Monthly Archives: June 2016
Gears of War 4 Protagonists Are Strangely Endearing
Within all the grit and brutality of Gears of War 4, there’s something endearing about playing as the child of legendary Gear Marcus Fenix and his friends. It’s strange hearing this seemingly young group talk about the old Gears as though they were some ancient order (even though two of the protagonists are Gears themselves), but the nostalgia is pleasant and makes Gears of War 4 seem like it’ll be a good place for newcomers to the series.
Gears of War 4 follows J.D. Fenix and his friends, Del and Kait, as they hunt the Swarm to rescue people kidnapped from Kait’s village. The return of a three-person team makes me a little sad for my third and fourth co-op buddies (there’s only a two-person campaign co-op), but the dynamic of the new team is better for it. It’s a more intimate group. But unlike their predecessors, this combat-ready trio is uneasy and Gears of War 4 is better for it.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Coming to Comic-Con
After teasing fans on social media last week, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 director James Gunn has confirmed that his upcoming Marvel film will indeed be making an appearance at this year's San Diego Comic-Con.
Gunn formally announced the film's upcoming appearance at SDCC in a video on Facebook, which also celebrates Star-Lord actor Chris Pratt's wrapping on set.
Paper Mario: Color Splash Brings Wii U Sticker Star Mechanics
There are few game series I've become as charmed by and enamored with over the years more than Paper Mario.
Like many fans, I've watched the franchise evolve from a straight RPG to more of an adventure game over the years, though with the recent release of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, it seemed like the series might be returning more to its roots. But once Nintendo announced Color Splash, Paper Mario's long-anticipated debut on the Wii U, it became clear that developer Intelligent Systems wasn't looking to change up much from the new battle system and gameplay format it introduced in the 2012 3DS release Paper Mario: Sticker Star.
Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy HD Remaster Coming to PS4
Update: Quantic Dream has clarified on Twitter that Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered will be part of the line of PS2 Classics available on PS4.
Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered is coming to PlayStation 4 next month, developer Quantic Dream has announced.
In a post on Twitter, the studio confirmed that the game will be available for purchase worldwide via the PlayStation Store on July 18, 2016 for $15 USD.
Pokemon GO Plus Wristband Available for Pre-Order
The Pokemon GO Plus wristband is available for pre-order on Amazon with a release date of December 31.
However, during the Nintendo Treehouse livestream event, Shigeru Miyamoto said the developer hopes to have the device ready by July.
The wearable accessory—which links to a smartphone via Bluetooth—is expected to cost $35. Players using the wristband will be able to catch wild Pokemon "with a simple click of a button," as well as collect in-game items at PokeStop locations without having to pull out a smartphone.
The Pokemon GO Plus will flash green and vibrate when Pokemon are nearby. After using the device to throw a PokeBall, it'll flash red to denote a failure or flash in a rainbow pattern for a success.
Injustice 2 Is Very Similar to Injustice 1
After watching the debut trailer for Injustice 2, I was equal parts nervous and excited. What was with everyone doing their best Iron Man impersonation with armor that morphs over them mid-battle? Is that the new trait activation? How important is this new customization system? Will it ruin competitive play? These are the questions I had going into my hands-on, but after over two hours of matches, that trepidation has turned to a sort of subdued enjoyment. Despite the wild implications of the reveal trailer, Injustice 2, at this point, feels more or less like the same game with some new characters.
First things first: no, those articulated suits of armor are not an actual part of the gameplay. You do acquire pieces of gear to equip (we'll get to them) but you don't "activate" your armor mid-battle. The trait system from the previous installment is intact, and it works just as it did before, which is to say that it's still a limited use buff or ability that compliments each character's play style. For instance, Atrocitus summons Dex-Starr for a short while, who he can coordinate attacks with to build otherwise impossible combos, and Supergirl has a slowly recharging battery of multi-directional eye blasts she can use to zone and pick away at her opponents.
Sonic Boom: Fire And Ice Looks to Return to Speedy Roots
Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice wants to correct the mistakes of its predecessor. And it’s doing so by remembering to be a Sonic game.
Fire & Ice’s handheld predecessor, Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal, catered to exploration over pacing, but Sanzaru Games’ latest foray into the world of the Blue Blur is putting the emphasis back on Sonic and the gang’s need for speed. And that’s good news for fans of Sonic’s earlier days.
As I took corners with reckless abandon, running up walls and hopping on springs, I was reminded of the best modern attempts to bring back the blue hedgehog, Sonic Rush and Sonic Generations. Fire & Ice looks to be hewing more closely to Sonic's traditional formula, though it will have to prove the full suite of levels can live up to the standards of those stronger entries.
Mario Party: Star Rush Uses Repurposed Art From Nintendo Spaghetti-Os
After Nintendo announced Mario Party: Star Rush for Nintendo 3DS at E3 2016, some folks realized the company used recycled character art on the game's box art.
See for yourself below.
I can't believe that Nintendo recycled the art from a Spaghetti-O's can pic.twitter.com/l9u1DHkBHz
— Jirachi's World (@starwindbliss) June 16, 2016
Twitter user @starwindbliss first spotted the similarity, and others chimed to say Nintendo has used the exact renderings, or very similar ones, in other projects, too.
E3 2017 Dates Announced
The dates for next year's Electronic Entertainment Expo have been revealed.
According to a sign on display in the Los Angeles Convention Center's South Hall, E3 2017 will take place from June 13 to June 15.
Sign on display at the LA Convention Center
This year's expo featured several major announcements, including Microsoft's reveal of Xbox Scorpio, Sony's unveiling of a brand-new God of War and Nintendo's exciting new look at The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. For our highlights from the convention, be sure to check out IGN's Best of E3 2016 Awards.
Spider-Man: Homecoming Adds Prometheus Star
Marvel's Spider-Man: Homecoming has added two more actors to its ever-expanding cast: Prometheus' Logan Marshall-Green and Silicon Valley's Martin Starr.
As Variety reports, Marshall-Green is in talks for a "villainous role," while there are currently no details on Starr's character, according to Deadline.
Logan Marshall-Green in Prometheus