Innovative storytelling: Applying the 'Dungeons & Dragons' method on a personal level

   There are a lot of games out there that each have their own, unique story to tell. These stories range from emotional, thrilling, meaningful and more often than not try to deliver some sort of message. Throughout the experience, the game attempts to create a bond between the player and the protagonist via the narrative, as they go through situations that seem difficult to overcome. More often than not, the players take a backseat as they watch events unfold. Events that involve the same character that they are meant to be in control of.
   However, recently there have been a few titles that attempt to put players more in the role of their characters. Rather than just decide how they fight or limit their experience to simply watching the story, certain game developers have put players in the position of the protagonists, making their actions directly affect the fate of the characters and thereby the outcome of the story. This method of storytelling is more commonly known as the "Dungeons & Dragons" technique.
   For those who do not know, "Dungeons & Dragons" (or D&D, for short) was a fantasy tabletop role-playing game that was released back in 1974, when 4K TVs and dual-core processors were things that the human mind couldn't even imagine. The concept of this game was to create a fantastical setting and give the players a choice of two individual paths on how to proceed. Depending on the answers they provide, their created character could either end up with a grim fate or survive all trials and come out as the winner.
   This sort of unique way of storytelling, where the player directly affects the way the story progresses has been used by several developers, but most popular among them is ATLUS. Both their recently re-released title Catherine: Full Body and their Persona series make perfect use of the "D&D" method by amplifying it, as they put players in situations that requires them to reveal their true personality. (It's should be pointed out that there are heavy spoilers for both Persona 5 and Catherine: Full Body up ahead, so if you haven't played either of them and you intend to, you might want to skip the next section.)
   In 2016 's Persona 5, the main character is able to form relationships with several individuals around him. The bonds he forms serve him in battle, yet should he go too far with his intimacy, it could prove costly and hurt those around him. The player chooses the people with whom the main character forms these bonds and there are certain limitations as there are a lot of people surrounding the main character and limited time. He could choose to not talk to anyone and be a loner. Or there's the opposite extreme where the main character ends up as a playboy who has an incredibly full schedule for his Valentine's Day.
   But the choice that was the most thought-provocative came near the end of the game, when the mastermind behind it all, the so-called 'God of Control', offered the main character a chance to turn the wheels of time and for the populace to accept the Phantom Thieves -as is the pseudonym of the gang the main characters have formed. Considering the way the story has progressed up to that point, but also the fact that there doesn't seem to be a downside to this offer, it's difficult to say no, putting players in a very difficult position. 
   Yet doing so ends the game right then and there, as you're provided with an ending that shows a public crowd that lacks the abilities of clear thought and criticism, blindly taking whatever the Phantom Thieves do as a positive. Such power is easy to corrupt and it is that choice that is given to the player here. I must admit, when I was provided with the choice, I took the offer and it was difficult for me to go back and complete the game.
   Catherine: Full Body makes things even more personal. The game begins with a main character, Vincent, who is already involved with someone -Katherine- yet somehow finds himself getting involved with not just another, but two more people, who all interestingly share the same name. Night after night, Vincent experiences horrific nightmares during which he needs to go up a series of stairs in order to reach a door if he is to survive. Every time he reaches the top, he finds himself in a confessional, where someone who he cannot see asks him a question. And this is where the players get involved. The questions that are asked are not directed to Vincent, but to the players themselves and are of a highly personal matter ("What do you look for in another person before you begin a relationship?", was one of the questions that I was asked). The responses of the players directly affect Vincent's story and the way he deals with his personal relationships, with the game featuring multiple endings.
   This type of storytelling of course might lead to extensive development times for each title, as contrary to a streamlined scenario, there need to be branches depending on the choices of the players and different cut scenes, etc. Plus it might diminish the time of the original play through of a title significantly. It also creates a moral dilemma for the players themselves who may not want to go back and see the other endings, as those will not be based on their own choices, but rather they will be forced to make decisions that they wouldn't usually make in real life.
   Yet it is undoubtedly one of the most innovative way of getting players invested into a story as it makes them feel responsible in a way for their character's fate and could even give them an opportunity to reflect on their actions, should their choices lead the hero down a wrong path. It's like you're providing them with the pen and the paper and all they have to do is write; it's their own story.

Final Fantasy VII Remake @ Tokyo Game Show 2019: Bringing Fantasy into reality

 

   One of the most highly anticipated gaming events of the year is undoubtedly the Tokyo Game Show. Although some may argue that it has lost some of its glamour in the past few years, the recent rise in Japanese developed titles makes it the perfect opportunity to show them off on home soil where the game creators know exactly how to cater to their audiences. Without doubt, one of these major new titles is Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII Remake which had a strong presence at the show. The ambitious reinvention of the popular 1997 game was featured not only by a sparkling new trailer, but with several pieces of game play, with information -both official and still unconfirmed- spreading like wildfire.
   But let's take things one step at a time. Earlier during the week it became known through a post by the game's director Tetsuya Nomura on the FFVIIR Twitter page that a new trailer was going to drop. A short while later, a countdown timer was added on the game's official Japanese website, with all fans holding their breath for the moment it would finally hit zero. Once that moment came, the new trailer dropped like a bomb in a Mako reactor (too soon..?)
   The almost-three minute long clip showcased the members of the Turks, ShinRa's elite mercenary force. Reno, Rude and Tseng were all displayed looking a lot flashier than in the 2005 movie Advent Children. The final member, Elena, was nowhere to be seen though. Also in the trailer there was yet another character of unknown origin who was riding a motorcycle and pursuing the Avalanche members. Presumably, he is also a member of SOLDIER, just like Cloud and Sephiroth, and according to rumors that remain unconfirmed his name is Cerberus (no, not Sebastian or Essai, sorry.)

   Apart from them though, one of the most appreciated con-men in video game history, Don Corneo, also made an appearance, looking as creepy as ever, while it was confirmed that Final Fantasy casuals Shiva and Ifrit will once again be coming out to play with ice and fire. The clip ends with the trio of Cloud, Tifa and Barret looking over an all-too familiar setting of what can only be presumed are the ruins of Sector Seven after ShinRa's handiwork.
   But FFVIIR wasn't limited to just the (impressive) trailer at the Tokyo Game Show, as Square Enix made sure that the game's presence was felt by everyone, both those who attended and those who were hundreds of miles away. During a presentation for Sony, the game's producer Yoshinori Kitase took to the stage to confirm that all the Wall Market mini-games will indeed be making a return. The show's host took on the squats challenge and performed rather well considering this was her first try! There will also be a newly-added darts mini-game.
   Furthermore, for those still not sold on the game's new action-type approach to battles, there will be a "Classic" mode available, thanks to which they can just kick back and wait for the ATB gauge to fill up before they take action. The characters are set on an "Auto-Attack" function until the gauge fills up, giving players the time to strategically think about their next move. This mode could be useful down the line when there are too many characters and abilities to choose from and building up the ATB is just something you don't have the time for. Who says turn-based is dead..?

