Suicide Squad Kills the Justice League reveal trailer

So I’m a huge fan of Suicide Squad comics and when it was revealed the next Rocksteady DC game was going to be a Suicide Squad game, I was pumped…until I saw the trailer. While I like the character cast, something bothers me about the art style, though I admittedly love King Shark’s design. I think the idea of hitting the JLA during there first go is biting off way more than they could chew, like Enchantress from the movie. While we have plenty of time, since it ain’t dropping until 2022, I hope the gameplay kicks ass. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

FINAL FANTASY XIV ONLINE CELEBRATES 7TH ANNIVERSARY WITH ‘THE RISING’ IN-GAME EVENT

FINAL FANTASY® XIV Online today celebrates its 7th anniversary since the release of A Realm Reborn in 2013, introducing a special event that brings the festivities into the game for all to enjoy. The anniversary arrives alongside the title surpassing 20 million registered players as well as the release of Patch 5.3, which introduces an expanded Free Trial experience to make it easier than ever for new players to start their adventure.

The Rising anniversary seasonal event will run through September 14th and offers a unique questline whereby players will be tasked with helping out J’bhen Tia in Ul’dah. His exhibition of stained glass evokes memories of a pivotal moment in history, but he needs the assistance of a willing volunteer to ensure the event proceeds without a hitch! New rewards go to those who assist in this feat, including a Wind-up Ardbert minion and replica artwork to use in player housing.
 
All players level 15 and above, including new adventurers exploring Eorzea with the recently expanded Free Trial, are eligible to participate in the event and earn all of the rewards. Complete details about the event, including where players can begin the questline, may be found here: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/special/2020/The_Rising/89gmadhdzc

Additionally, the Yo-kai Watch collaboration event is currently underway and will be available until the release of Patch 5.4. Players can obtain seventeen unique Yo-kai minions and weapons, as well as up to three mounts should they prove up to the challenge of collecting the full catalog of what’s on offer.
Patch 5.3 for FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers™, titled Reflections in Crystal, released last week and brings a variety of new updates, including the final story act of the Shadowbringers expansion and update to the NieR-inspired YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse alliance raid series featuring a new story and thrilling battle encounters designed alongside guest creators Yosuke Saito and YOKO TARO.

Having recently announced 20 million total registered players, there has never been a better time for newcomers to begin their adventures in the critically acclaimed FINAL FANTASY XIV Online saga. The recently expanded Free Trial now includes all content from A Realm Reborn™ and the Heavensward™ expansion (and updates through Patch 3.56), as well as an additional playable race (Au Ra), and three additional playable jobs (Dark Knight, Astrologian, and Machinist). Free Trial players can enjoy hundreds of hours of award-winning gameplay and story experiences equivalent to two full FINAL FANTASY titles, without limit on playtime.
 
FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers is rated T (Teen). Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings.

Batman: Gotham Knights reveal trailer

As a humongous Batman, DC, and just general fan of epic video games, I adore the Batman: Arkham trilogy ( we don’t really talk about Origins.)  Batman: Arkham Knight wrapped the series up in a nice bow as far as I’m concerned, so why continue? Seriously, I can’t understand why this game really exists except a cash grab. A Red Hood game seems like it would’ve made more sense and could have brought a extra layer of conflict having Todd stay evade Nightwing while cleaning up Gotham. My favorite part was the reveal with the Owls at the end did me hope but not much. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Now Available

SQUARE ENIX® today welcomes seasoned adventurers and newcomers alike to explore a world like no other, as FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES® Remastered Edition is now available on the Nintendo Switch™ system, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and the App Store® and Google Play™ Store for mobile devices.

To watch FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES Remastered Edition Launch Trailer, visit: https://youtu.be/F3L9pKapfxo.

In FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES Remastered Edition, adventurers can embark on an enchanting adventure either solo or with friends via online multiplayer with cross-play functionality*. Including a host of new and updated features such as updated graphics, a newly-composed soundtrack, end-game high-difficulty dungeons, a new Mimic mode feature and more, FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES Remastered Edition welcomes all players to take up the crystal chalice and explore a unique and magical world.

