Games To Fill That Game Of Thrones Void

Now that Game Of Thrones is over for another season, we have to wait a couple of cold hard winters until we experience what will inevitably be an epic climax to a saga that is the Song of Ice and Fire.

With the general consensus in agreement that we will probably have to wait until 2019 until the final season. We thought we would put together a list of must play games that will scratch that Game Of Thrones itch. So grab your Valerian steel blade and mount your nearest dragon as we list the top ‘Game Of Thronesy’ titles you should be playing whilst you wait for Season 8.

Seven Kingdoms: Total War (Total War: Attila mod)

If you are one for modding your games then we suggest giving the Seven Kingdoms: Total War mod for Total War: Attila a spin. This mod features over 25 armies and 30 photorealistic characters. If you are a Total War fan or just love your strategy games and want to control armies as apposed to just single characters, then this mod should whet your Game Of Thrones appetite perfectly. I mean who doesn’t want the opportunity to lead great armies such as The Unsullied, The Lannister Army, The Tyrells of Highgarden, the Thenns beyond The Wall or even the flayed men of House Bolton?

Telltale Game Of Thrones

Possibly the best Game of Thrones video game out there, the GOT Telltale series centres around House Forrester. A minor family situated in the north of Westeros. House Forrester are the bannermen to House Glover, a house that has sworn fealty to the Starks of Winterfell. What’s great about this six episode series is that the game stays true to both the original Song of Ice and Fire novels and the Game Of Thrones TV show, moulding the two into one universe.

Players also get to visit iconic regions such as Kings Landing and The Wall and new locations such as Ironrath which is the place House Forrester calls home. It is a great game to play should you want to dive deeper into the the land of Westeros.

Skyrim

If you fancy yourself as more of a Targaryen than a Stark then Skyrim is the game you need to play before Season 8. Even though this RPG focusses a lot on killing dragons and stealing their souls, there are a few twists and turns in the story that will have you making friends with dragons as well. There is also a northern city in Skyrim called Winterhold which once was a great powerful city within the land of Skyrim, sadly though Winterhold has a distinct lack of wolves. As Skyrim allows you to create your own character, we wouldn’t be surprised if you wanted to create the next King of The North.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Keeping on with the theme of dragons, Dragon Age: Inquisition is another epic RPG. If you prefer your Role Playing Games to be centred more around a party as apposed to just you alone against the elements, then this game is right for you. True, in Dragon Age: Inquisition you do get to fight against and defeat a lot of dragons so if you see yourself as more of a Lannister loyalist and just want to stab and punch dragons in the face then this game is right up your alley.

Dragon slaying aside, this is an epic medieval tale which will have you craving to be a part of the epic battles of Westeros past such as King Robert’s Rebellion or even The Targaryen Conquest.

Game Of Thrones (2012)

Even though the reviews for this Game Of Thrones RPG (which came out on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) were less than spectacular, this game still has a cult following. In this game you play as two characters Alester Sarwyck and Mors Westford, players get to play through an interesting and deep narrative set in Westeros, where players are able to control both characters as the story progresses. Also who doesn’t want to switch between a member of the Night’s Watch and a Knight/Red Priest?

If you want to sink your teeth into some heavy story which you have a surprising amount of control over, then give this title a go.

The Witcher 3

If it’s a gritty medieval tale that you are looking for to quench your GOT thirst, then The Witcher 3 is the perfect title for you. Not only are you able to explore a vast land rich with life which is surrounded by parallel dimensions and extra dimensional worlds. You also control the dashing Geralt of Rivia who has a vast amount of magic and weaponry at his disposal. So if you fancy yourself as more of a Thoros Of Myr type (back in his heyday) with your flaming sword of fire then The Witcher is for you. If you’re not a Throros fan then play the game anyway as it is pretty awesome.

If there are any games you would like to suggest to while away the months before the next season of Game Of Thrones then let us know in the comment section below.

 

What’s New In Yakuza Kiwami?

Next week sees the release of Yakuza Kiwami, the highly anticipated remake of the first Yakuza game, which originally launched on the PlayStation 2 all the way back in 2005. As this is a remake, you would probably expect that Kiwami would just be your average HD re-release of the original PlayStation 2 game, however it is way more than that and here’s why.

More Than Just A HD Re-Release

As mentioned above, this game is more than just your run of the mill HD re-release. Yakuza Kiwami has been rebuilt from the ground up using the same engine as Yakuza 0. For those of you who don’t know, Yakuza 0 is the latest Yakuza game to come out here in Europe for the PlayStation 4, and is a prequel set before the first game. So after the success of Yakuza 0 internationally, it makes sense that SEGA went ahead and remade the first game for the Sony console.

As everything in Yakuza Kiwami has been rebuilt from the ground up, players can expect the same level of detail in this game as they did in Yakuza 0. The city of Kamurocho is way more diverse and immersive this time around, with better graphics and a level of detail that couldn’t be achieved back on the PlayStation 2.

New Fighting Styles

The great thing about Kiwami is that SEGA have added some brand new fighting styles for the games protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. These are the same fighting styles that were first introduced in Yakuza 0. These fighting styles will enable players to change up their attacks on the fly, allowing them to mix up their combat. Players will be able to use fighting styles such as Brawler, Beast, Rush and Dragon, with each fighting style coming with its own techniques to master.

Yakuza 0 gave players the opportunity to unlock other fighting styles as the game progressed, we imagine that Kiwami will do the same.

New Mini Games And Side Quests

There have been some new mini games added to Yakuza Kiwami that players wouldn’t have got their hands on back on the PlayStation 2. Players can now head to the arcade to get their hands on some retro style arcade games. They will also be able to play games such as Mahjong, pool, bowling and even head to the local karaoke bar to sing some top Japanese hits. The RC Car Racing from Yakuza 0 also comes to Yakuza Kiwami if you have the need for RC speed.

There have also been some brand new side quests added for players to complete, which is great news as this gives us even more reason to explore the city of Kamurocho.

The Majima Anywhere System

Possibly one of our favourite additions to Yakuza Kiwami, the game introduces the ‘Majima Anywhere System.’ This new game feature allows Goro Majima, Yakuza’s crazy eyepatch wearing maniac to appear at any time to challenge Kiryu to battle. It is then up to the player to defeat him in a fist fight.

Majima can pop out at any time from anywhere, whether he is in a goofy costume or hiding in a dumpster he will find you and challenge you.

majima_anywhere

Majima Anywhere also comes with its own independent levelling system, which will help you learn Kiryu’s ultimate ‘Dragon of the Dojima’ fighting style. If players hit certain conditions during a fight with this fight-aholic they will be able to learn new special moves and add them to your fighting arsenal.

Original Japanese Voice Acting

The first Yakuza game only let players experience the story with American voice overs. In the later Yakuza games, English subtitles were introduced which fans of the series preferred to use. Yakuza Kiwami uses the original Japanese voice overs with English subtitles, so players can experience the story as the original developers intended.

Yakuza Kiwami is out on PlayStation 4 on the 29th August. Have you played any of the Yakuza games? If so let us know in the comments section below.

How Observer Drives Home Horror In Cyberpunk

The game begins with the gravelly tones of the familiar voice of Rutger Hauer reading text as it scrolls slowly down the screen. The words are jittering and poetically blunt and it sets us up for the initial scene, but I don’t think it prepares us for the horrors that await in Observer. The cyberpunk horror game is truly a beautiful and chaotic journey into a run down and miserable world that has dissolved from disease and plague. Set in 2084 Krakow, the lines between good and evil are more than blurred, they are overwritten, by the soft gentle voice of the main character Dan Lazarski, a neural police detective known as an Observer who detects and invades suspects minds.

Sitting in a car as the rain trickles down outside, the dazzling neon lights cut through the greying towers and dirty pavements. This is where you learn the game’s controls and you’re introduced to who you are, what you’re doing in this world and how you take on missions in this futuristic hellhole. Your character is beat down by mind-hacking and you have to top up on synchronisation pills which seem to keep you from going off the deep end. When you need to top up, you’ll know it. There will be a dizziness, the feeling of stress and anxiety will surge through you with force and then you’ll be okay, with a little pill. You can pick up these pills as you make your way through the game, so be on the lookout.

Your first mission is a little closer to home as you receive a strange message from your son, Adam. After identifying a caller address, you make your way to the ominous tower of flats. The game does a superb job of thrusting you in and out of intense holographic imagery and into what feels like a normal setting, with crowds of birds chirping in a brick lined courtyard. It’s disorientating, but that’s okay. You enter the apartment block and at the front desk is a half human, half robot man who feels like an immediate threat, but he is helpful, sad, maybe scared himself and it’s our first reminder that not everything in this game will be as it first appears.

As you make your way to Adam’s apartment, it’s difficult not to notice the robot janitor that scuttles down the hallway, with its foul and bolshy attitude. Then, you’re in the courtyard and the front doors are glowing a holographic off-white, surrounding what could be the back streets of a modern day Krakow. Nothing about this extremely polished game actually feels polished, it’s full of grime and grit and disease pulses through the setting like the thin holographic lines that guide the way. Yes, it does have a lot of similarities to Blade Runner, but it’s impending, insidious feel burns into the gameplay and it’s not as easy as Blade Runner, it’s not as clean.

What is clever, is that Observer is a disguised detective game and it’s a mechanic I really didn’t expect. As you enter Adam’s apartment and you’re met with the stench and bloody abomination of a decapitated body, it’s easy to be afraid, but you’re not… yet. Dan knows in his heart, that this body is not his son’s, a paternal instinct that brings him into a new light. This is when I really felt for Dan, he, like the rest of the game, has rough edges that can be heard in the breaks in his voice. The way Dan speaks to people feels genuine, because he is quick to disregard someone’s comments if he feels it is wasting his time.

