Tag: PS4

SDCC 2017: A Blast From The Past! ‘Sonic Mania’ Panel Recap!

by The_acz

Even though 2016 marked Sonic’s 25th anniversary, it’s 2017 that’s really the year of Sonic.

We’re not only getting one, but TWO Sonic games this year. One of them is the next 3D entry titled Sonic Forces, but the other has much more people talking. It’s a brand new 2D pixel art tribute to the blue blur’s early days. I’m of course talking about Sonic Mania. I got the chance to play Mania at E3 this year and really enjoyed. Now just 3 weeks out from release, Sonic Mania is speeding toward the finish line with one final stop to make in the form of San Diego Comic-Con. I was lucky enough to get invited to the panel, and it didn’t disappoint. 

Moderated by everyone’s favorite video game Social Media, Aaron Webber took to the stage to introduce the panel for the evening which included Takashi Iizuka (Head of Sonic Team), Christian Whitehead (Lead Dev & Programmer), Tee Lopes (Composer), Tom Fry (Art Director), and Simon Thomley (Programmer). After everyone was introduced, they went on to talk about the origins of the game. Sonic Mania began development in early 2016 and was code-named Sonic Discovery.

They were very nervous about initially presenting the game to Iizuka, but after they showed him Studiopolis Zone, Iizuka absolutely  loved it. He had always wanted to make another 2D Sonic game, and after seeing what was presented to him, he had great faith that the team would do it justice. He even went as far as to pull out a whiteboard and write it’s name right besides the original 3, and Knuckles. And so, Sonic Mania was born!

Next, the team moved onto programming. They talked about how they loved chronicling their favorite glitches as they made the game. They started making a top 10 list, but that quickly expanded to 20, and then 30, etc. They even showcased some of them. One was of Tails stuck in the ground, and another one called to mind the infinite Knuckles jump from Sonic Boom. Then Webber presented his favorite of all the glitches, and that was this.

 Next, Tom and Tee talked for a bit about their contributions and history with Sonic. Tom talked about how Mania was his first time spiriting for a game. He stated that even though the game is meant to be a send-up to the Genesis era of Sonic, the game is a bit beefier than that and would need something more along the lines of the Sega Saturn to run it. Tom had always wanted a Sonic game for the Saturn, and said that the designs for the characters are what he’d think they’d look like on that console.

Tee also commented about how he wanted the Saturn, but had to keep his good grades in school according to his dad. He ended up maintaining the grades, but found out that his dad accidentally bought him a Sega Master System instead. No need for disappointment, this sparked his love for the hedgehog! 

Finally, they decided to end the panel with 3 big bangs! The first was our first look at the special stages! No longer will fans have to suffer through the dreaded half pipe, but instead a revised version of the UFO from Sonic CD. There’s now only one UFO, and to catch him, you must collect blue orbs to increase your speed. Once you reach Mach 3, you’ll be able to catch him. Rings are also very important as they extend the time that you can be in the area. 

The next 2 things were also big surprises for fans. Remember that awesome Pre-order trailer  a couple of months back? Turns out that the same guy who made that trailer also made an intro for the game in the same Sonic CD style! Finally, the 3rd and final reveal was that the dev crew created a special introduction manual for the game, and everyone at the panel got a copy of it! What a great way to celebrate 26 years of everyone’s favorite blue Hedgehog. The best part is that this is only a pit stop. We’re still 3 weeks out from the main course. Sonic Mania will release on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4, and PC on August 15th.

Adventurer Log: ‘Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood’ Introduces Old Allies, New Threats And An Ixion Stampede

by Josh Jackson

In our first Adventurer Log, Cheres Highwind was reintroduced to the world of Eorzea after a long time away from the warring world. With a sudden burst of strength and a new land to discover as her fight against The Garlean Empire, we took the time to get the hang of our new abilities, finding some useful new skills in the transition from level 50 to 60. With the kinks out of the way, it was time to fully explore the continent of Othard, starting with the rebel encampment where most of our allies find themselves putting together a plan of attack.

Lyse, or as I knew her, Yda, led us to the hidden locale after catching me up to the trials and tribulations she faced up to this point. Having missed the fight against Ultima Weapon and the battle at the Singularity Reactor in Heavensward’s conclusion, I was surprised to learn that Papalymo, her Lalafell companion, had been killed in the previous conflict, losing a valuable ally in the process. Once we arrived at the village, we were greeted by Conrad, the leader of the rebel encampment. Here, I was given the tour of the facility while I was given new armor in the process. Finally wearing gear suitable for a powerful Dragoon, it was time to take the fight to the Garleans with the rebels at our back.

Stylin’ and Profilin’

Only, it wouldn’t be that simple. Conrad explains that despite being a group of rebels, each section is splintered with their own leadership. Fighting at full power meant we would have to go around and convince the other sects to join our cause, many of which might not be too keen on the idea considering how many losses they took in the previous conflict. That’s not to say that we were lacking when it came to allies, since we were asked to assist a few old friends with some tasks. M’naago and Meffrie both needed our help, but deciding to follow M’naago first, (mostly because of the promise of more armor), we left to track down Raubahn, The Bull of Ala Mhigo.

But not before we ran into a herd of Ixion that jumped uncontrollably at the request of their riders. Clearly some adventurers weren’t taking this threat as seriously as others.

Sometimes you need to just shrug and move on.

After assisting some travelers with an escort FATE by helping fight off some fearsome new monsters, we got into our first clash with the Garleans. Thanks to ambushing them before they realized we were at their throats, we made quick work of their solders and their newest Magitek gear. Once we arrived, Raubahn was happy to join the fight, yet his companion, Pipin, was the first to hesitate in the way Conrad warned us. Due to our heavy losses, the Lalafell argued that we need to focus on rebuilding hope before we could clash with the full might of The Empire. Many of the people didn’t feel like we had a chance, so we needed to prove that they could be beaten before they could realistically rally at our side. How will we accomplish that? That will be a story for another day.

Next time, we’ll tackle this problem, as well as learning the new Samurai job. A new region calls for some new combat skills, so what better way to do that than by learning the ancient Eastern art of combat? We might get some cool new clothes out of it in the process!

So until next time, feel free to share your names with us in the comments and join in on the adventure!

E3 2017: ‘Senran Kagura Peach Beach Splash’ Is Much Better Than It Has Any Right To Be

by Josh Jackson

You probably know the deal with the Senran Kagura series by now. If you need to be brought up to speed, the series is typically a hack and slash action game staring four groups of high school kunoichi, or female ninja. As they tear through their opponents, the one thing that surely won’t survive their battles are their clothes, since the game’s gratuitous slow motion zoom ins under their skirts and at their chests as their outfits disintegrate makes sure to alert you every time a new inch of skin has been shown. After all, this is the game that infamously started out on the 3DS as an attempt to get 3D boobs onto the system. Yet despite the very obvious gimmick, the games somehow managed to be solid games behind all the behinds.

No one can hide from my sights.

Shifting the focus from boobs to butts slashers to shooters is Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash, the latest spin-off for the PS4 that trades in the girls’ swords and kunai for water guns. In the three-on-three mode that was featured in the demo, we were thrust into a fast paced third person arcade shooter where the goal was to douse your opponents in water until their health drained. Tying the mechanics back to the series’ roots are slower melee attacks that allow you to knock opponents away with their traditional weapons, one example being Shiki using her scythe between her legs to deal extra damage. Once the enemy is downed, rather than stomp them before they can be revived like in Gears of War, approaching them switches to a first person perspective where you proceed to spray their boobs or butts until that piece of clothing comes off, forcing them to flee in shame. Of course, if you want to be a gentleman about it, you could douse their face and keep their clothes intact. The winning team was the first with a certain amount of KO’s, so using special items, coordinating with your team to back you up as you finish off wounded enemies, and having them protect you when you need to refill your water all comes into play, giving Peach Beach a layer of depth that you wouldn’t expect on the surface.

