Snow Coverage

Complete snow coverage is an essential step in this process. You will only have the option to create your Snowboy if your island has entered the complete snow coverage phase of the winter season. For Nothern Hemisphere players you should see complete snow coverage in mid-December. For Southern Hemisphere players then you should see complete snow coverage in mid-June. Once your island has been entirely engulfed in the snow,  it is time to look for your snowballs. You will need to scour your island until you find two small-sized snowballs in close proximity to each other.

Rolling your Snowboy

Once you have your two snowballs in view, it is time to start rolling. There are two ways to create the perfect Snowboy. One option is to roll each snowball with one leveling at the bottom of your character’s ear while the other is leveling at the top of your character’s ear. The other option would be to use the tile method which can be done with terraforming or patterns if you do not have the Island Designer App.

Tile Method

Step 1: Roll each snowball until they stop growing in size. You will feel the resistance of the snowball on the character as they roll it forward. Roll them to an open space on your island.

Step 2: Create a straight-line tile path of ten spaces with the Island Designer app, or with patterns.

Step 3: Roll one snowball to one end and the other snowball to the other end. 

Step 4: Roll one snowball directly onto the path and all the way to the other snowball, it will automatically be placed on top when you are close enough.

Perfect Snowboy complete! The Snowboy will let you know if it is perfect or not. If it is perfect then you will be rewarded one large snowflake and a random DIY recipe from the frozen collection that you do not own. You can get a single large snowflake from the Snowboy every single day until it melts. It takes four days for it to completely melt away.

Complications/How to reset

Complications can occur during this process! A snowball can break if rolled off of a cliff or into an object. If this were to happen, you have to go in and out of a building to reset the snowball spawn. Make sure to be a good distance from the remaining snowball as any building too close to the snowball will not trigger the snowball spawn reset. You can also save and exit the game to trigger a reset of the snowball. If the Snowboy is created and ends up not being perfect, you must exit the game without saving it in order to reset the snowballs for the day.

Thank you for joining us during the winter festivities of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.  Now, throw on those snow boots and get rolling, you have Snowboys to make!

]]> https://gameverse.com/2023/01/21/animal-crossing-new-horizons-how-to-build-the-perfect-snowboy/feed/ 0 https://gameverse.com/2022/12/12/amazon-free-games-this-month-include-dishonored-2-brothers-a-tale-of-two-sons-more/ https://gameverse.com/2022/12/12/amazon-free-games-this-month-include-dishonored-2-brothers-a-tale-of-two-sons-more/#respond Tue, 13 Dec 2022 00:43:25 +0000 https://gameverse.com/?p=7340 Amazon Prime members can get free games and free in-game content every month that last a certain amount of time. You can jump over to Amazon to sign-up for an account or navigate to the Prime Gaming section to see all the free titles.

The first games offered this month include Banners of Ruin, Brothers: A Tale of two Sons, Desert Child, Quake, Doors: Paradox, Rose Riddle 2: Werewolf Shadow, Spinch, and The Amazing American Circus.

Later this month on December 27 you can get Dishonored 2, Metal Slug, Metal Slug X, and Metal Slug 3, The King of Fighters 2003, as well as The Last Blade and The Last Blade 2.

The Prime Gaming giveaways also include in-game content for games such as Angry Birds: Friends, Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Vanguard-Warzone, Dead by Daylight, Destiny 2, Fall Guys, FIFA 23, Grand Theft Auto Online, Guild Wars 2, Iron Man, Illustrious, League of Legends, Legends of Runeterra, and Realm Royale.

Among the more popular games offered for free are Dishonored 2 (2016) from Arkane Studios, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, (2013) from Starbreeze Studios, and id Software’s classic game Quake. Here are most of the games offered this month.

Starting Dec. 1

• Banners of Ruin
• Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
• Desert Child
• Doors: Paradox
• Quake
• Rose Riddle 2: Werewolf Shadow
• Spinch
• The Amazing American Circus

Starting Dec. 27 – Jan. 3

• Dishonored 2
• Metal Slug
• Metal Slug X
• Metal Slug 3
• Real Bout Fatal Fury
• SNK 40th Anniversary Collection
• The King of Fighters 2003
• The Last Blade
• The Last Blade 2
• Twinkle Star Sprites

If you’re not a Prime member sign up here to grab some free games!

Cuphead, the 2D scrolling run-and-gun video game has made its physical edition debut for the Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, and Xbox One; and has brought its 1930’s cartoon style with it!

Cuphead was first released digitally on Sept. 29th, 2017 by Studio MDHR, created by Chad and Jared Moldenhauer. With a list that can go on forever, Cuphead captured its audience with its superb character design, art style, energetic soundtrack, and excruciating difficulty. Cuphead would go on to become a commercial success by selling two million copies within its first two weeks of release.

Since then, Cuphead has continued to dominate the gaming industry by winning awards left and right. Studio MDHR has taken advantage of this non-stopping success train by going on to release a DLC expansion entitled Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, which was released on June 30th of 2022. That same year, a Netflix animated series, The Cuphead Show! would be available to stream. This animated series takes place in a similar universe to Cuphead and currently has three seasons.

Standard Physical Edition

Five years later, with no sign of slowing down, Cuphead has made its very first debut as a physical video game on select consoles. A collectors edition, as well as a standard edition, are two variations of the physical edition. The standard edition was released to retailers on December 6th, 2022, and comes with four bonus items that were not included in the original digital release. The standard physical edition retails for $39.99 USD.

• Delicious Last Course Expansion 
• 6 Collectible Cuphead Funnies Cards
• Cuphead Club Membership Card
• Exclusive Interior Art by Studio MDHR

Cuphead Collector’s Edition

The Cuphead Collector’s edition is exclusive to the creative production company iam8bit and is currently available to be pre-ordered with an expected ship date in the first Quarter of 2023. The collector’s edition is packed with everything that the standard physical edition comes with but is also full of fun surprises. The Cuphead Collector’s edition can be pre-ordered for $199.99 USD. 

• An ~8” Tall Handcrafted Cuphead Marionette- Fully Puppetable, Crafted by the Artisans at Rici Marionettes in Prague.
• Mechanical, Hand-Crank Music Box. 
• Foldout Inkwell Isles Poster
• Sleeve for the Physical Game Case
• Transforming Outer Box Featuring an Asbestos Safety Curtain
• Delicious Last Course Expansion 
• 6 Collectible Cuphead Funnies Cards
• Cuphead Club Membership Card
• Exclusive Interior Art by Studio MDHR

A Great Slam and Then Some!

What are your thoughts on the different physical editions? Planning on splurging on the standard or the collector’s edition? Let us know in the comments!

As the World Cup is nearing the end of its group stages and approaches the Round of 16, Rocket League has taken the opportunity to release the second round of their Nike FC Cup.

The Nike FC Cup kicked off on November 17th and will run all the way to December 14th. During this time, players can complete in-game challenges, purchase event-inspired items from the shop, participate in an international competition, and play in a new limited-time game mode. These opportunities will open and close at different times but do not fret, there is still plenty of time to join in on the fun.

In-game challenges available – November 17th to December 6th

How to Obtain a Country Banner: Complete the first challenge (top left) and look for the  Country Banners in your profile setting!

Each Challenge will unlock different decals! Make Sure to get yours before they are gone!

Round one of the purchasable items in the shop – November 17th to December 6th.

International competition, the Fan Clash: Nike FC Cup – November 17th to November 30th.

This part of the event is currently over! Finland came in first! Want to know the other countries did? Click here

Round two of purchasable items in the shop – November 30th to December 6th.

Limited time game mode, Nike FC Showdown – November 30th to December 14th.

