Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is a new online action Role Playing Game developed and published by Sega. Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is said to be coming out 2021 on the Xbox Series X, Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis does look like something real big. Let’s take a look.
Now we have never heard about Phantasy Star. Not at all. Never. We saw this being showed at the Xbox showcase 2020. It did get our attention as it was big, fast, pure action and definitely flashy. We saw a big open world and reaction combat with dangerous looking enemies. We don’t know if the enemies are dangerous or not or how easy the game is or not. This won’t be a big or in depth G-blog post.
Now we definitely like open world games with big action. Final Fantasy XV did very well with this. Now the developers of Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis made a very big statement. Read this, “We are working very hard to offer players unparalleled character customization, limitless adventure, and the best action online RPG available on the Xbox One or PC”. This is a big job for sure. Through a bit of research we learnt that Phantasy Star online 2 is praised for it’s character customisation. So we will see if that’s true for ourselves.
The Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis developers said “limitless adventure”. That’s huge. This can be done but either has tons of development work or repeated similar task for grinding etc. We aren’t sure what route Sega will take to do this but hope they do it well. A number of gamers are looking for a open world game that is actually limitless but most developers don’t know how to do that properly.
We checked out some Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis gameplay and it looks very good. There’s lots of mobility. You can slide around, dash, suspend and attack in the air and sprint around to get different angles or avoid attacks. There’s quite a bit of options here concerning combat. Speaking of options you can not just use your blade but firearms too. So depending on the enemy or what’s going on, players can either get up close or gun them down. There’s loads of lights and colours showing a vibrant game with life in it. We are liking what we are seeing.
Overall Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis looks like it’s going to be a good game. There are great MMORPG games like Tera and Skyforge which have made some annoying mistakes concerning playing solo or in a team, advantages of guilds/teams and access. We hope Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis does it well. The graphics are excellent and sounds are very good. The developers ‘Sega’ have done an excellent job so far. We at X35 Earthwalker look forward to seeing what Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis truly has to offer. Now Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis may have tons of world and action but it’s far too small to be recognised when compared to… the ‘Earth Walk!’
Warhammer 40000: Darktide is a new action first person shooter game developed and published by ‘Fatshark’. Warhammer 40000: Darktide is an Xbox exclusive said to be coming out 2012 on the Xbox Series X and PC. Now this game has gotten a lot of people’s attention. Now none of that matters, what does matter is that it got our attention. Let’s take a look.
Now X35 Earthwalker checked this out and we got a healthy amount of information. In the world of Warhammer 40000: Darktide it seems that team work is heavily emphasised. Even in the trailer it’s a team of four with one of them being wounded. These four people are in Tertium, which is a hive city. Players with others will be in another battle between of the imperium vs the chaos factions. This isn’t your friendly neighbourhood hive city. It’s busy, populated and full of enemies… whole hordes of them. They have been described as “enemies you have only seen in your nightmares”. You get to face them.
Now we hope they do look like nightmarish creatures. Many games try to say their enemies are terrifying and scary but fail. We end up blowing through them like they are trash without a care in the world. Nothing scary about them. So Warhammer 40000: Darktide need to bring forth actually scary enemies which isn’t hard to do. Once again if we were put on development teams or better yet in charge we would bring out the best stuff. Like seriously, make them actually scary. Make things dark, have creatures of different speeds, give them scary noises that range in sounds. Have creatures that pounce from the dark with serious consequences. We won’t say more.
Now what we also know that’s great news is that the developers are getting rid of some cheap strategies. They are focusing on making melee and being up close essential in Warhammer 40000: Darktide. Now players can’t play cheap and hide behind powerful ranged weapons all day long which makes the game boring. Now one way of doing this would be to have enemies the are so fast that aiming and shutting isn’t the best option. They could amp up the number of enemies to make it so that you can’t mow them all down with firearms or don’t have time to reload. Either way we hope they do it make that variety in combat is needed, specifically melee.
Apparently there’s more going on down in Tertium. There’s a cult called ‘Admonition’ in Warhammer 40000: Darktide. Their goal is to have control of the planet Atoma prime. They will destroy those who live there and bring an overwhelming tide of darkness. Your primary goal is to sort this cult out. To get rid of the enemy before the whole city becomes a messed up chaotic place (like it isn’t already). Now remember that Fatshark are the same people who developed Warhammer 40000: Vermintide so that excites a number of fans but not us. We didn’t like Warhammer 40000: Vermintide
There is no gameplay but from the information we gathered on Warhammer 40000: Darktide we basically know what it’s going to be. It’s 4 player co-op, in a dark place, facing hordes in first person action with serious monsters who are chilling in the dark. Sounds like our kind of game. Just make sure it has local co-op. Those games that only has online co-op are just wasting our time. From what we have seen it looks good and we like the concept. They just need to deliver.
