About the Game.
Mafia I was originally made in 2002 for Microsoft and ported 2 years later to PlayStation 2 and Xbox. At the time, it was part of a whole horde of games that followed in the success of GTA 3’s open world mob crime game. But Mafia I tackled it from a different angle which set it apart from the rest and put it in a class of it’s own. Instead of running around in a world where you can do what you want to whoever you wanted, Illusion Softworks (now known as 2K) decided to bring a Godfather tier story right into the hands of the player in a bold attempt to bring a 1930’s city to life and make you, the player, a part of that history.
Now – with all that being said about the glory of the original game, Mafia I did come with its fair share of issues. It was not alone though, as most games from that era experienced similar limitations in what was known and possible within the realm of technology that existed then.
And so, 2K did something that a lot of other developers have done before them – take a classic and try and bring it into today’s era of gaming.
And they did a damn fine job of it too… mostly.
The Definitive Edition.
2K approached Mafia I as a complete overhaul, as opposed to just “prettying up” and older game like they did with Mafia II and III. Let’s take a closer look at some of these changes;
Voice Actors – 2K recast a lot of the voice actors in the overhaul of Mafia I which was met with a mixed bag of opinions. A large portion felt that the voice of the game’s protagonist, Tommy Angelo, was not quite up to the sound of the character he is made out to be in the game. Personally – I had no issue with his voice and thought it sounded fine. My struggles came in more with a certain Detective who keeps buying you coffee. His Irish accent just wasn’t doing it for me, and I can’t quite place my finger one why that is. I just know that I didn’t enjoy hearing him speak during the game’s many cinematic moments.
Driving – driving mechanics in the original game was very clunky and unresponsive. In the Definitive Edition however, the driving mechanics are a lot smoother and easily mastered as you send 1930’s vehicles sideways through intersections while missing old ladies, other vehicles and trams all taking up space on the roads and sidewalks of the city.
NPCs – the change to the way the NPCs react with the player and the environment is probably one of the biggest (second to visuals) overhauls that the game underwent. Like most NPCs in games from around 2002 (and some even today) where NPCs were more like mannequins and crash test dummies that didn’t really exhibit realistic human behaviours, the NPCs interact a lot more “human-like” in the Definitive Edition. Both with the player, as well as with each other and the playable environment.
Visuals – as expected in a remake/remaster of a classic, a drastic improvement in graphics and visual aspects of the game to bring it to more modern standards is a given. Can I just say, 18 years and a few generations jump have done Mafia I good. The textures of the game have been smoothened out and rendered well, even on my OG Xbox One console. Light and shadows move well while driving and walking and the visual aspects of the cinematics look good. Although some emotional face movements seem to have fallen away a bit (too much Botox in the code?).
It must be said that not all is fantastic in the visual department though. While driving or fighting, some surfaces occasionally take a bit longer to render in, causing a “shadow flash” effect as it snaps into existence. This also sometimes happens with cars that suddenly appear to fall in front of you or get caught up in some mystical obstacle in the middle of the road.
Apart from these changes to the overall look and feel of the game, not much else has changed in the Definitive Edition as it is a remaster of an old game, and not a remake. The story is mostly unaffected and unchanged, apart from a few added or altered lines. So, players returning to the game should not expect a new experience, but rather a remodelled experience of a classic. Think putting a fresh spray and wax on that classic car.
Personal Thoughts.
Having not actually played the original myself, I felt the story of Mafia I was interesting and it succeeded well in drawing me in. It also felt very different to other games I have played in this genre, including the other Mafia games. Mafia I really felt more like I was watching a classic mob film and being invited in to participate. This is achieved by great cinematic moments that happen often in the film with a lot of extra dialogue given during car rides on the way to objectives, either through the radio or via passengers travelling with you. The option to skip the drive entirely and fast travel to your destination is available though and I did make use of this feature from time to time when I was more interested in getting further in the story and not polishing off my driving skills.
The game is also a lot less repetitive than Mafia III, where I felt that missions were very montonous and were all the same run, gun and kill a boss type of play but he world of Mafia III was more open and exploring between tasks was always a temptation. Mafia I’s missions came with a little more variety, which was helped a long by the deep story being told throughout the game of the rise of one immigrant cab driver to power and prominence in the "family" in the early 1930s.
The game really does focus on storytelling and so I often caught myself falling into getting from task to task to focus on the story. This is very different to my usual play style which is look everywhere and anywhere and take ages to get to task. With this aspect semi removed from Mafia I, I felt that the game could feel a little linear at times.
I did still enjoy playing the game a lot and really enjoyed the more relaxed feel I got from it. Whereas I often feel a little more tense after competitive gaming, Mafia I Definitive Edition really brought me back to the kick back, put your feet up and relax type of gaming that is sometimes so needed in a busy world.
