Monthly Archives: June 2018
Yoku’s Island Express Review: A Breath of Fresh Air
Metroid-style platformers have become more common recently, which makes standing out from the pack a daunting task for new games in that style. Yoku’s Island Express overcomes this hurdle by creatively combining both Metroid-style exploration and pinball mechanics into one unique product. This combination sounds unusual at first, but the final result is a charming, delightful, and wonderfully satisfying hybrid.
You play as Yoku, a cute little beetle who has a ball attached to his hip with a string, and it's his first day as postmaster on Mokumana Island. The story is cute and straightforward, and there’s a large amount of backstory sprinkled throughout the game, but it doesn’t take long for the rest of Yoku’s Island Express’ beautiful game design to quickly take the spotlight.
The world of Mokumana Island is gorgeous, and the delightful painterly art style realizes each of the game's different stages with vibrancy--lush jungles and dark labyrinths blend in seamlessly with stunning snow-covered mountains and underground caves, and the background scenery is just as beautifully detailed as the foreground. Every environment is perfectly accompanied by sound design which gives everything a cheery and quirky atmosphere, and the charming background music keeps things light and breezy throughout. The roster of supporting characters is also a delight to meet. Ranging from animals and plants to imaginary creatures, the large cast of NPCs are all amusing in their own ways. Some give you side quests, some give you exposition regarding the main story or island lore, and some are simply there for a quick quip or two.
Yoku can only move left and right, and can't jump. However, flippers and platforms can be found all over Mokumana Island, which can be operated by using just two buttons, much like in pinball. These devices are all used to fling Yoku and his ball (which doubles as a pinball) in helpful directions to help you find and explore new paths of game’s cleverly branching world.
If Yoku is the pinball, then Mokumana Island is a giant pinball table. One minute you could be strolling through the jungle, the next you might find yourself seamlessly dropped into a literal pinball puzzle carved out of the environment. Familiar pinball mechanics, like lanes and bumpers, are all there and completing these challenges will reward you with fruit (the game’s currency) and unlock additional paths around the island. Though the puzzles require precise timing demands, and there are many moments when your skills and reactions feel tested, no puzzle feels impossible. Most can be completed in only a handful of minutes, but there's a lot of variety to the boards which help keep the game incredibly engaging.
Mokumana Island is surprisingly large, and filled with secrets and collectible items. A sprawling story quest and numerous side quests constantly push you in different directions, and there’s a lot of traveling and pinballing to be done. It’s also easy to get sidetracked from your tasks in favor of searching for the game's many secrets hiding within the beautiful island stages.
Exploring becomes even more exciting as Yoku learns new, goofy abilities, which are used to overcome hurdles in a lighthearted fashion, like removing boulders using an exploding slug vacuum cleaner. These fun and practical abilities add extra layers of cheery personality to an already joyful game, and as common in the genre, they make you feel excited to backtrack and unlock previously inaccessible paths.
Traveling back and forth from one end of Mokumana Island to the other can sometimes become tedious, however. A fast-travel system isn’t unlocked until later in the game, but even that is quite limited in regards to where you can and can’t travel. Some areas require you to complete a pinball puzzle in order to get from point A to B, which makes retreading quite repetitive and occasionally frustrating, particularly when the pinball puzzle is a complex one.
Yoku’s Island Express takes two unlikely genres and combines them into one playful, natural experience. The game’s audio and visual design is simply joyous and the large game world seamlessly combines its pinball puzzles with some brilliant level designs. While traversing the large map does get frustrating at times, Yoku’s Island Express’ main quest never drags, and with its slate of fun abilities, quirky supporting characters and a generous amount of optional content, Yoku’s Island Express is a unique journey that’s refreshing and just straight up fun.
Noah Hawley Has Finished Writing His Doctor Doom Movie
Legion creator Noah Hawley has finished penning the script for his Doctor Doom movie, but don’t expect to see the film starring one of Marvel’s greatest villains anytime soon.
Speaking to Vulture, Hawley discussed his Doctor Doom screenplay. “I wrote a script that I really like and the studio really likes,” he said, although he admitted that “it needs a little work.”
There are a few obstacles standing in the way of the comic book movie inspired by Captain America: The Winter Soldier from being made. The first being that Hawley is about to film Pale Blue Dot, an astronaut drama starring Natalie Portman and Jon Hamm.
