Rise of the Tomb Raider: Xbox One Exclusive: Is Crystal Dynamics Making a Huge Mistake?

     There seems to be quite a rage over the poorly announced Crystal Dynamics decision to make the Tomb Raider reboot's sequel, Rise of the Tomb Raider, an Xbox One exclusive.

UUhhhhh...   This was a terrible idea.

     Obviously as both a Playstation user and a Tomb Raider fan this news is a huge disappointment.  What makes this news even worse is the fact that Square-Enix was complaining about the commercial "sales failure" of the reboot not meeting expectations.  Well I hope they cut down their estimations by two-thirds, because the PS4 is currently outselling the Xbox One 3 to 1 and they've now lost out on a huge market chunk.

     Sure it may be only temporary because it's listed "For Holiday 2015" so presumably they'll be released later for PS4 and PC, but we'll have to wait for an official statement in the mean time.  Head of Crystal Dynamics Darrell Gallagher says that they "aren't walking away from our fans that play on Playstation and PC" because those systems get a consolation prize- Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris.  This isn't quite alienating their fanbase, but it is definitely shooting themselves in the foot and wondering why they're bleeding so bad.

     Really, according to their Tumblr post, it seems they think that by limiting the console release will somehow cement the Tomb Raider brand into our hearts.  What I want to know is who is getting money out of this.  Seriously- this seems like a disastrous marketing decision, and limiting it to the Xbox One console is a huge mistake.

     Source [ Tomb Raider Tumblr ]

Tomb Raider: No Single Player DLC?

     Well, in some sad news- it has been said there will be NO single player DLC... at least for "now" it isn't in the plans.(see pic and link below)  While I sort of understand from a designer standpoint (where would the stuff go on the island?)  I'm certain that there is still plenty of unexplored areas on Yamatai, so what gives?

     The Tomb of the Lost Adventurer was an all too short extra for the pre order bonus.  I noticed the entrance to the tomb was already in game, just bouldered up to prevent access until later.  Anyway here's a pic from the interview on Reddit with Karl Stewart (Global Brand Director for Tomb Raider) and Noah Hughes (Creative Director for Tomb Raider)

Here's the link to the interview:
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1am2sl/hi_i_am_karl_stewart_global_brand_director_for/ 
     Not too much of a problem.  I DO want more story and play, but if they are focusing on saving the good stuff for future game installments, I'll be fine with that.  How about some co-op tomb raiding?  I wouldn't mind that.  Everything is team deathmatch, and it gets old fairly fast.
     On the flip side- the multiplayer is pretty good, but it doesn't play nearly as fluidly as Uncharted 3's, I mention it because they are VERY similar.  It gets choppy with high frequency, even with my PS3- which is high end and runs super smoothly with damn near anything.  The hit detection appears to be off- I'd unload an entire clip into a person's head and torso and they 2 shot me with a pistol?  What the hell? 
     There is an additional issue I have, many times during multiplayer I end up on a team of 2 against 6.  Seriously, the team switch needs to be fixed.  It's enough of a problem when it's 4 on 4, and one team is all level 40+ against a bunch of under level 10s.  There needs to be a bit more balance added. 

     I do have plenty more to say about this game, but because the post is like 5 pages long, I'll break it down into smaller bits over the next few days.

Lara Croft GO: A Puzzle-Focused Tomb Raiding Review

     Square-Enix Montreal has followed up their tremendous digital boardgame Hitman GO with Lara Croft GO in the same vein of game distillation.  They've taken the Tomb Raider franchise and boiled it down to a turn-based puzzle game done in a beautifully rendered art style.

     Visually, the game presents the 2 dimensional play with a nice depth of field by using darkened foregrounds, and washed out backgrounds, making the areas feel like the vast caverns and lands you are exploring in search of the "Atlas of Beyond."  The graphics are clean and fluid and are suited nicely to rendering the atmosphere of the world around Lara.  There's even occasional additional touches for players to see such as every once in a while Lara will do a hand-stand when climbing atop something.  It's a small detail that adds a lot of character.

