Grab three friends and get ready to save the earth in a brand new a co-op survival experience that honestly feels very reminiscent of Valve’s Left for Dead titles. Earthfall is a 4 player multiplayer FPS coming to Xbox and PS4 on console and is already available in Early Access on Steam.
Guns aren’t the only tools available for players to aid in their survival – weapons can be 3D printed in a really neat sci-fi looking fabrication process using the Genie Workbench 5 printer. Players can also craft both usable and automatic turrets, barricades and other tools of destruction.
Earthfall features campaign-like narratives that take place throughout it’s various stages. Each of the 4 playable characters have their own personalities, voice lines and interactions, I wonder how long it will take players to see them all?
Here’s the official description of Earthfall from its Steam Page:
“When the world ends, the fight begins! In co-op shooter Earthfall, gather your friends, load your weapons and grab your portable defenses and work together as a team to battle through swarms of ferocious aliens. Complete objectives, fortify and defend holdouts and use 3D printers to create more weapons, barricades and turrets to get the job done by slaughtering the alien scum through 10 epic levels full of brutal combat and rich lore.”
Players on PC shouldn’t really worry about taxing system specs, requiring only a GTX 750 and 8GB of RAM, even medium-spec systems should be able to run Earthfall just fine,
OS: Windows 7
Processor: Intel Core i5-4430
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 750 2GB
DirectX: Version 11
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 20 GB available space
Additional Notes: SSD Recommended
Earthfall will launch out of Early Access onto all platforms on July 13th.
After a half a decade long wait we finally know when we will get to play the end of Sora’s story in Kingdom Hearts III – January 29th, 2019 on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Before the E3 press conferences, parties and festivities Square Enix announced the global release date during the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra World Tour Concert in Los Angeles.
Fans have speculated that Disney / Square might include a world based upon the 2012 hit film Forzen so that Sora, Riku and Mickey can sled their way thru Elsa’ frozen wonderland. During Microsoft’s E3 press conference yesterday these hoped were confirmed with a brand new trailer that basically recaps early plot points from Arendalle’s first tale.
Check it out here:
A brand new trailer, release date and world reveal weren’t the only exciting things to be revealed this week. Today Square Enix also confirmed that KHIII will also have two collector’s edition. One that includes a set of Sora, Donald and Goof Bring Arts figures and another includes a collectable pin and steel box.
First up is the Deluxe Edition:
Deluxe Edition – $79.99
Exclusive steelbook packaging
Mini art book with concept artwork by Tetsuya Nomura
Collectible KINGDOM HEARTS III pin.
Next up is the $199.99 USD Bring Arts + Deluxe Edition:
Deluxe Edition + Bring Arts Figures – The KINGDOM HEARTS III Deluxe Edition and Bring Arts Sora, Donald, and Goofy Set bundled separately will be available in limited quantities for $229.99. Fans can now preorder the Xbox One and PlayStation®4 system versions exclusively from the SQUARE ENIX Online Store.
Kingdom Hearts III was one of the first games I wrote about for BrokenJoysticks back in 2013 when it was revealed. Will KH III answer all of the lingering questions after 16 years of games? We’ll find out next January.
Arc System Works latest 2D fighter, Blazblue: Cross Team Battle, sees the universes of Persona 4, Under Night Rebirth, Blazblue and Rooster Teeth’s RWBY collide in the most epic crossover fighting game this side of Smash Bros. BCTB’s accessible yet deep fighting system – combining aspects of Blazblue, Persona 4 Arena and Under Night: Rebirth together – allows players to ease into their favorite characters, while allowing more experienced veterans room to pull off impressive combos.
Here are some of the features of Blazblue: Cross Team Battle as Arc System Works PR outlined in their press release:
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Features
CROSS
Cross over between 4 different universes! Play as characters from the BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, Under Night In-Birth, and (for the first time ever in a fighting game), RWBY series!
