The Biggest console RPG of 2020 is out now

Sequel to Award Winning RPG Delivers an Engaging Table Top RPG Adventure on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

Independent games publisher Versus Evil and developer Obsidian Entertainment  announced that Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire - Ultimate Edition is now available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, with a Nintendo Switch version following later in the year. Originally released for PC and Mac, Deadfire received universal critical acclaim and picked up numerous awards. 

Priced at $59.99, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire - Ultimate Edition features all the major updates and expansions available for the PC version made up of Beast of Winter ,Seeker, Slayer, Survivor and Forgotten Sanctum.

With an enormous open world to explore and comprehensive cast of characters, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire - Ultimate Edition builds on the foundation of classic tabletop gameplay more than ever before, providing players with a deeper single player RPG game experience with either Turn-Based Mode or Classic Real-Time with Pause.

Players on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can now experience and craft their very own sprawling RPG adventure and explore the infinite possibilities that await them from detailed character customization to the individual meaningful choices they make in-game. 

When asked about the challenges of bringing Pillars of Eternity II:Deadfire to console, Obsidian's Production Director Alec Frey commented...

"There are always a large number of things to consider when it comes to moving a game to consoles that was originally developed for PC. The two biggest things that present difficulties for Deadfire are performance and controls. The consoles have significantly less processing power than most computers these days, so we must pay attention to the optimization of features that use that power such as AI. This can be a challenge to do without creating new bugs and issues in the game. When it comes to controlling the game there are a ton of changes that need to be made from navigating menus to moving the character around the map. Luckily, with Deadfire we had solved many of these moving the first Pillars of Eternity to console, however there are some new improvements to that we’re excited about."

The game gained huge critical success on PC when it launched in May 2018 with PC Gamer calling it "A massive, bountiful RPG with richly descriptive writing, a well-realised setting, and deep tactical combat.

In Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire players will embark on a dangerous voyage of discovery to become master of the seas as they command their ship across the new open world region of the Deadfire. Pillars II builds on the foundation of classic RPG gameplay with vastly improved graphics, deeper game mechanics and a whole new handcrafted adventure where choices truly matter. Players can immerse themselves in exploration and discovery as they navigate the rich and exotic Deadfire archipelago by ship, discovering new races, visiting tropical islands, interacting with their inhabitants and engaging encounters at every port. 

The biggest selling point for it on console has to be that the Ultimate Edition launches with the Beast of Winter ,Seeker, Slayer, Survivor and Forgotten Sanctum DLC packs that all supported the PC version making it perhaps one of the most comprehensive and complete RPG's to grace console in 2020.

The game will be launching on Nintendo Switch later in the year.

Be sure to check out the trailer here

 

 

Feeding The Beast - Googles Stadia and the Netflix Model

Now that Google has made its intentions to become a major player within the gaming space with the launch of Stadia, its cloud based gaming platform complete with full streaming functionality, 4k at 60fps (disputed)  and other bold claims of any device from phone to TV how does it stack up?

How Can Stadia Succeed?

First off major I.P owners haven't rushed in to fill the catalogue straight away, rather they'll wait and see what the fuss is all about and then decide if their I.P fits the business model and how they can benefit from it or figure out if they have the technical attachment to make their brands work on the platform.

Google could, if it wanted, spend stupid amounts money in creating killer platform I.P it can use to show off Stadia, and buy studios but doesn't have to if larger I.P creates bespoke player experiences that differ from traditional console. In a similar way that Microsoft and Sony buys studios for own brand talent and I.P creation (Obsidian), Stadia will need to at least consider the same tactic. Jade Raymond and Phil Harrison both have the experience to help Google navigate the space where studio created I.P can flourish but it'll need to establish it's very own potent  brand I.P to bring in the masses by the millions. Much like Netflix has promoted its own brand through its original own I.P content with shows like Stranger Things, The Irishman and The Umbrella Academy, Russian Doll and Mindhunter, its content exclusives which can really help drive adoption.
Phil Harrison tends to jump ship pretty quickly so I can't really see him dedicating a long term commitment to Stadia, but I've been wrong before.

