10 Pokemon we hope to see in Detective Pikachu’s horrifying realistic-o-vision

Detective Pikachu is fast approaching its release date and the reviews have started dropping. Startlingly, it appears to be a pretty good film adaptation, and some are saying it’s the best video game film ever made.

Despite that being absolute faint praise, the reviews, along with the trailers, mean that we here at Green Man Gaming are visibly vibrating with excitement about getting to see it.

However, not everything is sunny in the land of Pokemon.

The move to a live action and almost realistic style has led to some aberrations. Out of the Pokemon we’ve seen so far, Mr Mime, Lickitung, and Psyduck lead the charge in the ‘agh what the hell is that’ brigade. Whilst many Pokemon in the film are perfect, combining reality and the charm of the games/anime series. Some are a little disturbing.

Here’s ten Pokemon from the games that we hope to see all gussied up in Detective Pikachu, and then in our nightmares.

Unown

Pokemon Unown

Unown might not be terrifying in themselves, but think about it. They’re living hieroglyphs. You’ll be reading a newspaper and suddenly that story about a royal baby hops off and runs down the street. Actually on second thought, maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

Gothitelle

Gothitelle

Gothitelle is horrifying not so much for their looks, but because frankly they’re just a person. Keeping one of these in a pokeball is surely just straight up slavery, and we aren’t down for that.

Spiritomb

Spiritomb

It’s a cloud made of spirits that are emanating from a stone. And those spirits? They’re the souls of Pokemon who have performed ‘misdeeds’. So not only is this a creepy looking cloud of dead pets, it’s a creepy looking cloud of eternally punished dead pets. Don’t put this in the film, please.

Weezing

Weezing

They look like a pair of toxic testicles. No-one needs to see them bump mapped into 4k.

Bruxish

Bruxish

Ah a beautiful fish. With a beautiful pair of lips ripe for kissing. Given the incredible level of detail brought to bringing Mr Mime’s skin to life, we’re in no doubt that Bruxish’s lips would receive equal attention. Making them ripe, plump, and terrifying.

Dugtrio

Pokemon Dugtrio

There are as many theories about Dugtrio’s lower half as there are Pokemon, and if they appear in a film there’s a chance that we might find out if some of them are true. We’re not interested, thanks. We don’t need to know if they’re connected like a rat king or slim and smooth like earthen hotdogs. Nobody needs to know.

Mimikyu

Pokemon Mimikyu

Less a Pokemon and more a haunted rag that craves your love and doesn’t realise it’s terrifying, Mimikyu just wants your affection. The only problem is that they look like a child’s nightmare brought to life, and if the pokedex is to believed, seeing under its hood will kill you. So let’s leave Mimikyu out of the film, please.

Skrelp

Skrelp

If thousands in CGI dollars are spent bringing this abomination to life on the silver screen, all it’ll be capable of doing is asking you to kill it. A request which we’d happily oblige.

Yamask

Yamask is the ghostly soul of a human that carries around a mask of its own face. Occasionally they look at the mask and weep as they remember being a human. Can we just remind you that this is supposed to be a kid’s franchise? But hey, let’s have a reminder that even in death you can still serve Ash, at least.

Jynx

Pokemon No

No blackface, thanks.

Detective Pikachu is launching into cinemas on the 10th of May, 2019. Have we missed a horrifying Pokemon that gives you nightmares? Let us know in the comments below.

Indie Games: May Roundup

May is here, the sun has arrived (ish), and we are all one month closer to E3. In fact, E3 is literally next month bringing with it whole new swathes of games, weird trailers, and companies trying to be relatable. Well, we aren’t here for that noise, we are here for some of the peculiar little indie games coming out before all of that kicks off. So, here are some of the great indie games you can pick up this month.

Swords of Ditto: Mormo’s Curse

Finally making its appearance on Switch is the Swords of Ditto: Mormo’s Curse. This is the upgraded version of the base game and sees you playing as characters who are destined to go down in history as legends. You have to try and find your way through the various dungeons and try and take out the evil Mormo whenever you feel ready. You can even do it with a friend. It is journeying to Switch on May 2nd.

Swords Of Ditto: Mormo's Curse

Shakedown: Hawaii

Shakedown: Hawaii has you building up your own corporation in order to take over the island which you inhabit. This is very much a game that wants to make a statement about the rather shady practices that many businesses have in the real world. You can use the power of misleading ads and marketing spin in your conquest of the world around you. It’s coming to PC, PS4, Switch, and (checks notes) Vita on May 7th.

Shakedown Hawaii

A Plague Tale: Innocence

Set in the dark period of 1349 A Plague Tale: Innocence tells the story of Amicia, a 15-year-old girl who has to protect her young brother in the face of horrific odds. You must outsmart the Inquisition that hunts you while avoiding the swards of rats that riddle the world. Your only tools are your wits and a torch to hold back the swarm. Not one for those looking for a happy game as everything about the game is harrowing. It will be infecting PC, PS4, and Xbox One on May 14th. You can Pre-order A Plague Tale on the Green Man Gaming store here

A plague Tale: Innocence

Little Friends: Dogs & Cats

Maybe this one was only chosen to balance out A Plague Tale, or maybe the world just needs more indie games with pet. Either way, Little Friends: Dogs and Cats has you adopting and playing with up to 3 little fluffs at once and it looks joyful. You can dress them up too and use a mix of motion controls and the touchscreen to interact with them and play games. It will be bounding onto Switch on May 28th.

