Review: Record of Lodoss War-Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth-
I can't claim to be intimately familiar with Record of Lodoss War, but then, it's a little scarce in the West. It started out as a "replay" of a group's Dungeons and Dragons campaign, then spun out in about a million directions. We previously only got one of the games on the Dreamcast, and, frankly, I'm not sure how this one happened. A lot of the media remained in Japan.
Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is an absolute mouthful of a game that Playism has bestowed upon us. What's immediately fetching about it is its outward similarities to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Just look at it and tell me you don't see it. The title character, Deedlit, has practically the same walking animation as Alucard. But mockery is the sincerest form of flattery! No, wait…
FIFA 21 surpasses Outriders to return to the top of the UK Charts
Well, for a while it was actually a bit different. The past month has seen Monster Hunter Rise, Spider-Man Miles Morales, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, and even Supergiant's excellent Hades all hit the number one spot. But normal order has been restored, and Electronic Arts' FIFA has returned to the top of the UK Charts.
The soccer sim managed to successfully push past Square Enix's Outriders to regain the physical sales throne, with the brand new RPG shooter debuting outside of the Top Five at number six. It should be noted that Outriders is also available as part of Xbox's paid gaming service, Xbox Game Pass, which will have cut into the title's physical launch numbers.
Elsewhere in the Top Ten, it's still The Nintendo Show, with appearances from Animal Crossing: New Horizons - sitting at #2 a full year after release - as well as Switch mainstays Ring Fit Adventure, Minecraft, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Super Mario 3D All-Stars enjoyed a final week sales spike, before being removed from shelves for seemingly no reason other than... to encourage a final week sales spike.
Here are some very quick beginner's tips for Outriders
Outriders, like many modern looter shooters, can seem daunting at first. It's really not!
Here are a few quick tips to help you on your way.
Apex Legends Season 9 set to see a 'ton of Titanfall content'
It sounds like Apex Legends will be doing some more digging into the broader Titanfall universe. Respawn Entertainment's battle royale is in the same setting as the Titanfall series, though not the same point in time; and with Season 9, it sounds like Apex will be leaning more into that side of things.
As reported by Dexerto, a recent panel hosted by Brown Girl Gamer Code brought on several Apex developers. During the discussion, game director Chad Grenier said there was more in store for Titanfall content crossing over into Apex Legends.
"Next season, Season 9, you're actually going to see a ton of Titanfall coming back into the game in one way or another," said Grenier. "I've told some people before, if you're a Titanfall fan, hang on for Season 9 because there's gonna be some really cool stuff there."
Senior writer Ashley Reed also discussed how Apex Legends' place in the timeline informs the relationship between the battle royale and the universe at large.
"What's going on in Titanfall is a war, so it's very much a war story" said Reed. "Apex is what happens after the war, like what is life like in this place, so we're trying to integrate Titanfall into that, because Titanfall's very much [...] a part of the universe, but it's a piece of something very much bigger."
The two already share a lot of weaponry and broader lore, though what more Titanfall content means could stretch across a lot. Titans dropping from the skies or not, it'll be nice to see more references to the games that kicked all of this off.
There's a good chunk of games (especially from big publishers) I kind of avoid until they're basically out. "No, I don't want to watch this NPC backstory video. Call me when it's out!"
Our own Jordan Devore can't count the number of times I've asked "is [x] out yet?" whenever he's tasked with covering a specific beat. It's weird to think about now, but Fortnite was a big one. When it was just the "Save the World" edition I never really bothered to pay attention to its development process until it was finally out.
Outriders is another big one. It's one of those huge releases that is whispered in the wind, and I'll see it when I see it. Well, I saw it! And it's better than some of the other ill-fated looter shooters in recent memory, but it still has plenty of issues.
Destiny 2 is getting some quality of life upgrades for vendors
As soon as both Destiny games launched, players managed to spy hundreds of potential quality of life upgrades in a matter of days.
While internal testing can't match a wide rollout, Bungie has implemented some very questionable mechanics in their live service games; and either remain steadfast in their choices or (very) slowly adjust them. Vendors are getting just that as season 14 kicks off.
Detailing the alterations on their blog, Bungie notes that Destiny 2's Ada-1 will be headlining the transmog (change gear appearance) system, which is dubbed "Armor Synthesis." Basically, Ada-1 will dish out a random combat style armor mod each day on top of a random armor mod. This system is to alleviate the FOMO from folks who missed out on Year 3 gear. Ada-1 also has a weekly table of armor and sells materials just like Banshee-44.
Speaking of, that little gun peddler won't sell armor mods anymore, as that duty now falls on Ada-1. But now Banshee-44 is getting an upgrade by selling six weapons from the world loot pool with perk rolls. Basically, it's another reason to actually check him out.
Adding more flavorful NPC vending options is a win for me. Often times going to the Tower feels like a chore, with rote vendors that don't really pop, so hopefully Ada-1's duties will make these necessary trips a little more fun. Cut down load times on current generation consoles already help a lot. I can remember lengthy multi-minute loads for Tower visits in the original Destiny!
This Week at Bungie [Bungie.net]
Grit is a brand new battle royale with a wicky-wicky-wild-wild-west theme
As the popular battle royale genre continues to search for new locations, realms, and even eras with which to wreak its multiplayer mayhem, fledgling studio Team GRIT has announced its intention to take the Last Person Standing concept back to the wild west, with the announcement of a brand new hard-shooting free-for-all: Grit.
Currently in development for PC, Grit will see 100 varmints take to the dust bowls, saloons, gold mines, and deserts of the Old West, engaging in tense, gun-slinging mayhem in hopes of becoming the last desperado in town come sundown. Looting trains and treasure will help kit out your cowboy with one of 20 different weapons, while scavenged poker cards will add various buffs and effects to your custom character's playstyle.
Monster Hunter Rise is selling extremely well pretty much everywhere, and now it hit another milestone: five million shipped globally. As a reminder, this is just on Switch, as it's exclusive to Nintendo's platform at the moment.
Capcom has confirmed the new number as of this morning, noting that this is part of the 66 million in sales that the series has reached overall. Accounting for Monster Hunter: World's 16.8 million units, these two games alone have basically made up a third of the entire franchise sales figures.
