It has been an eventful few months in gaming. Since I last wrote multiple AAA title games have released and have been both hits and disappointments as well as some indie games have gone to prove that you don’t have to be a big dog gaming company to make amazing games. I am going to jump right into because gaming news doesn’t sleep and I would like to cover as much as I can.
Red Dead Redemption two released late October and has proved to stand up to against Rockstars Grand Theft Auto 5, as one of the greats games in modern history. The game is certainly living up to the hype, which personally makes me glad that they decided to delay the games release date rather than rushing it out to market like how many games are released now. The main story has been said to have at least 60 hours of gameplay, and we all know that side missions are a gamers biggest distraction. The main story is said to have deadly shootouts, high stakes heists, chases, and a never-ending stream of activities and trouble to end up in. Now as of November 27th you can also get up to all sorts of mayhem in the beta of Red Dead Online. Much like Rockstars previously made game, GTA 5, there is expected to be a multitude of things you can get up to. From things as small as fishing all the way down to thievery and creating your own gang. As a footnote, Rockstar does say that the Beta is in place to hopefully work out the kinks of online play, and hopefully to make online a good experience for all gamers involved, so don’t freak out too much if your about to win that satisfying shootout and are suddenly kicked from the server. Red Dead Redemption is currently available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 for 59.99 and was nominated for game of the year. I am very excited to get to play it and would suggest it to anyone interested in a thrilling wild west experience.
In other exciting news, Spyro Reignited Trilogy was finally released November 13th, and might I say it looks beautiful. Nostalgia rings deep this year as games continue to be remade or remastered, in the spirit of our inner child now that we have the bank accounts of grown people. Games like Spyro and Crash are paving the way for a fully remade childhood library. Not much has changed in the colorful game of Spyro that we know and love. The game still follows its original storyline, the biggest differences come with the newly remade graphics that would have blown my six year old mind when I first played the game. In addition to the new graphics, the controls have also been updated to fit with a modern gaming control. The d-pad is no more as the controls shift to the joysticks. Spyro’s remaster is just in time to catch the eyes of the new generations, as well as reigniting the love for it in all of us old people. Spyro is currently available for Xbox One and PS4 for 39.99 and is the perfect gift for small humans and adult humans all alike.
Let’s talk Fallout 76, and why you do not rush a game if it is not ready. The above two games I have mention, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Spyro, were both delayed in release. Both delays paid off because the games have come out absolutely flawless and gamers could not be happier with them. Fallout 76 goes to prove that time is everything with a game. Most are comparing 76 to a find and fetch game, while others are having trouble staying in servers. In all honesty Fallout 76 has a chance to make a comeback with later updates and patches, but as gamers, should we be expecting the bare minimum with a promise of a fix months after buying a game? I myself love Fallout and was really excited to see what 76 had to offer, but as of now I will spend my 59.99 on another, more put together game. Even AAA titles stumble and have their issues but too many in the recent years have been overhyped with very little to show from it until months after the game release. Be wary of preorders because sometimes you are not receiving what you paid for upfront.
Moving on, I hope you finish Dragon Age Inquisition because it looks like Dragon Age 4 is headed our way. Finally, Bioware has teased Dragon Age 4 with the release of a teaser trailer for the game. The trailer is brief and really does not seem to tease anything super important but it does end with the hashtag “The Dread Wolf Rises”. This could be the reference to the end of Inquisition and hopefully I direct continuation of it. I am ready for the hype of this game and I hope you are all too because I will be keeping a watchful eye on its progress and it is released. Currently, there is no more information other than the trailer and us gamers are only left to wonder and speculate what is next on our Dragon Age journey.
This wouldn’t be gaming news if I didn’t also talk about Nintendo. Nintendo has been doing pretty great this year and the heavy hitter, Super Smash Bros Ultimate release is only going to prove that Nintendo is always going to be great. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has 74 characters and is the biggest Smash to date. With a massive amount of playtime, Nintendo might have outdone themselves this time. Smash offers something for everyone, especially those of us who have a competitive side. Ultimate offers customizable rule sets, for those of us who enjoy house rules or making things a little more chaotic for our friends. Smash brings a lot to the table and the hype for it has only made the game that much cooler. Seeing the excitement from the gaming community for a game only brings us closer. The biggest and best hype for the game has been the line up of characters, good and bad, and although everyone still didn’t get some of their favorites in the game, it is still a roster to remember. The game is out now for the Nintendo switch and if you are a longtime lover of the Smash series or a newcomer, you will want to pick up this title ASAP because it will be talked about for the next decade to come.
The final things I would like to talk about is an Xbox exclusive, I have recently found that I feel is falling under the battle royal hype radar. That game is Darwin Project. The game might look to be a copycat Fortnite, but in fact, it stands to have more of a hunger games feel to it. The game spawns you and other players near resources on the map. You must gather resources to upgrade your ax, bow, and make clothing to protect you from the cold as well as give you the ability to run faster, and craft traps. There is an extra player called the director that dictates how the game plays out each time. This game is highly addiction and super fun, and with the addiction to link it to your twitch your audience can pick favorites, make suggestions to the director, and play their own hand in what decision are made in the game. This allows for a different playing experience every time you play as a prisoner even though it may feel that you are only looting and crafting. Creative directors make the game very interesting by closing zones, shaking up situations, and forcing players to fight amongst themselves. In all honesty, the game is in its early stages and has some work yet to be done, but it is also free and is much easier to earn customization for characters, and overall it is just a fun game to play. If you have an Xbox one and enjoy the battle royale genre then I would highly suggest taking a crack at Darwin Project.
Over the past year, gaming has experienced so many ups and so many downs. I am excited to see what 2019 has in the world of gaming. Check back here for more gaming news to come!