Get ready for this new 4v4 mode which features a new Nike Ball and modified gameplay that makes the ball curve through the air.

Now that you’ve read through the entire event, it is time to grab some boost and hit the field to enjoy the rest of the Nike FC Cup!

Scorn

Scorn takes place in a biopunk-like world that is riddled with machines, limbs, bones, blood, and more. Progressing through this nightmare is difficult as parasites linger around the corner in preparation to hurt the user at all costs. Puzzles stand in the way of progressing through the city which really gets the mind working.

Agony

Agony puts the user right in the middle of Hell. While walking through a bloody environment the user will notice a pattern within the theme of the world. Blood, fire, bones, and bodies are always in sight while traversing through the burning setting. Puzzles will also be included throughout this dangerous voyage to keep the user on their toes.

Scorn 

While traversing through the world the user is able to come across different kinds of weaponry. These bio-machine tools represent modern weaponry such as a shotgun, pistol, and grenade launcher. There is also a flesh prod that can be picked up and used to fight off different parasites.

Agony 

Agony is not so lenient when it comes to giving the user weapons to fight off demons. An ignited torch is one of the only tools that users can use to defend themselves from monsters. There is also a dual-use which includes interacting with the environment by igniting different obstacles. 

Scorn

While progressing through the gruesome setting of Scorn the user will come across the common Arbejdere otherwise known as a Worker. Workers roam different passageways in a passive state. However, these creatures become hostile once they notice the user in their sights. With the ability to lunge and shoot sharp projectiles, these creatures will stop at nothing until they take the user down. Any of the weapons in Scorn will do the trick against these crawling parasites, it is best to take them down before they grow in numbers.

Agony

The most common enemy that you will find in the depths of Agony would be the Onoskeli. These goat-legged creatures are blind but are able to feel, hear, and smell within a certain range. As these creatures are attracted to fire the best way for the user to deal with them would be to throw a torch as a distraction and then attempt to escape. 

Now that we have gone over the different settings, weapons, and creatures it is time to make a decision. Would you rather wake up in Agony or Scorn?

1. Until Dawn – Blackwood Mountain

If you’ve been looking for a chilling vacation spot, then I have just the place for you, Blackwood Mountain. Join a group of friends Josh, Sam, Chris, Ashley, Emily, Matt, Mike, and Jessica as they head up the mountain to party like they never have before. Explore the spacious estate which includes a family-owned lodge, a getaway guest cabin, a spooky hotel, menacing clifftops, an abandoned sanatorium, a labyrinth of mines that are just to die for, and more! During this interactive drama, you will come across masked psychos, flame throwers, mythological creatures, and bone-chilling decisions. You are only a cable car away from this indecisive yet exciting night. Just remember, you can’t leave once you get there… you must survive Until Dawn.

2. Five Nights At Freddy’s – Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza

Hungry for some pizza? Want a job for roughly four dollars an hour? You’re in luck! Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza is hiring for a new security guard position for five nights a week with availability from 12:00 am to 6:00 am. This job includes monitoring the pizzeria through a camera system all while making sure the power does not go out. Did I mention that possessed animatronics will try to attack you? Keeping an eye out and closing doors is the best way to survive the night in this horrific pizzeria. Freddy Fazbear, Chica, Foxy, and Bonnie all haunt this demented pizzeria at their own possessed will. If you survive each night, at the beginning of the next shift, you will hear a pre-recorded message that gives you helpful information for the coming events. If all five nights are met with success, then you will be rewarded with your paycheck and you will be expected to do it all over again the following week. Would you be up for this job?

3. P.T. – Suburban House

Calling all house hunters in the area! A previously occupied suburban home is now up for sale. This wonderful abode comes with an L-shaped corridor, two rooms, one bathroom, and an unknown second floor. If you’re on the fence about buying the house feel free to come over for a visit. This first-person survival horror awaits you with bug-infested rooms, old writings on the wall, and a fridge filled with all sorts of surprises. Oh, just one more thing. Stay away from the sink, will ya?

4. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – The Baker Ranch

The Baker Family invites you to come vacation with us on our spacious property. Located in Dulvey, Louisiana, our ranch is surrounded by an exquisite swampland that has hidden salt mines. Trust us, every night is an adventure! We welcome solo travelers, groups of friends, solo travelers, couples that want a fun night out, and did I mention solo travelers? While vacationing on the ranch you are more than welcome to check out the different kinds of buildings that we have on our property. We have a wonderful greenhouse, a lively boathouse, a decommissioned guest house, and a testing area… I mean barn. My wife’s name is Marguerite, my son is Lucas, and I’m Jack. We’re all extremely excited to welcome you onto the ranch. After you arrive we will sit down for a special meal and get to know one another. I promise that the dinner will be to die for.

5. Outlast – Mount Massive Asylum

Attention all aspiring journalists! The story of a lifetime has just arrived! Rumor has it that illegal experiments are happening to the patients at Mount Massive Asylum. If you’ve been waiting for the opportunity to break into the journalism industry then this is the story for you. This asylum is a bit daunting as there are many confusing locations within its walls. These locations include a courtyard, hospital, sewers, prison blocks, and more. It is also believed to have an underground lab. While searching for evidence please make sure to be mindful of the patients wandering the halls of the asylum. These variants, or patients, so to say, seem to act a bit “different”. Don’t forget to bring your camcorder and extra batteries! Running out of battery power would be like losing a finger… or two!

6. Alien: Isolation – Sevastopol Station

The power is out, everyone is gone, and screams are coming from down the hall. There is no escape unless you count the vacuum of space as one. It’s rumored that some kind of monster is wreaking havoc around the station. It’s up to you to figure out what kind of monster is out there and to dispose of any threats to the station. Access to the station will start off limited, but feel free to make your way through the Lorenz SysTech Spire, SciMed Tower, and Solomons Habitation Tower. Please be mindful of the Working Joe androids, they may seem friendly at first, but their bright red eyes will say otherwise. Also, while exploring the station, feel free to help yourself to our motion tracker and flamethrowers. Just don’t lose them or it’s game over, man!

Limbs have been severed, risks have been taken, and enemy AI has been triggered. After taking a peak into each one of these different video games, the question still stands. Which horror video game would you rather try to survive? Would it be the freezing Blackwood Mountain from Until Dawn? Or the insane family from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard? I look forward to your choices!

Did I miss your favorite horror game? Let me know what it is and I might include it in the next one!

In no particular order, I would like to start off with Blizzard’s Overwatch. In the year of 2018 Blizzard released a special skin for the character of Mercy. This stylish pink skin was available from May 8th to May 21st with a price of $15 (USD). Blizzard Entertainment would go on to donate 100% of the proceeds to Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The guaranteed minimum donation started at $250,000 (USD). In July of 2018, Blizzard announced a total of $12.7 Million was raised by the players.

Overwatch

https://youtu.be/BIQBvOGspmw – Video : Pink mercy l Support BCRF l Overwatch

In 2021 Capcom partnered with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to release two different skins for the fan favorites of CHUN-LI and RYU. This event would run for an entire month from October 12th to November 12th. Both characters got a pink skin with a reversed highlight option for the price of $5.99 (USD) each or $9.99 (USD) as a two-pack. The guaranteed minimum donation started at $25,000 (USD). In June of 2022, Capcom would go on to announce that a total of $75,000 was raised by the players.

Destructoid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJgBYSLNbgM – Video: Street Fighter V – BCRF x SF 

Behemoth decided to release their own DLC in 2011 that would help support Breast Cancer Awareness. A brand-new character that goes by the name of the Pink Knight was released for $1.99 (USD) on February 8th for the PSN. This charismatic character was also released alongside a Lollipop and four other brand-new weapons. 100% of the revenue was stated to be donated to charities involved with breast cancer research. The Pink Knight is still purchasable on Steam for $0.99 (USD). However, it is unknown if the partnership is still ongoing. It is also unknown how much money was raised.

