#but it's just an electronic song from Cyberpunk 2077

[darkerthanblack-666]

shuffle your favorite playlist and post the first five songs that come up. then copy/paste this ask to your favorite mutuals ✨

Robin Packalen - Curtain Call

Blind Channel - XOXO

The Rasmus - First Day of My Life

BESS - Ram pam pam

Połoz, Tinnitus - On My Way to Hell

istg my playlist always feels whenever someone Finnish sends me an ask for those song games 😆 (or maybe it shows how much Finnish music I actually listen to)

[luimnigh]

On the topic of Cyberpunk 2077's mission names, I have to assume the songs for each mission titles are being picked in-universe by Johnny, as he's clearly writing the mission descriptions as well.

So we can derive Johnny's music tastes based on the titles of missions.

Just looking at the ones I've unlocked, we've got classic Punk like Generation X, the Buzzcocks, the Ramones, the Stooges, and The Velvet Underground; post-Industrial from Die Form and How To Destroy Angels; Heavy Metal with a song by Slipknot; New Wave with The Cars and Talking Heads, a Ska reference with The Specials' Ghost Town; plenty of Rock and rock subgenres, with R.E.M., AC/DC, David Bowie, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers; some Country courtesy of Johnny Cash; quite a bit of 60s Pop-Rock with Nancy Sinatra, The Beatles and the Turtles' Happy Together; and so far two Jazz songs from Miles Davis.

So it's mostly Rock/Punk/Metal and related genres, some Electronic influence, and a couple of Country and Jazz standouts.

Yeah, that all seems in-character for Johnny Silverhand.

[bambipickle]

1, 3, 7, 12, 13, 20, 22, 27, 28 and 29 make an entire playlist for me

Ok so this is referring to an ancient reblog of mine

1 three songs that come up when you put your phone on shuffle "Deep Space" by Blank Banshee. "hakuiki (the last stage of change at the deceased remains" by my dead girlfriend (死んだ僕の彼女). "Mrahc" by Title Fight.

3. three songs you were recently obsessed with obviously "keep my address to yourself, cause we need secrets!" by Fucking Werewolf Asso. I think the tik tok song about Marcin the hamster also qualifies. Other than that i listen to "Youth and Lust" by Cold Cave a lot.

7. three songs you didn’t expect to like but eventually loved first that comes to mind is "ADHDLGBTHWDP". "Passenger" by Deftones or any Deftones song for that matter, cause i really thought I'd grown out of nu metal. A lot of polish songs, since i dont hold polish music in high regard, but also wouldn't go as far as to say i "love" them now, just tolerate/like.

12. three favourite songs from video games this one's easy. Cyberpunk 2077's adaptation of folk song "Kōjō no Tsuki" takes the cake, always mesmerizing. "Worlds" by (as far as i remember) the Unresolved, also from Cyp77. "Fahkeet" by Light Club from Hotline Miami 2. There's so much more

13. three songs you want at your funeral i actually made a playlist for my funeral a few years back but it's not rly that serious. anyways, "Sea, Swallow Me" by Cocteau Twins, "Death Is Not the End" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, "No Below" by Speedy Ortiz (incidentally also a song from a video game).

20. three songs that remind you of the person who sends this one "Rosenrot" by Rammstein. "I Luv the Valley OH!" by Xiu Xiu. "Patolove" by Zdechly Osa.

22. three songs you listen to when you’re sad "Locket" by Crumb. "So You Wanna Be A Superhero" by Carissa's Wierd. "Violence" by Andy Stott.

27. three songs that you sing while drunk "Kino" by The Knife. "Stein Um Stein" by Rammstein. "Fucc the Devil" by Andrew Jackson Jihad.

28. three best songs to get drunk or high to "Vanished" by Crystal Castles. "Secret Motel" by Xiu Xiu. "2007" by You Love Her (Coz She's Dead). I just think these noisy electronic punk songs are trippy enough by themselves.

29. three songs that influenced you most (some songs change or save lives) hard to pick three but here we go. "Not In Love" by Crystal Castles - first non-metal/rock i really enjoyed, it basically dragged me into electronica and noise. "Rumpus Room" by Xiu Xiu - the song that pulled me into xiu xiu hell, even though i knew xiu before just with this song i became obsessed (and the live gig of course). "My Favorite Black Cat" by Lebanon Hanover - just something i'd listened a lot in my (recent) darkest times. Wouldn't say it motivated me to get help but certainly did have some influence.

jesus this took forever. anyway, here's the playlist

[tomb-bloom-noctem]

30 questions fic ask: 3, 8, 16, 21

Thanks for asking! 💜

3. Do you write fics from start to finish? Or jump around?

Oh man I definitely try to go straight from start to finish but it doesn't always work. More often than not I have to do some jumping around, mostly the chapter itself I'm actively working on gets written a bit out of order until it's completed. But I also will take notes and half formed concepts and start them as other chapters. Just a matter of following where the words are sometimes.

8. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, share a song that's been inspiring you lately.

Lordy I love music when I write. Most of the time I'm listening to instrumental music. Game soundtracks, lofi, blues rock, classical, electronic, I'm all over the place really. But sometimes the songs with lyrics really inspire me too or at least get my brain moving enough to work.

For some reason this song from Cyberpunk 2077 (plus heavily featured in Cyberpunk Edgerunners) has been making the braincell happy lately. Song is "I Really Want to Stay at Your House" by Rosa Walton & Hallie Coggins

16. What is your most underrated fic?

Oooh. Hmmm. You know, I try to not have high expectations for any of my fics but one that I'm surprised never got much attention or anything was this one shot Owl House/Gravity Falls crossover. I wrote this back when TOH season 1 had just finished airing and we didn't know much about Emperor Belos. So it's sort of a very crazy what if idea regarding Belos' identity.

21. What is the one fic that got away?

Decidedly far too many that I lost inspiration for, lost access to when a previous phone was busted, or other reasons 😂

[anonil88]

Kick iii by Arca, another live listen and react from me myself and I.

👯‍♂️🕺💃👯‍♀️

Bruja: OH SHIT. ARRRRCA. I should be typing and listening but I'm swaying. There's more English and spanglish in this album which fans already knew. The second half oh my fucking God, she said let me turn up the techno variety up and hit you with all the sound. It's not in a bad way but if you don't like electronic or techno def not for you.

Morbo: And if the last track didn't prep you these sure fucking will.

Fiera: repeat what I just said but instead of it being just dark textures like morbo this is just extremely high energy.

Skull Queen: i fucking love this I fucking love this song.

