http://playertheory.com/article en jeff@playertheory.com Copyright 2018 2018-06-11T23:57:35+00:00 //playertheory.com/articles/e3-2018-death-stranding-trailer-offers-glimpse-of-gameplay-and-lore //playertheory.com/articles/e3-2018-death-stranding-trailer-offers-glimpse-of-gameplay-and-lore#When:09:42:38Z rP3UngLFou4
What we can gather from the start of this trailer, Sam the main character (portrayed by Norman Reedus) appears to be some kind of deliveryman - bringing loads of packages across vast empty space of wilderness. The environment itself looks pristine and beautiful, though as you watch the trailer, one doesn't exactly envy Sam's job. There are plenty of dangers in that epic, untouched wilderness.
The primary danger appears to be something called "timefall." Timefall appears to be something in the rain, which causes things caught in it to age quickly (as seen in this trailer for the game) and it also seems to the invisible creature-entity leaving behind huge handprints as it hunts things down. The woman in this latest trailer said that they "fast forward in time whatever they touch," which doesn't seem like a great way to go.
The Timefall entities seem to appear as both the crawling, hand-print variety and a kind that seems to hang in the air via some sort of cord (an umbilical cord, perhaps?). The latter type can only be seen by the flashing light device that Sam has over his shoulder, which seems to be triggered by proximity to these entities. These types may also be part of massive creatures that are seen in the trailer linked above.
We are also introduced to the term "voidout." A voidout seems to occur when people are eaten by the Timefall entities, which causes a massive explosion. It is unclear if everyone causes a voidout when eaten or if it's just certain people. What we do know is that if Sam gets "voided out," he will be brought back to life.
"Death Stranding" does not have a release date yet, and is currently being developed for the Playstation 4.
]]> 2018-06-12T09:42:38+00:00 //playertheory.com/articles/e3-2018-the-last-of-us-part-ii-shows-off-some-gameplay //playertheory.com/articles/e3-2018-the-last-of-us-part-ii-shows-off-some-gameplay#When:03:36:35Z gameplay trailer below:
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What starts off as a pretty fun night of dancing turns into a brutal fight for survival and I have to say, the transition from cinematic trailer to actual gameplay was seamless. Right away, we are reintroduced into the stealth mechanics that we learned from the first "Last of Us" game - using cover and long grass to evade enemies and being very wary of sound. Early into the gameplay, we get another look at a group of raiders that look to be one of the main antagonists of this title and perhaps of some kind of cult that rose out of the ashes of the cordycep apocalypse.
Stealth mechanics quickly fail Ellie as she is seen and quickly outnumbered, and the game wastes no time in reminding us of how brutal, ruthless and frantic combat can be in this series. Weapons are just scraps of metal. There's never enough ammo. And you constantly have to improvise and work with any advantage you can find.
An example of "The Last of Us"'s improvised combat is right in this gameplay trailer, when a fleeing Ellie grabs a glass bottle and chucks it into the eyes of one of her pursuers. She then uses that stunning attack to grab the enemy to use as a human shield - protecting her from an arrow that otherwise would've killed her.
In the climax of the video, we are show some of the crafting mechanics that are coming with "The Last of Us II" when Ellie uses a moment of stealth to craft an explosive arrow to take out a couple of enemies that were stalking her in a store.
It's worth noting that we haven't see any Joel (the protagonist from the original "The Last of Us") and only the slightest glimpse of the cordycep infection in a trailer from last year. It will be interesting to know how these factors come into play for "The Last of Us Part II"
As it seems to be the trend with all the anticipated games at this year's E3, "The Last of Us Part II" currently does not have a release date and, based on changes being made at Naughty Dog, it doesn't look like we'll have hands on this title until 2019 at the earliest.
The song playing during the dance in the trailer is "Crooked Still" by Little Sadie.
]]> 2018-06-12T03:36:35+00:00 //playertheory.com/articles/e3-2018-cinematic-trailer-for-beyond-good-and-evil-2-revealed //playertheory.com/articles/e3-2018-cinematic-trailer-for-beyond-good-and-evil-2-revealed#When:23:57:35Z cinematic trailers of E3 2017 and it looks like they're trying for that achievement again this year. Today, Ubisoft gave us another summer blockbuster-grade trailer for their upcoming title.
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System 3 has become the center of interstellar trade and colonization in the Milky Way of the 24th century, thanks to the creation of Hybrid slaves. While private enterprises fight over resources and power, the first colonists weave together the rich and diverse spiritual and cultural heritages of Old Earth to give meaning to their existence.