TAG
Dive deep into the accessible 2 vs 2 gameplay system in a gorgeous 2D tag team based fighting game!
BATTLE
Take the fight to your friends, online, or against CPU opponents in robust single and multiplayer modes!
LOOK GOOD DOING IT
High definition anime styled 2D characters alongside beautiful 3D backgrounds and smooth animation brings the game to life!
ARC ASSEMBLED
Developed by Arc System Works, creators and developers of critically acclaimed and fan favorite fighting series BlazBlue, Guilty Gear, and Dragon Ball Fighter Z!
Available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC, Blazblue: Cross Team Batle isn’t just more accessible gameplay wise but price wise as well. The Standard Edition, which includes a 20-character roster, is priced at $59.99 CDN. Additional characters will be sold in sets of 3 for $4.99 as add-on DLC but during the game’s first two weeks the first character pack is available for free alongside Blake from RWBY who will be free indefinitely. A season pass of sorts, the Cross Tag Collection, priced at $19.99 includes all 5 character packs.
More coverage of Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle will be forthcoming later this week as Arc System Works has provided us with a digital Nintendo Switch copy for coverage. Until then make sure to check out several brand new launch day screenshots below.
In 2011, developer Level- 5 along with Studio Ghibli created something beautiful and unique; it was the game Ni No Kuni. With all the charm of a Studio Ghibli film and a unique gameplay, it was no wonder why a sequel would happen. This time around, Level-5 is on its own without the help of Ghibli. This could have either meant a recipe for disaster or a way for Level-5 to prove itself a champion among RPG developers. Could Level-5 continue the charm of the first Ni No Kuni? Let’s take a closer look at Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom.
This time around, we connect our world and the “other world” via main character from (presumably) our world. The character this time around is name Roland. He is the president of some unnamed country and due to a bomb going off, he is transported to the other world of Ding Dong Dell. Roland is then thrown into the position of assisting a young and enthusiastic king, Evan, to save his life and kingdom from a usurper and even starting a new kingdom to promote the uniting of all kingdoms and end all war instead of seeking revenge on the usurper who threatened Evan and more. That is the basic bare bones of the story, but of course there is much more story to discover in this story and many more characters to meet. Overall, this story is not some dark and gritty tale but one that promotes more optimism and child like wonder. Some might be turned off and call the story saccharine and too sweet, but I for one enjoy a happy story once in a while. Some might also be turned off the personalities of the main characters. Roland isn’t a terrible character, but can be bland and Evan might be seen as annoying and insufferable. While Evan was not as appealing to me as Oliver from the first game, I didn’t find him to be a deal breaker for the game for me.
The gameplay is significantly improved, in my opinion from the first game. Revenant Kingdom has done away with the familiar system and the combination of real time and turn based combat. This time the gameplay is all real time and you don’t have familiars, but creatures called Higgledys that assist you. You can command them to perform tasks or you can let them do their own attacks and movements. This is a much more simple, but effective gameplay system that definitely makes the game flow better and fluidly. It feels less cumbersome and leaves room for another fun game mechanic.
The second change to Revenant Kingdom is the addition of the kingdom building system. Part way through the game, you will be introduced to a kingdom building system in which you will employ people to run various shops or services and recruit others to become one of your citizens. While this is almost optional, I quickly became very enamored with improving and building up my little kingdom to give me very helpful tools and bonuses.
Of course, you must also have defense for your kingdom. Ni No Kuni II also introduces an army mechanic of sorts. There are times you will need to fight off hordes of enemies, for example, bandits. You will control your forces and lead them by commanding them, to take on your enemies. There are special attacks and special units to employ. You will have to keep track of your military might and budget your special attacks. Hopefully, they are strong enough and plentiful enough to fend them off and defend or claim your territory.
