Metro Exodus. Bringing big stuff soon

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus is the new action adventure game developed by ‘4A Games‘ but published by ‘Deep Silver‘. It is coming out the 22nd of February 2019 on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The Metro Exodus world is said to be very immersive and have some survival features.

In the world of Metro Exodus is a messed up one. It’s post apocalyptic, there are dangerous factions, mutants and more danger all around. Metro Exodus doesn’t have a simple story either. This game’s campaign will stretch across a whole year and so players will face the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Players will once again take control of Artyom. That ranger who was hanging out in Moscow’s underground metro system. This time he is trying to get out of Moscow. He wants a better life. Sounds simple but off course it won’t be. This time something is different…

Metro Exodus

The game is more like an open sandbox. Players have more options now than the previous Metro games. Exploration is needed as there are both linear and non linear objectives. So basically side quests. Thanks to the nuclear wars in the past, players will have to survive and fight through a completely ruined country. Stealth is still a factor in this game. There are times when running and gunning may just get you killed. Especially with the type of enemies that’s running around. What’s also different is that Artyom will be leading a team this time. They are called the spartan rangers. Now from what we know, players will need to be careful as you can lose people permanently.

There are a number of characters in Metro Exodus like Anna, who is the best sniper of the spartan order. Duke, who is the youngest of the spartan rangers and most eager. Miller, who is the commander of the aurora and quite militant. Alyosha is basically the scout and survival expert. Tokarev, is basically the tech guy in terms of building weapons and maintenance. There are more characters out there so players should look forward to learning about them.

Metro Exodus

A game like Metro Exodus and it’s world needs a variety of weapons and so far there is a couple. There is the Shambler shot gun which is basically an unstable shotgun that has way more firepower. The Tikhar is basically a sniper rifle that uses ball bearings but with the right tuning can use incendiary rounds. The Helsing which stands out from other weapons is basically the stealth crossbow which can also fire explosive arrows (because why not?). There are more weapons and we hope so as big games like this with big worlds need a lot of weapons and variety.

Lastly let’s look at the enemies. There are human enemies who are divided by factions like the children of the forest who have their own lore. Basically they are a group of children who got stranded at a scout camp because of the war. Their camp teacher is their leader and they learnt how to survive and adapt in the wilderness of Moscow. It makes you wonder about the other factions that are around. Also if you though human enemies were the only thing to worry about then you are dead wrong. There are wolves too and these wolves are vicious and one by itself is said to be a threat if not careful so imagine what happens when a pack comes along. Oh there are bears by the way and they should be avoided.

Metro Exodus

But wait… there’s more! There are also mutants. You now the whole nuclear chemical make mutants thing. Metro Exodus has some. Shrimps are mutated crustaceans who hang out near water. The females hang out in groups in the water and can spit corrosive mucus while the males travel solo, have more armour on their legs, can block incoming fire and crush you in melee fashion. The Demon is basically a large flying beast who can pick up any enemy it wants with it’s great strength. It can off course fly around, attack dealing heavy damage, pick you up and ruin your whole life. The metro residents have even described The Demon as one of the deadliest creatures around. It has been advised to avoid fighting this thing. 

The Humanimal are creatures that have come from real humans. They function and act like apes (apparently) being able to use rocks and wood like weapons. They also can be found in groups and if you make noise, they get aggressive and come for you (you could have guessed that). The Nosalis are like giant rats but worse off course. They are agile and very fast. They can even run along walls and ceilings to get to you. They have nests and are aggressive. They can be found above and below the ground. The Watchman is the most common enemy you will encounter most likely. They travel in packs and have the ability to call for help and reinforcements.  We truly hope there are more enemies though. This world has potential to be creative and even scary.   

We checked out some gameplay and so far it definitely looks clean in terms of how it plays and looks. There is some hint of horror and scares depending on the player. The wolves definitely look good. The game better be difficult and not hold your hand. The graphics and sounds are very good. Hopefully leading a group of spartans doesn’t make things walk in the park. From what we have seen everything looks good so far. Just wonder how frequent enemy encounters are and how effective and essential is stealth in Metro Exodus.

