This Week in Gaming (Week 14)

[TheLostSwede]

Welcome to the first week of April and the month kicks off on the slow side. This week's major release is a remaster of a game that launched on the PS4 in 2020, which is why we decided to avoid calling it a AAA release, even though the original console game was. This is followed by some parkour, going on adventures with a puppy, some mechs, running a roman outpost and finally being in charge of some police officers.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered / This week's major release / Thursday 3 April
Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closure. Steam link




Storror Parkour Pro / Monday 31 March / Early access
Escape Reality. The ultimate multiplayer parkour experience. Escape, race, and explore the streets and rooftops of London's Isle of Dogs. Join team Storror to save your estate, or challenge your friends to test their skills.Storror Parkour Pro is complete control and freedom of movement.
Steam link



Koira / Tuesday 1 April
Save a puppy and embark on a heartwarming, hand-drawn adventure together. Journey to the heart of an enchanted forest, solving puzzles and avoiding hunters to protect your newfound friend. Steam link



Steel Hunters / Wednesday 2 April / Early access
After a cataclysmic event, Hunters were created by mankind to safeguard the collection of an extraterrestrial resource crucial to human survival, known as Starfall. Driven by ruthless factions, these fearsome mechanical giants have now become the key to dominate the scarce resource across the ruins of a green but abandoned Earth. Steam link



Roman Triumph: Survival City Builder / Thursday 3 April / Early access
Roman Triumph is a survival city-builder / colony-sim set in Roman times where you must lead your people, build a city from the ground up and fortify it with walls, ballistae, archer towers and other Roman defenses to survive against the hordes of Barbarians, ferocious Hydra, Minotaur, Cerberus, and other mythological beasts. Steam link



SWAT Commander: Prologue / Friday 4 April
In the prologue, you face the challenges of our second mission - Hot Reception. Team up with your friends in a SWAT squad or go in solo to investigate an auto shop where a violent shootout between rival gangs took place. Secure any evidence of criminal activity, bring the perpetrators to justice, and restore order. Steam link

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[ZoneDymo]

That Swat Trailer is almost too honest, it looks like crap and runs like crap.
Also generic af music.

But I am happy that potentially oldschool tactical shooters like Swat and Rainbow Six have a possible audience, same for that new Commandos game.
Now we just need RTS and City Builders back

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Steel hunters looks almost like an Anthem/planetside 2 clone crossed with Zoids and Ui from Overwatch

 

[Keivz]

Really enjoyed the first last of us. Looking forward to playing the sequel in a year when it is all patched up and 40% off.

 

[GerKNG]

Roman Triumph looks interesting.

 

[Hyderz]

TLOU P2 for sure i want to play this but also i don't want to play it
One conflicting issue for me with this sequel...
I want to continue the story but i browsing youtube when it was a hot released title some of the thumbnail ruined it for me....
I was just sitting there... why do people post that critical part of the game when the game just released....

 

[mechtech]

Parkour...............multiplayer??

But could you push your buddies off the edge of maps or structures like borderlands??

 

[alwayssts]

TLOU P2 for sure i want to play this but also i don't want to play it
One conflicting issue for me with this sequel...
I want to continue the story but i browsing youtube when it was a hot released title some of the thumbnail ruined it for me....
I was just sitting there... why do people post that critical part of the game when the game just released....

On one hand, I feel your pain and that does suck; YT also bothers me in that regard for things I'd sometimes rather discover differently (although I am also guility of using it purposely as I can't play everything).

OTOH, I 'spoiled' this long before even released; I talked at length about how that very obvious thing was going to make the game extremely depressing in an era we needed actual humanity vs a compassion trope.
IOW, I thought it was extremely predictable, bc totally-not-Elliot-Page-allusion has an obvious character arch; I also think part 3 is/was always as well; P2 does absolutely nothing to make me think I was ever wrong.
In-fact Part 2 pretty much sets up the character traits (we already knew she had) as to make the third entry actually incredibly non-interesting by showing the main essential point here instead, on smaller scale.

That said, please do play the game and I hope you 'enjoy' it, as there is much more to it than that thing. It's worth it even if you don't 'like' it, imo. Sometimes, that's even the point of these things.
While I'm not a huge fan (including P1; I know; blasphemy...and yes, I do 'get' it; just don't agree it's helpful to tell a story this way), I recognize I'm in the minority, and they are an important cultural touchstone.

*Cue somebody telling me I'll never understand Interstellar*

Once again, please do play it, and I hope you enjoy it (as they are a well-made experience), but to me this story was always a foregone conclusion; there isn't much to spoil. It is, though, well-told (I suppose).
They do character moments well, and that comes through in playing it; I don't think those can all ever truly be spoiled (easily) as it's part of the enviroment/gameplay you actually have to experience.

(Honestly, though, play it and tell me you can't predict P3. I could before P2, and most of what P2 was, and now I think darn near everyone will be able to as they hammer home reasons why pretty hard).

Hopefully I'm not spoiling anything with this comment; it's one of those things where I know people appreciate the series and I want them to (or not) on their own terms; but they should expereince them imo.
I want them to play it, and I don't want to be grouped in with people that don't like it for really shitty reasons; to me it's just too obvious/bleak; they try to portray it as ground-breaking hence comes across odd.
By odd, I mean just *slightly* pretentious and a bit arrogant; maybe actually depressing rather than contemplative; there are great moments though.