   During the presentation's closing minutes, Kitase showed some entirely new footage of Cloud, Tifa and Aerith taking on Aps, the monster that lives in the sewers beneath Corneo's estate. Considering this boss battle takes place on a later stage that the one against the (Sentinel) Scorpion, the characters are much more developed at this point and will have some new or expanded abilities, not to mention some new materia (shining orbs that can be used for either magic or summoning). The battle was incredibly fast-paced, yet each character had their own separate roles and Kitase (who played the demo) had no issue switching between them and issuing orders. On the middle right of the screen, there was a purple bar with the "SUMMON" indication on top of it and when Cloud used his regular attacks, it would slowly fill up. Once it hit its maximum, our spikey-haired protagonist was then able to call upon the firey god, Ifrit. As shown, the summoned creatures will have their own abilities (Ifrit had Flare Burst and Crimson Dive) and can be controlled just like any other character, yet they don't seem to have a designated HP or MP meter. Once the purple "SUMMON" line on the middle of the screen runs out, they leave the battle. But not without leaving something behind. Just when the bar reached zero, Ifrit performed his trademark "Hellfire" attack, making swift work out of Aps' remaining HP. It was later confirmed that characters will be able to carry one summon materia each, while only one can be present at a time during battle.
   The abilities of the other two characters were shown off as well, with Aerith performing her Healing Wind and Tifa her Sommersault. Aerith is a magic-user and her unique ability is called "Tempest". It creates a circle in which any spell cast can be used repeatedly at no extra MP cost. All-in-all, it was highly entertaining just to watch, while nothing seemed out of place or extreme. Even with Ifrit's presence in the battle, it was still easy to maintain a grasp of everything that was going on during the fight while Aps was jumping all over the place. It seems apparent that the more characters have a chance to grow throughout the game, the more battles will require strategy, and become even more demanding for players, with each new opponent providing new questions that will need answering apart from "how do I get his health bar to zero?"

   That was all of the official information released by Square Enix regarding the Final Fantasy VII Remake, a title that is shaping up to be even better than many fans could've imagined. There are still some unconfirmed rumors going around, such as that there will be a separate story line showcasing what happens with Barret, Tifa and the rest of the Avalanche crew members when Cloud falls into the Aerith's church or that the materia growth system will be present, yet until this becomes official we recommend you take it with a grain of salt.
   This title promises to be an incredible experience, bringing to life characters, battles and locations we could only imagine when some of us were young and giving others the opportunity to see what the older generation is going on about. The one thing that I'm personally worried about is the level of information that the developers are dishing out and also the actual size of this title. Considering it ends when the crew decides to leave the city of Midgar, we've already seen, well, pretty much all of it! At this point I don't know how much of it remains left to see. There is the promise of expanding on certain elements, but, from what we know of the original, there's not much else. I sincerely hope my doubts are misplaced. Only time will tell.

Τι μπορεί να καταφέρει ο Ολυμπιακός στο Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ;

   

   Οκ, εντάξει. Καλά τα πανηγύρια και τα χαϊδέματα στην πλάτη μετά τα προκριματικά. Πάμε τώρα στο "ψητό" της υπόθεσης, εκεί που έχει και το μεγαλύτερο ενδιαφέρον!
   Κλήρωση Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ: με τη "γνωστή" Μπάγερν, την "άγνωστη" Τότεναμ και τα φιλόδοξα "αδέρφια" απ' τη Σερβία. Έχει πολύ ζουμί αυτός ο όμιλος, τόσο σε ότι αφορά τη δική μας εικόνα, όσο και στην ανάλυση των υπολοίπων. 
   Η Μπάγερν είναι το σούπερ φαβορί του ομίλου. Αυτό δεν τίθεται υπό καμία αμφισβήτηση. Δηλαδή και μόνο από τα ευρωπαϊκά που έχει κατακτήσει, αλλά και το μέγεθος του συλλόγου σε σχέση με τους υπολοίπους, όλοι οι άλλοι θα πρέπει να το αναγνωρίσουν αυτό ευθύς εξ' αρχής. Ναι, μπορεί ο Κόβατς να βρίσκεται σε κατάσταση... 24ωρης παρακολούθηησης από το προεδρείο μέχρι και τον τελευταίο οπαδό, αλλά αυτό και μόνο υποδεικνύει το μέγεθος του συλλόγου για τον οποίο μιλάμε: πέρσι πήρε το πρωτάθλημα, πήρε και το κύπελλο, κι επειδή "τόλμησε" να... αποκλειστεί στους '16' του Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ (από την μετέπειτα κάτοχο του τροπαίου, Λίβερπουλ), όλοι τον κοιτάνε με μισό μάτι! Προσθέστε βέβαια και το γεγονός της απόσυρσης της σίγουρης λύσης που ακούει στο όνομα Άριεν Ρόμπεν (ο άνθρωπος είχε καταντήσει να θεωρείται κάτι σαν Τζόρτζεβιτς για τους φίλους της βαυαρικής ομάδας, όσο ιεροσυλία κι αν είναι ένας τέτοιος παραλληλισμός), αλλά και τη φυγή του Φρανκ Ριμπερί και θα καταλάβετε πως η ομάδα περνάει αυτή τη περίοδο μια μεταβατική φάση, η οποία ωστόσο δεν φαίνεται να επηρεάζει την ταυτότητά της και πολύ. Όσο για την έλευση του Κουτίνιο, παραμένει άγνωστο το πόσο γρήγορα θα μπορέσει να προσαρμοστεί στο νέο του περιβάλλον και το τι θα προσφέρει. Άλλωστε η αποτυχία του στην Μπαρτσελόνα ήταν "κραχτή".
   Σε ότι αφορά τώρα την Τότεναμ, περσινή φιναλίστ του Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ, τα πράγματα δεν είναι και τόσο απαγορευτικά. Φυσικά, μιλάμε πάντα για μια ομάδα απ' την Αγγλία, όπου το ποδόσφαιρο είναι απαιτητικό και ταχύτατο, ενώ οι παίκτες του Μαουρίσιο Ποκετίνο έφτασαν πέρσι μέχρι και τον τελικό του Wando Metropolitano, ωστόσο τερμάτισαν στην τέταρτη θέση στο πρωτάθλημα ενώ ήδη φετός έχουν κάνει την εμφάνισή τους οι πρώτοι "τριγμοί" στην ομάδα, με το θέμα της μεταγραφής του Κρίστιαν Έρικσεν να δημιουργεί προβλήματα εντός αποδυτηρίων. Χαρακτηριστική ήταν η εντός έδρας ήττα από την Νιούκαστλ. Οι νέοι παίκτες Λο Σέλσο και Ντομπελέ σίγουρα θα προσθέσουν ποιότητα στην ομάδα, ενώ και το επιθετικό "υπερόπλο" της εθνικής Αγγλίας που ακούει στο όνομα Χάρι Κέιν συνεχίζει να σκοράρει κατά ριπάς. 
   Στον όμιλο είναι και ο Ερυθρός Αστέρας του Μάρκο Μαρίν, ο οποίος μπορεί να πρωταγωνιστεί στο πρωτάθλημα Σερβίας, αλλά στα προκριματικά του Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ "ίδρωσε" για να αποκλείσει ομάδες όπως η Κοπεγχάγη του "δικού μας" Ζέκα και η Γιουνγκ Μπόις της Ελβετίας. Μάλιστα, η ομάδα του Βλάνταν Μιλόγεβιτς, από τον πρώτο προκριματικό γύρο από τον οποίο ξεκίνησε, έκανε μόλις δύο νίκες (με 2-1 κόντρα στη λιθουανική Σούντουβα στην πρώτη φάση και 2-0 κόντρα στην Ελσίνκι στη δεύτερη, και οι δύο εντός), φτάνοντας μέχρι τους ομίλους με τέσσερις σερί ισοπαλίες! Πέρα από τον Γερμανό, δεν υπάρχει κάποιος άλλος που να ξεχωρίζει από το ρόστερ τους. Όμως δεν πρέπει να ξεχαστεί το γεγονός πως πέρσι κατάφεραν να "γονατίσουν" ολόκληρη Λίβερπουλ στο Μαρακανά (όπως χαρακτηριστικά ονομάζεται η "καυτή" έδρα τους στο Βελιγράδι).

