Tag: Nintendo

DOOM: Eternal

Post author By Mark
Post date April 2, 2020

I have a love-hate relationship with Doom: Eternal, although it definitely leans more towards the love side. It’s a technically phenomenal first person shooter that makes you feel like a badass more than almost any game I can think of, ratcheting up the action and pressure from its predecessor, but lord did it make me almost hurl my controller through the screen. If there was one universal complaint about the 2016 Doom it was that it felt like something of an incomplete package, with a fairly short story and a multiplayer mode that seemed like an afterthought. Eternal goes in the complete opposite direction, stuffed full of almost too much content; with a 16 hour campaign filled to the brim with bloody battles and secrets to uncover, multiple difficulty levels to encourage repeat playthroughs and a far more fun, interesting multiplayer mode that shows that developer Bethesda has gone above and beyond fan’s expectations to deliver the game they wanted. Apart from a few repetitive levels and game mechanics and some lacklustre boss fights, Doom:Eternal is an absolute must-buy and one of the best first person shooters of this console generation.

Let’s get one thing out of the way first. You don’t come to a Doom game for a deep, emotional story. You come to murder demons in increasingly violent ways, splitting skulls and spilling innards as you progress deeper and deeper into the bowels of Hell coming up against bigger and more badass demons. Alas, the game must have a story to propel you forward and true to form for the franchise it’s kind of a mess, but that just adds to the fun. Doom: Eternal‘s story is epic, picking up 2 years after the events of the 2016 game, where the Earth has been all but conquered by the demon forces that were brought forth from Hell through the gate on Mars. As the hulking Doom Slayer, you are tasked with saving the Earth and sending these demon forces packing before they can complete their mission and completely decimate the planet. Seems pretty straightforward right? Believe me when I say that you haven’t seen anything. Any coherent plot line that might have been gets gutted just as quickly as one of the games many demons as your quest takes you across multiple locations including Earth, Hell and inter-dimensional demon planets. At these locations you will be tasked with collecting a myriad of endlessly powerful items that the game does its best to explain, but which ultimately ends up confusing the player more than it should. A lot of these levels seem like filler, as ultimately the conclusion of your mission does nothing to impact the overall threat facing you and causes the game to drag in a few stretches, relying too heavily on its excellent combat to drag you through the tedium. Ultimately the story is simply a means to an end for you to kill as many demons as you possibly can and in that regards it gives you almost too much content, with the story clocking in at around a meaty 16 hours.

The star of the show is undoubtedly the gameplay here. Doom: Eternal is just so damn fun to play and despite a few levels that just piled on what seemed like endless enemies, I happily sunk hours into the increasingly frantic and overwhelming demon slaying combat. Part of this is the movement of the Doom Slayer. He handles wonderfully, moving with a speed which seems completely unnatural for a man his size but which makes the combat far more enjoyable. The 2016 games physics were such that the double jump felt like such a breath of fresh air for the decades old franchise, with the lower gravity on Mars giving you a brief period of time to float above your enemies before delivering a crushing blow or blast from a shotgun. Eternal increases the flexibility of this movement with the introduction of a double dash – a move that can be chained in the air to give you previously impossible reach and manoeuvrability options – allowing you to zip behind enemies and pick them off before they even know you’re there. Of course that would be far too simple and the logical answer to this is to increase both the movement speed of enemies and their sheer numbers. The waves of enemies thrown at you are seemingly endless, quickly filling a room and forcing you to think strategically about where you jump and dash to in order to pick off the smaller villains first before focusing on the big baddies.

The enemy variety has also seen a big increase over its predecessor with upwards of 20 different types of demons to hunt you. These range from mere cannon fodder to mid tier terrors slightly harder to take down – like the fan-favourite Cacodemon or the jetpack-wearing Reaper – to hulking slabs of evil that start off as mini-bosses but who appear increasingly frequently to add another dimension of strategy (and pressure) to your late-game encounters – like the half-tank, half-demon Hunter. The highlight of these new enemies, however, is undoubtedly the Marauder: an axe-wielding, flame hound summoning behemoth, capable of destroying you at close range with his shotgun and from afar with his ranged axe attack. He is undoubtedly the most difficult enemy you will encounter apart from the main bosses and demands a combination of patience and fast reflexes in order to take him down; something you will find yourself in short supply of when you’re also surrounded by about 30 other enemies.

