Capcom

“Capcom is Back!” says CEO

ISSUE 13 — 10 March 2019

by Shahan Ahmed and Dale Hurst

Top Story: DMC5 LAUNCHED — “CAPCOM IS BACK!” CEO SAYS…

Dante is back with the release of Devil May Cry 5. It has received rave reviews and many claim this to be the best the series has to offer. On Steam, the game has had the second best launch for Capcom, only being beaten out by Monster Hunter: World. DMC5’s producer, Matt Walker, has recorded the CEO of Capcom USA, Kiichiro Urata, saying:

“Capcom is back!”

In Devil May Cry 5, you get to play as three different protagonists, each bringing their own unique style of gameplay:

Nero – The Young Devil Hunter. He’s gained more experience since the incident at Fortuna and opening a Devil May Cry branch there.

V – The Mysterious One. He is Dante’s latest client. A human that seems to have demonic ties.

Dante – The Legendary Devil Hunter. He’s back with his sword Rebellion and his trusty guns Ebony and Ivory for plenty of demon-killing action.

If you’re thinking of picking the game up, there are certain things to keep in mind when it comes to different versions of the game. For example, the Deluxe Edition allows you to swap in the pre-vis live action cutscenes. It feels like you’re watching a DMC movie! Also the west’s PS4 version of the game is more censored than on PC and Xbox One. There are some scenes containing nudity that is hidden by lens flares in the PS4 version.

Shahan’s Opinion: The series looks to be in top form in the latest instalment. I love Nero’s new look. It definitely differentiates him from being the Dante lookalike he was in DMC4. Speaking of, Dante looking like a grizzly old badass is great.

ANTHEM CRASHING PS4s

Bioware’s latest game, Anthem, has had a launch that may be giving Fallout 76 a run for its money. Prior to launch, the ‘VIP demo’ (basically a beta test) revealed plenty of bugs and glitches. The launch also had plenty of bugs and glitches. And the reviews have not been great. One example of a huge bug is that the Level 1 Defender gun (a default weapon) has been discovered to be the best weapon in the game possibly due to how they’ve designed the scaling in the game. But moving on to the biggest concern right now…

There has been reports that the game has been crashing PS4s! It’s been mistakenly reported to be ‘bricking’ them. This is an incorrect term, as that would mean the PS4s are permanently broken and, hence, would basically be bricks. As the news and number of crashing PS4s became widespread, Sony started offering refunds for the game.

EA and Bioware are trying to resolve the situation. They’ve asked fans to discuss and identify the issue over on their EA Answers HQ message board. Regarding Anthem’s in-game issues, Bioware are making changes. But judging from the rioting happening by the player base over on the game’s subreddit, they are going to have to pull off a miracle to turn things around.

Shahan’s Opinion: I’ve actually given this game a shot a while ago. The gameplay is definitely fun and makes you feel like Iron Man! But the story is nowhere near Bioware’s best work. And the loadings screens really are ridiculous. A fan actually compared them to the infamous game Sonic ’06 and its loading screens.

AMY HENNIG’S VIEWS ON THE GAMING INDUSTRY

You know Amy Hennig? She’s the writer who’s been in the gaming industry for 30 years, which won her a Lifetime Achievement Award. She is known for her work on various games, from Legacy of Kain to Uncharted. And now, she has shared her opinion on the current state of AAA games development.

Hennig has taken a break from being part of a huge team that is common in triple-A games development and may not return to it. After hearing stories of game companies laying off hundreds of people, it’s understandable when she says that these are red flags and things are not working the way they used to. Her solution is to look to the TV and film industries. Less in-house production and more external contractors. If you want to see her views in full detail, check it out here.

If you want to know more about Amy Hennig, she’s recently shown up at the DICE Summit 2019 for an interview. That’s the video at the top of the section, by the way.

Shahan’s Opinion: One example that contradicts some of her views is Capcom. Years ago they were considered to be failing and their games were disappointing many of their fans. This was seen to be because they hired external companies to develop their games. They decided to bring everything back to work on them in-house and now they’re more popular than ever! In any case if Legacy of Kain ever returns, she needs to be on that development team!

