The lead up to the next generation of Pokemon last year was wrapped in mystery and each morsel released by Nintendo was a treasure. As the release date for Pokemon Sword/Shield inched closer it became more and more clear that what Nintendo had allowed us to see was only scratching the surface. That is until around November, about 2 weeks before the official launch, leaks started spreading like wildfire in screenshots released completely against Nintendo and the Pokemon Company’s will.
Since then, Nintendo has been on a proverbial manhunt to track down the leaker and dole out justice. Today, in a joint statement by Nintendo and the Pokemon Company, it seems they have caught the one responsible. An unnamed member of the games media representing the Portuguese website FNintendo has been identified as the leaker in question.
Per Nintendo’s official statement, “These Pokemon were leaked by a reviewer…who had received an early copy of the game for review purposes. Both he and FNintendo failed to handle confidential material, resulting in a clear breach of the confidentiality agreement”.
Uploading the numerous confidential screenshots of the unreleased game to the website before the date on the signed agreement has officially doomed their nearly 11-year-old partnership with the game company. Even though FNintendo has since parted ways with the writer in question, the repercussions of those actions will continue to haunt the website.
How a website based solely around the Nintendo brand can continue while being blacklisted by Nintendo themselves will continue to run is beyond me. It serves as a reminder to all of us here in games media how seriously these nondisclosure agreements should be taken. It is always a thrilling prospect to be the first to break the story, but the contracts are put in place for good reason. A breach of that trust can not just spoil your own career, but the livelihoods of those working with you.
I’ve spent a long time looking for a good baseball game for the Vive. Unfortunately, this one probably isn’t it. However, my flailing attempts to hit a virtual ball are pretty funny to watch, and that’s what the newest episode of the ViveStream is all about. You can check it out below:
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire – Ultimate Edition for PlayStation 4 is the all-encompassing package of the base Deadfire game, three expansions, and numerous updates released for the PC since 2018. That’s a whole lot of content! I had nothing but love for the PC version and that love was rekindled on the PS4. But did this version love me back?
We loved Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire for the PC. This review covers enough to let you know what to expect but focuses more on the port (or presentation) of this game from PC to the PS4.
For those of you who may not have dabbled in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, this epic RPG follows you, the Watcher of Caed Nua, and a ragtag party of adventurers as you pursue Eothas, the God of Rebirth, who is storming around the islands known as the Deadfire Archipelago as a giant stone statue. Your character is indeed the main character of Deadfire‘s predecessor, Pillars of Eternity, and that statue is the very same one that was buried below your castle. The reawakened Eothas lays waste to your castle and its inhabitants, sending you to your death and rebirth, but only after a conference meeting with the god Berath, who decides that Eothas is a threat to all and that your new job as a living being is to stop it.
You’ll have the opportunity to decide your character’s history if you didn’t play Pillars of Eternity in order to shape your identity in this sequel. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to import anything from the first game, so those who have played it will be left to fill out what decisions they made for their Watcher. Since this is a direct sequel, Obsidian attempts to fill you in on all the happenings from the first game within the opening cinematics. There are also helpful tooltips that you can inspect if you are unsure of some of the lore elements or locations that are discussed in the story.
As I said in my review for PC, the character creation is much improved since Pillars 1. Not only are the models much better looking, but classes offer more customization, making more different builds possible from Pillars 1. This goes for your party members, too. You’ll encounter some familiar faces during your adventure, but also run into some new and interesting characters to join your ranks as crewmembers or party members on your ship, the Defiant.
Sailing around the Deadfire Archipelago is a prominent feature of this game. I loved this mechanic over the slow crawl of the map in Pillars 1. This also opens up the opportunity (or annoyance) of ship combat that plays like a text adventure. The options you choose can lead to a direct assault by boarding an enemy ship or allow you to fire canons and attack from a distance. The weapons and equipment of the Defiant are upgrade-able, as is the option to buy a new ship that offers better stats for sailing around the seas.
The Deadfire story is an engrossing tale and the supporting cast that help you along the way are expertly written and voice-acted. Side quests and tasks feel meaningful and will steal your attention from the main storyline, for good (gaining valuable XP) and bad (this game is already super long!). The soundtrack is on par with the exotic locations peppered around the Deadfire Archipelago, not to mention the beautifully crafted landscapes that you get to explore. While I don’t plan on spending as many hours in this version as I did on PC, I thoroughly appreciate the meticulous world-building that Obsidian does and what they offer for different play through styles.
