Tag: Craneballs »

Craneballs, the studio responsible for the Overkill series, is taking a little break from all that violence (a little break) to bring us Cube Worm - a 3D take on one of the most classic PC/calculator games in existence.

Overkill 3 is a pretty enjoyable third-person shooter that was sort of begging for some online multiplayer. Fortunately the begging can stop, because its newest update has added an online co-op mode.

It looks like Overkill fans will have to wait a little bit longer for Overkill 3. The mobile shooter by Craneballs has been pushed back into next year as the developers wanted to take an extra few months to refine the game and release something more polished.

One of the issues that led to the decision is the tutorial. Craneballs is working hard on creating a guide that can stand up against the 30 levels that are included. The all-new level design is also a stumbling point. Creating so many non-repeating levels is taking longer than anticipated, but the extra effort going into making them means getting a better product. They are also planning on doubling the number of levels and bosses to give you more bang for your buck.

Craneballs has been listening to their fans as well. By request they are adding more realistic blood spatter, enemy-hit animations, and bigger explosions. They're also adding live-event cooperation missions so that you can play with your friends as a team. The teams that top the leaderboards will be rewarded with fame and in-game prizes.

So while Overkill 3 may be delayed until February of 2015, there will be even more to look forward to when the game is finally released.

Overkill 3 is like every trope of big modern gaming rolled into one. It’s a sequel to an action-packed military shooter. It’s flashy and scripted and flaunts its sophisticated graphics. And it’s a mobile game with a heavy emphasis on in-app purchases. But does it still manage to forge its own identity within that sea of marketing points? We find out in this edition of It Came From Canada!

In its biggest break from past Overkill games, Overkill 3 is a third-person shooting gallery rather than a first-person one. Movement is automatic, so players just aim and decide when to pop in and out of cover. But now they can see their vulgar, macho, soldier hero with his scarred Mohawk head instead of just imagining him. The shift also provides a slew of new tactical options. Firing down the sights, from the hip, or from behind cover each has its own balance of safety and effectiveness. More indirect assaults, like grenades and explosive barrels, also take on new dimensions for players and their enemies alike.

But the real benefit of the pulled out camera is the wider variety of moments it’s able to present. Players get a better look at the game’s graphically detailed and impressively lit environments from desert Shanty Towns with secret Windows 95 jokes to vaguely futuristic cities. Calling in airstrikes or firing off rocket launchers also becomes more exciting when seen in their full glory. The game’s levels bounce between standard missions, wave-based survival modes, and even turret sequences for those that miss the first-person feel. But nothing justifies the new perspective more than the occasional quick-time events where players swipe the screen, causing their hero to dramatically leap out of the way of sniper fire. It’s bombastic and ridiculous in the same blockbuster action movie way other AAA games are. And given its content and fall release, Overkill 3 definitely wants to be in that company.

Developer Craneballs says the limited number of levels in this soft launch version will be expanded during later releases, but players can still get more from the experience by buying and experimenting with different tools. Equipping new armor, lovingly rendered guns, and side weapons can really change a fight, and players can level-up via repeated playthroughs to give them access to even more goodies.

The past generation of games proved people can’t get enough of modern military shooters, but will this generation prove that players have now had their fill even on mobile? Overkill 3 will have to find that out for itself when it fully launches later this year.

[gallery size=”thumbnail”]

We hope you're all ready for a firefight, because the Overkill franchise is coming back for a third dose of action this summer. Craneball Studios' new teaser trailer for the upcoming Overkill 3 features more of the futuristic shooting that fans have come to expect from the series, only this time in third-person.

Though details are scant as of yet, you can definitely spot appearances from drones, gun emplacements, and the remnants of toppling skyscrapers in the footage. So essentially it looks like business as usual, right? 

Start stockpiling your ammo now, because this is the kind of conflict that players won't want to miss.

The Overkill games have been pretty darn popular, so a third official release (not counting Overkill Mafia because it's not really a part of the main series) isn't too much of a shock. What is a bit of a shock is the fact that Craneballs is dropping the first-person perspective in favor of an all-new third-person approach.

