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Tag: Gaming Features

From Egypt to Japan: Exploring ‘God of War’s Future Beyond ‘Ragnarok’

The Norse saga of the long-running franchise God of War has come to an end with God of War: Ragnarok. Kratos and his son Atreus have faced down the Norse gods, taken down Odin and seemingly freed a land under his iron fist. Yet, the second entry in this revival hasn’t truly answered every question that was left open from the events in this new duology of games. We still don’t know who blew the horn in 2018’s entry, what exactly the mask was all about or even if there’s more to that bizarre tear that rippled through reality. Kratos’ vision leaves us wondering if his story is truly over, or it’s just only begun. Luckily, there are some hints on what could be in store for players.

God of War‘s return was originally conceived quite a bit differently. Cory Barlog, who directed the first entry that released in 2018, actually wasn’t sure which direction to go with the new entry. It seems he wanted to explore different pantheons but couldn’t decide between Norse mythology or Egypt. Interesting enough, the fact that Kratos would have a son that uses a bow and arrow was the one concept that carried over. While we now know which direction he went, it’s still interesting that concept art exists of that original concept. We even have a tease during the exploration of Tyr’s treasure room in that same game.

Speaking of, a mural of Tyr’s travels in that same area also includes various symbols of Greek, Norse, and Egyptian mythology. What stands out is that there’s also a fourth in the form of a Japanese Shinto symbol that opens up the question if perhaps the team at Santa Monica Studio wanted to keep the door open to explore different pantheons depending on where the story leads them. While Egypt would seem like the more natural fit given just how close the original game almost turned into that story, there’s still a lot to explore moving forwared.

Still, the question remains on how exactly these pantheons will be explored. Kratos’ journey leads him through Ragnarok and saying goodbye to his son as he ventured out on his own adventure. So, it would seem easy to assume that whatever Atreus’ search leads to may be the cause of him wandering through other pantheons. We get to play as him throughout the game at different occasions, though it would be weird not to play the character that the entire franchise has been about throughout six console games and two portable spinoffs. It simply wouldn’t be the same without Kratos. While the final scene of the story could work as a way to cap off his journey, it also could be a guide for his own personal path moving forward.

A tweet by director Cory Barlog may have hinted that whatever story we’re set to explore will not fully move away from the Norse setting. One of the big moments during Ragnarok was when Jormungandr was hit by Thor and transported back in time to eventually grow into the version we meet in the first of the Norse saga entries. Yet, Barlog seems to imply thatthere’s actually more story to tell and we could find out what exactly was the true cause for Thor suddenly hitting someone through time and space. Perhaps it is something connected to Mjolnir?

https://twitter.com/corybarlog/status/1593335257905844225

Either way, it does seem like we’re not fully done with the Norse setting. Perhaps the eventual sequel still starts off in the setting that Kratos has called home and leads to an unexpected discovery. Whatever that crack in reality was, it could also act as a gateway that ends up dragging Kratos into a different place and forces him to face a new pantheon. We’ve seen word spread about what Kratos has done in Greece. So, any of the remaining gods out there would be worried that a man that took down two would eventually desire to reach out and do the same elsewhere. Wouldn’t it seem fitting that gods end up becoming their own demise by getting involved with those they should’ve just left alone?

Director Eric Williams, who took over from Barlog who took on a producing role for God of War: Ragnarok, has also hinted that there are active hints in the game about where they’ll go next. After you finished the main story, you can actually discover a prison from asgard that housed the real God of War Tyr, who ends up taking some personal time to travel the Nine Realms. The quest to find him sadly doesn’t really yield any benefits in Ragnarok, but Williams has pointed out that his actions may be our biggest clue to what’s to come.

The biggest hint might be the fact that you can find Tyr in Vanaheim doing something akin to Tai chi. We know that he’s traveled to other places on Midgard (if these pantheons even exist in the exact same realm, something the series is very vague on) and could become the bridge in the next story. Instead of a full-on invasion, perhaps someone is seeking Tyr’s help and he resides in Kratos to join him due to his own experiences from a different home. It would create an interesting dynamic and also help further explore a new dynamic between to Gods of War.

Of course, Santa Monica Studio isn’t bound to producing a singular franchise but Williams seems quite open to dedicating his career to doing just that, as revealed in a quote with the LA Times.

I remember talking to someone from another game company, where they were trying to get me to leave. The said, ‘Do you just want to be known as the “God of War” guy for the rest of your life?’ That was your big pitch to dissuade me? Because yes, I kind of do
Eric Williams

There hasn’t been an official announcement for a sequel, but any franchise that decides to use the wording “saga” is definitely not going to wrap it up anytime soon; the Marvel Cinematic Universe made sure of that very sentiment. If they are working on other unannounced projects, perhaps we’ll get a Spider-Man: Miles Morales type spinoff focused on Atreus as he seeks out the missing giants that now reside in other realms. Perhaps his actions in that game could lead to Kratos having to seek him out, setting up the next mainline sequel. For now, we can only speculate and it looks like we’ll have to wait quite a bit until we get any real news on a sequel.

