John, Rose, and Lily come together to discuss a whole host of games and news! Games discussed include: Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster, Nuclear Throne, Time Snatcher Handy, Devil May Cry, Lone Fungus 2, Routine, Tales of Xillia Remastered, andElden Ring Nightreign: The Forsaken Hollows!

News discussed include: Netflix attempting to purchase Warner Bros., Micron exiting the consumer market, the passing of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the possibility of Shenmue 4, the incoming fan translation of Segagaga, the file size shrinkage of Helldivers 2, and genAI usage in a new Postal game.

Plus, the crew take questions from you, the listeners! What games do they associate with the Christmas season? When has a game’s story been lessened by the player losing focus for only a moment? And which film directors should show up in a video game?

You can support us on our Patreon, and follow us on Social Media @gamesline.net, Rose, Lily, and John.

Also, don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and tell a friend about the show!

If you want to send in questions, send them to our email podcast@gamesline.net!

You can also join our Discord channel at thegamezone.zone!

Our theme song is “Crush” by Melt Channel, from the album Magic is Real.

Edited by Lorelai and Produced by John

The post The Gamesline Podcast Episode 77: Oomf May Cry appeared first on Gamesline.

It’s a long one this week as special guest LumberJackson joins John and Maverick to talk about the week in games. John’s been playing Alan Wake, the new Pokémon Scarlett/Violet DLC, and Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising while Jackson has experienced Half-Life for the first time. Maverick had a big one with Spider-Man 2, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, God Of War: Ragnarok: Valhalla, and the original version of Yakuza.

In the news, The Last of Us 2‘s Multiplayer was cancelled, Insomniac was hacked with a whole bunch of stuff leaking, and A24 is making a Death Stranding movie. We go over everything from the Game Awards, the controversy around Jerard the Completionist, the layoffs at Hasbro, and E3 officially dying. The team also goes over Twitch’s ToS changes that lasted for a single day and the wild story of The Day Before.

You can find Jackson on twitter @LumberJack2on and follow him on twitch at LumberJackson.

You can support us on our Patreon, and follow us on Twitter @TheGamesline, @john_michonski, and @MaverickDrifter.

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You can also join our Discord channel at thegamezone.zone!

Our theme song is “Crush” by Melt Channel, from the album Magic is Real.

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Edited by Lorelai

The post The Gamesline Podcast Ep. 28: Wrap It Up w/ LumberJackson @LumberJack2on appeared first on Gamesline.

Despite Tabletop’s Success, Hasbro Slashes Jobs

Across all departments, Hasbro laid off about 1,100 staff roles—a decision that CEO Chris Cocks has noted in an internal memo is “a lever we [pulled] to keep Hasbro healthy”, all while he has made over $9 million in compensation to his pay last year.

While the wider state of Hasbro and its subsidiaries are unclear—from Monopoly, Peppa Pig, My Little Pony, and the American ownership and distribution of the Transformers and Power Rangers franchises—its Wizards of the Coast products such as Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering are the source of most of their profits, especially since the past year.

Senior staff were not immune to the cuts, and significant names such as designers Mike Mearls and Dan Dillon, and D&D Beyond producer Amy Dallen and Magic: The Gathering community manager Jesse Hill were let go.

Despite their D&D-influenced game winning Game of the Year CEO of Larian Studios Swen Vincke, Baldur’s Gate 3’s developer, has remarked that the names to collaborate and consult on the development of the game, such as Mearls, where in the waves of cuts. (Standing by the game’s value and immense popularity, Vincke also insists it will not be heading to Xbox’s Game Pass.)

While Hasbro demonstrated the most egregious move this past week, Embracer Group has reportedly been the latest major video games company to conduct layoffs, impacting workers 3D Realms and Slipgate Ironworks. Global crises are also not faltering, and the Ukrainian games market is forced to downsize due to the ongoing effects of the Russo-Ukrainian War and ethical questions on the production of tech and electronics continue to be raised in the midst of the Congo genocide.

As workers in tech and games continue to take the brunt of what feels like the neverending fallout of fumbling, executive decision-making, even major music streaming platforms Spotify and Tidal and e-commerce company Etsy have laid off a sizable amount of their workforces as well.

What the Fuck Went On With Fntastic?

In less than a week after the Early Access launch of their game, The Day Before, game developer Fntastic has decided to close its doors, citing lack of funds to continue operations.

As of today, what would have been the promise of an open-world, survival MMO is no longer listed on Steam. Despite having been at some point one of the most wishlisted titles on Steam, The Day Before already had a history of problems leading up to its release. The game ended up being being one of the most negatively reviewed games on Steam, disappointing players failing to meet many of its promises based on previous presentations of the game.

Fntastic continues to add fuel to the fallout, when (now former) employees have spoken that the game’s actual development was at odds with the game’s marketing, and that it was “never an MMO”. Sources go on to further say disagreeing with the company’s co-founders put workers at risk of being fired. Publisher Mytona will be processing any pending refunds to the game.

Twitch Briefly Freed the Tiddy

Twitch updated its policies on “Sexual Content” in an attempt to streamline Content Classification Labels and mitigate any confusion based on feedback from streamers. The scope of this update ultimately allowing artistic nudity and “erotic dances”, as long as they are annotated with the appropriate Classification Label. The changes also would include the admission of “Popular dances, such as twerking, grinding, and pole dancing” without the need of a label.

