Looking at the media these days, things can get rather depressing. When thinking of American culture, you might be forgiven for getting lost in a darkness of school shootings, wars and more politicians’ blunders or boasts. However, while the States are certainly not the only major player on the global playing field, they’ve had some huge and positive influences on the world.
TV & Movies
Hollywood may well have its flaws, but there’s no denying that the studios there make some of the best stuff for the big and little screens. Whether you’re into big blockbusters or small indie flicks, a lot of the world’s top creators venture to LA to make their name.
No matter where you live, you probably count Hollywood movies among your most-loved. They’re responsible for franchises, stand-alones and series and for launching the careers of some of the most talented and well-known actors around.
If you’re ever in the area, you can even take studio tours available to the public, to learn a bit more about your favorite movies and what went on behind the scenes.
Food, Glorious Food
Most countries simply don’t do food like the USA does. Each nation across the globe has some incredible offerings – as anyone who’s ever tried Italian, Japanese, Indian or Greek can tell you – but the USA has made waves in this respect of its own.
Let’s talk for a sec about portion sizes. Most countries might serve a modest amount. But America? Oh no. Order the steak and something’s coming out the size of your head. Luckily, getting a box is the norm in the USA, so you can take what you can’t finish home.
We’re seeing these trends spreading and, for years, the food styles have influenced what people eat in all corners of the world. Burgers, mac and cheese, steaks, fries and more can be ordered no matter where you are, making sure that when people get takeaway, they’re often having it the American way.
Music to our ears
From the jazz and blues of the American South to the top pop, rock and R&B artists of today, the USA has been responsible for some of the biggest names in music that the world has ever known. So many different cultures in the nation’s melting pot have contributed to the sounds on the world’s airwaves.
It’s difficult to know where to begin when talking about this subject, but no matter your tastes, America has an artist for you. These styles have spread worldwide, influencing talented musicians everywhere. And, thanks to the rise of the Internet, it’s now even easier to listen to music from even the smallest towns in the USA or even to have the people behind it come to play your city.
Like most countries, the USA isn’t perfect by a long way. But when you consider the realms of lifestyle and entertainment, it really can be called the Land of the Free.
We were hoping to have a Red Dead Redemption 2 review up this week, but attempting to complete every little side-quest has revealed just how immense the game is. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the biggest gaming news coming into November 2018.
Diablo Immortal
One of the most hilariously ill-fated reveals in gaming came out of BlizzCon this week with the announcement of Diablo Immortal. Far from the Diablo remake or sequel which so many have craved for years, Diablo Immortal is a dedicated mobile game. As Diablo has long been held as one of the best examples of PC gaming, and one of the series with the most hard-core dedicated audience, a mobile game was never going to go down well and, as it turns out, it didn’t.
Now having reached the status of an international meme, with one of the most downvoted YouTube trailers we have ever seen, Diablo Immortal is shaping up to be a fine example of a mobile cash-in.
Not the lines Blizzard was hoping for
For those out of the loop, aside from the overwhelmingly dedicated fanbase on the originating platform of the PC, a lot of this contempt comes from recent Blizzard practices and the increasing avarice which they have displayed in the recent years. Even Overwatch, one of their best received and modernly popular games, has seen its fair share of controversy. Remember that Blizzard still involves a slot-machine gaming system with loot-boxes in this game, and even went as far to disagree with Belgian interpretation of Belgian law when they were listed as such.
Combine this their original effort to monetize and ruin a large component of Diablo III with the original real-money auction house and fans of Diablo are wearier than ever. It should also be noted that this game comes from a platform notorious for microtransaction-based gameplay. Combine this with what appears to be little more than a reskin of co-developer NetEase’s previous microtransaction heavy games and you see where the doubt becomes overwhelming.
We are sure that in a vacuum this announcement would have made share-holders salivate, but in the middle of BlizzCon, amongst the most hardcore of fans, well we all saw how that worked out.
While I personally have no faith that this game will be worth it, I sincerely hope that Blizzard manages to overcome all expectations. It’s just that faith, especially when it comes to the recent developments of multibillion-dollar gaming corporations, is faith so often misplaced.
