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!

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.

(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

Dead Space can now be added to the long list of remade video game classics.

The science-fiction horror game, originally released in 2008, was a massive success that influenced an entire generation of games within space/horror genre. Despite the success of Dead Space and its immediate sequel, following the lackluster release of Dead Space 3, it appeared that Electronic Arts had given up on the title entirely.

That is, until Thursday’s reveal trailer.

While this may seem like great news for diehard fans of the original game, the new remake may not offer exactly the same experience as the original.

In a press release published by EA on Thursday, the company revealed that “Players Will Experience an Improved Story, Characters and Gameplay Combined with Stunning Visuals and Audio.” This suggests the title may follow in the footsteps of Resident Evil 2: Remake, which greatly changed the story and gameplay experience of the original Resident Evil 2, while remaining true to the spirit and general direction of the original game.

According to the remakes developers, current-gen technology will greatly increase the level of immersion players experience while playing the updated version of the game.

IGN spoke to Roman Campos-Oriola, the remake’s creative director, and Senior Producer Phil Ducharme regarding how they plan to update the game. According to Campos-Oriola, the remake will feature all-new original assets and animations a well as improvements on horror and gameplay elements, all of which will be redone in the updated Frostbite engine to create a more immersive experience.

“Well, clearly next generations of console enable us to have ray trace reflections, volumetric effects or even fluid simulation for these effects,” Ducharme told IGN. “These are all things we’ll be able to expand on to increase, again, on the level of immersion.”

According to Ducharme, this level of immersion will ensure that the Ishimura (the space station that serves as the setting for the game) feels “alive.” “It’s dying, but it’s still alive and it has a voice and throughout your journey over the chapters of the game, you hear it progress,” Ducharme said.

Dead Space fans hoping for a sequel to the series shouldn’t hold their breath. Earlier in the year, GamesBeat reported that a sequel to the franchise had been put on hold indefinitely in favor of this new remake. However, if the Dead Space remake proves to be a smashing success, EA will likely be looking to cash in on the renewed enthusiasm with further installments to the franchise.

Meet the newest entry to the #NintendoSwitch family! Nintendo Switch (OLED model) brings the versatility of the Nintendo Switch experience with a vibrant 7-inch OLED screen, a wide adjustable stand, and more. Nintendo Switch (OLED model) releases on 10/8.https://t.co/zRpGxakJDn pic.twitter.com/Tsc55r35ay

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 6, 2021

For months leading up to the announcement, Nintendo kept tight-lipped regarding the new system despite a bevy of rumors suggesting its arrival was imminent. Many of those rumors suggested that Nintendo would reveal the model this past June at E3. When that didn’t happen, many fans feared that talks of what was then referred to as the “Switch Pro” were nothing but unfounded speculation.

Only days prior to the announcement at an investors meeting, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa refused to answer why the model hadn’t been announced at E3.

“Our company uses Nintendo Direct to inform our customers about individual products at the appropriate time,” Furukawa said according to Kotaku.

“To achieve that,” he continued, “we are constantly developing hardware, software, dedicated peripherals, etc., but we refrain from making comments on specific products still in development.”

Apparently, the new system was only days away from finishing its development when Furukawa made his statement. It is certainly understandable why the Switch OLED model took so long in that development process, given the many new features it has to offer.

The OLED model’s hardware has been completely upgraded: while the original Switch model has a 6.2 inch LCD screen with an output of 1080p when docked, Nintendo’s new model boasts an impressive 1920×1080 resolution with a maximum frame rate of 60 fps, according to Nintendo’s website. And then there’s the OLED screen. For those unfamiliar with tech jargon, OLED screens are some of the highest quality screens to date, outperforming  LCDs, LEDs, and CRTs. According to Tech Radar, “compared to competing display types, OLED TVs bring you better image quality (think blacker blacks and brighter whites), reduced power consumption, and much fast response times – that last point being a great addition for any console or gaming TV too.”

The Switch OLED model also features a wide adjustable stand for tabletop mode, a new dock with a wired LAN port, 64GB of storage, and enhanced audio for both its handheld and tabletop modes.

The OLED model’s October 8 release date makes the new Switch available to consumers just in time for the holiday season. Switch players will have a nice selection of new titles to play on the system as well. Coinciding with the systems launch day is the release of the highly anticipated Metroid Dread. For those lucky enough to score a system during 2021’s holiday season, the even more hotly anticipated Pokemon Legends: Arceus will be available for purchase shortly thereafter on January 28, 2022.

Diehard fans of Call of Duty’s groundbreakingly successful battle royale – Warzone – have been eagerly anticipating the release of a new map for months now. If Activision gets this one right, the new map’s debut could mark a huge, positive step forward for an already well-to-do title. However, if certain rumors surrounding the map change turn out to be true, fans may be left feeling robbed.

Over the past few months, Warzone has introduced nuclear weapons onto the game’s primary map, Verdansk. The warheads are hidden in secret bunkers across the map, all of which contain computers displaying an ominous countdown.

Rumors suggest this will culminate with the map blowing to smithereens, after which a new map will be introduced into the game. For example, leakers ZestyCOD and ModernWarzone both claim “a nuclear explosion event” will introduce a new map on April 22, as reported by Screen Rant.

If such a change does arrive, its introduction may disappoint and even anger fans, should certain rumors turn out to be true.

A Slight Redesign

Some of these rumors imply the new map will feature the Russian Ural Mountains, an area currently featured in the Fireteam: Dirty Bomb and Zombies’ Outbreak modes of Black Ops Cold War, according to Charlie Intel.

This would be just the sort of breath of fresh air that players have been waiting for.

Other rumors, however, predict Verdansk will simply undergo an aesthetic redesign to better align the map with Black Ops Cold War. Verdansk will remain virtually the same, albeit with a slight 1980s makeover.

Activision could also decide to set the nukes off, destroying certain sections of the map – turning buildings into rubble and adding the occasional large crater – while keeping Verdansk largely as it was.

Should Activision opt for the easy way out by only adding slight aesthetic changes, players will likely be enraged, and rightly so. This map has been hyped up and hinted at for months now. Players are expecting something huge. Activision needs to deliver on those promises or else be forced to deal with a pissed-off fan base.

Deleting Verdansk

There’s another possible map change to Warzone that could elicit an equally venomous response from fans. Activision could delete the Verdansk map entirely.

Well-known industry insider Tom Henderson claimed on Twitter that this will indeed be the case, saying “The current plan for Warzone is that Verdansk will never return.”

“There’s no separate playlist, map voting, or anything like that. Warzone is Warzone and Warzone is 1 map. Warzone will continue to change its map as the story progresses.”

Since its debut over a year ago, Warzone has become the preeminent battle royale map. Due in large part to Verdansk’s brilliant layout, the game has remained endlessly replayable for all that time. Destroying something fans have grown to love over the course of a year and leaving no option for them to return, would be a horrible mistake – one that Activision would certainly have to answer for.

