I'm Guerrilla, an average 14-year-old high school girl that you'd find anywhere! I'm also your host for this edition of Comments of the Week!
Here we go!
[It's that wonderful time of the year again where I get to stroke my own ego and promote my own work. Sure, I could just post it to the Front Page and cut out all of the complications, but where's the fun in that? After reading this, I'm pretty sure you'll have a much better idea of where I'm coming from. If you give me even the slightest bit of power, I'm going to find some way to abuse it. I just can't help myself.
This month's Bloggers Wanted may be coming to a close, but that's no reason to stop writing blogs! Head on over to the Cblogs, and throw some damn thoughts together. If we like what you write, you might even see your own words here next time! - Kevin]
Freedom is such a delicate thing. I’m simultaneously terrified and enamored with the concept. That’s why I love it when video games give me the option to be a complete dick. The systems they implement are often stifled to the point of two basic paths, but there’s something so damn liberating about being able to throw out some virtual bad karma, almost completely free of consequences.
I feel like a jerk for hearing about Rhino Stew's David Lynch Teaches Typing and letting it slip off my mind before passing the word along to you fine folks. We can all thank our dear Holmes for the reminder.
The game is pretty much what the name implies: an off-kilter take on those old educational typing games you might've played as a kid. It's an amusing parody that, uh, goes places.
Above all, I'm obsessed with its pixel-art rendition of Lynch. (And the voice-over isn't half bad either!)
You'll probably get a kick out of this if you're familiar with Lynch's work and mannerisms.
Looking ahead, I'd like to see someone tackle a Mitchum Brothers game. Maybe a casino sim?
David Lynch Teaches Typing [Itch.io]
Super Lucky's Tale, a decent puzzle platformer that was maybe a touch too simple and repetitive, got a nice little add-on today that's perfectly in-line with what this game is. Gilly Island is a new world made up of three levels and one boss, and it's priced at $5.
The premise is that Lady Meowmalade, a pop star of sorts, is making too much for the island's residents. So, it's up to Lucky to blow up her speakers and restore the dang peace and quiet. He also has to unfurl some sun umbrellas and sink a pirate ship. Trust the process.
Gilly Island brings nothing new to Super Lucky's Tale aside from the settings and characters. It plays like a greatest hits of all the same tricks in the base game -- and "greatest hits" is generous because it's really more like "only hits." Anyone who played Super Lucky's Tale knows what I mean. There are the same sliding blocks, the same four clovers on each level, the same 2D-type levels, the same ghost platforms, the same -- you get the picture.
But here's the thing: It works when it's removed from the experience of the rest of Super Lucky's Tale. Gilly Island is a fine way to revisit that decent puzzle platformer I described in the first paragraph. Without the monotony of a kind-of-shallow game overshadowing everything, this add-on is a relatively cheap way to spend a couple of hours. But, anyone who's adding it on top of the rest of Super Lucky's Tale might find themselves frustrated by a mounting list of the same tasks.
[This impressions piece is based on a retail build of the add-on provided by the publisher.]
One of the more colorful characters from Thimbleweed Park is the lovely Ransome the Clown. He has a lot of great things to say, but the censors were never too happy with him. Throughout your adventures in the game, you'd often be greeted with a lovely beep anytime Ransome would blurt out something a bit too colorful. Now, though, Ransome will have his chance to shine!
In a surprise announcement, developer Terrible Toybox is making a "Ransome Unbeeped" DLC pack available. Going for $1.99, this will let you uncensor everyone's favorite clown and jettison Thimbleweed Park's rating to a firm "M for Mature." Because of how delightful Ransome is, though, this DLC will only be available on PC through Steam or GOG.
It is currently available and you can even get a small glimpse of the action in this trailer.
Earlier this week, fans were shocked to learn that the Yakuza 6: The Song of Life demo wasn't just a prologue -- it was unintentionally the full game, complete with Trophy unlocks and everything. Before long, Sega got wind of the issue and pulled the demo from PlayStation Network. It still hasn't returned.
Now, folks who downloaded the Yakuza 6 demo are finding the app locked and unplayable, which is an expected move on Sega's part. Addressing the situation today, a representative took to reddit to explain that while the company hasn't determined a release date for the patched-up prologue, Sega is "working with Sony to make sure that there are no account penalties if you downloaded the demo."
It seems like a common-sense move, but it's reassuring to hear that promise all the same.
Yakuza 6 : Demo update [reddit]
Remember Bronies? Ahahaha! They were people who liked a thing! Wasn't that just hilarious?
