Welcome to TAG Roundup!
Ever wonder what you missed in the world of gaming last week? No worries – we’ve got you covered!
We read a ton of video game articles each week and wanted to share some of our favorites with the Average Gamer community. We’ll feature everything from previews to reviews and everything in between.
The articles we share will be from a combination of well-known sources (like IGN) and more niche blogs that you may not have heard of. In the previous TAG Roundup post, we talked about the Channel F, Outriders, a gaming bed and more!
In this post, I’m doubling up on content since I missed last week due to the Mario Multiverse. Check out our posts on Mario Tennis Aces and Dr. Mario World!
At the top of the hour, we’ve got an update on the newest battle royale to hit the scenes – Call of Duty: Warzone. As a free-to-play, stand-alone offering, it’s no wonder that it’s growing like crazy!
Call of Duty: Warzone Hits 15 Million Players – LAD Bible
Last week, a long-awaited battle royale mode finally became available. Call of Duty: Warzone launched on March 10th as a free-to-play battle royale in the Modern Warfare realm. 5 days later, it’s already amassed 15 million players!
I’ve played the game for a few hours and there are some really cool features in Warzone that make it stand out:
- The Gulag, a 1v1 deathmatch with randomized weapons. Winner returns to the field. Loser spectates the remaining squadmates or returns to the lobby in shame.
- Vehicles everywhere. Hop in a helicopter to cover a ton of ground quickly.
- Redeployable parachute that allows players to quickly move from high ground.
- Loadout drops to give you your favorite weapons and attachments.
- Contracts that give you money, weapons, abilities and pride!
Available on both console and PC, Call of Duty: Warzone is a refreshing take on the standard BR formula. You get the refined gun mechanics that we’ve come to expect from CoD games with a level of creativity which makes every game different.
Additionally, the game is cross-platform so I’m able to team up with my PC friends!
I’m still putting most of my gaming time into Apex Legends, but Call of Duty: Warzone has attracted the attention of plenty of members of the Average Gamer community!
Steam Sets a New Record – Games Radar
You may know Steam as the platform which bests enables hoarders by offering tens of thousands of video games, often at a discount. With so many different titles to choose from, it’s got a little bit of something for everyone.
Steam has now broken one of its own records, having 6.2 million players concurrently in the system! Some games that brought in the most gamers include Counter-Strike: GO, Dota 2, and Rainbow Six Siege.
If you want to help Steam continue to break records, treat yourself to some new games!
#Steam has just reached a new concurrent online user record of 20 million, with 6.2 million currently in-game, likely due to many people staying at home due to the #coronavirus.https://t.co/bzLMfMOJvD#COVID19
— Steam Database (@SteamDB) March 15, 2020
Pokemon Go Enables More Play-From-Home Features – Neatorama
With many people opting to stay indoors to reduce possible exposure to COVID-19, Niantic has announced changes to its popular mobile game, Pokemon Go. This is a great change to a game that still has a strong following years after release.
See some of the company’s statement below:
Notably, the game will be increasing habitats so that trainers can see more monsters nearby while playing closer to home.
Incense packs, which increase monster spawns, are also going on 99% discount — and when they’re active, they will now last an hour.
Trainers can hatch Eggs twice as fast.
PokéStops are dropping Gifts with more frequency
If you haven’t gotten into Pokemon Go yet, check out this video for some quick tips and tricks!
The Last of Us TV Series – Polygon
I’ve said it a few times before, but I feel it’s necessary to repeat how great of a game The Last of Us is. The storyline is gripping, the graphics are incredible and the action is intense.
HBO is bringing this game to the small screens with a new TV show!
The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann pairs up with the creator of Chernobyl, Craig Mazin, to make this dream come true. It will likely air in early 2022, so hopefully, I would have finished TLoU Part 2 by then.
Overwatch Season 21 Updates – Express
Overwatch typically has some interesting changes each season, but this current patch is very intriguing. For the first time ever, we’re seeing hero bans in competitive play. This means you won’t be able to pick certain heroes on a given day!
The idea is to keep the game fresh and promote hero diversity, but it will be a real feels-bad moment when your primary hero is unavailable for ranked play. This already happened to me last week and I ended up being unproductive as Baptiste…
Additionally, there are a bunch of hero updates in the recently-added experimental mode. Check out the article for a full list of the changes!
