Our ‘Tune of the Month’ for August is from Chrono Trigger. It’s considered to be not only one of the finest RPGs ever made, but also one of the best games ever conceived in time itself, or something like that.
It’s next to Secret of Mana on the top list anyway. By the way, can we please have a 3D remake for Chrono Trigger next? Thanks.
So how do you pick a song from a game with that kind of reputation? With difficulty, that’s for sure. In the end, we settled for the epic Magus Battle Theme music.
What’s it from? Chrono Trigger
Year: 1995
Platform: SNES
Composed by: Yasunori Mitsuda, Nobuo Uematsu
Gaming context: As players fought the sinister, evil genius Magus, this song played. It’s filled with menace and power. And don’t forget the ominous laughing, (or is that crying?) in the background.
Ever since Team 17 released The Escapists in 2014, I have been looking forward to seeing what more they can make out of this universe. After releasing several DLC’s for the first game (some were fun, others not so much), and releasing a Walking Dead-version, it is now time to move on.
I got the awesome opportunity to test both the PS4 version and the PC version, which is really nice for comparison. Because testing both platforms takes time I have, sadly, not had the chance to test out the multiplayer part yet – it will therefore not be included in this review. However, if I manage to test it out in the near future, expect an update on it for sure!
The Escapists 2 is a strategy sandbox game with pretty pixel graphics, offering as much as 10 new prisons with various difficulties for you to twist your brain and escape in new, creative ways. Personally, I’ve only managed to escape from two prisons (no judging, I’m slow, okay!), but I’ve used a lot of time just wandering around the prisons and exploring what the game has to offer.
Always remember to uphold the prison’s schedule!
While I would normally prefer playing a game like The Escapists on the computer, I was pleasantly surprised when discovering that the game is equally comfortable to play on the PS4. It looks really good on both platforms, and the controls are smooth. Even though the controls (at least on the computer) are a bit different now than in the first game, I managed to adjust after a short while.
The music of the Escapists 2 is just as catchy as it was in the original game. It changes with different times of the day, which creates a nice and fitting ambience, and a great change of pace. With enough hours played, you’re going to start humming the music like working songs. I love that the prisons have different themes, and music that fits accordingly.
With as much as 10 prisons available, many hours of gameplay await you. As if that weren’t enough, in order to proceed and unlock the different prisons, you have to collect keys – and the way of collecting these keys is to escape the prisons in different ways. There are set ways that you can escape, and you have to do it the way the game was designed to earn the key. I am guessing that you don’t have to play every single prison in every way, but it is definitely a challenge for the achievement hunters out there. You have to get creative, though – some of the prisons are timed!
Deeper character customization is also available, and you unlock more stuff for your character as you play through the different prisons. This is a relevant addition in regards to the multiplayer function, as it, obviously, makes it more fun to be playing against others with your very own customized character(s). It also creates a greater sense of ownership to the character, I think. It’s the little things in life, you know?
If I’m allowed to give some advice, get to know the place first – because each prison has its weaknesses. Get used to the routines of the prison, get a job and earn additional money by doing quests given by the other inmates. There are also ways of getting hints in the game to help you escape… But you have to be observant, and look closely. Remember that each prison is different, and needs a different strategy. Create a facade for yourself. Follow the schedule, don’t make the guards angry, and go do what you gotta do.
Get to know the people around you.
Personally, I don’t like the autosave function on a general basis. Therefore I get a tad annoyed when a game like The Escapists 2 has that feature because I have a need to be able to save when I want, not when the game decides to. My wish is that the game would enable a manual save feature.
I would also like information about the items you can craft in an update. Either a short description of what the item is or perhaps a little hint as to what you can use it for. I found myself stuck a couple of times because I didn’t know what to make and I didn’t know what they were for. Sure, I could’ve just tested it out, and figured it out on my own, but resources are pretty valuable in The Escapists, and I didn’t want to use my hard-earned resources for nought.
The recipes for the items and how to use them are different now than they were in the first Escapists-game too. For example: in the first game, one could hide the fact that you were digging a hole in the wall by placing a poster in front of it. Now, you have to make a fake wall out of paper maché – which is more logical, I guess, but it requires more resources and more work. It just took a heck of a lot of time to figure that out. However, it is the little things like that that makes The Escapists 2 feel quite different from the first game.