But most of all, I was taken aback by how much fun the game was. Honest to God, it was probably the most fun I had with a single game at the entire show! Feeling like a weird cross between Tracer’s gameplay from Overwatch with the fast moving dual pistols, Splatoon‘s focus on spraying your opponents into submission and Senran Kagura‘s trademark presentation, and I’m finding myself very interested at how well this game turns out. Will it be the next eSport spectacular where gamers from around the world can watch South Korea strip the opposing countries naked in giant arenas? Probably not. But if the game develops a small following of cooperative teams, I could see this being a blast online. With guest character DLC, a full single player story mode and multiple ways to customize your ninjas, I’m hoping that the final version lives up to its promising start. But me? I just want to be reunited with my Renka.

Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash is set for a summer release.

E3 2017: ‘Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age’ Improves A Fatal Flaw In The Original

by Josh Jackson

Final Fantasy XII seems to be a polarizing game among fans, with the crowd split between thinking it’s one of the best games in the franchise to calling it one of the worst. I fell in the latter group, because despite its streamlined gameplay, more intimate story that focused on individual conflicts over a world altering calamity, and bringing MMO inspired combat to mainstream RPGs in a way that set the foundation for titles like Xenoblade Chronicles, the level up system was atrocious. After a good 15-20 hours in, the open ended License Board, which consisted of upgrades that you couldn’t see until your position on the board was adjacent to them, led me to unlocking so many useless stats and abilities that nearly my entire party was unusable at key points in the story. Picture Final Fantasy X‘s Sphere Grid, but instead of being on a set path until you could unlock special items to infiltrate other boards, every grid was open, connected, and you couldn’t see what each stat boost did until you were pretty much on it.

I couldn’t have been the only person with this complaint, since the international version of FFXII added the Zodiac Job System. This revamped format essentially revived the Job System, asking you to assign each new party member a specific job, each of which has a specific License Board to ensure that you’ll only unlock upgrades relevant to their role. Unfortunately, this version never saw the light of day outside of Japan until The Zodiac Age, the upcoming HD remaster of the last sixth generation Final Fantasy game.

On top of bringing over the improved leveling system, The Zodiac Age includes the ability to fast forward gameplay. Since most battles are fought in real time, with your AI party members acting on their own based on the instructions or “Gambits” you assign to them, level grinding could become an automated chore. Now that you can speed up your actions, simple to moderate encounters will be a breeze as they speed through. You might want to be careful using this against the higher ranked opponents however, since you’ll want to maintain your utmost attention when every move counts.

All in all, I’m excited to step back into Ivalice and give Ashe, Vahn, Balthier and Basch a second shot, especially since the original License Board was the only thing keeping me from enjoying the game the first time around. With that obstacle out of the way, I’m looking forward to experiencing what can be another top notch RPG experience, only this time with the benefit of the PS4’s power. What were your feelings about the original License Board, and where does Final Fantasy XII fall on your list of the best games in the series? Be heard in the comments below!

Seth Rollins Celebrates Being The ‘WWE 2K18’ Cover Athlete By Destroying Stuff For Some Reason

by Josh Jackson

This morning, 2K announced that The Kingslayer himself, Seth Rollins, will be the cover athlete for WWE 2K18. As the first full time performer to grace the cover in three years, Rollins joins the likes of John Cena, CM Punk, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin as the featured star for the annual wrestling simulation game.

Seth is appropriate pick considering how the rising star had the biggest win of his career earlier this year when he defeated Triple H with one leg at this year’s Wrestlemania. Following the slogan “Be Like No One”, the former Architect of The Shield takes things a little too far, deciding to destroy some legendary memorabilia. Because that’s what you do when you make the cover of a video game.

Eagle eyed wrestling fans can spot plenty of easter eggs as they get smashed to pieces by the masked Rollins. From Ric Flair’s robe to The Undertaker’s gear that he left behind at his retirement, nothing is sacred when you want to sell a game. But why did you have to smash Brutus Beefcake’s scissors? It’s not like he has much of his glory days to hold onto lately. There wasn’t a barber shop window that Seth could have fled through instead?

While we don’t get to see any game play, we do know when and how we’ll be playing it. Releasing on PS4 and Xbox One on October 17, the game will be released with three different versions. The Standard Edition, the Deluxe Edition, which will give players four days of early access, and the Collector’s Edition, which will include everything the Deluxe Edition contains, plus physical rewards that will be revealed at a later date. Past versions had some pretty great stuff, so fans might want to jump on the preorder button once the announcement is made.

Watch the trailer below and tell us what other artifacts of wrestling’s past you can spot. Are you planning on picking up this year’s iteration? And what do you think of Rollins on the cover? Let us know in the comments!

E3 2017: Blast Processing Through ‘Sonic Mania’!

by The_acz

After a delay or 2, Sega’s highly anticipated Sonic Mania will finally be releasing on August 15th, 2017.

Developed by a highly respected Sonic fan game community member Christian Whitehead, the game is a celebration of everything Classic Sonic. This week at E3 I got the chance to play the game and can easily say that this game has shot up my most anticipated list for 2017. Not only is this a great tribute and celebration to Classic Sonic, but just Sonic as a character in general. Let’s quit stalling and get into it!

The demo allows you to choose any of the 3 characters in the game: Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. You also get the choice between Green Hill Zone Act 2 and the new Mirage Saloon Zone Act 2. I was able to try out both levels and loved both of them! The characters feel exactly how they felt in Sonic 3 + Knuckles. It’s as if they were ripped right out of the classic genesis games and placed directly into this new iteration. Of course the sprite work and animation for the characters look better than ever!

 

Mirage Saloon is the new zone in the demo and is really fun. You’ll be racing through sand loops that disintegrate when you run over them, jumping off swivel chairs in bar that propel you across the screen, and get shot out of a gun at high speed. There’s tons of alternate routes to take, and there are even some references cameos that are sprinkled throughout the level that reference some forgotten Sonic characters (see image above). Green Hill Zone 2 is also a great stage.

You don’t expect much since by now people have played through Green Hill Zone, but the difference here is that the layout is completely different! This is not the same Green Hill Zone from the Original Sonic. It’s completely different  and feels great to re-experience an old zone with new life.  even the music is different. The theme has a bit more synthetic/techno feel to it now and sounds wonderful still. The zone ends with a boss fight against Dr. Eggman in the Death Egg Robot. All you need to do is hit the top of the robot a couple of times, but it’s not exactly a walk in the park. Not only do you need to hit the top of his head, but you only have limited space to run away. Once you reach the ledge, you better hope you have one hit left because you might die the first couple of times trying to take him down.

At the end of the day, I can’t recommend Sonic Mania enough. This is the Sonic game that fans were hoping they’d get when Sonic 4 was originally announced. Everything from the physics, to the speed, and the sprites just feel right. both Modern and classic fans will find a good challenge with this game. Hopefully the game does well enough that maybe we can get a sequel? Only time will tell.

E3 2017: ‘Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy’ Looks Beautiful, But Feels Off

by The_acz

Last year people were jumping for joy when Sony announced that they’d be remastering the first 3 Crash Bandicoot games for an HD trilogy collection back at E3 2016.

Flash forward a year to E3 2017 and there are only 2 weeks left until the game game CRASHES (pun very intended) onto store shelves. People have also gotten the chance to play numerous demos which have left a lot of people. . . . . . mixed. I myself recently got the chance to sit down and try the game, and what did I think? Ehhhhhh.

My play time was spent on Crash 3: Wrapped since it’s my favorite out of the trilogy. I played Orient Express and Midnight Run, The Coco tiger levels where you play on the great wall of china. The first thing I have to say is that I absolutely love the graphics. Everything is colorful, vibrant, and has some sort of energy to it. Even Coco herself is more expressive as she has more facial animations, and even victory poses just like Crash.

