New Games |
- Moss is the adventure game PlayStation VR needs
- You can now try out Miitopia with a surprise demo
- I think I'm in love with the quirky Sushi Strikers reveal trailer
- Mr. Negative is just one of the villains in Insomniac's PS4-exclusive Spider-Man
- Sub-Zero looks like an icehole in Injustice 2
- (Update) It looks like we won't be getting Monster Hunter XX in the west
- Xbox One avatars are getting an extreme makeover
- Get a closer look at Metroid: Samus Returns, that 3DS Metroid 2 remake
- Nintendo Switch was the only console with significant sale increase last week
- Ashen is one to watch if you're longing for more Souls
- Prompto gets one last shot when Episode Prompto launches in two weeks
- Fire Emblem Warriors plays just how I hoped it would
- The PS3 version of Final Fantasy XIV dies a quick death this week
- State of Decay 2 is the game I wanted the original to be
- The .hack//G.U. trilogy is getting remastered for PS4 and PC
- It's 2017 and Crackdown 3 is stuck in 2007
- Here's what you thought of every major 2017 E3 press conference - Nintendo 'wins' big, it's not even close
- The Xbox One X is a terrible name and they learned nothing from the Wii U
- Life is Strange: Before the Storm ditches the time rewinding and that's for the best
- Ubisoft's Michel Ancel shuts down the 'Switch exclusive' Beyond Good and Evil 2 rumor
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War's open world is a bit middling
- Star Wars Battlefront II asks for the benefit of the doubt
- Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is straightforward, but I don't even mind
- We're giving away a Nintendo Switch soon
- Here's the full version of the Super Mario Odyssey trailer theme
- Major Let it Die update planned for later this month
| Moss is the adventure game PlayStation VR needs Posted: 14 Jun 2017 01:00 PM PDT When Polyarc's Moss first debuted during Sony's E3 presser, I was taken aback by it. In-between flashy sports games and hyper aggressive shooters was this calm, collected, cute mouse making its way through the forest. Looking at Polyarc itself, a team comprised of folks who've worked on various aggressive experiences like Destiny and Red Dead Redemption, I had no idea I'd be in for such a dreamy experience in the middle of such a chaotic E3. Like its central mousey hero, Quill, Moss is unassuming but packs quite the punch. It kind of snuck up on me with how impressive it was. |
| You can now try out Miitopia with a surprise demo Posted: 14 Jun 2017 12:00 PM PDT The guys at E3 aren't the only ones who can have some fun with not yet released Nintendo games. If you log onto the 3DS eShop right now, you can nab a Miitopia demo to try out the quirky JRPG staring your Miis! I've loved the idea after seeing the initial trailer, so I'm definitely going to give it a go. If nothing else, I'll have a laugh at my Mii version of Hulk Hogan teaming up with Hank Hill. If you like the demo and expect to get the game, then you're in luck. Save data from this demo will carry over into the full game when it launches next month. That certainly is nice. Miitopia demo hitting 3DS later today [Go Nintendo] |
| I think I'm in love with the quirky Sushi Strikers reveal trailer Posted: 14 Jun 2017 11:30 AM PDT Nintendo isn't done with the 3DS just yet! In addition to Metroid: Samus Returns, it looks like Nintendo has a brand new IP coming to the platform. Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido was revealed during the Treehouse stream today and the trailer is absolutely bonkers. It resembles an anime intro with its crazy music and cast of mysterious characters all striking ridiculous poses. |
| Mr. Negative is just one of the villains in Insomniac's PS4-exclusive Spider-Man Posted: 14 Jun 2017 11:20 AM PDT Our first extensive look at Insomniac's new PS4 Spider-Man came at the end of Sony's E3 presentation. It also introduced us to a villain, Mr. Negative, but he is only "a villain in the game," according to creative director Bryan Intihar. Please note the emphasis on the "a." At a behind-closed-doors appointment with Sony, we saw a live demo of everything that was shown off in the E3 trailer (and a little bit more) running on a PS4 Pro. Intihar narrated and was available for questions after where he explained, "we have a very large cast, and there's many more surprises." Mr. Negative does, however, have an "elevated spot" among the rogues gallery because of his personal connection to Peter Parker; he runs a soup kitchen where Peter's aunt volunteers. Insomniac is "not saying a ton about the story," but did note that, "the best stories are where Peter's world and Spider-Man's world collide" and Mr. Negative provides a "great