    Και τέλος έχουμε και τον ίδιο τον Ολυμπιακό. Μια ομάδα που στα πρώτα παιχνίδια της σεζόν παρουσιάζει αξιοζήλευτη ομοιογένεια. Που ήδη έχει κάνει πορεία πρωταθλητισμού για να φτάσει μέχρι αυτό το σημείο κι όμως στοχεύει ακόμα υψηλότερα. Το γεγονός πως αναγκάστηκαν οι παίκτες να περάσουν από τη διαδικασία αυτών των έξι αγώνων (με Βικτόρια Πλζεν, Ισταντμπούλ Μπασακσεχίρ και Κράσνονταρ) μόνο προς όφελός τους μπορεί να λειτουργήσει, αφού αν και δεν έχει μπει καλά-καλά ο Σεπτέμβρης, ακόμα και ορισμένοι από τους νεοφερμένους παίκτες που δεν έχουν κλείσει ούτε τρίμηνο με τη φανέλα του συλλόγου, έχουν ήδη δεθεί με τα χρωματά του κι έχουν καταλάβει το ρόλο τους μέσα στην ομάδα. Φυσικά πρωτεργάτης αυτής της δουλειάς δεν είναι άλλος από τον Πέδρο Μαρτίνς που έχει δημιουργήσει ένα περιβάλλον οικογενειακό, μέσα απο το οποίο οι ποδοσφαιριστές έχουν πάψει να κυνηγούν μόνο την προσωπική τους ανάδειξη, αλλά επιθυμούν να παίζουν και ο ένας για τον άλλον. Αυτό σίγουρα μπορεί να αποτελέσει ένα από τα πιο δυνατά όπλα των Πειραιωτών, με το άλλο να είναι η εντυπωσιακή φυσική τους κατάσταση που έκανε ακόμα και ομάδα της Ρωσίας να... σκάσει! Το τέμπο που έχουν οι σύλλογοι των ανώτερων ποδοσφαιρικών χωρών είναι εξουθενωτικό για τις ομάδες των θεωρητικά πιο υπανάπτυκτων πρωταθλημάτων κι εκεί είναι που φαίνεται να έχει δώσει μεγάλη σημασία ο Πορτογάλος προπονητής, μη θέλοντας να αφήσει αυτό το πλεονέκτημα στους αντιπάλους του. Το να βλέπεις μια ελληνική ομάδα να κυκλοφορεί την μπάλα και να διατηρεί υψηλό ποσοστό κατοχής σε εκτός έδρας ματς μέχρι και τις καθυστερήσεις του αγώνα είναι κάτι ανήκουστο, τουλάχιστον τα τελευταία 10 χρόνια. Μπορεί να ακούγεται υπερβολικό, κι όμως η εικόνα που παρουσίασε η ομάδα του Μαρτίνς θύμισε περισσότερο Γερμανικό ή Ιταλικό σύλλογο, παρά κάποιον που πήγε να "κλέψει" αποτέλεσμα. Οι νέες προσθήκες των Μπενζιά, Λοβέρα και οποιουδήποτε άλλου θα αργήσουν να μπουν στους ρυθμούς του Μαρτίνς (εδώ καλά-καλά ο Ελ Αραμπί κι ο Σουντανί τώρα μπαίνουν), και το ίδιο θα μπορούσε να ειπωθεί για οποιονδήποτε άλλο ερχόταν στη θεση τους σε αυτό το χρονικό σημείο της σεζόν, ακόμα και ο ίδιος ο Μέσι να ήταν, και άρα θα πρέπει να περιμένουμε πριν τους κρίνουμε. Το σίγουρο είναι όμως πως για να ήρθαν, θα υπήρχε σοβαρός λόγος, αφού η ομάδα σκάουτινγκ των "ερυθρολεύκων" τα τελευταία χρόνια δείχνει να κάνει εξαιρετική δουλειά!
   Τι μπορεί να κάνει ο Ολυμπιακός στον όμιλο; Τουλάχιστον να παραμείνει αήττητος στην έδρα του! Και με αυτό δεν εννοεί κανείς να κάνει το "3 στα 3", ακόμα κι αυτό σε τέτοιο όμιλο ίσως να είναι υπερβολικό. Ας πάρει έστω την ισοπαλία από την Μπάγερν. Καλή θα είναι. Θεωρείται όμως επιβεβλημένο πως θα πρέπει (όσο κι αν δεν μας αρέσει, 180 λεπτά είναι, θα περάσουνε) να κερδίσει εντός-εκτός τον Ερυθρό Αστέρα. Άλλωστε έχει δείξει ότι μπορεί. Ο... "τοίχος" του Ολυμπιακού ακούει στο όνομα Τότεναμ. Παραδοσιακά οι "ερυθρόλευκοι" όταν αντιμετωπίζουν στην πρεμιέρα την φιναλίστ της προηγούμενης σεζόν τα πάνε καλά (6-2 με Λεβερκούζεν, 3-2 με Ατλέτικο). Επίσης, ξαναλέω, τα "σπιρούνια" είναι η τέταρτη ομάδα της Αγγλίας. Αν παρατηρήσει κανείς την πορεία τους πέρσι μέχρι τον τελικό θα δει πως στη φάση των ομίλων ήρθαν δεύτεροι στην ισοβαθμία με την Ίντερ (με παθητικό 10 γκολ) έχοντας μόλις δύο νίκες, ενώ στη μετέπειτα πορεία τους απέκλεισαν Ντόρτμουντ, Σίτι και Άγιαξ. Δεν αντιμετώπισαν κάποιο μεγαθήριο. Το μοναδικό μεγάλο αποτέλεσμα που πέτυχαν ήταν ο αποκλεισμός της ομάδας του Γκουαρδιόλα, όλα τα άλλα θεωρούνται εντός λογικών πλαισίων. Φυσικά εντός λογικής θα είναι και το να νικήσουν δύο φορές το σύνολο του Μαρτίνς. Αλλά έχουν ευάλωτα σημεία. Μπορούν να ηττηθούν. Και είναι εντός των δυνατοτήτων της ομάδας που διέλυσε με 4-0 την Κράσνονταρ και την Πλζεν να καταφέρει κάτι τέτοιο.
   Εδώ βέβαια έρχεται να παίξει το δικό του ρόλο κι ένας άλλος καθοριστικός παράγοντας: το πρόγραμμα. Μετά από τόσα χρόνια εμπειριών σε αυτή τη διοργάνωση (19η συμμετοχή, μη ξεχνιόμαστε!), μαθαίνεις πως δεν πρέπει μόνο να πανηγυρίζεις ή να στεναχωριέσαι για τον αντίπαλο αλλά και για τη σειρά των αγώνων. Ακόμα κι εδώ λοιπόν, ο Ολυμπιακός ήταν άτυχος. Αντί να του έρθει μια ωραία σειρά όπου θα ξεκινούσε με Τότεναμ, θα έπαιζε μετά με Μπάγερν εκτός, ύστερα θα έπαιζε τα δύο του ματς με τον Αστέρα, αφήνοντας την Μπάγερν να πάρει έξι βαθμούς από τους Άγγλους, κι ολοκληρώνοντας με μια όμορφη εντός έδρας αναμέτρηση με τους Βαυαρούς που θα'χουν ήδη προκριθεί και θα κατεβάσουν τα τρίτα, ο... υπολογιστής (διαφανέστατη διαδικασία!) της ΟΥΕΦΑ "μαγείρεψε" ένα ωραιότατο ματσάκι για τα "σπιρούνια" την τελευταία αγωνιστική με την Μπάγερν, αφήνοντάς τους να "καθαρίσουν" έξι βαθμούς με τον Αστέρα την τρίτη και την τέταρτη κι εμάς να παλεύουμε μήπως πάρουμε κανέναν βαθμό από τους Γερμανούς!
   Έτσι όπως ήρθαν τα πράγματα, και 10 βαθμοί μπορεί να μην φτάσουν στους Πειραιώτες σε αυτόν τον όμιλο. Αλλά μετά από 19 χρόνια παρουσίας σε μια διοργάνωση, ίσως ήρθε ο καιρός να γίνει και μια υπέρβαση.

