LIVE DECEMBER 2021
Go to page 34 for more details on MORBIUS and how you could win some double passes (Australia Only)
From the Editor Hello and welcome to the December edition of Gametraders Live! It’s filled with great reviews from the wonderful people at VGChartz; including a look at Call of Duty: Vanguard, Battlefield 2042, Mario Party Superstars and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond. We also have three amazing giveaways planned as well as some production insights for Ghostbusters Afterlife and Morbius! We hope you enjoy the magazine and as always if you are interested in writing for us please email live@gametraders.com.au
Emily Langford Emily Langford, EDITOR
What’s inside
GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE GIVEAWAY
pg. 24
GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE THE PRODUCTION
pg. 14
THE LIVE TEAM EDITOR & DESIGNER: Emily Langford
WRITERS: Lee Mehr, Thomas Froehlicher, Paul Broussard and Stephen LaGioia, VGChartz
MORBIUS THE PRODUCTION
CALL OF DUTY: VANGAURD
Pg. 28
UNCHARTED MOVIE GIVEAWAY
Pg. 82
Pg. 10
MUST-HAVE
BOARD GAMES! ORDER IN-STORE TODAY!
MOVIES GHOSTBUSTERS AFTER LIFE
UNCHARTED GIVEAWAY
MORBIUS GIVEAWAY
ANIME
,tv&
DOUBLE PASS GIVE AWAY
Uncharted introduces audiences to street-smart Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) and showcases his first treasure-hunting adventure with wisecracking partner Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg). Inspired by the acclaimed video game series, this action-adventure epic spans the globe and follows Nate and Sully as they embark on the dangerous pursuit of “the greatest treasure never found” while also tracking clues that may lead to Nate’s long-lost brother. Starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle and Antonio Banderas.Directed by Ruben Fleischer. #UNCHARTEDMOVIE
ONLY IN CINEMAS, FEBRUARY 17, 2022
WIN A DOUBLE PASS! Thanks to Sony Pictures and Gametraders you could win a double pass to see the new Uncharted All you have to do is go to the Gametraders Facebook page and like the competition post, tag who you’re going to take and comment why you want to see Uncharted!
© 2022 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
SONY PICTURES
THE PRODUCTION OF:
GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE UNFINISHED BUSINESS: CONTINUING THE GHOSTBUSTERS LEGACY Jason Reitman was just six years old
Air. With a sensibility that centered on
when his father, the director Ivan Reitman,
the comedy of intimate relationships,
brought him to the set of Ghostbusters
especially families, Jason Reitman has
in 1984. “I remember being on the top
built a filmography with a very different
of Dana’s apartment building,” he says.
sensibility than the comedies that made
“Before anyone knew what a terror
Ivan Reitman famous. So, over the years,
dog was or what a proton pack was, I
when Jason was asked whether he would
was watching a stunt man get pelted
ever make a Ghostbusters movie, he
with shaving cream as the Stay Puft
would poke at that difference wryly: “I
Marshmallow Man exploded. I went home
think I said, ‘There would be no busting,’”
with a little piece of marshmallow man
he laughs. “I don’t think my father ever
that sat on my shelf all the way through
expected me to come to him with a
high school.”
Ghostbusters story. We had clearly gone on our own storytelling paths – I thought of
That six-year-old boy grew up to go into
myself as an independent filmmaker.”
the family business: he became an
In truth, the Reitman family business wasn’t
acclaimed filmmaker, Oscar®-nominated
just directing films – it was busting ghosts.
for his direction of Juno and Up in the
And the family business wasn’t done
with him. Roughly ten years ago, Jason’s
who finds this proton pack and discovers
experience of being “the world’s first
who she is, what her legacy is, and why
Ghostbusters fan” raised its spectral head,
she’s unique.”
as he was struck with a vision of a very specific character. “It was a 12-year-old
It would be a Jason Reitman Ghostbusters
girl who finds a proton pack in a barn,” he
story – a passing of the torch within
explains. “And like many ideas I’ve had, I
and without. With the younger Reitman
didn’t know why it just showed up.”
directing and his father producing, Jason
Jason says the concept stayed with him,
would make a film that honored the
and like any idea worth exploring, the
franchise that came before as it stood
story eventually demanded to be told.
on its own and pointed toward the future.
“When Harold Ramis passed, I suddenly
Within the film, Jason would bring the story
knew who this girl was… she was Egon
full circle, weaving a family theme into the
Spengler’s granddaughter. That was the
fabric of the franchise. “I wanted to make
story I wanted to tell – the story of a kid
a movie that was as much for my father
as it was for my daughter,” he expresses. “I
sense of where he wanted to go with it – his
wanted to tell a generational story about a
idea to bring his vision to a scale movie
single mom with two kids who don’t know
like Ghostbusters, to funnel a family story
their identity and find out that they are quite
through the large, world-saving concept of
special.”
Ghostbusters, seemed like a good thing.”
When Jason approached his father with
And it’s not so far-fetched that the torch
the idea, the elder Reitman embraced
could be passed in that way, according to
the approach as a perfect hybrid of their
the Reitmans. “Prior to 1984, superheroes
sensibilities. “Jason clearly has a great love
were a stalwart set of all-American heroes
of the film and all of its iconography – that
– serious about what they were doing,”
came through in every word on the page,”
says Ivan. “These guys, the Ghostbusters,
says Ivan. “The script really made me cry the
were a little bit anti-establishment and had
first time I read it. It captured the spirit and
senses of humor. It made them much more
joyfulness of the first movie. He had a real
accessible.”
“I don’t think we all believe we can be
that odd and humorous ghost-speak and
Superman, but I do think we believe that
Lovecraftian dialogue is so true to who he
we can be a ghostbuster,” adds Jason.
is. It’s completely inspiring. You can feel all
“Ghostbusting has always been an
the science fiction and fantasy he grew
opportunity for outsiders to have moments
up reading in everything he says and the
of heroism.”
way that he talks about actual ghosts.”
“It’s Jason’s vision and his father’s before
“Jason is an incredible filmmaker – a
him,” says Jason Blumenfeld, who has
great director. He’s full of heart, and joy,
worked with Jason Reitman as both a
and spirit,” says Aykroyd. And he just came
producer and first assistant director for the
up with this great story – he connects to
past 15 years. “It’s an incredible love letter
the first two movies, then takes us out of it
to his dad, the original Ghostbusters, and
completely and to somewhere new.”
the fans.” When Jason Reitman had completed
What makes Ghostbusters…
the screenplay with Gil Kenan, there was
Ghostbusters? What was the magical
one more intimidating hurdle to clear:
combination of comedy and scares, tone
approaching Dan Aykroyd, who co-wrote
and story, performances and effects, songs
and starred in the original Ghostbusters,
and score, that added up to a film that
for feedback on the story. “There was
was popular in its own time and remained
probably nothing scarier than sending
high in memories?
