Tuesday, June 1, 2021

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For Honor is hitting Xbox Game Pass this week along with a few other additions

Posted: 01 Jun 2021 06:25 AM PDT

For Honor is a pretty big get

Xbox Game Pass is about to get a little more full this week.

On top of the recent additions that Microsoft unleashed in the past few weeks, June is getting a little spicier as soon as today. The Wild at Heart is actually coming out now on mobile cloud devices, with Backbone arriving on June 8 on PC and Darkest Dungeon is coming out on June 10 on mobile, consoles, and PC. Man it’s so annoying that I have to clarify where each game is coming and not just “Game Pass,” but maybe Microsoft can smooth that out one day. Right?

Oh and I almost forgot the big one! For Honor is hitting the service on both mobile and console on June 3. I mean, it’s entirely possible that you already own For Honor for free on PC because of one of several “giveaways.” But if you don’t, or are a console person, you can grab it on Xbox Game Pass and just hack and slash away.

Again, this is a fairly big get for Microsoft. For Honor is somewhat of a lifestyle game, with Ubisoft hosting all sorts of events for it and players coming in by the droves at any given time. It’s also gotten a decent amount of support, as well as quality of life patches and numerous gameplay upgrades over the years. It’s one of the several “turnaround success stories” the publisher has been enjoying in recent years. Imagine that, putting actual time and effort into development and having it pay off.

But going back to Game Pass, you can find the full list below!

Week of May 31: 

  • The Wild at Heart, June 1 (Cloud)
  • For Honor, June 3 (Cloud and Console)

Week of June 7:

  • Backbone, June 8 (PC)
  • Darkest Dungeon, June 10 (Cloud, Console and PC)

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343 Industries reminds people to sign up for ‘upcoming tests’

Posted: 01 Jun 2021 06:00 AM PDT

Hopefully Infinite is a part of 343’s plans

343 Industries had the gargantuan task of taking over Halo from Bungie. It was an unenviable position, and despite a few misses, they’ve done a pretty good job at becoming the new kid on the block. So much so that I don’t even consider them new, given that they’ve been around for roughly 14 years at this point. Just on one series! It’s an interesting cottage industry situation. To that end 343 has blossomed to roughly 750 employees, and is still cranking out Halo games every few years. Now Microsoft has lessened the scope of all of those spinoffs and the like, but still, we have Infinite coming up and the Master Chief Collection is still alive and well on multiple platforms; including Series X/S.

About that. So recently, 343 did a blog post of what’s been happening lately, and although it’s one of the rare few that didn’t contain a massive amount of info on Halo Infinite, it does tell us what to watch out for in the near future. Here’s the rub: “We rely on community participation to help test and flight content prior to release. This can range from MCC Seasons, features, and more. If you'd like to participate, signing up is easy. You can head over to the 343 Halo Insider Program page and register today!” Right now it’s clearly limited to Master Chief Collection (MCC) seasonal changes, but it would behoove you to sign up and be ready for a potential Infinite test rollout. A rollout, mind, that could happen as soon as E3. As a reminder, Microsoft (and Bethesda’s, weird!) conference is being held on June 12.

Does anyone else think Halo Infinite will get a November 2021 release date at E3? I mean it was almost ready to go for the launch of the new consoles!

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Genshin Impact’s June-bound update 1.6 will focus on a character from the Inazuma region

Posted: 01 Jun 2021 04:00 AM PDT

Update 1.6 is out on June 9

Genshin Impact update 1.6 just got a date! On June 9 the miHoYo team will be taking us for a ride through Inazuma, and will feature the “first playable character” from the region: Kazuha.

The trailer below showcases some of the things we can expect, including two summer outfits for Jean and Barbara, an addition event in the form of the Midsummer Island Adventure (which will be a seasonal, time-sensitive thing), the aforementioned new character, additional Inazuma concept art, and a new Archon Quest.

As usual the clip is vibrant and full of personality, with plenty of Klee footage. I mean, as soon as I played her far before the game blew up, I knew she was going to be a huge part of the marketing material. Paimon on the other hand? Go figure!

Near the end of the update 1.6 footage we get to see Kazuha, who thankfully will bring the game’s connection to Inazuma closer. He has his own set of skills, weapons, and ascension nuances to boot, like the other characters released so far. While the method in which these characters are tied to is unfortunate, they’re fully fledged. I really hope that one day we get a full-on “premium” version of the game without any need for microtransactions

My highlight of update 1.6 though? It’s easily Maguu Kenki, the “mysterious mechanical monster” that wakes up as a result of the new storyline. Described as a “subordinate of the Dodo-King,” this thing oozes personality and I can’t wait to smash it apart. Or blow it up…freeze it…shock it…and whatever else I can do in anime style and grace in Genshin Impact.

I was taking a break for a hot second, but with the recent release of the PS5 edition of the game (and now, update 1.6) I’m back in the saddle. It’s really easy to jump into every now and then, especially with the faster loads. Given how much you travel in this game, they’re a Godsend!

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Review: Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown

Posted: 01 Jun 2021 12:00 AM PDT

The Godfather of 3D fighters returns

Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown is the fourth iteration of the fifth mainline entry in Sega’s legendary 3D fighting franchise — the first release since 2010’s (now suspiciously titled) Final Showdown. The core aim of Ultimate Showdown is to reignite Virtua Fighter‘s admittedly niche competitive scene, offering players an alternate to FGC giants such as Tekken and Mortal Kombat 11. Mighty opponents indeed. Still, if any title has the pedigree to make such a comeback, it’ll be Sega’s iconic slugfest.

Carving out a prime spot in a crowded esports market is an unenviable task, particularly given the current global climate and the unpredictable nature of its eventual aftermath. Sega will be required to go all-out in its efforts to market and, crucially, to support Ultimate Showdown as a title worthy of a fresh turn in the premier league of competitive fighters.

While no-one would deny Virtua Fighter the mantle of one of the finest and most influential titles ever to hit the scene, Virtua Fighter 5’s initial release was a bone-rattling 15 years ago. Can Sega’s formative 3D fighter shine once again on the main stage, particularly when toeing the line against such stiff competition? Until the return of the global tournament scene, we’ll have to be patient for those answers. For now, let’s take a look at what Ultimate Showdown brings to the ring.

Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown (PS4)
Developer: Sega AM2 / Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher: Sega
Released: June 1, 2021
MSRP: $29.99 (includes DLC bundle)

Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown is a joint production of Sega’s pioneering AM2 division and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, who themselves are no strangers to skull-busting, having developed both the Yakuza and Judgment franchises. The two talented teams have recreated Virtua Fighter 5 within RGG’s Dragon Engine, accurately retaining the gameplay and mechanics of its earlier iterations, while offering a fresh coat of paint to the decade-old visuals and tweaking its under-the-hood technology.

Virtua Fighter 5 has never looked so flashy. The work done by RGG to improve the fighter’s light and shadow effects are exemplary, while individual textures for material, hair, and skin — always a VF standout — have also seen a noticeable upgrade. Additionally, Virtua Fighter‘s gallery of sun-streaked battlegrounds — among some of the most idyllic in the genre — sparkle like never before. Sega’s love of neon-soaked cities, bright blue skies, sparkling seas, and sun-washed beaches is in full effect.

Despite this glow-up, some of the character models don’t quite match up to the quality of other 3D fighters. While pugilists such as Akira and Eileen look fantastic, others stumble occasionally, even feeling like a step down from their prior appearances. Perhaps we’ve been spoiled by the stellar work performed by Team Ninja for VF‘s turn in Dead or Alive, but while Ultimate Showdown‘s textures and visual effects are most certainly improved, mileage on the characters themselves varies. Overall, Ultimate Showdown looks great, better still if you use the delightful VF 1 retro models, available separately as paid DLC.

The meat of any fighting game lies in the blood-pumping action once fists and feet start flying. Ultimate Showdown has lost nothing in the transition to its new engine, delivering the exact same satisfying and compelling gameplay that has been a franchise trademark since its 1993 inception. Virtua Fighter has always been a joy to play, its ingenious three-button system is all the innovation it has ever needed. While the fighting game genre has reinvented itself time and again in the ensuing decades, VF‘s mechanics are galvanized, and as solid in Ultimate Showdown as they have ever been.

While RGG successfully retained both the visual style and the excellent gameplay of Virtua Fighter 5, one important feature has not made a similarly impressive transition. Ultimate Showdown‘s cutomization mode is severely lacking compared to both Final Showdown and even the original Virtua Fighter 5. The fun costumes and wide variety of clothing and accessories are gone, with Ultimate Showdown offering three (admittedly nice) outfits for each character, alongside a basic selection of color choices and a handful of different hairstyles and jewelry.

A possible drawback facilitated by the new engine, the fun customization options of prior releases have been lost in the process, with elements such as unlocking items, character crossover skins, and hidden winposes nowhere to be found. While the clothing textures look mighty fine, it’s the weakest customization mode in Virtua Fighter 5 to date. Hey, if can’t turn Vanessa Lewis into KoF‘s Leona Heidern, or Sarah Bryant into Space Channel 5‘s Ulala, what even is the point?

The stripped-down customization mode is indicative of something that hangs heavy over Ultimate Showdown: a lack of single-player content. Designed specifically as a tournament tool, Ultimate Showdown is, first and foremost, a Vs.-centric release. Players can create smart and highly customizable lobbies, stacked to the rafters with bracket builders, spectator options, passcode locks, emote windows, and a huge slew of rule variables for all your tournament needs. Very commendable. For solo players, however, the features on offer here are extremely thin.

Arcade Mode is available, as is a solid Tutorial and an excellent, in-depth Training mode. There is, however, no Time Attack, Survival, Combo Trial, or a return for VF 5‘s beloved Quest Mode. Ultimate Showdown makes no bones about its “PvP Comes First” intentions, (Hell, it’s even titled “Virtua Fighter eSports” in Japan), but this prioritizing results in a skeletal package for anyone disinterested in competitive play. “Ultimate” Showdown does not quite live up to its moniker from a “complete” perspective. It’s a shame to not see Sega go all-out to ensure that this release is the culmination of Virtua Fighter 5‘s entire lifespan.

Let’s suplex the elephant in the room: online play. Despite Ultimate Showdown going all-in on its competitive features, Sega has not developed brand new technology to host online battles — something of a self-defeating decision. Ultimate Showdown uses a tweaked version of Final Showdown’s online technology, which I’m pleased to report remains very solid. At the time of writing, I’ve had around 80 fights with around 30 opponents. Of all of these opponents, only a handful caused any lag hiccups whatsoever. A positive first impression, at least.

I intend to continue playing today, and will update this review with my findings once the game is in the public’s hands. Ultimate Showdown sacrifices single-player content specifically to focus on competitive options. As such, that multiplayer content is a core element in the title’s overall value and bears scrutiny.

Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown will find its aligned PlayStation Plus release will do a lot of heavy-lifting. There’s no denying that Ultimate Showdown is an excellent fighting game, but its bare-bones release, niche branding, and emphasis on PvP combat would make it a tough sell to anyone who wasn’t a dyed-in-the-wool Virtua Fighter player.

However, as PS+ title, Ultimate Showdown will naturally find its way into the libraries of almost every single PS4 fighting game player on the planet, affording the release a broad introduction to both new and returning players. One wonders how much broader that audience could be had Sega chosen not to make Ultimate Showdown a platform exclusive.

Ultimate Showdown is a great release, if one of mixed intent. Seemingly for each of its advancements, there is a odd retraction. The new visuals are great, but the customization is weak. The lobby and online options are absolutely superb, but there’s very little here for offline engagement. The product leans heavily on PvP gameplay, but re-uses decade-old netcode. Thankfully, despite these mismatched visions, the quality of Virtua Fighter 5 as a fighting game shines through brilliantly, while the budget price/PlayStation Plus angle makes the title’s negatives far easier to parry.

15 years on, Ultimate Showdown finds Virtua Fighter 5 just as engaging as it ever was, maintaining its long-held reputation as one of the genre’s classiest and most enduring fighters. Woeful single-player content and receding features prevent the package from achieving its full potential but, despite its flaws, Ultimate Showdown costs little, looks good, and plays great. A welcome return to one of gaming’s most distinguished rings. Now… about that sequel…

[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]

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Let’s Build a Zoo lets you gene-splice your way to a perfect park

Posted: 31 May 2021 09:00 AM PDT

Just John Hammond your way to riches

When I first booted up the beta build of Let’s Build a Zoo, I had humble ambitions. Safariland, as I had named my establishment, would be a family-friendly park. Our first enclosure held tiny little rabbits, graciously offered to Safariland by another zoo in Australia.