All in all, The Escapists 2 is a great game with a lot of potential, but there’s room for improvement with small things such as a manual save function and more information on items. The online and multiplayer function creates an even bigger replay value to the game, which is a huge plus.
The Escapists 2 offers new ways of escaping, more prisons, character customization, multiplayer (versus and co-op mode) plus online, new items to craft, more stuff to do. In short, the new Escapists is bigger, better, improved. It offers levels that are fun, but also challenging. Strategy is required, and it gives you a great sense of accomplishment if you manage to escape. It is a game that will definitely make the hours fly by, and is as addicting as it has always been.
Nintendo has released a snazzy new trailer for the SNES Classic Mini that shows off what the console can do.
One of the new features is the ability to “rewind” a game should you mess up. Modern gamers eh? They don’t make them like they used to etc. You can rewind up to five minutes of gameplay from your last save point, and each game can save up to four suspend points. Handy.
The trailer also shows off the never-before-released Star Fox 2, sure to be one of the key reasons to pick the system up. If you can, that is. Scalpers are everywhere.
On top of that, we have the ability to choose display modes, 4:3, CRT filter, and Pixel Perfect, along with customisable frames.
The SNES Classic Mini comes with 21 pre-installed games and every single one of them runs at 60hz too. Good news.
Overall, it’s looking like a compelling buy indeed, it’s just a shame there doesn’t seem to be enough of them to go around. Nintendo really needs to sort out this ongoing situation. Make more of them and people won’t get exploited. It’s pretty simple…
Sonic Mania has raced onto the scene with critical acclaim, being noted as the best Sonic game in decades. By combining the speed and clever level design of the classic Mega Drive games with some fun modern touches, the Blue Blur is potentially on the verge of another golden age (don’t screw this up, Sonic Forces!). But, as with any successful platforming character, Sonic has had his fair share of hiccups over the past few decades. Well, alright then. Perhaps ‘hiccups’ is a bad word. How does ‘downright monstrosities’ sound? Hmm…that sounds a little more to the point. So, why don’t we go over some of these poor judgements on Sega’s part and hope that nothing like these horrid abominations are ever produced again?
Well, alright then. Perhaps ‘hiccups’ is a bad word. How does ‘downright monstrosities’ sound? Hmm…that sounds a little more to the point. So, why don’t we go over some of these poor judgements on Sega’s part and hope that nothing like these horrid abominations are ever produced again?
Shadow the Hedgehog
It was the game that nobody asked for. But we got it, anyway. This 2005 semi-sequel to Sonic Heroes starred the eponymous black hedgehog in his first (and, hopefully, only) solo game. The problems with this game were many; poor, glitchy level design, a dark plot uncharacteristic of a Sonic game and, of course, those damn guns.
The idea of guns being in a Sonic game was eyebrow-raising enough – but the way they were implemented into the gameplay was awful, as though the mechanic had been shoehorned in at the last minute. Stopping to shoot foes regularly just didn’t feel natural and contradicted the game’s attempt to be a fast-moving platformer. The vehicle sections were also tedious and out of place (when you can move faster on foot, what’s the point?). While the game boasted multiple endings and level pathways, you’d be forgiven for not wanting to endure a second playthrough of this awful stain on Sonic’s legacy.
Sonic Shuffle
By the time Sonic Shuffle hit the Sega Dreamcast in 2000 (2001 in European territories), Sonic had experimented with a number of other genres. There was the Game Gear Mario Kart-esque Sonic Drift games and also the arcade beat ’em up, Sonic The Fighters. Not content with those forays into other zones of gaming, Sonic had to have his own Mario Party-style party game.
Now, to the developers’ credit, they crafted a new narrative for the game to take place in and dressed it up in a plethora of bright colours. It’s just that they forgot to include the ‘fun’ aspect. The game was bogged down with a small number of below-average minigames and tedious loading times. You would be better off sticking with Mario Party than this boring clone.
Sonic The Fighters
It should be obvious to anyone that Sonic simply isn’t suited to the fighting genre. He’s a platforming hero known for his speed and agility, not his resilience or fisticuffs. Apparently, though, Sega didn’t get the memo and thus, in 1996, Sonic The Fighters hit Japanese and American arcades (after which, it has been ported to a number of Sonic games collections since).
