What's Coming Up In September, 2015?

As we get closer to Q4 and closer to the big blockbuster titles, Fall takes over, football starts back up, hockey gets closer to kicking off (HELL YEAH!), and this month has plenty of reasons to be excited as a gamer. Fortunately, it starts right away. Here is what to look forward to this September.

September 1st:

Mad Max - (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Linux)

Set in the Mad Max universe, but not based on the recent movie, and developed by the studio behind the Just Cause series, Mad Max looks like an exciting and explosive good time. I will be doing a live stream of this on release day with a forthcoming post with my thoughts on this. Also, Mad Max: Fury Road comes out on Blu-Ray as well, so you can really get your fix.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain - (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)

Talk about blockbusters. The final entry in the series promises amazing graphics, open-world gameplay, online multiplayer, and all the goofiness this series is known for. Also, if this is Kojima's swan song, you bet your ass it's gonna be crazy. I will be doing an unboxing of the special edition when it gets delivered, which I believe is next week. Metal Gear Solid is one of the most important franchises in gaming, and you definitely want to be a part of this.

September 11th:

Super Mario Maker - (Wii U)

The more I see of this game, the more I am falling in love with it. This looks to be the killer app for the Wii U and I can not wait to get my hands on this, even if it means that Nintendo will end up placing claims on my YouTube videos.


September 15th:

Forza Motorsport 6 - (Xbox One)

The next entry in the long-running racing series looks absolutely stunning. Day 1 purchase for sure.

NHL 16 - (PS4, Xbox One - Legacy Edition on Xbox 360, PS3)

EA's second year of bringing its hockey franchise to current-gen consoles, which means this should be pretty good. Also, a topic very close to my heart: mascots!

September 25th:

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer - (3DS)

This game looks so adorable! If you are one of those players who loves designing your own home, now you can design other folks' homes. I was never good at that while playing Animal Crossing, but I will still buy this and give it a go.


September 29th:

LEGO Dimensions - (PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U)

You knew it was going to happen, LEGO now is in the "place figures on portal, they come to life in game" genre. Also, Dimensions looks insane with all the properties they have licensed in this game, including Doctor Who!!!!!!

Persona 4: Dancing All Night - (PSVita)

Hey, a Vita sighting! A rhythm game featuring the cast of Persona 4 as well as Hatsune Miku. I love the music in this series and look forward to picking this up.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 - (PS4, Xbox One)

I really want this to be good. It looks like THPS5 is tugging at the nostalgia strings, and it's saying all the right things. I LOVED this series when I was younger, but the more recent entries have left me with a "bleh" feeling about this. I speak for a generation of gamers when I say, "PLEASE be good!".

Other Notes:

- Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 - PC, PS3, PS4 - September 15th

- Skylanders: SuperChargers comes to basically every console ever on September 20th. I kinda checked out around Swap Force, but this is still a well regarded franchise.

- Blood Bowl 2 comes to PC, PS4 and Xbox One on September 22nd. I played the first one and really hope the sequel can tell me what actually is happening.

- FIFA 16 takes over the world on September 22nd, and will be on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

- Get your basketball fix on September 29th as both NBA Live 16 and NBA 2K16 come out.

- Fallout Anthology comes out for PC and will include Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout: Tactics, Fallout 3 GOTY, and New Vegas Ultimate Edition and come in a sweet mini-nuke case with sounds. Hell of a deal here. Take a look:

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Whew! That's just a taste of what's to come this month in video gaming and I hope you all have been saving up because there is a lot of greatness to get us ready for Q4. Enjoy and keep your eyes peeled here and on the Jeff of All Games family of outlets (Twitch, YouTube, Soundcloud) for many good times.

What I Think Of...Heroes of the Storm

The competitive eSports scene is alive with the sound of MOBA's. Whether it's League of Legends, Dota 2, SMITE, or a number of others, MOBA's are absolutely in fashion.

Blizzard decided to get in on the action and take back what was theirs to begin with, seeing as the original Dota was a Warcraft 3 mod. How does this Blizzard-fan-service game stack up to the juggernauts of the industry? Here is what I think of the new MOBA on the block: Heroes of the Storm.