The UEFA Champions League season 2019/2020

 

   And so, with the conclusion of the playoffs and the group stage draw last Thursday night in Monte Carlo, we now stand at the precipice of yet another exciting season of UEFA Champions League action. Last season could be described as a little uneventful, despite many upsets and shocks (most of them by Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur), yet Liverpool's rise to glory was an easily predictable outcome, especially since they managed to overcome the obstacle known as Barcelona. This season many of the European greats such as the Catalans, Bayern Munich and Juventus will want to prove that they've returned to form, yet at the same time there's the sensation in the air that the constant expectation from the fans for continuous wins by the larger teams could leave them in a vulnerable position for an upset by some of the so-called smaller ones. Olympiacos' unbeaten run to reach the group stage all the way from the second qualifying round is definitely worth mentioning, while Salzburg, Leipzig, and Lille are all capable of great things. Inter Milan and Valencia also have their own point to prove after quite a few years of absence from the later stages of Europe's most prestigious tournament.
   Let's take a look at the groups one by one to see for a more in-depth analysis of what we can expect:
   In Group A there's the clear favorites of French champions Paris Saint-Germain and 13-time European champions Real Madrid, alongside Belgian giants Genk and Turkish club Galatasaray. The situation with Neymar seems to be a cause of upset within the French dressing rooms at the moment and the longer he remains, the more they'll be in turmoil. However it doesn't seem to be affecting them all that much on the pitch as Thomas Tychel's side will once again remain highly dependent on the inspirations of their offensive force of Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe. On the other hand, things aren't looking too good for Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, with the club still searching for its identity after the departure of heavyweight Cristiano Ronaldo. In fact, there have been rumors regarding the French coach's future at the "Bernabeu" if the team's performances don't show significant improvement in the next few weeks. The "merengues" will be expecting a lot from new signing Eden Hazard. Club Brugge appear as the least threatening side of this group, with Galatasaray edging close to a deal with Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, after having already secured the services of Ryan Babel and Jean Michael Seri. There could be a few upsets in this group.

   Group B might also be a source of unexpected results, as Bayern Munich and last season's finalists Tottenham Hotspur are joined by Greek casuals Olympiacos and Red Star Belgrade. The German giants are in a bit of a transitional phase, with the departure of their two wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery and the arrival of Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona. Niko Kovac is under constant surveillance at the "Allianz" and any poor result (such as last weekend's 2-2 result at home against Hertha) could lead to sudden changes at the club. Tottenham seem to be in a similar situation. Despite having reached the final last season, manager Mauricio Pochettino has openly criticized his men for a lack of unity. Christian Eriksen could depart the team at any time and that seems to be creating friction inside the dressing rooms. Olympiacos on the other hand annihilated anyone who stood in their path to reach the group stage and showed that they are prepared to punish those who underestimate them. Although they have lost their captain Kostas Fortounis for quite a while, former French international Mathieu Valbuena showed he's more than capable of taking his place, while a solid back line comprised of many experienced players will not be easy to break down. Red Star may lack that experience but they too showed what they're capable of in their home ground last season by beating eventual title-holders Liverpool 2-0. This group may get complicated.
   In Group C, things seem a little more fleshed out. Manchester City are the clear favorites, then there's a match up of Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb and Atalanta. The Ukrainians are a highly competitive side that have been dominating their league for the past few seasons, while their squad is a mixture of local players and high-quality Brazilians from overseas. Dinamo Zagreb had a lot of issues reaching this point from the qualifying stages and showed a lot of weaknesses in defense and it's doubtful if they can remain competitive on a higher level, while Atalanta are a team that like to put the pressure on their opponents and strike on the counter attack, an ideal style for an Italian side. Personal prediction is that second place will be played between Atalanta and Shakhtar. Dinamo will not be able to hold them off.

   Usually in these types of draws there's a group full of highly competitive sides that gains the moniker "the group of death". That title undoubtedly belongs to Group D. Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Lokomotiv Moscow are all incredibly strong clubs that anyone would hope to avoid and they've been pitted against each other. Of course, such a group could serve as a perfect trial for newly-appointed coach Maurizio Sarri's "Vecchia Signiora", who made several signings in the recent transfer period (Matthijs De Ligt, Aaron Ramsey, Adrien Rabiot) and have now set their sights on the trophy. Of course, Diego Simeone's Atletico can also be considered a strong contender to top the group, especially after they gave a significant amount to acquire the services of Benfica's top scorer, Joao Felix, while Bayer Leverkusen are enjoying a return to form under manager Peter Bosz. Lokomotiv are one of the traditional powerhouses of Russian football and besides their strong team, anyone who goes to face them in their home ground will also have the harsh weather conditions to deal with. A very interesting group!
   In Group E we have the European champions themselves, as Liverpool take on a renewed Napoli, an always dangerous Salzburg and the unpredictable Genk. Jurgen Klopp's squad has started the season right where they left off, with the players looking like they enjoy their football and the "Anfield" loving every minute of it. But three-time Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti's arrival in Naples could be the start of something great for the "partenopei", as he has brought with him Roma's defensive powerhouse Kostas Manolas to tighten that back line. Salzburg however are a constant threat on the European side, going on to reach even the semi-finals of the Europa League a couple of years ago and will definitely be making their presence felt throughout the group stage, especially to those travelling to Austria. Genk will also be looking to take a few points for themselves in an attempt to at least seal that third spot that will see their European journey continue beyond the end of the year.

   Group F contains three title-holders and one rookie. Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan will all duke it out to see who qualifies, while logic dictates that Slavia Prague will try to take whatever points they can get out of such a difficult group. Ernesto Valverde and his men will hope to go that extra mile this season and secure the trophy, which is the reason why they've acquired the services of Atletico Madrid and French international powerhouse Antoine Griezmann. With him, Suarez and Lionel Messi in their frontline, it's hard to imagine any defense being able to cope. Yet Dortmund have their own goals to achieve, such as repeating the triumph of 2013, which is why they've acquired players such as Thorgan Hazard, Julian Brandt and the return of their captain, Mats Hummels. 2010 champions Inter are also looking to make their own presence felt, as they've being one of the most active clubs during this transfer window, bolstering their squad with the talents of Manchester United duo Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanches plus former Atletico Madrid captain Diego Godin. Slavia performed admirably in the qualifiers to get to this stage but sadly, against these sort of football titans, there doesn't seem to be much they can do. A lot of entertaining encounters coming out of this one!
   Group G could perhaps be described as the most balanced group in the competition. Zenit of St. Petersburg are joined by two-time European champions Benfica, Olympique Lyonnais and Leipzig. There really isn't much separating these four teams, as the Russian champions are nothing like the team of the past (that was only capable of reaching the round of 16 a few times, even at their best), while Benfica and Lyon are both enjoying a type of "renaissance" within their individual leagues and Europe. Under Bruno Lage, the "eagles" were able to de-throne FC Porto, while newly-appointed manager Sylvinho doesn't seem to be making a lot of changes, depending heavily on French international Moussa Dembele and his ability to cause trouble for opposing defenses. Julian Nagelsmann's Leipzig are an outfit that is constantly featured within the top three teams of the Bundesliga, relying not on any single individual players but on the team's efforts and thus should not be taken lightly. It wouldn't come as a shock if by the end of day six, this group was turned upside down (with Leipzig first and Zenit right down the bottom).