What Gamers Are Hoping For

The nukes on Verdansk are going to go off. We all know this is going to happen. Activision should deliver on their implied promise. They should use the event as an opportunity to introduce a brand-new map. What the gaming industry giant should try to avoid, however, is forgetting what made Warzone successful in the first place.

When the dust settles, there should be two maps in Warzone – Verdansk and a new map. Anything less would be a disappointment to Warzone diehards.

Let’s hope Activision makes the right choice.

Fans everywhere finally got their hands on Marvel’s Avengers thanks to the first stage of the game’s beta. While impressions across the board are somewhat mixed, the general consensus seems to be that Marvel’s Avengers doesn’t feel like it’s quite ready yet.

You may think that reaction is largely based on the fact that we’ve only played a beta of an unfinished game. However, we don’t think that’s the case. We actually think that Marvel’s Avengers‘ problems aren’t the result of an incomplete design. Instead, they seem to be the result of a very intentional design decision to model the game after a mobile title.

To help justify that accusation, here are six of the ways that Marvel’s Avengers feels like an ambitious mobile game.

In-Game Promotions

Recently leaked photos hint at upcoming in-game promotions from companies like 5Gum and Intel. Rumors suggest that you may need to buy outside products in order to unlock the cosmetics associated with these promotions.

This is a page right out of the mobile game playbook. Corporations and other outside promoters have historically been eager to promote the most popular mobile games. We even saw Fortnite utilize more and more of these promotions as the game became more popular on mobile devices.

The unlockables may be little more than cosmetics, but the idea that Marvel’s Avengers is seen as a canvas for advertisements doesn’t’ bode well.

Simplified, Power Fantasy Gameplay

There’s nothing wrong with “simple” gameplay. Tetris is simple, and it’s one of the most addictive and long-lasting game franchises ever.

The problem with Marvel’s Avengers gameplay is that it shouldn’t be quite as simple as it is. Despite the presence of multiple abilities, upgrades, and similar design elements, much of the action boils down to basic combat against enemies that exist to be defeated.

Marvel’s Avengers tries to sell the idea that it’s deeper than it actually is. Why? Well, that may have to do with the other thing that Marvel’s Avengers is trying to sell…

Multiple In-Game Currencies and Microtransaction Opportunities

Microtransactions have been the biggest talking point in the “anti-mobile” movement.  While some microtransactions can be fine (such as DLC expansions), the problem with mobile games is that so much of the experience is designed to encourage you to purchase in-game currency and items.

That feels like it could be the case with Marvel’s Avengers. While it’s a little hard to tell from the beta how microtransactions will play out, the presence of multiple in-game currencies and so many cosmetics is definitely a red flag.

It’s easy to see how the game will encourage you to just buy certain bits of currency rather than earn them by playing. When a game is trying to get you to spend money to not play it, that’s a bad sign.

Dependant on a Popular Franchise

While this point isn’t inherently a bad thing, it is a bit worrying when you combine it with the issues that we’ve outlined above.

Simply put, we can’t imagine that we’d be talking about Marvel’s Avengers if it wasn’t an Avengers game. There’s really nothing special about the game outside of its very popular license.

Yet, that seems to be the point. It’s easy to imagine millions buying the game later this year simply because they want some kind of Avengers game. Again, that should be worrying to anyone who wants more.

Technically Impressive, Artistically Dull Visuals

This is another one of those qualities that are low on the list of current concerns but still drive home the idea that Marvel’s Avengers shares a lot of DNA with mobile games.

While Marvel’s Avengers‘ graphics are adequate and seemingly utilize the best of modern technology from a purely technical standpoint, the game is artistically bland. Characters look like they were designed by A.I., levels are largely “industrial,” and most animations lack fluidity.

Marvel’s Avengers is designed to look good in screenshots. When you start playing it, the whole thing falls apart.

It’s Not About the Base Game

We’re willing to bet that people 2-3 years from now will be talking about how Marvel’s Avengers overcame a rough start to become a pretty good game.

Our advice would be to wait and play it then. It’s pretty clear at this point that Square Enix sees Marvel’s Avengers as a work-in-progress. The base game appears to be just that. A base. It’s meant to be built upon for years to come, which would be fine if we were convinced that the foundation is solid.

However, we’re simply not convinced. For years, mobile games have depended on a flood of incoming content in order to keep things lively and fix core problems. That seems to be what we’re dealing with here.

Xbox Game Pass is simply the best deal in gaming. For $9.99 a month, it grants you access to a growing library of classic and modern titles. Many have even started referring to it as the fabled “Netflix of gaming.”

Much like Netflix, though, Game Pass’ extensive library makes it easy to overlook titles. When your eyes start focusing on the latest Triple-A release, you end up missing out on so many gems hidden within the catalog.

With that in mind, we’ve dove deep into the Game Pass library in order to find some of the hidden gems that you have to play. Here are the 10 most underrated games on Xbox Game Pass:

Streets of Rage 4 (Console and PC)

Streets of Rage 4 garnered some initial attention when it was released earlier this year, but we’d argue that not many enough people gave this game the proper amount of attention.

Streets of Rage 4 is more than just a throwback to the golden age of beat-em-up games. It’s a brilliant revival of that genre that captures why they were so much fun despite their simplicity.

Astrologaster (PC)

We’ll tell you now that there’s not much “game” to Astrologaster. Most of your interactions will be limited to making on-screen choices.

Yet, this comedy adventure title set within Shakespeare’s London is truly one of the most creative titles we’ve experienced in years in terms of its writing and artistic design. You’ve got to give this one a shot if you want something different.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Console and PC)

Describing Kingdom Come: Deliverance as “janky” would be generous. Glitches aside, even its core gameplay harkens back to the days of unnecessary steps and cumbersome interface.

That jankiness is absolutely part of the appeal, though. This is a truly old-school PC RPG on a grand scale. If you feel like recent RPGs have abandoned the “role-playing” part of the deal, you might just fall in love with this game.

Ape Out (PC)

We could probably just describe Ape Out as “Hotline Miami with an escaped ape” and justify its place on this or any other list.

However, Ape Out is actually much more than that. It’s a testament to minimalistic design from a gameplay and visual standpoint, and its soundtrack is one of the best in recent years. This utterly addictive action title boasts great “one more try” gameplay.

Clustertruck (Console and PC)

Clustertruck casts you into the role of a truck that must hop over other trucks in order to reach a finish line. It’s…pretty weird.

What makes Clustertruck work is its absolutely brilliant course design. Fans of games like Super Monkey Ball will find a lot to love in this challenging game that tests your reflexes and course knowledge.

The Messenger (Console and PC)

Even if you think you’re tired of retro-style indie games, we can pretty much guarantee that you’ll find room in your heart for The Messenger.