Overall, Ni No Kuni II is a sweet game with addicting gameplay. You can easily invest 40+ hours into the game and not feel like you are just padding time. The story may be too sweet and simplistic for some, but if you have a love for child like wonder and adventure, solid gameplay and JRPGs, this game is not to be missed. I haven’t found myself in love with a new JRPG like this for some time and didn’t think I would love it almost as much as the original. To me, it was worth the full price to play, but maybe wait for a sale if the story concept or characters don’t seem to appeal to you.
Capcom has confirmed that Mega Man 11 will release on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PC on October 2nd 2018.
In the ‘pre-order trailer’ for Nintendo Switch we get several quick looks at various worlds that will be featured in Mega Man 11. In addition to the new gameplay footage the brand new ‘Power Gear’ is revealed – which allows the Blue Bomber to use a powerful overcharged blast. Another new power-up is the ‘Double Gear’ which empowers Mega Man to use two different power-ups at once.
A physical Collector’s Edition, simply titled the Amiibo Edition, will also be released at GameStop in America. Amiibo Edition will include a brand new special edition Mega Man amiibo, a set of stickers anda physical copy of Mega Man 11.
Here’s the game’s description as it appeared on Nintendo’s YouTube channel:
“Mega Man is back! The newest entry in this iconic series blends classic, challenging 2D platforming action with a fresh new visual style. The new Double Gear system boosts Mega Man’s speed and power for a new twist to the satisfying gameplay the series is known for. “
With just two weeks until Sony’s E3 press conference the console manufacturer has announced the return of their Days of Play promotion, which will run from June 8th until June 18th. Over the ten days physical PlayStation first party titles, Console Bundles and PlayStation VR bundles will be discounted at participating retailers. A selection of digital games will also be discounted on the PlayStation Store as well.
Limited Edition PS4 Console
A special limited run blue PlayStation 4 Slim with a 1TB hard drive, shiny blue finish and Days of Play emblem will be available during the Days of Play promotion. It will come with a matching blue Dualshock 4 controller and will retail for $379.99 CDN.
Deals on VR
Waiting to enter the world of VR? It’s somewhat of a passion for me, and PSVR honestly is probably the cheapest and easiest VR solution out there. It might not have sold enough to meet Sony’s lofty expectations in the two years since release but with its plug and play nature and vast library of titles it’s hard to pass up.
PlayStation VR bundles (unspecified as of press time) will be discounted to $249.99 CDN, which is the lowest price I’ve seen for Sony’s VR offerings. Also on sale will be a selection of physical first party games including this year’s God of War and last year’s excellent Horizon Zero Dawn.
Hardware and peripheral discounts throughout the 11 days include (all prices MSRP):
Jet Black PS4 Pro – $349.99 USD / $449.99 CDN
PlayStation VR bundles – starting at $199.99 USD / $249.99 CDN
The world of The Sims 4 is about to get a lot more dynamic with the announcement of The Sims 4: Seasons, due out on June 22nd.
The Sims 4: Seasons will add the four seasons – Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter to Electronic Art’s latest “people simulator” complete with new features like Holidays and even a count-down clock that will allow your sims to countdown until the next big celebration. Outfits available to sims will also change depending on the season – in the Winter they’ll bundle up tight in layers upon layers while in the Spring they might put on a yellow rain jacket and rubber boots. Players will also be able to create their own holidays in addition to the existing Winterfest (Christmas), Harvestfest (Halloween), Love Day (Valentine’s Day)/
Also included in The Sims 4: Seasons is a brand new career path – The Gardener. By taking on the Gardening career path sims will be able to analyze different types of plants, make groundbreaking discoveries, deliver flower arrangements around town and curate their own special arrangements as well.
Speaking about the new dynamic weather system, Grant Rodiek, a producer on The Sims 4 had this to say:
“With a vast variety of weather elements that empower the ways players can play with life, The Sims 4Seasons will allow players to use their Sims to tell relatable stories like those they’ve experienced in real life. The ever-changing weather will transform worlds in unique ways by impacting gameplay choices, Sim’s relationships, and Sim’s daily life, while also delivering new challenges,”
Included below are 3 screenshots provided by EA as well as the official trailer. According to the The Sims 4 website, Seasons has an MSRP of $49.99 CDN.
