Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 133
June 12, 2017
E3 2017 Part 4: PC Gaming Highlights
I never know what to expect from the PC Gaming press conference, although it can’t possibly be as bizarre as Devolver Digital’s satire last night. Let’s take a look!
Table of Contents
EA
Microsoft
Bethesda
Devolver Digital
PC Gaming
Ubisoft
Sony
Nintendo
Miscellaneous Games
PC Gaming E3 2017 Press Conference
The PC Gaming conference kicked off with War of the Chosen, the upcoming expansion for XCOM 2.
It then switched tones to show off Ooblets, a town life and creature collecting game. I’ve seen it before, and it looks cute, but I’m not sure it’s my sort of thing.
They moved on to some sci-fi with Battletech, medieval times with Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, and fantasy with Total War: Warhammer II.
Next up was an expansion for a card game called Shadowverse. The expansion is called Wonderland Dreams, and its art style reminded me of JRPGs. I didn’t know anything about Shadowverse, but I didn’t expect that.
They discussed Destiny 2, a contest for indie game developers called Level-Up, and eSports. Then they showed something that looks pretty interesting to me, a cute game starring a fox with what appears to be Zelda-like gameplay. It’s called Tunic.
Tunic looks pretty interesting to me, much more than the discussion of PlayUnknown’s Battlegrounds (though my friends like it), Killing Floor: Incursion and Killing Floor 2’s Summer Sideshow event (which had an amusing trailer), more Forza, and more gameplay from Sea of Thieves.
They showed a bit of The Last Night, which we discussed yesterday, a sandbox game called Ylands, and then an intriguing sci-fi RPG called Griftlands.
From there, they moved to a multiplayer VR game called Echo Arena, and an arena shooter called Lawbreakers, and then to Wargroove. Wargroove is a strategy RPG that highlighted its easy map editor at the PC Gaming show. Inspired by Fire Emblem and Advance Wars, it will be coming to the Nintendo Switch as well (and the Xbox One).
Then they showed some more of Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, and it looks pretty intriguing. I might try those games eventually.
Finally, they closed with Age of Empires: Definitive Edition. I was never able to get into Age of Empires, but I know it will make some of my friends very happy.
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June 11, 2017
E3 2017 Part 3: Bethesda’s Games and Devolver Digital’s Parody Show
Bethesda and Devolver Digital both decided to have their press conferences late at night, so let’s steel ourselves and stay up to see what they have to offer!
Table of Contents
EA
Microsoft
Bethesda
Devolver Digital
PC Gaming
Ubisoft
Sony
Nintendo
Miscellaneous Games
Bethesda’s E3 2017 Press Conference
Bethesda’s press conference began with a montage of Bethesda developers and their kids, and then went into a bizarre “Bethesdaland” cartoon theme park that was the backdrop for their show. Were they trying to mimic Nintendo’s habit of having quirky, weird presentations?
This one started out a bit slow, with a look back at recent Bethesda games and then the announcement of Doom and Fallout 4 for virtual reality. From there, they announced new areas for The Elder Scrolls Online, and a new “Creation Club” that will make new add-ons available for Fallout 4 and Skyrim Special Edition.
(Maybe the beginning would have felt less slow to me if I was a fan of virtual reality, The Elder Scrolls Online, Fallout 4, and Skyrim.)
The card game, Elder Scrolls Legends, is also getting new stuff, and they showed off Skyrim Special Edition on the Switch.
After all that, they finally moved onto a new game… and a new Dishonored game, at that! Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is due out on September 15. It doesn’t seem like it’s quite a sequel, but maybe a spin-off? Whatever it is, it seems cool.
Then it was eSports time, as they announced the Quake World Championships.
After that, it was time for a pretty surreal trailer. The Evil Within 2 will be out on October 13. I never played the first Evil Within, and it always seemed like more action than horror to me, but the trailer was interesting.
Finally, a very bizarre intro turned out to be the lead-in to a new Wolfenstein game, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Like the other games, it’s due out sometime in 2017.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, The Evil Within 2, and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus were the highlights of Bethesda’s press conference. It ended with enough time to write up my thoughts and then prepare for Devolver Digital’s press conference…
Devolver Digital’s E3 2017 Press Conference
Devolver Digital started with a pre pre show that was very weird. This was not limited to the intro, as it soon became clear that whenever someone was on stage, it was going to be bizarre. They spent a lot of time parodying the game industry and press conferences (with stuff like “earliest access” games).