The game can best be described as a poor man’s Virtua Fighter. While it is true that Sega designed a number of exclusive characters for the game, they are mostly forgettable, due to having a very short supply of unique fighting moves. The fighting system is simply Virtual Fighter-Lite and is overall tedious and slow. You would be better off playing any fighting game but this.
Sonic R
Nowadays, most gamers will recognise games studio Travellers’ Tales for their seemingly endless supply of Lego video games. But, back in the day, they did some other things (Mickey’s Wild Adventure for the Sony PlayStation comes to nostalgic mind). One of these things, however, was co-developing the awful Sonic R, which was released for the Sega Saturn in 1997 and for Windows a year later. Now, as a concept, a Sonic racing game where the characters move on-foot, doesn’t sound too bad. But when this concept is brought to life via Sonic Team’s poorly-designed racing tracks and Travellers Tales’ poor programming, it makes you re-think that statement.
The majority of the game’s tracks are bugged with awkwardly tight corners and are short to the point of tedium. The characters are awkward when trying to turn corners and some of them are so slow and disadvantageous when compared to the other racers (I’m looking at you, Amy Rose) that they just aren’t worth bothering with on a whole. Add in the fact there are only five available courses and you’ve got yourself a stinker here.
Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis (GBA Port)
This is perhaps one of the lesser-known examples of bad Sonic games, but it’s well-deserving of a spot here. This lazy, (half-assed) Game Boy Advance port was developed by Sonic Team for the blue hedgehog’s 15th anniversary and is one of the worst Sonic games in existence. It takes the original Genesis/Mega Drive game and gives it a painfully-slow frame rate, poor physics and an awfully-downgraded soundtrack – in other words, everything that made the first Sonic great.
As a cheap shoe-in, Sonic Team did add an “Anniversary mode” – which is the exact same game save for adding the spin-dash that was introduced in Sonic 2 onward. Wow, Sonic Team really pushed the boat out with this one.
What do you think are the worst Sonic games ever? Are you enjoying Mania? Let me know below.
Remember when we reported trouble at sea for Mass Effect: Andromeda, with its BioWare Montreal development team attempting to lift fans’ spirits with multiplayer DLC despite rumours of its staff having been transferred to other projects? At the time we contemplated whether Mass Effect could “delay facing its final frontier”, using updates like the introduction of Platinum Difficulty mode and playable Batarians to alleviate fans’ fears.
Unfortunately, it would appear those franchise veterans worried at the time had reasonable cause for concern. After months of silence on the subject, BioWare has officially passed judgment on Andromeda’s future; suffice to say that those devotees who adored the fourth entry in the studio’s sci-fi RPG series – despite its much-maligned technical and narrative hiccups – had best take a seat before reading the jury’s verdict…
Takeaways:
Rather than following in the path of past Mass Effect outings with single-player DLC like ME1’s Bring Down the Sky or the sequel’s Arrival mini-campaign, BioWare Montreal plan to cease producing narrative-driven content with immediate effect, making update 1.10 the last to contain updates for Andromeda’s solo component.
The development team predictably refuses to offer clarity in their blog post as to the rationale behind this long-speculated decision – despite rumours abound of the lukewarm critical reception Andromeda reaped playing a crucial hand – but does offer some hope for those yearning for the campaign’s loose plot threads to be resolved, confirming that future licenced comic-strips and novels will reveal the quarrian ark’s final destination and answer other mysteries in the months ahead.
Nor will the stories players have invented for themselves online with comrades-in-arms come to an end, either; in fact, we’re told to expect further character kits, missions and N7 Day-themed surprises from the project’s multiplayer team soon, meaning the tales of the Andromeda galaxy can continue long beyond August 2017.
To see any ambitious title lose its developers and publisher’s support just months after release always seems a disappointment at best, but for that fate to befoul a project so widely anticipated, heralding from a franchise so widely acclaimed – ME3’s ending aside – will only harshen the blow for many. Indeed, much as Andromeda’s tales will continue in other mediums, one has to assume the Montreal team would’ve loved to develop follow-up entries themselves, and thus will share fans’ dismay at their once-ongoing narrative’s lost potential.
As for the implications the move could have for Mass Effect’s future as a AAA franchise, don’t be surprised if EA and BioWare spend a decent few months – or perhaps years – taking stock of how a series which once could barely move for all its Game of the Year gongs has since experienced such an unexpected peripeteia. In the meantime, the latter studio will almost certainly focus its efforts on ensuring that Anthem doesn’t meet with a similar fate, particularly after accusations of their new IP’s E3 2017 demo taking a little too much in the way of inspiration from Activision’s Destiny franchise.