Not that long after, Twitch completely rolled back on its allowance on artistic nudity. This change now reaffirms that “depictions of real or fictional nudity won’t be allowed on Twitch, regardless of the medium.” “Upon reflection, we have decided that we went too far with this change,” CEO Dan Clancy has went on to say. Concerns may have been raised with the blurry territory around VTuber portraits and the prevalence of AI art and deepfakes.

Accompanied by a livestream, Clancy recently announced that the platform will be ending services in Korea.

Arbitrations and Accusations

Epic has won its antitrust lawsuit against Google. Representation of the company, however, has admitted on the stand, that they directly were involved in the creation of an advocacy group that targeted Apple. Epic’s case against Apple is otherwise still under appeal to be raised to the US Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the publisher giant struck a deal with new, small developer Barnyard Games to help make new campaigns and games within Fortnite.

Valve accuses a law firm of extortion, for attempting to bring thousands of cases to the plate that allege antitrust violations on behalf of Steam customers. Valve has been in the crux of various antitrust allegations for some time.

In other news…

Kojima Productions is working on a Death Stranding movie adaptation with A24.

Hideki Kamiya recently launched a YouTube channel, citing his departure from PlatinumGames was over his faltering trust in the direction the developer is heading in.

As they continue to negotiate their contract the ZeniMax Workers United union have been able to make progress with Microsoft on terms to develop principles for AI’s use in the workplace “without causing workers harm.”

Netflix Games reportedly has 90 titles in development.

A Pokémon-themed attraction experience is set to open within Tokyo-based amusement park Yomiuriland.

Voice actor Doug Cockle has expressed interest in reprising his role as Geralt of Rivia in future Witcher and other related projects.

And lastly, Naughty Dog cancels The Last of Us online.

The post The Bulletin: Hasbro Laid Off Over 1000 People For Christmas appeared first on Gamesline.

But before we get to those games, let’s get to some goggles:

Apple Debuts a Pair of Expensive Goggles

On Tuesday, Apple held their Worldwide Developers Conference 2023 (WWDC23), their annual presentation event that showcases upcoming products.

While the thick of these events often only cater to Apple-dedicated users and big tech money investors, representatives have demonstrated Apple’s intentions to further invest in games, such as releasing developer kits to encourage more developers to port and work for the macOS.

This was further supported by Hideo Kojima, who appeared as a guest speaker to debut a Death Stranding port for Macs. 

The big finale capped everything off with the public debut of Apple’s Apple Vision Pro, an AR headset device that will retail at a whopping $3,499. Apple boasts that the expenses of the Vision Pro will not only help and add on to every aspect of your everyday work life—such as using its breathable headband to absorb your sweat while basking in your 3D screensavers in the dark—but that it will be compatible with the Apple Arcade’s launch of hundreds of more games to come to its library.

Apple will also be able to provide developers kits seeking to develop for the device.

The Sands of the Summer Games Fest 2023

The Geoff Keighley show kicked off opening with a new Prince of Persia game. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will be a side-scrolling platformer in lieu of the series’ earlier, classic titles, and is slated for release some time next year.

While we revisit sands of time, we are also getting a Sand Land video game adapting Akira Toriyama’s mange of the same name.

Definitely Not the First for Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is slated for release next year in 2024. The game continues the narrative that has so far been established in Final Fantasy VII remake.

The beta for Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is running through late June. The game appears to be a re-imagining of elements from the various Final Fantasy VII games, with the additional inclusion of more backstory for the game’s SOLDIER faction. Ever Crisis is strictly for mobile devices running on Android and iOS.

Other Sequels and Seasons

Coinciding with the release of Chapter 4, Season 3, Fortnite is getting a Transformers crossover. Comic artist KC Green has also caught that a recent update of the game has added a new fire emote inspired by the “This is fine” meme derived from his comic strip “On Fire”—and confirmed that it was with his paid involvement.

Guess that was recently implemented. Now you can set yourself on fire as a joke! (For the pedants, I was paid for this usage) https://t.co/4Z33GUWvTt

— The Comics of KC Green (@kcgreenn) June 9, 2023

Alan Wake 2 gets treated to a gameplay reveal trailer.

Insomniac Games announces Spider-Man 2, hitting the city skies on October 20th.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 launches on October 20th!#SpiderMan2PS5 #BeGreaterTogether pic.twitter.com/ft5G5nGihX

— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) June 8, 2023

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name gets a November 9 release date.

We know #GollumGame all too well, and it looks we are now being treated to #GimliGame! The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is announced for this coming fall. The game is described as ” the only survival crafting video game set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth.”

And while it was not part of the Summer Games Fest line-up of announcements per se, developer Dingaling Productions confirms that a LISA: Definitive Edition will be hitting all current-gen consoles this coming July.

Fighting Games and the Fight for Mobilization

A new trailer for the Mortal Kombat reboot is released. To reiterate, this is not to be confused with Mortal Kombat (2011), and will indeed be an entirely new reboot. Last month, Amazon accidentally leaked the game’s first batch of DLC characters, spurring speculation around the game.

Leading up to their union election, AEGIS-CWA representatives report that Sega management has tried to initiate an anti-union campaign towards its employees. The Allied Employees Guild Improving SEGA (AEGIS) comprises of Sega of America employees. The shop announced their intentions for unionization back in April, and can potentially be the first union in the video games industry to represent multiple departments.

