Gaming and More

Gears 5 – A Pleasantly Surprised Review

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Let’s talk Gears 5 shall we as it’s managed to pleasantly surprise me, both in terms of its gameplay and its story.  Honestly, I wasn’t overly excited when Gears 5 was announced but knew that I would end up playing it eventually to see what the story was about.

If you look at the overall series and the longevity this game has held it’s dang impressive.  We are now six games in on the Gears franchise and the story just keeps getting better in my opinion.  The developers really took their time it seems to give Gears 5 a well rounded and established character base.  I personally wasn’t a huge fan of Gears 4 but with the newest story picking up right where Gears 4 ended, it puts 4 in the almost worth playing category for me…..or you can just ***Spoiler*** watch the recap of the ending of 4 before you kick off the new journey in 5.

Gears 5 makes absolutely no attempt in trying to fix what isn’t broken and I love the fact that what has worked they are staying with!  We have a rock-solid story-based 3rd person shooting game loaded with mayhem that just looks good, plays good, and keeps you engaged. Combine all of that with an open world feel and a set of multiplayer modes that range from the old and classic to fresh and new on both the co-op and competitive gameplay, is to me what makes this one of the best action games of the year so far.

Gears 5 Campaign Review

Gears’ third-person action has evolved slightly over the years from game to game, but in Gears 5 they have added a new companion named Jack!  This little robot can now be controlled to help you pick up weapons, unlock doors, safes, and a host of other handy options throughout the game.  You will also be able to earn new abilities for this little guy that can be quite useful in combat, such as reviving you and your allies, stunning enemies, cloaking you and much more.  To get these abilities you will find upgrade components throughout the world which can help you customize what this little companion can do.

Overall the Gears’ combat still feels dang good and keeps you engaged along the way.  The weapons in this Gears’ felt good as well and the default weapon you start with….you know that good old Lancer was a constant goto for me.  We had a the Overkill shotgun return from Gears 4, and good old classics that have been refined just a bit it seems. The overall weapon balance feels great between the old and new toys we get to play with.

gears-5-xbox-one-pc-games-2019Also new in the open world feel of Gears 5 comes a new toy you will get to roam around with.  The wind-powered skiff, pictured here lets you tackle a huge open-world map and get to areas fairly quickly as well as going after those optional quests littered through the area. I found that these optional missions are worth the extra time as the rewards were usually upgrades for Jack.  Along with some fresh new weapons, the open world feel, a wind-powered land cruiser and some very interesting boss fights, Gears 5 has become one of my favorites to date of the franchise!

Gears 5 has done an amazing job balancing story, and a heavy 3rd person gameplay mechanic that is still exciting to play!  This series has never really had a bad launch on the games, even when changing from the original developer Epic to The Coalition. Gears 5 brings some very welcome additions to both its gameplay and flow of the story which is why it’s become a quick hit with fans.

All Things Geekery Podcast: S3E15 – A Refined Playlist

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In this episode we are going to discuss the newly released titles of Gears 5 and Borderlands 3 and how they have stuck by the “if it is not broke don’t fix it” mentality.  We will also talk about two games that have been out for a while but we have just recently been playing. Finally, we will wrap up the episode talking about the fantastic news of the Super Nintendo addition that was added to the Nintendo Switch Online Catalog!

Click to Listen: S315 – A Refined Playlist

Show Notes

Gears 5

  • Picks up right where Gears 4 left off
  • Make senses but it is the best looking Gears game to date
  • Every part of the game has been finessed
  • Hits your right in the feels – right from the get-go
  • The new addition to have someone play the support class is nice and provides a brand new way for co-op to be played
  • The story keeps you engaged throughout when some things happened that will leave you shaken story impact wise
  • They definitely are “gearing” up for a 6

Borderland 3

  • Mayhem has begun!
  • Can say right off the bat that anyone looking for something “new” “game-defining” will be disappointed BUT anyone looking for more Borderlands games played that has been even more refined will be in for the best Borderlands game to date.
  • The loot is never-ending, a lot of QOL added…..though some could still be needed but are minor
  • Probably the most I have been engaged to the story of any of the main Borderlands games
  • The dynamic level scaling for co-op is amazing and allows the co-op to be even better as you don’t have to worry about out leveling a friend
  • On the co-op note the unique loot mode “Cooperative” is what Borderlands has needed for a while