Fortunately you’re well equipped to quell the rising forces of Hell, with the classic Doom assortment of weapons returning in all their explosive glory. These range from your classic combat shotgun to the machine-gun-like “heavy cannon” to the trusty rocket launcher, all of which are fully upgradeable with extra features that change the way you use each weapon. Equip the combat shotgun with the sticky grenade mod and it becomes a low-cost grenade launcher that, if used correctly, can be one of your greatest allies. The Doom staple “super shotgun” also makes a powerful return with the inclusion of a meat-hook like attachment which allows you to fire it into enemies and hurl yourself towards them, adding another dimension to the movement based gameplay. While that sounds fun in theory, I found that the lock on for the grapple was somewhat unreliable and had a rather limited range, relegating the gun to more of a close quarters powerhouse. All told there’s 8 main guns and while it’s unfortunate that there’s no major new inclusion to the arsenal, what you do get is more than enough to offer a variety of ways to take down your enemies.

On top of this is the ever-present Chainsaw, which allows for close-quarters bloody kills (provided you have enough fuel), which spew ammo from the enemy. The Glory Kill feature from the 2016 game also makes a triumphant return, allowing for an instant kill to be performed on an enemy that has sustained significant damage and which causes health pickups to burst forth. The newest attachment to the Doom Slayer’s suit is the wonderfully named “Flame Belch”, a shoulder-mounted flamethrower which torches enemies and causes them to drop armour pickups. This creates another sub-layer of strategy in Doom: Eternal: resource management. On the normal to higher difficulties you will constantly find yourself struggling for ammo, health and armour and the careful, well-timed use of these support weapons on the litany of minor enemies which constantly respawn will often mean the different between life and death, adding an extra level of panic to a game almost overflowing with it.

In addition to the extensive single-player campaign, Bethesda has also spent considerable resources on revamping the disappointing multiplayer from the 2016 Doom, reassessing the format from the ground up. Gone are the standard death matches and map creator modes, replaced by a more modern, on-trend asymmetrical death match; pitting two player-controlled demons and their horde of minor demons against one slayer complete with their entire arsenal. It works surprisingly well, with each demon’s play style feeling fresh and adding a new dynamic to the proceedings. Whilst you may think the slayer has the advantage in his far more varied arsenal, that is not the case and both sides are fairly balanced and come with their own set of challenges. Choose the demon and you have a clear advantage in numbers, but without careful collaboration with your partner, the slayer will pick you off one by one, using the smaller demons as fuel to rain down fire on you. Pick the slayer and you need to use your movement incredibly well, traversing the maps quickly in order to cut the demons off from their partner and strike while they are weaker. Whilst it’s still not something I can see myself sinking hundreds of hours into, it is a marked improvement over the previous game’s multiplayer and something that should find something of a cult following amongst the game’s biggest fans.

Doom: Eternal builds on everything that made the 2016 refresh of the franchise great. The action is more hectic and fast paced than it has ever been, the weapons feel just as great with new mechanics and resource management changing how you use them, and the enemies you encounter constantly challenge you and force you to adapt your play styles and try new things in order to succeed. While the story doesn’t make a lick of sense and drags in some places, the sheer joy of the core gameplay loop delivers just enough adrenaline and satisfaction to keep you coming back for more. The multiplayer may not be for everyone but is nonetheless a welcome addition to the game that extends its playability until the inevitable sequel. Doom: Eternal is an absolute must-play game and one that you should experience as soon as possible. There just isn’t anything out there at the moment like the sheer intensity of being on low health with no ammo and gutting a towering 8 foot demon with a chainsaw to give you just enough health for you to take down his friend behind him. When his friend cracks you open like a melon however, just make sure you have insurance on your TV.

Doom: Eternal is available now on Playstation 4, Xbox One & PC.