This brilliant action game combines elements of classic 8-bit and 16-bit titles to form an experience that we guarantee is much more than meets the eye. It’s simply a must-play for fans of everything from Ninja Gaiden to Super Metroid.

Quantum Break (Console)

We’d be lying if we told you that Quantum Break is Remedy’s best game. We’re not even sure if it would crack the list of the studio’s five best games.

For all of its faults, though, Quantum Break boasts some of the most unique storytelling methods in gaming history. Essentially an interactive television show in many respects, Quantum Break is thoroughly enjoyable for beginning to end even if it doesn’t land its most ambitious leaps.

Demon’s Tilt (Console and PC)

If you’ve played one digital pinball game you’ve pretty much played 99% of ever other digital pinball game that has ever or will ever be made.

Meet a member of the 1% exception. Demon’s Tilt is a chaotic and visually creative twist on the pinball genre that combines classic pinball with bullet hell action games. It’s an utterly intense and downright brilliant experience that’s just waiting to be picked up and played.

Phoenix Point (PC)

Phoenix Point is far from the best X-Com like game that’s emerged in recent years since that series’ revival. It just suffers from too many bugs and half-baked concepts to rank among the best in the genre.

Still, Phoenix Point features more of the ideas that defined classic X-Com games than even the modern entries into that franchise. This is a grand strategy experience that still lets you enjoy modern X-Com’s brilliant tactical combat.

What Remains of Edith Finch (Console)

Not long ago, What Remains of Edith Finch earned quite a bit of attention and end of the year awards. Since then, though, you never really hear anyone talk about the game.

That’s a real shame. What Remains of Edith Finch challenges popular notions of video game storytelling and level design. It’s an entirely ambitious and thoroughly compelling adventure that we can guarantee you’ll never forget.

Cloud Imperium Games has recently come under fire due to a lack of communication on the status and progress of Squadron 42. Squadron 42, for the uninitiated, is the single-player game being crafted alongside Star Citizen going back to 2012. While the Star Citizen side continues to receive regular quarterly updates, progress on the single-player portion is mostly relegated to monthly e-mails with several paragraphs loosely describing what each part of the team has been working on. These sometimes include a screenshot or two, but do little compared to the weekly development videos and live streams on the rest of Star Citizen.

Now I’m sure plenty of people will continue to repeatedly shout into the void how Star Citizen is a scam and the game doesn’t exist, so this article will have no value to you. Star Citizen’s progress is slow and frustrating at times, but the game is out there and accessible. Squadron 42, on the other hand, has had little in terms of discussion about its progress or eventual completion for more than a year now. Let’s look at some ways CIG can improve upon this.

Forget About Spoilers

Star Citizen is a player base primarily of adults. Adults that can make their own decisions about what they want spoiled or not. It was reasonable years ago when the game seemed just beyond the horizon to tread lightly. Now, eight years in and yet another potential release date come and gone, it just seems patronizing. The community should be able to decide if it is willing to accept spoilers if it means knowing more about what to expect.

Production Transparency

There’s no shortage of transparency in the development process. The weekly videos and live streams cover all sorts of interesting progress on individual elements of the game. Knowing how all of these things come together is informative and entertaining.

However, the production process is still very muddy to most. The original introduction of the roadmap was a start, but it still feels like things come and go in the production without much explanation. If the community had a better idea of why the development was getting delayed and reformatted, they would be more understanding when it was.

Real Release Date

This year has been one with many delays. Virtually every major game has been pushed back at least some amount of time. Fans of these games can accept this since it usually means they will get a better product in the end. I’m entirely unsure why CIG would assume one of the most committed fanbases in history wouldn’t be able to do the same.

Squadron 42 has had at least a few release dates over the years, including the one that has recently passed for alpha testing. Previously, they’ve cruised right by those dates saying little to nothing about what is happening or why. Speculation explodes and people start airing their frustrations with limited communication. What could solve this? Well, look at every other developer this year for the answer.

Before the release date, say it won’t be happening and give a new release date. Squadron 42, based entirely on assumptions, won’t be happening in any public form this year. If the community had a new release date, they might be temporarily fired up, but would at the very least have a new point to look forward to.

Having that, more than anything gives everyone a lot less to complain about. Just like the roadmap has worked well to assuage issues with how long content takes once announced. Things only start to boil over when the community is flying blind and getting no guidance.

What this all comes down to is communication. This is an issue going back many years in the development of Star Citizen. It seems like Cloud Imperium Games, or perhaps Chris Roberts himself, is firmly against making the bad news public. At least not without padding it in a huge cushion of good news.

When negative announcements finally occur, usually months after they’re relevant, it’s during a Citizencon speech or some other collection of mostly positive news. Even the announcement last week that we’re getting a “roadmap for a roadmap” was as 3.10 was lining up for release. All after months of silence and growing concerns about Squadron 42. 

It’s frustrating that the root cause of so much drama in the Star Citizen community is still present after all this time. It makes me believe that the issue is in the culture of the company rather than just a repeated mistake. It seems like a fear that somehow things will be worse if the community is informed that bad things happened in this ambitious project.

However, I contend that it’s worse for the overall image to be on the front page of gaming news with “$300 million game angers community.” Especially when it could just simply be “Squadron 42 beta delayed until Q3 2021.” An announcement that most likely would receive a resounding “ok” from the majority of backers.

If you’re interested in the Star Citizen Alpha 3.10 patch, here’s a silly video covering many of the new additions.

Despite 2020’s reputation thus far, it has been a notable year for games. Many highly anticipated titles have released so far and more are on their way before the year closes out. As we tip past the midpoint, August didn’t look too exciting in the lead-up, but now we’re seeing some really interesting looking games set to land this month. Let’s take a look!

August 4 – Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

This massively multiplayer gameshow-inspired free-for-all has 60 players running and jumping through a massive obstacle course of colorful traps to be the victor. In this strange adaptation of what almost seems like a battle royale, you’ll take control of a shiny little jellybean person to scurry around the playfield. As you dodge giant balls, avoid pitfalls, and plow through breakable walls, you’ll be competing to make it to the finish line first before all of the other characters.

August 11 – Risk of Rain 2

The indie sequel no one saw coming, but everyone seems to love since its early access is about to get its full release. After the original 2D experience in 2013, this 3D follow-up greatly expands and reshapes the game. You’ll still be blasting away and a wide variety of monster creatures, but this time you can head online for a fantastic co-op experience!

August 18 – Microsoft Flight Simulator

Perhaps one of the most iconic PC games going all the way back to 1982 is getting a new version this year. From what I’ve seen, it’s one of the most photo-realistic games ever created. Though cruising around simulated real-world planes isn’t generally the most appealing thing for me, with it being on Game Pass, I’ll most likely give it a shot. Besides, everyone will probably want to take off and fly over their house just to see if it’s well-rendered, right?

