[Game News] + General Gamesy Chatter

[Bier_Engel]

I like DanganRonpa and The Zero Escape games, and I heard that this was like a combination of both with like... less murder.

E: Downloading now. I played Trails in the Sky for a sec since that was in my Steam backlog, but it just seemed like a pared down version of Trails of Cold Steel, of which I haven't finished the second game yet, and the Steam controls on the controller were kind of ass. Not sure if I'll get into that one. I'm still in the mood for more visual novel kind of things right now anyway.

[Falcon Critical]

A full trailer for The Foundation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNZ_dJ8ELZs

Very hype!

[Delthazar]

Yeah, I'm all-in. Did I spot at least one new power in that trailer? Kinda hope so, especially if it makes some of the vanilla sidequest content easier.

...speaking of which uggggh is that the Former at the end, oof, that thing wrecked me a ton already

[Falcon Critical]

Haha yeah definitely looks like Former at the end. That's another loose end, and though leaving loose ends is like a big part of the genre, I'm not surprised that we're seeing of them.

[Bier_Engel]

I'm liking Ace Attorney quite a bit. $15 for 3 games is quite nice. On the third case of the first game, still. Seems like a decent time killer for now.

I can't help but wonder if digital game sales are spiking right now.

[Delthazar]

Undoubtedly, yeah. Maybe especially among folks who'd normally go out and buy stuff physically. I was planning on grabbing Animal Crossing and FF7R at my local mom 'n' pop but I might just forget that and preorder digitally and save myself from another paranoia-inducing bus ride full of people who can't cover their mouths when they cough

And with so many people stuck at home I'd definitely expect to see more charity-based sales and giveaways than usual to help people pass the time or save money. The relaxed data caps will help with that, too.

[Bier_Engel]

I have both of those pre-ordered via Amazon already. I can't help but wonder what they are doing in response to all of this. I haven't heard a peep. My eye doctor that I haven't seen in 2 years, and random places like my bank, emailed me about their sanitation practices but Amazon has said nothing. How do we know if their employees are spreading the virus or not? I already know they treat their employees like shit, so I'm not convinced that sick employees will stay home. I guess it's my fault for continuing to have a membership despite knowing all this, but as someone who doesn't really drive, I don't know what else to do. Convenience is king, sadly.

[Delthazar]

That reminds me, I've heard a bunch of delivery gig stuff are now adding "no contact" options to their apps as a result of the virus. Amazon has kinda always done that though I guess. I don't think I've ever seen an Amazon driver ask for a signature or anything, they just drop stuff on the step and go.

Chances are their "fulfillment center" situation is as bad as always right now, yeah. Or worse or soon to get worse. I don't know how many people they have working those shifts at once, but it's gonna be crazy if they all have to shut down and suddenly the whole Amazon supply chain apparatus grinds to a halt.

[Bier_Engel]

Oh yeah, same. I used DoorDash maybe once and got an email about no contact delivery today. No plans to use it yet, but 3 weeks in confinement may change me.

But yeah, Amazon just throws shit on my porch anyway. Not worried about contact from the driver, but I am worried that the facilities are forcing their employees to work too much, and probably more than usual now that people don't want to shop in person as much. Like, people are probably coughing on all the packages and shit. I'm already washing my hands raw, but wash your hands after opening packages.

[Delthazar]

Steam set a new concurrent user record today of about 20 million.

https://kotaku.com/over-20-million-peop ... 1842347346

That'll probably only get higher. I expect Netflix and other streaming services will report similar bumps pretty damn soon. Back to games though, there was a pretty big Xbox Live outage earlier today and I haven't heard if it's still going on or not. I imagine it's unrelated, and not their servers melting down from too many connections.

[Delthazar]

Due to the virus disrupting supply lines and retail, Square is cautioning folks that physical copies of FF7R may be hard to find on/after launch day, since who knows when they'll be able to restock brick 'n' mortar, or how many of those businesses will still be open, etc.

https://twitter.com/finalfantasyvii/sta ... 84675?s=20

...so this is maybe the first time in ages that preorders may actually be helpful for securing a copy. But I wonder if we're already past the point where new preorders will do the trick, or if the pipeline is already too fucked up, or what.

