ISSUE 2 – 25 November 2018
by Shahan Ahmed and Dale Hurst
Top Story — DARKSIDERS III IS ALMOST HERE!
The third instalment of the Darksiders series is out on PS4, Xbox One and PC in just a couple of days. The gameplay has taken influence from the Souls series by From Software, but it still retains the Zelda-like gameplay of the previous two as well.
For those not familiar, this series revolves around the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War, Death, Fury (in the place of Famine) and Strife (instead of Pestilence/Conquest). The end of the world occurs in the first game, and War finds himself in the battle without his siblings. There, he is killed and blamed for the Apocalypse. War vows to clear his name, so he is released back to Earth (where 100 years have passed) to search for the true culprit. In the second, you play as his brother Death during the same time period. He looks to clear War’s name for the crime and to find a way to revive mankind.
This time around, you play as the sister Fury as she hunts for the Seven Deadly Sins to restore balance as they are wreaking havoc upon Earth. Rampage (her horse) has just been revealed in the latest ‘Horse with no Name’ trailer.
And if you want to see some Darksiders III gameplay with some funny commentary, check out Funhaus’ video here.
Shahan’s Opinion: If you’re like Dale and you love anti-heroes like Ivy Valentine, you should check out Fury! Right? Am I right? I know right!
Seriously though, I enjoy the Four Horsemen thematic a lot. I prefer War over Death when comparing the first two games. But Fury may take the top spot! My heart sank when Vigil Games shut down, so I am ecstatic the series managed to continue.
Dale’s Opinion: What Shahan said…
The similarities to Ivy are quite striking!
NEXT POTENTIAL HALF-LIFE INSTALMENT TO BE… IN VIRTUAL REALITY
One of the most revered video game series may finally be returning. However, not quite in the way you may expect. A prototype VR headset with the Valve logo was leaked via Imgur. From what we can gather from the leak, this possible new Half-Life instalment looks like more of a virtual reality spin-off/prequel. This may not be the Half-Life 3 that fans of the series were hoping for.
Shahan’s Opinion: I’m not one of those still hoping for Half-Life 3. When it comes to virtual reality, I’ve been excited for the horror games that would launch for the platform. But it is the high price point of VR headsets that is putting me off.
This Week’s Popular Choice — POKÉMON: LET’S GO PIKACHU / EEVEE
As Spyro did for us a few weeks ago, nostalgia has taken over the gaming world again with the long-awaited release of Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu and -Eevee. Taking the 3D charm and graphical capabilities of Pokémon Go! (with which it has full compatibility) and amalgamating it into the plot of Pokémon Yellow from way-back-when. Plus reducing the Pokédex right the way back down to the original 151, plus a couple of new ones created especially.
And, of course, critics and players alike have loved it. However, some fans are looking further forward to the new core series game — totally separate and standalone — for the Switch due next year.
Shahan’s Opinion: I feel like this is a light-hearted entry and I miss the complexity of the core Pokémon series. It seems ideal for those who never got into the games and don’t want to go through the traditional RPG grind.
Dale’s Opinion: I like the idea of having the Pokémon journey transferred to the big screen for once. For me, the nostalgic element is inviting, but there’s still something lacking. Maybe I’m after a brand new plotline and fully-textured Pokémon (with fur or feathers or whatever). Let’s see what this new instalment for next year will bring.
Negative Vibes — IT GETS WORSE FOR FALLOUT 76
Fallout 76 already failed to impress its users and the official critics haven’t had much better to say about it. With only a small percentage reviews on MetaCritic being positive, you don’t need us to tell you how it has been received.
One word that keeps being used to describe it again and again: “soulless”. Other scathing remarks and comments include accusing Bethesda of betraying Fallout’s spirit, and of the game itself having no redeeming features.
Its reputation is beginning to travel, too. If Twitch is anything to go by, interest in Fallout 76 has dropped in a big way.
Shahan’s Opinion: As I mentioned last week, having no NPCs and the story told to you only through audio tapes and emails on terminals is a big letdown for me. I can understand why it is done story-wise, but still.
They are making an effort to fix things with its huge 47GB patch though. I personally feel they need to make a whole new game engine, which they are NOT doing for The Elder Scrolls VI.
