Monthly Archives: June 2019

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Hosts Beta on Playstation 4 This Weekend

Monster Hunter World PS4 Beta Announcement

Capcom confirmed today that the beta sessions for the Playstation 4 of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne will begin this weekend! Whether you’re a first-time hunter or experienced warrior, a sneak peek of the Iceborne content awaits, with the chilly Hoarfrost Reach area, a new monster and some fun new gameplay options. The first beta will be exclusive to Playstation Plus users and runs from Friday, June 21st (3 am PDT) until Monday, June 24th (3 am PDT). The second beta will be available for all Playstation 4 users and will begin on June 28th and run through July 1st.

The beta offers players three quest choices, including the beginner-friendly Great Jagras hunt from Monster Hunter: World for newcomers, the brand new horned brute wyvern Banbaro for an intermediate challenge or returning series favorite Tigrex for the fiercest of hunters.  All fourteen weapon types will be available as well, across those three quests and the training area.  The weapons will have new features, plus there’s the new Slinger tool options (Clutch Claw mechanic as an example). Three item packs will be available, upon completing each quest the first time, which will have helpful consumables in them. These will also be available in the full version of Iceborne.

Killing Floor 2’s Summer Event is Back

Tripwire Interactive is proud to announce that Killing Floor 2‘s latest content update is live: Killing Floor 2: Back & Kickin’ Brass. This brings back the popular Summer Event for Killing Floor 2, along with a brass-load of new content. Tripwire is also celebrating with an extra-long free weekend, starting Thursday (June 20th) and ending on Tuesday, June 25th at 10  am PDT. There will also be a Steam Discount during that time, which can be found here.

A new game mode comes in this update, “Objective”, which brings unique animations, interface elements, environmental tasks, special effects, cinematics and much more to create a fresh narrative experience. A new map, Steam Fortress also arrives, which has two new weapons: The Seal Squeal and Medic Bat. The Summer Sideshow Zeds are also back, and the adventures of Lockheart continue, where players can assist Lockheart in repairing and refueling his rocket, in order to blast off and begin an assault on the moon!

There will also be new updates, such as the addition of prestige rank 5, and limited-time skins, objectives, and cosmetics to unlock. More info can be found on their microsite for the event.

Ragachak’s Best RPG Dogs of All Time

by Jason Parker (Ragachak)

Best Dogs Daigoro

So, we’re here today to talk about a very serious, important list – who are the best dogs across all RPGs? This was actually a pretty hard list if I’m being honest. There are a few that I wanted to put on here, but for one reason or another, they just didn’t make the cut. I didn’t want to put three Final Fantasy dogs on here, so I had to figure out which of the three were the best: Interceptor, Angelo, and Daigoro. Ultimately I settled on Interceptor, because he has one of the coolest features of the three, and honestly – I like Final Fantasy VI more than VIII. Daigoro appears in more games, but I still want to leave him as an honorable mention. To be honest, they’re all very good boys and do a lot to help us in our quests, even if it’s just making us feel a little bit better. But many of the dogs on this list are actually incredibly helpful on the combat front. I also wanted to take the time to mention King from EarthBound. If he weren’t only used in the first five to ten minutes of the game, he’d probably have made the cut. But, he was still infinitely more useful than Pokey or Pickey.

So who are your favorite dogs? Here are mine.

Best Dogs Mame

Mame? Pochitaro? Both excellent choices.

5. Pochitaro/Mame (Yakuza): So, in Yakuza 3, a dog is adopted by the Sunshine Orphanage, named Mame (or Rex, in America), who is an adorable little Shiba. However, during Yakuza Kiwami 2, you meet up with a pup Shiba who is being abused by punks, and Kiryu stops them because that’s what Kiryu does. Through the course of events, this pup, now named Pochitaro, winds up at the Orphanage. So this is a bit of a confusing point because I don’t know if they’re the same dog or not. They’re basically the same dog, and appear not too long after each other, so I imagine Yakuza Kiwami 2 just wanted to put that adorable dog in the game, and good on them for it. Pochitaro/Mame does not help you in combat but does show up in the Bakamitai Karaoke cutscene. Just having Mame in the game makes things a little brighter, because the world of Yakuza is a dark, violent one. Thanks, Pochitaro.

Best Dogs Dogmeat

How could you NOT like that adorable face?

