#with it was for 3ds like the older versions but glad its at least on a console I have (ps4)

[abyssalmermaiden]

got the demo of the new Theatrhythm <3 look at these cuties!!!

also I looked up the tracklist and it has Oblivion and the deluxe edition has The Skies Above so I’m vibrating with excitement

#Oblivion was the deciding factor for 'yes I am getting this game' lmao that's all it took #with it was for 3ds like the older versions but glad its at least on a console I have (ps4) #theatrhythm final bar line #**wish it was

[dlamp-dictator]

Quick Ramblings (Anime Edition)

Lately I’ve been watching a lot of older stuff along with some of my backlog from the last two-ish seasons. Nothing this season really clicked with me save for In/Spectre, and I’m waiting for more episodes of the dub to come out before watching it. 

All in all this has been a rather quiet season in terms of anime, at least for me. I’ve been a lot more focused on updating fanfics and my original stories for the past two-ish months to really watch any anime that I couldn’t just binge. A few things in Spring has my interest, but that’s Spring...

Anyway... onto the anime Allen’s been watching these past few months.

I’m about half way through Cross Ange and I’m having a blast with it. It’s trashy, it’s riddled with fanservice, it’s premise is honestly stupid, and even the mech battles are a little lacking, but this is an show that knows it’s trashy and over the top, so I don’t have an issue with it. 

For a quick summary, Cross Ange is about an Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi, a princess living in a peaceful kingdom of magic-users, at least until its revealed that she had no magical talent and was immediately shunned and exiled from the kingdom as a member of the magic-less Norma caste. Taken from her home and forced to train and work as a mech pilot to kill dragons, she grows into a cold killing machine, with only anger and revenge keeping her going. The story goes into depth about a conspiracy regarding the Dragons, Ange’s origins, and a few other things, but again, I’m at episode 13 at this point. 

This is actually my second time watching this show, but stopped after episode 12 last time, mostly because something came up for me IRL and by the time I got back to Cross Ange I realized the dub was out and I was just waiting for that to wrap up. Speaking of, the Dub is pretty good, Ange sounds great, the voice actress being able to do spoiled princess and cold-hearted badass parts of her very well. And the rest of the cast sound good too with Hilda being my favorite, my favorite moments being the ‘on-the-next-episode’ segments, which are hilarious. To paraphrase one of them:

Ange: Hey, it’s been like 10 episodes since someone died, and we just became friends soooo...

Hilda: I don’t want to be friends with you anymore.

That aside, this show it just a fun romp. It’s trashy, it’s over the top, it takes itself almost too serious but not in a way that feels like they’re reaching. Like the seriousness only adds to the cheese of it all. I haven’t finished it yet, but if you want something fun and trashy to watch with your friends, this is definitely the perfect show for it.

Against my better judgement, I decided to look back at the original Fate/Stay Night anime. It’s been years since I’ve watched it and all I remember is a 3D-rendered dragon in a mid-2000s anime. And while that is bad, it shouldn’t be all there is to that anime. As of 10 episodes I can confidently say it’s... not... terrible. A lot of the complaints I remember hearing about this anime seem to be blown out of proportion, at least given the point of the anime I’m at. It’s got plenty of time to make me cringe even more than it has now, but that cringe mostly comes from me being a 26-year-old man watching anime that was probably a lot cooler to 13-year-old Allen that the 26-year-old Allen currently watching this now. For a mid-2000s shounen series, it’s okay. Not great, but okay.

This anime might get a Rambling in itself drafted up when I finish the Gacha Rambling, but for now I’ll just say I have two main issues with this anime: Shirou Emiya, and the World-building of the Fate universe. Shirou feels incompetent not due to how he behaves, but how the writers make him behave. The second issue... requires me to talk about Fate and its writers as a whole, but the short version is I wish Fate/Stay Night wasn’t originally a porn game. It’d make things a lot easier to explain and maneuver around if it wasn’t.

Also, I do prefer this English voice cast to Unlimited Blade Works. The UBW cast if fine, even great, but Sam Riegel as Shirou and Liam O’Brien as Archer is just too perfect a combination to beat.

Finally started watching Ascendance of a Bookworm, an isekai anime about a librarian being reincarnated as a frail, sickly girl. Her one goal being to write and curate books. The only issue being the world she reincarnated into has little in the way of mass-producing books, as neither the printing press or typewriting has been invented year, and paper is rather expensive. So she uses all sorts of schemes, ideas, and plots to try and get books made on some reasonable level, each time a failure, but each failure doing more good in the long term than she thinks. 

This anime has a very mellow feel to it. Not something I watch for the plot, but just to see this cute anime girl finally make handmade paper and read a book. The stakes are really that high, the premise is rather simple, but... it’s comfy watch for me. I’m about 4 episodes in and I’m glad to hear we’re getting a second season of this show by the time I finish this first season. Can’t wait to watch more of it. 

So Granblue Fantasy got an anime. Two seasons actually, but I only finished up the first one since that was the one that’s fully dubbed. The story revolves around Gran, a young skyfarer wanting to travel the world to see his father. Through this endeavor he gathers many allies and friends, along with a girl named Lyria who saves his life after they first meet. The story takes off from there in a sort of island-of-the-week format. There’s a few other girls like Lyria wanting to meet the other girl that might be tied to her past, or Gran and crew constantly running into the Evil Empire(tm) of this world, but it’s more episodic affair than anything else, each three-ish episodes covering a new island.

I like the anime for its action, but that’s really it. I feel like this was at a time before Gacha games got the more dark and surprisingly in-depth lore and story-writing that games like Girls Frontline and Arknights has, but that makes it more of a comfortable watch than anything. A feel-good anime, but nothing wrong with that.

Also, I can only imagine the amount of hype that happened in episode 12 where all the characters teamed up to take down Leviathan. I don’t even play Granblue Fantasy and I was getting hype when I saw Boxing Grandpa punching debris as projectiles to take out monster fish. This was a fun anime to watch, and I say that as someone who doesn’t play Granblue.

Last up, I’ve been watching BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense. It’s a fun anime about a young girl named Maple taking a tank build to it’s logical extremely. I won’t lie, I’m watching this because it’s not an isekai and has a pretty simple plot to follow. My favorite part of the anime is when the admins and game devs try to patch the game so Maple’s Tank meta won’t break the game in half... only for her to come up with some new nuttiness that makes her even scarier. 

Imagine walking around a field, minding your own business, then you see this tiny shield girl riding a flying turtle while summoning acid rain to kill a mob of monsters without even moving. This woman is unstoppable and I love it.

But yeah, that’s it for anime. Next up, I’ll hopefully have the Gacha Rambling wrapped up by Monday. In the mean time, I’ve got work to prepare for.

#cross ange #fate stay night #ascendence of a bookworm #granblue fantasy #bofuri #your dictator is speaking

[val-bananatine]

Anyone else here having played dragon quest 11? If so; what are your thoughts about it?

To share my own, warning: a rant incoming:

I personally am a huge fan of the dragon quest series. Started with DQ9 and got so hooked that I bought as many of the older games I could find to play through, got the remake of DQ7 - and was super excited when I heard that DQ11 was on its way (I admit: I was upset about hearing that the 3ds version was only available in Japan, but hey, didn't stop me).

When I first was asked for a review on it, I was amazed and still overly happy about finally having the time to play it after months of it laying around. I... I wasn't as deep in the story yet as I thought, and the further I played, the more I noticed some flaws that started to bother me more and more.

Now I took some time to see how other players and sites viewed it and took a look at their views - and I was a little disappointed to see that those things weren't mentioned. So I will bring them up now:

Again warning: The following will heavily focus on this aspect that I criticize. This is in no way intended to make the entire game bad, it has a lot of other features which add to the image as well. It may seem like I try to make the entire game look bad by focusing on this point, but that is not the intention. The intention lies within shedding light to this and wondering if anyone else has noticed it as well.

I was disappointed to see that the main female cast was weakly represented and that a lot of their lives and backstories revolve around men. Like yeah that can happen but it was 2017 at the release and I feel like we can give more representation than the stereotype, especially when that doesn't happen in just ONE of the female main characters, but in a lot of them (gladly, not all).

To the start of the game: Stereotypically we've got the main protagonists childhood friend who obviously seemed to have a crush on him, and later on was very focused on him. I really didn't mind that because it's just so known I just shrugged it off.

A little later we meet our first female team mates, the twins Veronica and Serena. Was I the only one who was a little weirded out that they introduced themselves (and apparently were raised with that view too) as their sole purpose being to serve and aid the hero? As the story progressed further, I honestly was pretty bothered by how their lives seemed to always have revolved around that and their future apparently only consisting of being the heros’ shield and aid. Gladly much later on in the game we found out about Veronica's life goals, it wasn't much to equal it, but I was glad to see.

It gets weird for me at Jade, the hero's "adopted sister" (Their kingdoms were super close and she explained multiple times how she felt and acts like his big sister). Her first introduction is overly focusing on s*xualizing her (who tf would give her such an outfit for a martial arts fighter anyways? This detailed boob cupping isn't protecting her chest at all), we didn't know then about that family thing. Even more bothers me everything at the Casino where she's been brainwashed by a monster into a flirty bunny girl with a heart choker and uses s*xual styled attacks, on our hero as well like flirting with him. Knowing that family lore made the fight super uncomfortable for me. There's more about what they could possibly be hinting on that happened to her, but I will not go into detail about this as it is highly triggering.

So here we've got our team... but you know what else bothered me? How some of the female villains were portrayed. The MOST disappointing by FAR was Crystalinda for me. Introduced as an incredibly powerful witch in the century of legends where even the strongest mage couldn't defeat her without help of the monsters, a woman who terrorized an entire kingdom and more with just a snap of her fingers - fcking strong and badass. You know what happened to her? They turned her into a moaning mess who lusted after the first guy that found her book. She was obsessed by thinking he's hot and wanting to be his bride, her talking was mostly accompanied by moaning. Reasoned because she was "so lonely and he was the first to talk to her again". Bro tf did you do to this badass woman?! Idc that you reason in her info box that she's a "hopeless romantic". You could have also just not added that, give us a strong villain tf who doesn't melt because one (1) man appeared.

Or the woman with the other world behind the fresco, I only know her German name now and I think I remember that it's different in English. Ruins of one of the most powerful kingdoms back then, she probably was the powerful ruler of it - and she is obsessed with being the grand villains bride. Uh-

TW: MENTION OF S**CIDE

I could also comment on the Mermaid Mishelle, whose entire point of existence was that she fell in love with a man and waited decades for him to come back; only to k*ll herself when she found out that he passed away a long while ago (I did cry though at that story, it was very emotional).

But to be fair: you've also got strong women who don't rely on that as their story. The woman who raised the hero (German name is Petra) and was loved by the whole village and was a strong woman with a strong mind, but of course was a very caring mom too.

Or the queen of the mermaids, her German name is Marina and I love it. She's strong, majestic, wise, and has her heart with her people. There do exist strong females in the more main character section, of course, but a majority is catering for men or being s*xualized in favor of them, and I think that the team could have done better on that.

Now, not all other games have done much better. In DQ5 an important plot is that one man demands to marry one of his daughters or your childhood friend in exchange for a much needed child. But I also remember characters of other games who had more personality than catering. And that's on that.

Story wise it's awesome. Being perceived as an evil by some instead of the hope as always? Hell yeah THAT is a change (my guess is that both, the term "luminary" and "dark spawn" are correct, depending on whose side you look at. Ofc the monsters would fear him and see him as evil, his point is to banish them and keep them away). Well... to Act 2 at least. I don't want to talk about Act 3, but that is a personal preference. Some may like doing everything again from an arc with some changes and a different starting situation... I absolutely hate that, because it gives me the feeling of having done everything before for nothing. And no- I don't wanna sacrifice deep friendships and understandings, redemption arcs and clearing past things up, helping some people out of misery, to get one person back, and lose everything of that in return because only I travel back to that point. And it gets way worse after that anyways.

The writing is... good. It had some of these things you see in "DON'T do that" writing advice blogs (eg awful sibling dialogue in showing how they're siblings) - but I think those flaws in some scenes only stood out to me because I dealt with these blogs just a bit before playing.

Some sites say it's "the best game of the franchise so far", do I agree with that? No. It's a moderate to good game, it has some very nice new mechanics (some which sadly don't have any practical use. Eg being able to walk freely in battles but it doesn't affect that ur getting hit no matter where you stand) and a new interesting story with good throwbacks to older, by now traditional, game settings - but the "new" here wasn't nearly impressing me as much as new things did in previous games. And there's also this flaw with having a problem in diverse and strong female main characters. This isn't to excuse the game mechanics of some of the previous games which sometimes also have a very shitty stereotype dominating (See DQ5) - but again: especially in 2017 (release of the game), where we've an uprising demand and change in better representation of women other than negative stereotypes and flat characters, I would expect a better development of the characters. At least that this problem doesn't take up a good majority.