NINTENDO CARDBOARD USED FOR VR

Remember the Nintendo Labo? No? Those kits with cardboard cut-outs that you build and then use in combination with your Nintendo Switch? For more info, check out this educational video on the construction toy.

Nintendo has announced the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit. Build it. Slot your Switch in. Buy some accessories and make a cardboard elephant for example. The release date is 12th April.

Shahan’s Opinion: Bundle this with a new Pokémon Snap. Do it Nintendo!

 

GLOSSING OVER…

Rape Day Not Coming to Steam, says Valve

Gaming publisher Valve has confirmed, after a lengthy silence and mounting controversy, that the indie game set around the violent sexual assault of women will not be released on Steam. They have claimed that the game poses unknown costs and risks.

Kamek and Dry Bones Come to Mario Tennis

The roster of characters for Mario Tennis Aces continues to grow, with the announcement of two further new players. Both of them making their debut in the sub-series, the chief Magikoopa Kamek and the undead Koopa Troopa Dry Bones will both take to the court in April and May respectively.

Annual “Return to Yharnam” Event is Underway

The two-week mass-community Bloodborne gameplay event began today. You can find out more about the event and get involved via this Reddit thread.

PLAYING THIS WEEK…

A new section we’re trying out; keeping you up-to-date with our gaming lives.

Dale has been playing… 

CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE REMASTERED (2017) (PS4)

I am a total COD novice – I’ll say that now. Giving me a PS4 controller and telling me to play a first-person shooter is like giving a chainsaw to a kitten. If you care about your stats, avoid me at all costs.

All that being said, it was certainly a fun first-time experience. A lot of COD fans may not have even touched the COD: MW Remastered. Indeed, I discussed the Prop Hunt mode with a couple of my friends, who had never even heard of it!

It’s so much fun – ideal for parties where you can just pass the controllers around. One team hides, disguised as inanimate objects – depending on the map, this could be something as mundane as a barrel, a chair or a signpost, to something more zany such as a watermelon or an inflatable dolphin. The other team then has to find you, basically by shooting any and all inanimate objects on the map. Gets you thinking. “Should that toolbox be on top of that barrel? I’ll shoot it to find out”. Best one I saw: a watermelon hidden under a seat on a bus. Genius.

Prop Hunt is basically an FPS-infused game of hide-and-seek. Great fun; highly recommended.

Apex Legends: the next Fortnite!?!

ISSUE 10 — 10 February 2019

by Shahan Ahmed and Dale Hurst

Top Story — APEX LEGENDS RELEASED

Respawn Entertainment, the creators of the award-winning Titanfall series, have taken their plunge into the Battle Royale genre with the release of Apex Legends. It is free to play, has loot boxes and is available on PS4, Xbox One and PC. PS+ subscribers can also get the ‘PlayStation Plus Play Pack’.

The launch was a success with a million unique players reached in under eight hours. In 24 hours, they reached 2.5 million players, which dwarfs Fortnite’s 1 million from their first day. Now, Apex has exceeded 10 million players. Executive producer Drew McCoy has written a letter to the community discussing what their aim was, what they’ve been through and thanking all of the players.

One of the aspects that the game is being lauded for is its game mechanics and how they have dealt with some of the biggest problems in the Battle Royale genre. One mechanic being the ability to revive your teammates or be revived by them yourself. It means that time isn’t wasted watching teammates attempt to win matches that can take up to half an hour. Another that many are talking about is the in-depth ping system. It makes the language barrier a non-issue and allows anyone without a mic to contribute just as much to the team.

There’s bad news for anyone waiting for Titanfall 3 — it’s not happening. In an effort to be open and transparent, Drew McCoy has gone on record stating that the world thinks they are making Titanfall 3 but they are not and are making Apex instead.

He also said:

“We’re doing a free to play game, with essentially loot boxes, after we were bought by EA, and it’s not Titanfall 3. It’s the perfect recipe for a marketing plan to go awry, so why have that – let’s just ship the game and let players play.”

A very clever move (feels unusual for the gaming industry) that has, no doubt, avoided a lot of potential backlash. As Respawn will be working on Apex Legends as a live service game, Titanfall 3 is not likely to be seen in the near future, if at all.