2014 was an exceptional year for Bandai Namco as they decided to launch their Ms. Pac-Man Ribbon Campaign to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation. During the month of October, Bandai Namco released a Pink Maze for their Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man mobile games. This Pink Maze cost $0.99 (USD) with 100% of the proceeds set to go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. It is unknown how much was raised during the month of October.

2014 was an exceptional year for Bandai Namco as they decided to launch their Ms. Pac-Man Ribbon Campaign to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation. During the month of October, Bandai Namco released a Pink Maze for their Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man mobile games. This Pink Maze cost $0.99 (USD) with 100% of the proceeds set to go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. It is unknown how much was raised during the month of October.

SCS Software created their own DLC in 2019 to also support Breast Cancer Awareness. On October 1st of 2019 a $1.99 (USD) Pink Ribbon Charity Pack was released for Euro Truck Simulator 2. 100% of the proceeds were stated to be donated to reputable Breast Cancer research and awareness charities. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Alliance of Women with Breast Cancer were the two named research/charities. The Pink Ribbon Charity Pack can still be purchased to this day and the partnership is ongoing.

These are just a few of the many video game publishers that have helped in the fight against Breast Cancer. I hope many of the huge name publishers see how much of a difference they can make with their following.

In 2020 it was revealed developer IO Interactive was working on a James Bond game known as Project 007 which, understandably, shook the video game world. Still in production, there’s a possibility that their James Bond game could be the best ever made.

But we’re not talking about those kinds of Bond games today. We’re talking about the other kind of James Bond game. They’re the kinds of games that exist to remind you that all-time classics like GoldenEye 007 are largely an anomaly. The fact is that most James Bond games have been either mediocre or something much, much worse.

These are the five worst James Bond games ever made.

5. Tomorrow Never Dies

If I’m being honest, there are worse Bond games than Tomorrow Never Dies. Some of the older Bond titles or Goldeneye: Rogue Agent could easily occupy this spot.

However, Tomorrow Never Dies holds a special spot in many people’s memories due to the fact it was the James Bond game that PlayStation fans had to rely on while N64 gamers were spending sleepless nights with GoldenEye 007. It was never close to being close enough.

The game was also pretty bad in its own right, even if it falls short of all-time bad status. Picture a worse version of Syphon Filter with that game’s creative weapons and action sequences, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what Tomorrow Never Dies had to offer. Honestly, the PlayStation would never get a Bond game that came close to competing with GoldenEye.

4. James Bond Jr.

The whole James Bond Jr. concept has always been odd. So James Bond has a nephew whose life as a teenage spy often mimics that of his uncle’s? Even for a time when everything was being turned into a cartoon, that’s a pretty weak premise.

Somehow, though, the James Bond Jr. games manage to be much worse than the show. Both the NES and SNES versions of the game are pretty bad, but it’s the SNES edition that feels worthy of real scorn. Despite benefiting from the console’s increased processing power, the game plays like the abandoned project of a high school student developer.

Again, there was potential for this adaption to actually be a fairly enjoyable platformer, but a complete lack of effort turns this into an embarrassing curiosity.

3. A View to A Kill (Commodore 64)

The only reason that A View to A Kill doesn’t take the top spot on this list is that it was made in 1985. You kind of have to give games from that era a little credit compared to more modern titles (with one exception we’ll discuss in a bit).

Still, the Commodore 64 version of A View to A Kill is indefensible. The text adventure edition of this title works well enough, but the developers of this game attempted to create a visual adventure for Bond that largely consists of awkward driving sequences. No amount of begrudging credit for ambition makes it easy to forgive this game for its awful glitch-filled gameplay that is borderline unplayable.

I don’t know if it’s possible to actually like this game.

2. 007 Racing

I fully understand if you clicked on this article expecting to see this game in the top spot, but the truth of the matter is that I have to give 007 Racing credit for at least thinking outside the box. There’s a world where this game was actually a fun distraction.

Unfortunately, we don’t live in that world. We live in the other world where 007 Racing is ruined by ungodly controls, poor level design, and an absolutely unforgivable hesitance to embrace anything fun.

007 Racing could have been a series of compelling racing missions, a Mario Kart-esque racing title, or a Twisted Metal-like car combat multiplayer game. It was somehow a little of all of those things and yet not enough of any of them.

1. Live And Let Die

Given what we’ve looked at thus far, you may be wondering what makes Live so “special.” Why is it worthy of the honor of the worst James Bond game ever made?

Well, the main reason is that it’s not really a James Bond game at all. This was just going to be a generic boat action game before its publishers realized that there was a boat in the latest James Bond movie and they could just slap the license onto what they already had.

We’ve seen some lazy Bond games in the past, but it’s a special kind of lazy to have a James Bond game that was almost literally thrown together at the last minute.

Article updated. Original publish date: Nov 19, 2020

The history of gaming isn’t that old compared to other artistic and entertainment mediums. Many people have lived through the entirety of video game history, and more people have seen most of it. As such, you’d think that the history of video games would be pretty well documented.

Yet, there are some games that just don’t get the historical credit they deserve. It’s strange to think that some of the most important innovators in video game history can be largely forgotten, but it happens more than you may think.

With that said, here are five games that we bet you didn’t know changed gaming forever.

ChuChu Rocket

How it Changed Gaming: One of the first console games with functional, official online multiplayer.

Gamers of a certain age may remember ChuChu Rocket and the buzz it generated in 1999, but the game’s innovations have tragically been overlooked as the years go on.

ChuChu Rocket is a puzzle game that was essentially designed as a test of the Dreamcast’s online multiplayer capabilities. At a time when online console gaming was little more than a pipe dream, ChuChu Rocket offered easy-to-access competitive multiplayer that ran fairly well. It even let players upload and download custom maps!

The game itself was fairly simple (yet still a lot of fun), but it should be remembered as the game that helped a generation of developers figure out how online console multiplayer was practically going to work.

So while you may have been able to technically play other console games online before ChuChu Rocket, this is the game that made the dream a reality.

Kill Switch

How it Changed Gaming: The introduction of an active cover system.

This one is a little hard to explain. See, there were games before Kill Switch that featured a cover system. Metal Gear Solid 2, for instance, let you take cover to avoid detection or incoming damage.

Yet, Kill Switch is the game that introduced the cover system as we typically see it used today. By that, I mean that Kill Switch allowed you to rapidly move from cover to cover and pop out from your cover to engage in firefights. Whereas previous cover systems were largely defensive, Kill Switch‘s use of cover was all about staying on the offense.

Granted, Kill Switch borrowed a rough draft of that concept from games like Time Crisis, but at the time of its release in 2003, nobody had seen a third-person action game that let you move like that. Kill Switch‘s cover system was even featured in the game’s marketing and on the cover of the game’s case.

Gears of War tends to get the credit for this one, but we owe a lot to Kill Switch.

Mark of Kri

How it Changed Gaming: Use of 3D, multi-target combat.

It’s funny how a game can come along, garner critical acclaim, and over the years, kind of fall by the wayside. That’s about what happened with Mark of Kri.

Mark of Kri is a pretty great game in general, but its best feature was a dual-analog targeting system that let you assign an attack button to enemies around you. By doing so, you could easily jump between multiple enemies during combat sequences.

Does that sound familiar? It should, as it’s basically the combat system that Batman: Arkham would eventually help popularize. The difference is that Arkham came out in 2009 and Mark of Kri came out in 2002. While Kri‘s system was certainly rougher, it still feels like a generational leap ahead of everything else that was around.