Little Friends: Dogs & Cats

Layers of Fear 2

If you’ve ever wanted to play a day in the life of a Hollywood actor, then it seems your prayers are about to be answered. Though, it is in a very monkey’s paw kind of way. Playing out on an ocean liner you have to survive the scars of your past and the effects it has on the world around you. It turns out that the world is a messed up place no matter your station in life, and if the first one is anything to go by, this will be a deeply intriguing game. Layers of Fear 2 is creeping onto PC, PS4, and Xbox One May 28th.

Layers Of Fear 2

5 tombs Lara Croft has yet to raid

Lara Croft has been pretty busy for the last twenty three years. Jetting about, raiding tombs, shooting dogs, or falling down waterfalls. It’s been a tough old time but throughout it she’s managed a surprising amount of grave robbing. Sorry, ‘archaeology’.

She’s been across the globe, delving deep into the tombs of previous civilisations on myriad continents. But there’s still work to be done, there are still some tombs un-raided. Here’s five that she’s yet to divest of their treasures.

Taj Mahal

Lara Croft at the Taj Mahal

Most people don’t seem to know that the Taj Mahal is a vast mausoleum, but it is. Shah Jahan, the Mughal Emperor, built it as a tomb for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It also serves as the resting place for Shah Jahan himself. The Taj Mahal is too beautiful to ransack, even for loot-hungry Lara, but it’d make a fitting backdrop for an adventure. Imagine seeing the beautiful dome rising above the glimmering pool in front of it. And then imagine clambering all over it.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Lara Croft at Halicarnassus

This one’s a little harder to raid, as it hasn’t existed for quite a while now. After sixteen centuries above the city of Bodrum in Turkey, it was gradually destroyed through a series of incidents that left it an utter ruin by the 15th century. That shouldn’t be a problem for Ms. Croft, however. The Tomb Raider series has had an element of the magical since its inception, so why not send her spiralling through time. Time Raider. You can have that one for free, Square Enix.

Lord Lucan’s Tomb

Lara Croft surrounded by question marks

Look, he’s dead ok. Lord Lucan went missing in 1974 and there’s been sporadic sightings ever since. But, it’s been a long time, so he’s going to be long gone now. Enter Lara Croft who can finally get to the bottom of this pervasive British mystery and find the resting place of one John Bingham. Then of course, sell the story to the tabloids. Treasure hunting is expensive business.

The Barrow-Downs

Lara Croft at the Barrow Downs

The lords and kings of the Arnorians rest in the great barrows of the Barrow-downs in Middle-Earth. But they don’t rest well. Barrow-wights infest this area, all in a tizzy because of the Witch-King of Angmar and those dastardly Nazgûl. So spending a night there isn’t the best of ideas, unless you have two pistols with unlimited ammo and a pair of shorts too short for any other human, that is. What treasures and mysteries lie in the moist soil of the Barrow-downs? Only Lara Croft can tell us.

Tomb of Praecor Loth

Lara Croft at the Tomb of Praecor loth

Praecor Loth fell in the great war between his world and that of Killorn Keep, being put to rest in a giant tomb along with his great treasures. Years later, the Avatar of Britannia came along and did a bit of killing and a bit of looting, all in a good cause, of course. We know that the tomb’ll get ransacked, so why not nip in there first for a Lara look around? No-one’ll miss a thing, Origin have been shut down for years, and Lord British spends all his time in space these days so why not. It’s free stuff.

Are there any tombs you would want to see our heroine adventure through? Let us know in the comments, and remember, you can save up to 87% on Tomb Raider games until the 7th of May in our Tomb Raider Sale.

Spring Sale: The Bestsellers

It’s Spring and you know what that means; hayfever for everyone.

Oh also a Spring Sale bringing you cracking deals on loads of games. We’re in the home stretch now, just a few days until the sale ends, and we thought it was the perfect time to look at the games you love to love.

Here’s what’s been selling best in our Spring Sale. If you haven’t yet, maybe you’ll find your next favourite game here.

Just Cause 4

Chaos comes in many forms, but Rico is a pure expression of destruction. In Just Cause 4 you’ll never want for chaos, as you’ll be served a smorgasbord of destructible delights. Balloons, grappling hooks, parachutes, a wingsuit, and attachable rockets all aid you in your quest for, er, justice? Just Cause has never been more explosive, and with a new weather system thrown into the mix, it’s a recipe for open world mayhem.

Conan Exiles

A lengthy exploration of survival, Conan Exiles gives you all the depth you need in a survival game, and then some. Gird yourself for battle as you build, explore, and survive in the Hyborian age. Will you become ruler of all you survey, or will you die alone in a ditch, forgotten by even your enemies? That’s the question at the heart of Conan Exiles. And only you can answer it.

Skyrim VR

Let’s face it, the real world sucks a bit. Thankfully VR exists. Escape from reality into a world where the only thing you have to worry about is ‘will that dragon eat me’. Ah, simplicity. The simplicity of the blade, and the carefree attitude of spellcasting. Beautiful.

Hitman 2

Think of Hitman 2 less like an elaborate murder simulator and instead like a giant game of Mousetrap. Except instead of balls and levers and mice, it’s emetics, guns, and cheesewire. Hitman 2 is a game of learning, learning, and then putting plans into motion. It’s careful and dangerous stuff, but it’s absolutely thrilling when you pull it off correctly.

