Operation Backlog Completion 2026

Not E3 2020 Part 11: Devolver Digital and Ubisoft

 Video games  11 Responses »  Tagged with:
Jul 122020
 

Table of Contents

Indie Live Expo 2020
The Escapist Indie Showcase
PlayStation 5 Showcase
Guerrilla Collective
PC Gaming
Future Games Show
EA
New Game+ Expo
MonsterVine Hot Games Summer Showcase
Nacon Connect
Limited Run Games
Devolver Direct
Ubisoft
Nintendo
Microsoft

Devolver Direct 2020

This weekend saw two more traditional E3 shows, starting with Devolver Digital’s Devolver Direct 2020 on Saturday. As usual for Devolver, their show was mainly pure insanity with a few actual announcements mixed in.

The first game was a new trailer for the recently-announced action game Shadow Warrior 3.

After that, Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida made an appearance to introduce a new trailer and release date for the online party game Fall Guys, followed by Phil Spencer appearing to reveal the release date of reverse horror game Carrion. None of those games interest me, but it was enjoyable to see some big names… and to watch the unfolding storyline of the showcase, which is the main reason to tune in for a Devolver stream.

A new developer called Beans is working on an unannounced game with Devolver, and then it was time for a stream of fake game announcements. This section was pretty funny, with special mention going to the Geralt section and the appearance from the infamous uncle who works at Nintendo.

The next real game shown was an action game called Olija, which looks cool, although not necessarily my sort of game. Then they showed a gameplay trailer for Serious Sam 4, and then came the strangest game announcement of the show.

Devolverland Expo, available now for free, is a “first-person marketing simulator” that lets you explore an empty Devolver convention center, look for trailers, etc. I’m not sure if I’ll try it or not, but it’s certainly a unique idea, if nothing else.

All in all, it didn’t have any announcements that really caught my attention, but I enjoyed my yearly dose of Devolver insanity and look forward to seeing what over-the-top storyline they come up with for next year’s show.

Ubisoft Forward

Meanwhile, today was the day of Ubisoft Forward. I’m not a big Ubisoft fan, so I don’t usually look forward to their E3 shows as much as the others. Nevertheless, some years they surprise me… but this was not one of those years.

They started with a long look at Watch Dogs: Legion and revealed its release date. I never played the first two Watch Dogs games, and I’m not interested in Legion either.

Then they gave a release date for the mobile version of Brawlhalla, celebrated the success of the mobile game Might & Magic: Era of Chaos, announced pre-registration for the mobile game Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad, and featured a special community video because Rainbow Six Siege has done so well.

Next up was a long showcase of their free-to-play battle royale first-person shooter Hyper Scape, which has an open beta available now.

Then Phil Spencer showed up again. Maybe he’s making an effort to appear at other events besides Microsoft’s due to the lack of E3. Anyway, he was there for the introduction of their Assassin’s Creed Valhalla segment, which is coming out on November 17 and does look pretty cool (except that I’ve never gotten into Assassin’s Creed).

Finally, they concluded with the official announcement of Far Cry 6. It was already leaked earlier, but I’m not a Far Cry fan anyway.

And… that was that. This Ubisoft event wasn’t a great one for me. A second Ubisoft Forward is planned for later in 2020, when presumably they’ll show some more games.

We’re coming up to the end of Not-E3 2020. Unless Nintendo announces the much-rumored July Nintendo Direct, all we have left is Microsoft… and possibly Bandai Namco, if I decide to count the Play Anime Live showcase as Not-E3 coverage. Anyway, what did you think of Ubisoft Forward? What about Devolver Direct 2020? Let me know in the comments!

Metal Wolf Chaos: A Game So American, It Could Only Be Made in Japan

 Reviews, Video games  8 Responses »
Jul 102020
 

To celebrate the 4th of July, I decided to play the most American game ever made… by a Japanese developer and available only in Japan for 15 years until it was finally released here. That’s right, I’m talking about Metal Wolf Chaos XD.

Since it’s supposed to be a 7 hour game, I intended to play it over the weekend and review it on Monday. However, you might remember that when I discussed it in the past, I mentioned that I’m not a huge shooter fan. This goes hand-in-hand with me not being particularly good at shooters. My playthrough took me almost 23 hours, which is why you’re getting a 4th of July review on July 10.

But enough of that, let’s talk about the game.

Metal Wolf Chaos is set in the near future and stars the 47th president of the United States, President Michael Wilson. When his vice president takes over the country in a coup d’etat and begins to destroy freedom, the president has no choice but to get into an advanced mech suit and personally battle the VP’s forces to retake America!

It’s a third-person shooter, and you have a variety of weapons to pick from. A lot of enemies are underpowered compared to you, but you also encounter stronger enemies that put up more of a challenge.

Each mission typically gives you certain target areas to destroy and possibly a boss fight, and there are also POWs you can save – civilians, scientists, and musicians. (For some reason, there are a lot of musicians captured and forced to play music for the enemy.) At the end of each mission, you’re given a rank and rewarded with money, which you can use to research and develop new weapons.

The gameplay is fine, but I really disliked that there are no checkpoints or saving during missions. Getting through a mission only to die on the boss and have to start the whole mission over again was frustrating.

Meanwhile, the story has a bizarre tone, and I was never quite sure if it was trying to be funny with its absurdly over-the-top conversations about freedom and America or if this was meant to be taken seriously. Partway through, I began thinking of it as the Japanese-writing-America equivalent of Americans writing cool ninja stories that have very little basis in reality… and I might not be far off, because the producer said in an interview that it was “our idea of this ideology of American culture and comic book heroes” and described it as “from the American point of view, it’s almost like how they imagine a Japanese ninja.”

