20 Random Overwatch facts

xXBChaceXx

|-Game News, Reviews, and Rants-|

20 RANDOM OVERWATCH FACTS

Hey, guys! Bchace here! I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been obsessive over Blizzard’s new IP, Overwatch. The game has literally taken up most of my free time. I just always want to be online and on the battlefield!

            CHEERS, LOVE! THE CALVARY’S HERE! – TRACER

            I had to drag myself away from my PlayStation just to click upload for this piece, and, it was a struggle. Crawling on the floor, flat on my stomach, wrenching my way to my computer. Then, there was Overwatch, calling my name, “Come back, Brian,” it said, “Come and lead the charge!”

            … I may be losing my sanity. All I’m seeing is loot boxes.

            But, anyway. I just wanted to share some facts that you may not have known about Blizzard’s team-based fantasy FPS. Hopefully, this will hold you over until I finish my review. Reviews have to be accurate and unbiased, you know? *COUGH! IGN! COUGH* I’m just kidding. You and I both know how that one goes. I hope you enjoy, as it took hours of research to find and confirm most of these! Have fun!

            ONWARD INTO THE BREACH! - WINSTON

1.      Overwatch had first debuted at BlizzCon 2014, and has been Blizzard’s first original franchise in 17 years (Hearthstone or Heroes of the Storm does not count! They include characters from other Blizzard universes.)

2.      Overwatch is what remained of Blizzard’s MMO, Titan. The game was considered “No fun,” by the developers.

3.      The name, “Overwatch,” comes from the task-force Overwatch, which fights against the Omni-Crisis.

4.      The original reveal only showed 12 playable heroes, and the other 9 weren’t revealed until much later.

5.      Heroes have been, and will continue to be designed to allow players to quickly distinguish heroes apart, and know how to play and counter-play, with or against them.

6.      Blizzard wanted Overwatch to be 6v6 so, if one player was having an ‘off-game’, that the team wouldn’t suffer (Although, it seems that most players are almost always having ‘off-games’ XD)

7.      Overwatch’s heroes come in a wide variety of ages, with D.VA being 19, and Reinhardt at 61. (Maybe he should consider retiring?)

8.      On King’s Row, you may think that you’re just escorting a generic Payload. While in actuality, it was announced at Blizzcon 2014, that it is actually an EMP (Take a closer look when you play after reading this, you know you’re going to) sent to take out a group of Omnics taking refuge beneath the streets of London.

9.      Hanzo was originally an offensive character, but was moved onto the defense close to the games launch.

10.  Blizzard spent several hours a day playing Overwatch in the office, and even have thrown internal tournaments.

11.  McCree shares a name with a Blizzard employee, named Jesse McCree. Is it ironic that McCree’s first name is also Jesse?

12.  Within the Temple of Anubis map, you can find hidden Horde symbols within the hieroglyphics.

13.  Reinhardt, Torbjorn, Soldier 76, Reaper, and Anya (Pharah’s Mom) were part of the original strike team.

14.  Genji was killed by Hanzo, Mercy saved his life, and Zenyatta saved his soul. (This guy just doesn’t die, does he?)

15.  Lucio’s weapon, the Sonic Amplifier, is stolen tech from the same company that employs Symettra.

16.  Roadhog is named, ‘Chopper’ on French servers.

17.  D.VA is a professional Starcraft II player, and often references common Starcraft phrases such as G.G. (Good Game) and APM, (Actions per minute.)

18.  On the map Hollywood, the guard’s computer has Hearthstone booted up.

19.  Winston is named after his caretaker, Dr. Harold Winston, and is also where he got his glasses (Please, don’t step on them.)

20.  Reaper’s Ultimate, Death Blossom, defined as, to fire indiscriminately and in all directions.

Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Check back next Saturday, and maybe I’ll have some more facts for you? We’ll see!

