Beastby Issue 03 June 2017 by Beastby

CONTACTS AND DETAILS

FROM THE EDITOR

hat a month! Being an adult has proved challenging as life has done everything in its power to pull us away from our video games. Personally, I spent the majority of my weeks moving house and adjusting to a new regime. In turn, I’ve only had half of my allotted time to write and design the magazine. But I’ve worked my little socks off, we all have, and the magazine is here! Of course, this issue has improvements over the last. Nipping and tucking everything and anything to bring you a better product. It’s our goal to bring more value with each issue and I truly feel like we’re doing that.

Feedback? Questions? Community submitted topic? Don’t know what to have for dinner? Get a hold of us through email or social media. Contact@Beastby.net @BeastbyBlog /Beastby

CORRECTIONS

This month has been particularly interesting as Dylan got to interview some Hearthstone semifinalists, and we also have a new writer, Josh! With a background in teaching game design and organising conventions, he brings welcomed insight into the more obscure and typically overlooked aspects of the gaming industry. We look forward to seeing what he brings to the team.

Not everyone wants to be that guy, but if you find any mistakes then please let us know. We make a concerted effort to correct any we find, but there’ll always be some that make it through. Drop us a line and we’ll update this issue.

Sock-less, we march on!

DISCLAIMER

Darren Burchett

Some images may be edited for design purposes such as backgrounds, feature images and photo mode capture.

IN THIS ISSUE...

DARREN BURCHETT EDITOR & DESIGN @YABOYBEASTBY

ROBERT HOGGE SUB-EDITOR @EVILMUSKA

HENRY MELVILLE SUB-EDITOR @COLDFOAMY

DO YOU WANT TO WRITE FOR US?

DYLAN BISHOP REVIEW EDITOR @DYL_BYL

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JOSH JOSEPH WRITER @COLONEL_SPED

WE’RE JUST GETTING OFF THE GROUND AND ARE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR MORE WRITERS. SOUND GOOD TO YOU? SEND US AN EMAIL.

CONTACT@BEASTBY.NET

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CONTENTS OPINION 06 5 GAMES THAT WOULD MAKE THE SWITCH A SLAM DUNK 08 GAME DEVELOPMENT IN WEST VIRGINIA!?

Teaching in the small city of Huntington

10 OVERWATCH COULD USE MORE CONTENT LIKE “UPRISING” 11 FORMAL COMPLAINT

PREVIEWS

12 TUMBLESEEDlineup 14 OXYGEN NOT INCLUDED

INTERVIEW 16 FIRESIDE GATHERING

Talking to Shawnee State’s Hearthstone semifinalists

REVIEWS 24 PREY

On the cover

32 LITTLE NIGHTMARES A wildly imaginitive horror

40 MARIO KART 8 DELUXE 42 DOMINA 44 FLINTHOOK 46 MR. SHIFTY 47 CRAWL

48 MLB THE SHOW 17

50 OWLBOY

FEATURE

52 PLAYER SELECT

What we’ve been playing

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SOCIAL MEDIA

ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

5 OPINION

5 GAMES THAT WOULD MAKE THE SWITCH A SLAM DUNK

GAMES THAT WOULD MAKE THE SWITCH A SLAM DUNK BY ROBERT HOGGE

Nintendo really does have something special with the Switch. Early sales are strong, but if they want to continue this momentum, they need quality games. A lot of people aren’t convinced, and are still waiting on a non-Zelda killer app. I’ve been thinking long and hard about this, so here are the 5 games I think will help make the Switch a must-have.

ROCKET LEAGUE

METROID PRIME 4

It’s undeniable how much Rocket League has continued gaining popularity since it’s July 2015 release. It strikes the perfect balance of being approachable and fun without sacrificing technical, high-level play. With Splatoon 2 coming out in late July, Nintendo has obviously sparked an interest in eSports. It only makes sense then that they snatch up a game that already has such a huge following in the competitive gaming sphere. And who knows? If it gets popular enough, maybe professional teams will start using the Switch as their go-to platform.

There are few Nintendo franchises quite as neglected in recent years as Metroid (except maybe F-Zero). It is easily one of my favorite series of all time, and I’d argue it’s one of their most consistently “hardcore” properties. Needless to say, a new game in the Prime series is more than a little overdue. The original Metroid Prime showed the gaming world that the Gamecube wasn’t just some plastic purple lunchbox. It also ended up being one of the most beautiful and spectacular 3D games Nintendo ever made. If they made Metroid Prime 4 for Switch, and did it justice, I can see it easily becoming Nintendo’s next killer app.

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GRAND THEFT AUTO V

Although the game is going on 4 years old, bringing GTA V to the Switch would be a bold and smart move. I could even see them porting GTA Online as well, although Big Red would need to get their online ecosystem together first. Some gamers might be burned out on GTA V by now, admittedly. But there are definitely those who either never got around to playing it, or have only ever owned Nintendo products. It would also be the first portable GTA since San Andreas was ported to iOS and Android. With Skyrim already coming out later this year, having another big AAA franchise show up to the party could only lead to good things for the Switch.

A NEXT-GEN POKEMON GAME Pokemon has always been a series associated with portable gaming. Every single major iteration since it’s inception has been a flagship for Nintendo’s handheld consoles. This fact unfortunately puts the Switch at odds with the 3DS, as they will likely opt to continue the series on that instead. Even so, can you imagine what a full Pokemon release would do for the Switch? And I don’t mean an HD port of whatever version is currently out, I mean they should give Pokemon the full Breath-of-The-Wild treatment. I am quite doubtful that this would ever come to fruition, but man, that would be pretty spectacular.

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DARK SOULS More than anything else, I want this to happen. It might not be as popular as any of the other series I mentioned, but Dark Souls has definitely carved out a hugely-passionate fanbase. The original is in my top 5 games of all time, and I’m far from the only person who sees it as something special. It was rumored last December that From Software had successfully gotten Dark Souls 3 running on the Switch. But even if that was just a rumor, Fromsoft is on the list of third-party devs that are on board. So it isn’t that much of a stretch to think this could happen. Seriously Nintendo: Take my money. Take ALL my money. Just give me Dark Souls.

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OPINION

GAME DEVELOPMENT IN WEST VIRGINIA!?

GAME DEVELOPMENT

IN WEST VIRGINIA!? By Joshua Joseph

hen first approached about teaching game development courses in Huntington, West Virginia, I was surprised, but I was also extremely excited. “Game development in West Virginia!? How did I get so lucky?” Then it hit me. Game development in West Virginia… How would such a thing work? Looking at this from an outsider’s perspective, there are no game studios close to this area. There were zero independent game studio projects at the start of the program. In West Virginia, a large portion of students do not go far from their hometown upon graduation of college. Some graduates tend to leave to find work, though. Where would these game dev students go and work once they have completed their studies? Will they have the desire to move away? What would be the point in having a degree like this? Quickly, my focus shifted. Instead of dwelling MI on the negative, I would focus on what I could do to make this program OHIO IN succeed. The great thing IL is that gaming is as WEST VIRGINIA popular in Huntington, KY WV as it is anywhere in the U.S. My job is to HUNTINGTON learn as much as possible TN about game development SC and programming, then teach it to others. Who knows: in the future they could start their own studios and create a small industry here. However, if the students decided not to create their own local jobs, I needed an alternate route for them to still be successful and as much as I hate to admit it, give them a ticket to leave the area. After seven years I have had what I would estimate 8

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around 40-50 students graduate with an Associate’s Degree in Animation and Game Development. This number may seem low to some, but understand that it takes two years minimum to complete this program. When you start a new degree, it can take 2-3 years to get students into the program and begin graduating them. A few of those students have done absolutely nothing with their degree. Several students are working for IT companies dealing with software application development. Some students are continuing their education towards a Bachelor’s Degree through articulation agreements with other Universities. Thankfully, a few of the students, who are working in software development and/or still in school, have created their own indie endeavors. It is happening. It’s slow and steady, but it is happening. We are creating an industry here from the ground up. The college I work for–alongside a very NY small handful of other colleges within a two-hour PA radius of Huntington–is laying the foundation for MD the video game industry in Appalachia. I do not NORTH VA make this statement to ATLANTIC brag or to take credit, but to show an example NC of just how big this 100 MILES industry is becoming. We see stories of companies folding and developers leaving studios because they were bored of the same old games. Mine, however, is the story of creation; the tale of a new group of game creators. With pride, I say that this a grassroots movement, with little funding andpractically zero industry support. If it can happen here, it can happen anywhere. Beastby.net

BEASTBY.NET Unnamed Project â&#x20AC;&#x201C; All For One Studio: Created by Cory Brown

Falling Embers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2812 Studio: Created by student Alex Clay

MY BACKGROUND I live in Ohio but I work in Huntington, West Virginia, at a small community college. I have been a full-time instructor for seven years, and I was an adjunctprofessor for a few years prior to that. When I speak about game development, I speak in terms covering all consoles, PC and web-based gaming. I am now a seasoned attendee of GDC, and I will be attending E3 as an industry member for the second time this June. I have learned a lot during this time: a lot about the game industry, but even more about living in the Appalachian region and trying to build a market for game developers. @BeastbyBlog

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OPINION

OVERWATCH

OVERWATCH COULD USE MORE CONTENT LIKE “UPRISING” By Dylan Bishop

THE NEW APRIL EVENT IS THE PERFECT SHOWCASE FOR PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING THAT OVERWATCH HAS TO OFFER.

t’s almost surprising that Blizzard’s competitive, teambased shooter Overwatch is still so loved almost a year after release. Turns out, dropping new content every few months will keep players interested for a pretty long time. However, Overwatch isn’t beloved by every gamer on the planet. Shortly after launch, many players criticized its repetitive game modes, and wished for a hearty campaign or story. Overwatch Uprising is one of the aforementioned content updates. With it, the game has received a plethora of cosmetic items and a new temporary game mode. It may also hold the key to fixing the early quarrels of off-put players. You see, Uprising puts players in the shoes of four eager Overwatch members: Torbjorn, Mercy, Tracer, and Reinhardt. These valiant heroes must save London alone, in a small quest set a few years before the game’s current timeline. While normal matches pit teams of six against each other, Uprising forces a team of four to face off against hordes of AI-controlled “Omnics”–sentient robots tied to Overwatch’s lore. Instead of just moving a payload or taking a control point, players are tasked with completing a variety of objectives. Each type is taken from one of the game’s multiple maps.