(From this point on the album is very listenable to ppl who aren't so so into arca but still into experiemental)

Electra Rex: a great single choice for this album and good for easing folks into the more experimental parts of this album.

Ripples: she teased this years ago but the way I need to hear this with a full laser light show. See your ripple make ripples.

Rubberneck: I had to restart this half way cause its so good like im seeing a spy getting their movie entrance to this song, especially the first half. If I really felt like it I would put my editing skills to test with some scene packs.

Senorita: Fuck it up, it's like hip hop dubstep so Skrillex meets a limp wrist grindr hook up. The lyrics also on the side vulgar as always haha. Would fit perfectly it in 2k if it were clean, unclean would be perfect in cyberpunk 2077, or the new unreleased GTA.

My 2: I don't have any words kind of let the vibe take over.

Intimate Flesh: on the more digestible for mainstream end. Incredibly sensual in a sexy way not just theme and lyric wise but the music, great for a sexy slo mo movie/TV scene in a club.

Joya: techno piano but this reminds me most of her work with Bjork. Very light and airy with a touch of child like wonder. Excited for more of this in kick iiiii (5).

I can now say for me as far as ranking this is definitely the best out of the 3 so far. But, again I don't wanna do a full ranking till I've listened to them all.

[radramblog]

Radiohead Retrospective Part 5: I forgot what I was gonna call this one

The previous few entries in this retrospective have had a big old lead-in, about where the band was and how the next album came to be. This gets somewhat awkward now, as we discuss Radiohead’s fifth album, Amnesiac.

The issue is, this tracks on this album were recorded in the same session as Kid A, and it was released just over half a year later, so there isn’t as much to talk about. Kid A was, obviously, huge, but its success wouldn’t affect Amnesiac that much. I guess it got a bunch of music videos? Like, Kid A didn’t have singles, so it didn’t have either those or B-sides.

Regardless, despite being recorded simultaneously, Amnesiac is not truly cut from the same cloth as Kid A. It’s a titch more traditional and less electronic, bringing in jazz influences and classical stuff in addition to the electronica the previous album debuted. It also apparently has krautrock influences, but I don’t really know what that means, so perhaps we should just dive into it and find out.

Much like Kid A and Everything In Its Right Place, Amnesiac opens on an electronic line, albeit one that is slightly less iconic. Packt Like Sardines In a Crushd Tin Box (the spelling errors are not mine) is a substantially more muted introduction, driven by a scattered electronic percussion and a very low melody. The lyrics are pretty simple, but “I’m a reasonable man, get off my case” is kind of just a great, memeable line I’m sure people have had fun with.

Packt Like Sardines does unfortunately introduce us to a problem surrounding Amnesiac, and the discussion surrounding it. It is extremely often considered an outtakes album, a smattering of disconnected tracks, and I consider that completely unfair to the album’s design. However, Packt does inevitably invite comparisons to Everything, and it doesn’t compare favourably. I still really like the song, it’s soft and somehow comfortable in its coldness, but Everything is, well, everything.

This theme may continue.

It is exceptionally frustrating that a higher-quality copy of this video isn’t available, because it’s really good.

There was a solid period where I considered Pyramid Song my favourite Radiohead track. It is impossibly deep, and beautiful, and above all else evocative. I have no idea why it’s called the way it is, a name echoing either geometry or the ancient past, but the little piano loop Pyramid Song is built upon is just…so much. The lyrics aren’t especially complex, but they manage to capture a very specific emotion of loss and grief, but of absolution, and just hnnng.

If you didn’t watch the video, by the way, go fucking do that. It might have the graphics of an early 00s video game cutscene, but it is genuinely as evocative and tragic as the song itself. Although according to the comments, Pyramid Song was apparently in Cyberpunk 2077, which on the one hand is cool it exposed a bunch of new people to this baller song, on the other hand it deserves so much better than being in that of all games.

I’m just going to say this ahead of time, I don’t think Radiohead captures beauty so well again until two albums from now.

We go from the utterly iconic Pyramid Song to the significantly less so Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors. I…really don’t know what there is to say about this one. It’s kind of an electronic soundscape more than a piece of music. It technically has lyrics, but they’re so heavily affected that it’s hard to see them as separate from the tune itself. I’ve spoken before about songs that are driving towards a point, that have a clear sense of forward motion from a repeating instrumental that feels like the consistent rattle of a train car. This song sort of has that, but without as much of the energy as those songs often have- it’s like a ride you have no control over. It’s basically fine, but I have no idea when I’d ever go out of my way to listen to this.

Also, what the fuck is a Pulk? That’s actually a word, I’m not getting a red underline like with Crushd, but I’m not sure if it’s an intentional misspelling or not.

The next song, You and Whose Army?, is something I remember as being way less subtle than it is. I mean the lyrics are very clearly directed at a person, and spoilers, it’s UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, but if you don’t know the period, or the band’s politics in general, it’s probably going to go right over your head.

It’s a song with two clear halves. One of them is quiet, muted even, subtle instrumentation over muffled vocals, and the second is swelling, and triumphant, powerful instrumentation over muffled vocals. The second half is a lot of fun, but it wouldn’t feel as paid off were it not for the first, so fair enough. I think I used to like this song a lot more than I do now, unfortunately.

I Might Be Wrong is probably the most traditional song we’ve seen from this band in a minute, huh. A bass-driven track that is unquestionably a rock song, even with more electronic percussion and effects on it. Try listening to this with headphones, by the way- it’s extremely heavily panned, something I picked up on in high school since every pair of earphones I’d get would break in one ear eventually.

Despite the previous track’s eventual energy, I Might Be Wrong conveys the general mood of the album- that is, it’s pretty mellow? Even as the bluesy groove keeps going, the track never gets as intense as even say No Surprises. It’s a bit of a vibe, isn’t it? I especially enjoy the little Afterword the song has, it’s not much but I feel like it really adds to the track as a whole.

Wait how the fuck is You And Whose Army? more popular than this? What 23 million people pop that song on the reg? I don’t understand.

Considering the subject matter of this song, and that I’d never watched it before, I was somewhat apprehensive clicking this music video. And…..yeah………..it sure is like that…..

Anyway so Knives Out is about eating people. Probably? That’s the text of it, the subtext is probably a fair bit deeper than that. Like taking advantage of what people leave behind in their absence in a more general, non-cannibalistic sense. Maybe.

I think this song is the most acoustic/least electronic song on the album? Save for one we’ll get to later, maybe. Its lyrics are kind of gross, but that’s allowed.

I’m somewhat frustrated by the lack of things I can think of to say, because I really like this song. It’s a lot like I Might Be Wrong, in that it’s a more chill rockier song than most of the album, but with a different sort of vibe. Uhh…yeah? Shrug? 8/10, would listen to again.

