The Sword and the Shield
It’s been a sunny couple of days, and it looks like spring is just around the corner. Students are starting to plan out their spring breaks (if they haven’t already), and what better way to spend your spring break than to stay in your dorm room and play video games? It’s been a good week for gamers old and young alike, as a new Pokemon game was announced several days ago. Cyberpunk 2077, the next game on the pipeline for acclaimed developers CD Projekt Red will also be at E3 2019. On other news, Red Dead Redemption 2’s multiplayer Red Dead Online has disappointed fans of the western open-world game with it’s aggressive stance on microtransactions. Mortal Kombat 11, the newest fighting game from Netherrealm Studios has also suffered from massive leaks revealing many then-unknown characters from the roster. Without further fanfare, let’s get right to it.
The Good
Pokemon has been a mainstay of the gaming genre for what feels like decades now. Kids and adults alike have many memories and experiences of Pokemon. Be it the original Pokemon Red or Blue or Yellow, or more recent trends like the phenomenon of Pokemon Go! Almost everyone you know has heard of or has played a Pokemon game. Well, Nintendo isn’t stopping anytime soon, with the announcement of a new set of two Pokemon games, Pokemon Sword, and Shield. Coming to the Nintendo Switch late 2019, the two games will take place in a new region called Galar, that people on the internet have already speculated to be modelled after the region of Great Britain. New starters for the game include a grass-type monkey called Grookey, a fire-type rabbit called Scorbunny, and a water-type lizard called Sobble. From the initial video, the series looks to be more of the same Pokemon style gameplay that everyone knows and loves, with a fresh coat of paint thrown on top. Either way, a new Pokemon game is sure to have gamers around the world excited to get back out there, and continue on their quest to catch them all.
The developers of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt Red have been enjoying their success for quite a while now. The Witcher 3 was critically acclaimed, and their lack of microtransactions (A rare sight to see nowadays), coupled with several instances of free DLC and excellent add-ons to an already massive world have made many in the gaming community excited to see what is next for the Polish developers. What’s next is Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt Red have already dropped several impressive teasers for their new IP, including a 48 minute walkthrough that wowed audiences and critics alike. Hype behind this game is massive, and the developers want to keep it that way. Thus, with a small twitter announcement several days ago stating that they would be at E3 2019 this year, CD Projekt Red have once again rocketed to the top of the gaming hive-mind. What will they show? Will they finally unveil a release date? A playable demo? The questions are endless, and all we can do is wait. The excitement is sure to reach a fever pitch as E3 rolls around in June 2019.
The Bad
For a game that received critical acclaim and impressed the gaming world with its expansive open-world and immersive single player, Red Dead Redemption 2 has done exactly the opposite when it comes to their multiplayer. RockStar studios recent update to Red Dead Online has annoyed quite a number of the playerbase. Changes to the game included nerfing hunting rewards, hampering players methods of earning income. Emotes were also added, with the most impressive ones locked behind microtransactions as well. For the developers behind such a behemoth game like Red Dead 2, and the gargantuan success that was GTA Online, it seems almost confusing that they seem to be floundering here. Perhaps the atmosphere of the wild west doesn’t lead to a conducive environment for multiplayer, or perhaps the developers simply aren’t striking a good rapport with what the audience wants for the game. It’s just a shame, as this negative reaction only takes away from what is truly an incredible single player experience. One can only hope Rockstar studios can either improve the multiplayer, or add more to the single player game.
Mortal Kombat 11 is coming up only in a couple of months, and people are still kept in the dark when it comes to finding out if their favorite character is playable in the newest installment of the fighting series. NetherRealm studios have kept somewhat quiet about the roster of MK11, preferring to slowly unveil a character a week until the game itself releases. The internet thought otherwise. A leaked picture of the character select screen has surfaced on the internet, revealing dozens of then-speculated characters like fan favorite Noob Saibot and Erron Black, along with new additions to the series, Cetrion and The Kollector who have never been seen before. This leak has led to massive speculation and driven more attention to the game, but it’s certainly bad new to NetherRealm, who must have had a different plan to unveil the characters. Whoever leaked the photos certainly broke an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), and will definitely suffer consequences if NetherRealm find out who did it. Furthermore, I feel as though leaks make game companies less willing to share inside looks to their community out of fear of leaks. The internet in all of its goodness loves to jump to conclusions about games before their released, and one can certainly understand if NetherRealm are quite upset over this event. They haven’t commented on these leaks yet, and one doubts if they ever will. Regardless, the game still looks excellent, and aims to reach worldwide markets on April 4, 2019.
Who’s Next?
I already mentioned it above, but definitely watch out for Mortal Kombat 11. A recent trailer unveiled another classic staple of the series, actor Johnny Cage in all of his nut-punching glory. The game itself looks beautiful for a fighting game, a clear distinction from the somewhat cartoonish look that many other fighting games have evolved towards in the modern world. Developers NetherRealm studios seem to be taking a lot of fan feedback into account, already changing some of the more technical combat details to better suit their audience. Despite the leaks, hype for the game remains high as ever. Pick up MK11 when it releases on the XBOX, Playstation and PC on April 4, 2019, and on the Nintendo Switch on May 10, 2019.
The Outer Worlds, developed by the original creators of the acclaimed Fallout series is another game to watch out for in 2019. Set in a future where massive corporations control the universe, players take control of a character waking from cryosleep in a whole new world. The game itself looks to take some inspiration from Fallout and the dystopian genre. The trailer certainly paints an impressive picture, and audiences have been quick to label the game as the “true” Fallout game. After all, this was directed by the original developers. No release date is solidified, but it will be sometime during 2019. Honestly, if the game is even slightly better than the unfortunate failure that was Fallout 76, fans are going to love it.
And that’s about it for gaming news this week. Pokemon has dominated the news since it’s announcement, but other than that, we’re approaching a lull in game announcements as we trudge towards the spring. Once that rolls around though, we start approaching the massive game conventions, and it is there where we’ll really get into the thick of things. Until then, stay safe, and continue to catch ‘em all.
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