For the uninitiated, a MOBA game (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) works as such:

- 2 Teams battle on a map broken up into 3 lanes (Top, Middle, Bottom)
- The lanes have auto-turrets ("Forts" as HotS calls them) placed along the path.
- Creeps/Minions spawn at regular intervals and will help you push the lane to your advantage.
- The point is to work down the lanes, destroying Forts, and eventually the base (Core) to win the match.

You with me? Hope so. This is the MOBA formula, and HotS follows the blueprint faithfully. However, that's where the similarities between this and a game like Dota 2 end. Heroes is meant to be a more accessible entry in the genre. While Dota relies on buying items from shops to grant abilities or buffs to hero skills, there are no items in Heroes, which is actually a relief. It takes away a complicated aspect and allows the action to be fast-paced and skill based.

In Dota 2, you would need to purchase "Wards" from the shop to place around the map and grant your team vision, and a tactical advantage, over a certain area. In Heroes, since there are no shops, some maps (mapS, I'll get to that later) have built in capture points that, when captured, grant your team vision over that area of the map, which is an interesting idea that creates tense moments of fighting over the capture point.

Also, the idea that there are multiple maps. Not only that, but the different maps have different objectives that can really swing the match in your favor. On one map, you try to control 2 shrines, 1 placed on the top lane and 1 placed on the bottom lane, once you capture those shrines, someone on your team can go into the center lane, claim a 3rd capture point and become the Dragon Knight and wreck shop, doing a ton of extra damage which is great for taking down Forts. Another map actually has a 2nd part to it, which allows players to descend into the mines, killing special enemies and retrieving skulls, which builds a golem that will march down a lane and also wreck shop. There are a handful of these maps, which does add a layer of strategy which does break up the monotony of hero battles.

Heroes of the Storm also puts a spin on character builds. In other games, when you level up in a match, you spend a point to upgrade your characters abilities. In Heroes, when you hit specific levels, you actually get to choose which ability or talent you want to learn. Some of these are passive abilities like getting health from doing damage, and others are active abilities that, by default, map to the number keys. This is a pretty cool take on it and adds that "on-the-fly" element where you can adapt based on how the match is going, or find the build that best suits you.

The leveling systems in the game can be a little complicated, so I will do my best. You have an overall account level, within that account level, your heroes level up individually (outside of the game) by using them in battles. Your character levels outside of the game do not factor in the actual game, though, since all characters start at level 1. Leveling up your account rewards you with coins you can use in the marketplace (more on that later) or cosmetic profile pictures, etc. Leveling up your individual character can also reward you with coins, and also unlocks the ability to use all of that character's talents. The game does lock some abilities during the early levels of a character, letting the player get their feet wet before opening up all talents and saying "have at it".

Now, let's talk pay structure. Heroes of the Storm is a free-to-play game. You could absolutely play the game, enjoy it, get a lot out of it, and not spend a penny. Unlike Dota 2, not all the characters are available right away. Blizzard does do a free weekly rotation, which is what SMITE and League of Legends does. The rotation consists of 5 or more free heroes based on your account level, and you can use them in any mode. For the other heroes, you can buy them either with in-game coins that you get for completing matches, completing daily quests (I'll get to that, there's a lot to go through here, if you couldn't tell) and other in-game milestones, or with real money. Characters can range in price from $5 and up and there are bundles which include multiple characters and skins and whatnot. This is not unheard of and reasonably priced. I spent $5 on the discounted "Starter Bundle" Which included 3 characters, a mount to use in-game, and a 7-day XP/Coin boost. Also, since it was my first purchase with real money, I got a special cute mount.

So, Daily Quests. Each day when you log in, you are tasked with quests that can earn you extra gold. These can range from "Play 3 matches as characters from Warcraft", to "Play 3 matches as an Assassin", to "Win X amount of matches" and so on. This really helps keep the game fresh and promotes using different kinds of characters.

