With its release date bumped from May to April 27, the countdown to Avengers: Infinity War has jumped ahead by a full week. Now, with promotional material pouring out from every nook and cranny, it's time to to start taking a good, hard look at what we hope this movie actually pulls off--both for the immediate fight against Thanos, and as fuel for the future of the MCU.
In other words, we're prepared. Now here's what we want from Avengers: Infinity War when it hits theaters April 27.
10. Avengers, Reassembled
Since Civil War, Earth's Mightiest Heroes have been struggling with the whole teamwork-and-unity thing. Though the bridges between Iron Man and Captain America aren't completely torched (Steve sent Tony a burner phone to reach him in case of emergency, after all), they're definitely still smoldering.
If Infinity War intends on getting the band back together, it's going to need to do some genuine emotional legwork to make the severed halves of the team reunite--especially since Bucky Barnes, the catalyst for most of the Civil War conflict, is still an active member of Steve's team, he and Tony are going to need to have a real chat about where they stand--and where they want to go from here. That's a conversation that's going to need more than just a quick phone call about the pending apocalypse.
9. The Soul Stone, Explained
The Soul Stone--the last of the six cosmic Infinity Stones to be revealed in the MCU--is still completely MIA. With the pressure of Thanos mounting and the other stones all present and accounted for, hunting down and exploring the power of the Soul Stone will have to be one of the biggest and most poignant plot threads for Infinity War to explore.
In the comics, the Soul Stone can be used to literally imprison human souls, stripping them from their mortal vessels and locking them away in an alternate dimension. Hopefully something equally as terrifying and massive is in the works for its on-screen counterpart.
8. At Least One Mantle-Passing
It's pretty likely that Infinity War will represent the end of the line for one or more of the MCU's biggest name heroes. But that doesn't actually have to be a tragic thing.
Over the last ten years, we've been introduced to a whole roster of up-and-comers who would be perfectly suited to take over the reigns for an A-Lister like Tony Stark or Steve Rogers. With any luck, Infinity War will give some heroes a chance to peacefully transition their mantles (you know, without dying--this is a list of hopes not a list of fears) to successors, making way for the next phase of solo films.
7. Bucky and Natasha, Sitting in a Tree
Over in the comics, Black Widow and the Winter Soldier have an on-again-off-again romance that forms one gigantic throughline for their respective characters. And, honestly, what would you expect? It's not every day that two formerly brainwashed/heavily indoctrinated Soviet super spies find each other after coming in from the cold.
The MCU's incarnations of these characters don't quite jive as well as they do on the page, but that hasn't stopped Natasha from insinuating that she and Bucky have a history together, even beyond the fateful, almost deadly encounter she discussed in The Winter Soldier. A split second "Don't you recognize me?" tossed out mid-fight in Civil War has ignited all sorts of possibilities about their shared past ready for exploration--and with Bucky finally freed of Hydra's mind control and Natasha's all-but-confirmed solo Black Widow movie on the way, the two of them fighting side by side in earnest would be a perfect stepping stone to kick off that story.
6. Resolution for Loki
Loki's connection to both the Avengers and the Infinity Stones has been something the MCU has played with since the very first Avengers movie all the way back in 2011, where he served as the central villain. Since then, however, the God of Mischief has been all over the board, from reluctant ally to outright anti-hero and back again. His most recent outing in Thor: Ragnarok really upped the sympathy angle as he and his adoptive brother, Thor, apparently buried the hatchet (at least for now) in the wake of Asgard's destruction.
But now that Thanos is well and truly coming, Loki's position in the MCU is about to be tested in a major way. Infinity War is going to need to prove once and for all where Loki's loyalties lie, or end his story all together.
5. Cosmic Consequences
Infinity War will be the first real collision between the space-based Guardians of the Galaxy and the rest of the MCU's heroes. And though they've fought off alien invasions and dealt with Asgardians, the Avengers are going to have to seriously reconfigure the way they operate and think about their position in the "bigger picture" after everything is through.
In a perfect world, Infinity War will pave the way for further collaboration between the Avengers and the Guardians, as well as open some doors for more of Marvel's cosmic cast to start making live action appearances. Thor, specifically, having recently lost his home planet, could stand to have his horizons broadened for future films.
4. Nomad
The name "Nomad" has been tossed around for this incarnation of Steve Rogers since the Infinity War promotional campaign really started, and for good reason. Back in the comics, when Captain America became disillusioned with his mantle and fell out of touch with the "American dream," he (melodramatically) cast his shield and costume aside in favor of a new one: Nomad, the man without a country.
It's not hard to draw parallels between that comics moment and Steve's status as a fugitive post-Civil War, yet Infinity War marketing has yet to refer to him as anything other than good ol' Captain America. We're holding out hope for a Nomad name drop at least once, even if it's just an Easter Egg.
3. Shuri vs. The World
Black Panther break-out and fan favorite Shuri is Wakanda's chief engineer and the smartest person in the MCU, meaning she'll no doubt have plenty of perspectives for the Avenger's other brainy heroes. A meeting between Shuri and Tony Stark, Peter Parker, and Bruce Banner would plant the seeds for some incredible new inventions down the line--and maybe some beautiful new friendships to help build the shared universe space out even more.
Also, let's face it: Stark Industries could definitely use someone like her on the research and development front. But that won't happen unless they actually sit down and talk at least once.
2. Vision and Wanda's Romance
After a jumpstart in Civil War and some hard-to-miss scenes in the Infinity War trailer, it's a pretty safe bet that we're on the cusp of seeing Vision and Wanda become a couple in earnest. But, if that is the road things head down, there are some things we'll definitely want to see.
Over in the comics, Vision and Wanda's romance is, uh, complicated--something you might be able to guess considering one of them is a reality-warping metahuman and the other is a sentient robot who may or may not be powered by some sort of cosmic energy. However, despite the complication and the mess, Vision and Wanda did manage to "have" (again: a witch and a robot--we're not really talking a traditional birth here) two children--Billy Kaplan and Tommy Shepherd, who would go on to be core members of the Young Avengers.
On-screen, Wanda and Vision differ pretty greatly from their comics selves, but a genuine stab at developing their love relationship opens all sorts of doors to be explored in later movies.
1. Atlantis
One of the major components of the Infinity comics storyline revolves around the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, home of Namor the Submariner. Obviously, unless something seriously secretive has been brewing behind the scenes in Infinity War, expecting a Namor cameo is probably too high a hope. However, the movie would provide a great vehicle to start seeding the introduction of Atlantis into the MCU--maybe in time for Namor to make an appearance in Black Panther 2.
After all, the MCU oriented "Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout" ride at Disneyland California includes some mysterious but prominently displayed Atlantean artifacts (in so many words, the plaque reads specifically that they were "collected from the bottom of the ocean on Earth"). It would be a shame for those designs to never get a proper on-screen placement.
If you're having a bit of a rough time playing Fortnite on PS4, PC, and Xbox One, it's because the game is going through a spell of login, matchmaking, and social connection issues, according to the game's official Twitter page. These began as a result of a big influx of new players and, in response, developer Epic Games has scaled up to accommodate the new traffic.
The love is strong! Due to an influx of new players, we're experiencing degradation with our matchmaking. We're disabling matchmaking and scaling up to account for this.
Epic has since said login and matchmaking services have recovered, but is monitoring the situation to ensure full recovery. The troubles aren't completely remedied as of yet, based on reports from players, but it's expected that things will smooth fully out soon.
The new influx of players could be due to the launch of the Fortnite Mobile test. Invites for the portable version of the game have gone out on to iOS users. Epic has promised the mobile version delivers the full Battle Royale experience with cross-play.
It could also be because there's a greater interest in the game as a result of the recent stream in which rapper Drake played Fortnite with Twitch streamer Ninja. The stream proved to be incredibly popular, reaching more than 600,000 concurrent viewers at one point. This smashes the previous record of 400,000 for an individual stream. Drake revealed that he played Fortnite a lot while in the studio.
Like its predecessor, Warhammer: Vermintide 2 for PC bears tons of similarities to Left 4 Dead. They're both games about holding off hordes of foul enemies while you head to safety. Survival is the name of the game for you and your party, and the game will throw all sorts of surprises at you to make that goal hard to achieve. But Vermintide 2 is more than a clone of Left 4 Dead; it goes the extra mile to make sure you are always on the edge of seat and that is a very good thing. Check out why in the video above.
Vermintide 2 even looks like Left 4 Dead 2 at times, with its same starting camera angles and chatter between characters. But Vermintide 2 is much less predictable; its AI does its best to continually throw new strategies at you. There is no sense of safety, making winning far more satisfying. Tomes and grimoires, which are rewards for risking rat-induced peril and exploring levels, also change the game considerably, adding extra layers of strategy and difficulty. Meanwhile, the diverse class system adds a huge layer of replayability that keeps things fun and varied.
Vermintide 2 takes place during Warhammer's apocalyptic End Times. Your heroes hack, slash, and shoot their way through 13 levels as you take on the combined forces of the Skaven army and the barbaric Chaos faction. You're given your choice of five characters for each level, and the game allows you to choose four to take with you into battle. Each of your heroes has three careers to choose from, with each career providing them with a set of passive and active abilities, along with a talent tree to advance your characters' abilities.
