To be clear, I'd still wholly recommend this version of 3D World even without Bowser's Fury. The tweaks are small overall, and Bowser's Fury isn't going to sate the most hardcore of Mario fans looking for a brand new game, but the package as a whole is magical. If you were one of the many who missed out on this Wii U classic, fix that.
You can play a lot of 3D Mario games on your Switch. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is just as good as any of them. It contains makes the Wii U game feel better than you remember, and the bonus campaign makes the package one of the best ports Nintendo has brought to the Switch.
Despite multiplayer now being online, it still feels superfluous, but otherwise Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury might just be one of those fabled "perfect" games.
Super Mario 3D World remains one of the better linear Mario games, and anyone playing it for the first time is in for an absolute treat. Add to that the curious bonus adventure that is Bowser's Fury and you've got a package that provides great value for money. It isn't without its flaws, but most of these (online multiplayer, repetitive missions in Bowser's Fury) relate to the new additions; the main game itself remains as pure and perfect as it was seven years ago. Had it just been Super Mario 3D World on its own, we'd be thoroughly recommending it anyway; Bowser's Fury is just the cherry on top.
Bowser’s Fury is a short experience – it’ll take a competent player a couple of hours to see all it has to offer, and a few hours more to drive it all the way to 100% completion – but it’s completely worthwhile. It has some great surprises, which is why I talk about it in such generalized terms. Bowser’s Fury would’ve made a great download-only, budget-price stand-alone – so as a bonus included with an already excellent game, its value can’t really be overstated.
This is one of the best platforms in history, and its expansion is by no means a minor content, since at some times it shines with more personality than the original title. In short, an indispensable pack has played the video game on Wii U or not, and one of the most essential works of your Nintendo Switch.
Although Super Mario 3D World is only an implementation for Nintendo Switch, it has not lost any of its charm and ingenuity. The loving optimization for the benefit of the gaming experience, as well as the bonus adventure Bowser's Fury, are convincing across the board and promise fun for up to four players. Even some questionable level designs can hardly tarnish the overall picture.
Super Mario Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is a package that offers two different ways to experience one of the best 3D Mario adventure, making it ideal for the franchise’s 35th anniversary celebration. There is no doubt that the game is a two-way diversion, able to preserve elements of the past and paint majestic novelties around it, as Bowser Jr. does with his paintbrush in the new and fascinating Bowser’s Fury.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is an explosive pack. 3D World returns with an improved pace, while retaining the stellar gameplay that characterized it when it first launched, and of course being still as hilarious as it was back then. Bowser's Fury takes the lesson a step further, creating a small and dense open world that will put you to the test with a sense of urgency unlike any other Super Mario game. The result, needless to say, is pure, unadulterated joy.
This package combines tried-and-true gameplay and level design with unique concepts (plus an all-new game) to earn its place among the elite games in the franchise
It´s not one, but two great platformers for Nintendo Switch. One of the greatest Wii U games (with improvement such as online multiplayer and photo mode) and a new Mario 3D game, not as big and ambitious as previous games, but equally fun and full of surprises.
Super Mario 3D World is an excellent game so if you still haven't played it or simply want it on Switch, this will make a wonderful addition to your gaming library. Oh, and you also get a fantastic bonus game with Bowser's Fury so how could you go wrong?
Super Mario 3D World shows why Mario is an ageless franchise, with the seven-year-old game providing fresh fun and a delightful experience. Bowser's Fury is the exact opposite, showing just how exciting and experimental the series can be.
Super Mario 3D is a great game to play solo or with friends and shows off some of Nintendo's best level design yet, while Bowser's Fury is an inventive take on the Mario formula that's more generous with its content than it ought to be. Both games make for a fantastic bundle and should be checked out by fans and non-fans alike.
Overall, this is a fantastic collection of Super Mario games. From the focused and demanding Super Mario 3D World to the more experimental, though still very well executed, open world take for Bowser’s Fury. Both games have a lot to offer and will keep you very busy unlocking their innermost secrets.
Bowser's Fury is much more than just a bonus . Despite it is relatively short, it still feels like a fully fleshed Mario jump and run. Packed with the great main game including the long missed online co-op mode Super Mario 3D World + Bowers's Fury is a must have for every Switch user.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury for Nintendo Switch effectively handles two important tasks: introducing new players to the classic game that came from the Wii U, as well as pleasing hungry fans with new great content. Definitely a must-play for all Super Mario fans!
Thans to its many clever tweaks, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury give the player many reasons to enjoy a great 3D platformer, now a little bit faster, and with friends around the globe online. Let's not forget Bowser's Fury, a tiny open world adventure which rightfully mixes gameplays from the Wii U and Switch episodes, and delivers a strong experience with a twist.
Quirky, creative, and constant good fun, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury blends Mario gameplay old and new with great success, creating a title that feels worthy of his 35th birthday celebrations.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury offers much more than your regular Switch port with a brand new adventure that packs between 5 and 8 hours of great new original content. I loved my time spent in this new open world of Bowser's Fury and going through 3D World a second time sure was a blast. Hopefully, this new package gives the game the second life that it truly deserves.
Simple and immediate, beautiful to see and fun even in multiplayer, Super Mario 3D World is the "what if" of the history of Super Mario. But with obvious limitations compared to Super Mario Odyssey and the other chapters in 3D. Bowser's Fury tries to beat new paths, without avoiding a few slips.
One of the best modern Super Mario titles is made that little bit better and accompanied by a brand-new game that bends the formula in new and exciting ways.
If you've never played 3D World before or haven't touched it since the Wii U days, this is well worth the price of admission. Prospects get a little tougher if you're not interested in going through 3D World, because while Bowser's Fury is amazing, it's still approximately less than 10 hours of gameplay even if you do everything. But no matter what: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury might be one of the strongest Mario games available on Switch. The base game is fun and varied, while Bowser's Fury offers a distinctive, inventive, and superb open-world 3D Mario experience.
Super Mario 3D World is an incredible and underplayed Wii U adventure that's now available on Switch. But Bowser’s Fury steals the show with its exciting and fresh take on a 3D Mario game.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is a fantastic package that showcases what makes Nintendo games so special. Super Mario 3D World is just as good as when it released, and Bower's Fury is a surprisingly good standalone adventure that paves the way for the future of Mario.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is a delightful double act. Super Mario 3D World holds up well, and offers a unique multiplayer experience that works particularly well on Switch. Its opening worlds are designed to cater for that varied audience, while the second half injects some much needed difficulty and is best played solo. Bowser’s Fury is experimental in nature, and offers something completely different with a fully open world housing plenty of Shines to collect at a rapid pace. While neither quite reaches the dizzying heights of Super Mario Galaxy or Odyssey, it is a double dose of Mario doing things differently, and a fitting finale to Super Mario’s 35th anniversary.
Near-perfect platforming, gorgeous visuals and a joy-filled soundtrack make Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury one of the best Mario titles of all time, and an essential purchase for all Switch owners.
Ultimately, Super Mario 3D World, in this package, is the best that game has ever been, with the increased speed and ease of multiplayer access making it far more enticing than ever before. Bowser’s Fury, meanwhile, is essentially the Super Mario Odyssey DLC that never was. It feels like Odyssey’s level and game design sensibilities, but placed in the Super Mario 3D World game engine, with all of the power-ups and quirks that game has to make something truly unique. Putting both of these games in one package is the best decision that Nintendo has made in a long while, as Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is one of the best Mario offerings available on Nintendo Switch, which is lofty praise given the existence of Super Mario Maker 2. Now it just needs the option to play again, but as Luigi.
I can't really recommend Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury enough. Whether you've played the original game before or not, the addition of online multiplayer is a big win, while Bowser's Fury is a testament to just how pure a Mario game can be while still feeling fresh and exciting. Put simply; this is an essential game for Mario fans.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is both a welcome return for a platforming classic and a novel expansion of what made the game so special back on the Wii U. There's a solid chance that millions of players missed out on its excellence back in 2013, so now is the perfect time to take it for a spin.
The real star of the show, however, was Bowser’s Fury, which innovates on the foundations laid by previous 3D titles, to provide some of the most enjoyable, open-world platforming I’ve had the pleasure of playing. This is a must-buy for Switch owners and Mario fans alike and is sure to tide you over the next couple of months.
As the title itself indicates, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury proves to be more than just the re-proposal in Nintendo Switch sauce of an exclusive Wii U not particularly lucky: the idea of inserting for once a completely new extra is very appreciable, and you find the ideas inside Bowser's Fury are not lacking at all. While the difference in tone and gameplay between the two games is quite right, the overall superiority of Super Mario 3D World over the new adventure is also evident, which ends up being an appendix or little more. The effect is that of a very solid pairing, which once again celebrates the undisputed supremacy of the Great N in the platforming field.
Super Mario 3D World has aged quite well. It is still a very enjoyable adventure, updated in its rhythm and different enough from Super Mario Odyssey for those who came to Switch without going through Wii U to discover it. The big surprise is Bowser's Fury, which transcends the concept of simple DLC and adds mechanics and novelties of epic dimensions.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is an excellent case for why Nintendo should be porting more Wii U games to the Switch. With its improved presentation and the convenience of the Switch, this is definitely the optimal way to play Super Mario 3D World, even without much in the way of new features. Bowser’s Fury is also an excellent open-world Mario mini-adventure, which is probably worth the price of admission on its own. Admittedly, the multiplayer features some camera issues, particularly in Bowser’s Fury. However, that should not stop Mario fans of all ages from checking out Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, especially if they missed out on this much loved platformer the first time around.
Super Mario 3D World may not have had much added to it aside from an online function that is limited to only saving progress for the host, but it didn't necessarily need much else. Nintendo successfully found a way to evolve the 2D classics without going open world, and the result is one of the most consistently fresh and enjoyable games around, which, despite lacking the challenge of the NES games, has something for just about everyone. The bonus Bowser's Fury solo adventure is an absolute delight with a brilliant core idea that adds a crazy tension to Mario platforming, but it is hard to present a case for purchasing this pack just to play it. Whilst full of great content, it is too short-lived to feel worth the asking price, and really needs a standalone purchase option. When taking both games into account for those that have not played the original Wii U title, though, this is a cracking bundle of Mario goodness that encapsulates what everyone knows and still loves about the moustachioed hero after an enduring thirty-five years.
Bowser's Fury offers some great new ideas and is much more than a simple DLC. It's a great Mario game in its own right, with enough to entice those who played 3D World before with a wholly new and compelling experience, as well as offering one of the most epic showdowns in Nintendo history. Bowser's Fury is a great take on 3D Mario and finally makes Bowser the menacing villain he deserves to be. The game's only flaw is that it left me wishing there was more of it.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is the Wii U port that Switch owners have been waiting for. Besides the inclusion of online multiplayer, 3D World is the same good game that players already experienced on the Wii U, and fans of the series who missed it the first time around will enjoy its hybridization of 2D and 3D Mario gameplay. But the highlight of the package is Bowser's Fury, a scaled-down but surprisingly robust mini 3D Mario game that actually takes some chances.
Glyph brings together the simplest form of platforms and puzzles in one package. It is an entertaining experience that shines for its simplicity. Although it falls short in scope, it fulfills the most important thing: is fun to play.
Even with the Bowser’s Fury miss, the content is worth it. If you want one of the best and most versatile multiplayer experiences to date for the Nintendo Switch, online or offline, go with Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury.
I don’t think Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury annoys me as much as it did on the Wii U, since the Switch already has the best Mario ever made on it; and I do think there is fun to be had with these games, even though I find them to be fairly frustrating. I would still recommend them if you enjoyed the originals, or maybe wanted to play them with younger gamers. Even though I might not go back to it very often, I don’t regret the time spent with it.
Bowser’s Fury works just fine as an added bonus packaged with an under-appreciated platforming gem from the Wii U era. If you’ve never played 3D World before, this is a great chance to catch up on a fresh take on 3D Mario design. If you’re mainly interested in Bowser’s Fury, though, maybe wait until the strong ideas get expanded into a full, standalone game.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury might include the same game that was on the Wii U but it's also a title that needs to be experienced by everyone who owns a Nintendo Switch.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is essentially the same game on Switch that some of you may have experienced on Wii U. While there’s no denying that the new hardware can’t keep up with the game’s ambitions at times, this bundle is at its core another fantastic Mario experience.
https://www.ioi.dk/hitman-3-pre-launch-guide/ --- Welcome to the HITMAN 3 Pre-launch guide. This blog post will be our place to share in-depth details about HITMAN 3, including how to carryover your progression, our new Access Pass system, what to expect on launch day and more. We are excited to see all of our players embark on Agent 47’s next journey and experience the dramatic conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy. Before you start reading, this is how the game begins.