opportunity to see [that]." When asked if you'll play as Spidey outside of the suit, Intihar said they're, "not going to say" if you play as Peter in civilian form, but "Peter is going to be an integral part of this." Intihar name-checked Netflix's Daredevil, the current slate of superhero flicks (specifically the recent Wonder Woman), and Brian Michael Bendis' comic work as influences, noting, "we really want to develop those characters when they're not fighting." As for the fighting, "[we] played a lot of [Batman] Arkham, obviously." It's worth reiterating that Insomniac's Spider-Man is its own thing. The team is working closely with Marvel -- "it's been an incredible pleasure to work with [them] and Sony" -- but this game is its own story and Spider-Man world. And Insomniac is still brimming with enthusiasm at handling the character. When people at the studio were first catching wind of the possibility, "I literally ran into Ted Price's office, our CEO, like 'Please, please, let's do this," Intihar said. From day one the team was sure they "were not doing an origin story." Insomniac's Peter is 23. He's been Spider-Man for a while -- Intihar likened him to an athlete in his prime -- has just finished college, and is still trying to figure things out in his life. The other day-one nugget of clarity: "the webs have to attach to buildings." That also means if you're higher than the Manhattan skyline, you'll have to figure something else out. The movement system looks to be as fluid as it seems in video. The team didn't want a Spider-Man that gets tripped on basic level geometry, so that scene of him running through the exploding building and jumping into the helicopter is representative of his basic, parkour-style movement. The wall running on buildings while swinging, too, is automatic and contextual; he has a host of animations that react to the obstacles placed in front of him. After all, while there is going to be some kind of progression -- gadgets, like the web tripwire, are a big gameplay component -- this is supposed to be a very talented webslinger already. Accordingly, Spider-Man can more than hold his own in combat and the team "want[s] to have that creativity" that lets you use his natural abilities and toys in cool ways. That tripwire that slammed and stuck a passing guard to a wall? You can toss that on an enemy so they automatically stick to any wall they pass, or to a second enemy, knocking them both out, for example. Or you can put one high on a wall and knock an enemy up into one. Spider-Man also has in-air combos you can use to juggle enemies you've launched upward. At one point Spidey kicked a thug off a building and there was a quick prompt to web him and pull him back in, though we're reassured that even if you don't, "he will not die. We'll have things in place in this game where if you didn't pull him back, he'll be okay." While I didn't see much more gameplay than debuted this week (just a few more brawls and one whiffed bit of live web-swinging), Intihar said that acrobatic combat and traversal make up the bulk of the game and that the "big blockbuster moments" quick-time events "are really a fraction of the experience and saved for those "more spectacle-driven moments." Intihar was mum on the size and structure of the open-world and wouldn't confirm a day/night cycle, though we're promised it'll be big ("it would be silly to make a Spider-Man game where you can't fully explore Manhattan") and "there will be things in the world to do." As for the Miles Morales cameo, he is going to be a part of the story, in order to help show, "a different side of Peter." Intihar wouldn't go into detail, but talking generally about his presence, noted, "I love the character and I want to expose him to more people." Insomniac's enthusiasm for the project is evident and I think this week's meaty look at their new Spider-Man shows they're on the right track. At the very least, swinging through Manhattan should be a blast. |
| Sub-Zero looks like an icehole in Injustice 2 Posted: 14 Jun 2017 11:15 AM PDT Now that Red Hood was added to the Injustice 2 roster this week, it's time to keep the DLC train rolling with the other characters. Following Scorpion's guest appearance in the previous Injustice title, Sub-Zero also brings a distinct, chilly flavor to Injustice 2. Sub-Zero's moveset isn't an exact 1-for-1 of his Cryomancer variation in Mortal Kombat X, but there are moves that should familiar to seasoned MK fans. Sort of side stepping Injustice's lack of brutal violence, Sub-Zero here seems much more aggressive than you'd think. He straight up shanks Wonder Woman, and his victory screen coolly implies a famous fatality. Sub-Zero hits Injustice 2 this July. |