These pending developments have coincided with the announcement of several Sega titles, such as Sonic Superstars, during the Summer Games Fest.

We are disappointed that Sega management has decided to interfere in our democratic right to organize leading up to the NLRB mailing out our ballots on June 16. 🔽 pic.twitter.com/M0RkPlapIH

— AEGIS-CWA 💙 #UnionizeSEGA (@takesAEGIS) June 8, 2023

The post The Bulletin: Do the Rich Actually Play Video Games? appeared first on Gamesline.

Henry Cavill is trading in his Witcher gear for the spandex, as he will be returning to the Superman role for DC movies in the future. From season four onwards, Geralt in the Netflix Witcher show will be played by Liam Hemsworth.

VRChat, the best way to run around Genshin Impact areas as Jinzo from Yu-Gi-Oh!,  has added hand tracking for Meta Quest headsets to facilitate sign language. Hand tracking will also allow for menu use and world interaction without controllers. More headsets will be added over time.

Consistent gaming news Tweeter Nibellion has left the platform after his Patreon didn’t take off. Nibel also cited the recent Twitter purchase by Elon Musk as a reason for leaving the site.

Ryan Karazija, lead singer of band Low Roar, passed away at age 40. Low Roar’s music was heavily used in Death Stranding, and another single, “Feels”, was used in Arknights.

Onoma, previously Square Enix Montreal, has been shut down by Embracer Group just months after being purchased and getting a name change. The studio was known for games such as Hitman Go.

Square Enix’s recent “Symbiogenesis” patent wasn’t for Parasite Eve like people were hoping, but instead is NFT crap. Thanks!

Recent Korean ratings indicate Syphon Filter 3 getting a PS+ release, but also point to some form of Ghost Trick release. A remaster? A port? Something else? We’ll see soon enough, it seems.

And finally, more graphics cards. AMD has revealed their RX 7900 XTX and XT cards. The company promises better 4k gaming for those of you willing to drop at least $900 for one.

The post The Bulletin: A Ghost of a Chance for Ghost Trick appeared first on Gamesline.

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As always, you can support us on our Patreon, and follow us on Twitter @VGChooChoo, @john_michonski, @solonface, and @erikamiaou.

Also, don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and tell a friend about the show! If you want to send in questions send them to our ask box at videogamechoochoo.tumblr.com/ask.

You can also join our Discord channel at thegamezone.zone!

Our theme song is “Crush” by Melt Channel, from the album Magic is Real.

Subscribe via iTunes, hipcast, direct download, or listen below!

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Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands – by Scott

The very first thing on the docket at Geoff Keighley’s Summer Fuckfest was the always disappointing Gearbox, which somehow still exists despite CEO Randy Pitchford tarnishing it’s reputation with his various crimes. On top of that, it also continues to produce the Borderlands games, which are bad. Despite all this, they went ahead and announced Tiny Tina’s Wonderland anyways, a game that stars a character that has been repeatedly lambasted for her use of AAVE which comes across as a touch racist. Reportedly, they cut down on this particularly awful writing trope by the time Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep came out, the piece of DLC content that this game is attempting to expand upon. However, I have no idea if this is true or now, since by the time it came out, I had given up on Borderlands entirely.

Tinan Wonderworld features an all-star cast of acting and comedy talent which, I’m assuming, Gearbox hopes will somehow elevate their house style of terminally awful writing into something palatable. I have nothing bad to say about the featured cast of actors; Andy Samberg, Wanda Sykes, Will Arnett, and Ashley Burch. Some people think Andy Samberg is a goon but he’s married to Joanna Newsom, America’s greatest harpist and Kate Bush impersonator, so frankly he’s fine by me.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderland is set to come out early 2022.

Metal Slug Tactics – by Spencer

I’ve never been big into Metal Slug myself, but the franchise has always been a masterclass in impeccably detailed and gorgeously animated spritework. As someone who loves isometric tactical RPGs, seeing Metal Slug Tactics as one of the first showcases had me excited for a game I could really sink my teeth into, and that phenomenal sprite work on the battlefields shown were a sight to behold.

Death Stranding Director’s Cut – by Scott

Hideo Kojima decided to come on Geoff’s Wet And Wild Summer Slip ‘n Slide to promote his favorite things: accurately predicting the future and 9/11. After that, he showed a trailer for his new game, Death Stranding. Except this time there’s at least one scene in it where the music from Metal Gear Solid 2 hits and Norman Reedus (played by actor Sam Porter Bridges) considers getting inside a box. I won’t spoil whether or not he gets inside a box, but this does harken back to older Kojima titles where his protagonist would frequently get inside of boxes. It’s truly a hootin’ and hollerin’ moment and you do, in fact, love to see it. No official word on when the Director’s Cut is coming out but it will be available on Playstation 5.

Jurassic World Evolution 2 – by Spencer

Probably one of the weirdest appearances for Summer Game Fest was Jeff Goldblum showing up to poke fun at how Geoff Keighley’s first name is spelled, but the awkward non-conversation ended with a showcase of Frontier Developments’ Jurassic World Evolution 2. The only new hint we got in the trailer was the addition of aquatic lifeforms, so for those who were wanting another Jurassic Park-themed management sim, this one will probably be just the thing.