So both the music and graphics are ace, but sadly the most disappointing part of N. Sane is the fact that the gameplay feels. . . . . off. I’ll be the first to admit that while I love Crash 2 & 3, the first one is a tad dated and doesn’t feel nearly as good to play as 2 and 3. With this trilogy, it feels a bit like they took the physics from the first game and just transferred them to the other titles without realizing that they had a much faster and different physics than the original. As a result, the levels end up feeling slower and the characters end up feeling a bit heavier than what they originally were.

The controls also feel slightly delayed. Many times when I tried to move out of the way of an oncoming barrel it felt like Coco was moving a second or 2 after I actually moved her. Same thing happened when I tried jumping over dragon or a piece of broken road. This threw me off a good number of times, and even caused me a game over with at least 6 lives. Obviously I don’t want to say the devs didn’t care about what they were making because I’ve seen many interviews and can tell that they’re very passionate about this project, and that they want Crash to have a future.

The ability to play as Coco fully in the previous 2 games (bosses excluded) is a really cool addition and shows how much they care about making this a great package, but at the same time, it’s very important for those games to still feel like those games. Perhaps they’re still working on the game right up to its release and are still trying to nail down the physics, but in the end, the game was a bit disappointing to me. That’s not to say I don’t want it to succeed though. If you’re not bothered by how the gameplay in Crash 1 feels, you should be fine and will love this collection. I still wish the best for this game and hope it sells well so we can see Crash return with a brand new game, but for me, I’ll stick to the originals.

Kid Ink And ‘Tekken 7’ Team Up To Record ‘Now It’s Personal’

by Josh Jackson

Tekken has been a fighting game mainstay for over a decade, so it’s no surprise that people from all walks of life have landed a punch or two in Namco Bandai’s brawler. One such fan is platinum selling artist, Kid Ink, who put his fandom to work while recording Now It’s Personal, a new track inspired by the upcoming Tekken 7.

Giving us a glimpse at the recording process while learning about the artist’s history with the series, the track is inspired by the final showdown between Heihachi and Kazuya, the father and son who are set to fight to the death in the game’s story mode. But in between all of the music mumbo jumbo is some insightful advice for would-be fighters who are hoping to step in the ring. Namely, it’s important to master the game itself before trying to stick with one or two characters, leading to more versatility between the entire cast. Not bad!

Take a step into the studio and watch the making of video below. What do you think of the collaboration? Would you want to see other artists get involved in the fighting game scene? Let us know in the comments!

Tekken 7 will release for the PS4, Xbox One and Steam on June 2.

Catch Up With The ‘Tekken’ Saga With This 8-Bit Recap

by Josh Jackson

Tekken 7 is right around the corner, which promises to resolve their 23 year feud in its expanded story mode. Are you thinking about checking the game out, but don’t have the time to delve in two decades worth of confusing material? Then fear not! Learn all you need to know about the first three games in the first Tekken Retro Recap!

Following a classic father-son story where the father dumps his son off of a cliff, the son gets possessed by the devil after murdering his father out of revenge, and the son in turn gets tossed into a volcano, the only events that make any sense involve the head of a global organization walking out on his pregnant mistress. Nonetheless, this insanity has kept fans like myself clamoring for the next big twist, wondering how all of this will reach its conclusion.

Check out the video below and share your thoughts with us on Tekken‘s long history, then learn about the game itself with our hands-on preview from E3 last year.

‘Sonic Forces’: The Newest Playable Character Is. . . .YOU!

by The_acz

About a month ago in the most recent Nintendo Direct, the highly anticipated Sonic Forces was teased as having a 3rd playable character.

This set off many theories as to who else you’d be able to play as. Guesses ranged everywhere from Fang the Sniper to Bubsy the Bobcat (yes, really, people guessed that.) Today, Sega has finally peeled back the curtain to reveal this character, and it couldn’t be more amazing if they tried.The third playable character joining the roster for the game is YOUR original character! That’s right! I hope you kept that picture of your Sonic OC from when you were in the 3rd grade because it’s now going to come in handy. 

As of right now, there are 7 different animals to choose from, each having their own ability. Here’s how they’re broken down:

  • Hedgehog — Collects rings when getting damaged
  • Wolf — Automatically draws in rings when near them
  • Rabbit — Has longer invincible time after receiving damage
  • Bird — Flies high with double jump abilities
  • Bear — Blows away enemies with a homing attack
  • Cat — Keeps one ring after being hit
  • Dog — Restarts with five rings after the player dies

 

Aside from a custom ability for each type of animal, there’ll also be custom items that only the created character can use. One example used in the trailer is some sort of grappling hook and a flamethrower (hey, it’s still pretty cool. Check out the trailer below and get excited!

 

Fury Rises! Darksiders 3 Has Been Announced!

by The_acz

5 years ago THQ released Darksiders 2, and shortly after closed their doors for good. It was a sad time not only for THQ, but for fans of the Darksiders series. Now THQ has risen from the ashes, and along with that, so has Darksiders. This morning, IGN exclusively revealed that the newly formed Gunfire Games which is mostly made up of Vigil Games employees, will be releasing Darksiders 3 with the help of the also newly formed THQ Nordic. The story centers on Fury and her quest to kill the seven deadly sins. The game is set for a 2018 release on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Check out the trailer below, and get ready to rise again!

‘What Remains Of Edith Finch’ Gets A Beautiful Launch Trailer

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Somehow this one completely slipped my radar until the glowing reviews began to hit the web this morning.

The game officially launches for PS4 and PC tomorrow, and is already being hailed as the next Gone Home (meaning that Shane O’Hare is definitely going to love it).

The game is a self proclaimed “collection of strange tales about a family in Washington state.”

Yeah, that doesn’t sound all that interesting, but the synopsis continues to reveal what sounds like an incredibly unique experience:

As Edith, you’ll explore the colossal Finch house, searching for stories as she explores her family history and tries to figure out why she’s the last one in her family left alive. Each story you find lets you experience the life of a new family member on the day of their death, with stories ranging from the distant past to the present day.

 

The gameplay and tone of the stories are as varied as the Finches themselves. The only constants are that each is played from a first-person perspective and that each story ends with that family member’s death.

 

Ultimately, it’s a game about what it feels like to be humbled and astonished by the vast and unknowable world around us.

This is also a game by the team behind the wonderful and heart wrenching The Unfinished Swan, so you better believe I’ll be picking this one up when it releases tomorrow.

For now, you can watch the game’s beautiful launch trailer below, and be sure to let us know if you plan to pick this one up. Gah, Outlast 2 and this in one day, and Prey in barely a week? Talk about too many games, and too little time.

https://youtu.be/WtScfS0eVqM

Miss ‘NBA Jam’? Check Out ‘NBA Playgrounds’!!

by The_acz

It seems like within the past couple of years that sports games have become more popular.

While there are still fun sports games like the NBA 2K series and FIFA, it all but seems like the more light hearted days of arcade sports games like NBA Jam and NFL Blitz. There was a brief resurgence of these games in the early 2010’s, but they were more toned down from their original versions (except NBA Jam for Wii. That was pretty faithful.) Enter NBA Playgrounds. What seems a pseudo spiritual successor to the jam series. There’s not much to the trailer, but the game will be launching in May for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4, and PC for $20. Check out the trailer below and tell us in the comments what your favorite arcade style sports game is!

‘Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night’ Canceled For Wii U. Coming To Switch Instead.

by The_acz

2 years ago, a disgruntled Koji Igarashi left Konami to make the Castlevania game of his dreams that Konami didn’t want to make. He launched the mega popular Kickstarter for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and has been hard at work on the game ever since then. They hit tons of stretch goals, including one that would get the game on the Wii U. Well, we all know that the Wii U essentially kicked the bucket back in late 2015, and with the recent success of the Nintendo Switch, there have been some major changes.