The 1990s was a decade of amazing growth for the gaming industry. However, 1998 in particular pushed the medium further than it had gone before. From the rich competitive experiences of StarCraft to the revolutionary storytelling of Metal Gear Solid, several games--some of which became watershed moments for the industry--would go on to set the standard for what games could be. In many ways, 1998 was the year video games had finally evolved into something more.
In this gallery, the GameSpot staff will be taking a look back at the biggest games of 1998 that made their way to the Western market, and the impact they left on us in the 20 years since their respective releases. This includes the likes of Xenogears, Resident Evil 2, and the original Half-Life, and our Game of the Year of 1998, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Here's a selection of games--in order of their respective releases--that made 1998 an amazing year. And if you want to see the biggest games that turned 10 this year--and for last year as well--be sure to check out our respective features for both.
Resident Evil 2 (January 21, 1998)
For me, Resident Evil 2 is one of the strongest survival horror games of all time and, even today, the way it ebbs and flows between building tension and delivering overwhelming jolts of action is incredibly effective.
As a teenager, I was excited at the prospect of seeing the horrors I experienced in Resident Evil's Spencer Mansion spill out into a metropolitan city and, in that respect, the game delivers from the very outset. As rookie cop Leon Kennedy, I was forced to battle through Raccoon City's streets, where a catastrophe had struck and now groaning undead stumbled around looking for flesh to sink their teeth into.
Amidst getting to grips with the awkward controls I watched someone get devoured by a zombie and found myself having to battle a group of them in a very small gun store that was, unhelpfully, mostly empty. Though it was only five minutes from the moment you take control of Leon to when you arrive at Raccoon City Police Department, I still remember how nerve-wracking it was, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I had to take a breather once I reached safer grounds. Unlike the first Resident Evil's subdued start, the sequel opted for a high-octane opening, and that sense that had no qualms with pushing me into the deep end without any notice is something that gnawed at me throughout.
Once I reached RCPD, things got much worse. What I really loved about Resident Evil 2 was that it took something that I associated with safety and security--a police station--and filled it with horrifying dangers that were lurking around every corner. There was something incredibly unsettling about that, much like the idea of a monster in a closet or under a bed is to a child. The violation of a safe space is a very potent tool for horror fiction, and Resident Evil 2 used it well.
Resident Evil 2 is a game that I keep coming back to. Sometimes to relive moments like meeting the Licker for the first time, other times to simply wander its echoey halls and soak in the tense atmosphere. It's a game that really stuck with me in 1998, and continues to occupy my thoughts all these years later. | Tamoor Hussain
Final Fantasy Tactics (January 28, 1998)
Final Fantasy Tactics originally caught my eye in an issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly. Fresh off of Final Fantasy VII, I was hungry for another PlayStation RPG, and was instantly taken in by Tactics' colorful presentation. Steeped in an era when publishers focused so heavily on 3D games, those screenshots made me nostalgic for the days of 16-bit sprites, and for Final Fantasy games with a touch of medieval flair.
Up until the game's release, I had never really experienced a turn-based tactical game. I had, however, played and enjoyed Ogre Battle on Super Nintendo. When I realized the dream team behind that game--Akihiko Yoshida, Yasumi Matsuno, and Hitoshi Sakamoto--were the creators behind Final Fantasy Tactics, my hype levels were off the charts. Awash in more advanced-looking games, my friends thought I was nuts.
Sure enough, my anticipation was justified. Final Fantasy Tactics delivered one of the most complex and dramatic stories I'd ever encountered in a game, with the power balance of a kingdom threatened by subterfuge, powerful religious artifacts, and leaders driven to madness. To add to the intrigue, the story was presented as a series of events that had been wiped from the history books by the ultimate victor in an effort to hide the truth from future generations. Who, or what, were they afraid of? Final Fantasy Tactics expertly unravels the answers.
As it was in 1998, Final Fantasy Tactics remains excellent today. The story hasn't lost any of its appeal, but it's the complex job class system and deep tactical considerations that draw me back in time and time again. I've put hundreds of hours into multiple playthroughs, and all it takes is a new set of soldiers and a different mindset to make everything feel fresh. Final Fantasy Tactics is my favorite game of all time, and one of the few games I plan to continue playing for the rest of my life. | Peter Brown
Xenogears (February 11, 1998)
While it doesn't have the widespread recognition of some of its JRPG contemporaries, Xenogears is a cult classic whose legacy and influence continues to this day. Its narrative, couched in what a first appears to be a stanard anime mech setup, brings weighty themes of philosophy, psychology, and religion that many games even today can't match.
These were risky themes to explore in a video game back in 1998, but it's these choices that ultimately made the game stick with so many people. It's also an excellent JRPG in its own right, using the Active Time Battle system seen in games like Chrono Trigger as a basis, but stands out with its Deathblow mechanic. Learning button combos, not unlike the way fighting game combos work, activates special flashy moves that are satisfying to pull off. Infamously, Xenogears' second disc is unfinished, the story told through cutscenes and narration with little gameplay. That might have ruined the experience of most games, but Xenogears still stands strong due to how compelling and memorable its first disc is.
We never got an official sequel to Xenogears, but its legacy lives on in both the Xenosaga and Xenoblade Chronicles series, which continue its narrative ideas and themes. For longtime JRPG fans, Xenogears is a legendary game, one with a weird history worth remembering. | Jean-Luc Seipke
We always knew ninjas were cool. They flip out, they kill people, and they fight all the time. That's what they were spending most of their time doing in video games, and depictions of ninjas in games like Strider and Ninja Gaiden basically had them doing that. But that ain't historically accurate! Enter: Tenchu Stealth Assassins, a game set in feudal Japan that made you embody the true role of a ninja as a covert agent and focussed on espionage, infiltration, guerilla tactics, and killin' folk without being seen.
With Thief and Metal Gear Solid to follow later that year, 1998 turned out to be a defining time for the stealth genre.
I have distinct memories of playing Tenchu with my buddy, as we each took turns trying get through levels, running across rooftops, executing cool stealth kills like amputating someone's arm or slitting their throat, and getting into sloppy sword fights when we were caught. And we got caught a lot. This was the first ever 3D stealth game, so there was a lot of rewiring that needed to be done in our brains. Combat was possible but clunky, so there was a big motivation to learn how to be real ninjas.
And who could forget the cool items? Tenchu was the game where I first learned to love grappling hooks, a vital tool for infiltration and getting the drop on enemies. There were shuriken, of course, but I mostly remember having a ball the first few times we managed to trick a guard into walking on top of caltrops or eat a poisoned rice ball we left on the ground.
Tenchu's immediate sequel was pretty good, but the series slowly declined in quality after that, with 2009's Tenchu: Fatal Shadows being the last we saw of the series. There are a few rumors floating around that the upcoming From Software game is a Tenchu reboot, and personally, I'm dying for that to be true. With Metal Gear Solid basically out of the picture, we need another Japanese studio to give us their take on stealth systems, and what better vehicle to do it with than one of the other stealth masterpieces from 1998? Just do a better job than Thief did. | Edmond Tran
StarCraft (March 31, 1998)
Blizzard was onto something in the real-time strategy genre with Warcraft and Warcraft 2, but at that point, none of the developer's previous games reached the heights of Starcraft. This science-fiction twist to the RTS foundation introduced more than just a new aesthetic. The nature of balancing imaginative units from the three main factions (Zerg, Protoss, and Terran) led to a wildly popular competitive scene. Strategies ran deep and high-level matches almost played like a game of Chess.
I used to rush home from school to play custom games with friends and burn hours tinkering with the endless match customization and user mods. This kept Starcraft constantly fresh and the never-ending one-upping of each other made everyone a better player. We couldn't just master one strategy and hope that'd get us to victory; what would be your follow-up strat if that lightning fast Zerg rush didn't work? My friends and I learned to adapt to new situations in every match.
It wasn't just a revolutionary competitive aspect that made Starcraft an iconic game; the surprisingly deep lore in single-player fed into the fanfare and attachment to the three factions. A little backstory went a long way for characterizing the relationships between the Zerg, Protoss, and Terran. Even to this day, StarCraft remains one of the most played games overseas. The recent Remastered version also keeps the spirit alive with gameplay untouched, which is a testament to the greatness of the original StarCraft. | Michael Higham
1080 Snowboarding (March 31, 1998)
Growing up in the midwest, winter sports were huge for me and none of them had more appeal than snowboarding. I wasn't great at it, admittedly, but I had fun while I was doing it. But what does one do when all of the snow is a distant memory melted away by the sweltering heat of the summer season? You stay inside and play video games in the air conditioning of course!
I was spending a few weeks during the summer at my grandmother's house along with a few of my cousins as we did for the past couple of years, so this was nothing new to us. We had all brought games with us that we were looking to share with each other and one of my cousins brought along a quirky snowboarding game with a catchy soundtrack, and I was instantly hooked. We all stayed up late into the night playing multiplayer in match races and trick attack events, and it was some of the most fun I can remember having playing a local multiplayer game.