Final Thoughts.
With the vast amounts of cinematics in this open world story game, I found the fluidity of the game to be a bit broken as every chapter starts and ends with a lengthy cinematic that I would highly recommend you don’t skip. Even with this though, I still enjoyed the game as the cinematics were of a high standard and gave mission, and game critical information. Driving around in classic cars in a 1930s city that is dripping with life and atmosphere while climbing the career ladder in your life in the mafia definitely has a special kind of appeal to it and Mafia I does not let down as it transports you onto its streets and draws you completely into its world.
With all that being said – if you have played Mafia I before, I wouldn’t recommend getting this one unless you are a fan or collector as there is no change to the story. You would essentially be buying a good book with a new cover, which there’s nothing wrong with. Just not if you’re only interested in the story.
If you haven’t played Mafia I before then I would suggest this for the great story telling and modernising of a classic game. As well as the relax game sessions that are so needed.
Overall, I would give Mafia I: Definitive Edition a solid 7 out of 10.
Thank you to Prima Interactive for giving us a chance to review this gem.
The game needs the following minimum specs to play on your system;
OS: Windows 8.1 or newer
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 @ 2.4ghz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 64000 @ 2.4ghz
Memory: 4GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 420 or ATI Radeon HD 5570
Direct X: Version 11
Storage: 32GB available space
But, of course, better specs will mean better performance and high quality.
The game then allows you to toggle between legacy and remastered graphics at any time during the game by hitting the space bar. I almost broke my space bar in the first 10 minutes as I was smashing that thing to see what it looked like back in 1999 and what they’ve changed.
I must say – this is probably one of the best remaster upscales I’ve seen as the game is smoother and much better quality and the difference is VERY visible, even to the most graphic blind gamers out there. Being an RTS game – don’t expect super realistic shadows and nature, but rather see an RTS game looking like it should in 2020.
I personally feel this was done so well as the remaster team at Petroglyph Games included members of the original dev team from Westwood Studios.
Playing through the campaigns of both of the titles included in the Remastered Collection, I was reminded again of the old school grind of games as walkthroughs on YouTube didn’t exist back then and so I again chose to push through and beat levels by figuring it out myself and saving often. So, if there are walkthrough and “game hack” methods on YouTube and other services, I don’t know because I haven’t checked. And that is the best way to play the game in my humble opinion.
The overall playing experience of the Remastered Collection has been tweaked and doesn’t feel as “clunky” as a lot of older games do feel when you replay them. Missions are challenging and require some tactics and strategy. Rushing through them will often result in a mission failure (I saw my fair share of these while playing the more challenging missions) or in a sub-par result.
Based on nostalgic value alone (which by now you would see is quite high for me), I’d give them Command & Conquer Remastered Collection a 12 out of 10.
But based on a fair play of the game and taking all things into fair consideration (including nostalgic value), I would give this game a solid 8/10.
The guys over at EnerGhack were super generous in sending some my way for me to test and try. And test it I did, as you’ll soon see, as I put it through the paces as I used it through a very busy time of my life and pushed EnerGhack to its limits, as well as my own, as I experimented with it in other areas of my life that fall outside of gaming.
While most energy supplements claim to help you with reactions, focus, endurance, energy and hydration while gaming, EnerGhack takes it a step further and out of the realm of gaming and makes the claim that it will help you with studying, gym and other high energy activities.
So, I took this statement are really put it to the test.
Luckily this drink came at a very busy time in my life (as you will see in a bit) even though lockdown started in South Africa and things were meant to quieten down a bit, in my life – it was the opposite.
So, I used the product in the following scenarios to see how it would help;
With all coffee shops and that being closed at this stage of our lockdown in SA (not that any would be open at 2am), the only source of extra energy I had was the EnerGhack that I brought along with me – and it REALLY did help. The minute I felt the drowsiness of a long day kicking in in the early hours of the morning, a few sips of EnerGhack really snapped me out of it and kept me going for an extra hour or so.
Overall, EnerGhack really did deliver on what they said they would and in all of the scenarios and times that I used the product, no jitters or slumps were experienced and I wasn’t left with that weird artificial sweetener taste in my mouth.
While we're on the topic of taste – the flavours of EnerGhack are all incredible in their own way but mixing them literally blew my mind as the flavours merged and worked in ways my brain could not even comprehend. I even let my wife have a few sips and her exact words were “you can taste that it’s an energy drink but its not gross at all,” which is all the proof you need knowing that my wife absolutely hates the taste of other energy drinks.
Currently, EnerGhack comes in four flavours. These are Raging Raspberry, Blueberry Bomber, Tropical Pineapple and Cosmic Lemon.
Of all the individual flavours, Raspberry and Pineapple definitely came out on tops in my books, and the mix of the two is very high up on my list of favourite mixes.
