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kingjasnah · 4 years ago

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Is there the full list of brandersons favourite games reposted somewhere?

i dont think so? or not that ive seen. u can literally just sign up for the newsletter on his website but screw it ill just post them for u. it sure was a TRIP scrolling past these to get to the interlude though. undertale is on this list.....im shakign at the thought that adolin was based off ff10 tidus but i cant get it out of my head now

#10: Katamari Damaci

I love things that make me look at the world in a new way. Katamari did this in spades. It is an imaginative, bizarre vision with unique gameplay. It is like nothing else in the world and I love it for all its strangeness and occasional lack of gameplay polish.

I was transfixed the first time I played it, and have looked forward to it being remade and rereleased on multiple different consoles. I love the cute—and somehow creepy at the same time—storyline. It feels like a fever dream more than a game sometimes, and is probably the closest I’ll ever get to understanding what it’s like to do drugs.

#9: Undertale

This is an oddball on this list because I think it’s the only game that is not a franchise from a major studio—but is instead an indie game, which I believe was originally funded on Kickstarter.I loved how this felt like a novel as much as a game. It was one person’s vision; a single story told really well, with a huge amount of personality. The humor was just my kind of wonderful/terrible, and I was instantly enamored with the characters.That probably would have been enough, but it is a nice deconstruction of video games as a medium—and has not one, but multiple innovative gameplay mechanics. Together, the package left me enamored. This is a work of genius that I feel everyone should at least try, even if it ends up not being for them.

#8: Fallout: New Vegas

I have played all of the core Fallout games, and I was one of the (it seems few) who was really excited when it moved from turn-based tactics to first-person shooter. While Fallout 3 was good, it didn’t have the charm of the first two.New Vegas delivered on everything I was hoping to see. The charm was back, the writing sharp, the quests imaginative. The gameplay was engaging and branched in a variety of directions, the gunplay was solid, and the atmosphere immersive. I of course love the first two games in the series—but New Vegas combines everything I like in gaming into one package. (As a note, I own the Outer Worlds, and am looking forward to digging into it. Consider this item on the list a recommendation of other Obsidian games—like Knights of the Old Republic Two—regardless of genre, as I’ve found them universally to be superior to their contemporaries.)

#7 Super Mario World

When I was eleven, I flew (alone, which was very exciting to me) from Nebraska to visit my uncle Devon in Salt Lake City. Before I left, my father gave me $200 and told me to pay for my own meals while on the trip—but of course, my uncle didn’t allow this. At the end of the trip, I tried to give him the money, which he wouldn’t take.I mentioned my dad would take the money back when I got home, but that was okay. Well, my uncle would have none of that, and drove me to the local mall and made me spend it on a Nintendo Entertainment System. (This uncle, you might guess, is an awesome human being.)Since that day of first plugging it in and experiencing Mario for the first time, I was hooked. This is the only platformer on the list, as I don’t love those. But one makes an exception for Mario. There’s just so much polish, so much elegance to the control schemes, that even a guy who prefers an FPS or an RPG like me has to admit these are great games. I picked World as my favorite as it’s the one I’ve gone back to and played the most.

#7: The Curse of Monkey Island (Monkey Island 3)

I kind of miss the golden age of adventure gaming, and I don’t know that anyone ever got it as right as they did with this game. It is the pinnacle of the genre, in my opinion—no offense to Grim Fandango fans.This game came out right before gaming’s awkward teenage phase where everything moved to 3-d polygons. For a while after, games looked pretty bad, though they could do more because of the swap. But if you want to go see what life was like before that change, play Monkey Island 3. Composed of beautiful art pieces that look like cells from Disney movies, with streamlined controls (the genre had come a long way from “Get yon torch”) and fantastic voice acting, this game still plays really well.This is one of the few games I’ve been able to get my non-gamer wife to play through with me, and it worked really well as a co-op game with the two of us trying to talk through problems. It’s a lovingly crafted time capsule of a previous era of gaming, and if you missed it, it’s really worth trying all these years later. (The first and second games hold up surprisingly well too, as a note, particularly with the redone art that came out a decade or so ago.)Also, again, this one has my kind of humor.

#6: Breath of the Wild

I never thought a Zelda game would unseat A Link to the Past as my favorite Zelda, but Breath of the Wild managed it. It combined the magic of classic gameplay with modern design aesthetic, and I loved this game.There’s not a lot to say about it that others haven’t said before, but I particularly liked how it took the elements of the previous games in the series (giving you specific tools to beat specific challenges) and let you have them all at once. I like how the dungeons became little mini puzzles to beat, instead of (sometimes seemingly endless) slogs to get through. I liked the exploration, the fluidity of the controls, and the use of a non-linear narrative in flashbacks. It’s worth buying a Switch just to play this one and Mario—but in case you want, you can also play Dark Souls on Switch... (That’s foreshadowing.)

#5: Halo 2

Telling stories about Halo Two on stream is what made me think of writing this list.I’m sometimes surprised that this game isn’t talked about as much as I think it should be. Granted, the franchise is very popular—but people tend to love either Reach or games 1 or 3 more than two. Two, however, is the only one I ever wanted to replay—and I’ve done so three or four times at this point. (It’s also the only one I ever beat on Legendary.)It’s made me think on why I love this one, while so many others seem to just consider it one of many in a strong—but in many ways unexceptional—series of games. I think part of this is because I focus primarily on the single-player aspects of a game (which is why there aren’t any MMOs on this list.) Others prefer Halo games with more balanced/polished multiplayer. But I like to game by myself, and don’t really look for a multiplayer experience. (Though this is changing as I game with my sons more and more.)I really like good writing—which I suppose you’d expect. But in games, I specifically prefer writing that enhances the style of game I’m playing. Just dumping a bunch of story on me isn’t enough; it has to be suited to the gameplay and the feel of the game. In that context, I’ve rarely encountered writing as good as Halo 2. From the opening—with the intercutting and juxtaposition of the two narratives—to the quotes barked out by the marines, the writing in this game is great. It stands out starkly against other Halo games, to the point that I wonder what the difference is.Yes, Halo Two is a bombastic hero fantasy about a super soldier stomping aliens. But it has subtle, yet powerful worldbuilding sprinkled all through it—and the music...it does things with the story that I envy. It’s kind of cheating that games and films get to have powerful scores to help with mood.The guns in Two feel so much better than Halo One, and the vehicles drive far better. The only complaint I have is that it’s only half a story—as in, Halo 2 and 3 seem like they were one game broken in two pieces. And while 3 is good (and Reach does something different, which I approve of in general) neither did it for me the way Two did, and continues to do.

#3: Final Fantasy X

You probably knew Final Fantasy was coming. People often ask if the way these games handle magic was an influence upon me. All I can say is that I’ve played them since the first one, and so they’re bound to have had an influence.On one hand, these games are really strange. I mean, I don’t think we gamers stop quite often enough to note how downright bizarre this series gets. Final Fantasy doesn’t always make the most sense—but the games are always ambitious.Ten is my favorite for a couple of reasons. I felt like the worldbuilding was among the strongest, and I really connected with the characters. That’s strange, because this is one of the FF games without an angst-filled teen as the protagonist. Instead, it has a kind of stable happy-go-lucky jock as the protagonist.But that’s what I needed, right then. A game that didn’t give me the same old protagonist, but instead gave me someone new and showed me I could bond to them just as well. Ten was the first with full voice acting, and that jump added a lot for me. It has my favorite music of the series, and all together is what I consider the perfect final fantasy game. (Though admittedly, I find it more and more difficult to get into turn-based battle mechanics as I grow older.)

#2: Bloodborne

Those who follow my streams, or who read other interviews I’ve done, probably expected this series to be at or near the top. The question wasn’t whether Souls would be here, but which one to pick as my favorite.I went with Bloodborne, though it could have been any of them. (Even Dark Souls 2—which I really like, despite its reputation in the fandom.) I’ve been following FromSoftware’s games since the King’s Field games, and Demon’s Souls was a huge triumph—with the director Hidetaka Miyazaki deserving much of the praise for its design, and Dark Souls (which is really just a more polished version of Demon’s Souls).As I am a fan of cosmic horror, Bloodborne is probably my favorite overall. It really hit the mix of cosmic and gothic horror perfectly. It forced me to change up my gameplay from the other Souls games, and I loved the beautiful visuals.I am a fan of hard games—but I like hard games that are what I consider “fair.” (For example, I don’t love those impossible fan-made Mario levels, or many of the super-crazy “bullet hell”-style games.) Dark Souls is a different kind of hard. Difficult like a stern instructor, expecting you to learn—but giving you the tools to do so. It presents a challenge, rather than being hard just to be hard.If I have a problem with Final Fantasy, it’s that the games sometimes feel like the gameplay is an afterthought to telling the story. But in the Souls games, story and gameplay are intermixed in a way I’d never seen done before. You have to construct the story like an archeologist, using dialogue and lore from descriptions of in-game objects. I find this fascinating; the series tells stories in a way a book never could. I’m always glad when a game series can show off the specific strengths of the medium.In fact, this series would be #1 except for the little fact that I have way too much time on Steam logged playing...

#1: Civilization VI

This series had to take #1 by sheer weight of gameplay time. I discovered the first on a friend’s computer in the dorms my freshman year—and I can still remember the feeling of the birds chirping outside, realizing I’d been playing all night and really should get back to my own dorm room.That still happens, and has happened, with every game in the series. I have a lot of thoughts on this series, many of them granular and too specific for this list. (Like, it’s obvious AI technology isn’t up to the task of playing a game this complex—so could we instead get a roguelike set of modifiers, game modes, etc. to liven up the games, rather than just having a difficulty slider that changes a few simple aspects of the game?)I’ll try not to rant, because I really do love this game series. A lot of people consider IV to be the pinnacle of the series, but after V unstacked units—and VI unstacked cities—there was no way I could ever go back. If for some reason, you’ve never played this grand patriarch of the 4X game genre, it’s about starting with a single stone-age settler who can found a city—then playing through eras of a civilization, growing your empire, to try to eventually get offworld with a space program. (Or, if you prefer, conquering the world.)It’s a load of fun in the way I like to have fun, and I feel like the series has only gotten better over the years. My hat is off to the developers, who keep reinventing the series, rather than making the exact same game over and over.Now, about that request for difficulty modes...

there are runner ups but for the sake of anyone whos on mobile and cant get past a read more (first of all omg im SO sorry) ill refrain. anyway he thought WHAT loz game was the best before botw?

#mix between HARDCORE judgement and like. yea. yea ff10 was pretty good wasnt it #but i dont think its anywhere near the best of them #long post #im read mores dont work imm so fucking sorry this is so long #MOST of these games are good its just so wild its so wild its SO wild #asks #Anonymous

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vgprintads · 5 years ago

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youtube

‘Super Nintendo World Japan - “We Are Born to Play”‘

[MISC] [WEB] [VIDEO, MUSIC VIDEO] [2020]

“Super Nintendo World is slated to open this summer in Osaka, featuring a Power Up Band wearable that lets visitors collect coins and battle bosses while exploring a physical environment. Users track their progress via a smartphone app, according to the theme park operator owned by NBCUniversal LLC.

“Super Nintendo World will provide an experience you cannot have anywhere else,” USJ Chief Executive Officer J. L. Bonnier said at a briefing in Osaka on Tuesday. He wouldn’t divulge further details about rides or other digital offerings, or when they will be available.

Little is known about the attraction, which amounts to a mini theme park developed with Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto. Universal Studios hinted it will follow classic Nintendo game themes, revolving around a mission to recover a golden mushroom stolen by Bowser Jr., a perennial Mario antagonist. The attraction will also house familiar game locations including the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario Kart, Peach’s Castle and Bowser’s Fortress. Super Nintendo World will also make it to the operator’s parks in Hollywood, Orlando and Singapore, though no dates are available.” ~Pavel Alpeyev and Yuki Furukawa, Bloomberg (”Nintendo Plans Life-Sized Video Game at Universal Studios Japan”)

Source: YouTube; Nintendo

#gaming #advertising #super nintendo world #nintendo #super mario #licensed #universal studios #theme parks #videos #music videos #2020 #galantis #charli xcx

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thistrust · 2 years ago

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Super arcade football

SUPER ARCADE FOOTBALL PC

Watch the game launch trailer here on Game Freaks 365. This indie studio is all about making modern classics new releases. With simple controls that lets anyone pick up and play, online and local multiplayer, crazy modifiers. How can I find the best prices for Super Arcade Football CD keys compares the cheapest prices of Super Arcade Football on the digital.