Fortunately, for nostalgia's sake, 1080 has been re-released on Nintendo's virtual consoles a few times and I have been able to play it pretty easily recently. While I still have a good time playing now and I still "work my body" to many of the certified bangers on it's soundtrack, I can admit that there have been many better snowboarding games since 1080. It did a great job of paving the way for games like SSX and many others that I also still play even today. | Ben Janca
Panzer Dragoon Saga (April 30, 1998)
When Sega launched the Sega Saturn in North America, it simultaneously released Panzer Dragoon. It was a fairly standard on-rails shooter where you rode on the back of dragons, but the world it was set in made the action feel special, like there was a meaningful purpose behind your actions. Not one to leave a good game without a sequel, Sega would refine this formula for Panzer Dragoon Zwei shortly after.
But when it came time to say goodbye to the Saturn, Sega decided to go all in: Panzer Dragoon Saga would be one of the last games released for the system outside of Japan, and would be a full-blown RPG spanning four CDs. It was unfortunately also produced in notoriously low numbers--the current estimate is mere thousands of copies, rather than tens or hundreds of thousands. I watched from the sidelines, intrigued but without a Saturn at the time of release.
Fast forward to today, and Panzer Dragoon Saga is one of the most expensive games for the system, costing hundreds of dollars even for loose discs without the case. Though Sega would go on to develop another on-rails shooter in the series for Xbox (Panzer Dragoon Orta), people still clamor for a taste of Saga. The sad truth is that the game may never be resurrected. The original source code is confirmed lost, and the series lives on only in the hearts of nostalgic fans and curious onlookers. There was an attempt to create a spiritual successor to the on-rails games for Xbox One in Crimson Dragon, but due to an unfortunate reliance on Kinect, the revival didn't satiate the desires of the target audience. | Peter Brown
Gran Turismo (May 12, 1998)
Racing games hadn't really captured a realistic approach to driving before Gran Turismo. In 1998, the progenitor to Polyphony Digital's iconic franchise pitched itself as "the real driving simulator" and it played like nothing else before it. Over one hundred licensed cars filled the roster and each one handled differently. For the first time in video game driving, we had to think about a car's drivetrain to get a grip of its handling, which also changed how you approached the twists and turns of each track. The type of tires, suspension, or gearbox your car used were all factors in how it performed. The rear-wheel Dodge Viper I worked so hard to buy later in the single-player campaign is nothing like the front-wheel Honda Prelude at the start. And I can't forget about that turbocharged 941 horsepower Nissan Skyline GT-R with a red/green bodykit I used for endurance races.
So many small touches added up to a bigger experience. As a young kid, my mind was opened to car customization and car tuner culture. I quickly learned about how a cold-air intake and cat-back exhaust system were the initial steps to boosting your car's horsepower. I even looked into what port polishing meant and tinkered with gear ratios for different types of race tracks. My love for Gran Turismo caught the attention of my 3rd grade teacher who thought I'd be a car mechanic or professional race car driver when I got older. She was somewhat right.
Gran Turismo set the stage for the simulation racing genre that we now see with games like Project Cars and Forza Motorsport. However, the magic of perfectly executing hairpin turns with a car you put so many credits into with the original Gran Turismo still hasn't been matched. | Michael Higham
Banjo-Kazooie (June 29, 1998)
Two years after Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie arrived. As another 3D platformer, it was in danger of being thought of as a Super Mario 64 clone. But its graphics--which utilized more detailed textures than Mario 64--and distinctly more cheeky attitude helped it stand out at the time. While its graphics aren't impressive anymore, its large, detailed worlds filled with secrets and collectibles still stand out.
I was five years old in 1998, so I ended up playing Banjo-Kazooie with my mom. She'd tackle the harder sections--Rusty Bucket Bay's underwater Jiggies in particular, which I still don't like doing without her--and I'd take notes in crayon. We had a notebook for Brentilda's facts about Gruntilda so we'd be ready for the quiz at the end, and for the Tiptup Choir memory game in Bubblegloop Swamp (which was hard for me to follow). We played and replayed it, finding new things each time until we'd collected every Note, Jinjo, Jiggy, Honeycomb Piece, and even Mumbo Token.
I still replay Banjo-Kazooie at least once a year. The XBLA version saves the Notes you collected each time you leave a world, but I still remember having to start from zero after every death or having left to do something else. I'm still challenging myself to be faster and more efficient each 100% run I do. 20 years later, even though I know where every collectible is, I still feel like I'm finding something new each time. | Kallie Plagge
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (August 21, 1998)
Tactical military shooters on PC weren't all too surprising by the mid 2000s, but in 1998, the original Rainbow Six laid the groundwork. Author Tom Clancy painted a fairly plain and bleak picture of international relations and counter-terrorism with his book titled Rainbow Six, for which the game was based on. However, it was the ideal premise for an FPS where danger and death waited around every corner. Each move you made had to be carefully telegraphed and planned even before starting a mission, which was both intimidating and invigorating. Setting waypoints on a blueprint map determined the pace of a mission, but was ultimately vital for whether or not you'd accomplish your objectives.
With a roster of operatives that made up Team Rainbow, different capabilities had to be taken into account. For one, you couldn't go into any room guns blazing, let alone without anticipating enemies given that one or two bullets could mean the death of a squadmate. Before opening a door, you had to consider breaching or commanding a squadmate to toss a flashbang before moving in and lighting up the room. Throw in the factor of hostages, and I felt even more tension than simply taking down terrorists.
I hadn't had that sense of fragility in a modern shooter before Rainbow Six, a breath of fresh air after countless others that served as power fantasies. Many would shy away from its time-consuming, unforgiving nature, but it's how the game carved its niche and influenced the likes of Ghost Recon, Operation Flashpoint, and SWAT 3. | Michael Higham
Mega Man Legends (August 31, 1998)
When you compare Mega Man Legends to the other entries in Capcom's action-platformer series, it kind of comes across as one of those weird experiments that a franchise undergoes in order to stay relevant. But in truth, Mega Man Legends offered one of the series' most heartfelt and charming stories, while also letting players explore the world as Mega Man at their leisure.
I played this game often back in middle school, and I found myself sort of entranced by how optimistic and cheerful the game was. Despite it taking place in a ruined earth post-flooding, Legends' tone is remarkably upbeat, with a similar vibe to a Saturday morning cartoon--making for a largely welcoming atmosphere throughout the many towns. Playing as Mega Man Volnutt, likely the most chipper and endearing incarnation of the blue bomber, you'll explore the ancient ruins of the old world to unearth their lost secrets. As an adventure game first and foremost, the game tasks you with exploring your surrounding, interacting with several townsfolk, while also fighting off rogue-robots and Tron Bonne's army of comical and somewhat incompetent Servbots (think proto-Minions).
Truth be told, I have fonder memories exploring old ruins and interacting with characters in this game compared to Ocarina of Time--which Legends predated by several months. It saddens me that we'll likely never get another Legends game--even more so that the second game ended on a cliffhanger, but I'm glad that the series tried something a bit different. Who knew you could have so much fun kicking a can down a street playing as Mega Man? | Alessandro Fillari
Parasite Eve (September 9, 1998)
Parasite Eve acts as a sequel to the novel of the same name by author Hideaki Sena, but this first entry for the game series felt truly unique in its time. Squaresoft (now Square Enix) hadn't gone down the M-rated route before, but didn't waste time showing you what this game was about; the opening scene depicts an opera crowd bursting into flames, which was absolutely horrifying considering I was a kid at the time. Everyone burns to death, except Aya Brea (you, a green NYPD cop) and the performer who transforms into a supernatural monster,, kicking off this paranormal thriller. This is also where you jump into the unique blend of action and turn-based RPG.
Aya resorts to traditional firearms to take down terrifying creatures, and you control her from an isometric angle and inspect environments. However, combat works in a turn-based manner with magical "Parasite Energy" capabilities thrown into the mix, and world exploration taps into a traditional RPG structure. Think of it as Resident Evil meets Final Fantasy. As an early fan of both franchises, it was an incredible feeling to see those two worlds collide.
The dark, dingy rendition of New York City always gave me chills, but the phenomenal presentation and hybrid RPG gameplay pushed me to overcome the intimidation. Needless to say I loved Parasite Eve, so much that I actually battled through the 77 floors of the Chrysler Building in the new game plus mode and fought the secret boss. | Michael Higham
Spyro The Dragon (September 9, 1998)
I'll always remember the first time I played Spyro The Dragon. It was on a PlayStation Underground Jampack demo disc I bought for my oldest brother as a Christmas gift. The moment I booted it up, I was quickly enamored by its fantastical world populated by dragons, gnorcs, and all sorts of mischievous creatures. Spyro was an appealing protagonist, who was unlike any I had encountered in any 3D platformer up to that point; after all, who didn't love dragons as a kid? Furthermore, Spyro was a joy to play as: I loved ramming into unsuspecting enemies, roasting sheep with his fire breath, and gliding across large chasms. Unfortunately, I was only playing a demo of the game, and after a half year of replaying the same levels over and over, I could only bare so much not experiencing the full game.
Luckily, I had a friend in school who happened to own a copy of Spyro the Dragon. In exchange for my copy of Crash Bandicoot 1, he allowed me to borrow it for a couple weeks. I played the game to death within that brief span of time, trying to awaken as many dragon statues as I possibly could. Given the constraint of my situation, I eventually had to resort to the game's level select code to experience all that it had to offer. When my time with Spyro the Dragon finally ran out, I was gutted. As a seven-year old with very little money, I couldn't afford my own copy, and any ambitions to purchase it were eventually squashed when games--like Metal Gear Solid, Ape Escape, and Spyro's eventual sequel, Ripto's Rage--were starting to draw my attention. It wasn't until recently that I actually purchased the first Spyro the Dragon for my own collection.
