E3 Is Cancelled This year’s E3 has gone from in-person to online-only to completely cancelled per a report from IGN. The games industry trade mega-show has suffered from pandemic-related issues in the last couple of years and this year is no different with the show being completely cancelled for the 2nd time in 3 years. The news comes less than two weeks after this year’s Game Developer Conference went ahead in-person despite online criticism. Geoff Keighley, front-man for The Game Awards, quickly stepped in after the news to promote the fact that his Summer Game Fest event will be going ahead this year.
Unreal Engine 5 Releases Epic Games has finally released the much-anticipated Unreal Engine 5 to the public. The latest version of the popular game engine was announced more than 2 years ago and has seen use in some in-house projects like Fortnite and The Matrix Awakens, but this is the first time the toolkit has been available to developers and hobbyists at large. Epic promises that Unreal 5 comes with major technical improvements and new features ready for the next generation of consoles and game development. The engine ships with free access to resources such as Lyra, a multiplayer shooter game which developers can use as the base for their own projects, and a huge library of assets from The Matrix Awakens. Epic Game’s controversial royalty model will remain in place although Epic has announced alongside the release that they will waive their customary 5% royalty fees on the first US$1M in revenue that a game generates.
New Tomb Raider Game Coming One of the first major games to be announced on Epic’s new Unreal Engine 5 is a brand new entry in the Tomb Raider franchise from developer Crystal Dynamics. Not much is known about the new game which will be the first since 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, but Crystal Dynamics are excited about the gameplay opportunities the new engine opens up. Other titles set to develop on Unreal Engine 5 include future installments in the Gears of War and The Witcher franchises.
New Monkey Island Announced For Later This Year Another show-stopper sequel has just been announced, Return to Monkey Island, a brand new installment in the classic adventure game franchise, is set to release later this year. The game was initially announced on April Fools to the initial disappointment of much of the gaming world, but the first trailer has now released and confirmed that the game is for real. Not only that but development is being headed up by the creator of the original franchise, Ron Gilbert, with help of much of his original team from the LucasArts days under the banner of Gilbert’s studio Terrible Toybox. Gilbert has apparently been working on the game in secret for the last two years leading up to this announcement, which came as a shock to many fans of the series as it’s been nearly 13 years since the release of the last installment by Telltale Games.
Upcoming Releases Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition [Switch] – April 7 Demeo: PC Edition [PC] – April 7 Green Hell VR [Quest] – April 7 Slipstream [PS5, XSX, PS4, XBO, Switch] – April 7
Dreamvibe [PC] – April 8
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim [Switch] – April 12 Back 4 Blood: Tunnels of Terror DLC [PC, PS5, XSX, PS4, XBO] – April 12 B.I.O.T.A. [PC] – April 12 Planet Zoo: Wetlands Animal Pack DLC [PC] – April 12 Uragun [PC] – April 12
This week Paul and Hazel give us something to wrap our lips around with all the reviews and news. Zahra brings us the news this week before Paul blows us away with a review of Kirby and The Forgotten Land, then waves their tentacles around for a spectacular Tentacular review.
Mike Frazzini, who helped start Amazon Game Studios, is stepping down in order to focus on his family. Having been an Amazon employee for many years, moving from the books section to Amazon Game Studios, despite being somewhat of a game novice at the time, he had faced criticism for veering too far from the traditional, game-making playbook, while the division cost the company hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
The company did release the online PC game New World, bringing hope that video games could become Amazon’s greatest entertainment category. Time will tell how Amazon Games Studio navigates a change in leadership, and what it produces next.
Coffee Talk Creator Passed Away
Mohammad Fahmi, creator and writer for the indie visual novel Coffee Talk, has passed away.
“Today we received devastating news that Fahmi, the creator and writer of Coffee Talk, has passed away. May his soul rest in peace, and our hearts are with his family and loved ones. May all the good things he shared, story he wrote, live on with us forever. Thank you Fahmi.” – Coffee Talk team.
Cause of death is unknown at this time.
