Diablo 4

Hell is coming

It's quite the thing to be a pariah, just ask Blizzard for these past few weeks. To have your every decision and action torn apart to it's base essence and revealed for what it is, it can make one supremely self conscious and weary. I can only imagine that was the atmosphere within the Blizzard offices when the decision was made for a 3 prong redemption arc to be held at Blizzcon with the desperate attempt to recoup just a fraction of their lost trust and respect. In some ways I hold some sympathy for them, for so long they were the gold standard to the PC audience and a company who always knew how to put their fans first, but then I remember the draconic 'regulation' practises that overwhelmed the Overwatch community (and likely other Blizzard games that I wasn't paying as close attention too) and remember that this backlash isn't as spontaneous as it appears, rather it has been cooking for a good while now.

In my blog on Overwatch, I forgot to mention the first step of Blizzard's redemption; when, man who lost the morning battle with his hair, J Allen Brack took the stage at the cusp of Blizzcon to apologize for his failure to handle recent events amicably. He told everyone that Blizzard was given the opportunity to provide a teachable moment, and that they had failed that challenge and were reaping the consequences. What followed was little more than canned PR talk so I couldn't be bothered to pay attention, but I will admit I was impressed that Blizzard's CEO had the courage to address the crowd like that. (Now if only he had something to actually say, then the speech would have been perfect!) Brack expressed how 'Actions speak louder than words' and then proceeded to point to Blizzcon as an example of those actions. (Brack, my man, you're the CEO of a gaming company. Making games is kind of expected from you. When we talk about 'actions speaking loudly' we tend to meaning going above and beyond simply developing products to assist your profitability.) I'm not sure if the man was just out-of-touch or has genuinely never made an apology before, either way, it was rough to watch.

Luckily the Developers that Brack had chained to their desks pulled through in cobbling together reveal trailers for Blizzard's current flagships; Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4. (Alternatively known as; 'Please forgive us!' and 'We're really sorry!') Still, Blizzard have yet to provide fans with anything resembling a release date on either of these two titles (and why would they, both were probably prematurely revealed) but they operated under the impression that reminding fans that these games exist would be enough to distract them from the abject truth that such titles are funded by China. (Interesting to note, but not at all surprising, 'Hong Kong' wasn't mentioned once during the festivities. Or rather not once outside of the Twitch chat, which was practically taken over by shouts of 'Free Hong Kong'.) But rather than judge Blizzard on their lack of social duty and responsibility, I've already done that in spades, I'm going to temporarily buy into their game and look at their second apology reveal; Diablo 4.

For those who don't remember the disaster that was Blizzcon 2018, you likely also won't remember the fervour around how Blizzard handled Diablo. That event was deprived of any and all announcements save for a single Diablo title which people had been buzzing about for weeks beforehand due to leaks. The throne of Diablo in the hearts of gamers had been supplanted ever since the botched release of Diablo 3, and fans were eager to see their favourite loot-crawler return to form. Things began to fall south, however, once a couple of Blizzard Devs took to the stage to announce that their next Diablo game wouldn't be the long-awaited Diablo 4, but rather a new title called; Diablo Immortal. "Huh?" Fans thought "That almost sounds like a live service... Which is strange because Diablo already kind-of is a live service. So what is this?". Unfortunately, their worst nightmares would be confirmed when it was revealed that Diablo Immortal would be a mobile exclusive. (NO!)

History has taught gamers, time and time again, that the only reason a series ever goes mobile is in order to bastardize the franchise and turn it into a microtransaction ridden cesspit. The mobile market reeks from the miasma of corporate avarice and tarnished ambition, such to the point that even the most inattentive gamer knows to keep far away from such storefronts. Thus, fans could only see it as a betrayal once Blizzard revealed their plans to pawn off the Diablo franchise down such avenues. We saw this reaction reflected in the raw disgust that those present displayed by such an announcement, like when one fan stood and asked "Is this an out-of-season April fools joke?", to which the Devs had no real response apart from awkwardly stating that "No, this is a real game." Some tried to make the best of the situation by asking if the game would at least be playable on PC, which the Devs had to laugh off by saying that it was mobile only. When people booed this choice, we got the infamous line "What? You guys don't have phones?"

The botched announcement sent ripples through the gaming community as people saw their heroes, Blizzard, selling out their talents and fandom in order to chase a quick buck. Reddit's erupted, hearts were broken, and certain games media alumni tried to find a way to make it the gamer's fault. (Predictably) Worst of all, people lost hope in the Diablo brand and decided to finally give themselves over the plethora of alternatives out there. (I'm partial to Path of Exiles, myself.) All of this meant that if Blizzard wanted to make any of their reputation back they would be forced to announce Diablo 4 next year, no matter how far along in development the game is. "That would fix things." They thought. "And then everyone will love Blizzard again. I mean, it's not like we'll find a way to cause an even bigger controversy within a year, right?" (I've never met Blizzard's PR team but I really feel for them right now.)

With all that fresh in our minds, I feel we are equipped to take a good long look at the trailer that Blizzard believe will right last year's wrongs. (And last month's wrongs, I guess.) Before that, however, mandatory disclaimer; I've never played a Diablo game through to completion before. They've never appealed to me on that base level that you really need for a time-eater experience like this. That being said, I've always been open to trying out some of Diablo and so I've kept a casual eye on how things have played out. However, lore-wise, I only know that basic of the basic. I can't even remember who Leah is. (I know she was in Diablo 3, but that's about it...) So bare that in mind all you Diablo nuts when I miss the bleedin' obvious.

The trailer starts with a brief flash through of the events we are about to watch, just like any modern Hollywood movie trailer, which immediately makes me despise the scum which put this together and acknowledge them as the talentless hacks they likely are. Oh, I understand it; it's a desperate ploy to hook an audience within that, all-important, first 5 seconds by wowing them with action and noise. The only problem is, all this practise does is bombard the viewer with fast-cuts and noise and coins them into the fact that your trailer has nothing worth while within, forcing you to resort to trickery to keep us watching. I may have spent far too much effort analyzing the first 5 seconds of this trailer, so I'll merely pray that the trailer maker's eardrums burst whilst sound mixing one day, and move on.