In this new era of piracy, we will rise from lowly pirate to legendary captain at the helm of massive star-faring vessels, adventuring alongside crews of colorful characters to fight for freedom and the right to determine our own fate among the stars!

Ubisoft's Game Description
Jade's appearance at the end of the trailer, even a young Jade, is a bit of a surprise as, according to developers, "Beyond Good and Evil 2" is a prequel. It's especially confusing as Pey'j (the pig-cook) seems to recognize her, even though it's not clear if their relationship has formed yet. Well, the developers of the game talk about these factors in this video here, and they all basically say the same thing: "You'll have to play the game and find out."
It seems likely that this prequel is going to dive into Jade's dark past when she was possessed by the DomZ entity known as Shauni. According to the devs, there are legends shaping her as a ruthless pirate hunter, which in the context of having to play as space pirates, isn't great new for the players. In this open-galaxy title, Jade looks to be an apparent antagonist to the crew that the player will be commanding (though maybe not the main antagonist).
"Beyond Good and Evil 2" does not have a release date yet.
]]> 2018-06-11T23:57:35+00:00 //playertheory.com/articles/e3-2018-the-elder-scrolls-vi-officially-announced //playertheory.com/articles/e3-2018-the-elder-scrolls-vi-officially-announced#When:15:04:56Z "Skyrim" being ported to the Alexa or some other nonsense like that. That's all the news we seemed to get from Bethesda on the "Elder Scrolls" front for the last few years - "Skyrim" ports. Well, yesterday, they took everyone by surprise with this 36-second trailer.
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There have been rumors circulating for a while about this highly-anticipated title, but nothing concrete that said Bethesda was even considering a new chapter in the "Elder Scrolls" series. With this trailer, however, it is confirmed that Bethesda has another one in the works. Unfortunately, the trailer offers very little in terms of information about the game besides that it will (a) have beautiful sweeping landscapes, (b) have that epic music we all associate with "Elder Scrolls" and (c) likely have "Elder Scrolls VI" somewhere in the title.
No release date has been issued for this game, but at Bethesda's conference, it was mentioned that we wouldn't be seeing the game until after the release of "Starfield," an original sci-fi game that Bethesda is currently developing (and also without a release date).
]]> 2018-06-11T15:04:56+00:00 //playertheory.com/articles/e3-2018-cyberpunk-2077-cinematic-trailer-revealed //playertheory.com/articles/e3-2018-cyberpunk-2077-cinematic-trailer-revealed#When:00:21:50Z 8X2kIfS6fb8
Jumping to the game's website here, CD Projekt Red provides us a bit more direct information:
Night City, California. Year 2077.

The world is broken. MegaCorps manage every aspect of life from the top floors of their sky-scraping fortresses. Down below, the streets are run by drug pushing gangs, tech hustlers, and illegal braindance slingers. The in-between is where decadence, sex and pop culture mix with violent crime, extreme poverty and the unattainable promise of the American Dream.

You are V, a cyberpunk. In a world of cyberenhanced street warriors, tech-savvy netrunners and corporate life-hackers, today is your first step to becoming an urban legend.
It's probably safe to assume that the voice we were hearing in the trailer was that of "V," the apparent protagonist and while we aren't given a specific enemy yet, one would think it has something to do with the mentioned menacing mega-corporations.
Did you catch the secret message during the start of the E3 reveal of the game? Take a look at this frame:
If the red-on-black text is difficult to read here is the text:
It's been over 2077 days since we announced our plan to develop Cyberpunk 2077. We released a CGI trailer, gave some interviews and... went dark. Normal procedure for these kinds of things - you announce a game and then shut up, roll up your sleeves, and go to work. We wanted to give you The Witcher 3 and both expansions first, which is why this period of staying silent was longer than we planned. Sorry for that.

As soon as we concluded work on Blood and Wine we were able to go full speed ahead with CP2077's pre-production. But we chose to remain silent. Why? At some point, we made a decision to resume talking about the game only when we have something to show. Something meaningful and substantial. This is because we do realise you've been (im)patiently waiting for a very long time, and we wouldn't want anyone to feel that we're taking this for granted. On the contrary - it gives us a lot of extra motivation. The hype is real, so the sweat and tears need to be real, too :).

