In news that’s hotter than a castle under siege, the release date for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is being brought forward by a week.

Announced in April 2024 for a release later in the year, developers Warhorse Studios later solidified the game’s launch date as 11th February 2025, arriving on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

After over 8 million copies sold for the first game, Plaion and Warhorse Studios are now treating us to an earlier launch date of February 4th, 2025 – a week earlier than anticipated.

We recently had the opportunity to chat with Tobias Stolz-Zwilling, the Global PR Manager for Warhorse Studios, where we discussed all things KCD; including just how far they’ve come since the early days, and what Henry’s journey looks like in the sequel.

The new launch date came alongside a new trailer that showed Henry being haunted by the ghosts of his past, as the lands of Bohemia begin to shift with political unrest and bloodshed.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is now set to launch on 4th February 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. You can read our interview with the team HERE.

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Ahead of the news that Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is bringing its release date forward, we had the opportunity to get a hands-on preview of the game including an interesting side quest for Henry in the town of Kuttenberg. Tobias Stolz-Zwilling, the Global PR Manager for Warhorse Studios introduced the game to us, and after our time with the game we had the opportunity to sit down and talk all things KCD 2.

Just like Henry’s story itself, Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s origins is pretty significant – with a successful Kickstarter campaign bringing the game to life. Did you envision from the start the legacy that would be created from that?

TOBIAS: Absolutely. I mean we envisioned the original game, we didn’t envision the success that would be there! Honestly there were two sink or swim situations; one was the Kickstarter – if that would have failed then we would have shut up and just gone. The second was the actual release of KCD – because the press were reacting well, but those that we had already hooked in the Kickstarter were our main audience – we didn’t know at the time how regular players would receive the game.

I can remember the time when we were traveling to our publisher back in the early days, in Munich where they had their head offices, and we were in the car talking to our CEO doing guesses like “one million copies, is that the same thing, will we sell it? And if so, maybe in the first year or half a year”. Nobody would have guessed that within a week we had hit the million, and then within a year it was the second million. We believed in the game and we knew it was good and put our trust in it, but we didn’t know it would bring this much success.

Unlike so many other games that focus on adding fantasy elements to their games, KCD:II is grounded in history and realism. What is it like bringing inspirational and historic places such as Kuttenberg to life?

T: Oh, it’s amazing. But not only for us – what I find fascinating is that KCD is more – and I don’t mean to sound arrogant in this way – but it’s more than just a video game. For Czech Republican people, it feels more like a cultural export kind of thing: when the city of Kuttenberg found out that we would set KCD: II in their town, the mayor who played the first game was absolutely shitting kittens – he was like “Okay, okay, breathe everyone!” He wanted to be heavily involved, they wanted to fill up their tourist information stands with KCD merch and pictures and stuff.

When KCD: II was announced, it was on the public news in the evening, and on public broadcasts – I mean, imagine BBC would talk about the new English game or whatever, we’re like that’s not happening anywhere else! But this is just a side effect of the game; we want to make a game that is telling a story which is based on events that really happened. So the effect that it had or the side effect is that it had all of these cultural aspects of it.

Kutná Hora (Kuttenberg’s Czech pronunciation) is still a wonderfully medieval city, but we had to take it back to 1403 – so it really is a lot of work, and if you actually think about it, it’s more work than if you create a fantasy world.In a fantasy world you can create whatever you like according to what you need, where we have to create things the other way around, with the elements that already exist.

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Henry’s journey in the first game is immense, and so was the world-building that we got to see. KCD:II is set to be so much bigger, with around 80 to 100 hours of gameplay; how do you balance the expectations of returning players while making it accessible for new players as well?

T: Very good question. KCD:II is an absolute evolution of the first game, right? So this in itself should already – hopefully please the expectations of the fans of the first game. They want more of the same but to make it better, and that is exactly what we did – more of the same, but made it way bigger.

So everything you know from KCD was transferred to the second game and improved – the learning curve wasn’t as steep as it was before, it should be more accessible and just more enjoyable, and the package should feel more rounded without having to dumb it down or making it too easy to digest for everyone.

It’s still a special game that does things differently to most other games – we don’t drag you by the arm through the game, it still requires you to think about the situation. [The preview we played] was just a tiny side-quest; we told you that you had to steal a sword, but how you do it is totally up to you, there’s no visual hints, no GPS or whatever, you have to make your own way.

For the newcomers its still just a very deep roleplaying experience with knights and castles, and that’s pretty much everything they need to know; we want to make sure nobody feels out of place or that they’ve been left out of something. The beginning of the game focuses a little bit on what happened in the first game, not too much because it’s not all that relevant. We tell you “here’s you, here’s your best friend, this is your current task, good luck and have fun”. The rest comes from either Henry being haunted by his nightmares which will slowly tell you what happened, but 90% of the people you’ll meet will be absolutely new.

Following on from this, the NPCs in the game have been said to be totally unique with their own lives. How hard was that to implement, and how important was it to the team to do so?

T: Really, really very hard because the city itself has a thousand NPCs or so, but there’s a huge amount of people who all go through daily cycles – not everyone has their name or whatever, so at some point its very hard to just have them all be unique. But we have a very good technical system for clothing and for looks and hair and so on, so at least they look different – some of them will have names and some of them are really important for the game.

The baseline we crafted already in KCD where the NPCs have daily cycles is actually beneficial – and placed into the RPG system it is tricky for development because everything can mess with it. So if the character wakes up in the morning and washes themselves then goes to work, after work they might go to the pub. When they go to the pub they might get tipsy, and when they get tipsy they’re easier to pickpocket, so you can wait for them to come out and you can try to pickpocket them easier or whatever.

The quest you played today – you had to steal the sword. If you went to the location during the day, all the doors are open; but everyone is there and awake, and they are all roaming around, so stealth gameplay will be harder. But if you enter the location during the night, the doors are locked, but its easier to move around because everyone is asleep or not around. The daily cycles are there not to be abused, but for you to work with them and use them to your advantage – if you try things during the day and fail, you can try again at night. Or you can poison their food, they all die, but then another NPC will not like that you killed people. So they definitely have an impact on the game.

We’re pressed for time, so our last question: Mastery of weapons is in the hands of the player, and this time around there are even more weapons to master, including more ranged weapons such as crossbows. With an already deep combat system, what was it like fine-tuning it this time around?

T: Combat was the biggest feature from KCD that got reworked the most – but when I say reworked, we didn’t change the basis of it. It’s still similar to the first game, swordplay with different attacking zones, but we tried to make it more accessible for the players, so that the learning curve wasn’t as steep as it was before.

The weapons should all feel differently, and play differently. If you take the sword, that’s for the master sword fighter if you’re that kind of person – it has all the deep mechanics and intricate combat styles. But if you feel like you do not want to invest the time into sword-fighting, you don’t have to – you can use the mace or the axe. They’re not worse weapons, they excel at other parts of the game, but they play differently – the axe is something you just whack the enemy in the head with.

Instead of the ‘star’ that’s in front of you (referring to the attack mechanic from KCD) with four movement directions, you only have three or two, or even one. It’s really an RPG question that you as a player decide and work out what works for you. The alchemy system as well, if you use it, you can create great advantages out of it – spread poisons on your weapons, make yourself stronger and so on.

We definitely had a ball playing through KCD:II’s preview mission, and true to Tobias’s statements, none of us played the mission in the exact same way. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is shaping up to be a journey of epic proportions, and we can’t wait to see it when it launches in early 2025.

The post We Spoke To The Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Team About The Brutal Combat And Living World appeared first on Press Start.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This has been republished with the game finally launching physically in Australia this week. It releases on October 25th and the cheapest copy is at Target for $45. 

Time is relentless and unyielding – it’s– crazy to think that twenty-eight years ago we first witnessed Lara Croft and her adventures in the Tomb Raider series. Nobody could have predicted the critical acclaim that would come afterward, nor the discourse around her status as a cultural icon and her appeal to certain audiences. Even further to that is the expansive and muddled legacy that it created – multiple sequels, several reboots, and film adaptations as well.

When Tomb Raider launched in 1996, it was the first time in a long time that gaming had a strong female protagonist, skyrocketing Lara Croft to the same heights as Mario and Sonic, and putting her head-to-head with Sony’s own Crash Bandicoot. While most people were hooked on the wise-cracking Duke Nukem or ultraviolence of Quake and Doom, Tomb Raider made 3D platforming exciting by blending puzzle solving and action with freedom of movement and exploration. With a slew of sequels and expansions, the Tomb Raider franchise quickly became stale – too much of a good thing led to a lack of innovation, and despite continuing to sell games, the series never really moved past its origins (at least before the modern and grittier trilogy).

Having said that, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered helps you slip on the rose-tinted glasses to enjoy exactly what made Lara the icon she was, and to recapture a bit of that atmosphere when the games were first released. These are games that don’t hold your hand or guide you through with hints and suggestions; you’re dropped into an environment and forced to figure things out on your own, with the tools at your disposal. This is both refreshing and jarring – you could be spending hours wandering a level to try and find your next objective, while simultaneously uncovering the level’s secrets to get a perfect score before moving on to the next.

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The biggest thing I think this trilogy has going for it is that it is exactly as advertised, with a few quality-of-life improvements over the originals. You have all three Tomb Raider games in their upscaled glory, with an enhanced modern control scheme, and even a photo mode thrown in for good measure. The three games come with their PC-only expansions as well, available for the first time on consoles, so you truly are getting the full versions of each game with more modern graphics. On starting the game for the first time you’re also greeted with an opening card that states:

“The games in this collection contain offensive depictions of people and cultures rooted in racial and ethnic prejudices. These stereotypes are deeply harmful, inexcusable, and do not align with our values at Crystal Dynamics.

“Rather than removing this content, we have chosen to present it here in its original form, unaltered, in the hopes that we may acknowledge its harmful impact and learn from it.”

There’re going to be people who want to take that the wrong way, but personally I think it’s a great addition considering some of the story content of the games. There’s no overt censorship, no cut content, heck even the games’ cheat codes are active (but I couldn’t get them to work.)

One of the major changes here is the addition of “Modern Controls,” allowing you to play Lara in a more free-moving style as opposed to her classic “tank” controls. This comes with its own caveats – the levels were built around Lara’s strafing jumps, shimmying across ledges and shuffling to get a better angle on things, and more often than not she’d be hurtling into walls or off edges leading to a frustrating level restart.

To realise just how much time we spent with tank controls back in the day, perfecting a safety drop just to tap the wrong button and have Lara swan-dive into the ground below ending in a sickening neck snap is really jarring. To be able to do that in a lot less button presses with Modern controls is just annoying. I found myself constantly switching back and forward between Modern and Tank to get through levels, lest I hurl the controller through the screen. I even experimented with plugging in a DualShock for control, and found that Modern controls feel more comfortable with a controller, but Tank controls work better for keyboards.

Switching between control systems wasn’t the only thing to amaze me – the most impressive part of the Remastered trilogy is the work that’s been put into upscaling the graphics. At the press of a button you can instantly switch between classic graphics and modern graphics, and I’m not gonna lie – the modern graphics are identical to what I would have imagined the classic graphics being when I first played Tomb Raider years ago. Aspyr has made great strides in adding little quirks to the modern graphics, allowing proper light sources to shine in from above, or making certain consumables stand out just that little bit more from their classic counterparts, but sometimes this has flaws in itself as well.

The first level of Tomb Raider III is set in a jungle, which has a swamp you can drown in if you’re not careful. Switching between classic and modern graphics, I discovered that the classic graphics’ mud has waves like water, whereas the modern texture is solid and looks like the ground. Another level restart for me on that one after unsuccessfully trying to pull Lara out of the swamp. It’s small changes like this that make you err on the side of caution; whether this was a stylistic choice for Aspyr in developing the games or not remains to be seen. The game’s photo mode allows you to have a bit of fun while playing, and really puts you back in awe at the graphical changes between old and new, though I was a little uncomfortable with the ability to put Lara in a dressing gown in the middle of China.

The audio work goes largely unchanged from the originals, so Lara’s voice is the same as day one, grunts and all. The pre-rendered cutscenes are also unchanged but do get the benefit of upscaling – credit to Aspyr for not trying to reinvent the wheel with that one, The in-game cutscenes have additional facial animation to match the voices which was a nice touch. Nathan McCree’s iconic title theme brings a tear to my eye every time I boot up the Remastered trilogy, and the soundtrack for all three games with its classical influences is still some great atmospheric work.

The post Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Review – A Love Letter To Lara’s Origins appeared first on Press Start.

When Sonic Generations dropped in 2011, it was almost like a reinvigoration of the franchise; taking classic and modern Sonic and pairing them together, experiencing the best of 2D and 3D worlds, and paying homage to the history of the series in a neat little package. Thirteen years on, we finally get an updated version for modern consoles; but with it comes Sega’s push for their edgy, darker counterpart to take the spotlight – putting Shadow the Hedgehog front and centre by re-releasing Sonic Generations as Sonic X Shadow Generations.

The game is split into two components – the first being Sonic Generations, a remaster and update of the 2011 release with sharper graphics, reworked cutscenes and a few gameplay tweaks. At Sonic’s birthday party, a mysterious being known as the Time Eater warps Sonic and his friends into White Space – where past and future collide. Sonic meets himself from the past, and together they travel through their history to save their friends and stop Dr Eggman from teaming up with himself as he tries to erase his failures of the past and rewrite history.

But the Time Eater doesn’t just affect Sonic and his friends; Shadow Generations sees Shadow the Hedgehog also dragged into White Space by the Time Eater, where he is confronted by the imminent return of his greatest foe, Black Doom. The being that helped create Shadow, Black Doom seeks to return from the past and take over the world – so it falls upon Shadow to travel through his history to set things right, while obtaining new dark powers and being reunited with old friends.

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The problem with Sonic X Shadow Generations is that it doesn’t seem to know what game it wants to be. Is it a remaster? Is it a sequel? Is it a wholly new experience? Effectively it is two games in one – a remaster of Sonic Generations, while attempting to do Shadow the Hedgehog justice by tagging Shadow Generations alongside it. Sega are really making a focus on the “Year of Shadow” this year by releasing this game as well as having Shadow star in the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film, set for release later this year. But in order to do both games their due diligence, you almost have to forget that Sonic’s game was released thirteen years ago, and view it as if it was just released – otherwise Shadow’s game seems like an afterthought.

To that extent, it’s probably better that Sonic Generations is paired up with Shadow Generations, so that you can understand the story behind both titles. Credit where credit is due, SEGA did a great job on remastering Sonic Generations for a new audience who may have missed it the first time around.

With two acts per level, you get the opportunity to play as both Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic through a variety of historic Sonic stages; with Green Hill Zone, Chemical Plant Zone and Sky Sanctuary Zone to name a few. The flip side to this, and something that makes the game that much more enjoyable, is the ability to play as Classic Sonic on levels released well beyond the years of the Sega Mega Drive (or Genesis for you international friends) such as Crisis City and Planet Wisp from more recent instalments where 3D gameplay is king.

As you bring colour back to White Space by finishing the levels and saving Sonic’s friends, you’ll come up against bosses from Sonic’s history, as well as unlocking collectibles and beating challenges such as time trials. This all leads up to the climactic battle against past and future Dr Eggman and the Time Eater, to save the world and restore time and space to normal.

When I say that Sonic Generations does its history justice, it isn’t just looking at things through rose-tinted glasses – Classic Sonic plays exactly like it should, and Modern Sonic is fun and fast. There’s nothing overly complicated about how each Sonic plays, and aside from maybe going a little too fast in certain sections, plenty of care has been taken to make each character play with a degree of familiarity.

Modern Sonic took a while for me to get used to as not only was it a jump from 2D to 3D (or 2.5D in some situations) but you also get lock-on and boost mechanics that extend your jumps and attacks – there is some fun to be had in bouncing from one enemy to another before boosting away to grind on a rail. In true Sonic fashion, going fast is the aim of the game regardless of whether you play as Classic or Modern Sonic, and it almost feels punishing if you aren’t going fast.

If SEGA weren’t pushing the “Year of Shadow” content, then we could end the review there, say that Sonic Generations is a great remaster of a decent Sonic game, and we’d be done with it. But Shadow needs time in the spotlight, and this is where things diverge just a little bit. If you’re not familiar with Shadow the Hedgehog, you’re given a narrative backstory which tells us about how he was engineered to be the Ultimate Life Form, being infused with DNA from the evil alien Black Doom. Created by Gerald Robotnik on the Space Colony ARK, Shadow befriends Robotnik’s daughter Maria, who is plagued with a terminal illness that Gerald seeks to cure through Project Shadow.

When the government becomes concerned about Project Shadow, they send forces from Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N) to shut the project down; but Maria is killed in the process, and Shadow seeks to enact revenge for losing his friend. Shadow is captured and placed into stasis for over 50 years, and on his release he sought to ruin the world. Remembering Maria’s last words to him, he forced himself to stop – and became the anti-hero we now know today.

We open with Shadow on Space Colony ARK, tracking a strange signal. Rouge the Bat calls him reminding him of Sonic’s birthday party – and at this time the events of Sonic Generations take place, as everyone is dragged into rifts created by the Time Eater. Shadow fights off a being known as Doom’s Eye, later discovered to be Black Doom’s third eye set out to monitor Shadow in an attempt to revive Black Doom. In scenes reminiscent of the mirror dimension from Doctor Strange, the fights with Doom’s Eye are pretty crazy, and usually culminate in Shadow earning a new power if you manage to land a hit.

Shadow then finds himself in a similar White Space to Sonic, being forced to relive elements of his past in order to save the day. Where Sonic Generations’ White Space keeps to a 2D plane, Shadow Generations opens up the White Space to three dimensions, allowing you to practice and test out the Doom powers that Shadow will acquire on his journey. As you encounter Doom’s Eye, Shadow unlocks more dark powers to use on his journey – with the ability to surf across water or unleash devastating attacks on enemies unlocking through progression.

Shadow Generations’ White Space feels very awkward compared to Sonic Generations, and it isn’t just the jump from 2D to 3D in the hub space. In fact I found this was a flaw with the game as a whole – the controls for Shadow feel extremely clunky even though they have clearly taken example from Sonic’s 3D gameplay.

Some moments are too sensitive, others are extremely floaty, and there doesn’t seem to be any middle ground when it comes to controlling Shadow. The game allows you to keep the quick time event controls on screen when they happen, but even then it doesn’t seem to feel natural when attempting to perform it. Just like Sonic Generations, the game wants you to go fast – but sometimes it feels like it’s also a curse, as one wrong button press or slight adjustment to the direction and you’ve sent yourself flying off the side of the course and into the abyss.

Shadow’s Doom powers add an extra layer to playing the character that at times feels very fluid and inventive, and other times just feels like another button sequence to remember without being practical. In moments that feel very ‘blink and you’ll miss it’, you’ll be able to target multiple enemies with Doom Spears – but you may have already rocketed past them by boosting consistently, so it doesn’t really change things.

Filling the Chaos Control gauge makes for strategic moments where you need to pause time to get through a difficult obstacle (like falling or breaking platforms) and the game conveniently hands you everything you need to do that at the right places, but everything feels very on-rails when you’re in a level and so not as necessary to plan ahead. Overall, rather than feeling like a new or a different character, Shadow just plays like Sonic but with extra steps and bonus powers.

The post Sonic X Shadow Generations Review – Classic Sonic And Modern Sonic Together appeared first on Press Start.

With another PAX Australia in the books, we’d be remiss to not spotlight many of the special indie games we got to try out on the show floor. Developers come from near and far to seize their moment at the nation’s biggest consumer event for video games. 

In years past, we’ve enjoyed looking at games like The Dungeon Experience and darkwebSTREAMER, however with neither of those games present, it left the floor open for a select few to steal focus. 

Here are the coolest indies I saw while walking the PAX Australia show floor.

Key Fairy

Key Fairy was damn near close to my game of show, thanks in large part to its alluring hand-drawn art and penchant for folkloric pacifism.

It’s one part bullet hell action-adventure, one part Undertale as you avoid enemies, reap their fallen stars, and talk them into submission. A very strange, fascinating project that’s very Devolver Digital-coded, which means it speaks to me. 

Wishlist here. 

Corporeal 

I absolutely adored the brief handful of minutes I got to spend with Corporeal, a paranormal mystery game where you’re piecing together a haunted photo album after you’re left as the sole survivor of unexplained events during the nineties in New Zealand. 

The controls were a lot and took a bit of getting used to as you peruse the game’s retro analog interfaces to manipulate reels and print photographs needed to piece together your cursed family history. 

It’s like Immortality through another, much spookier, lens. 

Wishlist here.

My Arms Are Longer Now

A terrifically funny physics-puzzle game that sees you slither your enormous snakelike arm around in an effort to pull off the perfect heist and snatch anything that isn’t bolted down. 

It gives me Untitled Goose Game vibes in that it places an emphasis on stealth, except instead of honking you’re helping yourself to people’s pockets. 

Wishlist and try out the demo here. 

Primordial Legends: Hollow Hero

Hollow Hero is a returning feature from previous expos, and it’s looking even better having enjoyed another year of polish. 

Wombats are harder than a cat’s head and, as such, I do love the choice out of Australia’s gallery of remaining native fauna. Thanks to Wombat Stew, a storybook favourite of my kids, there’s a cultural cache that Toybox can cash in on. 

Wishlist here.

Game Over

As someone who loved the quirkiness of Knuckle Sandwich, a game which blended turn-based roleplaying game elements, like those found in old school Final Fantasy games, with bespoke mini-games like in Mario Party, Game Over is for me. 

It’s not a roleplaying game in the traditional sense with the ‘R’ standing for rhythm this time around. Created by one developer over the course of five long years, I get the sense this musical take on a battle-tested genre might be a breath of fresh air. 

Wishlist here.

Dungeons and Dining Tables

After trying Tales of the Shire at Summer Game Fest, I’ve come to harbour an appreciation for games that lean whole-bodied into the realm of cosy. 

Trawl procedurally-generated dungeons as a brave axolotl in an effort to improve both the decor and morale around Kindlerest. It’s a game that hammers home the importance of community, a worthwhile message to hitch a wagon to. 

Wishlist here.

420 Blaze It 2

Look, it’s dank memes funnelled through what appears to be a shooter that plays like F.E.A.R. 

What’s not to love? It’s definitely geared at those who like to sample the devil’s lettuce, among other things, but underneath the “poggerz” of it all there appears to be a surprisingly competent shooter here? 

Wishlist here.

Doomtide

The thing that’s most immediately striking about Doomtide is its decision to filter its voxel art models through what I’m calling its mostly monochromatic “newspaper filter” because the game is black, white, and red all over. 

Beneath its alluring art is a turn-based role playing game boasting hundreds of heroes to recruit, and an entire flooded city to rebuild all in the pursuit of sailing the seas to pillage the wealth and power of anyone unfortunate enough to get in your way. 

Wishlist here.

Rose and Locket

As outlaw, Rose, you traverse the Underwest in an effort to rescue your daughter’s soul from the locket it resides in. Unlock once-lost gunslinger abilities to make short work of enemies in this action-adventure platformer gem. 

I absolutely adore the game’s graphic novel aesthetic, and the Underwest’s colourful, damned realms remind me a little bit of Guacamelee, with a small dash of Samurai Jack.

Wishlist here and take on Wrath in the short demo. 

Squat Ops

Squat Ops is a fascinating collision of ideas, taking the espionage action of Metal Gear Solid and marrying it to the fitness-focused player input of something like Ring Fit. 

Using either a webcam or a pair of AirPods, the game recognises every body weight squat you execute and converts your burnt calories into movement for Hart, the game’s protagonist. 

This is definitely one to look out for if you’re hoping to tone your legs and ass while getting your game on.

Speaking of that ass, get it over here to wishlist.  

Me, You and Kaiju?

There’s nothing more fun than frantically flailing your arms in a VR headset, so why not destroy a city while you do it! Developed by Sleepy Coast Games, the game allows you to take the reins of a giant kaiju throwing cars, trees and anything not bolted down at a team of four military opponents whose main goal is to blow you up. 

With helicopters, tanks and tactical vehicles, take down the kaiju before time is up in order to save the city from destruction.

Wishlist here.

Box Knight

Corporate life is a major drainer. I know, I’ve been there. But when your toxic workplace has turned the average employee into a creature set to wreak havoc, it’s your job to put them back in their place. 

A roguelike developed by We Made A Thing Studios, you’ll don armour and weapons made of the finest cardboard as you delve deeper into the office as you seek the CEO, attempting to dethrone them and restore order to your mundane workplace.

Not only can you wishlist here, there’s a demo for you to try out right now. 

Beyond These Stars

Almost reminiscent of Terry Pratchett’s DiscWorld, you land on the back of a majestic Space Whale, seeking a symbiotic relationship as you build a city and travel through the endless void of space. 

You’ll seek to manage the needs of your ‘Peeps’ while maintaining your relationship with Kewa, constructing living spaces and seeking out more resources as your population expands. You’ll also meet strange new lifeforms along your journey, who will open up opportunities for advanced technology and abilities to trade. 

Your co-existence with Kewa is key to continuing both of your journeys through space.

Wishlist here.

The Drifter

If John Carpenter, Michael Crichton and George Miller got together in the 80s and made a point-and-click game, you’d end up with The Drifter, a thrilling experience developed by Powerhoof. 

As the drifter Mick, you bear witness to a violent murder and then pursued into your death, only to reawaken moments before you are killed. As you seek to clear yourself from being framed for murder, you’ll be haunted by your past and by the sense that something from the other side returned with you when you came back to life.

Wishlist and give the game a go right here.

The post The Best Looking PAX AUS 2024 Indie Games That You Need To Wishlist appeared first on Press Start.

Loosely based around the 16th century Chinese story ‘Journey to the West’, and inspired by Hong Kong martial arts films, there would be very few people who would have foreseen the future popularity and impact that the Dragon Ball manga would have on audiences when it was released forty years ago. And while Akira Toriyama may no longer be with us to continue the story of Son Goku and his friends, his legacy lives on through the franchise’s numerous adaptations – the latest being Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero.

Seventeen years in the making itself, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is the ultimate love letter to Dragon Ball fans around the world, as well as those who have been hanging for a true sequel to the Budokai Tenkaichi games not seen since 2007. From Z to Super and even GT, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero puts the thrill of high-speed and super-powered battles into your hands, between your favourite characters in familiar and highly-destructive environments, allowing you to play through the fights that you’ve always wanted to see.

I could write an entire article just on the story of Dragon Ball alone, but if you’re playing Sparking! Zero, chances are you’re already well-versed on Dragon Ball history. Thankfully, the game gives you the opportunity to play through the story through eight different characters in Episode Battle. With a mix between comic-style panels and in-game cutscenes, the game weaves through the narrative allowing you to take part in iconic fights from Dragon Ball Z and Super. Starting with our main character Goku, you’ll play through the Raditz saga and beyond, unlocking more characters as the narrative progresses – but with the added twist of diverting the narrative if you meet certain battle conditions. For instance, what would happen if Goku beat Raditz without dying?

What would happen if Gohan defeated Cell without allowing him to blow up? These pivotal narrative moments can be changed, branching out into new paths that will take the Dragon Ball story in new and exciting directions. You’ll even have the chance to step into the shoes of familiar foes such as Frieza and Goku Black as they take on our heroes in Vegeta, Piccolo and more. The narrative branching does get a bit frustrating however, as the conditions for changed results aren’t made clear at any point in the fight, and it isn’t until the fight is over that you’ll know if you’re on track or if you’ve branched off.

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As you progress through the Episode Battle you’ll gain proficiency in your characters and raise your player level, as well as earning Zeni which can be used for purchasing customisable unlocks in the shop. You’ll also complete tasks given to you by Zen Oh and Whis, which will give you even more opportunity to unlock Zeni and even characters to be used later in the game. If you want to take a break from Episode Battle, you can take yourself into Custom Battle instead, which allows you to create the scenario you’ve always wanted to see, or play through pre-made custom scenarios.

With over 180 characters to choose from, as well as iconic locations and the ability to set battle conditions, you can create, recreate and share the battles that you’ve always wanted to see. Want to see Cell, Frieza and Buu team up and take revenge on Goku, Vegeta and Trunks? You can make it happen. Want to see Nappa try and join the Frieza Force before teaming up with Vegeta? There’s a scenario for that. There’s almost no limit to your imagination when it comes to creating your own scenarios, as well as playing through some pretty interesting Bonus Episodes that have been created for the game.

Not long after a few rounds in Episode Battle, I found myself heading over to Super Training as my frustration grew and I began mashing buttons instead of being focused and tactical. Whether you’re an experienced player or fresh to the franchise, Super Training is a mode I would recommend you spend your time wisely in; while the game gives you a quick rundown of the controls when you first start it up, the combat flows extremely deep. Learning about techniques like Vanishing Assault, Z-Counter and Z Burst Dash will improve your fighting immensely, and coupling these with assault combos and ki blasts will make you the ultimate fighter.

But learning these things and putting them into practice are two totally different things, so I found myself consistently jumping back to training to re-learn what I’d already learned and why I wasn’t able to put it into practice. There is a classic control style for those who managed to find their PS2s and get back into the rhythm from the Budokai Tenkaichi trilogy, otherwise the standard control system is pretty easy to start with. Sparking! Zero’s frustration in its control system stems from the fact that input sometimes is required to be extremely precise, and one wrongly-timed button input can mean the difference between performing the correct attack and instead throwing ki blasts at random and exhausting your energy.

While keeping an eye on counters, knockbacks, ki blasts and everything else taking place, you also need to ensure you power up your ki enough to perform certain attacks, as well as the obscure number near your avatar that counts upwards as you fight. This allows for character transformations, which you will unlock with character unlocks, and be able to use where available. There’s nothing worse than trying to go Super Saiyan and not having the power or ability to do so. This is why it is important not just to jump online or into gameplay, but give yourself the opportunity to learn all that you can. Overwhelming is a word that keeps coming to mind when I think about the complexities of the game; as not only do you need to memorise so many different ways to dodge and attack, you also need to monitor your HP gauge so that you don’t accidentally go all-out and be pulverised in a fight. I’m sure over time the controls will become second-nature, but sometimes the fights can be a bit too much.

After you’ve had your fill of fighting, either through Episode or Custom Battle, or even through creating your own World Tournament fixture, you can head over to med with Zen Oh and Whis to earn rewards that you’ll accumulate by performing tasks. These can be as simple as battling with one character for a certain number of times, or meeting certain conditions in a battle such as using your Super Attack multiple times. Zen Oh grants your stamp cards which gives you Zeni, outfits and even player card customizations; while Whis can give you other items like Dragon Balls which can be used to summon the immortal Dragons. Be sure to visit them often to receive your rewards and use them to unlock more and more.

There is plenty to unlock when it comes to the Shop and Customise section as well; from classic outfits from the manga and anime, to voice packs and quotes as well as music, and even skill capsules for use in fights. Your Zeni will be used up pretty quickly as you buy up all of the items within the store. You can even unlock characters you may not have earned through gameplay or performing certain conditions in-game, and unlock even more to customise your player card. You can then head to the Come Forth… menu, where you’re given the option to summon one of three Eternal Dragons to grant you a wish that will assist with more unlocks, including characters, additional Zeni and even overall difficulty for the game. Both Whis and Zen Oh’s tasks intertwine with each other, so by unlocking one thing (or a range of things) you can then get a wish from Whis, which then allows you to unlock yet another of Zen Oh’s tasks. It’s the perfect cycle as long as you use as many characters as possible.

As someone who grew up with Dragon Ball Z, it always brings joy to hear the majority of the original cast still performing the voices, and they definitely don’t let down in the performance aspect. Although fans of the more recent Dragon Ball Super will recognise the voices better due to cast changes (Stephanie Nadolny will always be my Kid Goku/Teen Gohan voice, thank you), the voice acting is still top-notch. Should you prefer to have the original Japanese voice cast instead, you can jump into the main menu at any time to flip between them – and sometimes its a breath of fresh air to hear the different voice actors.

It is also great to see that we’ve finally worked out how to have three-dimensional characters still look like they are animated in a traditional sense – using a traditional animation design by Toei animator Naohiro Shintani, the characters look and feel genuine as if they could exist both in a two-dimensional and three-dimensional space. Coupled with colours that absolutely pop when characters are involved in beam struggles or powering up their auras, the game is an absolute treat both visually and aurally. Just don’t expect the Faulconer Productions music score any time soon, as awesome and classic as it would be.

At the time of review, online services were available however I was not able to enter a game. This will be updated over the coming week as services become available.

The post Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Review – A Return To Form appeared first on Press Start.

Gone are the days of going to a friend’s place only to be dealt the other controller, the “spare” – you know the one; dodgy buttons, loose joysticks, and a real weird texture to it. It never quite worked right, and had an essence of uncanny valley about it. But now, aftermarket and alternative brands have been absolutely knocking it out of the park – to the point where if you’re handed a controller it is likely to be the official branded one, while your friend plays with something even better. That’s where the CRKD NEO S comes into play.

Straight out of the box, the NEO S is deceptive – I wasn’t prepared for something that appeared so simple to be so powerful. Nearly the same size as a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, the rigid rectangular body of the Neo S might appear unwieldy to begin with; but once it sits in your hands it feels a whole lot more lightweight and comfortable. Sliding out of its cool little carry case, the first thing I noticed was that it almost felt too light, especially when comparing it to the Switch Pro Controller.

The other thing that caught my eye was the design that adorned the NEO S’s face – in conjunction with the artist POPeART, the NEO S sports some fantastic designs full of personality. The Junkyard Edition we got our hands on evokes industrial flair, combining form and function to make something really cool. It also made me want to collect them all, and not only are there two extra designs in Blossom and Splatter from POPeART, there’s also Nintendo 64-esque translucent colours as well, leaning into the retro-meets-new feel that CRKD is aiming for.

Now before you dread the idea of downloading yet another app to do something related to a game or a service, hear me out – CRKD has made their companion app fun and exciting to use. Not only can you play around with your controller’s settings, including programming your back buttons and adapting the vibration, but you can also adjust the trigger actuation points as well as remove dead-zones from your thumbsticks. Using an RFID tag in the back of the controller, you can also scan in your device in what CRKD calls the “True Collection System”, which shows you details about the NEO S controller you’ve picked up – including the product number and rarity rank (what model number you received).

We’ve mentioned a few of the features of the controller, but how do they actually work in with playing games? Pairing your controller is really easy – in fact you get a neat little card that shows you just how to do so to your PC, mobile device, or Nintendo Switch – and from there you’re straight into gaming. You can program the back buttons by holding down the PROG button at the back of the controller and entering a single- or multiple-input combo before confirming it by tapping the button at the back, or even dedicating one to a ‘turbo’ mode for rapid input.

To add longevity to the device, both thumbsticks use hall effect technology which reduces contact points and prevents everyone’s dreaded nightmare of stick drift from occurring to the NEO S. In connecting the device to my phone, my Nintendo Switch and even my PC, this was definitely noticeable too – the responsiveness of the Hall effect sticks meant better accuracy and less struggle to ensure the correct input. But the tech doesn’t stop there, because the trigger buttons also use Hall effect sensors, allowing you to customise your own actuation points and make them more or less responsive to input.

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The one surprising feature about the controller which I wasn’t really aware of until I played around with the app was the vibration function – I’m used to wireless controllers of the same variety not having any sort of haptic feedback or vibration, but the NEO S does have it. It was also one of the only downsides, as the vibration feels very light and often goes unnoticed; not that its a dealbreaker of any kind, it’s one of the only things I could suggest as a negative throughout this whole review.

Of course if you already own the CRKD Nitro Deck for your Nintendo Switch, there’s no doubt you know the level of detail and quality that CRKD puts into their products, and the NEO S is no exception. Right down to the ability to replace the thumbstick pads (which are interchangeable between the two devices), the NEO S is comfortable to hold and sleek in design, not sacrificing form or function with its retro-inspired looks. But under the hood it does so much more, with its Hall effect sensors and ability to customise vibration, trigger function and back buttons giving you the flexibility to personalise it how you want.

The post CRKD NEO S Controller Review – Punches Above Its Weight appeared first on Press Start.

Seriously, what is in the Mishima blood, and where can I get some?

Despite an almost definitive end to Heihachi at the end of Tekken 7, and strong insistence from game director and producer Katsuhiro Harada that “Heihachi Mishima is completely dead”, it seems that we’ve all been living a lie, and that our Mishima-Mishima-Kazama blood feud is going to continue on.

In Tekken’s 30th anniversary year, so far we’ve had two out of four DLC characters announced and released for Tekken 8 – everyone’s favourite Capoeira master Eddy Gordo, and the Prime Minister of Poland Lidia Sobieska. Wild theories have flown around for months on end as to who the next two characters would be, but I guess now we have our answer – and it’s set to shake up the Tekken story yet again.

HEIHACHI MISHIMA is completely…..
Resurrection!!!#TEKKEN8 https://t.co/pNDzv8C6HI

— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) July 21, 2024

In a post by Harada himself, we get a video that raises more questions than it answers, with Harada riffing his earlier comments that “Heihachi Mishima is completely….. Resurrection!!!” Of course we shouldn’t have expected any less from a series featuring angels versus devils, cyborgs with chainsaw arms, fighting pandas, and more daddy issues than you can throw a fist at.

This launch trailer also lets us know about the upcoming story DLC, focusing on a mysterious faction known as the Tekken Monks, which have been targeting the Mishima Zaibatsu. You can take one guess who it appears the head of the Tekken Monks will be.

With collaborations between Nike on a special edition sneaker, as well as some in-game branded content with Chipotle in the US, Bandai Namco is going hard at making it a big year for Tekken. One can’t help but feel we’re a little left out here in Australia though, as no launch plans have been announced elsewhere for anything beyond game DLC.

You can check out the Heihachi Mishima reveal trailer below.

I gave Tekken 8 a very solid 9/10 in my review earlier this year, writing, “Tekken 8 shows just how easy it is for a long-running franchise to remain fresh and relevant, while still offering a familiar experience to established fans. An engaging Story Mode coupled with Character Episodes keeps the narrative running, while Arcade Quest and Tekken Ball gives newcomers the opportunity to learn the ropes. While some fans may not like that their favourite character is missing from the roster, Tekken 8 fills the gaps with fresh new faces and the hint of more characters on the horizon. It’s time to get ready for the next battle!”

The post Tekken’s Heihachi Mishima Has Been Resurrected At EVO2024 appeared first on Press Start.