At the scene you will learn about the two investigative modes; one for mechanics like a ComPass (a device which people must carry to identify them) and the other for forensic evidence, such as blood spatters and in this case, claw marks. There is so much to interact with, that at first it feels slightly overwhelming, but once you’ve moved drawers and searched cupboards, you learn about the game and what you need to look for. Objects will start standing out and the game will prompt you if you can pick up certain items. Once you’ve finished scrounging for clues, the entire building is now on lockdown and you have to find a way out. It’s clever, I love puzzles and they’re easy enough to not distract from the fluidity of the game.

Now you’re out of the apartment, there are a lot of doors to other apartments and it’s at this point I let go a little. You’re able to stroll around and knock on people’s doors, because you are a police officer after all, police officers need answers. There were moments that I wasn’t sure if I should be collecting clues from these people, or simply try to focus on moving onto the next area, but the game won’t baby you – work it out.

Enter the janitor’s room and I’m still relaxed and at ease, I sit down at the computer to find more clues about people living on other floors and there’s a game of With Fire and Sword: Spiders on the computer’s desktop. It’s easy to enjoy the game and forget that you’re in a cyberpunk universe trying to get out after analysing a decapitated body. After a few games, I get up to leave and I turn. I scream.

There was a point in this game, that I became comfortable with the distortion between the blood smeared on the brickwork, the blood pooling at my feet and the sheer amount of excrement seeping from the dirty cracks in the walls. It washed over me, because the vivid colours and bright lights were a constant reminder of a cracked reality. But that will never deter that this is a horror game and when you proceed to the next part of the game, you will be constantly reminded; this is a horror game. As you stab your transmitter into a guy’s neck and live out his bloody demise through the barking scraps of shadowy delusions, this is a horror game. As you run between tight corridors and are pulled between the industrial pipes in the apartment and familiar furniture, compared to the breaks of sinister imagery flickering between your mind. This is a horror game. A bloody good one. 

Why You Should Play Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle After XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen

As tactical RPGs go, XCOM is heralded as one of the best. With the release of XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen on the 29th August, players will have the opportunity to expand the XCOM 2 universe and dive straight into a new story.

So once you have sunk as many hours as you can into War Of The Chosen and have practically bled it dry of content, where do you turn? Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle just might be the game that will scratch that XCOM itch, and here’s why.

What Is Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle?

Announced at E3, this year on the surface Kingdom Battle looks like another crazy crossover of the Super Mario and Raving Rabbids franchises. However, after seeing the game at E3, this title is far more than just your average crossover.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle throws the Raving Rabbids into Mario’s world. Some of the Rabbids have gone rogue and have been wreaking havoc within the Mushroom Kingdom. It’s up to Mario, his friends and a select few Rabbids to help save the kingdom from this bunny-pocolypse.

As to how deep the story goes, we will have to wait until the game comes out, but the major selling point of this game is the gameplay. In short, Kingdom Battle plays like an XCOM game, you have a team of characters with various speciality skills. Your team takes to the battlefield where players have to use turn based tactics in order to vanquish the enemy.

Similarities to XCOM

The similarities between Kingdom Battle and XCOM are near enough endless, with a lot of people who have played the game saying that Mario + Rabbids is an XCOM clone. So it’s safe to say that this is the perfect game to jump into straight after War Of The Chosen. Here are some of the core similarities:

Characters, Skills and Weapons

Players are able to choose their characters before they go onto the battlefield. Characters have their own class. For example in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Luigi is a Sniper Class whilst Rabbid Mario is a Brawler. Each class has it’s own set of skills and it is up to players to mix and match their characters to accommodate their playstyle.

Characters are also able to level up, and can also equip a variety of different weapons which can be unlocked by completing missions or purchasing them with in game currency.

The Battlefield

Both games have an isometric view where players take turns to navigate the level and attack their enemies. Players control character one at a time and are able to use other team members to help them reach difficult places around the level. Players also have to take cover into consideration as leaving your team out in the open is detrimental

Overwatch

One of possibly many abilities that both games will share. Kingdom Battle and XCOM both have an Overwatch ability. Once activated if anyone on the opposing team moves into your line of sight during their turn, your team member will automatically attack them. It’s a pretty neat move that can turn the tide of battle quite easily.

That is just some of the similarities both games have, which just goes to show that XCOM players would be quite at home with Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

What Can Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Bring To The Genre?

When it comes to tactical RPGs XCOM has a dark and gritty Sci-Fi theme, which makes players truly feel that they are fighting to save humanity and the world. Mario + Rabbids is pretty much the polar opposite with its bright happy colours, Rabbids that scream for no apparent reason at all, and generally a storyline that makes little sense. This could be a turnoff for some XCOM fans but it is great to see that the tactical RPG genre can take on a new skin and appeal to the Mario and Rabbids fans out there as well.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle also has a co-op multiplayer feature which XCOM doesn’t have. So players are able to team up with a friend and control two characters each in order to complete objectives and defeat enemies.

If you find yourself at a loss when you complete XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen, give Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle a shot. True you won’t be saving the world against aliens but you will be getting a solid tactical RPG that has learnt from the best.

 

Is Sonic Mania The Game The Fans Wanted?

Since its release, Sonic Mania has been getting a lot of praise from critics and fans alike. With gamers even going to the extent in stating that this is the best Sonic game ever made. As you can imagine my expectations were pretty high jumping into the game over the weekend and after playing the game for a few hours I can see why people are giving Sonic Mania a lot of appreciation.

A Return To Retro Sonic

At its core Sonic Mania brings back what people fell in love with in the early 90s during the good old Sega Megadrive days. A 2D side scrolling game where you collect rings, run at high speeds, complete bonus stages and jump on the heads of many an unsuspecting robot animal. It is everything that Sonic the Hedgehog used to be, even going to the extent of putting you in fan favourite stages such as Green Hill Zone and Chemical Plant. Each of the returning zones has been redesigned, to give the hardcore fans out there a new game experience so if you have committed Chemical Plant to memory, it will do you no good here.

Much like the original Sonic games, each zone comes in two acts with boss battles at the end of each act. Each boss is pretty varied which means you will not come up against the same sort of boss twice, however, as this is a Sonic game you will come across a cheap boss every now and again which can disrupt the flow of play. I can’t count amount of times I have had to restart a level because of a cheap boss, but then it can be argued that it goes with the territory.

Expanding On The Formula

Whilst Sonic Mania has all the elements of an original Sonic game, it also has some new elements that jazz up the gameplay a bit. Off the bat Sonic has a brand new ability that lets him charge up a spin dash in mid air. There are also various brand new gameplay elements within each of the zones which vary up the gameplay nicely.

Whilst playing through the main story mode, players are able to unlock new abilities for Sonic to use in the game’s ‘No Save mode’. What is also pretty cool is that these unlockable abilities come from past sonic games, for example, players are able to unlock Sonic’s speed dash from Sonic CD. However as mentioned before these moves can only be used in the game’s No Save mode (as the name suggests players aren’t able to save their progress in this mode) and you can only equip one ability at a time. These are not the only unlockables however, as players are able to play through special stages to collect medals for even more unlockables.

The game also comes with a classic head to head mode and time attack mode as well, which adds further challenge to the game. Players are able to choose from Sonic, Tails, Sonic & Tails and Knuckles which also gives all of the game modes some much needed replay value. It would have been nice to see more playable character such as Metal Sonic or Shadow but you never know what Sega have up their sleeves for DLC or a sequel to the game.

Sonic Is Back In A Big Way

Since the release of Sonic Generations, the Sonic games have been a bit lacklustre. Sonic Mania brings back what fans first fell in love with and also gives new comers a much needed taste of the original Sonic The Hedgehog. Is Sonic Mania the game the fans wanted? In a word, yes, as it’s giving a lot of fan service whilst adding some new gameplay elements. It would be nice to see how far they can push the games engine however and come up with a truly unique game that fans and new comers will love. If you are a Sonic fan I suggest you go and play it.

Have you played Sonic Mania? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

 

The Best Moments In Uncharted

With the release of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy only a little while away we thought it would be an awesome idea to list our favourite moments from the Uncharted series. Here are some of the most epic and best moments in Uncharted.

We also ranked the Uncharted games from worst to best, you can check that out here. Then fight us, go on, you know you want to.

