It’s been a few months since Ubisoft released the universally well-received Assassin’s Creed: Origins. And to their credit, those few months have not been devoid of life: the game has been supplemented fairly constantly by the Trials of the Gods events and fairly unusual collaborations with Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XV, not to mention Reda the wandering child-salesman (edit: he is a child, he does not sell children) and his daily quests.

Sobek. God of ripped crocodile-people.

Every elephant, killed. Every viewpoint, scaled. Now what?

As a general rule, I don’t go for sports games. This has nothing to do with not liking the concept; I just don’t particularly follow sport. I think this has a certain amount to do with evil flashbacks of my gangle, milky white legs feebly limping around my school playing field for 45 minutes a week. Not being at all athletic sort of puts you off a little bit. What I do like is a good bit of senseless violence. Now, nearly killing your opponent in an ordinary game of rugby (let’s remember I’m British, virtually the same game as American Football without the armour) is probably frowned upon. Nearly killing your opponent in a game like Mutant Football League is virtually mandatory and therefore instantly far more appealing than say … one of the John Madden series of games. “Alex, what are you rambling on about this time?” Well you see, Mutant Football League, a favourite of mine from the old Genesis/Megadrive days, has just been rebooted and hit console. To be honest, I couldn’t be happier.

This past week, I got a spend an hour playing Laser League in an early access event with some of the developers. The game is published by 505 games and developed by Roll7, makers of pixel based side scrollers OlliOlli and NOT A HERO. Their latest game ditches the pixels and plays from a top-down perspective where you can see the whole arena at all times. Laser League is a competitive futuristic “sport” game where two teams must eliminate each other by lighting up laser nodes to their color and avoiding colors of the enemy team. If a player makes contact with an opposing color, they go down until either the round ends or a teammate revives them. When all players on a team go down, the winning team, as you would expect, scores a point. In the online matches we played, three points wins a team a round, and two round victories win the game.

The gameplay of Laser League is a lot of fun. The longer the round that you are in goes on, the faster and more unpredictable the lasers begin to move. While at first things start out slow and boring, they can quickly get out of hand if you find yourself on the team with fewer lasers. Probably the thing I liked most about the game is that it forces you to think fast, or you are screwed. I had plenty times in my hour of play that I knew right after going down what I should have done differently. You have to be fast-reacting which makes for exhilarating play and crazy moments.

This was an early version of the game that I played, but I will note that there were times I thought the hit boxes between the characters and the lasers were a little off. I would see replays where people went down when they were successfully out running a laser or moved to the side in time. I am sure this is an issue that will be taken care of before the game officially releases, but I noticed it on quite a few different occasions.

The environment of the game is simple. You can tell that they are going for that Tron aesthetic, and they nail it pretty well. If given the money and time, I am sure Roll7 could easily make a fun light cycle mode, but I digress. Like any sport, Laser League takes place in arenas around the world. When talking with the developers, I was told there are multiple arenas, each with multiple laser set ups, but in the hour that I played I only got one arena and two set ups so seeing more of a variety would have been nice.

As the match goes on random power-ups will appear on the floor and these can be complete game changers. There is a power-up that will reverse the way all lasers are moving, swap colors on all lasers, one that will erase all nodes, and quite more. I was told that there are a total of 16 different power-ups. Just grabbing them without thinking is not a smart practice however. There can be instances where you have the upper hand and grabbing a power-up could completely shift things in the other teams favor.

As I mentioned earlier, downed players can be revived by teammates. When a player goes down they leave a marker on the field. When a teammate runs over that marker the player will be revived with probably about a half second or so of invincibility. As an opponent, guarding the revive spots on the field can cause a lot of headaches for the other team and was one thing I had quite a bit of fun with doing when just running for lasers in that area of the map.