It’s wild to think that six years has passed since the release of Fallout 76. I don’t need to remind you what has happened since, but what I do need to flash back to is how the game was received those many years ago – filled with bugs (the non-shootable kind) and feeling as empty as the Wasteland itself. I was pretty harsh on the game at launch, and I’d like to put my hand up and say that I went too early, and that it really needed a chance to evolve.

And evolve it did! After fifty-two patches and swathes of content released over the years, Fallout 76 is almost an entirely different version of the same game. But it’s what we should be expecting from online-only experiences in this modern age of gaming. With one of its biggest content releases about to launch with Skyline Valley, we sat down with Creative Director Jonathan “Jon” Rush to talk more about the influences and changes around Fallout 76’s latest expansion.

So the game launched in 2018, it’s hard to believe that Fallout 76 has been around for six years. As you navigate the highs and lows of the online landscape, is this what you had envisioned for the game six years on?

Jon Rush: As we release updates, our excellent community is so great at giving us feedback – so we take that and see how it weighs in against the future of developments that we want to do. It’s been a learning experience for us along the way; learning what our players like and what they expect, and so using that to shape our roadmap and seeing the commitment that our community has towards the game, I knew the game was going to continue to be successful down the road.

Compared to traditional games where there’s a release supported by DLC, Fallout 76 is a continuous experience living online. Have you seen the game’s content take different turns to what you would have expected?

JR: Kind of, I mean way back towards the beginning there were definitely some surprises. For one, I didn’t think everyone in our Wasteland were going to be super-friendly to one another. So there’s been surprises like that, that we’ve kind of adopted the game around – ‘oh, we have a community of builders that love to build and love to show off what they’re building to other players, and love to invite people to their camps’ – and so underlining that with upcoming features, or features that we’ve already put in is definitely at the forefront.

It’s wonderful to see you have such a sense of engagement yourself with the community. As you are so active on X (formerly Twitter) during Fallout 76’s events, do you get a lot of feedback from players through this as well?

JR: I don’t really use that for feedback, I just use that to have some fun and hop in and play with our great community. As far as feedback from players, we have a really great community team that’s able to parse through the Reddit threads and YouTube videos and whatnot. But I myself am on there everyday, and I’m reading those threads, and watching those videos; I go through every Reddit post, and scour the threads on my own to get feedback. Engaging with the community I just do for fun because I love playing the game.

Skyline Valley is the first major map expansion, going beyond the existing map boundary for the first time. Could we potentially see further map expansions in other directions?

JR: Possibly! I mean it’s amazing how much space is on the borders of our map. For instance; when the game first came out I was watching my son, who was 10 at the time, and he was playing and he was at the Mothman museum. I thought ‘Oh neat, he’s having fun’, and I walked out of the room – I came back five minutes later and he’s running around in this hilly terrain, just trees and rocks and bushes; no buildings or creatures. I asked ‘Dude, where are you?’, he brought up the map and he was way off the map! I was like ‘Wow, we have a lot of space to play with! So I think that’s definitely a possibility of us expanding the map further.

I think what I’ve come to realise with the game, and what we’ve come to realise as a group is when our players get new locations and places to explore, they really want it to be a part of their Appalachia. The “Expeditions” content was fun and good – The Pitt, Atlantic City, people go in there and they want to have fun, but they want to be able to build and influence the space, so giving them the opportunity with Skyline Valley is the right way to go.

West Virginia is home to a lot of history which you’ve incorporated into the game, including Cryptids and creatures of local lore such as the Mothman. What kind of location-based research do you do to discover what content to include?

JR: We want to keep the game feeling distinctly like West Virginia, like bringing in the Fastnacht event. Before this game I hadn’t really heard of Fastnacht before, and now I’m like Captain Fastnacht! *laughing* So any region-specific traits that we can bring into our Appalachia I think makes it more of a genuine experience for players, even if they’re not outwardly familiar with it, there are unique qualities that they latch onto right away.

The cryptids are definitely one of those – when we first started development, I didn’t know what a cryptid was in terms of the name. I knew what Bigfoot was and the like, but I didn’t know they were referred to as cryptids. So looking into West Virginia cryptid lore, there’s a whole bunch of them, like some really weird ones, so we’ve got a lot to play with.

Whether friend or foe, Ghouls have been a mainstay in the Fallout universe. With the introduction of “The Lost” in Skyline Valley, we see a unique take on Ghouls and their abilities. Tell us a bit more about how you developed them for Fallout 76.

JR: So I think of our map as the main character of our game, and so looking at the new region, it’s using the qualities of that region and what that region offers, using the traits of that region to shape the new faction and their abilities. Ghouls are very popular, and we wanted to find a way to bring them into the new story but have them also fit in that environment.

An amazing surprise and a long-requested feature by Fallout fans, we finally get the chance to play as a Ghoul in Fallout 76. What was the influence behind allowing players to become Ghouls?

JR: We wanted to come up with more features for our in-game players. A new player comes in and opens up their in-game map and it’s like a theme park – like Disneyland, where there’s always stuff to do and things to go and see. While there is still plenty for our in-game players to do, we wanted to offer more ways that they can upgrade their characters’ power or play in alternate ways. So bringing in Ghouls which are very popular with players to mainly serve as a vessel for alternate playstyles was the influence here.

The Amazon Prime show Fallout, set in the same universe, was released earlier this year. Could we see any character cameos or tie-ins in the near future?

JR: All I can say is stay tuned!

When the show launched, Fallout fever took over and suddenly everyone became excited about Fallout again. What was it like seeing players returning or picking up the game for the first time?

JR: That was great! I hopped into the game, and I had all these Level 20s and 30s following me around, and they all just want stuff! I’d drop loot at their feet and they’d keep following me around, and I’m launching nukes everywhere which they think is funny – it was good. You know, the show was great, which pretty much goes without saying, but the show really kind of cast a light onto 76 and it reminded people ‘Hey, look, they’re still working on this!’, as we’re about to release our 52nd patch. And so it showed people just how far the game has come, and how great of a game it is now; with people returning that had started at launch who maybe wanted something that just wasn’t there, and came back now having a blast.

I will admit I was one of those players myself, off the back of Fallout 4 I enjoyed my time to begin with but fell out of love after a while with it, to find now that it’s worth getting back into.

JR: It’s fun, yeah! People that have come back and noticed all the additional life on the map – when the game first launched, people coming out into the post-apocalyptic West Virginia to discover the people that used to live there, very open and allowing them to make their own stories. Then we slowly brought Wastelanders in as people are intrigued with the space and the unique things the land has to offer.

Skyline Valley drops for Fallout 76 on June 12th, where you’ll get to explore more of Appalachia and the Shenandoah, including new enemies and events. Be sure to check it out the console or PC of your choice!

The post Fallout 76’s Jon Rush On The Game’s Resurgence, Skyline Valley And West Virginian Cryptids appeared first on Press Start.

We currently sit at the second-longest waiting period for the announcement or release of a new Fallout game. The first, occurring in the time when Bethesda purchased the Fallout franchise from Interplay, meant there were ten years between releases – and delivering some significant controversy with a pivot into the action-RPG genre. With Fallout 3 launching in 2008, Fallout: New Vegas in 2010, and then the much-awaited Fallout 4 in 2015, fans were spoiled for choice when it came to exploring the Wasteland and its charismatic inhabitants.

But gaming was evolving, just like the irradiated animals of Fallout’s scarred landscapes. While games were seen as complete packages with the possibility of add-on DLC adventures, the next title would be something that took the series in a new direction, allowing the ability to play with friends or strangers and to deliver narrative and event-based content over time; and we were greeted with Fallout 76. Being Bethesda Game Studios’ first online multiplayer title, there were always bound to be teething issues – and hot off the back of Fallout 4, there was also bound to be pushback and heavy criticism.

Six years ago when Fallout 76 launched, even I was quite harsh on the game at launch but could see glimmers of hope, quoting “Underneath the extremely rough and laggy exterior, Fallout 76 has the makings of a great and entertaining game.” People demanded refunds in droves, with Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission even releasing a statement advising that customers were eligible for refunds due to the game’s numerous bugs and issues.

But even with this negative press and a swathe of issues, the game pushed through, building a community of players who eventually would bring order to the Wasteland and help shape the vision that Bethesda had sought to create. We sit here six years later off the back of some significant triumphs – the first being the Fallout television show on Amazon Prime bringing in over one million players in a single day, and the other being the largest map expansion the game has seen in its run with the launch of Skyline Valley.

“As we release updates, our excellent community is so great at giving us feedback – so we take that and see how it weighs in against the future of developments that we want to do. It’s been a learning experience for us along the way; learning what our players like and what they expect, and so using that to shape our roadmap and seeing the commitment that our community has towards the game, I knew the game was going to continue to be successful down the road.” – Jonathon Rush, Creative Director

To say that we should return to West Virginia off the back of the television show’s success would be to minimise the successes of the game itself, however. Since launch, Fallout 76 has received fifty-two patches and content releases over its lifetime, with Skyline Valley being its 19th major update as well as the first time the game has pushed beyond its current map boundaries. Set before any of the existing Fallout games, it not only serves as a prequel to the games set to come, but allows the developers to explore more historic content from those releases too – the origins of the Brotherhood of Steel and the Forced Evolutionary Virus, as well as cameos from locations in other games such as The Pitt from Fallout 3.

“I think what I’ve come to realise with the game, and what we’ve come to realise as a group is when our players get new locations and places to explore, they really want it to be a part of their Appalachia. The “Expeditions” content was fun and good – The Pitt, Atlantic City, people go in there and they want to have fun, but they want to be able to build and influence the space, so giving them the opportunity with Skyline Valley is the right way to go.”

Built on a map nearly four times bigger than Fallout 4, there was always a chance to push the boundaries of what was out there. It was every kid’s dream playing a sandbox game to go beyond the imaginary boundaries, and now we get an opportunity to do just that. The game uses existing assets that had kept players wondering for the longest time, giving everyone the opportunity to find out more about Vault 63 and the strange inhabitants that reside within. It’s a testament to the evolving nature of the game as well. Alongside Vaults 94 and 96, Vault 63 was set to be opened with the Vault Raids feature that has long since been discontinued in-game.

Through this we encounter the enigmatic Hugo Stolz, and we learn about the Lost, electrified Ghouls with otherworldly voices, glowing eyes and a penchant for violent psychosis. It was bad enough encountering Feral Ghouls before, but this just raises things to a new terrifying level, in true Fallout fashion. But we also get two new public events with this release, one of which brings upon us the Storm Goliaths, giant robots with immense physical power and a knack for spouting historical literature quotes. Fighting these is no easy task, and so you’d do well convincing your friends to return to the wasteland with you. The more the merrier as you take down these giant machines.

Where the dedication from the creative team really shines is the inclusion of more notable locations in West Virginia – venturing into the Shenandoah National Park, and seeing the now-arid vistas of Skyline Drive. This version of Appalachia, full of history and myths, is a character in and of itself, playing host not only to the Wastelanders and Vault Dwellers within, but various urban legends and folklore tales that have come to life.

“The cryptids are definitely one of those – when we first started development, I didn’t know what a cryptid was in terms of the name. I knew what Bigfoot was and the like, but I didn’t know they were referred to as cryptids. So looking into West Virginia cryptid lore, there’s a whole bunch of them, like some really weird ones, so we’ve got a lot to play with.”

With the knowledge that this game still has so much to offer to both new players and existing fans alike, it’s almost hard not to get excited about what the future of Fallout 76 will hold. I still remember jumping in for the first time, fresh off the back of spending so long in Fallout 4 only to be extremely disappointed, like so many other players. But now with renewed interest, I stand at the precipice of my Vault, ready to step back out into the Wasteland and shape my journey in the hope that I can capture that glimmer of a spark that I saw when the game launched. I see the excitement from the creative team, and the effort that has gone into this game over its lifespan, and it’s clear that this game is only just hitting its stride. Now, more than ever, is a great time to be a Fallout fan.

The post With Skyline Valley, Fallout 76 Is Proving There’s Still Plenty Of Room To Grow appeared first on Press Start.

Fallout fever is in full swing, hitting fans harder than radiation from a nuclear launch. Fresh off the captivating Fallout television adaptation spiking interest in the series, followed up by major patches for Fallout 4 updating it graphically for modern consoles, and even a tie-in coming to Fortnite soon, it seems that Fallout’s popularity is as unstoppable as a deathclaw on a rampage.

But one entry in the series that shouldn’t be forgotten is Fallout 76; Bethesda’s online experience set in West Virginia. While we were fairly harsh on it back at launch six years ago (that’s right, six years!), it recently celebrated a milestone of having over 1 million people logging in over the course of a single day, and continues to deliver new content and stories for its loyal players.

If you’re anything like me and fell in love with Walton Goggins’ mesmerising performance as Cooper Howard/The Ghoul, then Fallout 76’s next update is going to get you excited. As revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase this morning, for the first time in Fallout history you’ll have the ability to play as a Ghoul. Dress your character up as a gunslinger and enact your favourite moments from the show, or go about your business as usual – but without the hassles of disease and radiation to affect you! Whether or not you turn feral is another matter, and of course there’s also the discrimination aspect… but with an increased lifespan you’ll be able to outlive your enemies without problem.

We got an opportunity to speak with Fallout 76’s creative director Jon Rush, who told us a bit more about the creative influences behind adding Ghouls as playable characters;

“We wanted to come up with more features for our in-game players. A new player comes in and opens up their in-game map and it’s like a theme park – like Disneyland, where there’s always stuff to do and things to go and see.

While there is still plenty for our in-game players to do, we wanted to offer more ways that they can upgrade their characters’ power or play in alternate ways. So bringing in Ghouls which are very popular with players to mainly serve as a vessel for alternate play-styles was the influence here.”

So whether you stay as a human or turn into a Ghoul, there will be plenty of content to continue your journey in Fallout 76 as the game goes from strength to strength. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming updates that seek to make the game even better!

The post Fallout 76 Is Finally Letting Us Play As Ghouls appeared first on Press Start.

South Park has been engulfed by a life-threatening and highly dangerous snowstorm; blocking off roads and supplies, and sending the town’s residents into a frenzy over toilet paper. This can only mean one thing – school is cancelled, because it’s a Snow Day! A winter wonderland awaits Cartman, Stan, Kyle and Kenny as you fill the shoes of the New Kid, venturing through the town of South Park as you engage in battle against swarms of kindergarteners and older kids, upgrading your powers and weapons and seeking to save the world from evil.

Combining action-adventure gameplay with some very lite “roguelite” elements, South Park: Snow Day is a departure from the installments that came before it, moving into the realm of 3D and stepping away from the turn-based gameplay of The Stick of Truth and The Fractured but Whole. According to Cartman, you (as the New Kid) got too powerful each time you finished an adventure, and so the kids all had to change the rules and start fresh. With a focus on co-op, you and three other ‘new kids’ can take on the hordes of enemy kindergarteners – but if your friends aren’t able to join in, allied bots will take their place. This co-op aspect has both good and bad results. Your friends can easily jump into sessions to form a strong team, each with their own layouts and powers, but the negative is that the bots can be quite hit and miss, leading to a lot of failed missions depending on difficulty.

South Park: Snow Day’s combat is fairly straightforward. Your loadout can be customised before a mission, consisting of a melee weapon and a ranged attack, as well as two support powers that you can strategically play. These support powers are endless, but powered by a ‘Pissed Off’ meter which grows as you battle enemies, and range from tactical shields and snowball cannons to jet farts and bulldoze farts, each with their own secondary effects as well. A card system forms the basis of upgrading all of your weapons and powers – you’ll meet up with Jimmy at intervals during a mission who will offer you modifier cards which vary from common to ultra-legendary, and can add bonus damage or modifiers to your weapons. My personal favourite was the axe tornado which sucked enemies into your axe spin for massive damage. Once you collect these cards they take place in Butters’ Book of Laws for revision, but they aren’t permanent. Each mission run-through starts fresh, and so no two plays are the same.

Both you and your enemy commander pick “Bullshit” cards before each chapter commences, which act as strengths and weaknesses which can be activated to turn the tide of war. Player Bullshit includes things like summoning extra warriors for a short period of time or using laser eyes to blast your way through opposing forces, whereas enemy Bullshit turns their forces into vampires or forces your weapons to do zero damage. These can be a gift and a curse; forcing you not to rely on one single method of attack or to shift into a different strategy when you’re fighting off reanimated enemies. Enemies also have access to upgrade cards similar to yours, which affect yourself as opposed to their forces, so it is always best to pick a balanced set of cards prior to commencing a chapter.

The game’s roguelite ideas manifest in a number of ways. A scarce commodity in South Park during this crazy blizzard, toilet paper is your most important currency when it comes to upgrades. Found in battling enemies as well as bins, bags and pretty much anything destructible, the more toilet paper you collect, the better of a chance you have at upgrading your modifier cards when you meet up with Jimmy at the end of a stage. While toilet paper is lost should you fail, Dark Matter is more persistent and can be used to unlock perks, making your character stronger or increasing things such as your health meter or Pissed Off meter. Dark Matter can be refunded and shifted into other perks, so each unlock isn’t permanent but will stay with you for each run.

The lack of pre-release availability for online play meant that most of my time was spent playing solo, which clearly isn’t the ideal way to play as the ally bots weren’t always able to support or revive me. This definitely feels like a game that’ll be better enjoyed with a squad of friends on a Saturday night as a bit of fun. With AI allies it’s also harder to tell who has what support options, as there’s no options to customise your bots, they just jump right in to fight. If you’re looking for a good solo experience, you’re not quite going to get it here.

Throughout the game’s chapters the difficulty levels often felt uneven and would spike suddenly, and so often I found I would be scrambling to survive while being swarmed by ranged attacks or heavy opponents. Understandable toward the end of the game for it to get a bit harder, but the way the difficulty ramps up never feels natural. Given its roguelike nature, failing any one segment sends you right back to the start of the chapter, which can be extremely frustrating if you’re already halfway through and have upgraded a fair bit of stuff only to be hit with a huge increase in challenge.

Of course even with so-so gameplay the big draw here is South Park itself. Each chapter starts with an interaction between yourself and your side, and the opposing general, and as you fight through the game you’ll encounter tons of classic South Park characters. Tolkien runs the armoury while Henrietta has her own dark magic card shop and can be found intermittently through different levels. You’ll have to save Randy Marsh from a frozen cavern, or help Jimbo and Ned find their missing stuff before you’re granted access to new powers. You’ll also have plenty of opportunity to kit yourself out with fun cosmetic gear featuring tons of references from the show. The game feels just like a big, playable South Park episode, which is obviously a huge positive and a good enough reason for superfans to get into it.

The post South Park: Snow Day! Review – It Needs More Defrosting appeared first on Press Start.

Time is relentless and unyielding – it’s– crazy to think that twenty-eight years ago we first witnessed Lara Croft and her adventures in the Tomb Raider series. Nobody could have predicted the critical acclaim that would come afterward, nor the discourse around her status as a cultural icon and her appeal to certain audiences. Even further to that is the expansive and muddled legacy that it created – multiple sequels, several reboots, and film adaptations as well.

When Tomb Raider launched in 1996, it was the first time in a long time that gaming had a strong female protagonist, skyrocketing Lara Croft to the same heights as Mario and Sonic, and putting her head-to-head with Sony’s own Crash Bandicoot. While most people were hooked on the wise-cracking Duke Nukem or ultraviolence of Quake and Doom, Tomb Raider made 3D platforming exciting by blending puzzle solving and action with freedom of movement and exploration. With a slew of sequels and expansions, the Tomb Raider franchise quickly became stale – too much of a good thing led to a lack of innovation, and despite continuing to sell games, the series never really moved past its origins (at least before the modern and grittier trilogy).

Having said that, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered helps you slip on the rose-tinted glasses to enjoy exactly what made Lara the icon she was, and to recapture a bit of that atmosphere when the games were first released. These are games that don’t hold your hand or guide you through with hints and suggestions; you’re dropped into an environment and forced to figure things out on your own, with the tools at your disposal. This is both refreshing and jarring – you could be spending hours wandering a level to try and find your next objective, while simultaneously uncovering the level’s secrets to get a perfect score before moving on to the next.

The biggest thing I think this trilogy has going for it is that it is exactly as advertised, with a few quality-of-life improvements over the originals. You have all three Tomb Raider games in their upscaled glory, with an enhanced modern control scheme, and even a photo mode thrown in for good measure. The three games come with their PC-only expansions as well, available for the first time on consoles, so you truly are getting the full versions of each game with more modern graphics. On starting the game for the first time you’re also greeted with an opening card that states:

“The games in this collection contain offensive depictions of people and cultures rooted in racial and ethnic prejudices. These stereotypes are deeply harmful, inexcusable, and do not align with our values at Crystal Dynamics.

“Rather than removing this content, we have chosen to present it here in its original form, unaltered, in the hopes that we may acknowledge its harmful impact and learn from it.”

There’re going to be people who want to take that the wrong way, but personally I think it’s a great addition considering some of the story content of the games. There’s no overt censorship, no cut content, heck even the games’ cheat codes are active (but I couldn’t get them to work.)

One of the major changes here is the addition of “Modern Controls,” allowing you to play Lara in a more free-moving style as opposed to her classic “tank” controls. This comes with its own caveats – the levels were built around Lara’s strafing jumps, shimmying across ledges and shuffling to get a better angle on things, and more often than not she’d be hurtling into walls or off edges leading to a frustrating level restart.

To realise just how much time we spent with tank controls back in the day, perfecting a safety drop just to tap the wrong button and have Lara swan-dive into the ground below ending in a sickening neck snap is really jarring. To be able to do that in a lot less button presses with Modern controls is just annoying. I found myself constantly switching back and forward between Modern and Tank to get through levels, lest I hurl the controller through the screen. I even experimented with plugging in a DualShock for control, and found that Modern controls feel more comfortable with a controller, but Tank controls work better for keyboards.

Switching between control systems wasn’t the only thing to amaze me – the most impressive part of the Remastered trilogy is the work that’s been put into upscaling the graphics. At the press of a button you can instantly switch between classic graphics and modern graphics, and I’m not gonna lie – the modern graphics are identical to what I would have imagined the classic graphics being when I first played Tomb Raider years ago. Aspyr has made great strides in adding little quirks to the modern graphics, allowing proper light sources to shine in from above, or making certain consumables stand out just that little bit more from their classic counterparts, but sometimes this has flaws in itself as well.

The first level of Tomb Raider III is set in a jungle, which has a swamp you can drown in if you’re not careful. Switching between classic and modern graphics, I discovered that the classic graphics’ mud has waves like water, whereas the modern texture is solid and looks like the ground. Another level restart for me on that one after unsuccessfully trying to pull Lara out of the swamp. It’s small changes like this that make you err on the side of caution; whether this was a stylistic choice for Aspyr in developing the games or not remains to be seen. The game’s photo mode allows you to have a bit of fun while playing, and really puts you back in awe at the graphical changes between old and new, though I was a little uncomfortable with the ability to put Lara in a dressing gown in the middle of China.

The audio work goes largely unchanged from the originals, so Lara’s voice is the same as day one, grunts and all. The pre-rendered cutscenes are also unchanged but do get the benefit of upscaling – credit to Aspyr for not trying to reinvent the wheel with that one, The in-game cutscenes have additional facial animation to match the voices which was a nice touch. Nathan McCree’s iconic title theme brings a tear to my eye every time I boot up the Remastered trilogy, and the soundtrack for all three games with its classical influences is still some great atmospheric work.

The post Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Review – A Love Letter To Lara’s Origins appeared first on Press Start.

Spanning thirty years across arcades and multiple console generations, few video game franchises can boast a coherent yet crazy narrative like Tekken does. As the catalyst for the game’s events and the ongoing “King of Iron Fist” tournaments, the Mishima bloodline saga took a huge turn when in its previous instalment, its patriarch Heihachi Mishima was defeated for good by his son Kazuya. But the fight continues in Tekken 8; Kazuya’s aspirations for global domination can only be stopped by the one man who has the power to do so – his son, Jin Kazama. This fight has been years in the making; a rivalry that sees Devil Gene-afflicted Jin struggle to control his power in his efforts to end the cursed bloodline. It’s Devil versus Devil, father versus son – and to use the game’s eponymous tagline, fist meets fate.

Putting Jin at the forefront of the story, he fights two battles; the first an internal conflict with the Devil inside him, and the second an external conflict – Kazuya’s obsession for power and world domination. Jin and Kazuya face off in Times Square in Jin’s efforts to end his father’s reign, only for him to lose control of his Devil powers and be incapacitated. As a threat to the world, Kazuya opens the next King of Iron Fist Tournament to draw out Jin and take his dormant Devil power, adding grave sanctions and consequences to the nations whose fighters lose. Fearing he could lose control again, Jin enters the tournament to square off against his father one last time; to regain the power he has lost and to put an end to the Mishima blood feud for good.

We follow Jin’s journey in a cinematic story mode through Tekken 8, as he takes part in a traditional hero’s journey to control his Devil powers and put a stop to Kazuya’s plans. Old and new faces are woven into the narrative either through the battle between Jin and Kazuya, or as part of the tournament itself – Bandai Namco doesn’t take liberties with including every fighter that it possibly could, so the starting roster of 32 all manage to find a place. Newcomer Victor Chevalier has ties to older characters such as Raven and Dragunov with a heavy military focus, while Reina’s motives are slowly revealed as she joins Jin and his band of brawlers as they seek to end Kazuya’s reign. Without spoiling too much; there’s the long-awaited return of Jin’s mother Jun Kazama, the chaotic return of Tekken 6’s big bad Azazel, and even some moments that would not be out of place from an episode of Dragon Ball Super.

The best part about Tekken 8’s newcomers is that each one has a varying degree of playability – Azucena for instance ia my favourite with her energetic and hype-filled MMA skills, while it took me a while to warm up to Victor who switches between his knife and karambit to the sci-fi sword ‘Take-Ikazuchi’ for some brutal close-quarters hits. Reina is probably the most interesting of the three, fighting with a blend of Taido and Mishima-style karate to hit opponents with power moves and grapples.

Of course once you’ve finished the main story, there’s 32 additional Character Episodes to jump into, blending miniature story modes for each character with a five-fight Arcade Mode, before ending with a character movie. Its the little things like this that allow a nostalgic feeling of slugging through ten fights in Arcade Mode with your favourite character just to get a little bit of story by the end. Arcade Battle still exists (despite the game not receiving an arcade release) but ends after your 8th battle with CPU opponents or character ghosts, so you can still pretend you’re dropping in a dollar and fighting through to the end. The only downside is, from the get-go, all characters are unlocked – so there’s no more challenge of finishing Arcade Mode numerous times over to get all the characters.

In fact Bandai Namco have taken their absence in arcades this time around and crafted their very own mode – Arcade Quest, a great mode to create your own avatar and take on challenges through several different arcades in the world of Tekken. This mode is especially great for those unfamiliar with Tekken or even if you want to hone your skills, as each arcade you battle through teaches you or refreshes you on the game’s mechanics. Think of it as a live practice mode with win conditions, such as dealing a certain amount of damage or performing particular movesets or strategies, that not only allow you to get better at Tekken but also to unlock additional rewards. Once you’ve played enough of Arcade Quest you can also unlock Super Ghost Battle mode, allowing you to create your own ghost characters and have the CPU learn how you play, to replicate your play style with each character. By battling others in Super Ghost Battle you can see how players and developers around the world fight, and use what you’ve learned in Arcade Quest to make yourself the ultimate fighter.

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Tekken 8 not only wants you to be a better fighter, it also doesn’t shy away from continuing to build on the core mechanics that make Tekken one of, if not the best 3D fighters around. Tekken has never strayed from its four-button layout that assigns a left or right punch and kick to each button, but this time around there is an increased focus on offensive gameplay and aggression – improving on the ‘Rage’ system that has been in place since Tekken 6, and including a new limited ‘Heat’ mechanic. It also brings in a Special Style control mode, allowing newer players to get a feel for the game and perform some pretty damaging combos with singular button presses instead of memorising excessive inputs. Special Style can be accessed simply by pressing a trigger, and can be switched back just as easily.

The ‘Heat’ system adds a timed meter that, when activated, boosts your character’s power and opens up new and aggressive options to turn the tide of a match. Heat can be activated through various means such as Heat Burst, which acts as a Power Crush to cancel out an opponent’s attack, or through a Heat Engager, coming from a strong attack in the middle of a combo. Tactically you can only use Heat once per round, but while in a Heat state you can also utilise a Heat Smash to burn the gauge and do some significant damage to your opponent. If your opponent is a defensive type and won’t let you get a hit in, the Heat state also deals chip damage;  a component of your health bar which is recoverable as long as you’re not taking additional damage. Coupled with the return of Rage and Rage Arts, there are numerous ways to deliver a comeback when you’re on the edge of losing, making each match that little bit more exciting.

If you still haven’t had your fill even after all of the modes you’ve played through, Tekken brings back yet another fan favourite from the archives in Tekken Ball. That’s right, Tekken 3’s beach ball mode makes its return in Tekken 8. Power up your moves and slam the beach ball at your opponent, but don’t be caught off-guard otherwise the ball will knock you out if it passes you, or you’ll take damage depending on the incoming hit. You can also head over to the newly improved Practice Mode, going over the basics of combo challenges and moves, as well as learning how to read opponents’ unsafe moves and fighting back to punish them.

Since Tekken 5, customisation of your character has been a big part of the game, and Tekken 8 allows three different variations of customisation – a jukebox mode to change songs throughout the entire game (you can pick from almost every Tekken arcade or console title from years past), an avatar customisation mode for your Arcade Quest and Online presence, and character customisation for each of the 32 characters available. There are some throwback outfits in the character customisation selection, but I have to say I was a little disappointed with the lack of variation. A few classic outfits appeared, but for a game that wears its heart on its sleeve when it comes to history, I would have loved to have seen some Tekken, Tekken 2 or Tekken 3 outfits for characters like Nina Williams or Kazuya Mishima, considering their tenure.

Each character has some unique items to be equipped but a lot of characters share very similar options. For instance, everyone can have a bread helmet, but it’s the same bread helmet for every character. Some items are unlockable only through gameplay, while others use the in-game money system to unlock, which is accrued through general gameplay and quite easy to obtain.

When it comes to online play, it’s harder for me to talk about in this instance. Using the same avatar as Arcade Quest, you jump into a giant wonderland of Tekken arcade machines, meeting up with other players online and challenging them to battles. You can customise characters and avatars here too, as well as joining Tekken Ball sessions or training for the next fight. I was a part of the Closed Network Test and the Closed Beta Test, and had the opportunity to experience the modes in their early days, but the window for online testing in the review period was short, and despite checking the majority of servers, I was unable to get in to any matches. One can only hope that the servers can handle the uptick of players when they go live, though if the early access modes are anything to go by, neither Bandai Namco nor players should worry.

With the move to Unreal Engine 5, Tekken has never looked better. Characters still feel and play the same as previous iterations but with more fluid and human motion. There’s no detail spared, no janky textures, and the game runs extremely smooth. There’s a minor noticeable shift when moving from cutscene to fighting in Story Mode, but otherwise everything is visually stunning. The same can be said for the music – it’s typical Tekken, heavy on the electronica and rolling beats, but with the option to change music back to classic Tekken tracks. Even the game’s cinematic intro gives off flashbacks to Tekken 5. And while we get a treat with Vincent Cassel voicing new character Victor, some of the voice acting could do with a bit of work. It’s true to Tekken though – without the melodrama the game just wouldn’t be the same.

The post Tekken 8 Review – From Strength to Strength appeared first on Press Start.

We first got our hands-on with the hugely-anticipated Tekken 8 this past March, where we got a preview of the Heat System that is new to the series this time around. Heat can be activated once per round for 10 seconds, providing a power burst in attacks as well as causing damage even when blocking. Heat can be activated in one of two ways; the first being Heat Burst, which is set up with a slam attack and is a simple button press.

The second is Heat Engager, where Heat will activate mid-combo and cause your character to dash forward, engaging in a faster and more aggressive attack. But the Heat state doesn’t end there; leading to more tactical advantages such as the Heat Smash which utilises the entire gauge to deal major damage, or the Heat Dash which continues your speed into combos and makes your opponent extremely vulnerable. Regardless of how you use it, the Heat System is a guaranteed game-changer that can turn the tide of a match instantly.

When the Heat System was first previewed it did seem that the game had skewed heavily towards the attacker, preventing those with a defensive style to have to rethink their entire strategy – but credit to Bandai Namco throughout all of their testing and feedback, to be able to balance the game out between attacking and defending and really allow the new features to shine without breaking the game. Despite taking damage while defending, the Heat System can be blocked or parried like most other attacks, and skilled players will be able to punish those who leave their recovery frames open post-attack.

In tandem with the Recoverable Gauge feature which allows you to recover portions of health that haven’t completely been beaten out of you, Tekken 8’s deeper fighting mechanisms make for a more rewarding and enjoyable experience in close matches. Combine all of this with the Rage system introduced in Tekken 6, and Rage Arts introduced in Tekken 7, and you’re not truly out of a match until you hear the announcer call K.O.

Tekken 8 also introduces the Special Style for new players, simplifying the control scheme to single buttons for recommended moves and combos. Like most fighting games, Tekken’s standard control scheme is easy to learn but difficult to master, and Special Style keeps the fun in the game while removing a certain degree of difficulty to execute combos and attacks. The best part of it is that it doesn’t need to be selected for an entire session and can be adapted on the fly – so if you find that you just can’t pull off that combo to get yourself back into the match, simply pressing a button or trigger switches the control style over.

The layout also adjusts depending on what state your character is in (Heat, Rage, etc) to ensure you’re not falling behind. Just be wary of your button-mashing, as a few times in my frustration with characters I didn’t know, I mashed buttons and ended up with Special Style on, leading me to lose even worse as I’d forgotten how to change it back.

With Arcade Quest and Super Ghost Battle, you can continue to deepen your expertise in controlling your favourite fighters. Arcade Quest gives you a rundown on performing certain moves (though you can skip the tutorials) and sings your praises when you do things correctly or manage to pull off something difficult. Transferring this into Super Ghost Battle, the AI of the game learns how you fight and creates a ghost based on your style which can then be downloaded by other players to fight against. I play as Jack-8 with a consistent barrage of powerful attacks and low sweeps to see if I can knock a player off guard, and coming up against myself in battle after teaching the AI was a very strange feeling – essentially knowing what I play like but having to find ways to counter it with other characters feels very rewarding.

Ghosts are not a new thing for Tekken – any online-connected console would show you other players’ ghosts in various offline or online modes, but the AI learning exactly how you fight and including your quirks is definitely a big step in the right direction, especially with the lack of arcades and public testing compared to previous years.

The game goes a step further with its Practice mode, allowing targeted attacks and blocks to get you thinking frames ahead and avoid being punished. Practice mode for me was always about trying to pull off the 10-hit combos, and eventually just sticking with the silliest-looking moves or seeing how much damage I can deal, but Tekken 8 wants to reward you for any steps you take in advancing your skills. It’s scary how good some of the modes are when it comes to fighting against the CPU, and how difficult it can get when the CPU learns from you and acts like a human player, so you have to evolve with the game to get better.

As a long-standing fan of the Tekken series, I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited for a release as Tekken 8. It’s clear that it aims to welcome new and veteran players alike into an experience unlike anything you’ve had before, with tons of different modes and content. The hard part now is the wait until its release, only to get excited again when we see the roadmap for future characters. Get ready for the next battle!

Tekken 8 launches on January 26th for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Standard and Ultimate editions are available to pre-order here.

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The post How Tekken 8 Brings The Fight To You appeared first on Press Start.

With thirty years of history behind it, and absolutely no signs of slowing down, Tekken 8 is just over a month away from launching. It’s crazy to think that the polygonal fighter that launched in arcades in 1994 would have had such longevity, but that’s a testament to Bandai Namco’s pursuit of development coupled with a storyline that wouldn’t be out of place in the most batshit insane anime series. Tekken 8 is good to go – but it’s the waiting that’s the hardest part.

The most interesting part of Tekken 8’s development this time around is the lack of arcade presence, which is due to the decline of the arcade scene in Japan, the rising costs of hardware for arcade cabinets and the consistent rise in online gaming. Where previous titles had arcade releases almost 12 months prior to their launch on consoles, Bandai Namco have instead utilised the likes of the Closed Network Test and Closed Beta Test to carry out vital research and development for Tekken next iteration.

Thanks to Bandai Namco Entertainment we were lucky enough to get a last-look preview at the final game before its launch in January, not only experiencing the various modes the game has to offer, but also getting a peek at the underlying narrative that fuels the events of the game – the blood feud between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama in the aftermath of Heihachi Mishima’s death.

STORY MODE

Rivalling the Skywalkers in terms of the amount of chaos caused by one family’s problems, the Mishima blood feud has reigned throughout all of Tekken as the prominent storyline despite a wealth of supporting characters. Tekken 7 made a huge narrative step by ending the original feud between Kazuya Mishima and his father Heihachi, with the latter being taken out by the former. But the fight continues with Kazuya’s son Jin Kazama as he seeks to end his father’s reign as the power-hungry Devil, while controlling his own power and ending the bloodline feud once and for all.

Kazuya uses the power of the Mishima Zaibatsu (business conglomerate) to hold the next King of Iron Fist Tournament, gathering contestants from all over the world in an effort to uncover the strongest fighters – but with grave consequences for the nations who the fighters represent, should they lose.

Playing through the first chapter of the story, we get a near-seamless integration between cutscenes and gameplay. Graphically, the cinematics are almost on par with the actual character models, and the game really tries to make the fights part of the story. We play as Jin Kazama in his battle against Kazuya, with the palpable rage and anger between them growing with each hit. Jin’s inability to control his devil powers eventually consumes him, kicking off his redemption story in Tekken 8 – not only seeking to end Kazuya’s domination, but to not lose himself to his devil powers and end the plague of the Mishima bloodline.

We see new faces entering the fray with their own particular motives such as Reina, Victor and Azucena as well as some old favourites like Hwoarang, Paul Phoenix, Lee Chaolan and more as the world gathers to take place in the next King of Iron Fist tournament. Will Jin be able to reign in his own devil powers? Will he be able to put a stop to Kazuya once and for all? And after so many years, why has his mother Jun returned?

