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Super Meat Boy Switch Arriving On January 11 With Exclusive Race Mode

Over the holiday, Team Meat has given a release date to the Switch port of Super Meat Boy, now releasing in just over two weeks on January 11.

The Switch port, aside from being a portable version of Super Meat Boy which is pioneered ground from the PlayStation Vita version, includes a new exclusive mode for the system. The Race Mode splits the screen in half and lets two players play against each other to tear through Super Meat Boy (or tear their hair out along the way). 

“Race Mode is something we’ve wanted to do since Meat Boy came out in 2010,” Team Meat wrote. “We figured the Switch was a good time to test it out.”

The sequel to Super Meat Boy, a runner titled Super Meat Boy Forever, is scheduled to release on Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2018.

Our Take The new race mode seems interesting and I might be eager to go through Super Meat Boy once again in a portable fashion.

[djbawlzy]

Tomorrow...

Tomorrow I start the last ten days of the year, by revealing one by one my top ten games of the year. Super excited to discuss and go back to some of those major life-changing, eye-opening, emotion-provoking games. 2015 was good for games, 2016 was shit to me, I think 2017 gave us so many treasures no matter what kind of gamer you are. New styles of games emerged, some publishers took giant risks and were rewarded, and more. It also has to be mentioned that the Nintendo Switch innovated and demonstrated how much portability enhances a gamer’s life for the better. There were negatives, micro-transactions continue to be a plague, but many games have proven that those mechanics hinder the experience.

Think you can guess what my #10 game of the year will be? :)

[djbawlzy]

DJBawlzy Writes - Random Blurb 1

Darkness. The oppressive nature, the secrets hidden within, the truest way to crush a spirit. He reached into his front pant pocket, grasping a small metallic device. With a swift flick, the lid came off and his thumb instantly brushed the igniter. A flame, pathetic flame, cast a dim light upon the environment. It was enough to show a path but not enough to create hope. He took a step forward. The ground felt solid, cold, rough, ‘concrete,’ he guessed. Taking another step, felt the exact same. While the saying is ‘nowhere to go but up,’ in this case it was just forward. The man formed a cadence in his steps. The light of the flame flickered and occasionally cast grim shadow figures and forms. His heart pulsed loudly from within his chest, but doing nothing surely meant death. Moments passed. Time progressed differently in this place, this town. The sun doesn’t rise nor set. All there is, is fog, and darkness.

[djbawlzy]

The first ever comic from Bungie just released. This volume (ten pages) tells of the moments and conversations that happened which led to Osiris’ banishment. I can’t help thinking two things. First, the content within seems forced. For being so small, a lot of people and events are being told. Character voice is a little disconnected and feels off when reading, opposed to experiencing. In general, there is little time to re-identify or reconnect with your favorite character leaving the reader confused as to what the ending was intending to accomplish. Second, why couldn’t this be something in game either as a flashback cut scene, or viewable in the game after unlocking/completing a certain mission. This comic series feels like a way to re-introduce the Grimoire but with more imagery and less text. However with any console players without access to a tablet or PC, viewing these comics could become an impossibility.

The idea is neat and I would bet their friends at Blizzard provided the concept. Overall it feels rushed, leaves little time to get invested in the moment as it plays out, and doesn’t explain anything that wasn’t already known. 

[djbawlzy]

Episode Ignis: I’m Not Crying, Something Got In My Eye

The final chapter in the Final Fantasy XV saga has come to a close. Episode Ignis branches the last glaring “plot-hole” from the main game while also presenting a few surprises along the way. Needless to say, mild spoilers are contained within, to allow fair and accurate discussion of this release.

How does Episode Ignis differentiate itself from the other DLC missions that preceded it? First of all, this segment explains a curious plot-hole from the main games’ campaign. Players get to learn a bit more about what takes place in Altissia, after the fight with Leviathan nocts Noctis out (get it?) ... 

Once again, like in the past episodes, the combat set for Ignis far exceeds his capabilities in the base game. A little upsetting, however playing as Ignis is absolutely satisfying. There is a strategy based on what element you infuse the daggers with, and each element has a fluidity and effective area-of-effect that can really sway a battle in your favor. For any players who haven’t beaten the single-player campaign, this episode also introduces the ability to swap between characters; no longer forcing people to play only Noctis.