More Options for PlayStation Players
Sony Interactive Entertainment announces upcoming changes to their subscription services. Starting June, PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now will come together into a new PlayStation Plus subscription service that will have three membership tiers. These tiers are:
PlayStation Plus Essential, which provides the same benefits that PlayStation Plus members are currently receiving, including two monthly downloadable games, exclusive discounts, cloud storage for saved games, and online multiplayer access, with the price remaining the same as PlayStation Plus.
PlayStation Plus Extra brings all the benefits of the Essential tier, and includes a catalogue of 400 PS4 and PS5 games downloadable to play.
Finally, PlayStation Plus Premium brings you all the benefits mentioned, 340 additional games, including PS3 games via cloud streaming, and a catalogue of classic games from the PS1, PS2, and PSP generations. Premium also includes time-limited game trials, so you can try before you buy.
Game Connect Asia Pacific Announced
Game Connect Asia Pacific, or GCAP, will be entering its 17th year, taking place in Melbourne during the Melbourne International Games Week from 3rd to 5th of October 2022.
GCAP is committed to professional development, education, and networking experiences for developers in Australia, and abroad. While GCAP will be held in person, a few sessions will be streamed for those who can’t attend, with the focus this year being Ambition.
GCAP promises to challenge attendees to chase their ambitions and create world class products, experiences, studios, and businesses for the global games audience, and will consist of talks, panels, and workshops from experienced industry professionals.
Keep an eye on the GCAP website as more information becomes available, and to find out more about how you can support this event.
On Zed Games this week Maylee chats with Hazel on this week in gaming news, Zahra talks inspiration at Camp Squiggly, and Paul kick-flips into his review of OlliOlli World.
After 5 years, Nintendo has released a software update that allows users to create folders and sort their software into groups. It doesn’t sound like much, but for Nintendo fans, Christmas has come early. Unfortunately, it’s not perfect. It doesn’t replace the home screen, which still just shows your last 10 opened games. Instead, it gives you the ability to go into your groups from the home screen using another button. Not ideal for those who wanted a cleaner look when they opened up their console. Still, it’s something!
Sony purchases Haven Studios
Sony made an interesting purchase on March 21st, acquiring Haven Studios before their debut title has even been announced! Haven was founded by ex Ubisoft/EA/Google lead Jade Raymond last year in partnership with Sony. They also announced that they were working on a new multiplayer IP for the PlayStation. Clearly Sony is happy with their progress so far! It will be interesting to see what this new AAA game is. Fingers crossed the extra resources Haven gets from Sony help them develop something amazing!
A new Witcher game on the horizon
CD Projekt has confirmed that a new Witcher game is in the works! In partnership with Epic, they’ll be making use of Unreal Engine 5 instead of their own REDengine, which was used for the development of Cyberpunk 2077. They have also assured fans that despite their plans for a long-term partnership with Epic, the new game is not planned to be an Epic Games Store exclusive. Fan theories are already running wild, is the hinted medallion a Cat? A Lynx? Who will we be playing?
Snoop Dogg officially in COD
Soon enough, you’ll be able to play Call of Duty Warzone, Vanguard, and Mobile as none other than Snoop Dogg himself! It was announced that on April 19th you’ll be able to purchase the Snoop Dogg Operator Bundle, with a full operator progression track for Snoop. He’ll arrive earlier on mobile, arriving April 1st through the lucky draw system. The full details for what’s included in the bundle haven’t been released, but it’s an exciting time nonetheless.
This week on Zed Games Paul, Elliott, and Hazel talk news, Paul grinds through a review of Elden Ring and Elliott takes us on a drive through Gran Turismo 7.
Indie dev gets review bombed on Steam after slipping anti-mask rhetoric in patch notes The most recent patch notes for indie game Domina featured an angry rant from the developer DolphinBarn, hidden between legitimate updates. The tirade shared his opinions on mask-mandates and covid-19.
“TAKE OFF THE FCKN MASKS,” the patch notes say between legitimate patch updates. “Next time you’re at the grocery store, try showing a woman your face. Be confident, unafraid of the LIES – you might get a girlfriend. Women like confidence. Women don’t like dudes who cover their faces in fear. What are you afraid of? Getting laid? Grow up.”
