic. As you can see in the background the cops are chasing Trevor, and they are hanging off of the side of the vehicle. Will they be able to jump on to your car if they get close enough? Or will this be a new ability that the players can use similar to Just Cause 2? Either way this should be fun to have in game.

Now here is an interesting picture. There appears to be a filter on the photo giving it the color affect as well as the lens flare on the tail lights. Although this could have been done just for the heck of it, another possibility comes to mind. Will GTA V have a film editor where you can record gameplay and create your own pictures? Just imagine taking a screenshot of your awesome stunt jump and editing the picture to your hearts desire. Awesome.

Here is a great shot to show off the vast world of Grand Theft Auto V. You can see a dirt road trailing up the left side of the screen. A great hill for a bike ride I presume. As far as you can see there are no sky scrapers or big buildings. Which means that Los Santos is somewhere else, maybe over the farthest mountain. Remember Rockstar did say that this game map would be larger than GTA: San Andreas, GTA IV and Red Red Redemption all put together.

You all know how it goes. You hop into your newly acquired green Infernus and speed down the road. Burning cars litter the road behind you. Just another day in your GTA world. It looks like escaping from your carnage wont be any easier this time around. This time Police helicopters have attached spotlights to keep track of your every movement. As we saw in a previous screenshot, cops can also use laser assisted weapons to shoot from helicopters. Should make for some excited cop chases!

This isn't the first time we've seen a mini gun in a GTA game, but still this image gets me very excited. For one, look at the fire effect on the tree. Is there going to be a progressive fire system like Far Cry 2? The fire seems to have spread off of the cop car and is now engulfing the the tree in flames. This could be a new game changer. Also, it is important to note that Franklin is wearing a bandanna to cover his face. Could this be a new ability to help mask your identity from the police?

Skydiving. We've all be there before. But this time around it looks like it will be cranked up to 11. Maybe the sky level will be much, much higher. The plane above looks like there is a door in the back where you can jump out of. Will this be a new mini game? We shall surely see.

Scuba diving will be a new feature in GTA V, but how in-depth will it be? I can only hope that there will be a  plethora of hidden collectibles or treasures. Hopefully just treasures, because I feel that searching for 300 hidden sea mollusks in a coral reef would be a tad bit tedious. Either way I want the under water feature to be fleshed out.

Just look at those colors. "Would you just look at it?" Sunsets look to be a promising vista in this game. The lighting effects are superb. Also as you can see in the background, a couple of buildings are under renovation. I don't know if this will do anything to change up the gameplay or if it is just a part of their world but it will be interesting to see.

This is just an awesome screenshot. Here you can see the protagonist Michael leaning on his Buffalo. Is he waiting for the next mission to start, or will this be the Fallout 3 version of sitting on a chair? The only other thing here is the attention to detail. Random items litter the alleys, and electricity meters are on the side of the building. But this is nothing new to the talented people at Rockstar Games.

And we saved the best for last. Not only is this a beautiful shot of the pier and the buildings in the distance, but you can see the dynamic weather system is in full effect. Lightning strikes in the distance and the sea is being stirred up by the storm. That water sure is pretty. Looks like we will have waves this time. Maybe their will be a mini game for putting out fires from lightning strikes!

                                                                               ~
Thanks for reading through this analysis of a few GTA V screenshots. I hope you are excited for this game as much as I am. Please leave a comment of anything that you noticed and what your are hoping to see in the game.

Roger Havens- Reviews Editor
@Afro_Gear
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4/2/13

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Star Wars: The Old Republic's Hutt Cartel Expansion Releases April 14

Star Wars: The Old Republic's first paid expansion pack, Rise of the Hutt Cartel, will be released on 14th April. If you want to boldly go and start stuff with the Hutts, or simply sparking a homosexual romance the new expansion will continue to entertain.

It's $20 to non-subscribers, $10 to subscribers.

Rise of the Hutt Cartel increaes the SWTOR level cap to 55 and adds a new planet called Makeb, where there be fat worm gangsters of the Hutt Cartel. There's tough new story content based around all that, and space-caches of new loot to uncover.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is free-to-play now, but remember choice content still requires you to spend a few credits.


Pre-ordering will net you a bonus title, minipet, and holostatue. Plus, of course, buying the expansion pushes you over the $4.99 purchase threshold to achieve Preferred status, with all the benefits that brings.