Red Faction: Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered Release Date Revealed
THQ Nordic has announced that Red Faction: Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered will launch July 3.
The Red Faction: Guerrilla remaster was revealed back in March and will feature native 4K support as well as reworked visuals. Owners of the original Steam version will receive the upgrade for free.
For more on the game, be sure to check out IGN's original review for Red Faction: Guerrilla.
Evan Campbell is a freelance writer who scripts the Daily Fix and chats about games and movies on Twitter.
Stranger Things: Season 3 Will Be ‘Very Different’
Stranger Things: Season 3 will be "very different" from the first two seasons, according to series star Noah Schnapp.
Speaking to THR, the Will Byers actor explained the third season will have a unique vibe because it takes place during the summer in 1985.
“It’s very different this season because it’s in the summer, so you kind of get to see a different version of everyone," Schnapp said.
The actor also teased Season 3 will combine the dark elements of Season 2 and the lighter, more comedic tone of Season 1. Plus, Schnapp confirmed Lucas’ little sister Erica (Priah Ferguson) will have a larger role this third time around, as she'll have her own storyline after being bumped up to series regular.
John Wick 3: Halle Berry Has Her Own Dogs in Set Photo
Halle Berry will play Sofia in John Wick: Chapter 3.
The official John Wick Instagram account says Sofia is "a woman on a mission" in the third installment. In the first photo of Berry in the film (seen below), she's walking with two dogs inside The Continental Hotel.
Halle Berry plays Sofia in John Wick: Chapter 3. (Courtesy of official John Wick Facebook account)
The Flash: Star Teases More Crossovers Are on the Way
One of the stars of The Flash has said that there are more crossovers on the way for the CW show.
As a part of CW's Arrowverse, The Flash has featured (and been featured in) a number of crossover episodes. Jessica Parker Kennedy, who plays Nora Allen in The Flash, is certainly a fan of them, and her co-star Danielle Nicolet has said that viewers can expect more next season.
"I think crossovers are the coolest. The very first episode I did was a crossover and it was awesome, and everyone was there, and everyone was in a good mood. I feel like it's so fun to do that," Kennedy said at MCM Comic Con in London, reports the Express.
Fortnite: “Back-End Issues” Delay Playground Mode
Fortnite's newly-announced Playground Limited Time Mode has been delayed due to back-end issues and didn't make the cut in today's update.
Fortnite's Playground limited time mode, announced a couple of weeks ago, has failed to arrive in today's V4.3 content update, with Epic Games explaining that "there are some significant necessary back-end improvements" that need to be worked on before it can go live.
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LeBron James Reclaims Throne as NBA 2K19 Cover Athlete
Cleveland Cavaliers' and NBA legend LeBron James is the cover athlete of the 20th Anniversary Edition of the NBA 2K franchise. James last appeared on the cover of NBA 2K14 as a member of the Miami Heat.
The Anniversary Edition has "exclusive James themed content and items," and can be played beginning on September 7, four days ahead of NBA 2K19's official release.
The NBA 2K19 20th Anniversary Edition comes with a slew of extras, including virtual currency, a special LeBron James MyTEAM card and more LeBron-centric in-game items like 25 pairs of Nike shoes and LeBron MyCOURT customizations.
Physical items included with the 20th Anniversary Edition include a LeBron NBA 2K19 poster, sticker sheet, and "custom wristband" with LeBron's "chosen words" from the cover. Some of the "chosen words" include "Strive for Greatness," "Driven," and "Equality," picked by James for their personal "special meaning."
Code Vein Gets A Release Date
Bandai Namco has revealed the release date for its upcoming action-RPG Code Vein. The game will launch on September 28, 2018, for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
The game is set amid a dystopian post-apocalypse where the protagonists gain powers through vampiric behaviour. The combat is inspired by Dark Souls.
Alongside the release date, a collector's edition for Code Vein has also been revealed, offering a 17cm figurine of main character Mia Karnstein.
As well as the figurine, players will get access to the game's soundtrack, a digital art book and a set of cosmetic customization options dubbed 'The Insatiable Bloodthirst'
Those who opt to pre-order Code Vein will also receive crossover weapons from Bandai Namco's God Eater series, an exclusive blood veil known as the Venous Claw and extra blood codes and accessories that offer special traits to the player.