Lost Ark – by Spencer

As an MMO player, I am tentatively intrigued by the western release of Lost Ark, a Korean MMO with a top-down perspective. I’m hesitant to draw comparisons to Diablo if only because the game looks visually brighter and more varied in its locales. The game has been out since 2018 in South Korea, and I’m looking forward to seeing how Lost Ark is received by western audiences.

Among Us Update – by Scott

Next up on the Summer Geoff Fest was an extremely quick update from the Among Us developers InnerSloth about new content coming to their game. It was in fact way too quick and had a bunch of information and I forgot most of it by now so here goes: with Hide and Seek being a common community variant of traditional Among Us games, it is now finally getting its own proper game made. The game will also include the ability to create 15 person lobbies, which would definitely help populate really large maps such as the relatively new Airship. They confirmed they are working on a new map, but they could not show anything about it except for a button which is kind of funny. InnerSloth briefly mentioned new roles for crewmates such as the Sheriff, a role in other typical social deduction games for being able to take out an imposter without needing a group consensus, as well as a Scientist role. On top of the new gameplay improvements and variants, Among Us will also get a bunch of new cosmetic items too. I think that’s everything. Like the sussy bakas that they are, InnerSloth did not give any release window for the new content. But if you don’t want to be the imposter in your group, you need to pick up Among Us today!!!

Salt & Sacrifice – by Spencer

Salt & Sacrifice is the next title coming from Ska Studios, and it looks similar to 2016’s Salt & Sanctuary, hence the name. Though it looks similar to its predecessor, the visual effects are more exciting and who doesn’t love to see Mage Devoured show up on screen. I enjoyed Salt & Sanctuary well enough, and I’m thinking I should go back and play it again. I’m definitely looking forward to more side-scrolling soulsborne action wherein I can gnaw on the bones of magic-users.

Two Point Campus – by Scott

The mad lads who made Two Point Hospital gone and done it again and made Two Point Campus. It’s just like Two Point Hospital but they did it on a college campus instead of a hospital. You don’t get shit like that anywhere else!!! Two Point Campus is coming 2022.

Stranger Things and Smite Crossover – by Scott

Look out Eleven! The Stanger Things are back and they’re killing all the best Smite champions! Only Hooper with his cool guns can save us. What’s this? 11 is lifting up a car with psychic powers and getting a nosebleed? Sounds like she just saw one hot babe!!! Talk about being a sussy baka!!! That’s so epic. I don’t know when this is coming out, I didn’t look.

Prime Matter Announces Future Lineup – by Spencer

Prime Matter took Keighley’s Summer Fun Fest as the opportunity to debut as a new games publisher, with the announcement also revealing that a new Painkiller game is in the works. Their lineup will include Payday 3, Gungrave G.O.R.E., King’s Bounty II, The Last Oricru, Encased, Dolmen, Project: Echoes of the End, Scars Above, and Crossfire: Legion, as well as two working titles in The Chant and Final Form. Not much to say on Prime Matter outside of “Watch Out,” but there you go.

The Anacrusis – by Spencer

Far out in the black The Anacrusis is a ship finding itself in a real Left 4 Dead situation. Touting four-player co-op, hordes of enemies, 60’s retrofuturistic veneer, and the sometimes-charming, sometimes-eye-rolling banter between characters, The Anacrusis looks like it’ll scratch that itch for those who’ve wanted more few-against-many shooting games with a more colorful, bizarre backdrop.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt – by Spencer

If battle royales are more your speed in the “fighting lots of other enemies” genre, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt, might be just the thing for you. I still haven’t gone back to Bloodlines from 2004 after getting supremely freaked out in that derelict hotel, and unfortunately for me this battle royale is another one with a time limit. It really is too much to ask any battle royale game to have an endless mode where every match culminates in two players having to track each other down for literal hours to kill each other, huh.

House of Ashes – by Scott

Jeff’s Wet Hot Summer continued with the latest entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology created by Supermassive Games, who are famous for making Until Dawn: Rush Of Blood. In this creepy funhouse epic, you play a platoon of soldiers stationed in Iraq committing war crimes and exploiting a foriegn nation for its natural resources. But then the ground opens up under you and wouldn’t you know it, there’s a big ol’ tomb full of monsters. I absolutely hate it when I’m occupying foriegn soil and get swallowed up by mystical magical underground tombs. It really makes you wonder, am I the monster or is it the monsters? House of Ashes unequivocally says the monsters are the monster and asks if you want to save this platoon using the most powerful mechanic in video games: choices. Here’s my choice: to not buy the game!!!!!!! House of Ashes comes out on PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on 10/22/21.

Planet of Lana – by Spencer

Planet of Lana looked just as incredible, though its art style is more traditional: hand-painted scenery and stunning animations make for a great combination when paired with a side-scrolling, puzzle adventure game in the same vein as Playdead’s Inside. I’m absolutely looking forward to the weird cat, bunny, void creatures shown in the trailer, and I hope they go completely feral on the Weird Eye-Robots from Space.

Tales of Arise – by Spencer

Though we didn’t get any huge information, Tales of Arise was featured with a new trailer and new characters. I particularly liked the hooded Vergil Man with the long katana, and some of the combat footage showcased what I have to assume are this game’s equivalent of dual mystic artes, with characters combining their various combat disciplines into devastating attacks. Tales of Arise still looks good, and I’m looking forward to playing it later this year.

