E3 2016 Review Part 2: Sony Press Conference

   Sony Playstation is my main system, and I was excited to see the Sony Press Conference, which turned out to be more than what I was expecting, because we all know now that it was the most elusive company, releasing very few, if any hints on what major IP titles that were to be expected so-far. Sony usually disappoints in that it sometimes gives away too much, and it's hard to digest just what there was to actually review. Still, Sony tends to aggravate me with much discussion in everything but games, V.R., for a prime example of the peripheral apocalypse that is coming soon, is being forced upon us by industry standards. 3-D failed last year, so now they want us commit to V.R.  Which makes wonder: why would I go out to by a 4K television, when all I'm going to see is a shitty little 4K screen that probably looks about as fun to wear for long periods of time than a giant toad sitting on my head? Why would I want to buy an awesomely huge television when I'll be forced to wear this shitty hardware on my head? Seems this push for VR, which has been around. Longer than most gamers have been alive, is going to pacify a minority of gamers that want change, but the majority don't want a VR experience, they want good games. 

    Sony was able to deliver a rather abrupt, and for them, that's an understatement, Press Conference, it was almost short enough, or rather, compiled enough to be a Bethesda or EA conference. This doesn't mean it didn't pack a punch, it packed a great deal of gameplay into a short time, it almost felt like I was watching a bunch of trailers, and with little interruption. The conference went well, quite well, and although I was not necessarily excited for everything shown, but I was far more excited than what even Bethesda promised to bring out, excluding perhaps a Skyrim remake.  

    The conference opens with a beautiful standard done by an orchestra and chorus. The opus opens up the scenes of a game that many were hoping for: God of War 4, which is a new take on the mythology, now turning to Nordic Gods and monsters. The game looks amazing, almost Game of Thrones meets Vikings, but it has a story that I want to play. Kratos has a son, and it seems the mother has died, and left her blade for the son, this gives me a bit of an idea on just what to expect: Kratos isn't some Greek tragic hero that is bound by vengeance, and forced to die, while having a brutal upbringing, and dare-I-say, origin story. The gods are completely different in Nordic Mythology. Odin, Frigga, Thor, and the likes are not of any semblance of the Greek mythology, and this game looks to seperate Kratos ins almost the same manner. I must admit, it looks damn good, the story may be one of the best of the series, and the fighting system seems slightly updated, although shades of the older system are seen throughout. 

   The gameplay shown is at least ten minutes in length, it follows Kratos and son enroute to hunt deer, which the son misses the shot,mbut both track it, similar to how you track the deer in the Last of Us, in-fact, that's exactly what it reminds me of, and I was quite impressed on just how beautiful the Nordic scenery looked. The game, if that's exactly how it will appear in the finished product, blows away the details of any current game I've seen on current generation systems. I was also impressed by the first mini-boss battle (and calling it a mini boss is a fucking joke) against a mountain troll. It reminds me of other God of War battles,mbut it's still done well enough to have kept me glued to the screen. The troll smashes the ice beneath them, and falls, but there is a back-and-forth between Kratos and his son (DISCLAIMER: I'm not entirely sure the character will be named Kratos, but it is universally accepted thwt it is going to be the name of the main character, and they do say Kratos, but time will tell.)  survive the pitfalls, but the hunt goes on, as they converse further into the plot points, but then the deer is found, and the son takes aim, which leads me to believe you may be able, for a short period to switch between the two characters, hitting the deer with the arrow. The son then cannot come to kill the deer, so Kratos helps him finish the deer off, teaching a life lesson on survival and give-and-take of life. The game looks spectacular, and I wasn't sure I'd be as interested in the game becaue the last one was less than appetizing, but this game looks to be something different, more mature than the past games, and based more in the trend of the Viking/Game of Thrones/Barbarian themes that have been coming around. Also the dragon that helps close out the gameplay was fifty/fifty, but kept my enthusiasm alive nonetheless.

    I've done reviews of God of War 2 years ago, and I wanted to do one of God of War 3, but I don't believe I got to it. I've been a fan of the games, but this one looks so unique, it may as well be it's very on IP. Overall the game was not a surprise, but it still surprised me on just how damn good it looks to be. Of course, we will have to wait until early 2017 to see if this is all hype, or a potential modern classic for the PS4. 

    Next, we saw some more of the Last Guardian, which will have a release date on October 25th, 2016. Now, I'm not sure this game will be deemed worthy of a preorder, because it is what is called in business a dog, and no, the pun wasn't intended. If anything this is a dirty, rabid dog, that either going to have a whole lot of bite, or a dog that is all bark, and well....becomes the greatest failure in modeling gaming history. It still looks amazing, and is still secretive, but this game is now over a decade old, and it was announced in 2009, this was a last generation console title, now reimagined as a Playstation 4 exclusive...such radical times we live in, and such a wonton E3 these past two years have been. I say this becaue very little has changed in the last year: the only game we are actually playing on our systems that was promised is Fallout 4, and everything else might as well have been announced as vapor ware. Still, Sony had left out that dreamscape game completely that Media Molecule had promised, and although Titanfall 2, with a single player campaign is guaranteed to come to PS4, there wasn't any news on Destiny, or other titles that are out and exclusive. With the Last Guardian a shoe-in for 2016, we may now see new games, and new systems seem inevitable now as well. 

     Then they showed off a great amount of Horizon: Zero Dawn. In the gameplay, it showed that you can take command of certain animal machines, and takedowns using different sorts of weapons, while collecting components. The game looks amazing for what it is, and it's been a long time coming. 

    Next was Detroit: Become Human, a new game from Insomniac Dreams,mshich looks amazing,mand kind of looks like a cross between Heavy Rain and Blade Runner. This game is essentially going to have at least five different endings for each scenario that plays out. The combinations are nearly limitless giving this game the most replay value I've seen in years. 

  Then there was mention of a new FPS called Farpoint, which is like a space exploration title. The mention of Playstation VR being release Oct. 13th at $399 was not a surprise,mbut the fact it will have fifty titles that will work, including, fallout 4, Bstman Arkham VR, FFXV, and many more. Then the announcment thwt Titanfall 2 would be coming to PS4, and would include a complete offline campaign mode was another shocking moment that left most people wanting more. The game looks bigger, and better than its prequel. Another game netizens for the VR headset was Star Wars Battlefrotn X Wing VR Missions, which also looked to be a serious contender. 

   I mentioned resident Evil 7 earlier,mbut of you have Playstation Plus, you can download the 17 minute teaser playable trailer now.  Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens was up next, and this was cute as the usual Lego games are, but not my speed. 

   Finally, there was snoet gamplay showcase of Days Gone,mshich showed off the main character going into a saw mill after someone that he's trying to chase down and bring back to his base camp, but is overrun by infected people or zombies. The number of enemies on screen at once was nothing short of incredible, and I question if here's going to be a way for it to work, without crashing that is. 

   Sony killed it this year,mand I cannot wait to play a multitude of the games shown! I'll have more I apart 3, wheree I tackle Bethesda, EA, and Ubisoft. I won't be reviewing Nintendo's Treehouse because it's just too much to watch, and, and not enough time to write, plus half those games won't see the light of day until mid 2017. 

   Thank you so much for reading the Malacast Editorial! 

    

    

E3 Predictions for 2016

NOTE: All bold words are predictions.  Any updates from now (March 2016) until publication (April or May 2016)  will be noted at the emboldened areas of the posts. 

When June comes around,you can bet I'm like a little kid again, because E3 announcements will be eating up my Twitter feed, and I'll see a boost in how many tweets I send out, while writing live on the Malacast Editorial, and doing full-on reviews. I'm also a fan of making predictions, not because I think I'm on the threshold of the gaming industry, but because I like to make more honest, intelligent predictions than what pipe dreams other reviewers expect are going to happen. Rather than shots In the dark, I'll admit the obvious like new titles in old IPs,  but it's more what a company will do, rather than a game that's named. It is a volatile market, and games supposed to be out last year, or in the case of The Last Guardian, thirty years ago (it's sarcasm, but not by much)  I tend to see trends rise from the people, rather than the sample groups. So here are my predictions for the a mojo emt a and moves made for this year's E3. I'll do a compare/contrast post a week AFTER I put up my review of E3, which will be several days after the last aired day of E3. 

   Firstly, let's discuss the big shows outside of the actual show, and discuss what will happen at the Press conferences. Usually Sony goes first, but with the add-ons of Bethesda, and the first software developer to hold such a large press conference: Ubisoft have ended the fray, it's interesting to see just how the order will fall. 

   So assuming Sony will go second to Nintendo, which is usually the middle between Sony and Microsoft, I'll start with Nintendo first, because it's more shoe-in, rather than speculation. Firstly, Nintendo is one of the few first-party developers that doesn't follow the trends as often as the other marketers. They can decide to release a new Legend of Zelda title tomorrow, (they've recently done an updated HD version of Twilight Princess for Wii U) but it will be a best seller no matter what time it's released, as most parents and children will play the game outside the box. 