Tags Bethesda, DOOM, DOOM: Eternal, Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox

Game Reviews

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

Post author By Tydus
Post date August 8, 2019

It’s 2019, and there’s no doubt that Marvel Studios rule the screen when it comes to bringing superheroes to life. With a shared universe spanning multiple characters, time periods and galaxies, each new Marvel release almost always manages to pull in familiar faces or themes from the its enormous catalogue. Yet despite how common it’s become to see these stories and teamups in recent years, it’s easy to forget that some of the biggest Marvel gatherings have been floating around for years. Around a decade ago, the first two entries in the Ultimate Alliance series were released on consoles – bringing with them some of the most unique and diverse character combinations that we’d ever seen. Finding moderate success with fans of the comics, the series allowed players to create and play out their own superhero dream teams across its first two entries before going into hiding in late 2009. Fast-forward through ten years of skyrocketing superhero success to now, and we’ve just been handed the latest build-your-own Avengers experience in Marvel’s Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order. An absolute success in capitalising on the MCU’s current position, the game is very much a celebration of Marvel history and its characters – an experience unapologetically aimed toward its biggest fans.

Once again, our heroes are hot on the heels of recurring troublemaker Thanos in yet another hunt for the 6 all-powerful Infinity Stones. It’s a setup that is all too familiar to anyone keeping up with the recent Marvel films, however it’s got an entirely new spin here. Ultimate Alliance 3 sits outside the current plotlines and settings of the movies and comics, meaning that it has free reign when it comes to telling its story. It’s also given a far lighter tone, creating an experience where it seems totally plausible for Venom, Gamora, Wolverine and Doctor Strange to be fighting off ninjas on New York’s moonlit rooftops. Your hunt for the stones will take your chosen team through a number of chapters, each based around areas or time periods that are instantly recognisable to those familiar with Marvel’s work. The story itself isn’t entirely memorable, however it serves as a loose thread to tie all the madness together as much as possible – with many of the cutscenes playing out as great action pieces that could have been torn straight from the big screen. Every major scene and exchange plays out the same regardless of your character choice, so your dream team won’t cost you any of the action once things heat up – and believe us, you’ll have a dream team.

This feature in particular is great, as the roster of playable heroes here is outrageous. All the big names are there, from the core Avengers and X-Men right through to other favourites like Daredevil and Loki. A slew of recently announced DLC is also set to bring headlining characters from Blade, The Punisher and the Fantastic Four to the lineup soon, meaning that even those with only a passing interest in Marvel will likely find a favourite here. Each character has a unique set of moves and strengths based on their powers or combat style – Hulk is going to soak up more of a beating than Hawkeye, who himself is best played as a ranged fighter. You’ll also receive team bonuses and perks based on your squad of four, such as boosts gained by pulling the Spider-Man multiverse together or assembling the original Avengers. With all this being said, you can just choose whatever rag-tag group you like and you’ll still manage fine – so if you’re just looking to run the wisecracking pair of Rocket and Deadpool, go right ahead.

Regardless of your chosen squad, Ultimate Alliance 3 is first and foremost an old-fashioned, top-down beat-em-up. You’ll generally be coming up against waves of small enemies time and again, with each going down with not much more than a bit of button-mashing. Each of the characters have a few special moves available to create some breathing room as well, but these encounters are really just filler between the game’s several boss fights. A bunch of names from Marvel’s catalogue of villains are on hand to knock you and your team about, and they break up the otherwise repetitive fights with lesser-known, small-fry villains along the way. Some of these bigger fights can be a decent challenge, requiring some well-timed blocks, strategy or attempts to exploit specific weaknesses. However quite a few will go down as long as you keep up the pressure, and some can feel long or tedious just for the sake of stretching things out. All in all, the combat and fights certainly aren’t deep by any standards. Yet this approach creates a hugely accessible brawler, which is a credit to a game enjoyed most when played with others.

Ultimate Alliance‘s third entry allows you to play it entirely with up to three other people either in the same room or online. If you’re able to grab a few friends who are also Marvel fans, this is definitely the best way to play. You’ll find that, while the fights and mechanics tend to wear on after a while, switching between your favourite heroes and keeping up with the exciting cutscenes work well to keep things fresh. If you’re still looking for more after the story’s end, there are a number of optional challenges available and a whole lot of grinding potential. These challenges come with some restrictions and time limits, while offering rare items and some (admittedly average) alternate outfits. The game’s portability as a Nintendo Switch exclusive really helps here too, as these shorter missions are great for quick bursts when you’re on the go. How much longevity you’ll get from these extras depends entirely on how much of the same combat you’re willing to grind through, but it should be enough to please die-hard fans looking to get every last drop of what’s on offer.