But circling back to the big picture a bit, with five million shipped, Monster Hunter Rise is already part of the respectable "top 10 platinum title" club, a list joined by Monster Hunter: World, RE7, RE2 (remake), RE5, RE6, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, SFII, SFV, and RE2. The addition of Rise has knocked Monster Hunter Freedom 3 out of the top 10.
Also, on the same landing page, Capcom reconfirms that the game is set to debut on PC in "early 2022." So if you think about it, it only has up to go from here. Rise is about to take on Street Fighter V for the eighth overall spot, and will likely beat out Street Fighter II in a matter of time.
At this point, the Switch is either about to crack or is in the process of cracking 80 million units sold, creating a rather stunning install base for pretty much any prospective studio. Once Nintendo releases their latest figures, it'll easily smash the 82 million high end estimates of the PSP, putting it into the top 10 all-time hardware list. So Rise has an even brighter future ahead.
Monster Hunter Rise Surpasses 5 Million Units Globally [Capcom]
Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest to return in June
The jovial Geoff Keighley is the latest event organizer to announce their plans for summer in lieu of the typical E3/gamescom live-show gatherings. Keighley has announced that Summer Games Fest will return this June, bringing with it news, reveals, interviews, and Q&A sessions - as well as another "Day of the Devs" showcase for upcoming studios.
Described as a "free, industry-wide celebration of video games", Summer Game Fest 2021 will give viewers the opportunity to check out a wide variety of incoming releases and exciting trailers from the comfort and safety of their own homes. This year's show promises world exclusive reveals, as well as musical performances. Keighley will, of course, be on-hand to host live streams and chat with featured developers and other industry pals.
The "Day of the Devs: Summer Game Fest Edition" is a sub-event produced in association with Double Fine Productions and iam8bit. This feature will spotlight developers and games on a more focused basis and will feature a specially curated selection of upcoming games and studios chosen by Keighley and the Day of the Devs team. If you are a developer and would like your game to be considered for the show, then you can submit your application right here. Submissions close on April 9, so get a wriggle on.
Summer Games Fest 2021 will take place this June. Specific dates will be disclosed soon.
E3 2021 will not hide any content behind a paywall, insists ESA
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has addressed reports that it will be hiding content from its upcoming E3 2021 experience behind a "Premium Package" paywall, which was rumored to be offering demos and other content for an "entrance" fee of sorts.
News outlet VGC originally reported that it had spoken with sources within the industry who had indeed been offered a "paid access" E3 experience. But following the publishing of said report, The ESA contacted VGC - and also took to social media - to declare that "that there will be no elements at E3 2021 that will be behind a paid-for pass or paywall." and that everyone will be able to tune into the online event free-of-charge.
2021 is a vital year from the long-running industry show. E3 has been held annually in Los Angeles since 1995, and for decades has been considered the premier industry show. But the modern proliferation of the internet, the rise of social media, and the simplicity of live streaming has led many major publishers to hold their own showcases online, away from the hustle and bustle of the event.
This reached a peak in 2020, where the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of E3 for the first time in decades, forcing many in the industry to go it alone with their summer marketing, inevitably finding it an easier and cheaper option than rolling out to the L.A. Convention Center every June. With the pandemic unfortunately still in effect today, and the live E3 iteration cancelled for a second year running, The ESA faces an uphill battle in keeping the annual event both relevant and necessary in the modern climate.
E3 will likely never be able to return to the heralded position it previously maintained for over 20 years. Last year demonstrated to publishers large and small that it is possible to go it alone and still have the eyes and ears of the world on your products. And while E3 will continue to exist - and is likely to return as a reinvented live experience - the industry has already begun to adapt to a market without that "one golden week" of summer advertising, for better and worse.
E3 2021 is scheduled to take place between June 15-17.
There's a Metroid Prime demake in the works, and it has a demo
Metroid Prime is a classic. I don't think that's up for debate. It just is.
Nintendo thinks so! Which is why they released it again years later in trilogy form on the Wii after its GameCube debut in 2002. But ever since that 2009 Wii edition, the series has remained dormant. I mean, there's allegedly another one in the works! But that could be years away at this point. Enter the fandom.
There's still a huge collective rallying around the Metroid franchise at large, as well as the Prime series. One of those groups managed to craft a demake of Metroid Prime, which is now available in demo form. Said demo entails the Tallon Overworld, Artifact Temple, and the Chozo Ruins, but the team "needs to spend more time" working on it to expand upon that setup.
The demo itself is the result of five years of work from "Team SCU." Presumably to avoid legal issues, the team is calling this project "Prime 2D," though I'm not sure that will be sufficient if Nintendo really wants to nail this.
Since I'm inevitably going to get the "thanks Destructoid, you personally emailed Nintendo to get this shut down!" messages, I'll note here that the project creators put up a public post for the demo, and "Let's Plays" are already on YouTube (like the one below), one of the world's largest video platforms, for public viewing. The "secret" is out!
Metroid Prime 2D Demake [Metroid Database via Nintendo Life]
The rebellion returns: Oddworld Soulstorm hopes to reinvent a classic
Tomorrow sees the return of one of gaming's weirdest and quirkiest franchises. It's been a long time coming, but Oddworld: Soulstorm will see brave Mudokan Abe stand against impossible odds to save his people from slave labor at the greasy hands of the Glukkons.
Developer Oddworld Inhabitants has released a quadrilogy of videos, focusing on various elements of Oddworld: Soulstorm. From the stealth gameplay and "follower management" of previous titles, to new looting and crafting mechanics. The four videos offer fans a taste of the epic adventure to come. Described as a "re-take" of 1998's Abe's Exoddus, Soulstorm is a fresh sequel to the franchise's original release, Abe's Oddysee, and will follow Abe and his friends as they continue their quest for liberation.
This madman made the world's largest working Switch
YouTuber Michael Pick managed to craft a gigantic Nintendo Switch that actually works. So how did Pick do it? Well, there's a very breezy and informative roughly four-minute video to catch, but here's a quick overview.
In short, it's a Switch hooked up to an embedded 4K screen. Basically, the giant thing has working buttons, but for ease, you're going to want to hook up something like a Pro Controller to it. At 2:38 in the video Pick opens up the "Joy-Con" to show the internal wiring. Real Joy-Con are mounted inside each faux giant Joy-Con, with servos that control the overarching "giant Switch."
The entire rig is 65 pounds, has a 4K display, and clocks in at 30 inches high and 70 inches wide. The story doesn't just end there either! Pick donated the giant Switch to Saint Jude's Children's Hospital.