   It's a tough company to pin down, but I'm certain their will be a memorial  for Myamoto, who recently passed away. This would not be surprising seeing the unique timing of his death, as it was somewhat mentioned at other shows, but it's not hard to believe they will discuss it to a degree, seeing as Myamoto was a major part of Nintendo Press Conferences. The sad news is still affecting many overseas, and here at home. The man who created Mario, Donkey Kong, and so many other great characters had a major impact on all gamers, despite their "console alliances".

     Getting back to predictions, Nintendo is a front runner in the console wars, so-much-so,mother have their own niche market. Most of the older gamers still play Nintendo-related games, and involve their own children in these games, so it is three, sometimes four generations deep in gameplay. Also, the Wii had expanded the demographic for gaming to include gamers as old as 100, and as young as ten months old. Generations are growing up with gaming being part of their lives, as it was with me, and Nintendo kills in the demographics. 

    I do expect their to be some major titles for the "hardcore" scene, but in discussing games In the Epic Yarn genre, and even a potential Mario Kart installment, I don't necessarily believe that is the hardcore market. Not because the games aren't for the core fans of Nintendo, but it just seems they will do more a Legend of Zelda installment. I think a new IP is plausible. A Splatoon! Sequel/update is another example of shoe-in, but of course the chances are the game is about to release either before, or during E3 is likely, but Nintendo tends to harken the bigger releases towards November and even early December for the holiday season, but seeing as "holiday" season isn't necessarily as vital anymore than say 100-200 years ago, being that religion tends to be less and less of the situation, and spending tends to be far more sporadic, as release dates tend to decide the spending trends rather than months leading up to a major holiday, it's pretty obvious that DLC for these games, and downloadable copies will be the overall trend for Nintendo sales this year. 

  I think that what holds Nintendo back now is DLC, not allowing third-party developers as much freedom as they have at say, Sony, don't allow for reaching that larger market. Nintendo also has made less stride over this year, rehashing older ideas, rather than creating new IPs, which in their market is quite dangerous, but also to not put new installments into tried and tested IPs seems to also be hurting them. I think that since they have sanitized their image as being as close to E-Rated now more than ever,  as T or even M ratings tend to do more harm than good, they will have to put R&D into coming up with new games that take risks, creating new IPs that tie into the world of Nintendo. They've done so with Disney IP rights they've purchased, like Marvel and Star Wars, as games like Disney Infinity(No new game this round, but there will be more support.) have helped, but I truly believe new, original stories and ideas for this upcoming generation will also them some separation from parents and grandparents. Something to call their own. Splatoon! Has helped, but it's not nearly as been impacting as the Mario and Zelda games of the world. I'm sure new Amibos will be out soon, but they're out every several months, but I'm going to predict Pokken Tournament will have rare Amibos that add characters to the game that will be exclusive to E3 several weeks earlier than official release. 

   With the potential Uinversal Studios partnership announcment, there could be a unique film announcement,mand that wouldn't be a stretch, as the film industry has reached out and bounced back with franchises pulling in tons of money. Could we see a Legend of Zelda film be in the making? Quite frankly, I don't doubt it! Seeing Full-Sail University is right down the road from Orlando Florida, and a potential Disney tie-in, a movie could be in the works. Also, this would be historical, as in it's history, no film has been officially announced at a Press Confernce in E3's history. 

  I could list the usual suspects 

  

  Animal Crossing

   Super Smash Bros. NOTE: I don't believe a sequel to Super Smash Bros. Wii U is in the makings yet

    Super Mario Bros. Wii U Sequel etc.

Regardless of what is the actual round of sequels, I think Nintendo will hint at a new console UPDATE: (Nintendo's code name for a new handheld/console system is being called the NX. I believe the actual name will not be Wii related, but be its own platform)and that will be the biggest announcement from them. Although I will end with this: other game publications have stated that Beyond Good and Evil 2 is potentially going to be released as an exclusive to Nintendo, I highly doubt that will happen, and again, it's to an overrated elitist game that few have played, and even fewer want a sequel to, despite outcry from a minority of gamers. 

Moving on to Sony's Press Confernce: this is going to be interesting regardless of what is announced. Sony hasn't really delivered from last year's promises. We are still waiting on Shenmue, and The Last Guardian, two games that really are for the hardcore gamer, but have been hyped beyond belief. These are games that quite frankly don't belong in this market, but seeing as that last year's showcase was about thing up loose ends, this was more to say good-bye, like Uncharted 4: A Thief's End's expected release, that it was the end of a Sony era. Naughty Dog is Sony's biggest exclusive. Quantic Dreams was a close second, but they have gone by the wayside lately with the mixed reviews for Beyond: Two Souls. 

   So I think Naughty  Dog will showcase a new IP, and have exclusive footage, even gameplay at the end of the show. I also believe that something will be announced to replace the God of War series, and judging by the themes going on with gaming like Ark, and Far Cry: Primal, I think it will involve either early tribal gameplay, or something more along the lines of Game of Thrones Medieval, pre Medieval era.  Speaking of Medieval, I believe there will be a potential sequel announcment revealed, although it may get tied up in years of development. Still, this is a game series I actually liked, but find it doesn't belong in this current generation of gaming. 

   Sony has to bring something to the table, and give us information on their V.R. Headset, (Orignally called Project: Morpheus) which was originally supposed to be on this genre ariid gaming console,mbut now is being speculated for the next-gen consoles. Remember, it was told to most gamers that the PS4 was capable of supporting 4K resolution, now I think we are being led to believe it doesn't have that capability.    

 Sony has got to make a vast statement his year, because it's the leading system, and it needs to reliever with huge announcements. We were promised vapor ware more than anything relevant last year, and we haven't even seen Final Fantasy VII yet. What's the lastest news? I believe we will see actual gameplay footage this year, because people kind of forgotten about it, and that is no-good for a timely franchise like Final Fantasy.  If I had to make any serious predictions for Sony, it would have to be that they will most likely expand their PSN store, and add more older games, that being said, the csjnces of seeing exclusive titles like Twisted Metal, which I believed would've been last year's big reveal, is still not likely to happen again this year, as games like GTA tend to be more robust and appealing. Although GTA VI is going to be a long, long way away; that doesn't mean Rockstar won't tease something for either Microsoft or Sony, but the latter seems the better place to show-off their works.  I believe that the Indie market will be slowing up come the next two years, and that trend will start up around the time of the show. 

    Sony has been very secretive these past few years, because they've been trying their hardest to keep the market in suspense, rather than coming up with ideas that won't be tangible until 2018. Microsoft has been surprisingly smart about this as well, giwever a lack of major first-party tiles has been hurting both consoles in equal measure. Sony has promised more, but they have also made good on most promises, as support for the PS4 with Playstation Plus, along with fixingnthenailments of the hacks that came several years ago were able to bring the company closer to their consumers. 

With a designated stance on making games for gamers, I would say that there will be several major moves done by Naughty Dog, with the release of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, it's allowing for the end of an era to taper off with I what made the Sony Playstation 3 a superior console. Although I'm wondering of the bigger announcment will be that the title will be released on the PS3 and PS4 simultaneously, or  a backwards compatibility vefsion of the game released later on in June. My best guess: only if the sales are superior on the Playstation 4 will they even think of making a version on the Playstation 3. However, becaue of such superior sales of PS4s, and HD collections of the first three games, it may not be in Sony's favor to eye-lease the game on the last-generation console. 

  Looking ahead for Naughty Dog, I'm fairly certain either a sequel to The Last of Us will be out, or perhaps new, longer DLC will be on its way. The game sold well on both systems, and has redefined what it means to be playing a video game. So many new concepts for the "hardcore gamers" have been made in the last ten years with PS3, like Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, LittleBigPlanet, and the gaming world's overall concept of chapter gaming like The Walking Dead's Seasons 1 and 2, a Season 3 seems inevitable. Tell-tale could be releasing new ideas, and I believe it will be announced at Sony's Press Conference. Other chapter games like Life is Strange were rather larger, albeit more casual events last year. However, the gaming community, along with it's tastes change so drastically, so rapidly it is barely the mask gamers want to wear when finally brought to fruition in the mainstream. This is why I believe Sony will slow the game down, showcase several new titles, perhaps give more information on that  Dream game which was he aforementioned new title coming from Media Molecule. I believe we will also discover if many Steam games will be heading to console. With the iffy launch of Street Fighter V this year, I'm curious to see if more games will become Sony exclusives in the future. With Destiny, Bungie has made their first foray onto Sony's platform, but will there be a Destiny 2? I certainly don't believe their is a real concern for having a sequel out soon, as the game itself was met with subpar reviews. Although we can acclimate that Activision, (one of the four developers pulling out of E3 altogether) and it makes sense seeing as their bread and butter Call of Duty series hasn't grown nearly as much, nor in strides of competitors in that of Ubisoft, and other FPS developers. 

