There's a moment in Kingdom Come: Deliverance where you break into someone's house to steal a ring as part of quest for a group of miller's that, it turns out, are secretly an organization of thieves. We're left thinking, "Wow, this really is a lot like an Elder Scrolls game." Not in a bad way either. While Bethesda's series of open world RPGs have been influential, no one's really tried to straight up make something so close to an Elder Scrolls game. To its credit, for all the parallels in design and visuals, Kingdom Come feels like a vastly different experience from an Elder Scrolls title.
In the video above, GameSpot's own Jean-Luc Seipke talks about how these two games can feel so different despite being so similar, and how Bethesda could actually learn a thing or two from Kingdom Come. While multiple Elder Scrolls games are referenced, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is primarily used due to the visual similarities and also because it's Jean-Luc's personal favorite.
Being a game built with real world history in mind, Kingdom Come: Deliverance is immediately different from the fantasy-based world of Oblivion. Practically everything the game does is meant to simulate and re-imagine medieval Bohemia, which means worrying about things like needing to bathe regularly, managing injuries, and eating food before it spoils.
This makes buying food at a shop or drink at the tavern important because they serve a purpose and are essential for survival. Compare this to Oblivion where food does have small effects but isn't generally really useful on its own, and is better served as ingredients in a potion. You never need to stock up on carrots before making a long trek to the next town, which becomes second nature in Kingdom Come. In fact a lot of objects in Oblivion don't really have much of a gameplay benefit. As a result, taverns and markets end up being window dressing to flesh out the world. Meanwhile every shop in Kingdom Come feels important because they serve as a marketplace for the stuff you need to survive an average day, let alone an action-packed one. The same goes for sleeping; in Oblivion you only need to sleep in order to level up and any bed will do. You'll also recover all your health but the same thing can be accomplished by simply waiting an hour. The only way to regain health in Kingdom Come is to sleep it off or use consumable items.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (left), Kingdom Come: Deliverance (right)
Beds also are arguably Kingdom Come's most contentious feature, as they also function as the save system. There are no autosaves outside of certain quest moments, and you can only manually save by sleeping in a bed you own or by purchasing expensive bottles of Savior Schnapps. It's a radically different approach to Oblivion's save-anywhere-anytime system, and results in two different experiences. In Kingdom Come, saving some poor villager being accosted on the road might not be worth the risk if you die and lose an hour of progress. You're forced to think about every choice you make and what you end up choosing feels more important because of this. This is rarely the case in Oblivion where you can quickly save and load at any time to retry unlocking a door as many times as you want. Don't take this as me saying that being able to save at anytime is bad or anything; after all Oblivion doesn't want you to get stuck or lose hours or progress, it wants you to go on an adventure. Right from the beginning of the game you're able to go wherever you want and find a fun quest to engage in with no worries about save limitations or not having enough food. Kingdom Come simply prefers a more rigorous approach.
And the advantage of Kingdom Come is that it forces you to live in its world and roleplay. When you're making a long trek you need to make sure you've packed enough food and are well rested. And when it's starting to get dark and you're low on energy, there is a sense of relief when you see that inn on the side of the road. In Oblivion, you'd stop at an Inn to fulfill the desire to roleplay or because there's probably a cool quest to get.
Neither approach is inherently right or wrong, but Kingdom Come is aiming to take familiar scenarios and make them more impactful. Take, for example, the Thieves Guild in Oblivion and Kingdom Come's equivalent. In Oblivion, you join the Thieves Guild not out of any real desire for money or financial reasons; you don't really need it. You join because it's a fun quest narrative where you go around stealing a bunch of stuff. The opening hours of Kingdom Come however leave you with little beyond the clothes on your back. Money is necessary to access food and other important items needed to stay alive, so when presented with the faster but more dangerous option of becoming a thief, you take it. The game's systems make a life of crime an appealing means of survival.