And then I got the opportunity to buy a hippooose on the black market. Things kind of spiraled from there.

Let’s Build a Zoo is an upcoming zoo management game from Springloaded and No More Robots, and on its face, it’s a pretty cute little tycoon game. There is a darker side though, and if you choose to, you can forgo lofty ideals of a pristine animal sanctuary and dive deep into the seedier side of zoo management.

As Safariland grew, so did my costs. Researchers, caretakers, and janitors all cost money—even my sources of cash, like my hot dog and balloon stands, required staff members to operate, and those are all salaries I had to pay. A soda machine was a stopgap; I needed income, and that meant ticket sales.


To draw people in, I needed the rare and exotic, not just rabbits. At one point, an artist made me an offer: he would paint my horses, for free, to look like zebras. They wouldn’t actually be zebras, and it was highly unethical, but it was tempting. I decided no, I could meet my demands with one simple addition: the hippooose.


One of the big draws of Let’s Build a Zoo is its gene splicing. Once you’ve built a CRISPR station, you can mix any DNA strands you’d like to create new species of animal. The hippooose is a combination: one part hippo, one part goose. I’m not so sure mixing the mind of a goose with the body and destructive capabilities of a hippo was a good idea, but the people loved it.

Soon, I was expanding, and learning a lesson in the process: tons of zoos had normal animals, but I could have rare animals, the kind no one’s ever seen. By demo’s end I only managed to forge one more gene-spliced attraction—a half-snake, half-rabbit hybrid—but I was already seeing the appeal. In other tabs there were black market options, and the ability to buy or sell my creations to help fund my ventures. Let’s Build a Zoo‘s trailer implies even darker machinations, but aside from some light gene-splicing that would make Jurassic Park‘s John Hammond bust out his wallet, I kept things mostly above board.

Even playing a stuffy, ethical zoo manager was really engaging, though. The initial appeal of a darker side to zoo management is exciting, but what kept me fully absorbed was just how easy it was to map out my business. New terrain and pathing is easy to plot out, buildings can freely move, and enclosures can swap animals at any point.

Most of the important work is ensuring animals are happy in their enclosures (at least, if you want them to be happy). Keeping them engaged with toys and trampolines is crucial, as is ensuring there are enough water troughs. Attendees might enjoy seeing a beautiful fountain or a fun stand-up to take pictures with, but the animals are why they’re really there.

In that way, I would’ve liked a little more of a guiding hand towards some of the deeper mechanics. Let’s Build a Zoo is way, way deeper of a sim than you might think just glancing at screenshots. Enclosures have a variety of objects that can affect both the animal’s well-being and the appeal of the enclosure to park goers; employees have salaries that have to be managed, and recruiting new workers means posting a job and searching for candidates; supplies need to be watched, and corners can be cut if you need a little boost to make payments.


To that end, a little more guidance in navigating menus, or even understanding why certain advancements or options were being gated, would help. It took me longer than I’d like to admit to figure out how the water management worked, and even after playing through the beta period, I had some trouble relocating where certain options were or figuring out why I couldn’t add a second researcher yet.

Yet the best testament to how much Let’s Build a Zoo pulls the player in is how much I want to keep playing. It has that crucial hook of playing just one more day, just expanding a little bit more, always keeping a new goal or some new addition a few steps ahead of you. It took me very little time to start working with the tools Let’s Build a Zoo provides, and within minutes I was imagining what I could do once I filled out the research grid and developed new tools for sprucing up my park.


And that’s not even diving into some of the other things that are unavailable in the beta but still visible. It seems like there’s going to be a frankly incredible number of avenues to go down in managing a zoo, when all is said and done. How that gets done is really up to you; nice and neat, or shady and extremely profitable?

All I know is, once the full game is out, I’m making more hippoooses. Let’s Build a Zoo is slated to launch sometime in the future on PC.

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Oh look, a Switch Pro Amazon listing, amid more rumors of its imminent announcement

Posted: 31 May 2021 03:00 AM PDT

Any day now for the Pro, just like the last three years

Switch Pro rumors are on overdrive.

I mean…Nintendo rumor mongering is kinda always hyperactive. But with outlets like Bloomberg getting on the train this year, it’s been a little more interesting than just random Twitter insiders saying “it’s coming” every month and then correctly “predicting” a first-party game announcement.

Amid several rumors from the game writing circle that Nintendo plans to announce the Switch Pro soonish (even before E3!), Bloomberg reports that the Switch Pro could come “as soon as September.” The newest info alleges that the Pro unit will actually “replace” the original (with it being “phased out over time”), and that Nintendo intends to sell it above the typical $299.99 asking price.

Allegedly, Nintendo has secured the semiconductors needed for this massive Switch Pro rollout, and assembly will “begin” in July. Thanks to Twitter account Nintendeal we now have a more active lead, as Amazon Mexico listed a “New Nintendo Switch Pro” model on the site: the listing has since been taken down.

No one knows why Nintendo announces things on the days and random mornings they do: it’s their way. I’ve heard numerous stories of the publisher intending to reveal something at X time, only to move it to Y, which might be the next day or weeks/months away. We’ve seen this happen with games as well as any number of other content releases, it’s just how marketing works. Especially…well, now.

It’s very clear that this is an important, delicate announcement, and Nintendo needs to get the Switch Pro messaging right. If Bloomberg is correct and it will “replace” the original model, they need to have some sort of FAQ ready to answer everyone’s concerns. Exactly when the original will be “phased out over time” is likely part of that messaging.

Nintendeal [Twitter] Thanks John!

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Why did I wait so long to play Undertale?

Posted: 30 May 2021 01:00 PM PDT

Oh, now I get why people went nuts over this thing

Have you ever been too intimidated to play a video game? I think I’m mature enough to say that I have been on multiple occasions. Usually, it’s with a survival horror title. I’m a sucker for the stories of those games, but a massive coward when it comes to the actual scares. To give you an idea of how easily I frighten, I barely made it through Gone Home. I’m sure there are many great games and narratives I’ve missed over the years because the expectation of jump scares and pure dread intimidated me too much to actually give it a go.

Undertale was another title that intimidated me. Not because of its content, of course. I’ve known since before it released it was an RPG inspired by the likes of Earthbound and Moon: Remix RPG Adventure, which are both right up my alley. But every time I approached the possibility of popping the game into my Switch, I’d have people giving me a reason not to. Namely, the fanbase.