SUPER ARCADE FOOTBALL PC

The game is also available on PC via Steam and on mobile devices. Super Arcade Football is the next 2D title from the wonderfully talented OutOftheBit. Super Arcade Football is a fast-paced football game where you don't get to catch your breath. Super Arcade Football is currently available at a 50% discount on the Nintendo Switch. The game’ music was created by Barry Leitch, who has worked on titles such as Lotus Turbo Challenge 2 and Horizon Chase Turbo, thus vintage gaming lovers will like the soundtracks. Match modifiers keep players on their toes and may be as simple as adjusting the size of the goal and game pace, or as terrifying as damaging meteors and slick oil, so beware, since each match is affected differently by the environment. Weather can change the match environment.Ĭustom tournaments with a variety of pitches, weather conditions, and other variables are as much fun to play as they are to win. In addition to fast battles, players may enjoy a complete Story Mode based in the same universe as OutOfTheBit’s breakout hit Super Arcade Racing. Watch popular content from the following creators. Super Arcade Football transports players to a simpler time, with short matches for up to four people to enjoy couch co-op local play or matches versus the CPU. Super Arcade Football is a fast-paced football game where you don't get to catch your breath. Discover short videos related to super arcade football on TikTok. Players will have a hat trick of platforms to select from as they enjoy the fast-paced, modern twist on traditional football games across Steam, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices with this latest release. With simple controls that lets anyone pick up and play, online and local multiplayer, crazy modifiers. Super Arcade Football allows players to have a gameplay experience that would be impossible in the real world. OutOfTheBit has announced the release of a Nintendo Switch version of Super Arcade Football, after its debut on PC and mobile. Super Arcade Football is a fast-paced football game where you don't get to catch your breath. When asked about why Super Arcade Football deserves a seat at the table, Motisi responded with an insight into the importance of exploring this weirder side of Football games something so few titles do nowadays. Only soccer fans and many non-football players are sometimes seeking for something entertaining, amusing, and arcade to pass the time, which Super Arcade Football has accomplished in PC, mobile and now, will accomplish in Nintendo Switch. Year after year, the releases of FIFA and PES, which will now be known as eFootball, soccer games are always surpassing themselves in the simulation section, which has turned their most arcade game modes, such as Fifa’s Ultimate Team or PES’s M圜lub (eFootball), into something that is no longer so arcade. It’s a great little pick up and play, budget retro football game. With the arrival of the Nintendo Switch, there are now three platforms on which you may play against others via crossplay. Super Arcade Football is a fun follow-up to OutOfTheBit’s 2019 game Super Arcade Racing.

#Super arcade football

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crystal-in-nagasaki · 2 years ago

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osaka, covid, and the end of summer vacation

It’s now mid-September and kids are officially back at school. Although I still had to work during summer vacation, I spent my work days with the other ALTs in an empty meeting room in city hall napping, playing video games, browsing the internet, and sometimes studying. I’ll miss getting paid for doing nothing, but I missed my kids and am happy to be in the classroom with them again.

A few weeks ago before summer vacation ended, I made a trip to Osaka with friends. Doing city stuff like shopping, eating, and drinking is not particularly blog-worthy, so I wasn’t planning on making a post. But I decided in the end that I did see a few cool spots that I’d like to talk about.

On the first day we arrived, we visited an art exhibit for the artist Alphonse Mucha, a famous Czech painter who was active in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He had a very distinctive style and was known for his elborate advertisements and posters. He also illustrated books and painted murals. Here’s some examples of his work:

They had fun interactive elements in the exhibit as well, including photo spots with props and a digital application that let you create a poster using elements of his works. I hadn’t heard of Mucha before this exhibition, and I really enjoyed his style and have noticed his influence in many modern artists.

We then explored a bit of Dotonbori, a famous shopping and nightlife area. We ate kushi katsu, various fried things on skewers, which is a very popular meal in Osaka. It was soooo tasty, especially the fried cheese.

The next day we visited Universal Studios Japan. There’s not much to say about it, since it’s incredibly similar to Universal in the US, but they did have Japan exclusive sections of the park such as a Minion area, Snoopy area, anime attractions for Attack on Titan and Sailor Moon, and Nintendo World, which I was super excited about.

It’s a bit hard to get into Nintendo World, so we arrived at the park before they opened in order to reserve a time slot before they were all taken, and we were thankfully successful.

Nintendo World was really small, but incredible. The immersion of each of the areas of USJ was really realistic, and I felt as if I was actually part of the fictional worlds, especially for Harry Potter and Nintendo World. Inside Nintendo World, you can buy wrist bands that let you punch blocks and find keys for points. The points are saved on your USJ app and you can check your standing on the leaderboards as well. It was really fun walking around and punching all the blocks to collect coins, and they made the coin collecting sound from the games. There was a Mariokart themed ride in Nintendo World inside Bowser’s Castle, which was decorated just like the games complete with theme music. We waited in line for the ride for about 2 hours and it ended up being a bit disappointing for the wait, but I’m still happy to have experienced it.

The rides, the food, and the entertainment at USJ were all really fun, and I hope I can return again someday.

The following day, we explored some smaller tourist spots. I was on the hunt for goshuin, so we visited the Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine, a grand shrine known for its large red arched bridge. Being a grand shrine, the shrine grounds were huge compared to other shrines, with many different buildings you could pray at. The three Sumiyoshi Sanjin gods of the sea and sailing as well as Empress Jingu are enshrined there. Being in close proximity to Kyoto which was the ancient capital of the Heian period, it was once used as an Imperial shrine to send messages to the gods. (source)

I forgot to take a picture of the goshuin, so I apologize lol. Their goshuin featured a small embroidered shrine symbol onto the paper and was really beautiful.

After leaving the shrine, we headed north of the city to the Tower of the Sun, a really interesting monument. The tower was created by the artist Taro Okamoto for the Expo ‘70 event and housed under the Festival Plaza building for many years before the roof was removed and the statue fell into disarray. Efforts were made to refurbish it and were completed in 1995. During the Expo, the interior of the tower could be entered to find a mural painting called “The Tree of Life” showing the process of evolution and progress of life on earth. The interior was then closed for many years until its permanent reopening in 2014.

The tower now stands in Expo Commemoration Park at 70 meters tall with two arms spread wide, each 25 meters long. There are three faces on the tower, two on the front and one on the back. The face at the top represents the future, the face between the arms represents the present, and the face on the back represents the past. The jagged red lines on the statue supposedly represent thunder. There are lights installed in the eyes of the face at the top. (source)

You can pay a fee to enter the Expo Park and approach the tower as well as enter inside, but we decided to hop on the huge ferris wheel on top of the mall across the street so that we could get a wider view of the statue. I found the lights in the eyes really unnerving, but the statue is overall a really intriguing piece of art. If you’re familiar with the character Deidara from Naruto, his catchphrase “art is an explosion” comes from the artist Taro Okamoto and much of his creations are based on his art. His final explosion creates the shape of the Tower of the Sun.

That concludes the more interesting highlights of my Osaka trip. Sadly, upon returning home I was immediately hit with cold symptoms and tested positive for COVID. I quarantined at home for 10 days on special leave from work and missed the first week back to school. Thankfully, I’m now fully recovered (and can smell again, yay!), and happy to be back to work with my kiddos. As COVID cases are on the rise again, I hope everyone stays safe and healthy!

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fancyhints · 2 years ago

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Universal Reveals First Peek of Its New Nintendo Ride Let's-a go! While many of us get pumped up to take a vacation to spend the day lazily exploring our favorite theme park, it's usually more about the enjoyment of the overall experience than it is about any one single ride. Unless it's Space Mountain, of course, because it goes without saying that everyone is excited for that glorious tour through the stars. All that said, if there is any ride that has needed to exist for basically forever, it's a ride based on the long-running Nintendo franchise "Mario Kart." It may be just an excuse to ram colorful cars into other players and use spiked shells and banana peels to transform people who were once dear friends into lifelong enemies. But now the racing game series is more than just a game to many who have faithfully played every iteration of it for years. Universal Studios announced way back in 2015 that it would develop a Super Nintendo World area in both Japan and the U.S. Japan's https://fancyhints.com/universal-reveals-first-peek-of-its-new-nintendo-ride/?utm_source=tumblr&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ReviveOldPost

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wazafam · 4 years ago

Link

Days Gone is officially out now on PC, something that's relatively unprecedented. Sony has begun bringing some of its PlayStation exclusives to the platform to expand its audience and possibly build anticipation for sequels to key franchises. Although it would appear there's no Days Gone sequel currently in the works, Sony decided to give the first game a second chance after it got a mixed reception on PS4.

Bend was able to successfully realize its full vision of Days Gone in this new PC port, squashing tons of bugs and filling a brutal, dark world with beautiful visuals in the process. It's the best possible version of Days Gone and there's a chance that if Sony sees the positive reception and it sells well, Days Gone fans could get a sequel.

Related: Days Gone PC Review: This Is The Version To Play

Screen Rant got to sit down and talk with Ron Allen, Lead Designer, and Zachary Lewis, Senior User Interface Programmer, from Bend Studio. The duo talked a lot of specifics about the development of Days Gone, potentially expanding and continuing the story in comic books, a key connection to Syphon Filter, and much more.

There's a Syphon Filter Easter egg in Days Gone, and everyone wants to know: is Days Gone within the Syphon Filter universe? Just gotta get that out of the way.

Ron Allen: I guess I can talk a little bit about that. You know that obviously, Syphon's really close to our studio's heart. We were the original developers, and we carried it all the way through until the end on the on the PSP. And, obviously, we're big fans of the Syphon Filter franchise in general.

With the taser and things like that - I don't want to go too far into all of that, but - yes, there was a little bit of that crossover with Syphon Filter. What happened in all of that stuff is still to be determined.

So, you're not saying whether or not it is in the Syphon Filter universe, but there is a connection there?

Ron Allen: There's a little bit of connection there.

This is your first PC game as a studio, right? How did you approach the PC as console developers, when you've primarily developed for PlayStation? What challenges did you come to blows with?

Ron Allen: For us, we're gamers. It doesn't matter what system; we're gamers. And we do have a lot of PC gamers over here, so I'm sure you can imagine that a lot of guys on our team were super excited when we were even talking about having a PC version.

And the thing is, we want to make sure that we're punching with the best experience we can possibly deliver. Our studio has been pretty focused on trying to get the PC version up and running, and running well. And some of the upgrades that we've done, we're extremely happy about: we've unlocked frame rates, we've improved graphics, we've pushed out LOD distances and foliage draw distances. We support ultra wide monitors, which I'm a huge fan of. I have two, and I'm staring at one right now. I'm just super happy about that.

I'll let Zach jump into this real quick, but there's a lot of controls and stuff that just didn't necessarily translate over to PC. Zach did a ton of work on this.

Zachary Lewis: Yeah, and I want to touch back on something. I believe that this is our first PC title since being a Sony studio. Bend has a long history before then, we even made games for the Apple Newton and stuff. We have made other platform games in the past, but this is the first modern gen venture into PC.

And like Ron said, a lot of the folks who are working on the PC port are PC gamers. We've seen good ports, we've seen bad ports - so we knew the kind of things that we wanted as gamers. And that's why we took a lot of time and care to make sure that no matter how you wanted to play, it will feel right for you. We have full remapping of all of the actions, not just some subset of them.

One thing I'm really excited about is our wide array of input support, so in addition to native DualShock 4 and DualSense support, we also have support for pretty much any other controller you want to bring. So, if you plug in an Xbox controller, it'll just work and you'll see Xbox buttons. Same with the Steam controller, and same with the Nintendo Switch Pro. We took a lot of time to make sure that players could play the game the way that they wanted to.

Is it mind bending for you to see Nintendo prompts or Xbox prompts on your Sony-developed game?

Ron Allen: It is. But to be honest, it's extremely important that we do this stuff, because we want to make sure that we're reaching out to as many fans as we possibly can. And this is the platform to do it on.

The last few years, the gaming industry has been very rapidly changing and evolving in very strange ways that I don't think anyone saw coming. There's a PlayStation game on Xbox, now with MLB The Show. We're in weird times, but it's awesome. How do you guys feel about all that, with Sony going to PC and doing all these different things?

Ron Allen: I'll be honest. At least to me, the really exciting thing about this is us being able to reach out to new fans. That's why, again, spent so much time working on this PC version of Days Gone to make sure that it played as well as we wanted it to play. And I think that's extremely exciting.

There was a mixed reception to the PS4 version, and I think this is a much better representation of the game. A lot of the problems that people had with the game back then were bugs. But were you guys happy with how that game launched, and did you use any of that criticism to work on this version?

