Justin Pyfrom's Blog, page 36

E3 Sony 2018 Press Conference

I own a PlayStation 4 so you can imagine how pumped I was for his press conference. But, unfortunately, I was having a flashback to the awful EA Press Conference. I mean, the game line-up was great but the presentation was an absolute mess.

Not only did the audience have to move to a different location after the first trailer (more on that later) but they had to deal with the unusual performances of two instrument players. Yeah. Not one, but two. Worst yet, we had to deal with an actual intermission as the crowd was being moved and, again, after the reveal of the last trailer (again, more on that later). Yeah, this was a massive blunder. Now, that’s not to say that the games weren’t good. Quite the contrary, actually.

The Last of Us Part II was the first one to be shown and it was beautifully done. The details in the environment were breathtaking and Naughty Dog (big fan of their work) showed us that everything was usable and intractable.

Moving things along, Sony showed off the gameplay of Ghost of Tsushima which seems to be a nice IP and, again, breathtaking graphics that takes advantage of the Japanese landscapes and culture. I haven’t got to play as a Samurai in a very long time so I’m ready to see how this game pan out.

Control’s gameplay was brief but it made quite an impact. Psionic powers with a type of visual I haven’t seen in a while. The same goes for Trover Saves the Universe. But, the voices of the latter are familiar; can you say, Rick and Morty? Makes sense, too. The humor is the same and the creators are leading the project so you can imagine the fandom for this game.

Resident Evil 2 is getting another remake but this time…it’s the WHOLE shebang. EVERYTHING is getting updated and I can’t wait to play that game, again. Even better, Kingdom Heart III popped up, again, but with more worlds to be shown and more gameplay footage to marvel at. As an added bonus, all the complications we have been graced with for the last three years or so (1.5 Remix, 2.5 Remix, 2.8 Remix) is going to be set to one package. Oh yeah, I’m definitely getting that.

Speaking of Marvel, finally got to see some footage of Marvel’s Spiderman and functions like the Arkham series. Not a bad thing because it looks fantastic. I think Marvel will have nothing to worry about in the video game department when it comes down to Spiderman and the Avengers. And I know my brother is going to bumrush a lot of people to get the game, so I might as well put a pin in the calendar for it. Might even play it myself.

Finally, Hideo Kojima keeps his promise and showed the world more of his next big project, Death Stranding. I have to admire what he does for a living. He’s practically a showrunner, director, and writer of the video game world – much like Todd Howard. He knows how to give a lot without giving anything. Makes you ask more questions after each trailer. So, yeah, I’m definitely interested in this game.

As I said, much like EA, Sony’s Press Conference was a mess, but it got a better reception than EA. So, I’ll give it a 70 out of 100.

E3 Ubisoft 2018 Press Conference

Ubisoft is a game company that tends to surprise me every year – in a good way. Every year, they show me one game that always makes me say “Meh” but still make me want to buy it. Then my “Meh” turns into “Ah!” after giving into my curiosity. And, this year, I’m hoping to feel that same feeling.

Like always, they announced their latest installment to their Just Dance franchise with Just Dance 2019 with a bizarre, yet humorous, performance of many costumed dancers to show off some of the games to be expected in the game. Offhand, I could hear Camila Cabello’s “Havana” and Maroon 5’s “Sugar” so I’m excited about this one. I’ve always been a fan of music games.

Another smile formed on my face as the trailer for Beyond Good and Evil 2 was shown to the audience. I mean, this game looks freaking phenomenal as it shows off their story and cast. It even had some gameplay feature to showcase that the game will be cooperative allowing one to control ground and another for the air. But, the real icing on the cake…Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Yep! He made an appearance to discuss his company, HitRecord, and how he will be allowing fans to “collaborate with Ubisoft to contribute music, artwork and level design they’d like to see in the game.” This is going to be fun. Haha!

They talk about a small update that’s coming to Rainbow Six: Siege. But, Trials Rising is something I’m slightly interested in. It’s all about pulling off incredible stunts on motorbikes. Another game of intrigue was a horror VR game called Transference, which I will not touch because I’m a punk when it comes down to horror games.