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First, they must capture three points throughout the city, and strike down the machines that flood the streets. Next, they need to defend and escort a bomb, while encountering new kinds of enemies. Finally, players must work together to take down high-priority Omnics, while surviving the onslaught of lesser bots. It’s interesting to see so many details lifted from the many maps and modes Overwatch has provided for the past year. The mix of playstyles and situations are perfect for teaching new players, while they also form great training moments for veterans. Uprising provides a smart introduction to the various tasks that heroes will need to focus on in a real match, like target prioritization or objective capturing. Yet it also distorts the game’s rules just enough to keep the mission interesting. Playing against humans can feel like a slog after a while, but it’s riveting to mow down overbearing bots. Different difficulties provide a true challenge without feeling unfair. Hopping into Uprising on a higher difficulty almost feels like playing an entirely different mode. This is especially true with the included “All Heroes” version, which lets players defend London using any hero from Overwatch’s roster. All of this is truly refreshing, and the promise of extra fun and new loot entices Overwatch fans to play

the quest over and over. It hurts to know that Uprising is ending soon; which is why Blizzard needs to step up their game. The fans need more story-related content. Imagine having 10-12 of these combat operations, each set in a different location while shedding light on the mysterious backstory in Overwatch. Uprising is fantastic because it gives players a glimpse into the organization’s past. Blizzard fleshed the world out to an extent via comics and animated shorts, but not every fan will see those. Every fan will see a shiny new game mode when the start up the game, though. Releasing small story missions every two or three months would certainly create longevity and relevance–two aspects the title may need as it heads into its second year. Overwatch may not have needed a campaign at launch. However, Uprising is a clever and enthralling way to renew interest in the title. Its introduction is a nice teaser, but now we want more. The inclusion of extra quests would definitely draw players back in as a “relaunch” of sorts. If every mission made smart and exciting use of Overwatch’s mechanics and heroes, they would make an excellent game even better. Thanks Blizzard, for showing me a game mode that I didn’t even realize I wanted. Beastby.net

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FORMAL COMPLAINT 002

THIS UI MADNESS HAS TO STOP, UBISOFT

To whom it may concern, Ok, Ubisoft. There has been something that’s been bothering me for quite some time, and I feel like the banks of Lake Patience have finally broke. While many gamers have criticised your practise of annual releases, templated gameplay, and the compulsory use of Uplay; I have remained at your side. Not a fan per say, but someone who consistently shows interest in your titles. But there is something else that has been consistent and I’ve got to say something. For my sake if not your own. Why do you feel the need to style all of your games’ UI the exact same way!? Sure there are differences, but if I see the same lens flare and static image on a blue unlock screen I’m going to lose my mind! And why do you use the same font for everything!? Yes I’ve noticed. It’s the same dry, sans serif font in every game. Or at least the differences are so minor I simply can’t tell them apart. I came to this realisation when I was playing For Honor. A fantastic game. There I was hacking and slashing in style, taking down foes in popcorn-cinematic glory. Then the match ended and I saw it. The same progress screen I swear I saw back in Assassin’s Creed 2. Oh my lord. I rolled my eyes so hard I felt eye muscles I’d never even knew I had. I thought I was losing my mind! “Surely this can’t be the case?” I thought. So I checked out some Ghost Recon: Wildlands footage. I mean, I’ve been interested in that game for a while, I might pick it up, but then again I might not. Because there it was, that god awful UI. They are vastly different games, why do they share these similarities? Oh, it’s so dry. So very dry. It’s like being stranded in a desert and all I have to eat are Jacob’s Crackers. So I ask: Why? Forget the repetitive gameplay. Forget the thousand and one icons sprinkled on every map. Forget the weird Uplay points or whatever they’re called. Nothing makes your game feel as dull as the last than an uninspired interface. This madness cannot continue. You can’t spell ‘UI’ without a ‘U’ and an ‘I’, if you know what I’m saying… Come on, Ubisoft, work with me here! Yours Sincerely, Darren Burchett

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PREVIEW

TUMBLESEED

TUMBLESEED BY DYLAN BISHOP

Even with some awkward physics, this roly-poly roguelite is a fun, unique addition to the indie scene. NEED TO KNOW Developer Greg Wohlwend Publisher aeiowu Platform PS4, Switch, PC

Genre Action Adventure Origin US Release May 2 2017

hink of your ideal roguelike game. Take your time. Got it? Good. Now, I’m going to hazard a guess, and say that your title was not “a momentum-based game where you try to roll a marble up a mountain.” I don’t blame you–that’s a suggestion from way, way, way left field. It’s quite an interesting premise, albeit a silly one. If you did pick that description, though, TumbleSeed may be right up your alley. I say this because, well, TumbleSeed is a rougelike based around momentum, in which you try to roll a marble-like seed up a mountain. The seed rests on a large bar that stretches the length of your screen. One analog stick moves one side of this bar up or down, while the other stick moves the opposite side. Players roll this small seed along this bar to navigate obstacles, pitfalls, and enemies, while incrementally raising their bar further along the treacherous mountain. Though TumbleSeed calls itself a “rougelite,” it functions much more closely to a difficult mobile game; think Tiny Wings with a meaty helping of Dark Souls. Coincidentally, game designer Greg Wohlwend previously worked on mobile apps like Threes and Ridiculous Fishing. While the art style is simple and cute, TumbleSeed is mind-bogglingly

challenging. Your seed will die, and it will die a lot. You have three hearts, but enemies take half a heart, while falling in a hole will take a full one and place you back at your last “checkpoint.” The game asks you to play it over and over and over, like some sort of demented version of Jetpack Joyride. Though, if you think TumbleSeed is simply about rolling a ball around, you’re (partially) wrong. As you climb, you’ll want to collect shiny crystals. When rolling over a small diamond-shaped patch in the ground, your seed will use one crystal to plant a checkpoint. Midascent, you can switch your seed’s “power” to accomplish different goals. For example, one power gives you a small, rotating thorn instead of a checkpoint, so that you can defend yourself against the adorable flying worms headed your way. Another hands you a crystal each time you roll over three different patches, ensuring that you always have currency to obtain thorns and checkpoints. Once you truly get the hang of it, TumbleSeed provides some very intriguing mechanisms and “combat.” Contemplating how to best proceed can be genuinely thought-provoking: you’ll need to gather a hearty thorn shield, lithely maneuver betwixt holes and enemies,

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then collect enough crystals to plant a new checkpoint. Townsfolk can also provide quests with sweet little rewards, providing even more of an incentive to learn TumbleSeed’s mechanics. Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed one important word I’ve been using: “roll.” While it contains a multitude of mobile and roguelike tendencies, TumbleSeed is also akin a physics-based puzzle game. Here, the title can be thoroughly disappointing. It’s such a letdown to think that your run is going great, only for you to build just a tad too much momentum and send your seed careening into the black abyss. It feels as though more deaths can be attributed to imprecise controls and physics, rather than true lack of skill or game knowledge. Thanks to the wonky-rolling-death nature of the experience, it’s easy to feel that you’re making absolutely no progress in TumbleSeed. You may have

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six or seven plays in a row in which nothing is accomplished, followed by one fantastic run. It’s simply the nature of the game, though I can’t help but feel underwhelmed with the design. However, I’ll concede that this harsh difficulty will be welcomed by certain types of players. TumbleSeed will most certainly lead to rage-quits and unfair deaths galore. It was designed to be a difficult game, but the inherent imprecision in its premise tips the scales in an unjust way. Despite that, I want to play more. This is another hill to overcome, another monster to best. Though the challenge will seem insurmountable to some, it provides some new, clever mechanics and ideas. TumbleSeed is an extremely cool, interesting, and artful indie, and is definitely worth a try–even if it means throwing a controller in anger.

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PREVIEW

TUMBLESEED

OXYGEN NOT INCLUDED BY JOSHUA JOSEPH

Oxygen Not Included is a space-colony survival simulation game, but it is so much more than that. Yes, surviving is the name of the game, but it contains many other factors. In the end, it’s quite the survival/strategy/ simulation/base-building game. NEED TO KNOW Developer Klei Entertainment Publisher Klei Entertainment Platform PC

Genre Simulation Origin Canada Release Feb 15 2017 (Early Access)

he title of the game, Oxygen Not Included, gives you an idea of what to expect, but it is more than just oxygen that you need to be concerned with as soon as the game loads. Oxygen quality, temperature, water levels, food, sewage; just about everything you can think of is of immediate concern. This game will start out easy to play, but as soon as you think you have the hang of it… BOOM! One of the characters overfills the toilet, you have a spill to cleanup, and you had better hope that it did not contaminate food or the other characters. Oxygen Not Included begins by spawning three random characters, called duplicants, inside of a large asteroid. Each of these characters have different traits, attributes, and additional features that you will want to take note of, or things could backfire quickly. You are given some hints and tips as you progress but not to the point of annoyance. You should take the time to read these, because they are truly going to help you on your way. Each duplicant has good and bad traits. The good traits have a positive effect on your colony, while the bad traits can spell disaster. These attributes give

off an RPG-vibe. Initially, each duplicant has stats for athletics, cooking, digging, medicine, tinkering, construction, creativity, learning, and stress. These numbers help you pick which duplicants you like more. For example, a duplicant could have a +7 cooking but, a -2 construction. Is the cooking attribute going to help you more in the long run? You have to look at what you may need or desire in a duplicant. If you don’t choose wisely, you could set yourself up for disaster. One of the best aspects of Oxygen Not Included is the negative effect that citizens can have on the colony. If a duplicant becomes stressed, they may throw up all over the floor, or they will start trying to break objects. It can be a bad thing for the colony, sure, but the potential for meltdown allows for a lot of fun quick-thinking and problem-solving. Once you have a basic understanding of the game, things become complicated. You are essentially creating a living, selfsustaining environment from scratch. The duplicants, along with your choices, will dictate this progress. There are a few basic things you’ll need to do, such as digging, mopping, sweeping,

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and harvesting. These skills will help you to harvest resources,which will then be used to create more items like electrical wire and oxygen generators. Everything in Oxygen Not Included is being driven for expansion and survival. If you expand your area too quickly and aren’t paying attention to where you’re digging, you can dig into a vacuum or a toxic water area. There are also small creatures that inhabit parts of the asteroid, and you’ll need to have someone who doesn’t have a “scaredy-cat” trait to defeat them. These are just a couple of numerous variables you’ll need deal with. Oh, and did I mention this is all randomly generated? That’s right! Every time you load up a brand new game, your asteroid and its layout is random. Just like your duplicates, each time you decide to start over, or just want to play a new game, it’s a new strategy. Unlike your control over your duplicates, you don’t get the option to click a randomize button for the asteroid–but that’s not always a bad thing. I have started and killed my colony enough times to know that no matter what you think you’ve planned for, you’re in for a new adventure each time. I have tried strategizing and sticking to a game plan, only to have that drastically change based on what kind of random situation I have spawned into. One time, I spawned and immediately noticed that every pocket of water that was near my initial spawn location was toxic. Talk about a bad roll of the dice. And yes, my colony died a tragic, player-caused death soon after. Overall, Klei Entertainment is putting out another fantastic and beautiful game with Oxygen Not Included. This game is going to continue to get better as the devs continue to make this game more challenging with periodic updates. Snag this game now, while it’s in Steam Early Access if you want to save a few bucks, as the price may increase once it has launched fully. You won’t be disappointed.