Shahan’s Opinion: I’ve mentioned previously that Battle Royale games aren’t my thing. However, the characters are likeable; them and their ults somewhat remind me of Overwatch. Also the PS+ incentives might just about pull me in.

THE WITCHER ARRIVES TO MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD

Ciri isn’t the only one travelling between worlds. After his stint in Soulcalibur VI, Geralt has arrived in Monster Hunter: World with Doug Cockle reprising the role as voice actor. The event puts you in control of the protagonist from The Witcher series as he solves new mysteries. There’s new gear and weapons to craft for both your hunter and Palico. An upcoming quest called “Contract: Woodland Spirit” will be available for hunters over the rank of HR50 from 15th February to 1st March. This will reward you with the Ciri full armor set and matching dual blades!

This crossover (which is already being deemed a perfect combination) shows the efforts Capcom continues to display in supporting Monster Hunter: World. This event boasts enough content to match or even surpass the crossover with Final Fantasy XIV.

Shahan’s Opinion: Last year I spent literally hundreds of hours on Monster Hunter: World. I’ve still got a few gold crowns to collect before I achieve 100% completion. This event will definitely get me back on the hunt.

PHYSICAL RELEASE CONFIRMED FOR THE OUTER WORLDS

Many are waiting for Obsidian Entertainment’s sci-fi RPG, The Outer Worlds. Especially after the débâcle that is Fallout 76, which is claimed by some to possibly be unfixable. As can be seen above, the game’s official Twitter account has announced that it will be getting a physical release.

Game Informer are doing a full month of exclusive coverage on The Outer Worlds including interviews with the original creators of Fallout, Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky. Here are just a few details that have been revealed regarding the game:

  • No third-person camera view
  • No morality system, only a reputation system
  • No hacking or lock-picking mini-games
  • Everyone can be killed. (No children in the game.)
  • Companions only die on the hardest difficulty (named Supernova).
  • Companions have a side quest each. Combat ability rises upon completion.
  • Companions don’t ruin stealth.

Shahan’s Opinion: Call me old-fashioned but I like physical discs for my video games. I like them in steelbooks and I don’t have any space left on my console for these digital copies.

NORMAN REEDUS’ VIEWS ON DEATH STRANDING

Last year in March, GameCentral Metro spoke to Norman Reedus on the set of his TV show ‘Ride with Norman Reedus’. He revealed details on his experience on Hideo Kojima’s highly-anticipated Death Stranding that have been embargoed until now.

Regarding the Metal Gear creator himself, Reedus says,

“That guy is such a genius, Hideo Kojima. I’m like, ‘Oh so they’ll be playing me?’ And he’s like, ‘No they are you. We will make them cry as you.’ I’m like, ‘What are you talking about? It’s a video game. … It’s kind of a new movie. I’ve never seen anything like what we’re doing. Guillermo Del Toro introduced me to him, who is also working on the game; he’s also a character in the game. I saw that video game director at the Video Game Music Awards, walk down the steps and they lit up underneath his feet like Michael Jackson and he goes, ‘I’m back.’ And the place is like, ‘Oh my god.’ Like grown men in tears. ‘I was like who is this god – whatever he wants to do I’ll do it. He’s a genius.”

Check out this article for more.

Norman will play the lead role and his fellow cast members include Mads Mikkelsen, Guillermo Del Toro, Lea Seydoux, Lindsay Wagner and Troy Baker.

Shahan’s Opinion: WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS GAME?

Dale’s Opinion: What Shahan said…

ASSASSIN’S CREED III IS GETTING REMASTERED

Ratonhnhaké:ton, better known as Connor Kenway, is back. Assassin’s Creed III Remastered has been announced this week for a release on March 29th for PS4, Xbox One and PC (no news for a Switch release). Relive Connor’s journey as he parkours across snow-covered tree branches and fights through the American Revolution.

In addition to AC3 you can obtain a remaster of Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation. This was a PS Vita exclusive that features the female assassin Aveline de Grandpré as the protagonist. This collection also includes the fascinating Tyranny of King Washington DLC series. They all have 4K HDR upgrades and various other enhancements for PS4 Pro, Xbox One X and PC.