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NVIDIA Shows Off "Ira" Tech Demo; Best Graphics to Date

NVIDIA spoke at the GPU Technology Conference in California this week about their much-vaunted Titan graphics card, and showed off what they can do with it. We've already told you its plan for release and why it is one of the most powerful graphics cards ever built but this video just shows why the graphics card costs a cool grand.

The whole video is interesting, but the best part is virtual Ira, who you can see above. Terrifying/awesome/creepy/impressive.

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Steam Launches new Early Access Program

by Greg Woolston

Source: Steam

Gamers looking to get early access to new games, and take part in the games development process will be excited to learn about Steam’s new early access program. This new program offers individuals the ability to purchase games that are still in development to play before it’s final retail release.

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Assassin’s Creed III The Tyranny of King Washington 'The Betrayal' Available Today

Today, Ubisoft announces the launch of The Betrayal, the second episode in the three-part Assassin’s Creed III – The Tyranny of King Washington downloadable content series, on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and Windows PCs. This episode will be available for PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system starting tomorrow, March 20.

The Betrayal continues the next chapter in hero Ratonhnhaké:ton’s war against the mad King George Washington, taking gamers to Boston to find an unlikely ally. Ratonhnhaké:ton will discover a new ability- the power of the eagle, which empowers him to quickly fly across short distances and hone in on enemies for precise and brutal assassinations.

The final episode of Assassin’s Creed III – The Tyranny of King Washington: The Redemption will release on April 23 for the Microsoft’s Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and Windows PCs, and April 24 on PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system.

All episodes of the Tyranny of King Washington are available through the Assassin’s Creed III Season Pass, which is available for purchase for 2400 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE or £23.99 on the PlayStation Network and Windows PC. Season Pass provides access to all Assassin’s Creed III downloadable content packs. Each episode of The Tyranny of King Washington will be available for purchase separately as a single DLC pack for 800 Microsoft points or $9.99.

All Assassin’s Creed III downloadable content packs will also be available on the Wii U through the Nintendo eShop.

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Previews & New Screenshots of The Elder Scrolls Online

Below are new screenshots accompanied by excerpts from various previews from other websites. Gaze at the glory that is Bethesda's newest title and first MMO The Elder Scrolls Online. No release date is set yet but 2013 will see the larger than life scope that Elder Scrolls fans know and love. The game will be set a millennium before the events of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and around 800 years before The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, with the Daedric Prince Molag Bal appearing as the main antagonist as he attempts to conquer all of Tamriel.

Skills, Classes, & Progression

Though you choose one of four classes at character creation in The Elder Scrolls Online, that choice has only slightly more impact than selecting Spellsword or Conjurer in Skyrim. The way it works is that you have access to (eventually) dozens of skill lines, of which your class choice determines three. Weapon styles (one-hand and shield, dual wield, bow, destruction staff, etc.) offer their own skill lines, as do skill lines for light/medium/heavy armor, mages/fighters guilds, races, alliances, PvP, and more. Your rank in a skill line determines which active and passive skills you can unlock with the points you earn for leveling up, exploring, and fighting in PvP.

Skill lines are also how players can gain the benefits and drawbacks of being a werewolf or vampire, though Zenimax Online went into no specifics about those other than that they must be earned through questlines just as they are in mainline Elder Scrolls games.

You can learn as many skills as you find points for - and there's no theoretical limit on skill points, as you continue to earn them past level cap - but only five (plus a powerful ultimate skill) can be equipped at a time and can be freely swapped outside of combat. Passive skills take up no slots, but only apply to skills in their own line, so collecting tons of passives doesn't represent the kind of absolute power growth that can unbalance level-cap PvP.

Finally, each level you gain allows you to boost either health, magicka, or stamina. Some kind of limited respeccing will be available, though Zenimax Online is still working out the details. My experience with the system was extremely positive; it let me experiment with different combat styles and roles without undue cost, while still forcing me to make choices about how I developed my hero. [GameInformer]

THE FOUR PILLARS OF ESO
Game director Matt Firor said that the design of Elder Scrolls Online is predicated on four distinct pillars. "These are important to us, as gameplay developers, because whenever we come up with a new system, we make sure it fits one of these four pillars of the game."