Indeed, the phenomenon that was My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was something else. As someone who remembers the My Little Pony craze from its original '80s run, I was impressed by the way writer/creator Lauren Faust brought the incessantly saccharine brand kicking and screaming into the modern era. Faust gave the dated franchise a new look and a new attitude. Friendship is Magic featured great characters, fun villains, and some genuinely good comedy, still retaining a wholesome message and teaching da kidz valuable lessons about pride, determination, kindness, and inclusivity.
When indie-studio Mane6 - consisting of MLP: FiM fans - began work on an unofficial fighting game based on the brand, property owner Hasbro was understandably quick to slap down a cease-and-desist on the project. Undaunted, Mane6 took this opportunity to redesign "Fighting is Magic" into an entirely new game. Scrapping the engine and almost all assets, the team set to work on creating Them's Fightin' Herds, complete with an original roster, designed by none other than Lauren Faust herself!
Them's Fightin' Herds finally saw its Early Access release last week, and is now available to download via Steam. Was this long, controversial journey worth it? Is the filly-fighter shaping up to be a pedigree, or is it just looking like the horse's ass?
When Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin trotted out the old “it’s those darn vidja games” argument a few days after the tragic Parkland massacre, I thought, “Okay, this is the guy. This is the idiot who will blame school shootings on video games.” He’d say this, get his 15 minutes of Twitter ridicule, and then we’d all move on to trying to find real solutions and then promptly forgetting about it until the next massacre. Because we’re Americans and that’s what we do.
After Columbine and the ridiculous focus on rock music and Doom, the video blame game has become a staple of the post-school-shooting dialog. With Columbine it was Doom; with Virginia Tech, Counter-Strike. Call of Duty was brought to the forefront in the aftermath of the Norway massacre, and Wayne LaPierre of the NRA -- who have long demonized video games following these tragedies -- cast a wide net after Sandy Hook, calling out everything from Bulletstorm to Splatterhouse. A final report about the Sandy Hook shooting would find the perpetrator spent many hours over the weekend playing the vilest game of all, Dance Dance Revolution.
I wasn't sure we'd see a direct follow-up to Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 anytime soon, but a third game in the zany third-person shooter series might be on the horizon.
The source here is an odd one, to be sure. The Amazon listing for the upcoming comic Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare Volume 2 references Garden Warfare 3 with the following passage:
"Paul Tobin returns to write the official comic book bridge between video games PvZ: GW2 and PvZ: GW3 with Tim Lattie returning to deliver artwork!"
It's also worth noting that this comic is set to be published on September 25, 2018.
I enjoyed the last game quite a bit, but it didn't have the same staying power as the original Garden Warfare, and making a compelling sequel will require more than just adding to the existing foundation. I think a potential Garden Warfare 3 will need to undergo a not-insignificant rethink if it's going to meet expectations. Competition is fierce, too. Kids are way into Fortnite Battle Royale these days.
That said, if GW3 comes to fruition, I'm down. I love these character classes so much.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare Volume 2 [Amazon via reddit]
The 21st annual D.I.C.E. awards have spoken, and chose Fire Emblem Heroes as their mobile game of the year. To celebrate and hook players even deeper into their gacha claws, Nintendo has announced on Twitter that they're giving away 20 orbs and 2,018 feathers to all players. This game's popularity-and-giveaway feedback loop isn't losing any momentum, but given how fun it is to play, even without spending any money, we're all for that!
This comes hot off the heels of a new Legendary Hero banner featuring Ephraim, shown below. The poll, that was announced earlier this year, also recently ended with Legendary Ike as the winner, so players can pick him up while they're at it. A new five-star freebie can only mean another shift in the PvP arena meta, so if you're playing, don't forget to grab him while you can.
A variety of potential actions have been discussed to limit school violence in the wake of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL last month, from the uninspired option of raising the minimum age of potential gun-buyers to President Trump's controversial suggestion of arming teachers. But a familiar target for blame appears to be on the mind of the president, as well. In today's White House press briefing, press secretary Sarah Saunders said that Trump would soon meet with "members of the video game industry" to see what could be discussed around "protect[ing] schools around the country."
Source: White House press briefing (YouTube)
Hajime Tabata has worked on some pretty big name games, but none are as big as Final Fantasy XV.
While it did begin life as something else entirely, XV has blossomed into not only a mainline entry, but a complete universe in and of itself, producing countless spinoffs, DLC episodes, ports, and crossovers. If this keeps up, XV might be Tabata's own inescapable creation, similar to how Kojima was entwined with Metal Gear for decades.