And you know- amazing graphics (I have to give them that, that was fantastic) aren't the only requirement to be the best game of the series. In fact, graphics should play a minor role as a game can be capturing and fascinating without having the most realistic or detailed graphics. It's about the content in it. So yeah, it's an overall good game, but I wouldn't call it the best - and I really want to encourage a by far better representation on the next game. U can do better.

And yeah, it is a part of many to complete this game, but it sadly was a part that bothered me more the more I played it. Because when I first noticed that one character was bad representation, I took a closer look at the others to see if they do better, and unfortunately a lot didn’t. So please improve this next time, let us have deep female characters again who are strong and badass.

#dragon quest #dq11 #dq #review #critical review #spoilers #SUBJECTIVE review #dragon quest XI #dqXI

[thisselflovecamebacktome]

Detective Pikachu movie thoughts

I finally got around to seeing Detective Pikachu yesterday after months of waiting. As a long time fan of pokemon and someone who played the detective pikachu game on the 3DS, I was intrigued and excited about how they were going to go about this movie. So here are my not spoiler free thoughts.

The Pros:

- I liked how Lucy got more of a role than Emilia (her game counterpart) did. Like Emilia really just felt like a means to explain how Tim got from place to place up until the last section of the game as opposed to being a character we’re meant to give a shit about like Lucy was.

- A lot of the things the movie cut from the game was stuff that held the game back. Like the Glalie scene was no longer needed thanks to the retconned Aipom scene + Tim already having met Lucy and the GNN filler part was objectively the part of the game people hated the most so shortening that to Tim just looking for Lucy was absolutely for the best.

- On that note, I liked the retconned Aipom scene more than the game one. Like I know the Aipom in the game weren’t meant to be R victims and instead just mischevious, but having the main plot of the story hinted at right at the beginning but not chucked in your face like other parts of the plot were felt more natural. Basically the fact it let them cut a bunch of unnecessary parts in the game was nice. The only slight thing I’d change is I’d probably make Tim open/drop the R after Pikachu starts talking because I know a few people assumed that the R was what make Tim understand pikachu which led to questions of why he couldn’t understand other pokemon and so on.

- The whole “They only show what they want you to see” stuff was done really well. Like even though those who had played the game (and maybe older audiences) would have questioned Howard because the “nice” guy in the game was the evil one, it gave the illusion that Tim had the full picture better than a lot of media I know.

- While I found the lab stuff an interesting change to make (see below), I did like the showing of experiments, especially the Torterra scene.

- Visually this movie was stunning.

The Cons:

- While most of the parts they retconned from the games was for the best, it feels weird knowing that they took out the part about R initially being made as an attempt to be a cure, especially given the change in motivations in this game. And it could be argued that that would make it too clear that Howard was the bad guy in the movie, but he could have easily lied and said he was trying to make a cure but Roger took over and corrupted the study. That would also make more sense in terms of Harry helping them find Mewtwo and not asking questions until Mewtwo was captured.

- Likewise, it felt unnecessary to change the bad guy from Roger to Howard. I mean I guess the argument could be made that with the new motivation Howard was the better option because he was older and had more reason to look for a “cure” and be a more morally grey villain, but just switching their personalities and plots around (or at least from what we know, it was implied that Roger is like the ditto who acted as him) felt unneeded.

- I also felt it was a weird choice to retcon the internship stuff at the labs to Tim and Lucy breaking in considering the internship stuff felt more detective like. However, I’m assuming it’s because the movie was aimed at a younger audience so the action of the break in is the more reliable way to hold their attention. Likewise, having to stop R in gas and edible form in time as opposed to just fighting at the end felt more satisfying even if it wasn’t actually timed.

- I know they attempted to address this with the fight scene, but really I feel like the biggest letdown for me personally with the movie was that the game really built up R as something that was affecting millions of people despite being somewhat underground. Like it was being made even under the chief scientist of the lab’s nose, it had caused mass panic and gotten pokemon and an annual parade abandoned/locked away, people were bidding for it in illegal auctions while others were being kidnapped over it and you watched and had to help as Emilia and Meiko got attacked by an R victim pokemon. And yet in the movie, to be completely honest, if it wasn’t for the last part, the only person outside the Goodman’s + their loved ones (through Harry’s death) and the Cliffords it seemed to have affected was Lucy who wanted a story. And to be honest, I think a lot of this came down to getting rid of Keith/not having a good (I say good because they did have the ditto but it just didn’t work as well) counterpart for him. Like he really was the glue of showing that R was as big of an issue as it was. Like he was the one hiding the tape while you were at GNN, he was the one in charge of shipping and selling R, he set off Charizard in the parade; he was there for every step and without that it feels like it comes down to a “Father frames son for attempting to kill your dad” plot.

- Kinda goes with the above, but with the plot being reduced down to the bare bones, I feel like we missed interactions that enhanced the game. Like Mike (Yoshida’s game counterpart) was such a big part of the game and was that interested in Tim’s mission that people questioned whether he was in on the R stuff which would have been good to play out with Howard’s fake comment about how Roger “owns” the police, Ludicolo and the cafe owner mentioning why the parade was such a big deal and why everyone would be there and so on and even interactions with Keith and Roger pretending to be nice and “helpful” once again showing how people only show what they want you to see (but we did somewhat get that last one with Howard) all could have helped add to the story to be honest.

- I feel like a lot of people are going to say this but I hated how blunt they were about the whole “Harry’s soul is in Pikachu” thing. I mean don’t get me wrong, I think anyone who played the game assumed that was going to be how the movie ended, but I just feel like the game struck a good balance between hinting at it without shoving it in your face unlike the movie that literally showed a man using Mewtwo’s powers to put people’s souls into pokemon. But again, I can put that down to it being aimed at a younger audience who wouldn’t understand foreshadowing as well as older fans do.

The Mixed:

- The ending. As I mentioned when I played the game, I was hoping Pikachu wasn’t going to have Harry’s soul inside him and I do think it’s a shame because I think this could have had a really cool spin off show like How To Train Your Dragon did where Pikachu goes around solving crimes with Tim and/or Harry, but at the same token I’m just glad we got an ending seeing as the game didn’t give us that.

Final Thoughts:

This movie is an action movie through and through; and there’s nothing wrong with that. While it’s not a perfect movie, when considering it on its own, Detective Pikachu the movie is a great movie which I would recommend to people of all ages. However, in comparison to the game, it is most definitely a simplified version. And while this improves the plot in many areas by decreasing unnecessary elements that the fandom as a whole didn’t enjoy, it also hurts it in other ways. All up though, it’s definitely worth the watch at least once and I’ll probably end up buying the DVD when it comes out and watching it with the children and children at heart that are in my life.

#detective pikachu #Pokemon

[extremelyslappy]

Okay but your hypothetical essay sounds cool as heck. Mind giving a condensed version? Obvs no pressure, but figured you might want to share 😊

OMG SO GLAD U ASKED TEEHEE ill give the condensed rundown (pls note not everything might b 100% accurate bc im spit balling from memory BUT its still fun to think n research more bout) ((double also also , im only looking at like mainline console releases or media relating to mainline games, w the exception of movie sonic, sonic boom, and prime bc i NEED to talk about it))

so here's a REAL TLDR of like the notes in my head:

1. the concept of cool hinges on both being a deviation of societal norms but also following trends as well

2. the definition of cool is constantly changes bc what's once a societal abnormality becomes the norm and so cool must evolve

3. this is largely through a western/American lens of what cool is because sonic was marketed and geared towards American audiences

4. early sonic is like peak 90s cool with the attitude and the radical counter culture behavior, he's based on like the core idea of what cool is

5. early 3d sonic (3d blast, SA1 + 2, and partially heroes) cool is hinged on the cool of technological advancements (ie 3d) and how to use 3d and showing off characters and stories in 3d

6. Whatever is cool to an older audience, will always be seen as cool to kids (ie gear marketing to teens, the kids will follow bc they see the teens as cool)

6. Shadow the hedgehog: largely a need to fill in the coolness of 3d shooters that were prominent at the time, shooters are cool to kids, essentially filling in the void of accessibile shooters (and untapped market) to kids

6.5 sonic 06: again over arching storylines and melodrama become cool as well or at least become prominent in games , obv this was essentially meant to become the new face of what sonic is and what sonic is as a brand (we all know how that turned out)

7. The sonic storybook games: shaky footing as to what cool is and instead of making sonic an enjoyable icon first and letting the cool come second, theres still a need to make sonic cool first a priority, manifests into making sonic become a werehog and having combat similar to God of War and other similar styled games not usually acceptable to kids, or giving him a sword, similar idea to shadow the hedgehog

8. 2010s - 2019s: ok so this era is so complicated as to what cool is bc so much happens that I gotta like break it down into sub categories

a. Sonic Colors: leans more into the absurd of sonic w the campy dialogue but simple premise (beginnings of being self aware as a form of cool)

b. Generations: again adding onto that self awareness as being a form of cool, trying to find a balance between celebration and being campy

c. Lost World: honestly I need to research more bc I never played lost world akdksldlfm

d. Forces VS Mania (yes I skipped boom bc its gonna get into its own point): forces again looks towards like the coolness of the multiverse that's popping up and the combination of melodrama VS mania returning to the original games and rather than following what's cool as a trend, simply let's it follow and come through in the attitude of sonic as a character rather than a brand

9. SONIC BOOM (both the game and the TV series): whew,,, ok,,, boom was meant to be as like another soft reboot of sorts with it being given a TV show, now a lot of what boom sees as cool is very self aware/self depreciating humor that came as a result of the low ratings of the games that came out before, and the combination of meme culture, and sonic in general as a brand was super self depreciating at this time and this is clearly seen in boom and especially the show where its meant to laugh at itself and that is "cool", essentially trying to get into the punchline before anyone else can

10. THE SONIC MOVIES: ok the reason I'm bringing this up is mostly to compare it to boom because it doesn't try to be cool or rather making sonic cool isn't the priority but rather making him a fleshed out character with growth as this is a theatrical release and likely many peoples first connection with sonic, so rather than make sonic cool, it simply allows sonic to be cool on the premise that it's a blue hedgehog with powers, like there's so much more confidence in sonic as a concept that it doesn't need to try to be cool

this is also seen in like the fact sonic is coded to be a preteen vs an older teenager, bc remember point 6? preteen age is not usually an age that defines what cool is, its usually the trend followers rather than the trend setters, he's just meant to be a kid to makes silly references and flosses but sonic is still cool because of how humanized he becomes and so we are drawn to sonic in the movie and cheer for him when he wins and has his action moments bc we are invested in sonic as a character vs a brand idea

10.5: tangential point here but id love to discuss how a lot of what is seen as cool stems from black culture and how the sonic movie seems to celebrate that wholeheartedly

11. the future (prime and frontiers): ik prime has been described as well as another take on an origin story for sonic (iirc) where he learns to use his powers and what it means to be a hero so I feel confident that sega/sonic team are starting to realize that they don't need to force coolness into sonic but rather allow the premise of an alien hedgehog who can run at the speed of sound be enough to stand on its own and focus on developing sonic as a character so that the audience feels invested in his highest of highs and we then see sonic as cool and I hope frontiers is good so my hypothetical thesis could have a sexy conclusion to wrap up too

if u stuck around this long I will kiss u bc u just listened to my most insane ramblings of all time and im so tired it's 2:30 am here and thank u anon for letting me ramble

#sonic #slappy talks #slappy answers #this is like my insane ramblings #im so sorry if none of this makes sense but TRUST ME #i can do this #also i might have to shorten my scope if i were to officially write in an academic setting #id probably focus more on the sonic cartoons #I NEVER EVEN GOT INTO THE COMICS IN THIS RAMBLINGS LORD #its equally as convoluted and confusing and that's a whole beast im not equipped to tackle

[sizzites]

Upcoming May Releases

Since it’s May 1st, I felt like it would be fun to talk about some of the awesome games that are coming out this month! There was a huge list of releases this month, so I tried to narrow it down to a couple big releases to keep this post from ruining anyone’s timeline today… so here we go.