Release Details
HITMAN 3 will be available on 20 January 2021 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Stadia, Nintendo Switch and PC. We’re happy to confirm that the Nintendo Switch version of HITMAN 3 will also launch on 20 January. The Switch version of HITMAN 3 is playable via cloud streaming technology. A stable and permanent internet connection is required to play. Release Time HITMAN 3 will release simultaneously on all platforms at 13:00 UTC on 20 January 2021. To see the exact release time in your timezone, follow this link. This release time will ensure that the IOI teams in Copenhagen and Malmö are best-placed to ensure a smooth launch. At that time, digital copies will be available to play and the games servers will be online. 📷 Pre-load It will be possible to pre-load HITMAN 3 on PlayStation and Xbox platforms. Make sure that you’ve configured your console to do that and the downloads will begin when they have been prepared and certified. On PC, there won’t be a pre-load option for HITMAN 3 and downloads will begin at the above release time. (For PS4 and PS5 owners in Asia, please note that HITMAN 3 will not be available for pre-order or pre-load. This is due to recent changes in the age ratings systems in those regions. HITMAN 3 will be available for purchase at the above time.) Day One Patch HITMAN 3 will require a day one patch for all disc users. The day one patch will be automatically applied to digital players. This patch will include access to the VR mode for PlayStation users and will include the remaining locations that are not included on the disc. Game Size HITMAN 3 will take up approximately 60-70 GB of storage space on all platforms, with the obvious exceptions of Stadia and Switch. The data that you download will also include all the content required to access HITMAN 1 and HITMAN 2 – but you are still required to own/purchase access to those games. To underline that; purchasing HITMAN 3 does not grant access to the previous two games by default. Using this method allows us to reduce the file size for all players to 60-70 GB and has the benefit of making the process of redeeming or purchase access to HITMAN 1 and HITMAN 2 as simple as possible. (We talk about that more later). Also, we want to clarify that reducing the file size doesn’t mean that we’ve made any compromises on the visual/audio quality of the game. If you’re curious about the technical aspects that made this possible, we recently talked to PC Gamer about it.
HITMAN 3 - Editions
There are two editions of HITMAN 3; The Standard Edition and the Deluxe Edition. – The Standard Edition includes the HITMAN 3 base game. Nice and simple. – The Deluxe Edition includes the HITMAN 3 base game and the Deluxe Pack. Again, nice and simple. The only difference between the two editions is the Deluxe Pack, which includes 6 Deluxe Escalations, in-game suits, items and weapons, a digital soundtrack for each game in the World of Assassination trilogy, an introduction to each HITMAN 3 campaign mission by the Game Director and a digital artbook that highlights the characters, targets and missions included in the trilogy. A free IOI Account is required to download the digital soundtracks and World of HITMAN Art Book. Here’s a visual look at everything that’s packed into the HITMAN 3 Deluxe Edition: 📷 Next-gen Upgrade Console players who pre-order or purchase a physical or digital copy of HITMAN 3 (either Standard or Deluxe) on the current generation of consoles (PS4/Xbox One), will receive a free upgrade to the next-gen version of the game for no additional cost. Note that you won’t be able to receive the next-gen upgrade if you purchase HITMAN 3 on disc and you own a disc-free next gen console. When making a digital purchase, you will automatically be entitled to download the next-gen version when you access the game on that console. When making a physical disc purchase, you’ll need to insert the current gen disc into your next gen console and you’ll be able to download the next-gen version for no additional cost. Simply keep the disc in your machine whenever you want to play and you’ll be good to go. Pre-order Bonus The HITMAN 3 pre-order bonus celebrates all three games in the World of Assassination trilogy. Introducing the Trinity Pack. You’ll get it just by pre-ordering the game, no matter what platform or edition. The Trinity Pack includes a total of 9 items, with 3 distinct sets that represent a different game from the trilogy. Each set includes a suit, briefcase and weapon. From the White of HITMAN 1, the Red of HITMAN 2 or the Black of HITMAN 3, you’ll have all 9 items in your inventory to mix and match as you like. The classic Hitman insignia is etched onto the items in gold to add an elegant flourish. Note: The Trinity Pack will not be included with either the Standard Edition or Deluxe Edition after January 20. 📷 At selected retailers, pre-ordering a physical edition of HITMAN 3 will also include an exclusive physical passport. This unique item is filled with details and references from Agent 47’s career and commemorates 20 years of Hitman. See the list of retailers in our previous pre-order blog post.
Progression Carryover
All current HITMAN 2 players will be able to carryover their hard-earned progression into HITMAN 3. After completing the carryover process, HITMAN 2 players will be able to start HITMAN 3 with their existing player profile, XP rank, location mastery levels, location mastery unlocks, challenge progress, challenge unlocks and Elusive Target suits/unlocks. All of those things are what we call ‘progression’. It’s not possible to pick and choose elements to carryover. It’s all or nothing. The carryover process requires an IOI Account and can only be done through a web browser, it’s not possible to do it in-game. We will have the website ready to go before launch, but it is not live yet. Once it is ready, we will share the news via ioi.dk and update this post. 📷 Here’s more about how it will work: – Progression can only be carried over from HITMAN 2, including progression you have from the Legacy Pack (HITMAN 1 locations within HITMAN 2). – Progression can only be carried over from within the same platform. There are only three options: HITMAN 2 (PlayStation) → HITMAN 3 (PlayStation) HITMAN 2 (Xbox) → HITMAN 3 (Xbox) HITMAN 2 (PC/Steam) → HITMAN 3 (PC/Epic) Note: “PlayStation” = PS4, PS4 Pro and PS5. “Xbox” = Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X. Essentially, it doesn’t matter what specific console you have earned progression on. It only matters that progression can only move forward and within the same console ‘family’. – Progression carryover is a one-time process, meaning once you have performed a carryover for a particular platform, you will not be able to do so again at a later time. – If you have played HITMAN 2 on multiple platforms, you CAN perform a carryover for EACH of those profiles, but only within the same platform, as listed above. For example, if you play H2 on Xbox and PlayStation, you can carryover your H2 Xbox progression into H3 Xbox and independently carryover your H2 PlayStation progress into H3 PlayStation. – When you complete the carryover process, your existing HITMAN 2 progress will remain as it is (i.e it will not be removed/deleted). However, your progression in H2 and H3 will NOT be synchronised. – If you have already started playing HITMAN 3 and THEN choose to perform the progression carryover process, you will lose all progression earned within HITMAN 3 up to that point. We recommend you carryover progress before starting HITMAN 3. 📷 What exactly will be carried over? When you start the process, you will need to select an account that you have linked to your IOI Account. You will then be able to review the HITMAN 2 progress earned on that account and confirm that you want to perform the carryover process into HITMAN 3. The following progression will be included in the carryover process: player profile, XP rank, location mastery levels, location mastery unlocks, challenge progress, challenge unlocks and Elusive Target suits/unlocks. Savegame files are not carried over. Note that there are a small amount of items/unlocks that are not carried over through this process, such as the rewards unlocked through the HITMAN 1 GOTY Escalations, becuase they are linked to a purchase. Those items will be available in HITMAN 3 when you redeem access to the associated content. In addition, the ICA Electrocution Phone has been retired and will not be available in HITMAN 3. HITMAN 3 on Stadia On Stadia, all progression that players have earned in Hitman: World of Assassination (from both H1 and H2) will automatically ‘carryover’ to HITMAN 3. For additional clarity, Stadia and PC are two different platforms and progress cannot be shared or carried over between them. HITMAN 3 on Nintendo Switch Progression carryover is not possible on Nintendo Switch because HITMAN 2 is not available on that platform as a standalone game.
Access Pass FAQ
HITMAN 3 allows players to access locations from the previous games in the trilogy (H1 and H2) and play them all under one roof. Essentially, we have setup H1 and H2 as DLC for HITMAN 3. You can buy or redeem/download an Access Pass and get access to its content within H3. For example, if you buy the HITMAN 2 Standard Access Pass DLC for HITMAN 3, you’ll get access to the locations and missions included in the HITMAN 2 Standard Edition within HITMAN 3. 📷 In addition to the option of purchasing an Access Pass, it is also possible to redeem/download an Access Pass for no additional cost, if you have already purchased that content from the same store that you have pre-ordered or purchased HITMAN 3. To make this happen, we detect what you already have installed for HITMAN 2 and can make the corresponding Access Pass available for no additional cost on the same store. Note: If you only own HITMAN 1, you will need to import that content into HITMAN 2 first, via the instructions in our Legacy Pack FAQ. This process will work between console generations. For example, if you own HITMAN 2 on PS4, you’ll be able to download the HITMAN 2 Access Pass DLC in HITMAN 3 for both PS4 and PS5. The same applies for the Xbox family of consoles as well. We know that’s a lot of information, but once you’ve seen all of the Access Pass options, and there are five in total, it will make more sense. 📷 HITMAN 1 GOTY Access PassIncludes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 1 GOTY Edition: ICA Facility, Paris, Sapienza, Marrakesh, Bangkok, Colorado, Hokkaido, 3x GOTY Escalations and rewards and 4x Patient Zero campaign missions How to get it– Consoles: If you have previously downloaded the HITMAN 1 Legacy Pack, HITMAN 1 GOTY Legacy Pack or HITMAN 1 GOTY Upgrade for HITMAN 2, you will be able to download it for no additional cost. (Yes, that’s a free upgrade to the GOTY Edition if you only own the Standard Edition of H1!). The price for this Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store. – Disc: If you own a version of H1 on disc, you must follow the process in the Legacy Pack FAQ to access that content in HITMAN 2 – and then redeem this Access Pass. – PC (Epic): If you pre-purchase or purchase HITMAN 3 on EGS within the first 10 days of launch, you will be granted the HITMAN 1 GOTY Access Pass for no additional charge. In addition, if you own or redeemed a free copy of HITMAN – The Complete First Season on EGS when it was available for free, you will be able to download this Access Pass at any time after purchasing HITMAN 3. 📷 HITMAN 2 Standard Access PassIncludes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 2 Standard Edition: Hawke’s Bay, Miami, Santa Fortuna, Mumbai, Whittleton Creek, Isle of Sgail, plus 1x Sniper Assassin map: Himmelstein How to get it– Consoles: If you own a digital copy of HITMAN 2 Standard Edition or HITMAN 2 SilveGold, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost. The price for this Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store. – Disc: [See below] – PC (Epic): As HITMAN 2 is not available on EGS, we have set up an 80% discount for this Access Pass for the first 14 days after HITMAN 3’s launch. HITMAN 2 Standard Access Pass [DISC]Includes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 2 Standard Edition: Hawke’s Bay, Miami, Santa Fortuna, Mumbai, Whittleton Creek, Isle of Sgail, plus 1x Sniper Assassin map: Himmelstein How to get it– Consoles: If you own a physical disc copy of HITMAN 2 Standard Edition, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost through the HITMAN 2 in-game store. (You will see the full listing price if you look for the Access Pass in the PS/Xbox store as a disc owner.) On Xbox, you also need to own a digital copy of either HITMAN 3 or the HITMAN 2 Free Starter Pack before navigating to the in-game store. 📷 HITMAN 2 Gold Access PassIncludes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 2 Gold Edition: Hawke’s Bay, Miami, Santa Fortuna, Mumbai, Whittleton Creek, Isle of Sgail, New York, Haven Island, plus 3x Sniper Assassin maps: Himmelstein, Hantu Port, Siberia and 4x Special Assignments. How to get it– Consoles: If you own a digital copy of HITMAN 2 Gold Edition, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost. The price for this Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store. – Disc: If you bought HITMAN 2 Gold Edition on Disc, it will have included a download code for the HITMAN 2 Expansion Pass; you need to use that to get access to the content from the Gold Edition. See below. – PC (Epic): As HITMAN 2 is not available on EGS, we have set up an 80% discount for this Access Pass for the first 14 days after HITMAN 3’s launch. It will also grant access to the HITMAN 2 Expansion Access Pass. 📷 HITMAN 2 Expansion Access PassIncludes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 2 Expansion Pass: New York, Haven Island, plus 3x Sniper Assassin maps: Himmelstein, Hantu Port, Siberia and 4x Special Assignments. How to get it– Consoles: If you own a digital copy of HITMAN 2 Gold Edition, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost. The price for the Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store. – Disc: If you own a physical copy of HITMAN 2 Gold Edition, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost because a download code for the HITMAN 2 Expansion Pass was included in the box. If you have redeemed that code, the price for this Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store. HITMAN 3 Access Pass on PC We’ve done everything possible to make this process smooth and player-friendly. However, due to various circumstances out of our control, we want to acknowledge that the process is different to our initial plans for PC players. We also want to share some of the initiatives we’ve set-up to make sure that PC players the chance to keep enjoying the benefits of the World of Assassination.