Frostpunk

When the world is cold, humanity huddles together in their collective warmth. As ruler of the nascent city representing the last hope for humanity it’s up to you to make sure the light of humanity doesn’t flicker out in the frozen waste. Frostpunk has sold a huge amount of copies, over 1.4 million now, and it’s well worth your time if you have any desire to play a city builder, as there’s nothing quite like it.

Moonlighter

Ever wonder where fantasy shops get their items from? Moonlighter answers that question. You take on the role of a young shopowner, exploring procedurally generated dungeons as you quest to find out what the heck is going on under your town. And of course, make a tidy profit. Something we can definitely agree on there.

Elder Scrolls Online – Summerset

Who would’ve thought back when the Elder Scrolls Online launched that it would become what it is, one of the finest MMOs out there. With a generous free to play model and a huge amount to see, do, and explore, it’s never been a better time to jump into the action. Summerset is the most recent expansion taking the action to the ancient lands of the High Elves (or Altmer, if you’re an Elder Scrolls nerd like me). Get ready for Elsweyr, coming on the 4th of June.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus picks up after the explosive ending to Wolfenstein: The New Order. Years later our hero, ol’ BJ himself, is having a bit of trouble getting about. But that won’t stop him for long as it’s time to head to America and get rid of the Nazis, and no amount of tiki torches is going to stop him.

Those are the top sellers in our sale, the absolute big hitters. What’s taken your fancy in our Spring Sale? Let us know in the comments below.

Outward and how it effectively fashions its complete lack of hand holding into a virtue

I’m not sure about you lot, but the whole concept of playing some big, puffed-up hero in a fantasy world with some sort of epic, overarching and burdensome destiny to fulfil is wearing on me a bit these days. So it is then that Outward from Nine Dots Studio provides some much needed respite in this regard, swapping out weighty, pre-ordained world changing fates with simpler goals that we can all relate to – such as the need to pay your rent in five days for example.

That seeming lack of some abstract celestial digit in the sky, pointing down at your character and telling you what to do next in a conveniently laid out linear list of tasks, is just the beginning however, as Outward makes it clear early on that it isn’t here to coddle the player, but instead foster a sense of responsibility in each of us for everything that we do. And in this sense, Outward confidently stakes its claim as an engagingly unique and freeing prospect in a genre full of open-world efforts that espouse those same virtues, but rarely deliver on them.

So how close to life is it?

Take just the mere act of survival where In Outward, everything matters. Keeping firmly attached to your mortal coil is about more than just making sure you don’t die in combat, because Outward has you concerning yourself with cooking your food and boiling water properly to avoid disease, wearing climate appropriate clothing, striking a balance between light and heavy sleeping in order to protect yourself in the wilderness, hunting and foraging for food and much, much more besides.

Once you’re able to take care of yourself (you know, like a proper adult), Outward’s emphasis on cutting the player loose and not holding their hand extends out to its quest structure too. With a complete absence of any kind of waypoint system and a map which only shows landmarks and locations but not the player, Outward again impresses the need to consider things more deeply; using the environment and a good old fashioned sense of direction in order for players to orient themselves sufficiently.

Solo Survival or Multiplayer Madness?

Though Outward’s world and its array of systems might seem ruthless and even punishing to those who have been used to the hand-holding status quo of similar efforts, it, like many things in life, is made immeasurably better when experienced with a friend. By getting stuck into Outward’s cooperative play, two players can brave this unique challenge together; bouncing ideas of one another, covering each other’s backs and generally having buckets of fun in what amounts to an often hilariously entertaining, open world road trip.

It’s refreshing to have an open-world RPG of this scale which treats you like an adult and simply refuses to mollycoddle you every step of the way. Much different than the sum of its ruthlessly checkpointed genre brethren, Outward is a freeing, do-as-you-will breath of fresh air that doesn’t patronize and relies on you (and maybe a mate) to be fully responsible agents of your own destiny. Fancy that, eh?

Why Bethesda is still the most exciting AAA publisher

Bethesda have had a bit of a kicking recently. It’s been years in between Elder Scrolls’, Blades isn’t lighting the world on fire, and Fallout 76 was met with a, shall we say, mixed reaction.

You might be feeling a little less rosy about Bethesda these days. But you’d be wrong. Bethesda have been, and remain, utterly exciting. Here’s why.

History of Invention

When you think of Bethesda, you probably think of Skyrim. But their history is larger than that, and even within the Elder Scrolls series there’s a huge amount of invention and craft at work.

Even the initial game, Arena, showed a willingness to abandon what doesn’t work and reinvent. Originally Arena was a battling game about participating in gladiatorial combat. You would rank up, defeating enemies as you fought your way to the top. After a considerable amount of work was done, this idea was eventually scrapped, leading the way towards the open world RPG we got. The name ‘Arena’ became a metaphor for the proving ground of Tamriel itself.

From then we saw Daggerfall, a massive open world game that experimented with procedural generation. Morrowind that, well, you can read what I think of that here. The series saw experimental one-offs, like Redguard and Battlespire that tried to push the Elder Scrolls into more contained, tighter adventures.

Really what we think of today as the ‘Bethesda formula’ only cropped up from Oblivion onwards, and it’s hard to understate what a leap forward that game was. Radiant AI, for all its shonkiness, allowed NPCs to be a bit more alive than in previous incarnations.

They even managed to successfully revitalise the Fallout series. I’m the first to prefer Fallout 1 and 2, but even I can’t deny their tweaks to the series has led to them becoming a cultural phenomenon.