Ron Allen: Yeah, that's an interesting question. To be honest, we were a really small studio. When we shipped Golden Abyss we were running about 45 people or so, and we decided to take on this massively ambitious game. It took us a while to develop it, and we did end up bulking up, but we were a pretty small team compared to a lot of the other studios. And we were really happy with what we pulled off.

Now, of course, we did a lot of patches and a lot of fixes. Plus, we added a lot of good stuff to the game, like all the DLC and the performance patches and all that stuff. But the cool thing about the PC is all of that stuff got rolled in, so all the benefits that we got from the work that we did even after shipping the game was rolled into the PC version. Plus, we even enhanced the photo mode and things like that, so the photos that you're taking now on the PC are much higher resolution. It's just really cool.

To me, it was a long process, you're right. But I think we all were still pretty happy and excited about the game that we released.

Yeah, it is a good game, no doubt. With that said, there's a big petition right now for a sequel - I'm sure you guys have seen it - with 110,000 signatures. How do you guys feel when you see such big support coming towards you for something like that?

Ron Allen: I will always say that I am so proud and happy with the support of our fans out there on Days Gone. Our studio has been primarily focused on trying to get this PC port running, but we love the support and can't thank the fans enough. I can't say more, but it's just amazing.

Did developing for PC teach you any lessons that you can bring back to developing games for consoles?

Zachary Lewis: Yeah, I think so. Especially because, as you've seen in some titles already, the PS5 does support keyboard and mouse having. I think that could come forward, and different ways to play is going to be a big thing that developers need to think about. We learned a lot of things about that: "We did this for the menu systems that felt great for the DualShock 4, but might not translate well to keyboard. How can we rethink as we are designing these things, so they can work better for multiple inputs?"

It's just that that kind of thing, where it's like, "This bit us here. So going forward, let's make sure that we keep some things in consideration with them."

Ron Allen: Especially moving on to PS5 and things like that, especially with the 120Hz support and framerate - it's all of those things. Again, the PS4 and the PS4 Pro are extremely powerful, but the current version of the PS5 and the current PCs are quite a bit more powerful. So, it's very interesting to see the stuff, especially the benefits and bonuses that we get, moving Days Gone over to the PC and PS5.

Do you think there's any chance Days Gone could be explored further through comics or other media? I know God of War has done stuff like that with comic books.

Ron Allen: Well, to be honest, I had a conversation not that long ago about this same type of stuff. There's so many stories to be had in the Days Gone world, and this was Deacon St. John's story. Days Gone is about his life and his loss, and how he's dealing with this pandemic - and he's not the only one that survived.

So yes, you're right. There could be so many stories and so many things to be had inside this universe. And it excites me just even thinking about it.

Zachary Lewis: We should call HBO and see if we can get a show going or something.

Did you have some sort of bible on Days Gone, where you're like, "This is the world and the answers to all the questions we might have if we ever go down a road of sequels or other media that we can refer back to?"

Ron Allen: We did. We had a lot of backstory, and a lot of the things that you didn't discover in Days Gone. Our old creative director, John Garvin, was really into the lore and the backstory inside the game. So yeah, there's a ton of stuff for us to look at when we're talking about Days Gone.

Zachary Lewis: I think you can see some of that attention to the world in the game as Deacon talks with people in the encampments. You can tell that they have some history since before we get to see him. It's been fleshed out, we just don't talk about it. It's just something that is part of the world of Days Gone.

I think that's what we need. Because everyone's always like, "Zombies are old, they're dead," but I think you can keep that fresh by really building a cool world. And there's a lot of cliffhangers and stuff set up in this game that fans want to see.

Ron Allen: The cool thing about this is, like what Zach was saying, it's not just in the encampment stuff. When you're cruising around the open world, and you're seeing Freakers as you're coming across Swarmers that they could be drinking, or they could be running after a deer. We dubbed this the Freak-o system, and it's like all of the enemies and everything out in the world play off each other, and they all key.

And you can weaponize that kind of stuff. If you know that the Breakers - the bigger guys - go after Swarmers if they're not after you, you can lure them into different areas and see how they interact. And it's pretty cool. It's definitely an interesting and different way of approaching gameplay.

I know that this game had a pretty lengthy development. How much of it remained from the original pitch, and how much changed as you made the game?

Ron Allen: The game definitely evolved over time. Honestly, we rebooted our world a few times, and what we landed on was something that we were pretty proud of. The world in general is in our backyard; we look out our windows, and we see the world that we have created for Days Gone. And it's pretty awesome. It's kind of a Disneyland version of a it, of course, but it's just very unique and something that we're really excited about.

And again, we built up all the way through. I will say, it is very similar to the original concept that we were pitching. Which is good, it still stayed true. I think that's what made us all extremely excited during development to work on this project.

I really did enjoy the game, and I think this PC version is going to open a lot of eyes for people who maybe haven't played it or who only played the previous version.

Zachary Lewis: When we were developing the game at the start, I don't ever think that we thought of it as, "Oh, this is a game for PS4 players." We wanted to make a fun game that anybody could enjoy. And this opportunity to release it on PC is really exciting, because it's this whole other fanbase that our community is excited to see play and experience this game and story for the first time. It's something that we are really looking forward to.

Ron Allen: The gameplay in general, once you get into the open world and are just kind of cruising around - I feel that this game is like comfort food. It's the one game that I keep going back to over and over. I'll play something else, then I'll come back to it. And keep in mind, I was a developer on the project, yet I still go back and play on the PC and on the PS5.

It's comfort food. It's something that's easy to get into and easy to get out of. It's just a really fun game, and we're extremely excited because we're reaching out to a whole new fan base. I can't wait to see people's reactions.

Next: Scrapped Days Gone 2 Pitch Included Co-Op

Days Gone is out now on PS4 and PC.

Days Gone Interview: Ron Allen & Zachary Lewis | Screen Rant from https://ift.tt/3tWh9MZ

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furederiko · 7 years ago

Photo

Time for November's 1st Random-News-Digest! And specially released on November 17th, 2017... despite being several hours late. LOL.

(Images courtesy of Nintendo, Warner Bros, 20th Century FOX, Square Enix, and The Pokemon Company/GameFreak. Taken from Official Trailers and/or Official Sites)

Super Mario Bros

Hold on to your Yoshis, because Mario Mario is coming back (yes, after that dreadful live action attempt in 1993) to Hollywood. This time, in an animated movie created by Illumination. If the report is to be believed, then Nintendo will be partnering with Universal to produce and release this movie. In case you live under a rock and doesn't know Illumination, that's the studio in charge of the "Despicable Me" and "The Secret Life of Pets" series. I know what you're thinking, I can already see the Toads being treated as the new Minions. LOL.

This project is said to be just in early stages, so it might take a few more years before it is ready for release. The average process to develop a big screen animated movie takes roughly 3 to 5 years, so if the deal moves on this month then we can expect the movie to arrive in... 2020. Which is the year of the Japan Olympics!!! Aaaaah, I see what you did there Nintendo. Honestly, I'm not expecting much of this project. As long as it's as entertaining as SONY's "The Angry Birds Movie", and unlike those numerous dull live action attempts... then I'll be okay. I'm pretty much sold by the word ANIMATED anyway, because forcing a live action adaptation to Mario and Luigi would be... a HUGE NO.

Metal Gear Solid

Now for this one, I'm... NOT so sure. Not just because I'm not big on KONAMI's "Metal Gear Solid" franchise as a game, but because it's live action. And we all know there's an eerie curse looming over live action adaptations for video games title. Look no further than "Assassin's Creed"... among many others.

The good news is, Derek Connolly is writing the script, and Jordan Vogt-Roberts is directing. The former has worked on "Jurassic World" and "Star Wars", while the latter is determined to make a watchable video game movie. LOL. Vogt-Roberts is most definitely a unique and seemingly fun guy, I'll give you that. This pair has worked together creating "Kong: Skull Island", which was an entertaining movie. Hmmm... now that I think about it, the whole espionage Special Forces theme would be somewhat similar to what Vogt-Roberts did in that King Kong movie. I genuinely think he actually CAN pull this off! Let's just hope the project moves on to higher stages, and not fizzles out like... it has always been.

Disney Animation

This was actually a news from last month. Yeah, I got pretty caught up with many personal ordeals, that I've completely missed out on mentioning this movie on my previous R-N-D. "Gigantic", Disney's version of the classic "Jack and the Beanstalk" story had been cancelled.

Said news was quite startling, considering the title was still part of their D23 Event... even if it was in a very minor way. It also has been in development by co-directors Meg LeFauve and Nathan Greno for quite some time, with a fixed 2020 release window. 'Creative process' was mentioned as reason for its cancellation, with Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studio president Ed Catmull calling the movie as 'not working'. The studio has moved on to another original project, that is expected to open in Thanksgiving 2020. Will we be getting another Disney Princess movie, following last year's "Moana"? Here's hoping. For now, the studio still has "Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2" set to open on November 21st, 2018, and the sequel to their hit title "Frozen" on November 27th, 2019. We can still look forward to those ones...

Disney Live Action

The live action department also hit a bump. Director Sam Mendes has departed his live action re-telling/adaptation for "Pinocchio". This is the second time he has walked out from a Disney project, with "James and the Giant Peach" being the first one. There's a rumor that Mendes might be moving to the franchise he worked on before, but that's the topic for a different category.

It's unclear if Disney will continue to work on this title by finding another director, or take a completely different approach and shelves it like what they just did to "Gigantic". Right now, two titles that are in active production is Guy Ritchie's "Aladdin", and Jon Favreau's "The Lion King" that will open on July 19th, 2019. If I'm not mistaken, Niki Caro's "Mulan" is still in pre-production, along with other titles.

We can also add a new title "Prince Charming", that is set to be written and directed by Stephen Chbosky. Chbosky is famous for his recent work "Wonder" that is set to be released this weekend, as well as the critically acclaimed "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". As the title suggests, it will focus on a young Prince and all the struggle he faces to live up to the family name. Of course, since the name Prince Charming typically refers to the one from... "Snow White" and/or "Cinderella", I can't help but wonder if this will be connected as prequel or some sort to either. It doesn't sound like it, but who knows, right? Let's just wait for more information in the near future...

Star Wars

Remember the time when many people speculated Rian Johnson would take over Collin Trevorrow's directorial seat for the tentatively titled "Star Wars - Episode IX"? Lucasfilm had expressed positive response to the director, and he himself was genuinely excited, giddy, and extremmely passionate about his love to experience in the franchise. It felt like a sure if not most plausible thing. But then we all knew that didn't happen, because it's J.J. Abrams instead who returned for the job.

But why didn't Johnson take the movie? Surprise surprise, turns out, he has other BIGGER project planned... for the franchise. Yes, he's not leaving the franchise anytime soon. Lucasfilm indeed had a great mutual time with Johnson, that they not only want him to work on another "Star Wars" movie, but to set up an entirely NEW non-Skywalker trilogy for them! The word 'bigger' would be an understatement now, right? He will be writing and directing at least the first one of this trilogy, while long time collaborator Ram Bergman is producing.

We can safely assume that this means the Skywalker-focused storyline will be wrapped up in "Episode IX", and afterwards, we'll be seeing a new route for the franchise in the foreseeable future. This new trilogy might not be episodic in nature, and will introduce entirely new characters from the universe. A "blank canvas" as Kathleen Kennedy said. Many fans have expressed both praises, and approval, as well as concerns, and disapproval for this approach, but if you ask me, I'm welcoming this with open arms. I've never been an avid fan of this space opera before, so this could be my official entry point. Without the need to explore previous movies, that is! LOL. I wonder if this new trilogy will be connected to the newly announced live action TV series?

Of course, this means that his work on "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" has completely left Lucasfilm VERY satisfied. Johnson himself might be REALLY anxious about it (a humble response, by the way), but this is by all means an expression of HIGH confidence from the studio. As evidenced by the departure of Trevorrow, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and others, they wouldn't give Johnson such massive responsibility if they are not overly pleased collaborating with him. He might be such a good polite and down to earth guy, eh? If you're curious about his work, then you only need to wait a bit longer. "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" arrives in less than a month on December 15th, 2017!

James Bond

Yep, thanks to walking out of the Disney live action project, Sam Mendes has immediately been rumored to direct the untitled "Bond 25". This naturally makes sense. Mendes worked on "Skyfall" and also "Specter", and the next movie might very well be Daniel Craig's last foray. Would be nice to see Mendes returning to deliver Craig's swan song as well as to wrap it up as his final 007 trilogy. Christoph Waltz had stated that he's not coming back as Blofeld though, so I wonder if that might affect Mendes' decision. Sure, Waltz teased that the role could be re-cast, but who can really tell what the future, I mean James Bond holds. Also, MGM announced earlier this month that Annapurna will help bring the franchise to the theatre. Does this mean the studio has won the bidding war? It's unconfirmed for now, but that seems to be the case. Quite surprising too, because it felt like a lesser entity when compared to other bigger names on the mix. But I guess as long as the franchise can still hit theatres, it's a victory for Bond's devoted fans nonetheless.

