Kingdom Hearts 3 was developed and published by Square Enix and let’s just jump on into it.
GRAPHICS: 1/2
Kingdom Hearts 3 is a game 13 years in the making. It kinda shows. The game doesn’t look bad. It’s a cartoon design how could it? But it doesn’t have any huge flair either. It lacks the Pixar sheen thats makes the 3D animated films outstanding. On the other hand, it does have the illustrious color of the classic 2D Disney films. It just doesn’t do anything to really stun the player. Although, the way the team managed to recreate environments from some of the greatest movies of all time is incredible, the initial wow factor fades quickly.
STORY: 1/2
Where to begin? Quite literally might be the single toughest question the development team had to handle. And boy did they miss the mark. There is no way to get into Kingdom Hearts 3 without having played the series before, assuming Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 are enough. The game immediately throws a bunch of characters in without any introduction. Not necessarily to who they are, as most are Disney icons, but rather how they impact whatever is going on. And because of this there is hardly any explanation of what’s going on. It’s probably a great finale to a great series, but as a standalone title it opens with way too many questions.
AUDIO: 2/2
Similar to the graphics, the development team’s ability to recreated classic sound effects was astonishing. The hours and man power that must have went into this absolutely paid off. The family film feeling was in every valuable sound bit. Coupled with the incredible voice acting, the world could not have felt more alive. Sure the menu sound suffers from the Square Enix gold standard of using annoyingly sharp chimes for menu navigation, but worth the trade. The sound design makes for Kingdom Hearts 3 to be a truly immersive experience.
GAMEPLAY: 2/2
Kingdom Hearts 3 has an incredibly balanced combat system. The key blades weapon setup that gives each keyboard two nearly opposite play styles adds an incredibly strategic layer to the game. Coupled with the magic skills, it moves the needle way past the hack and slash threshold. Exploring the universe, rather the “Ocean Beyond”, quickly turned itself into it’s own super fun fast paced minigame. There are so many elements to explore, nearly every gameplay aspect could be its own game.
FUN: 2/2
This game makes itself very easy to keep playing. Battle after battle, the combat felt exciting. Some players might want to adjust the control setting for their preferences. It’s hard not to want to be a part of the adventure even though the game makes its so damn hard. Inclusion is the only barrier for newcomers. With that said theres no way that anyone who understand the story aren’t going to enjoy the hell out of this. The combat system is great, flying the ship is way more fun than it should be, and the worlds are colorful, oozing imagination. It really feels like a major Disney event. All major Disney events are fun.
Kingdom Hearts 3 might be the greatest finale to a long running series to date. However, it ignores all new players by providing no welcoming entry point. The game is a ton of fun to play, so it’s hard to imagine anyone who loves the series being disappointed at all. The only real way to fully enjoy Kingdom Hearts 3 is certainly to play all the games before it. Or at least watch the recaps on Youtube.
Is it really a stretch that the main character fought mythical beasts?
An interesting topic was brought up in a thread about the latest Assassins Creed. A commenter said that the inclusion of magical elements and legendary beasts we a step too far. Sure, by now we all know that the AC franchise take many creative liberties with history. But in a game where you can relive the memories of ancestor via DNA sample isn’t really hard sci-fi, is it? But yeah, the jump between pre-movie AC games and the newer post-movie AC games does mark a striking change in some of the established lore of the series. (BTW, don’t watch the movie, just using it as a point of reference here.)
Very minor spoilers for Odyssey, but there are optional boss fights with beasts of legend from Greek folklore. But it’s not that surprising is it? After all, we do know that the people of the “first civilization” enjoyed messing with early humans. But is it a step too far anyway? It’s still the memories of the ancestor, so you should see what really happened, right?
No, actually. Coming up toe to toe with the Minotaur actually might make a bit of sense. The key operating word is that we are exploring memories. The game already likes to throw around the “memory glitch” or something as a handwave to issues. But that’s a weak excuse and there’s a better explanation. Memories can be distorted over the years. Some things aren’t quite how you remembered them.
Like how to spell the BerenSTEIN Bears or whether or not Sinbad was a genie. No, I’m not trying to invoke the Mandella Effect but… Well, yes I am actually. The stories are stories for a reason. Do we remember who killed Medusa? Was it the gods or just that Kassandra person?
Okay, so why is it okay then?
But really what it comes down to is this. It’s perceptions that paint these memories the way they do. When Kassandra defeats the legendary beast, the moment she takes the artifact, the ‘monster’ quietly transforms into a little Sackboy, basically. Were the ‘gods’ just messing with Kassandra’s head? There’s no way to know for sure.
