Page 75 – Green Man Gaming Blog

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.

Races You Need To Play In Dawn Of War

We here at Green Man Gaming love RTS games, we also love Warhammer. It’s safe to say then that Dawn Of War is right up our street, and with Dawn Of War III fast approaching we asked Alex M, Milo and Olly on what race they like to play as in Dawn Of War and why you should play as them.

The Orks

OLLY : “Orkses is never defeated in battle. If we win we win, if we die we die fighting so it don’t count. If we runs for it we don’t die neither, cos we can come back for annuver go, see!”

In the grimdark future of Warhammer 40K, there is only death. Or so the saying goes. Most races either serve evil incarnate or are desperately trying to stave off the slow and inevitable ruin of their species.

Enter the Orks. Technically a fungus, and therefore always in ample supply no matter the state of the galaxy, these hulking football hooligans of a race are the only ones perfectly happy in a situation so dire. Orks are bred for fighting. Literally. They were created to be foot-soldiers and inexhaustible in number. This makes them perfect enemies for games, but there is some great joys in taking control of the green horde yourself, and not just because they are the only species who are having a grand ol’ time. Seriously, they are the only creatures in 40K who actually LIKE it when their ships get boarded by chaos demons.

In Dawn of War III you will control the Bad Moons clan, the richest of the Ork clans. This is because their teeth grow faster than any other Orks, and Ork ‘teef’ are their currency! Meaning you don’t only get your swarms of green-skins, who on their own match Space Marines in terms of size and toughness and melee prowess, but also all the cool toys. Ork technology works, simply because the Orks believe it to do so. I’m not kidding. They throw hunks of junk together and because they think it works, it works. They think red paint makes vehicles ‘go fasta’, they go faster. Such a technological style means Ork vehicles look insane, but awesome.

And if you’re still not convinced, check out the Ork’s heaviest units: Mega-Nobz and Warbosses. Imagine the Hulk, encased in huge plates of armour, armed to the teef with flamethrowers (burnas), huge claws, and axes (choppas). Much like the Hulk, the only way to beat an Ork is to leave the field of battle as fast as possible.

The Eldar

MILO: “They shall come, expecting the obvious, the simple, the artless. They shall stab at the shadows with confused minds and troubled hearts. Meanwhile, we shall appear unseen from ten directions, and from every one strike a fatal blow.”

The Eldar are the last survivors of their ancient civilization. Fallen rulers of the galaxy, they remain an elusive yet fearsome power. They cling to survival by a thread, fighting the horrors of the galaxy with ritualised discipline and supreme skill.

A highly technologically advanced race, their shuriken and prism beam weapons strike with lethal precision. Where the Space Marines are a hammer, the Eldar are a dagger, striking their targets with finesse. In Dawn of War, you will come across some of their most recognisable warriors. Howling Banshees will descend upon their foes with fleet of foot and begin dismantling almost any unit in melee combat. Your farseers – powerful psychics – will bring eldritch fury upon your enemies and your agile Fire Prisms will deliver devastating superheated explosions to those on the wrong side.

The Eldar are a powerful, elegant force. They wield fearsome weapons, yet they are an undeniable force of glass cannons. This is a versatile race with powerful ranged and melee units, but all Eldar units are fragile compared to some of their more armoured Space Marine or Chaos counterparts. In previous Dawn of War games, the Eldar have worked for somebody who is willing to manage their force just a little more closely, and strategise with a touch more craft than the blunt instruments that are other races. However, if you play your cards right with these ancient warriors, you will dance around your foes like a lethal leaf on the wind and the lesser creatures of the galaxy will begin to comprehend your speed and fury.

The Space Marines

ALEX M: ‘Beware the alien, the heretic, and the mutant.’

One of the joys of 40k is that you can basically make up your own faction. Maybe there’s a previously undiscovered Eldar Craftworld, maybe you’ve written a backstory for a new Tyranid Hive, or maybe there’s a lost Space Marine chapter with a mysterious history.