One new update that I didn’t try on PC is the turn-based combat mode, which was absolutely my cup of tea. Don’t worry, there is still the original mode of real-time combat with pausing if that is your preferred choice. While this new mode isn’t on the same level of turn-based combat like Divinity: Original Sin 2, I enjoyed the tactical elements and felt more invested in my party members and their abilities. However, this mode drags fights out for a much longer time than real-time, making this option an additional time investment in a game that is already long. Consider this a fair warning!
Deadfire‘s PS4 translation of the UI and complicated menus from the PC version is much smoother than the clunkiness the Pillars of Eternity Complete Edition that I played on Switch. While this might be a bit of an apples to oranges situation, my guess is that a second go around with the game and its engine helped the developers out quite a bit. This system isn’t perfect and you’ll likely start clicking through the wrong things en route to where you wanted to get into in the menus, but you’ll get there nonetheless.
While I’ve described lots of great aspects, there are some issues. Apart from the game’s length (which may detract some), load times take much too long. Loading in and out of a small home or a shop took up to a minute and a half in some cases. I’m not running this on a PS4 Pro, so I can’t speak to any additional optimization that system might offer over the standard PS4, but someone with limited time playing a game of this type can find themselves staring at a loading screen more times than they would like. With regards to menus and inventory, there were odd issues with items popping in and out when you opened a chest or looted an enemy. I hope the team can improve upon optimizing these load times and bugs with patches/updates, along with the various other technical issues, because this game is too good to get bogged down by idle time spent.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire– Ultimate Edition is a fine RPG addition to anyone’s PS4 library. Apart from the technical issues, this game is a must play if you are a fan of older CRPGs like Baldur’s Gate or those who just enjoy a solid RPG experience. I could easily see myself sinking another 50+ hours into this game. But if you are short on time or don’t have the patience, you might want to pass this up.
This review was based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher. Pillars of Eternity – Ultimate Edition is also available for Xbox One.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, my fondest memory of a Star Wars game was replaying the Battle of Hoth in Shadows of the Empire. And sure, I took immense pleasure in force-pushing battle droids into walls in Lego Star Wars. But how long has it been since Star Wars fans received a game that was truly special? Thankfully, developer Respawn has delivered a classic in Star Wars: Jedi fallen Order. This is the narrative and gameplay experience that fans have been clamoring for. It is also a worthy entry into the Star Wars canon. Don’t believe me? “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”
Young Padawan Cal Kestis has survived Order 66; an imperial edict to hunt down and kill all Jedi. Cal attempts to lay low by taking a mundane 9-5 job, until he has no choice but to use his powers to save a co-worker from an accident. Though his supervisors are likely thrilled that Cal helped them avoid a messy workman’s comp case, the Empire is less than pleased to learn of a surviving Jedi. The young Padawan fleas, and so his journey begins.
In true Star Wars fashion, Cal soon joins a ragtag group of heroes aboard their vessel, the Mantis. The cast includes Cere, a former Jedi, Greez, the ship’s captain, and BD-1, a lovable little droid. BD is Cal’s closest companion and shines as the breakout star. The droid’s puppy-like enthusiasm adds the perfect amount of charm and lightheartedness to an otherwise dark tale. Cere needs Cal’s help to acquire a list of the galaxy’s force-sensitive children in an effort to hide them from the Empire. A sense of dread is ever present as red lightsaber-wielding baddies, AKA Inquisitors, stalk our heroes and seek the list for the dark side.
In many ways, Jedi Fallen Order is a celebration of the most fun and satisfying gaming elements from the last decade. The Darksouls style combat clearly wears its heart on its sleeve, while climbing walls and exploring tombs is reminiscent of Uncharted and recent Tomb Raider games. Returning to a previously inaccessible area and progressing with a new ability feels fantastic here. This hook is, of course, famously inspired by Metroid, Castlevania, and, well, 80% of games that hit the Nintendo Eshop.