At a time when 3D combat was rough, Mark of Kri figured out how to make it feel satisfying.

Jet Rocket

How it Changed Gaming: The first open-world game, first flight simulator, and first first-person game.

To be honest with you, I tend to hate talking about absolute firsts in gaming as the earliest technical examples of a concept tend to be rough.

However, Jet Rocket‘s historical accomplishments are too notable to ignore despite the very, very rough nature of the game itself.

Released in 1970, Jet Rocket allowed players to navigate an open 3D landscape while piloting a fighter jet. Its open-world design is particularly interesting, as the environment featured a few simple digital landmarks that actually offered a sense of perspective. Remarkably, the arcade cabinet was even shaped like a cockpit which enhanced the feeling of actually piloting a plane.

So why isn’t Jet Rocket typically remembered as an innovator? Sadly, a couple of companies got their hands on an early prototype of the game and ripped it off ahead of its global release. At least we now know we have Jet Rocket to thank for so many early innovations.

Marathon

How it Changed Gaming: Introduction of free-aim mouse and keyboard controls.

Go back and play the original version of Doom. If you’ve been raised on modern first-person shooters, we’re willing to bet that the first thing you’ll notice is the fact Doom does not use the mouse for aiming and looking.

Actually, the first game to really introduce that concept was Bungie’s Marathon.

Generally remembered as the series that Bungie made before Halo, the Macintosh version of Marathon featured a mouse-and-keyboard look and movement system that feels remarkably modern. It actually took a little while for this innovation to catch on, but once it did, it led to the development of FPS games that emphasized precision aim and fast movements.

It’s truly incredible to think that such a seemingly simple control concept would change gaming forever.

Note: Updated from the original article dated Nov 1, 2020.

30+ years on, there’s somehow nothing quite like an NES action game. From the soundtracks to the level design and airtight mechanics, classic NES games like Ninja Gaiden and Mega Man remain some of the absolute best the medium has to offer.

However, the NES library of action games is too extensive to be limited to those halls of fame-worthy examples. In fact, some of the best NES action games you’ve never played could easily rank among the best all time.

To get you started on that journey, here is a list of the 10 most underrated NES action games ever.

Shatterhand

Shatterhand‘s bizarre cover did it no favors, but beneath the strange packaging lies a truly great NES action game.

Bolstered by great level design and a truly unique upgrade system, Shatterhand nails core NES action game concepts before introducing just enough little touches to help it stand out from the pack.

Little Samson

While the visual design of this game may remind you of the excellent Little Nemo, it’s actually a thinly veiled knockoff of the Mega Man series.

What truly distinguishes Little Samson, though, is its character swap system. The ability to swap between different characters with different abilities (but shared resources) adds an element of depth to an already solid Mega Man-like experience.

Clash at Demonhead

Scott Pilgrim references aside, Clash at Demonhead absolutely deserves to be remembered among the best NES action games.

Clash at Demonhead‘s excellent visuals are reason enough to recommend it, but it’s the game’s open exploration level selection system that makes it stand out all these years later. Why didn’t other games borrow this title’s ideas?

Powerblade

It would be easy to forget about Powerblade if it wasn’t for the game’s truly brilliant boomerang weapon and combat system.

While the ability to attack in eight different directions isn’t a big deal now, Powerblade‘s incorporation of that feature put it far ahead of other action titles of its era as well as made it one of the more strangely accessible action games of this era.

Jackie Chan’s Action Kung-Fu

I’m as surprised as you are that there’s a Jackie Chan game for NES worth recommending, but here we are.

This game obviously doesn’t come close to recreating Chan’s brilliant fight scenes, but its stunning soundtrack, cute visuals, and martial arts side-scrolling combat make it an easy play that doubles as a somewhat strange historical footnote.

Low G Man

To be entirely honest with you, Low G Man’s stiff animations and bland visuals probably tell you all you need to know about why it’s not better remembered.

Yet, this game’s fascinating primary weapon (a long spear that behaves similarly to the cane in Ducktails) and varied combat design make it an often-overlooked oddity that at least deserves more of a cult following than it currently has.

Wizards and Warriors

As unbelievable as it is that an NES game made by Rare could ever be overlooked, Wizards and Warriors is just one of those titles you never hear anyone talk about.

Even though the game’s visuals and combat leave a lot to be desired, there’s an undeniable charm in the soundtrack and design concepts that invokes developer Rare at its best. Don’t make this the first NES game you revisit, but definitely check it out.

Bucky O’Hare

While Bucky O’Hare actually did garner quite a bit of acclaim in its day (it’s an NES game made by Konami after all), I’m not sure this game has ever really gotten the love it deserved.

Bucky O’Hare is a nearly perfect NES action game that’d I call the love child of Battletoads and Ducktales. It’s brutally difficult, but few NES action games feature the variety seen in this gem.

Metal Storm

Metal Storm has actually become slightly more popular thanks to the power of the internet, but it’s hardly a stretch to suggest that not enough of you have actually played this game.

Even if Metal Storm‘s combat can feel a little stiff at times, the title’s multi-level navigation gimmick adds an element of platforming brilliance to the affair that you don’t usually get from NES action games. Think of this more as a great NES platformer with a little action thrown in for flavor.

Updated: Original post date Jan. 28, 2021

That was 20 years ago. As games evolve so do the processing demands that go with higher resolution, levels of interaction, and increased framerates. It’s suggested to play Halo Infinite on a Series X, Series S or older Xbox One if you can. But if you’re a PC gamer, not any old Windows box will do.

We’ve outlined the minimum and recommended specs found in the 343 Industries graphic below. Of course, you can always shoot for the stars and go for the “Ultra” setup to maximize the experience. The more powerful your system the better the framerate and response.

Halo Infinite PC Requirements

Minimum Requirements (or greater):

• OS: Windows 10 RS5 x64 (Oct. 2018 update)
• CPU: AMD 5 1600 or Intel i5-4440
• GPU: AMD RX 570 or NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti
• VRAM: 4GB+
• RAM: 8GB+
• Storage: 50GB (30GB for just multiplayer)

Recommended (or greater):

• OS: Windows 10 19H2 x64 (Nov. 2019 update)
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel i7-9700K
• GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT or NVIDIA RTX 2070
• VRAM: 8GB+
• RAM: 16GB+
• Storage: 50GB+ (30GB for just multiplayer)

Original publish date 11/16/2021

(Updated 4/18/22) Even at a time when it feels like every game is being adapted into a show or movie, the news that Twisted Metal is being turned into a TV series stands out. Why? Well, it probably has something to do with the fact that one of the more ignored major franchises in PlayStation history has always felt perfect for such a format.

See, along with its own brand of car combat action, the best Twisted Metal games offer an appropriately twisted story that feels somewhere between Tales From the Crypt and Spawn. It’s the kind of “dark” entertainment with a humorous bend that you just don’t see enough of. The series also happens to feature some of the most overlooked characters in gaming.

Those characters are what we’ll focus on today as we count down the 10 best Twisted Metal characters that we can’t wait to see in the upcoming TV series.

10. Outlaw 

While the Outlaw vehicle certainly isn’t the most interesting in the early games, the lore of this vehicle (and its drivers) perfectly captures the better continuity elements of the series’ mythology.

By the time that we watch Twisted Metal 2‘s Outlaw driver join her brother in space and uses her specially rigged vehicle to slowly make their way back to Earth for revenge, you really start to appreciate just how ridiculous these games really are and how much effort goes into shaping the often equally cruel and hilarious fates of its drivers.

9. Roadkill

There’s really no such thing as a heroic protagonist in the Twisted Metal series, but Roadkill comes fairly close to filling that void.