Overall, Metro Exodus seems like a good game. There needs to be a lot to do and a reason for exploring besides just objectives. The developers ‘4A Games’ did a very good job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker look forward to seeing what Metro Exodus has to offer. Now Metro Exodus may have a ruined world but one thing that will never be ruined is… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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Dual Gear. Deep turn based strategy

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
Dual Gear

Dual Gear is a new turn based strategy action game developed by ‘Orbital Speed Studio‘. It has been saids to be coming 2018 (year soon over) on the Xbox One, PS4, Mac and PC. This game caught out attention straight away. Hope it’s very good. Let’s take a look.

The world of Dual Gear is originally set in 2064  where powerful nations built the Gaia Belt which is the orbital energy station for receiving the newly discovered energy source. It was later attacked by terrorists after a test and the successful completion of phase one of the Gaia Belt in 2101. TEC deployed the orbital defence gear to defend and they were successful but the damage was heavy and even earth suffered from the battle. So TEC focused more on surface tactical units known as Dual Gears. Off course successful projects like that don’t stay at home but sold multiple units to clients around the world. Was that attack the last anyone will hear of the terrorists?…

Dual Gear

In Dual Gear, players get to control the Dual Gear units. The gameplay is off course turn based and you see everything in third person. You will control each unit separately, one by one. It’s a combination of real time shooting and quick performance cut scenes. This means players will need tactical thinking, good management, reflexes and awareness. Dual Gear has two elements that must be taken into account: action point (AP) and generator output (GP). All skills need action points in order for that skill to be used within that turn but they also need enough generator output to pull it off. The example given was a Dual Gear using a powerful weapon. It might require 1 or 2 action points during this turn but it will cost some Generator Output and if you don’t have enough, that attack isn’t going to work (it’s easier when you see it for yourself).

There’s more. Units also have a sort of health and shield system in place. The two elements here are: Armour power (AP) and Core power (CP). If you get hit anywhere then the armour power decreases for that part hit, like the right arm. If that hits zero then the core power will now start to decrease upon taking damage. If that part then hits zero now, then that part is destroyed. That’s right, Dual Gear allows the targeting of specific parts of Dual Gear units. Off course there are consequences for destroying parts of a Dual Gear. For example losing a right or left arm will off course mean you can’t use any weapons that arm wielded. If a leg is destroyed then that Dual Gear will not only travel at a much slower pace but will also consume more Generator Output (GP) than normal which also means using certain skills and weapons will be more restricted.

Dual Gear

So if an enemy unit spots one of your own it won’t do anything at first. If you start moving then it can and will fire at you. It stops firing when you stop moving again. This design choice was to allow players to not panic and think about what they want to do now. This means players will need to be aware of how much AP and GP they have before making any moves or strategizing. Management is key here so don’t be in a hurry or a rush.

Customisation is very detailed in Dual Gear as well. The options are of a wide variety. The Dual Gear is made up of five main parts. Cockpit, head, back pack, arms and legs. Each part can be customised. You can equip your Dual Gear with high weight legs which grant higher durability resistance to damage but this means less movement speed and more GP is consumed when moving. This makes you wonder about the different parts available. We hope there’s a range. Also you can customise the style. You can add camouflage, add patterns, change the colour to make that Dual Gear your very own. Also players can select an emblem. If you are going to fight at least look good while doing it.   

We checked out some. Gameplay and we saw different built Dual Gears with different weapons, weight, speed, attack range and more. Launch missiles, swing with blades and snipe from a distance. You can see how much Generator Output is being used and how much each skill will consume. When the enemy fires at you you can dodge attacks which is where the reflexes come into play. So far the action looks good and seems like a real detailed turn based strategy game.

Overall Dual Gear looks like a good game. The graphics looks good and the sounds are good too. The machines are very loud though so be careful with your speakers. The developers ‘Orbital Speed Studio’ did a very good job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker look forward to Dual Gear coming out. Now Dual Gear might have a lot of history but it’s history is nothing compared to… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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Skyforge vs Tera. Which one wins? (updated)

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
Skyforge vs Tera

This is just an update or addition to the last Skyforge vs Tera gaming blog post which you can read here. Now off you haven’t heard off Skyforge or Tera then shame on you and quickly research them today. They are big MMORPGs. X35 Earthwalker has played both and lies both.

