Tunic’s new gameplay trailer was showcased at Microsoft’s 2018 E3 conference. To sum it up: it’s a visually stunning, cute, isometric action-adventure game – strongly influenced by the early Zelda games. Just in case you hadn’t noticed…
Tunic And The Sword-Wielding Fox
Tunic was originally announced as Secret Legend in 2015 and was created by Andrew Shouldice, a Canadian solo developer.
The title will be an Xbox ‘launch exclusive’ but it’s coming to PC as well. The release date is unknown (as of yet).
Get ready because more Cuphead is on the way. ‘The Delicious Last Course’ features Cuphead and Mugman, who are now joined by Ms Chalice – obviously – for a new adventure. The DLC was announced at Microsoft’s well-received E3 conference.
The Delicious Last Course
From StudioMDHR, the extra content features new weapons, new charms, new bosses and we’re sure, quite a bit of challenge for your thumbs too. It’s out next year on Xbox One and PC.
Alisa thought Cuphead was ‘Devilishly Good’ in her review…
Microsoft has revealed that a new Battletoads game is on its way – no, it hasn’t been that long already, right? Due out exclusively on Xbox One (and PC), it’s being developed by Dlala Studios.
Here’s the quick teaser we saw:
Battletoads Returns In 2019
No gameplay has been shown, but we know that it will feature three-player couch co-op and that it’ll be enhanced in 4K for Xbox One X.
Originally announced at Microsoft’s E3 2017 conference last year, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, from Moon Studios, has received a brand new trailer.
You can check it out below:
Ori And The Will Of The Wisps Out 2019
The charming game follows Ori, a guardian spirit, and Sein who serves as the guide. The title is heading exclusively to Xbox One, (it’s X enhanced), and PC next year.
This might come as a shock, but EA does release non-AAA gaming titles. During their E3 conference, they surprisingly showed off indie titles on the same stage as the highly anticipated Anthem and Battlefield V.
Let’s get you guys caught up on these newly announced indies:
EA’s Play: Unravel Two
The first indie title announced is the sequel to the indie smash hit from 2016, Unravel. Yes that’s right, Unravel is back but this time in a full co-op adventure.
Here’s the official description for Unravel Two from the ESRB: “This is a side-scrolling platformer in which players control a pair of fantastical creatures called Yarnys as they navigate environments.”
The best part about this announcement is the fact that we don’t have to wait to play Unravel Two either. It’s available right now, at the price point of $20 USD/£15.99. What are you waiting for?
EA’s Play: Sea Of Solitude
The second indie title to be announced was Sea of Solitude from German developer Jo-Mei Games. SoS will explore the dark emotions and thoughts that the human mind goes through, with a twist!
SoS follows a young girl named Kay who turns into a monster when she enters a dark mental state. After her transformation, Kay will drift on a boat through a monster-infested submerged city. At this city, she will meet and interact with other ‘monsters’.
Throughout the adventure, Kay will be investigating how she became a monster, and if there is a way to reverse what has happened to her. Along with the debut trailer and details, we also got an official release window of “early 2019”.
So, what did you guys think of these indie game announcements from EA? Are any of you currently playing Unravel Two? Let us know in the comments below!
Before anyone gets too excited about the headline return of Command & Conquer, (wasn’t that franchise dead?), myself included, it’s probably worth remembering that the new game, announced at EA’s E3 conference today, is for mobile only:
Command & Conquer Is Back?
Shown live on the stage, Command & Conquer Rivals is a competitive, multiplayer mobile title. You fight for points on the map, harvest resources (like the old days), and can build classic units like the Mammoth tank. GDI and Nod are back too. So is Kane, apparently:
Kane
You never know… it might be quite good. The bigger question is: does this signal a full return for C&C in the future? Time will tell.
Not sure when everything is happening at E3 2018? Not to worry, we’ve got you covered. You can find the key times and dates below for all the big E3 conferences this year.
“My name is Jack Boyles, and I am losing my humanity. I am turning Hollow.
“The video game landscape has turned complacent. Years have passed, only to find checkpoints, auto-saved or skippable sections perpetuate. It seems like a lifetime we had limited saves, continues and restarting a game because thou hath used too many bullets early on within a game. We are husks, wielding a controller or keyboard and mouse, burning the cornea of our eyes with our High Definitions and watching lonely individuals on camera talk to themselves like some knight who is hollow; watching them completing videos games for us to throw our loot at them like they are some succubus.”
Turning Hollow: Games And Difficulty
“Some games make us fight off this wretched curse. Allow us to suffer for hours, just for that little sip of euphoria when you finally killed a boss…Ah, Elation!
“Disputes over the ascending trend of difficulty within video gaming has broken out: ‘Should video games be made to suit a mass audience, resulting in a difficulty that is possible for any skill player, so that the ending is always attainable?’.
“Allow me to elaborate, giving me purpose, so I can hold onto my humanity. For just a little longer.
