Gamescom 2014 Recap

This week in Germany, one of the largest gaming shows in the world took place. Gamescom is quickly rivaling E3 to become the most popular gaming show in the world. So, as expected, there was a LOT of news articles swarming the internet. I decided it would be a good idea just to give you some of my thoughts on a few of the biggest stories to come out of Gamescom.


Rise of the Tomb Raider is a timed Xbox exclusive: This was probably the biggest news out of Gamescom, and certainly the one that got the internet into a frenzy. And rightfully so, at least at first. Microsoft and Square Enix announced that Tomb Raider's sequel, Rise of the Tomb Raider, will launch holiday 2015 as an Xbox exclusive. I absolutely thought it was a stupid move by Square Enix. Why would you put the sequel to a multiplatform game on only one platform? Other than that being unfair to consumers, it also doesn't make sense on the business side, weren't you already disappointed with the sales of Tomb Raider? So why does it make perfect sense to narrow it down even further on the platform that is getting crushed by the competition in terms of sales? Fortunately, Xbox head Phil Spencer clarified that the game is a timed exclusive, so more than likely we will see Lara Croft's next adventure on PS4 and PC in 2016. However, I still think it's a bad move on Square Enix's part (I'm not giving Microsoft any fault for this, they're trying to make more money just like Sony and Nintendo) by agreeing to this. They're essentially saying two thirds of our franchise's fanbase will have to wait for an unknown amount of time for the game to come to their platform. And even then, what makes you think it's going to sell as well as it would if it came out with the Xbox version?


PlayStation 4 has sold 10 million units worldwide: During their Gamescom press conference, Sony announced that the PlayStation 4 has already reached the ten million units sold mark (sold, not shipped) in only nine months on the market, making it the fastest selling console to reach that mark of all time, even surpassing the Wii. And they said console gaming was dead. It's amazing just how popular this console is right now and how well the gaming industry is doing. Yes we could spend this paragraph talking about how PS4 is five million units ahead of the competition now, but that would be fanboyish and inappropriate for this milestone. Instead, let's be thankful that gaming consoles are still very much alive and well, and your iPhone isn't going to surpass them for quite a long time it seems.


Silent Hills announced in the form of a playable teaser: Sony also showed off a trailer for a mysterious horror game named PT, and it was made available on the PlayStation Store almost immediately. I played PT, and it was without a doubt one of the scariest "games" (although it's more of a 20 minute demo) that I have ever played. Upon completing PT, it is revealed that the game is a teaser for a new Silent Hill game, titled Silent Hills. Hideo Kojima is directing the project, Guillermo del Toro is collaborating with Kojima, and it will star Norman Reedus. Details are scarce at the moment, but one thing's for sure, this is sure to make you wet your pants. The demo wasn't filled with cheap jump scares, but it has impressive tension that is constantly building. And then when the jump scares finally did come, they were more effective than they would in most horror games. The game isn't expected to be released until at least 2016, since Kojima Productions is heavily focused on finishing Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. We also don't know if the game is a PS4 exclusive or not, but I'm willing to bet it won't be available on PS3/360. Personally, I don't know if I will get it, since I don't really like horror games, but I promise horror fans this is one you probably aren't going to want to miss.


PS4 Firmware 2.00 Announced, introduces SharePlay: Sony had one more little goodie up their sleeve. Sony announced PS4 firmware update 2.00, which includes stability improvements, YouTube integration, and more, but also revealed SharePlay. The PlayStation Blog states: "The best way to think about Share Play is like a “virtual couch”. PlayStation 4 will create an online local co-op experience by allowing you to invite a friend to join your game—even when they don’t own a copy of it. With this first-of-its-kind feature, you’ll be able to play games with a friend just as if you were together in the same room". So imagine passing the controller to a friend to take turns playing GTA or something, or playing a sports game like Madden. This is an incredible feature that is a bit reminiscent of Xbox One's planned Family Share feature which was removed as a part of the big DRM reversal. Yes you can only do it for sixty minutes before you have to restart the session. But still, this is an incredible feature and I look forward to seeing it in action. PS4 Firmware 2.00 will be available this Fall.


