On top of the 24 characters already available in Dragon Ball FighterZ, Bandai Namco is introducing an additional eight fighters to the roster post-launch as DLC. While the publisher has been quiet about who these characters will be, we've now gotten a look at the first two coming to the Dragon Ball fighting game, courtesy of Japanese magazine V-Jump (via Gematsu).
The first two DLC characters on the way to Dragon Ball FighterZ are the Legendary Super Saiyan Broly and Goku's father, Bardock. The former was one of the 15 DLC characters we wanted to see added to the game. According to Gematsu, Broly's special is Gigantic Meteor--an enormous energy ball that uses three Ki gauges. Bardock's special attack is called Revenger Assault; when activated, the warrior transforms into a Super Saiyan and delivers a rush attack.
Broly and Bardock are included in Dragon Ball FighterZ's season pass, along with the other six yet-to-be-revealed DLC characters coming to the fighting game. Bandai Namco hasn't announced individual pricing for the two fighters, but the season pass costs $35 USD / £29 / $52.95 AU.
Dragon Ball FighterZ is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Critic Peter Brown awarded the title a 9/10 in GameSpot's Dragon Ball FighterZ review and said, "Even if you think Dragon Ball is old hat, and even if you're intimidated by fighting games, there's a good chance you'll be drawn into the explosive action and personalities that expertly evoke the anime's infectious spirit."
The last full week of February brings a bunch of new shows and movies to watch on Netflix. From talk shows to original movies to animate adaptations, there's more than enough to binge if you've got the time.
Likely the biggest addition of the week in the live-action movie adaptation of FullMetal Alchemist. The film, based on the popular anime, was released in Japan back in December. In lieu of a theatrical release in the United States, it will instead stream on Netflix.
Joining it are new seasons of Netflix originals Marseille, Seven Seconds, and Ugly Delicious. Additionally, February 18 will see the premiere of the streamer's new weekly talk show, The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale. Based on what's been revealed about the series thus far, it sounds like a hybrid of a traditional talk show and McHale's former E! series The Soup.
Rounding out the week is Mute, the new film from Moon and World of Warcraft director Duncan Jones. The sci-fi movie stars Alexander Skarsgard as a mute bartender searching for his missing girlfriend in the near-future. Joining Skarsgard on the project are Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux, and Sam Rockwell.
You can take a look at what is coming to Netflix this week below. After that, go ahead and take a look everything added in February.
February 18
The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale (Netflix Original)
February 19
Dismissed
FullMetal Alchemist (Netflix Original)
February 20
Bates Motel: Season 5
The Frankenstein Chronicles: Season 1 and Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Like 2007, we all have fond gaming memories of 2008. It was packed with a wealth of high-profile sequels to some of the biggest franchises, including Grand Theft Auto, Fallout, and Metal Gear Solid. In addition, there were notable debuts from unexpected gems, like the EA-produced big-budget survival game Dead Space and indie darling Braid, which each proved influential in a variety of ways. Many of the games in 2008 continued to push the boundaries of gaming, offering experiences that were substantial and memorable in their own right.
The GameSpot staff is taking a personal look back at some of the more notable games of 2008, and the impact they've had in the ten years since their respective releases. While some of these games became the stepping-stones for something greater--and others have since fallen into obscurity--the impression they left on us is undeniable, and are worth recognition for their tenth anniversary.
Here's a selection of games--in order of their respective releases--that made 2008 a year to remember for us. And if you want to see the biggest games that turned 10 last year, be sure to check out our feature covering the biggest games that turned 10 in 2007.
Burnout Paradise (January 22, 2008)
Vehicular free-roaming games had existed long before 2008, but none had so eloquently blended urban racing with automotive slaughter like Burnout Paradise. In a time when quest-loaded open-world adventures on consoles were about to hit their stride, Burnout Paradise was a rare 40-hour non-RPG that warranted the time and attention of completionists like myself.
Today's racing market--dominated by Need for Speed, Forza, and Codemasters games--skew toward realistic car performance regardless if you prefer arcade or sim controls. Upon firing up Burnout Paradise today, I'm reminded of how its car handling has more in common with Sega arcade games of yore than with more recent racers--titles that are tied to their respective franchise goals of realism and authenticity. Burnout Paradise never had to worry about that, especially when your audience expects quarter-mile-long leaps over cliffs and destructive car chases that can stretch halfway around its 26 square-mile map.
The game's density of goals ensures that the moment you tick off a mission box, you're just blocks away from starting another. The next quest might even come to you, whether a high-value target happens to drive by or someone challenges you to an online match. And the fact that the online servers are still up--rare for a 10-year-old racing game--is a testament to its following and resiliency. Much larger drivable worlds have sprouted up in the last ten years, but none have managed to replicate the happy and balanced marriage of speed and ruination quite like Burnout Paradise, much to the dismay of fans who long for a successor. -- Miguel Concepcion
No More Heroes (JPN December 6 2007; US January 22, 2008)
Killer7 on GameCube was the beginning of a continued fascination with the Goichi Suda (Suda 51) for me, but No More Heroes was the game that sparked that interest and set it aflame. It struck at a high point for Wii software; Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3 were still fresh in our minds. But No More Heroes stood out because of how abrasively different and boisterous it was, at least on the surface level.
Protagonist Travis Touchdown had a raucously ambivalent attitude and an unhealthy obsession with anime girls, and he set out on adventures that were entirely self-serving, involving copious amounts of slaughter and blood. Suda and Grasshopper Manufacture seemed like they were purposefully going out of their way to be lewd on a characteristically family-friendly console. You had to take a dump on the toilet to save your game. You needed to shake your controller vigorously, and suggestively, to charge your beam katana. Double entendres and bad words were doled out like free candy.
It was easy to see all that and dismiss No More Heroes as straight-up crass. And though its combat and the open world had some great ideas, they were admittedly repetitive and bland in the long run, which might not have helped its broader perception. But once you looked just past the facade, there was something extraordinary about No More Heroes. The game's attitude housed unique twists that satirised and denounced conventional storytelling structures, and the whole nature of video games and geek culture in general. At the time, I found it completely fascinating.
Ten years later, there's a laundry list of things that don't fly as well. And though No More Heroes 2 was great, the rest of Grasshopper's output has mostly missed the mark, especially as our culture and video games have developed. But No More Heroes is still a defining moment for games in my eyes, so I'm hoping that the return of No More Heroes for Switch, Travis Strikes Back, will use its intriguing game-within-a-game setting to positively revitalize its satirical spirit. -- Edmond Tran
Rez HD (January 30, 2008)
When Rez debuted on Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade as Rez HD, I was vaguely aware of it--the Dreamcast version never launched in the US, but reading about the Trance Vibrator accessory as a young teen ensured I'd never completely forget the game it accompanied. Early 2008 was still a time where any new XBLA release was an obligatory purchase, and so I somewhat blindly picked up what would go on to become one of my all-time favorite games.
My immediate impressions were underwhelming--sure, it had an interesting look and some stellar music, but the basic gameplay conceit of highlighting enemies and launching attacks seemed exceedingly simple. As the minutes went by, I cranked up the volume higher and higher and noticed how the music was morphing based on how I was playing. Stats presented at the end of a stage detailing the percentage of enemies or power-ups I was able to collect tapped into my competitive side. By Area 4--home to one of the greatest songs in any video game--the level of intensity and synesthesia-esque sensation provided one of the truly memorable experiences I've ever had with a game.