ARCADE QUEST

Arcades just aren’t what they used to be – you can’t rock up on a Saturday morning to find a crowd around the Tekken cabinet, with everyone putting their coin down to be next in line. Thankfully Bandai Namco have created a quirky little side-adventure that adds to the excitement of Tekken as well as helping you unlock all of your character cosmetics in the Arcade Quest mode. Become the master of the arcades as you and your group of friends travel throughout the city, expanding your fighting skills and learning more about Tekken 8 and ways to play. You can also meet, chat with and battle players from across the world in these arcades, while playing through the quirky side-story that the mode introduces, adding an extra layer to the overall game.

As someone who’s played Tekken for a long time, there were certain things I was able to learn in Arcade Quest that I had never really thought about before, and as you progress through the arcades, the more things you learn about the game and practical techniques to help you become a better player. After competing in one of the tournaments towards the end of the first chapter of Arcade Quest’s story, the difficulty noticeably increased and I had to rethink my fighting strategies, keeping me on my toes.

After winning a fair bit of gold in the Arcade Quest mode I was able to customise my fighters the way I wanted to as well – and there are almost limitless opportunities to make your fighter look the way you want. As a Jack-8 fan (and a Jack player for many years) I know that there’s going to be a blend between cool, science-fiction cybernetic enhancements, and ridiculous over-the-top outfits as well. So I put Jack-8 in business attire with a bread helmet.

SUPER GHOST BATTLE

To help you become a better fighter and to learn from players all over the world, Super Ghost Battle is a feature that’s been included in Arcade Quest and is something that can help you train against other fighters without actually fighting them. Tekken 8 uses advanced AI technology to replicate your play style and the play styles of players whose ghosts you match with, to provide extra training challenges to make you a better fighter. Taking a similar form to Arcade Quest, you can meet players and battle their ghost data, which is recorded and recreated for you to fight locally, as more of a live and ever-changing practice mode.

This was a great mode to put my skill to the tests with. Rather than simply playing the game’s artificial intelligence, your opponent really feels like a proper player and isn’t as predictable, making you rethink and adjust your strategies to win the match. Plus you get to see a great number of wild and wacky customisations from around the world of your favourite characters. The more you play against the AI, the better it learns how you play with certain characters, too – if you don’t block, the AI won’t block, so if you’re an aggressive player the AI will learn from your moves and create your ghost almost exactly how you play.

TEKKEN BALL

That’s right, it’s back! Last seen in Tekken 3, (or the Wii U version of Tekken Tag 2, but who played that, am I right?) everyone’s favourite beach ball mode has made its triumphant return in Tekken 8! Little do many know that Tekken Ball was conceived as a mini-game to help people learn juggling combos which are now a mainstay in Tekken’s fighting mechanics. Charge up your most powerful hit, learn to block incoming attacks and throw your opponent off as you play this twisted version of volleyball. With a wide range of ball types to choose from and unlock, Tekken Ball now incorporates the Rage meter too in an explosive burst, as well as a charge bar at the bottom that builds your attacks.

The reintroduction of this fan-favourite mini game is both a testament to Bandai Namco’s love for its fans as well as its history.

PRACTICE MODE

Have you ever watched a Tekken match and seen some ridiculous combinations take place? Or what about wanting to know where your playstyle works, and where you’ve got room for opportunity? Practice Mode is a longstanding feature of most Tekken games, and instead of just being paired up with a training dummy to demonstrate your character’s moves, here it’s actually a great place to fix your flaws and make yourself a better fighter. You can train with targeted moves, practice combinations, or just plain mess around – but don’t sleep on the mode as a way to make yourself a better fighter!

VS MODE

When you weren’t powering through Arcade Mode unlocking characters or messing around with other modes, VS Mode was always great for one-on-one battles. Even better was when you and some friends all sat around the TV taking turns to dethrone the champion.

Thankfully, VS Mode is back, allowing you to play either against the CPU or your in-house rival. After some significant time with the other modes, I went head-to-head for a few rounds with GameHub’s Ed Tran, cycling through characters we hadn’t yet had a chance to play as, to see who would come out on top. VS Mode is a staple when it comes to Tekken , allowing for rematches or quick changes to go head-to-head with the CPU or for those party sessions when you have guests over, and keeps the arcade feeling of the game alive.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As a long-standing Tekken fan I’ve been hanging for this release, and I’m not sure I’m going to be able to wait the extra month post-Christmas for its release. With returning features from previous games as well as gameplay shifts that welcome new players and experienced players alike, Tekken 8 takes everything that came before it and really beats it into shape.

Tekken 8 launches on January 26th for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Standard and Ultimate editions are available to pre-order here.

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As Dr Yasna, you awaken in an alien desert, your vision blurring from the headache piercing through your mind. With limited knowledge of how you arrived at your location, you recall that you’re on Regis III on a mission to investigate the planet, and that the Alliance has an interest in the resources there. With a damaged radio and only limited field notes, you set out to guide yourself back to base camp in the hopes that you can uncover what exactly happened, and where the rest of your crew are.

The opening moments of The Invincible, while very simplistic, give way to what is a cleverly-built science-fiction adventure game. With a story adapted from Polish writer Stanislaw Lem’s novel of the same name, developer Starward Industries has really lent into the hard sci-fi genre, creating an immersive adventure game that blends elements of atompunk and retro-futurism to bring Lem’s vision to life in a way that is reminiscent of 1950s imagining of the future.

Seeing the planet of Regis III through the eyes of Yasna, the xenobiologist of the Commonwealth’s exploration ship Dragonfly, you are drip-fed information about the mission as you explore further; slowly remembering what happened between the time your crew ventured to the planet and now. Yasna slowly pieces things together both figuratively and literally, eventually coming back into contact with Astrogator Novik (think space navigator, not some kind of alien crocodile) who guides her journey as she uncovers the crew’s whereabouts, and attempts to uncover what benefits the planet holds for the Commonwealth and why the rivalling faction in the Alliance are headed there too.

With an extremely reduced heads-up display and minimal visual clues throughout, the game relies heavily on exposition through exploration, limiting even the most basic equipment to help you find your way. Thankfully the game’s visuals function as a character in their own right – the vistas of Regis III are awe-inspiring and truly martian, with celestial bodies hanging on the horizon and brilliantly red deserts and blue land formations spreading out before you on your journey. I often found myself heavily distracted at looking around rather than focusing on the task at hand.

Of course the visuals don’t stop there, and I personally fell in love with the retro-futurism that the game leans heavily into. This is a completely interactive vision of the future as imagined in the 1950s – with small CRT TVs, knobs and dials, shades of orange, blue and green – something akin to the original Lost In Space if it met Fallout without the post-apocalyptic vibes. Yasna’s equipment such as her tracker and metal detector have retro cosmonaut vibes, and even the crew’s robot helpers feel as if they could have been pulled directly from a 1960s sci-fi show such as Doctor Who.

While it may come across as campy and almost over-the-top, the art direction could almost be seen as another character in itself, as without it the game may not be nearly as enjoyable. A quirk of the game that I thoroughly enjoyed is its comic mode – as you progress through the narrative you unlock comic panels that record what you have been through in the story; the game uses these art panels as its in-game slide records that the mechanical probes and robots record, which Yasna uncovers as she progresses through her mission.

In the same vein of games such as Firewatch and What Remains of Edith Finch, The Invincible is not a game for those who are seeking action-packed or fast-paced gameplay – it leans heavily into its walking simulator roots to explore not only the ideas of being stranded on an alien planet, but the philosophical implications of Lem’s work. It takes liberties with its source material by introducing characters and shifts the plot, but these work in the game’s favour by adding depth to the story. The gravity and isolation of Yasna’s situation allows moments of reflection in discussions with Novik as she works her way through Regis III’s landscape, uncovering more about the Dragonfly’s mission and the intelligence that the Commonwealth has over the Alliance.

While the voice acting is played out wonderfully and adds depth to the characters, the pacing in itself is all over the place. Constant build-ups for minimal payoffs tend to be consistent and don’t reach the same heights as the early mystery that the game presents. Though it initially builds tension, there’s a distinct lack of any threat or consequence to keep driving Yasna forward, and while the consistent build up is definitely a driving force to keep playing, it doesn’t quite feel rewarding in the end.

Starward Industries has made a fair effort to add variation and weight to the decisions you make in the game, through either conversation or the tasks you choose to perform, but in the long run these feel more like decisions that intend to unlock trophies or achievements. While my first play through gave me an ending that I had kind of hoped for, I chose to replay the game and make different decisions that would potentially give me outcomes that may change significantly. With around eight to ten hours of main gameplay, the overall narrative definitely wasn’t easy to put down or stop. Knowing what was coming next was a constant driving factor in playing on. At the end though, I felt more could have been done for closure, especially based around some of the decisions that were made on the journey.

The post The Invincible Review – Space For Improvement appeared first on Press Start.

No strangers to the world of cricket games, Melbourne’s own Big Ant Studios once again step up to the crease with Cricket 24. Timing the launch with the ICC 2023 Cricket World Cup and boasting increased licensed content such as the Indian Premier League, Big Bash League and more, the game looks toward boosting video game cricket to the same heights as the EA Sports FC or NBA 2K franchises, but definitely needs more polish to match the competition.

Seeking a bigger international stage, Cricket 24’s licensed content is a very mixed bag. The acquisition of licenses for international men’s and women’s leagues such as New Zealand’s Dream 11 Super Smash League, the Indian Premier League, the Caribbean Premier League, The Hundred as well as the Pakistan Super League gives players a wide variety of choice. However not all teams have been licensed; the Indian Premier League lacks two of its franchise teams, and the fact that the game itself is usually anchored around a now-ended Ashes series sets it back a little. Even though the launch coincides with the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, there’s a big missed opportunity to utilise the format – while they have secured licensing for a wide array of national teams, the only way to enact the World Cup is to create the tournament yourself.

If you’ve played a cricket game in the past five or so years, you’d be no stranger to knowing that cricket is Big Ant Studios’ bread and butter (starting with Don Bradman Cricket) but it comes as a surprise to find a game that starts off… very basic. Generic rock tracks, bland and uninspiring menus – don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of the “keep it simple” principle, but when every menu option looks the same it gets a tad boring, even before you’ve gotten yourself into a match. It doesn’t bode well when I boot up a PS5 game and feel like I’m looking at PS3-era titles and menus.

Career mode is a tad light-on when it comes to substance; managing your character involves watching them sit in their room or the change rooms between matches, with occasional trips to the sauna to aid in fatigue reduction. The upside is the customisation in the character creator gives you the ability to mould your character the way you want. I thought it was pretty funny having a character that permanently wears zinc all the time regardless of where he is. I also got a small pang of pride when I could choose a local club in Victoria as my character’s starting point to his career. The mode also gives you the option of playing solely as your character, or controlling the whole team, which is a nice touch.

Getting into gameplay and we bear witness to some of the most polarising aspects of the game. Graphically, its all over the place. It’s clear the most work has gone into the players, thanks to Big Ant’s dedication at scanning in over 300 players for some great attention to detail. I don’t live and breathe the sport, but I could definitely tell that I was seeing David Warner or Steve Smith even before their names appeared on screen. This level of detail also includes the licensed uniforms and bats as well. We lose a little detail when it comes to the different stadiums in the game, though.

Despite boasting many famous cricket grounds, each one feels as if its missing an essence of soul, whether it’s due to lack of crowd noise, or low-quality textures for the grounds and their stands. One local suburban match that I played, for some reason, decided to have pyrotechnics as pre-match entertainment, and another stadium in the Pakistan Super League decided to have the same pyrotechnics, but seemingly placed underneath the crowd. In fact, in that same match, the branding that appears on the boundary banners decided to hover in the sky instead, leaving blank purple banners around the ground.

Once you get past the uncanny valley of the visuals however, there is actually a great, responsive game underneath. Batting is definitely the most fun – understanding your shot selection, positioning and angles gives you a range of styles to play with. Bowling can be frustrating, as there is so much to tweak when it comes to power and delivery, however once you manage to get the right shots in you’ll find yourself taking plenty of wickets. The biggest positive that comes from the gameplay is the ability to play to your skill level. You can select an arcade style which allows you to play with ease, or if you want to get more technical you can switch up the control style to really finesse your game. The ability for new players, even those who have never played a cricket game previously, to jump in and learn with ease is definitely a credit, and experienced players still have the ability to finesse their skills.

That being said, fielding is probably the worst aspect. If you’re manually fielding or playing as an individual, the game rewards you, but if the AI is running your fielders they’re often slow to respond, or make the worst decisions. I can’t tell you how many times I had them looking down the barrel of the camera, only to throw the ball behind them with pinpoint accuracy. Similarly, the commentary team also didn’t seem to know what they were doing half the time – even the inclusion of Adam Gilchrist didn’t help. With the commentary team seemingly switching during the middle of the match and new commentators taking over, terrible shots were applauded and good shots were chastised, leading me to be truly confused as to whether we were watching the same game.

The post Cricket 24 Review – Won’t Bowl You Over appeared first on Press Start.

Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world, action role-playing, single player game set in the 1800s wizarding world. Live the Unwritten! Buy it now.

With an abundance of books, films, video games and tie-in memorabilia, the Wizarding World has been capturing the hearts and minds of audiences for over 20 years. From the story of ‘The Boy Who Lived’, following Harry Potter and his friends, to spin-offs and prequels such as the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ series, there has been no shortage of adventure and wonder when it comes to the world of witchcraft and wizardry. But now with the release of Hogwarts Legacy, witches and wizards alike have the chance to forge their own journey in a new, untold story.

LIVING THE HOGWARTS LIFE

Short of donning a set of wizard’s robes and finding yourself a large castle to reside and study in, there hasn’t truly been a Wizarding World experience that has captured the experience of being a Hogwarts student that wasn’t just you playing as Harry Potter. With Hogwarts Legacy, players get the opportunity to enrol at the famous school as a fifth-year student, being granted admittance through extraordinary circumstances. Being a whole-new adventure crafted around the Hogwarts we know and love, there is a familiarity about the game as players finally get the chance to explore the eponymous castle and its surrounds in ways they have only previously imagined or borne witness in the films.

From the common rooms of the house that you choose, to the Potions lab or the Defense Against the Dark Arts classrooms, the only limit to your exploration is your curiosity. I’m sure that while watching the films or reading the books you would have imagined yourself being in the same place as Harry; wandering the halls of Hogwarts to your next class, getting lost or interrupted by the shifting staircases, or even having Peeves play a prank on you as you make your way back to the common room for your house. As in the films and the books, Hogwarts Legacy makes the castle feel alive; not just a setting, but a character itself in your journey.

EXPLORING THE WIZARDING WORLD

The important thing to remember is that this adventure takes place well before the events of Harry Potter, and even before Fantastic Beasts – so while this journey will feel familiar and exciting, there is also a sense of mystery surrounding it as well. Beyond the castle walls you’ll find familiar places such as the Gamekeeper’s Hut (which will belong to Hagrid one day) as well as the Quidditch pitch. Quidditch itself is not a playable component of the game, but broom flight is – giving you the ability to explore the world by the sky as well as on foot. If you’re not a natural, you can pick up flying lessons and compete in broom races to increase your skills.

With the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake making appearances as well, you’ll get to experience the mysterious side of Hogwarts too; with some missions taking you deep into the unknown. These locations are teeming with magical and mythical beasts the likes of which we’ve only read about or seen brief glimpses of in the films – will they be friendly, or will you have to put up a fight while you continue your journey? We’ll even get to see the famous Hogsmeade Village, where Hogwarts students from third year and above get to spend their recreational time. With these locations offering extra depth to the world, you’ll get to experience everything that Harry and his friends would; and feel like a true Hogwarts student in the process.

DOING THE UNFORGIVEABLE

Of course, a major part of uncovering the dark secrets in your journey includes duelling with other witches and wizards, and becoming a skilled duellist will involve a lot of learning. The Unforgiveable Curses can be learned in Hogwarts Legacy, and it will come down to your individual morality as to whether you wish to use them. What lengths would you go to when trying to win a duel? Would you use Avada Kedavra on an unexpecting enemy? Or are you a stealth fighter, who chooses to enter battles undercover and stun your enemies without leaving a trace? A big part of the game revolves around your wizard bloodlines, and so just like Harry himself, your future is in your hands; how you choose to let things play out is definitely up to you.

Of course you’re not just limited to learning spells and curses either; Hogwarts Legacy allows you to put extra effort into taking your favourite classes and subjects, putting you in control of how you want your character to develop. Are you a fan of Herbology, like Neville Longbottom? Or are you more interested in taking the Transfiguration classes, taught by a professor with a very familiar name of Matilda Weasley? Maybe you’re a champion of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, or a future chemist who is excited about Potions classes. Knowledge is at your disposal when it comes to taking lessons at Hogwarts, so it is up to you as to how you want to shape your wizarding future.

BEING YOUR OWN HOGWARTS HERO

The experience that Hogwarts Legacy has created is shaping up to be something like we’ve never seen before. With the familiarity of the world and its history weaved into a new narrative that fans haven’t yet experienced, it not only manages to make players feel like they’re a Harry Potter-esque student hero going through their own adventure, but gives them a greater understanding of the Wizarding World as a whole. We know and love the castle that is Hogwarts, and the Ghosts and spirits that inhabit it. There’s even get the opportunity to see characters we’ve only glimpsed actually come to life, such as Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black (the great-great-grandfather of Sirius Black).

Rather than feed fans into the same narrative they’re used to, and make them play as Harry or his compatriots, in Hogwarts Legacy you’ll get to create your own character and use them to explore this world in greater detail – something that we haven’t been able to do before.

Hogwarts Legacy is out February 7th for Deluxe Edition owners and February 10th for standard owners. The cheapest copy is currently $79 from Amazon with free shipping.

The post How Hogwarts Legacy Captures The Wizarding World Experience appeared first on Press Start.

Let’s face it – you were pretty disappointed when, at the age of eleven, you didn’t receive a letter to go to Hogwarts to start your education as a witch or wizard. But then again, you don’t live in Great Britain, so unless there’s a witchcraft and wizardry school in Australia we don’t know about, you probably wouldn’t have gotten one anyway.

Never to fear though, because if you’re diving into Hogwarts Legacy, you’re about to forge your own adventure within the Wizarding World. Forget Harry, Ron and Hermione, this adventure is all yours – one that’s set to enchant and excite, as you venture into a new and original tale set in the 1800s at Hogwarts and its various surrounds.

We recently got hands-on with a couple hours of the game, giving us the opportunity to create our own Hogwarts student, explore the school grounds, get in some wizard duelling and go on some adventures. Here’s what we thought about each of those exciting elements in Avalanche’s upcoming epic.

You can also watch our video discussion of the hands-on preview below:

CHARACTER CREATION

Usually one of the most intensive parts of the game, the character creator allows your imagination to run free and create your witch or your wizard in the most creative way possible. You want freckles, glasses or scars? You’ve got them. A man with a man bun? Consider it done.

Initially I was going to make myself into the game, and got as far as even calling the character “Matt”, but I didn’t feel that I was wizardy enough and so I ended up creating “Xavier Diggleby”, with long flowing purple locks and Harry Potter-esque glasses. There’s a lot of creative options to explore here, so take your time with it and really have fun making a witch or a wizard that you want to see out your adventure with.

EXPLORING HOGWARTS

Set long before the adventures of Harry and friends, you get the chance to freely explore Hogwarts Castle and its surrounds, either by foot or by broom as you undertake your magical scholarship. It is obvious that a lot of attention to detail has gone into this game; with so much to find within the castle walls that you can spend endless hours exploring. Wandering through the halls and seeing it teeming with the lives of students and teachers really makes you feel like you are there, and there are collectibles and side quests to fulfil as you go along.

One of the places we got to visit in the preview was the greenhouses for Herbology, which was fun to wander through and see in its glory. The only downside was that I couldn’t set the plants on fire using the Incendio spell – and it is quite clear in wandering around that not everything can be interacted with. With such an open environment and so much to see and explore, it is a little bit of a dampener that there aren’t small quirks like that.

Flying around outside on the broomstick is a lot of fun too – initially you might take a moment to learn to control your flight, but once you get the hang of things it becomes a lot more fun. You can see the Quidditch field and fly around it, but at this point in time Quidditch is not playable, and no plans to include it have been announced, which is a bit of a frustration. We also got an opportunity to play Summoner’s Court in the grounds of Hogwarts, a tactical game where you ‘Accio’ balls on a large playing table to score points. It wasn’t until the very end of the game that I understood how to play, but still managed a draw.

If you get lost on your way to a location while exploring Hogwarts, there’s a handy guide that looks very much like a Golden Snitch that leads the way. As I ventured to the duelling club to practice my skills, I came across a student being tormented by the poltergeist Peeves, whom fans would know from the books as a troublemaker. It is great to see so much of what we already know about Hogwarts come to life, beyond the books and the films.

WIZARD DUELS

At the Crossed Wands duelling club, you get the opportunity to practice and increase your skill in duelling other witches and wizards. Duelling itself is one of those ‘easy to learn, difficult to master’ aspects of the gameplay, and the first duel I was in I lost spectacularly. In locking on to a witch or a wizard, you must use your tactical nous to understand how to best defeat your opponent – shields are colour-coded to certain spells, so once you know what to look for you can break open your enemies’ defences and take them down. You also have the ability to parry spells, and throw objects during the duel as well, which can make for some killer combos.

If you get held up by an enchantment, there is usually a quick-time event button to press to release yourself, otherwise you’ll take the full brunt of the attack. There are also cooldowns on spells, so you can’t keep spamming them over and over to hope to win. As you get into the game further, you’re definitely going to need to refine your duelling style, otherwise you’re going to be seeing a lot of ended journey screens during climactic battles.

MISSION: FIRE AND VICE

This is where it gets serious – one of the missions that we were able to play involved a smuggling ring and a dragon. Tagging along with a character named Poppy Sweeting (a fitting foil for Xavier Diggleby), your mission is to uncover what poachers are up to just outside of Hogwarts. Our spell repertoire was increased in this mission compared to earlier in the duelling club, so we can expect to see the ability to unlock and uncover new and dangerous spells as the game progresses. The game gives you the ability to play how you want – I first used stealth when coming up against enemies, but I gave myself away too quickly and ended up in an all-out battle. If it weren’t for the quick heal potions, I definitely would have lost.

As you progress through the mission you do also have the ability to use Petrificus Totalus on enemies, knocking them out cold so that you can sneak past them. Diving further into Horntail Hall, we uncovered a dragon fighting ring – and some seriously powerful dark wizards guarding it as well. There’s definitely suspicious things afoot! Sneaking through the ring to save the dragon, we get to see some of the puzzle elements as well, including lock-picking, which will obviously be a common event.

In the battle against the poachers I also realised that not all of the spells I had learned were ‘common’ spells, but Unforgiveable Curses. What impact this has on my gameplay remains to be seen, as this was obviously just a preview and not my own characters’ personal journey, but it will definitely be interesting to explore the potential of using Unforgiveable Curses on witches and wizards alike, and how that affects your development as a powerful magic user. I managed to make a goblin… explode. Maybe I teleported him somewhere, I couldn’t tell you.

After vanquishing the poachers and taking the dragon egg as my reward, we’re treated to a nice little cutscene between our wizard and Poppy, before the scene ends. Credit where credit is due, the game’s characters look great, and the narrative really manages to draw you in as you uncover exactly what is going on at Hogwarts, and in the greater Wizarding World. Remember, this is the 1800s, so well before the adventures of the characters we know and love today.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

From the brief time I was able to spend with Hogwarts Legacy, I was definitely entranced by its sense of adventure and grandeur. Avalanche Studios have put a lot of effort into expanding the Wizarding World and allowing players to explore and become their own magical being. Aside from a few minor teething issues such as limited environmental interaction, and some user error issues in not understanding the controls, Hogwarts Legacy is set to be a very fresh and entertaining instalment in a rich world we’re already quite familiar with.

We also got to speak to Technical Director, Stephen Dona, which you can read about here.

Hogwarts Legacy is out February 7th for Deluxe Edition owners and February 10th for standard owners. The cheapest copy is currently $79 from Amazon with free shipping.

The post Hogwarts Legacy Hands-On Preview – Forging An Adventure In The Wizarding World appeared first on Press Start.

After getting to go hands-on with Hogwarts Legacy recently, entering Hogwarts for the first time as our purple-haired student of wizardry, “Xavier Diggleby”, we also had the opportunity to sit down with Avalanche Studios’ own Stephen Dona.

A fellow Aussie, born and raised in western Sydney, Stephen studied at the University of Utah and then went into the industry around seven years ago before being picked up by Avalanche Studios, now serving as the Technical Game Designer for Hogwarts Legacy. Stephen gave us some great insights into the development process of the game, as well as the challenges that came with it.

First things first – if you had to pick a house, which house would you put yourself into?

Stephen Dona: We actually have quite a good culture at Avalanche where, when you start, you basically have to do a test. It seems like I have a bit of a cheeky side because I ended up in Slytherin.

How are you and the studio feeling this close to launch?

SD: A perfect mixture of really, really excited and really, really terrified. Genuinely excited to get it out into peoples’ hands and get some thoughts about the game.

The Cheapest Pre-Order: $79.99 at Amazon with free shipping

How challenging was it to develop for a wide range of consoles?

SD: Basically, making any game of this scope and size is going to have its challenges, and that was particularly quite challenging because to some degree we had to make two games. There is definitely a level of quality that we want to hit at Avalanche and WB, and we went and made the decision that we needed a little extra time, because we really wanted to get [those older consoles] to a point where it felt like those users weren’t being cheated just because they didn’t have the most current console.

The game is also releasing later on the Nintendo Switch, which of course is a little bit older. How is the quality there?

SD: Exactly the same thing as before, we just needed a little bit more time there, and like you said the Switch is a whole different beast in itself, and we didn’t want anyone who picked it up on Switch to get a second-hand experience.

Pictured: Stephen Dona – Favourite Shapes flavour, Pizza.

The lore of the Wizarding World runs very deep, what challenges did you face in creating such an expansive video game version of this world?

SD: I think in general, we were trying to show the world in a size and scope that has never been done before. We obviously have a lot of books and movies that are set in the Wizarding World, but we have a mantra at Avalanche that if you can see it, you can go to it – and that’s really why we wanted to make the whole castle, and endeavouring that was quite a task.

We had to start to think about “Well, hey, we’ve never been to this part of the castle but we know there are windows there, so we know there must be something there,” and we had to work out and make sense of what that would be. And it was a great, great challenge, but it was a lot to take on; not only just the castle but the grounds surrounding as well. Then to go further with Hogsmeade, and the Black Lake, and to really flesh them out and make sure they always felt like a real place. I think in some of the other media we’ve seen in this world they’ve only been set dressing, like the background, and now we need to say “No, we’re going there – what does that look like, what does that feel like as an actual place now?” so it was quite an undertaking. But we think we’ve nailed it pretty well.

So we get to see the Quidditch field in the game, but Quidditch itself isn’t featured. Was that a technical decision, and could we see it in the future?

SD: So we really wanted to nail the open world part, “If you can see it you can go to it”. That was predominantly our focus in development. I don’t want to spoil anything for the future!

Of course a big part of that is also traversal across the game, through walking and via broomstick; was that a difficult thing to get right as well?

SD: We wanted that to feel organic and – specifically for broom flight – we wanted that to feel real and genuine and fulfilling. We have little things like broom flight races, but we wanted to add a verticality to it – as you drop and move up and down, you build up speed – and that was really important to us to actually make it feel like broom flight wasn’t just walking through the air, it was its own beast that you got to explore and get good at. There’s definitely skill to it, and when you see people master it, it’s quite entertaining to watch.

What were some of the largest technical challenges when developing a game of this scope?

SD: I feel like the game is one of the prettiest games I’ve played and we really went into making sure we can maintain that level of detail and fidelity. But we also didn’t want the experience to be sitting in loading screens constantly, and that was something we were always fighting back and forth with. We wanted to make it feel like if you saw something you could go to it, and that you weren’t clicking through loading screens to get there. We had to do quite a good job of streaming things in, doing a little bit of magic behind the scenes, and to get these things loading in while you’re not looking at it – and that was quite a challenge early on, but I think we worked out ways and tricks because we absolutely didn’t want to lose any of that fidelity and that beauty.

How hard was it to scale the progression as you become a stronger wizard/witch?

SD: One of the hardest things about my job was that we really wanted to nail this idea to be your own witch or wizard, and so when we started, we mapped out the ways we thought people would want to play this game, and we really wanted to do them all justice. I think it’s really easy for you and me to visualise how Harry Potter would go about combat, and how Hermione might go about learning new spells, but we really wanted to do every sort of playstyle some justice, and try and balance them against each other; so the player who just wants to focus on Herbology, we want them to feel just as powerful or as an enjoyable sense to play as someone who wants to be a real jerk and “Dark Arts” it up.

How was it balancing the combat of your character against the formidable foes?

SD: Particularly in combat, that was one of the hardest parts of my job – we really wanted to validate every single person’s playstyle. The whole idea is to be your own wizard or witch and to follow your own combat progression, where you get to indulge in certain skills. And because of that, in thirty, forty or fifty hours into the game, we can have two players that play very differently, and have drastically different power levels in different ways. And to then be able to say “Hey, now we’re going to ask them to confront a Troll or a big monster” and want that to be a fair experience to both of them, that was one of the bigger challenges of the entire game – and my role personally.

From linear progression, to open-world and sandbox and being thrown into the wild – what is the Hogwarts Legacy experience closer to?

SD: We wanted the world to feel real, and lived in, and we wanted it to feel dangerous. We didn’t just want the player to pick up the controller in the first hour and not have these spaces have some gravitas to them. So we’ve obviously tried to build that progression into the world, and there will be moments where you might run into certain things and think “Oh wait, maybe I have to think about this” and go back to build up your character. At the core of the game it’s an RPG, and a big part of the game is building your character and building your level up, going back and saying “Okay, how can I do this better?” by approaching the same area at a higher level, or with a different set of strategies. That was really at the core of what we were trying to design into this game.

You can also watch our video discussion of our hands-on preview below:

A burning question for a lot of people – there is no multiplayer within the game for now. Is there scope to see it added in the future?

SD: Unfortunately I can’t really say too much, I don’t want to give away too much about future plans and stuff like that. Right now it’s a single-player game, and that’s definitely what we’re trying to deliver.

We really appreciated the opportunity to have a chat with Stephen, and to sit down with the game and get that experience as well. As someone who has grown up with the Wizarding World, you can definitely see there’s a lot of depth in the gameplay, and a lot of effort into creating these worlds that we’ve only seen through movies and books. Being able to pet the cats in the game made it a day-one purchase from me, so I guess the experience can only go up from here.

You can read our hands-on preview of the game in full here.

Hogwarts Legacy is out February 7th for Deluxe Edition owners and February 10th for standard owners. The cheapest copy is currently $79 from Amazon with free shipping.

The post Hogwarts Legacy Interview – Crafting The Most Fully Realised Hogwarts To Date appeared first on Press Start.

When it comes to official merchandise from major gaming outlets, sometimes it feels like Australia gets a little left behind. Thankfully, Nintendo has been changing our fortunes lately – first with a whole range of Animal Crossing wares back in September, and now expanding with even more goodies from The Legend of Zelda, Splatoon, and Super Mario.

Impress your dinner guests with Super Mario plates, or decorate your outfit and keys with Legend of Zelda keyrings and pins. My personal favourite is the Majora’s Mask pin (I ordered the moment it dropped).

There’s also some great carry options as well, with a Splatoon roll-up backpack or Animal Crossing tote bag.

? New Nintendo TOKYO merch has just arrived in AUNZ!

A range of #Splatoon3, The Legend of #Zelda, #SuperMario and #AnimalCrossing products are now available exclusively on My Nintendo Store!

— Nintendo AU NZ (@NintendoAUNZ) November 9, 2022

If you order $80 or more worth of goods, you’ll also get free shipping.

You can explore the full range of Nintendo Tokyo goods on the My Nintendo store here. 

The post A Gorgeous New Range of Nintendo Tokyo Goods Has Been Added To The Aussie My Nintendo Store appeared first on Press Start.

When Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird came up with the idea of four mutant turtles with ninjutsu skills in the 1980s, few would have believed that such a franchise could still be going strong nearly forty years later. But by the late 80s and early 90s, having the video game licensing to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was in effect a license to print money, and Konami were ready and raring to go. Here we arrive in the present day with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, a treasure trove of thirteen games developed by Konami for various platforms in their heyday; with genres spanning beat-‘em-ups, fighters, and platformers, and all featuring everyone’s favourite heroes in a half-shell.

TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection is a glorious trip back through time with an emphasis on preserving the game the way they were, while still throwing in some extra features and cool little easter eggs. This is how you want games to be emulated – scaled up for larger screen sizes (so it doesn’t look like you’ve just plugged a NES into your 65” OLED panel) as well as tweaked for speed and controller responsiveness.

Yes, it is still a tad jarring to be playing an old-school Game Boy game on your TV, but Digital Eclipse has done a fantastic job in mastering all of the retro titles for modern consoles and PC. There’s even some great TV/LCD screen filters to overlay as well, and the option to play certain games in their Japanese release too. For those who can’t stand the challenge, there’s save states and rewind modes to keep you from throwing your controller through the screen, and where available, local co-op is available too. At the time of writing, I wasn’t able to play the online features, but I guarantee if it’s anything like couch co-op it’ll be a blast.

THE CHEAPEST COPY: $59 WITH FREE DELIVERY AT AMAZON

Outside of the games themselves, Digital Eclipse has raided the vault and provided a wealth of material to explore when you’re not playing as well – concept art, design sketches and even box art is available to flip through for each title, so you can see the full history of the game without having to track down a physical copy.
But enough gushing about the features, what about the games? Well here’s a brief run-down of what you get in the Cowabunga Collection (in order of their original release);

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES): The original TMNT game for the NES which plays like an RPG game. Players transition from side-scrolling action to overworld environments in a top-down perspective, with the ability to switch between Turtles at any time. If your Turtle’s health drops to zero, they are ‘captured’ by the enemy (but can be saved and returned to the team later on). Be prepared to be frustrated by the map obstacles and the overall difficulty.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade): Chances are this is the game that your parents, older siblings or relatives fed countless coins into back when it was released. With the ability to pick one of four Turtles (usually the arcade cabinets had a designated spot for each one) players venture through Manhattan in an effort to save April O’Neil and Splinter from the evil Shredder. Each Turtle has pros and cons to their gameplay style, and the enemies are colour-coded to the way they attack as well. Fight your way through each stage until you reach the boss battle at the end, usually a notable TMNT sub-villain.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES): It wasn’t going to be easy porting an arcade game with its own board to the NES, but Konami did it anyway. Extending the existing levels and throwing a few extra stages in as well, the game (billed as a sequel due to the TMNT moniker taken already) lacks any multiplayer mode but does pretty well to hold its own.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (Game Boy): The first handheld entry in the series, the game is a platformer where the four Turtles must venture to save April O’Neil while taking down Krang and Shredder. A pretty vanilla outing, but a good place to start nonetheless.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time (Arcade): One of, if not potentially THE best beat-‘em-up arcade games around, Turtles In Time builds on its arcade predecessor by adding more attacks and new stages. This time around you’re tasked with taking down Shredder and returning the Statue of Liberty to its rightful location. Expect to be hitting the “insert coin” button a fair bit though, because the difficulty really ramps up as you play through.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers (Game Boy): A more polished sequel to the Fall of the Foot Clan game. Switching between Turtles before a stage, each Turtle has their own strength and weakness in gameplay. The game adds a bit more depth than just a simple platformer, with sections that can be jumped to in the background and foreground.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES): A sequel to the NES port of the arcade game, but also an original title. The game takes its cues from the 5th season of the TMNT cartoon, and improves on the original NES port by speeding up the gameplay and introducing a two-player mode.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time (SNES): The first entry for the SNES, and in my opinion the best of the lot. The port of the arcade game resembles its original title very closely, and adds levels and assets from the original arcade game to make it a longer, more fun experience. This game is worth the price of admission alone.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Sega Genesis): Of course it wouldn’t have been fair on the Sega fans if they couldn’t get in on the TMNT action. Essentially a re-skinned version of Turtles in Time for the Genesis/Mega Drive, The Hyperstone Heist changes up a few of the boss characters and stages from Turtles in Time and creates a new story, while maintaining that difficulty.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue (Game Boy): The third game in the Game Boy platformer series, we see a huge shake-up in the gameplay – no longer linear and horizontal, the stages also become vertical and add the ability to collect full pizzas to keep your health up as you fight your way through to save the Turtles from capture. This one gets a bit frustrating though, as enemies seem to re-spawn once just out of frame.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (SNES/Sega Genesis/NES): Don’t be fooled – the games may have the same title, but all three iterations are wildly different.

The SNES version plays like a TMNT-skinned Street Fighter II, where you fight and build up a Mutagen Meter to perform special attacks, as well as having weak and strong kick and punch buttons assigned to the controller. The game introduces characters from the ‘Archie’ series of comics.

The NES version was the last game Konami released outside of Japan for the system, and strangely the game was never released in Japan. The game sees the Turtles hold a contest to see who is strong enough to take on the challenge of Shredder.

The Genesis version sees the Turtles and allies travelling through Dimension X, fighting clones of themselves as they rescue Splinter from Krang. This version is strangely darker and less fluid.

Of course, these games are all relics of their time, and are not without flaws – but usually indicative of the limitations of their technology. NES games still get some severe slowdowns with heaps of units on the screen, the Game Boy games have jarring and repetitive 8-bit music, and most or all of the games in the collection have a degree of difficulty that some are just not used to these days. Thankfully with the ability to change settings prior to playing, a lot of these gripes can be stopped before you start.

The PS5 version of this game was played for the purpose of this review.

The post Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection Review – The Sweet Spot appeared first on Press Start.

Long gone are the days when you used to get CD-ROM games with your boxes of cereal; so too are the days where RTS was the king of the gaming space and everywhere you looked it was the most popular thing. But in the past few years we’ve been able to dust off the rose-tinted glasses and get a fond recollection of yesteryear, with remakes of the first three games in the Age Of Empires series gracing PCs once again. In 2017 however, we got an announcement of a long-awaited sequel to the series, one that would head back to the Middle Ages and recapture that same gameplay style that the series is so well-known for. And finally, here as 2021 closes out, we welcome the newest exciting entry into the series, with Age Of Empires IV.