New Overwatch Character Revealed
With the most recent cinematic reveal, also at BlizzCon, came the announcement of the latest character Ashe. Leader of the Deadlock Rebels, Ashe is a DPS hero whose kit includes a lever action rifle (sweet), dynamite, a shotgun for damage, booping and double jumps, and an ultimate which brings in her robotic companion B.O.B.
While we were really hoping for another tank or support class at this point, seeing as how DPS characters already outnumber both of these combined, Jeff Kaplan also announced that they were aware of this issue. As he states it, another six heroes are already in the works, with one being the omnic Echo from the Reunion animated short.
The next character is not known yet, though is apparently already fully playable. We don’t know what this will mean for their regular release plan so far of three characters a year, so time will tell if this represents a monetarily accelerated schedule.
Warcraft III Remastered Coming 2019
Another of the popular announcements from BlizzCon is the confirmation that the Warcraft III remaster is on track for 2019. Already looking quite far along in development, we hope we don’t have to wait too long for this one.
Even better, this game will see a rerelease of the classic modding World Editor tool. As the flexibility of this tool already gave birth to a new genre with DOTA, we can’t wait to see what a new generation of modders could bring.
Fallout 76 Beta Getting Some Time in the Sun
Only a few weeks from its official release, Fallout 76 has entered the next biggest stage in its beta test. While many of us were waiting to see how the PC version would hold up, the answer is, well, not so good. Poor performance is still there, even on some higher end rigs, the bugs are still there, and fans will still be unable to patch what Bethesda inevitably won’t themselves.
Again, this might seem like unwarranted negative thinking to those unfamiliar with Bethesda’s work. We would answer this by saying that there are huge bugs in even the most recent ports of Skyrim which have existed since the initial game. Bugs which were patched almost immediately by fans and ignored by Bethesda themselves. Also, take a look at the current bug fix list for the Skyrim Legendary Edition unofficial fan patch (warning, several hundred pages).
Most hilarious of the bugs we have seen so far is the accidental deletion of the key item the Pip-Boy, and the fact that movement speed is tied to frame-rate. This means that players on the even more poorly performing consoles can simply look at the ground to outrun their opponents. Yikes.
Will this one be fixed in the official release? Probably. Will most of the rest? We wouldn’t bet on it.
Smash Ultimate Steps Up
Smash Ultimate is gearing up to its December 7 Switch release with the announcement of the final three characters. Bringing the roster up to 74 (though this includes clones), one of these, in particular, was rather unexpected.
Ken from Street Fighter makes an appearance, now standing alongside his buddy Ryu, as does the fire Pokémon Incineroar. The weird one though, he came in the form of the Mario enemy the Piranha Plant.
I wouldn’t have called that one, but then I only called the inclusion of Ridley sarcastically and Nintendo made outplayed me there as well. No, it’s not Goku, but the possibility of future DLC characters still stands strong. We still wouldn’t bet on him though.
PlayStation Classic
Due for release on December 3 this year, the PlayStation classic has just announced the full lineup of which games will come included on the diminutive system:
Battle Arena Toshinden
Cool Boarders 2
Destruction Derby
Final Fantasy VII
Grand Theft Auto
Intelligent Qube
Jumping Flash
Metal Gear Solid
Mr Driller
Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee
Rayman
Resident Evil Director’s Cut
Revelations: Persona
Ridge Racer Type 4
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
Syphon Filter
Tekken 3
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six
Twisted Metal
Wild Arms
So a few big ones there, but still not the list which all of us would have hoped for. No Crash, for one thing, and no Gran Turismo or SOTN, which is also a disappointment. It could be that this system can be hacked like the NES classic to include other games, however, we could only recommend this morally if you own copies of the original games.
Now then, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to the Old West.
In the latest solo exhibition, the wonderful, Bartosz Beda showcases and exposes political issues beyond the primary face of his art. This is Beda’s third solo exhibition in the United States. Several paintings for this exhibition were produced during his three months artist-in-residence at GoggleWorks, Center for the Arts in Pennsylvania.
Bartosz Beda, a Polish-born artist, has developed and recently presented his new solo exhibition which he claims explores political and social issues through hidden meaning. While this claim is always up for a challenge, we must understand that Beda has become known for his philosophical and at times even metaphysical art over the years. Beda, who is an emerging artist exhibited twenty-four paintings at Mildred M. Cox gallery in Missouri. Beda emerged with his art in the United Kingdom in 2012 when he was selected for Saatchi New Sensation and published in the Catlin Guide as of the most promising artists in the UK. As a painter, he is often referred to Francis Bacon with his use of difficult subjects and deformed forms in his paintings but also seen by many like Frank Auerbach through the way he applies paint on the canvas.