We are long past the point when Undertale was at the center of the gaming zeitgeist, but at the height of its popularity, some fans on the internet took their obsession with it way too far. A cursory Google search of “Undertale fans toxic” will bring up a wide variety of articles and videos on the problem. I was warned that I shouldn’t talk about the game on Twitter if I wasn’t doing a pacifist run, lest I invoke the wrath of strangers with an internet connection and way too much time on their hands.

In hindsight, I should have realized nobody gives a shit about my Twitter account and just done it anyway. But at the time, that was enough for me to never open my Switch copy. It’s sat on my shelf ever since, accumulating dust and hopefully, a respectable resell value on eBay. As the years passed and the frenzy over the game subsided, the itch to play it stayed with me. Seeing Sans appear in Smash Bros. only added to that desire, but it was after I went through Moon last year that I realized I’d waited long enough. I made a pact with myself to play the game within the year, and when it was added to Xbox Game Pass back in March, I knew the time had come.

Undertale

If you don’t know what Undertale is about, honestly, stop reading this and just play it. It’s only about seven hours long, and like with Twin Peaks, it’s best to go in with as little knowledge as possible. If you read my lede and are worried you might play the game wrong, don’t be. For starters, you can always delete your save file if you mess up. But more important than that, you can easily get the best ending possible if you just follow directions.

RPGs have a long history of making players jump through flaming hoops if they want to see the best endings to their stories, so the lack of some substantial requirements here was something of a surprise. But the further I ventured through the Underground, the more I realized it wouldn’t make sense to gatekeep such a conclusion behind absurd tasks. Because Undertale is fundamentally about one thing: listening. You listen to monsters when they’re your enemies and you listen to them when they’re your friends. 

Taking their words to heart will help you solve their issues and ultimately guide you toward the preferred conclusion to this tale. Hiding the best ending behind some ridiculous collect-a-thon wouldn’t make much sense for a game that rewards players for having a sympathetic ear.

I will say, had I played this before Moon, the idea of treating monsters like they’re not your enemy might have had a bigger impact on me. It’s still something of a revolutionary idea in an industry that’s always thinking of bigger and bloodier ways to dispose of your opponents, but it wasn’t as fresh as it might have been. However, the experience still impacted me due to the themes sewn throughout the game. Kindness, determination, and non-violence are all prevalent, but it’s Undertale’s message of courage that perhaps resonates the most, and nowhere is that better illustrated than with Dr. Alphys.

All the principal characters you meet have to muster up some form of courage for you to reach that true ending, such as the courage to let go or the courage to admit defeat. For Dr. Alphys, the Underground’s neurotic royal scientist, it’s the courage to be herself, which, for many people, is a lot harder than it sounds. As somebody who has been massive twine-ball of self-doubt for all of his life, her story arc spoke to me as if Toby Fox had secretly monitored my life like I was the subject of The Truman Show. Sure, my past blunders don’t have the extensive consequences of hers, but they still eat at me like Joey Chestnut at Nathan’s Famous.

Undertale

I think that’s one of the things Undertale does better than the games that inspired it. The denizens of Moon were mostly just kooky characters that made you laugh, but the monsters of the Underground are like celebrities in Us Weekly — they’re just like us. They may look different and eat questionable food, but when you take a step back, it’s easy to see these monsters are no different than the humans, and boy, is that a lesson a lot of people in this world could use right now.

Certainly, one of the most enjoyable aspects of playing through Undertale is the fact that it tries to make you a better person when you put the controller down. You don’t really get that a lot in this industry, so for one title to have so many morals is substantial. Play through and you’ll learn about the power of love, the importance of giving people a chance, and the fact that doing the right thing isn’t always the easiest. In fact, sometimes it can be downright difficult if my many deaths at the hand of Undyne are any indication.

While it may not be easy to do what’s right, it certainly is rewarding, and Undertale does a great job of showing players the positive consequences of their peacenik ways. As much as I appreciate the game for providing players with a visual cause and effect of their actions, I do think there is one instance where it can be too demanding of the player’s virtue.

Very early in your adventure, when most players are still getting their bearings, you come across a bake sale by spiders for spiders. You have the opportunity to purchase one of the two items, but chances are the first time you reach the bake sale, you won’t have enough money for either. That’s what happened on my first attempt at beating the game. Without enough money, I just moved on. I didn’t return when I had enough funds, and I certainly didn’t think to grind for cash in a game where you’re not really supposed to grind. Besides, it’s just an item shop. What’s the worst that could happen?

Undertale

A few hours later, I got an answer to that question. Deep in the Hotland section of the Underground, you’ll encounter a second spider bake sale where both items are probably well beyond what you have in your wallet. A hop, skip, and a jump after that, you’ll walk into a spider lair, home of the arachnid Muffet. While she’s technically a miniboss, she is, without a doubt, the most difficult opponent I faced in Undertale.

I lost count of how many times I died trying to spare her in my first run through the game. You have to survive 17 increasingly difficult rounds with her without giving in to the temptation of bashing her head in with a burnt pan. Eventually, I had to give up, delete my save file, and start from scratch, this time making sure I bought something from that first bake sale. Because if you do that, you avoid this battle altogether.

It’s frustrating to know that you can do everything right in this game — help the monsters instead of killing them, go back and make friends with your would-be enemies — and still be subject to an excessively difficult battle all because you missed your opportunity to buy a spider pastry hours earlier in an area you can’t return to once you leave. I can totally understand why people get a neutral ending their first time through because I wanted to kill that damn spider after a dozen deaths. Ultimately, the point of the spider bake sale is to show players that every little thing you do matters, and you should always support the most vulnerable among us. But, surely, there is a better way to get that message across than subjecting us to that infuriating encounter.

Thankfully, once you get past Muffet, the pacifist run is smooth sailing. After making my way back to that point, it was only a couple of hours more before I reached the eyegasmic final battle and the True Pacifist Ending. And I gotta say, even with that restart, this game floored me. It started out good, and then it just got better and better until it was blowing my mind at every corner. Undertale is an immaculate game and easily one of the best adventures I’ve ever been on. It’s the type of experience that makes me want to create a game of my own even though I know that will never happen.