     Instead of the typical run-in-and-kill-everything-that-moves-with-dual-pistols traditionally associated with Tomb Raider, Lara now must rely upon environmental manipulation and strategy to get around and kill enemies.  Players can shoot enemies from the side or behind, lure them onto crumbling pits, spear them, trigger a dart trap, or pull a lever to drop a boulder on them.
     The main level puzzles themselves are very well done.  They're set at a nice and gradual difficulty growth, never reaching the frustration levels of the final ones of Hitman GO, which is a good thing.  There's just enough challenge, but nothing ever truly hair-pullingly arduous, skirting a line of perfect balance in its progression.  Each new puzzle element like a movable column is added, it becomes one extra step you can utilize on the path to the goal.

     True to the Tomb Raider franchise they've also included collectibles in the form of urns to find scattered through the levels.  The urns contain parts of a set of various jewelry or other gems and relics.  Initially they are easy to spot and become harder to find later on.  The only real issue with this is that some of them are in a blacked out section of the screen and I only found them by randomly tapping the darkness.  Others are far off in the background, blending into it, and a few are primarily hidden around corners where only a small piece of the urn is visible.  The benefit of collecting them for the 100% is that they unlock extra costumes for a little replayable fun.

     Lara Croft GO is a wonderful example of game reductionism.  They took a great IP and made something amazing out of it.  Simple controls, a brilliant art style, great music, all wrapped up with a fitting adventure story.  This was much shorter and easier than Hitman GO (that isn't a complaint, I actually appreciate the brevity here) so I wonder if they will add any extra levels or DLC packs at a later date.
     I really hope Square-Enix Montreal keeps up with this trend, possibly exploring other S.E. properties like Deus Ex, Thief, or even a new take on Murdered: Soul Suspect might be worth attempting with the GO franchise's new formula.

Rise of the Tomb Raider: E3 Trailer Revealed

     It looks like we'll be getting the sequel to the 2013 reboot of Tomb Raider sometime during the 2015 holiday season...

     This installment looks to be off to a good start- with Lara Croft shown with a therapist moving on with her new life into further danger and adventure after the events of the first Tomb Raider- by accepting her destiny.

     For this game we'll get to be raiding actual tombs again and exploring multiple locations around the world, two things many fans have been clamoring for.

Tomb Raider: Modern Archeology with Lara Croft

     I've finished the single player campaign and played a few hours of the multiplayer in the new Tomb raider about a week ago and have a few things to say.  But since it became an unreadable novella length writing, containing both serious and non-serious things, I've decided to break the article up into more manageable segments.  So here's the first-

Modern Archeology with Lara Croft

Oh look, free shit!

     Lara Croft, like her younger video game sibling Nathan Drake, is the progeny of an adventure hero many current middle aged gamers grew up with- Indiana Jones.  Lara follows in those footsteps quite well.  After watching the Indiana Jones films repeatedly over the last few decades, and playing all the Tomb Raiders and Uncharteds, they've been giving some bad impressions of current trends in the field of archeology.

 

     Where's all the adventure in real life?  When I watch the History channel (when they play shows about history, and not the crappy "reality" programming they've been so keen on airing in recent years) I don't imagine that a dig site could be so dangerous.  Nazis, militias and stranded crazies abound in every locale that contains these hidden treasures from the past when our heroes arrive.  Why don't the scientists and doctors on these shows get attacked for the valuables lost by ancient civilizations they've retrieved?  Surely the various enemies looking to get rich or obtain mystical powers are eager to take these items once they've been unearthed.

     Hundreds of treasure hunting goons should be flooding the dig sites in search of magnificent booty.  I mean what good what it be for me to have to go through all the work of excavating something when I can just kill someone and take it after they've done the job so nicely?  I mean Yamatai is swarming with people... except for the tombs.  Why is that?  Is it because they are waiting for me to solve puzzles that have been clearly set up by someone not long ago?  And with all the things that got set up- why did they leave the goodies?  All the giant gold chests were left unopened.  Very suspicious if you ask me.  Not to mention the fact there are extremely valuable historical trinkets and baubles left out around all over the place.

     Where's the cut off?  Exactly when is it ok to desecrate a resting place in order to profit?  Whether it's for money or knowledge, there seems no clear answer.