Nitpicking aside, I will admit that this Cinematic trailer is pretty atmospheric and does set the tone for a suitably disturbing entry into the new Diablo. This trailer opens up on a deserted town in the aftermath of some great catastrophe that resulted in the deaths of millions, (Lovely) as we venture down into the depths to join our 'heroes' of this trailer: a band of treasure hunters. Oh that's right, in a world wherein there is a physical manifestation of Hell that exists in the depths of the Earth, some idiots got together and thought it'd be smart to go spelunking for treasure. They probably deserve it once they all get rushed by an army of hellish ghouls and are forced into a corner in which they have to fight to the death.

The focus rests on a wounded scholar/priest who is being carried by a gruff looking man wearing an eyepatch who defiantly isn't Beric Dondarrion. (But I'm going to call him that anyway.) Our scholar is tasked with deciphering an ancient lock whilst the others hold off a horde of beasties and he discovers an interesting riddle. "By three they come" the wall gibberish apparently reads. This scholar then realizes that to open this here seal they need the blood of three willing participants. (And for some reason this doesn't immediately put him off. When is anything good ever sealed with blood magic?) The team leave Beric to hold off against the hoards and manage to open the door long enough to get in and shut him out. (No honor amongst thieves, I guess.)

Robin Hood's band of merry men then cuss about the fact that they aren't currently swimming in gold and decided to harass their scholar. Then we learn that this giant sacrifice altar isn't a long-empty treasure vault (Honestly, I have no idea why anyone would think it would be. You know, seeing as how the place was sealed with freakin' blood magic!) but rather a temple to 'her'. (Got to love the pronoun game.) Then we get to see that same fleeting shadow who gets work in every horror movie, swoop down and nick one our treasure hunters. (Ohh, spooky!) The other jumps in a panic to find himself face to face with Beric. (Awkward.)

Spooky stuff happens from here, none off which is particularly interesting, aside from Beric turning into one of the aliens from Prometheus and convincing our scholar lad to recite an ancient incarnation to summon miss 'her'. (Convincing which amounted to little more then "Come on, please!") The three treasure hunters are then suspended in mid air whilst their blood is called from their body to form various sacrilegious symbols in the air whilst our man reminds us that the seal requires three willing participants. (Huh, starting to think that the word 'willing' doesn't exactly apply to two of these lads considering the fact they are currently struggling for their lives. Maybe he got the translation wrong.)

What precedes is, admittedly, one of the coolest visuals I've seen in a very long time from a game trailer. The blood runes solidify into a substance resembling flesh and our lady-of-the-hour pushes through it in a manner that I can only assume was conceptualized to resemble birth in some way. (Actually, now I'm describing the scene it just sounds gross.) Now we see this lady in her full glory whilst the Prometheus alien announces her name to be 'Lilith'. That's right, first wife of the fallen angel, mother of all evil, the lady herself. The trailer ends with a shot of the mistress looking slightly miffed whilst wearing a cloak of congealed blood. (That's an image that's going to stay with me.)

So that's the cinematic trailer in a nut shell. Nothing to write home about but still kind of worth watching, if only for that shot of Lilith at the end. (Even though I'll admit that her design isn't as cool as I was expecting. She just has horns, big whoop.) Of course, Blizzard wouldn't be foolish enough to think they could sell a game on the strength of cinematics alone, (They made that mistake once, long ago) and so they threw down a gameplay trailer to sell the real meat-and-potato's about what one could expect from Diablo 4 and I must admit, I'm pleasantly surprised.

After Diablo Immortal's incredibly lackluster debut, with it's cartoony style and unimpressive visuals, I wasn't expecting anything truly pretty out of Diablo 4. Not to claim that Diablo 4 looks like the most gorgeous game in the world, because it doesn't, but I can certainly see the way that the visuals have stepped it up from the last entry, specifically with the fluidity of animations. I particularly like the way that we can see frost particulate seep into the floors after using ice magic (I wonder if the same will be true when we inevitably get to using blood magic later on.)

Keeping with the 'By Three they come' theme, Diablo 4 seems to be starting off by giving players 3 different classes to pick through off-the-bat. Firstly, and most generically, we have the Barbarian. (who looks like he's off to a cosplay competition as Conan) This is your standard melee master who's abilities are catered towards getting into the middle of the carnage and causing heavy damage. (A classic.) Next is the Sorceress, who's abilities revolve around your typical elemantalist. Fire and ice are her trade and I'm sure she'll have the most flashy finishers by the endgame. Finally is the Druid, who appears to boast the ability to metamorphose into a werewolf or bear at will. (As you do.) I'd imagine his skill tree will revolve around buffing and debuffing those around him whilst empowering his beast form, but that's mere conjecture at this point.

On the question of environments and diversity, Diablo remains as pretty as it's predecessors. I doubt we've seen even half the locales that the final game will offer and I'm still excited to get stuck into the windy crags and dark dungeons. For my part, however, the best realized location we have seen is that of snow. That is element so hard to bring to life in a way that is both convincing and aesthetic and from what I've seen the team seem to be heading the right direction in regards to art decisions. (The real test will be getting a look at how they've worked on things like Ice caves.)

The Diablo reveal did seem rather reticent on showing off any show-stopping bosses, however, which I've always seen as one of the trademark features of this kind of genre. Diablo is usually renowned for it's gruesome and grotesque beasties, (Although they're still yet to hold a candle to Dante's Inferno) so I wonder why the team opted out of showing them off here. The most we got was a look at an insectile monster, a necromancer-looking fellow, and a sort of bone dragon. Nothing that threatens to haunt my dreams. (Maybe they're saving the real nightmares for the lategame.)

Ultimately, Diablo 4 looks like the kind of game that would finally drag me, kicking and screaming, into the world of Diablo, had it not been for recent events. Honestly, the things I've seen look vaguely promising and like the kind of journey I would like to try my hand at. (Although it would probably be best on a portable platform. No not a phone, I mean the Switch!) Right now however, I can't justify endorsing anything that Blizzard have their hands on. It's a shame, but this one will likely be a miss for me. (Although, as this was a Blizzard announcement without a release date, we probably won't be seeing the game until 2025 anyway.)

Overwatch 2: Redemption or condemnation?

Cheers, Jeff!