But we do know that Kassandra believes she defeated these beasts. It is what she thinks she did. So when you’re in the animus, exploring her memories, its going to show you she actually felt about the fight. Maybe the Minotaur was just a slightly oversized bull that she had a hard time with. Maybe Medusa was just a sickly woman using superstitions or herpetology to fight back. Maybe she ate some psychedelic mushrooms on her way to the Sphinx?
In the film 300, the bombs that the Persian army chucked at the Spartans were referred to as magic. As is the case here, I believe. Whatever happened, Kassanda had her very own explanation for what transpired. Simply a matter of what she believes. And if she truly believes that she fought mythical beings, then that’s what the animus is going to show you. It’s not magic, just perception.
MALAKA! Chet has played about 90 hours of Assassins Creed Odyssey and doesn’t expect to stop any time soon.
In recent times, it seems as though 60 dollars does not actually pay for the “whole experience”. With pieces missing from the game should you choose to buy the “base version” you are forced to miss out on certain perks and benefits. Sometimes it’s big, other times it’s small. But this, this is egregious. Ubisoft made a perfectly functional game and then chose to make it a bit on the grindy side, compared to other AC titles. There’s a boost pack than increases your money and EXP by and extra 50%, and then they have the nerve to charge 1500 helix points for it. It costs $20 to buy enough of these transaction credits and you’ll have some left over, but you can’t afford the upgrade on the lower tier. AC: Odyssey is an amazing and LARGE game. But, essentially, they are selling it for $80 by making you feel obligated to purchase this pack. Unless you really want to be a completionist and don’t mind random crap between missions, this is necessary. Not just side missions, you need to actually go to random ? points on the map and do just a very basic encounter to earn the EXP needed to progress in the story. It’s crap. Have a look.
The God Eater series has always rode the line between Monster Hunter clone and it’s own game. Both were successful on PSP. Both are hunting games more focused on gameplay than story. And both are super Japanese.
It’s no surprise than that Bandai Namco is ready to talk God hunting. Not monster hunting, major difference. Don’t believe me? Check out the trailer below and see for yourself. Huge difference.
God Eater 3 will be available for PS4 and PC on February 8th, 2019. Will you be done with Monster Hunting by then? Let us know in the comments section below.
Valkyria Chronicles is a Japanese RPG. But instead of turn-based, it’s a tactical RPG and heavily based in rudimentary first person shooter setups. And the cel shading looks astonishing. Vega has played tactical RPGs for a long time, but Chet has only played Mario Rabbids Kingdom Battle.
The long awaited fourth installment in a fan favorite series has finally arrived. Valkyria Chronicles 4 is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Sega. And Sega has been on quite a roll this year releasing the games fans want. Released on September 2018 on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, Valkyria Chronicles 4 delivers on the promise of continuing a war story. It’s been a long time coming, so the question is does Valkyria Chronicles 4 meet the expectations of the people? Or has the ship of greatness it was long sailed?
GRAPHICS: 1/2
Cartoon graphics are no excuse for characters breaking. In fact, cartoon graphics should theoretically bring this issue to a major minimum. Regardless Valkyria Chronicles 4 suffers pretty often from this issue. The vibrancy of the playing field and landscaping quickly become muddied by mixing of terrains. In some areas the distinction between grass and dirt is beautiful in other areas it’s awful. Characters cut into environments so often that it wouldn’t be hard to believe that was an intentional thing. With all that said Valkyria Chronicles cartoon style is absolutely fun to look at. It’s hard not to enjoy the way the development team at Sega brings the 2D manga look to a 3D realm. It’s a constant battle between love and hate which more often falls in the love category. Unless you hate manga/anime.
STORY: 2/2
Although the presentation can be quite annoying, the story is worth the trouble. Valkyria Chronicles 4 continues the story of the Imperials vs the Federation in a war started over the ownership of Ragnite. On the surface it is a very basic premise. The thing that drives the story is the way it is told through the experiences of childhood friends, separated for various reasons, coming together as adults in the military. The intensity grows as the stories of what separated them as children continue to unfold. Each interaction between the four lead protagonist gives another insight into falling outs and reconciliations. These little moments make every painful bit of broken up cinematic worth while. Seriously, most of these cutscenes should have been bundled together way better.
