April was a not a bad month to be a gamer.
God of War was released to extremely critical and commercial success.
News and rumors came about two fo the most anticipated games of the coming year. Red Dead Redemption 2 and Cyberpunk 2077.
Let us take a look at the biggest news and rumors in the gaming world from April 2018.
Cyberpunk 2077 News & Rumors – What we know so far
Projekt Red, the creators of Witchers 3, which is widely considered one of the best games of all time, is currently developing the highly anticipated open-world FPS Cyberpunk 2077. The development initially started 5 years ago, but the project went silent until January 2018. It was nothing but a simple tweet that threw the gaming community into a craze, believing that Cyberpunk 2077’s development might come earlier than expected.
*beep*
— Cyberpunk Game (@CyberpunkGame) January 10, 2018
At the current point in time, the gaming community knows very little about the highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt Red has released little information about Cyberpunk 2077, but we, as well as the community, believe that we will learn much more at this year’s E3 conference in June of 2018.
What is Cyberpunk 2077?
As of now, what do we know about Cyberpunk 2077? CD Projekt Red has made it evident that the game will take place in a bright, neon, open-world and cyberpunk universe. The game revolves around an RPG play style, and players will game in either a first-person or third-person perspective.
The community believes that Cyberpunk 2077 will be much like Witcher 3, but also different in many ways. More specifically, Cyberpunk 2077 is set in an open-world metropolis named the “Night City.” We know nearly nothing about the story. However, the Witcher series had an incredibly deep story and lore, so we are likely right to assume Cyberpunk will be the same.
The game will revolve around a sci-fi plot in which a foreign world will surround players. Also, the story will lead players into a storm of mind-boggling mysteries and fascinating conspiracies. CD Projekt Red has announced that Cyberpunk 2077 plans to be much broader than The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, as well as bigger. We know that the player will be able to create their character, which was not the case in the Witcher 3, which does create a less focused and broader experience. CDPR also stated that the world itself would be larger than that of the Witcher 3, which is very impressive indeed. As long as they manage to fill the world with as many exciting side quests as the Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077 could easily be the game of the year for us.
Players will build skills, abilities and more as they advance through the campaign, which we also assume will be with more choice than was given in the Witcher 3 if they want to create a broader experience. Finally, we also know Cyberpunk 2077 will run on RedEngine 4.0, the same platform that powered The Witcher 3 but CD Projekt Red has also said that the game is ready to translate onto the next generation of consoles. Which make us believe that it will be a cross-generation title, much like Grand Theft Auto 5 was for the last to the current generation.
No Microtransactions, ”Leave greed to other”
It seems that CDPR is continuing their incredibly generous business philosophy. ”If you pay for a full game you should get a full game”, which is something that is becoming increasingly rare with all the microtransactions and DLC’s all major games ships with nowadays. I will leave you with this Tweet from CD Projekt Red on the matter.
.@PrettyBadTweets Worry not. When thinking CP2077, think nothing less than TW3 — huge single player, open world, story-driven RPG. No hidden catch, you get what you pay for — no bullshit, just honest gaming like with Wild Hunt. We leave greed to others.
— CD PROJEKT RED (@CDPROJEKTRED) November 19, 2017
Multiplayer in a CD Projekt Red Game?
Cyberpunk 2077 is not only CDPR’s first major sci-fi game it is also their first game that will have a real multiplayer component. Not a lot is known about the degree which multiplayer will be a part of the game. This was revealed all the way back in 2013 when Eurogamer had a talk with CD Projekt Red
Conclusion
The Witcher 3 is one of the best, if not THE best game to ever be released and the CD Projekt Red has definitely earned our trust with Cyberpunk 2077.
In retrospect, Cyberpunk 2077 is definitely something to look forward to especially if you liked The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt(Which you probably did), or open-world RPG games in general. We do not know much as of now, but Cyberpunk 2077 will most likely be released sooner than planned. Which is backed up by a financial strategy report for 2016-2021 for CD Projekt Red Hopefully, the game is nearing the end of development, and we will get a solid release date at the E3 conference in June.
I do worry that the focus on a broader experience could potentially harm the game as one of the things the Witcher 3 did better than all of its competitors was the focus on one charismatic protagonist. But again, we will have to wait and see.