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune : Chapter 18 – The Bunker

Before The Last Of Us was a glint in Naughty Dog’s eye the closest the publisher had ever come to zombies/mutants/monsters that want to rip your face off, was in Uncharted Drake’s Fortune. What starts off as a pretty bog standard platforming level quickly turns into more of a survival horror affair as Drake finds himself battling against monsters with only torch light and a machine gun to keep him company. It’s an adrenaline fuelled chapter where players will more than likely be caught off guard by a cavalcade of howling zombie dogs.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves : Chapter 20 – Cat and Mouse

Talking of being caught off guard, there is a moment in Uncharted 2 where Drake has to help defend a Tibetan village from a warlord’s tyrannical army. All goes relatively smoothly in this mission until the tank arrives blowing up everything in it’s way. This is another mission where players have to think quickly on their feet in order to take this tank down. You will be using countless rocket launchers and heavy artillery in order to take this beast down, and cover really doesn’t last long either.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves : Chapter 1 – A Rock and a Hard Place

It can be argued that this is probably one of the most iconic Uncharted moments of all time. In the opening chapter of Uncharted 2 Drake has to battle for his life as he wakes up on a crashed train overhanging the side of a mountain. What follows is some of the is some pretty amazing platforming as Drake has to climb up the over handing train. This opening sequence just goes to show that Naughty Dog are capable of making some of the best moments in Video Games. It would be hard for anyone to play this chapter and not be awe struck.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception : Chapter 17 – Stowaway

If scaling a train dangling over a mountain side didn’t cut the mustard for you then how does a shoot out on a cargo plane that is on a collision course with the ground sound? In another epic chapter, Drake has to fight his way through various enemies on a cargo plane in mid flight. Things take a turn for the worse as mid battle the plane gets so damaged it starts on its collision course with the ground. Players then have to navigate their way through what can be only described as a disintegrating plane in one of the best parachute jumps seen in video games.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End : Chapter 11 –  Hidden In Plain Sight (Clock Tower)

Probably one of the Uncharted franchises most elaborate puzzles, this chapter has both Drake and Sully finding the entrance to Avery’s secret chamber within the King’s Bay clocktower. Players have to ring bells in a certain sequence in order to open the secret entrance. Not only is this one of the best puzzles the franchise has to offer, (as it uses the whole clock tower) it also has some fantastic chase sections as Drake again has to run for his life as the whole tower collapses around him.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End : Chapter 11 – Hidden In Plain Sight (Car Chase)

It’s safe to say that Chapter 11 in A Thief’s End is probably one of the best Uncharted Chapters you will ever play. not only do you have to escape a collapsing building, you are also thrown into an epic car chase sequence. This part of the mission has Drake swinging off of cranes, making heart stopping jumps from various vehicles and even has him being dragged through the mud by an army truck. It is a pretty epic chase scene that you will be reminiscing about probably for years to come.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception : Chapter 15 – Sink Or Swim

Before Drake goes on his plane escapade in Uncharted 3 he first manages to escape a sinking cruise liner. much like Uncharted 2’s iconic opening chapter (instead this time around it’s a huge boat not a train) Drake must find a way out of the sinking ship before it takes him to a watery grave. It’s true, the reason why the ship is sinking in the first place was due to the huge gun fight Drake got caught up in at the start of the chapter but the highlight of Sink Or Swim is the death defying platforming moments players have to go through in order to escape.

Honorable Mention – Uncharted 4: Crash Bandicoot

Naughty Dog’s take on Game-ception, Uncharted 4 has players play through a level of Crash Bandicoot in a cute scene between Nathan and his wife Elena. In game the boot up a PlayStation and Elena challenges Nathan to beat her score, it is then up to the player to play the level of Crash and see if they can get to the top of the leader board. It’s a great little easter egg that when first discovered had many gamers reminiscing about the good old Crash Bandicoot days, well, if you like Crash Bandicoot.

So thats it for our best ever Uncharted moments. Do you think The Lost Legacy will have anything on a similar scale? Or have we missed one of your favourite moments? Let us know in the comments section below.

XCOM 2: War of the Chosen’s Most Intriguing New Features

XCOM 2’s expansion War of the Chosen is coming out real soon, and if you’re a fan of XCOM then you’re probably thinking about getting it. If you don’t know why you should, then I’m here to share with you why I think WotC will make the best XCOM experience ever.

AP Points

Did you ever think that the promotion mechanic in XCOM was just a bit under-developed? Soldiers would fill a hidden experience bar by getting kills and finishing missions, and they would get the choice of one skill or another per promotion. Now however, soldiers will earn AP by making tactical plays in battle. Blowing up barrels, getting stealth kills and rescuing civilians will earn you points, which you can then spend on soldier upgrades, that you can get as well as your standard one-per-promotion.

Bonding

If you really wondered how much your soldiers really got on with each other inside the game, and not just in your own head, then now you can find out with the new bonding mechanic. Each soldier has a cohesion rating with each other soldier, meaning they’ll bond faster if their cohesion is higher. Bonds can be leveled up, giving both soldiers access to better and better unique abilities. Be careful though, if someone loses their buddy, they’ll be less combat effective, not before they go into a mad rage. Still, now not only can your soldiers be named after your friends, but they can actually be friends too!

Faction Soldiers

The biggest change of course is that now you can have soldiers that aren’t strictly XCOM. Hiring from other factions such as the Reapers, Templars and Skirmishers not only gives you access to all their cool armour, but gives you a powerful agent with unparalleled abilities. Reapers for example specialise in stealth and sniping, are incredibly agile and look like badass Metro 2033 elite soldiers. They also have access to their own skill trees, giving more variety to more types of soldiers. Some are well suited to certain mission types, and it’s not impossible to take a full squad of Reapers in a confrontation mission, meaning you can be almost permanently stealthed through the whole game, invulnerable from ambush.

Research Breakthroughs

Back on your ship, Firaxis have thankfully noticed that getting those research projects complete and unlocking new guns and armour is probably the most satisfying thing. In WotC, your scientists can have Eureka moments, breakthroughs in certain tech which will speed up the research, or even allow you to skip a few steps. Your scientists may just have an idea to stick some alien energy cores in a shotgun and see what happens, and you can reap the benefits. These can also result in stuff costing less and requiring less power. Now research is more exciting, you won’t just be grinding through the boring pre-requisites to get to the plasma guns.

Photobooth

You know what XCOM isn’t? The Sims. You know what’s really fun though? Having heaps and heaps of customisation for your soldiers so you can make them look like a group of unique heroes like the Avengers, or have a matching theme like the Guardians of the Galaxy. Now there’s a photobooth mode where you can create inspirational posters with your soldiers on the front. Once created, these posters will appear around the ship, and in the game levels! Bonded soldiers can pose together, as can post-victory squads. I’ve been sharing pictures of my squad since my A-team were kicking ass back in XCOM 1, it’s now officially part of the XCOM experience.

War of the Chosen is on our store for pre-purchase at -25%! If these new features sound good to you, join me in picking it up and playing through XCOM 2 yet again.

Gamescom 2017 Schedule

As Gamescom 2017 is kicking off tomorrow we thought we would whack up the schedule so you can keep up with the live streams and conferences happening over the show. Here’s what’s coming up.

Xbox Gamescom 2017 Conference

Sunday 20th August 8pm BST/9pm CEST/3pm EDT/12pm PDT

What can we expect from the Xbox conference?

We are more than likely going to get the same sort of thing that we got from E3. We’ll probably get another look at the X Box One X, just to keep the hype going up until November. We also expect some new footage from the like of Forza Motor Sport 7, Crackdown 3 and maybe some new Sea of Thieves footage.

EA Gamescom 2017 conference

Monday 21st August 5:30pm BST/6:30pm CEST/12:30PM EDT/9:30am PDT

What can we expect from the EA conference?

We will probably get a wealth of information for FIFA 18 and another look at the Ultimate Team feature, as well as Journey mode and information on the Switch edition. We will probably get some information on other sports games such as Madden NFL 18 and NHL 18.

As confirmed earlier this week, we will also get a glimpse into the space battles of Star Wars: Battlefront 2. We will also probably get some more content for Battlefield 1.

Blizzard Gamescom 2017 livestreams

Monday 21st August and Wednesday 23rd August 5pm BST/6pm CEST/12pm EDT/9am PDT.

What can we expect from the Blizzard livestreams?

We expect all of the Blizzard big hitters to make an appearance at this years show, such as World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Diablo 3, Starcraft 2 and Heroes of the Storm. We will get a new Overwatch map announcement, a new fireside gathering feature for Hearthstone, info of the new World Of Warcraft patch and a look at Starcraft remastered.

Nintendo Gamescom 2017 livestreams

Wednesday 23rd August Super Mario Odyssey livestream 2pm BST/3pm CEST/9am EDT/6am PDT

Thursday 24th August Metroid: Samus Returns livestream 11am BST/12 noon CEST/6am EDT/3am PDT

What can we expect from the Nintendo livestreams?

As the names suggest we are more than likely going to get quite a bit of information on both Metroid: Samus Returns and Super Mario Odyssey. We can probably also expect some information on Fire Emblem Warriors, Xenoblade 2, Pokken Tournament DX and Monster Hunter. We will probably also get a final look at Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle before it comes out on the 29th.

That’s it for the major livestreams and conferences happening over Gamescom 2017. Do you have any predictions about the show? If you do let us know in the comments section below.

Absolver Is The Fighting Game Martial Arts Fans Need In Their Lives

When it comes to fighting games not much comes up against Absolver. True, a lot of gamers out there may compare Absolver to games such as For Honor, but the game is so much more than that. Absolver takes what we love about martial arts and throws these ideas into a dystopia where the players key objective is to prove themselves in order to become one of the worlds sworn protectors. Here is what you can expect from this epic fighting title when it comes out on the 29th August.

Setting

The game is set way in the future where society as we know it has fallen. The peace in the land is held together by the Absolvers, a unit of highly trained martial artists who essentially keep the peace and order throughout the known world. Players control a faceless character who has to use their combat skills against other players and AI in order to prove themselves worthy enough to become an Absolver.

Players have to navigate through an open world defeating opponents and progressing their story to become an Absolver. The game can be considered an MMO as players share the same world and can face off against each other. Players can also train other players and vice versa.

Character Creation

Even though player characters hide behind a mask, characters are fully customisable both in their move set and aesthetically. You will get the opportunity to choose from three initial classes while other classes will be unlocked throughout the game. Move sets are fully customisable meaning players can create a character that fits perfectly to their play style. These move sets are customised in the players combat deck, here you will be able to select and choose cards that correspond with moves in order to create you own combat deck.

Combat

Much like games such as For Honor, combat in Absolver is based on judging your opponents next move and looking for an opening to attack. Players will be able to choose from four stances which they will be able to switch between on the fly. These stances are based on which way your character is facing and will allow your character to perform various moves in order to keep you opponent off guard.

As mentioned above, players will be able to choose from different classes. This heavily influences the type of fighter you will become as each class has its own special techniques and fighting style. There is even a class based on drunk boxing, a fighting style that was made famous by Jackie Chan.