Now, this time around, The Division 2 was properly discussed as the weapon upgrade system was explained in greater details. To put it simply, you have three specialties to choose from (Sharpshooter, Demolitionist, and Survivalist) and you can upgrade and improve your stats and abilities of that class. Even better, they announced that there will be three FREE DLC packs, each one a full episode in an ongoing story.

Another treat for the Ubisoft Press Conference was, yet, ANOTHER performance to remind the audience that Donkey Kong was coming to Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle: Donkey Kong Adventure. They even announced that Cranky Kong Rabbid is going to be a playable character. To further showcase their ever-growing bond with Nintendo, Fox McCloud is shown to be apart of the Nintendo Switch’s version of their new game, Starlink: Battle for Atlas, an open-world sci-fi adventure game.

Skull & Bones is a game that might give Sea of Thieves a run for their money. Not something I would fancy but I can see the appeal of creating fleets and fighting against others for loots and such. And though the crowd’s reception was positive, it went into an overwhelming uproar when Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey was unveiled. It’s like they completely forgot about the For Honor expansion that was announced.

Yep! Another one…and this time it’s tackling the architecture and landscape of ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian War. But, there are two major changes coming to the franchise. One of them is that you have to CHOOSE between Alexios or Kassandra (sounds familiar) and the other being that you have to certain decisions in dialogue that will affect how the story will play out.

Yet, another solid press conference from Ubisoft and a well deserved 85 of 100.

E3 Square Enix 2018 Press Conference

Square Enix was the first company that introduced me to the world of RPGs with the first Final Fantasy. Couldn’t read of it as a child but I could go with the motion and figure things out. Haha! That being said, I’ve always been extra antsy about their press conference. But this year…my god…this has got to be the briefest press conference I have ever watched. Well, let’s face it…it was a thirty-minute video presentation but with some good content.

Kicking off the presentation was Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Though it was first revealed at the Microsoft Press Conference, Square Enix, this time around, made sure to show some game footage emphasizing the “Becoming one with the jungle” mechanic. From the look of it, they took their time with immersing the player in the jungle and making sure that everything can be used in disposal – rather you want to stalk, sneak and/or dispatch. The game looks amazing and I will be adding it to my wishlist.

Of course, they talked about Final Fantasy XIV. More specifically, they announced Under the Moonlight patch (1.24). Sound good…and then they showed that they’re going to be a crossover with Monster Hunter World into the universe. They are also going to be crossing over with Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, as well.

Speaking of, they are coming out with another installment for the Dragon Quest franchise: Dragon Quest XI Echoes of an Elusive Age. They go into a lot of details about it, but the game looks visually stunning. I’ve never been a huge fan of the series, but I do have a tremendous amount of respect for it.

The rest of the video was more of a recap of what I saw at other press conferences such as Just Cause 4, Kingdom Hearts III, The Amazing Adventure of Captain Spirit and NieR Automata for the XBOX. They, again, talked about their game for the Nintendo Switch, Octopath Traveler. Finally, they did show two new IPs: Babylon’s Fall and The Quiet Man.

I mean…it was a good presentation. It was just WAY…TOO…SHORT!!! I mean really short; it was like thirty minutes in length. Still, it was pretty good so I can let come of it go and score it an 80 out of 100.

E3 Bethesda 2018 Press Conference

Year after year, Bethesda has been consistently amazing at their E3 Press Conferences. They have demonstrated that you have great humor, practices, and games while entertaining the audience at every turn. This year was no different and, by far, their best one, yet. And the appearance of Todd Howard and his delightful humor was always a welcome treat. I mean almost everything in that press conference sung to my gamer’s heart and soul.

First, their business montage was very down-to-earth and started the press conference in a modest tone. But, the energy immediately picked up when Rage 2 was announced and showcased to the audience with a little help from a surprise performance in the form of Andrew W.K. The performance took the audience by surprise but was still well received. After learning about the partnership with Avalanche Studios, everything in the game looked very appealing to me which is another surprise because I’m not an FPS kind of gamer. The open world mechanics. The openly drivable vehicles. And, best yet, the way to dispatch enemies are vast and plentiful. Yeah, I really want to play this game.