   Finally, Group H could be described as the ultimate riddle. There's Europa League winners Chelsea, who pose as the favorites, but then there's last season's semi-finalists Ajax (who didn't play very convincingly in either of their qualifying rounds, especially against the Greek champions PAOK), a renewed Valencia and a strong ROSC Lille. Chelsea are under new management, with Frank Lampard coming in to try and turn things around a little. Yet, considering this is his first job as manager of anything, he could have chosen a less demanding role to gain some experience first. The fact that he's willing to dive right into the deep end could prove to have catastrophic effects for the Londoners, something the other clubs in this group will be sure to take advantage of. The "blues" have also lost much of their attacking force after the departure of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid, so that's one more thing to worry about. On the other hand, Ajax have had departures of their own (Matthijs De Ligt and Frenkie De Jong being the most notable among them), yet they still maintain their identity and could create trouble for many clubs throughout the season. But it remains doubtful if they can repeat last season's journey. Marcelino leads a very disciplined Valencia side, with his team looking to break the stronghold of Barca, Real and Atletico in Spain but also make it as far as they can in Europe. Perhaps they don't possess the squad depth they had back in 2000 when they reached the final, but still, their unity makes them a threat for anyone visiting the "Mestalla" and with an attacking force spearheaded by the likes of Kevin Gameiro, they're not going to make it easy on anyone. Lille are also a side not to be trifled with, despite losing last season's Ligue Une top scorer Pepe to Arsenal, as they have already begun the year on the right foot and will look to make their name heard. Second only to Lyon in France, they have a lot of experience in top-level football. All in all, this one's a tough nut to crack and could really go any which side. It wouldn't be surprising.
   And that's the beauty of Champions League football. The high level of competitiveness, some teams fearing a disgraceful early end to their season while others looking at it as an opportunity to prove themselves to the entire world, all this creates the ideal stage for many upsets, a lot of fantastic stories and some great football! Let's see what this season has in store for us!

Dear Mr President...

 
  Having listened to so many people within and even outside the gaming industry voice their opinion regarding US President Donald Trump's recent statements on video games and how he believes they affect people's psyches, I thought I would put in my own two cents on the matter. This is not based on any scientific research, nor is it formed by the views of the industry as a whole. It's just what I personally think of the issue.
   There are a lot of games out there that portray elements of violence. And, unfortunately, even though there is a rating system in place, not many parents are choosing to take it into consideration when buying a new game for their child(ren), rather they just seem to go to the store and pick up whatever the new trend is. Or even worse, nowadays kids can simply purchase whatever they want online using their parents credit card, without them even understanding what it is they bought. Sure, there are filters and parental locks available, but who has the time to put all those in?
   Thankfully, in my opinion at least, games have started doing a much better job on at least explaining all that violence and giving it the gravity and importance that it should have, rather than just putting it out there as a reward for your efforts. The medium has done leaps and bounds from the days when avatars would randomly blast each other's heads off at the sound of some very spiteful 10-year-old's.
   Yet, even in those dark days, you would never hear of anyone getting hurt over a video game. Sure, the sentiment of losing repeatedly and not being able to progress any further might make players temporarily furious, maybe even to the point of what some people would describe as "abnormal behavior", but the cases of them actually becoming violent towards others are too few to count. And also, this has nothing to do with what the game was showing to them. Even a casual round of Super Mario would be enough to bring on this sort of reaction.

   To condemn video games (or "Nintendos", as my and I assume many other player's parents still call them) as "the glorification of all violence" seems ignorant, at the very least. Those words sound like they're coming from the mouth of a person who's frame of mind remains stuck in the 90's, when the medium was still considered a completely foreign element to most of the world. Those don't sound like the words of a leader of one of the world's greatest nations, but from someone who's isolated in

his own little world, not knowing what goes on in the outside. Wake up Mr President: today almost everyone has at least one "Nintendo" on their smartphone. In fact, I'm willing to bet you do as well.
   But video games are not a source of violence, in fact it's exactly the opposite. For many people they have been a refuge to escape their difficult daily lives with their magnificent worlds and stories that gave them the opportunity to forget about their troubles. Having lived (for a very short time, thankfully) in the pre-video game era, I can personally attest that it is very important to be able to have such a thing. If you got into an argument or you had a bad day at school or things at work didn't go the way you wanted them or if you're having a hard time with your significant other, all this can magically go away once you dive into that new game you've been looking forward to.

   In fact, with the introduction of the internet, this lead to the creation of online fan communities that slowly began to hold their first gatherings in some of the bigger cities around the world, thus providing a sort of "safe haven" for people who wanted to share their appreciation and excitement for their favorite titles or franchises with others. They kept growing and growing and these days the biggest of them span from the tens to the hundreds of thousands, whether we're talking e-sports, gaming expo's or just simple get-together's.
   The stories, the worlds, the music, the characters that feel so alive nowadays, make us all part of their personal journeys. And they allow us to escape our own, even if it's just for a little. To forget our troubles and all that heavy stuff. We look forward to the time we get to open up our console and dive back in. Or other games with their online communities where we can enjoy a casual round of whatever with our best friends... these moments are precious to us and they bring us so much joy. Even if the game that's on the screen is as ridiculous as Grand Theft Auto V with all of its glorious graphic violence that reaches the point of obscenity. Gaming is anything but violent!
   And yet you stood there in front of the whole world Mr President and said that "video games contribute to the glorification of violence in society"... Have you ever even sat down to try an actual video game? You're the elected representative of a nation. You should start acting like one and show an interest towards the younger generation.

Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers: Review

  Bring me to life!

   Coming fresh from the end of the newest Final Fantasy XIV expansion, titled "Shadowbringers", I feel compelled to say just one thing: this is the greatest Final Fantasy game I have ever played. Yes, I did just say that. And we're talking about the same massively multiplayer online role-playing game that began as a complete failure so many years back that it needed to be rebooted from the ground up. The same title that I felt compelled to play simply because the title "Final Fantasy" was in it back when it was re-released in 2013 as A Realm Reborn for the PlayStation 3. Geez, it's been so long since then.
   And yet, "Shadowbringers" made me so happy to have actually stuck around with the game for so long. Because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to fully embrace the story for what it is. That was the selling point of this game for me. How this group of heroes that we've all known since then and been through so much with comes together and becomes one to battle a common enemy. Yes, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn have always been there in one form or another, some have had their secrets (*ahem*, "Yda") while others are no longer part of the group (Papalymo, Minfilia), but it was very rare for them to be all together in one place for so long. In "A Realm Reborn" we're too busy saving Thancred, while Alisaie is nowhere to be found, "Heavensward" is just Alphinaud while "Stormblood" was Lyse's story to liberate her nation.
   I felt "Shadowbringers" brought this group together in an amazing way. They all brought their individual skills that they have spent years developing in Eorzea to this new world, in an attempt to aid the party as best they could. And while you may not be in direct control of them, this actually gives you the sensation of older Final Fantasy titles where it was usually just a small band of vagabond heroes out to save the world. The fact that this is an entirely new place where no one's even heard of the "Warrior of Light" serves to further solidify that feeling. We're all in this on equal footing. They may know what I'm capable of, but no one else does. Through them, I felt that my character, the one I created, became more believable and more alive. I was able to immerse myself completely, which is a key ingredient of any successful title.

