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 Valorant, Google Stadia and more!
At the top of the hour, we’ve got news from Mohawk Games’ strategic civilization builder, Old World. The game looks incredible for fans of the Civilization series and we’ve got some updates from the developers!
Old World Builds on Civ Formula – Polygon
From the developers of some of our favorite Civilization games comes a new entrant in the strategy game genre. I’ve logged hundreds of hours into the Civilization franchise and am really excited to see how Old World can build on that formula!
At the core of these types of games is the ability to lead and advance a population through various ages. You research, build and fight your way to greatness, with each turn progressing years on the calendar.
Old World adds an element of mortality, where your character ages as the game moves forward. You eventually die – tragic – and leave the dynasty to your heir.
The developers built a “robust dynamic event system” which yields evolving relationships with the players on the map. Choices you make in Old World will have a lasting impact and affect future generations.
Old World’s trailer mentions having over 1000 unique events, so the replay value should be solid for this game. You’ll find famous historical moments and lesser-known scenarios.
What stands out for me is the order system in Old World. Rather than having a set number of movement spaces per unit, you can spend your overall movements in a way that best aligns with your goal in that year. This inherently changes the way you strategize and gives more freedom to the player.
The game is available for pre-purchase for $40 with an expected Summer 2020 release date. There’s about a 98% chance that I’ll pick up Old World so stay tuned for a TAG review!
Ray-Tracing in Minecraft – Polygon
Minecraft is notorious for its block-shaped environments and simplistic design. This can sometimes result in a dull scene in your Minecraft landscape. However, you can now take things up a notch with Ray-tracing technology!
Minecraft with RTX takes advantage of the advanced way this technology can simulate light waves. Overall, things look brighter, sharper and just plain visually-appealing. Join the beta now in the Xbox Insider Hub if you’re interested!
Valorant Agent Rankings – Dexerto
In week 2, Valorant has continued its strong moment since the launch of the beta. The community is already starting to talk about the meta and evaluate what strategies are the most effective.
Dexerto grades each agent in this article and some quick summaries on their decisions. I’ve been using Raze and can confirm her overall beastliness. If you’ve gotten a beta code, shoot me a message so we can link up!
Let me know in the comments who you think is the strongest agent!
Dead by Daylight on Mobile – Flickering Myth
We tried Dead by Daylight last year on console and it was pretty scary. Now, the developers are bringing that scariness to the small screens!
Dead by Daylight is a 4v1 survival horror game, where you’re tasked with either escaping with your life or killing all the mere mortals. The mechanics have been remastered for mobile and is available now on the Google Play and App store.
Design Switch Games the Easy Way – Nintendo Life
SmileBASIC 4 is a programming application that lets you play and develop video games. The 3DS had a version a few years ago and it’s now hitting the Switch with upgraded features!
It’ll allow beginners to design from scratch, share with the world and check out other creators’ games. SmileBASIC 4 will be available from the Switch eShop starting on April 23rd and you can check out the full article for more features.
Video Game Community Support from Final Fantasy – Inverse
The internet can be a scary place, especially with all the trolls lurking online. Every so often, you see something from the gaming community that is so heartfelt and positive that it makes you forget the negativity for a moment.
Last week, a vigil was held in FFXIV for a member who had passed away from COVID-19. Thousands lined up for the funeral march in the online world to pay their respects.
It’s a true showing of unity and great to see how video games can bring people together in light of a tragic event.
FF7 Remake Materia Tips – Gamespot
Keeping with the Final Fantasy theme, we’ve got some Materia build advice for the FFVII Remake. For those who are unfamiliar with Materia, it is essential in equipping spells and summons for your characters.
Gamespot highlights some good tips in their guide with matching visuals to explain exactly what to do. There will be some minor spoilers in the article, but they kept it vague enough to not give away any major secrets.
The Best Smartphone Game Controllers – Input Mag
Nintendo’s Switch has made AAA gaming accessible to the masses, but you don’t always want to be lugging around a console, especially for short trips. However, if you’re like most adults, you’ve always got your smartphone with you.
There are plenty of excellent games available on mobile but playing on the touchscreen can be inaccurate, non-ergonomic, or both. That’s where smartphone game controllers come into play.
Input highlights some of their favorites which essentially turn your phone into a Switch. Most good ones are around $50 and might be a smart investment for the gamer on-the-go who doesn’t own a Switch.
Facebook Launching a Dedicated Gaming App – The Verge
I’ve got no shame in beating a dead horse. Everyone is stuck inside and plenty of people are watching and/or playing video games. Twitch viewership numbers are up and Facebook is making moves to capitalize on the growing trend.
Facebook’s gaming app will emphasize the streaming community and is set to launch on April 20th. They are starting with an Android release and then plan to bring it to iOS when the app gets approved by Apple.
I haven’t followed too much of the Facebook Gaming scene but it seems to be growing quickly. Given the amount of user data they have, they should be able to better tailor their offering to the customers than Twitch or Youtube.
I’ll take a look at the app and let you all know how it looks! Also, I just launched my Facebook Gaming page, so check it out if you want to see what content I’ve been creating!
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.
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!
If you like games and want to be the first to read our latest post, leave your e-mail below. We promise not to spam you!
