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(11/03/23 9:00pm)
Kennedy and Barton break down the release of the new Pokémon Card set, Paradox Rift.Checkpoint is Byte's video news series, reporting on recent events in the world of entertainment, tech, and pop culture. Whether it's video games, film, television, or music, we've got you covered!Anchors: Barton Martin, Kennedy SwopeExecutive Producer: Ryan MinterScript: Mason MundyVideo Editing: Mason MundyAudio Editing: Shwetha SundarrajanIntro Graphics: Ryan MinterGraphics: Taylor SheridanThumbnail: Ryan MinterOriginal Thumbnail Images From: PokémonMusic: Jack McGinnisSources:https://www.pokebeach.com/2023/10/paradox-rift-set-guide-card-list-secret-rares-cut-cards-products-and-morehttps://youtu.be/zoWJZ9J1JUI?si=Ke6K0spwO1YSwIZ-
(10/27/23 9:00pm)
Mason and Barton break down the release of Sonic Superstars, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder.Checkpoint is Byte's video news series, reporting on recent events in the world of entertainment, tech, and pop culture. Whether it's video games, film, television, or music, we've got you covered!Anchors: Mason Mundy, Barton MartinExecutive Producer: Ryan MinterScript: Mason MundyVideo Editing: Mason MundyAudio Editing: Shwetha SundarrajanIntro Graphics: Ryan MinterGraphics: Taylor SheridanThumbnail: Ryan MinterOriginal Thumbnail Images From: Sega, Nintendo, Insomniac GamesMusic: Jack McGinnisSources:https://www.metacritic.com/game/super-mario-bros-wonder/https://comicbook.com/gaming/amp/news/nintendo-spent-more-super-mario-bros-wonder-movie-animation/https://www.gamespot.com/amp-reviews/sonic-superstars-review-reaching-for-stars/1900-6418139/https://www.metacritic.com/game/marvels-spider-man-2/https://youtu.be/3dO1Vsl7Eow?si=O7FdEa3IT9iUe16ihttps://youtu.be/gOwCAHksjxk?si=OP3x4eKPPHKeGouXhttps://youtu.be/DLkHWtgyxRE?si=3vasXnBqdUNjQBV6
(10/20/23 9:00pm)
Barton and Riley break down the launch of Assassin's Creed Mirage.Checkpoint is Byte's video news series, reporting on recent events in the world of entertainment, tech, and pop culture. Whether it's video games, film, television, or music, we've got you covered!Anchors: Barton Martin, Riley NowerExecutive Producer: Ryan MinterScript: Barton MartinVideo Editing: Kevin GrahamAudio Editing: Shwetha SundarrajanIntro Graphics: Ryan MinterGraphics: Taylor SheridanThumbnail: Ryan MinterOriginal Thumbnail Images From: UbisoftMusic: Jack McGinnisSources:https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/assassins-creed-mirage-ac-baghdad/https://www.hindustantimes.com/technology/60m-leaps-of-faith-ubisoft-releases-assassins-creed-mirage-first-week-data-101697129530072.htmlhttps://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry-2023-assassins-creed-mirage-delivers-a-polished-experience-on-all-current-gen-consoleshttps://youtu.be/mMV4rEb0F3o?si=NMLYoqaq--0bjdQRhttps://youtu.be/ZkZVegrRplg?si=QOthwgFZVMAT1YYKhttps://youtu.be/kkhA0-gQzVw?si=N0wASx6JSt5Aac5Whttps://youtu.be/KkEnJmkSoBE?si=MCxcVvNVHEyzZZvZ
(09/29/23 8:30pm)
Kennedy breaks down Unity's updates to their controversial new pricing model.Checkpoint is Byte's video news series, reporting on recent events in the world of entertainment, tech, and pop culture. Whether it's video games, film, television, or music, we've got you covered!Anchors: Kennedy SwopeExecutive Producer: Ryan MinterScript: Kennedy SwopeVideo Editing: Kennedy SwopeAudio Editing: Shwetha SundarrajanIntro Graphics: Ryan MinterGraphics: Taylor SheridanThumbnail: Ryan MinterOriginal Thumbnail Images From: Unity, Intersloth LLCMusic: Jack McGinnisSources: https://www.pcworld.com/article/2069121/unity-has-done-the-impossible-united-gamers-and-developers-against-it.htmlhttps://twitter.com/unity/status/1703547752205218265https://blog.unity.com/news/open-letter-on-runtime-fee?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=company_global_generalpromo_2023-09-22_penguinblogupdatehttps://unity.com/pricing-updateshttps://twitter.com/cultofthelamb/status/1701715971663425897https://youtu.be/5OgvVVQyur8?si=7uMCRDUzmzM2lnH6https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7skPMxVsZBE
(04/19/23 5:33pm)
What do you get when you combine the alternate history story of the Wolfenstein series with the gameplay of Bioshock? The new developers asked themselves this question all the way back in 2017 when they first announced their game, Atomic Heart. After a long wait filled with controversy, the game has finally been released. So now the question is—is the game even worth playing?