   Another thing that enhances the experience of being alongside the Scions of the Seventh Dawn was the new Trust system. I was amazed at how capable the non-playable characters were in the dungeons, to the point where they would serve as my guide sometimes. Usually you would be forced to team up with other random players from around the world. This could easily ruin the experience for me personally because I'm really not be the best player out there and I might lose once or twice. To be put in a position where people get up and walk away the minute you lost was incredibly frustrating and it's fantastic to be free of that nuisance. This clever little addition has just changed the entire rule book on how mmos are played. But it also felt more suitable to have the Scions there with me rather than some random who I don't even know. Especially as the story reached its climax. If only they could do that with the raids.
   As far as villains go, I won't go into details to avoid spoilers, but I did get the feeling that they may have borrowed a little too much from Final Fantasy XV. The only thing missing from that guy was a hat and he would have been Ardyn Izunia himself! Not that there's anything particularly wrong with that, Ardyn was quite a memorable villain, but maybe a little bit of variety would be good. Not to say that he wasn't relatable, in fact a large key plot point that was left open since way back in 2013 has finally been explained, but it could've been handled by a different character. Plus, it begs the question: with all these threads being resolved, are we heading towards the end of Final Fantasy XIV?
   Furthermore, and I cannot expand on this for obvious reasons, I love how they used the whole story arc with the Crystal Tower. Just a small reminder that it was initially introduced back in patch 2.3 in 2014 to serve as tribute to Final Fantasy III. That's all (we thought) it was supposed to be. 
   When it comes to locations, the developers once again blew it out of the water and it just makes you wonder how they keep doing it. After "Heavensward" I thought I had seen it all, I really did, but for them to come up with all this, it's simply amazing. I felt it was an amalgamation of both Kingdom Hearts III and FFXV. All the incredible places and visuals, after a certain point it just becomes too much and then the game comes and pulls even more for you to stare at! All the while, you're too caught up in the story to have any time to marvel at any of it. Simply breathtaking!
   The music ties in wonderfully of course. Masayoshi Soken (the composer of the game) is yet another genius who's name can go right next to those of Nobuo Uematsu and Yoko Shimomura when it comes to legends of the franchise. There's calm and relaxing music when you're in a quiet village, but when something big's about to go down, you better believe the shift in the tunes will be pushing you to take down all hoards of beasts you see in front of you. The most notable of the tracks of course, is none other than "Shadowbringers" itself. You might not think of it much at first, but if you don't have it on iTunes (or Spotify, whatever) on repeat by the time this is over, then you're made of stone!

   I also like the fact that the game isn't afraid to take itself too seriously. For example, you need to do a lot of sub-quests in order to level up and Thancred himself eventually points out that he "can smell a lot of chores coming up". Indeed, these are chore-like requests (go there, do that) and they seem like a waste of time when all you want to do is get back in to the nitty-gritty of the main story. Yet if you take the time to actually look what's beneath them, it's not just about gaining experience points to level up, but it's about the Warrior of Darkness going around the world and building relationships with people so they, in response, will be willing to help him (and consequently their world) when the time comes. It all ties together so nicely and some of these quests might even be really funny and entertaining. There was a lot of work put into them and that's obvious.
   The story of Final Fantasy XIV will not end here. There will still be more patches, more content, more beasts to slay, more shocking revelations, and so on. But this will definitely be a high point, one that will serve as a comparison for anything else we see from here on out. I don't know about online games, but as far as single-player titles go, this definitely one of the best I've tried my hand at in a while and the best when it comes to the series. Congratulations are due to director Naoki Yoshida and his team for taking this game that was meant to be axed and recreating it into the greatest title of a 30-year-old franchise. 
   Shine on, Warriors of Darkness...

Final Fantasy VII Remake @ E3 2019: Breaking it down

 

   Well, of course this was coming! You'd be naive not to expect it coming from me with all the information that's been coming out regarding this 22-year-old masterpiece that was one of the first games I ever played and the first title that really showed me the true art of combining an intricate story with great game play. This is something that I (along with tens of millions of others around the world that were also mesmerized by the original) thought could only exist within the sphere of my own imagination. We asked for it, yet somewhere deep down, thought it couldn't be done due to the limitations of modern technology. 
   Well, those barriers have been broken and today we can be happy and excited that we will get to experience this story as it was meant to be told. This year's greatest gaming show E3 gave us a ton of information regarding the Remake of Final Fantasy VII and we are here to break down all of it to the last detail. So let's dive in.

   - The story will be told across multiple games. This was something already known to us, yet some people made the mistake of using the word 'episodic'. That's not true. Each and every part of this project will be the size of a full scale game, with a beginning and an ending. Simply because it won't take players all the way to the Northern Crater, that doesn't somehow make it half a game. All of them will be complete, plus doing it this way will probably allow the developers to expand further on certain aspects and tell stories that they  weren't able to do so originally. The perfect example of this would be the AVALANCHE crew, who I'm sure will make more of an impact this time around, rather than them just coming and going within the first few hours of the original.

   - The battle system is a hybrid of old and new. While it remains action-oriented, there's a large element of strategy to it as well. You can control up to three party members (just as the original) and you have an Active Time Battle gauge (again, just like the original). So those who were worried that this might be too much like FFXV can put their minds at ease. The difference here is that you don't have to wait around doing nothing as your ATB gauge fills up and you're allowed to take action. Attacking enemies with your base attack deals little damage, yet it helps speed up the ATB gauge and that's when things get interesting. Once you've filled up a bar, you can decide how you're gonna go. 

   Time slows down around you and you can choose your action. You can either cast Magic (provided you have the right Materia equipped), use an item, perform a Limit Break (if you've taken enough damage you will be signified by the familiar rainbow-flashing bar) or switch characters (which you can do on the fly). You can also assign orders to your other characters to perform while you're not controlling them and have shortcuts on your actions for those who prefer faster pacing to their battles, similar to Kingdom Hearts. There's a lot of unfamiliar terminology flying around here, especially for the uninitiated, but it really is quite easy to wrap your head around and, most importantly, it's faithful to the original. It won't alienate fans while also allowing for newcomers to feel like this is something fresh and fun.

   - The story is just as engaging, yet now it goes further beyond. Just from the few short trailers and game play footage we've seen, it appears like this is a complete re-imagining of Final Fantasy VII. As if this is how the creators intended to make it, yet they just couldn't at the time. It's the same with the story. Players will begin from that same, familiar place, explore that same reactor, talk to the same people, see the same things happen, fall from the same place, crash the same roof and meet that same girl... 

   It's just that now, it might take them more time to do it, due to the larger volume of people they'll be able to talk to, the more areas they might be able to explore or things they'll be able to do. This is the city of Midgar after all and we'll really be able to see the juxtaposition between the people living comfortably at the top of the plate at the cost of those barely making ends meet in the slums. That's what it was meant to be about in the first place. But we'll still get to do all the other things too.

   - The designs of the main characters remain faithful to the originals. Those who were afraid due to how the characters appeared in the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children can now lay their fears to rest. Starting from Cloud, but even going all the way to secondary characters such as Jessie, Wedge or Marlene, there's been an obsessive attention to detail on how these characters look. From the colors of their outfits, to their accessories and anything else in between, it's obvious that the developers don't want to add anything if they don't feel like it belongs there or if it might be off-putting. It's incredible how everyone immediately recognized a secondary character such as Heidegger in the trailer, without Square Enix ever even confirming it was actually him. This just creates even more excitement for the eventual reveal of fan-favorites such as Reno, Vincent or Red XIII.

   - Tifa is simply mind-blowing. She deserves special mention. There was a lot of speculation regarding how they would handle her design (I won't go into specifics because it's just embarrassing, there's no limit to how low some people are willing to go), yet they made her even better than the original dare I say. Her outfit is quite similar (with a pair of metal gloves that could punch the lights out of a fire-breathing dragon), yet she retains the caring smile that could even brighten up the day of someone as gloomy as Cloud. That says it all. They even went out of their way to make her eyes more red when compared to Advent Children, that's the level of detail that's been paid to her.