Anyway, we now hit Morning Bell/Amnesiac as track number 7, and it’s the least subtle reference to Kid A I guess you can think of. I mean, it’s a different version of the same song, much louder and more discordant. Bits of it sound like they could be comforting, but juxtaposed with some of the more distressing elements it’s a bit of a whirlwind.

I can comfortably say that Morning Bell/Amnesiac is A Good Song. However, I can’t really appreciate it as such, for a very silly reason. Since I thought the pun would be good, I had this track as my morning alarm for a very long time, and as a result, I cannot stand listening to it. Let this be a warning, never use a song you like to try and get out of bed, if you want to keep liking it.

Dollars and Cents is another sparse, low rock track that eventually builds into a bigger deal as it goes on. Honestly, it’s kind of hard to make out the instruments, a low cymbal line and loose guitar folding in on each other in the background. It, regrettably, doesn’t quite land on the same stick as many of the other tracks on the album, being basically fine but not really notable? And I think that’s the biggest difference between Amnesiac and Kid A, Amnesiac actually misses. Like, I always forget about In Limbo, but it’s unquestionably a good song. Between many of Amnesiac’s more experimental tracks not living quite up to snuff, and Dollars and Cents being largely okay, it’s no wonder why the album is often seen as the inferior follow-up.

This is not particularly helped by the ninth track, Hunting Bears, a loose guitar instrumental that doesn’t work nearly as well as Treefingers. It doesn’t have the vibe, and it doesn’t fit as cleanly in the middle of the album like that one does. It’s just, kind of, there. I genuinely usually skip it when I listen to this album, but I figured it wouldn’t be fair to do that here. It’s just, kind of, a miss. Pretty short, though- I could believe this originally having been part of Dollars and Cents, like a longer version of the end bit from I Might Be Wrong.

While I know this is a video for both Pulk/Pull and Like Spinning Plates, I associate it more with the latter. Not only is the version of Pulk/Pull very different from the album, well, you’ll see why I think the LSP bit is more memorable.

I think Like Spinning Plates is extremely cool. If nothing else, it’s super interesting how they got this to work. The vocal effect for the first verse was achieved by getting Thom to sing the lyrics, reversing that recording, having him memorise how that sounded and perform that, and then reversing that into the final results. How cool is that? I think it’s cool. Also at some points in the second verse, they’re playing a forwards and backwards vocal track simultaneously, which is a really neat effect.

The instrumental is…hard to describe. Apparently, it was a result of trying to make I Will (which would release one album later), which they reversed and played with to get this track. If you’re very familiar with that song, I suppose you could hear that, but I can’t. I just sit back and appreciate the music.

Amnesiac’s final track is Life in a Glasshouse, easily its most bombastic and jazzy. This sounds like a cabaret closer, a swaggering tragedy, an exploratory rehearsal of a final track. It also kind of sounds like a mental breakdown, which, mood.

There’s like, a whole band on this thing. Horns and woodwinds, a piano and probably more than one percussion element. The clarinet (?) noodling on the song is incredibly fun, giving it an almost playful edge, undercutting the downtempo mood of the song, and keeping it from being such a dirge. Especially as the track builds towards its finale, it’s clear that there was a bit more fun going on here. Of course, it can’t end on such a climax, as that little stitch of paranoia that ends up being the album’s closing word manages to sneak through.

And that ends Amnesiac. Now, obviously, it isn’t as good as Kid A. It’s less consistent, it doesn’t have Idioteque, et cetera. But I don’t actually think the comparison is as one to one as often it appears people do. The styles of the albums are completely different- Kid A incorporating so much ambient and electronic noise while Amnesiac has more of the acoustic and jazzy stuff going on. The two albums may have released closely, and recorded even moreso, but they are extremely different beasts at the end of the day.

It’s far from my favourite album of Radiohead’s, but I wouldn’t fault anyone for having it as theirs, you know.

We’ll get to my favourite album next week, where we will also see if I can either defend or maintain that opinion. Hail to the Thief beckons.

[blerdstatic]

Microsoft Surface Headphones Review: 1st vs 2nd gen, and why they're great to Work-from-Home or anywhere.

So you're on the market for some new gear, and in your search you stumbled upon Microsoft's Surface Headphones, but you're not ready to make the plunge until you get some more research under your belt, right?

I don't blame you. The right head candy can be an expense these days, but hopefully this short and concise review can help!

Let me start by acknowledging that sound and music are more personal in nature, and everyone has their natural preferences. I happen to dig all kinds of music from musical soundtracks and trap to neo-soul and hip-hop. That aside...

Let's begin!

How much do Microsoft Surface Headphones cost?

Surface Headphones (1st gen) - $139.89 on Amazon

Surface Headphones 2 (2nd gen) - $250 from Microsoft Store

What's the difference between them visually?

To be honest, not much has visually changed at first glance. The design was pretty slick the first time around, and was well received. Even as I rode the subway or walked through the aisles of the grocery store, you could tell people admired the unique modern look. It's simple and clean just like the original.

The first gen headphones are grey/off-white while the second gen are charcoal black. They are beautiful shades, however it does make me wish for more colors. It would kind of be a good look if Microsoft offered four more colors that matched the colors of their logo (red, yellow, blue, green). But, I understand the safer play as opposed to going bold.

So what are some key differences that stood out?

Buttons: The 1st gen headphones had buttons that were almost flush with the cup, which was annoying. There were plenty times where I had to search frantically for the power button. The second gen fixes that by making the buttons pronounced.

Ear-cup Size: The size/diameter of the 2nd gen earcups are definitely larger, which is welcome because I have Will Smith ears. But not only that, it makes for an over all cozier feel.

Earcup Swivel: The Surface Headphones 2 earcups can spin around almost 360, which is great because I have more ability to wear them comfortably around my neck! I'm glad they fixed it this time around.

Multi-Bluetooth Connection: I was easily able to set up multi-bluetooth connections to my various devices, including the Android Pixel4a and Pro7. It was amazing to listen to music or video on my phone, then continue right where I left off on the Pro7.

Grease: One other thing to note...don't touch the black Surface Headphones with greasy hands, it shows much more than if you did with the white 1st gens. That's a user issue though, not a hardware one.

How do they feel once you pick them up?

Without a doubt, the difference is night and day. The 2nd gen headphones are more weighty, and for me that's a great thing. I honestly don't like my hardware/electronics to feel too light, because it makes me think there's not much going on inside to produce a quality experience.