Elder Scrolls Online

  • The Positives
    • ESO is a typical MMORPG and tries to give you that experience as best it can
    • This, however, is not a free-roaming exploration zone-based progression game like Skyrim was and struggles a bit in piecing its story together
    • LORE – the game is deeply rooted in the world of storytelling and finding out about the world of Tamriel is fun!  The game systems, unfortunately, don’t compliment the story enough for me to stay engaged. The buggy, broken systems take away from the experience.
    • The game has a guided epic story with over 100 hours of main story content to play through.  That’s a lot of story to get through but if you are willing to hang on and grind through the content, I think the story delivers a very nice experience!
    • I think the world quests as a whole do a decent job of capturing the Elder Scrolls experience, as well as the MMO experience.  This is all paired and made more bearable because of the epic soundtrack!
    • CRAFTING
      • One of my favorite aspects of the MMO genre and ESO does a brilliant job on it’s crafting system!
      • It does have its downsides as the resources needed for crafting, does require a large “Bag, Vault, and Storage Space” but is manageable
      • Even though they do a good job overall, this system still has a lot of features that needed to be better to enjoy it!
    • Let’s talk big adventure and big story for a moment
  • The Negatives
    • A search bar for ingredients or materials when inside a vault or storage area
    • There is absolutely no way to sell your resources except through “Hocking” items in world chat, or at a “Guild” store
    • Syncing with other players and timing of events such as helping other players out in quests seems to be a challenge most of the time.
    • The multi-player gameplay is “Lazy” feeling as once you do get synced up it doesn’t seem to be much of a challenge to defeat enemies.
    •  Overall the game was too disconnected for me to really enjoy overall, even though I love MMO’s and I love the grind this one wasn’t for me
    • The game overall has some of the most annoying buggy systems I’ve ever seen
    • Finding a guild isn’t the easiest process by any means
    • GOLD SPAMMERS, they exist in every MMO and it will always be a negative impact on someone’s experience
    • The game, in general, looks pretty terrible!
    • Between the drab world landscapes, and details it makes for a pretty lackluster experience.
    • The combat mechanics are very clumsy and clunky feeling
    • Crafting overall lacks some of the most basic UI features such as
    • The multiplayer functions of the game don’t always work as they should either.

TellTale Games Walking Dead Definitive Edition

  • Looking back at the “Final Season” which was released back in Fall of 2018, Telltale did not rule out future The Walking Dead games; Creative Director Kent Mudle said that The Final Season title represented the end of Clementine’s journey from Telltale’s view, but could revisit the franchise through other characters.
  • However, due to the sudden near-closure of Telltale Games on September 21, 2018, only two of the four episodes were released and production on the latter two were canceled, effectively leaving the season half-finished. With fans, longing for another company to turn to, Skybound Entertainment who were creative directors for the first and second seasons stepped in with a ‘Still Not Bitten’ team and saw out the remaining entries to the series, as Kirkman had felt it necessary to properly complete Clementine’s story. Skybound also acquired the rights to all previous Telltale The Walking Dead games, becoming the supporting publisher for these on various storefronts.
  • The Definitive Edition
    • Skybound published The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series that includes all episodes from all four seasons, as well as 400 Days and The Walking Dead: Michonne, for release on Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 10, 2019. Each of the previous episodes in the series was remastered to use the new rendering system that was introduced in The Final Season and adds over ten hours of developers and voice actor commentary. Additional improvements have been made in character models movement and lip-synching.

Nintendo Switch Online – SNES 

  • It is about time!
  • The small selection right now
    • Brawl Brothers
    • Demon’s Crest
    • Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics
    • Kirby’s Dream Land 3
    • Star Fox
    • Super Earth Defense Force
    • Super Mario Kart
    • Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
    • Super Puyo Puyo 2
    • Super Tennis
    • Breath of Fire
    • F-ZERO
    • Kirby’s Dream Course
    • Pilotwings
    • Stunt Race FX
    • Super Ghouls’n Ghosts
    • Super Mario World
    • Super Metroid
    • Super Soccer
    • The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
  • It does require Nintendo Switch Online but once you download the SNES Online app you have immediate access to play all the Super Nintendo Games in the Catalog without having to download them
  • The same save state, and……the rewind function.  That’s right! You lose the power-up? – Rewind You died on the final boss? – Rewind  This single function is completely changing how these SNES games are played.
  • On to future state – Since they have shown they want to completely negate their physical classic hardware of both the NES and SNES, What does this mean for N64? Gamecube? Someday please Nintendo? PLEASE?!?!?!?

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All Things Geekery Podcast – S3E14 – A Cyberpunked Classical

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In this episode, we are first going to talk about the very recent re-release of Wow Classic and how it has reunited the Warcraft community. We will then discuss the resurgence of players that have returned back to a blocky game we’ve all loved and played. Next, we will talk about the released information that hit about Destiny 2’s new “battle pass” type system which will be coming with Shadowkeep. Finally, we are going to talk about the most recent trailer for Star Wars episode 9 and also the deep dive video for Cyberpunk 2077.