The narrative tells about Ignis as he pushes to find Noctis who is unconscious on an alter across Altissia. While that main plot-line is relatively straight-forward, the game also takes time to revisit what Ignis’ duty is, and how he has been protecting his King since adolescence. These emotional scenes open up a new layer to the overall experience that culminates in one helluva beautiful ending. In fact, this episode takes the time to give us the “true” ending to Final Fantasy XV. Yes I cried, I’ll admit it. 

In summary, while only a couple hours long, Episode Ignis pushes a lot of the right buttons for people who identify with Ignis as a character. His dedication to his first true friend and his job as protector of the King, is visually explained while also tested throughout the narrative. The fluid and exciting combat is refreshingly new and doesn’t get stale at any point. A lot of secrets, some fun easter eggs, and overall the only must play DLC for Final Fantasy XV lore fans.

[djbawlzy]

Some actual details and a little more clarification on things within Death Stranding! Back to watching the new trailer on repeat! 

[djbawlzy]

New Harry Potter RPG Announced, Coming In 2018

Warner Bros. recently created a new label specifically designed to publish Harry Potter games. Off the back of that announcement last month and the reveal of a new Pokemon Go-like game titled Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, the company has now unveiled another new game set in the Potter universe. Called Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, the new title is a narrative RPG set in the famous school for witchcraft and wizardry, and it’s coming to mobile in 2018.

Warner Bros. and developer Jam City say the new game will allow players to “create their own character and experience life as a Hogwarts student” by “progressing through their years” at the school. Along the way, you can participate in magical classes such as Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Duelling Club.

Warner Bros. hasn’t revealed anything more about Hogwarts Mystery as yet, except that it’s coming to iOS and Android. It will join Wizards Unite, which is also launching on mobile next year. That game will see you roaming the real world collecting power-ups, defending locations, and exploring your environment, much like Pokemon Go. Warner Bros. has also teased that a new Harry Potter game is in the works for consoles, but nothing else is known about that project for now.

There have been many Harry Potter console games over the years, but none recently. The eight movies got their own tie-in games from Electronic Arts, while Lego Harry Potter versions from Warner Bros. came later. Additionally, there was a Quidditch-themed game called Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup. A Harry Potter Kinect game was also released.

[djbawlzy]

This Week In Bawlzy - 12/11/17

Quite the week has gone by, and more is on the way! The most intriguing part, hardly any of the new releases were full length games. Call it early Christmas or very careful planning, regardless it was fun. Let’s recap what we saw, expect more in depth posts and discussions throughout the week.

Rainbow Six Siege: Operation White Noise

Three new operators have released bringing Year 2 to a close. First up, Zofia, who completes the roster of GROM operators. She is very efficient at strong fast pushes. Her ability allows her to dispense through a grenade launcher either concussive or destructive bombs. Barriers can’t stop her and stunning the enemy is a breeze for this “breach and clear” operator. The next two introduce the new country and the theme for Operation White Noise. Hailing from South Korea’s 707th Battalion, Dokkaebi and Vigil join the fray. Vigil wears a mask that completely covers his face and prevents him from being identified in the digital world we live in. His ability allows him to completely disappear to anybody trying to see him through a drone camera or surveillance camera. This Defender is also equipped with a one-shot (two shell capacity) shotgun. So with Vigil, trusting your ears is capital because you won’t get a visual on him. Dokkaebi brings in a hacker (finally) to the current meta of Rainbow Six: Siege. Almost playfully, this Attacker can hack the teams’ phones causing them to vibrate, at which time the Defenders must decide to take the three seconds to turn off their phone, or press forward. If Dokkaebi gets a hold of a dead Defenders phone, she can also hack into the enemys or locations’ surveillance cameras. Both of these new operators bring a current age approach to infiltration and defense and have definitely shaken the meta. Operation White Noise also release the largest and most convoluted map the game has ever seen. The Tower features for the first time no exterior access into objective rooms, three stories, walkways and balconies, and over five different themed areas. Navigating this area can be a real bitch but The Tower gives players a challenge in how they Defend and Attack an objective.

Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris Expansion

It’s a great and a bad time to be a Destiny fan. While the universe, storytelling, and lore-building continues to flourish, Bungie continues to make mistakes in terms of economy and pay-wall blocking. Hopefully that is resolved in the near future but for now let’s discuss the new Expansion. Curse of Osiris takes us on a three to four hour story campaign introducing us to the Vex “mastermind” plan, as well as meeting a character many lore-addicts have been drooling for since D1. Outside of that players can participate in new Exploration of the planet Mercury and Vex ‘Reality-Machine’ the Infinite Forest. This location comes with a new Public Event, some secrets, Adventures, Heroic Adventures, and a long grinding quest for some new weapons. Overall the content might seem a bit light, however for the cost and the amount of time to finish, this Expansion far exceeds any other that player’s have seen in the franchise. It is also worth mention that with this Expansion came the start of Season 2, which itself brought a large amount of new skins, ornaments, ships, shaders, and other collectible items. The fashion show has begun again!

