By Anonymous on Oct 20, 2017 12:30 am Funhaus's Lawrence Sonntag races against GameSpot's Nick Margherita in the first Qualifying Race of Gran Turismo Sport's Race On, sponsored by PlayStation.
Earlier this week, publisher EA announced it was shuttering Visceral Games, in a "pivot" that would help the studio's Star Wars game change course.
In the words of EA's Patrick Soderlund, "it was shaping up to be a story-based, linear adventure," and to make a game that players will "enjoy for a long time to come," EA needed to make changes.
Soderlund also said as much of Visceral's staff as possible will be moved to other projects, and EA Worldwide will take over development of the Star Wars title from here on out.
Considering the news, we felt it was appropriate to look back over Visceral's history, from its early days as EA Redwood Shores, to the final days of the Dead Space trilogy. In the above video (taken from our live show The Lobby, every Wednesday at 11 a.m. PT), we discuss what Visceral's closing means for the future of EA, single-player story-based games, and Star Wars games in general.
Hollywood keeps trying and failing with anime and manga adaptations. They've explored every genre possible, but it'sAmerican audiences still don't care. It's difficult to trust the quality of these films when end result is so often a disappointment.
So what's the best way to know what's good, what's bad, and what's worst? With a list of course! These are the worst anime and manga adaptations Hollywood's ever insulted our intelligence with.
What are your least favorite anime adaptations ever? Let us know in the comments.
Speed Racer (2008)
Speed Racer is another financial disaster, but at least it's entertaining, and captures some of the spirit of the anime. It's bright, colorful, and plays out like a long acid trip. Then again, that's very Wachowskis. It's not the absolute worst, which you'll see in the following slides.
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Casting controversy aside, this film is terrible no matter who was cast. It's offensive, dry, and all around ineffective as an adaptation. It would have been even worse if it weren't for WETA and their stunning CGI work. Along with gorgeous costumes and alluring imagery, it saves the film from being a complete catastrophe.
Blood: The Last Vampire (2009)
The story is altered so much that it's unrecognizable. To be fair, the main protagonist's characteristics remain intact and the movie has a few enjoyable moments. It isn't a great watch but underneath it all, there is potential there for something that could have been better.
Dragon Ball Evolution (2009)
Miscast, misdirected, and a complete mistake--critics have thrown the book at this one. Yet it's managed a 14% score on Rotten Tomatoes when it should be at zero. The film is such a cinematic eyesore that many of those involved have gone on record to say they regret participating. Can you blame them?
The Guyver (1991)
One of the first anime adaptations to be made in Hollywood on the low budget circuit, this 1991 cheese-fest is based on the manga Bio Booster Armor Guyver by Yoshiki Takaya. Starring Jack Armstrong and Mark Hamill, the story centers around Sean, who discovers a military warfare suit of alien origin. The suit bonds with Sean's body turning him into the corniest looking superhero alive.
Fist of the North Star (1995)
Starring Gary Daniels and bunch of other actors you don't know, it's no wonder people don't know this film exist. This is a good thing. With some of the worst dialogue, fight choreography, and acting ever, the fewer people know about this the better.
Crying Freeman (1995)
It's a story that works better as an anime than a live-action movie. There's plenty of Japanese cultural references that the adaptation leaves out. The film tries to work with the basic premise, but Crying Freeman ends up being a poorly acted snoozefest.
Kite (2014)
It's great that Hollywood decided to take a more obscure title and turn it into a movie. However, Kite isn't a good anime to begin with, so this was destined to fail. Lucky for fans, it went straight to DVD, so the production studio didn't seem to lose much. But fans sure wasted time watching this. The only thing it has going for its is an appearance by Samuel L. Jackson.
Death Note (2017)
Wilhem Defoe as Ryuk is surprisingly charming, and the soundtrack is killer, but that's where compliments stop. This film takes everything that makes the Death Note anime series great and tosses it in the trash. A suspenseful noir thriller is turned into a goofy, teen angst spoof that isn't taken seriously within the anime fandom.
Oldboy (2013)
This was never an anime. The plot was taken straight off the manga page and turned into live action--twice. The 2007 Korean version is a cult classic. It's a dynamic film that took risk. The Hollywood version from 2013 starring Josh Brolin is a scene for scene remake that flopped at the box office. And of course it did. Why watch a scene for scene remake when you have the original?