Now that I’ve seen it through to the end, I’m actually quite glad I waited to play this. Had I started it five years ago, it definitely would have had the same effect on me as it does today. It’s just that good. But had I played it then, I probably would have been sucked into the culture surrounding it. I would have been in forums and comment sections arguing with the more toxic members of the fanbase, and that would have led to me to resent the game. So I’m just glad I got to skip all that drama and enjoy Undertale for the masterpiece that it is. And having beat it, I can’t wait to play Deltarune…

…in 2027.

The post Why did I wait so long to play Undertale? appeared first on Destructoid.

Konami’s Time Pilot ’84 is this week’s Arcade Archives release

Posted: 30 May 2021 11:00 AM PDT

So, we’re just living in 1984 now, I guess? (send tweet)

Another week, another classic shmup from Hamster’s Arcade Archives, bringing the quarter-munchers of yesteryear onto today’s platforms. This week sees the return of Konami’s space shootin’ sequel Time Pilot ’84, now available to download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Released on the arcade scene in — unsurprisingly — 1984, Time Pilot ’84: Further into Unknown Worlds is the sequel to Konami’s own Time Pilot, but chooses to switch out the timezone-hopping, jet-fighter gameplay of the original for a free-roaming perspective, a spaceship, and a more structured “futuristic” setting.

Players guide the vessel as it fends off hordes of enemies attacking from all directions. A deft hand for evasion and pixel-perfect aiming are required if the player wishes to stay alive, destroy the baddies, and combat each stage’s Silver Space Boss. Honestly, the game bears little to no relation to its predecessor, suggesting that this was a separate project adapted to capitalize on the original’s success.

Time Pilot ’84 is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8. Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Old Classic Retro Gaming.

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Review: Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World

Posted: 30 May 2021 09:00 AM PDT

Now with 100% less boy

Wonder Boy is a bit of a wonderful mess. The series never seems to stick to one style, developer, or nomenclature. Here we have a remake of Monster World IV, which is a sequel to Wonder Boy in Monster World, or, as it’s known in Japan — and I’m not kidding here — Wonder Boy V: Monster Land III.

Recently, we’ve received a bit of a revival recently: Wonder Boy Returns, an upgrade of the original, developed by CFK; Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, a remake of Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap (not to be confused with Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair) by Lizardcube; Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, a completely new entry by Game Atelier; and this title, Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World, which is perplexing, because boy isn’t even in it.

Confused? Perfect. That’s how I like you.

Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World (PC, Switch, PS4[Reviewed])
Developer: Studio Artdink
Publisher: Inin (Boxed Version with original Monster World IV) | Studio Artdink (Digital)
Released: May 28th, 2021 (Switch, PS4) June 29th, 2021 (PC)
MSRP: $34.99

Originally released in 1994 exclusively in Japan for the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis), Monster World IV was yet another departure for the series. The previous-ish title, Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap was a sort of explore-’em-up title with multiple monster transformations and power. Monster World IV is not that.

Here we have Asha, who just decides she’s going to be a warrior and goes out to do that. No sooner is she bestowed the title of warrior by the queen, she’s sent out to save four guardians from four dungeons to save the world. Listen, this was the 16-bit era, we didn’t need much more to go on than, “There’s darkness, go get it.”

There are no transformations here, the world isn’t interconnected. Instead, you get an adorable critter called a Pepelogoo that can help you do things like double-jump and block fire. It’s a decent mechanic and has the biggest impact on the plot, which is a good thing, because that’s the only thing special about this game.

I had never played Monster World IV before this release, though it has crossed the ocean in English on the Virtual Console, 360/PS3, and on the Genesis Mini. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but I’ve played a number of the other Wonder Boy titles, and this one stars a cute girl, so I was on board.

Initially, I was awestruck by how bland it is. Visually, it’s a treat; colorful, cute, well-animated. The music is decent. Not something I’d put on my playlist, but an enjoyable addition to the aesthetic. A number of quality-of-life improvements have been made across the board, such as a redesigned city of Rapadagna, the ability to carry multiple elixirs, and a more powerful attack that can be charged up.

Where it hasn’t been touched is in the dungeon design, and that’s where the game hurts the most. The dungeons are uninteresting, long, and repetitive. Each one has its own gimmicks — as is law in video games — but largely they’re just a bunch of corridors where you smack at enemies and pick up the coins that burst out. It’s a strange day when I notice how bland the backgrounds are in a side-scroller, but here I couldn’t help but look at repeating patterns and despair.

What hurts the most is how little it does to mitigate backtracking, sometimes allowing you to plumb further before alerting you to the fact that you need to fill your bucket at the same source for a third time. Some games can get away with this, but when the environments are so boring and the enemies don’t respawn, it can become drudgery.

The game’s bosses are diverse, but unified in the fact that they’re disappointing. Most can be defeated by just whacking at them, others have simple and obvious patterns, and some make it difficult to find where they can be hit. They fluctuate significantly in difficulty. The one that I had the most problems with was just a sub-boss. The final boss deserves special mention because it was a serious, “wait, that can’t be it,” moment. The answer was yes it was, and I’m still reeling from it. It’s like if Dr. Wily just came out in his lab coat, and his weakness was everything.

I get that this is based off a Genesis title, and I also understand that Inin didn’t want to deviate too much from the source material, but look at it this way: Lizardcube had very little background to work off of for Wonder Boy and the Dragon’s Trap and they painted a masterpiece on that blank canvas.

I can’t be too hard on the developers, though. Part of the problem is that Monster World IV just wasn’t that great of a game to begin with. It feels like a step back from other titles, offering a cute little Pepelogoo instead of thoughtful design. The quality of life improvements are appreciated, but I feel like they could have at least touched up the bosses a little more without betraying the game’s identity.

I also have to stress that Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World isn’t a bad game. Some of the backtracking got annoying, but mostly it’s just monotonous. The mechanics are tight enough, I just can’t help but shrug at the final product. I’m always happy when an old title is given new life, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to end up loving it.

[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]

The post Review: Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World appeared first on Destructoid.

Review: Miitopia

Posted: 30 May 2021 06:30 AM PDT

Miis are back

Miis…I miss ’em!

It feels like just yesterday that I was using StreetPass to accumulate an endless amount of Mii friends. Remember Everybody Votes? Ah, we’re past our nostalgia limit for the day.

It’s time to look to the future! Or the past, in the case of Miitopia on Switch.