World immersion: "When you sit down and play the game, you feel like you're in an Elder Scrolls game. It feels like a living world. It feels like a familiar place you want to explore."

Combat: "We want to make sure we have strategic, reactive mouse-driven combat." (See sidebar above).

Unique progression: "As you level, you can make unique decisions about your character. What abilities you want to learn, what weapons you use. As you use things, you get better with them."

Modern social experience: "With friends systems, megaservers, we put a lot of effort into making sure it's a modern socially connected game." [Polygon]

Each NPC you encounter is fully voiced, which brings life to what would otherwise be unread quest text. Like other Elder Scrolls titles, your conversations with the denizens of Tamriel involve making dialogue choices that blend clues about quest objectives with bits of lore and flavor. Sometimes these choices have a noticeable impact on the story and your interactions with others.

For example, I was given the choice whether to save an evil woman who had been poisoned or to let her die. I chose to save her with some antidote, while Scott thought she should pay the ultimate penalty for her crimes. When we completed the quest, we compared the responses we got from the NPC who poisoned her. Scott was welcomed with open arms, while I was basically called a soft-hearted idiot! [Massively]

The combat feels very much like what you'd find in an Elder Scrolls game; the bad news (particularly for melee-oriented players) there is that means it's subject to the series' signature stiff animations. But here's the thing – I felt as though I was actually hitting stuff. Playing with a sword and shield, I reveled in the familiarity of using my left mouse button to both block and bash for spell interrupts, and immediately found myself holding down the right mouse button for power attacks and merely clicking it for lighter ones.

It's fun, but I was dismayed to learn that I couldn't play Elder Scrolls Online as I usually play Skyrim – specifically, as a stealthy archer who whips out either daggers or swords in close quarters. I could use the bow (although the arrow's trajectory looked more like I was tossing it than firing it), I could sneak by pressing Control (although stealth bonuses, I'm told, won't unlock until I've leveled medium armor a ways), but I still found myself frustrated when I couldn't whip out my sword when my quarry finally reached me. For that, I was told, I'd have to wait until level 15 when weapon swapping unlocks. [IGN]

TESO appears to be aiming for reasonable goals at launch: only the Fighters and Mages Guilds will be present, with the possibility of Thieves or Assassins to come later. Fighters receive contracts to destroy Daedra and the aforementioned Dark Anchors, which then earns reputation to trade for new abilities. Mages, meanwhile, search for books to research Necromancy, of which Molag Bal is the patron demon. Housing won't be due at launch either, though the company did remark that mounts are being planned. [Shack News]

The UI is among the most minimalistic I’ve seen in an MMO. The only persistent on-screen items are a crosshair, a minimap, and a small quest tracker. Health, stamina and magicka bars along with the hotbar appear during combat or when you’re wounded, but otherwise the focus is on the world. There are no damage numbers or debuff indicators for enemies beyond what is visibly happening to them. At present, the game could do with better feedback – I can get behind the idea of toning down typical MMO on-hit fireworks, but they need to be replaced with something and at the moment it’s not quite there.

Dialogue takes place in a zoomed-in first person similar to Skyrim, with a slightly expanded dialogue menu that more closely resembles Morrowind. It’s all fully voiced, but facial animation is a bit rough at the moment. [PCGamer]

ZeniMax has chosen to focus on a more or less traditional quest system, but they have largely managed to make what's on offer more interesting than the stereotypical "kill ten rats". Just the fact that all NPCs are voiced makes everything more vivid. The game provides a context for what you are doing and thus draws you into the experience.

A early memorable side quest saw me stumbling across an orc who was torn between following his dream of being a blacksmith, and giving in to his family's wishes to be a warrior. I helped him kill a monster that threatened the village, and convinced him that he was not warrior material (even if I had the opportunity to recommend the opposite). [GameReactor]

In the first thirty minutes or so before I gained any skills, combat felt a little boring, and I had a "this is it?" style reaction. But once I gained projectile based skills, defensive abilities and more, combat ramped up a bit and became more dynamic, like the Elder Scrolls franchise is known for. Zenimax confirmed that the game wouldn't ship with native controller support, but it "shouldn't be too hard" to get the game mapped out with third party software, like XPadder or Joy2Key.