   - Sephiroth is also here. It was really difficult for the main villain of the game to not make an appearance. And yet somehow, it feels out of place. What was truly intimidating about Sephiroth was his... total absence. The one-winged angel never needed to be there in order to scare the sh*t out of you, especially after all the rumors and stories you heard about him. Yet no one actually even mentions his name until the end of the Midgar section. However now we've already seen him in two separate trailers. Even if he only exists in Cloud's mind, that still makes no sense. Cloud only thought of, well, spoilers, but Zack. I might be overthinking this but I really hope they don't overuse Sephiroth in the remake. Just let him be a rumor. A shadow. That's how he works best.

   - Nobuo Uematsu is back. Of course one of the things that made Final Fantasy VII the behemoth that it is was its amazing soundtrack. And that too is making a comeback, only better. From the tidbits that we were able to hear, the "Opening: Bombing Mission" has been redone and so has "Aerith's Theme". The battle music plays on and off as you go into fights (I won't call them "random encounters" anymore) and that too seems to have been touched up here and there. It's going to be glorious listening to other tracks like "JENOVA" or "One-Winged Angel" redone. And as we already know, the legendary composer is heavily involved in this project.

   - Ride on the Hardy Daytona. As witnessed in one of the trailers, there's a scene where Cloud is riding on a bike with Jessie, slashing at enemies with his Buster Sword left and right. There's no such scene in the original, yet it is fairly reminiscent of the escape from Shinra HQ, where Cloud is riding the Hardy Daytona and trying to ward off the soldiers who are attacking his fellow party members as they make their way out of the city on a mini-truck. So it makes sense that we can expect a similar re-imagining of that particular mini game near the end of the first game of this project.

   - It just looks astonishing. There's no way of putting it into words and the greatest example of this is when the camera does that traditional zooming out of Aerith to show the entire technopolis of Midgar. It was already good back then (which is why it gained such renowned fame), but looking at it today just blows your freaking head off! How did they do that?!

   - The (first) game is coming out sooner than expected. Director of the Remake (and character designer of the original) Tetsuya Nomura had dubbed this the year of "7". Square Enix held a memorable concert at Los Angeles specifically for Final Fantasy VII. As it concluded, a short trailer was shown only to those in attendance. And at the end of that trailer, the release date was made known: 3.3.2020! Less than one year away for our return to Midgar! That is quite remarkable, considering the project began back in 2014, yet needed to be scrapped and started over from scratch one year later. Square Enix made the decision to remove then co-developers CyberConnect2 from the team as they didn't agree with the way they were handling the title. Looking at it now, I'm glad they made that decision!

   - You can already get it! There are three (five, if you add the digital) editions out there in the wild just waiting to be collected. The normal (which if pre-ordered on the PlayStation Network gives you a neat Sephiroth theme), the deluxe (that comes with an artwork, a mini soundtrack, a steelbook case and two summon Materia) and the SOLDIER 1st Class (with all those things the deluxe edition has, plus a Play-Arts Kai figure of Cloud and the Hardy Daytona). 

   - All first impressions were positive. Sometimes when you're all hyped up, it's difficult not to be subjective towards something that you really like. Yet during all of E3, I have not seen anyone say something bad about how Final Fantasy VII Remake plays or feels. If it betrays the essence of the original, if the battle system is flawed, if the soundtrack is terrible and they should bring back the old one... Nothing. Not a single peep. 

   And it's very easy for gamers to go off the reels, I believe we are one of the most spoiled and self-entitled audiences that exist across the entertainment industry, so I was prepared to take all criticism with a grain of salt. I mean, I'm ready to love this game no matter what just as long as the story remains faithful to the original, I don't need much. But nothing ever came. Everyone who was at E3 and tried the demo (did I mention there's a demo?) had nothing but great things to say about it. And it's hard not to take their words seriously. I mean, the lighting, the feeling in every single scene, it all screams Final Fantasy VII. How could I not believe them... The proof is in the pudding!

   - In conclusion: We got Tifa. We got Sephiroth. We got game play. We got a new hybrid battle system to appease the old and the new. We got enough footage to hold us off until Gamescom (or Tokyo Game Show, whatever). We got a release date. We got updated tracks. We got awesome editions. We got developers who (as Producer Yoshinori Kitase said) "will not betray our expectations". We got Final Fantasy VII Remake... it's alive and well, and will be here soon. Our Reunion is at hand!

E3 2019: Greatest hits

   With most conferences (besides Nintendo) having taken place, these are the titles that stood out the most and should be marked on everyone's calendar

   Although the show opens its doors tomorrow to those actually in Los Angeles, it has basically come and gone for us that are hundreds of miles away and are only able to catch a glimpse of the action through the live-streams. Despite Sony's absence this year, Japanese publisher Square Enix proved more than capable to pick up the slack for them, putting on a spectacular show that included something for fans of most genres. Everyone (with the exception of Ubisoft perhaps) had a stellar showing even though it was apparent that we're standing on the precipice of a new console generation.

   These are the titles that caught our attention:

- CYBERPUNK 2077. The first-person MMO RPG developed by The Witcher III publisher CD PROJECT RED is going all out. As it was shown at Microsft's briefing, it will not only give players the ability to walk around a futuristic dystopia and create their own individual stories, but it will also feature Hollywood heavyweight Keanu Reeves. The moment The Matrix star walked on to the stage of the LA Convention center was certainly... breathtaking, as many would attest. The game also got an official release date at the show (April 16, 2020.)

- ELDEN RING. Just the idea of a video game by FROM SOFTWARE is tantalizing enough on its own, as they were the ones behind the highly demanding Dark Souls series. But if you add to that the story-telling genius of George R. R. Martin (writer of A Song Of Ice And Fire), then you're on to something huge. Next to nothing is known regarding this Bandai Namco title, yet it's still got the entire gaming community waiting to get their hands on it.

- DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT. After its revival a few years back with its movie Battle Of Gods, it seems the Dragon Ball franchise is unwilling to settle down. This time it'll be a brand new action-RPG title that will follow and expand upon the story of Dragon Ball Z (no Super folks, sorry), allowing players to traverse the world, follow different quests or just stick to the main scenario. It'll be developed by CYBERCONNECT2, the people responsible for the Naruto Ninja Storm series, so we already know it's in good hands.

- TALES OF ARISE. Many people had been waiting for a new title in the Tales Of series and their requests have now been answered. The series dates as back as 1995 and this will be yet another installment featuring an entirely different world and different setting (in the same fashion as Final Fantasy), with the story taking place on a world called Dahna.

- GHOSTWIRE: TOKYO. A brand new IP revealed during Bethesda's press conference, this is a title created by the developer of The Evil Within, Shinji Mikami and is not a horror game. The setting is, as the title suggests, the city of Tokyo, where people have begun randomly disappearing and in their place a whole bunch of mythological creatures and buildings have started showing up. The trailer looked highly promising!

- DEATHLOOP. Yet another brand new title by Bethesda, this shows two people, a man and a woman, who seem to be at odds with each other. Yet every time one of them happens to die they just return to life as if nothing had happened, continuing the cycle of violence. Interesting title.

- FIFA 20. It's FIFA, what more do you want? You either like it or you don't.

- STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER. Shown during EA Play, this new game by Respawn appears to have captured the essence of what makes the Star Wars franchise truly stand out. Set during the time Order 66 was issued (meaning most Jedi were taken out yet Luke and Leia were just infants), players take up the role of lone Padawan Cal Kestis who is on the run from the Empire. The campaign sounds and looks pretty solid but we'll have to wait until November 15 when the game releases to find out if they actually made good on their third effort.

