My Thoughts on the Game Awards Part 2: The Games
By BlackRedGaming 1 Comments
Welcome back to my three part series looking over the The Game Awards 2017. If you haven't read part one and want to, click here to do so. In part one, I talked about my feelings on the award show as a whole, looking over the good, the bad, and the funny. Now for this part and the next, I will not be looking at what the show did right or wrong and instead look at the announcements and the awards. In this part, I look at the announcements made and saying my thoughts on them. I am including all games and DLC announced, but some games I do not have thoughts on. Anything that was new or sounded new will be in this list, and I apologize if I miss any. Also, the title of the game will also be a link to the reveal trailer given at the awards.
Starting off the list is a game based off of the book and movie World War Z called, you guessed it, World War Z. The game is said to be a co-op action game that takes place around the world with different survivor's stories. The game will also include traps, barriers, and environmental hazards, as well as an arsenal of weapons to kill hundreds of enemies on screen. My guess is that it will be similar to Left 4 Dead in the sense that it is a mission to get from one side of the level to the other with missions and enemies thrown in the middle. Despite this formula being used time and time again, I am actually pretty excited for this game. I love a good zombie game, and having that mixed with World War Z style zombies (fast and many), I think it could be a lot of fun and pretty difficult. Also, their are no other enemy types, which for me is a positive. I know different enemy types in this style of game diversifies the action, but I just want one type of zombie, and if that one type of zombie is difficult enough then that is fine by me. Also, the environments look like they came straight from the book and the movie, which is cool. I would love to play the Jerusalem level or fatal battle of Yonkers (yeah, that's right, I read the book too). The graphics don't look that great, but I am guessing that is because the game is filled with hundreds of zombies at once. Despite my excitement, I am going to guess the game will be just okay at best, with scores averaging around a 7/10 because of its reused formula. But that won't stop me from playing it when it comes out some time in 2018. 70,000 years at the top of the food chain, it was fun while it lasted.
What do you do after a job? Why vacation of course! The second game on this list is the sequel to Job Simulator called Vacation Simulator. From the looks of it, the game is like Job Simulator, except your vacationing. I don't have a lot to say about the game because I didn't play the first game, but from what I saw the environment looks like a lot of fun, the writing sounds funny in a robotic sort-of way, and the game looks pretty relaxing overall. I bet the game is just going to be a large playground for you to run around in(or teleport around in, because VR). The game, just like the previous one, is in VR, which is the reason why I haven't played the first one. But as stated on a burger patty at the end of the trailer, the game will probably come out some time in 2018, and I think VR players will find great enjoyment from the game when that release date comes around.
Smith and Smitherson Accounting+
Another VR game? Anyways, this one is called Accounting+, which to me looks really weird (a word that will be used multiple times with other trailers). I can't even tell you what the game is going to be like because so much was happening at once, but what I saw I honestly didn't like. To me, the writing is what excelled for me in this trailer, as for the minds behind The Stanley Parable and Rick and Morty are behind this project (I haven't watched Rick and Morty, but I know of its popularity). The trailer was pretty funny, with funny dialogue and a funny Game of Thrones intro and average-day-at-the-office outro. Despite that, the gameplay didn't look that great to me. It looked like a mushy mess of a bunch of different things happening that I feel would be annoying to play after a little while. But hey, if you do think this game is cool, its release date is soon (another thing that will pop up a lot). December 19th is when that game is coming out for PSVR.
This trailer, by From Software, is very cryptic. The game has no name ('shadows die twice' reads at the end) and the entire trailer consists of some contraption with rope tightening. That's it. I don't really have anything to say about this trailer, so I'll leave it at that.
