EA

A Good Single-Player Star Wars Game!?! — Jedi: Fallen Order

ISSUE 18 — 14 April 2019

by Shahan Ahmed and Dale Hurst

Top Story: JEDI: FALLEN ORDER REVEALED

What comes as a surprise move from EA is the reveal of Jedi: Fallen Order. This is the company who brought you the micro-transactions-riddled Battlefront games. It will be developed by Respawn Entertainment. Yes, the same people who surprised everyone by bringing us Apex Legends out of nowhere as a viable competitor to the goliath that is Fortnite. And of course the same people who made the beloved Titanfall games.

It is confirmed by both Respawn and EA that the game will have no micro-transactions and no multiplayer. A sad state of affairs that a lack of micro-transactions makes headlines in current times, but it is welcome news all the same.

Shahan’s Opinion: While the trailer is not on the level of my personal favourite SW game trailer — The Old Republic’s “Sacrifice” trailer, it is still very good! I’d say Respawn is a great choice as a developer.

PSN NAME CHANGE IS HERE!

A feature that’s been asked for by the players since the early PlayStation 3 days is finally here! You can now change your PSN ID; the username that you use on your PlayStation 4. The first name change is free (as can be seen here in this humorous name change) but it will cost you from then on. Changing your PSN ID can be done via your PS4 or a web browser. Not on a PS3 or Vita. Check out the official blog post here on exactly how to do so as well as any answers to questions you may have.

We’d best mention that not all games support the name change. Lists have been made that include which games have no known issues, which do as well as the select few that have critical issues. If you come across any issues, try re-linking/signing back into your account in the game. Otherwise another option is reverting to your old username but that may not guarantee that your issue is resolved.

Shahan’s Opinion: FINALLY! I can change my PSN ID that I made as a child, which is a mess of alternating lower and upper case.  But I am going to wait until PSNProfiles.com is able to accommodate name changes. It’s my go-to site for showcasing trophies.

NEW FOOTAGE OF LEGENDARY GAMING MOMENT DUG UP!

One of the most memorable moments in competitive gaming history is the match between Daigo Umehara and Justin Wong at Evo 2004. Daigo was playing as Ken and he was one hit away from losing the match. Justin unleashes Chun Li’s Special Art move and Daigo’s only options were to block (easy) or parry (hard). However, Daigo had a miniscule amount of health, so blocking was not an option as each hit defended against still takes a tiny amount of damage. Parrying was the way to go. A parry requires precision timing and Daigo needed to do it 14 times as that’s how many hits Chun Li’s move performs. He does it. Daigo follows it up with a counter combo ending with one of Ken’s own Special Arts. The crowd went wild and this moment (known as Evo Moment #37 or the Daigo Parry) forever influenced the fighting game community. Justin Wong has even said in a past interview that the moment has saved the fighting game community, which was declining at the time.

Recently Mark Julio found old tapes and discs that contained footage he has recorded of this moment. You can hear the discussions being made nearby. Check it out!

Shahan’s Opinion: I never get tired of seeing this awesome moment. I love a good crowd reaction.

STAGE BUILDER LEAKED FOR SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE

Nintendo has leaked a level creation mode known as Stage Builder for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It can be seen in the advert above when one of the kids goes to grab a controller. Stage Builder has been featured on past Smash Bros. titles.

Shahan’s Opinion: Oh no. I wonder what hellish lands Dale will create or download for us to try.

Dale’s Opinion: A dedicated Smash player I may be, but the Stage Builder modes from Brawl and Smash 4, I have never very much cared for. I guess my creativity has a limit, but I’ll be interested to see what other people manage to come up with. I always liked that about the LittleBigPlanet games…

MEETING HELD AT BIOWARE

After the recent Kotaku article revealing all that was wrong with Bioware and the subsequent promise that a meeting will be held, progress seems to have been made. Jason Schreier, the journalist who wrote the infamous piece, Tweeted as can be seen above. Presumably being told by his contacts within Bioware, a meeting has been held to discuss the issues that have been raised. Some are optimistic, while others are sceptical.