AUDIO: 2/2
Once again, a rock solid audio performance. Every member of the cast present realistic tones that truly represent the emotions in the words. It is very easy to fall in love with the personalities of each character, to the point where watching them die in battle really hurts. The cell-shaded manga art style is coupled together excellently with the Saturday morning cartoon sound effects. Gunfire, explosions, footsteps, and motion all feel perfectly in place to feel threatening yet humorous. The only time the audio isn’t a good time is when the progression system shows what’s been unlocked or traversing the menus. These are probably the most annoying sounds of this console generation. Small criticism against what the rest of the audio delivers, but a criticism none the less.
GAMEPLAY: 1/2
Tried and true mechanics of tactical RPG’s are hard to change, but in no way is that bad. Valkyria Chronicles does manage to do a few things differently from it’s predecessors however. The first major change comes in the ‘let’s up the challenge” style. This is the first installment that allows units, on both friendly and enemy, to attack when it’s not their turn. This mean positioning characters after an offensive and navigating the field are even more critical then ever. Simply put, if the unit is within range it will be attacked by other units out of turn. This brings the level of strategy necessary to an even higher level. The second major update is the addition of the new Grenadier class. The Grenadier can launch grenades significantly far and do a significant amount of damage at the same time.
Fans of tactical RPG’s will find these new inclusions incredibly fun, challenging, and strategy altering for sure. However, the lack of an autosave feature is still a major downfall. Very few things exist as infuriating as completing an hour and a half long mission just to have to repeat it. Part user error, part design flaw, but completely annoying.
FUN: 2/2
There is something undeniably satisfying about playing games where the task is to outwit the enemy. This innate desire to be more intelligent than everyone else becomes even more apparent while navigating the battlefield. Valkyria Chronicles 4 does an excellent job of pacing the challenge, so every battle remains fun. Things get progressively harder, but Squad E gets equally better. By never forcing the player to feel unmatched in power, the focus remains on being more strategic. The humorous banter between characters and the graphic novel visuals further the entertainment. Seriously, how could anyone not hate to love Raz’s personality? Even with his frequent bone head decisions.
The game that long time fans of the series patiently waited for has arrived. Valkyria Chronicles 4 delivers exactly what the fans wanted. Could it use a little more to make things a tad bit more exciting? Possibly, regardless the game delivers. It does everything right that Valkyria Revolution did wrong without losing the few things Revolution did well. Fans of strategic RPG’s can comfortably place this amazing game alongside XCOM and Fire Emblem. As well as past games in the series. Valkyria Chronicles 4 tells a great story with fun gameplay nestled beside it.
That’s right, VR continues to make strides in becoming the best way to experience your favorite games. Announced on the Playstation blog, Borderlands 2 will be making its way to PSVR on December 14, 2018. One of the most popular first person shooter RPG’s of all time will be letting you experience its wild gunplay from the most first person perspective possible. The full game will be playable and available for the price tag of $49.99.
“Players will get the opportunity to visit Pandora in the most immersive Borderlands experience yet.”
Although Enhanced for VR, Borderlands 2 VR will not include the online multiplayer making this a single player only experience. The new Bad Ass Mega Fun Time will allow players to slow down time to prepare for the battles ahead. All four characters unique abilities that relied on multiplayer have been reworked into the BAMF Time, but its not entirely clear how.
Borderlands 2 VR is exclusively available on PSVR and pre-ordering the game will unlock a PS4 dynamic theme featuring the four vault hunters we’ve come to love. Let us know in the comments below how you feel about the lack of multiplayer in exchange for the VR experience.
Alright, Sooper Vega here, just wanted to apologize real quick. The Lucky Gamer Recap has been real sloppy lately but fear not, its only because I’ve been really busy. Planning, and now being, on tour, because I’m still a Hip-Hop artist, has taken a lot of my attention. It’s cool though, it’ll all be normal again when I’m grounded. It’s also cool because we’re like a week from E3 so not much news. Well except for Pokemon! Here’s what the Lucky Gamer Recap has in store:
1. Let’s Go! Right into it!
Pokemon is finally making its adventurous debut on a home console. And no, not like the pessimist joked about it being on a Playstation console. And also not completely familiar in the way gameplay works. Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu & Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee were announced by Nintendo and will be available November 16th. These are technically not considered part of the mainline series even though they bear a lot of similarities to Pokemon Yellow. The game will fuse gameplay elements of the mainline and the mobile phenomenon Pokemon Go. On top of mixing mechanics, the two games will also be connected via bluetooth allowing for transfer of Pokemon between games and more. With the promise of a new mainline entry still on schedule for a 2019 release, this should hold most fans over till then. If not well…
2. There are other Pokemon Quest!
Nintendo and the Pokemon Company must really be tired of hearing people ask for Pokemon on Switch, because they came out swinging. According to the teams “Pokemon quest is a free-to-start game that lets trainers face off against wild Pokemon.” The entire game will take place on Tumblecube Island which the player will explore to gather treasure and befriend or battle Pokemon. The game will feature new cubed reimagining’s of all our favorite Pokemon. Well maybe not all but you get the point. I do want some to double back for a second and tell me what the hell a “free-to-start- game is? I feel like Nintendo just tried to make the term “pay-to-win” acceptable. It’s out now on Switch and coming to mobile soon.