Click to Listen: S314 – A Cyberpunked Classical

Show Notes

WoW Classic – 

  • The re-release of the game that has dominated the MMO landscape for almost 15 years
  • Everyone has been able to Experience what happened when Wow first released.
  • This time the setting is different – We now have instant updates on people’s progress, superior communication(Discord), and gaming communities that didn’t exist 15 years ago(Twitch. Mixer, Facebook…etc)
  • Brand new ways of playing are being done just due to support from communities made possible by modern entertainment avenues(Example – Streamer loot)
  • It will be interesting to see how the drop of goes but even with that said we are about to get Battlegrounds added – Blizzard is having an update schedule similar to what took place or original WoW release

Minecraft – 

  • A resurgence in Minecraft has taken ahold – why is this?
    • People like us have stopped playing long ago as many updates have taken place completely changing some aspect of Minecraft
    • Also, Shaders and Texture packs almost make it like a completely different game
    • Some Fornite streamers have actually gained popularity because of Minecraft 
    • It is a game of Endless play and Endless Customization 
    • Bring in friends and the fun goes up exponentially 

Destiny 2 Battle Pass (Season Pass)

Destiny franchise director Luke Smith, Bungie revealed how seasons will work in Destiny 2’s third year; including Shadowkeep and New Light this fall.

Each season has a free or paid version (“10 bucks” each, according to Smith), similar to battle passes in games like Fortnite or Dauntless. The first season of Year 3, Season of the Undying, comes bundled with Shadowkeep (players can purchase it separately as well).

ROTATING ACTIVITIES

The new season will focus on changing Destiny 2’s world every three months. In Season of the Undying, players will open a Vex gate, creating a new activity and rewards. Three months later, players will close the gate, end the activities, and set Season of the Dawn in motion. Including Season of the Undying and Season of Dawn, Year 3 will contain four seasons.

Bungie believes that removing activities each season is the only way to make the game feel like it’s evolving. “We believe that Destiny will grow even better when the world state can change and that the best Destiny stories are the ones where ‘you had to be their when…,’” Smith said.

But weapons and rewards for the seasons won’t be gone forever. While Smith didn’t elaborate on how players should expect weapons they’ve missed to return within about six months. However, Smith was clear that there will be periods where players have no current means of acquiring some past items.

ARTIFACTS

On top of seasons rotating activities, the new seasonal Artifact will create individual player growth each season. Artifacts are free for all players, and Guardians can level them up during the season. Each level comes with uncapped bonus power that extends across a player’s account.

Players will also unlock new and powerful mods through the Artifact. After they unlock a mod, Guardians can slot them into weapons and armor for the remainder of the season. The goal is for the mods to change the way players interact with the world and create unique effects against everyday enemies and bosses.

At the end of each season, the seasonal mods and bonus power will reset. Players will earn a new Artifact for the next season, and start the process over again.

SEASON PASS

The Season Pass is a new idea to Destiny, but similar to battle passes in other games where players can earn rewards on a free and premium track depending on whether they own the season or not. Each season comes with 100 ranks, and the experienced players earn at max level counts toward their pass.

Free players can earn some powerful items and rewards through the season pass, but the real goodies come with the $10 price tag. Bungie laid out the rewards players can expect in Season of the Undying’s season pass as an example.

Season Pass owners get access to a new seasonal activity, the Vex Offensive, which includes:

  • Four Legendary Weapon drops
  • Additional weekly and daily bounties
  • Additional weekly challenges with powerful rewards

A new weapon quest for an Exotic Bow, Leviathan’s Breath

  • Exclusive to Season Pass owners

A new Exotic Hand Cannon, Eriana’s Vow

  • Awarded on Rank 35 of the free track
  • Awarded on Rank 1 of the premium track

Three seasonal Legendary armor sets (one for each class)

  • Collect a complete set during the first 25 ranks of the free track
  • On the premium track, you get all three sets on Rank 1
  • These also drop within the Vex Offensive seasonal activity
  • If you want versions with higher stat tiers, you’ll need to play Vex Offensive to earn them

Some additional premium track rewards:

  • Three universal ornament armor sets (one for each class)
  • An Exotic weapon ornament for Eriana’s Vow
  • Two Legendary weapon ornaments
  • A new finisher
  • An Exotic emote
  • An Exotic ship

Star Wars Episode 9 – Newest Trailer

    • Call back to every other previous Skywalker Movie – Showing the History of the Skywalker line
    • This is it….the end of the skywalker story in more ways than one
    • How will they send off Leia?  How much will Luke’s force ghost appear?
    • What an ending with Rey as a Dark Side user.  Is it a Clone? Is that Rey? Force Vision?

