Square Enix

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!

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Launches

ISSUE 15 — 24 March 2019

by Shahan Ahmed and Dale Hurst

Top Story: SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE HAS LAUNCHED

 

 

 

FromSoftware, the infamous developer behind the challenging Souls series, has released their latest game. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has launched to universal acclaim. Critics are raving about it and Souls fans are delighted to see that it seems to be more difficult than any of the preceding games.

Sekiro’s setting is a fantastical reimagining of Japan’s Sengoku period, replete with samurai and shinobi, as well as incredible beasts like great serpents and giant apes. The protagonist was a nameless orphan found by the wanderer Owl, who adopted him and gave him the name Seju. He grew up to become a proficient shinobi and the personal bodyguard of the young lord Kuro, who he serves with utmost loyalty. However he fails in his duty. Genichiro Ashina slices off his left arm and Seju falls. Thus Kuro is kidnapped. Seju awakens in an abandoned temple. A former shinobi known as The Sculptor resides here, carving Buddha statues. He has provided Seju with a unique prosthetic arm and dubs him Sekiro (meaning Lone Wolf). Our protagonist then sets off to rescue his lord.

Shahan’s Opinion: If you’re looking for great atmosphere, FromSoftware always delivers. I started with Eternal Ring on the PS2 and have played every ‘Soulsborne’ game since. Check out Dunkey’s video on the game. If the end of the video doesn’t sell you on it, nothing will.

GOOGLE REVEALS THE STADIA

Streaming continues to be the future of not just the music, film and TV industries, but gaming too. Google is banking on this after revealing Google Stadia at the Game Developers Conference 2019. Stadia continues on from last year’s Project Stream that invited testers to try running Assassin’s Creed Odyssey in the Google Chrome browser.

Is Google the first to provide a game streaming service? Not at all. OnLive is considered to be the first, but it failed to meet its full potential and Sony ended up buying its patents. Speaking of Sony, they’ve had their own streaming service since 2014. PlayStation Now holds a library of over 600 games to stream or download.

Jeff Gerstmann, gaming journalist, has shared his views on the Stadia. It may be exciting, but he states that:

“There’s something scary about handing Google, or any one company, the keys. The minute you’re streaming, they can shut it off whenever they want and wherever they want for a variety of reasons. It checks so many boxes for a dark future…”

Also, BBC News has an interesting article that speculates on what the Stadia may bring in the future.

Shahan’s Opinion: I doubt my terrible Wi-Fi connection will be able to support the service! It will probably be a subscription service. And that controller? A Google Assistant button? Ugh. I’m very sceptical but it is Google… One of the Big Four…

VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE – BLOODLINES 2 ANNOUNCED

What came as a surprise to fans of the first game, Paradox Interactive announced Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. The release date will be during the first quarter of 2020. Some would say this is their Half Life 3 and they thought it would never see the light of day, much like the denizens in the games themselves. As the devs have confirmed it will always be night time just like in the first game.

For those of us who are unaware, let’s have a quick look at the setting of the first game. It takes place in 21st century Los Angeles in the World of Darkness where supernatural creatures like vampires and werewolves pave the path of human history. There is the Camarilla, the vampire government, and seven unique vampire clans each with their own unique traits or abilities. The protagonist is a freshly-turned vampire getting used to his/her new way of life while making allies and enemies along the way.

Shahan’s Opinion: Prior to this announcement I’ve not even heard of these games. Vampire action RPGs set in the modern day? I got to check the first one out ASAP!

FULL TRAILER OF FFXIV: SHADOWBRINGERS RELEASED

Square Enix has dropped the full trailer of Shadowbringers, the upcoming expansion of their popular MMO Final Fantasy XIV. It boasts impressive visuals for a cinematic that is befitting the series (Agni’s Philosophy from seven years ago, for example). It gives you a glimpse of what’s to come and there’s even a reference to Magus’ famous line from Chrono Trigger! Here’s a brief look at most of what Shadowbringers will include:

  • New gender locked races: Viera (♀) from FF Tactics Advance and FFXII and Hrothgar (♂) who are based on the Ronso from FFX.
  • New cities and areas.
  • New jobs: Gunbreakers and Dancers.
  • New 8-player raids and alliance raids.
  • New dungeons and trials.
  • New Game+
  • Level cap increased from 70 to 80.

There has been an outcry by the FFXIV community, primarily over two things. Namely, the two new races being gender-locked, and dancers not being a new healer class.

The devs cite the lore that explains Male Viera do exist; they don’t appear in public. To make up for it, they announced the male-only Hrothgar to a Japanese audience at the Tokyo Fanfest. Some would say they did this because a Western crowd would not be afraid to boo them off-stage (see: the Diablo Immortal débâcle).

Regarding dancers being ranged DPS, this means that another expansion arrives with no new healer class. The latest one was the Astrologians in the Heavensward expansion back in 2015. The next expansion after Shadowbringers is speculated to be in 2021, so it will be six years without a new healer class. On the other hand, some fans are relieved that dancers are not healers. Probably because they don’t want to be responsible for keeping their team alive.