To this day, the game still manages to hold up thanks to its quirky visuals and diverse level design. While future entries in the series would iterate upon its best qualities in more meaningful ways, the first still holds a special place in my heart. I'm crossing my fingers that all these rumors about a Spyro the Dragon HD collection are real. Speaking from the Spyro-loving seven-year old still within me, it would be a dream come true. | Matt Espineli
Yes, Pokemon's 20th anniversary was technically in 2016. But 1998 was the year Pokemon came to North America and Australia, setting off a global phenomenon that is still going strong.
Kanto is a tricky region, filled with annoying Zubat and unforgiving stretches with no Pokemon Centers in sight. The games have since gotten easier, but looking back, we all figured out how to become Champions in Red and Blue somehow. There's just something about that first journey that's never quite left our consciousness, whether it was the fervor over finding the first-generation in Pokemon Go or the excitement about Alola variants of those Pokemon in Sun and Moon. These were the games that got us talking, got us trading, and created lifelong fans, and it's worth celebrating their 20th a second time just for that.
I admittedly played Red and Blue late. The anime and card game arrived in the US in '98, and my neighbor got me hooked on the cards almost immediately. But as a five-year-old girl, I straight-up did not realize that it was acceptable play games on a Game Boy. I watched the anime religiously until Crystal, the first Pokemon game where you could play as a girl, came out, and then I fell in love with the games and went back to the first generation only to find that those games were for me, too.
Though it didn't seem that way to me at first, Pokemon is special because it really is for everyone. A young kid can jump in and figure the game out and catch all the Pokemon they possibly can, and a more experienced RPG player can find a surprising amount of depth to its systems. You can collect all the Pokemon and only use the strongest in battle, or you can train your favorites just because they're cool or cute. It's cliche, of course, but Pokemon is a world where you can do anything as long as your have your friends with you--and it's been that way since the very beginning. | Kallie Plagge
Fallout 2 (September 30, 1998)
Ok, really talk: I'm 25 years old so Fallout 2 came out when I was 5. It was only when Fallout 3 had been announced that I wanted to see what all the fuss was about and played though the original games.
While computer RPGs of old feel slower, demand more from the player, or have some archaic systems, the best still hold up in their writing, world building, and role playing. In this regards Fallout 2 held up incredibly well for me.
It's with Fallout 2 that the series' post-apocalyptic world really hit its stride. The residents of the wasteland formed full on organizations like the New California Republic or the Enclave, which is made-up of the remnants of the old United States Government. Talking with this faction, learning their ideals and goals, is a major part of the game and plays into the reputation system. It's here in Fallout 2 that the familiar Fallout iconography in Fallout 3 and 4 are defined. Affecting the outcome of the wasteland in both small and large ways feels significant thanks to the game's massive variety of endings. For my money Fallout 2 still stands as the best-written game in the whole series.
The disbandment of the original studio, Black Isle, along with Bethesda taking the reins of the franchise left people worried there would never be a true successor to Fallout 2. However its legacy lives on in Fallout: New Vegas, which is in many ways a direct sequel to Fallout 2, and in games like Wasteland 2 that to deliver hardcore gameplay and dense RPG mechanics. | Jean-Luc Seipke
Metal Gear Solid (October 21, 1998)
1998's Metal Gear Solid wasn't Hideo Kojima's first game (Metal Gear or otherwise) but it was the game that made him a household name. Though meager, the 3D capabilities of PlayStation allowed him to inject a new grade of storytelling into his team's work, and with great attention paid to frame composition and character dialogue, Metal Gear Solid paved the way for a new grade of cinematic storytelling in video games.
Despite owning and enjoying the original Metal Gear on NES, I somehow didn't realize that Metal Gear Solid was shaping up to be the milestone game we know it as today. But, all it took was one lazy afternoon at a friend's house for me to realize what a fool I'd missed: Metal Gear Solid was something new; something that I wouldn't soon forget. It struck a tone that was both serious and absurd, and offered the most refined stealth gameplay on consoles to date. I was immediately drawn to the wide array of tools available to Solid Snake, and of course, the over-the-top cutscenes and codec calls.
While impressive, Metal Gear Solid's filmic qualities were but one piece of the overall puzzle. The stealth-focused action game also delivered numerous memorable boss encounters, beit the fight against the memory card-reading Psycho Mantis, or the calculated and exacting Sniper Wolf face off. These larger-than-life antagonists propped up our equally over-the-top hero, not unlike the villains in classic Bond films.
Metal Gear Solid was also the debut of Liquid Snake, Solid's clone-brother. This revelation laid the foundation for a tastefully convoluted storyline that would become the basis for future Metal Gear Solid games, and the fact that Liquid masqueraded as a previously known character for most of the game--presenting himself as Master Miller--was an excellent twist in its own right.
Metal Gear Solid remains enjoyable today, twenty years after its debut. It's no doubt rough around the edges in some respects, and future Metal Gear Solid games have added layers of new mechanics that make the original look primitive in hindsight, but there's no denying that Kojima and his team were on to something special way back when. | Peter Brown
Grim Fandango (October 30, 1998)
It all started with a demo disc my dad received with one of the '90s PC gaming magazines. On that disc was a demo for a 3D adventure game called Grim Fandango. It let you play a small section from the first year of the game. After my first playthrough I was hooked! I had lost count of how many times I beat it and my father had definitely noticed.
I came home from school one day to find the full game on our family computer desk and I installed it without hesitation. I played until I woke my parents up at four in the morning and they sent me to bed because I had school in 3 hours. This continued until I had gotten to the end of the game, and a moment I'll never forget. I had gotten up early, knowing I was close to the end of the game. I was not prepared for what I was about to experience. For the first time in my life a video game had made me cry.
I had just finished watching the last cutscene and the credits were rolling as my dad came out of his room and he saw me sitting in front of the computer with tears on my face. He asked me what had happened and if I was alright but all I could do was sit silently as the names scrolled by. Eventually I looked at him and said "I am glad they have a happy ending, but I feel sad because I feel like they are gone." That was when it hit me, the time I had spent with the 55 characters on my 4 year journey made me look at all of them as weird, virtual friends that I cared deeply about.
I love that I can visit all of my old friends in Grim Fandango Remastered and everything is as wonderful as I remember it. I will never forget the impact Grim Fandango had on me. It is still one of my favorite games of all time. | Ben Janca
Crash Bandicoot Warped (November 4, 1998)
Warped is Crash's third adventure, but it was the first one I played. I've never forgotten the first time I grabbed Aku Aku and heard that signature "oogah boogah!" stinger...or when I almost immediately lost that mask and got cartoonishly chopped in half by a dorky-looking knight.
It's humor like this that makes Crash Bandicoot's platforming stand out from the crowd. Challenging jumps can only take a platformer so far: it's the personality I remember, not the layouts of every level. That personality extends to the game's bosses too. Warped is the first time we encounter the flamethrowing Aussie Dingodile, and he's impossible to forget.
Warped marries this goofy tone with genuinely great level design. The six worlds are full of courses inspired by the Great Wall of China, Ancient Egypt, and even a crazy techno future. Developer Naughty Dog also managed to nail the actual gameplay in these levels too, more so than it did with the first two Crash games. Mechanically, things just feel right, whether you're leaping over gaps, racing on motorbikes, or steering a submarine. If you were to revisit the trilogy now (the N. Sane collection will do nicely), Warped would stand tall as the Crash that looks, and more importantly, plays best. | Tony Wilson
Half-Life (November 19, 1998)
The original Half-Life is a game that was known for its innovative and exciting storytelling. Without ever breaking from its first-person perspective, it gave what would be an otherwise by the numbers FPS alien-invasion story a surreal and weirdly personal experience. It's the one game I wish I could have experienced in 1998.
The first time I saw Half-Life was in an issue of Next Generation magazine. Those pictures were taken from an early version of the game which ultimately wouldn't see the light of day. Back then, Gordon Freeman looked more like a bulky lumberjack--complete with a full beard--stuffed into an even bulkier yellow diving suit. It looked dorky, it looked cheesy, but I loved it. During the late 90s, my parents owned a rather basic PC that could go online, read email, and play the occasional videogame--but Half-Life wasn't one of them. Plus, I was only 11 years old and had no business playing a gory video game.
Years later, I was able to get my own PC and play the game in all its glory, just in time for Half-Life 2 to release. While it took me awhile to play it--and it really didn't age all that well at the time--I was still engaged and blown away by how well put together the experience was. Even with a rather abrupt ending, playing Half-Life was a great time. One that felt even more satisfying because of how long I had to wait for it. | Alessandro Fillari
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (November 23, 1998)
The first thing I remember thinking after playing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the first time was, "What the heck...why can't I jump!?"
I didn't quite trust Nintendo to actually know when I'd want to jump. I imagined inadvertently running off cliffs or falling into water, but the context-sensitive leaping in Ocarina just worked. When I ran for a ledge, I had to momentarily turn off that internal 2D gaming instinct that wanted to push a button, any button. But once I got the hang of it, not being able to jump felt incredibly natural. It has since become so ingrained that being able to jump at will in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild caught me off guard.
