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E3 2019 – The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics

by Stephen Duetzmann June 12, 2019

By: James Pisano

If you remember Jim Henson’s “The Dark Crystal”, then you had a fantastic childhood. If you also played Final Fantasy Tactics, or are a fan of the Final Fantasy universe, then your childhood was even better. If one or both of those statements applies to you, then I have AMAZING news for you!

On the same day that Netflix is releasing “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” prequel TV series, they’re dropping “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics”. Yep. It’s a Dark Crystal turn-based tactics game, borne out of a partnership between Nintendo, Netflix, and Bonus XP (The developer behind the Stranger Things games). You’ll be controlling squads of soldiers from the Dark Crystal universe, on a grid based map, and fight using a combination of swords and sorcery. The aesthetic, while simplistic, looks stylized and appropriate for the game. The animations also look a bit simple, but this was never going to be a graphics powerhouse. If it delivers a sound strategy game, dripping with personality from the world of The Dark Crystal, I think we will all be very happy.

Now, they’ve planted a flag in the ground by putting the word “Tactics” on the end of a game. That’s definitely a statement, and one that has not gone well for some other games. However, I have faith that they’re going to nail this. By the short trailer we’ve seen, and my gut instinct, I’m declaring this one a winner, sight unseen. Will I be right? Time will tell.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

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June 12, 2019 0 comment

E3 Hands On Preview – Battle Chasers: NightWar

by Stephen Duetzmann July 17, 2017

written by Stephen Duetzmann

Guest Writer: James Pisano

Battle Chasers: Nightwar, a beautiful single player RPG that started out as a very successful Kickstarter project and developed by Airship Syndicate and Published by Nordic Games, is based on one of the most popular American Comic Series in the 90s, by Joe Madureira. Joe Madureira is the Creative and Animation Director on the game, so the “flavor” of that world remains intact. The beautiful artwork, the rich and immersive environments, and the strategic depth are all high points that I know will have me coming back for more and more this October when the world will be able to enter the arcane punk wonderland of Battle Chasers: Nightwar.

In the time I had my hands on this game at E32017, it was clear to me that the developers thought through things like deep party synergy without falling prey to trite conventions. The party they had setup for the demo was made up of Calibretto – and Ancient War Golem, Gully – A young girl on a quest to find her father, and Knolan, a sage-like Wizard who packs much more power than one might think. Calibretto looks like he -should- be the tank, but he’s really a healer who can also deal some AOE damage in a pinch. Gully has the look of an elfish rogue, but is actual rather tanky and handy with crowd control abilities and taunts. And Knowlen is mostly arcane DPS with a sprinkling of heals available for support. Each party member can be cycled to be the party’s representative on the overworld, and is able to use their unique abilities to damage enemies before actually entering the encounter screen, which adds another layer of strategy and engagement that makes this game all the more appealing for me.

As far as the level design, we were told by the company’s PR rep that the dungeons are procedurally generated, which adds a TON of re-playability and depth. The environments looked complex and cohesive enough that I was surprised to hear that they were constructed this way, especially given the beautiful art style. And if you’re one for deep lore from a team that really cares, this is your kind of game. So come October 3rd, gather the family around and fall in love with this sure-to-be-epic RPG on your platform of choice. Yes, it’s being released on PC (Steam & GOG), Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.

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July 17, 2017 0 comment

News Updates Wii U Switch

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild DLC Information Released

by Stephen Duetzmann May 2, 2017

written by Stephen Duetzmann

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the best games to come out in a very long time. Players have put countless hours into exploring every nook and cranny of the world that Nintendo has crafted. We all knew that two DLC packs were coming, but the information was shrouded in ambiguity. That shroud has officially been lifted, because Nintendo has officially announced the details for the first DLC pack that will be coming out this summer.

I know that some people have expressed concern that the DLC pack would be light on content, but take a look at the list below and see what you think.

Trial of the Sword

By accessing this location, players can challenge the new Trial of the Sword (previously known as “Cave of Trials Challenge”), where enemies appear one after another. Link starts without any armor or weapons, and if he defeats all of the enemies in the room he can proceed to the next area. Trial of the Sword will include around 45 total rooms for players to complete. When Link clears all of the trials, the true power of the Master Sword will awaken and always be in its glowing powered-up state.

The Trial of the Sword is, for all intents and purposes, a horde mode. This is a game mode where players are tasked with battling waves of enemies that grow progressively stronger. Fourty five rooms is a lot so this should be a very significant challenge for players, but a fully empowered Master Sword is a worthy prize.

Hard Mode

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is already considered one of the most thrilling games in The Legend of Zelda series, and fans looking for a challenge are in for a treat with the new Hard Mode. In Hard Mode, the “ranks” of enemies in the game are increased (i.e. Red Bokoblins change to Blue), and players might even encounter higher-ranking enemies they wouldn’t find through normal play. Enemies will also slowly recover health in battle, forcing you to defeat them more quickly. They will also more easily spot Link as he approaches them, making these enemies tougher to sneak up on. In addition, floating planks held aloft by balloons will be scattered around Hyrule. By successfully reaching these planks, players can battle enemies and collect treasure.

Breath of the Wild is already a very challenging game. I was curious what Nintendo meant when they said they were adding a Hard mode from the second it was announced. This sounds like a daunting challenge. This will be the playground for some of the very best players. I know we’ll give it a shot, but I suspect our family won’t get too far.

Hero’s Path Mode

Exploring Hyrule is exciting, but with such a large world it’s sometimes hard for players to remember where they’ve been. To help with tracking progress, the new Hero’s Path Mode will document every step players take, and mark their path in green on the map. The route taken will be tracked for the player’s last 200 hours of play time, with an included slider to track footsteps on a timeline. This even works retroactively, so players that have already put many hours into the game will be able to see where they have traveled. This feature will help in identifying the locations they haven’t visited in this vast world, and may help players find those Shrines they haven’t encountered yet.

This may be the coolest part of this whole expansion. One of my biggest problems towards the end of the game is that I just didn’t know where to go. This will solve that problem. I doubt that anyone will find the exact footsteps all that useful, but I strongly feel that this will help explorers find their way when it comes to hunting down missing temples.

Travel Medallion

There will be a new treasure chest somewhere in the game world which contains the Travel Medallion. With the Travel Medallion, players can create a temporary new travel point on the map where they are currently standing. Link can then transport himself to that point at any time. Only one travel point can be registered on the map at a time.

This is a welcome quality of life change. This gives players the ability to set transportation markers in areas they are exploring without being dependent upon shrines

Korok Mask

By finding the new Korok Mask, players will have a much easier time finding Korok locations in the game. When equipped, the mask will shake, indicating that a Korok is hidden somewhere nearby.

I don’t feel like the game was designed with the intention that players should get all of the Korok seeds. There are just too darn many of them. However, It looks like Nintendo has listened to their fans and created a tool to help complete the impossible.

New Equipment

Eight new pieces of equipment inspired by previous characters and games in the series will be added to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild after downloading the first DLC pack. Once discovered by the player, they will yield equipment themed after fan-favorite games and characters such as Midna, Tingle, Phantom and Majora’s Mask.

One of my favorite parts of Breath of the Wild was the variety in the equipment I could collect. This just adds to that experience. We don’t know what this gear does yet, but I am sure they will be interesting.

What do you think? Is this enough content for a DLC pack for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild? Will you and your family be picking it up? Sound odd in the comments and let us know!

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May 2, 2017 0 comment