August 18 – Rogue Legacy 2

The follow up to the first self-described “rogue-lite” is finally coming to Steam in Early Access a full seven years after the original. Much like the original, you’ll take on procedural dungeons with a new character each run. Each character is born with unique traits that provide positives and negatives like exceptional archery or colorblindness. The game seems to follow much of the same aesthetic design, but features many new traits and, of course, new gameplay.

August 21 – Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time

This classic cartoon adventure about a samurai battling a mystical foe across the universe was a popular, but somewhat limited hit in the early 2000s. In 2017 it was revived for one more season and apparently, that was enough to motivate Adult Swim Games to publish a game based on the series. It looks to channel much of the classic art style, but in a 3D hack and slash platformer style.

August 27 – Surgeon Simulator 2

The first Surgeon Simulator lets you take some interesting liberties with the open chest cavities of patients using controls that were… less than optimal. The insanity of this experience is now going to be augmented not just by more medical mayhem, but by more surgeons at the ready. Now you’ll be able to play with up for four players in online co-op doing whatever it is that you’d call this wacky carnage.

August 28 – Madden NFL 21

We live in a world where Electronic Arts delivers a deluge of sports games every year like the Old Faithful of mediocre gameplay. Madden NFL 21 will continue the series started 32 years ago in 1988. While the game has certainly come a long way since then, it may not provide a clear improvement from last year’s iteration. However, I’m sure plenty of people are excited to add this one to the collection regardless.

August 28 – Wasteland 3

Six years after relaunching a franchise started back in 1988 (I guess right beside Madden), inXile Entertainment is bringing the third game to the series. This time, the player will be taking this turn-based roleplaying game into a post-apocalyptic Colorado. You’ll be venturing through the cold mountains as the last surviving member of the Team November Ranger Squad and bringing justice to the probably-frozen locals.

Probably August – Serious Sam 4 and Baldurs Gate 3

Continuing the trend of old franchises getting new games, these two titles are set with imprecise dates meaning they should probably release this month, but may not. Baldur’s Gate 3 is going to have an early access release despite how noteworthy the franchise is historically.

What that means for the product we ultimately get, no one knows for sure, but it will probably be a while before the full release. Serious Sam 4 on the other hand will ride the resurgence of twitchy arena-style shooters that have become popular in recent years. I hope that it too can add a couple of new dimensions from the previous games in the series much as Doom did.

Quite a few additional games are coming out too, including a previously unheard of port to PC of a PlayStation 4 exclusive with Horizon Zero Dawn. It seems we’ve come to a point where no month goes by without at least a reasonable number of new noteworthy games. Being presented with a near-limitless number of games to choose from can be either exciting or overwhelming depending on how you look at it. However you look at it, we’ll have plenty of new stuff to check out this month.

What games are you looking forward to in August?  Are there any we missed that you’re excited about?  Let us know in the comments!

For the past eight years, I’ve been closely following the production of Star Citizen and its single-player addition Squadron 42. Back in 2012 at the beginning of the Kickstarter, I was fascinated by the idea of a modern version of the Wing Commander series with all of its space fighter fun. Chris Roberts easily sold me on that concept alone, but the promise was for both games all in one package. Now as we come upon the eighth anniversary of this event, the community is growing unhappy with the current state of development. Yet few outside of this community seem to know what the issue is about.

Cloud Imperium Games has, for some time, released quarterly updates including things like new planets, moons, ships, gameplay, and various refinements. Within this three month cycle, there’s always a steady ebb and flow of people praising the progress, and being frustrated there isn’t more. One part of the issue is that recent updates haven’t impressed as many players with new content. Last week the Star Citizen roadmap was updated with the next two quarters of patches and they’re even more sparse than what we’ve seen recently.

Within a similar time frame, from the end of 2019 and into this year, there was an expectation that Squadron 42 would be on the horizon. The Squadron 42-specific roadmap cited the end of Q2 as the beginning of its alpha and optimization phase with Q3 ending with its beta test. However, in March, a video discussion with Brian Chambers (Vice President of Development) described this roadmap as ineffective at showing progress. It hasn’t been updated since that point. The promise was that a new more accurate roadmap would be created to show how close it was to completion.

From that point on, very little information was released about Squadron 42. Four and a half months passed with growing frustrations about the lack of communication. The roadmap remained up in its stated inaccurate form with the quarterly dates glowing like beacons for everyone to gather around and shout. Finally, after a massive wave of dissension, CIG released a statement referencing what was going on. Yet, it wasn’t exactly what people wanted to hear.

In general, the text of the statement released on their Spectrum forum listed a flurry of excuses for how they attempted to communicate but didn’t feel it was good enough. Instead of telling everyone when this news was relevant, they sought to come up with a better solution. The statement goes on to describe a set of steps they’re going to take to create the roadmap for Squadron 42. They created a roadmap for the future roadmap.

This wasn’t well received. I can’t understand why after nearly five months, they weren’t able to formulate a method for communicating the production progress. The nature of the steps they laid out for us also seems to indicate they are still only roughing out the basic roadmap design. This makes it seem like they weren’t working on at all in those previous months. It also indicates that not only is Squadron 42 not going to be in “alpha” or “beta” this year, but might be even further off to given the apparent complexity of this roadmap process.

For people like me who backed the game eight years ago primarily to get into a cool new Wing Commander with Squadron 42, it’s extremely disappointing. This single-player game has been promised and delayed numerous times going back to at least 2016. Now as we forge onward into a new decade, it seems no closer than it did back then. 

Of course, I don’t plan on falling in with the strange conspiracy theorists surrounding this game. I’m well aware that a great deal of work has been done. What exists in a playable format is still incredible to behold in many areas. However, the fact is that this is one of, if not the, most well-funded game in history. The massive funding and extremely limited influence from those who funded it (the backers) have allowed mismanagement to reign. While we may eventually get a better product, I seriously doubt the quality will justify the massive delays.

If you’re a fan of Star Citizen, what’s your perspective on all of this?  Has it changed how you feel about the production and progress of the game?  Let us know in the comments!

The reveal of the PlayStation 5’s dual release of a very symmetrical digital-only version and a lumpy disc system has prompted more debates over whether digital media is the future.  Even today, digital games are becoming the dominant method for people to purchase games. This has been the standard for PC for years.  However, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end of the road for physical game versions.

Nintendo in particular has kept the fight going with physical games in part due to their lack of will to produce a quality online experience.  They’ve been running digital platforms for many years now, but none have ever been in line with their competition.  As digital storefronts shut down on old consoles, the only way to play some of these games is to track down a physical copy or be lucky enough to have it installed.  Even here though, Nintendo seems to be slowly embracing the world of digital games in their tiny onboard storage.  They even have their digital-dedicated monthly videos with “The Download.”