The game opens with a tutorial on how to play, and from here it is immediately apparent that this is not just another instalment into the Age franchise, but one that respects the history that came before it. World’s Edge and Relic Entertainment not only used Age Of Empires 2 inspiration to create a successor, but wanted to return to what it was that made the real-time strategy games so addictive. Take nothing away from AOE3, it was a great entry into the series, but it almost tried to pivot rapidly away from what players knew and loved, muddying up the formula in the process.

At its core, the game plays very similar to its predecessors; starting with a Town Centre, some villagers and a scout unit, you build your empire from the ground up by harvesting resources, creating an economy, and growing your way to victory. The Skirmish mode gives you free reign to do this, throwing you into an open world that is there for you to explore and build as you see fit. Skirmish is great because it allows you to play and learn at your own pace; understanding how the different civilizations play and build, where their strengths and weaknesses lie, and how the AI will attempt to thwart your attacks or divert your attention away. The 8 different playable civilizations all have unique abilities; take for example the Mongols, whose nomadic existence allows you to pack up entire towns and migrate to locations with better resources at the cost of not being able to mine for stone. Or the Rus, who focus heavily on hunting and defense with a high return on resources.

Each civilization has its strengths and weaknesses, and how you play and micro-manage your constituents will turn the tide to victory or not. Some of the combat mechanics are a little more frustrating from here however; there’s a rock-paper-scissors element (for instance, spears are good against horsemen) that is worth remembering otherwise you’ll lose a lot of your army when heading into war. There’s also a few strange quirks over previous titles – for instance, sheep will attach to your Scout as it wanders, so it is common to find an army of sheep bounding along with your Scout as it explores.

Where Age Of Empires IV really shines is the Campaign mode; throwing you into a part-documentary, part warfare scenario that plays out with some amazing vignettes. Basically, imagine you’ve just turned the TV on to something on the History Channel – you hear about a historic battle or war, you see the location where it took place (albeit in the modern day) and then you get to play it out in-game. From the Mongol invasion of Europe to the Norman conquest of England, the Campaigns let you take part in the shaping of historic events, whether it be defence of lands or conquering others. The vignettes between gameplay are eye-wateringly stunning, a blend of high-def footage goodness coupled with stylised CG overlay – you could almost sit back and watch these exclusively, without having to play. They do more than look good, too – they actually give you great depth to the story you’re about to play, and an understanding of the event as well.

For players familiar with the franchise, the shortcuts and keypresses are essentially identical to AOE 2, but for newer players the tutorial gives you all you need to get started and learn along the way. You are able to shift the field of view and the direction which the camera faces, but this frustrated me a tad as sometimes I wanted to zoom out further than I was able to. The building animation gets a really cool update in that you see ‘ghost’ villagers constructing the building as it rises, and progress bars appear above everything too, for both tech upgrades and unit creation. While not ultra-detailed, the visuals are really nice too – you see more detail the closer you zoom, buildings are detailed and sometimes overwhelming (castle walls really look the part now!) and even the sound just has that classic AOE feel, from villager calls and military units to the carefully-crafted background music.

Even running a 2060 Super with a Ryzen 5 3600, I did get moments where the sheer number of units on the screen would slow the framerate down a bit. One of the biggest things to realise however is that unlike the previous three instalments, this Age of Empires title won’t be hindered by a singular release with updates to come in expansion packs – now that games can be patched and updated, we can expect to see swathes of updates and content to come in the near future to improve on what is already a pretty solid experience.

At the time of writing the online multiplayer is very limited and harder to find matches, but will be more accessible on release on October 28th.

The post Age Of Empires 4 Review – Go Fourth And Conquer appeared first on Press Start.

One of the most notable postponed events in a year full of cancellations and delays was the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Pushed back due to the global pandemic, it was the first time the Games were delayed in their history – although there has been cancellations in the past. And with the delay in the Olympic Games came the delay in the video game released to celebrate the event. Initially released in Japan on July 24, 2019, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game is the first traditional Olympics video game since London 2012. Boasting a wide range of events from Track and Field to Aquatics and even competitive team events, the game brings players to the heart of Japan to compete in worldwide events for the pursuit of gold.

Before you dive into the events you’re given the opportunity to customise your very own athlete, and this exercise basically gives you a taste of things to come. I’m not the skinniest of people and tried to make my character accurate, but accidentally made him too overweight, and from there the game just got funnier. You can customise everything from facial features and hair colour to the athlete’s voice, and by earning points in the game you can unlock better skillsets for your athlete too, focusing on speed, technique or power to give yourself boosts in these areas.

In fact, the game’s customisation is an absolutely enjoyable quirk that I spent way too much time with – not only crafting athletes to look like myself or people I know, but making them look ridiculous and then hitting the field to compete. The same can be said for the outfits available too, with more points you can unlock more outfits and have some hilarious looking teams and athletes. Keep an eye out for the Sonic the Hedgehog outfit too – but whether it makes you faster or not will be in your mind. You’re not limited purely to sports outfits either; there was absolutely no way I was passing up the opportunity to have an athlete play Rugby Sevens in a space-suit.

When it comes to the events that you can participate in, not only does the game deliver when it comes to variety, but each event plays noticeably different. The simple ‘how to play’ tutorial is easy to understand, but it misses the complex button taps and tactics you can implement that will help you push for the gold medal each time. Not only that, but there is a distinct challenge for each event as well – it isn’t simply a breeze each time, and I found myself getting frustrated thinking I was hitting the right spots only to come second or last in events that I was getting good with.

The first event I started with was the 100m sprint, and I blitzed that in no time, capturing my first gold medal. My portly athlete avatar crushed the competition, and celebrated in his singlet and short shorts on top of the podium. But the glory was short lived, as I moved into competitive climbing and didn’t even make it past the qualifier despite trying three times in succession. In fact some of the events have a steep learning curve that even after a bit of practice could still mean you miss out on the gold. While that sounds frustrating, it is actually a good thing – it adds to the challenge and pushes you to get better, in the true Olympic spirit. Additionally, you can practice all of the events in training mode, and even complete challenges to test your skills against licensed players, as each nationality and team plays differently based on the athletes selected.

Playing online was mostly a breeze too. You can set up medley events or play single events, even pairing up for doubles events or team sports. For the most part there was very little lag in events making things pretty even, however there was a bit of noticeable lag in events such as Baseball between pitching selections and batter movements – and while not a game-breaking issue, made things run a bit slower and added some frustration.

The initial ‘uncanny valley’ visuals take a while to get over too – while the graphics are actually really smooth and crisp, the opening visual where real athletes turn into a cartoon-ish version of themselves running through the streets of Tokyo makes things feel a little strange, and the game follows suit with blurred lines between looking really smooth and realistic, and equally as cartoonish. After a while of playing you’ll also start to get frustrated at the audio – while upbeat and peppy, it starts to get grating and repetitive.

Fun at face-value with significant underlying depth, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game bursts off the blocks at lightning speed and doesn’t break stride, pushing for gold and delivering a fun experience along the way. With clean and crisp visuals and gameplay that’s easy to learn and more intense to master, the only jarring thing about it is seeing crowds of people huddled together in the audience – but that could be the 2020 shellshock speaking.

THE PS4 VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS PLAYED ON A PS5 FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW.

The post Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: The Game Review – Going For Gold appeared first on Press Start.

When the Pokemon anime was first starting out, Episode 35 was banned from international broadcast due to characters having realistic weapons pointed at them several times. Which begs the question – what would happen if you put firearms into the world of Pokemon?

Well after the trailer debut of “Palworld” at INDIE Live Expo, I’m here to say that your dreams have become a reality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY4lyOH1_0o

The team behind Palworld, Pocket Pair, had previously released another game ‘Craftopia’ for early access in late 2020 which had mixed to positive reviews. 

In only 10 seconds of the trailer, the preview for the game goes from 0-100 real quick, opening as a Genshin Impact/Breath of the Wild-esque Pokemon clone to suddenly flying through the air, emptying a clip at an enemy nearby. We then get back to serene action-adventure RPG, riding across the expanse of the world, as well as seeing villages and towns being constructed as part of the gameplay, before being thrown right back into a 3rd-person all-out assault as a monster bounces from enemy to enemy amongst the gunfire.

In awe, you can’t help but continue watching as more game mechanics are uncovered – a Digimon-style monster fusion element? Sitting around a campfire with your Pals? Oh here, one of the creatures climbs onto you and also starts shooting. Just pick up a little sheep monster and use it as a cute, wooly shield before it is tossed aside carelessly. This isn’t your standard catch them all rhetoric, this is WAR!

In fact the deeper you get into the trailer, the more you realise that there are a lot of questions to be answered for games in a similar genre. Little creatures forced into slave labour to build assault weapons. Using a rocket launcher to bring down a cathedral onto your enemies! Throwing an electric type into a lake to zap other creatures to the surface! What I’ve described does not do the trailer justice, you really need to see it for yourself.

Palworld’s creators describe it as a “next-generation open-world survival crafting game”, with the game’s Steam page. But the game boasts your abilities at poaching rare creatures for money, forcing them into slave labour and even suggesting “Don’t worry; labor laws won’t be applied to Pals.” The page even hints at using your Pals as a food source… Gotta taste them all?

Palworld has a tentative release date of 2022. You can see more about it and add it to your wishlist HERE.

The post Palworld Is Pretty Much Pokemon With Survival And Guns appeared first on Press Start.

There’s nothing more palpable than the excitement opening a new console on Christmas day, followed by the dread of that one forgotten oversight for the gift.

Did you remember to get batteries?
Do you have to charge it before use?
Are there additional things you need before you can use it?

For gaming particularly, gone are the days where you could just plug in and play. My first gaming Christmas present was my Super Nintendo console, complete with ‘Kid Klown in Crazy Chase’. It was an interesting experience for sure, and probably explains my lack of patience in life. That intro music also still haunts me to this day.

But these were simpler times. Getting a game that was pre-PS3 or Xbox 360 was great – you’d unwrap the thing, beam with excitement, and then run off to your console, forgetting all about the T-shirt that Grandma got for you that still sat under the tree as you popped that new cartridge or disc in and play until you had to be somewhere. Gaming sure has changed and grown – and with it, so have we. So how do you make sure that Christmas morning remains to be as special as it used to be?

1. SETUP THE CONSOLE

All new consoles come with a plethora of the latest updates to improve stability, unlock features or work at their best. If the youngsters of the house are getting a brand new console, they’re going to want to play it as soon as they possibly can – but fresh out of the box isn’t going to help.

That’s where you, the tech-savvy parent, can come into the mix – by carefully opening the console and setting it up for them, not only can you ensure that it is ready to go out of the box, but you can also add parental controls or account details that only you will know. Bonus points for pre-installing games on the console too, so that you can play them right off the bat.

2. CHARGE EVERYTHING UP

This is probably handier for portables or wireless things – but out of the box, most accessories will have a bit of battery time that will likely need charging ASAP. Provided that you can open them carefully without damaging the packaging, plug them in and have those batteries ready to go.

This especially will work wonders with the Nintendo Switch, as you can complete step 1 and 2 at the same time (and earn some well-deserved quiet time after Christmas lunch or dinner).

3. UPDATE EVERYTHING

The biggest part of games these days is updates. They can literally be 2-4gb for a console update and anywhere from 5gb to 50gb for a game update. The last thing you want is to be stuck updating games or consoles on Christmas day, so turn that console on and check for any system updates. You should then put any games you’ve purchased into the console and updates should automatically start updating.

4. ONLINE CAPABILITIES

So your new console can get online; but is it going to cost you? The last thing you want to hear from the kids is “We can’t play online with our friends because it costs more!” Unfortunately everything requires an online subscription these days (except PC gaming, but that’s a whole other kettle of fish) and I can guarantee that if your kids have been asking for a console, they want to play with their friends online.

Now is the PERFECT chance to make sure you grab an online subscription – or do a bit of research into it so that you can test the free trial that most of them offer. It also means you can keep an eye out for Boxing Day sales, where sometimes the companies will offer a discounted subscription pack. Both Xbox and PlayStation’s online services come with monthly free games to download too, meaning you do get value out of them. Nintendo Switch Online also comes with free SNES and NES games so you can live out your own childhood playing some retro games.

Now that you’re across these things, you should be ready to go come Christmas morning! And if your kids don’t react with the same amount of excitement as the Nintendo 64 kid below, well… next year they can get coal instead!

The post What You Need To Know About Getting A PS5, Xbox Series X Or Nintendo Switch For Christmas appeared first on Press Start.

Sometimes you just don’t realise how average the things you’re using are, until you upgrade and experience a whole new world. For instance, my original monitor setup at home was a stock-standard DELL flatscreen monitor, as well as an ancient (HDMI and VGA only) LG Flatron screen. They both did their job as expected, but of course I knew much better was out there.

What I didn’t realise though, is how much of a difference that “better” quality would make. Prepare yourselves for the MSI Optix 27” MAG274QRF-QD, a monitor with so many acronyms and technical terms attached to it that it’ll make your eyes pop almost as much as the colours do. This monitor was designed with esports in mind – a 27” flat screen with a huge 2560×1440 WQHD (wide quad high definition) resolution offering a refresh rate of 165hz, on a Rapid IPS panel. The one drawback that some may find (though it didn’t cause me any issues) is a brightness rating of 300 nits – which coupled with the anti-glare screen did a decent job even in the sunniest conditions.

In simple terms – it is sharp, vivid, and showcases ultra high definition. Add in a strip of RGBs on the back for extra speed, and you’ve got yourself a complete package monitor that does everything you need it to and more. The screen has an anti-glare coating that also can be viewed from multiple angles without any issues, and when attached to the stand the monitor can rotate, rise and tilt to give you that perfect viewing spot. To top it off, the design of the monitor is simple and sturdy – no ridiculous stand shapes, or garish patterns; the design is minimalistic yet retains the MSI flair the brand is known for. There are bezels around the edge of the screen, but they are narrow and smooth enough to not be noticed.

In day-to-day operations the minor quirks are instantly noticeable compared to standard monitors – scrolling through pages or moving objects around the screen is smooth and almost strange when you’ve been using a screen with such a low refresh rate. The monitor comes with your standard connection inputs (no HDMI 2.1 sadly) as well as a USB Type-B connector to supply power to the additional USB ports. Hitting up YouTube for a few 4K videos just to view the colour range it outputs and was blown away not only by the clarity but by the range. Reds and oranges absolutely pop off the screen, while blues and greens are rich and vibrant – viewing things on this monitor was almost like experiencing colours for the first time, and realising what the difference is between a basic monitor and a top of the range device can be.

Getting into gameplay, I don’t think I’ve ever had to turn ON so many options in gaming menus to allow games to look so good on-screen. Boosting the settings to maximum in Rocket League and turning on v-sync options I was presented with a smooth and clear depiction of my car, with colours that absolutely popped. MSI’s Adaptive-Sync feature helps with switching from game-to-game. When I first got my hands on the monitor it wasn’t wasn’t G-Sync compatible, but after several updates it became G-Sync compatible, which is definitely a plus in many peoples’ books.

MSI have also announced compatibility with their Gaming OSD app, which allows users to customise and switch monitor modes on the fly – unfortunately at the time of writing, the only thing the app would display for me is “Cannot detect supported monitors” when connected with DisplayPort and USB at the same time. The app allows you to change features on the fly without navigating the menus via the physical buttons. Thankfully the majority of options for the onboard menu can be selected using the neat little red joystick toggle that sits on the back of the monitor, allowing for customised quick-change options or displaying refresh and frame rates on screen.

WE LOVE BRINGING YOU THE BEST GAMING AND TECH BARGAINS. WE MAY GET A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE SALE THROUGH AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS

The post MSI Optix 27” MAG274QRF-QD Gaming Monitor Review – So High Definition it Hertz appeared first on Press Start.

To truly understand Bugsnax, we must first understand what Bugsnax are. Are they bugs? Are they snacks? Are they something more nefarious? You are a keen investigative Grumpus journalist who receives an invite from explorer Elizabert Megafig, to travel to Snaktooth Island in order to document the strange phenomenon known as Bugsnax. But on arrival, Elizabert has gone missing and the town of inhabitants is fractured and scattered. It falls upon you to find out what happened to Elizabert and the inhabitants and to help in rebuilding the village while documenting and understanding just exactly what these strange yet delicious looking creatures are.

If you’ve ever played Pokemon and thought “What if I could feed the monsters I catch to other people?” then not only would I say this game is for you, I’d suggest you might have a few underlying issues to sort out. Bugsnax captures elements from several successful franchises and rolls them into one, creating an experience that is fun and quirky, yet oddly familiar. From the eyes of the journalist, you explore Snaktooth Island, documenting the various Bugsnax and working out the best way to capture them with your Snak Trap. Some of the Snax are craftier than expected though, and don’t easily fall for the trap – so you have to harvest different sauces from plants to lure them in; for instance, both Bunger and Fryder really love ketchup, while Strabby and Kweeble like chocolate sauce. There are even elemental effects at play for some Bugsnax – for instance, Noodler or Scorpenyo will burn your Snak Trap or anything you use to catch them, while Bopsicle will freeze things.

As you race around Snaktooth Island collecting Bugsnax, certain characters will only return to Snaxburg if you perform necessary tasks, most revolving around catching a particular Snak that’s only found in another area of the map and feeding it to them. The problem-solving element of the game starts to shine here as there are certain Snax that you can only catch with particular items, or certain sauces, or even at a specific time of day or night. It then is up to you as to how creative, or crazy, you can be to catch these Bugsnax. Believe me, there will be some unbelievable catches that will make you feel proud of yourself.

Of course, once you’ve caught the different Bugsnax, the next question is: what do you do with them?

Do you give them over to Gramble, who is trying to keep them as family? Or do you feed them to the other Grumpuses and watch their body change shape to the creature they’ve been fed? Half the fun is turning the Grumpus townsfolk into crazy-looking beasts made of food with the variation of Bugsnax at your disposal. Get the combinations right and you’ll also score some neat trophies which add to the appeal.

No strangers to blending quirky fun with more adult storytelling, developer Young Horses wear their influences on their sleeve. There are shades of Pokémon and Pokémon Snap in the game, but with additional aspects of games like Ape Escape and Viva Piñata as well. Throw in some adult storytelling on top of that and you’ve got a well-rounded adventure that doesn’t revert to being a chore to play. The overall story won’t take you too long to complete if you’re quick, and the range of side-quests and Bugsnax to find will give you more to do throughout.

The game looks crisp and clean for what it is with lots of bright colours and cute designs, and the designs of the areas and creatures have a very nostalgic feel to them almost as if it could have been released in the early days of the original PlayStation. The voice acting is far from a chore to listen to as well, and throw in some very chill ambient tunes for the different areas and you’ll manage to lose a lot of time just having fun exploring. I’d be amiss if I didn’t include the extremely catchy theme by Kero Kero Bonito too, which you will no doubt get stuck in your head once the game is over.

Further into the game, some of the shine starts to wear off just a bit. Loading times seem quite excessive for visiting different areas—I’m sure I waited almost a minute a couple of times—and the game starts struggling when an area is populated with a lot of Bugsnax, with frame rate drops and stuttered gameplay, and that’s even on a PS4 Pro. It seems quite unusual for a game that looks as smooth and simple as it is to have such an issue, and luckily that was the only major problem I encountered, save for falling down a mountain and getting stuck in a wall for about 40 seconds.

PLAYSTATION 5 IMPRESSIONS

(WORDS BY SHANNON GRIXTI)

I’ve also been playing Bugsnax on PS5 and echo Matt’s sentiments about what a great little game it is. It really feels like it was made for the PS5. The DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers are used in more ways than any other game that I’ve played so far, with a great tactile feeling for every gadget. Similarly, haptic feedbacks mean that you can feel every environment differently.

In terms of performance, it’s probably the least optimised game that I’ve played. It’s still absolutely beautiful but I experienced quite a lot of frame drops. Load times going between areas for at least four to five seconds, which felt a little bit over the top considering the areas are tiny.

Still though, with the game being free on PlayStation Plus for PlayStation 5, you’d be crazy not to try it.

THIS GAME WAS TESTED ON A PS5 AND A PLAYSTATION 4 PRO FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW. A DIGITAL REVIEW CODE WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER.

The post Bugsnax Review – A Fun Adventure appeared first on Press Start.

The last time I played Age of Empires III, I was completely disappointed. It wasn’t due to it being a bad game, or that it had changed things from Age II — although that’s an argument I won’t dive into — instead it came down to the fact that my computer at the time couldn’t handle it despite thinking my specifications were up to scratch. Luckily, coinciding with the launch of Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, I have a PC that can run it and a monitor that makes it look absolutely fantastic. Playing the game this time around is like a completely new experience and rounds out the trilogy of ‘definitive’ treatments to the Age of Empires series, bringing the games to a new generation and capturing the hearts and minds of a whole new playing group.

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition involves a lot of building. Following the tried and true formula of its predecessors, it adds new gameplay features to the fold — the biggest of all being the “Home City” mechanic. Your Home City is a thriving place that builds up with your empire, and allows you to ship tactical advantages that can turn the tide of a game; for instance, if you are low on resources, you can use your experience points to ship the necessary items, or if you’re in need of back-up for your army you can send additional units. The more you do within the game, the more EXP you build, giving you extra cards to play in what is known as your “Card Deck”. 

However, there is a drawback to certain cards meaning you can only use them a certain amount of times. Your card deck can be built upon and shuffled around to inject the right advantage at the right time of the game and as you advance through the ages, your card tiers become better and provide more of a boost to your resources.

This system isn’t without its gripes though. For one, choosing cards to send to your village takes you right away from the action and back to your Home City, removing your focus from the current strategy. You can also choose where you want shipments sent to. “Hero Units” (or explorers) can receive them directly, and so can several different types of buildings, however, this may prove a disadvantage if you are sending both supplies and units as your supplies can end up on the battlefield, or your units well removed from the battle where you need them most.

Villager resourcing is similar to previous instalments, minus the continual back-and-forth travel between resource and depot, eschewing the need for buildings such as lumber yards and mining pits. Additionally, houses take the shape of various different forms depending on your starting civilization, and can also provide advantages such as producing additional resources. Trading Post systems remove the trading carts and boats of previous games, and the game introduces Native settlements across the map which can be allied with as the game goes on. The game boasts a plethora of new units to the series, and along with expanded tech trees and independent civilization classes and units, it adds just that little bit more depth to strategy and combat tactics.

Let’s say you were someone like me who had never really experienced Age of Empires III back in the day and had grown accustomed to the way the first two play. There are some significant changes to get your head around. Resourcing is the strangest, the strategic placement and defense of resource sites are now gone, and villagers are left to their own devices. The Home City idea is good but also extremely annoying when it comes to having to consistently check between the map and the city. Additionally, traditional keybindings and mouse-clicks are completely thrown out the window. For instance, right-clicking something with a villager to repair it no longer executes said option. Sure, it seems nit-picky, but as they say, if it ain’t broke.

With major tweaks to the base gameplay as well as a graphical overhaul, this isn’t your average remaster. Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition feels fresh and brand new, even for a game that is fifteen years old. Zooming in and out of battles is a sweet little novelty bound to the simple act of scrolling the wheel of your mouse and really highlights the graphical advancements made since the original was released. V-sync is a definite if you’re playing in high-definition, as there is a significant amount of screen tearing that will lower your playing experience if playing at maximum settings.

The A.I. is sharp and sometimes frustrating, especially when you are continuously hit-and-run by attacks while building your army, battling halfway across the map, or outsmarting your pincer movements as you plan an assault. Even the story mode is a great entertaining time, and while the voice acting may leave a little to be desired, the campaigns are fun as the re-enactments of historic battles through the lens of fictional characters adds an extra bit of excitement to the game overall.

THE PC VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS TESTED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW. A DIGITAL REVIEW CODE WAS PROVIDED FOR BY THE PUBLISHER.

The post Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Review – Rebuilt This City appeared first on Press Start.

When I was in my early teens, a lot of my friends got into skateboarding. I desperately wanted to join in, but I could never quite get the hang of coordinating myself to ride a board, let alone pull off a trick of any kind. So I stuck to what I knew best – video games, with spent countless hours performing gnarly tricks in the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series and finding the silliest ways to fall off the board.

Years later, skateboarding games are back in a big way – with returns to the Tony Hawk series as well as a long-awaited Skate sequel on the horizon. But while these games are reliant on preset tricks and animations, another game has come along to change the way we look at skateboarding. It is time to welcome Skater XL.

The approach taken by Easy Day Studios to the skateboarding genre wasn’t to simply pre-map tricks and techniques to buttons to go for high scores – instead, they created a digital paradise for simulated skateboarding. Skater XL plays less like a video game and more of an experience; open urban landscapes decked out with ramps and rails, with nobody to get in your way or tell you off for being a nuisance. There’s no point-scoring, no time limits, no competition – it’s simply about skating.

As previously mentioned, Skater XL is not your typical skateboarding game; it plays almost like a Trials game in terms of how it controls. Rather than buttons assigning certain tricks, your controller is mapped out for motion – the left joystick is your left foot, and the right joystick is your back foot. Moving these around controls your feet and allows you to perform tricks through motion, giving fluidity to the board and the way you perform tricks. The triggers are used for movement and grabs, while the face buttons help you kick off and stop. It takes some time to get used to, and you’re guaranteed to push the wrong button or move the joystick wrong to move before you actually get used to it.

As you learn the movements and methods of the gameplay, you’ll get the hang of more tricks along the way. “Easy to learn, difficult to master” is the key phrase here – you’ll jump in thinking everything is going to be a cakewalk before copping a mouthful of concrete repeatedly. Prepare to do a lot of Ollies to begin with, but as your skill grows, you’ll be chaining tricks in no time. That isn’t without frustration however; throw in Grinds, Rotations, and Grabs and you’ll feel like you’re button mashing to look decent.

But therein lies the beauty of the game, in that there’s no necessity to learn things immediately or a push to beat a score. The amount of times I tried to pull off a grind only to faceplant over the other side of the rail had me frustrated, but when I finally pulled it off and understood the angles and control, the sense of accomplishment made me feel great.

The sandbox aspect of Skater XL can feel a little hollow at times, but luckily enough there’s challenges which you can complete, which accompanied by a brief tutorial showing you how to pull off a move before you do so. This is where coordination is key, because one wrong move and you’re going to restart it over, and over, and over. Think of the challenges as interactive lessons on how to skate, and how to really refine your control.

With five pre-made open levels and three additional community-made levels, the developers have embraced fans on Discord and the creativity of players as well; entertaining mods and creations that players have made or suggested. This could hint at more to come from the game in the future, which bodes well for additional content or gameplay modes.

The character customisation leaves a bit to be desired though – while having some serious branded content there, it didn’t exactly win me over in terms of looks, as the character models themselves feel very much like wireframes with brands draped over them. Add this to the fact that the huge skating environments are so… empty and sparse, and the game starts to feel a little off.

THE PS4 VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS PLAYED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW. A DIGITAL REVIEW CODE WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER.

The post Skater XL Review – A Fresh Grind appeared first on Press Start.

As the moonlight gleams over the road ahead, you slam down the accelerator, picking up speed. The dulcet tones of Debussy’s Clair de Lune providing a calm and strange atmosphere as you shunt a fellow racer hard into a wall, absolutely destroying their car in the process. Shards of metal and tyres fly in different direction as you boost away into the lead, racing towards the finish line.

It has been twelve years since we were first introduced to Burnout Paradise, the culmination of Criterion Games’ work on the Burnout series, and a franchise that has been sorely missed. After a remaster for modern consoles, the game has finally found its way onto the Nintendo Switch, bringing the expansive racing world of Paradise City directly into your hands.

In case you’ve missed it, Burnout Paradise is all about carnage – high speed racing, dangerous driving, and brutal takedowns. The crazier you drive, the faster you fill up your boost meter – but beware, because if you lose control and bite it, your car will be completely wrecked. Burnout has always been about driving on the edge and being as reckless as possible to win the race, and with a ton of different race modes there is something that caters for all tastes.

Additionally, the game adds different car classes which charge boost in different ways; for instance, the Stunt class charges boost by performing crazy stunts, while the Aggression class gets boost by slamming opponents into walls. The downside to this is that the game’s progression is stunted by the fact that the DLC packs which were available after some time on the original release are instantly accessible; even though it is kinda cool to cruise around in knockoff versions of the Back To The Future DeLorean or the ECTO-1 from Ghostbusters. You can still unlock the remainder of the cars through standard progression but having over half of the car library available from the get-go takes away a bit of the fun of working your way up from the bottom, through the ranks and obtaining new licenses.

Driving around to find the different game modes is still good though, and if you’re lucky you might run into a car roaming the streets that you haven’t yet added to your collection to take down. The motorbikes even made it through, though these take a bit of getting used to after driving around in a car for a while. Those who remember Burnout Paradise’s eclectic soundtrack mix of rock anthems and classical music will not be disappointed to find that the song library has made its way over to the Switch as well – and I have to say, there is nothing like bopping along to “Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne while driving on the wrong side of the road and bashing opponents into walls. What? Don’t look at me like that.

Running on the Switch takes a fair bit of power even for a twelve-year-old remastered game, but thankfully the tweaks and updates keep it looking pretty slick. It holds itself at a solid 60fps in both docked and handheld modes, and while playing on a TV is always going to yield better results, sometimes the screen is a tad too small for what you’re actually doing. Roaring along at ultra-high speeds with scenery rushing by, I commonly found myself missing turns or shortcuts purely based on the fact that things were just too damn dark. The game’s day and night cycle doesn’t help this either, as such a big world is crammed into such a tiny screen – though you can switch off the cycle for better results.

The upsides to the game heavily outweigh the downsides though; not only is this Burnout at its best, but the sprawling open world of Paradise City gives so many different ways to race and routes to take that eventually you’ll be cruising the city knowing all the shortcuts like the back of your hand. The game misses certain features we’ve become accustomed to, like being able to place waypoints on maps, but other features it is missing would take away from the game – for instance, fast-travel to locations would add loading times that you really forget aren’t actually there once you’ve been playing for a bit.

The online mode is really easy to jump into as well if you’re tired of cruising on your own, and it is great to be able to drop into a random session and start racing around with other revheads at your leisure. Occasionally I encountered a few lag spikes, but that’s bound to happen – and most of the time it was just fun shunting and racing by the opposition in challenges, or trying to strategically chuck them into a wall during a race.

THE NINTENDO SWITCH VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS PLAYED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW. A DIGITAL REVIEW CODE WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER.

The post Burnout Paradise Nintendo Switch Review – Run To Paradise appeared first on Press Start.

If you’ve missed a title from Nintendo’s extensive back-catalogue of games, chances are you may not have to wait too long to see it return in the form of a remaster or remake on the Nintendo Switch. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX was unveiled as a surprise announcement earlier this year, as an amalgamation of the games Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team originating on the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS respectively in 2006. But this game is more than just a new coat of paint on an old title – reworked original soundtracks compliment the overhauled art style making what was once a pixelated outing on the Game Boy Advance feel so much more wholesome.

Opening the game by answering mysterious questions, you are compared to a Pokemon based on your responses which becomes your primary character. You don’t have to BE that Pokemon, but it’s more fun to see what the game gives you; apparently I’m naïve, so I was designated as a Totodile. From the remaining characters (sixteen in total) you pick a partner who becomes your best friend and guide throughout the game.

You awaken disoriented and clueless in the Pokemon world, being found by your partner (Eevee in my case) and diving straight into a rescue mission to save a young Caterpie from a dungeon. As your journey unfolds towards finding out how your character was turned into a Pokemon, you’ll form a Rescue Team to save and help your fellow monsters. This includes battling other Pokemon and recruiting them to your cause, and facing off against the fiendish members of Team Meanies who are in it for the cash. Along the way you’ll come across strong and legendary monsters, and also uncover why the Pokemon World is being afflicted with a series of unusual natural disasters.

The gameplay of Rescue Team DX follows a cyclical pattern – each dungeon crawl represents a day in the world. Your character wakes up, is greeted by your partner, then you check your mail or the Bulletin Board for rescue missions. You’ll be prompted to complete the main story mission continuously, however you have the option to choose sidequests or follow the main story. The village is where you go to train your Pokemon, purchase items or bank your funds, and set up new camps where new recruit Pokemon can go when they join your team. Once you’ve selected a dungeon mission, you pick your team loadout and get ready to go.

Playing as a combination roguelike and Pokemon game, your character moves through the world tile by tile to reach their destination. Your movements are limited by a hunger meter which depletes over time, but can be replenished with items you collect. As you encounter wild Pokemon within the dungeons you can tactically attack from a distance or up close depending on your moveset; just like in the mainline games, each Pokemon has four available moves with varying impacts. These moves also burn through PP which can also be replenished, but it slowly teaches you balance by understanding your team’s limitations. If your team happens to get lost in a dungeon, you have the option of sending out a request to friends to save them, or losing all of your items and money and going back to the town.

Battling Pokemon is relatively simple, either by attacking with A or selecting a move with the left trigger and corresponding button. When you defeat an enemy, sometimes the Pokemon will choose to join your team, which not only boosts your team from three members to more, but gives you the opportunity to recruit them as a member of your Rescue Team provided you have a camp for them.

Wandering through dungeons and applying the known type matchups is fun and a welcome change to the standard offering of the Pokemon series, however after a while it does begin to become repetitive, and the game lends itself better to shorter bursts of gameplay as opposed to longer sessions. Despite being procedurally generated, dungeons begin to feel quite same-y and monotonous, which is only further hampered by the repetitive updated music which plays over the top. It is also telling that at certain points this game definitely feels like a remastered port; controls can be a little finnicky, cutscenes that serve no purpose yet are unskippable (how many times do I need to see Pelipper deliver the mail?) and general gameplay quirks that feel carried over from a relatively old title.

THE NINTENDO SWITCH VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW. A DIGITAL REVIEW CODE WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER.

The post Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX Review – Entertaining And Quirky Adventure appeared first on Press Start.

The modern trend of remastering games has become a great way for audiences to be reintroduced to games they may have missed in previous generations. With the first two games in the Yakuza series being released on the PS2, the games were subject to total remakes in the form of Yakuza Kiwami and its sequel. But the next three titles instead received a full rework of the script and a graphical upscale from the PS3 to bring us the Yakuza Remastered Collection. Overhauled to include cut content that was apparently too Japanese-centric for audiences in the West, as well as a revamp of the localisation and translations, the Yakuza Remastered Collection ensures that the story of the “Dragon of Dojima” Kazuma Kiryu can be experienced in its entirety on the PS4.

Of course, if you’ve been a fan of the Yakuza series or had the opportunity to play even one of the instalments, you’ll know that the games are an eclectic mix of life simulator and street brawler, with a heavy dose of cinematic storytelling thrown in for good measure. There’s a lot of brand loyalty within the games – Sega throws self-promotion around in fun minigames, and you’ll never see the characters not drinking a Suntory-branded drink. But if you’re like me and you’ve never actually sat down to appreciate a Yakuza game before, hold on tight and come along for the ride, because it’s well worth the experience.

YAKUZA 3

As the former Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, we open with the protagonist Kazuma Kiryu settling into his new life running the Morning Glory Orphanage in Okinawa. Far from the seedy underworld of the entertainment district of Kamurocho in Tokyo, Kiryu is slowly dragged back into the world of Yakuza politics after the land the Orphanage is situated on is threatened by a local Yakuza family. Going further down the rabbit hole uncovers that the Tojo Clan had interests in the land, but this is stopped by the Dojima family patriarch and current chairman Daigo Dojima. Kiryu returns to Kamurocho when he discovers that Daigo has been shot, to uncover what is happening and save the orphanage.

Despite the amount of effort and polish that has gone into Yakuza 3 to remaster it for a modern console, it quickly becomes apparent that this is an upscaled PS3 title. Don’t get me wrong, the game is absolutely entertaining – the fighting mechanics are easy to learn and have significant depth, the narrative is top-shelf and will have you enthralled from the start, and the abundance of mini-games to play and side quests to fulfil means that you’ll never not have something to do. But when it gets down to the nitty gritty of the game – character models and appearances are dated (including “glued-on” clothes for characters), loading screens that seem a tad too long compared to modern games, and clunky movements in battle are just a few minor discrepancies.

YAKUZA 4

Stepping away from the linear storytelling model in Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4 weaves itself around four central characters, each with a narrative thread that works its way through the game before culminating together at the end. Along with series icon Kazuma Kiryu, the district of Kamurocho is played out through three new playable characters; loan shark Shun Akiyama, death row inmate Taiga Saejima, and dirty cop Masayoshi Tanimura. Each character not only has their own backstory and set of side missions, but a distinct fighting and gameplay style. Of course alongside ‘Uncle Kaz’, the story yet again deals with the Tojo Clan’s grip on Kamurocho and the politics and infighting amongst the Yakuza families within it.

Improving on what made its predecessor a good game, Yakuza 4 instantly feels like a much better experience. It is obvious from the get-go that while the game is built off Yakuza 3, a ton of refinement has gone into it to really improve on the previous game. The four playable characters each have their own upgradeable combat style and play significantly different to one another, loading times are reduced between scenes, and even graphically the game fares a bit better (but still with that PS3-esque sheen over the top). The combat is still a little bit clunky but much smoother that before, and characters’ clothes are still glued to them in that classic character model style.

YAKUZA 5

Years after the events of Yakuza 4, the amicable truce between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance is on the verge of collapse, leading to a potential war. Leading a simple life as a taxi driver in Fukuoka, Kazuma Kiryu cannot seem to escape the perils of the Tojo Clan as Daigo Dojima goes missing, leaving Kiryu to once again get involved in affairs. Yakuza 5 goes well beyond the boundaries of its previous instalments; introducing new locales not seen before in the series, as well as expanding the playable character roster to five – recurring character Haruka Sawamura becomes playable, as well as newcomer Tatsuo Shinada. It is difficult not to go into too much depth about the story, as with the games play so cinematically that every detail feels like a worthy inclusion.

If you’re anything like me and play the three titles in order, Yakuza 5 is definitely a treat once 3 and 4 have been played. It is the most refined experience of the three – the minigames are fresh and exciting (including taxi driving missions and street racing), the combat feels less weighted and clunky, and loading screens and times have dropped significantly. Given the game is still a noticeable PS3 remaster, the game still looks pretty good – you can tell by this point in development of the series that the developers had learned to push the console’s capability as much as possible.

