Samurai Shodown is a action fighting game developed and published by ‘SNK‘. Samurai Shodown isn’t a new game and has come out in 2019 on the Xbox One and PS4 and also 2020 on the Nintendo Switch and PC. Also game out on Stadia. Interestingly though it will come on the Xbox Series X BUT not the PS5 in 2020. This game is definitely flashy and about powerful battles. Let’s take a look.
Samurai Shodown takes place between the events of Samurai Shodown V and the original game. Samurai Shodown is said to “carries on the legacy of the one true weapon-based fighter”. Simply put this is a fighter game like Street Fighter in the sense that it’s two characters on opposing sides of the screen and you use your attacks and whatever to bring the enemies life to zero. Off course this isn’t street fighter but something still very different. In Samurai Shodown it’s more about weapons like Soulcalibur but no 8 directional movement. The game being called samurai has an obvious theme. So expect swords, blades and flashy abilities.
Let’s talk a bit more about the fact that Samurai Shodown is coming to the Xbox Series X but not the PS5. We are seeing a number of games doing this. Develeopers are picking the Xbox Series X over PS5. Even one of the recent games we just wrote about called R-Type Final 2. A number of games are moving like this. On top of that. The Xbox Series X has been selling out like crazy in Japan. Japanese developers are going to be releasing games on the Xbox Series X and not PS5, especially thanks to Sony and it’s unnecessary censoring. Japan is a significant place when it comes to video games. It’s a fact that PlayStation, Sony is losing ground to Xbox, Microsoft. How many more nails is Xbox going to put into the PlayStation coffin?
We have never seen this game before so it’s new for us. We noticed that there’s mechanics around the weapons themselves. For example you can knock a player away from their weapon and off course they then are a much smaller threat, have limits and less range. This leads to certain tactics like knocking the enemy away from the weapon then backing off to get the weapon off screen or stand by their weapon and play keep away. It’s an interesting feature and reminds us off when Vega looses his claw knives in Street fighter.
We checked out some Samurai Shodown gameplay and it’s what we expected. There’s strange symbols, imagery, lots of flash and explosive moves. Weapons are the focus, a heavy theme and action, action, action. The characters don’t look that interesting to us though. No one stands out to us but the gameplay does. The special powerful moves get right to the point and does what you’d expect. It does look good and the background settings are very fitting and relevant to the Samurai theme.
Overall Samurai Shodown looks like another fighting game to us just having a mechanic that makes the game stand out but clearly still falls into the group. The graphics and visual aren’t impressive but possibly that could change with the next gen console Xbox Series X. It’s definitely flashy though. The developers ‘SNK’ has done an alright job. We know some gamers are looking forward to this. Now Samurai Shodown may have swords and flashy action but that’s all super dull when compared to the action of… the ‘Earth Walk!’
R-Type Final 2 is a new side scrolling shooter game developed by ‘Granzella‘. R-Type Final 2 is said to be coming out in 2021 on the Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PC. R-Type Final 2 definitely has something going for it. Side scrolling shooter games have a tough time standing out and a number of them are just too similar. Let’s take a look.
Now we didn’t know anything about R-Type Final 2. We never heard of it. Even the story we aren’t sure of what’s going on. We do know that the main enemies in the R-Type are the Bydo. Humans are in a serious battle with the Bydo… for years. Simply put it’s man vs aliens with space battles and machines. Now that’s not the focus here. The focus is that you control big ships with mad firepower to destroy pretty much everything. So focus on that.
One of the main focuses on the R-Type Final 2 gameplay is to make players feel real good about destroying the enemies. There’s multiple weapons for clearly different purposes. There’s a charged up weapon that has piercing effect that flies through multiple enemies. Good for a line up. There are bombs for when extra damage is needed or just to clear out a group of them. Laser beams which have obvious purposes. There’s spiral based flaming attacks. There’s loads of weapons in R-Type Final 2 from what we have seen.
Your weapons can be frontal or backwards which is a good feature. Games like this need loads of weapons, there needs to be a form of upgrade system. Some games do have this but something more is needed. R-Type Final 2 does try something that’s actually different. It seems like some levels have special conditions. There’s one stage that has decaying organisms. So new enemies are formed from the destroyed remains of other enemies. So basically as you play R-Type Final 2 you will face new and stronger enemies. Stage factors like this a good spin.
Now the stages evolve as well. Off course players will be making changes to their fighters over time with different weapons and features. So the stage, enemies and fighters will be going through changes over time. What stands out to us more than any of that stuff in R-Type Final 2 is the ship designs. Like seriously look at them. There’s all sorts and types with some looking like living creatures. Technology has come a long way hasn’t it.