Personally, I have never played a “Souls” game, mainly because my wife would become upset with me if I rage-threw another controller into the wall. But I am now intrigued after having such a blast with the combat in Jedi Fallen Order. Less intimidating than “Souls” games, players can choose their difficulty level whenever they like (though not naming easy mode “all too easy” was a missed opportunity.) Success in battle involves precision dodges, blocks and parries with force abilities mixed in. Which strategy is best to defeat that giant ugly ogre? That is something that the player will have to figure out through educated guesses, trial and error. There is time for contemplation while frequently staring at a respawn screen.
Early on, combat requires careful and conservative choices. Running away and allowing the force meter to build will often seem like a fantastic idea. But as Cal learns new force abilities and lightsaber skills, combat really opens up and becomes immensely satisfying. Countering an attack at exactly the right moment creates the perfect feeling of empowerment. And experimentation is constantly rewarded when combining force abilities with lightsaber skills. A big, stupid grin could be found on my face every single time I force-pulled a stormtrooper into my impaling lightsaber.
The “metroidvania” style of exploration is, mostly, just as rewarding as the combat. As previously mentioned, Cal is under powered at the onset with a modest amount of health, lightsaber skills and force abilities. Cal visits, and revisits, a handful of planets in order to earn upgrades and progress the story. I felt genuine excitement when realizing that a cool new ability would unlock a previously blocked area. Hopping between planets fits this mechanic perfectly. Speaking of planets, they are a fun mix of new and familiar, though I do wish there was at least one planet from the original trilogy. Lack of fast travel does hurt the game at times. A long backtrack to a remote location can feel like a slog, especially with a less than helpful map. I threw my hands up and used a Wiki more than once. Fortunately, the vast majority of exploration is as joyous as it is rewarding.
“I have a bad feeling about this” was my prevailing thought when staring down icy slopes. Traversal is sometimes frustrating and other times quite fun. Sliding can be particularly hard to control and I died, like, a bunch of times. But when a sequence of sliding, swinging and wall-running is perfectly executed, it actually does feel great. The cosmetic collectibles are fine. I enjoyed the colorful ponchos, lightsaber tweaks and skins for BD-1 and the Mantis. Were they ever worth an arduous backtrack? Typically no. But it’s nice that they exist for completionists.
The darker tone of Jedi Fallen Order is brought to life through excellent sound and cutscenes. Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab capture the essence of the story with an outstanding score. Cameron Monaghan turns in a commendable performance as Cal and Debra Wilson delivers a strong performance as Cere. I especially appreciated the attention to detail in the audio design. Lightsabers and blasters sound as if pulled directly from Return of the Jedi. As for the cutscenes, they are straight eye candy and particularly memorable when bookending boss encounters. Lightsaber duels feel truly epic thanks to how well the audio and visual elements coalesce at big moments.
Are there bugs? Sure, there are bugs. “A great many” of them. Bugs that are as giant as the spiders on Kashyyyk (yes I know that spiders are not bugs). For starters, gameplay visuals just do not look as crisp, graphically, as some of the game’s contemporaries. For example, Titanfall 2, released by the same developer and publisher (EA), is a far prettier game despite being released years earlier. During gameplay, aliasing and jagged edges are common in general. And sometimes, all of the characters in a scene arrive right on time, while certain textures arrive late to the party. And the player will certainly experience some framerate drops. Loading times can be long and inconsistent as well, particularly following death. Luckily, Respawn has addressed the major bugs, including hard crashes and stormtroopers becoming stuck in walls, through patches. The remaining bugs are numerous, but do not interrupt gameplay and ultimately do not take away from the enjoyment of the game whatsoever. I never died because of a quick framerate drop and a cutscene was never ruined for me due to a late texture pop-in.
For me, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order was the best game of 2019 and my favorite Star Wars title of all time. The technical issues are easily overlooked when considering how much fun there is to be had. From combat to exploration, there are a variety of different elements to absolutely fall in love with. The powerful story resonated with me in a way that was similar to Rogue One, which is perhaps the highest praise I can offer. Jedi Fallen Order is easy to recommend for any action-adventure fan and a must play for Star Wars die-hards. The odds that I would miss out on the inevitable sequel are approximately 3,720 to 1.
We are living in a time now where the notion of an all powerful AI is a very real possibility. This is a potentially scary proposition right? Well take a dystopian world in which you’re a clone and said computer is your boss and erm … god actually, and you have the world of Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory. Is being a clone in world controlled by a large box of bolts fun? Well we’ll just have to find out.
In Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory you will be taking the roll of a troubleshooter. This is a somewhat technical term for “walking punchbag that will do as it’s told or die.” “Friend” computer will send you and your team to solve various problems about Alpha Complex. These start out with simply looking after a scrub-bot with a fear complex and get more dangerous as you proceed. There is a very strong theme running through this game. All of the, “problems” the computer finds are lethal. You’re a clone so getting killed gives you a do-over but it’s not a very pleasant experience. Of course not doing as your told is a very good way of getting yourself killed faster by the computer. It’s like playing through one giant catch 22.
You have to be very careful what you’re doing in Paranoia. Having been spat out of the cloning vat you’re assigned a red jump suit. The color you wear attests to your clearance level within Alpha Complex. This level isn’t just corresponding to what you are and aren’t allowed to know or the level of missions you’re going to be trusted with. If you do so much as walk in the wrong place you’re violating the rules and that isn’t good for your treason level, (I’ll come to this in a moment.) The rooms and corridors of the complex are broken into colored zones. As a red you can walk in the red zones, orange jump suits are cleared for red and orange and so on. You’ll need to be mindful not to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Nothing unsettling about that giant glowing eye right? Right.
I’ve just mentioned your treason level. This pertains to how much of a threat the computer deems you. You start out at 0% which is classed by friend computer as “questionable.” There isn’t any trust here, just levels of how untrustworthy you are. Should you’re level hit 100% you’ll be given about two minutes to go an voluntarily terminate yourself, after that every guard in the place will come and do the terminating for you. There are a lot of things that will raise your level, from minor infractions such as walking on the wrong bit of floor to making any of a bunch of really bad choices in the game and getting caught.
Each clone is given six chances at life. Put into game terms this means that you get six chances at completing the entire game. You can buy more but this is costly and not very legal. A new clone is a new person. You’ll have to go back to character creation and pick your stats all over again. The only thing that will be remembered is where you are in the game. You are also given a mutation. This can be anything from telekinesis to the ability to create shields with your mind. Just don’t come out with six toes unless you want to be going for scrap.
That little box is your stash. Use it wisely.
Each mission you’re sent on is two-fold. You have to go and sort out whatever mess the computer wants you to fix but not before a trip to R&D. Think of James Bond being sent off to see Q. The difference here is that all the weapons haven’t been tested and the gadgets are just as likely to kill Bond as they are to help him. Being a guinea pig is mandatory so you’ll find yourself doing something for the mad-scientists in that division every time. Upset them, you upset the computer … are we seeing a theme here?
When you complete a mission you have to appear before friend computer with your team for a debriefing. This a case of you reporting your findings and the computer deciding whether you have done a decent enough job to warrant continued breathing. If the almighty AI deems you have and none of your team rat you out for doing anything shady you might just get out alive. If of course computer isn’t happy with you … well … just keep it happy.
Hacking isn’t entirely or at all legal but it can be very useful in a pinch.
Your team in Paranoia have their own positions within your little squad. Some are happiness officers, (not being happy is dangerous,) others are technicians, still others are loyalty officers and so on. Depending on who you have will depend on some of the choices you’ll be able to make.
Your team members have the ability to think and their actions seem to be based on a roll of the dice. As an example you start with an engineer in your squad and as part of your first mission you have to hack a door. She’s clear to do this but you aren’t. On account of this you’re given the dilemna of whether to trust her. If you hack the door, (which you have to,) she might rat you out to the computer on de-brief. On my first run through the game she kept her mouth shut. On my second time round I wasn’t so lucky. The fact that your own team could potentially be against you is lovely little touch.
The feeling of being controlled extends to your inventory system. You have a secret stash in which you can hid things that you pick up on missions and you’ll have to be canny about how you use this. Your gear is given to you at the start of a mission and taken away at the end. You can’t give clones guns after all, they might use them. This applies to anything else you find. Anything you want to keep will need to be stashed. This isn’t a very big box though, so you’ll need to use the space wisely.
Coming down to my view on the game, Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory is not a title for people who don’t like to do a lot of reading. There’s a hell of a lot of dialogue in this game and none of it is spoken. This isn’t an issue for me personally. Everything was so well written and funny that I loved reading every bit of it. If you’re someone that just wants to get into the action and get as much of it as possible this is going to drive you up the wall. It’s a case of each to there own but it’s definitely something worth noting.