As this trilogy was my first time experiencing the Yakuza franchise, I can honestly say I was thoroughly impressed. Any lack of polish that the games have I simply would put down to the fact that, while remastered, these games are effectively ten, nine and five years old respectively (for Western audiences at least). I suppose that then begs the question – would these games have benefitted more from a full remake in the ‘Kiwami’ style such as Yakuza 1 and 2 received? Would it have been worth the effort to completely rebuild these games more a much more modern playing experience, and to give the developers a chance at rectifying things? Fans of the series may find themselves wanting to skip these remasters unless absolutely necessary, as even though there has been a full rework of the script and inclusion of cut content, they are effectively the same games you’ve played before, just with a touch of make-up.

THE PS4 VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW. A REVIEW CODE WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER.

The post Yakuza Remastered Collection – Great Value appeared first on Press Start.

“Back in my day, we only had 150 Pokemon to catch – and we had to trade with cables to do it!” I growl at an imaginary crowd of youths, while throwing Ultra Ball after Ultra Ball at a damn Pokemon while holding down and B, because we all know that’s the secret way to make the capture work. Coming a long way from the masses of greyscale pixels and janky electronic monster cries of its past, the Pokemon series is now twenty-one years old in the Western world, and has brought forth a bright new adventure in the form of Sword and Shield. But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the Nintendo Switch’s first full-fledged Pokemon titles – while the games take us to the UK-inspired Galar region with new ways to battle and a swathe of strange creatures to capture, series veterans have been less-enthralled about some of the changes that Game Freak has brought forth.

A new generation of Pokemon games brings forth a new region, and Sword and Shield takes place in Galar. Heavily inspired by the United Kingdom, the region’s influences are obvious; from the naming of the towns (Postwick, Circhester and Stow-on-Side) and the architecture of the cities to the idyllic countryside and monuments around the region. Not only that, but the environments feel vibrant and fun to explore, looking visually great and textured (even if they probably could have pushed them a bit more). The region’s Trainers get a makeover – Team Yell is a direct riff on British Punk culture, and the policemen are dead-ringers for modern day bobbies. The character models look good, but could use a bit more expression, and still have a very strange way of turning on a dime while their character walks – it just isn’t 100% there yet. You take the role of the player character on a journey to defeat Galar’s Champion Leon, while competing against your best friend and rival (and Leon’s little brother) Hop. Along the way you’ll meet challenges and battles that attempt to stop you in your tracks as you uncover Galar’s mysterious Dynamax phenomenon, and an ancient lore passed down through generations. It’s the stock-standard Pokemon story, and to be honest it feels a little weak and half-baked this time around.

Like with Pokemon Sun and Moon, there are Galarian forms for particular Pokemon, and even new evolutionary branches for originals – for instance, Galarian Meowth gets a new evolution into Perrserker (instead of Persian) and the Galarian variant for Linoone gets a Gene Simmons-esque third stage evolution into Obstagoon. The idea behind regional variants is cool, and that Game Freak is adding these into the series makes more sense than simply adding a hundred or so new monsters for every generation. But for those of you looking to fulfil the original game’s mantra of Gotta Catch ‘Em All, prepare to be disappointed – the Galar Regional Pokedex is limited to a select number of the overall total Pokemon (now at about 890). The move has enraged longstanding collectors and players who engage in the meta-game, and while I can understand the anger, personally I find the idea of trying to capture 890 Pokemon a little daunting, even if some of them are transferred from previous games.

The game also shifts the way you can catch Pokemon as well – while grassy patches and Pokemon appearing in the overworld still exist, the addition of the Wild Area provides an MMO-like zone where players can bump into each other, camp with your Pokemon to restore health and build friendship (which is fun for a while) and seek out Pokemon in different areas to capture and train. Think of it as almost a grinding zone where you can train, catch and battle. You can also band together with other Trainers online to battle in Max Raid Battles, where you and three other players fight against a Dynamax-ed Pokemon in what is almost a Pokemon Go-style raid. The Wild Area changes the way you can catch Pokemon too – where previous games focused around defeating Gyms to be able to train certain levels, Sword and Shield gives you access to ultra-strong Pokemon early, but prevents you from having the ability to catch them until you’ve got a Gym Badge that allows you to. Some of the funniest moments in the game occur when you spot a higher-level Pokemon (or it spots you, in most cases) and it begins to chase you. If you need a laugh, just hit up the internet for chase videos and you’re bound to be entertained.

Not wanting to be outdone by previous fancy features such as Mega Evolutions and Z-Moves, this time around Game Freak has introduced ‘Dynamax’ battles – Pokemon can Dynamax and become gigantic for three turns. These can only be used once per battle and on a single Pokemon, which boosts the Pokemon’s stats and changes the moves into Max Moves based on the move type. Dynamaxing can only be done in certain areas of the game such as Gym Battles or in Max Raid Battles. A select subset of Pokemon can take this one step further and use ‘Gigantamax’, which is basically Dynamaxing but on steroids, making the Pokemon even larger and adding a G-Max Move.

One thing I appreciated about Sword and Shield was a return to basics when it comes to Gym Battles, however Game Freak have added a twist that is reminiscent of the Island Trials from Sun and Moon. Players must complete a task alongside trainer battles before facing the Gym Leader, which takes place in a gigantic soccer-like stadium (again throwing back to that UK influence) and encourages Dynamax battles. Rather than being locked away in a tiny little warehouse and battling your way through trainers, this made it feel more like how it should be – a grander scale for a more intense battle. The fact that the Gym Leaders interact with the game a lot more than some previous titles makes them more interesting characters.

The game isn’t without its gripes though; a lot of the content feels underdeveloped or extremely basic. The plot has a build-up that seems to trail off midway through and becomes extremely unrewarding towards the end of the main campaign. Camping gets old quickly and effectively feels like a team version of Pokemon-Amie from X and Y or Pokemon Refresh from Sun and Moon; you can fill up your Curry Dex, but there’s only so many times you can add Berries and random ingredients to a pot before it stops being fun. Dynamaxing is fun to begin with, but once you’ve done 3-4 Max Raid Battles, they become very stale and similar; although in the heat of battle (especially against Gym Leaders) it brings the excitement back. The Y-Comm system used for online communication and play also feels like a step back from the Player Search System and Festival Plaza modes, especially considering you can’t actively tell if a friend is online and playing without pausing the game and checking your Switch friend list.

While looking good, the game could feasibly look better than it does, and it honestly felt like we are at a point where maybe it is time characters get voice acting akin to the Fire Emblem series, as the characters’ mouths are moving, but all we see is text. Add to that the blank repetitive character expressions, and it just ends up another letdown in a list of things that we thought maybe could have been done better this time around.

The post Pokemon Sword/Pokemon Shield Review – Fun But Unfulfilled appeared first on Press Start.

As Australians, we constantly feel like the forgotten continent of the world when it comes to gaming. Nobody ever seems to want to set a game here, despite our country’s overflowing beauty and danger.

But with the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield, Twitter user VivinkArt has taken it upon themselves to show their take on fully-fledged Australian Pokémon versions: Pokémon Yeah and Pokémon Nah.

Introducing Bruce (Bazza) and Shella (Shazza), the protagonists of Pokemon Yeah and Pokemon Nah.
They're customizable, of course! I'll post up concepts of them later. pic.twitter.com/WTbmGbjCsP

— VivinkArt (@VivinkArt) November 14, 2019

The art and amount of detail that has been put into this is absolutely brilliant – not only does it match Pokémon’s art style so closely, the effort that has gone into developing player characters, regional Pokémon and even the region itself could almost fool you into thinking these were real games. Set in the region of Straya, players can choose between Bruce and Shella (or Bazza and Shazza) and pick one of three very Australian-looking starter Pokémon. You can catch a very Sydney-esque bin chicken with Ibin, and there’s even monsters based on Australian lore, such as Dropbare.

Now for the Pokemon of the Straya Region, here's the bin chicken, Ibin!

But it's not all it seems, this thing evolves into a 2m tall nightmare called Huntsmare that truly gives the horrifying wildlife in Australia justice. It's based off a real spider, I swear. pic.twitter.com/od4liW7cmW

— VivinkArt (@VivinkArt) November 14, 2019

The effort that has gone into this makes me wish that this was real, and I hope that Nintendo and Game Freak take notes!

You can check out the full thread on Twitter at @VivinkArt here.

The post Pokémon Yeah and Pokémon Nah Are The Aussie Pokemon Games We Deserve appeared first on Press Start.

The latest instalment in an ever-growing franchise of games, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare may not be the game you were expecting to play. While as expected there is still a lot of run-and-gun missions spread across the campaign, the game attempts to keep itself grounded in reality with a plot that attempts to translate real-world news and events into gameplay. This puts the game into unfamiliar territory as it tries to approach the moral aspects of war, ultimately struggling to understand not who is good or who is bad, but what kind of experience the game wants to deliver.

You see the events of the campaign through the eyes of CIA officer Alex and SAS Sergeant Kyle Garrick. Opening with a covert operation to intercept dangerous chemical gas shipments headed for fictional nation Urzikstan, Alex’s Marine raiders are ambushed and killed as they attempt to secure the shipment. This escalates tensions with Russia, whose own General Roman Barkov is involved in an occupation of Urzikstan. A short time later, the terrorist group Al-Qatala use suicide bombers to attack Piccadilly Circus in London, triggering events that bring the two protagonists together as allied forces join with rebels of Urzikstan to end the Russian occupation as well as the threat of Al-Qatala. The plot is reminiscent of modern action-war thriller films; the heroes are thrust into conflict and forced to make choices that seem to border and blur the lines of ‘good and evil’, but the game doesn’t quite reach those heights. It almost feels as if Call of Duty this time around wants to tread the line that games like Spec Ops: The Line ran so well; providing a morally ambiguous and eventually disturbing scenario that plays out not anywhere near how you expected it to. But Call of Duty wears its influences on its sleeve, and it becomes harder to accept that morality when it focuses heavily on the triumphs of the west, especially utilising conflict against Russia as a key theme.

Discarding the political talk for a moment, there are some amazingly tense set-pieces that really do make you forget you’re playing a Call of Duty game. The ‘Clean House’ mission is one of them; as you and your team sweep a splinter cell house of Al-Qatala located right in London, you’ll be forced to consider the phrase “check your shots” as you clear floor after floor of potential threats. This continues further into the fact that there are no clear ‘enemy’ models – getting into missions further on in the game leads to the potential that you may accidentally shoot civilians instead of enemies, and coupled with dim or dark environments, you may very well start feeling guilt as the person you put down was simply running for their life rather than threatening you.

The other great thing about the campaign is the realism and effort that has gone into creating the characters – the detail in the characters really pushes the boundaries of what the game can do, and while this doesn’t translate one hundred per cent into the gameplay, it really is a testament to how far the studios have come in graphical capability. Playing on a PS4 Pro was great despite the fact that there has been notable fan usage (a couple of times it sounded like a jet engine) and I never copped any buggy or low-quality textures, even in extensive Multiplayer modes.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Call of Duty WITHOUT multiplayer, and let’s face it – that’s what the majority of people are picking the game up for. I cut my teeth on the campaign first, to understand a bit more of the gunplay before throwing myself into a warzone of no-scopes and killstreaks. You will want to try as many loadouts as possible in Multiplayer to find one you like, because each weapon handles completely different, and with a plethora of attachments and modifications that can be made, no two loadouts will be the same. The gunplay itself is a tight and rounded experience; every shot feels weighted and forceful, and every gun handles in its own way rather than being very same-y. For instance, the LMGs pack a lot of firepower and don’t have excessive kickback, but to reload them takes a frustrating amount of time – unlike the assault rifle class which involves popping a mag out and in (even in scoped mode).

Editing your weapons in multiplayer in Gunsmith is a fun if not slightly tedious experience. Each attachment you unlock places a little green marker next to it, and those markers don’t disappear unless you’ve looked at EVERY attachment. Which is great when you want to just sit there and customize, but if you’re trying to edit loadouts before a match, you just don’t get enough time. Additionally, if you’re in a party, every time a match search is underway you’re thrown back to the main menu and have to equip attachments again as they don’t save. You’d think an experienced series like Call of Duty would have learned how to make good menus by now.

Getting into the multiplayer modes, I had a lot of fun in Ground War which, if you ever played MAG on the PS3 back in the day (cue a bunch of fans telling me it was shit) is reminiscent of Domination – a large map with climbable towers, a ton of players, and five capture points. Oh, and vehicles too. The mode has room for improvement though, it isn’t 100% polished and I found myself dying a lot just by not knowing the map all too well. The classics are there, like Team Deathmatch (I swore a lot) but then you also get modes like Cyber Attack – a 6v6 capture point mode that comes with revives, which plays out a bit like a Rainbow Six Siege game. One of my personal favourites was Gunfight – 2v2 in a small-ish area, where everyone has the same loadout and it becomes the first to eliminate the opponents to win. If you’re good with all weapons you’ll excel here, but if you stick to one or two similar loadouts, it will become a challenge.

My biggest gripe with multiplayer was the consistent dying due to being dropped right near an enemy who had the jump on me. Call of Duty doesn’t consider giving players a chance in some respects – and if you don’t have lightning-fast reflexes you can be expected to die a lot. Good thing that I can laugh at my KDR and not actually care, because when you end a game with 4 kills and 24 deaths, you can expect everyone to be laughing at you too.

THE PS4 VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS PLAYED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW. A DIGITAL REVIEW CODE WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER.

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When I think of Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, I can’t help but be reminded of cinema in several ways. The first thought that comes to mind is that, just like a lot of modern movies, the exciting or interesting parts were revealed in trailers or previews well before the actual release date. The second is that the game evokes a particular movie title that I could use to define it – “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”; there’s some good stuff, there’s a fair bit of bad stuff, and my word there is definitely a lot of ugly.

Set on the fictional island of Auroa, in an archipelago some several thousand kilometres from Auckland (you won’t forget it after you hear that uttered several times in the first half hour), you fill the shoes of Nomad, squad leader of a team of Ghosts sent to investigate some shady dealings that have taken place on the island. Home to Skell Tech, a haven for futuristic technology and world-changing innovation, the island and its operations have been overrun by a former Ghost named Walker, and as your team arrives at the island you’re thrown into the deep end after your choppers are shot down by the island’s defence system. From there on it’s a stock-standard story of betrayal and rescue with forgettable characters which will likely have you skipping through cutscenes as fast as possible to get through. If you’re looking for a game with a rich narrative experience, leave your expectations at the door.

Of course, skipping a fair bit of the dialogue then opens a bunch of side-quests and secondary missions that half the time I didn’t even know I was doing (or why I was doing them). A lot of them revolve around finding weapons or intel about the island, locked behind fortresses of enemies that will put you down in an instant especially playing on solo. In fact, the game is quite cruel for solo players – messing up stealth or setting off alarms can trigger enemies to call in backup, and there’s nowhere to go. I died a lot of times on my own simply because I couldn’t run from a firefight and had no cover to protect myself. Pairing up with another player turns the experience into something completely different – you get more tactical and craftier with your approach and can back each other up in firefights. Having Jake over my shoulder with a sniper rifle while I ran in all guns blazing made light work of what was otherwise a difficult task.

Having said that, most of the time the weapons we were chasing we would end up cashing in for parts or resources, as there is seemingly no end to the guns and equipment you can find within the game. The gunplay is fun to a degree – matching your loadout to your playstyle and finding the right gun for you is something the game does well. There’s a ton of customisation that can be done to the weapons including upgrading their skills and bonuses, and you can also equip attachments that change their capabilities too. At certain points though you end up digging through a plethora of weapons that you just want to dismantle as it becomes ridiculous searching for the exact right one – and the same can be said for the equipment too. The better your loadout is, the higher your player level is – but there is something concerning when a beanie can offer you more protection than a tactical helmet.

Perhaps this is why the game was more exciting when it came to focusing on the PVP element of Ghost War, which we covered earlier in the year – it was fast, fun and tactical, but most of all it was controlled and refined. Even though the campaign gives you an open world to go out and do what you want, it feels bland and uninspired. Driving physics are ridiculous, traversing the island on foot is a veritable nightmare, and the amount of times I thought I could jump from a cliff and use my parachute only to plummet to the ground made me wonder why I even unlocked a parachute in the first place.

At its best, Ghost Recon Breakpoint is the kind of game you’d jump into when you want to go around and shoot the shit, to put it lightly. It feels like a lesser Grand Theft Auto; but in place of standard characters you get spec-ops guys, and instead of a sprawling metropolis you get an island that you can die on just by rolling down a hill. The menus are clunky (and annoying when you open it every time and it loads the map, instead of the last page you were on) and the controls aren’t much better either. Rendering times sometimes become ridiculpus (several times I had Jake laughing in my ear because it looked like our car was coasting across water) and other times map objectives and beacons would just disappear completely and would have to be re-tagged. And don’t even get me started about the online-only stuff – I left my character in a safe spot, walked away to go to the bathroom and came back to the title screen.

THE PS4 VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS PLAYED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW. A DIGITAL REVIEW CODE WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER.

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No stranger to wacky branded events, the team at Psyonix are turning it up to ELEVEN this Halloween and flipping things UPSIDE DOWN to bring one of the coolest events this side of Hawkins, Indiana.

Beginning on October 14 and running through to November 11, Stranger Things is hitting Rocket League as a part of its annual Haunted Hallows event, which celebrates Halloween with a series of loot drops and unlocks so you can customise your car in the spookiest way!

Players can earn Candy Corn tokens which are used to unlock Stranger Things-related content such as car toppers, decals, boost trails and even a gruesome Demogorgon Player Banner. Tokens can also be put towards opening Golden Pumpkins, which contain items from three of Rocket League’s other crates.

Coming not even a week after Psyonix announced that the crate system is being removed and revamped into a Blueprints system for unlocking new items, this is almost a last hurrah for randomized drops before the Fortnite-like store for Rocket League’s cosmetics opens up. You can read more about that on the Rocket League site HERE.

As for the Haunted Hallows event, I’m definitely keen to get Upside Down when the event commences next Tuesday (Monday in the US). You can check out all available goods and information on Rocket League’s official site.

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We all knew it was coming. We’ve been sitting on the edge of our seats since it was announced in April this year – but now we’ve been given a (tentative) launch date. That’s right folks, the PS5 will be hitting shelves in time for the holiday season of 2020. You’ve got a year and a bit to be really good, so that Santa can bring you Sony’s newest and shiniest piece of tech.

In an exclusive piece on WIRED, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan and system architect Mark Cerny hint at what we’re going to see in Sony’s next-gen console. There’s still a Blu-ray drive, which functions as a 4K Blu-ray player. The hard drive will be a solid-state drive (SSD), opting for faster loading and installation speeds as well as the ability to choose what to install. This means that you can literally install a single player or multiplayer portion of a game, and break it down even further than previously possible.

The PS5 will have a brand new controller (Sony won’t confirm if it’s called the DualShock 5). This new controller will have an improved speaker, a better battery life, USB-C charging but the most impressive features are haptic feedback (which will allow you to feel even greater vibration through the controller) as well as adaptive triggers (which will allow you to have greater control over things like drawing your bow in Horizon Zero Dawn).

This piece was then followed up with a post on PlayStation’s US blog by Jim Ryan, announcing that the console’s definitive name will be the PlayStation 5, and that we’ll be seeing it launch in time for Holiday 2020. It was only a matter of time until we heard more about Sony’s next offering, and of course the post goes on to reiterate that the PS4 still has a lot of life left in it yet with titles such as Death Stranding, The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima yet to come.

You can read WIRED’s full release here, which goes into depth on the next generation console and has a surprising and exciting amount of detail inside. Interestingly enough, WIRED got to see the PS5 dev kit, which is reported to look exactly like those dev kit leaks that hit the internet last week. Obviously, the actual console might look incredibly different to this.

Additionally, PlayStation’s follow up post can be found here.

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With the online multiplayer experience being a huge part of games these days, it is only natural that companies look at making changes for the better. With Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, one of the biggest requested features was dedicated servers – and based on the three years of community feedback and data leveraging from the previous iteration in Wildlands, these changes have now been implemented.

The progression system in Breakpoint sees players reaping rewards no matter what mode they play; all experience counts towards your character’s development and unlocking skill trees and class abilities. But what is equally amazing is that all of these abilities won’t actively give you an edge over other players in PVP unless you know how to use them to your advantage – the game is balanced for fairness; with weapons, items and perks all receiving PVP-specific tuning. This is so that there are no ‘critical advantages’ within the game for players over others – it all comes down to how you play and what tactics you use to take out your enemies. But don’t worry, because outside of PVP, all of your upgrades and unlocked skill trees will be just as damaging as they were before.

With the focus being that your time is worth the same regardless of what you choose to play, the game also encourages active gameplay to keep you on the move – the removal of cooldowns and addition of scattered loot mean that instead of staying still and waiting for enemies to come to you, you need to keep moving to take the fight to them. With a motto of “do stuff to get stuff”, it is better to always be on the go both tactically and for the purpose of better gear.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint is shaping up to be an awesome new entry into a long-established series, and we can’t wait to see more.

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Building on the depth of gameplay that we saw in Wildlands, Ubisoft has taken multiplayer up a notch with Ghost Recon: Breakpoint’s new four vs four mode, titled “Ghost War”.

Ghost War pits teams of four against each other in a tactical operations setup, where every move you make could mean life or death. With randomized loot spread across the map, you must work with your team to take down the opponents before the combat zone shrinks down and forces you into a close-range firefight. There’s drones that you can utilize to survey the area (and weaponized ones that shoot gas as well), and surveillance equipment inconveniently placed right in the middle of the warzone which will reveal your enemies’ locations.

But this game goes one step further than the rest, forcing you to really make a move and use everything you have to take out your opponents – using the motto ‘do stuff to get stuff’, the game rewards those who take risks and chances instead of camping out in a corner and hoping the fight comes to them. Standing still won’t get you anywhere (and will likely end with you stuck outside of the shrinking circle) so the emphasis really is to work with your team to rout the enemy in any way you can. This starts as early as selecting your character class and your loadout as well – each class has its own abilities which can turn the tide of a match in an instant, or grant you skills to ensure that you can pick up your downed teammates with ease.

Most matches started in a very similar way:  “Sending up a drone, everyone keep on your toes”

The drone flies up. The pouring rain and dark sky make it hard to see, until suddenly a red marker lights up. Two enemies on the right flank, one on the left. Where’s the fourth? Suddenly, shots fire from far in the distance. The drone is gone, but we have an idea of where all four enemies are. I’m back on the field, perched on the second level of a building in the shipping yard, while one of my squad mates heads down the left flank and one heads right. The last teammate goes down the centre. We’re spread to intercept, though it may be risky. I switch to my long-range rifle, and notice that they’re sending a drone up as well – three shots and I knock it down before they get a lock on our locations, but now they know where I am.

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint is a game that wants you to work as a team, and use your tactical skills as an advantage on the enemy. The loadouts are levelled, as is the playing field – it comes down to how well you and your teammates can plan and sweep the area to rout the enemy. Utilizing drones, you can scout the area and catch out the enemy’s movements (but they can do the same to you). One wrong step and you’ve opened up your position to the enemy. Or did you mean to do that, to weed them out of hiding?

Shots are fired overhead. They know I’m sitting perched, as they’ve got a high vantage point too. The squadmate on the left flank opens fire and takes him out. But they don’t die instantly – they can still be revived. The teammate going down the centre aims for the surveillance equipment, he wants to know where the other three are – but suddenly, he is ambushed by two on the right flank. The other teammate down the right flank also gets taken out. It becomes 3v2. This is my chance, I switch to an SMG and make my move down the right flank. I take out one while the other is going for the surveillance equipment. The fourth makes his move from their spawn point and takes out my teammate on the left flank. 2v1 now, I try to revive one of my teammates but I’m too late and they take me out. The game is over.

The maps provide both tons and minimal cover, depending on your playstyle. Most of the time I run-and-gun, drawing attention to myself so that they are fooled into revealing their position. If it means I get taken out, so be it; that’s the tactics that we discuss and roll with as a team. Revives are unlimited but medical supplies have to be found to get back to full health, so the risk is worth the reward providing you can back up your game style.

We start another match, on the snowy outpost. Again, my first instincts are to go for the drone and scout the area, but this time around they’re onto me and take it out before I can do anything. I get a glimpse of their tactics though – they’re trying to pincer us by sending two down each flank. We’ve gone 1 to 3 though, sweeping the right flank. Our lone teammate manages to take one out, while one of theirs takes out ours. We’re on 3v3.

Each character’s skills can be a lifesaver too – the class that I used had a skill that boosted movement speed for a short amount of time. This allowed me to run between buildings drawing fire, before flanking an enemy and reviving a teammate, turning the tide of battle. Keeping an eye on the enemy on the ground, we waited for their teammates to come and revive them. Silly move on their part, as by this point it was 3v2 and we picked them off easily. A win for us.

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint is a lot of fun. As opposed to a lot of multiplayer games these days where your winning condition can depend on where you start or what weapons you find, this game truly is a level playing field which wants you to adapt and overcome as a team. Some matches I had heaps of kills, others I could barely get a shot off before I was taken out – but as long as you’re continuously trying new tactics and ways of playing, no two matches will ever play out the same.

When we got our hands on the game in late July, the experience was already extremely polished and exciting – whether it was trudging through a snowy outpost waiting for an enemy to poke their head out as we made a dash for the surveillance system, or sneaking around in a rainy shipping yard trying to stealthily take out the enemy in pincer movement. No two matches were the same, and it really had us working as a team to ensure we took home the victory. The best part about it was that it came down to skill and tactical advantage – the playing field was level and no character had any critical advantage over the others.

None of this should come as a surprise however – with the team spending three years on the PVP elements of Wildlands, and utilising player feedback and leveraging data, the end result is a fair and balanced system that is designed to be comfortable for existing players, but also easy enough for new players to enter – and potentially come away with the victory.

The post Ghost Recon: Breakpoint PvP Hands-On Preview – Unpredictable Greatness appeared first on Press Start.

No stranger to amazing pop-culture designs and clothing lines, Uniqlo’s latest UT Grand Prix series theme was Pokémon; and after much deliberation, the new designs have finally hit stores.

With a broad range of designs selected from around the world (including two designs from Australian entrants), this latest range of Pokémon-inspired clothing looks amazing. The only downside is that some of the designs are only available in certain sizing (like this Ditto face one, available in Women’s). Get in quick to get your sizing as many of these designs are sure to sell out fast.

Australia’s two winning designs, by Liezl Ronquillo and Ned Garrett.

Of course this contest was no stranger to controversy; the original winning design and another finalist were both disqualified for contravening the rules of the competition. In this article from NintendoWire, it is explained that “Within Uniqlo’s fine print, any designs submitted could not have been sold previously.” You can see Uniqlo’s official statement, along with the winners and judges’ comments on Uniqlo’s official site. Initially, the winning design was set to appear in Pokemon Sword and Shield, however it is now unclear as to whether or not the second-place design will be promoted instead.

You can shop the full range online HERE. Some sizes are, as of writing, already sold out, so get in while you can.

The post Uniqlo Just Got A New Line Of Pokemon T-Shirts appeared first on Press Start.

Witches and wizards, the time has come to represent your houses! The latest collaboration from Vans has arrived, and now you can get some awesome streetwear in your favourite Hogwarts houses.

With a range of styles for both adults and kids, the collection spans shoes as well as shirts, jackets and backpacks featuring all of the Hogwarts houses. Deck yourself out in Gryffindor shoes with a matching tee and backpack, or be like Draco Malfoy and rock a long-sleeve Slytherin shirt and cap. There’s even merch with the Deathly Hallows on it too.

It looks like stock is quite limited and scarce online, so make sure you get in quick, or hit up your local stockist for more options. The range is quite pricey too, but if you’re a die-hard fan, that surely won’t get in your way.

You can view the current available range HERE.

Of course, it seems like Australia got the raw end of the stick again when it comes to stock, so if you’ve got contacts overseas you can check the US site HERE, which has a slightly wider range.

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Grab your leg warmers, paint everything in neon and queue up those synthwave cassettes – Rocket League is going fully ’80s with the release of its latest in-game event, Radical Summer.

Kicking off on June 10, this 9-week event gives players a chance to step back in time with a whole host of ’80s-themed content (both free and Premium Licensed DLC) to play and unlock. Broken down over three phases, the limited release will also see game modes such as Beach Ball Mode, Ghost Hunt and Spike Rush mode introduced, which all look awesome and chaotic at the same time.

With the game already having the DeLorean from Back to the Future, players can also grab cars like KITT from Knight Rider, the ECTO-1 from Ghostbusters, and a whole heap of themed content from some of the biggest franchises that are probably older than you are.

For a four-year old game, Rocket League keeps going from strength to strength in delivering content, and this latest update is no exception. You can watch the announcement trailer below, and check out all the details HERE.

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It’s been seventeen years since the Collapse. The land of Hope County, desolated by nuclear warfare, has been reclaimed by nature and the remnants of humanity. As Captain of Security (or ‘Cap’, as you will be known by henceforth) you are part of a team requisitioned by Carmina Rye of Prosperity, a rebuilt safe haven for humanity to rebuild. But your challenge begins before you even arrive; ambushed by the Highwaymen led by malicious twins Mickey and Lou, the train is destroyed and your crew is decimated, leaving only yourself and Thomas Rush surviving. It now falls upon you to save Rush from the Twins, and reclaim Hope County in the name of Prosperity.

Nobody would have guessed we’d be stepping back into Hope County so soon after Far Cry 5 had ended, especially the way that it did. But with the cult of Eden’s Gate and its prophetic leader Joseph Seed, how does Ubisoft go one further and raise the stakes? The answer doesn’t lie with bigger enemies, but rather a slight shift from the standard first-person shooter genre we’re used to, to one that includes light RPG elements and a more linear story. Far Cry New Dawn may seem like a DLC expansion to Far Cry 5, but it plays out as so much more than that and manages to keep the series fresh.

In the shoes of the non-speaking protagonist ‘Cap’, you can create your character with your own style and look to tackle the wastelands of Hope County. Tasked with fighting off the Highwaymen, your journey will take you all across the vastly changed landscape, encountering the familiar as well as the unknown as you rid the land of the Highwaymen’s influence and reclaim resources for Prosperity to grow. Using Far Cry 5 as the template allows the game to slip more into RPG territory; enemies, vehicles, outposts and weapons all have a degree of levelling which forces you to think before going in all-guns-blazing to solve a problem. The number of times I accidentally charged headfirst into gunfights without taking things seriously, only to be gunned down pretty easily, led me to reconsider my strategy.

The narrative progression is relatively simple, and is only triggered by main quests – but being a typical Far Cry game, there is so much to do within the world that you’re never likely to get bored. Capturing Outposts allows you to raise your Ethanol stash, which in turn helps you upgrade Prosperity as well as its many outlets such as Garage, Weapons, Infirmary and Cartology. You can then choose to keep the Outpost, or to ‘Escalate’ – meaning the Highwaymen recapture it, and it gets more difficult. These are particularly fun when you’re in the mood for some bloodshed, as you can choose to go in stealthily and eliminate all enemies, or go in guns blazing and fight off hordes of Highwaymen as they call in backup. Beware though, every escalation brings tougher enemies as well as Enforcers, who are really tough to take down.

The great thing about the game’s light RPG approach is that as your enemies upgrade, so do you. Finding more resources and unlocking new weapons allows you to take the fight directly to them. One of my favourite things about the weapons is seeing that they’re coddled together with basic elements – you gotta remember, this is in a world where production no longer exists. As you do this you also unlock Perk points, which make your character abilities grow and change. Simultaneously, completing the Guns and Fangs For Hire recruiting missions means that you’re never alone when the fight gets tough, and your co-op partner will upgrade their skills the more you use them. Speaking of the Guns and Fangs For Hire, this game has a huge variation in who you can recruit, and you are definitely bound to end up with a favourite. Despite having the choice between Timber the dog, Horatio the boar and even good ol’ Hurk Drubman Jr., I had to stick with Nana the Sniper – her quips are absolutely hilarious (“I’m a witch and you can’t kill me!”) and she’s a crack-shot with her sniper rifle. Well, that is if she can get a shot in when you’re using the best weapon in the game – the Saw Launcher.

You can also go on Expeditions to different locations, which are an awesome way to see how the world has been changed by the Collapse. With your sassy helicopter pilot Roger, you can visit other US locations including a dilapidated theme park in Louisiana, a former nuclear plant, and even an escape from Alcatraz. These are also great ways to ease out of the narrative and build up supplies, as well as refine your gameplay approach (try a little stealth every now and then). Additionally, taking Guns/Fangs For Hire with you provides a variety of entertainment through unique dialogue.

At this point I bet you’re wondering though; “But Matt, I played Far Cry 5 and I know how it ends – Where’s the cult of Eden’s Gate? Where’s Joseph Seed?” Believe me, they’re still around, and in a way that you won’t expect. Remember, the Collapse was something that Joseph prophesied – he still has some influence on this post-apocalyptic world and had planned for the end to come. In fact, some of the missions relating to New Eden and its survivors are some of the most trippy and fun missions you’ll go on.

The good thing about the game is that there isn’t a sense of urgency to get things done – you can wander the landscape, go hunting or fishing, loot areas for resources or even hunt down Ethanol trucks or supply drops at your own leisure. There’s even a photo mode where you can find locations and see how they’ve changed to what they were, which is a nice little touch. That’s what makes the Far Cry world so entertaining and likeable; every time I’ve picked up the controller I’ve struggled to decide whether I want to go exploring, or sit down and smash out the game’s missions. Those who are chasing the game for a purely narrative experience might find the game a tad short for their liking, but this is supplemented by all the other activities that can be taken advantage of, along with the RPG-based upgrading system.

Of course, you can’t go through a game like this without encountering some issues; thankfully those that I did weren’t game-breaking or souring to any major degree. I feel like the fall damage system is a little too sensitive, and the number of times I’d get severely injured or knocked by falling a small height made me rethink everything I did. NPCs and civilians have a tendency to get in the way of gunfights (even when they think they’re helping) and you will occasionally get the message “DO NOT KILL INNOCENT CIVILIANS”. I’m sorry, but if you have to wander right up to a Highwayman to shoot him, that’s what is gonna happen. Similarly, when getting involved in a firefight my Gun For Hire would fail to revive me when I got knocked down, meaning I’d have to start a mission or event over again, despite the fact that they were standing directly on top of me able to revive me. Every other gripe I had with this game usually came down to being my fault – not being able to unlock weapons due to a lack of resources, or taking on enemies that were way tougher than I could handle.

THE PS4 VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS PLAYED PRIMARILY FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW. DIGITAL REVIEW CODE WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER.

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Life has been all but decimated by mysterious and dangerous creatures known as Aragami, and cities lay in ruin from Ashblight. To combat these powerful beings, humanity has crafted ‘God Arcs’, biomechanical and multifunctional weapons which utilise the Oracle cells of the Aragami. But these weapons can only be wielded by unique beings known as God Eaters; people who are bonded with the weapon and infused with the same Oracle cells. Forced to roam the wastelands at the command of the dregs of society, these God Eaters are the only thing standing between humanity’s survival and total extinction.

God Eater 3 is the latest instalment in Bandai Namco Entertainment’s monster fighting franchise, and the first game to release on a home console as opposed to previous instalments’ handheld origins. The core premise of the game is relatively simple – you are a warrior, part of a team of God Eaters whose mission is to set out and destroy Aragami with your powers and save humanity. The game (and story) plays on a lot of tropes and clichés that we are used to in both anime and RPG games of the like (our protagonist has heightened abilities above those of their peers, they have a special connection with a mysterious being, etc) and is relatively stock-standard, but still entertaining. Additionally, we are treated with a great soundtrack and voice acting that doesn’t make me cringe every five minutes (though the dialogue could use work, as always).

Stylistically the game appears as you would expect, though quite polished too – making great use of the 3D cel-shaded technique so many anime-styled games are known for. Mixed with brilliant colours and glowing effects, this game definitely doesn’t disappoint in the visuals department. It does suffer from a typical male gaze though, which is evident from the older female characters – you’ll know what I mean when you see the character Hilda.

The gameplay of God Eater 3 will be strangely familiar to anyone who has played a hack and slash action RPG before; you select a mission for your character (and your squad mates), get dropped into the warzone, and hunt down your target to defeat within the time limit. Your God Arc has two functions – weapon mode (twin blades, swords, two-handers, hammers, etc) and gun mode (sniper, shotgun, rifle) which can be used to your gameplay advantage depending on how you fight and the enemies you encounter. When in gun mode, your God Arc expends DP which you can recharge by hacking and slashing the enemy. The God Arc also has a shield mode as well which you can use to block and dodge, allowing you to be strategic when fighting your opponents. Additionally, you can dive through the air which allows for quick escapes to retreat or dodge.

Using your Devour power, you can attack the enemies by taking a huge bite out of them (which can also obtain items and collectibles which can be sold later) which charges your Burst Arts attacks. These can be powered up over time and allow strong attacks against the Aragami, which can also be chained together to make you an unstoppable machine – combine this with the ‘Engage’ mode where you link up with your NPC God Eaters and you can obliterate the enemy in no time. It is at this point that the combat tends to get frustrating though; through all the heavy button-mashing and pressing, there’s no enemy health bar to tell you how far you have to go, and no way of defending yourself if you get knocked down in the middle of a heavy combo.

Of course, now comes the annoyances. The targeting system leaves a lot to be desired as it easily switches on and off the enemy. That is, if you can remember which button it was – the amount of button bindings and keypresses gets extremely complicated (I was jumping around when trying to pick up items) and half the time you won’t do what you want to do. The gameplay itself is a tad repetitive, and follows the structure of starting at your home base, interacting with everyone, choosing a mission and then going out and fighting monsters, over and over again. And when you’re in your home base, your character walks with the speed of watching paint dry (unless you hold down R1 – seriously, whose idea was that?)

There’s just something about engaging all your special attacks at once and unleashing on an evil Aragami that is almost soothing and stress relieving; seeing an explosion of neon colours on the screen as you obliterate your enemy in a flurry of blades and weaponry. God Eater 3 may not be as flashy as its peers, but it is still a good entry to the series and is sure to appease fans of the series as well as the genre.

THE PS4 VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS PLAYED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW. A DIGITAL REVIEW CODE WAS PROVIDED BY ITS PUBLISHER.

The post God Eater 3 Review – An Appetite For More appeared first on Press Start.

Dropping alongside Super Smash Bros Ultimate’s 2.0.0 update, here’s a video showcasing the newest (and strangest) inclusion to Nintendo’s huge brawler.

Taking inspiration from multiple incarnations of the creature, Piranha Plant makes its way around in a cute little pot and has some classic Mario World attacks such as launching a spiky ball, spitting poisonous clouds, and an upwards Smash attack that replicates the plant rising from pipes.