At the end of the day, these superfans are really the target audience for Ultimate Alliance 3. Enjoyable as an accessible button-masher with a few friends, the real majority of its appeal comes from its epic cutscenes and dream character combos. These factors carry the game through some of its slower and more repetitive moments, so you’d best consider how deep your love of all things Marvel runs before stepping into the fray. Yet if Marvel and its heroes are your thing, you’ll find a surprising and exciting adventure here as you watch the Avengers assemble entirely within the palm of your hands.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order – Available now on Nintendo Switch.

Tags Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, Ninja Theory, Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, The Black Order

Articles & News

The 2019 E3 Wrap

Post author By Tydus
Post date June 13, 2019

The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has rolled around again for 2019, bringing with it a ton of new info, teasers and reveals of all that’s coming soon in gaming. The Los Angeles gathering gives developers and publishers a chance to show off their work and drum up excitement for releases both right around the corner and a bit further down the track. With most of the industry’s biggest names holding lengthy press conferences across the week, we’ve put together a bit of a highlight reel of all the standouts we’ll be lining up for on release.

Electronic Arts (EA)

EA had the first conference slot, opting to deliver their show through a livestream rather than their traditional stage appearances. Known mainly for their many hugely successful sports games, EA spent a decent amount of time showing off their next FIFA and Madden NFL titles – each flashing their highly realistic visuals and various new features. Yet what the people really came for were some much awaited details on Respawn Entertainment’s upcoming single-player Star Wars game. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order certainly didn’t disappoint, giving us a lengthy glimpse of some real dynamic combat, characters and environments that look like they were cut straight from a movie. The game’s original story and lightsaber action is set to place you in the shoes of a Jedi come November 15th this year. EA’s conference also covered some upcoming expansions to their existing catalogue, including Battlefield V, Apex Legends, Sims 4 and Anthem.

Microsoft

With Sony choosing to give E3 a pass completely this year, all eyes were on Microsoft for some of the biggest reveals and updates during their presentation. Recognising this, the company covered around 60 titles on stage – plus they made time to show off their insanely technical new Elite Series 2 controller and their plans for Project Scarlett, the new supercharged console they’re looking at releasing next year. Microsoft also went over their growing ‘xCloud’ game streaming service, while also expanding the Xbox Game Pass service to cover PC players as well. One of the biggest gaming items on the list was definitely Cyberpunk 2077 – the upcoming action RPG title from the creators of The Witcher series. With a trailer starring none other than Keanu Reeves, the game received a release date of 16th April 2020 from the man himself as he appeared on stage to surprised fans. Microsoft’s conference ended with a nice teaser for Halo Infinite – with Master Chief’s next big outing set to roll out alongside Project Scarlett next year. Microsoft also touched on a number of their upcoming indie titles, an interesting Blair Witch game and a Lego crossover coming to Forza Horizon 4.

343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios, 2019

Bethesda

The team at Bethesda spent much of the first chunk of their conference fleshing out their many incoming mobile games, including Elder Scrolls: Blades (now coming to Switch) and the cartoon free-to-play Commander Keen. The main events followed soon after, launching with another trailer for the upcoming Wolfenstein: Youngblood – a slick co-op shooter dropping in July for all major platforms. The new Doom: Eternal also got to show off its frantic, bloody gameplay and an expanded multiplayer mode – looking infinitely bigger and badder than its 2016 predecessor. Players can drop back into all the gory action once again when it releases on November 22 this year. Bethesda’s presentation also featured some interesting new titles, such as the time-bending Deathloop and the horror/sci-fi combination of Ghostwire: Tokyo – as well as some massive Fallout 76 expansions for good measure.

Square-Enix

In the Japanese publisher’s second year in a row as a solo act, Square managed to completely raise the bar over the competition. Featuring several back to back announcements, the show finally gave the crowd a decent look at the Final Fantasy VII Remake – and it’s looking good. With a bunch of scenes featuring Tifa and other crowd-favourite characters, we also got a bunch of time looking over the game’s new, action-focused combat system – with it all releasing in early March next year. Rounding out the showcase was the long awaited trailer for the new Crystal Dynamics’ Avengers game. We were given a quick look of the opening scenes and gameplay with each of the 5 main characters (Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk and Black Widow), as well as some quick videos from the designers and the well-known voice cast. This one is sure to get people going wild when it drops mid-next year, but it certainly looks like it could use a few more coats of paint before it hits shelves. Square-Enix also made room for multiple ports of their classic games (including Final Fantasy VIII), another chapter in the Life is Strange series, the incoming expansion to their online Final Fantasy XIV and the sequel to 2016’s Dragon Quest Builders.