Shahan’s Opinion: I love a good cinematic and this trailer is an absolute spectacle. I need that soundtrack as that trailer music is incredible, especially when it resembles FF3’s Legend of the Eternal Wind. Wait! There’ll be a class that wields gunblades??? I’m subscribing again.

HALO AMA REVEALS NEW DETAILS

 

 

Ske7ch, 343 Industries’ community director, conducted an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit’s Gaming subreddit for the Master Chief Collection, Halo Reach and the Halo Insider program. He was joined by lead producer Michael Fahrny and they answered redditor’s questions for approximately two hours.

A comprehensive summary of all the details that have been revealed over the AMA can be found here. Some highlights of the info include Halo Reach will still have its mix and match armour customization and their goal is to support uncapped FPS on all titles and 144Hz+ for all of the MCC games.

Gabe Newell, President of Valve, was emailed by a fan about the Master Chief Collection and the efforts it took to bring it to Steam. He replies:

“The credit for this goes to Phil Spencer and his team at MS. They made it happen, so, yes, it was simple for us.”

Shahan’s Opinion: It is always good to see positive communication between developers and gamers. Transparency is always welcome.

GLOSSING OVER…

Twitch Streamer Completes the Soulsborne Lot!

The_Happy_Hob, a Twitch streamer, has completed back-to-back playthroughs of all the Soulsborne games. WITHOUT taking a SINGLE hit from enemies! Not even hits that would heal damage!

Epic Store Unpopularity Increases

This comes with the news that The Outer Worlds, among other games, are to be released on Epic Store only. Steam do not get a look-in.

More Details on COD: MW4 Multiplayer

It was confirmed last week that the multiplayer mode of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will neither feature a Battle Royale mode, nor any specialist characters. This is apparently an attempt to bring the COD franchise back to its roots.

PLAYING THIS WEEK…

Dale has been playing…

ZOOCUBE (2002) (GAMECUBE)

Okay, I know this may seem a little bizarre but there’s an element of nostalgia to the story. Animal-based puzzler ZooCube was the first game I ever owned on Gamecube, alongside Luigi’s Mansion. I was sorting through my cupboards and came across it — to my amazement, it still works perfectly fine despite being nearly 17 years old! And is still a lot of addictive fun.

For those not familiar, it’s a basic match-two game featuring shapes based on different animals, which get attracted to the eponymous ZooCube. You have to match as many as possible to clear the levels and proceed – no airs and graces about it at all. I like it – there’s a charm about it that I can’t quite resist…

HEROES OF THE STORM NOW ON THE BACK BURNER?

ISSUE 5 — 16 December 2018

by Shahan Ahmed and Dale Hurst

Top Story — HEROES OF THE STORM IS LEAVING THE NEXUS?

Blizzard has announced that they are taking some of the developers behind their “love letter to Blizzard’s worlds and characters” Heroes of the Storm, and moving them to other teams who are making both live games and unannounced projects. They have said that the game will continue to be worked on and new content will come. Nevertheless, it is clear that Heroes of the Storm will no longer be high priority from this moment onwards.

In addition to this, Blizzard has cancelled the Heroes Global Championship and Heroes of the Dorm events in 2019. This stifles any hope of Heroes of the Storm ever being a viable e-sport. This announcement comes as a shock to anyone who made a living off of the game. Heroes of the Storm streamers are already moving on to other MOBAs, such as League of Legends or Dota 2. Many in the pro scene feel blindsighted and left in the dark, including players, coaches and captains.

Examples include Liam O’Malley, an aspiring HotS e-sport player who was about to join the Endemic team, dropped out of college for Heroes of the Storm. He spent three years to pursue his dream of playing in the Heroes Global Championship.

Then there’s Justing, who is captain of Simplicity’s HotS team, who said: “good thing i [sic] *was* a team owner and asked repeatedly for information, even signed on for an apartment and I was given *zero* information regarding my job in 2019 LOL what a joke”.

Finally, Darrie, general manager of the professional gaming organisation known as Method, made a statement. It included the disbanding of Method HotS and termination agreements being sent to team members.

Shahan’s Opinion: I tend to lose interest in Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas, but I remember spending a fair amount of time with Heroes of the Storm. Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades, was my go-to character.

Negative Vibes — SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE ONLINE TURNS E-SPORT PLAYERS OFF…

It has been regarded as one of the top crossover games in history so far, and a fast-selling (forgive the pun) smash-hit with Nintendo Switch players. It broke records in Japan and the UK.

However, like with so many great games, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate‘s online multiplayer mode has left a fair bit to be desired. A lot of users have called their subscriptions to the Nintendo Switch Online service a waste of money for a number of reasons. Lag, for one thing. In the early days of online multiplayer gameplay, lag was to be expected. But years have passed since then, so you would expect developers to have ironed out such issues – especially for such a popular fighting franchise as Smash Bros.!