We went over some comparisons and what one game does better than the other. We covered graphics, story, which game makes you feel more powerful, which has better combat and all. We even talked about how Tera allows your character class to have more abilities and attacks to unlock as you level up which normally takes the whole story so continuous progression. This means you don’t max out your character quickly and then have nothing else to do. To counter this Skyforge has character classes which you can switch between meaning there are multiple to max out and each class takes very long to unlock so it also takes time but you finish the story way before you unlock all the classes. Comes down to character development choice but Tera’s system does it better as there is no great way to earn sparks of transformation to unlock new classes in Skyforge.

Skyforge vs Tera

We came across some negatives that basically made us think about our answer again. We noticed that increasing your prestige takes forever when you reach a higher level. It literally takes forever. It doesn’t help that Skyforge doesn’t explain what your prestige is, what effects it and how to raise it. Your might is a factor and we learned about this through other people. Skyforge has a horrible habit of making simple things complicated and lack of explanation. Until your might reaches a certain level you can’t get stronger equipment to raise your prestige and overall power. Without spending any real money, this takes forever. You can use the Cathedral and other locations in the capital to slowly increase might but they cost a lot of resources which takes time to build up. Either way it’s insanely slow. Those who spend money has a significant advantage. Using money in a free game like this isn’t bad, the developers need to make money from something they made for free. It’s just that eventually you get bored.

You can increase your prestige slowly through doing bastion quests but there is no variety to these quests as it’s the sam missions in the same places you have done and seen 50 times over. That does get boring. Skyforge early game and mid game is exciting and fun but later game it does get boring real fast. Tera always has you entering new areas and locations with different enemies and quests you must complete are also within those new areas. So you don’t really have to go back to past locations, except for extra quests. Tera has a better long term gaming plan. Later game Tera is definitely stronger and levelling up doesn’t take 20 years. There’s a good chance you will get your own house and car in real life before you reach prestige 150 in Skyforge, unless some dedicated PC fan who spends 12 hours a day playing Skyforge wants to tell us different. 

Skyforge vs Tera

Skyforge has the cooler plot, more powerful characters, lots more stuff to unlock, level up, train in etc but it gets boring much faster than Tera. Lastly what both games have an issue in but one more heavily than the other is the whole solo vs multiplayer issues. Both clearly have advantages for those people who play with friends, have friends or part of a clan, group or pantheon. Yes there should be bonus for groups and teams, that’s fine but there needs to be some help for solo players. For example in Tera the last dungeon areas like the Baldur dungeon require a team to access. We searched for a group but over 50mins passed and we found no one. So we couldn’t do it at all. Too difficult. This means we are stuck. We can never beat it. Tera has distortions that require a team of ten people, there isn’t even a public search for it. You go in solo and they kill you in like two hits or within 30 seconds. That’s not fun or fair. Solo players are at a huge disadvantage. They don’t even adjust the difficulty for solo players. It shouldn’t be an easy fight but a very skilled solo player should at least stand a chance without having to be prestige 230 or whatever.

Skyforge vs Tera

When playing solo in Skyforge it’s a disadvantage and levelling up takes forever, it does switch you off the game for a while. Lately we just go on Skyforge, send our adepts out, do a bastion quest or two and then go play a different game. Not having fun. Tera was fun all the way until the last dungeons of the main story quests which we can’t do which sucks (now can thanks to updates) but this happened only twice to us while Skyforge has many things we can’t do.

Overall These two big negatives has changed our final verdict for now. Both games do have their advantages over each other but currently we say Tera is the better game as it stays strong from early to late game. It doesn’t have as much strong negatives either. So Tera wins this time.

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Sundown. Shooting in the dark

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
SUNDOWN

Sundown is a new hide and seek shooter game developed by ‘Mild Beast Games‘ but published by ‘Versus Evil‘. It is coming out the Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PC (currently available on Discord) but no given date. It just says 2018. This game has a very interesting concept and we hope it pulls it off well. 

Sundown is all about hide and seek, which means playing smart. Running around firing at everything may not work very well against a patient and accurate player. Basically everyone is covered in darkness. The whole map is dark. Players are only visible when you dash, shoot or slash. So do you make the first move thinking you know where your opponent is or do you play reactive and wait for your enemies to make the first move and then close in on them? There are many tactical approaches in concepts like this.