Overall Warhammer 40000: Darktide looks like it’s going to be a very good game. We have high expectations and know exactly how to make Warhammer 40000: Darktide awesome. They better not mess up. We at X35 Earthwalker are definitely looking forward to Warhammer 40000: Darktide. The developers ‘Fatshark’ have a lot to do… do your best guys. Now Warhammer 40000: Darktide may have nightmarish enemies but those enemies are a joke when up against… the ‘Earth Walk!’
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is a new action role playing game developed by ‘Cyanide‘ and published by ‘Nacon‘. Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is said to be coming out the 4th of February 2021 on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PS4 and PC. We heard there are werewolves in this game. Well there’s more to it but hey. Let’s take a look.
Now Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is set in a dark universe that has werewolves in it. Now that should already get some people excited as there are way more vampire games. Basically players control a character called Cahal. He was born under a full moon, and proud werewolf Warrior of the Fianna Tribe. So yes he is a werewolf basically and a strong one at that. Cahal also use to be a protector of gaia. What’s gaia? Well basically it’s the earth. We will explain.
In Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, gaia is in a battle against the Wyrm which is a cosmic force all about destruction and decay… so not friendly. The wyrm is getting help from Pentex, a multinational corporation who want nothing more than to feast on the corpse of gaia. Cahal (the main character) who willingly went into exile because he lost control in his werewolf form is coming back into action, to help his tribe and off course also help gaia.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood doesn’t keep things basic. Cahal is has three forms. His human form, his wolf form and his werewolf form. His human form is best for interacting with people because as you know werewolves can be scary and cause people to run away or attack you. The wolf form is the best for travelling around because of it’s fast movement and it’s also capable of sneaking around so it’s the stealth form. The werewolf form is all about the combat, the fighting and destruction. So players need to know where to use what in Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood.
Now remember this. Your greatest strength is also your greatest threat (sort of). Your werewolf form thrives and goes in with the rage. The rage is your weapon but if you don’t control your rage it will probably lead t your death. This is because when you lose control you give the chance for the wyrm enthrall to consume your soul. That’s right Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood isn’t going to let you go completely crazy.
Lastly the type of enemies we have seen. Well humans are in this world confirmed and we know that Pentex is a human corporation and so as the enemy we expect human based enemies. Now humans can’t stand up to a werewolf without the right tools. So we expect powerful weaponry and powerful machines like power suits maybe. Not something as high tier as Optimus prime but something powerful. We did see an image of a dude in a exoskeletal construction machine that you control with your body. Reminds us of the machine Ripley used used in her battle against the queen xenomorph alien in the movie ‘Aliens’. So that’s interesting.
We checked out some Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood gameplay and it’s what we imagined actually. When you go into werewolf mode you run around slashing and smashing enemies around, even joggling some. Some enemies are too big and sturdy so you may have to leave them for last. Lost of humans with good weaponry to put you down and you can even square up with other werewolf enemies. Werewolf on werewolf violence is always encouraged around here. So get ready for it. It’s definitely action with abilities.
Overall Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood just seems like another action game all about wild fighting. Reminding us of Dante’s inferno and god of war in some ways. There’s much more to learn about this game. We like werewolves and like the multiform game mechanic. Like alucard being able to turn into a bat, gas, or wolf. The developers ‘Cyanide’ have done a good job with this game. Now werewolves may be destroying with their rage but even that can be slapped away by… the ‘Earth Walk!’
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a new action role playing game developed by ‘Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio‘ but published by ‘SEGA‘. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is said to be coming out 2020 on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4 and PC. This game did get our attention but by only a medium amount. We are curious as to what this game has got. Let’s take a look.
In the world of Yakuza: Like a Dragon players control Ichiban Kasuga. This guy is a yakuza… and a low ranking one at that. His boss is someone he has complete loyalty and trust in but gets betrayed… shot and off course left for dead. Off course he is out for answers and by the looks of it… revenge. It makes you wonder though. Why didn’t the boss and his people kill Ichiban right there and then to make sure? Did the boss want Ichiban to survive?
