September 2019 – Page 213

2. September 2019

Top New Game Releases On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Month — September 2019

We’ve reached September, which means the seasons are changing all around the world. New Releases is here to highlight some of the biggest games coming this month. You can take a snowy retreat with Monster Hunter World‘s Iceborne expansion or an island getaway with The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. You can also stay indoors and take to the basketball court with NBA 2K20. Finally, shooter fans can take on the Locust in Gears 5 or the Calypso Twins in Borderlands 3.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne — September 6

Available on: PS4, Xbox One

Iceborne adds the new Hoarfrost Reach region to the New World, and it’s full of snow, ice, and new monsters to take down. This expansion also adds a Master Rank difficulty for those of you who have already bested all the High Rank hunts. If you’re not quite done exploring the game’s main area, don’t sweat it–you’ll still see some fan-favorite monsters added to that part of the game too.

More Coverage:

NBA 2K20 — September 6

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch

This year’s 2K basketball game offers the usual dose of modes like MyCareer, MyGM, MyLeague, and MyTeam, but the biggest addition is a series first: you can finally play as all 12 WNBA teams. If you need a break from the basketball court, there are plenty of ways to spend time (and money) on the game’s loot boxes and gambling mechanics too.

More Coverage:

Gears 5 — September 10

Available on: Xbox One, PC

Gears 5 focuses on Kait Diaz, who will learn more about her own family’s history as she uncovers the Locust’s origins. Gears 5 offers the standard campaign and multiplayer options, but there are some big changes to other modes this time around. For one, Horde mode gives every character unique abilities and ultimate attacks–there’s even a pair of characters from Halo: Reach in the mix. Characters also get special perks in the new Escape mode, a three-player co-op experience where you have to destroy Locust hives.

More Coverage:

Borderlands 3 — September 13

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC

There are new characters to check out in Borderlands 3 as well. Amara the Siren, Moze the Gunner, Zane the Operative, and FL4K the Beastmaster are your Vault Hunters for his adventure. You won’t just be seeking Vaults on Pandora, though; for the first time, you can travel to other planets aboard the Sanctuary III. As usual, expect to find a ridiculous amount of guns as you battle the evil Calypso Twins.

More Coverage:

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening — September 20

Available on: Switch

This is a remake of Link’s Awakening on the Game Boy. While it offers the same story and dungeons across Koholint Island, there’s also a completely fresh art style, reimagined soundtrack, and even a special dungeon editor. Tap an Amiibo, and you can unlock extra mini-games and chambers for that dungeon-builder.

More Coverage:

September has just begun, and in addition to the games listed here, Catherine: Full Body and Final Fantasy VIII Remastered are also leading the charge, both launching on Tuesday, September 3. Next week, New Releases will take a look at some less-known games you won’t wanna miss, like GreedFall and Blasphemous.

2. September 2019

Aussies: Win a Sweet Lenovo Legion Gaming Laptop!

Ideal for gaming on the go.

2. September 2019

The Outer Worlds’ New Trailer Shows Off Corporate Life…and Death

You have to figure, space is a really big, really deadly place, so it only makes sense that when corporations take over and start building new societies, they’re going to make it seem as pleasant as possible. That’s the gist of the new trailer from The Outer Worlds, which shows off all the fun little diversions you as the player can get up to, and lots of death and dismemberment you’ll need to avoid.

Though we’ve seen a lot of these locations before, the newest trailer offers up a new perspective on things, all from the eyes of the corporate overlords that run most of the Outer Worlds’ planets. We can see the various ways corporations have influenced society, pushing people into work, and making it so every aspect of their life revolves around company-approved lifestyle choices.

2. September 2019

Game Of Thrones Showrunners Talk About The Coffee Cup And All The Emmy Nominations

In one of the final episodes of Game of Thrones, a coffee cup can be seen on a table in front of Jon Snow and Daenerys. It was a flub that showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff are taking in stride. They spoke to Japan’s Star Channel (reported by Digital Spy) recently about that mistake and other topics, including the show’s many Emmy nominations.

Regarding the coffee cup mistake, Benioff joked, “It’s like in Persian rugs it’s tradition that you make a little mistake when making the rug, because only God can do anything perfect, so for us I guess that just was our [mistake].”

Weiss added a more direct joke, “That’s why I put the coffee cup there. It was a conscious, concerted statement of our imperfection,” he said.

Speaking more seriously, Benioff said he felt a mixture of surprise and embarrassment over the coffee cup, but over time he was able to see it as a silly mistake and move on.

“So, at first I couldn’t believe it, and then it was kind of embarrassment, because how did we not see this coffee cup in the middle of the shot? And then, eventually, it was just funny,” Weiss said. “This one is just a mistake, and it’s kind of funny to us now.”

