Ubisoft and Tom Clancy have shared what is quite possibly the longest healthy relationship in all of gaming. Seriously, fact check it. And Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is the latest entry into this abstract marriage. Released on March 15th, 2019 on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC The Division 2 is a third person multiplayer squad based action shooter. Developed by Massive Entertainment, The Division 2 aims to be the improvement of everything that was great about the first installment.
GRAPHICS: 2/2
The Snowdrop Engine looked amazing 3 years ago when it was first used on The Division. Division 2 however, is the first true example of what the Snowdrop Engine is really capable of. As soon as the game launches everything looks incredibly amazing, but that’s not the big selling point. The big selling point is the amount of control, even on consoles, the player has over the visuals of the game. Ubisoft’s proprietary engine allows for so much customization to allow anyone to set the games visual to exactly how they’ll enjoy it most.
The freedom and control the Snowdrop Engine offers coupled with the fact that the game looks great is incredible. Every animation, from person to animal to explosion, looks fantastic. Nature blends itself well into the concrete settings of post apocalyptic destruction filled D.C. Character movements look and feel astonishingly natural, especially for a game so tethered to online. Take some time to kickback and just enjoy the scenery. It will not disappoint.
STORY/IMMERSION: 1/2
Within the world of the Division exist a major crisis. It’s been a little over half a yeas since the initial infectious outbreak that brought down the U.S. And now things are reaching anarchic levels of bad. Members of the Joint Task Force have defected and left the white house completely vulnerable to the Hyenas and the Outcast. The worst has literally come to fruition and there’s a lot of work ahead to make things better. The story itself is great however the presentation not so much.
Being an online multiplayer game diminishes the value of the story and makes it really hard to feel like a part of it. Lines between campaign missions and side missions are very blurred because the real gameplay goal is to become stronger. Very rarely does the game stop and allow for the narrative to position itself upfront and center. The focus was clearly on gameplay and shoot’em up mechanics over narrative delivery.
AUDIO: 1/2
The Division 2 has a very unique sound design issue. The world is designed to be chaotic and feel unsafe. However, unless there is a nearby firefight the visual fidelity makes everything feel peaceful, somber, and a bit messy. It has a post car accident feel. Everything looks like something really bad happened, but that bad thing passed. The emptiness of the world makes space a very lonely audio feeling. The good news is this ambience is nearly perfect for an online squad based shooter. Considering most of the sound will be the nonsense chat amongst the squad.
GAMEPLAY: 2/2
Third person cover based shooters typically suffer from inconsistent character behavior. Everyone whose ever played has fallen victim to being completely exposed to the enemy because the game misunderstood your cover request. Division 2 has not entirely fixed this but it doesn’t suffer as much as other games. Not sure why, but not complaining. Outside of that major genre flaw, everything in the game feels great. The dynamics of weapon modification is pretty cool even if it suffers from the online game issue of racing to higher numbers.
A lot of the tactics of understanding weapon mods is removed because the overall goal is to increase the overall gear number. That number represents the truest strength of the character. The controls in action are super tight and have a vast number of customization options to fit any play style. And the development team is being super supportive of the community, listening to request and complaints.
FUN: 2/2
Despite being a multiplayer game, The Division 2 is still incredibly fun as a single player game. The squad based combat with friends online is hands down the best way to experience this game. However, the experience alone is just as fun, especially if you don’t mind the added challenge of doing it alone. The frequency of ammo and supply restocks make it feel endlessly exciting. The thrill of an even match against enemies keep the action nonstop. Are far as third person shooters go, there really isn’t anything on the market as exciting as The Division 2.
The Division 2 is an incredible sequel and an incredible example of “games as service” done right. The load times could be better, but once the game is loaded hours could fly by without feeling gaming fatigue. Although Division 2 is an online multiplayer game, it is accessible to anyone who enjoys single player third person cover based shooters. Simply put, save for the lack of narrative focus, this is a great game.
After years of speculation and rumors Borderlands 3 will be coming to a console near you. Gearbox and 2K confirmed the long awaited sequel at a keynote during PAX East. Although little information was provided at the initial announcement, Gearbox promised more in the near future.
Check out the trailer!
The next reveals will happen on April 3rd. And, Hopefully we get our bags filled with exciting Borderlands 3 news. In the meantime, true Borderlands fans can rejoice in the second major announcement. Borderlands: Game of the Year edition is will be available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. When? April 3rd. Why? Well because, why not and it’s getting some big quality updates.