This reminds me of when my old gaming crew would hook a game up to a projector and play it on the side of a building, or in a movie theater. As someone brought up in the comments of the YouTube video, one really cool way to use this giant Switch would be for a co-op game that tasks players with using the same controller: having two people negotiate the giant Joy-Con would be a fun team-building exercise.
From April 2-6, Warner Bros. is running a special event in their free-to-play mobile RPG Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem featuring a chubby variant of Bugs Bunny, now officially called "Big Chungus." This version of Bugs first appeared in a 1941 animated short called Wabbit Twouble, though he was not any sort of chungus in a formal capacity until now. Sweet children and sad adults hooked on the title might assume that this new fat rabbit is just another wacky original concept. But anyone who farted around gaming Twitter for the past few years is likely aware that Big Chungus started with a meme in 2018.
Or did he?
They say that explaining a joke is the best way to kill it. That goes triple for "random internet humor" that thrives off the appearance of coming out of nowhere and meaning nothing.
Friends, nothing is random. Everything has meaning, and everything comes from somewhere. Even Chungus. Especially Chungus.
No one knows exactly who was the first person to say the word "chungus." It could have been a caveman. It could have been your dad. It could have been the famous Meatloaf, mispronouncing his own stage name in Vietnamese in a weak, sweaty attempt to sound cultured. When it comes to social media though, this off-hand tweet from 2010 is often cited as the oldest chungus utterance.
Review: Evil Genius 2: World Domination
The evil genius archetype is one that fascinates me. It's not that outlandish that an eccentric megalomaniac could gather a group of underlings and launch a campaign against the world, but I can't convince a courier to leave a package at my doorstep, let alone a legion of faceless goons to lay down their lives for me. I also don't know what I'd do with the world if I ruled it. Enact permanent daylight savings and mandatory nap times?
Forget that, though; what would I make my minions wear? What humiliating nickname would I give my most loyal henchman? How would I mock secret agents? I'd probably invite them to tea and just repeat everything they say.
Back in 2004, Evil Genius provided me the chance to live my dream. Kind of. I really enjoyed the game, but it definitely had its problems. Nonetheless, Rebellion has seized the reins and has breathed new life into the property with Evil Genius 2: World Domination. Their approach to a sequel seems to be a complete do-over. The result is another game that may not be for everyone but certainly tightened the screws on the old doomsday device.
Hades turned me into a hack-and-slash machine
Hades was love at first sight for me. It has the bright and stylized art that I love, roguelikes are one of my favorite gameplay genres, and I was one of those Greek mythology kids who was obsessed with the Percy Jackson series growing up. Check, check, and check. My immediate enthusiasm for the game may have been predictable, but the fact that I'm still playing it over 250 hours and 200 runs later? Not so much.
Developer Supergiant Games released three games prior to Hades, and each one was an indie darling. The studio has racked up dozens, if not hundreds, of awards since their debut in 2011, and they've also been lauded for promoting a healthy work-life balance for their employees, something that's not very common in the games industry.
Back in January, I wrote up an impressions piece for my hands-on with the Balan Wonderworld demo, saying it was saving its best bits for the final game. That statement wasn't really supported by any concrete evidence, it was more wishful thinking based on my memories of the wonderfully imaginative reveal trailer from last summer.
Now that I've played through the full game, I'm happy to say that I was right. Balan Wonderworld did indeed save its best levels, costumes, and ideas for the final game. However, if you hated that demo — and I know a lot of people did — nothing here is going to change your opinion of it. In fact, there's a good chance you'll actually end up hating it a whole lot more.
Larian founder Swen Vincke on dice, druids, and Baldur's Gate 3
Putting a game out early to the public can be tricky, but Early Access is not new to Larian Studios anymore. The RPG studio utilized a staggered launch with Divinity: Original Sin and its sequel to their success, and now with Baldur's Gate 3, it's looking for a third win.
That doesn't mean there haven't been growing pains, though. Baldur's Gate 3 is a different kind of game from Original Sin 2; it has a different combat system, a more cinematic approach, and is firmly rooted in the old tomes of Dungeons & Dragons.
Following the recent addition of the Druid class and another Panel From Hell, we reached out to Larian to see just how its Early Access has been progressing. On a call with studio founder Swen Vincke, the studio head says they've been receiving a lot of feedback from the community, through both analytics and vocal feedback on forums like Reddit, and there have been a few course corrections.
"I know that the community wants us to go faster than we can," Vincke tells me over a video chat. "It does take time to implement things, especially for a game that's as vast as Baldur's Gate 3—also a game that we're still developing—so we have to balance the two things to each other."
Yet overall Vincke is happy with the reception thus far. Reviews have been positive, and problems that are being flagged by players are things already being charted on the roadmap. So what does the road ahead look like, then?
We played the new Nier Replicant, and it's still hauntingly gorgeous
Nier: Automata kind of blew the doors wide open on the Nier series. Sure, back in the day I loved this little Drakengard spinoff that could. But it wasn't until Platinum Games and Yoko Taro came together that Nier really came into its own in terms of a mainstream mainstay.
Now is the perfect time to capitalize on that goodwill. Enter Nier Replicant, a PC, PS4, and Xbox One re-release of the original Nier vision, due out in April. I'm glad it was greenlit.
Loop Hero's best trait is its lore
Walking down the street to check the mail at my hometown's post office is an eerily different journey today than it was a year ago. I still pass the local pizza joint on the town square—a literal cornerstone of a small town community—but time has changed more than just ourselves. Despite the marks near the building's roof acting as a reminder of its survival from the fire years before, the restaurant is still there, but not really. It's hollowed out. Empty. It's closed, for good, thrown to the void of to-be-forgotten establishments from before the pandemic.
As I walk by, memories of being a kid in that restaurant come flooding back: playing Dig Dug and Streets of Rage and some random bowling game with a physical ball to spin that controlled the virtual ball on-screen. Head down, wandering forward and lost in thought, I watched the sidewalk pass me by—square by square—and found myself thinking about Loop Hero.
On its face, Loop Hero is a curious amalgamation. Tower defense mechanics fuse naturally into a roguelite framework with a deck-building aspect, and if that sounds like a lot of bullshit, it's because it is. At some point, diluting a game down to the cogs that construct it removes its identity as much as it informs it. Loop Hero is so much more than the sum of its parts, and its story ties together a patchwork only possible in the video game medium.