Once I picked up the Surface Headphones 2, then picked up the Surface Headphones (1st gen), I was properly excited to listen. The extra weight provided a sense of anticipation that there would be more UMPH, in terms of low, mids, highs and bass tones.

Setup Time?

It took literally less than 5 minutes to open and pair the headphones to begin listening to music. It was quick, easy, and intuitive for me. I enabled blue-tooth on my phone, then powered on the headphones. Found the name of the headphones from my phone's blue-tooth list, and followed the onscreen/audio instructions, and boom I was setup.

Now if it's someone older or unfamiliar with blue-tooth devices, they might need some help going into their blue-tooth settings, etc.

What about the Sound?

I preferred the sound of the Surface Headphones 2 over the 1st gen. During my test I played all kinds of music at a 95% volume (almost on max...yes mom, I know it's not good for my ears).

One of my main gripes on Surface Headphones (1st gen) was that on higher volumes, and listening to music with more bass, it started to sound like 'rattling', as if the headphones could not handle the true sound.

The Surface Headphones 2 fixed that issue completely. I listened to all sorts of bass heavy music and not a single time did I hear rattling.

The treble is also more solid this time around, and truly shines when listening to slower soundtrack or classical music.

I would say that I'm highly satisfied with the sound on both fronts. And if you're curious here are some of the songs I listened to on both Surface 1st gen and Surface 2nd gen.

And here's the rest of the list in case you're curious or want some new jams:

Story of OJ - JayZ

Cyberpunk 2077 - Pacific Dreams Radio Playlist

Father Figure - Tobe Nwigwe

Will (Remix) - Joyner Lucas & Will Smith

O-o-h Child - The Five Stairsteps

This Land - from Lion King original album

Black Panther - Ludwig Goransson

Break You Off - The Roots

All the Stars - Kendrick Lamar & SZA

Nothing Without You - Tanerelle

Adonai - Sarkodie

Be Here in the Morning - Joy Denalane

Noise Cancellation and Ambient Amplification:

The noise cancellation is solid. With no music playing and maxed out ambient filter on, I couldn't even hear myself snapping fingers next to my head, or my wife talking to me in her normal voice (which is occasionally kind of loud - no shade).

The noise cancellation was great on SurfaceMulti (1st gen) but it's now even better with the 2nd gen, especially when drowning out annoying sounds when walking outside (such as people, cars, trains).

I also love the ambient amplification feature, that's easy to use by dialing up the level on the left ear cup. I use that regularly if I'm listening to music, but want to also know if someone says something to me directly. Or the other day, when I was in the grocery store and walked up to the cashier to checkout, I didn't have to take the headphones off. I was able to up the ambient amplifier to max, and speak with the cashier. Once I finished, I immediately turned my music and noise cancellation back up. It was pretty seamless.

Charging and Battery Life:

Officially the 1st gen gets 13 hours and the 2nd gen gets 18.5. After a full charge, and then turning on the Surface 2, the voice said I had 17 hours left. I typically only listen in 1 - 3 hour spurts at my highest usage, so that pans out to about a whole week almost without needing to recharge.

Overall Verdict:

I'm highly recommending the Surface Headphones 2. For the price point and quality, I feel like the Surface Headphones 2 are your better buy, especially considering how they stack up against similar competitors. I felt like Microsoft paid attention to all the things that actually needed improvement, instead of trying to switch everything up. That impressed me more than anything honestly, how they paid attention to the minute quality of life details. Compared to other headphones I've tried in the same range, excluding the Sony XMs, I'd say these are very well priced and outdo the predecessors as well as the competition. But even compared to Sony XMs, which are prices $100 to $150 more, the sound on the Surface Headphones 2 are definitely comparable. I certainly don't think you'll be saying "I'm really glad I spent that extra $100+ on these Sony XMs".

I would have no problem recommending these to anyone trying to figure out what to spend their next stim check on!

[newmusickarl]

Although many music publications have already revealed their 2020 Albums of the Year, a wave of stunning new releases this week has shown that it is always best to wait till the last minute before drawing any conclusions. From surprise sequels to one a decade in the making, here is everything worth checking out this week…

Album recommendations

Dave Jakes by Dave Jakes

Enigmatic former Lonely The Brave frontman Dave Jakes finally released his debut EP this week, having proceeded it with a couple of soaring singles in Caterwaul and opener Been In My Dream. If this self-titled is a glimpse of what to expect from Jakes’ solo material then fans can expect the same bruising, heartfelt songwriting and stirring vocals that made Lonely The Brave’s earlier material so special.

From the string-drenched majesty of Silhouettes, the emotional gut-punch of Diggy’s Pushing Holes to the beauty and splendour of the EP’s curtain call, Be The Apple, Jakes’ talents shine through the melancholic, emotive arrangements on show. Having now reintroduced himself to the world, here’s hoping a full-length debut album is up next.

Evermore by Taylor Swift

Having not been a fan before, one of the biggest surprises for me this year was just how much I enjoyed Taylor Swift’s folklore. The record saw the superstar team up with The National’s Aaron Dessner over the Spring lockdown to create some of her most honest and acclaimed work to date. However not one to rest on her laurels, Taylor has (pun intended) swiftly returned with folklore’s sister record, Evermore, for her second Album of the Year contender of 2020.

Once again teaming up with Aaron Dessner, as well as his brother Bryce who’s on orchestration duties on several tracks here, Taylor builds on the foundations laid by the collaborative partnership on folklore to sound even more assured in this new found style. If folklore was her dipping her toe into the indie-folk world, Evermore is her effortlessly backstroking in it.

From the festive lament of ‘tis the damn season, the stripped-back minimalism of happiness to stunning piano ballad tolerate it, it is clear this collection is some of the best songs Swift has ever written. She continues to thrive in this collaborative working too, with the HAIM sisters showing up for country-folk, murder mystery no body, no crime, whilst Dessner calls in the rest of The National for the album’s undisputed highlight, coney island. Having joined Swift on folklore for one of the songs of the year, Exile, Justin Vernon also returns once again to lend his vocals to the record’s closing title-track.

All in all this is another faultless album from Swift, and one of the welcome surprises of 2020 has been her converting me into a fan of her music – here’s hoping for more releases like this in the future please.

Man on the Moon III: The Chosen by Kid Cudi

From one sequel to another, however this one could not be more different. Whereas Swift waited just a few months to release the follow-up to folklore, pioneer of modern hip-hop Kid Cudi has spent the last decade building towards the third part in his Man on the Moon trilogy. Having paved the way for some of today’s biggest rap stars such as Travis Scott with his first two records, Man on the Moo#n III ultimately brings with it a weight of expectation. With this being the case, MOTM3 can’t help but feel like somewhat of a disappointment as Cudi comes across as the follower this time around rather than the innovator.