For any newcomers to the series, Borderlands is a First Person RPG Shooter. Some fan favorite elements of Borderlands include a ridiculous range of customization and weapons crafting options and 4 player co-op. I mean who am I kidding, everything about Borderlands is a fan favorite. From the unique comic book aesthetic to the different play styles of each character to the amazing narrative. Borderlands is a series that is experienced not just played.
So it looks like it’s going to be a good year for Borderlands fans and the Gearbox crew. Are you excited for Borderlands 3?
Nacho chips are pretty good. You know, I’ve cut myself off of all junk food, but when it comes to snacks… I cannot resist two things. Number 2 on that list is nacho chips. Whether it’s straight from the supermarket or restaurant serving, they are great. If you’re like many people, you’ve come to realize that the $2 bag of Santitas is the real deal. You’ve also come to another conclusion, and that’s what to serve your nachos with.
Are you thinking about queso? Well too bad. Queso sauce doesn’t count because it tastes good on literally everything. Tacos? Queso. Steak? Queso. Fish? Queso. Nay, we’re here to talk about the Splatfest November 2018 event. Coming to a Nintendo Switch near you, enjoy getting to choose between the best to nacho companions by duel. The theme? Salsa vs Guacamole. You are choosing between a tomato and peppers mixture versus a fulfilling avocado and lime paste. Okay, honestly both those sound terrible by description. But connoisseurs of Mexican cuisine will be able to tell you all about how they both are amazing.
Salsa. A delicious and spicy addition to the crunchy, wholesome, salty taste of the chips. The spicy aroma and taste certain add a layer of action to the tortillas, don’t you think? Just thinking about it makes you crave it. Let’s talk about a real restaurant. A local authentic Mexican cuisine restaurant with great prices has a fun addition. You see, normally some Mexican restaurants will give you the tortilla chips and call it a day. If you’re at Chipotle or Moe’s. Moe’s has a ton of salsa selections in particular. But nothing can beat the local place that serves hot salsa with a layer of refried beans and cheese on top of it. That’s what this local place does, and that’s what makes it amazing.
Guacamole. A soothing, smooth topping to the crunchy, hard satisfaction of chips. In this case, the smooth taste of the avocado mashed up with other ingredients is the perfect recipe. If you live in California, you are overexposed to the vegetable and are disqualified. But anyone else? We have to pay the restaurants EXTRA if we want to get some guacamole. In one particular local authentic Mexican restaurant that is not the one above, they have it special. You get served a freshly made batch right in front of you. The waiter comes over with a tray full of the ingredients, puts them in a bowl, and mashes it up all before you. It’s rather impressive, the mixes needed to make perfect guac.
If I had to pick one, I’d go with team Salsa. Salsa is an absolute essential when it comes to tortilla chips. On top of those, it’s also essential for tacos. The truth is, you can always go for some cause with it. Salsa comes in many varieties. These include mild, medium, hot, very hot, super hot, and ‘why is this green?’. Those are a lot of varieties. On the other hand, guac is a luxury that is only good once in a while. If you had this several times in a row and still want it the next day, you’re either a dirty Californian or crazy. Guacamole is good as a treat but is certainly not necessary for all servings of chips. But it is definitely orbiting around the salsa. It always comes with salsa.
Salsa is the key to victory. Our deliciously spicy destiny awaits us. Together, we shall do our best to combat the enemy to victory. We will prove once and for all that salsa is the best snack enhancement of all time!
The festivities run from 8pm PT/11pm ET on November 16, 2018 until 8pm PT/11pm ET on November 17, 2018.
The Greek Historian Brotherhood, or GHB, has recently filed a complaint in Quebec. One of Ubisoft’s many various unique talents in game mastery, Ubisoft Quebec is responsible for the newest installment in this ongoing franchise. According to the district attorney’s office, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey was in direct violation of the terms set when they were chosen as the setting for the game.
The foreign minister of Greece, Nikos Kotzias, pointed out that the depiction of soldiers and warriors in Roman historical times were a misrepresentation of the country. Further, he cites that if people play the game and see the amount of violence contained within, tourism would decrease for the region. In a recent testimony made public by the local newspaper, Kotzias said:
“Greece is a fantastical place richly filled with the culture of civilization itself. To depict the ancient city as a place of gory violence does a discredit to the country. For in the preservation of history, and for the interest in the comon [sic] folk, this video game cannot be allowed to be distributed. Not in our humble country, it is completely outrageous. And more so, it is not truthful.”
In Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, you play as twin characters Evie and Jacob Frye, two Spartans who fought in the infamous “300” battle against the Turkish empire. The death animations are some of the most graphic and gratuitous in the history of the franchise. Many Greecians feel like this may make them come across as violent, though that is not the case.