Sometimes this humor worked. Other times… not so much.
It was a very strange experience.
In the middle of it, I think they showed gameplay from Ruiner and Serious Sam’s Bogus Detour. Afterwards, I wasn’t entirely sure if they were going to show more games (during the show afterwards)… and so, I went to sleep.
What did you think of Bethesda and Devolver Digital’s E3 2017 press conferences?
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E3 2017 Part 2: A Good Selection from Microsoft
At Microsoft’s press conference, we should learn about the Xbox One Scorpio and see BioWare’s new IP, Anthem. What else does Microsoft have in store?
(In other news, a new Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer appeared last night, but we’ll discuss that another time.)
Table of Contents
EA
Microsoft
Bethesda
Devolver Digital
PC Gaming
Ubisoft
Sony
Nintendo
Miscellaneous Games
Microsoft’s E3 2017 Press Conference
We expected a Scorpio reveal at Microsoft’s E3 press conference, and Microsoft began by officially unveiling it as the Xbox One X and discussing its powerful capabilities. It will be available on November 7. I never bought an Xbox One, so I don’t know if I’ll eventually get an Xbox One X.
But anyway, onward to the games!
They started with Forza Motorsport 7, which I’m not interested in, but then they moved on to announce Metro Exodus. I have yet to play the previous two Metro games, but it looks like it could be pretty cool.
The next trailer began with Ancient Egypt. That caught my attention right away. It turned out to be the next Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Origins. I’ve never played Assassin’s Creed, but this game looks interesting. It’s also not too far off, planned for an October 27 release.
Next, they announced Mixer, a new live streaming platform. With it, they revealed that PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds will be coming to the Xbox One later this year. I haven’t played that one either (I’m not much of one for multiplayer), but I have friends who play it often.
A series of game trailers came next: Deep Rock Galactic Dive, a first-person shooter about space dwarves exploring procedurally generated caves; State of Decay 2; and a multiplayer game called The Darwin Project.
Next up, an announcement of cross-play for Minecraft, along with other Minecraft news. I’m not into Minecraft myself, but letting players on different systems play together is nice.
Dragon Ball took the stage with a new fighting game called Dragon Ball FighterZ. Fighting games aren’t really my thing. Neither are MMORPGs, although the next game shown, Black Desert, certainly looks pretty. They were followed, however, by an intriguing cyberpunk game called The Last Night.
The next game, The Artful Escape, also looks like it could be interesting (and musical). Now we were in the high point of the conference, as they followed with a game we’ve discussed previously, Bandai Namco’s Code Vein!
We still don’t know much beyond “anime vampire action game,” but it seems pretty cool.
Pirates followed vampires – new footage from Sea of Thieves. Rare’s shared world game is finally due out in early 2018. They showed a short segment of gameplay.
Tacoma got an August 4 release date next. I’m interested in Tacoma… but I also thought it was already out, so I’m not sure what I got it confused with.
From there, they moved on to cuteness and 3D platforming with Super Lucky’s Tale!
I remembered the title from when Lucky’s Tale came out as a VR game. It looks like this will be the non-VR version of the game… or maybe a sequel?
Cuphead also got a release date, as did Crackdown 3. Those announcements were followed by a short montage of indie games.
After that, they showed an RPG called Ashem that could be worth keeping an eye on.
Next, more Life is Strange!
Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a three-episode prequel that follows Chloe and Rachel. Since I played the original, I’m going to guess that this game will be very intense, emotional, and probably incredibly upsetting.
They showed some gameplay from Middle-Earth: Shadow of War and talked about it, then moved to something completely different, a new Ori game. While I haven’t played Ori and the Blind Forest yet (I say that about too many series), Ori and the Will of the Wisps looks beautiful.
At this point, the press conference began to near its conclusion. They announced that Xbox Original titles will be coming to the Xbox One’s backward compatibility program, which is awesome! Then they returned to the Xbox One X briefly to mention its price, $499.