The ensuing spiritual successor, Child of Eden, offered this to some extent, but it couldn't totally recreate what made Rez special. I found myself returning to Rez HD even years later, believing it to be too niche to ever receive any remaster treatment. Cut to almost a decade later, and Rez Infinite shows up to leverage not only modern graphical technology, but also add a VR mode (which justified a PSVR for me) and a new stage (Area X) that provided a greater level of freedom. Now, a full decade-plus later, I still routinely take the game for a spin, and although I dispatch many of its enemies through sheer memorization, it remains quite unlike anything else. -- Chris Pereira
Devil May Cry 4 (February 5, 2008)
Capcom's popular Devil May Cry series is in a class of its own when it comes to delivering fast-paced action and thrills. As an admirer of the series since the first, I've always had a soft spot for the devil-hunting mercenary Dante and his crazy antics. As the Street Fighter of the action genre, DMC is a spectacle to behold in the hands of a skilled player. And while I was never one of those players who was able to juggle multiple enemies at once and execute style switches in rapid fashion, I still found enjoyment from watching other players make magic happen. The DMC community found a lot to love in Devil May Cry 4, and watching what the top players posted online was just as fun as playing the game itself.
When Devil May Cry 4 was announced, Capcom showed brief footage of the game's new main character, Nero, a younger and more gung-ho brawler with a demonic arm that could yank enemies from afar. While I wasn't so keen on this new guy at first, I grew to love his style after getting my hands on him, and he ended up complementing Dante's class-based mechanics. While the community, and its connectedness, came into its own with the fourth game, this particular title was also a bit of a letdown compared to the prequel DMC3. The game featured far more backtracking, and less overall content compared to previous games, which made it the most repetitive of the series. Having said that, DMC4's combat mechanics are incredibly responsive and refined, offering the best action of the series.
Not long after, the community went into meltdown when Ninja Theory's DmC: Devil May Cry reboot was announced--and despite the odds, it ended up being one of the strongest games of the series. Still, the fans kept DMC4 alive and well over the last ten years, and even showed the same enthusiasm for the recent Special Edition release. I'd often revisit the game over the years, and while its blemishes are still noticeable, I can't help but smile at all the cheesy bits and pump my fist when I pull off a slick combo. It's been a while since OG Dante's last outing, and with the rumors of DMC5 happening, now seems like a good time for the devil-hunter and his protege Nero to move on and experience something new. -- Alessandro Fillari
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (JPN January 31, 2008/US March 9, 2008)
Since the debut of Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64, I've become hooked on the franchise. Smash Bros. Melee was my favorite game in the series--and one took over my college life. My friends and I would play the game for hours on end, even skipping classes, just so we could get another match in. When Smash Bros. Brawl was first announced for Wii, I knew I was going to pick it up. As the roster was being revealed, I became more and more excited to get my hands on it. This was going to be the largest Smash roster to date with 35 characters, and the idea of playing as Snake, Sonic, Wolf, or even the Pokemon Trainer had me giddy with excitement.
Once the game came out, however, my reaction wasn't quite as positive towards the changes made. The characters felt a bit "floatier" and as such didn't feel as fluid as Melee did. The game also introduced a tripping mechanic that I felt took away the competitive feel that Melee had established. As time went on, I did change my tune as I grew to enjoy the game more for what it was. While the new mechanics weren't necessarily to my liking, the game at its core was still undeniably fun, and I've come to appreciate the game for its distinct style and charm. -- Gajan Kulasingham
Valkyria Chronicles (April 24, 2008)
Console tactical strategy games, specifically those with settings grounded in reality, have a special place in my heart. The same could also be said of that part of the mid-'00s Sega that was killing it with new franchises: Yakuza, Bayonetta, and Valkyria.
Valkyria Chronicles, the brainchild of the directors behind the Sakura Wars tactics series and the celebrated RPG Skies of Arcadia, remains a beautiful debut. Its seemingly timeless art style, a superb execution of cel-shaded polygons to evoke pencil-drawings and watercolors, is still gorgeous. The setting, a somber, anime-influenced take on Europe during the early stages of World War II, still feels distinct. It tells a sincere story with relatable characters about citizens forced into war to protect their homeland. And its strategic combat system, which mixes top-down, turn-based strategy with third-person, real-time action, is still unique, robust, and satisfying to use.
Its sequels, while competent, never quite lived up to the original for me. The PSP failed to capture the beauty of the visuals, the strategy system felt like it was getting unnecessarily complex, and the stories they told started to get too ambitious and unrelatable for me. Every time I played a new Valkyria Chronicles game, I would inevitably hit a point where I would go back and start another run of the original.
Valkyria Chronicles was remastered for PS4 and PC recently, and it's very much a game that has held up after ten years. It's the only game worth playing or revisiting in anticipation for Valkyria Chronicles 4, due for release in 2018. The upcoming sequel is set in the same timeframe as the original game, so here's hoping Sega remembers what made the first game so special. -- Edmond Tran
Grand Theft Auto IV (April 29, 2008)
Playing the Grand Theft Auto series felt something like a rite of passage back in my day. When GTA III first came out in 2001, I was a freshman in high school, and this game captured the interest of my fellow students. It was the game that every kid played, even when their parents told them not to. I'd eventually plow through GTA III, savor the '80s bliss of Vice City, and stew in the expansiveness of San Andreas--just enjoying the many ways to explore and cause chaos. When Grand Theft Auto IV came around, it was not only the first game on new hardware--showing off new visuals and more convincing storytelling--it was also the first GTA game I played as an adult.
While the previous three games and PSP spin-offs featured a connected story, IV started from scratch. Set in a newly designed Liberty City, it ended up feeling like a reboot for the series. Taking on the role of an eastern-European immigrant named Niko Bellic, the game told a surprisingly subdued and somewhat understated story about an outsider trying to fit in. One of the great strengths of the series is its strong focus on satire, more specifically its critique of American consumerism, greed, and lust for violence. While I caught some of the references and humor in the previous games when I was younger, I'm not ashamed to admit that many of the other critiques flew over my head. While the satire can sometimes have the subtlety of a sledgehammer, many of its jabs at American culture were successful at hitting its mark.
Over the course of the game, GTA IV would grow a bit crazier with its escalating story, but it never quite reached the full-blown absurdity of its predecessors. And you know what? That's OK. If anything, the new approach to storytelling made for far more convincing and impactful sequences, which include the infamous bank heist mission, Three Leaf Clover. While GTA IV didn't have as much to do as its predecessors, it did possess a number of ideas forward looking ideas, such as additional playable characters in the following DLC campaigns, a fairly developed online mode, and a mobile phone that yielded opportunities for side-events. All of which would set the stage for what would be core mechanics in GTA V. Still, I have some fond memories of exploring Liberty City. And I wonder to this day if Niko Bellic is still alive and well in the GTA's world. -- Alessandro Fillari
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots (June 12, 2008)
I never swore at a game as often I as did with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. All the swearing was positive, though; every time there was a callback to a previous Metal Gear game, I couldn't help but react with an ear-to-ear grin, an expletive, a fist pump, or some combination of the three. My eyes grew when I saw the Hind-D wreckage, a callback to the first Metal Gear Solid that was all the more poignant since you never saw the ship crash in the original game.