Amazon is another example and promotes its own powerhouse brand I.P with shows like The Grand Tour, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan etc, both services rely on a vast catalogue for consumers to browse and enjoy but in order to survive these streaming services know that its their own in-house original content that retains audiences and builds brand recognition and its an ongoing never ending battle as more services compete for our attention as consumers.
Stadia is an exciting proposal in gaming but its actual execution hasn't exactly gone to plan.

Stadias Catlogue - Buffet dining and discoverability

Stadia will suffer the same inevitable issues that the Apple Store, Google Play, Netflix and Steam all suffer, and that's  discoverability for individual titles, how smaller game developers utilizing Stadia can survive through a subscription based model. Truth be told there hasn't been a rush of developers getting content on Stadia which may mean there's a mix of premium and free to play content which may help the platform succeed but its got a long way to go yet.

What Stadia shouldn't be is an excuse to just fill it with ports of familiar franchises but rather explore new innovation with familiar I.P to create new player experiences.How this all affects larger brands and I.P that rely on higher priced retail models to pay for development, games like Assassins Creed and Grand Theft Auto spend vast sums of money on the development cycle which is recouped (hopefully) at launch is something that probably points to monetized DLC and added bolt on experiences. You pay your flat subscription fee to Stadia which gives you access to a decent sized chunk of say, the next Assassins Creed game but to fully explore the larger aspects of the game it'll charge you a fee to buy / access the larger experience which is designed to bring the revenue back to the developer.

The mere fact that Stadia can take a large triple A title like Assassins Creed Odyssey and stream it to a Chrome browser in 1080p on a simple laptop with no real loss of quality speaks for itself(done during test via Project Stream but reality has shown differing results). The aim for Stadia is to allow users to jump in and be playing a game within 5 seconds with no download, no patches, no delay, no update and no install, its a pretty big aim - but one where tech is inextricably being puled towards - in the age of technology we want faster connectivity, less downtime, we expect immediacy with technology and its no different where games are concerned and for Stadia its about reducing the friction of being excited about a game and actually playing it.Being able to play any game regardless of device across mobile, tablet, PC and TV with no need for a console and only a chromecast streamer via HDMi is insane tech but if its initial reviews are to be taken into account Stadia has a long way to go to fulfill that dream.

This technological leap, as much as it sounds quite bold is where console first party owners now need to take stock, updates are the absolute bane of any consoles owners life ( Call of Duty Modern Warfare PS4 update anyone?) so immediacy itself is a true console killer feature if ever there was one, and while Stadia hasn't immediately set the world on fire with its physical launch (as rough around the edges as it was) it's still a concept where the future of gaming is headed.

Boundary - Astronauts at War

Boundary - Tactical FPS Combat With Armed Astronauts

If you've ever played the Call of Duty series of games you may recall one particular mission in Call of Duty: Ghosts way back in 2013 that featured an armed hijack by 'Federation de las Americas' Astronauts who wanted to use ODIN, the Orbital Defense Initiative to bring destruction to several US cities, in the sequence astronauts Baker and Mosely sacrifice themselves to destroy ODIN and save Earth from more destruction.

Boundary, a brand new addition to the tactical FPS has just been announced for PS4 as an arcade tactical multiplayer FPS set in space with armed astronauts and is being developed by Chinese indie developer Surgical Scalpels. The game already boasts some stunning visuals and artwork that set the mood of the game and trailer is also very well done.

In one of the first reveal trailers the released we see  an astronaut navigating the outside of an orbiting space station facility utilizing a specially converted automatic machine pistol to shoot through solar panels at an enemy astronaut, the muffled sound and astronaut breathing effects really immerse the viewer. The premise of the game feels like its expanded an entire game inspired by COD Ghosts which featured some combat inside the space station but Surgical Scalpels looks to have expanded on the whole concept and added some great ideas into the mix.

Lighting and realism already look extremely good in the game and weaponry is inspired by real modern day military assault weapons. Astronauts utilize  large backpacks called EVA's to propel themselves in the zero gravity of space.