Did you like to explore the Wyoming wilderness in Firewatch but said to yourself,"man, I really wish this was Egypt in the 20's where I am a filmmaker living that Indiana Jones lifestyle?" Well, Campo Santo is back with a game called In the Valley of Gods, which is a narrative-based game based in 1920's Egypt where you play as an explorer and filmmaker trying to recapture the glory you once had while working with someone you vowed never to work with again. It's essentially an Indiana Jones-themed Firewatch. The first thing that caught my interest with this game is the setting. I love the 20's/30's adventure theme similar to Indiana Jones or the upcoming game Strange Brigade. Also, I think the story of trying to recapture your glory days of adventuring while trying to work with someone I guess you hate will be an interesting story and I would love to see how their relationship forms over the course of the game. Despite that, I know myself and the chances of me actually getting this game is low. I have never been the biggest fan of narrative games. I love the stories in narrative games, but I can never bear playing the game, and I always feel that I can't just watch them on Youtube either because a lot of these game have different narrative options that I feel I have to answer myself. Despite that, I hope and I think the game will do well critically whenever the game comes out (no release date yet).
GTA 5 has been doing a great job of keeping its online service up-to-date with new content, and this is another addition to that. The Doomsday Heist looks to be another wild ride in the world of GTA, filled with flying cars, jetpacks, crazy super-soldier looking dudes, and much more. This heist seems filled to the brim with action-packed gameplay, and I bet fans of GTA: Online will have a blast. As for me, I couldn't really get into GTA: Online, so I'm probably not going to play it. But I still think the mission looked really cool. I would love to dress up as a Sam Fisher knockoff and go around doing missions like I am a professional. Well, I may not, but everyone else can as for the content dropped on December 12th for everyone to play. This won't be the last time content drops very shortly after its announcement though.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild DLC 2: The Champion's Ballad
The second DLC release for BOTW was announced during the award show, showcasing the new shrines as well as the...wait, IS THAT A MOTORCYCLE?! Honestly, I lost all interest in all of the other content when they showed that their is a freaking motorcycle in the game (except for the teleporting horse saddle, I still had interest in that). But in all seriousness, I think this DLC pack is worth getting the season pass for. The main reason I say that is because of the motorcy...ahem, the new story elements added to the game showcasing the four heroes, as well as the new shrines, items, horse saddles, and more. Just like The Doomsday Heist, this actually released the moment they played the trailer on December 7th. Oh yeah, and did I mention their is a motorcycle in the game?
I guess I should start all of my blogs with "do your souls still burn?" so then I can get everyone excited about what dumb thing I have to say. Ah, I'm just kidding. But clearly the excitement for the next Soul Calibur is no joke. I don't have a lot to say about the game because honestly, I am not excited for the game. I don't think the game looks bad or anything, I just don't like fighting games like that. But I am certain that the game will do great with its fans when it comes out sometime in 2018.
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 The Last Jedi Season
Just because the game is getting obliterated by hate for its terrible multiplayer microtransactions and lackluster campaign that is really a showcase for heroes doesn't mean content won't release for the game. Battlefront 2 announced its release of season one content, which will be themed after the new movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Surprisingly, the content actually is doing things I didn't think would happen to Battlefront DLC. The map with the red dirt looks pretty cool, a continuation of the campaign will be added on which surprised me, and the content is free. It gets me wondering how much of this is damage control, but I think anything EA can do to get some good light on the game is a good thing. Now does that mean I am actually going to get the game? No, but I think fans of the game will find this new addition meaningful when it releases on December 13th.
Fortnite, the big contender to PUBG, is back at it again with a new mode called 50 v.50. It's pretty much what you think: a game mode that pits two teams of 50 players against each other. It's essentially like playing squad mode in Fortnite or PUBG, but your squad is half of the game. I think this is a pretty cool idea, but I think it defeats the purpose of the battle royale genre, which makes me question why they still have the battle royale-style gameplay in the mode. But the bigger question I kept asking myself while watching this trailer was "what about the main game? You know, that one with zombies and base building?" Whatever the case may be, this new mode came out the day the announcement trailer went up on December 7th.
Speaking of building things in a post-apocalyptic world, Fade to Silence debuted, And this game looks pretty cool. The post-apocalyptic landscape and the monsters that turned it that way look really neat, while your fight for survival in the harsh winter with building, dog sledding, and recruiting survivors sounds like a lot of fun. I'm going to take a bet that this is a hardcore survival game where you have to worry about a bunch of different things like hunger, thirst, sickness, cold, sanity, etc. That stuff draws me away, but if I were to get into it, I would start with this game. Whatever the case may be, the game will launch into early access on December 14th and will fully release in 2018.