Though it's been awhile since the Detective Pikachu movie has been in the news, the film is still being developed behind the scenes. With Goosebumps director Rob Letterman helming the project and a screenplay from Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Alex Hirsch (Gravity Falls), it's being rumored that some very big names are being considered to voice the little yellow Pokemon.
According to a report from The Hashtag Show, Hugh Jackman, Mark Wahlberg, Ryan Reynolds, and Dwayne Johnson are all names the studio is considering for the role. However, it's important to note that no meetings with the actors have taken place.
Production on the movie is currently scheduled to begin in London in January, which in theory could be difficult when it comes to some of the action stars being considered. Johnson, for instance, already has several projects lined up that should keep him busy for the next few years--including his upcoming Fast & Furious spinoff with Jason Statham and Black Adam.
Given that they're looking for someone to voice the role of Pikachu though, it shouldn't be too difficult to get any of the proposed action stars into a studio to record dialogue. Still, the names being passed around are nothing more than rumors at this point and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Detective Pikachu will be based on the Japanese video game Great Detective Pikachu, in which the Pokemon character as a master detective. Imagine Sherlock Holmes but with Pikachu. Unlike the character's primary appearances in Pokemon games, the detective version of Pikachu speaks, which explains why producers are considering actors with such familiar voices.
No release date for Detective Pikachu has been announced. In the meantime, there's plenty of new Pokemon Go content to keep fans of the series occupied.
After a number of rumors surrounding Generation 3 Pokemon potentially coming to Pokemon Go soon, Niantic has now finally officially confirmed the news, at the same time as revealing its Halloween 2017 event. The company says "a number of Ghost-type Pokemon originally discovered in the Hoenn region" will arrive as part of the event, including "Sableye, Banette, and others."
The event is scheduled to start on October 20 at midday PT / 3 PM ET / 8 PM BST (6 AM AET on October 21 in Australia), ending at 1 PM PT on November 2. Niantic says the event will see "an increased number of spooky Pokemon such as Gastly, Cubone, Misdreavus, Houndour, and more," while "special Pikachu" wearing a Halloween costume will also be out and about.
Bonuses for the event include double Candy rewards for catching, hatching, and transferring Pokemon, and you'll be able to grab special boxes--"featuring items such as Raid Passes and Super Incubators"--from the in-game shop. Finally, you'll be able to grab the Mimikyu Disguise Hat for your avatar to wear.
Two more Generation 3 Pokemon--Duskull and Dusclops--can also be seen in-game in the trailer above. They, along with Sableye and Banette, are the first Pokemon from Ruby and Sapphire to appear in Pokemon Go. Niantic says the rest of those games' monsters will arrive in Pokemon Go "starting gradually as early as December."
The addition of Gen 3 Pokemon was leaked earlier this week, when a datamine apparently uncovered sounds for all species up to #386 (Deoxys, the final Pokemon found in Generation 3). Another leak, showing more Gen 3 creatures and Pikachu wearing a witch's hat, followed just days later.
The official announcement means Pokemon Go will receive a Halloween event for the second year running. For more, you can check out our roundup of all the games holding Halloween events this month.
A couple of other events are going on now in Pokemon Go. Until October 25, players can share the best AR photos they take in-game for a chance to win cool prizes. The Legendary dogs Entei, Raikou, and Suicune are also available in new regions through October 31. In other Pokemon news, the developer of the mainline series, Game Freak, has explained why Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon aren't coming to Nintendo Switch.
Coinciding with Nintendo Switch's big 4.0.0 firmware update, Nintendo has released a new patch for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The 1.3.0 update adds the ability to capture footage and makes a couple of gameplay tweaks, including to the dreaded Blue Shell.
One of the biggest features introduced in Switch's new firmware update is the ability to record and save videos of your gameplay. With the 1.3.0 patch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is one of the four titles to support the functionality thus far (the other three being The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Arms, and Splatoon 2). Once the update has been installed, you'll be able to save up to 30 seconds of footage by holding the Capture button.
In addition to that, the new Mario Kart 8 Deluxe update makes a few gameplay adjustments. Most notably, the Blue Shell will no longer set its sights on the second-place racer if the player in first hasn't yet crossed the finish line. Smart Steering has also been adjusted slightly; now players will find it harder to float down with the glider when the option is enabled. Nintendo has also extended how long players will be invulnerable after spinning out or crashing.