Piranha Plant’s Final Smash summons a giant Plant which captures opponents in cages and drags them off the stage. It looks like a brutal and fun character to play.

Take a look below!

The post Here’s Footage Of Piranha Plant In Super Smash Bros Ultimate appeared first on Press Start.

Fresh on the heels of the Resident Evil 2 remaster, it has been rumored that a TV series based on the gaming franchise could be in the works.

According to a Deadline report, the show is being developed by Netflix alongside Constantin Film, the studio who were behind the original run of Resident Evil movies. No showrunner has been announced, and further details are quite scarce – but it seems the series is set to expand on the Resident Evil universe and mythology behind the Umbrella Corporation and the T-Virus. You can also expect there to be iconic elements from the games such as action sequences and ‘Easter Eggs’.

The show is effectively a reboot of the movie franchise which starred Milla Jovovich and was written (and mostly directed) by Paul W. S. Anderson. Whether these names return in some capacity will remain to be seen.

For now, be sure to get your Resident Evil fix by checking out our Resident Evil 2 review here.

The post A Resident Evil TV Show Could Be On Its Way appeared first on Press Start.

The end times are near.

In the latest news from Psyonix and PlayStation, Rocket League has gone into a Cross-Play beta program designed to link up all platforms (PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch) for online play.

This is a huge step for both PlayStation and Rocket League, which previously could only be connected to PC players via the Psy Net link. Cross-Platform play is enabled by default, but to ensure that it definitely is active, players can activate it by choosing the Cross-Platform Play box under the Gameplay tab in the Options menu.

Coming soon to the game will be cross-platform parties as well, meaning that you can finally link up with players of all platforms for your ultimate competitive team. If you want to choose your friends to play with before this is enabled, just create a Private Match in the Play menu and you can go from there.

Rocket League is a game that continues to grow, and changes like these are extremely exciting for the scene.

The post Rocket League Just Got Full Cross-Platform Play appeared first on Press Start.

Fresh off the presses, the latest update for Super Smash Bros Ultimate has been released for the Switch.

The update includes prioritization for Preferred Rules in online play as well as increased stability for connection in online Battle Arenas.

As expected, a series of adjustments have hit a fair few characters as well; characters such as Donkey Kong, Kirby, Young Link and Greninja have all had ‘specific’ adjustments to their gameplay. Be prepared for the outrage when your favourite character has likely been nerfed, or the excitement where a character has been buffed and is now better to play with.

Last but not least, those of you who have Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! or Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee! can unlock your respective partner Spirits for the game as well.

Despite only being out for a week, Super Smash Bros Ultimate has been selling like crazy, so expect more updates to come as the weeks go by.

THE FULL PATCH NOTES CAN BE FOUND BELOW: 

Online Gameplay

– When matchmaking in Quickplay, the Format setting of your Preferred Rules will be more highly prioritized. This may cause matchmaking to take more time, and there’s still no guarantee that you’ll find a match that has your exact Preferred Rules.
– Increased the stability of the synchronous connection within Battle Arenas.

Misc.

– Game balance adjustments.
– Various gameplay fixes.
– The fighters that had specific adjustments are listed below.

Adjusted Fighters

Donkey Kong, Link, Kirby, Luigi, Ice Climbers, Young Link, Olimar, Toon Link, Villager, Greninja, Pac-Man, Duck Hunt, and Isabelle

The post Super Smash Bros Ultimate Update 1.2.0 Brings Online And Balance Changes appeared first on Press Start.

A radical departure from previous instalments to the series, Far Cry New Dawn builds upon the universe created in Far Cry 5 and turns it on its head, exploring a post-apocalyptic landscape like no other. But rather than releasing as a DLC missions pack or expansion, Far Cry New Dawn arrives as a standalone title; with new weapons and modes of transport, new characters (as well as some familiar faces) and a new set of enemies.

We got the chance to chat to some of the key creatives behind Far Cry New Dawn to find out just how this title came to be, and what their influence was behind it. We sat down with three key creatives from the Ubisoft team; Creative Director Jean-Sebastian Decant, Scriptwriter Olivia Yassi-Alexander, and Art Director Isaac Papismado to find out more.

ALL OF OUR EXCLUSIVE FAR CRY NEW DAWN COVERAGE:

• Here’s 8 Minutes Of Far Cry New Dawn Gameplay Footage
• 5 Reasons Why We’re Excited For Far Cry: New Dawn
• Far Cry New Dawn Has Some Awesome Post-Apocalyptic Influences
• Far Cry New Dawn Was Planned From The Start
• Joseph Seed Will Return In Far Cry New Dawn

“When making Far Cry 5, we were toying with ideas for the end of the game and the idea of finishing with a doomsday scenario was super exciting. At the same time, it could be a getaway to get where we wanted to be for a long time; which is making a post-apocalyptic Far Cry, so it was kind of like killing two birds with one stone. So we were very excited by that, and yes a long time before finishing Far Cry 5 we were already stacking ideas for the next instalment.” said Creative Director Jean-Sebastian Decant.

“Far Cry has wanted to do a post-apocalyptic setting for a long time, and the circumstances of Far Cry 5 set to up really wonderfully for us. There were a lot of really beloved characters, and storylines, and stuff like that, that we felt like we could continue in a very new and exciting setting.” said Scriptwriter, Olivia Yassi-Alexander

“With Far Cry, when we start production, we have a vision start to finish of what the game will be. With New Dawn, without giving too much away about the ending, a lot of our themes are about a new world, a very different and frightening world, but it’s new. It is the beginning of something new. Our creative director, JS, really had that in mind from the beginning.” continued Olivia Yassi-Alexander

“Far Cry New Dawn is a stand alone title, so we want people who didn’t play Far Cry 5 to come into our world. But at the same time, we know that there’s going to be a lot of Far Cry 5 players returning so we really wanted to transform the world and really give them something unique and exciting to explore. They probably have their favourite locations that they’re going to be excited to come see and revisit and be like, “What happened to that location?” Our world has been transformed, not only by the nature and the aggressive nature of the sand, but also by the people who live there.” said Art Director Isaac Papismado.

Players will be able to return to the once-vibrant landscape of Hope County, Montana when Far Cry New Dawn launches on February, 15th 2019. Until then, you’ll just have to go back and liberate as many Eden’s Gate camps as you can.

PRESS START GOT AN EARLY SNEAK PEEK AT FAR CRY NEW DAWN IN MONTREAL, CANADA. FLIGHTS AND ACCOMMODATION WERE PROVIDED BY UBISOFT.

The post Far Cry New Dawn Was Planned From The Start appeared first on Press Start.

When you think of post-apocalyptic, several things come to mind. Arid, desolate wastelands is usually one, and radiation is most likely the other – which is why it is extremely refreshing to see a new and more scientifically-based approach to the post-apocalyptic world that we see in Far Cry New Dawn.

We sat down with key creatives from Ubisoft Montreal to discuss just how the vibrant and unique world of Far Cry New Dawn was constructed, and what influences brought on such changes.

ALL OF OUR EXCLUSIVE FAR CRY NEW DAWN COVERAGE:

• Here’s 8 Minutes Of Far Cry New Dawn Gameplay Footage
• 5 Reasons Why We’re Excited For Far Cry: New Dawn
• Far Cry New Dawn Has Some Awesome Post-Apocalyptic Influences
• Far Cry New Dawn Was Planned From The Start
• Joseph Seed Will Return In Far Cry New Dawn

Jean-Sebastian Decant, Creative Director of Far Cry New Dawn, gave us some insight into how their specific world was crafted through historic studies and research.

“When we start Far Cry, it’s where could we create a new and surprising frontier, a place that’s very remote, where there is no order, where there’s a bunch of weird people living, and lots of dangers coming from the wildlife and also bandits. Where can we recreate that? The prehistoric age actually gave us that (with Far Cry Primal), and I mean its almost like the post-apocalyptic formula. So it felt like a perfect match.” said Jean-Sebastian Decant

“To me really as I was evoking it earlier it’s really about world first, so we look back at the last hundred years in terms of natural disasters, world wars, and also nuclear disasters. We took all these elements, we looked at them through the lenses of the impact on the environment; weather patterns, wildlife, population, and we created our own model. And that model was really the basis for the game. And when we had that we actually contacted specialists in the US, two meteorologists that have dedicated their lives into creating these nuclear winter scenarios. And they work with the government and the military to create these what-ifs and see how the US could respond. When they finished that, we really use that as our core basis for the game. We weren’t really looking into pop culture version of the post-apocalyptic.” continued Jean-Sebastian Decant,

Olivia Yassi-Alexander, Scriptwriter for Far Cry New Dawn, discussed further how the study of history allowed for a deeper understanding of the world they had crafted.

”It was quite easy to get into that mindset, because the narrative team did a lot of research, a lot of predictive and also science-based research. We consulted meteorologists. Basically we saw, sort of through the storytelling of science and history, what happens to people after that kind of an event, both in the short-term and the long-term. There’s a reason why it’s set 17 years after such an event. It’s because all the time leading up to that is really, really awful. So as writers, we knew very much all of that, and the survivors would know all of that firsthand, so to put ourselves in that kind of mindset, once we did the research, was very easy.” said Olivia Yassi-Alexander.

Art Director Isaac Papismado explained more about the neon graffiti and looks of the Highwaymen; Far Cry New Dawn’s main antagonistic force.

“First we looked at what the group… Who the group is, and what they do in the world. Basically, when they first started, they were scavenging the world for everything they can. It was a really tough world, so for them to survive, they really needed to make a brand for themselves. They wanted people to fear them. It first started with the name Highwaymen. When people hear the name ‘Highwaymen’, they get … they’re already scared. Then in the Motorsport gear came in as a influence looking at trends with celebrities and the clothing lines right now, they’re doing a lot of these cross brands with Motorsports and that was something really interesting for me. I thought, in the context of the world, it makes sense for them also as protection.” said Isaac Papismado.

“Then after that we have a graffiti artist here in Montreal that we partnered up with and we’re working with. His style is very different and unique, it’s not your typical graffiti artist. We found that it was perfect for the Highwaymen. We put them together, it really created magic. For us, it was like, Yes this is the identity that we wanted them to have. Then we added these cool animal jaws on them, which really instills fear in people. When you see a helmet you’re okay, but when you see a helmet with skulls and all these whatnot things things, you’re really … you’re getting fearful and that’s really want them to be. We wanted people to fear them, we wanted them to leave their mark in the world, and intimidate others.” continued Isaac Papsmado.

It is clear that this game is more than just another case of shoot the bad guys to save the good guys, but I don’t think we’d expect anything less from such an awesome studio. The world of Far Cry New Dawn is yours to explore when the game releases on February 15th, 2019.

PRESS START GOT AN EARLY SNEAK PEEK AT FAR CRY NEW DAWN IN MONTREAL, CANADA. FLIGHTS AND ACCOMMODATION WERE PROVIDED BY UBISOFT.

The post Far Cry New Dawn Has Some Awesome Post-Apocalyptic Influences appeared first on Press Start.

When we last visited Hope County, things went out in a bang (literally). The bombs fell, causing the collapse prophesied by Joseph Seed and the Project at Eden’s Gate.

Fast forward 17 years to Far Cry: New Dawn, and the world has changed significantly – a ‘superbloom’ of nature has reclaimed the world, and humans strive to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where resources are slim, and new dangers seek to threaten humanity.

Building on the world of Far Cry 5, here is a list of five reasons why we’re excited for Far Cry: New Dawn.

CRAFTING SOME BADASS WEAPONS

The world is not the same as it was before – manufacturing is no more, and resources are scarce and often hard to come across. To make sure you are prepared for battle, you’ll have to craft your weapons to make them stronger and more practical. Using items and resources from everyday life, you’ll get to craft some awesome new offensive firepower (keep an eye out for the Saw Launcher, it’ll probably be your favourite) as you take on the Highwaymen and protect a more peaceful way of life in Prosperity. It isn’t just limited to weapons though – expect to see some mechanical marvels as you acquire heaps of different vehicles as well.

ALL OF OUR EXCLUSIVE FAR CRY NEW DAWN COVERAGE:

• Here’s 8 Minutes Of Far Cry New Dawn Gameplay Footage
• 5 Reasons Why We’re Excited For Far Cry: New Dawn
• Far Cry New Dawn Has Some Awesome Post-Apocalyptic Influences
• Far Cry New Dawn Was Planned From The Start
• Joseph Seed Will Return In Far Cry New Dawn

EXPEDITIONS TAKE YOU ALL AROUND AMERICA

The Highwaymen aren’t just exclusive to Hope County, they’ve spread their influence far and wide across North America. Throughout the game you’ll be able to visit new and different locations through the Expeditions system, where you’ll witness locations such as a desolated theme park in the swamps of Louisiana, or a windswept arid valley of Arizona. You can pick your favourite Guns For Hire to accompany you, and even undertake missions as co-op with your friends as well. Along with completing the missions, you’ll get to see the effects of radiation on the biomes in different locations, and see how the superbloom has changed other environments as well.

THE NEW BAD GUYS

The Highwaymen are a ruthless collective of scavengers that spread across the landscape, living in the now and ensuring they take everything they can and leaving nothing in their wake. Equal parts Mad Max and motocross, they seek out resources and spread their bright graffiti across Hope County and beyond. Led by maniacal twins Nikki and Lou, the Highwaymen are a force to be reckoned with – and a threat to the peaceful way of life in Prosperity. It’s up to you to take the fight to them.

NEW GUNS AND FANGS FOR HIRE

So you need a little help taking on the Highwaymen on a difficult mission, or you’re about to hit a particularly difficult outpost. That’s where the Guns For Hire system comes in – pick your specialist and make your way through with a little bit of help. Each specialist comes with a different skillset and perks, as well as unique dialogue and quips that will have you entertained as the bullets fly. Keep an eye out for Nana; she may look old and sweet, but she’s a sharp shot with a sharp tongue. There’s also Carmina, a young girl who grew up in the post-apocalyptic scenario, and hasn’t known anything but the world she currently lives in.
People not really your thing? How about a Fang For Hire instead – Timber the dog is not only cute AND cuddly, but he’ll tear your enemies apart and RIDE IN VEHICLES WITH YOU. You can even confuse your enemies even more with Horatio the Boar as he rips the Highwaymen to shreds with his tusks.

ESCALATIONS MAKE OUTPOSTS MORE CHALLENGING

So you’re someone who likes a challenge, and simply capturing an Outpost from the Highwaymen just isn’t going to cut it. Sure, you can claim the Outpost and harvest resources such as Ethanol to add to your supplies, as well as picking up a fast-travel point… OR, you can liberate the Outpost, raid it for supplies and then leave it alone for the Highwaymen to reclaim. But beware, each time you allow an Outpost to be escalated, things are going to get harder – stronger Highwaymen units will appear, and conditions will be more difficult (so you’ll have to make sure you upgrade your weapons) to recapture the post.

PRESS START GOT AN EARLY SNEAK PEEK AT FAR CRY NEW DAWN IN MONTREAL, CANADA. FLIGHTS AND ACCOMMODATION WERE PROVIDED BY UBISOFT.

The post 5 Reasons Why We’re Excited For Far Cry: New Dawn appeared first on Press Start.

He started the Project at Eden’s Gate cult, recruited his family to serve under him, and prophesied the Collapse which we saw at the end of Far Cry 5. But it has been seventeen years since the bombs dropped, and a lot has changed – new biomes have swept over the lands, survivors have banded together in Prosperity, and the Highwaymen seek to threaten those who just want to rebuild.

ALL OF OUR EXCLUSIVE FAR CRY NEW DAWN COVERAGE:

• Here’s 8 Minutes Of Far Cry New Dawn Gameplay Footage
• 5 Reasons Why We’re Excited For Far Cry: New Dawn
• Far Cry New Dawn Has Some Awesome Post-Apocalyptic Influences
• Far Cry New Dawn Was Planned From The Start
• Joseph Seed Will Return In Far Cry New Dawn

But what of the Father himself, Joseph Seed? Did he survive his apocalyptic prediction? When we sat down with the team at Ubisoft Montreal to talk all things Far Cry New Dawn, we got some pretty interesting hints…

MZ: We saw at the end of the trailer that Joseph Seed is still around. Can you tell us any more about existing characters from Far Cry 5 that may show up in New Dawn?

Olivia Yassi-Alexander – Scriptwriter, Far Cry New Dawn: I can tell you that there are some familiar faces, aged 17 years, from Far Cry 5. They’ve definitely carried over a lot of the spirit of Hope County. Not everyone survived, because it was a really awful event, but there are some familiar faces that fans will be very happy to see.

Jean-Sebastian Decant – Creative Director: As you could see in the trailer, there was a cameo of Joseph Seed, so he’s still alive. And the world is in a place actually where he wanted it to be, so he’s a changed man. And yes, there are plenty of secrets that we keep for later.

So it seems that the Project at Eden’s Gate still has a larger role to play in this post-apocalyptic world. But just how much of an influence will The Father have? Does the cult still exist as well? All will be revealed in February.

PRESS START GOT AN EARLY SNEAK PEEK AT FAR CRY NEW DAWN IN MONTREAL, CANADA. FLIGHTS AND ACCOMMODATION WERE PROVIDED BY UBISOFT.

The post Joseph Seed Will Return In Far Cry New Dawn appeared first on Press Start.

Arguably the biggest and best game of the series, Fallout 3 was revolutionary at the time for the way it changed the post-apocalyptic open world landscape, and expanded on a beloved series of RPG games that came before it. Followed by the spin-off Fallout: New Vegas, Bethesda was on a high, and it wouldn’t be until 2015 that we returned to the world of the Great War with Fallout 4. But with the lofty heights of these games setting expectations quite high for the future, it was only a matter of time until things came crashing down like a nuclear warhead on a Scorched base – and it seems that Bethesda’s latest offering is the one to cop the radioactive heat.

Following on from the relative success of The Elder Scrolls Online, it was inevitable that a title like Fallout would follow suit, which is what he have received with Fallout 76. On paper, an open-world online Fallout game sounds amazing – taking to the radiated wastelands of West Virginia after being locked in Vault 76 for generations and uncovering how the world has changed, all while playing with your friends and discovering the mysteries together. It is such a shame that what could have been amazing instead feels half-baked and unfinished; almost as if the game itself is still in the beta stage that opened merely weeks before launch.

Don’t get me wrong, at its core the game plays and feels very much like Fallout 4 – weapons and gunplay, exploration and crafting, and the story all feel very similar to its predecessor – but with the addition of online features and connectivity. The core gameplay is still entertaining and fun; sourcing materials and resources in order to craft weapons and supplies to keep yourself going while exploring the world as you uncover the journey of Vault 76’s Overseer and their travels, making contact with the Responders and attempting to restart civilisation. The narrative is still there too, discovering lost journals and holotapes of survivors as they attempted to make it in the post-apocalyptic world is still an inquisitive and harrowing journey. The VATS system is still there too, however you won’t be able to rely on it as much as you would previously due to the fact that it runs in real-time rather than slow-motion, due to the consistent online presence.

The S.P.E.C.I.A.L system for perks has been updated for Fallout 76 as well, now operating on a trading card system in which you can allocate perks to different categories, and combine multiple of the same cards to upgrade abilities. This is helpful for ensuring you don’t become over-encumbered by carrying too much, or by increasing your hand-to-hand combat capabilities. The only downside is the limit to which perks you can attach at a time, operated by a star rating system on each card.

The game includes a new feature where you need to keep your character hydrated and fed, which is both handy and frustrating at the same time. Feeding your character restores health but simultaneously can cause radiation poisoning or even diseases, which de-buff your perks or increase your susceptibility to other conditions. Additionally, giving your character water will keep them hydrated but at the same time will push you to find purified water or run the risk of drinking radiated water.

I wish could go on singing the game’s praises, because to be honest there are a lot of gripes with the game that overshadow the good. The biggest and most annoying concern is the consistent online presence which can wreak havoc on your gameplay – on my first time playing through the tutorial, the connection dropped out, and my character was left standing unable to move as the controls had ceased to work. This required a full restart of the game and, frustratingly, a full recreation of my character as well.

This online layer adds an additional ‘lag’ that seems to hinder gameplay somewhat; sometimes I would kill enemies and stand by their corpse waiting for my loot to load, or other times I would be shooting and hitting enemies while it took several milliseconds for those hits to register. Some near-death experiences were had in these cases where several times I had to resort to a physical weapon after running out of ammo, only for my swings to take forever and only *just* defeat the enemy before they defeated me.

Of course, being an online-only game, the only way to ‘pause’ is to quit to the main menu or run the risk of being attacked by something that finds you. I had stepped away from the game (with the screen on my Pip-Boy) only to hear moments later my character being beaten by a hostile Mr Handy unit, in a bunker which I had assumed was safe.

One of the worst glitches I encountered in the game started off really small, and then became unbearable to the point that I had to take a break from playing; while exploring I noticed that small streams of light that would normally filter through cracks and doors were ‘dancing’ across environments, even in places where light shouldn’t be. This blew out to full-on rendering issues where approaching buildings would see the textures phase and shift multiple times. The frame rate dropped at this time too (which it already had in environments with many enemies) and made the game unplayable visually.

It’s these bugs as well as the limitations that the online only portion of the places on the game that need majoring ironing out as the months roll on. For those that love Fallout, there’s easily enough there to persist through these issues, and there’s some really interesting things being done with PvP as well as events, but right now, there’s enough bugs to keep casual players away.

THE PS4 VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS PLAYED ON A PS4 PRO. A PHYSICAL REVIEW COPY WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER.

The post Fallout 76 Review – Out Of The Vault Too Soon appeared first on Press Start.

The year is 1998 – Sony is looking to capture a younger age demographic for the PlayStation, and a little-known studio named Insomniac Games are wanting to bounce back from their first title Disruptor; a game that was well-received but sold poorly. The result is etched into history – a small purple dragon named ‘Spyro’ was born, who would go on to take his place in the PlayStation echelon alongside other icons such as Crash Bandicoot and Lara Croft.

So now we arrive here, 20 years later – in a world where nostalgia is king and remakes are more prevalent than ever. With the reins to the Spyro series being passed from developer to developer over the years, gamers never really got another set of titles that had the same essence of the original trilogy; ultimately leading to Spyro being incorporated into Activision’s Skylanders series. But as with Crash Bandicoot before him, fans clung to hope of a return to the originals – and now their prayers have been answered with the Spyro Reignited Trilogy.

Of course, a lot can change over 20 years – and the biggest concerns surrounding the game would be whether the remaster is faithful and true the experience of the original, including the preservation of Spyro’s platforming and puzzle solving elements. This why it was an absolute shock to find out that developers Toys For Bob had meticulously rebuilt the trilogy from the ground up; doing utmost justice to Insomniac’s original vision and creating something that feels brand new yet extremely familiar. It takes only moments to view clips from the original trilogy on YouTube to realise the amount of effort that has gone into creating such a faithful remaster that spares no expense on looks or gameplay, crafting an experience that truly feels complete.

While it can be expected that the voicing and sound clips required updating, the soundtrack by Stephan Vankov working off of Stewart Copeland’s original tunes adds an additional layer that really makes the experience feel as if the game has grown up with you. While the soundtrack can be changed on the fly between the ‘Original’ and ‘Reignited’ versions, it becomes noticeable just how big the limitations were for games back then, as the consistent loops of the Original soundtrack get a little tedious while the Reignited versions add incidental or contextual changes that move with the way you play.

Visually the game is absolutely stunning – the level of detail in each world looks as good as my imagination saw it as a child. The colours are vibrant and vivid, and gone are the jagged polygons that were once buildings; it is here we can see that the games have come a long way. The question then falls down to how the game handles – with charging and gliding, Spyro would sometimes be quite a finnicky character to control, and you would find yourself charging off levels or drowning unintentionally. Thankfully, the controls have been fine-tuned as well – gliding and charging are extremely responsive, and the only times I ever found myself falling off levels were the moments when I didn’t time a jump or glide correctly. A few enemies have been changed, updated or even removed from the games as well – likely for balance – which is expected with an update to a game like this, and is honestly not too noticeable unless you go back and revisit the original trilogy.

The one thing that I did notice which again could come back to the fact that I’m now an older and more experienced gamer is the fact that levels felt easy to whisk through – and often I found myself not leaving a level until it was 100% complete. This is especially easy to do in the first title ‘Spyro The Dragon’ as unlike Spyro 2 and 3, there are no power or special move unlocks throughout the game which leave areas inaccessible until later. The level designs themselves were always relatively intricate, forcing you to really think or look for avenues in which gems or unlockables could be hidden – but if you absolutely get stuck, you can always check out classic walkthroughs to help you through it. The games have always had a reliance on quick-saving when passing fairies, but a refreshing change is the fact that the quick-saves now function as proper saves, allowing you to continue your adventure without having to find a save point.

THE PS4 VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS PLAYED ON A PS4 PRO. A DIGITAL REVIEW CODE WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER.

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Well, another year and another crazy PAX Australia event has come and gone. Buoyed by the addition of EB Games’ inclusion, attendance this year seemed to be at an all-time high, and gamers packed the hall in droves to get their hands on some upcoming titles prior to release.

But one thing PAX has always been known for is the promotion of the indie titles, and this year it seemed that a little more care was given to them by moving them to the entrance of the Expo Hall. Being the first thing you see as you enter rather than in the back corner towards the Tabletop and Freeplay areas, PAX Rising and Indie Showcase really seemed to get the recognition it was due, and I don’t think I saw a stand empty with all the games on show.

Of course, personal taste and opinion will vary from person to person, but from the games I saw or got my hands on, the games below were my picks of show.

DOUBLE SHOT (ABERRANT REALITIES)

I played some of this last year and was quite entertained, but the folks at Aberrant Realities really stepped it up this time around and have crafted something ridiculously fun. You become a bartender in a neon-soaked retro paradise, where between making drink orders your rooftop bar is invaded by gangs of evil-doers, and it’s your job to keep the party going and the drinks flowing.

Half the fun is the random assortment of weapons you pull out from your holsters as you take out the enemies, and the other half is making the drinks and being creative as you play around behind the bar. You can even grab bottles of booze and light them up like a Molotov Cocktail to throw at your enemies; but I think my favourite silly thing to do was to just grab things and throw them around.

HERE HEAD FOR MORE INFO ON DOUBLE SHOT

SPIN RHYTHM (SUPER ENTERTAINMENT)

Guitar Hero and Rockband gave birth to the music-based rhythm games that we know and love, but there’s been significant absence of anything similar in recent times. Spin Rhythm brings you right back into that groove with some tasty beats in the Electronic music space, coupled with a DJ-styled controller that spins the beat wheel and really gets you involved in the tunes.

While I didn’t get to play the game myself, the crowds around it were absolutely jumping when I went past and the songs that were playing were extremely catchy. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for this one as its sure to be a hit.

HEAD HERE FOR MORE INFO ON SPIN RHYTHM 

LETHAL LAWNS (DIME STUDIOS)

Never have I seen lawn-mowing at its most competitive. Pit yourself against your friends, your family, even your enemies as you mow lawns for money and take out the competition at the same time in glorious and gory mower combat! The sadistic grin on the faces of the characters is matched only by yours as you chase down your rivals to eliminate them and take their mowing funds, while dodging vehicles that race down the street and mow the lawn perfectly at the same time.

HEAD HERE FOR MORE INFO ON LETHAL LAWNS

PICO TANKS (PANDA ARCADE)

Pico Tanks is one of those games that takes me back to a simpler time – a time where games like Micro Machines were great to play with friends. A mobile-based game, Pico Tanks is a simple yet fun team based mobile shooter where your goal is simple – blow up the other team. Choose your tank and cruise the battlefield hunting your enemies as you seek to rule the field!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON PICO TANKS

DUSK (NEW BLOOD INTERACTIVE)

The days of fragging and gibbing enemies and having them explode in a shower of polygonal chunks has moved on to realistic graphics and gore – but DUSK harks back to an age where running-and-gunning was chaotic and fun, and enemies would be blasted into pieces by whatever weapon you had on you.

DUSK is a hell of a lot of fun with a relatively simple premise – and the Endless mode had me standing with a childish grin on my face as wave after wave of enemies were blown apart.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON DUSK

DEAD STATIC DRIVE (TEAM FANCLUB)

This one has been on my list of favourites for the past three years that I’ve seen it, and each time I get more and more excited to see how it has progressed.

Developed by the one-man-marvel Mike Blackney, Dead Static Drive is equal parts Twin Peaks, X-Files and Tremors with a little bit of GTA-style sandbox thrown in for good measure. The art style is beautiful, the gameplay is fun (and you can do a lot of silly things) and his consistent updates via Twitter get me giddy every time.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON DEAD STATIC DRIVE

Of course this is only a small portion of the huge list of games that were on show (which can be found here). What were your favourites? Or what games did we miss that you think are worth a shout-out? Be sure to let us know!

The post 6 Indie Games We Absolutely Loved At PAX Australia appeared first on Press Start.

Get your resumes and passports ready! Nintendo of Japan has listed two positions online that seem to be Zelda-related, potentially hinting that a new game is in the works.

As uncovered by ResetEra user guru-guru, two jobs have been posted (in Japanese of course) on Nintendo’s jobs page

The first listing is for a 3DCG Designer, specifying that it is for ‘creation of data related to terrain such as field dungeons used in the game”. Additional work with level design and concept art may also be included. This one might be tough to apply for though – with experience in Maya and Adobe Photoshop a must, as well as software development as well as fluency in Japanese forming part of the requirements.

The second listing asks for a Level Designer, involving “game event/dungeon/field planning” as well as “planning of enemies, preparation and adjustment of specifications” for levels. The application requirements are again quite involved, including having experience working as a game planner for consumer games as well as fluency in Japanese.

Both jobs are based in Nintendo’s Kyoto headquarters, and if you are the right candidate it also seems you can receive moving costs depending on where you relocate from. If you think you’ve got the experience and ability, why not make the jump and apply here. You could have your name on the next big Legend of Zelda title!

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In the mid-to-late 1990s, Tamagotchi and Pokémon were undeniably two of the biggest pop-culture juggernauts going around. If you didn’t have either a Tamagotchi in your pocket or something Pokémon-related, you just weren’t cool.

Serebii Update: Unconfirmed sell sheet potentially reveals a special Eevee & Tamagotchi collaboration. Details @ https://t.co/gDbXkHSvkT pic.twitter.com/HnNFBFjorp

— Serebii.net (@SerebiiNet) November 6, 2018

But what if the two of them were combined? Nintendo tried it with the Pokémon Pikachu in 1998, the cute little Gameboy-esque device that allowed you to carry Pikachu around and count your steps (without the problem of feeding or cleaning up its mess). This trend continued with the Pokémon Breeder Mini game for the Pokémon Mini, and then into the Pokéwalker device that was included with Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver for the Nintendo DS.

First reported by by Serebii, unconfirmed images of an Eevee Tamagotchi have surfaced through Japanese imageboards from a ‘sell-sheet’. The image suggests that two variants of the Tamagotchi will be available, which allows you to care for and play with an Eevee in the same way you would a standard virtual pet. Your Eevee has the potential to evolve into one of eight Eeveelutions depending on the care you provide, and also has the ability to be dressed up in outfits as well.

It should be noted that this is the Nano version of the Tamagotchi – a more compact version of the virtual pet toy released by Bandai Namco for their 20th Anniversary celebration last year.

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With only one day left until the spoopiest night of the year, now is as good of a time as any to rummage through your household supplies and make yourself an amazing costume for Halloween.

Here’s a list of gaming (or gaming-related) costumes that will get you to think outside the box and come up with something cool.

The Nintendo 64 Kid

This one is pretty simple – all you need is a white patterned pyjama set, a Nintendo 64 box (wrapped in paper if you want the full effect) and a lung capacity to rival tweens at a Taylor Swift concert. Bonus points if you can drag your parents around with you.

John Marston (Red Dead Redemption)

By now you’re probably entrenched in Red Dead Redemption 2, so if you’re going Trick or Treating why not create your own mission while you’re out and about, so that the excitement doesn’t wear off? Op shops are a great place for ancient clothes, and for added effect make sure you don’t wash them before you wear them. It’ll add to the atmosphere.

Lara Croft (Shadow of the Tomb Raider)

Got an old grey shirt or tank top and some brown or camo pants? Head outside and roll around in the dirt a little. Be sure to take some awkward smiling selfies with anyone who gives you candy.

Zombie Mario (Super Mario Odyssey)

Normal Mario has been done to death (no pun intended), so why not switch it up (oh god they just keep coming) and go as Zombie Mario? This one might require a little more effort, but combines your love of video games with the horror of Halloween.

Ghost Luigi (Super Smash Bros Ultimate)

Remember in the Super Smash Bros Ultimate trailer where Luigi got completely murdered? Another way to be original instead of rehashing that tired old generic costume you bought at a $2 shop would be to coat it in glow-in-the-dark paint (or a white sheet, your call) and go as Mario’s recently-deceased brother. You can even scare people further by reminding them Waluigi isn’t in Smash.

PlayStation Vita

Vita means life, but the handheld is well and truly dead. Nobody wants to see a dead console walking the streets.

The post 6 Last Minute Gaming Halloween Costumes That Are Sure To Please appeared first on Press Start.

There’s something to be said about a game that combines a comic-book aesthetic with a JRPG-styled story and throws in large doses of WWII allegories in at liberty; but boy does it pay off in the end. Valkyria Chronicles 4 is the latest instalment in the Valkyria franchise produced by Sega. The game follows the rag-tag group of soldiers in Squad E, part of the Federation army involved in the Second European War. Led by Claude Wallace, Squad E is part of what seems to be a losing side against the Imperial Empire; whose last-ditch effort to win the war leads to ‘Operation Northern Cross’, an operation to strike at the heart of the empire.

Valkyria Chronicles 4 pulls no punches when it comes to its influences; naming the continent “Europa” stands out like a sore thumb, and names of the towns and locations as well as the enemies take it one step further. This is where it lost me a little though; the storytelling came across as a little childish (despite some moments of ‘chasing tail’ and adult references) but then shocked you right back into the horrors of war by consistently reminding you that people are dying. I felt this inconsistency really removed the themes of the story and the narrative being presented, taking it from an emotional ride to just another generic JRPG storyline. It probably doesn’t help that the cel-shaded, almost comic-book like aesthetic and onomatopoeic explosions and gunfire exclamations were there too, but I guess you have to take it as it comes.

As expected with a game like this, side-stories are often relegated to expanding the story; often between certain characters, each side-story expands on backstories or relationships with other characters. In some cases it expands on the depth of a squad and opens up more abilities for characters, which also gives an understanding into the buff and de-buff system (but we’ll get into that later). The biggest gripe here is the fact that story-related content is barely skippable and takes a long time to drag through – I found myself losing interest not only in the story, but in the game itself after continuously skipping through conversation options.

Thankfully, the gameplay and combat save the day here, as this is one of the deeper and more articulate tactical RPG games you’ll play. While many of you are hankering for a new Fire Emblem, Valkyria Chronicles takes the tactical gameplay element and adds an extra layer to it. You begin by viewing a map of the battlefield (and any potential units in your line of sight), but when you select a unit to move, the game switches to 3rd person mode and you take full control of that unit. Running across a field for cover as an enemy is shooting at you before you get the chance to aim and fire back becomes an exhilarating experience, and even more-so when you’re hoping the tank you’re strafing doesn’t line you up in its sights and wipe your character out. Each turn, you get “Command Points” (CP) which are expended on your units to move them around, and each unit has a limited movement meter that drains as you move. These two factors can be used in conjunction to deal great tactical damage to opponents; you can use multiple CP on a single unit to get them into a great tactical position or take out several enemies. However, the movement meter is not infinite, and neither is your ammunition in some cases – meaning that every move you make needs to be calculated.

Additionally, enemies on the map only appear there if they are within your line of sight – meaning that if there’s an enemy around a corner you can’t see, you could very well be walking into a trap. During the enemy’s turn, if their units are moving and aren’t in your sight lines you only get a general idea of where they may be. If you’re a run-and-gun style player, this will usually thwart your tactics and cause you to send your units scurrying away in the hopes that there is cover nearby; or hoping that you’ve tactically organized a small squad to back up a certain unit. Line-of-sight plays an important role too in how you position your units – long-distance enemies can attack if you wander into their line of sight and vice-versa, allowing to set up ambushes or causing you to walk into them.

Several times I found myself leaving units accidentally out in the open and having to send others to save them – which can be problematic as the game also enforces a perma-death system. When a unit goes down you can save them by making it in three or less turns, providing the enemy doesn’t arrive to finish them off first. Ensuring you have the right amount of distance or cover between your units and enemy units is key for survival in a lot of situations.

The class system is also relatively variable in terms of how you assemble your squad; from the simple Scout class to the long-running Shocktroopers, the long-range Sniper class and the tank-destroying Lancers, Tanks and Engineers, and the Grenadier class. Each unit’s strengths and weaknesses can change the tide of a battle depending on how they are used, and in some matches you have the ability to summon additional units (using your CP). The biggest downside to these classes is once you hit 3rd person mode to take control, the actual firefights are out of your hands – you can aim and line up shots, but the accuracy becomes a chance roll. Adding to this is a buff and de-buff system which relies on comradery between units who like each other, or certain units who have preferences for certain terrain or environments. Picking a unit-balanced team can sometimes come at a cost of dealing with other de-buffs which cause low accuracy or reduced movement range. Alongside this, as the commander, you can activate “Orders” that allow similar buffs to some/all units depending on the scenario. The game is punishing with its character depth which can be overwhelming at times where you’re already trying to tactically plan things. With the ability to train your units in the Home Base option and upgrade your weapons and equipment using experience points in battle, you can really hone your battle-ready skills and increase your camaraderie between your units, as well as learning new Orders and skills.

THE NINTENDO SWITCH VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS PLAYED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW. A DIGITAL REVIEW CODE WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER.

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Rocket League is the game that just keeps on giving; and to keep things fresh, Psyonix have dropped an all-new way to earn in-game rewards.

Enter “Rocket Pass”, a new feature that allows you to unlock new and quirky customisation items for your cars simply by playing online! Every player starts at Tier 1, and the more you play, the higher you rise through the ranks and unlock more items. Just like standard Rocket League items, all of these unlocks are purely cosmetic and don’t affect your performance or give you an advantage over other players.

