#Eurogamer

[lifeisstrangegame]

Developer Don't Nod Entertainment has delayed its upcoming two-part narrative-driven adventure game, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, to early 2025. As for why, the team wants to give its spiritual cousin, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure, some space to shine later this year. 

Lost Records was originally due out in late 2024, which is also when the next Life is Strange is set to launch. Instead of competing with Life Is Strange, a series that Don't Nod created with the first Life Is Strange and continued with Life Is Strange 2 before Double Exposure developer Deck Nine took over with 2017's Before the Storm and 2021's True Colors, the studio decided to push to 2025. 

"We've made the decision to move the release dates of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage to early 2025. We know you're all excited for both Lost Records and the new Life Is Strange game, and we wanted to ensure both have adequate space to shine. The wait will be worth it."

[whomstbastank]

So Eurogamer ran a guest review of Princess Peach: Showtime! by someone who's been in various places before and uh

We've gone full essentialist over here

[wormdramafever]

Goodbye Volcano High among Eurogamer's Favorite Games of 2023!!!

Another great visual novel in 2023, this one focusing on the final year of high school for a bunch of dinosaurs. The writing's sharp and the music is even sharper. This is not a game to miss.

You can read Eurogamer's full review of GVH here!

[halleylahlee]

Having a rough go of it, time to rewatch the among us videos of all perspectives and rewatch all of Oxventure. When you're a bit lonely it's nice to feel like you're hanging out with some kind non threatening brits being just a wee bit chaotic.

[thatbiologist]

My headcanon is that Azarune is across the western Ocean from mainland G’eth. As I’d love for the two parties to have a crossover in the near future.

[thegamecollection]

ATLAS FALLEN - REVIEW ROUNDUP!

This action-RPG developed by Deck13 Interactive and published by Focus Entertainment has had a few days out on the dunes and is now ready for its review roundup! The result? Rising from the dust is not an absolute MUST, but it is a somewhat fun kind of sand-glide ride!

IGN - 7/10

"Atlas Fallen is a solid open-world action RPG with plenty of platforming and large monsters to fight. Putting aside its weak story and the console versions’ gritty graphics there’s a hidden gem of excellent combat, robust exploration, and surprisingly deep customization to uncover in the sinking sands of its arid wilderness."

Read the full review here.

Eurogamer - 3/5

"Mindless, pointless, and mind-numbing are all probably descriptors that sound too harsh for Atlas Fallen because, again, it's mainly good old simple fun. Sure, it takes itself way too seriously and the loot chase can get monotonous, but everything outside of the monster-slaying is just an excuse to get right back to the monster-slaying. Or make the monster-slaying cooler with upgrades."

Read the full review here.

HardcoreGamer - 3.5/5

"Atlas Fallen is far from a perfect game, but the important thing is that it’s still a fun game. Even when it can feel like it’s throwing a kitchen sink at you, there’s always something enjoyable to find in Atlas Fallen, mainly its impressive combat that leads to a lot of challenging, enjoyable battles (albeit with a few that could use tweaking), and its visually striking landscapes that allow for a ton of fun sand sliding."

Read the full review here.

Destructoid - 7/10

"I do think there is reason enough to experience Atlas Fallen. Especially if you are a fan of the action RPG genre. It may not leave a lasting impression once you’ve completed the adventure. But it will be enjoyable enough along the way to hold your interest."

Read the full review here.

GamesRadar - 2.5/5

"This is Atlas Fallen in a nutshell, though. It isn't a disaster. It's proficient in some respects, adequate in others, and manageable at worst. But that leaves a creative void in its world and the way you interact with it that calls into question the value of the whole endeavour."

Read the full review here.

PushSquare - 7/10

"Atlas Fallen is a valiant effort from Deck13 Interactive that will go down as its best game so far. With fantastic traversal and a fun, engaging combat system, the developer has nailed the gameplay in every sense. What holds the experience back, though, is a lack of polish to iron out the technical issues and potentially long load times."

Read the full review here.

PlayStationUniverse - 7.5/10

"Atlas Fallen suffers a few mishaps along the way, with enemies able to do cheap shots, modernized fast travel limitations, and a rather empty map. At the same time, there's a fun story here that keeps you moving forward, and combat itself feels visceral without being over-demanding. This is a great entry point for newcomers to the genre."

Read the full review here.

When all's said and done, if you're looking for a solid game to fill your time between now and the next big release then these review scores mostly suggest Atlas Fallen is your bet!

Grab your copy on PS5 & Xbox Series X right here at The Game Collection!

-Jack

[l-1-z-a]

The article is an interview with Will Wright, the creator of popular PC game series such as SimCity, The Sims, and Spore. Wright discusses his career, his approach to game design, and his current work with a start-up called Stupid Fun Club. He also reflects on the success of his games and the lessons he has learned from each one.