            As always, I appreciate you for coming on by to my page via Facebook or Blogger. You have no idea how hard I’m striving to have all of this take off. I love writing, and I love keeping you guys updated with news, reviews, and fun little short articles like this one. I hope you continue to support my hobby, and, above all else, keep gaming.

            Cheers, guys! Have a great weekend!

-Brian

BattleBorn Review

xXBChaceXx

|-Game News, Reviews, and Rants-|

BattleBorn

REVIEW

At face value, Battleborn appears to be a meaty experience, with 24 unique characters, an in-depth progression and loot system, co-op campaign and competitive multiplayer. However, Gearbox’s new IP loses its momentum due to only a handful of multiplayer modes and maps, and a rather lackluster story driven narrative with repetitive game-play elements and poor A.I.

            Much like other games of its likeness, Battleborn is best played with friends. The game sports split screen and 5 player co-op story-mode as well as a 5 versus 5 competitive multiplayer environment. Playing with friends makes the trek through the story-mode fun and rewarding. While the main campaign is full of raunchy humor and quips and one-liners, the story missions feel devoid of real narrative. The game borrows a lot from the Borderlands franchise, with less appeal. There are a few interesting bosses, but with brain-dead A.I., simple mechanics, repetitive missions, and poorly placed check-points, it really feels sluggish and passable, at best.

            Incursion, Meltdown, and Capture make up BattleBorn’s MOBA inspired multiplayer. Incursion is its staple mode, yet heavily derivative. It features a single lane creep battle to destroy the enemy base. Meltdown is similar to Incursion with a few differences, as every creep that enters the enemy’s portal reduces their score. Unfortunately, Capture is the weakest of the three, focusing too much on team-fights, which on PS4 really bog down game-play performance to a crawl.

            Characters are BattleBorn’s biggest strength. 24 make up the roster, and 5 are coming post-launch for free (I like this very much!). Each character has an in-depth talent tree that makes for varied styles of play, while their personalities, especially their taunts, really bring out their own unique flair.

            If only characters could carry this game.

            After several hours of play, I began to feel fatigue. Game-play blurs, and what really feel unique about the game, loses its appeal quickly. Battleborn feels like it needs more, despite when initially it feels like the full package. Frame-rate issues (PS4), character imbalance, and match-making issues bog down what could have been a really solid experience.

VERDICT: 6.5/10 Creatively, BattleBorn really shines with its colorful cast of characters. However, those characters do not carry you through what feels like an average gaming experience at best.

For more in-depth reviews, and other gaming content, check out my other articles!

Remember to like my Facebook page, as I would greatly appreciate it!

            As always,

            Game on, guys!

Call of Duty Infinite Warfare Confirmed! CoD 4 Remaster NOT A Standalone Release

xXBChaceXx

|-Game News, Reviews, and Rants-|

Infinite Warfare and CoD 4 REMASTER Confirmed by Activision

Remaster is NOT a Standalone Release

Hey, guys! B. Chace here with a bit of sad news for those of you who wanted to purchase CoD 4 HD Remaster… and avoid Infinite Warfare all together.

            It’s not happening.

            Nope. Dreams shattered (At least for me. I’ve had enough of the over saturated Sci-fi FPS market nowadays.)

            The qualifying versions that will guarantee you a digital download are as follows…

                        Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare-Legacy

                        Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare-Legacy Pro

                        Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare-Digital Delux Edition

            Each of these will cost you between 80-$100+ dollars or more, depending on your region.

            The Remaster will include the full Single-player campaign, and Multiplayer modes with 10 maps, and possible DLC down the road (Of course!)

            What do you think about this business model? Would you prefer each to be sold separately? Let me know in the comments!

            If you haven’t seen it already, here is the trailer for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

            As always,

            Game on!

Week of April 29th Games UPDATE

xXBChaceXx

|-Game News, Reviews, and Rants-|

Week of April 29^th

Games UPDATE!

Top 5

Hey, guys! B. Chace here, and welcome to another… GAMES UPDATE!