Cuphead, reminding thou of a challenge.
“‘Cuphead’ denies thee access of the last 10% of the game without defeating the game on normal. As a hollowing gamer, my first conquest in gaming dates back to the age of the 16-bit. In those times, a ton of games had this practice. Even those from Disney… Yes, that family-friendly Disney!… That Zipadeedoodah Disney.
“In those days, thou must consider that games were not the mammoth task ye must partake in today. Nevertheless, Big Publishers are questioning the longevity of Linear Single Player Games, saying gamers doth not endure them long enough; ha ha. Does one understand my intentions?
Castle of Illusion on Megadrive – Equip the mighty apples.
“Some spout out rhetorical questions in a delirious pleasure that feels more like a marketing team questionnaire; they are ‘Do developers owe it to consumers to show their full game no matter the skill level?’, ‘Should games be made so everyone can enjoy them?’ and ‘Is a game too difficult for its own good?’. These questions pose that video games should be accessible to everyone and should cater to all skill levels. This is an impossibility.
“I would say I’m a competent gamer. I have played various games, some of which would be unspeakable to most gamers. But even a low soul level gamer can defeat me at FIFA.
“They consistently tell thou video games are the only medium that stops thou from seeing all the content, and they are correct in saying that. But other mediums do challenge thee in other ways, like ones’ intellect. Therefore, diminishing ones’ enjoyment of that content. Many transient beings have tried to fathom James Joyce’s Ulysses and only to be deterred by the stream of consciousness literature. Same can be said for Cinema, if anyone can understand David Lynch’s Inland Empire, I’ll hold them in high regard.
Inland Empire, yes those are rabbits.
“One thing is missed when talking about difficulty within video games, one of the most important life lessons and one I’m thankful for; ‘When you fail, try again until you succeed’. Life can easily defeat thee, that is why thou see those Hollows out there. They were once people like you and I, people who one day gave up hope. We should embrace difficulty in video games and encourage the young to play them. I am certainly gleeful I have this life skill, would thou not agree?
“So why doth these people continue to advocate otherwise? Maybe it’s not their doing? Maybe they have been consumed by a darker force ye or I cannot comprehend…
“Maybe themselves have turned Hollow. A mere shadow of their former selves desperately clutching at any fragment of their humanity. Only for them to fade from view time and time again”.
Take a deep dive back in history and get medieval with the rookie gaming studio to come out of Egypt, Rumbling Games.
Taking a page out of decisive action-adventure games like Assassin’s Creed and The Witcher, Knights of Light looks to capture the essence of the battle between the Arab forces in Iraq squaring off against the Sassanian Empire of Persia.
Knights Of Light
Along with the announcement of Rumbling Games’ debut indie AAA title, players can also find some pre-alpha gameplay footage showing off Knight’s design and impressive visuals below.
A few takeaways from the recent announcement of Knights of Light include:
Players will have the ability to control several side characters, as well as one main protagonist. Many boss characters and the main champion will also be based on factual historical figures.
Knights of Light is already said to engross players for up to 60 hours of playtime including a hidden path full of fantasy elements to help stray from the factual medieval timeline, as well as two planned expansions to add to the experience later down the line.
Lead design of Knights of Light worked with the original Assassin’s Creed title; borrows major influence from The Witcher series to add depth to player choices and decisions.
With an ever-engaging setting, players will change the world around them through consequential player choices, optional side quests and a story written by a veteran medieval fantasy writer.
A massive map detailing a 7th century Iraq stretches across 400 kilometres in Knights of Light, boasting full of vast deserts, lush forests and the snowy regions of Kurdistan.
As of now, Knights of Light has only been officially unveiled and no release date has been announced. Though being published by Sony, the developers have stated the game will be coming to both Xbox One and PC as well.
Stay tuned for more on the upcoming medieval fantasy adventure game, Knights of Light.
It was to my delight when I saw BadLand Publishing rebrand themselves and announce Anima: Gate of Memories – The Nameless Chronicles (a mouthful, so let’s abbreviate it to AGMTNC).
Anima: Gate of Memories – The Nameless Chronicles
It’s a third-person action RPG hack and slash in which you level up and unlock combos and moves. Much to my surprise, this game sets you as a reoccurring boss from the first game (in the series) called The Nameless, an immortal cursed to walk the worlds until the end of time. Shadows from his past come back to haunt him… and you’ll find secrets of The Nameless as well as the Gate of Memories.
Like the first game, you’ll have skills trees, artefacts and weapons to unlock, a vast universe to explore with deep characters and lore. This time there is a feature that says, ‘Use the Hand of Tanathos, a unique action system that allows The Nameless to improve any attack.
I’m excited, the first title is something of a hidden gem. It wasn’t perfect, some of the jokes were off, the platforming was frustrating, the controls in combat lacked a responsiveness at times, but the game certainly made up for in its good points: the world, characters, lore, interesting bosses and changing of perspectives. It’s a middle tier game, a tier of gaming you struggle to find these days.
