Recapping Sony’s E3

Posted by stephon90

Sony hit the ground running at E3 with displays of new games, new installments in current series, as well as a couple of big nostalgia bombs. Lets see what Sony had to offer this year.

God of War

Is there a way for something to be the same and yet totally be different in just about every way? Cause that is the way God of War is feeling now. Still, it looks to be great even if a little different, and you always gotta give it a shot. I mean would you tell a grizzled Kratos no?

Days Gone

Ready for another post apocalyptic open world game? What if I told you got to play as a bounty hunter? Days Gone sets itself up two years after a global pandemic devastates the human population. Now, as Deacon St John, your only job is to survive.

The Last Guardian

Take a Myazaki film, make it dark and turn it into a game. That’s essentially The Last Guardian. And I can’t wait. Seven years in the making and it returned in glorious and unexpected fashion at last year’s E3. Fortunately this should be the last time that we are teased with the project as its official release date is October 25th of this year. The wait is finally over.

Detroit Becomes Human

Now I love decision based games. Every decision is meaningful and even the seemingly safe move can still devolve a situation into chaos. Detroit Becomes Human is just that. Only you aren’t a human. Artificial intelligence runs the city, but what happens when the lines between right and wrong are blurred? Do the ends still justify the means to them?

Resident Evil 7

For decades Resident Evil has been scaring the hell outta players but they got away from that some time ago. This time around it feels like there’s gonna be a lot of spooked gamers out there should they choose to pick up this game. And that’s the way it should be. Exclusive looks at this game make it seem as though it could be a classic in the horror genre for video games.

Farpoint

Wanna experience space battles with giant hostile aliens? Take the VR software and pick up Farpoint. It may be your typical outer space FPS but with the VR experience it looks to be one of the first of its kind and fans are gonna wanna have fun with this one.

Battlefront VR Xwing Mission

Speaking of VR experiences in space, everyone who’s a Star Wars fan wants to fly an Xwing fighter. And with the new VR hardware fans will soon be able to live out their dreams through Battlefront VR Xwing Mission. Whether it’s actually good or not will be left for another discussion. Right now, I just wanna fly an Xwing.

Batman Arkham VR

It’s Batman. You get to be Batman. That is all you need to know to want this game.

Final Fantasy VR Experience

Experience Final Fantasy XV in the virtual world with Final Fantasy VR Experience. It’s been a bit but we’ll finally get a new FF game and if the new gameplay style is why the wait is so long, then hopefully the VR experience makes the change a far more welcome one.

Crash Bandicoot Remastered

Not a whole lot to say. But the announcement was more than enough for everyone. Just happy to see Crash back where he belongs.

Death Stranding

Not really much to say as it’s just Norman Reedus naked on a seemingly uninhabited island (which we all can figure is not actually true). I think everyone will be interested to see where this one goes.

Spider-Man

Not exactly a fan of the suit but I am a fan of seeing Spider-Man back. So many games based on comic book heroes have been unsuccessful for one reason or another. Outside of the Arkham games no other hero has a better track record in the realm of video games than Spider-Man. I look for this one to maintain the same quality as the games before it.

Ubisoft: Recap

Posted by stephon90

While it remains to be seen which games shine and which don’t it does seem that Ubisoft put together the most unique and eclectic lineup of games, targeting a lot of different groups of gamers. Lets take a look at what they had to offer this year.

Ghost Recon Wildlands

The Ghosts are back at E3 with Ghost Recon Wildlands. The Santa Blanca Cartel are running the wildlands so the job is clear for the Ghosts. This spec ops quartet has their hands full this time around. But that just makes it more fun. And we finally have a date (sorta) for it so now you can expect to pick up Ghost Recon Wildlands in March 2017.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole

The Stick of Truth was a smashing success so it was only fair that Trey Parker and Matt Stone get in on the superhero side of the fantasy genre in their new project South Park: The Fractured But Whole. December 6 is the date and in case you haven’t had a chance to experience The Stick of Truth before, you can do so when you pre-order The Fractured But Whole.