It’s not all up to Nintendo though.  When the time comes and they are comfortable that DRM will allow them to take the reins of all game sales, we’ll have a digital-only Nintendo console.  Then it will be up to companies like Limited Run Games, Super Rare Games, Strictly Limited, and First Press Games to carry the torch.  They can’t create discs and cartridges for consoles that don’t have them, but one of the reasons physical copies still exist is collectability.

Collector’s editions have become increasingly common across numerous genres and even for indie games.  The rise of the game-free collector’s edition has even become increasingly popular.  Most collector’s editions for PC games these days, even those including the game, don’t come with any sort of game media.  They include a case with a slip of paper printed with a key to unlock it.  Yet they’re still sold by the thousands because games have become a larger part of the culture than simply light coming from a screen.

The idea of a future where all new games are digital seems bleak.  While Gamestop certainly hasn’t made many friends in recent years, they would have a hard time persisting in such a world.  My local stores have already transitioned to nearly half of the store being game-related merchandise.  Items ranging from simple cheap stickers and notebooks to memorabilia and statues that cost hundreds of dollars.  I’m sure the margins on these products are nowhere near what they’ve generated from their “buy-low sell-high” used game market, but it might keep them from disappearing.

Most retailers of all varieties have come to realize that the future is in online sales.  All of the previously mentioned physical retailers have prominent or exclusive online functionality.  Even as we transition from physical games, the remaining sales still come mostly from purchases via a digital medium.  I’ve spent most of my life going into stores and looking high and low for new games.  That experience is one I rarely bother with anymore though.  Besides, half of the games I play (of the indie variety) would have never made it there, to begin with.

Regardless of where the next five years take us, and the console generation that follows this one, gaming itself isn’t going anywhere.  Every year the market grows even as digital games overtake the physical medium.  With that, new fans are born with demands for more ways to associate with their games. They’ll want the t-shirts, figures, stickers, posters, statues, and every other conceivable reference they can find.  Companies will pop up every day finding new and exciting ways to deliver these keeping the physical part of our digital games alive.  Even if it means we’ll just be typing in-game keys in the process.

Microsoft has made it clear that the launch of the Xbox Series X will not mean the immediate death of the Xbox One. In fact, Microsoft will not produce true Xbox Series X exclusives for at least a couple of years.

Still, the release of any next-gen console gives us cause to look back on what came before. So join us as we take a look at the legacy of the Xbox One in order to try to better understand how Microsoft’s gaming console will be remembered.

The Xbox One Will Be Remembered for Its Disastrous Debut

Few consoles in recent memory have proven the truth of the old saying “You only get one chance at first impressions” quite like the Xbox One.

When Microsoft properly debuted the Xbox One, they talked about a console that was expensive, burdened by controversial features at least a decade ahead of their time, and a high price tag. Sony presented the PlayStation 4 as a console you wanted in your life. Microsoft talked about the Xbox One like it was a drill sergeant that would force you to get your **** together.

Had the Xbox One grown into the console Microsoft tried to force it to be at the start, things could have been different. Instead, Microsoft spent too much time listening to soothsayers who foretold the coming of a new age of gaming and less time listening to common sense.

The Xbox One Will Not be Remembered For Its Games

Obviously, all discussions of console wars and similar topics are subject to often extreme levels of subjectivity. However, we think that you’re going to have a hard time arguing that the Xbox One had better exclusives than the PlayStation 4.

It’s tempting to boil the problems of the Xbox One’s library down to its lack of a killer app. To be fair, there’s some truth to that. Franchise mainstays like Gears of War and Halo failed to truly impress with their Xbox One exclusive installments, and new series (such as Sunset Overdrive) failed to quite “get there” despite their relative quality. Even “gimme” games like Halo: The Master Chief Collection were plagued by issues.

Yet, the biggest problem with the Xbox One X’ game library is its best titles either fail to inspire more than a select group of gamers (such as Forza Horizon 4) or are available elsewhere on platforms which may be a better fit for them (such as Cuphead on Nintendo Switch).

The Xbox One Will Be Microsoft’s PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 2 is more than the best-selling video game console of all-time. It was a triumphant hardware success that was bolstered by an incredible library of diverse software. Sony’s follow-up, the PlayStation 3, was less of a success. In fact, it left many shrugging their shoulder wondering how a company atop the world released something so unsubstantial.

It’s a similar story for Microsoft and the Xbox One. The Xbox 360 nearly upset the dynamic of the entire industry with its revolutionary features, incredible game library, and stellar online service. It’s arguably one of the greatest consoles ever.

The Xbox One, meanwhile, just fell flat. It wasn’t a bad console in the ways that matter most, but its generally “meh” nature felt so out of place for a console manufacturer that was seemingly at the top of its game.

The Xbox One Will Be Associated With The Start of Game Pass

It’s funny. Even though the Xbox One isn’t especially notable for many individual games, its best feature may be a service that offers you many of those games.

One way or another, cloud gaming and video game “streaming” will be a big part of the industry. Microsoft combines those concepts in Game Pass: a collection of game accessed via a monthly service fee which you download and access as you go.

No other company has been able to match Game Pass’ combination of collection, technology, and price. It’s the most practical example yet of how the future of gaming may not involve paying $60+ for every title that comes out.

The Xbox One Will Be Praised for Backward Compatibility, Cross-Play, and other Consumer-Friendly Features

Given that the Xbox One started as a relatively consumer-unfriendly console, we understand if you’re shocked to learn that the Xbox One eventually became the gold standard for consumer-friendly features.

In recent years, Microsoft has pushed for the preservation of true, hardware-enabled backward compatibility as well as the advancement of cross-play technology which allows all gamers to play together regardless of which console they own. They’ve also pushed for the development of more accessible hardware which allows a greater variety of gamers to play the games they love.

Our sincere hope is that Microsoft continues to push for inclusivity and consumer innovation in the future. They’ve already forced rival companies to keep up with their progress thus far.

The PlayStation 4 will be remembered for many things, but its most lasting legacy may be its incredible collection of exclusive titles. At a time when it felt like true exclusives were harder to come by, the PlayStation 4 delivered hit after hit.

In fact, there were so many great PlayStation 4 exclusives that we’re willing to bet you missed out on many of the best. So before we retire our PlayStation 4s and look to the next generation, be sure to give these underrated PlayStation 4 exclusives the chance they deserve.

Blood and Truth

The future of VR is debatable. The VR format is still trying to find that line between accessibility and innovation. Whatever happens to VR, though, we believe that the PSVR will eventually be looked at fondly for as the practical VR option ever manufactured.

It doesn’t hurt that the PSVR boasted quality exclusives such as Blood and Truth. This VR crime saga doesn’t offer much in the plot department, but its blend of cinematic storytelling and arcade-like shooting sections makes it one of the best overall VR experiences on any headset.

We can’t recommend buying a PSVR just to experience Blood and Truth. If you own one, though, you should absolutely give this game a shot.