One of the best decisions the developers made with the game is that at the end of each round, the loser of the round gets choose a new class. This will allow teams to strategize and make fixes to picks that are not working. One of the more interesting choices of the game is that there are a number of classes you can choose from that are much different than the rest. Blade, Thief, Ghost, Smash, Snipe, and Shock are the available classes to choose from, each having two different modifiers to them.

Blade

Blade is the first type I played as. He has a short, quick slash attack that will down enemies he comes into contact with. I never actually got to take anyone down with him, one, because I had not figured out the controls yet, and two, it’s not as easy as it would seem to dash through an enemy and avoid lasers on the other side. Overall, he was a simple character and I feel many newcomers will play as him.

Thief

Thief was the one I played as the most and the one I had the most fun with. He gives the player the ability to steal enemy lasers and turn them into his own teams. When you press the ability button a ring surrounds him for maybe a second and a half. Any activated nodes of the opposing color that enter that ring will change to yours. This ability got me out of some tricky situations and made for some quick turnarounds on enemies who thought they had me on the ropes. He is a great one for strategizers to use.

Ghost

This is the only class I believe that I never saw in a game. As you would guess by his name, Ghost turns invisible for a short period of time where he cannot be hit by anything. He is free to walk through lasers and enemies for a brief period of time. A great pick for getting out of sticky situations of reviving teammates.

Smash

As you can tell by his name, Smash is the bruiser of the lot. He has a longer dash than Blade that will send enemies flying backwards quite a ways. This can be used for knocking enemies out of position or just knocking them into your own lasers. Just avoid what I did a couple times where I accidentally knocked the enemy into safety.

Snipe

Snipe is an interesting class that got me killed a few times during my play time. Snipe can drop down a marker and as he walks from it a line will be connected between him and the marker. When he presses the ability button he will warp back to the marker, taking down any enemies in the path. Between dodging lasers and trying to decide where to make my next move I had a very hard time not just avoiding, but looking for Snipe’s lines.

Shock

Personally, Shock was by far the most irritating class to play against. When the ability button is pressed, an electric shield will surround Shock. Any enemies that make contact with this shield will be stunned for a couple precious seconds. During this time they are sitting ducks for any other enemy attacks or moving lasers.

Probably the thing I heard the developers bragging about the game the most was the customization of the classes. They really wanted me to understand that each hero has their own leveling system and as you level each one you unlock more customization items. Personally, I didn’t really care about this detail, but for those who like unique-looking characters, there are supposed to be over 250 customization items in the game.

Overall, I had a blast playing Laser League. This is a highly intense game that had me yelling with excitement by the end of my playtime. I truly believe this little developer has a great game on their hands and I hope to see it do well. Personally, seeing what the finished product will play like excites me, as long as they can get the hit box issue taken care of and add some more variety to the laser patterns. If the game works when it comes out, and it is handled correctly, it could be another Rocket League-like success story.

I asked the developers if there was any plan to bring the game to consoles and they said that it was being talked about and work on the console versions would be beginning once the game hits early access on Steam. Laser League is expected to go into early access sometime this year with no release date announced yet. The open beta starts Friday January 26 at 9:00 AM PST and goes until Sunday, January 28 at 10:00 PM PST. If you have a PC, give this game a try this weekend.

This preview is based on an early access demo provided by the developer.

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Do you or someone you know want to learn how to play platformers and enjoy good ambiance to boot? Well, I just have the game for you! Let me introduce Candleman: The Complete Journey, developed by Zodiac Interactive and published by Spotlightor Interactive. This charming platformer follows the story of an enchanted candlestick with legs throughout its journey to a lighthouse to figure out its existence. Candleman actually came out for the Xbox One around this time last year, and because of its strong reception in that platform, Spotlightor Games has decided to roll it out the PCs via Steam at the end of this month.

Listen up, recruits! The Resistance is in search of new soldiers to stick it to the enemy in this brand-new upcoming Community Event.