Four off-screen camera phone pictures of a development build of Kingdom Hearts III surfaced earlier this afternoon on 4Chan and were later picked up by several users on Twitter. It is public knowledge that Square Enix recently held a preview event for KHIII and the embargo supposedly ends tomorrow morning.
The user who posted these images on 4Chan noted that they were subsequently kicked out of the event and had their phone confiscated for the breach.
Spoiller Warning Obviously
Each of the 4 images given us a bit more information on KHIII’s gameplay and systems. We now know what each of the buttons on the PlayStation 4 controller do while piloting the Toy Mech. This leak confirms rumors that a Wreck It Ralph stage complete with Fix It Felix game will appear in the game … and most of all, who is this mysterious woman with blue hair?
BrokenJoysticks did not attend the KHIII press event and is not under any sort of NDA or embargo. We have, in the past, attended Square Enix preview events.
FFXIV’s next big update Patch 4.3: Under the Moonlight will be delivered to players on May 22nd it has been revealed during the latest entry in the Letter From The Producer Live live-streams. During the show with Producer / Director Naoki Yoshida, a special guest joined the show in the last half – none other than the creator of Italic himself – Yasumi Matsuno, to further discuss the second tier of the Return to Ivalice raid series.
The Main Scenario Continues
As with every major patch released for Final Fantasy XIV, the Main Scenario revolving around the player character and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn continues for yet another instalment full of twists and turns. Patch 4.3 will see the storyline regarding the far eastern land of Doma come to a dramatic conclusion as the newly installed leader of Doma, Hien, grapples with a tense prisoner exchange with the Gatlean Empire. Can we trust the Empire’s intentions at face value? For a faction that has invaded Eorzea and caused a devastating calamity five years ago, there isn’t much reason to trust them.
Job Adjustments
Several jobs will receive adjustments as part of Patch 4.3, it was noted that the Tank role of Dark Knight could be due for a complete redesign but we shouldn’t expect it during this patch series – as this redesign would take at least six months of development time. Dark Knight, Monk, Astrologian, Black Mage, Samurai and Scholar will all receive adjustments with this patch.
• Samurai – Potency increases, Basic combo potency to be increased, possibility of empty control (remove empty like Machinist / Bard?) to be included with these adjustments.
• Dark Knight – Potency increase across the board, animation cool downs to be reduced, defence buffs.
• Astrologian – Cast times for Attack Spells reduced across the board, Lightspeed MP cost of affected spell reduced from 50% to 25%, Danage reduction effect currently on this spell to be removed.
• Scholar – misc Pet adjustments.
• Monk – Skills that allow Monks to reduce the amount of Emity they generate will be introduced.
• Ninja – Unspecified adjustments for use with the Deep Dungeon Heaven on High.
New Deep Dungeon: Heaven on High
Remember the Jenga tower in the Ruby Sea that the camera focuses on for a long dramatic pause before never being mentioned again? Players were correct in their assertion that this will be the new Deep Dungeon – similar to Palace of the Dead – with a focus on quick experience gain and it’s own levelling system. Rather than contain 200 floors of challenging MOBS, Heaven on High will feature 100 floors with the really hard content beginning on floor 31. It was also mentioned that a “grand summing” system will become available in Heaven on High, but what this actually entails is currently unknown.
Forbidden Land of Eureka: Pagos (To be introduced several weeks later in Patch 4.36)
Our last expedition to the Forbidden Land of Eureka seems like it has been a success with the announcement of the commencement of the Pagos expedition expected to be released sometime in June. This snowy region of the misplaced island of Val could very well focus on the Blizzard aspected aether that players use to defeat some of the Notorious Monsters across Val. Once players locked down the pattern of knowing the NM spawn times, moving as a cohesive “train” from Monster to Monster and power-levelling. The obvious problem with this system was that lower level characters could contribute to the battle against the stronger NMs like Pazuzu. Here’s hoping the vague promise of ‘new gameplay elements’ can make our time in Pagos engaging and entertaining.