Destiny 2: Warmind (5/08/18)

This is an interesting entry to start with. Personally, I never quite got into the Destiny community, but I know that those of you who did get into this community are quite invested in this game. I’ve also heard from those same players that the release of Destiny 2 has not gone exactly how a lot of you were hoping. Destiny is one of those multiplayer games that is supposed to have longevity and that just hasn’t quite happened for Bungie yet. This expansion that is being released may fix a few of the quirks that people have been less than excited about, but the biggest upside is what happened just recently in Seattle, WA. Bungie recently had a large group of players from the Destiny community in to talk about the future of Destiny. This is out of character for them as a company (they usually take the secretive route with development), but it seems like a good step. They genuinely want to improve Destiny and give it the longevity that players really want. Taking input from the community in this forum would seem to be the best way to course correct and, although all of this may have been too late for the Warmind expansion, I think Destiny is going to be one to watch going forward.

Little Nightmares: Complete Edition (5/18/18)

Here’s a release I’m very excited about! For those of you who missed this little gem when it was released almost exactly a year ago in April, 2017… it’s time to get back in the loop. Little Nightmares was a brilliant little platforming/puzzling game which captured my heart and never gave it back. I’m a huge fan of horror games, so the foreboding atmosphere of the levels in this game really spoke to me. It’s puzzles ranged from simple puzzles that might take only a minute or two to solve all the way up to some real head scratchers that you might force you to put the controller down and come back later with a fresh mind. All in all, it’s a great little game to have and I’m glad to see all your Switch players out there will soon have the complete edition available to you!

State of Decay 2 (Xbox One & PC, 5/18/18)

Let me start by saying, I am a huge fan of just about anything involving zombies… the first State of Decay game was fun, but I barely played it enough to really appreciate it. That being said, I am all aboard the hype train for this new game! The fact that this new game veers away from the previous game’s linear sequence of fetch quests and fights by introducing a more open world concept is very exciting, in my opinion. I’m also excited for some newer methods of zombie slaying… I’ve seen videos of everything from exotic weapons to mowing down Z’s in a 4-door sedan. It seems like this game is going to be a playable mashup of the movie Zombieland and GTA. The community building aspect of this game is another thing to look forward to. The need to upgrade skills, weapons, and housing for an ever-growing community brings a level of realism to this game. I’m interested to see how it pans out because the characters in your community are not only playable, but they can die permanently… Sorry, Sally, didn’t plan that raid out very well! I absolutely can’t wait to play this (and maybe get my hands a little dirty cleaning up the Z’s) and I’m thinking a lot of you are just as excited!

Mega Man Legacy Collection (5/22/18)

This release will be a cool nostalgia trip for a lot of you! The Megan Man Legacy Collection is going to include the first six installments in the series along with some extra goodies. Now, this has already been out for quite some time on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo’s 3DS… but it’s finally making its way to the Switch for those of you who have been so patiently awaiting its arrival! The updated 16-bit graphics are great and this collection is a terrific addition to any gamer’s library. Even if your console or PC version is already out, make sure you snag this collection!

Runner 3 (Switch & PC, 5/22/18)

Runner is one of those addicting side scrolling games that you just can’t get enough of. It seems too simplistic until you suddenly realize you’ve been rage-playing this game for hours on end! The newest installment is coming out for Switch and PC gamers later this month. If you’ve never played one of these games before, I highly recommend picking up a copy of the new release… unless you can’t wait that long and then the older releases are just as great! This game provides endless hours of fun as you sprint through a variety of levels with interesting little tasks and collectibles along your path. Developers Choice Provisions have done a phenomenal job with these games in the past and I have no qualms over assuming they’ll deliver again with Runner 3!

Dark Soul Remastered (5/25/18)

This is a big release for all those of you much more skilled than myself. The remastered Dark Souls game is to be released on PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and PC this month and it’s tempting even to a talent-less game n00b like myself for the updated graphics alone. This is one of those iconic games that was not only beautiful, but extremely difficult. Dark Souls is known for being completely unapologetic and unrelenting and you’ll likely be finding yourself stubbornly refusing to give up or rage quitting with this game. If you enjoy a challenge, this is definitely a title worth picking up at the end of the month!

Detroit: Become Human (PlayStation exclusive, 5/25/18)

This is probably the game I am most excited about on this list. I have always been a huge fan of games which force you to make game altering decisions throughout their story. After playing the short demo for this game multiple times (I NEEDED to know what all the possible endings were), I was already more than hooked. The graphics are phenomenal, the voice acting is spectacular, and the tension this game can build throughout scenarios is unlike any other game I’ve ever played. In fact, I think that’s the most important piece to mention here. The weight of the decisions you make causes them to genuinely feel like they matter (at least in the free demo). I was a huge fan of Until Dawn because of the choices available and how they affected your story along with clues you needed to discover, but this game takes that concept to a whole new level and somehow just feels… different. This is one of those games I’ll be rushing out to bring home right away… and possibly having to call off sick from work the next day to keep playing.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection (5/29/18)

As you’ve probably noticed, May is a month full or rereleases and special collector’s editions, but this is probably the biggest nostalgia moment of them all! Street Fighter is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a BANG by releasing this collection on all the modern platforms (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC). Personally, I never owned one of these games, but they have always been my go to choices whenever I find myself in an arcade with a handful of quarters and nowhere to be. Street Fighter has always had a fun solo/story mode, but the best way to play is (and always will be) with friends! So, when you grab this game, which I know a lot of you will, make sure you’re not forgetting to set aside some time to play against friends and strangers alike in the online multiplayer mode!

So that’s my list of upcoming releases this month! Like I mentioned before, there are TONS of games coming out this month… so what are you excited for? Let’s chat in the comments! As always, don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe and thanks for stopping by!

#upcoming #release #videogames #lists #playstation #xbox #switch #nintendo #sony #dark souls #street fighter #little nightmares #destiny #state of decay 2 #destiny 2 #warmind #megaman #runner3 #detroit: become human #new #may #2018 #bungie

[trungtechreview-blog]

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review

OUR VERDICT

Still the most robust digital drafting table around, Surface Studio 2 wasn’t meant to compare well against most computers. For the digital artist or other visually-focused content creators, Surface Studio 2 will be the one to beat – dated parts and all.

The world has waited quite some time for this one: the Surface Studio 2 is here at last, and it’s improved in almost every way. Now, those improvements may not be on par with a lot of today’s professional all-in-one computers, but they do wonders for the Surface Studio 2’s core use case.

And that use case is the most robust digital drafting table to date.

If you already have the Surface Studio, the sequel is definitely worth considering. The components inside the original Surface Studio are getting older every day, and we see what’s inside this model lasting a much longer time. If you’re new to the Surface family, just be certain of whether this computer is right for your use case (digital media artists only need apply), before dropping this much cash.

Price and availability

The Surface Studio 2 calls for a kingly sum of $3,499 or AU$5,499 (about £2,680) – and that’s just to start. (Sadly, Surface Studio 2 isn’t yet available in the UK.)

This will get you a 7th-generation – nope, not a typo – Intel Core i7 processor designed for laptops and powered by Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5) graphics, 16GB of DDR4 memory and a 1TB NVMe SSD. Yes, the hybrid drives are gone.

This all sits beneath a 28-inch, 4,500 x 3,000 resolution PixelSense touch display that’s now 38% brighter (515 nits) and offers a 22% higher contrast ratio (1,200:1).

As for upgrades, the Surface Studio 2 can support GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB GDDR5) graphics, up to 32GB of DDR4 memory and as much as 2TB of SSD space. The processor option remains the same throughout.

The configuration you see listed here – one of only three available in the US – will cost you $4,199 (AU$6,599, about £3,319). This doubles the memory of the starting model and introduces the GTX 1070 graphics processor.

It’s difficult to compare this desktop against competing all-in-one PCs for creatives and otherwise, as it was designed for a very specific audience: digital artists and other creators.

However, we do know that Microsoft has upped the starting asking price by 500 bills (in the US at least) for parts that, while a major improvement over the first Surface Studio, are arguably dated by today’s standards.

All in all, it’s difficult to say what price should be put on such a niche product with such a specific use case, but this is an expensive piece of hardware no matter how you slice it.

Design and display

This may come as music to your ears or a total disappointment, but absolutely nothing has changed about the Surface Studio in its physical design over the previous model. Even the included wireless keyboard and mouse are identical to the original model.

That said, Microsoft took the opportunity to upgrade the Surface Studio display with this revision. The screen has been given quite a boost in the brightness and contrast departments by 38% (515 nits) and 22% (1,200:1), respectively.

The increased brightness and contrast ratio don’t do much for us personally, but we’re sure it should make content more visible and workable for creatives. The increased brightness can bring out enhanced detail, meanwhile, the boosted contrast will drive deeper blacks and lighter whites, and in turn produce more color depth.

Beyond these points – and USB-C in replace of a DisplayPort – there are no major design changes. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the Surface Studio ‘Gravity Hinge’ doesn’t need any improvements.

However, we would have loved to see that starting price hike backed up with a full array of USB-C 3.1 ports or – even better – Thunderbolt 3, especially given this device’s potential to act as the hub of your desk. Not to mention its target audience: content creators.

Also, why couldn’t this product have received that jaw-dropping, all-black color scheme that adorns the Surface Laptop 2 and Surface Pro 6, release alongside the Studio 2? Imagine how that would bounce off the chrome accents and just disappear behind your work – a sorely missed opportunity.

The keyboard and mouse inputs included in the box work just fine. The keyboard feels almost identical to that of the Apple Mac desktop keyboards in terms of travel and feedback. The mouse, meanwhile, has a welcome curvature to it that’s comfortable to hold. Both inputs require AA batteries. Sadly, there are no rechargeable peripherals here.

The Surface Pen stylus that’s also included will feel identical to those found on Surface Pro tablets, as it’s the very same stylus. Now, you just have a massive canvas to draw on with it, and the stylus shines when used on that much surface (get it?) area.

Of course, the Surface Pen attaches to the left side of the display magnetically.

Honestly, we’re glad to see Microsoft’s design persist in the sequel, as it was already rather brilliant. The Gravity Hinge still works here effortlessly, with all of the computer’s major components hiding within its base.

Speaking of which, the base has received a bit of an upgrade with a USB-C 3.1 port in addition to its existing USB 3.0 ports, which replaces the old model’s mini DisplayPort.

Performance

The parts inside the Surface Studio 2, on paper, look like peanuts compared to the latest processors and graphics cards available in similarly-priced desktop computers. However, none of those computers double as a high-resolution drafting table.

BENCHMARKS

Here’s how the Microsoft Surface Studio 2 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark Sky Diver: 29,418; Fire Strike: 12,956; Time Spy: 5,295 Cinebench CPU: 759 cb; Graphics: 111 fps Geekbench 4 Single-Core: 4,767; Multi-Core: 16,112 PCMark 8 Home: 3,435 points Total War: Warhammer II (1080p, Ultra): 52 fps; (1080p, Low): 111 fps ME: Shadow of War (1080p, Ultra): 63 fps; (1080p, Low): 122 fps

Microsoft’s unique positioning for Surface Studio 2 put this computer into almost a whole category unto itself, however what’s inside will be capable of basically all modern computing tasks regardless. Just don’t expect to be able to quickly encode 4K video, or drive the latest games at native resolution, with this machine.

As you can see, this model is better than the previous in every way – and by a considerable margin. This model is better at rendering 3D graphics as well as multitasking and at processor-intensive tasks, like encoding video and rendering dense, complex spreadsheets.

However, for the content creator out there that doesn’t do much with digital art generation or illustration, there will be plenty of more powerful options out there that cost less – even all-in-one PCs, like Apple’s iMac Pro. Basically, if you don’t find yourself using this 28-inch computer as a digital drafting table, at least a double-digit percentage of the time, we wouldn’t recommend it.

Now, Microsoft may have included its Xbox Wireless connectivity protocol for its Xbox One controllers, and this PC may have the capability to play many of the latest games at decent settings, but this is not a gaming PC. We wouldn’t even remotely consider gaming to be a concern in purchasing this machine.

When it comes to gaming, you can simply do far better for far less.

Still, the Surface Studio 2 is perfectly capable for its primary use case – as well as a few others – so, don’t let the arguably dated specs turn you off if you’re a digital artist seeking new tools. For folks specifically in that crowd, the Surface Studio 2 could last you several years.

Software and features

Of course, the Surface Studio 2 comes with zero pre-installed software from third parties, coming directly from Microsoft. This is definitely part of the appeal of the product, with so many other products bloating up the operating system with software that wasn’t asked for.

However, that does leave the Surface Studio 2 with little to speak for in terms of unique software and features. What we can highlight is the Windows Hello camera.

This is a 5MP (1080p) webcam that includes infrared sensors for facial recognition, and it appears to be largely unchanged from the previous. However, we couldn’t help but notice just how fast the system is a registering your face and getting you into the desktop. Honestly, it takes less time than we can utter the words ‘one second.’