Many players took issue with the developers’ words, and there has been an intense backlash on social media as well as a deluge of negative reviews on steam. The game previously boasted a “very positive” rating from over 7000 happy players. After the patch notes the game faced a deluge of negative reviews with less than 30% of “recent reviews” having positive things to say. “Politics and personal views should never be part of the game marketing,” reads one review.
Strangely, this isn’t the first time DolphinBarn shared their opinions in the patch notes for Domina. One notable example is a previous update that included a rant about “weak men”, “succubus tiddy” and “solving the energy crisis”.
Tencent Becomes Majority Investor in Tequila Works Indie developer Tequila Works’ portfolio includes 2012’s Deadlight, and 2017’s Rime. They’re also working on the upcoming “Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story” for publisher Riot Games. A recent twitter post from the Spanish developer has announced that Chinese technology firm Tencent is now the studio’s majority shareholder. It’s unclear if this was the result of a direct negotiation been Tencent and Tequila, trades between independent stakeholders, or a combination of the two. Whatever the case, it seems like the studio is positive about the new partnership!
“For 12 years, the teams at Tequila Works have passionately crafted high-quality titles that radiated our personal sensibilities”, said Tequila Works CEO Raúl Rubio. “But there’s a limit to how much you can grow by yourself”.
Luz Sancho, Tequila Works Chairwoman said: “We are delighted to ally with a partner that allows us to make Tequila Works a stronger studio with access to all the resources required to produce titles of the highest quality, all made with the care and passion our beloved fans know us for as well as the opportunity of bringing these projects to a wider audience.”
Devolver Co-Founder launches therapeutic-game studio with the goal of improving Mental Health. Devolver Digital co-founder Mike Wilson has announced the formation of a new company focused on using video games as a tool for mental health, DeepWell. DeepWell will define the standard for video games with proven mental health benefits and help players find engaging, enjoyable, and beneficial video games. A 3-pronged approach will see them producing original titles, working with other developers on titles in production, and certifying already existing games under their standards.
Firstly, they will be developing and publishing original games designed to be therapeutic and entertaining. They aim for these games to appeal to all players, not just those searching to improve their mental health, and to be accessible to broad audiences. Additionally, they have formed an advisory council of over 40 medical researchers, doctors, and veteran game developers. The goal here is to form partnerships with existing developers working on games that have therapeutic potential and assist them in meeting those standards. Finally, they will work to identify existing games that have potential mental health benefits. Analysing them, highlighting their therapeutic qualities, and where possible, certifying them
Inspiration came when Wilson received letters from around the world discussing the role Fall Guys had played in maintaining their mental health during the brunt of Covid-19. He could see and feel the positive effect video games could have in the world but knew they lacked the medical knowledge & tools to make them really effective.
His partner former Nextern CEO Ryan Douglas has a medical background and so comes at the problem from the opposite side. He has seen many companies attempt to use video games to deliver therapeutics, but they often fail to be fun and truly engage the user. “If you create [a pill that cures cancer] and people won’t take it, have you really created a treatment, a solution? I think that we need to start saying that the answer is no”.
Hogwarts Legacy State of Play set for March 18th Playstation Australia has announced an upcoming State of Play focused entirely on the upcoming game Hogwarts Legacy. Hogwarts Legacy is due out for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC later this year. More than half of the stream will showcase gameplay footage of Hogwarts Legacy captured on the PS5. It will be accompanied with discussion and insight from team members at Avalanche Software. You can catch the stream live on Twitch and Youtube this Friday 8AM (AEDT).
Upcoming Game Releases:
Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) 18th March
As the war in Ukrain continues more gaming companies have officially made statements condemning the Russian aggression and boycotting the state. Companies no longer selling in Russia include Epic, Microsoft, GOG, Ubisoft, Take Two, Sony, EA who along with stopping sales has also removed Russian teams from FIFA and NHL and even LEGO are stopped shipments.
In more direct support of Ukraine however Necrosoft (the developers of Gunhouse) have put together a Bundle for Ukraine on itch.io. The proceeds will be split between International Medical Corps who provide medical assistance in the region and Voices for Children supporting children experiencing the horrors of war. For a minimum of $10 USD you will get access to 992 items including games, books and music donated by their developers. Notable titles include Wandersong, Superhot, A Short Hike, Baba is You, Celeste and many, many more. You can find the bundle on itch.io.