Get your rucksack ready and prepare for Call of Duty: WWII – The Resistance DLC1 with a new free limited time in-game event that will be running from Jan. 23 to Feb 27.

This new piece of DLC will include the new Resistance Division free for all players. In addition, more free weapons will be made available to buff up your current load-out.

New weapons such as a tactical knife, a pistol, the Volkssturmgewehr machine gun, and the Orso automatic rifle are just what the doctor ordered. All of these new weapons pack a solid punch and will put you head-and-shoulders above the competition.

And if that wasn’t enough, the return of Demolition, the mode that sets you to blowing up everything in your way to victory is sure to thrill. There will also be an all-new free Resistance themed supply drop every month that will contain new uniforms and new weapon variants as well as new Resistance gear, 2XP playlists, and much, much more.

Check out the video below but make sure that the kiddies aren’t in the room as this one is pretty graphic.

Before the Storm

Prepare to freak out, Life is Strange fans! Before the Storm is getting both Limited and Vinyl Editions of the game with a ton of extra content. Square Enix, publishers of Life is Strange: Before the Storm, the prequel to the original award-winning game, has just confirmed that a physical release is on the way, including a super special Vinyl Edition that includes a ton of collectible items!

There are three separate versions available: the Standard Edition, the Limited Edition, and the Square Enix Vinyl Edition.

2 Special Editions Coming Soon

Check out the images below to see what each set will include!

Both editions will include the complete edition of Before the Storm, including the bonus episode! The bonus episode allows players to see the return of a young Max Caulfield. Check out the recently released Behind the Scenes video below to see more details on the bonus episode titled ‘Farewell.’ Extra digital features are also available such as:

– Mixtape Mode – Design your own playlist from the Life is Strange soundtrack

– Outfit pack – 3 new outfits will be added to Chloe’s wardrobe, including Punk Doe, Hawt Dawg Man & Illuminati outfits!

– Episode 1 from the original Life is Strange game

Both digital and box editions are set for a release on March 6th 2018 in the US and March 9th for all PAL regions. ‘Farewell’ will also be launching digitally across all territories on March 6th for players who already own the digital season pass. Both editions are now available for pre-order from Square Enix , with price points of $39.99 for the Limited edition and $69.99 for the Vinyl Edition.

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There is an old adage that simply states that if you’re going to do something you should do it properly. This would evidently apply to killing off players. Why just make a level hard when you can also make it deliberately dark? This is the definition of doing it properly, this is Candleman: The Complete Journey which will be arriving on Steam later this month.

Back in the PS2 era of gaming, there was a little-known RPG called Champions of Norrath. By “little known” I mean that I played it with my brothers, but no one else knew what I was talking about. In Champions of Norrath, you are tasked with freeing the land of Norrath from the tyranny of the demon/monster Innoruuk. While traveling through Norrath, my tiny 10-year-old self was blown away by the level of detail and options that I was able to put into my character. This was the first time I came across Skill Trees and actual Character Progress. It was in this game that I started to see all the hype behind tabletop games. Being sucked into a character is easier when I feel like I have had a hand I’m molding how that character reacts to the world. It was this feeling that gets amplified in Divinity Origin Sin II.

I don’t know why I missed the first Divinity game, but I knew when I saw Divinity II in action that I had to be part of that world. Let’s for one second forget about all the praise the game has gotten. Ignore all the spectacular things you have heard about this game. At its core, Divinity Original Sin II is about one thing: interaction. This first presented itself in the games opening moments. As you create your character you start to see just how in-depth this game actually is. It even advises you not to change any of the skills of the classes if this is your first time though. It wants you to get a feel for what a character can do before you mess with them.

You can also pick from an assortment of pre-generated characters with backstories that will come to light as you play them. These characters can be fun, but I always like to leave my own special mark on the world. Once you are done with the generator, you find yourself a slave on a ship being transported to an island for those who use Sorce Magic. The problem with Sorce magic is that it attracts creatures that feed on its power, thus you and several others like you have been enslaved in order to be cleansed of this disease.