As one of the series’ true regulars and most well-rounded drivers, Roadkill rises above his “default” status by virtue of a fantastic back story that sees him battle the very reality of the Twisted Metal universe. His discoveries call into question the very fabric of the games.

8. Shadow

Shadow became watered down in subsequent Twisted Metal games (who didn’t?) but his debut sets the standard for what this character is all about.

Essentially an agent of supernatural chaos sent to claim revenge on behalf of those who died in the original Twisted Metal game, Shadow’s “Grim Reaper” design affords him a unique place in the Twisted Metal universe that takes into account the influences of Heaven and Hell.

7. Spectre

Granted, the Spectre vehicle is best known for its mechanical abilities, but the lore of the driver is also fairly fascinating.

The best version of Spectre is arguably the runaway bride in Twisted Metal Black who enters the competition to find true love. As her dark ending suggests, though, it’s her relentless pursuit that’s more fascinating than the goal.

6. Warthog

Many versions of Warthog are actually fairly generic military dudes, but the version of the Warhog driver featured in Twisted Metal Black stands tall among the pack.

As a serial killer who feels remorse for his actions, you’d think that Twisted Metal Black‘s Warthog would enter the contest looking for redemption. Instead, he’s hoping to ask Calypso for the power to remove the part of his brain that feels remorse. It’s a twisted little detail that captures the series at its cruelest.

5. Minion

While Minions is often presented as a somewhat generic devilish “boss” character, there are aspects of the character that have long left fans looking for more.

As one of the few characters in Twisted Metal who may be more powerful than Calypso, it’s been strongly suggested that Minion may be the true evil in the Twisted Metal universe. Then again, he always seems more interested in maintaining the balance than gaining power.

4. Axel

Axel’s iconic tire arms make him an instant standout, but if you dive deep enough, you’ll find he’s one of the most sympathetic and interesting characters in the entire series.

Axel’s best story beat arguably occurs in Twisted Metal 2 when we see the character wish for the strength to confront his father and seemingly get revenge on the man who left him in this appropriately twisted form. In reality, though, Axel is one of the few characters looking for something much deeper than vengeance.

3. Mr. Grimm

Granted, Mr. Grimm’s popularity can partially be attributed to the fact he’s a skeleton riding a motorcycle, but various versions of this character over the years have benefited from surprisingly interesting lore.

Initially presented as an all-consuming force that thrives on chaos, the Mr. Grimm character was eventually shaped into a tortured soul that refused to die until he claimed vengeance. Honestly, any version of the character would play well on the big screen.

2. Sweetooth

The undisputed mascot of the Twisted Metal franchise is one of the few Twisted Metal characters that has survived the series’ dark downfall.

As the only vehicle to be driven by the same character in every game, the iconic Sweet Tooth benefits from one of the most consistent backstories in series history. Still, it’s that creepy flaming head and even more disturbing ice cream truck that elevates him above the pack.

1. Calypso

He’s not nearly as famous as Sweet Tooth, but at his best, Calypso is absolutely the most interesting character in the Twisted Metal franchise.

As the head of most Twisted Metal tournaments, Calypso is best known for granting ironic rewards to contest winners. However, as a few winners can attest to, sometimes getting what you want from Calypso is really about knowing what to ask for.

This will undoubtedly be the most desirable role in the upcoming Twisted Metal series.

Original Publish Date 2/24/21

(Updated 4/15/22) The reveal of the Mortal Kombat movie trailer and news that Street Fighter characters are joining the Fortnite roster has both legendary franchises on the minds of gamers everywhere. So, it’s only natural that fans have also started to compare and contrast the series.

Any of those comparisons have to start with a discussion about the franchises’ rosters. As two of the most notable fighting game franchises ever, it’s no surprise that Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat boast two of the greatest collections of characters in the genre.

Which roster is better, though? Nobody is ever going to write the definitive word on that topic, but if you’re looking for talking points, here are our thoughts on how they compare.

Mortal Kombat’s Roster

Notable Fighters

• Liu Kang
• Sonya Blade
• Shang Tsung

Strengths

The biggest strength of the Mortal Kombat roster is the story that NetherRealm Studios has crafted over the recent major installments in the franchise.

The idea of a substantial Mortal Kombat story seemed absurd for a franchise (and, frankly, genre) that so often ignores traditional storytelling, but Netherrealm has carefully constructed a compelling narrative that has not only evolved over time but finds a role for most of the series’ major characters. Granted, it’s not much deeper than say the MCU films or the Fast and the Furious franchises, but much like those movies, the games find something wonderful in combining spectacle with more serialized storytelling.

Those serialized spectacles have certainly elevated the Mortal Kombat characters in recent years, but they’re really just an extension of the things that the MK franchise has typically done so well. The MK games’ iconic use of fatalities has ensured that most players latch on to a particular Kombatant in a way that they may not necessarily do in other fighting games. It’s not unreasonable to pick a Mortal Kombat character on the basis of their personality. That’s quite the accomplishment from a storytelling and design perspective.

The Mortal Kombat roster’s star power is unlike anything else in the genre. There’s a reason so many people were able to name so many characters in the recent MK movie trailer even if they’re not big fans of the game.

Weaknesses

While recent MK games have emphasized the personality of the franchise’s roster, it’s important to remember that things haven’t always been that way.

There was a long, dark time when MK‘s designers relied on color swaps just to put an expanded roster on the box. They would try to introduce those characters to the franchise via brief backstories, but they usually just made things even more confusing.

There’s a degree to which that problem lives on in the modern MK games. While recent installments have trimmed the roster and done a better job of distinguishing characters, there’s a large chunk of the overall MK roster that remains forgettable. Furthermore, you can kind of tell that the developers are still fighting their reskin urges.

The relatively simple nature of the MK games from a mechanical standpoint also means that fighters are largely defined by their most elaborate moves. It’s nice that even new players can just kind of “pick up” most MK fighters, but the comparative lack of a larger learning curve means that some characters again start to blend together.

Street Fighter’s Roster

Notable Fighters

• Ryu
• Guile
• Chun-Li

Strengths

The best quality of the Street Fighter roster is the quality of their fighting.

Over the years, the Street Fighter series has become a favorite among genre fans who emphasize the mechanical elements of fighting gameplay. It’s not the most complicated fighting game out there by any means, but it is a series that has managed to maintain most of its roster over the years while evolving many of the characters in ways that stay true to how they began without feeling handicapped by those origins.

There’s a real joy in truly learning a Street Fighter character then growing with them as they grow between installments. You really start to feel like you’re connecting with a character in a way that makes fighting games so appealing in the first place.

The power level of the Street Fighter roster is also fascinating. Along with the “tier list” approach to fighting game characters, you have the ways that the series’ lore establishes the idea of a mythology-friendly power system without nuking the idea that many characters could beat other characters.

Weaknesses

Simply put, the biggest weakness of the Street Fighter roster is the narrative of the Street Fighter games themselves.

The Street Fighter stories have improved over the years, but it’s pretty clear that Capcom just isn’t that interested in telling substantial stories through these games. That’s fine, but their attempts to tell more of a story without really committing to that concept has left many characters feeling like they’re in a holding pattern.

Even if you accept that Capcom isn’t into Tekken or MK levels of direct storytelling, there’s the feeling that they’re missing out on an opportunity to do more with their roster. Many Street Fighter games focus on the stories of a select group of characters, leaving many others fighting for bits of narrative scraps.

It’s fine for fighters to be defined by their fighting, but as real-world fighters from Muhammad Ali to Connor McGregor prove, a little more showmanship can go a long way.

Which Roster is Better?

While the Street Fighter roster is undoubtedly impressive, the improvements made to the Mortal Kombat roster over the years are hard to deny.