The HITMAN 1 GOTY Access Pass will be available to claim in the first 10 days after launch for anyone who purchases (or has pre-ordered) any edition of HITMAN 3 on Epic Games Store.
Owners of HITMAN 1 on EGS (including all players who claimed it when it was available for free in August) will get a free upgrade to the HITMAN 1 GOTY Access Pass at any time after purchasing HITMAN 3.
The HITMAN 2 Standard Access Pass and HITMAN 2 Gold Access Pass will be 80% off for 14 days after the launch of HITMAN 3 on Epic Games Store and will continue to be discounted regularly.
Our hope is that these initiatives help to ensure all HITMAN 3 PC players can able to enjoy the new game with full access to HITMAN 1 and their progression carried over as a minimum. HITMAN 3 Access Pass on Stadia Due to the convenient set-up of HITMAN 1-3 on Stadia, the Access Pass system is not required. Players will continue to have access to the locations they already own through Hitman: World of Assassination, or can purchase the games that they don’t own through the Stadia Store. HITMAN 3 Access Pass on Switch HITMAN 3 is the first game in the trilogy to be available on Switch. As such, each relevant Access Pass is available for purchase through the HITMAN 3 in-game store.
HITMAN VR
At launch, HITMAN 3 will support PS VR and all locations in the World of Assassination trilogy can be experienced in a new first-person perspective. Yes, that means you can traverse the outside of the tallest building in the (Hitman) world in PS VR! If you own the previous games from the trilogy on PS4, you can also access locations from them within HITMAN 3. That’s more than 20 Hitman locations from the World of Assassination trilogy to enjoy in PS VR. 📷 You can either play HITMAN 3 in PS VR natively on your PS4 or via backward compatibility on PS5. To make sure all PS VR owners can experience the game in VR, we’re including a free digital copy of the PS4 version of HITMAN 3 with all PS5 copies, whether you choose to buy it via disc or digital. If you are playing on PS5, your progress between the PS4 (VR) and PS5 (non-VR) versions is shared between the two versions. You’ll be able to play the non-VR version of HITMAN 3 on PS5 with the next-gen improvements that we support (including Dual Sense support!) and then switch to the PS4 version for VR and all of your items and unlocks will be right there waiting for you. You will need to have both versions of the game installed on your PS5 to make that happen. 📷 Whether you play on PS4 or PS5, a DUALSHOCK®4 wireless controller is required to play HITMAN 3 in VR. Playing HITMAN 3 in VR on PS5 also requires a PlayStation Camera adaptor. For full details on the requirements for playing PS VR on your PS5, including how to order a free PlayStation Camera adaptor, see the official PlayStation PS VR site.
More to come
📷 We have got our sights firmly set on January 20 and our entire team is doing everything in our power to make the launch of HITMAN 3 as successful as possible. It’s an incredibly exciting time for us to be so close to releasing our next game, as well as deliver the dramatic conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy. Please keep the conversation going on Twitter, Discord, Reddit and in HitmanForum and be excellent to each other. The World of Assassination awaits…
Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics is such a delightful yet simple little game.
It's really a dumb little package, and I nearly skipped it because of that. I mean, it's a collection of old board/card games, it's not that big of a deal. Plus, you can get many of these games free online through a browser anyways, not to mention as free apps on your phone. But it's more than just the sum of it's parts. Sure, it's possible to get many of these for free, but the presentation here is just fantastic. All the games are just beautifully rendered, like it's right there. All the animations fit perfectly without being indulgent in any way. The little "skits" when selecting a game in single player are charming and do a great job explaining the basics (and there's more rules available if necessary). The UI is clean and intuitive and easy to use. Even loading is pretty darn minimal, as booting the game up to playing an actual board game is less than a minute. What is here is absolutely lovely. So what is here? I'm not going to list all the games, as you can get that elsewhere. But we do have 51 games, and if you spend just 20 minutes on each game, you will have played for 17 hours! Sure, some games you can play through all four difficulty settings in 20 minutes, but that's not taking into consideration replaying games as well as multiplayer! Obviously, some games are not designed to be played multiplayer on one system, usually due to requiring a player to hide some information. It's natural limitations of games, not just arbitrary Nintendo reasoning that we see elsewhere in the game, such as with three player Chinese Checkers, or not being able to customize bets in Texas Holdem. But I digress. Online play is a cinch, and I love how you can pick up to three games to try and queue for. This has turned into my primary gameplay mode, and I play primarily with strangers. Sure, there's some lag, but 90% of the time it doesn't matter because everything is turn based. My biggest complaint about online is the lack of matchmaking, especially in more complex games like chess. I dunno... maybe it's just that I keep getting my butt whooped in online chess... Despite there being 51 games in this collection, I can't help but feel this game really is lacking in a few titles. Where's something like Hearts, Spades, or Euchre? How about Rummy? I've always wanted to learn Bridge or Cribbage. Maybe for something not card based we could get that peg jumping game that you see at Cracker Barrel. Or how about some generic Battleship or Jenga? I would love to see a version of the Royal Game of Ur or Senet, the oldest known board games. There are just the ones off the top of my head, and I'd be totally find if got rid of some of the throwaway titles like War or some of the "Toy" titles. In general though, the game is ripe for some DLC. New games in particular, but I could also customizing cards/pieces/boards/backgrounds. Then again, maybe what's so nice about this package is that it doesn't worry about crap like that... Overall, Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics is a delightful package. It does exactly what it sets out to do: it gives you the chance to play some classic games in a very polished package. It reminds me a bit of Tabletop Simulator on PC, except that game almost gives you too much freedom. I get what Tabletop Simulator is trying to do (and it does it well), it can be a bit much for your average person. Clubhouse Games takes that concept and just refines it with a focus on playing the games rather than freedom. The rules are in place, the controls are intuitive, the UX in general is just more pleasant. This is an easy game to dismiss simply because it isn't flashy and it isn't sexy. But what it is is a wonderfully crafted collection of games that have stood the test of time. Sure, there are some flaws in the package, but this is quickly becoming one of my more played games on the Switch. It's not a game to play and beat and never pick up again. It's a game that stays in the rotation because the games are so timeless. It's just so easy to wind down and play a few games, especially at the end of the night and you don't want to play anything too exciting...
There may be no new content besides the previous DLC being included, but Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game - Complete Edition takes what was already a really fun beat 'em up and makes it all the more accessible to a whole new generation of gamers.
I really enjoyed playing Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition. A lot of my excitement for the game came from nostalgia, but playing it ultimately increased the appreciation I had for the original game. With most of the mechanics still the same, it wasn’t too difficult to pick up the game and get used to the controls. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game offers non-stop action with a story that new and old fans will have fun playing.
It leans hard into its comic book and video game influences but also has some clever tricks up its sleeve, which is why it's aged so well and still feels fresh to play. The game can be frustrating and chaotic at times, and difficulty can be all over the place but grab some friends and you'll fall in lesbians all over again with this brilliant, resurrected classic all over again.
However for those looking to revisit this game, people with fond memories of a cult classic, they’ll find it a joy still to play and well worth a look. It plays brilliantly, has a really tough challenge to the gameplay and still inhabits all that charm and uniqueness you remember.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game Complete Edition is a faithful port of a 10-year-old game that remains mostly unchanged, mainly because it didn't need to. Thankfully, online and drop-in play give it new life and soften the edge.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game — Complete Edition is a much-needed re-release that faithfully preserves the long lost original. The outdated beat-’em-up combat and light features may not live up to fans’ almost mythological memory, but just being able to find that out is a victory in its own right.
Both an incredibly faithful take of the Scott Pilgrim story, as well as a frustratingly inconsistent beat-em-up that is elevated by the art style and soundtrack. While it's great that fans news and old have a chance to rediscover its quirks, it's by no means a forgotten masterpiece.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: the Game is one of the best modern beat-em ups, despite a lack of much competition in the genre. It's gorgeous visuals and amazing soundtrack complement its surprising depth in combat perfectly. Scott Pilgrim is back, and hopefully here to stay.
Ubisoft proves here that the best can be improved. The new modes, the ability to play online and keep the game as it was in the original version and only adapt it to the new generation is an absolute success. And in case someone wonders if the game is enjoyable even without knowing the character, or the comic, or the movies, from now on I tell you that yes, it is a great beat'em up in every rule and that you can enjoy without prior knowledge, although of course, knowing more about the story I think it is much more appreciated. In addition, the film is excellent wherever you look at it, so you would be doing yourself a favor by watching it, but right now.
Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game - Complete Edition may not be on a par with Streets of Rage 4 and co, but playing with friend makes it a much better experience.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game – Complete Edition is an enjoyable throwback to beat 'em up games and having access to the game with all the DLC after its several year hiatus is a welcome return.
10 years after its original release, Scott Pilgrim vs The World is still a great "retro" brawler, full of pop culture references, and incredibly fun in multiplayer (local or online, coop or versus) up to 4 players.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - Complete Edition is certainly an original scrolling fighting game, thanks to the reference imagery. However, games like Battletoads and Streets of Rage 4 have proved that the genre has evolved a lot in the past ten years, while the gameplay built by Ubisoft does not always shine or work at its best.
Those of you looking for the next Castle Crashers or Streets of Rage need look no further, as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition is a great beat 'em up for your Switch. Bombastic presentation and crunchy combat gameplay make this one enjoyable from start to finish. Though it can feel like it runs a bit short and the difficulty spikes can be rather intense, we'd give this one a strong recommendation to anybody looking for a fun, short game to play in co-op. Let's just hope it sticks around for longer than four years this time.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - Complete Edition is still an incredibly polished and fun beat ‘em up that has truly stood the test of time. While it’s slightly annoying that playing with the other characters requires you to replay entire levels and that the online features and a full playable fighter are currently locked behind Ubisoft’s ridiculous server sign-in, in the end this is still a great title deserving of its re-release.
The landscape of the beat 'em up genre may have altered in the ten years since Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game first released, but it's return is wholly welcome. A wonderful compliment to the graphic novel series, and a stylish throwback to the delightfully gaudy brawlers that boomed and bloomed loudly in 90s arcades. Add friends for maximum impact.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - Complete Edition brings together everything that was lost all those years ago to dreaded licensing issues to remind us of why we missed it so much. It's a fun and quirky beat-em-up, though the lack of online in all the modes offered feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.
While its early difficulty may deter some people, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game's complexity and how it opens up makes for a highly enjoyable experience. It's felt like an eternity since we've seen this title on our Xbox systems, and having a Complete Edition with touched up visuals and all previously released content is an absolute treat. Whether you're a fan of the series or a newcomer to the genre, there's something here to enjoy, and it's a reminder of why so many fell in love with the original game all those years ago.
I’ll say it plainly. I love Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game. I loved it 10 years ago and I’ve only come to appreciate it more since. I identify with Stephen Stills as talented, but also very sleepy, so I delight in being able to play as him in a game again. Yet for all of my love, it definitely has a tedious grind that might annoy people that aren’t into River City Ransom-style beat’em-ups. That said, with or without the movie or comics it’s based off of, I’d still consider it one of the best-in-class of side-scrolling co-op brawlers
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World - Complete Edition is a side scrolling beat-em-up, similar to Streets of Rage. It has a unique soundtrack and very well done artistic and graphic work. This is a really enjoyable game to play. Although it has some bugs, in general it is a very polished game. It includes several new features compared to its 2010 version, including an online mode that still needs to be refined. Otherwise it is a game that must be played.
If you're a fan of the character or of beat 'em ups and pop culture in general that didn't have a chance to try this title, this is your second chance that must not be wasted.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - Complete Edition remains an excellent game. With the whole game and DLC bundled together, this is the definitive package for fans of the franchise and of beat 'em ups in general. There's a lot to be in lesbians with here, from the stellar soundtrack to excellent moment to moment gameplay. It's clearly an utterly unique labour of love from a talented group of people (who happen to work at Ubisoft).
Fans of classic brawlers really can't go wrong with Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game – Complete Edition. It's gorgeous, satisfying to play, and has a positively banging soundtrack from pop/rock band Anamanaguchi that stands the test of time wonderfully.
Scott Pilgrim Versus the World Complete Edition certainly aims to be a faithful collection of this decade-old RPG brawler but with a near-zero list of improvements, it's tough to call Scott Pilgrim's adventure anything more than a pre-wrapped gift to the fans.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition is still fun to play. It's a solid 2D beat em up with lots of charm and a sweet soundtrack, but there are better games in the genre since its 2010 debut.
It may be a little over 10 years old, but Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - Complete Edition remains a top-tier title for beat-'em-up fans. The changes and improvements made over the original River City Ransom formula make it a tight game that feels rich in its genre, while the presence of online play resolves the main criticism in the original title. Those who have played the game before will enjoy that it's portable on the Switch, but those coming in fresh will find this to be a gem on a system that's already flush with excellent beat-'em-ups, both past and present.