(12/02/22 3:33pm)
Note: I played Pokemon Scarlet for the Nintendo Switch for this review. I played with a physical cartridge, all handheld.
(10/09/22 4:00pm)
Overwatch 2 is down and out with server issues plaguing the first week of Blizzard's major update/sequel/expansion for the popular 2016 FPS title. A major exploit in the Playstation 5 could be the next step to home brewing the console and Kid Cudi is likely done with making music. These stories and more are all together on this latest episode of Wrapped Up!
(10/04/22 4:00am)
Nvidia is bringing big updates to their graphics cards with some big prices to boot. Game preservationists earn a slight win from Xbox and a new genre drama from the creator of Better Call Saul is already in the works. All these stories and more on the latest episode of Wrapped Up!
(09/30/22 2:00pm)
In the first episode of the year, we cover the highlights of the Tokyo Games Show, Kanye West ending his GAP collaboration, and the campaign to strike the hate forum KiwiFarms from the internet. All these stories and more on the latest episode of Wrapped Up!
(03/23/22 11:43am)
My descent into the Warhammer fandom began only a couple years ago. Hearing my older brothers talk about Space marines, Primarchs, and someone named the Emperor of Mankind slowly piqued my interest over the years. The banter and the references all culminate into a fateful decision of me pressing play on a seemingly harmless lore video on YouTube. That small moment was the beginning of the end. The only thing I could see before me was a gleeful obsession.
(03/23/22 1:00pm)
Chocobo Racing launched on the PlayStation One (PS1) all the way back in March of 1999. It was easily one of my favorite games to play growing up. Since then, I’ve always hoped Square Enix would green light a sequel to it. I lost hope for a while when I learned they announced and canceled a sequel on the Nintendo 3DS. Thus, when Chocobo GP showed up in the September 2021 Nintendo Direct— I was ecstatic. Come launch day; however, my excitement quickly turned.
(03/31/21 10:30pm)
by Lia Weisbecker-LotzGrowing up playing a lot of video games, I noticed the lack of female representation to be a regular issue in the gaming community. Even now, a majority of gamers that I watch are men, and I hate that. There are a lot of women who play video games but aren’t often given the opportunity to be seen without judgment— or at all. In fact, there is currently a myth going around the internet that women have it easier on platforms like Twitch. However, studies have shown that it’s actually harder to get consistent views as a female streamer and you’re likely to get paid less. This is clearly shown by the small number of women included in the lists of the most followed Twitch channels, as well as the “fake gamer girl” stereotype that continues to be popular in the gaming community. I want to start trying to change not only the lack of support for female gamers but the idea that it’s so easy for them to be successful. Therefore, here is my list of underrated female streamers in the gaming community.
(01/24/21 8:49pm)
By Blake Chapman
Disclaimer: This review is for the Xbox One version of the game, conducted on an Xbox One X, and all gameplay images were captured in-game.
The Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels are possibly the only books I have ever read that I resonate with on a truly vulnerable personal level. Nowadays, stories about indie darlings learning about maturity are a dime a dozen. Still, you will be hard-pressed to find a saga more timeless than the story of this 23-year-old loser bassist falling head over heels for the girl of his literal dreams. The dialogue and development shared between Scott, Ramona, Knives, Kim, and the rest of this incredible cast warms the reader up inside. Their human struggles extend beyond the backdrop of whimsical video game-style combat and a distinctive art style. Scott’s journey is one of personal accountability and responsibility, while Ramona’s is about self-acceptance and appreciation; it is a beautiful journey that I recommend to anyone on the cusp of adulthood.