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INTERVIEW

TALKING TO SHAWNEE STATE’S HEARTHSTONE SEMIFINALISTS

FIRESIDE GATHERING

TALKING TO SHAWNEE STATE’S HEARTHSTONE SEMIFINALISTS BY DYLAN BISHOP

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THE HUMBLE TEAM FROM A LITTLE COLLEGE IS PROOF THAT BIG THINGS COME FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS.

uiet, rural towns are mystifying. Jefferson, Ohio, so Shawnee was a bit of an They offer entirely different adjustment. “From where I came from, it is opportunities than most regions, very different,” Zach muses. “West Jefferson is yet their charming and calm a very very small town—I don’t know if you’ve lifestyles allure people from ever even heard of it. The population is less all walks of life. One such than the population of [Shawnee’s] campus.” city is Portstmouth, Ohio, In such small areas, hobbies like gaming can the home of Shawnee State sometimes be cast aside by peers. However, University. Despite being nestled deep in the Zach says he never experienced this, largely hills of Southern Ohio, Shawnee boasts one of due to the current online nature of gaming. the top-ranking undergraduate game design “I’m a very active member in the competitive programs in the US. That kind gaming community… I’ve never felt of feat can attract interesting that it wasn’t entirely accepted. I “I KINDA students–some of which happen understand that a lot of people have REALIZED THAT to be avid Hearthstone players. different interests and don’t quite Enter Zachary “Oracle” Lukie, understand it, and that obviously I WAS GETTING Josh “AWtenor” Lowry, and Travis has a big effect in it. I don’t think REALLY GOOD “Cueball” Brenneman. While at anyone has ever ‘frowned’ on me.” AT THIS GAME Shawnee, these three students Josh has never felt deterred either, BECAUSE I WAS formed the college’s first competing and has been playing Hearthstone HAVING SUCH A Hearthstone team. For the unaware, for quite some time. “I got into the Hearthstone is a collectible card GOOD TIME, AND beta before Zach got in, just because game from Blizzard Entertainment, I WAS PLAYING IT I played StarCraft 2 a lot. It just the creators of World of Warcraft, WITH MY FRIENDS seemed interesting! I was like, ‘I get Overwatch, and StarCraft 2. to learn about WoW lore, but I don’t EVERY DAY.” The cards feature characters and have to play WoW.’ It just looked really jokes from World of Warcraft and the cool, and I started playing it, and game involves careful deck planning beforehand, found out I was decent because I used basic logic.” as well as tactical thinking mid-match. Different Zach’s time with the game started archetypes dictate how a certain deck tries to around the same time, but took a much win; these are styles like Aggro, Tempo, Control, different turn. “In high school, I played and Midrange. Each player deck also uses a WoW a lot of Hearthstone. I was early on in the class like Mage, Warrior, Warlock, or Priest. beta, and I got hooked on it really hard.” The Shawnee team played in the semifinals for “Around my senior year, the expansion the Tespa Collegiate Hearthstone Series on April ‘Blackrock Mountain’ came out. That was when 23, 2017–they placed fourth out of 800+ teams. I first started [playing] competitively online in That’s a pretty high rank for a team from such Open Cups…. I didn’t have money to travel or a quaint city. I recently got the chance to speak do anything like that to compete in large Open with Josh and Zach about their gaming career, Cups and LAN events like DreamHack. I kinda and their experiences with the Tespa Series. realized that I was getting really good at this Josh was drawn from Toledo to Shawnee game because I was having such a good time, specifically for the gaming program, while and I was playing it with my friends every day. I team captain Zach was motivated by in-state hit ‘Legend’ one time and felt really good about tuition costs. He and Travis lived in West myself… And I won like $150 over the course of @BeastbyBlog

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INTERVIEW

TALKING TO SHAWNEE STATE’S HEARTHSTONE SEMIFINALISTS

like five or six Open Cups. And I saw a Tespa advertisement on a tournament stream… That was kinda the moment where I was like, ‘Okay. I’m going to find a team when I go to college, compete, and then…’ Yeah. We end up here.” “Here” of course means “the Tespa Collegiate Series.” Zach was always confident that his team would go far, but the others weren’t so sure. “Even from signup, I kinda knew that I was at the level that I’m at—I was actually assuming I’d be first or second, not third or fourth. I don’t know where [the others] thought they would get. They thought they would get the $400 from Round 64…or above that.” “I remember our very first game—the very first round. Neither of my teammates had competed in Hearthstone… They were both great guys, great players, because they enjoyed it. But they didn’t have much tournament experience. And so, it was a really big deal when we won, because it’s a huge confidence thing. We know it was the first game or whatever, but I’ll always remember jumping out of the chair. Everybody jumped out of their chairs when we won the first game like ‘WOAH!’” Things didn’t sail smoothly through the entire series, though. “Un’Goro [dropped] mid tournament,” Josh states. “Journey to Un’Goro” is Hearthstone‘s latest expansion, which officially launched on April 6, 2017–a mere two weeks before the Championships. A new expansion means new cards, which

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also means that suddenly, the decks that were once great may now be not-so-great. “Yeah those first 48 hours of launch, I just kinda skipped all of my classes,” Zach recalls. “I know Josh skipped some of his and [Travis] skipped some of his. Cause that’s the last thing you want: having to put in so much work to get this far, and then a new expansion dropping and you’re not understanding what’s going on entirely, and losing because of that.” Rightfully so. In fact, in a small way, that may be what happened with the Shawnee team. “A lot of people kinda complain that our loss, specifically in the semifinals, was largely due to bad luck. And I would agree that the luck that happened on stage was pretty bad. However, I cannot expect to win the match when I had made the mistake that I did, which was in deck selection and deck creation. That’s something a lot of people don’t realize when they watch the game on stage… There were two misplays on stage. We didn’t make any game-losing misplays on stage. It’s really easy for the community to look at that and say, ‘Oh, this team lost. #Skillstone’ and complain. But no. We made the mistake: we chose the wrong decks when we went to the tournament. We had a misread on the meta and what people were going to play, and that’s entirely our fault.” “Deck selection was a very big deal. I went with what I was more comfortable with. I’ve obviously played a lot of Tempo Mage, and Tempo Mage was not a deck to take there. It was just a bad choice,

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and I thank my team a lot for standing behind very big minion at the beginning of the game, me when I said I wanted to take Tempo Mage.” or you can just flood the board….” The Mulligan “There’s a fine line in Hearthstone where is the opening step of a match, where players you have to say, ‘This is my playstyle, and can select cards from their first hand to put back this is the metagame.’ And you need to pick a in the deck, and draw new ones in their place. middle ground when you’re picking decks for a In the end, the Shawnee State Hearthstone tournament you intend to win. I just kinda went Team lost in the semifinals, earning each player with the decks I like to play, and that was it.” around $6,000 in scholarships. “I was very In the end, the deck was already made; happy with the overall performance,” Zach the die was cast. The team’s states. “Meeting some of the pillars final round fast approached, of the community and whatnot “THERE’S A and they had to choose: play a was a great time—all fantastic FINE LINE IN Warlock deck, or a Priest one? people. I really can’t complain “We didn’t want [the other team] about anything that transpired. HEARTHSTONE to get in our heads and mind-game WHERE YOU HAVE It was absolutely fantastic, and us on what we picked: we flipped there’s no experience like that.” TO SAY, ‘THIS IS a coin, and the coin didn’t land on Josh echoes this sentiment. MY PLAYSTYLE, the side we wanted. We would have “Top half percent of teams? AND THIS IS THE had to play both classes anyway Sure; I’ll take that.” to win the set. It was just based For now though, these three METAGAME.’ AND on the ordering that we chose the are the only ones in an organized YOU NEED TO classes.” With that, Shawnee State Hearthstone community at PICK A MIDDLE locked in Warlock. At the same Shawnee. “That’s something GROUND….” time, Twitch Chat exploded with that we’re working on,” Josh insults against Zoo and Discard explains. “The spring semester… Warlock decks–both subsets of the Aggro style. my goal was to start a Tespa chapter. But after “I’m not gonna say that it’s wrong to hate Zach came to me with the huge mountain some of the Aggro decks that have come from of winning (or at least getting to) California the metagame, but there are definitely some in the Tespa Hearthstone series… The Tespa of the more aggressive decks in the game chapter kinda fell second to that.” right now that you don’t have to hate. I mean “But it actually was kinda just a blessing in I understand a lot of the Aggro Druid [hate] disguise,” Josh continues. “Because now so many because most times you can’t interact with people are asking for it! So many people are them. But the other Aggro decks in the game asking for Heartstone advice and events. They right now offer a variety of things to interact want to start doing Firesides around here, and with them. I can’t really justify a ton of other things. It’s why Twitch Chat hated it just so awesome to see when we played that the community actually deck for $10,000.” want to do that.” “The Hearthstone “Firesides” refers to community hates “Fireside Gatherings“: Aggro decks,” Josh small, local Hearthstone mentioned earlier, events, officiated by other “but I really like players. “The events will Aggro Druid. Just probably be: some open because it’s very to the community and versatile—like, you some that will just can decide how you be students,” Josh want to play at the adds. They wish Mulligan. The deck the best for other doesn’t have one set path. gaming scenes You can either make a on campus, too. @BeastbyBlog

ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

INTERVIEW

TALKING TO SHAWNEE STATE’S HEARTHSTONE SEMIFINALISTS

“League of Legends and Super Smash Bros. [also] have a decent competitive scene here. It’s not very like, present, and it’s very small, but they’re very competitive within each other.” When asked if the team thinks they made their area proud, Josh said, “I mean, I don’t know how many people actually watched from home or [Shawnee]. But the people that did watch definitely see that it was a huge accomplishment getting there. Random people will just congratulate me as I’m walking around campus, that I’ve never said hi to before… It’s just awesome.” “I definitely think we have made a big splash as far as competitive gaming goes on campus,” Zach adds. “I would like for people to, yknow… If you see us on campus: congratulate us. Say hi. We’re friendly people!” What about players of other games, in similarly small areas, who want to make it big but feel like they can’t? Zach has some advice: “Emotions like that, and negative

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thoughts like that, do not help you in a competitive gaming field. It’s really important that you just keep a positive attitude about yourself the entire time… If you’re playing a team-based game (or a single-player game that is teambased at the collegiate level, for some reason), just talk to your friends.” “It’s all about the community,” he adds. “You really have to think about the people you’re playing with, and how great of a time you’re having with them, rather than focus on ‘How am I going to expand outwards? How am I going to be better that everyone else? How am I going to compete?’ and all this. Just focus on having a good time, and practice a lot. You’ll get there.” Will Zach, Josh, and Travis be representing Shawnee again in next year’s Collegiate Hearthstone Series? “Oh of course! I don’t intend to finish fourth next year though,” Zach proclaims, matter-of-factly. Josh chimes in, “We’re taking the whole thing.”