Once you get into an actual match, the game continues to shine. You can tell Blizzard took their time and put their love into these characters, the way they look, the way they talk, the way they animate, it's a Blizzard-fan's dream. My favorite touch is how they put a little bass on the sound when you kill an enemy, really makes you feel like a bad ass. The collection of characters here is a great mash-up from Warcraft, Diablo, Starcraft, and even classic games like The Lost Vikings, with more characters added all the time.

The modes in the game range from going against the A.I., to PvP, to Ranked PvP. The big difference between HotS and Dota 2 is that even if you play a pure bot match, you still get XP, Coins, and credit towards your quests. Meaning you don't have to interact with anybody and still have a good time. Also worth noting: you don't need a huge time commitment. Games in Dota 2 or League can last anywhere from 35 - 60+ minutes per match, whereas in HotS, it could last 15 - 25 minutes. The maps are smaller and the game runs raster, so it's nice when you don't have hours to spend.

With the way Blizzard has handled its other games, it should come as no surprise how often they are updating and adding content into HotS. New maps, new characters, balance changes, nothing is off limits and it will be exciting to see where they go from here.

I can not tell you how much I have enjoyed playing Heroes of the Storm. It feels like the Everyman's-MOBA. If you have been too intimidated to get deep into other games in the genre, or just want a fun time with great characters in great settings with that Blizzard touch. I love watching Dota 2 and I would love to get better at it, but I LOVE playing Heroes of the Storm and this may end up being my personal favorite MOBA.

Character Spotlight: Sub-Zero

 This feature will show off some of my favorite characters in video gaming. I will dive into their highlights, lowlights, origins, games they were featured in, and what makes them stand out as my favorite characters.

Today, for the first (titled) edition of Character Spotlight, I wanted to highlight one of my favorite characters from my favorite fighting game franchise. When I say the name Mortal Kombat, who is the first person you think of? If you thought of the words "Get Over Here", you're right, but I am thinking of the OTHER guy, the colder guy, the first character I ever learned to play as in MK: Sub-Zero.

Info:

First Appearance: Mortal Kombat (1992)

Real Name: Bi-Han (Mortal Kombat, 1992), Kuai Liang (Mortal Kombat II - present, 1993 - present)

(Most Recent) Voice Actor: Steven Blum (Mortal Kombat X, 2015) aka "The Wolverine Guy"

Personal Favorite Game He Appears In: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)

There are many things I still remember about my childhood, whether it's TV shows that stuck with me, events in school I'll never forget, or my first experiences with certain video game franchises, you'll remember them like it was yesterday. This was the case the first time I looked into an arcade at age 7 and saw Mortal Kombat. Needless to say I was blown away, and a little grossed out. I'll highlight the game itself at a later date, because this is all about the man with the icy stare.


I think a lot of what drove me to be a Sub-Zero fan had something to do with my time playing Street Fighter, as odd as that may sound. Back then, I thought the Hadoken was the coolest move ever, dude just sticks his hands out, yells, and a fireball blasts out of his palms, that's fuckin' rad! It's STILL rad! So here, with Sub-Zero, he kind of has a Hadoken-esque move, but it's an ice ball that freezes the opponent, allowing for a free hit, that's fucking RAD...DER!

In Mortal Kombat (1992), Sub-Zero (Bi-Han) was tasked by his clan, the Lin Kuei, to kill the tournament's host, Shang Tsung. He fails to do so, and ends up getting killed by Scorpion. Bi-Han then ends up becoming the undead ninja known as Noob Saibot. I always found that super cool that while I am playing as Noob Saibot, I am actually playing as original Sub-Zero. Bi-Han's brother Kuai Liang takes up the Sub-Zero codename in Mortal Kombat II to honor his fallen family member, and remains THE Sub-Zero to this day.

Mortal Kombat 3 is when things start picking up for young Sub-Zero, as he escapes the Lin Kuei Clan who is looking to turn all its members into cyborgs, which gave us Sektor, Cyrax, and Smoke. The game also gave us one of the iconic looks for SZ, as the decision came down to remove the mask.