Plunging the depths of Loop Hero's lore wasn't only worth my time—it gave me my sense of time back.
Return to Castlevania's roots with Arcade Archives' Haunted Castle
This week's release from the good folks over at Hamster returns to the formative years of one of gaming's most-loved franchises, as Konami's whip-crackin' adventure Haunted Castle joins the Nintendo Switch Arcade Archives range.
Released in arcades back in 1988, Haunted Castle was the first Castlevania title developed specifically for the coin-op market, following the home console success of 1986's Castlevania and Vampire Killer, and 1987's Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. A hodge-podge of lore and features from the monster-hunting series, Haunted Castle sees Simon Belmont battle through six stages in order to rescue his wife Serena from the evil Count Dracula. Oh, we also get to see our boy Simon getting married in a slick white tuxedo... during the middle ages.
Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber NintendoComplete.
A decade of Nintendo 3DS: What are some of your favorite games?
Cblogs of 3/27 to 4/2/2021
-NinjaSpeed celebrates the 10th anniversary of the excellent Nintendo 3DS.
-Startyde sheds a light on some PS3 and Vita storefront recommendations.
-Pacario shares his thoughts on the downsized arcade version of Bubble Bobble.
-BRAV0 F1VE discusses the seasonal association in the video game industry.
-Aurachad reviews Star Wars: Squadron.
-Kerrik52 reviews Tales of Xilia 2 as part of his Traveler in Playtime review blogging series.
-Humantofu shares his thoughts on the "adorable" Nintendo DS Goldeneye version.
-Nior highlights a number of shoot 'em ups you can buy and play for cheap.
-Elia Pales reviews Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony in this video review.
-Elia Pales tries to understand why Nintendo made Super Mario 3D All-Stars a limited release.
-Black Red Gaming shares a list of his most anticipated game releases in April.
-Elly Meridian praises the release of the indie game Elly and the Ruby Atlas.
-Acefondu discusses the toxic nature of online communication.
-ABowlOfCereal shares a summary of all his Super Smash Bros. posts (nearly 200 blogs!).
-Gamingnerd gives all of you some words of encouragement in a day of fooling people.
-PhilsPhindings summarizes all of his musical posts of the past couple of years (100 blogs!).
-Shoggoth2588 shares his gaming journal of March 2021.
-ChronoLynxx opens last week's TGIF open community thread.
Climbing stairs is your greatest obstacle in Ghostbusters for the NES
It's impossible to understate the impact Ghostbusters has had on my life. I was fanatical about it when I was a child, and then I rediscovered it in my adolescent years and became fanatical all over again. I still carry a massive torch for it, dressing up in the costume I built in my teenage years, rewatching the cartoons and movies frequently, and pretending that no movies have been released since Ghostbusters 2, and none will ever be released again. Nope.
It's just unfortunate that video games have treated the franchise so badly. I'm still waiting on my Ghostbusters business tycoon game. I own both the best and worst games released under the franchise, but I don't think any have hurt me as badly as the NES release. It was first released on 8-bit home computers in 1984, the Atari 2600 in 1985, the Famicom in 1986, and finally the Sega Master System in 1987. Since that wasn't bad enough, North America would get their NES version in 1988. Thanks, Activision.
It's okay to fail in Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium opens with you on the floor. Your character, whoever they are or whatever might be left of them, is face-down in a nondescript hotel room. You are surfacing, breaching the plane between the void and the living only to find yourself harboring the grand-daddy of all hangovers.
This is the introduction to the character you'll inhabit through Disco Elysium. They are many things, and can become even more: calculating, feeling, thinking, judging, determined or remorseful. But in this moment, you are at a low, possibly the lowest of low.
Moments later, you can die trying to get your tie off the ceiling fan. The headline reads "Cop Suffers Final Heart Attack," and boy, does the word "Final" do a lot of work.
Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid?
It's the weekend once again, and I'd be lying if I said the days and weeks hadn't long blurred together to make one long day. Time seems simultaneously too fast and too slow, and I'm definitely struggling with the separation of day-to-day activities and events. Still, I have friends, I have games, I have movies, and I have you. Until we can get matters back to a state of normalcy, that will be enough for many of us. I hope this weekend finds you and yours well, and I hope you're keeping your mind exercised and occupied as we push through this particularly tricky period.
A big part of my week has revolved around just grabbing short bursts of gaming wherever I'm able, which hasn't been too often, to be frank. I've mostly resorted to hitting Capcom Arcade Stadium for small, cathartic breaks playing familiar favorites. While many of the games featured on that compendium are titles I've played to death, I'm still finding some new loves, such as Cave's excellent 2001 shmup Progear, which has a gorgeous aesthetic and challenging, satisfying gameplay. That's the great thing about video games, there's always new gems to discover, whatever your generation.
But this morning it's your time to talk gems. I appreciate you taking time out of your weekend to visit Destructoid, and I'm looking forward to reading about all the titles old and new that are occupying your free time, whether you have hours or even just minutes to play with. Jump into the comments below and let us know what you've been hitting this week. Hope it was a rad one.
Have a safe and pleasant weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.
Sexy Demon's Souls vinyl soundtrack now available to pre-order at select stores
One of the elements that makes FromSoftware's Demon's Souls so utterly engaging is its epic score, composed by the brilliant Shinsuke Kida. If you're both a Demon's Souls fan and one of those "It has a much 'fuller' sound" types, then you'll definitely be pleased to hear that the grim adventure's OST is now available to pre-order in sleek, double-LP vinyl format.
Doom Eternal is half price on Switch and the eShop also has Bethesda, WB, and Activision sales
Doom Eternal is half price ($29.99) on the Nintendo Switch eShop, and that's a solid deal.
Panic Button's well-liked Switch port of Doom Eternal only released digitally, and it's still relatively recent compared to the older PC and other console versions that came out first, so for anyone considering waiting on a "good deal," this is likely your best opportunity for a good long while.
For a tech analysis, I'd turn to Digital Foundry. The Switch edition looks blurry even when you aren't stacking it up side-by-side, but it plays well, and it's a "near locked 30 frames per second experience" in docked play. As for those pesky Marauders, I can't help you there – you're gonna have to practice.
While I'd say Doom Eternal is the focal point here, a few other notable eShop sales are running right now that you can peruse all at once over on Nintendo's sales and deals page. For once, it's not too cramped.