Cyberpunk 2077 DeadDive Video

  • The first thing to notice is the reduction in gaming quality – Maybe what to expect from console play?
  • The choice options will be immense – How you complete your mission is up to you
  • Although you can pick different play styles you can be classless in how you pick skills
  • Playable areas shaping up to be huge
  • Gunplay looks questionable – we shall see how it feels
  • We need to know more about Johnny Silverhand!
  • Launch date: April, 16th 2020

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All Things Geekery Podcast S3E12 – Shaping A Cinematic Universe (Podcasting for Blaugust)

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In this episode: We are going to discuss the top genres of the cinematic universe that have shaped our lives from childhood through adulthood.  We will start off discussing the wonders and magic of the Sword and Sorcery genre. Moving into the folklores and myths we will talk about the Fantasy genre. Finally. We will wrap up the episode by discussing lasers, space travel, and aliens as part of the Sci-Fi genre. 

Click to Listen: S312 – Shaping A Cinematic Universe

Show Notes

Sword and Sorcery Genre

  • Definition: Sword and sorcery is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural
  • Top 3 Films
    • Detached
      • Krull
        • Is a fantasy swashbuckler which follows a journey of Prince Colwyn and his group of outlaws on the planet Krull to save future queen Princess Lyssa from the Beast and his constantly teleporting Black Fortress.
      • The Dragonslayer
        • Is a medieval fantasy set in a fictional kingdom that follows a young wizard who experiences danger and opposition as he attempts to defeat a dragon 
      • Conan the Barbarian / Conan the Destroyer
        • Is based on stories by Robert E. Howard, a writer of the 1930s, about the adventures of Conan in the fictional world of Hyboria
    • Victus
      • Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
        • The film has the same title as the video game and is primarily based on it. Elements from Warrior Within and The Two Thrones, the two other titles from the Sands of Time trilogy of the Prince of Persia video game franchise, are also incorporated. 
      • Clash of the Titans
        • Perseus – Son of Zeus
      • Warcraft
        • (The film portrays the initial encounters between the humans and the orcs and takes place in a variety of locations established in the video game series) Draenor, the homeworld of the orcs, is being torn apart by a mysterious force known as fel magic. Gul’dan, a powerful orc warlock, unites the orc clans and forms the Horde, and creates a portal to the world of Azeroth. 

 

  • Top Honorable Mentions
    • The Beastmaster 
      • the film is about a child who is stolen from his mother’s womb by a witch. The child grows into Dar, who has the ability to communicate telepathically with animals. Dar grows up in a village, where he learns to do battle, but the village is destroyed by a race of beast-like warriors under the control of the sorcerer Maax. Dar vows revenge and travels with new friends to stop Maax from causing any more problems.
    • The Sword & The Sorcerer 
      • Is a film about a mercenary with a three-bladed sword who rediscovers his royal heritage when he is recruited to help a princess foil the designs of a brutal tyrant, and a powerful sorcerer, in conquering the land
    • The Deathstalker
      • Was the first in a series of four films about the Deathstalker character and his adventures

Fantasy Genre

  • Definition: Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction set in a fictional universe, often inspired by real-world myth and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became literature and drama. From the twentieth century, it has expanded further into various media, including film, television, graphic novels, manga, and video games. Fantasy is distinguished from the genres of science fiction and horror by the absence of scientific or macabre themes, though these genres overlap. In popular culture, the fantasy genre predominantly features settings of a medieval nature. In its broadest sense, however, fantasy consists of works by many writers, artists, filmmakers, and musicians from ancient myths and legends to many recent and popular works.
  • Top 3 Films
    • Detached
      • The Princess Bride
        • Is a fantasy adventure comedy film, adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel The Princess Bride, it tells the story of a farmhand named Westley, accompanied by companions befriended along the way, who must rescue his true love Princess Buttercup from the odious Prince Humperdinck. The film essentially preserves the novel’s narrative style by presenting the story as a book being read by a grandfather to his sick grandson
      • Ladyhawke
        • A medieval fantasy about a young thief who unwillingly gets involved with a warrior and his lady that are hunted by the Bishop of Aquila. As he comes to know about the couple’s past and secret, he finds himself determined to help them overcome the Bishop’s oppressions, both in arms and in the form of a demonic curse.
      • Excalibur
        • Is an epic historical fantasy starring that retells the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
    • Victus
      • MCU
      • Lord of the Rings
        • Set in the fictional world of Middle-Earth, the films follow the Hobbit Frodo Baggins as he and the Fellowship embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring, to ensure the destruction of its maker, the Dark Lord Sauron.
      • Harry Potter
        • The film’s chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends, all of whom are students at Hogwarts. The main story arc tells Harry’s struggle against Lord Voldemort
  • Top Honorable Mentions
    • Time Bandits
      • Is the first of a “Trilogy of Imagination”, followed by Brazil, and ending with The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.  All are about the “craziness of our awkwardly ordered society and the desire to escape it through whatever means possible.  All three films focus on these struggles and attempts to escape them through imagination: Time Bandits through the eyes of a child, Brazil through the eyes of a man in his thirties, and Munchausen through the eyes of an elderly man.
    • The Secret of NIMH
      • The film is an adaptation of Robert C. O’Brien’s children’s novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The film follows the life of a widowed field mouse, Mrs. Frisby, who seeks the aid of a group of former lab rats and mice in rescuing her home from destruction by a farmer’s plow. 