What do you do when you've burnt all of your goodwill in a PR fire? That was the question that was rolling around the heads over at Blizzard Marketing after that debacle last month surrounding Blitzchung. Sure, it's not exactly unique for an American company to bow down before the almighty Chinese market, Blizzard are merely following the trend that a thousand other companys have set, but it's still an undeniably bad look to have that dirty laundry forcibly aired out like they did. So what would they do? Especially with Blizzcon coming up in only a handful of weeks? Well, looks like they settled on giving their aggrieved fans the one thing that they wanted most in life, announcement after announcement.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that the recent controversy forced Blizzard's hand into announcing their next games early, as though there wasn't any intention to bring these games up yet. (I'm sure that Overwatch 2 has been stewing for a while now.) Just that when the company stands up and announces two highly sought after sequels within one event, it certainly comes across like a desperate diversion tactic. Who wants to bet that at least one of these announcements is more premature than the typical Nintendo reveal?  My bet is on the Overwatch game seeing as how folk have been hounding those guys for Diablo 4 ever since the "Is this an off-season April Fools Joke?" comment last year. Or maybe it was the "Do you guys not have phones?" dig. (Wow, Blizzard are freakin' terrible at marketing, huh?)

Whatever the reason, the Internet has been flooded with information regarding Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 and we even got an extensive reveal trailer on the game that is only- Eight minutes long? Good lord, Blizzard are starving for good PR right now. Now, normally I wouldn't care about some stupid announcement trailer for any old game, and I certainly wouldn't want to signal-boost a game from the Chinese government's biggest scrooge, (you know, outside of LeBron James.) but Overwatch is one of those games that I have an extensive history with. Back when I still had friends, this was one of those few games that I used to play with them on, and I had fun times digging into by myself sometimes too. That isn't to say that the game didn't suffer from considerable problems, especially when it came to lore building, but what was there was a decent enough experience that I didn't care too much. And I didn't even mind the lootboxes, seeing as how none of them contained gameplay effecting items, and the box itself could be earned in-game. Maybe that makes me a hypocrite, I don't care. Besides, given my 'audience' consists of basically just me, a single blog won't constitute much in the way of signal boosting anyway.

Before I get into looking over this trailer, I feel it important to note that I'm not entirely up to date with the last year of Overwatch events. Heck, I've never even played as Sigma, Hammond or Ashe. (Remember when I said I used to play this game with friends? Yeah, well lets just say that I haven't had need to dig this one out for a while.) That being said, I am a voracious lore-nut in general and I have been paying particular attention to the nuggets dropped by the Overwatch team over the years. Or at least, I did until the D.VA animation dropped with it's pathetically generic plot and scripting which made an utter pigs ear of representing D.VA's trademark personality. (I may have stopped keeping up with things after that.) But I'm choosing to let bygones lie as I delve into this entry completely fresh faced. So Mr Kaplan, what have you got?

The trailer picks up after THE INTRO TO OVERWATCH! That's right, after all these years the intro to Overwatch 1 is still the furthest along in the timeline in regards to lore, good god this narrative has gone freakin' nowhere for so long. Okay, that's not entirely true. As each of the introductory vids that we have seen throughout the years has shown a member of Overwatch hearing the message that Winston recorded in that intro and deciding to act. With the exception of Lena (A.k.a Tracer) who appears to have been bunking with the monkey for the past few years for some reason, and Mei (A.k.a Free Hong Kong Revolution of our Age) who only recently recovered from a case of being frozen.

We see Winston and Mei in the iconic Overwatch Orca Skyranger, (On loan from X-Com, I presume.) whilst around them are the empty seats of the original members of Overwatch complete with their personal effects, because apparently no one thought to take their pictures home with them. Heck, Ana left a picture of her daughter on the ship. (It belongs in the family picture album!) From this, Blizzard are trying to establish that the Overwatch team are estranged despite the past few years of them fighting together in online matches. I'm being mean. I do appreciate that the team are trying to establish a comprehensible narrative from which the story can begin to evolve, I just think it's silly that we've gotten this far without one.

The story then moves on to show us that this Overwatch remnant consisting of Winston, Tracer and the newly conscripted Mei, are on their way to intercept an Omnic terror attack in Paris. (Despite that fact that it appears to have just begun when they arrive. How did they know it was happening? Is this all part of some elaborate false flag operation by Winston in order to provide a stage for Overwatch 2's debut? Big if true.) For those who don't remember, the Omnic are the vague 'bad guys' of the Overwatch world who's only motivation appears to be "Humans and robots shouldn't mix". (Disney called, they want their generic social commentary back.) This of course stems back to their creation decades ago when they where made by humans to be workhands. The Omnics were accidentally granted sentience (Whoopsie) and decided to rebel against their creators in what has come to be known as the Omnic Crisis.

In the years since, humans have come to peace with a majority of Omnics and now humanity co-exists with the new race that it created in harmony. (Huh, guess Terminator was wrong about machines.) However, new Omnic attacks have begin spreading around the world and no-one quite knows why and what they want. It's this big mystery that is sure to be the driving force behind the initial main story of Overwatch 2. A mystery that I'm sure is going to remain just as impactful despite the fact that in the years of Overwatch 1 being a thing we have already been introduced to Talon and their mantra of: making humanity stronger through conflict. ("The memes!") Huh, I wonder who set off the Omnics?

Paris appears to be having a rough go of things and Ladybug and Cat Noir are seemingly too busy right now to help out. (Oh god, just end me...) So it's up to the team to stop the Omnics from crushing- one cop, an Omnic pedestrian and a single child. (You are still paying your animators aren't you Blizzard?) As none of the other Overwatch alumni decided to answer the call, we are treated to a a high octane action sequence starring Winston wherein he positively refuses to put down his shield. (This is why the team keeps wiping, Winston!) It is at this point where Blizzard show off their mastery of Disney-like animation. And I'm not overstating things, this animation is as good as anything you'll find in Disney. (If only the creative team could boast the same.)