Dark Universe

Sad to say, this could be the LAST time for this category to be featured in my R-N-D. According to recent report, Universal has pulled the plug on its ambitious Dark Universe. At the very least, it's in critical condition.

All signs have totally led to this. Tom Cruise's "The Mummy" was a big failure that didn't make enough good impression (could you imagine what would have happened had Tom Cruise agreed to play Tony Stark in the first "Iron Man"? Marvel Studios dodged an bullet right there). And then production for Bill Condon's "Bride of Frankenstein" was halted not long after it begun, and the movie had since been removed from the planned release date. None of the other projects like "Invisible Man", "Wolf Man", or some others showed real progress. Next thing that happened, both Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan who seem... (or to be precise USED) to be the overseer to this Monster-based universe, have each moved on to other projects. That pretty much sealed the deal, don't you think? For the record, this isn't the first time Kurtzman abandons a cinematic universe. Don't ever forget Paramount's Transformers and also SONY's Amazing Spider-Man series.

Of course, it doesn't mean that the idea is gone for good. Universal can still pull off a soft reboot or some sort, simply by planning more properly before jumping towards another dark waters. President of production Peter Cramer even stated, "We are not rushing to meet a release date and will move forward with these films when we feel they are the best versions of themselves.". This implied that at least, Condon's movie might still become a reality sometime in the future.

I'm personally feeling VERY disappointed to hear this, knowing the probability of seeing Russell Crowe reprising his Dr. Jekyll is now close to zero. I really want to see him 'Hulk Out' and becomes a massive monstrous Edward Hyde... which we didn't really fully get in "The Mummy". But who am I to say, right? All I can say is, I hope Universal will inspire other studios to think ahead and NOT just try to snobbishly copy Marvel Studios' success without analyzing what makes their universe works. Heck, they have even proved that it's never to late to course-correct things. So don't give up Universal, and just do it one step at a time, okay!

DC Films

Uhmm... so yeah, embargo for critics reviews (both social media on November 10th, and full essays on November 14th) for Warner Bros' "Justice League" has been uplifted earlier this week. And well, true to the nature of DC Films (at least its first three movies, with "Wonder Woman" being the not-that-surprising exception), the response is a mixed-bag. Immediately, it has divided critics both fans and non-fans of DC Comics alike with polarizing opinions. Some said that Joss Whedon's clear influence doesn't gel well with the 85% done by Zack Snyder, but others said it worked just fine to elevate the movie. If you visit one entertainment site, you'd likely stumble on a review that paints the movie in a moderate-to-good light by calling it 'Pretty Good', while elsewhere you'll be greeted by review that sees it as bad-to-awful by calling it 'Pretty Bad'. Suffice to say, despite leaning to positive, things do not look completely 'PRETTY' for WB and DC.

By the way, RottenTomatoes deliberately delayed their aggregated score for the movie. My initial assumption when I saw the headline? "Ain't this cheating, huh?". Those who think RT is being paid by Marvel Studios... looks like WB is the one paying them instead, am I right? After all, this studio is infamous for constantly blaming RT for their movies' own critical failures. Of course, despite the fact that WB DOES have a stake in this site (feel free to make your own conclusion with that), that is NOT the actual reason. It's more inline with the site's Facebook show, or something like that. Of course, said score have been officially (it was leaked before hand) released now, and no surprise... as of writing (October 17th, 08:50PM local time), it's currently sitting at 37%. That is already a tad lower than its initial number. YIKES!

General consensus is calling the movie as fun but flawed. A narrative mess, but at least it gets the characters correctly now. An entertaining spectacle, but visually it's ugly and tacky. So at the very least, it's not a trainwreck and is still BETTER than the dreadful "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" nor the abominable snowma-... er, "Suicide Squad".

Ironically, WB tried to be boastfully 'different' three times, and failed miserably. Eventhough, in a way they WERE mimicking or parroting Marvel Studios. Just admit it, "Batman v Superman" was consciously made to rival Captain America 3, and "Suicide Squad" was their version of Guardians of the Galaxy. This year, they blatantly and openly COPY that 'competitor' movies. "Wonder Woman" was an amalgam of the first Captain America with elements of Thor, while "Justice League" is clearly DC's version of the 2nd Avengers. And my oh my, look what they've gotten! Good to POSITIVE responses!!! The morale of the day, if you can't compete, just follow suit. Oh, and also... use talented people who have worked on the opposite side. I mean, duh... Patty Jenkins, Joss Whedon, and Brian Michael Bendis? "Justice League" opens today on November 17th, so let's hope it will perform better financially than critically.

David F. Sandberg's "Shazam!" is moving along nicely as the movie next to be seen after next year's "Aquaman" (to be released in... *drumrolls* December 2018). After casting Disney Prince Zachary Levi as the heroic version, the movie obviously needs the human version, the little kid named Billy Batson. Remember when acclaimed young actor Jacob Tremblay (who similar to his Oscar-winner BFF, deserves BETTER roles) was said to be in contention? Well, the role ended up on young Asher Angel's hand instead. Name doesn't sound familiar? Well... he is one of the leads of "Andi Mack" on... Disney Channel. See? If you can't beat them, snatch their actors too. Grace Fulton is said to be portraying the female lead, and actor Mark Strong was said to be in negotiation to play the antagonist Dr. Sivana... whoever that is. Should he decide to take the job, this would be Strong's second DC character for WB after his short turn as Sinestro.

Interestingly, WB desperately wants this franchise to be noticed. Why is that? Just think about it, the movie is set to open in Spring 2019, so it's going to be released not far behind a particular Marvel Studios movie called... "Captain Marvel". I'm sure you know where I'm leading to with this, right? Yes... because Shazam used to be called by the same name. Coincidence? Highly UNLIKELY. It's another game of chicken by good'ol always-competitive WB (no matter how many try to scoff it off, their rivalry to Marvel is apparently REAL), folks! And a rather ballsy albeit rude one too. I mean for crying out loud, in this kind of political situation that sees a president continuously provoking people to hate a previous female opponent like a sore loser, and numerous reports of mistreatments of women by Hollywood top names... WB wants to use a testosterone-manchild-themed movie to directly challenge a FEMALE-led movie just because the two shared the same name? I call that suicide.

How about Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam then? That character is the nemesis of Shazam, so it's natural if we get to see him too in the movie. But noooope, apparently WB is planning to put him in another movie instead. And surprise surprise, it's not his own solo movie as the studio repeatedly promised, but Gavin O'Connor's "Suicide Squad 2". I literally slapped myself in the face when I read this, because dang it... wasn't it enough to throw a sexist Enchantress, that they just HAD to pit the broken Squad against another supernatural character? This is not confirmed for now, but since the movie still has a long way before starting production in October 2018... let's just hope WB has a more sane way for combining the "Suicide Squad" and "Shazam!" franchise. Hold on... did they just confirm that "Shazam!" is part of the current continuity then? Then I'm honestly not sure how I feel about that... (read: there goes half of my interest in seeing the movie.). I really want this to be its own separate thing, and not boggled in the failed universe. I guess I expected too much too soon, huh?

About "The Batman", there's a hint that Ben Affleck might be stepping out the Matt Reeves movie after all. Though he was singing a different tune during this year's San Diego Comic-Con International, the actor has since been saying a complete opposite. In a press junket for "Justice League" in London, he even openly said that he does NOT know what the future holds. That sounds like a guy who's thinking of gracefully bowing out from the DC Films... as soon as possible. He even mentioned the exact same thing to USA Today not long after. Quite surprisingly, the internet also expressed their agreement to see him leave. Some already even fancasting and speculating a replacement (that one actor, I hope its NOT true). OUUCH! Looks like what once a bright star, is slowly fading away like a comet that visits a solar system every hundred of years. Hmmm... I wonder if Henry Cavill will follow suit after this...

Last but not least, Patty Jenkins' much anticipated "Wonder Woman 2" has vacated its December 13th release date to arrive 6 weeks earlier. CALLED IT! Yep, I knew WB would end up doing this because competing directly with "Star Wars" would be waaaay too risky. I'm just surprised that it took this long for the studio to announce the shift. I guess they were waiting for Marvel Studios to prove that early November is a good spot for comic book adaptation, huh? Don't worry, Gal Gadot is expected to reprise her role, because WB had said that the report of her 'refusal' (originated at PageSix) is NOT true. "Wonder Woman 2" will now open in November 1st, 2019.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Would you look at that?! I can't believe this, but WB has mischievously prepared a contingency plan for the negative response to "Justice League". I assume based on past experiences, WB is aware that critics would still be divisive (no different situation, a bit worse than "Man of Steel" even) about their DC movies, so they immediately releases official synopsis and cast photo for the "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" sequel. Come on, releasing this on the same day the DC ensemble movie is released? Can't be a coincidence. A pretty darn good distraction, if I should add! Not to mention, this comes on the heels of that recently announced Niantic AR game.

The new official title has immediately generated mixed response. After all, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" OBVIOUSLY put the focus on Johnny Depp's villainous character Gellert Grindelwald. It could be a good thing, if his name was still as big as it used to be in the past, but we all know that the world has changed. Thankfully, one character stood out the most among the confirmed cast members. It's none other than Jude Law's young Albus Dumbledore. I must say, he doesn't look the way I expected to be, but I'm definitely not complaining. Hey, a charming dashing Dumbledore would be a great selling point for the new franchise that hasn't been able to be on par with its "Harry Potter"... sequel.

We got FIVE couples now. The four core characters from the first movie are here, hopefully in a bigger and more memorable inclusion. We have Claudia Kim's cursed 'Maledictus' character, who seems to be pairing up with Ezra Miller's Credence and could very well be serving as an antagonist. And then there's Zoe Kravitz's Leta Estrange who is engaged with Callum Turner's Theseus Scamander. Indeed, Theseus is Newt's big brother, so here's hoping Eddie Redmayne isn't sidelined completely and get to showcase actual dramatic involvement in this sequel.

Say what you will about the first movie, but it was surprisingly entertaining enough to make me see more. It might be not at the heights of the "Harry Potter" series, but I'd gladly take this over the DC Films anytime. Directed by David Yates based on a screenplay from J.K. Rowling, this movie is set to arrive precisely one year from now on November 16th, 2018. Aaaah, I get it now.

X-Men Universe

Let's address the elephant in the room first. When we talk about Marvel character owned by 20th Century FOX nowadays, then you should be aware of a recent report that has taken the world by storm. That's right, the House of Mouse Disney is in negotiation to purchase FOX's film and TV division, because the other company wants to focus on news and sport. That literally means, all the movie rights for X-Men and Fantastic Four will be reverted back to Marvel! Yes, every characters from those faction might be returning home in the foreseeable future, because despite the report that talk has ended, the possibility is still very much high. Assuming Comcast or Verizon doesn't suddenly come out of left field and snatches this opportunity instead, of course.

If you ask me how I feel if FOX and Marvel Studios arrange an agreement similar to what the latter did with SONY and Spider-Man? Then I would not hesitate to say "No Thanks". Combining Marvel Studios' movie universe with FOX's sloppy, botched, and well... generally uninspiring one would be a disaster. FOX tend to disregard good characters, and treat them badly more often than not. But if this deal DOES become a reality, then I'd be REALLY happy. That means we WILL be getting the much-needed reboot that the X-Men and Fantastic Four are desperate for, and not just a soft-reboot that producer Simon Kinberg had been boasting out and about... that ended up with his "X-Men: Dark Phoenix". I don't know about you, but Kinberg clearly doesn't know what he is doing, so I want to see him OUT of and AWAY from any Marvel stories for good. Of course, there's a downside to all things. Through FOX movie division, we were able to get more comic adaptations in a yearly basis. Not just that, we also got titles like "Logan" or the upcoming "The New Mutants" that run in R-rated route, one that Marvel Studios or Disney in general would be highly unlikely to explore. That might be an outcome that many fans might be hard to swallow...

Anyways, amidst that rumbling news, Deadpool kept on walking proudly, as if it doesn't care about what would happen to its own crumbling universe. After all, one comment on social media said that Wade Wilson is the only Marvel character who could easily address the change casually without the need to mind its own continuity. Don't forget, this is the guy who is consciously confused which Professor X he should report to. LOL. "The Untitled Deadpool Sequel" (that's the placeholder title, which I hope would be the official title because it just fits the character so much) movie released a holiday-themed first official poster, as well as a Bob Ross inspired second teaser that well... if you ask me, pretty much stole a bit of buzz from WB's movie premiere. LOL.