The worst and best thing about MGS4 is how it cannot be appreciated on its own. Its variety of finely tuned combat mechanics and its dark theme on the proliferation of paramilitary companies are overshadowed by the abundance of exposition to serve and please its long-term fans. To a newcomer who has no context, hearing Big Mama utter, "That's my boy!" to Old Snake sounds like simple encouragement. To a fan, that line is loaded with 50 years' worth of lore, suddenly connecting two characters who never appeared in a game together prior to MGS4. I get a lump in my throat every time I hear it.
MGS4 also exists to tie every major loose end Hideo Kojima unleashed since the original Metal Gear. Resolutions ranged from forced to graceful to inexplicable and many of us fans ate it up, even if we blamed plot issues on nanomachines. In a market where franchises like Halo and Gears of War can potentially outlive its fanfare and leave unresolved narrative threads, it was unreal how many storylines MGS4 resolved. Metal Gear Solid 4 is fan service in its purest form, the likes of which we might never see again. -- Miguel Concepcion
Battlefield: Bad Company (June 23, 2008)
It was a decade ago, but I remember playing the Battlefield: Bad Company beta back in early 2008. I didn't have much experience with previous games in the franchise, as they were focused around PC and I was primarily a console gamer. Right away, from the first match I got into, I remember the multiplayer taking my breath away and showing me something I'd never seen before. Using the power of the Frostbite engine, basically everything in the world could collapse and disintegrate, in turn opening up the battlefield in new and exciting ways. No longer could someone camp in a hideout and live to tell the tale. Just blast them away. Seeing a building collapse and crumble completely changes the way you think in a multiplayer shooter. No area is safe. Danger lurks at every turn. Watching the battlefield change around you as a match progresses afforded a level of dynamism that I hadn't experienced before.
When the game was officially released, however, it was the campaign that really made Battlefield: Bad Company stand out--and it remains one of my favorite Battlefield games to this day. It was the first title in the series to feature a real campaign, and its characters were some of the more memorable and dynamic ones I can remember in a military FPS. The story was praised for its humour, which was a refreshing change of pace from military games that came before it. A sequel was released in 2010, and it was similarly excellent. While I do also enjoy the mainline Battlefield series and logged many hours on Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 1 (sorry, Battlefield Hardline), I think the time is right for the Bad Company sub-brand to return. The newest rumour is that 2018's Battlefield is Bad Company 3, and I could not be more excited. -- Eddie Makuch
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (July 10, 2008)
When Persona 4 first released, it didn't get much recognition. Sure, it had its hardcore fans, but this JRPG released on the outdated PS2 was overlooked. Only in the years following its release was Persona 4 recognized as one of the greatest RPGs on the PS2, if not of all time.
A unique element to Persona is its balance of participating in everyday life while simultaneously dealing with supernatural elements that make up its more traditional RPG gameplay. Participating in every day of a full calendar year lets you experience the daily life of a Japanese high schooler and get an intimate familiarity with the characters. The game focuses heavily on your party member's personal struggles, mirroring what many teenagers go through. Back in 2008, I was the exact same age as the main character, and I was able to see many of my own insecurities represented in the game. In a medium where power fantasies and fantastical heroes are the norm, to see a group of characters go through the same anxiety I had right then created an attachment that no game has ever been able to match.
In the decade since its release, Persona 4 has gotten the recognition it deserved with numerous spin-offs and an enhanced remaster for the PS Vita, which would be my recommended version to play. Its sequel, Persona 5, has made vast improvements to the series formula and a cast of characters that stand on their own. But as great as that game is, it's still no Persona 4 for me. The circumstances in which I played Persona 4 will never be recreated. It was there in a time when I needed it, and that's why it's one of my favorite games of all time. -- Jean-Luc Seipke
Braid (August 6, 2018)
Jonathan Blow busted onto the scene as a prominent independent game developer when Braid released in 2008, and for good reason. It was one of the early hits that thrusted indie games into the mainstream via Xbox Live Arcade, but Braid turned out to be much more than that for those who connected with the game's themes and gameplay. Braid plays like a 2D side-scrolling platformer but mixes in the ability to reverse time that affects objects and enemies in clever ways. In your effort to piece together protagonist Tim's past and search for a mysterious princess, you rack your brain to solve the numerous puzzles and execute perfectly timed jumps onto platforms and atop enemies. If you happen to fall to your death, just reverse time and try again in a matter of seconds.
As you progress through Braid, the layers of lessons learned along the way stack, and you're constantly challenged to use what you know in new ways. Keys tucked away in hard-to-reach ledges unlock doors to make it through levels, but the collectable puzzle pieces paint the picture of a man who lost control of his personal and professional life. The sparse, yet affecting story is arguably one of Braid's strongest aspects.
Storytelling in independent games was still in a sort of infancy in 2008, but Braid set an example for how smaller games can tell bigger stories. The overarching plot is open to interpretations, even with the extensive post-game texts, but in its final moments, Braid subverts expectations to leave a lasting impact. What starts out lighthearted becomes increasingly foreboding as to earn the final twist and completely flip your interpretation of who you thought Tim and the princess were. A beautiful soundtrack that borrows elements of traditional Celtic folk music to drive home the heartfelt journey further supports Braid's tale. -- Michael Higham
Too Human (August 19, 2008)
Too Human isn't necessarily something worth going back to, and it also wasn't exactly praised as a worthwhile game when it released in 2008. It turned out to be a fairly middling third-person action RPG, and in the words of GameSpot reviewer Kevin VanOrd, "It will lift you up only to continually let you down." Too Human tells the story of Norse mythology in a dystopian sci-fi setting, but its threads are wholly incomplete. Regardless, the systems made for fun combat scenarios, and co-op highlighted those moments. So, why is Too Human worth mentioning? Developer Silicon Knights and Epic Games (makers of Unreal Engine) went into one of the more wild legal disputes in modern gaming history.
Silicon Knights first sued Epic for "failure to provide a working game engine" in July 2007. However, Epic struck back with a counter-suit a month later claiming that both parties were fully aware that features of the engine were still in development and that Silicon Knights violated the license agreement by modifying the engine and sharing technology with Sega. It wouldn't be until five years after Too Human's release that the case would be resolved; In 2012, Epic won the suit on grounds that Silicon Knights committed "copyright infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, and breach of contract." As a result, Silicon Knights was ordered to destroy all its tech and code that was derived from Unreal Engine 3 and give Epic access to company devices to make sure this happened. This meant that any unsold copies of Too Human (and other titles using UE3 tech) had to be destroyed as well.
The studio went defunct after filing bankruptcy two years later. Luckily, if you really wanted to play this lacking action RPG, used copies are out there for cheap despite the obliteration of copies and its code. It may have been more or less erased from the games market, but the circumstances in which Too Human existed is a story that left a more lasting impression than the game itself. -- Michael Higham
Dead Space (October 20, 2008)
The first Dead Space was a bold and unexpected move from publisher Electronic Arts, which was not typically known to dabble in survival-horror games. When I first watched footage of the game on GameSpot back in 2008, it seemed like an Alien-inspired Resident Evil 4 clone, but as I watched further, I was quickly enthralled by its chilling atmosphere, sleek UI, and inventive combat mechanics. As an avid fan of survival-horror games, I knew I had to play it; but after spending all the money I had on Metal Gear Solid 4 and a DualShock 3 controller that year, I was flat-out broke. Luckily, my brother's friend had a copy I could borrow.