Dan Aykroyd the script of this film,” he says.
More specifically, for Jason Reitman, the
“I mean, here’s the guy who came up with
question was: what was the best way to
the original idea of ghostbusting. And I
make a Ghostbusters movie – one that
was curious what his notes would be like
felt like a Ghostbusters movie, the next
and whether or not they would feel as
chapter from the two original films? With
though they were in the same voice as
his father Ivan at his side as producer,
the originator. And, boy, were they. It was
Jason knew who he was gonna call. “What
like receiving notes from Ray Stantz – all
we wanted was to make a completely
I AIN’T AFRAID OF NO GHOST (OR MARSHMALLOW MAN, OR TERROR DOG… WELL, MAYBE THE TERROR DOG)
nostalgic experience, something that puts
making it as practical as possible in front
you right back into what it felt like to watch
of the camera,” says Popov.
the original movie in 1984,” he recalls. “So, we’re using all kinds of techniques my
“What’s great about a practical physical
dad and his crew employed back in ‘84.
effect in-camera is that happy accidents
This should feel like an old family recipe,
will happen,” adds Tuiten. “It’s something
because it is.”
for the actors to interact with, and there’s a handcrafted element that it’s hard to
“There is a high level of effects in the
reproduce in the computer.”
movie, and we did as much in camera as
There are also computer-generated
possible,” explains director of photography
visual effects, overseen by visual effects
Eric Steelberg, ASC. “The more you can
supervisors Alessandro Ongaro and
have in front of the camera, the more we
Sheena Duggal and visual effects
as a crew or me as a cinematographer,
producer Kerry Joseph – notably, the
as well as the actors, can react to it. Then
ghosts. “Doing visual effects the 2021 way
we can extend it with visual effects, but
wouldn’t be the correct approach for
having it be real is always really exciting
this movie,” Ongaro notes. “The effects in
for everybody involved.”
1984 were all optical, with hand-drawn animation.” Even as the work was done in
To bring his vision to life, Jason brought on
the computer this time around, Ongaro’s
renowned special effects supervisor Elia
mission was – as with the physical effects
Popov (Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation,
– to match the look and feel of 1984 as
Us) and creature and special effects
closely as possible.
makeup designer Arjen Tuiten. “Jason’s direction from the beginning was to think
One new ghost pops up as Phoebe and
practical, so we went into the mindset of
Podcast investigate the strange goings-on
at the farm and in their town – and they
very key features that make them those
start to wonder if they’ve bitten off more
animals. Our brains are trying to distill the
than they can chew. “He is a free-floating
world into things that are very easy to
vapor with six arms, a pudgy metal eater
read and remember,” explains Metheney.
that has lived inside the foundry since it
“When you’re designing a character, you
closed, grazing on the leftover scrap,” says
want to try to keep it in a place where a
Reitman.
child could draw it. You want it to have something that the audience can latch
Creature designer Brynn Metheney
onto—an iconic feature for them to
ultimately developed and refined Muncher
remember.”
over the better part of a year, with visual effects company DNEG bringing the
That iconic feature turned out to be
character to life on screen. “When I first
Muncher’s face. “Jason wanted Muncher
met with Jason, I remember he asked me,
to feel like a lazy, lethargic, grumpy little
‘What do you think makes a Ghostbusters
gremlin who was really into his metal,”
character a Ghostbusters character?’ I
says Metheney. When she showed him
feel like Ghostbusters characters were
an illustration of a rotund ghost with a
made at a time when design was more
grumpy old face – an “old grandma
limited by technology, so they had to be
vibe,” as Metheney recalls – the character
really economical about what they were
began to take shape. “We always knew
and the way they were put together. It’s all
that he had a big mouth. In the beginning,
about being iconic, keeping it simple, and
he had four limbs, arms and legs. Then
really getting down to the essence of what
his mouth moved to his stomach, and he
the character is.”
suddenly was just a big stomach with
Keeping it simple is more complicated
two arms on top,” she continues. Later,
than it sounds, according to Metheney.
when Sheena Duggal presented Reitman
The trick is to imagine how you’d describe
with reference images of Tardigrades,
an animal you know well. “When you
also known as water bears, Muncher’s
think of a lion or a giraffe, you think about
final form came into focus as the chubby,
microscopic, six-legged creatures gave
indulging his guilty pleasures in a grocery
Muncher his physique and appendages.
store’s snack aisle exposes him to even
Though Muncher himself was animated
more danger than cholesterol. “There is
in the computer, Popov oversaw the real-
something so iconic and strange and
world creation of Muncher’s ectoplasmic
wonderful about the sight of seeing the
residue. “We stuck with the original
Stay Puft Marshmallow Man walk down the
formula,” he says, “a mix of Methocel
street in Manhattan,” says Jason. “When
(a chemical compound derived from
Gil and I were sitting at Ghost Corps,
cellulose) and distilled water.” The
making a list of everything we wanted to
challenge was to match the original color
see in Ghostbusters Afterlife, it suddenly
of slime from the 1984 film, and Popov
struck us how important Stay Puft was to
says that having Ivan Reitman on set to
the mythology and how much we wanted
advise made the producer an invaluable
to see little Mini-Pufts running around and
resource.
destroying things, like a pack of demented toddlers.”
Muncher is just one of the threats faced in Summerville. In this munch-or-be-
Metheney was also charged with
munched world, Mr. Grooberson finds that
transforming the design of Puft Daddy
into Baby Pufts. During the design phase,
look to contrast with the horrible atrocities
the art department assistant purchased
they were committing.”
an assortment of marshmallows and toothpicks for Metheney, who built her
“It’s not that the Mini-Pufts are mean,”
own little men using real marshmallows
says Reitman. “They’re adorable, but some
for a sense of scale and texture. “Think big
marshmallows just want to watch the
body, smaller arms, smaller hands. Just like
world burn. They have nothing but curiosity
three big shapes. It was a really simple,
and bad instincts.” Throughout production,
distilled way of making the character work
several artists rendered a variety of gag
in a small chibi form,” she says. “Chibi is a
concepts for the devious confections.
cute Japanese character look to things,
Reitman continues, “One of them falls
where you distill the character to its cutest
asleep on a graham cracker, and one of
essence, and that’s what I was trying to do
his friends is already coming with a piece
with this. I didn’t want them to be scary in
of chocolate, and the other one’s coming
any sense, at all, because I wanted that
with a blow torch to light him on fire.”