You can find the full patch notes for today's update (taken from Nintendo's support site) below. The update will be applied automatically if your system is connected to the internet, and you'll need to have it installed in order to continue playing the game online. You'll also need to update your Switch to the 4.0.0 version in order to capture gameplay footage.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Version 1.3.0 Patch Notes
Video capture compatibility added. Hold the Capture Button to capture up to 30 seconds of the previous footage.
The system must be updated to Ver 4.0.0 or higher to use this feature.
Now more difficult to float down using the glider when Smart Steering is ON.
Blue Shells no longer hit the second place player when the first place player hasn't yet crossed the finish line.
Extended the invulnerability period after spinning out or crashing.
Changes made to Online Play prior to Ver.1.2.1 now apply to Wireless Play and LAN Play as well:
When further back in a race, will receive better items to help catch up to other players.
No more than one Piranha Plant will appear at a time.
Updating to Ver 1.3.0 will prevent users from Wireless Play or LAN Play with users on Ver.1.2.1 or lower.
In just over a week, Mario will embark on one of his biggest--and weirdest--adventures to date, Super Mario Odyssey for Nintendo Switch. As usual, his longtime nemesis Bowser has captured Princess Peach, and to rescue her, Mario will have to explore a number of sandbox-style Kingdoms like in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine.
Things are a little different this time, however. Not only does Odyssey take Mario to some bizarre new worlds such as New Donk City--a metropolitan area inhabited by realistically proportioned people--he'll be joined by a ghost-like being called Cappy, which inhabits Mario's cap and in turn grants him the ability to possess other characters and objects.
As odd as all that may sound, however, it certainly isn't the strangest thing to happen to Nintendo's iconic plumber in his long and storied career. In the video above, we take a look back at eight of the weirdest moments in Mario's history, from his questionable Cat Costume in Wii U's Super Mario 3D World to his ongoing Olympic rivalry with Sonic the Hedgehog.
By Anonymous on Oct 19, 2017 11:30 pm Super Mario Odyssey is shaping up to be the most bizarre Mario game yet, so Joey's looking at the weirdest things to ever happen in Mario's history.
Football is a sport of great rivalries: Rangers vs Celtic, England vs Germany, Ronaldo vs Messi--these are all fierce contests in their own right. In the world of video games, footballing rivalries manifest in the battle between FIFA and PES.
Each year EA's behemoth and Konami's plucky challenger battle it out to see which game can win the hearts of soccer fans everywhere. FIFA is consistently popular, but PES's resurgence in the past few years has won a bunch of fans over. The question is: which is better this year?
Presentation
No matter your preference between the two footballing franchises, there can be no doubt that FIFA 18's presentation beats PES 2018's. PES's lack of licenses remains an issue, especially for those playing on Xbox since only PS4 and PC owners can install fan-made kit mods to make teams look closer to their real-life counterparts. FIFA, meanwhile, has almost every license worth acquiring, and makes good use of them with official graphic overlays, team-specific commentary lines, and more. This year, EA has improved the diversity of atmospheres you can experience in the game, dramatically changing the lighting and types of crowd noise you'll hear. Add that to an already slick set of menus, better-looking character models than ever, and the most addictive FUT pack-opening animation yet, and FIFA is a supremely pretty package.
In contrast, PES struggles to compete on the aesthetic front. Character models continue to improve (especially in the lower leagues, where some player faces are surprisingly accurate), but as a whole PES looks flat compared to FIFA's flashy exterior. Menus have not changed in years, crowds still sound lackluster, and I'm still stuck playing as Man Red rather than Manchester United.
It's safe to say FIFA 18 wins this round.
Gameplay
When it comes to how FIFA and PES perform on the pitch, it's a little more tricky. Everyone has their own opinion on which feels better to play, though our PES 2018 review awarded the game an 8/10 primarily for how fluid it feels when you get into a match. Passing feels slick, dribbling responsive, and shots gratifying. Goalkeepers are still weirdly awkward and defending can be fiddly, but overall we think PES 2018 is the most satisfying football game ever made.
FIFA has definitely improved since last year, with more satisfying shooting and slightly more responsive dribbling. Crosses are the most improved aspect of FIFA 18's gameplay, now whipping into the box with plenty of pace--and two new modifiers allow you to either loop crosses higher or drill them along the ground when necessary. Crucially, it's much easier to score from crosses and long shots now, leading to some wonderful goals.