Bethesda has the wider Doom and Wolfenstein series on sale. Everything is half price, which works out pretty well for the classic Doom titles, but not so much for Skyrim, which is still charging $29.99.
The Warner Bros. Games sale is mostly a chance to save on Mortal Kombat 11 ($14.99) and assorted LEGO games, from Jurassic World ($9.99) to Marvel Super Heroes 2 ($7.49) to The Incredibles ($14.99).
Activision Blizzard has titles like Diablo III: Eternal Collection ($29.99), Overwatch ($19.99), Spyro Reignited Trilogy ($19.99), and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled ($19.99), but those prices aren't as tempting. I'm mostly just mentioning this sale since we're already here and I appreciate those remakes.
These deals will stick around until April 11 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific (Activision Blizzard), April 14 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific (Warner Bros. Games), and April 15 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific (Bethesda). Plenty of time.
Outriders is going through some some launch server woes
Outriders went live yesterday, and it seems like a lot of people are hopping on, because the servers are having some trouble keeping up. Players are reporting disconnections and troubles staying logged into servers.
Over on the Outriders subreddit and on social media, users have been posting pictures of the start screen. Developer People Can Fly has been openly addressing it though, posting updates on the Outriders Twitter page.
In a statement, studio head Sebastian Wojciechowski says that Square Enix is working to fix the server issues as soon as possible.
"As developers, who've been working super hard for the last five years to make this game awesome, we really hope that you will judge the game rather than those teething troubles related to server issues," said Wojciechowski. "It is frustrating for you and it is frustrating for us."
Launch server outages are hardly a new story in video games, with lots of online-enabled multiplayer games struggling to deal with sudden surges of popularity. Outriders also seems to be garnering a lot of players, given the Steam numbers it's been putting up despite the outages.
The team says it's going to do the "mother of all turn-it-off-and-on-agains," which will take all servers offline for a short duration. Hopefully kicking the plug out completely will give Square Enix a good chance to rebuild and be ready for the player influx.
[Update: Looks like servers are back online. Time to get back to shootin', lootin', and wranglin' the wilds of Enoch.]
Well, shoot – another delay. And not necessarily a game I expected to be pushed back again.
TT Games planned to wrap up LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga by spring 2021, but as of today, the self-proclaimed "biggest and best-ever LEGO game" won't make that release window.
The developers noted on Twitter that they simply "need more time" – but stopped short of sharing a revised target. We'll hear more about the "updated launch timing as soon as possible."
Thanks to all our fans for your continued patience. pic.twitter.com/tCDV9Ikftd
— TT Games (@TTGames) April 2, 2021
From everything TT Games has been saying about The Skywalker Saga (including the fact that there are several hundred playable minifigs and that means they're going to have to get a bit weird with character picks), it feels like a real culmination. I hope with more time, it's everything we've been wanting.
If you haven't been following the game much (or you just forgot... I kind of did!), you'll be able to pick up the story and play at any point in the nine-movie timeline. I'm sure I'll do the whole obsessed completionist thing either way – this is a LEGO game, after all – but I appreciate having that choice.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga may not be at the top of our most-wanted list for 2021, but you know what? Time away from LEGO games, the Star Wars franchise at large, and even just online discourse has done wonders for my interest in it. TT Games hasn't had much to show of The Skywalker Saga lately – maybe I should've seen this delay coming? – but just flipping through the screens right now, yeah, sure, I wanna trip some AT-ATs on Hoth for the easily hundredth-or-more time. Let's go.
I'm half-tempted to bust out Rogue Squadron II tonight. It's in writing now so I can't back out.
Fantasian, World of Demons, and a bunch of other games hit Apple Arcade today
Fantasian, the new dioramic RPG from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, launched on Apple Arcade. But as it turns out, that wasn't the only game coming to the service.
Apple announced today that over 30 games are coming to the subscription gaming service, spread across new games and old classics. Alongside the new originals, Apple launched two new categories: Timeless Classics and App Store Greats.
The Classics section has some longtime standards: a chess and backgammon app, for example, as well as the pretty solid Good Sudoku by Zach Gage. App Store Greats, meanwhile, holds a number of mobile classics ad-free and fully unlocked, including Fruit Ninja Classic, Mini Metro, and Threes!, which is responsible for a lot of lost hours for me, personally.
A big surprise is PlatinumGames' World of Demons, the action mobile game first shown back in 2018 that later quietly disappeared has snuck onto the Apple Arcade list. It's got some really striking, Okami-esque visuals for its tale of samurai and yokai.
And of course, there's Fantasian, which has a really interesting battle system that lets you deposit monsters into a pocket dimension and battle them all at once. Plus, it has a bunch of miniatures and dioramas that look really pretty.
As an Android owner, I'm admittedly a little jealous. Hopefully Fantasian makes its way to other services like some of the other Arcade hits like Grindstone have. Check out the Apple blog for the full list of games coming to the service, including some genuine surprises like Taiko no Tatsujin: Pop Tap Beat and the swiping-RPG Reigns.
When's the last time you splurged on games?
I may have accidentally gotten back into collecting Super Nintendo games. Yeah, let's go with "may."
As many of you have no doubt experienced first-hand, it's been an expensive time for collectors from all walks of life. For anyone looking to lighten their loads, there's an opportunity to strategically cash out, especially when it comes to even vaguely "rare" games, trading cards, and other nostalgia-inducers.
For some buyers – those unfortunate souls who lack enough patience to wait for prices to maybe one day settle into something approaching normal times – it's been a trip. I don't know why my brain decided I should rekindle my SNES love all of a sudden, but it did, and I'm trying not to overdo it.
Recently, that meant a few nights of impulse buying spread across eBay – yeah, eBay! I haven't used it in over a decade! – and a trusted local game store with accurate online listings and high-quality photos.
For now, I've been focusing on the carts I never personally had as a kid – within reason. So, more along the lines of repeat rentals, games I enjoyed at friends' houses, and cool stuff I read about in magazines, not so much "obscure gems people overlooked in the '90s that are now obscenely expensive."
Hearthstone's new standard rotation and the thematic Barrens set has shaken up the game
I don't like to cover every Hearthstone set, because some are way more impactful than others.
But when there's a full standard rotation, it's kind of a big deal. Forged in the Barrens is a pretty hefty shakeup for the entire game, mostly because it also coincides with the recent new Core Set of cards.