Also returning to the Ghostbusters world
creature that you could stand in front of
are Terror Dogs, the diabolical horned
and lock eyes. He designed all the internal
creatures that guard the kingdom of
puppetry so that it might come to life on
Gozer. “Brynn took a biological look at the
set.”
Terror Dogs,” says Jason. “She broke down its skeleton and reimagined its walk cycle.
Just as the filmmakers did in 1984, the
She figured out the ratio of its bones, so
Ghostbusters: Afterlife team created life-
it might prowl like a lion and lunge like
size mechanical puppets, with Tuiten
a bull. She carefully reconstructed the
taking that concept into the real world.
connectivity of its muscles and figured
“They are fully mechanized, controlled with
out how it might run, and imagined how
servos and cables, and used to interact
its claws might spark the concrete upon
with the actors for closeups and over-the-
contact.”
shoulder shots,” Tuiten explains. “The mouth
Wanting the creatures to be practical,
and eyes glow and everything moves. He’ll
so the actors could react in real time,
also have slime drooling out of his mouth.
creature effects designer Arjen Tuiten
It will scare a lot of people.”
made the Terror Dogs move, their eyes
Tuiten says that when Jason saw the
glow, their mouths drool, and their teeth
600-pound Terror Dog for the first time, the
snarl.
director was overjoyed. “It’s one thing to see pictures of something, but another
“To work on this movie, you had to be
to see it in real life. He got so excited,” he
a Ghostbusters fan and no one loves
says.
Ghostbusters more than Arjen,” says Jason. “ It was part of his whole childhood. He obsessed about it. Our first conversation was really just two people fanboying over the original. He is the guy who brought the Terror Dog back to life. It was in his studio that it became a living breathing beast. A
In Cinemas January 1st 2022.
DOUBLE PASS GIVE AWAY
From director Jason Reitman and producer Ivan Reitman, comes the next chapter in the original Ghostbusters universe. In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, when a single mum and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind. The film is written by Jason Reitman & Gil Kenan, and stars Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace and Paul Rudd. Directed by Jason Reitman and Produced by Ivan Reitman.
#GHOSTBUSTERS
ONLY IN CINEMAS, JANUARY 1, 2022
WIN A DOUBLE PASS! Thanks to Sony Pictures and Gametraders you could win a double pass to see the new Ghostbusters Afterlife! All you have to do is go to the Gametraders Facebook page and like the competition post, tag who you’re going to take and comment why you want to see Ghostbusters Afterlife!
©2021 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.
SONY PICTURES
THE PRODUCTION OF:
MORBIUS ABOUT THE FILM “I’m attracted to roles where there’s
him unimaginable strength and powers,
an opportunity to transform – physical
but at a terrible cost: an uncontrollable
transformation, but also mental, emotional,
thirst for human blood.
any and all,” says Jared Leto, who is indeed renowned for his transformations.
“I played Dr. Michael Morbius from his
From his Academy Award®-winning
most frail, to his most powerful, to his most
performance as Rayon in Dallas Buyers
monstrous,” Leto continues. “There’s a lot
Clubto his portrayal of Paolo Gucci in
of range in there, so that was really fun
House of Gucci, Leto disappears into
to tackle. Not only does the movie have
his roles, bringing characters to life in
action, stunts, and fighting, but the role
ways that can be moving, or terrifying, or
itself was taxing. Whenever he is fighting
enigmatic, but always unforgettable.
the affliction, he is caught in a crossroads
between different parts of the character.
In his new film Morbius, based on the
It’s like a withdrawal process, a full body
Marvel antihero, Leto brings all of these
experience.”
together for his performance as Dr. Michael Morbius, a brilliant doctor with a
“Jared Leto was the only actor that could
rare and fatal blood disease, determined
really play the part of Morbius. That wasn’t
to find the cure. Morbius’s genius finds a
really a choice – it was predestination,”
way not only to cure the illness but to give
says Daniel Espinosa, who directs the film.
“Michael Morbius goes through several
blood – which has evolved to develop
transformations in this movie,” says
anticoagulants… a genetic mutation that
producer Lucas Foster. “He starts off as
Morbius is convinced will cure him and
someone who has little hope of survival.
others with his disease. Not only does
Over the course of his experiments and
the treatment cure him, but gives him
pushing the boundaries, making decisions
superhuman strength, the agility of an
that are on the edge of medical ethics,
Olympic athlete, even the echolocation
he does fix what he set out to fix – in fact,
powers of the bat – to “see” objects in
not only does he cure his disease, the
space by harnessing the sounds around
treatment also brings him to the peak
him. But the cure also transforms Morbius
of physical health. But it also results in a
into a (literally) bloodthirsty monster – a
transformation that he didn’t intend – he
hideous creature with cravings that he is
becomes a monster, having abilities and
only somewhat able to control.
cravings that are impossible to control.” “It’s a fearsome creature,” says Foster. “It “Morbius is searching for goodness – the
has all kinds of urges that are not human
cure for a disease. He’s going to find
urges and Dr. Morbius has to deal with
it, disregarding the cost on himself or
the consequences of the monster coming
on society,” adds Espinosa. “And in his
out.”
search for goodness, he transforms into something he detests. He has to accept
According to Espinosa – who bills himself
the ugliness he has within him, and that
as Sweden’s second-biggest comic book
there’s something beautiful about it. It will
fan – it’s the character’s inner humanity,
be his strength, what makes him unique.”
his duality between virtuous man and brutal creature, that makes him so
Morbius’s increasingly desperate
compelling. “Michael Morbius is one of the
research leads him to combine human
most altruistic characters of the Marvel
DNA with that of the vampire bat – the
Universe,” he says. “He’s one of the few that
only mammal that survives solely on
really believes in good. This good man has
a horrible disease, and in his trials to save
Magneto, Rogue, Wolverine, in his own
himself and the people that he cares for,
way, Venom. All of these characters are
he turns into a monster.”
the ones that are fundamentally the most fascinating for us as moviegoers and
In most superhero movies, there’s a classic
comic book readers.”
sequence as the hero discovers his or her newfound powers. Not so for Michael
Leto says that ultimately, it will be Morbius’s
Morbius. “When Morbius discovers his
true inner self that will determine his fate.
inner beast, he becomes afraid of it – and
“At the end of the day, he’s a very good
because he’s afraid, he’s also afraid of
person,” he says. “He’s using his talent, his
his powers. He’s afraid that they will take
skills, his education, his brains, in search of
over and change him, so he’s constantly
noble pursuits. He’s not without his faults –
resisting them,” says Espinosa. “To become
he’s breaking some rules – but he’s doing
the hero, he has to accept his fate:
it to find the cure and help people like
Morbius’s journey is to accept that he will
himself.”
still remain the person that he is, but he has to harness these powers.”