Famous video game sales company in the country, Σταματήστε το παιχνίδι, has recently boycotted the game and refuse to stock shelves with it. They too are unhappy with the title. Recently, the CEO of the company, Ντόναλντ Τραμπ, put forward a statement.
“Ντόναλντ Τραμπ will not be selling Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, as it is a complete fabrication of our history. It is erasing our culture piece by piece, and we cannot endorse it.”
Assassin’s Creed has sold truckloads of money over the years, and this recent example isn’t even the first game to come under fire. Italy had its own complaints about Ezio Auditore da Firenze from the Assassin’s Creed 2 trilogy.
Despite this news, many Greeks are hotly anticipating the title, as slightly buggy open world games with choppy cutscenes have recently become popular over there. Odyssey ticks all right boxes, so it only makes sense that they would want to play it. Hopefully, Greece will change its mind soon enough, or the gamers of Greece are going to rise up.
In case the gratuitous factual errors didn’t make it clear enough, this article is in fact, satire.
The greatest celebration of squid culture is once again poised to take place this October 2018. Of course, being synonymous with the month and the season, it’s safe to say that this round will pit team Cider against team Pumpkin Spi- wait. Oh no, scratch that. The upcoming splatfest is going to be team Trick vs team Treat. I guess that’s okay too. I mean we do need to settle the score between Cider and Pumpkin Spice, but that can be tabled for another day (although Cider is superior, fight me). Yes yes yes, we are getting a Halloween special for this month. So, which team will you choose? Consider the following:
Team Trick is for people who live their lives waiting for Halloween to drop. For many, Christmas is only second fiddle to Halloween. It is the greatest celebration of the horror genre on the calendar. But also for cosplayers, it’s for them too. Giving people a scare while wearing plastic vampire teeth, drinking fake blood, and howling at the moon is all part of the jam. You probably also like the Nightmare Before Christmas, but whether that’s a Halloween movie or Christmas movie is up to you (it’s a garbage movie, fight me). Join team trick if you’re there for the thrills and chills!
Team Treat on the other hand, is all about one thang, and one thang only. Murdering your teeth and stomach with gobs of candy. Reese peanut butter cups, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Twizzlers, Milky Way, Whoppers, Milk Duds, Gummies, Lollipops, the list goes on. That or you get to the sick sick people who hand out Juji Fruit, Jujubes, and those mysterious black and orange wrapped sticky things that taste like chewy sawdust. Whether you’re a young trick-or-treater going door to door asking for candy or stealing from candy jar (or siblings) candy at parties, you got a sweet tooth.
I don’t know about you but it’s all about the TREATS for me. Halloween is the night where you not only treat yourself, you get knocked into a food coma over the amount of sugar you just consumed in one hour. Or get hyper, depends person to person. Either way, I’m fighting for team TREAT!
Oh, and one more thing. This Splatfest is going to go on for 48 hours. That’s right, that’s double the amount of splat-tacular action in one splatfest. Which is great because last time I only ended up with 30 minutes to play. But for this one, you get to play between October 19th to October 21st. For our North American friends, it starts @ 6PM Eastern time on the 19th, and ends @ 6PM ET on the 21st. Grab your dualies and prepare for a scare.
If you have a Nintendo Switch, there’s a chance you might purchased the newly unveiled online program. Currently, the only game that is really worth playing online is Splatoon 2. Let’s not beat around the bush here. This game is absolutely where it’s at when it comes to the Switch. Sure, we’ll get Smash Ultimate in December, but I hate smash (fight me) so I’m all good with some hot, splatterific action.
It appears that Nintendo are thanking people for their purchase by giving people some free gear. You may have received an email that looks something like this.
That’s right, a free jersey and shoes. I know, I know, so what? It’s just cosmetic? Need I remind you that clothing gives you various boosts to your stats? You should know that. For an in-depth look, one YouTuber has already put up a video showcasing the new threads in Inkopolis, and while playing Tower. Note, the video is in Japanese, so the font on the jersey will likely vary regionally.
Now, there is a much larger issue at bay here. Despite cloud saving being one of the biggest new features to the Switch Online program, Splatoon 2 doesn’t support it. Which means that the most popular online game on the Switch isn’t even using every feature. This issue has become a sticking point with the service, because there are several other games that also don’t support cloud saves. Worst off, Nintendo hasn’t given much for a reason why other than saying it’s to stop cheaters. That sounds like a big fat lie if you ask me.
This issue of cloud saves in Splatoon 2 will be addressed in an upcoming video.
Remember back when the PSP was the coolest thing on the block?