3. Whisper whisper, Fallout 76, Whisper whisper.
Apparently the unexpected reveal of Rage 2 wasn’t enough for Bethesda. No they needed to really flex their muscles this year. So they pulled up in the foreign car and whispered “Fallout 76” before riding off into the sunset. Or something like that. Not much was said about the game but rumors suggest it maybe an online experience like Rust or DayZ. It’s good for the die hard fans to know they got some more Fallout on the way but I know far too many people asking a different question. Where is the next Elder Scrolls? (Editor’s Note: It’s coming out this month and it’s called ESO: Sommerset.)
4. Sonic’s back in the race, literally.
It’s been a long time since we last played a great kart game that wasn’t attached to Mario. There have been a few good ones along the way but none which stood the test of time. It seems like Sonic and friends felt the same way. And Sonic jumped into action bringing us the all new Team Sonic Racing. It’s going to be an indirect follow up to the amazon Sonic and All-Stars Racing that released so long ago. Sporting 15 playable characters, tons of our favorite modes, and power ups to turn the tide of the race, Team Sonic Racing is making a strong play for our hearts.
5. Dirty move Xbox, real dirty move.
Alright so here’s a thing that’s rumored to have happened, that we really wish didn’t happen, but signs are pointing to it actually happened. Microsoft seems to have fired a bunch of paid staff and replaced them with volunteer staff who were trained by the paid staff. I’m going to give you a second cause that’s a merry go round of info to take in. Apparently 12 Xbox support staff lost their jobs after unknowingly training their volunteer replacements as part of the Xbox Ambassador program. The @xboxsupport twitter is now being handled by ambassadors. Microsoft hasn’t commented on the situation yet, but I’m hoping they do soon.
6. MegaMan 11 gets a release date.
There was a moment in time, a few years back, where the return of the blue bomber was extremely uncertain. It even Keiji Inafune to embark on a journey to create a spiritual successor. That game ended up being not very good. Capcom saw the opportunity and last year announced MegaMan 11. And now they gave us a date when we can play it. MegaMan 11 is coming to a console near you on October 2nd. It is set up to play just like the classic games fans are used to but it carries a brand new more bubbly cartoon look. Some could say inspired by Mighty No. 9 but I’ll say inspired by the cartoon designs of the past 8 years. Still looks like it’ll be a ton of fun, just weird to have done it without Inafune.
7. Days of Play PS4.
Sony unveiled a limited edition blue PS4 releasing June 8th. The Days of Play edition Playstation 4 has the iconic face buttons printed largely in gold. As always a matching color, in this case blue, is included with the system. The system is being released to celebrate the Playstation Day of Play event that takes place every summer and sees discounts across numerous PS4 products and games. Days of Play runs from June 8th to June 18th so make sure you check in to see what kind of deals the days bring.
What happens when a JRPG development studio works with a legendary animation studio? A game like Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is born. What happens when a game like Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is received extremely well? Obviously the gaming community demands a sequel. Enter Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom. Although developed by Level 5 and published by Namco-Bandai, the same team behind the first entry, the absence of Studio Ghibli is a major point of concern for fans. Released on PS4 and PC on March 23rd, 2018, the action RPG, Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom, is up against the terrifying crowd of passionate gamers waiting to see how well the game fairs without everyones favorite anime studio.
Graphics 1/2
Arguably one of 2018’s most charmingly beautiful games to date, Ni No Kuni 2 never sets out to be a grand graphically powered adventure. Understandably the art style, lacking the touch of Studio Ghibli, isn’t as beautiful but it remains adorable in its own way. Colorful kingdoms serve as home to animal human hybrid species. The grimalkin are cat like while the citizens under the rule of pugnacious are more canine looking. Its a very interesting and fun design choice especially as the plot continues to introduce the player to new kingdoms and concepts. The best part of the world is it never feels bland. Even when taking on the cute chibi form when traveling the world map everything is so vibrant and colorful exploration feels great. Again not a graphical powerhouse or an animation style that raises the bar, but Ni No Kuni 2 is definitely a beautiful game.