By virtue of their star power, growth, abilities, and personal stories, the MK roster feels like the winner here. As for who would win if the major players from both rosters ever got the chance to square off…well, that’s a debate for another day.

Original Publish Date 2/19/21

(Updated 4/13/22) Netflix’s recent reveal that they’ve greenlit an animated series based on the Tomb Raider franchise has given many gamers a chance to reflect on the legendary video game series.

Do so, and you’ll probably find that Tomb Raider of the most uneven and fascinating franchises in video game history. Among the entries that make Tomb Raider so successful and famous are games that you wouldn’t play on a bet. 

With that in mind, here’s our look at the best and worst Tomb Raider games so far.

The Best Tomb Raider Games

5. Tomb Raider (1996)

The first Tomb Raider hasn’t exactly aged gracefully, but there’s no denying the craft that went into this early 3D action/adventure game.

Graphics and control problems aside, Tomb Raider‘s balance of action and puzzles set a standard for variety that subsequent titles struggled to replicate. This really was the template for what a great Tomb Raider game should be.

4. Tomb Raider: Legend

This often-overlooked Tomb Raider game benefits from the era of action/adventure titles that it was released in.

Softly modeled after the more modern Prince of Persia games, Tomb Raider: Legend retains the adventurous spirit of the original games but greatly improves the visual and control problems that plagued those early releases. It’s a real gem.

3. Shadow of the Tomb Raider

While this game sometimes tries a little too hard to be more “cinematic” than it is, it’s hard to deny how enjoyable the overall ride is.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a fundamentally enjoyable game that features some of this franchise’s best set pieces and gameplay ideas. Even if the story doesn’t quite get there, it gets close enough to be worth your time.

2. Tomb Raider 2

The gold standard of retro Tomb Raider games remains the best overall entry in the franchise in the minds of many fans.

Through a combination of smart improvements and some of the best actual “tomb raiding” in this franchise’s history, Tomb Raider 2 showed what this franchise could be when it was firing on all cylinders.

1. Tomb Raider (2013)

Yes, this game borrows heavily from Uncharted, but this reboots intimate scale and personal stories help it find its identity.

Everything in this reboot feels much more grounded than what we see in the Uncharted series. Even when the title goes too dark, it effectively sets up the new adventures of Lara Croft.

The Worst Tomb Raider Games

5. Tomb Raider 3

While this title was initially well-received, the years have highlighted this sequel’s flaws in ways that are hard to ignore.

Simply put, Tomb Raider 3’s difficulty too often makes it a fundamentally unenjoyable experience. This game’s infamous instant death sequences are made all the more annoying by an unforgivable collection of glitches.

4. Tomb Raider: The Prophecy

It feels wrong to pick on a handheld Tomb Raider game, but The Prophecy deserves some flak for not even trying to replicate the main entries into the series.

This top-down game relies too much on simplistic action sequences and painfully simple puzzles. If it weren’t for the fact this carries the name of one of gaming’s most famous franchises, there would be no reason to talk about it.

3. Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

To be honest, The Last Revelation‘s biggest problem was that it was the game that showed old-school Tomb Raider titles were finally losing their luster.

This game doesn’t really do anything better than its predecessors but features all the visual, camera, and control problems that hurt those early titles to this day. What should have been a chance to showcase the power of the Dreamcast felt like a phoned-in sequel.

2. Tomb Raider Chronicles

While I absolutely love the idea of a Tomb Raider anthology game, Chronicles fails at everything besides its premise.

Once again, Chronicles features everything that had already aged poorly about the Tomb Raider series. This time, though, those problems are complimented by awful stealth sequences, poor level design, the worst camera yet, and the general feeling that you’re playing every idea that wasn’t good enough to make it into the previous games.

1. Tomb Raider: Angel Of Darkness

The often undisputed candidate for the worst Tomb Raider game ever is a failure on every conceivable level.

Ultimately, Angel of Darkness is an unfinished game that’s rushed development cycle resulted in countless glitches, half-finished ideas, and the absolute worst gameplay in Tomb Raider history. This one basically killed the franchise for years.

(Original Publish Date 1/31/21)

Titles now available include:

• The entire Max Payne series and the F.E.A.R. franchise are now playable on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles for the very first time.  
• The entire Skate franchise is now complete with the addition of Skate 2 and playable on both Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles.  
• We also heard the desire for more original Xbox titles to be added to the catalog. We are pleased to announce we were able to bring more than 20+ original Xbox titles to an entire new generation of gamers, including Dead or Alive Ultimate, Star Wars: Jedi Knight II, Star Wars: Starfighter, and Otogi franchises.

Click on the graphic below to see the full list.   

Source: Xbox

Community manager Tosch wrote: “We are aware of a possible duplication exploit that has been circulating the forums and social media. We are disabling all forms of wealth transfer between players (ie. sending currency, guild treasury, trading post, player to player trading) while we investigate. Any player that has engaged in the use of this exploit will be actioned against.”

He then followed with, “Once the duplication exploit has been investigated and we are ready to turn on wealth transfer again, we will update this post.”

Would you take advantage of a glitch in gaming software that allowed you to make some free money?

I remember when I played my first Resident Evil. It was a gift and couldn’t wait to get it running in my old PS1. That old Capcom “this game contains scenes of explicit violence and gore” plastered on the screen, the menu yelling the title “Resident Evil” as you started; I loved it and played whenever time would allow. The action, the scares, the (at the time) impressive voice acting; all of it just clicked. It has been a long time since that first entry and played more horror games than I can count since then. The genre has gone through many phases and changes from different controls to how much action should be allowed, to borderline walking simulators that deliver some scares on occasion. We’ve even lost some great franchises in the process (I miss you Visceral Games and Team Silent.) Yet, with all the evolutions and new perspectives, I yearned for that simple time when I would slap in a plastic disc and explore spooky mansions and endure overbearing atmospheres. Well, somebody must have called Dual Effect, because they happened to do just that. Well almost.

It Started with a Photo

In Tormented Souls, we follow Caroline Walker as she receives a mysterious parcel carrying a photograph of a pair of twin girls. Somehow drawn to them, Caroline leads her to a creepy mansion later turned into a medical facility. Caroline then receives a nasty bump on the head and wakes in a bathtub with tubes connected to her and her left eye plucked out. She presses on, almost compelled to continue in her search of the twin girls in the photo, and what discover secrets are hidden between the walls of the makeshift hospital.

Return to the World of Survival Horror

Tormented Souls is a throwback to the genre of survival horror, and you’ll find all the hallmarks of the games of old here. Everything from clunky tank controls, blood-soaked creatures of the night lying in wait, and puzzles that open more of the mansion as you join Caroline in her journey. It was like greeting an old friend I haven’t seen in a while. After all, it’s been more than 20 years since gamers got to explore the Spencer Mansion for the first time. Your inventory space is unlimited, and you won’t be trying to figure out what puzzle gets priority or what weapon you’ll bring, or what you’ll leave behind. Caroline can be moved with an alternate set of controls that feel modern and less like I’m trying to park a car blindfolded.

No survival horror game would be complete with its signature puzzles. Tormented Souls brainteasers will humble even survival horror veterans. Every clue, hint, and step are telegraphed to you somewhere and in some way all the while avoiding dreaded “moon logic”. You just need the patience and the spatial awareness to see that the answer may have been right in front of you the whole time. Some made me sit back in awe as I pondered the solution only to have it hit me in the face when I examined a critical clue. More than once my jaw dropped when I got to see the payoff of puzzles I thought I’d never solve. Those taking in every note and piece of the environment will be happily rewarded.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention what lies in the darkness at the hospital. Countless creatures and monstrous former patients await you and only a limited supply of offensive and defensive weapons are available to deal with them. Some can be avoided if you are agile enough but most enemies outside of one will tend to stick around until they are dealt with. Do you kill it now and hope nothing comes at you later? Or, do you save it for a boss fight that may come soon? More ammo might be right around the corner, or it could be another monster hidden just out of view. The game usually provides just enough to get by, but trigger-happy players might see themselves stuck at certain points when their supply dries up. So, make every shot count.