We checked out some R-Type Final 2 gameplay and it’s what we expected for the most part. R-Type Final 2 brings a sense of progression as players will unlocked and develop new fighters of different types as they go through the game. Some ships (fighters) are clearly better for some levels than others because of their features. So it’s up to players to know what’s the best options for the situations ahead. We like the level of flashiness and explosives and special effects. Thos look amazing and the design of the aliens. We always respect creativity and we hope to see more unique and cool looking alien enemies.
Overall R-Type Final 2 looks like a real good game for sure. There’s loads of action, unique and cool looking enemies, customisation, multiplayer is going to make R-Type Final 2 a serious game. Just being able to play with others is a big deal. The graphics of the ships, enemies and the visuals of the firing and attacks are very good. The developers have done a very good job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker look forward to seeing what R-Type Final 2 will do. R-Type Final 2 may have loads of action but that action is real boring when compared to… the ‘Earth Walk!’
Sword of the Necromancer is a new dungeon crawler action role playing game developed by ‘Grimorio of Games‘ and published by ‘JanduSoft‘. Sword of the Necromancer is said to be coming out in the last quarter of 2020 on the Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PS5 and PC. Sword of the Necromancer doesn’t look flashy but looks like solid action. Let’s take a look.
The story of Sword of the necromancer is actually quite simple. You are this dude called Tama. The girl you love is dead but you won’t leave her dead. So you do whatever it takes to bring her back. This apparently means acquiring the Sword of the Necromancer (the title by the way) and slaying enough monsters and even the necromancer himself to get enough soul power to bring Koko (the girl) back to life. We at X35 Earthwalker condemn the practice of necromancy, so don’t go grabbing death swords to bring back a loved one. You’ve been warned.
Now just take one look at Sword of the necromancer and you already know what you are getting yourself into. It’s pixel graphics, you going through what looks like dungeons and you are swinging your sword at many foes. That’s all you need to know really, but there’s something more though. This sword, sword of the necromancer, has an unsurprising ability where the enemies you kill can be brought back to life under your control. You keep what you kill. So eventually you need to raise an army of monsters to help you destroy necromancer and the guardians.
Now it’s not just your sword that you will be wielding. The weapons are different and there are relics to acquirer to help you out. Also the weapons are random generated so you will get something different from your friend… or by pure chance you do get the same thing. The problem is you only have four item slots. So you can equip a monster you defeated to summon it against your enemies, or you can equip the bow and arrows or go for a giant axe, or maybe equip a shield which protects you from projectiles. There’s a whole lot of different combinations of resurrected monsters, relics or weapons. So get creative.
As you fight and defeat enemies you will level up. As you fight alongside the monsters you turned and summoned they will get stronger too. So there’s quite a bit of management to do. Levelling up is key as you need levels to improve your stats and upgrade. If you die (you will die… probably), you lose all your equipped weapons and monsters but keep half the levels you gained. On the other hand there may be opportunities for you to leave the dungeon. Doing this let’s you keep all your equipment but lose all your levels. So you need to take risks to become the ultimate killing machine.
We checked out some Sword of the Necromancer gameplay and it’s what we expected. It’s nothing flashy or fancy. It’s your dungeon crawler, action game. A solid game at that with a cool new concept of turning defeated enemies into allies. This concept along will catch the attention of gamers. We like this concept and it makes you wonder what monsters you want to aim for, how useful they will be and who to spend time fighting alongside to level up. The pixel style works here and the designs look good. Work went into this game for sure. Again, nothing big or special but solid.
Overall we like what we see. It’s interesting and cool. Best of all Sword of the necromancer has local co-op. You can play with a buddy and face the dungeons together. Local co-op is just the best. You hear that Halo Infinite! MAKE SURE TO HAVE LOCAL CO-OP!!! Sorry readers we don’t know what came over us. *clears throat* The graphics are nice, the combat is solid and the options seem plentiful. This game just needs a bit more and some flair. The developers ‘Grimorio of Games’ have done a good job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker will have to see what Sword of the Necromancer truly brings to the table. Now Sword of the Necromancer may have a great concept but it’s a dumb one compared to the creativity of… the ‘Earth Walk!’
Hood: Outlaws & Legends is a new multiplayer, action, stealth game developed by ‘Sumo Digital‘ and published by ‘Focus Home Interactive‘. Hood: Outlaws & Legends is said to be coming out in 2021 on the Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, PS4 and PC. Hood: Outlaws & Legends is definitely doing something different concerning the concept. Let’s take a look.
Hood: Outlaws & Legends is set in a violent medieval place with an oppressive government. It’s being called a state. This place is crazy though as there are rebels, scum, thieves… basically outlaws out here and they are making some moves. Simply put, it’s Robin Hood. Hood: Outlaws & Legends is based on a rare concept that’s not easy to do right. There’s so many rival gangs and are trying to steal from the rich to give to the poor which will of course gain the support of the oppressed people. These gangs are competing against each other while off course the rich will want to protect what’s theirs too.