Red Dead Redemption 2: New Trailer, Battle Royale Mode
Rockstar Games, a huge company in the gaming industry has recently announced the development of the game Red Dead Redemption 2. With the huge success of the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto 5 and the first Red Dead Redemption game, the community as a whole has high hopes for this soon game, and it is probably the most anticipated title of 2018. At first, gamers believed that Grand Theft Auto 6 would be the next big title, but that rumor was quickly debunked when the trailer for Red Dead 2 dropped a little over a year ago. Rockstar announced that they have been working on Red Dead Redemption 2, an epic third-person Wild West title. They also state that their teams are pushing to have all their ideas put into the living, breathing world of Red Dead Redemption 2, along with all the input from the community, which does sound incredible and judging from the newly dropped trailer we believe them.
Story & Setting
In Red Dead Redemption 2, players will be placed into a Wild West setting as the outlaw Arthur Morgan, an essential member of the “Dutch’s Gang.” This gang had its first appearance in the first game and had a significant influence on the plot. Which seems to carry over into Red Dead Redemption 2. We hope that Arthur Morgan will interact with the beloved John Marston, the main character in the first game, at some point in the sequel.
The game takes place in the 1900s in the Western Frontier. Currently, the community knows little about the story, but more info will be released by Rockstar soon.
A leak on Reddit of the Red Dead Redemption 2 landscape showed us what we likely have to look forward to. The new map has a resemblance to the old Redemption Title with the Great Plains and Tall Trees area. Also, the town Blackwater will be making a return. Another area in the map “New Bordeaux” which some might know from Mafia III will be in Red Dead Redemption 2 as well. All and all it sounds like the perfect wild west game, with plenty of guns, horses, casinos, crime and everything you might want in a cowboy game.
Another feature that has been highly suggested by the gaming community is a first-person mode. Much like Grand Theft Auto 5, players will be able to game in the first person on both the online and solo game modes. Other new additions such as fishing, railroads, and hunting quests have all been rumored to be in development.
Online – New Modes including Battle Royale
In addition to the campaign, Red Dead Redemption 2 has an advanced multiplayer. Rockstar says that the new Red Dead Redemption 2 multiplayer game mode has been changed dramatically. It appears that the multiplayer mode in Red Dead Redemption 2 will be profoundly influenced by Grand Theft Auto 5. The game will have an open-world or free play mode, much like Grand Theft Auto’s online platform. Things like tasks, robbable stores, missions and more are available for gamers to explore and complete to earn rewards. Recently, rumors have been spreading around the gaming community stating that some new game modes in Red Dead Redemption 2 online will include a Battle Royale money, Money Grab and Revive and Survive. Naturally, the Battle Royale mode is a reaction to the sudden popularity of Fortnite and PUBG and will follow a similar playstyle. The Money Grab mode is a game mode in which two teams fight against each other as players attempt to move bags full of money to a specific location. Alternatively, the Revive and Survive will be more like a classic deathmatch. However, teammates will be able to revive each other before a particular time or else players are eliminated.
Release Date
Red Dead Redemption 2 is set to be released for both the PS4 and Xbox One on 26 October 2018 by Rockstar. The first Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer was released in October of 2016. A second trailer was released in September of 2017, showcasing more of the map and story mode.
Yesterday the latest trailer for Red Dead Redemption was revealed, and I can honestly say that I have never been more excited for a Rockstar game than I am right now.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – Battle Royale Mode, Campaign Removed
If you have ever played an FPS game, you should be familiar with the game series Call of Duty. Among the Call of Duty titles, the Black Ops series has had the most notable amount of success, which is why Black Ops will be the first Call of Duty series to have a fourth installment. Recently, it was confirmed that Black Ops 4 would be released in 2018 after it’s May 17 reveal. However, how is Black Ops 4 going to be any different than the earlier installments? What will be new and improved in this new title? Let us take a look at what we know so far.
No Campaign?
This has been anticipated for a while now, but it was not until now that we know for sure that Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will not have a solo campaign mode. This pleased many gamers in the community but also upset just as many, if not more. Treyarch, the company, working on Black Ops 4 states that they want to dedicate the efforts into the zombie and multiplayer mode. Instead of a campaign, they plan to add in a new co-operative mode. Also, rumors have been saying that a Battle Royale mode will be added to the new Black Ops game, following a similar play style to titles such as Fornite and PUBG.