Not much is known about Yakuza: Like a Dragon. What we do know is that all this takes place in todays Japan and you are armed with a bat. Off course it isn’t a regular bat but incredibly deadly and powerful. This is where things get comical and we like that. It sort of reminds us of ‘Saints row the third‘ and ‘Scott Pilgrim vs the world‘. In a sense that this is super serious gang realistic thing. It’s more comical, more fun, more silly and relaxed. Just get in there and get ready to give a beat down with some serious action. This is a good approach and the right approach.
The biggest difference in Yakuza: Like a Dragon is that it’s combat is now basically a party turn based RPG. So give commands, get strategic about it and make your turn count. There are multiple different abilities with some being funny. One guy used a move called Pigeon Raid where you throw beans at an enemy and then a bunch of pigeons come along and attack the enemy. Yep we got stuff like that in this game. That should tell you a lot already.
We have seen that there are physical attacks and what can be described as magical attacks. For example we mentioned Pigeon raid but there’s also Pyro belch which targets one enemy but has area of effect and can caused the enemies to get burned. There’s a physical attack called ‘push and shove’ which let’s you shove an enemy with a cane which has a chance to stun the enemy. They have power rankings too like Light, medium and heavy.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon has been optimised for Xbox Series X which means “Games built using the Xbox Series X development kit are designed to take advantage of the unique capabilities of the Xbox Series X. They will showcase unparalleled load-times, visuals, responsiveness and framerates up to 120FPS.
We checked out some Yakuza: Like a Dragon and it’s not what we though it would be and old fans of the series will notice the heavier differences. It’s a very simple thing to understand. It’s action, it’s RPG, it’s strategy, it’s relaxed, it’s comical in a way. There’s humour and it’s about smashing your enemies. Not only that and what really stands out is that there are some powerful enemies you will face. These guys don’t play around and they will not let you do as you please. The enemies are really interesting looking and even from a trailer we haven’t been this interested in enemies in a video game in a good while. We want to know more about these suckas.
Overall Yakuza: Like a Dragon looks like it’s just going to be a wild ride for sure. Abilities, weapons, allies a whole city and some cool enemies who ain’t about to let you do as you please. Yakuza: Like a Dragon actually looks like a fun action game to play where it’s not 100% serious and stiff but flexible, silly and just straight up have a blast. In time we will learn more. The developers ‘Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’ have done an excellent job so far. We at X35 Earthwalker will be waiting for the release of Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Now Yakuza: Like a Dragon maybe have a powered baseball bat but even that is a weak toy compared to… the ‘Earth Walk!’
HITMAN 3 is a new stealth game developed and published by ‘IO Interactive‘. HITMAN 3 is said to be coming out in January 2021 on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PlayStation 5 and PC. HITMAN 3 has been described as the conclusion to the assassination trilogy. Things are about to get real serious in the assassination world. Let’s take a look.
What’s the story in HITMAN 3? Well Agent 47, aka baldi, is back and this time he’s handling the most important contracts of his assassinating ‘career’. This time something is different. Sure he is being backed up by his agency handler Diana Burnwood… BUT!… he is working together with his long lost friend Lucas Grey. Teams overall are better than solo. The words “Death awaits” is a recurring thing and we are not sure why. Maybe HITMAN 3 is the game where agent 47 dies. Maybe not. After all will no one not notice and want revenge?
Now this mission that agent 47 is on is suppose to be the most important ones yet. The goal is to wipe out the partners of Providence. When you make your target people like the partners of Providence then you know real trouble is coming your way. You don’t wipe out one important person and think nothing bad will happen to you. As you carry out your mission, things will get harder and harder. The action will become more intense.
Expect a lot of scenery and environment as your mission takes you across the world. Sandbox locations included. Now the theme of freedom is quite strong with this game. A good number of these modern games especially lately and with next gen aim to have open world and more freedom for players. This is a quote from the developers website, “We’ve made sure that players will have unrivalled freedom to complete their objectives and the game world will react to everything they do. All of this is made possible by our award-winning Glacier technology, which powers HITMAN 3’s immersive game world to offer unparalleled player choice and replayability.”. Multiple gems have tried the whole consequence thing. We think HITMAN 3 has the world and setting to do it. Just don’t mess up developers.