| (Update) It looks like we won't be getting Monster Hunter XX in the west Posted: 14 Jun 2017 10:30 AM PDT [Update: According to the official Monster Hunter Twitter account, Capcom has stated that, "We have not announced any plans to localize MHXX at this time." Whether that means it could still happen or not remains to be seen, but its bizarre how they gave an official statement to one website and are now seemingly going back on it. Maybe fan backlash is showing them the error of their ways?] In an odd decision, it seems like Capcom isn't going to be localizing Monster Hunter XX for Switch. While this isn't the worst thing in the world (the Switch is region free), it seems particularly strange given the popularity of the series. The news was confirmed by GameSpot who directly asked Capcom about the fate of the game following the surprise announcement of Monster Hunter: World. What this means for the potential of the 3DS version being localized is unclear. I'm guessing Capcom wants to make World the direction that the series takes, especially since the art style seems more suited to Western tastes. Either way, this is a bummer for fans of the series. E3 2017: Capcom Not Bringing Switch Version Of Monster Hunter XX To The US [GameSpot] |
| Xbox One avatars are getting an extreme makeover Posted: 14 Jun 2017 10:00 AM PDT The underrated anouncement from Microsoft at this year's E3 is the fresh new avatars coming later this year. They are much more animate and have higher quality models than before, now resembling the park-goers from Planet Coaster. There is a much better color wheel and options to use a wheelchair or even a robotic arm. Of course there are many costumes as well (don't expect them to be free). I loved fooling around with my avatar and looking at all my friends avatars on Xbox 360, especially when you could scroll left and right through your friends and see their avatars with their toys and what not. The Xbox One has never entered my home (or many homes in Japan for that matter), so I never realized they didn't really update the avatars at all from 360, which was quite surprising to me. On top of just playing Barbie with them, I loved their use in 1 vs. 100, the return of which may make me consider an Xbox One. May. |
| Get a closer look at Metroid: Samus Returns, that 3DS Metroid 2 remake Posted: 14 Jun 2017 09:00 AM PDT Nintendo held their E3 Spotlight conference yesterday, which went off without a hitch in less than 30 minutes. But not many people expected so many reveals afterward from the Treehouse segment, much less a brand new 2D Metroid. Alas MercurySteam (under the guidance of Nintendo) is working on a 2D remake of the second game titled Metroid: Samus Returns, which looks all sorts of wonderful. Let Yoshio Sakamoto explain the project better by way of this developer diary, where he takes the time to break down the new mechanics like the melee system. I'm into it. Cautiously into it, granted, given MercurySteam's shoddy history (including that not so great 2D Castlevania), but this video does instill a little more confidence. |
| Nintendo Switch was the only console with significant sale increase last week Posted: 14 Jun 2017 08:30 AM PDT Leading up to E3, there were no major new game releases, though I'm sure Shiro to Kuro no Alice is major to someone. Thus the top spots are filled by the usual suspects: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Tekken 7, and Monster Hunter XX. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe total sales in Japan alone broke half a million, and the Switch version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild looks primed to do the same next week. On the hardware end Switch still reigns supreme, boosting recent 23k weeks up to 27k while the rest falter a little. |
| Ashen is one to watch if you're longing for more Souls Posted: 14 Jun 2017 08:00 AM PDT I can't say I'm fully on board with Ashen, a non-linear action-RPG about "forging relationships," after playing it this week at E3 and then seeing it, again, in an off-the-show-floor presentation with developer Aurora44. I need to see more of the game, especially further in. I still need some convincing. But damn do I hope it turns out well and hits the notes it needs to hit. The concept is strong if it can all come together. Ashen was rough around the edges in the hands-on demo I played, but more in a technical sense than anything else. The scaled-back look of the world and characters' featureless faces appeals to me, the stamina-based wait-roll-strike combat felt better than a lot of these Souls-inspired games tend to, and there were oh-shit moments of surprising imagery, like the giant woman shown in the