Being fortunate enough to have access to the full flavour range, I experimented with various different flavour combos and my favourite mix is definitely Lemon/Pineapple, followed closely by Raspberry/Pineapple. I even went as far as to mix all 4 flavours into one and, while not bad at all, it just turned into a “just fruity” flavour and definitely didn’t feature on my list of need to try again combos.
I do hope that new flavours will be added to the menu soon like hint hint mango, litchi and guava.
The game starts its introduction with a well-planned money heist with enough of a take that everyone involved could retire early and very happy.
However, as you guessed it - this is not the case!
Through massive betrayal and being forced to take a bit of a rest – as being shot in the face might require, Lincoln sets out on the world’s biggest revenge quest. Our friendly neighbourhood protagonist recruits the help of a CIA agent who he worked closely with in Vietnam and the two start on a path to not just kill those responsible for the betrayal, but to completely dismantle their kingdom from underneath them one brick at a time, plunging their world into instability the likes of which they've never experienced from their lofty thrones.
Unfortunately, this is another game that takes on the well-worn path of revenge but it does so in a unique way that almost brings a breath of fresh air into it, with snaps of real life (looking at least) clips of a court hearing to delve deeper into the slaughter that was Mr Clay’s takeover of New Bordeaux.
Before I give away the whole game (this isn’t a walkthrough), lets looks a little closer at what MAFIA III is.
From the start up
The Definitive Edition is not a remaster of the game, as I originally thought, but rather a repackage of the game into one collection in anticipation of the remaster of MAFIA I releasing later this year.
The repackage includes the base game of MAFIA III and all DLCs, as well as the Family Kick-Back pack which gives you a few exclusive cars and weapons to make use of in the game.
But is it really exclusive if everyone has it? Asking for a friend…
The total download size of the game on Xbox is around 56gb and can be yours for the low low price of R549 (at the time writing), or you can own the entire Mafia Trilogy for R999.
Not too shabby hey?
The Setting
As said above, the game is set in a fictional version of New Orleans, known as New Bordeaux. 2K has done a great job at providing us with a huge playing space and each area having it’s own unique flare and style, as well as each of the mafia in those areas having a slight twist to them.You really have everything from man eating alligators and red-necks brewing moonshine in the Bayou to classy upmarket suburban areas with pompous denizens with flashy cars and beach front homes.
There is no fast travel system available in game and so the map must be manually traversed (we recommend finding a car). This can sometimes be a tad tedious, but I learnt to love the drive with good music and classy drifts, enjoying the ever-changing city in each of the different areas. The game is well rounded off with a difference in the areas during the day and at night, and a full weather cycle.
Gameplay and Controls
The controls of MAFIA III are fairly easy to master with it having a very similar vibe to other criminal type open world games. You play in Third Person and control camera angles with the right stick and movement with the left. This allows you to move in one direction while quickly having a look down an alley or through a window without being too obtuse.
Combat is challenging but manageable as standing in the open will result in you getting gunned down. Moving from cover to cover is a must - obviously. Firing from cover is quite easy as using the aim control will automatically cause Lincoln to stand up or peer out of cover while aiming down sight. Aim assist can be adjusted from full snap on to nothing at all.
Gameplay is quite broad with various missions and collectables to go find spread out across New Bordeaux and there are a few races and just generally interesting places to go check out.
Building up your team and seeing how they start to benefit you, especially if you put a little time into building up their rackets, is a nice addition to this game as it does give the gamer that little bit of motivation to focus on something else other than just plodding along the main story line.
One aspect of gameplay that I personally found lacking was the actual variation in the main mission types. After taking my second area and starting on the third, I already got that dreaded gamer’s Deja vu feeling of the same monotonous gameplay. This feeling only heightened as I played on through the story and actually started to detract from a fairly captivating and well written story of revenge, albeit a bit of a cliché storyline.
The missions really did fall into a creative rut with every mission being attack this hot spot and this one, do a few cash steals or destroy stuff to a certain value, defeat the lieutenant who came in to check what’s up and then defeat the boss once you removed all his lieutenants from the area.
You’d think after 4 or 5 of these, the lieutenants and area bosses would wizen up and not walk into a well "defended area" that fell straight into the plan of our highly trained and incredibly motivated hardened killer.
Cars and Driving
Although I could’ve included this section under gameplay and controls, I feel it deserved a section of its own as the driving and cars in MAFIA III were really a redeeming factor for the game in my opinion.
With there being various types of cars and styles, I often found my car …ahem… shopping took a little longer as I’d find a model that I liked, drive 100 metres and see it in a better colour and slam on brakes to get that one rather. This did lessen substantially after I unlocked a certain benefit that would bring some really good-looking cars right to me. This did then result in my spending way too much time and hard-earned money in Big Rick’s Custom Auto getting my cars kitted just how I liked them and purring like a kitty.
