Gone are the days of having to visit a video game store to pick up the latest gaming titles. With modern technology, gamers around the world can now access the newest releases from the comfort of their own homes. Games can now be downloaded directly onto computers and gaming consoles, making it easier than ever to access the hottest titles without ever having to leave the house.
Gamers everywhere can find comfort in having so many options when it comes to accessing new games. Whether they choose to purchase physical discs or digitally download them, gaming can be enjoyed from a multitude of avenues. With that being said, Let’s get into this week’s post.
This Weeks News
E3 Needs to Evolve
The “Big 3”: Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will not be at this year’s E3 showcase. This is pretty sad in terms of the history of the gaming industry but when you look at the last couple of years it seems inevitable. Geoff Keighley has kind of become the game showcase god between Summer Game Fest (SGF) and The Game Awards (TGA) being introduced to us, the allure of E3 has dwindled because these are the new “E3”. SGF and TGA have been the birthplace of some pretty big announcements in terms of games and hardware thus leading to its status and the number of eyes that each garner. So if anyone wants to announce anything, it’ll be at either of these two events. MS said they wouldn’t be attending basically due to financials which is in line with some other things they have going on so I guess it makes sense. Sony hasn’t attended E3 in years so this isn’t necessarily big news and it’s not like they need E3 to rally the troops. I have no idea why Nintendo won’t be there but they have Nintendo Direct which does better each time they air. Microsoft will still have an event in LA, hopefully, something meaningful is shown. Flipping to a more positive outlook, I think this provides 3rd party devs and publishers (EMBRACER GROUP !!!!) with the opportunity to show off some heavy hitters. Pretty much everybody is downsizing and doubling down on things they know will garner money and attention. I have no idea what I even want to see this year (as all gamers are) but I want excitement not confusion or disdain for the next 1 – 2 years of gaming. – XmanFiles
Tomb Raider To the Top
Per GamesRadar, Amazon bought the rights to the Tomb Raider franchise for 600 million in what is assumed to be USD. It was also reported that Amazon is planning to start producing a Tomb Raider movie and show to go along with the games telling an interconnected story. Last year there was also an anime announced and as of 28 Jan, it is still being made. I don’t know if Tomb raider still holds that kind of weight in today’s media so this much of an investment seems a little odd to me. Also, Embracer purchasing Tomb Raider only to turn around and sell it is pretty odd. Regardless of who’s making the next game(s), I want them to be good. I liked the modern trilogy even though I only finished the first two. They were a good alternative to Uncharted and even without the comparison, they stand on their own. Embracer is in a very unique space right now with all the IP they own but I hope Amazon does right by TR and stages a great comeback. – XmanFiles
Delays Are Good. Aren’t They?
One of the most anticipated games of this year has seen a delay and I couldn’t be happier. I haven’t heard anyone be upset with this news but I don’t want to. This shows the developers are still intensely working and want this to be an amazing game. They are showing LOVE for this game and it shouldn’t be any other way. The first game was good and this one should surpass it. Also, I was listening to a podcast earlier this week and they made an amazing point. Nobody wants to release next to a giant. There were rumors about the Starfield release date and I think it’s safe to say that it won’t be released in the first or second quarter of the year which is now safer for the relatively smaller games to release a little more spaced out. April could have been the initial intended date but because Respawn didn’t want to be in the same position as Techland or Guerilla were last year when they released their games in the shadow of Elden Ring they moved it up to March. All in all, this is a good thing and it needs to be recognized as such and the anticipation should grow for this game. – XmanFiles
3/3 With the Remakes
February will be my spooky month. I want to play all the Resident Evil games this month and I have full intention to do so. With that being said, I couldn’t be more excited for RE4 Remake in March. This past week we got new gameplay from GameInformer of the first and fifth chapters of the game.
Graphically, atmospherically, and gameplay wise the game looks stunning. Both the absorption of the bullets on the enemies and the movement of Leon look great. I never played the original but I want to experience it to compare it to the remake. Horror is seeing a resurgence in gaming and I’m glad I can experience it in full consciousness. – XmanFiles
DCEU Expands !!!