Shahan’s Opinion: I feel like this shows the good and bad side of journalism. A lot of people worked on Anthem and Mass Effect: Andromeda and they were hurt by the emotional negativity towards those titles in the article. But if it wasn’t for the article, this meeting and open dialogue to tackle these problems may not have occurred.

GLOSSING OVER…

Sekiro Hits Two-Million Mark

In an astonishing ten days, Activision’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has managed to sell two million copies. That’s worldwide, by the way!

Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds Banned in Nepal

The Nepal Metropolitan Crime Division has enforced a ban on Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds. This is based on the assertion that the game is making people aggressive in real life.

Octopath Traveller PC Release Date Announced!

We can reveal Square Enix’s award-winning RPG Octopath Traveller will be released on PC on 7th June this year.

PLAYING THIS WEEK…

Shahan has been playing…

STREETS OF RAGE (2009) (PLAYSTATION 3)

After the nostalgia hit of seeing the new Streets of Rage 4 gameplay, I couldn’t resist going back to the first in the series. I booted up the ol’ PS3 and threw in my copy of the Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection. We reached the final stage where I was gunned down by Mr. X himself while my friend was defeated just outside. That’s all we had time for before we headed to the cinema. But damn — the game is still an absolute blast to play. We’ll get you next time Mr. X!

Announcing… Borderlands 3!

ISSUE 16 — 31 March 2019

by Shahan Ahmed and Dale Hurst

Top Story: BORDERLANDS 3 REVEALED!

After nearly seven years of waiting since Borderlands 2 (let’s put aside The Pre-Sequel), Gearbox Software have officially unveiled Borderlands 3! CEO Randy Pitchford was on the stage at PAX East 2019 to present the game to fans. However, it had a troubled, laggy reveal, possibly due to technical issues on the provided equipment. The trailer packed the usual Borderlands charm and humour. It provides a glimpse at the new characters, such as the new Siren. She is likely to be the mêlée-based character as she boasts plenty of muscle and can summon six arms made of pure energy. Plenty of old, familiar faces also showed up. Lilith, Marcus, Maya, Tiny Tina (who’s not so tiny anymore) and Mad Moxxi appear, as well as Brick conducting a sax solo. Characters from Telltale’s Tales from the Borderlands also make an appearance. The game will have over a billion guns, which is actually not surprising knowing how the series procedurally generates its guns and their properties. But what is surprising and hilarious is Gearbox showing off a gun with legs! No one asked for this, but the mad men did it anyway. Borderlands 3 has yet to be given a release date, but the not-so-subtle Pitchford may be implying it’s not far off.

Gearbox also announced at their PAX East panel a Game of the Year Edition for the first Borderlands on PS4, Xbox One and PC. For PC gamers who already have the game on Steam, you can upgrade to the GotY Edition for free! It boasts improved visuals (4K and HDR, improved lighting, textures and character models), a Borderlands 2-like minimap, new inventory system and auto-pickup, 6 new Legendary weapons and 5 new character head options. It’ll be available in a matter of days; specifically 3rd April!  If you’re interested in other games that showed up at PAX East this year, check this out.

Shahan’s Opinion: This series is one of the best for some couch co-op fun. The Sirens are always my go-to characters when available. Burning everything as a Firefly-build Lilith was glorious. Maya looks great with her updated look too. Super excited to try out the new, buff Siren.

APPLE ARCADE ANNOUNCED

After Google revealed their gaming-related plans with the Stadia (see last week’s issue), Apple are following suit. Not doing exactly the same thing, mind you. Apple Arcade is not a streaming service. It is a premium, monthly subscription service in which all games will have no ads or in-app purchases and can be played offline on an Apple device. The initial line-up for the service will have games by Sega, Konami, Mistwalker (Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi’s new company), Annapurna Interactive and other developers. Apple says that more than 100 exclusive games will be available as part of the service. Apple Arcade is coming autumn this year.