And then returning later again after winning more stuff in the different races scattered across the map.
The driving in this game was really enjoyable as you learnt to time the drift perfectly around an intersection and learnt when the drift needed just a little more gas, a brake or a hand brake to successfully complete depending on the car, road surface, speed and sharpness of the corner you were attacking. The sense of absolute satisfaction I got from nailing the perfect drift on this game time after time really kept me coming back for more and I really didn’t mind the long trips between places once I had this down. In fact, I’d sometimes plan the long route on purpose just to enjoy the car a little bit longer.
And the classic tunes coming through the radio, especially on WNBX, definitely helped set the mood and contributed to my sheer enjoyment of driving on this game.
Final Thoughts
Although the game did fall into a bit of a monotonous grind in the missions, I found there were still many aspects of the game that kept me coming back for more and actually made me think less of the same type of mission I was playing for the thirtieth time. So, although the monotonous factor is one big negative factor for me, there were lots of little positives that helped redeem the game and turn it into an overall enjoyable experience. The main ones of these definitely being the tunes, cars and driving.
I also enjoyed the break away from the traditional Italian Mafia of the previous two games with the twist of Lincoln growing up as an African American on the streets of a very prejudiced era and carving his own type of justice to the Italian Mafia.
Just one final word of warning before giving my final rating of the game.
To accurately represent the times, MAFIA III does have a lot of racial and sexist slurs and stereotypes as was common in the 60’s. 2K does give a nice explanation as to why they went with this route in the opening of the game. On top of this, profanities and nudity is about a dime a dozen and coupled with the slurs and violence, this really is a game that is made for the older crowd of gamer.
With all that being said and balanced in my brain. Taking the good and the bad, as Will Thatcher’s dad taught me, I give this repackaged version of MAFIA III a solid 7 out of 10.
Once created, you get to select your starting area and are given a choice of three safe locations in low level areas. Perfect for a keen, yet inexperienced novice mage just starting out on his own. I selected Raincourt to the east and started my journey.
The opening sequence is quite strange as your newly selected appearance is forged from the fire in a rather odd and disturbing manner. It's all over rather quickly, leaving your brain reeling with so many questions...
Getting the hang of the game is simple with the tutorial quest giver standing right in the starting area with a giant glowing exclamation mark floating over their head - convenience is key.
The tutorial quests give you a quick and rough knowledge of the game and give you enough skills to start you off. These include foraging, harvesting, cooking, combat, and crafting.
You are not bound to these quests and can head off on your own right away or at any point of your choosing. The quests are not long though and quite easy to complete so I'd recommend getting them out the way and earning some free XP for levels early on.
At lower levers, your buildings are limited to wood with very simple decorations. Stone and other fancier building materials are unlocked at higher levels. Once you've put in a decent chunk of time and earned the levels, the buildings that you can make are really quite spectacular.
The game does not have set buildings and you can build whatever your mind and your resource allows you to. From starting off with a simple hunting shack with a cooking fire to a beautiful castle with ramparts and towers and quidditch type pitches (yes - you read that right).
Thrones are vital when building something you'd like to keep as they assign ownership of the building to you and your house and items and doors cannot be opened by anybody not in your house. THEED3 and myself got quite lucky in a PvP server and were able to steal a well established building from another player who had not yet put a throne in, saying they weren't impressed is an understatement! Thrones also stop the building and items from decaying over time, which is a rather nice feature when trying to build a more permanent establishment for yourself our your house.
I feel that I need to give this game two ratings.
So, as a single-player game I give this game a 6/10 as it really is more focused at online play but is still enjoyable on your own.
As a multiplayer game, which will be my more official rating as it is an online game, I give Citadel Forged with Fire a rising 7,5 stars out of 10.
I say rising as this game as only recently made the move from PC only to multi-platform and I feel like they've done a fairly decent job of it. With one or two tweaks to the game, namely to menu navigation and controls, this game could definitely rate higher (provided they don't break anything else in the process).
With that being said, I don't feel like the issues I have mentioned are game-breaking and are valid reasons to deter anyone from buying this game.
If you are into any of the mentioned movies and game styles then Citadel is definitely a game you would enjoy.
The six different race modes to choose from are Touring, Stock, Tuner, GT, FA and Invitational. Each mode coming with its own set of cars and, with those, its own unique set of challenges and fun in racing them. Each game mode ending with a “Showdown” event that puts the player to the test in the hardest and most challenging races of the mode.
One very awesome feature that GRID 2019 has is the FA mode or rather the Fernando Alonso mode. This mode allows you to race in a wide range of cars from grippy almost go-kart type cars all the way through to actual F1 cars as you challenge Alonso himself to a showdown. Rumour has it that if you beat him, you can choose him as your teammate in races. Hopefully, he’ll be a beneficial teammate – but more on that later.