4. Dogmeat (Fallout Series): Dogmeat appears across the Fallout franchise but may have had his biggest appearance in Fallout 4 and is very clearly the best part of the entire game, making the game very enjoyable. Dogmeat’s been in Fallout 1, 2, 3 and 4, though his appearance in Fallout 2 is apparently non-canonical. His appearance in 3 is a different dog entirely, but that in no way changes the good dog and how useful he is to the franchise. Having Dogmeat by your side through Fallout 4 creates an important emotional response that frankly, you don’t receive in any other part of the game (including that awful MSQ involving the protagonist’s child). I was very glad to find that Dogmeat could not die in Fallout 4, because I probably would have just deleted my save file. Dogmeat is one of the biggest staples of the Fallout franchise and that is not hyperbole. Thank you for your service, Dogmeat.

Best Dogs - Dog

I don’t have to say much more, other than he’s a good dog.

3. Dog (Secret of Evermore): This was a really fascinating dog if I’m being honest. It’s your second player character in the entirety of Secret of Evermore, and as you traverse the game, though you stay the same, he evolves. No matter what time period/area you’re in, the dog fits the mold of the world – from sabretooth cavedog, all the way up to futuristic, laser-firing toasterdog. He has no lines but can be controlled by another controller, and that’s just dandy. Secret of Evermore is honestly a seriously underrated classic, despite being written/created solely as a project for America to have their own “Mana” game, it’s a beautiful and funny story, with plenty of wacky one-liners, challenge, and a tremendous Alchemy system. But most important – a loyal dog that goes with his human through thick and thin, and helps him out of sticky situations. Come on, that’s awesome! Thanks, Dog.

Best Dogs - Interceptor

Shadow even offers Interceptor Ghost Food!

2. Interceptor (Final Fantasy VI): “Leave us. The dog eats strangers.” Were the first lines we receive from Shadow in Final Fantasy VI, and I still think he means it. The only people that Interceptor cares about it seems, are Shadow and Relm, which creates a wealth of fascinating possibilities. Though you cannot actually control Interceptor in the game, he acts as a status ailment/buff. This means through a few methods, you can transfer Interceptor’s buff to another player. When it activates, Interceptor arrives, takes the hit for Shadow, and then retaliates with a lot of damage. Interceptor is useful throughout the entire game and has some pretty great moments, though they are few and far between. I can only imagine that if you leave Shadow behind on the Floating Continent (you monster), Interceptor stays with him through that potential extinction. He’s loyal, he’s tough, he’s a good boy. Thank you, Interceptor.

Best Dogs - Repede

1. Repede (Tales of Vesperia): Come on, how could it not be Repede? He has a cool name, an awesome look, and he’s a part of your regular fighting party! He has a badass dirk/kunai and a sweet pipe! Plus it seems like he can communicate with Yuri – that or it’s just one of those loyal dog/companion things. He’s with you for the entirety of the game and is one of the staples of my party. He has lots of damage, incredibly useful skills, and arguably one of the coolest looks for any dog in any video game – ever. He’s also the second non-human playable character in the Tales of series, which is fascinating. Plus, since he’s a dog, he has a smaller hitbox, and there are a lot of attacks that simply go whizzing overhead. And you can control him if you’d rather fight as a dog instead of as a human. What’s not to like?

World War 3 Announces Steam Free Weekend

The Farm 51 announced today that a free weekend will be hitting their game World War 3, starting on June 20th, running until June 23rd. The community has been quite vocal about the need for a chance to play the game for free, and The Farm 51 agreed. This comes after the release of the Warzone Giga-Patch, and The Farm 51 feels this is the perfect time to let people get a taste of what’s going on in World War 3’s Early Access.

Everyone that has wanted to try World War 3 is invited to join in. Between June 20-23 players will have the full catalog of weapons, strikes, gadgets, and equipment at their disposal and will get a chance to play on one of the newest maps, Polyarny, in its Warzone variant. There will also be a 40% discount available until June 24th.

Everspace – Launch Trailer

Everspace is an action-focused space shooter, that will offer roguelike elements with a captivating story. It’s coming on June 21st from Badland Publishing. The player’s skills, experience, and improvisational ability will be constantly tested as they piece together the puzzle of their existence.