I have fond memories of my first playthrough of Dead Space; its setting and atmosphere affected me in ways I find hard to forget. I often remember how frigid the USG Ishimura seemed, which felt amplified by the chilly weather outside during the time of year I was playing. A cold sweat covered my hands as I tightly gripped my controller, anticipating how I'd strategically dismember the next necromorph waiting to ambush me. I even recall consciously avoiding playing the game at night; the darkness I'd glimpse through my room's shutter blinds seemed like endless black voids, which made my trek through hallways into the unknown feel all the more haunting.
Dead Space was a terrifying survival-horror game like no other in 2008. To this day, the game remains one of my all-time favorites in the genre. While its sequels don't quite live up to its brilliance, don't let that deter you from jumping into this one. It's well worth it for the gruesome frights and action-packed dismemberment. -- Matt Espineli
Far Cry 2 (October 21, 2008)
Today, the Far Cry series revels in allowing its players to explore exotic open worlds in over-the-top fashion--oftentimes with hilarious results. However, there was one game that did something a bit different, telling a story that was tonally unlike the original PC game and its console oriented spin-offs featuring a super-powered Jack Carver. As the first sequel, and also first true open-world game of the series, Far Cry 2 gave off a sense of weight that's still left an impression on me. Focusing on the exploits of a foreign mercenary in the African wilderness, you're quickly caught up in a brutal faction war while on the hunt for an infamous arms dealer named The Jackal--who actively sows the seeds of chaos in the isolated country. Oh yeah, and the main character is slowly dying from malaria.
Instead of the B-movie schlockly tone of its predecessor, Far Cry 2's story focused on the hardships of a country caught in a civil-war, offering some of the most harrowing and even nihilistic moments of the series. FC2 would go on to set standard for open-world action in a the series, such as invading enemy bases and taking on missions with your AI buddy character in tow, and it did it in a way that expressed a level of earnestness that the series hasn't seen since. The sequel also added in a stark difficulty spike due to its focus on realism that made the previous games feel like they were on training wheels. In a lot of cases, I was gunned down after forgetting that weapons often jam, and that enemies are far more cunning than in the average FPS.
To say that Far Cry 2 sticks out from the rest of the series would be an understatement. Its silent main character has to deal with the reality of existing in a space where the political conflict forces civilians into the crossfire, with many of the most important characters--the ones that can actually stop it all--weighing the cost of their lives over a pile of conflict diamonds. I'd often wonder if I was making this place worse by trying to carry out my own mission, like I was the lever for an ever-turning meat-grinder. At the time of playing this game, I was still in college, and one of my classes brought up the subject of the systemic disruption of Central and Northern Africa's society from outside influences. It didn't take long for me to understand where Far Cry 2 was coming from after its bleak conclusion. And that's really something I haven't really felt from another game since. -- Alessandro Fillari
Fallout 3 (October 28, 2008)
Having a video game, movie, or book set in your city is not uncommon, but when you're presented with a post-apocalyptic version of a town you know, the imagery takes on new weight. As a kid growing up in Maryland, I had innumerable school field trips and other excursions into DC, so seeing a bombed-out version of the US capitol immediately grabbed my attention. Museums I had visited, streets I had walked, buildings where my own father had worked--these were shown in a post-war light that rendered them both familiar and unrecognizable.
A setting can only get you so far, and that's where Fallout 3's incredibly engaging story and mechanics come into play. An RPG providing you with guns and improvised weapons is nothing new, but the brutality here makes them feel that much more powerful. Mad Max was clearly an influence on Fallout 3, and it shows in the combat and the amateurly constructed weapons you take into battle. It was definitely one of the goriest games of '08--and your view of the blood splatter got almost too close for comfort thanks to the game's VATS system.
Outside of combat, your actions and dialogue choices could completely change the course of the story. These branching paths weren't new--BioWare had already done it a few times--but choosing a side is a theme that carried forward into both New Vegas and Fallout 4, growing in scope each time. The open-endedness of quests also blew my high-school mind. On a second or third playthrough, I stumbled into Raven Rock hours before the story had intended me to, effectively cutting the main quests in half. You wouldn't know any better if it were to happen on your first experience, but having been through the game before, I was amazed that it allowed for such exploration. To this day, exploring every interesting-looking corner of the map is a habit I happily cannot break. -- Tony Wilson
Call of Duty: World At War (November 11, 2008)
Call of Duty: World at War is my favorite COD game. It's almost certainly not the best--its campaign could not match the thrills of its predecessor, Modern Warfare, and its multiplayer was a little unbalanced--but it's my favorite, because it brought so many of my friends together.
I was still in school in 2008, and a large portion of my friends group had bought PS3s and Xbox 360s, so I frequently had a dozen or so friends online at the same time, all playing the latest Call of Duty. Luckily, World at War was also the first in the series to include Nazi Zombies--the perfect, ridiculous mode for a group of teenage boys to bond.
We bought all the map packs, played every night, and had an amazing time doing so. As Call of Duty got bigger and we got older, people started dropping off, foregoing Black Ops or Modern Warfare 2 in favor of, I don't know, alcohol or something. Despite this, World at War will forever be cemented in my memory as a magical time in my life, where socializing was frequent and easy, and included pack-a-punched weapons and exploding zombie heads. Doesn't it just bring a tear to your eye? -- Oscar Dayus
Mirror's Edge (November 11, 2008)
The original Mirror's Edge was a critical hit when it landed in 2008, but sadly, its striking presentation and unique gameplay didn't translate to commercial success. Nevertheless, soaring stories above city streets from one alabaster rooftop to the next was a thrill no other game could match, and for many of us, our memories of Mirror's Edge feel just as fresh today as the day we made them; neither time nor an open-world sequel could make us forget the first time we took a leap of Faith.
I came to Mirror's Edge during my first year covering games, back when I was an assistant video producer. I had the simple job of capturing gameplay video of EA's experimental parkour game, but what began as a routine capture session grew into a short-term obsession, and a long-term appreciation for Mirror's Edge's unique accomplishments. Far more for my own satisfaction than my manager's, I couldn't rest until I'd perfected the few levels I set out to capture. Run after run, I continued to identify and fix flaws in my approach, and take advantage of new opportunities that revealed themselves to my ever-more trained eye. I was already impressed by the first-person platforming and the clever ways one high-flying maneuver connected to the other, but after coming to grips with how Mirror's Edge worked, I was able to define my own approach to virtual parkour, and appreciate it on an entirely different level.
I look back on Mirror's Edge as a game that was far ahead of its time, but one that came at the right time for me. Whether or not the sequel from a couple of years ago proves that the concept was nothing more than a one-hit wonder, I'm okay if EA puts the series to bed indefinitely. I don't need a new Mirror's Edge, I only need the Mirror's Edge that struck a chord with me, the unsuspecting player, ten long years ago. -- Peter Brown
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (November 13, 2008)
It had been four years since I was introduced to the world of Azeroth, and Blizzard's MMO wasn't showing signs of slowing down, especially after the release of its first expansion, The Burning Crusade. Even after defeating Illidan Stormrage, I was definitely not prepared for what was around the corner with the game's next expansion, Wrath of The Lich King, which gave me and everyone else a shot at Arthas still sitting high atop his frozen throne.
Once I managed to wait through the server queue and the crashes, I was finally ready to take my Night Elf Rogue, Philanthropy, and board the boat from Stormwind to the Borean Tundra. I didn't realize it at the time, but more was changing than just the expansion for me. I ended up transferring servers later that week.