Another thing aggravating gamers is the online mode’s seeming inability to honour the rules preferences for multiplayer matches. That is to say, you could want a 1 vs. 1 match with no items, and end up with four fighters and Pokéballs flying all over the shop.

All these issues have now reportedly put off e-sport players. That’s a huge blow for Nintendo, who have been quick to implement as many tweaks and fixes to their online modes to win back this large chunk of their customer base.

Dale’s Opinion: I am not big on the online gameplay, personally, so this doesn’t bother me too much. Having just bought the game with the console, I am just glad to hear the game has received rave reviews for its offline modes. I’ll just stick to those I guess.

New Character Spotlight — 2B (Soul Calibur VI)

The main heroine of the popular NieR: Automata is coming to Soul Calibur VI on Tuesday. We’re posting this ahead of time before we take a break for Christmas.

2B is a man-made battle android tasked with fighting a machine army sent by invaders from another world. Her game is set in the year 11945 AD on a post-apocalyptic Earth. Androids lack emotions and true names but they have particular attitudes to set them apart; 2B’s attitudes being calm and composed.

NieR: Automata has passed 3 million sales worldwide and is getting a ‘Game of the YoRHa Edition’ next year on February 21st. It will include the base game and all DLC.

Shahan’s Opinion: I might just have to ditch Taki and check her out! Hmm… Do you think she compares well to Ivy? I’m sure Dale doesn’t think so!

Dale’s Opinion: Yeahhhh, I’m a bit too loyal to Ivy to trade her in for a newer model. I’ll still give 2B a go, mind you…

KINGDOM HEARTS III TRAILER ARRIVES!

Square Enix has shown a new trailer for Kingdom Hearts III this week. The trailer is a sneak peek as to how Sora’s adventure will begin. It features the trio of trios (Hmm… The three trinities? Triple Triads! Ha! Sorry; Final Fantasy joke…) of friends and the villains they’ve faced in past games as well as Mickey, Donald and Goofy. It also includes a young Xehanort with the glorious-looking chess set from previous trailers that symbolises his plans being in action. Square better make a real-life chess set like that!

The trailer is accompanied by the song ‘Face My Fears’, another song by Utada Hikaru but this time featuring Skrillex! Who knew he was a big fan of the KH series? He approached Square Enix to do a remix of ‘Don’t Think Twice’, the main theme of the latest game. Instead, this ‘banger’ or ‘bop’ came to fruition.

Shahan’s Opinion: This collab between Hikaru Utada and Skrillex has divided fans but the song is right up my alley! Loving it. If I had to group the songs, Don’t Think Twice leans more towards the melodic Sanctuary while Face My Fears is more on Simple and Clean’s energetic side. But as always, Utada manages to give each song a unique feel to it.

KINGDOM HEARTS III FULL GAME LEAKED!?!

Staying with the same topic, it turns out the full Kingdom Hearts III game has been leaked over a month early! Fans are warning each other to beware and steer clear of any spoilers.

Mods on the r/Kingdom Hearts sub-Reddit are ready to ban anyone who posts any leaks. There are rumours going around on Twitter as to the origins of this leak. It all points to copies being stolen during the shipping of the game. The director of Kingdom Hearts III has responded to the situation, as below:

KH3 Leak Response

Shahan’s Opinion: To be fair, even if you DO see any spoilers, good luck trying to understand how it all fits in with the rest of the crazy plot!

OFFICIAL UNION FOR UK GAME DEVELOPERS

GWUU logo

Unionising efforts in the United Kingdom have led to the formation of an official legal trade union called the Game Workers Unite UK. It is the first union of the video game industry in the country. Its goals include fighting racism and sexism, ending unpaid overtime and securing a liveable wage for all.

This is welcome news after hearing about the woeful conditions that come with the industry’s infamous crunch times. If you haven’t heard, various famous game companies have a culture where overtime is standard and just part of the job. Not long ago, stories broke out over Rockstar being guilty of this after one of the co-founders proudly claimed he did 100-hour weeks working on Red Dead Redemption 2.

Shahan’s Opinion: After hearing the many horror stories of gaming industry’s crunch times, it is good news that workers are getting the support they need for their rights.

GLOSSING OVER…

The Game Awards’ Viewership Doubles

It was announced this week that 2018’s TGAs reached a record viewership of 26 million people. That’s over twice the figure from last year’s ceremony.

Real Money for Virtual Gold Bars

Microtransactions are now available on Red Dead Online, allowing you to purchase gold bars for real money as opposed to earning them in-game.

Stardew Valley Multiplayer Update Now Available

The update for the Multiplayer mode of the Nintendo Switch’s Stardew Valley was released on Wednesday 12th. You can click here for the full details of the update.

THANK YOU FOR READING!

Once again, we hope you have enjoyed the content. As mentioned earlier, we will be taking a couple of weeks off now for Christmas and New Year. In which case, we can wish you season’s greetings and all the best for 2019! See you then!

The Apocalypse Cometh… for the Third Time!

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…

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