Just as the team is about to start getting the upperhand in the frey they are ambushed by- a Metal Gear sized giant Omnic mech! Which Lena somehow didn't spot when they flew in. Good job Tracer, proving your worth like usual. (As a Brit I've always held particular disdain for Ms. Oxton. On that note: 'Oxton'? Really Blizzard? Sure you don't want to just call her 'London Hastingson the third'?) Anyway, this big boy, (Who I'm going to call Sahelanthropus) confronts the team with a big f-off lazer and manages to destroy the Orca and wound Mei. ("See that Mei. That's what happens when you become an anti-China symbol!")

Now we enter the Endgame as the team need to escort people to safety but Winston realizes that they'll need a distraction in order to make it. Somehow he believes that the time Sahelanthropus will take to microwave him will be enough for them to get away, and so he goes to sacrifice himself. So guess that's the end of Winston. I'm 100% convinced that Blizzard are about to kill off Winston right now and nothing inexplicable will happen in the final moments to turn things awry.

Oh my, Genji showed up. What a surprise! Although I will say that this scene did make me a bit confused as we see Genji reflect an energy beam with his sword. (He must polish that thing really thoroughly.) What follows is a spattering of ex-Overwatch fellows coming back into the frey to save their brethren, with all the cliche gusto that such a scene implies. We see Reinhardt and Brigitte, Doctor Ziegler (Doesn't she run a hospital? Are we sure that she isn't risking more lives by playing hooky than she is by intervening?) and Echo.You remember Echo. That feminine robot that was introduced in the Mcree vid alongside Ashe and Bob. Yeah she plays like... wait a minute, she hasn't been released yet! Hmm... If I were one to buy into conspiracy, I might say that this lends fuel to the claims that this announcement was rushed in wake of the recent scandals...

The rest of the trailer is mostly just canned heroics with nothing really worth noting aside from the fact that the trailer ends with no release window whatsoever. >cough< this was rushed  >cough<. I did notice some other little things in the trailer that I thought was worth mentioning, like how Mercy heals Mei by touching her on the shoulder rather than using her healing stick. (Does this mean that Mercy is the second coming of Jesus? I'll believe it.) We also see a couple examples of heroes combining their ultimate abilities together, which may indicate something similar being possible in gameplay. Plus, D.Va didn't bother show up. Really? One of the biggest flagship heroes of the franchise couldn't make an appearance? What, has she got more important things on her plate? You know, an e-sports career isn't exactly that most stable choice in the world, it has a faster dry-up rate than regular sports.

Most outlets have made the sound observation that this trailer seems to have focused heavily on PvE aspects rather than the PvP that the first game built it's brand around. This fits in line with recent leaked news that this time around Overwatch 2 will have a story (Shocking) and it will be driven by PvE missions. For my part, I hope this is true to an extent. Overwatch is renowned as a solid online shooter first and foremost and I would like them to remember that when it comes to designing their narrative missions. A handful of games have tried the 'narratively driven a-symmetrical multiplayer matches' thing before (Like Titanfall and Black Ops 4 before the whole campaign was scrapped) but I think Blizzard might be the first team to get it right. But maybe I'm just saying that because Sombra was my main and I'm not looking forward to playing an entire campaign with having an excuse to shout "Apagando las luces!" every 3 minutes.

There was also a gameplay trailer released alongside this cinematic which showed off the new direction of Overwatch 2 in order to justify the reason why folk should make the switch when the time comes. (You know, if Blizzard have any reputation left by then.) In that, they teased off a whole new RPG mechanic that will bring customization to players abilities. "Isn't that ripe for monetiseable exploitation?" Why yes, yes it is. I suppose it's just up to Blizzard to implement this new feature in a way that is moral. Wait, what am I talking about? Blizzard and morals? Yeah, this system is going to straight-up ruin Overwatch.

That gameplay trailer also boasted something they called "Highly replayable co-op." (Think we'll be the judge of that, Blizzard.) New maps (From a new game? Wow. How generous!) New looks (Which seems to amount to the team cutting Mercy's hair. I miss the old look already.) and New game modes. (Like one in which a robot pushes a payload back and- wait a minute...) Most interesting, however, was the brief (and I mean brief) look we got at some of the Missions that the new Narrative approach will be offering. There was a collage of very cinematic moments including one of Tracer racing through a burning Omnic gunship whilst a timer ticked down overhead. It seems that Blizzard are going the right direction for creating dramatic moments, but so far nothing appears to be hold any actual dramatic tension. That is to say, every scene has showcased the heroes battling against faceless robots that no one cares about, rather than the villains characters that we've spent the past 3 years getting cosy with. Maybe Blizzard are just playing their cards close to their chest right now, but I must say that such a weak showing does leave me rather concerned.

I may be the only person in the world who cared enough about the lore of Overwatch to be excited that the team are actually working it, but I will admit that this reveal event left me with more worries than giddiness. That cinematic was just a fun little thing to watch, but the gameplay trailer had far too many red flags for a sensible gamer to wave aside. I would not put it past Activision/Blizzard to use the fame of Overwatch to push a whole slew of unwelcome systems onto the playerbase through these light RPG mechanics. How much do you wanna bet that in the next trailer they start talking about collectible hero weapons and the rarity tiers attached to them? Honestly, the whole thing stinks and I can't be the only one who smells it. But will the Blizzard masses care? Honestly, I don't know.

Order Fallen Jedi

My titles are just so creative, I know.

I don't know what it is about this title that keeps pulling me back. Okay that's not true, I know it's the impending hype for the Mandalorian that has sling shot this game into my eyeline. Perhaps I should just make an exception and decide to take an in-depth look at The Mandalorian instead, but that would open myself up to the world of TV blog content and I'm just not ready to open the floodgate right now. (Or ever.) So instead of taking an extensive gander at the incredibly exciting-looking Dave Filoni live action Star Wars series, I'm settling for a generic-looking action game from a publisher I hate and a studio that's getting there. (Is this masochism?)

With that being said, I will admit that even in their heyday, a majority of Star Wars games were hum drum outings who's only selling point was providing players a 'in' to the 'galaxy far far away'. Heck, some of these games were even plain bad and I still harbour found memories of them. Star Wars Republic Commando was a simple 'tactical' FPS, 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars- Republic Heroes' was... a chore, 'Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing' was a dull kart racer clone with the 'big heads' cheat permanently enabled. All of these titles would have crashed and burned if it wasn't for that 'Star Wars' connection, so could the same happen for 'Jedi: Fallen Order'? Likely, I'd say. Almost certainly. But that doesn't mean the necessarily game deserves it.