Then came a very divisive game: Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub Zero. I'm betting those of you who played that game just went "ugh". Hear me out, there were some cool things about that game, it wasn't a great game, but it was the first real attempt to take the Mortal Kombat universe and expand it to something other than a straight fighting game. This also marked the first appearances of Quan Chi and Shinnok to the franchise. Set as a prequel to the original game (meaning it was Bi-Han SZ), Mythologies was an action-RPG with superbly cheesy FMV cutscenes. Well worth a playthrough nowadays.

Mortal Kombat 4 was the first game in the series to go to a 3D engine and helped push the Sub-Zero/Scorpion rivalry but having Quan Chi tell Scorpion that SZ and his clan wiped out Scorpion's family, which ends up being untrue (weird) and Quan Chi was the real killer. Deadly Alliance sees our Sub-Zero fighting Sektor for leadership of the Lin Kuei clan, and also the introduction of SZ's apprentice, Frost. Deception has Sub-Zero confronting his older brother Noob Saibot, and throughout that game and Armageddon, he tries what he can to save his undead brother.

Sub-Zero would make an appearance in Shaolin Monks, an adventure game retelling the events of Mortal Kombat II starring Kung Lao and Liu Kang. He appears as the first boss in the game before joining up with the Monks to search for his older brother. He leaves the duo while chasing Noob through the Netherrealm.

Due to the success of Shaolin Monks, (yeah, it's a pretty good game) work got underway for a co-op adventure game called Fire & Ice, starring Scorpion and Sub-Zero. The game was scrapped due to budget and time constraints.

Sub-Zero also appeared in the well-regarded  MK vs DC Universe as a counter to Batman. At the end of his story in the game, he is inspired by The Dark Knight to become a super hero, donning a new costume and cape. Sub-Zero MAN!

Then came Mortal Kombat (2011), which retells the stories of games 1 - 4, with a bit of a twist. Bi-Han is still killed by Scorpion and Kuai Liang takes the mantle, but instead of Smoke being captured and turned into a cyborg, Liang gets kidnapped and assimilated, bringing us Cyber Sub-Zero. CSZ helps Raiden in taking down Shao Khan, but Sindel, Khan's wife, overloads CSZ's circuits, so now both Sub-Zeros are "dead". Until Quan Chi resurrects and enslaves SZ. Which is how he starts off in Mortal Kombat X. Also, he is back in human form because....video games.

Crazy shit happens in Mortal Kombat X with Sub-Zero, (SPOILER...I guess), Sub-Zero and Scorpion are FRIENDS?!?! It's 25 years after the Netherrealm War and Scorpion begrudgingly agrees to meet with (now Lin Kuei Grandmaster) Sub-Zero. It is revealed to Scorpion that it wasn't SZ, but Sektor and Quan Chi, who were behind the murders of the Shirai-Ryu clan and Scorpion's family. That's insane to me, it's like Batman and Joker shake hands, dogs and cats living together!

Sub-Zero was originally simply called Ninja while in development. That character was split in two for palette swaps and became Scorpion and Tundra. That name was changed after a member of the development team watched the Schwarzenegger film The Running Man, where the first assassin was named Sub Zero. Side note: that movie is bad ass!

The character is one of the most popular in the series, he also has the distinction of being the only character in the MK universe to appear in every game.

Evolution of the Character:

Mortal Kombat (1992)

Mortal Kombat II (1993)

Mortal Kombat 3/Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)

MK Mythologies: Sub-Zero (1997)

Mortal Kombat 4 (1997)

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002)

Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004)

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006)

Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe (2008)

Mortal Kombat (2011)

as Cyber Sub-Zero

Mortal Kombat X (2015)

with SICK beard...

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Sub-Zero's popularity has helped him become one of the most iconic characters in the franchise. Besides the video games, Sub-Zero has appeared in both live action movies (the good original one and the oh-God-no-what-the-hell Annihilation) and all 3 seasons of the web series Mortal Kombat Legacy.