Well, we finally heard James Gunn’s plan for the new DCU. When I watched that video, oddly enough, I was never expecting to hear anything regarding games. Games. However, it was a pleasant surprise to know that he is considering the gaming universe as he’s building out the DCU. Now. What I am concerned about is the more difficult task, which is to make gaming connected with the cinematic and television shows that he plans to produce. It’s always been great to have the gaming universe separate because they’ve had unbridled liberty to go and create the game they want without having constraints on what’s happening on the big or small screen. This will be interesting to see as some developers have begun to vocalize their pessimism that this can be accomplished. Also, we want to allow the developers to remain unconstrained so they can create the games that they know we want to play. There are movies from DC coming out in 2023 which include Shazam, flash, blue beetle, and possibly others. While on the opposite hand, we only know of one DC game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. If this game were to come out post the announcement, there may have been changes to the vision that they had created for this game. Let’s see what happens in 2024. While I know that sounds far away, game development could start this year on games yet to be announced which will be part of the new DCU vision. Either way, I am excited! James Gunn has done well with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and although not critically acclaimed, Suicide Squad was a solid film. He also has to his credit the Peacemaker series which aired on HBOMax and in my opinion was a nine out of 10. It remains to be seen how this will shake out, but I am excited and I have faith in James and Peter! Let’s see what the future holds! – JusBernard
Time Draws Near…
I have three words for you: Atomic Heart astounds!!! This game has everything – guns, puzzles, robots, mutants, and tons of science fiction! You can see multiple instances where this game has taken influence and inspiration from BioShock and The Fallout series. Well, I have not actually played the game, but the visuals and animations are superbly spectacular and fast-paced. The latest overview trailer gives us a glimpse into the story and some of the features and abilities you’ll be able to experience in the game. I’ve witnessed a few gameplay segments with access to vehicles that help you traverse the map. There will also be a range of melee weapons and guns with the ability to enhance and upgrade your equipment. Enemy types seem diverse and plentiful in the preview trailer I’ve watched. Foes will swarm and physically melee you and in other cases, I’ve seen enemies toss saw blades directly at your face! You won’t have to look for it on the internet if you want to see the trailer firsthand. These videos are action-packed and are causing quite a stir, showing up on numerous game sites. We won’t have long to wait to get this in our hands as atomic heart drops on all platforms on February 21st, 2023. Until then, enjoy the latest overview trailer for Atomic Heart which walks you through the story, gameplay elements, and enemy combatant types, and gives you (without spoiling) some unexpected twists to look forward to! Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this one delivers and plays as well as it looks! – JusBernard
TLOU Transcends Gaming
I can’t speak for you, but I’ve been glued to the set every Sunday night! Eager to see how The Last of Us HBO series continues to unfold. While they’re doing an excellent job of staying true to the source narrative, I’ve been just as eager to see the deviations they’ve made and they’ve truly enriched the story each time! To be completely transparent, I’ve never finished the original game. But watching the series makes me want to go back and finish it to enjoy everything that I’ve missed out on all these years! Additionally, I’ll be going into that game with a lot of background and context I would have never had without the HBO series. Both the game and the series seem to have a symbiotic relationship where they are enriching one another. This is truly an amazing time to be a gamer, and especially a PlayStation gamer! This Sunday I will be watching and looking forward to the next leg of the journey and story! Seeing the success of this series I am truly hopeful for future adaptations of other PlayStation franchises. Let’s keep our fingers crossed! – JusBernard
Ubisoft….. Again
Ubisoft is yet in the news once again and for less than favorable reasons. While we most notably are used to seeing them in the news for things such as a new Assassin’s Creed announcement or challenges they’ve had with adapting the Ghost Recon series, the end of last year saw more and more complaints about the French company. Fresh off the heels of cancellations for spin-off titles they hoped to gain popularity and see success, they are now facing the first labor strike in their own company’s history. Most recently you recall the CEO of Ubisoft, Yves Guillemot, made comments that were probably well-intentioned but not received properly. Stating that the ball was in the court of the developers and they had to fix the issues Ubisoft was now facing turned out to be a very poorly worded statement. Developers hearing those words flatly rejected them. However, now that the developers are striking, the ball truly is in their court! The hope is that these strikes don’t negatively impact efforts in the current release pipeline, causing further woes for the French company. I want to see a world where Ubisoft exists and is successful. All of the recent problems beg the question of whether they can be better managed under new leadership, hence a buyout. As biased as I am, the one company I would love to see take over Ubisoft is Sony. We know that Sony is going to make more large acquisitions. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope something is in the works. Whether it be purchasing specific IPs or the publisher as a whole, Sony stepping in would breathe new life into a troubled company with stellar franchises. Hoping for the best! – JusBernard
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