That said despite being a somewhat patchy collection, what this album does deliver is plenty of enjoyable moments that are some of the best of Cudi’s career. From the Scott Pilgrim-sampling, infectious beat of She Knows This, the spacey, mesmeric groove of Damaged to the hypnotic ambience and defiant lyrics of Mr. Solo Dolo III, Cudi forges immersive sounds you just want to wash over you. Towards the home stretch of the record, MOTM3 finally starts to hit its stride with The Void offering up the album’s standout moment, before being shortly followed by excellent collaborations with Phoebe Bridgers and Trippie Redd. The record finally draws to a close with Lord I Know stating that things are to be continued, suggesting this isn’t the last chapter in Cudi’s MOTM story.

So although this won’t make any year-end best of lists, Cudi adds a worthy addition into his MOTM series with another highly enjoyable album which is probably still the best of the three so far.

We Will Always Love You by The Avalanches

Also worth checking out, Australian electronic outfit The Avalanches are joined by a host of special guests including Johnny Marr, MGMT, Blood Orange, River Cuomo, Karen O and many more for their latest odyssey into psychedelic indie-dance. Although the record can be quite self-indulgent at times, there are plenty of highpoints, none more so than one of the tracks of the year so far, Neneh Cherry and Jamie XX collab Wherever You Go.

This story is dedicated to all those cyberpunks… by Grimes

And finally to coincide with the release of Cyberpunk 2077, one of the most highly anticipated games of the year, Grimes has released a DJ mix album from the perspective of her character in the game. Blending her own music with segments of electronica, dance remixes and mash-ups of classic tracks by Britney Spears, Rihanna, The Ramones, Tatu and Kendrick Lamar to name but a few, listening to this mixtape is a trippy and immensely fun way to kill an hour.

Tracks of the Week

Atmosphere by James Blake

Already one of the most beautiful tracks of all time, here James Blake’s haunting vocals and stripped back production help Ian Curtis’ lyrics on this Joy Division classic to somehow transcend to even higher heights. Simply incredible.

Savior Complex by Phoebe Bridgers

Phoebe Bridgers wraps up her breakout year in style, collaborating with Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Paul Mescal on this wonderfully shot, tongue-in-cheek video for one of the standouts from her incredible Punisher album – you can check it out above.

[murfeelee]

Video Games Pt3: Video Game Challenge

I saw this list on Pinterest out of nowhere, and what better way to ring in the new year than with another questionnaire, about my favorite pastime! This is the spiritual successor to Part 1 and Part 2.

Day 1 - Very first video game: Pacman and/or Mortal Kombat and/or Samurai Shodown on arcade machines (way back in the day when laundromats had arcade machines and gumball machines and such in them--good times, good times U_U); Tetris on computers; and a buttload of PS1 titles (again: back in the good ole days when consoles came with promo demo discs--I had Frogger, Need for Speed, Medieval, and a bunch of others).

Day 2 - Your favorite character: Here’s my Top 10 Males post and Top 10 Females post.

Day 3 - A game that is underrated: I will preach the greatness of PS1′s Legend of Dragoon till my dying day. It was doomed to dwell in Final Fantasy 7′s shadow, which came out earlier that same year, and it’s a real shame, cuz LoD was E V E R Y T H I N G.

My favorite aspects of the game are:

Its lore and worldbuilding. On top of the fact that the premise of the game is could be an anime series in its own right, you just get SO EXCITED to visit each new location, and uncover more about the world’s history, and see the different architecture, technologies, cultures and different races (I LOVE the Winglies, of course). It’s actually a gorgeous game for its time.

The combat -- I STILL have some of the Addition patterns memorized to this very day! They get progressively harder as you level up, but once you get used to the timing you feel so dang good. Die, More and More!

The soundtrack and cutscenes. The NOSTALGIA? O_O Bruh. The story is just really good, and was the very first video game to make me cry when certain...events...happened. Play the game and find out for yourself!

Day 4 - Your guilty pleasure game: The Sims, Dragon Age...any and all EA games. Effing ashamed of myself every time I give that nest of corporate demons at Electronic Farts money. “Surprise mechanics” my arse. 

Day 5 - Game character you feel you are most like (or wish you were): Has Jar Jar Binks been in a video game yet? Then that’s me. XD But I wish I was most like Lara Croft, as explained in my Top 10 Females post.

Day 6 - Most annoying character: For females it’s Lightning from Final Fantasy 13, and for males it’s Vaan, from Final Fantasy 12. I don’t mind as much when supporting characters are effing annoying (Vanille, Hope, etc), but when it’s the MAIN protagonist?! WHY, Square Enix? WHY.

Lightning was just a negative nancy debbie downer. I wish they had swapped Serah and Lightning, I seriously do. I just couldn’t stand her dry and soulless personality. She wasn’t being edgy or bada** or cool or sexy or FANG or anything; she was just a bitter jaded unhappy wench.

And with Vaan I just effing hate that dude. Why was he even there? They tried so hard to make this pushy entitled kid relevant, but I was like no, the story could’ve easily been told without him, and I wish it had been; he’s a effing idiot.

Day 7 - Favorite game couple: Yuna and Tidus from FFX (hardest I ever cried playing a video game -- THE FEELS I TELL YOU).

Day 8 - Best soundtrack: I used to think it was Skyrim, but nope, it’s Witcher 1, 2 and 3. Just listen to ALL of the songs CDPR ever produced for the entire franchise, including all the unreleased tracks, and enjoy the eargasm.

Day 9 - Saddest game scene: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice had me legit depressed for a good week. Get your tissues and holy water ready; it’s seriously effed up. The entire game is the saddest I ever played, jfc.

Day 10 - Best gameplay: Witcher 3, duh. Main quests, side quests, combat, dialogue, plot, graphics, worldbuilding, creatures, bosses, soundtrack, characters, Gwent, NEED I GO ON.

Day 11 - Gaming system of choice: Playstation for life. But the Nintendo Switch is effing brilliant, ngl; once they put Skyrim & The Witcher on it I was like SOLD.

Day 12 - A game everyone should play: At least ONE Final Fantasy game. There’s 15+, and Dissidia and Kingdom Hearts. It’s not just a game, it’s an experience.

As much as I rag on FF13 and FF15, they’re still admittedly LEAGUES better than a lot of other crap out there. I just happen to feel that Square Enix is out of its frikkin mind lately, and tbh I’ve been rapidly losing my hype for the FF7 Remake. I was never much of a FF7 fan to begin with, aside from being a rabid Sephiroth fangirl and watching Advent Children a billion times. But Square’s gotta be drunk as a skunk if they think I’m paying all that money for god knows how many of these effing “episodes” they’re gonna piecemeal us to dangit death with. HAYUL no. I’d rather not get too attached.