Spells are bound to your selection of hotkeys like a typical MMO, and work just like Skyrim in real time. You can sneak around like the classic Bethesda games, sprint, and upon leveling up, you're able to choose between a health, magica or stamina upgrade. The locales look true to form for the series. As lead developer Matt Firor stated, there are going to be some fundamental differences compared to, say, Skyrim, but in the world of Elder Scrolls Online, "when you're in Windhelmd you feel like you're in Windhelm." [Destructoid]


Elder Scrolls Online is actually a big step back from Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind, and co in this respect. But, given that many MMOs nail their worlds down with railroad spikes the size of whaling harpoons, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I could swipe individual objects off tables, shelves, and things of the like. There was plenty of worthless junk, too, which is an aspect of TES’ world-building that I think a lot of people gloss over. Typical game worlds stuff every nook and cranny with so much treasure that even their impoverished beggars should be buried under magnificent golden statues carved in their own images. Occasionally, it’s nice to find something that means nothing. Hey, a cup. Hm, some bread. I can take these, but I won’t because eh. Someone else probably needs them more than I do, anyway.  [RockPaperShotgun]


Character customisation is the most interesting element, being more ability than class based. You do have to pick a class, like Sorcerer or Templar, but that just locks in three of your skill lines - important ones, yes, but still just three of many. Sorcerers, for example, are blessed with Daedric Summoning, Storm Calling and Dark Magic to develop. Everyone, however, can sneak like a rogue, use any armour or weapons, and earn esoteric skill lines like Vampire.

All characters are split into three factions but share a personal story. In Elder Scrolls tradition, you start out as a prisoner. Raising the stakes a little, this time it's as a prisoner of Molag Bal, Daedric Prince of domination, who also acts as the main game's villain - scheming to give heroes quick soulectomies and ultimately pull the whole of Tamriel into his miserable but at least correctly spelled domain of Coldharbour. This is where the key personal story quests happen, with more general ones restricted to your faction's third of the map. [Eurogamer]

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Mars: War Logs Website Live Plus Screenshots

If you wished to know more about this RPG for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, this is the perfect opportunity to satisfy your lust for information by visiting the website today! The updated website has also been optimized for smartphones and touch tablets, allowing players to access all the information about Mars War Logs, wherever they are.

In the past few weeks, we presented parts of Mars War Logs with screenshots and videos showing its combat system and some of its story and locations. On the official website, you will not only find this information in even more detailed, but also new information about all the other aspects of the game: details about important characters of the story, information about its crafting system, the game mechanics, timeline, companions, and much more!

You will of course find all the screenshots and videos of Mars War Logs, along with new artworks, in the big media gallery that we will be sure to fill up in the weeks to come. Finally, the website is also the place to find all the latest info: read all the news, follow the activity surrounding the game on your favorite social networks in real-time, as well as the Dev Blog from Spiders Games, who will regularly release exclusive information!

In order to celebrate this grand opening, we offer you 5 new screenshots of Mars War Logs, screenshots that you will of course find in the media section of the website!

Mars War Logs will be released in Spring 2013 on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and PC.

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All the Powers of Bioshock Infinite Explained

One of the major differences of Infinite than Bioshock 1 & 2 is the substitution of the Plasmids for the Vigors. Booker DeWittt has the opportunity to earn Vigors, which allow him to possess unique powers and abilities normal characters cannot.

The player can only use Vigors when they have enough Salts, a limited resource represented by a blue meter in the bottom left of the screen. Like Eve in the original BioShock, Salts power the use of Vigors, and an empty meter means no powers can be used until the player finds more.

As you play as Booker and attempt to save Elizabeth from whatever peril she may be in you can earn eight Vigors in all, and each has its basic use as well as a 'trap' version. Players can use Vigors by hitting the left trigger, or the button can be held down to leave a trap behind for enemies to walk into.

Vigors can also be upgraded by purchasing modifications at special vending machines.

Bucking Bronco

Bucking Bronco is a Vigor that allows Booker to briefly raise enemies into the air and hold them in place for a short time, allowing him to attack without them fighting back.

Charge

Charge is a high-impact melee hit that allows Booker to target enemies at a distance and then charge toward them.