It's a triple doozie of games I haven't played. The announcement started off with Bayonetta 1 and 2 coming over to the Switch. I haven't played the games, but I am going to take a wild guess and say that this is just a port over to the Switch. So anyone who has played the games, well now they can play it on a plane next to a screaming child and someone who smells like they haven't showed in three days. But just when you thought it was over, Reggie pulled one on us and announced Bayonetta 3. Well, I guess now is the perfect time to start playing the Bayonetta series, as for the first two games will come to the Switch on the 16th of February and the third game with no announced date.
What the hell, Kojima? Do you even know what you making anymore? Did you take a bet with someone and lose with the consequence being 'make each new trailer for your game weirder than the last?' Whatever the case may be, the new Death Stranding trailer came out, showcasing even weirder things than the last. I honestly don't even know how this can be a video game anymore. How can they make a video game out of what they have shown? Whatever the case may be, I am excited to see what Kojima shows next. His stuff is weird, but this world he has constructed leaves me with questions I want to pursue. I want to see this world more, and I can't wait to see what Kojima does next. Hopefully, it's some gameplay because I really want to know how this can be a game.
Sea of Thieves now has a release date, which is March 20th.
Witchfire is a game that looks pretty cool to me. I loved how in the trailer it started off with you going through a portal and walking around somber-like, and the game saying it is being made by the creators of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. It gives you that narrative feel and gets you comfortable with that idea, until you pull out a gun and it says "but also [made by] Painkiller and Bulletstorm" was when a gave a hearty chuckle. But beyond that, I thought the environment was pretty cool and the victorian-style weapons and cool-looking enemies look like a blast to play with and kill. I also get a heavy Bulletstorm vibe with the gameplay, but of course I do because it is made by the people who made Bulletstorm. Unfortunately, this was a very early on trailer and we will most likely be waiting some time before this game comes out.
At first I thought I had nothing new to talk about this game, but after watching this trailer again I realized I was wrong. I'm already into this game because I love the setting, the story, and its interesting idea of always-on splitscreen. With this new trailer, we learn of a couple of things, including another pretty radical idea. We learn of the two characters, including their personalities, we learn of its March 23rd release date, and of one other idea that deserves its own sentence. The game requires co-op, online or not, but one copy can be shared between two people. If you want to play online with a friend, only one person needs a copy of the game. That to me is crazy, and it makes me even more excited on what is to come of the game. Keep on being a passionate man Josef Fares.
I dream a dream. Dreams, that is. I have heard about the game, but I wasn't introduced to it until now, and I must say what a trip. I really loved the trailer and how crazy it was. This game sounds like something that is groundbreaking, and I can't wait to see what it really is. And what it really is won't be fully revealed to us until the game releases some time in 2018.
Not much to say from me. The new desert map looks like a lot of fun, and now we know of a 1.0 release date on anything, which will be December 20th on the PC. Now that the game is releasing this year, do we still need to talk about early access games and whether or not they are considered a release for GOTY lists?
GTFO
Such an unfortunate name, but that's besides the point. I remember first hearing about GTFO and getting really excited for it. Now, I am even more excited about it. For starters, the game is made by the Payday people, which I love those games. But beyond that fact, GTFO looks like the game Alien: Colonial Marines was going to be (let's just hope it doesn't turn into the game it currently is). The environment looks foreboding, the gameplay looks hectic, and the quiet commentary that plays over the trailer feels perfect. I can't wait to see what they do with the game when it releases some time in 2018 with something else that may happen in 2017 (beta, maybe?)
Metro is back, baby! I love the Metro series, and I cannot wait to see what this game will become. I really hope it's an open world game, where I can explore all of the different stations and whatnot. Unfortunately, I feel that this trailer has less information to offer than the first one. I felt that their was no new info given with this trailer compared to the E3 2017 trailer, and that one even offered gameplay. The one new detail we get is that it releases in the fall of 2018 instead of just 2018 in general. Until then, I'll just keep my bullet lighter back in the closet.
Phew, that was everything, I think. I know I didn't get pictures on every item, but oh well. Thank you for reading, and tune into part three where I talk about my thoughts on the award aspect, more specifically what I agreed and disagreed with.