Nazo no Murasame-Jou deserves to be remembered alongside Metroid and Zelda
Nineteen eighty-six was a transformative year for Nintendo. Super Mario Bros. had released at the end of the previous year and ushered in a slew of influential games. The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Kid Icarus (I guess), many of which were riding on the features of the Famicom Disk System, which also released that year. Home console games would quickly shift away from the cyclical arcade model and more toward adventures with endpoints; final goals to work towards, rather than just a high score.
We received many of the fruits of this labor. The Legend of Zelda would ship with a special battery backed cartridge to allow saving on the NES, while Metroid and Kid Icarus would swap to passwords. One notable game, however, was left in the dust among those titles; the second original title on the Famicom Disk System, Nazo no Murasame-Jou. Whether it was because it was too Japanese for Western audiences or… actually, that's the only reason I can think of because it's an excellent game that could have totally gotten away with just using a password system.
Oddworld Collection compiles three classics for Nintendo Switch
Classic adventures from the book of Oddworld are being compiled for release on Nintendo Switch. Publisher Microids has announced Oddworld Collection; a physical release that will include a trio of Abe and Co.'s weird, puzzle-platforming adventures.
The first of the three titles is Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty, a ground-up remake of the original 1997 PlayStation release Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee. New 'n' Tasty sees heroic Mudokan Abe begin his rebellious push back against the nefarious, capitalistic Glukkons, who intend to turn both Abe and his people into intergalactic foodstuffs for galaxy-wide distribution. This first series entry introduced players to Oddworld's bizarre universe, as well as its non-confrontational, puzzle-solving, micro-management gameplay.
The second title featured in Oddworld Collection is 2001's Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, which sees Munch, a Gabbit hunted to near-extinction, and his efforts to free himself and the few remaining Gabbits from a floating research laboratory overseen by a cruel race known as Vykkers. Munch's Oddysee saw the action transition from 2.5D to 3D, as Munch, (with an assist from Abe), picks his way through the laboratory in an effort to bring down the Vykkers from within.
Rounding out the collection is 2005's Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath. This western-themed title takes a wide side-step from its predecessors, embracing a dual third-and-first-person shooter gameplay while still retaining some of the platform and puzzle action of its brethren. As "The Stranger," players track and taking down wanted varmints, while exploring a wide variety of locales from the Oddworld universe.
It should be noted that all three titles in the Oddworld Collection are already available for purchase from the Nintendo eShop, but for any fans who have been holding off on pulling the trigger, Oddworld Collection will be a handy way to have all three games on one cartridge when it hits stores May 27. Microids has stated there are currently no plans to bring this all-in-one release to other platforms.
This new Dynasty Warriors movie trailer heavily leans into the games, to its benefit
So, the Dynasty Warriors movie is almost out in China, as it's set to debut on April 30.
Wait, what?! Yep, it's a real thing, and it's finally coming out after ages of hearing about it. I know it's an international release, but it's really flown under the radar in terms of recent overarching "game adaptation film" conversation especially in light of flicks like Sonic (which is getting a sequel) and the upcoming Mortal Kombat reboot.
This trailer does the new Dynasty Warriors movie a lot of favors. It starts off with a little homage to the games, then jumps straight into over-the-top combat and big-picture military strategy footage. The anime-like moves look authentic, the costumes are on point, the game soundtrack is infused into this clip. Everything checks out on paper.
I don't know why, but the "produced by Omega Force" logo at the beginning really got to me. A lot of the time when a gaming adaptation is produced, the original studio that started it all is completely forgotten. Like when "Sega" is credited with producing the Sonic movie, and so on. But to see a trailer with the developer front and center: it's a beautiful thing.
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers will bring cute carnage westward on May 27
Get set for the more adorable little invasion you ever did see, as D3 Publisher, in association with Yuke's, has finally announced a western localization for the newest, pint-sized entry in the EDF franchise: Earth Defense Force: World Brothers, which will launch on PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch on May 27.
Microsoft has done a bang-up job in terms of game preservation and backward compatibility this generation.
The Xbox Series X is a powerhouse of a console in terms of cross-generation preservation, letting people play a large swath of games across the entire lifecycle of the Xbox ecosystem. The program expanded even further recently as Microsoft explained that backward compatibility support was headed to the cloud, with "classic Xbox and Xbox 360 games" available on mobile devices.
Responding to a fan on Twitter, Microsoft reiterated their commitment to the past. Here's the full statement from Microsoft's Xbox team: "As time goes on, it becomes more important than ever that we ensure gaming icons and classics are preserved for new and old players alike. Whether your first time playing Morrowind is from 2002 on your Xbox or 2021 on your phone, we're excited to share these experiences with you!"
Having played Morrowind in 2002, that statement is wild to think about. While I figured games would proliferate on as many devices as possible in the future, I never thought it would be a shared ecosystem like this; with pushes from cross-play and cross-progression.
I've said this many times, but Sony's "this is how you trade games" PSA is coming back to bite them now. Microsoft could have made that video ten times over this generation with all of their advancements, like the aforementioned backward compatibility push, as well as things like save and upgrade license transferring through "Smart Delivery." Oh, and last generation: cross-play, when Sony was the last big holdout.
How times have changed!
Xbox [Twitter]
The Medium's Bloober Team steps away from 'incompatible' acquisition talks
Bloober Team - the horror-loving studio behind titles such as Observer and The Medium - as backed away from acquisition talks from various potential buyers. The Polish studio had been looking into merging or selling to a larger conglomerate, but has decided its best option is to remain relatively independent for now.
The news came in a report by Polish outlet Bankier, (as translated by VGC), where Bloober said it is more likely to try and work in cooperation with other companies, rather than be purchased or merged outright with them. Bloober believes that such a merger might jeopardize the studio's "strategic objectives" going forward.
"The company has decided not to continue discussions with potential financial and industry investors interested in acquiring a majority stake due to the high risk of losing its overriding strategic objectives," read the Banker statement. "At this stage it would be incompatible with the culture of the organization, and would significantly limit the potential growth of the company's value in the coming years, especially taking into account the projects implemented and planned."
Borderlands 3 is bringing back the Eridium bonus event, and expanding the reward system
Borderlands 3 has reached the point in its life where we're repeating events. In some cases, that's fine! A few of them have been pretty fun ways to inject some more personality into the loot system and encourage curated, timed plays where everyone is on at the same time. Show Me the Eridium was one of those lightning-in-a-bottle events, and it's back this week.