image up top. I sure didn't expect to see her tower over me while I was down in a murky dungeon. I also didn't expect to take a wrong turn and fall into an area that should've killed me, but didn't, enabling me to sort of run around under the level. There were tuning and polish issues like that. It's nothing that can't be fixed (and Ashen is "targeting 2018," for what it's worth), but it's always a bummer to see during a first impression. Thankfully, the second look was much better. Ashen was fully working as intended the next day during Aurora44's gameplay presentation with Microsoft. Light plays an important role in the game, both in the slow-to-reveal-itself story and during world exploration. The dungeon was dark enough that I really did need a lantern to see what was what, forcing me into using a one-handed weapon (a club) as acid-spitting spiders popped out. Alternatively, I could've let another player handle lighting duties. Ashen leans into co-op with "passive multiplayer." (Think Journey.) It sounds like the developer would prefer us to "rely on" someone we don't know during this 20-hour-or-so adventure, but of course single-person play exists here as well. One element I didn't get a sense of was progression, and for that, Ashen will have players forming a town with NPCs and kitting themselves out with talismans that have varying benefits and downsides. I like the sound of that, and Aurora44's decision to not go stat-heavy or have loads of weapons available -- to avoid bloating this game with elements it doesn't really need -- is advisable. This is a self-published ID@Xbox (and PC) game, after all. Scope is critical. Get too ambitious and the whole things falls apart. Coming off of E3, I think a lot of the groundwork has been laid and the potential is there, but it's too early to call for Ashen. I'm rooting for it, though. You should be too. |
| Prompto gets one last shot when Episode Prompto launches in two weeks Posted: 14 Jun 2017 07:35 AM PDT While I think its neat that Square Enix is expanding on the individual characters from Final Fantasy XV, I don't know that anyone is really excited to play as Prompto. He had some great character development, but the dude was super weak and constantly died in battle. He also looks stupid with that vest, but I guess the winter jacket is better? Anyway, the second DLC for Final Fantasy XV, named Episode Prompto, will be hitting PSN and Xbox Live on June 27. The DLC will also see a return of composer Naoshi Mizuta, who previously provided music for Final Fantasy XI and XIII-2. You can hear a sample of his work below. |
| Fire Emblem Warriors plays just how I hoped it would Posted: 14 Jun 2017 07:00 AM PDT I wanted to give you fine people a proper, fleshed-out preview of Fire Emblem Warriors, but I wanted to play Super Mario Odyssey even more, and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle also tempted me with its XCOM-lite leanings. One hour with Nintendo at E3 just wasn't enough! Somehow, though, I managed to sneak in a full mission in our final moments and perplex Brett in the process. That's a win-win. Not really knowing Warriors games, Brett thought I was just running around, slicing dudes at random. Which makes sense! If you don't know how to read the map or what to prioritize in these games (and I only do because I spent an ungodly amount of time with Hyrule Warriors), there's a lot of chaos to take in. It can seem mindless. During out shared Nintendo session, I had him try Fire Emblem Warriors first, desperately wanting to see his reaction. Surprisingly, he agreed. Not so surprisingly, that lasted a whole three minutes before he passed the controller back. "I'm over it."
If you're like Brett and you haven't traditionally cared about Warriors or Fire Emblem, there isn't much for you here -- not that I saw in my super short, super rushed time with the game. That's to be expected. I, on the other hand, loved what I played (and I think first-timers who like the turn-based RPGs will too). I found its core to be similar to Hyrule but with FE flair. That's exactly what I wanted from this game. Having multiple characters (some newcomers, some old favorites) roam the map is great. Pairing two of them together to fling out fast attacks and hot-swap between them as needed is even better. That mechanic felt great, and added to the sense of flow you get when you've got a really good combo string going. The are also level-up screens straight out of Fire Emblem (which I think can be toggled off), and you have the ability to order units across the map, which will very much come in handy when you're caught up capturing bases and beating down priority targets' stun gauges. My main takeaway here? Fire Emblem Warriors plays well and works how I hoped it'd work as a huge fan of Hyrule Warriors. I'm in. It's a done deal. This game cannot come to Switch soon enough. If you need more details (or generally have no clue what I'm rattling on about and why you should care), let this extended video fill in the blanks. |