This expansion ended up being one of the more interesting times in my Warcrafting career. The biggest changes were leaving my guild of 300+ active members (we had two 40- raids back in vanilla; it was nuts), transferring to a different server, and undergoing a faction change/realizing my full potential and becoming the world's edgiest Undead Rogue. It was a whole new experience that showed me a side of World of Warcraft I didn't know existed. Even with all the changes I still had a great time clearing through dungeon and raid content with the new friends I'd made.
I still look fondly back on late-night runs of Naxxramas, defeating the Old God Yogg-Saron in Ulduar, and eventually getting taken out by the Lich King and watching Tirion Fordring steal our kill. It's these memories and many more that make me realize just how great Wrath of the Lich King really was. It was the height of the game's popularity for a reason. -- Ben Janca
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (November 16, 2008)
Many remember Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe as the game that toned down the series' iconic violence, but when it launched in 2008, it gave the series its groove back. Sure, fatalities and over-the-top gore are an integral part of the Mortal Kombat formula, but this was the first time in years where I felt like I was playing a classic Mortal Kombat. It was still on a 3D plane, but for the most part, it felt like those first three games. As a Scorpion player, I was ecstatic to see the return of back, back, low punch (only '90s kids will remember this). Additionally, seeing some of my favorite superheroes stand in for some of my favorite Mortal Kombat characters was an absolute treat--Batman used his smoke bombs and disappearing act as if he was Smoke, while The Flash tripped up his opponents with his Kabal-like speed.
In addition to the excellent fighting gameplay, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was the first to feature NetherRealm's trademark story template. For those who aren't familiar, it's basically a movie in which you take part in a couple dozen fights with gameplay and cutscenes transitioning seamlessly between each other. It kicked off a period in which NetherRealm not only made my favorite fighting games, but also some of my favorite single-player experiences. On top of that, it's used the story template in every one of its games since and has even pushed other fighting game developers to follow suit with cinematic story modes now being featured in games like Street Fighter V, Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite, and Tekken 7.
The Mortal Kombat series may not have regained all of its footing until 2011's simply titled Mortal Kombat, but it was Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe that planted the seeds for that comeback. And despite NetherRealm putting out four arguably better fighting games since then, I'll still go back from time to time to play a few matches and remind myself of how it all started. -- Mat Paget
Focusing on the trials of four unique protagonists--a biker, a vietnam veteran, a college student, and a retail salesman--the group would travel through several zombie-infested cities that offered randomized encounters thanks to the game's AI director. While players came in expecting a fun co-op zombie-shooter, my friends and I ended up getting an intense online bonding experience. Playing through Left 4 Dead's stages, which switched up set-pieces depending on your performance, resulted in us watching everyone's back closely to ensure we were in good shape. Because if it wasn't the AI zombie horde that got us, it'd be the cunning special monsters controlled by enemy players, such as The Smoker, a hacking and wheezing undead, who'd tangle survivors with its tongue and drag them into a dark alley to be swarmed by other zombies.
By far, the most iconic level of the series is No Mercy. This first stage was the most pure and representative of what people can expect from the game. Starting out on the roof of an apartment building, you'd slowly work your way down through its many rooms to the streets below. Your only hope for survival is a helicopter located on the rooftop of a nearby hospital. Making it there alive would be an exercise in teamwork and patience, while also keeping a quick finger on the trigger. For me, Left 4 Dead wasn't really about the action in a zombie shooter.
Rather, it was a more affecting and tense experience to see if you could work well with others under pressure--something I still admire about the game to this day. -- Alessandro Fillari
The 2018 release of Metal Gear Survive marks the first Metal Gear game since Hideo Kojima's departure from Konami. Yet it's most certainly not the first game in the franchise he hasn't helmed. While these games collectively fall short of Kojima's consistent track record, there are more gems here than duds, like Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, which have each rated as well as many of the mainline Metal Gear installments on GameSpot. Take a look:
For better or worse, it's likely that the Metal Gear name will live on well after Metal Gear Survive. If a non-canonical spin-off with zombies sounds dubious, consider the Metal Gear pachinko slot machine game that features completely remade cutscenes from Metal Gear Solid 3. It's a proverbial CQC gut-punch with a knife twist. But as a whole, this collection of spin-offs shows Konami's penchant for trying out new game mechanics, sometimes departing from the tactical espionage action that made the franchise a success.
If you're curious about Metal Gear Survive, a second beta is currently live. It will run until February 18 and is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Like the previous beta, it focuses on co-op play where the only available game type is a take on the classic multi-wave Horde mode made popular by Gears of War and, more recently, Fortnite. For more thoughts on our impressions on Metal Gear Survive at this point, you can check out our most recent preview and our beta livestream.
Metal Gear (NES, MS-DOS, Commodore 64)
Just as there are a dozen features the NES version preserved from the original MSX2 game, so too are there a dozen notable changes that makes the NES edition a brand-new experience. It begins right from the opening shot: the NES version has Snake parachuting--with three mystery operatives who are never seen again--in the middle of the jungle while the MSX2 game has him infiltrating underwater. There are differences in level layouts and how enemies drop loot, yet the most notable omission from the NES game was the Metal Gear tank itself--it was replaced by a super computer. Thankfully, the MSX2 version, along with Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, would appear in North America as part of the bonus content in Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence and later in Metal Gear Solid HD Collection.
Snake's Revenge (NES)
Given the success of Metal Gear on the NES, it wasn't surprising that an unofficial sequel targeted to Western audiences would follow. Notable alterations over the previous game included pre-equipping Snake with a knife and handgun, changes to how he communicated with his support team, and more side-scrolling areas. While it's not essential to play Snake's Revenge to appreciate the franchise, it does maintain some of the first game's emphasis on stealth and the risks of triggering an alert state.
Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (Game Boy Color)
Capitalizing on the runaway success of the first Metal Gear Solid, this GBC spin-off--simply titled Metal Gear Solid in the West--bridged MGS with the much older titles, stylistically speaking. It paired the static camera view of MSX games with the aesthetic appeal of Yoji Shinkawa's character designs (as well as the GBA could pull off his detailed artwork, at least). It had connections to MGS by featuring not only Solid Snake, but also Meryl Silverburgh, Mei Ling, and Roy Campbell. Its bosses, with codenames like Marionette Owl and Pyro Bison, used naming conventions similar to the specialists of Foxhound. It's also notable for referring to the playable character in the Special Missions mode as "Jack." Was this a reference to the eventual appearance of Raiden a year later in MGS2 or Big Boss himself?
Metal Gear Solid Mobile (Mobile, N-Gage)
For a non-canonical Metal Gear game, this mobile entry makes a strong case for inclusion in the franchise's official lore. It helps fill a narrative gap between MGS and MGS2, when Solid Snake and Otacon were pursuing their Metal Gear eradication goals through Philanthropy. It wasn't without its Kojima-inspired twists plus references to the character who would be revealed as Raiden. And for a game designed for the N-Gage phone, it was impressive that its mechanics and visuals weren't that far off from the original MGS.
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (GameCube)
This remake of Metal Gear Solid was designed in the style of MGS2 right down to the optional first-person view and improved enemy AI. Helmed by Silicon Knights, this GameCube exclusive was so well-executed that it was easy to play along with (or if you preferred, look past) Solid Snake's reimagining as a superhuman operative who can springboard off incoming missiles. For all the new features and cutscene surprises, it was a shame the studios involved didn't take this rare opportunity to add more connective narrative tissue between MGS and MGS2, like new insights into the mysterious Patriots organization.