Absolver is going to be a great game for those of us who want to get their martial arts fix. The game is out on the 29th August and you can pre-purchase your copy from the Green Man Gaming gaming store right now.

FIFA Retrospective

FIFA 18 is coming out later in the year, so we’re heading back to the ol’ flat rectangle, the ol’ kicking field, the ol’ jamboree of legs.

FIFA 18 is the latest in the long running FIFA series, but do you know about all the previous ones? Here’s all the FIFA games that have been released so far, to whet your appetite for more FIFA.

FIFA

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The original FIFA was a straight up recreation of the World’s Greatest Sport. Football. It featured teams such as Overton Wanderers and The Big Kicker Kings in incredible graphical fidelity.

F2FA

The second FIFA took the game series a step further, featuring different stadiums all round the world with every single blade of grass being individually modelled. Move over Pixar, FIFA is here!

FIFA F Edition

Billed as the ultimate FIFA experience, FIFA F put the focus firmly on football. Every kind of football was there, from the official FIFA branded balls, to a rolled up pair of socks in a balloon, like the kind of football that children would use on the streets.

FIF4

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With this entry, EA took the grand game of football into the 4th dimension, that of time. Featuring speed up, slow down, reverse time, rewind time, make time go upside down, and ‘black hole’ settings, the world of football has never seen chronological japes like this. Unfortunately, this version was never released as the disc required to run the game was a metre wide, meaning it couldn’t fit into any but the most gaping of DVD drives.

FIFA: The One With Footballs

After the disaster of FIF4, EA decided to go back to basics and put football back in the limelight. FIFA: The One With Footballs featured footballs, everything was a football, from the crowd to the players, to a secret multiball mode where a thousand balls would appear on screen every time Football United scored. Unfortunately critics were not kind on this instalment, with it only getting 1/10 from noted Football fansite, Rock Paper Shotgun.

FIFA: Back in Black

After the second disaster of FIFA: The One With Footballs, EA decided to offer up a simple football game. Featuring a retro style, FIFA: Back in Black is set in the early 1900s, featuring footballers dressed in long shorts and old-timey-animations. The game didn’t sell amazingly well, but was highly regarded as an avant garde look into the brains behind FIFA. It is also notable for its anachronistic soundtrack, with its music being provided by AC/DC.

FIFA vs Capcom

What’s better than football, EA wondered to itself. Football where the opposing side is made up of Capcom characters! EA was struggling financially during this year, so teamed up with Capcom to release the superlative FIFA vs Capcom, the game which single handedly kickstarted EA and Capcom’s finances, and led to the fine tradition of crossover games that we’ve seen since.

FIFA: Mission to Moscow

With FIFA vs Capcom being a critical and financial success, EA decided to follow it up with another crossover, with the incredibly popular and wildly successful Police Academy series. FIFA: Mission to Moscow was a madcap game featuring a single player campaign where you as Steve Guttenberg take on the Russians in a fight to the death…but with footballs!

It didn’t do well.

Fédération Internationale de Football Association

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FIFA decided to go serious with this one, taking the game to Switzerland for high fidelity football action, featuring appearances by Sepp Blatter amongst other FIFA luminaries, it let you build your own team and take them right to the top of the football tree, eventually deciding the rules of the game for yourself.

FIFA: Kicking Everything

EA brought on a new team to take control of FIFA for this instalment, and they decided that the failing of previous games had been that the focus had been on the balls, not the legs. In this game, you play a huge footballing monster called Ambulatoria with the goal of kicking every item in the universe into a net made of stars. Featuring mechanics similar to the Katamari Damacy series, it had you starting off small, kicking individual grains of sand, until you worked your glutes enough to be able to boot the solar system past Ganymede and back.

FIFA Boom

FIFA got its own Saturday morning cartoon series, and the development of this year’s FIFA followed the cartoon. Featuring a lovable cast of footballers, such as Wayne Racoons, a raccoon, Daniel Stoattage, a stoat with attitude, and Raheem Starling, a bird with amazing air control powers. It followed their adventures as big bad Dr Seppster tried to get them to play football even when they were tired or had school.

It was cancelled after one season.

FIFA 1

This was a port of the original FIFA, optimised for newer systems and with the teams updated. Gone were The Big Kicker Kings and in were modern teams like Football 2000 and Football_Hashtag.

FIFA (The ‘A’ Stands for Animals)

Deciding that human players were not only too expensive to licence their appearances and they were also too complicated to animate, EA went with animals for this version of the game. Similar to Tokyo Jungle but set in football grounds, FIFA (The ‘A’ Stands for Animals) let you choose your animal, and play football with them until they attracted a suitable mate.

FIFA: No Corruption Here Edition

With rumours besmirching the real life game of football, FIFA: No Corruption Here Edition aimed to clear its name by showing that football is good, clean fun and that any allegations of corruption or any wrongdoing are simply untrue.

FIFA Goes To Court

It didn’t work.

FIFA In Space!

Time to cast off earthly concerns, FIFA next went into SPACE! Where the only rules are the rules of physics, and even then who cares about them when you’re booting a ball into a gravity well caused by a collapsing star? Or using the frozen rings of Saturn to rebound a shot?

(All joking aside I’d totally play this one).

FIFA 17 – Alex Hunter Kicks Every Ball In The World And He Can’t Be Stopped

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FIFA 17 introduced a new character to the world of football, that of Alex Hunter, a plucky young hopeful who aimed to kick every ball he could. Over the course of the single player ‘Journey’, Alex Hunter grows in power and influence, until he can command vast armies of footballs that he can kick en masse to fulfill his perverse desire to kick every ball ever made. Alex Hunter’s Journey will continue in FIFA 18!

So there we have it, all the FIFA games from the very first one until now. Did we miss your favourite? Let us know in the comments below, and remember that FIFA 18 is available for pre-purchase now!

How Agents Of Mayhem Fits Into The Saints Row Universe

You have probably heard that Agents Of Mayhem is a spin-off series from the Saints Row franchise, but how does Agents Of Mayhem fit into the overall Saints Row plot and universe? Read on to find out how Agents Of Mayhem fits into the Saints Row canon.

Story

Agents Of Mayhem

Before we get the ball rolling it’s good to highlight that Agents Of Mayhem is primarily a spin off of the Saints Row games. This means new players don’t need any prior Saints Row knowledge in order to fully understand Agents Of Mayhem, the game is its own brand new beast.

For the Saints Row loyalists out there Agents of Mayhem is in the Saints Row canon. In the Saints Row IV expansion Gat Out Of Hell the game ends (Spoiler Alert) with the universe ending and being re-created. The organisation who is behind this somewhat cataclysmic event is called M.A.Y.H.E.M, aka The Multinational Agency Hunting Evil Masterminds. This company was founded by Persephone Brimstone and funded by the Ultor Corporation. Ultor Corp are the main antagonists in Saints Row 2 and the Red Faction Series (more about Red Faction later) who then later merge with the Saints in Saints Row: The Third.

In Agents of Mayhem, players work for M.A.Y.H.E.M who also bear the famous fleur-de-lis logo the Saints used in the Saints Row games. In this alternative reality (or universe if you prefer) M.A.Y.H.E.M are the good guys whose main goal is to stop the the League of Evil Gentlemen Intent on Obliterating Nations (or  L.E.G.I.O.N) from destroying the nations of the world.

Characters

Johnny Gat Agents Of Mayhem

Agents of Mayhem has a roster chock full of characters, some of which cross over from the Saints Row universe. Check out some of the Saints Row characters that will feature in Agents of Mayhem below.

Persephone Brimstone

As mentioned above, much like in the Saints Row universe, Persephone is the founder and current leader of M.A.Y.H.E.M. In Agents of Mayhem, she is a former lieutenant of L.E.G.I.O.N and is currently in the back pockets of the Ultor Corporation, who fund M.A.Y.H.E.M.

Johnny Gat

Saints Row fans will recognise  Johnny Gat from the Saints Row series. Johnny is a M.A.Y.H.E.M field agent. Born in Seoul where Agents Of Mayhem takes place, Johnny becomes a M.A.Y.H.E.M field agent after he awakens from a year long coma. When he wakes he finds out that his old police unit has been wiped out and replaced with robots. Brimstone hires Johnny to join M.A.Y.H.E.M, as she believes his reputation is a perfect fit for the team.

Kingpin

Kingpin, aka Pierce is one of the founding members of the Saints back in the Saints Row universe. In Agents of Mayhem he is a field agent, Kingpin was formerly a gang leader and feared in the criminal underground before M.A.Y.H.E.M took him on.

Yeti

Also know as Oleg Kirlov, in the Saints Row universe, Olge is a former KGB agent who is saved by the Saints in Saints Row: The Third. In Agents of Mayhem, Yeti was a part of a controversial experiment fronted by L.E.G.I.O.N known as Cold Warrior. This drove most of the test subjects mad but Yeti was able to escape with his new found powers. He was then picked up and recruited by M.A.Y.H.E.M.

Over The Top Wackiness

Agents Of Mayhem

Much like the Saints Row universe, Agents of Mayhem promises the same level of over the top gameplay that players fell in love with during Saints Row: The Third. Expect lots of quips, tongue in cheek humour and parodies of 90’s cartoons to boot.

You Should Also Play Red Faction

Red Faction Unicorn

Even though Violition, the developers of Red Faction have confirmed that the series isn’t canon to Saints Row, the amount of similarities and easter eggs that Red Faction and Saints Row share can’t be overlooked. The main similarity that players should take away is that the Ultor Corporation have been the main antagonists in the Red Faction series since the first game. Which has sparked many theories that both Red Faction and Saints Row are set in the same universe.