SUNDOWN

Now naturally this could make Sundown not only a tactical and strategic game but also an intense game where players might get on the edge of their seat. Think about it. You are against another skilled player who you know is moving around. If you attack and miss, they know where you are and will finish you off. We can imagine this in serious pro level matches where it sort of player like chess in a way.

Sundown is also for casual gamers who just want to have fun, and they can. This is because Sundown is also multiplayer. Both online and offline up to four players. Finally another developer with sense. Not everyone has a clan online or wants to be part of a clan or wants to play with others. The most fun X35 Earthwalker has had in gaming was playing with friends or family at home in the same room with trash talking and laughs. So gamers have some options in Sundown.

SUNDOWN

There is also a single player challenge mode which we hope does give a challenge with varying difficulty. Players can also take on offline bots to sharpen their skills or just to have a good time. Either way, the real challenge will be taking on other players online. There are currently six levels: Factory, Reactor, Mansion, Subway, Disco and Garden. Each level has a different level design layout concerning cover, obstacles etc. Each level does look like what their name says it is.

Very important are the weapons. Sundown has a variety of weapons but not a wide variety to keep things more simple and tactical. The Lobshot fires grenades that bounce around but the alt fire let’s you fire shots over walls. The Sniper is a powerful sniper rifle that can fire through walls and the alt fire drops a mine that’s remote detonated. Revolvers fire shots that bounce of walls and the alt fire shoots a flare that reveal other players. The Umbrella allows you to dash around very quickly and it’s alt fire allows you to block bullets. The Shotgun is powerful and has spread but alt fire empties the entire clip but gives that shot even more spread. There are more weapons and some are pretty cool. Good job Sundown.

We checked out some gameplay and what we mainly see is the fun casual side of the game. We see fast paced action and lots of people dying. This proves the two sides of Sundown, Casual and serious, fast paced and slow depending on who your opponents are. Melee weapons see to have a more clear advantage. We hope Sundown is carefully balanced. The graphics are alright for it’s style and the sounds are alright too.

Overall Sundown does seem like a good game. It’s concept is good and seems to have been done well. There are power ups like shields which is a good thing. There’s more we could say but we will leave it here. The developers ‘Mild Beast Games’ did a good job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker look forward to seeing how gamers like Sundown. Now darkness might be your friend in this game but even the darkness can’t help you against… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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Resident Evil 2. The horror doesn’t end

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker

Resident Evil 2 has been remade and is being developed by ‘Capcom‘. It’s coming out the 25th of January 2019 on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Now many have been saying how great Resident Evil 2, the original. We were never impressed with it but some gamers are looking out for this remake. Let’s take a look.

Now those who have played Resident Evil 1 and 2 you should know the deal about this game and how they function. It’s all about survival way more than combat. It isn’t a straight up gun fight. Many times players had to emphasise that running away from enemies is the best and smart thing to do. That reserves ammo, which is in short supply. So Resident Evil 2 should feel like how it use to… or does it?

Resident Evil 2 still revolves around Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. The main difference with all these reimagines and remakes is that graphics and visuals. Resident Evil 2 has improved graphics which means the zombies look more gross, more blood and splats more. The buildings and locations look very good. Fans will like what they did with the interior. 

Controls and camera is one of the main things that were considered negatives for the originals. In this reimagine of Resident Evil 2 both have been improved greatly. The controls are tighter, more responsive and better. It should be easier now to fire and kill enemies. The camera is better too. There is now immersive camera angles too. This works well especially when you are being grabbed and attacked, you get to see the damage and blood.

Resident Evil 2

Now it has been said that the Resident Evil 2 reimagined will have some new stuff like game modes which is basically mandatory for remakes like this. After all it is the same thing but improved graphics. There are also some changes to the story mode as well. Remakes need new features, new stuff and more to make it worth buying.

We checked out some gameplay and it’s what we thought it would be. The monsters do look very good though. Visuals are good too. The noises have been done very well. We haven’t seen anything to get us excited about Resident Evil 2 though. We can clearly see the improvements in control and camera from even short gameplays. 