Today I will be looking through the launch trailer for this title and taking a look at what there is to be excited for in this game from a story perspective, if not a gameplay one. Oh and just a head's up, I'm actually not all that up-to-date on Dave Filoni's contribution to the Star Wars lore (Which this game seems to be drawing heavily from) so I may miss a few things that would be obvious to the casual superfan. (It's been a LONG time since I've considered myself a Star Wars superfan.) Also, this trailer appears to have fashioned itself as an 'accolades trailer', which I find slightly hilarious given that I don't believe review copies have even been shipped yet. (Gotta play that game as soon as you can, I guess.)

The trailer opens with a shot of another main villain who will be hunting the protagonist, Cal Kestis, throughout the majority of his story. We have another Sith inquisitor (That is, a Sith-trained force user who has attained the rank of Imperial inquisitor rather than those who have the rank of Sith Inquisitor. Because those are two completely different things. Star Wars lore, everybody!) although this is one who's name I can't quite pin down. All we know for now is that is he will be joining the Seventh Sister in the hunt, and this has lead me to develop a new speculation regarding how I expect this game to play out. We have been introduced to the existence of two main saber-wielding villains to hunt the protagonist, and that seems rather odd to my observing eye. Afterall, in storytelling isn't the magic number 3? Now of course, I have no concrete information to back up my hunch here, but the fact that we have been extensively shown off two badguys for this game could be indicative of the fact that there is a bigger threat behind the shadows. This is further backed up by a fact that I totally forgot in my last blog, when I commended the team for reintroducing the Seventh Sister because she was a threat that Cal could theoretically defeat. Namely, that the Seventh Sister is actually (spoilers) killed by Darth Maul in 'Star Wars: Rebels'.

Does that mean Respawn intend to pit us against a main villain who the protagonist will merely reach a stalemate with instead of killing? No, I can't imagine that being the case, it just wouldn't match the 'becoming a knight' angle that the team appear to be heading for with this story. Judging from the presented footage from these last two trailers, it is clear that they want to set up Cal's seclusive hideaway being interrupted by a Sith house call; one made by the Seventh Sister herself. Cal then goes to learn the arts and ways of the force and probably ends up joining the Rebellion in some small capacity, but how will the adventure be capped off by the end? I can't see EA going out of their way to fund a sequel before this first game is out, this game is very much an experiment on their part to see if traditional games can still be profitable, so the Respawn writers will be constructing a self contained story with this game. With that in mind, there must be foe for Cal to best in order to symbolize his reaching of mastery over the force. If it cannot be the Seventh Sister, and this other Inquisitor looks to be more of a throwaway lackey, then who could the big bad be? I dunno.

From there the trailer goes into the usual spiel, with narration setting up the world in which this game is set. For those who forgot, this game takes place after Order 66 has wiped out the majority of the Jedi and sent the rest into hiding. Cal Kestis was still just a Padawan when all this went into effect, and so he was able to stay under the radar and escape to a small outer rim planet in the middle of no where. Seeing as how this game takes place in the 'dark period' of time between the Prequel trilogy and the original trilogy, Respawn practically have free reign to say whatever they want about the state of the universe as long as it flies with Disney. However, instead of using this freedom to show as a spate of new and interesting worlds that we've never seen before, instead we run the gambit of familiar Star Wars locales. You have the middle-of-nowhere world which looks like a scrap heap (Just like Tatooine and Jakku), The icy planet with snow everywhere (Just like Hoth), and a jungle world full of hulking furry monsters (Just like... wait, no. This one is actually just Kashyyyk).

Now the trailer gives us a good look of Cal's journey as his ex-Jedi mentor, Cere, guides him through some old abandoned Jedi Temples. (You know, at this point I'm starting to wonder if the Jedi temples were ever actually manned. I mean, the only one's we've ever seen operational have been the ones on Coursant and Dantooine. Maybe the Jedi were just huge architectural nuts who kept building more bases then they could feasibly fill.) The stand out moment here for me was when Cal came face to face with a Mirialan. (Which was a hologram, I presume.) It stuck out as the Seventh Sister is famously also a Mirialan, which implies to me that Cal may end up digging into the past of his enemy and finding out that she used to be a Jedi. (Such a practise was common in The Old Republic, hence why they used the term Sith and Dark Jedi almost interchangeably back then.) Perhaps Vader saw fit to enlist traitor Jedi to hunt down their former compatriots. It would certainly support the real-world parallels that the Empire already draws to a certain movement whom I'm sure I don't need to explicitly introduce to the reader.

The last thing that I want to bring up in this trailer is something that is showcased throughout and which genuinely does excite me; the exploration. Previously we have seen a worldmap that the player can access within their ship that seems to allow for you to take-off and fly anywhere you want to. (Not sure if such an ability might rob some situations of their urgency, but I like the freedom nonetheless.) This subtle suggestion implies to me that we may be getting a game with a decently sized play spaces (maybe akin to the hub areas in the Crystal Dynamic Tomb Raider games) or even just a steady spate of side quests. If my hunch is true then this could be an interesting path that Respawn intend to walk by creating an action adventure game with areas that one is intended to plough thoroughly for secrets. Such a model would place them up against the likes of the Arkham Series. (A comparison that is given even more weight when considering the similarities in combat.) Could Respawn learn from these other games when forming their world to ensure that it is just as explorable? Sure. Will they? Once again, I haven't the foggiest.

When I say that this game doesn't excite me, it's not with the same trepidation that I claimed the same about 'The Outer Worlds'. (Still enjoying that game, by the by.) I'm not torn about whether or not the game will be quality, in fact I'm fairly convinced that this be a solidly average game, I'm more disappointed with a story that appears to be very 'paint by numbers'. Visually, the product looks great, audio-wise, it sounds like Star Wars, but everything else about the game screams 'one and done', and I feel like a Star Wars game could be much more. Admittedly, these concerns are more of a gut feeling, but I don't think that the first single player Star Wars game of the late 2010's is going to 'wow' the gaming world, when it really should and needs to. I suppose at the end of the day my biggest take away is; The Mandalorian sure looks fantastic, huh!