Each race earns you credits, as well as losing some in costs depending on your racing style (mine is rather pricey). These credits can be used to buy other cars to race in other modes or to have more cars, and better cars, to choose from in your favourite events. My recommendation here would be to focus on one or two events out the gate and build up a bit of a monopoly before branching out into the other modes and spending too much of your credit but credits are pretty easy to earn so its up to you how you manage your budget.
GRID is available to own on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows. And will be available to stream on Google Stadia when that is released later this year.
Again, with my limited experience in the realm of basketball games, my lack of skill was made obvious when I was dabbling in the Play Now area. I chose my favourite team - Golden State Warriors and had a normal 5v5 match against the Philadelphia 76ers. The learning curve of this game is huge and my fingers felt stupid on the controller as I button hacked trying to figure out what I was doing.
A quick look in the control settings showed me what I needed to know and I was able to play with at least answering all the shots that were taken against me.
The graphics are very impressive, with big basketball stars being very easy to spot and recognise in-game (if you know who you're looking for) and the fluidity of gameplay is smooth and responsive.
2K has done a fantastic job in drawing the player into the game with realistic crowd cheering, good and fair game commentating and well place "highlight" shots of impressive gameplay moments, like dunks and 3-pointers.
Attack all depends on your positioning and timing as well. Drive the ball up close to the hoop and go for a layup, standing in the zone will result in a 2-point jump shot and the further you are from the hoop you are, the trickier the shot (of course). If you try and shoot while being pressed - your shot will be blocked or missed, try to layup with a bigger defender standing over you - slapped down and left looking like a deer in the headlights with all pride thrown out the window.
A little more guidance through this part of the game would've been much appreciated but the hints that 2K did leave did not tell enough for the new and inexperienced players to fully grasp what they were doing there.
Being pretty chuffed with the 6foot4 digital version of myself, I started the career mode and was in for a good time.
You pick up the story in a crucial semi-final match, where you are the captain and hero of your college. This match is impossible to lose as the score jumps miles ahead of your opponents while you are benched during parts of the match. At the end of the match a teammate gets injured which results in him losing his scholarship. You choose to do something about this and sit out of the final - which your team loses, and you fall from grace and try to earn a spot at the NBA Draft. You go through a process known as the NBA Combine, which allows scouts to properly evaluate and assess potential talent for the league. You are asked to do various drills, which help you learn the controls of the game, and then play in a few scrimmages to increase your chances of being noticed and drafted.
During this process, you are given choices to increase your rep or your skill. Choosing the one, will result in a decrease in the other and allows the game to decide your path forward as you tell it what kind a player you want to become - chasing the fame, or looking to be a NBA great.
I was able to work my way up from a "late 2nd round" to "solid 1st round" pick, even though I made some serious blunders during the Combine, including completely fluffing my vertical standing jump and some of my shooting. The pressure is high during this part and I definitely cracked under some of it.
Luckily - I got the invite for the Green Room and was drafted in the first round.
GO WARRIORS!
Special thanks to Prima Interactive for supplying us with a review copy.
So we got the inside scoop with the developer of this game, Ian Jamie Pillay, and asked him a few questions about the game, himself and a couple non-essential need to know questions.
And here it is - straight from the mouth of the man himself.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where you come from, what you do for a living, etc.
A: Born in SA, Durban (27y/o). Studied Bachelor of Computer science, and have been making games since i was in grade 10. Currently I am a big data specialist at Standard Bank. (Machine Learning, Data & AI)
Q: What kinds of games do you usually find yourself playing?
A: Anything really. my favourites include Fifa, Dota2, Cod/ BF, any RPG (big final fantasy fan), MMO fan (GW, Wow, ESO etc), God of war (my best game ever)
Q: If you had to choose your top 5 all time classic games, what would they be?
A: Classics? Spyro, Tomb Raider, NFS Underground 2, Prince of Persia, Diablo 2
-the man has good taste-
Q: As a person who is developing a game, what aspects of games do you find you most enjoy in other games?
A: Fluid movement is vital, being an rpg fan, my favourite aspects are definitely the combat system (flexible impactful combat) and story narration (story driven like the new gow/ horizon/ witcher)
Q: Tell us a little bit about your game. What is it about, what type of game it is, etc.
A: Type of game - It is a fantasy action RPG with platforming and stealth elements. high emphasis on story narrative, and fun game play! About the game:
Akromah's Tale follows a young adventurer, who lives a normal peaceful life, with his friend.
Until one day the very foundation of his beliefs are ripped away from him.
With only one way forward, he looks towards an uncertain future - with the intent to right the wrongs of this world.