I bought a PS4 at the start of 2020 and played video games a bit too much this crazy year! Here are my rankings and brief reviews of the 32 excellent games I finished this year, as well as my thoughts on patient gaming.
Introduction:
It's basically trite at this point to say this year has been challenging, but one positive out of everything is that I've been fortunate enough to have the time and funds to play a huge number of games that I've heard so much about, yet never was able to before now. I grew up on almost exclusively Nintendo games and then branched out to indie games in college I could play on my laptop, so I was more than excited when I bought the base PS4 that came bundled with God of War, Last of Us, and Horizon Zero Dawn for $200 (and I snagged Bloodborne for $15 while I was at it). What ensued was a year of frenzied gaming-- never in any year of my life have I played games as much as I did this year. I enjoyed it, but there were also some surprising drawbacks to placing such an emphasis on gaming as a primary hobby, and I'll discuss those towards the conclusion. But man, there were some absolutely fantastic games that I played this year and I want to share my thoughts on them! Not every game I played this year was PS4, but most were. Since literally every game I played this year was a good game, I have stratified my rankings into three overarching tiers: Best, Great, and Good. I was lucky enough to not even need a Meh tier this year. Lots of games within the same tier could probably have their orders switched, but I did my best. And all but two of these games I was patient™ on, which is a fun side note. Disclaimer*:* These rankings reflect my personal opinions on the experience I had after finishing the game, rather than my thoughts on its overall quality as a product for everyone. There are a few rankings that are sure to ruffle some feathers-- I know that God of War, RDR2, Journey, Undertale, and Nier: Automata for example are great games, but they didn't resonate with me nearly as much as some others. So know that I appreciate them and those who hold these games so dear. Without further ado, let's get going!
The BEST:
1.Bloodborne (PS4): Quite simply, I'm still chasing the feeling I had after playing this game for the first time. So much so you could say, that I played it 7 times this year. Never has a game enraptured me with its shocking world, brutal combat, and the best DLC I've ever played. I want to talk about Bloodborne (and all the souls games, really) constantly, learn everything about them, and play them forever.
Last of Us Part II (PS4): One of two games I broke being patient™ on, I waited a couple months before diving in just to stop working to avoid spoilers. I enjoyed the first game but this absolutely blew me out of the water. On a gameplay level I couldn't believe how fluid and visceral the combat was, how immense the encounters were with countless approaches to every situation, and how fun it was to play. The narrative was challenging and forced me to grapple with the same emotions as the protagonist initially, then brilliantly the player and character on divergent emotional tracks as you become more shocked and uncomfortable with what happens. I encourage anyone who hasn't yet to play with an open mind and avoid trying to reduce the story to a single theme or message. It may not be your cup of tea, but it was mine.
3. Outer Wilds (PS4): This game feels like it was made just for me. I love space and rocket physics, I love discovery, and I love it when a game makes me feel clever. The level of wonder and curiosity I felt while playing can only be compared to what I experienced with Breath of the Wild. This game is difficult to talk about without spoilers, but if discovery and outer space get you excited, there is nothing like Outer Wilds.
Dark Souls III (PS4): Yeah, I like souls games. While certainly less groundbreaking than DS1 and perhaps less atmospheric than Bloodborne, DS3 is a grand experience with, in my opinion, the best bosses in all the souls games. It's also the best souls game for experimenting with different playstyles without needing to watch 6 hours of VaatiVidya to figure out how to be a pyromancer.
Control (PS4): Objectively speaking, this game might not have the same merits as the others in the "Best" category. But it sucked me in with it's completely unique visual style. It felt like a strange acid trip and I was always excited to see what was next. The powers and combat were fun even if not terribly original (and even though the gunplay wasn't too strong) but I was completely enthralled by the nonchalance of the cast amid mind blowing supernatural activity. Far from a perfect game, but give it a chance if the style seems intriguing to you!
The Great:
The Last of Us Remastered (PS4): One of my most anticipated games when I picked up a PS4, having watched my friends play some of it. Though it didn't blow me away as much in 2020 as it might have in 2013, I thought it had decent gameplay, a great story, and a stunning world. The cities and post-apocalyptic environments were a pleasure to soak in, packed with detail, and well paced. Definitely a deserved classic.
Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4): In a lot of ways, this game isn't good as an open world game. It doesn't do a great job of compelling you to explore and engage with all the cool stuff it has. The sidequests are kind of bad, many characters forgettable and oddly animated. But this game is this high on the list because it's just so much fun taking down machine dinosaurs. They nailed gameplay in a technically beautiful world, and actually surprised me with the quality of the main story line. Not groundbreaking, but solid and a joy to play.
Death Stranding (PS4): For being one of the best games I have ever played, Death Stranding kinda sucks. I absolutely adored the premise and the world Kojima crafted, and delivering packages was really enjoyable. I loved figuring out traversal and just soaking in the graphics. I'm not one that normally cares about technical graphical showcases, but this game has made me reconsider how important graphics can be to an experience. Unfortunately, the dreadful gun mechanics, broken driving, constant NPC interjections, and the game's refusal to just end already kinda bogged it down. There's a lot here though that won me over and is an experience unlike anything I've ever played.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch): The other game on this list I was not patient™ for, since I bought it for my wife... and then got sucked in. Truth is, as a non-creative type, I just loved this game as an outlet for my creativity and expression. I loved having projects like my zen garden, my Domino's Pizza restaurant, and then getting to share them with my friends. I've heard it said something along the lines of "It wasn't the best game of 2020, but it was the game for 2020".
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4): Once I adjusted my expectations of what this game was and was not, it was great. While it doesn't reward open exploration as much as BoTW and Skyrim did, it simply has the best quests of any open world game I've played. Very rich environments and stories, and I even thought the gameplay was more than serviceable. It did kind of drag on by the end though. Also, disclaimer, I haven't played the DLC (sorry).
Return of the Obra Dinn (Nintendo Switch): I had hoped it would blow me away in a way similar to Outer Wilds, and while it didn't quite reach the same heights for me it was great nonetheless. I loved the nautical setting, the critical thinking and deduction required, and the way it was balanced perfectly between leaving you totally on your own and confirming bits at a time. My only real complaint is that I felt the true ending didn't really reveal anything about the story I didn't already know, I guess I expected some grand reveal.
Doom Eternal (PS4): White-knuckle, heart pounding, insane. The game forces you to engage with every mechanic it throws at you and is brutally challenging, but all in the best way. Though the gameplay was better than DOOM 2016, I actually preferred the latter since Eternal's levels felt more like a silly mario level than a tense demon-infested place. I get what they were going for and they executed well, I just prefer the more serious tone.
Hades (Nintendo Switch): Biggest surprise of the year for me, I didn't actually expect to like it. Hades is perfectly polished and a big step forward for integrating its excellent narrative with its roguelike structure. It's very easy to play without investing too much, making it great for unwinding. It deserves all the praise it's getting.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Remastered) (PS4): All the mainline Uncharted games are on this list but I enjoyed 2 the most. The set pieces were the most memorable, and I enjoyed almost every second. These games aren't as high on the list because, no matter how you dress it up, it's a pretty simple affair ultimately in terms of gameplay but it nails the style of game that it is.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PS4): An amazing game in its own right, but was ultimately disappointing for me as a From Software fan. I found that what I appreciated most about Souls games was the tension of not knowing if you could make it to the next checkpoint, the terror of encountering something surprising and having to deal with it. Sekiro litters checkpoints left and right, which is of course great for its more boss-focused design, but left me far less immersed in the environments personally. I also wished I had more options for playing aggressively rather than just memorizing the parry patterns. In any case, these gripes are my personal preferences coming through and any hardcore gamer owes it to themselves to conquer this behemoth of a challenge.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 (PS4): Pure, unadulterated fun. I was absolutely addicted to the core gameplay and the levels, especially in the first game, were so cool to explore. For me the core loop started to get stale by the time I finished all the challenges on the levels, but for those that wanted more there is almost an endless amount of bonus challenges to tackle.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4): There's definitely a strong argument that this is the ultimate uncharted game to play-- best gunplay and options in encounters, by far the best puzzles, and the delivery of the story is leagues above the rest of the series. I simply think that Uncharted 2 had the highest highs, so 4 is a tad lower. That, and the beautiful story set up was not brought together in a satisfying way; it in no way felt like Drake had earned Elena's forgiveness, but they kind just glossed over it. Still, a must play and Naughty Dog games at their best.
Subnautica (PS4): I wanted to love it more than I did. I was hooked on exploring and discovering the mysteries of the alien underwater, but I think I do better with games with less of a survival focus. I got really far into the game, but didn't actually finish since eventually the slow drip of clues started to get a bit too slow for my tastes, and the survival and basebuilding began to get tedious. Minor PS4 technical issues aside though, This is a dang good survival game, and immense in a terrifying and wonderful way.
Monster Train (PC): Slay the Spire is one of my all-time favorites, so I was pretty excited to be gifted this. It's a blast as a deckbuilder, and I think it was smartly designed in how it throws significant and strong rewards at you at every phase of a run, whereas StS often forces you to make the best of an iffy situation. Had a great time, but I lost interest after 15 or so hours since most runs tend to feel fairly similar. Still would absolutely recommend for StS and deckbuilding fans.
Spelunky (PC): Not the hardest game I've ever played, but definitely the most unforgiving. The controls took a while to get used to but once I was engaged, the game is a tight, slick, and enthralling adventure and test of skills. Full of secrets (I've only scratched the surface) and deeply satisfying to conquer. But boy, is it unforgiving.
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Remastered) (PS4): Another strong entry in the Uncharted series, just a tad weaker than 2 I think. I will credit it though with having the most memorable environments and locales in any Uncharted though!
The Good:
Read Dead Redemption II (PS4): *Full disclosure, I'm still playing through act 5 at the time of this post.* This one is really tough for me to fully form an opinion on. On the one hand, I think this is the most stunning and immersive open world I've ever seen. Deeply authentic towns, regions, unparalleled attention to detail, and great characters and a decent story. But the way the missions force you to do things explicitly one way with terrible hand-holding just isn't fun to me, and makes Uncharted games feel like open-world sandboxes by comparison. There's a lot of quality here and I've enjoyed many elements, but have been disillusioned by others. NakeyJakey explains what I felt far better than I can (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvJPKOLDSos&t=392s). Still a good time though.
God of War (PS4): Like RDR2, an incredible technical achievement, for me hands down the best looking PS4 game, best voice acting, and for most people this should be towards the top of your must-play list. At its best, the characters are great, the combat is crunchy and satisfying, and the world beautiful. I just felt that for far too often the game was far from its best-- too many combat encounters didn't feel like I was a God of War but rather smacking a giant meat sack of health, so many secrets and puzzles that I just stopped caring about because finding treasure chests isn't fun when the rpg/loot elements feel so tacked on and pointless, endlessly recycled bosses... for me it was just pretty good, nothing like the game of the generation in my eyes. That said, most people don't seem too bothered by the things I found mediocre, so the sheer spectacle (looking at you world serpent!) and great moments make this well worth the price of admission!
Undertale (PC): I did not play this game the way it was meant to be played, let's say that up front. It was a gift, and I played about a half an hour every month for a year and just finally finished it. I loved the music, it was charming, and I see why people love this game so much. I think it just didn't hit those highs for me and I was left with a fairly silly little 8-bit game. Which was good. I'm glad I experienced what it had to offer but didn't leave a huge mark on me.
Superhot (Google Stadia): I had wanted to play this game forever but couldn't justify spending $20 on it, so I was pleased when I got a free Google Stadia kit and got to play it free! Really neat blend of stylized retro computer flavor and a fabulous central time-stop mechanic. A great 2 hour experience but tough to recommend as more than a novelty.
NieR: Automata (PS4): I have made it through 1.5 playthroughs so I know I haven't gotten the full experience, but I wasn't enjoying it enough to continue. I think every game developer though should learn from the brilliance of this game-- constantly keeping the player on its toes by not confining itself by a genre and by focusing on what's fun and cool, rather than convention. Excellent music. I get the hype, and the healthy dose of existential musings was interesting... it just didn't ultimately click for me. I can't unequivocally recommend this game to everyone, but if the premise and style stand out to you, this could be your next all-time favorite game.
Star Wars Battlefront II (PS4): Picked this up for free with PS Plus, and while there's not a lot here that's that special it was honestly super nice comfort food gaming. I just enjoyed shooting stuff in really cool Star Wars settings, a franchise I love. For what it was, I had a blast, minus the fact that I personally feel Jedi/heroes really kinda ruin the game for me. Unfortunately, it also is nothing more than a basic mass multiplayer battlefield game, so don't expect anything crazy.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Remastered) (PS4): Definitely weaker than its successors, but still a really fun romp with trope-y but effective narrative and characters, and totally serviceable gunplay. This would be much higher on the list, and I honestly had a great time with it, but man the final third of the game was really painful to play. The switch to zombies was bad, and just wasn't fun to play through.