Even now they’re trying new things. The Elder Scrolls Online has gone from strength to strength after being reinvigorated, FFXIV style, after a poorly received launch. Blades whilst seeing some issues is a genuine attempt to bring open world RPGing to mobile, and Bethesda’s approach to VR has been to openly embrace it.

But that’s not entirely why it’s so exciting to see games from Bethesda.

Expanding Resources

It’s not just their home made games that are exciting, the developers that have become part of Bethesda are often pushing boundaries and creating amazing games.

Id for example, everyone loves Id right? It’s hard to remember now but after Doom 3 and the technical issues plaguing RAGE on its launch, things weren’t so rosy.

Then DOOM came out.

DOOM revitalised not only the Doom series, but Id’s perception as a developer. They were back, they’d made a game that not only paid homage to those that had gone before, it looked to the future too. Fast, brutal, and with an astounding soundtrack, 2016’s DOOM remains one of the best shooters out there.

Arkane is another studio working with Bethesda, responsible for some of the finest immersive sim games out there. Dishonored, Dishonored 2, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, and Prey, are all games created by a team clearly at the top of their game.

They also have the team at MachineGames working on Wolfensteins. Who would’ve thought that we’d have good Wolfenstein games again? But they did it, starting with The New Order, they utterly revitalised Wolfenstein series.

The future

With Rage 2 on the horizon and looking pretty special, DOOM: Eternal coming soon, more Wolfensteins, a new Elder Scrolls in the works, updates to Fallout 76 ironing out some of the flaws, and Starfield teasing us, things look pretty rosy for Bethesda.

It’s clear that despite some experiments not working as they may have intended, Bethesda are still one of the few large developers/publishers who are willing *to* experiment. It may mean a game that doesn’t meet expectations every so often, but I’d rather have an exciting failure, than a company that always plays it safe.

Borderlands: The Story So Far

A mysterious alien race known as the Eridians were the first settlers of the known universe. They left behind advanced technology in vaults, way beyond anything humanity had come up with in the modern era.

Weapons manufacturers eventually find out about the Eridian Vaults and start settling new planets and moons in an attempt to have dominion over the riches.

Borderlands 

The four original Vault Hunters, Roland, Mordecai, Brick and Lilith start their adventure in the town of Fyrestone, pushed along by the voice of a siren known as Angel.  The disgruntled former employees of the weapon manufacturers have transformed Pandora into a playground of chaos that the main characters have to push through to pick up the pieces of the Vault key, which will allow them access to the unknown Eridian riches.

Along the way, they meet Patricia Tannis, an archaeologist who warns of the vault opening very soon. She is kidnapped by the Crimson Lance, a militia backed by the Atlas corporation who are also trying to open the vault.

Eventually, the hunters rescue Tannis, push through a defending army of Eridians and arrive at the vault with the key fragments. The leader of the Crimson Lance Commandant Steele opens the vault and is killed by the eldritch monster inside. Meanwhile, the hunters dispatch of the tentacled foe and reap the riches.

In the DLC, the Vault Hunters wipe out the remainder of the Crimson Lance with the help of a former employee, Athena.

The Pre-Sequel

Athena stars in this game alongside Nisha, Claptrap and Wilhelm. It came out after Borderlands 2 but it’s set before it! The new team head out to help an endearing, low-ranking Hyperion engineer known as Jack on the moon base of Helios.

The team enable Jack’s descent into madness as they wipe out the Lost Legion, search for the vault and build an army. Defying Roland and Lilith from the first game, they reach the vault and Jack picks up an illuminating artefact depicting the awakening of a warrior and a new vault on Pandora. Lilith scars jack by breaking the artefact, and Jack loses the plot, becoming Handsome Jack, the nefarious leader of Hyperion and antagonist of Borderlands 2.

Borderlands 2

New vault hunters Gaige, Krieg, Maya, Salvador, Zer0 and Axton arrive on Handsome Jack-controlled Pandora in search of a bigger and better vault.

Over the course of the game, the new vault hunters rescue the old vault hunters (Lilith, Brick, Mordecai and Roland) and join a resistance movement against Hyperion known as the Crimson Raiders.

Handsome Jack uses Angel (remember her?) as a power source to charge the new vault key and unleash The Warrior seen in his vision. It’s revealed that she is his daughter, and the team are forced to dispatch of Angel to proceed.

The team later wipe out The Warrior and Jack himself, before Lilith reveals a galaxy map with multiple vaults to find. Oops! Looks like the job isn’t over just yet.

Borderlands 3

As well as most of the surviving cast of the previous games, four new hunters have entered the fold, Amara, FL4K, Moze and Zane will be the playable protagonists, who appear to be fighting against the evil Calypso Twins, the so-called Children of the Vault.

I’m sure we’ll find out more as we approach September 13, when Borderlands 3 drops on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

Mortal Kombat 11 Release Date, System Requirements, and more

Mortal Kombat 11, developed by longstanding series veterans NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is set to push the series to the next level. With brutal combat, devastating combos, and punishing Fatalities, Mortal Kombat 11 looks like a fighting game to keep your eyes on.

A direct sequel to 2015’s Mortal Kombat X and the latest in the long running fighting series, we’ve got all the info you need to make sure you’re ready.