We were never fans of the HITMAN series but from our experience with the games like HITMAN Absolution we know they are good games overall. HITMAN 3 won’t function as one game. In HITMAN 3, players can play all three games and carry some content over. There’s a whole section explaining this on their website so we will just quote it here, “The World of Assassination trilogy is fully realised with HITMAN 3 and we are establishing our new game as the ultimate place to play all three games. Players of our previous HITMAN games will be pleased to know that it will be possible to ‘import’ locations that they own from the previous two HITMAN games into HITMAN 3, essentially putting all 20+ locations from the entire trilogy in one place. Playing the entire trilogy from beginning to end, from within HITMAN 3, also means that the progression systems in HITMAN 3 work across all locations. You can unlock an item in Dubai and take it with you to Paris, for example. We’re pleased to say that HITMAN 2 players will have the option to carry over their hard-earned unlocks and progression into HITMAN 3.”
We checked out some HITMAN 3 gameplay and it looks like another HITMAN game. The graphics are great, the environments are excellent. Same formula so far. You know what you got to do and you sneak around. You stay undetected, pay attention to routes, blind spots, hiding places, using everything to your advantage. You have different disguises and stuff to wear but ultimately the prize is that kill. It’s HITMAN… what do you want from us? It’s not suddenly going to be Halo. Off course more information is going to come out.
Overall HITMAN 3 just seems like another HITMAN game but obviously bigger, more action, more intense, consequences to your actions, allies, three games in one, carry over content, more freedom and whatever extra they be bringing. HITMAN 3 has a big opportunity here so don’t waste it. Now the developers ‘IO Interactive’ have done a very good job so far. We at X35 Earthwalker will leave an ear open for what HITMAN 3 be up to. Now HITMAN 3 may be sneaking up on gamers but one thing it can’t sneak up on is… the ‘Earth Walk!’
Last of us 2 is an action adventure game that was developed by ‘Naughty Dog‘ and published by ‘SIEE’. There is a lot to say about this game. First of all we think it’s a very good game. The only reason we are writing about Last of us 2 is because of the many mistakes and huge misunderstandings from gamers and even those streamers and youtubers. Let’s take a look.
Let’s dive into what we liked about the Last of us 2. Firstly off course the game looks fantastic and that’s true especially with the first, the details, wind effects etc but it’s what gamers at this pint expect from all modern games now. The next gen games, especially with the Xbox Series X and PS5 should have awesome graphics regardless. So it’s nothing special but it’s still a point for Last of us 2. Next point is the details in animations and movement. They are excellent. When you are upgrading or modifying your guns on the table the guns have specific animations. Your character actually moves things around, cleans this, attaches this etc. That’s very good. Also what’s impressive is the fact that if you taut your bow while prone and rotate, your character actually moves how a real person with a bow would have to. From being on your belly to getting on your back etc. That’s very good.
The action in Last of us 2 is very good also. We have good stuff to say for sure. The hand to hand combat is reaction based and not spam the attack button. You have to pick your moments as in when to strike and when to dodge and time the dodge accurately. Skill is needed. The battle Abby had against the big woman with the hammer/spike weapon. It actually felt like a Lords of the fallen or dark souls boss sort of. She was larger and stronger and can kill you in like three swings. You had to time your dodges and attack carefully. That was cool. Now probably the best scene in the game was where Abby had to follow Yara with Lily (lev) in a dark forest with only the torch to provide light while the enemies are running around you picking when to attack like in a stereotypical shark movie. The lighting, the setting was excellent. Majority of the reactions we saw of players at that moment was they found it intense. Quickly one more thing. The battle between Abby and Ellie in the theatre was what Halo 5 Guardians needed which was an in game Master chief vs locke. Now let’s get to the main problem.
So many people hated and reviewed this game for childish reasons. Number 1 being that Joel is dead so let’s be babies, cry and hate the game. Number 2 being that you play as Abby, the one who killed Joel so people complained and whined through all the time playing as her. Number 3 being that Ellie didn’t get her revenge. There’s a few others but that’s the main bullet points really, be honest. Now listen to what we say. You won’t like us for this but we are always honest. Joel is the bad guy and did a lot of really bad stuff. Think about it, you really think someone can do all that messed up stuff, walk away and live a comfortable happy life and with no consequences? Seriously. Joel killed a bunch of people, most were innocent for one girl, DENIED HUMANITY A CURE, and lied to that same girl for a long time. So Joel kills, doesn’t care about humanity, selfish and lies to that one person he really really cares about. He also didn’t give Ellie a choice as to whether she wanted to go through with the surgery or not. That’s not a good guy. It’s like Ellie said, he screwed over a lot of people so there would be a lot of people who would want him dead. Then someone does get him and kills him for what HE has done. As the Bible says you reap what you sow. No one avoids that. Not even Joel.
