Page 69 – Green Man Gaming Blog

Dragon Quest Heroes II – Hack ‘n’ Slash Legacy!

Dragon Quest Heroes II is coming out soon! It’s a hack ‘n’ slash RPG that takes you on a journey to a war torn world, where you might see a familiar face or two if you’ve played Dragon Quest games before!

So to whet your appetites for some Dragon Quest Heroes II action, here’s some of our favourite hack ‘n’ slash games, check ’em out and it might put you in the mood for some Dragon Quest Heroes II!

Devil May Cry

Everyone loves Dante, at least that’s what you’d think given how angry a lot of people were over the rebooted Dante in DMC. Dante is a white haired chappy who enjoys slapping demons around with swords and looking stylish as heck when doing so. The Devil May Cry series really helped solidify the hack ‘n’ slash genre into what it is today, with the easy to pick up/hard to master combat that you see becoming a staple of action hack ‘n’ slash games.

DMC: Devil May Cry

DMC is awesome despite everyone being very frowny around it. It’s a reboot of the Devil May Cry universe and it features a much more asshole-y Dante without his trademark blond locks, but the combat is tighter than ever. Many fans were quite upset at this new direction, and as a result completely overlooked the game’s precision combat system that lets you chain together angelic and demonic moves into an armageddon of combat.

Diablo III

Now onto an RPG! Diablo III is the ur-hack ‘n’ slash RPG, it’s a big loot box of shining gold, raining treasure with every smackdown you lay on the millions of monsters you’ll chew through as you adventure across the world. Criticised on launch for being simpler than its predecessors, it really came into its own with the expansion pack Reaper of Souls, and now stands at the heart of the new wave of hack ‘n’ slash RPGs which appeared in the early 2010s.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

What’s an mmo that’s not an mmo? Kingdoms of Amalur! Despite being filled with the trappings of mmo-dom, Kingdoms of Amalur is definitely a hack ‘n’ slash RPG, with a dynamic third person combat system that lets you build movesets from a variety of skill trees and classes. Kingdoms of Amalur is a hefty beast of a game with a truly huge open world structure, but the core of it is the hack ‘n’ slash combat system which never fails to feel absolutely fantastic.

Nier: Automata

The newest entry on this list! It’s not 100% a hack ‘n’ slash game, but due to its many fighting styles it definitely falls under the umbrella of hack ‘n’ slashery! Take your robot avatar on a lovely tour of Earth, and murder a whole heck load of robots while you do so. It’s got absolute rave reviews, and apparently has a plotline that makes you think and multiple endings depending on how many times you’ve completed the game. Nier: Automata is definitely a worthy entry to the pantheon of hack ‘n’ slash games!

Dynasty Warriors

From the same developers of Dragon Quest Heroes II, the Dynasty Warriors series sees you locate yourself into Chinese history, armed with many weapons and multiple characters, you plough your way through army after army. Despite being considered as a bit throwaway in some circles, the Dynasty Warrior series always has excellent and powerful fights, with the early games having combat that is somewhat reminiscent of the Soul Caliber series. They’re always good for a jump in, and if you want to destroy an army with your own two hands then the Dynasty Warrior series is always good for that.

So there’s some of our highlights! We bet we’ve missed LOADS, so let us know on social media or in the comments below!

Also remember that you can pre-purchase Dragon Quest Heroes II now!

Dawn Of War III – 5 Signs You’re A Space Marine Player

Dawn of War III open beta begins today! If you’ve got a key then we hope you have a lot of fun testing out the game. If you don’t know which race to play however, then we’ve got a handy list of signs to see which one fits you.

We start with the space marines!

You speak Latin and in a deep, booming British accent

You like your garden tools to be mechanised and one-handed

When you go to buy milk, you take the drop pod

You like your xenos medium to well-done

You can beat up everyone in the room, all at once

If you can’t relate to any of these things, then don’t worry, Space Marines are clearly not for you. But worry not! Coming over the weekend are more signs for the other two races, so check back tomorrow for the next one.

The Best Snipers, Ghosts and Warriors In Video Games

Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 is right around the corner! In celebration of the 3rd instalment of the game we thought it would be a great idea to come up with the definitive list of the best Snipers, Ghosts and Warriors in video games. Without further-a-do, here is our list!

Snipers

Here is our top 4 Snipers in games. The highly accurate marks people know their way around a gun or two. Be warned, once you are caught in their sights there is no where to run!

Karl Fairburne – Sniper Elite Series

You may remember Karl from famous sniper rifle related video games such as Sniper Elite, Sniper Elite 2 and Sniper Elite 3! He is an expert when it comes to the scoped, long range ballistic weapon. He has single handedly stopped the V-2 missile from destroying London and killed Hitler! Oh, and he is a really good with a Sniper Rifle.

Sniper Wolf – Metal Gear Solid

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the first Metal Gear Solid game, Sniper Wolf is a highly superior marks woman whose Sniper skill is second to none. Solid Snake has quite the task on his hands by taking her out not once, but twice! Possibly one of the best boss battles in the first MGS is against Sniper Wolf in my opinion.

Note: We would have included ‘The End’ form MGS 3 Snake Eater, but it took us way too long to write this article and he subsequently died of old age…

Mordecai – Borderlands

Mordecai is an expert marksman, to the point he won a marksman competition single handedly with a hand gun whilst the other competitors were using sniper rifles. He also has his pet bird/bat/vulture Blood Wing, who is damn handy when Mordecai is caught in a pinch.

Jonathan North – Sniper Ghost Warrior 3

The hero from Sniper Ghost Warrior 3, Jonathan North is an expert Sniper whose amazing accuracy and skill are pretty much unmatched. He is an ex US marine who skills include, snipers marksmanship, stealth and expert combat skill on the field.

Ghosts

The easiest thing to do here is to list our favourite Ghosts, such as that dude from Murdered Soul Suspect or Slimer (if you haven’t played Ghostbusters the Video Game then stop what you are doing now and GO PLAY IT!). However, we need to be in keeping with the Sniper Ghost Warrior theme, meaning we will be referencing characters who are exceptionally good at stealth. Check the list out below.

Big Boss – Metal Gear Solid

The highly renowned special forces operative known as Big Boss, is a mercenary commander and the founder of FOXHOUND, a U.S. Army Special Forces Unit. He is highly proficient in stealth and close quarters combat. He was so good in the field that he was cloned!

Agent 47 – Hitman

Agent 47 is your number one assassin should you need a job done quickly and cleanly. He has an unparalleled level of skill when it comes to assassination and stealth, so much so that when he defected from the agency he worked for, his ex-bosses took no time to try finish him once and for all. He also has an extensive collection of outfits which are perfect for any occasion.

Garrett – Thief

Garrett is a master thief who has the tools for any situation! Garrett was trained by the Keepers who observe and maintain stability in The City. Once trained however Garrett left to continue being a thief. Fun fact: The Woodsie Lord plucked out one of his eyes. he now has a mechanical prosthetic which was created by the Hammerites.

Jonathan North – Sniper Ghost Warrior 3

A man of many talents, Jonathan North has a high level of Stealth skill. As an ex-US marine he has the expert training needed to covertly take out his enemies silently and cleanly. He also has great skill with a Sniper Rifle which does come in handy every now and again.

Warriors

These characters are your battle hardened elite. They get things done with brute force and skill, who needs stealth and sniping when you can simply just destroy your opponent on the battlefield? Here are our best warriors!

Garrosh Hellscream – Hearthstone

Hellscream has been dubbed as Heathstone’s Master Of War! He is a former Warchief of the horde and will stop at nothing to defeat his enemies on the battle ground, usually using a combination of a blood curdling battle cry and brute strength. His Hearthstone has is so fearsome it has even made the most battle hardened gamers weep.

Gabriel Angelos – Dawn Of War

Chapter Master of the Blood Ravens, Gabriel is a battle hardened Space Marine who has seen his fair share of war. Wielding his legendary Daemonhammer the God-Splitter, this Blood Raven leader will stop at nothing to destroy his enemies and become victorious!