Relic chose to do the last one for the Dawn of War series, creating a Space Marine chapter called the Blood Ravens whose chapter base is a fleet of spaceships and who don’t know what chapter spawned them. What’s unusual about this though, unlike some fan creations, is that the Blood Ravens work. They’re just cool enough, they’re not too overpowered, and their mystery is just mysterious enough.

Also they look kinda like The Blood Angels and that’s always good.

Over the course of the Dawn of War games you get to know the Blood Ravens pretty well, Gabriel Angelos, Tarkus, Cyrus, Thaddeus, and of course good old Davian Thule. You take them from being basically nobodies, to helping them weather a Tyranid invasion, a chapter master who’s fallen to chaos, and several big ol’ wars.

You get to do all that whilst wielding a massive hammer and being followed by a pack of terminators. Space Marines are awesome and the Blood Ravens in the Dawn of War games are doubly so, because you get to *be* them. They’re back in Dawn of War III, and we can only advise that you try them out. Remember; tread softly, and carry a big bolter.

The Chaos Marines

ALEX M: ‘Death to the False Emperor! Death to the weakling Imperium of Mankind!’

It was during the Great Crusade in the 30th Millennium that the truth became known to certain Space Marine chapters. The Emperor was no god, he wasn’t a ruler worthy of the worship that the Imperium lavished upon him, and he probably planned to do away with the Space Marines once the Great Crusade was over.

It fell to brave souls like Horus Lupercal, Lorgar, Fulgrim, and Angron to discover and spread this truth. Primarchs who were the Emperor’s sons turned against him and turned their service and that of their Space Marine chapters to a greater power, The Ruinous Powers; Chaos.

Now in the 41st Millennium, the war rages on and the Chaos Marines are a plague on the Imperium, quite literally in the case of Nurgle’s devotees. Using the training and abilities implanted in them via the gene-seed and astartes programmes, the Chaos Marines combine all this with the power granted them via their twisted worship of Chaos to subvert and destroy the Imperium of Man.

Chaos Marines in Dawn of War games tend to play fairly similarly to Space Marines, but at their heart is an unleashing, a savage joy that you are tearing down the rigid and stagnant Space Marines, that you’re the anathema to ‘good’ and ‘right’. Basically, they’re the choice of the aesthete and of the berzerker all at once.

Though they have yet to make an appearance in Dawn of War III, we who worship Chaos United live in hope that our Ruinous Powers will show their face at some point in this next instalment.

The Best Powers in Dishonored 2

Dishonored 2 separates itself from other assassin-based games by having an extraordinary array of cool powers, given to the protagonists by extra-dimensional entity ‘The Outsider’. The bottom line of all this is Dishonored 2’s levels are an open playground, where different uses and combinations of powers lead to awesome (and sometimes hilarious) outcomes. We’re going to tell you the best powers based on whether you want to play a ‘Low Chaos’ playthrough or ‘High Chaos’. This means stealth or all-out bloodbath, respectively.

Low Chaos

Blink

Corvo’s signature move, this allows you to teleport over short distances. Considering Dishonored 2’s sprawling cityscapes and buildings, travelling across gaps and higher than you can jump is essential. So essential that there is an achievement for finishing the game with no powers bar this one. Arkane Studios wouldn’t be that cruel. This can be used to speedily get next to someone to take them out, and hastily sneak their body away after.

Mesmerize

If you’re an elderly jedi, and enjoy using your powers to trick people into ignoring you (and any droids you may be accompanying), then you’ll love this ability of Emily’s. Mesmerize does exactly that, but can be used on up to four guards or hounds at a time. Beware though as other guards may get cautious when seeing their colleagues bizarre behaviour. This at least puts the quality of the guards of Karnaca ahead of Stormtroopers.

Shadow Walk

Emily’s answer to Corvo’s possession, except this is much cooler and allows her to take out a trio of guards too. Emily becomes a shadow that crawls along the floor, not completely undetectable, but significantly harder to see. This power allows her to travel through grates, like Corvo’s rat possession, but instead of a rat, you’re a clawing black shadow creature. Its just really cool, okay?