     After the few tombs I've raided, or more accurately- the graves I've robbed as Lara Croft in the new game, I've come to the conclusion that if it's for educational purposes "tomb raiding" is considered archeology... even to the point of looting the still warm, seconds old corpse of someone I just killed.

     If I was on Yamatai, I would be the guy that sneaks into the tombs and lights all the thousands of candles.  The return of one of my alter egos- Jacob Wicklighter.  I'm not kidding.  Who do you think lit all those candles- the crazy beard guy?!?  Nope.  It was me.

Tomb Raider Sequel Confirmed

     This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone except the Square-Enix sales team, but their CEO Phil Rogers announced the sequel coming to the next gen systems on their official blog site:

"Square Enix is in production with a number of next generation projects, including Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III, which were announced at this year’s E3, and Thief coming in 2014. I am also excited to reveal that we are well into development on a next-generation Tomb Raider sequel – something you may have heard about recently!"

     If the sales team remembers that they don't have to sell a millionty-billionty copies, this will go quite well.  For the team making the game- less daddy obsession, more kicking ass, and by that I mean have some more actual tomb raiding- not just murdering anything and everything that moves.  

Rise of the Tomb Raider: RUMOR NEWS- A One Year Wait for PS4: Due HOLIDAY 2016?!?

     In an awful announcement for Playstation users, Microsoft's timed-exclusivity deal creates a huge delay in release dates between systems for the upcoming Square-Enix game Rise of the Tomb Raider.  The newest rumor claims there is a monstrous one year wait.  PC players won't have it quite as bad, their's will be available merely a few months after the Xbox One's release- placing it somewhere in "early 2016" with the stipulation that they need to have Windows 10 to play it.

A Bleak Release Date Outlook.

     I've never been keen on the timed-exclusivity deals, but this one is absolutely ridiculous.  A whole year, that could be very bad news for Square-Enix if Playstation users take offense at this absurdity.  This type of thing creates a lot of distaste for the waiting game and generates buyer backlash and disinterest for not being able to obtain a copy for your preferred system.

     If the rumor is true, it definitely feels like a swift kick to my consumer nuts.  I honestly don't think my fandom is willing to wait that long to support a franchise I've enjoyed since it's inception.

     Source [ Shack News ] [ Lazy Gamer ]

Lara Croft GO: The Shard of Life: A Tiny Tomb Raiding Review

     This holiday week Lara Croft GO got a nice new update with 26 new puzzles to solve in a quest for the titular The Shard of Life the expansion is named after.  The free update also gave players new in game collectibles to find and extra suits for Lara to unlock.  A wonderful small treat just in time for Thanksgiving.

     The levels in The Shard of Life aren't just more of the same.  They've added a couple new mechanics to adapt to and make things a bit more interesting- including new enemies that only temporarily die.  After about 4 turns they return to life to stop you from reaching the shard.  That means that even if you figure out the solution, you may need to restart a puzzle because the only way to finish it has been passed.  But that just adds to the allure of trying to figure out which traps to prime and possibly lure enemies into them, or thwart their regenerative abilities by leaving a pillar on top of them.  These little additions definitely give the extra levels a special boost to gameplay.

     In fact, I found that quite a few of these puzzles we much more difficult than those in the core game.  That isn't a bad thing either, I do appreciate that none of them were hair-pullingly tough, as Square-Enix Montreal has maintained their nice balance between difficulty and fun factor.
     Without being able to play the newest core game in the franchise, Rise of the Tomb Raider, this is a great treat during the time-strapped holiday season, and its high quality entertainment only leaves us wanting more.

     I've said it before, but I continually hope that Square-Enix Montreal keeps up this treatment of the large franchises condensed down to their basic elements and distilled to perfection- and I truly hope to see how they'd handle Square-Enix properties such as Deus Ex, Thief, or even a new take on Murdered: Soul Suspect with the GO franchise's formula.

Jurassic World Evolution: Trailer & Thoughts

     I heard there was a new Jurassic Park game on the way and I got immediately excited, unfortunately that excitement was swiftly quashed when I found out it was just another world builder game.

