Everyone has a fighting chance
In a column last month, I took a look at the potential for good gameplay to trump other outdated systems and keep us hooked on otherwise mediocre games. The example I used was Destiny, which has a solid core shooter experience but is relatively uninteresting in the story, content, and loot departments. I’ve been playing more of Bungie’s pseudo-MMOFPS, and suffice it to say that even its fun twitch gameplay is starting to wear thin.
In a column last month, I took a look at the potential for good gameplay to trump other outdated systems and keep us hooked on otherwise mediocre games. The example I used was Destiny, which has a solid core shooter experience but is relatively uninteresting in the story, content, and loot departments. I’ve been playing more of Bungie’s pseudo-MMOFPS, and suffice it to say that even its fun twitch gameplay is starting to wear thin.
Hey folks! We’ll be taking a bit of a detour today from our regularly scheduled updates of Landmark to discuss the future of Everquest Next. It’s not a real future for Everquest Next, but an imagined future where Everquest Next launches with some features thrown in there adapted from other games.
Northern Arun has long been shrouded in mystery and cut off from the rest of the world. Fate of Arun, the first Expansion to TERA, takes you to the undiscovered homeland of the barakas to explore savage jungles and colossal ruins. A land full of fearsome enemies and potentially new allies in need your help to throw off the yoke of tyranny.
The Heart of Madness, Update 24, is Dungeon and Dragons Online’s most recent addition. There will be three Xoriat themed dungeons in Eberron, and one new free Wizards of the Coast dungeon based on the Tyranny of Dragons story line. There are also some great system updates, such as Weapon Auras, Monster Champions and newly upgraded Barbarian enhancement trees.
The latest "Road Ahead" has been published on the Elder Scrolls Online site. The article begins with a retrospective look back at all the team has accomplished in the last several months and then starts a long look at what is yet to come. Of most notable interest is the news that Update 6 will be heading to the public test server in January and that, while no release date is yet set for console versions, they are closing in.
Coliseum is a competitive mode that places two teams of three players each in opposition to one another in a timed battle to kill as many BAMs (Big Ass Monsters) as possible within a given time frame. Set up to cater to players from levels 60-65, gear is equalized on entering the match which consists of three five-minute rounds.
Harebrained Schemes has announced that Shadowrun: Dragonfall is now available for both iPad and Android tablets. The game can be purchased via the App Store for iPad and via Google Play for Android tablets for a modest $6.99.
2k Games has announced the formation of a new ‘in house’ studio called Hangar 13. The studio is run by industry veteran Haden Blackman who has worked for Lucas Arts and written for a variety of Star Wars titles. In addition, Blackman is an award-winning author, most notably on the DC Comics Batwoman series.
Gamergate has invaded the public consciousness. What was once a simple conversation about ethics in gaming journalism has spiraled into an all-out shouting match with anything progressive firmly falling in the movement’s sights and any critics being quickly labeled as bigots. As I’ve played through Dragon Age: Inquisition, encountering characters of every stripe and sexuality, my mind kept returning to these themes. Did Bioware include this character or that for a reason?