High Chaos

Far Reach

Why teleport to enemies, when you can bring the enemies to you? This is no doubt the question the Outsider asked himself when devising this power for Emily. She can summon a black shadowy hand (The Outsider likes his black shadows) that can drag her to a location. It can also drag enemies towards Emily through the air. Sufficiently upgraded, this allows for some mid-air shish kebabing, which is very noticeable but very fun.

Domino

Using this power you can connect enemies together, so that whatever affects one, will affect all of them. So if you put one to sleep with a sleep dart, knock them out or decapitate them, up to three connected characters will share the outcome. Now hiding four bodies at once is a bit tough, so we don’t recommend doing this unless there are exactly four enemies, but if you’re going all out on an opposing force of guards, taking out four in one swing is incredibly useful.

Devouring Swarm

It may not be new, or dark, or shadowy, but summoning a swarm of flesh-eating rats to devour your opponent is just too darn good to not feature here. On the list of “ways to dishonorably win a duel”, this is pretty close to the top. In fact, we have it on good authority that this is how the game series got its name. It was going to be a victorian dueling simulator where one of the characters called Corvo could summon rat swarms. Arkane Studios realised this was way too overpowered, and such a great concept, they scrapped everything else and made the rat-based game from the ground up.

That’s our list, did we miss your favourite? Let us know!

Dishonored 2 is part of our Easter Sale, which you can find here

Make A Bold Purchase With GTA Shark Cards

What have you always wanted? A house, yacht, badass weapon? The GTA Online Shark Cards are here to save the day, with instant in-game money, so you don’t have to spend hours saving up for that one thing you’ve had your eye on for a while now.

We can’t advise how you spend your money, but we can make some pretty epic suggestions, including some of our personal favourites.

Become a CEO with top-notch offices

Being a CEO in GTA Online has never been more important, you’ve risen above the days of being a petty thief or rogue criminal, you’ve now got a good rep. Of course, all of it wouldn’t be possible without some monies and a large office, where you can leave your gang days behind and boss people around. There’s a lot of perks that come with being CEO, including VIP benefits, power and fortune. When you start out your journey to greatness, there are four offices you’ll be able to purchase including the Maze Bank Tower for $4 million, the Lombank West for $3.1 million, Arcadius Business Center for $2.25 million and the Maze Bank West for 1 million… choose wisely.

Rule the seas with the super yacht

Just the $7 million for me please. The Pieces Yacht will set you back, but it’s not the most expensive model out there. As well as being cool to own, the Pisces Yacht will unlock Piracy Prevention, a great VIP benefit which will help you out in combat as well as earning you the monies!

Grind the terrain with the Dubsta 6×6

Cars are tough to recommend as it does depend on your GTA style of play and if you’re going to purchase a Shark Card, it’s more than likely you have a car in mind, but we can talk favourites. The Dubsta 6×6 was included in the recent Cunning Stunts update as part of the new ‘buy-it-now’ feature, which means it will not have a rank requirement in order to unlock it. It’s also not the fastest or prettiest car, but we’re not sure that matters with its great versatility as an off road vehicle, for when things get a little ropey. If you want flash and fast then opt for the Nero, a fun car to upgrade and customise in at above $1 million.

Savage Attack Helicopter for savage attacks

If you’re going on the defence, then the attack helicopter is just that, savage. It will tear apart your enemies in missions and doubles up as protection when you’re sitting in your swanky high rise offices, ruling the world. In at over 2 million, the helicopter is a great investment and will come in very handy during missions.

Special Carbine, a boring yet bold purchase

Surprisingly affordable, this is our favourite all-rounder weapon and a particular go to for us when things get a bit sticky. It’s just a pretty standard assault rifle, but it feels right and we think everyone should own one of these bad boys, it’s accurate and versatile and although it doesn’t look ‘fancy’, you’ve already got the super yacht to fire it from.

That’s the five top purchases from us, what are you planning on getting with your Shark Card for GTA Online?

H1Z1: 7 Ways To Become King Of The Kill

H1Z1: King of the Kill is the large-scale multiplayer, free-for-all, fight till your last breath and then proceed to feel bitter with revenge title from Daybreak Games. Players are ranking up hours of grudges on the popular survival game, so if the Ghost Recon Wildlands Bolivian climate wasn’t hardcore enough for you, then step up to claim King of the Kill and here’s 7 ways to get you there, for the not so patient winners, because #DyingIsForLosers.