Every Frame a Bloody Painting

Survival horror lives and breathes on its presentation and Tormented Souls mostly succeeds in this category. The Spencer Mansion itself is just dripping in atmosphere and style. The influences are blatantly clear with the Alone in the Dark and classic Resident Evil-style mansion taking center stage and later even Silent Hill-inspired “other worlds” come into play. The soundtrack offers a mix of haunting tracks to keep even the most seasoned players on their toes to relaxing melodies to signal that you are safe for the time being. While not the most graphically intense game on the market, its use of lighting, music, and art style all feel well done and deserving of merit. Mostly.

Tormented Shortcomings

I mentioned how Dual Effect almost had it right and I still stand by that statement as much as it pains me to do so. While there is definite polish in most places, the aspects lacking really start to become apparent. First is the voice acting; while not a lot of it, most of it is outright awful. I knew this wanted to be a throwback to early horror games, but they didn’t have to imitate the voice acting of the time as well. Caroline is supposed to be somewhere in the late teens/ early 20’s range but sounds like she’s in her 40’s and her delivery is questionable in some parts and laughable in others. The voice work almost comes out of nowhere while you investigate certain items and places of interest; it’s completely inconsistent. 

While Tormented Souls got points in the music department, it also can be tone-deaf as certain areas of the game have music that is not as well looped and can grate on the ears while you are just trying to walk around. The amount of backtracking also borders on unacceptable at times. That is normally a given in these kinds of games but combine that with Caroline’s slower than molasses jogging speed and it slows the game’s pace to a crawl even with shortcuts that can mitigate it. 

The combat, while engaging at first, completely falls apart once you are given a flashlight. Normally you would light candles with your lighter, lure enemies to the nearest light source, and pummel it with your weapon of choice. Once you receive the flashlight, any tension immediately falls flat as now you have a brighter light source that doesn’t require you to switch it out, you can take care of it immediately. 

Finally, I would always find myself saying something to the tune of “Wow just like in Resident Evil” or “Hey that’s just like Silent Hill.” There were so many callbacks and revisited mechanics of other titles that I first enjoyed seeing as I loved to see the inspiration, but at some point, I asked myself “Why wouldn’t I just play those games instead?” “If I missed those games so much, why was I playing this at all?” No game should make me want to play something else while I’m playing it.

Tormented Walk With Me

Tormented Souls is a heartfelt love letter to the classic survival horror genre. All the usual suspects are here; a spooky eccentric mansion full of terror, puzzles that will test your logical thinking and spatial awareness, and a limited amount of ammo to work with to combat the monsters within. Tormented Souls wears its inspirations on its blood-soaked sleeves and has no shame in it. Unfortunately, that’s where most of the problems start to creep in. For every clever idea and set piece there was something that would make me sigh in disappointment. I usually dislike giving a numerical number for a rating, but this is a 5/10 game if I ever saw one. It hooked me in, only to lose me on questionable game and presentation choices. At some point, I just wanted the game to end so I could move on to another. I really wanted to love Tormented Souls and there are parts where I do. But some parts of me just wished it tormented the characters inside the game rather than my patience.

At the beginning of one mission, you are marked for dead by the organization you work for. Your handler has no idea what happened but informs you that they are coming for you. You must blast your way out of your extremely depressing apartment and try to find a way to escape the hit squad coming after you. Former colleagues turned enemies, giant mechs, and leeches are the only thing between you and freedom. With no time to lose and no remorse to give, you kill the hit squad, take out your landlord who is having a party, and make for the exit. The game then takes you back to the level-select screen after paying you. Your handler informs you that it was an HR mistake since you had a similar social security number to one of your co-workers. He apologizes, tells you to move on, and hands you your next mission as if nothing happened.

I took my hands off my mouse and keyboard for just a moment as I couldn’t control my laughter. My mind retreated to years working in retail and having to deal with the HR department and exact same kind of response from them. “Just get back to work and move on” they said, or, “there’s nothing we can do.” I would just feel frustrated, like neither the problem nor I mattered to them. But what was I to do? I had to make money, so I would just shrug and go back to work. I would return to my workstation and just stand there in my own frustration just waiting to punch out for the day, daydreaming of finding something better. It’s in those memories of frustration, that I finally come to understand Cruelty Squad.

Look upon my gameplay ye mighty, and despair

Cruelty Squad in its purest form is an immersive sim. You play as a recently fired mercenary, sitting in your apartment until a friend of yours gives you a call and says they have a job for you. From there the game begins. You start your mission with a briefing from your handler (who looks like Jabba the Hut in a trucker hat) about your target. You choose from a set of “upgrades” and weapons to take with you to complete your mission and off you go. Right away, you’ll notice something off about the controls; assuming you play a bit of PC shooters. Your reload button requires you to pull back the mouse and your usual reload button is now the use key. There is no sprint button but with upgrades to your character you can quickly change this. It takes some time to get used to, but you learn to adapt quickly. From there, how you complete your objective is completely up to you. Any option is viable if you get out alive. While not as complex as its contemporaries like Deus EX, Thief, or even Dishonored, you still have an alarming amount of freedom in player expression. You can go in guns blazing like a cyborg John Wick if that’s your style. For those with more patience, perhaps a stealthy approach is more your speed. You can even go in with no guns and just kick your target out of the nearest window if you choose to (though I highly advise against it).

It may not look pretty but it gets the job done.

Let’s get a few things out of the way first. This game is not winning any award in the looks department. Everything just looks six kinds of wrong. All the environments, animations, and models scream PS1-era graphics. Normally that would be fine if it were not for the strange choices made with the texture work. Bright neon colors and weird faces plastered across the surfaces almost offends the senses by how off-putting it looks. Models don’t even register as human most of the time; they look like what you get if you asked an alien to draw what a human looks like from only having one described to it. The upgrades you can add to your body sometimes produce what I can only hope is bile. One upgrade is especially heinous as its set of intestines grafted to your arm to use as a grappling hook.  However, after a while, you stop noticing it. It all ends up blending into a surreal horrorscape as you maneuver from one area to the next, working to eliminate your target. Just like everyone in Cruelty Squad, it’s something that you accept and move on. The only thing that may not work in your favor thanks to the bizarre textures that once the gunplay gets heavy, it may be hard to tell your enemies from the civilians, especially in close quarters. Since there is no real penalty for taking out innocents, I suppose it’s a small nitpick.

But what does it mean?!?!

Cruelty Squad…is a very angry game. It is a punk-rock style critique on the plight of those on the bottom and what they must do to make it at the apex of capitalism.  While not overtly in your face about it, exploration rewards players with some insight into how this cyberpunk-inspired nightmarish hellscape works. You’ll find a world where Death is a slap on the wrist and business expense, capitalism has gone out of control to the point where armed mercenaries gunning each other in the streets for their corporate overlords is the norm, and a plethora of office workers have dreams of getting out of the office and hope their startup pays off.

Most missions give you the ability to face your target directly and not even bat an eyelash that you are brandishing a gun in front of them. Interacting with them only provides us tidbits of information; sometimes they think we are part of the security detail and some just don’t even care that we are here to kill them. Even your missions give off meager pay with your own side hustles supplementing your own income. Body parts can be collected from your slain foes to sell on the black market, stocks move in real-time ready to be purchased, and if you are feeling lucky, there is a fishing mini-game that can bring stacks of in-game currency to spend on a house one day.