| The PS3 version of Final Fantasy XIV dies a quick death this week Posted: 14 Jun 2017 06:30 AM PDT As a gentle reminder, as announced roughly a year ago, Square Enix is ending support for the PS3 version of Final Fantasy XIV this week. On June 16, to be exact, when the early access period for the upcoming expansion Stormblood arrives. If you're set up for an automatic payment system and only own the PS3 edition, they'll be suspended. As a bonus you won't even need to fiddle with a code or convoluted process, as your PS4 license will be upgraded automatically -- you just need to upgrade to PS4 hardware (which is easier said than done, price-wise). Having played the game a bit on PS3 (mostly when my wife was using the PS4), I can't say I'll miss it -- it chugged heavily even in the most basic of circumstances. I can't wait to boot up Stormblood and try out all of the PS4 Pro enhancements. End of Service [Final Fantasy] |
| State of Decay 2 is the game I wanted the original to be Posted: 14 Jun 2017 06:00 AM PDT State of Decay was one of those games that quickly had me wishing for a sequel. Undead Labs was onto something with its base-building undead-survival title. The idea? Terrific. Roaming for food and ammo, picking up survivors, building out a base for your fledgling community, and inevitably suffering at the cruel hands of permadeath checked a lot of boxes for a lot of people. The execution, though? Uneven. Under-polished. Probably too ambitious for its own good. But State of Decay did enough right that it resonated, and now we're getting another one. Heck yes. I wasn't able to play State of Decay 2 at E3, but a hands-off, "unscripted" demo with Undead Labs was enough to tell me that the sequel is gonna go over well. It's a second chance for a game design that truly deserved a second chance. It's better-looking, more fully realized. And there's four-player co-op. The demo involved a survivor group that wasn't bringing in enough food. One option would've been to leave the safe haven to scour buildings for snacks, but instead, the demo-giver went looking for seeds at a gardening store, hoping to come home with a longer-term solution to their current overpopulation problem. It went well enough. They drove over wandering undead, got the precious seeds, stumbled on a police station (which they then turned into an outpost for easy access to supplies in town), and made it back without losing anyone. So far, so good. But constructing a garden back at the base made too much noise alongside everything else the group was working on, and that caught the horde's attention. A whole buncha zombies rolled up, including one of the more-powerful "Freak" variants, a big fat tank-type guy who ripped a survivor apart because he got a bit too ambitious with his wild, repeated melee strikes and didn't stop to take a stamina-replenishing breather. RIP, Matt. You were one of the good ones. You will be missed. Zombies aren't the only concern, of course. You'll have to worry about morale and getting enough beds for your people, too. I love that stuff. Still do. But now there's much more fluid animation, better gunplay, some rethought design decisions informed by player feedback, and, again, online co-op. That alone is a huge addition to this type of game. What has me worried? Not a whole lot, at least at this far-off point. From what I saw, the big question mark is performance. It wasn't bad bad, but it wasn't consistent, either. State of Decay 2 isn't coming out until spring 2018 for Xbox One and Windows 10. If it runs better by then, great. If it doesn't, I'm likely still playing this on day one. I'm also curious about the endgame -- your goal is to have a "lasting impact" on the world with your community, but Undead wouldn't say more. There are unanswered questions still, but things seem on-track. |
| The .hack//G.U. trilogy is getting remastered for PS4 and PC Posted: 14 Jun 2017 05:30 AM PDT E3 '17 may be going on as we speak, but that isn't stopping companies from making announcements outside of the event. Speaking of which, Bandai Namco revealed that the .hack//G.U. trilogy, the second PS2 game series in the franchise about the VR MMORPG known as The World, will get an HD remaster for PS4 and PC in Japan. Titled .hack//G.U. Last Recode, this remaster will feature all three G.U. action RPG games in one nice package. The neat part about it is that Vol. 1: Rebirth and Vol. 2: Reminisce will include Vol. 3: Redemption's improvements. While the collection hasn't been confirmed for the West, something tells me that it could get localized, since it's heading to PC. Seeing that the title is 80 percent done, let's hope that an announcement will happen this year. If there's one surprise about this remaster, it's that it features some new changes, such a couple adjustments that speed up grinding. As for the other additions, you can check them out in the following list: |