King of just stand still

Take a moment, aim and then shoot and go for the headshots… save that sweet sweet ammo.

King of pass me the bill

Wrecking stuff is fun and effective, go for the cars for those cheeky multi-kills.

King of I really need to heal

First Aid Kits are easy to craft, running away from poisonous gas isn’t.

King of the steal

We don’t condone this behaviour.

King of negotiations mean nil

Not even your closest pals…

King of the…hill

They make this look like fun, but don’t you want to win?

King of you know the drill

But also, remember to have fun and do silly things like this, so we can use them for gifs, thanks.

Street Fighter V: The Best Ways To Earn Fight Money

One of the most appealing things about Street Fighter V is the fact you don’t have to pay extra to unlock new characters. Well we say you don’t have to, you can just skip the grind and pump your whole pay check into the game if you like, there is nothing stopping you.

The best way to unlock characters in Street Fighter V (without having to fork out) is by earning fight money, an in game currency that can be spent in order to unlock characters, stages and some of the vast array of costumes. Here is a quick break down of how much things cost fight money (FM) wise:

New Characters – 100,000 FM
New Stages – 70,000 FM
Story Mode Costumes: 40,000 FM
Stage Variations: 40,000 FM
Costume Colours: Prices vary from 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000 FM
Profile Titles: 5,000 FM
Profile Designs: 5,000 FM

So how do you earn Street Fighter V’s answer to golden doubloons? Check out our tips below.

Warning: Accumulating fight money is not easy and may take some grinding, but if you are prepared to put the hours in then read on!

Demonstrations

Possibly the easiest way to accumulate a few thousand FM, Demonstrations are found in the’Challenges’ menu. All you need to do view each of the characters Demonstrations to accumulate some quick cash. The cool thing is that you can skip the the videos (whilst watching them) and still reap the rewards. You’ll be making 1,000 FM for each character segment you complete so by the end of it you will have quite the bank balance. Also demonstrations drop with each new fighter as well so make sure you keep on top of it.

Character Levels

Each character in Street Fighter V has their own level, and experience points can be earned for each character in Story Mode and online ranked and casual modes. In classic video game fashion, as you earn experience points your character levels up. Each level up will award you 1,000 FM so we suggest playing as your favourite character until your hearts content.

Hot tip: It is pretty easy getting any character from Level 0 to 6/7. Playing a character story mode plus a few online matches should rack up the XP and get you to level 6 or 7 in no time.

Story Modes

Next to the Demonstrations, this is probably the easiest way to earn that sweet sweet FM. There are 2 story modes that players can play through to net some bucks.

Character Stories – Each character in Street Fighter V (including all new characters) has a story mode for players to fight though. Even though each characters story will only consist of a couple of fights players can get 10,000 FM for each character on the first play through. So even playing character story mode on the easiest level with each character will net you 160,000 FM off of the bat. You will also get XP for each character which will help with your levels.

Cinematic Story – The cinematic story mode is pretty cut-scene heavy, but like most cut-scenes in Street Fighter V these can be skipped. Once the story is complete you will get a hefty 30,000 FM on your first play through.

Character Trials

Each character has 10 trials to complete. Completing all 10 trials will earn you 1,000 FM, and is another great way to also earn you some character XP as well.

Survival Mode

Possibly the most challenging task on our list, survival mode is Street Fighter V’s answer to the traditional arcade ladder. There are four difficulty modes within Survival for players to choose from and it can be quite a bit of a grind (especially at the harder levels). You are however able to accumulate quite a bit of FM and XP from this mode, especially on your first completion of each level. Here is a break down of each level, how many fights it consists of and how much FM you will get on completion:

Easy – 10 Fights – 2,000 FM
Medium – 30 Fights – 5,000 FM
Hard – 50 Fights – 10,000 FM
Extreme – 100 Fights – 20,000 FM

On top of FM and XP, players are also able to unlock costume colours (that are not purchasable) for character costumes.