Later on, Doom Eternal was announced BUT won’t be shown until QuakeCon later in the year. Quake Champion was also shown to still be kicking even more accessible with a limited free-to-play version for a week BEFORE the actual full free-to-play version launches in the future. Plus, if you download the demo and play it sometime this week, you can still play the game even AFTER the trial ends.

As the press conference progressed, more and more games were announced for the additional consoles including the Nintendo Switch. This includes the Elder Scroll Legends, Fallout Shelter, and Wolfenstein. As a bonus, the progress you made on Elder Scroll Legends and Fallout Shelter will be carried over to the Switch…provided you know your Bethesda account.

Speaking on Elder Scrolls, FOUR announcements were made regarding it. First, Bethesda broke the news that Elder Scrolls Online was getting two new DLC: a new dungeon called Wolfhunter and an expansion DLC called Murkmire. Even better, Elder Scroll Blades, a new FREE mobile game that functions just like any other installment but for mobile phone. With three modes to play around with (Abyss – endless dungeon, Arena – 1v1 & Main – town building/visiting & questing) and with the capabilities of crossing all platforms, Elder Scroll Blades is looking to be an interesting game to play around. Finally, yes…Elder Scroll 6 was announced. Nothing was shown but that was enough for me. Haha!

Prey is also getting some DLC magic this year, too. Actually, it’s getting it’s getting one big one as we speak. This update will add a story mode, New Game+, and a Survival Mode for players who want a healthy dose of challenge. In addition, another major DLC will be available tonight in the form of Mooncrash. It’s an arcade-like style of gameplay, where “every run is different”. And they do mean EVERY run will be different. Lastly, Typhon Hunter is another expansion coming to Prey and this one will be the most interesting one. According to Bethesda, Typhon Hunter will have players playing a “lethal game of hide-and-seek” where one player battles against five other players who are “Mimics who can disguise themselves as everyday objects.” It’s also getting two new VR experiences for it.

Along with Wolfenstein being ported to the Switch, two more were unveiled: Wolfenstein: Young Blood & Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot. Young Blood is a co-op game that stars the twin daughters of B.J. Blazcowicz that “pushes the story forward”. But Cyberpilot was what appealed to me more since it deals with VR and hacking robots to eliminates Nazi. So much fun!!

Last, but not least, Fallout 76…Fallout 76…this was the biggest news to date. The game looks amazing and four…FOUR-time bigger than Fallout 4 that takes place in West Virginia where interesting enough the nuclear program is located. Todd explained that they took a minimal approach to the online capability (though you don’t have to partake it) explaining that it will be squad base with a “build & defend” feature to the bases that can be settled. They spoke about the “Power Armor” edition but that didn’t catch my attention. What did is the fact that they are doing an early beta of the game, so it can be bug-free.

With a new IP closing out the conference in the form of Starfield, Bethesda shows that they are always on their game which is why they get a fabulous 95 out of 100. Only three games didn’t get my attention but they delivered in a way that makes me smile it’s worth something.

E3 Microsoft 2018 Press Conference

It’s a damn shame that I gave my XBOX One away because Microsoft Press Conference blew my mind, this year. I mean, to be honest, their Press Conference has always been hit-or-miss with me, But, this time, a hit for sure. More like a home run. So many things to talk about.

Right away, the audience was gripped with a trailer of Halo Infinite, the latest installment of the Halo installment. Speaking of audience, let me go on record by pointing out the obvious: their energy was much more positive than EA. And, the energy grew with each game that was announced for their 2018-19 lineup that only expanded their Gamer’s Pass library (which they made sure that they would provide an update for) but their overall library as a whole. Let me tell you, CDs are going to be a thing of the past if the gaming industry has their way. Especially since they’re adding a cloud gaming initiative “designed to deliver “console quality steaming” to any device.