In this latest exhibition named ‘Ten Starts from One’, Beda combines vividly harsh reds and greens with dusting greys to create a melancholic feel to his art. More so, the combinations reflect the harsh political climate we are living in. What is more exciting about Beda’s latest exhibition is the focus on one topic and emotions in several different ways. It is clear that Beda focuses on a sphere of themes and emotions which is present throughout his exhibition.
A key painting that showcases those themes is titled ‘Person of the Year’ which was directly inspired by Time Magazine cover of Person of the Year and the President of the United States, Donald Trump. This painting itself is a statement and can be controversial enough. It is his personal comment on the political scene, but also it is a reflection on the role of the individual in the society. Through this work, he suggests that every individual is an important part of the puzzle and things can go in a great direction if it is decided right in a group.
“A wonderfully relevant collection by a challenging artist”
On the painting, Beda also wrote “Moscow, ID” (which may stand for Moscow, Idaho – where Beda resided at the time of producing the painting), but fundamentally “ID” in psychoanalysis stands for the part of the mind in which innate, instinctive impulses and primary processes are manifested. Through this, we can evidently perceive that the connection reflects the Donald Trump situation in America and the wider world after he was elected.
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Another painting of the Donald Trump is titled ‘Ten Starts From One: Monument’ which is a combination of his portrait and posters from Soviet Union times that display builders which in this painting they sculpt a monument of Donald Trump. The key focus of this painting for Beda was to display that the ideology and thought are possibly related and not far-fetched from what is present in China and Russia, today. This painting is a form of allegory that is supposed to make the viewer laugh. When you look at the painting closely, you will see on the left side of the painting three figures that actually sculpt the monument of Donald Trump himself. It is a direct correlation to regime hero and monument that were built only for propaganda purposes. The colours on this painting themselves are very intriguing and happy; in fact, The American flag is incorporated in the background which is about patriotism and which creates a balance to the allegory of the painting.
For the exhibition, Bartosz Beda has created very soft and calm lighting that invites the viewer to enjoy the metaphysical connection between paintings and the space. It calms visitors and makes them contemplate the work. Beda himself refers to the use of light in the gallery to Mark Rothko rooms in Tate Modern — that are built on the lack of light. When you enter a gallery, the focus is on the paintings, and that is where Beda wants to keep the attention. Viewers are encouraged to encounter and consider how the paintings and space around them interact with each other. Another painting from this series is based on the propaganda posters from the Soviet Union period. Posters were encouraging women to work and build the prosperity of the Soviet Union. From today’s perspective, it sounds funny, but our culture has the same purposes and values, but the way the message is delivered is different. It also comes to the idea that paintings express the painter himself.
Overall, Beda has presented us with a genuinely eye-opening exhibition, which in our opinion opens up for more discussion as the political climate shifts in the upcoming months and years. The exhibition can be interpreted in a variety of ways and will be so — depending on the audiences views and cultural upbringing. With this exhibition live and running, we are eager to see what is next for Beda, an artist truly connected through his art to the austere world we are living in today.
Our first song on this edition of Sound Selection is by the lovely trio known as Cubicolor from the record label Anjunadeep. The trio has once again delivered the magical, this time with their song ‘No Dancers’ which follows their style which is built on interesting synths, pure vocals and a vibe that will have you listening from the get-go.
SiFi ‘Calling Out Your Name’
Our second and last song of this short selection is by SiFi, who deliver a catchy hit named ‘Calling Out Your Name.’ The single drives on its great groove, ear-pleasing vocals and dazzling energy that will have you dancing for weeks to come. With this song released, we are eager to see what is next for SiFi.
As one of the biggest games available on any system, it’s only natural that there some components of Red Dead Redemption 2 which we forget about, or which are not adequately explained. With around a dozen or so hours in already, we’re still very much on board for what the rest of the game might bring, but there are some things which we wish we knew or paid more attention to going in.