Day 13 - A game you’ve played more than five times:

Day 14 - Current (or most recent) gaming wallpaper: Huh?

Day 15 - What game are you playing right now: Speak of the devil, I’m replaying God of War for the zillionth time already.

Day 16 - Game with the best cut scenes: In terms of graphics and story impact IMO might be Red Dead Redemption 2. That game was frikkin gorgeous, and the story was SO DANG GOOD. Braithwaite Manor!? O_O

Day 17 - Favorite antagonist: For females it’s either Edea from FF8, or Yunalesca from FFX. For dudes it’s Sephiroth, from FF7. That man needs some serious counseling.

Day 18 - Favorite protagonist: Yuna from FFX for the ladies, and TW3′s Geralt of Rivia for the dudes. 

Day 19 - A game world you would like to live in: The more Middle Eastern-inspired scifi/steampunki-medievalesque world of Ivalice from FF12, or the medieval French/Swiss Toussaint from The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine.

Day 20 - Favorite genre: RPGs and JRPGs, and pretty much action-adventure games with swords and sorcery.

Day 21 - Game with the best story: Red Dead Redemption, which is a good thing and a bad thing. A lot of the time I felt I was watching a movie, rather than playing a game. But it was still an Oscar worthy movie. XD

Day 22 - A game sequel which disappointed you: Technically it hasn’t come out yet, but from what we’ve seen of the Nioh 2 beta release, omfg what’s going on? U_U Now, don’t get me wrong! Nioh 2 looks AMAZING. But....that’s cuz it looks exactly like Nioh 1, just with new yokai gameplay thrown in. o_O Uh...is this a DLC expansion pack or what? Cuz it sure ain't lookin like a full-fledged sequel! :P Dare I call it an asset flip. Come on, don’t do this; do MORE. Unless this is actually an expansion you’ll sell for half the price. ;)

Day 23 - Game you think had the best graphics or art style: For graphics it’s RDR2, but for most unique art style it’s always been Okami for me. <3

Day 24 - Favorite classic game: Spyro the Dragon. Their reboot for PS4 was AMAZING.

Day 25 - A game you plan on playing: Cyberpunk 2077. I’m so bummed, knowing the game’s been delayed to September 2020 instead of April, but oh well. As long as CDPR gives us that master-class level of Polish we all know and love from The Witcher 3, then take as much time as you need, I guess. At least they’re not like effing EA or Bethesda. XD

Day 26 - Best voice acting: BOY. Freaking iconic, Kratos. :P

Day 27 - Most epic scene ever: Ciri beating the absolute tastebuds outta Caranthir in TW3, not once but twice. Most OP Witcher EVER, girl; WERK.

Day 28 - Favorite game developer: Though I effing hate them, I’m still a Square Enix fangirl at heart. It’s just saddening to see this weird turn they’ve been making recently, with garbage like the Quiet Man, and especially with Final Fantasy, my favorite game series of all time. U_U I’m not looking forward to the FF7 Remake anymore, tbh. I just hope FF16 is more of a return to form.

Day 29 - A game you thought you wouldn't like, but ended up loving: Skyrim. I was never a big fan of Elder Scrolls games, and when Skyrim came out I was very meh at first. But then the mods started coming out for it and I was like wow. O_O

Day 30 - Your Favorite game of all time: Legend of Dragoon on PS1, Final Fantasy X on PS2, Skyrim on PS3/PC, The Witcher 3 on PS4, and The Sims on PC.

________________________________________________

Thanks for reading!

[sodafishsims]

My Simself

Geek - Music lover - Creative

I tag @hu-wa and i’m too lazy to tag more..if you read this i tag you hehe

1. WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME? Crystal

2. WHAT IS YOUR NICKNAME? Depends on the person...really. Unfortunately some people call me Crystalina xD

3. BIRTHDAY? 11 September

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK SERIES? I don’t really have one

5. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ALIENS OR GHOSTS? nahh

6. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR? Don’t really have one

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RADIO STATION? I don’t really listen to the radio, i prefer listening to my own music

8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR OF ANYTHING? Mint

9. WHAT WORD WOULD YOU USE OFTEN TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING GREAT OR WONDERFUL? Amazing

10. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT FAVORITE SONG? Making Flippy Floppy by The Talking Heads

11. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WORD? Insignificant

12. WHAT WAS THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO? Say it ain’t so - Weezer

13. WHAT TV SHOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR EVERYBODY TO WATCH? I’m not a huge TV show person...maybe the anime called NANA if that counts haha

14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE TO WATCH WHEN YOU’RE FEELING DOWN? I’ve never really watched a movie because i was “down”...but maybe Last of the Mohicans?

15. DO YOU PLAY VIDEO GAMES? Yeah probably too much

16. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR? Not achieving my goals

17. WHAT IS YOUR BEST QUALITY, IN YOUR OPINION? I always try to be considerate

18. WHAT IS YOUR WORST QUALITY, IN YOUR OPINION? My Anxiety

19. DO YOU LIKE CATS OR DOGS BETTER? Catsss

20. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? Spring

21. ARE YOU IN A RELATIONSHIP? Yes

22. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU MISS FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD? looking forward to the future.

23. WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND? Felice

24. WHAT IS YOUR EYE COLOR? Light blue

25. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR? Dark brown

26. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU LOVE? My boyfriend and friends

27. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU TRUST? the people above

28. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN? 