As a man who has spent countless hours reading and thinking about comic books, Espinosa says that it isn’t so surprising that Morbius’s duality has earned him a following. “Most great heroes are antiheroes,” he says. “Most of us are resistant to accept that we are the chosen one, and Morbius is the same. The most interesting characters in the Marvel universe have always been those that have had one foot on each side:
CREATING THE MONSTER AND VISUALIZING THE POWERS OF THE BAT When Morbius fuses his DNA with that
and I’ve focused on computational fluid
of a vampire bat, he gains superhuman
mixes and visualizing the flow of fluid,
powers – but also transforms into a
that particularly appealed to me. It’s
hideous monster. Not only does he have
something I could see a way to visualize in
increased strength and agility, but also
a cool, non-gratuitous fashion. We found a
the power to use echolocation – bats’
visually exciting way to show his ability, the
ability to “see” in the dark by relying on the
same as his ability to be hypersensitive to
sound waves around them. However, he
wind vectors.”
also develops a bat’s snub nose, sunken cheeks, and a mouth full of razor-sharp
For the character himself, Leto and
fangs.
Espinosa agreed that the look would come from visual effects, rather than
All of these challenges – the look of the
prosthetics and makeup. “When you
creature and the expression of his powers
put a character on the screen for the
– would be in the hands of visual effects
first time, you have a big opportunity to
supervisor Matthew E. Butler. Working with
create something. I was adamant from
Espinosa, Butler would create a cinematic
the beginning that we use technology to
language that would bring the audience
enhance and help with the transformation,
into Morbius’ sensory perceptions. It was
especially of Morbius himself, because I
a challenge that Butler was uniquely
thought that that’s where we would have
suited to meet. “When Daniel first came
fewest limitations,” says Leto. “There’s
over to see us, one of the things he
limitless potential using some of these new
was particularly interested in doing is
technologies, so it’s interesting to be part
visualizing some of Morbius’s unusual
of that and to push the envelope.”
special powers, one of which is his ability to visualize wind vectors to echolocate,
“Visual effects is never a single answer
like a bat would,” says Butler. “Since my
to anything – we try to use the right
previous background was in aerospace
tool for the job, and each job is slightly
different,” says Butler, who, as part of the
Butler explains. “He needed to be able to
team at Digital Domain that created the
morph into different expressions.
visual effects for Avengers: Endgame, is well-versed in bringing digital Marvel
“One solution is to film them as they
characters to full life. “On Morbius, the
are and manipulate the face,” Butler
vampires perform, deliver dialogue and
continues. “That can work, but at times,
expression, and they need to look and feel
we depart quite massively, and we still
and smell like that the actor. Jared Leto
need to capture all the idiosyncrasies,
and Matt Smith need to come through
the subtleties, the familiar telltales of who
in their vampiric forms. We tried to keep
that person is and their characteristics,
as many of his features as we could, so
even though the creature is quite different
you could look at this creature and think,
in geometry. We decided that the actors
yeah, that’s Jared – yet we depart from
would perform on stage and we would
a good-looking man to make this horrific
recapture that performance with a
character.”
marked-up array of dots on their faces and helmet cameras that can capture
The solution would also depend on the
all of those subtleties. The software
needs of the film’s storytelling. “Morbius
can translate that performance into
can ‘bloom’ from his human version into
the performance of a creature that is
the vampiric version and back again, so
completely different. That’s something we
he’s not continually in that phase. He can
achieved quite well with Thanos.”
go in and out – typically through anger,”
DOUBLE PASS GIVE AWAY
One of the most compelling and conflicted characters in Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters comes to the big screen as Oscar winner Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic antihero Michael Morbius. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed. Will good override evil – or will Morbius succumb to his mysterious new urges? Starring Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson. Directed by Daniel Espinosa. Based on the Marvel Comics .
#MORBIUS
ONLY IN CINEMAS, JANUARY 27, 2022.
WIN A DOUBLE PASS! Thanks to Sony Pictures and Gametraders you could win a double pass to see the new Morbius! All you have to do is go to the Gametraders Facebook page and like the competition post, tag who you’re going to take and comment why you want to see Morbius!
MARVEL and all related character names: © & ™ 2022 MARVEL. Morbius, the Movie ©2022 CPII. All Rights Reserved.
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CALL OF DUTY: VANGUARD
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LEE MEHR
REVIEW XS:
CALL OF DUTY: VANGUARD Reviewer’s Note: Since I have some heavy
supporting teams in tow) is familiar
avoid mentioning SPOILERS altogether.
greater innovations. For the 18th mainline
storytelling criticisms for Vanguard, I can’t Read on at your own risk.
Another year, another Call of Duty
(CoD) washes ashore. Even though
the epoch depicted by lead developer Sledgehammer Games (& a gumbo of
territory, perhaps newer tech can bestow entry in this series, that’s a tremendous
gamble to take with fans’ patience. And
given a title like Call of Duty: Vanguard, it’s all the more ironic that this is one of the series’ most obsequious foot-soldiers to date.
April 1945. The first-ever special
operations task force, call sign “Vanguard,” is onboard a train to Hamburg, Germany. This elite team comprised of several
nationalities – British, Russian, American,
for questioning. Their subsequent
interrogation sets off a series of flashbacks depicting each member’s previous war
stories, spanning the European, Russian, North African, and Pacific theaters.
Australian, and Czech – goes behind
Even among recent entries, this ranks
about Project Phoenix. After their
narratives. Flashback-heavy stories tend
enemy lines to gather more information plans go to hell, they’re captured by
the Nazis and brought back to Berlin
as one of the series’ most uninspired
to be a personal bugbear of mine due to
their frequency in hitting the worst pitfalls.