Shahan’s Opinion: I’d rather pay as few subscription services as I can. Regarding Apple phones in general, I’ve gone back and forth from theirs and Android phones. Ultimately, iOS is too restrictive for me. Apple phones look nice and premium but now even the hardware has a down side after they implemented that screen notch. Picked up a Google Pixel and never looked back.

STREETS OF RAGE 4 GAMEPLAY

During the summer of 2018, beat ‘em up fans rejoiced as a ‘90s gem from Sega’s glory days made a return. Streets of Rage 4 was revealed featuring a fully-bearded Axel Stone and a never-aging Blaze Fielding. It was announced by DotEmu and Lizardcube (publisher and developer of Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap) in partnership with Sega. Guard Crush Games (developer of Streets of Fury) will also be involved.

The new gameplay reveal this week gave a familiar feel, as if the developers are honouring the series’ past. The fighting is reminiscent of its predecessors, fly kicks and all. Throw your enemies and pick up weapons from the ground like before. But let’s move on to what’s new! Journalists who have had a hands-on experience with an early build of the game last year have said special moves take away health (like in SoR2) but regular attacks will restore that lost health. The new hand-drawn art style is a departure from the pixels of yore and look incredible. The devs have said SoR4 will have its own unique score and effects to help make it stand out from the original game. Does this mean the original composer Yuzo Koshiro won’t be making a return? They’ve been quiet on this matter…

Streets of Rage follows a group of young ex-cops who fight their way through a crime-ridden city to get to Mr. X in an attempt to stamp out the corruption once and for all. If you want to know more about the series including the multiple other cancelled attempts at a Streets of Rage 4, check out this video.

Shahan’s Opinion: I adore the original on the Sega Mega Drive so much. The characters. (Blaze! First video game crush.) The levels. (Freight elevator!) THE MUSIC. (YUZO KOSHIRO!) I NEED A RELEASE DATE. (And bring back Adam!)

SEGA MEGA DRIVE / GENESIS MINI

If all that Streets of Rage talk has got you feeling nostalgic, well we’re not letting up! Sega are joining Nintendo and Sony in creating their own mini console. On 19th September 2019, the Sega Mega Drive Mini (or Sega Genesis Mini for the US) will release. It comes with 40 titles ready to plug-in and play. Ten of the games have been announced. They are:

–          Ecco the Dolphin –          Toejam & Earl
–          Castlevania: Bloodlines –          Comix Zone
–          Space Harrier II –          Sonic The Hedgehog
–          Shining Force –          Altered Beast
–          Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine –          Gunstar Heroes

Shahan’s Opinion: I’ve not really been tempted by all of the Mini consoles when there are other, cheaper methods to play old games. But this one I’ll admit, I am sorely tempted. There’s always been Sega Classics Collections to play their gems on many platforms. But if this does well, could Sega be tempted to make another console? A Dreamcast 2!?! Sigh… Just a pipe dream maybe…

CD PROJEKT RED ON E3 2019

A conference was held by CD Projekt Group for their financial results for 2018. It covers not only their games but also their digital distribution platform GOG.com that even though it’s great, it only made $7.8K net profit in 2018. On the bright side, the Polish company has informed the conference they have obtained a new office building in Warsaw in close proximity to their current offices. This will enable them to expand and hire another 250-300 developers.

Let’s move on to their games. Gwent, the card game born from the Witcher series, will finally be heading for mobile phones. It will launch on Apple’s App Store this autumn, and a later date for Android phones. The Witcher 3 continues to make strong sales. Alongside Thronebreaker, it has made over $28.6M net profit in 2018. They’ve also acknowledged their talks with Andrzej Sapkowski who wanted more money from the developer as creator of the Witcher books. Negotiations are ongoing with the author, but they are unable to comment further.