There have been other similarities and easter eggs scattered around the Saints Row games, such as the Red Faction developers logo appearing in three of the four Saints Row games. As well as the final speech in the Saints Row Mission ‘Gangstas in Space’ almost mirrors the same speech by Parker at the end of Red Faction: Guerrilla.

So that is what we know so far about Agents of Mayhem fitting into the Saints Row universe (and possibly Red Faction if theories are to be believed) Will you be picking up Agents of Mayhem?

Uncharted Games Ranked From Worst To Best

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, the first Uncharted game to not star Nathan Drake is arriving 22nd August. So of course we’ve ranked our favourite Uncharted games, how will the new one fit in I wonder?

FOURTH PLACE, In last place is the first entry to the Uncharted game, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune…sorry

We wouldn’t have had three more games if it wasn’t for the first in the series and this game did a great job at defining a fantastic new hero in gaming. This game introduced us to the Nathan Drake and his mate Victor Sullivan. I love games that I don’t have to play solo, sometimes they get too lonely, but the dialogue between these two characters keeps the story alive and by the time the story takes a turn, you’re already heavily invested in their friendship. Uncharted games were not created for the shooting, which usually comes in waves, broken up by bosses, instead they are for the characters, the adventures, the puzzles, the treasure and the weird magical elements that are prevalent throughout. There’s also zombies, I love zombies.

THIRD PLACE, In at number three, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

It all gets a bit soap opera in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. There’s the introduction of Drake’s old flame Chloe, who is set to be the main character in the upcoming Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. I don’t instantly warm to her. I understand how they are trying to portray her character as this strong, best in the biz, ruthless, heroine, but she doesn’t quite clinch it for me. Not until later, and we see her softer side anyway. I didn’t really understand the boss at the end, although I loved the setting of discovering this hidden city of Shambhala and these strange monsters that inhabit it that try to fight them off. They’re even better on the lead up to the city, when they are dressed in Yeti costumes. The journey to get to Shambhala is long, but it’s well worth the wait and all the action and mystery found in this magnificent place. However, the end game takes a turn and you’re basically thrust into this small cave to fight the baddy that has drunk the special tree sap that gives him superhuman powers (okay) and you need to blow up a bunch of weird crystals to kill him… Then there’s some more explosions and the city starts to fall and Elena is left badly injured. YAY back to love story!

SECOND PLACE, Is Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Nathan Drake and his pal Sully make for a great story in itself and this Uncharted makes the most of exploring their friendship. The setting takes a turn from the lush, exotic familiarity of the first two Uncharted games and explores Arabia and Francis Drake’s secret voyage. The story is great at filling in Drake’s back story and we learn more about our favourite treasure hunter. There’s also plenty of flashbacks to how Sully and Nathan meet and these are tons of fun to play, as a scrappy young Nathan Drake already on the hunt for answers. The walk through the desert scene is a little painful, but it’s part of the uncompromising nature of this game. I absolutely loved diving through the boat in panic and riding horses across dusty planes, jumping from car to car shooting baddies!

FIRST PLACE, How could it not win, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

THE GRIT, THE EMOTION, THE ARGGGGGH. I just loved this game, I played it at ridiculous speed, because I just needed to know what would happen to Nathan Drake. It’s perfect. It starts out with him leading a pretty nice, if a tad humdrum (for him) life with his wife Elena, who has been there since the beginning. Before, his long lost brother turns up! OH MY. Then it’s all running away from his lovely life with his brother to find buried treasure and Drake being torn between settling down and rampaging through tombs. It explores more of Drake’s troubled past and how his brother grew up and then [NAMELESS TERRIBLE INCIDENT]. The characters including Nadine, who features alongside Chloe in the new Uncharted, and the villains and incredibly villainous. The end boss fight is one I’ll never forget, followed by Nathan Drake’s sign off, which resulted in an emotional post-Uncharted few days.

Special shout out to Uncharted: Golden Abyss, the PS Vita game, just to squash that right now.

Getting Back Into Warhammer 40k

Warhammer 40k is 30 years old this year.

Take that in for a minute, it’s not only old enough to vote and drink, it’s old enough to have kids. Warhammer 40k is old.

This year Games Workshop have issues one of their periodic refreshes of Warhammer 40k, which has had a huge effect on the game.

The rules have been simplified, the plot is moving on in the world, and there’s new models and game boxes available. All this means that now’s one of the best times to get involved with Warhammer 40k, and thankfully there’s a few of us here in the office who mysteriously have decided to get back into 40k at the same time!

So here I am, with my Warhammer Friends Olly and Milo, and we’re going to lead you through our advice about how to start getting back into Warhammer 40k, come join us. Come, play tiny people. It’s calling to you.

Anyway.

Step 1: Don’t Overthink It

warhammer 40k

You’re going to want an army, that’s how the game works. Without an army you’re not playing 40k, you’re just musing about 40k. But what army?

The first advice we have for you is; don’t overthink it. If you think an army is cool and you like their backstory (the fluff), then go for them. Don’t sit there wondering who’s best in a fight or thinking about what all the stats are, that can come later. Just look at the different models and if you want to, read their backstories, and then grab whatever you think is cool.

Don’t even think about stuff that might be coming out in the future. If you think something’s cool today, you’ll think it’s cool tomorrow. Get things you love and you’ll love them forever.

So go with your gut, because then you’ll have something you love, today and tomorrow.

Step 2. Overthink It.

warhammer 40k

OK Step 1 works if you’re like me, I’m wanting to play the game for narrative and social reasons, and also because the Word Bearers were right.

If you’re wanting to win and win HARD, here’s Olly with some tips before you buy:

“It’s a big decision to pick an army and the units you want, if you have the chance, you should play with other people’s armies just to see what they play like. No amount of rule-reading will teach you how the armies will play out. You may like orks thematically and visually, but if you cringe every time you lose a model on the battlefield then you don’t have the facial creases spare to lose the 40 you’re going to need to lose in order to win. Try out fast armies like Eldar, slow ones like Necrons, and find out if you really care for space marines or not. There’s a good chance you’ll get sucked into buying some space marines at some point, you should probably find out if you actually like to play them.”

So by now, you should have an idea about what you want to play. Time to move onto the game itself.

Step 3. Don’t Be Afraid To Walk Away

Warhammer 40k

If you’re very lucky you’ll be playing Warhammer 40k with your friends. If you’re not so lucky you’ll need to find someone to play with, which can be difficult.

Approach your local Games Workshop if you have one, if not try to seek out a local group you can join in with. There’ll be message boards or Facebook groups, they are out there just they might take a little finding.

Then go and meet them and when you’re feeling ready, jump in for a game.

But, and this is very important. Don’t be afraid to walk away.

If you’re not enjoying yourself, if you’re feeling bad, if they’re making ‘jokes’ you’re uncomfortable with, if you’re hating the game because of them.

Walk away. You don’t have to put up with anything and Warhammer 40k has a huge amount of people playing it, especially now. There’ll always be someone else you can play with, the right group is out there so just find them!

Step 4. Don’t Be A Stickler

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We’re back to Olly for some advice about rules:

“The rules are vast, and you aren’t expected to know all of them. Instead of interrupting play with rules checking and page-flipping, roll a dice to settle disputes, or take the thing that sounds most right. We didn’t know if psyker spells needed line-of-sight, instead of looking it up we just decided that powers manifesting in the warp wouldn’t require the caster to see all of the opponent. Turns out we were wrong! But we looked it up after and learned the right way to do it, but it didn’t ruin the game. If one person is more experienced, then they should give the newer players benefit of the doubt and let them retry things (to an extent).”

It’s good advice, don’t take it too seriously, at least at the start. You’re a learner and even if you’ve played years ago, things have changed and you’ll take time to get up to speed. So have fun first and foremost. THEN crush your foes under your iron shod feet.

Step 5. Get Out Of It What You Want And Don’t Listen To Anyone Else

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A long step, but one worth remembering. Take into account your personal position, your free time, your resource, your likes and dislikes, and focus on that. If you’re short on time and money, maybe just a few models that you paint slowly and a more narrative focus is best for you. If you’ve got more resources and free time, maybe you want to buy up an army and head to battle sooner than later. It’s all up to you, the hobby is big enough and open enough for you to get into it, however you want.

Just remember that your way is the right way, if you’re having fun, that’s all that matters. If the end of your Warhammer 40k journey is painting models, great. If it’s winning every tournament, then go for it. If you’re just there to have a laugh with some mates while bashing some plastic people about, awesome. If you just want to read the books and theorise on the lore, more power to you. If you want to field an entire army of snotlings painting in Hello Kitty colours, brilliant! Also send pics.

It’s up to you. That’s all that matters.

So There You Go

warhammer 40k the whole lot

That’s some of the steps we’d recommend you think about when you’re looking at getting into Warhammer 40k. Hopefully if you were thinking of getting back into the hobby, these steps will ease some of the worries you might have. Just remember the golden rule: have fun. And the other golden rule: don’t be a dick to anyone else. Remember those, and you’ll be good.

And of course, once you’ve chosen your army, bought some stuff, and got used to the new rules, why not head down to the Green Man Gaming offices and challenge us? We’ll take you on. And lose, but hey, at least my lovely Chaos Boys will get an outing!

A Year On – The New Potential Of No Man’s Sky

Back when No Man’s Sky was first released players were expecting a space exploration game where ultimately anything was possible, base building, multiplayer and the ability to create your very own on a space opera like scale. What players got was a Space exploration game where you were given an infinite universe to explore, true it didn’t have much of the gameplay that was promised before release but what you got was a serene exploration game that was a joy to play.

It has now been a year since the No Man’s Sky was released. The game has been getting a lot of updates and today saw the game receive the biggest update yet. The Atlas Rises update changes every aspect of the game, breathing new life into No Man’s Sky and giving it new potential.