The visuals are sharp, light blooms and lens flares show the variables of light and deep shadows and reflected light provide some great contrast and mid tones to provide a great sense of depth. Visually its an extremely impressive looking game so far. Map size, from the videos I have seen combat is between very small groups of players,so it has a light MOBA design feel to it.

Fast kills are good for eSports from games by larger publishers  but a balance between fast kill maps and larger slower more tactical gun play are essential to retain players in Western markets - games that provide less than a 10-20 second in-games life expectancy before having to re-spawn back into a game tend to frustrate. It would be great to see this expand to an 8 vs 8 or 12 vs 12 setup.

The visual ideas behind Project Boundary for armed astronauts has been beautifully presented by Surgical Scalpels art and design team and are without question some of the best in video-games to date.

While the game might have taken inspiration from Call of Duty:Ghosts which is almost 6 years old - and to a vision that brings the Roger Moore 'Moonraker' space battle sequence to something more tactically deadly and realistic I'm actually surprised no other developer or publisher has jumped on this concept but its clear to see that Surgical Scalpels have a game with a lot of potential here for sure.

key to longevity and retaining players will be content, players love content that adds to the player experience, customization is key but enough content to start out with is important.  Demand for fresh content, perhaps as a well priced DLC that provides new maps, new weapons and suit upgrades and perhaps things like Special Forces space suits, would be awesome but its one for sci-fi fans to keep an eye on for sure.

The Warhammer 40K fan movie Everyone should watch

Astartes is the work of a contract 3D animator who has created the Warhammer 40K movie in his spare time -  the ultra short sequences take painstaking hours and months to put together but you can't fault the guys passion for this amazing project.
The ultimate goal is to have a 5 part series completed which tells the story of a ship to ship boarding and assault by Colonial Space Marines

The series is totally funded by Patreon and relies on zero influence or interaction with Games Workshop who I'm sure secretly admire the work, not to mention the deep found respect the animated sequences have for the Warhammer 40K franchise.

Check out the Channel here

Vader Versus Kenobi Re-imagined

if Star Wars has taught us anything, it's that it's unwise to mess around with the old ways and you always stay true to your fan base.

Taking on something milllions of people love and hold dear with a flippant "I can update this with something better' is usually a good way of destroying any semblance of credibility you might of have before people laugh you out of town.

However, when someone comes along and honors the traditions laid down before it, understands the nuances of what made it all so appealing and thoroughly understands the narrative then, and only then can you breath a sigh of relief.

Enter Star Wars SC 38 (the SC stands for 'scene') the pinnacle moment when Darth Vader and Obi Wan Kenobi clash sabres in Episode IV, Star Wars A New Hope on the Death Star.

This re-imagined masterpiece of VFX and live action stunt work is creating a ton of buzz online and rightly so, it takes the original concept of Vader and Kenobis showdown up to another level entirely. Face tracking, sound, Video effects and camera angles are all brought together to amazing effect to deliver the fight that should have been.

Why is is so good? - First off it understands the relationship between Vader and Kenobi, after Anakin's humiliating and excruciatingly painful defeat by Kenobi on Mustafar, Anakin becomes Vader. His only way to survive the crippling injuries and pain is to be forever entombed in a suit that delivers constant life support, his missing limbs replaced by advanced mechanical prosthetics. The pent up rage and anger that Vader has for Kenobi is interpreted beautifully and honors the fighting styles of Shien and Djem So or 'form V' as Star Wars purists would know it as, a combination of double handed gripped sabre combat with powerful attack and defensive parry's.

many would argue that Vader has always fought two handed, true, in the origianl trilogy he did, but Rogue One also hinted at a single handed style that combined force attacks with his left hand as it does in this latest SC 38 re-imagined clip. Since Anakins twizzle twirling showboating and brash open form of combat is clearly evident in the prequels it would be safe to assume that the raw angr that Vader exudes in this clip would see him revert back to an aggressive fighting style that brings a combination of single and double handed sabre moves to bear. 

The clip was created by FXitinPost. be sure to check out ihis YouTube channel dedicated to creating unique story-driven visual effects and action short films. Check out www.fxitinpost.com for more information.