I became a member of that fandom far before I ever entered my formative late teenage years. The movie adaptation’s electrifying action encouraged me to purchase the full box set of the original Bryan Lee O’Malley comics and I have been smitten ever since. Whenever I face a crossroads in my life, I revisit one or both of those projects and extract a new slice of wisdom about my path forward. There is one entry in the collection of Scott Pilgrim related content that I have not ever been able to fully indulge in: the video game.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game was a movie tie-in originally developed and published by Ubisoft in 2010. Since then, it has amassed a cult following, which only became more ravenous after the title was delisted from digital storefronts and became unavailable to purchase and even more difficult to play. After half a decade and in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the film’s release, Ubisoft has put together a complete edition of the original game, including additional downloadable content. Scott Pilgrim: Complete Edition is a great piece of video game history, but below the surface, it is a disheartening experience built on nothing more than rose-colored nostalgia.
(12/24/20 10:30pm)
By Blake Chapman
Disclaimer: This review is of the Xbox One version of the game and was conducted on an Xbox One X.
Telling a good love story has become something of a lost art form. Gone are the days of Jane Austen. Now we find ourselves locked in an era of cheaply produced rom-coms and erotic romance novels written by authors with a 4th-grade reading level. Any legitimate attempt at recapturing that magic is most often met with staunch criticism by an ignorant general audience and is lost to a realm of cultural insignificance even with multiple awards to call its own. No matter the medium of storytelling, it is futile for even the largest of studios to try and reinvent such a wheel, but it is not impossible.
The latest project from French indie game studio The Game Bakers, famous for 2016’s action shoot ‘em up Furi, takes on that incredible challenge in a year already rife with emotional distress. Not only does Haven blow all other attempts at depicting a healthy fictional relationship out of the water, but it is one of the most wholesome video games of the year.
(11/12/20 3:00pm)
by Conner Tighe
My PlayStation 2 would sit, stirring loudly as I would game until the sun rose. After some homework, I would return to the imaginative world where I found game discs piled on top of one another, building up scratches, and the gaming system collecting dust that would lead to its downfall years down the road (clean your PlayStation folks). Those days are long gone. Today, you’ll find wall mounts containing specific orderings of game titles and legs that keep my PS4 from overheating. PlayStation has come a long way, as the gaming world has evolved with new systems and games. It’s essential to keep up with your systems (*cough* PS5 releasing Nov. 12) and your gaming area’s overall look. Here are five items you need to keep your gaming sanctuary looking up to par.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="216"] Image from Amazon[/caption]
Cooling System
Nothing lasts forever, and that includes your gaming system getting overheated after hours of beating zombies and enemies in a wasteland. Cooling systems, although they take away the overall look of your system, provide excellent circulation, and maintain proper airflow for all gaming systems. There is an array of cooling systems with some on stands with mini fans like the LinkStyle PS4 Cooling Fan and others merely being small legs to support your systems like the Simple Feet product, which lifts a PS4 off surfaces. Although gaming systems come with built-in fans, the work doesn’t seem to be enough, and you may find yourself sitting next to a campfire-like warmth billowing from your gaming system. Cooling systems could be your savior.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="161"] Image from Cougar Gaming[/caption]
Gaming Chair
I hope you’re not sitting on the floor while you’re shooting enemy soldiers through skyscraper windows. Give yourself the gratitude of getting a gaming chair that’s both affordable and comfortable for those fast passing hours of well-earned kills and yells at the screen. Prices generally range a little over $100, like the GTRACING Gaming Chair, but those prices can shoot into the thousands, like the Cougar Armor Titan, for diehards. Gamers can keep their color scheme consistent with designs and colors that come with choosing the perfect “throne.”
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="187"] Image from Amazon[/caption]
Organization System
Video games are a luxury and a nuisance as they can begin to pile quickly if one is not careful with their organization. GameStop and other stores offer wall mounts and other shelving systems to get your games off the floor and onto a more suitable position. These shelving systems provide more room for other gaming equipment on your desk. I would consider this item to be the most crucial point of gaming spaces, if nothing else.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="105"] Image from Tom's Guide[/caption]
Headphones
It comes as no surprise that I consider headphones to be the foundation of any gaming space for easily distracted people. Gaming has been a haven for players since the dawn of time, and with headphones, everything else disappears—at least temporarily. With the right headphones, gamers can experience surround sound, sometimes with a microphone allowing gamers to communicate with other gamers. The top three best gaming headphones include the SteelSeries Arctis 7P/7X, HyperX Cloud Stinger, and Razer Blackshark V2. Gamers can also be like me and use their own standard headphones.