Metal Gear Acid (PSP)
"Turn-based card game" certainly was a drastic departure for a stealth-oriented third-person action-adventure series like Metal Gear, but it proved successful enough to warrant a sequel. Pairing tactical combat with trading cards offered its share of depth and complexity, with cards divided into categories like weapons, equipment, and actions. And it was also notable for being the first Metal Gear game to have a multiplayer component, a few months before Metal Gear Online was introduced in Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence.
Metal Gear Acid 2 (PSP)
This sequel to the first Acid kept the tactical card gameplay with new features, like cover fire and the option to dispose of cards for in-game currency. Visually, Acid 2 stood out for being the only Metal Gear with a cel-shaded art style, which was complemented with particle effects and three-dimensional equipment boxes. It was also unique for including a Solid Eye pack-in cardboard attachment that created a 3D effect even though the PSP was not designed as a 3D handheld.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops / Plus (PSP)
A rare canonical Metal Gear not directed by Kojima, Portable Ops was anticipated for being the first sequel that continued Big Boss' story from Metal Gear Solid 3. Its Comrade recruitment system signalled a departure from the solo mission designs of previous games, and narratively foreshadowed Big Boss' destiny as a military leader. Portable Ops also proved that the third-person controls of MGS3 could translate well to the PlayStation Portable, despite the handheld's lack of a right stick.
Metal Gear Touch (iOS)
Two years after the release of the hugely successful iPhone, Konami would capitalize on the touch-enabled smartphone with Metal Gear Touch. Repurposing the events of Metal Gear Solid 4 into a shooting gallery, this retelling of Old Snake's last missions was an entertaining yet non-essential tour of the locales from the PS3 game, with appearances from characters such as Raiden and the Beauty and the Beast Unit. Unfortunately, it's since been removed from the App Store--though, anyone who's previously purchased Metal Gear Touch can redownload it.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
By the conclusion of Metal Gear Solid 4, no character in the franchise more deserived a spin-off than Raiden, whose lethal skill with a blade made him a perfect fit for Bayonetta developer Platinum Games, the studio behind Metal Gear Rising. He always bore similarities to the equally agile and lethal Gray Fox, so it wasn't surprising that Kojima originally envisioned this game as a story of the tragic character also known as Frank Jaeger. An equally curious fun fact was that--after settling on Raiden as the protagonist--Metal Gear Rising was intended to bridge the events of MGS2 and MGS4. Add to that the previously planned gameplay mechanic where Raiden would harness power and take information from his vanquished prey. Ultimately, Revengeance was set after MGS4, where its design and gameplay departure from the series felt appropriate in a post-Snake narrative.
Metal Gear Survive (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
If there's one thing Metal Gear Survive should be given credit for, it's for living up to its 'Survive' moniker. The unlimited stamina you could take for granted in The Phantom Pain? Gone. Not only do you start Survive with very limited stamina, you also have to continually sustain yourself with food, water, and in some cases, oxygen. These demands are stacked on top of the constant need to forage anything you can pick up for Survive's immense crafting component. It remains to be seen if its online component will have long-term appeal, but being able to experience a new Fox Engine-designed Metal Gear game is certainly its silver lining.
Kickstarter crowdfunding has allowed plenty of die-hard game fans see their dreams come true, but also plenty of those dreams die. In the case of System Shock's remaster by Nightdive Studios, those dreams are now another step away from becoming reality.
Nightdive Studios' System Shock remaster was expected to release this year on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, but a recent update from the team says otherwise. The remaster has been delayed, again, and the development team is on hiatus.
On a Kickstarter post, Stephen Kick, CEO of Nightdive Studios, takes responsibility for a change of direction, which is why he decided to put the team on hiatus to "reassess" its vision for the game. Kick also makes it clear that the remaster is not being canceled. His update does not detail how long the team will be out, nor an expected release date.
"Maybe we were too successful," Kick's update states. "Maybe we lost our focus. The vision began to change. We moved from a remaster to a completely new game. We shifted engines from Unity to Unreal, a choice that we don't regret and one that has worked out for us. With the switch we began envisioning doing more, but straying from the core concepts of the original title."
"Please accept my personal assurance that we will be back and stronger than ever. System Shock is going to be completed and all of our promises fulfilled."
In 2016, Nightdive Studios created a Kickstarter campaign for a remaster of the 1994 game System Shock. The team released a trailer of their vision done in Unity beside the campaign, which gained over 21,600 backers and raised $1.3 million. A third System Shock game is also supposedly in development by ex-Looking Glass and BioShock developers.
During Toy Fair, New York's Javitz Center is filled with thousands of collectibles. including new and upcoming video game merch. Here are the best of the best.
Note: Some collectibles are still being developed, and not all pictures represent final products.
During Toy Fair, New York's Javitz Center is filled with thousands of collectibles. including brand new Funko Pops, everyone's favorite big-headed figures. Check out the new lineup!
Note: Some Pops are still being developed, and not all pictures represent final products.
We teamed up with RESPAWN Products to give away three of their Respawn-205 series gaming chairs, with the winners' choice of Blue, Green, Red, or Gray. (List Price: $224.99, scroll down below to enter.)
Competition ends Monday, February 19 at 11:00AM PT. Three (3) winners will be chosen. Entry is open to USA residents only. No purchase necessary.
Enter below (the additional entries are OPTIONAL to increase your chances of winning):
The RESPAWN-205 series is a reclining gaming chair defined by its innovative mesh-backing, which provides a comfortably flexible yet supportive experience. With an adjustable headrest and lumbar support, this chair provides top tier comfort whether used during intense scrims or MMO marathons. Crafted for ergonomics and priced affordably, RESPAWN lets you game longer, game better, and game without compromise.
During Toy Fair, New York's Javitz Center is filled with thousands of collectibles. including new and upcoming Lego sets. Here are the best of the best.
Note: Some sets are still being developed, and not all pictures represent final products.
If you haven't had a chance to jump in on Blizzard's team shooter Overwatch, now might be the perfect time to do so. This weekend, Overwatch is free to play on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
To make the deal even sweeter, the base title and the game of the year edition are 50% off on Steam, the PlayStation Store, and Xbox. The sale also includes retail and will last until February 26.
Overwatch's Lunar New Year event, Year of the Dog, is currently underway until March 5. This year's event includes new skins, emotes, and more for the game's loot boxes, as well as changes to the Capture the Flag mode, a new competitive mode, and a new map called Ayutthaya.
The new Secret of Mana is billed as a remake, but "reconstruction" is probably more accurate. If not for the updated graphics, it could almost be considered a port of the SNES game. Combat, magic, and movement are much the same. The new mini-map—one of the scant few quality-of-life tweaks--is the original SNES bitmap of each stage. It also ports over every mechanical flaw and obtuse element from the 1993 original. It's a strange game to assess, then; it simultaneously shows how far ahead of the curve Secret of Mana was 25 years ago, while also making its problems all the more pronounced under a modern lens.
Secret of Mana tells the tale of a spiky-haired boy named Randi who frees a mystical sword stuck in a stone. Instead of his home village giving him the King Arthur treatment, Randi is admonished for accidentally undoing the balance of the magical forces in the world. Monsters, an evil empire, and a world-ending dragon threaten to ruin the world as they know it, unless Randi can find the mystical Mana seeds and use his sword to restore order.