Source: Destructoid, LA Times, YouTube

November 27, 2022
Current State of ‘Persona 6’

Persona is a series that has finally entered the mainstream due to its success with the official fifth entry. After its titular character Joker joined Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as its first DLC character, it was clear that Atlus had pushed their slice-of-life RPG to a new level. Yet, we haven’t heard much on the next numbered entry in the series, Persona 6. Yet even as 2021 was the franchise’s 25th anniversary, we still are lacking any concrete information on the next entry. As such, let’s take a closer look at the current state of what we know about the project so far.

The official confirmation came in a rather surprising way. We never got a definite highlight that work has already started on the project, but through a statement by Atlus director Naoto Hiroaka in a job listing back in July. It explicitly highlights that they are hiring for a sixth project that manages to succeed previous entry.

Thanks to the large amount of support we received for Persona 5, we have gotten a sense of accomplishment. But we can’t stop there. When we created Persona 4, there was pressure that it had to exceed Persona 3. Now, we will have to create a 6 which exceeds 5. However, exceeding 5 will be difficult with the current staff. I would like to surpass this tall hurdle with everyone who joins us in this recruitment
Naoto Hiroaka

This job listing came around a similar time when the 25th anniversary was announced with a promise for a year of news surrounding the Persona franchise. As mentioned previously, we still haven’t gotten quite a lot of insight into what the anniversary includes. While we did get the announcement in July and the confirmation of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax has been the only major reveal so far. The game wasn’t confirmed until the Video Game Awards in December with rumors hinting at remasters of Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden. The official site still hints at more announcements coming but the well has been dry for some time. Still, supposedly we’ll get seven announcements up until the fall of this year. If they include the merchandise and wallpapers, there are still four slots open.

There have been some curious visual teasers in the form of the anniversary-themed goods, which include all the main protagonists o the various entries across the series. What stands out is that they purposefully included one that only has “Secret” in its place. So, once an official announcement drops, they may unveil the character card, which would include the sixth entries protagonist, the game’s main color, and the school logo.

It seems very likely that this is a tease for an eventual announcement, especially with the placeholder also being used for the covers. Thoug, curiously,t the game covers includes two slots while each entry since P3 is mainly the vanilla game and its expansion, such as Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal. So, the new game either has two unique covers, or we might have a Pokémon situation with two versions of the same game.

Of course, an announcement this year doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll get the game any time soon. Though, there is a comment that hints at Atlus having some major plans for this year. Shinjiro Takada, who is the mastermind behind Etryan Odyssey and Shin Megami Tensei. He made the following reveal that the hope to offer a major release this year that will “become a pillar for Atlus” moving forward. Sadly, there’s no definite clue what exactly may end up being or even if it is Persona related.

I chose ‘Challenge’ as my keyword for 2022 in hopes to release a title to the world that will become a pillar for Atlus. The staff are working hard on development to make something that’ll be interesting and satisfying for everyone, so I’d be happy if you could look forward to it.

The interesting aspect about Persona 6 is that there aren’t many rumors about the upcoming release. As the last three entries covered the primary colors of blue, yellow, and red, many theorized that green is the most likely choice for the next entry in the franchise. Others have pointed to orange also being a possibility, but Persona 2‘s entries seemed to rely on a similar color. There are some rumblings of the game either embracing a female-centric storyline or copying Persona 3 Portable‘s option to choose your gender at the start of the game.

For now, the well is pretty dry but it seems likely that the 25th anniversary might end with an announcement for the franchise in the fall of this year. It’s not definite but signs are there given the inclusion of those “Secret” placeholders. There are hints that we’ll get a lot more announcements as time goes on, which hopefully means that it’s going to be a big year for the franchise. For now, we can only keep an eye out for more information as

Source: GamesRadar, Twitter, Atlus, Polygon, IGN, Kotaku

January 12, 2022
The Ten Best Games I Played in 2021

At the start of 2021, I took it upon myself to try something I’ve never done: finish as many video games as I could in a span of the year. Finish in this context meant completing a game’s campaign/story. I completed 53 games in 52 weeks, ranging from clockwork puzzlers to post-apocalyptic immersive sims (you can see the full list here).

I would generally play one game at a time; sometimes two if they’re different enough (for example, playing a light puzzle game on the PC is a nice breather from grinding bosses in Final Fantasy 7 Remake). Mind you, no speedrunning was involved in any of these playthroughs. In some games, I tried to maximize how many achievements/trophies I could get in a single playthrough.

Overall, it’s an experience worth trying but it’s one I might not try again. At least not at the pace I did it. While I didn’t rush through any of them, a lot of my time was spent just curating which game to play for the month to avoid feeling burnt out. The process of doing that ironically burnt me out.