Now yes the doctors and should have been upfront with Joel and Ellie about the whole thing. The doctor probably thought that when they know that Ellie will die, they will be like nope, not happening which was true for Joel but funny enough, not Ellie. You must be honest. X35 himself hates lies. If they were honest from the start Ellie would have agreed and there would be a cure. Also, Joel didn’t give Ellie that choice either. Joel did to Ellie what the doctors did to him. Again, they are no better. Some say that Joel doesn’t owe humanity anything and doesn’t have to let Ellie die and get a cure. That’s true but lame reasoning. This is why real life world has many problems. Many people don’t do good things out of the kindness of their hearts. Many are selfish. it’s about what they get out of it, or I do’t owe you anything or I don’t like them etc etc. Don’t mean to make this spiritual but look up what Agape love is. It’s greek. Basically it’s the love of God where you do good to someone not because they deserve it but because you have a good nature or you are good (simplifying it). Like giving to someone knowing they won’t be able to repay you. Forgiving someone who doesn’t deserve it. So overall Joel from multiple angles is the bad guy here, not a good man and people over look all that because they like him as they played as him and know him from the first game last of us. So no, we don’t have sympathy for Joel and he did in fact get what he deserved. Justice. How is there any justice in a apocalypse. Speak for yourself. When the world goes to crap not everyone becomes a moral-less person here you do whatever and whatever. many people will hold on to their Morales, right and wrong, their beliefs and still believe in helping others. So yes justice still applies, as there are people who would still believe in it. This links into the main point.
The issue of Abby. The most hated character in Last of us 2, really. Now we understand Abby. We know why she did what she did and overall we are on her side way more than Ellie’s side. Let us explain. People need to put themselves in Abby’s shoes. Remember that we mentioned justice. Now you have a home, safe, good community, about helping humanity. You come back and find out that some guy rolled up to your place, killed so many people, compromised the compound and killed your family. The person who did that you find is living a good life in a big town with electricity with their family and seen as a good guy. You telling us that if you found this as in he is right in front of you, you wouldn’t do anything? You wouldn’t want revenge? Don’t be silly. Most people online honestly admitted they would have done the same thing but childish people like angry joe don’t factor any of this just continue to complain and hate Abby and use that as an excuse to lower their scoring of the game. Joel dying to the people he wronged is justice. What Abby did is way more just than Ellie. When Abby killed Joel she let Tommy and Ellie go which was unwise but just. Just, because they had nothing to do with what Joel did which was Abby and Owens reasoning. They were innocent so they don’t deserve to die. This decision was also unwise because these two people can come after you, which they did. Like what Penguin said to Batman in the Telltale. Batman said he doesn’t kill and Penguin responded with “and that’s why you have so many enemies”. This applies here too. By them not killing Tommy and Ellie, they allowed the opportunity for them to come and get revenge. So Abby got punished for doing the right thing (sometimes it’s like this in real life). What’s worse is that Ellie and Tommy were spared and still went after them and killed Abby’s friends. Ellie, you do know that they could have and should have killed you and if they did, you wouldn’t be able to have any revenge whatsoever.
People complained that Ellie was portrayed as the bag guy in Last of us 2. When she is the bad guy. She was spared when should have been dead and goes on a blind revenge journey. During this journey she kills a whole bunch of people, even the people who were part of the group but didn’t kill Joel. She also killed a pregnant lady as well. All to get at ONE person. What’s just about that? Abby’s group came for Joel, found Joel and ONLY killed Joel who is a bad guy. The guy who killed Abby’s dad, who was the only guy who could make the cure. Ellie got mad at Joel for lying to her but she also lies to others like the big dude who agreed to give Ellie information on where Abby was if Ellie doesn’t kill him. She got the information and killed him anyway. Hypocrite. If only Abby killed you any Ellie… if only. Ellie also begged Abby not to kill Dina who was pregnant even though she already killed Mel who was pregnant. It was real big of Abby to actually let Dina live even after learning that Ellie killed Mel who was her pregnant friend. Notice that Abby was capable and did show more compassion to others than Ellie. This was shown with Yara and Lily. Even after Abby let Ellie live a second time, Ellie still want to get her and went after her. This is so stupid. Abby let you live TWICE. TWICE. Practically no one would do that. She should have killed her then but Abby did the only thing that can break a cycle of revenge… forgiveness. Or in this case, letting it go. There is a lot about Ellie we don’t like. Now the developers clearly wanted everyone to understand and side with Abby. This whole game is showing the what revenge will do to you and how ugly it is and makes you. Even the Playstation official website said, “Experience the escalating moral conflicts created by Ellie’s relentless pursuit of vengeance. The cycle of violence left in her wake will challenge your notions of right versus wrong, good versus evil and hero versus villain.” The goal was obvious. They spelt it out. It makes players wonder who the real villain is, how Ellie has gone too far and lost all morality. Last of us 2 wants to challenge players notions of right and wrong. Hopefully be honest about all this. It’s not about your feelings or whether you like Abby. It’s the facts and what they did.