Eagle Flight

Seemed like Ubisoft took great pleasure in showing off Eagle Flight as their first VR game. Flying through the air as a pack of eagles at impressive speeds looks daunting. But judging from the gameplay trailer, it should be a real treat to simulate flight in such a fashion. Or give you a headache.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew

Star Trek: Bridge Crew is another one of those projects that Ubisoft rolled out that seems pretty interesting from the jump. And not just because of the Star Trek branding. This fully interactive world created is next-gen stuff not just in terms of VR capabilities but in terms of the co-op capabilities as well. Who doesn’t want to manage their own Enterprise ship and go on space adventures with their friends. Just as long as I’m captain.

For Honor

You play as a Viking. It doesn’t get cooler than that. But if you take a look at the gameplay walkthrough it is very reminiscent of those hack and slash action fighting games. Of course it’s 2016 so it isn’t as easy as button mashing your way through droves of enemies exactly, but this game provides a very interesting set up for a classic gaming style.

Grow Up

The title itself sets you up for exactly what this game is all about. It is a quirky and charming nostalgia bomb. Simple shapes, vibrant colors and whimsical gaming mechanics make this game a treat for the long time gamers. In the stress of MMO’s, FPS’s, and achievement based gaming, this game looks to be a creative departure from that. Players will be able to just sit back and enjoy this one. Hopefully it is successful in reminding many hardened gamers why they began playing games in the first place.

Steep

Steep looks like it is primed to be the most realistic extreme sports game we’ve seen. It is innovative and mechanics of the game looks to be intricate and extensive with the ability to retrace every step and see just what affects your ability to perform in the game. Seven minutes of gameplay footage and I was ready to hop on a snowboard and hit the mountains myself. It could certainly revive a dying extreme sports genre of gaming.

Microsoft’s E3 Recap

Posted by stephon90

Now it’s Microsoft’s turn and they had quite a few things to show off as well. Let’s jump into it.

Xbox One S

We begin with Microsoft giving us a first look at one of two new consoles set to be released over the next two years. While project scorpio (which will no doubt change in name as we approach its release), won’t be for a couple of years, the Xbox One S will be available in August will a few notable differences. The smaller and more compact design, and larger hard drive are expected, HDR support for gaming and media playback and 4k for media playback and bluray. There is so much to say about how there is so much right and wrong about this, but at least it looks nice.

Battlefield 1

Battlefield looks great upon its return and with a revamped multiplayer experience which will allow up to 64 combatants to join in on the war theatrics. No doubt it’s gonna be your classic war story with some original wrinkles in it. But the calling card for Battlefield has always been its multiplayer features and with that many potential players in one party it sounds like the focus is on making as genuine and as epic a war experience as possible.

Forza Horizons 3

Forza is still going strong after all these years and now they’re ready to get back in the driver seat with Forza Horizons 3. It’s vibrant, and now it is multifaceted with the inclusion of off-road vehicles to use now. Australia will be your racing scene this time around so get your game on down under Forza Horizons 3 it drops September 27.

Killer Instinct

Chapter 3 for Killer Instinct will have a very VERY big bug problem when General RAAM wreaks havoc on the fighters. If you’re a fan of Gears of War (which face it, most people probably are) then you know RAAM is all about business. And his business is pure destruction.

Tekken 7

I don’t know if this is officially the end of the Mishima saga which has dominated the Tekken lore for decades, but if it is it looks like it’s getting the right send off. New fighting mechanics should make for smoother transitions and a more palatable experience for players. But that’s not what everyone is excited for. Akuma is here. I don’t know why he’s here, and I don’t care. I just want to break fighters with purple hadokens.

Dead Rising 4

It’s the only game that makes the zombie apocalypse your own personal playground. It’s been a decade of making fun of the un-dead in the most gruesome way possible with Frank West so lets keep it going. As long as they stick to whats worked so far, this time around should be just as fun as the last. And what’s better is that Dead Rising 4 will be here just in time for Christmas!

Halo Wars 2

And what would the Microsoft showcase be without Halo. The official trailer for Halo Wars 2 dropped and it was not short on the theatrics. While the game itself is not set for release till 2017, the beta is already available. You know more companies should do this more often. Really makes the time waiting go by a lot easier.

Bethesda at E3: Recap

Posted by stephon90

Well, it’s time to start recapping some of the big news that’s been breaking over the last couple of days at E3 this year. Over at Bethesda, there is no shortage of news.