With that in mind, here are a few helpful tips which you might not know or could have forgotten which end up being consistently useful. These will be updated the further we get into the game, but so far these all appear to be true.
Please let us know down below if we have anything wrong.
Hunting
One of the earliest introduced component of the game, and one which you will no doubt have engaged in once the world opens up to you. In order to get the most out of this, though, and collect those ever-elusive perfect skins, you need to plan your attacks and be careful with your shots.
When first you come across a new type of animal you will have the option of studying it. While this can be performed once you get close, a better idea is to study from a distance with the binoculars. Not only will this help reduce prey animals fleeing, but it will also lessen the odds of predators going to town on your face while you jot down a few notes.
Once you have studied the animal you can use the same method and button shortcut to examine any of those types of living animals in the wild. This will let you know which level of quality pelt you can collect from them, and the type of weapon and ammunition which could be required in order to attain a clean kill. Remember to shoot for the head for the best pelts, as body shots can ruin an otherwise perfect skin.
Another thing to keep in mind is that there is a limit on the number of animal carcasses which can be carried by your horse at one time. Generally speaking, you can stack a few smaller skins over the rear of your horse, though larger skins like those from a buffalo will need to be rolled up and placed behind the saddle. This is the spot normally reserved for medium-sized animal carcasses, of which you can only carry one on your horse at a time.
Smaller animal carcasses, like birds or rabbits, can usually be tied to the side of your horse, with spots for one on each side. Just beware that if you crash your horse into a tree or rock, or otherwise tip it over, you will need to put everything back on, so be careful when heading back to your base or a butcher.
Selling
Many regular items like consumables can be sold within a general store, whereas meat and hides are to be sold at a butcher. Just as with your base, you don’t actually need to deliver each pelt or carcass by hand, simply keep your horse nearby and the sold items will be available to be sold directly when you enter the shop menu.
For more precious items, these can either be gifted towards your camp or sold at a fence (as in a black market dealer). These can be located at a few of the larger towns and should be visited fairly often. Valuable items can only be stacked so high, after all, and once you reach the limit all other potential earnings from pick-ups will go to waste.
Look After Your Horse
The better your relationship with your horse the more reliable it will be and, more importantly, the further away it will be able to respond to your calls. In order to look after your horse you need to feed it, which can be done by targeting it with the left shoulder button while close, brushing it, which will unlock from an early camp mission, and pat it, which can also be done from horseback by clicking down the left stick.
You might also need to calm it down if it is pursued by predators or startled by a gunfight, which can be done by patting, or by hopping off, targeting it, and clicking the calm option.
They will also run into trees if you aren’t careful, so be careful about that.
Guns
You will come across other named guns from characters you shoot, stab, run over, burn, drown, explode, or whatever murder opportunity you prefer on your adventures. As you might have noticed, you can only carry a limited selection of firearms at once, so picking up a pistol while you already have one will replace the one you currently hold.
This does not, however, mean that your original pistol will disappear. Instead, it will go back to your horse loadout, meaning that all it takes to get it back is going back to old faithful and changing back to your original. This also appears to be the best way to easily compare the stats on different guns, to let you choose which ones you want to be equipped when going out on an expedition.
Also remember to keep a stock of gun oil, available from gunsmiths, as poor conditioning can make your best weapons near useless.
Base Ledger
Wondering about how you get the leatherworking tools for you camp upgrades? These become purchasable through the camp ledger which unlocks once you have gifted the camp donation box a minimum of $200. Unfortunately, most of these upgrades require a set base donation of various types of perfect skins, but this kept us wondering at the early stages, so it’s good to know.
Easy Long-Distance Travel
There appear to be a range of travel options for those who don’t wish to do everything the long way. Among these are trains, which unlock once you have visited a certain amount of stations, carriages, which operate in much the same way, and a general fast travel, which is locked behind one of Morgan’s ledger base upgrades.
For an easier time, there is another way which can take the pain out of long horse-back trips. Firstly, go into the controls menu and locate the option which allows turning of the run from a constant pressing into a toggle performed by a couple of presses. Following this, mark a point on the map with a custom waypoint, and get onto a road which the path indicates to follow.
From here move into a gallop in the guided direction, then enter the cinematic view (holding down the touchpad on the DS4). In while in this view mode, Morgan will automatically navigate to as close to the checkpoint as the road allows, while avoiding running over pedestrians and crashing into objects. This can also be performed by following a yellow marked road to a mission marker.
