The Gamescom 2014 Closing Ceremony - Best Game of the Show, Surprise of the Show, Disappointment of the Show, And More!

Written By: Tyler

Gamescom is over for another year, and like any respectable gaming website (ha), I need to give out a few awards. Let's get right to it.



Game of the Show
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

I gave Evolve the award at E3 this year because it does look like a special game, and I don't know if it's just because I'm starting to get burnt out on it or what, but I'm not giving it to Evolve this time around.

I think I have to give it to Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor because while I am well aware of the game and what it is promising, getting to see it in action more just left me more excited. I don't feel like I'm getting burnt out on it. Both Middle-earth and Evolve are revolutionary to some extent, but I dig Mordor more.



Surprise of the Show
Silent Hills/PT

It's really hard to beat a new Silent Hill announcement, especially when it's done suddenly and in the form of a seemingly unrelated teaser trailer.

Aside from that, I was really intrigued by Wild and I'm curious by what it's going to offer.



Press Conference of the Show
Sony

Even though the Microsoft press conference felt bigger with the emphasis on bigger titles, Sony had two of the biggest surprises of the show for me -- as mentioned above -- and it was just a solid collection of lesser-known games. There is a time for AAA titles and a time for indies, so I'm not really putting more importance on either, so it is literally just Wild and the announcement of the Silent Hills teaser that put it over the edge for me.



Disappointment of the Show
Dead Island 2 Has No Story, Assassin's Creed Unity Has Microtransactions


I was wondering why we had Dying Light and Dead Island 2 coming out fairly close to one another, but Gamescom has shown that they are a lot different. Though they have some similar elements, Dying Light has more parkour and more story, so it'll be more like the first Dead Island but better.

Dead Island 2, on the other hand, seems to be endless with no real narrative to drive it forward. Even though the first Dead Island, and Riptide, didn't have amazing stories it was still something. So unless I'm completely misunderstanding, I think Dead Island 2 will get boring because doing missions is not what it's all about. Give us something else.

I'm also disappointed with Ubisoft because there is no fucking reason for a AAA title to have Microtransactions. I always thought Ubisoft was a company we could love, but they seem to be going down an EA route in some ways. They aren't nearly as bad, but Ubi... don't mess this up. There is no justification for this, even if they claim it won't affect gameplay and you can acquire all the stuff without spending money. How do we trust that progression hasn't been tweaked to accommodate the cash grab?


Unrealistic Desire For Gamescom
An Announcement of a New Perfect Dark

Before Gamescom, there was talk of a new Rare game that wasn't focused on Kinect. I'm all for that. While other people said a new Conkers (which would be awesome, don't get me wrong), Banzo-Kazooie or even a Diddy Kong Racing, I wanted a new Perfect Dark because I loved the first one and Perfect Dark Zero, even if Zero was a bit of a step down. Alas, no such luck. I knew this though, because PD doesn't seem to be the series that people want to see Rare revive. I don't get it though, because Rare became truly legendary with Goldeneye for the N64 and Perfect Dark is actually a better game.


The Trend of Gamescom
4 vs 1 Multiplayer, Player Invasion In Single-Player

There is no doubt that this year, the trend of Gamescom was a focus on 4 vs 1 multiplayer. When Evolve was first shown, everyone thought it was really cool. It still is, but games like Shadow Realms, Dying Light and I think a couple others are now jumping on the bandwagon. I'm not criticizing it, I'm just simply saying that it seems to be the newest trend in gaming.

There is also a focus on having multiplayer that blends seemlessly into the single-player experience. We've seen a few games in Gamescom like this, such as the new Metal Gear, Dying Light, etc. I'm iffy on this because when I'm playing a single-player game I want to enjoy the single-player without fearing that I'm going to miss out on stuff in my campaign because I'm not playing multiplayer. It's still a very cool idea, however.

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Series That Need A New Game

Written By: Tyler

I haven't done a Top Ten Tuesday in a while, but I was sitting around discussing Smash Brothers with my own little brother (yes my very own!). We were talking about what characters, from any console/company, we'd like to see in the new one. This got me thinking about old games that I miss, so here we are at the newest Top Ten Tuesday.

Games like Metroid aren't included here because it's not like it's been that long since a new Metroid, and Nintendo has already mentioned new ones. To qualify for this list, you have to be a series that has remained dormant for an extended period of time (with some exceptions), especially despite fan outcry (or just my own), and it has to have more than one game. This list isn't for individual games that need sequels, as that's an article I will probably write at a later date.

Originality and new IPs be damned, here are the top ten video game series that need a new game entry.

10: F-Zero

Okay Nintendo, it's about time that you bring back this franchise. When you look back to the SNES F-Zero, it's mostly just a fast racer with pretty simplistic tracks. When I look at what Nintendo has done with the newest Mario Kart, it's hard not to drool all over myself when I consider what that could mean for F-Zero. Mario Kart 8 has some of the most insane tracks of any Mario Kart, and that amount of craziness could lend itself well to the speed of F-Zero. Let's get on it Nintendo.


9: Half-Life

To a lot of people, a new Half-Life would probably top this list. I like Half-Life... hell, I think that it's very deserving of its legendary status, but I'm not a Half-Life fanatic. That's why it's only number nine on my list. With that said, there's been teasing, waiting and annoying internet memes, all in the name of Half-Life 3, so Valve should really just release the damn thing and watch as the latest installment of its classic first-person shooter franchise gets 9.5s and 10s all across the board by critics.