Online

Once you have rinsed all of the single player modes to either an inch of their lives or an inch of your sanity, we suggest jumping into online play. This is probably the least effective and not the best way of getting the big bucks as you only get 50FM for each match you win. But hey, at least it’s something to do to mix things up a bit.

That’s it from our handy Street Fighter V fight money guide, if there are some tricks we have missed then feel free to let us know in the comments below.

Did PT Influence Resident Evil 7

5 Reasons Why We Love Yooka-Laylee

The reviews for Yooka-Laylee went out on Tuesday and they have been a mixed bag! It seems that there’s a love hate relationship going on with Yooka-Laylee and the games industry at the moment. We of course have been playing Yooka-Laylee in the background and have simply fallen in love with the game! Everyone in the office has also lost count at how many times I have stated that I backed the game on Kickstarter (to the point where people are considering getting me a shock collar).

So without further ado here are the 5 reasons we love Yooka-Laylee so far!

It’s a Love Letter To The Old School 3D Platformer

When most people talk about Yooka-Laylee one of the things that is bound to come up is that the game harks back to old school 3D platformers If like me you grew up in the N64/PS1 era surrounded by games such as Banjo-Kazooie, Mario 64, and Spyro The Dragon then this game is going to appeal. A lot of criticism surrounding Yooka-Laylee stems from the fact it is stuck in that era. Yooka-Laylee never advertised itself as the next massive evolution gaming, it always stated that it was a revival of the original 3D platformer, and that is exactly what it is.

Yooka and Laylee

How can you not love the two main characters. Both Yooka and Laylee have that cute cartoon charm which is very hard not to fall in love with. Laylee the bat turns the sass up to eleven and breaks the 4th wall every now and again with some jokes, whilst Yooka is the more level headed character. It’s the perfect yin-yang situation andthe characters play off of each other perfectly. Yooka and Laylee both echo Banjo and Kazooie quite a lot but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s not just the dynamic duo that steal the show either, all the characters in the game bring some great charm and their own personality to the game.

The Variety Of Gameplay

On the surface, Yooka-Laylee looks like one of those 3D platformers where you complete jump puzzle after jump puzzle in order to reach the main goal and win. True, there is a lot of jumping and I have come to realise that gravity is my worst enemy in this game. However, the game also throws in some different gameplay elements to shake things up a bit, such as mine carting, shooting and even the ability to morph into different creatures and objects in order to complete puzzles. Playtonic have really thought about how they can shake things up a bit whilst staying true to original 3D platformers.

Collectables, Collectables, Collectables

Much like any 3D platformers from a few generations back, Yooka-Laylee is rammed full of collectables. The developers then thought it would be a good idea to throw in some more collectables and then top it off with even more collectables. Players are tasked with nabbing quills, collecting pagies and hunting ghost writers. So there is plenty of collectibles to keep any completionist busy.

Expandable Worlds

One of the things we weren’t expecting from Yooka-Laylee (besides turning into a snow plough at one point during the game) is that each world is expandable! If players collect enough pagies, they can expand the worlds in order to grab more collectables and unlock more things to do. It’s a pretty simple mechanic but it works well and gives players a lot more to explore. I did feel quite motivated to grab those difficult pagies in order to uncover what other delights each world had.

That is the 5 things we love most about Yooka-Laylee, feel free to let us know what you love about the game when it hits next week!

Rezzed 2017 Round Up

Last week Alex M and I (Rob) hit the Rezzed show floor to play and talk about games. You may have come across some of our Rezzed articles on this here blog over the past week. We are now rounding off our Rezzed coverage with this final article highlighting the other games we played on the show floor!

Gang Beasts

If you don’t know what Gang Beasts is, imagine someone making jelly babies fight while you cackle and roll around laughing. That’s basically it.

It’s come a long way since the free version that got downloaded a tonne of times a few years ago, it’s well on its way to becoming a platform by itself. I spoke to James Brown from developers Boneloaf and he mentioned that this was the eventual plan for the game, for it not only to be a hilarious multiplayer brawler, but also a platform for mods, for sandbox exploration levels, for much more than it currently is!