For anyone who’s been playing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, they can pick up the entire collection for free if they have the season pass. Otherwise it can be bought standalone.

Shahan’s Opinion: It’s often looked down upon after Connor had to follow Ezio Auditore’s life story. But I remember having a great time with it, which was impressive as Colonial America as a setting doesn’t interest me at all. The soundtrack was also phenomenal.

CRASH TEAM RACING NITRO-FUELED GAMEPLAY SURFACES

Gameplay has been shown this week for Beenox’s Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled. It is a remaster of Naughty Dog’s Crash Team Racing. It’s being built from the ground up and will have new tracks, kart customisation and online play. The release date is June 21st this year and it is coming to PS4, Xbox One and even the Nintendo Switch! Once a PlayStation mascot, he will soon appear on a Nintendo console not unlike Sonic.

Check out this video to see more gameplay of the kart racer, including three different levels and how all of the characters handle. Avoid Polygon’s gameplay video as the person behind the controller is the journalist who infamously struggled with Cuphead’s tutorial for 26 minutes and caused an Internet uproar.

Shahan’s Opinion: As much as I love Crash, Mario Kart is the only kart-racer I am familiar with. I’m excited to see how this compares. The visuals are already looking incredible.

Dale’s Opinion: I do have a fair few good memories playing the original Crash Team Racing on the PS1 years and years ago. Like the Spyro remaster, this is the sort of nostalgia I’ll be looking for when I (eventually) get a PS4.

GLOSSING OVER…

Kingdom Hearts III hits 5 million mark

Shahan gave you the full lowdown in his special feature last week; it’ll come as little shock to you that the latest Kingdom Hearts instalment has already shipped over 5 million copies worldwide.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 lost out to Devil May Cry 5

Hideaki Itsuno has stated in response to queries regarding the long-awaited and long-desired Dragon’s Dogma sequel, that he chose to make Devil May Cry 5 first instead.

And the winner of Metacritic’s Best Publisher 2018 is… Capcom!

It was revealed at the beginning of this month that Capcom is the best-reviewed publisher for 2018, based on its scores on Metacritic. On average, Capcom has a score of 79.3.

 

Resident Evil 2 Demo Hits Record Player Count

ISSUE 7 — 20 January 2019

by Shahan Ahmed and Dale Hurst

Top Story — RESIDENT EVIL 2 DEMO PLAYER COUNT HITS A RECORD 11K

Capcom has been on the right track in recent years. Monster Hunter World is their best-selling game ever. Positive reception of Mega Man 11. Devil May Cry is looking to be a return to form for Dante and friends. And they’ve also managed to turn the Resident Evil series around. Turning away from the action game direction, they’ve headed back towards their horror roots with Resident Evil 7.

The remake of Resident Evil 2 releases next week on the 25th. Beforehand, Capcom has made available a demo that lets you play the game once for 30 minutes (of course, players have found a way around this). The demo lets you control Leon S. Kennedy as he explores the Raccoon Police Department and what has occurred there. The full game will also have you play as Claire Redfield, so the two will be available to play just like in the original. Where the remake differs is in the use of the RE Engine, which was also used for Resident Evil 7. So the gameplay is modernised and there are no fixed camera angles like there were back then. This has caused Capcom to think of other ways to bring the horror, for example through the lighting, sound design, etc.

Signs point to the launch of this series’ latest instalment being the biggest in the franchise – if the demo’s player count is anything to go by. The RE2 Remake demo has had almost triple the amount of concurrent players on Steam than RE7’s demo had. RE2R hit a peak of 11,000 players while RE7’s ‘Beginning Hour’ demo reached 4,000. Will Capcom hit the ball out of the park once again? We won’t have to wait too long to see…

Shahan’s Opinion: Hopefully this will influence other big game developers to make triple-A horror titles. There’s nowhere near enough high quality scary games to play.

New Character Spotlight — GERAS (Mortal Kombat 11)

April 23rd — get over here! That’s Mortal Kombat 11’s release date, after all. And as it rapidly approaches, NetherRealm Studios are showcasing more of what is to come. They made the controversial decision to make Shao Kahn available to anyone who pre-orders the game. And Ronda Rousey of UFC and WWE fame will now be the voice actor for the classic MK character Sonya Blade.