But to the point. Today is the day. If you're seeing this, it means you saw the trailer - our vision of Cyberpunk, an alternative version of the future where America is in pieces, megacorporations control all aspects of civilised life, and gangs rule the rest. And, while this world is full of adrenaline, don't let the car chases and guns mislead you. Cyberpunk 2077 is a true single player, story-driven RPG. You'll be able to create your own character and..., well, you'll get to know the rest from what we show at our booth at E3. Be on the lookout for previews!

Before we finish, you probably have some questions, right?

When? When we told you we would only release the game when it's ready, we meant it. We're definitely much, much closer to a release date than we were back then :), but it's still not the time to confirm anything, so patience is still required. Quality is the only thing that drives us - it's the beauty of being an independent studio and your own publisher.

How big? Seriously big, but..., to be honest, we have no bloody clue at this point in time. Once we put it all together, we will openly tell you what you can expect. And we promise we'll do this before we start talking about any pre-orders or ask anything of you.

Free DLC/Expansions/DRM? Expect nothing less than you got with The Witcher 3. As for DRM, CP2077 will be 100% DRM-free on PC.

Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?

Once again, thank you for your patience. If you have a minute, do visit cyberpunk.net and share your opinion (about anything) with us. We read everything you post and we treat it very seriously.

Yours, CD PROJEKT RED Team
There were also a few "Witcher 3" CD-keys hidden in the frames, but those have already been redeemed.
So, no release date but it sounds like the game is well underway and we are super excited to see the finished project. If "The Witcher 3" was any indication, we are probably in for a treat. If you absolutely can not wait to give "Cyberpunk 2077" a try, you should check out the game it's based off of - a tabletop RPG called "Cyberpunk 2020."
Player Theory will be eagerly awaiting more news about this exciting new title.
]]> 2018-06-11T00:21:50+00:00 //playertheory.com/articles/lets-go-pikachu-and-pokemon-lets-go-eevee-revealed-for-the-nintendo-switch //playertheory.com/articles/lets-go-pikachu-and-pokemon-lets-go-eevee-revealed-for-the-nintendo-switch#When:16:12:25Z 9jRtpMKLsts
These two new titles are essentially the same game, one having the player start with the classic Pikachu and the other letting the player start with an Eevee. The game itself is essentially "Pokemon Yellow" (originally released in 1998) but with updated, modern graphics and some small changes to the game itself that you may remember from "Pokemon Sun/Moon."
One of the exciting things coming with "Lets Go, Pikachu/Eevee!" is the multiplayer aspect. If you get two Switches together, players will be able to jump into a game together to battle trainers cooperatively or help one another catch Pokemon.
Being that it's on the Switch, it's obvious that the game will make use of the console's motion control capabilities (flicking your wrist to throw Pokeballs, etc) but if one really wants to immerse themselves, they'll have the option to pick up the Pokeball Plus, an accessory shaped like a Pokeball that likes you 'toss' Pokeballs in game, transfer Pokemon to the Pokeball Plus to take them on walks (the ball will make sounds depending on which Pokemon is inside) and also use it to catch Pokemon in the "Pokemon Go" mobile game (much like the Pokémon GO Plus).
Oh yes, these new titles do have "Pokemon Go" integration. Players of the game will be able to transfer Kanto Pokemon back and forth from your mobile device to the game on the Switch, giving "Pokemon Go" players the closest thing they currently have to trading with other players. It is also hinted at in the trailer that players that have "Let's Go, Pikachu/Eevee!" will be able to transfer a special, mystery Pokemon to their "Pokemon Go" games.
Players will also be able to dress their starter Pokemon up in various costumes. For an example take a look below at this Eevee in his ridiculous Safari outfit:
Truly wonderful.
"Let's Go, Pikachu/Eevee!" is currently set for release on November 16th of this year.
]]> 2018-05-30T16:12:25+00:00 //playertheory.com/articles/fallout-76-announced-ahead-of-e3 //playertheory.com/articles/fallout-76-announced-ahead-of-e3#When:15:40:31Z brief tease yesterday on Twitter, Bethesda has surprised it's fan with the reveal of the next game in the Fallout universe - "Fallout 76." Check out the trailer below:
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Only three years since the release of "Fallout 4," when the teasing tweet first went out, many people assumed we were getting a remastered "Fallout 3" (just in the time for the 10 year anniversary of the game). "Fallout 76" was quite a reveal. The trailer is mostly cinematic and doesn't give us a lot of information besides that the players will likely start in Vault 76 and based on the song playing in the background (John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads"), the game itself will likely be set in West Virginia.
Really, the reveal of a new game shouldn't be all that surprising. The gap between "Fallout 3" and the popular "Fallout: New Vegas" was only two years, and it's coming on three years since the release of "Fallout 4." While some concern over a rushed game may be warranted, especially after all the mixed reviews that "Fallout 4" suffered from, one should hold out hope that the developers have learned from the past and will be providing it's fanbase with a game like the one we loved in "New Vegas" but powered by updated system from "Fallout 4."
There is no release date yet for "Fallout 76," but if you check out the Fallout website, it seems to indicate that we'll learn more about the game (and possibly get a date) during the E3 Bethesda panel on June 10th.
]]> 2018-05-30T15:40:31+00:00 //playertheory.com/articles/blizzard-opens-store-for-player-maps-in-starcraft-2 //playertheory.com/articles/blizzard-opens-store-for-player-maps-in-starcraft-2#When:18:05:44Z when the update launches, players only have two options available to them:

• Ark Star", a turn-based RPG that follows an elite team of templars to find a weapon known as ... the ARK Star (go figure)


• Direct Strike, originally developed under the name "Desert Strike HotS," a tug-of-war in which players send waves of enemies to the opposing team

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To access the maps when 4.3.0 launches, navigate to the "Custom > New Premium Maps" menu. Players who have purchased "Desert Strike" in the past can download "Direct Strike" free, because they have already paid for the map. Both maps run for $5 and are English-only. More maps are forthcoming.
]]> 2018-04-24T18:05:44+00:00 //playertheory.com/articles/maplestory-2-closed-beta-arrives-may-9 //playertheory.com/articles/maplestory-2-closed-beta-arrives-may-9#When:18:15:58Z The original "MapleStory" is a side scrolling MMORPG, currently free-to-play, originally released in South Korea and Japan in 2003. It released for other regions much later including 2005 for North America and 2007 for Europe. Players explore Maple World to vanquish increasingly difficult monsters and to keep the Black Mage at bay.
The sequel utilizes the same aesthetic style - side-scrolling, bright colors, and cartoon-like characters (except now in 3D!).
Developer Nexon is hosting a closed beta for "MapleStory 2" beginning May 9 for Windows only. Additionally, players who participate in their social media campaign can receive additional prizes including guaranteed access to the closed beta.
]]> 2018-04-18T18:15:58+00:00 //playertheory.com/articles/gygax-trust-to-develop-gary-gygaxs-unpublished-games //playertheory.com/articles/gygax-trust-to-develop-gary-gygaxs-unpublished-games#When:20:27:21Z The Gygax family trust partnered with crowdsourcing company Fig, which allows gaming developers to offer equity in the game for early investors in addition to standard tiered rewards like t-shirts, soundtracks, and art.
Alex Gygax, the younger of Gary's two sons, has been chosen as CEO to spearhead the work keeping close to the spirit of his late father's vision. However, Alex doesn't intend to keep the games to the original pen and paper medium - something Gary had considered himself.
I’ve always wanted to see them put out in the next level. Pen and paper is a dying art. Computer games, video games, they’re the next generation, the next wave of games and I’ve always wanted to see them on that new medium and I’ve always wanted to be working with someone who’s excited as I am about it ... There are a few lines that he created specifically with that in mind. So published or unpublished, there’s definitely the digital realm in mind with these lines. It’s something that has been talked about for a very long time, and I’m really excited to get this underway. Alex Gygax
Currently, the Gygax Trust is hosting an open call for developers to help create the unpublished games. Developers who are interested in helping the campaign can send their proposal to pitches@fig.co. A green-light committee of experienced developers will then review it. The green-light committee includes developers from Gearbox, Obsidian, Harmonix, and Double Fine.
]]> 2018-04-17T20:27:21+00:00