Players can also try the game for free from today with the release of FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES Remastered Edition Lite**, which provides access to the first three dungeons in both single player and online multiplayer with cross-play functionality. Additionally, players who purchase the full game will be able to host multiplayer sessions with players using FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES Remastered Edition Lite, so a full party of up to four caravanners can play through up to 13 dungeons in the fantasy adventure together with one copy of the full game. Save data can be carried over from FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES Remastered Edition Lite to the full game, ensuring players can seamlessly continue their progress in the magical fantasy adventure.

For returning FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES players eager to relive their memories, new downloadable content is also available to purchase which will allow characters to take on the appearance of classic FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES series characters via the game’s new Mimic mode, such as Layle (FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: The Crystal Bearers™), Leo (FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King™), Sherlotta (FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Echoes of Time™) and many more. Additionally, special weapons bundles are available to let adventurers take on their adventure in style.

The Batman teaser trailer

So I went out of town for the weekend and I come back slammed with loads of DC material to cover. I’m going to say this here and now, The Batman looks like it could be the Batman movie I always wanted. I love the grim noir feel of Seven and I adore the bat suit and Batmobile designs. I’m thrilled Riddler, one of my personal favorites, was front and center in the trailer. Pattinson looks intimidating as the Batman, and I love his cold glare at the end outside of the mask. The movie looks extremely promising and I hope this great team pulls it off. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

 

RPG Maker MV Console Release Date

With the release date quickly approaching for the console release od RPG Maker MV, September 8th for the NA and September 11th for EU on Nintendo Switch and PS4 there are a few things you should know right out the gate. First off, I can not make this clear enough, this is NOT a review and should not be taken as one. This is just some info for you guys about the game. All of it can be confirmed on their website over at https://nisamerica.com/games/rpgmaker-mv. You guys all know about my relationship with NIS America, I have reviewed quite a few of their games, but they do not pay me to say anything and I don’t get kickbacks aside from the occasional review copies they send me, and I have on occasion given them less than good reviews. Looking at you The Princess Guide (PS4 Review.

That being said, the Second thing you need to know is NIS America does NOT publish the PC version. You won’t be playing games made by PC users on your PS4 or Switch or publishing your games on Steam with the console version.

The third thing you need to know is at launch there will be something called RPG Maker MV Player. It is a free download even if you do not own RPG Maker itself and it will allow you to play people’s creations. So if you want to see what people are making but not create them yourself, its a good option.

Honestly, as long as you keep those two things in mind and realize this is pretty much for making a game specifically for the console you buy it on and that you will be learning fundamentals of making a game minus all the coding, meaning this isn’t going to be an exciting action-packed game but a slow methodical game you will need to sink time into to see results, you may want to look into it. Or you can wait for my inevitable review because we all know I’m going to be picking this one up, just like I did the PC version. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Avengers Beta

avengers game 1

So it’s been a trip for this game but the beta is finally out and over the weekend I got to sit down and try it. We get to play the opening we see during all the trailers, which gives us a nice round test and feel for our classic heroes abilities while getting an additional chapter where we get to experiment with Ms. Marvel’s gameplay. The beta consists also of 2 boss fights and some co-op gameplay.

First, I’m not spoiling the story but I can say it’s pretty decent from what I’ve seen and doesn’t feel too much like any of the movies. Not the greatest of stories, but enough to stand on it’s own. As many I’m sure have heard, Hulk steals the show and was by far the most fun character we got to play as; I’m going as far to say as it’s the best feeling Hulk I’ve played in a game. I was really disappointed in Iron Man’s gameplay which felt bland and limited amongst a roster of diverse heroes. Boss combat is solid and even epic at key points with some surprising villains to fight.

The voice actors are really good and visually the game looks damn good although there were a few glitches later on. Honestly, A-Day ran as fine as a Swiss Watch (pardon the old expression) but the jungle section I was hit with a few visual glitches and some really lag pitfalls that got me killed. There are loot crates that have gear to make you stronger but so far all that seems available for microtransaction is purely cosmetic, although the threat is certainly there.