It's a fairly rudimentary tale of swords and sorcery, but one that's easy to see through to the end thanks to the cast's charming personalities. Newly written dialogue for the remake smooths out the original translation's rough edges, and introduces a few completely new scenes, where Randi and his cohorts--Primm and Popoi--hang out and talk over dinner every time you book a night at an inn. The remake sees our characters learn to know and love each other in new ways, and it makes a big difference in the long run.
The biggest change, of course, is the complete graphical overhaul, putting it on par with I Am Setsuna and some of the better Final Fantasy mobile ports. It maintains the original game's striking color palette, bathing the world in vibrant greens, blues and pinks. Most environments look delightful, but particularly dazzling locales like the Sprite Forest and Ice Country are breathtaking. Character models are a step up from Square Enix's previous remakes as well, though the decision to introduce voice actors yet not let characters' lips move is a jarring one. The fact that the voice acting is played so campy and cheesy--in both English and Japanese--doesn't help.
The remixed score is the same two-steps-forward one-step-back situation. For the most part, the expanded instrumentation works well. Some areas, like Matango and its '70s prog-rock theme, introduce surprisingly catchy tunes. The score keeps the original freewheeling approach as the world design, with no limits on what a particular dungeon or area might be accompanied by. But this occasionally leads to one too many strange, dissonant moments, with many of the village themes defined by the heavy use of bagpipes and accordions.
Secret of Mana's "anything goes" approach extends to gameplay as well. You can swap control between the three characters at any time, and they are each capable of wielding any of the game's eight weapon types. Each strike during combat initiates a recharge time where the chances of actually landing your next attack or doing decent damage improve as your character regathers their energy. This system forces you to move around the playing field as much as possible to avoid getting hit by enemies while you wait. Magic attacks can hit from anywhere, as long as your enemy is in range, but magic points are limited, and items that refill the meter are expensive. There aren't many console RPGs from the early '90s that forced you to consider so many things at once, but in 2018, it actually feels right at home.
There are, however, quite a few aspects that are less welcome by modern standards, and despite a golden opportunity to do so, nothing has been done to address them. The Ring system--the game's quick menu--is serviceable, but the color-coding used to indicate whose options, weapons, and magic you're accessing is too subtle for its own good; it gets worse as your repertoire grows over the course of the game.
It's also still extremely easy for your crew to get surrounded by lesser enemies during combat, getting smacked around from all directions with nowhere to go. Yet if you walk into another room where huge, dangerous enemies are lurking, you can often stroll right past them without raising alarm. Sometimes, the NPC A.I. being oblivious is a good thing. When that same obliviousness applies to the CPU controlled characters in your crew during a major battle, and your offensive spell caster is stuck behind a doorway, it's an unforgivable annoyance.
The original game's Grid System, where you could adjust how aggressive/passive you wanted your A.I. characters to be, is gone. In its place is a much more simplified system of dictating basic behavior, but there's not an effective way to instruct your allies to favor self preservation. Granted, that's a problem easily solved with the game's local multiplayer, where two friends can jump in at any point and control the other two characters in your crew--another area where Secret of Mana was way ahead of its time--but it's still no excuse for the issues experienced while playing solo.
Altogether, the new Secret of Mana exists in a weird nexus of being a forward-thinking RPG that occasionally shows its age, or a very modern RPG with some baffling design decisions and sub-standard A.I..
Other problems the original game didn't have, however, stem from the lack of general information. The Super Nintendo release came with a full-fledged world map and a manual which explained what store items were meant to do, and where certain cities were located in reference to major landmarks. The latter is critical once Flammie, a friendly dragon, comes into play, allowing you to travel anywhere in the world at will. None of that is included here, which could very well create a problem for newcomers since there's no place in-game that explains what anything does. That disconnect extends to weapons and armor, where there's no way to know whether a piece of equipment is better or worse than what a character is already wearing aside from buying it anyway and praying.
Altogether, the new Secret of Mana exists in a weird nexus of being a forward-thinking RPG that occasionally shows its age, or a very modern RPG with some baffling design decisions and sub-standard A.I.. Its ambitions, coupled with the outright charm of the world, are certainly more than many RPGs offer, and very few as visually dazzling as this. Secret of Mana remains an adventure worth taking, as long as you're prepared for a bumpy ride.
It's hard not to have your interest piqued by Rust. Few other games strive to make you feel as helpless, vulnerable, and lost as its startling opening and outwardly confusing mechanics do. Rust wants you to think it's about survival, but it never uses the tools at its disposal to realize that. Instead it becomes a playground limited not by your understanding of its inner workings, but instead by how much time you want to spend slogging away at its tedium.
Starting stark naked on a beach with nothing more than a rock and torch on your person, Rust doesn't waste time letting you know that you're in danger. Health, hydration, and hunger bars make it immediately clear that your time on its massive island is borrowed. Without food and water (and later shelter, light, and warmth), you can slowly watch your life seep away with every passing minute. Rust attempts to guide new players with an often less-than-helpful tutorial to keep you alive longer than a handful of minutes, but it does nothing to prepare you for the real dangers its world holds.
Rust's facade is its survival mechanics, and its menagerie of crafting options and resources for you to gather up keep the illusion alive at first. You can use your otherwise useless rock to chop down trees or hammer away at different types of ore, and eventually you might gather enough to make a hatchet or pickaxe to increase your bountiful gains and speed up the process. This process quickly ramps up into more meaningful items, with the allure of modern weapons and robust armor only at the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
It's a nightmare of menus and item wheels that really slow things down to a halt. Rust might be out of Early Access, but it has so many elements that indicate otherwise. You can easily search for a building foundation in one menu, watch its building timer somewhere else on the screen, and then have it pop into your inventory, which is an entirely different menu at this point. Equip it and you have a relatively flat surface in front of you (Rust absolutely doesn't like any gradient variations and refuses to allow you to place items on them), and you're good to go. But what about moving it? You'll need an entirely separate tool for that, as well as another trip into a separate equipment wheel with options to rotate, move or otherwise dismantle one of your creations.
The cycle of gathering, crafting, and building up something to be proud of never feels rewarding. Rust doesn't have the tools you need to be creative, nor does it care about practicality when it comes to redesigning a small dwelling you might have crafted for that first chilly night out in the wilderness. Teases meant to entice you to brave Rust's other dangers fall flat fast, giving you few reasons to stick around for the tedious slog of dismantling greater weapons and gear to hopefully have the means to build them down the line.
You don't know these items exist because you see them on a list, but rather because they're probably what's being used to endlessly kill you. The island in Rust is inhabited by many other players, capping out at 250 per server. And despite only being alive for a few minutes and having nothing really of worth on your person, they will (often) waste no time in showing you how far down the food chain you really are.
In this way, Rust's true enemy shows its face: its other players. That's somewhat fascinating to ponder on for a moment. Rust has been the subject of many a think piece during its long time in Early Access, often centering around discussions of human nature and the tendencies towards violence when other options clearly present themselves. But while that makes for a neat article to read or interesting mechanic to discuss, it detracts from another vital part of the game: what it feels like to play.
Playing Rust is a frustrating experience even with a friend or two in tow and feels downright impossible to go at alone. Wandering players will attack you at a moment's notice, with their time spent in the server used to build up an arsenal that no amount of skilled play can overcome. Rust's ceiling has nothing to do with how well you understand its survival mechanics or get to grips with its clunky movement and cumbersome first-person action. It's a game that rewards those who put the most time into it first: giving them the boots to step on the ants that are any other players that might dare join after a server wipe.