And then all of a sudden anybody who could make a pandora battery was a master hacker? And the PSP ultimately became the greatest way to play stolen, I mean emulated, game?
It may seem so with the latest reports we’re hearing. Retro-Arch is back with it’s latest update friends. And this latest update is making major waves. If you don’t know let me be the first to inform you. Retro-Arch is a homebrew program that combines all your favorite gaming emulators into one beautiful new place. Development started back in 2010 (yea I know that was mad long ago. In fact I had just graduated high school!) and fast forward to 2018 and let’s just say its working.
It’s working so damn well it can run on everyones new favorite home console portable system hybrid. That’s right, if you fall into the “Criminal Activity Indulging” category of gamers, first off shame on you, second its your time to shine baby. That’s right the latest version of the app runs flawlessly on hacked Nintendo Switches.
We don’t encourage the use of hacked consoles on HardModeGamers but we do support the freedom to do whatever the hell you want with your console so long as you purchased it. With that said, don’t expect much more info from this guy. I already feel dirty including the link. Gross.
Let us know in the comments below how you feel about hacking your console for free games or in general.
I understand that not a lot of people are racing game fans. But please, listen to me. Old racing games may have soured you to the concept. Sometimes is the bullshit AI. Sometimes it’s the simulation being too hard. But FH4 is actually the perfect racing game. It encompasses any form of playstyle, where you can play it exactly how you want. If you want a fun arcade racer, you have it. Hardcore simulation? You can get that too. Somewhere in the middle? You bet.
I also isn’t trying to hard to lay a plot on you. This new installment definitely has more cutscenes, but it’s all just context and filler. People physically talk to you instead of chatting you on the radio. There’s still showcases, but there’s also a new feature called “Stunt Driver”. Not to be confused with Stuntman: Ignition, the recently free 360 game for Xbox Gold subscribers.
The changing of seasons also keeps the game fresh, as the rotation of weather changes several of the races you get to in the game. This is yet another addition to the winning formula of the Forza series. Again, maybe some bad racing game turned you off. But this here, this is the racing game to play. This is the best racing gave you will ever play. It’s genuinely Game-of-the-Year material as far as I’m concerned. It certainly is Xbox’s killer app, and I expect holiday sale bundles should come with this masterpiece. I want an Xbox One X just to play this game. It’s that good. Forget Halo and Gears of War. Play Forza. It will enhance your life in ways you could never imagine.
Forza Horizon 4 releases October 2nd. Tomorrow as of the time of this post.
But honestly, why the fuck is the Tesla Model S not in this game?
Damn the sad news has finally arrived. I knew something was fishy with all the backpedaling good news this week. Sony officially announced that the PSX event we’ve come to love in its short time will not be happening this year.
Sony cites a lack of announcements as the reason for canceling the show. As a major fan boy I think it’s risky for me to say this is a good move but it’s a good move. It’s better to deal with one bad Day then the outcry for ever of a bad event people paid money to go to.
Let’s see if they chose to go the Nintendo route with some sort of web presence. Or maybe nothing at all.
We have watched in awe, again, again, and again. Hideo Kojima’s new horror videogame, Death Stranding, is quite the bizarre thing to behold. Dig around on YouTube and you can find many various theories on what the game is about, how it works, and most importantly: what the actual fuck is happening? Seriously. We don’t quite know when this game is coming out. Tokyo Game Show 2018 has graced us with another new trailer. The only footage we have seen of actual gameplay is Norman Reedus walking around the world while carrying heavy stuff on his back. And now? We have what appears to be a boss battle. Industry voice-acting mainstay Troy Baker joins the fold as the Man in the Golden Mask. He summons a pterrifying monster made of tentacles and a gold mask. Okay then? View it below.
-The Splatfest for September 2018 asks, “What’s your style?”
-Splatfest launches @ Midnight, Sept 22nd.
The time has come once again to celebrate the greatest festival in all of squid culture. We are of course talking about Splatoon 2’s latest splatfest. For the month of September, it seems as though the theme is based on fashion. Retro vs Modern! Do you like to be hip and fresh, or rock it old school? To be honest, Retro vs Modern is kind of vague, don’t you think? I mean, a big proponent of modern culture is based on deviations from retro culture. The New 10s decade has sought a lot of inspiration from the 80s and 90s. In a world dominated by art styles like “vaporwave”, where does the line get drawn? Where does old fashioned end? Where does modern begin? Really makes you do the big think.