Berserker – For Honor

One of the most deadliest vikings to grace the battlefield of For Honor, the Berserker has an in for face fighting style that is unavoidable and dominating in battle! The Berserker loves fighting so much he doesn’t even need a shield and will run straight into battle with nothing but hand axe’s and adrenaline.

Jonathan North – Sniper Ghost Warrior 3

Jonathan North’s skill on the battlefield is just on another level. Being an ex-US marine comes with many skills, such as stealth, sniping and expert battle ground tactics. Many of his enemies cower at the very mention of his name and his next mission is to single handedly restore peace to the country of Georgia.

So there you have it, our best Snipers, Ghosts and Warriors in video games! Is there anyone we have missed? Let us know in the comment section below.

Dawn of War III: Tips From A Tabletop Player

Dawn of War III, as mentioned in my previous blog, has adapted more rules from the tabletop version of the game than ever before. Obviously it remains vastly different; faster, more explosions, and less running around a table with a 18 inch plastic ruler. But strategy is strategy, and in the 41st millennium there are some things a tabletop general can teach a keyboard warrior.

Be one with your units

Not to sound too much like a cheesy kung-fu movie, but you must be one with your army units. You must know their stats, their weaponry and their abilities. Dawn of War III is a game that expects you to use your units’ special abilities and upgrades to increase their effectiveness. It becomes key to know exactly when and why to upgrade your tactical marine squad with a plasma gun or a flamer. Also, do you know the optimal time to call down your Elite and Super units? Do you know that the Morkanaut excels at range but not at melee? These things you must know to succeed.

Know your enemy

Understanding your own units is half the battle, you must also know your enemy. This will allow you to see holes in your enemy’s army, and be able to exploit their weaknesses. On the tabletop you will usually only get one chance to charge at the enemy’s’ gun lines, and if you didn’t realise they were ‘rapid fire’ weapons (they can fire twice if its under half the range), you are going to have a bad time. Although you can always build more units in Dawn of War III, better to get it right the first time and perfectly counter your opponent.

Have the best looking army

One thing Dawn of War has always brought to the (virtual) table, is the army painter feature. Nothing makes you more proud of your army then having turned them from grey bits of plastic to a mighty, colour-coordinated fighting force. You can have a feel of this satisfaction in Dawn of War, by choosing the paint scheme of your army. Quite a few presets are already in the game for each of the races’ different chapters, clans and craftworlds, so you can play your favourite if you have one. But if destroying your enemy with a pink and gold ork army would make you happy (and why wouldn’t it), then the option is there.

Have a game strategy

You want to know roughly what your plan is, so that all your decisions can be based off of that. Reacting to what your opponent is doing is good, but it shouldn’t be your overall strategy. Practice the same builds that you like, and stick to them. Use the units that you like and find effective. Change in small amounts if you’re not doing as well, but stick to the grand plan. It may be worth having a notebook on things you’ve noticed about facing different enemies, or weaknesses in your own strategy. For example if you’re going for an early rush, you should come up with a way to get to the mid-game without losing momentum if your rush fails. Or just don’t rush. Noob.

Understand tactics

If strategy is your overall plan, then tactics is your mini plans to beat your opponent in all the little engagements you’ll have. You’ll probably pick up some good tactics as you find out what’s effective. Using assault marines to jump into eldar troops and secure points on the map, or using Gabriel Angelos to hammer the hell out of that ork meganobz squad. This is where knowing yours and the enemy’s army comes in. If you know “my guys are stronger than your guys”, then you know to engage, or if not, retreat to fight another day.

Be lucky

When you play Warhammer tabletop, you will roll hundreds of dice. Thousands, if you’re ork. This means that luck is a part of winning, so just be lucky, and you’ll do just fine. Practice rolling sixes, and psyching your opponent into rolling many ones, and there will be no army you can’t defeat. Dawn of War III features mechanics that are ruled by luck, such as the ‘gets hot’ rule of the plasma guns, where they’ll stop firing every now and again. But that only happens when you roll a one, which you should be practicing to not do ever.

2v2 and 3v3 are crazy

There’s finely balanced multiplayer experiences, and then there’s 3v3. The more armies on the battlefield at one time, the more unbalanced the game will become. This is not necessarily a bad thing; there’s a time and place for just having fun, win or lose. Be prepared though for 3-army rushes, regular 2-on-1 situations, and players who will just rush up the tech tree to muster an army of the best units in secret. Still, it doesn’t mean that you and your friends can’t come up with some hair-brained scheme of your own! Learn the ways each army can benefit each other and cover each other’s weaknesses, and you’ll do better than half the other teams out there.

That’s our tips for you, did you find them useful? Do you have any RTS or 40K words of wisdom for players about to embark on their first multiplayer experience?

11 Ways To Survive Prey 2017

Prey 2017 is not far off and we’ve been lucky enough to have hands on time with the game before launch and we’ve put together a few handy tips to help you on your Prey way.

Hiding is okay…

…because Prey is pretty hard

Yet satisfying and rewarding

And as always, water doesn’t mean health

Don’t move too many objects, you might need them to get through tight spaces

Mimics are cowardly critters

Phantoms are not.

The bathroom is usually a no go zone

Hmm…Point made

Not all weapons will kill

But most will

So have fun and remember to keep calm, preserve ammo and save the human race from alien destruction, no pressure.

Prey 2017 is out on the 5th May 2017, on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

The History Of The Elder Scrolls Series

The Elder Scrolls is a series that has become synonymous for many with open world RPGs, but how did the franchise get there? There’s lots of games in the series; some you might not have heard of, so here’s the History of the Elder Scrolls Series – have you played them all?

The Elder Scrolls: Arena – 1994

Arena started off as an arena combat game but soon blossomed out into a continent-spanning RPG where you are tasked with freeing the emperor Uriel Septim VII from the clutches of evil the Imperial Battlemage, Jagar Tharn. It’s obviously a much more basic simulation than the later games, but it’s surprising just how much of the Elder Scrolls DNA is present even this early on. You start in a dungeon, you’re free to go about your quest much as you please, but unlike later entries it is very unforgiving to the new player, as the starting dungeon is particularly hard to conquer.

The Arena in the title refers to the land of Tamriel itself, that it is the arena in which you must prove yourself.

The game is now currently free on Bethesda’s site, so if you haven’t checked it out, GO NOW!

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall – 1996

The game that did procedural generation before it was popular, Daggerfall let you go wild in the Iliac Bay, you could join a load of guilds, knightly orders, insinuate yourself into local politics, or just go for long wanders in the wide empty expanses of the Alik’r Desert. Much more than Arena, Daggerfall felt like a ‘world’, you had towns that you could wander round and houses to buy, people to chat to and so much more. You could really feel a part of something bigger. Players are sent to this land by the emperor to put the shade of the previous Daggerfall king, Lysandus to rest. However you end up caught up in a race to find the mythical Numidium – a magical golem that could decide the fate of all Tamriel.

One of the most notable things about Daggerfall was that the endings were so diverse, depending on who you gave control over the Numidium to. So diverse in fact that future installments in the Elder Scrolls series state that a ‘Dragon Break’ or ‘Warp in the West’ occurred, meaning that all endings happened at once, setting up the geopolitical landscape of future games.

Daggerfall is also free right now, so check it out!

An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire – 1997

The first side game appears! Set in the Battlespire, a magical fortress where Battlemages are trained, you ascend its labyrinthine corridors to put an end to the demonic threat that’s taken it over. It’s again a first person RPG like the previous entries, but it’s a more of a focused experience and much more a dungeon crawler than a large scale open world RPG. It’s an absolutely incredibly rock hard dungeon crawler, and few have reached the top of the fortress to cast out Mehrunes Dagon and take back control over the Battlespire!

Battlespire is also of note for being the game that introduced the Bat’leth-like crescent blade that became a firm favourite!