Just like Yooka Laylee a couple of months back, Igarashi announced today in the newest update that Bloodstained is no longer coming out for Nintendo’s red headed gamepad forcing step child. Instead, the game will launch on the Switch, and backers who once backed the Wii U version can now change to the Switch with ease, as well as other platforms. While sad for Wii U owners, this is another great game heading to the Switch via 3rd party support, and we couldn’t be happier for it.

What do you think? Which version of Bloodstained will you be getting? Check out the announcement right here.

 

 

Capcom Announces The Disney Afternoon Collection!

by The_acz

Back in the late 80’s/early 90’s, Capcom used to be the king when it came to making licensed video games. More specifically, games based off of the insanely popular Disney Afternoon. 4 years ago we were treated to a great DuckTales remake, but since then, not much else has happened with those beloved classics.

This morning, Capcom has announced that they’ll be keeping the classics alive as they’ll be releasing The Disney Afternoon Collection later this year. The game will release for $20 on April 18th, and will include both DuckTales,  both Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers, Tailspin, and Darkwing Duck, but there’s more to the collection than just the initial 6 games. Much akin to 2015’s Rare Replay, the collection will add additional features such as behind the scenes art, a rewind feature, and snapshot challenges including time attacks and boss rushes.

As of right now, the collections biggest downside is that it will not be releasing on the Nintendo Switch. It’s quite a head scratcher seeing as how all of these games originated on the NES. Perhaps if demand is high enough, then Capcom might consider a Switch release. Check out the trailer below, and bask in the glorious Disney nostalgia!

 

Orisa Announced : New Overwatch Hero Looks Impressive

by Courtney Dossett

Blizzard delivered this morning with the reveal of their new hero, Orisa. The OP from 4chan was pretty accurate with their predictions for this character – she is a quadruped robot tank, functioning as a team anchor – although “Orisa” is way better than Anchora for a character name.

Orisa’s general look looks a lot like a centaur bot, but with a oxen look more than a horse look. Her voice line “your safety is my primary objective” reminds me a lot of Big Hero Six.

Orisa seems like a blend of Winston, and Zarya. She has a stationary shield that sounds a lot like Winston’s bubble, although it doesn’t protect you from attacks on all sides. Orisa’s cannon reminds me a lot of Zarya’s cannon, but with no reload, and she can also deploy a graviton charge that draws enemies into an explosion, slowing/stopping them in their tracks. Her Fortify lets her reduce damage taken and makes her impervious to anti-action effects, which could make her a great counter for Mei’s freeze ray.

From what I’ve been able to see from various game play videos, Orisa looks to be a hard hitter.I personally cannot wait to give her a shot in game, and see if she can help me diversify my go-to hero list (although Mei and D.Va can never be replaced in my heart!).

Orisa is available now in PTR – if you have access, give her a try and let us know what you think!

Return To Middle-Earth!: ‘Middle-Earth: Shadow Of War’ Announced!

by The_acz

Potentially leaked just a couple of days ago, today, WB Games has announced that they are indeed working on a sequel to the 2014 hit Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Titled Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Not much has been said or revealed about the game, but the trailer shows the ring of power being crafted and a great war for Mordor about to begin. No specific systems have been named, but we can assume it’ll be on PC, Xbox One, and PS4 (and maybe Switch.) The game will release on August 22nd 2017, with a gameplay reveal coming March 8th which is next week! What did you think about the original Middle-earth game? Tell us in the comments below!

‘Yooka Laylee’ Gets A Jolly Soundtrack Release!

by The_acz

Yooka Laylee is still around 2 months away from release, but there’s still plenty to say about the game before it launches on Xbox One, PS4, and PC on April 11th.

Today, Playtonic Games announced that the Soundtrack to the game will be available via CD, vinyl, and digital 4 days prior to the games release on April 7th. The soundtrack will include all music from the game and their composers such as DKC Veteran David Wise, Kameo composer Steve Burke, and Banjo/Viva Pinata composer himself Grant Kirkhope. If you’re interested in pre-ordering the soundtrack, check it out right here! What’s your favorite composition from the game? Tell us in the comments below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9X_VGRpw8U&t=243s

 

‘Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy’ Smashes Its Way To A Release Date + Screenshots Of Crash 2 HD!

by The_acz

Crash’s original 3 adventures are coming back, and finally have a release date.

This morning, Sony and Vicarious Visions announced that the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will be launching this year on June 30th, 2017. The game is available for pre-order now digitally in case you’re a bit impatient. That’s not all Crash news right now though. A couple of new photos have surfaced showing off the Crash 2 portion of the collection. These include a battle with the Komodo Bros. (shown in the banner above), Crash being chased by a giant boulder, and even a segment from a Polar level! Check out the images below and tell us which of the original 3 Crash games are your favorite below!

NIS America To Livestream Press Event This Friday

by Natalie Kipper

NIS America holds an annual press shindig in San Francisco, California, and for the first time, the event will be broadcast live on the company’s Twitch channel! The festivities begin at 7pm Pacific/ 10pm Eastern on Friday, February 17.

What can we expect the Press Event? Here is what has been teased so far:

[via Miketendo64.com]

In an email sent out to attendees, NIS America stated that they have “five new games to announce and maybe even release dates for our first game on Switch and a game featuring an adorable black and white bear.” Now, I don’t know about you but that bear sounds a lot like Monokuma from the Danganronpa series to me. GoNintendo hypothesized that the yet-to-be revealed 3DS game is RPG Maker FES, which was recently announced for localization in Australia.

To keep up to date on the NISA Press Event 2017, head on over to their dedicated Facebook page. Do you plan on watching? Let us know in the comments!

Celebrate The Lunar New Year With Overwatch’s Latest Event! Check Out ‘The Year Of The Rooster’

by Shane O'Hare

The best thing that Blizzard is doing with Overwatch (that is going to contribute greatly to it’s longevity), are their Seasonal Events. Summer games, Halloween, and Christmas were all a hoot to play. Players get access to awesome character skins, emotes and game-modes; while some levels got a nice makeover. All have been well received by the community and really show that Blizzard cares about the quality of life for Overwatch. Valve, take note. Santa hats on the CS:GO chickens aren’t enough.

A few weeks ago we got teased for their newest event celebrating the Lunar New Year, and today we finally get the full list of details! Check out the trailer below.

We got ourselves a HUGE series of goodies to track down and fight for. Over 100 different cosmetic items can be had from Lunar New Year Loot Boxes. As always, players can earn them from play or buy them for real cash.

The event starts TODAY and goes until February 13th. You can find me frantically searching for that Mei skin. Mei is bae.

Geekscape Presents: The Top 16 Gaming Waifus Of 2016

by Josh Jackson

We owe so much to our waifus, who often give us sad, lonely gamers love when reality shuns us. Pay your respects by checking out our lists from years past!

2014

2015

But anyway, off to the present!

WARNING: Potential spoilers for every game listed. Unless you’ve finished them or don’t care, skip the entries you’re worried about before you yell at me.

2016 has drawn to a close, which means it’s time to evaluate all of the top gaming waifu candidates for the past year. We at Geekscape take this process very seriously, which is why this year’s list has made its way to your screens a little later than in previous years. Because we always aim to deliver as the authority on all things waifu, (and because of how indecisive I am), this year’s list is the biggest one yet! Upping the tally to a massive 16, this year was a fantastic year for female characters, memorable companions and the downright freaky. Ranging from the sweet to the sadistic, the gamers to the inanimate objects, and from mechs to movie stars, here are the top 16 gaming waifus of 2016! But first…

Honorable Best Girls:

Ayane (Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 / Senran Kagura: Estival Versus)

Ayane will always hold a special place in my heart as one of my favorite video game characters of all time. Brought up as an outcast who was forced to live in the shadow of her half sister due to being a child born from rape, her resentment reflected through her relentless tactics as a master ninja. Often aiding Ryu Hayabusa throughout his missions, she’s shined as a co-protagonist in the Dead or Alive series over the years. I’m not the only person she’s left an impression on, appearing in both Dead or Alive Xtreme 3, and Senran Kagura: Estival Versus as a guest DLC character! While she had no prominent roles throughout the year, her growing popularity makes her worthy of a mention. Now if only Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water had released in 2016, that might have been enough to push her into the list proper as a guest in that game as well, but unfortunately, butt bumping and volley ball can only get you so far here.