Mortal Kombat 11 release date

Mortal Kombat 11 was initially unveiled at The Game Awards in 2018, and is set to splash down onto PC, Xbox One, and PS4 on April the 23rd, 2019. A Switch release will be landing later in the year, on the 10th of May, 2019.

Mortal Kombat 11 trailers

A gameplay trailer was also earlier this year, highlighting some of the brutality you’ll be unleashing in the 11th game in the series.

In addition, a story trailer shows off some of the narrative beats and events you can expect in the campaign.

Gameplay

Mortal Kombat 11 continues the series’ tradition of 2.5D combat, with stalwarts such as familiar Brutalities and Fatalities making a welcome return. In addition, new gameplay elements such as Fatal Blows, Krushing Blows, and Flawless Blocks, will make their debut in this entry.

Fatal Blows will allow you to unleash a devastating move when a player’s health drops below 30%, once a match. Krushing Blows are cinematic variations of special moves, triggered upon completion of certain requirements. Flawless Blocks will allow you to counterattack after blocking an attack with flawless timing.

A new gear system is coming to Mortal Kombat 11, focusing on bringing cosmetics to the game. Tired of your character’s looks? You can now change it up while staying with the same fighter. You will be able to also set up custom move lists, further customising your fighter.

These cosmetics can be earned in-game, but also via spending real money on time crystals. These crystals will unlock cosmetics, and also allow players to simplify button presses for Fatalities. These time crystals can also be earned in-game through play.

System requirements

Minimum Requirements:

  • OS: 64-bit Windows 7 / Windows 10
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-750, 2.66 GHz / AMD Phenom II X4 965, 3.4 GHz or AMD Ryzen™ 3 1200, 3.1 GHz
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 670 or NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 1050 / AMD® Radeon™ HD 7950 or AMD® Radeon™ R9 270
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection

Recommended Requirements:

  • OS: 64-bit Windows 7 / Windows 10
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-2300, 2.8 GHz / AMD FX-6300, 3.5GHz or AMD Ryzen™ 5 1400, 3.2 GHz
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 780 or NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 1060-6GB / AMD® Radeon™ R9 290 or RX 570
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection

Now you should be prepared to take the fight to your foes in the latest incarnation of Mortal Kombat. Don’t forget you can always pre-purchase at a great price from Green Man Gaming, right here.

5 Days of Rezzed Day 5: Phoenix point

Julian Gollop has a long history in PC gaming. Creator of the original X-Com series, he’s been back on the scene recently with games like Chaos Reborn and now, Phoenix Point. Signalling a return to the turn- based action that made him a UK games industry hero, Phoenix Point looks like it’ll show us all how it’s done.

Last year we spoke to Julian Gollop himself about the game, but at EGX Rezzed last week I got to have a sit down with the game and try out a mission.

Back to the future

Phoenix Point is immediately familiar on the surface of things. You have a group of agents all with their own specialities, and you’re facing off against a series of enemies lurking out in the fog of war.

So much, so XCOM.

But Phoenix Point is both a step forward and a revival. It promises to push turn-based squad combat games forward whilst also treasuring and bringing back some of their legacy. Ideas that have been lost in the mists of time.

Well the mists are where the strange, mutated creatures you’re fighting lurk. And they’re hungry for your blood.

Phoenix rising

If you’ve played the original X-Com series, you’ll remember action points. Well, they’re back. Meaning you’re no longer limited to an action and a movement, instead you have a pool that your actions and movements deplete.

What this means is that your turns become much more about planning. Yes you can run a bit further, but you won’t be able to shoot. Or do you stay still, hoping to plough as many shots into your enemy as possible?

How you shoot isn’t something you often see in turn-based games, but it’s a vital part of Phoenix Point. When you target an enemy, you’ll be given a zoomed in view of them, third person shooter style. From here you can select where you’ll want to shoot them. Are they holding a shield? Well maybe you want to blow up their arm, causing them to drop it. Do they have a heavy weapon? Maybe target that.

It’s something we don’t see much outside of VATs or the original Fallouts, but component and bodily damage is something Phoenix Point takes very seriously. If you take out something’s legs, it won’t be doing anything other than pulling itself towards you. Similarly your agents have gear that has durability. A lucky strike from an enemy can cripple your gun, leaving you stranded with no offense. This all ties together so you’re constantly choosing where on the enemy to shoot, whilst also working out how best to defend your agents’ equipment, armour, and their very bodies.

You play as humans, so your bodies you’re (probably) familiar with. But what about your opponents? Deviating from the standard ‘alien’ look, they are a bit more fleshy and often insectile, and with good reason. See in Phoenix Point your enemies don’t stay the same. They mutate.

The way this is handled is that they’ll trial mutations out on you, and it’s through your actions that help prune off evolution trees. If a mutation isn’t effective against you, your enemies will drop it and try something else. Similarly, if it’s working real well, it’s time to change up how you play.

Say you favour rocket launchers, you might find that once susceptible enemies are becoming armour-clad, ablating your attacks away. If you don’t flank enemies much and prefer a direct assault, they may grow forward-facing shields forcing you to either shoot your way through – costing you valuable time – or learn how to play differently.

It means that potentially, you’re going to have to pay close attention to how you play throughout Phoenix Point.

A series of interesting decisions

That’s the quote from Sid Meier, that games, at their heart, are a series of interesting decisions. Phoenix Point seems to have taken and run with it. Everything in Phoenix Point is tailored about making you think, ponder the consequences, and then act. It’s a thoughtful game. One where you might have to take a step back and replan, rethink your strategies. Just advancing into cover and overwatching isn’t going to do it this time soldier.