Until Dawn (PS4): I did not think I would like this game at all, I don't care for cheesy horror and definitely am not interested in interactive movies. But if you have a significant other or group of friends to play this with, it can be a great time! I played with my wife and we were honestly pretty engaged with the characters and the story was well told and had plenty of nice jump scares. There's not much game here, but for what it is it was a neat experience.
Shadow of the Colossus (Remake) (PS4): There were some incredible highlights to this game like the flying colossus and the sand worm, and the scale of the encounters with the epic music has earned this game a place as a masterpiece and classic to so many gamers. The remake looks stunning and it was exciting to see what type of colossus was up next. Unfortunately, every great moment I had was accompanied by an equally frustrating moment with mediocre controls and a couple of colossus that were so bad (looking at you, little bull/lion Celosia) that made me have to put down the game for a few days. A great game let down by some dated and poor elements.
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PS4): Souls games are my favorites, so it pains me to put this game so low. The best areas in the game (Heide's tower, Drangleic Castle, etc) are up there with the best in the series and most of the excellent combat found in the other games is more or less present here. But I think 2/3 of the game is bogged down by drab areas that feel more like a mario level designed to kill the player more than an area that could really exist. The Iron keep was the worst offender, the area was absolutely nonsensical and like so many other areas, enemies were placed in a way designed to frustrate the player with difficulty rather than engage them with challenge. Bosses were also mostly forgettable, but I did love the Looking Glass knight and the Pursuer!
Journey (PS4): Look, I'm as surprised as you that this game is on the bottom of the list. I honestly expected to love it. An artistic, beautiful marriage of environmental storytelling and unforgettable online interaction? A smooth and cathartic movement system? It has all these things, and no doubt deserves the acclaim and love it has from so many gamers. It just didn't resonate with me. Especially the ending, I felt for sure that there would be some great climax that contrasted with the struggle of the icy segment, but instead it fell a bit flat. Maybe I'll give it another try someday.
Conclusion, Gaming Patiently, and a Warning:
There you have it! I'd love to hear what surprised you in my rankings, where I'm horribly wrong, and what games you recommend I play next! Personally, I'm considering Persona 5 (though I'm not super into JRPGs), Dishonored 2 (am curious about immersive sims), and Jedi Fallen Order. Gaming patiently is a strategy I absolutely endorse. Not only has it allowed me to form my own opinions of games independent of hype, but has allowed me to play a huge quantity of incredible games for honestly pennies. The average cost per game of everything I played this year was under $20. Now, more than ever, is an amazing time to get a PS4 and be a patient gamer, due to both the relative inexpensiveness and the sheer volume of outstanding games. I still will probably buy the big nintendo titles at launch and occasionally buy into hype, but most of the time it just isn't worth it anymore. Finally, a friendly warning as a personal story for those of us who deeply love games and devote a lot of time to them. Like many kids, I was pretty limited by my parents growing up on what and how much I was allowed to play. I loved gaming but it was somewhat of a forbidden fruit. In college, I loved gaming and definitely played more, but still was very busy with social activities, studies, and other hobbies. Now, as a working adult with a comfortable job, I suddenly have more time and money than I have ever had in my life, and thus this giant list of games I played was created. For the first few months it was enthralling; all I wanted to do was play. Over the course of the year, however, it has become clear to me that requiring so much of my happiness and fun coming from having a game to be excited about can have some drawbacks. In the middle of a pandemic, if I'm sitting on the couch waiting for video games to make me happy and they just aren't giving me the same enjoyment that Bloodborne did when I played it for the first time, I'm just gonna be stuck there on the couch, slowly getting a bit depressed when my main source of fun isn't cutting it. So what's the point? Well, enjoy your games! Don't let anyone stop you from loving what you love. But if you start to burn out, please take care of yourself and engage in other hobbies, get outside, and keep things balanced. For me, doing so has made gaming all the sweeter. Thanks for reading and indulging this long post!
[Competitive Pokemon] The Mazarbot: Why Ubers Will Never Return to Tournaments
What are Competitive Pokemon and Smogon?
Unless you live under a rock you probably know what Pokemon is. You catch little monsters and force them to fight each other in turn-based battles of up to six a side. Pokemon range enormously in power, and some of them are competitively worthless while others are nearly impossible to stop. Competitive Pokemon is split into two main communities: singles and doubles. Like in tennis, doubles are 2v2 games whereas singles have only two Pokemon in play at any one time. Nintendo themselves almost entirely support doubles in the competitive scene, as singles is prone to much longer games which wouldn't be conducive to IRL tournaments. Singles play also enables a playstyle known as "stall", in which you combine six purely defensive pokemon that beat the opponent via passive damage and pp stall (running your opponent out of attacks). This is widely hated by new players and makes for a terrible viewing experience, so Nintendo discourages this at all costs. Due to the complete lack of support for official singles play, something called Smogon emerged in the early 2000s. Smogon exists mainly to provide standardized formats for people to play- lots of people dislike Smogon as they "force you to play a certain way" but without "tiers", or specific rulesets for a game, the game is nearly unplayable from a competitive standpoint. Smogon also has forums, where people host tournaments and generally converse about the game. Rather than play on cartridge, most Smogon users play on Pokemon Showdown, an online battle simulator which vastly speeds up the process of playing the game. Like many niche forums on this subreddit, Smogon has had its fair share of drama, the absolute best of which is probably the Bloo saga, detailed in this post which is definitely worth a read. Basically, a player named Style came out of nowhere and began demolishing all their opponents, only for it to be revealed that Style was actually an alt of the top player, Bloo, who was leveraging their community standing to gain privileged information which let Style easily win all their games. If this sounds absolutely insane to you, it's because it is absolutely insane.
Background Information
Different "tiers", which could alternately be described as game modes or rulesets, allow different Pokemon of varying power levels to be used. The main Smogon singles tier is called OU, short for overused. This is by far the most played tier, and basically consists of all the most powerful mons (community shorthand for Pokemon) except for "cover legendaries" such as Kyogre or Xerneas, which appear on the game's box art and are far too powerful for the vast majority of mons to compete with. When a mon is deemed too powerful for OU, it will be voted on by the community, and players who meet the requirements can vote whether or not to ban it- recent examples include dracovish and pheromosa. If a mon is not used enough in OU, it falls to UU (underused), and then to RU (rarely used), and then to NU (never used). Where, then, can one use these broken monsters? All the mons banned from OU go to a playable banlist called Ubers, where one can use basically anything except for the most degenerate, luck based strategies (evasion, baton pass, OHKO moves) and Mega Rayquaza, a mon so insanely overpowered it had to be banned even from Ubers in 2014. Ubers had a sizeable playerbase for a long time, but since 2016, has not been in a single official Smogon tournament. Why? Well, the most popular Smogon tournament is something called Smogon Premier League, which is a team tournament in which ten teams of the absolute best players on the site each compete in a variety of tiers. This is considered the most prestigious team tournament, and hundreds of people tune in live to spectate each SPL match on smogtours.psim.us. In the eighth SPL, one of these tiers was Ubers. I myself did not really pay attention to the tournament scene at this point (early 2017), but I've gone back and looked over the forums posts and game replays to provide as accurate an account as possible. For whatever reason, the Ubers community had a reputation of being prone to cheating, and so it had been a long time since the tier had this kind of official platform. There are several ways to cheat in Pokemon. By far the most common is called "ghosting", where you play in a call with another player who assists you with your plays or outright tells you what to do. It is nearly impossible to fully enforce the ban on ghosting in tournament games, and it is widely reviled by the community at large and probably a dozen ghosting scandals arise every year. However, this is commonplace, and what transpired in this writeup was truly infamous.
The Rise of Mazar
Starting about midway through SPL VIII, a German player named Mazar switched from playing OU (where he was average at best) to Ubers for his team and subsequently went on an absolute rampage. It is important to note that playing the game is only one aspect of a battle. Equally important is building your team of six Pokemon so that it can handle as many metagame threats as possible and carry out an effective gameplan. A "set" is a combination of moves, an ability, and stat adjustments. Some sets are considered standard for their tier, and others are niche. A lot of games are decided purely based off matchup- one team might have a threat the other cannot fully account for, or a combination of mons that the other team simply cannot kill. Mazar wasn't just beating his opponents, he was absolutely destroying them. He won every single Ubers game he played, carrying his team to the tournament's finals. He was even chosen to participate in finals tiebreakers- his team placed the utmost faith in him to win, and win he did. His teams were bizarre- they seemed ill-equipped to handle common metagame threats, but he was completely steamrolling opponents with niche sets/teams such as ingrain xerneas, substitute + reversal mega blaziken, and poorly constructed stall teams. I found these replays in the old forums post- if you don't understand what you are watching, let me just say that his team choices were baffling and yet perfectly smothered his opponent every time. In the third game, notice how he switched his Ho-oh in to wall the opposing Primal Groudon (Pdon). No experienced Ubers player would ever make this play- Pdon usually runs a rock type move, which can easily one-shot a Ho-oh. However, somehow Mazar could tell this Pdon had only ground + fire attacks and thus his Ho-oh could easily stall it out. To a lesser extent, his teammate The Trap God was having similar wins, such as one in which a double kick terrakion (???) one-shots a smeargle on turn 1. You can see his opponent's reaction and frustration in this video he posted afterwards. A quick technical explanation of why the turn 1 exchange was so suspicious: Smeargle is an extremely niche pick which has atrocious stats but learns every move in the game. With the item focus sash, smeargle can live any one hit, put the opponent to sleep with the move spore, and then set up stealth rocks or sticky webs, which are very powerful field effects that can swing the game in your favor. Terrakion, The Trap God's lead, is not used in Ubers. It is a decent mon in its own right but lacks the power to compete with the behemoths in Ubers, and even if one were to use it, they would not use double kick, which is a pitifully weak move compared to close combat, which Terrakion always runs instead. The literal only possible benefit of double kick is to counter this specific smeargle set and bypass its focus sash, preventing it from setting up sticky webs. I genuinely cannot think of one other situation where double kick Terrakion would ever be an optimal choice in the SM Ubers tier.
Mazar's Downfall
You can probably tell where I'm going with this, and so could a lot of other players at the time. Not only were there rumors that Mazar was being ghosted, but lots of people were beginning to comment on his suspiciously good team matchups. Though nobody could prove it, lots of people were beginning to make accusations. In one of his games in the tournament, Mazar told someone "gg" after winning (perfectly normal and polite), and the opponent responded "fuck off cheater". Mazar's team would go on to win the tournament in April 2017, and for a while, people forgot about SPL VIII. However, in October 2017, the tournament directors posted a shocking discovery. One of Mazar's accomplices had leaked private messages which showed that not only was he being ghosted, but he had a much more innovative strategy as well. Linked is the original administrative decision. Mazar had been using a bot in order to steal his opponent's teams, so he always knew exactly what was coming. The bot worked as follows: each game hosted on Pokemon Showdown has a unique URL. You can set these games to private, so that nobody can join them, by typing the command /modjoin + in the battle chat. Before you play a tournament game, you want to test the team you're using against your teammates, so you know it is at least somewhat effective. However, at this time, there was at least a second or two where your game would be public. Nobody would actually take the time to refresh every second, checking if you had started a new game, so this was not considered a real issue. That was, until the Mazarbot, as it is known today. The Mazarbot, made by one of Mazar's friends for him, searched through every single starting game for a specific tier 24 hours a day, until it found the user it was looking for. It would join the battle on an unregistered account (so it wasn't visible that the bot account was spectating) and transcribe the battle so that Mazar knew exactly what his opponent's team was. Imagine a bot which could tell NFL football teams their opponent's entire playbook- winning would be near trivial for any competent coach, and this is no different. Why did Mazar have to switch to Ubers? As previously mentioned, OU is by far the most played tier, and as a result way more OU games started every minute than Ubers games. The Mazarbot couldn't parse all these games, so Mazar switched to Ubers, which his bot could handle.