  Overall, Sony has to bring the games, and not just a limited amount of the rehash and rewind characteristics we've seen over the years. Unless there's a Medieval 2, I refuse to have any excitement for rehashed ideas, because it feel they are not nearly as buzz worthy as new IPs, which Sony needs, whether they agree with me or not. Shenmue wasn't even a promise, but a Kickstarter campaign that could succeed, but still never see the light of day. Also, despite such indie support, the game should look like AAA title, and it looks worse than the Dreamcast versions of the former titles.  Sony needs to bank on the fact they actually stand for what gamers want, or that's how they market themselves. I want to see games that will have me loading up on discs, and having to work double time on reviews, I want more originality, and something to push my PS4 to it's limits....why else did I buy something that's supposed to be Tier 1 in technology and have nothing even close to its full capacity? Time is not on the console world's side, as people already want new tech, which makes me worry that updating a console every tend years will be a gimmick only read about, and that consoles will be out every four years, and updated as often as computers.  Sony needs to impress, and perhaps take a bit more risk, or else they'll lose money in the next console cycle. 

  Microsoft holds a Press Conference either right after Nintnedo, or at the very latest after Sony, but due to Bethesda having held a conference the year prior, and probably hosting the best of the handful showcased at E3 2015, we are slowly being guided towards a less formal introduction as was seen nearly twenty years ago with what is appropriate, and what isn't. I watched last year, and the inter gratin of Virtual Reality headsets, with the Occulus Rift, and the expected Minecraft booze that  would later become Microsoft exclusive, seems to tell us that Microsoft isn't going down without a fight. They are also counting on splitting gamers into fandoms, which usually is a Nintendo tactic, as they are buying up exclusives. Sony did so as well with Street Fighter, but this is doubtful to have the same intense impact as Minecraft. 

   Minecraft 2 could essentially happen at anytime, but it would be aptly seen on next-generation consoles. Current-gen still have versions of Minecraft, even Sony has a console version of the game, which immsure comes with more in-app purchases, but doesn't necessarily play as well as the PC, or Xbox One versions. Microsoft would assumingly make the newest version of Minecraft exclusive to the next Xbox, so unless it's announced that the next generation consoles are coming soon will be at this E3, it's all vapor ware from here on out with all studios, platforms, and DLC regardless of whether or not there are any serious surprises. The gaming journalism community acts almost as semantic in their shock and political standpoints on these issues as would be found in most media these days, but what frustrates me most is making a bad show seem somehow....for sake of the tired pun..."game changing." This is where Microsoft is known to try and fail so often, it's not even playing sides pointing out what they've shown, and what has not ever gone to shelves. Firstly, the Kinect, a classic failure of marketing,mand lack of appropriate software to back it up. Even the gimmick is more for control rather Thani treaction on the other consoles, but a camera is mostly used for love streaming, not playing anymore. 

   Microsoft failed over five years ago when they showed that game of watching a boy grow into a man, and it ereactingmwith him,then it was later revised as more a demonstration,despite it being given the look of a full-fledged game. Sony had done this before as well, and they too have suffered for it, and Eye Toy is nothing more than a need for their other quasi-failure: the Playstation Move. Kinect games looks terrible, the concept of being in a clown body and jumping around, and marketing that as an actual game did not have Microsoft winning any hats in the race of the console war. Still, it's infallible to think that Microsoft doesn't learn from its mistakes....but they don't seem to quite get how marketing works....even throwing Master Chief's beloved helmet up on screen isn't cutting it anymore. Of course you have Cliff Belinzki, who to me is nothing more than an overrated, albeit talented, tool in the market, who I'm sure is a decent guy, is now an old fogey as with other developers that don't appreciate the streak of a few gray hairs. Face it! To the younger generation, anyone over the age of thirty is always going to be foolish and out-of-touch, and really even young developers and producers are having a trouble getting in touch with their demographics....because there's too many of them! 

   Microsoft will flop, not becaue they have an inferior product, but most likely a far superior one, but their marketing is treacherous, their game lineups are old and repeated, and in-comparison to what is being innovated across the street, they are always behind in the count. Unless they do something miraculous, inste of jumping on trends, they are going to be hurting badly. Another Halo or Gears of War announcment will only cement my beliefs, and I will never be a customer to them, period. 

 It may seem like I'm being unfairly harsh in my regards to Microsfot, but it's becaue I want them to be more competitive, Sony had to compete against Xbox with their PS2, and it forced some of the best games in history to be made on all consoles, except the GameCube, which essentially is one of few black marks on Nintendo's resume.  The Virtual Boy and Game Boy Advanced on the two others that should be considered failures. So I'm being critical of Microsoft, but that's because they need to do better, especially when you're so far behind in the game. 

 When discussing Microsoft, and what they will have to do, being behind in the game currently, although that can surely change in the upcoming months. Although Sony has dominated the market for months, Microsoft does have a few opportunities to fix their current predicament. One thing that was suggested, and is supposed to be in the works is a sequel to the sleeper hit Alan Wake, as this was a much larger success than most other games released exclusively for the Xbox 360. Now I know that this particular title wasn't nearly as will received as most others, but the old axiom is that the sequel  will always do better than the original game in a series, and on most occasions, the sequel is seen as the better game: Mortal Kombat II, Twisted Metal II, Silent Hill 2, a point duly made historically, and throughout multiple platforms.  I do believe that an Alan Wake sequel will be coming soon, but not sure if it will be showcased at Microsoft's Press Conference.

     I think we'll like see more information on the latest Gears of War game, and perhaps Halo in some form, but doubtful Halo 6 is going to be hints at, seeing as the release of Halo 5 wasn't that long ago. Microsoft hasn't had much luck with getting gamers interested, they seem to look like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off, running around trying to add peripherals like Nintendo, or trying to compete with Sony in ingenuity, and they don't seem quite sure which route to take. Even when they showcased Rome last year....which I believed flopped as an attempt to take on God of War in-terms of style and gameplay, they tended to miss the point that most GoW fans have already tapped out the third installment. 

   The Xbox One, for all sense and purpose, has been a failure as a machine that cannot deliver even as a Videogame system. Nobody seems to care about the titles that have come out,a dn the same can be said for all the current generation systems, but first-party platform games are what's going to set the stage for the future of this console cycle, and with delays being the most popular game genre out now, even the likes of Doom coming out early next month (May) will not be enough to stoke the fires, and get people pumped for console gaming, regardless of system. Ironically Nintendo stands to gain all the rewards, becaue they are already pushing the limits, making gamers feel as though they are being heard in the development studios, but they have a long, long way to go to gain a following outside the digital kiddie pool. Microsoft needs to gain an identiy, Somy needs to showcase thwt it still has an identity after winning the console war, and Nimtendo needs to expand their identity. 

   With that being said, Microsoft will have to be strong, and snow up to play hard to even stand putting a dent in Somy's armor. Truthfully, they're dead in the water, it's not even a competition,mand that as a gaming fan, saddens me  

Next, I'd like to talk about Bethesda, because I do belie that they will be coming back for another round of press conference announcements this year, although I feel it will be truncated into several group showings with other software publishers/developers. Firstly Bethesda is going to have to tease a new Elder Scrolls, because Elder Scrolls V: has been out now for some time, and I wouldn't be surprised if VI wasn't scheduled for a release date sometime late next year, if not sooner. I would expect some add-ons for Doom, but as it's been announced that Bethesda will have five games in development for some time in the next few years, with an announced fifth insfallment in their Fallout series, I'm certain a Press Conference is inevitable. Also, Bethesda seems to need to showcase their talents,mas they are also publishers, like games such as Dishonored 2 being teased last year. Although it's been several months, nothing has been announced as to the validity of these new titles, or if liscencing and publication will be given to other major franchises.

     Bethesda has done the hard work this time around, and it's paying off. It'll be interesting to see if they continue to turn-out more surprises, but if they don't do a serious demo, I'm certain they'll showcase some software with Microsoft at their Press Conference. As stated above, the chances of being hinted a new Elder Scrolls game is inevitable. I'm not sure they will show-off actual gameplay footage, but I'm certain we are going to see this game out sometime next year. That is my prediction, but Bethesda is a superior company that's hard to pin down. I'm currently still trudging through the Wasteland in Fallout 4, and that has been one of the better videogame experiences in recent history. I'm really looking forward  to Fallout 5 now, but judging by the difficulty it is to get these games out there,,and not being adept to the new software enough to make legitmate "next-generation" console-looking games currently, I expect the fifth installment to be out for Playstation 5(?) and Xbox Two(?) Last year there was an interactive card game made for phones and tablets that was designed after Elder Scrolls mythos.  We may see an update to this, but those are more sporadic changes than expected updates. 