[girl4music]

One thing I’m a bit disappointed on is that the Temples for each of the 4 Regional Phenomena areas don’t feel like traditional Zelda temples or dungeons but more like the Divine Beasts of ‘BOTW’ where you have to unlock the area that completes the Temple via finding gates that uses the Sages’ abilities to activate them one by one. It’s creative how they change it up according to the elements for each region (I.e. Rito Village = Air, Goron City = Fire, Zora’s Domain = Water, Gerudo Valley = Lightning) but it’s repetitive in its system just like the Divine Beasts were. And it doesn’t feel very rewarding to complete them other than getting the Sages as allies. It’s just when we said collectively that we wanted the dungeons and temples back, we meant we wanted traditional Zelda dungeons and temples where you go from room to room in a linear fashion, fight a mini boss, get the ability or weapon, locate the boss key, defeat the main boss with the ability or weapon. But have a unique experience with it every time even though it’s the exact same process for each temple or dungeon.

So,… to Nintendo,

What we Zelda veterans miss is the familiarity of exploring and completing the temples and dungeons, not necessarily the temples or dungeons themselves.

Please bring that back for the next game. This is the quintessential Legend of Zelda gameplay experience. Without it… it’s not quite ‘LOZ’. It’s just Zelda. Which is great but there’s many ways of keeping to the core of something that’s essential while still changing it up. Find that balance with the temples and dungeons when you start creation on the next Zelda game. There’s so many throwbacks and tributes to passed Zelda games. Classic or recent. That’s awesome. But we’re really missing the nostalgia of the gameplay. It’s not the appearance of the temples or dungeons. It’s not even the names. It’s the experience of them. The linear process of getting from one stage to another.

With these Temples and the Divine Beasts there isn’t a linear process. You just find whatever whenever and that’s exactly what’s needed in the open-world itself. But in the closed space of the temples or dungeons… that’s not what we know or how we remember it to be. The loss of all of that is what makes it feel unfulfilling. There’s no interesting weapons to find or to battle for, there’s no key-door system. There’s no “LOZ” to it. You’ve got everything else that makes a great game. But it’s really just missing the Zelda veteran nostalgia and that can’t be gained by just changing the appearance or the name. The experience feels empty.

That’s the only real gripe I have with the game. The only thing that disappoints me about it. And that’s a great accomplishment considering I usually critique the crap out of my favourite art/entertainment series.

[mrtomftw]

I have no idea how well video does on Tumblr, especially stuff I’d put on TikTok or Insta Reels... But here’s me facing off against the Eurogamer video team (and Wheels from Dicebreaker) live on stage at EGX, and winning.

[lapsedgamer]

A who’s who of great games journalism including Edge and Eurogamer alumni have launched a luxury journal of long form, original games writing. Want.

[tachyonblu]

Had a great in-depth interview about GamerGate with Erik Kain last night! We also discussed his political views, if Biden should drop, Sweet Baby Inc, Kabrutus lying about Yiyi Zhang, Kotaku Australia closing, IGN purchasing Gamer Network &b a lot more! We'll do a part 2!

[nerdsleaze]

These leaks are stupid because it is obvious this kid just wants to show off that his dad/uncle works for Rockstar, but what's the point of the leaks when the trailer is only a few days away? I wouldn't expect anything less from a child.

However, as a fan, I don't want to see leaks especially from a TikToker when the official trailer comes out in just a couple of days. (Dec 5th, my mom's birthday 🥳)The people checking it out of curiosity are cute, but let's just wait for the actual trailer.

Source 1: https://www.eurogamer.net/gta-6-tiktok-leak-has-come-from-the-son-of-a-rockstar-games-employee#comments

Source 2: https://www.ign.com/articles/grand-theft-auto-6-leaks-may-have-just-come-from-a-rockstar-employees-son

[game-levels]

[thegamecollection]

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TEARS OF THE KINGDOM - REVIEW ROUNDUP!

We're on the eve of release and those big names have dropped their breathlessly good scores out into the wild!

The sequel we've all been waiting for is almost here and if these reviews are anything to go by, it could well be game of the year! A little early in May, we hear you say... Okay that's enough rhyming. Lets GO!

IGN - 10/10

"The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an unfathomable follow-up to one of the greatest games ever made, somehow improving upon it in nearly every way – be that with simple quality-of-life improvements, a genuinely exciting story, or wildly creative new building mechanics that make you rethink what is possible."

Read the full review here.

Gamespot - 10/10

"Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a canvas for your own creativity, a book to write your own stories, a world to create your own legends. It gives you back as much as you put into it, and beckons you to soar, burrow, engineer, solve, adventure, and explore."

Read the full review here.

Eurogamer - 4/5

"All told, Tears of the Kingdom is an astonishing, quite literally top-to-bottom sequel, adding complexity and splendor to the Breath of the Wild formula without sacrificing its enchantment."

Read the full review here.

NintendoLife - 10/10

"Much like its predecessor, this is your playground for the next however many years to come, with a little sprinkling of that older Zelda fairy dust mixed into Breath of the Wild’s formula. It’s a glorious, triumphant sequel to one of the best video games of all time; absolute unfiltered bliss to lose yourself in for hundreds of hours. We can’t wait to see what the world will do with the game."