But even the most elementary of them
betrayals are just an obvious façade.
Gruppenführer Freisinger – the head of
genuine tension of Arthur’s leadership
implicitly justify that structure. Oberstthe Gestapo – has his most dangerous enemies by the neck and carts them further into the lion’s den (Berlin)
because he... wants to know what they know about his secret project? How’s
that worth the risk while The Allies are
on the verge of taking Berlin anyways?
Considering how disposable he and desk lackey/chief interrogator Jannick Richter
(played by Dominic Monaghan) consider
Imagine if we weren’t told this and
came into question with his newlyformed squad; instead, this story’s
stripped of such interesting dynamics because of course the Allies have to remain resolute all the time. Those
examples of poor management lead
to a perpetual mismatch of what the
audience already intuits and what the writers think is a big revelation.
them anyway, this haziness around
Stepping beyond the tawdry plotting,
properly clarified.
outside of the haughty Russian sniper,
the antagonists’ motivations is never
It’s also hilarious how abruptly some of the flashbacks arrive too. When some
of the squad act embittered towards the American pilot for supposedly ditching
them, the team leader (Arthur Kingsley) breaks it up by essentially saying “let me regale you with a tale about why
he’s actually a good chap.” And since
Arthur’s a reliable narrator, we already know he’s mapped out a plan and his team is immediately onboard. Any
virtually all characters are banal inserts also known as “Lady Nightingale.” She’s the only one given succinct
characterization; she’s seen the Nazi’s
despotic bloodlust against civilians first-
hand and players experience a little slice of her pre-combat life too. Outside of that scintilla of credit, the rest of the
main ensemble struggle to appear more authentic than certain NPC teammates.
It’s just that dire. Mix in cringe-inducing dialogue and you have Vanguard’s characters in a nutshell.
When taking a wide-scale view, it’s
disconcerting how tonally vapid World
War II feels as a setting here. “Histrionic
Nazis of recent memory and it sequelbaits its best potential.
history” is how I’d put it. On its own,
This facsimile of a united team is also
pulpy sensibilities written into this subject
does it say about your game when the
there’s nothing inherently wrong with matter (see also: modern Wolfenstein titles); further, this series has happily
indulged in that numerous times. The
issue becomes stranger when lip service is paid to real-world people whom inspired your characters, but the framing relies
on the safest context imaginable. Just
imagine if Chloe Price (Life is Strange) was a creative executive pitching Vanguard: “war is hell... but it could be hella fun.” To the surprise of no one, CoD has
revealed through its gameplay. What
most notable moments of cooperation are depicted during scripted events that can
be triggered without your input or overlyproduced cut scenes? Going back to a
similar talking point, the over-emphasized flashback structure also reveals how dry
and unearned the team’s comradery feels
in the present. You do more lobotomized Brothers in Arms’ command inputs with random soldiers in the past than your ragtag squad in the present.
another dud of a story. The shock here
When looking at it on a purely mechanical
a blockbuster, the nonsensical structure
same script as its progenitors – for better
is that, even by lowered expectations of and uncreative scenarios result in one
of the series’ most irrelevant campaigns. Sledgehammer (& co.) hire a surfeit
of quality actors/voice actors, utilize
excellent mo-cap technology, and then do nothing interesting with either. It’s one of the dullest diverse team-ups against the
level, Vanguard mostly keeps to the
or worse. The shooting template and
production values have been transplanted, and subtly updated, from Modern
Warfare’s new engine. The cacophonous rattle of gunfire and combined visual
feedback still successfully taps into those
lizard-brain dopamine rushes. Adding to
said template are modest-yet-functionally-
octane moments with better polish than
cover and destructible walls that can be
aspects like a consistent 60fps & general
useless tweaks like blindfiring behind
busted through with tactical sprint or explosives.
Familiar bugbears of Call of Duty’s gameplay structure can’t help but
wrestle away most player expression
too. Obnoxious “leaving mission” popups emblazon the screen should you
move a mere angstrom off the prescribed path, which isn’t always clearly sign-
any FPS competitor. I always thought
polish greatly contributed to its 7th-gen
success. Here? Floating objects, enemies I’d killed flying through the air, frequent texture pop-in, annoying framerate
hiccups after loading in a level, and more point to this being a rushed release. Of all the criticisms I have to level against Vanguard, these are among the most surprising.
posted already; occasionally, nettlesome
Coming up for fresh air, at least some
instead. This goes beyond level design
Its boss & mini-boss bouts are rather
invisible walls will keep you corralled
too. Unconvinced players have any gray matter, The American’s unique ability is
magically highlighting every enemy within a 12-block radius and auto-aiming at as
many as possible (before the meter runs out).
Although a few of Vanguard’s issues
are uniquely annoying among mainline entries, I still went in anticipating some
dissatisfaction by default. But that came with a trade-off: a predictable set of
systems to play with in exchange for high-
credit is due to the Russian missions.
predictable, but there’s something to
actually dig into. Polina’s best combative arenas capture a stealth-action flow that
pays off. You’re either fluidly maneuvering under tables or platforming to higher
ground for an advantage. Think modern Wolfenstein titles, but not quite as
intricately paced. The stealth mechanics are incredibly basic, but it’s nice to let
a level breathe for once. It’s also good
because it captures the vicious reputation of Lady Nightingale through gameplay.
Overall, Vanguard’s campaign is a decisive
from those corpses). There is a story
but tech. The story feels aimless to the
Allies and helpful demons trying to defeat
step backwards in virtually everything
point of straining mental faculties to make sense of it, gameplay relies on character
abilities that vary from laughably bland to insanely unbalanced, and its unpolished
launch state leaves a black eye on one of CoD’s most consistent promises. Leave
it to a concept focusing on the very first spec ops team to feel so disjointed and
occurring in the background, one of the Kortifex the Deathless and Oberführer
Wolfram Von List, but the context isn’t
interesting. Its current “story” structure
is like a worse version of Titanfall: various characters temporarily Facetiming you
dialogue lines while the growling zombie horde is on your tail.
capricious in terms of execution.
Given that my last Zombies experience
Up next on the chopping block is the Nazi
how insipid and bare-bones this feels at
Zombies mode. Coming off of Black Ops
Cold War and its subsequent DLC, Treyarch co-developed Vanguard’s Der Anfang (currently its only map). The realities
of game development are most readily
apparent here, which will disappoint any hardcore fan.