A new perspective isn't the only big change, either. It's also going to be a cover shooter with interactive cutscenes and "a greater level of variability." With ten environments, 50+ levels, and all those guns it certainly seems possible.

Overkill 3 will be releasing in the Summer/Fall of this year and will be free-to-play.

First bits of game info:

* Change to TPS to showcase the character and armor/gun upgrades directly in the game
* Boss battles - against drones, robots & vehicles
* Machine gun nest missions for pure "letting of steam"
* Night missions - they look great thanks to Unity with its lighting possibilites
* Plenty of guns and sophisticated gun upgrading (not entirely unexpected from an Overkill title)

Did you read our Overkill Mafia preview coverage of the soft launch the other day and say to yourself "I can't wait to play that!" Well, the good news is that you don't have to wait, as the game will be available worldwide later tonight (typically around 11pm EST, 8pm PST) for free. Bust out the 1920s greatest firepower on some mooks and rule old-school Chicago with an iron fist and an itchy trigger finger.

Craneballs is returning to the Overkill well that has helped put them on the map. Where previous games in the series were futuristic alien-shooters, this one takes place in a past version of Chicago, where violent, fedora-wearing, gun-toting criminals roamed the streets shooting at each other and innocents occasionally getting caught in the crossfire. Thankfully such a world no longer exists: there are far fewer fedoras now. So, with the game currently soft-launched in Canada, I made sure not to put ketchup on my hot dog for this edition of It Came From Canada!

As stated earlier, the setup is very similar to past entries in the series in that this is a shooting gallery game. Players are in a stationary position, trying to take out enemies as they come in. The left thumb is used to move the gun by dragging around the screen, and there are fire and reload buttons in the lower-right corner. This is a Prohibition-era setting, so all the weapons are based on that time period, like a Colt 1911. Don't expect any high-powered assault rifles here, but perhaps a tommy gun or two.

The meat of the game is the level-based progression, where players must survive multiple waves of enemies without dying, earning cash along the way. There are hundreds of levels promised, and interestingly enough, no energy system. At least yet. Right now, it's possible to play to one's content.

Along with the fixed levels, there are also reputation battles - such as the game's endless mode, which also serves as a kind of asynchronous play where players attempt to get higher scores by lasting as long as possible, with more powerful enemies coming in as time goes on. Leaderboards track who's doing better than whom. This is where buying better clothes comes into play: they grant character upgrades but also reputation multiplier bonuses. These bonuses naturally make it easier to get higher scores. They also serve as lives since every time the player 'dies', their multiplier lowers.

Guns can be upgraded with cash, with wait timers for upgrades to be delivered that can be skipped by spending liquor. Liquor is earned occasionally through level-ups, though there's plenty to spend it on - including health and power boosts in the game itself. The game steadily gets harder, and it's easy to see where the desire can be cultivated to spend real-world money on more cash and liquor to be more powerful; at least to catch back up to the game's increasing difficulty.

It will be interesting to see how well people take to another entry in this series, and to one with a different theme than the ever-popular "shoot aliens" motif. And of course, will this make money? Time will tell. I imagine this one will be available worldwide soon enough, but it's difficult to tell sometimes with soft-launched games. Some take months despite feeling ready, others feel half-baked but are soon available everywhere.

A lot of people really liked 33rd Division and its World War II-themed line-drawing, yet it suddenly disappeared from the App Store back in 2009 for reasons unknown. It was gone, but certainly not forgotten. And pretty soon it won't actually be gone anymore, either.

Rejoice, WWII line-drawing enthusiasts, Craneballs is bringing 33rd Division back on October 17 with HD graphics, new items, some new gameplay mechanics, and even iPad support! It's not just that, either; Game Center and Facebook integration is being added so you can compete with your friends, a double-speed button will be available to move things along if the action starts to drag, and the whole thing is going to be free to play. Looks like it might be time to re-enlist.

Looks like the developer of Overkill, Craneballs, has been busy, creating a sequel to the original target shooter with a multiplayer twist. The teaser trailer for Overkill 2 is up and it's looking pretty good, what with all the crazy guns involved. The game should be available on the App Store and Google Play in March of this year.