Extensive Memory/Storage System
As a gamer’s collection grows, so does the amount of space required to store all the memory and save points gamers have tirelessly worked to acquire. Without a proper storage system, any gamer’s system will fall flat sooner rather than later. Some systems, like the original PS4, require an extension quite literally attached to the system. The PS4 Pro expanded on this issue and included sufficient storage space. Some gamers don’t keep games and will trade them as soon as they’ve completed them, while others, like me, keep games for another round of adventure. Make sure to make this decision early in your gaming career to avoid any “unpleasantries.”
Sources: Amazon, Cougar Gaming, Simply Feet, The Container Store, Tom's Guide
Images: Amazon, Cougar Gaming, Tom's Guide
Featured Image: Playstation
(09/30/20 9:19pm)
by Kellyn Harrison
To many Esports fanatics, Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere is someone many people—especially women—look up to. Whether it be her large presence and voice within the gaming industry or what she signifies for their professional ambition, over the past 20 years, Sjokz has paved the way for many young voices in the gaming industry who wish to fill her big shoes.
(08/27/20 5:21pm)
by Nick Black
Disclaimer: This review is of the Nintendo Switch version of the game.
When reviewing a game like Rogue Cube, or looking back on any particular memory, one of the first things that comes to your mind is frustration due to a psychological phenomenon known as “The Negativity Bias.” It’s the concept that positive experiences will have less of an impact on your memory and personality as compared to the effects negative experiences will have. This applies to all aspects of life, from hanging out with your friends to watching a movie to even playing a video game. Now, what does this all have to do with Rogue Cube? Simply put, Rogue Cube is a fun indie game that has a lot of passion put into making it, and you can see and feel that when you play it. I would probably recommend it depending on your tastes, but I most likely will never play it again, because of how frustrating it was to beat it.
Roguelike Rogue Cube
Rogue Cube is a top-down action adventure game published by Ratalaika Games and developed by Bipolar Dawn, it is available for Switch, PS4, and XBOX ONE. The game more specifically fits the roguelike genre of action adventure. Think Binding of Isaac; similar to that, in Rogue Cube you play from a top-down perspective using ranged attacks to defeat enemies. The game is randomly generated, so you don’t know in advance what specifically is ahead or what abilities you will get. And to beat the game you have to reach the last level of the dungeon by defeating the final boss like you're a kid playing Ghosts ‘n Goblins in 1985. What I mean by that is that the game can get brutally hard, and if you die, it’s straight back to level one with you.
It’s a small game, with a simple goal and objective. You start out by picking one of three different colored cartoon cubes (along with 6 unlockable ones later in the game), each with their own distinct abilities, with a goal of killing every enemy on a floor. Repeat this for each of the three floors per world (with the exception of in between bosses and in the final world) and you win. The catch is, it has to be a clean sweep. If you die once, it is back to level 1 for you. This may make it sound like a short game; the campaign is only 11 worlds, four of which only consist of a boss room. But that is where the fun of the game comes from; it’s a quick game with a lot of replayability when it comes to how you want to beat it. Every run, you get to try different characters, weapons, and tactics. You can master all the characters and unlock every secret just for the sugar rush of dopamine it creates.
I won’t lie, for a five-dollar game I was very surprised and happy with what was offered, especially in the music department. There are some pretty good retro tracks for anyone who likes the Roguelike genre. However, my grievances come from the fact that despite all that replayability, I’m probably never going to pick it up again now that I have beaten the whole thing.
Old-school shoot 'em up
As I mentioned before, the game is a top-down twin-stick shooter. Usually this entails a fast-paced, action-packed style of gameplay with an emphasis on getting better and better. And while the drive to get better is present in the game, what makes Rogue Cube truly stand out is its gameplay, namely its emphasis on analyzing, corner peaking, and playing it safe.
The more I played the game, the more I realized certain strategies would get me killed faster depending on what character I was playing. Each character in the game not only has different starting stats but also, as you play through the game getting EXP, your level ups are different for each character. So, certain strategies will be more beneficial depending on your character — some characters will be stronger with certain weapon types and others get more health and speed bonuses. These differences in strategy based on character go towards the game's replay benefit when you also add its more than decent weapon selection.