Just keep in mind that random events such as people requiring help and opposing gangs starting trouble can also pop up during these trips, so don’t tune out completely or you could end up with negative karma, or being shot to death.
Stay tuned for more, and be sure to tell them dogs what good boys they are.
Our first addition to this Sound Selection is by Little Dragon who present us with their electro-pop hit ‘Lover Chanting. This song is also accompanied by a brilliant music video which will have you hooked for weeks to come. The song comes from their upcoming EP ‘Lover Chanting’, which is due to be released on the 9th of November.
Leonie Kingdom ‘So Much More’
Our second and this final song of this Sound Selection is by Leonie Kingdom named ‘So Much More.’ In this magical piece, the highly-gifted, Leonie Kingdom showcases her ear-pleasing and enchanting vocals that will take you on a journey and beyond. With this song released, we are excited to see what is next for Leonie Kingdom.
Craig McDonald-Kelly, a highly-gifted actor and co-founder of Deadline Films, joined me for an interview to talk about acting, film and culture.
Hi, how are you?
Hello! I’m fan-dabby-dozy! And you?
I’m very well, thank you! So, how did you get into acting and how did your love for film come about?
I originally wanted to join the army. I started the training but decided to go to college when I turned 18. I was always a big funny idiot. The kind of kid who would do anything for a laugh. Mostly things that involved being stupid and often injuring myself in some way. I love entertaining people and making them laugh. I then went to film school in New York and started making money from acting. Only then did I think “Holy shit, I can do this for a living!”
You’ve moved from Scotland to New York and then to London, how did that all happen?
Luck and timing. After college, I started auditioning for drama schools. I auditioned for NYCDA in New York not thinking I had a chance. A few months later I got a call saying I’m in! With a $4,000 scholarship too! After four years in New York, my visa was up so I decided to move to London.
What inspires you to create and act?
Many things. The feeling a good TV show gives you. Or an amazing moment in a film that’ll make you cry or burst out laughing. The connections you make with characters that sometimes last your entire life. I want to bring joy, and the challenging questions to people through my acting like others have done for me. I’m so much of who I am because of this art. I love it, and I want to give something back.
Do you have any projects you are working on at the moment?
I’m just back from Luxembourg where I was shooting feature film ‘Marionette’. I’m working on my own first feature film with Deadline Films at the moment called Sacrifices. Based on the Harvey Weinstein scandal. I’ve also got a few short films doing the rounds at film festivals. Mainly Deadline Film’s debut ‘Hangover Food’ and my most recent short ‘Man-tis!’ a brilliant modern comedy/horror film by Chris Stewardson.
“I’m so much of who I am because of this art. I love it, and I want to give something back.”
That’s a lot of exciting projects! If you could give any advice to any aspiring actors or filmmakers what would it be?
Do everything you can. Even the shit stuff. Especially the shit stuff starting out. You learn so much from good directors and good actors as well as the bad ones. That and don’t expect it to come easy. Get strapped in for the long haul.
How did Deadline Films come about?
It started in September 2017 when myself and my David Hepburn hit a lull in our auditions. So, we decided to make some calls and make something. A director I worked with a few years back, Ross McGowan, had just moved back to London. We met up for some drinks, and he had this great idea about a guy who’s had a hangover that wasn’t a hangover at all, but a transformation into a vampire. We took that idea and wrote a script for it and shot it over a weekend at our flat. It only worked because we set deadlines for ourselves on script/cast/shoot dates etc. We had the fire burning under our ass’, and that really makes you move.
What are the challenges of running a collective like Deadline Films?
It’s funny because the challenges are the same as what made it work so well in the first place. It’s the deadlines. Once we’ve got one film up and running we have to put more work and effort into it, but at the same time we want to continue making films, but the more we make, the less time we have to make more. We are getting a handle on it now, figuring out where best to put our energy. It’s all a big sexy process.
Our final question, what is your definition of culture?
I think it’s like style and fashion; it changes depending on where you are what your lifestyle is. Culture is a more permanent thing though. Styles will come and go, but culture will evolve and not lose any of its roots. It’s important to remember what cultures we’ve come from and what we hope to bring to culture for the future.