Stadia Release Two New Games – Android Police
Google Launched its cloud gaming platform, Stadia, late last year and has been met with a lukewarm reception. Since then, the team has been trying to deliver on the initial promises made in demos by adding new titles to their library.
Their most recent announcement revealed two upcoming first-person puzzle games – Relicta and The Turing Test. Both are highly-rated on Steam and I expect them to be good additions to the Stadia library.
There’s no release date yet on either game, but I imagine we’ll see them launch in the store sometime in the first half of this year.
https://youtu.be/77s8JfQH_pghttps://youtu.be/I9zeQUGCuH0
Ghost of Tsushima Recap – Gamespot
Ghost of Tsushima gave us goosebumps when we saw the initial trailer. Now, Gamespot has shared new details on the Playstation-exclusive samurai game in their roughly four-minute overview. Here are the spark notes:
- You are a samurai (ghost) on the island of Tsushima – hence the title
- The game can be played in Japanese or English
- You can snap between targetted foes
- Your protagonist uses ropes and arrows
- Combat changes based on the number of enemies
- There’s a dueling component, with an insane level of detail on each sword
- It’s an open-world game that looks gorgeous
- You can ride around on horseback
This video confirms the initial belief that the game is gonna be incredible! The game launches on June 26th, 2020 for PS4, with pre-orders open now.
Top PS4 Controllers in 2020 – Gamespot
There will always be after-market accessories available for video game consoles. Gaming controllers seem to have a huge pool of competitors who are fighting to get their gamepads into our hands.
The PS4 Dualshock controllers are great (perhaps with the exception of the battery life), but there’s always room for improvement. Many of the controllers on this list add things like offset joysticks, paddles on the back of the pad and larger buttons.
I’ve been using the Scuf controller for a while now and can attest to how much of a gamechanger the paddles are. Check out this list if you want to step up your game!
Strange Breath of the Wild Walkthrough – Polygon
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been out for a little over 3 years now, but the community is still finding plenty of creative ways to explore the game. Most recently, the game was completed without walking!
YouTube Pointcrow takes advantage of Link’s other movement abilities, including hops and backflips, to propel our hero through the map. He also uses bombs to launch himself into the air on multiple occasions.
Three years later and I still haven’t completed the game, yet Pointcrow did the whole thing without walking in under 8 hours! Kudos to him for this ingenuity and patience!
Hit Castlevania Game Comes to Mobile – CBR
Konami just released its classic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night on mobile for $2.99. After more than two decades, the fan-favorite is ported from the Playstation to a portable device.
In Dracula’s castle, you’ll fight your way through enemies using different attacks and abilities. The player gets to do a bunch of exploring and will have the ability to unlock different endings.
Grab your whip and enjoy the original music, graphics and nostalgia from the 90s!
Earthbound Documentary Shares Fun Facts – Nintendo Life
How many people have actually played Earthbound? I haven’t, but Ness is still one of my favorite characters – queue Smash music.
A canceled Earthbound Beginnings is now being highlighted in a documentary called Mother to Earth. It talks about why the prototype was canceled, how it became public and what fans have been doing with it since.
You can get more details on the film on their official site!
Top GameCube Games – Tech Radar
For many of us, the GameCube is all about Super Smash Bros Melee. However, there were so many other great titles on Nintendo’s boxy console!
Tech Radar lists their top 20, and here are the ones that would make my list:
- Super Smash Bros Melee
- Animal Crossing
- Luigi’s Mansion
Check out the article for all of their twenty titles, including some short summaries and gameplay videos! Leave a comment below if you think any games should be added or removed from the list.
New Switch Puzzler – Nintendo Life
Every once in a while, you need a chill game to decompress with. On the Switch, that might be Stardew Valley. To add to the chillage, you can now grab a new puzzler titled Mekorama.
Making your way through isometric levels, your little robot character uses lifts and slides to move around. Once you get through the initial 100 levels, there’s also a level editor to test your creativity!
Grab Mekorama if you’re a fan of puzzles and cute graphics!
That’s All For Now
There were plenty of other highlights from last week but these ones really stood out. Be sure to check in next time to read about video game current events.
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