| It's 2017 and Crackdown 3 is stuck in 2007 Posted: 14 Jun 2017 05:00 AM PDT Crackdown 2 launched in the summer of 2010 and it was largely the same game that its predecessor was in 2007. The setting was the same, the gameplay was the same -- it mostly just added zombies in a weak attempt at variation. It rang hollow. Seven years later and not much has changed. We sat down with a 10-minute demo and that was more than enough time to realize that Crackdown doesn't aspire to be anything new. Crackdown 3 is Crackdown 2 is Crackdown 1. Any one of them is perfectly representative of the others. In true Crackdown fashion, I spent those 10 minutes leaping up buildings in pursuit of agility orbs, putting a dent in crime by way of superbly efficient murder, and marveling at how Pacific City just hasn't really changed. |
| Posted: 14 Jun 2017 04:30 AM PDT Once again the Destructoid community has decided. We polled all of you at the close of every conference (there were seven this year!), and you voted based on your gut. Now is the time to take a look at the results. The two "most hated" conferences? EA with 33%, and Bethesda with 30%. Only PC Gaming Show comes close with 23%. EA also tops the "meh/okay," meter at nearly 57%, followed by PC Gaming Show at 55% and Sony at 52%. We're going to roll like last year and combine the "love" and "enjoy" votes for the highest approval ratings. With that in mind, Nintendo crushes it with 88.4% (with a 69% "loved it" rating, by far the highest by a margin of over 40% compared to Ubisoft's 22.5% "loved it." Pretty much no one but Nintendo knocked it out of the park according to our data). Next in line is Ubisoft with 80.9%, then Microsoft with 44.4%, Sony with 30.9%, PC Gaming Show with 21.5%, Bethesda with 19.9%, and EA with 9.9%. Does this line up with your personal rankings? Feel free to share your commentary below. |
| The Xbox One X is a terrible name and they learned nothing from the Wii U Posted: 14 Jun 2017 04:15 AM PDT [From our community blogs. All opinions expressed may not reflect Destructoid, but as an aside it makes our damn site nav bar confusing. Great job Microsoft!] Let's rip on Microsoft's shitty naming convention for a moment. It's gonna be great. The Xbox One X, or as the presenter rightfully called it, the Xbone X. It sounds almost like a type of pill you'd take for erectile dysfunction. It's the type of name a 10-year-old with no concept of good branding would come up with. It's like Microsoft pissed into their own ears and when someone told them it was a bad name they just couldn't hear them. But let's break down why the Xbox One X is a terrible name by looking at its predecessor: the Wii U. The Wii U was a fantastic failure. It led Nintendo to abandoning a console mid-way through its life-cycle and replacing it with a console that had a much more distinctive name. The Wii U, if Nintendo had stuck with it for another four years, may have bankrupted the company. I'm not saying the name is the sole reason why the Wii U failed. There are many contributing factors, including (but not limited to) an unwieldy controller, a lack of strong third-party support and frustrations with Nintendo's dated online user experience. So the name isn't the only thing that went wrong. But gosh darn it, it played a huge role. Honestly if someone told me there was a successor to the Wii called the Wii U, I'd think it was an upgrade to the Wii and probably not an essential buy. The thing is with the Xbone X, it is a hardware upgrade and not an essential buy. Most consumers who don't have 4K TVs are not going to buy into an expensive hardware upgrade, same with the PS4 Pro. Also, the Wii U ruined it for the Xbone X. Now when consumers go to buy consoles for their kids, there's going to be double the amount of confusion, because Timmy asked for a Wii U for Christmas last year, but you got him a Wii and he got really mad because he already had one. Now he wants an Xbox One, but what is this X at the end? Does that make a difference? Plus there's also the Xbox One S, which is completely different, and likely to spark more brand confusion. Say what you want about the Xbox 360 but it had it's naming convention right.