Story 2/2
Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom opens up right out the gate with tremendous action. The player begins watching a cutscene in what appears to be a modern or futuristic city being exploded by a nuclear weapon. The first protagonist of the story, Roland (voiced extremely well by Jared Zeus), is on a train into this city as the explosion happens. Then bam just like that the whole game is transported elsewhere. The action doesn’t stop there though, it literally only gets more intense as a Roland lands in the middle of a plot to over throw a kingdom. This part of this dual story introduces Evan, the young king who just lost his kingdom. From there it becomes a story of redemption and growth. Something only an anime inspired game can pull off and yet the plot is completely original. Everything the characters learn along the way just further intensifies the heartwarming tale. The plot is to intense there are two of them happening simultaneously and yet it always feels like more.
Audio 1/2
Most JRPG’s suffer from poor audio when translated to the land of english speaking consumers. Not just in dialogue but also in sound effects that are culturally interesting. Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom however does not struggle with this at all. The voice cast does a great job of bringing the dialogue to life. Owain Arthur steals the show with his incredible portrayal of Lofty, the severely unimpressive Kingmaker. It was one thing to expect something like a, at first glance, a mediocre demigod to join the battle against enormous god looking demigods. Sorry, Kingmakers are essentially demigods. Anyway, the booming attitude Owain provided was perfect. On top of that the soundtrack is very comforting and not entirely annoying after a few hours of play like a lot of other games. The whole voice cast did an amazing job, composition was stellar, and the menu sounds weren’t atrocious. The major issue that takes away from the audio; there are way to many areas of dialogue that would be more impactful with fun voice acting.
Gameplay 2/2
At it’s core Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is a JRPG. However, the extended gameplay mechanics found throughout its mini games, side quests, and kingdom building missions say otherwise. This constantly rotating control over gameplay just adds to the fluidity of the story and its overwhelming hold on the player. To appreciate the full extent of this, there has to be an understanding one the various systems. Outside of the obvious open world free roaming and the world map, First up is the Battle system. Pretty standard active battle system with control of one party member at a time. From there the game opens up the skirmish system which plays a lot like the Overlord series, There are minion soldiers with varying archetypes in clusters and they battle against clusters of soldiers from the opposing army. Then enters the kingdom building sim type system. This one involves meeting people throughout the world and convincing them to leave where they are to join the new kingdom. And then, well the rest of them fall into spoiler territory but know that it gets even more in depth. Most amazing? The different systems all work towards the same goal in game. The systems never trip each other up or steal time from each other. Amazing.
Fun 2/2
Part anime, part adventure story, part motivational speech everything about this game is fun and exciting. The world is vast enough to get lost in for hours on end without any question. Every fight feels rewarding, although gamers who are used to grinding may find that this game is easy to play through beginning to end. Of course there are various challenges that swing all the way to the other end of the spectrum but this game is mostly easy and fun. With a healthy balance of unique mini-games, gameplay styles, and side missions very rarely do activities feel repetitive. The opening ten hours of the game are amongst the most enjoyable moments of any game I’ve played. Unfortunately there would be to much that is spoiler filled so very little can be said.
It may lack the abstract one of a kind charm that only Studio Ghibli can bring to the table but Ni No Kuni 2 still delivers. With the sequel the team at Level5 has proven once again that they know what they are doing. Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom was put in a position where it could not just benefit from the results of its predecessor and still shines. Incredible gameplay, a compelling story paired with great voice acting, and a vibrant world make for a great time. Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is not the sequel that was expected but it still manages to fill those great shoes.
Fallout DLC Except It’s Real Life and it’s Pterrifying
Oh snap. It was quite a dull week in the gaming world. For the most part we were all kind of paying more attention to Call of Duty: Trump In Office DLC that opens with bombs over Syria. Not a political site, just letting ya know that’s also a thing that happened. So with the rumored announcement of Fallout: Real Word Crazy around the corner, let us come together as much as we can in honor of our favorite things. This week’s reason to feel like a lucky gamer (you know outside of being alive):
1. A new battle royale enters the battle royale.
And immediately receives backlash over pay to win DLC. The game, from Lawbreakers developer Boss Key Productions (yea, I know), is Radical Heights. And Radical Heights is set in a colorful 80’s inspired world and something about a game show element set in the year 2023. And Radical Heights sounds radical! I don’t know what else to say. Everything about this game sounds exciting as lion brawls. Oh, and did I mention that they immediately responded to the back lashes and made changes to satisfy the gamers? Word. Radical. The downside, of course there’s one, it’s only available on Steam.