  

I don't normally discuss PC information for E3, simply because PC gaming is not usually the center stage of the E3 convention, and its associate at the press conferences. So I will finish this little teaser with several statements: Sony may hint a new console for two years from now, as Ninetnendo puts an accelerated release date on their NX prototype because that's the best way for them to survive the upcoming (and last, in this humble writer's opinion) console war. I have an idea that due to it's serious success, WB Studios will announce a Superman game, in answer to Rocksteasy's Arkham series. I also believe thee will be a sequel to Injustice: Gods Among Us, but it will have an M-Rating, following the trend set by Deadpool.  Mortal Kombat 11 will get teased, maybe not at a press conference, but it will be a distinct special for them. Bethesda will most likely rule the roost, and we may see that Fallout: New Oreleans tease everyone has been talking about that Obsidian will make, but with the huge success of Fallout 4, I'd like to see them at least state they will make Fallout 5

  

NOTE: I'm now being led to believe that EA, and Disney, who have stated they are not making a new Disney infinity game, but supporting the older software, are pulling out of the trade show. There were two more, but as of now I'm not sure if it's speculation, or fact, because there were multiple sources about Ea having a conference across the street called EAPlay, and that Disney will be tied to them. World of  Tanks studio World Battle(?) is also going to be absent. Will this hurt future E3 trade shows? More information after my review of E3 2016. It should be interesting enough to see what exactly will come true, and what will be completely out of left field in terms of what companies are willing to share ath this trade show. Here's to a profitable year for gaming, and an exciting E3. 

Mortal Kombat: Overview

    For over three months now I've been patiently wanting to write out the review for Mortal Kombwt X. Judging by my past post,mi have some big shoes to fill, and to do so in respect to what else I've written over the past 9/10 years. So I've decided to take this first paragraph now to warn you that there will be plenty of spoilers, and I mean plenty in the below post. Some of which covers a great deal more than just Mortal Kombat X, so be forewarned to have spoilers from even as far back as MK Deadly Alliance. Thank you for supporting the Malacast Editorial, and without further delay, here is my official mortal Kombat X review. 

   

    Mortal Kombat X (or ten if you prefer) is an official canonical game, and the next installment in the Mortal Kombat Universe. The game takes place directly after Mortal Kombat 9, and gets pretty hazy with the timeline, as it likes to jump around, and seems to do a lot of the storytelling through action, as the visuals are the best the series has had so-far in-terms of 3-D games. The story mode is just a little over two hours if played without a hitch, and is slightly shorter than MK 9's storyline, however, it is far better, despite the iffy dialogue, although less corny than the last game, and the story itself being a bit of a difficulty to follow without the companion comic book issues, which gives you a far better understanding of the goings-on of the series up until the actual story mode in MKX. 

    Is this necessarily a bad thing? For the gamer who has always had the story directly within the game, I find the deployment of a comic book series to usher in the game as a tie-in very much up WB Gsmes' alley, as if has done this before with the Batman: Arkham series.  Having read a few of the issues myself, I had a far better understanding of what exsctly was going on,me oh the characters were now (seeing as the game takes place twenty-five years after the tournament, it's easy to say that all the characters are practically brand-new.  The story itself is fairly simple to follow, despite the jumping around of the actual game:

    After the "third" tournament, which of course wasn't actually a tournament, but rather an Outworld Invasion of Esrthrealm,  Shao Kahn was killed by the elder gods for breaking the rules of Mortal Kombat, and this ushered an-all out war with Shinnok, and his disciple Quan Chi, as they seeked to corrupt the Gensing (I'm probably spelling that wrong) or "Earthrealam's lifesource" so Shinnok could merge the realms and be a totalitarian ruler of the heavens and the earth in all realms.  

   This plot uses the  revenants Quan Chi kept over from the prior Outworld Invasion, in the souls of fallen Esrthrealm warriors. Sub-Zero, Jax, Kitana, Liu Kang, Nightwolf,  Stryker, Sindel, (although she's technically an Edenian), Kung Lao, and Kabal, were all brought back to life to serve Shinnok and Quan Chi in helping to bring about Earthrealm's utter destruction. Now most Mortal Kombat games were solely focused around mythology,,culture, even religious practice, but this one goes more in-depth of political stratagem, and war tactics. There is a great deal of diplomacy involved, as it seems to be the centre so theme of the game. Remember, this is a story being told for over twenty-three years, and every character has a history to them, and interacts so prevalently with one-another, it's almost impossible to see what many of them has a family unit, and in some fucked-up way, it is a family bound by blood, and a few broken/ripped out rib cages. Still, the idea of smile is a major focus of the story as well,which comes in the flash forward of twenty-five years after Shinnok's plot to overthrow his fellow elder gods is foiled. 

   We see a strong case of family ties, and although much of it is forcibly split up I to chapters to accommodate the particular character involved at the time, but everything is answered, essentially, but I felt the order poorly executed in explanation,  worst than a chihuahua with ADHD  trying to memorize the Kryptonian alphabet. However, when everything is answered, and the story completes, it's better than most story modes, and really makes up for that whole Shujinko fiasco some fe years back. 

  So with the flash forward two twenty-five years later, and a few soap opera cut scenes here and there, with Breakfast Club awkwardness pseudo-flirting out of the way, we discover that Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade had a child, and she, along with the next generation of Earthrealm fighters, despite being fledglings to the whole Outworld problems affoot, are being sent out to the Lin Kuei, who are across the best Faction on Earth, and only lose Faction Wars, because they don't like to monopolize all the prizes. Sorry, I went off on the Faction Wars mode, which we will be getting to later, I apologize for that unintentional foreshadow. Go Lin Kuei! 

  So the team go out to meet the Grandmaster, Sub-Zero, who is of course the second Sub-Zero, who was cursed in the comics by Kano, and given the same scar he would've had if the third and fourth tournaments commenced. Although up until this point,only two legitimate tournaments have taken place, and although Mortal Kombat X could be seen as the tenth game, it does take place twenty-five years after mortal Kombat 4, and does house a lot of the same storyline. As this is a parallel universe from the future Raiden sought to prevent which led into the great deal of shit that made up Mortal Kombat 9, we can see here that a great lot has changed, but most of the core story has been told over, and has been told over in such a way that we may inevitably get back to where we were, and again Armageddon will happen. 

     The young team made up of Cassie Cage, Jacqui Briggs, Takeda, and Kung Jin set out to talk to the Grandmaster Sub-Zero, and are met with a few fight tutorials, and they turn out to be just tests, because Johnny Cage wanted to make sure that they had in some training. So really thenfightsnyou have are pointless, and they really don't add much other than to get you a few fights with Sub-Zero, but there is a few bits and pieces of importance in growing up, and all these other John Hughes aspects I greatly disliked, but will admit make this far more than a fighting game. Here is a great deal of consistency and content involved in the story mode, but it's quite difficult to explain, as a lot of it is surrounded by the actual fighting, which tells so much of the animosity, even the politics, behind the game. 

    For example, the Quick Time Events, or QTE involved in the game don't really take away or add anything of value, they serve no consequence, but make of only showcase the detail to the characters, and more importantly the body language between characters. Now I'm sure most will. Of get this at first, and may even say I'm overreaching, but from what I've gathered of this game, it is all about the content of characters, and how they mesh with other characters. 

   NPCs are everywhere.,and like Armageddon, despite it being not such a great game, or in lay men's terms, shit, are there to appease every single fan, just to be sure nobody is left out, and serve a purpose to the story. I happen to be a fan of Li Mei, and I'll get some shit for that, but I did like her in Deadly Allaiance, as she filled the hole that Mileena should've been in, and was through rectified in the sequel. Still, her character design, and supporting role in this story, makes me think she'll play a bigger role down the line, but I wasn't so sure the refugees that came across to Earthrealm with her are going to bring even more chaos in MK XI, which is a shoe-in to happen, as this game was the biggest, fastest selling game of all-time for the series. 

    So refugees are pouring over into Earthrealm from all other realms to seek refuge, and if that isn't political enough for you, then you'd love that Kotol Khan, who was banished by Reiko and Mileena, although that story is a bit fuzzy to me, becaue I didn't make it that deep into the comics, has become the me Outworld Emperor, and is waging a battle against Mileena who has dome how discovered the Kamidogou or Shinnok's ammulet, which Shinnok is of course trapped in by Raiden twenty-five years earlier. Mileena claims she's the rightful heir to Shao kahn's throne, but being just a test-tube baby, and the irony that Kitana probably claims more rights over that than even Mileena has is so much irony in this game, it. Ames my dress shirts stiff as boards. 

     Kotol Kahn, with an alliance with D'Vorah and Reptile, both of who knew of Mileena's hatching in Shang Tsung's flesh lp it's are pretty much primping Kotol,Kahn to be ruler, and he inevitably usurpers Mileena, who also teams up with pro Edenian sympathizes, hoping for a unified Edenia, help Mileena try to take out Kotol Kahn, by hiring Kano as a would-be assassin. However, he fails, and seeks refuge along with many leaving Outworld because they know shit is going to hit the fan, but is captured by Sonya Blade, who will not do business with scum like him. 