Taking around 100 hours to complete, Rocket Pass introduces a new and calculated way to unlock new items, moving away from the more randomized unlock system currently in the game. Additionally, purchasing ‘Rocket Pass Premium’ increases the level of rewards and unlocks available to players, costing the same as the 10-key pack (approximately AU$13.45). This gives players even more items to unlock, and rarer or more valuable unlocks such as car bodies, wheels and goal explosions.

Similar to the “Battle Pass” system in Fortnite, it seems that many games are monetizing themselves in the same way to provide players with a choice of cosmetic updates.

You can find more information on Rocket League’s official site.

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The retro hype train just keeps on chugging along; with remakes, re-releases, remasters and sequels that nobody expected (but probably wished for an eternity).

One of Sega’s hottest properties of the Mega Drive (or Genesis for any Americans reading this) was of course Streets of Rage; a side-scrolling beat-em-up that took the genre to new heights and spawned two sequels before fading into obscurity.

But now, hot off the heels of Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, developers Lizardcube and Guard Crush Games have announced Streets of Rage 4, reintroducing Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding (how cool were 80s and 90s names!) to a new generation of players. Publishers DotEmu released a trailer with a heavy cartoon aesthetic and rockin’ music that’s sure to elicit flashbacks of the first three games.

No word at this stage on a release date, or console availability, but this is surely one to keep an eye on!

The post Streets of Rage 4 Is Coming Because Everything Old Is New Again appeared first on Press Start.

Just like with almost every other entertainment platform, Twitch has announced that their Prime subscription service will be removing its universal ad-free viewing status, including advertisements for all new members starting September 14.

If that wasn’t bad enough, all existing monthly subscribers will be rolled over to advertisement viewing on October 15, after which they will also have advertising included.

Twitch has stated that ad-free viewing will still be possible with their Twitch Turbo subscription; which does not come with an associated Amazon Prime account. Twitch has also stated that there will also be ad-free options for specific channels who choose to turn the option on.

Coming fresh off the back of Netflix announcing that they’re trialling ads in their streaming services, it looks like we’re going to be copping a lot more advertisements for life insurance and cars we can’t afford more often.

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If you’re a big follower of your favourite AFL players, then no doubt you would have seen a few social media posts indicating that in their spare time they don’t mind a bit of gaming – specifically, Fortnite.

But if you want to make your day just that little bit more awkward, check out this video by the Aussie Rules YouTube channel (run by AFL Kids) which features stars such as St Kilda’s Nathan Brown and Josh Battle, Melbourne’s Jack Viney and Richmond’s Alex Rance as they attempt to mimic some of the Fortnite dance taunts and get rated on their performance.

So who pulls off the best moves? Check out the video below and see for yourself.

The post AFL Players Doing Fortnite Dances Is The Weirdest Thing You’ll See Today appeared first on Press Start.

Everyone loves de-cluttering now and again, right?

As reported by Kotaku earlier this week, a box of First Edition Pokémon trading cards from 1999 has raked in a staggering $56,000USD ($77,175 AUD approx.) at auction.

Sold on Huggins & Scott Auctions, there is a chance that the winner could boost their value even more by finding an elusive First Edition Charizard holo card, which in pristine mint condition itself has made over $50,000.

But before you go rummaging through your collections at home, be advised; this was the absolute first generation of Pokémon cards, and have never seen the light of day, or been touched by grubby hands in the schoolyard. Still, it is nice to think that parts of our childhood could still have so much value.

In the meantime I’ll just sit here with an empty slot in my card album, hoping that one day a Charizard makes its way into my collection as well.

The post An Unopened Pokémon Card Box Sold For $77,000 So Check Your Collection appeared first on Press Start.

In the lead-up to E3, we’re counting down with our most anticipated titles. You can find out when all the press conferences are taking place in Australian/NZ times HERE.

Since first appearing on the Nintendo 64 back in the late 90s, the Super Smash Bros series has evolved from a Nintendo-only brawler into a competitive beast featuring cameos from nearly every walk of life. It was only natural that once the Nintendo Switch hit its stride, a Smash Bros title would be close behind.

WHEN WAS IT ANNOUNCED?

Burning it into the retinas of the Inkling Girl as well as fans alike, Nintendo dropped this hot little number in their Nintendo Direct on March 8, 2018. Despite only being an announcement trailer, you could almost guarantee that the big N is working hard behind the scenes to get it out sooner rather than later.

WHERE WILL WE SEE IT?

Nintendo has basically confirmed we will see it prominently at E3 this year; and while long gone are the days where we get Shigeru Miyamoto or Reggie Fils-Aime up on stage to give us the goods, we will likely see more in Nintendo’s E3 showcase video.

WHEN WILL IT RELEASE?

Here’s the burning question! Nintendo’s line-up this year compared to last has been a little more sparse, but I would quietly pencil in a Holiday or pre-Christmas 2018 release to boost those sales numbers. With Nintendo’s previous titles, you can almost guarantee a demo or Global Test will hit sooner rather than later.

WHAT DO WE WANT TO SEE?

Characters! One of the biggest speculative discussions is who will show up in the character roster for Smash Bros, and fans will be absolutely frothing to see who makes the cut this time. Nintendo have shown they’re willing to go that little bit further too; having seen the likes of Snake, Ryu and Bayonetta in the past. Some say that Crash could be due for an appearance (the game is hitting Switch after all) while others will continuously argue the point that Ridley from Metroid is NOT too big to fit the game and can easily work as a playable character. We already can guess that the Inklings from Splatoon 2 will be there, but will we see characters from other new franchises as well? ARMS is one that comes to mind.

Other points of interest would be whether or not we see a return to the Adventure Mode from Brawl (with the Subspace Emissary) or some kind of similar mode, as fans hoped would appear in the previous instalment. Either way, you can guarantee this will be a console seller one way or another, so keep your eyes peeled for a release date.

The post E3 Countdown: Super Smash Bros for Nintendo Switch appeared first on Press Start.

Ashes to ashes, and dust to Dusty Depot!

The long-anticipated comet that has hung in the sky over Fortnite’s Battle Royale map has finally crash-landed, and to the shock of all conspiracy theorists it has NOT taken out Tilted Towers, but instead left a smoking crater where Dusty Depot once stood. Now known as ‘Dusty Divot’, the zone is abundant with new items known as ‘Hop Rocks’.

WATCH: The Fortnite Season 4 Announce Trailer!

The game’s latest update marks the launch of Season 4, which brings Superhero-based skins and themes to the fray, and ends weeks of speculation as to where exactly the comet would crash-land. Players had been littered with smaller meteorites in matches leading up to this launch, with matches spectacularly bombarding players from the sky.

The update also brings new items called ‘Hop Rocks’, which allow your player character to defy gravity! You can find these in what used to be Dusty Depot, though expect some serious hostility as everyone floods it to gain superpowers.

You can view the patch notes HERE

The post Fortnite Season 4 Is Finally Here And Has Brought Huge Changes appeared first on Press Start.

Have you got your nostalgia goggles ready?

Indie By Design, in conjunction with both Oddworld Inhabitants and Limited Run Games have banded together to create the book you didn’t know you were missing from your life.

Oddworld: Abe’s Origins is filled to the brim with concept art, game design documents and more from Oddworld Inhabitants, neatly collected and presented in a hardcover book lovingly adorned with Abe’s face. Launched on Kickstarter, the project aims to reach a total of £82,287.

For £30 (approximately AUD$55) this wonderful piece of history can be yours; but if you’ve got more cash to burn (and an urge to replay these classics) you can pledge £60 (AUD$110) and receive the Oddworld: Abe’s Origins Game Collection, which features both Abe’s Oddysee and Abe’s Exoddus in a stunning PC DVD set, including an instruction booklet and big box PC packaging. This game collection will not be released separately, and only comes with the higher-tier pledge.

The project will only be funded if it reaches the goal by April 20 – but as of writing, it is currently at 88% of its initial goal – so if you intend on backing, now’s your chance to do it!

You can find the Kickstarter link HERE

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Break out the cake and candles, it’s time to wish a happy birthday to Nintendo’s latest child, the Switch. It’s been a year since the handheld/home console hybrid hit the shelves, and it’s pretty safe to say nobody could have predicted what a meteoric rise it has had in that time. Expectations were completely blown away for some, while others remained stoic and unfazed by the console; so now that the first year is out of the way, it’s worth having a look at great things the Switch has done, and what could still be on offer in the not-too-distant future.

THE GOOD FROM YEAR 1

PORTABILITY: Nintendo’s biggest challenge was walking the fine line between home console and handheld; and with continual support of the 3DS, it was questioned as to how the pair would fit in each other’s ecosystems. Thankfully, with the difference of gaming and the playability and portability of the console, the Switch offered a completely unique and different experience to the 3DS, which not only allowed Nintendo to begin building a new market for this console but also not alienating existing 3DS owners.

GAMES: While everyone was absolutely enthralled with The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild on release, some gamers were still wary that Nintendo wouldn’t be able to hold up a year’s worth of titles to keep the new console afloat. With a thorough mix of first party games, third-party titles and indie offerings, the Switch went from strength to strength. I were given brand new exclusive games with Splatoon 2, ARMS, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Super Mario Odyssey, as well as a series of ports and re-releases with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Minecraft, Sonic Mania, and Pokken Tournament as well. Indie games also got to see new life on the Switch as well, which boosted Nintendo’s standing with many different publishers in the eyes of the gaming public.
THE PERIPHERALS: Nintendo have gone all out this time around when it comes to providing peripherals to support the Switch, and I for one welcome it. The additional coloured Joy-Cons, the Pro controllers, the licensed cases, it’s all amazing and looks really good. The fact that you can customise your Switch by picking a different set of Joy-Cons each time you play is one of my favourite things, and really gives a sense of style back to the gamer. I just can’t wait to see more colour combinations.

THE FUTURE: Nintendo’s work not only with first-party teams but with third-parties and indie developers has put them in a really good position – they’ve set the console up for a decent run already, and forged or mended relationships that saw several titles and franchises move away from them in the past. This can only be a good thing, as I see Nintendo really returning to what made them a great company to begin with – the focus on the games, rather than the silly gimmicks. Nintendo’s push to return to the forefront of gaming has placed them in a more affectionate light to gamers, who may have been swayed away by where the company had been headed before.

WHAT NEEDS WORK IN YEAR 2

OS: Let’s face it, as great as the Switch is, there’s still a fair few teething problems with the console. Let’s start with the lack of cloud saves and transferability – while it is understandable to a degree that Nintendo is trying to minimise damage around homebrewing and breaking open the console for potential piracy, it is detrimental to gamers everywhere to know that if your console goes bust, you’ll likely lose all game save data and have to start everything again. With the option for expandable memory, it should be first priority on Nintendo’s list to allow saves to be migrated to the removable storage, or at least to a cloud-based system for peace of mind.

Along with this, the Switch seems to lack additional apps that would really make it a beast. While proposed for a future appearance, the current lack of Netflix and YouTube means that while it is a great gaming console, it has no use for those who are looking for something with that little bit more. Couple this with no plans for social apps to appear, and you’re missing a lot of things that appeal to people in the modern day. We get that Nintendo wants this to be a games console first, but missing features such as a basic web browser is a little annoying.

CONNECTIVITY: Let’s not mince words here – the Nintendo Switch Chat App is trash. Again, I can see why they’d do something like this and release the app in a separate system so that it doesn’t tie down console resources when trying to play, but having to have multiple devices active when you’re trying to play a game is very counterproductive. Especially when you have to get the two devices to talk together to enable everything to work properly.

VIRTUAL CONSOLE: You knew this one had to be in there somewhere. The Switch is the PERFECT console to really hit that nostalgia factor, and Nintendo haven’t even made a peep regarding the Virtual Console coming to Switch. Given that they’re currently obsessed with shrinking down their historic devices and selling them at a premium, don’t expect to hear an announcement regarding Virtual Console’s appearance on the Switch any time soon – not at least until the Gamecube Classic Mini gets a release…
THE 3DS: Nintendo, it’s time to have a chat. Sometimes there’s something that you’ve had for so long that gets to a point where, despite how amazing it is, needs to be put away. Forget about the past and start focusing on what you have right here and now, in front of you. It’s calling out for Pokemon, for Super Smash Bros, for Metroid 4. As much as I loved the 3DS, and as much as it gave us over the many iterations and years of service, it’s time to put it out to pasture where it can roam with all the other Nintendo favourites, until you choose to resurrect it as a smaller version of itself replete with some of the greatest titles all in a neat little package.

Of course, there’s so much more I could add to what makes the console great, and a list three times longer about what needs to be added or what I think should be there, but for a first year you have to admit, Nintendo is back and in a BIG way. If this is what year one had to offer us, I can’t wait to hold on for the ride and see where it takes us.

The post Flicking The Switch: The Good And Bad Of Nintendo Switch’s First Year appeared first on Press Start.

What do superheroes do in their spare time? Play Rocket League of course.

Fresh off the presses at Psyonix, the next round of Rocket League DLC has been announced, focusing on more DC Universe content to brighten up your cars. Including two MORE Batmobiles (the Tumbler and the greatest of them all the ’89 Batmobile) as well as liveries, wheels and trails for the stock cars, you will be able to spice up your ride with the likes of The Flash, Wonder Woman and Superman.

This new DC Super Heroes DLC Pack hits digital stores on March 5th, so hold your superpowers until then.

Here’s exactly what’s coming:

• Aquaman — Decal (Breakout), and Player Banner
• Batman — Decal (Paladin), and Player Banner
• Cyborg — Decal (Roadhog), and Player Banner
• Flash — Speed Force Boost, Wheels, Decal (Venom), and Player Banner
• Green Arrow — Decal (Hotshot), and Player Banner
• Green Lantern — Decal (Merc), and Player Banner
• Superman — Decal (Octane), and Player Banner
• Wonder Woman — Wheels, Decal (X-Devil), and Player Banner
• DC — Player Banner

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It is early afternoon on a cold and rainy day in 1998. Your computer desk is dimly lit by the glow of the desk lamp that sits upon it, as grey light streaks through the curtains. You slide a CD into your computer, and it whirrs and plays a rhythmic and serious song. You click a few buttons on screen, and then… you are God.

Hours pass, it is now late at night. You command a platoon of archers to take aim at a building. Men with axes come after them, but your swordsman intercept them. Catapults launch heaping masses of stone through the air, obliterating everything in their path. Suddenly, a choral chant is overheard, and one by one your army begins turning on one another. “WOLOLO”, they shout. Again and again and again, until one by one your blue army is now a sea of red, and your warriors are either turned or obliterated.

Your empire has fallen. As long as it takes to raise, it falls in an instant.

Age Of Empires burst onto the PC gaming scene 20 years ago, cementing its place not only in the RTS scene but the memories of gamers everywhere. Taking inspiration from both the Warcraft and Civilization franchises, the game takes certain liberties with history (then again, what game doesn’t?) putting players in campaign scenarios echoing great battles and wars from the past. With 16 different historically-based civilizations to assume control of and conquer, and stacks of different tech trees to research and explore, the world is under your control when it comes to Age Of Empires.

One of the best (and probably my favourite) modes in Age of Empires is the single-player random map mode, where you start with three villagers and a Town Centre. From here, your empire can grow to enormous proportions or be crushed under the weight of more advanced civilizations; it becomes a literal race against time as you progress through each of the Ages (Stone Age, Tool Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age) and develop your society to rule or ruin. The Definitive Edition expands upon the original in various ways, most of which are beneficial to the game itself; taking example from successive games, the ‘build queue’ is introduced, allowing you to stack creations such as Villagers or Military units rather than having to bounce back and forward between buildings to queue a new unit. This makes for an easier time building your empire as, rather than having to build multiple structures to create multiple units, you can stack your creations for successive army building. The stock-standard win conditions are there too – total military domination, building a Wonder, capturing all Ruins or holding all Artifacts are still integral parts of the random map mode, and are still really fun to complete.Several of the game’s key mechanics get a serious boost with the HD enhancement too – fish are easier to see in the water (so that you can send fishing boats to them) and the landscape becomes more identifiable than before. Trees and bushes are more detailed, water is clearer and vibrant, even the wild animals get just that little bit more realistic, which is great. For a game that is 20 years old, the rebuild does it wonders (for the most part) and it blends a sense of nostalgia with something that feels fresh and new. A gripe with this though is the fact that while the graphics have upgraded and features of the game have been tweaked, you still may find yourself frustrated by some of the existing things – sometimes you’ll find you didn’t click where you wanted to (hit boxes don’t seem to have changed much) and you’ll get a woodcutting villager mining instead (or vice versa). This also extends to the AI, which feels like it has only been ported over – I constantly found myself yelling at villagers to GO AROUND instead of trying to walk through things. Similarly, die-hard fans of the original game will be slightly disheartened to hear that the remastered soundtrack may not live up to expectations – the villagers don’t sound the same. The remastered soundtrack evokes memories of campaigns past, but when your villager is saying “Roggan?” and it doesn’t sound the same, it takes a little bit away from that memory.

At the end of the day though, this is a HD remaster of a game that ran on computers probably as powerful as my current mobile phone, so it truly is a sight to behold seeing my childhood come back in this way. The fact that it also runs on PCs with lesser requirements (though you won’t be getting any of that 4K action) means almost everyone can relive their childhood, or even get involved for the first time. It also gives hope that the successive remasters and eventual 4th game will reignite what made the franchise great. If you played it all those years ago and still remember your cheat codes, be sure to give them a shot, because there’s nothing like saying “I’ve had enough” and unleashing a squad of ‘bigdaddy’ cars on your unsuspecting enemies.

The Windows 10 version of this game was played for the purpose of this review. Digital review code was provided by the publisher.

The post Age of Empires Definitive Edition Review – A New Life appeared first on Press Start.

First, Hot Wheels DLC arrived in Rocket League, allowing you to race around the arena and shoot goals as some of Mattel’s most memorable vehicles. But now, the tables have turned!

Teaming up with Hot Wheels, Rocket League is coming to a living room near you with the Hot Wheels Rocket League RC Rivals Set! Featuring the ‘Octane’ and ‘Dominus’ vehicles in remote-controlled form, as well as the iconic Rocket League ball, and a charging base that sits under the custom field mat that looks as if it was ripped straight from the game!

Scores are tracked with a digital scoreboard that even has sounds when the ball goes through for a goal. The set also comes with some bonus unique DLC content, of which details will be announced closer to launch.

With a tentative price of USD $179.99 (no AUD pricing yet) this is sure to be one of the hottest toys of the year!

For more information, see the official post here.

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You are part of the Fifth Fleet, traversing the seas and heading to the New World as you track the crossing of an Elder Dragon. Sent by the Research Commission to find out exactly what takes place when these huge, destructive beings make their trek every decade, it’s up to you to make the journey and to hunt anything that gets in your way. Welcome to Monster Hunter: World.

Tracking the Elder Dragon known as Zorah Magdaros, your ship is thrown into turmoil and you (the player) get a quick look at the basics of movement as you make your way to safety. Once your introduction is over you arrive at Astera, where you reconvene with the rest of the Fifth, and your journey truly begins.The game does well at not actively holding your hand as you play, which is something a lot of games tend to lack these days. Further missions where you are taught how to gather resources, fight monster hordes, and use the ‘Scoutfly’ system to track (glowing green flies that guide the way) all build upon the narrative being laid out before you; the arrival of Zorah Magdaros in the New World is causing havoc amongst the local monster population, and it’s up to you and the Fifth to discover just what it is the Elder Dragons do when they complete the crossing.

Along the way, you are given a chance to uncover your own style of play in battle through access to 14 different weapon classes, which is further expanded once you learn how to craft and upgrade your weapons. For instance, I started off with the simple sword/shield combo, but found myself wanting more power so I switched to the Great Sword, which I found too cumbersome and slow, eventually moving into the Bowgun. Upgrading these weapons adds power and elemental damage, and can easily be switched between quests to allow for more than one play style.But the crafting doesn’t just stop at weaponry; armour for both you and your Palico (basically a support cat) can be created and upgraded, providing specific attribute bonuses and resistances to elemental effects. The more monsters you take down, the more materials you can retrieve to create and upgrade different armour, mixing and matching to suit your play style.

When you’re out and about in the field, you can set it up so that collecting resources instantly crafts items relating to it; for instance, collecting Herbs instantly creates potions, and collecting certain berries creates Bowgun ammo. This comes in handy when you’re running low on items and need to quickly get your hands on more, or if you’re in the middle of a fight and require a quick saving grace.

Having said that, if you’re like me and a newcomer to the game, you will want to upgrade everything as soon as possible as combat isn’t the greatest. Learning the weapons and picking one that suits your style is key here as some monsters are just downright painful to take down (hitting a Barroth with a lance does not work well) and it becomes a case of swing and hit to find the weakest point. The Bowgun became my favourite weapon as most monsters have devastating close-range attacks, and I found myself dying often due to it.I also got frustrated at times in the movements of my character – when I thought I had dodged, all I did was sidestep, and before I knew it I had the claws of an Anjanath stomping down on my head. It could be the fact that the game wants you to work in teams to take down monsters (which due to the underpopulated pre-launch servers I was unable to find people) that the difficulty is high, or it could just be that I’m a newbie hunter in an experienced world of monsters.

It should be noted that one of the best features that I would try and enact in nearly every battle is monster infighting – trying to get monsters to fight each other to allow you to take your target down easier. I did nearly lose it when a giant Diablos appeared from nowhere and began pursuing the Barroth I was fighting in the Wildspire Waste, but I wasn’t going to say no to the additional help – until the Barroth ran and left me facing the Diablos on my own. It’s a tactic that can work or put you into more trouble, so use it wisely.The world itself though is quite a sight to behold. Even running on a launch PS4, this is a game that Capcom have gone to great lengths to beautify, especially considering the jump from the 3DS and Wii U. Monsters are detailed and intricate (though a few frame-rate drops here and there ruined the fun) and environments have a very lush and natural feel to them.

You might occasionally be distracted by the cluttered UI though, which to be honest could be toned down significantly and sometimes had me chasing through menus to remember where things were. The music flows in and out of gameplay nicely, ramping up in battles and easing off as you continue your expedition throughout the land. Amongst the seriousness of the game there are some great light-hearted moments – I never got tired of watching the Canteen Palicos cook my meals.

THE PS4 VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS TESTED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW. A DIGITAL REVIEW CODE WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER.

The post Monster Hunter: World Review – A World Of Possibilities appeared first on Press Start.

Watch Matt as he takes on several monsters in Monster Hunter World. He goes to battle with a Barroth, Diablos, Ratalos and Anjanath and even catches them in the act of fighting with each other.

Monster Hunter World is out on January 26th for PS4 and Xbox One.

The post Watch Us Play Monster Hunter World appeared first on Press Start.

If you’ve been eyeing off a new game to play, or didn’t get the titles you wanted for Christmas, now’s your last chance to jump on board PlayStation’s January sale.

Pick up some of last year’s best games at significantly discounted prices; for instance, Press Start’s 2017 Game Of The Year winner Horizon Zero Dawn comes in at $30.95 (or $40.95 for the complete edition), which is quite a good bargain.

You can find a link to the sale HERE, or by jumping on to the PlayStation Store on our PS4.

The post PlayStation’s January Sale Ends Today appeared first on Press Start.

Given the constant shift of the video gaming landscape, it is quite astounding that Game Freak and The Pokemon Company have managed to maintain an air of freshness in the long-running franchise that is Pokemon. Transcending the simple ‘fad’ phase, the series has gone from strength to strength – shifting and adapting with each new generation. In a move reminiscent of yesteryear, the latest instalments to the world of Pokemon serve as the ‘definitive’ editions, in the vein of Yellow, Crystal, Emerald and so on. Seeking to serve both the hardcore Pokemon audiences as well as those who might have missed the original Sun and Moon, Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon provide the perfect bookends to the series on the 3DS.

As in Sun and Moon, the journey begins prior to arriving in Alola, where you are prepped by Professor Kukui as you move from Kanto. Setting out with your starter Pokemon, you save Lillie and Nebby from a group of attacking Spearow, and are in turn saved by the island’s guardian totem Tapu Koko, who leaves behind a mysterious stone which goes on to become the Z-Ring for special Z-Moves later in the game. From here on in your character must perform the Island Trials which replace Gym Battles, while holding off Team Skull as well as discovering the motives behind the supposedly peaceful Aether Foundation. Focusing more around the Pokemon Necrozma, the game’s story differs from that presented in Sun and Moon, including new NPCs such as the Ultra Recon Squad, whose motives are strange and not known until later in the game.

As far as gameplay goes, at its heart it is a tried and true Pokemon game. Battles are bright and colourful, and are entertaining to be a part of. They’ve definitely come a long way from the days of 2D pixelated sprites; and the fact that now the Trainers are visible behind opposing Pokemon (when battling) is a nice touch. Completing Island Trials and unlocking new Z-Moves is really entertaining – and where X and Y as well as Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire had Mega Evolutions, the idea behind Z-Moves makes attacking just that little bit more fun as it ties it to a move type rather than just a single Pokemon. You’ll also notice that a lot of the tunes have being remixed into something a little funkier and ‘relevant’, for lack of a better word – they feel less like generic battle tunes and more like songs you’d hear on the islands themselves.

The fact that Pokemon has grown so much as a game franchise also shows in the game itself – not only are environments sprawling and full of life, their realism has certainly changed since the days of old. This is also accompanied by the barrage of new Pokemon to the series, and while there aren’t any huge inclusions as this is a minor update, there still are a few new characters to enter the fray. Coupled with the ability to obtain more legendary beasts is also a welcome change. Ride-on Pokemon replace the traditional HM moves (known as PokeRide style features), meaning you can use Pokemon like Tauros to break through certain boulders once unlocked. There’s even a new game in Mantine Surf, which is a little aside as you travel through Melemele Island.The ability to interact with your Pokemon is another thing that has remained since Pokemon X and Y, and one thing that I find quite entertaining. The ability post-match to help, groom and play with your Pokemon as well as feeding it Poke Beans is a neat little gimmick that really makes you feel like you’re interacting with a real being. It promotes the idea that there is more to the game than just using these small creatures in a bloodsport to determine a victor.

The biggest concern I have with the game, and maybe it’s just me and I’m getting old and can no longer keep up with things; the game is too obsessed with guiding you on one path. Don’t get me wrong, for younger players and those less knowledgeable in how Pokemon games operate, this is a great idea as often these games are a tad difficult to navigate. But the crux of the matter is that within the first hour of playing or so, I began to lose interest in the story being told because it was just words. Gone are the days of simplicity, giving a little bit of information that can be taken a long way, and replaced with spoon-feeding everything to players and holding their hand along the way. For a game that is all about the adventure, my excitement was lowered due to this.

THE 3DS VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS PLAYED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW.

The post Pokemon Ultra Sun/Moon Review – A Worthy End appeared first on Press Start.

When it comes to the ‘Warriors’ series of games, there isn’t much difference between them – take control of a character and endlessly pummel hordes of enemies into the ground while completing objectives. A simple enough premise that many different franchises could easily slot into, with minor tweaks for characters and story. Fire Emblem Warriors however, takes the stock-standard franchise and builds on it, crafting a game that takes the best of both worlds and blends them together nearly seamlessly.

Worlds converge when Prince Darios of Gristonne’s father seeks to revive the evil dragon Velezark, causing dimensions to shift and enemies from other realms to invade. It is up to the Royal Twins of Aytolis, Rowan and Lianna, to save the world; joining forces with heroes from Ylisse (Fire Emblem Awakening), Hoshido and Nohr (Fire Emblem Fates) and Altea (Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon) to restore the Shield of Flames and cast Velezark back into darkness.

For those of you who aren’t accustomed to the Omega Force/Team Ninja signature style in ‘Warriors’ games, the gameplay consists of taking control of characters on a map, seizing forts and defeating wave after wave of fodder soldiers, with a few tougher ones and boss characters thrown in for good measure. There are tasks and challenges – usually surrounding the need to protect an area, save a character, or defeat enemies within the time limit. Your characters build up gauges that allow for special attacks which can take out wider hordes of enemies and deal significant damage. But here’s where Fire Emblem Warriors differs significantly, and makes the playing experience that much better.

The game takes cues from Fire Emblem’s gameplay style and incorporates them so seamlessly in that you’d think this was an evolution of Fire Emblem itself; you can command your team to attack certain points and set up multi-pronged attacks (albeit in real time as opposed to turn-based), as well as using the pair-up mechanic to make your efforts stronger and more intense to take down enemies or save characters and points on the map. The game also brings in Fire Emblem’s ‘weapon triangle’ – swords beat axes, which beat lances, which beat swords – and uses that as a strength in order for players to calculatedly plan their attacks rather than rush in weapons blazing. This is alongside the other signature Fire Emblem weapons of bows, tomes and dragonstones, with characters from their respective series’ using these weapons. Even characters such as Lissa still have the ability to heal with staves as well.

The cursed perma-death option is retained too – you can choose to play with it on or off, just like in Fire Emblem. Characters level up in the same way including a short level-up screen including a voice clip, and at the end of each battle an MVP will be selected and awarded a bonus boost. Skill progression is opened up with a skill tree, which is actioned by harvesting materials in battle (usually by killing opponents) which boost the skills of all unlocked characters, making them better to fight with and unlocking new abilities.

Fans of the Fire Emblem series will also love the little nods here and there; the audio cues and remixes of songs from the games, as well as the voice cast which (for the most part it sounds like) return from each individual installation. The musical medleys really fit the battle scenarios, and having the voiced characters makes it feel just that little bit more Fire Emblem.

Although the good outweighs the bad, there were still a few issues with the game. Starting as a casual player means that every pop-up and tip interrupts the middle of your gameplay. You can turn this off, but for newcomers it will get annoying as at certain points you get engrossed in battle, and would prefer not to be interrupted. While on the battlefield, sometimes your allies will stand around once they have completed their task, and it falls to you to direct them tactically each and every time – there isn’t a consistent command to get them to keep attacking. While this is understandable from a gameplay point of view (you are the tactical leader) it just doesn’t make sense for them to stand and do nothing post-battle.

THE SWITCH VERSION OF THIS GAME WAS PLAYED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW

The post Fire Emblem Warriors Review – A Breath Of Fresh Air appeared first on Press Start.

Smack-bang in the middle of what is already an action-packed November for the Switch, everyone’s favourite battle car sports game is finally making its release.

Featuring THREE exclusive battle cars in ‘Mario NSR,’ ‘Luigi NSR’ and ‘Samus’ Gunship’, Rocket League will be dropping onto the Switch on November 14th for an absolute bargain price of $19.99 USD (or regional equivalent). The game launches with all of the modes you’ve come to know and love, as well as cross-platform play with the PC and Xbox One versions.

This makes an action-packed month for the Switch, launching just days after Sonic Forces and DOOM, and just before L.A. Noire and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. There’s no letting up!

You can find the official post here.

The post Rocket League On Nintendo Switch Release Date Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

Following up from the absolute success of last year’s GTA Xtreme Games panel, the Press Start team are back and better than ever for a night of classic gaming fun!

Join the team as we hit the stage to fight it out in the SNES Classic Mini Retro Fun Night – taking an adventure through the games of yesteryear and dueling for the title of Press Start Champion! Who will come out on top? Can our team handle the pressure of classic games? Will Matt be wearing a hot-dog suit?

With questions and giveaways guaranteed, mark this one down in your PAX Australia schedules as it’s sure to be a blast!

Press Start’s SNES Classic Mini Retro Fun Night starts at 9:30pm in the Galah Theatre. You can find out more information here.

The post Come To Our Epic PAX Australia Panel appeared first on Press Start.

As a kid, I was never a huge fan of the Gran Turismo games. At the time the cars and tracks looked awesome and realistic but I was never a fan of realistic driving so most of my time was spent trying to wall ride and cut shortcuts across the grass to win races. I didn’t do well. It’s fair to say that in the time since then, the franchise has come a long way – spanning multiple console generations and fighting off competitors in the same space. But Polyphony Digital’s latest offering is a strange beast, and a huge step in a different direction for the tried and true series with Gran Turismo Sport.

Stepping back into the world of Gran Turismo, the biggest and most alienating thing for some will be the always-online connection. Yes, we’ve raved on in the past about the need for games to be always connected online, but a sizeable chunk of the game is not available unless you’re connected; which can be a very annoying thing, especially if the network goes down or your internet is out.

This is a big thing – you can still perform custom races, drift trials and even use the virtual reality mode, but for everything else it is practically an online-only game. This even includes the driving school mode, which for new players is probably detrimental to understanding the physics of the game and the cars you will be racing. Jumping straight into a custom race, as I did upon first booting the game, meant that I spent most of my time in walls or gravel traps and not actually on the track.

GT Sport’s approach by suggesting you step into driver training makes a lot of sense, and while I was initially frustrated with having to do it, it helped me understand the controls and the physics of the cars better. Within a short amount of time I went from wall-hugging crash test dummy to having a basic understanding of the track and turns. The rhythm of the game and the training modes also pushes you to try better until you’re achieving gold in each option, which is pretty good motivation considering you work your way towards newer cars each time.

The training modes tend to take a fair bit of time to load however; while it is understandable considering the quality content of the game and car models that have to be rendered to play through.

Having said that, the remainder of the single-player campaign is a let down. There’s a whole lot to do with challenges and missions which just feel like extended versions of the driving school tests, and nothing more to them. Compared with the extensive history of the games, the fact that it feels like significant chunks of the game are either missing or just ‘not there’ is quite disappointing and is only expected to be padded out by the online race community.

The game itself is a stunning work however, with extensive detail put into both the car models and some of the tracks. There’s also a new Scapes mode, which is the most interesting and awesome feature within the game – you can take a car, any car, and park it somewhere around the world in the list of locations. Some serious work has gone into this – lights from the photo sources even reflect on the vehicle’s paintjob even when they’re a stationary image. You can fill a scene with four or five of your cars and take a picture, replicating any potential dreams you may had of seeing these cars in a public space from somewhere around the world.

The sound design of the game is also quite remarkable – not only is the specific track list for the game quite well suited to the menu and tracks that you race, but each car’s exhaust note and engine sound is crisp and clean, which is definitely the kind of thing you want. When you run a Bugatti Veyron around a corner I can guarantee you’ll like what you hear.

The post GT Sport Review – A Fresh Step appeared first on Press Start.

Fresh off the presses at Nintendo, the latest system software update for the Switch has now gone live!

This update brings some highly-desired features to the Switch that users had been crying out for since launch, including video capture for select Switch titles, as well as the ability to transfer user profiles and save data to another system.

The update also includes the ability to pre-purchase titles on the Nintendo eShop, and gives new profile icons from Switch titles including Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

The details of the update can be found on Nintendo’s Switch site here.

Details on how to update your console to the latest firmware can be found here.

The post Nintendo Switch Update Version 4.0.0 Is Now Live appeared first on Press Start.

Everything that is retro is cool, right?

That’s right, folks, the hottest piece of mobile phone technology is finally back. Move over iPhone X, and step aside Google Pixel 2 – the Nokia 3310 is BACK.

Boasting the latest in 3G technology, with a massive 2MP camera and a headphone jack, this sleek piece of work is likely to be at the top of every cool kid’s Christmas lists.

Aimed at the low-end consumer market, the update of Nokia’s schoolyard-dominating classic phone boasts huge battery life times as well as a return to everyone’s favourite mobile game, Snake. The nostalgia is absolutely flooding back.

The Nokia 3310 is available through JB Hi-Fi at a bargain price of $89, but be quick because stock is likely to sell fast.

The post Nokia Has Re-Released The 3310 And What Year Is It? appeared first on Press Start.

Earlier this week, we had the chance to speak to Ross Symons, the CEO of Big Ant about the newly announced Ashes game, improvements that have been made to mechanics in the cricket franchise and what it means for Big Ant to now be developing and publishing games.

The Don Bradman career is one that many hardcore cricket fans get into. What are some of the changes that we see in Ashes?

RS: We still have a career mode, but one of the big differences between the Don Bradman series and the Ashes Cricket game is that your character can get selected and go and play amongst your cricketing heroes; you could be opening with (David) Warner, bowling with (Mitchell) Starc, and we didn’t have the license in the previous games to do that, so obviously that helps to add some authenticity to the career mode that you can actually get selected for your country in a more licensed way.

Ultimately, if you play cricket you want to be selected for your nation and to play in an Ashes test, and now you can get that opportunity.

Have any more changes been made to stadium editor/player creator. More cusomisation?

RS: We’ve revamped the editor – but the thing is, we have all of the licensed stadia from both the men’s and women’s Ashes, so you can actually take to the MCG on Boxing Day. There’s less reliance on the editor, but the editor is still there, and you can share any of your creations with others across PC, Xbox One and PS4.

We had the SCG before, but you’ll have the MCG, the Gabba, the Day-Night test at the Adelaide Oval – all of the stadia are the real deal and licensed.

What can we expect from commentary?

RS: At this stage, we’ve increased the commentary team and we think players will be very happy with the choices we’ve got. We’ll announce it soon, but there will be two men and a woman on the team.

Is there anything else that you’re really proud of in Ashes Cricket? It’s clear that both Cricket Australia and England Cricket are getting around it in a big way.

RS: There’s a lot, but possibly one of the best things – and you will see this if anyone looks at Glenn Maxwell’s video and Steve Smith’s videos – probably the biggest improvement in the game apart from the realism of likenesses and the licensed stadia, is the actual motion capture of Test Cricketers. Getting Maxwell and Smith and all these guys in suits and into our studio and our new mocap facilities and motion-capturing it so that when you play as Smith you’re actually playing as Smith; when you bowl as Starc you’re actually bowling as Starc. This is exactly what they’re like as it’s how we’ve recorded it in the mocap.

Is it just the men’s team, or does this extent branch out to the women’s team as well?

RS: Amazingly enough, we have. The women are not just an addendum – this is the men’s Ashes and the women’s Ashes, and the women’s teams have been mocapped as well. We’ve gone around the world and photographed them; we went to the Women’s World Cup, went all the way to Bristol, photographed the women there, had a number of sessions around Australia. So all of the the women’s teams are recorded to the same fidelity as the men’s.

It’s the right thing to do. More and more people are seeing that – I mean you look at the WBBL and the numbers for that are phenomenal, and it’ll be a bigger season this year, and even the Women’s Ashes is going to be spectacular.

How did the feedback from the Don Bradman games shape this one?