Final Fantasy XIV Under The Moonlight will be released next Tuesday, May 22nd. Alongside everything outlined above it also brings a brand new 24-person raise, a new Extreme Trial, a mysterious unannounced Story related trial (it’s Zenos.. come it has to be) and the Ultima Weapon’s Refrain (Ultimate) – the next segment of the ultra-hard content for the top % of players. For further coverage check out my post from last month.
Idea Factory International and Compile Heart revisit Neptunia’s first 8th generation adventure, 2016’s Hyperdiemnsion Neptunia VII, with an enhanced remake, Hyperdimension NeptuniaVIIR on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro. An enhanced remake of the 2016, VIIR features a brand new battle system that returns some of the staples introduced way back in Hyper Dimenson Neptunia MK II, as well as sporting a brand new VR enhanced extra mode.
Small VR inspired vignettes that take place in “the player’s room” have well.. you, the player, interact with various Neptunia characters in small scripted sequences that take place outside of the main narrative. Without getting way too meta, players can customize their room with different accessories and cosmetic items to try and win the favor of their series favorites.
In terms of the story Neptunia VIIR retells the same narrative as the 2016 release, so if you’d like a quite distilled version of that tale, I’d highly recommend my review of the 2016 original on the PlayStation 4.
As the game’s title implies, Neptunia VIIR also brings support for the PlayStation VR headset during the “player room” sections. IFI International provided me with a review code ahead of the game’s release and my full impressions of this enhanced remake sometime next week.
Until then here is a bullet point list of new features provided by IFI PR and the latest batch of screenshots. Key Features
Get in Tune with Neptune, Now in VR!
– Enter the Player’s Room with the special VR mode to customize your room and hang out one
– one one with characters from the Neptunia series! The PlayStation®VR Headset can enhance the experience, but is not required.
New Strategies, New Possibilities, and Fierce Attacks
-The turn based battle system in this JRPG is spicier than ever! Players can choose attack combos on the -go, use dazzling specials, and even position teammates to perform devastating team attacks!
Take Battles to the Next Level
-Characters get two levels of transformations for another layer of tactics and even more powerful attacks!
Visually Stunning Worlds
-Enticing worlds, beautiful sceneries, and wacky dialogue can now
be experienced through a brand
– new game engine allowing for better and smoother
graphics
Games like God of War are becoming something of a dying breed. Many major AAA games are trying to be increasingly open with their worlds, with games becoming more of a sandbox and less about story and developing characters. That is not to say there are zero story driven more linear games to play, but it appears AAA publishers are finding those games less appealing to back than more open / only only experiences. It is refreshing then, that Sony has seen fit to help bring us a brand new entry in the God of War franchise. This new era for the series not only brings us back to the hack and slash gameplay we know and love from the series, but also improves upon it along with its puzzles and story.
God of War brings us into the world of Norse mythology and out of Kratos’ comfort zone of Greek mythology. After successfully taking vengeance on the Olympian Gods, Kratos has decided to settle down in Midgard with his son. Atreus is the son of Kratos’ second wife, Faye. After her death, Atreus and Kratos begin to journey to the top of the highest peak in the nine realms to spread her ashes at her request. It is then that we truly begin our hero’s journey as Kratos and Atreus must deal with monsters, angry Norse gods as well as their own personal issues that could either bring them closer together or tear them apart.