   Pretty much this game has an awesome story, far better than the dribble in nine, and if is matured, not as sophomoric in nature as the last title, which felt childish and barely above the intelligence of a bad poop joke. Still, this game has everything, and as I really don't want to give away everything, because everyone else already does that, and ruins the game for those who sincerely want to play it, I'll just say that the end is proof that the hype for MK XI will be equal to, but obviously even higher than it was for ten. 

     Granted, ten was a big deal for me, becaue it is the tenth game in a series I've been a fan of since I was just a wee child playing on the Sega Genesis. However, Mortal Kombat Eleven, which I'm certain will be out by at the very latest, the end of this console cycle, will be the game that really rejuvenated this series, and it doesn't seem to be dying anytime soon, well, unless you count the fatalities galore, and whether or not Li Ban killed Frost after that meeting with Hanzo Hasashi. 

   Story Mode is worth the price of admission, or at least half, but the real bread-and-butter is playing the actual game, whether it be online against friends, the Living Towers, which are basically advertisements for anyone who wants to try out a new concept character, or even preview a DLC in a try-before-you-buy system, the game has a lot to offer. 

  There are twenty-four characters,,counting Goro in the standard game, and twenty six with the next two, in Jason and Tanya, and it will end with a whopping twenty-eight come the release of Tremor and Predator. Each character has three variants, which means if you don't purchase any DLC,  there are literally a hundred and four characters out of the box, because each variant really  ales the characters unique, almost to the point of being entirely different characters,,along with the number of dare-I-say, Kostumes thwt can be purchased in the krypt that will also give you a sense of playing a totally different character every single time. This is also the downside of the game, because it  she's it difficult to master a character out of the box, and I really don't like certain aspects of variants, like giving one specific special thwt meshes well with another specific special move I'm another variant. I also don't like that once you choose a variant, you're stuck with it for whatever amount of time you're playing, and if you're doing an endless tower, a little variety is truly the spice of longevity here. 

     I do like the idea of making each character have some lifespan past mastering the moves and kombos, because it really allows for you to grow as a fighter, and permanently keeps you training, and studying the game like you're working towards your Ph.D in butt-whooping.  I've played almost all of the characters, except for some that I loathe like (sic) Liu Kang, but his revnant form is pretty badass, much like Evil  Ryu kind of has a hiper aspect than just grouchy old good Ryu. Also, Kitana's dark empress costume is aesthetically amazing, and although a bit cliche, to see her in such a way makes me even that much more excited to see just how far these new rulers will push the limits of Outworld. 

   I mentioned the clothes, the towers, the (ugh! with the ks already!) Klassic Towers, and I've mentioned story mode. I've even mentioned there is nothing left out that would make any MK fan concerned, however, I failed to completely mention the new krypt, and this has been an area of (for the sake of "konsistency", as I've done it so far) koncern, and even kontroversy, okay I'll stop, scout's honor! But it has been a mixed reception. A lot of people either love or hate the new krypt, which itself is like a very bright and shiny version of Amnesia, but not scary,,or anything like Amnesia. You can traverse the entire krypt, find items to get from point A to point B, and I applaud the courageous amount of detail and love that went into every nook and cranny of it, but I simply hate the fact that all that work can be fixed with just doing the fatalities and brutalities without ever unlocking them! Still, I find it appealing that the....and it pains me to do this one, I mean it hurts to the point of krushing my spirits...koins are so difficult to get, and everything cost so damn much that it could take weeks of just getting koins and roaming around the krypt, looking for tombs to rob and get the actual goodies they all know we want, and that's Kostumes. 

    I like the Kostumes I'm seeing in this game, they all seem to have a certain individuality to them that I've come to know and love for these characters. But I especially like the way each one makes the characters look like they had a loving amount of detail out into them. Each character looks great, plays fast, as this game is faster than any other one before it, which makes for an excellent learning curve. I hive to admit, performing fatalities and brutalities, and looking sharp at it: priceless. 

    Now that was a cheap segue into brutalities, which each character has, and they are truly brutal, most of which are even harder to pull off than even the fatalities. Yet, just like the older fatalities gave you a sense of pride to complete when I was younger, these brutalities seem to be far more rewarding,even more rewarding than the brutalities from  Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.  Some are easy to do, some are so ridiculous, you'll spend several hours trying to pull them off, because they require an astronomically improbable scenario in order to pull off.  Either way, the amount of detail put into this title gives me hopes that this will not be the end of the series. 

    Now let's get to the characters, here's a list of all playable characters, and some NPCs or no -playable characters in the game:

    Playable characters: Kung Lao, Liu Kang, Raiden, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Kano, Sonya Blade, Jax, Reptile, Quan Chi, Shinnok, (after you beat story mode) Kitana, Mileena, Kenshi, Johnny Cage,  Ferra/Torr, Cassie Cage, Jacqui Briggs, Takeda, Kung Jin, D'Vorah, Kotol Kahn, Goro (with DLC, and this was controversial, as the character is basically on disc, you just need a lode to unlock him) erron Black, and last, but certainly not least: Ermac. 

       

NPCs: Kurtis Stryker, Kabal, Baraka, Sindel, Frost, Li Mei, Sareena, Bo Rai Cho,  and Fujin. These characters may become playable perhaps in the future with DLC, or possibly in the next game, which I would put my bottom bit coin down on coming out before the end of this console cycle. Rain is also a NPC, but so ething tells me he'll be playable as well come next DLC announcment. Tanya is playable now, and Tremor will also be playable before the end of this year, so expect that to be interesting as well with the non cannon characters like Jason Voorhees, from Friday the 13th, and Predator. 

     I'm not sure I would buy any of these characters, but it would be interested to see just how big the game becomes, because it may just double in size, and it would like to see some new stages, as they really are limited, although most of the time, you don't even care what the level is, because you're too busy fighting to pay attention, but with the addition of environmental tools and weapons added into the gameplay, I would like to see more variety in level choices, but not sure I'm willing to dish out more coin for them in DLC. So it's a Catch-22. 

   I enjoy the backgrounds though, each one is unique, where other fighting games tend to rehash the same old levels, mortal Kombat X has thirteen distinct levels, but being only thirteen levels in a world where we expect a multitude of levels, it's not necessarily a good thing to have less than more. Each level is fun, but is find the action moves much faster than in any other game, and it gets even more ridiculous in a test Your Luck mode. 

    test Your Luck was introduced to the MK Universe in MK9, and was perhaps one of the most fun  odes I've personally played. The MK fans agree, that it makes for some exhilarating,,albeit, ridiculous wins in any fighting mode. Sure, it can be bullshit, and catch you off guard, but even with the odds against you, it's still possible to win, in a difficult, but still balanced game. Test Yout Luck is still as fun as before in Mortal Kombat X, and keeps the game fresh, even after you've played through Story Mode thrice.

     The one thing I found unbalanced was the difficulty, I tried it on very hard, and I tried it on hard, and medium, so I've played the three main difficulties that people expect to learn off of,many medium seems almost too easy, and hard feels almost like playing a semi-stunted A.I., which can get a few good hits, or it can just lay three and die like a sick dog. However, the very hard difficultly seems to be almost asinine in difficulty, and this is coming from a seasoned vet. Don't get me wrong, playing against an A.I that is nerf beyond compare is a great way to deal with professional spammers,mbut with the controllers delay, I find it a pain in the ass to keep up and even show off the skills thwt I know I have. I just think the difficulties are g, but they don't accurately represent what they're called. 

       Next up is the Faction Wars. This is when players from around the world compe to declare supremacy over the other factions. Think of it like cultures going to war over control of Earthrealm, but it is guided as a very unique combatant team strategy. I've personally joined Lin Kuei when I first downloaded the mobile app, which again was seen as a toss up for fans many people hated it, others play it daily. The faction wars concept is a cool idea, however, I'm not certain I would put much gusto into it being something Pepe stick with over time. I do hope if Nethherrealm Studios supports this mode complexly, it will show up in sequels as well,,and allow for points/ranks/etc. to carry over.  Faction Wars, for me, is a great idea, but not one I really care that much for, as I'm sure I'd rather just play against friends, and the A.I.

      One of the most popular parts of Mortal Kombat's history are the stage fatalities, and sadly, there doesn't seem to be any in this game, but with the interactions being so useful, I've found there isn't really a need for the extra fatalities, as each character has two fatalities, and five brutalities. I did love the return of the babalities in MK 9, and the brutalities are fun to pull off. I'll be honest, some of them are even better than some of the brutalities. Also, there is an additive to the game that is completely different: faction kills. I've spoken about the faction wars before, but if you choose a faction, there is something quite interesting that comes with the perks of being part of the group: faction kills. Faction kills adds even more carnage to the game, as you stand beside and let allies in your flavtion kill your opponent for you, and it makes for something completely different to most MK fatalities.  I joined Lin Luei,,and those kills are different to say, Brotherhood of Shadows, or a Special Forces. So each kill, long or story is surprisingly detailed to the actual faction. The intruistic kills are usually easy, but quite a change a pace from the same fatality that grew staled ten uses earlier, and in online combat, it can be used against another faction. 