Together, Akromah and his untrustworthy companion, Tayle (whose soul is trapped inside a utility bag), will learn devastating magic and the difference between friend and foe.
They will look to find peace and justice through his ideals for the world he once knew.
-it's got me hooked-
Q: What was the inspiration behind this game for you?
A: The game actually started off as a sidescroller, but over time with my friends it grew into what it is now. aspire for a quality game that is genuinely fun. Witcher 3 for sure - quality before greed!
-did he just say Witcher? Consider the game bought-
Q: What type of character development does the game have?
A: Levels, gear, etc. It will have levels, but cant say for sure how it will be implemented. thinking of leveling skills/ armor/ mechanics instead of generic hero levels.
Q: What do you find the hardest for you in your process to develop this game?
A: Time management for sure! I enjoy programming so I don't mind that solo, but managing this game and my job kinda forfeits a social life (excluding 2 the friends from high school who are helping with story line and some other niche areas)
Q: What do you hope gamers will get from your game?
A: Fun, emotional experience, building a legacy for the game/ the studio
Q: Is this your first game? If not, what other types of games have you worked on?
A: Not exactly. I've made a few horrible games during high school, and a mobile sidescroller a few years ago which gave me a ton of experience for this game. (lessons, do's and don'ts)
Q: Where do you see yourself going with game development?
A: Ideally full time game studio, but that isn't going to happen anytime soon - ha ha.
Q: When do you expect your game to be complete and where would people be able to get it from?
A: Hoping for mid 2020, Currently aiming at Steam on PC, but hoping, with the help of a kickstarter etc, PS/ Xbox consoles.
-holding thumbs for console release as well-
Q: What kind of specs should we be running to play your game?
A: Mid to high range definitely, but still hard to improve performance (GTX 1050 + should run it well)
-so fresh potato PCs should work fine-
Hopefully that's gotten all of you salivating at the mouth as much as it has me.
NOW!
For those need to know questions.
Q: Long walks down the beach or a stroll in the mountains?
A: Neither, locked up in my room with my pc, internet and snacky/ concentration food.
-touché-
Q: Pepsi or Coke?
A: tap water, gave up fizzy drinks a long time ago - ha ha
-he chooses health and longevity over pure liquid enjoyment, fair enough-
Q: Skittles or rascals?
A: Astros
-a man who refuses to colour inside the lines-
Q: What’s your favourite colour?
A: Fuchsia
-yeah... I had to google that-
Q: Do you believe the earth is flat or round?
A: Round
-there is hope yet-
Q: If you had to choose one, Playstation or Xbox?
A: PlayStation FTW
-that's a pity-
Q: You’re stranded on an island - what 3 things do you have with you to survive?
A: unopened FedEx box, Wilson volleyball, and an Ice Skate.
-uhm... ok? He's going to have to explain this one-
Q: Who was your first celebrity crush?
A: Kim Possible (don't judge me - ha ha)
-no judgement there! I'm sure there's a lot more of you in that boat than you realise-
This game seems to tickle all the right places, with diverse biomes and ecosystems, interesting sounding story and character development, mystery and intrigue, an untrusty companion, cool art style and awesome looking adversaries.
I, for one, am very eager to join Akromah on his noble quest.
Have a look at the final teaser for the game right here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHktg_sA4Ao&feature=youtu.be
And while you're at it, why don't you give the man a subscribe on YouTube.
However, the Switch is still crazy expensive here in South Africa, with the cost of it being around 6Gs at the time of this article. So is the Lite a smaller, cheaper version of the Switch? Like the iPhone XS is to the XS Max? Or is it a watered down version of the same product, like any lite/diet version of drinks? We'll let you decide that for yourselves.
Before we delve into it, retail price has not yet been confirmed in South Africa, but it has been announced at $200. Don't all rush to your converters to see what we'll be paying here just yet. As is the norm, we know that it'll be a good R1500+ more than the overseas selling price.
So what exactly is the Switch Lite?
The Lite is a handheld console designed for the Nintendo users who prefer the portable capabilities of the original Switch. It is slightly smaller, will not be able to link up to a TV and it doesn't have the Switch's trademark break-away Joy-Cons, rumble or motion feedback. All of which lends to the "portable system" focus of the Lite.
One massive improvement to the Lite's overall design and feel is the addition of a D-Pad on the left side of the device - something fans have been asking Nintendo for since the Switch was released.
At the moment, the Lite is available in 3 colours - Yellow, Turqoise and Grey, but there is also a limited edition Pokemon Sword and Shield design pictured below.
One other interesting point to mention is that not all current Switch games will be playable on the Switch Lite, due to the Lite's reduced functions. So you will have to check on the back of your case to see if your favourite Switch titles are playable in handheld mode.