Xbox 360 Slim = an Xbox 360 in a smaller form. Xbox 360 Elite = a hardware upgrade for the Xbox 360 Microsoft is taking their naming convention from Nintendo and that's not a good thing. Sticking random letters at the end of your console names just confuses people who aren't fully immersed in game's media and know the differences. Nintendo learned this lesson hardcore after the New 3DS and Wii U, which is why the Switch is a short, punchy name. Or even look at the PS4 Pro. It says everything it needs to, it's an extension of the PS4. It's a professional version for people who want to eek out more from their PS4 for their expensive television. The name itself embodies the idea that most consumers don't need it. It's for professional PS4 players... which sounds really dumb, and it is, but at the very least it feels better than the XbonxXx. I look forward to the next Xbox, the New Xbox. Xbox Origins. Or just Xbox. Hell, if you want to confuse people anymore, fuck it, just call it the Playstation. |
| Life is Strange: Before the Storm ditches the time rewinding and that's for the best Posted: 14 Jun 2017 04:00 AM PDT It wasn't until 20 minutes into my half-hour Life is Strange: Before the Storm presentation that we were told this game doesn't have the rewind mechanic that was a staple of the original. Honestly, it wasn't even on my mind. It always felt like the weakest part of Life is Strange because developer Dontnod built a world where you wanted to be accountable. The supernatural is gone this time and so is the emphasis on fixing things. Playing as brown-haired Chloe Price, Before the Storm is more about fucking things up. Max's story was about rewinding time to arrive at an optimal solution. Max, in theory at least, left her footprint by trying to make everything better. Chloe, a burgeoning hellion, is just out to get hers. A good example came in the hands-off demo we were shown. At a divey rock club on the edge of town, Chloe wanted a band t-shirt. The vendor, who was selling them out of the trunk of his car, wanted 20 bucks. Instead of forking over the cash, Chloe quietly released his parking break so that the car rolled out of the club. While he was distracted, she took a shirt and his $200 from sales. Then she paid a debt to a drug dealer (Frank from Life is Strange) and got a dimebag to boot. |
| Ubisoft's Michel Ancel shuts down the 'Switch exclusive' Beyond Good and Evil 2 rumor Posted: 14 Jun 2017 03:15 AM PDT Ubisoft still isn't telling us everything about Beyond Good & Evil 2. Based on the Space Monkey Program site (which is all sorts of borked), it's expected to come to PC, PS4, and Xbox One -- but famed Ubisoft developed Michel Ancel says to not take that at face value because the entire site is messed up (he calls it "a little buggy"). Even so, he did take to Instagram to clarify that no, despite the rumors, Beyond Good & Evil 2 is not a Switch exclusive. So while we don't know much right now (even the final platform listings), we do know that! Outside of the off-putting, edgy amount of cursing in the trailer (don't at me, I'm okay with it, it just seems like it's trying too hard) I'm in. Michel Ancel [Instagram] |
| Middle-earth: Shadow of War's open world is a bit middling Posted: 14 Jun 2017 03:00 AM PDT One of Monolith's greater ambitions with its Shadow of Mordor sequel is, well, adding more. Upon sitting down with the E3 demo, I was presented with a few options. Either I could try out the expanded Nemesis system we've already previewed before, try out some story missions, or "just run around for a bit," as a Warner Bros. rep put it. Naturally, with a pitch like that, I had to see where Shadow of War would take me if I just killed time in the world. As I found myself collecting an army of orcs like they were stamps or Pokemon, I felt an ever-encroaching emptiness. While the story mission I tried had a bit more personality, the smaller encounters Shadow of Mordor was famous for seem diminished in a wider world. |
| Star Wars Battlefront II asks for the benefit of the doubt Posted: 14 Jun 2017 02:30 AM PDT When I first saw The Force Awakens (a fine production that is better than Rogue One in every conceivable way), I left wanting to know more about the period between Return of the Jedi and the new film. And as a finger on the Monkey's Paw curled, Disney released some comic books and novels designed to explore that exact period in Space History – all of which directly violated my own Prime Directive to consume as little Star Wars Expanded Universe material as possible. Yet here I am, somewhat enthusiastic about a story that commits many of the Star Wars expanded universe cardinal sins: it introduces a series of brand-new characters who are "super important" but can't really affect the world-state in any meaningful way because the next movie is a foregone conclusion, movie characters show up but are unable to change beyond what we understand because they have to be in a certain state by the next film, and I can only pronounce/spell half of the characters' names. But there is something to Battlefront II's story, even if it's just the framework. You play as elite Stormtrooper Iden Versio, with her story picking up right after the end of Return of the Jedi and spanning the next thirty years until The Force Awakens. That setup alone carries tons of potential. It's okay that Versio and her Inferno Squad won't be able to affect the overall story of the series, because we're going to spend three decades with these characters. Battlefront 2 won't be about how some nameless soldier flew an X-Wing that one time during that one Death Star assault, it'll be about how the life of this person is directly affected by the large-scale history of the galaxy. |
| Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is straightforward, but I don't even mind Posted: 14 Jun 2017 02:00 AM PDT Some folks don't mind the Rabbids and, in fact, actually enjoy the hyperactive goofballs. That's not me. Not in this life! I'd rather they do their thing, and I do mine. But I'll be damned if Ubisoft hasn't come up with something compelling in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. The game's basically Mario XCOM, y'all. Those madmen did it. It plays like it looks, which is to say "surprisingly well." Far better than I would've thought based on the crossover concept and who's executing it. This wouldn't quiiite pass for a major in-house Nintendo-led Mario project, at least not to my eyes, but Kingdom Battle does have a good helping of secret sauce, that heightened attention to detail and polish we're trained to expect. According to a Nintendo representative, Shigeru Miyamoto consulted on the game. It shows. Our hands-on time at E3 was a brief but sufficient 20 minutes with Kingdom Battle. I roamed the map as a Roomba-looking fellow with Mario, Rabbid Peach, and Rabbid Luigi trailing behind. This early portion had linear pathways from one battle to the next, aside from a nice diversion in which I nabbed red coins in a maze with hidden walls popping out of the ground, forcing me to find alternate routes. The battles, too, were simple to start. I'd plop Mario and co. behind cover (with a control scheme that works well with a gamepad), fire off faux Mega Busters, and hope that my long-range 50% hit chances landed. In turn, the "bad" Rabbids would rush me down for a melee strike, return fire, and, hilariously, go after Mario with extreme prejudice. Seriously, they beat the shit out of Mario. I mean, I did set them ablaze with conveniently-placed explosives, but c'mon. Show some respect for the overworked plumber.
Some larger brute Rabbids squished Mario in a later fight, knocking him out of the battle, but that didn't spell failure. I got the heck outta there with Rabbid Peach, ducking into a pipe that spat me out on higher ground near a glowing zone (which was essentially an extraction point, as it turned out). That did the trick. I'll be curious to see how tough Kingdom Battle gets, but my sense is that it won't be a cakewalk. I didn't dig into any customization aside from buying Mario a different weapon with slightly better stats, and also didn't get to check out Kingdom Battle's co-op stuff. Again, this was a limited, early-game slice. Still, I had fun tactically shooting Rabbids in the face as Mario. That sure felt cathartic. I'm hopeful the full version turns out as well as this preview build suggests it will, and that the combat can sustain itself across the whole adventure. If so, this'll be a real good time and a particularly welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch library. |
| We're giving away a Nintendo Switch soon Posted: 14 Jun 2017 01:45 AM PDT We're doing the contest thing again, and this time you get to win a Switch right after E3! Your odds of winning are visible this time: your number of entries out of the total entries submitted below. How to win: Tell a friend about the site with a verified social media profile using Gleam (terms and conditions) and you're in. Gleam will then draw a winner at random, and I'll announce the winner after E3. Good luck! |
| Here's the full version of the Super Mario Odyssey trailer theme Posted: 14 Jun 2017 01:30 AM PDT As a retro swing enthusiast, I loved the E3 2017 Super Mario Odyssey trailer song. "I'll be your 1-Up girl" is such a perfect line. I don't have the critical vocabulary necessary to explain why it works so well, but it does and I'm sure many of you agree with me. Nintendo played the full version during their Treehouse stream, and YouTube user Trogdorbad has a version online with improved audio. We'll probably see a full version released through official channels eventually, but this is good enough for me until then! |
| Major Let it Die update planned for later this month Posted: 14 Jun 2017 01:00 AM PDT GungHo Online CEO Kazuki Morishita recently confirmed to Destructoid that Let it Die would be receiving a "huge update" at the end of June. Although the specifics are still being determined, the update is currently set to add ten floors to the game's tower. "The 40 floors up to now were a practice stage," Morishita said. "Now this is where the real game starts. [The new floors] will be quite different." According to Morishita, if the launch version of the game was a roguelike, the new floors will be more like the original Rogue. There won't be any elevators in the new floors, forcing players to start again from the beginning each time they die. The new content will be more challenging than the current Let it Die floors, but Morishita said the developers didn't want the additional floors to feel like a "hard mode." "It's more focused on how to present a balanced gameplay system," Morishita said. "Let it Die is a survival action game -- moving forward, this is what the 'survival' is all about." Although it's been about six months since Let it Die first launched, GungHo plans to continue supporting the game "in the days and months to come." Part of that support may come in the form of "lighter" microtransactions, according to Morishita. |
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