That's a weird thing to call out for a game that had an immense impact on the action-adventure genre. Ocarina was the next chapter in what has always been my favorite franchise, and I still remember the rousing musical score, the screen-filling bosses. And the water temple...I'll never lose those mental scars from the water temple.
But I'll also never forget how Ocarina of Time changed up the narrative for the entire world of Hyrule, introducing a larger backstory for Ganon and a more powerful, self-reliant version of Zelda. Ocarina of Time elevated The Legend of Zelda from what was a solid, interesting part of Nintendo's pantheon into the gaming essential today that everyone should experience at least once. And most importantly, it taught me that, even if it seems counter-intuitive and uncomfortable, you can trust Nintendo to turn seemingly quirky design ideas into something extraordinary. | Justin Haywald
Thief: The Dark Project (November 30, 1998)
Thief: The Dark Project completely opened my eyes to what a video game could be. It showed me how avoiding conflict could be as heart-pounding as engaging in it. It was the first game that made light and sound important--stay hidden in the shadows, be careful what surfaces you walk on. Watch guard patrol patterns closely, and move only when necessary. It was a game that rewarded you for going out of your way to leave your enemies be, or at worst, use non-lethal techniques and hide the body--a habit that I've carried with me till this day.
Its optional tools and multiple solutions taught me to think about things in different ways. If I forgot to bring lockpick with me, I could track down the guard with the key, or maybe I could use a rope and find an entirely different solution to the problem. I could use elements like water to douse torches and create a more advantageous situation for myself, or even use it to clean up the blood of an unfortunate mistake.
Playing Thief and seeing these kind of possibilities was a real mind-expanding moment, and it's surprising to think that was twenty years ago. It's hard for me to think of many examples that have had the same level impact on me outside of the Dishonored series (though Deus Ex, Hitman, and Prey scratched some of those itches). It was way ahead of its time, defined what a good stealth game should be, and birthed some genuinely forward-thinking, innovative ideas. Thief and its immediate sequel, Thief II: The Metal Age, are seminal games that should never be forgotten, deserve far more acclaim, and should absolutely be replayed if you have the chance. | Edmond Tran
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (December 3, 1998)
Growing up as a fan of Star Wars, I was always drawn to the various ships and warcraft on both sides of the Empire/Rebel conflict. While there was a time when I could enjoy games like X-Wing vs Tie Fighter on PC, the limited first-person cockpit views made me feel oddly detached from the sci-fi contraptions I'd long admired.
But when Factor 5's Rogue Squadron appeared on Nintendo 64, I was all in. The fast-paced flight sim let me marvel at the vehicles I loved while piloting them, too. I got to drive a snowspeeder and take down AT ATs on Hoth, and fly an X-Wing on during the Jade Moon mission, blowing up enemy bases under a blanket of stars. Rogue Squadron made me feel like an active participant in the Star Wars Saga--something no game until that point had actually managed.
Though the action is somewhat tame by modern standards, revisiting Roque Squadron today is a reminder of how much the best Star Wars games owe to developer Factor 5's first attempt. It also highlights how much better the team got at their craft. They would go on to develop Rogue Squadron II and III for Gamecube, which, if we're honest, are far and away more impressive, and definitely worth your time if you've got the equipment to boot them up. | Peter Brown
Baldur's Gate (December 21, 1998)
When it comes to classic Western role-playing games rooted in Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Baldur's Gate is the first thing that comes to mind. We've had Dragon Age: Origins, Divinity: Original Sin II, and Neverwinter Nights since then, but the influence of Baldur's Gate is abundantly clear. BioWare was still in its early days, but the developer laid the foundation for computer RPGs with deep character creation and hefty player agency through dialogue options to keep you engaged.
Baldur's Gate represents one of the biggest challenges with my time playing cRPGs; wrapping my head around its complex systems and overcoming the worry of min-maxing. And when I was able to overcome that, I found myself hacking and slashing through its sprawling maps and numerous locations. It's a party-based RPG, but its story revolves around you and is heavily conveyed via text. Baldur's Gate is sometimes intimidating for those who are turned off by having to read, but controlling your fate and cleverly commanding your companions throughout Sword Coast made even the less exciting parts worth working through.
A re-release called Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition came to PC in 2012, and although it has its fair share of shortcomings, it's still the most accessible way to revisit one of the most important RPGs ever made. | Michael Higham
Despite ending their Resident Evil 7 playthrough on a note of uncertainty, Mary and Mike are back with Resident Kinevil.
Following the first-person mechanics of the series' most recent entry, Code: Veronica marks a return to fixed cameras and tank controls for Mary. It also proves to be one of the more challenging Resident Evil games, especially in the first several minutes. Let's just say: things don't exactly go according to plan.
To get up to date on Mary and Mike's playthrough of the Resident Evil games, you can visit the show page here, or its YouTube channel here. It's been a long road, and as of now, there's no end in sight. Don't say you didn't ask for this.
The latest trailer for Avengers: Infinity War is here. The upcoming film, which will be the longest Marvel movie to date, has all the heroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the Guardians of the Galaxy. Together, they'll join forces to fight the evil Thanos. The villainous space titan is trying to collect all of the Infinity Stones in order to rule the universe. Can the Marvel heroes join forces and work together in order to defeat this threat?
There is a lot going on in this new trailer, so we're breaking it all down to figure out what's going on in the new film and a few of the Easter eggs the trailer dropped as well. In addition, the trailer introduced us to a few new bad guys who work alongside Thanos, one of which could be played by Peter Dinklage.
If you're interested to see what happened to the rest of the heroes before the film, make sure to check out "Avengers Infinity War: Where Is Everyone?" However, we're still not sure where Hawkeye and Ant-Man are, as they don't appear in this trailer.
Avengers: Infinity War comes to theaters on April 27. The film is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the team behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War. Infinity War will be the first of two Avengers films directed by the Russos, which will completely change the landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it. Let's breakdown what's going on in this new Infinity War trailer.
The trailer opens with an object entering the atmosphere above New York City. Gamora, the adopted daughter of Thanos, provides voice over as Bruce Banner, Black Widow, and War Machine look towards the sky: "The entire time I knew him, he only ever had one goal: to wipe out half the universe."
Gamora continues: "If he gets all the Infinity Stones, he can do it with the snap of his fingers."
Thanos adds the Space Stone to his Infinity Gauntlet, which he acquires somehow from Loki, who obtained it after the events of Thor: Ragnarok. Thanos already has the Power Stone in the Gauntlet, which was in the possession of the Nova Corps, but the mad titan has apparently already relieved them of it.
There is a quick shot of Peter Parker hanging onto the side of a bus, and he puts his Spider-Man mask on. He's still using the first suit Tony Stark game to him, so this shot is most likely from earlier in the film. The real question we have is "Was the training wheels protocol turned off?"
Villains sure do love attacking New York City, don't they? In a quick scene, we see a circular object in the background. We've seen this in the past, as Spider-Man was traversing one in the previous trailer. It's called a Q-Ship, but what is its purpose?
Groot Jr. is a baby no more. The son of the original Groot is now in his tween years, so he'll most likely be a bit more handy in battle. This is the only time we see Groot in the trailer.
Thanos looks best with his helmet on. The mad titan is somewhere in the universe, and it's apparent from the smoke billowing behind him that he is on the attack.
We quickly learn that this is essentially Gamora's origin story. Thanos comes to her planet, attacks, and takes the child with him. During consecutive shots, we see other green-skinned aliens standing behind the Chitauri guards. The bizarre takeaway from this moment is how willing Gamora seems to be to go alone with Thanos.
Within the trailer, there are a few scenes that show the true brutality and strength of Thanos. Above, you can see Thanos crushing Thor's head, and we have never seen Thor in that much pain in any of the films he's appeared in. Despite the fact he's the "second strongest Avenger," according to Tony Stark's computer (Thor: Ragnarok), he seems no match for Thanos.
Get ready for a new batch of bad guys. Accompanied by Loki, who has most likely turned on the heroes again, this is the Black Order--originally called Cull Obsidian in the comics. They are a group of Thanos's generals who are sent to Earth to destroy it. The team, which also goes by the name of "Midnight Slaughter," is made of up Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Black Dwarf (now called Cull Obsidian) and Ebony Maw. The character Supergiant is not pictured, and we're not sure if she's in the movie or not.
We quickly see Thanos crushing the Tesseract, which contains the Space Stone. Maybe Loki didn't betray the Avengers. Maybe this was all self-preservation as Thanos has been tracking the Infinity Stones, and Loki just happened to have one.
It looks like a lot of this movie takes place in Wakanda. We see Steve Rogers, Black Widow, Bruce Banner, James Rhodes, Sam Wilson, Vision, and Scarlet Witch all arriving together. During Civil War, they were fighting each other, so it's pretty obvious that the threat of Thanos has brought them all together. In addition, James Rhodes (War Machine) is wearing something around his waist and on his legs that helps him walk again, as he was injured by Vision in Civil War.
There is an overhead shot of what we can assume is the Chitauri attacking Wakanda. However, Wakanda's technology is incredibly advanced, and the city's force field seem to be holding up well to attack. Why is Wakanda being attacked though? Our guess is that the last Infinity Stone, the Soul Stone, resides in the country.
