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 Xbox Series X, Amazon Crucible, Disintegration and more!
At the top of the hour, we’ve got some awesome Unreal Engine 5 footage. Its creator, Epic Games, shared a demo on Playstation 5 hardware and it looks incredible!
Unreal Engine 5 Reveal – Input Mag
Some of the greatest video games have been built on the Unreal Engine. In the most recent iteration of the engine we saw Borderlands 3, Street Fighter V and Fortnite.
Unreal Engine 5 is already being put to work in some upcoming games and we just saw an incredible demo from Epic Games!
In the gameplay reveal, we saw a magical Lara Croft-esque lady walking through a highly-detailed cave. The developers said they achieved this by creating millions of triangles, or something. Whatever they did, it worked.
It’s almost unbelievable how the light reflects off surfaces so realistically. They even showed how you can move the light source around and see all the shadows move around dynamically.
Aside from the environment, the character modeling looks great. You’ll notice how the protagonist’s cape flows in the wind as she scales the side of a mountain.
One of the really cool parts about Unreal Engine 5 is that the pricing model will benefit smaller studios. Developers won’t incur any fees until their game has exceeded $1 million gross revenue.
Unreal Engine 5 will be here next year, but I’m sure there will be plenty more footage before the official launch. Check out the full trailer below to see this breakthrough in gaming technology!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC5KtatMcUw
Non-Violent City Building – Polygon
I’m a big fan of the Civilization series, but it can get a little overwhelming when you’re constantly being overrun by barbarians. Before We Leave puts a unique spin on the city building genre and removes any concerns about being attacked.
There’s been some life-ending disaster in the past, sending humans below ground. Now, they emerge to a world filled with nature and life!
You start off with a small island and eventually grow to other lands and worlds. Since there’s no fighting, you can focus on expanding and advancing your new population! Before We Leave is out now on the Epic Games Store.
https://youtu.be/m-A0yXP50d4
Tony Hawk Returns – CNET
I have vivid memories of chaining together impossible skateboarding tricks on the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game back in the day. Luckily for me, this franchise is getting a new life!
The remastered game will have new tricks, an online mode, and the ability to create a park. You can preorder the game now on console or PC for the September 4, 2020 release!
https://youtu.be/l4MUurdxvTs
Mobile Publisher Hits 1+ Billion Downloads – Venture Beat
Most highly-successful companies have millions of users. Playrix is not your typical, highly-successful company.
The publisher just passed 1 billion downloads. That’s BILLION with a ‘b’.
They specialize in casual mobile games. Their most popular is a puzzler called Gardenscapes. It’s basically a matching game mixed with some garden customization, but it’s apparently far more addicting than it sounds.
If you’re looking for a colorful, relaxing mobile game, go check this out and let me know what you think!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh24b1vzV6A
Super Mega Baseball 3 Review – Polygon
Polygon describes this game as “the best unlicensed sports game” so my expectations were pretty high when I started this article. It’s not an incredibly deep game, but it does have realistic gameplay that pays homage to the sport.
There’s a customizable difficulty system and performance-based confidence for your players. The devs updated many mechanics from the prior iteration and continued the tradition of great logo design.
The review shows long loading times and mediocre audio effects, but the announcer brings a boost. We also finally get a multi-year franchise mode!
Super Mega Baseball 3 is the baseball simulation you didn’t know you needed. Grab it on Steam and start building out your super team!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaFBZnNR1kc
Ghost of Tsushima Gameplay – Polygon
With less than 2 months to go before Ghost of Tsushima hits the shelves, the hype is reaching its peak. Last week’s gameplay video showed a ton of features, from the fighting to the character customization.
I couldn’t help but think that this looks like a samurai version of Red Dead Redemption mixed with Assassin’s Creed. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I’m really hoping that there were aspects of the game which were left out that set it above its competition.
The Playstation exclusive title pits you in the 13th century Mongol empire. You’ll slash and sneak your way through enemies while being guided by a gust of wind.
Ghost of Tsushima looks beautiful in the trailer and gives the player a few options to change the display. You can create your very own old-school samurai film using the in-game features.
You can become the Ghost on July 17th!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxHTk_aQo7o
New Paper Mario – Polygon
The original Paper Mario game was a breath of fresh air when it launched on the N64. Unique graphics, polished fighting mechanics and an engaging story made for a stellar RPG.
The latest entrant, Paper Mario: The Origami King, will release on Switch on July 17th. I don’t think that this game will have the same audience as Ghost of Tsushima, but it’s pretty cool that we’re getting two high-potential games on one day.
Mario now gains a 1000-Fold Arms ability which lets players interact with the game’s landscape. I like the idea of this mechanic and am excited to see how it’s executed in-game.
There’s also a new ring-based battle system to test your skills in combat. Overall, I think we’re in for a treat with the new Paper Mario game!
https://youtu.be/FX6DTLcWUdY
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
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