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 Amazon’s Crucible, Artifact Beta, The Last of Us Part 2 and more!
At the top of the hour, we’ve got a new console shooter that hopes to build off the success of Counter-Strike! Warface Breakout launch on PS4 last week and rewards team play, careful map rotation and maximizing your kit economy.
Warface Breakout Brings Gunplay Focused Combat – Playstation Blog
Over the last couple of months, Valorant has dominated the competitive shooter scene. Warface Breakout launched last week to help fill the void of tactical shooting on consoles.
It’s predecessor, Warface, has been out for years and has supposedly amassed a player base in the millions on PC. Breakout arrives with updated graphics, mechanics, and an emphasis on strategic team cooperation in PvP fights. It doesn’t look like it’ll have a similar PvE as the 2014-release.
Breakout pits mercenaries against each other, completing missions across 5 maps. The scenery is dark but the detailed graphics look pretty great. You’ll find mazes and lanes across cities, sandstorms and even an oasis in Breakout’s initial levels.
Breakout launches with an impressive 30 weapons to play around with. Each has a predictable recoil pattern and will be effective in specific scenarios.
As expected, there’s a Breakout Battle Pass which will reward players with plenty of cosmetic items. These will at least apply to weapon and character skins in season 1.
I’m curious to see how Breakout evolves with a player base that is equipped with controllers. Peaking corners and flicking to headshots are routine with a keyboard and mouse but may be more difficult on a console.
I definitely agree that this is a genre that should live on all platforms and I’m excited to see where My.Games takes Breakout in the future!
Raspberry Pi 4 Gaming – Geeky Gadgets
Two years ago, I wrote about how retro gaming has been making a comeback and you can create your own retro console. Since then, technology has continued to advanced and the latest Raspberry Pi now has incredible horsepower in a small form factor.
Now that emulation has caught up to this hardware, the Pi can have you living through some of the more recent retro consoles in no time! Check out Spawn Wave’s video to see its full potential.
Money and Morals in Family Man – PC Gamer
Family Man is how I would imagine Weeds and Breaking Bad being mashed up with Roblox. After five years of development, the game is now available on Steam with dozens of missions to help you pay off your mob debt.
You owe money to the mob, and you’ve got three weeks to pay it back. Will you flip burgers and earn an honest living while scraping the money together… or will you take on some dirty jobs for more cash, but potentially push your family away?
Every decision you make affects everyone around you. The neighborhood will blossom or perish under the weight of your decisions, while the path you choose may lead to your household becoming stronger than ever… or the breakdown of your marriage and relationship with your child.
Young Sherlock Holmes Begins His Career – Gamespot
Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One puts you in control of the 21-year old detective and tasks you with shedding light on some town secrets. The game’s developer wants players to become familiar with how Sherlock became such a great detective.
Sherlock will be arrogant, volatile and have no problem lying to someone to help in an investigation. You can experience the events which shaped his life in 2021 on both PC and console.
E3 2020 Replacements – Polygon
We’re still figuring out social distancing and coming to grips with the many canceled events. For gamers, E3 is one of the greatest events of the year, allowing us a glimpse into the future of the industry.
Luckily, Polygon put together a list of events that will help fill the summer void. I’m most excited about Playstation’s June 4th reveal, but the list also includes some lesser-known events like Steam Game Festival and the New Game+ Expo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLqppy7zriY
Top PC VR Games – PC Invasion
It feels as though we’re on the brink of seeing significant growth in the VR gaming space. Hardware is getting less expensive and more compact, big-name developers are creating impressive titles, and people are itching to experience something outside of their homes.
In this list, we’ve got a great compilation of titles that you should check out if you own a VR headset (or are contemplating purchasing one). I’ve heard great things about Half-Life: Alyx and Beat Saber, but you should view the rest of the games to see if one looks interesting to you!
Portable N64 – Nintendo Life
Creator SmackedSam designed his own portable N64 a couple of months ago and has now come out with an upgraded model, dubbed the Slipstream 2. His creations require a physical cartridge so he shouldn’t run into any copyright infringement issues.
The console has a slot for a memory card or rumble pack, plus an internal battery to enjoy some Mario 64 on-the-go. Hopefully, he can get some Bluetooth or WiFi support on the next version to offer multiplayer couch parties!
So Fast Wow – Gamespot
The Fast and Furious franchise has a ridiculous number of movies in the series, but it hasn’t made any waves in the gaming community. Fast and Furious: Showdown didn’t have a great reception in 2014 but the Project CARS developer is hoping to do a better job with Crossroads.
The game features iconic characters, high-speed chases and plenty of explosions. Interestingly the trailer shows off more stunts and attack mechanics than racing.
Join in on the heists on console starting August 7th!
New Twin-Stick Shooter – IGN
I haven’t played through many twin-stick shooters in my time so I tend to compare any upcoming titles to Smash TV and Helldivers. In One Shell Straight to Hell, you fight hordes of demons on randomly generated maps, relying on skills and weapons to survive the onslaught.
It’s a permadeath game, so you need to do be careful of your positioning and ability usage. There’s a unique level of base building where the player can upgrade the mansion with reinforcements and traps.
The game creates a tense, exciting environment and you can add it to your Steam wishlist now to be notified about the release later this year!
New Horizons Has Got Competition – Polygon
New Horizons has dominated quarantine time, giving people some respite over the last couple of months. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp released two and a half years ago as a free-to-play mobile version of the beloved series.
Since launch, Pocket Camp has introduced quality of life changes and meaningful updates to boost its appeal. While some cosmetic items require the player to spend real-world dollars, it looks like there is a larger inventory in Pocket Camp than New Horizons.
The game has perhaps benefitted from the success of the Switch release as New Horizons players expand their Animal Crossing experience. Check out the full article for glowing Twitter reviews and feel free to download the game on the App Store or Google Play!
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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