One of the most exciting features it has is that you can combine 8 players in order to play together, up to 4 can be in the same room, and the rest can be online. Or you can have 2 in one room and 6 online. Or 3 in a room and 5 online. Go crazy! It means you can have that sweet local gaming action combined with your friends that aren’t quite so close.

The core of the game hasn’t changed too much though, it’s a procedurally animated brawler that simply offers some of the most fun you can have. James let me know that there was a simple test for them when showing it at conventions; if you can hear laughter, you know you’re doing it right.

8 Bit Armies

Command and Conquer is undeniably a classic. If you don’t think so then well, scroll on. We don’t want you here in this retro-C&C-loving section.

Right now the losers have scrolled on, let’s talk strategy.

8 Bit Armies is a beautiful game that definitely recaptures some of that old-school C&C action. Build your base, gather resources, and recruit an army to go and give your opponent a good old fashioned thrashing.

The 8 Bit side of it comes from the art style, it uses a blocky approach but one that maintains a whole load of detail. It really feels like you’re bashing around armies made of LEGO, except LEGO that moves and kills other LEGO.

The best thing though, and this is a bit boring but it’s true, is the control scheme. You build your units by assigning them to controller buttons, which you can then switch between on the fly. Real time strategy games always feel better with a mouse, until now. This really feels good to control, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for 8 Bit Armies.

Knights and Bikes

A hark back to to most (if not all) people’s childhoods. Knights and Bikes is a co-op adventure set in Cornwall where players control of Nessa and Demelza as they explore the isle of Penfurzy and let their childhood imaginations come to life (literally).

We had great fun playing this game, the hand painted graphics are wonderful. Foam Sword have really taken the time over the finer details of the game. For example, you know how kids find value in anything? Whether it be a random toy, or an item that most grownups will see as junk. This is what makes up the currency in Knights and Bikes.

The gameplay is pretty straightforward but works really well with the setting. Players are able to combine moves with their partner in order to make super moves, for example Nessa can throw water bombs and Demelza is able to jump in the puddles they leave in order to make a big splash attack. It’s a great game mechanic which levels the playing field for both characters.

All in all we had a great time playing Knights and Bike and we are looking forward to the full release of the game next year for PC and PlayStation 4.

King Under The Mountain

I want to play Dwarf Fortress, I really do. I read the stories that come out of it and I think, that could be me, that could be my dwarves.

Then I look up a ‘beginner’s how to play’ manual and it’s 8371 pages long.

King Under the Mountain, which has recently started a Kickstarter campaign, feels very Dwarf-Fortress-y, but I was able to sit down and play it within moments. There’s not much to it yet, you can mine and dig out tunnels, you can construct some basic furniture items, and you can define zones that will become areas for your buildings, a bit similar to how Sim City or Cities: Skylines works.

That said, you can just feel the promise of this. The world’s surely crying out for a game like Dwarf Fortress that’s also a bit easier to get into, but still has some comparable depth. The art style is basic but beautiful, and I had a great time turning my villages into tunnel-dwelling-troglodytes. Shun the sun say I, shun the sun!

One of the pleasures of things like Rezzed is getting to see games like this, games that are just starting out on their journey to becoming realised and finished things, and I’m definitely excited to see what comes out of King Under the Mountain next.

MetaMorph: Dungeon Creatures

Have you ever wanted a game like Diablo where you could switch up to three characters on the fly? Then MetaMorph: Dungeon Creatures is the game for you!

This new title by FireFly Studios (Of Stronghold fame) is a nice break from their strategy game comfort zone. Players take control of three different characters as they explore dungeons and hack their way to the final goal. We got to play as the Ice Ogre, the Fire Nymph and the Rabbit (The Rabbit wields 2 swords so he is useful, honest!) as we battled our way through hordes of the undead and tackled some puzzles and time trials.

Each character has their own special moves which comes in handy should you want to mix things up a bit. It was especially handy when it came to the dungeon’s boss. Using a mix of fire, ice and swords really helped taking this boss down. Also we died against the boss a fair few times, but even that didn’t stop us.

So that’s it for a Rezzed coverage this year. Bring on EGX in September!