Miitopia (3DS, Switch [reviewed])
Developer: Nintendo EPD
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: May 21, 2021
MSRP: $49.99

In case you missed Miitopia on 3DS back in 2017, the gist is that Nintendo took the Find Mii minigame for the 3DS StreetPass Mii Plaza and ran with it, creating a fully-fledged, albeit simplistic and streamlined JRPG.

Characters auto-run when in the field, party members auto-battle, the player hero uses one of a few abilities, and as a “God” of sorts, you can pause the battle and use restorative “sprinkles” on people. CJ breaks it all down nicely in his original review. The question is, does it hold up four years later, with minor enhancements? Well, somewhat.

Miitopia still very much gives off a carefree vibe, which might be what some of you need right now. If you head into a zone and get crushed, you just restart outside of it and come back after you level a bit. Sometimes you’ll get tasked with a minor choice: open a chest or leave it, or take path A or path B. Or your Mii might “dream” of buying a cool new suit of armor, and when you give them the cash to do it, they buy magic beans instead. It’s cute, low stakes, and breezy.

You’ll likely get to the point where you’re zombie-playing the game, setting most battles to “auto” while you hold down the B-button to fast-forward through…a good chunk of the adventure. That’s because there really isn’t much nuance to Miitopia in any fashion. It banks real hard on you just enjoying the ride, with questionable “restart” JRPG tropes along the way. It’s definitely not something you necessarily need to experience twice, either, if you’ve already played it on 3DS.

That said if you’re really into making Miis you will love this game. That was always the case with Miitopia even on 3DS, but the new “wig and makeup option” menu will blow you away when it comes to character customization. “Makeup” is understating it. If you put your mind to it, you can basically create anything you want, as evidenced by community efforts like these.

Remember when you’d name your Final Fantasy party members after friends and family members (was it just me)? That’s where a lot of the fun in Miitopia comes from. You get attached to some of these characters, especially if you explore the relationship system and each of them starts to develop helpful in-game abilities.

There’s a limit, though. These links are fresh at first, but when the dialogue is nonsensical and doesn’t line up, or you’ve seen a link ability for the 100th time, it can get a little stale. The new horse party member gimmick adds a bit more flavor to day-to-day combat and interactions, but not much.

Miitopia is mostly the same on Switch, to a fault. If you weren’t crazy about this one on 3DS it won’t change your mind, and the same flaws are intact here. Still, if you’re an incredibly creative person that loves to spend their days endlessly perfecting Miis, you’ll find a lot to love here. While its shortcomings are laid bare, its core strength, personality, is at the forefront.

[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]

The post Review: Miitopia appeared first on Destructoid.

Maneater on Switch isn’t quite jawsome, but is worth a bite if it’s your only option

Posted: 30 May 2021 05:00 AM PDT

Fin Baller

You all know me… know how I earn a living. I’ll review Maneater for you. But it ain’t gonna be easy. Switch port. Not like booting up the PC to go down to Resident Evil Village. This port report embargo… swallow your weekend… a little eyestrain, a little finger cramp, and down you go.

I’m gonna keep it quick, that’ll bring back the players, put all your eShop customers on a paying basis. But it’s not gonna be pleasant. I value free time more than your gaming Twitter clout, Chief. I’ll check out your Switch port. I’ll install it for 3,000 clicks, but I’ll play it — and review it — for 10. Carter got no volunteers, and I’ve got no mates. But you gotta make up your minds: 10,000 clicks… For me, by myself.

For that you get the screencaps… the summary… The Whole Damn Thing.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, Tripwire Interactive has returned with a Nintendo Switch port of its open-sea adventure, Maneater, which troubled doomed beachgoers and out-of-their-league fishermen back in the spring of 2020. Lauded by many as “a game they didn’t know they wanted,” Maneater won over a cult of bloodthirsty fans who were able to push through numerous gameplay issues and technological shortcomings and simply bask in the gleeful nihilism and wanton violence found in the fathoms of Port Clovis.

Maneater sees the player oversee the life of a young bull shark, torn from her mother’s carcass and tossed back into the waters by ornery Cajun fisherman, (and reality TV star), Scaly Pete. Players guide the young shark as she evolves from a helpless orphan into a terrifying local legend. As the player explores Port Clovis (a thinly-veiled stand-in for the Louisiana Bayou), our dead-eyed protagonist will battle dangerous predators, ward off fame-seeking hunters, damage the local scenery, and slaughter holidaymakers, before ultimately coming jaws-to-face with her parent’s killer in an apocalyptic, operatic, clash of the titans. Eat your heart out, Hemingway.

Nintendo fans will be pleased to hear that the Switch port of Maneater is more than serviceable. While the original game was never a resource-hungry powerhouse, it’s worth remembering that it launched on PC and consoles with myriad technical problems — from quest-breaking bugs and a brutal save-wiping glitch, to a strange technical issue that would cause consoles to overheat! A year on, most of these more serious problems have thankfully long since been eliminated.

That isn’t to say Maneater for Switch is perfect. I’ve frequently come across an issue where prey — be it fish or human — will simply “freeze” into position, requiring a nudge or bite to get them moving again. I’ve also had on-screen prompts hang around a little longer than they were needed… minutes longer. While some players admit that the adventure’s imperfections are part of its charm and appeal, it should be clearly stated that while Maneater‘s most egregious problems are no longer a concern, the Switch port features its own finful of minor irritants.

Maneater runs smoothly in both docked and handheld mode. Frame rate is important in a title such as this, where atmosphere and immersion are dictated by the natural flow of the water. Save for a couple of extremely brief drops upon resurrection, or when entering a new area of the map, Maneater scores high in the all-important stability stakes, albeit with a little sacrifice of both resolution and draw distance.

It should also be noted that Maneater is a control-heavy title, with battles requiring frequent use of almost every button on the Joy-Con, often in quick succession. As such, I found handheld mode a little unsuitable for longer sessions, with a sense of hand cramp building during particularly long fights. Toss in Maneater‘s notoriously unruly camera, and this might be a job for the Pro Controller.

The Switch port of Maneater sports comparable visuals to its PS4/Xbox One brethren. While none of the scenery or character models were ever top-tier, Maneater‘s palette of comic-book colors and atmospheric lighting bring life and variety to its aquatic world, giving each area of Port Clovis — as well as its gorgeous “Grotto hubs” — unique identity. The Switch handles these effects admirably, though it should be reiterated that Maneater — even on the most powerful platforms — is typified by its “last-gen” aesthetic.