While on the boat, things don’t go quite according to plan as a powerful Source user damages the vessel. From this point on the choices you make are your own. Because I created an elf, I had the ability to eat body parts of the dead and see visions, usually of their last moments alive. This changed the way I solved quests as I was always looking for something to eat in order to gain clues.

On my quest, I came across several locked doors. I turned to find clues to where keys could possibly be, but when I couldn’t find anything I decided to knock the door down with my weapon. In any other game, I would have been swatting at the door in vain, but not this one. It took no time for me to break down the door with my weapon.

With the door destroyed, so too was my thought process on how this world was supposed to work. I tried the same strategy with a treasure chest to varying degrees of success. I found that the best way to dispatch enemies was to sneak between their lines of sight and make a beeline for the strongest one. This put the others into a small state of confusion as they seem to be processing what just happened. Taking away their time to prepare for the battle by getting into a defensive formation turned the tide of battle my way a lot.

I also learned that fire was my most powerful ally and my most loathsome foe. I learned to plan out every avenue of attack and not to be afraid of trying something crazy. During a rescue mission, I teleported the person I was trying to save out of his prison only for him to be killed by his jailer. I scrapped that idea entirely and had to try something new. This is the mindset that D:OS II injects into your brain, one of infinite possibilities.

The story is your classic fantasy affair with a multiplayer twist. After killing or talking your way to freedom, you are tasked with staying alive long enough to figure out what is really going on. Not to mention that you have the worlds strongest Source User gunning for you. However, the main story wasn’t what drew me into the world. What really got to me was the depth of the NPC’s around me. Not only did they all have their own lives, dreams, and secrets but they also had unique personalities and responded differently to you depending on who you were playing as.

D:OS II has a underline racism running through it with other character being violent to races they deem are less than. There was a woman I met very early on who wouldn’t say anything to me because I was an elf. I also had an interesting conversation with a kid who thought I killed people and ate them for fun. I mean, I do. Sometimes. But this kid didn’t need to know what my elf did in his spare time.

Combat is a beautiful and frustrating process. On the one hand, you can enter a fight with doing everything right and end up destroying all the opposition with minimal effort. On the other hand, I have entered fights I didn’t even know was thereby triggering traps that I didn’t see coming in order to fight the wave of monsters I wasn’t prepared for. Live by the sword I suppose.

Different characters can combine attacks in order to create a devastating situation for the enemy. For instance, spreading oil everywhere and then throwing a fireball does about what you will expect to happen. One of the worst deaths you can occur comes at your own hands when you forget about footing. In this game, I learned just how important save scumming is. If I even sneezed the wrong way I would reload an earlier save.

If I had to give the game any criticism it would have to be the map and direction system. While playing in an open world like Skyrim, you’d think you’d spend a lot of time getting lost. However, I always seemed to know where I was going and how I was going to get there. Quest were laid out and I never got frustrated. Divinity Original Sin II is another story altogether.

I frequently get lost while playing. I get it, that’s part of the experience. When I was younger I wouldn’t have minded playing four hours and only progressing one mission because I seemed to just be walking in circles. As an adult with limited time, this sort of thing irks me to no end. I would like to know exactly where I’m going and where I want to go next. Maybe put the mindless exploration in a harder difficulty. I’m not saying it doesn’t deserve a place in the game, what I’m saying is I don’t have the time I used to devote to getting lost.

If you have not played Divinity Original Sin II, then I can not recommend it enough. There are even more things for you to do in this world than what I have listed. You can talk to animals, pickpocket quest items off of people after you finish the quest, murder anyone in sight, it is totally up to you. If you want a deeply involving game that will force you to think outside the box when it comes to combat, looting, mission, interactions, and a whole host of other features than this is the game for you.