Marie Rose (Dead or Alive Xtreme 3)

Speaking of Dead or Alive, I can’t mention 2016 without the unprecedented rise of Marie Rose. A newcomer to the DOA scene, she gets a tip of the hat due to her winning a fan poll that not only got her into Xtreme 3, but got her the cover of the game itself! It’s impressive enough as a new character, but considering she’s the only “Justice” character in a game full of “Plot”, it’s great to see such diversity shine through in the formerly rigid world of Dead or Alive.

Elena Fisher (Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End)

Elena *SHOULD* have been on the main list. She’s brave, daring, doesn’t take any crap, and manages to keep a carefree soul like Nathan Drake in line… Most of the time. But boy, did her chances fall apart when she forgave Drake so easily for lying to her about going on another adventure despite the two settling down after all of ten minutes. C’mon, at least punch his face in or kick him in the dick! Anything other than what happened. So we still love you, Elena. Just don’t take any more crap!

Shantae (Shantae: Half Genie Hero)

Shantae is FAR too kind to the citizens of Sequin Land. As their guardian genie, she’s always protecting its citizens for little thanks, to the point where the mayor is constantly trying to fire her. Half Genie Hero is a more personal adventure for the half genie, as she tries to find ties to her mother in the Genie Realm. While it hurts not to put her on the list, she really needs to put her foot down and stop letting herself be mistreated. Maybe we can impeach the mayor? Can you do that to a mayor?

UltraDimension Neptune / Big Neptune (MegaDimension Neptune VII)

More Nep is always a good thing, especially when you have two in one game. This dual blade / pistol wielding version of our 2014 runner up has all the personality of Nep proper, but without the CPU powers. This means as a human, she can age and grow in order to earn her nickname of Big Nep. She can hop dimensions and catch bugs with the best of them,but she’s not on the list because of her convoluted plan to infiltrate the bad guys from inside their group, which in typical Neptune fashion, fails spectacularly. This led to me being forced to fight her outside of non-cannon material, and I NEVER want to have to fight Nep if I can help it. She’s far too precious, and I don’t appreciate the trauma.

And so, without further ado…

16. Iris Amicitia (Final Fantasy XV)

Yes, I know that Final Fantasy XV hammers home the idea that Noctis and Luna are destined to be together, and in a way, that’s true. But for the short amount of time that she’s with you, Iris is much higher on the quality waifu scale than The Oracle ever was. She can’t die in battle, she constantly keeps you healed when your friends are bumbling around taking pictures, she gives you items that distract enemies, and she apparently becomes a bad ass monster hunter, (off camera!) Oh, and she’s cute as all hell!

But aside from her cuteness, she’s a go-getter who takes what she wants. I mean, some might call her a homewrecker for blatantly flirting with a guy who’s on his way to get married, but I call her assertive! In retrospect, considering that Luna was destined to die and knowingly led Noct into a situation where he would also be killed, all under the guise of him getting married to her, he was better off with Iris. Even if that meant having that asshole, Gladio, as your brother in law. And you know what? I felt more than justified when I took a picture of her to admire in the afterlife to distract me from being stick with Luna for all eternity. And she’d be much higher on this list if she had more screen time.

15. Those damn stained glass mirrors (The Last Guardian)

The Last Guardian could be an insanely frustrating game to play, mostly because Trico was literally programmed to only listen to your commands when he felt like it. But there was one thing that your dog / bird / snake… thing, would stop in its tracks for. Those stupid stained glass mirrors!

Your character claims that Trico was “scared” of them, but when’s the last time you saw someone blow kisses out of fear? Much like when your best friend meets that new girl, these are constantly getting in between your bro time with your companion. However, it might be a bit of an overreaction to cope with this new life change by shattering your competition into a million pieces, but it’s not like anything else makes sense in the game. Besides, if you saw Trico make that kiss face where he grows lipstick with his pink eyes, you’d do what you could to make it disappear as fast as possible.

14. Chun-Li (Street Fighter V)

Let me start out by saying that without Chun-Li, there probably wouldn’t be a waifu list. As the first character I picked in Street Fighter II back when I was five years old because of how unique she looked compared to the otherwise all male cast, she became my very first “main”. I also ran into my first “rage quitters” in the form of high schoolers that would poke me as a distraction until I lost to Sagat because I kept beating them in our matches.

Anyway, I would love nothing more to strap a rocket onto the self proclaimed “Strongest Woman in the World” and launch her up the list simply because she’s still my primary pick in Street Fighter V all these years later. But with all things considered, she’s pretty terrible in the game’s story mode, constantly getting beaten by characters she should be able to handle. Hardly fitting for a character of such caliber, but at least she enjoyed the top tier for awhile!

13. Mai Shiranui (The King of Fighters XIV / Dead or Alive 4 Last Round)

It pains me to put Mai above Chun-Li because she’s the antitheses of everything Chun is. Mai was also the first lady of Fatal Fury, but rather than being noticed for her martial arts skills or interesting backstory, she’s mostly known for her uncontrollable breasts that may or may not be independently living entities. (En-titties?) Anyway, I won’t let my personal distaste for her character get in the way of the scientific process of determining the top waifus of the year, and Mai had an incredible 2016. As one of the characters leading the revival of the King of Fighters franchise, her strong loyalty to Andy Bogard still holds true. But while being a character in an ensemble fighting game may not be enough, being a guest character in Dead or Alive, a game that might not exist in its current form if Mai never “busted” onto the scene all those years ago, helps things come full circle in a way. Not to mention that she’s always been fun to play!

So enjoy your time in the spotlight, Ms. Shinarui. You’ve earned it!

12. Ditto (Pokemon Sun / Pokemon Moon and Pokemon Go)

Despite being an E rated game geared towards children, Ditto is the one that trainers around the world go to when they want a good time. As the most accepting waifu on this list, Ditto can be anything you want it to be. Do you want a beast? Field? How about a Water 2? If you want it, Ditto’s got it, regardless of whether or not you “get along,” or “don’t like each other very much”. This trait is both a blessing and a curse for the purple blob, making its reliability a sought after trait, while its promiscuity is something we’d rather avoid. When you have a waifu who would reproduce with its own kids if given the chance, you might need to be a bit careful around this one, even if you owe your competitive team to it.

11. Arnice (Nights of Azure)

Arnice is a holy knight who ironically became half monster. Partaking on a mission to an isolated land that’s overrun with monsters, she takes up the task of ridding monsters from the land by employing the assistance of monsters herself. But one doesn’t just invade a beast infested land for the hell of it. Arnice uses her strength to protect the one closest to her, who in this case, is her best friend, Lilysse. Often hinted at having a relationship that is more than platonic, their story tilts towards the tragic side, considering Lilysse is a saint who’s destined to be the key to eliminating the blue blood that fuels the monsters by destroying it’s source. Except Arnice also carries the blood of the Ruler of the Night, so doing so would destroy her as well. Knowing that each enemy slain is one closer to her potential death, Arnice marches on, setting her safety aside for the benefit of her friend.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Arnice has one of the best designs out of anyone on this list, so that always helps!

10. E-Sha (MegaDimension Neptunia VII)

Gold Third is a group of four humans that were given power that rivals the Goddesses of Gamindustri. Each one represents a major third party, consisting of C-Sha, (Capcom), K-Sha, (Konami), B-Sha, (Bandai Namco), and S-Sha, (Square Enix). So where does E-Sha come into play? As you learn more about S-Sha’s past, it turns out that she’s made up of two former rivals who fused in order to ensure both of their survival. As a parallel to the stoic and cold S-Sha, (who shares her attacks, design and quotes with famous characters like Cloud and Squall), E-Sha is much more caring and compassionate. After all, it takes a special kind of girl to keep their biggest rival alive when they’re knocking on death’s door.