Monster Hunter Worlds: Open Beta

More on this in the very near future. Playstation Plus owners were treated to a surprise when it was announced that this past weekend only they would get exclusive access to this one beta for the new current-gen Monster Hunter. The beta featured three hunts all of different difficulties, overall taking about 2 hours to complete. Character and felyne (that’s right) creation was also included. The most significant facet being that all weapons, equipment, and items were unlocked. This allowed many players such as myself to test and use and learn mechanics and how to play the game well before its’ release. Expect a full discussion soon!

Thank you so much for reading! Like, share, and let me know what you think, I love to hear from you. For now, I am DJBawlzy, see you soon.

[djbawlzy]

Check Out This Insane Death Stranding Trailer

At the Game Awards 2017, viewers were treated to the latest taste from Hideo Kojima’s upcoming title, Death Stranding.

A bizarre, disturbing, and surreal trailer showcases strange devices, hidden terrors, and ominous… babies inside suits? Giant space beings? We’ll leave it up to you to guess what the hell is going on. Words really don’t do the trailer justice.

It’s really, really weird, but I absolutely want to play this game. Norman Reedus gets plenty of screen time too!

Check it out below!

(Please visit the site to view this media)

[djbawlzy]

Witchfire Is A Grim First-Person Shooter From The Makers Of Bulletstorm

The Astronauts, creators of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, are working on a new, grim-looking shooter. That sounds, weird, but it makes sense.

Witchfire looks to be a frantic, run-and-gun first-person shooter with old-school guns and grim-looking enemies. The Astronauts is made of folks from People Can Fly (creators of Bulletstorm and the Painkiller), so it’s a return-to-form for many of the people working on it. You can watch the trailer below.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

[djbawlzy]

Bayonetta 3 Announced For Nintendo Switch

Nintendo has announced that Bayonetta 3 is in development exclusively for Nintendo Switch. The reveal happened during The Game Awards, when Reggie Fils-Aime appeared on stage and introduced a short teaser. The video featured the titular character, Bayonetta, using her iconic dual-wielding pistols, firing bullets into the distance.

During this sequence, an incredibly fast, purple ghost-like creature is attacking Bayonetta, who is struggling to keep up with it. The two then face off against each other, but suddenly Bayonetta disappears and it looks like her body is dissolve, leaving her guns to drop to the floor. Check out the trailer above.

As with the previous two entries in the series, Bayonetta 3 is being developed by Platinum Games. Nintendo will be publishing the title, just like it did for the second game in the series. The Game Awards had more surprises for Bayonetta fans in the form of re-releases of Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 for Switch. You can find out more about the two Bayonetta re-releases for Switch here.

[djbawlzy]

Soul Calibur 6 Announced, Coming 2018

Bandai Namco has announced Soulcalibur VI, showcasing a brief teaser of the game this evening during The Game Awards.

Soulcalibur VI is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2018.

Developing…

Continue reading…

[djbawlzy]

__ of the Year: Bawlzy Edition (2)

“Best Independent Game”

Today I am going to cover one of the most difficult categories in 2017, ‘Best Indie Game.’ This year, players were treated to a plethora of fantastic indie and visionary games. Looking at the nominees on TGA (thegameawards.com) website, this statement holds more true. Making the decision to choose just one of these excellent titles is near impossible, so for this article there are actually two winners!

= = Night in the Woods = =

Night in the Woods is one of the biggest surprise titles this year. Not necessarily due to looking bad and being great, rather, looking cute and being oppressively  dark. The art style features bright colors, playful Halloween and autumnal environments, and adorable cartoon animals. The music further emphasizes this whimsical and relaxed atmosphere through most of the game, until it finally turns eerie and terrifying. The story of Night in the Woods ended up being more relatable than expected and “too real” for many players.