Dale’s Opinion: Bethesda have a rep to rebuild. And they will want to do it fast if they want the Fallout series to remain lucrative and profitable for them. If they produce another instalment without addressing all this hate, they’re going to end up with very few fans at all…
New Character Spotlight — NEEKO (League of Legends)
‘The Curious Chameleon’ is the latest to join Riot Games’ roster of heroes. Neeko has a passive shapeshifting ability that makes her appear like one of her allies. Lore has also been released for her, which goes into great detail. For example she is the last of an ancient tribe who managed to escape the death of her homeland thanks to her self-sacrificing tribe elders.
It has been noticed by LoL players that Neeko has a preference for the female champions of the game over the males. Riot Games’ senior narrative writer Matt Dunn has confirmed that Neeko identifies as a lesbian. This makes her the second gay League champion after Varus.
Shahan’s Opinion: She’s cute. Her VA does a great job getting across her inquisitive and quirky personality. I’m loving that theme music for her during the trailer.
KINGDOM HEARTS III GOES GOLD
Five years since it was first announced. Six since Dream Drop Distance was released. And 13 years since KH2. Kingdom Hearts III has wrapped up development and gone gold. It is out on 29th January 2019!
The latest game brings the forces of light and dark to a clash that promises to bring an end to the Xehanort saga. All while visiting Disney worlds, both old and new. From Toy Story and Pirates of the Caribbean to Frozen and Winnie the Pooh. Plus many more.
Speaking of Pooh Bear, KH3 is not officially sold in China because the President is insulted that Winnie is used as a euphemism for him. And China’s stringent censorship laws include banning anything seen as a mockery of the President.
Shahan’s Opinion: One of my most favourite series of all time. I hope we get to meet Leon and the rest of the Final Fantasy crew back at Radiant Garden. Let’s all hope the next saga this game leads to is less of a convoluted mess.
FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE NEXT UP AS PR PRIORITY
This month Square Enix held an event for the third anniversary of the Dissidia games, their fighting games series involving Final Fantasy heroes and villains. Tetsuya Nomura, director and character designer of Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts fame, was at the event. He spoke to Famitsu and took the chance to explain:
“I just wanted to say that the current PR priority is Kingdom Hearts III, as it was during the ARTNIA event the other day, but after that it’ll be Final Fantasy VII remake, so please don’t worry.”
A Quick Reminiscence:
Let’s look back to the unveiling of the PS3 at E3 on 16th May 2005. It showcased a Final Fantasy VII tech demo that displayed a craftsmanship of incredible heights at its time. And it ignited hopes of fans across the globe that Square would remake the entirety of the original game up to this high standard. But there were no plans for them to do so. Over the years, endless rumours would arise that a remake was being worked on.
A decade passes. After a lot of doubt, the remake was announced to an incredible reaction. This, alongside the reveal of Shenmue 3, made this one of the topmost E3s of all time.
Shahan’s Opinion: Between this series and Kingdom Hearts, I am always alternating between which of the two I would put in the top spot. Incredibly excited for this.
WRECK-IT RALPH BREAKS INTO FORTNITE
Ralph has found himself in a number of fictional arcade games inspired by real games. However, he’s recently been found in the immensely popular Fortnite. He was found on an outdoor big screen in-game on a livestream by MozzzyTwitch.
This is not the first time a character owned by Disney has shown up in Fortnite. For a special event, Thanos was available as a playable character for anyone good enough to grab the Infinity Gauntlet. So is this cameo of Ralph a sign for another special event? Only time will tell…
Shahan’s Opinion: I’ve never played Fortnite. The ‘Battle Royale’ genre does not appeal to me sadly. Super excited for Wreck-It Ralph 2 though! Those 3D models of all the princesses! Dayum!
GLOSSING OVER…
Ocarina of Time turns 20
Who feels old now?! I know I do… (Dale). One of the best and most popular, if not the best and most popular instalment of The Legend of Zelda games celebrated its 20th birthday last week, on 21st November.
Cyberpunk 2077 to be as Refined as Red Dead Redemption 2, says Developers
CDProjekt RED have announced their aim for high-quality games when it comes to the release of their current ongoing project, Cyberpunk 2077. Off the back of the three months it took to rid The Witcher 3 of all bugs, CEO Adam Kiciński has stated that quality will be “of paramount importance” with Cyberpunk.
63 Amiibo Figures to be Released in Limited-Edition Box Set
Nintendo fans will be eagerly awaiting the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in a couple of weeks’ time. The major fans will certainly enjoy the special Smash Bros. amiibo box set that was revealed this week, containing a whopping 63 figures. Some of which, we might add, have not been previously released. Better keep those savings aside…
Thank you for reading!
Please come back next week for more gaming news and views.
Warp Point Weekly 