8: Battletoads

When I was growing up we had a lot of great beat 'em ups, and Battletoads was always one of my favourites. While we've seen Double Dragons, we haven't seen a new Battletoads in a very long time. Why is that? I reckon part of it is just that this genre isn't as popular as it once was among the mainstream, but Battletoads is such a classic series with its fun fighting mechanics and its over-exaggerated moves, it's hard not to thirst for a new one.


7: Perfect Dark

The original Perfect Dark didn't innovate like Goldeneye 64 did, but it was a better game. It took the formula and upgraded it in all ways. The only criticism I have of it is the frame rate drops when things start getting hot and heavy. Still, it is a classic.

Jump ahead to 2005, and we get a new installment: Perfect Dark Zero. It didn't set the world on fire, but it was a solid game with some great multiplayer maps. I really enjoyed it. Since then, Rare had pitched the idea to Microsoft to make more, but it never flew. Instead, Rare is making Kinect games while Joanna Dark and crew are lost in the shuffle.


6: Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan 2: Glan of the Gray Wolf stands tall in a generation that had a lot of amazing history simulation/strategy games. We had Nobunaga's Ambition, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liberty or Death, and many more, but Genghis Khan 2 is the best and is my favourite strategy game of all-time. There have been Japanese sequels, but even those were a long time ago now. I know the market isn't what it once was, but I'd love to see a new installment of this series.


5: Chrono Series

The crowning achievement of the SNES is arguably Chrono Trigger. It's one of the finest RPGs ever made. So excitement was high for the sequel Chrono Cross. When Chrono Cross came out, it sold really well and was critically acclaimed, but some fans weren't happy. It had elements of Chrono Trigger, but it wasn't seen as a true sequel to the SNES classic. I love Chrono Cross, myself, but it's not Chrono Trigger to me, despite the amazing soundtrack, the large cast, and the great story.

Then the Chrono series disappeared. There hasn't been a new game. I don't expect a direct sequel to Chrono Trigger, with the same characters, though admittedly after all this time it would be nice to see them again. I'm not picky, I just want a new game.


4: The Lost Vikings

Blizzard has incredible series like Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo, but my favourite is The Lost Vikings. I loved the co-op puzzle/platformer, where each Viking had his own limitations and abilities and you had to go through the levels using all three. It was a great mechanic back in the day, and despite the Lost Vikings showing up in games like World of Warcraft, we have yet to see another new game in the franchise... and quite frankly it's long overdue.


3: Earthbound/Mother

Even if I wasn't a huge fan of Earthbound and Mother 3, I would include this on the list because there have been very few franchises with this kind of fan demand. There is technically a Mother 4 coming, but it's fan-made. Each game has been a unique take on certain things, and I think it's about time that they give into what the fans want and just release another one. That's right, I'm telling them what to do.

 
2: Ogre Battle

Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen is one of the best games ever. The excellent blend of strategy and RPG was really appealing at the time and I spent hours and hours playing it because there is a lot of replay value and secrets to find. I still don't think I know where everything is. I really liked Ogre Battle 64 too and think it's one of the best games on the N64. There have been spin-offs like Tactics Ogre, but I would lose it if they announced a new game in the series like the SNES one.


1: Timesplitters

There are games I like more than Timesplitters, like Earthbound and Ogre Battle, but I adore Timesplitters as it's one of my favourite shooters ever. So why is it number one if there are games I like more? Because they keep throwing it in our face. First it was in development, then it stopped. Then it got cancelled. Then Crytek said they wanted to make it. They're still saying it's something they want to make. I wish they would because in this world of grim shooters, it'd be nice to have a light-hearted, fast shooter with a sense of humour... and monkeys.


Honourable Mentions:
Commander Keen
Loaded
Power Stone
Shenmue


So what did you think? Did I miss a series that you really like? Let me know in the comments below or feel free to make friends with me on Twitter @ArtBathednCrime. Until next time, Happy Tuesday.

On The Podcast Episode 4 -- Black Ops Zombies, Thief, Too Much Sonic, Flappy Bird... And Jacob Tries To End The Podcast Before It Begins

 Welcome to Episode 4 of On The Podcast, YOUR (okay our) weekly Podcast... starring Jacob and Tyler, two random dudes who talk about things and may or may not be related.

Anyway, this week we have a video game focused episode. Most of the time we try to throw in some real world events, movies, books, whatever... but this time we found ourselves mostly talking games. We did touch a bit on things like Pinky Pony and whatnot, however.


Youtube: http://youtu.be/rL7kKIpkYEs
Listen To Mp3:
Download Mp3:https://archive.org/details/onthepodcastepisode4

On The Gamely Episode 1 - We Talk Mostly About Next-Gen Consoles

Written By: Tyler Selig

Hey, listen... Have you ever wanted to watch me and someone else discuss video games for an hour and twelve minutes? Probably not, and I admit the video is probably too long, but c'mon, it's the premiere episode of On The Gamely -- a show where we talk about mostly current issues in video games but will occasionally wax philosophic on other video game related matters.

I can't promise other episodes will be shorter, and at some point I wouldn't mind having a brief theme song to bring us in, but this is what we had to work with.

Let me know what you think! Post in the comments below or in the Youtube comments or come to my house.

Since Blogger is saying it can't find my video to embed it... I guess just click on this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_m-VScMQ14