With all that out of the way, here are the ten best games that truly struck me out of the 53 I played. It should go without saying that none of these are games from the year.

Disco Elysium

Like any good hardboiled detective story, Disco Elysium opens with a detective walking up from a drunken stupor, spoken to and chastised by the black abyss of his mind. Disco Elysium seemingly plays like any other old-school CRPG yet breaks the mold with its distinct skill tree and Thought Cabinet system, representing the lead detective Harry DuBuois’ deepest thoughts and personality traits. These mechanics, partnered with the game’s elaborate vision of a dystopian continent, its lavish art style, and startlingly profound whodunnit story, makes it one of the best noir games ever made. It’s a game that sucks you in with its moral and political complexities.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

The concept of an open world with sandbox gameplay has never seen better days than when Hideo Kojima released his magnum opus Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. In true Kojima fashion, none of the game’s minutiae – narrative and mechanics – have any business working but it all ends up coming together like a perfect storm. The game is rife with truly memorable moments such as the explosive prologue and its many infiltration missions, proudly wearing its many excesses on its sleeve. Even its lackluster second half is made worthwhile just by the scope of the gameplay mechanics. I spent more than 50 hours playing this, still don’t understand a damn thing about the story and that’s okay.

The Last of Us 2

The Last of Us 2 is an oxymoron: it’s fun as hell to shoot zombies and cult members yet it’s also so heavy to play through its narrative. Ellie’s spiraling story of vengeance and isolation held against Abby’s brutal search for her own humanity makes for a gaming experience that’s harrowing as it is engaging. The Last of Us 2 pulls no punches its moment-to-moment gameplay, making every second near-unforgettable, for better or worse. It was a blessing to be able to experience this game untethered from all the vitriol and hate surrounding it as I got to appreciate it for all that it was.

Spiritfarer

2021 was the year my adult self was ever faced with the prospect of death. Earlier this year, my mom had a near-death experience with COVID-19, to the point where she had said her last goodbyes to me. My mom thankfully survived the ordeal and but I wasn’t in the clear with death yet. Not too long ago, my adopted cat passed from a terminal condition.

It’s only fitting that the last game I played this year was Spiritfarer, a management simulation that is in many ways a study on death and the afterlife. Spiritfarer has all the bells and whistles of a management sim but its soulful premise is what makes it stand out. You play as Stella, a deceased girl tasked with bringing departed souls to the afterlife. The souls you meet throughout the game are people you’ve previously known in the physical world and it’s your job to make sure their trip to the afterlife is as comfortable as it can be.

Spiritfarer is almost a transformative experience for someone going through some form of grief. It’s a study in saying goodbye while also learning to tether one’s self to the things that matter. The game frequently moved me to tears that as soon as the credits rolled, I wept my eyes out. Spiritfarer is one powerful piece of art.

Risk of Rain 2

I’m never been big on roguelikes. I dislike randomness. I don’t like RNG-based mechanics. I like structure in my games. I don’t like to start fresh every playthrough. I like the hours I spend playing to be worthwhile that I can’t afford any of my progress to be temporary. Yet Risk of Rain 2 is my most played game of the year.

It’s hard to argue against a game that offers so much replayability, from the diverse characters with unique load-outs, the builds from the items you amass to the many secrets of the planet Petrichor V. The game also has a soundtrack straight out of the 70s progressive scene. Over a hundred hours in, I still find countless reasons to play the game.

Ori and The Will of the Wisps

Ori and The Will of the Wisps began my love affair with Metroidvanias. I coasted the past 10 years without playing a single one, not knowing what riches the genre offered. Having been aware of the first game, for the most part, it wasn’t until the trailer for Will of the Wisps came out that I got interested.

From the game’s main menu alone, I knew I was in for something special. Gareth Coker‘s score instantly cradles you into this lush yet dangerous world. Much like the creatures in the game, the music is just as much a character in it, evoking a sense of added wonder to this Laika-esque tale of family and friendship. In addition to that, the controls are so precise and kinetic. The level design, dynamic and always exciting.

Hollow Knight

If Ori and the Will of the Wisps was my gateway drug into the Metroidvania genre, Hollow Knight was my “git gud” rite of passage. I’ve never been more infuriated and enamored with a game simultaneously than Hollow Knight. It’s punishing yet so rewarding. The feeling of painstakingly getting through the White Palace, the hardest video game level I have ever encountered, dying every step of the way and eventually finishing it is a feeling of relief I’ll never get to feel again.

Persona 5

If you ever wondered what it was like to live life as a student by day and as an interdimensional creature collector by night, the Persona franchise is the franchise for you. The fifth installment of the series, puzzlingly titled Persona 5, singlehandedly scratched my annual JRPG itch in a way that Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake could not. Social simulators can’t get any better when you marry them with turn-based dungeon crawling and an anime narrative that’s one for the books. Persona 5’s scope is sprawling, as it offers players so many things to do. It also happens to feature one of the toughest last bosses I’ve ever fought in a JRPG.