            This week, as a matter of fact, had A LOT going on in the gaming world, and I’m here to do my best to wrap it all up for you… all in one place.

            One click of the mouse…

            HERE WE GO!

1.      Lionhead Studios has officially closed down

After 20 years, British developer Lionhead Studios has now since been closed. Microsoft had announced that it had been preparing for the studios closure since March, shortly after the upcoming MOBA Fable Legends was canceled. This consultation period included aiding staff in finding work, as required by British law, Microsoft said. #RIPLionhead

2.      Battlefield 5 Announcement Imminent

Friday May 6^th marks when developer DICE will reveal its new FPS, Battlefield 5. It has been rumoured that the new iteration to the Battlefield franchise will take place in WWI-WWII. Details are sparse, but, as can be expected, we will be seeing a trailer, and possibly gameplay.

3.      Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Remaster

Announced via Call of Duty’s Twitter account, “I would crap my pants if I ever heard, ‘Call of Duty 4: Remaster’. Well, a poop emoji and a pair of pants have all but confirmed it. Much like Battlefield 5, details are few and far between. However, the HD remaster is rumored to have both single and multiplayer components.

4.      PS4 Sold 18 Million Units last year, Hits Total 40 Million

Yes, you read that last bit correctly. PS4 sales are accelerating, and are expected to continue through 2016 and 2017. These numbers were revealed during Sony’s yearly financial briefing. For comparison, Wii U has only sold 12.8 million, and it’s been on the console market for 1 year longer than the PS4.

5.      Fox News Voices Its Opinion on Tom Clancy’s The Division

It would seem that The Division really is making a name for itself, if only it was positive. Andy Levy, host of Skills Every 18 Year Old Needs, had heavy criticism for the game. “Be able to level up your character in The Division, despite the way Massive nerfed the crafting system and allows packs of super-geared Rogues to gank you in the Dark Zone- thanks a lot, jerks!”

And again, those are the top stories for this week. Come back next time for another Games Update.

            As always,

            Game on, guys!

SMITE 3.5 Not Coming to PS4 Today

xXBChaceXx

|-Game News, Reviews, and Rants-|

Unfortunate SMITE 3.5 Patch Delay for PS4

Sad news for SMITE players on the PS4 console. It was announced today, by a HIREZ STUDIOs Twitter account, that the patch will not be applied today on Wednesday, April 12^th. They will instead be aiming for a Thursday AM release on the following day, as stated by HIREZ Lancelot.

They aim to have the patch applied ASAP, however unfortunate that it did not come today. The SMITE 3.5 update adds a plethora of new skins for existing Gods and Goddesses, as well as balance adjustments and new Hunter, Skadi.

As always,

Game on, guys!

Tom Clancy's The Division FULL Review

xXBChaceXx

|-Game News, Reviews, and Rants-|

The ‘Destiny Killer’

Tom Clancy’s: The Division

FULL Review

It’s not hard to talk about what Tom Clancy’s The Division does well in the early hours. The solid 3^rd Person combat, RPG elements that are surprisingly deep, and an authentic environment really immerses you in a virtual Manhattan. However, with every positive aspect, there is something negative to go along side it.

            Manhattan is beautiful. However, despite being always-online, the world feels entirely empty and static, with repetitive cut-and-paste missions that grow tiresome as you hit around level 15-20. A lot of what Manhattan has to offer is spread across different zones with long stretches of walking that are event-less. There are no true random events, which the game could certainly use to make the world appear more dynamic, which it certainly is not. You will never come across another player character unless they are in your squad, or in safe zones that almost feel exactly the same. The only material reason to come back to a zone you’ve completed are for boring collectibles, which generally do not give you a concrete sense of what really happened in this post-apocalyptic NY. They feel unnecessary. Manhattan becomes a city of conveniently placed people to shoot, and a bread-crumb trail from objective to objective.