Story And Missions

Story

No Man’s Sky now has an expanded story mode. Even though it was first advertised as an open world survival game, the inclusion of more story to the game adds so much more depth to No Man’s Sky’s lore. The history of the universe has always been something that the game has touched upon and something that Hello Games have always brought up in interviews. We now finally can dive into the lore and story that No Man’s Sky has to offer and see what the story behind the Atlas truly is.

Hello Games aren’t just putting in the story as an afterthought as the story will take around 20 hours to complete, and also include a brand new alien race to support the story.

Missions And Factions

Brand new procedurally generated missions have been added which will add to players unique stories outside of the newly added core story. There is also a new faction system that has been implemented which gives players the opportunity to join alien factions. This in turn only depends No Man’s Sky’s story and gives the game the potential to have a space adventure that will grip players.

Trading

Trading has now been given a new layer of depth. When the game first started Trading was very bare bones and there wasn’t any real incentive for the player to really explore the trading system. Now players can make a viable living through trading. Star systems will also feature “socio economic variables” which will affect trading and the star system economy. This new depth to trading also goes hand in hand with the story and truly giving players the opportunity to create their own space adventure.

Exploring Space

Portals & Map

Exploring the universe is now easier with the inclusion of Portals. Back when the game first released players found it hard to return to solar systems they had already discovered. Portals will now give you the opportunity to return back to these these systems and potentially lay claim to your own galaxy. The map has been given an upgrade as well making it easier for players to navigate and pinpoint where they have been and what lies in front of them.

Environments

More environmental biomes have been added to planets, this gives the game a new level of planet exploration whilst also giving planets a more unique feel. Some more extreme and abstract biomes will be rarer and will be tied to the game’s story. This will also also make new planet discoveries more exciting, especially if players stumble across the rarer biomes.

Multiplayer

You will finally be able to find other travellers thought the universe. These players will appear as glitch/ghost like beings, even though interaction between players will be minimal to start with, future updates can make No Man’s Sky a truly amazing universe to explore with your friends.

Creation

Base Building

This was introduced in a previous update and has since opened up the No Man’s Sky Universe a bit more. We covered the foundation update when it was first released and the introduction of base building and making your own homestead was very welcome. Mix the base building with the Portals and map updates and sooner or later you will have your very own corner of the No Man’s Sky universe.

Terrain Editing

Many times I have found myself wanting to change the terrain around me Minecraft style. Now thanks to the Atlas update this is now possible, removing and adding terrain gives the game so much potential for players who just want to be creative and make things.

Farming and Harvesting

Farming in order to get materials was another feature that was brought into the game by the foundation update. Farming has now been upgraded with new gadgets for players to fabricate in order to keep their high value plants ticking over. This gives players the option to kick back and relax on the farm for a bit before they go of exploring distant worlds.

No Man’s Sky has changed a lot since it’s release a year ago. Even though the initial release was a bit rocky for Hello Games. We believe that No Man’s Sky now has the potential to be something pretty special.

Is Fantasy Better Than Scifi?

Fantasy vs scifi, it’s the age old question. Older than time, older than me, older than you, older than an old thing that’s covered in cobwebs and dust.

Of course both can exist. Both deserve to exist and it’s a ridiculous thing to say one’s better than the other. It’s all down to personal preference so if you love fantasy or you love scifi or you love both, that’s utterly valid and you should stand proud and love the things you love. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re wrong.

But if you think scifi is better than fantasy, you’re wrong. Here’s why.

Fantasy Is Human

Scifi is about dreams, it’s about the future and about what we can build out there, amongst the stars. It’s often hopeful in a way, that we’ll survive long enough as a species to get off this curséd rock and make our way out into the universe.

Fantasy is about being human, it’s about our history. It’s about examining the myths and legends that make up our shared cultural history, through the lens of the fantastic, the magical, the unreal.

It also uses the language that we as humans understand. Lets take videogames as an example.

  • Option Scifi: You’re playing a space 4X and you’re trying to pick up the basics. The currency is called florps, the upgrades give 0.873% to Space Warpitude, and your overall goal is to increase research by absorbing gluon sparks from the alterna-verse.
  • Option Fantasy: You’re playing a fantasy 4x and you’re trying to pick up the basics. The currency is gold, the upgrades give you horses so you can move faster, and your overall goal is to increase research by absorbing knowledge from the library dimension.

See? Whilst scifi is great, it makes you work a lot more. You’ve not only got to understand the game but you have to translate everything through whatever fiction the scifi writers have come up with.

Fantasy meanwhile uses language that we are mostly familiar with. As it’s built on cultural touchstones and stories we often grew up with (at least in the Western world), we often just ‘get’ it. It’s not something we have to work for, we know what gold is, what swords are, what medieval Europe looks like so when it appears in a game or a book, we have those cultural touchstones to rely on.

Scifi though? It’s pure imagination, maybe extrapolation, but it requires a lot more work to get into.

Fantasy Is Like a Warm Hug

fantasy fire

As I said above, scifi is often challenging. It deals with concepts and ideas that often are only constrained by the creator’s imagination. Try reading China Mieville, or Iain M. Banks, or Peter Watts, or Alastair Reynolds. You’re in for amazing books, but not relaxing books.

Fantasy on the other hand, in a large part because of the reasons above, but also because it relies on human stories about human issues. They tend to put stories in a context we can easily comprehend, from The Witcher to Lord of the Rings, you can slip into these universes like you’re putting on a pair of warm pyjamas. Even if they’re exciting, or tense, or disturbing, there’s a comforting familiarity that inhabits fantasy. Something that’s often missing in the cold sterile vacuum of space.

Alright But What About Non Space Scifi

blade runner

Non space scifi tends to be very unrelaxing. A lot of it tends to have the -punk suffix, like Cyberpunk, which means it’s going to be inherently overtly political.

Which is fine, and good! Things should be political, and even when you’re not political you are showing your politics. If you create a world inhabited by solely white people and say that’s good, guess what, that’s your politics on show! If you say your protagonist is a dude who sleeps with a million women, then again that’s political!

But that’s all subtext, which if you’re relaxing might be all you want to deal with. Cyberpunk especially is very overtly political, with its themes being mostly anti-capitalist, and depressing. Which like I said above, does have a place in life and it’s good to examine your politics and what you believe, fiction and videogames being a great platform for that. But you might just want to play something a little easier on the ol’ brain, so fire up Skyrim and go thwack some baddies. Job done.

So You’re Saying That Fantasy Is Simple

intelligence

Not always! But often. Fantasy can be smart, well written, and densely plotted. But because you have the background often taken care of by it being set in a familiar or even semi-familiar setting, the heavy lifting can be done by the plot. Look at things like Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, The Witcher, or The Wheel of Time, all of these aren’t set in familiar places but because they use familiar touchstones, they can focus on what happens.

Scifi can often be densely plotted but you have to really fight to get to that part, because a large part of scifi is world building. They can be amazing worlds, but you have to cover where we are, what science we’re using, how things work, and that’s all before the plot even starts.

Magic often has rules but fundamentally, we understand what ‘magic’ is. Bad fantasy often has dramatis personae that’s five hundred pages long at the start of a book, but to be honest, that’s bad fantasy.

Science fiction on the other hand is dense and complex in its world building, outside of any plot that might happen. If it’s not complex and dense, then usually that means it’s fantasy with science clothing, looking at you, Star Wars.

What Does All This Mean Then?

rainbow d3

It means that we should stop sneering at fantasy, it’s got a point and a purpose in the world. Scifi is smart and clever and that’s absolutely fine, but fantasy is there, like an old friend that you can meet up with and it’s like you haven’t been apart at all.

Fantasy is trusty, it can challenge you but it doesn’t have to. It can be many things, and it can delight, shock, horrify, and excite. Embrace fantasy, just because someone’s wielding the +2 Sword of Sir Grundleflort doesn’t mean the story they’re in is bad!

Go on, give fantasy a go. It’s worth it.

And often better than scifi.

Ranking The Best Batman Games Of All Time

You may remember a while back that we here at Green man Gaming ranked the best Batman Arkham Villains. In celebration of season 2 of the Tell Tale Batman series, Batman: The Enemy Within, we thought it would be a great idea to rank the best Batman games of all time. And we won’t be limiting ourselves to just the Arkham series.

Note: This list does not include every single Batman game ever created. If there is a Batman game we have missed that you loved, then let us know in the comments section below.

10. DC Universe Online

DC Universe Online Batman

Heralded as the best DC themed MMORPG, DC Universe Online lets players create their own character who interacts with the various heroes and villains within in the DCU. Players will of course come across the Dark Knight as the faithful leader of The Justice League and will be one of the first heroes you come face to face with. This however gets our lowest ranking as you can’t play as Batman. At all. Who wants to play a Batman game without Batman? Not even the Joker wants that.

9. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate

Batman Arkham Origins Blackgate

A PS Vita and 3DS game that was then made available on the PS3, 360 and PC, Arkham Origins Blackgate felt more like a Metroidvania type game more than a true Arkhamverse title. It gave us a nice insight into the time between Arkham Origins and Arkham Asylum but didn’t give players the same moody atmospheric feel that the other Arkham games had. It was also side scrolling and just didn’t really feel like a proper Arkham game.

8. Injustice: Gods Among Us

Injustice Gods Among Us Batman

Even though Injustice Gods Among Us centred more around the DC universe than Batman himself, the leader of the Justice League does get a considerable amount of screen time (Spoiler alert: seeing as his arch nemesis, the Joker, is killed by Superman and all). The game’s story mode takes players on a roller coaster ride through alternative dimensions and to a world where Superman is an evil dictator. It is a great story which just shows you what Batman will do in order to put things right. It’s also a very solid fighting game which created by the developers behind Mortal Kombat which is also a big plus.