Finally, they closed with some gameplay from BioWare’s new IP, Anthem. It… looks okay, but I’m not really sold on it yet. We’ll see.
Overall, Microsoft’s E3 press conference was decently entertaining. There were many games I’m not interested in, but also several that look pretty cool, like Code Vein, Lucky’s Tale, and Life is Strange: Before the Storm (although there when I say “cool,” I mean it’s going to make me cry).
What did you think of Microsoft’s E3 2017 press conference?
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June 10, 2017
E3 2017 Part 1: Schedule and EA
It’s here! E3 2017 begins today. What surprises will it have in store for us?
E3 2017 Press Conference Schedule
EA – June 10 at 12 PM Pacific Time / 3 PM Eastern Time
Microsoft – June 11 at 2 PM Pacific Time / 5 PM Eastern Time
Bethesda – June 11 at 9 PM Pacific Time / Midnight Eastern Time (June 12)
Devolver Digital – June 11 at 10 PM Pacific Time / 1 AM Eastern Time (June 12)
PC Gaming – June 12 at 10 AM Pacific Time / 1 PM Eastern Time
Ubisoft – June 12 at 1 PM Pacific Time / 4 PM Eastern Time
Sony – June 12 at 6 PM Pacific Time / 9 PM Eastern Time
Nintendo – June 13 at 9 AM Pacific Time / 12 PM Eastern Time
As you can see, the press conferences are spread out across several days this year. Let’s take a look at E3 2017 and see if any of my latest hopes and predictions will come true.
Table of Contents
EA
Microsoft
Bethesda
Devolver Digital
PC Gaming
Ubisoft
Sony
Nintendo
Miscellaneous Games
EA’s 2017 Press Conference
EA’s press conferences tend to be hit or miss for me, since I only like a few of their games. It started with a drum line and then launched into a discussion of Madden 18 and its story mode.
This was followed by the new Battlefield 1 expansion, In the Name of the Tsar, and then they moved on to FIFA 18 for a long discussion of soccer. The game will also have a story mode that sounds like it’s a sequel to the previous FIFA game’s story mode.
Then they revealed the next Need for Speed game, Need for Speed Payback.
But then it was finally on to something that interests me more, a quick discussion of the EA Originals program followed by the announcement of A Way Out. It’s a co-op game about two guys breaking out of prison, so it doesn’t really sound like my sort of thing, but it actually was fairly interesting.
From there, they briefly talked about the upcoming Xbox One Scorpio and its capabilities, and then moved on to another exciting announcement: a new IP from BioWare called Anthem.
They haven’t said too much about Anthem yet, but we’ll get to see more of it at Microsoft’s press conference tomorrow.
That was the high point for me, as they moved on to NBA Live 18, a free week for EA Access and Origin Access, and then Star Wars Battlefront II. The Battlefront games have never particularly appealed to me, but here, the story mode actually sounds interesting enough to tempt me.
Finally, they ended the show with the Star Wars mobile game, Galaxy of Heroes, and how on June 15, players will be able to get Admiral Thrawn…
Aaaah! Thrawn!
And that news immediately lifted my impression of the press conference.
Overall, EA’s press conference felt rather short, with only a handful of game announcements, but this is just the start of E3. Let me know what you thought of the press conference in the comments!
Now, while we wait for tomorrow’s show, let me look into this mobile game and figure out what I’ll need to do to get my favorite Star Wars villain…
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June 7, 2017
An Incredible Visual Novel Humble Bundle is Live
My progress toward finishing games in my backlog is going fairly well this year, but what’s this? A new Humble Bundle filled with visual novels?!
One of several VNs I’ve intended to get.
And in one fell swoop, I undid almost all this year’s progress toward “completing” my backlog.
This Humble Bundle features visual novels from Sekai Project, a company that has localized and published many visual novels. If you enjoy the genre, this is a hard deal to pass up. Let’s take a look at what’s included in the Humble Sekai Project Bundle.