Note, this is not to a fault; in fact this is what ended up capturing the hearts of so many people. The basic premise is that of a college student who ends up returning to her hometown after dropping out of school. She comes back to find people have moved on, matured, evolved, and she is still in many ways, a child. Many of the characters you meet, players will either relate to, or have that friend who they’re reminded of. In one scene the main character gets into a fight with her mother, and that one scene had streamers stopping and realizing that they have been there, said those things, and cried those tears in their own life story.

The over arching story outside of the events, is also a murder mystery which ends in something truly phenomenal and special. The best comparison that can be made to this is that of a coming-of-age biography mixed with an episode of Scooby Doo. Beginning to end, the game grabs at your heartstrings and pulls you into your own memories and experiences in one way or another. Very few games this year left players in tears and simultaneously in smiles, like Night in the Woods did. It truly is one of a kind.

= = Pyre = =

On the topic of surprises, indie Developers ‘Supergiant’ (known for hit games such as Transistor and Bastion), delivered a unique experience within a well fleshed-out RPG. Packed full of: lore and excellent narrative, choices that make each playthrough unique for each player, is all bundled within an esport-style combat experience, and makes Pyre not only fresh to the scene but also fun as hell.

A couple things have to be noted that also makes Pyre so brilliant. The artwork and visuals are worthy of being displayed in an art gallery. Many people including myself proudly display posters and cover art of the game. The music, composed by Darren Korb is emotional while also transcending multiple genre’s of modern day music. The characters themselves are written with such personality and diversity that all players will find their ‘favorite and least favorite,’ and that decision has weight as you progress towards the halfway point of the game and onward.

The most unique facet of the game however, is the team-based esport-style combat. It revolves around three characters at once trying to out maneuver the other team of three (sometimes more) during what is called a Rite. The objective is simply to dunk an orb into the opposing teams’ pyre. This game is done multiple times and eventually gives the winning team the option for one of their teammates to leave exile (the player makes this choice), while the entire losing team must start over and work back to the top again. Each character during the Rite has special abilities that give them their own edge, along with other passive traits that all characters share in different capacities (speed, damage to the pyre, etc). All of these traits and abilities can be evolved, leveled up, and leaves it up to the player to grow the team to their own playstyle.

This idea of diversity, is what makes Pyre so great. No player will have the same playthrough, and no player will ever ‘get good’ at the game due to built-in story and progression mechanics (which will not be explained due to spoilers). Even though the primary objective and “end-game” is the same for everybody, Pyre focuses on your journey to the top and to salvation. Once you reach the end it’s great, but the spiritual and emotional steps taken to get there, all built on player choice, makes Pyre shine brighter than most.

Overall, both of these games to me were standouts from the year. They presented visuals and mechanics along with compelling narratives and characters, that will stick with me on a personal level for my entire life. It’s only fair that both Pyre and Night in the Woods get the title of Best Indie Games of 2017. With all of the Indie games players were treated to in 2017, it’s with great joy that I look forward to the Indie games releasing in 2018.

[djbawlzy]

__ of the Year! Bawlzy Edition (1)

It’s that time of the year again! 2017 is wrapping up and it’s time for me to look at some of the games and categories for “Game of the Year.” Be sure to comment with your thoughts, I’d love to hear them!

1) BEST DEBUT INDIE GAME - This award is for the best indie game released this year that is also the developers first ever game. 

Hollow Knight takes my vote for this category. This Metroid-vania style platformer does a lot of things right and does an amazing job at pulling you into the world. The art design contrasts between cute to somber, the music is phenomenal and follows that aethetic. The environments are expansive and littered with a vast array of enemies as well as supportive AI’s. Many of these “companions” have stories to tell or add on to the main narrative which further encourages immersion. Mechanically Hollow Knight doesn’t get too complex, almost simple at times, however that is to its’ benefit. Anyone could load up this game and within minutes understand the core competencies of how to play and progress.  At a cost of 14.99 (http://store.steampowered.com/app/367520/Hollow_Knight/), many players reported 40 hours spent playing the game. For a hand drawn Indie game, that is a hell of a lot of content. More that can be found in a handful of AAA titles this year. With the Holidays on the horizon, consider giving this gorgeous Indie title a try! You might get lost, you might get a little enraged, but you will forge on, Knight.

[djbawlzy]

Heroes of the Storm - In Development 12/01

Blizzard just release their couple minute preview of what is headed to the Nexus. As expected, Hanzo is on the way with the next big update. However, the holiday shenanigans are also well on their way! A lot of new sprays, skins, and even mounts, are coming to a delicious gingerbread lootbox near you.

