Yearly Archives: 2018
Runner 3 Review: A Bit Of A Trip
Out of the numerous games to spring up under the Bit.Trip umbrella, it's not exactly a surprise that the most accessible of the bunch, Bit.Trip Runner, would be the one to transcend its retro-styled roots. In bringing the Runner games' mechanics to a fancier playground on the Switch, developer Choice Provisions has made its most ambitious game yet--but in doing so, may have revealed the limits to how far it can push the concept. It's also the most difficult, and if you haven't already invested in a good sturdy case for the Switch that might stand up to having the system thrown at terminal velocity out of a living room window, now would be a good time.
On paper, the gameplay is as deceptively simple as it's always been. Your character runs forward automatically, and it's up to you to jump, duck, slide, and kick down obstacles until you reach the finish line. The secret sauce of the Runner series is that every action and every item in a stage is plotted to work with its music, a whole game trekking along to simple melodies. Stages can be unpredictable, but if you have any sense of rhythm whatsoever, losing yourself to the music can get you through the tougher moments.
None of Runner 3’s tunes are terribly catchy, and quite frankly, it makes me wistful for the innovative chiptunes that accompanied the original Bit.Trip Runner. Most of the tracks settle for rudimentary and quirky when they could’ve absolutely gone big and eclectic. The furthest Runner 3 branches out in that regard is in the Danny Elfman-like haunted house tunes that accompany much of the second area of the game. At most, the music does the bare minimum: providing a beat for you to follow.
Most people will be able to blast through the first few stages easily, but Runner 3 ramps up the difficulty early on. Around the halfway point of the first area, stages start changing perspectives to an angle, but the shifts in viewpoint can make some of the jumps trickier than they need to be and obscure some obstacles. At its most aggravating, it's difficult to suss out where it's safe to land or what the timing needs to be to kick something out of your way. There are also moments where the game is too complex for its own good; for example, a machine that builds platforms as you run along, making anticipation impossible except through sheer trial and error--which can feel immensely cheap, especially as you get closer to the finish line.
That problem is made worse by the sheer length of each level. Although there are fewer stages in Runner 3, they go on longer than ever--a perfect run with no deaths can sometimes stretch on for four or five minutes. There are still checkpoints at the midpoint of each stage (and as before, if you like living dangerously, skipping the checkpoint gives you a ton of points), but each stage is so densely packed with obstacles this time around that those two minutes to get to safety can feel like an eternity. On top of that, the difficulty is wildly inconsistent; you might get stuck on an early stage that throws bizarre off-kilter obstacle patterns at you, and the next two stages could be walks in the park.
Compared to the relative austerity of the previous titles, Runner 3's environments go full-tilt wacky, overloaded with comical flourishes. The very first stage has you running through a breakfast island, a place where the palm trees are slices of cantaloupe and grapefruit, the rivers flow with milk and cereal, and the high roads are paved with waffles and toast. Later, another stage in Foodland sends you running through a giant refrigerator, bouncing off Jell-O cubes and jogging past some of the most outlandish and gross fake food products imaginable (personal favorites: Fish Errors, Beefmilk, and Cup O' Lumps in Milk Brine). Runner 3's levels are so immensely packed full of random amusements that you're equally likely to fail because you were busy staring at some visual gag happening off in the distance.
For those who do want more of a challenge, there are Hard variations of each stage, and ironically, there's a more gradual climb in difficulty with these than in the normal stages. In addition, the branching Hard routes tend to be where most of the game's collectibles are hiding, giving even more incentive for multiple playthroughs of an area. Said collectibles unlock a sizable amount of content, from the truly infuriating Impossible stages to new runners--with recurring characters from previous games rubbing shoulders with Shovel Knight and, for some reason, Eddie Riggs from Brutal Legend--to Retro stages which are built on a Hanna-Barbera aesthetic.
The greatest compliment to be paid to a game like Runner 3 is that after feeling the urge to toss a controller, it's hard to think of anything else except trying again. Runner 3’s greatest strength is in rewarding that perseverance. Getting through each stage means more jokes to see, more characters to play around with, and more secret stages to explore. Runner 3, over time, reveals itself to be a veritable buffet of weird and whimsical environments, and thrilling, precision-based gameplay, but make no mistake: you will have to work for your meal.
Jet Li’s Manager Responds to Fan Concerns Over Actor’s Health
Jet Li's manager released a statement to quell fans' concerns over the actor's health, following an unflattering photo posted online.
After seeing the photo of Jet Li with a fan on social media, a number of media outlets began speculating on the actors health, calling him "unrecognisable." Another suggested the picture showed Li being assisted as he walked. However, Li's manager, Steven Chasman, told The Washington Post it's nothing more than a bad picture.