Another wonderful thing that Phil Spencer announced was the acquirement of five studios, one of which that was recently created:

The Initiative (newly created)
Undead Labs (State of Decay & State of Decay 2)
Playground Games (Forza series)
Ninja Theory (Heavenly Sword & Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice)
Compulsion Games (We Happy Few)

Then, they keep the ball rolling by announcing FIFTY GAMES!!! That’s right…FIFTY!!! Now, I’m not going to list them of all because not only them appealed to me BUT I will list the ones that I’m really be waiting in anticipation for:

Ori and the Will of the Wisps
The Adventures of Captain Spirit
Kingdom Hearts 3 (Yeah…that really caught me off guard, too!)
Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition (Finally, get to beat the game)
NieR Automata
The Wind Road
Dead Cells
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Devil May Cry 5
Tunic (So cute!!)
Jump Force (Not a huge anime guy but I like them)
Battletoads (I know, right?!)
Cyberpunk 2077

Among the other announced was Gears 5 along with Gear Pop!, a mobile game with a Funko partnership, and Gears Tactics, a tactical version of the game for PCs. You can imagine the screams that emitted from the crowds. Along with that, Just Cause 4 and Battlefield was shown and received massive positivity from the audience.

Finally, a prequel to the Fallout series was shown being called Fallout 76. They explained that it will take place in West Virginia and will be FOUR times the size of Fallout 4. Yeah, FOUR!!! Bethesda sure does love their sandbox game, I tell ya. Haha! Oh! They’re also moving Fallout 4 to the Gamer’s Pass library so that’s even bigger news.

And, to cap it all off…ANOTHER XBOX is in development. Jesus…I need to take a breather after that conference. Now, since they announced more games I’m not interested in, I can’t give it an A (don’t judge me). But now I need to acquire another XBOX pretty soon I’m going to give this press conference a much deserved 84 out of 100.

E3 EA 2018 Press Conference

I’ve never been a fan of EA. Much like Konami, I’ve always been against their business practices and reactions to public and private opinion. However, I try to remain a level head and a sound mind when watching their press conferences. Every year, they don’t completely impress me but leave me a little smile on my face. This year was no difference but, MY GOD, it was a mess.

Andrea Rene hosted the press conference this year and her energy was radiated. Everybody enjoyed her presence…probably more than the conference itself. But, that’s not to say that press didn’t have good moments. It had a decent amount of content to look forward to.

As usual, they showcased their latest installment of FIFA ’19, NBA Live ’19 and Madden ’19 but with one added bonus to the news: They will be available for PC for the first time in a very long time (like 10+ years or so). In a more humorous twist, they announced that they’ve, for a lack of a better word, poached the Champions League License from Konami and PES so their sports game is looking up.

Sadly, every game they revealed was very short, weird and, to be frank, an attempt to salvage their reputation. Battlefield V and Anthem continued to emphasize that loot boxes were not going to be featured in the game.

Worst yet, the audience’s reaction towards the “good news” regarding Star Wars, Origin Access and Command & Conquer were pretty lukewarm. It was interesting, really. EA announced that Star Wars will be implementing a squad system and Clone Wars DLC and not everybody was overjoyed about it. Even worse, their new Star War game, Jedi Fallen Order, was a bumbling mess, almost like it was added in at the last minute.

Furthermore, not everybody was receptible to the idea of Origin Access Premier as many believe it to a reply to Microsoft’s Game Pass. A rather poor reply given that they are going to be charging $100 year or $15/month. Finally, and worst of all, after a sloppy introduction and unwarranted commentary about a game no one could identify, it was no surprise that barely anybody applauds to the announcement of Command & Conquer Rival, a new EA mobile game, that’s currently in pre-alpha.

I was, especially, excited for Unravel Two, Sea of Solitude and Anthem and I will be buying them the first chance I get. Luckily, Unravel Two is already out so I can make some headway on that later on in the following months. However, I’m most excited about Anthem. I mean, I’m cautiously excited, but excited nonetheless. The game looks pretty good and caught my attention almost immediately. Each game has its appeal: Unravel is sweet, hopeful and innocent, Sea of Solitude is haunting and surreal and Anthem is just a breath of fresh air.