Super speedy logins that are also secure should make any user happy – digital artist or not.

Final verdict

The Surface Studio 2 absolutely does what it ultimately sets out to do: improve upon the previous model in every way necessary. This version is faster, brighter and with more vibrant color than before, changing nothing that didn’t need to be changed.

That said, this computer will absolutely look like an overpriced heap when stacked up against rivals, like the Apple iMac Pro, on paper. These spec-for-spec comparisons simply cannot capture the complete value found within Surface Studio 2 … because of its unique use case as one of the world’s best digital drafting tables.

For the digital artist out there looking to upgrade from the original model, this one is a no-brainer. For newcomers, this model seems far more prepared to weather the endless silicon improvements and upgrades, with even stronger support for 4K content creation and the latest accessories via USB-C.

Surface Studio 2 isn’t going to compare well against most computers simply because it wasn’t meant to. For the digital artist or other visually-focused content creator, it’s going to be tough to beat Surface Studio 2 – dated parts and all

[8bitsupervillain]

End of the Year 2018 (I’m a few days late)

Hello ladies and gentlemen, it's that lovely time of the year again. The holiday season is past, the year is winding down and there's a new year on the horizon. As is traditional at this time of year I feel the need to force upon you my thoughts and feelings about the best things and the worst things I personally have endured this year. Once again, I can't really bring myself to do a best film of the year because honestly I don't recall seeing a movie that really stood out as particularly good this year. Some films I only saw because it was something to get me out of the house for a few hours, and honestly the only movies I can really remember seeing in the theaters were: Solo A Star Wars Story, Slender-Man, and Avengers Infinity War. 

Anyway, my Games of the Year 2018 edition. I decided to do something a bit different with this particular list, even though I played quite a number of games this year I didn't really play many that come out this, just a lot of older stuff. You may notice some glaring omissions from the games I did play this year, some of the big titles that came out I simply didn't play. So, you fine people are going to get a double list this year. I will have a top five for games that came out pre-2018 that I played this year, and one for games that did come out this year.

Honorable mentions:

HM: Call of Duty Black Ops IIII. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this game. I haven't really played many shooters in the past couple of years, but I greatly enjoyed my time with Black Ops 4. The base multiplayer plays pretty decently these days, and it reminds me a lot of Counter-Strike for reasons I can't really explain. Like so many of my friends though I really liked the time I spent in Blackout, I don't really play these battle royale games, but I enjoyed the time I put into this one.

HM: Mega Man 11. This was a very fun game, and I liked it quite a lot. Some of the pixel perfect jumps the game requires of you are a fair bit irritating though. I freely admit, I may have liked this a lot more than I may have otherwise because of the fact that I played Mighty No. 9 a couple months before the games release.

HM: Elder Scrolls Legends. I played this game a lot over the year, and I'd probably still be playing it if they didn't make the game unplayable on mobile and completely uninteresting to play on PC.

HM: SoulCalibur VI. I was really looking forward to this game, and I was so happy that the game came out as good as it did. It's a delight to play, and I really want to get back into playing more of it. Geralt was an interesting addition to the game that I'm really glad made it, he's quite fun to play as, and I can't wait to try out 2B.

HM: Deltarune. I'll admit that when I started playing this I wasn't really feeling it, I thought that the game was going to be trying too hard to recapture what made Undertale good. But it's a surprisingly enjoyable game, can't wait for the rest of it to come out eventually.

HM: Faith. A retro-style horror game, done in vector graphics. I like this game, granted some aspects of the boss fight, and the events just prior to this fight are somewhat annoying.

HM: King's Field (and King's Field 2). I played these in about mid-January, shortly after playing Persona 5. It was a nice little palette cleanser because it was a change going from a big story RPG to a game with a barebones plot. I played the Sword of Moonlight version of King's Field, and I had fun with it. King's Field 2 was also fun, I could not play these games without a guide though.

Game of the Year: Pre-2018

5. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

I played the 3DS version of this game, and honestly I loved just about every minute of it. The storyline was actually very well done, and I liked basically every character in this game. I was a bit unsure of how the game would play on the 3DS but it ran really well, and actually holds up great in the visuals. This is going to sound silly but I really like it when games include outfits that actually change the look of your character, it's a real treat. I really wish I had actually played this one when I got a PS2 copy years ago, but at least I finally got the chance to play this one.

4. Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight

I'm very slowly going through my backlog of 3DS/DS games that I've built up over the past five years or so. I played through this game back in March, and honestly I keep having a desire to go back through the game again just for the fun of it. The game becomes a bit of a bastard to go through towards the end, but I found it to be a greatly rewarding experience to play through. Also unlike Untold 1, the story mode in this game isn't a complete mess! So that's nice, a shame there will probably never be an Untold 3.

3. Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild

Briefly alluded to as "a game I'd probably really like if I played more than an hour" on last year's list I found that to be the case entirely. Breath of the Wild was a really great game that I found myself loving from top to bottom. This is another game that I completed fairly early in the year that I find myself wanting to replay again because I enjoyed it that much. Even when I played other games that are entirely different from it I found myself trying to pull off some of the moves and abilities you get in Breath of the Wild. Maybe I wouldn't have found this game to be so great had I played any of the newer Zelda titles (the last one I played was Wind Waker), but I found this game to be an absolute joy to play. I admit that the announcement of it being an open-world game filled me with dread, but I was so pleased to find out my fears were entirely unfounded. It's just really remarkable how much stuff they were able to put in this game, I wonder how the Wii U version fairs in comparison?

2. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (and the DLC)

This is quite possibly the best version of Dragon Quest V I have ever played! I don't really know why it took me so long to get to this game, but for whatever it's worth the slightly over one hundred hours I've sunk into the game was a trip entirely worth taking. A bad habit I have when playing RPGs is sometimes near the end I start wishing it would wrap up, I never had this thought while playing through the Witcher's length. Even when I played the DLC almost immediately upon completing the primary story I didn't want my time in this world to end. This was an unexpected treat, after having played the first two Witchers I didn't in my wildest dreams think the third one would be this good. I absolutely adore this game, it has some of the best writing I've seen in an RPG, the characters are great, and I really like the villains. They feel like a very real, tangible threat as opposed to a vague evil sitting just beyond the horizon. Add to that the inclusion of Gwent and you have a game that holds its value really well. It must be said that Blood and Wine has what might be one of the most affecting endings I have ever seen in ages.

1. Fire Emblem Warriors

Surely I'm out of my mind, you must be thinking. After the words I said about Breath of the Wild, and Witcher III, how could a Musou game be the best of the pre-2018 games I played this year? Particularly in a year where Hyrule Warriors got a re-release? It's simple, I didn't really play Hyrule Warriors, and I played through Fire Emblem Warriors three times. While Breath of the Wild, and Witcher III have story, waifus, and better looks and feel about them, Fire Emblem Warriors has gameplay working in its favor. The gameplay in Fire Emblem Warriors is quite possibly some of the best Musou gameplay I've seen in a long while. Sure I might have issues with the fact that this is primarily an Awakening/Fates show I'm able to get over it because of how good the game plays. I earnestly hope for a sequel, I know it's a long-shot that any of the older Fire Emblem heroes would get in, but I would love it. Also this game does the impossible and makes the cast and story beats of Fates tolerable and decent.

Games of the Year 2018

5.  Detroit: Become Human

This game should count itself lucky I didn't play anything slightly more substantive. If I had played anything better than this I don't honestly think Detroit would have gotten any more than an honorable mention. That's not to say I didn't like the game, I enjoyed it greatly in fact, I just am surprised this game managed to be one of the better games I've played this year. The story really isn't the greatest around, but it did have moments that I liked a whole lot. Like so many others I think I liked the stuff with Connor and Hank the best. If this game had focused more on the "android cop" idea I might have liked it more, but I do want to reiterate I do think this was a good game. As by the numbers as Markus's story may have been, and some really hamfisted story beats that occur toward the end of the game it was a really solid game overall. I kind of feel like the game also played its hand regarding some of the characters a bit too early, and as such it kind of fumbled the reveal when it happens. It is pretty interesting seeing some of the variations between being peaceful Markus versus violent Markus, also the endgame variations of Connor's arc are pretty intriguing. Sadly Kara kind of gets the short end of the stick when it comes to characterization. Despite the game not quite sticking the landing when it approaches the ending it was still a good game to play through.

4. The Banner Saga Trilogy

This might be a bit of a cheat, but the console versions of the trilogy came out this year, so I'm counting it. It might not have the deepest strategy gameplay around, but this series is so much more than just the combat encounters. Some of the choices you're forced to make as the series advances are actually pretty difficult to deal with, but for its credit the game never really goes out of its way to chastise you for the decisions. I enjoyed the setting of these games a lot, Viking stuff is very interesting to me, and I absolutely adore the art style these games use. It reminded me a whole lot of the animated Hobbit movie that was out in the early 80s that I remember my dad having. I adore pretty much the whole cast that is in this trilogy, some of the characters fall flat, but when the cast is as large as the one in this series it's to be expected. This series also reminded me a lot of the early Fire Emblem games (specifically the ones on the GBA), in that your characters can permanently die as the story progresses. I played through this entire series over the course of a month because I was that engrossed in the world and story this series takes place in. I like how the threat in the series becomes much larger and grander as the games go on, and it never really feels entirely out of left field. The story does take a bit of a dive towards the end of the third game, but it was never really a deal breaker for me. If you like turn-based tactical combat, vaguely Norse mythology, or just a compelling story I really can't recommend this enough.

3. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

Perhaps they should have done the Kiwami games prior to making this, since they seem to have had some issues with the engine. That said however I really enjoyed this one a whole lot. I don't really have a lot to say about the gameplay for this game, it is still some of the best combat you can experience in most modern games these days. Style switching from 0 is gone, but that's alright. Most heat moves seem to boil down to mashing the button a whole lot to make the impact greater, but none of the gameplay changes were a deal breaker for me. I don't really want to talk about the story in the game because I feel that the story is really the game's greatest aspect. The story has some major gut punch moments, it still has its more outlandish moments (it is Yakuza after all), but the story overall is a very satisfying very moving finale for Kiryu's story. I desperately want more people to play these games because the ending was perhaps one of the most emotionally satisfying things I have ever experienced with a video game.

2. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of An Elusive Age

I adore this game. When it came out in September I played nothing but Dragon Quest XI until I completed the game. It's rare these days that something I look forward to actually lives up to my expectations, but Dragon Quest XI hit the mark and then some. I love just about every single member of the party in this game, I don't think there's a single weak link to be found in the cast. Sure the villain of the game lacks a bit of oomph despite the build-up, but I was still really digging the final villain by the time the game was approaching its end. Normally when I play an RPG by the end I start to drift away from it a bit, but I was thoroughly enjoying my time with it. I do have some complaints with the narrative towards the end, some minor complaints I have with certain characters and their characterizations near the end. The game is absolutely worth playing, it is just sheer classic role playing joy from beginning to end. Plus if you play it on PC you can mod in the orchestral soundtrack which is nice.

1. Monster Hunter: World

I sunk a lot of time into this game over the year. Two hundred and twenty-five hours to be precise (on one character at least). Granted that might be small potatoes compared to the time others have sunk into this I think that is quite a large amount. There's just something about this game that keeps calling me back to it. It might not be the most narratively rich game, but quite frankly I love this game to pieces. It's very cathartic hunting down these big behemoths. To be honest though I was kind of split between declaring this or Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate my favorite of the year. They both do something that I love so much about these games. It might be shallow to say but I probably like World more due to the graphical polish that the game possesses over Generations Ultimate. I love the inclusion of the cosmetic add-ons that are in World, it amuses me greatly to run around dressed up like Ryu from Street Fighter, or Dante from Devil May Cry, I also like the Aloy costume from Horizon: Zero Dawn. However I kind of prefer the greater amount of monsters that are available in Generations Ultimate. The sheer volume of monsters in the game is kind of ridiculous, but some of them are just tremendously fun to fight and I wish they could be in World. Generations Ultimate I kind of feel like I might be cheating by including it here, since it was an import copy for the Switch I played a lot. Honestly though, Monster Hunter World and Generations Ultimate I spent an absurd amount of time with during the year. In World's case at least I imagine I'll play a lot more during this year simply because of the inclusion of multiple crossover events that will no doubt be happening over the year. There's also the fact that Iceborne is coming out later this year, and I really can't wait to get my hands on that.