The script is similar to any previous
Zombies mode: survive waves of tougher and tougher enemies whilst traveling to portals scattered across the map
that’ll have a specific objective (protect
a floating skull, survive an onslaught, or survive an onslaught and collect runes
was Infinite Warfare, I’m perplexed at
launch. Instead of purchasing guns off
various walls, you select a custom class
with a different weapon and special power (such as a short personal ice barrier) at
the start then roll the dice on RNG drops or the Mystery Box later. There are –
currently – no mythical weapons, nor did I see any neat traps like in past offerings.
It’s the little details like zombies randomly spawning on the map or passing through a magical veil instead of ripping down a barricade that make engagements feel
more bland. I like how threatening they seem when a cluster is viciously ripping
off planks. By this point, I was surprised
they remembered to include Pack-a-Punch
mode and how stale it tastes. In its current
in the form of elixirs or Covenants).
DLC maps with friends.
weapon upgrading and passive buffs (either
form, I’d rather go back to World at War’s
There’s a distinct sense of patchwork game
The only aspect that comes away less-
portals just transports you to a sliver of a
multiplayer. As easy as it is to go after the
design anywhere you look. Each of the
multiplayer arena, an old Zombies map, or
even a section of the Stalingrad hub world. You could literally take a short portal ride
back to the starting area! You can’t make this stuff up. All they did was drape a
different visual filter over these spots, erect some artificial barriers, and call it a day.
Even useless alterations like the Borderlandsesque number-vomit indicators feel so lifeless here. The only hint of dynamic
tactics comes from machinegun-toting
Sturmkriegers mixed with melee variants, but it’s nothing to oversell either.
I was losing interest in this mode a half-hour in. Hell, I barely squeezed an hour out until dismissing it altogether. That admission
could draw some ire; some may say I ought
to further investigate the ins-and-outs of its
design. You can take me at my word for this: my lack of play time emphasizes how quickly you burn through the meat of this particular
bruised by comparison is the competitive
social Darwinism baked into its DNA, CoD
has weathered an incredible number of metoo shooters over the years. From the fun personality of your nametag and emblem
to tactical customization of your preferred
materiel for combat, the panoply of options
can feel overwhelming. There’s a subtle level of fun in seeing standard-issue WWII classics being dressed to the nines with unexpected
grips, sights, and colors. Even after so many tries, it’s tough to find a direct competitor that matches it.
Complimenting that customization is
a surfeit of maps and modes. The vast
majority of Deathmatch and Objective-
based variants remain stalwart, but all are influenced by a new all-encompassing
matchmaking feature: Combat Pacing. Each
standard map can have a designated pacing of Tactical (6v6), Assault (10v10/12v12), or Blitz (24v24). I think Blitz is an absolute
nightmare, but I can get the appeal of
scoring insane streaks in a fragfest like
that. Tweaking Modern Warfare’s Gunfight
makes fun contingent on the dice roll from the automated map selector.
mode is the new “Champions Hill”, which is
If you’d already made up your mind about
against multiple teams at once. Whether
series popularized then there’s little done
structured like a round-robin tournament
playing Solos, Duos, or Trios, each team has a set pool of lives and the last team/person standing wins the tournament.
As nice as it is to enjoy a panoply of options across looks, modes, and pacing options, the needle doesn’t move far without
solid maps and gameplay systems to
compliment them. In this regard, there’s
work to be done. One of the easiest ways to emphasize this is the quality disparity between new and refurbished maps (16 regular, 4 for Champions Hill). An old
the hyper-active spawn/kill/die template this here to convince you otherwise. If you still
get your dopamine fix from this set-up, know that it’s also seen better days. Not least of which is thanks to previously mentioned issues, inconsistent weapon balancing
(akimbo sawed-off shotguns say hello), and rare audio queue issues. Considering how often Call of Duty: Warzone (a separate
free-to-play game) and its Pacific map are
intertwined with Vanguard’s advertising, and how progression is linked with it, it’s hard to
say how quickly the necessary TLC will arrive.
World at War map like Dome, which was
Leave it for a subtitle like “Vanguard” to be
transplanted here with the new killstreak
of Duty’s own standards. Aside from select
already a clusterfuck to begin with, being options is borderline insane to me. Contrast that with Hotel Royal, a lavish area that
utilizes destructible objects in smart ways, and you can immediately tell Vanguard’s
gameplay systems were wholly considered
while crafting it. The quality inconsistency, especially with regards to spawn points,
attached to such a safe title – even by Call
tweaks to competitive multiplayer, you see
this play out across all fronts; there are brief intimations of an interesting idea before
the game retreats to a comfy routine. What
sours this even further is the clear decline of polish alongside these expectations. WWII has seen better days.
THOMAS FROEHLICHER
REVIEW PS5:
Battlefield 2042
While I thought it was extremely
overwhelming the main menu with them.
of Duty in terms of popularity three years
selling points of the series and here it’s
compelling, Battlefield V lost out to Call
ago. Fully aware that it had failed to repeat the success of Battlefield 1, DICE decided a major overhaul of the series formula was in order, much to some players’ disappointment.
With Battlefield 2042, it’s very clear
the team at DICE wanted to push and polish what makes its shooter series
unique. Nearly all their effort has been
put into the Conquest and Breakthrough
multiplayer modes, literally to the point of
Conquest is undoubtedly one of the major better than ever. For the very first time up to 128 players can engage in battle
at the same time, vastly transforming the experience. In Conquest two opposing
forces (only the US and Russia so far) fight for control of several checkpoints across
an extremely large map, and the increased
player count greatly intensifies the struggle for each checkpoint, results in more
engagement, and gives battles a greater sense of scale.
A lot of emphasis has been placed on
Long-range gameplay (my speciality)
air vehicles being available both at the
satisfies. I was worried during the beta
vehicular warfare, with more ground and start of rounds and during them. This
changes the geometry of the skirmishes quite a lot because there’s now more
vehicle vs vehicle engagement and vehicle vs troop engagement. I’ve found that air units are much more active in Battlefield
2042 than in any previous entry. If you’re
in a tank or not in cover then you’re much more likely to be harassed by helicopters
and planes - they’re far more efficient and better integrated in the game than ever before.
is another area where Battlefield 2042
because the level of precision there was
terrible, but these issues were mostly fixed
by the time the game launched. Bullet drop is now more in line with recent installments (and maybe even a bit softened), so
sniping remains efficient even at a range
of 300-400m, which allows for attacks from one checkpoint to another. All the more
important, then, that the quality of level design remains top notch. Once again
the maps are a masterwork of verticality - there are cranes, pillars, watchtowers,
mountains, a multitude of buildings, and so
gameplay at will. This allows you adapt
for snipers to take in the surroundings
engagement (and vice versa), changing
on, which means there are plenty of places and find target opportunities. The scale of the architecture has also been increased compared to Battlefield V; structures are bigger and more complex, from
the stranded tanker in Discarded to the rocket launch pad in Orbital. Knowing
that climbing all the way up would be a
waste of the player’s time, DICE decided to place ropes here and there so that you can quickly traverse them.