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel!

Oh, What's that? You don't think I can write extensively about a 1 and a half minute teaser? How little you know me...

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was one of the best games of 2017 and easily one the greatest open world video games ever. It is masterclass in game design in so many aspects, the meaningful architecture of the world, the seeding of worthwhile exploration and the integration of a slew of mechanics that fit together like clockwork. Like an exercise in abundance and restraint, Breath of the Wild gives its players a world teeming with things to see and places to go without clogging itself down with the useless and the perfunctory.

Since it's inception back in 1986, Zelda has always been a franchise that attempted to capture the essence of adventure and child-like wonder. It's well known now how much the legendary game director Shigeru Miyamoto drew from his own childhood in the forming of the Legend of Zelda. Whilst it is true, since then, that Zelda has adopted many themes and story elements that elevate it from that original simplicity; Breath of the Wild demonstrated that none of it took away from the core, timeless vision that Miyamoto founded the games on.

Those who participated in the saturated marketplace that was open world games in the 2010's, could probably recall how often it was that a high budget title would launch with a lifeless world tacked on pointlessly. It became standard practice in the AAA landscape for a while to cram your gameplay atop tundras of wasted space and time in order to balloon playtime and tick the 'open world' box. That is not to say that there were no worthwhile open world experiences at this time, but rather to say that those games were mostly made by studios who were learned in doing so, because they had being doing making these worlds for years; I'm referring to Bethesda, Rockstar, CD Projekt Red etc.

Breath of the Wild was seemingly the first Zelda game to feature an 'open world' as the concept exists in modern gaming: As an expansive game space built to give room for the player's curiosity to take centre stage. However, in truth, The Legend of Zelda is perhaps the progenitor of the whole open world genre. Even the 1986 original in its simple top-down, pixel-form glory; was built to allow freedom of movement across the game world, as Link travelled in his quest to conquer its 9 dungeons and assemble the Triforce. That game was so expansive for the time that Nintendo had to pioneer the 'data saving' system in order to make the adventure manageable. Therefore whilst I do very much respect Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, I must disagree with his assertions that Breath of the Wild was the idealised form of their game model. Sure, Ubisoft patented the rinse and repeat approach to open world games but Nintendo very much birthed the curiosity driven open world that defines the Legend of Zelda.

Curiosity was the main tool that the Breath of the Wild developers exploited for the purpose of making exploration worthwhile without resorting to filling the world up with collectibles and side quests. When making the world, the team used terrain in order to manipulate perspective and ensure that there was no one point from which the player could make out all the that lies before them. If you wanted to discover what the other side of this valley looks like, you have to trek around this mountain or through this river. The Sheikah Slate was another useful tool to guide adventurers, giving players a rough hint on the location of secrets whilst expecting them to use the tools and skills at their disposal to find their prize. These ideas were even built into the combat system, which utilised breakable equipment in order to encourage players to either search around for backup weaponry or figure out which system they can exploit to either find another way to deal with the enemy or some way to avoid them altogether.

In its very foundations Breath of the Wild is both simple and ingenious. It is arguably as close to perfection as a multi-faceted multimillion doller production can get. Perfectly balanced gameplay, world and mechanics all cement the legendary status that the game is destined to hold. Although, I will admit I would have preferred a more hands-on approach to the story telling, (I've never been a fan of the distance that the story-told-through-flashbacks approach, fosters between protagonists and key story elements.) I cannot judge the game for what it isn't over what it is. For my money, Breath of the Wild is an easy 10/10, if I were the score giving type.

Yet despite my adoration (or perhaps because of it), I find myself approaching news of a potential Sequel with mixed feelings. On one hand, Breath of the Wild has become my favourite Zelda title seconded by my former favourite: Majora's Mask. On the other hand, Breath of the Wild was so good because it didn't overstay its welcome and become boring. It offered as much game as you were willing to handle and no more. Will a sequel throw that into jeopardy? At this point I suppose only time will tell.

At the moment, sequel details are obviously light. The high ups at Nintendo haven't even deemed as worthy to know the title of the game yet. Perhaps there isn't one. All we have to go on is the aforementioned minute and a half trailer and the information contained within. Luckily, this trailer does provide a fair few details of its own.

Firstly, the most exciting element of this new trailer for me; The tone. Look at reactions online and the first thing everyone points out about the trailer is how creepy it feels. From the dark, dingy cavern that Link and Zelda are travelling through to the backwards sing/chanting that emanates from the darkness. And, of course,  the dessicated corpse of someone that appears to be Ganondorf. There hasn't been a Legend of Zelda game that immediately seemed this unsettling since Majora's Mask, and I just let you know how much I adore that game. The quick turn around of this new Zelda game also seems to echo Majora's Mask from back in the day; at which time the team re purposed a lot of Ocarina of Time's assets in order to piece together that nightmarish reshuffle. (Nightmarish in all the best ways!) Will this new Zelda game follow the same strategy? Likely. Although will it have anything nearly as off putting as Majora's Moon in the game? Well, that is the real question, isn't it?

Another detail that fans have picked up on, is the way that Zelda and Link seem to be adventuring together, almost like equals. For me, this means that we will get a story with a lot more immediate investment then BotW, as key characters will actually be there alongside you. Some have extrapolated on the scene, however, to conclude that it indicates Zelda will be playable in the game, perhaps as a second player. This idea really does intrigue me; wouldn't be amazing if Zelda and Link were finally both playable in the same game? ('Hyrule Warriors' hardly counts and he CDi games definitely don't count!) That being said, I do hope that if Zelda is playable then she is more than just a reskin of Link. Link famously trained night and day for years to become the warrior that he is so the pursuit narrative cohesion would support Zelda's talents manifesting itself in a completely different way. Does that mean she'll be some sort of warlock spellcaster? That may be my fantasy brain getting ahead of itself, but I sure hope so!