Along with the Switch Lite, Nintendo also announced a new version of the Switch which is said to have a longer battery life in it's handheld form. Not much else is known about this "enhanced" version of the Switch, except that it may feature a few internal improvements on the existing Switch model.
If you are interested in getting your hands on a Switch Lite, they will be releasing in South Africa at the same time as the rest of the world (thank you Nintendo for having an established presence in our country) and will be on shelves on the 20th of September this year. Pre-order is available at select (overseas) vendors though.
For more infromation on the Switch Lite, have a look at this video straight from Nintendo.
The EA Play event brought us news from the gaming giant on some of their latest developments and updates to some of their current big titles.
The event included information on titles such as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Apex Legends, Battlefield V, FIFA 20, Madden NFL 2020 and The Sims 4.
So let's break it down and see exactly what's happening.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Now this is a game that I, personally, have been keenly following since its announcement a few months back.
The EA Play event treated us to 15 minutes of gameplay footage and WOW! What a game this thing is shaping up to be.
The game is canon and is set just after Order 66 was given so, for those Star Wars fans out there, it's set between Episode 3 and 4 and before Rogue One. The 15 minutes of gameplay showed our blue lightsabre wielding protagonist, Cal Kestis, running through spider infested levels and kicking some serious Imperial butt! We are introduced to some of the force powers swordmanship that is available in the game, and both are really impressive!
We are also introduced to Star Wars' next very lovable droid (move aside BB-8) in the form of Buddy Droid 1, commonly known as BD-1. This little guy is essentially your backpack as we see him dispensing health vials, as well as projecting holographic maps and accessing power ports for you. He's a very active little guy and moves around on Cal's back as the various situation's demand it.
If you missed the gameplay footage, you can check it out here.
Battlefield V
The latest game in the Battlefield franchise got some screen time at this year's EA Play event and, in it, we were informed of a whole lot of new things coming our way.
The first, and probably biggest, piece of news is a new map, called Al Sondon. This is a massive map that focuses more on the large scale battle side of things which Battlefield has always been known for.
They also spoke about Marita, a new map which recently dropped into play.
E3 2019 officially kicked off with Microsoft showing us some of the things we can expect from them in the near future and, with Sony nowhere in sight at this year’s conference, Microsoft took full use of the opening.
We got details on the next generation of Xbox, codenamed Project Scarlett, and a look at the trailers of games like Halo Infinite and Gears 5, as well as when we can expect them to drop.
These are just some of the things that were revealed at E3 2019 but if I told you all the secrets up front then there would be no point in writing further…
So let’s break it down.
Project Scarlett
After months of speculation and rumours, Microsoft FINALLY let its fans know what to expect from its next-gen console and, man, what a machine it is!
This thing is said to have 4 times the processing power of the Xbox One X and manages to run at 120 fps, double that of the One X (yes – we know PC Gamers, we know). Project Scarlett also boasts 8K resolution, more photo-realistic lighting effects thanks to new and improved ray tracing (google it – I had to too). Now we can go on about all the other tech stuff but the thing that piques my attention the most is a new breed of SSD, which is said to be 40 times faster than current SSDs available on the market – hello super-fast loading times.
Take a look at the reveal video here.
And it's damn sexy too!
Gears 5 and Halo Infinite
New instalments for some of Microsoft’s biggest, and most loved, exclusive game franchises are on their way to a console near you (provided you’ve bought it).
Have a look at these trailers to get some hype!
Bethesda, never one to leave their fans disappointed once again brought the magic... Opening with a touching tribute and shout-out to the players, and what we as the players, mean to Bethesda.
Todd Howard was first to take the stage and apologised for the rough start of Fallout 76. Next was The Elder Scrolls: Blades, the very popular mobile game. New features such as dragon questline and single person arena modes. The features don't stop there, Blades is coming to the Nintendo Switch!
Fallout 76
https://youtu.be/DyhceJEIhBo
Fallout had a rocky start, but with tons of updates it has become a rather happy community, and now, the latest update called Wastelanders, bringing with it Human NPC's, more main quests, choice and consequences as well as a host of new weapons and gear. A new and refreshing game mode is also included, Vault 51 needs a new overseer, and in true gaming logic, the only way to decide that is by way of... a Battle Royale... a 52-man fight to be the overseer, named Nuclear Winter!
Ghostwire: Tokyo
https://youtu.be/MZBcNP8_FVE
Ghostwire Tokyo is a new paranormal action adventure game. This title will take you to Tokyo where people are going missing, your job is to find out why. Along the way, you will meet both good and bad spirits, who will aid or increase your struggles during your adventure. Looking at the trailer, it would seem that a great deal of your time will be invested in trying to discover which elements are normal and which are paranormal...