29. ARE YOU CURRENTLY EXCITED ABOUT/FOR SOMETHING? I’m low key excited for the game Cyberpunk 2077 to come out...can’t get too excited because it’s still so far way

30. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST OBSESSION? gaming probs

31. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW AS A CHILD? WINX CLUB! I was sooo obsessed. Also Yu Gi Oh GX

32. WHO OF THE OPPOSITE GENDER CAN YOU TELL ANYTHING TO, IF ANYONE? shhh

33. ARE YOU SUPERSTITIOUS? I’m too superstitious to say yes..jk..okay maybe a little

34. DO YOU HAVE ANY UNUSUAL PHOBIAS? Not really…

35. DO YOU PREFER TO BE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA OR BEHIND IT? Behind

36. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOBBY? Gaming

37. WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? It’s so easy and other lies by Duff Mckagan

38. WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Umm...i think it was Clueless.. lol

39. WHAT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS DO YOU PLAY, IF ANY? Bass Guitar! :D

40. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL? Cats..I’m boring

41. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 5 FAVORITE TUMBLR BLOGS THAT YOU FOLLOW?  @maplesim @bloomlet @twin-creeks @dreambot @magnasimblr

42. WHAT SUPERPOWER DO YOU WISH YOU HAD? Teleportation

43. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU FEEL MOST AT PEACE?  When I’m with my friends

44. WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE? Argh when my friends play DOA or Street Fighter and yell at the screen and everybody is yelling..it’s adorable. Also the freckles on my bf’s face :3

45. WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY, IF ANY? I don’t play anymore but i wish i could play baseball and run

46. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRINK? Water and Ice Tea

47. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WROTE A HAND-WRITTEN LETTER OR NOTE TO SOMEBODY? A while ago

48. ARE YOU AFRAID OF HEIGHTS? only if there’s a massive chance i’ll fall off

49. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE? People not being considerate

50. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A CONCERT? No :/

51. ARE YOU VEGAN/VEGETARIAN? Nope

52. WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? A scientist

53. WHAT FICTIONAL WORLD WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE IN? This is hard...Maybe Lord of the Rings

54. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WORRY ABOUT? My future.

55. ARE YOU SCARED OF THE DARK? nahh

56. DO YOU LIKE TO SING? Yeah, when no one is listening

57. HAVE YOU EVER SKIPPED SCHOOL? Once on Swimming day because i can’t swim xD

58. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE ON THE PLANET? City Streets

59. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE? Maybe Tokyo

60. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? No

61. ARE YOU MORE OF AN EARLY BIRD OR A NIGHT OWL? Night Owl

62. DO YOU LIKE SUNRISES OR SUNSETS BETTER? Sunrises

63. DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DRIVE? Only Automatic >.>

64. DO YOU PREFER EARBUDS OR HEADPHONES? Headphones all the fucking way

65. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES? Yeah

66. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC? Classic Rock

67. WHO IS YOUR HERO? Commander Shepard.. LOL

68. DO YOU READ COMIC BOOKS? No, they kinda hard to find in my country?? i think

69. WHAT MAKES YOU THE MOST ANGRY? People being mean to my friends

70. DO YOU PREFER TO READ ON AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE OR WITH A REAL BOOK? Real book

71. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL? English and Science

72. DO YOU HAVE ANY SIBLINGS? Okay well..I have one full sister, 4 half sisters,1 half brother and 2 step brothers...

73. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT? A cheongsam

74. HOW TALL ARE YOU? 164cm

75. CAN YOU COOK? Not entirely well

76. WHAT ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU LOVE? Snuggles, Hugs, Games

77. WHAT ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU HATE? People are inconsiderate, People who are selfish, MONKEYS

78. DO YOU HAVE MORE FEMALE FRIENDS OR MORE MALE FRIENDS? More males

79. WHAT IS YOUR SEXUAL ORIENTATION? Straight

80. WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE?  South Africa

81. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TEXTED? My Bf’s brother’s girlfriend

82. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? day before yesterday

83. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE YOUTUBER? Probably Chris from Abroad in Japan

84. DO YOU LIKE TO TAKE SELFIES? nah

85. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE APP? Reddit

86. WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PARENT(S) LIKE? With my Mom it’s okay. I never answer my Dad’s calls 

87. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOREIGN ACCENT? Japanese, Dutch

88. WHAT IS A PLACE THAT YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO, BUT YOU WANT TO VISIT? Japan, Morocco, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, Germany, USA

89. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER? 19? idk

90. CAN YOU JUGGLE? sort of

91. ARE YOU RELIGIOUS? Not really.

92. DO YOU FIND OUTER SPACE OR THE DEEP OCEAN TO BE MORE INTERESTING? Outer Space

93. DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A DAREDEVIL? My mind is like yes but the other me is saying “ you’re too much of a scaredy cat“

94. ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO ANYTHING? I think Kiwi fruit :/

95. CAN YOU CURL YOUR TONGUE? I think?

96. CAN YOU WIGGLE YOUR EARS? No

97. HOW OFTEN DO YOU ADMIT THAT YOU WERE WRONG ABOUT SOMETHING? I kinda just stop talking and the person can tell I know i’m wrong lol

98. DO YOU PREFER THE FOREST OR THE BEACH? Forest maybe

99. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF ADVICE THAT ANYONE HAS EVER GIVEN YOU?  Don’t worry about what others think (even tho i do all the time xD)

100. ARE YOU A GOOD LIAR? When it’s about something serious then yes.

101. WHAT IS YOUR HOGWARTS HOUSE? Raven Claw

102. DO YOU TALK TO YOURSELF? Yes haha

103. ARE YOU AN INTROVERT OR AN EXTROVERT? I’m neither, i love talking to people but i’m too shy and i get exhausted if i’m around people too much

104. DO YOU KEEP A JOURNAL/DIARY? No

105. DO YOU BELIEVE IN SECOND CHANCES?  No but that doesn’t stop me from giving them lol

106. IF YOU FOUND A WALLET FULL OF MONEY ON THE GROUND, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Try find the owner

107. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF CHANGE? Yes but it depends entirely on the person if they actually want to or not

108. ARE YOU TICKLISH? Nope, I have trained myself

109. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A PLANE? Yes, plane food is nice

110. DO YOU HAVE ANY PIERCINGS? None!

111. WHAT FICTIONAL CHARACTER DO YOU WISH WAS REAL? Commander Shepard

112. DO YOU HAVE ANY TATTOOS? No, but i’d get if they weren’t permanent

113. WHAT IS THE BEST DECISION THAT YOU’VE MADE IN YOUR LIFE SO FAR? ummmm

114. DO YOU BELIEVE IN KARMA? No but it’s nice when people “receive it”

115. DO YOU WEAR GLASSES OR CONTACTS? none

116. DO YOU WANT CHILDREN? NEVER

117. WHO IS THE SMARTEST PERSON YOU KNOW? My boyfriend definitely

118. WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MEMORY? My sister’s bf’s sister introduced herself to me “Hi, I’m Robin” and all i could say back was “Hi, I’m Robin”...fml

119. HAVE YOU EVER PULLED AN ALL-NIGHTER? Who hasn’t?

120. WHAT COLOR ARE MOST OF YOU CLOTHES? Black

121. DO YOU LIKE ADVENTURES? Yesss

122. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON TV? I don’t think so

123. HOW OLD ARE YOU? 20

124. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE? Ummm....If they can’t do it maybe I can! - I just made that up xD

125. DO YOU PREFER SWEET OR SAVORY FOODS? Savory

[barbosaasouza]

E3 2018: Halo Infinite, Fallout 76, and All Trailers and Reveals from Xbox E3 Briefing

The Xbox E3 2018 briefing has now concluded, and gamers have been treated to loads of new game reveals, trailers, details, and more. Keeping up with all of it is a big task — but don't worry, we've collected together all of the biggest must-know highlights below.