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ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

OUR RATING SYSTEM At Beastby.net we score using the star system coupled with positive and negative bullet points. We don’t nitpick with percentages, and we couldn’t care any less about minute decimals. We use the star system because it’s simple. We want to give our readers as much information as possible without muddying the waters.

5 STARS Fantastic in every single way. A title that shouldn’t be missed, and will be remembered for years to come. This is a highlight of the current gaming scene, and it’ll be a tough act to follow. If it has any flaws, they don’t hinder the overall experience in any way.

4 STARS Games of this caliber are very well made, and are generally considered to have only a few flaws. However, there are usually some things here or there that prevent them from being the best.

REVIEWS W

e had wondered how the industry would follow up to the magnificient array of games it blasted us with in these past few months. Sadly, the last month has been a little lighter on big releases, but that doesn’t make them any less special! After setting aside our Switches and our Japanese RPGs, we dove into our treasure trove of experiences for this issue. We played a little bit of every genre: strategy, platformer, horror, and even sports! Even though this month lacked large, AAA games, it provided a multitude of these smaller titles. How well do these stack up against the earlier releases of the year?

Dylan Bishop

3 STARS Not to everyone’s taste but a pretty good game, when all’s said and done. It’s not a bad game, but it’s not amazing either. The title has more problems than I’d like, and they kept interrupting my enjoyment of the experience.

2 STARS This game began with a concept that had a chance, but its execution was less than acceptable. It’s a forgettable game for a reason. You may pick it up in a bundle and never even play it, but at least you bought it

1 STAR Don’t. Wait for a sale or bargain bin if you must, but this really doesn’t suit anyone. The game has flaws galore, and I just don’t see how anyone can enjoy it. Granted, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion mine is that this one is awful.

ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

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MARIO KART 8 DELUXE

LITTLE NIGHTMARES

PREY

MR. SHIFTY

DOMINA @BeastbyBlog

FLINTHOOK

CRAWL

MLB THE SHOW 2017

OWLBOY ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

REVIEW

PREY By Robert Hogge

Space is a divisive subject. To some, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the source of an immeasurable amount of inspiration and wonder. To others itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a dark, all-consuming void filled with unspeakable horrors. Prey seeks to subject you to both of these schools of thought, but only occasionally manages to capture them properly. 24

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ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

REVIEW PREY

he intro to Prey gives quite the strong first impression. The escalation of events leading up to the first big reveal is paced fairly well, and the payoff is extremely memorable. However, some of the more interesting themes and concepts end up either getting lost along the way, or getting tossed completely as a one-off. Prey essentially tells the story of a tech organization experimenting on an alien organism and using it to produce mind and body enhancements, which results in the creature escaping and multiplying. Not a terribly original trope to be honest, but the way it was initially presented was very effective in grabbing my attention. You look at the world of Prey through the eyes of Morgan Yu, employee of tech giant TranStar, and sibling to its CEO, Alex Yu. You work on the company’s personal space station deemed “Talos-1” and are one of the top minds behind the company’s greatest breakthrough yet: Neuromods. These devices can imbue those who use them with instant mastery in any number of subjects and skills. Remember the “I know kung fu” scene from the Matrix? It’s a bit like that. Except instead of uploading this knowledge through an outlet in the back of your skull, you put a suction cup on your eye and let it slide a few 8-inch-long needles

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into your brain. Hate needles? Well too bad! Jam this in your eye! There’s science to be done! After a seemingly-normal day at work testing Neuromods while smug scientists talk down to you, things suddenly go terribly wrong. It’s at this point that you get your first look at your primary foes in Prey, aptly named “Mimics.” They get this designation because they can take the form of everyday objects and hide in plain sight, which suddenly makes every chair and potted plant a potential threat. These creatures look a bit like melted cotton candy mixed with motor oil. They also scurry along the ground like gooey spiders as

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they contort and twist their form in unnervingly bizarre ways. Mimics ultimately turn out to be the bottom of the alien food chain though, as you discover they are part of a larger group of organisms deemed the “Typhon.” This is where Prey begins to lose me a bit. Although there is a good variety of terrifying Typhon, none of the larger variants ever use the “Mimic” ability. This feels like kind of a wasted opportunity, because after a while, the smaller foes serve to be not much more than an annoyance and the occasional jump-scare. If larger, scarier Typhons were able to morph

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into larger objects like a crate, then entering a warehouse full of identical crates would immediately instill a sense of dread. Unfortunately this isn’t the case, and the survival-horror vibe that Prey begins with eventually gives way to something more akin to the original Bioshock. Run around, look at dead bodies posed in funny positions, scrounge up what little you can, and try to survive. This inspiration becomes fairly apparent from the start, as one scene in particular presents a not-so-subtle nod to the series. This isn’t to say taking inspiration from Bioshock is at all a bad thing; it’s wonderful. I just feel that, at times, it can be a bit onthe-nose with its homages. Prey does plenty of things on its own to make the experience memorable, however. Most of the weapons you use initially are pretty standard (wrench, pistol, shotgun, stun gun, EMP grenade), but there are plenty of unique “tech” weapons that spice things up. The stand-out hit for me was the “Gloo gun,” which lets you freeze enemies in place by covering them in gunk. It’s also a very versatile tool, as you can use it to plug up hazards, or even create makeshift platforms to climb high walls. Do yourself a huge favor: always have a loaded Gloo gun on you. Between dousing the station in gloo and punching every coffee ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

REVIEW PREY cup you see, you’ll also be channeling Sandra Bullock and trying not to die in space. In order to get to certain lockeddown areas of the ship, you’re forced to venture outside and crawl your way around to various hull breaches in the station. I have to admit, one thing Prey gets very right is the feeling of aimless disorientation in zero gravity. I can’t tell you how often I lost my bearings flying around trying to find my objective, which I feel was by design. I do wish your space suit’s thrusters weren’t so weak and slow though. The space station is absolutely massive, and this becomes even more apparent from the outside. Space isn’t the only place I got extremely lost. Probably the biggest problem I have with Prey is how poorly it directs you to your next objective. This is especially true later in the game as your goals get more complex. Often times additional steps cropped up on my way to complete a task, which usually isn’t a big deal. However, rather than getting a clear explanation of these extra steps, I usually got a snippet of NPC dialog and an extra sentence added to the end of the objective description. That’s it. For example: One objective had me simply going to the next area. Once I progressed so far, I hit a giant locked door. A nearby NPC told me they’d give me the code, but only after I fetched some spare turrets to help kill the enemies behind said door. The NPC mentioned that the plans to construct the turrets were somewhere outside the ship, but they didn’t know where. After this, rather than showing me where the plans might be, the objective marker still pointed at the door and said “open it.” I was able to find one working turret to place at the door, and only then did the game tell me I needed 2 more. Seeing as the others lying in the area were broken, it was time to go outside to find the blueprints. After about an hour of wandering aimlessly, I discovered the plans 28

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for the turrets just around the corner from where I started. This was infuriating because if I had gotten even a tiny hint at their location, I would have had them in literally 5 minutes. I’m all for games not holding people’s hands, but there were several instances of this happening. It felt more like I was being given bad directions than actually being challenged. However, the real challenge in Prey is dealing with the Typhon, as several of these altercations are very tough if you choose the Rambo route. Between the dead-eyed mumbling Phantoms and the floating telepathic tanks that are the Technopaths, you’ll have your work cut out for you in a fight. Hiding and sneaking can be a viable option, although Beastby.net

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always sounds like he just got off a 12-hour flight from Tokyo and just wants to go to sleep. There’s never any passion in his voice, no sense of urgency. Stack this on top of your robot companion January constantly dumping exposition into your ear, and there are virtually no characters to connect with or care about. You could argue that there are a few good stories buried in the audio logs and emails, but even those aren’t terribly compelling. You ultimately have little reason to hesitate when January says the only way to stop the spread of Typhon is to blow up the station and die. OK, off I go then. Prey is a good game. It has a lot of interesting ideas and a small handful of memorable moments, but I can’t help but feel that it could have done more. The enemies are intimidating and unique, but by the end, the survival-horror elements that make them genuinely terrifying are more or less abandoned. It definitely looks great, plays smoothly, and has plenty of cool aspects to it. But Prey feels more preoccupied with hitting all the beats than exploring what makes its world genuinely interesting.

PREY you won’t be able to tip-toe past every encounter. For amorphous blobs of chewed-up licorice, the Typhon have spectacular eyesight. What’s baffling, though, is how tepid any human resistance is against you. Stories of this nature often explore the fragility of humanity, and how we are one big disaster away from tearing each other apart like frightened animals. Outside of your brother Alex remotely impeding your progress from his director’s chair, you never encounter any people willing to betray or cut you down to satisfy their own ends. There are a few packs of people who are mind-controlled into attacking you, but even they are fighting it the whole way. Alex ends up being a bit of a weak pseudo-antagonist, and @BeastbyBlog

Developer Publisher Platform Genre Origin Release

Arkane Studios Bethesda Softworks PS4, Xbox One, PC First Person Action France May 5 2017

Controls are tight, and several mechanics/weapons are pretty cool Talos-1 is a massive and interesting location to explore Enemies are genuinely frightening and challenging Objectives aren’t always clear, which makes getting lost easy Nearly all characters, human or otherwise, are pretty flat and uninteresting The game sets a survival-horror mood early, then rarely explores it further

Prometheus

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REVIEW PREY

ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

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ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

REVIEW

LITTLE NIGHTMARES By Darren Burchett

Little Nightmares is an engrossing experience that explores themes of innocence and gluttony, in a dark, twisted world. It may only have a run-time of three hours, but Tarsier Studios has created something special that will stick with me for years to come. 32

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ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

REVIEW LITTLE NIGHTMARES

he cold open of Little Nightmares will feel very reminiscent of Limbo and Inside to many gamers. And too right. This game falls within the same sub-genre (if you could call it that) of sidescrolling platformers. But don’t take that as a discouraging remark. Little Nightmares’ inspirations are clear but it’s incredibly unique in execution. You fill the role of a young girl known only as Six. Trapped on The Maw, an enormous sea vessel for the utterly grotesque, you must find a way out with nothing but a lighter to guide you. The game is presented in a cutaway, dollhouselike fashion and you’ll find yourself exploring every room with overwhelming curiosity. And explore I did. Every room from the cargo hold to the kitchens has a story to tell. Furniture bends and distorts as if in a whimsical, childlike nightmare. These cluttered shelves and cupboards tower

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over you as trash and toys litter the floor. The beautifully rendered environments are complemented further by heavy shadows and bleak, directional lighting. I couldn’t help but poke around and interact with everything. Throughout the levels there’ll be secrets and collectables to find so your nosing around doesn’t go to waste. You’ll find porcelain statues, lanterns, candles, and little creatures called ‘Nomes.’ They’re only valuable to completionists as they

