Cryptic trailer hints at BioWare’s new IP

A trailer full of bizarre, dream-like imagery was released by BioWare for what appears to be a new IP.

We don’t have an official title yet, but Polygon reports that BioWare’s parent company, EA, recently filed for a trademark on the name Shadow Realms. The trailer video that was emailed to various games journalists had Shadow Realms in the file name, so that is likely the name of the game.

The trailer shows a man running down desolate streets as if being chased. He tries desperately to get into a car before discovering his double is already in the driver’s seat. There are also flashes to a man with a face made from smoke and a ring of fire.

The trailer ends with the main character waking up from the nightmare followed by the tagline “What really happens when you sleep?” This seems to suggest that dreams will play a central part in the game, but it’s too early to be sure.

The official website for the video, http://www.youve-been-chosen.com, features text that reads, “The time is near. They are watching. Your power is rising. Cologne, Germany. You’ve Been Chosen.” There’s a very good chance we will learn more about the game at Gamescom Expo, which will be held in Cologne on August 13-17.

REVIEW: The Wolf Among Us Episode 5: Cry Wolf

The first season of The Wolf Among Us ends strong with Episode 5: Cry Wolf.

This downloadable title is the latest installment in Telltale’s adaptation of acclaimed comic book series Fables. Created by Bill Willingham, the idea behind the series is that our folk tales and myths are based around the stories of actual immortal beings called Fables.

Once the stuff of legend, The Fables have been driven from their Homelands and now lead a secluded existence in New York. When two of their own turn up dead, Sheriff Bigby Wolf begins an investigation which drags him into the criminal underworld of the Fable community.

Episode 5 is all about action and revelation. Through one bloody confrontation after another, Bigby takes on The Crooked Man’s gang and gets the answers he’s been seeking.

The showdown between Bigby and Bloody Mary more than lives up to the buildup from the previous episodes. We’ve seen the Sheriff take some serious beatings, but this fight is the first in the series that carries a real sense of danger. That, combined with the frenetic combat and the reveal of both Mary and Bigby’s final forms makes this scene one of the coolest gaming experiences I’ve had in a while.

The other action sequence, on the other hand, falls flat. The quick time events for the chase through the streets of the city get repetitious and it ends with a pointless choice which doesn’t affect the plot at all.

With all of the fighting and dialogue, this episode has no exploration or puzzle solving. Though the investigation is wrapping up in this segment, the addition of some detective work would have provided a little more interactivity to the proceedings and made for a better experience.

The secrets you uncover about the murders add an extra layer of moral complexity to a story already filled with shades of gray. We get new perspectives on the motivations for the antagonists, making the line between villain and victim of circumstance hard to find.

Telltale’s branching narrative system is at its best in this latest installment. The choices you make seem to have more of an effect on the story than we’ve seen in the past. One choice in particular drastically changes how a later scene plays out, making multiple playthroughs a necessity for fans of the series.

The decisions you made earlier in the season also play a role in the conclusion to the story. Whether you went by the book in your investigation or you took justice into your own hands, you’ll have to answer for everything you’ve done.

The final scenes do a good job of showing you the impact you’ve made on the story, something that can’t be said for the end of Telltale’s The Walking Dead Season 1. Cry Wolf manages to wrap up all of the plotlines of the season while still promising one more mystery with a thought-provoking cliffhanger.

With a fantastic story, solid gameplay and a ton of replayability, Cry Wolf earns a 9 out of 10.

The Wolf Among Us Episode 5: Cry Wolf is available for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Windows, OSX and PS Vita for $5.

The Hearthstone tournament controversy

If you visit any gaming news sites, you’ve probably seen something about the controversy surrounding a Hearthstone tournament earlier today.

The upcoming ASSEMBLY gaming event in Helsinki will be hosting a Hearthstone qualifier tournament. The top players in the tournament will compete in the International eSports Federation’s World Championship.

The tournament first came under fire when a Reddit post pointed out that only male players are eligible for the competition.

According to an article from PC Gamer, the event’s head administrator, Markus Koskivirta, explained that the qualifier is male-only because only men are allowed to compete in the IeSF Championship.  “This is to avoid possible conflicts (e.g. a female player eliminating a male player during RO8) among other things.”

People were quick to cry foul, but the organizers at ASSEMBLY aren’t at fault at all and their reasoning is sound. Since female players can’t move on to the world championship, then including female players in the qualifier would have potentially complicated matters. It’s also important to note that they have stated that they are against separating competitors by gender for eSports competitions.

The real issue is the IeSF World Championship itself. The event, which will be held in November in Baku, Azerbaijan, will host a number of tournaments where men and women will compete in separate leagues. That’s really strange is that the two groups won’t be playing the same games.

Males competitors can take part in tournaments for Dota 2, Starcraft 2, Hearthstone and Ultra Street Fighter I. Female competitions at the event include  Starcraft 2 and Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

What we need to be asking ourselves is why there are two leagues at all and why they aren’t playing the same games. The arbitrary distinction between the games available to males and females in the tournament just doesn’t make any sense.

The IeSF has issued a statement saying that the female league is meant to encourage female participation in the largely male eSports community. They pointed to similar competitive activities, such as chess, where there are leagues for both men and women.

It can also be argued that the separation by gender protects female gamers against some of the harassment that has plagued eSports in the past.

That argument covers why there are two separate leagues but it does not explain why some of the games are only open to one of the groups.

The chess analogy is also flawed, as the PC Gamer article points, because the women’s league is voluntary. Female competitors are free to compete with the men if they choose.

Though providing chess as an example backfired for them, IeSF should  follow the example of that sport when organizing their world championship event. Giving women the chance to choose between the two tournaments is a good alternative to illogical setup they have now.

The women’s league would still serve the functions the organization outlined in their response and female players of games like Hearthstone and Street Fighter would have the option to take part in the championships.

IeSF should come to their senses and offer the same games for both male and female competitors. If they want eSports to be taken seriously by those outside of the gaming community, they need to address these kinds of issues before their event this fall.