2. Expand the universe, more Walking Dead.
Another Walking Dead game coming our way in Fall 2018! That’s right more amazing story telling with zombie blood shed everywhere. Even more incredible, the game looks amazing so far. The new “Maya” Trailer, which is obviously all CGI, makes me feel like they are putting some real intensity into the story being told. There hasn’t been much information about the game so far but it was confirmed to be a first person shooter. By the looks of it so far, this tiny glimpse of greatness, gives me hope that we won’t get another awful game like that first attempt starring the Dixon brothers.
3. Elder Abuse?
Probably the most shocking and outlandish news from the week comes from our sister industry, comic book land. Apparently someone felt that one of the most heralded creators of all time, Mr. Stan Lee, has been being abused by his daughter. He has since confirmed this is not happening and even threatened to go as far as suing the people who reported this nonsense. All reports show that Stan Lee is very upset by the allegations and I’m glad. It would suck to know that something like this is happening to a man I hold so much respect and admiration for. Continue being incredible and ignore the nonsense.
4. Check those warranties.
Like I said, it was a slow week in the games industry so I’m doing a little cross-over work. The FTC recently indicated that void warranty language on video game consoles is illegal. What does that mean? Well in my opinion it applies more to third party repairmen but check it. Threatening to void the console warranty for opening it or tampering with it for repair purposes is a no no. That is, unless they provide all the parts for you to do your own repairs for free. At least in its current phrasing. The companies who received the letters remain anonymous but they only have 30 days to make adjustments before legal action gets involved. Shouts to the FTC for having our backs with this one.
5. More games for Switch.
It feels like very week I’m compiling a list of games coming to the Nintendo Switch. Ports, remasters, new IP all being announced on the regular. This week is no different. First up we have Football Manager Touch. The football is for soccer. The game originally made for tablets and getting a complete remade system of their own. Next up we have more Sonic classics join gn the Switch gaming roster. Well it’s actually a whole slew of SEGA Genesis and Master System games which are primarily known for Sonic. Alongside that we also have the official release window for Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 and 2. It’s coming to all consoles but I figured i’d throw it in this piece here. The games will be available sometime in July.
6. Shenmue.
That header should be enough to garner a few clicks. Shenmue 1 and 2 are being re-released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. And they are coming at some point in 2018. The interesting part is the choice of words. This is a Re-release. So although they are talking about upscaling graphics and adjusting controls, the game is not being remastered. I personally can’t wait to play these games on newer consoles. I loved the Shenmue story and truly believe it paved the way for what is now the incredible Yakuza series. Final words: yes please.
7. Rumors and Relocations?
The first thing on the menu is a rumor that a new Bioshock game is in development at 2K. Yea that one had to come out swinging. Now as I said just a rumor swirling but this is the time of year where rumors really matter. And most of the time turn out true. But also don’t. Who knows. On the other hand we have a medieval style RPG being set in the Middle East. Knights of Light is a brand new RPG still in development that is promising to bring us to 7th century Iraq. The development team, Rumbling Games, is aiming for a 60 hour adventure for your PS4, Xbox One, or PC. Nothing more on that year, but stay tuned we may have some exclusives up our sleeves.
Final note: Our hearts go out to all the people of Syria who are feeling the direct impacts of the crazy world we live.
Post PAX East festivities! This past weekend the video game industry came to visit the northeast New England region. A place also recognized as Boston. And although it didn’t bring a ton of news, the news it did bring was insane. Collaborations, new projects, and single player second year DLC. Yea feel lucky, cause I damn sure do. Here’s why:
1. Fantasy Raider 1.
That seems like it will be the exact title of the upcoming project from Square Enix. To open the PAX East gates Square Enix announced a cross over project of two of its biggest franchises, Final Fantasy & Tomb Raider. There wasn’t any other information reveled so time to go into hyper speculation mode. I think it would be amazing to introduce some sort of lore that ties the two worlds together with one being present/past and the other being present/future. Either way I’m excited to see what comes of it, so long as its not a damn Pachinko machine. Looking at you Konami.