The Fallout
This offense was deemed so bad that the entire SPL VIII tournament was retroactively cancelled. The Circus Maximus Tigers (Mazar's team) all had their trophies stripped, and the forum currently lists the tournament as "Smogon Premier League VIII [NO WINNER]". While most cheating infractions merit a few months' to a year's ban from tournaments (as opposed to forums activity as a whole), Mazar's was so severe that he was permanently banned from Smogon forums. Zarel, the person who runs Pokemon Showdown, was forced to implement the !ionext command. This allows you to preemptively set your next game to private, preventing something like this from ever happening again. Nobody has heard from Mazar since. The Ubers community's reputation is still at rock bottom, and it is unlikely that it will ever be considered for inclusion in SPL again. SPL X will start in several weeks with no Ubers games in sight. To this day, if you lose a game due to terrible matchup, you might say that you were “botted”. Smogon has had lots of hilarious drama throughout the years, and this is amongst the craziest. If you enjoyed this, definitely read about the Bloo saga that i linked earlier. TLDR: A German Pokemon player used a bot to scout his tournament opponents' teams before he played them. This let him win all of his games with ease until he was eventually exposed and permanently banned. He so irreparably damaged the reputation of playerbase of the specific game mode he played it will likely never be included in another tournament.
Genres missing from Smash's roster, and which characters could rep them
Smash Bros is truly an incredible celebration of gaming, and just in its playable characters represents a wide variety of genres, including 2D platformers (Mario, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Kirby, Ice Climber, Sonic), 3D platformers (Mario and Sonic again, Banjo-Kazooie) action-adventure (The Legend of Zelda), Metroidvania (Metroid, Castlevania), Shoot’em up/rail shooter (Star Fox), RPGs (Pokémon, Earthbound, Xenoblade, Final Fantasy, persona, Dragon Quest), racing (F-Zero), turn-based strategy (Fire Emblem), 2D shooters (Kid Icarus, Mega Man), third-person shooters (Kid Icarus:Uprising, Splatoon), minigame collection/party game (WarioWare), real-time strategy (Pikmin), stealth (Metal Gear), life sim (Animal Crossing), sports (Punch-Out), maze games (Pac-Man) fighting games (Street Fighter, Fatal Fury, ARMS), beat’em ups (Bayonetta). Sandbox/survival (Minecraft), and other games with non-conventional genres (Game &Watch, ROB, Wii Fit, Duck Hunt). Yet, there are still many genres that are completely, or almost completely absent, whether they are lacking in Nintendo’s catalog, or simply because they haven’t got a chance yet. So I thought I’d take a look at some of them and try to give a few examples of characters, first-or-third party, who could fill that hole. For third parties, I’ll try to find the franchise that is to its genre what Street Fighter is to fighting games, or Final Fantasy is to RPGs, since I feel for third parties Smash usually goes with classic icons or games that have otherwise made a huge impact. I’m also not saying any of these characters are even remotely likely, or even that I want them, in fact many of them aren’t. I’m also not saying these are the only characters that could possibly represent their genres, these are just my thoughts. I’ll try to find other things each characters have going for them, though. And hey, this could get you thinking about characters you didn’t know you wanted. This list also includes some genres that are technically represented, but I feel not satisfactorily. Mostly those who are only represented as spin-offs from a franchise of different genre. You’ll see what I mean. Puzzle games Here’s an example. Yes, we do have Dr. Mario, but that’s just a Mario spin-off. 90% of Doc’s moveset is still taken from the platformer games. There isn’t even a Dr. Mario stage! So, if we wanted to include a pure puzzle IP, which could it be? Well, for the Nintendo side, I think the best choice would be Lip from Panel de Pon, also known as Puzzle League. PL was a mainstay of Nintendo consoles for a long time, and was the premier first-party puzzler, and there’s still a lot of fondness for it now. References to it abound in the Smash series since Melee. Unfortunately, Lip is basically non-existent outside of Japan. NoA deemed the original too girly, so changed the games to feature more MANLY IPs like Yoshi. After a while even Japan stopped putting Lip in the games, and there hasn’t been a new full PL game since 2007. It did receive sort of a resurgence last year as Nintendo released the Japanese original worldwide through NSO. Aside from Lip, there are several more recent Nintendo puzzlers that could get a rep. The Brain Age series is undoubtedly important and used to be huge. You could make the argument that it, not PL, is Nintendo’s premier puzzle series, and it is even still going. But its protagonist, Dr. Kawashima is already an At. Mallow from the Pushmo series and Box-Boy from the eponymous series are both acclaimed and popular with four games each. More recently yet are Snip and Clip, the stars of Snipperclips. Now for the third-party side, the undeniable king of puzzle games is Tetris. Problem is, Tetris doesn’t have characters. I’ve seen people suggest a literal Tetris block as a character, and at this point, I wouldn’t put it past Sakurai, but for the sake of argument, let's keep looking. The other most iconic puzzle game series might be PopCap’s Bejeweled series, but that suffers from the same problem (Colorful gems for Smash?). Looking further still we have Sega’s Puyo Puyo series, which is very popular in Japan, and has been around since the early 90s. This series actually has identifiable characters, such as protagonist Arle Nadja. Puzzle games aren’t just about matching 3, though. They come in a variety of formats. Usually they are quick and bite-sized, which makes them perfect for mobile, and the most iconic mobile puzzler (Other than Bejeweled-but-with-candy) is Angry Birds and the main bird Red could be a great mobile rep. TLDR: First-party: Lip (Puzzle League), Dr. kawashima (Brain Age), Mallow (Pushmo), Box-Boy, Snip and Clip Third-party: Tetris Block (?), Arle Nadja (Puyo Puyo), Red (Angry Birds) First-person shooter Again, yes, we do have Metroid Prime reps in the game, but that is a spin-off of a non-FPS franchise. And there is debate over whether it is an FPS or an action-adventure game (I mean, it can be both, but whatever). If we wanted a pure FPS rep who would it be? Nintendo doesn’t really have its own FPS series, so let’s just skip to third-party. There are two series that I think can be called the most iconic FPSs. The first is DOOM, represented by Doom Slayer, so influential to the genre they were at one point called Doom clones. The series dates back from 1993 and is still going strong with popular acclaimed releases. The series has a great presence in Nintendo consoles and is a popular request. Unfortunately, it’s not very popular in Japan. The other is Halo, represented by Master Chief, the Xbox’s flagship series and one that redefined FPSs away from Doom clones. Both characters are owned by Microsoft now, but they wouldn’t be the first or second Microsoft-owned characters in the game. Other good candidates include Doom’s sister and predecessor series Wolfenstein (BJ Blackowitz), the highly influential Half-Life (Gordon Freeman), and the mega-blockbuster Call of Duty (soldier? I don’t know CoD), but these are series you add after Doom or Halo. TLDR: First-party: none Third party: Doom Slayer, Master Chief. Adventure games In case you don’t know, adventure games don’t refer to games like Zelda, which is an action-adventure game. You might know this genre better as point and click adventure games, though of course, they don’t need to be point-and-click. They could be text based, have regular controls or be what you call visual novels. Nintendo has a few of these, but none very well-known. The two most notable both released for the Famicom Disk System: Shin Onigashima and the Famicom Detective Club duology, both of which received a Super Famicom remake and then nothing more. Though Japan-only and short-lived, both are fondly remembered, and Nintendo actually references them both quite a bit, almost as much as other retro NES games. Of the two, FDC is the most likely to get a Smash rep. In fact, Sakurai even said he wanted to include FDC protagonist Ayumi in Melee, but thought she’d be too unknown in the West. What’s more, the series is being revived this year with remakes of both games coming to the Switch (but only in Japan). Other than those, Nintendo had a couple of adventure series on the DS, Trace Memory and Hotel Dusk, but they weren’t very popular, and they are in that limbo of not being old enough to be nostalgic retro classics, and not new enough to be relevant. Speaking of new, Nintendo published a new adventure IP just last week, Buddy Mission BOND, but it’s probably too new. It’s also, naturally, Japan-only. On the third-party side, the adventure genre doesn’t have an undisputed king, but there are three series that I’d argue come close: King’s Quest, Monkey Island and Myst. This last one doesn’t really have a character, but the other two have quite memorable mascots: King’s Quest has the gallant King Graham, and Monkey Island has Guybrush Threepwood, a mighty pirate! King’s Quest is older, arguably more influential, has more games and is more relevant, with a fairly recent reboot, but MI is my personal pick. Unfortunately it’s owned by Disney, so… yeah. Not that it matters, because I don’t think either franchise was even released in Japan. Adventure games are heavily language-based, and especially in the early days, were very hard to localize. So just as we never got to enjoy Shin Onigashima and FDC, Japan never got to enjoy Monkey Island, though I think the new King’s Quest might have been released there. Anyway these would be “literally who?”s to Japanese fans, and frankly, to a lot of newer Western fans as well. Luckily, there is one salvation for the genre. The Ace Attorney series is popular in both sides of the Pacific, it’s owned by Capcom, who’s already involved in Smash, it’s very popular with Nintendo’s fanbase and Phoenix has even already been in a fighting game. I wouldn’t call it the “Street Fighter of adventure games” but it’s probably the only one we’re gonna get. TLDR: First-party: Ayumi (Famicom Detective Club), Donbe & Hikari (Shin Onigashima) Third-party: Phoenix (Ace Attorney), Graham (King’s Quest), Guybrush (Monkey Island) Survival horror Nintendo doesn’t have much in the way of horror games. Their only real foray into the genre was Eternal Darkness back in 2002. And though that was an acclaimed cult classic, it doesn’t seem Nintendo is interested enough in the series to do anything with it. On the other hand, we have the Fatal Frame series, which is in a weird spot. It isn’t technically owned by Nintendo, but Nintendo owns every game since the fourth, will continue to own every future game, and Koei Tecmo even said the future of the series is in Nintendo’s hands. Nintendo basically owns the series in practice if not legally. It seems to be in a similar spot to Bayonetta. Regardless, Nintendo is for sure more likely to use it than Eternal Darkness. It already has an AT! Now for third-party this is easy: Resident Evil. Some of these other genres are pretty debatable, but there is no arguing over what series is the Street Fighter of horror games. No other horror series even comes close to it in terms of popularity, acclaim, influence, impact and even connection with Nintendo. I guess we could throw a bone to Silent Hill as a distant second, but if there is going to be a third-party horror rep, I think we can all agree on RE. It’s actually Capcom’s most successful series, far more than MegaMan or Street Fighter. TLDR: First-party: a Fatal Frame rep, Alexandra (Eternal Darkness) Third-party: a Resident Evil rep Rhythm games Nintendo has quite a few rhythm games under its belt. The Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents series is great but kinda dead. The Daigasso! Series never came to America, but its popular in Japan, and has a recognizable main character in the form of Barbara the Bat. She is actually pretty popular herself, appearing in various merchandise and even had her own Twitter account. I wouldn’t discount her. But Nintendo’s biggest rhythm series is undoubtedly Rhythm Heaven. Many people actually expect it to be the next Nintendo Ip to be added, if there is one. It doesn’t have a real main character but there are a few possible choices, primarily the Chorus Kids and Karate Joe. Rhythm Heaven also has all original music, which sidesteps one very ironic big problem of rhythm games in Smash: despite being all about music, they’d probably be able to bring none, since most use licensed music. On the third-party series, I feel the rhythm genre has two big icons: Guitar Hero from the West, and Dance Dance Revolution from the East. Good news: they both have characters that could rep them in Smash. Bad news: can you name any? Both series have the problem of the games themselves being super iconic, but the characters? Not really. Guitar Hero could be repped by Johnny Napalm, basically the series mascot. He has been in every game, was on the cover for the first one, and has a distinctive appearance. But how many people could tell who he is? Especially if Smash just called him “Johnny”. Can you imagine? “Hey guys, they added Johnny to Smash!” Dance Dance Revolution doesn’t fare much better. Its series mascot is Disco. You know… Disco! Super memorable character. I guess he’d be the first unambiguous black character in Smash, which is cool. Both series also have a problem of not being super relevant. Guitar Hero oversaturated the market, crashed and hasn’t been seen since 2015. DDR is still going, but is now mostly played by aficionados, the big new casual dance game is Just Dance which… doesn’t have characters, so it doesn’t help us either. For an influential third-party game with recognizable characters we have to turn to Parappa the Rapper, which is actually credited as the first rhythm game, so it has the impact down. Unfortunately, its owned by Sony, who I doubt will collaborate. Actually PSASBR had Parappa, so I guess it beat Smash to the punch on the rhythm game representation. For a third-party game with recognizable characters that is popular and from a company that is willing to collaborate… uhm… Namco’s Taiko no Tatsujin and its mascot, Don-chan! I guess we’re stretching from my goal of finding THE rhythm game rep but, we have to work with what we got. TLDR: First-party: Karate Joe or Chorus Kids (Rhythm heaven), Barbara the Bat (Daigasso! Band Brothers) Third-party: Johnny Napalm (Guitar Hero), Disco (DDR), Parappa the Rapper, Don-Chan (Taiko no Tatsujin) Real-time strategy “But hey!” You’ll say “Isn’t Pikmin an RTS?” Yes, it is! But it’s a very unconventional