This teaser suggests that despite the change in director, the movie still retains the same idiosyncratic atmosphere. I'm glad that the returning characters aren't forgotten in this one, and if some people catch this one theory right, we might be getting a rather 'sinister' antagonist as the super villain. WOW. "The Untitled Deadpool Sequel" (I'm still laughing here!) arrives on June 1st, 2018, so if you're a fan of the first movie, make sure you mark your date.

One more thing, would you like to see a movie featuring... a mutant character called "Multiple Man"? Well, James Franco might be starring in one. So whether you want it or not, it's still probably coming in the future. Who's behind this bizarre and preposterous idea? Duuuh... Kinberg of course. Who else? LOL.

SONY Marvel Universe

Situation in the SONY side, is a 'little' different. Not content with "Venom" (showing us a first look of Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock after just 2 weeks of production) and "Silver & Black", the studio is already moving forward with another title. This time, "Morbius the Living Vampire". Earlier this week, it was revealed that the writers of this year's "Power Rangers" Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama had submitted their script to the studio. The two previously worked on several underwhelming movies like "Dracula Untold" and "Gods of Egypt".

To be honest, I'm actually surprised when I found out that Dr. Michael Morbius belongs to SONY. He's a long time antagonist of Blade, and as far as I know, that character has reverted back to Marvel. Of course, I just discovered that the Roy Thomas and Gil Kane's creation debuted in "Amazing Spider-Man" #101. It makes sense now, because it's almost the same situation to the character Kingpin. Problem is, similar to Venom and other Spider-Man related characters, the BIG question is will these character work without Spidey himself... Or in Morbius case, without Blade? I seriously doubt it. I believe just the fact that these characters will not interact with the ones from Marvel Studios, is already strongly pessimistic. Let's just wait and see if SONY can prove that it DOES have what it takes to jumpstart their own Spidey-less Marvel Universe.

Marvel Studios

Let's talk about "Thor: Ragnarok" first! Eventhough this weekend the movie's might would likely be overthrown by DC's first ensemble movie, Taika Waititi's comedy has managed to at least stay on number 1 for two consecutive weeks. It's making huge money, even more than Chris Hemsworth's first two solo movies. Seriously though, should we even be surprised? This buddy comedy is genuinely FUN and hilarious, and plenty of its memorable scenes will be etched into your brain... forcing you to laugh or giggle whenever the memory strikes. Like a lunatic? Well, if you say so. LOL. Really though, you couldn't see me now but I'm currently cackling upon remembering that... uhm, naked scene. LOL.

By the way, Waititi has openly expressed his desire to make another Thor movie with Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo. What do you think? Should he get his second Ragnarok movie? If it means we'll get another 'Get Help' moment, or more of Jeff Goldblum's Grandmaster? Waititi might not have a vast or deep knowledge of comic book, but since "Ragnarok" pretty much creates a clean slate for Thor Odinson and the Asgardians... he can pretty much do anything. And I honestly look forward to see that.

Disney has begun campaigning the movie and James Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" for Oscar race too. Since many of the Award's regular players have been lambasted with various kinds of sexual misconduct allegations, can we expect members of the Academy to turn towards comic book adaptations now? I certainly hope so. We know that 'Best Visual Effects' and in some cases 'Best Make Up' will be the usual entry, but I sure hope these movies get a chance in other categories too. 'Best Score' or 'Sound Editing' perhaps? I do think Mark Mothersbaugh deserves an appreciation for his work in "Ragnarok".

"Black Panther" is now officially three months away from release! Well, for the US region at least... because several other countries (like yours truly) usually get it earlier. To celebrate this, Marvel Studios have released a batch of single character posters that includes Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, his royal family members, up to Andy Serkis' Ulysees Klaue. As far as I recall, we haven't had one for Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger... or did I miss anything? The movie also have tested positively in early screenings according to report, so we're in for another Marvelous time. "Black Panther" arrives on February 16th, 2018.

Fans have been actively demanding the D23/SDCC trailer for "Avengers: Infinity War", to the point that people started doing illegal stuff like posting leaked images and all. We got the first look for Proxima Midnight, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow's new hairdo and costume that resembled another Marvel character, as well as Paul Bettany's Vision and Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch looking in despair. These pictures are great, but HOW we get them is the morale question here. I'm not particularly fond of this attitude, because it only shows the dark and negative side of fandom.

Obviously there are VALID reasons why Marvel Studios is withholding that trailer, thus is it so hard to just WAIT until it is released officially? The reason can be a simple one, like the need to add quality Visual Effects to it, or a bigger one like... the potential of spoilering other movies. In particular, "Ragnarok" and "Black Panther". I'll use "Ragnarok" for example. Thor's appearance in the trailer shown exclusively last Summer was INCONSISTENT compared to how he ended up in "Ragnarok". In the end of "Ragnarok", we know that he got a 'permanent scar', and he didn't look like that at all in the "Infinity War" trailer. And then there's that scene with Loki holding the Tesseract. Also, Thor ran into a gigantic vessel, that Marvel Studios President has confirmed to be the Sanctuary II. The owner? Josh Brolin's Thanos. See? It's a massive spoiler already. Who knows what kind of secret from "Black Panther" it would spoil in advance!

I personally feel what we all need to know, is that the movie will undoubtedly be HUGE. Like Ruffalo himself hyped stated, it has "all of the Marvel characters in it. All nine franchises. I mean, it’s mind-boggling. Everyone has their moment to shine. Everyone is still their characters.". Feige admitted that even the filming felt overwhelming and surprisingly emotional everyday. And also, that the movie is some kind of a... heist movie? HUH? Yeah, co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo specifically said so to CNET, which honestly made me wonder. They were pretty specific that the heist would be Thanos' play, as he collects all 6 Infinity Stones. Hmmm... let's just stop right here, because now I've become curious to see the trailer. LOL. But nope, I know for sure that I'm going to be watching this movie. At least, ONCE. That's why Marvel Studios can even delay the trailer forever or not release it at all, and I won't mind. Because I don't really need any more convincing to see it.

As far as I know, "Ant-Man and the Wasp" has completed production. I'm not really sure about this though, but I think I did see like some kind of celebration for it on Twitter. Regardless, both Walton Goggins and David Dastmalchian have completed their parts earlier this week. Dastmalchian even gave us a look for Randall Park's Agent Jimmy Woo. Here's hoping we'll be getting a teaser trailer soon.

Laurence Fishburne who would soon be seen as Bill 'Goliath' Foster in the movie, opened up to Collider that because he grew up with Marvel, he actually pitched himself to Marvel Studios! Intriguingly, he also came with several ideas, and has been developing one secretly with Marvel. He hoped that "It’s gonna change the world". Hmmm.... this is intriguing. Fishburne didn't specifically say movie, so it could very well be a comic series, or even a TV one. Something related to Blade perhaps? or some others? Hmmmm...

Recent report by Variety claimed that Ben Mendelsohn has been approached to play the antagonist in "Captain Marvel". If his interview with Collider was any indication, it seems he might have officially come onboard the movie... or at least in final talks. His response reminded me greatly to when Paul Rudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, and also Carol Danvers herself Brie Larson tried to play coy about their roles. These are obviously polite and sincere actors, so they couldn't really hide that big of a secret. Since this is feeling like a dejavu, let's just say we shouldn't be surprised if Mendelsohn ends up antagonist-ing Larson in the movie when it arrives on March 8th, 2019.

This is the last one for the category folks! More SPOILER-ish (as usual, you might want to skip to the next category if you avoid one) information surrounding "Avengers 4" has been flying over the internet. One particular bit teased the reenactment, a flashback, or perhaps a time travel twist involving "The Avengers". Not only because Robert Downey Jr. was spotted wearing the exact same shirt from the 2012 movie, Hemsworth himself posted a photo (with his daughter) wearing a costume precisely from the same movie. Actor Frank Grillo and Maximiliano Hernández were also suspiciously present in Atlanta. Does this mean Crossbones and Agent Jasper Sitwell are alive in the movie? Hmmm. Could we be seeing a reality alteration here? Especially if we consider the ability of the Reality Stone. According to report that can't really be considered credible, these will all be scenes generated by Tony Stark using his B.A.R.F. simulation that we saw in "Captain America: Civil War". To who? Ty Simpkins' Harley Keener, who has been confirmed to appear in the movie. Hmmmm... now I'm really curious about this movie too. But let's just focus on "Infinity War" first, shall we?! One day... I mean one movie at a time.

Marvel TV

Oh hey, Marvel's "Inhumans" has officially ended with its eight episode. I think it was last Friday, if I'm not mistaken. How would I know, if I couldn't even care less about it. Personal preference aside, that means the 5th season of Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." is about to air very soon. And if you're among devoted Marvel fans who are already counting days, then the show has released an official trailer to wet your appetite for this new season.

The trailer was... uhmm, okay I guess? I'm still on the fence to follow this season, so I can't really tell if this manages to persuade me or not. One thing for sure, it's action packed and filled with creepy aliens. It's really nice to see Henry Simmons' Mack and Natalia Cordova-Buckley's Yo-Yo get more presence and involved in more action. We also see bits of the new characters: Jeff Ward's ambiguous Deke, Eve Harlow's Tess, Pruitt Taylor Vince's commander Grill, and Coy Stewart's possible-Nuhuman Flint.

And then there's that confirmed report of Nick Blood returning in some capacity as Lance Hunter. What about Adrienne Palicki's Bobby Morse? Last we heard, she won't be making an appearance due to her tight schedule in the equally space-themed alien-filled "The Orville". That doesn't mean she's not open to reprise her role though, because she has had a great time and is still in touch with the cast. Here's hoping the stars will align somehow, and we get to see her official return in the series. "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." will begin the new season on Friday, December 1st, 2017, with a two-episode premiere entitled "Orientation Part 1 & 2".

Marvel's "Runaways" is set to premiere next week, on November 21st. Its first three episode will hit the streaming platform Hulu on the same day. To prepare for this, Entertainment Weekly has released official posters and banners for each of the six lead characters, while IGN dropped additional ones showcasing their super-powered abilities. They looked neat, and teased the teenager's signature skillset. Currently being praised as the teenage soap-opera side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, let's just hope that this series attracts enough viewers and good rating to warrant another season.

Meanwhile, Marvel's "New Warriors" has departed Freeform... even before it is even aired. Although Kevin Biegel's 10-episodes first season was initially meant to debut in the network, the pilot was so well-received to the point it attracted several high-level Disney execs. Freeform was unable to set a time slot for this show (I guess they prefer Marvel's "Cloak and Dagger" more?). Thus Marvel Entertainment pulled it out, and has been actively searching for a partner that can launch it next year as planned... as a direct two-seasons package! Surely it won't land on Netflix, given Disney's plan to launch their very own streaming service in 2019. This is just a wild guess, but I think Hulu would end up becoming its new home.

Speaking of Disney's upcoming new service, CEO Bob Iger confirmed that it will feature at least one new Marvel series among others. I wonder what that is? I just hope, and sincerely hope that it is not concerning Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel. It would be such a waste to utilize that massively popular character in a TV setting, when it would make the most in movie format. She's an Avenger, so she's better of to be with the other members, right? Not to mention, Marvel TV doesn't exactly have a good track record to pull their projects off properly (Inhumans, anyone?). I prefer that rumored "Power Pack" movie to switch places if that's indeed the case. Crossing my fingers!

Netflix

Eventhough Marvel's "The Punisher" is catching everyone's attention, and receiving mostly positive response from entertainment critics (general drawbacks are inevitably concerning the gun violence), Marvel fans need to be prepared with the possibility of it being the final Marvel title on Netflix. As has been widely reported, Disney is intent on creating their own streaming service. One that will include new live action show for "Star Wars", animated series based on "Monsters Inc.", and also Marvel series.

It's unlikely if the service will ONLY have one series. So it makes perfect sense for Disney to end their contract with Netflix, and pull out movies and shows like Marvel's "Daredevil", Marvel's "Jessica Jones", Marvel's "Luke Cage", Marvel's "Iron Fist", and Marvel's "The Defenders" from the platform to be exclusives alongside their 'future family'. After all, Disney had openly stated that Netflix would end up becoming their competitor when the time come. I doubt Netflix would be threatened, with a vast library of original series and movies in their pockets. But this might have a bitter result to fans of the series. Sure, this might not be as bad as many fans are worrying about, because these shows might simply move to a different place. Then again, we also need to remember that Netlfix co-financed these series, so the most likelihood is that these series will be put to a close. Can fans handle that? I don't think so.