Astro Bot Rescue Mission

Here we have another PSVR game that’s biggest flaw is that it’s a VR game that you likely don’t own the necessary hardware for.

Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a charming VR platformer that creatively re-imagines the tropes of one of gaming’s oldest and most successful genres. In the same way that Super Mario 64 brought platforming to the 3D era, Astro Bot Rescue Mission‘s brilliant level design shows how VR may be the next great frontier for a genre that sometimes feels stagnant.

For the right gamer, Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a true VR system seller.

Until Dawn

It feels strange to call Until Dawn “underrated.” After all, the game sold fairly well and was a cult hit amongst many who played it.

Yet, it’s easy to argue that Until Dawn deserved more. This digital choose-your-own-adventure sacrifices some traditional gameplay in order to deliver gaming’s finest slasher horror experience. Until Dawn is a glowing tribute to everything horror that is as genuinely scary as it is purely enjoyable.

Make sure not to retire your PlayStation 4 until you’ve played this one a few times through to explore its various narrative possibilities.

Killzone Shadow Fall

Killzone is one of those series that just never quite “got there.” Despite featuring several solid entries, Killzone typically found itself trailing behind other popular franchises.

Yet, at a time when good, single-player, first-person-shooter games are harder to come by, it’s easier than ever to appreciate Killzone Shadow Fall. This shooter boasts fun action mechanics, solid level design, and a surprisingly interesting story.

You could argue that Shadow Fall doesn’t truly excel in any one area, but it’s a testament to how hard it is for an exclusive to stand out on the PlayStation 4.

Resogun

Resogun is typically remembered as one of the PS4’s most serviceable launch games. As the PS4’s library grew, though, it felt like fewer and fewer people were talking about this game at all.

That’s a shame. Resogun may just be an old-school 2D shooter with updated graphics, but it turns out that old-school 2D shooters are still a lot of fun. This kind of well-made, arcade-like experience was the exact kind of thing that we started to miss as the PS4’s library of games began to grow bigger and more ambitious.

If you want an old-school title that is pleasantly new, Resogun is for you.

WipEout Omega Collection

For a while there, it felt like Sony fans went into every E3 showcase just hoping for word of a new Wipeout game. By the time we actually got this Wipeout remake collection in 2017, though, it seemed like nobody was talking about it.

Yet, nearly everyone who has played this game is quick to describe it as one of the best fast-paced racing titles ever made. It’s a brilliant throwback to a style of game that faded away too quickly.

Omega Collection never takes its foot off the gas and delivers one of the best racing experiences of this generation because of it.

Infamous: Second Son

Despite being one of the PS4’s biggest early exclusives, it just never felt like Infamous: Second Son never caught on. That probably has something to do with the up and down quality of its predecessors.

While Second Son also has flaws, it so happens to be one of the best superhero games of its generation. This open-world title not only offers an expansive playground for your superhero to roam in but a surprisingly gripping story and mythology as well.

If you’re not burned out on open-world games, be sure to give Second Son a shot.

Rocket League has been an unconventional success story from the very beginning. The self-published title from Psyonix built a following greater and more consistent than many AAA games in the multiplayer realm. While it has had some difficulties, growing early from its PS Plus offering to launch on pretty much every modern platform, it now boasts many hundreds of thousands of concurrent players. Averaging more than 72,000 on Steam alone this month. 

Despite dipping down to around $10 several times, there are still plenty of people who don’t own this game though. That’s all set to change after nearly five years. Rocket League will now be free to play later this summer. While there isn’t a date set for this changeover, it does come with some caveats. The most important is that the game will no longer be available on Steam for the PC. When it launches, it will swap over to the Epic Games Store.

It does appear that players who purchased the game before July 21, 2020, will receive several notable bonuses. This includes all of the Rogue League-branded DLC released before the date it becomes free. Psyonix has stated that the game will still be playable on Steam, but cannot be “downloaded.” I’m not sure if that means it can’t be downloaded at all (which is rare for Steam) or just simply can’t be added to new accounts. Whatever the case, fans of Steam and those that dislike Epic will probably be ok with this situation if it lets them keep playing as usual.

This Epic exclusivity deal is another step toward getting people opening that digital storefront application and playing more games. The dozens of games they’ve given away have certainly cost them millions of dollars and I’m sure this strange shift won’t be cheap either. The real winner here is Psyonix who gets to grow their player base and sell all future DLC and Battle Passes to a much larger audience.

The issue here is the downsides that could come with a free to play game. The biggest of which is the potential to open things up to hackers. Free to play games are often the most hacked because a banned account doesn’t cost the hacker anything. They can just create a new one and attempt more illicit behavior until the next ban-hammer falls. I don’t know that Rocket League has faced much cheating in the past, but when the only hurdle is making a new Epic account, it might become a larger issue.

Another potential problem is that Psyonix could devalue the brand. Once a game is free to play, any potential for a franchise is limited. The expectation for players is maintaining that free game perpetually in many cases. I can’t imagine what a “Rocket League 2” would entail, but I also doubt will have to see as they expand the original with more vehicles, cosmetics, and game modes. This, of course, may be a non-issue for a company that has skyrocketed to success with a single game. If at some point they do decide to branch out, it will probably be in a new direction much like Riot Games has – though hopefully with more variety. 

Whatever the future holds for Rocket League, it will invariably be shared with many more people. The game stands to become even more common than its current household-name status. People swarm to free PC games, but I think the Nintendo Switch might benefit the most. The number of free games on the Switch is limited and the ones that are there are very popular. Every Switch having access to Rocket League, combined with the other platforms, means we’re going to see a lot of flying cars and soccer balls for years to come.

Do you think the move to the Epic Games Store will cause any issues with Rocket League?  Will there be any negative effects for this transition to a free to play game?  Let us know in the comments!

Ghost of Tsushima is many things, but one of its best features happens to be its incredible visuals and consistently brilliant art design. Those qualities make it the perfect environment for a photo mode.

The photo mode concept isn’t limited to this generation of gaming, but it was in this generation that we saw the idea really come into its own. Advancements in technology combined with the rise of social media and innovations of the idea have combined to turn the photo mode from novelty to selling point.

So which games have the best photo modes? The answer to that question is obviously subjective, but we don’t think you’ll disagree with the quality of these brilliant in-game photography systems.

Ghost of Tsushima  

Ghost of Tsushima may have only just been released, but there’s little doubt that it features one of the best photo modes in gaming.

It starts with the tools. Ghost of Tsushima lets you do things like adjust the speed of the win and add music to your images. These seemingly simple features enhance the cinematic flavor that the entire game is built around.

That’s the other great thing about Ghost of Tsushima‘s photo mode. The entire game is designed to capture the incredible photography of Akira Kurosawa’s samurai films, which means there’s no shortage of incredible photo opportunities designed to inspire your artistic side.