THE GAME IS PRESENTED IN A CUTAWAY, DOLLHOUSELIKE FASHION AND YOU’LL FIND YOURSELF EXPLORING EVERY ROOM WITH OVERWHELMING CURIOSITY

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only unlock achievements or concept art, but hearing twinkly jingles when they’re, broken, lit or hugged (respectively (Come on, don’t be cruel to the Nomes!)) is satisfying enough. Controls feel very natural, and coupled with how well Six is animated, aids in this engrossing experience. There is a tremendous amount of nuance to her mannerisms. From the way she sneaks to the way she surveys a room with you. She feels very present and you can’t help

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but feel wholly responsible for her survival. Climbing is well executed too. Navigating your way over crates and furniture is tight, responsive and nicely animated. Like the games that came before it, Little Nightmares offers no disposition. Instead, it leaves most of the mystery and intrigue open to interpretation. It is up to the player to build the backstory in their head, and there’s nothing more powerful than your own imagination. I found myself asking a lot of “whys” and proposing plenty of “what ifs” and it seemed to only get worse the deeper I went. This is under the proviso that I barely knew anything going in. In each chapter you’ll encounter some of The Maw’s gross inhabitants. Each with their own disturbing characteristics and preferred method of killing you. I can only describe the first fellow you meet as Tim Burton’s Mr. Tickle. With a metal plate

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REVIEW LITTLE NIGHTMARES engulfing the top of his head he is left blind, so he sniffs and clambers around, feeling everything and anything using his elongated arms. Without spoiling too much I’ll just say that these people are the stuff of nightmares. I was never entirely sure if they were actually human either. I mean, they look it, but they groan, breathe and screech like possessed beasts when they find you. Eugh! Gives me the willies. The soundtrack and ambience harmonise in a way where you can’t tell the music apart from the creeks and groans of the vessel. Spine-tingling frequencies cut through the mix, yet sing with the the rest of this dreadfilled accompaniment. Little Nightmares’ presentation is nothing short of masterful and when all elements come together, I found myself completely engrossed. I enjoyed the moment-tomoment gameplay yet couldn’t wait to move through and

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see what was next. That’s a rare thing indeed. As you can tell, I am very impressed with this game, but it isn’t without its shortcomings. While I never felt disengaged with Little Nightmares I never really felt a sense of challenge. I found the puzzles, though enjoyable, were very simplistic and I solved them with minimal effort. It seems less about the developers being inept at creating puzzles, but more of their desire to keep you moving. This is perfectly fine and I cannot fault

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them for that, but I never felt that “aha!” moment. Aside from the segments where you must sneak around enemies, everything feels heavily controlled. You are guaranteed to survive a chase sequence if you just keep moving, and the enemies move in such a way that you will always be just out of reach as you get away. Again, this is not a bad thing, it just feels obvious. With games like Limbo and Inside these moments always felt like you maybe could’ve been quicker. When you

IT IS UP TO THE PLAYER TO BUILD THE BACKSTORY IN THEIR HEAD, AND THERE’S NOTHING MORE POWERFUL THAN YOUR OWN IMAGINATION

just make the escape it felt genuine. Little Nightmares tends to make these scripted moments more identifiable, but I’d be lying if I said the tension wasn’t there still. Little Nightmares runtime will definitely feel all too brief for a lot of people. Personally, the game feels like it is missing a chapter as pacing seems to ramp up unnaturally. Whether this was intended or the developers ran out of time is unclear. Despite this, I think it hits the sweet spot of where I felt satisfied at the end but would happily have had more. This is where a lot of media goes wrong, they either under deliver or cause fatigue. Little Nightmares, like a macabre porridge, gets it just right. Hell. If it wasn’t enough then just play it again. The environments and world Tarsier Studios has built is so consuming that I felt a level of immersion I’ve struggled to find for a long time. I’ll definitely be going in for seconds.

LITTLE NIGHTMARES Developer Publisher Platform Genre Origin Release

Tarsier Studios Bandai Namco PS4, Xbox One, PC Platformer Sweden Apr 27 2017

A Stellar presentation and atmosphere Imaginative and creepy character design Solid, precise level of control A memorable, disturbing tale Its puzzles aren’t really puzzles Slightly disjointed pacing

Fantastical

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REVIEW LITTLE NIGHTMARES

ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

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ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

REVIEW

MARIO KART 8 DELUXE

THE KING OF KARTS ByHenry Melville NEED TO KNOW Developer Nintendo Publisher Nintendo

Platform Switch Genre Kart Racer

Many spin-off racing games have come and gone, yet Mario Kart lives on. Going further than surviving the ages, it has instead evolved into a series with it’s own identity. Throughout the years we’ve seen changes both graphically and mechanically to the much loved franchise. With Mario Kart 8 Deluxe we see the culmination of everything the series has succeeded in, on the best platform ever.

here has never, and will never, be a bad time for a few rounds of Mario Kart. A household name that, in some circles, has surpassed in familiarity the games that it draws it’s characters from. It’s striking that Nintendo can have such success selling games that most players have owned on older consoles, while still keeping these titles fresh. Although Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is essentially a port of the Wii U’s Mario Kart 8, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of newness and excitement when I loaded it up on my Switch. Everything from the shiny UI to the brilliantly composed menu music adds to MK8D‘s charm. It isn’t until you dive into a race that you truly understand the benefits that this enhanced port has to offer. Nintendo could have easily changed the “Deluxe” to “Definitive” for this iteration of the go-karting extravaganza. I can never look at 40

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Origin Japan Release Apr 28 2017

LETS-A GO!

The four game modes that we have come to enjoy from Mario Kart are all present. Grand Prix, Time Trials, Versus and Battle Mode are represented in their finest form. Nintendo have the perfect formula for MK games nailed, so why change it? Well, in the name of perfecting the already perfect, some quality of live another Mario Kart game again. improvements have been implemented The colours pop, the characters that make all the difference. In a are beautifully rendered, and the throwback to the cult classic Double backdrops and courses are brilliantly Dash, we see the return of dual item vibrant. Forget the slots. The tactical ante revamped battle mode, forget the portability THE EXPERIENCE IS has been raised up to an immense degree and forget playing SO BEAUTIFUL, SO thanks to this brilliant as a character from ENGAGING AND SO inclusion. So you’ve Splatoon. All you need to convince yourself PASSIONATE; THAT managed to dodge my triple red shell assault? that you want this IT RELENTLESSLY Well, I hope you were game, is to see MK8 DRAWS PLAYERS prepared for the fireball being presented in 1080p at 60 frames BACK IN TIME AND hell I’m about to take you to! Battle Mode per second. Deluxe‘s TIME AGAIN has received some love beauty can convince too. Without simply even the previous reeling off the update list, I’ll simply owners of the Wii U version. The say that it works infinitely better smoothness of its visuals is also a than it’s predecessors. Better arenas, benefit to the gameplay. There are better rules, and a quirky take on no on-screen nasties to detract from “cops and robbers” that will have you your enjoyment of the frantic and and your friends obsessed for hours. fast action. And boy, is it enjoyable. Beastby.net

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PIMP MY KART

Thanks to the brilliant design of the Nintendo Switch, MK8D comes with splitscreen multiplayer readily available. As an important staple of the franchise, it feels as good as ever. Whether you’re using the Joy-Cons in their grip, or just a single controller with the strap, everything feels smooth, reactive and simple. No need to mess with any unnecessary revamps or complicated control systems. There’s even a few new features to ease newcomers, younger kids, or those with motor-skill difficulties into the madness of Mario Kart. Auto-steer and auto-accelerate allow anyone to join in the fun without the frustration of constantly hitting walls or diving into the abyss of Rainbow Road. In fact, as a seasoned player, I’ve been known to turn on autoaccelerate just to give my poor “A” button a rest (I mean, come on, does anybody actually ever let go of it?).

GLOBAL DOMINATION If Splatoon 2’s Global Testfire was Nintendo pushing their servers to breaking point, then MK8D is reaping the benefits of their findings. Online play is smooth, enjoyable, and responsive. I haven’t experienced any rubberbanding, disconnects or otherwise. My only issue is that joining @BeastbyBlog

a lobby often results in you waiting on a game in progress to finish. Wait times in excess of five minutes are common. I’m no back-end network developer, but surely there is a better way? The sheer number of online players waiting to connect could allow for an empty lobby to be created to fit them in. This is a small gripe, and is all but forgotten once the green light flashes and the tyres spin up. Customisable tournaments make their return for speedsters who wish to assert their dominance in a structured environment. These can be personalised with different rules to suit all, and includes Battle Mode as an option. While I haven’t had a chance to test drive the tournament feature yet, I’ll no doubt be slinging shells in regional and global ones in the future. It has to be said that the lack of a fully-fledged online service doesn’t detract from the functionality of MK8D’s online play. Playing against recent players or your friends is a doddle. However I’d like to see something in the form of a clan system be implemented. Nothing compares to the idea of teaming up with your squad to prove that you’re the greatest racing team in the Mushroom Kingdom. Unfortunately, this is incredibly unlikely to happen.

For the completionists among you, there are items aplenty to unlock. Although there were heated debates surrounding the announcement that all courses, characters and speeds were being made immediately available, MK8D still gives players plenty to race for. There are close to 80 confirmed items available to unlock. Some of them will be achievable by only the fastest and most skilled racers around. It gives players incentive to play race after race in the hot pursuit of shiny new Kart parts. I’m one of those players who can’t put something down until I can craft the most ridiculous looking vehicle ever seen. It may one day be the death of me. As you would expect, customisation is deep. With expanded weight classes and huge differences in vehicle and part statistics, it would take days to uncover your perfect vehicle. The replayability of MK8D is surprising when you boil down how simple and repetitive this game is. The fact of the matter is that the experience is so beautiful, so engaging and so passionate; that it relentlessly draws players back in time and time again. Calling Mario Kart 8 Deluxe an enhanced port almost feels diminutive of how improved it really is. The source material has survived the test of time, of course. Where Mario Kart 8 Deluxe shines is in its ability to inject the raw gaming experience into a simple concept, but blow away players with gorgeous visuals, fantastic gameplay and the ability to feel “new” every single time. Bravo Nintendo, you’ve done it again.