Yakuza 0

If you told me that Yakuza 0, a franchise known for its silly excesses that have generated thousands of memes, would feature one of the most compelling crime stories put to a video game, I would have scoffed. But for all the insanity within Yakuza 0, writer Masayoshi Yokoyama pulls it off in a way that would make any other writer rife with envy. This is a game whose story I definitely enjoyed more than the gameplay.

Eastward

This game is memorable for being the first game I got to access early as a member of the press but that’s not the sole reason why this makes the list. Eastward is a charming pixel top-down adventure by way of the classic Zelda gems, set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The game is mechanically simplistic and is mostly driven by its sprawling, big-brained, sci-fi, JRPG narrative but it all comes together in a really satisfying way. The art style is so mesmerizing as well as the music.

December 31, 2021
DAREDEVIL: What Could A Hypothetical Game Look Like?

There’s a new AAA Marvel game being developed by industry legend Amy Hennig, whose previous work includes the Uncharted franchise, which she created, and Legacy of Kain, which she wrote, and a lot of fans seem to think it’s a Daredevil game. The reason why is because not too long ago, a rumor surfaced saying that Wolverine and Daredevil games were in the works. And because it’s been confirmed that there is a Wolverine game happening, fans think there might be credence to the Daredevil side of the rumor.

Let’s assume there is a Daredevil game and it happens to be the “narrative-driven, blockbuster, action-adventure” that Hennig described, just what kind of game does Daredevil need to have? What kind of game could it be?

Looking at the numerous video games based on comic books within the past decade paints a picture of what it could look like. The Arkham and Spider-Man games have their open-world and traversal. Square Enix’s Avengers has its co-op feature with multiple characters and builds to choose from. The new Guardians of the Galaxy game has a choice-driven narrative. The upcoming Midnight Suns is a deck builder. The Batman Telltale games are point-and-click detective adventures.

The most obvious one that comes to mind is the Arkham series. Given how that game pretty much serves as the gold standard for your defacto open-world game that has an emphasis on button-mashing combat makes it a very canvass to imagine Daredevil in. After all, Daredevil and Batman do share a lot of similarities; both were written by Frank Miller (but Miller turned Daredevil into Batman first a few years before he wrote Year One); both are trained ninjas; both rely on their physical acrobatic prowess; both use some form of radar sense (Bruce has his tech while Matt has his ears).

Combat-wise, Daredevil could certainly use some cues from the Arkham series but a system that automatically lets you snap to an enemy by mashing feels incredibly shallow and boring. The 2018 Spider-Man game really does a good job of taking the free-flowing fluidity of the Arkham-style combat while keeping the skill ceiling somewhat high. You also don’t want Daredevil to be a battle tank that runs over goons like Batman but you want a system that shows his graceful precision in taking down squads of enemies. You want his skills to have their limits and not feel unstoppable every step of the way.

A lot of people forget just how much of a traversal-heavy character Daredevil is. He’s a skyscraping acrobat that goes on joyrides with Spider-Man using his billy club. The 2018 Spider-Man has one of the most satisfying open-world experiences thanks to its freeing traversal system. While Daredevil is no Spider-Man when it comes to zipping through New York at 50 mph, you want a game that lets players use the billy club to explore to verticalities of whatever location he’s in. Amy Hennig‘s work on the Uncharted franchise could lead to some really robust platforming and traversal mechanics.

Thematically, a Daredevil game would benefit from some form of morality system. Be it one that changes the course of the story or one that has smaller changes in gameplay. Part of any Daredevil story are themes of faith and ethics so it’s a mechanic that would fit like a glove for any potential game. Should you beat this goon to a pulp or knock him out to get information? Should you stop Bullseye from assassinating a congressman or save the civilians he has hostage? Dilemmas like this should inform what happens to Daredevil.

Daredevil is a creature of the night, trained in the art of ninjutsu. So as a huge stealth game fan, I definitely would like to see a really effective stealth component in it. I know stealth mechanics aren’t a lot of people’s cup of tea but I especially love it when games offer the stealthy sneaky route as the more efficient solution. Games like The Last of Us had great stealth aspects that when utilized, tipped the scales to your advantage, as opposed to Ramboing your way out of an infected encounter and having your ass handed to you. You don’t have to sneak but sneaking makes everything a lot smoother.

Quite possibly the most important aspect is Daredevil’s signature radar sense. It’s his defining ability and a game that doesn’t take advantage of it would be a huge blunder. It’s a feature that should be incorporated in every aspect of the game including combat. It’s a mechanic so crucial unto itself that mechanics akin to the radar sense have served as cornerstones of certain games (LA Noire famously incorporated an interrogation mechanic that had players read whether a character was lying or not based on their facial expressions).