The story is some of the strongest in the series, if not the overall strongest in the franchise’s 13 year history. Kratos’ tale has never been more emotional and heart warming as he only desires safety and normality for himself and his son. He does what he can to prepare his son for the world, while protecting him when he can. Their relationship has its ups and downs throughout the main story and you feel each peak and valley the entire way. While I wish Atreus had been written better as a character, a part of me still desired to see the boy safe and unharmed throughout the game. Even at Atreus’ worst prepubescent arrogance, I still wanted both him and Kratos to succeed in their journey and come through stronger as characters.
God of War brings back the hack and slash gameplay of the previous seven games and even improves on it with major changes, almost as if the systems had been rebuilt from the ground up. No longer is Kratos wielding the Blades of Chaos, but now carries a battle axe called the Leviathan Axe. This axe not only returns to you in the style of Thor’s Hammer, Mjolnir (appropriate for the setting of the game) but assists you in puzzles with the added element of freezing certain objects in place. You will need this if you want to get past certain puzzles in the game or certain challenging enemy encounterss. You can also obtain new abilities and skills for yourself and Atreus by using a currency called Hacksilver to for the duo’s forward progression.
You also get the addition of runes that can upgrade your axe with. This allows you to customize gameplay to your liking more than previous games depending on your play style. You can go for faster, light attacks or heavy and slower ones if you prefer. You also have a new shiny shield in this game as well to mix things up with. You can use it to defend and parry much like the Golden Fleece in previous games. One of the series staples, quick time events, are still present but they play out slightly differently than previous games with two meters, stun and health, that will change during events.
Overall, 2018’s reboot is a top notch entry in the long running the God of War series. This game shows maturity, improvement in game-play, as well as introducing a set of a relatable characters and it all still remains, most importantly, fun. It is refreshing to see a narrative driven, more linear game like God of War, released during the glut of AAA open world sandboxes that fill have filled up the release calendar lately. I highly recommend this game and hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Players in the online iteration of Tamriel have been able to enjoy free access to all of the bonuses of the usually subscription only Elder Scrolls Online plus service. For existing subscribers this means free “Crown Crates” which provide an RNG chance at highly sought after loot box only mounts. We’ve written in the past how paid for RNG chests can be addicting and recently were ruled analogous to gambling in the European Union.
Benefits of the ESO+ trial that runs from now until Monday the 30th of April includes:
10% increase to all experience earned.
An unlimited storage crafting bag.
Double the placement space for furnishings and collectibles in housing / private rooms.
Doubling of your character’s personal inventory and bank space.
ESO plus also includes access to the following DLC packs while a subscription is active:
Imperial City
Orsinium
Thieves Guild
Dark Brotherhood
Shadow of the Hist
Horns of the Reach
Clockwork City
Dragon Bones
To activate the ESO+ trial simply head on over to the in-game crown store once logged in and claim the ESO+ trial item to begin.
I personally always look forward to these free trial periods as I let my subscription lapse around November of last year and have found little reason to re-up. Whenever the trial comes around I’ll run as many dungeons and Cyrodil Alliance Wars as I can over the weekend to stuff as many resources into the crafting bag as I can. For someone who plays a merchant ad likes to collect gold to buy new housing items – the ESO+ trial is a good time sink.
“You can rescue homeless cats for a cat café. 10/10”
…
Written By: Jeb Wrench
I have been informed by my editor that I need to provide more information than just that for this review.
Editors Note: Cats will always be welcome here on Broken Joysticks.
That is a fairly reasonable request, so what’s all this about Yakuza 6 then? Yakuza 6 is, naturally, the seventh numbered edition of Sega’s Yakuza series (if you’re confused as to why this is the seventh entry, there is also a prequel known as Yukaza 0), a series that has managed to successfully straddle the thin line between grittiness and extravagance. The series is equally comfortable having its characters sipping whisky in smoky bars talking about crimes as it is having them sing karaoke or take their hand at a game or two of Puyo-Puyo.