Pay at least $1
fault – milestone one
Karakara
Nekopara Vol. 0
Ame no Marginal -Rain Marginal-
Beat the average
Nekopara Vol. 1
Idol Magical Girl Chiru Chiru Michiru Part 1
Narcissu 10th Anniversary Anthology Project
fault – milestone two side:above
Sound of Drop – fall into poison
Highway Blossoms
Japanese School Life
Pay at least $12
Nekopara Vol. 2
World End Economica (all 3 parts)
Idol Magical Girl Chiru Chiru Michiru Part 2
Memory’s Dogma CODE:01
Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- Xtend Edition
Sunrider: Liberation Day – Captain’s Edition
That’s a ton of visual novels available for just $12, and while you might raise your eyebrows at stuff like Nekopara, a lot of these visual novels are highly praised. For me, the fault milestone games, World End Economica, and Root Double (not to be confused with Root Letter) already made it worth it, and a lot of the others sound very interesting as well.
Sorry, backlog. I had to do it.
Are you interested in this visual novel Humble Bundle?
Note: There will be no blog post on Friday (unless some incredible news demands it) as I get ready to cover E3. The E3 press conferences are pretty spread out this year, so look forward to E3 coverage on June 10, June 11, June 12, and June 13 in addition to any news that comes from features like Nintendo Treehouse.
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June 5, 2017
E3 2017 Pipe Dreams and Predictions
E3 2017 begins at the end of this week, so it’s time to talk about our hopes and expectations for this year’s game announcements!
E3 2017 Pipe Dreams
None of my E3 2015 pipe dreams have happened yet, so they remain:
Ace Attorney Investigations 2 localization
The World Ends With You 2
Bayonetta 3 / spin-off
Tales of Symphonia prequel
Now, one of my E3 2016 pipe dreams actually game true, a new main-series Professor Layton game!
(Some people will argue that Paper Mario: Color Splash being good actually did come true, but I haven’t played it yet to know.)
That leaves us with:
The Great Ace Attorney localization
Xenosaga HD collection
Knights of the Old Republic III
A story-driven Paper Mario with gameplay like one of the original three
In addition to these dreams, I’m going to add one more to the list: World of Final Fantasy 2.. I loved World of Final Fantasy, and it has an incredible amount of sequel/prequel potential. Here’s hoping Square Enix intends to do more with the concept.
But what do I actually think will be announced at E3?
E3 2017 Predictions
Last year, I predicted a couple things that actually happened, as well as a few that didn’t. Of those that didn’t, I still think we’re on track to get a surprise Mother 3 localization from Nintendo and learn how the Final Fantasy VII Remake will be structured.
In addition to Final Fantasy VII details, I expect Square Enix will show a trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3, possibly with a solid release window. And perhaps a remake, localization, or sequel for their lesser-known DS game Sigma Harmonics.
I’m also going to move a new Bayonetta game from “pipe dreams” to “predictions,” due to their recent possible hints, and I predict that this E3 will include an announcement of Shenmue I & II HD.
Finally, I think we’ll see a new Metroid game announcement, localization news for Dragon Quest XI, and the mysterious “weird” game From Software is working on.
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June 2, 2017
A Full-Priced Game With a Free Start Isn’t the Same as F2P
Yesterday, a game developer worked to make things more convenient and natural for fans, while also letting new players try the game for free.
This upset many people.
The visual novel Dies irae ~Amantes amentes~, which was translated into English after a successful Kickstarter campaign was originally release in two parts.
This meant you’d need two separate game files, each of which would contain the same common route, but separate character routes. A bit awkward, right?
Fortunately, they found a solution and released it on Steam as a single game. Instead of two separate game purchases, you can download the common route for free and then buy each half of the game as DLC.
It’s convenient. It solves the problem of having one game split into two. And it gives fans what is essentially a large demo, to try the visual novel before paying.
But it reminded people of the dreaded free-to-play model where DLC microtransactions force you to buy the game in pieces.
That is not what this is. Not at all. If Act I and Act II were released as separate games, like they initially planned, you’d pay $20 for each and have them as separate files. Instead… you’ll pay $20 for each and have them as one file.
Yes, it’s technically “free to start” with DLC, but only to make it more convenient (one single game file) and give players a chance to try it. Unless you think demos are bad, there is no reason to object to the structure of Dies irae ~Amantes amentes~.