She was too pure for this world… So she left it.

As an obvious parallel to the real life merging of Squaresoft and Enix to form Square-Enix, E-Sha ends up being an underappreciated member of the cast considering S-Sha’s usually the personality in control. Still, with such a selfless attitude and some hilarious Dragon Quest inspired attacks to boot, we’re making sure that Ms. Enix gets her due.

9. Renka (Senran Kagura: Estival Versus)

Senran Kagura is a bizarre game to explain. As most probably know by now, its premise is to have high school ninjas fight as their clothes come off in creative and absurd ways. Yet, the narrative of each game tends to be more and more serious, somehow asking you to form an emotional connection with these characters as they stand around nude.

However, Renka manages to do a good job making a connection despite her tattered outfit. As one of the new characters introduced in Estival Versus, Renka is the eldest of the three Mikagura Sisters who serve as priestesses with the power to help bring people back from the dead. Competing against the Hanzo, Hebijo and Crimson Squads in the hopes of getting their wish granted at the end of the festival, the trio secretly wants to draw out a mysterious figure who led them to a cave right before their village was slaughtered, leaving them as the only survivors. But when she’s not carrying that uncharacteristically heavy burden, Renka was easily the most fun to play with, using electric taiko drums as her key weapon. When she’s not squaring off with dangerous ninjas, she’s drawing faces on her stomach and dancing to entertain her firework obsessed sister to keep her from literally exploding.

The game leaves that tidbit about the village slaughter and the mystery person up in the air, so I’m hoping we see Renka and her sisters down the road.

8. Lusamine (Pokemon Sun / Pokemon Moon)

Lusamine is someone who loves hard. Way too hard, some might say. So hard that she’ll abandon her children, create what’s surely a multi-million Poke yen dollar research organization, absorb a criminal gang into said organization, and use all of her resources to draw out otherworldly beings that could potentially destroy the planet just for the chance to see the object of her affection one more time. But in the end, after assimilating with a jellyfish monster and trying to kill her son, daughter and their friends, it all came from a good place! She just became a tad obsessed after her researcher husband vanished while investigating the Ultra Beasts. Now that’s real dedication! I mean, who needs THE world when YOUR world is no longer in it?

Thanks, Lusamine. Most people see you as an evil and neglectful villain, but I appreciate you.

7. BT-7274 (Titanfall 2)

Much like Ditto, BT isn’t necessarily a male OR female, so I’ll just draw my own conclusions. Turning the tables as what most would consider from a waifu, BT protects YOU, who is the one that is too pure for this world. It’s a nice change of pace to have your smile protected for once. This abandoned Titan who’s pilot was killed during a pivotal battle quickly takes you under its wing, adapting its abilities to help protect you while either giving you direct control, or fighting alongside you as true partners in arms. As the only waifu on this list that you get to be inside of, BT also doesn’t take kindly to other Titans moving in on you, who has the somewhat concerning habit of tearing their insides out and taking their abilities so it will be everything you might have loved about them. When push comes to shove though, BT cares the most about your well being, which is why it pulls an Iron Giant during the final moments of the game while taking his spot alongside Terminator X John Connor as one of the greatest robot and human ships in all of fiction. But like a long lost ex, it seems like BT will find a way back to you if the post credits scene means anything.

6. Athena Asamiya (The King of Fighters XIV)

The ultimate idol of the SNK universe, Athena has always been one of my favorite characters ever. Once again referencing Chun-Li, Athena was my King of Fighters equivalent, serving as my main for 22 years now. This hasn’t changed in King of Fighters XIV, with such a wide variety of moves that constantly keep opponents guessing. But when she’s not fighting, singing, or hitting fans with Psycho Balls in the face as a contest prize, she has so much more significance. As the reincarnation of the goddess Athena who starred in her own game back in the 80’s, this version of Athena has starred in its follow up, Psycho Soldier, and a lesser known survival horror game. Her profession as a singer comes from her game being the first one to feature vocalized lyrics in video game history, making her somewhat of an icon in the industry.

But that has nothing to do with 2016. What DOES have to do with it is how strong of a fighter she still is after all these years, all without having aged a day. And I mean this literally, since I’m pretty sure she’s been in high school for 30 years now. Either that, or she’s far more interested in fighting than studying.

5. Marie (Splatoon)

It’s unprecedented for a waifu to make this list twice in a row, but Marie earned it. Last year, she landed at the number two spot alongside her partner, Callie. This year, a rift came between the Squid Sisters, asking players to choose between the two for the final Splatfest. When the ink settled and all the kid squids went home, Marie barely edged out her sister to become the ultimate victor. The sarcastic bad cop to Callie’s overabundant good cop took the win graciously, alongside other milestones such as having her own amiibo made and her return announced, (possbily alone), for what would eventually become known as Splatoon 2. Apparently, the final Splatfest was like Highlander, where there could be only one since Callie has yet to be seen. Anyway, I may have voted for the purple squid, but if this Splatfest would have happened a few months later, I would have been Team Marie all the way! But more on that later…

4. D.Va (Overwatch)

Some waifus become waifus because they have incredible personalities, a strong resolve, an undeniable cuteness, or make perfect companions. Others are designed specifically as waifu bait, carefully crafted to specifically appeal to the sad, lonely gamers of the world. D.Va falls on the latter side of that spectrum, and I took the bait hook, line and sinker. She’s a young, attractive professional Starcraft player who’s skills landed her a gig in the South Korean military as one of the only people in the country with the reflexes to fight the perceived Onmic threat. And did I mention she fights by piloting a mech that’s sponsored by Blizzard?

But sometimes, you and your waifu just click, and that’s what happened when I first hopped into that bunny robot and captured my first point in Overwatch. With 53 hours and counting, 440 wins under our belt, and all the obnixious voice lines I could purchase, this is a relationship that keeps on delivering. We did well even in the dark ages of D.Va, when her Defense Matrix wasn’t togglable and her Self Destruct Ultimate killed her if she was in its blast radius, but every since Blizaard decided they no longer wanted to sponsor someone so vulnerable, they used their pull to boost her up. Now, we can protect teammates, eat damage, rush the point and push the payload in ways that surely frustrate our foes to no end. And even without the mech, Zero Suit D.va is no slouch herself, becoming a medium range shooter that can deal the damage quickly. Sure, I may have dabbled a bit with my side chicks like Mercy and Pharah, but I always come crawling back to Queen B.Va when it’s time to get serious. So while “WaifuWatch” has plenty of incredible female characters, making this list was easy mode for the gaming goddess.

3. Uzume Tennouboshi (The Neptunia Series)

As the newest CPU on the block, Uzume already had her foot in the door by being the Neptunia representative for the Dreamcast, one of my favorite consoles of all time. But even without being loved by association, Uzume has something special that even the best CPUs seem to lack. Her combination of toughness, her strong sense of duty, and the fact that in her world, she’s the only goddess left alive while protecting Gamindustri all by herself, what you’re left with is one of the best characters out of any game in the franchise. Alongside her companion / Seaman knock-off, Umio, the two have rounded up the remaining monsters and serve as their protectors while Ms. Tennouboshi does all she can to find a way to restore peace to Planeptune.

Obsessed with all things cool, this attitude hides the fact that she’s a girly girl at heart. As with the rest of the goddesses, her true nature shines through when she transforms into her CPU form, Orange Heart. While she may take up a much sweeter personality, her powerful fists and trusty megaphone still get the job done, and eventually saves her world not once, but twice over the course of the game! When your main antagonist ends up being the bitter version of yourself that formed when people didn’t accept the Dreamcast, it goes to show that your awesomeness can’t be contained in a single body.