A word of warning is required, though. Yakuza 6 is extremely violent, and as such there are very vicious acts of violence and bloodshed on display as you play. As well, the game is, like its predecessors, not great at depicting women. Often women in the game fall victim to the ever-popular fridging trope, and there are inferences to sexual violence and harassment towards women as you progress through the storyline. If these sorts of things turn you away for whatever reason, it is probably for the best you avoid Yakuza 6.
Once again in the well-worn suit of Kiryu Kazuma, the game is set in Tokyo’s Kamurocho district, a bustling area full of bright lights, opportunities, and crimes. Lots of crimes. Fresh out of prison, it is 2016 and Kiryu is looking to get back to his now civilian life running his orphanage in Okinawa, looking after the kids he’s been raising since getting out of the Yakuza.
This, of course, does not go entirely as planned, as one of the girls he’s raised, Haruka Sawamura, has gone missing after retiring as an Idol. This is what leads him once again into Kamurocho, as what few leads he has lead him there. Shortly after arriving, Haruka is involved in a hit and run, and falls into a coma leaving Kiryu with more questions, and to his great surprise, a baby.
Naturally, this begins a larger chain of events that drags Kiryu through layers of betrayal, deception, misdirection, and conspiracy as he tries to find out if Haruka’s accident was really an accident as well as who the father of baby Haruto really is. Thus, he finds himself in the small shipbuilding town of Onomichi in Hiroshima. From there, he gets dragged further and further into the layers of conspiracy, travelling back and forth between the two locales looking for the truth.
Kiryu is versed in several useful skills to do his truth-seeking, all of them involving liberal applications of violence. Thugs, goons, and yakuza alike all get to experience firsthand why “The Dragon of Dojima” has long been such a legendary figure. Combat is integral to the Yakuza 6 experience, and it is its strongest aspect.
Strikes are quick and powerful, grapples and throws are effective crowd-control moves, and as always there are a lot of environmental moves and weapons to use in the heat of a scrap. While some, like the fruit crate, seem ineffective, the sheer brutality of objects like the sledgehammer, or breaking someone’s arm by countering their swing of a crowbar make up for that. And no matter how many times I execute the move, busting out an ushigoroshi on one mook to drop them on another is highly satisfying.
Being a Yakuza game, you would expect lots of side content in The Song of Life, and it does not disappoint. Minigames are everywhere in both locales, letting you play various Sega arcade games like the aforementioned Puyo-Puyo, Virtua Fighter 5, and Fantasy Zone amongst others, try your hand shooting darts or batting balls, or, well, uh, chatting with virtual hostesses online. These minigames give you rewards primarily in the form of experience, which you can spend to upgrade Kiryu’s stats or learn new abilities.
If ever the phrase “Problematic Fave” was to mean something, it would be to describe Sega’s Yakuza series. The acclaimed series of intense action, crimes, and large men being lumpy and glowering at each other is riddled with tropes that can range from irritating to uncomfortable, yet the care and thought that went into its writing can generally shine through.
Yakuza 6, due out worldwide later this month, continues this tradition by quickly fridging Haruka Sawamura to motivate the long-running protagonist Kazuma Kiryu back into the world of large angry men being large angry men at each other. Again. Next verse, same as the first.
Still, I wouldn’t have referred to it as a “Fave” if I didn’t think this sort of thing was worth it. Because it is very much Yakuza, for all the bad and especially all the good things about it. Older, slightly wrinklier, ostensibly wiser, Kiryu is still a great character to assume the role of. In this installment, you will take the Dragon of Dojima through his old stomping grounds of Kamurocho to look for his lost daughter-figure, the recently-retired idol Haruka.
He’s Also A “Kickman”! (Image Provided By SEGA)
Being a Yakuza game, this will involve less searching as much as it does punching people very hard, kicking people very hard, throwing people very hard, and hitting people with nearby objects very hard. Which, in a way, provides some insight into what makes Kiryu so compelling even though he inhabits a series that contains so many cringeworthy tropes.