As always, Battlefield 2042 boasts a real wealth of gameplay options. There are
plenty of different vehicle types (anti-air,
anti-amor, anti-infantry, amphibious), and even the player characters are varied. The
specialists, as they’re called, possess certain unique skills and pieces of equipment,
like a recon drone, healing pistol, or larger ammo create. This encourages teamplay, which itself is rewarded in terms of
experience. Battlefield 2042 also comes
with a new system for customizing your gun: you can take a dozen attachments
with you and swap between them during
your weapon for long or close range
the scope or the grip any time. However,
attachments take a tediously long amount
of time to unlock - some key items, like the long range scopes for the SVK marksman rifle, require hundreds of kills before
they’re unlocked, and that could quite easily take players months to achieve.
Conquest is extremely compelling, but
my chief disappointment with Battlefield
2042 is that there’s not much to experience beyond that. Breakthrough is the only
other available game mode, but it’s de
facto a Conquest mode in which you have to capture two checkpoints instead of five or six. And I am absolutely staggered by
the complete removal of team deathmatch mode. That’s always been a personal
favorite of mine in military shooters, not
to mention the default multiplayer mode
in the genre for several decades now. You can’t just make as if it doesn’t exist.
True, Battlefield 2042 does bring extra
content in the shape of Battlefield Portal,
which grants players access to remade
deathmatch mode, or single player for
Company 2, and Battlefield 3. And it’s great
V was excellent, and yet the campaign in
maps from Battlefield 1942, Battlefield: Bad to replay these classic maps (which come
with the original weapons and characters), but Battlefield Portal is also where EA’s
latest shooter begins to shines less and less.
Firstly, Battlefield Portal doesn’t have much
that matter. The campaign in Battlefield
Battlefield 2042 is simply non-existent. At
least it’s been amusing to watch Activision bin Call of Duty’s campaign in 2018, then EA to follow suit and discard Battlefield’s
campaign for 2042... only for Activision to revive Call of Duty’s.
content at this time. We’re talking one
There are a few other things that are
those aren’t always completely updated or
the traditional scoreboard and distance
or two maps from each game, and even
balanced. Take El Alamein, for instance -
it’s a pain to play because the checkpoints are too far away from one another and vehicles scarce. Another issue with the
Portal is that the playlists come and go at the will of the developer. I was thrilled to
see a team deathmatch playlist when I first played the game, but a few days later it
was gone! Players can at least create their own playlists, setting various parameters, but they often include quirky conditions, like extra strong bots or gun limitations. As things stand, Battlefield Portal feels somewhat cool but it’s far from being enough to replace a permanent team
unaccounted for in this release too, like bonus points for snipers. I’m also not a
fan of the Fortnite-ish tone adopted by
Battlefield 2042, especially the characters
talking big and joking on the result screen.
Battlefield should be about visceral combat and war-like skirmishes, not joking around.
Since launch, I haven’t witnessed too many serious bugs or glitches, but there is one
particularly annoying bug that still hasn’t been fixed: sometimes you can’t choose
your loadout and have to exit the current game to be able to do so.
One last positive before we conclude:
the game is absolutely gorgeous, just as you’d expect from a modern Battlefield
title. Skirmishes are beautiful and lovely.
The extreme weather effects - a major
for shooter fans who are looking for more
gameplay as much as I expected them to
than Call of Duty’s multiplayer manages
novelty of this release - don’t impact
(tornadoes and sandstorms merely disturb a few players for a couple of minutes), but they’re visually stunning.
Battlefield 2042 is a great and unique
shooter. Conquest mode, which remains
unrivalled in terms of gameplay balance,
teamplay, and its war-like atmosphere, has been elevated to stellar new heights. It is, at the very least, dozens of hours of fun
complexity and a greater sense of scale
(although it too is great in its own way).
While the overall quality is outstanding on both a gameplay and graphical level, DICE has unfortunately drastically cut back the amount of content on offer in this latest
release, and the loss of both a single player campaign and additional multiplayer game modes is certainly felt.
PAUL BROUSSARD
REVIEW NS:
Pokemon: Brilliant Diamond Nintendo is a company of ups and downs.
might be starting to build up a dangerous
Freeze, there must be a Paper Mario: Color
Fortunately, Pokemon was happy to
For every Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Splash to balance things out. For every
Pikmin 3, a Star Fox Zero. Yin and yang,
maintaining some bizarro world sense of
balance. And after the release of October’s excellent Metroid Dread, I was worried I
amount of goodwill towards Nintendo.
oblige and take the blow to ensure we all
remember that Nintendo-published games can be disappointing just as often as they are exceptional.
Perhaps that sounds overly harsh. Still, I
Pokemon has long been a series that’s done
that Pokemon Brilliant Diamond is one
between titles, so putting out a low effort
don’t think it’s an unfair assessment to say of the worst remakes, or remasterings, or
whatever you want to call it, that I’ve ever played. Nearly everything that a revised version of a game should do, Brilliant
Diamond does not. Does that mean that
there is still a halfway decent game at the core of Brilliant Diamond? Sure; if you
enjoyed the original Diamond and/or Pearl on DS, then you’ll probably still enjoy
this. But as far as what a remake/remaster
should accomplish, it’s hard to view Brilliant Diamond as anything short of an absolute failure.
the absolute bare minimum to innovate
remake of a past game feels like standard operating procedure in a way. I’d spend
this time summarizing the story, but these
things basically come pre-installed with the Pokemon sourcemaker at this point. Some
child with far too little parental supervision (that’s you), gets recruited by a professor who very obviously isn’t answering to
any IRB. Said professor tasks you with wandering around and researching a
variety of wild animals by making them
beat each other into unconsciousness. Your player character proceeds to traverse the island of Sinnoh, exploring the different
environments and engaging in some…
against most of the major Pokemon types
in bushes or the occasional domesticated
20 or so hours of disinterestedly shuffling
“research”, either with wild Pokemon hiding Pokemon hiding in someone’s undoubtedly massive pokeball.