Power Outage in Florida Triggers Real Life Zombie Alert
According to an update from Lake Worth's official social media account, residents of the Florida city should have been on alert for "zombie activity" during their power outage, which certainly offered some unique possibilities to fill time while waiting for power was restored.
The warning being framed in a joking manner is obvious given the reference to Terminus from The Walking Dead.
"Power outage and zombie alert for the residents of Lake Worth and Terminus," read the update from Lake Worth City's social media account, via CBS Sacramento. "There are now far less than 7-thousand 3-hundred 80 customers involved due to extreme zombie activity. Restoration time uncertain.”
Which Dark Souls Boss Is the Best?
Dark Souls Remastered is out at the end of this week, bringing the world of Lordran back in 4K and 60fps for returning fans and newcomers alike.
Any opportunity to return to the original Dark Souls is a good one, whatever your feelings on the upcoming remaster itself. It’s especially exciting to know how many new players will be experiencing its trials and wonders for the very first time – especially its iconic boss fights.
Two years ago, we asked you to rank the hardest Dark Souls 3 bosses. With Dark Souls Remastered right around the corner, we call upon the IGN community for help once again – this time to rank every Dark Souls boss from the original game. Not by difficulty this time, but by how purely memorable, iconic, and exciting the boss fight was. Challenge can be a factor in all of that, but it doesn’t need to be the deciding factor. We’re looking for the IGN community's favorite boss from the original Dark Souls.
Jetpacks Are Already Changing Fortnite a Few Hours After Release
It has only been a few hours since the Epic Games made the Jetpack officially available in Fortnite and it has already started to change the way fans play.
Jetpacks grant additional mobility by allowing players to thrust upwards for a short amount of time. Each Jetpack comes with a limited amount of gas and will disintegrate once depleted. Jetpacks need to recharge between jumps otherwise you're looking at overheating.
Fortnite Refund System Going Live in June
Fortnite's Self-Service Cosmetics Return feature is apparently coming back to the game on June 1.
The self-refund feature was initially introduced in an update last month but was rolled back after Epic Games discovered an issue with it. However, a customer service email from the developer, screencapped and shared on the Fortnite: Battle Royale Leaks Twitter account, states the feature is going live on June 1.
Red Dead Redemption 2: Will It Be at E3 2018?
It's that time of year again: E3 2018 is just on the horizon. From June 9-14, we'll be covering the biggest games and hardware announcements of 2018 and beyond. While you can check out our continually-updated Games of E3 List, we're now going to start diving deeper. Every day leading up to the show, we'll be highlight the stuff we want to see and play at E3 2018. Today's game: RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2.
When Did We Last See Red Dead Redemption 2?
Rockstar recently dropped the third trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2, which focused on the game's incredible atmosphere, characters, and some of the activities that we'll be partaking in. Simultaneously, we published our in-depth impressions of the game after seeing it in action.
Rocket League Salty Shores Update Coming Soon
Psyonix has announced the release date for Rocket League's upcoming Salty Shores update.
The update will come out on May 29 for all platforms and it'll feature the titular free new beach-themed arena, Salty Shores. Also included with the update is a new import Battle-Car, Twinzer, which players can acquire as a limited-drop via the new Impact Crate.
The in-game Rocket League x Monstercat Vol. 3 playlist is being added as well, and the update marks the end of competitive Season 7 and the start of Competitive Season 8. The Beach Blast summer in-game event will start on June 11.
You can check out a new trailer for Salty Shores below.
For more on what players can expect from Rocket League throughout 2018, check out Psyonix's roadmap detailing the updates coming this summer.
EA No Longer Has PGA Tour License
PGA Tour is no longer licensed to EA, as Canadian developer, HB Studios, announced the addition of the PGA Tour to its upcoming title The Golf Club 2019.
After ending its partnership with Tiger Wood in 2013, EA's golf franchise took a year hiatus, returning with Rory McIlroy PGA Tour. The publisher has now lost the license altogether, although PGA Tour's senior director of licensing told GolfChannel.com that the "long-term successful partnership" with EA ended amicably.
Krypton Renewed for Season 2
Syfy has renewed Krypton for Season 2, the network has announced.
The new season of the DC show, which centers on Superman's grandfather Seg-El, is expected to premiere sometime in 2019. Meanwhile, the Season 1 finale airs on May 23 at 10 p.m. PT/ET on Syfy.
Krypton is the network's most-watched debut season for an original series since 2014's Ascension, and is also the most-watched season for any scripted series on Syfy since 2015's Defiance.
The story, set two generations before the destruction of Krypton, follows Seg-El trying to redeem the House of El's honor and going up against Braniac and Adam Strange.
For more on Krypton, read our review of the show's first episode and find out why we think Krypton succeeds where Gotham failed.