The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard – 1998

Taking place on the small island of Stros M’kai, Redguard is a completely different kind of game to any that preceded it in the Elder Scrolls series. It’s a third person action adventure puzzle game! You don’t choose your character, instead you’re cast as the titular Redguard, Cyrus, and you’re on the island for to find your missing sister, meaning this is a much more personal kind of quest compared to previous Elder Scrolls outings. Redguard offers a much smaller look at the world of Tamriel, and by keeping the action to a small set of islands you really get to know them intimately.

The mechanical Dwemer constructs make their first appearance in Redguard, paving the way for many of the future instalments! This is also the only game to feature a Sload, so enjoy that – a famous Sload too, N’Gasta! (Morrowind fans will know that name).

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind – 2002

One of the big criticisms of Daggerfall was that the world was too samey, that there wasn’t anything ‘special’ about the towns or dungeons, outside of a few. Morrowind took the series back and started over in a way, keeping the scale much smaller than the previous entries and confining the game to the island of Vvardenfell, it’s an entirely crafted experience, with every rock, tree, and cave being set in place. Vvardenfell is a strange place, host to unusual flora and fauna (giant mushrooms anyone?) and it harbours a dark secret in under the Red Mountain volcano that lurks at its centre. It’s this world, along with the ambiguous message and freedom of actions in-game, that mean that even now, 15 years later (oh god it’s not really 15 years old is it) Morrowind remains a favourite amongst Elder Scrolls fans.

The expansions, Tribunal and Bloodmoon, take you on a political and religious dive into Morrowind’s capital city and a werewolf filled romp through the Norse-inspired island of Solstheim respectively.

The combat takes a while to get used to and the start of the game is unforgiving, but if you like The Elder Scrolls as a series, want something unusual, or are planning on checking out the next expansion to The Elder Scrolls Online, then Morrowind is definitely worth checking out.

The Elder Scrolls Travels: Stormhold, Dawnstar, and Shadowkey – 2003/2004

These three games are the true missing link in the Elder Scrolls universe, released on mobile and pre-iPhone, during a time when everyone was squinting at tiny screens above keypads, if you’ve played these games then let us know in the comments below, cos none of us have! Similar to the older Elder Scrolls games, they offered a simplified Elder Scrolls experience but with a bit of co-op thrown into the mix.

They also released on N-Gage, making them truly hard to get these days!

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – 2006

The next main game in The Elder Scrolls series, this takes you back to Cyrodil, a region unvisited in the series since Arena. Let out of your cell by an imperious Patrick Stewart, you head out into the open world to make your name, and defend the land from the invasion by Mehrunes Dagon (yes, him again) who’s leading his Daedric army into Tamriel to have a bit of a fight. In many ways, this fixed some of the flaws fans found in the previous games, making the towns full of life, having combat that wasn’t decided by invisible dice rolls, and by introducing some absolutely wonderful and interesting things to do for the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild questlines. The Dark Brotherhood questline in particular is still held up as an example of How To Do It, with a highlight being the mansion of murder quest.

Knights of the Nine and The Shivering Isles saw you recruit a knightly order to defend the world against a resurrected evil from the past, and explore a dimension devoted to Sheogorath, the Shivering Isles themselves. It’s felt that The Shivering Isles was a response to some disappointment that the world of Oblivion was much more mundane than Morrrowind’s, with the islands featuring bizarre architecture, NPCs, and flora aplenty. It also featured much facetime with Sheogorath, always a winner.

Oblivion has some flaws, but it’s a gem nonetheless. Check it out here!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – 2011

Spawner of a million arrows to the knee memes, Skyrim saw the main series take a timejump by 200 years, and take a leap into the Nordic Skyrim region, a region filled with war, with political intrigue, and with DRAGONS. The empire has collapsed a little and civil war is festering all across Skyrim, which isn’t helped by the sudden re-appearance of dragons and you, the Dovahkiin. Skyrim’s an absolutely beautiful place to visit, with misty mountain peaks, mysterious fir forests and a frozen North that would put Shackleton to fleeing.

With it being expanded by Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn, you get to join either a vampire hunting faction or the vampires themselves, build yourself a lovely house, and visit Solstheim again and see what’s happened to Vvardenfell in the last 200 years (spoiler: nothing good).

Skyrim also got an updated re-release in 2016. featuring new and improved visuals!

The Elder Scrolls Online – 2014

It happened, Bethesda dipped a toe into MMOs! Taking place long before any of the other Elder Scrolls games, ESO takes place over most of Tamriel, with war again brewing and a daedric invasion causing a ruckus throughout the land. Join a faction and make your name on the world, this time with your friends! Or against your friends, it’s up to you!

The Elder Scrolls Online received a retooled version that ditched the subscription fee with Tamriel Unlimited in 2015, so the game is now even easier to dip into and try!

The first full expansion for the game, Morrowind, is coming out in 2017 and features a return to Vvardenfell, but 800 years before The Elder Scrolls III, so see your old pals like Vivec and the rest of the Tribunal in their prime! It’s coming out soon, and now’s a good time to jump in!

The Elder Scrolls: Legends – 2017

Bethesda aren’t afraid to try different things with their properties, and so in 2017 The Elder Scrolls series has taken a twist with a collectible card game! One of the few card games to include a storyline, you can also face off against opponents and your friends in 1v1 card battles. With the introduction of lanes and with placement being a factor when choosing where to put your cards, Legends is definitely an interesting turn for the collectible card game.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends is free to play!

So there you have them, all the Elder Scrolls games. Have you played them all, or do you have any fond memories of them? Let us know in the comments below!

Memes that have spawned from Starcraft

We’re celebrating Starcraft and Starcraft: Brood War becoming free by listing all the best and tasty memes to come from the series.

Zerg Rush

This Starcraft tactic led to all rushes of large groups of weak units in any game to be named after it, and countering it is essential to getting out of the dreaded bronze league.

Abathur’s Efficiency

Abathur’s job is to perfect zerg units and the race in general, leading to his obsession with efficiency. Something that Starcraft players appreciate.

Tychus’ Epic line from the trailer

When the hype train for Starcraft 2 left the station, fans were left with this epic line at the end of the reveal trailer.

We Require More Minerals

An experience every beginner player goes through is the tireless demanding voices telling you exactly what it is you need, just in case you didn’t know. Although 98% of the time you will, so it will just annoy the hell out of you.

In Ur Base, Killing Your D00dz

In a world filled with BM (bad manners) and taunts by bad winners, this one has become synonymous with Starcraft. If you’re dominating your opponent, you can say this. So much more civilised than its current iteration, ‘GG EZ’.

You must construct additional Pylons

The same voice that informs you you need minerals and gas, can get quite intense when you have forgotten to build Pylons, the building needed to grow your army. Again, becomes like a barbed taunt from your own advisor in the heat of battle.

IdrA’s BM

Notorious Starcraft pro IdrA was infamous in the esports scene for his…less than polite composure during most games he played.

Artosis Pylon

Artosis was a pro Brood War player turned caster, but in a show match he famously lost power to most of his base because it was powered by just one pylon, a move so nooby he is endlessly mocked for it by such pylons being named after him.

Korean Godliness

In Starcraft, Koreans are gods. Years ahead in terms of esports infrastructure, they routinely top the leaderboards, and practice many hours a day…more than you.

Forever Bronze

When Bob Dylan sat down to write ‘Forever Young’, what he really wanted to sing about was his fruitless efforts to climb out of bronze league in Starcraft.

My Life for Aiur

The mantra of the Protoss, uttered by every Zealot unit, has become the resounding cry of all Protoss mains, in the face of criticism from lowly Zerg and Terran players.

Aliens Throughout Gaming History

With the release of Prey soon approaching (May 5th to be exact) we thought it would be a great idea to pay homage to the aliens that have graced our video games over the years. Below you will find a definitive timeline which references Aliens through gaming history spanning over three decades!