The honest truth is every single game that make up my best of list are all games that I really want to replay because I enjoyed them so much. Also just for fun here's the order the list would go in if I combined the two lists:

10. Detroit Become Human 09. Dragon Quest VIII 08. Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold 07. The Banner Saga Trilogy 06. Yakuza 6 05. Breath of the Wild 04. The Witcher 3 03. Dragon Quest XI 02. Fire Emblem Warriors 01. Monster Hunter World/Generations Ultimate

Here’s to 2019, and the very many games that are coming out that I am really looking forward to! Thank you for reading, and until next time farewell.

#Game of the Year #2018

[mister-69]

Why I fell in and out of love with the Tales Series

Ah, Tales. I am both glad and bitter that they are now successful and popular today. They're still pumping titles every now and then, and all of them are being localized, which is great for the fanbase outside of Japan. I still enjoy their older games like Rebirth, Destiny R, and Symphonia, but I hate touching anything released after Vesperia. They did so many things right and their games had elements no other JRPG had, but they were even better at going downhill and ruining their series.

This is a historical account of my experience with Tales. What I loved about it, where things started to go wrong, and where I finally let go of a series I once loved.

Like many of the western fans here, my first exposure to Tales was Tales of Symphonia on the GameCube. I walked into a GameStop with my brothers, and on their demos I saw the opening of Tales of Symphonia. My first exposure to Tales was also my first exposure to an anime RPG. As someone who enjoys both video games and anime, it was an easy choice to buy this game.  

I quickly popped it in and played with my brother and it was an experience I will never forget.

CHARACTERS/SKITS:

Tales has a unique cast of characters in the sense that they have way more dialogue and lines than your average RPG-- and therefore come off as having more personality and life. This is thanks to a staple trademark of Tales called Skits. Skits are optional dialogues throughout the entire game-- all you do is press a button and watch them interact.

Half of the time, they react to recent events in the storyline and the other half they're having light-hearted conversations about anything. The topics of these conversations wouldn't normally be brought up in a main storyline, so you find out about your characters than an average RPG.

In most RPGs, characters don't talk as much except during cutscenes and this can sometimes make the adventure seem lifeless. But the skits are like banter you have with your friends on the way to a restaurant. It gives the feeling that your characters are hanging out during their adventures. There's a life and personality to Tales characters normally not found in other RPGs.

Skits is a concept that was ahead of its time. Most Tales characters fall into some archetype which is not a bad thing, it's just unavoidable. But skits allow Tales characters to branch away from their categories by giving them more personality, development, and background.

As a gamer, it's easy to become emotionally attached to these characters and sympathize with their struggle. It's also why fans favor Tales characters over other RPGs. Whether Tales characters are better RPG characters in the genre is something I will debate against, but I can see why many others believe so.

BATTLE SYSTEM:

The absolute biggest draw of the Tales series is their battle system- characterized by their trademarked LMBS (Linear Motion Battle System). In all of their Tales games, 2D or 3D, Tales characters are controlled in real time combat.

Players can move, block, attack, or cast magic at will. This is a huge deviation in the JRPG formula, in which most of the combat is turn-based. Furthermore, Tales was way ahead of its real-time combat rivals because of how developed their LMBS are. Combos can be strung together, Skills added depth and options for each character, strategies can be set for AI-controlled characters, and guarding options all make the game more than just a button-masher.

In most of the Tales games, up to 4 party members can be deployed on the battlefield. And this meant multiplayer was possible-- which meant that for once, an RPG can be finally played with someone else! I played the early half of the series with my brother (and sometimes our cousin). It was run to riff on funny parts of the game but even more fun to play with someone else. Multiplayer made Tales even more of an enjoyable experience and I am sure many others can relate.

Unlike most video game series that upgraded the same battle system, Tales was pretty daring and significantly changed up the formula. Rebirth had 3 lines and cooldown timers for Arts, Destiny R had aerial combat, and Xillia introduced tag team combos. Even the sub-systems such as skills, learnable Arts, movement options, and combo system changed.

At the end of the day, each battle system shared the same concept of free-styled combat and that's what mattered most. The ability to string together your own combos and strategize your party members made the games endlessly fun to play.

WANTING MORE OF THE SAME:

After Symphonia, I craved for more of the same and imported the rest of the Tales games on the PS2: Destiny 2, Rebirth, Destiny Remake. I even imported the PS2 version of Symphonia because of its extras over the GC version. We imported Abyss because at the time, its localization was uncertain.

Even if I didn't understand the storyline, there were entire translated scripts of the game that we read while playing the game. But more than that, we played for the battle system and there were no regrets whatsoever.

For the first time, I joined a forum for Tales games and interacted with other people, joined in on speculations, had embarrassing (but high-level) debates, and constantly tried to keep up with the next Tales game.

Over time however, the Tales series changed in many ways and so do did my love for the series. Changes in management, business practices, and development gradually transformed the series into something else. I couldn't get into the characters anymore, or enjoy its battle system, and eventually I stopped playing the series altogether.

RECYCLING/REUSING CONTENT:

One of their earliest hallmarks of disappointment was how often they used the same material repeatedly. At first, they used to be a nostalgic reference to a classic Tales character but when you do it again for the next 3 games, it becomes obvious that it's just laziness at this point.

The earliest traces of this low budget tactic begins with Abyss. In Tales, Mystic Artes were ultimate attacks with amazing visuals. But in Abyss, many of their Mystic Artes were similar in visuals-- a circular glyph that deals a radius of damage.

Although it was not a huge deal at the time, it was the beginning of a trend. Namco re-used Abyss' aesthetics for the Radiant Mythology series, Tales of VS, and Tales of Innocence. DLC costumes that were first used in Vesperia are still being used 4 games later in Berseria. And instead of coming up with new Mystic Artes, Namco just slaps on old ones onto new characters even if they didn't suit the character.

What used to be nostalgic references to classic characters now became a cheap and lazy way to add content to their newer games. Ordinarily, there is no problem with a nostalgic cameo but when they are used repeatedly, game after game, then it's just obvious laziness at this point.

DECLINING SUBSTANCE:

After Vesperia, their games started to become hallow in both nature and substance, riddled with poor game design, or both. Recycled content was only one of the many factors. The bigger concern was cutting out traditional content in the games and selling them off as DLC.

Although Vesperia was the first Tales to have DLC costumes, they had the most in-game costumes of any Tales game to date. DLC costumes were not a controversial issue until Graces, which only had 2-3 sets of costumes for each character. The majority of available costumes were sold as DLC. This DLC trend went into full force with Xillia, which only had 4 costumes total. The traditional swimwear set were absent from the game and with that, the staple comic relief swimsuit scenes.

To make matters worse, these costumes were developed before released but were released on a schedule. So even if players wanted to pay for DLC content, they wouldn't have access to them right away. And finally in Zestiria, they took it to the next step and made DLC out of Artes, Mystic Artes, and Skits. Rather than providing meaningful and additional content that players were willing to buy, Namco instead decided to hide in-game content behind a paywall. Nothing about these tactics are fair or justifiable. It's just a greedy money grab at the expense of fans and quality of their games.

STORY/CHARACTERS:

I figured, okay fine the costumes are DLC now and there's a lot of recycled content. At least I can still enjoy the characters and story... Right? Wrong. Following Vesperia, the quality and writing of Tales took a nosedive of incoherent writing, falling deeper in cliché archetypes, becoming so full of itself as a series, and losing touch with their fanbase.

CHARACTER ARCHETYPES:

Graces marked the beginning of this trend, and thus the first steps to Tales' downfall. Let's start with the character archetypes, shall we? You have the goody-two shoes protagonist Asbel, ignorant of female affections,  always wanting to do the right thing regardless of consequences, and all about protecting his friends.

This sums up 90% of your JRPG protagonists and some of the Tales protagonists can also fall under this description. But Stahn is a lazy stowaway with no ambition, Lloyd has his silly Dwarven Vows and questionable mathematics, and Senel is a loveable jerk whose lack of awareness can be attributed to his marine background.

Asbel on the other hand, has nothing other than his background that sets him apart from his archetype. His only motivation in the game is to protect his friends and nothing else. It's supposed to be beautiful and amazing because he would even sacrifice himself for his friends, but he's not that different than robot programmed for a single purpose.

Sadly, most of the characters from this point on have more or less the same amount of depth and personality as Asbel. You have some gems like Leia who fought tooth and nail to defend a hopeless Jude from Alvin, but you realize her character is wasted on Jude because it revolves around him. Instead, her character can be better spent  finding someone else who deserves her.

Then you have Alvin the traitor, who is arguably the worst traitor of any JRPG series to date. At least Kratos was disguised as a mercenary. Sure he had his mysterious past, but nothing that would indicate he was a freaking Angel working with the organization that’s been chasing after you.  Then you have Raven whose shadiness can be attributed to his silly antics, perverted nature, and propensity to drink. But one would never guess he was also a Captain of his own brigade!

Then you have Alvin who saves Jude from his predicament and then forces his mercenary services onto him, a wanted criminal. On top of that, he uses a gun which is technologically not possible on the planet he is infiltrating. You'd think a spy would make an actual effort blending in. So obviously, characters like Milla catch on and when confronted, Alvin makes a poor effort to refute her accusations which basically boils down to "I know you know but you can't prove anything." It's a complete mockery of the betrayal plot twist that the series has come to be known for.

So we have the same archetypes we've always had-- the oblivious protagonist, the childhood friend, and a shady traitor. Except now all they're doing is fulling a quota on a checklist.  Yes, they each have their own stories and backgrounds but none of them are fleshed out with the same depth as the characters from previous games.

INCOHERENT WRITING:

Now, let's talk about the incoherent writing and my gosh there are so many examples of this. Let's continue with Graces and Asbel— whose friendship with the rest of the cast is as hallow as the games. The story downplays the impact of what 7 years can do to friendships.

The game doesn't address why Asbel never kept in touch with his friends over the course of 7 years. He never wrote to them or visited, and despite being the same city as Richard, the two never crossed paths for 7 years! In fact, the only reason Asbel comes back to his hometown is because his father passed away. If he didn't, who knows when Asbel would return.... if he ever thought about returning at all. In fact, Asbel brushes off the 7 years as "Oh it went by so fast." It’s as if Asbel was playing his own game too, experiencing the time skip the same way a player would.

Under those 7 years, he trained under instructor Malik so the two have a close relationship. But that's the thing, everyone's closeness with each other is supposed to be accepted by the player. It's not unbelievable that Asbel can reconnect with his childhood friends, but at this point they have all become different people.

So in many ways, it's like getting to know someone for the first time again. But the game doesn't do any of that. It just tosses the 6 characters together with the same old banter you're used to. But you don't understand what makes any of these characters close. What makes Asbel and Malik get along beside their relationship as master and student? What makes Asbel get along with Cheria and Hubert besides being childhood friends?

In Vesperia, you can see how the irritable Rita softens up to Estelle and the others. Yuri becomes an older brother to Karol. Everyone makes fun of Raven but they love him for his antics. And Judith is the sultry woman that playfully teases everyone. None of these characters except for Yuri and his dog Repede knew each other beforehand. There are no childhood friends here—these are 7 strangers who come together and become a family. When playing the game, you can see how these characters grow close.  

I don't get that from Graces, or any game that follows it. What I get instead are a cast of characters who are stuck together and make do with it. There is no emotional investment between anyone and the impression I get is that they can just walk away from each other's lives without a care in the world. Any closeness just comes off as forced, because the writers stopped putting in effort to make a convincing cast of people who are supposed to be friends.

Moving on, let's revisit Alvin the traitor. So after the party finds out he's a traitor, guess what? Nothing happens! The party is upset with him but he just worms his way back in and shrugs. The party does nothing about it, and so they carry on awkwardly.

And not awkward in a way that's amusing to the player, but awkward in that the player can't even begin to comprehend the situation unfolding in front of them. Alvin obviously still has his own agenda intact even after coming back, and the betrayals continue happening. So it's not a single betrayal, but a recurring event in the game, and it makes no sense why the party allows this to continue.

I stopped playing the series after Xillia, but the general consensus about the next game Zestiria is that it is even less comprehensible. Scenes are so poorly directed and just happen without explanation. Characters ignore a problem when an actual person would just be like "Wait, what is going on? I demand an explanation."

SKITS:

So we have a declining quality of storyline and characters... How can it get worse? Oh wait, what about the skits that added to the characters and background? Nope, they ruined that too, and it started with Graces.

Remember how half of the skits were about the storyline and the other half was silly banter? Well, now they have become too silly and gimmicky. You now have random splashes of images invading the skits which tries to convey the scene of the game. I thought I was listening to a skit, not reading a visual novel. If you want to make this scene cinematic, then make a cutscene instead.