7. Batman: Arkham Origins

The first Batman game that was canon to the Arkhamverse but not developed by Rocksteady, Batman Arkham Origins is a very solid game. Using a lot of the same game techniques that made Batman Arkham Asylum and Arkham City great. It even gave players the opportunity to explore Gotham, but in my opinion the game lacked something, maybe it was the iconic voice actors such as Hamill and Conroy. Maybe it was the fact that Gotham felt dead compared to Arkham City, maybe it was that the flow of the combat was disrupted compared to the others. Maybe it was that damnable Deathstroke fight. Whatever it was it just doesn’t compare to the Rocksteady Trilogy.

6. Injustice 2

Injustice 2 Batman

Much like its predecessor Injustice: Gods Among Us, Injustice 2 carries on the story from where the previous game left off. Now with the option to also kit our Batman and a host of other characters with some quality gear and armour. This game lets you build the best Batman possible! Seriously, some of the looks you can give him are truly insane. The story is pretty awesome as well.

5. LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Batman

Possibly the best Batman LEGO game out there, Beyond Gotham was the pioneer to games such as LEGO Marvel Super Heroes giving players an open-world hub to explore and so many characters to choose from. Batman himself had a fair few character slots just to cover every type of Bat suit he owned (and I don’t think the game covered all of the Bat suits available). The game also pays a great homage to other Batmans such as Adam West’s ’60s version of the caped crusader.

4. Batman: The Telltale Series

Batman: The Telltale Series Batman

TellTale games have done a great job with the Batman licence in Batman: The Telltale Series. In this episodic point and click game lays a good foundation for the TellTale universe, introducing us to Batman and other popular characters. In my option though the game will series will shine in Season 2 as we will be introduced to a lot more villains and also get the opportunity to ‘shape’ the Joker through our actions.

3. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman: Arkham Asylum Batman

The first game in the Rocksteady Arkham trilogy really let people become the Batman. The key feature that made Arkham Asylum so good was it’s gameplay. It introduced a detective mode for players to truly hunt for clues, the combat system is still amazing and has inspired other games since such as Shadow Of Mordor, and the ability to a variety of bat gadgets to help you explore the Asylum was frankly amazing. The voice acting from Batman veterans Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy brought the game to life as well, which made Arkham Asylum the best Batman game ever according to most Batman fans.

2. Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City Batman

Building on the amazing Arkham Asylum, Arkham city made you truly feel like the Dark Knight. Players were able to navigate around an entire city coming up against some of Batman’s most notorious villains including, Ra’s Al Ghul, Mr Freeze, The Riddler and of course The Joker just to name a few. The open world game let you hunt down secrets, collectables and amazing side missions that brought out some of the best story lines from Batman’s past. Arkham City is truly an amazing game.

1. Batman: Arkham Knight

Batman: Arkham Knight Batman

Letting players explore the whole of Gotham City this time around. Arkham Knight let you drive the Batmobile for the first time and also brought in the best bits from every Arkhamverse game released. Rocksteady knew that this was their final Batman game with Arkham Knight so they made the best Batman game to date. The story starts off simple but dives into a fantastic plot with plenty of twists and turns. The Riddler also get some decent screen time as well, who has been one of my all time favourite Batman villains. Batman Arkham Knight is the best Batman game and a great high for Rocksteady to leave on.

So there you have it, our best Batman games ranked. Do you agree? let us know in the comments below.

Is Foxhole The Next PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds?

Currently in Early Access, Foxhole is a team based RTS game set during the war (which war is still yet to be specified by the developers) where players have to work together in order to gather resources, build bases and eventually fight and overthrow the enemy.

After reading that you are probably thinking, ‘how is Foxhole in anyway related to PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS?’ Basically, it isn’t, both games are completely different. However with Foxhole steadily increasing in popularity recently, this game could be a contender to knock Battlegrounds off the current top spot. Here’s why.

Foxhole’s Unique Gameplay

Foxhole Tank

Overall gameplay

On the surface, Foxhole is your typical strategy game where players have to mine resources, build things and then attack the enemy. That’s Foxhole on the surface, dive deeper into the game and you will see how unique it is. For starters, players are able to join the same team, this adds a whole new level to the game as your able to have many minds working on different things in order to both build up defences as well as attack.

Resource management

Unlike most RTS games, Foxhole is reliant on players finding resources. In it’s current form, Foxhole does not give players the opportunity to mine or find resources automatically. This means when you have resources you will need to keep a close eye on them and check your pockets before you head into battle. Once you die you drop all the resources you have on you. Resources are the base of building anything from buildings and vehicles to ammunition for your weapons. They are one of the key components to the game.

Drop in and drop out gameplay

Missions have the potential to last a very long time, so Foxhole has the ability for players to drop in and drop out of matches and join a team as they please. This is a great way for players to track down their friends if they need some extra back up in a match or visa versa. This is a great way to bring a community of gamers together without having to start a new match every time.

Campaign Mode

As the game is in early access there is a loose campaign mode at the moment, as mentioned a single match could last a very long time. One of the team here spent five hours over the weekend on just one mission. This could mean that a single campaign mode could potentially last weeks, think of the hours of gameplay you can get out of that.

Adding A New Depth To Online Play

Foxhole Soldiers

Foxhole is heavily based on bringing a community of gamers together. The game is striving to do this in various ways as mentioned above. According to the official Foxhole FAQ the developers goal is to “support as many simultaneous players as we can and we believe that we can reach several hundred with our current technology.” This could mean that groups of gamers can find themselves in huge matches working together with other gamers.

These methods could make Foxhole one of the biggest online games to date. What are your thoughts? Does this game have the potential to rival games such as PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS? Let us know in the comments section below.

Times Games Told You to Git Gud

With Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice releasing today and the threat that if you die enough times in the game your progress will be wiped. We thought we would list some of the hardest video games out there. We are talking about games that punish you for being bad at them and have players either screaming into cushions or rage quitting with such force that no PC or console will be left alive. Much like this guy;

So here’s our list of some of the most punishing games out there, starting with the hot topic at the moment…

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

It has been stated that Hellblade is a difficult game. Ninja Theory, the developers have stated in an FAQ that Hellblade is “is tough to play and we’d prefer to just have one difficulty mode but that could be unfair to some.” Just to add salt to the wound as well, the game even goes to the trouble of threatening to delete your save data if you die too many times. I can imagine this is the type of permadeath situation that will have gamers hurling their monitors or TVs out of the window before too long. Which isn’t a bad thing, as notoriously hard games have come into vogue over the past few years thanks to…

Souls Games

High difficulty, steep learning curve and souls games go together like jelly and ice cream. If anyone out there thinks a souls games is a walk in the park they are either super human or probably not telling the truth. We aren’t just talking about Dark Souls one and two here either. We are also including Bloodborne, Nioh, The Surge, Dead Cells and any other game that falls into this bracket. The AI is relentless in its wrath  to destroy the player, items are scarce and the games are truly just unforgiving. But people love the challenge and the fact you can lose dozens of gaming hours if you die once.

Fire Emblem

Fire Emblem is notorious for it’s Permadeath. In the original games, once you had killed one of your characters then that was them gone forever, no turning back (unless you reload your save from the start of the level and do it all over again). The amount of times gamers have screamed in rage because they have done a dumb move and wiped out their most powerful/favourite character in mere seconds is probably beyond comprehension. Even if you study the play area and take your battle tactics into heavy consideration, sooner or later one of your team will die.

The Binding Of Isaac

The Binding Of Isaac is a roguelike game that is teeming with difficult procedurally generated dungeons, full of difficult monsters and boss battles. If you manage to get through this game without dying they you would need some sort of epic reward saying you are video games royalty. Also just to add sat to the wound, The Binding Of Isaac also comes with Permadeath, imagine dying and then playing the game again not knowing what is in store for you thanks to procedural generation. One word, painful!

FTL: Faster Than Light

Another game that falls into the roguelike category. FTL is a space ship simulator where players control a single ship as it navigates it’s way through procedurally generated sections of space whilst it is being pursued by a huge rebel fleet. It sounds easy in practise but the game itself is pretty difficult. Much like the Binding of Isaac and the Rogue-like genre as a whole, FTL comes with Permadeath, making the whole experience that much more stressful.

Ninja Gaiden 2

Most hack and slash games have players ploughing through hordes of gormless enemies to get the biggest kill streak possible. Devil May Cry 3 took that idea and added a clever AI steep learning curve to it. Ninja Gaiden 2 took Devil May Cry 3’s idea and upped the difficulty level considerably. Granted NG2 isn’t on the same level as say Dark Souls but it is very easy for players to get over confident with their combinations and get overrun by enemies within seconds. You could say Nioh is the step in difficulty after Ninja Gaiden 2.

Honourable Mention – DOOM 2016 Ultra Nightmare Mode

DOOM itself is a mad game where you feel like you are on ice skates shooting the seven shades of crazy out of the demons of hell. It is easy to get overrun by the demons on normal mode. Ultra Nightmare mode however ups the difficulty to maximum, not only that it also add permadeath meaning even if you die once you have to start all over again. Some say this is the video game version of torture.

So that is just some of the hardest games out there that force you to Git Gud! If we have neglected to mention any of your favourite, be sure to let us know in the comments section below.

Top 10 Cats in Videogames

CATS! We love ’em, you love ’em, and they love ’em. Of course cats biggest fans are cats themselves. They’re not like dogs who are massive bundles of joy and love, cats are moody creatures. They take affection and give only when they want to, they kill and claw and preen and look beautiful. Cats eh? Love ’em. They’re bastards, but they’re cute bastards.

We covered the best dogs in videogames before but today it’s that most wonderful of days; it’s International Cat Day! Let’s celebrate the absolute best felines in videogame history!

