Black Ops IIII Doesn’t Make Any Sense

Activision just can’t catch a break with Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII leaks. Initially, item listings in GameStop’s system suggested that 2018’s Call of Duty title would be “Black Ops 4“. The very next day, James Harden of the Houston Rockets was spotted wearing a hat with a logo strongly resembling that of Black Ops III. Two days later, whether previously-planned or forced out, Activision released a teaser trailer for Black Ops IIII, confirming its existence and October 12, 2018 release date.

It was relatively quiet until rumors started circulating that Black Ops IIII will release without a single-player campaign, including instead cooperative modes and possibly a “battle royale” mode to fill the gap. Then, it was reported that the game’s traditional multiplayer component will be more of a hero shooter, comparable to Overwatch (which is also owned by Activision) and Lawbreakers. As much as I appreciate all of this information coming out, I would feel better if all of these leaks weren’t terrible ideas. Continue reading →

Nintendo, Locked Content, and Getting What You Pay For

When Metroid: Samus Returns arrives for the Nintendo 3DS on September 15, certain content for the game will not be available without also purchasing one of the amiibo figures releasing alongside it. Understandably, fans are upset.  This is what’s known as “on-disc downloadable content (DLC)” – content that is included in a game’s data but only accessible with an additional purchase – and is considered by many as an insult to consumers. How can game developers have the audacity to charge full price for a game when you aren’t getting the full content? The reasoning isn’t as simple as it may seem, and the “problem” has been going on a lot longer than you may realize. Continue reading →

Call of Duty is Dying, and Activision Knows It

In this world, nothing can be said to be certain except death, taxes and an annual Call of Duty release. Officially announced today, Call of Duty: WWII will be releasing sometime this fall. The three-team/three-year development cycle means it turns to Sledgehammer Games to deliver “the hallmark, blockbuster franchise moments that fans love.” Will it release on November 3? Will it have zombies? We’ll find out more with the full reveal on April 26. For now, the only thing we know for certain is that Activision has their work cut out for them. Continue reading →

No New Hearthstone Classes for Another Year

New and exciting changes are coming to Hearthstone. By shaking up the way that the game is played, Blizzard Entertainment is giving themselves more freedom to try new things without having to worry about conflicting with previous content. One of the many new things the Hearthstone community has been asking for is the inclusion of the remaining three World of Warcraft classes – Death Knight, Monk and the soon to be available Demon Hunter. This retooling of the game provides the perfect opportunity for Blizzard to do just that. Except they’re not going to. Yet. Continue reading →

I, For One, Welcome Our New Remastered Overlords

A couple weeks ago, details leaked out (and were later confirmed) about the impending release of Dead Island Definitive Collection, a re-release of 2011’s Dead Island and it’s 2013 sequel Riptide. The week before, Capcom announced that in celebration of  Resident Evil’s 20th anniversary, they will be releasing Resident Evils 4, 5 and 6 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The zombies these franchises are known for aren’t the only things being reanimated, as dozens of “remastered” games have been released since the debut of the current console generation in 2013. Consumers see this as a way for publishers to milk more money out of already released games. COO of Electronic Arts Peter Moore has come out and said that developers who follow this practice are only running out of ideas. So if the game-buying public and the worst company in America think it’s a bad idea, it surely must be, right? Perhaps not. Continue reading →

The Best Way to Purchase Hearthstone Card Packs

With the impending release of the next Hearthstone expansion, The Grand Tournament, Blizzard has offered up a bargain for players looking to jump right in with the new content. For $49.99, players can pre-purchase 50 packs of Grand Tournament cards and receive a special card back only available during this promotion. By itself, this will save you a little bit of money. 50 packs would normally cost you roughly $60 (there is no option to purchase exactly 50 packs in the store, $49.99 only gets you 40). This is an obvious tactic of Blizzard to coerce players to spend money in an otherwise free-to-play game. The question is, are you better off with this promotion or buying the same amount of packs with in-game gold? Continue reading →

Pro Skater HD Brings the Noise, a Little Funk

Like The Birdman himself, the Tony Hawk video game series is well past its prime. Once heralded as one of the best franchises available, each release over the past decade has received poorer review scores than the last. In an effort to remind people of just how great the games used to be, Activision has released Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD, a beautified amalgamation of the first two titles, with a few new features thrown in for good measure. While there is great joy to be had for those of us with fond memories of the earlier Pro Skaters, I’m afraid we have to deduct points for some nasty bails along the way. Continue reading →

Breaking Down the Black Ops II Multiplayer Reveal

Earlier today, Activision unveiled the first gameplay trailer of Call of Duty: Black Ops II‘s multiplayer mode. It gives a lot of hints as to what we can expect when the game hits retail shelves in November. I’ve always been curious about the little details the guys at Activision include with these types of trailers, even going so far as to analyze every frame of the multiplayer reveals of the previous two Call of Duty titles. So, here I am with a frame-by-frame breakdown of the first glimpse of Treyarch’s multiplayer in Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

All information provided here is speculation on my part, and as the coming weeks and months arrive much of what I say may be changed by the development team or proven false. All images are taken of the trailer provided by GameTrailers. (EDIT: Updated images from a 60fps video for better quality. You can find that video here.) Click on any image to see the full size version. Continue reading →

Christopher Nolan’s Batman Rises Above All Others

Film adaptations of comic books have been around nearly as long as comic books themselves. It wasn’t until Christopher Nolan got his hands on the Batman license, however, that the the public started taking them seriously as films in their own right. With The Dark Knight Rises, his story of Batman comes to an end. It’s distressing to think that Nolan won’t be making any more films of the Caped Crusader. Thankfully, he left us with a masterpiece.  Continue reading →

Revenge is a Dish Best Left Off the Menu

Last week, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition. Other than being a contender for the worst cover art in existence, this version of the game includes all the previously released downloadable content, a downloadable copy of the Batman: Year One animated movie, and Harley Quinn’s Revenge, a new mission set after the events of the game’s main story. If you have purchased the game already, you can download the new content separately for $10. Unless you are desperate to dust off that copy of Arkham City you haven’t touched in months, you may want to let it sit on the shelf a while longer.

Due to the nature of the DLC, it’s possible this review could contain minor spoilers pertaining to Arkham City‘s story. With that being the case, only read on if you’re comfortable with that information. Continue reading →