Metal Gear Solid V is coming to PC: At last, the news PC gamers have been waiting for. No it's not Half-Life 3. But it's still pretty awesome. Metal Gear Solid V, which includes Ground Zeroes and the upcoming The Phantom Pain, will be coming to PC soon. My excitement for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain only keeps building by the day, and I'm glad more people can now get in on the official Kojima hype train too. Hideo Kojima just had an awesome week at Gamescom, first with the Metal Gear Online for The Phantom Pain reveal, then with the Silent Hills announcement, and now with this awesome news that Metal Gear Solid V is coming to the PC. Personally I will be playing this on PS4, but I hope PC players enjoy it just as much as I hope to do also. And I'm really looking forward to seeing what this game looks like running on Ultra graphics. We don't know the release date(s) for Metal Gear Solid V on PC, but expect Ground Zeroes to be released first, hopefully at a more reasonable price.


I know I missed a lot of news stories but this is just a few of the biggest. I hope you enjoyed it. And, as always, thanks for visiting 8-Bit Ape.

Five Games to Keep Your Eye On This Fall

The fall is to video games what summer is to Hollywood Blockbusters. It's when they boom and get the most money. And with us being only a few months away from Christmas, everyone starts to release games like crazy. This year, while maybe not as exciting as last year's next-generation launch, is still nonetheless sure to make your wallet cry out in horror. And here are five games that will prove that. Note: All pre-order links will send you to Amazon.


Assassin's Creed Rogue (November 11 for PS3 and 360): Rogue is the reason you may find me playing a lot more on my PS3 this fall. Rogue is the sequel to the fantastic Assassin's Creed IV, and unlike its next-gen counterpart Unity, Rogue excites me because of its emphasis on the great naval mechanic and for the first time allows you to play as a Templar. It also features a wide open world, and to be honest all this sounds consistent with the exciting changes introduced in Assassin's Creed IV, and seems to offer more replay ability than Unity. It's definitely something to keep your eye on.
Click here to pre-order Assassin's Creed Rogue.


Destiny (September 9 for PS3, PS4, 360, and XBO) If you haven't heard it by now, I'm really excited for Destiny. From the creators of Halo, Destiny is an exciting online FPS game that features an intriguing universe and exciting gameplay. As I've said before, I wasn't really all that excited for Destiny, but when I played it I fell in love. From playing the Alpha and the Beta I've already put 20 hours into the game before its release and I'm begging for more. It's already been giving my current Game of the Year: Infamous Second Son, a run for its money. Bungie has something special in store with Destiny, I just hope it lives up to the ever-building hype surrounding it.
Click here to pre-order Destiny.


Dragon Age: Inquisition (November 18 for PS3, PS4, 360, and XBO) I will admit, I have never played a Dragon Age game before. Sure it's from BioWare, the guys who brought us Knights of the Old Republic and the Mass Effect trilogy, but nothing really seemed to interest me about these games. However, they've completely changed that it seems with Inquisition. It offers a much more non-linear experience coupled with deep customization and a much improved storyline. Not to mention it has some absolutely stunning visuals, and pretty sweet dragon fights. I hope this game delivers, because if it does, you won't be seeing me for a while.
Click here to pre-order Dragon Age: Inquisition.


Far Cry 4 (November 18 for PS3, PS4, 360, XBO)  I haven't spent a huge amount of time with the Far Cry franchise, but I've played enough to know that it is one of Ubisoft's best franchises. And they must know that too, because they're making sure we are pumped for Far Cry 4. The latest installment promises to give us everything we like about Far Cry 3; exciting gunplay, great villain, various modes of transportation, and great co-op. I'm really looking forward to this one, I just hope they added enough stuff to make this one a worthy sequel to its award winning predecessor, Far Cry 3.
Click here to pre-order Far Cry 4.


Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (September 30 for PS3, PS4, 360, XBO, and October 2 for PC) The game that has been called The Lord of the Rings meets Assassin's Creed gameplay, Shadow of Mordor is very promising. At first I was a bit skeptical, but once I saw some gameplay, I got excited. Finally an open-world Lord of the Rings game that seems to get it right! And even though this seems to be the first big AAA release from Monolith Productions (at least I believe it is, their recent work includes Gotham City Imposters and Guardians of Middle-earth) they seem to know what they're doing from promos. Oh and the lead writer and lead designer on the legendary Red Dead Redemption is writing the story, so yeah, I'm excited.
Click here to pre-order Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.