Alvina – Dark Souls

alvina dark souls

She might look fierce, but Alvina just wants to protect the area around Artorias’ grave. Chums with Sir Artorias and the great Sif herself, she helps you join on board as a Forest Hunter so you too can pitch in and protect Sir Artorias’ grave. Like any cat, she’s fiercely loyal and will hunt down any transgressors with the help of the Forest Hunter covenant. So go on, have a chat with her, just don’t mess with her. She’ll mess you up.

Dusty – Gravity Rush

dusty gravity rush

Dusty is definitely cat shaped, even if they might not necessarily be a cat. Dusty is made of stars, and Dusty is also the source of Kat’s powers in Gravity Rush, meaning without Dusty it’d be a rather shorter game about ‘falling off a thing and then splatting’. In the sequel we find out that Dusty is the Sphinx Guardian, so well done catto, dream big.

Khajiit – A Heck Tonne of Elder Scrolls Games

khajiit morrowind

There’s several different subraces that make up the feline Khajiit, from the humanoid-ish Ohmes-raht seen in Daggerfall, to the Suthay-raht who you see around Vvardenfell in the Morrowind province. They can look like humans with catty features, to full on bipedal felines who can’t wear shoes or closed face helmets. They have a bit of a habit of being, how do you say this, ‘drug fiends’, loving Moon Sugar and Skooma and putting Moon Sugar in every kind of food they eat. But it’s ok, because with a bit of love and the readings of Clan Mother Ahnissi, even the most committed skooma-addict can enter rehab.

The Cat – Catlateral Damage

catlateral damage

The star of Catlateral Damage is a cat. You are the cat. Swipe things. Be a naughty cat. Get points. Smash things. Be a bad cat. There’s other cats to be, but they’re all cats. That are naughty. Bad cat. No tuna for you.

Look I ain’t got much to say about this one, you’re a cat.

Simba – The Lion King

simba the lion king

Oh I just can’t wait…for the level where you’re running away from a stampede to end. The Lion King features Disney’s best cat (sit down, Aristocats fans) and does so in a game that’s surprisingly good, difficult, and features pretty much all the high points of the film. From Hakuna Matata to grownup Simba, the game covers the film pretty well, even if it has some difficulty spikes which you’d think QA would’ve spotted before release. That said, it’s alright, it’s good to be king.

Cats – The Cat Lady

cats the cat lady

This non stop comedy adventure game features hilarious wacky cats who are always helping protagonist Susan Ashworth out in her barmy funtimes throughout The Cat Lady.

Right hopefully that’ll trick some people into getting The Cat Lady and then being utterly horrified by what they find.

The Cat Lady is a terrifying horror adventure point and click game with a cast of cats that lurk around the edges of the game and the main character, Susan. They call out and yowl at you, sometimes with human voices in the cacophony. They also show off Susan’s softer side as she will look after them, and when the piano’s played they’ll arrange themselves to listen. But don’t get on the wrong side of the cats…as you’ll find out if you play The Cat Lady.

King Tom – Ni No Kuni

king tom ni no kuni

The large king of Ding Dong Dell, King Tom’s got that essential cattiness down to a T. When you meet King Tom he’s in full lazy cat mode, just lying about until you restore some enthusiasm to him and he kings it up again. Like any good cat, he places high pride in his cleanliness and also good…woodwork? He also loves his favourite Red Herring, which proves that even kings like to play.

Red XIII – Final Fantasy VII

red xiii final fantasy vii

Alright first off, Red XIII is definitely a cat, not a dog. Yes he is. Yes he is. No you shut up.

Glad we’ve got that sorted. Red XIII, or Nanaki, is first encountered in Shinra Tower where he’s been experimented on. Through journeying together, you find out what happened to his father and honestly if you’re not crying at that part then you’re a monster. He’s obsessed with guilt over his father when you meet him, but over time he thaws a little and when you find out what happened in Cosmo Canyon he opens up a little to you. But for all that, he’s still a grumpy little fire-cat, and that’s why we love him.

Meowth – Pokémon

meowth

Meowth, that’s right!

Meowth, that’s right!

Meowth, that’s right!

Meowth, that’s right!

Meowth, that’s right!

I had to include Meowth, didn’t I.

Blinx – Blinx: The Time Sweeper

blinx

Blinx stars in the world’s first 4D action game, whatever that means. Blinx, armed with his trusty vacuum cleaner, has control over time itself and can speed time up, slow it down, pause things, reverse time, and more. Can your cat do that? What do you mean ‘yes’?

Blinx almost became the mascot for the original Xbox, before some Master Chief fellow came along and stole the show. But I ask you, who would you prefer, John ‘Bland’ Chief, or Blinx the time vacuuming cat?

I rest my case.

 

So there you go, the ABSOLUTE BEST cats you’ll find in videogames. Have I missed any? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter, or in the comments section below!

Honourable Mention – Trico – The Last Guardian

trico

Not included because frankly I don’t know what this is, is it a catbird, is it a birdog? Or is it a mix of all three, or none of them? Trico’s amazing though, and would’ve been included if I could work out just what percent cat it is!

Honourable Mention #2 – Buffy the Mouse Slayer

buffy insert

Alright she doesn’t really have anything to do with games (she sits near the PS4 sometimes?) but LOOK HOW GOOD MY PARENTS CAT BUFFY IS. WHAT A CAT, WHAT. A. CAT.

Ahem.

Back to videogames.

Survival Games That Are Surviving Early Access

Many a game have made their way though Early Access, but not many Survival games have made it all the way through to full release. With the news that both The Long Dark and Ark: Survival Evolved are both getting full releases, there is still hope for the Early Access survival games yet. We have put together a list of survival games that we believe are surviving Early Access and have also mentioned the titles that have survived. Check out the list below.

Surviving Early Access

7 Days To Die

You really can’t go wrong with a good old fashioned zombie survival game. 7 Days To Die is an open-world which combines FPS, Tower Defence and RPG. The key mechanic here is survival and battling the zombie hordes.

7 Days To Die has been in Early Access for a fair old while. First hitting Early Access all the way back in December 2013, the developer went a little quiet up until recently. The game has now received an Alpha 16 update which adds so much more to the game. It’s nice to see that 7 Days to Die is back on track.

Fortnite

The game that basically combines Left 4 Dead, Orcs Must Die and Dungeon Defenders pits you and your friends against the oncoming monster hordes. The aim here is to scavenge for materials, build bases and defend your homestead. You also have a plethora of characters to unlock and choose from who have different classes and traits which can help you out on your adventure.

Fortnite will be going into Early Access this week. With the amount of promotion and updates that Epic have put behind this game, we can imagine that this title probably won’t be in Early Access for long. There is some controversy going around players having to buy the game at full retail price in Early Access before the game goes free to play on full release, but we are confident that Fortnite will be one of the big games to beat once it is completed.

Rust

Rust is a survival game which pits players against each other. So instead of surviving a cruel and harsh open world or putting players against a relentless horde of zombies/monsters. Rust challenges people to survive against other players. It also has a pretty great crafting system allowing players to build pretty much anything from the materials provided around the world.

Beginning as a game with similarities to DayZ, Rust came into its own by ditching the zombies and becoming its very own survival game. The game is updated weekly and dev blogs are uploaded via the developer blog. The game is now in Beta so hopefully it shouldn’t be too long before the game is fully released.

DayZ

It can be argued that DayZ is the first proper zombie survival game. First released back in 2013 it first came about as a standalone game to a the popular ARMA 3 mod with the same name. DayZ is set during the zombie apocalypse but much like rust, players have to survive against other players. There is also zombies which always puts a firm spanner in the works of your own survival plans.

The games developers are still updating the game but the game has not come out of its Alpha stage. The developers have been stating that the Beta is just around the corner so hopefully the DayZ snowball will get rolling to full release soon.

Conan Exiles

Conan Exiles, the Conan inspired survival game developed by Funcom throws players into the universe of the infamous barbarian with nothing, not even the clothes on their back. Players then have to survive the brutal and harsh land and build their existence from the ground up.

When the game first hit Early Access it was well received relatively good reviews and Funcom has been updating the game since then. There have been some issues along the way, but we’re hopeful that with time Funcom will get the game into shape. Funcom are also releasing a brand new free expansion for the game as well.

Survived

The Long Dark

A first person survival game where players assume the role of a pilot who has crash landed in the frigid Canadian wilderness after a huge global disaster. This is more of a survival simulation game where players will have to keep tabs on their body temperature, wildlife, hunger and thirst and even a whole load of environmental factors. The game features two game modes, story and sandbox giving players the opportunity to experience the story or make their very own.

The Kickstarter for The Long Dark finished all the way back in October 2013 and the game didn’t hit early access until September 2014. The Long Dark then finally released in August 2017. The Early Access period for the game got a good and steady stream of updates. The developer Raphael van Lierop didn’t want the community dictating the game’s direction and stuck to his guns as players wanted less of a hardcore survival experience.

Ark: Survival Evolved

Described as an action-adventure survival video game, Ark: Survival Evolved puts players on an island filled with roaming dinosaurs. Players will have to fight against these creatures as well as the increasing amount of hazards the island will throw at them. There isn’t just dinosaurs to contend with however as there will be hostile human players who will be after blood as well.

In June 2015 Ark Survival was released via Steam Easy Access and the Xbox Game Preview Program. The game received a nice stream of updates whilst in Early Access and remains as the only survival game to remain in Early Access for just over two years. The game will be coming out to PC and console at the end of August this year.

Now that both The Long Dark and Ark Survival Evolved have survived Early Access do you think the rest of the games in our list will get full releases, or are they doomed to be in Early Access forever? let us know in the comments section below.