Dark Alliance: Dungeons & Dragons – by Scott

Sexy Geoff’s Summer Blowout continued with a gameplay demo featuring the games criminal Geoff Keighley playing alongside Tuque Games founder Jeff Hattem, landlord Hannibal Buress, and professional wrestling person Ember Moon. Ember Moon mentioned she styled her in-ring persona after Drizzt Do’Urden, a character that features in the Forgotten Realms setting. It was really cute and nice. The game comes out in like uhhh a couple days?

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin – by Spencer

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin will arrive on Nintendo Switch next month, and while I’m more of an older Monster Hunter fan at this point (but not super old like the Freedom Unite folks), the Stories titles is good for those who couldn’t get into Monster Hunter’s particular gameplay but still want a monster-collecting game to check out. The more stylized art looks particularly good and the adaptation of classic monster designs like Rathalos is always a treat to see.

Wave Break – by Scott

In the year of our lord, 2021, Weezer debuted a new song that was apparently copyright friendly and totally cool for streamers to use like if they really wanted to over a bunch of footage of a game called Wave Break. It apparently comes out tomorrow. Weezer hasn’t been good for years so it was especially daunting to see them occupy what I consider a safe space: within the loving embrace of Geoffrey “The Keymaster” Keighley. The song was bad. There’s nothing we can do about this. Our thoughts and hopes are immaterial compared to what Weezer will do next. I will defeat them.

Fall Guys and NieR:Automata Crossover – by Scott

Imagine my horror, knowing that a trailer for a new Fall Guys costume is coming up, thinking “oh this will be nothing I don’t have to write about this,” and seeing the beautiful visage of everyone’s favorite sad android babe 2B skinned alive over the form of one of those horrible bean monsters. 2Bean is real and it drives me to drink. I love and respect her and I wish her the best of luck in the Fall Guys competition even if I can’t be with her. 2Bean will be a playable skin in Fall Guys on June 18th.

Tribes of Midgard – by Spencer

Another title on the way is Tribes of Midgard, a top-down survival action game with a cute aesthetic and Big Mans you have to slay. Several games have leaned into Norse mythology for what seems like years now, with aesthetic choices to match that I haven’t been fully fond of, but Tribes of Midgard genuinely looks like the first Norse-inspired game I’m looking forward to since Skyrim.

Evil Dead: The Game – by Scott

Bruce Campbell is back and you can play him in Evil Dead: The Game, which showed off a new trailer at Fat Geoff’s Discount Games Emporium. Despite Bruce noticeably phoning in his entire voiceover, The Game manages to look like a decent 4v1 style asymmetric multiplayer game where several heroes need to complete a bunch of objectives in order, except whatever Dead By Daylight style monsters are in Evil Dead. Instead of going for the standard Friday the 13th/Dead By Daylight style approach, the survivor characters are participating in active combat with cool melee attacks and third person shooting. Potentially looks fun, I would definitely try this out, even as someone who’s not particularly interested in anything Evil Dead related. The Game (Evil Dead: The Game that is) is set to come out later this year.

Elden Ring – by Scott

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

AhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

You got a weird goat horse that can JUMP. You can summon it when the fuck ever!!! All the enemy designs look so rich and detailed and they’re all extremely fucked up!!! I’m crying. I love this. They made this for me. All the environments look so sickly and fucked up and really big I want to explore them!!! I want to see a huge fake golden tree looming over me!!!

I don’t particularly care for George R.R. Martin or his writing and from what I understand, his role was just to write some backstory about the world and some characters. Honestly, I bet his work was negligible to the amount of writing the rest of their team did otherwise and it was just enough to slap his name on the box for normies who somehow don’t know what Dark Souls is at this point which is like… nobody.

It’s got it all!!! It’s got magic, it’s got curved swords, it’s got Berserk references, it’s got mysterious cubes that you use to summon people, it’s got dodge rolling, it’s got dudes with inordinately large amounts of limbs. A dragon wielded lightning!!! That’s how you know this isn’t the Dark Souls world, baby, this is something new. It’s got nude men, it’s got guys who are doing meticulous study in weird suits of armor, it might even have a poison swamp. Who knows! We’ll all know on 1/21/22 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Thank you. I’m sorry for writing this. I love this.

The post E3 2021 Day 1 – Summer Games Fest Roundup appeared first on Gamesline.

For me, this was a year where I started with a clear assumption that gradually got torn away as time went on. While I expected certain games to be in my good graces, and they absolutely still are, so many hidden threats seeped out of the woodworks and weaseled their way into my heart. On top of all the new hits, I actually went back to play a bunch of older games for the first time, such as games I’ve meant to play for years and years but never really got around to doing it. To start off my list, I’m gonna write a few bits about those games, and why I think they hold up, and should be given a shot even today.

The Atelier Series

I’ve been meaning to play the Atelier series for like, what, five years or something? I’m huge on the Neptunia games and they’ve always been sold to me as those but with an extra bit of polish and a whole lot more gameplay direction. For once I actually feel like that selling point was right on the money, and boy does it rule. The Atelier games are all about cute girls doing alchemy and going on adventures with friends and family members while they solve generally laid back mysteries. While there are some entries that go more serious than others, I’ve found myself especially enjoying the Dusk Trilogy of games, which take place in a really grim post apocalyptic world, but almost entirely ignore this. Using a grim spooky setting as the backdrop for upbeat lesbian adventures is like my fucking ambrosia and if you’re the type of person who maybe is into that sort of thing then I highly recommend picking up Atelier Ayesha or Escha and Logy if you get the chance.