     According to the developer's official press release:

     "Jurassic World Evolution evolves players’ relationship with the Jurassic World film franchise, placing them in control of operations on the legendary island of Isla Nublar and the surrounding islands of the Muertes Archipelago. 

     Players will build their own Jurassic World as they bioengineer new dinosaur breeds and construct attractions, containment and research facilities. Every choice leads to a different path and spectacular challenges arise when ‘life finds a way.’"

     I'm not going to lie, though the developer has over a decade of world/city building, management, and simulation games experience, I just feel they could've done better for the Jurassic Park legacy than this genre of game.  The old Sega Genesis game was a great platformer, the Sega CD version was a point-and-click mystery (as was the far superior, and much more recent Telltale version), and this honestly feels like an upscaled version of Ludia's mobile tie-in Jurassic World: The Game.  The mobile game was a good time-waster, overloaded with IAPs and the like with an interesting dinosaur evolving and battling sub-game- but it was also a mobile game, and not a full console game.  While I don't like this type of game, I'm sure it'll have a bunch of people hyped.

     All I'd like to see, and have wanted to see for decades, is a 3rd person action-adventure game like Uncharted 4 or Rise of the Tomb Raider that takes place in the Jurassic Park universe.  If they could get a company like Naughty Dog or Crystal Dynamics/Eidos Montreal to make it, the game would top the charts instantly.  The closest we got to it is the LEGO Jurassic World game, it wasn't the best, but it was still pretty damned fun despite the flaws (that plague all the LEGO games).

     Jurassic World Evolution will arrive on PC, PS4, and XBox One in Summer 2018, in time for the theatrical release of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom on June 22, 2018.

     SOURCE [ Frontier ]

My Obligatory Top 10 Best Games of 2013 List

     As a wanna be writer I figure there must be some unwritten, but fully understood, rule that we must make a list of things every end-of-the-year that we then label "the best."
     These are ones that stood out for me.  A note beforehand- there are plenty of games I have not played due to being a more-than-full-time patient care worker in the medical field, and I also had school and other hobbies on top of that.  But I still managed an absurd amount of gaming.
     Most of these I've written about previously, or have drafts mostly finished and on the way, so I'll keep this short.

     That being said, here it goes...

1.  The Last of Us
     Honestly, this's probably going to be on many, many lists.  It is a gaming experience on a personal level.  Hitting us with a small, but powerful story of two people in a story that is undeniably moving in a struggle for morality and meaning in a world gone wrong.

2.  Bioshock Infinite
     This one caught me a bit off.  I have some issues with the story, how some parts don't work when you think about them- but the ideas, that's where they get me.  The Infinite universes opens up endless opportunity for stories with the same characters in an infinite number of ways.  Genius, and one I hope they can follow up on with ingenuity.

3.  Tearaway
     A masterwork of tiny paper proportions.  This was a game the PS Vita needed a while ago, and one I hope gets the Vita sales it rightfully deserves.

4.  Tomb Raider
     A simple reboot done well.  They've taken an old character and gave her a much needed overhaul.   Not amazing, mind you, but memorable nonetheless.

5.  Brother: A Tale of Two Sons
     This is the first game I've played that not just had me play the story but experience it through gameplay mechanics.  A brilliant way of game development I hope other companies look at.

6.  Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
     This game, while just DLC, was a game in itself.  An homage to the absurd neon 1980's, and made all the better because of it.

7.  Guacamelee
     Who would've thought a game about an undead Luchadore could be so wonderful.  A lovely art style and great platforming fun.

8.  Marvel Lego Super Heroes
     Lego Marvel has 2 parts.  The first is the main storyline and levels, this piece of the game is not what I like.  The second part- a massive New York City open world of Lego.  They've, in my opinion, made the most accurate and best marvel game yet with this open world portion.

9.  Batman: Arkham Origins (and Blackgate)
     Sure, it was full of glitches and bugs that hampered any progress across all systems.  After waiting for patches I've finished both Origins and Blackgate- both were well done.  Once again, nothing phenomenal, but something I did in fact enjoy, regardless of most everyone hating it.