Australia bans Rimworld
Rimworld, the popular space colony management game has been refused classification in Australia, effectively banning it only 8 years after it went on sale. Until this point the game had not been submitted for classification but now had been as the game was gearing up for an apparent console launch of which the ruling appears to confirm. Unlike other games that received an RC rating after being on sale previously such as Disco Elysium last year the ban has also removed the game from purchase on steam. Those who already owned the game can continue to play however.
“I’m sorry this news was so sudden and for anyone who is frustrated by this. We are working to resolve this situation and make RimWorld available to everyone again as soon as possible, but we don’t yet know what that might require or how long it may take.” – Ludeon Studios
While you can not buy or redeem the game on steam it is still available DRM free on the developer’s website.
Japanese focused Playstation State of Play
Sony put on a brief State of Play presentation at 8am on Thursday the 10 Australian time. Focussing mostly on games being created by their Japanese partners. The show kicked off with a reveal of Exoprimal from Capcom a futuristic squad focussed shooter where dinosaurs rain from the sky. The show ended with the reveal of two new titles from Square Enix; The DioField Chronicle a tactical RPG and a new Valkyrie Profile game called Valkyrie Elysium taking the series in a more action RPG direction. One of the other big announcements is a free DLC coming to Returnal which will add multiplayer co-op to the game and a new mode endless mode, Tower of Sisyphus.
Australian federal games funding
Australian independent game developers rejoice as Screen Australia has announced the Games: Expansion Pack initiative which will allow developers access to federal screen funding. The initiative is aimed towards small, medium and emerging independent Australian games developers seeking finance for their project. For details of the initiative and apply please check the Screen Australia website. The submissions for 2022 funding close on the 28th or April.
Upcoming Releases
March 11: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok DLC [PC, PS5, XSX, PS4, XBO], Submerged: Hidden Depths [PC, PS5, XSX, PS4, XBO], Time Loader [PS4, XBO, Switch]
Developer: Sonic Team Publisher: Sega Music: Tomoya Ohtani, Kenichi Tokoi, Takahito Eguchi Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Released: 7 November 2017 Genre: Platformer
Doctor Ivo Robotnik is at it again.
World domination, chaos and destruction, with a crew of the baddest baddies at his disposal. Chaos, Zavok, Metal Sonic, even Shadow the Hedgehog. Of course Sonic is not one to back down from a fight, however a mysterious new figure enters the equation. Infinite the Jackal, wielding a gem called the Phantom Ruby, with powers that rival those of the Chaos Emeralds. Swiftly, Sonic is brought down and presumed dead.
Who is left to fight the dastardly Eggman? Knuckles and Amy Rose form the resistance, made up of a lot of familiar faces. And one not-so-familiar face.
Yours.
Or rather your Sonic original character.
Sonic Forces is an action-adventure platformer with levels designed around speed and quick reactions. With a combination of modern Sonic levels, and classic-ish Sonic levels, it is full of customisation options for your character, absolute bangers for a soundtrack, and I guess a plot? It is a game with some serious pacing issues, a mix of fun and frustrating levels, that doesn’t give you room to breathe. I am obsessed with it. And now you’re all going to hear about it.
At its core, Sonic Forces is a fanfiction, where your character gets to save the day, fighting side-by-side with Sonic the Hedgehog. It is cheesy, it is corny, it’s more than a little silly, but when your special combined attack is initiated by a powered up fist bump, you can only lean into it. You have to embrace it.
There are four different types of levels, and if you’re familiar with modern Sonic games you won’t have any trouble navigating them. Well, you might have some trouble, but I’ll get to that in a bit.
You have levels for modern Sonic to speed through, you have levels for your own character to navigate, there are levels for classic Sonic (who is adorable and fantastically round) that has all the elements of the classic Sonic levels, but with 3D graphics, and then you have combo levels, where you play with Sonic AND your character.
Modern Sonic levels play as you’d expect, with jumps, grind rails, and lots of enemies to smash through, switching from 3rd person view to side scroller view throughout the levels. Classic Sonic levels are purely side-scroller, with those classic obstacles you can expect.