For now, "Daredevil" begins filming Season 3 this week. I think the 2nd seasons of "Jessica Jones" and "Luke Cage" had wrapped, while the one for "Iron Fist" will start next month. At the very least, these shows are still set to air in 2018 since Disney won't be launching their service until the following year. Come 2019? Come what may. All episodes of "The Punisher" should already be available today, so you might want to enjoy it as much as possible... while you still can.

Final Fantasy

"Episode of Ignis", the third character DLC for "Final Fantasy XV" has received an official release date. Square Enix announced at the Paris Games Week 2017, that it will be available on December 13th, 2017. The storyline will take place after the "Trial of Leviathan", where Ignis is tasked to protect the unconscious Noctis as they make their way to safety. Ravus will also join forces with Ignis, likely to protect his sister Lunafreya. The story will have multiple endings, and feature new music from "Chrono Trigger" composer Yasunori Mitsuda. You can check out the official trailer for this DLC on Youtube.

Noctis himself, is set to have his own... uhmmm, 'adventure'. As in, he will be guest starring as a playable DLC character in... "Tekken 7". Yes, I know I should've put this in a separate "Tekken" category, but moreso than Geese Howard who came from "The King of Fighters" series, Noctis IS the LEAD of "Final Fantasy XV". It would be more appropriate to feature him here in his own turf, right? Ahahaha... good excuse, eh. Noctis will be available in Spring 2018. The announcement trailer sees him receiving an in-game invitation/request from Lars Alexandersson, and features his three travelling companions too (who unfortunately are only present as cameo). Go check it out, it's a fun video...

Dynasty Warriors

KOEI Tecmo has announced the release date of the English version of "Dynasty Warriors 9". While the original Japanese version will arrive for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on February 8th, 2018, countries in North America and Europe will have to wait a few days later for a release on February 13th, 2018. I doubt this will spark complaints though, because unlike previous titles, this one only sees a delay that is only less than a week away.

Pre-ordering the game will reward players with a set of extra costumes for the character Zhao Yun, Guan Yinping, Diaochan, Sun Shangxiang, Lu Lingqi, Wang Yi, and Wang Yuanji. I know what you're thinking, Zhao Yun's the only male on the list! I guess that's because he's the unofficial poster boy for the franchise, so he gets the privilege to be surrounded by the ladies. Fans of the series can already book their copy of the game right away, whether in physical or digital version.

Ace Attorney

Nintendo Switch has taken the world by storm, and rightfully so. While its launch lineup was pretty scarce, third party developers have begun noticing the potential and strong selling point of the hybrid console. One of them, is of course CAPCOM.

According to recent report, they are preparing THREE... yes, not one or two, but three titles from the "Ace Attorney" franchise to be released in 2018. The first two, are compilation titles set to be released between April and October 2018. The first one compiles the first three games (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Trials and Tribulations), and the second compiles the next three (Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice). All those titles have been exclusively available or re-released for Nintendo 3DS, so I doubt it will take long for them to be transferred into a Switch version.

The third title, is going to be an entirely new title that features Phoenix Wright as the lead protagonist once again. This is good because the latest title released was the 19th century setting "The Great Ace Attorney 2: Ryunosuke Naruhodo’s Resolution", and just like its prequel, it didn't get an English-language version. Having Phoenix at the spotlight means fans might get an international version, albeit via digital services. This news is still regarded 'rumor' for now, but as I said, Switch is getting all the buzz, so I won't be surprised if it ends up becoming actual fact and not just fan fiction.

ARIKA

The company's so-called 'Mysterious Fighting Game' has been given an official title. It's "Fighter EX Layer".... Whooaa--HUH? Hold on, Layer? Why Layer, what's the point? I wonder why they don't just call it "Fighter EX Arena" or something. Japan and their Engrish sometimes throws you for a loop, huh? LOL.

ARIKA will start beta testing on December 11th, with six playable characters: Kairi, Garuda, Skullomania, Darun Mister, Allen Snider, and Shirase. Those who attend PlayStation Experience 2017 on December 9th and 10th, will also be able to play a demo version. The game will utilize a system called 'Gougi', which sounds a little hard to describe or comprehend. Apparently, this will allow players to have different ways to play, so the flow of matches will be changed. To put it simple... it's difficult to make sense of until I can get my hands on it. LOL. "Fighting EX Layer" will arrive next year, so for the time being, check out the new trailer to get more... uhm, understanding about it.

Pocket Monsters

DC fans have gotten a "Justice League" movie, while Marvel fans received "The Punisher" series this very day. There's still one more, and this one is dedicated for Pokemon fans worldwide. Yes, the high-scored "Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon" is now officially available in market! Yaaaay...

Since the start of the month, The Pokemon Company has been releasing new promotional materials to convince gamers to grab the new and final adventure on Alola Region. Did you know that every Legendary Pokemon and their alternate forms are set to appear via Ultra Wormhole? Make sense, because this would be the last title for Nintendo 3DS. Some of them are version exclusives (like Ho-Oh is Ultra Sun while Lugia is in Ultra Moon), and some even requires special conditions (Giratina can only appear if version exclusives Dialga and Palkia are present), but all the Legendaries from Generation I to VII is here.

What about Team Rainbow Rocket? It's a villainous organization created by... previous bosses from past games. Yes, Team Rocket's Giovanni is bringing Team Magma's Maxie, Team Aqua's Archie, Team Galactic's Cyrus, Team Plasma's Ghetsis, and Team Flare's Lysandre to challenge the protagonist. There's also The Battle Agency that allows players to use Rental Pokemon, and also Totem Stickers that enable them to obtain totem-sized Pokemon. You can check out the details on these features on Gematsu, or check out the official trailer.

The latest one focuses on Necrozma, because the so-called 'Strange Evil' contains another enlightening "Secret". This refers to a report that the poster Pokemon/Ultra Beast will have a new form in these games, and not just the Dusk Mane or Dawn Wings. Read the details of this news on Gematsu.

Those who don't have a 3DS, has no other choice but to rely on "Pokemon GO" your Smartphone. Hey, there's a free Alolan costume now... to make it seem like we're also playing "Ultra Sun & Moon". LOL. Problem is, what would happen now that Niantic is actively developing a new title? Should casual and devoted players alike be nervous? Well... if Niantic's statement could be hold accountable (they... generally do, by the way), then players should NOT be worried. The company openly promised that inspite of "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite", "Pokemon GO" will still be continuously improved and updated. They even say that the team is 'doubling down' on new improvements, particularly in the year 2018. Hmmm... that means we won't be getting the rest of Generation III until at least January, huh? Bummer.

With a new 'copycat' app already 'stealing' the buzz by implementing most-requested features that "Pokemon GO" has been sorely lacking, it looks like Niantic will be pushed to step up their game much faster. Producing updates in a slow pace simply won't cut it anymore, unless they are planning on losing more and more players by relying on the same gameplay that... well, ends up becoming tedious and boring after a while. So yeah, let's just keep a close tab on this 'promise' and whether the company will be able to be true to their words or the opposite. That's when the judgement will be strike down. Am I right? *wink*

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anthonyonrequest · 7 years ago

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On Request Magazine's Best of E3 2017! Last week, E3 2017 kicked off, and during the last week a slew of new games, technologies and consoles were unveiled. While the Xbox One X highlighted Microsoft's conference, Sony came out swinging with as slew of new and exciting games, and Nintendo unveiled some breathtakingly beautiful games to come on their recently released Switch system. Let's break down some of our favorite games from this year's conference! 1) Assassin's Creed: Origins: Always a highlight of not just Ubisoft's conference, but of the convention as a whole, the creators of the Assassin's Creed series unveiled the highly anticipated trailer for their latest game, Origins. Set in the highly requested time period of Ancient Egypt, you play as a man who will build the foundation of what will be known as the Assassin's brotherhood. Coming into a time when Egypt already has much history and lore, the fall of the empires are at hand, and that is where players will come in. The biggest update has to be the new gameplay mechanics, which focuses more heavily on RPG elements now, such as skill trees, loot and more. While the gameplay looks fun and the demo looks just as visually bright and stunning as AC IV: Black Flag, we here at On Request Magazine just hope the shift in gameplay doesn't take away from the magic that built this franchise into the powerhouse it is now. The game comes out this October. 2) Call of Duty: WWII: One of the gaming industry's biggest franchises is returning to their roots with Call of Duty: WWII. Building a story about the soldiers who fought a war that changed the world forever, the game will also include new multiplayer modes, as well as a brand new Nazi Zombie mode with a new storyline as well. This is a game not to miss, so be sure to check it out when it releases this November. 3) Days Gone: The zombie apocalypse genre has been done so many times within the industry, that when a new one comes around, you look for what makes it stand out from the rest. In Sony's Days Gone, that something special has arrived. Within the demo, we're treated to a mission to rescue a friend, and along the way we navigate an apocalyptic world, filled with murderous raiders, blood-thirsty wolves, rival survivor groups holding your friend, and a massive horde of zombie-like creatures. The scenery is beautiful to behold, and the highlight of the demo came during the rescue itself, when your character decided to blow up the barrier holding the creatures back. Soon you just sit back and watch as the creatures run full force after the survivors. It's an intense, action-fueled demo, and by the time a zombified bear comes by, the demo cuts to black, leaving everyone here eager to learn more about this incredible new world. Days Gone comes is listed as TBA now. 4) Fallout 4 VR: By now, we've all heard of the world of Fallout 4. Now, Bethesda studios has unveiled their foray into the world of VR gaming. While not much is known yet, the prospect of getting to explore the capital wasteland in virtual reality makes this a must play game for sure! 5) Far Cry 5: This is one of our favorite games to come out of E3 this year. Moving the setting of the Far Cry series to rural America, and focusing on a gun-toting cult makes this one of the most fascinating stories to come out of the franchise. Exploring a setting familiar to a lot of people and exploring the mentality of a cult when combined with the high-octane action of the series makes this a must play game. This game will launch in February 2018. 6) Kingdom Hearts 3: While the game is still listed as TBA, a surprise trailer was released for the highly anticipated Disney and Square Enix game, Kingdom Hearts 3. Showcasing the non-stop action of the updated gameplay and showing off the world of Hercules, as well as the return of several characters, including Maleficent, Pete and Hades, as the former two search for a mysterious black box. We cannot wait to learn more about this incredible game. 7) Marvel's Spider-Man: Another top contender for one of our favorite games of the conference, the newest Spider-Man game presented by Sony showcased a sense of magic and wonder that reminded us of the Batman: Arkham games. Focusing on a massive open world, new and obscure foes and a huge emphasis on web-slinging action, this game looks incredible. This is listed as TBA. 8) Star Wars Battlefront II: This game looks incredible. Right off the bat, this demo showcases so much amazing gameplay, including new classes of soldiers, various time periods from the Star Wars universe, and classic and new characters such as Darth Maul and Rey. The tease of the highly anticipated single player campaign was briefly shown as well, and the thought of a brand new original story makes me excited as well. This game is due out in November 2017. 9) Super Mario Odyssey: The biggest highlight of Nintendo's conference had to be this game. Taking Mario on a 3-D, globe-trotting adventure, players will utilize the Switch to unleash a slew of new abilities in order to save Princess Peach. Mario is one of the most iconic gaming characters, and the newest game is sure to bring a new generation into the fandom while giving long-time fans a fantastic new way to play. This game is due out in October 2017. 10) The Evil Within 2: One thing we were looking for at this conference was an exciting new horror game, and we were not disappointed. Serving as a sequel to the first game, The Evil Within 2 focuses on Detective Sebastian Castellanos as he must enter the nightmare world once more in order to save his daughter. The trailer was filled with several scares, and the visuals were absolutely terrifying and stunning. This game looks phenomenal, and we hope you'll look out for this game in October 2017. Well there you go guys. That was our top 10 list of games shown at this year's E3. Who do you think won this show this year? Did Microsoft win you over with the Xbox One X? Is VR the future of gaming? Let us know in the comments below what you thought of this year's conference, and be sure to tune in to On Request Magazine for all the latest news, reviews and previews of all things gaming.

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shaan21 · 5 months ago

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Exploring the Most Successful Game Studios

In the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of gaming, certain studios have not only achieved remarkable success but have also redefined the industry with their groundbreaking games and innovative approaches. These game studios stand out as pioneers, shaping the gaming culture and setting new standards for creativity, technology, and player engagement. Let's delve into the stories and achievements of some of the most successful game studios that have left an indelible mark on the gaming world.

Naughty Dog: Crafting Unforgettable Experiences

Naughty Dog has earned widespread acclaim for its mastery of storytelling and gameplay design. Based in the United States, Naughty Dog's portfolio includes iconic franchises like Uncharted and The Last of Us. These games are celebrated for their cinematic narratives, complex characters, and seamless blending of action and adventure. Naughty Dog's commitment to pushing technical boundaries and delivering emotionally resonant experiences has garnered critical acclaim and a devoted fan base, solidifying its reputation as a leader in the gaming industry.