Remember this isn’t a full review of Last of us, we mainly wanted to discuss the issue gamers had concerning Abby mainly while giving some good points about the game. So we won’t talk about a number of things. We put that idea of Gold glove in above he was one of the people who understood Abby’s side and her reasons. The flash backs and the order you play things in isn’t bad at all. We kept track of everything easily. It wasn’t complex or all over the place to us. It was simple. Present time, then fast forward, then flash back for memories, present, then in the past for Abby’s perspective, a flash back of her memories, back to the past of her perspective then to the present. Just summarising but it’e easy to understand. Now Last of Us 2 is an excellent game. It did what it set out to do successfully. Think about how many gamers got emotional, was moved and even got triggered. It’s suppose to be a journey. The playstation website said “Confront the devastating physical and emotional repercussions of Ellie’s actions”. It did this. She became the bad guy, the hypocrite etc. Not only that but we saw the consequences of her actions… she basically lost everything. Dina left her, Tommy is broken, Jesse is dead. All of that was preventable. She didn’t even get her revenge. Abby didn’t’t die. This means all that was for nothing. It was also a lesson for the players. Revenge, its consequences, loss, morality, emotions, understanding people, seeing things from a different perspective and a bit of forgiveness etc. Remember that Ellie who you aren’t mad at did what Abby did so if you aren’t mad at Ellie then don’t be mad at Abby. So stop letting your feelings get in the way and judge the game for what is is and not that Joel died. There’s so much we wanted to say but this post is long already.
So overall from what we have seen, Last of us 2 an excellent game. A journey for sure, prompts lots of thinking and relating. Not really suppose to be played twice. These cry baby you tubers like angry Joe need to grow up and do a better job at reviewing games. The developers Naughty Dog did an excellent job.
Bright Memory Infinite is a new First person shooter action game developed by ‘FYQD-Studio‘ and published by ‘Playism‘. Bright Memory: Infinite is said to be coming out in 2021, so yep, next year. It’s an Xbox exclusive that’s coming out on the Xbox Series X, Xbox One and PC. Bright Memory: Infinite is looking real serious. Let’s take a look.
Bright Memory: Infinite is set in the future. How far? The year 2036 in a “sprawling metropolis”. Things seemed normal until something unusual happened. Basically something wacky is happening in the skies over various regions. Some look like little black holes or spheres in the skies plus other stuff. The SRO (Supernatural science research organisation), wait that’s two S’s. Shouldn’t it be SSRO? Whatever we didn’t develop this game. Basically the SRO sent out their agents to go and see what’s up.
Now there isn’t much information on Bright Memory: Infinite but we did pick up some things. We are going to focus on the action s it stands out the most. So whoever we are controlling they are well equipped. Guns for traditional long ranged combat, machine guns, auto pistols but seeing the sword brought things to the next level. The sword can create shockwave blasts when you slam down to the ground, off course swings to slice them up and even break through the defense of certain defensive enemies.
Things get crazier as special abilities are also in play. There was what looked like a time stop ability or should we say stasis as the environment wasn’t effected by time or slow down so more like stasis. Stasis or time is always an amazing power. Also impressive is an energy or ionic tether whip which you can use to grab ip pull yourself to that location or even enemies and pull them to you “get over here” style. Seriously this character is shaping up to be a powerful contender. Think ab out it: Guns, sword, stasis and energy tether whip. We just hope Bright Memory: Infinite has worthy enemies.