MARIO KART 8 DELUXE Top-notch visuals Quality of life improvements The best gameplay experience yet Superb online play Slow to join online games

Pole Position ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

REVIEW

DOMINA

GOD OF THE ARENA SIM? By Darren Burchett NEED TO KNOW Developer DolphinBarn Publisher DolphinBarn

Platform PC Genre Management Sim

As a fan of the setting, it pains me that gladiatorial combat is rarely explored in video games. Every time a challenger steps foot on the sand, I find my hard earned denari wasted on yet another abysmal attempt at this untapped market. Now, it is time for DolphinBarn’s Domina to enter the gauntlet. Will it stand a champion, or face doom to the pollice verso?

n Domina, you take control of your father’s Ludus, where you’ll aim to breed champions and make serious coin while doing it. The Roman Empire is crumbling fast, and the Emperor has decreed that there shall be one more year of the gladiatorial games. So, as the days tick away, you’ll be furiously clicking your way through Domina, purchasing slaves, training them up and doing your best to keep them strong, healthy, and ultimately, on your side. The depth of management goes as far as making sure you have enough gold, food, water and wine, while equipping your gladiators with weapons and armour. You can also hire up to three employees, each with their own abilities. This is where you’ll get to tailor your playthrough, as there are plenty of employees to choose from. There are of course the staples such as the Medicus for healing, the Architect 42

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for ludus upgrades, and the Faber for better equipment. But there are the more obscure such as the Agent for dirty work, Haruspex for sacrifices, and the Bard to boost overall morale. You can certainly get some interesting results by mixing and matching, but it’s hard to judge their true effectiveness with how unpredictable and brutal the game can be. There are also two political figures that you can build relationships with, the Legate and the Magistrate. They offer various benefits if you get them on your side. This can be done through the random story prompts that appear on an occasion, or by bribing these scumbags with wine. More often than not, helping one negatively affects your relationship with the other, so you’ll generally have to side with whoever suits your needs best. Be aware: these two fellows also dictate your upcoming fights, so play nice.

Origin US Release Apr 3 2017

I found that the in-game days are very unapologetic and move too quickly. They last last no more than five seconds, and you usually have just over ten days before your next fight. This can feel frustrating at times, being forced into contest mid-upgrade. The only time the clock actually stops is in the roster menu (thank the gods). Here you can view each gladiator’s attributes, skills and training priorities, as well as their fighting style and gear. The amount of armour and weapons available is very impressive, allowing you to make your pixelated fighting machines look the part. And, one of the most interesting parts of Domina are the fights themselves. While other games of this ilk have made this part downright boring, this is where Domina continues to shine. And of course it should, this is what the gladiatorial games are all about! Every aspect of a match is decided completely at random. The opponents, the obstacles, the rewards. Everything. It will be up to you to select the right gladiator for the job, making sure that you counter your opponent’s stats and weaponry. A lot of factors play into a fight, even luck, so picking your champion isn’t always the best idea. Building a lopsided roster can Beastby.net

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really screw you over later on down button-mashy but it’s fun nonetheless. the line, so it’s important to take You may find that it increases your risks and give as many of your men chances for success, especially when experience in the arena as possible. your fighters are braindead amateurs Watching fights is both thrilling and early on. It’s a nice option and I found nerve wracking, especially when the myself unlocking it the first few times, odds are against you. The sprites are but I actually prefer playing Domina well animated and at times the combat without it. Just personal preference. looks so good they almost feel scripted. Ultimately, there is one thing you While amateur fighters will simply come to learn when playing Domina: hack at one another, the highly skilled no one is safe and everyone is meat will block, dodge, and for the grinder, even pull off some awesome your champions. As IN DOMINA: moves. When there are much as you rely on your EVERYONE many combatants at gladiators for success, IS MEAT FOR once things get a little you can never get too messy, though, for attached. One fight can THE GRINDER, better or worse. Many be super easy and over EVEN YOUR will mob together and in seconds, the next CHAMPIONS fights become a mass may send the majority of pixels with numbers of your roster to the and blood flying everywhere. The slaughter against heavily armoured, less men, the more entertaining the highly skilled warriors. This certainly fight. I’d encourage DolphinBarn to feels unfair at times, especially as spread out the fighters and tweak AI you do everything in your power to so that bigger fights maintain that win and maximise your time. This is high level of quality. Nevertheless, just the nature of the game, though. coming out on top is incredibly Domina is somewhat of a roguesatisfying, and I couldn’t help but like so it may take a few runs before shower my victors with gold and wine. you succeed at the end of the year. If you’re the less passive type, you It’s good news, then, that Domina can unlock a perk that allows you to is highly replayable. From training control one of your gladiators. The your men at the ludus, to insane controls are pretty simple and a bit fights in the arena, I found everything @BeastbyBlog

incredibly satisfying. It also has Twitch integration for all of those streamers out there. Viewers are able to vote on a number of things and it’ll activate brutal mode for longer, gorier fights (this setting can also be turned on in singleplayer). The only time that the game feels weak is through the random story prompts. While some of them are quite humorous, they contain a lot of unnecessary swearing and become a nuisance after a while. I even saw repeats during a single playthrough. That being said, I am thoroughly enjoying Domina, and it has more than quenched my thirst for a gladiatorial game. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to pick up my toga from the dry cleaners.

DOMINA Highly replayable Thrilling AI fights Strong visuals and soundtrack A punishing day cycle Some minor unbalance

Victorious ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

REVIEW

FLINTHOOK

ANCHORS AWAY By Robert Hogge NEED TO KNOW Developer Tribute Games Publisher Tribute Games

Platform PS4, Xbox One, PC Genre Roguelite Platformer

Flinthook is a charming little rogue-lite that puts you in the shoes of an adorable space-pirate with a neverending thirst for loot and adventure. With your trusty ship and grappling hook, you’ll hop from freighter to freighter while plundering gold, searching for your next bounty, and having a hell of a good time!

he thing that immediately drew me in to Flinthook was it’s focus on momentum. Your primary means of getting around the level is your grappling hook, and all of the levels are based around this. Golden, glimmering rings litter each room, tied up in a beautiful web of rope and chain. Your character has a single, whimpy jump, as well as an equally pitiful wall jump, so swinging around like Pirate Batman quickly makes perfect sense. Trying to get used to the grappling mechanic might initially feel a bit out of control at first, but once it finally clicks and you get good at it, you can navigate most rooms and fights without ever touching the ground. Outside the movement itself, the gameplay is pretty simple. You have a standard laser blaster to shoot enemies with, and you’re able to pick up secondary weapons around the game world. You also have an 44

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on-demand slow-mo ability to help get you out of tight spots. You start each session by picking a bounty to go after, customizing your loadout, and picking one of 3 ships to invade. Each ship has a hidden chest that contains a special item you have to collect called a ‘ghost gem’. You’ll need these gems to to power your bounty-finding compass.

LIVE. DIE. REPEAT. Progression is very similar to games like Rogue Legacy and Enter the Gungeon. You’ll incrementally level up and get currency to spend on gear each time you die. However, the stand-out feature that really shines in Flinthook is the perk system, which works more like a deck of cards than other perk systems. When starting a run, you are asked to select your perks from a pool of ones you have unlocked. You only have a set amount of perk slots, and each card

Origin Canada Release Apr 18 2017

takes up varying amounts of spaces. Additionally, each time you level up, you get a “booster pack” with one or more random perk cards in them. What this means is that once you gather enough variety of cards, you can start making some interesting character builds. Flinthook encourages you to change your setup and experiment as much as you want. For example: Certain perks improve things like fire rate and damage the more you hit your enemies. This builds up the combo meter, which resets once you take damage. I recently got a perk that doubles all combo hits, so simply adding that perk in with the last two I mentioned made me an unstoppable killing machine. As long as I didn’t get hit. I must say though, not getting hit can be a bit of a struggle at times. Flinthook may look like a mogwai on the outside, but it’s definitely a gremlin at heart. Some rooms feel ripped straight out of a bullet-hell game, while others give me Super Meat Boy flashbacks. What’s more is that your aiming and movement both use the same joystick. In other words, soaring over enemies and shooting them as you fly by isn’t really possible without dive-bombing them. Despite all this, I rarely felt Beastby.net

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cheated. The game can be pretty difficult, but even in death I was being rewarded, so it was a win-win.

I AIM TO MISBEHAVE Flinthook feels extremely intuitive to play, but is hard to master. You could binge it for hours, or only play it a few times a week in bite-sized chunks, and it would still be just as rewarding. In my mind it joins the ranks of Rouge Legacy, Binding of Issac, and Enter the Gungeon as one of the best examples of a rouge-lite. Now if only there was a Switch versionâ&#x20AC;Ś hint hint.

FLINTHOOK Gameplay is approachable and very responsive Perk systems is fun to experiment with Very high replay value Some of the random rooms are drastically more difficult than others

Serenity @BeastbyBlog

ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

REVIEW

MR. SHIFTY

NOT YOUR IDEAL OFFICE ROMP By Henry Melville NEED TO KNOW Developer Team Shifty Publisher tinyBuild Games

Platform PS4, XBox One, Switch, PC Genre Twin Stick Shooter

Origin Australia Release Apr 13 2017

frantic fight for your life. If only this mechanic was introduced earlier in the game, I may have been more forgiving. Luckily, this experience won’t sap you of your time for too long. I spent all of three and a half hours in Shifty’s physics-defying shoes. A quick campaign, but it proposes an Rumble on the Nintendo Switch’s Joyinteresting title for speedrunners Cons was an added bonus. Impressed to sink their teeth into. Each level by Shifty’s power, I zipped through completion will display both a time the first few levels with relative ease. and death counter, bringing a sense The introduction of new enemy types of replayability for the competitively that wielded different weapons was minded. I, however, a challenge to begin couldn’t feel less with, but as with any compelled to have BEFORE TOO game, you quickly another pop at it. This is learn their movement LONG, YOU mostly due to the biggest and weaknesses. The REALISE THAT issue with Mr. Shifty: inherent issue with Mr. graphical slowdowns Shifty, is that this seems SHIFTING of an unforgivable to be the only way in BETWEEN magnitude. And no, I’m which the game attempts not talking about its to ramp up the difficulty. CUBICLES IS bullet time mechanic. There are no intense ABOUT AS FUN Let this be a lesson to boss battles, a puzzling lack of difficulty AS WORKING IN game developers (as if it wasn’t already grossly options, and little in ONE obvious), do not tie your the way of creative game’s physics to its level design. The office frame rate. When the action becomes a setting initially feels tactical and little too hectic, the Switch has trouble dangerous. But before too long, you comprehending the large amount realise that shifting between cubicles of on-screen particles. In order to is about as fun as working in one. combat this, the frame rate is dropped In fairness, the final levels renewed to allow the GPU to take its time to my intrigue. Environments chaotically process the action. Because Mr. Shifty‘s pop in and out of existence in a

Some games make grand use of bullet time mechanics; zipping through swarms of enemy agents as a maelstrom of metal darts towards your body. You can land blow after blow without breaking a sweat. Mr. Shifty breaks a sweat, and unfortunately crumbles under its own game engine.

op down shooters have seen a resurgence of late. Much of this can be attributed to the huge success of titles such as Hotline Miami. What Mr. Shifty brings to the table is a daring tale of a solemn hero on a mission to save the world from a maniacal CEO. A simple control scheme allows the titular character to break the fabric of time and space by shifting from one spot to another. Couple this with ungodly strength and a bullet-time ability, and you’ve got yourself an interesting hero! Guided by his sassy comrade, Nyx, Shifty must fight through hordes of enemies and steal some “Super Plutonium” from the evil Chairman Stone. This simple premise leads you through multiple levels of Stone’s skyscraper, which is inconveniently littered with multiple enemy types and some questionable environmental hazards. Clearly this workplace has no health and safety protocol in place! At first, I found the combat immensely satisfying. Darting around enemies and landing killing blows gave me a sense of power. The use of HD 46

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CRAWL

engine is tied to the FPS, the game would often slow to a halt. It makes for ugly viewing, and was the cause of many of my deaths. Unintended slowdowns are inexcusable and gamebreaking; there were many times I was so frustrated that I felt the urge to research Nintendo’s refund policy. Patching out the FPS drops wouldn’t be enough to save Mr. Shifty from its repetitive gameplay. Later levels begin to feel like reversed versions of previous rooms. Instead of providing new challenges, the game aims to simply throw more enemies at you. I quickly became numb to Nyx’s attempts at injecting light humour into a mundane situation. As the frantic pace of the latter levels combined with my dwindling motivation to continue playing, I reached my end goal. All hopes of redemption rested on the final battle with Chairman Stone. I gritted my teeth and expected this to be a turbulent ride through an ever-changing office full of dangers, destruction and death. Instead, I received a fight that lasted no more than two seconds. There was no big pay-off. Nothing unlocked. More importantly, there was no salvation for a below mediocre title. In a world filled with masterpieces such as Hotline Miami, I’m still searching for a reason for Mr. Shifty’s existence.