Also in the interview, Weiss spoke about all the Emmy nominations that Game of Thrones picked up for its final season. The show nabbed 32 total nominations (including best overall drama series) which is a record for the show. He said it was “surprising” to see how many nominations the show got; “At least in my mind, I thought that the [previous] season would have been the peak and that we would’ve ended up with maybe a couple less, at best,” he said.

Weiss and Benioff are now finished with Game of Thrones. They recently signed a $200 million deal with Netflix to develop new TV shows and movies for the network. This is on top of their upcoming Star Wars films, too. Weiss and Benioff’s other HBO show, Confederate, is now reportedly cancelled.

2. September 2019

Odessa Mayor Blames Shootings On Evil People, Violent Video Games

“I think it’s a problem of the heart, to be honest with you. We have some of the most violent video games…”

2. September 2019

Knights And Bikes Review

Even the most mundane, everyday things can seem full of mystery and adventure when you’re a kid. Especially when you have a like-minded friend to bounce ideas off and encourage your flights of fancy. Knights & Bikes channels this familiar childhood experience in a knock-about co-operative (but you can still play it solo) adventure that remains endlessly charming even when its core mechanics don’t join in the fun.

Nessa is a stowaway on a boat that’s just docked at the holiday island home of Demelza. Quickly, the two girls meet and, in that way only children can do, become firm friends almost instantly. Nessa is slightly older and seemingly orphaned; Demelza lives in the island’s caravan park run by her single dad, who is struggling to keep the business afloat. The pair seize the opportunity to escape into each other’s imaginations, setting off on a grand adventure to recover the island’s legendary buried treasure and, Demelza hopes, use it to reverse her father’s financial misfortune.

The girls may have a treasure map to guide them, but things aren’t quite so straightforward as realizing X marks the spot. Getting around town is a challenge. Nessa and Demelza can run–and if you hold down the run button they’ll do that thing kids do where they spread their arms like wings and yell “Vrrrrrrrmmmm!” like they’re a plane arcing through the air–but it’s often not entirely clear where they ought to be running to. Luckily, Demelza’s pet goose, Honkers, has a good nose for direction and will run off in the right direction, honking his little heart out if the girls fall behind. Oh, and don’t worry, you can absolutely pet the goose.

Early on Nessa and Demelza procure the eponymous bikes which allow them to zip around the island much faster than on foot. The bikes can be upgraded, too, with all kinds of handlebar grips, paint jobs, spoke decorations, and so on. All of these are purely cosmetic, save for one–a particular set of wheels that lets the girls traverse pools of mud that would otherwise be blocking their progress. Cycling around the island is hugely entertaining in itself, not because it’s especially interesting to navigate the many crisscrossing paths connecting the handful of major points of interest, but because the presentation does such a great job of capturing the carefree abandon these girls are feeling. You mash to pedal and build up momentum then hold down the button for a short burst of extra speed, all the while the girls are hooting and howling and, it must be said, not necessarily obeying strict road safety procedures.

Their adventure takes them from the caravan park to a mini golf course that doubles as the site of some historical battle to a maze-like scrapyard that transforms into a terrifying dungeon with seemingly no way out; to a hiking trail through the woods that twists and turns back in on itself in the manner of other more famous Lost Woods. Every step of the way the girls imbue the world with unwarranted but understandable wonder. The history book the local librarian is reading is obviously full of clues to the whereabouts of the treasure. That old man with a beard is very probably a wizard. And, clearly, every stroke of misfortune they encounter is a sign of the horrible curse afflicting the island.

It’s all great fun. The (probably) consensual hallucinations of the two girls are for the most part light and breezy and carry them headlong into one thrilling scrape after another. Their humour is infectious and their bonds of friendship, forged so fast in the fire of fantasy, are never in doubt. They’re both such superbly written characters, flinging one-liners at each other and building upon the other’s latest witty invention. And they’re vividly expressive, each new close-up of their comically contorted faces frozen in shock, disgust, awe or sly realization will never fail to bring a smile to your lips.

Where Knights & Bikes falters is in the moment to moment, the rote combat and light puzzling that knits together its seat-of-the-pants dash through childhood curiosity. Each girl finds three pieces of gear over the course of the game and these are used to both fend off enemies and negotiate numerous environmental puzzles. Nessa’s water bombs, for example, can be thrown to deal damage to enemies, extinguish fires (and do extra damage to fire-based enemies) and, when splatted into a puddle on the ground, conduct electricity.

But combat is mostly trivial. Enemies aren’t especially hard to defeat and the girls can heal each other (via a cute high-five) as long as they have enough of the bandages that drop in consistently plentiful amounts. Combat has the same knock-about energy that infuses the rest of the game, so it’s sort of fun to button-mash your way through. But it’s never interesting enough to look forward to.