You can only have two weapons at a time, and the majority of these weapons are a whole bazaar bargain of guns in different categories that vary from realistic to wonderfully ridiculous. To get a new gun you have to find certain large, colored chests that randomly spawn around the level and sometimes in the wall. Because of the fast pace of the game, and the fact that you can get a game over so quickly, I felt really encouraged to experiment and try out different weapons. I was happy with the result, as there are some really creative guns in here (my personal favorite being the rainbow gun which can clear out some very annoying rooms early on).
But as I kept replaying the game, I found after my second hour that there was really only one universal way to play the game. Two simple words: Be cautious. Running into a room of enemies is what gets you killed, and in the case of some characters, it will take only one or two bullets or hits to drop you. So, the strategy that will give the most long-term success is to camp doorways to rooms, and cornerpeak at enemies until the room is clear. And while I do enjoy the unique way the game works, it does mean that soon you will always play with the same weapons using the same strategy as late-game levels will spawn so many enemies that there is little incentive to play aggressive only to die five seconds after.
I always knew what weapons to pick up on any new run if I was going to win: Shotgun for close range high damage and plasma cannon for high damage, plus the ability to ricochet my bullets to shoot behind walls. And trust me, the game knows these are the best picks because there’s even a hint on the loading screen that says “the shotgun is dope.” Very similar to Binding of Isaac as well, you will soon realize just how bad some weapons are and never touch them. For example, melee weapons are never of use in this game; you will die in mere seconds if you try to use them. Even characters who get tons of bonuses for melee damage, like the ninja, aren’t fun to play with because of how fast you can die at any point of the run. On future playthroughs with other characters, I found I always just skipped weapons to get to the good stuff, and because of the RNG (Random Number Generator) of the game you can be stuck with trash for the entire run, which can basically lead to a guaranteed game over.
When the robot just hates you
Let’s talk about that Random Number Generator, by the way. The majority of the game's biggest flaws come from its RNG system. The game can spawn next to no enemies or 500 on any given floor; you can never predict how many will be on a floor or in a room no matter how small the space is. Thus, depending on what character or level you are playing, that can put you into some really unfair situations. Sometimes you won’t even get a weapon with which to fight. I once got as far as the end of the second world before getting a gun chest. I don’t care if I just need to “get good” in that scenario; in fact, I got through it and was able to beat the boss after, but I knew while I was playing that the game was progressing not as intended.
Remember when I said chests sometimes spawn into walls? That is also quite a prevalent issue. While ammo is readily available (that is, depending on the RNG), you can get destroyed by not having certain ammo types spawn. This makes checking every chest at the end of a level a must so you have as many resources as you can. But what makes scavenging annoying is when locked doors don’t have chest keys spawn on either the same or previous floor, leaving it perpetually locked and teasing you. Or when the level exit spawns and just straight up cuts into a hallway leading to a chest, siphoning a potential weapon you may have wanted to try.
But those are just minor nit-picks with the RNG, right? Even Binding of Isaac has annoyances because of its RNG, and sometimes the game just doesn’t let you get abilities or upgrades that are anywhere close to good. Not going to lie, that can be really frustrating and discouraging in any game that relies heavily on a randomizer-based system. But what makes me want to quit playing the game and throw the controller across the floor is when the RNG kills me as soon as I start a level. Sometimes you will spawn in a level directly in the line of sight of enemies in another room and instantly die, as health carries over from floor to floor. So, if you have one to three health left, you can instantly die in some cases without getting a fair shot.
And this is not a one-time scenario — all of the previously mentioned scenarios are regular occurrences. All of them have a strong chance of happening on a good margin of your playthroughs. Plus, that’s not even mentioning some of the bosses who can just instantly end runs depending on the weapons you have. Even then, the first two bosses are really easy, it’s only the last two that really give an interesting and fun challenge. But depending on the character, the first two can be really bullet spongey, so that can also degrade interest in repeat playthroughs since the bosses are always the same.
It’s funny, I gifted this game to some friends on Switch and we all found that we got so tired of the first two bosses that we all picked the riskiest character in the game to get them over with as fast as possible. Everyone picked the Purple Square for his flat triple damage across the board. Who cares if he can get one shot by any boss? The Purple Square cuts enemy health like a hot blade going through melted butter, beating bosses in less than ten seconds. In fact, we realized we could probably beat the entire game in less than ten minutes if we got the right weapons fast enough. Which ended up being the case for me, and this was good because I only had one run left in me after getting shot through a wall on the last level before the boss.