Mobile gaming has given free-to-start games a very negative connotation, but it’s not always like that. Sometimes, rather than being a F2P game with microtransactions, it’s just a demo that lets you buy the rest of the game once you’ve tried it. So the next time you see that alarming term, DLC, slow down and check the situation before you get upset.
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May 31, 2017
Final Masquerade is Available Again
As you might recall, the horror anthology Final Masquerade (which includes my short story “The Artist”) became unavailable after the publisher changed hands.
Now Final Masquerade is back, in both ebook and print formats, with a new cover.
“The Artist” came out last year and is my most recent publication, but don’t forget that you can look forward to “Nightmare Stalker” this summer!
In other (non-horror, non-writing) news, I updated Monday’s blog post to include the official announcement of Tokyo RPG Factory’s new game, the unusually-titled Lost Sphear. It’s one of many games I’ll be looking forward to in 2018.
Have you read “The Artist” yet? If not, will you be picking up Final Masquerade now that it’s available again?
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May 29, 2017
Hopes for Tokyo RPG Factory’s Next Game
Square Enix’s Tokyo RPG Factory studio has updated its website with a new image.
This image (pictured right) shows a grassy cliff very different from the snowy landscape of their first game, I Am Setsuna. Tokyo RPG Factory was formed to work on smaller, more traditional RPGs. Could this be a hint as to their next game?
I Am Setsuna had a lot of potential. In my review for MonsterVine, I mentioned that the game seemed like it should have been longer. I enjoyed its characters and gameplay, but the ending felt rushed.
When I played it, I reached a point where I expected it to expand into the story’s next arc and make use of the hints I’d seen in the worldbuilding and side quests of a bigger picture. Instead, it raced through a few new plot points toward a sudden conclusion.
At the time, I wished they had a large enough budget to make a longer game. I also worried that I Am Setsuna’s mixed reception might mean they wouldn’t make anything else.
My second concern seems to be resolved. That image suggests Tokyo RPG Factory has a new game planned, maybe to be announced at E3. Will it be set in I Am Setsuna’s universe? Will it be something entirely new?
Whatever it is, I hope it keeps turn-based combat and traditional JRPG gameplay, including a world map… but I especially hope it’s a long enough game to tell a good story without feeling rushed.
Did you play I Am Setsuna? What do you hope to see from Tokyo RPG Factory’s next game?
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May 26, 2017
Square Enix Did NOT Say We Have to Wait 3 Years for KH3
Today, Square Enix set the Internet on fire with a financial briefing in which they outlined their future plans.
This outline included three games planned for “FY2018/3 and beyond,” Kingdom Hearts 3, the Final Fantasy VII Remake, and a Marvel game. They “plan to launch each of these upcoming titles in the next three years or so.”
Somehow, fans have taken this to mean Kingdom Hearts 3 and the Final Fantasy VII Remake won’t be out for three years.
But that’s not what Square Enix said at all!
First, these are their plans starting from fiscal year 2018. That means games on the slide could be released in 2018.
Second, these games will be released “in the next three years or so.” In other words, they’ll be released within three years, not necessarily three years from now.
Finally, the slide refers to “a robust pipeline from which 1-2 blockbuster titles as well as multiple mid-size titles are constantly launched every year.” If they hope to release 1-2 blockbuster titles every year, it makes sense that the blockbuster titles listed on the same slide could be among them.
In short, Square Enix did NOT say we have to wait 3 years for Kingdom Hearts 3 or the Final Fantasy VII Remake (or the Marvel game). This news does NOT mean these games won’t be out until then.
Instead, it means these games should be out in 2018, 2019, or 2020. One could come out each of those three years, even.
Many people have chosen to interpret this announcement in the most pessimistic way, but I don’t think that’s how it was intended. I know I’ve been mistaken before (I never expected Final Fantasy XV’s structure would be so odd), but there’s no need to panic. This news doesn’t rule out a 2018 Kingdom Hearts 3 release date by any means.
I hope Square Enix provides more information at E3, maybe even with more specific windows for their upcoming games. Who knows? Maybe we’ll even get a solid release date.
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