We have to talk about the visuals right now. The graphics are excellent. Completely amazing. We checked out the developers twitter account and he showed comparison pictures of a rock and step showing the difference the engine he’s using makes on the details of the objects. It’s a step up. The grass, the rain effects, the wind, the trees, the wood all looks excellent. The graphics are excellent. When we enter this game we will take a moment to just look around and see what’s happening. In case you didn’t
We did notice some of the enemies and currently more on the disappointed side. There are off course human enemies with guns who are standard but there’s also what looks like centurion type enemies, shield sword, helmet etc. These guys are tougher, shield block bullets and actually have a projectile. When they swing their blade at you it released a ball of energy or whatever straight at you so evasion is needed. The sword is a good counter against these enemies but even tis enemy isn’t enough. We truly hope for a big variety of enemies, maybe some that can teleport to match your speed and fire power for example. The enemies are currently underwhelming but we will have to see.
We checked some Bright Memory: Infinite gameplay and it’s just pure action. Besides everything we already mentioned there is even more. Basically at the end of the trailer the character called in a vehicle in which she got in and was pursued by another vehicle. It became a car chase. We don’t know if there will be car chases in the game but this trailer is strongly suggesting that this is the case. It’s got to be the main method of traversing the game like with the hover bike like thing in Destiny. So we can look forward to a vehicle.
Overall Bright Memory: Infinite looks like a very good game. Not much is known from a story point of view but from what we have seen it looks very good. The graphics, environment and action are excellent. There’s some force type techniques too like a push punch. There’s definitely more to be seen. The developers ‘FYGD-studio’ have done a very good job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker look forward to seeing what memories, Bright Memory: Infinite will create for gamers. Now Bright Memory: Infinite may have futuristic battles and abilities but those things are no where near advanced enough to match… the ‘Earth Walk!’
The Ascent is a new solo and co-op action RPG developed by ‘Neon Giant‘ and published by ‘Curve Digital‘. The Ascent is said to be coming out in 2020 but no specific date. The Ascent is an Xbox exclusive that’s coming out on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC. We normally like games of this style so naturally we checked it out. Let’s take a look.
In the Ascent universe there is a corporation… well a mega corporation known as the ‘The Ascent group’. They are said to own every everyone, including the player. This mega corporation has collapsed… somehow. This effects everything including security and order. So off course with The Ascent group gone, there is chaos and violence as let’s just say… non peaceful corporations and gangs are taking advantage of the situation. So off course you got to get control of the situation and found out what happened.
Now we definitely got an interest in The Ascent simply because of style. We like the whole top down shooting games thing. It reminds us of Alien Breed for example. Now that game is very good and a lot of fun with co-op action. So far The Ascent has those elements in terms of co-op action (which is excellent and the straight up combat. Games like this are not hard to make good but it’s the job or developers to take it to the next level. Hopefully The Ascent does such a thing.
The Ascent has a number of areas for the player to explore. There are many districts and some are run down and not so great like the slums while other places will be high end luxury places spheres. So make sure to take pictures – we mean be on your guard. Don’t forget that you will have opportunities to make allies and enemies. So be careful, do you really need more enemies, but what do they want in return for being an ally. Some people you can’t trust. Especially if you meet a alien called pablo.
There are a variety of enemies and off course each have their own strengths and weaknesses. She enemies are sower with their attacks. Some are melee only, others just attack from afar. You get the point by now. Off course don’t forget that The Ascent is also an RPG. Enemies can drop loot. The most dangerous enemies are worth slaying as they can drop the best and rarest loot of all. Your characters can also be augmented and customised. How you build your character will pretty much effect how you should approach the enemies. Use cyberware to modify your body, and your equipment makes a difference.
We checked out some The Ascent gameplay and it’s what we thought it would be. Top down, move around, dodge attacks, keep distance, shoot them down and make your way. You explore the area (as you should) and open up chests for items. The shooting enemies don’t seem so aggressive. There’s also abilities like a ground pound attack so you can mix that in to destroy groups of enemies. There is a dome shield that moves with you and offers excellent protection. The Ascent is already setting a huge bar for games to follow with no loading, environment destruction stays and it’s incredibly detailed and this isn’t even the final build yet. As expected we say playstation fans just dumping all over it for no logical reason but hey if you like it, play it and have fun.