Devil's Kiss

Devil's Kiss is created by Fink Manufacturing and is a fire-based Vigor. Players throw a fire ball that burns nearby enemies, or can create a burning trap that lights up any enemies who walk through it.

Devil's Kiss Aid can also be purchased, splitting the fire ball into mini clusters that have a greater effect and do significantly more damage.

Murder of Crows

Murder of Crows is obtained early in BioShock Infinite and lets players unleash a swarm of crows that will attack enemies. The trap version is referred to as a Crows' Nest, which will unleash crows upon any enemy who walks across them.

Players can purchase the Crows Trap Aid upgrade, which turns the corpses of any enemies killed by Murder of Crows into Crows' Nests.

Possession

Possession gives Booker "irresistible charm" and allows him to confuse enemies into fighting for him instead of against him.

Possession only affects machines at first, but can later be upgraded to affect humans. Players can also purchase Possession for Less, which makes the Vigor require significantly less Salts to use.

Possession is the first Vigor the player discovers, handed out as a "sample" in Columbia before the player begins searching for a way to Monument Island.

Shock Jockey

Shock Jockey is an electric power that offers the ability to stun enemies, similar to the Electro Bolt Plasmid in the original BioShock.

Holding Shock Jockey will give you the ability to create an electric trap.

After upgrading, you can turn any enemies killed by Shock Jockey into electric traps.

Undertow

Undertow is a telekinetic power that allows the user to pull an enemy closer to them as well as push an enemy away from them.

A quick press of the button will send enemies flying while holding the buttton will allow you to grab an enemy and pull them in for punishment.

Return to Sender

Return to Sender absorbs incoming fire (projectiles, etc.) from enemies and allows you to redirect it. After some upgrading, you will even be able to return these shots to the shooters and is great for huge firefights.

IGN has more info on gear and weapons from Bioshock Infinite, which is releasing this March 26th.
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'Far Cry 3' patch released

A new patch for the popular game Far Cry 3 was released today, and with it, a whole lot of content for those who have beaten the game.

A new difficulty, titled Master, is unlocked for people who have beaten Far Cry 3's story. This makes the animals and enemies that populate the world even more difficult.

The patch also allows people to reset outposts that they have liberated, and turn most of the HUD features toggle-able for those who'd prefer their experience to be more immersive.

The games multiplayer mode has seen some improvements as well, especially for players who have dabbled in the mapmaking tools for making multiplayer maps.

News Editor
John Schwartz


Source: Game Informer

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Bioshock Infinite Competition

We want to give one lucky listener/reader the chance to win a free copy of Bioshock Infinite when it releases. Also, we want to give this individual a free TechFixation shirt.

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[Update] Assassin's Creed IV: Everything You Need to Know

Ubisoft's next installment in the Assassin's Creed series is launching this October 29th and we've brought you the box art, screenshots, trailers, technical details, and leaked content. Now

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Just Cause 3 Unveiling at E3 2013

Twitter is a great source of information. One such example of that is Christofer Sundberg, @CHsundberb, the founder of Avalanche Studios. On Feb 13 we posted the tweets of Sundberg teasing this image;

Today Sundberg has revealed a little more information on Avalanche's new project.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? #yearoftheavalanche #avalanchestudios @ Avalanche Studios instagr.am/p/WPwBJvpwlb/
— Christofer Sundberg (@CHSundberg) February 27, 2013

@cyckiewicz Tease is all I do as I'm just as full if shit as the rest of them. Or am I? #e32013 #goforknockout
— Christofer Sundberg (@CHSundberg) February 27, 2013

From the first tease it was just a guess that the title could be Project Mamba, aka Just Cause 3, but from the new image attached to the tweet we're pretty certain that Just Cause 3 will be unveiled at E3 2013. Look for it to be available on PS3, 360, PC, and next gen consoles; maybe even Wii U.

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Respawn Entertainment Teases Their Appearance at E3 2013

Respawn Entertainment is an independent video game development studio focusing on creating state-of-the-art gaming experiences for global audiences. The studio was formed by Jason West and Vince Zampella, former co-founders of Infinity Ward and creators of the multi-billion dollar Call of Duty franchise. Respawn is developing a multi-platform product based on new video game IP and funded through its publishing deal with Electronic Arts, one of the top publishers in the industry.

The only two images on thier new IP are these two blurry screenshots...

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