Phoenix Point will be coming to PC in June 2019.

5 Days of Rezzed Day 4 part 2: Indivisible

Since being announced back in 2015 Indivisible has continued to be a good-looking game, but also one that not many have played. After raising 1.5 million dollars the game has been in production for a while and should finally be releasing at some point this year. While this may seem like a long time, it’s important to keep in mind that the art work is all hand drawn, so the animation alone is a gargantuan undertaking let alone the rest of development.

Well, I got to get a proper hands-on with it at Rezzed, and while the build shown is an old one, the game is still showing a lot of promise. The visuals are striking, each character is drawn and animated beautifully, and you can see an excruciating amount of detail in every single one. It makes you wonder how they’ve managed to do it at all, the idea of tackling something like this boggles the mind.

The combat will feel incredibly comforting to anybody who has played a Valkyrie Profile game. You have a team of four you can utilise with a single button press. Each character has their own button and can have two attacks at any one time, these take time to recharge though so you have to be smart to make the most of them.

You can shift the properties of the attack by holding up or down, doing so with Ajna, the protagonist, allows you to break an enemy’s guard. This is literally essential, or all of your attacks will deal a merely one damage – nowhere near enough to actually take them out. This is the kind of thing you need to learn in order to take out the foes who will stand in your way. It comes in later too when you have to use an archer to knock a mini-boss out of the sky before unleashing hell.

Not all of your attacks are actually attacks though, some of them are debuffs, buffs, and most importantly, they can heal you. Managing your health and your defence is integral to your survival. You need to tap a button to block in order to mitigate the incoming onslaughts, otherwise you will need to spend more time on healing, or just end up dying. Fear not though, if you make enough successful attacks or blocks, then you gain access to resurrections and special attacks. It seems like a pretty deep system, but one that needs more than the 30 minutes I had with it.

The platforming seems like a lot of fun too. You use the axe to cling to surfaces and you can then launch yourself up higher as a result. Add in the wall jumps and the slide and you have a very enjoyable game to traverse. The axe can also be used to break down certain walls. You get new abilities as you go, the archer allows you to hit tricky enemies from above or below while not in combat. This helps you get the edge if you start a fight and can even be used for certain bosses. Given that there will be a roster of 20 characters, this could be a little overwhelming, but I have faith. Indivisible is a gorgeous game, but it isn’t just a pretty face. It plays well, has an engaging combat system, and the characters seem interesting even in a small vertical slice. Given that the build I got to play was quite old, it leaves me feeling incredibly excited about the full version. It seems like it is filling a unique void in terms of combat, and the game around it is fun as well. Fingers crossed we get to see it soon.

5 days of Rezzed Day 4 part 1: Warhammer Round-Up

Last week we at Green Man Gaming hit EGX Rezzed hard. The yearly celebration of indie games takes place in Tobacco Docks here in London, and it’s filled with utter gaming joy. We were there, and this week we’re talking about the best games we saw.

It’s no secret that I’m an unashamed Warhammer fan, look to the bottom of this blog, it’s even in my bio.

Which is why I was tasked to check out the two Warhammer games in residence at Rezzed this year.

Warhammer: Vermintide II – Winds of Magic

Vermintide 2‘s gone from strength to strength since release, and now it’s time for things to change.

Winds of Magic is set to shake up the game, with new enemies – Beastmen – new abilities and career paths for characters, but the major change is Weaves.

Weaves are an end-game mode that’ll push your co-op abilities to their max. Taking place globally, they’ll affect the way you play through the levels, with the titular Winds of Magic changing up the game. The Winds of Magic will blow across the game, altering segments of existing levels and providing new challenges for experienced players.

The whole community may need to band together on message boards, social media, and Discord to discuss solutions to some of the more troubling Weaves. The idea behind them is to mix things up, but for everyone at once. So you won’t be getting a random Weave when you select this mode, you’ll be diving into the same one as everyone else. You’ll be working independently but with the knowledge that if you’re stuck, someone else will be too.

It’s clear that the Winds of Magic blow a breath of fresh air into the game, especially for veterans who may be searching for a new challenge.

Warhammer: Chaosbane

Warhammer: Chaosbane is an idea so obvious you wonder why the heck it hasn’t been done before. Diablo + Warhammer. Duh.

The section I was able to play took place in a dank sewer, filled with Nurgle’s delights. Four characters will be available in the full release, and I took on the mantle of wizard for my trial in the depths.

If you’ve played Diablo, Torchlight, or Path of Exile, you’ll be familiar with the rough flow of the game. You have a few abilities you use to destroy your foes, they drop loot, you check it out, repeat.

What sets Warhammer: Chaosbane apart are two things. One is that each class has a unique ability that affects that classes’ other abilities. For example, the wizard can control their spells directly. Launched a fireball in the wrong direction? Steer it back in and blow up some nurglings.

The other is just that this genre is the perfect marriage for Warhammer’s setting and tone. Warhammer’s world is dark, almost hopeless, but it’s also bombastic. Even though you’re ploughing through foetid sewers or forgotten dungeons, your spells and abilities make the screen explode with light and power.

Overall it’s looking like a good time for Warhammer fans. With Vermintide II: Winds of Magic and Warhammer: Chaosbane in the works, the dream of Warhammer Fantasy Battle won’t be dying just yet.