Much like Thor, Doctor Strange finds himself being dominated by someone during battle, with blades piercing his face. We have a pretty good feeling one of the Black Order is doing this to Doctor Strange, especially from the shot that follows.
Here's a closeup of Black Order member Ebony Maw. He is a master of manipulation and can affect people's minds with "webs" that give him information about that person's secrets. In addition, he can control them with these mind webs as well. Since he tends to avoid confrontation, he sends others to do his dirty work.
Finally, there is a shot of Captain America taking on Thanos, one on one. Rogers stops Thanos from crushing him with his giant hand, and Thanos gives him a confused look. Is it because Rogers is stronger than he appears or is Thanos confused as to why someone weaker than him is physically fighting back?
We'll learn more once Avengers: Infinity War comes to theaters on April 27.
The Yakuza franchise is over a decade old, and in that time, its feature set has predictably grown. Over six mainline entries, free-roam areas became more substantial, additional playable protagonists were introduced, combat mechanics were expanded to incorporate multiple fighting styles, and more and more minigames were steadily piled on. Surprisingly, the latest installment goes the other way, discarding components that certainly won't go unnoticed by series devotees. But that doesn't end up being a bad thing, because Yakuza 6: The Song of Life successfully uses its smaller footprint to create a deeper, more meaningful impression.
The final installment in Kazuma Kiryu's story focuses on him alone, with the plot seeing the large cast of series-significant characters like Majima, Saejima, Daigo, and the children of Sunflower Orphanage make only the briefest of appearances before being tidied away. Adopted daughter Haruka, sympathetic detective Date, and hobo-turned-loan broker Akiyama play important parts, but exist on the fringes. The Song of Life centers on Kiryu as he returns from another long stint in prison, separated from the Tojo Clan, and unravels the mystery of an infant who's suddenly come into his care. The setup distinctly echoes the events of the first game, a seemingly purposeful decision which lets The Song Of Life act as a fitting refrain, giving Kiryu's final sojourn a roundness that brings a nice sense of closure to his series arc.
His investigations bring him to the port town of Onomichi, Hiroshima, where he encounters a lowly blue-collar crime family led by an aging, but supposedly legendary yakuza portrayed by Takeshi "Beat" Kitano (a yakuza film icon in his own right, though his subtle mannerisms don't completely survive the transition). While the game unsurprisingly spirals into a complex and dramatic story involving underworld political alliances, age-old conspiracies, and a healthy dose of deception, what's ultimately memorable are the threads and character developments that explore what becomes a very significant, widespread theme: family. Kiryu's time meeting new people from different walks of life in a closely-knit small town has him reflecting on remarkably ordinary ideas as they exist in different facets of society--bonds of friendship in the face of adversity, loyalty in times of uncertainty, and caring for your ward as a parental figure.
These themes resonate consistently throughout the better part of Yakuza 6's narrative, and this includes the numerous, optional substories. You'll help children and parents resolve conflicts and try to understand each other's point of view. You'll see Kiryu finding true strength and loyalty in the smallest of gestures, along with the different ways friends and strangers can support one another. The writing in these stories is often corny, but that doesn't mean there isn't an endearing sincerity that regularly shines through. When the sentimental piano melody kicks in during pivotal scenes of moralistic resolution, it's hard not to be swept up by it all. The series' penchant for goofiness still exists, though it doesn't return to Yakuza 0's ludicrous levels of absurdity. Particularly memorable substories are ones which humorously explore Kiryu's unfamiliarity and disdain towards modern technology like drones, robot vacuums, and YouTubers. But even the game's most comedic series of quests, which involve Kiryu dressing up as Onomichi's adorable character mascot (who has an orange for a head and a fish for a purse) ends up becoming a touching reflection about having loyalty in town pride.
These heartwarming stories are also a key component of Yakuza 6's new minigames. There are less of these side activities than previous entries, but much of what's included is more robust than usual, and in many cases, the substories attached to them are enjoyable enough to stop the simple mechanics from wearing thin too quickly. Spear Fishing is a score-based on-rails shooter that finds Kiryu helping an injured fisherman and orphaned fishmonger track down the shark that ruined their lives. The Onomichi Baseball League involves some light team management, pinch-hitting, and player scouting, but the story of Kiryu rallying a team of no-hopers is what really makes the whole affair great. The Snack Bar minigame stands out as a real highlight in this regard. It involves attempting to become a regular in a small, Cheers-style local's bar where Kiryu tries to forge personal relationships with a group of relatively unextraordinary, blue-collar folk. Its key mechanic is participating in group conversations where one patron has a vent about their woes, and Kiryu's role is to help provide supportive dialogue and refrain from saying anything selfish or dumb. It's lovely to see Kiryu try to resolve everyday, down-to-earth dilemmas and provide genuine acceptance and friendship.
Conversely, there's the incredibly involved Clan Creator Mode, which sees Kiryu unwittingly intervening in a war between youth gangs (whose leaders include real-world New Japan Pro Wrestlers, because why not). Taking leadership of one of these groups, you'll help Kiryu scout for soldiers, organize hierarchy, and participate in simple, real-time strategy-style street battles. You'll take a bird's eye view in skirmishes, where you can dispatch autonomous grunts as well as a limited number of leader characters with special abilities. Clan Creator is Yakuza 6's most substantial minigame, boasting online network functions that let you compete against other players, tackle daily missions and participate in a ranked ladder. Unfortunately, it's also the most tedious to play. Victory strategies stem entirely from massing as many troops as possible and grinding missions to keep your leaders at a capable level. Battles don't really become challenging until the many substory missions are already done, and even then, the strategy more or less stays identical. For a mode with such ambitious scope, its mechanics and relatively uninspired plot--which mainly seems concerned with spotlighting its celebrity guests--aren't satisfying enough to make the long ride enjoyable.
Elsewhere, the Club Sega arcade once again offers playable classics like Super Hang-On and Outrun, but there's also complete, multiplayer-capable versions of puzzle action favorite Puyo Puyo, and the seminal Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, both robust offerings in their own right. Mahjong is back, a gym offers track-and-field-style minigames for above average experience gains, karaoke and a cat cafe provide enjoyable distractions, and a simple-to-master darts minigame features a substory that lets you take on a real-world darts legend.
Yakuza 6 also maintains the series convention of including more titillating pursuits. Cabaret clubs return, with a choice of six hostesses for Kiryu to woo through conversation minigames. Also notable is the particularly risque Live Chat, a minigame which sees you pay money to watch live-action webcam shows (featuring real-world AV idols, no less), while hitting button prompts to progress to the point where you can watch the models strip their clothes off and moan suggestively. The unambiguous objectification of women in these minigames continues to make their inclusion uncomfortable in their own right. Their presence does truthfully reflect prominent parts of the real-world Japanese nightlife and adult industries, but these kinds of minigames have always perpetuated an unbelievable inconsistency of character for Kiryu. There's a conflict between the canonical depiction of him as a strong, stoic, honorable saint, and a version who is a creepy, bumbling pervert. After ten years, it's still hard to believe Kiryu is someone looking to build a harem as big as the orphanage he owns, who madly exclaims "BOOOBS" and "IT'S GROWING" when a woman takes her top off. These activities do have their moments, though--the text-based quips of Live Chat participants can sometimes be laugh-out-loud funny, and courting hostesses mean you get to see additional, phenomenally good karaoke videos. But in the grand scheme of Yakuza 6, where heartfelt themes pervade all of Kiryu's character interactions, these minigames feel like distant outliers.
The iconic red-light district of Kamurocho still plays a big part in the story, though it has a noticeably smaller area size this time around. You'll still feel at home if you've visited the area before, but there is a significantly disappointing lack of access to the Champion District and Park Boulevard areas. However, the distinct sense of a vibrant, bustling city still remains, and that's amplified by what feels like a more detailed and densely populated world. Walking around in the first-person mode is enough for you to appreciate all the surface level intricacies and changes, and there's a new element of verticality with increased rooftop access. But there are also some great advancements in the way the city invites you to engage with it.
Yakuza 6 now rewards you for interacting with the world in a way that previous games didn't. Eating at the game's many restaurants, which was previously really only worth doing if you needed a health boost, is now the most convenient way to rack up experience points to spend in the game's extensive upgrade system, though you're limited by a new stomach capacity meter. Purchasing and drinking beverages from one of the numerous vending machines around the world will give you cheap, temporary combat buffs. Every mini-game, from the batting cages to playing a round of Space Harrier will also earn you experience. The result is that slowing down and taking your time to soak in the atmosphere of the city will benefit you, and the world is no longer just a pretty path for you to run down to get to your next objective. Now, you don't necessarily have to feel guilty for letting yourself be distracted by Mahjong for hours.
Onomichi, Hiroshima is a region that is larger than previous accompanying locales have been, although the sleepy port town is a much quieter, more unassuming area than Kamurocho. Situated by the seaside, cute greenery arrangements line its single-story businesses, an above-ground train splits the area, and narrow pedestrian walkways snake up the steep hills, leading to an impressive temple with spectacular views. It's a charming, authentic-feeling recreation of the more tranquil parts of Japan, which both you and Kiryu learn to cherish. The town's relaxed atmosphere and characters exemplify the Song of Life's wholehearted themes.