Having a radar sense mechanic leads to more varying gameplay opportunities such as branching dialogue trees and the like. It’s not unreasonable for a Daredevil fan to expect gameplay incorporating Matt Murdock’s lawyer life. Imagine a minigame where the player gets to work a witness on the stand during a high-profile court case by using your radar sense and other investigative abilities. It’s a no-brainer.

As far as the story goes, Hennig teased a completely new original story and take on the Marvel Universe. It’s hard to tell what she could mean by that but if I had to imagine a Daredevil story that was a completely new take, I would start with the setting. A Daredevil game set in Asia that looks visually looks like Ghost of Tsushima sounds too good not to imagine; picture Daredevil quietly infiltrating a Yakuza highrise in Madripoor. A story where Daredevil has to deal with a lot of occult Hand mysticism also sounds good; have him deal with the influence of the Beast as the player makes more corrupt choices.

Whatever the case is, whether it’s a Daredevil game or not, the idea that an industry legend like Hennig is working on a big Marvel game is more than exciting. We’re finally in an age where we have current-gen video games based on comic books that we can be proud of. For the longest time, it felt like the opposite.

But please be Daredevil.

November 2, 2021
5 Upcoming Indie Games To Look Out For

The weeklong Steam Next Fest, which presented a promising slate of indie games soon to be released, ended today. Being the indie game sleuth that I am, I took it upon myself to try out several demos to see which ones were worth looking out for. Here are the ones that stood from the pack.

CRYSTAL PROJECT

https://gfycat.com/frankwavyblackbear

It’s always a joy to see developers take a stab at classic gaming ideas and spin them into something different. Enter Crystal Project, which takes the fundamentals of an old-school Final Fantasy game and meshes it with the non-linear trappings of modern RPGs. In essence an open-world JRPG, Crystal Project gives players the freedom of exploration and without the cumbersome storytelling made famous by genre.

The current state of the game is incredibly polished and elaborate. It has all the bells and whistles of Final Fantasy classics such as a versatile job system and a turn counter for that modern QoL. Visually, the game is a treat. The combat animation is sublime and almost rivals the likes of the burgeoning 2.5D aesthetic pioneered by Octopath Traveler. The voxel Minecraft-backdrop takes traditional JRPG exploration to literally a new level by allowing players to move vertically on each 3D platform with a jump feature.

Fans looking for something traditional might be turned off by the game’s openness. According to developer Andrew Willman, the game’s story will be more of a world-building aspect than an actual plot.

Crystal Project is listed to come out on Q1 of 2022

ANNO: MUTATIONEM

https://gfycat.com/unhealthyshamelessalpaca

The release of Cyberpunk 2077 may have been a letdown for the cyberpunk genre but that isn’t stopping smaller devs from keeping it alive. In Anno: Mutationem, you play as Ann, a cyborg on a quest to find her missing brother that is seemingly involved in a big corporate conspiracy. In this incredible rendered 3D world, your 2D protagonist will fight waves of goons and all sorts of cybernetic creatures as you traverse through a hostile city.

While the demo doesn’t show us the full potential of what the game offers, it’s enough to pique anyone’s curiosity. The combat seems complex enough to allow players aerial combos. Exploring the unique 3D plane with a 2D character already makes the game a worthwhile experience.

No concrete release date is attached to this game though it has 2021 listed on Steam.

WYTCHWOOD

https://gfycat.com/madeuphorribleargentinehornedfrog

Steam describes Wytchwood as a story-rich, crafting RPG set in a gothic landscape filled with fables and folklore. None of those descriptions are ones that would usually draw a gamer like me in but a single glance at the game’s storybook artstyle did more than convince me to check out the product page.

Wytchwood will ooze charm and vivid nostalgia to kids who grew up reading books resembling it. Yet it somehow feels all unfamiliar and fresh. Given that you’re playing a witch and have your own Black Philip, there are obviously dark occult themes that rest beneath the cutesy design. The game mechanics are quaint and simple yet also seem deep enough to keep the casual gamer occupied. As far as indie games go, this is one of the most memorable ones I’ve seen in a while.

No concrete release date is attached to this game though it has 2021 listed on Steam.

HAIKU THE ROBOT

https://gfycat.com/weesimilarchihuahua

I arrived late to the Metroidvania party. Ori and Will of the Wisps turned me on to it but Hollow Knight showed me the genre’s true potential. So to see an upcoming game like Haiku the Robot embrace genre sensibilities akin to Hollow Knight makes it a highly-anticipated Metroidvania in my book.

The game’s presentation is absolutely stunning. The graphics, sound design, and gameplay are all tightly crafted. The pixel art style is wonderfully reminiscent of the Game Boy Advance era of sidescrollers I grew up playing. The platforming and combat feel precise and hefty which is absolutely crucial to any good Metroidvania. The little progression system we get to see is also very promising.