 With the krypt, the Living Towers, which grow and change daily, and weekly. The faction wars, which are always constantly changing, and about improving one's score in the global community. Plus, each and every single game mode awards you for getting better, as each time you play through a tower, Klassic or otherwise, you're getting better, and earning awards for doing so. The game has much replay value, as you barely scratch the surface after beating the short, but satisfying Story Mode, and even after beating every single character' ending, you still have the krypt to contend with, and that is literally a whole other game itself. I don't like the fact, however, that the krypt is overly expensive, and it takes twice the a out of time to earn rewards to unlock stuff in the krypt, as it did MK9's, or even Deadly Alliance's krypt. However, you can still enjoy the game without dealing with all the other bullshit that people complained about (micro transactions, DLC, etc.) because let's face it, if those little transactions allows for Netherralm Studios to make the sequel even better than this game, I'll bit the bullet a bit and say fine,buy Jason a offices, or get a season pass, who cares? So long as MK XI is just as good, if. Of better than MKX. 

      Overall, I have to say, of all the Mortal Kombat games, and I've literally played all of them, this. Oiled be my new favorite, even being better than MKII, yes I know that sounds like blasphemy, but the numbers don't lie. The game is incredibly fun to play, probably the most developed game in the series, every character has had a great deal of love and polishing given to them, that they almost seem to be a game of their own. Seeing as each character has so much detail,its almost like we were given three MK games in one, and although I feel Goro should've just been put on disc, he's not really missed, and twenty three playable characters is quite enough for the game, seeing as The very first Mortal Kombst only had seven characters to choose from. I did wish there was more unlockable content in the sense of hidden characters, as you can only unlock Shinnok. Still, I'm quite happy with the game, and really, the few complaints that I have, never stifled me from shouting from the metaphorical rooftops the praises for this game. 

     If you are a fan of Mortal Kombat, and I'm pretty sure you are, then you simply must get this game, and if you don't want to shell out the money for a PS4, or Xbox One just yet, then you will be joining the fight come December 31st when the game is ported to the PS3 and Xbox 360. The game is also available on PC, a rarity for the Mortal Kombat franchise, but  no matter now you want to get this game, I recommend you pick it up, because it is incredible for a fighter, and proves why story does matter in a beat'em up, and even transcends your typical fighter. Sure, it can be campy, but that's the point, and it always was the point of the game. I love Mortal Kombat, and this game is love at first sight. 

Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial! 

Twitter: @mcasteditorial for Malacast Agent

           @FunNYFisherman for Edgar Holves

  I would also like to say sorry about not getting Part 2 of the harrowing Inheritance out to you by last Froday, I've not been able to get it done in the timely fashion, and rather than rush such a bigger shorty story out for the sake of deadlines, I'd rather it turn out better than the first half. So for those waiting on the conclusion, I sincerely apologize,,and I will be consecutively putting out stories in the upcoming weeks, then archiving them later on, as promised. I deeply apologize, and do expect the story by this Friday, as I will have the second half finished by Friday. 

   Thank you for your patience, and your support. 

Fallout 4 Predictions, and Personal Wants for the Series

I'll be bringing Short Story Weekly back next Friday, because forth day , I'm publishing  a special pre E3 post about Fallout 4, which is expected to be shown at this year's Expo. Enjoy! 

Because it's the biggest event (I'm America, that is) for video games, I cannot help but talk about E3, and give my own predictions on what to expect for the upcoming games, hardware, and all-around gaming industry. I'm not certain if I'll be doing a ton of these prior to E3, I've already done several, not including this one, but being a huge fan of Fallout, and Bethesda overall, and seeing I've written one of the longer reviews of Fallout 3 that I've come across, ( I still search out walkthroughs and reviews to this day.) I figured I'd give my educated guess on what you can expect to see for Fallout 4. 

     Firstly, Fallout 3 had a stellar cast of characters, even Liam Neeson voiced the father character, and that was sweet all by itself, but what made the game ascertainable as one of the best on the last generation consoles and PCs, was the stories surrounding the main story. I kind of find it ironic that the exact same reasoning can be used to claim the faults in New Vegas, as the main story was okay, but the weird stories surrounding it were either over-the-top, or barely made me interested. Even the one mini confrontation in Fallout 3 with the whack job asking you to turn over the naughty niightwear in the sewer was hysterical, and a welcomed wtf moment. Also, the references to every classic Sci-Fi/horror story made, from Them! to an entire building dedicated to Lovecraft was done with such love, and respect, the game lived up to the expectations of every Fallout fan. So for obvious predictions like story, Easter eggs, etc. I'll simply say that it's a shoe-in that this game will have some minor and major references, because all the other games have paid tribute in one form or another to other areas of Sci-Fi fandom. 

    That-being-said,  my predictions for Fallout 4, other than we'll get an actual sneak peak of it at E3, measure from simple, to outrageously complex. I've played Fallout 3 for more hours than I've played any other game in my life, although Dark Souls is probably going to rival that. Anyway, fallout 4 claims it won't take place in D.C., even though the first three games took place in, or around D.C., but I still think this particular game will still be in the Northeast, because it may just be a direct sequel in the same time and locale, as New Vegas was quite a few years after a Fallout 3, and that game was more a spin-off, rather than a true sequel. 

    Lots of people are saying New York, Boston, even Chicago for another game, but something tells me thwt Fallout 4 will probably take place in a more historical city like Philladelphia, or even the aforementioned Boston, but seeing how Boston is laid out, I don't see many people wanting to walk the entire Freedom Trail to unlock quick travel, but I personally wouldn't mind seeing how a city so spread out could be a setting for Fallout. Still, I don't see much need to get all excited about a particular setting, as gameplay matters most, as the wasteland they choose to throw us in is going to look like a wasteland. I think there will be a bit of an upgrade to the personalization of the character cheesier, I think it will be a complex one that was similar to Playstation Home, and I have a sinking feeling online capabilities are coming, whether the critics cry "nay!" or not. 

    I also believe that if we see going to see characters like the Antagonizer again, it's going to be like little Easter eggs, although I loved that costume, and the ghoul mask was awesome, but made the game a bit too easy.  I'd love to see more customizable weapons, or even something out of Dead Space 3 or Borderlands where I can even upgrade and evolve the weapons I pick up, I did like the easy conditioning system, but I'm wondering if they will expand on it so I could add teddy bears to every mini nuke I launch. 

     I do believe we will see a more hands-on, interactive environment, as I'm sure we won't be just playing the game, we'll be going into millions of side quests, and even some random buildings thwt really don't have a point to them, but unlock, or house something wicked, unique, and inherently Fallout. I'd personally like to see better character design, although I must also say the characters in 3 weren't nearly as horrific in design, or in mechanics as other games of the same caliber.  I would also like to say that Fallout 4 is most definitely going to include new companions, or go the Dwrk Soul route,  and have companions join via a multiplayer situation. Still, having a random computer buddy join me on a quest was fun, especially Fawkes, because the rest were kinda shit in comparison.  Although it was always fun to make him wait in Megaton, then blow it up, kinda sick and twisted, but it was fun nevertheless. 

     Also, I think we will see another alien scenario, as it's a big part of the experience, but I was hoping thwt the game itself was going to have a bit of a shocker, and go completely opposite and have the game take place in one of the middle states. I also hope the perks, which will most likely return,will have more unique affects that weren't as diverse in 3, but way to diverse in New Vegas. Again, New Vegas to me was fun, it was kooky, and it was even a mixed blessing, but I personally was not a fan, and found it ridiculously short for a full Fallout game. I'd have deemed it more a large DLC that could've replaced the Pitt, and Broken Steel, both of which could've been lost without a second though of being missed. 

      Which brings me to DLC....it's going to happen, and there will most likely be some special edition released like two years after-the-fact of Fallout 4, and it'll either be worth it, or not worth it, but overly expensive. Such is DLC though, and sadly, it makes me wish I could just buy it all on one disc. 

    So other predictions/wants for Fallout 4:

     I want it to pretty much be like Fallout 3

     I want the game to be finished, out of the box! This goes for all games coming out in the future. 

    More guns, more exploring, but make it feel more real, because the time passing was never seriously as realistic as it could be. 

   I want a hardcover mode that actually makes the game hardcore! Harder and more my style. 

   I  love the switching between first and third person, and expect that in future games. 

  Need to have a dog companion, it's a must, although I'd love to see a mutated cat. Just kidding. 

  I need to just say that Fallout 4 needs to have some kind of short term vehicle transportation, or at the very least, boats. 

   I'd also like to see in-game on disc, day one, some ability to leave the current wasteland one is exploring,,and go someplace else, because frankly, I was a bit upset when I was in New Vegas, and I had areas unexplored or because they wre set up for DLC. Either build the game, or don't, but don't give me an area I can't walk to and expect me not to feel like I was screwed out of a full game. 

   I'd also like to see some honest building so everything doesn't seem matted together, make it pretty, and pretty kick ass! 