In the end, the beta was fun and the game was fun but there was nothing outright spectacular to me. There’s plenty to hook a comic fan and the game offers plenty of fun fights but I can see the game feeling rather repetitive quickly and unless the story is of Marvel’s Spider-man (PS4) caliber, I can’t seeing it be more than solid or good at the best. I’m still glad I got to enjoy it and I recommend giving it a try. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream

I-HAVE-NO-MOUTH-AND-I-MUST-SCREAM

Ok, so this is highly unusual for me because normally I cover books and comics and so on but I never dedicated a whole post to a short story before. Normally I wouldn’t but honestly this story, while roughly 20 pages, kept me thinking for days and haunted my day dreams with lurid imagery and touched a primal fear of mine- machines and man’s ludicrous reliance on them. The story follows the last five humans on earth, after a godlike A.I called Am eradicated humanity. Am keeps these people alive as a sick joke, not allowing them to die, de-evolving them and stomping them deeper into torturous madness and everlasting pain. In such a short package there is a lot of bleak imagery and touchy subjects like suicide, rape, and violence. The writer, Harlan Ellison, has a very simple style which somehow brings the horror of this scenario closer to home and feel more palpable. I really can’t remember the last time a short story intrigued me and left me speechless and inspired and that is the best compliment I can give. I can’t recommend this story enough, especially if you want to write horror or dark sci-fi yourself. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Heart Shaped Box

heart box

So because of a string of WTF events in life, I went back to being a full throttle, hardcore Lit nerd for a couple weeks. In those weeks, I got to read somethings off my to-do list, one of which is Joe Hill’s debut novel. Hill is the son of the legendary Stephen King so I was really interested to see if the apple fell far from the tree…

Judas Coyne is a aging rocker with a morbid collection of various things he’s acquired over the years. One day, his assistant finds a online bid for a ghost attached to a dead man’s vintage black suit in a heart shaped box; Jude buys it for giggles, just to have. His young, goth girlfriend laughs too, despite getting pricked by something sharp in the suit. It’s not long before Jude finds validity to his purchase and he’s visited by the owner of the suit, wielding a blade pendulum and X’s replacing his eyes. When Jude demands a refund from the seller, he finds out she has a sinister plot for him after blaming him for the death of her sister, Jude’s previous girlfriend. It’s up to Jude and his girlfriend Georgia to survive the vengeful spirit of a heartbroken step father as they run for there lives, but is there an escape?

I have to give Hill credit, while not perfect I ate this book up. Hill has a easy style that channels hint’s of his father’s earlier work but feels uniquely his own. The story is well paced and there is a good sense of dread throughout. Craddock, the spirit, is a eerie force that feels threatening and works as a good antagonist. My favorite part of the story was Jude and Georgia’s relationship and character arcs throughout the story. What I admit what I didn’t like was the actual end to Craddock, feeling like it came to out of left field and went to too far out to land a happy ending. In the end, it’s a enjoyable book by a good author I can’t wait to read more of that I recommend picking up. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Batman: Assault on Arkham

220px-Batman_Assault_on_Arkham_cover

So when I talked about Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay  I said it was basically the interpretation I wanted; in Batman: Arkham Origins we got the hint of Waller and the Suicide Squad that sadly never got to go anywhere in the Arkham verse…until now.

The Riddler is on the loose again and the feds are on his trail as well as his nemesis, Batman. He’s apprehended and sent to Arkham Asylum, but Amanda Waller isn’t pleases; Riddler has some vital information she needs. She assembles Task Force X, aka the Suicide Squad, to infiltrate the asylum and get him. Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, King Shark, and Killer Frost make there way in but nothing is ever easy. Harley and Joker’s relationship is on the rocks after a messy breakup and she’s out for blood, Batman is on there ass, and Waller has ulterior motives than cost them there lives as a plot is unleashed from inside the asylum.

Much like Hell to Pay, this is exactly what I wanted from a Suicide Squad film, unapologetic badassery from some great bad guys as well as Batman being the stoic badass he is. I love watching the clash between  the Bat and the Squad. Riddler was unexpected cool and welcome part of things as well. The movie feels very much part of the Arkham verse with a lot of game accurate voices and character cameos; what bothered me however was trying to place it in the timeline- I personally want to say it’s between Origins and Asylum but I can’t really be sure. The only little gripe I have is the title feels misleading and I feel like this is a Suicide Squad movie first instead of a Bat movie. In the end, if you love the Arkham games, you will have plenty of fun with this movie. May the gaming gods bring you glory.