Marvel’s Spider-Man

There’s a strong case to be made that Marvel’s Spider-Man features the absolute best photo mode ever put into a video game.

Perhaps because young Peter Parker is an aspiring photojournalist, but we’ve rarely seen a game that features such professional photography features. The entire photo mode is designed to capture the feeling that you’re trying to take photos of Spider-Man in order to sell to the Daily Bugle, and it succeeds in that endeavor.

Best of all, you’re even able to put your photos on comic book covers and other creative backgrounds. It’s just a true joy to play around with.

Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn wasn’t the first game to feature a photo mode, but it’s arguably one of the games that raised the bar for that concept.

In Horizon Zero Dawn, photos are all about scope and vistas. The game’s wide-open spaces populated by roaming mechanical monsters are perfect for some truly special photos that you’d never be able to capture in any other game.

While the action shots in Horizon Zero Dawn are usually quite good, this is one of those games that trained us to stop, look around, and really search for that perfect photo opportunity.

Forza Horizon 4

Forza Horizon 4‘s stunning visuals and incredible landscapes put it in the running for the best video game photo modes, but it’s really the cars that put this one over the top.

Other driving games feature photo modes, but none can compare to what Forza Horizon 4 offers in terms of sheer visual quality. The appeal of such racing games was always based on the ability to “drive” cars you’d never even seen in real life, but Forza goes a step beyond by offering you the chance to take eternally beautiful photos of those same vehicles.

Forza Horizon 4‘s developers have also done an excellent job of promoting the best in-game photos which only encourages you further to explore the possibilities.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Truth be told, the photo mode in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate doesn’t really compare to the best photo modes in other games in terms of tools. It more than makes up for it, though, when it comes to subjects.

Ultimate features the largest roster of classic Nintendo characters (and other legendary characters from outside companies) in franchise history. Having the chance to snap photos of these characters together in one place is appealing enough, but you’d be amazed by how many incredible moments happen in this game which you’ll want to capture forever.

Nintendo has created some excellent photo modes over the years, but this is one of the best.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Granted, Red Dead Redemption has to stretch its internal logic a bit in order to justify an old-west photo mode, but we’re thrilled that Rockstar made that effort.

Red Dead Redemption 2 features some of the most stunning environments in video game history. The shots that you’re able to capture in this game are truly stunning, yet there are few obvious “photo moments.”

That means that Red Dead Redemption 2 forces you to find (and sometimes create) the best photo moments in order to take advantage of this exciting tool and produce some truly exciting screenshots.

God of War

God of War features one of the absolute strangest photo modes in gaming, but that’s a big part of the reason why it’s one of the best photo modes in gaming.

Does it make much sense for Kratos to smile for a selfie? No, but that’s the fun part of the experience. Here’s a photo mode that exists outside of the logic of the game itself, which is perfectly fine with us considering that such modes are supposed to be fun in the first place.

Of course, if you really want to take impressive, dramatic photos within God of War, there are plenty of opportunities to do so.

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down. Nearly every element of everyday life has been changed in some way by this ongoing global event.

While it’s hardly the biggest problem to emerge as a result of these incredible circumstances, it’s certainly worth noting how the world of entertainment has been impacted by the pandemic. With everything from conventions to movie premieres being delayed or canceled, it has been difficult for millions to find the relief they desire during such stressful times.

Despite all of this, it’s been a surprisingly great year for video games. The events of 2020 will almost certainly end up delaying some games (and possibly consoles) until 2021, but we entered the year expecting this to be a special time from gaming, and it has not disappointed in that respect thus far.

Yet, it is with some confidence that I can say that no game released in 2020 so far has impressed me as much as Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

Normally, I wouldn’t justify calling Final Fantasy 7 Remake the best game of 2020 by comparing it directly to the other great games of 2020. After all, those other titles certainly have things to offer which are unique and worthwhile. Yet, the nature of Final Fantasy 7 Remake practically demands that I compare it to three of its closest “Best Game of 2020” competitors: The Last of Us Part 2, Resident Evil 3 Remake, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Those three games share two notable qualities, and the first is greatness. Yes, greatness is subjective, but at the end of the day, I can confidently recommend each of them to just about anyone with a passing interest. The Last of Us Part 2 is a sweeping epic, Resident Evil 3 Remake is a nearly airtight horror experience, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ escapist gameplay and wholesome nature have led some to describe it as the most “necessary” game of 2020.

The other quality each of those games share is that they belong to distinguished franchises. Actually, to be more specific and to the point, they each belong to distinguished franchises which their reputation is a bit burdened by.

The Last of Us Part 2 tried to tell the second part of a story many people felt was definitive. At least some of its various controversies can be attributed to its struggles to live up to the expectations set by its name. Resident Evil 3‘s remake arguably lives in the shadow of Resident Evil 2‘s remake, which is quite odd considering that the original Resident Evil 3 also lives in the shadow of its predecessor. New Horizons is certainly great, but it too is burdened by design concepts that have many questioning the line between tradition and innovation.

Then you have Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Like those other games, it must deal with the burden of its name and the legacy of a famous franchise. Unlike those other games, it finds ways to not only creatively play with those expectations but examine and sometimes attack what they mean.

When the idea of a Final Fantasy 7 Remake was first revealed long ago as a tech demo, many fans made their expectations clear. So long as they received a 1:1 remake of Final Fantasy 7 with upgraded visuals and some refinements, they would be happy.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake proved to be much more ambitious than that. Not only did it drastically alter the original’s combat system, but it introduced a bizarre story device in which certain characters in the remake were seemingly aware of the events of the original. On top of that, what appears to be the game’s early primary protagonists are forces who aspire to ensure that the timeline isn’t broken.

Without going into a full breakdown of everything that transpires in the game, Final Fantasy 7 Remake ends with the implication that you have (or have the ability to) change the events fo the past. What happens next is truly anyone’s guess.

You could say that both The Last of Us Part 2 and Final Fantasy 7 attempt to subvert our expectations by delivering something different than we expected, and that’s certainly true to a degree. Yet, there were many times when The Last of Us Part 2 felt almost resentful of needing to continue the previous story. It almost seemed like Naughty Dog wanted to tell a different tale but felt obligated to continue the original’s story in some way. Their apparent resentfulness comes through in some occasionally negative ways.

That’s not really the case with Final Fantasy 7 Remake. For each time that it changes something, it also celebrates the greatness of what came before. It’s not trying to replace the original game, and it’s not trying to become the definitive version of that experience. Instead, it’s trying to offer a kind of “What if?” story that suggests sometimes the best way to experience something new is to wrap it within the casing of the familiar.

I like Final Fantasy 7 Remake for its combat, visuals, great characters, and memorable moments. Yet, I love it and call it one of the best games of the year because of the way that it deals with its legacy.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake doesn’t stick so closely to the original that you’re left feeling like you’ve seen it all. At the same time, it doesn’t attempt to overcome the expectations of its name by attempting to overwrite what came before. It builds upon what came before rather than destroy it entirely.