And then moving onto the levels for your character, they’re quite similar to the modern Sonic levels, however your character has multiple unique abilities, some of which is dependent on the species you play as (you can pick a cat, bird, rabbit, and more). There are often some alternative paths through sections of the levels, and depending on what wispon you use (wispons being weapons based on wisps, that can give you a lightning whip, handgun, drills, and more), you’re given alternative solutions to the same obstacle. You also have a grappling hook, and in the levels where you play with Sonic, you can help him make some tight turns and swing across massive gaps.
Are these levels fun and satisfying? Sometimes! But often control is taken away from you, and I’m left wondering why they didn’t let me do more. Allow me to explain, you’re speeding through these levels, nailing the quicktime events, and then you launch yourself through the air. Surely this is the perfect opportunity for more quicktime events, or perhaps with a well-timed move I can navigate this perilous gorge. But no, the game takes control of these segments. There are a lot of scripted events in these levels, and they’re kinda cool, but it’s not a difficult game, and these levels aren’t long. Having 5-10 seconds of control taken away from me really adds up.
Speaking of quicktime events, sometimes the game doesn’t tell me what button I should be pressing. I see that dreaded circle shrinking, I’m supposed to press SOMETHING, I go with the most recent button I pressed and then Sonic is hedgehog stew.
There’s a lot of cool moments in these levels where I’m in the flow, I’m nailing it, Sonic and I are best buds freefalling past missiles, the music is absolutely hyping me up. Infinite is a pretty cool villain with the ability to create illusions, literally turning the world upside down. And your character has an arc of their own, going from a scared citizen to the rookie who faces up against Infinite himself.
But this game absolutely suffers from an incredibly rushed plot and levels that don’t feel finished. It’s fun, and it’s funny, but not in the way it was intended. I can tell that this was supposed to be a darker story, but they didn’t deliver it. I streamed this game for my friends and we had an absolute blast, but it’s definitely not because we took it seriously. A lot of the lines feels stiff and inorganic, and it’s not like I want to see Sonic miserable but he was tortured for 6 months and he’s delivering quips like this is a friendly PvP match and not like Eggman very actively almost killed him and destroyed the whole world.
And the final battle cutscene… all I can say is ouch. Again, I can see what they were going for but it falls extremely short. The number of shortcuts they used is obvious, and I just wish they took more time rather than just writing this off as a bone for the fans. At least put some meat on the bone.
However, the music is not where this game is lacking. There are a variety of themes and songs throughout the game, and a lot of it just got me extremely hyped up. It is so hard to be disappointed on a level when Sonic tells you ‘there’s nothing we can’t do together!’ while the song called Fist Bump starts to play and you charge up the most powerful fist bump in the history of fist bumps and you start screaming through the level and up a pyramid, blasting through everything in your way. The sound design is satisfying, I really enjoyed and appreciated the way that the level music would change styles between modern Sonic levels and classic Sonic levels, with those familiar synths playing. Even Infinite’s theme kinda rules, even if it’s cheesy and a bit cringy.
And I think that sums up Sonic Forces. Cheesy and a bit cringy. But it’s meant to be cheesy, and it is cringe, but it’s really fun about it, and this game is aimed towards a group of Sonic fans who know how to lean into it, and to just enjoy the wicked ride. Did I try to recreate my own Sonic OC? Absolutely. Did I also make a joke character who wears a hat that says gamer on it, ladder shades, and crocs? Of course I did!
I love Sonic Forces, I enjoyed it, and whenever I need a quick laugh, I load it up and play through a couple of levels with my friends. Are we supposed to laugh at Infinite having a temper tantrum? Probably not, but it’s so ridiculous you have to laugh. Is it a good game? Objectively: no. But I think it’s a great example of a bad game that is fun to play, and I don’t feel bad for enjoying it. Unlike a certain Sonic game released in a year ending with 6.
If you grew up enjoying Sonic the Hedgehog a normal amount, then I don’t think this game is for you. But if you need permission to just indulge your inner 9-year-old, here you go. Make your original character, become friends with Sonic, just go for it. Have fun.