All and all, I give EA 2018 Press Conference a 59 out of 100. It was, like I said, a massive blunder.

E3 Reviews & Thoughts are Coming

So, really quick!! In response to E3 aka Gamer’s Heaven, I will be doing reviews on the eight press conferences, or showcases, as they appear on YouTube. I will be talking about my opinions and viewpoints on each one before grading them. YouTube has released the timeslots as followed:

Saturday, June 9, 2018, 11 am EA Press Conference
Sunday, June 10, 2018, 1 pm XBOX Press Conference
Sunday, June 10, 2018, 6:30 pm Bethesda Press Conference
Monday, June 11, 2018, 10 am Square Enix Press Conference
Monday, June 11, 2018, 1 pm Ubisoft Press Conference
Monday, June 11, 2018, 3 pm PC Gaming Show
Monday, June 11, 2018, 6 pm Sony Press Conference
Tuesday, June 12, 2018, 9 am Nintendo Treehouse

Wednesday and Thursday will have me talking about the games that I heard about and excited for. I hope you all like what I said and enjoy my thoughts on 2018 E3.

Incoming Week for Gamers Rejoice

 

This is going to be the wicked weekend for gamers of all works of life. We are going to be greeted by another year of gaming and entertainment galore in the form of Electronic Entertainment Expo, or simply E3. Now, technically, the convention starts on the twelve of June, but the Press Conferences comes first and it’s really what I care about. But, that’s not the only thing that I’m going to be excited about.

I’m still getting myself ready for my journey to San Francisco. I just have to send my stuff and then wait until Sunday to make my said journey. I do want to a buy a lengthy game for my 3DS for the three-day trip; I’m thinking about downloading Xenoblade Chronicles from the Nintendo eShop. Pretty sure I can get amazingly far in that game in the three-day time frame. Haha!

Oh! I’m also leading the Game Room in the 2018 Origin Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio. This is a convention that caught me off guard in delightfulness. Though it’s a card and tabletop convention, I still found myself draw to it, back in 2016, and continue to wait in anticipation for the next gathering. Plus, I get to acquire some more books in the science fiction realm as well as the romance (which I need to do more research) and fantasy.

Also, my buddy’s debut game is going pretty well. He’s working on the characters’ programming and having WAAAAY too much fun with it. Rightfully so, though, because when you look at his Excel spreadsheet, you can see the way his minds work; I mean, seriously, that man LOVES his numbers – way more than me. So, I just stay in my lane and stick to my words and stories while he works on his 1’s and 0’s.

The only thing we’re, or rather I’m, having with is the fact that, since we’re going to be releasing it on Steam, I have to save up and build a gaming PC so I can assist in beta-testing the game. I mean, I’m going to have to have a PC, anyway, since I have to acquire an Oculus (yes, I still don’t have an Oculus, yet) later on in my writing career. Funny thing is when I told my mate that, the only thing he heard was “I need a gaming PC” and chuckled as he says, “I’m coming to the dark side.” Arsehole!

I need to mentally prepare for E3 so I must take my leave. Please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2018.

Cyber Ninja on my PS4…yes, please

Name: Strider

Platform: Varies (Played it on the PlayStation 4)

Style: Metroidvania

Publisher(s): Capcom

Developer(s): Double Helix Games & Capcom Osaka Studio

Release Date: February 18, 2014

Date of Completion: May 7, 2018

I’ve never played a Strider game, before. I know. I know. BUT! Better late than never, right? At least, I played him in the Marvel vs Capcom series. Haha! Well, at least, I managed to get this game through my PlayStation Plus account for soooo cheap. So cheap in fact that I ended up getting another game; I think I bought like three games for twenty dollars. But, enough of that, let me praise this game.