You can pre-purchase Prey now from the Green Man Gaming Store.

6 Reasons To Get Excited For Dawn Of War III

Dawn of War III’s release is around the corner (April 27th) and we’re pretty excited. If you’re not, then allow us to give you a whole bunch of reasons why we think you should be.

Full 3 race campaigns for the first time

In previous iterations of Dawn of War there was only one campaign with one story, now there are fully fledged sets of missions for each race. Considering it took Starcraft 2 six years to do this, this is a big deal on launch. Before you were forced to play the Space Marines, and whilst they are fun, some people want to play the aliens (xenos). And you can bet there’ll be expansion packs for more races, too.

Base building is back

After its disappearing act in Dawn of War II, base building has made a triumphant return! It’s an extra layer of strategy that a lot of players prefer to have, and adds variety into builds you can do in multiplayer. Having to choose which buildings to make introduces mechanics such as scouting, base harassment, and letting those decisions become paramount to your victory.

RTS is having a comeback

The Real-Time-Strategy genre has been seeing somewhat of a revival lately. Starcraft Brood War Remastered, Halo Wars 2, Steel Division: Normandy ‘44, and of course Dawn of War III. Maybe its the injection of mechanics perfected in the age of MOBAs, or the decreasing reliance on big publishers, or perhaps the returning dominance of PC gaming. Either way, now is a great time to start learning control groups and increasing your APM!

Rules straight from the tabletop

Dawn of War III seems to take a lot of inspiration from the already existing mechanics of the Warhammer 40K world. Things such as plasma weaponry that ‘Gets Hot’, meaning they have a chance to do damage to their bearers. The units are faithful to their tabletop counterparts as well, making the army painter feature alone worth it for real-life model painters. Hopefully if players enjoy tearing up the enemy online then they might just make the leap to the traditional, turn-based version of the same game.

Army and Elite doctrines

Before you start a battle, you will be asked to pick your ‘doctrines’. These are special abilities that give your army bonuses throughout the game. They are split between Army and Elite doctrines. One affects your whole army, the other is an ability for your Elite units. This is great, because it gives each player’s army more flavour and identity. Sure you’re an Ork player, but do you like to specialise in mechanised walkers, or do you want to buff your swarms of Ork Boyz? This also allows the developers to add more over time, which will shake up the meta and give you even more options in how to play.

Super Units

One thing that makes RTSs more awesome is the inclusion of Super Units. Command and Conquer, Starcraft, Planetary Annihilation, all these games had one huge imposing unit per faction, that would put fear into the hearts and minds of your opponent. Joining those epic ranks are the Super Units from Dawn Of War III. Summoning these will give your army a huge power spike, and will most certainly lead to some intense, Pacific Rim-style battles of fifty metre high robots.

Are you still not excited? Well maybe you are, but for different reasons. Or maybe there is another RTS on the horizon you’re waiting out for. Let us know in the comments!

Worlds Adrift: An MMO Checklist

Worlds Adrift is the upcoming MMO from London-based studio Bossa. It’s already garnered a lot of attention for MMO fans, who have been waiting for a game as mesmerising and addictive that Worlds Adrift promises to be. With the hopes that Worlds Adrift will offer a unique and prevalent experience to those wanting to fully immerse themselves in an MMO, we’ve taken a look at what we want from an MMO game and it seems to us that so far, Worlds Adrift is delivering just that.

You can sign up for the Worlds Adrift closed beta, for a chance to play in the enchanting new MMO from Bossa Studios.

Art design

MMOs aren’t for everyone. They require time, patience, perseverance and nurturing to craft the world and your character into what you want it to be. MMOs are a niche genre of game, the feeling and demand for a great MMO is palpable in the gaming community. Gamers want great characters, customisation, exploration, weapons, endless unchartered territories and new discoveries and is that always doable?

The one thing that stood out to me the most in Worlds Adrift is the wonderful and visually elegant art design. It’s edged away from fantasy and delivers this simplistic world, with wonderfully complicated details, wrapped up in a mysterious and curious little package.

Character customisation

Character growth is a huge part of any MMO, we want skills, we want to see our character evolve, we want it to look a certain way and obtain an identity. Worlds Adrift have already commented that this will be a large part of the game and although levelling up won’t be a reward, player progression and the skills you learn is what will get you through, saying also “Explore the skies in your own unique skyship of any shape or size that you desire, your options are limitless. Your choice of design will have a direct consequence on how the ship performs in its speed, combat and fuel range, so choose wisely.”

You can build islands and ships and do it all as a character you create and grow.

Real time physics

The real time physics make for a reactive and unpredictable world, where gameplay is varied and surprising. The environment in Worlds Adrift is responsive and understanding, down to the smallest rock movement.

Players and wildlife will influence your decisions and create threats on your journey by adapting the world to better their progression and it could be your downfall. The real-time physics add this intricate dimension and DIY attitude that borrows similarities from No Man’s Sky, but now you’re not alone.

Beautiful scenery

Described as a ‘new age of discovery’, the game has this idyllic and fresh new take on MMOs, you’re building a new future on these floating islands in the sky. That doesn’t mean that you won’t run into new threats, creatures and conflicts on your journey to create a new world.

The scenery is fantastic and the movement of the world adds to the chaotic at times gameplay, where the islands won’t line up, sometimes ideals don’t go to plan and the setting is relentless, unpredictable and not always forgiving.

Genuine Interactions

You can play as you want in Worlds Adrift, whether you want to play in isolation, confrontation or companionship, you’ll find online players who are with you there. Earning from cooperation is a large part of the game and encourages teamwork. You’ll have similar goals as your online teammates and you’ll want to work together, you’ll want to trust other players. It’s a game that makes MMOs feel a little less lonely, it’s better to drift together.

Let us know your thoughts on MMOs, are you looking forward to Worlds Adrift? Playing an MMO at the moment? Worlds Adrift doesn’t have a confirmed release date, but is expected in 2017.

Everything You Need To Know About Star Wars Battlefront 2

Now that information about Star Wars Battlefront 2 has officially landed, we thought it’s best to turn on our Tractor Beams and gather all the info you need about the game. So here is what we know about Star Wars Battlefront 2 so far!

RELEASE DATE AND PLATFORM

Star Wars Battlefront 2 will be released on November 17 2017 for PS4, Xbox One and PC. You can check out the announcement trailer below.

SINGLE PLAYER MODE STORY

This is possibly the biggest addition to the game and indeed the whole franchise. Battlefront 2 will include a brand new single player campaign which will be set during the 30 year gap between The Return Of The Jedi and The Force Awakens. Players will be jumping into the Imperial shoes of Iden Versio. Versio is a member of the Inferno Squad, an elite ops unit working for the Imperials. The Inferno Squad are a combination of expert Tie Fighter pilots and covert commandos, so we can probably expect a mix of Tie Fighter missions and adrenaline pumping FPS gameplay.

As shown in the trailer above, Versio witnesses the complete destruction of the Death Star. Now left with no direct mission brief from the now deceased Emperor, Versio now must lead her squad on a revenge mission in order to try and stop the rebellion once and for all. It’s great to see that EA are looking to tell this story from the Empire’s perspective which hasn’t really happened in a mainstream Star Wars story before. The main idea behind the story is to show that yes, the Rebellion did have its heroes, but so did the Empire.

EA and DICE have hired Walt Williams and Mitch Dyer to write the story for the single player mode. Williams is best known for his great work on the critically acclaimed shooter Spec Ops: The Line. Mitch Dyer is an Ex-IGN reporter who now works for EA Motive.

MULTIPLAYER

This wouldn’t be a Star Wars Battlefront game without a multiplayer mode. Burnout creators Criterion have been drafted in to tackle the games vehicle mechanics and also develop a highly requested feature, full space combat.

This will be the first Star Wars game to contain material from all 3 trilogies, with the trailer featuring Luke Skywalker, Darth Maul and Kylo Ren. The ultimate goal for the games multiplayer however is for players to become heroes of their own as apposed to getting enough coins in order to take control of a hero (which featured in the last game).