Ubisoft

As usual, Ubisoft put their biggest players forward this year during their time in the spotlight. While also touching on some left field items – such as a TV show on Amazon and their own game streaming service – this presentation was all about Watch Dogs and their various Tom Clancy franchises. Set in a not-too-distant future London, Watch Dogs Legion has some slick visuals and some real out-there gameplay designs happening based on what we were shown. Expect to see permadeaths, near limitless playable characters and a fully realised cyber London when the game drops on 6th March 2020. The other headlining act here was the new Ghost Recon Breakpoint, slated for release in early October this year. The game admittedly looks decent with an interesting set up, and if Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, The Punisher) can’t sell it to you live on stage, nobody can. Ubisoft also gave some time to their new developments: Gods & Monsters and Roller Champions, while also bringing yet another Just Dance entry and some expansions to the multiplayer Rainbow Six – Siege.

Nintendo

Last but certainly not least, Nintendo delivered their livestream Direct video to the world as they have the past few years. Despite not having the great Reggie Fils-Aimé running the show for them this time, the company still managed to bring some solid reveals and details on upcoming Switch titles. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is shaping up to be a great time, introducing a bunch of new mechanics and multiplayer elements for its release later this year. The next Animal Crossing – despite being delayed until next year – is looking like it will do right by series fans and newcomers alike. We also saw some new gameplay for the upcoming Zelda: Link’s Awakening, which is shaping up to be a solid mix of old and new for its launch this September. Some nice surprises came in the form of new additions to the Smash Bros Ultimate roster – with The Heroes from Dragon Quest and returning N64 tag team Banjo-Kazooie coming later this year and early 2020. To cap off the end of the stream in style, Nintendo gave us a fleeting teaser of what is set to be a direct sequel to the magnificent Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Buried in the Nintendo stream were also the incoming ports of Resident Evil 5 & 6, some further details on the definitive edition of Dragon Quest XI and the seemingly impossible feat of moving The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and all its DLC onto the Switch later this year.

All in all, the 2019 E3 presentations had a great mix of reveals and details to cover just about every audience. Make sure to check out some of the shows in full if they’ve caught your interest here – we’ve barely scratched the surface and haven’t even mentioned the interesting stuff coming out of the Devolver Digital and PC shows. The only thing left to do now is work out where we’ll find time for everything that’s coming – the next twelve months are stacked.

Tags Bethesda, E3, E3 2019, EA, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Square-Enix, Ubisoft

Game Reviews

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Post author By Tydus
Post date May 15, 2019

Almost as old as console gaming itself, the Legend of Zelda series and its numerous entries have become synonymous not only with Nintendo, but with gaming as a whole. The foundations have remained fairly constant throughout the main entries – a boy named Link finds a sword, fights through some dungeons, beats the big bad and saves a princess. Yet it’s how Nintendo delivers this formula that has made the series such a hallmark. Link’s adventure may have him cross a vast ocean as he commands the winds from one island to the next. Another entry may have him crossing through time itself, triggering changes in the past that impact the world around him in the future. The bold and innovative changes that each new adventure brings are key to the series’ long running success, and make every entry unique in its own way. So when Nintendo were gearing up to release their new Switch console – itself a bold and innovative risk – there was little surprise when they decided to pair the launch with another addition to the Zelda universe. What we may not have been expecting, however, was an entry that easily stands as one of gaming’s greatest adventures yet.

I’ve recently revisited Breath of the Wild after a long break since its release in 2017 – partly due to the fact that it deserved some time without distractions from other big releases, and I was also holding out for the significant story DLC to completely roll in. I was hesitant about starting over again after so long, wiping the decent amount of progress I had going from my first run – but it felt right in order to get the full experience (and to not get totally thrashed after forgetting how to swing a sword). It took just minutes to completely sink into this fresh start, leaving me wondering how I ever managed to put the thing down in the first place.