Rockstar Games: Redefining Open-World Freedom

Rockstar Games has redefined open-world gaming with its Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and Red Dead Redemption series. Founded in the United States, Rockstar Games is known for its meticulous attention to detail, expansive game worlds, and immersive narratives that offer players unparalleled freedom and exploration. GTA V, in particular, remains one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed games of all time, showcasing Rockstar Games' ability to create cultural phenomena and push the limits of interactive entertainment.

Blizzard Entertainment: Crafting Worlds of Endless Adventure

Blizzard Entertainment has set the standard for multiplayer and strategy gaming with franchises like Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch. Based in the United States, Blizzard's games are renowned for their immersive worlds, strategic depth, and vibrant communities. Warcraft's legacy as a genre-defining MMO, Diablo's dark fantasy universe, and Overwatch's dynamic team-based gameplay have captivated millions of players worldwide. Blizzard's commitment to quality, innovation, and ongoing support has made it a cornerstone of the gaming industry, influencing countless developers and shaping gaming culture.

Nintendo: Innovators of Play

Nintendo stands at the forefront of gaming innovation with iconic franchises such as Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon. Originating from Japan, Nintendo has continually pushed the boundaries of what video games can achieve in terms of gameplay mechanics, storytelling, and accessibility. The introduction of the Nintendo Switch hybrid console further cemented Nintendo's reputation for innovation, offering players versatile gaming experiences both at home and on the go. Nintendo's commitment to family-friendly gaming and creative gameplay experiences has resonated with generations of players worldwide.

Square Enix: Masters of Epic Adventures

Square Enix has become synonymous with epic storytelling and visual artistry in RPGs and beyond. Founded in Japan, Square Enix is the creative force behind franchises like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts. These games are celebrated for their rich narratives, intricate worlds, and memorable characters that have captivated players for decades. Square Enix's ability to blend traditional RPG elements with cutting-edge technology and innovative gameplay mechanics ensures its continued relevance and influence in the global gaming landscape.

Valve Corporation: Innovators in Digital Distribution and Game Design

Valve Corporation has left an indelible mark on gaming through its revolutionary digital distribution platform, Steam, and acclaimed game franchises like Half-Life, Portal, and Dota 2. Based in the United States, Valve's commitment to empowering developers and fostering community-driven content creation has reshaped how games are distributed, played, and enjoyed worldwide. Valve's influence extends beyond game development, as it continues to innovate with VR technology, esports initiatives, and new game experiences that push the boundaries of interactive entertainment.

Bethesda Game Studios: Crafting Immersive Worlds and Memorable Adventures

Bethesda Game Studios has carved a niche for itself with its expansive open-world RPGs and immersive storytelling. Based in the United States, Bethesda is renowned for franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. These games are revered for their vast, detailed worlds, player-driven narratives, and robust modding communities that extend their longevity and replayability. Bethesda's commitment to player freedom, exploration, and narrative depth has made its games beloved by millions of players worldwide, establishing it as a leader in creating unforgettable gaming experiences.

These game studios have not only achieved commercial success but have also left a lasting impact on gaming culture and innovation. Through their dedication to pushing boundaries, storytelling excellence, and game play innovation, these studios continue to shape the future of interactive entertainment and inspire the next generation of game developers. As technology evolves and player expectations grow, these studios remain at the forefront, driving the industry forward with their creativity, passion, and commitment to delivering unforgettable gaming experiences.

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yahooben · 7 years ago

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The top 10 games of E3 2017

E3 2017 had a lot of great games, but these are the best of the entire show. (image: Flickr E3 Expo)

The greatest video game show on Earth has ended, but the hype is just heating up.

Nearly 70,000 gamers flooded an overpacked Los Angeles Convention Center for three straight days (not counting a few days of fancy media briefings) of digital insanity, and game makers of all shapes and sizes delivered enough gaming goodness to last a lifetime — or at least until the holidays.

Though E3 2017 lacked the explosive punch of last year’s incredible show, it was home to dozens of cool games spanning every system under the sun. So how do you narrow that down? Some games were playable; others were little more than a trailer and some concept art. You’ll get your hands on a handful of them in 2017, while many more won’t see the light of day for years. But regardless of development state (and in no particular order) these are the 10 titles we’re most excited to play.

‘Super Mario Odyssey’ (Switch | Release Date: 10/27/17)

Nintendo’s portly plumber is coming back to consoles this October.

How do you follow-up a game as great as “Breath of the Wild?” You call a plumber.

It’s been 15 years since gamers busted bricks in a 3D sandbox version of the Mushroom Kingdom (that would be “Super Mario Sunshine” for the Gamecube), so to say that “Super Mario Odyssey” is a big deal is an even huge understatement. The next entry in Nintendo’s (NTDOY) flagship series is the company’s holiday pillar and a surefire system seller, provided it’s as good as we all expect.

And based on the E3 demo, it certainly will be. Odyssey’s charming world is densely packed with secrets, and Mario is equipped with incredibly cool new moves to help him explore every nook and cranny. His iconic hat is now a crucial tool, used to both thwart and even temporarily possess enemies. Mario the T-Rex? Believe it, and circle October 27 on your calendar. Switch owners absolutely won’t want to miss it.

‘Beyond Good and Evil 2’ (Platforms: TBD | Release Date: TBD)

The E3 audience went crazy for the surprise appearance of ‘Beyond Good and Evil 2.’

You don’t often see a grown game developer weep onstage in front of millions of viewers, but that’s exactly what happened when Ubisoft’s (UBI.PA) Michel Ancel shocked the gaming world with a trailer and quick chat about the long-awaited follow-up to the beloved “Beyond Good and Evil.” The new game is a much different beast, a prequel that, based on an off-the-floor tech demo, hopes to combine the original’s memorable characters with an absolutely immense, seamlessly rendered universe.

Yes, it’s absurdly ambitious, and yes, ambitious games often don’t pay off in the end (see: “Spore” and “No Man’s Sky.”) I also don’t believe we’ll actually play this game in the next year or two, or possibly three. But E3 is about the future, innovation and risk-taking. “Beyond Good and Evil 2“ hits all the right notes and provided the most thrilling chatter of the show.

‘Middle-earth: Shadow of War’ (PC, Xbox One, PS4 | Release Date: 10/10/17)

Get ready to dive back into the battle for the fate of Middle Earth with ‘Shadow of War.’

How do you improve upon one of the best open-world games ever made? You make it bigger, naturally. But to simply say that “Shadow of War” is “bigger” than the 2014 hit “Shadow of Mordor” is like like saying that a Balrog is bigger than a labrador.

Giant fortress battles, a deep loot system, beefier combat, an expanded Nemesis system that turns just about every inch of the world into a unique, procedural snowflake — “Shadow of War” is shaping up to be a monstrous video game and a worthy successor to “Mordor.” This one may very well rule them all.

‘Spider-Man’ (PS4 | Release Date: TBD 2018)

‘Spider-man’ looks like the best video game incarnation of the wall crawler in years.

The web slinger’s been a little hit-or-miss as a video game. Fans point to the seminal “Spider-Man 2” as a high point, but a wealth of decent if forgettable action romps have left them longing for a game that gets its sticky star right.

Sony (SNE) and developer Insomniac’s take on “Spider-Man” might do just that. It’s already being compared to the tremendous “Batman: Arkham” games thanks to a similar combat system, but it’s also gorgeous, cinematic and seems to nail the thing we all really want to do as the webhead: swing freely through the streets of Manhattan. It’s also treating the comic lore with love by including new Spidey Miles Morales in the amazing trailer.

‘Echo Arena’ (Oculus Rift | Release Date: 7/20/17)

‘Echo Arena’ is the future of ultimate frisbee.

E3 2017 wasn’t a great show for VR, but tucked away in a corner was the sort of experience that got us all raving about the pricey tech in the first place. Created by well-known developer Ready At Dawn, “Echo Arena” is the closest you’ll get to the low-gravity training scenes from the sci-fi classic Ender’s Game. Two teams of five float around an arena, launching off walls as they try to toss a ball into a goal. It’s a smart solution to VR’s locomotion issues, and thanks to Oculus Touch and voice support, it feels like you’re really sharing a space together.

‘Sea of Thieves’ (Xbox One | Release Date: Early 2018)

‘Sea of Thieves’ will let you live the life of a pirate on the high seas.

It was a pirate’s life for just about everybody who met with Microsoft (MSFT) at E3 courtesy the swashbuckling silliness of “Sea of Thieves.” Turning up to four players into a gang of marauding buccaneers, it’s a surprisingly complicated game about ship sailing, treasure hunting and, most likely, lots of dying. But ace developer Rare’s gift for colorful characters and playful features is on full display here, making “Sea of Thieves” one of the most likable games at the show.

‘Star Wars Battlefront II’ (PC, Xbox One, PS4 | Release Date: 11/17/17)

Fight through all aspects of the Star Wars universe in ‘Battlefront II’

The fan favorite from 2015 strikes back later this year, and based on what we saw from “Star Wars: Battlefront II” at E3, it’s aiming to fix up the ship.

A full single-player story mode should attend to the biggest complaint about the last game, though “Battlefront II” also expands its popular multiplayer with customizable classes, more weapons and environments and heroes spanning every major Star Wars era. Ever wonder how Jedi Luke would fare against Darth Maul? (OF COURSE!) You’ll find out in November.

‘Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus’ (PC, Xbox One, PS4 | Release Date: 10/27/17)

Take down nazis in America by any means necessary in ‘Wolfenstein II: The New Colossas.’

The game that put first-person shooters on the map got a killer reboot in 2014’s “Wolfenstein: The New Order,” which featured over-the-top combat against some of the craziest nazis this side of a Mel Brooks movie. But developer Machine Games was just getting started.

“The New Colossus” continues brawny hero BJ Blazkowicz’s fight to survive in a future world ruled by cruel dictators; good thing he’s the toughest man in the world, as evidenced by an incredible 20-minute E3 demo that let you mow down mobs of SS soldiers while putting around in a wheelchair.

‘Anthem’ (PC, Xbox One, PS4 | Release Date: Q4 2018)

‘Anthem’ is a an online multiplayer game aimed right at ‘Destiny.’

From “Baldur’s Gate” to “Mass Effect,” game developer Bioware is best known for making enormous, detailed role-playing games. For their next trick, however, the legendary studio is taking a page from the “Destiny” playbook with fast-paced sci-fi combat set in a shared online universe. In “Anthem,” players don exosuits called Javelins as they jetpack around a massive world looking for trouble (and, presumably, XP and loot). Details are still scarce — E3 was more of a coming out party for the game than a deep dive — but suffice to say, fan of Activision’s juggernaut and games like “Borderlands” should pay attention.

‘Far Cry 5’ (PC, Xbox One, PS4 | Release Date: 2/27/18)

‘Far Cry 5′ brings the series’ signature run and gun chaos to American soil for the first time.

Ubisoft had a tremendous E3, showing off a portfolio bursting with both established franchises and risky new endeavors. “Far Cry 5” somehow fits both definitions. The first game in the series to be set on U.S. soil, it courts controversy with its socio-political undertones, pitting a small-town Montana deputy against a militia-like cult that shares more than a few similarities to real-world American extremist groups. But it’s also “Far Cry” through and through, letting you romp around a stunning, grounded open-world begging for exploration and experimentation. Best of all, you have a pet dog. Careful, he bites.

More games news:

These are the coolest VR games at the world’s biggest video game expo

Nintendo shows off new ‘Super Mario Odyssey’ and more at E3 2017

Microsoft’s new Xbox One X is a beast, but faces an uphill battle

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass will end your free time forever

‘Injustice 2’ review: Kneel before this sublime superhero fighter

Ben Silverman is on Twitter at ben_silverman.

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entergamingxp · 5 years ago

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Super Nintendo World will “Focus on Physical, Interactive Experiences”

January 14, 2020 1:43 PM EST

Opening this summer, Super Nintendo World will offer interactive experiences when it opens at Universal Studios Japan this summer.

Since Nintendo released the Switch in 2017, they’ve continued to release amazing games and have one of the most popular consoles out there. In a report from Gamesindustry.biz, the Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan will have a focus on interactive experiences.

“Think of Super Nintendo World as a life-size, living video game where you could become one of the characters,” says Theirry Coup, Universal Creative’s CCO. “You’re not just playing the game; you’re living the game, you’re living the adventure. Nintendo’s most iconic locations and experiences will be brought to life, including Mushroom Kingdom, Peach’s Castle, an incredible Mario Kart ride, Bowser’s Castle – and more.”