There’s no release date for the game currently but its Kickstarter campaign is still ongoing.

YOUNG SOULS

https://gfycat.com/vacantcraftyhairstreakbutterfly

The Young Souls demo had me in awe in the first 5 minutes of the game where it throws you in this suburban fantasy world where a small town is being taken over by goblins and odd monstrosities. A 2D beat-em-up game at its core with fun RPG elements as its flourishes, the player is given control of Tristan and Jenn, twins who find themselves in the middle of this crazy premise.

Hordes of goblins are sent your path as you alternate between each twin, hacking them away, parrying, dodging, and all that. Like most good beat-em-ups, the combat is surprisingly in-depth and should allow for all sorts of combos in a co-op setting. The RPG element works in harmony with the brawler elements as it opens up a new avenue of complexity in building your characters’ stats.

The only evident downside to this game is that you quickly get a sense of how subpar the writing and dialogue are. The game has a very Saturday morning cartoon aesthetic to it which is quickly undermined by characters forcibly cursing to seem edgy.

The game has Q4 2021 as its release so stay tuned as it may be real soon.

October 7, 2021
The Miracle That is Sora Joining ‘Super Smash Bros.’

It’s crazy to see Sora from Kingdom Hearts officially joining Super Smash Bros. Not only did we find out he was the most requested character long before the current entry, Ultimate, ever released. the game’s director Masahiro Sakurai has always followed one strict rule when adding new fighters. They always originated from a video game. Sora surprisingly matches that bill, as he’s a Square-Enix character that enters Disney worlds. Yet, the fact he is part of this massive franchise is a bigger miracle than you might consider at first.

So, the bizarre aspect about Sora is the legal nightmare behind it. Yes, the game was produced by Square-Enix but in conjunction with Disney. As such, it technically belongs to both companies from a licensing perspective. If you noticed, there are no single Disney characters included or referenced in the preview. The only distinction is the Mickey Mouse symbol on his keyblade. Donald and Goofy didn’t even get to join Sora in his Final Smash. They’re also excluded from the Hollow Bastion stage, as they are normally present in the Dive to the Heart section. So, there were certainly cuts that had to be made throughout the process.

Sakurai also highlighted the difficulties of adding the character was only possible with help to make this a reality. Hell, they couldn’t even announce the most popular character due to fears of legal troubles. Supposedly, rumors are pointing to the rights having been completely taken over by Disney at some point with Square-Enix primarily acting as the game’s developer. Still, they’ll need a sign-off from both companies and their legal teams to include him in a third-party project. Our first hint at this complexity came to light in an interview with Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida. He offered some insight after interest rose due to the Nier tie-in event.

As for a Kingdom Hearts crossover, for this idea, one of the troubles is that we have to coordinate with Disney, and so I feel that there would be so many hurdles and challenges around working with them, so I try not to think about a crossover with Kingdom Hearts.
Naoki Yoshida

If not even an in-house developed game like FFXIV won’t touch the franchise, it’s probably a legal nightmare for external developers to include him. There were many debates about who the final character might end up being and if it would be satisfying enough. Yet, the fact that the most popular voted character and one that seems like a statistical anomaly to ever find its way into another franchise like this is the perfect way to cap off the monolith. Plus, Mario being the one to bring him into the franchise is a beautifully poetic moment, as Kingdom Hearts came into existence the moment Square-Enix’s Shinji Hashimoto and Hironobu Sakaguchi discussed Super Mario 64.

Source: YouTube, EuroGamer, Nintendo

October 5, 2021
How Insomniac Can Improve ‘SPIDER-MAN 2’s Approach to Side Missions

When Insomniac Games dropped their smash-hit Spider-Man in 2018, it seemed they might have done the impossible. Against all odds, the project was almost universally acclaimed by the character’s widespread fandom. The studio received praise for their work on the story, graphics, voice acting, mechanics, character designs, and much more. Yet, there was one aspect that left a good chunk of players wanting more. The game’s many side quests proved to be a fun way of traversing the open-world map of New York City, they often felt as though they were lacking a little spark.

The video game’s main plotline was an emotional rollercoaster filled with surprising twists that involved a number of big-name Spidey characters. As a result, it began to feel a little flat when the majority of the side missions were simply repetitive jaunts to fix broken pipelines and knock the mind-control out of raging college jocks. Sure, a game about your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man should probably have a few friendly neighborhood objectives, but they shouldn’t take up most of the game’s precious real estate. The recently revealed Spider-Man 2 should take advantage of this to improve its take on side quests, and Insomniac should start the process by revolving the goals around more intriguing characters.