We don’t know for sure why Black Ops 4 will not include a campaign, but fans speculate that Treyarch is making this decision based on a number of reasons. For starters, the pressure of the early October release date, Treyarch might not be able to complete a solid campaign in time. Secondly, the multiplayer and Zombie mode has always been their most popular game modes, and with them adding a Battle Royale mode, they probably don’t have to time. Instead, they want to dedicate their efforts to a more polished and elaborated online experience. Personally, I don’t feel like the loss of the solo campaign is that big of a deal as the quality of Call of Duty campaigns have been decreasing drastically in recent years, and they might as well put more work into the game modes that work.
Just like Rockstars Red Dead Redemption, Black Ops 4 will take advantage of the current popularity of Battle Royale games, and most fans are happy with this plan, as am I. The gameplay quality and general feel of Call of Duty are honestly perfect for a Battle Royale mode, and I cannot wait to try this out. Finally, rumors have been spreading that a remastered version of Modern Warfare 2 will be sold alongside the game, but no confirmation has been made yet.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider – Release Date & Trailer
Tomb Raider is a huge third-person adventure series dating back to the early 2000s. The entire series is regarded as one of the biggest in gaming history even spawning two separate cinematic spin-off series. So, the hype behind the games are real, and gamers have been patiently waiting for more information on the soon to be released “Shadow of the Tomb Raider.” This new game will be developed by Crystal Dynamics.
Gameplay
Much like previous games in the series, this new title will mainly focus on adventure and exploration. The linear path will be easy to follow, as you once again play as Lara Croft, the recognized character from the past games in the series. Fans of the Uncharted series are likely to love the Tomb Raider games as well.
The game takes place in Latin America, a few months before the previous game in the series took place. In the campaign, Lara attempts to stop an apocalyptic event but accidentally triggers it herself, killing tons of people. Fueled by anger, Lara then vows to take vengeance on the organization of Trinity which is to blame, more specifically on the leader Dr. Dominguez.
The game is still a third-person shooter, following the classic gameplay style as always. Additionally, the combat won’t change much, and the weapons that Lara will carry include the bow, pistol, shotgun, etc. Finally, the map will not be all that different, and still, hold the cinematic appearance we crave. The graphics look great, and the title will have a very dark atmosphere. However, with new advancement in photo-realistic graphics, demos and trailers show incredible lighting effects, showcasing everything ranging from water dripping from faces to the moonlight reflecting off the water.
Release
Square Enix stated that the game was being developed as early as 2015, during E3 of that year.
On September 14th, 2018, the Shadow of The Tomb Raider will be released on the PlayStation, Xbox One, and PC.
11-11 Memories Retold: What we know so far
The World War 1 genre of video games has been a bit lackluster compared to the WW2 theme. Many consumers have received games like the Great War, Battlefield 1 and Verdun with mostly praise. While World War 1 games are usually not as popular as those taking place in the second World War there is no denying that the slightly more brutal feel of the first war makes for a great game setting. Luckily, the teams from DigixArt and Aardman have taken an exciting approach by announcing the new World War 1 narrative adventure game 11-11 Memories Retold. So what exactly are 11-11 Memories Retold?
What are 11-11 Memories Retold?
Memories Retold is a narrative adventure game that takes place during World War 1. The trailer appears to indicate the game will be set in the well know Flanders Field, located in Waregem, Belgium. Hence the name Memories Retold, the game will most likely be showcasing what WW1 veterans went through. The gaming community speculates that 11-11 Memories Retold will take players on a psychological trip through the artsy and immersive campaign. Much like the well-received game Valiant Hearts: The Great War, Memories Retold will have a watercolor aesthetic involved. Besides that, we don’t know much more than that the game is set to be released in 2018.
Release Date
The release date for 11-11 Memories Retold is not clear, but it is apparent that that game will be released in 2018 for the PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One. Some gamers believe that the game will be released on Armistice Day, November 11, a day in which the world gets together in remembrance of those who lost their lives during World War 1.
