Monthly Archives: June 2019
Watch Dogs: Legion – Getting Drunk and Shooting Thugs as a 79-Year-Old Librarian
The first thing I did in my 45 minutes with Watch Dogs: Legion was down a pint of lager as 79-year-old librarian Anette Schultz. Then I stumbled around the familiar-feeling pub before invading the privacy of everyone in my vicinity. I hacked into a dozen people’s phones, delving their profiles to find the perfect person with the skills I wanted to join my DedSec cell.
I found a middle-aged banker who packed 15% more pistol damage as a trait. There was a known criminal who could deal a huge 40% extra melee damage, but would spend double the time in jail than the average person if I were to get him arrested. One man’s bio said he was out tonight with his wife, so naturally, I hacked the phone of the woman he was speaking to to make sure that he wasn’t out committing adultery. He wasn’t, but he still didn’t quite have what I was looking for to become a member of my elite squad.
13 Movie Stars Who Made the Jump to Video Games
Keanu Reeves appearing in Cyberpunk 2077 is just the latest example of Hollywood and the world of AAA games merging. Games companies are constantly trying to push the envelope when it comes to immersive, lifelike graphics, and on occasion developers need a little extra help. Sometimes the only way to truly bring a video game character to life is to hire a famous Hollywood actor to play the part.
We're seeing this trend more and more lately, with actors not just lending their voices to big-budget games, but their digitized likenesses as well. Here are 12 major movie stars (plus Keanu!) who have made the jump from film to games...
Bruce Willis in Apocalypse
Solid Snake and Link’s Awakening Amiibo Preorders Back In Stock
The Solid Snake amiibo is easily the most sought-after amiibo in the wave coming out September 20. If you missed your chance to preorder Solid Snake before, the good news is the amiibo is back in stock at Walmart and Best Buy.
You can also get your hands on the Link's Awakening amiibo, too, as well as plenty of Ivysaur and Squirtles.
While you're at it, you might as well have a look at the November 20 wave of amiibo, with Simon Belmont, Incineroar and Chrom.
Where to Preorder the Next Wave of Amiibo
Two New Galar Region Pokemon Revealed
While going hands-on with Pokemon Sword and Shield during E3 2019, we discovered two new Galar Region: an Electric corgi and a Dark/Fairy imp.
Yamper: an adorable Electric Corgi
In our demo, Yamper the electric corgi had the Fairy-type move Play Rough, the Electric-type move Spark, the Dark-type move Crunch, and the Electric-type move Wild Charge. His ability was Ball Fetch, which will allow him to return the first failed PokeBall thrown in battle, so long as he's not already holding an item. We were able to Dynamax Yamper, which caused his move set to change to Max Starfall (Fairy), Max Lightning (Electric), and Max Darkness (Dark).
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Will Come on 2 Blu-Ray Discs
Update: Square Enix has clarified the development team's progress on the whole Final Fantasy VII Remake project. Full story follows.
The Final Fantasy 7 Remake is going to be big, not just in popularity, but in the game's actual size.
During a behind-closed-doors demo at E3 2019 of the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Remake, producer Yoshinori Kitase confirmed that the physical edition of the first episode in the remake will require two blu-ray discs when it is released on March 3, 2020.
That's largely due to the sheer size of the game. Kitase confirmed that every game, or episode, in this series will be comparable to a full Final Fantasy game. Which means we can likely expect the following installments of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake to also require two blu-ray discs on current-gen hardware.
Super Mario Maker 2: Nintendo Is Working on Online Play With Friends
During Super Mario Maker 2's Treehouse Live segment, Nintendo's Takashi Tezuka confirmed that the team is working on allowing friends to be able to play together online.
This comment was in response to the news that those playing Super Mario Maker 2 online would only be matched with random players as "with global leaderboards, the matchmaking for competitive play would be compromised if you could play with friends." Nintendo also confirmed the news on Twitter.
Pokemon Sword and Shield: 22 New Details We Learned
During Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct and Nintendo Treehouse Live, Nintendo divulged more information about the Nintendo Switch games Pokemon Sword and Shield, including the identity of a new gym leader, details on how Dynamax Raids work, and gave an extensive look at the free-roaming Wild Area.
All-in-all, there were 22 details we learned about Pokemon Sword and Shield this morning.
Pokemon Sword and Shield: Wild Area
1 - Weather in the Wild Area not only impacts battles, it also changes which wild Pokemon can appear.
2 - Thunderstorms increase the power of Electric- and Water-type Pokemon.
You Will Probably Only See 50% of Dying Light 2’s Content in Your First Playthrough
The big buzz-phrase during Dying Light 2’s extremely impressive E3 demo was “narrative sandbox.” Throughout the 30-odd minute gameplay demonstration, developer Techland pushed the idea that even if you finish Dying Light 2, you’ll probably only see around 50% of its content based on the decisions you make throughout. It’s a liberating premise that promises for some great watercooler chat with other people playing, as theoretically, there are hundreds of thousands of variations on how your story could play out.
The demo kicked off with new protagonist Aiden Caldwell, a purposefully morally blank guy whose personality you can shape with your decisions, helping a ‘man of the people’ named Frank. Frank is trying to bring together two warring factions in order to help with the water crisis; the most urgent problem in Dying Light 2’s world is severe drought, caused by those with means hoarding the H20. The Peacemakers and The Renegades are at odds with each other, though Aiden doesn’t trust either of them to behave in this particular scenario.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 May Be One of 2019’s Funniest Games
As someone who played through the original Luigi’s Mansion half a dozen times on the GameCube, I’m so glad to see the unique, fun ghost hunting gameplay remains intact, with some ability enhancements that offer a bit more depth. But in my time with both Luigi’s Mansion 3’s single and multiplayer, what struck me most was the way it takes advantage of its absurd supernatural trappings, both intentional and unintentional, to bring so much joy.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 moves the action from a mansion — or several mansions — to a hotel with an exaggerated verticality and gregarious architecture that would fit nicely in the world of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Trapped in with a busted elevator and on a mission, Luigi will explore a host of floors, each with their own theme, like the medieval floor I played through in the single-player portion of the demo. It’s a less cohesive style than the first Luigi’s Mansion, but the variety could really allow for some fun, and wacky, ghosts and scenarios, like the jousting ghost miniboss I encountered in the demo.
Nintendo’s Focus Remains on Current-Gen, Not Next-Gen
“Before we talk about next-gen, let's talk about current-gen.”
This was the general theme of Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser’s response to my inquiries about Nintendo’s future console plans. It’s no surprise they’re unwilling to spend time looking ahead, at least in terms of hardware. As Bowser himself explained to me, the Switch is still in its prime years, pulling in a recent tally of 34 million units sold to date. From their perspective, why distract from the booming success of the Switch?
“In the US, the momentum has been strong for the last five months or so,” Bowser said. “We've been the number one selling console.”