Feb 24, 2018 | Game ON news

Saturday, February 24, 2018

News:: The Papers, Please short film is now available

It has been roughly a year since we last heard about the Papers, Please short film, but the project is now available on YouTube for your viewing pleasure. If YouTube isn't your jam, the film is also available for streaming on Steam. Clocking in at roughly 10 minutes, the film beautifully captures the mood and setting of the game, though it doesn't have as many of the moral quandaries that made for such gut wrenching decisions in the title.

Since the fictional country of Arstotzka is based on Russia, the film uses Russian as it's main language, but there are a huge range of subtitles available. I'm actually shocked at how many there are, since even major studio releases tend to only focus on select territories. That being said, definitely give this a watch if you're a fan of the game. While I can't say I'm pining for a sequel, this film satiates my thirst for some more Papers, Please quite well.

The Papers, Please short film is now available screenshot

News:: Heel-Turn: Kingdom Hearts

_{[Every time I see someone talk about Kingdom Hearts as an outsider looking in, I'm always blown away by this massive pile of bullshit. The subject of this promoted blog's choice for heel-turn will surprise you, unless of course you've been playing the game for as long as LaTerry. In that case, maybe you saw this heel-turning a mile away like the script changes for The Rock after he became a movie star. ~Marcel]}

The Kingdom Hearts series has so many heel-turns that it was hard to pick one to focus on for this blog. The series is long and a little confusing with a lot of twists and turns that provide ample opportunity for characters to abruptly switch sides. Instead of focusing on just one character, I'll give a small overview of the many characters that have changed sides before going into greater detail on the heel-turn that I really want to talk about. This should go without saying, but there are going to be SPOILERS for most of the series in this blog.

Heel-Turn: Kingdom Hearts screenshot

News:: Kingdom Come: Deliverance has hit 500K in sales

Last Tuesday, we saw the release of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, a Kickstarted RPG that promised a realistic take on medieval combat and culture. The game made waves across the community, garnering mostly positive reviews from gaming outlets across the web.

And it looks like gamers have been taken by Deliverance as well. According to SteamSpy, Kingdom Come: Deliverance has surpassed 500,000 total owners as of Feb. 22. That's a mere 9 days after hitting the market.

500,000 may not be a lot by Triple-A publishing standards, but in the realm of crowdfunded games, that's an impressive milestone to reach. It's even more impressive when you consider Deliverance is a $60 game in a market where a term like "indie" usually indicates a lower price.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is available now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance [SteamSpy]

Kingdom Come: Deliverance has hit 500K in sales screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/kingdom-come-deliverance-has-hit-500k-in-sales-491458.phtml

News:: Arcade Classics range continues with Heroic Episode on PS4 and Switch

Well blow me down, its an old arcade game I've never actually played. The fine folk at Hamster continue to bolster their range of forgotten retro releases with the addition of Heroic Episode, available now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Originally released by Irem way back in 1986, Heroic Episode is a vertically-scrolling, run 'n' gun title in the vein of games such as Commando and Gun.Smoke. One or two players take control of lone soldiers, desperately fighting off waves of attackers in order to free the city of Mule from the clutches of the Gasp Empire.

Along the way, our heroes, who are apparently packing heat in these mythological times, can collect power-ups to increase their firepower and even sprout wings to take to the air, Icarus-style, to engage in shmup warfare. While the game doesn't look too hot to me, I must admit I really dig that blending of on-foot and in-air arcade action.

Heroic Episode is listed as being available in Japan on PS4 and worldwide on Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8.

Arcade Classics range continues with Heroic Episode on PS4 and Switch screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/arcade-classics-range-continues-with-heroic-episode-on-ps4-and-switch-491388.phtml

News:: Japan's next Splatoon splatfest is pretty philosophical

Whenever Japan holds a Splatfest on Nintendo's shooter Splatoon 2, it is often quite reflective of Japanese culture, food or fashion. This next face-off, announced recently, is certainly no exception.