The topics have changed from ordinary topics that trail off to funny banter, to nonsensical gibberish that laughs at its own jokes. It's as if they were catering to meme culture and hoping that it would spread to the internet and blow up or something. It's as if, after several Tales games and years of development, the writers are writing skits for the first time again.

On top of that, most of the skits stopped making sense in context or flow of conversation. In Graces, most of the skits are triggered by standing at a Discovery Point. Sometimes the conversations are about the actual location, in that the characters talk about something they are reminded of. But most of the time, they talk about something entirely unrelated to the Discovery Point and it makes you wonder what was the point of having skits based on location.

In Berseria, I listened to a skit between Laphicet and Magilou, except Velvet was there randomly too. Ordinarily in skits, only the portraits of the participants are shown. Even if they are not originally part of the conversation, their portrait would be off to the side, to show they are eavesdropping. And if they leave the conversation, then their portrait disappears.

In the conversation between Laphicet and Magilou, Velvet appears out of nowhere and speaks her mind. She doesn't speak for the remainder of the conversation, but her portrait remains. But the remainder of this conversation only happens between Laphicet and Magilou. You can't tell if Velvet is listening in or not. If she's not there, why doesn't her portrait disappear. And if she is there, then why isn't she saying anything?

All these annoyances about the series would be minor in their own capacity, and the games would still be bearable. But all of them are present at the same time and collectively become an unbearable experience. It just proves that the Tales series is declining as a JRPG series.

BATTLE SYSTEM:

Okay, so what about the battle  system? You imported a good amount of the games just to enjoy its battle system right? Yup, even that is ruined believe it or not. For some strange reason, Tales suffered a series of questionable design choices ever since Vesperia.

Traditionally, attacks have been divided between normal attacks and Artes. You attack with regular attacks and then use Artes to complete the combo. Graces changes this formula by getting rid of normal attacks and turning everything into an Arte. Normal attacks are now the new Artes button, and the Artes button is a different branch of Artes.

This sounds like a great idea at first, especially when it was originally advertised as Style Change LMBS. But in reality, only Asbel's fighting style changed between the two trees of Artes. For magic casters, their second Artes tree were just spells. For Melee attackers, they were just different Artes. In the end, it was just a different way of sorting the Arte tree that ultimately did not add anything. Graces had positive battle system changes but this was not one of them. 

Xillia returned to the traditional format of attacks but they unified the Overlimit and Symphonia's Unison Gauge into a weird tag team function. In Xillia, characters can be tethered together and provide mutual support. The player can activate the Overlimit gauge to unleash devastating tag team attacks.

However, Overlimit required two characters to be tethered in order to activate and have access to Mystic Artes. In other words, a character cannot fight alone and go into Overlimit or use Mystic Artes alone. In adding a team functionality between characters, Tales marginalized the role of an individual character. It was a sacrifice that didn't need to happen, and this is because of poor game design.

POOR GAME DESIGN:

Fast forward to Zestiria, which attempted to introduced seamless battles. Before, characters were transported to a field of battle upon encounter. Now, enemies are fought in the fields or dungeons encountered with no transition. Upon victory however, a transition still exists for characters' win poses. Obviously, these had to stay in Tales which only made seamless transitions pointless. In fact, seamless transitions became one of the most criticized elements of Zestiria.

First of all, Namco did not accommodate for the camera angles being obstructed by objects, walls, or other obstructions. Traditionally, battlefields took place in a flat area with no obstacles and within a large radius. The camera can zoom in or out depending on the player's settings and number of enemies son the field. The player's perspective in Zestiria however, was constantly being blocked by trees, walls, or even the enemies themselves.

Second, there were no environmental interactions which is what players were hoping for since they existed in Vesperia. For example, using hazardous flowers to stun an opponent or taking out bridge switches to prevent enemy reinforcements. One would think this primitive form of environmental interactions would be present in a game whose battlefields were shaped by terrain and geography. But this was not the case, which begs the question... why even have seamless transitions in the first place? It goes back to Namco not knowing how to use good ideas.

THE ALISHA CONTROVERSY:

When discussing the flaws of the Tales series, it is impossible to leave out the story behind Alisha and Zestiria, the biggest controversy of the series. It was so serious that Hideo Baba disappeared from public appearances and ultimately left Namco. This controversy illustrates a problem bigger than any that I have mentioned thus far— which is that Namco has become so full of itself that it produces what -it- wants rather than what the fans want.

When Zestiria was revealed, the first two characters shown were Sorey and Alisha. They revealed figures for both of these characters, and there was also an Alisha cosplayer on the scene to further promote the event. JRPGs typically have a male and female lead, so these must be our hero and heroine right? And the first characters shown are always the lead protagonists, right?

Well, according to the producer Hideo Baba, if you thought Alisha was the heroine then you made an incorrect assumption. That's right folks, Alisha was never the heroine of the story and in fact, only a temporary party member for a small portion of the entire game.

Despite being part of DLC costume sets, being the first female Sorey comes across, and the character responsible for initiating Sorey's journey, she is not the heroine or a permanent party member. When fans expressed their outrage and confusion, Baba only responded with "We never said she was the heroine."

Then why was she one of the two revealed characters when Zestiria was announced? Why announce her at all, release a figure for her, and include her in DLC costume sets? This character received promotion and attention and fans were excited to play a lancer, of which there are very few of in the series. For Baba to say "we never said she was the heroine" is a mockery to all of the fans he misled up to this point.

Namco will never come out and say it but what really happened was that there were last minute changes to the story that replaced the intended heroine Alisha with Rose. It turns out that Hideo Baba was smitten with Rose’s voice actress at the time, so much that he abused his authority as producer to shift focus onto Rose. This major change in heroines affected the rest of the storyline, and writers simply did not have enough time to rewrite the story to accommodate for this change. The end product resulted in an incoherent storyline that felt incomplete and full of holes.

In an attempt to appease fans, Namco released a (temporarily) free DLC chapter focusing on Alisha after the events of the game. However, this does not change the fact that Alisha was shafted because of Baba's personal interference so the DLC chapter did very little to please the fans. And Hideo Baba was never heard from again.

This incident provides us with insight to the management responsible for calling the shots in the making of Tales games. These are people whose desire to create a Tales game are out of alignment with what fans want. Business perspective and economic thought cannot be applied to explain their behavior. The only difference between their games and fan made projects is that they are making the same garbage but within the company.

Sure there are still fans that eat up everything that Namco serves them but nobody is asking for a Tales-themed cafe, a Tales of the Abyss musical, a letter from Richard to Asbel as a bundle exclusive, or an anime of a game that was just released. These are products that Namco is throwing out there because this is what they want to exist.

It's sad how Namco is mishandling the Tales series so badly. Aside from God Eater, they don't have Go Shiina composing any music. They have a trademarked battle system that no other company can replicate. And there are so elements and quirks to the Tales games that cannot be found anywhere else. These wasted resources can be better spent giving fans what they actually want like…

REMAKES:

Namco realizes the value of the past Tales games, that's why they ported Destiny 2 and Rebirth onto the PSP, Abyss to the 3DS, and Symphonia and its sequel to the PS3. What Namco should really be doing however, are remakes of older Tales games. Specifically, they should replicate the success they had with the popular Tales of Destiny Remake.

Destiny Remake's assets were made from the ground-up. It introduced an entirely new battle system with aerial combat and an alternative to the traditional TP system. Its story and skits were fully voiced and redone. Its graphics kept 2D sprites complete with beautiful animation and effects. It will go down in history as one of the most satisfying battle systems in a Tales game.

And yet this success has never been replicated ever since. Fans were hoping that these remakes would be the beginning of a new trend. New fans would get introduced to older games with modern designs. Older cans relive their older favorites in a new way. And fans outside of Japan could get a second chance at localization.

But instead of remaking the next entry in the series, Eternia, Namco decided to remake Innocence and Hearts on the PSVita. These titles are nowhere close to being the most popular titles in the series, but Namco wanted to remake them because the DS' hardware limitations prevented them from putting in everything they wanted. Therefore, they were remade on the VIta.

The quality of work put into these remakes comes nowhere close to Destiny R's. Although voicework and scenes were redone, the character models were mediocre and the battle system was largely the same with a few improvements. They did however, retcon in new characters— a trend that Namco seems to be fond of since it was done to Vesperia and Phantasia.

What's even more bizarre is that Namco introduced the concept of the Triverse Gate, which connects the worlds of Innocence, Hearts, and Tempest. However, this Triverse Gate is only present in the remakes, not in the original games. It's a very interesting concept to make a connection between 3 unrelated games, but it only serves as an end-game dungeon. Even in the remakes, the Triverse Gates have no bearing on the story whatsoever. So what was the point of connecting these games in the first place? The only thing the Triverse Gate has done for the series is make fans wonder why there hasn’t been a Tempest R.

Regardless, Hearts R and Innocence R performed terribly. Even their combined sales don't come close to Destiny R, which sold over a million units. In fact, both of the remakes sold less than their original releases. This failure is actually quite an accomplishment in of itself, and again proves that Namco is out of touch with their fanbase.

CONCLUSION:

After reading this, I hope you can understand why I once loved Tales and why I hate it right now. It's like a relationship that worked out perfectly fine- distance wasn't a problem, money wasn't a problem, approval from friends and family wasn't a problem. But Tales just couldn't be satisfied staying the same and wanted to be something different for no reason, and in ways I could not accept.

I don't think I am asking for much here. I just want Tales to be good like it used to be. It doesn't have to take after Vesperia, Symphonia, or the legendary PS2 trinity. I just want the battle system to be fun again, for the characters to be less gimmicky and try-hard, for the content to actually be there, and for the storylines to make sense.

I don't want Tales to do open world when they can't. Or for them to make a mockery of skits and post-battle victory screens. Or to buy a Rutee and Leon for the 5th time. Just give me a complete game that's fun to play and has likeable characters like the good ole days. Please.

#tales series #namco #jrpg #hideo baba

[kiribbeanplays-blog]

Character Critiques: Poliwag Family

Another ridiculously simple-looking, but pleasing character design: Poliwag!

Sometimes, there are character designs so minimalistic, I can’t help but think, “Man, I wish I could have gotten away with something like that in my college character drawing class.” From a purely facetious perspective, Poliwag seems to be “just” a sphere with a face and stumpy legs.

But “minimalist” doesn’t automatically mean “bad.” Oddish, for example, stole my heart despite being a plain radish. Fortunately for Poliwag, what it does have in its presentation - however nominal - works well. It’s a streamlined portrayal of tadpoles, right down to the translucent skin that’s present on some species!

(Photo credit: Paul A. Zahl)

Indeed, that swirl on Poliwag’s tummy represents its visible intestines! As an added bonus, it can undulating the marking to hypnotize its enemies, just as you’d expect from such a symbol. It’s impressive how a single basic shape was used so effectively!

My one critique about Poliwag is that its eyes shouldn’t be perfectly flat on its face. A few older sprites showed them bulging out, which I feel is a better fit with the bug-eyed appearance of the real things.

At the end of the day, however, it’s just a personal nitpick that doesn’t affect Poliwag’s overall appeal.

It may be a sphere with a face and stumpy legs, but Poliwag is a solid minimalist tadpole character.

As expected from a tadpole, Poliwag has undergone metamorphosis into a frog… sort of. It’s not quite there yet, being halfway between the two forms.

Amusingly, despite Poliwhirl evolving to walk around on two legs, it's arms don’t seem entirely developed. Its hands are adorable mittens that it curls into boxing gloves. Poliwhirl will eventually become half-Fighting if it evolves into Poliwrath, so this concept makes sense.

For a little extra trivia, the front legs on real frogs are often the last to grow when they deviate from their tadpole origins. With this knowledge, the “mitten” hands work perfectly with Poliwhirl’s design!

Even more, there’s a species of frog with its organs still fully visible - the glass frog!

(Photo credit: Joel Sartore)

Poliwhirl’s spiral belly would be fine even without the existence of the glass frog, but it’s impressive to see how much research went behind its design!

Poliwhirl addresses my critique about Poliwag’s eyes - they now clearly bulge from the top of its body. I think this looks much more interesting on the character, with an added bonus of giving Poliwhirl a stronger silhouette.

A bipedal brawling frog is a wacky and fun concept. Poliwhirl does more than be Pokémon’s “obligatory” frog monster, and in a good way!

Oh dear...

Poliwrath, dude… did we not recently discuss the “barely any different” problem a couple articles ago?

To be fair, Poliwrath kind of follows my stance about minor Pokémon evolutions. To compensate for the lack of any significant changes (apart from its hands), its overall body shape is different… if you squint really hard.