For now though, Tabata seems to be enjoying himself, as he recently announced that even more DLC is on the way for XV. He also recently asked fans by way of a greeting event whether or not they want to see a "happy" or "super bad" ending. Allegedly Tabata took their opinions into consideration, even if the "ending" situation seems to be vaguely referring to future DLC -- an approach he already took in a "what if" scenario in Episode Ignis. It's entirely possible he was just teasing and we'll get both in future episodes (Ardyn's DLC will probably be the "super bad" one).
Whatever happens one thing is for sure; Final Fantasy XV is going to be a thing for a long while. I'm sure a lot of you are still waiting for that "Ultimate True Edition" that actually has all of the DLC down the road that the Royal Edition isn't including.
Yukkii_3025 [Twitter via ResetEra]
After months of hearing slivers of news about Quentin Tarantino's next film project, we finally have some concrete details about its plot, cast, and title. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will take place in Los Angeles in 1969, during "the height of hippy Hollywood." Tarantino alumni Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt will star as Western star Rick Dalton and stunt double Cliff Booth, respectively.
While it has been previously reported that Tarantino's film will focus on the Manson family murders, Tarantino has since stated that the historical event will be more of a backdrop to this sprawling Pulp Fiction-esque story. Still, the premise is described as the following: "Both [Dalton and Booth] are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognize anymore. But Rick has a very famous next-door neighbor...Sharon Tate.”
The reasoning for the slow reveals of information regarding the project is likely due to "strenuous" negotiations, with Tarantino breaking off ties with The Weinstein Company (for obvious reasons) and pairing with Sony Pictures, with DiCaprio apparently almost walking away back in January. In the end, Leo probably couldn't wait to get his hands bloody with Tarantino again.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will release on Aug. 9, 2019. It will be Tarantino's ninth film, out of what he plans to be ten films in his career. His tenth film, as of now, bafflingly may be a Star Trek movie with J.J. Abrams. Look forward to more casting news for Hollywood in the future—we imagine Christoph Waltz will be back to overshadow everyone once again.
Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio to Star in Quentin Tarantino's Sharon Tate Drama [THR]
Although I haven't started a collection of Nendoroid figures mostly due to the prohibitive costs, they always make me smile. This Nendoroid Guardian from Zelda: Breath of the Wild is no exception, as its creators have figured out a whole host of uses for it, most notably multiple poses and accessories. The attachable laser is great, but the translucent "Game Over" screen is just hilarious -- especially since it's so easy to plop a Link figure over in a death pose.
The figure also has a moveable eye and detachable limbs (that can be articulated individually), and an included Ancient Bow weapon. Pre-orders will open today at 12PM Eastern through April 19. It's set for an August release date, and will run you 5,370 yen, which is roughly $50.
I'm tempted, but I think I'll show restraint, as I already have a giant Guardian amiibo.
Nendoroid Guardian [Good Smile Company]
The most mainstream shooters have shied away from the futuristic in recent years and returned to the historic. Last year's Call of Duty revisited World War II. The last Battlefield interestingly tackled World War I. Now, it seems as if the next Battlefield will move forward in time but still stay stuck in the past.
As GamesBeat is reporting, the next Battlefield game will use World War II as its setting. According to GamesBeat's sources within EA, the publisher decided a few years back that it wanted to move away from futuristic campaigns. However, it was hesitant to use WWII right off the bat, so it went with World War I for Battlefield 1. This is because everyone knew that if WWI wasn't all that well-received, transitioning to WWII would intensify interest. Of course, Battlefield 1 did very well so now EA's looking to maintain that momentum while transitioning to WWII.
Aside from the era, we know relative little about this Battlefield. It seems as if the title will be Battlefield V (which gives the three most recent numbered games the nonsensical naming conventions of Battlefield 4, Battlefield 1, and Battlefield V). Predictably, EA DICE will be the developer. Lastly, it's said that Battlefield V will be announced in the coming months and it will release later this year.
However, a different outlet has another report about microtransactions. USGamer has sources confirming Battlefield V will have loot crates but that they'll only contain cosmetic items. There will supposedly be "way more customization options for your soldiers than previous games." That was how Battlefield 1 worked too, but EA likely wants to get out in front of this bullet point because of how the whole Battlefront II microtransaction snafu is still on everyone's minds.
All of this information feels solid enough that there's a pretty good chance everything's legitimate. It's probably just a matter of time now. For what it's worth, EA revealed Battlefield 1 in May 2016. Now we play the waiting game.