5 days of Rezzed: Bloodstained: Ritual of the night

Last week the Green Man Gaming crew descended upon EGX Rezzed at the London Tobacco Docks to bring you the latest in best in gaming. This week we will be dropping all our thoughts and opinions on what went down, Starting with Jasons thoughts on Bloodstained: Ritual of the night.

To Castlevania, or not to….

Given Konami’s propensity for ignoring the great games that they could produce many have felt a real sense of longing for classics like Mystical Ninja, Hybrid Heaven (it’s a classic, don’t @ me) and Castlevania. Thankfully, Koji Igarashi is a free agent and has so far graced us with Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, an excellent take on the very old-school Castlevania games and one of the sleeper indie hits of last year.

If Curse of the Moon is an appetiser, then Ritual of the Night is very much the main meal. You only have to look at the gameplay and the enemy designs to see just how clearly this is a Castlevania game in all but name. Instead of playing as one of the many Belmonts you take control of Miriam, who has awoken from a coma and has been tasked with confronting the Gebel who resides in the Demon Castle.

Powers, powers and more powers!

She has some unique abilities though, she can absorb the power of fallen foes because of the horrific experiments that caused her to fall into a coma ten year earlier. When she absorbs this crystallised power, she adds new abilities to her arsenal. These abilities take multiple different forms and are also one of the main ways of combating the Demon Castle’s rather unfriendly inhabitants.

The crystals can impact one of several different attack styles or abilities. For example, you can aim, you can hit y, you can hit RB. Your aimed attack tends to be projectiles or continuous attacks. I got to try out one that created a chainsaw of sorts that shredded enemies completely, and also one that simply fired an arrow. The Y attacks had mixed effects, one summoned a knight to attack for me while another sent a projectile along the ground. The RB seemed to be the metroidvania slot. I had one ability that let me grab and manipulate objects, and also one that turned me into a bunny girl.

The traversal feels good with a double jump being your main method of traversal. There is also a slide to get under low objects and potentially attack troublesome enemies. There were plenty of areas that hinted at other traversal abilities too. A lot of jumps were simply out of reach so a higher jump or a wall jump is no doubt hidden somewhere. I couldn’t swim when I found water, but there were definitely paths underwater, so you’ll gain the ability to swim at some point too.

In conclusion

All in all, this game is just about as Castlevania as it gets, and it is a lot of fun to play. It just makes the wait for it that much longer though, which is always the downside of any previews that are out in the world. Assuming the game lives up the rather impressive legacy that Koji Igarashi has then it is sure to be a stellar game. However, it didn’t feel very challenging, though that is possible it’s just because I’m coming in hot from the masochistic game that is Sekiro so it could be that my barometer is just completely off. The game just needs to come out soon so we can all delve into this comfort food style game of days gone by.

Rezzed 2019 – The games we want to see

Silence descends on the nation. In the deeps a susurration rises like a growing tide. The noise fills the ears, overwhelms the weak, and turns brains to jelly. That sound, that terrible, wonderful sound? It’s the sound of indie games.

And there’s no better place to see them than at EGX Rezzed, London’s annual celebration of everything indie.

There’s going to be more indie games than can have a stick shaken at them, and choosing what we’re really excited to see can be hard. That said, we’ve done it. Here’s the games we’re really looking forward to getting our hands, eyes, and brains on.

Beyond Blue

The ocean is a beautiful place, and in Beyond Blue you’ll be able to explore the depths. Made by the team behind Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna), the BAFTA winning game about Alaska Native culture, we know we’re in for something special.

Dicey Dungeons

Terry Cavanagh is a name you might not be familiar with, but you probably know VVVVVV and Super Hexagon. Dicey Dungeons is a game set in a completely different direction. A roguelike with a chance-based mechanic, it’s sure to be thought provoking and tough to master. Can’t wait.

El Hijo

You’re 6. It’s the Old West. You’ve lost your mother. That’s the set up for this spaghetti Western stealth-em-up, and if that’s not an intriguing start to a game, then we’ll eat our collective hats.

Fade to Silence

In a beautiful but devastated snowy landscape, survival will take everything you’ve got. As Ash, you’ll gather resources and fight the elements to survive, and hopefully build a refuge amongst the ruins of the future. Solo or co-op, this looks like it’ll scratch that survival itch perfectly.

Rainswept

Detective Michael Stone arrives in the small town of Pineview with mystery on his mind. This adventure game will lead you through a murder case, dealing with themes of love, relationships, and unresolved trauma. Weighty stuff, and important stuff.

Sigma Theory

Espionage, despite being a thematic core of many games, has rarely been explored. Enter Sigma Theory, a game about turn based espionage. Recruit agents, go on missions, and win the cold war for your nation. The Sigma Theory awaits.

Sunless Skies

Sunless Skies is a narrative-led steampunk adventure amongst the stars. Already released, it’s getting revamped zones and more, and at Rezzed we’ll be able to see some of the changes incoming. Sunless Skies is already something special, we can’t wait to see what’s coming up.

Vectronom

Block based rhythm action has never looked so good. Vectronom is a beat filled riddle game where your ability to move in time, and remember patterns, will be tested to its limits. With the game testing not only our musical ability but our three dimensional thinking, this is gonna be tough.