In addition to several rides, shops, and restaurants, Super Nintendo World will feature interactive experiences themed around Nintendo properties, mostly Mario. Attendees will also receive a wristband and if it’s synced with an app, they’ll be able to collect character stamps and coins as they go through the park.

On top of collecting coins and character stamps, the wristband and app can be used to complete challenges that have attendees working together to participate in boss battles.

Super Nintendo World was announced in 2017 and is the next big expansion to the Universal Studios parks. More recently, Nintendo and Universal released a music video for “We are Born to Play,” which features Galantis and Charlie XCX. The video gives attendees an idea of what the park will be like when the park expansion opens up.

Super Nintendo World opens this summer in Universal Studios Japan, just in time for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The park expansion will come to Universal’s parks in Orlando, Los Angeles, and Singapore at a later date. While we wait to collect coins and explore the park, you can check out “We are Born to Play” below. As more news comes out about the parks, we’ll let you know.

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January 14, 2020 1:43 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/01/super-nintendo-world-will-focus-on-physical-interactive-experiences/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=super-nintendo-world-will-focus-on-physical-interactive-experiences

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montrealtimes · 5 years ago

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Nintendo plans life-size video game at Universal Studios Japan | The Japan Times

Nintendo Co. fans will soon be able to enjoy a life-size video game experience in a new attraction at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka.

Super Nintendo World is slated to open this summer, featuring a wearable Power Up Band that lets visitors collect coins and battle bosses while exploring a physical environment. Users will track their progress via a smartphone app, according to the theme park…

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#Nintendo #Osaka #Satoru Iwata #Shigeru Miyamoto #Super Nintendo World #USJ #Video games

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terryblount · 5 years ago

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Spyro: Reignited Trilogy – PC Review

Spyro Reignited Trilogy is a remake of the three original fun-loving, cartoon-like Spyro games, originally created by Insomniac Games in 1998, 1999, and 2000 for the PlayStation. However, before discussing this modern ‘reignited’ collection, I need to go back to the late 1990s and share with you my personal history with Spyro.

Back in the Nintendo 64 Days

For his 7th birthday my brother received a Nintendo 64 from our grandparents. This was our first home console, and with this gift we now we had the ability to play so many yearned-for games which, until that moment, could only be played in our most improbable dreams. Indeed, now the two of us no longer were limited to my GameBoy and an old PC, and seeing games in full 3D (limited as it was back then) was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a unique moment in my gaming life.

Spyro the Dragon flying majestically in astounding 3D graphics!

Thinking about that moment, now, makes me almost cry. I had never seen something like that before, and what was even more amazing was that I could also explore such huge, colorful, and incredible worlds thanks to the invention of the analogue stick. I ate up so many games. Super Mario 64 was unprecedented, Mario Kart 64 was so fun, and Banjo-Kazooie was difficult. Through all these games, I felt like my only limit was the time per day I had to explore them because there was always a new corner to discovery and enjoy.

The freedom of flying, with modern graphics, recreated from the original 1998 gameplay.

Besides feeling like the cool kid with my Nintendo 64, I also remember thinking that only Nintendo could possibly provide me with such vibrant worlds. But I realized how wrong I was when, a few years later, I went to a friend’s house and become initiated in the ways of the original PlayStation.

Enter the PlayStation Glory Years

When visiting my friend (thanks to our mothers being busy socializing), my friend and I could play all night long, and we could choose from his wide collection of games since he was one of those friends who had all the games you can’t ever afford. (For the record, my personal PS1 was bought some months after launch, but I just got a few games and lots of demo discs.)

It’s a dinosaur or something who talks and says things!

I remember one night in particular in which my friend (named Matteo, in case you were wondering) decided that evening that we should play a new game he received (probably from his grandparents), which according to him was the real Super Mario 64 competitor on Sony’s console. You guessed it… that game was Spyro the Dragon.

Prior to this night, I had only gotten a chance to see a few screenshots of the game on some of the earliest videogame websites and in some Italian magazines, so I didn’t know much about it. What I did know was that there were no other free-roaming 3D platformers available around that time on any other home consoles, apart from the N64 with the aforementioned Super Mario 64.

There were some other games that tried to be open in their world design. I had the chance to try a PC demo for a game called Croc (which was great!), but it wasn’t very open like Mario. Crash Bandicoot (on the PlayStation) was obviously a great game, but it was built to be “on-rails”. The Tomb Raider series was certainly a thing, but those games were still limited to the confines of the caverns and hallways you were in.

Spyro lets you enjoy the freedom of open 3D platforming like never seen before (in 1998).

Introducing Spyro: A Decent Mario Competitor

With all these things in mind, we now come to my history with Spyro the Dragon, itself (himself?). Sure, Mario was (and likely always will be) the real platformer king, but back in the late 1990s I really wanted to find a decent competitor in order to widen my choice of games to play. And Spyro delivered.

I recall booting up the game. Spyro magically started to live when the disc was inserted into the PlayStation, and it was love at first sight, sound, and play. From the start the humor was there that really made me laugh. The bright, vivid colors popped out at me, and the game was one of the best looking at that time. (Keep in mind that many of the ‘hot’ PS1 games were ‘mature’ with dark colors and themes.)

Spyro’s full of colorful characters who sometimes carry around creamy cakes!

Last, but not least, for us Italians, it was one of the first times where the whole game was completely dubbed with Italian voices, thanks to Italian voice actors. If I wasn’t already smitten with the game before, this last selling point was all it took to totally fall in love with Spyro, the pretty-friendly Dragon!

Thanks to all of Spyro’s charms and much more, the developers, Insomniac (who recently, in 2018, put out the universally acclaimed smash hit Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4), strongly entered the videogames industry, and Universal (the publisher) made lots of money.

The new graphics are just as impressively beautiful and vivid as they were back in the day.

Much more importantly than fame or money, many players finally got to enjoy a real open-world 3D platformer on a console other than Nintendo, and there clearly was an appetite for this style of game. Consequently, Spyro, in his cool purple dragon style, sauntered himself through two additional Insomniac-developed chapters also on the PS1.

Hard Times for Old Heroes

Unfortunately, Spyro soon declined in popularity as game design evolved past the joys of simple 3D platformers. A couple PlayStation 2 titles (2002 and 2004) were developed and were moderately memorable. Other spin-off titles were also made to milk the franchise.

Then there was an attempt to revive Spyro in the 128-bit era by Activision (who bought the rights and owns them to this very day). This led to the creation of less interesting and semi-forgettable titles, including a dubious 2006-2008 rebooted trilogy with big-name voice actors and a planned movie tie-in (yuck).

Given Spyro’s rocky years, Activision shifted gears and directed one of their wholly-owned studios, Toys for Bob, to create a new type of game that mixed real-life collectible toy figures with videogames. This new vision would become the insanely successful Skylanders series. So in 2011 Spyro found himself becoming a ‘collectible toy’ video game designed to be inoffensive and accessible with RPG ‘hooks’ to keep the player engaged (and buying toys).

It’s ironic, then, that Skylanders began as a spin-off of Spyro but soon came to completely eclipse the Spyro brand. Soon enough, Spyro was mostly forgotten about as Skylanders went on to create an entire genre full of collectible toy creatures and mildly interesting ‘children’s’ videogames over the 2011 to 2016 period. Quite a fall for Spyro from being the up-and-coming threat to dethrone platforming-king Mario back in the early 3D days.

Finally, Spyro Returns, Reignited!

Having been dormant for some years now, and thanks to the trend in remaking old 3D classic games, Activision has finally brought back the original Spyro in this modern remake of the three very original games, much like how Activision remade the Crash Bandicoot saga in the ‘N. Sane Trilogy‘ in 2017. To accomplish this remake, Toys for Bob was called back to the action, which is fitting since they’ve had years of experience with Spyro-inspired games since 2011’s Skylanders series began.

Spyro can smile again, having been returned to his glory days in this modern remake!

First released in 2018 on PS4 and Xbox One, this remake has been a huge success from both critics and players, in part because it has allowed so many of us to relive old childhood memories in modern accommodations while retaining the appreciated ’90s gameplay mechanics. Accordingly, sales were huge, and Activision has successfully ridden the wave of instant nostalgia and given fans a real blast-from-the-past treat.

How Faithful is the ‘Reignited’ Remake? Very!

As far as the faithfulness of the remake goes, Toys for Bob have created a very faithful product, with the same story, worlds, and enemies of the originals. This is very much a 1:1 remake, much like its reboot-cousin, Crash’s ‘N. Sane Trilogy.’ With this reboot, from the first moment when you boot the game, it’s like traveling through time with some magic trickery.

Happiness and sunshine is what Spyro feels now having been given a quality remake.

Everything is there, in the same place I remember it, with all the same gems and chests right where I left them some 20 years ago. Even all the enemies are in the right places, with the same movements and noises. Indeed, all the gameplay and mechanics are basically identical to the original games. Even the beloved dragonfly character Sparx is faithfully recreated, who shows how much health is still available before collapsing and losing a life (you’ll understand when you play the game).

The only big difference in this remake is the technical, not structural, changes. Under the hood, the game hums along with excellent performance thanks to the Unreal Engine 4 engine, and all the modern effects create a visually pleasing, if still simplistic, style. The game engine also provides lots of configuration options to fit the power of various PCs, and the semi-cartoon visuals mean the game looks good even on lower settings.

Overall, this remake is ultra-faithful gameplay-wise but also has excellent additional details to make these original games come alive in ways never before seen. All the new aesthetic details are a treat to behold, even if they don’t change the underlying gameplay, and the few minor gameplay tweaks are welcome.

Very strong art and graphics create a new view of these old treasured games.

The Same Gameplay: Both Good and Bad

Delving into the actual gameplay, it should be noted that it’s both good and bad that this remake is so faithful to the originals. There’s no denying that these games are dated in design with gameplay that has aged a bit badly, but as long as you know what you’re expecting, you’ll likely find lots to appreciate.

As far as the structure, all three games maintain the world hub and its respective world zones scattered around it. Just like before, the player needs to collect all the gems, free all the dragons, and find all the stolen eggs using Spyro’s powers.

There’s just a few new additions here and there: for example, Spyro now has a new way of moving, inspired by feline movements, which make him smoother than before. The same treatment was used for every 3D model, allowing cleaner movements, making the game easier to appreciate in our time.

Out exploring, enjoying the smooth movement (but the gameplay is a bit stiff).

An Italian Aside

For the readers out there from Italy, let me once again say that we yet again have a completely localized game with redone (and superior) voice acting. Gone are the questionable accents of the original games, so the localization efforts deserve praise.

Game Difficulty: Not Hard

Let’s bring up Crash Bandicoot again. That series was cruel and difficult despite its happy cartoon-like design, and both the originals and remake were obviously aimed at experienced players. Spyro, on the other hand, was always aimed at younger players, and both the originals and remake have much easier controls and laid-back design.

Mind you, Spyro can still be a tough game at times, but it’s only ever difficult, not nightmarish, and most of the game is easy to explore and enjoy. Basically, Spyro is the type of game everyone (including kids) can play through and reach the end, feeling satisfied at the result.

It would have been nice to have some way to select or unlock more difficulty options in this remake, but whether you’re young or old there still is enough challenge to keep most players focused. Still, you can decide for yourself if the lesser challenge is a plus or minus for you, personally.

Concluding the Spyro Reignited Trilogy

Now I’ve taken you on my person journey through Spyro, leading up to this recent remake. I’ve enjoyed my time with this modern Spyro, and it’s been like a homecoming for me, reliving my old cherished memories. However, even if you’re never played Spyro before, there’s much to enjoy. The game is colorful, smooth, and interesting with a cartoon-like story and charming characters.

There’s much to love in this charming game world, if you don’t mind old game mechanics.

Make no mistake, this Reignited Trilogy is nothing more or less than a totally faithful, high-fidelity remake of the first three games (some would say the only legitimate Spyro titles). New players might not be willing to endure the old-school mechanics and simple challenge, but with the right mindset it’s really enjoyable to play.

At the very least, it’s nice to have Spyro back in a nice modern three-in-one package, reliving his 3D platforming glory days.

Faithful to the original trilogy

Remastered graphics

Easily customizable

3 games for the cost of 1!

Suitable for all ages

Probably too easy for some

No additional levels

No original graphics mode

No bonuses or extras

Playtime: 12 hours total (and counting). Mathieu has not completed the game, but he’s still playing it to collect all the gems!

Computer Specs: Windows 10 64-bit laptop computer, with 16GB of Ram, Nvidia 1050Ti.

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