10.  Skyrim.
     Ha!  So what if this game is years old, it has unlimited quests and a huge world.  How many other games are immersive enough to keep people going for this long?


     Two others that I really wanted to add were Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep and Call of Juarez: Gunslinger.  There's something about unreliable narrator stories and games that appeal to me.  When they are handled well they can open avenues of storytelling that traditional methods lack.
     Borderlands 2 I must've put in roughly a thousand hours of playtime with all the various content being released for it.  The only reason it isn't on the list is because it's pretty much ALL extra content, and not the main game, that I've spent playing.

Rime: The 2014 Gamescom Trailer is Truly Wonderful

     Premiering at Sony's Gamescom 2014 Press Conference, Rime looks like a cross between Journey, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Shadow of the Colossus and mixing in the enchanting beauty of a strange island like Myst.

     Rime's official trailer description is “The story of a boy who must use his wits and ingenuity to survive – and ultimately escape from – a mysterious island and a terrible curse.”

     I've been waiting for a full trailer of this game for about a year now (since Sony's 2013 Gamescom Press Conference), and it does not disappoint.  While all of us Team Ico fans wait for Sony's "Re-Introduction" of The Last Guardian we'll be getting Rime instead to ease the interim.
     Rime is a game about a boy stranded on a mysterious island- where discovery happens through exploration and interaction.  Chris Jones, Sony Xdev Studio Europe and developer, gave a nice lengthy description of the game for Sony's Europe Blog:

"Rime is set in a unique ancient world of mystery, intrigue and adventure. Set on a beautiful island, a boy wakes on the shore to find he’s lost, with the only the island and the animals to accompany him.

You guide the boy through the island helping him unlock the puzzles, in the trailer you can see that there are puzzles all around and finding them is just a matter of perspective, (Did you see the fox? Watch the trailer again!)

As well as following the story of the boy, the island is also an integral character in the game, and it will not give up its hidden secrets easily. Who is the boy? Why is the boy here? Why is he alone? Ultimately the game is to find the answers to all of these important questions.

In a beautifully crafted world, you will see stunning vistas as you play through the game and delve deep into the islands true meaning."

     The game's creator, Raúl Rubio Munárriz, further described this world in an interview with Polygon (which also has a very interesting line-"Every time you explore this island or islands you are going to experience it differently." I added the emphasis.):

     "The island itself is a character. The ambition was always that the island would tell the story. It is reacting to your presence. The seagulls and boars react to your presence because you shouldn't be there. You are a trespasser.

     "The island is a paradise, but that does not mean that what you see at the start is the same as what you see at the end. This is not a game about black and white. It is not about good and evil. We are trying to play with what the player takes for granted. This is a puzzle adventure game but that doesn't mean that you are going to enter houses and start gathering stuff. I see this environment, it is beautiful, but something is wrong. Who built this?"

     With an air of mystery and subtlety Rime looks to be an amazing experience.  Alongside games like No Man's Sky, the PS4 lineup keeps getting better and better.

     I suppose with the recent Tomb Raider and Xbox One exclusivity deal it makes me wonder about this game- as Microsoft had declined Tequila Works' Rime, and now Sony is going to reap the quiet majesty that it has become.

Lara Croft GO: Reveal Trailer & Thoughts

     At E3 2015, Square-Enix Montreal announced a Tomb Raider related game in the same vein as their previous but wonderful take on another franchise- Hitman GO- and this one will be aptly titled Lara Croft GO, and it looks to be every bit the stylized heir we would come to expect from that comparison.

     From the press release:

"GO is a celebration of our iconic franchises,” said Patrick Naud, Head of Studio at Square Enix Montréal. “With Hitman GO, we’ve distilled a brand we love to its core… the Essence of Assassination.”

“Now, we are bringing this concept to a whole new level. Working in close partnership with Crystal Dynamics, we are excited to tap into the nostalgic love we have for the ultimate female adventurer, Lara Croft, and bring you… the Essence of Adventure!”

Lara Croft GO expands the turn-based puzzle gameplay and takes you on an adventure set in a long-forgotten world. Explore the ruins of an ancient civilization, discover hidden secrets and face deadly challenges as you uncover the myth of the Queen of Venom."