That isn't to say Kingdom Come is perfect. Its save system, most notably, can be really frustrating when things go bad. Developer Warhorse Studios seem to be backpedaling on it a bit in an upcoming patch by letting you save when you quit, which is a decent compromise. There's also the lockpicking and pickpocketing minigames that just don't seem to work consistently, which is also frustrating and exacerbated by the save system. But again, Warhorse said it'll address this.
And there are things that Oblivion does much better, such as the playable character. Your character is given the bare bones setup of being in jail but afterward, you're free to come up with the backstory and personality you desire. This works well since there aren't any voiced lines and the dialogue options are minimal, with very little personality, the idea being that you'll fill in that personality yourself. The ability to create your own person to be the avatar in your roleplay wonderfully meshes with the freedom-based design of Oblivion. Kingdom Come's approach is closer to The Witcher, with protagonist Henry having a predetermined personality, which ends up clashing with the rest of the game's do-anything style. Henry may talk about how much he respects honor and appalls thievery, but sometimes it's right after instantly killing a random NPC and ransacking their home. There's a constant dissonance between what what Henry says and what you want Henry to do, a problem Bethesda also faced with Fallout 4's protagonist.
So it's pretty clear that Kingdom Come's more hardcore roleplaying aspects have won me over. However, that's not to say the next Elder Scrolls needs to be a hardcore survival game. Oblivion and Skyrim are lighthearted, and the freedom to approach the world's conflicts and have a good adventure is just what we want sometimes. But with the inevitable (and totally unconfirmed) Elder Scrolls VI, Bethesda should take note on the ways in which Kingdom Come: Deliverance pushes the open-world RPG forward.
If Monster Hunter is getting a little too realistic, it might be time to look at an older title for your giant lizard hunting needs. Remasters of 1997's Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and 1998's Turok 2: Seeds of Evil are launching on Xbox One on March 2.
Turok: Dinosaur hunter was a Nintendo 64 and Windows title meant to be an adaptation of the comic book series published by Acclaim Comics. Players assume the role of traveling warrior Turok on a quest to find the pieces of the Chronoscepter. And of course, battle dinosaurs, poachers, and more along the way.
Its sequel, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, was also an Nintendo 64 title, but also saw a port on Windows and Game Boy Color. Like its predecessor, it was also a dino-slaying FPS. There are six different levels with different missions connected to a hub area; this iteration also has multiplayer.
This isn't the first time a Turok remaster have been released either. Back in 2015, Nightdive remastered both titles for PC, featuring enhanced graphics. It's unclear what changes are being made for the Xbox One remasters of the two Turok games, or if they're any different from the previously release PC remasters.
Now is the perfect time to jump into Siege and take part in the intense close-quarters shoot-outs. Still, there are a number of things to consider before starting your career. And it all starts with picking the right operator for you. These are our best picks for operators for anyone starting out in Rainbow Six Siege. From understanding how to be a solid attacker by utilizing weapons in a quick fashion, to knowing how to work on defense by keeping those barricades and traps up, these characters will help ease you into the fast-paced nature of the game.
Ash is an extremely fast run-and-gun attacker who can open up walls at a range without risking a close encounter. Her R4-C has a high rate of fire and often wins 1:1 engagements with defenders generally faster firing SMGs. With her unique gadget--the M120 CREM--she can fire special Breaching Rounds, allowing her to bust open walls and destroy enemy contraptions. This is especially useful when against gadgets like barbed wire and deployable shields.
This particular operator is useful for when you need to strike through an enemy defense quickly.
Blackbeard (Attack)
Although not as strong as his old self due to several nerfs, Blackbeard's unique trait, the TARS MK 0 rifle shield, gives him a decisive advantage in 1:1 gunfights. He can effectively take several shots to the upper body without damage before his shield breaks. This added defense is especially evident if his lower body is behind indestructible objects such as windows and desks, doubling his protection.
He can be an essential character for entry into the first room of almost any map, as well as that last push against the enemy. Along with his shield comes the strong mid-range Mk17 CQB, and long range SR-25. Plus, he has an effective desert eagle.