1. Quake Champions

Id software stuns again for the second year in a row. Last year it was Doom, this year is the return of Quake with Quake Champions. Classic games never looked so good. With the success of Doom, expect the new installment of Quake to break ground again when it hits stores.

2. Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is Coming to PS4 and Xbox One

Most had suspected the move for awhile and the confirmation was a delight to all. Elder Scrolls: Skyrim will be moving up to the flagship platforms! Full mod support should give the game new life for gamers in the form of a sharper and more enjoyable playing experience.

3. The Elder Scrolls Online will give full access to content

For those who don’t know exactly what that entails, that means no level restrictions! You can roam freely throughout the expansive universe. This is a fairly unprecedented move for an MMO. No one knows how this will affect the overall gameplay and fans are interested to see what is to come.

4. Prey is on its way

Well, no one knows exactly if this is a remake of the first game entitled Prey, but it sure looks to be in the same vein as such. It is stated to be a re-imagining of its predecessor so one can only assume it’s at least a soft remake. Whatever the case, the trailer didn’t reveal a whole lot so lets hope that there’s more to it than what was shown.

5. Dishonored sees new setting in upcoming sequel

If the trailer didn’t say enough then that’s not a bad thing entirely. But I would say we got everything we needed. This is E3 after all. The biggest this is that we got a clear change of scenery and some pretty gruesome scenes following the previous game nicely. Karnaca will have a hell of a lot to offer when fans get a chance to traverse the new location when Dishonored 2.

Doctor Strange Teaser Trailer is Here!

Posted by stephon90

Yesterday Marvel blessed us with our first real look at Doctor Strange. With all the hype over Captain America: Civil War, many forget that this movie could be a real eye-catcher with Benedict Cumberbatch in the leading role as Stephen Strange. But that’s enough for now. Just check out the trailer (and some cool new posters) if you haven’t already.

Though the PR train hasn’t hit full steam yet, some argue it doesn’t need to. Marvel may be a big enough name to carry this movie through at this point. No doubt they’re banking on that being a good thing for this film. Doctor Strange isn’t exactly what you’d call a household name. Let’s hope that changes a bit after the Sorcerer Supreme comes to theaters on November 4, 2016.

Daredevil Preview! The Man Without Fear Returns Tomorrow to Netflix!

Posted by stephon90

With Marvel’s Daredevil coming back for its sophomore season on Netflix, this will be the third installment in Marvel’s Defender series. The first season of Daredevil saw much acclaim both critically and commercially. It proved to the fans that Marvel can indeed give fans a darker look at their ever-expanding cinematic universe and still keep pace with what’s happening with their larger properties. Jessica Jones kept the ball rolling with its first season and now its time for Daredevil and crew to take the baton back. New friends and new foes will test Daredevil and his friends as they continue their attempt to clean up Hell’s Kitchen. But will this season pick up where it left off, or will it succumb to the sophomore slump that so many other shows have had?

Many of questions emerged at the end of the first season and what little we got from the trailers surely didn’t help. Only gave us more questions. There’s so much tension rising for the upcoming season, so let’s go over what we do (kinda) know. What we know for sure is that Daredevil has established himself as a legitimate force to be reckoned with on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen. The suit, the moniker, it’s all there. And it has attracted the attention of many in the villain world. It used to be the villains that were the target. Now it seems that the tables have turned and Daredevil is the one with the target on his back. Not to be forgotten is the fact that Matt Murdock is still a bit at odds with best friend and associate Foggy Nelson. Along with their secretary Karen Page the three still have a lot to work out both personally and professionally at the law-firm. I hope it’s addressed in some form and not forgotten completely.

There is also the big elephant in the room in Wilson Fisk and whether he will make a comeback in some capacity. If the trailers have told us anything (which again, isn’t much) there will be a much larger cast of notable characters incoming and we’ll see if there is suitable room for his return. Speaking of incoming characters, Elektra and Frank Castle (better known as Punisher) will both be making their debut’s this upcoming season and fans couldn’t be more excited. Both characters have very interesting relationships with Daredevil and are often times at odds with him as comic book fans can attest to (especially with Punisher). It will be fun to see which side they start on and how it will affect Daredevil throughout the season.