So, in case you didn’t know, Strider is a reboot of the 1989 video game of the same name that is also based off an original manga from Moto Kikaku. You play as Strider Hiryu. To be put it simply, “”Hiryu” is an elite-class member of a group of futuristic, high-tech Ninja-derived agents known as the Striders, who specialize in various kinds of black ops and wetwork such as espionage, sabotage, and assassinations.” (Wikipedia) Yeah, I had to look that one, don’t judge me. Anyway, as Strider Hiryu, you’re tasked with killing the villain, Grandmaster Meio, in the metropolis of Kazakh City. Yep, it’s just straightforward – much like most 90s games.

But, what makes a ninja is their equipment and you have to do a good amount of exploring to find them all, hence why it falls under the Metroidvania genre. See, one area of the map can be explored as long as Strider has the appropriate upgrades and properties to progress. So, the environment is freely explorable and it’s encouraged to search EVERY nook and cranny to make Strider the most powerful version of himself before facing the final boss.

The team behind this game took their time to make sure that they followed the schematics of the original game while adding a few new touches of their i.e. giving the Cypher (Strider’s sword) the power to change forms. This allows him to make the game their own and allow the players to change up their way of playing as they see fit. And, trust me…all of those forms will be used at some point in the game.

Oh! And the OST features a handful of tracks that pays homages to the original Strider theme, just with a more upbeat tempo which I respect.

After playing Strider, I’m going to give it a 9 out of 10 only because of the difficulty curve that the player has to experience. Trust me…this game is no walk in the park and the enemies can turn from simple nuisances to a swarming death trap in a blink of an eye.

Old School JRPG meet the 21st Century

Name: Asdivine Hearts

Platform: Varies (Played it on the PlayStation 4)

Style: RPG

Publisher(s): KEMCO

Developer(s): Exe Create Inc.

Release Date: February 1, 2016

Date of Completion: April 3, 2018

I don’t know about you but I sometimes miss the old school JRPGs (Japanese RPG). Don’t get me wrong, I love Skyrim, Dragon Age and the many MANY Western RPGs on my completed list but JRPGs are my true pleasures in the RPG genre. A character-driven storyline that removes all the smoke and mirror from the gameplay. That’s why I love Asdivine Hearts so much.

This game is the first one I’ve played of KEMCO. For those who don’t know, they’re a video game publishing company that specializes in handheld JRPG games. And, if their next games are anything like this one, they are going to have a fabulous future in the industry.

See, the story, itself, is something to be proud of. Two close friends come around a deity of light who ends up possessing a cat that they intending to release after nursing back to health. Without giving too much away, the three of them, and later two more women, embark on a quest to save the world from the looming evil that threats to destroy. But, you know something, the last few scenes and revelations of the story was the biggest jaw-dropper for me. I have to say, not a lot of stories from video games can make me cry (Final Fantasy XIII comes to mind).

Now, the story isn’t the only thing that caught my attention. The look and feel scream nostalgia. The graphics. The battle screen, The music. Oh my word, the music is so breathtaking; if I can find the OST, I will buy it in a heartbeat. Everything about it shows that KEMCO took their time with it and that they respect their gaming ancestry while keeping it current and fresh.

The only gameplay feature that really “current” is their Rubix Customization System (not the official name). This system allows the player to equip each character with a Rubix of a set dimension (4×4, 5×5, etc.) and fill it with varies puzzle piece-like jewels that are found and won from battle. Whatever you fit into the rubix, the character will be blessed with those bonuses. It can range from stats adjustments to environmental boosts (EXP boost, Gold boost, etc.). Kinda makes the system a game inside of a game, doesn’t it?

An added bonus to Asdivine Hearts was the load of extra content that’s made available to the player pretty early in the game. The usual being subquests revolving around running errands. But, there’s also a battle arena to extra EXP, treasure to dig for and, my personal favorite, an enemy guide that grows as you fight. Like I said, retro mixed with the 21st century.

I only have first world problems with this game. You know, no voice actors and all that good jazz. But, even still, Asdivine Hearts gets 10 out of 10 because the story was beautiful and, I mean…EVERYTHING was so perfect.