Overall Resident Evil 2 looks good and plays better but that’s pretty much about it. It’s more for the fans who have played the originals and want that old feeling back of how they first played the game. As we thought we aren’t impressed nor do we want to play it but off course there will be many gamers who do want to play it. The developers ‘Capcom’ have done an okay job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker aren’t looking forward to Resident Evil 2 but will keep an ear out to hear how it does. Now Resident Evil 2 got remakes but one thing that doesn’t need a remake is… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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Ashen. Action RPG coming soon

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
Ashen

Ashen is a new action RPG developed by ‘Aurora44‘ but published by ‘Annapurna Interactive‘. It is coming out on the Xbox One and PC. Ashen straight away has gotten our interest. There’s combat, danger, survival and a brutal world. Let’s take a look.

In the world of Ashen, nothing lasts forever. Players control a “wanderer”. This wanders is alone, travelling and surviving alone. That’s going to change. This is a strange world as for starters there isn’t a sun. So how does everything survive (ask the game)? There is natural light but that comes from eruptions. These eruptions is what covers the whole place in ash (ash + en = ashen). There are multiple survivors and it’s wise to work together to survive. The game is centred around this.

Ashen

When you find survivors in Ashen you must decide what to do concerning them. You can ignore them or lead them to your settlement. If convinced to stay they can be of some serious help to you, offering their skills and abilities. Some might be skilled blacksmiths and other crafting skills or even “foraging expertise”. The point is that surviving alone in Ashen is a bad idea.If you want to find a place to call home then you will need some members.

Ashen is a multiplayer game as well. In your very large world you will encounter other players. You can work with them to fight evil, off course send an invite to join your party or leave them alone. Don’t be a bully now. The whole of Ashen literally is about working together, meeting people (real and) computer so keep that in mind when exploring.

The world in Ashen is huge and there is lots to see indeed. Expect forests, fields, broken structures, fjords, palaces, bogs and more. Even more interesting is that, according to the developers, no two gameplay experiences are similar. Basically the game works in a way that your adventure changes depending on where you are “at any given moment”. This means if you went to the bog first then things will be different if you had instead gone to a palace first for example, not just what happens at that exact location but surrounding things and more in the world itself. Interesting right? We know.

Ashen

Off course let’s get to the interesting parts. The combat and the monsters. Combat first. The combat should make a number of Dark Souls fans happy as it’s a similar style. Being patient is needed for the combat in this game. You need to watch your enemy, see the attacks coming and know when to dash and dodge. Every fight you get into regardless of how far you progress could be your last so always be ready and prepared. 

In terms of the enemies, there’s more to say. You can expect some scary monsters, spiders, flying things which swoop down, giant flying whale creatures, actual giants and more. There are thinkings hostile enemies that don’t like you and then there are indigenous creatures. You see those nice looking plants and flowers over there? Pick some. Congratulations you are dead. Even the plants and vegetation can be dangerous enemies capable of killing you.

We checked out some Ashen gameplay and it looks good so far. The graphics are quite cartoonish but done well. Movement speed is good, you can roll, evasion is fast enough, enemy attacks are telegraphed nicely (well at least for smaller ones), game difficulty seems acceptable from the start, crafting is important so loot everything you find and kill. Also Ashen has a stamina based combat system. Your attacks and moves cost stamina. Players will need to know what fights to pick and decide their actions carefully. You can decide to never see other players or never have any A.I. We are given that choice. The A.I by the way work very ell. They dodge attacks, know when to heal and fight good.

Overall Ashen looks like a very good game indeed. The sounds are very good and the controls are very responsive. The world design and enviro meets have great variety and we like that. We do hope for more variety in enemies though but how frequent we see them, we don’t know. The developers ‘Aurora44’ have done a very good job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker look forward to seeing Ashen come out. Now Ashen might have a massive world but what’s even more massive is… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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Police 10-13. A police simulator

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
Police 10-13

Police 10-13 is a new simulator game developed by ‘Wingman Games’. Police 10-13 is coming out initially on PC but the developers plan to get their game on Xbox One and PS4 as well. They claim their game is in heavy development so there isn’t that much concrete information right now. Let’s take a look.

Police 10-13 is a police simulation. So this means, players will be playing as police officers and handling crime, dangerous situations and regular police work. You will be affiliated with a police department. Police 10-13 will be a single player game but also multiplayer but it has been confirmed that there is no story mode. The whole game is free roam and you can do what you want. Other branches will be made available in the future.