Halo Infinite

We don't know very much about Halo Infinite so far, but the latest teaser trailer, featured above, does give players a taste of the action to come. However, we do know that it will be running on the SlipSpace game engine.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will be published by Activision, indicating a multiplatform release even though Microsoft got dibs on the world premiere at its E3 press conference. The newest game from the "Soulsborne" franchise creator seems cut from the same third-person-action cloth as Dark Souls and Bloodborne, set in what appears to be feudal Japan.

Fallout 76

Bethesda's latest title Fallout 76 is set in the hills of West Virginia, hence the John Denver song and references scattered throughout its trailer and marketing materials, so it's going to make for an interesting addition to the saga. It's said to be four times bigger than Fallout 4, according to Howard, and the game's focus will center around rebuilding the world as best as humanity can after the bombs initially drop.

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit

The next game from Square Enix and Dontnod has been revealed on Microsofts stage at E3. The game is called The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, and it follows a young child who aspires to be a superhero. Not too many details were given, but the game resembles the Life is Strange series as far as art direction goes, and it's likely that the game will lean into player choices as well. We do know that it will release for free on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on June 26.

Forza Horizon 4

Forza Horizon 4 will be set in Britain, with dynamic seasons in a shared open world, running with a 60fps mode. You can seamlessly enter into co-op mode from within the game world, with seasons, various different times of day, and weather synced across the entirety of the community. For example, a lake would be frozen in winter just like it would be in real life.

Kingdom Hearts 3

Microsoft hosted a new trailer from Kingdom Hearts 3, delighting long-time fans of the series with a first look at the game's Frozen world — marking the first occasion the blockbuster film will be immortalized in a Kingdom Hearts game — as well as the first glimpse at the Gummi ship.

Metro Exodus

The latest Metro Exodus trailer gives more deep looks into the game, including loads of grim and scenic vistas set around post-apocalyptic Moscow. In particular, the new trailer also allows players to catch brief glimpses of several demonic-looking monsters, plus get an early look at the game's modular weapons system.

Crackdown 3

The newest trailer for Crackdown 3 leans heavily on featured star Terry Crews and shows lots of classic Crackdown destruction. Notably absent from the trailer was the building toppling destruction that was promised when the game was debuted years ago, but we’ll probably learn more about that in the coming months before the game releases.

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

Fans of PUBG will be happy to know that the introduction of new maps and environments will continue for the foreseeable future. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, known more widely as PUBG, debuted a new snow map at the Microsoft E3 2018 press conference. We don’t yet have a name, or many details at all, but the end of the trailer showed a player tracking another using their footprints in the snow. If that's a mechanic in included, PUBG could be in for an interesting new take with its snow map.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

The newest trailer for Eidos Montreal's and Square Enix's Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which premiered at today's E3 2018 Xbox Briefing, showed Lara raiding tombs, swinging from vines, and pursuing ancient artifacts. The most salient bit of info to come from the trailer is a September 14 release date across multiple platforms.

We Happy Few

Microsoft made some waves during their E3 2018 show by announcing the acquisition of several studios. One of these studios is Compulsion Games, developers of We Happy Few. The game has been in early access on PC for a long time now, but appears to be nearing completion. Microsoft announced that We Happy Few would be releasing on August 10 and shared a brand new trailer.

The Division 2

The latest gameplay reveal showcases the sort of high quality visuals that The Division was known for. Things are a lot more open in The Division 2, however, with lush, overgrown forest environments dotted by broken-down cars and other signs of civilizations now lost. Cover and gunplay look to function the same as ever, which is to say very well, with the hero and his allies doing battle with a number of enemies near the ruined fuselage of Air Force One.

Session

Microsoft announced that skating game Session would be coming to Xbox One today, jumping on the hype train chugging along with the potential of a Skate 4 release. Well, we didn't get Skate 4, but we did at the very least get a skating game in terms of Session.

Devil May Cry 5

After 10 years, the next mainline installment in the Devil May Cry series has been announced. An action-packed cinematic trailer featuring Dante was shown, but not too many other details were provided. The game is being produced by Matt Walker, though no release window has been revealed. It's also been confirmed that Devil May Cry 5 will have three different playable characters.

Battletoads

The possibility of a Battletoads reboot has been hinted at for years, and the rumors have borne fruit. Not many details are known, however. Today's reveal trailer was more of a teaser. Microsoft may drop more details once E3 2018 kicks into high gear later this week.

Dying Light 2

Purportedly just about everything in the Dying Light 2 world can change based on the players' decisions: one example was access to a fresh water supply, the likes of which is capable of bringing relative peace to the people in the streets, but also allowing the player to replenish their own health on-the-go.

Gears POP!

The Coalition announced two new games in the Gears universe: Gears POP! and Gears Tactics. The cartoony Gears Pop is obviously based on the adorable series of Funko Pop! Vinyl figures, of which there are dozens of different varieties.

Cuphead

Cuphead arrived on the scene last year to critical and commercial success thanks to its unique look and challenging gameplay. The game managed to snag both the Best Art Style and Xbox Game of the Year awards from us in 2017. During its E3 2018 show in Los Angeles today, Microsoft gave the world its first look at Cuphead’s anticipated DLC, The Delicious Last Course.

Jump Force

The latest Bandai Namco game Jump Force looks like a fighting game that has a Smash Bros. style mashup feel in a 3D environment. Featuring legendary anime characters, Jump Force is expected to release in 2019.

Just Cause 4

Just Cause 4 will find players taking on Rico's role once more as they zoom across the fictional South American town of Solis, where you'll be met with plenty of cool vehicles to jump in and totally wreck the environment. Yes, destructible environments look like they're back, in a big way.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 will be the CD Projekt Red's follow-up to the massive success of The Witcher 3, the RPG widely considered to be one of the best of all time. The game was confirmed to be in development over five years ago at the Polish development house. While the project has maintained a constant level of hype since, the excitement grew in the last few months after rumors spread that the game would be appearing during E3 2018. It appears those rumors were true.

Shacknews' coverage of everything E3 2018 continues, so be sure to keep it tuned here for the latest and greatest game trailers and reveals to come out of this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo.

E3 2018: Halo Infinite, Fallout 76, and All Trailers and Reveals from Xbox E3 Briefing published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/