Battlefield V follows Call of Duty back to World War II this year (updated) [GamesBeat], Battlefield Returns to World War 2 This Year [USGamer]
Super Mario Odyssey is the kind of game with so much hype that people are already speculating about DLC levels. Odyssey is a thrill to explore, it’s full of imaginative worlds, and it’s built around new mechanics ripe for expanding upon. It’s little wonder that people want even more of it. So when the first new content update was revealed to be a minigame and a few cosmetic pieces, it’s easy to see why it was met with a lukewarm reception.
But for some, it instantly sparked excitement and anticipation, and many others would soon follow suit after the update’s arrival. Not only does this mode put a new spin on the game’s biggest strengths, it does so while simultaneously patching up one of its most glaring problems.
In anticipation of Far Cry 5's launch on March 27, Ubisoft has created a live-action short movie that seemingly precedes (or at least runs tangential) to the events of the game. It's called Inside Eden's Gate, it releases on March 5, and it will only be available on Amazon Prime's video streaming service.
Inside Eden's Gate tells the story of three vloggers who go to Montana to unravel the mysteries surrounding a cult of religious zealots, because that makes for #goodcontent. Things go poorly. It sounds like Red State by way of both Blair Witch Project and Jake Paul's Misadventures.
Anyway, don't expect this film to put a bow on everything and wrap it up nicely. These sort of things only exist to amplify the intrigue around a game, not to squash the conflict entirely. But, it'd be pretty good if a trio of vloggers took down the cult and then Far Cry 5 had an even more sinister antagonist: three vloggers.
Come May 25th you'll be able to explore David Cage's vision of the Motor City in Detroit: Become Human. When the game debuted in 2015, there wasn't even a release window, but with each successive trade show, the game's path toward your home became a little clearer. Last fall, Sony said the game would be out sometime this spring. Well, May is definitely in that window. What isn't? Spider-Man, which now seems likely to be one of Sony's AAA tentpoles for this autumn. If a choose-your-own-adventure tale replete with permadeath and a story about humanity's decline is a bit heady for you this time of year, there's always God of War which will be released on April 20th.
Source: PS Blog
Right now I'm still working my way through God Kefka in Final Fantasy XIV, but with Patch 4.25 I'll have even more to do on non-raid days.
Arriving on Tuesday March 13, the patch will see the return of fan-favorite Hildibrand -- who I must stress was such a favorite that Square Enix decided to include him more than they were even planning to -- as well as the arrival of The Forbidden Land, Eureka Anemos, colloquailly referred to as "Eureka."
For those of you who are new to the game, Final Fantasy XIV has always offered a "relic" questline, which allows players to power-up weapons over time even if they don't raid. It's a slow-going process (excruciatingly long in some cases) that iterates over time, granting new quests for new item level boosts. Eureka not only boasts items outside of weapons, but a more fun methodology for grinding up gear.
In short, it's basically Diadem 2.0. Back in the last expansion Diadem was an open world mission zone of sorts that showed some promise, but due to the consistent lack of rewards players quickly abandoned it. Square Enix is trying again, hoping to really nail that sandbox feel with rewarding loot. Some fans are already noting the low item levels in various screens from the production crew though, and are worried that a lot of the playerbase won't even bother with Eureka, repeating history.
We'll see soon enough for ourselves in a few weeks!
Patch 4.25 the Forbidden Land, Eureka and Hildibrand Preview [Final Fantasy XIV]
Super-stylistic boxing adventure Pato Box is coming to PC and Mac later this month. The announcement was made by Mexican indie-outfit Bromio, who have developed the bizarre title.
Pugilistic World Champion Patobox, an unstoppable force adorned with a duck's head, is set on a path of vengeance when he is betrayed by his sponsor, Deathflock. Throwing hands with reckless abandon, the half-man, half-duck death machine battles his way through Deathflock's headquarters, dodging security hazards and taking down his former sponsor's employees and contracted fighters.
Featuring similar pattern-based gameplay as Nintendo's Punch-Out!! players will take part in fights, puzzles and mini-games, all whilst learning of the tragic events which forced Patobox into his war via interactive comic-book cut-scenes.
Pato Box is available to pre-order on PC and Mac now, ahead of its March 16 launch. The game will follow on Nintendo Switch and PS Vita at a later date.
Theme park secrets are super hard to keep under wraps. They're massive companies with large amounts of employees, and in most cases it's impossible to be covert about huge swaths of construction.
To that end Universal Studios Japan seems to be trucking along with their Super Nintendo World project, as YouTube content creator Yukendoit recently recorded some footage of the construction and spotted a giant building that will apparently be part of the mini-park's area. He also allegedly locates the park's entrance; the giant warp pipe in the promotional material.