Sci-Fi Genre

  • Definition: It typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, time travel, parallel universes, fictional worlds, space exploration, and extraterrestrial life. It often explores the potential consequences of scientific innovations. 
  • Top 3 Films
    • Detached
      • Predator
        • Follows a leader of an elite military rescue team on a mission to save hostages in a guerrilla-held territory in Central America.  The team is stalked by a technologically advanced alien
      • Aliens
        • The film follows Weaver’s character Ellen Ripley as she returns to the moon where her crew encountered the hostile Alien creature, this time accompanied by a unit of space marines. 
      • Star Wars
        • Star Wars was released in theaters in the United States on May 25, 1977. It earned $461 million in the U.S. and $314 million overseas, totaling $775 million. In 1989, it became one of the first films to be selected as part of the U.S. Library of Congress’s National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Today, it is regarded as one of the most important films in the history of motion pictures. 
    • Victus
      • 1 – Star Wars
      • 2 – Star Trek
      • 3 – Avatar
  • Top Honorable Mentions
    • Back to the Future
    • Robocop
    • Star Trek

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All Things Geekery Podcast S3E11 – Destiny Resurgence

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In this episode: We cover the recent resurgence of players in the Destiny community, how the state of Destiny is keeping those players engaged, and finishing with the top things we are looking forward to when Shadowkeep hits in September

Click to Listen: S311 – Destiny Resurgence

Show Notes

  • Resurgence – 
    • Since the release of Forsaken we have seen a steady decline in the want to play the game – a slight bump in players as new content was released but still a decline
    • But then 3 things took place that combined has revitalized the community to new levels.
      • 1.) Bungie split from Activision
        • This was a huge want from the community to finally split from the “greedy corporates” at Activision
        • Bungie is now free to build a game the way they want to
        • This does not mean Eververse will go away as to keep producing “free” content you need some way to keep the lights on
      • 2.) All new items and content announced for Shadowkeep
        • New Light
          • Some people may say that Free-to-play is a  sign of a game failing but the way that Bungie is implementing is more like a demo but people will still be able to play multiplayer with friends
        • Cross-Save
          • Every multi-platform game to date has wanted this.  We all have friends on different platforms and want to play with them without having to start over.  Cross-save fixes this and will be a continued plus for new players coming into Destiny.
          • This also pairs REALLY well with Destiny 2 on Stadia too as we now have an on the go version of the game that we can just continue playing our characters
        • Transmogrification sorta – AKA Armour 2.0
          • Just yes – we finally get to wear the gear we want and slot the stats we want
        • Moon’s Haunted – Story
          • We are going back to the Moon!
          • Looks like we may go up against some ghosts of the past
      • 3.) Season of Opulence
        • The biggest item that has hit with this season has been the Menagerie.  A multi-boss raid-lite that has built-in matchmaking
        • Along with this, and with benefit from a bug, this event has been a go-to grind because of the loot rewards and the ability to craft the weapons how you want it giving the player just the right amount of control.
  • State of the Game
    • People are loving the grind for all things PVE
    • PVP is not in a horrible spot but still is rough
    • There is so much to do if you have not been keeping up and so much content to go through but almost all of it is really good and worth the work
    • So much lore to work through and very engaging storylines to keep up with
    • -Personal Experience-
  • Tops items we are looking forward to – ERIS MORN!!!! & Cross-Save

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All Things Geekery Podcast S3E10 – E3 2019 Review

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In this episode, We are going to cover all things E3. Starting with the pre-E3 details of Stadia and our thoughts on it. We will work through each of the main conferences calling out our top moments and items that got us excited. Then we will wrap up this episode with our personal Best of E3.