So it’s basically a three way battle in Hood: Outlaws & Legends. The guards of the rich/soldiers vs the players and their team vs other players and their team. That’s right. While you are sneaking around, assassinating soldiers and making your way to the goods. There are other players doing the exact same thing with their team. You might be hunting or being hunted. The treasure is right there and the area looks clear but they could be right there hiding. Waiting for you to turn your back. So it’s PvEvP. The game has a saying, “We are all outlaws… but some of us will become legends.” You need to prove you are the best. This concept does remind us ofHunt: Showdown. Hood: Outlaws & Legends is a fight but also a race.
Since Hood: Outlaws & Legends is also a stealth game and dangerous A.I enemies are around, you need a plan. It’s like trying to rob a big super secure bank (obviously not as difficult). Running through the front door scream with weapons out is a bad move for sure. Each character in your squad have their own skills and “mystical abilities”. So know your characters, know the situation and know what needs to be done and who ought to do it. Now when it comes to facing the other players, there’s where things will get loud. Think of it sort of like ‘For Honour’ where you need to judge your distance and timing very well to get the hits on your enemy and back off, evade etc. So mix it up out there.
There isn’t that much on Hood: Outlaws & Legends. The concept and past games tells you everything you need to know. It’s a team based game for the most part. Whether you need a group of friends or if there’s matchmaking, we don’t know. So pick your character, have your team, sneak around towards the objective, take out guards and get the goods. Most likely running into the other teams of players. How many teams per match or world, we don’t know either. Just prepare for a fight.
We checked out the Hood: Outlaws & Legends trailer and it gives a good idea of what to expect and it’s what we expected. It’s definitely more brutal than we thought though. There appears to be executions of some sort. Weapons with special effects, possibly stuns. Not clear if there’s a penalty for losing an ally. Is there permalinks death? Who knows.
Overall Hood: Outlaws & Legends looks like an alright game for now. It has potential to be much better and very good but only when we see more. The concept is rare and difficult to pull off. There’s many factors. The developers ‘Sumo Digital’ have done an alright job so far. We at X35 Earthwalker will have to see what Hood: Outlaws & Legends becomes. Now Hood: Outlaws & Legends may have a brutal battle of outlaws but those outlaws are just children in comparison to… 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!’
Skeletal Avenger is a rouge lite hack and slash game developed and published by ‘10tons‘. Skeletal Avenger is said to he coming out in late 2020 on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PlayStation 5 and PC. There is definitely some ‘boney’ action going on in this game. Let’s take a look.
The story in Skeletal Avenger isn’t much really. Basically there re a bunch of dead skeletons and they are waiting for their turn to get revenge. Here’s how the developers worded it, “Avenge a thousand wrongs in a reverse roguelite where the skeletal avengers ascend from the depths to demand a payment in blood!” So literally a bunch of angry salty skeletons who just want revenge but take turns to do it.
Now off course you aren’t just some skeleton, as in you get one slap and you crumble. No. You have a number of weapons to pick and use from like hammers, swords, daggers, spears and more. It gets even better. As you succeed and complete revenges you get new gears, weapons and tools. These will provide you with new perks and abilities. So make sure to get them and become powerful enough to face whatever comes your way. C’mon you are a skeleton, use your head… get it? No literally you can take off your head and throw it at your enemy in skeleton avenger.
Remember that these revenges are always targeted against a certain being. Every run you do, you’ll need to choose who your enemy is. Then hunt them down and make them pay. Even so remember that they aren’t the only enemies around. As you make your way around you’ll face scorpions, hooded figures, worm monsters, fire traps and more. So far we haven’t seen anything unique or terrifying though. The enemies seem generic and nothing seems like a legitimate threat so we hope they step that up. The enemies in a game make all the difference. Look at Maze Time, they have numerous enemies with different levels of threats and some unique.
Once again we are happy to hear that Skeletal Avenger has co-op gameplay. You can get revenge alone or work together with your friends. 4 player co-op. The more games that have room for co-op the better. Majority of the time it’s better to play with friends.
We checked out some Skeletal Avenger gameplay and it’s what we imagined it would be. You are a skeleton and navigate around, attack enemies, avid damage and keep on rolling. There are area of effect attacks and you even have the ability to dash to avoid hazards, evade or just move around faster. We like that the items and gear you get is visible on your skeleton character. Not all games do this.
Overall Skeletal Avenger just seems like another rouge lite hack and slash. This game needs more to be something special but definitely looks functional and good as it is right now. It’s style is traditional with the whole dark, stone, underground theme. It looks good too. The developers ’10tons’ have done a nice job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker will just have to hear what noise Skeletal Avenger makes. Now Skeletal Avenger may have salty skeletons who’s focus is revenge but they aren’t focused enough for… 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.
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!