Of course, in order to keep that tranquillity, sometimes you need to pound a few dirtbags into the ground, and the game's updated combat system follows its philosophy of slimming and focussing. Gone are the variable fighting disciplines introduced in Yakuza 0--the Kiryu of Yakuza 6 is equipped only with an expanded version of his signature brawling style, perhaps another refrain to the series' beginnings. It still maintains its characteristic weight and rigidity, but there are additional factors that make the act of fighting feel more fluid than it's been in the past, turning encounters as a whole into more dynamic and exciting experiences.
Enemy mobs are larger in The Song of Life, and crowd control takes a more prominent focus because of that. Set-piece fights that make up central story moments regularly see Kiryu and his companions go up against dozens upon dozens of enemies at once--a ratio that is frequently amusing. As a result, the properties of Kiryu's attacks have been altered. His throwing maneuver swings a victim around before letting them fly. Each combo string now allows him to execute two finishing blows as a default, and the second typically lunges forward with a wide attack radius. Starting a hard-hitting combo with some wise positioning means that Kiryu can feel like a human wrecking ball as he cleaves and plows through a group of assailants. You can frequently create domino effects that send enemies crashing into each other, and thanks to the game's new physics engine, into environmental objects like rows of bicycles, through glass windows, and potentially, into stores and restaurants.
That's the most significant change to combat--it now benefits from seamless transitions between world exploration and battles. Getting into a fight on the street no longer means coming to a jarring halt for a few seconds while a splash screen pops and civilians gather to restrict you to a small area. Fights now have the potential to move through the city and into areas like stairwells, rooftops, convenience stores, restaurants, and a handful of other accessible building interiors. It also means you have the opportunity to make a break for it if you're not in the mood to throw down. The dynamism and uninterrupted flow this gives to Yakuza's combat is a real wonder, and means that random battles are less likely to eventually devolve into monotony, as they could in past games. You could be strolling down the street, leisurely drinking a can of Boss coffee or taking a selfie in front of the cat cafe, and a gang of thugs can suddenly interrupt you, forcing you into a tight stairway brawl that eventually spills out onto a rooftop. Or, you might try to run and hide in a convenience store, unsuccessfully, and find yourself destroying shelves and sending snacks flying until you put an end to the chaos by slamming a thug's head into a microwave--just don't expect the clerk to serve you afterward. Combat in Yakuza 6 is exciting, and the situations you might find yourself in positively echo the kinds of scrappy, tense struggles you see so commonly in East Asian gangster films.
Another sticking point is one that's been present in all of the game's iterations--the inconsistent visual presentation. While the scenes that deliver pivotal plot events are absolutely spectacular--with uncannily lifelike character models, dramatic cinematography, and exceptional Japanese language performances--scenes that present lesser moments, like substories, are a dramatic drop in quality. As in previous games, they feature far less detailed character models and wooden, sometimes non-existent animation. Static camera angles also play a big part in aggravating their dullness. Substories make up a significant part of Yakuza games, so the low-end visuals continue to be an unfortunate blemish. Yakuza 6 is also entirely voice-acted for the first time in the series, and because the performances go a long way in enhancing the humorous and earnest moments these missions can contain, it's a shame that the presentation doesn't go to the same efforts.
Yakuza 6 reins in its scope, but doubles down on what has made the series great. It's a unique and fascinating representation of the modern Japanese experience, worth playing even if you're a newcomer. The narrative is dramatic and sincere, and the game's endearing characters--coming from all walks of life--are interesting studies. The world is dense and rewarding to exist in, the dynamic combat system stays exciting even after you've kicked the crap out of five thousand enemies, and perhaps most importantly, Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life serves as a fulfilling conclusion to the turbulent, decade-long saga of its beloved icon, Kazuma Kiryu.
Street Fighter V has begun its Monster Hunter World crossover event, offering a rad alternate Ken costume in exchange for going on a very Monster-Hunter-like quest for armor pieces. The ultimate result will be a Rathalos Armor set, but you'll have to take part in special events every week through April 12 to unlock it all.
Completing the armor will work much like it does in Monster Hunter World. You'll need to collect each piece to finish the whole set. Each piece will be available in Extra Battle Mode on a rotating basis every week. This week, the boots are available. Next it will be the gauntlets, then chest-piece, and finally, the helmet. Once you've gotten all four pieces you'll unlock the alternate costume.
This is the third and final announced Street Fighter 5 crossover, after Ibuki and R. Mika received similar monster duds. There's a catch: each attempt at one of the challenges costs 2,500 in Fight Money per attempt. Assuming you can finish them all in one try, it will cost you 10,000 FM. If you need to retry some of the challenges, it could be significantly more.
The Monster Hunter series is well known for its crossovers with other famous video game franchises, and World offered a special Horizon: Zero Dawn crossover costume soon after launch. Just recently it detailed plans for its Mega Man crossover event, and announced a Devil May Cry event will be following sometime after. For most of its lifespan these extras seemed like a nice way to reward fans and raise interest in the niche RPG franchise. Now that Monster Hunter World is breaking company sales records, it may just be the other way around.
Grand Theft Auto V can be a visual showpiece on a PC at max settings, thanks to its well-realized world and sheer impressive scope. But what if you took all those standout graphical features and made them awful? What nightmarish body horror would ensue? Unfortunately, we now know the answer.
On this episode of Potato Mode, Joey and Rob intentionally muck up the city of Los Santos. The pair start by turning all the graphical settings down as low as possible, but the result is a surprisingly decent-looking version of the game. Not content to accept defeat in their quest to destroy beautiful things, they start editing background files to manually edit the level-of-detail settings. And that's when things get weird.
From N64-like textures and fog to cars disappearing into the ground to character models becoming faceless clay-beasts, this particular tour of the fair city is not for the faint of heart. It all ends up the only place it could end: at a strip club, where the talent has morphed into vaguely human, vaguely naked blobs.
Avengers: Infinity War dropped its official trailer today, and right on cue movie ticketing sites have flung open their virtual doors to pre-sales. Fandango and AMC have both begun taking ticket orders for the April 27 premiere, with competing tchotchkes for using their services.
Fandango users can choose one of five stylized posters from artist Kaz Oomori, while AMC viewers who catch the first 3D viewing at 6 PM will get a collectible coin displaying the Avengers logo and Infinity Gauntlet. You can check out the range of posters and the collectible coin below.
Infinity War is the culmination of Marvel's years-long cinematic universe. It brings in a veritable gaggle of heroes from across various Marvel cinematic properties into one film to fight their looming big-bad, the space warlord Thanos. The story will be based on the Infinity War comic series from the early 1990s, and Marvel films have been hinting heavily at this ultimate story direction since Thanos appeared in a cameo in the post-credits sequence of the first Avengers film.
The new trailer (above) shows several characters across the Marvel spectrum interacting for the first time, like Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. The comics were similarly chock full of heroes, but it being a large event book against a foe with god-like powers, that also meant some high-profile deaths. We expect the movie to follow suit, so prepare yourselves accordingly. You can check out our trailer breakdown of all the easter eggs while you wait for the big day.
Square Enix is holding a sale on Nintendo's Eshop, offering discounts on several Switch and 3DS games, including a few surprisingly recent ones. The headliner of the group is Lost Sphear, which released less than two months ago. It is discounted to $35 from the usual $50.
We had a lukewarm reaction to Lost Sphear, having enjoyed the strategic combat options but finding it too overstuffed with busywork. It was the second retro throwback from Square's new Tokyo RPG Factory, after I Am Setsuna–which had similar ups and downs. The standout of the group on the GameSpot scale is Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, which we felt was a charming and unique tribute to the series' iconic music.
The new Tomb Raider is a pretty good action movie and a better than average video game adaptation, with a stunning performance from Oscar winner Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft. What really elevates it, though, are a couple of extremely specific story and design decisions that set it apart from all its contemporaries, from Indiana Jones and Uncharted to past Tomb Raider games and movies.
To say exactly where the story goes that makes Tomb Raider so unique would be a spoiler, but let's just say it stays surprisingly grounded.
That's a word you can apply to more or less the whole movie. Much of the action is heightened to unbelievable proportions, though no more so than in the 2013 Tomb Raider game, which was widely praised for its "gritty realism." The movie is a direct adaptation of that game, and it more than does it justice, even surpassing it in many ways.
Like the 2013 game (which itself was a major series reboot), the 2018 Tomb Raider movie follows a younger, less experienced Lara Croft in an origin story that sees her transforming by necessity into the skilled adventurer who gamers know and love. The film does a great job providing plausible explanations for Lara's many talents; as a young bicycle courier and amateur MMA fighter in London, Lara has the reflexes and athleticism she'll later use to scale rock walls and parkour her way through ancient tombs. And Vikander totally sells every punch, leap, and plunge, her amazingly chiseled muscles flexing and straining impressively throughout the movie.
Lara's father, Lord Richard Croft (Dominic West), has been missing for several years when we catch up with her in the movie. But she hasn't yet signed the papers that would give her control of his vast business empire and wealthy estate, out of a combination of determined independence and a stubborn refusal to admit he really isn't coming back. When she discovers new clues to where he disappeared to, she pawns what little she has (to a very funny Nick Frost) and hurls herself headlong in search of him.