We’ve talked about the previous season, we’ve talked about some of the things we can expect to see, but one question still remains… Who is Daredevil really fighting. There’s no real established villain to be heard of. I mean yeah we knew Kingpin was the guy in the first season pretty early and we’ve seen Daredevil in very vulnerable positions with a lot of people (mostly Punisher) in teasers, but do we really believe that Punisher is the main antagonist or just another adversary to contend with. Or is it Elektra, or is it someone else like the Hand which was teased a bit in the first season. No one really knows until… well, you actually start watching. If I had to guess… I wouldn’t. I would much rather just hop on the train and ride like everyone else. it’s easy to speculate and even easier to read spoilers, but is it more fun?

Daredevil was a delight to many like myself who wanted to see another side of Marvel and with a character that people wanted to see again. It set the stage for a much larger initiative in the defender series and is original in so many ways from its platform to view it (Netflix) to its cinematic approach. With that being said, this second season has a lot to live up to. Not just from its own first season, but from the impressive track record that Marvel has set to date. I have little worries that it won’t live up to them but it does bear mentioning nonetheless. Marvel has proven that patience and forward thinking work on every level and with that comes one of the most anticipated pieces that they have produced. So buckle up because in a few hours… It’s… About… To go… Down.

The second season of Marvel’s Daredevil premieres on Netflix March 18, 2016.

Second Civil War Trailer Gets a Special Look at One of the Films Most Anticipated Stars

Posted by stephon90

If you didn’t get enough from the first trailer for Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, then you still probably won’t get enough after this. But what you will get is a nice cameo from a very important character. But don’t take my word for it, hold your breath and check out the video below.

Well it doesn’t get more hype than that. For those weren’t excited enough, I hope this did it for you. And for those who were… Well, hold on just a little bit longer when Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6, 2016.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Says Goodbye to New Line and Sandman Project

Posted by stephon90

What a quick 180 from a couple of days ago for the Sandman project. It wasn’t but a day ago that news came through that the Sandman movie for New Line Cinema had found its scriptwriter in Eric Heisserer. After taking a big leap forward in the next stages of making this film happen, they take a huge leap back with the departure of Joseph Gordon-Levitt who was set to direct and star in the Live Action adaptation of one of DC/Vertigo’s most enchanting and complex characters in Sandman.

Citing creative differences as the reason for leaving, Gordon-Levitt left a detailed explanation for his fans to read on his Facebook page only moments ago. You can follow the link or read it below.

RE: SANDMAN

So, as you might know if you like to follow these sorts of things, a while back, David Goyer and I made a producing deal with Warner Brothers to develop a movie adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s SANDMAN. Neil himself came on as an executive producer, we hired the excellent screenwriter, Jack Thorne, and we started in on the ambitious task of adapting one of the most beloved and boundary-pushing titles in the world of comics. I was pleased with the progress we were making, even though we still had quite a ways to go.

Recently, as you also might know if you like to follow these sorts of things, the sorta “ownership” (for lack of a better term) of the Sandman material changed hands when Warner Brothers shifted the entire catalogue of Vertigo comics (an imprint of DC) to their subsidiary, New Line. And a few months ago, I came to realize that the folks at New Line and I just don’t see eye to eye on what makes Sandman special, and what a film adaptation could/should be. So unfortunately, I decided to remove myself from the project. I wish nothing but the best for the team moving forward.

I’d like to thank all the great people I’ve had the opportunity to work with on this one. I’ve had a blast with and learned a ton from David and Jack. Niija Kuykendall, Greg Silverman, and everyone at Warner Brothers have been fantastic, as have Geoff Johns and everyone at DC. And it’s been a particular privilege as well as a rocking good time getting to know Mr. Gaiman, whose generous insights and masterful work have certainly convinced me that the Lord of Dreams and the Prince of Stories are one and the same Endless pattern.

This sounds like a big blow to New Line Cinema as they will have to find a new director, but it had to be something pretty big for Gordon-Levitt to leave a project he was so invested in from the beginning as a huge Sandman fan himself. Either way, the project looks like it will still continue on but at this point no one has any idea of the direction it will go. Whatever the outcome, as a big consumer of all things Sandman and DC/Vertigo, I will be front and center to see it all play out.