There's actually three bits of Borderlands 3 news all at once, and we'll go step by step. Show Me the Eridium (one of many self-described "mini events") is running from now through April 8, and will increase the Eridium drops across the board. Oh, and Gearbox reminds us that you need to spend 500 Eridium to take on the Hemovorous the Invincible raid boss in the paid Director's Cut addon, which is still slated for April 8. Good to know!
So the second part is actually related: there's more Eridium rewards now. This change is facilitated through two new machines (Crazy Earl's Reroll and Maurice's Black Market Vending Machine). The former (which is near Crazy Early's abode in the cargo bay) lets you reroll gear similar to a lot of other looter shooters and MMOs, and the latter provides "top-tier legendary loot," with its location scattered across Pandora's non-DLC zones each week. In short, it's basically Xur from Destiny.
Next up is the hotfix, which added all of the stuff you read about already above and added a stacking cap to the Operative's commitment skill for balancing purposes, and adjusted a few skills from the Gunner and Siren classes; as well as tweaking several weapons. It's a busy week for Borderlands 3! And it's going to get even more crowded on April 8.
Show Me the Eridium [Gearbox]
Ghostrunner PS5 upgrade arrives fall 2021
It has been a big week for One More Level's cybernetic hack 'n' slash adventure Ghostrunner. Not only was the entire IP - along with its underlying technology - purchased by Italian publisher 505 Games, but the new owners have also announced release windows for its upcoming DLC, as well as an exciting upgrade for the PS5 platform.
505 Games revealed Ghostrunner will receive three further content drops in 2021. Spring will see the arrival of both a Photo Mode, the new "Kill Run" mode, and an Amazon Luna port. The summer months will see the addition of two unannounced content bundles, as well as another new mode and a paid Vanity Pack, containing new customization options for yer boy Jack.
Monster Hunter Rise caused a surge in Switch hardware sales in Japan
Monster Hunter Rise, as expected, is a powerhouse. It's a "system seller," and the data is showing that's the case, at least in Japan thus far.
Famitsu has reported its latest sales figures for Japan for the week of March 28, and no surprise, Monster Hunter Rise leads the way on Switch with over 1.3 million units sold. Trickling down, the Switch sold 190,133 units through the week of March 28, with a further 77,364 Switch Lite units (looks like the Lite was a good idea!).
For reference, the last Japanese chart numbers, for the week through March 21, had the Switch at 52,579 units sold and 36,525 Switch Lites. It's a significant jump! And given that Monster Hunter Rise can be played both online and locally, pretty much anyone can grab a Switch, grab the game, and go, and play with friends.
Looking at the rest of the chart, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is still doing well, as is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which refuses to die in the region. It's kind of insane how dominant the Switch is, still, in terms of hardware and software. The next highest contender in the latter category is the PS5 with 51,931 units pushed that week, then the PS5 Digital Edition with 10,364.
Some weeks, it's not even a contest!
Monster Hunter Rise Switch Sales [Famitsu via Gematsu]
MLB The Show 21 will be on Xbox Game Pass at launch
The previously PlayStation-exclusive MLB The Show franchise coming to new consoles was already one new step for the series this year, and now it's making another big one. This year's entry of MLB The Show will be making its way to Xbox Game Pass on day one, or April 20, 2021.
It's confirmed in an Xbox blog that both the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One versions will be available on Game Pass, as well as Android phones and tablets via Xbox Cloud Gaming for Ultimate users. Both Xbox platforms will receive the standard edition, and there will be cross-platform play and progression.
MLB The Show was already confirmed as coming to other platforms, but seeing it also come to Game Pass right away is very interesting. The above trailer even opens with an Xbox logo, which is immediately followed by a PlayStation studio. It's not exactly the only game crossing lines between the two either; both Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo are PlayStation console exclusives at launch, despite now being under the Microsoft banner thanks to its purchase of Bethesda.
We live in strange times, but at least in this case, those oddities mean Xbox owners can finally get a chance to see what they've been missing out on for their baseball simulation needs. There's been no word yet on a Switch version despite Nintendo's cryptic tweet from 2019, but otherwise MLB The Show 21 hits PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on April 20, 2021.
Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown for PS4 appears on Korean ratings board
Get ready to Ride the Tiger once again, Virtua Fighter fans. An unannounced listing for Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown has popped up on the website of that bastion of industry spoilers: the Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea. As spotted by Twitter user @nokcha334 the new title was rated on March 19 and listed as coming to the PS4 platform. This news is dangerously close to April Fool's Day for my liking...
While this is total speculation on my part, this listing suggests that Sega is preparing to release another new update for its fantastic 2006 release Virtua Fighter 5. The one-on-one 3D slugfest last saw attention back in 2010, with the release of Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown. The beloved but relatively low-key franchise laying has laid dormant since, despite pleas for a sequel from hardened fighting game fanatics, yer boy Moyse included.
While this is not the Virtua Fighter 6 that we all might have hoped for, this ratings board listing suggests that Virtua Fighter might be about to receive some form of fresh attention - which no doubt ties in with the mysterious "Virtua Fighter x eSports Project" announced by Sega back in September 2020. You better believe we'll keep you updated should confirmation and new info be forthcoming. Don't you go all mobile port on me, Akira...
Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown rated in Korea [Gematsu / @nokcha334]
Nintendo just put out a cute little Bravely Default 'personality quiz' on My Nintendo
Bravely Default II kind of came and went, but it's still on my mind.
This little JRPG helped kick off 2021 and it is still a Switch exclusive after all, so it's hard to forget! And it got a bit of My Nintendo merch, as a little extra marketing push. Now My Nintendo is back with another promo, but this one is a little more cheeky and less rewarding.
It's a "personality quiz" that you can access on the My Nintendo site. Thankfully it's zero Platinum Points, so there's no awkward digital barrier to pass. You just "buy" the quiz and have at it. While I presume a lot of folks will skip this over, it's a cute little time-waster for those of you who did dig the game, or might be on the fence.
More importantly for some, Nintendo also put out two digital wallpapers for the game, and they're pretty lovely. You can find them on the same page, or directly on the media section of My Nintendo. Like the other wallpapers, they're 50 Platinum Points each.