Overall, The Ascent looks amazing so far. It’s incredibly detailed. The graffiti, the environment and as mentioned before the environment damage stays. The graphics are excellent, the sounds are serious and the in game character animations are excellent too. If this is what the Xbox Series X is brining then we are looking forward to it. The developers ‘Neon Giant’ have done an amazing job so far. We at X35 Earthwalker definitely look forward to what The Ascent truly brings. Now The Ascent may ascend gameplay but nothing is as ascended as… the ‘Earth Walk!’
Namco Museum Archives Vol 1 is a new game collection developed by ‘B.B Studio’ and published by ‘Bandai Namco‘. Namco Museum Archives Vol 1 is said to be coming out the 18th of June 2020 on the Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PC. Now there isn’t much to say about a game collection like this. Let’s take a look.
Namco Museum Archives Vol 1 is a collection of games. 8-bit games like Pac-man and Dig Dug. Now there is a catch though. There’s 11 games in total with 1 of them being a 8 bit DEmastered version of Pac-Man Championship Edition. This is weird as we haven’t heard of that but it off course can be done. We truly enjoy Pacman Championship Edition 2 so to see a demasteeed version of the first one will be real interesting. It’s clear that this remastered game is the main star of the Namco Museum Archives Vol 1.
Here’s a list of the game in Namco Museum Archives Vol 1: Pac-Man, Dragon Buster, Dig Dug, Xevious, Mappy, The Tower of Druaga, Sky Kid, Galaxian, Dragon Spirit: The New Legend, Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti. So you probably recognise some of these but not all. Some of these weren’t released in the west. So maybe here’s your chance.
Overall Namco Museum Archives Vol 1 is just another game collection. Take a look at it, se any games you like from the list and then decide if you want to get it or not. The only games that interest us this is Dig Dug, Pacman the remastered Championship Edition one and regular pac-man. The developers did alright with this but we think more is needed to make this an eye catcher. Now Namco Museum Archives Vol 1 may have 11 games in total but that not enough for… the ‘Earth Walk!
Crucible has been around for a bit now so we decide to take another look at it. Crucible is a team based action shooter game developed by ‘Amazon Games’. So check out our first G-blog post on Crucible right here. So we just wanted to give our thoughts on the action.
The first things that really jumps out and what we like is the environments. These maps are big, got space and obstacles allowing for moving around and making cover out of a big hill or rock for example. There’s colours everywhere and it meets your idea of a futuristic alien planet. You expect colourful flora and fauna, you expect crystalline rocks sticking out of the ground. If there is intelligent life, you expect some strange infrastructure. The maps look good.
Ajonah, the Orisi, character is clearly more of a long ranged fighter and her abilities show that. Her squid mine doesn’t seem that effective from what we have seen so far. Yes, the mines along with her other equipment are meant to help her stay away and keep foes away. Her grappling hook is really good though. The hook has a big range, bigger than you would think. You can grab a rock or whatever and swing through the air like spider man. The animation she has as she swings is excellent and acrobatic.
Sazan is a straightforward character and is all about cycling through her weapons for the best situation. The Electroknife is good for that in between attack as it recharges weapon energy getting your equipment ready and if you land that knife throw it does damage over time for a good while. Her shotgun doesn’t seem good though. The damage seems too low and seems very in accurate. Overall she does what it says on the box.
Crucible does get tactical and will force players to work together as some characters are far weaker than others in terms of their health. For example Bugg is clearly a support type and not to be upfront as other characters destroy him quick. He is strong by shielding allies and even setting up turrets. So players need to take into account what they are suppose to do with that character. Like what were they made for. If you want to rush in then get an actual rush character.
The equipment make a difference. Like the medkit which off course restores health and can get you back in the fight faster. The characters equipment customisation is simple and straightforward.
The map of the battlefield is very good. It’s a full map, detailed and has multiple symbols to show everything. This gives a goo amount of information for players to use. You can see your team and move while viewing the map.
There’s an in game during match upgrade system where as you gather essence you upgrade your character. For example on upgrade on Sazan means a more accurate shotgun and even dashing more frequently. The dash ability does make a difference.
We like what we see in terms of gameplay. We just hope the balancing of the characters improve. Yes we know the games new but it’s just our thoughts. In more time players will figure out the upgrade paths for all characters and we hope those are balanced too which is hard to do in games like this.
Crucible just looks like a fun game right now. Definitely different from other games right now but obviously a similar concept. The A.I enemies which makes Crucible stand out need more variety. We need more than just that big alien cow thing. We need fierce monsters the are risky too. Now Crucible may have some good stuff going on but it’s not nearly as good as… the ‘Earth Walk!’