Click to Listen: S310 – E3 2019 Review

Show Notes

  • Google and Stadia 
    • Baldur’s Gate 3
    • Destiny 2 – All content free 
  • EA Play 
    • Star Wars – Jedi Fallen Order 
  • Microsoft 
    • Project Scarlett
      • Next-gen Xbox console
      • Releasing 2020 holiday season
      • Able to do 8k and 120fps
      • Halo Infinite will be launching with the console
    • X-Cloud
      • Getting Console Streaming “AKA” Remote Play
        • Ability to stream your games off of your home Xbox One to anywhere starting in October
      • X-Cloud will be coming out later
    • GAMES
      • Revamped Battletoads
      • Halo Infinite – Releasing holiday 2020
      • Age of Empire II – 4k graphics and updated audio
      • Ori and the Will of the Wisps
      • Cyberpunk 2077 – Keanu Reeve
      • The Outer World
      • Borderlands 3
      • Elden Ring
      • Phantasy Star Online 2 
  • Bethesda 
    • Doom Eternal
    • Wolfenstein Youngblood
    • Commander Keen – RIP childhood memories
    • Ghostwire Tokyo
  • PC Gaming Conference – AKA the Epic Gaming Show
    • Spiritfarer 
  • Ubisoft 
    • Gods and Monsters
    • Watchdogs Legion – Beware Grandma
      • Not only is it set in London, but it gives you the ability to recruit and play as literally any person in the open world game
    • Ghost Recon – Breakpoint – Almost too much talk about that game 
  • Square Enix 
    • Marvel Avengers – Crystal Dynamics is at the helm of developing the game
    • Final Fantasy 7 Remake  
  • Nintendo 
      • Super Smash Bros new DLC character – Banjo—Almost the ultimate jabait happen
      • The Legend of Zelda – Breath of the Wild 2
      • The Legend of Zelda – Links Awakening
      • Super Mario Maker 2
      • Panzer Dragoon: Remake 
  • Contra: Rogue Corps 
  • Sega 
    • SEGA Genesis mini console coming September 2019 with mini-games like Mega Man: The Wily Wars, Earthworm Jim, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2, Ecco the Dolphin and 35 more classic games

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All Things Geekery Podcast S3E9 – Unlikely Allies

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In this episode, we are going to cover the news about Microsoft and Sony recent team up and what this could mean for the future of the Console Wars. We will then discuss what our opinions are on the current status of Epic’s game launcher and the hate it receives. Lastly, we will wrap up this episode talking about some of the recent games we have been playing and what about each has kept us playing them.

Click to Listen: S3E9 – Unlikely Allies

Show Notes

  • Microsoft and Sony
  • It was announced in the previous week that Sony and Microsoft are working on AI and cloud technology
  • This move makes no sense due to the continue gaming war the two companies have been in.
  • …then again it is possible Sony and Microsoft are wising up to what Google is planning to bring to the table.
  • When it comes to AI and cloud platforms Sony does not have either so it had to choose between the big 3 – Largest Amazon, Establish Microsoft, or the Youngin Google. It went with its mortal enemy
  • This move also took the PlayStation team by surprise but according to their leadership this has not changed any plans about their future console
  • We could be looking at the beginning of the end for console gaming.
  • We could be coming to a time when if you do want low latency input for competitive gaming then you buy a PC type device….if not you sign up for one of the game streaming services that will be available.
  • Microsoft console announcement could have some of the “cloud gaming attributes” as part of the architecture. – We shall see at E3
  • Side – note our next podcast will be an E3 pre-show where we will be talking about our expectation and wants to happen at this year’s E3

  • Epic
  • Let’s set the scene – Stream has had a monopoly on the digital gaming distribution market and launcher since it’s launch in 2003.
  • For a while it was the only one launcher to rule them all – Steam had a monopoly when it came to a game launcher platform
  • Some popped up but those were only for their own launchers – Blizzard, Origin, Bethesda
  • Then Epic came along and decided to put their massive cash flow from Fortnite to use – Making a universal game launcher to compete with steam
  • Right out of the gate – it was a much better alternative for game developers as Epic would only take 12% compared to the current Steam rate of 30%
  • Some companies immediately started deployment of their game on Epic and Steam but at the same time Epic was immediately paying companies money to gain exclusive or limited exclusive rights
  • And this is where the controversy takes place
  • The hate against EPIC has been extreme….
  • Main points of “HATE” that Epic takes
    • “Unfair” Exclusives
    • The store has less function than Steam
    • Rumor of the “Less secure – security” platform
    • People have been used to the convenient monopoly the Stream produced
  • -Discussion-