So, should you bite? It’s a tough call. Maneater as a whole is a fascinating example of raw gameplay built around the concept of fun, action, and chaos. Nobody can take that away from it. But it remains both the title’s blessing and its curse. While Maneater boasts an engaging story, uniquely told, and offers players a meat-and-potatoes thrill ride akin to the gaming of yesterday, Tripwire’s dramatic adventure is undeniably a repetitive one, offering much of the same objectives and action over and again, with only the slightest of variables.

This is not a fault of the game’s design, per se, but more of its conceptual limitations. After all, there isn’t really all that much for a shark to do other than jet through the surf, chewing up fish and hapless fools in dinghies. Quite honestly, I think Maneater‘s price weighs heavily on its value. The Switch port is launching at $40, while the PS4/Xbox and Epic Games Store editions — now 12 months old —  often feature innumerable sales. The cheaper you can find Maneater, the more likely you are to overlook its negatives and enjoy its many positives.

A year into its reign of terror — and on the crest of its first major DLC expansion — Maneater‘s Switch debut is a solid one. The repetitious nature of its core gameplay remains an undeniable downer, but the unbridled catharsis of being mankind’s greatest predator, (now with electric teeth!), is as spirited as ever. Maneater for Switch is a suitable purchase for those wishing to go portable for the aquatic apocalypse. Those with access to other platforms might be better served picking up the original release.

[This port report is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]

The post Maneater on Switch isn’t quite jawsome, but is worth a bite if it’s your only option appeared first on Destructoid.

Review: Knockout City

Posted: 30 May 2021 02:00 AM PDT

We built this city on balls and holes

Last year, EA released Rocket Arena, an online multiplayer competitive shooter from developer Final Strike Games. If you don’t remember it, I don’t blame you. It dropped off the gaming radar faster than its price dropped in stores.

When Knockout City was first revealed earlier this year, I was pretty pompous in my assurance that it would face a similar fate. It just didn’t seem like something anybody would be talking about after it dropped. But now that I’ve played it, along with at least two million other people, I don’t think that’s going to be the case. I think this one has staying power.

Knockout City

Knockout City (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S [reviewed], Xbox Series X)
Developer: Velan Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: May 21, 2021
MSRP: $19.99 (Free to try until May 31)

Knockout City is what Ninjala would be like if it had gameplay I actually enjoyed. Developer Velan Studios has taken the familiar sport of dodgeball and transformed it into an online battler complete with trick throws, special balls, and bountiful ledges. Depending on the mode you choose, you’ll either be teamed up with two or three other players as you try to eliminate members of the opposing team to score enough points to win the round. Win two rounds and victory is yours.

You have a few actions at your disposal that you’ll need to use wisely and master if you want to succeed in league play. The three basic weapons in your arsenal are throw, catch, and pass. With throws, you can hold down the button to charge your shot. The more a shot is charged, the faster the ball will travel. If your opponent catches a charged throw, they can direct it right back at you without having to charge it up. If you want to charge a ball quickly, catch an opponent’s throw or pass your ball back and forth between your teammates.

More advanced techniques include your dash function, which can be used to dodge incoming balls or tackle an opponent (or teammate if you’re uncoordinated). Tackling a player will knock them back, and with plenty of pits to fall into, you can push your opponents to their deaths with well-executed dashes. Then there’s the player-ball, which is when a teammate rolls up and acts as a dodge ball. If you fully charge a shot while holding a teammate, they’ll turn into a devastating bomb that drops from above. Any opponents trapped in its way-too-generous blast radius will be eliminated.

In the standard knockout mode, your team has to score 10 points to win a round. There are a few ways to score points. Obviously, hitting an opponent without them catching the ball is the most basic. Players will have to be hit twice to be fully eliminated unless you hit them with one of your teammates. You can also knock them off ledges or into gaps, take them out with a stage hazard, or hope they’re just not paying attention and walk into a hole themselves. Every elimination, no matter if it’s intentional or not, counts as a point.

In addition to regular dodge balls and your teammates, you’ll also have access to a special ball for each match that can give you a real advantage over your opponents. Some of the special balls include the moon ball, which lets you jump high and knocks opponents far back when hit; the bomb ball, which will explode after a certain amount of time; and the cage ball, which will unwittingly turn anyone hit with it into a throwable ball. If you manage to capture your opponent in one of these, you can simply toss them off a ledge for an easy point.

As unfair as that might sound, in practice, I think this is an incredibly well-balanced game. Yeah, it can be easy to get overwhelmed, but the basics of gameplay are sound and the stages are smartly designed. There are plenty of strategies you can employ depending on which map you’re fighting on. Each map will only have a few dodgeballs available at any time to keep proceedings from getting too crazy, and while these arenas may seem too large at first, trust me when I say more space is better.

Knockout City

The only issues I can really touch on in this review have to do with trick shots and charge shot cancellations. On the Xbox, pressing the Y or B button will let you do a floating flip jump or twist jump, respectively. It’s not a double jump like in Smash Bros., so don’t think you’ll be able to get back on a ledge if you drop too far beneath it. These buttons will also activate your trick shots — lob shot with Y, curve shot with B. It works for me around 80% of the time, and but that’s probably because I keep trying to press the jump and throw buttons at the same time, which is the wrong way to do it. As for charged shots, a charged throw can be canceled with a dash or by simply pressing down on the left thumbstick to hasten your character’s movement speed. Maybe I was a bit too aggressive in my time with the game, but many of my charged shots were accidentally canceled with an inadvertent mash of the left thumbstick.

Aesthetically, the art direction took a little while to get used to. The futuristic ‘50s setting is unique, looking like what you’d get if Metropolis had a one-night stand with Grease. It can be a little too sanitized on some stages, but overall, it’s an effective style. Character outfits are another story as they often clash with the environment. But the longer I played and the more fashion I was exposed to, the more everything started to jell. That said, the developers really need to do something about the characters’ lips. Everyone has a Steven Tyler mouth, and when they smile, it looks like they just got poisoned by The Joker.

I’m shocked with how well Knockout City turned out. It’s easily the biggest surprise of 2021, something everyone should give a go while it’s still free to try.

[This review is based on a retail build of the game downloaded for free from the Microsoft Store.]

