Video Games
Throwback Gory FPS ‘HYPERVIOLENT’ Arrives in Early Access This Week [Trailer]
For those that can’t get enough of throwback first-person shooters, Fulqrum Publishing and developer Terminist Arcade have their upcoming sci-fi horror title HYPERVIOLENT on the way to very shortly. The gloriously violent old-school shooter will arrive in Early Access on April 6 via Steam, the Epic Games Store and GOG.com.
A mix of 3D environments and 2D sprites inspired by the likes of Build Engine classics like Duke Nukem 3D and Blood, HYPERVIOLENT sees players stranded on Commodus Asteroid 27-C, a remote asteroid-based mining colony. Unfortunately for you, you’ve also found yourself in the midst of an outbreak of violence among the colony’s inhabitants. You’ve got to find the source of the madness that’s engulfed the colony, all the while trying to stay alive.
Luckily, you’ve got a whole selection of weapons at your disposal with nearly endless combinations of dual-wielding that will quickly paint things red in the claustrophobic hallways. However, you’re not Doomguy, so you’ll have to be smart when it comes to managing your resources, as well as keep an eye out for potential ambushes by the numerous enemies lurking the halls.
Terminist Arcade’s plan for HYPERVIOLENT‘s Early Access is to gradually grow the number of available levels in the game, as well as adding new weapons, enemies, bosses and other features. Eventually, the full release will include Multiplayer support for up to 30 players, alongside a variety of other game modes. Currently, the Early Access version includes the first five levels (approximately 4-5 hours of gameplay), and 12 weapons as to turn the ten enemy types and two bosses to paste.
The rumoured cuts at Xbox have come to fruition, with plans to lay off 3,200 employees. In addition, five studios are also set to be let go, with Double Fine and South of Midnight developer Compulsion breaking off to go independent, while Ninja Theory (Senua) and Undead Labs (State of Decay 3) have been sold.
The fifth studio, Marvel’s Blade and Dishonored studio Arkane Lyon, is set to be divested from Xbox Game Studios, though details are still being kept under wraps.
Per Xbox Wire, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma confirmed the layoff and divestment plans at Xbox, but announced no plans for closures or game cancellations.
According to Sharma, Xbox is operating at “margins that are 3-10x lower than comparable platform and publishing businesses.” Sharma acknowledged Xbox’s previous pivots to Game Pass, multi-platform, and a “broader portfolio of content” have resulted in “meaningful value”, but it hasn’t been enough.
“Since 2018, we have aggressively expanded our studio portfolio while the number of games created each month across the industry now outpaces the last ten years combined,” she said. “We now find ourselves competing not only with the largest publishers, but also with smaller independent studios. It is neither possible nor desirable to own every great independent studio.”
As a result, Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions “will return to management and transition to independent studios with their IP, catalog, and runway for their next games.” Meanwhile, Ninja Theory and Undead Labs “have entered terms to join new ownership with funding to complete and grow Senua and State of Decay 3.” As for Arkane Lyon, the studio’s management “is beginning required consultation with its Works Council to review potential strategic options.”
The 3,200 cuts will be made throughout Xbox’s financial year across departments, with some areas being more affected than others. This is expected to affect around 20% of the developer’s workforce.
In addition, Bethesda will also undergo “a significant overhaul”, and will pivot to focus on its core franchises: Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein. None of our first party publicly announced games or projects are being cancelled as part of these reductions.
“These changes are about a bigger future for Xbox, not a smaller one,” says Sharma. “The next decade of gaming will be larger, more global, and more creative than anything we’ve seen before. This year, we’ll invest as much in Xbox as we ever have, but we’ll invest with greater focus, greater discipline, and greater clarity, all in service of making Xbox where the world plays and creates.”