The project is due for completion in 2020, and with a lot of work already completed it seems like it'll actually hit that goal. While the Japan side has been easier to spot, the Orlando Universal location has been pretty mum on updates -- but visitors have surmised that it will take the place of Woody Woodpecker's KidZone, and that the space will be approximately 8.8 acres. There's also no concrete date for its opening, other than "after the Japan location is done."
It's one year since the release of open-world adventure title Horizon: Zero Dawn. Developer Guerilla Games are proudly touting the game's success, which has seen an amazing 7.6 million copies shift on its exclusive home format, PS4.
The all-new IP, which sees young hunter Aloy embark on a dangerous mission to find her heritage and herself, launched in February 2017 and instantly lived up to months of hype. Horizon was praised by fans and critics alike for its gorgeous visuals, intriguing world and retro-futuristic hunting mechanics. Aloy herself has become a recognisable hero for a new generation of gamers (and cosplayers) everywhere.
2017 was a excellent year for gaming, with both brand new titles and excellent sequels providing consumers with hours upon hours of entertainment. Here's hoping 2018 can match both the cultural and financial impact of Aloy's wind-swept adventure.
Horizon: Zero Dawn is currently available on PS4 in a "complete edition", which includes DLC expansion The Frozen Wilds, a selection of in-game items and a PS4 dynamic theme.
If you had told me years ago that the "controversial" Fear Effect series would one day be resurrected and make its way onto a Nintendo platform, you would have sounded crazy. But here we are, as Fear Effect Sedna is arriving on March 6 on Switch.
The platform is also getting Mulaka, Scribblenauts Showdown, Subsurface Circular, A Normal Lost Phone, NeoGeo Sengoku 2, Air Hockey, Arcade Archives Star Force, Damascus Gear Operation Tokyo, Detention, Grid Mania, Guilt Battle Arena, Little Triangle, North, Outlast: Bundle of Terror, Packet Queen #, Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder Devastated, Poisoft Thud Card, Super Toy Cards, and Totes the Goat. On Wii U you can pick up RTO 2. There is nothing on 3DS this week.
Visual novel games can be quite tricky to recommend to a lot of people. You’ll have a certain crowd that prefers their games have more traditional gameplay elements while other people are more sucked in by unique experiences over general polish. For the most part, I’m not big on strictly reading-based affairs, but I enjoy visual novels that try to engage me in some way.
When I first looked at Subsurface Circular, I wasn’t quite sure how this would play out. The game has a cold open and jettisons you directly into a detective story without much backstory to prime you for anything. The very first scene also made me think this was only going to be a reading-based affair, but I was pleasantly surprised at what transpired.
Far Cry 5 is shaping up to be the most intriguing entry in the long-running series. It's the first Far Cry game to be set in America, and it's also a timely look at religious extremism. You'll be able to get an early glimpse at its world with Inside Eden's Gate, a live-action short film that's headed to Amazon Prime video on March 5. It'll follow a group of vloggers as they investigate the doomsday cult, The Project at Eden's Gate, in Montana. The short will star Kyle Gallner (American Sniper) and Greg Bryk (A History of Violence), who also plays the head of Eden's Gate in Far Cry 5.
We're still awaiting more details on this short film, but at first glance it seems like an intriguing way to get players ready for Far Cry 5. Of course, video game films haven't exactly been successful (just look at the horrific 2008 Far Cry movie). But a streaming short film is a much lower risk than a traditional theatrical release.
If you can't keep track of Nic Cage's film exploits, you are not alone. The two-time Academy Award winning actor (1995, 2002), is set to star in at least seven films this year, one of which is The Humanity Bureau, due in April. As expected it's a dystopian romp in the "near future," and Cage happens to work for the big bad agency in the film before experiencing a change of heart.
Before then you can get a taste of what this script has to offer with an Oculus Rift video series across seven episodes, billed as a "multi-format movie experience." But that's not the weirdest part. According to the description on the Oculus store, "on Earth Day 2018 you will get the full feature length movie in Standard 2D and the unique and very special Barco Escape (3-screen) format version that will revolutionize the future of cinema."
Yep, this may have even been Cage's idea. Having watched the trailer, it's basically just a room filled with images of Nicolas Cage, in an almost cult-like fashion. I'm afraid to put on the VR helmet and become indoctrinated into the Cult of Cage and/or suffer permanent eye damage.
The Humanity Bureau VR [Oculus]