The puzzles fare slightly better. There were a few occasions where I had to pause for a minute to think about what I needed to do next to progress. And I always enjoyed watching the next nonsensical triggered event play out after solving a puzzle even if I wasn’t always sure what I was trying to accomplish. Most of the time I just chuckled and wondered what was going to happen next.

Remarkably, for a game clearly designed for two-player cooperative play (locally or online), it works well when played solo. Here, you can switch between the two girls whenever you wish and the capable AI will assume control of the other. In combat, the AI controlled girl will use her abilities effectively and, even more impressively, when required to help solve a puzzle she’ll smartly move to the right spot and perform whatever is necessary. Even if you don’t have a co-op partner, you’re not really missing out on much.

Knights & Bikes was created by a small team featuring several people who worked on LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway, and you can feel that all these games share a similar creative vision. There’s a kind of wide-eyed, rough and tumble spirit of adventure running through all three games that is hard to resist. Knights & Bikes is a wonderfully warm, effortlessly inviting experience that’ll make you feel young again.

2. September 2019

Joker Movie Review Roundup: Here’s What The Critics Are Saying

The new Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by The Hangover’s Todd Phillips opens in theatres this October, but the film had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival over the weekend. Reviews for the movie are starting to come in, and to help you get an idea about if the film is worth your time and money, we’re collecting excerpts from reviews here.

GameSpot’s own Joker review from Michael Rougeau said Phoenix turns in an “iconic” performance as the clown price of crime as he delivers a “new, complex version of the character we haven’t seen before.”

You can see a rundown of Joker review excerpts below, while more information on the film’s critical reception can be found on GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

Joker

Directed By: Todd Phillips
Written By: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Robert De Niro
Release Date: October 4 (United States)

GameSpot

“It might make you uncomfortable, and it will no doubt stay with you long after the curtains close; great movies often do.” — Michael Rougeau [Full review]

Time Magazine

“Phillips may want us to think he’s giving us a movie all about the emptiness of our culture, but really, he’s just offering a prime example of it.” — Stephanie Zacharek [Full review]

The Guardian

“What a gloriously daring and explosive film Joker is. It’s a tale that’s almost as twisted as the man at its centre, bulging with ideas and pitching towards anarchy.” — Xan Brooks [Full review]

The Wrap

“It will be tempting for some to declare this the first art film based on a DC or Marvel property, but while it certainly represents a bit of a departure and something of a risk, Joker is ultimately grim-and-gritty comic book nihilism jacked up to the nth degree, wrapped up in a convincing but ultimately hollow simulacra of better, smarter movies.” — Alonso Duralde [Full review]

IGN

“Joker isn’t just an awesome comic book movie, it’s an awesome movie, period. It offers no easy answers to the unsettling questions it raises about a cruel society in decline. Joaquin Phoenix’s fully committed performance and Todd Phillips’ masterful albeit loose reinvention of the DC source material make Joker a film that should leave comic book fans and non-fans alike disturbed and moved in all the right ways.” — Jim Vejvoda [Full review]

The Hollywood Reporter

“Joaquin Phoenix boldly reinvents Batman’s cackling arch-nemesis in Todd Phillips’ dark new vision of the supervillain origin story, also starring Robert De Niro.” — David Rooney [Full review]

2. September 2019

How This Brazilian City Became Ground Zero For The Amazon’s Deforestation Crisis

Rampant corruption, environmental indifference and a thirst for growth helped Brazil ignore a crisis in Altamira.

2. September 2019

Best PAX West 2019 Cosplay — Cyberpunk 2077, Borderlands, Overwatch, More (Day 2)

The Standout Cosplayers from Day 2 of PAX West 2019

As PAX West continues, more attendees are showing their talent for crafting and presenting their cosplay creations. Our roundup of cosplayers from day 1 of PAX West 2019 saw several visitors showing off their passion for games like Warframe, Borderlands, and Overwatch. It was an eventful day, but things were just getting started for the convention.

On the second day of PAX West 2019, we saw even more cosplayers at the show who paid tribute to their favorite games and pop-culture icons. One of the big standouts from the show so far was the number of people dressed as characters from the Borderlands series. With its release coming on September 13, many fans took to the show to show off their love and anticipation for the Gearbox’s looter-shooter.

Another big standout from the second day was the many cosplayers for CD Projekt RED’s action-RPG Cyberpunk 2077. With the recent reveals focusing on the core gameplay and other facets of the game, cosplayers were excited to display their best outfits modeled after the central protagonist of the game.

And with that, here’s a roundup of some standout cosplay outfits from day 2 of the show. For more on all things PAX, including news on Cyberpunk 2077, recent hands-on impressions with Luigi’s Mansion 3, and our growing gallery rounding up the most exciting games of the show, be sure to check back with GameSpot throughout the show.