Police 10-13

Police 10-13 is being built using the Unreal 4 Engine so already gamers will have some high expectations in visuals and graphics. The world of Police 10-13 is set in a place called Metro. The style of this city will be North American, including things like roads and road signs and probably other things like jaywalking. The whole game is open world. 

There will be different weather in Police 10-13. They are trying to be as realistic as possible and replicate as many different situations too. so expect arresting on rainy days, hot sun, cloudy, windy and more. Hopefully they have hailstones as well… and snow. There is also a day and night cycle which players have full control over in terms of that you can set them yourself.

Police 10-13

As a police officer you can also transfer to another police department. Don’t get excited, it’s not as fun as you think. There are procedures that needs to be handled. So players will have to qualify for that department. At the police academy. That’s right, go back to school you lazy gamers and learn! We actually like this aspect of the game and definitely like to know more about how this part of the game will work. 

Let’s get to the fun stuff. The weapons and guns. There is a wide range of equipment and gear for officers. Players can expect radios, swat mirrors, handcuffs (off course), batons, flashbangs (flash em), radar guns and even breathalysers to expose those driving under influence. Have K9 units, use police boats and fly helicopters. so we got some vehicle action going on.

Police 10-13

Time for some extras. Police 10-13 will be VR (virtual reality) supported so don’t put away your Oculus rifts just yet. Police 10-13 is also fully modable. The modding community will have a field trip with this game so expect dinosaur police officers arresting Halo spartans. The developers go into detail about all the hard work they are putting in. They clearly have huge plans for this game.   

We would like to say we checked out some gameplay but all we see right now is development diaries and displays of their work like animations even. They are focusing on heavy detail from things like arresting and searching animations, to securing crime scenes, following protocols, police academy and much more. We hope they do their own things and work on not just making a simulation but something that people will also find exciting and fun. Fun is a key aspect of games which is for entertainment. We will need to see more from Police 10-13 before we can even begin to get excited about it. So far we aren’t impressed or excited.

Overall Police 10-13 looks like it will be a deep game that the developers will be adding to over time like Sea of thieves. It will be detailed but concerned when it comes to the fun aspect. It’s fine to have no story mode but there needs to be some stuff going on in this city besides people speeding. The developers ‘Wingman Games’ are working on this game. We at X35 Earthwalker hope to see more of Police 10-13. We encourage gamers to take a look at this game for yourself and if interested, keep an eye on it. Now a police simulation may be cool but it’s nothing compared to… the ‘Earth Walk!’ 

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Fade to Silence. Survival got serious

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
Fade to Silence

Fade to Silence is a new survival RPG developed by ‘Black Forest Games‘ but published by ‘THQ Nordic‘. It has already come out as early access on the pc but it’s coming to Xbox One and PS4 2019. If you thought survival was harsh in the last game we wrote about (The Wild Eight) then wait until you see this. Let’s take a look.

In Fade to Silence players control Ash. He’s got his own issues but now has way more ever. Ash is tormented. We don’t know by what though. He’s a natural leader and is able to get very different groups of people to come together. Ash plans to build a sustainable base for I’m and the other survivors. Protection against the harsh environments. This will mean that players need management skills as there are others survivors who need to be found and watched over in a sense.

Fade to Silence

The Other survivors in Fade to Silence have strengths and skills of their own. No one is useless. For example Ryme known as ‘the sneak’ is as her name suggests very sneaky. Able to move silently, unnoticed and avoid detection. This should alert players that stealth will be needed at some points. Ezra (name from the Bible) is known as ‘the alchemist’. again you can guess why. it has been said that he’s spent decades working on his potions and perfecting them. Expect a wide range of effects incoming. Gani is called ‘the survivor’. She is calm, a thinker and has huge determination to reverse the planets current state. Offers wise advice and will open your eyes to your faults. So basically listen to her. Rhys, known as ‘the investigator’ is an interesting one. Always studying the corruption and learning for a way to use it as an advantage. His studies have caused some strange side effects. He’s either got special insight into the eclipse’s power or it’s damaged him. There are more characters so keep that in mind.

Now onto the danger in Fade to Silence. Since this is a post-apocalyptic frozen wasteland, expect a lack of food, resources, light and expect the freezing cold. Players must venture out into this dangerous area in search of resources, materials and more. Each venture is risky and can be your last. You can upgrade your equipment and weapons but that requires, more materials and items. Upgrading is quite important here. Now there is a bigger threat… a certain unexpected but constant event… a blizzard! if this blizzard catches you when you aren’t ready then it could end you. Everything is worse during a blizzard.