Kiryu is, for all his compassion and well-spoken mannerisms, not the most capable problem solver in the world. He can only truly address situations in three ways – violence, crimes, and violent crimes. Yet he keeps encountering situations that he cannot reasonably handle in these ways. And that’s how what could easily be a “boring punchman” protagonist becomes someone you want to follow for seven games of punching mans.
Surprising no one, Kiryu finds out that Haruka’s disappearance may involve some form of treachery and deception and just maybe, crimes. Thus, he heads off to the fishing town of Onomichi, in the Hiroshima prefecture. Not to give away too many spoilers, but in Onomichi, Kiryu may have to punch some people. He may also wind up wearing a mascot costume with a bowl of ramen for a hat. And then punching people.
(Editor’s Note: If you’re going to punch people VERY hard always make sure to do it in a mascot costume!)
We’re now six months post launch for Destiny 2 and it is quite clear that the game doesn’t have the same staying power that the original possessed. With Curse of Osiris firmly in the rearview mirror and the next expansion, Warmind, on the horizon – Bungie has to make good on their previous promises of listening to player feedback if they hope to keep guardians engaged beyond the initial content offering.
Destiny 2’s “Go Fast” update is also now behind us and while player feedback on the crucible changes -specifically the 6 Vs. 6 rumble mode in crucible has been strong – Bungie will have to really deliver future updates that are also in line with what the community wants if their goal is to retain hardcore players.
In the opposite direction – if the developers chose to implement a crafting material grind for end game weapons, like in D1, then they’re going to have to easily explain to more casual players how they can still stay relevant without in terms of gear level without investing hundreds of hours. “Casual vs Hardcore” gear balance isn’t something that Destiny 2 has particularly excelled at.
Here is a point by point breakdown of everything that Bungie has promised on their latest developer roadmap:
May 6th Update (Warmind Launch)
Seasonal Crucible Rankings
Private Match Support
Vault Space Increase
Multi-Emote
Exotic Weapon Masterwork
Seasonal Vender Progression
Exotic Weapon Sandbox Changes
Heroic Strike Modifiers
Nightfall Challenge Cards
Summer Update
New Seasonal Event
Faction Rally Improvements
PC Clan Chat
Bounties
Exotic Armor Sandbox Changes
September Release
Gear Collections
Weapon Slot Changes
Weapon Randomization
Certainly Heroic Strike Modifiers, Exotic Weapon Masterworks and most importantly whatever the Weapon Slot Changes entail will bring some new reasons to log back in to Destiny 2 for even mid-core players. Honestly stuff like Seasonal Rankings and Vendor progression probably should have been in the game at launch and the same goes with Clan Chat Support on PC – these feel like obvious must haves and adding them almost a full year into the game’s lifecycle is still kind of baffling. Also of concern is how little detail we have on what could be some of the more major changes to the game. Bungie says they want to make Weapon Slots more flexible to allow Guardians to use weapon types that aren’t very popular at this moment. How that will be achieved has yet to be revealed and that is something that worries me – what if Bungie’s goals align with what their players want but the execution ends up being way off the mark?
To close this post off I’d like to post a small list compiled by the folks over at r/DestinyTheGame of features that have appeared on previous Bungie development roadmaps but do not appear on this current one.
They include:
Improvements to Lost Sectors
Scoring for Strike missions
Improvements to the Shader System (last seen in the January update roadmap)
Any possible changes to the Sandbox experience before the September update. Sandboxes have seen little in the way of updates compared with the PVP experience.
Will Bungie be able to turn Destiny 2 around from the Cash Shop focused micro-transaction festival that the game was a launch? Will all of these Quality of Life improvements like the introduction of Heroic modifiers and Master Worked Exotics be enough to satisfy the hardcore who want to see complete random perks come from Destiny 1? Will all of these QOL improvements lead to a better experience for casual players like myself?
Time will tell… Destiny 2: Warmind launches on May 8th.