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

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Ever since its release back in October 2017, Assassin’s Creed Origins has received positive feedback from the majority of the franchise’s fanatics. According to our very own Will Georgiadis, this title “has ticked enough boxes in terms of rejuvenating the franchise that I think we can all rest a little easier.”

Ubisoft‘s intention was just that – to start a fresh journey of assassinations. They embedded RPG elements and a playable eagle into the game. Ubisoft also enabled skill customization and created the richest in-game history yet by bringing Ancient Egypt to life.

The Hidden Ones

Earlier today, Ubisoft revealed the release date for the very first DLC. Titled ‘The Hidden Ones’, the DLC is only one week away from our grasp. The DLC will be available on all platforms on January 23rd. The events in ‘The Hidden Ones’ take place four years post the main campaign’s events. It focuses on the battle between the Brotherhood and the Romans on the Sinai peninsula.

Aside from earning brand new mounts and Legendary weapons, players will be able to resume leveling up until they reach the new ceiling of 45. ‘The Hidden Ones,’ purchasable for $9.99, will be automatically accessible for season pass holders on release day.

The Curse of the Pharaohs

As for the second DLC, ‘The Curse of the Pharaohs,’ it’ll take players to Thebes and have them explore a bedeviling curse. This DLC will feature well-known pharaohs and Egyptian monsters that have risen from the dead. The level upper limit will be raised to 55, and more mythology-inspired gear will be available. If you own the season pass, you’ll get access automatically, otherwise you can buy it for $19.99 starting March 6th.

Discovery Tour by Assassin’s Creed: Ancient Egypt

One of the anticipated highlights for Assassin’s Creed Origins is the Discovery Tour mode. This mode has been created for the purpose of purely laid back education. Free of enemy encounters, this stress-free mode allows you to roam around Ancient Egypt. You can also go on in-game guided tours to explore the country’s landmarks.

Discovery Tour is a free add-on that will be available for those who own Assassin’s Creed Origins starting February 20th. However, if you’re a Uplay or Steam user and don’t own the game, you can purchase the Discovery Tour mode independently for $19.99.

If you haven’t played Assassin’s Creed Origins yet, the game is now available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows for $59.99.

The post Assassin’s Creed Origins DLC ‘The Hidden Ones’: Not hiding for long appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

Two Point Hospital Opening Soon

Sega’s big reveal this week puts us in the Emergency Room, literally. After teasing a new game for quite some time, Sega has finally revealed its upcoming title for PC. If you’ve ever played Theme Hospital, you’re in for a treat. The successor to the 1997 quirky, management style game, called Two Point Hospital, is coming to Steam in “late 2018” according to recent announcements. Check out the teaser trailer below!

The game is being developed by Two Point Studios, a newer studio formed by some of the ex-developers from games such as Fable and ThemePark. Together, Sega and Two Point say the game will come “packed with the humor, charm, and replayability fans of the genre have come to expect.”

Just as in Theme Hospital, illnesses and diseases create the humor for the game. Lightheadedness echoes the likes of Bloaty Head, Slack Tongue, etc. Thematically, Two Point Hospital sounds like a straight remastering of Theme Hospital, but developers have confirmed we are in for new twists and turns in this new game. “..we’re making a completely new game. This isn’t a reskinning of something we’ve already done,” Mark Webley, the co-founder of Two Point, claims.

Calling All Doctors

The Two Point Hospital Twitter gives us a perfect layout of the tasks the game requires:

– Build your hospital

– Hire your staff

– Try not to kill anyone

While Bullfrog may be out of the picture, it sounds like their humor is alive and well and will be a selling point to the new game.

Two Point has confirmed that they hope to have mod support available shortly after launch and that there will be online modes! A global medical community will be available for all players to work collaboratively on research projects or challenge others with your medical knowledge. While no release date has been stated for the release of Two Point Hospital, there is a newly created Steam page predicting a release in Autumn 2018. Keep an eye out for further updates!

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