I think Poliwrath’s design could be enhanced to better reflect its brawny build. I’m not saying it has to be exaggerated like a bodybuilder, but it should have a little extra definition to its body shape so that one doesn’t have to squint to tell it apart from Poliwhirl.

Let me step away from bashing Poliwrath’s visual design and talk about the lore behind it. Perhaps things get more interesting there.

There’s actually a catch to evolving Poliwhirl into Poliwrath. It’s another one of those Pokémon obtainable only through an evolutionary stone - in this case, a Water Stone. When you think about how Poliwrath becomes part Fighting-type, it’s like the player character has to throw steroids at the beast to build its muscles. I’m speaking about this concept theoretically, as the Pokédex doesn’t back up that last statement. Regardless, it’s a hilariously awesome thought.

Even with that thought in mind, Poliwrath is still incredibly underwhelming. Water Stones aren’t nearly as rare as Moon Stones, but the point is that you have to go out of your way to find this special item just to evolve your Pokémon. All that work and effort, and all that Poliwhirl becomes is… “Poliwhirl 2.0,” but with the Fighting type added.

I feel awful dismissing a Pokémon with that terrible joke, I really do. I’ve done it several times now, and I feel it makes me look like I expect every monster to reinvent themselves when they evolve. But I can’t escape the feeling that Poliwrath could be just a little more. The idea for the character is there, but it needs some fine-tuning to its visual design to truly shine.

Well, I suppose I got my wish after all. I complained that Poliwrath looked too “boring,” and then Generation II introduced a second evolution for Poliwhirl to pick from. By physically trading Poliwhirl to another Trainer while holding an item called the King’s Rock, it takes this alternate path into Politoed.

A neon green, more normal-looking frog is certainly a surprising twist for Poliwhirl. The “identity crisis” argument could be made on account of the stark contrast between the plain Water-type Politoed and the Water-Fighting Poliwrath. But if you ask me, I don’t feel that Politoed is a terrible fit with the rest of the Poliwag line.

For one, the central “tadpole metamorphosis” theme remains in-tact, even if Poliwhirl becomes Politoed. In context with the Poliwag family, it’s a conspicuous design that doesn’t require explanation through flavor text. Compare this to Bellossom, who had diddly squat in its biography to clear up why it abandoned the rafflesia arnoldii concept.

An interesting thought is how Poliwhirl can either disrupt normal tadpole growth and remain as a half-frog monster, or it can mature into a frog proper. This is a wonderful idea devised by the artists at Game Freak, and I can’t believe the Pokémon franchise is about the only time I’ve seen such a thing in action!

I adore how all of Politoed’s visual elements are arranged. It has a limited color pallette that it uses superbly, using splashes of yellow to add more texture and variance on its bright green body. The single strand of curly hair may feel somewhat random to its design, but it adds a whimsical charm to Politoed’s character. Coupled with those beaming eyes, Politoed is an all-around precious character design.

I’m glad that the spiral intestines weren’t entirely left out of Politoed’s design. It’s still hinted by the big swirl on its tummy. It helps keep Politoed’s composition balanced, as having the exact same spiral as Poliwag’s would have likely overwhelmed the rest of its design.

I haven’t even gotten into why Politoed is obtained through a King’s Rock. Well, it’s more of a theory, as the games don’t actually explain what a “King’s Rock” is. Basically, it’s this little stone crown, as seen below:

This item makes more sense when reading Politoed’s Pokédex entries. A few games mention that Poliwag and Poliwhirl are instinctively drawn - even obedient - to Politoed’s loud, echoing croaks. In a way, Politoed “rules over” its pre-evolved brethren.

Poliwhirl needs the King’s Rock so that it can become a frog emperor to all the other little frogs in the world. That’s an exceptionally precious detail to an already darling character!

If there’s one major critique I can get off my shoulders, it’s that Politoed has an unbearably atrocious idle animation in the Generation VI+ Pokémon games.

Are you kidding me, Game Freak? It just vacantly stares into space with its arms lazily dangling, like you did with Meowth? You practically animated it in a t-pose! Unbelieveable!

Look back up at Politoed’s official artwork. Look at how dynamic it’s posed just by raising its arms. Take a look at its sprite animation from Black/White Version - hell, even gander at the energy in its pitiful Emerald Version animation!

Even if Politoed was modeled to be sitting down like it used to in the Generation II games, at least the minimal animation would be excusable. It’d be at rest, so of course it wouldn’t be moving much!

Oh well, good thing that my strict analysis of a 3D model isn’t a dealbreaker for my love of Politoed.

Politoed is one of those characters that makes me smile to look at. Visually, it’s somewhat of a curveball as an evolution for Poliwhirl. At the same time, I feel it fits right in with the rest of the evolutionary family.

Before I end this article, there’s one piece of trivia I wanted to share, but couldn’t find enough credible sources to back it up. Politoed is one of the few Pokémon who can have Drizzle as its ability. I have a distinct memory that this references folklore surrounding frogs as rainmakers and signs of a good harvest. However, this is the only remotely credible source I found, suggesting it’s a general Native American belief. Since this website doesn’t have a bibliography, and was the only website I found with this information, I can only add this potential trivia as a side note.

#article #character critiques #pokemon #poliwag #poliwhirl #poliwrath #politoed #frogs #pocket monsters #game freak #nintendo

[dropswisdom]

First, apologies for the long wait for this review (or any update). The reason is simple: I’ve been having trouble accessing my blog for the last week or so, and it’s been (finally) solved today.

This review unit was sent to me courtesy of Probox2, so thank you (again) very much, and especially Wilson, for the help and support!

Probox2 EX+ was one of the first boxes I reviewed, as well as being one of the best and most stable of the bunch. So I was glad to find out they’ve joined the “updated” group of manufacturers and came out with the new Z Kodi TV Box that employs the Amlogic S905 CPU.

What’s in the Box?

As can be seen both in the unboxing video and the photo below, the package is pretty standard, a DC power adapter, standard HDMI 2.0 cable, a IR remote control and Quick guide. It’s really all you need to use this device efficiently – aside from a digital screen.

Looks

The Probox2 Z is made of black plastic and comes in a matte finish. The box is quite light and simple, with an embossed logo of the manufacturer on its top. There is no external antenna, but there is a blue round indication LED on the front of the box. The port selection is quite basic with (only) 2 USB 2.0 ports on offer, a Gigabit LAN port, and a TF (Micro-SD) expansion slot .

Specifications

CPU Amlogic S905 Quad Core 64-Bit Cortex A53 CPU, up to 2Ghz GPU Penta Core Mali-450 GPU, up to 600Mhz Memory / Storage 1GB DDR3 / 8GB eMMC Wireless Connectivity 802.11n WIFI, Bluetooth 4.0 OS Android Lollipop 5.1 Video Output HDMI 2.0, up to 4K** @ 60fps, Support HDMI-CEC Audio Output Via HDMI 2.0, optical SPDIF Power DC 5V 2A adapter (CE, FCC, CCC Certified) Peripheral Interface

1  x RJ-45 Ethernet Port (10/100/1000Mbps)

2 x USB 2.0 Ports

1 x TF (Micro-SD) Card Reader

1 x HDMI 2.0 Port

1 x SPDIF Port

Packing Included

PROBOX2 Z

DC Power Adapter

IR Remote Control

HDMI 2.0 Cable

Quick Guide

Dimensions / Weight 110mm * 110mm * 17.5mm / 185g

Benchmarks and Testing

All benchmarks have been repeated 3 times and results have been averaged to give a more accurate reading:

Antutu Benchmark

The Antutu benchmark tests single core performance over multi-core as it is a better indication of the performance of one device over others in most situations. The position in each graphs paints a somewhat mixed picture, as in the newer 6.0.1 version, the Z is in one of the last places (even among the S905 boxes), and in the older 5.7.3 version, it takes a middle placement. The (somewhat) more demanding 6.0.1 version may be too taxing for the new box, but this may change with time and new firmware updates.

GPU Mark Benchmark

GPU Mark tests 3d gaming performance and also provides a normalized score according to the used screen resolution (for a more accurate result). The test is quite short and should be taken as a supporting result to that of the more serious 3D Mark benchmark. We can see GPUMark also places the Z in one of the last places, so 3d gaming/apps may prove demanding for this box.

A1 SD Benchmark

A1 SD Benchmark tests RAM and flash memory speeds. As can be seen in the provided graphs, RAM is much faster (by a factor of about 40) than flash memory – that is why it’s in smaller amount and is also volatile (does not keep its contents after a reboot). The results here shows that the RAM/storage controller does not shine and the results are (again) among the lowest in the test. This can and does affect general performance as the included RAM amount is low to begin with.

PC Mark Benchmark

The PC Mark benchmark test suite gives a more task/day oriented picture of performance. Things like photo editing, web browsing and video playback are tested. The results of PC Mark are average which is quite good, considering the low scores the Z box got in the memory tests above.

3D Mark Benchmark

3D Mark benchmark is considered as one of the best ways to test 3d performance on Android (and other platforms). The score is consistent with the GPU Mark and Antutu scores from before. This box can be used for casual gaming, but it will struggle to produce decent frame rate in 3d heavy games.

Video Playback testing (Using KODI)

Resolution Video Format Local Playback Network (Wi-Fi/LAN) Playback 720p (1280*720) AVC ([email protected]) Playing correctly Playing correctly 1080P (1920*1080) AVC (High@L4) Playing correctly Playing correctly 4K/UHD (4096*2304) AVC ([email protected]) *Playing correctly Buffering  and stutter 2160P (3840*2160) HEVC (H.265) *Playing correctly Mixed. Some Buffering 4K TS HEVC files HEVC (H.265) 10Bit Playing correctly Mixed. Crashes/Buffering

Local (SD card) Playback: Most of the files played correctly locally. However, some (AVC/H.264) files showed Kodi beta issues – The audio starts while the screen is black, and only by bringing up the info overlay (clicking “okay” or middle button on the remote), the video shows.

Local Network Playback: Z had issues with local network playback of heavy files. Standard Mpeg 4 (H.264) 4K files would either play with buffering after a while, jitters, and/or stutter. One of the 10 Bit TS test files not only would refuse to play, but actually crash Kodi. That is true only for network files playback. However, it shows firmware instability, and broken multi-tasking. Even with the modest hardware specs, it is possible to achieve stable and sustained video playback over the network – at least for AVC (H.264) files. And crashes are not acceptable.

* I also noticed, that when Kodi was updating the library, it would affect heavy playback both off the network and locally, to the point that stuttering and even crashing occurs. This is what I meant by broken multi-tasking. I did not notice this in most of the other S905 boxes I tested. Even the cheapest ones. This is an urgent issue to correct.

All these issues seems to be correctable, as the video compatibility rating for this box is one of the highest (if not the highest) I seen – according to Antutu Video tester.

Issues and bugs

10 mb bug is still here. Probox2 maintains that it does not happen in all cases. They’ve tested a 2 TB drive and reported that it appears and works fine. However, I have tested with my own 1.5 TB which appears fine in non-s905 (or firmware fixed s905) devices and it shows as 10 mb, and does not allow copying of large files.

I experienced some jerkiness in two out of the three games (Angry Birds 2, and Asphalt 8) – both in menus and in-game. The jerkiness affected video, but not audio.

I also noticed delays in certain applications. In Kodi, some plug-ins would take very long to load. And in games using Google play games services, it would take long minutes to connect to the service, even though the bug that crashes Google play games is fixed.

The Kodi issues mentioned in the Kodi testing section above. Kodi crashes, video delays to start while audio begins, and bad local network playback performance. These are unacceptable in a commercial box – even though they apply to the heaviest files (4K/UHD) files mostly.

Network performance

Network performance has been tested using Speedtest.net Internet speed measuring app, in WiFi and in Wired mode. My Internet connection is 200 Mbit Symmetric Fibre connection. Performance is average-low for WiFi (only N standard is supported), but quite good for Wired connection:

WiFi (2.4 GHz)

Wired over power line

Gaming performance

I use an application called “GameBench” to measure frame rate and resource usage in games. However, since this box is brand new, and does not have a working root solution, my impressions are just descriptive and not measured:

Asphalt 8 Airborne – a 3d graphic intensive racing game. The game run fine, but not completely smooth. Loading screens were swift, but the during gameplay I experienced a small amount of jerkiness.

Angry Birds 2 – a popular 2d action game. Runs smoothly most of the time, with bits of slowdown both in-game and in menus. GameBench was unable to measure in-game performance, as it crashed once the game loaded and switched from the menu. The resource usage below is just for general indication.

Walking War Robots – an online robot warfare game that requires a game-pad (I don’t have a game-pad). Mostly smooth sailing, with very little to un-noticeable slower frame rate at times.