2. Final Fantasy XV lives on.
A few years back. Ok, maybe a little bit more than a few years but who’s counting. I remember conversing with my co-workers about DLC. I would always say to them, all I would want from DLC would be story expansion. You know like, when theres still more to the story but not necessarily enough for a full fledged sequel. Fast forward to 2018, and for the most part that’s what we get. Anyway, on to the news. Final Fantasy XV will be receiving new story based episodic DLC all the way through 2019. That is amazing because of how long the string of content for this game has been. Imagine a world where you fall in love with a game and instead of being given a full blown sequel that wasn’t necessary, you get episodic additions to the game you love. That’s he direction we could be heading in the games industry. That, and of course Battle Royales.
3. Return of the Dragon.
Everyone’s favorite purple dragon is back. Don’t believe me? Find another purple dragon nearly as popular as Spyro. I’m not even gonna wait because I know you won’t. Spyro the dragon is returning for the second time. This time however, he’s coming back in true form. Activision announced the Spyro remastered trilogy, featuring the first three games to make the dragon a star. Much like the recent Crash Bandicoot Trilogy, the remaster will feature upgraded graphics, modernized controls, and a reimagined take on the original music. The game will be available on September 21 for PS4 and Xbox One and no mention of a Switch version in the works.
4. Spider-Man, Spider-Man, spins a web when he can.
This week Spidey showed up to drop gems about his upcoming game. First the release date. Spider-Man will be arriving exclusively on a PS4 near you on September 7th, 2018. Plans for DLC were also briefly highlighted stating in will come in the form of a three part campaign with new villains, suits, missions, and more. And speaking on suits, this new Spider-Man game will allow us to dress Spidey up in over a dozen different suits from various comic story lines. A collector’s edition was also announced with more info coming in the summer, but it will come with all DLC included just like the Deluxe edition. Insomniac, the developers, also made a big deal to note there will be absolutely no micro transactions in the game.
5. Vive Pro Starter Edition.
With VR finally reaching a point of mass general interest, the manufacturers have also started finding better ways to cut cost on production. This perfect middle ground genesis is the type of thing that results in price drops and special bundles. In this case we are getting a special bundle from HTC. Taking feedback and backlash into consideration, HTC has announced a new starter kit for the Vive Pro VR system. This special bundle includes the Vive Pro Headset, two Vive 1.0 controllers, and two 1.0 base stations for $1100. Considering all of that is necessary to use the system it makes a ton of sense to see such an aggressive pricing. When considering the cost of all things separate that’s about a $300 savings. Pretty good if you ask me.
6. PC to Console, Console to Switch.
So before any Nintendo fan boys come at me for not calling the Switch a console, understand I do it with the highest respect. The Switch is not a console. It is so much more. That however is save for another day. Today let’s talk about Firewatch, the incredibly unique adventure game, coming to Nintendo Switch. The Switch version will include system specific upgrades, although most of those will be under the hood. And no date was provided. On the flip side, I am very excited for a new RPG being ported from PC to Console. As rarely as that happens, it is my pleasure to share with you Divinity: Original Sin 2 is coming to PS4 and Xbox One in August. Featuring 4 player online and local split screen Co-Op, Divinity is a story based action RPG that looks phenomenal.
7. Is that a new… Challenger?
Warner Bros has obtained the rights to distribute and publish IO Interactive’s Hitman. Wasting no time with this new muscle, Hitman: The Definitive Edition will be releasing on May 18th. And with rumors floating around the world of a new Hitman coming, it’s very possible we may see some version of the nemesis system in everyone’s favorite modern day assassins world. This is the real outrageous news though. Here comes a new challenger! In the most abstract way. Right now you can hop on Kickstarter and support the Street Fighter Board Game. I don’t even know how to explain the incredible thing that is this project. I mean for real the only bad part about it is the price tag but as a collector’s item its well worth it. Dive in and see for yourself.
Guess who’s back with goodies? Ok, maybe no actual goodies.
I’m back! Hope you guys didn’t miss me too much. I was down in Austin, TX performing at SXSW cause you know I’m still a rapper. But I have returned to you all to continue to provide the great news that should make us all feel like Lucky Lucky Gamers. Are you ready? Alright, let’s get into it. To make up for my absence I’m going to include some stuff that we missed from the past weeks. So Here’s why you should feel like a Lucky Gamer this week:
1. Fortnite and PUBG Go!
Well, they go mobile anyway. Both Fortnite and PUBG have made their mobile debut on bothered the Android and iOS app stores. Scaled down to fit and run on mobile devices without losing any of the features that players love is an incredible achievement. More so for games of these massive scales. Even more amazing and most users are reporting that the mobile version of PUBG runs smoother than the Xbox One version. I feel like that’s good and bad news. Either way a congratulations is in order for both development teams. This moment will be a big one in the history books years from now.