   Finally, I want a good story, awesome dialogue choices, and would it be too much to give armor that actually adds to you like an actual RPG?

    Whatever the situation, I  believe Fallout 4 needs to add less, than add more to an already near-flawless title. The third game was a great experience, and it should've been clunkier than expected, but it would be nice to see better movement still, movement is truly never perfected in gaming, perhaps Fallout 4 will fix this issue.  Whatever happens, whatever comes true, and yes, a few new alien and mutant races would be nice, and that you can work with, for, or against them would make for a deeper story, I'm starting to think that asking for too much, and expecting too much, will be asking too much,and hurt this game. So predictions aside, I trust my money in Bethesda. 

Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial!

Twitter: Twitter.com/mcasteditorial

Edgsr Holves's twitter: @FunNYFisherman

Batman:Arkham Knight Preview and E3: Personal Predictions and First Impressions

 I have yet to write the Mortal Kombat X review, and unlike many of my other post, I'm pretty sure that many more reviews will be as thorough as the one I intend to write, but I will also be including all of the DLC costumes and characters along  with the full-on review. If you've read my Mortal Kombat reviews in the past, you will probably have an idea of just what I'll be adding into my full-review. 

     Despite the amazing performance MK X, we cannot forget thwt there is another sequel coming out that will be ending a series: no, not Uncharted 4: A Theif's End, but good guess! No, I'm talking about Bstman: Arkham Knight. Firstly, this game seems packed, and I mean packed. The story is huge, much bigger than both Arkham City, and Arkham Origins. The introduction of Robin and Nightwing, along with a return of Catwoman seems to be pushing the limits of just what this game is going to be,perhaps more like Grand a Theft Auto V, where you can jump to play multiple characters simultaneously. 

      The game does look amazing so far, and promises is Arkham fashion to include a multitude of villains that we have all grown to expect from the series. I asked if they would be finishing the storyline where Azrael  came in,mashing hell was coming to Gotham. I'm still not sure if the game will tie up what happened to Joker, but I'm sincerely excited to see us fighting Scarecrow, who is truly an underrated villain, being a highly intelligent, manical fiend, who could challenge Batman in this chess match over the fate of Gotham. Apparently Riddler and Catwoman have a side story that will be played out, and although not every secret has been leaked just yet, I do hope in the thoroughness of truly ending the series, that the Hush confrontation is also brought to a conclusion, which was introduced in Arkham City as well. If not, I could live with it, but then again, the story may grow too big to be fun to play. 

      The story, and unless I've missed a trailer, seems to be quite under wraps,  not much has been leaked, but from what has been leaked, this game seems so big, I can't imagine the amount of playtime it will take to actually complete 100%. Still, many fans wanted even more out of Arkham City, and I have to agree with them, the game was nearly flawless, and the Riddler trophies added so much value to an already over enthusiastic title, but I never once hated having to scan a poster or building, or figure out a harrowing puzzle to get one of those green question marks. Personally, I  love the Riddler, he's one of the most iconic Batman villains, and he is the most aggravating of them, because it requires brains to defeat him, and because of that, the game is much more difficult than repeatedly stomping on your controller to button mash.  The combat looks and feels like the last generation games, but if it has been spruced up, I'm creating it is only to improve on a system that really wasn't broken to begin with, however a slight polishing is always good for consistency. So a Riddler is define,h a welcome return to the Arkham universe. Plus I have a soft-spot for puzzles. 

        Despite the game looking absolutely beautiful, I'd say nearly flawless, I want to know why the damn Batmobile looks like it still handles like a tank! Even in the more recent gameplay release, it looks like one of those old tanks you had in a Playstation 2 game! But maybe, and I mean maybe, the added potential play value of controlling the Batwing will make up for it, especially if it's as open-world as it seems.  This game is aiming to be a pinnacle title for the current systems, and trying to be a classic, and appeal to a broader audience than Batman fans. Makes sense, and seeing as the Batman mythology has such a large fanbase to begin with, the game, unless something terrible happens prior to launch, will be the instant success it's expected to be. 

       Although I shouldn't play devil's advocate here, but something tells me that the added characters like Nightwing, Robin, and Catwoman may play out well for a story such as this, and the reluctant help Batman will have to take in order to restore order, I'm not sure if this will be forced onto the players, or worst: be unwanted DLC that aims to shorten the overall gameplay value, and y bring shame to Rocksteady. Though I had played the Catwoman DLC, and it really didn't take away much from the main experience,which I respected a lot. Same with Harley Quinn's revenge DLC, and that felt like an utter waste to me, personally. 

        Batman: Arkham Knight does look to impress, and I'm certain it will, and I especially hope that Rockstasy sticks to their guns, and ties up all the loose ends, without having to shell out another twenty dollars to get the full story in DLC. Still, I'm happy to say that this going to be one of the best summer games, and with a lot of major titles coming out, and a few being leaked at E3, which I promise to do at least one commentary blogpost about, it looks to be an exciting year to own a current generation console.  Either way, we know now that Batman: Arkham Knight will be out in a little more than a month, unless something goes array, and that will be worth the wait. 

    Now, moving on to E3,  and my personal predictions on what will be coming forward, going into this yewr's Electronic Entertainment Expo. Normally I'm coy when I say I'm good at making industry predictions, because well, I've been playing games since I was able to crawl. People are so fascinated that infants play on tablets before they can walk, I was literally playing with an old NES controller before I could crawl, let-alone talk. I'm being a bit sardonic, but it's not difficult to predict certain aspects of the industry, or at least make a very well-rounded educated guess without being right a good portion of the time. The Electronic Entertainment Expo has become the Shangri-La for those of us who care about what comes next, not what comes next week. We know technology explodes the second it's inception, and two weeks behind once it's released on the market. So we always desire to see just how far a system can be pushed, what hardware and software limits there really are, and seeing even those limits pushed beyond by developers who should be seen as the great architects of our time. 

    E3 has but weeks away from the amassing of all gamer gurus, and tech experts to be unleashed upon California, and it will be interning to watch the chaos unfold from live streams and first person perspectives of the actual attendees themselves from my tablet. I remember the first time I watched E3, they had announced the Nintendo Revolution and the Playstation 3, and I was left in this euphoric state that made me excited to be a gamer. The future looked amazing, and the PS3 looked ridiculously beautiful. Being a boy who was amazed by seeing an 8-bit Mario jumping on goombas, and saving the princess, I was shocked to see what the barriers being pushed by technology were back in 2004-05. Still, even the playstwtion 4 and Xbox One will eventually look archaic to gamers of the future, I think the love of E3 never left me, even as an adult. 

    I've always wanted to attend E3, it's why I've always pushed myself to be in the business, and being thwt my talents weren't ever going to be up to par of those who could make even IOS games, I knew I'd have to relinquish the thoughts of being a developer, and try to make my way in as a gaming journalist. My talents were alway writing, despite how flawed my work may seem on this particular blog. But it's the staple of this blog, ever since the first post.

    Most of what people expect to happen at E3 this year (starting June 5th I believe) is a whole host of new IPs, and a ton of game content to really get the jowls wet over getting the new systems. Despite what some may tell you, thre aren't a lot of well-received titles on the current game consoles since their releases, but this year has been a slight change in the less-than-monumental reception of titles. The newest piece of information that seemed to be not much of a shocker, but a welcome commencement is in the form of a PC press conference. Bethesda will have not only their own booth, but a private press conference to, what most assume, and what has been unofficially leaked, show off the first actual look at Fallout 4, and I too believe it will be actual gameplay, not just a teaser trailer, lie, the so-called teaser leaked earlier in the year. I'm also certain we will see plenty of the obvious: Mirror's Edge 2 gameplay, but I think EA is going to mainly focus on their sports juggernaut, which is quite frankly boring, even for sports fans, as they never show you anything legitimately new until you she'll out $60 for a rehash of last year's game. I'd like to see EA give us a bit of background on the actual story of Miirror's Edge 3, as I liked the subtle style of the first game,mid hate to see it be turned into some big, over-the-top story, which happens to so many avant-garde games' sequels. The gameplay from last year's E3 does look quality, so I would love to see if any improvement have been made for the potential Q4 release. 

      Next, I'd like to see some new IPs to replace a lot of the old ones going out. I still think a Green Arrow game is possible to replace the Bstman series, given the obvious fanfare to the television show, and the upcoming ing franchise movie. I know Green Lantern is going to be rebooted, and we are going to try our best to forget Ryan Reynolds even exists.  So I think WB is going to take the opportunity to make a Green Arrow game, and I know this is overreaching, but it makes sense to have a character thwt is similar to batman in many ways, but more fierce in tactics, and who can have a villain list of the same caliber as the Caped Crusader. This game may be teased, or it may even be given a free light,mbut I can see it happening if not this E3,  perhaps next. 

