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 Hitman VR, The Last of Us Part 2, Apex Season 6 and more!
At the top of the hour, we’ve got the latest on Gotham Knights, the next title in a line of Batman games. The game is expected to release next year and the publishers graced us with a preview at last week’s DC Fandome!
The Bat Family Bands Together – Polygon
Following the alleged death of Bruce Wayne, the rest of the Bat Family is tasked with continuing his work in Gotham City. Warner Bros. trailer for Gotham Knights sets the stage for a co-op, open-world, action-adventure game that has the gaming world on fire!
Players will have access to Red Hood, Batgirl, Nightwing, and Robin as they seek to create their own superhero narrative, separate from the Batman legacy. You’ll have the option of going it solo or teaming up with friends to take down the game’s villain group, the Court of Owls.
The trailer is epic and nostalgic as we see some of the combat that we’ve grown accustomed to in previous Arkham games. There’s a variety of criminals to battle, fully-loaded vehicles, and a disturbing presence from The Court.
On top of the trailer, we also saw gameplay footage from a pre-alpha build! Following Batgirl’s story-progression, the gameplay demonstrates an epic fight against Mr. Freeze and his henchmen.
The fight animations look great and the level of detail in the city is incredible! Alfred guides you along the quest and there’s a leveling system that likely allows you to add new skills to the players as you earn more experience.
Gotham Knights also shows off some of the duo combination attacks that can help you take down baddies. This unique mechanic adds more variety to how you approach battles.
There’s no exact release date yet but we know Gotham Knights will hit consoles and PC in 2021. We’ll keep you posted as new gameplay announcements come in!
Trend Towards Micro-Gaming Sessions – 148 Apps
People are generally busier these days than they were in the golden age of gaming, with thousands of apps, games, and activities vying for our attention. It’s no surprise that gamers are opting for more frequent, small gaming sessions when they find some downtime.
Things like idle mechanics, free-to-play titles, and the rise in adoption of smartphones all work in favor of growing the massive market of gamers. If you’re in the mood for a casual mobile RPG, check out Epic Odyssey, which exhibits these key traits!
Final Fantasy Music Video – GOG Connected
Content Creators are getting more creative by the day! In this week’s spotlight, a duo put together an impressive Tifa-Cloud collaborative music video, full of Hollywood-grade cinematography.
They show off their version of in-game attacks, an array of combat special effects, and an unreal level of authenticity. Check out the 3-minute clip below for some IRL Final Fantasy greatness!
Journey to the West – IGN
Black Myth: Wukong is an action-RPG with elements of magic, weapon combat, and plenty of environmental interactions to explore. The small team of developers released a pre-alpha build video to share the mythical world that’s currently being built.
Black Myth has stealth, exploration, and massive battles, all of which have an incredible fluidity to their animations. There’s no release date yet, but the gaming community will likely be keeping an eye on the game’s website for updates!
New Third-Party Switch Controller – Nintendo Life
The Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons have a drift issue. Nintendo has tried to address it in the past but hasn’t fully remedied the situation. This has made way for third-party companies to create worthy alternatives.
Accessory maker NEXiLUX created their own version of the joy-cons which look great! You can pick them up on Amazon now if you’re looking for an alternative to the stock Switch controllers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0rL7lmCN0I
New Dreamcast Games – Input Mag
Even in 2020, developers continue to support the Sega Dreamcast! This article highlights 5 upcoming titles that may interest those who still own the iconic console.
Xeno Crisis is my top pick from the list and elicits memories of SmashTV. It has good reviews on Steam so, hopefully, the dev team will be able to recreate that magic on the Dreamcast!
Ghost of Tsushima Co-Op – Polygon
Ghost of Tsushima has received high praise since launch and set a record for PS4 sales. Last week, the developers announced an upcoming cooperative multiplayer mode that will launch this year, giving players a choice of 4 classes.
The new Legends mode will be a free download for anyone who owns the game and will be inspired by Japanese folk tales and mythology. Sucker Punch will give more details about each class later and we’ll soon be slicing people up with our friends!
Upcoming MMORPG from Bandai Namco – IGN
Last week, Bandai announced an upcoming console online RPG, Bless Unleashed. The open-world game will feature 13 zones, 26 bosses and 6 dungeons at launch.
So far, we know that the game will include attack combos, customization, PVP and PVE combat. You can register for the closed beta here and sign up for developer updates!
Xbox Series X UI – 9to5 Toys
Even though I’m a Sony fanboy, I’ve never been a big fan of their console user interface. It looks like Microsoft will continue its dominance on the UI side based on the trailer for ‘The New Xbox Experience’.
Microsoft puts an emphasis on usability and connectivity. The menus are intuitive, the layout as inviting, and the new system will be faster than ever. I probably won’t but an Xbox Series X, but I applaud what Microsoft is doing with their interface design!
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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What were some of the most interesting things you read last week? Leave us a message in the comments so we can check it out!
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