  • What Have We Been Playing
    • Victus
      • Metro Exodus
      • Rage 2
    • Detached
      • Division 2

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All Things Geekery Podcast: S3E3 – All Things Anthem

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Welcome to Season 3 Episode 3 of the All Things Geekery Podcast – All About Anthem

In this episode,  We talk about the recent “DEMO” for Anthem, What problems we encountered, Our 1st Impressions, What we thought about the gameplay and we discuss what we think the future of the game will be.

Click To Listen – S3E3: All About Anthem

Show Notes

  • Our Snapshot Opinion of the Game
    • Anthem feels like Mass Effect made a child with Division and they were raised by Iron Man in the world of Monster Hunter
    • This game is not Destiny, it is not The Division, it is not Warframe.  The one thing we can comment on is the quality of the game.
  • Publisher Concerns
    • EA – Need we say more
    • VIP weekend DEMO didn’t have a good start
    • Will they learn, and correct the issues presented during the demos – It seems like they did with the Open DEMO as server problems were much less but we did experience issues the first day
    • There will be microtransaction but only for cosmetics and all cosmetics in the game can be bought with a certain in-game currency – 0 items in the market currently affect your gameplay
  • Technical Issues
    • Not a technical issue but the naming could have been changed from DEMO to BETA and a lot of the PR would have been addressed – Community would have been more forgiving
    • Server problems
    • Connection Issues – for the VIP demo only
    • Lag – Mostly in VIP demo
    • Audio problems
  • Overall Feel
    • Combat
      • Good mix of strategy and learning needed
      • Teamwork oriented
      • Solo queue play is very challenging as you really need to be able to communicate with your team
      • Some mid-level tier enemies were extremely tanky.  EA will need to look at balancing the enemies vs. player shield levels
    • Loot
      • One massive key to a shooter-looter is the LOOT and it’s got to be good
      • The loot in this game was exciting and fun to get your hands on
    • Weapons
      • Good mix of weapons to use
      • Depending on what types of weapons you prefer there could be a bit of learning curve with the weapons
      • Situational
      • Each class should have a special weapon they can use, which I think would give just a bit more edge and hone in each class for specific fighting styles.  Would allow players to have a bit more customization with how they choose weapons for each of the slots
      • A lot of the weapons had the same look, sound and feel which made it hard to figure out what to use
    • Skills
      • Learning curve
      • Some skills felt very underwhelming in specific fights
      • Situational
      • Skills are somewhat customizable
    • Movement
      • Really felt like a console game that was ported to PC with how the controls were laid out
      • Flight and Underwater Movement was a massive learning curve
      • Overall movement was top notch and felt very smooth for the most part
    • Environments
      • Beautifully made worlds
      • Challenging to navigate first time in as most new worlds are
      • Exploration and hidden items
  • Playing The Javelin
    • Each Javelin is unique – Each has a unique feel
    • Our Opinion of each Javelin
      • STORM
      • RANGER
      • COLOSSUS
      • INTERCEPTOR
  • The Future of Anthem
    • We now have a road map which shows a plan with new strongholds, loot, quality of life changes, & GUILDS!
    • The core Bioware team is making this game
    • The End game has Legendary missions which are enhanced versions of the missions you get from quest givers. The drops from these missions will also be of a higher tier to match difficulty.
    • For the ultimate test in skill and squad cohesion, you can increase the difficulty of the mission to Grandmaster and above.   
    • It looks like we will have Diablo style loot in that there are rolls which will sync better depending on the play styles you are going for.  FARMING NEEDED!

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All Things Geekery Podcast: S3E1 – Welcome to the New Year

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Welcome to Season 3 Episode 1 of the All Things Geekery Podcast – Welcome to the New Year

In this episode, We have our first ever giveaway to talk about plus we talk about setting goals and managing expectation. We delve into some of the hardware announcement from CES and what we have found most interesting. Then to finish out the episode we cover a couple non-mainstream games which have caught our attention recently.

Click To Listen – S3E1: Welcome to the New Year

Show Notes

Checkout Our GIVEAWAY!!!

Goals

  • The new year means it is resolution time!
  • Setting Goals are always good. Some do for health, for jobs, for hobbies.  It is always good to have an end-game goal but set milestones for yourself.
  • Those early wins with help keep you motivated.  Always look at what is realistic in the short term. Take time to reevaluate.