Like FIFA 17 though, it still has problems. Dribbling--despite the improvements--still feels clunky and passing feels limp and unresponsive compared to PES. Different teams and players also don't feel distinct enough, and lower league players feel disproportionately poor compared to world stars.
FIFA 18 is on the up, but PES 2018 remains the king on the pitch.
Modes
Off the pitch, one of the main battlegrounds for soccer games is in their breadth and depth of modes. FIFA has traditionally edged PES in this respect, and this year sees another strong showing from EA's contestant. Alex Hunter returns in a second season of The Journey, FIFA's story-driven mode that's something unique to EA's series. It's not perfect--the ham-fisted appearances from real-world stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Rio Ferdinand are not exactly Oscar-winning--but it's an interesting and unique way of playing soccer.
Elsewhere, FUT continues to expand and is now almost a game in itself. This year sees the addition of Squad Battles, where you play a number of matches against other Ultimate Team clubs controlled by AI, before being ranked against other real-world players for the amount of wins you manage. Squad Battles offer another way of earning rewards, as do the new Daily Objectives, and together they flesh out the single-player side of a mode that's traditionally offered little for those not willing to play online.
Career Mode is pretty much unchanged save for revamped transfer negotiations. They now offer the ability to set up sell-on percentages and release clauses to players' contracts, and are conducted through interactive cutscenes, similar to those seen in The Journey. They don't really change much, but they're at least more exciting than seeing the same offer letter template in your Career Mode inbox for the hundredth time.
PES' Master League sees some neat enhancements: the new menu layout makes the mode easier to navigate, release clauses improve transfer negotiations, and the new Challenge Mode keeps things interesting with unexpected scenarios like players wanting to leave for greener pastures. It still has some annoying drawbacks--low transfer budgets and youth players being littered with unknown, gibberish names continue to grate--but it does a decent job of rivaling FIFA 18's Career Mode. The same can't be said of MyClub, which tries its best to distinguish itself from FUT with different features like Scout cards, but continues to appear as a knock-off Ultimate Team--which, to an extent, it is.
Luckily, PES has an amazing new way to play. Random Selection Mode returns from Pro Evo 6 with a few twists to shake things up wonderfully. You and a friend (who has to be in the same room, as the mode is local only) are each handed a squad of random players from a selection of leagues or countries you choose, so you might end up with a weird hybrid team of players from across the world of varying standards. What follows is a psychological battle of attempting to steal your opponent's star players while protecting your own. Up to three trade rounds allow you and your friend to pick a player from the other person's team who you want to pinch. You then pick a player from your own squad who you want to protect, and one you want to get rid of. Crucially, at no point until after all three are chosen do either of you know who the other person has picked, leading to a tense moment at the end of the round where it's revealed if you've successfully robbed that 92-rated striker your lucky friend got dealt. Manage to steal their top player and the bragging rights are all yours--at least until they manage to win the following match against the odds. It's a small addition that some people may never even see, let alone try, but it's the best silly party mode seen in a soccer game since FIFA 12 unceremoniously ditched Lounge Mode.
PES also adds 3v3 online co-op this year in an attempt to rival FIFA's Pro Clubs. It's not as deep, but along with Random Selection Mode it's at least a promising sign that Konami is looking to expand its range of modes each year. FIFA still has more ways to play, but PES is making good ground here.
Which Is Best?
Overall, whether or not you'll prefer FIFA 18 or PES 2018 likely depends on what your priorities are. PES 2018 is definitely a far more satisfying game on the pitch, but FIFA's presentation is exceptional, and does a better job of immersing you in the world of football than PES's flat looks. It will also depend on what your friends decide to pick up, and how important online play is to you. FIFA's online offering of FUT and Pro Clubs is superior, though PES's addition of 3v3 online co-op is welcome.
As for us? We'll be playing both games for many months to come, but we think PES 2018's excellent on-pitch showing means it edges this year's cup final.
Ahead of the NPD Group's latest monthly report, Nintendo has come out in front to share the company's positive news. Switch not only outsold the competition in the United States during the month, but combined with sales of the 3DS and SNES Classic Edition, Nintendo dominated the hardware sales space.