First things first – Breath of the Wild looks great. You’re thrust into the titular wild almost immediately, the view pulling back to give you an idea of the sheer scale of it all. The cel-shaded art style creates an environment blooming with colour and light – falling somewhere between the cartoon style used in the Wind Waker and the realism aimed for in Twilight Princess. Each area of Hyrule is easily distinguishable from the next, with picturesque coastal villages and cliffside forests offset by sandy deserts and white snowfields. These locations are brimming with character and detail, often having Link cross paths with the abundant wildlife or the odd local looking for a chat. The game also features its own day-night cycle, meaning you’re constantly running into breathtaking scenes completely organically – whether it be catching glimmers of a sunrise through thick forest treetops, or watching the moon hit the ocean’s surface as you sail on by.

The main aim behind this dynamic time system is not just for taking pretty screenshots of the sunset, however. Breath of the Wild, while also introducing a number of other innovations for the series, is very much based around survival. You’re able to keep track of the current time, incoming weather and other events that may immediately impact your journey. Travelling at night can be dangerous with more enemies on the road, however the darkness may give you the cover you need to creep into a guarded camp undetected. An incoming thunderstorm will strike you down if your gear conducts electricity, however the same goes for your enemies. Planning a long climb? Keep any eye on the radar for rain or else Link will find himself sliding straight back down. Becoming familiar with the best climbing techniques is one of the key aspects of Breath of the Wild – and you’ll be doing it a lot. Link is able to climb most vertical surface he comes across, creating almost infinite possibilities for traversal, puzzle solving and getting the drop on your enemies. Combine this mechanic with Link’s personal paraglider, and you’ll have all you need to spend hours soaring from Hyrule’s peaks and mountaintops throughout Link’s adventure.

In exploring off the beaten path, you’ll also find yourself duly rewarded. During the game’s tutorial area, you’re provided with a ‘Sheikah Slate’ – a small handheld tablet that is conveniently shaped like a Nintendo Switch. This functions as Link’s map, record keeper and key to all of the hundred-odd ‘shrines’ dotted across Hyrule. Each of these shrines feature a puzzle or combat challenge (some are a challenge to even locate), and overcoming them will net Link rewards such as new weapons, more health or increased stamina. These tasks are never too straining, with most shrines typically having one overarching puzzle design to get your head around. Most will require use of the Sheikah Slate’s abilities – such as conjuring bombs, moving magnetic items or freezing platforms of water – and the game’s total flexibility in their use often had me wondering if I was supposed complete a puzzle in the odd way that I did.

On top of this, many shrines (and areas in the outside world) will be littered with enemies for you to cut down, either with a large axe or the nearest available broomstick. In fitting with the survival dynamic, just about all weapons and shields Link finds are breakable. Flammable items become ash when torched, and that nice looking sword you pulled from a chest will fall to pieces given enough use. There are more than enough weapon options floating around Hyrule to keep you relatively well stocked, however you’ll have to determine which tools you can stand to lose – and which you’ll need to save for later. Deciding which of these items to use for a given fight adds to the game’s many puzzles, especially when challenging Link’s more intimidating foes.

Many of these most dangerous enemies will come about as part of the central story thread running through the game. There’s not a huge amount of directed story content, so I won’t spoil what’s there – though it will involve tackling a series of dungeons and bosses along the way. Unlike other entries in the Zelda series, these dungeons are much fewer in number and smaller in scale – essentially just larger versions of the game’s multiple shrines. They are rounded out with some decent storylines and scenes (featuring full voice acting almost never seen in the series), however the dungeons themselves could have been a bit more meaty. If you’re keen to step up the challenge a notch, the excellent and lengthy DLC content is a great option. Adding additional shrines, dungeons and restrictions, this bonus offering has some big prizes for those who have mastered Breath of the Wild‘s mechanics and combat. The final boss in this optional scenario is a reward in itself, and you’re also treated to some expansion on the game’s characters and storyline as well.

The story itself is minimal, but is well implemented and impactful. It succeeds in creating a cast of characters that have real stakes in what Link is trying to achieve, each given their own personality, goals, relationships and regrets. Zelda herself is also given a relatively central role, rather than being posed as a typical damsel in distress. The piecemeal-approach to storytelling provides an interesting and effective way of progressing the player through to the adventure’s end, especially when that conclusion could be tens of hours away.