Final Fantasy VIII

So I haven’t gotten incredibly far into FF8, but I am absolutely in love with pretty much everything it has going on. This is a AAA juggernaut revolutionary game for the time where they make you spend like five minutes watching a man freak out and get a leg cramp falling over himself trying to ask a girl out on a date. For the time especially that’s incredible, and I found myself continuously impressed by more and more of the game’s presentation and ideas. People say a lot of games were ahead of their time, and that usually applies to complete failures or overlooked niche hits. I’d argue, however, that Final Fantasy VIII was the type of game that was absolutely appreciated for specific reasons back in 1999, and can be appreciated for even more twenty years later. Oh yeah the draw system by the way? Kicks ass. You know it’s a good FF game when everyone’s a Blue Mage.

Titanfall 2

You know I do a whole lot of talking about how Halo Reach is my favorite shooter of all time, and like, one of the best games ever made. In the time since Halo Reach, I’ve been increasingly disappointed both inside and outside the Halo series, as everyone tried desperately to either throw out any semblance of clever design and balance in favor of aping Call of Duty, or worse, Battle Royales. Titanfall 2 however, is one of the best damn shooters I have ever played and it is a CRIME that it didn’t get the staying power of any other big name shooter. With tons of options for traversal, a bunch of different mechs that all feel meaningfully different, and a co-op mode that’s a thousand times better than the suckfest that is Call of Duty Zombies, there’s just so much to do that it’s always a fun time. Sure the game is a little rough around the edges, with a very freemium style UI and an aesthetic that is simultaneously the best and worst, but it’s still a game I kept having a blast in no matter how many hours I threw in. I still haven’t even done the campaign which everyone hypes up so much, and I’m this in love with it! Please try it if you can because it’s a hell of a lot better, and has a much more cohesive design philosophy than any other FPS released in the last decade.

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

https://t.co/bUyb7Lrf6R pic.twitter.com/RZ361MOIbl

— RMT (@horngal) June 18, 2019

I like the Dragon Quest games now! As someone who actively avoided the franchise because I thought they would be incredibly boring and ugly, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed playing through the eleventh major installment. Though I still don’t care for the overall appearance of the game, something about seeing high fidelity Toriyama characters works surprisingly well, and the monster designs more than make up for whatever disgusting humanoids the game throws at you over the course of its 100+ hour campaign. Though the series did end up being as faithful to the core tenants of a JRPG as I expected, that never made it boring, and the characterization of even the most simplest of mechanics made things feel much more impactful than they actually would’ve seemed to be. I’m excited to dig into a bunch of the back catalog of this endless thousand game long series now that I know more about it, and maybe finally understand what’s going on with that crazy “Rocket Slime” guy everyone’s always talking about.

Also!

So yeah! Go play those games! I also highly recommend Radiant Historia, specifically for the 3DS. It’s a great game that uses time travel in an actually clever and well considered way, and I really enjoyed it for its unique tone and feeling. Crosscode is a pretty good banger from last year too, taking the atmosphere and concepts of an MMO and popping them into a puzzle-filled RPG. Anyways, 2019.

10: Indivisible

Indivisible is by no means a perfect game, but it’s also one that I genuinely had a blast playing for almost the entire time I spent with it. Sure the backtracking got a little annoying, and there was a lot left to be desired in the story department, but I found myself completely unable to put this game down until I beat it which is something that has become increasingly rarer as the years have gone on. Hopefully with future updates inbound, Lab Zero can clean up any of the lingering issues with the game because there really is a lot to like. With a colorful cast, satisfying thwacks, and a whole bunch of womens for me to go “wahow!” at, I think Indivisible was well worth the time I gave it.

9: Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

I might not be the wildest Castlevania head out there but god damn do I love me Symphony of the Night. With the rough history of Kickstarter-backed spiritual successors, everyone was afraid that Bloodstained might just sputter out and die at release but luckily this wasn’t even close to a Mighty No. 9. There’s so many systems in this game that it sometimes gets overwhelming, but interacting with them and fooling around with exploration and different character builds is still fun in a way that pretty much no other game in the Metroidvania genre has done in years. It was pretty easy to cheese most of the game, but you get to do so by turning into a bunny girl demon so who can possibly say if it’s bad or not? There’s still lots of content coming to this game down the line, and I’ll totes dive back in for some more hoppin’ and choppin’.

8: Kingdom Hearts III

Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that a Kingdom Hearts game could end up this low on a top ten list, but Kingdom Hearts III really gutted me in a lot of bummerific ways. It was still fun, and it was an outrageous spectacle in the way that I expect Kingdom Hearts to be, but there was just something…off about the whole thing. I don’t know if it was an overfocus on the Disney side of things, a mostly sterile interpretation of those properties from a series that once pit Cloud Strife against Hercules with complete and utter sincerity, but after waiting over ten years for a true blockbuster follow up to Kingdom Hearts II, we got what feels like yet another side game. 

There are moments where Kingdom Hearts III shines, where it delivers on years and years of plot build up and emotionally resonates with the deepest most innocent parts of our brains. Unfortunately for each time of triumph, there’s a handful of “what could have been”s and “what should have been”s. Throw into that the series’ worst handling of female characters to date and damn, I just couldn’t help but shake my head. I still love Kingdom Hearts, and I’m excited to play the DLC, but Kingdom Hearts III deserved better than this.