Now we wait for Ellie to become (I Am) Legend; "Last (wo)Man on Earth" and for millions of people to think that's poignant as well...and for punters to discuss that purpose in it's title.
And how she was the last of...us (humanity; humane; as in humanitarian) in a selfish world that had seen the outbreak; before it starts anew (but likely with a vaccine, not w/ everyone as vampires/infected)...
...and that Joel...well...Joel was the dog.

...and I will yawn (but probably still play it and enjoy the 'giraffe/guitar' moments). If you take more from it than that, and I hope you do, that's wonderful.

 

[MCJAxolotl7]

Awwwww, it's a doggo

 

[Frick]

Roman Triumph looks interesting.

Thought so too but I hope you can change how combat heavy it is ... unless the combat is really good.

 

[Prima.Vera]

That Swat Trailer is almost too honest, it looks like crap and runs like crap.
Also generic af music.

Is recorded in 24fps, for cinematic atmo, however, they forgot to add the cinematic motion blur.

 

[arobo531]

Very keen for TLOU Part 2 on PC finally - played a few years back on a base PS4, 30fps felt very average and I cannot aim on a controller for the life of me. And this might be an unpopular opinion, but I loved the story and how its bleak, no-holds-barred approach to plot delivery.

 

[Gameslove]

South of Midnight Premium early access 3. April.

 

[TheLostSwede]

South of Midnight Premium early access 3. April.

I'll include it this coming Sunday, as the official launch is on the 8th.

 

[Rover4444]

Are you fucking kidding me? A TLOU 2 remaster? Didn't that game just come out?

 

[Fasola]

Not a fan of golfing. Also, perhaps it's best to have fewer games than to include slop, demos (that "prologue") or both.

 

[Rover4444]

Steel hunters does look pretty interesting though. Gonna have to see how it plays.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Not a fan of golfing. Also, perhaps it's best to have fewer games than to include slop, demos (that "prologue") or both.

No golf game was included this week?
It's only one game per day of the week, if I did fewer, it would be kind of pointless.
Also, I've been asked to add more games on busy weeks, so no, there won't be less and there will always be some "slop".
Just because you're not interested, doesn't mean someone else might not be.
And trust me, I filter out plenty of stuff, like crypto scam games, deck builders (as no-one here appears to like them) and a bunch of other poor looking games, unless there really is nothing else for that day.
Keep in mind that this is a short preview of what's coming in the next week, not news about AAA or popular game releases, as we do those anyhow.
And if you're not happy with that, please contact W1zzard and ask for your subscription fee to be refunded.

Are you fucking kidding me? A TLOU 2 remaster? Didn't that game just come out?

Not on PC, no.

 

[Rover4444]

No golf game was included this week?

I think he means TLOU 2.

 

[Guwapo77]

The Last of Us Part 2 is a freaking masterpiece, loved the game from beginning to end. Is there a part 3 in the making?

 

[TheLostSwede]

I think he means TLOU 2.

Sorry for not knowing what people meant when they wrote something else.

 

[Rover4444]

Sorry for not knowing what people meant when they wrote something else.

It's an inside joke. Joel gets killed by a golf club in the game. If you don't get it, that's fine.

 

[Fasola]

Just because you're not interested, doesn't mean someone else might not be.
And trust me, I filter out plenty of stuff, like crypto scam games, deck builders (as no-one here appears to like them) and a bunch of other poor looking games, unless there really is nothing else for that day.
Keep in mind that this is a short preview of what's coming in the next week, not news about AAA or popular game releases, as we do those anyhow.

Feels like you took it as personal criticism. It's just my own feedback and I don't claim to speak for others. Take it or leave it.
Also, I like some deck builders. Sultan's Game was an interesting one that released on the 31st. Certainly more interesting to me than a FPS prologue (demo).

And if you're not happy with that, please contact W1zzard and ask for your subscription fee to be refunded.

I am tagging @thewizzerd and speed dialing him right now to get this unwelcomed feedback sorted.

The Last of Us Part 2 is a freaking masterpiece, loved the game from beginning to end. Is there a part 3 in the making?

Unlikely according to the studio head himself, Neil Druckmann. It reportedly sold around half of Part 1, and, while profitable, it was likely below expectations since there was at least a spin-off MP game that was cancelled. Part 3 might even flop with the current failure bonanza from some well-known studios/publishers. And, as the article states, they're currently focused on a different IP/game.

 

[Guwapo77]

Feels like you took it as personal criticism. It's just my own feedback and I don't claim to speak for others. Take it or leave it.
Also, I like some deck builders. Sultan's Game was an interesting one that released on the 31st. Certainly more interesting to me than an FPS prologue (demo).

I am tagging @thewizzerd and speed dialing him right now to get this unwelcomed feedback sorted.

Unlikely according to the studio head himself, Neil Druckmann. It reportedly sold around half of Part 1, and, while profitable, it was likely below expectations since there was at least a spin-off MP game that was cancelled. Part 3 might even flop with the current failure bonanza from some well-known studios/publishers. And, as the article states, they're currently focused on a different IP/game.

Sorry man, the game wasn't bad at all. If you actually look into why the game didn't sell well had nothing to do with it being a bad story or game play.

 

[Rover4444]

Sorry man, the game wasn't bad at all. If you actually look into why the game didn't sell well had nothing to do with it being a bad story or game play.

Why didn't it sell well?