Spyro

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.

 

K/DA Single Hits No. 1 on Chart

ISSUE 1 – 18 November 2018

by Shahan Ahmed and Dale Hurst

Top Story — RIOT GAMES’ K/DA SINGLE “POP/STARS” TOPS CHART

IT may seem a little strange to hear that a fictional K-Pop group, created by a video game company, could have a single out; let alone one hit Number One in a chart! But they have done it all the same. The guys behind League of Legends – Riot Games – created K/DA as a promotional device for the release of new skins and cosmetics for four playable heroes from the game.

The song, POP/STARS, which debuted with the group at the live opening ceremony of the League of Legends 2018 World Championship finals has since topped the Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart.  The performance even included the four aforementioned playable heroes showing up as augmented reality holograms.

K/DA is actually formed of professional singers, two of whom are part of the K-Pop group (G)-Idle.

Shahan’s Opinion: Awesome! I’m loving it for modelling and animation reasons of course! Nothing else… Honest…! *cough* Ahem…

This Week’s Popular Choice — SPYRO’S REIGNITED TRILOGY

AFTER a couple of months’ delay, everyone’s favourite purple dragon has finally arrived back on our screens with Spyro’s Reignited Trilogy. And the reviews have been, for the most part, very favourable.

Let’s face it — as Crash Bandicoot’s remaster proved last year, that nostalgia from childhood is never going to fail. In the UK, at least — given it’s currently at No. 1 on their chart, beating Red Dead Redemption 2.

One somewhat negative point worth mentioning, however: like Red Dead Redemption 2, the game’s physical copy comes on multiple discs. If you have a bad internet connection, it will take a while to install.

Shahan’s Opinion: It looks absolutely stunning and the characters look full of life! A must-play, especially if Spyro is a part of your childhood. Even if he wasn’t and you grew up with Crash/Jak/Ratchet/Sly Cooper/whoever, Spyro is one of those gaming series that has an important place in gaming history.

Dale’s Opinion: When Crash came back last year, I was already pretty tempted to get a PS4 purely for that reason. I resisted, saying that only if they did the same to Spyro, would I definitely buy one. I guess I know what I’m getting for Christmas now…

Negative Vibes — FALLOUT 76 FALLS THROUGH

THE online-only multiplayer outing for the Fallout series has failed to impress users, with over 500 negative reviews on Metacritic alone. It hasn’t been all doom and gloom from some of the more loyal fans of the series, who have stated the negativity has come from perfectionists and “balance maniacs”.

A Beta version had been released beforehand, alongside a letter from creators Bethesda to their fans to ask their help in finding the important issues to fix. Both of these were met with mixed reviews.

Shahan’s Opinion: When it comes to Fallout, the main draw for me is the stories that it tells in its apocalyptic setting. After the news broke that there were no NPCs in the game, my interest took a nosedive. But it seems like fun can be had with a group of friends if you can wade through the bugs and glitches.

New Character Spotlight — ASHE (Overwatch)

ADDING to the ever-growing cast of the Overwatch universe comes the white-haired outlaw, Ashe. Looking past the débâcle at Blizzcon this year with Diablo Immortal, Jeff Kaplan unveiled a new animated origin story trailer for Overwatch’s latest playable character.

Without giving too much away, Ashe is the leader of the Deadlock Gang, who has a history with McCree. The rest, you’ll have to watch and play to find out for yourselves…

Shahan’s Opinion: This wild-west inspired hero and animated short is perfectly timed after the release of the cowboy simulator known as Red Dead Redemption 2. I’ve tried playing as Ashe and she is a blast to play. As Bob was one of the main highlights of the animated short, it was also great to see him implemented in the game as Ashe’s ultimate ability. On the other hand, I’ll probably lose interest again afterwards until the next event/hero. I just want more lore.