Find your Bravely Default II job with a new personality quiz [My Nintendo]
Fortnite added a Stonks Guy skin, and I can hear the groaning through my speakers
Coming fresh off of raptors, a map addition pretty much everyone is enjoying, Fortnite decided to lean into the memes and add the "Stonks Guy." You know, the "stocks are doing well" image you may have seen before? It was all for April Fools', but like several other jokes, this one is real.
The skin is 1200 V-Bucks (roughly $10), and references multiple goings-on recently, not just the meme itself. The phrase "the market is open and it's time to shine. Buy! Hold! Win!" with the subtitle "To the Moon!" is a direct homage to the whole WallStreetBets saga. He comes with the skin itself, which is basically Fortnite's take on the Stonks Guy, and the "Gains!" back bling, which is an orange rising arrow; also part of the meme.
Epic was so proud of it in fact, that I had to watch a video of it when I loaded up the game. And you couldn't mash a button to skip it: you had to hold down the skip button for multiple seconds. I haven't seen the skin yet in multiple games with hundreds of players as a sample size, so if you hate the idea of this, the "silence, brand" mantra seems to be winning out.
The good news is that there's a lot of recent in-game business to distract people from this stunt, as Fortnite just kicked off the "Spring Breakout" series of quests, which comes with its own set of XP and a reward (Webster's Tactical Quaxes). All you have to do for the main legendary questline is collect bouncy eggs on the ground, which can be done in battle royale or Team Rumble.
I've found that the trees near the lighthouse in the northwest of the map is a great place to farm them.
Fortnite [Twitter]
Pokemon Sword and Shield put in an impossible to catch Magikarp for April Fools'
I'm always itching to jump back into Pokemon Sword and Shield, even though I've pretty much exhausted everything I can do at this point.
Whether it's messing around with expeditions or hopping into new Max Raid Battles, the call of getting a slightly different Pokemon is always there. And that's by design! But this time, for April Fools', folks were greeted with something else entirely.
You know how the game has Max Raid Battles from time to time? Well to add insult to injury, they were changed to allow Magikarp to be caught in every raid. And on top of that, he's unable to caught. Yep, Game Freak just trolled the entire playerbase.
I can imagine someone playing randomly, or maybe a newcomer trying to make sense of the situation, then slowly going "ooooooohh." These sorts of harmless pranks make up for a lot of the other nonsense this week! Though I'm sure some people aren't happy that the game is having any semblance of fun and want Game Freak to add the rest of the Pokedex in still.
I really wonder how the next game is going to go if the full 'Dex isn't in.
Pokemon Event [Serebii.net]
Picking up a first-print PS4 copy of NieR Replicant will bag you this stylish theme & avatar set
Are you excited for the upcoming release of NieR Replicant? If so, and you're planning on picking up the remaster on PS4 come April 23, then you'll be pleased to hear that you'll also receive an exclusive download kit, allowing you to decorate your PS4's entire dashboard with NieR's haunting aesthetic.
The "first-run" set will include a dynamic desktop theme featuring protagonists Nier, Kaine, and Grimoire Weiss, as well as an avatar pack which includes a meaty 14 portraits of the apocalyptic adventure's cast of characters. In addition, players picking up the title early on any format will also receive a bonus "mini-soundtrack," which contains three cuts taken directly from NieR Replicant's sweeping score.
So, Heroes of the Storm, which Blizzard is woefully supporting, has a speedrunning community
How do you speedrun a MOBA?! Well, I'll tell you!
Amazingly, there is a cottage industry of speedrunners for Heroes of the Storm. Spotted on Reddit, these brave souls apparently go solo, fight no enemies, and try to take down the opposing core as quickly as possible.
Given that you need to destroy at least one end line structure to get to the core, you can't just rush it; you have to work your way there as quickly as possible. Right now Raynor holds the record as the fastest hero to clear out the core in 12 minutes and 13 seconds, piloted by the player Wardeh. You can get a quick look at how these runs typically go with the video below.
The gist is that merc camps are often crucial to the success of these runs. Braxis Holdout is also a popular map for these sorts of runs, as players can capture the Zerg-pen objectives, and unleash the horde on one lane of the enemy side, creating a tidal wave effect. Raynor is perfect for this because of his safe range and ability to sustain himself via healing without having to "back" to base.
As an aside, it's crazy how much Blizzard has been disrespecting Heroes of the Storm even as of late. There was zero presence at BlizzConline, and there hasn't been a lot of buzz for the game from any arm of Blizzard in months.
I get that we don't have access to the books, but Heroes is in a fantastic state, and in some ways, firing on all cylinders. It deserves another chance and a second look from the MOBA community at large. Every time another MOBA falters and people swear off of it, that's Blizzard's time to strike.
Heroes of the Storm [Speedrun.com via Reddit]
Remedy's Control demake for April Fools' is rad
Today is April 1, also known as April Fools' Day. Some companies make fake game announcements, others make real ones, and every piece of information is treated with incredible scrutiny.
The fake game announcement has been a classic in the games industry, and today, Remedy Entertainment joined in the fun by posting a trailer for a theoretical PlayStation demake of its 2019 game Control. These are fairly common, but Control is a really interesting game to choose—with lots of unique physics concepts to get around, and a style that's still fairly recognizable, even at the low poly-count.
I'd definitely play this version of Control for at least a little while; PlayStation aesthetic nostalgia aside, it's really neat to see the spaces of Control reimagined in this old look. Even without the ray tracing, the brutalist architecture of the Oldest House is imposing, and the idea of Jesse's supernatural powers like telekinetic tossing and flight in an older engine is pretty novel.
That's actually maybe the most bizarre part of this, is noticing some of the modern gameplay conventions that have evolved after the PlayStation's lifespan, demade into this era's visual space. The camera zooming in when the player aims down the sights, for example, or even just how the twin-stick aiming feels so different from other third-person shooters at the time. Watching this side-by-side with Syphon Filter or WinBack is wild.
Anyways, it's a nice, fun, not-mean April Fools' Day video. Remedy, if you're not too busy working on some other projects, I'd definitely play this version of Control.
What time period should the next Assassin's Creed take place in?
Look, with Tenchu basically dead, I'm coming in hot here. HOT.
The next Assassin's Creed should be set in Japan right? So we're agreed.
Wait, you want Assassin's Creed Revelations 2? That retreads on the same locations you've been to before? You want another Rome game? We have different priorities, friend!