- FINAL FANTASY VIII REMASTER. People have been asking for this for quite a while, now they've finally got it. The only Final Fantasy mainline title that hadn't received the remaster treatment will soon be released on all major platforms (yes, including Google Stadia), giving players a chance to return to the Garden and fight the Sorceress. Just keep an eye on them hot dogs, I hear the cafeteria runs out fast.

- MARVEL AVENGERS. A game developed in association by Square Enix, Marvel Studios and Crystal Dynamics, that includes the acting talents of Troy Baker, Nolan North and Laura Bailey and that features some of the most acclaimed heroes across the cinematic universe could be nothing but highly anticipated! It is visually stunning, there's nothing else to say about it. Other than its release date (May 15, 2020) of course.

- FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE. This is the big one. We got Tifa. We got Sephiroth. We got a breakdown of the (incredible, dare I say!) battle system. We have a release date (March 3, 2020). We have a Deluxe and Collector's (dubbed SOLDIER 1st Class) editions. We have two sparkling new trailers, highly reminiscent of the ones we were treated to back in 1997 when the game originally launched for the first PlayStation. We have the info that this will be coming in two separate Blu-Ray discs and that it will conclude at the end of Midgar, meaning the game is still episodic. We have tears, we have nostalgia, we have all of it. We just need the time to go by so we can finally play it. Just like we did when we were kids.

   And that's about it! Sure, there are titles that flew under my radar (like Gears 5 or Halo Infinite), but it always serves to take into consideration that this is a personal list. Plus if we add to it the fact that there are some other already announced games such as Death Stranding or The Last Of Us Part II that we already know or should know pretty soon when they're going to release, then it's easy to understand that this generation is going out with a real bang! And we can't wait to dive in!

E3 2019: What to expect

 

   Just taking a simple look at my previous entries makes me nostalgic. How many E3's have I covered ever since I started this humble little blog..? Must be at least over five now. And yet, every year I look forward to it even more. It just goes to show the effect of this industry and how much we as gamers love what we follow. We can't get enough of it. Every year, from months before E3 even begins there are rumors, "leaks", searches for anything that might be related to what we'll actually get at the show from people who are simply too impatient to wait. I know what it's like, time literally doesn't go by when we talk about E3 or the release of our favorite titles. And yet, I've come to learn that it's the wait that makes it all so rewarding. Because in the end, once a title is released, that's it. You hardly hear of it anymore unless a big DLC is to be released for it or if it is mentioned by some website in a "top-10" kind of article. Otherwise, it's like all that waiting didn't even matter. We're so quick to consume everything nowadays...
   But I digress. Here we are at the forefront of yet another E3 and anticipation is once again soaring through the roof. Of course, this year feels a bit off compared to others since there have been some significant changes and there is one huge absence that will however be filled by a surprise re-entry. More specifically, Sony have decided to sit it out in 2019, citing that they just don't have enough material for an entire showcase. An understandable decision, considering they have already done everything they needed to do to ensure they will remain successful up until the end of the PlayStation 4's (PS4) life cycle, with the recent announcement of the release date of Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding (November 8th) and strong speculation that The Last Of Us Part II will also be released at the start of the new year. Also let's not forget that Final Fantasy VII Remake is still scheduled to be a timed exclusive.

   Speaking of FFVIIR, it is that game's developer that will be called to fill in for Sony this season. After many years of disappointments and calls on deaf ears, it appears the people at Square Enix have finally decided to listen to what their fans want and are coming to E3 2019 with all the big guns in their arsenal. Besides the aforementioned FFVIIR, that is scheduled to release more information "in June" (although that could mean the specific "Final Fantasy VII" concert that will take place in California on June 9th, with the game skipping out on E3 altogether, going down a similar route as Kingdom Hearts III last year), the Japanese company in association with Crystal Dynamics have also confirmed that they will be releasing information regarding their long-awaited Avengers project (tentatively titled Marvel's Avengers), while also bringing to their show the sequel to Dying Light (thanks to their partnership with the game's developer Techland). Of course, they will also be showing Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, the latest expansion of the popular MMORPG title and there are rumors going around of a Kingdom Hearts III presence (the DLC episodes are scheduled for release sometime before the end of the year, as stated by the game's director, Tetsuya Nomura.) So, with all this in store (and more?), it's easy to see how Square is really "bringing it" this year. It's quite possible that by the end of it, no one will even remember that Sony wasn't even there, especially if they finish it with a bang (*cough*, Final Fantasy XVI announcement, *cough*).

   But apart from that, there are many other great things to look forward to at this year's E3, most notably from Microsoft, Bethesda, Ubisoft and Nintendo, who will all have their own showcases in one way or another.
   The American giant plans to host a two-hour briefing on its usual schedule, where it will show off many of its own exclusive titles. According to a recent tweet by the Head of Xbox Phil Spencer, there are over 14 of their in-house studios waiting to reveal what they've been working on. So it should be a focus mainly on games, rather than hardware as we may have been used to. We can expect more info on Gears Of War 5, something new on Halo Infinite of course and a lot of third-party titles, but apart from that it's really anyone's guess what we're going to see here. Maybe something new from Hellblade studio Ninja Theory, who knows..?
   Same can pretty much be said about Nintendo. The company has gone all out on Pokemon even before E3 rises its curtains, after the recent announcement of Pokemon Home, Pokemon Sleep and Pokemon Masters and another specific live stream for the franchise scheduled for June 5th, where the focus will be on the two new mainline entries, Sword and Shield. Apart from all that, it really is worth wondering what else they might have hidden for the actual E3 Nintendo Direct? New Mario title? Maybe more info on Metroid Prime 4 or Bayonetta 3? New characters for Smash Bros Ultimate? New Yoshi, DK or Kirby titles? It really is anybody's guess what we might get yet it is worth noting that these shows go for at least an hour. So they should have quite a lot under their sleeve if they felt they needed to get Pokemon out of the way.

   What about Bethesda and Ubisoft..? Well, let's just say they've already left everyone with a sour taste in their mouths before the show even commenced. On the one hand, Bethesda already confirmed that neither The Elder Scrolls VI nor new franchise Starfield will be making an appearance, asking their fans to be "a bit more patient", while Ubi will be discussing their own highly anticipated title Beyond Good And Evil 2, but only during a short live stream before the show in order to "update fans about its development". No actual footage will be shown.
   As to what we can expect from the two, well, thanks to a certain leak we already kinda know what's coming from the French studio. There will be three unannounced titles showcased -with hopes that among them will be the new Assassin's Creed, South Park and Watch Dog entries-, while they will also be discussing their new subscription service, the Ubi Pass. Bethesda, meanwhile, will of course be showing off Doom Eternal, but other than that not much else is known (new Wolfenstein or Evil Within maybe..?)

   And then there are titles who aren't actually associated with anything, but are confirmed to be at E3 2019. Most notable among them is CD Project Red's Cyberpunk 2077. It's safe to assume that, with Sony absent, Microsoft will be more than happy to show off this marvel to the gaming industry. Additionally, there are other developers such as Bandai Namco (new Dragon Ball Z action-adventure title info could be released), Capcom (Dino Crysis remake?), Quantic Dream, Take-Two, XSEED and Activision, who could all potentially have their own unique titles to show off. Again, the place to look for them would be the Microsoft showcase, as the company has made a solid effort to bring in more third-party studios to their team.
   Finally, EA is also going to be at E3 with their usual sports bonanza. They will also be showing Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order. Hopefully this time, the game won't be hidden behind a paywall...
   And that's pretty much all we can expect from this year's E3, which kicks off in less than 10 days now! Unreal how time flies. The games we got in between the two conferences were nothing to scoff at either (my personal favorites being Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Kingdom Hearts III.) It's interesting to think about what the experiences we'll have between this conference and E3 2020. Time to get blown away again!