Now let’s talk about Cyberpunk 2077 and E3 2019. After its initial showing at last year’s E3, Cyberpunk’s marketing has reached over 250 million people! Via their own channels and invited influencers who have tried a demo of the game behind closed doors. CDPR were asked if E3 is the best place to announce release dates of games. They agreed it is. They’ve gone on to say their E3 presence this year will have a surprise, but no pop artist will show up! It will be the most important E3 in CD Projekt’s history, according to CEO Adam Kiciński.

Shahan’s Opinion: E3 is going to be good this year! What surprise do you think they have in store for us? A trailer for a secret project they’ve been working on? Or maybe Cyberpunk 2077 goes gold? I can’t wait.

Dale’s Opinion: So, no Lady Gaga surprise appearance? That’s a shame – was wondering what she’d come dressed as…

GLOSSING OVER…

Shantae 5 Announced

A brand new adventure in the Shantae series is confirmed for later this year. Shantae 5 will be available on all major home consoles, and also the newly-announced Apple Arcade.

Layoffs at EA

350 employees in the marketing and publishing departments (among others) of EA have been let go this week. Also, EA Russia and EA Japan have both closed down.

Anthem Woes Continue

Looting issues with Anthem have been described by fans to be a regression from what they were before with the recent update. No masterwork weapons for you this update, freelancers!

PLAYING THIS WEEK…

Shahan has been playing…

Overwatch

I’ve hopped back on to Overwatch to check out the most recent character to be introduced to the roster.

Baptiste went live last week. He’s a combat medic with a difficult past. One of 30 million orphans from the Omnic War. He did what he could to survive and ended up as a Talon agent. After realising he has a choice and making a living wasn’t good enough, he chooses to fight for a better world and leaves Talon.

For the brief period that I’ve played him, it’s clear you’d need to spend some time to get to grips with this healer. He’s definitely one of the more complex heroes in his class. For example, it’ll take some time getting used to the healing grenade’s projectile and landing it on your allies. But hey, Baptiste’s DBZ scouter is looking super cool though!

Master Chief Collection Coming to PC

ISSUE 14 — 17 March 2019

by Shahan Ahmed and Dale Hurst

Top Story: MASTER CHIEF COLLECTION FOR PC ANNOUNCED

The famed Halo series is back! It’s coming to Steam and the Windows store later this year. Pricing is yet to be revealed. Each game in the collection will be released one by one. Halo Reach will be in 4K, 60FPS and has HDR. The Steam page for the collection is already up.

Fans were so happy with the news that they’ve bombarded the developer, 343 Industries, with pizzas. This happens after redditor ‘thewombinthesky’ pre-emptively promised pizza to a responding 343 employee if MCC for PC is announced.

Shahan’s Opinion: Halo isn’t for me personally, but it’s always great to see fans of a time-honoured game series come out of the woodwork to celebrate this announcement. And it’s always great when fans send boatloads of food to devs. Another example of this happening is when Blizzard received hundreds of cookies from Overwatch fans years ago.

ANTHEM FANS CONDUCTED A BLACKOUT

After the latest update for Anthem was released and when the player base experienced the ins and outs of all the new changes, they were not happy. Therefore, a protest went underway to send a message to the developers, investors, etc., directly referring to the rate of loot drops in the game, as it does not adequately reward the amount of time that a player invests in the game. It also mentions the fact that it’s a game with real money transactions for cosmetics, even though there are barely any cosmetics.

And like salvaging parts from a fallen freelancer in-game, the developers are currently underway salvaging Anthem, but not as simply or successfully. This week on the EA Help Twitter, they are looking for help in identifying issues in quickplay missions currently. It just comes across like the game was released far too early and players are just paying to be beta testers. This is far too common in the gaming industry. Understandably game development is more costly and complex from the days of Atari or Dreamcast, but it’s not entitled of consumers to ask for a polished and complete product.