However it’s not the plot and cast of characters that will define your play-through of Breath of the Wild, but rather the experiences and decisions you’ll make while becoming lost in its world. You’ll try experimental cooking with mixed results, end up stumbling across hidden tombs deep in tropical rainforests, and wander into rural villages full of their own quests and secrets. One of my most memorable moments came relatively early in the game, when I decided to climb an icy mountain using just an ugly coat and a positive attitude, a situation which almost found me frozen to death. Expecting to find another Shrine or perhaps another questionably rewarding Korok Seed, I instead found myself soaring through valleys in an attempt to rescue a creature taller than any mountain on the horizon. Such surprises are hidden in every corner of Hyrule, and your invested curiosity and exploration are almost always worth the effort.

It’s these moments that really make Breath of the Wild shine, and will keep you lost in its world for hours and hours. Pairing the game with the launch of the Switch was an absolute masterstroke by Nintendo, allowing players to easily dip their toe in whenever and wherever they like. Setting a new standard for all future entries in the series – as well as for gaming in general – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is absolute gold brimming with so many possibilities. It’s an easy recommendation to anyone yet to start, and also to those who’ve experienced the adventure in the past. Regardless of how much time you spend in Hyrule, there’s almost always an unturned stone or breathtaking discovery waiting to be found out there in the wild.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available now on Nintendo Switch & Wii-U.

Tags Breath of the Wild, Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda, Zelda

Game Reviews

Pokémon: Let’s Go Eevee & Let’s Go Pikachu

Post author By Tydus
Post date May 8, 2019

Pokémon’s little yellow mascot takes the spotlight once again this week, making his live-action film debut in Warner Bros’ highly anticipated Detective Pikachu. While the movie is a big shift from what we’d usually expect to come out of the Pokémon universe, it does draw heavily from what made the series a worldwide phenomenon to start with – especially when it comes to the love it gives the titular hero. In celebration of its release (and due to just a smidge of hype), we’ve decided to revisit Pikachu’s most recent outing on the Nintendo Switch – in yet another quest to catch ’em all.

Being the second remake of a game from the late 90’s, the announcement that Pokémon: Let’s Go would be the first RPG in the series to hit the Switch was met with mixed reactions. Pokémon Yellow, the original from which this is based, hit its 20 year anniversary during the same year – so this new release had a nice bit of symmetry. However fans had been holding out for an entirely new adventure – one that would take advantage of the power and flexibility of the new Nintendo hardware – and so were torn to learn that they’d be getting a remake using mechanics from the popular free-to-play mobile game, Pokémon Go.

Despite this, Let’s Go still captured the majority of fans upon release late in 2018, predominantly because Nintendo and Game Freak had achieved exactly what they’d set out to do. This entry was never about further inflating the roster of catchable creatures or developing new regions and deeper competitive play – it was created as a celebration. A tribute to the series’ roots – its original characters, gameplay and world. In stripping back many of the franchise’s growing layers and complexities, Let’s Go was able to tap into what made series such a hit all those years ago – and in doing so, it was a success.

Before even starting the game, you have a choice to make. In usual Pokémon RPG fashion, the franchise’s first big Switch entry is split into two releases: Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee. Both versions are almost identical, save for a few Pokémon exclusive to each version – and, of course, your partner for the journey. Your partner Pokémon will play a much larger role than in any past entry, often playing a role in most of the adventure’s story beats. It also has access to exclusive moves and, despite not being able to evolve, is strong enough to be an unassuming little powerhouse in battle. You’ll come across numerous outfits and accessories for them too, as they’ll be travelling out in the overworld with you at all times (they also come in handy as the game’s fast travel system and field-move users). What I’m getting at is that Pikachu and Eevee are central to just about everything that goes on, so make sure to pick your favourite before you dive in. Once you do get started, you’re quickly introduced to your chosen sidekick before being sprung into your new adventure across Kanto.

I use the word ‘new’ loosely here, with Kanto being the oldest and most recognisable region in all of Pokémon. However the Nintendo Switch has allowed for quite a significant step up with regards to how the game looks and plays. The towns, routes and characters of Kanto have never looked better, and – despite this huge facelift – almost every area of the game has been faithfully reconstructed as they were in the original. The path through Viridian Forest is still exactly the same as it was 20 years ago, and you can still pay an outrageous sum of money for a Magikarp in the Pokémon centre outside Mt Moon.