As we near the next generation of gaming, Final Fantasy 7 offers one of the most compelling examples yet of how a studio can honor the past, embrace the future, and always remember that when you’re dealing with gamers who have seen it all before, you’ve got to find creative ways to show them that they don’t always know what’s coming next.

The reveal of the box art for upcoming PS5 title Spider-Man: Miles Morales probably doesn’t seem like a big deal. After all, it’s just a picture of a jeweled case and some cover art, right?

While there’s some truth to that, there are a few other things to consider. First off, it’s been a strange year all-around, but it’s been an especially strange year for what is typically seen as next-gen reveal season. With the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly causing Microsoft and Sony to hold off on revealing the price, release dates, and launch lineups of their next-gen consoles, we’ll take whatever information we can get.

Second, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is easily one of the most anticipated games on the horizon, so it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that any information regarding it has drawn so much attention so quickly.

Yet, the most fascinating thing about this cover isn’t what’s on it; it’s what’s not on it.

Covers for PlayStation 4 games that are exclusive to PlayStation platforms feature the words “Only on PlayStation” (or your regional equivalent of that phrase). You may notice that the cover for Spider-Man: Miles Morales doesn’t feature those words despite being developed by a first-party PlayStation developer.

Some have already pointed out that the presence of the PlayStation Studios logo could be designed to replace that wording. For those who don’t know, Sony recently united all of its first-party developers under the new “PlayStation Studios” banner. That logo you see for that collective will grace the box art of games developed by PlayStation Studios partners. It would stand to reason that if you’re a PlayStation Studios developer, you’re probably making games exclusive to PlayStation platforms.

That explanation doesn’t hold up quite as well once you’ve sat with it a while, though. For one thing, “Only on PlayStation” sends a clear message. It raises the value of the brand, a console, and potentially the game itself. We just don’t see the PlayStation Studios logo effectively conveying that same information (at least in the short term).

But maybe the point here is that Sony isn’t just thinking about the short term with this seemingly simple change. They could be trying to tell us something about the distant future of PlayStation exclusives.

In case you didn’t hear, Sony has recently confirmed that they’re porting Horizon Zero Dawn to PC. Considering that the history of Sony deciding to port former PlayStation exclusives to PC before now is just north of non-existent, it’s a pretty big deal that such a deal was made. It should also be noted that Horizon Zero Dawn was once listed as an “Only on PlayStation” game once upon a time.

Sony hasn’t tried to hide their interest in porting other PlayStation games to PC, but they’ve been quiet in terms of whether or not we should treat such ports as extreme rarities or whether that’s something we can expect more of moving forward.

The removal of the “Only on PlayStation” phrase tends to suggest the latter. Considering how much Sony values their exclusives (they’re arguably the biggest reason behind the PlayStation 4’s dominant success) we doubt that they intend to port every PlayStation Studios game to PC months after their debut, but the fact that Sony seems to no longer be interested in using the “Only on PlayStation” wording would tend to suggest that they may not be able to use that statement as confidently as they did in the past.

Maybe we’re reading too much into this, but with Microsoft committing to releasing more and more games on PC and Japanese developers seeing tremendous success with PC ports, you’ve got to feel like there’s something to this change that goes beyond a simple design decision.

Until now, PlayStation and Nintendo have been two of the biggest modern-day champions of the console exclusive. Now, it seems that Sony may indeed be taking the first steps to explore a more inclusive future.

I’ve previously gone into the subject of “how long games should be” as an exploration of what really appeals to me with game length – or if it’s even a big deal.  I still feel much the same today.  Games of all lengths can be enjoyable.  I’ve had great times with games only a couple of hours long and RPGs that stretched over the 100-hour mark.  Let’s not even get into multiplayer games where hundreds of hours over time is easy to achieve.  Yet Jason Schreier sparked some controversy with a tweet simply stating,

This was, of course, a hyperbolic quasi-trolling tweet meant to rile up fans of The Last of Us 2 that received criticism, in part, for being longer than necessary.  However, it drew my attention to a recent trend in AAA games of having content built in such a way that it promotes length even when it contributes very little.  Previous generations of games also disappointed fans for their short overall campaign length.  Call of Duty games were usually the first in line for this critical perspective.  More recently, games across many genres seem to be trending toward the opposite end of the spectrum.

The issue is, however, not necessarily the raw amount of time a game takes to complete.  One of the reasons others and myself can dedicate hundreds or thousands of hours to online multiplayer is that the experience is dynamic. If the developers constructed a multiplayer game properly, you should never encounter the same experience twice.  Players will always create new movements, tactics, and generally, be unpredictable.Without knowing what’s around the next corner, players are going to have unique experiences more often, which is what keeps them coming back.

When a game is perceived as “too long” it may not be that long.  The Last of Us 2, for instance, starts to feel long even with its moderate 25-hour run time.   The problem is that the game, like others, does not provide much in the way of new gameplay by the midpoint.  While you do unlock and upgrade a few more weapons, the early gameplay of shuffling through drawers and stealth killing enemies changes little.  It turns into a slow burn that relies on the story to drive the game, but within that extended period, the progression of that story feels stilted.

Games end up being more closely scrutinized as mounting frustration makes even minor annoyances hard to deal with.  When playing a game that doesn’t involve as much diversity in gameplay or is repetitive, players will go on cruise control to get through sections.  In doing this they’ll see inconsistencies in the story and better isolate what is repetitious in the gameplay.  I believe this is one of the reasons that I started seeing all of the little annoyances in The Last of Us 2.

Early on in that game, I was happy with painstakingly searching every room for ammo and crafting materials.  I took as much time as I possibly could stealthily moving through combat areas.I read every letter I found and absorbed bits of the world building because it was fresh for me.  After 15 hours, I was giving rooms a once-over and moving on, taking on enemies with a shotgun, and skimming letters for useful info in seconds.  By the end, I was trying to avoid combat entirely because it was in the way of finishing the game.

Would the general controversy for the game be much different if it was five or ten hours shorter? It’s hard to say definitively, but I believe that might be the case.  Padding gameplay rarely adds anything of value to a game.  Especially when that gameplay isn’t optional.  Side quests have been the method of choice for making a game longer for people that want more.  The key there, however, is that they are optional.  When the primary narrative thread is padded, and the padding isn’t dynamic or distinct, the experience is going to suffer and people won’t be happy.

There is no doubt that I will continue buying games of varying lengths.  I will never determine the quality of a game solely by how long it takes me to beat it.  However, I will expect to see this failure in managing game pacing and repetition to continue.  Game developers rarely change overnight and considering how several AAA games have suffered from this design shortcoming, it probably won’t be over any time soon.