Source: Facebook

Rock Out to Queen in the New Suicide Squad Trailer!

Posted by stephon90

That’s right folks, with the tunes of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody playing in the background you are witnessing a dawning of a new age of superhero movies. With the new Suicide Squad trailer you get a peek of what it looks like when dangerous villains are tasked with becoming unlikely heroes. Well, that and the kind of dysfunction that inevitably will be within the team.

Here in the new trailer we get extended looks at all the major characters including Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and of course the crown prince of evil himself, The Joker.

Whatever hesitations you had about the movie before, I hope some of them have been put to rest for the moment. It’s a fantastic spot and one that was sorely needed after the last major follow-up trailer release from DC (lookin at you BvS). Suicide Squad looks to bring the laughs along with plenty of action.

To find out what Task Force X (that’s the name of the suicide squad for those of you who don’t read comics) is up to and what The Joker may have to do with it all, check out Suicide Squad when it hits theaters on August 6th, 2016.

Stephon W. is a contributing Editor for Teh Lunchbox Publications and yeah, he’s a fan of Captain Boomerang. You can follow the team on facebook (Teh Lunchbox Publications), and on twitter @tehlunchboxpub

Entire MCU Could Be On Display In ‘Avengers: Infinity War’

Posted by stephon90

With Captain America Civil War on the horizon, it’s clear that we’ll be seeing our Marvel movies get bigger with even more reoccurring characters making cameo appearances as we inch closer to what will truly be a spectacle in Avengers Infinity War. There’s so many parts and so much to see there’s a chance that we could see every major character in some way appear in either one or both Infinity War movies. Up to 67 have already been confirmed with more on the way. One of the most interesting isn’t just a single character, but a cast of characters. One’s we like to call, the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Co-director for the film Joe Russo (CA: Winter Soldier, CA:Civil War) opened up about the project, but stayed mum on the prospect of having band of misfits play and extended role in the proceedings of Avengers: Infinity War.

“That is another one that we would have to reserve as a surprise, but we will say this: People will not be disappointed in the amount of characters in the movie. The concept of Infinity War is that the Marvel universe unites to battle the greatest threat to the world and universe that you’ve ever seen, and we’re going to honor that concept.”

What is more interesting is what Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn had to say. Seems as though he’s never been too keen on having a crossover happen when it comes to cameo appearances in his movie. He reassured everyone that the follow-up sequel to the surprise 2014 box-office success will not see Iron Man, Cap, or any of the other earth-bound heroes appear in the comic book inspired space opera.

Now just because Tony and the gang won’t be paying a visit to Peter Quill and his crew, that doesn’t mean that they won’t be exposed to the cosmic side of Marvel in due time. He also made a point to mention that although the two films that he and his brother/co-director Anthony Russo have worked on in CA: Winter Soldier and CA: Civil War have a more grounded theme, both Infinity War films will inevitably be of a different approach.

“I sat in the theater and watched Empire Strikes Back seven times in a row when I was a kid. Yeah, we’re science fiction fans as well, Dungeons and Dragons. We collected all the books when we were kids. We had figurines. Anything that you could think of that has to do with fantasy or sci-fi or superheroes was in our universe. We’re just going to approach the cosmic side with the same fervor that we did the earthbound work we’ve been doing. We also are going to work really hard to bring a psychological realism. We obviously can’t bring a naturalism to it because it doesn’t really exist outside of science fiction, but we can bring that psychological realism to it, to the characters, and that’s going to be our focus. Also, it’s going to be our focus to explore the cosmic side, applying the same rules that we like to apply to the last two films that we’ve done. It ends up being the rules of physics always apply or apply as much as we can get them to apply based on what we’re doing.”

It looks like the zenith of the MCU is in good hands with the Russo’s, And with all the characters that have been introduced and some new one’s still to come, they’re gonna try their hardest to make sure there’s a place for all of them. Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 hits theaters on May 4th, 2018, with Part 2 on its way May 3rd, 2019.

Sources: Comicbook.com; Movieweb.com

Stephon W. is a contributing Editor for Teh Lunchbox Publications and sorry, he doesn’t do social media. But you can follow the team on facebook (Teh Lunchbox Publications), and on twitter @tehlunchboxpub