It has been teased that the game will be offering classes and each class will come with its own progression system as apposed to the changeable equipment load outs from the previous game. The appearance of each class will change depending on what map you are playing on, for example the battle droids from the prequel trilogy look very different from the First Order Storm Troopers from the new trilogy even though they are the same class and will have the same upgrades. This new progression system is designed to let players mould their character as they play, meaning they will be able to fit player’s individual play style.

Vehicles and heroes will be getting their own individual progression system as well, which will let players add abilities to their favourite Star Wars characters and ships. This is a huge step up from the first games collectable coin system, and should make players feel more invested in their iconic heroes and ships.

Heroes that have been confirmed for Battlefront 2 so far are as follows:

Rey
Kylo Ren
Darth Maul
Yoda
Luke Skywalker
Iden Versio

It has also been confirmed that the game will also be featuring a local co-op mode which will be exclusive to Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

SEASON PASS

It has been confirmed by DICE and EA that Star Wars Battlefront 2 will not be getting a Season Pass. EA game the following statement:

“While we’re not ready to confirm any live service plans just yet, what we can say is this we heard the feedback from our Battlefront community loud and clear. We know they want more depth, more progression, and more content. So we’re focused on delivering that in every dimension of Star Wars Battlefront II. We’ll have more to share about our plans soon.”

DELUXE EDITION AND PRE-ORDER BONUSES

Here is the official word on the deluxe edition from EA, “Every trooper class (Officer, Assault, Heavy, and Specialist) is upgraded, delivering superior firepower, deadly weapon modifications, and epic combat abilities.” The deluxe edition of the game will be priced at the $80 mark whist the standard edition is priced at $60.

You can check out the breakdown of what the deluxe edition of the game has to offer below, we have also included what players can expect if they pre-order Star Wars Battlefront 2:

Access to play Star Wars Battlefront II on November 14–a 3-day head start
Upgraded versions of all 4 trooper classes (Officer, Assault, Heavy, and Specialist)
Four epic ability upgrades—one for each trooper class
Instant weapon unlocks and weapon modifications for each trooper class
Exclusive Kylo Ren- and Rey-themed looks, inspired by Star Wars : The Last Jedi (also in standard edition pre-order)
Epic ability modifiers for Kylo Ren and Rey (also in standard edition pre-order)
An epic ability modifier for the Millennium Falcon (also in standard edition pre-order)

That is all we know on Star Wars: Battlefront 2 so far. Be sure to check this post regularly as more news is released about the game.

11 Signs You’ve Played Too Much H1Z1

H1Z! King of the Kill is a brutal Battle Royale game, fight and slay your way to be crowned King of the Kill and win the round! Then do it again!

But what if you’re already immersed in H1z1? Here’s our 11 Signs that you’re playing too much!

1. Everyone looks like an enemy

You’re starting to side-eye everyone you meet, are they an enemy? Better keep an eye on them, just in case

2. You start to fear the fog

Is that fog in the distance? QUICK, RUN THE OTHER WAY!

3. You scour your friends houses for gear

What have your friends been hiding from you? I bet they’ve got a helmet or a gun around here SOMEWHERE

4. You’re not to be trusted driving

H1z1 has cars, lots of cars, but you’re not great at driving them about are you.

5. Everytime you’re on a plane you want to jump out

You know you should stay onboard, you’re going on holiday! But ooh look down there, perfect landing site!

6. If you do parachute somewhere, you aim for houses

Your instructor told you to aim for that big bit of grass, but that’s exposed! The houses might have LOOT

7. If you meet someone you get into a standoff

You’re gonna shoot, but are you gonna shoot first? Better watch what they do.

8, You get really really good at sprinting for miles

Gotta go fast gotta go fast gotta go fast

9. You’re frankly just used to things exploding around you

Cars are useful for transport…but even MORE useful as EXPLOSIVES

10. You can only communicate in a small circle around you

You know full well that voice comms drop off after a bit, so you’re used to not being able to talk to people far away

11. You can’t stop telling people about H1z1

Look if your friends would JUST PLAY IT WITH YOU then all would be good, hey have you heard about H1Z1? HEY WHY ARE YOU CLOSING THE DOOR TALK TO ME

Are they all strike a chord with you, you might be playing a bit too much H1Z1: King of the Kill. Or maybe you just need to play a bit more. Maybe one more game. Just one.

H1Z1: King of the Kill is currently on sale in our Easter Sale!

Daybreak Reddit Q&A On H1Z1 Talks Headshots, Weapons And Leaderboards

Daybreak Games recently took to Reddit to answer the most important questions on everyone’s mind like; can I have some sound with my headshot? When will leaderboards for certain game modes be on the way, so I can measure by how much I won? And weapons? More, in crates, please. Here are some of the highlights from the Q&A on what you can expect from the future of H1Z1: King of the Kill.

Melee weapons and weapon balance

The large-scale multiplayer PVP provides hours of competitive fun, getting that even kill between smart, survival, humorous and challenging. Weapons are of course the biggest draw to a game of this nature and genre, so it makes sense that it’s on Daybreak’s roadmap for improvements coming to the game. In response to a question about the balance of certain weapon’s power and the future for the underpowered melee attacks, Daybreak said,

“We are looking at every weapon’s role right now to ensure each weapon has a distinct use. Player feedback and behavior is also a big element in those decisions. The recent changes to the Magnum were in response to what developed in team games and the Magnum being over powered in certain situations. We will always be making necessary balance changes based on stuff like that.

This is longer term than the weapon stuff mentioned here, but also very similar. The role of melee weapons needs to be cleared and then balanced appropriately. It only goes longer term because the melee system in general needs a larger revamp. Things that we have discussed are things like having a dedicated melee slot and quick melee strike. Not sure yet what we will ultimately do.”

Here’s to a game based on fairness and player skill!

Leaderboards in Duos and Fives

Of course, one of the main reasons we play these competitive games is to win, or to measure our success on a leaderboard. The question quickly cropped up to whether we will be getting a leaderboard for the game modes Duo and Fives, to which Daybreak responded,

“In progress right now. I can’t quite yet provide an ETA, but it is being worked on at the moment. Quite a bit of work to get this one up, tested, and out to live.”

Soon please.

Customisation on Crosshairs and Hitmarkers

Versatility when it comes to customisation in general has been a large part of talks surrounding King of the Kill. The game’s eccentric customisation has added to the game’s scale. Daybreak’s answer on customisation just goes to show the growth that they have planned for the game, which continues to improve since its early access release.

“Customization in general has been a pretty popular topic, so it is something we need to talk about and see if it makes sense in the context of our roadmap. We are pretty locked in on the roadmap through the summer with a whole list of improvements, so it may not be something that we talk about for a little bit.”

Crate Drops

As well as a pvp game, H1Z1 is a survival based large-scale game and the crate drops are great elements of surprise that could save you. Daybreak are looking into making the crates targeted and assigning them a theme, so players are able to decide how valuable each one is to them, which will also be dependent on the maps area.

Daybreak said, “Yes, an airdrop revamp is on the roadmap as well. We would like to make each airdrop themed around something so you can decide how valuable it is to you given the current place in the match you are. Some could be themed around medical, some more offensive, some more protective, etc. Designs are being discussed and vetted, and it is something we will get to closer to the summer.”

Playing King of the Kill? Drop your own comments below on what you want to see from the game and what you’re enjoying most about the wildly insane multiplayer game from Daybreak.

The Best Civilizations not Included in Civilization VI

Civilization VI has included a lot of Civilizations, more than most of the predecessors.

But it couldn’t include them all, and we feel there’s some that have been unfairly left out, so here’s the best civilizations that weren’t included in Civilization VI!