Fuze (Attack)
Fuze is a bombastic attacker due to his reliance on explosives. His Cluster Charge is one of the most deadly gadgets in the game capable of downing multiple defenders, pushing the enemy team out of a room, or outright winning a match in the right circumstances. He has a versatile loadout that allows players to choose between a ballistic shield, AK-12, and 6P41 LMG with 100 rounds.
However, his explosive charges can be harmful to hostages, so be mindful of who's nearby when getting those charges ready.
Hibana (Attack)
Hibana is one of the A-list operators in the Siege meta with her X-Kairos launcher, which can tear through reinforced walls. Along with Thermite, she's one of only two operators who can prevent attacking teams from getting corralled through the opposing team's prepared death funnels.
Her loadout also includes the Type-89 rifle and SuperNova shotgun, along with a selection of Stun Grenades and a Claymore--making Hibana a key support player as her team moves in.
Sledge (Attack)
Sledge is one of the best characters for beginners to learn the art of breaching, thanks in large part to his trusty hammer. It can break through walls, floors, and ceiling hatches. He's perfect for breach experimentation, especially when coupled with his L85A2 assault rifle, which is ideal for picking off people through cracks and holes in the environment. However, his hammer can break if you overuse it, so don't go too wild.
Thermite (Attack)
Thermite is a top tier operator for Rainbow Six Siege. At launch, he was the only base operator capable of breaching reinforced walls with his Exo-Thermic Charge, and remains only one of two operators that still can. Without Thermite, teams are forced to funnel through defenders' well planned traps and spaces on most maps, which makes him one of the more critical members of the team.
His M1014 shotgun is excellent at close-range, and is fast and great from the hip. While his 556xi rifle however can be tricky to master, but has decent recoil and excels at range.
Zofia (Attack)
Zofia is an all around versatile operator that you can't go wrong with. She can pick herself up from a downed state in a similar manner to Doc, carries around Claymore mines, and uses a double barreled grenade launcher that fires both concussive and impact rounds. However, be mindful of when you use her launcher, as hostages behind walls can be killed if used recklessly.
She has both an LMG-E light machine gun and a M762 assault rifle. Making her a huge compliment to top tier operators like Ash who can break through several walls and fight into a building at range.
Bandit (Defense)
Bandit is one of a handful of operators that can counter Thermite's breach charges and one of the best power roamers with his MP7 sub-machine gun. His Shock Wire gadget can electrify metal objects, such as reinforced walls, deployable shields, and barbed wire--causing damage to attackers that touch them and destroying any gadgets placed on them. Using electrified barbed wire can also destroy drones in the scouting phase, buying defenders time.
Bandit is a useful character when trying to counter the attacking team's tricks, especially when they're running special operator combos (where two operators use their skills in tandem) that can bust though barricades quickly.
Castle (Defense)
Castle is the only operator who can place armor panels over standard doors and windows. In some situations, he can lock an attacking team out of a final hostage room if they have used all of their explosives. By bleeding the attackers of their breaching charges, burning off time from the game, and often preventing easy access from buildings interiors, there are several encounters where Castle can turn the tide.
Frost (Defense)
Frost is an all around solid character with good speed and defense. However, what places her above other defense characters is her useful gadget called the Sterling MK2 LHT "Welcome Mat", a large bear-trap that can pin enemy attackers to the ground. This gadget can end a round entirely if it's stepped on by the final remaining attacker. The mere presence of Frost can slow down an attacking force due to the fact that they have to watch their step all the way across the map. She also has a very strong SMG--the C1--that has a slow rate of fire but is incredibly accurate.
Lesion (Defense)
As part of a wave of trap focused defenders, Lesion's hard to spot GU Mines embed in attackers legs and do damage over time resulting in distraction and potential death. Like Frost, he can occasionally end a round with a well placed trap. The GU mines are especially effective when used against fast attackers, not only slowing them down, but also poisoning them. His T-5 SMG and SIx12 SD are reliable in a firefight, but he's at his best catching defenders by surprise.
