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 Spellbreak, Planet Coaster, Gripper and more!
At the top of the hour, we’ve got a summary of Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase. Many new games were announced and we got longer trailers from titles that we were already expecting!
Xbox Games Showcase Summary – IGN
A little over a month ago, Sony gave us an incredible presentation to show off what we can expect from the PS5. Last week, Microsoft followed suit with their Xbox Games Showcase, continuing to build hype for the Xbox Series X.
The Xbox Games Showcase was almost a full hour filled with first-party titles, impressive graphics, and highly-anticipated sequels. In total, Microsoft shared at least a glimpse of 21 games that will be playable on the Xbox Series X!
For what is one of Microsoft’s biggest franchises, Halo Infinite appropriately dominated the screentime of the event. Its open-world Halo ring is massive, Master Chief is now equipped with a grappling hook, and some of our favorite guns and vehicles have returned.
The Halo Infinite gameplay reveal showed off ridiculous lighting effects and smooth action at 60 FPS. It’ll be available in ‘Holiday 2020’ and is likely to be one of the big drivers in Xbox Series X sales.
We also got a deeper look at sequels like State of Decay 3 and Forza Motorsport. While I still have a stronger preference for Sony’s lineup of exclusives, the Xbox Games Showcase was still able to draw me in with appealing cinematics and compelling storytelling.
Console wars will continue at the end of this year and we’re likely to see a few more announcements before then. In the meantime, catch the entire Xbox Games Showcase in the video below!
Pixelated Bloodborne – PC Gamer
I’ve played about two hours of Bloodborne and can attest to the legendary difficulty of this game. Yarntown takes a page out of the Bloodborne manual and makes things look a little less scary!
Your character hunts beasts and bosses as you customize your stats through the Bloodborne-esque progression. I know I said Bloodborne a lot, so if you like Bloodborne and you like 16-bit graphics, you’ll really like Yarntown. Pick it up now for free!
New Tactical Hero Shooter Hits Early Access – PC Gamer
With games like Valorant and Hyper Scape gaining traction, I fully expect to see new hero-based shooters launching in the coming years. Last week, Hi-Rez released their version, titled Rogue Company, which features rogues yielding swords.
The trailer shows off one of the rogues purchasing other weapons before jumping into a small skirmish. Similar to games like Fortnite and Warzone, players will skydive onto the map, then battle for survival. Join the beta today and stay tuned for updates on a full launch!
More Monster Catching – Gematsu
It’s not Pokemon, it’s not Temtem…it’s Nexomon! The upcoming monster catching adventure boasts 300 mons, eleven elemental types, and plenty of trainers to challenge.
While there are obvious ties to the monster catching games that came before, the devs promise a new story to feed your collection addiction. Begin your journey on Steam and consoles starting August 28th!
The Not-Olympics – Nintendo Life
Drink More Glurp reminds me of a more strange version of Sportsfriends, which is shocking given how strange Sportsfriends is. Players compete in wacky olympic-esque games through goofy colors, shapes and sounds:
After watching Earth TV, Drink More Glurp’s aliens think great competition is all about paid sponsorships. Sponsors have seized control of events and twisted them to fit their brand’s agenda, creating havoc for the alien athletes and keeping players constantly on their toes. What happens when Gravitol Weightloss lowers the world’s gravity, or when Electromagnetic Rave gives competitors LASER HANDS?
There’s local multiplayer parties of up to 20 players, “silly physics”, and a single player challenge mode. Drink More Glurp will launch on the Nintendo eshop on August 6th, but you can get a 10% launch discount if you pre-order.
Mafia Remake – VG 24/7
Mafia 1 hit shelves in August 2002, taking you from cab driver to notorious gangster. The remake was announced as a 4k Definitive Edition, improving graphics and gameplay while building on the strong cast of characters.
Mafia 2 and Mafia 3 are also receiving the upgrade treatment, but we don’t have details on those yet. Mafia: Definitive edition will launch on September 25 across PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
Red Dead Online Update – Kotaku
Red Dead Redemption 2 is almost 2 years old and Rockstar is releasing another big update! The new Outlaw Pass will bring additional cosmetics, plus the DLC introduces a new role to choose from.
Apparently, things have been pretty rough in the world of Red Dead online this year, and players are showing their disappointment with in-game protests. Hopefully, today’s update will help turn things around as the devs promised to include tons of community-requested features and fixes.
Battle Crustaceans – Nintendo Life
You know what the world needs right now? Fight Crab.
As the name suggests, you take control of a crab and battle other crabs. I’m amazed at the notion of this game potentially having a high level of replayability based on the description:
- Claw through 7 Tutorial stages and a Campaign Mode with 34 stages spread out across 7 chapters
- 23 types of playable crab, 48 different weapons, and 11 unique battle arenas
- A variety of matchmaking options including 1 vs. 1, 2 vs. 2, and both offline and online co-op and versus battle modes
It’s unclear when this game will launch, but anyone who owns a switch will eventually be able to tap into their inner crabbiness!
Minecraft-ception – Games Radar+
You didn’t think I forgot about this week’s creator spotlight, did you?
Minecraft is one of the largest franchises in the world, with 126 million players as of May 2020. People love mining, building and trolling through Overworld.
Fundy actually created Minecraft within Minecraft. On top of that, his entire computer can run within Minecraft. Even though the resolution and colors are a bit off, this is an impressive feat and I’m thankful to have found this video to round out Last Week in Gaming!
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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