RS: Well certainly we took on board what people liked and what people didn’t like. We’ve made it so that the game is a lot easier to pick up and play – so I think anyone could probably play the game. We’ve sort of targeted that the lower difficulty levels are really easy to play, but the higher levels are obviously more difficult to play. I guess it goes back to that “It’s easy to play, but hard to master” – and one of the biggest feedback concerns we got from Bradman was that it was too difficult and too technical, and it was somewhat a simulation.

What we’ve done with this is brought an arcade feel to the lower levels of difficulty, and simulation to the higher levels of difficulty. We want kids to be able to play the game as well.

It’s clear that Big Ant have been spending a lot on new technology, What does Photogrammetry mean for Ashes cricket and what the team is able to achieve?

RS: Photogrammetry is basically where we put a number of high-definition cameras in a 360-degree rig, and then we put a player inside the rig and then we fire all the cameras at the same time, kinda like Matrix-style. That enables us to import really high-resolution 3D textured models of the players into the game so that what you see is what you get – essentially we have photo-likenesses of these players in three dimensions in the game. It makes the licensed players really pop; and we’ve travelled around the world, even myself personally, from London to everywhere following these players and putting this rig together, taking their photos wherever they might be.

The post Here’s How Ashes Cricket Improves On Don Bradman Cricket 17 appeared first on Press Start.

Earlier this week, we had the chance to speak to Ross Symons, the CEO of Big Ant about the newly announced Ashes game, improvements that have been made to mechanics in the cricket franchise and what it means for Big Ant to now be developing and publishing games.

Ashes has so far only been announced for PS4, Xbox One and PC. So far, we’ve seen that sporting games have been a great success on Nintendo Switch due to the fact that people love playing sports games on the go. Ashes (as well as games such as Rugby League Live and AFL Evolution) haven’t come to Nintendo Switch despite the fact that we’ve seen Australian sporting games on Nintendo consoles in the past.

Currently, there appears to be no plans to bring Ashes to the Nintendo Switch, but this doesn’t appear to be due to the fact that Big Ant don’t want it on the platform.

“I would love to do the Switch; the Switch is made for this. There’s nothing like Cricket and using something like the Switch where you have the motion controllers – it just makes sense. Unfortunately I did reach out to Nintendo but it didn’t get much of a response. We’ve made games for Nintendo systems in the past, but I really hope we can support the Switch because it really does make a lot of sense, especially with motion controllers and cricket going together.” said Big Ant’s Symons.

“A little bit of that is up to Nintendo – we need to get someone from Nintendo who wants a cricket game on their system and then we’re up for it.” continued Symons.

Ashes Cricket will be the first time that Big Ant self publishes a game (with distribution by Five Star Games).

“We’re the first developer in this country to actually be developing and publishing. It’s an amazing difference; it’s taken me 15 years to be able to get the ability to print a disc with Microsoft and we’re finally doing that this year.” said Symons.

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When I was a kid I remember having a bunch of action figures from different TV shows and games. I’d play with them altogether and concoct crazy storylines that made no sense to their respective origins – at one point I think I had Batman teaming up with Goku to take down Leonardo the Ninja Turtle. The whole thing was heaps of fun and entertaining, but held no logical standards when I look back on it.

The same can be said for Capcom’s latest instalment of its long-running fighting franchise in Marvel VS Capcom: Infinite. The sixth main entry in the company’s series of crossover games, MVC:I takes a step in a different direction; it ditches the 3v3 fighting mechanics of the previous iterations and instead focuses on a deeper 2v2 experience that is enhanced with the powers of the ‘Infinity Stones’ – mystical gemstones from the Marvel universe, each with their own power. These powers can enhance each team depending on which stone is used, and have two functions – Infinity Surges, which are brief glimpses of the stone’s power that assist your fighter (for instance the Time Stone allows you to boost back and forward quickly) and Infinity Storms, which power up your team for a set period of time and allow for special attacks that are almost unavoidable. Charging the stone gauges takes time unless you like being beaten up, but can turn the tide of battles in an instant if used correctly, and make for a good equalizer. These stones are also selectable prior to battle, allowing for players to get a feel for which stone suits their game style.This is in addition to the Hyper Combo Gauge, which is a staple in the series since it’s initialization; allowing for brutal combos and chained attacks that unleash an absolute onslaught upon your opponent. Using both of these in tandem is key to becoming an unstoppable fighter, along with a bit of defensive work and knowing when to dodge and move.

The tag system replaces the call-in assists from previous games; instead players are given an active switching system which provides immediate transitions between team members that can assist in helping the current on-screen fighter. This gives way to the ‘Counter Switch’ mechanic which, when in a pinch, can be used to prevent an enemy’s combo from trapping your fighter and instead allows you to counteract it.All of this is well and good – it makes for a game that is accessible for newer players but challenging and complex for seasoned veterans. But the game lets down significantly in other areas; notably, the presentation and character roster. Not only does it feel like MVC:I is beginning to scrape the bottom of the barrel for characters, but it tries much too hard to shoehorn each and every character into its poorly constructed and convoluted plot which ultimately plays out like one of Childhood Matt’s action figure play time sessions. Coupled with the step away from the cel-shaded and comic book-esque tones of MVC3 into a 3D-modeled fighter, the game just lacks the polish of the older versions and really lets the atmosphere down. The struggle for character licensing obviously has played a huge part in the roster as well – where we still have mainstays from the Capcom series such as Ryu and Chun Li, we’re left to deal with second and third-tier characters such as Hawkeye and Gamora at the expense of any X-Men mutants.

While several of the characters make sense in terms of upcoming Marvel movie projects, the lack of classics make this game feel quite removed from its origins as an X-Men VS Street Fighter successor, which is disappointing. The DLC characters lined up leave a lot to be desired as well, with Black Panther and Sigma appearing in the story yet having to be paid for. And can I just throw in a quick one about imbalance? Only 5 out of 36 characters are female.

The post Marvel VS Capcom Infinite Review – Lacking Character appeared first on Press Start.

For years, we’ve always wondered what it is like to see Pokémon battles that rival the action and intensity of the TV show. I mean sure, the games have evolved and battles look more entertaining and flow faster, but it’s still a turn-based affair. So how do we take the excitement and pace of the anime and combine it with the depth of the role-playing games?

Enter Pokkén Tournament DX. Long-running fighting game aficionados Bandai Namco entered the fray, bringing the much-loved traits and skills from the Tekken series to Nintendo’s high-selling monsters franchise to craft an entirely new fighting experience. With the release of the Nintendo Switch, Pokken Tournament sees visual updates and minor tweaks that brings this uniquely blended fighting game to a new audience.

Pokken Tournament DX takes place in the Ferrum region, where Ferrum Battles are held. You are a trainer who joins the league, attempting to work your way through the ranks and become the champion of the Ferrum League. Linked to your Pokémon by a strange material known as a Synergy Stone, this allows you and your Pokémon to be one and for your Pokémon to gain unimaginable strength during battles. But in fighting, a mysterious woman and a dark Mewtwo appear to challenge you, feeling the power of the Synergy between you and your partner. Who is this strange woman, and her Black Mewtwo?

With the extensive fighting game history of Tekken in their back catalogue, Bandai Namco know exactly what they are doing when it comes to crafting a game of this calibre – on the surface the game appears like any other fighting game (albeit with a coat of Pokémon over the top) but after playing for a while, the complexities begin to show. Different Pokémon have different fighting traits such as speed or power (Machamp is an absolute tank) which can affect the way the battles play out and how one player’s style can be completely contrasting to another. The system lends itself well both to button-mashers who throw everything into trying to defeat an opponent by jamming every button they can see, and for more technical fighters whose best friends are the block and sidestep moves. Grabs and counters play a huge part in this too – using them at the right time can mean certain victory or utter failure.

A feature that takes a while to get used to is the ‘Phase Shift’ of battles; which changes the fight plane from a 3D arena axis to a 2D Tekken-esque fighting mode. These are triggered by powerful attacks or moves which allow players to chain and change the way the fight plays out. The biggest issue is that while often you know what moves can cause a Phase Shift, you still forget that it’s going to happen and cause the massive combo you were preparing to fall by the wayside.

The Synergy Gauge and Support Pokémon are two additional features that can change the tide of a battle dramatically. As you fight, you build up energy in the Synergy Gauge as well as collecting this energy as it spawns across the arena, leading to the ability to unleash your Pokémon’s Mega form and moves. This can be taken further yet again by pressing the same buttons to activate a Synergy Burst attack, which depletes the gauge quicker but can cause massive damage to your opponent (and is in most cases hard to avoid). Allowing you to build your attacking power or throw off your opponent, Support Pokémon also come into play here, where their pre-selected talents can help you in winning the match at key moments. Both of these functions can be performed multiple times per match, if they go that long, and can really change the flow of a fight.

One of the biggest pitfalls of the game is the learning system in general. While the tutorials are narrated, and seem to explain things relatively clear enough, the lack of practice is quite startling; the game instead opts to tell you everything and show you rather than letting you take turns on your own. This lead to frustrations and forgetfulness further down the track – at one point I had forgotten how to perform Counter moves, and could not remember it in my training. Given I finally managed to do it, by then I had completed most of the rank in the Ferrum League meaning there was no point in chasing it. The game’s complex fighting system may even be problematic for younger players too – where a new player will be able to pick up the base controls, the pros and long-time players will be able to practice and anticipate nearly every move thrown at them.

Lastly, but not least, is the customisation options. Just like its sister series Tekken, Bandai Namco have gone almost overboard in allowing characters, name plates and quotes to be ultra-customisable, with unlocks coming from almost every fight.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Multiplayer and Online functions were not available at the time of this review.

The post Pokken Tournament DX Review – Another Worthy Port appeared first on Press Start.

Stepping away from the traditional narrative, Monster Hunter Stories on 3DS takes the idea of Monster Hunter and throws it in an entirely new direction – instead of seeking out and hunting monsters to get stronger and progress, what if you could capture and bond with these creatures and fight alongside them? Step into the shoes of a Rider as you explore the lands searching for strong Monstie (that’s what they call them) eggs to hatch and form bonds with, to become the ultimate Monster Rider!

I am relatively new to the Monster Hunter franchise, so the sense of awe might have been a bit lost on me compared to seasoned players. But even so, from the get-go this is an RPG that does what a lot of others can’t – it doesn’t bog you down in heavy dialogue chains or complex battle scenarios, it offers you the glimpse of a story, then gets right into the game. Your job as a Rider is to sneak into nests and steal eggs to hatch them, and then raise them as a companion. Pokemon similarities aside, the fact that you get to explore the map while riding on a monster is insanely fun and entertaining. It adds to the excitement of a game that already plays into the hands of those who know what they want out of an RPGWandering the open world isn’t a draining experience either – you can either run on your own or mount a Monstie and traverse the land quicker. Some places can only be reached with a Monstie skill (like high jumps and leaps) and Monsties normally run faster than your character does. Exploring also gives you the opportunity to discover lairs where you can find new eggs to hatch. One of the best parts of the game is that you will get a warning if you aren’t strong enough for specific lairs, meaning you’re less likely to stumble upon something and get completely wiped out. You can also harvest materials and items from resources scattered throughout the environment, and you can do so both on your Monstie and on the ground.

Once you enter a Monstie lair, you will normally have to battle through until you reach the egg nest – which is often guarded by a tougher Monstie than usual. Most Monsties are visible throughout the field; some will charge you and attack, while others will just stand around. Bumping into one of them initiates a battle – sometimes you can even sneak up on them for a surprise attack.One of the simplest and most fun parts of the game is the battle system – a ‘rock-paper-scissors’ type scenario which revolves around Power, Tech and Speed attacks. For the most part you control your character, and can anticipate the attack that the enemy might use, which can give you an advantage and cast more damage. Working in tandem with your Monsties in battle, you fight the opponents head-to-head in a game of skill that involves analysing your enemies’ attack patterns. Most of the time the enemies don’t change their attack type though, so you can read them easily.
The more you fight, the more power you build up in your Kinship Stone (the magical bonding device given to all Riders) which progresses your ability to perform stronger attacks; simultaneous attacks of the same type can boost it significantly and raise the strength level between you and your Monstie. Eventually you can perform team-up attacks by mounting your Monstie, taking down foes with major damage.

While the story is forgettable, it is a very basic tale of lost friendships and evil forces taking over monsters, but it works for the kind of game that is being presented, and doesn’t hinder the gameplay experience like others often do.

The post Monster Hunter Stories Review – Different And Impressive appeared first on Press Start.

IT’S PICKLE RIIIIIIIICK!

The collectible series juggernaut that has taken nearly every pop culture franchise and turned it into a big-headed figurine has now introduced our favourite crazy scientist and harsh life-lesson giver, Rick Sanchez, in his Pickle form.

The figure comes in two variants – one of Pickle Rick in his rat battlesuit, and another of Pickle Rick in the same battlesuit brandishing a laser.

It’s coming in December, so be sure to add these to your collection, in your quest for the elusive Szechuan Sauce.

Coming Soon: Rick & Morty Pickle Rick Pop!s https://t.co/087K3BQjca pic.twitter.com/SMg5IfsFmW

— Funko (@OriginalFunko) August 28, 2017

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Rocket League is the game that just keeps on giving. Developers Psyonix are always listening out from the community for ways to improve our beloved jet-car soccer game, and this time around they’ve tweaked a minor detail that adds better visibility to those who like to defend – Transparent Goalposts!

In a recent blog post, it has been announced that the game will be adding an option to see through the goals to aid in defending against opposition scores, so that you have a better chance of seeing the ball coming rather than just the standard outline.

Transparent Goalposts will add transparency to the goals, goalposts, and specific pieces of the Arena wall. More specifically, you will soon be able to see through parts of the Arena that were previously solid structures (depending on your position and camera view). When defending in-goal, for example, the posts and walls around you will become transparent for better vision.

This feature is also optional and can be turned on or off by the player, meaning if you’re used to a certain style of play, you can keep it how it is.

This is a welcome addition to a game already brimming with features and functionality for fans. As someone who plays the game regularly, I can honestly say this will in no way change the fact that I’m still terrible at defending!

You can read the blog post here, which hints at more content coming up for the Autumn (Spring in Australia) update.

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In a year where everything old is new again, it seems fitting that one of gaming’s oldest franchises gets a new lease of life. Sonic Mania isn’t just another Sonic game to fill the gap; Sonic Mania takes all the hopes and dreams for a classic-style Sonic game and makes it a reality.

Sonic Mania takes place after Sonic & Knuckles, where Sonic and Tails travel back to Angel Island to investigate Doctor Eggman’s new nefarious plans. Discovering a mysterious gemstone known as the Phantom Ruby, Doctor Eggman uses his elite Egg Robos known as the Hard-Boiled Heavies to harvest the gem and throw Sonic and Tails as well as Knuckles back through time. The trio travel across iconic levels of Sonic history to retrieve the Ruby and stop Doctor Eggman and his cronies.

From the moment you start up the game you know you’re in for a treat. The pixelated startup screen that follows the iconic SEGA scream could almost have been ripped straight from the Mega Drive Sonic games. The menus really pop and are bright with a 16-bit flair, and the music is there to match it. It just feels the way a Sonic game is supposed to feel, even looking past the rose-tinted glasses.

It isn’t until you hit the first level of the game itself that you get a wave of both nostalgia and excitement – the blend of old and new is practically perfect. Starting in Green Hill Zone Act 1, the level plays out almost identically to the original Sonic The Hedgehog. Older gamers will be able to look past the old and see the new – Sonic has an aerial spin charge known as a ‘drop dash’ that takes a while to get used to, the graphics are more modern and free-flowing, and while the songs are extremely reminiscent of the originals they aren’t the exact same. These are all good things though, as a rehash of the original games wouldn’t give the developers in Headcannon and PagodaWest Games any reason to improve. Blue Sphere bonus stages from Sonic 3 & Knuckles make a return (and are still extremely frustrating) as do things like Fire/Electric/Water shields and the like. The game also has a reimagining of eight classic zones, all with their original themes remixed and slightly modernized while still having that original flair.The new zones in the game fit right in with the old though, to the point where it feels like they could have been lost levels from the original series. Studiopolis Zone is bright and fun, while Mirage Saloon Zone has a familiarity about it yet a freshness at the same time. None of the new levels feel out of place at all, which is a real credit to the developers that they were able to capture the spirit of the older games.

This even translates to the new bonus game which can be found by locating the Giant Rings throughout stages. Players must charge up their mach speed with blue spheres and keep their power going with rings, all the while chasing a UFO carrying a Chaos Emerald. The good news it is it feels like a classic bonus game, but the downside to this is that it feels slightly broken and a little overly complicated especially for a Sonic game.The typical frustrations from the original games also make a return – enemy locations can be extremely annoying and sometimes feel counterintuitive and unfair. Level motion and speed of button presses may frustrate newer players who aren’t used to the pace of the games. And of course, while the levels have been redesigned and updated, there are still frustrations with flows and movement that will bug fans even 20 years on from the original releases.

The post Sonic Mania Review – A Return To Former Glory appeared first on Press Start.

Nintendo’s obsession with shrinking down history seems to be gaining momentum, starting with the NES Classic Mini and now moving on to the SNES Classic Mini.

In this gallery from Spanish site GameReactor, the SNES Classic Mini is measured up beside some of the latest technology including newest sibling the Nintendo Switch, the original SNES, and even a SNES cartridge – which is almost the same size!

I guess you could say good things DO come in small packages.

The SNES Classic Mini is set for release later this year.

The post Here’s The SNES Classic Mini Next To A Bunch Of Other Gaming Items appeared first on Press Start.

Masters of the indie game, Housemarque and Sony Computer Entertainment have gone hand-in-hand in recent times. Following the commercial success with Resogun, Dead Nation and Alienation, and keeping in the spirit of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, Housemarque hits their stride with the latest release in Matterfall.

The world has been infected by ‘Smart Matter’, an alien substance initially harvested for the benefit of the human race. When all hell breaks loose, it’s up to Avalon Darrow to save the world. With Avalon’s power of mastering matter and weapons skills, fight through the chaos in Fortuna City to save humanity from the Red Matter alien threat.Matterfall takes the elements of what made Resogun great and applies them to a side-scrolling shooter, making for a fast-paced action ride that barely gives you time to breathe. Traversing through Fortuna City you start the game by learning the basics; left joystick to move, right joystick to shoot directionally, and R1 to jump. This combo is strange at first, but once you get into the rhythm of it you begin to feel comfortable jetting through the levels and taking out enemies. Avalon’s slides and super jumps freeze enemies temporarily which adds a technical dimension to gameplay, as it also helps her slide through bullet barrages and Blue Matter barriers. Avalon’s Matter weapon allows barriers to be activated as shields or platforms, as well as having the ability to detonate Matter mines, and to free trapped scientists to get them to safety.

At certain points, Avalon gets thrown into zero-G states where things can be chaotic. Dodging Red Matter spurts and enemy attacks as well as navigating around the environment can be quite full-on, but therein lies the challenge of the game. Every destroyed enemy builds up your multiplier and eventually you can unleash Overcharge attacks which can clear an entire screen at once. These are often best saved for dire moments so use them wisely.Matterfall, at its core, literally feels like Resogun in a platform shooter game. The gunplay is the same, the heavy sci-fi synth soundtrack is extremely similar, and even the voice that tells you about your multiplier is identical to the voice in Resogun, so far as to say I’m pretty sure it’s the same clip. Don’t get me wrong; I loved Resogun when it released – it was fun and chaotic, and you would create certain gameplay rhythms to play to in order to proceed. Matterfall takes the things that Resogun did so well and turns it into something akin to Metroid, but more fast-paced and frenetic. Thinking on your feet is a necessary skill here as the quicker you proceed, the less time you have to pre-empt impending enemy attacks or obstacles.

The saving grace of the game is the fact that damage from enemies and Red Matter isn’t hugely significant, meaning you can fight your way through to each checkpoint where your health is refreshed. Grenades help clear rooms of lower enemies, but some can only be destroyed with certain methods like stunning them – and the moment you miss one, it’ll come back to haunt you.

The post Matterfall Review – Loads Of Fun appeared first on Press Start.

Nintendo's second round of miniature classic consoles, the Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, is currently available on Harvey Norman! You can find it here.

For what could only be a limited time, the miniature SNES can be preordered for $119.95. Be quick though, as stock is likely to disappear faster than you can throw a Yoshi egg at!

Remember, the original NES was extremely limited in its short run and while it has been confirmed that the run will be longer this time around, don’t take the risk and pre-order while you can!

The post The SNES Mini Is Available For Pre Order At Harvey Norman appeared first on Press Start.

With its release on the Wii U in 2015, Splatoon added the typical Nintendo flair to the existing third-person shooter genre and was a hit game on an underrated console. Now back, bigger and brighter, Splatoon 2 splashes its way onto the Nintendo Switch in style – boasting a better Story Mode, new online features, and more ways to splat your enemies.

Splatoon 2 opens months after the original, in which Inkopolis’ source of power The Great Zapfish had been kidnapped by the evil Octarians, rivals of the Inklings. After the heroes saved the Zapfish, it seemed peace had returned to Inkopolis. The two pop idols Marie and Callie, also known as the Squid Sisters, are involved in a huge Splatfest which sees Marie victorious. But after some time, Callie goes missing, and with her so does The Great Zapfish again! Players are recruited as Agent 4 of the Squidbeak Splatoon, traversing Octo Canyon to fight off the Octarians and save both Callie and the Zapfish.For the majority of gamers diving into the Splatoon universe this time around, it’s going to be a totally new experience – don’t get me wrong, the first game was great, but not many people had the Wii U to be able to enjoy it. With the Switch already selling in droves, new gamers will flock to Splatoon 2 like crazy, keen to make their mark. Players are treated to a tutorial to begin with, to learn the basics on how to play the game, and from then on it is totally up to the player how they wish to proceed. Do you jump straight into online and take on the world? Or do you hit the story mode and save The Great Zapfish?

Newcomers to the series will benefit greatly from beginning with the story mode – it functions as both a campaign for the game, as well as a tutorial for each individual weapon and skill that can be learned throughout the course of the game. Assisting Marie and fighting your way through the Octarian menace is a great way to understand the mechanics of the game, which are beneficial for online play – things such as ground coverage with ink, recharging that ink through swimming, and knowing what weapon suits your playstyle as you proceed through the game. Splatoon 2 doesn’t play like typical third-person shooters – it’s a lot more (if you’ll excuse the pun) fluid, and involves continuous movement and thinking. Being quick is a skill that will benefit players immensely regardless of what weapon becomes their favourite.Where Splatoon really shines though is online, which is a given considering the connectivity of the Switch. Players are allocated into teams of four, with the goal usually to cover as much ground as possible in ink. Here the reflexes and skills you pick up in the campaign are really handy – quick firing, constant ink charging and outplaying your opponents will push your team to victory. The fact that every match has different and contrasting colours is a bonus for the game, as it means you’re never likely to get your teams mixed up.

The biggest drawback I noticed upon starting the game was the inclusion of motion controls. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure many people are able to play with them, but to start the game off with in the tutorial is quite hamfisted and a real turn-off. Luckily this can be adujusted in the game’s settings further on. Similarly, the fact that after leaving Story Mode or Online Mode your character gets put back right at the start of the Inkopolis Hub is quite annoying and tedious. If I hit the wrong button and leave online, I don’t want to have to walk all the way back again.Splatoon 2 offers a fun online experience that is somewhat limited by the game modes and maps active, and is also hindered by a bulky communications partner app for your smartphones. It is understandable for certain reasons as to why the Chat app is separate, but most of the time it is bulky and counterintuitive to having a portable console – I don’t particularly want to be using my phone while I use my Switch to communicate with friends.

The post Splatoon 2 Review – More Of The Same appeared first on Press Start.

Growing up a bit of a petrol-head, I was enamoured with cars and racing games. When I refer to ‘racing’ games however, usually I refer to games such as Mario Kart, Need for Speed… games I was good at. When it came to ‘racing simulator’ the technicality of driving meant that I spent most of the time off-road, or careening into walls at high speed.

Safe to say that years later, not much has changed. Getting my hands on Project CARS 2 reminded me not only how terrible I am at realistic racing simulators, but it also shows just how far the genre has come.For those of you looking for a gaming experience akin to Need For Speed or Burnout, now’s the part where you look away – Project CARS 2 is not the racing game you’re expecting, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a chance. Stepping into the world of Project CARS 2, players are presented with a beautifully rendered video that shows the game at it’s rawest form – brilliantly-rendered tracks with highly-detailed cars coupled with a dynamic weather system. Hundreds upon thousands of races and vehicles are at your disposal, to forge a career path through the ranks and be the top racing driver around.

Entering the game is relatively straightforward – but each menu is explained with simplistic detail that allows you to get racing quicker. You can jump straight into a career mode and climb the ranks, or you can take your time and test out different cars and different tracks in custom race seasons. And if your skills are rusty, boy are you going to need some training!As is the aim of the genre, Project CARS 2 is all about racing simulation, and the experience it provides is exactly that. There is no wall-riding, no bumper-bashing, certainly no off-road shortcuts – you adhere to the race rules and you tune your racing technique to suit the track and the car you’re driving. Naturally, on my first few attempts at setting pace, I’d lose control completely, either by coming out of a corner too fast or slamming the brakes on too heavily before a turn. Once you begin to understand how the car drives and the layout of the track, you can adjust your racing and gameplay style to suit.

If your car still doesn’t want to do what you want it to, you can proceed to fine-tune your vehicle which allows you to get a handle on how each little adjustment (brakes, suspension, downforce) can make a big difference to the way the car controls. Too many times I found myself in the gravel or the grass just by a simple error in judgment; but as I progressed through the laps I’d understand the car more and more. But your control and understanding of the vehicle goes beyond its limitations – tyres and brakes should be warmed up and worn in, the track is exposed to wear and tear through rubber compound, and depending on how you’re playing, the weather comes into effect and can wreak havoc on the track. There’s nothing like feeling you finally have the hang of things only for rain to grease the track and send you sliding into last place!Of course the tried and true method of testing a racing game was making a single race event and hitting up Mount Panorama. Unfortunately Holden didn’t make it into the game as a manufacturer so I had to settle for the Ford FG V8 Supercar instead. Not since the days of V8 Supercars on the PS2 have I roared around the iconic Bathurst track, but after a few laps in I had the hang of it and knew where to push the car and where to ease off. Having said that, there was a lot of trial and error, and this goes to show the depth of the system that Slightly Mad Studios have gone to efforts to create; despite having similar setups, a lot of the rear-wheel drive cars behave quite differently.

I also threw down in a Camaro on the same track and got completely different handling – likely due to the mechanics of the car being different despite still being a rear-wheel drive. Going from this to racing a Lamborghini in the Super Trofeo league, the car felt lighter and more responsive but could also be quite floaty depending on the cornering.While still being over a month away from release, Project CARS 2 is looking the goods – and take it from someone who is pretty bad at racing simulators, it’s also a heap of fun. Beginners are catered for quite well with the AI able to be adjusted and tuning options ranging between beginner and hardcore, as well as starting off with lower leagues of racing and working your way up to the more intense championships. With a dynamic weather system that throws an extra obstacle into the mix, players are sure to be kept on their toes when putting the pedal to the metal in the bid for first-place glory.

Project CARS 2 manages to slot itself easily alongside the mainstay racing simulators in Forza and Gran Turismo and hold its head high – this is the closest thing you can get to real racing without leaving the comfort of your lounge room.

The post Project Cars 2 Hands-On Preview – Closest Thing To Real Racing appeared first on Press Start.

The Nintendo Switch’s biggest game in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is getting even bigger. During Nintendo’s E3 Spotlight, the second major DLC pack for the game was announced. Titled ‘The Champion’s Ballad’, it seems that this story will take place prior to the events of Breath Of The Wild, with the four champions in Daruk the Goron, Mipha the Zora, Revali the Rito and Urbosa the Gerudo featuring alongside Zelda.

During the presentation, new Breath of the Wild amiibo were also announced based on these Champions. It is unsure what these will do or when these will be released as of yet.

#amiibo for Daruk, Mipha, Revali, and Urbosa are coming soon! pic.twitter.com/Wpaunogxzd

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 13, 2017

Stay tuned to Press Start for all your E3 news!

The post The Champion’s Ballad and Champion Amiibo set for Breath Of The Wild appeared first on Press Start.

Rocket League took the gaming world by storm when it released on PS4 and PC, followed by Xbox One not long after.

Now, Psyonix brings the action-packed jet-powered sports game to the Nintendo Switch. The game is a perfect fit for the handheld/console hybrid, and is a welcome addition to the Switch’s ever-growing library.

Coming in the Holiday season of 2017, Rocket League will feature cross-platform play with all other instances of the title, as well as custom Nintendo-themed items.

Stay tuned for more Nintendo Switch-related news on Press Start!

The post Rocket League Blasts Onto The Nintendo Switch appeared first on Press Start.

In an as-yet untitled game, Yoshi is set to get his own game for the Nintendo Switch in 2018. Featured during Nintendo’s E3 Spotlight, Yoshi’s game appeared to be the same old gameplay we’ve seen before but in an environment with a ‘flip side’.

For now, we’ll have to wait until 2018 to see more details.

The post Yoshi Is Set To Appear On Nintendo Switch appeared first on Press Start.

Kirby, everyone’s favourite pink… thing, has celebrated his 25th anniversary this year. Not wanting to disappoint fans, Nintendo has announced a Kirby game set to release in 2018.

Tentatively just titled ‘Kirby’, the game showcased core elements from the series including classic platforming and ability copying.

More details as they come to hand.

The post Kirby Will Suck And Blow His Way To Nintendo Switch In 2018 appeared first on Press Start.

Well, E3 is here and it started early this morning for Australians with EA’s conference! In case you weren’t awake to see it all, here’s the links to everything that was announced!

Battlefield 1: In The Name Of The Tsar DLC

FIFA 18 featuring The Journey

Need For Speed: Payback gameplay

MADDEN NFL 18 featuring The Longshot

A Way Out – EA’s New IP

ANTHEM teased from BioWare

NBA Live 18 Revealed

Star Wars Battlefront II Footage Released

FIFA 18 for Nintendo Switch Detailed

Be sure to stay tuned to the Press Start E3 Hub for all of your E3 news!

The post All of EA’s Announcements At E3 appeared first on Press Start.

Since the release of Tekken 7 late last week, the game has been plagued with consistent issues on all platforms. Where the PS4 and Xbox One versions have had severe matchmaking issues while playing online, the PC version has been, in some cases, unplayable.

Players have been consistently calling for word on an update, and an announcement finally came through on Tekken’s European page recently.

The PC version gets a patch for security and Denuvo improvements this week, and has been developed alongside the PS4 patch which will add stability to online matchmaking as well as bug fixes. This patch will then be applied to the PC and Xbox One versions in the following week.

You can read the full statement HERE.

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Another day, another Assassin’s Creed leak. It’s almost certain at this point that Assassin’s Creed Origin will be the next Assassin’s Creed game.

As previously rumoured, it looks like the game will be set in ancient Egypt. This leaks comes in the form of a Target pre-order card which not only reveals the name, but also the premise, main character and the games’ tagline ‘ SECRETS OF THE FIRST PYRAMID’.

https://imgur.com/gallery/dSmF3#HZL4fYE

Honestly, if this is true, I’m extremely excited to see more of the game. It’s interesting that Assassin’s Creed is going all the way back.

Thanks, VG247.

The post The Next Assassin’s Creed Game Is Almost Certainly Set In Egypt appeared first on Press Start.

In the lead-up to E3, we’re counting down with our most anticipated titles. You can find out when all the press conferences are taking place in Australian/NZ times HERE.

After years of floating aimlessly in the market, the developers at Sega have begun to realise the value of Sonic The Hedgehog. With retro games being all the rage in the modern day, and some quite lacklustre titles inheriting the name of Sonic in recent times, could we finally be seeing a ‘Sonic Renaissance’?

Headed by the team that delivered Sonic Generations, Sonic Forces sees Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic joining forces to take the world back from the evil Dr Eggman who, for the first time has finally managed to take over the world.Sonic Forces was announced at San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2016 during Sega’s 25th anniversary on the series. Alongside Sega’s other upcoming game Sonic Forces, it has been in development since 2013, shortly after the release of Sonic Lost World.

Since Sega don’t have their own showcase, it will likely appear during one of the major conferences of Sony, Microsoft or in Nintendo’s Direct. The obvious choice points towards Nintendo, since it was one of the first games to be announced for the Switch.No set date as of yet, but the title is scheduled for release in Q4 of this year. With Sonic Mania scheduled for an August release, Sega have an open spot in the holiday season which would also coincide with Christmas sales of the Switch.Sega’s biggest problem is trying to branch too far out with game mechanics, effectively forgetting what makes Sonic great. Since there is no multiplayer, a focus on refining control elements for both Classic and Modern Sonic would be priority, and backing that up with a decent narrative that draws in both new players and long-time fans of the series.

Sonic Generations got so far but left players wanting more; if Sega can recapture the heart from the classic Sonic games, the game is sure to be a hit.

The post E3 Countdown: Sonic Forces appeared first on Press Start.

We all love it when someone goes above and beyond to make in-store displays look awesome. Not to be outdone, JB Hi-fi in Sydney City has set up an arcade cabinet for the release of Tekken 7, out today.

While you may not get very far inserting coins and trying to play, the setup itself looks pretty awesome; including real arcade sticks and buttons and even a semi-realistic coin slot box below it. The detail goes right down to the coins sitting on the machine, for the players next in line (Arcade fans will get it)

Thanks to Morris at JB Hi-Fi Sydney City for the pictures.

You can check out our Tekken 7 review HERE.

The post Look At This Incredible Tekken Arcade Cabinet Made Out Of Cardboard appeared first on Press Start.

It’s been the leakiest game that I’ve potentially ever come across, but if you didn’t believe it before, there’s literally 0 out that Mario x Rabbids: Kingdom Battle will be announced in the next few weeks.

It’s been mentioned time and time again for months and months with a bunch of marketing material leaking just last week, but the Japan Expo, which is a Japanese culture expo in Paris (yes, confusing) just Tweeted out the the game will exclusively playable in July.

This makes it unclear whether the game will be playable at E3, or if this is just a European exclusive (the first time playable outside of America).

The tweet has now been deleted but you can find it below:

The now deleted @japanexpo tweet. FYI pic.twitter.com/63buC2ZeR8

— Daniel Vuckovic (@VOOK64) June 1, 2017

In English, it reads:

.@ NintendoFrance and @UbisoftFR present exclusively the video game Mario x Ravings Rabbids #japanexpo

The post The Mario X Rabbids Game For Nintendo Switch Was Pretty Much Just Confirmed appeared first on Press Start.

What do you get when you cross a strong, stubborn old father and an angry, vengeful son with the powers of a devil? The answer is a grudge match that has spanned over twenty years, and been the main driving point of Tekken’s story. Picking up from where Tekken 6 left off, the world is in tatters after Jin Kazama took control of his grandfather Heihachi Mishima’s empire, the Mishima Zaibatsu, and used it to wage a global war against rival firm G Corporation. Jin thereafter goes missing after defeating the hellish demon Azazel and ‘saving’ the world, leaving the Mishima Zaibatsu under Nina Williams’ control.

Heihachi Mishima seemingly returns from being dead to reassume control of his empire and uses it to wage war against Kazuya Mishima; his Devil Gene-powered son who secretly pulls the strings of G Corporation from the shadows. Seeking to rebuild the Mishima Zaibatsu empire and rid the world of Kazuya’s presence, Heihachi uses his power to take down G Corporation, until he is attacked by a mysterious assailant (Street Fighter’s Akuma making a cameo in the Tekken storyline) who seeks to rid the world of both he and Kazuya. Despite being ‘killed’ yet again, Heihachi returns to face Kazuya in the fight that will determine their fates once and for all. Who will win?

 After spending two years in arcades, Tekken 7 finally comes to home consoles and for the first time in the series makes a PC appearance as well. Building off the engine of Tekken 6, the gameplay receives several tweaks from previous instalments – the most notable being a tweak to the ‘Bound’ mechanic, which would have characters bouncing back up allowing opponents to continue combos by juggling. This balances out gameplay a little more as, while still giving opponents the ability to juggle, it prevents bounds from occurring in combos which cause them to end quicker. Of course the replacement to the bound is the ‘Screw’ mechanic, which forces airborne opponents to spin and land with their legs pointing vertically. This still gives opponents the ability to juggle a combo, but can only be used once per combo, and prevents opponents from performing a tech roll and getting up quickly.

Another interesting (and welcomed) mechanic is the ‘Power Crush’ – strong attacks that, when performed, will continue through mid or high attacks and still hit opponents despite taking damage. This in some cases can even the playing field, sacrificing health in order to knock down an opponent. Following on from Tekken 6, the last-ditch Rage Mode feature has been retained but now offers a new function in ‘Rage Arts’, where a player can activate their entire Rage function and perform a massive damage combo (usually equivalent to 30% of the opponent’s health) and when enacted take the game into a momentary cinematic string of attacks. A secondary feature is the ‘Rage Drive’ mode, which also sacrifices Rage Mode but allows a more powerful combo to be performed, but is not cinematic.

Tekken 7 sees a departure from several fan-favourite characters such as Lei Wulong, Bruce Irvin, Anna Williams and even more recent additions in Zafina, Craig Marduk and Raven. Instead we are given new characters, some which represent their country for the first time in the franchise. For example, countries such as Italy, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines are represented by Claudio Serafino, Shaheen and Josie Rizal respectively; Kazumi Mishima is added for narrative purposes and Akuma crosses franchises from Street Fighter to take part in the battle. Some characters share similar traits to missing charaters; for instance, Gigas’s moveset is quite similar to Craig Marduk, and Master Raven takes the place of Raven. Mainstays of the series including Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, Nina Williams and King return, and the game is set for DLC characters in the future with Eliza (Tekken Revolution) being available to pre-order customers.

Having played Tekken for so long, I was a little upset to see some of my favourite modes missing – Survival Mode and Team Battle mode being the two biggest omissions. While Story Mode is entertaining it only ends up being one match per character (besides the main story); Arcade Mode is shorter than it used to be, and the only way to get any extended fighting time against the CPU is by playing Treasure Fight mode.

Tekken 7’s soundtrack is great, and rarely do Bandai Namco change the voices unless they have to. Familiarity with characters isn’t just limited to movesets. The option to replace the Tekken 7 OST with classic Tekken OSTs is cool, but the fact that the songs shift randomly and play at strange times (fighting with the Tekken 2 Character Select song is weird) was a little odd and out of place.

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