On March 3, players will battle it out over which is better: Hana (flowers) or Dango (Dumplings). Pearl will be rocking Team Hana, while Marina, fresh off of her recent victory, will be fighting in the corner of Team Dango.

According to Reddit user "frozenpandaman" this battle is in reference to a popular Japanese phrase: "Hana yori Dango", Dumpling over Flowers. This is essentially referencing those who prefer the practical over the aesthetic. The term was initially coined in reference to people who go to Hanami (flower-gazing) events but instead just rush to the food trucks to stuff themselves with grub, rather than taking in the beauty of their surroundings.

Essentially, Team Flower represents beauty, the artistic or aesthetics, whereas Team Dumpling is more of pragmatism, needs or base desires. Given such definitions, I find it odd that Marina is linked with the latter and Pearl with the former. Perhaps recent events have given Pearl cause to reflect on how hollow her pursuit of the almighty dollar is?

The Hana vs Dango splatfest takes place in Splatoon 2 on March 3 at 15:00 JST.

Japan's next Splatoon splatfest is pretty philosophical screenshot

News:: Recommended Reading: Tim Cook on Apple's iPhone X, HomePod and more

Why Apple is the world's most innovative company
Robert Safian,
Fast Company

Apple may be one of the biggest companies in the world, but it still doesn't open up often about how it operates. A few times a year though, we catch a glimpse. Fast Company caught up with CEO Tim Cook back in January to chat Apple's recent run of new gear in an interview that published this week.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/24/recommended-reading-apple-tim-cook-interview/

News:: Review: Metal Gear Survive

I've been playing Metal Gear Survive this past week, and when you take away the (mortal) sins of always-online and microtransactions, which is no small feat, I'm conflicted. I see what the team was going for, it just comes up short and tries to shove way too many mechanics into one bursting pipeline on top of an attempt to tell a clandestine Metal Gear story.

I appreciate the complexity; I really do. But when much of it is either useless or pointless, it adds up.

Review: Metal Gear Survive screenshot

News:: Magical Drop III available now on PS4, Xbox One and Switch

Data East's block-busting arcade, Magical Drop III has been re-released on modern platforms, courtesy of retro-enthusiasts Hamster, who have dusted off the '90s classic for their Arcade Archives range.

Magical Drop III (aka Chain Reaction III) was originally released in arcades back in 1995, before eventually being ported to consoles such as the Neo Geo, Sega Saturn and PlayStation. Players pick from a selection of fun characters, each based on the Tarot, before engaging in frantic, head-to-head battles.

The object of the game is to gather similarly coloured blocks from your board's top layer and re-attach them in rows of three or more. Doing so in quick succession, causes a chain reaction, which then deposits all your unwanted garbage on the opposing player's screen. It's an incredibly fast game that requires a lot of forward thinking.

It's also my favourite title in the block-breaking genre, featuring great, colourful graphics, wonderful characters and some cool tunes. I'd love to see Magical Drop make a Puyo Puyo-style comeback one day but, for now, this re-release will have to do.

Magical Drop III is available now on PS4, Xbox One and Switch, priced at $7

Magical Drop III available now on PS4, Xbox One and Switch screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/magical-drop-iii-available-now-on-ps4-xbox-one-and-switch-491383.phtml

News:: Can legislation fix gaming's loot box problem?

Last year's gaming controversy has turned into this year's legislative battleground. Fans were outraged when Star Wars: Battlefront II launched with buyable loot boxes that unbalanced multiplayer combat, and other games like Need For Speed: Payback and Destiny 2 had their own pay-to-win controversies. Eventually, loot boxes unsettled enough constituents to rile their representatives. Legislators in Hawaii, Washington and Illinois have introduced bills to either study loot boxes or restrict access to young players, but how effective will they be? What else can lawmakers do?

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/24/loot-boxes-gambling-legislation/

News:: The Morning After: Weekend Edition

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Welcome to the weekend. We're hours away from Samsung's big Galaxy S9 event, so catch up on this week's news and get ready for the liveblog starting at noon ET on Sunday.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/24/the-morning-after-weekend-edition/