The post Review: Knockout City appeared first on Destructoid.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) was an embarrassing 15th birthday present

Posted: 29 May 2021 01:00 PM PDT

Thanks, Sega, this kusoge was exactly what I wanted

This may sound peculiar, but I don’t necessarily pick games for this column and expect to hate them. Spelunker, for example, I legitimately like, despite its reputation. So I went into Sonic the Hedgehog ‘06 with a little bit of history with the title. I figured I’d mostly be picking it apart for its mediocrity; a disappointing release for the new generation of consoles. I’d probably make fun of the typically daft Sonic plot.

But after I sat down with the game for a little while, I got this feeling of betrayal. I was warned, sure, but someone should have intervened. The person who sold it to me should have first demanded a psychological evaluation. My PS3 should have just obliterated the disc. Why does no one care that I do this to myself?

What I’m saying is Sonic ‘06 is shockingly bad. I thought I knew what I was in for, and I was wrong.

My first experience with Sonic ‘06 was back in, well, 2006. My best friend in college was a huge Sonic fan. Massive. Sonic Riders, Shadow the Hedgehog, he ate it all up. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t completely blind to the series’ declining quality. It’s fine. At the time, I was still in love with Star Fox and we were able to comfort each other while the caskets of our favorite franchises were slowly being lowered into the ground.

He kept the faith, though, so he scooped up Sonic the Hedgehog on release. Oh, he knew it was a bad game. He played it quite a bit, but was quick to demonstrate to me its flaws. The one that I remember best was a level that starts Sonic out on a grind rail, but every time the level loaded, the blue blur would just blur past the rail and into the awaiting death below. Every. Time. Later, he eventually returned and told me what the problem was: he was pressing a direction on the stick when the level loaded, and apparently you weren’t supposed to do that.

I don’t remember if I ever touched the game at that time; I don’t think I did. I’ve never been much of a Sonic fan. Maybe as a child I had some appreciation for the titles that I’d play on my cousin’s Genesis, but the Sonic Adventure games had me scratching my head to see the appeal. Oh, Chao Garden? Yeah, that’s whiz.

The problems with Sonic ‘06 are apparent the moment you start playing it. The camera is locked inverted on both the X and Y axis and there’s no way to change it. Fine, I can get used to it. The framerate plummets frequently, but things don’t just get choppy, the whole game completely slows down. The game controls like a shopping cart that just gained sentience and became aware of the horror of its existence. The loading screens are glacial, and if you fail a task, you have to go through four of them to try again.

Just grabbing rings in the first stage is a pain. When the blue blur is at top speed, it feels like he ignores commands completely. This is at its worst when there are pickups in front of you or the little dunce starts leaning dangerously towards the edge of a loop. The camera doesn’t give up any fucks, either. It constantly gets stuck behind scenery, tries in vain to follow the action, and is sometimes preoccupied with showing you something cool happening in the background rather than what’s directly in front of you.

The best parts are when you can take a hand off the controller. Grind rails, boost sections, the little wall jumpy things; they all give you a chance to reach down and pet your dog (or cat, if you’re into that sort of thing). They look cool, I guess, they’re just kind of shallow and pointless.

The story is a nauseating, disconnected mess. It all revolves around Princess Elise, who Dr. Eggman wants for her connection to the Flames of Disaster, which will let him rule the world or something. Most of the plot is Elise getting re-kidnapped and Sonic trying to get her back. Constantly. Oh my goodness, constantly. Sonic turns his back for a second and, whoop, she’s gone.

There’s time travel, the Chaos Emeralds do what they do (which is anything the writer wants), and the story even includes interspecies romance. Even if the plot was actually coherent, we’d still have to put up with insipid lines like, “If you have time to worry, then run.” At least the cutscenes look nice for a 2006 title.

You can also play as Shadow the Edgehog and Silver, who is also a hedgehog, but from the future. To the game’s credit, each character’s chapter has its own style of gameplay, with Shadow driving crappy vehicles and Silver throwing things. They each tell their own side of the story, and honestly, I almost started liking Silver’s gameplay. The framerate chugs like a train submerged in molasses, but throwing stuff — when it actually works properly — is satisfying and his platforming is mostly inoffensive. Physics based attacks were so popular back in 2006. Just look at Half-Life 2 and that expansion for Doom 3.

Sonic ’06 is absolutely excruciating to play. It seems that every few minutes it comes up with new ways to break and screw the player over, but there’s sort of a reason for its failure.

Sega wanted this big, new, next-generation Sonic the Hedgehog to revitalize the franchise and celebrate the series’ 15th anniversary. All hands were on deck until Sega decided they also wanted Sonic on the upcoming Wii, and Sonic ‘06 wasn’t going to fit with its specs. So, in its infinite wisdom, Sega slashed the team in twain — with one half staying on the PS3/360 version, and the other half going to work on what would become Sonic and the Secret Rings. Around the same time, series co-creator, Yuji Naka, dropped from Sega and took off with 10 high profile staff members.

Normally, you’d expect a publisher would either extend development time or replenish the ranks of their developer so they could meet their deadline, but no. Sega was insistent that this title get released by the end of 2006 as a celebration of their beloved mascot’s anniversary. This would result in the video game equivalent of suffocating someone with their own birthday cake.

The team had to rush to make a complete game, which meant that they had to forego the typical pleasantries of bug testing and polish, and does it ever show. Most of Sonic ‘06’s problems come down to things that should have been fixed in the final product. I think that if the team was actually given a proper chance, they might have pulled something reasonable together. The pieces are there, they were just put together with a glitter glue stick. I still doubt I’d enjoy the finished result — as I mentioned, I’m not really a Sonic fan — but I probably wouldn’t be talking about it like it crawled out of my toilet.

But even if we absolve the dev team of sin, Sega still decided to release this at full price. It even had the gall to release DLC for the game. Paid DLC for an unfinished game. Classy. This was its attempt to establish the series on a new generation of hardware, and instead it cemented it as a laughing stock.

Both the Sonic franchise and Sega itself has had ups and downs since then. Behind every Sonic Generations and Sonic Mania there seems to lie a Sonic Boom: Rise of the Lyric and Sonic Forces, but even those games don’t reach the nadir of Sonic ‘06. I assume. Please don’t make me play them.

For previous Weekly Kusoge, check this link!

The post Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) was an embarrassing 15th birthday present appeared first on Destructoid.
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