I, Chet, will be joining team RETRO this time, based on this evaluation. For it is the retro styles that govern what makes modern fashion so… fashionable. Mixing and matching different color schemes, adding new takes. Modern style is affected quite frequently by various interpretations of what made retro styles so cool to begin with. Look at game design itself. You have so many different games that base their locations on retro-futuristic ideals. You see? Retro styles bascially ARE modern styles, and that’s why TEAM RETRO will win this Splatfest. Or at least, it will win the popular vote. As always, the team with the most passion and the most skill will be the ones to reign champions. Be there, or be square, all day September 22nd. Tell us what you think is the best choice to go for in the comments. And enjoy this slideshow from OFF THE HOOK if you want to know more.
Another lucky week to be a gamer ladies and gents. That is unless you are the guy who has to write these. I must admit this week really showed me how tough this is actually going to be. Alas, it is a blessing regardless and I am excited to be the thing-ray of information! Or just a guy with a laptop and an obsession with video games. You decide.
1. Another price drop on Virtual Reality hardware has arrived!
If you are unfamiliar with how excited I am about VR you have got some catching up to do. TL;DR, I LOVE VR! HTC announced a significant price drop on their incredible VR headset the HTC Vive. The price drop reduces one of the most heavily supported VR platforms thus far by $200 bringing the retail price to $599. Although thats not enough to have us all flock to the nearest store (also known as online shopping) it leaves hopes high for the possibility of an incredible holiday bundle. Doesn’t that just put some egg noggy spice in your heart?
2. PC Elitist & Mobile Champions Unite: the 15th Final Fantasy approaches.
I think the header pretty much sums up what this about, but wait theres more! Alongside the announcement of a PC version of this fantastic game, Square announced a partnership with the almighty Ubisoft. The partnership will bring Assassin’s Creed themed DLC to Final Fantasy across all Platforms. I could bore you with the details of 4K compatibility and increased textures but I won’t. I am better than that. However, I am not above ruining the excitement I just created by letting you know the release window is early 2018. Almost 2 years later. Does that hurt yet? No I can’t be that mean, so I’ll leave you some good news. Final Fantasy Pocket Edition will be coming to an Android or IOS device near you later this year.
3. How do we feel about tanks merging with stories?
We may not have an answer now, but we will very soon. World of Tanks, one of the most popular free to play titles of all time surprisingly, will be receiving an actual story based campaign. The campaign will play out as isolated chapters focused on specific units, which means you’ll play as certain tanks, and the mission they take on. After completing the story you can go back and play the challenge mode using any tank you want. I don’t know if I’ll start playing but I will definitely look into this when they arrive on all available platforms.
4. BioMutant: A wholly new original action RPG!
A team of former Just Cause developers have announced a brand new action RPG called “BioMutant”. Under their new independent dev group, Experiment 101, the team has gotten THQ Nordic to publish the game which will let you take advantage of “mutations, bionic prosthetics, and weapons” to make your character cool. Oh and because no current gen game can exist with game impacting choices, everything you augment will impact the way your hero plays. Doesn’t that sound insane and exciting? It’s coming at some undetermined time next year. Fun over.
5. Fe coming to Switch!
Announced by EA at E3 2016, the upcoming Fe platform has been confirmed to be paying a visit to the Nintendo Switch! Taking on the role of a Cub who awakes in a forest (Wait, isn’t that where most cubs wake up?) and then uses sound to communicate as it explores the world rescuing wildlife. No, don’t stop reading. It’s fun, I swear. It sounds way more boring on paper than it really is. and If you need anymore excitement, EA confirmed the game will be released sometime early 2018 on all platforms. Excellent.
6. Enter the land of VR!
Probably the most exciting news this week. More VR! Well now really more, just concrete proof of VR fun to come. Three recently announced VR games have been given release dates! And they are all releasing in the last two months of the year. First is Skyrim VR, the game I plan to play heavily cause I always said I would actually play it if it were VR. It will be releasing on PSVR on November 17th! Doom VFR, I am significantly less excited for but still excited for, will be available to play on December 1st for PSVR and HTC Vive. And Last but not least, Fallout 4 VR will launch exclusively on HTC Vive on December 12th, with arrival on other platforms still a possibility. VR for the win. [Editor’s Note: Including this example here, VR has now been mentioned 16 and a half times in this article.]
7. Return of the Titans.
Following the success of pretty much everything that holds the Attack on Titan branding, a sequel to the PS4 exclusive Attack on Titan game has been announced. The newly announced game will act as a direct sequel to the hack’n slash title that retold the first nineteen chapters of the amazing manga. If you love this world you will be more than excited to know that the new one has been in development for sometime since the first release and will be arriving early 2018. Oh yea, can’t wait to collect more necks.