MR SHIFTY Fun combat mechanics Potential for speedrunners Horrendous graphical slowdowns Repetitive gameplay Sub-par ending

Blink and miss it

@BeastbyBlog

REVIEW

CRAWL

DUNGEON CRAWLERS WILL TEAR US APART By Dylan Bishop NEED TO KNOW Developer Powerhoof Publisher Powerhoof Platform PS4, XBOX ONE, PC

Genre Roguelike Beat ‘em up Origin Australia Release Apr 11 2017

Crawl doesn’t exactly bring much to the table, though it’s definitely fun with friends. We can’t knock it for trying.

reat party games are everywhere, nowadays. You have your “Monday Night Game Show” in Jackbox Party Pack, while Mario Kart has “Go-Kart Simulator” down to a science. As of this month, pixelated indie Crawl has joined the fray, in an attempt to become the champion of “Competitive Roguelikes.” It puts up a good fight, but overall, feels a little lacking. Crawl has a simple premise: one player is a lowly explorer, trying to level up and escape a dungeon. Enemies are fought, items are bought, and floors are explored. As the hero marches on, the other three players are spooky ghosts that can inhabit various items and enemies in every room. Once one ghost kills the hero, a sudden role reversal takes place: the specter’s “humanity” is restored, and he’s the new explorer. The old warrior is now dead, and joins the other ghoulish players in their attempt to murder the valiant star. Once a hero hits level 10, a giant portal activates, and can transport the brave traveler to the dungeon’s exit. One lone being stands in his way of glorious escape: a large boss monster, controlled by all three dead friends simultaneously. Victory in Crawl will mean freedom, but death means that one of three escape attempts is wasted.

The title has a very quick flow to it, as each player competes in hopes of being the first to escape. In order to succeed, they’ll need to upgrade the dungeon’s monsters and buy new hero items. Yet besides the fun action and real-life name-calling, Crawl is sorely lacking in content. After about three playthroughs, you’ll have seen most everything the game has to offer. It makes the experience feel like a rushed Early Access title, more than anything. You may not be clamoring to play Crawl every second of the day, but it’s certainly fun with friends. Backstabbing a buddy just to be screwed over minutes later is truly a blast, even if the game is lacking in monsters and bosses with which to do so. In the end, Crawl is a fun, niche title to pull out at small gatherings, but not much else.

CRAWL Fun couch co-op/competition Smooth combat Exciting “back-and-forth” system Not enough weapons, monsters, bosses, or variation

Passable Party

ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

REVIEW

MLB THE SHOW 17

SONY FINALLY HITS ONE OUT OF THE PARK By Josh Joseph

NEED TO KNOW Developer SIE San Diego Studio Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment

Platform PS4 Genre Sports

After repeated years of lackluster releases, MLB The Show 17 brings us some much needed improvements and additions.

human elements. This brings tweaks was a smart marketing move. to nearly every element of gameplay. Several improvements can be seen One of the biggest improvements is in The Show 17. Typical player wants honestly just hitting the baseball. such as more realism and attention Previous games lacked any type of to detail are nice, but I was more true ball spin. This has a major effect interested in the mechanics. Due to on the realism factor. By adding in and my brothers being baseball players calculating the true rotation of the and father-in-law being a coach, I ball spin upon being hit, the ball acts have learned way more about baseball more like how it would than most people, in a real game. This, outside of coaches and THE NEW AI along with the muchprofessionals, would ever want to know. SYSTEM BRINGS improved AI system, for a fun and less Baseball is a complicated LONG AWAITED make rigid baseball game. and challenging sport. Road to the Show I would go as far as CHANGES THAT has not changed much to argue that it is GIVE THE GAME since its first iteration the most challenging MORE HUMAN- nearly 10 years ago, but professional sport with the most current currently being played. LIKE PLAYER release it has seen a With that in mind, ELEMENTS much-needed upgrade. creating a game that can Road to the Show is a closely emulate baseball single player game mode has been a struggle year which allows the player to create their after year. We have been given newer, more powerful consoles and developers own baseball star with full control of the positioning and appearance have been pushing the abilities of of the athlete. For people like me, what can be accomplished in games. this has been my favorite part of the This has allowed to The Show to be game itself. It’s almost like living out prettier, but it still struggled with a dream of becoming a professional lackluster AI and player abilities. baseball player… if that would have That all changes with The Show ever been a dream of someone who 17. The new AI system brings long awaited fixes that give the game more has only played organized baseball

pringtime is baseball season, and that means it’s time for a new version of MLB The Show. After fully jumping on board “The Show” train roughly 3 releases ago, I can finally say MLB The Show 17 lives up to long overdue expectations from its many fans. If you are unfamiliar with this Sony PlayStation exclusive, MLB The Show is a not just any sports game. With features like Road to the Show and Diamond Dynasty, The Show 17 allows players to enjoy everything baseball has to offer, outside of going to or playing in a real game. The most recent release of the game has various visual and mechanical updates and even a throwback with a new “Retro Mode.” Ken Griffey Jr. or “The Kid” as most baseball fans know him, dawns the cover of this version of the franchise. If you’re like me and you remember games like “Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball” or “Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest,” then the choice to put The Kid on the cover of this game 48

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Origin US Release Mar 28 2017

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one time and that one time was last summer, in a summer adult league. This game mode has been updated (finally) and now includes a documentary feature that has a narrator, and lets the player select answers in response to certain interactions between you and a coach, agent, or advisor. The other big change to RTTS is that your secondary player position actually has a much bigger impact on what you can do in the Minor Leagues. While you are in the Minor Leagues, the coach may move you to that secondary position to see how you are able to perform. This can last for around 10 games, and you’re able bounce back and forth to two positions. So, if you are struggling with the first position you chose and feel like you are never going to get out of the Minors, the secondary position has the ability to come in handy. Plus, based on the roster situation at the Major League club, you may have a quicker route up in that secondary position. Overall, some things are never going to change in Road to the Show, but I am glad these pieces were added in. It gives the experience a more realistic approach. Retro Mode is new to The Show 17 but, it should not be overlooked. This mode has been one of major interest. A throwback to old RBI Baseball, Retro Mode takes a retro approach and brings it to The Show. This mode allows you to play with easy to use controls and retro graphics. A game mode that nearly anyone can pick up and enjoy. I would consider this the all-ages play mode. It’s a great edition and truly a lot of fun, and is one feature I hope they keep in future releases. The Franchise mode truly did not change much from previous versions. @BeastbyBlog

It again tends to lead you to simulate games or even full seasons, and take more of an Owner or General Manager point of view. I can honestly say I was in no hurry to load this game mode up. Playing the game takes far too long, since this mode is focused on a Franchise and not just an individual player. It’s not been worth my time. Diamond Dynasty is back from The Show 16, and there are some minor tweaks and additions. There are a lot of factors to DD, and for those who enjoy Franchise, Diamond Dynasty is another alternative mode that is more about simulating games and progressing based on what you can accomplish with an organization. Overall, MLB The Show 17 is a consistently great sports game, but this year we see much-needed gameplay improvements, along with some graphical tweaks and even some nice throwbacks mixed in. This allows me to feel comfortable telling anyone and everyone to buy The Show 17. I haven’t truly been able to do that with the previous two releases. If you’ve never played The Show, this is a great year to give it a go. If you’re a seasoned player like myself, go ahead and pick up a copy while the baseball season is young.

MLB THE SHOW 17 Improved Player Mechanics Fun Retro Mode Visual Enhancements Online Franchise mode is dead Too many “stock” MLB faces

Grand Slam ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

BACKLOG REVIEW OWLBOY

OWLBOY

WHOLESOME, VIRTUOUS FOWL SIMULATOR ByDylan Bishop NEED TO KNOW Developer Tribute Games Publisher Tribute Games

Platform PS4, Xbox One, PC Genre Roguelite Platformer

Origin Canada Release Apr 18 2017

our friends are what truly make us whole. The theme is melancholy and deep, especially for a game that’s so beautiful and bright. Owlboy’s heartfelt story is perfectly Owlboy touches heavily on failure. juxtaposed by cheerful, gloriously You play as a flawed character who detailed pixel-art. The title is an can’t fight on his own, and you must absolute joy to look at, and can be rely on your band of flightless, outcast hard to put down simply because your friends to be your weapons. On their eyes are cackling with enjoyment own, neither piece while playing. The is fully functional– scenery pops and OWLBOY LULLS they can’t accomplish dances with wonderful YOU WITH A their mission without vibrancy, using a vivid the other. Otus flies, HEARTWARMINGLY and soothing palette. his friends shoot for The music adds to PICTURESQUE him. It’s just how this modest, colorful WORLD, THEN life goes. In fact, the atmosphere to create game will occasionally an experience that is ABSOLUTELY take the friends enthralling to digest. CRUSHES YOUR away from Otus, In order to complete SOUL IN COMBAT just to illustrate how their quest, Otus powerless he truly is. and his buds will Your ragtag band fly, shoot, and fight of misfits will do everything in their way through the skies. Owlboy their power to succeed in their quest is a modern-day Metroidvania to thwart the pirates. Then again, through and through. You’re often there’s the very real possibility that presented clever fights and puzzles, they won’t. Owlboy is unafraid to which will require smart use of tell you that life isn’t always okay. your friends’ abilities. Enemies It’s a reminder that failure is a part and environmental mechanics are of existence, and that sometimes provided at a nuanced pace; new