New NPD reports are often, but not always, accompanied by press releases from the various console manufacturers putting some spin on the numbers. In a release issued much earlier than usual, Nintendo revealed the NPD report will show that the Switch outsold both the PS4 and Xbox One in the US during September. It's the third month in a row that's been true, and the fifth time in Switch's seven months of availability that it's been the case.
Specific sales figures for the month were not shared, but Nintendo noted that Switch has now sold more than 2 million units in the US since launch. Additionally, it added that combined sales for Switch, 3DS, and SNES Classic represented two-thirds of total US hardware sales in September.
Switch's hardware sales are more impressive in light of the continued supply constraints Nintendo has faced. A recent report suggested it's pushing Switch production to 2 million per month, but it's unclear whether the company will be able to meet demand this holiday season. Nintendo continues to improve the system, recently adding some new Eshop functionality and releasing a new Switch system update.
A new trailer has arrived The Punisher, the next Marvel series to premiere on Netflix. Besides showing off more footage from the upcoming show, Netflix revealed a release date, and it's quite sooner: November 17.
The newly released trailer above feels like it's a miniature version of the season to come: It sets up the origin of Frank Castle (played by Jon Bernthal) as a soldier and charts his course to becoming the titular character. Like the first trailer for The Punisher, this one doesn't shy away from violence and mature subject matter. We recently learned The Punisher will be Marvel's darkest TV series to date.
"This season is much darker as it goes, it gets darker and darker and more visceral," Bernthal told EW. "The show takes you on this journey of Frank becoming more and more human again and then shutting off and shutting off and going back to what works for him, and the place where he kind of belongs, and I think that's a place of solitude and of darkness and destruction. It's going to get into as dark and as brutal a place as you've ever seen in the Marvel world, I can promise you that."
Bernthal is joined by his Daredevil co-star Deborah Ann Woll, playing Karen Page. The Punisher also stars Curtis Hoyle, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, David Lieberman, Michael Nathanson, Sam Stein, and Jaime Ray Newman. This season will consist of 13 one-hour episodes, all of which will be released on November 17.
We recently learned that gaming giant Activision holds a patent for a system that "drives microtransactions in multiplayer video games." Though the publisher has confirmed that the technology is not implemented in any of its games currently--including Destiny 2--the Lobby crew is less than excited about what this could mean for future games. In the video above, they examine why it could be a problem.
The patent's description specifies that its methods can include matchmaking systems that influence buying behavior. "The system may match a more expert/marquee player with a junior player to encourage the junior player to make game-related purchases of items possessed/used by the marquee player," the patent explains. "A junior player may wish to emulate the marquee player by obtaining weapons or other items used by the marquee player."
The crew discusses how this could shape multiplayer gameplay, why they're worried about 12-year-olds with their moms' credit cards, and money management tips in the context of Taco Bell tacos. Rob also talks more about Star Wars Battlefront II's loot crate problem.
The Lobby airs every Wednesday at 11 AM PT. You can watch it live, as well as catch earlier episodes, on GameSpot.com and GameSpot's YouTube and Twitch channels.
A Nintendo Switch version of Star Wars Battlefront II could happen, but it doesn't sound likely. Speaking to GameSpot this week, Motive Studios producer David Robillard said EA will consider a Switch version "if we see opportunities."
"This is something we'll explore if we see opportunities there, but it is not something that's on the books right now," Robillard explained. Battlefront II launches for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in November. A Switch version, if it ever does happen, would presumably come after that. Battlefront II runs on EA's Frostbite engine, which hasn't been used for any Switch games so far. The Switch version of FIFA 18 uses a custom engine, whereas the PS4 and Xbox One versions use Frostbite.
EA and other publishers often speak about being platform agnostic, which is a way of saying they want to be wherever the consumer is. If any platform has a large enough install base, you can expect publishers to want to bring their games to it. While the Switch is off to a solid start and has sold 4.7 million units as of the end of June (the latest available reporting period), that pales in comparison to the install bases of the PS4 and Xbox One, while the PC market is of course massive as well. There is also the matter of the Switch's horsepower compared to those other platforms.
In an interview with GameSpot, EA said people's fears are "understandable," at the same time as calling the accusations "hard to dodge."
Offering his take on people's concerns, Chris Matthews (art director at EA Motive, the team behind Battlefront II's campaign) said: "Right now there have been games that exploit players and there have been games that have done it in better ways."
