This week was relatively light on news in addition to things that we just didn’t want to talk about or things that haven’t been fully developed and therefore will not be talked about until there is tangible evidence. Regardless, This week’s gaming blog post is here !!!
Is The Switch Nearing Its End?
Nintendo Direct took place earlier this week and of course, I tuned in. I traded my switch in earlier this year because I just wasn’t playing it. That being said, I still like the console in general just not personally. The showcase had some pretty cool stuff in terms of games that I knew of or heard about from other Nintendo-invested fans. I’ve never really been into (or understood) Nintendo culture besides the prominent franchises so seeing Metroid Prime and Zelda Tears of The Kingdom get release dates was really really nice. They showed a lot of interesting games and some much less interesting ones as well. In this order, Octopath Traveller 2, Sea of Stars, and Decapolice were my personal highlights of the show. The first two are going to PlayStation as well so I don’t really have to worry but that last one I’m unsure about that. I really hope the next Nintendo hardware is backward compatible because I really don’t want to buy another Switch.
Looking at the responses and interpretations of the Nintendo Direct, It’s commonly agreed that due to the “strong” showing we’re ending the Switch’s life cycle which is a good thing to hear. The hardware is extremely dated which brings me to my next topic. Why in the world is Tears of the Kingdom going to be $70 when it’s on a console that came out nearly 6 years ago? That just isn’t right. I was talking to a friend about it when it was announced and he basically assured me of what I already know. Nintendo and their fans sit in a category of gaming all on their own. Last year’s pokemon games, Scarlett and Violet, were commonly poorly received among consumers yet they still sold amazingly well. This is perplexing, to say the least. I know Breath of the Wild did fine on the Switch in terms of the performance because I played it, but when you look at some of the breakdowns in regard to the performance of other games you can’t help but ask, “How can they step up from the last Zelda game with this outdated machine” Another trend is that they end console generations with the release of a new Zelda game. I’m on standby because I’m ready for the next Nintendo console I don’t think I’ll be an early adopter but I will have my eyes on it. – XmanFiles
Gorgeous JRPG: Sea of Stars
Sea of Stars is set to impress from its latest trailer and all of the previews I’ve seen! As someone who played the original Chrono Trigger, this game ultimately gives reminiscent vibes of the cult classic! I have never been more excited during this generation of gaming for a throwback game with sprite 2D graphics this is impressive and the color palette is so visually appealing! In the latest trailer shown during the Nintendo Direct showcase, the date of release is set for August 29th. This game comes from Sabotage studious, the same developers who made The Messenger. Although their last game was a different gameplay style, as it was a 2D platformer, it was well received. Currently, everything I’ve seen looks promising and I can’t wait to get my hands on this game! August can’t come soon enough! – JusBernard
Death Stranding Is Building Steam
I’m patiently awaiting more information regarding death stranding 2. To date, the only thing we’ve seen is the announcement trailer which in itself piqued interest and was incredibly intriguing. We know we’ll still have an open world this time around, and the ship shown in the preview trailer makes me wonder if the world will be significantly larger, requiring us to travel in this massive vessel. Potentialities for new gameplay elements could arise with the inclusion of the vessel. Additionally, El fanning has been working alongside Hideo Kojima and conducting motion capture sequences. Early impressions from her are that the graphical fidelity is already amazing! However, Hideo Kojima has promised her that it will look astoundingly superior to what she can see right now! They are utilizing a brand-new motion capture process and pushing the boundaries of what we’ve seen in the previous game. We are aware that the previous game utilized the decimal engine. Hideo Kojima was even able to impress Guerilla games with the amount of incredible functionality he was able to squeeze out of that engine. Since then it has undergone massive upgrades as it was used in horizon forbidden west. I am getting excited to see what the final product will be! I know Hideo will not let us down as he is always managed, whether by story or graphics or gameplay, to impress us in the gaming community. Looking forward to the next trailer! Let’s hope we see something by E3 to keep our pallets full of excitement! – JusBernard
The Other “Shock” Game
I just finished watching the gameplay of the System Shock Remaster that’s supposed to release next month and I couldn’t be any happier. I’ve always had a thing for these types of games. Half-Life, Bioshock, the latest Prey, and Deus Ex Mankind Divided are the first that come to mind. I have no idea what to call this genre and gameplay style (If you do then by all means correct me) but I have a great time with these tight-knit, sci-fi, intricate experiences and this one just looks to add to that list. The original System Shock came out in 94’ which is almost a decade before me but I’ve always had an interest in it, watching multiple videos on its development and the Influence it had in its genre and setting. This game will be a complete blast when I get to it and I am avoiding all spoilers until then. I don’t know why this game isn’t getting more attention especially when it’s been in development since 2016 you’d think more people would be excited. The game will release at $40 dollars next month. Hopefully, the sales perform enough to warrant a remake for the second and in the long run, a revival of the 3rd game being made. – XmanFiles
PS VR 2 Is Here
Sony is going all out for VR this generation. First with a stellar and superb premium headset that has been praised as the standard for VR this generation. Clearly, the first generation of PlayStation VR was testing the waters. Sony has spared nothing on the engineering and development of the newest headset. Alongside the hardware is a huge push for premium VR titles. Sony has been reported to have more than 100 PS VR2 games in development for this generation! VR can no longer be regarded as a niche gameplay space as we are seeing multiple headsets in the market from low-end to premium. Immersion can only stand to get better and better for each generation. While I will not be an early adopter of VR2, I will eventually get the headset as I enjoyed the first iteration of PlayStation VR and still play some of the games. I am patiently waiting to see the first killer app for PS VR2! I hope they revive an old IP and really go all out to make it suitable for VR. There is already a Horizon title that is set to be released for VR2, call of the mountain. – JusBernard
Games In Full Effect
Personally, I love gaming. It’s my favorite pastime. There are very few things that I’d rather be doing than gaming (and working out). With that being said I buy a lot of games which makes for an absolutely massive backlog. This year I plan to get through said backlog by not buying any games (at all whatsoever) until the end of the year while beating around 8-10 games a month. I think this is possible. I hope this is possible. In doing this I’ve played some games that I don’t think I would have otherwise. This week I beat the first Resident Evil and I’m coming up on the end of Hi-Fi Rush. I’m going to try to keep you guys updated with what games I’m playing as well as what I think about them. My list of games to buy has grown exponentially already sitting at 92 games consisting of both new and old titles. This way I cant get disappointed by buying a new game just for it to be bad. I don’t think I’ll literally buy all 92 games but there will be a “must cop” list when November/December comes around. With that being said. Resident Evil Remaster gets a 7/10 from me. I think you need to be fully enveloped in this game in order to get the full experience for your first time around and I was not. I was actually thoroughly annoyed for most of it but when I finished it I reflected with slight disappointment in myself for not committing to the experience and missing out on a few upgrades and story choices. I will be revisiting this game at some point to relive this experience as Chris Redfield and hopefully enough time has passed where I don’t remember a single thing. – XmanFiles
36th Gen 