     If Hitman GO was any way to accurately judge, GO could be a tremendous new take on the adventures of Lara Croft.  As Hitman Go turned the "Essence of Assasination" into a brilliantly simple and elegant tabletop puzzle game, I have little doubt they'll do wrong with the transformation of an exploration-adventure game into a tabletop simulation for mobile devices.

     Here's a nice gameplay video for a better look at the game:

     Lara Croft GO will be available on "mobile and tablets" later this year.

     Sources [ Square-Enix Montreal ] [ AppSpy (Gameplay Video) ]

CRIVENS!!! The Wee Free Men! Terry and Rhianna Pratchet at the Movies

Cover by Arispk

My First Thoughts...

     I'm not sure how I missed this, but someone emailed me a link about The Wee Free Men being adapted into a movie.  My first thoughts were, "Oh Gawd!  Someone's going to ruin another beloved book series!"
     My second thoughts were, "Why would I think that, some of the great Terry Pratchett's adaptations weren't that bad, and this could be good..."
     Then my third thoughts cut in with, "Whoa, whoa, WHOA!!!  The reason I think that I thought that was because the adaptations of the great Terry Pratchett's books that were bad scare people away from the aforementioned books, and that is a bad thing to think."
     And then there were my fourth thoughts, since they were the thoughts you think about the way you think about the way you think about the way you think, they led me into a grand confusion and then I walked right into a door.


     For those of you unfamiliar with the book, here's the blurb:

A nightmarish danger threatens from the other side of reality . . . 

Armed with only a frying pan and her common sense, young witch-to-be Tiffany Aching must defend her home against the monsters of Fairyland. Luckily she has some very unusual help: the local Nac Mac Feegle—aka the Wee Free Men—a clan of fierce, sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men. 

Together they must face headless horsemen, ferocious grimhounds, terrifying dreams come true, and ultimately the sinister Queen of the Elves herself. . . 

Second Thoughts...

     Really, this could actually turn out to be a wonderful thing.  Each new Pratchett adaption gets better.  I really enjoyed Going Postal, and my only real complaint was that the Golems looked preposterous.
     After reading the article from The Mary Sue link, I see it is Terry Pratchett's daughter Rhianna Pratchett doing the honors of transforming the book into something filmable.  Being quite the video gamer gave me a bit of experience with some of her work such as Mirror's Edge, Heavenly Sword, and most recently the newest Tomb Raider game.  All of them are well done and don't give me a sour worried taste in my mouth.
     And besides, she has direct access to the author's thoughts and opinions whenever she wants.

     This also reminds me, what ever happened to The Watch?  The adaptation of the City Watch stories with good old Commander Sam Vimes heading up the team of oddball police officers.  I heard it was going to be along the lines of CSI: Ankh-Morpork- with all the Pratchett brand of humor they could throw in.


Third Thoughts...

     Well, here is where my worries do begin- if they make it, will it be live action or will it take the 3D animation route like How to Train Your Dragon?  Because the army of 6 inch hilarity called the Nac Mac Feegles, which can only be described as simple minded, highly aggressive, semi-drunken Gaelic Smurfs, need to be done in a way that lasts and would be memorable for both adults and kids.
     As for the cast- there is only one character I can think of that I'm reasonably certain everyone else also pictures in their heads as well- Granny Weatherwax.  Who else could play the role as perfectly as Maggie Smith?  She practically lives the role in real life anyways.


Fourth Thoughts...

     I truly hope this gets done well.  The Discworld series, and the Tiffany Aching stories, deserve the best treatment possible.  If done right this could be on par with the long Harry Potter series.  So if The Wee Free Men does well, would we expect more of young miss Aching's witchy ways with A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, and I Shall Wear Midnight?  I can only hope so.

     I mean WE can only...

          *THUD!* 

               (The door wins again)



Source [ The Mary Sue ]

Red Sonja: Gail Simone is Making a Video Game!

     Today it has been revealed that Red Sonja comic book writer Gail Simone, Dynamite Entertainment, and F84 Games will be teaming up to bring us an actual Red Sonja video game.  The Hyrkanian She-Devil with a Sword herself will be taking the lead in an "action-packed and narrative-driven" game with Simone guiding it all.