Fade to Silence

If you though all of that was bad, then wait until you hear about the monsters. Games like this need to compete with the creativity and action of other games to gain interest so off course they will add dangerous natural monsters to spice things up. In Fade to Silence players will face different kinds of monsters. For example the Ripper is a melee enemy who always gets close to you to slash you up with it’s claws. It’s attacks are slow but deadly enough to kill you quick. Hellvines spawn from corrupted grounds and attack whatever comes within range. The Feeder strikes fear in survivors as it’s very durable and resilient. It has a long range tongue that can drag you in, right in front of it’s jaws. This enemy is powerful. The Stalker will follow players, waiting for the moment to strike. It’s attack is very fast and you must get close for the best chance to finish it off. There are many more monsters and they are a serious problem. We like that the developers have displayed a good amount of information concerning the game, characters and monsters. They are one of the few who did this right.

We checked out some gameplay. There is a lot of stuff to do in Fade to Silence. You can hunt animals and skin them, collect raw meat, which has to be cooked, even use their bones as material. Use a bow and arrow, blade or even branches to attack enemies. You can even travel around on a sleigh pulled by dogs which does look cool; however your dogs fear the corruption as well. They will not move into a corrupted area. They will actually just stop in their tracks. Survivors can assist you in defending a camp from a monster attack. Players must watch out for one monsters that may be a problem. It’s called the Inner voice. It will speak to you, give you ideas. Do not let it corrupt you.     

Overall Fade to Silence seems like a good game. The graphics are very good and the sounds are good too. The environment looks quite realistic in many ways. The snow is done well too. The areas are clearly distinct from each other it’s clear what area you are in. The monsters look cool but we hope they are strong for the sake of difficulty. The developers ‘Black Forest Games’ have done a good job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker look forward to seeing what this game has to offer. Now Fade to Silence may be a serious survival game but it’s all calm when compared to the seriousness of… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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The Wild Eight. Urgent survival

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The Wild Eight

The Wild Eight is a new survival adventure game developed by ‘HypeTrain Digital‘. It is already out, early access, on pc but when on console isn’t clear. so all we can say is keep an eye on The Wild Eight if you want to know. It will however be on Xbox One and PS4. This game emphasises on how intense the survival is. Let’s take a look.  

In the world of The Wild Eight players control a group of survivors who were on plane that crashed in the Alaskan wilderness. So lots of snow, very cold and dangerous indeed. The Wild Eight makes it very clear that every second that passes you and the survivors come closer to death. But wait… there’s more… Some are wondering if the plane crash was an accident or all planned. This is because the area they crashed has military bunkers and abandoned government labs which would suggest some government secret experiments may have gone on here and off course, like every other government experiment plan, went wrong. What’s really going on? Or maybe we are getting paranoid.

The Wild Eight

So if you couldn’t tell by now that starving and the below zero temperature isn’t the worst things you’ll face here. Those military bunkers and government labs we mentioned earlier have dangers of their own. it has been said that inside are fatal surprises. The mechanics of this game in some ways reminds us of Metal gear Survive, which we enjoyed, in that the main things you’ll be doing is exploring, hunting and crafting. Exploring, because there are many places and to discover and things to see. Hunt, because everyone needs food and things to eat. Craft, because tools, equipment and weapons are all needed to survive. Did we say weapons?

Off course Alaska wouldn’t be Alaska without some animals around right? In The Wild Eight players may unfortunately come across some wolves who always hunt in packs. Wolves are vicious and if players under equipped or not careful can wipe you all out. Not scary enough for you? Well players can could be even more unfortunate to come across a bear! Bears are way worse than wolves and they will chase you down. If you see one, do not provoke it. We also have reason to believe there are worse things in the Alaskan wilderness. Monsters and supernatural beasts like werewolves. Check their website for yourself and see.

The Wild Eight

There are eight characters to choose from and each has their own strengths. For example William has 10% more defence and 5% more protection from the cold. Jeffrey has 50% more durability for all items he crafts. Vivian has a 5% increased chance for critical damage on enemies but 10% if she strikes from behind, she also gathers 20% more wood and stone. Robin has 5% increased attack speed, 5% increased range damage and 10% increased stamina recovery speed. Off course this is only four of the eight characters, so discover and learn the rest for yourself.