Scotland

Scotland is a nation of warrior poets (if you can believe Mel Gibson). They’re like Vikings but with a better accent and a lot more blue paint, it’d be great to conquer the world as a tide of Scots, spreading IRN BRU, deep fried pizza, and Oor Wullie to the four corners of the world. England gets into the game, but not Scotland? That’s no way to make friends North of the border, Firaxis!

Hungary

Hungarians started out as horse nomads, transitioning over time to a nation of religious warriors. Either version would be an excellent inclusion in Civilization VI, imagine it; a tide of nomadic horse wranglers rolling over your enemies, fueled by their beliefs and food flavoured intensely with paprika. What a glorious sight that’d be to behold.

Wales

They have a dragon on their flag and a history of druids. Why on earth aren’t the Welsh included?

Babylonians

The cradle of humanity goes unrepresented? Outrageous! Said to be the first true city, Babylon’s effects on human history ripple through time. Hanging gardens, the eponymous tower, Boney M., Babylon is ripe for inclusion! Sumeria made it into the game, but we’re sorely missing Mesopotamia!

Trojans

We’re not saying they’re the longest lasting civilization, and they might have a problem with angering gods and disbelieving seers, but the Trojans know how to build cities, and isn’t that what Civilization’s all about? They managed to hold out against the Greek horde for years, only falling due to treachery (or if you believe the film Troy, Sean Bean). Put them in Firaxis, you know they deserve it.

Elves

Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings is definitely a historical series of novels, so why aren’t the Elves included in Civilization VI? They made some beautiful cities, Rivendell would make a wonderful capitol for your Elvish empire, and they come with all sorts of unique units with abilities like ‘shield surf’ and ‘elephant surf’. It’s a mystery to us why the definitely-real Elves weren’t included in this game.

Martians

Similarly, we all remember learning about the Martian invasion of Great Britain during the late 19th century, so why weren’t they included? Why we still see the remains of their invasion to this day, their tripods being used to hold up electrical cables all over the country. They’d be a great inclusion in Civilization VI, and the Martians must be very upset that they haven’t been included.

The Gauls

Well not all of them, just a little village in Brittany which is fending off the Roman Empire. Put them in!

There you go, those are our picks for inclusion in Civilization VI. Do you have any? Let us know either on social media or in the comments below!

GTAV: 8 Reasons Why You Should Visit Sunny Los Santos

With the Summer holiday season just around the corner we imagine that there a lot of jet setters looking for their next destination in the sun. Here at Green Man Gaming we have got you covered! So here are 8 reasons why you should visit Los Santos on your next holiday, or now if you buy GTA V in our Green Man Gaming Easter sale!

1. Expert parachute demonstrations daily!

Los Santos has plenty of expert parachuters on hand giving daily demonstrations to tourists like yourself, be sure to check these out.

2. Scenic Highways

We encourage any visitor to take a drive around Los Santos, it has been proven that visitors comes across a unique shortcut every time they visit

3. Our world renowned cycle routes

Anyone who is anyone loves to take a bicycle around Los Santos, it has been described as one of the more explosive experiences the city has to offer.

4. Bag yourself a police officer

Introducing the latest in LSPD technology! Out police officers are now portable for your convenience!

5. Driver safety comes first

If you find yourself falling asleep at the wheel, then cherry pickers are dotted around Los Santos to help you 24 hours a day 7 days a week!

6. Clamping down on streakers

To make your stay in Los Santos is as enjoyable as possible, public nudity will not be tolerated. Los Santos citizens are on hand to make sure the city keeps clothing policy at an all time high.

7. Jet fighters for all

When you visit Los Santos we gift all of our visitors with a free jet fighter. So please be on the look out for low flying planes at all times.

8. Firework displays

And finally, we suggest you keep an eye out for Firework displays going on through Los Santos, these displays are going on daily and in random locations thoughout the city. So keep an eye out!

We hope your enjoy your stay in Los Santos, and thank you for using Green Man Gaming for all your holiday needs!

10 Things We Are Looking Forward To In Prey

We got the chance to play some more Prey last week and we soon discovered that there is a huge amount to do in this game. If you have been following the buzz around Prey at all, you have more than likely heard something along the lines of Prey feeling like a mix between Bioshock, Deus Ex and many sci-fi games. So we thought it best to show you just some of the things you can do in prey. So join Gina and I as we list the 10 things we are looking forward to in Prey!

Mimic Power

When ‘Mimic’ was first introduced as a power in Prey many people laughed at the fact you can change into a mug. After getting some hands on time with the Mimic power we can safely say that this power is addictive. Once you get hold of the Mimic power you instantly start exploring the Talos 1 space station just to find new things you can turn into! When Prey launches we predict that many videos will be created of players changing into all sorts of weird and wonderful things.

The Gloo Cannon

One of the handier weapons in your arsenal, the Gloo Cannon does a lot more than just stick your enemies to the floor. It can also be handy for gas, plumbing and electrical work as well. During out hands on time we used the Gloo Cannon to plug up gas lines and also temporarily fix some dodgy electricals.

Moral Choices

One thing we weren’t expecting in our play through was moral choice. As you can see from the video above we were met with a choice to harvest a prisoner for more materials or set him free in order to get more ammo. True, it has been done in Bioshock before but it sure as heck works in Prey as well, It will be interesting to see if there will be a big moral pay off at the end of the game.

Kinetic Blast Power

One of my favourite Typhon abilities because it covers a large radius with its effective and powerful blast. It gave me a chance to take back control in sticky situations, knocking the Phantoms off balance, so I was able to get the upper hand.

Stealth Tactics

Although I’ve always fancied myself a shotgun kind of gamer, I’ve come to realise from my recent playthrough of Bioshock, that I have become more of a stealthy player. This transition probably occurred due to Dishonored 2 and The Last of us and I’m going with it, because sometimes surviving is the best option available. Look at those sneaky under the table shots.

Recycler Charge

My savour in boss fights and when large groups of Typhon were prowling after me. TOP TIP: Don’t throw this, but instead roll it into the place where the Typhon are walking, it took me some misses to get this right, but the Recycler Charge inflicts large amounts of damage and seemed to be the most common of the grenade ammunition to come by.

Typhon Lure

The Typhon Lure is one of the grenades in Prey and when thrown, the Typhon are drawn into it’s rhythmic aura, combined with the kinetic power ability or weapon of choice, it’s a deadly trick used against the relentless alien race on board Talos 1.

Psychoscope

In order to use your neuromods and access unique Typhon abilities through your skill tree, you first must use the Psychoscope to study the Typhon and learn their powers. By studying live samples, you’re able to learn more about the Typhon and it’s a necessity in game progression.

Boss Fights

Even though the video above shows us more of a mini boss fight, we can expect hard enemies and bosses when going into Prey. During our hands on time with the game we were warned that our play through wasn’t going to be easy. It will be interesting to see how hard the Typhon get as the game progresses.

Skill Tree

Everyone loves to level up in games, and Prey is no stranger to character progression. Skill trees in Prey will give any player the opportunity to tailor Morgan to their play style. If you prefer guns over Typhon abilities for example then that’s no problem. The sheer variety the skill trees have in Prey will more than likely require more than one play though in order to try all of the skills out.

So that is the 10 things we are looking forward to in Prey, be sure to pre-purchase your copy of the game in time for its release on May 5. A demo for the game will be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on April 27.

The Best Paradox Strategy Games You Can’t Miss

Paradox make some of the finest and most in-depth strategy games around. But what are the best ones? Well thankfully we here at Green Man Gaming KNOW. So here. We. Go!

Cities: Skylines

The Cities series was always one to watch out for, but they were a bit hit and miss. Then Cities: Skylines absolutely hit it out of the park and struck all the right chords. The freedom available to you as a city planner allows you to draw out the city of your dreams, letting it breathe and become a real place. With mod support also thrown in, there’s almost no type of city you can’t build. Someone’s even modelled the infamous Spaghetti Junction from the UK!

BRB just installing a mod to turn off Chirper.