It makes sense that Insomniac might not want to use a major Spider-Man villain for a side mission when they could be used as the main antagonist in the future. This might be part of the reason Taskmaster set the challenges instead of a character like Kraven, who the company clearly plans on using in the franchise’s next installment. Luckily, our beloved heroes exist in a universe toppling with extravagant foes and tales just waiting to get adapted. One could take a look at any member of the webhead’s extensive rogues gallery and turn them into a short chain of mission objectives. That being said, the villains selected for the game would work best if their stories are able to possess a solid emotional core to build on. Peter Parker and Miles Morales tend to be at their most interesting when they have a little skin in the game. The stakes of their quests are raised by a personal connection to the threat they face.

A great way to accomplish this is by telling stories that build on the previous game or even hint towards the future. For example, the first game featured a character named Dr. Morgan Michaels, a precursor to Morbius. A fantastic follow-up to this would be Spider-Man hunting down a mysterious new serial killer, only to discover a vampiric Michaels. As this is a character Peter already knows, it would make his efforts to help him all the more engaging. The resulting side quest would feel far more earned and satisfactory than trying to race through Screwball’s obstacle courses ever did. Imagine the controversial F.E.A.S.T. building is taken over by Dr. Elias Wirtham and establishes his new medical center, H.E.A.R.T. Around the same time, the vigilante known as Cardiac begins stealing experimental medical equipment around the city. It results in two separate side stories combining into one.

The upcoming sequel’s additional expeditions would also be best optimized if they added new mechanics. Far too many of Spider-Man‘s added crusades utilized the same gameplay structure. It felt tedious in nature and led to a lack of replayability outside of the game’s grand narrative and general free-roaming. The next adventure’s inclusion of two active Spider-Men with different abilities will play a role in alleviating this issue, as Miles’ camouflage and venom strikes could be used for special stealth-based quests that Peter isn’t equipped for. The intermittent release of Spider-Man: Miles Morales also lends Spider-Man 2 the advantage of additional material to work with, some of which might give Miles some personal connections to new side villains.

A potential example comes to mind in regards to Miles’ brush with the Tinkerer. Building upon one of the last game’s best side quests, it would be interesting to see what might happen if Tombstone’s gang got their hands on her technology and used it to transform a pair of their wayward youths into the rivals Rocket Racer and Big Wheel. Feeling obligated to deal with Tinkerer’s fallout, Miles could rush to detain the duo and attempt to set them on a better path. Despite having just mocked the original game’s Screwball missions, the idea of a speed-based task to break up combat objectives isn’t a terrible one. It would just be better executed if Miles, and the player, had a deeper relationship with the material.

Insomniac looks to be on track to develop another success with Spider-Man 2, but if they really want the game to top its predecessor they’ll need to fix what didn’t work last time. The quality of the game’s side quests won’t make or break it, but they will be an integral part of the project’s legacy. Making them worthwhile through world-building and proper storytelling is something that could help cement the project as one of the industry’s great sequels.

September 14, 2021
Abby Will Be the Heart of ‘The Last of Us: Part III’

I imagine that a lot of people clicked on this article out of anger, and I sort of get it. Laura Bailey‘s Abby Anderson is not the most universally loved character in the history of video games. Even if a lot of that hate comes from less-than-desirable places. For a lot of fans, she is the person who killed Troy Baker‘s soulful southern brute, Joel. She brought out the worst in everyone’s favorite protagonist, Ashley Johnson‘s Ellie. And yet, despite all of this, she may be the franchise’s best shot at an actual happy ending. In fact, it almost feels like the most recent game went out of its way to set her up as the heart of a hypothetical third installment.

Let’s get this out of the way early. Ellie Williams, as Japanese gaming manuals like to call her, was not the hero of The Last of Us Part II. If someone wanted to do a little psychological digging, this fact is probably part of the reason so many gamers took issue with Abby’s role in the first place. She provided players with a viewpoint that allowed them to see the atrocities Ellie was committing. When we follow the events of the game through Ellie’s eyes, we feel her pain, and we want Joel’s killers to meet their end just as badly as she does.

Yet, when the game switches perspectives, Abby’s experiences suddenly show us our protagonist murdering relatively innocent people, including a pregnant woman. Players witness the true consequences of Joel’s killing spree at the end of the first game. It’s a hard pill to swallow, and one that left a lot of emotionally invested fans feeling understandably drained.

Ellie has been the core of The Last of Us from the very beginning. Even with early advertising propping up Joel as the story’s leading man, fans could tell that it was the young Elliot Page look-alike, doing battle against fungal beasts, that would steal the show. Franchise creator Neil Druckmann has even stated that, despite her supporting role in the game, he often viewed The Last of Us as Ellie’s coming-of-age story. It was perhaps this focus, and Johnson‘s likability, that blinded most of us from the path Ellie had been set on.