Conclusions

Did I like it? So So. I experienced too much instability in Kodi (be aware that I tested it with Kodi Jarvis Beta 5), and it must be corrected before it can become popular. However, the Z works well most of the time, with videos up to (and including) 1080p. The box also comes pre-rooted.

Would I recommend it? Not at this stage, unless you’re willing to experiment and wait for the next firmware. The Z needs to go through at least one more firmware update to improve stability. It is one of the cheapest S905 boxes out there, and once Probox2 fix some of the urgent issues, it will be one of the stronger contenders.

So you’d like to buy this box? You can find it here: PROBOX2 Z ANDROID TV BOX, 64BIT QUAD CORE CPU + 4K DECODING, S905 + GIGALAN + ANDROID 5.1 + KODI for a mere 60 USD!

Find a sponsor for your web site. Get paid for your great content. shareasale.com.

Review | Probox2 Z S905 Kodi TV Box First, apologies for the long wait for this review (or any update). The reason is simple: I've been having trouble accessing my blog for the last week or so, and it's been (finally) solved today.

[techbotic]

The PlayStation 5 Sounds Like An Absolute Beast of a Console

Djordje Novakov/Shutterstock.com

Sony’s lead architect for the upcoming PlayStation 5, Mike Cerny, recently sat down with Wired to talk about the console. And holy crap, man, it sounds unreal—lightning-fast SSD, 8K compatibility, and freakin’ ray tracing. On a console!

The current cream of Sony’s console crop, the PlayStation 4 Pro, is a pretty beastly machine on its own—especially compared to the “regular” PlayStation 4. But Sony knows it has to really bring its A-game for the new console, and the early details it shared with Wired should be enough to get any console gamer excited.

PC-Level Hardware Runs the Show

First off, it’s going to be powered by a custom version of AMD’s third-generation Ryzen chip, which has quickly become a go-to chip for many, many PC gamers thanks to its low price and relatively stellar performance. It will pair this will a custom version from Radeon’s Navi family, which means one significant detail: it will support ray tracing. That’s something no console before it—and let’s be honest here, many PCs—has been able to do.

Keeping in line with the beastly specs, Cerny talked about loading times and storage mediums. In current-generation PlayStation consoles (up to and including the PS4 Pro), loading times can take ages. This is in large part due to the storage mediums found inside the consoles—as it true with PCs, this is often the bottleneck of good performance. But with the upcoming console, it sounds like Sony is designed its own SSD.

While it didn’t spell that detail out exactly, the wording used strongly hinted at it. According to Cerny, the console will feature a hard drive that “has a raw bandwidth higher than any SSD available for PCs.” That’s pretty telling in itself.

A Custom SSD Will Make a Monstrous Change

To demonstrate its monstrous performance, he loaded up Spider-Man, a PlayStation-exclusive title, on a PS4 Pro, then initiated fast travel. It took 15 seconds. He then loaded the same game on a prototype console—which was housed in a “big silver tower with no visible componentry”—and did the same fast travel. It took 0.8 seconds. What?!

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the console, apparently. It will also feature a dramatically beefed-up audio experience with 3D audio. This should help create a more immersive audio experience for gamers, which we can all get into.

Backward Compatibility…for PS4 Games

Finally, Cerny pointed out one more interesting (and possibly concerning) feature: backward compatibility. It’s been long-rumored that the Ps5 would feature backward compatibility for older consoles—perhaps even back to the PS2—but Wired’s report only suggests that it will support PS4 games since it’s based on the existing software. While any backward compatibility is welcome, the biggest downside of the current system is that users aren’t able to play older games on it.

Of course, there are other significant questions here: what about pricing and availability? As expected, mum’s the word on that sort of thing, but Wired is confident we won’t see it in 2019. As excited as I am for the console, I’m kind of glad to hear it—I’m not sure my budget would appreciate a new must-buy (for me, at least) console this year.

Read the remaining 3 paragraphs

The PlayStation 5 Sounds Like An Absolute Beast of a Console published first on https://medium.com/@CPUCHamp

[blakcmambaa]

Djordje Novakov/Shutterstock.com

Sony’s lead architect for the upcoming PlayStation 5, Mike Cerny, recently sat down with Wired to talk about the console. And holy crap, man, it sounds unreal—lightning-fast SSD, 8K compatibility, and freakin’ ray tracing. On a console!

The current cream of Sony’s console crop, the PlayStation 4 Pro, is a pretty beastly machine on its own—especially compared to the “regular” PlayStation 4. But Sony knows it has to really bring its A-game for the new console, and the early details it shared with Wired should be enough to get any console gamer excited.

PC-Level Hardware Runs the Show

First off, it’s going to be powered by a custom version of AMD’s third-generation Ryzen chip, which has quickly become a go-to chip for many, many PC gamers thanks to its low price and relatively stellar performance. It will pair this will a custom version from Radeon’s Navi family, which means one significant detail: it will support ray tracing. That’s something no console before it—and let’s be honest here, many PCs—has been able to do.

Keeping in line with the beastly specs, Cerny talked about loading times and storage mediums. In current-generation PlayStation consoles (up to and including the PS4 Pro), loading times can take ages. This is in large part due to the storage mediums found inside the consoles—as it true with PCs, this is often the bottleneck of good performance. But with the upcoming console, it sounds like Sony is designed its own SSD.

While it didn’t spell that detail out exactly, the wording used strongly hinted at it. According to Cerny, the console will feature a hard drive that “has a raw bandwidth higher than any SSD available for PCs.” That’s pretty telling in itself.

A Custom SSD Will Make a Monstrous Change

To demonstrate its monstrous performance, he loaded up Spider-Man, a PlayStation-exclusive title, on a PS4 Pro, then initiated fast travel. It took 15 seconds. He then loaded the same game on a prototype console—which was housed in a “big silver tower with no visible componentry”—and did the same fast travel. It took 0.8 seconds. What?!

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the console, apparently. It will also feature a dramatically beefed-up audio experience with 3D audio. This should help create a more immersive audio experience for gamers, which we can all get into.

Backward Compatibility…for PS4 Games

Finally, Cerny pointed out one more interesting (and possibly concerning) feature: backward compatibility. It’s been long-rumored that the Ps5 would feature backward compatibility for older consoles—perhaps even back to the PS2—but Wired’s report only suggests that it will support PS4 games since it’s based on the existing software. While any backward compatibility is welcome, the biggest downside of the current system is that users aren’t able to play older games on it.

Of course, there are other significant questions here: what about pricing and availability? As expected, mum’s the word on that sort of thing, but Wired is confident we won’t see it in 2019. As excited as I am for the console, I’m kind of glad to hear it—I’m not sure my budget would appreciate a new must-buy (for me, at least) console this year.

Read the remaining 3 paragraphs

via How-To Geek

#IFTTT #How-To Geek

[techbotic]

The PlayStation 5 Sounds Like An Absolute Beast of a Console

Djordje Novakov/Shutterstock.com

Sony’s lead architect for the upcoming PlayStation 5, Mike Cerny, recently sat down with Wired to talk about the console. And holy crap, man, it sounds unreal—lightning-fast SSD, 8K compatibility, and freakin’ ray tracing. On a console!

The current cream of Sony’s console crop, the PlayStation 4 Pro, is a pretty beastly machine on its own—especially compared to the “regular” PlayStation 4. But Sony knows it has to really bring its A-game for the new console, and the early details it shared with Wired should be enough to get any console gamer excited.

PC-Level Hardware Runs the Show

First off, it’s going to be powered by a custom version of AMD’s third-generation Ryzen chip, which has quickly become a go-to chip for many, many PC gamers thanks to its low price and relatively stellar performance. It will pair this will a custom version from Radeon’s Navi family, which means one significant detail: it will support ray tracing. That’s something no console before it—and let’s be honest here, many PCs—has been able to do.

Keeping in line with the beastly specs, Cerny talked about loading times and storage mediums. In current-generation PlayStation consoles (up to and including the PS4 Pro), loading times can take ages. This is in large part due to the storage mediums found inside the consoles—as it true with PCs, this is often the bottleneck of good performance. But with the upcoming console, it sounds like Sony is designed its own SSD.

While it didn’t spell that detail out exactly, the wording used strongly hinted at it. According to Cerny, the console will feature a hard drive that “has a raw bandwidth higher than any SSD available for PCs.” That’s pretty telling in itself.

A Custom SSD Will Make a Monstrous Change

To demonstrate its monstrous performance, he loaded up Spider-Man, a PlayStation-exclusive title, on a PS4 Pro, then initiated fast travel. It took 15 seconds. He then loaded the same game on a prototype console—which was housed in a “big silver tower with no visible componentry”—and did the same fast travel. It took 0.8 seconds. What?!

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the console, apparently. It will also feature a dramatically beefed-up audio experience with 3D audio. This should help create a more immersive audio experience for gamers, which we can all get into.

Backward Compatibility…for PS4 Games

Finally, Cerny pointed out one more interesting (and possibly concerning) feature: backward compatibility. It’s been long-rumored that the Ps5 would feature backward compatibility for older consoles—perhaps even back to the PS2—but Wired’s report only suggests that it will support PS4 games since it’s based on the existing software. While any backward compatibility is welcome, the biggest downside of the current system is that users aren’t able to play older games on it.

Of course, there are other significant questions here: what about pricing and availability? As expected, mum’s the word on that sort of thing, but Wired is confident we won’t see it in 2019. As excited as I am for the console, I’m kind of glad to hear it—I’m not sure my budget would appreciate a new must-buy (for me, at least) console this year.

Read the remaining 3 paragraphs

The PlayStation 5 Sounds Like An Absolute Beast of a Console published first on https://medium.com/@CPUCHamp

[techbotic]

The PlayStation 5 Sounds Like An Absolute Beast of a Console

Djordje Novakov/Shutterstock.com

Sony’s lead architect for the upcoming PlayStation 5, Mike Cerny, recently sat down with Wired to talk about the console. And holy crap, man, it sounds unreal—lightning-fast SSD, 8K compatibility, and freakin’ ray tracing. On a console!

The current cream of Sony’s console crop, the PlayStation 4 Pro, is a pretty beastly machine on its own—especially compared to the “regular” PlayStation 4. But Sony knows it has to really bring its A-game for the new console, and the early details it shared with Wired should be enough to get any console gamer excited.

PC-Level Hardware Runs the Show

First off, it’s going to be powered by a custom version of AMD’s third-generation Ryzen chip, which has quickly become a go-to chip for many, many PC gamers thanks to its low price and relatively stellar performance. It will pair this will a custom version from Radeon’s Navi family, which means one significant detail: it will support ray tracing. That’s something no console before it—and let’s be honest here, many PCs—has been able to do.

Keeping in line with the beastly specs, Cerny talked about loading times and storage mediums. In current-generation PlayStation consoles (up to and including the PS4 Pro), loading times can take ages. This is in large part due to the storage mediums found inside the consoles—as it true with PCs, this is often the bottleneck of good performance. But with the upcoming console, it sounds like Sony is designed its own SSD.

While it didn’t spell that detail out exactly, the wording used strongly hinted at it. According to Cerny, the console will feature a hard drive that “has a raw bandwidth higher than any SSD available for PCs.” That’s pretty telling in itself.

A Custom SSD Will Make a Monstrous Change

To demonstrate its monstrous performance, he loaded up Spider-Man, a PlayStation-exclusive title, on a PS4 Pro, then initiated fast travel. It took 15 seconds. He then loaded the same game on a prototype console—which was housed in a “big silver tower with no visible componentry”—and did the same fast travel. It took 0.8 seconds. What?!

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the console, apparently. It will also feature a dramatically beefed-up audio experience with 3D audio. This should help create a more immersive audio experience for gamers, which we can all get into.

Backward Compatibility…for PS4 Games

Finally, Cerny pointed out one more interesting (and possibly concerning) feature: backward compatibility. It’s been long-rumored that the Ps5 would feature backward compatibility for older consoles—perhaps even back to the PS2—but Wired’s report only suggests that it will support PS4 games since it’s based on the existing software. While any backward compatibility is welcome, the biggest downside of the current system is that users aren’t able to play older games on it.

Of course, there are other significant questions here: what about pricing and availability? As expected, mum’s the word on that sort of thing, but Wired is confident we won’t see it in 2019. As excited as I am for the console, I’m kind of glad to hear it—I’m not sure my budget would appreciate a new must-buy (for me, at least) console this year.

Read the remaining 3 paragraphs

The PlayStation 5 Sounds Like An Absolute Beast of a Console published first on https://medium.com/@CPUCHamp