Less than a week out from the global release of Red Dead Redemption 2 at this point and hype is reaching levels that only Rockstar can generate. While we expect a lot, and hope for a few hilarious but ultimately harmless glitches like we saw in RDR 1, not all is well in the land of Rockstar Games.
For those unaware about how the creation of video games works, there is a common issue which comes about when a big game is approaching release. With a set release date, the changing of which could cost millions of dollars, those developers underprepared or poorly budgeted for time enter what is known as the crunch. During this period, staff will be required to work enormous and inhumane hours, putting a huge amount of stress on their health and personal lives.
With a recent report from Vulture, VP at Rockstar Games Dan Houser dropped a casual bomb that some staff were working 100 hour weeks in the lead-up to the release of what we do not doubt will be an amazing game. The problem is that for many of us, the ends don’t justify the means. With other reports over the years of poor working conditions from Rockstar over similar crunch periods, there has been backlash at the company for touting something which is actively harmful to their artists.
At least we can hope that this finally pushes the unionization of workers in the gaming industry into action. Happier and healthier workers perform better, after all, and nobody deserves to have their lives suffer from terrible working conditions.
Rocket League Crossplay Coming
With Sony finally coming to their senses with the opportunity of the PS4 to crossplay, we have a bunch of new developers getting around to opening their games up to these new opportunities. Recently announced here was that the worldwide phenomenon of Rocket League will become PS4 crossplay compatible sometime early in 2019. Already available over PC, Xbox, and Switch, a game this popular is certainly not wanting for a player-base, but we’re glad to see it making the jump all the same.
“Gamers In Beta Podcast 112: Ball Cam Tog” (CC BY 2.0) by BagoGames
Marvel vs Capcom 4?
Marvel vs Capcom is one of the most celebrated series in gaming and is top of the list for many hardcore players when it comes to competitive fighting games. Unfortunately, the most recent release of Marvel vs Capcom Infinite was a little less than well-received. While the actual gameplay itself is often well-regarded, the ugly graphics and poor roster set it as a definite disappointment among a highly competitive market.
Maximillian Dood, well-regarded content creator for the fighting game community has a more in-depth look here, for any interested.
With this failure, many feared that the series as a whole might never see another release, especially given Capcom’s less than stellar performance over the last few years. Rumors have begun to circulate, however, that there could very well be an expansion or direct sequel in the works.
Probably the biggest aid here, if the rumors are indeed true, is that Marvel has again acquired the right to use X-Men in film and gaming media. As these were some of the staples and the strongest characters in previous versions of the game, which were much missed from MvCI, the return of the likes of Magneto, Storm, and Wolverine could alone prove to be a huge selling point for a fan base still eager for more.
Microtransactions Continue their Unstoppable March
Like them or hate them (we’re firmly in the latter group) microtransactions are here to stay. In fact, two of the biggest names in the gaming industry, EA and Activision, have seen such an enormous growth through their (vomit) ‘games as a service’ model that future heavy reliance on these not-at-all micro systems is not a possibility, it’s an inevitability.
Since 2012, EA’s use of these systems has seen their market value rise from $4 billion to $33 billion, with Activision Blizzard seeing their worth increase from around $10 billion to $60 billion during the same period. Despite their overreaching, despite the fans overwhelmingly speaking out against what are often manipulative practices designed to take advantage of people with gambling addiction, these systems will continue, and their negative effect on their included games as a whole will continue.
Full-priced games with free-to-play economies are here to stay, so be sure to vote with your wallet whenever possible, and don’t go to bat for those who seek to exploit you. Another Battlefront 2 fiasco is just a matter of time, of that you can be certain.
Now then, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll keep waiting until Friday.
The first song to enter this edition of Sound Slection is by previously featured Alexander Vincent named ‘Free Myself.’ In this latest piece, Vincent showcases his signature vocals that have become known for their pure and ear-pleasing tone. With ‘Free Myself’ released, as always, we are excited to see what is next for Vincent.
Klahr ‘Falling In Love’
By shifting our frequencies, we have a vivid track by Klahr named ‘Falling In Love,’ which drives on its disco-type vibe and flourishing production that will have you on your feet from the get-go. Talking about the song Klahr said “I came across the vocal sample in the Salsoul catalogue, the message was simple and resonated with me. This song is really personal to me and I hope people get something from it.”