Then again, whether or not Uzume survives the conflict is up to the decisions you made throughout the game. But even if she bit the dust in your playthrough, that wouldn’t be the last we saw of Orange Heart this year. Appearing in three different games, this just might be the most appearances for a single character in their debut year! MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune vs. Zombies brought her into the action game realm, while SuperDimension Neptune vs. Sega Hard Girls had her literally square off against Dreamcast in the Vita’s crossover RPG. But no matter how you played as her, we’re really hoping we see the return of Planeptune’s crimson savior again in 2017.

2. Tsubasa Oribe (Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE)

Imagine that one day, you’re a normal high school girl who wants nothing more than to enjoy her latest Kiria album while trying to win a talent contest to become a Japanese Idol, all to find clues on the whereabouts of your missing sister. Then all of a sudden, you’re pulled into an alternate universe where entertainment is a source of energy, and you fuse with an ancient Pegesus Knight to become a warrior that protects the world from this Mirage threat under the guise of a singer. Sounds like a normal day in Japan, but this was the start of what would become one of the most creative game premises of the year.

But between traversing dangerous dungeons and teaming up with legendary Fire Emblem characters while teaching them the virtues of song and dance, this game was mostly about Tsubasa’s growth as a performer and as person. She’s klutzy, she’s not the most reliable and she can be a bit dim. But each and every time she was thrown into the deep end in an industry that she had zero familiarity in, she pulled through when it mattered the most. Whether she was asked to become an all star model, a television actress, or star in the latest soda commercial, the pressure of knowing that the world could end if you failed would break weaker waifus.

Tsubasa’s growth makes Tokyo Mirage Sessions a pleasure to play though.

Tsubasa isn’t a weaker waifu. Even if that meant she had to endure verbal abuse, face down towering monsters and fight side by side with those she looks up to, she always found a way to push through. Even when that included learning how to be seductive by talking to a stray cat. And in the end, she stood tall as a peer next to titans of the industry, all while fighting alongside Caeda, her high school friend, Itsuki, and by extension, Marth, to put the Shadow Dragon down once more. But what’s most impressive about Ms. Oribe is her ability to be laugh out loud hilarious, incredibly sincere and extremely dedicated, to the point where it felt so rewarding to finally see her come into her own as an artist. Seeing her go from her debut performance:

To her final performance:

It feels like the culmination of a long journey that you took alongside her, even if she technically went from an unknown to a national superstar in a few months. With all this considered, I had a hard time deciding who would be numbers two and three on the list, but with these factors in mind, Tsubasa’s perseverance more than deserved to stand above all the rest. Well, all except one.

We’ve counted down fifteen incredible waifus, showing that 2016 had no shortage when it came to some fantastic female, (and not so female), characters. But there can only be one who sits on the top shelf, so this year’s Best Girl deserves nothing short of an introduction worthy of Hollywood. So here to present our winner is 2015’s Waifu of the Year, Nepgear.

So without further ado, the 2016 Waifu of the Year goes to…

1. Eleonora Yumizuru (Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE)

What can I say about Ellie that can encompass how beyond exceptional she is in almost every way? In battle, she’s a powerhouse who can use her expert archery skills to instant kill entire fields of enemies, even when caught in a normally difficult Savage Battle. Story wise, she acts as a mentor for her less experienced peers despite being slightly younger than they are age wise. And there aren’t many people out there that can provide better advice when it comes to all things acting, considering that she’s a consummate professional who takes her career aspirations very seriously.

You see, Ellie is often misunderstood, with her no nonsense attitude often mistaken for the stereotypical “tsundere” trope often found in anime and games. But much like every aspect of Tokyo Mirage Sessions, it takes these cliche ideas and adds enough depth to make you really feel for these characters. Ellie might be the best example of this, as you get to know her through your mock “dates” as she prepares for more romantic roles. Unforunately for her, she stands out in Tokyo as a biracial actress, which makes her feel uncomfortable in her own skin. As someone with comes from a mixed background, this resonated with me far more than I ever expected from a silly game about singers fighting demons. But something about her interactions felt so real, because it’s not like being biracial even hinders her. She’s not discriminated against… In fact, it’s implied that she gets more opportunities because of how “beautiful” and “unique” she is. Hell, even the character designer said she was his favorite character to design since she has this air of beauty and elegance about her. But the experience doesn’t have to be negative or malicious to make you feel like an outsider. Sometimes, it’s when you know that the person isn’t trying to hurt you that hurts most of all.

It’s hard to explain without living through it, but just knowing that someone sees you as different because of something you can’t control just makes you feel… Wrong? Always on the outside looking in? So she works so hard to become recognized as an actress to the point where she’s obsessed with Hollywood. Because she sees Hollywood as a land of opportunity with so many different kinds of people that she’ll just be “normal” once she becomes a big Hollywood actress. Not half Japanese and not half Scandinavian, but just an actress. So she drinks their smoothies, she accepts nothing but perfection, and she won’t allow herself to ever be second best. And yet, through all of that, she always takes the time to lift those up around her to be as great as she wants to be, even if that means she has to push herself harder. When you wrap up her side missions and you see her dreams come true, finishing the battle against the Mirages so she can star in her Hunger Games knockoff in Hollywood with no regrets, I was so proud to see success for this fictional girl that I had known for about 30 hours.That’s not just top waifu material, but top character material, so while Ellie is admittedly relatively unimportant to the main plot, her path to acceptance and the eventual realization that home lies less with where you are and more with who you are with is one that will stick with me for a long time.

I’ve been struck by cupid’s arrow. <3

Part of the reason why this article is later than in past years is part of me felt weight under the idea that this entry was more than just a silly waifu blurb, and was instead a deeply personal attachment that I don’t think I’ve ever felt in any form of fiction before. Because I saw myself and some of my own life experiences in her struggles, so I feel like I’ve been there before.  Looking back… I think I did as well as I could have! So here’s to you, Ms. Yumizuru. Here’s to hoping we meet again down the road.

So there it is! After a full year, more games than I’ve played in a long time, and 5000 words, here is your 2016 waifu of the year! To celebrate this grand occasion, here’s an extended cut of Dream Catcher, the collaboration between Ellie and Tsubasa where the pair do their best Callie and Marie impressions to the tune of Splatoon‘s Calamari Inkantation.  The top two waifus of the year dressed as 2015’s runners up singing a song reminiscent of the final boss theme from 2015’s game of the year? What better way to send us off?

Special thanks to the talented FantasyGodiva, who put this extended cut together. Make sure you check out her channel for even more videos and walkthroughs!

Share your waifu picks below and tell me how much you hate my list! I’m not scared, I’ll protect my waifus to the death.

So Tsubasa, Eleonora… Play us off!

Prepare For ‘Gravity Rush 2’ By Watching ‘Gravity Rush- Overture’

by Josh Jackson

Are you excited for Gravity Rush 2? Do you want to get caught up with the events between the first and second games? Looks like you’re getting your chance thanks to one of the finest anime studios in the industry!

By Khara Studio, the group who worked on such classics as the Evangellion rebuild series, Ponyo, and Gurren Lagann, Gravity Rush Overture is a twenty minute short series spread across two episodes that tells the story of how Kat and Raven ended up in the new city that the upcoming game will take place in. Showing the continued fight against the mysterious Nevi, the Gravity Queen and her sister continue to fall into combat, using their ability to manipulate the direction of gravity to keep the town’s citizens from harm.

If you missed out on the first game, read up on our full review here! Then get caught up with our E3 preview in time for what’s shaping up to be the PS4’s first big exclusive of the year. Who else is excited!

 

‘PuyoPuyo Tetris’ Is Coming To The West For Nintendo Switch & PS4!

by The_acz

After 2 years of begging and pleading, Sega is finally bringing the acclaimed puzzle game Puyopuyo Tetris to the west!