Read the full review here.

GamesRadar - 4.5/5

"Tears of the Kingdom manages to keep focus and provide a rich, robust experience that builds on what came before. I've basically done nothing but play the game for two weeks, and even now I have no intention of stopping any time soon. What better recommendation could a person give?"

Read the full review here.

GAMINGbible - 10/10

"I don’t know how, but Nintendo managed to follow a straight-up masterpiece with something bigger, better, and smarter. I genuinely feel bad for every other video game that has to be released in 2023."

Read the full review here.

Mainly full marks from the big guys suggests this is another Zelda title that is simply NOT to be missed!

Grab your copy on Nintendo Switch right here at The Game Collection!

-Jack

[l-1-z-a]

The Sims 2 - Eurogamer - 7-17-2003

Seven expansion packs later we get the sequel!

Updated on 17 Jul 2003

Like it or not, The Sims is the biggest selling PC game of all time by some margin. It's not a success, it's a bloody phenomenon, and each and every expansion pack gets snapped up faster than chocolate drops dangled over the jaws of a slavering canine.

The Sims 2, then. An excuse to sell you the same game all over again with shinier graphics or a lovingly created sequel that'll drag in the few unbelievers that are still not convinced it's the greatest game ever? A bit of both really.

Eh, when I were a lad, it were all C64s around here

When home videogaming was a very small lad indeed, Activision released a wonderful text/icon based decision-making game called Alter Ego on Commodore 64 disk. Basically you went from the first stages of consciousness in the womb right up to (potentially premature) death, and could be as sickly sweet nice or as much of an unhinged arsehole as you wanted to be and everything in between simply by choosing your response to a series of typical scenarios. It psychologically profiled your 'individual' and really was one of the most compelling videogames experiences ever.

Just like Alter Ego, The Sims 2 lets your computer-generated creations grow from babies to children to adults and then to old age, also developing emotionally, mentally and physically. Apparently your creations will respond according to given situations depending on choices you make during your formative years. EA calls these 'Life's Big Moments' and your 'Life Score' depends on how you negotiate your way through these situations.

Included is the rather splendid 'Create-A-Sim' feature, which, shockingly, lets you customise the facial features to an almost infinite degree. On show at Camp EA were a few examples of how flexible the system is, with the ability to tweak everything, including the size, shape and colour of the eyes, width and length of the nose, hairstyle, and so on. Just to prove the point a pre-made Mr. T clone showed off the potential to tailor your avatar exactly the way you want it.

My disturbing offspring

Rather disturbingly, players can see what their offspring might look like if matched with a particular individual - and with aliens among the basic races available you can conceivably have a family of green-faced afro-sporting offspring running around. Thanks to the sure to-be-hyped-to-death DNA feature, your offspring will not only resemble the parents physically, but also pick up character traits, so if your Sims are a bunch of low life slobs, don't be surprised if the sprogs can't be arsed to tidy up either.

Another key enhancement is the much improved house building tool, which allows players to construct abodes spanning as many as four floors, with curves for the first time and various new objects to deck out your palace/slum exactly the way you want it.

Visually, The Sims 2's engine is a revelation next to the severely ageing original, with vastly improved, detailed character models sporting a pleasing array of incidental animations and individual touches that make the game a far more compelling prospect. Aside from that, the background detail and general style of artwork made even the various stills dotted around the presentation area look like renders rather than mere screenshots.

Don't hit on me!

The Camp EA demo session itself showed off a few typical Sims scenarios, with four teenage Sims (two boys, two girls) of varying levels of attractiveness and social skills. While the ladies man Bernie could charm the pants off both the ladies with his 'flirt' social skill, the slobbish Marty had no chance, hamstrung by his comparatively primitive 'hit on' skill. Similarly, the ladies don't appreciate infidelity - as evidenced by Bernie's dalliance right in front of his previous target resulting in a display of waterworks.

Upstairs in the Jacuzzi, we got to see the same foursome sharing the hot tub Big Brother style, with various examples of how the game allows players to engage in progressively complex activities the more they engage with one another. One such event was the ability to engage in some mock synchronised swimming, while later the use of a gym showed off the ability to spruce up the physical appearance of your Sim, and potentially win the heart of that shallow bint you've had your heart set on.

With the game still some six to eight months away from release, it'll be some time before we get proper hands on with the next blockbusting episode in this ridiculously large selling series [and it'll be muggins here who 'gets' to do it, I'll wager -Tom]. By then, the current relatively high minimum spec of 32MB graphics card and PIII 700 shouldn't be considered too high, especially when you acknowledge just how many expansion packs this will undoubtedly spawn.

More more more

Until then, there's another expansion pack to wade through (Makin' Magic) and, of course the more structured console sequel, Bustin' Out. As soon as we get a sniff of playable code, we'll let you know everything there is to know about The Sims 2 and its mutant offspring.