Yet for all its similarities, there are a number of changes that have been made in bringing the adventure to the current gen. For example, the Safari Zone has been completely removed and replaced by ‘Go Park’ – a dedicated area for connecting with the player’s Pokémon Go mobile collection. It’s a great way of bridging the two games and rewarding dedicated fans, but cutting the Safari Zone completely still feels like a misstep given its size in the original. This is only one of the changes arising as a result of Pokemon’s recent mobile success, with the classic Pokémon formula receiving some significant adjustments as well.

Let’s start with the battles, or rather, the lack of them. You will no longer battle wild Pokémon you wander through tall grass, dark caves or while crossing water. Instead, battles are strictly reserved for gym leaders and other trainers – of which there are admittedly quite a few across Kanto. The battles themselves are the same as always, albeit a lot more detailed and dynamic. Experience gained through these battles is shared amongst the entire team, meaning you’re not made weaker by the reduced battle practice you’ll be getting. You’ll also strengthen your team by catching wild Pokémon that you come across on the road, which brings us to the other major change introduced here.

Random wild Pokémon encounters are out, with the player now able to see each critter roaming about in the field. Gone are the days of tripping over the same Pidgey or Geodude every few steps, as you can now pick your next catch – or avoid them altogether if you like. Once you run into your target, the encounter itself will immediately be recognisable for fans of Pokémon Go – in that all you’re required to do is make a well-timed Pokéball throw to land a catch. This is fairly simple and fun when in handheld mode, yet docking the Switch and breaking out the motion controls is almost always a bad time. Your throws are often misread, and once you’re up against Pokémon who like to move around a bit, you’ve got no chance.

For the most part, these changes are actually a benefit to the adventure. Battles are more exciting and enjoyable because you’re not fighting off waves of Zubat and Tentacool every few minutes. Being able to pick and choose your next encounter is a huge plus, and the focus on catching rather than battling means you end up creating quite a collection without really thinking about it. These freedoms also allow you to enjoy your adventure without getting too bogged down in the workings of it all. The plot itself remains largely unchanged, having you make your way to the top of the Pokémon League – stopping briefly to dismantle a criminal organisation in the background when needed. There’s been a huge attention to detail in delivering the story here, with Oak, Brock, Misty, Jessie and James all looking exactly as you remember them from morning TV in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. There are also a number of easter eggs and references peppered throughout for long-time fans, right down to a marooned truck parked suspiciously off the docks of Vermillion City.

Whilst being positioned as a nostalgic love letter to fans who have been following the series for decades, Let’s Go also cements itself as the perfect entry point for a new generation of fans to step in. Shifting the formula to match the style of the insanely popular Pokémon Go creates an easy transition for many new players, and the reduced overall difficulty results in a smoother learning curve for less experienced players. You can even bring another player along for some couch co-op, taking part in joint battles and coordinated catches to make life even simpler.

The addition of these extras doesn’t mean that all of the game’s challenge is gone, however. Upon clearing the main story, you’re given the chance to earn ‘master’ titles from new trainers that have appeared all across Kanto. Most will require you to challenge their favourite Pokémon with an identical one you have raised – the battle deciding which of the two trainers should be named ‘master’ of that particular Pokémon. While it certainly creates a large amount of content after the credits roll, you’ll really have to ask yourself if it’s worth training almost 150 different Pokémon up to their absolute max – just to be named something like ‘Goldeen Master’. Otherwise you can track down some challenging trainers from the original games – or, better yet, take the Master Ball for a walk through the dark depths of Cerulean Cave.

Whether you’re returning to Kanto with years of experience, or you’re a newcomer starting your first adventure, Let’s Go does an excellent job of pleasing both sides of the spectrum. While erring on the side of the less experienced crowd more often than not, Nintendo and Game Freak have included enough challenge and nostalgia to appeal to the existing dedicated fanbase as well. Whilst not officially “core” games, meaning that not all of these changes will be carried into future instalments, Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee have provided a glimpse of what the future holds for the series – while at the same time recognising all that made Pokémon so special to begin with.

Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu & Let’s Go Eevee are available now on Nintendo Switch.

Tags Game Freak, Kanto, Let's Go Eevee, Let's Go Pikachu, Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, Pokémon