CES 2019

  • ASUS ROG – Mothership – Think Windows Surface but gaming –
  • AMD Radeon 7 – AMD’s next gen of card
  • AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen – First 7nm CPU on the market – 8 core CPU – Also according to the first test goes toe to toe with I9-9900k
  • Teslasuit
  • Samsung
  • Vive Cosmos. And Vive Pro Eye
  • RTX 2060

Game Review

  • Ashen
    • Ashen is an action RPG about a wanderer in search of a place to call home. This is a world where nothing lasts, no matter how tightly you cling to it. At its core, Ashen is about forging relationships. Players can guide those they trust in their camp – together, you might just stand a chance.
  • Thronebreaker
    • The world stands on the verge of chaos, as the tensions between the power-hungry Nilfgaardian Empire and proud Northern Realms grow. Facing an imminent invasion, Meve — war-veteran Queen of Lyria and Rivia — is forced to once again enter the warpath, and set out on a dark journey of destruction and revenge.
    • Thronebreaker is a single player role-playing game set in the world of The Witcher that combines narrative-driven exploration with unique puzzles and card battle mechanics.
  • Mafia 3
    • Gritty hardcore Mafia adventure Developed by Hangar13 and published by 2k games
    • Released October 2016, and I’ve had it in the backlog since it came out – Yeah just now getting to it
    • It is the first main entry in the Mafia series since 2010’s Mafia II. Set within the fictional city of New Bordeaux, based on New Orleans, the single-player story follows Lincoln Clay, a criminal who aims to build a new crime organization while seeking revenge on the Italian mob.

Be sure to subscribe to the All Things Geekery Podcast with any of your favorite podcast apps. Stop by and drop us a review so we know how we’re doing.

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GIVEAWAY!! Little Nightmares Complete Edition – Enter For A Chance To WIN!

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Merry Christmas Everyone!

All Things Geekery is hosting it’s very first GIVEAWAY!! Enter to win a copy of the Little Nightmares Complete Edition for the Xbox One – Ends 1/23.

Enter Here: https://bit.ly/2EOTbxZ …

The Review

Little Nightmares is a wonderful 2D horror puzzle platformer that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

When you begin the game you will be in charge of guiding a small character called Six through The Maw (an ocean facility with a slow reveal of its awful purpose) loaded with death hazards and tons of puzzles.  Being a fairly short game around five hours long, Little Nightmares feels a tad too short, as the implied scale of the game suggests there was more of the Maw to see.

Little Nightmares’ has some very similar related games like Limbo, and Inside, not just because of the child in danger, but in how cleverly it brings together puzzle design and storytelling. Every enemy, every room, every meat grinder you use to make a rope of sausages to swing from, contributes to the story of The Maw and Six’s survival.

The Maw itself is something like a death trap dollhouse.  The developer Tarsier knows exactly how to bring a mix of suspense and horror and still keep you interested in the story. I don’t recall a single jump scare in the entirety of Little Nightmares’ runtime, but I know I flinched and had that uneasy feeling most of the game.

Six is thrust into a world that is lit like a haunted house, regularly forcing you to flick open Six’s only possession, a tiny cigarette lighter. This place – with its nurseries full of restlessly sleeping children, curious packages transported by hook, and some truly disgusting visitors is strangely functional as a world to bring horror.  All these details and mixes bring one of the best gaming locations I’ve seen in years.

Now for some of the negatives of the games which is a shame as it’s quite a wonderful looking world, but Little Nightmares does have some issues.  One of the biggest problems is the movement of an almost 3D platformer. The slightest move at the wrong angle or direction can send you plummeting into the abyss of death. Likewise, a few of its instant-death obstacles are the kind of trial-and-error puzzling that become frustrating to finish. Pair that with inconsistent checkpoints and ridiculous long load times (a trade-off presumably made to allow entire chapters of the game to be played seamlessly).

Overall those occasional issues, though, more than made up for in the constant pleasure of exploration, which is enhanced by some subtle tricks. Environments are often built just bigger than the camera’s field of view…..just urging you to look into the crevices of this game. The camera itself moves with an ever-so-slight delay and sways with The Maw’s ocean rocking, giving the impression of not being a perfect lens which makes for an interesting experience.

This game has much more to enjoy, from Six and her lighter, to the boss battles that require some thought and tactic. Little Nightmares will make you re-evaluate where all the baddies could jump out from and at what point will you pulled into the black abyss of death.  It’s a well-designed game with lovely animations, impressive sound engineering, a world with breathtaking visuals, and a story that pulls you in.