Stellaris

If you like Master of Orion, Star Trek, space, or any or all of the above then Stellaris is the game for you. It’s the most advanced and interesting take on the 4X space game since…well…ever! Moving away from the turn based formula, Stellaris sees you take your civilisation from a tiny starter system to a potentially galaxy spanning colossus. The best thing about Stellaris is that sense of style and personality it has, not just in the UI and your interactions with the game, but also from your chosen species. Like those that precede it, Stellaris’ species are unique, but this pushes them even further, that sense of identity affecting your interactions with other races, how you govern planets, to your technology. If you want space, check it out! SPACE!

It’s also got some amazing expansions now, all of which add or change up the game in different ways, definitely worth your time!

Hearts of Iron IV

The Hearts of Iron series is probably what a lot of people think of when they think of strategy games. Set in World War II, Hearts of Iron IV is a super involved scenario that plays out in a multitude of ways, depending on your actions. Hearts of Iron IV is a game of making tiny changes to history that cascade and turn into a rolling wrecking ball of historical alteration. Set over the entire world, you will be flying above the action giving orders to troops, moving your armies about, setting up production facilities and basically running the entire of a side of World War II. It’s deep, it’s complicated, but if you can get your head around it, it’s so, so rewarding.

Crusader Kings II

Crusader Kings II is The Paradox Game for a lot of people. Taking a different approach to most strategy games, it’s more of a politics and dynasty simulator than an outright strategy game. Taking control of a lord or king, your aim is really to prosper, and to create an interesting story! For example, my first game I received the goal of assassinating my wife, so I put her in prison and fabricated charges against her. Alas she was found innocent and made it out, quite cross at me. Then on a hunting trip I ‘mysteriously’ died leaving my wife and son in charge of my fiefdom! Stories like that are just part and parcel of Crusader Kings II. Think of it less like a complicated strategy game, and more like a TV Soap set in medieval times.

Tyranny

What if the bad guys won? That’s the question at the heart of Tyranny. While not really a strategy game, it does feature strategic combat much like the better known Pillars of Eternity, and it’s a full RPG filled with the kinds of difficult decisions and choices that RPGs of this kind are absolutely renowned for. Set in the aftermath of a great war, you’re on the winning side, but you’re part of a very evil empire. The amazing premise aside, Tyranny is a deep RPG which allows you to decide the fate of not only yourself, but also the many factions and NPCs you come into contact with. If you love Pillars of Eternity, Baldur’s Gate, or the older Fallouts, Tyranny definitely demands that you check it out.

Magicka 2

OK so Magicka 2 really isn’t that much of a strategy game, but it is an amazing game! The original Magicka is one of the most fun co-op experiences you can have, and Magicka 2 absolutely builds on that in every way. The magic system at the heart of Magicka lets you build custom spells on the fly, and they always have hilarious effects (especially if you’re not paying attention to where your teammates are). The magic system is easy to pick up but incredibly deep, with different elemental effects that work against enemies in different ways, and different types of spell you can craft and cast as you blast your way through a single player, or co-op, campaign. If you want to laugh with your friends, and occasionally hear them swear as you blast them off a cliff, Magicka 2 is for you.

So there you go, check out these amazing Paradox games! If you have a favourite we’ve missed, let us know in the comments below!

The 17 Best Things About Video Games

The Guardian has put together a list of the 17 Worst Things About Video Games, but it got us thinking. What are the best things about video games?

So we had a think and we came up with…17 of the BEST things about video games! Here they are:

1. Unskippable Cut Scenes

Temptation is terrible, and the temptation to skip cut scenes means you might miss out on exciting and invaluable story beats! So you have to see the same thing a few times, better that than get to the end of the game and go ‘hey hold on, what?’

2. Unreasonably Long Loading Times

There’s a feeling of security, of safety, that comes with a really long loading time. You get to the end and you think to yourself ‘this game is truly loaded now’. The loading is behind you, it’s time for GAME. No buffering mid-level, the game is HERE.

3. Formulaic Boss Battles

How do you know which part of the boss to shoot unless it glows red? Similarly, how do you know to get better and improve your boss fighting skills unless it does the same move every time? I’ve only so much time for learning, so I need my boss battles to happen the same way every time thank you!

4. AI Companions

Everyone loves company! And if that company happens to be an AI buddy then all they’re all the better for it. Did you know that AI stands for Absolutely Incredible? You do now!

5. Accidentally leaving voice comms switched on while playing online shooters

This is just never ending fun, you get a real insight into someone else’s life when they do this, a real voyeur’s fantasy. And if you do it, it’s like inviting the rest of the team round for tea, what joy!

6. Over-elaborate controls

There’s no feeling better than sitting down to a game and spending hours soaking up every one of the 2948 controls you’ll need to play it. It really heightens the anticipation for the game, knowing that at some point you’ll need to press CTRL+SHIFT+J to use your secondary jump power blast move!

7. Miserly save points

This is a classic move to help build tension, if you know you’ve got something to lose you’re going to be more careful when you play. Imagine Alien Isolation with quick save, that’s right, you can’t. Even if you can, you’re lying. You can’t. Just stop it.

8. Weird voice acting

This is just the best, love to hear wacky half asleep actors doing their lines, it makes everything fun! No need to go on an expensive holiday to another planet, just play a game with bad voice acting!

9. Misleading navigational signposting

Exploration is a joy and a few red herrings never hurt anyone! In fact we like a bit of trial and error, some of the most interesting paths are those that lead you down dead ends!

10. Most motion control sequences

Hey sometimes our hands get a little tired, so having a section where you twist and turn the controller eases the pain a little, and spices up the action! Also it makes you look silly, so anyone watching can enjoy the spectacle at your expense.

11. Escort quests

See number 4.

12. Poorly designed inventory management screens

A poorly designed inventory is just a puzzle, a lovely delicious hard to crack puzzle. The challenge of a game doesn’t have to be restricted to the game itself, it can be the UI too!

13. Tank-driving missions in first-person shooters

Who *doesn’t* love a turret or tank section in an FPS? Gives your imaginary feet a rest too!

14. Hacking mini-games

Everyone loves to break up their FPS or RPG with a bit of a minigame, don’t you just wish the WHOLE of Bioshock was pipe puzzles? We do!

15. Indestructible doors

This just lets you know you’re on the right path, maybe the door won’t explode from your grenade launcher, but keep trying, you never know what goodies might be behind it! Or you can get a key, I suppose that’d work too.

17. Quick time events

Fahrenheit wouldn’t be the masterpiece it is without quick time events, who doesn’t love fighting giant bugs in an office while Simon-says plays out over it? Or a romantic guitar based QTE to woo an ex. Brilliant!

So there you go, 17 things that are the BEST in video games! Did we miss any? Let us know below!

Editor’s note: We deeply apologise to The Guardian and Keith Stuart.

Top 5 Tips from Street Fighter Pro Player Tyrant_UK

Pro Street Fighter player and Capcom Pro Tour commentator Tyrant_UK has been hailed as one of the strongest M.Bison players throughout Street Fighter IV and V. He has taken some time out of his schedule to give us some Street Fighter V top tips. So if you are brand new to the game or want to brush up on your skills then these tips should get you Psycho Crushing in the right direction!

Okay so here are some tips I would recommend to beginners looking to level up in SFV!

5. Bare Basics

Played Street Fighter before? For most, the answer is yes, but I’m going to assume that most reading this haven’t. The first thing you should do when playing Street Fighter, or any video game is try to understand what everything does! The beauty of fighting games is that compared to MOBA’s or FPS eSports titles for example is that they are extremely easy to understand. Two characters fight till one KO’s the other. Easy right? Well there’s a bit more to it than that… there are the health and stun bars, EX and V-meter, 3 punches, 3 kicks, the timer among other things too. It might seem a lot to take in at first, but the more you play the more you will become aware of everything just like with any game, so stick with it!