            The narrative starts off strong, but it becomes a real slog through the games mission system. The main missions, which feel more unique, unfortunately suffer from campy dialogue, and forgettable characters, which makes you ask yourself this pertinent question, “Why am I even risking my life for this person?” And… the final boss, without spoiling it for any of my readers, is a literal joke, a laughable joke.

            Game-play is something The Division does well. It feels really good, taking nods from Epic Game’s Gears of War franchise. Cover is important, as is covering fire, as enemies can, in fact, be suppressed. However, with enemies that really absorb bullets like a sponge, it takes all the tactics out of the game. Still, the action relies on sharp shooting, and rewards players who have the ability control the realistic recoil of some of the games weapons, which can be customized in whatever way you see fit. Many different types of scopes, magazines (not clips!), barrels, etc. Each of these have different rarities, and different aspects of the gun you can increase or decrease, depending on your play-style.

            If only loot was satisfying to get.

            Most of the games weapon’s, armor, and clothing looks the same. A player character at level 3 looks almost identical to a character at max level. If only the character creation system had a bit more depth to add a bit of diversity to player characters.

            Progression feels fragmented. For example, the best way to acquire new gear is through the Dark Zone. However, you do not increase your player character level within this zone, only the DZ (Dark Zone) level. The system feels muddled and disjointed. New skills do not come with leveling up. The only way you are able to unlock new and useful abilities are by upgrading your Home Base, which can be tedious grind through copy-and-paste missions. Defend a cache, rescue the hostages, and defend an officer, to name a few. You will either find yourself at a high level with only average gear and a few skills, or a character with many skills and little gear. This makes it hard to accurately gauge how strong your character really is, comparatively speaking, to other players of your level.

            Sadly, once you hit the level cap, The Division’s End-game content is sparse and repetitive, with the focus on daily missions, and farming Phoenix credits to purchase some of the best weapons and armor in the game. Or, you could enjoy the Dark Zone, which is the most thrilling dynamic element of the game.

            The Dark Zone is a large, PvP/PvE area, where rioters roam the streets, and other players could very well be your allies, or your enemies, depending on their agenda. There is always a sense of danger here, which adds to the tension and how dynamic the area really is. A squad-mate could help you one minute, and the next, he/she could ambush you for your loot. The temptation to kill a low level player is oh-so satisfying. However, there is very little incentive for taking the life of another Agent, especially with how much you are punished as Rogue, with XP loss, Dark Zone keys, and loot dropping to player who took you out. This results in an environment, which is considered to be ‘lawless’ PvP zone, to become a slightly more fun PvE zone, with some player versus player engagements thrown in the mix. The developers effectively ruined what could have been a fantastic zone.

            The Tom Clancy license did not help this game, and honestly, it forced the developers to play it safe in regards to its game-play aspects. The game needs more variation, and a more in-depth narrative that is griping and immersive. The Division definitely has potential, but it lacks the heart to really bring out what the game does well.

            VERDICT: 5.5/10 A game that can bring something unique to the table, but fails to do so.

PS4.5 to be announced ahead of Playstation VR

xXBChaceXx

|-Game News, Reviews, and Rants-|

Rumor has it...

PS4.5 to be Announced Ahead of VR!

Rumors have been circulating about a so called 'PS4.5'. More evidence of such a device has surfaced. According to the Wall Street Journal, the PS4.5 is expected to be announced prior to the PlayStation VR.

This apparent upgrade will be reportedly able to play at a 4K resolution, according to the report, and deliver, quote, "a richer gaming environment, including a high-end virtual-reality experience."

The source also states that Sony will continue to manufacture the base model PS4, alongside the PS4.5.

There is no further indication as to a release window. A link to the Wall Street Journal article has been provided below...

http://www.wsj.com/articles/sony-plans-new-playstation-for-graphics-heavy-games-1459152941

More information will be provided within the coming months. Stay tuned to BChaceBlogs for further updates!

And, of course, remember to like my Facebook page for everything gaming related!

As always,

Game on, guys!