7: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

I like that when i see a boss for the first time now this is how it goeshttps://t.co/aJ00OyZt11 pic.twitter.com/h0NPxAgUIB

— RMT (@horngal) March 29, 2019

When Sekiro is good? It’s easily one of the best games you could ever play in your entire life. Full of blistering high speed high stakes combat- the natural progression of FromSoftware’s design ethos after Bloodborne– this is a game that rewards your mastery of its mechanics more than almost any you or I could name. The fight against Genichiro on the top of the castle towards the middle of the game is one of the best vibe checks in gaming; one that’s patient but demanding. Gradually unraveling the ways you can use your sword to fuck shit up feels sooo satisfying, and the adrenaline you get from slamming your sword into any of the game’s bosses after a long battle feels amazing.

When Sekiro is bad though? It really just bums you all the way out. For a game that succeeds at 1v1 battles, it has a propensity to increase the difficulty by just…tossing in an identical second enemy that you have to contend with. This wouldn’t be a problem if you could use your tools more but all of your tools use up /the same/ currency that doesn’t even regenerate upon death so you always feel like you have to save them rather than actually experiment with them. Sometimes fights go on just a little too long (looking at you final boss), and sometimes they’re just way too short! While I appreciate FromSoft branching out and getting a little wild with their game format, and I think that they mostly pulled it off, I wish they had the courage to not rely on a lot of the trappings people have come to expect from Souls games to complete their package.

6: Death Stranding

God I wish I was the babyhttps://t.co/l3ZVZ9Qk8z pic.twitter.com/sp2Z3IJfEh

— RMT (@horngal) November 22, 2019

Speaking of games I wish weren’t held back by something hey when the hell is Kojima going to let himself have a proper invested editor again? I’m of the mind that when it comes to designing and executing on unique game mechanics Kojima is almost second to none. The man has an incredible way of nailing not only a consistent atmosphere that keeps you engrossed but incredibly wacky and imaginative things to do that no one else would even dream of trying. It’s just a shame he has to hold himself back with his weird hyper specific tastes and mediocre script writing! Why!

MGS V, while being one of my favorite Metal Gear games, already painted a troubling picture for what Kojima considered to be “a good story,” and Death Stranding pretty much followed its exact blueprint. While I loved the core gameplay loop of Death Stranding, the social narrative of creating easier ways for others to play the game alongside you, and the overwhelming and oppressive atmosphere the world cultivates, the core narrative was kind of just a bummer. More than anything it made me feel disappointed in the game as a whole, a cohesive whole brought down by some of the worst D grade TV writing has to offer. 

That said though the gameplay was truly incredible stuff that one would never have expected from a major AAA release. Walking is a big deal that actually matters, combat is a tertiary system you want to mostly avoid, and you spend most of the game building roads and other random structures out in the middle of the wilderness so that you get “likes” which don’t actually do anything! It’s great! When people call Kojima a visionary it’s because of stuff like this, these are really great, unique, and well implemented ideas that make Death Stranding a game like no other. I just hope that for Kojima’s next project he can maybe get someone else to proof his work, that way we can get a whole lot less of Die-Hardman telling us how to recharge a motorcycle’s battery over and over, and more of Die-Hardman telling us how stacking pizza correctly is real important shit.

5: Fire Emblem: Three Houses

There’s not much I can say other than I love Fire Emblem so of course this is here, here are some miscellaneous thoughts. 

• Some of this game’s writing sucks ass but almost all of the character writing is top notch stuff. It relies heavily on tropes, but the way that each member of your house plays off each other means you’re gonna have a hard time not falling in love with all of your rowdy students/soldiers/killing machine. 
• It’s not Fire Emblem Fates: The Incest Olympics! 
• Edelgard is my wife.
  

  4: Disco Elysium

Man we never get any fuckin’ real RPGs anymore! Ever since Mass Effect and the Bioware format in general took to the scene we’ve had to sit by and watch as voiced protagonists and bombastic set pieces limited what could happen in experiences meant to be molded out of various options. While there’s been plenty of stuff going on in the CRPG scene between hits like Pillars of Eternity and Divinity: Original Sin, the combat in those games has always been a huge hill I could never overcome due to various issues and personal sentiments. Thankfully Disco Elysium came, kicked ass as a completely original Role Playing Game, and didn’t make me do a million clickings or strategizings to experience what it had to offer.

I feel like everyone’s said what makes Disco Elysium good by now, but I’m just gonna reiterate that, it’s very good. Kim is one of the best partners in video games, and gradually seeing what kind of person he is over the course of your interactions humanizes him in a way that most writers could only dream. The character building is incredibly unique with a huge slew of unique personality options that most games would never consider “something you spec into.” I don’t want to spoil anymore of this game than what you might’ve seen online but if you love to read and enjoy leftist politics I cannot recommend Disco Elysium enough.

3: Control 

Control Rules https://t.co/eNF4P0fQXO pic.twitter.com/vNhOOyqRcb

— RMT (@horngal) September 1, 2019

I am the hardcore Alan Wake head. I think at Video Game Choo Choo, more than any other website, you will find a lot of Alan Wake heads. With good reason too! Remedy has this incredible style and direction that they put into all of their games that few can even dream of matching. Wearing their influences on their sleeves, Remedy has the courage to do what no one else in the business is even trying to do: Incorporate both musical sequences, and Full Motion Video to full effect in a 2019 big budget title. 

