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 Mixer shutting down, VR treadmill, Animal Crossing, and more!
At the top of the hour, we’ve got a new game in the Worms franchise. Worms Rumble has an upcoming closed beta and will launch on console and PC in late 2020!
Worms Rumble on the Way – IGN
I’ve been playing Worms games since the mid-90s, blasting my friends with rockets and banana bombs. Last week, word dropped about the latest entrant in the series, Worms Rumble.
Worms Rumble expands on the original formula with larger battles than we’ve ever seen. 32 players will battle it out in either a Deathmatch or the Last Worm Standing modes.
Worms has always been about cartoon chaos and massive explosions. The arsenal of weapons is both hilarious and devastating, allowing for some epic kills against other squishies.
Interestingly, Worms Rumble abandons its turn-based combat for real-time battles. This switch boosts the pace of battle and will force players to be even more strategic with their decision-making.
At launch, you’ll be able to play in solo or squad-based battle royale lobbies. Worms Rumble brings back some classic weapons to compliment new challenges and ‘The Lab’. The latter will let players experiment with gameplay mechanics and weapons, similar to workshop mode in Overwatch.
Players will unlock new gear as they progress their Worm through the ranks. This definitely adds a layer of replayability that may have lacked in prior Worms releases.
Lastly, Worms Rumble adopts the trend of player customization, with skins, outfits, accessories and emotes to match your personal style. We all know friends who have spent $200 on outfits for their character!
There’s no official release date yet, but we know that Worms Rumble will hit the shelves before the end of the year. Hopefully, it’s here for the holidays so we can blow up our pals for Christmas!
https://youtu.be/lE5A_se740I
Free Raspberry Pi Project Magazine – boingboing
The Raspberry Pi is a nifty little machine capable of impressive technological feats. Most recently, I used mine to build a retro console and I’ve been really pleased with the results!
The MagPi, a magazine dedicated to projects you can create with the device, is giving out its most recent issue for free. This edition includes everything from building a DOS emulation station to making your own piano-playing robot. Check out the full PDF here for more ideas!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaftKZCcfiI
Harry Potter RPG – Laptop Mag
A couple of years ago, the video game world got their first glimpse at an open-world Harry Potter game via the trailer below. Now, it’s been confirmed that this Harry Potter title will release sometime next year!
You’ll be in control of your own wizard, exploring a mythical environment with your learned spells. The video quality of the trailer isn’t great, but I’m hoping the full game will live up to the hype.
https://youtu.be/glG736Y0JTg
The Other Cyberpunk Game – Nintendo Life
Most of us are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Cyberpunk 2077, but there’s a lesser-known cyberpunk launching this summer on Switch. Dex is a 2D RPG featuring non-linear gameplay and branching outcomes.
Players can choose from multiple playstyles, utilizing a mix of stealth, open combat, and hacking. The customization options look fairly robust and the hacker mini-games look really cool.
You can pick up Dex from the Nintendo eShop on July 24th!
https://youtu.be/Sp_8tbGHoUo
3D Worlds on NES – Kotaku
The Nintendo Entertainment System brought 2D, color gaming to the masses with classic games and synthesized audio tracks. A recent emulator takes things up a notch by rendering your favorite NES classics in 3D!
3dSen translates the 2D pixel graphics into three-dimensional words and the end result is pretty impressive. You can pick up the emulator on Steam now and enjoy about 70 games from the golden age of gaming!
https://youtu.be/_MBHj9IGZgE
Punch-Happy Rabbit – Gamespot
As strange as it sounds, a rabbit equipped with a huge metal fist actually makes for an exciting game. FIST: Forged in Shadow Torch puts you in control of a rabbit who is on a mission to rescue a friend. The metallic arm is equipped to his back but you’ll also have access to other weapons like a drill and a whip.
Sony has pledged to showcase more indie games and FIST certainly looks like an interesting one for the PS4. It doesn’t have an exact release date but will also be on Steam “soon”.
https://youtu.be/BZEiT8QZbmY
Tactical FPS VR Game – Geeky Gadgets
I’ve played a few dozen hours of VR games and haven’t yet found a shooter that threatens to dominate my gaming prioritization. My primary issue has been the inability to accurately hit a target while using my hands to aim.
Onward states that their work will be “the most realistic combat experience available in gaming today” so the bar is now set pretty high. Reviews have been very positive on the early access version and we’ll see what changes come out of the initial community feedback,Â
Onward includes a solo campaign, co-op mode, 10-player multiplayer, and many different weapons to choose from. More importantly, players can build custom maps to use in-game!
I’ve added this one to my cart but will be checking out some more reviews before pulling the trigger.
https://youtu.be/aazHPvcMofo
Relaxing Co-Op RPG – Gamespot
I’m used to fairly intense games like The Last of Us Part II and Apex Legends, so it’s rare that a more chill game catches my eye. The focus of Haven, however, is on being relaxing, stripping most of the common RPG features for a lighter experience.
Make it a gentle breeze, a soft hand that will take you through its journey without asking you to care too much about details.
Haven will launch this year across consoles and PC.
https://youtu.be/b_jhGKn049E
Medival City-Builder – Kotaku
I’ve got a lot of respect for the solo developer and I continue to be amazed by the output of a single person in a game. Slavic Magic put Manor Lords into Early Access and is planning for a fall 2020 full release.
In this game, we see elements of constructing a village as well as Total War-style battles. The trailer looks pretty polished and I’m hoping that the community can provide constructive feedback to make the launch successful later this year!
https://youtu.be/SV9gNI5DHy0
Space Puzzler – Gamespot
Heavenly Bodies looks like it’s taken a page out of Sportsfriends, making use of the controller joysticks to moves arms and limbs while completing tasks. In this zero-gravity environment, you can solve puzzles alongside a friend while discovering creative ways to finish tasks around the space station.
The devs also mentioned the work on tactile enhancements to take advantage of the PS5’s DualSense controller in the future. It’s definitely encouraging to hear how developers are thinking about how to best utilize the technology to create a deeper sense of immersion in the game.
Heavenly Bodies will launch on PS4, PS5, and Steam in 2021.
https://youtu.be/WLIA4Jm8JfI
Hauntingly Beautiful Side-Scroller – Playstation Blog
Coma launched a decade ago as a Flash-based game, got an HD release on Steam earlier this year, and is now making its way to PS4! Under a new name, Neversong, the developer hopes to replicate the early success of the first entrant while introducing a new world and game mechanics.
In this article, the devs talk about the process of reworking the original and making sure the new game is 2020-ready. The story is brand new but still follows a boy in a dream-like coma. You can experience the journey of Neversong beginning on July 16th!
https://youtu.be/-k7mxQIqVGo
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.Â
For more regular updates, feel free to follow our Flipboard, where we have a news feed of all the latest and greatest gaming news!
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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Also, we just started a new podcast! Check out episode one here, where we talk about the free-to-play gaming model!