Owlboy is simultaneously somber and uplifting– colorful and bleak. It’s yet another title that proves that charm can go a long way.

ideo games are all about power fantasies–about being the hero, saving the day, and looking cool. They serve to tickle the valiant heart in us all, letting us live a satisfyingly extravagant life as we meander through our overly ordinary one. At least, that’s what most of them are. Owlboy is different. It took D-Pad Studios around 9 years to develop, and it relies more on “soul,” less on “macho.” In short, Owlboy is timid. Quaint. Kind. It tells the story of Otus, a young Owl-in-training who is constantly berated and looked down upon by his mentor. He’s also a mute. Joining him is his friend: a lackadaisical cannon-man who, coincidentally, is also not the most well-liked person in town. The duo attempt to stop a band of pirates from taking over the world, and are eventually joined by other dejected characters. Their group is not filled with buff, overpowered avatars–they’re just people. 50

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obstacles are introduced as needed, and none overstay their welcome. As fun as it is to chew on everything Owlboy’s style and gameplay have to offer, its ending chapters leave some heartburn. The first half of the game is fun, and perfectly matches the tone set by the story and art: charming and laid-back. However, things take a slight turn south as the difficulty dial is turned further and further. The fun little puzzles and environments still exist in the homestretch, but combat becomes significantly harder. Boss fights in the second half serve to waste time and infuriate players, as some have confounded mechanics and others have insta-kill maneuvers. It becomes painfully tedious to attempt a fight multiple times in just one minute. In other words: Owlboy lulls you with a heartwarmingly picturesque world, then absolutely crushes your soul in combat. There will be many a time where Otus gracefully dances around a boss, whittling away at a health bar, only to suddenly die. It’s infuriating that even when you think you have a fight pattern nailed down, you may still need to restart thanks to some random attack. Thankfully, Owlboy is usually gracious with its checkpoints. Usually. Setting aside the grotesque rage you’ll feel from specific areas and fights, Owlboy is a wholly entertaining experience. Though it may make you feel like a failure as a player, it also weaves a fantastic story proclaiming that failure is a part of life. Art, music, mechanics, and characters go a long way in teaching you this. Sometimes, things can be great despite their mistakes, of which Owlboy is most certainly a prominent, humbling example.

OWLBOY Stunning visual style Nostalgic sidescroller action Endearing characters and story Difficult sections that contrast the rest of the game

Wholesome @BeastbyBlog

ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

SELECT

CHASING GHOSTS… IN JAPAN YO-KAI WATCH JOSHUA JOSEPH

Where were you November 6, 2015 when Yo-Kai Watch was first released in America? I honestly don’t think I knew what Yo-Kai Watch was until near the end of 2016. It took a recent trip to Japan before I finally I sat down to enjoy this little portable masterpiece. What I assumed was a kid’s game has turned into a lot of fun--I can pick it up anytime and enjoy. My wife has been playing this game and the sequel for a while and I just overlooked it. I figured she was getting some sort of Japan-flavored enjoyment out of it, but boy did I miss out on getting to play this game sooner. In Yo-Kai Watch, you play as a young boy named Nate (or young girl named Katie, your choice) and discover a mysterious capsule machine while playing in the woods with your 52

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friends. Here you meet a Yo-Kai named Whisper, and are given a Yo-Kai Watch. This quirky accessory allows the you to see other Yo-Kai throughout the world. Armed with a Yo-Kai Watch you travel around searching for spirits who are causing mischief in the everyday lives of the townsfolk. You progress through the game by befriending YoKai through battle, and by progressing through small side stories. I must point out that this game utilizes the 3DS’s touchscreen quite a bit. For me personally, this is ok, but I feel at times it’s overused. Maybe I’m being picky or maybe not; either way, get your stylus ready. The rest of the controls are the standard setup: movement along with interaction buttons. It took only a couple quick minutes for me to have a grip on the gameplay, and once the story progressed, it was off to the races. For a busy person like me, this game is perfect. Why is that? Because I can pick it up, play for a bit,

put it back down, and not feel as if I am in desperate need to finish any certain event. Don’t get me wrong, this storyline is great, but it’s nice to take a break from a title for a few days and not feel bad about it.

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I’VE GOT THE TOUCH, I’VE GOT THE POWER PUNCH CLUB DARREN BURCHETT

If only life was as simple as Punch Club. Wake up. Eat a Pizza. Bust out some one-armed push ups. Work whenever I need money. Climb the martial arts ladder for fighting fame. Fight crime. All to a montage inducing 80’s chiptune soundtrack. Hell, the music alone would help me accomplish great things. I’ve been on a management sim kick lately, thanks to Domina. On my long commutes I need something to keep me entertained, even if it does turn a few heads to see grown-ass man training a 16-bit fighter in a 16bit gym. They can scoff all they want, this game is a helluva lot of fun! The gist of Punch Club has you chasing fame and vengeance. Someone has killed your father and you set out to even the score. How do you do that? Through getting swole and beating up every tough guy in town! But you’re not a bad dude, though. You’ll be helping out the local community, making friends and building connections. Thanks to free dlc, you can also fight crime as Dark Fist, solving the mystery of the mammal mask-wearing burglars. Well, that’s what they look like to me right now, I’m too busy climbing the leaderboards to find out. It turns out that Punch Club is pretty challenging. Day to day you’ll be managing money, food, work and your training, and like all management games, there’s not enough time or energy to do everything. You must stay focused and prioritise tasks if you wish to succeed. Every few days @BeastbyBlog

you’ll have the opportunity to enter into the local fighting league, and once entered, you’ll have a short time to prepare. So, kinda like how the actual real guys do it, you’ll do nothing but train and condition your body leading up to fight day. After that it’s a case of resting, working and hitting the gym to stop your stats degrading too much. Fighting is pretty hands-off, but requires a certain level of strategy too. This is where you’ll feel like the old curmudgeonly coach as you won’t be controlling your fighter directly. Instead, you’ll pick from a range of moves each round, working to beat the other guy down while trying not to run out of juice. Fights can get pretty tense and can turn on a dime, so it’s important you don’t screw yourself over. After a few missteps early on, I’m fourth in the Rookie League right now. Salvador Punchez, I have you in my sights!

IT’S ACTUALLY FUN, OKAY? 1 2 SWITCH HENRY MELVILLE

Yes, you read that correctly. I have had a lot of fun with 1-2 Switch. The grotesquely overpriced collection of minigames may have burned a hole in my wallet, but it has reaffirmed my love of the party game “genre”. At first, I felt awkward bringing up the subject. “Do you fancy milking a cow with me?” is hardly an appropriate question to pose after a meeting at work. But ask that same question again to any spectator who notices the chaotic motions of two buffoons trying to best each other at a game of blind table tennis, and you may be surprised by their enthusiasm to join in. My personal favourites are the aforementioned “Table Tennis” and “Milk”, however “Quick Draw”, and “Gorilla” are fast becoming my goto’s for showing off the game to newcomers. I may have been blind to the concept before, but 1-2 Switch is a far superior title than Breath of the Wild is for introducing the broader public to what the console is all about. This is a game you can bring to any gathering, and invite people of all ages, and all experiences, to go crazy for. Even the surliest of my social groups couldn’t resist the urge to play “Sword Fight”, or the frankly bonkers “Dance Off”. I have no doubt in my mind that, if Nintendo had offered 1-2 Switch as a pack-in game, or for half the price, it would be held in the same regard as Wii Sports was when it shook up the world of motion-control gaming. Ridicule me all you like, but I’ll be milking it until the cows come home. ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

PLAYER SELECT

DON’T FEAR THE REAPER SHOVEL KNIGHT ROBERT HOGGE

MIND IF I ROLL NEED? HEARTHSTONE DYLAN BISHOP

In the past month, I’ve seen multiple tweets and Reddit posts complaining about Hearthstone card packs, prices, and metas. Instead of dissuading me, these comments made me jump back in. I’m honestly glad I did, despite the negativity. Yes, Hearthstone will ask for a little cash in exchange for a good deck. Yes, it’s very luck-based. However, it’s also a game in which you make your own luck; with a well-crafted deck, your first few turns will normally go well, despite the mana hindrance. If you consistently draw cards that cost 6 or 7 mana your first turn, you probably have too many high-cost cards in your deck. Experimenting, theorycrafting, and trying new things are half the fun in Hearthstone. Your first turns may fare differently each match, thanks to the multitude of classes and deck archetypes at your fingertips. One deck may be specially crafted to flood the board with lowcost cards early on; others may be built to survive until late-game, when 54

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you can throw down heavy-hitting minions. My personal preference involves utilizing minion effects to give me spells, so that I can mow down my opponent whenever I please. Each play style varies wildly from the last, and you’ll never have a match turn out the same way twice. Setting luck aside, the biggest factor to success in Hearthstone is your own mind. In other competitive titles, it’s easy to feel like you can’t aim quick enough, or that you’re bad at positioning. However, in a card game, the key to winning is all about controlling the board, and knowing when to (and when not to) play certain cards. Of course, this means you’ll have to play a bit to get a “feel” for the game, but it’s rewarding. Defeat never gets you too mad, while winning makes you feel fantastic for outsmarting someone. If you’re truly interested in picking up Hearthstone, my suggestion is to drop just a few dollars. Play the tutorial, unlock and mess around with various heroes, earn your free packs, and buy the “Welcome Pack” for $5. Hopefully, you’ll build a decent starter deck and have the time of your life.

I honestly had no idea that Shovel Knight has expanded itself as much as it has. Last I left off I was playing a bit of co-op using the Shovel Knight amiibo. Now I’ve come to discover that not only are there two brand new campaigns from the perspectives of Plague Knight and Specter Knight, but the latter is available for Switch as a cheaper, standalone game. Needless to say, I scooped up Specter of Torment, and it’s been a great break from my constant meandering around Hyrule. Instead of pogo-sticking around like a big blue doofus, I was suddenly chaining together wall-running with dash attacks and breezing through like a calculated bad-ass. Although I recognize a lot of the scenery, it’s been reworked to accommodate Specter Knight’s unique movement and combat style. I also really enjoy the story a lot more than in the original, as I keep getting glimmers of Specter’s pre-reaper life as Donovan. It’s also set up as more of a Megaman-style experience, which makes it easier to play it in bite-sized chunks on the go. Go to the giant mirror, pick your boss, teleport to their realm, and find them. Easy peasy. It has just as much charm as any of the previous campaigns as well. All the NPCs have plenty of goofy stuff to say, and Specter is expectedly annoyed with every last one of them. You can even summon a derpy little Shovel Knight fairy using the amiibo, which hilariously flutters around pointing out loot for you to pick up. He even tries to pick up large gems, which he’s never able to do with his flimsy little wings. All the while, you just ignore him and press on like the cold, brooding dude-bro you are. I am become death. Reaper of souls, and ignorer of fairies. Beastby.net

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ISSUE 03 JUNE 2017

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