RTS. Most people use RTS to refer to the type of game that follows the template of Dune 2, so to cover my ass (and because I thought it’s be interesting), let’s talk about it. Pikmin is already Nintendo’s sole RTS series so let’s just talk third-party. There are plenty of popular RTS franchises, and I’m not sure one stands too much taller than the others, but if I were to choose, I’d go with either Command & Conquer or StarCraft, both very popular and influential. Both also have popular, recognizable mascots, although interestingly, in both cases, not the hero, but the villain: Command & Conquer has Kane, and StarCraft has Kerrigan. C&C is not in a super hot place (though it just got a remaster), and I’m not sure if it’s well-known in Japan, but everybody knows what a sensation StarCraft is in Japan’s neighbor South Korea. Also fun fact: not only did both games receive a port to the N64, in BOTH cases, the port was published by Nintendo. So hey, it’s not the wildest idea in this post. TLDR: Kane (Command & Conquer), Kerrigan (StarCraft) Also if you’re asking, why StarCraft as an RTS rep and not Warcraft, well… MMORPGs and Western RPGs MMOs are a huge part of gaming, and the undisputed king is World of Warcraft. WoW has quite a few characters like Arthas or Jaina, but it is incredibly difficult to really set one character to represent the game. Even a generic playable avatar wouldn’t work, since the player can have wildly different races and abilities. No one character could properly represent the game. Now, you could argue WoW is a spin-off of the non-MMO series Warcraft, and if I don’t count Dr. Mario as a true puzzle rep for this reason, then WoW can’t be a MMO rep. Fair, if we want a pure MMO series, the next best thing would be EverQuest, though I have no idea who could represent it. Another important game in the genre is Ultima Online, although like WoW is a spin-off of a regular RPG, but since all RPGs in Smash are JRPGS, let’s use this opportunity to talk about the WRPGs. The Avatar or Lord British from Ultima would be great representatives. The Ultima series was at one point the most important RPG, and even influenced Dragon Quest, but it’s been quite dead for two decades. A more relevant and popularly-request option is the Elder Scrolls, particularly Skyrim’s Dragonborn. ES is no modern phenomenon either, it goes way back to 1994, so its both classic and relevant. TLDR: A WoW rep, an EverQuest rep, the Avatar or Lord British (Ultima), Dragonborn (Elder Scrolls) Tower defense Capping off this overly-long post with a genre for which Nintendo actually has a golden opportunity: Dillon from Dillon’s Rolling Western. DRW is one of the rare tower defense games that also features a recognizable player character that you can control like in an action game, and therefore, quite easy to put in Smash. Not sure if the series has a future, but the character seems to be one of the most popular to come off the 3DS-era eshop. For third-party, I’m not sure the tower defense genre has a king, but the most popular might be Plants vs Zombies, and if we can get Piranha Plant, why not Peashooter? Edit: Commenter suggested Crazy Dave for PvZ instead, which makes more sense TLDR: First party: Dillon Third-party: Peashooter (Plants vs Zombies) Well, I’m gonna stop here. Obviously there are many genres and sub-genres, but to me these are the biggest missing. What other genres do you want to see repped? Roguelikes? MOBAs? Hero shooters? Or do you think another character that I didn’t mention should rep these ones? Or do you feel like some of the genres already in Smash could use better representation? Do you think Animal Crossing is more of a social sim, so for a true life sim rep we’d need The Sims in Smash? Do you think Bayonetta is um ackshually a hack-n-slash so for a beat’em up rep we’d need someone from Double Dragon, Final Fight or Streets of Rage? Do you think Punch-Out isn’t really a sports game so John Madden needs to tackle the fight? Comment away
After 20 years of no gaming, I'm back with Nintendo, and Odyssey's got me HOOKED
Hi guys, please bear with me. I was hooked on the SNES back as a kid in the 90s and I was seeeriously addicted. I couldn't acclimate to the N64 look, mechanics and open gameplay of Mario 64, so I never got into that. I stopped playing around 2000, when I moved to college. Now and then, I'd play SNES on emulator - Mario World, Street Fighter II, Mario Kart, Donkey Kong Country... and I still love it, but I would get bored quickly. I bought a Switch 4 weeks ago - thinking, it could be finally time to get back in the game. My OCD didn't let me play Odyssey right away, because I need to go chronologically, so I played Mario 64 on the All Stars cartridge, and I still don't like it - not knowing where to go, what to do, the camera... And I don't like googling something every few minutes. So I skipped Sunshine and Galaxy and tried out Odyssey. First - thank God for Assist mode! It helps so much with the gameplay for us who are either new to games or haven't played 3D games much or at all, especially such open world ones. I still don't feel guilty for using it and my only measure is - am I having fun? And oh yes, I am. BTW, I was playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for weeks, but I could put it down whenever... Yesterday, I played Odyssey for 4-5 hours. I just couldn't put it down. I played until my head buzzed and I HAD to put it down. First, I can't believe how far Mario games have come - the look of the game is unbelieveable for someone who didn't play a new Mario game in 25 years. The outfits, the camera, the CONTROLS - not falling down a chasm by accident - I control him almost intuitively, I barely move my left thumb on the stick... and Cappy? What a creative way to power up the power-ups! One of my favorite parts of the game are the 8-bit parts. The one on the round tower ni the Sand Kingdom - just wow. I can't believe they managed to put 80s Mario in a 2010s game and not make it look iffy. And Mario being able to go into that world in the outfit you're having him wear at the moment? Sheer fun. I usually whine that I can't play open world games with no clear goal because I don't have much time for exploring, so the assist mode is perfect for that. But it still let's you go off on your own if you spotted some moons somewhere. I can't wait to be really able to play it without the assist mode on. So, thanks Nintendo for making such an incredible game and making it easy for us who come back to have fun with new games. One question for you guys: How exactly, except reading online, do we know how many moons are needed to end the game? Also, I see many posts about "100%-ing" the game - how do you know how many percent you finished? Also, thanks everyone for your great posts in this sub. It's been great reading them!
Here’s a link to the follow-up post with another 20 games. With so many games releasing nowadays, I think it's easy for the good ones to get lost in the shuffle. I'm going to list 20 highly anticipated Indie/AA games. I'm sure there's many great ones I'll probably miss (like I said, there's so many it's hard to keep track sometimes), so please let me know what other ones I should look out for. I’m going to order them by release date. If the game does not have a tangible release date, I’ll place it in the list based on what I think is more likely to come out first, based on marketing material and release date delays. 1. Cyber Shadow
Description: This game looks like a cyberfunk (real word is getting the post removed by the automoderator) Ninja Gaiden. It's very fast paced and has some huge enemies to fight. The player character looks to have a very versatile moveset which looks to complement both the platforming and the combat. This is apparently the work of one guy, making it all that much more impressive.
Description: Little Nightmares was a big indie success back in 2017, and the sequel looks to lean heavier into its horror elements. The game will feature two characters this time around - Six and Mono - as they brave the horrors in this larger than life world to discover the dark secrets of The Signal Tower.
Description: It Takes Two follows a clashing couple who have been turned into dolls. This is the second game to come from Hazelight Studios, creators of A Way Out. Like that game, this one is built around the co-op experience and is both online and local co-op. If you play online, only the host needs to own a copy of the game.
Description: This comes from the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog and Nights into Dreams. It's a 3D platformer with a dreamlike carnival theme. You'll wear a number of different costumes (80+ according to the game description) that grant different abilities. The game also has a Chao Garden-like feature for Sonic Adventure fans. The adorable little creatures in this game are called “Tims.”
Description: The original King’s Bounty released all the way back in 1990, which also spawned a board game in 1991. It wouldn’t receive a follow-up until 2008 when King’s Bounty: The Legend released. Four expansions would be released between 2009 and 2014. While traditionally a PC exclusive series, King’s Bounty II will mark the first time the series comes to consoles.
Description: This game has been in development for 10 years now and is clearly inspired by Banjo Kazooie. The game follows a tag team duo – a rabbit and a monkey – through 11 different worlds in a collectathon-style platformer. The two characters like act as one unit to perform certain moves, just as it was in Banjo Kazooie.
Description: 30XX is the sequel to 2014’s 20XX. This is a Mega Man X inspired roguelike with both local and online co-op. There were eight characters with different abilities to play as in 20XX, and it looks like a similar approach is kept for the sequel. Despite taking place 1000 years after the original, Ace and Nina at least, are still present in 30XX.
Description: 2017’s Hollow Knight is one of the biggest indie games of all time, in both its popularity and scale of the game. Silksong was originally just meant to be a DLC for the original game, but the project expanded into a full-scale sequel. The original is probably the single most popular indie Metroidvania out there, so there’s a lot of hype for the sequel.
Description: This has been a very long time coming, but with all the gameplay footage and marketing material coming out for the game, it seems Psychonauts 2 will finally release in 2021. The first game released in 2005 – three PlayStations ago – and was a cult classic. The director of the first game, Tim Schafer (Grim Fandango, Brutal Legend, Broken Age, etc.) is also directing the sequel, so there is a lot of hope from the fanbase.
Description: This comes from the same developer as Hyper Light Drifter. Solar Ash Kingdom has a lot of the same stylized aesthetics as Hyper Light Drifter, but this is a fully 3D over the shoulder adventure. You’ll engage with massive enemies, traverse the world at high speeds, and meet many characters throughout the adventure.
Description: From the creators of Golf Story - a fusion of golf and RPG elements. This sequel includes golf, tennis, volleyball, soccer, and baseball. You’ll also engage in a variety of typical RPG adventure stuff, like exploring dungeons and engaging in side quests. The first one reviewed well and was one of the biggest indie hits in the first year of the Switch (2017).
Description: Heavenly Bodies follows two cosmonauts in the 1970s who must work together through a series of physics-based challenges. While the game is built around the co-op experience, the game can still be played in single player. While this is only local co-op at the moment, the Steam page seems to suggest that the developer is looking into options for online play.
Description: This is technically a DLC, but given the wait for it, I think it’s fair to expect a fairly sizeable one. This DLC will introduce a new playable character, Ms. Chalice, who will have a double jump and possibly other differentiating moves. This DLC was originally supposed to release in 2019, but it’s been delayed a number of times. For reference, the original game released in 2017 and took seven years to make (though the two brothers responsible for the game had day jobs and a much smaller team up until 2014).
Description: This comes from Kayin, the creator of I Wanna Be the Guy. This is an NES Castlevania inspired game with three playable characters that have unique paths and differing abilities. The game will also feature cutscenes and over a dozen different levels. The game has been in development for years now and is near completion.
Description:Hazelnut Bastille actually has a 2-3 hour demo with a full dungeon included, which I didn't know about until just now as I was making this list! Heavily inspired by top down Zelda games, these games have some really beautiful looking art. Development for Hazelnut Bastille began back in April 2016. Dawnthorn, a prequel to Hazelnut Bastille, will also be releasing around the same time in 2021. Dawnthorn will emulate the look of an NES game, while Hazelnut Bastille will look more like an SNES game.
Description: The original Freedom Planet was initially conceived as a Sonic fangame before the the creator, Stephen DiDuro, reconceptualized it as his own IP. The sequel was announced back in 2015, a year after the original’s release, and will introduce new mechanics and make changes based on feedback from the first game.
Description: This game comes from the creators of Crawl and Regular Human Basketball, two highly acclaimed competitive local multiplayer games. Unlike their previous work, this looks to be a campaign/adventure game, but it also has a demonic narrator just like Crawl. They're also making The Drifter right now.
Description: From the creators of Lenna's Inception, Bytten Studio, which released on Steam in January of this year – a randomly generated Zelda inspired local co-op action adventure game with two art styles to switch between. The two guys behind the game have also worked on Starbound, Stardew Valley, and Wargroove, so they have quite a pedigree of games. Cassette Beasts in heavily inspired by Pokemon and includes 120 beasts that can be combined for a total of 14,400 fusions.
Description: This comes from the creators of Wargroove. Witchbrook will allow you to experience high school as a wizard. A website for the game was launched back in September, so it seems progress on the game is coming along. The website seems to suggest you’ll be able to develop relationships based on your choices in the game.
Description: This comes from the same developer as The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, The Astronauts, but instead of just walking, you'll be walking and shooting demonic creatures. If this game reminds you of Painkiller from 2004, it's because director Adrian Chmielarz actually worked on that game. The game has been worked on for five years now by a team of nine full members and three contributors, so hopefully we'll see it soon.