Dale’s Opinion: I see a lot of Soul Calibur’s Ivy Valentine in Ashe. They’re both from wealthy families but otherwise somewhat secluded individuals. Not to mention, they’re both anti-heroines. Those sorts of characters are my not-so-guilty pleasures to play. She’ll get a good share of my attention should I get around to playing Overwatch.

Detective Pikachu is voiced by… RYAN REYNOLDS?!?

POKÉMON has been all over the gaming news, with the release of Let’s Go Pikachu and -Eevee just yesterday. But attention to that is shoved into second place compared to the first full trailer for Detective Pikachu. Featuring the voice of Ryan Reynolds, no less (though let’s just hope he doesn’t play this as Deadpool dressed in a Pikachu costume…) The nerd from the second Jurassic World movie, and a scarily cool-looking Charizard are also featured.

Shahan’s Opinion: I like the style of the 3D models. The humour is what didn’t hit the spot for me as much as I am a fan of Ryan Reynolds. But I’ve seen bad trailers for movies I ended up enjoying immensely. Also seeing grumpy Jigglypuff gave me Pokémon cartoon flashbacks of Jigglypuff getting mad and drawing on Ash Ketchum and friend’s faces after they fall asleep to her singing. If the trailer showed her revealing her pen, I would’ve been 100% sold. Maybe she will in the film.

Dale’s Opinion: Everyone from our generation should remember seeing Mewtwo Strikes Back in the cinemas way back when, but this is a Pokémon movie of an entirely different kind. The creatures in realistic, 3D textures – Pikachu is SO FLUFFY! I don’t care how old I am — I will see this film!

DELTARUNE – NOT A SEQUEL TO UNDERTALE?

Toby Fox, developer of the indie game Undertale that gained a cult following, has released the first chapter of a game that he says is not a sequel to his much-loved RPG (even though they are anagrams and involve the same in-game characters). Predicting the questions that will arise, he pre-emptively says that Undertale’s world and Deltarune’s world are different. Your ending in Undertale will be untouched. This isn’t a sequel or a spin-off.

“It’s just a game you can play after you complete UNDERTALE, if you want to.”

In fact, he explains that although Undertale was released first, Deltarune is the one he wanted to create originally. It took a few months to make the demo of Undertale but it took a few years to make the demo of Deltarune!

Shahan’s Opinion: Undertale is one of the most charming RPGs in recent times. If the characters have the same amount of life and personality in Deltarune as they did in Undertale, it’s going to be another gem by the ‘Annoying Dog’. Let’s just hope he’ll be able to assemble and lead a team well enough to bring this project to fruition.

 

GLOSSING OVER…

Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4 Next DLC Incoming

The trailer for ‘Turf Wars’, the second downloadable content of Marvel’s Spider-Man, has been released. The DLC itself comes out 20th November. It involves Hammerhead and the Maggia crime family.

We did think of doing a small tribute to Stan Lee here…

…but what obituary or tribute could really do him justice?

Sony will be a no-show for E3 2019!?!

The best-loved and looked-forward-to event in the gaming calendar – E3 – will be 25 years old next year. For the first time in the its history, Sony will not be attending. This adds on to their announcement in September that they are cancelling this year’s PSX (PlayStation Experience) in December because they feel they don’t have enough to show.

Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales Disappoints CDProjekt Red

CDProjekt Red has gained many fans with the success of The Witcher 3, who many claim it to be the greatest game of all time. Even more are excited for a futuristic in-development title ‘Cyberpunk 2077’. However it seems not as many fans were interested in this spin-off. Adam Kiciński, a joint-CEO of CDProjekt Red, has stated in a financial call a couple days ago that, “The game appealed to the community, which drove up our expectations regarding sales. Unfortunately, as yet, these expectations have not been fulfilled …”

…AND FINALLY… WELCOME!

This is the first in what will hopefully be many weekly instalments of gaming news and views. We would love to hear any suggestions for features, content and other such. Therefore, we invite you to comment.

Hope to see you again next week!