Insurgency: Sandstorm Drops Massive Update Ahead of Steam Free Weekend

Insurgency: Sandstorm has a free update dropping today, which has a ton of new content – this is ahead of the Steam Free Weekend, beginning on June 20th. The Steam Free Weekend will run from June 20th, until June 24th, 2019, and is a great time for players uncertain if they want to dive in to do so. This update will include some new weapons and attachments, as well as a remake of a classic Insurgency map (MInistry). There’s also a zombie-inspired arcade mode arriving entitled “Frenzy”. This update is expected to drop on 3 PM MT / 11 PM CEST today.

New Weapons and Attachments:

  • QBZ-03 Chinese assault rifle and TAR-21 MARS-style red dot optic for Insurgents
  • VHS-2 Croatian assault rifle and MRO “Micro Red Dot” optic for Security

ARK: Survival Evolved Offers Free ‘Valguero’ Map Expansion in June

Studio Wildcard revealed that a free expansion map is dropping for ARK: Survival Evolved tomorrow, June 18th on Steam – Valguero. This free update will add exotic biomes to explore and will offer a 63 square kilometer map, filled with breathtaking landscapes from mountain tops, rolling valleys, and dark gorges. There will, of course, be titanic boss arena battles, ruins to explore, and cave networks to delve into. This update will also have the agile dinosaur, Deinonychus. The Valguero Expansion Map will hit Playstation 4 and Xbox One in July 2019.

Join the Studio Wildcard development team as they livestream the ValgueroExpansion Map today, Monday, June 17 at 3:00 PM PST via the official Studio Wildcard Twitch.

The ARK: Valguero Expansion Map includes:

  • Expanded Exploration: Over 63 square kilometers of new land and sea to explore!
  • Peaks and Valleys: Eight Biomes with a vast array of climates and dangers – tread lightly through the hazards of Skeleton Gorge, see the vistas on top of the Twin Peaks or find remnants of the past at the Lost Temple.
  • Triple Threat Boss Challenges: A boss arena where players face an epic battle against a Megapithecus, Manticore, and Dragon in this heavy-hitting, triple threat encounter! Face familiar dangers in the End-Game Boss encounter in an entirely different way!
  • New Dinosaur – Deinonychus: Encounter the ill-natured Deinonychus! Similar to the raptor, it uses speed and agility to leap wall ledge to wall ledge as it seeks high vantage points to lie in wait for prey. This contentious beast is fearless and will hunt prey much larger than itself, latching onto a larger dinosaur’s back with its sickle-shaped claws as it starts to feed before its victim is even dead.
  • Into The Trenches: A large network of caves to spelunk as you delve into unexplored territory featuring different themes and varied perks, including the extensive Aberration Trench.
  • Secrets From the Ancient Age: Explore scattered ruins throughout the world of forgotten Valguero survivors.

Monster Legends

Monster Legends is a free-to-play monster-taming adventure developed by Social Point that can be played on iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire devices. Collect and tame over 100 unique monsters, found through exploring, questing, and even breeding. Build an island for your monsters to live in and take them into exciting battles. Are you brave enough and skillful enough to become the top Monster Master in the world?

Business Model: Free to Play

Microtransactions: Yes – Gachapon

Key Features:

Adventure: Play through an adventure mode, discover monsters, and take them on quests to help them grow in strength.

Multiplayer Modes: Fight in heated PvP battles against other monster teams to earn trophies and set up your defending monsters to keep the trophies safe that you’ve collected.

Island Management: Create your own monster paradise that you can use as your base of operations. Utilize a Breeding Mountain, Habitats, Temples and more! Unlock special spots on the island like the Monster Lab, Temples of the Guardians, and the Library!

Dragon Awaken

Dragon Awaken is a free-to-play fantasy browser MMORPG developed by Game Hollywood where a commander has led his forces against the dragon lair, but something goes wrong in the attack and some of the warriors end up possessing the power of a dragon, becoming a legendary dragon knight! Do you think you can handle all of the power and responsibility that comes with being one of the legendary dragon knights? Grow your power, collect your dragons, and see if you have what it takes in Dragon Awaken!

Features:

Turn-based Combat: Combat in Dragon Awaken is strategic and turn-based. You’ll have time to think out your attacks and determine what the best action is for your party.

Dragon Collection: Collect dragons on your adventures and add them to your ranks, giving your party boosts and dealing damage that ignores your enemy’s defenses.

Multi-layered Scenes: Battle in scenes that vary in both look and feel while having multiple layers of depth to fight on.