Either way, we’ll have all the latest news and views on whether BioWare and EA’s respective upcoming output shows signs of avoiding its predecessors’ mistakes.
One of the many announcements at the Microsoft Gamescom conference was how Rise of the Tomb Raider would be improved on the Xbox One X. Well, the enhancements are impressive, to say the least. Let’s get you guys caught up!
The Xbox One X version of Rise of the Tomb Raider will have three different video setting to choose from. They are Highest Fidelity mode, Enriched Visuals mode and High Frame Rate mode.
In Highest Fidelity mode the game will run at a native 4K (2160p.) Which is a pretty huge improvement from the PS4 Pro version that runs at 1800p.
In Enriched Visuals mode, the game will not run at 4K but will have better textures, effects, lighting etc.
In High Frame Rate mode, the game will run at…. a higher frame rate! I would assume we will be getting 60fps at 1080p at a minimum since the PS4 Pro version could run at 60fps at 1080p in its High Frame Rate mode.
Additionally, the Xbox One X will be getting exclusive features like HDR support, Dolby Atmos sound and other graphical improvements.
A trailer was released breaking down all the enhancements. (You can see that trailer below.)
Just to make it clear, this is just an update for the base game, not a new edition. Anyone who has Rise of the Tomb Raider on Xbox One and upgrades to an Xbox One X will get all of these improvements for free through a patch.
So, Tomb Raider fans, do these enhancements excite you enough to check out the game again? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments below!
Looks like Microsoft is giving Recore another chance. Last September the console exclusive launched to very average review scores and sales. After launch, there were promises of updates and additional content to help improve the game. Well, thanks to Microsoft’s conference at Gamescom, we found out what happened to those promised updates.
Takeaways:
Recore: Definitive Edition was announced at Gamescom. It will release on August 29th for $19.99.
This version includes the various promised updates and much more.
These updates to the base game include enhanced visuals (which include a higher resolution and HDR), a new bot called “Tank”, a new mission called “Eye of Obsidian”, a new character called “AOK” and multiple new weapons.
If you bought the original version of Recore, then you automatically get all of this new content for free through an upcoming patch.
Lastly, a new trailer has been released that shows off all of the improvements. (Which you can see down below!)
So, Recore players, will this update bring you guys back to the game? Why or why not? To everyone who hasn’t played Recore, does this edition of the game tempt you to pick it up? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments below!
Grab your Switch. Arms has a new character for you to try out: Lola Pop, a French clown that uses nunchucks to take her opponents down. Why not?
Lola Pop comes with three Arms and a shiny new stage to play on. She’ll be available as part of “v3” of the game, which is expected very shortly. Although we don’t know when that is…
That’s not all though, Arms is also getting another “Global Testpunch” this weekend. You’ll be able to try it out with a free demo available to download on the Nintendo eShop. It’s going live from 3 pm (BST) this Friday to Sunday at 8 pm.
You can view the reveal trailer for Lola below. The stage music sounds like French Mario Kart at certain points. No surprise, considering it’s the same team.
Platformers and puzzle games draw a line not met by many other genres in the video game world. Both requiring precise and strategic thoughts and movements, while each provides a casual approach to the entertainment of gaming. The debut release from Gravity Whale Games, SpaceBOUND, gives new meaning to the term puzzle/platformer.
Players take control of two astronauts who have crash landed on an asteroid in the middle of deep space. Attached by a tether, both astronauts may be controlled separately by one player, or individually in cooperative mode. The idea is to navigate through an abandoned facility rigged with destructive lasers, electrical wires, various key buttons and other harmful and dangerous traps throughout the game. Unlocking gates, keeping both astronauts alive as you float about in zero gravity with your jetpacks, the tether is crucial for the tremendously challenging puzzles that lay ahead.
If choosing to play solo, each astronaut is controlled separately using either the keyboard or more preferably, a gamepad. The arrow keys will control one astronaut, while the W, A, S, D keys control the other. In terms of the gamepad, both analogue sticks make a much more efficient method of guiding your astronaut buddies to safety. The catch of SpaceBOUND is the tether linking the two together.