He continued: "DICE [developer of Battlefront II's multiplayer] has taken great care to make sure that Star Cards and the way they work give you more options in battle. Terms like pay-to-win and stuff like that are hard to dodge, but the guys are doing a really incredible job of trying to balance that system.
"[The response] is not annoying because we love the fans. We're gamers and we're trying to make something that's super-compelling that everybody's going to enjoy, but, you know, it's understandable."
Mitch Dyer, one of the campaign's writers, went on to say DICE is listening to players' feedback. "The beta existed for things like this," he said. "To look at things like, how are people responding to the balance and the maps and how everything flows? What are people enjoying or not enjoying? What's working? What's not working? We'll take all of that from the beta and start pumping it back into the game to improve it because Battlefront II is a game that exists because of feedback from fans. Couch co-op, a single-player campaign... these elements exist because people wanted them, which I think, to DICE's credit, shows that they are listening and they do listen to feedback."
When asked if they can envisage a version of the game where the loot crate system is removed, Matthews was non-commmital, stating, "We're not really in a great position to talk about that" and, "The guys at DICE would give you a great answer."
"As a balance goal, we're working towards having the most powerful items in the game only earnable via in-game achievements," the developer explained. Crates are obtained by completing challenges "and other gameplay milestones" or by purchasing them--either with credits earned in-game or real-world money. Inside crates, you'll find Star Cards, emotes, victory poses, and outfits; any duplicate Star Cards you receive are turned into crafting parts that can be put toward other Star Cards of your choosing.
Star Cards impact gameplay and, because of this, have become a major concern for players. But DICE claims there is more to becoming powerful than simply buying a crate and getting a good Star Card. "You have to earn the right to be able to upgrade Star Cards and unlock most weapons," it said. "You can only upgrade or unlock them if you have reached a high enough rank, which is determined by playing the game."
Star Wars Battlefront II's campaign was much requested by fans after the first game lacked any form of single-player. We already knew the sequel's offline portion would bridge the gap between Episodes VI and VII and would have you play as Iden, an Imperial special forces agent, but how's it shaping up?
We recently got the chance to play the opening three chapters from Battlefront II's story mode, so we thought we'd sit our two Star Wars experts down and let them chat about their experiences with the game so far.
Oscar Dayus, Staff Writer: My overriding feeling was one of, "I'm glad this exists, but it's definitely not the centerpiece to this game." It was fun--the characters seem pretty strong, it's obviously beautiful, and, you know, it's more Star Wars--but i don't think this will hold my attention for as long as the multiplayer. Then again, maybe it's not supposed to?
Miguel Concepcion, Editor: Yeah. It's easy to draw parallels between the Battlefront to Battlefront II and Titanfall to Titanfall 2 in terms of their respective studios adding a substantial single-player to the sequels.
Did your presentation include a point about how the single-player uses "elements" from the multiplayer? Usually that "selling point" is a red flag. So I was surprised and glad that--at least based off those first few chapters--it isn't just a bunch of MP maps strung together with a flimsy story.
Oscar: So far, I haven't seen anything here to suggest it will be as creative as Titanfall 2 on the gameplay side though. As you say, it seems more than just some MP maps stuck together, but I was kinda disappointed by the variety of stuff you were actually doing. It was all, "Blow these two objectives up," "Reach this point," "Defeat these enemies." I don't really know what I expected or wanted, but outside of the story it felt a little by-the-numbers. But yeah, the inclusion of Star Cards in the campaign is an interesting choice--EA told me it was so you could earn rewards that you could then go and use in MP, but it's hard not to be cynical about it.
Miguel: If the Star Cards can be used in both the campaign and MP, that'd be great. I was surprised how many cards you unlock in these three chapters. Makes me wonder how many toys you'll have by the time you complete the story. And will that make you well-stocked with those rewards for MP?
Oscar: That's true, I guess in that respect it could help prepare you for multiplayer in a more tangible way than just helping you get used to the guns. But at least some part of me was a little wary of whether microtransactions will now start having an impact on single player games as well as multiplayer.
And whether or not you use them will likely depend on what kind of player you are--I actually stuck with the same three abilities that I started out with, but if you're someone who likes to tinker you'll likely get a lot of depth out of playing levels in different ways with different cards.
Miguel: In the context of that hands-on, I was glad that I didn't have to think about the microtransaction implications.