La Fine Equipe & Fakear ‘5th Season’
Our final song on this Sound Selection is by La Fine Equipe & Fakear named ‘5th Season.’ In this electronica filled bliss of a song, La Fine Equipe & Fakear display a wave of striking synths, endlessly-playable samples and a vibe that will transcendent you beyond the ordinary music experience.
Remember when we wrote about Sony being one of the last major hurdles in cross-platform gaming? Well, now they appear to have finally given in, opening up their system to exactly what fans have been asking for. Apparently pushed by the popularity of Fortnite, and the poor PR which resulted from their stubborn attitude, Sony is currently in the process of beta-testing their systems in preparation for a later full-launch.
While this is predicted to cover a great many more games than just the singular Fortnite, the exact range and date of the inclusion of other games are so far unknown.
Of course, their statement regarding the reasons why this has come about directly contradicts their earlier claims and professed reasoning, but this should come as no surprise. They gambled, they lost, and now they try to save face while carrying an air of magnanimousness.
It’s a positive development, for sure, but it doesn’t excuse their behavior. If Sony could have gotten away with this particular brand of anti-consumer practices then they would have. No, I don’t expect to ever receive review copies of games from Sony for free, why do you ask?
Assassins Greed
Cliché, believe me, I know, but no less accurate. Ubisoft’s latest entry in the Assassins Creed franchise has been generally well received. Unfortunately, and as usual, the best efforts of their immensely talented developers have been undercut significantly by the desires of the more profit-driven arm.
Make no mistake, the game is good, at least for those who didn’t mind the change of combat system which came about with Origins. For those frustrated at the increasing tendency of major publishers to push microtransactions, however, the game is yet another step deeper into the mud.
Another full-priced game with free-to-play monetization systems. Another step towards normalization, and another amazing series rotting away to uncontained avarice.
Telltale games have made a name for themselves over the last decade with a handful of much-loved story-driven adventure games. Most popular among these include The Walking Dead and Tales from the Borderlands.
Having laid off around 90% of their staff in late September, Telltale sees itself circling the drain while the last few of its properties struggle to escape development limbo. This includes Minecraft: Story Mode, and the long-running and most popular The Walking Dead, now on its final season.
What we do know is that at least TWD has changed hands, with Skybound Entertainment tasked with finishing up the final two chapters. We’d hate to see such promise and legacy go to waste, so here’s hoping Skybound has what it takes to finish one of the best adventure series to come out of gaming in the last decade.
Fortnite Supporting Creators
The relationship of games and their fans has never been as strong as it is today. This can take many shapes, from the rise and now established field of Twitch streamers, to content creators, and third-party game fixers. Now fans contribute a great deal to helping popularize the games they love, and developers and publishers appear to finally be coming around to understanding and supporting this.
As an example, developers over at Fortnite have revealed their intentions for a new “Support-A-Creator” event. Starting October 8, and until year end, fans can add a tag indicating their favorite community icons. During this period anything bought within the shop will contribute towards earning money for these community members. This means that some players and content creators will be able to profit off their contributions to the ongoing dominance of Fortnite.
While we would like to see this taking shape into paying PC users who fix various game problems which the developers ignored (as we touched on with Dark Souls), we do appreciate this progress and the forward momentum which we hope it represents.
System Shock Returns, Again
The System Shock series, despite only having two main entries to its name, is one of the biggest in gaming. Both in terms of long-term fan interest and ongoing gaming legacy, these games have accomplished what few could ever hope. While there have been a few attempts to carry this heritage, most popularly with the Bioshock series, and most recently with the excellent Prey and its DLC, nothing ever quite inspired us like the originals.
When fans learned that Nightdive Studios was developing a System Shock 1 remake, the hype was predictably high. Like many fan-lead remakes, however, inexperience and a ballooning budget led the game continuously further off-course. Fans wanted something closer to a direct remake. What they would end up getting promised was a reimagining. This caused a schism within both the developers and the community until Nightdive halted the project to reexamine their path.
Now back to their original and more faithful vision, Nightdive has released some new footage of their latest alpha. Weird, angular, and far more accurate than their earlier efforts, this is one we will definitely keep an eye on.