This week they have released a gameplay trailer. Not only that, they have revealed one of the new characters to be introduced to the series; Geras. He has the ability to control time, use stone and sand as well as teleport in order to rip off bones, break limbs and vice versa. However, in terms of the story, not much is known about him, except that he serves Kronika, who deems herself ‘The Keeper of Time’. She is also completely new to the franchise but is said to be “running the show since the first Mortal Kombat” according to Ed Boon; the series’ co-creator. After the main staple character Raiden kills Shinnok in MKX and affects the timeline, Kronika intervenes to bring balance to the universe. She will be the first female main antagonist for Mortal Kombat.

Shahan’s Opinion: The animation looks to have been much improved from the previous game. Geras’ whole ‘Sands of Time’ aesthetic reminds me of Prince of Persia. So it’s a thumbs up from me!

Dale’s Opinion: You know my opinion on huge-roster games and Mortal Kombat is no exception. Geras’ moves and skills look right up my street. May have found a replacement for Shinnok…

EA CANCELS OPEN-WORLD STAR WARS GAME

Recovered from all of the Star Wars that Disney is forcing upon us? (Geddit? Forcing?) Either way, there’s one addition to the series that has been pulled from your reach. Electronic Arts has cancelled a SW project and it’s not the first time.

Their Vancouver office was reportedly working on an open-world Star Wars game since the shutdown of Visceral Games back in 2017. Before their closure, Visceral (developers of the Dead Space series) were working on a linear SW game codenamed ‘Ragtag’ with Amy Hennig of Uncharted fame as director. Art assets were taken from Ragtag by EA Vancouver and implemented in an open-world game nicknamed ‘Orca’. This is the latest Star Wars game that was cancelled. Why was it cancelled? Because it was deemed that it would take too long to develop and launch. So, it was scrapped, and resources were put towards a smaller Star Wars project without laying anyone off.

EA sent a statement to Kotaku a day after their publication saying,

“There’s been speculation overnight about one of our Star Wars projects. As a natural part of the creative process, the great work by our team in Vancouver continues and will evolve into future Star Wars content and games. We’re fully committed to making more Star Wars games, we’re very excited about Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order from Respawn, and we’ll share more about our new projects when the time is right.”

Shahan’s Opinion: For me, being reminded of Ragtag’s cancellation is sad. Especially being a fan of Amy Hennig’s work, particularly on the Legacy of Kain series.

VALVE’S ARTIFACT HITS LOWEST PLAYER COUNT

For anyone unaware, Valve surprisingly has developed and launched a video game recently. Named Artifact, it is a digital card game (à la Hearthstone) that is based on Valve’s Dota 2 universe. Artifact was also designed by Richard Garfield, the creator of the original trading card game Magic: The Gathering.

It received a mixed reception due to its high learning curve and how it has been monetised. After all, it is not free-to-play like many of its competitors. It is a digital card game you pay for and then you have to pay for the cards you want to play with as well!

Within weeks of launching, the player base dropped and carried on dropping. By the beginning of December it had lost 60% of its players. Now, after two months of the game’s release, Artifact has lost 97% of its players!

Shahan’s Opinion: I’ve played a few card games here and there. Both digital and the real cardboard stuff! I still have my shiny Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards in a binder! But I’ve never played Dota and Artifact’s art style does not appeal to me personally.

GLOSSING OVER…

AGDQ Funds Counted…

In light of last week’s top story, we felt it was necessary to inform readers that AGDQ 2019 raised a fantastic $2.4 million. This comes as the result of over 40,000 donations.

Steam Has 30,000 Games on Platform

While this is a whopping figure, these 30,000 games do not include any associated DLC or software. With the increase in games released on the platform over the past couple of years, it is expected/hoped that Steam will release up to 10,000 games in 2019.

From Bad to Worse for Atlas

Pirates-themed MMO Atlas has gone offline a couple of times due to hacker and cheater activity. Things such as spawning tanks, whales and planes, as well as hackers regaining admin permissions and spawning dragons.

Thank you for reading — we apologise it’s a little short this week, but both of us are sick and it’s been a bit of a quiet week in the gaming world. Hope to see you next issue!