Some abilities that stood out for me:
One of the grenade types really needed some finesse, especially when it took so long to detonate.
The scanner made some of the gunbattles really easy. On the flipside, it can make you feel overconfident.
I also liked having the turret, but I didn't get a handle on how effective they were.
Oscar: Yeah the scanner felt overpowered in combat--it worked well in the stealth section though. That whole sequence--escaping your cell and creeping your way around the rebel ship--was one I enjoyed a lot. The other levels felt more similar to the multiplayer in how large-scale they felt and the action gameplay you'd see online, but the sneaky section offered something that was genuinely different from that, even if the stealth itself was a little rudimentary when compared to a good dedicated stealth-oriented game like MGSV or Hitman or whatever.
Miguel: Rudimentary is a good way to put it. As I recall, there's a story-triggered alert mode, but I certainly did not stay as hidden as long as I could have. And yes, I did enjoy the linearity of the prologue, which was a fine contrast to the more open maps.
But even thinking about Endor, the story version of that map did not feel like a multiplayer map, in my opinion. I mentioned this to our World War II enthusiasts in the San Francisco office: fans know from the trailer that Iden watches the Death Star blow up. I thought this was narratively well executed in how that event was framed.
You start on Endor and Inferno Squad is optimistic as heck that the Empire will win. Then boom. The 'mop up period' reminded me of World War II, how the war wasn't immediately over the moment the Allies reached Berlin. It's not like the Stormtroopers were going to drop their arms with the Death Star gone. I love the shift to an evacuation.
Oscar: Yeah, that was handled really well. I was worried the story--in bridging the gap between Episodes VI and VII--would feel redundant in the same way Rogue One did for me, since we already know what happens afterwards. But Episode VII is set so far after what Battlefront II is trying to show--the immediate aftermath of the Death Star blowing up--that it leaves Battlefront II a lot of room to maneuver.
Playing as the Empire is, so far, just as intriguing as I'd hoped. I like seeing the conflicts that go on between different characters within that faction, that the Empire is not just one faceless conglomerate, a single entity; rather a collection of individuals with their own views on how they should approach recovering from defeat and how they should treat the victorious rebels. The characters in particular seemed strong in the three chapters I played. Iden seems genuinely great, and it's weird kind of sympathising with a member of such an evil organisation.
Miguel: On that note, I was surprised how much the first story trailer conveyed her personal conflict with how the Empire is dealing with that aftermath. It's as if she guaranteed to help out the Rebellion-turned-Resistance in some capacity by the latter half of this campaign.
Oscar: Yeah. I mean, without playing more it appears the story can only go one of two ways: either she turns good or she dies. Who knows which, or if something else will happen, but even if they do, I think the story at least is shaping up to be a good ride along the way.
Miguel: This sampling of the story also made me optimistic about the space battles. Between remnants of the Death Star and the remaining space vessels navigating through the chaos, I wasn't hard on myself when I died once from hitting Death Star debris. I found the dogfight chases particularly thrilling. I wouldn't be surprised if the AI programmers designed the enemies to take scenic paths when pursued. I found myself nearly grazing the surface of a star destroyer during a chase. My favorite pursuit was down a narrow passage within one the vessels. As I took my target down, it felt serendipitous to find an opening to make my escape from the ship.
Oscar: I felt the same way about the space battles as I did when I played them at Gamescom, and similar to how I felt about the whole of the the first game: they were great fun at first and in small chunks, but after a while the buzz of flying a TIE Fighter kind of wears off. Hopefully the latter stages of the campaign have some more interesting objectives than "Shoot these four dudes," or maybe the Star Cards can provide the depth this feels to me like it's missing right now.
Miguel: In all, I'm excited, speaking as a fan of single player components of shooters more so than MP. I'm also curious what new names and places will be added to the lore due to this game. I did chuckle that you go from Endor to "Fondor."
Oscar: Let's hope it continues to be Fun-dor when it launches next month.
(That joke would've been better if your name was Dor, I demand you change your name to suit my 2/10 joke.)
Funhaus's Lawrence Sonntag races against GameSpot's Nick Margherita in the first Qualifying Race of Gran Turismo Sport's Race On, sponsored by PlayStation.
Super Mario Odyssey is shaping up to be the most bizarre Mario game yet, so Joey's looking at the weirdest things to ever happen in Mario's history.
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