The most enduring part of any teaser, however, is the mystery. Here the trailer excels with two big ones that probably won't be solved until the final product comes out. First would be the purpose of, The Hand. When we first see this disembodied hand it is lodged into the chest cavity of a long dead corpse; it appears to seep a swirling trail of green energy that forms itself into strings of strange runes. (Perhaps Hylian? I'm no expert.) Though it seems obvious that The Hand seems to be sealing some entity, with the body itself imbuing torrents of that same dark substance that ruled Hyrule in BotW, the big question is: what exactly is The Hand sealing? That leads me to the second big mystery of the trailer, who is that corpse that snaps to life at the end?

The obvious answer is Ganon, given his plume of crimson hair and necklace featuring the Crest of Gerudo. However, this doesn't really make narrative sense. Out of all the many deaths that the dark lord Ganon has suffered, none were more final than his death in Breath of the Wild. That game saw Ganon abandon reincarnation in order to assume his true form as a being of hatred incarnate. He attempted to lay waste to all of Hyrule before Zelda destroyed his form with a display of her highest potential of power, completing her arch as a character. Ganon didn't just die. He die died. Like Albert Wesker being shot in head with two rocket launchers whilst standing in the middle of an active volcano, some things you don't just walk off.

So then, who is the body that they find in this cave that appears to be underneath Castle Hyrule? Well, I've heard some speculation that this is actually Demise from Skyward Sword. Skyward Sword is the earliest game in the Zelda Canon and tells the tale of the first Link defeating the demon lord Demise. After this victory, Demise curses Link and Zelda telling them that his hatred will be forever reborn and that they too will reincarnate in order to feel his wrath, kicking off the Legend of Zelda series.The rumors go that now, at the end of his spree of carnage, Demise has returned once again. Though whether to finish things once and for all, again, or to kick off a whole new era of Zelda stories is yet to be seen. For my part it does slightly upset me that this story is following Ganon once more. Some of my favourite Zelda games have been the ones in which the games have expanded the world and gone beyond the go-to villain, such as Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess. However, maybe this eery direction will be fresh enough to keep the plot from feeling stale. Afterall, I've never had reason to doubt the Zelda team before.

Ultimately all of this is just guess work, nothing has been confirmed about the title as of yet. All that we know for sure is that Nintendo have some incredibly big boots to fill whenever this game finally comes around. Nintendo do have the reputation for knocking it out the park time and time again, but even so, this is Breath of the Wild we are talking about! This is like trying to redo the Sistine chapel, it's going to take a lot of work. Although if anyone can get it done and surprise the gaming world once again it is Nintendo. Maybe CDPR as well. But mostly only Nintendo.

Elden Ring. Oh, Elden Ring!

I doubt I could even imagine it.

This is perhaps the first time I've written it but it shall not be the last; I love stories. Moreover, I love storytelling. Stories have been a part of human culture ever since we first discovered how to communicate. Stories are how we teach, how we learn and how we speculate. A story told right is one that will last for generations.

We experience stories and storytelling every day in our books, on TV, at the movies and in games. Each medium has its own special quirks unique to it that makes it difficult to translate elsewhere. That isn't to say that games can't have moments that can be 'cinematic'; but that you can't tell a story you told in a movie the same way you tell it in video games, and vice versa. Just look at video game movies; like the mess that was the Assassins Creed movie. Games are expected to be 10-20 hours long on average, giving the story plenty of time to juggle two entirely unrelated stories such as an assassin in the present and his ancestor. However, in the movie there was just no time and so all the moments of the movie set in old Spain were stripped of story and left as just impressive feats of action with no context. Storytellers must always be cognizant of the medium they are utilizing and always play to its strengths, or else the final product suffers.

This brings me to Hidetaka Miyazaki. Miyazaki is renowned as a visionary game director and storyteller who greatly benefits each project he heads. So much so that he has built a reputation for his company, From Software, as being master craftsmen responsible for a slew of high concept masterpieces. Dark Souls in particular absolutely enamoured me with its unique take on storytelling, told in a way that one could only do by utilising the strengths of storytelling in games. At some point I intend to write a full blog on the specific ways that Dark Souls  revolutionises storytelling whilst simultaneously returning the art form to its spiritual roots. For now I just want to establish that this is man who is a master of his craft and who understands how to work within his medium.

Enter George R. R. Martin. Another renowned storyteller in his own field. Say what you will about season 8 of Game of Thrones, (And 7 while we're at it.) but for all the time the show was directly adapting his work it was a one-of-a-kind rollercoaster that pushed the art of TV shows further than they had ever gone before. And the books are good too. George R. R. Martin has a long and rich career of writing for films, TV and, of course, books. He is an incredibly talented and subversive storyteller who respects his audience enough to deliver them tales that ring with the utmost authenticity.

What do these two auteurs have in common? Elden Ring of course! Elden Ring is the latest From Software project to get a sly tease and a vague trailer. Marketed as a meeting of two great narrative minds, Elden Ring promises to deliver a challenging story, with classic souls gameplay and a concept that is 'bigger' than anything From Software have produced before. Whatever that means. All I know is that as an amateur writer I find the collaboration of one of my heroes with an author I greatly respect to be absolutely fascinating. That is why I will now proceed to break down the stark, haunting, weird teaser that was dropped during the Xbox conference for any nugget of insight I might glean.

First I decided to provide a transcript of the disparaging old man who narrates the trailer:

I doubt you could even imagine it,

That which commanded the stars

Giving life its fullest brilliance.

The Elden Ring.

Oh, Elden Ring!

Shattered by someone, or something.

Don't tell me you don't see it.

Look up at the sky, it burns!

Then I realised that all sounds more like a sermon then anything concrete enough to draw actual information from. But it's all we have to go on so let amateur analysis commence!

Right away the viewer is berated for being a dullard and told of the importance of this seemingly omniscient, godly presence known as the Elden Ring. I feel that it's important to note the reverence in the tone and feel of the trailer suggesting an almost religious feverance within the speaker. Whatever this Elden Ring is, the trailer man seems to hold it in as high regard as the first flame from Dark Souls, A lynch pin the holds the whole world together. Or rather held.

'Someone or something' (Real specific there, pal) managed to break this force of such omnipotent power and the backlash of this event appears to be have caused something catastrophic. 'The Sky... burns!'

Now I'm done listing the bleeding obvious, lets dive into rampant speculation.