2. The Dino’s Are Coming to Switch.
Nintendo’s best console continues to secure incredible content to bolster its already impressive portfolio. At the 2018 Game Developers Conference Studio Wildcard announced that Ark: Survival Evolved will be coming to the Nintendo Switch. The Switch version of the game is being co-developed by Abstraction Games but fear not, it will feature all the content from the original release. Alongside the announcement, Studio Wildcard also announced that beta invites for the iOS version of the game have been sent out. With the Nintendo Switch also recently getting an announcement of other top games coming to the console like Diablo 3 and the new No More Heroes entry, things are really looking good for the unique machine.
3. Here comes a new cameo!
One of the many things this console generation will be remembered for is definitely going to be cross branding. It feels like everyday there is an announcement of some sort of cross branding going on with our favorite games. Don’t believe me? Watch this. First we have the announcement that Geralt from the Witcher series will be joining the cast of the upcoming Soul Calibur 6. It’s undeniable that he’s a perfect fit but remember that’s just example 1. Here’s example 2. Noctis, the protagonist from Final Fantasy 15, will be joining Tekken 7 as a playable character in an upcoming DLC pack. Noctis is an interesting addition to a game that already has a visit from a resident character in Street Fighter. But wait I’ve got one more for you. Monster Hunter World will be getting some Devil May Cry themed DLC. With rumors striking of a new entry in the series and the remastered version of 1-3 releasing soon this screams cross branding even if it is the same parent company. There you have it folks, the generation of the cameo.
4. Unleash the Leaks.
Every week the Lucky Gamer Recap has some leak based information. Little slip ups by retailers or job resume updates, you know the usual. This week however I wanted to give special attention to Leaks because some of them have my pants tightening. First up we have the one most exciting for me, an Amazon listing for a 2018 Splinter Cell game. Please be real. The Sega Genesis Collection is coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC if a deleted tweet is to be believed. I’ll throw this rumor in with the leaks because why not. Supposedly Cyberpunk 2077 will be at E3 in some capacity. That’s the other rumor that has be losing my pants. And if a recent job listing is real then boy do the Star Wars fans have something good coming. Apparently EA Vancouver is hiring for an open-world Star Wars game. Hows that for exciting potentially fake information?
5. Official Releases in exchange.
First let’s start with an annual franchise. Call of Duty: Black Op 4 is coming to a console near you on Friday October 12th. That’s all I’m saying on that one. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the third entry since the reboot, will be arriving to PC, Xbox One, and PS4 on September 14th. Looks like the timed exclusive stuff is coming to an end, thankfully. The Crew 2, the follow up to Ubisoft’s open world racing project, will be releasing on June 29th on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. For those of you still willing to purchase Konami games, Bomberman R will be released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC with platform exclusive characters on June 12th. Anyone who read my review of Yakuza Kiwami and found themselves interested in the series, rejoice! Yakuza Kiwami 2 will be released on August 28th exclusively on PS4. And previously PS4 exclusive Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice will be coming to Xbox One on April 11th. Now hopefully that makes up for any of the rumors or leaks that end up being complete lies.
6. Oh my and the announcements!
With E3 around the corner this is the time that smaller studies used to announce their upcoming games and big studios announce the projects fans are expecting so they can save the surprises for late. It’s better this way. Nothing cool gets over shadowed by the big name stuff flying around all over the place. Ubisoft has a big surprise up it’s sleeve if it’s choosing to announce the slightly unexpected Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. Maybe because it’s the Omega Force 20th Anniversary or maybe its because Dynasty Warriors 9 was so bad, who knows? Regardless Koei Tecmo announced that Warriors Orochi 4 will be coming to America sometime in 2018. Narcos, the Netflix phenomena that took the world by storm sort of, is getting a video game adaptation in development by Kuju. Who is Kuju you may ask? Well I don’t know, I’m no journalist. Kidding, kidding.
7. Street Fighter TV
What roman numeral is TV? Oh right, it’s Television. Yes you read that right, Street Fighter is returning to television but this time in live action fashion. The series will be developed by Capcom’s new media partner Entertainment One. They will also be bringing the team that developed the Street Fighter Web Series that later came to Blu-Ray. It seems like video games are going to be attack mainstream media in full force. It is definitely an exciting time to be a gamer. (But for me it was a Tuesday…)
[From the editor: Good LORD Kuju entertainment puts out a lot of shovelware, they’re going to make a high profile release? I’m skeptical.]