Honorable Mentions:


Alien Isolation (pre-order)


Assassin's Creed Unity (pre-order)


Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (pre-order)


DriveClub (pre-order)


Grand Theft Auto V (pre-order)


Halo: The Master Chief Collection (pre-order)


LittleBigPlanet 3 (pre-order)


Sunset Overdrive (pre-order)


Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (pre-order)


The Crew (pre-order)


What are you looking forward to this fall? Are you excited? Or are you just waiting for the ridiculous amount of games coming out in 2015? Let me know! And, as always, thanks for visiting 8-Bit Ape.


















 

Do we really need all these remasters?

About a week ago, The Last of Us re-released on PS4 in the form of The Last of Us Remastered. Just like the original PS3 release 14 months ago, the PS4 version has received universal acclaim from critics. But there has been a state of concern from many gamers. We have been getting a lot of remasters lately, most notably with Tomb Raider Definitive Edition and now The Last of Us Remastered. And there are more remasters to come, with games like:


Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition (PS4, XB1)
Metro Redux (PS4, XB1, PC)
Halo: The Master Chief Collection (XB1)
Payday 2: Crimewave Edition (PS4, XB1)
Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, XB1, PC)
Ratchet and Clank (PS4)
Resident Evil HD Remaster (PS3, PS4, 360, XB1, PC)
Journey (PS4)
The Unfinished Swan (PS4)
The Walking Dead: Seasons 1 and 2 (PS4, XB1)


And I'm sure there's more I missed, and it's also likely the Uncharted and Gears of War trilogies will get remasters according to recent rumors. So what's up with these remasters? Why is the majority of the next several months filled with re-releases of old games? Should we be concerned?


The discussion on remasters is nothing new. It's been around for ages. Remasters really took off in the last few years of the PS3/360 generation. Some of these include The Sly Collection, God of War Saga, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, just to name a few. The majority of these games (save for God of War III in the God of War Saga) originally released on PS2/Xbox and handheld devices years earlier. Many of these collections earned significant praise and sold very well. The arrival of the next-gen consoles continued the trend, and many are fearful of this trend continuing. So is it something we should embrace, or protest against? Well, as with all discussions, there are pros and cons to this topic. Let's start with the pros.


Well for starters, it gives these companies a chance to work on the new hardware and get more familiar with the architecture. Crystal Dynamics stated that the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition let them get comfortable with the hardware before heading into Rise of the Tomb Raider. I'm sure Naughty Dog, 343, Rockstar, and the rest of these developers will say the same thing. Everyone's going to have a difficulty mastering the hardware, so why not the first game be a re-release of an old game before giving us a brand new game? And another pro, at least for The Walking Dead, is that now you can carry over saves from seasons 1 and 2 into the upcoming season 3 on next-gen. Another pro is that most of these remasters come with substantial content. Diablo III contains the Reaper of Souls expansion with the original game, Metro Redux contains Metro 2033 and Metro First Light, The Master Chief Collection contains Halo 1, 2, 3, and 4 including multiplayer maps and a Halo 5 beta key, Tomb Raider contains the original game and all DLC, and The Last of Us Remastered contains the Left Behind single player expansion and all multiplayer DLC. On top of all that, every game gets enhanced graphics, textures, and frame rate. Halo 2's cutscenes in particular look absolutely stunning. And, in cases of games like The Last of Us Remastered, people might not have played the PS3 version because they owned a 360. This gives them a chance to play it. And you don't need to restart your save from all games either, for example you can continue your Grand Theft Auto Online character on next gen regardless of what console you owned before.


So yeah, there's pros to it, but also there are some cons. Speaking of Grand Theft Auto V, it's virtually the exact same content on the PS3 version minus the technical differences. Since there's no expansion packs available, you will have to pay for the upcoming story expansions just like everyone else. And because of that, expect a GTA 5 Ultimate Edition to be released next year when all DLC is out. There's also been a lack of trade-in deals. The Last of Us and Tomb Raider did not have official discounts if you traded in your last gen copy, it was up to the retailers if they wanted to offer a deal. And these remasters are $50/$60, so you'll be forking over a lot of cash for one game. The success of these remasters also open up the door for more, I swear within the next year we will get Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed remasters. Hopefully developers and publishers don't get too carried away with this.


So in conclusion, yes there are more pros than cons to remasters. No that does not mean every remaster has insane value in them. Many remasters that are coming out just have prettier graphics, and that's what I'd avoid. If you're going to sell a remaster, make sure it has value in it. Don't make it a $60 graphic enhancement. That's all I have to say about this topic. What are your thoughts on remasters? Let me know!
And, as always, thanks for visiting 8-Bit Ape.