     Another thing I'd like to see, and I know it's not the popular position to have, but I'd like to see less of this focus on casual games, and even smaller titles that are DLC, and a focus on AAA titles. I'm sorry, but I didn't spend over four hundred dollars to play 2D platformers on my Playstation 4. I know graphics don't always matter, and I know games are for fun, and substance should be key, especially gameplay, which has been literally cut to nudging a controller forward, but I'd like to see less mobile games, and more focus on titles that fit the core gaming systems. Granted, I actually like some mobiles, and if they could evolve off the likes of MK X, and even grow to rival consoles, then I'd be for more coverage of them. I love that two people in a garage can now have their game shared on the biggest platforms, I find that idea a very amazing symbiosis between major companies, and little guys trying to grow, but really, I want fully-developed, deep-seeded games! 

     Next, I predict that Microsoft will tease the Oculus Rift's capabilities, as V.R. And A.R. are expected to be the future, even though it's been the futur since I was still in diapers. Still, this may be the opportunity to get some legitmate IPs, but something tells me that this (and Project Morpheus) may not be seen until CES, in the sense of testing via an audience.  Virtual reality seems fun, and many games will most likely have it as a choice, but it is a fad, and unless it fully immerses, while keeping the story from faltering because of the medium, I only see it being something to show off for five minutes, until you're back to that big television screen you blew last month's rent on for that lovely 4K. 

     So the games,what exactly do I want to see? I'm an older gamer, up there pushing that minor demographics in their late twenties-early thirties, but I do love to see new IP if it works out, and is written well.  I was excited about the rumors circling about a possible Medieval revamp, but finding out it was fan made kinda let my hopes down. One game I would love to see remade is Ecco the Dolphin, because I really miss puzzlers that have a strong story behind them. Sega isn't even going to be having booth at E3, so this is obviously a longer shot than seeing a new Dreamcast in 2017. I'd also like to see a sequel to Dishonored. I wasn't a huge fan of the original game, and I get it was supposed to be steampunk, but it really didn't read steampunk to me as much as it did cartoon. Still, it was a fun game, and it was at least attempting to be original. 

    For Sony, Naughty Dog has become a goldmine. This company has been there since day 1, is a strong component to the SCEA, and is part of some of the biggest franchises of my generation.  Uncharted is ending very soon, and with The Last of Us being another big-time game franchise that has room to grow, I see the possibility of a new IP more apt to happen at this year's E3, for release sometime in the next year, year-and-a-half. I will also predict that the obvious will happens and The Last of Us will either get a sequel, or a Vita port, although I think that happened already. 

    Twisted Metal: can it survive in a world of GTA? The last game was met with more controversy than any other in the series' twenty-year history. That's right, this year Twisted Metal turns twenty, and it is a whole new world since then, and that in-turn has many skeptics wondering if a new title will make the cut. I cannot assure that a new game is in the work, but I would love, love, love to see a reboot of the second game, or even a sequel to the Twisted Metal: Black series. Hell, I'd even laugh to see a DLC sequel in the wonderfully comedic Small Brawl style. This won't happen, Jaffe has in many ways, moved on to greener pastures with the God of War series. Still, putting hundreds of hours into mastering the car combat concept, I wouldn't mind given a new Twisted Metal game another chance. 

    Did I hear someone say: "Gameplay of Star Wars: Battlefront"? Yeah, I'm not sure that's a prediction, more as a shoe-in, but what about the Last Guardian? Or am I just pissing everyone off for saying that? I kid, because we've now moved on to bigger, and better things, right? 

    E3 will most likely show off a new Mass Effect title, although I'm not quite sure even I'd be interested in seeing that, but hey, sequels are always going to usher in more OMGs than some scary looking IP. Although I'd also like to see a sequel for Alien: Isolation, and I believe it would be a legitimately good game, and a contender against the grain of other titles, it may be very, very early for even some concept art at the expo.

     So we talked about Sony, we talked about Microsoft (hah! Just kidding, we don't care about Microsoft hee at the Malacast Editorial!) and we talked about EA, and the fact that Dead Space 4 is probably not going to happen....I'm still waiting on Posession myself, you know, that game when you're some zombie experiment, and you create other zombies? Yeah that game teased before even the Ps3 and XBOne were even released! But want about the Assassin's Creed machine? I mean Ubisoft? You know, if someone didn't post maybe once every three years some short clip of Ghost Recon, or a picture of Rayman, I'd swear Ubisoft only knew one thing: Assassin's Creed. Personally,mi hate these games, I find them overrated, and quite frankly, they are the Nickleback of gaming! Yes! I said what a billion online trolls never have the courage to say! With that being said, I really hated Watchdogs, and I find that political correctness is the only reason Ubisoft even have a damn press conference over other, and let's be real here, more deserving publishers out there. Even Square Enix is more deserving of a whole press conference, and they barely make one game series! Still, I must admit, the tenacity behind Ubisoft is proof of a good work ethic that many big-time publishers could learn from, and alas, why I must make these predictions for Ubisoft, even though it is more like stating the obvious.

      Okay, so Assassin's Creed by now has already been leaked, and is most likely taking place in Victorian England. I don't give two shits personally, but hey, the market proves I'm wrong,and you guys love playing this game. Why? It's the same as those who play Dragonball games, they just won't stop, and the same with Dynasty Warriors....you people are sick!  As I digress, I have to mention yet again,mthwt Assassin's Creed will most definitely be out in November, and every November after that until the end of time. Ubisoft claims to have other games, but nobody I know has ever played them, and I'm sure you haven't, unless you're some obsessed psychopath with francophillia, haven't played them either. 

      So Ubisoft. May do a sequel eventually to the likes of Watchdogs, but seeing as how poorly received it was, they might just stick to Ghost Recon, which is the French Call of Duty, and of course Rayman, which was always a stupid platformer that most people only played ironically as babies, and sparked the current hipster movement. Gag me, please. 

       Oh yeah! Rockstar games! The biggest video game company in the world, the one all of you wish to work for, but not even on the same level as these code monkeys. I know GTA VI (CE?) is years away, and yes Rockstar, I just gave you a lovely little bit of marketing genius right there for your Vice City reboot that we all know is coming. Still, it's never early to predict what Rockstar will be showing off at this year's convention.  Rockstar hasn't had a serious contender for it's GTA series yet, except Manhunt, and earlier, Midnight Club. Rockstar is a company that I am sure wants to expand it's audience well past the masses who line up to play the relatively moderate, but always revolutionary titles that make up the GTA series, but even I found them growing staler, and less sophisticated even as early as right after GTA III.

    Still, the series is white hot, and Rockstar is full of intelligent, talented people, so what else can they show off to cash in on you guys out there? I doubt a Manhunt 3 is even a thought in their kinds, as the second game was forced into such heavy censoring, it held little weight without the excessive ogre, and even games like Mortal Kombwt rivaled that gore, and surpassed it tenfold. Still, do we see another IP, or older franchise stepping up to join the Rockstar family? My hopeful side says absolutely, but my realist, predictive side says that Rockstar isn't going to waste valuable effort to make another game thwt will never reach the margins of GTA, so they will focus all their energy on the obvious Vice City reboot, because let's face it, unless they redo the sixties version of the original games in either London, or someplace else in Europe, which seems too extreme a risk for them to take, prepare yourself for driving around the Florida Keys, and portions of Miami and Kissimmee even by the year 2018. Okay, 2019 at the very latest. 

     My final predictions are as such: E3 2015 will be game-packed, and it will focus on a ton of IP release that will be practically available for download just hours after the show closes up, and the demos go out to fill the limited space on your already cluttered hard-drives, and then  you'll be wondering how you ever lived without high-speed internet. To me, that is incredible how you will go from just one click to download something just previewed live on a computer/television/tablet/phone screen, to right onto your new system. 

    As I just said, there will be a ton of games, and many new peripherals to replace the ones you already have, and "make them updated" but I'm also certain that the new games previewed will not be nearly as surprising as in past years. Personally, the internet, and the 24 hour news cycle has made it nearly impossible for the industry to keep a good secret. Every louse in the tabloid game journalism industry is  always doing their best to ske sure they have the story before anyone else, and it really does screw up those of us who get ally miss hearing in a simultaneous moment when something is officially announced. 

     Finally, I believe in the deepest chambers my heart of hearts that we will hear about some new Tom Clancy title, maybe even a Splinter Cell remake for the newer consoles. Why? Because the new Rainbow Six looks stupid, and if you really think it's spectacular, then gaming must die, yesterday. I play, but I do believe it's coming. 

  Well I hope you've enjoyed my predictions, because it's pretty obvious to see the innovation these people in the industry have, and it's not a stretch outside the imagination. Still this was, for all-intent-and-purposes for fun, and not meant to be an actual portrayal of the upcoming E3 convention,more the conferences involved. 

Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial! 

Twitter: @mcasteditorial

E-mail: mcasteditorial@yahoo.com, or my newest account: malacastplays@gmail.com. 

I'll be releasing some upcoming news about the podcast I co-host with Edgar Holves @FunNYFisherman called  EntroPhenom, later this summer. Have a great time, and enjoy E3 this June!