Elder Scrolls: Online
https://youtu.be/XpfOjHzEPuQ
Dragons! Dragons have come to ESO. Elsweyr was recently launched, allowing players to explore the homeland of the Kajhit and try out the new necromancer class. The previous season of ESO showed us how dragons were brought to the world of ESO, now see what they are doing to the world and its inhabitants in the new world premiere! Introducing the new order of dragon hunters that will be launched with the next expansion called Dragonhold which will complete the season of the dragon. August will bring Scalebreaker, a dungeon-crawling release adding much-requested gameplay to the ESO game.
Elder Scrolls: Legends (mobile)
https://youtu.be/RlKDNzwYoSE
Bethesda is really investing in the mobile game genre, and taking their biggest names and taking them mobile. ES: Legends is a card based game coming to mobile, similar to Gwent. ES Legends will be available for download immediately.
Rage 2
https://youtu.be/1Rps7WKTYr4
With the release of Rage 2 Id Software has created what is arguably one of the best open world shooters ever, and they are not planning on stopping there. In the near-future Rage 2 will be getting its first expansion bringing with it a host of new characters, missions, vehicles, and weapons. The new expansion is called Rise of Ghosts. Oh and wait, you can now drive... a Mech!!!
Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot (VR)
Time to head back to Europe and kill some more Nazis, this time in VR! You find yourself in the shoes of a French hacker working for the resistance, hacking the Nazi war machines and turning them on their creators!
Wolfenstein: Youngblood
More weapons! More custom playstyle and MORE NAZIS TO KILL! What is better than killing Nazis? Killing them with a friend! Grab a friend and jump to the 1980s, BJ is missing, you take control of his twins on the hunt to find their dad, either doing it solo or with a friend! This is going to be BLOODY GORGEOUS!
https://youtu.be/XVGsNUnrvAI
Deathloop
Deathloop is a new and interesting title coming from the creators of Dishonored. Showcasing 2 assassins stuck on an island prison/paradise, depending on who you ask, in a timeless loop hunting and killing each other over and over. With Arkane studios at the helm, Deathloop promises to bring a mind-bending story as well as providing many ways to approach and complete the task at hand.
https://youtu.be/qclEO3QxclY
Orion (new game-engine tech)
https://youtu.be/8n61-78vBM0
With all the talk of game streaming, Orion tech can be applied to any game engine and make it more efficient for streaming! Up to 20% faster per frame and 40% lower bandwidth, for us, this means faster streaming of games as well as making it cheaper and less-hungry on data. You will still be able to stream your game at max settings even if you live further away from data centres.
DOOM ETERNAL
https://youtu.be/uxBQmSXrDxM
DOOM is arguably the poster boy title for Bethesda, and Doom Eternal solidifies this statement! Insane speed, tremendous amounts of blood and gore! Doom promises bigger and better! Demon slaying is the game, and DOOM Eternal brings the newest and best way of doing so with new map designs, new weapons and new enemies to try them on, all while finding your own way of slaying!
Square Enix is a powerhouse company boasting some of the biggest game names in the industry and at 2019 E3 they did not hold back!
Final Fantasy VII remake
Yes, it is finally happening, after many years in development hell and many sneak peeks at previous E3 conferences, Final Fantasy 7 is finally getting some worthwhile info to share. With visuals that are simply breathtaking, this, arguably the greatest in the Final Fantasy franchise will pull at heartstrings of new and old alike. Final Fantasy 7 is going to be large it will spand 2 bluray discs! New players to Final Fantasy 7 should not worry, the game has been tailored for newbies and veterans alike. Gone is the turn-based fighting system and welcome to the FF15-style combat system.
Final Fantasy VII will drop on 03:03:2020
https://youtu.be/eBZyJl7_OPM
Life is Strange 2
After Life is Strange 2 and The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, comes a continuation of one of the most emotional roller coaster rides you can possibly have in a game. Daniel is starting to control his powers and meets up and shares it with fellow friends and foes along the way. Life is Strange cannot be classed in words; all you can do is simply experience this narrative splendour for yourself.
The latest chapter is available now
https://youtu.be/yqrQ44bQdaY
Dragon Quest Builders 2
The builders have been abducted and it is up to you, and your mysterious partner to save them! Defeat the children of Hargon and become the master builder, but wait, building is always better with a friend, now you can call on your friends to help you save the world!
https://youtu.be/pBcRuaBOeX4
Battalion 1944
Battallion 1944 is getting many new features and game modes as well as new weapons! As well as a new multiplayer system allowing for easy leagues and tournaments as well as major bragging rights. Check out the fast-paced video to see all the newest additions to what is sure to be a classic.
https://youtu.be/_-I3KsAQOtQ
Square Enix Music
The music app that gamers want! You now have Square Enix game soundtracks at your fingertips! Simply hop onto all leading subscription services and listen to your favourite Final Fantasy soundtrack immediately!