Mira (Defense)
Mira is an all around player with strong primary weapons, but her Black Mirror gadget allows her to see the attacking team coming from behind reinforced barricades. The mere presence of her Black Mirror can cause attackers to shift their avenues of approach knowing that they are being watched. She can effectively negate the surprise of Thermite opening up a wall behind a defending team, making her an effective anchor for the team.
Her Vector .45 ACP boasts a very high rate of fire and she can take an ITA12S shotgun in her pistol slot to open up walls and murder holes.
Mute (Defense)
Mute is the essential defender for preventing reinforced walls from being breached by remotely detonated gadgets. His Signal Disruptors can jam enemy frequencies, resulting in their remote gadgets--such as breach charges and explosives--not working properly. He's the more direct counter to Thermite, and can shut down drones from scouting and finding objectives.
He has a respectable loadout with the MP5K sub-machine gun, along with a powerful but slow firing M590A1 shotgun. His nitro cell charge can also open up walls and kill attackers behind them.
Fortnite's next big update has launched on all platforms, bringing new content and improvements to Battle Royale and Save the World. Players of the former mode will find that Season 3 has begun, introducing a new Battle Pass on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Along with that, there are a ton of new items to acquire.
As with previous Battle Passes, this one includes a limited selection of content that anyone can unlock. The vast majority of rewards, however, are limited to players who purchase the full Battle Pass, which costs 950 V-Bucks (or just around $10). If you owned the Season 2 Battle Pass, you'll automatically get five tiers' worth of progress for free. Additional tiers can be earned by collecting stars by playing and fulfilling specific objectives, or by purchasing them with additional V-Bucks.
Among the items you'll find in the premium tier of the Battle Pass are new pickaxes, skins, gliders, emotes, and much more. There's also Back Bling, which is a new category of item added as part of the 3.0.0 update alongside skydiving trails and loading screens. In the images above, you can see all of the major new items included in the Season 3 Battle Pass. Bear in mind, these are all cosmetic; nothing will actually impact gameplay directly. If you're a fan of references, though, you're in luck, as you'll find skins clearly meant to resemble the likes of John Wick and Guardians of the Galaxy's Star-Lord.
In terms of playable content, Fortnite has received some new additions. Battle Royale now has a new weapon, the Hand Cannon, that uses Heavy ammo. Some notable improvements have also been made to building (which also extends to Save the World), and a 60 FPS framerate is now the default option for all console players. You can see everything the update does in the Fortnite 3.0.0 patch notes.
As if one weren't good enough, Blizzard's given us another Overwatch tease this week, but it's not for a new character or map this time. Instead, it's turning its eyes to a lore database, beginning with a loving letter Torbjörn penned to his wife.
Earlier this week, the Overwatch Twitter revealed the after-action report of an operation called "White Dome." Things didn't go exactly as planned, and the team was ambushed, leading Reinhart to take the charge and rescue an injured Torbjörn.
The most recent update to this story details a letter Torbjörn wrote to his wife, Ingrid, from the hospital, promising her that all is well. From the letter, it appears this is the battle in which he lost his arm.
"I know that by now you have gotten news of my injuries in our latest mission. While the descriptions may sound terrible, the doctors are quite sure I'll make a full recovery. Even Angela came to visit me! On the matter of my arm, I promise to make it my first priority to construct a suitable prosthesis that will make everyone forget that it was ever gone. If only Angela's dreams of tissue regeneration were a reality! I told her she should be working harder!"
The letter also details a few other sweet details about Torbjörn and his family, so it's worth checking out. We recommend grabbing some tissues first; find the letter in its totality here.
The "Story Update" appears to be part of an ongoing Overwatch lore archive. This will give fans "secret clearance" to art, videos, stories and more about the title's characters and world, good or evil. As of right now, there is not an exclusive section on the Overwatch website to find the rest of this lore database's entries.
No comments:
Post a Comment