Gameplay-wise, if I’m looking for a comparison, the Dungeons and Dragons games would be a good one. Think about the mechanics of Baldor’s Gate and you’ll have a fair idea what’s going on here, live pause and all. Something I’m less of a fan of is the way you control individual characters. You have to remember to hit their portraits to get them to do anything. This seems like a no-brainer but it’s easy to forget that you can’t just click on a character model to interact with them.
In a firefight it’s easy to forget most of your gear and skills because everything is automatic. You’re concentrating on not getting killed. The live pause function helps this but things like abilities, grenades and weapons feel a bit more like arbitrary filler because you don’t take enough time to think. This is a shame but not enough of an issue to ruin the game.
All in all this ia a brilliant little RPG. It’s well written, funny and has a tried and tested idea. Paranoia came out when I was about 5 so this isn’t a new game rather something very well loved from the past. (I’m 38 by the way, work it out yourselves.) There is a feeling of nostalgia both from this point of view but also from the mechanics. The sound is fitting and aside from a few minor gripes it all plays very well. If you’re looking for a new world to delve into you probably couldn’t go far wrong with this one.
This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.
Those of you that like their novels on the interactive side will be pleased to note Grimm & Tonic‘s departure from Steam Early Access. Fans of the bleaker side of storytelling will likely enjoy this game even more as it features our old mate death.
Grimm & Tonic build 1.0.0 can be found over on Steam, itch.io and Green Man gaming for windows and it’s a Noir Urban Fantasy from the folk over at Spritewrench.
In the world of Grimm & Tonic, your life isn’t exactly rosy; in fact, it’s all a bit soul-less and this is where the man with the scythe comes in. You wake up to find death sitting on your sofa sipping tea. As you’re broke and friendless Mr. Grimm takes pity on you and offers you a temporary job in the local. shady, hole-in-the-wall, DEAD-END. In your new role of bartender, you will mix drinks and make new friends, all the while navigating life, death, and everything in-between.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is important at the best of times and not always an easy thing to accomplish. It’s even harder when your new boss threatens foreclosure on your very existence. Things are certainly going to get interesting.
Grimm & Tonic is an exploration into the ennui that adulthood can bring. This title aims to identify running themes of a less than ideal, humdrum life and how easy it is to lose sight of what’s important. It’s a story about how we handle our professional lives, how we unwind and how we define ourselves.
This latest release includes episodes 1,2 and 3 of the story and will introduce you to a wide range of characters just looking for the friendly shoulder to cry on that only comes with a good bartender. Your choices will matter. As your soul may well be at stake perhaps more so than you might think.
I do like a good story and the darker the better. If you have at taste for the Noir then Grimm & Tonic might just be in line for your next read. As always I’ll leave you with a little taster to wet the proverbial whistle.
It is genuinely difficult for me to admit that someone may love Chrono Trigger more than me, but that appears to be the case with developer Matthias Linda and their creation, Chained Echoes. And the Kickstarter title now how a publisher in Deck13 Spotlight. Time to party like we’re at the Millenial Fair!
Chained Echoes is a SNES-era inspired JRPG. Fans familiar with the enemy encounters and battle system from Chrono Trigger will feel right at home. Look no further than the world map to see how proudly this title wears its heart on its 16-bit sleeve. The developer boasts fast, turn-based combat, customizable airships and mechs (because why not). The trailer oozes charm with a gorgeous pixel art style and sublimely retro score. Though Chained Echoes looks to embody that sweet “old school” vibe, it also will have modern gaming touches as well, including a “complex skill and equipment system” and “tons of items to be looted, stolen or crafted.”
Deck 13 Spotlight is no stranger to pixelated, nostalgia-fueled titles, having published the crowdfunded CrossCode in 2018. They have also published a number of other indie titles over the past several years. As evidenced by Stardew Valley, collaboration with a like-minded publisher can be instrumental for the development of a crowdfunded indie game. I know my chickens and I were certainly grateful.
Chained Echoes more than doubled their Kickstarter goal and is scheduled to be released in late 2021 for PC, PS4, and Switch. If only I could hop into my Epoch and head a bit into the future…