     “There are two things I love in this world without question, and those things are video games and Red Sonja.  Gaming is such a huge part of my life, it’s what I do for relaxation, socialization, and inspiration, and my game and console collection is a terrifying sight to behold. 

     Mixing my favorite character, the She-Devil With A Sword, with my life-long love of games is a dream come true. We plan on making this a bloody, sexy, funny good time, full of brutal swordplay, cackling villains, and horrendous monsters, all seen through Sonja’s trademark wit. I cannot wait.” -Gail Simone

     Originally created by Robert E. Howard (of Conan the Barbarian fame) back in 1934 for the short story "The Shadow of the Vulture," Red Sonja has gone through many variations, but it was Gail Simone that gave her new life with the Dynamite comic series.  So this project could be absolutely amazing if handled well.  I really, really, REALLY hope it's a combination of Skyrim, Tomb Raider, and The Witcher.

     I've been a life-long Conan fan, but the upcoming Conan Exiles is looking less like the Skyim-in-the-Hyborean Age I was hoping for, and much more like the survival game Rust- my interest has been waning.  The last really good Conan games have been the Conan for PS3, and the free to play Age of Conan: Unchained on Steam, and now that Red Sonja is getting a game, my hopes for the franchises have been renewed.

     They are shooting for a winter 2016 to early 2017 release window.

     Sources [ Gail Simone Twitter ] [ Bleeding Cool ]

God of War: Ascension- Bros Before Hos Controversy

     When I first saw the video about Adam Sessler's thoughts on this trophy/achievement, I was a little put off.  Not that I'm offended or pissed or anything.  Typically I love most of his view, even when they differ from mine.  He typically makes great arguments, but on this particular topic- the action that nets the trophy or achievement and how it is made- was kind of stretched.  
     Here's Mr. Sessler's initial review with the comments: http://youtu.be/XjIpPUE8epA

     Being based on a common saying it's already a slang saying, and one I hear constantly.  On the flip side, I work in a hospital where easily 80-90% of my coworkers are female, and they have a saying quite like it- Chicks Before Dicks.  The "dicks" part has multiple connotations, of which you may posit a decent guess to.  And guess what- I don't care that I hear it all the time.  To them it's a saying that means "girls stick together."  And really, why would I have a problem with their sisterhood, even if they express it in with potentially harmful words?

     Many have already pointed out that it was in reference of characters working together and not about misogynistic deeds.  It just feels like the scene was misrepresented.  Much like the "rape scene" from the new Tomb Raider- one that was definitely NOT what it was made out to be, and this God of War Ascension debacle is similar.  The Trophy/Achievement comes from a particular male character getting Kratos to stop the Furies from abusing their powers and dealing punishment out unjustly.  The unjust argument is a whole other matter(for Furies and Kratos) however- as Kratos has single handedly destroyed pretty much ALL of ancient Greece in an over-the-top quest for vengeance.

     What I do like about what came from his comments are:
1) Sessler's response to his own comments in this DTOID video:  http://youtu.be/rkq1Mu2H80w
     Thank you for being so good at this thing.  Making people know that things got blown out of proportion, and taking the time to respond openly.
2) The renamed Trophy/Achievement-  Bros Before Foes is a far better play on words, and should have been used in the first place. 

     I must applaud Mr. Sessler for initiating these types of conversations.  It brings awareness to the gaming community and attention to the creators.  Thank you again Mr. Sessler. 

     As an end cap here are a couple decent articles:
     The first is Jim Sterling's response to the Sessler stuff-
http://www.destructoid.com/god-of-war-bros-before-hos-248381.phtml

     The second is sort of about the killing of female enemies in God of War.  I have a couple small issues with this.  1) Kratos slaughters pretty much everything.  Not just beautiful woman/creatures.  Thousands of men, creatures, and male creatures.  There's no sexual distinction.  2) Kratos isn't gunning for the ladies underparts.  It ISN'T sexual.  When he attacks a person or creature's torso- it would end up hitting at least a portion of breast.  And with the smaller size of the females in the game, it turns out breasts are unfortunately in the target zone.
     Would it be different if Santa Monica Studios put Priapus in the game?  Give Priapus the God of War treatment and have a 10 foot penis that Kratos slices into thin coins of wang meat?  Yes, and you know why, because it deals directly with genitals, and would put focus on sexual organs.  But what makes me wonder is- if they did would there be an outcry about "misandrist" game conduct?
http://kotaku.com/5991145/shes-sexy-now-kill-her?tag=opinion

     Anyways, it's good to see people talking about things in a civil way. 