My only concern with AGMTNC is that the ability to switch characters on the fly is more than likely gone, but hopefully, that coat of polish the first game lacked will be present. AGMTNC (that’s still a mouthful isn’t it?) will be out on Xbox One, PS4 and Steam June 19th.
No doubt the console physical releases will come packed with a soundtrack CD and manual.
In a time dominated by an ever-growing number of expansive open world games, it’s occasionally nice to sit back with something simple. There are a lot of small games for the Switch, a good amount of which can, unfortunately, be written off as cash grabs. Simplicity, however, doesn’t always have to mean bad.
Pong is simple, and yet one of the most iconic games ever created. Henry the Hamster Handler by Pocket Money Games is not going to reach the icon stratosphere like Pong, but it is a simple game that packs in a lot of complex fun.
Henry The Hamster Handler Review
The game’s premise is basic; make sure the furry little nuggets of joy reach their destination without getting eviscerated. The Hamsters walk at an even pace across the stage with various obstacles in their way.
You the player must press the correct Joy-Con button when prompted in order to allow the little ones to proceed without impediment. Fail to do so, and you’ll immediately see your new friends burned, gassed, crushed, vaporized, or fall to their deaths. If a majority don’t make it across the danger zone intact, the stage will automatically be lost.
There are three hundred levels, each one with increasing difficulty and speed. Like most classic rhythm games, you have to get into the groove or you’ll get overwhelmed pretty quickly.
The first couple of levels ease you into the play mechanics, but I found myself scrambling to hit the correct buttons pretty soon out of the gate. As you can guess, the hamsters keep coming, forcing you to act fast or face the consequences. Things got so intense, I definitely became anxiety-ridden on more than a few occasions.
There’s really not much else to the game. Hamsters drop down, and the human must ensure they make it safely to the goal. Fail to do so, and you have to restart the stage. There are no frills, no bonus menus, and no options to speak of. This is as simple as it gets, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s not worth your time.
We’re almost halfway through the year which can only mean one thing: inevitable disappointment when the sun doesn’t make a significant appearance again during the summer months.
That and the fact that we are a very short time away from this year’s E3 convention which is already shaping up to be quite the show. We’ve already had some pre-show leaks thanks to the Canadian arm of Walmart listing some potential upcoming games early, but hopefully, there are some big surprises still in store!
There are also many questions that need answering this year; what games will carry the Xbox One X forward? How will Nintendo approach 2018 and will Sony have any surprise hardware up their sleeves?
Battle Royale: The New Zombies?
Alas, this article isn’t just about the big E3 build up. No, it’s about something more concerning; there’s an epidemic on our hands. We thought the zombie craze was bad (somehow there’s life in the old limbering corpse yet) but I feel that the ‘Battle Royale craze‘ is going to be far more significant.
When I say significant, I don’t necessarily mean positive either…
Before we get off on the wrong foot though, I’m not here to deny the popularity or success of the likes of PUBG or Fortnite. They have seen masses of players and followers flood over various platforms and social media alike, which is perfectly acceptable.
Likewise, it’s nice to see something a little different and it gives more people a choice when it comes to their online shooters beyond the likes of the usual Call of Duty or Battlefield.
What I don’t like though, is that we are starting to see people jump on the Battle Royale bandwagon and rush to have their own version of this mode included. From a business perspective, I can see why they would do this. If it brings in the numbers and also the money, then, of course, they will try to get in on the action.
However, when it is a detriment to an existing formula and series, then I don’t think mimicry is the best form of flattery in this instance. You see, it’s all well and good that the upcoming Black Ops game has a battle royale mode, but at what cost?
The single player campaign may be expendable to them, and others, but what about those who want a single player mode? There are some, myself included, who like playing the single player mode from the Call of Duty franchise and, without it, they may not even play it.
Without question, variety is the spice of life and that is certainly true in the games industry as it is nice to have something different and, without innovation, it would be a very boring marketplace indeed. But as Fortnite, or PUBG for that matter, aren’t direct competitors for the big hitters out there and are doing their own thing, just let them be. Appreciate them for what they are, and leave them be.
Others can mind their own business, continue with business as usual and try to innovate rather than renovate which is something that is lacking in the industry if you ask me; innovation. Heck, why can’t we try and innovate when it comes to campaign and single player modes to keep things fresh? Treyarch has said there’s plenty of value in their upcoming outing, but that’s in modes that are looking a little tired now.
Maybe make the campaign more expansive, more dynamic and more engaging. Give it some worth beyond a warm-up or prelude to the online modes perhaps?
But we shall have to wait and see if anyone else jumps on the hype train that is running 24 hours a day to destination Battle Royale. Do you like Call of Duty making this bold move or are you one of those who will refrain from playing Black Ops 4 because of this?