Design is partly to blame for this, with Rust's server wipes a clear indicator of how little depth its survival elements hold. Some servers might routinely reset after a week of play, while all are forced to this measure within a month. The idea is to re-level the playing field--just a day or two into a fresh server is enough for towering fortresses and high-level weaponry to be crafted by those incredibly dedicated few--so that the process can start again. This wouldn't need to be a feature if Rust had any semblance of balance to it. But because time is the only commodity it rewards, it pushes itself into a corner where this is the only viable solution.
Without a skill ceiling of any kind, Rust demands that you dedicate every waking moment you have to it if you're planning to have any sort of fun. Logging off leaves you vulnerable to attack from other players, while your shelters slowly decay should you not top them up with the right resources. And a momentary slip up means certain doom. Death means your corpse and anything you've gathered to that point is ripe for pillaging, leaving you to respawn on that same beach with just a rock, a torch, and questions about what you've actually achieved.
Rust's community might sometimes offer glimmers of hope, but it's fleeting. Every so often you can witness players making amicable agreements to trade or stumble upon a shop that needs to be both stocked and protected by players. I once ran into another survivor that handed me a hatchet and bandages to make my early game easier; a simple, memorable moment to dull the pain of the frequent deaths in the hours preceding it. Rust's mixture of trigger-happy players and often toxic in-game chats make the entire experience profusely unwelcoming and unpleasant.
Technical issues only add to the unpleasantries. Rust routinely runs into periods of incredible slowdown, tearing the game from an unlocked framerate (its options menus riddled with spelling mistakes couldn't lead me to a lock of any sort) to single digits at the most inopportune times. Animations look stiff and unnatural. Character models look ugly and dull. And both stand in stark contrast to an often-gorgeous backdrop. Rust's island is serene and pleasant to look at, with its saturated blue skies and purple haze sunsets inviting you to take pause. There's beauty to mask the repetitive models used for resources and the inconsistent textures, but not enough to make them truly go unnoticed.
Rust is also disappointing because of just how long it took to realize its own inescapable faults. Its lack of survival depth and inclination to only reward time served instead of clever play saps whatever life it might have had to give. Its survival systems show their age, while its community does its best to chase off those who might dare try surviving a new night on the island. Rust might make for an interesting discussion on what it brings out of its players, but it's not one you need to experience firsthand.
Rainbow Six Siege's third year of DLC is about to kick off, introducing a new, limited-time co-op event and two new Operators. We'll have more on Outbreak--the elaborate co-operative missions set during an extraterrestrial invasion--soon, but for now, let's look at how Siege's new characters will change the way you play its traditional PvP mode.
Operation Chimera, as this first new season of content is called, introduces a new Russian Operator, Finka, and an additional French character, Lion. The former is essentially an attacking form of Doc: she comes equipped with a stim pen that applies a 20 HP boost to both herself and every teammate for 20 seconds, and it even revives any downed allies, wherever they are on the map. In addition, each of the three adrenal surges grants the team a movement and reload speed buff for the same period, as well as a reduction in recoil and resistance to stun effects. Be warned, however: the health boost--like Doc's--slowly depletes back to your normal HP level, and if you get hit while buffed to below 20 HP, you will be immediately downed when the buff ends.
Finka's gadget is clearly capable, but I fear it will--again, like Doc's--go underused. It takes considerable organization to be used to its fullest: it doesn't last long, so it's best triggered when you and a group of allies are about to breach and clear an objective room together. But these situations are infrequent, and despite some attempts to the contrary, Siege has since launch become more about individual talent than moments of coordination. And, like Doc's med pistol, it's rare you actually have chance to revive a fallen teammate before they get finished off; with Finka you stand more of a chance since you don't need to be next to the injured player. However, it's still unlikely you'll have time to activate your stim and come to your friend's aid, and even if you do, they won't have much health left once the temporary buff subsides.
Perhaps the gadget is Ubisoft's attempt to pull Siege back to its core of coordinated, timed attacks, and Finka will usher in a return to that style of offense as teams utilize her gadget's effects to storm a room together. On the other hand, it could encourage attackers to roam further away from their teammates, since they can be revived from across the map at the click of a button.
Regardless of how her gadget is received, Finka could be a popular choice thanks to her weapon. While she can pack the ASG-12 shotgun or 6P41 LMG, it's her Spear assault rifle which could propel her to similar high pickrates as Operation Blood Orchid's Ela. It has very little recoil and decent damage, and it's sure to be a go-to choice for those wanting to try out the Russian operative.
Lion--another two-speed, two-armor attacker--shakes things up in a rather more dramatic way. His gadget is the EE-One-D drone, and it can be used up to three times per round to scout out the positions of every moving member of the opposing team. Activating it not only supplies HUD markers showing you and your team which Operators opposing players have picked, along with their locations, but your squad will also see those players' exact outlines for four seconds. This let me pop a headshot through a wall on more than one occasion, and it proved a powerful tool in both racking up kills and discovering which areas of the map enemies were hiding.
The counter is that both teams receive a three second countdown after the drone is triggered but before its x-ray vision comes into effect. This allows the defending team a moment to stop what they're doing, lie still, and wait for the drone's scan to pass, meaning they'll remain undetected. On the other hand, this forces the defending team to stop what they're doing, lie still, and wait for the drone's scan to pass, so even if this happens and you don't get their outlines, you can still gain an advantage by exploiting their lack of movement. For example, three members of my team got wiped out by enemies who used Lion's ability immediately before Fuzing the objective room--the enemies already knew there would likely be at least one of us in that room, so Lion's ability was used purely to make them stay still while Fuze worked his explosive magic. If my teammates had tried to escape, the enemies would know exactly who had gone where.
Conversely, a poor Lion player could rely on the Frenchman's drone too much, assuming the coast is clear when no enemy is detected, when in fact one lies in wait around the next corner. The Operator's effects on the Siege meta are widespread: spawnpeeking is discouraged, since an early drone sweep will see you detected close to the enemy attack force or standing still in an open window, vulnerable to headshots. Roaming is also riskier, since Lion could take away your element of surprise and easily flank you. And, like Finka, Lion is useful during a final, last-minute push to the objective, when strategy goes out the broken-down barricade in favor of sheer panic. At this stage, defenders are more likely to be scrambling around, trying to cover multiple entry points, so a well-timed drone scan can be a massive advantage. Similarly, Finka's health boost and stun resistance is a huge help to any attacking team that doesn't have the precious seconds to check for Kapkan and Ela traps when dashing into the objective room, though her adrenaline does make every ally breathe faster and thereby take more damage from Smoke's beauties.
[Lion's] effects on the Siege meta are widespread ... spawnpeeking is discouraged [and] roaming is also riskier
For those thinking Lion is simply a better Dokkaebi, think again. Dokkaebi's phone hijack cannot be countered by simply keeping still, and Lion cannot hack into enemy cameras, so the Korean will still be required to help counter the increasing ubiquity of Valkyrie cams. The two are simply interesting twists on each other, and I feel at least one of those and Jackal are needed in any good attacking lineup to stop roamers from tearing an advancing attacking team apart.
When Operation Chimera launches on March 6, it will be another step towards countering roaming, pushing defending players back into the objective room just like how we all played on Siege's launch. It's interesting, then, that Ubisoft hasn't introduced another Operator to counter the current trap meta, especially after Twitch's recent nerf. Nevertheless, the two new Operators are worthy additions to Siege's roster, with Lion in particular serving as a major shakeup that I'm eager to see in the wild.
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