Titanfall

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!

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.