The game was announced last week during the Nintendo Switch presentation where it was revealed that the game would be releasing for the Switch and PS4 here in America. The game includes brand new dubbed voices and the gameplay of Tetris and Puyopuyo. The main attraction mode is one where you face off against an opponent as the puzzle board constantly switches from Puyopuyo style to Tetris gameplay. No solid release date has been announced, but is expected in the coming weeks. Watch the trailer below and tell us what you think!

‘Mafia 3’ Is 2016’s Biggest Gaming Tragedy

by Josh Jackson

Sequels often have the well earned reputation of being more of the same, rarely treading new ground while instead opting for something stagnant. Mafia 3 goes in the opposite direction, shifting its focus from a Godfather inspired crime story about a grunt’s rise through the ranks of organized crime, to a man’s quest for revenge against the Italian mob for killing those he called family. As a former member of the black mob in 1968 New Bordeaux, (a not so subtle take on New Orleans), Lincoln Clay has more than just criminals, assassins and the most ruthless bosses the city has ever seen. He also has to deal with the horrors of segregation, institutionalized racism, and a section of the city that sees him as less than human based on his skin color.

Mafia 3‘s setting, story and acting are some of the finest I’ve ever seen in a game, with an amazing soundtrack that places you right in the era. But more than any game I can think of, it does its best to take full advantage of the interactive medium, placing us in an ugly period of American history and making us feel the anxiety of what it means to be an “other” in such a hostile environment. Yes, the game pales in comparison to the feeling in real life, but being put in the shoes of a character going through these experiences was eye opening as I pushed through this tale of vengence. Traversing black neighborhoods leads to people greeting you and wishing you well, while whispers of what that “boy” is doing here can be heard from the NPC’s in the white neighborhoods. Missions that require you to enter certain buildings that are marked as “Whites Only” will lead to the police being called to attack and arrest you in the same way as being caught fighting or shooting would. Committing crimes in white neighborhoods will also result in the cops responding much faster and aggressively, while they might not even show in the bayous occupied by the poor black citizens. Encounters with the KKK, underground “jungle fights” where whites gamble on black men fighting, and the justification of murdering black men via talk radio segments round out everything you need to know about the world Mafia 3 creates, which is one I’ve never come close to encountering before.

To top off the period piece that the game works towards being, the story is framed as a documentary. Cutscenes flash back and forth between present day versions of characters you interact with in the main game explaining the events you’re about to play, and playing as Lincoln carrying these events out. Whether or not he ends up as a savior or a monster depends on your choices towards the end, but every twist and turn that takes place justifies each possibility. Each character feels like they could have been a real person, adding gravitas to the events that create your story. This leaves us with the most unforgettable campaign I’ve ever played, possibly ranking as my favorite narrative after 25 years of gaming.

But the real tragedy comes with the fact that despite the top notch presentation, the meticulously crafted recreation of 1968 as a black male, the expert voice acting and its overall uniqueness, Mafia 3 isn’t a very good game. Missions are repetitive, essentially filling its 30 hour play time with the same six or so missions repeatedly. The amount of bugs I came across were appalling, which ranged from enemies getting stuck in the environment to my map becoming a giant white line and textures completely vanishing. I also don’t think I got through more than two hours at a time without the game completely crashing, kicking me back to the Xbox One home menu before having to sit through the very long initial load screen. The AI is as dumb as it can get, with stealth missions dominating the game when patrolling guards will literally line up to “investigate” the guy who was stabbed two feet in front of them, only to walk into a knife in the throat. Lather, rinse and repeat. That’s Mafia 3.

And you know what? That’s horrible. Because everything that was so great about the game deserves better than what essentially amounts to an even glitches and more drawn out retread of the original Assassin’s Creed. So I’m not going to dance around the issue. Mafia 3 is one of the worst high profile games of the year from a pure game play standpoint. It feels unfinished, clearly needing a few more months to add more content and fix up the technical issues. If you’ve read my previous reviews, editorials and lists, you know that game play is what matters most to me, since without that, the story might as well have been a movie. But despite these issues, I urge anyone reading this to give the game a chance anyway, even if you put it down long before the credits roll. Running around New Bourdeax alone is worth your time. Even outside of the main story, moving around in this environment is a truly valuable form of interactivity in a way that no other game before, which I hope starts a trend for designers to use games to help us visit more realistic depictions of our history.

It’s just tragic that the first game of its kind has to play so bad.

Mass Effect Andromeda Gets A Release Date!

by The_acz

After about 2 years of waiting and multiple gameplay teases like at N7 day and The Game Awards, EA has finally given Mass Effect Andromeda a release date. Coming straight from the official Mass Effect blog, they revealed that North America will get the chance to explore Andromeda when the game launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on March 21st, shortly followed by a worldwide release on March 23rd. Are you excited for Mass Effect Andromeda? What’s your favorite Mass Effect game? Tell us in the comments below!

Double Dragon IV Has Been Announced For PC & PS4! Launching Next Month!

by The_acz

This week has been pretty awful. there’s really no way around it, but there is some cool news that makes things a bit better. Earlier this week, developer Arc Systems Works revealed that in honor of Double Dragons upcoming 30th anniversary, that a brand new DD game is in development for PS4, and PC for next year. The game boasts classic 8 bit sprites similar to Megaman 9 & 10, and is intended for release on January 30th! That’s only about a month away. Check out the trailer below and tell us in the comments what your favorite Double Dragon game is and if you’re excited for this.

‘Yooka Laylee’ News: Wii U Version Canceled For Nintendo Switch, Official Release Date, And More!

by The_acz

Playtonic Games just dropped a bombshell of Yooka Laylee news onto the world today, so without any further hesitation, let’s dig into this info.

Let’s just get the bad news out of the way. As of today, Tuesday December 13th 2016, the Wii U version of Yooka Laylee has officially been canceled due to technical problems with the console. In their newest update, Playtonic stressed that this decision was very hard for them, and right up until today they had been constantly searching for work arounds to the issue, but sadly could not find any. Don’t fret just yet though! While Wii U is officially off the table, Playtonic also dropped that development on Nintendo will continue with a Switch version now set to release!nintendoswitch_hardware-0-0

Now, even though Yooka will be arriving on the switch in 2017, it will not be launching alongside the other versions, but that does bring us to our next piece of news which is far cooler, the game has an official release date! That’s right, get ready to go bat ship crazy because Yooka Laylee will be launching on April 11th 2017 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC! Not only that, but Playtonic also released a look at a brand new world coming to the game titled Capital Cashino. Check out the video below and tell us what you think about this update!

PSX 2016: Knack Is Back Baby! ‘Knack 2’ Is Happening!

by The_acz

Not to be overshadowed by games like Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and The Last of Us: Part 2, Sony took it upon themselves to finally reveal the long awaited Playstation sequel that everyone’s been waiting for! That of course is Knack 2. knack-2

For those who don’t know, Knack was an original launch title for the PS4, and is one of the greatest video games ever made (Why else would they credit Creator Mark Cerny for it at The Game Awards?). The announcement during PSX this year left fans all across the world speechless at the reveal trailer. They could have just ended the show right there and everyone would have been happy. While there is no release outside a generic 2017 window, Knack 2 has now become the show’s most highly anticipated game. Check out the trailer below and tell us what you think of this speechless trailer.

PSX 2016: Holy Crap! ‘The Last Of Us: Part 2’ Is Happening!

by The_acz

Awwww yeah, it’s happening!

After 3 years, of asking and speculation, 2013 critical darling The Last of Us is finally getting its sequel. Revealed at PSX 2016 this past weekend, the trailer and game take place a couple of years after the original Last of Us and features a now 19 year old Ellie who has been hardened and is now seeking revenge by wanting to kill everyone who poses a threat to her. What exactly happened to cause this? We don’t know! Naughty Dog hasn’t provided anything else, so expect the game to not release anytime in the next year or 2. Are you excited for this sequel? Do you think they should have continued this series? Watch the reveal trailer and tell us below!