For me, the story falls squarely into that “so bad it’s good” category. I eagerly awaited each new cutscene and conversation, not because I wanted to know what would happen in the plot, but because I couldn’t wait to see how ridiculous it would get next.

The dialogue is cheesy, the villains are cartoonishly evil, the voice acting is bizarre (with special mention going to the vice president, who delivers all of his lines like a regular guy you’d meet downtown, but also has the most cliche evil laugh ever), the plot rarely has any real compelling moments, and most of its attempts at emotional moments don’t work.

Click for Metal Wolf Chaos spoilers
For example, Jody’s capture. You learn through a written text summary that she stopped working for the president, and then you’re immediately told she’s been captured and the next mission is saving her. It all happens too fast to have a real impact.

On the other hand, one part that did work was the return of the resistance leader. You fall out of contact with him for several missions, so it does feel significant when he shows up to help.

And yet… there’s something endearing about Michael’s sincere insistence that he must keep fighting for freedom, no matter the odds, because he’s the president of the great United States of America! It’s silly and over-the-top, but it does make him likable.

I’ve never played a game quite like Metal Wolf Chaos XD before. Although I had some trouble with it, I couldn’t have picked a better choice for the 4th of July. This is a game so American, it could only be made in Japan, and the nonsensical escapism of the story was a bizarrely delightful treat.

Not-E3 2020 Part 10: Limited Run Games

 Video games  11 Responses »  Tagged with:
Jul 082020
 

Table of Contents

Indie Live Expo 2020
The Escapist Indie Showcase
PlayStation 5 Showcase
Guerrilla Collective
PC Gaming
Future Games Show
EA
New Game+ Expo
MonsterVine Hot Games Summer Showcase
Nacon Connect
Limited Run Games
Devolver Direct
Ubisoft
Nintendo
Microsoft

Limited Run Games

Limited Run Games has always had odd E3 press conferences set in a pseudo-theater filled with cardboard cutout audience members, but this year it played into their premise of traveling to an alternate timeline where E3 went on as scheduled. Anyway, due to the nature of LRG, this is the sort of showcase where you don’t really expect new announcements, but instead wait to see what digital-only games will be getting limited physical runs.

However, that sometimes includes surprise ports, and they started things off strong with the announcement that the original Shantae is being released both physically and digitally on the Switch (and getting a physical Game Boy Color release, as well).

Not only that, but Risky’s Revenge is coming to the Switch, too! I’ll probably pick up both of them, and this means I’ll finally play the first game, which I’d skipped up until now.

WayForward is also getting LRG releases for A Boy and His Blob for the PS4, The Mummy: Demastered for both Switch and PS4, and Xtreme Sports for Switch.

Then they revealed a physical release of the Castlevania Anniversary Collection for the Switch and PS4, which contains 8 classic Castlevania games. I missed this when it was released digitally, but it looks like just the thing for me to give more Castlevania a try.

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 is getting a physical release, as is Mighty Gunvolt Burst, both for both the Switch and PS4.

After Garou: Mark of the Wolves for the PS4, they went through a montage of games being distributed through their partners: Kunai (Switch), Ys Origin (Switch), Observer (Switch), My Friend Pedro (PS4), Gris (Switch), Carrion (Switch), Where the Water Tastes Like Wine (Switch), The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa (Switch), and Mega Dimension Neptunia VII (Switch).

The Grandia HD Collection, which contains Grandia and Grandia II, is also getting a physical release for the Switch. I should actually finish Grandia, as I started it ages ago…

After Katana Zero, they moved on to a favorite of mine… To the Moon for the Switch.

I absolutely love To the Moon, so I’ll probably pick up a physical copy. If you like story-driven games and haven’t played this yet, you definitely should.

Then they went through a short montage of games already available: Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl, Outer Wilds, and Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection, all for the Switch.

Return of the Obra Dinn will be getting a physical release for the Switch and PS4, and since that one interests me, I might check it out. They’re also doing a physical run for Papers, Please for the… for the what?! Yes, for the Vita!

I was not expecting Vita news from this show, but there it is.

Following a surreal Ouya ad, they revealed a physical run of TowerFall Ascension for the Switch.

Super Meat Boy Forever is getting a physical release for the Switch and PS4, alongside the original Super Meat Boy, which was announced a while ago but hadn’t come out yet.

Then they had a short duel over the idea that physical games are dead and digital is the way of the future, which was amusing, although not nearly as entertaining as last year’s JoJo Stand battle to defend the Vita.

Back to the games, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is getting an LRG release for the Switch and PS4, and I’m still intrigued by that.

Next up were Trover Saves the Universe for Switch, Space Channel 5 VR for PSVR, PixelJunk Eden 2 for the Switch, and…

…Bug Fables!

Yes, Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling, which I backed the crowdfunding campaign for and intend to start very soon, is getting a physical release for the Switch and PS4.

Demon Turf was announced next for the Switch and PS4, although I still don’t like how the gameplay looks despite it being a 3D platformer. Next up was Star Wars Episode 1: Racer, also for the Switch and PS4, and then they closed the presentation with the Monkey Island: 30th Anniversary Collection for the PC.

Overall, it was a solid showing for Limited Run Games, and I see several LRG orders in my future. We’ve got a short break now, but this seems to be the second wave of Not-E3 shows, as this weekend features Devolver Digital and Ubisoft! What did you think of the Limited Run Games lineup?

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