We checked out some The Wild Eight gameplay and it’s not exactly what we thought it would be but still interesting. There are crafting recipes, multiple animals like warthogs too, axes are needed for chopping trees, a day and night cycle, torches and light sources which light up the area nicely, basically quite a lot going on. There is signs of progression as well as in at one point you must run from bears and then later on you can face them and kill them. The movement animations could have been better though. We also like that they took temperature into consideration as in without warmth your character will die.

Overall The Wild Eight seems like a good game. Definitely very deep. The story is good, the crafting is good, the graphics are good for it’s style, the effects like torch light glow are good. They should have explained the difficulty regarding playing with friends and solo. We hope the military bunkers and government labs are exciting. The developers ‘HypeTrain Digital’ did a very good job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker are keeping an ear out for The Wild Eight. The Wild Eight may have government secrets but even thats weak when compared to… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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Lost Ember. Different perspectives

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
Lost Ember

Lost Ember is a new adventure exploration game developed by ‘Mooneye Studios‘. It is coming out in spring  2019 on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC (and Windows 10). Lost Ember has gotten lots of attention. It has even gotten lots of nominee and won some awards already. Let’s check this out.

In Lost Ember, players get to explore a world that has been taken back from mankind by nature. So don’t expect any people around here. Players control a wolf but not just any wool. This wolf has the ability to inhabit other animals and control them. This is where the different perspectives come from. First of all how comes this wolf has the power to control other animals? Did this wolf use to be a person? A nature mage or something? Hopefully the game explains this.

Lost Ember

Off course, since this is a exploration game and man is gone, there will be ancient cultures, ruins, forgotten civilizations and more for players to check out and learn what happened, secrets of this world and what’s going on. So being a wolf has the obvious advantages of being fast. So you can cross areas quickly and get from point A to point B. You will come across areas where the wolf cannot go, like high ledges for example. Taking over a bird solves this problem as you can then fly up to see what’s up there.

Control small animals to go through tight spaces, control a fish so that you can explore the waters because wolves can’t go that deep with dying. Even control moles who then can dig underground. Who knows, you may find a cavern or a diamond pick axe (get it?). Either way the main concept of the game is clear and simple. Run around and explore but if there is somewhere the wolf can’t go then control the right animal for the job. Simple. Explore and learn about this mighty civilisation that has fallen and learn about certain characters from the past.

Lost Ember

Now let’s talk some details because games like this, we are sure you know the formula by now, so there isn’t much to really say about it. It’s an exploration game with some mystery. Lost ember is built using Unreal Engine and they did a good job because the looks and art style is one of the main things that got so many people’s attention. Many have said it’s a beautiful game and others have made some really big claims about it’s beauty (calm down now).

Lost Ember will also be compatible with VR (Virtual reality). People have asked and they delivered. The game has been tested with HTC Vive and Oculus Rift and according to the developers “it’s awesome”. They are also looking into being compatible with PlayStation VR. Lastly gamers can pre-orderfrom two options: the regular where you get a digital copy of the game and two karma points which you can spend to unlock free rewards. The digital plus bundle gives you a digital copy of the game with the digital soundtrack and art book along with 4 karma points. Take note that pre-orders for windows is only available right now.

We checked out some gameplay and it’s what we expected. We expected a colourful world, lights, animals and fictional stuff like creating structures a light companion etc. It looks very nice. Not as impressed as those critics were though. This game reminds us of the other exploration games we have already written about. We haven’t seen anything that makes us want to play Lost Ember though. Fans of exploration will probably love this and rightfully so. Once again it’s down to the gamers and their taste.

Overall lost Ember looks like a good game. Designed well, people waiting for it, supported and will have VR. Definitely got some stuff going for it. It isn’t our thing though and we believe it needs more going on in the world for it to be exciting. Exploration doesn’t mean that’s all the game should have. It needs to stand out from the others. The developers ‘Mooneye Studios’ clearly did a good job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker are not looking forward to Lost Ember but we know for a fact there are some who are. Now lost Ember has a wolf that can control other animals and that’s cool but it’s lame when compared to… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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