Shahan’s Opinion: Oh boy. To be honest, I’ve been unintentionally conducting a blackout on the game since I last played it. I’ll hop back on if/when Bioware manages to turn things around.

ANOTHER GOKU COMING TO FIGHTERZ

New characters continue to fly into Dragon Ball FighterZ, the DBZ fighting game that many consider to be the best amongst them all. The latest to be revealed is another form of Goku. Specifically his appearance in the non-canon series, Dragon Ball GT. His moves include the Super Kamehameha and the Super Spirit Bomb as well as the Reverse Kamehameha and the good old Power Pole! He is also said to have a hidden attack. Could it involve GT’s infamous Super Saiyan 4 form? We’ll have to wait and see!

For anyone unaware what Dragon Ball GT is and how it fits in with the other Dragon Ball series, here’s a quick run-through. First came the original Dragon Ball; a charming, goofy adventure that followed a little Son Goku and the friends he made as they searched for the Dragon Balls. Dragon Ball Z was next and is the most famous series in the franchise. It introduced the golden, spiky Super Saiyan form, fusions and more. What followed after this was Dragon Ball GT. It brought the focus back on the Dragon Balls and the consequences of them being excessively used since the very beginning. GT was vilified for Goku being turned back into a kid, the minimal involvement of creator Akira Toriyama and various other reasons. Thus it became non-canon. Dragon Ball Super is the current series and continues on from DBZ.

Shahan’s Opinion: They’re acknowledging GT in this game? Ugh. I’d prefer if it was just Kid Goku from the original Dragon Ball with a little Chi Chi throwing her helmet blade or Young Bulma gunning opponents down!

HAS THE PUBG CREATOR LEFT PUBG?

The answer is… no!

Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene has released a statement that you can read above. The creator of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is moving on to create a new division within the PUBG Corp. He will head up the PUBG Special Projects division that will focus on research. He is still tied to the Battle Royale game as a ‘consulting creative director’.

Shahan’s Opinion: Naming your company after your product can be a risky move. It may be simple and easy to understand like Google or Amazon. But then there’s this… PUBG (Game). PUBG Corp. PUBG MadGlory, LLC. PUBG Special Division. What’s next?

SOLAR ASH KINGDOM REVEALED

Heart Machine, the developer of award-winning game Hyper Light Drifter, have announced their next game, Solar Ash Kingdom. Unlike HLD, which is a 2D action RPG, Solar Ash Kingdom is full 3D with third-person camera view. Disasterpeace returns for the game’s soundtrack. The dev has confirmed it is not a sequel to Hyper Light Drifter, but it is set in the same universe.

Shahan’s Opinion: It can be rough seeing a studio go from making a 2D game to 3D. Judging from the trailer alone they are well on their way to pulling it off because it looks MAGICAL.

GLOSSING OVER…

Warner Bros. Interactive and Turtle Rock Studios announce Back 4 Blood

The spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead has been announced earlier this week. It is otherwise, not a sequel, but a zombie co-op FPS “built from the ground up as an original, premium title…”

DMC5 Tops UK Retail Charts

It only launched last week and Devil May Cry 5 has already hit the #1 spot on the UK retail charts. It is the first time a game in the DMC franchise has topped a chart since 2013.

Could Cyberpunk 2077 Feature Lady Gaga?

The Oscar-nominated singer and actress Lady Gaga is rumoured to be in collaboration with CD Projekt Red on their hotly-anticipated game Cyberpunk 2077. Nothing is confirmed for certain yet, but there’s chatter going around in France that she could be doing motion capture for the game, even featuring as a character. Who knows? Watch this space, I guess…

PLAYING THIS WEEK…

Shahan has been playing…

SUPER PAPER MARIO (2007) (Wii)

Dale has introduced me to the Paper Mario games and this week we started Super Paper Mario. It pales in comparison to The Thousand-Year Door (which we completed previously) but it still has its own charming characters. It’s great that Peach is a mainstay in the party, but I sure do miss Goombella…

“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.