Since day one I always gravitated towards Sub-Zero, just an absolute badass who has been a staple of the franchise. While Scorpion is busy screaming "Get Over Here". throwing fire everywhere and generally being Ghost Rider, Sub-Zero takes a cool, calm, and collective approach. A stone cold killer. Death's cold embrace. Other puns!

Fatality Time!

What's Coming Up in August, 2015?

Fresh off a wild night of partying (and a terrible morning after...) for my birthday, it's time to dive back into the world of video games. July was a slow month as far as new releases but the Summer Slump goes away a bit here in August, and before we start into the craziness that is Q4. So here are just some of the new releases and events coming up this month:

August 4th:

Rare Replay - (Xbox One)

30 Rare classics in one bundle for $30. Games include: Perfect Dark, and Zero, Battletoads, Killer Instinct Gold, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Viva Piñata as well as Trouble in Paradise, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and many more! This is a hell of a deal.

August 3rd - 8th:

The International 2015

The biggest gaming tournament of the year enters the main event this week. Teams from all over the world descend upon Seattle, competing to show who is the best at Dota 2, and win LOTS of money. I will be glued to the Twitch channels, expecting to see top level plays, and hoping to get some item drops.

August 5th - 9th: 

Gamescom 2015

The biggest gaming convention in Europe is taking place from August 5th - 9th in Cologne, Germany. Expect many gaming stories and trailers shown. The thing that I am most excited about: Blizzard will be revealing the new expansion to World of Warcraft during its show Thursday morning the 6th. Can. Not. Wait.

August 13th:

Fallout Shelter - (Android)

The free-to-play Fallout management spin-off that has been on iOS finally comes to Android. Now everyone can be the Overseer and watch your shelter thrive or (in most cases) get overrun by Radroaches and Bandits. This game will eat up a lot of your time and is VERY addictive.

August 25th:

Dishonored: Definitive Edition - (PS4, Xbox One)

This edition improves the games graphics and includes all the DLC. You all know how tired I am of seeing re-releases, definitive editions, collections, etc. but this game is one I would gladly go back and play. I LOVED Dishonored and look forward to the sequel.

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition - (Xbox One)

This is a remaster of the original game, which will include 5 previously unreleased chapters of the campaign, an invite to the Gears of War 4 beta (Gears of 4? Gears of Fowar? Gears of 4ar?) as well as all 4 Xbox 360 Gears of War games for you to play on your Xbox One via the backwards compatibility. All for $60. Hey, look, another "ultimate edition"...that I will play because I love Gears.

Madden NFL 16 - (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)

It's Madden season, it is the reason my hand touch your face! Also, Bear Down!

August 30th: 

Disney Infinity 3.0 - (PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, iOS, Android)

The adorable, fun, and super nerdy figure-collecting money machine that is Disney Infinity returns with 3.0, and gets some help from a galaxy far, far away. Shut up and take my money!

Other Notes:

- Game to keep an eye on this month: Galak-Z: The Dimensional. It's a space shooter/Gundam-style (opa Gundam style!) game that shows a LOT of potential. Coming to PS4 August 4th.

- Goat Simulator arrives on PS3 and PS4 on August 11th.

- Toy Soldiers: War Chest is the next game in the Toy Soldiers franchise, which I do enjoy. This is the first to not be a Microsoft exclusive. The game comes out August 11th for PC and Xbox One, with the PS4 version out a day later. Side note, if you buy the Hall of Fame edition, you can control licensed armies based on G.I. Joe, Assassin's Creed, and He-Man. You can also buy this DLC if you get the standard edition.

- Remember ZombiU? The Wii U launch game about zombies that was pretty bad ass? Well, it is now coming out as Zombi for PC, PS4, and Xbox One on August 18th.

- Shadowrun: Hong Kong, the next chapter in the Shadowrun series, comes out August 25th. Besides the single-player campaign, the game will also include a level editor so players can create and share via Steam Workshop.
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That's pretty much the month of August. As always, things may (and will) change. Next month, the heavy hitters start hitting you right where it counts: your wallet. Enjoy!