Floating around, bouncing towards and away from each other proves extremely difficult when trying to avoid the shifting lasers and dangerous saw blades. When you inevitably meet your end to the scorching burn of one of the mines’ many lasers or death traps, your astronaut(s) burst into a splattered bloodshed of frustrations and regret; leaving you to restart the relatively short, but tedious level from the beginning. Say both of your comrades just barely survived the beam that nearly singed your space suits into ash, if your tether breaks it’s back to the start of the level.
Though the tether line proves to be a minor liability and an extreme risk for ending your current run, it also acts as a strategic tool for throwing asteroid chunks, and even yourselves across the screen in a much more energetic manner. Catching rocks and then throwing them through a variety of lasers and obstacle, breaking down electrical lines guarding your way out and most notable pressing the button required to unlock the next area give players a true sense of accomplishment once the task has safely been completed.
With the short level length and a trial-and-error approach to puzzle solving, re-trying numerous areas throughout the campaign becomes more and more common, testing the player’s patience and platforming skills. The dual movements of the astronauts become second nature as you experiment with various methods of manoeuvring in sync with one another.
Through dozens of levels full of traps and hurdles, an even more excruciating Time Trial mode and relentless mind-numbing puzzles for solo or co-op play, SpaceBOUND is the answer for 2D, zero-gravity platforming with a bemusing and often frustrating gameplay and level design. The tenacious gameplay and clever use of guiding two characters at once across a drifting minefield of death traps prove not for the faint of heart but requires players to act quickly and precisely, while using patience and your surroundings to accomplish uniquely difficult challenges in SpaceBOUND.
In case you missed it, Microsoft just held a press conference at Gamescom. They had a few big announcements regarding their new console… Let’s get you guys caught up!
Takeaways:
Microsoft announced the first special edition of the Xbox One X. This edition is called “Project Scorpio” edition, of course. The edition seems to be very similar to the “Day One Edition” for the original Xbox One.
Just like the “Day One Edition,” the “Project Scorpio Edition” is in limited quantities, has special engravings on the controller and the console.
The “Project Scorpio Edition” is officially available for pre-order now.
The only online retailers who seem to still be taking pre-orders are Target.com and Walmart.com. Everyone else appears to be sold out.
Microsoft released an unboxing video for the Project Scorpio Edition. (Which you can see down below.)
So, how excited are you guys for the Xbox One X? Are you going to pre-order it? If so, where are you going to pre-order it from? Let me know in the comments below!
Of all the announcements deployed at Microsoft’s annual Gamescom conference on Sunday August 20th – from pre-orders going live for their Xbox One X console to Sea of Thieves’ Xbox-PC cross-play and more – easily the most surprising of the bunch came to those watching the live-stream via a third-party studio.
Following on from the largely acclaimed, four million-copy-selling LEGO Jurassic World, the Jurassic Park film franchise will gain another licenced video game adaptation this time next year, albeit one likely aimed at a far wider audience than the family-friendly platforming hi-jinks of Travellers’ Tales’ 2015 blockbuster…
Takeaways:
Dubbed Jurassic World: Evolution, the latest AAA project from Rollercoaster Tycoon veterans Frontier Developments debuted its very first teaser trailer at the Xbox showcase, teasing the rapid growth of yet more ferocious prehistoric beasts and the fruitless attempts of misfortunate gamekeepers to control them – clearly, some things never change.
What does seem to distinguish Evolution from its recent peers like TT’s retelling of the four films released to date, however, is its intriguing tagline: “Build Your Own Jurassic World”. Given Frontier’s past Tycoon backlog and the trailer’s final shots teasing the player’s ability to manipulate the attraction’s environment, introducing helipads and other innovations capable of taming its once-extinct inhabitants, we’re placing all our bets on the title taking the form of a management sim set in the grounds of John Hammond’s iconic titular theme park.
As for a release window, all we know for certain at the moment is Frontier (and no doubt Jurassic studio Universal)’s intention to have Evolution hit Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC in Summer 2018. But with Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom due to further the film franchise’s recent revival in cinemas on June 22nd, don’t be surprised if this pseudo-tie-in effort reveals a similar release date in the coming months.
Keep checking back at D-pad Joy this week and beyond for plenty more coverage of all the major Gamescom 2017 news as it hits the interwebs, as well as more details on Evolution’s development than even Dr Ian Malcolm could, uh, handle between now and next summer. In the meantime, don’t miss the aforementioned premiere trailer below…