Tomb Raider: Lara Croft a Villain?

     Let me start this post off with- I absolutely love this game, and I think it's a great thing that they've made Lara Croft more than the object her character had become.  In fact I hope they make many more games in the series.  BUT...
     ...Ok, this is gonna sound VERY terrible- but I'm going to play Devil's Advocate here- but what if Lara was the villain?  No, really- think about this. 

     I'm just throwing this out there because I see all this hubbub about Uncharted's Nathan Drake being less realistic.  I've read people saying that he makes jokes about all the people he kills.  He doesn't show remorse, he doesn't regret the things he does.  Well, Lara does... once.  After her first actual kill... for like a minute.  (not including the deer she hunted)

     Think about this, the first person to die as a result of her actions was the crazy beard guy in the cave where Lara awakens hanging upside down.  The man with the beard that claims he's there to "help" her- and you know what?  I believe he was there to try and help her.  Look at the state of this man- beard, back pack, worn attire.  He was trying to get to her in a swift manner, possibly so the guards wouldn't spot him.  This isn't just a random goon.  He's someone that was on the run and hiding from the rest of the people on the island.  In Lara's defense, he did go about trying to "help" her in a poor manner.  Granted, his time on the island, presumably scavenging and scrounging for sustenance, may have made him lose some of the general courtesy of introducing oneself to a person in need.
     But anyways- this man died in a botched attempt to assist Lara.

     Later, after wrestling with a man definitely intent on killing her, shoots a man in self defense.  Shortly after that she comments to Roth that it was almost too easy.  (I believe the quote is, "It's scary just how easy that was.")  Could this be the start of another Drake?  Give this some serious thought.  After a single kill, she goes on what appears to be a murder spree.
     She displays sadness for learning (or re-learning) how to use a bow by killing a deer for food. That lasts until she's stuffed her cake hole and moved on.  Really, the mechanic wasn't to learn to hunt and forage for things to keep you alive. It was just for one moment of feeling an ounce of emotion.  And it ended up being the perfect foreshadowing for her killing her first human later on.  A minute of regret and she's off to slay any number of enemies in her path.
     I would say it's pretty damn similar to Drake, because she slays hundreds of others on Yamatai.  All of them would probably rather be alive.  All of them would kill her if it meant surviving.  I would even go as far to say they would even kill to save their friends-   Just.  Like.  Lara.

     Why didn't the game makers show the struggle a bit longer. (perhaps have a stealth option for a NO kills run, like many other recent games)  Make her have extra wobbly hands and horrible accuracy?  It's one thing to be able to hunt animals, but it's a different thing to kill other people.  So I can account for a little of her great initial skills with weapons.
     What might be nice to point out that this situation on the island is a life or death occasion.  Kill or be killed.  Mathias wants to find the Sun Queen's new vessel so she might be appeased into letting people get off the island.  He wants to help his people, just like Lara.  Trying to save their friends.

     In the end, to save her friends, Lara kills a majority of the inhabitants of Yamatai.  In the end it's either Himiko the Sun Queen or Sam.  One would die.  (Also of note, the only human female I recall Lara killing is Himiko)
     Nobody thinks they are the villain, and I suppose to the people that were already struggling and holding on for dear life on the island, Lara was it.  Lara has become just like all of the "enemies" on the island, savage and brutal in their learning to survive.  They should be hiding.  She is coming for them. 


RUN!!!   Even bunnies aren't safe.

     I can only imagine this is what it was like for Robert Neville at the end of Richard Matheson's "I am Legend" -that disturbing moment when he realizes he's become their legendary killer, the stalker in the night, he's become their "Dracula."  He is the villain.