Warhammer: Chaosbane

Warhammer: Chaosbane is an aRPG set in the Warhammer universe. I mean that’s it, I’m sold at that point. With multiple classes and hordes to destroy, it’s the fantasy of being in the Warhammer world writ large. Want to smash things? This is your game.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 – Winds of Magic

It’s no secret that Warhammer: Vermintide 2 improved on absolutely everything from the first game. With an expansion incoming, it looks like this brilliant co-op rat-em-up will be getting even better, and we can’t wait to see what the team at Fatshark has for us.

Those are just some of the highlights we’re looking forward to seeing at EGX Rezzed this year. What are you excited to get more news about? Let us know in the comments below.

The top video game April Fools day jokes that backfired

It’s April Fools day, the day when the internet comes together to, well, lie to you.

If you see anything announced today, be very aware that it’s probably not true. Unless it is. In which case that’s an exception.

April Fools jokes don’t always go down well though. Sometimes they can even rebound on the company or product which inspired them. Here’s some that had, shall we say, less than great receptions.

ROBLOX – Cat characters

What was it? – In 2014 a YouTube video was posted to the official ROBLOX account stating that ‘The Future is Now’. In it, the developers showed off their plans for the future of ROBLOX, where all player character would be turned into cat.

How did it backfire? – The community did not take well to this news. Despite it being the 1st of April, the comments quickly became an absolute dumpster-fire of fury. The developers later renamed the video to include the phrase ‘April Fools’ in an attempt to ward off some of the vitriol.

Blizzard – Crabby

What was it? – Blizzard are renowned for their intricate and well planned April Fools day jokes. In 2011 they released Crabby, a Clippy-a-like for their World of Warcraft website. It offered helpful comments when navigating the website.

How did it backfire? – See the problem with Clippy is that it’s annoying, so riffing on Clippy just doubles down on t he annoying. Look at Crabby’s face, look at those smug claws. I HATE YOU SO MUCH CRABBY.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 – Mammoth tank

What was it? – In 2009, EA announced that it was adding a new unit, the Mammoth tank. No, not that one. This Mammoth tank is a pair of guns mounted on a heavily armoured mammoth.

How did it backfire? – Because, well, it’s Red Alert. The world that Red Alert is set in is already extremely hyperbolic and ridiculous, so an actual mammoth isn’t a stretch of imagination. The community just sort of…shrugged. And waited expectantly.

Gamespot – Nintendo Analyst

What was it? – Gamespot’s article from 2006 with a ‘Nintendo Analyst’ looked into the future, joking that with cheap games and a cheap console, Nintendo would corner the console market.

How did it backfire? – Nintendo released the Wii. Which cornered the console market. With cheap games. And a cheap console.

EA – Getting the boot into the Wii U

What was it? – EA announce that Frostbite games will be ported to the Wii U, something that wasn’t possible before due to hardware limitations.

How did it backfire? – The series of tweets were just cruel. The Wii U wasn’t the most powerful console and everyone knew it. Tweeting things like ‘Frostbite now runs on the #WiiU since it is the most powerful Gen4 platform, our renderer is now optimized for Mario and Zelda.’ just sounds like someone had a grudge against Nintendo. Eventually, EA COO Peter Moore apologised for them.

That’s our list, it’s the one we’ve done. Did we miss your favourite time an April Fools joke backfired? Hit us up in the comments.

This Month in Indie Games – April

Welcome one and all to the most godforsaken of all the months: April. That’s right, the month of fools is upon us and you can be sure of countless tiresome jokes being retweeted and shared around the entire internet.

Well, not here friends, not here.

Here we celebrate indie games and that’s no laughing matter. Here we still stand for something. So, here a few of the exciting indie games out this month.

Dance of Death: Du Lac & Fey

Have you ever had the classic fantasy of wanting to take down Jack the Ripper as Lancelot and Morgana Le Fey? Well, Dance of Death is definitely the game for this intensely specific desire.  The game boasts historically accurate crime scenes based on the reports from the era. It also has branching narrative and the team behind it come from studios like Rocksteady and Lionhead. Also, Morgana is a dog. It is out on PC April 5th.

Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain

The latest entry in the cult classic Earth Defense Force series is upon us. This one may well be a little bit different to what the hardcore fans expect though. It is being made by a different team and aims to have a more serious tone than most of the entries. There is also a brand-new class that can take control of enemies and use them to fight back. Iron rain is creeping and crawling to PS4 April 11th.

My Time at Portia

My Time at Portia is a bit like Stardew Valley but in 3D. It brings a fair few things of its own to the garden though. For starters, there is a lot more building than in Stardew as you need to fix up your old Pa’s workshop. You also need to really integrate into the community to succeed. It also has rock, paper, scissors, so that’s nice. Add in level ups and skills and you have a more RPG heavy beast. Check it on April 16th on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Katana ZERO

This is one of those indie games that already looks like a huge hit. It has gorgeous old-school visuals, fast-paced action, and a katana. You can deflect bullets, dodge, use traps, and even mess around with time in order to get through each level. Being an assassin is messy work though, so every morning you check in with a therapist for a bit of self-care. Katana ZERO comes to PC, Switch April 18th.

Box boy and Box girl

One of the most delightful and charming puzzle games around is coming to Switch. This time Box boy is joined by Box girl. Using the unique prowess of the protagonists you have to overcome each level as they get harder and harder. Along with the wonderful cast of characters is the wonderfully minimalist art style and the excellent puzzle design. The aim of the game is simple, but the solution never is, well, after the initial few levels anyway. If this all sounds like more fun than a cardboard box as a kid then you can find it on Switch April 26th.