End cap: end game
With all of that said, and I can't stress this enough, I actually had a really good time with it. I was happy and satisfied when I beat the final boss; I felt great that I completed it. It’s a game that pushes you to improve and get better, and I always enjoy games that can give me that drive to beat it. However, I had no urge to continue on after I beat the final boss; once the credits scrolled I had no drive to try again. I think with everything I’ve said about the RNG and the way the game rewards the stay-safe and play patient strategy, I felt I didn’t need to play through it again. Every run is bound to be similar, right down to what upgrades I would get depending on my character.
Now this can be considered a plus to the game, considering that in something like Isaac the game can give you junk and practically force you to play the game in a low power state. But Isaac has a plus with its RNG in that every run can feel unique. In Isaac there is no one true strategy; the strategy forms from what you get and how you adapt. Rogue Cube is very one note — it’s the same gameplay style and same all-around mechanic in very specific orders. Every character will start with the same stats, same power-ups, and go through the same gimmicks. The variety is somewhat lacking, but still commendable considering the size and price of the game. However, it is a problem when it comes to the game’s longevity.
The game has daily challenges and even a challenge mode, but I know it’s going to feel like the previous campaign, just with a few extra gimmicks or tricks. It’s not enough for me to want to complete the whole thing, challenges and all. I think if the game allowed you to keep EXP after you got a game over and extended how many levels you get from its cap of nine, it could have really helped the game attract me to play it longer. It certainly would have at least encouraged me and my friends to try characters other than Purple Cube.
Featured Image: Nintendo
Images: Nintendo
(07/03/20 3:22pm)
by Anthony Herring
The original game The Last of Us, developed by Naughty Dog and released on June 14, 2013, is nothing short of a masterpiece. The post-apocalyptic story follows two protagonists, Joel and Ellie, who must travel across the United States in the hopes that the latter can provide the cure to a fungal disease that has all but decimated humanity. Thanks to its complex and flawed characters, relentlessly bleak tone, and powerful themes, The Last of Us was critically acclaimed, with many (including yours truly) considering it to be one of the greatest video games ever made.
Save for a short story DLC called The Last of Us: Left Behind that was released in 2014, there was no real news that would hint at another adventure set in this universe. That all changed in December 2016, when The Last of Us Part II was officially revealed through an announcement trailer. The trailer depicted a nineteen-year-old Ellie playing guitar amongst the corpses of unknown enemies in a house, with Joel soon entering and asking her if she is “really going to go through with this” (with what “this” is referring to purposefully left unclear). The trailer ends with a close-up on Ellie, a hateful expression on her face, ominously replying, “I’m gonna find and I’m gonna kill every last one of them.”
Over the past few years, more details were revealed about Part II. The most notable ones were that the player would mostly control Ellie this time around (Joel was the main playable character in the original game), the sequel would be centered around hate (whereas the original game was centered around love), and that the game would be set five years later. After two delays, one for further development and the other due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, plus a massive, controversial story leak back in April, The Last of Us Part II was released on June 19, 2020. While the game has its notable strengths, Part II unfortunately could not reach the same heights as its predecessor.
Sit down kids, it’s storytime
On the surface, the basic plot of The Last of Us Part II is pretty straightforward: After a personal tragedy strikes, Ellie is compelled to go on a quest for vengeance against those that have wronged her. However, as the game’s story progresses, it becomes clear that there are many different layers to be uncovered. Said layers are primarily illustrated through two central characters: Ellie, a familiar character, and Abby, who is new to the series.
Ellie’s side of the story you play through first, and I genuinely was having fun playing through this half of the game. The characterization of her is excellent, offering great development from the more naive character Ellie was in the first game. Along with that, her relationship with her love interest, Dina, is wonderful, creating a realistic and believable bond between the two. Ellie’s portion also features a few flashbacks, further building onto the father-daughter relationship she has with Joel. I thought that these flashbacks were all great, as the tone and execution were reminiscent of Ellie and Joel’s relationship in the first game. When it comes to the actual story beats here, it does take some time to get truly engaging, which messes up the pacing of this portion a little bit. Thankfully, when the time comes for the story to grow darker for Ellie, the pacing and tone improve significantly, which profoundly impacted my perspective on what Ellie’s quest had come to symbolize. Ashley Johnson’s performance as the character also aids this, making the struggles that Ellie has to go through all the more heart-wrenching and believable.