Guess I'll just go digital and covet thy neighbour's steelcase edition. (Warning: it'll probably be like an 80GB+ download and install )

[Delthazar]

https://twitter.com/imranzomg/status/12 ... 94336?s=20

[Bier_Engel]

I haven't gotten any emails from Amazon notifying me of delays of either one yet. Since my pre-orders were already in, I'm probably fine. Libraries get copies of things up to 3 weeks prior to release sometimes, meaning our suppliers get them even earlier, and I have a warehouse about a mile from where I live. If I do get any delay notices, I'll just cancel and go digital. Normally not my preference, but I'd make an exception for the situation. So far, my Amazon account is still saying I'll receive my physical copy of Animal Crossing by 8 pm Friday.

[True Perception]

I guess I should put through a pre-order of 7R now. I've got to go physical, since we don't have cable internet right now. I could not do that big of a download over hotspot.

Edit: Though, I should wait to see if my cell carrier sends me that link for free Amazon Prime on the 22nd, first.

[Delthazar]

I haven't gotten any emails from Amazon notifying me of delays of either one yet. Since my pre-orders were already in, I'm probably fine.

Hell, Amazon is one of the few things that's actually staffing up right now, so yeah, I doubt those preorders would be affected. Future orders, maybe, who knows. Impossible to predict in this wild-ass situation, three weeks may as well be three years.

[Bier_Engel]

Well, my post aged like milk, since I got an email overnight that my order would be delayed until the 24th. I'm already bored out of my mind and anticipating this too much, so I canceled it, and I'm going digital. Downside is that I apparently used a giftcard balance for my pre-order, so instead of paying like, $13, I'll have to pay full price. But the cool thing is that I can pre-load everything now, and play at midnight, rather than sitting around waiting for a package tomorrow.

[Delthazar]

Yikes, I wasn't expecting a delay like that so close to launch. It's good that Amazon is prioritizing essential shipments though.

Thankfully the digital version is a pretty light 6.2GB. And midnight for you is 9PM PST for me! West coast best coast.

[Bier_Engel]

Yeah I'm not sure if it goes by my timezone or another one... guess we'll find out.

[Delthazar]

FREEBIE ALERT

The 2013 Tomb Raider reboot is free on Steam for the weekend. It's free-to-keep as well, not just a weekend license a la the latest Assassin's Creed and a few others at the moment.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/203160/Tomb_Raider/

...kinda hard to believe it's been seven years already. I'm feeling old. Hell, somehow I own the whole reboot trilogy at this point. Haven't broken the seal on any of 'em yet. You know me.

Elsewhere, the folks wot made The Messenger have a JRPG-styled prequel underway called Sea of Stars.

https://youtu.be/AhU_K3DVIN4

Kickstarters being Kickstarters, even fully funded (or double the goal by now probably) this might be a while. Sure looks nice though. I have no particular interest in The Messenger but yeah, I'd play this, sure.

[True Perception]

Finally put through a pre-order for 7R. Chose Best Buy, because they will get it to me on the 10th (supposedly) for no extra cost, and they have the right bonuses; and went with the $80 version, because, fuck it. Why not? I do want Chocobo Chick and Cactuar.

[Falcon Critical]

One of my anticipated games of 2020 actually came out with some new information after being radio silent for ages! Witchbrook the "Stardew Valley in Hogwarts" pitched game has changed art styles.


https://www.pcgamer.com/au/new-witchbro ... -new-look/

Hopefully this means they're cracking on with gameplay development now and it doesn't fall into the common trap of constant visual redesigns turning back the clock.

[DHerder222]

Hm, I'm not sure which style I liked more. But I'm still excited for the game.

[True Perception]

I was just thinking "why the hell have I not heard anything if 7R is supposed to be coming tomorrow?" maybe 20 minutes ago, and an email just popped up that it's shipped. Cutting it a little close there, Best Buy.

Not that I'll have much time to play it until Sunday.

[Delthazar]

A new XCOM spin-off/semi-sequel was just announced out of nowhere. It'll be out... next week? And it's launching with a 50% discount, coming to only about $10-15 depending on region. That price should probably give you an idea of the game's overall scope. PC only for now.

https://youtu.be/_C9UzAIsqjU

There are some major new mechanics here, especially interleaved turns, which is a huge change from the usual alternating phases. Not sure I've played a tactics game that does this since Banner Saga. The addition of a breach phase sounds like a really fun evolution of XCOM 2's stealth phase. Centering the game around named characters is also a first for XCOM and if it catches on could open the door for Fire Emblem-y stuff like support ranks in XCOM 3.

An XCOM that's cheap enough to be an impulse buy feels really really tempting but maybe it's better to wait for reviews if they're taking this many big experimental swings. Can't wait to get Austin and Rob's take on it.

[Falcon Critical]

I wonder too whether this is a story bridge into XCOM 3. Def gonna pick it up though.