It’s a clear jab at the toxicity of “side-hustle” culture that has infected Gen-Z and Millennials who can’t make it without turning their hobbies into profit. This game is a megaphone; its creators shouting obscenities at corporate elite and their friends. That same megaphone just so happens to be covered in blood and bile.

All my friends are just Flesh Automatons.

So, with all that being said; is it any good? Yes.

Would I recommend it? I have no idea.

Some people will be turned off by the art style but that’s to be expected. Some people may grow frustrated by the difficulty. Others will look at a trailer and think “it’s one of those artsy-fartsy” kind of games and not even give it a go. However, for those brave enough to try it, they will find a unique experience with some extremely satisfying gunplay at its base level and some clever satire underneath.

Cruelty Squad has quite a bit to say; it’s not always coherent and you have to do some of your own digging, but it’s a list of grievances about how our society works and a team’s vision about where it could lead. This game won’t be for everyone, but if you choose to dive into the surreal nightmare that is Cruelty Squad maybe you’ll find yourself frustrated at some things too.

Over its open beta weekend, I had the pleasure and sometimes displeasure of playing it within a limited time frame. With some hesitation and two cups of coffee, it was time to see what Amazon Games had to offer.

First Impressions

It is said that first impressions are everything, but it looks like no one told the development team. I was greeted with a lofty waiver and a survey they would like me to complete after I had my fun.  After a lengthy opening cutscene does a bit of world-building, you’re asked to make your avatar…. from somewhat limited options of choices. Call me spoiled if you wish but, but most MMOs offer a bit more than just a couple of faces and some truly awful hair choices. I picked my favorite pompadour and mustache and proceeded to… watch another lengthy cutscene.

After the cutscene, you are washed up on the beach of Aeturnam and your journey begins! Well, not quite. You are guided step by step for each of the controls for the combat, grinding of materials to make items, and how to hunt for food in the wilderness. I was reminded of tutorials of various mobile games that trying to rush players to the good stuff. I was expecting New World to ask for my credit card at some point, but I still had hopes that it would improve. The next couple of hours did not pan out as well as I hoped as I fought from generic locale to generic locale and completing generic quest to another generic quest until the game gave me directions to the nearest town. At this point as I was ready to write the game off, but I was curious to see what lay ahead.

Second-ish Impressions

I arrived at the first town with a virtual chip on my shoulder and nothing to lose. The town gates greeted my character with a warm atmosphere and a color palette that wasn’t brown and bloom. Players of all levels running to the nearest crafting stations to make gear, accept missions, or maybe sell an item or two. It was a complete 180 from what the game had offered me to that point. After some mean character introductions, New World opens up a little after being given brief direction on how to use your crafting skills. It gave me nostalgic flashbacks to RuneScape’s Tutorial Island. All the familiar hallmarks were there; mining ore to make bars that would later become armor, chopping down wood to make charcoal; cooking, and even leather work were on the menu. It was just Tutorial Island by another name. You can even find multiple campfires set ablaze just outside of towns (when you know, you know). That’s when everything clicked. While doing story quests kept the familiar loop of fetch quests and kill quests, your ability to ignore all that and just explore the game world was a real treat. I took my musket and sword outside the city walls and just went off to the wilderness.

Third-ish Impressions

It’s about time I talked about mechanics, and not the ones that scammed me out of my last 20 dollars. Rather than the usual level up and class system of its contemporaries, New World instead opts for a skill-based one ala Skyrim or again, RuneScape. The more you use a skill, the better it becomes, and the more skills and options you will have at your disposal such as mining stronger ores or gaining new combat abilities. On top of this is your actual level which goes up with standard XP from quests and the like. Each level up grants you two skill points to add to whichever stat you are looking to increase (STR, INT, etc..). The combat itself is a bit of a mixed bag. New world ditches the tag targeting that you would usually see in games like these in favor of more active combat. So, you’ll be defending and swinging your sword in real-time. Your combat mileage will vary depending on the management of your stamina. Defending and dodging are ruled by this meter and more astute players will have to learn to keep an eye on it lest they fall victim to having their guard broken. Luckily getting in your enemy’s face isn’t the only way to take them down. If magic or firearms are more your style, you’ll be satisfied with what New World has to offer. Should you meet an unfortunate end (as I often did), death is merely a slap on the wrist and a small dent in your armor or weapon. You can revive in either a registered town or a campfire where can rest Dark Souls style. Most likely a deliberate choice to keep everything nice and smooth with the number of things happening on screen.

PVP-ish Impressions

One of the biggest draws of New World that piqued my interest was the focus on territory that can be fought for by players. After a certain number of quests are completed, you have the option to join one of three factions. Each faction fights for territory and must do its best to maintain control of it from other competing factions. Once chosen you’ll receive missions from your factions NPC to raise your standing and get faction-specific items and gear as a reward. You will also be a part of your factions’ chat group, which will never stop with messages of which stronghold is under attack and vice versa. Once you’ve made the trek to where it is, you’ll be part of the war effort to claim glory and territory for your respective team. The frenetic chaos of seeing players clashing swords, slinging spells (hopefully healing spells), and firing muskets was quite a sight to behold. Those holding the stronghold must push back the opposing factions’ attack and prevent them from taking it. When things die down, brave players will keep a watchful eye over their precious fort and alert others via faction chat to the impending invasion. This brought a sense of tension as during my first battles, I stood guard with my musket at my side, occasionally using my sights to check if the dot in the distance was just an animal passing by or another player keeping an eye on me. Despite the player count the battle raging on, it’s easy to keep track of yourself while in the fray and is one of the most interesting modes of play in New World.

Devil is in the Lack of Details.

As much as I mostly enjoyed New World once it really got going, after a while, small cracks in the game world start to creep in. Normally with something in beta, I’m usually a bit more forgiving However as of the time of this writing, the launch is only weeks away which causes me a bit of worry if things will be buffed and waxed before it hits the digital storefront. As mentioned earlier, the tutorial is a bit of a slog and leaves a bad first impression. The first couple of hours or so boils down to: go here; find or kill the thing; come back; rinse and repeat. This goes double for once you reach your first city. It eventually just gets to the point that you do it for the experience points rather than learn about the world you are playing in. Bits of lore are sprinkled around the game world like notes and journal entries, but it’s very “by the numbers” writing.

The same goes for the NPCs. They are nothing more than glorified job boards to get the quests you need to move forward. With limited combat options in the beginning, I hope you like seeing the same 3 hit combo with your preferred weapon repeatedly. While that doesn’t change much later, you’ll at least have some active skills that can break up the monotony and keep fighting interesting. This combined with a general lack of polish in certain areas does bring some concern as New World is getting closer to entering the MMO space. With WOW’s “blizzard polish” and FF14’s high production values, Amazon’s efforts look bland by comparison despite some decent art direction. I’m reminded that this is a beta, so I’m remaining hopeful. At least for now.

So Now What?

Monday came the message that the beta was done and had to be deleted. I did my survey since they asked me nicely and moved on, looking at the steam page for the current release date. New World is a bit of a rough gem, and I can see what the developers may have been going for but for every three steps forward, there was one step back or one to the side. Amazon Games may be on to something here and it feels like a very competent game. Overall, I had a good time with it. It would almost feel wrong to just dismiss it as “just another MMO.” Perhaps it has to do with my current frustration with the genre due to SEGA’s bizarre choices with my current MMO of choice (I’ll get to you New Genesis. Just you wait).  There is some genuine effort here and because of that, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and see for myself where New World is headed when it launches. For those already on the ship and ready to go, maybe I’ll see you there too.