Seeing an SCP game brought to life outside of the clunky vaporware that is Containment Breach is the best shit ever, and having it all be delivered in a similar format to the best television show of all time, Twin Peaks: The Return? Incomparable stuff. Add in a strong female lead who doesn’t rely on any tropes to be sick as hell, a ton of easter eggs about Alan Wake, and some of the most thought out and realistic environmental design that actually encourages you to read signs to figure out where to go next (!!!) and you have a recipe for yet another Remedy classic.

2: Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

1: Devil May Cry V

The hype shithttps://t.co/bdm1DWFHsT pic.twitter.com/2VIqxrJRhG

— RMT (@horngal) March 26, 2019

Pullin’ shots – aimin’ dots – Yeah I don’t miss

Branded by Fire – Born in the abyss

Red hot temper – I just can’t resist

All this vengeance inside me

All of these thoughts runnin’ through my head

Arm on fire, veins burnin’ red

Frustration is gettin’ bigger

Bang Bang Bang – Pull my Devil Trigger!

The post Rose’s Top Video Games in The Year of Pandering to Her appeared first on Gamesline.

10. Baba is You

Curious puzzle that causes the user to question their presence within their own body. It manipulates the form of the user into different objects, using simple runes to complete seemingly unworldly calculations.

Use with caution. It is said that Baba can be more than simply You, but that Baba can be Win as well… But if Baba is Win, then who are You?

9. Super Mario Maker 2

Newest form of Mario Maker. It is built upon the many iterations of Mario’s past, twisting and contorting them into unseemly forms.

Use to summon a level from another world, and to invade other worlds with your own.

Those who revel in pain and suffering send their dreadful levels out into the ether, only wishing to receive any as equally depraved.

8. Pathologic 2

https://twitter.com/thedarkid/status/1133265671188619265
Second manuscript from the Ice-Pick Lodge, a retelling of their first. Use to instill despair into the hearts of any who would read it.

Town-on-Gorkhon suffers silently until the wailing of plague-stricken townsfolk alerts those who would rather see it obliterated than cured. The Haruspex may be able to divert it’s path from sure destruction if the fearful townsfolk do not reject him out of paranoia. Should he bother? He only returned home to once again see his father.

7. Remnant: From the Ashes

New interpretation on a now common formula, much like souls of the past. The world is different and ever-changing, and as such, great pains were taken to suit this formula into the shape of a gun where it once favored the sword.

Be warned, as the flow of time may be convoluted in other worlds, the shape of space contorts in new and different ways with each new world formed. Phantoms may enter another world to find unseen spaces and enemies they have never faced before.

6. Death Stranding

back at it againhttps://t.co/iBYQyWh8UJ pic.twitter.com/GZv9w9f00g

— discontent creator scott b (@FKAsocks) November 17, 2019

Package from an acclaimed artist, although many have questioned if what he makes would truly be considered art. Fragile, handle with care.

All packages have shape and weight, and some have specific requirements. This package asks the user if it understands that inventories are never truly bottomless, and that movement is an art in itself. Perhaps that’s the story the artist was trying to tell, or perhaps it was one more convoluted and, certainly, far worse acted.

5. Resident Evil 2

wiggly boy pic.twitter.com/EV0jsC7FmZ

— discontent creator scott b (@FKAsocks) February 3, 2019

Love letter to a horror story of past generations. Use to restore memories from decades past.

In these times, the undead are common and easily dealt with. However, this is still proof that they are deadly as they once were. Conventional weapons alone cannot kill what cannot die, but with foresight and clever thinking, perhaps you can stay alive.

4. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

same pic.twitter.com/YEM1PrnCIZ

— discontent creator scott b (@FKAsocks) August 25, 2019

War map depicting the strategies of three opposing countries. The various plotted points tell a tale of friends and loved ones who must find themselves at the other end of each others swords.

Three progeny of their nations rise to power, but they cannot all coexist. They are fated to go to war, not through prophecy or by glory, but because they simply cannot live together. Their ideals are too different to work in tandem, even if their goals are often the same.

3. Metro Exodus

this game fucking whips extremely major asshttps://t.co/HKQ4rmG5na pic.twitter.com/g449jtT1OQ

— discontent creator scott b (@FKAsocks) March 5, 2019

Old machine kept upright by communal engineering. Houses numerous mechanics that are said to have no effect, but the user may feel a sense of relaxation or ease.

Even with spots of rust showing, the gears still turn. It has ambitions to surpass the Metro from which it was birthed to places it has never once thought to see, and it hopes that you will take it there.

2. The Outer Worlds

Souvenir of a different time. Allows the user to project themselves onto the worlds through dialogue with its many denizens.

Those who desire this sort of scenario have been left desperate by those who keep its genre in a stranglehold. However, this is proof that the desire for a deeper experience is still alive and well.

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Blade forged by a master smith. The sword is immaculately designed but requests nothing but perfection of its user.

While the blade sits as the latest in a long lineage, it’s demands are new and fresh even to those who have wielded similar weapons. It encourages the user to marvel at the ebb and flow of combat, the beauty and brutality could be mistaken for an intricate dance if the results were not as deadly.

The post Scott’s Top 10 Games of 2019 Written In The Style of Dark Souls Item Descriptions appeared first on Gamesline.