4. Stop mashing!

Many fans of the classic Street Fighter games (especially Street Fighter II) may have fond memories of mashing one button with Blanka or E.Honda and getting easy wins against their pals. Trying this online or against a wise opponent will get you KO’d faster than you can say Hadoken. Timing is everything in Street Fighter and mashing will leave you open for attacks very often! Learn to place your attacks and try to time your moves so that they hit your opponent without putting your own character at risk.

3. Training mode is your friend

Being able to do what you want, when you want is key. The first step to doing this is to practice your execution, so head on over to training mode and work on moving around the screen, dashes, your special moves and unique attacks as well as V-System and Critical Art attacks. If you have trouble throwing out a specific attack then check the in-game move list for your character of choice and once you feel confident enough, try to pull it off 10 times in a row consistently without messing up, first on the Player 1 (Left) side, then on the Player 2 side. Doing this regularly will help you get it down and before you know it, it’ll be muscle memory and you’ll be using them in real matches!

2. Embrace the new system

The unique game mechanic in Street Fighter V is the ‘V System’. This is made up of a few tools to help sway the match in your favor, and getting to grips with them is important if you’re looking to get those W’s. I’ll go over them now:

The V-Skill is a unique tool that is different to every character in the game. It is executed by pressing both medium punch and kick together and is normally related to the V-Meter (the red bar in the bottom right). Some characters even have variations of their unique V-Skill, so your best bet is to experiment and try out a few characters yourself. Using this effectively will build your V-Meter which when full leads us to…

V-Trigger! This is a powerful mechanic which, like the V-Skill, is unique to every character and is mainly used to turn the tides of battle. This is executed by pressing both heavy punch and kick together once your V-Meter is full. Once your V-Trigger is activated, it will start to deplete your V-Meter back down to zero. Doing different actions can drain this faster depending on your character choice, and some characters have more devastating V-Triggers than others. Necalli for example has a V-Trigger that will NOT deplete and last him until the end of the round!!!
The V-Reversal is a similar tool to Alpha Counters for the Street Fighter veterans out there. This is executed by pressing forward on the directional controller while you are blocking and pressing either all 3 punches or kicks depending on your character. Using this will cost you 1 bar of your V-Meter so use it wisely! The power of your V-Trigger and whether your character has a 2 or 3 bar V-Meter will factor into your decision using this move, and it can also be thrown so be careful when using it.

1. Have fun!

We all play video games for fun, so competitive or not, try to remember why you’re playing. One of the best parts of the FGC (Fighting Game Community) is that we are so open and welcoming to anyone willing to learn. There are plenty of offline events happening regularly not only for SFV but for tons of fighting games, so try to check out your local scene if you have one as learning offline is way faster than learning only playing online.
There are plenty of great community sites to keep you up to date with all the news and players such as eventhubs.com, shoryuken.com and be sure to head over to http://live.capcomprotour.com/ to keep up to date with the Capcom Pro Tour circuit.

Best of luck and Rise Up!

You can follow Tyrant on Twitter, and also make sure to check out his Twitch channel to see him in action!

Street Fighter V is on sale right now!

Shadow Of War – Expanding Middle Earth

With Middle Earth: Shadow of War announced at the end of last month, we were invited over to Warner Bros to get some more information on the game which comes out on August 25. Here is a break down of what we saw in the gameplay presentation.

Expanded Story and World

Shadow of War will be going deeper into Talion and Celebrimbor’s story. The game will pick up directly from the end of Shadow of Mordor and continue their journey as they forge a new ring and continue the battle against Sauron’s army. We spoke to Monolith studios, and one thing they have stressed to us is that they have been listening to all of the feedback from gamers about Shadow of Mordor and are fully aware that the last game’s story was lacking a satisfying ending. This time around they have been focussing a lot on the game’s story in order to bring it up to the high quality that the Lord of the Rings franchise is famous for.

Shadow of War goes beyond Mordor and now covers Middle Earth meaning players will be able to explore an expansive world, with varying eco systems and environments. Monolith have taken the time to map out Middle Earth accurately so fans of the franchise will literally be able to explore the vast corners of their favourite land. With land expansion comes the inclusion of new races to the Middle Earth: Shadow franchise, it has been confirmed that humans and elves will be featuring in the games expanded story. Whether elves and humans are able to join Talion’s army during gameplay is yet to be confirmed.

Expanded Gameplay

As with most game sequels the gameplay has been expanded with more abilities, moves and features. It has been confirmed that your wraith partner in crime, Celebrimbor, will have more melee attacks for players to utilise. We saw moves which included him summoning his hammer and then sinking it into a Uruk’s eye socket, there will be a lot more wraith moves for players to use too.

On the Talion side of things, the combat system has been built upon. In Shadow of Mordor the combat system was heavily based on the Batman Arkham series. Monolith have now expanded upon this to give Talion a lot more variety when it comes to fighting. Monolith also showed us that the RPG system in Shadow of War has been improved upon as well, giving players a lot more variety to change Talion and customise him to their play style through gear drops, runes and skill trees.

It has also been confirmed that difficulty modes have been implemented into Shadow of War. Monolith confirmed that a lot of the feedback they got from Shadow of Mordor highlighted that gamers were getting frustrated that every time they died, the Nemesis system would kick in promoting their opponents and making them harder to defeat. They are confident that with the implementation of difficulty modes into Shadow of War, will improve the player experience and invite more casual gamers to join the battle against Sauron’s forces.

One of the most important new features in my opinion is the inclusion of Drakes and the ability to fly them. I mean who doesn’t love flying a dragon around and raining down fire on their foes?

Expanded Nemesis System

One of the most expanded features for Shadow of War in the Nemesis system. This was a massive selling point for Shadow of Mordor and allowed players to create their own stories and enemies. This time around though, the Nemesis System not only expands on your enemies and their armies, but also expands into your own army as well.

In Shadow of Mordor the War Chiefs were the biggest and baddest enemies you would come up against. In Shadow of War, Monolith have taken this a step further and introduced Overlords who are basically the Warchief’s boss. What is also pretty cool is each Overlord reigns over their own Fortress which Talion’s army can attack. Monolith went into details about these Nemesis Fortresses explaining that each fortress will house a Overlord, a few of War Chiefs and a hell of a lot of enemy soldiers. In classic Nemesis System fashion, players are able to infiltrate the enemy lines before they launch their full scale attack by possessing War Chiefs and using them as moles in order to give Talion the upper hand. If players are able to to battle through the War Lords and the huge armies holding down the fortress, they will then come face to face with the Overlord which leads into a boss fight on a massive scale. One of the best things about the Nemesis System is its ability to procedurally generate your enemies and their traits, this also translates into the fortresses meaning no fortress will ever be the same.

One of the most noticeable things for us about the new and improved Nemesis System is the relation ships you can make with Uruks. In the gameplay we saw, Talion was up against a War Chief who had once fought for him but was left for dead on the battlefield. Now full of hatred as he felt betrayed this Uruk joined Sauron’s ranks to seek revenge. Players are also able to build on their relation ships within their ranks by promoting Uruks which will then also help them in the throws of battle as they are more likely to help you on the battlefield or against a tricky Overlord.

Expanded Enemies

Your enemies in Shadow of Mordor only focused on the Uruks as Sauron’s army started to grow. In Shadow of War you will be up against a variety of Mordor’s most feared beings. Trolls have now been included and are able to become War Chiefs and Overlords. The gameplay demo we saw put a fire obsessed Troll in the Overlord’s throne and to say he was a force to be reckoned with was an understatement.

More classes have been added to Shadow of War with various Uruk tribes now featuring in the game. You will also be coming up against Necromancers, Beast Masters and fire obsessed War Chiefs. These classes also play into how the Fortresses are generated, as they will be using similar character traits as the enemies reigning over them.

We are very excited about Middle Earth: Shadow of War. The game has been vastly expanded on and it is amazing to hear that Monolith have taken player feedback on board. We cannot wait to jump into the shoes of Talion and Celebrimbor once more and take on Sauron’s uprising!

You can check out the first gameplay footage from Shadow Of War below.