What are some other upcoming indie/AA games you’re looking forward to? If you’re looking for more indie games to play, see my posts here:
My personal top 5 free online multiplayer games for the Switch list
As someone who likes to play video games online from time to time, I figured that I would try to make a list of the top 5 best free online multiplayer games on the Switch. Granted, this list could have been 10 games, but at the last minute, I decided on 5 because the other games at the bottom of the list weren't all that great. More of buffer games to be honest. But here are my top 5 free online multiplayer games on the Switch (starting from #5 and going to #1): Video Game #5: Warface Coming in at the number 5 spot is the video game Warface. Warface is a free-to-play online first-person shooter game developed by Crytek Kiev, co-produced by Crytek Seoul, and published by My.com. Warface offers a variety of game modes here on the Nintendo Switch! Battle across 50+ multiplayer PvP maps, tackle tough PvE raids in co-op, and unleash a vast arsenal of 200+ realistic customizable weapons. Also, discover 5 playable classes armed with unique abilities, plus a huge variety of customization options for your equipment! The reason Warface is on this list is because Warface is literally the only fps tactical game that is similar to Call of Duty. Since Nintendo hasn’t gotten a Call of Duty game since the Nintendo Wii U, us Nintendo fans have to find whatever game that we can on the Switch that can scratch that FPS itch, and honestly, Warface does that for me. Warface offers multiple modes for the players to enjoy. When it comes to their online PvP modes, Warface offers:
Battle Royale
Bag and Tag - Which is like Kill Confirmed in Call of Duty
Team Deathmatch
Storm
Blitz
Plant the Bomb
Free for All
Capture
Domination
Destruction
When it comes to the PvE aspect of the game, Warface does offer multiple things for you do, but I didn’t really dabble too much when it came to PvE because I’m just interested in that aspect of Warface, but it is nice of them to add that in the game. However, while I think Warface is a decent game on the Switch, and that it does scratch the COD itch that I have from time to time, the game can easily be described as a pay 2 win game. The majority of weapons that you can get in this game are definitely hidden behind a paywall. You can “rent” the guns for a specific period of time, but to truly make the weapon yours, you have to buy it, which is scummy, but honestly, you can do just fine with the base weapon that they give you in the game. So at the end of the day, it does suck, but I felt like I was able to compete with people who did have “pay-2-win” weapons. But besides that fact, Warface is a decent fps game here on the Switch with multiple game modes. The game runs decent in docked and handheld mode, and for the most part, I can find lobbies in a majority of the game modes. So if you are wanting a decent fps experience similar to COD on the Switch, Warface is the game for you! Video Game #4: Ninjala Coming in at the number 4 spot is Ninjala, a video game that is developed by GungHo Online. Ninjala was a game that kind of went under the radar due to some issues it had at launch, but after playing this game, it definitely is a fun, fast paced game that gets you on the tips of your toes while you are playing. Ninjala is a ninja free for all fast paced, high intensity, button mashing, and a whole lot of other things that I can’t fit into this one sentence. Here in Ninjala, you will compete against 7 other ninjas in an all out battle to see who can claim victory at the end. You will have access to a variety of weapons, some normal looking and well, some that aren’t so normal looking, but they get the job done. But your objective is easy, take out the drones, take out your opponents, don’t get knocked out, and claim victory over everyone else. While Ninjala’s concept seems pretty simple, the game seems to have some learning curves to it that I haven’t mastered quite yet. If I ever get into a battle with someone and we come to stalemate, I usually lose 8 out of 10 times. I’m not sure if I’m just pushing the buttons incorrectly or what, but usually I get blasted around the map. But the thing is, Ninjala is just a blast to play. Each game is super quick, so it doesn’t feel like you invest a whole lot of time when you play this game. There are things you can unlock by grinding the game, and there are also microtransactions within Ninjala, but nothing too over the top. But overall, Ninjala is a game that I feel like slipped underneath the radar. When the beta was available, it had some issues for most players, and I think that may have turned people away from the game itself. Ninjala however, is far from a terrible game now. Whenever I play this game, I don’t have any issues with framerate, connection, or whatever else that you can think of when it comes to issues in an online mode. So, if you want a fast paced fun game here on the Switch that’s free, I really recommend Ninjala. I feel that it’s underappreciated to a certain extent! Video Game #3: Paladins Coming in at the number 3 spot is going to be the game Paladins. Paladins is a game developed by Hi-Rez studios, and if you have ever played the game Overwatch, Paladins is typically what you would call a “clone” of Overwatch, but I think that’s a compliment to this game. Paladins is a free to play objective-base team fps shooter here on the Switch. Paladins offers you the choice to choose from a variety of champions, each with strengths and weaknesses that you must learn and master to truly become a champion in Paladins. Each champion is truly unique here in Paladins, and I firmly believe that there is some character for any type of player here in Paladins. The game does a pretty good job at explaining each and every character’s basic functionality before you enter the game, so you know what you are getting yourself into when you choose your champion. But, this game offers three different game modes which are: Team Deathmatch, Siege, and Onslaught. Each of these three games modes are slightly different from one another, and with three different game modes, there is something for everyone to enjoy!
Team deathmatch is just like any other tdm in a fps game. You and your team must work together in order to defeat the other team by collectively earning 40 kills as a team. Once you do this, your team will win the game. One of my favorite things about tdm in Paladins is that despite it being a more “individual” game mode, champion selection is still somewhat important, and if you have a team that knows what they are doing, you can easily destroy the competition.
Siege is a game mode that involves you and your teammates capturing a series of objectives. To start off, you and your teammates will battle the other team in order to secure the middle objective, or what I like to call the payload. Whoever secures the payload then has to move that object all the way to the other team’s point in their spawn. The team that loses the payload then has to defend for a certain amount of time in order to win the round. If you have ever played Overwatch or Team Fortress 2, this game mode should look very familiar. Also, this is where teamwork is crucial. Failure to work as a team will get you and your team absolutely destroyed. Trust me, in the games I played recently, I had a team that wouldn’t go for the objective and well, let’s just say it was a total nightmare. Also, there are certain things you can purchase within the game to help boost your abilities. Capturing, defending, or pushing the payload can help earn you the crystals that will allow you to buy enhancements for your champion.
And last but not least is onslaught. In my own words, I’d compare onslaught to something like king of the hill. There is one objective in the middle of the map, and both teams fight over that objective until a team reaches 400 points combined. Again, you can earn crystals as well in this game mode, and these crystals can be used to purchase enhancements for your champion during the duration of the game. Also, this is another gamemode that requires teamwork, and well, if your team isn’t going for the objective, it becomes a total nightmare when it's 1 versus 5 and you are getting obliterated out of spawn.
Overall, Paladins here on the Nintendo Switch is a solid pick up for those of you who are looking for a solid fps game on the Nintendo Switch. Paladins offers a variety of champions and game modes, and if you try this game out, I’m sure you will find something that you really enjoy in this game! Video Game #2: Rocket League Coming in at number 2 is going to be Rocket League, a video game that you used to have to pay for, but over the course of the year 2020, it became a free to play game for all to enjoy! And well, let me tell you something, Rocket League is an online game that I thought I wouldn’t have any interest in playing, but after sitting down and putting some time into the game, i have really come to enjoy and love Rocket League for what it is, and it’s literally pure chaos for the entire time that you are playing this game. Rocket League combines a childhood imagination and puts it on a screen. Soccer and cars…. I mean what else could go wrong! The goal is simple here in Rocket League, score more goals than your opponent, and you will win the game. However, you will not have to do this alone! Rocket League on the Switch offers a multitude of game modes spanning from 1v1’s, 2v2’s, the traditional 3v3 format, and the chaotic 4v4 format, which is a lot of fun until your teammates start running you over for the ball. There are also other games modes such as My favorite thing about Rocket League is that the game is actually somewhat difficult if you want to get good at it. I found myself narrowly missing goals, jumping at the ball and missing it by a fraction of an inch, and I just sat there thinking to myself that I wanted to take the time out of my day to learn how to become better at this game. Rocket League may have a simple concept, but the game’s mechanics are a lot more diverse and difficult than I thought they would have been. It’s definitely a breath of fresh air to play a game that requires a skill gap that I think I can bridge one day. Video Game #1: Rogue Company And last but not least, coming in at the number 1 spot is Rogue Company. Rogue Company is a free to play 4v4 multiplayer tactical third person hero shooter video game developed by First Watch Games and published by Hi-Rez Studios. For me personally, I played a lot of Socom Fireteam Bravo 2 on the PSP, and Rogue Company reminds me of those great times I had on Socom all of those years ago. Rogue Company offers three different modes for online multiplayer.
One mode they offer is demolition. In demolition, the attacking team is tasked with planting and defending the bomb. The defending team is tasked with finding and disarming the bomb and the winner of the match is determined once the bomb goes off, or the opposing team has been eliminated. So in essence, this game mode is very similar to what you see from search and destroy in Call of Duty.
Another mode that they offer is strikeout. In strikeout, both teams fight for control of a single capture point that rotates from round to round. To capture the objective, players must hold it for thirty seconds. Each team has a total of twelve tickets per round. Once all lives have been depleted, the affected team will be unable to respawn. A team is declared the winner of a round once all lives of the opposing team have been depleted and all enemy players are eliminated.
Extraction is yet another game mode here in Rogue Company. In extraction, there is a single, neutral objective mode where teams attempt to activate a device and defend it from the enemy team. In order to win, you have to defeat the other team and activate the device.
On top of the game modes, here in Rogue Company, you play as Rogues, which are categorized in different roles. Each rogue has their own unique looks, abilities, and will be highly customizable. The great thing about the Rogues in this game is that there are plenty of rogues and abilities to choose from in this game, so you have the ability to choose whatever playstyle that best suits you!! Overall, this is my list that I have come up with. Games like Vigor, Dauntless, etc may not necessarily be bad, but I didn't feel like that they deserved to be in my top 5. Let me know what free online games that you guys are playing! (I'm not a fan of warframe, or any battle royale game for that matter, got burnt out on battle royale games during the height of Fortnite)
what games can be played online on nintendo switch video
Whether competing online or lounging on the couch with your friends, these are the best Nintendo Switch Online games making a case for multiplayer. Nintendo Switch Online offers much more than just the ability to play online multiplayer games. Members also have access to a library of classic NES and Super NES games that can be played online with friends, Save Data Cloud backup, the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app and special offers. If you already have Nintendo Switch Online (which you need anyway to play any of the games on this list online), then you automatically have free access to Tetris 99. In this Tetris-meets-battle-royale hybrid, you'll compete against 99 others online to see who is the Tetris champ in this twist on the classic game. Online Play. Great games to play with—or against—other players with Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online play. Access Nintendo Switch Online right from your system and sign up for your free 7-day trial You can get the latest info on Nintendo Switch Online from the Nintendo Switch HOME Menu. The initial NES games that can be downloaded with the service include The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong and 17 other titles. For the rest of 2018, three new games will be added A subscription to Nintendo Switch Online for $20 per year comes with a library full of classic games that were initially available on the Nintendo Entertainment System (or NES) and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (or SNES) that launched in 1985 and 1990, respectively. If you are subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online, you can play any of these games for free at any time. 25 Best Multiplayer Games on Nintendo Switch. Arms. Arms was one of the greatest exclusives available at launch, and is a demonstration of what Nintendo does best. There are of course other Nintendo Switch games that need a consistent internet connection – like Fallout Shelter – you can play without a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. But as far as we know, the games listed above (updated April 2019) are the only ones you can play online, with or against other people, without a subscription. The Nintendo Switch has robust third-party support. Some of these games even support cross-play. Here's the full list of Switch games that support cross-play.
what games can be played online on nintendo switch top
Top Free Games to Play on Your Nintendo Switch - YouTube
Nintendo Switch Online has FINALLY launched and today we take a look at how NES games run on Switch and take a look at how it works. The experience is super ... Here's a list of Nintendo Switch Free to play games you can start playing without spending a penny. Of course these games require internet connection. What a... Install Raid for Free IOS: https://clik.cc/UMUYS ANDROID: https://clik.cc/fyAMu Start with💰50K silver and get a Free Epic Champion 💥 on day 7 of “New P... What are the free to play games on Nintendo Switch worth playing and what should you steer clear of? Here’s our guide on the best of them! Consider joining o... It won't be long before people are bored of SNES games on the Nintendo Switch so to save Nintendo some time and effort I've compiled a list of the most likel... Hey all! In the video i will be discussing if you can play snes and nes games on your nintendo switch completely offline!Below are the products used to play ... This video is about top 15 Open World games on Nintendo Switch that is available now and you can buy it today!-Follow UsTwitter - https://www.twitter.com/Swi... Hi, this video tests different things and ideas to see what works on the Nintendo Switch Lite. Hopefully it might answer some questions that you may have abo... The world is certainly moving towards a more digital future for games, but why are some of us hesitant to embrace it?Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnnyZacca... Short on cash? No Problem! here is little list of the best free games you can get on the Nintendo Switch to keep you busy in Isolation or any other time!TEE ...