Now we come to Abby’s side of the story. Much like Ellie’s side, flashbacks are also present here, and they help to flesh out Abby’s relationships to other characters, such as her boyfriend Owen. In fact, her side actually opens with a flashback, which offers an excellent recontextualization of certain events that transpired at the end of the original The Last of Us. As a whole, I found Abby’s side to be not as engaging as Ellie’s--at least not at first. As you are playing through Ellie’s side beforehand, this gradual momentum is built to the point where you feel that something big is about to happen. And it does—but then, the story cuts to Abby’s side for the second half of the game, and that feeling of momentum is completely lost. Thankfully, as her side progressed, it became more enjoyable. Laura Bailey’s performance aids in making Abby a bit more likable, and the sister-brother relationship she forms with a character named Lev gives Abby a sense of humanity. However, there are some moments that stoked my feelings of anger towards Abby, especially when I consider the horrible things that she committed in the game’s opening hours.
What’s old is new
Right out of the gate, one of the best aspects of The Last of Us Part II is the gameplay. It effortlessly builds upon the foundation that the first game created with smoother mechanics, like cleaner combat and shooting encounters, plus it adds new features, such as being able to go prone during stealth encounters.
One thing in this game that you should be prepared to do is collect a lot of materials. Since Part II is set over twenty years after a pandemic has ravaged the planet, materials are littered practically everywhere you go. Alcohol, rags, canisters, and even explosives can be found and used to craft useful items such as health kits, Molotov cocktails, pistol silencers, etc. This collecting and crafting system is instrumental to the player’s survival, so it is very important to take advantage of this. Environments are much larger than they were in The Last of Us, so I strongly recommend combing through each nook and cranny to find materials for crafting. Parts, which can be used to upgrade weapons, are also scattered throughout the world, so be on the lookout for those as well.
Part II features two types of enemies: regular humans and the Infected. The human enemies consist of the Washington Liberation Front, a militia that relies on military weaponry, and the Seraphites, a religious group that relies on bows and arrows. Combat encounters with these respective factions vary wildly. When fighting against the WLF, guns and explosives are the best methods to take them down. Unfortunately, the WLF uses dogs that can track your scent, which adds a layer of difficulty to these encounters. With the Seraphites, on the other hand, stealth is paramount. Bow and arrows, stealth takedowns, and the silenced pistol are crucial when fighting them, because if you’re too loud, these enemies will easily overwhelm you with their numbers and force you to retreat.
The Infected are a different beast entirely. The four main types -- Runners, Stalkers, Clickers, and Bloaters -- all return from the first game, and are far worse to deal with this time around, even on moderate difficulty (which is the setting I used). They are more aggressive and aren’t as vulnerable to certain attacks as they were in The Last of Us. For instance, don’t expect a Molotov to easily take out a group of Runners in this game. To shake things up, Part II also introduces a new type called the Shambler, which shoots out acidic spores from its body while it charges at you like an irritated rhino. These things are terrifying to deal with, and I shivered with fear whenever I discovered I was about to enter an encounter with one. There is also another Infected type that is introduced later on in Abby’s section of the game — the Rat King — that is quite a pain to fight.
High fidelity
Since Part II is a Naughty Dog title, it comes as no surprise that it is absolutely gorgeous. Environments are far larger than ever before, and as a result, the player is able to appreciate the level of craftsmanship that is put into them. For example, when I first arrived in Seattle as Ellie, I was greeted with this massive downtown area that was free to explore. All around were tall, decrepit skyscrapers that loomed over me, complete with a field littered with empty cars, trucks, and military vehicles that acted as a maze for me to navigate. The game sees that you travel all around the city, so players get to see a multitude of different environments rendered in astounding detail, such as dense forests, stormy beachfronts, and isolated, barren neighborhoods.
Featured Image: IMDb
Images: IMDb
(06/29/20 6:00pm)
by Blake Chapman
Disclaimer: This review is of the Xbox One version of the game and was conducted on an Xbox One X.
For any artist, it is difficult — if not impossible — to follow up your magnum opus with a piece of art that is even comparable. This is especially true when it comes to the world of video games. While it may take copious amounts of time and effort to create a sequel in a landmark series or an entirely new project that improves upon its predecessor, it only takes one sour note to bring all that work crumbling down.