The true twist of Part II is that like Joel before her, Ellie is not able to overcome her darkest emotions when it truly matters. By the time she comes around, she’s lost her family, her ability to play music, and her sense of purpose in life. There is not an obvious driving force compelling her forward into another adventure. It’s mostly just a sense of regret and emptiness. On the other hand, a seen-better-days Abby closes Part II having let go of her hatred. She even has a goal in mind. Alongside the arrow-savvy Lev, she is going to find the Fireflies and help repair humanity. Her actions embody the philosophy of the franchise: “life goes on.”

The paramount scene of the original game was not the heartbreaking choice made at the hospital. It was, as we all felt, the overwhelmingly tender moment in which Joel and Ellie saw giraffes. After hours of playing through extreme violence and seeing the world at its very worst, we still manage to be awe-struck by the beauty of a loving long-necked mammal. That is what The Last of Us is really all about. It’s about reaching your lowest point, scraping the bottoms of the filthiest barrels, and coming back from it all with a new lease on life. Abby has seemingly done this, we meet her at her lowest and watch her develop beyond that point, but Ellie has just hit rock bottom. To conclude the trilogy on a more positive note, a third game should feature Ellie’s climb back to the top.

She may have drawn initial criticism from certain sects of the fandom, but whether they like it or not, it feels like Ellie’s happy ending is tied to whatever Abby does next. I won’t propose a full-blown plot for The Last of Us Part III, but if Druckmann and company want to go full circle, they could do a lot worse than having Ellie seek out the Fireflies one last time. Perhaps this time, she can do it on her own terms, with a mindless clouded by aggression. Abby, Lev, and their Fireflies will be the light at the end of her long, weary tunnel. They will be her giraffes, and maybe she can find the peace she’s never been comfortable having.

August 11, 2021
REVIEW: ‘Back 4 Blood’s Beta Teases a Zombie-Infested Potential

2021 hasn’t been an easy year for gaming, as many projects were pushed back into the next year. Turtle Rock Studios’ Back 4 Blood was one of those projects that faced an inevitable delay as the world adapted to the new pandemic working environments. Luckily, after a long way, we finally got our first glimpse at the spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead with its Open Beta testing over the weekend. So, here are our thoughts on the new entry and how it stacks up to the Steam game it inspires to be like. Will it offer a modern equivalent, or simply a carbon copy with a new paint job?

First off, the game definitely feels like a direct continuation of the original. You are thrust into an infected world as you fight your way from one safe house to the next. On your way, you fight an onslaught of infected alongside some mutated variants, who offer an additional challenge. There are even boss zombies like the Ogre. He shows up to confront your team early on in the campaign, which is a unique mechanic to this game. Sadly, it wasn’t much of a challenge. It mainly served as a temporary bullet sponge and is taken care of easily.

Overall, the game feels great, and you can jump in with a group of friends to take down zombies anytime. You can always join a random group and take over an AI partner during their campaign run. It also builds its own mechanics to stand out from its inspiration, as you can set a deck of perks that you can unlock after finishing a story chapter. It’s a great mechanic that adds replayability, as new skills could make the next run easier. You also can invest Copper into perks that support the entire team. So, there’s a risk-reward system pushing cooperation.

Before you start your first run, the Beta throws you into a camp without any real information, which was jarring but a given with this type of testing. Though, it could’ve helped ease players into the new concepts, which the base game might hopefully do. In addition, you can also face a group of players and take control of the infected. My experience sadly was bogged down by the lack of available players, with me facing an entire team of four on my own.

In the Beta, you can only play through the first campaign, which is fairly long with some creative story moments sprinkled throughout. One of the hardest levels is where you must outrun a horde of zombies and get on a ferry. You’ll get overrun quickly, and we’ve frequently lost players on the bridge, which commonly ended in the entire team’s defeat. It’s a fun ride but does repeat the same concept very frequently of whatever you’re doing involving a horde of enemies attacking you once you try to solve an objective or wait around until you can continue. It was fresh back in 2009 when Left 4 Dead 2 was released. Yet, now feels a bit repetitive and lacks something to truly make it stand out from what inspired it.

Throughout your run, you have a variety of weapons at your disposal with various handguns, shotguns, melee weapons, and more. Each weapon serves its purpose well and feels great while playing on a PlayStation 5. The only drawback is that the console game snaps you to your target. So, I never felt the need to really put in the effort, as I could just easily lock on automatically. It also led to many accidental friendly fires, when a friend was standing in front of the zombie my game decided to target.

Overall, there’s a lot of potentials here. It’s a fun romp to jump in with friends and take down a horde of zombies. In some ways, the game does falter by trying to pay tribute to the original series. There are elements to make it unique, with the perk system being a highlight. Yet, it’s not going to blow anyone’s mind or really reinvent the genre. The guns feel snappy, even if the target lock-on system is very easy to abuse. It feels like a great addition for anyone looking to scratch that zombie co-op shooter itch, or who really missed the Left 4 Dead franchise.

August 8, 2021

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