Check out the screenshots below and be sure to watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OuyewX-Kew

I present the awesome new Reindeer mount, Greatfather Winter Malfurion, and my personal favorite, Seasons Reapings!

[djbawlzy]

Call Of Duty: WWII Ranked Play Coming To PS4 And Xbox Today

Think you’re good at Call of Duty: WWII? Now is your chance to prove it. Activision has is launching Ranked Play for PS4 and Xbox One, kicking this off with placement season where players will compete to find out how they stack up against the competition. This begins at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET on December 1, so it’s just hours away now.

As announced by Activision, Ranked Play takes the form of 4v4 matches, with game mods including Search & Destroy, Capture the Flag, and Hardpoint. eSports settings are enabled for Ranked, pulled from the settings found in the Call of Duty World League. For example, you cannot use turrets, while Incendiary shells are also not available. Additionally, some weapons are unavailable, including the Lewis, MG 15, Bren, and MG 42, while some attachments, scorestreaks, and equipment are also blocked. You can see a full rundown of the eSports settings here on the Call of Duty World League website.

Win matches and you’ll earn points that go towards unlocking the next rank. Every time you lose or quit a match early, you’ll lose points. As mentioned, the first season is only for placement. At the end of Season 1, you’ll be assigned a skill rating, and that will carry forward to Season 2. There are seven tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Masters, and Pro. It’ll be extremely difficult to get Pro status as only the top 100 players worldwide will reach this rank. It’s probably not going to be you.

Reaching a new rank will unlock the rad-looking helmet above. Activision also confirmed there will be penalties for leaving Ranked matches early in the form of temporary bans. Quit early once and you’ll be banned for 15 minutes; twice for 30 minutes, and on your third time you’ll have to sit out for 45 minutes.

Activision did not say anything about bringing Ranked play to PC, though that could happen at a later date. In other news, a big new patch for Call of Duty: WWII is out now, and among other things, it finally makes the HQ mode work as intended.

[djbawlzy]

Destiny 2 Xur Location Guide: Where Is Xur And What Exotics Is He Selling? (December 1)

It’s that time of the week again where Destiny 2 players on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC drop everything and go to see Xur to pick up some new Exotic gear and weapons. This week everyone’s favorite part-timer has shown up on Earth and, as always, we’ve got all the information you need to find him and see what wares he’s peddling this week.

Finding him, at this point, should be easy. He’s been on this spot multiple times, but if you need a refresher here it is: fast travel to the Winding Cove and when you arrive hop on your Sparrow. On the left-hand side you should see a winding road, follow that up a bit and you’ll see a small cliff with a downed ship above. Get off your Sparrow and get to jumping on rocks and you’ll be able to make it up to him. If you’re still finding it tricky, watch our video above, in which you’ll also get to see what he’s offering. Alternatively you can check out the gallery below for pictures of his latest stock.

Click image to view in fullscreen

Sweet Business (Auto Rifle) - 29 Legendary Shards

Lucy Raspberry (Chest Armor) -23 Legendary Shards

Synthoceps (Gauntlets) - 23 Legendary Shards

Skull of Dire Ahamkara (Warlock Class Helmet) - 23 Legendary Shards

Bungie has detailed its vision for Destiny 2’s future in a preview blog post, which took the place of a canceled Curse of Osiris livestream. The studio outlined its plans for two updates coming next month, the first of which arrives on December 5 alongside Curse of Osiris, with another following on December 12. These updates will “deepen rewards for advanced players; provide more player control over obtaining rewards; make Shards useful by adding things to use them for; [and] provide general quality fixes wherever possible.”

In the December 5 update, new Armor Ornaments will be added for “some” existing armor, so players will be able to change the look of their gear without affecting your Shaders or Mods. There will also be changes to how mods are acquired from Banshee.

In the December 12 update, Bungie will introduce Masterworks versions of Legendary weapons, which track and display your kills with that weapon (and can be set to show Crucible kills or total kills). Masterworks weapons can also create Orbs when scoring multi-kills, and have weapon stat bonuses that are “selected randomly from a small pool and are re-rollable.” They address a common complaint that weapon duplicates are effectively worthless in the current game. You can read more details about the upcoming Destiny 2 update changes here.

The Curse of Osiris expansion, meanwhile, launches on December 5. It will increase Destiny 2’s level cap and offer PS4-exclusive content. For more, take a look at some of the new Curse of Osiris armor and gear or check out some Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris gameplay.