When the voice first speaks, we're greeted with the image of this old man sporting about five arms too many and holding a severed forearm above his crowned head. For me, this image immediate evokes the concept of creationism, with the many armed figure reminding me of beings like Kali from Hinduism or... well... Arceus from Pokemon. Okay, hear me out! Arceus was another character based heavily around the idea of the creator deity represented in many religious cultures. And he had 1000 arms. Allegedly. We never saw them.

If this image is supposed to represent a creator of some kind, is it so far to assume that he might be some form or representation of the 'unimaginble' concept that is the Elden Ring? Unlikely. Chances are he is just our narrator and the man who will greet us at the beginning before giving us a whisper of a motive and sending us on our merry way. But I can speculate.

Also, there is a moment when the servered arm twitches as though it is still alive. I don't know what this is meant to denote but it might be a reflection of what I have gathered to be the core theme. Familiarity with Hidetaka Miyazaki's work had taught me that it ain't a Miyazaki game without the theme of decay. But perhaps with 'Ring' in the title we could be looking at a theme of renewal too. Like the ouroboros, the serpent eating its tail, The Elden Ring could be the process of death and rebirth symbolised by... a twitching severed arm... Yes I know I'm grasping here, just work with me.

Now we see the smith, hard at work at his forge. Several of the shots of this trailer revolve around showing him off, so he or his work is clearly of importance here. The man himself appears to be cracked and burnt as though his skin is made of porcelain and at the moment he finishes whatever it is he is forging, the man falls to his knees like his toils have finished him off.

What is he crafting? It's hard to say as the shots are specifically constructed in order to block the viewer from seeing but the obvious answer would be the Elden Ring. I know that clashes with my earlier theory but we're going to treat it as an open relationship. I can't shake the vibes of Lord of the Rings this shot gives me, either, as though The Smith is pounding away at the one ring like some hairy Nordic Celebrimbor. I'm not a big fan of the idea that The Elden Ring is just a piece of jewelry but with a shot like this is hard not to draw Tolkien parallels. I know George R. R. Martin is a Tolkien fan so this may just be a thematic send up but the prominence of this image in the trailer implies something more concrete.

One hypothesis I have is that this Smith is a god, or The God, crafting the divine entity that is the Elden Ring. Hence the cracked, porcelain skin to indicate that he isn't human and the intentionally obscured perspective to indicate that he works at something beyond earthly comprehension.

Another observation I made is that one shot shows The Smith striking his anvil, and at the moment after he does the cracks and his back grow as though the act of making this ring is destroying him with every strike.

Next we get a couple of enduring images of two individuals that I have decided to label The Burnt Lady and 'Gilgamesh'. I named the former for her burnt hand and fiery plume and the latter for his resemblance to Gilgamesh as he appeared in Final Fantasy Type 0. These two are perhaps the only human characters we seen in the entire trailer and are indicated as such by their wear and tear. The Burnt Lady has a badly scolded arm and fits what seems to be a prosthetic onto her left shoulder. 'Gilgamesh' is seen staring up and screaming into the heavens as the narrator equates the shattering of The Elden Ring and the burning of the sky. As he screams, 'Gilgamesh's' garments seem to be beginning to catch ablaze, as though the narrator was being literal about the whole sky thing.

Perhaps this references a mechanic in which the longer the player remains within the force of the red sky the more they catch on fire.

Tenuous, I know. 

Maybe the absence of the sun within these shots is also important. If The Elden Ring 'Commanded the stars' and the Ring ain't around no more, the sun might be decaying as a result. We do get a glimpse of something beyond the sky when The Shatterer charges but I will get more into my theory on that, next.

'Gilgamesh' seems to be a lone survivor sitting amidst some sort of battlefield (Just like in Final Fantasy Type 0) with some very large weaponry nearby. He looks almost as though he is surrendering to his fate as the burning sky swallows him up. This tell me that the world we are being shown is undergoing some sort of doomsday scenario in the absence of The Elden Ring. Maybe this is the world players will get to explore; but I suspect that, given Miyazaki's previous bodies of work, that what we see is the prequel to our story. We will likely see the world in the aftermath of it's apocalypse and walk among the dead, just like dark souls.

I chose to separate The Shatterer from The Burnt Lady and 'Gilgamesh' because I believe this scene comes from earlier than those two. For one, he is the only character we see outside who is not burnt, for two, he is the character we see when our narrator mentions the 'something or someone' who shattered The Elden Ring. Also, we even see the sun clearly behind him as he charges not faded like it is in 'Gilgamesh's' shot.

The Shatterer (Assuming he is the one who shatters The Elden Ring) seems reminiscent of Dark Souls' iconic Black Knights from their matching scorched obsidian armour and shared penchant for long halberd's. In Dark Souls, the Black Knights were the spirits of Lord Gwyn's silver army sacrificed in the linking of the first flame. Perhaps this Shatterer is a dark reflection on them, a being that lives in a world of enlightenment who shatters The Elden Ring and brings darkness upon the land.

Do note that I do not believe that the scene the see depicts the shattering of the Elden Ring, The Shatterer appears to be ganking some poor golden armoured guy who doesn't even have a guard up, but I have chosen to equate him with the words that accompanied him. Of course he could just be a nobody and I'm looking into him way too much. That is likely. I should move on.

The trailer concludes how I have already described. The Smith finishes his work and falls to his knees spent/ possibly dead, some otherworldly presence seems to ooze from his workspace and we get a fleeting glimpse at a lady overseeing his work. The Forewoman, as I have called her, seems godly too. She is present within this dark abyssal void, for one, and she shares The Smith's pale, milky complexion. Beyond that her presence is an absolute mystery. The narrator has already trailed off to go chase kids off his lawn by the time she shows up and we see so little of her that it's hard to even guess at her role. I suppose her relevance will remain one of the many mysteries that this game raises. And maybe even answers. If we're lucky and eat our greens.

Needless to say I'm already heavily invested in this game. I've always loved the dreamy, ethereal essence of the From Software trailers and the way the seem to beg you to unravel its layers of secrets. Now I can say I've devoted a blog's worth of speculation to the matter and perhaps now my hungry heart can rest until more is revealed. Don't count on it though.

If you have any ideas yourself, please comment down below. From my nonsensical ramblings you can see that there are no wrong guesses here. At least none that are any more wrong.