That means heading to coastal Asia, where she tracks down (a little too easily, but whatever) the same boat that her dad chartered seven years earlier. She convinces the captain, Lu Ren (the underused but great Daniel Wu), to take her to the dangerous Devil's Sea, where her father's been stranded alongside the ruthless mercenary Mathias Vogel (the perfectly despicable Walton Goggins).
Tomb Raider suffers slightly from trying to cram too much in. It's stuffed full of action sequences, at least one of which probably should have been cut (the early chase scene where some kids rob her, maybe?). There's a cold open featuring her dad's voiceover explaining the mythology of the deadly Japanese goddess Himiko as maps and etchings scroll by on the screen, a tedious info dump that, incredibly, is then repeated later in the film when she uncovers all his research. And while the movie spends plenty of time establishing Lara as a character, it spends considerably less on the villain, Vogel, who remains fairly two-dimensional despite some quick lines about wanting to get off the island and see his family again.
Any empathy you might have felt for Vogel is derailed when he compares Lara to his daughters while being extremely creepy toward her. Thankfully, Lara is never explicitly threatened with sexual violence in this movie, which you might consider an improvement from some of the game's more ambiguous scenes. On the other hand, when a lone young woman is being hunted and restrained by multiple beefy, exclusively male bad guys, the implication--the possibility it might happen, despite it being unstated--remains. Some viewers might find it disappointing that Tomb Raider doesn't totally overcome that subtext, while others will simply consider it realistic.
But even when this movie threatens to sink in some areas, Vikander buoys the whole thing up admirably. The Ex Machina and The Danish Girl actress clearly put an incredible amount of physical work into making this character believable. It paid off in action scenes that feel just possible enough, even when they verge on unbelievable. Many of these, including a harrowing trip down river rapids toward a towering waterfall, are ripped straight from the game, to which the movie owes a great deal. Seeing them play out onscreen is fun for game fans, but they're not done simply for the sake of lip service, and non-gaming moviegoers should be just as engrossed.
Vikander also brings her considerable emotional range to the role, lending Lara the right amounts of vulnerability and raw feeling when required. Her ability to switch from a young woman who misses her father to a stealthy bow-wielding killing machine--and back again, multiple times--is impressive.
Her general skepticism, too, plays a huge part in grounding this movie in reality. She finds it just as implausible as you or I would that an ancient Queen of Death is going to spring out of her tomb and murder everyone on the planet; Lara isn't there to stop the curse, but to find and/or rescue her father, who she believes is at least partially insane for believing Himiko poses a real threat to the world. That aspect of her character pays off effectively by the movie's end, and it's one of the things that most sets this incarnation of Tomb Raider apart.
Maybe the weirdest thing about this movie--good or bad--is how closely it follows the plot of one predecessor in the "archaeological adventure" genre, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In each movie, a reluctant, skeptical adventurer uses their missing father's research to track him down, inadvertently delivering that research directly into the hands of ruthless foes. They then must temporarily team up with said enemies to ensure their father's safety, using the research to pass a series of booby-trapped trials and reach a mythical something-or-other deep in the bowels of a long lost temple.
Tomb Raider holds up well on its own--and next to the 2013 game on which it's based--but understandably, it can't really compare with the classic movie it copies most heavily. This juxtaposition winds up especially unfavorable for Tomb Raider when you realize that unlike Indiana Jones, Lara Croft has no iconic (or even recognizable) theme music. This movie has plenty of fist pump moments, but you'll eventually realize they're not as impactful without that memorable "dun-dun-dun-duhhh!"
Nevertheless, Tomb Raider is a great video game adaptation and a decent action movie on its own, elevated by smart story choices and a winning performance from Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft. Here's hoping she's down for a sequel.
Far from being a mere video game adaptation of the anime, Attack on Titan 2 stands strongly as a character-driven action-RPG in its own right, with rewarding combat that feels fluid and fast and a story that's equal parts charming and shocking. While it shares many similarities with the first game in the series, Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom, the sequel feels like a better package overall with a cleaner visual style and tighter combat. Despite its story taking some time to really dig its anchors in, it gets there and then some, entrancing you all the way until the closing of the final chapter.
Based on the second season of the popular anime series, the story puts you at the center of the conflict between humanity and Titans--a race of giant, people-eating humanoids that one day appeared out of thin air, wiping out a large percentage of the population. Forced to seek a new life behind three huge walls built to keep the Titans out, humanity tried to rebuild, but the Titans managed to find a way through. Faced with extinction, it's up to you and the rest of the military to stop them.
After creating a character--who, if you choose a woman, will still be weirdly referred to as "our man" by the game's narrator--the game opens with you joining the military cadets and becoming a part of the 104th Cadet Corps. The first few hours cover the same ground as Wings of Freedom, putting you through military training and effectively re-living the events of the first game, albeit in a more condensed setting. Also, each character is voiced in Japanese, so you'll rely on subtitles to keep on top of things.
The plot closely follows the anime, so fans are already familiar with what's going on. But it's a story that will pull you in, hard, though not without its fair share of melodrama. While much of the early game feels a little dragged down by some excessive exposition, you come to appreciate those sequences later on, particularly as characters you grow to like face death in shocking ways. Not that the game is overly violent--although the Bloodborne-esque spatter from killing a Titan is pretty messy--it's more that the characters grow on you over time. Watching them struggle through the Titan invasion becomes less of a drudge and more an emotional rollercoaster.
The game is made up of numerous large combat areas and some smaller, peaceful hubs where you can go about your daily life: upgrading weapons, buying materials, and maintaining friendships that grant you different equippable skills that can upgrade your stats. While not all that interesting visually, the hub areas serve as a good bookend between each battle, as well as a chance to debrief with the other characters about the last mission and your next moves.
The larger, more-open combat zones, which vary from green valleys and large towns to snowy, abandoned villages and giant forests, are far more interesting to move through. A big part of what makes the movement so vital and exciting is your omni-directional mobility gear, or ODM for short. The ODM gear fires anchors into a distant object like a house, a tree or even a Titan, and with the help of two side-loaded gas canisters, thrusts you along the ground and up into the air. It can get a little janky; sometimes you'll catch the underside of a roof or hit a cliff face that'll halt your momentum. But more often than not, gliding through buildings or between giant trees feels effortlessly satisfying.
Similarly great is the combat, which manages to feel faster and better paced than it did in Wings of Freedom. Titans can only be taken down by slicing out the nape of their necks. You have to fire your anchors into any one of five spots on a Titan you can lock onto, circle around it in mid-air, and then launch at it, swinging your blades wildly. It can feel a little clumsy at first, but within an hour I was dodging attacks in the air and flinging between Titans like it was nothing. The rapid switching of targets and close calls while maneuvering between enemies during a fight never loses its allure, only getting more intense as the story builds.
The Titans themselves are the true stars here. With their ridiculous grins, ambling movements and saggy butts, they look amazingly creepy. On higher difficulty levels, the Titans become faster and more aggressive. Their limbs flail impishly as they freely counter your attacks, flick off ODM anchors like they're swatting flies, and pick fellow Scouts out of the air. Moments like this amp up the intensity tenfold, especially when you're caught between responding to an urgent request for help or going to the aid of someone who's been grabbed by a Titan. It's hard not to feel the pressure in the moment, and it's great.
Despite its slow start, Attack on Titan 2 offers exciting gameplay along with a deep and intriguing plot that, melodrama aside, tugs on the heart strings. It's well-paced and offers some impressive spaces to move through. The unique combination of the movement and combat mechanics combines with a gripping story to make Attack on Titan 2 one of the more surprising releases of the year.
By Anonymous on Mar 17, 2018 04:30 am Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War official trailer #2 had us all racing to get tickets! Thanos is on a mission to collect all the Infinity Stones with help from the Black Order. Check out our breakdown to find out what you may have missed from the new trailer, including comic Easter eggs!
One of the first Legendary Pokemon to be released in Pokemon Go will soon show up once again in the popular mobile game. Beginning today, March 16, Pokemon Go players will have another opportunity to capture the Gold and Silver Legendary, Lugia, for a limited time.
As before, players will encounter Lugia as a Raid Battle boss at Gyms. This time around, however, Pokemon Go developer Niantic says the Legendary Pokemon will know the "newly improved" Flying move Sky Attack, although Niantic didn't elaborate as to how the attack has been improved.
In order to capture Lugia, players will first have to team up with other trainers at a Gym to battle the powerful Pokemon. Only once Lugia has been defeated will each participant have a chance to catch it. Fortunately, The Pokemon Company has teased that Lugia will be easier to capture than it previously was if players are able to successfully take it down.
Lugia arrives on the same day that another Legendary, Rayquaza, leaves the game. March 16 also marks the day the rewards for Pokemon Go's Legendary Week will expire. As a result of that event, Pokemon that prefer windy weather--such as Salamence's first form, Bagon--have been more likely to hatch from Eggs. Players would also receive double XP as an additional bonus.
Lugia will be available in Pokemon Go until April 2. Shortly after it arrives, Niantic will host the third Community Day event. That takes place on March 25 and runs for three hours, beginning at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET and ending at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET. The featured Pokemon during this month's Community Day will be the classic starter Bulbasaur, although Niantic has yet to announce what it's exclusive move will be.
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Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War official trailer #2 had us all racing to get tickets! Thanos is on a mission to collect all the Infinity Stones with help from the Black Order. Check out our breakdown to find out what you may have missed from the new trailer, including comic Easter eggs!
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