Out of any game developer in the world, Mojang Studios has been able to smoothly navigate this conflict. Since releasing Minecraft in 2011, the Swedish developer’s biggest challenge has simply been expanding that game for the last decade. Other than some smaller titles with equally small reception, the only projects Mojang Studios has worked on are a re-release of the original Minecraft for browsers, an augmented reality version of the game, and the recently released Minecraft Dungeons. This dungeon crawler lets players traverse multiple biomes from the original game while on a quest to defeat an army of the undead — with plenty of role-playing additions to boot. While it offers a very simple experience geared towards newcomers which can become frustrating at times, this dungeon crawler is overall a fun journey from start to finish.
Smooth gameplay with some hard edges
As much as Minecraft is a survival game where exploration and building are the defining principles of the experience, combat is the defining principle of Dungeons. The typical hack-and-slash elements mixed with a fair amount of magic is what players should expect since the aforementioned elements of exploration and building are not here to round out the experience. Overall, it feels streamlined and uncomplicated while still offering a satisfying new adventure. The large amount of weapons, artifacts, and armor sets allow for vast customization and new combat scenarios as well — whether you’re wielding a hammer with lightning splash damage or a pair of daggers that spawn poison clouds.
At times, the heavy focus on combat can get you into tight spots where the random generation of levels works heavily against you. These include room layouts backing you into a corner without the ability to properly see your character model’s actions, mobs spawning in the hundreds in one room and choking you off from the rest of the dungeon, or a meager amount of enemies that can simply be picked off with arrows in the next room over. Random level design is nothing new to dungeon crawlers and therefore only adds to Dungeons in terms of exploration and replayability; yet, that does not stop it from being a very straightforward game. The campaign is strangely short, and the only offerings when it comes to open navigation lead you down dead ends the majority of the time. Overall, the combat forcing you into tight spots for no apparent reason does little to season any player, and it is more of an annoyance than anything else.
While the developers said they wanted to maximize the adventurous elements of the game, a full campaign that lasts around 10 hours at the most does not work in their favor. There is not much incentive to go back and explore previous areas other than getting extra items or armor, which players will inevitably deconstruct by the end of the very next level. For more casual Minecraft fans, this adventure’s straightforwardness is merely a slight positive and such brevity is only frustrating for more experienced gamers.
Design that needed more time in the furnace
While the larger design elements of Minecraft Dungeons are — for the most part — well crafted and interesting, the smaller gameplay mechanics end up being disappointing. For starters, even though the impressive amount of equipment and custom gear you can come across is a great change of pace from Minecraft itself, it all gets pretty dizzying without a proper way to filter and organize your inventory. After only half a level, multiples of weapons and bows begin piling up. Even though the team at Mojang did not hope players would focus on a single piece of gear for the majority of the game, throughout the first half it is difficult to sift through everything — subsequently causing players to shift back to their original paladin-like setup without exploring any variation.
When it comes to further customizing gear, the possibilities are unique on their own but overall shallow. Enchantments, which are random sets of status buffs that can be upgraded each time you level up, are numerous and effective but do little to differentiate the weapons from each other. Artifacts are wonderful gadgets that make up for the lack of a solid mage or wizard class, but they come with multiple caveats. You cannot enchant them or level them up in any way; yet, there are some with a simple “common” classification that are useful beyond what their classification would suggest. This means the evolution of power does not naturally progress with the difficulty of enemies or overall level and many artifacts end up becoming sacrifices for more emeralds.
A great amount of fun with wonderful accessibility
Dungeons’ personality and its focus on welcoming new and returning players rounds out the experience. For one, the story is interesting and engaging while not hampering down players with loads of lore. As a hero, you must journey throughout different biomes to defeat the Arch-Illiger and his mob of the undead; nothing too complicated, but still enough new characters and story beats to keep adventurers’ anticipation high.
Along with the story, the difficulty settings are another example of accessibility working for all players no matter their previous knowledge of Minecraft or dungeon crawlers. While the entirety of Dungeons runs on a standard difficulty setting that unlocks subsequent modes once you finish the first and easiest one, each level also comes with tiers that determine the type of loot and abilities you pick up throughout. At times, it can lock you into a specific tier based on your team’s power in multiplayer, but overall, it increases replayability and offers unique challenges all on its own.
Featured Image: Minecraft
Images: Minecraft
Sources: Engadget, Metacritic, US Gamer
(06/02/20 6:00pm)
by Blake Chapman