Nothing much has changed with respect
and you’ve pretty much won the game, bar around Sinnoh and having old men
demand you stop every few feet so they can fight you.
to the story from the original title (or
But let’s focus on the differences that do
the series), so let’s talk about the gameplay
this version, small though they may be.
indeed much from the very beginning of instead. Unless you’ve spent the last 25
years living at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, you almost certainly know what
a Pokemon game entails. Travel between towns, occasionally foil the plans of
whatever group of local idiots is attempting to use a legendary Pokemon to create a perfect world (in this case named Team
Galactic), fight some gym leaders for their badges, and then once you’ve beaten
everyone else’s domesticated attack dogs up you can challenge the most powerful attack dog owners in all the land for the
right to become champion of turn-based
dog fighting. The strategy remains exactly what it was back on the DS and indeed in every mainline Pokemon release: form a
team of Pokemon who have type advantage
exist between the original DS title and
Organizing your Pokemon is easier than it has been in many past installments,
carrying over Sword and Shield’s fast swap mechanic. Exp share is also a welcome boon from Sword and Shield, at least
for people like me who don’t quite find any psychotic joy in slowly grinding up 50 different Pokemon on the same file,
although it does mean the difficulty curve
breaks in half around the second town and
never recovers. The stupid context sensitive blocks from the original game that would
just randomly wall off certain pathways in the overworld and could only be broken
with specific attack types that were almost never useful in battle are back, but at
least you can now basically automatically use them as long you’ve learned the
prerequisite move, rather than having to
But, hey, it’s a nice thing to have to cut
number of slots.
game, and it is optional, so you can ignore
carry a Bidoof around as one of a limited
The biggest change in terms of content
down on the grinding required to beat the it if it makes things too easy for you.
is the Grand Underground, an expanded
And that’s about it. While all of these are
original titles. The Grand Underground
of an entirely new title needs to put in a
version of the Underground from the
basically serves as a big area for finding and grinding certain Pokemon types, although the practical upshot of this
meant that I was able to absolutely shatter whatever semblance of balance still
remained by going underground, capturing some higher level Pokemon, and then just
running roughshod over the ensuing gyms.
fine additions, a game with the price point lot more effort to justify its price point.
Nintendo has consistently made a habit
of putting out low effort remasterings for
full price for a while now, and quite frankly it’s getting old. It’s not like there wasn’t additional room to improve; there are
plenty of QoL features that Pokemon could really stand to benefit from like harder
difficulties, cutting down on tutorializing,
raise the question of how Brilliant Diamond
a remastering like this is probably the
graphical changes, and the few gameplay
and greater accessibility options, and
easiest place those features could’ve been implemented, given much of the game’s
design is already laid out. Alas, these are nowhere to be found.
I suppose the devil’s advocate position
would be that Brilliant Diamond justifies its
price point with the graphical overhaul, but that definitely doesn’t cut it here, because Brilliant Diamond somehow manages to
look worse than the original DS title. The player characters have this weird chibi
design which makes Sinnoh’s residents look like characters from Jetpack Joyride that
got turned into 3D models. The DS version’s sprite-based style has aged wonderfully
since the mid 2000s, while this change to
3D models is far less enjoyable to look at. It also robs the game of any tension or
realistic chance of being taken seriously
at all when the main antagonists look like
justifies its price tag. It certainly isn’t for the alterations that make exploring more
convenient, while nice, certainly aren’t worth $60.
The final nail in the coffin of what is
unfortunately a waste of time is that
Brilliant Diamond is missing most of the extra content that came with the initial
“definitive edition” of Diamond and Pearl, namely the new features in Platinum. So
if you were hoping to play around in the
Distortion World, or hang out with Looker
again, then you’re just as well off spending
your money on a giant tub of peanut butter to bury your sorrows in. Brilliant Diamond doesn’t even measure up to the better
version of these games that came out a decade and a half ago now, and if that
doesn’t guarantee that it isn’t worth your cash, I’m not sure what does.
bobbleheads that have come to life.
What I’m trying to get at is that Brilliant
Granted, games don’t need to look great
improvement over the previous versions,
to be good, and questionable visuals don’t usually break a game. It does however
Diamond isn’t just not a significant
it’s a downgrade from the actual definitive version. Paying full price for a worse
version of a title isn’t just questionable,
have been easy to come in and put in
games should have more content than the
dev team certainly wasn’t.
it’s flat out loony. Remastered versions of previous versions, not less. Remastered
actual work every day when the rest of the
versions of games should look better than
In short, Brilliant Diamond is frankly
this title is paying $60 for less content
is an entity with resources beyond most
the previous versions, not worse. Buying
and worse graphics, in exchange for a few
quality of life improvements. There are very
few worse value propositions on the market today.
The lone bright spot in the midst of this
sea of disappointment is the soundtrack,
which is quite good. There are some very audibly-pleasing remixes of the original
Diamond/Pearl tracks, and I’d be remiss in not acknowledging the work done by the composers here. I can’t imagine it must
exasperating. The Pokemon Company
developers’ wildest dreams, and yet it consistently creates some of the least
inspired and unadventurous titles in the
industry. Brilliant Diamond is no exception. Even with the leeway for not changing things up that being a remake carries
with it, this is just a rip-off. Please, don’t
financially support this; hopefully someone at Pokemon eventually takes notice and
realizes that they need to start putting in a smidge of effort to warrant continuing to get people’s money.
Stephen LaGioia
Mario
REVIEW NS:
o Party Superstars
The Mario Party series has been a roller
MP’s debut on Switch left some old-
seen a downturn in recent years. Its few
form, however. And while Mario Party
coaster ride, though one that’s largely
showings on the Wii and its overlooked successor were viewed as tepid at best,
and additions like Mini Stars and board game vehicles were net-negatives for
most. Switch’s Super Mario Party brought a welcome breath of fresh air with more streamlined gameplay, refined motion
controls, and other reworked elements.
school fans yearning for a true return to Superstars doesn’t exactly break new
ground, it succeeds as a celebration of classic MP and, in rare form, offers a
great way to play the series online. While thin on the board game front — and
lacking motion controls — Mario Party
Superstars still stands as the best entry since the N64 days.
Right from the get-go, ND Cube offers a
really hits it out of the park on this front.
in. 100 (mostly) memorable minigames
recognizable Mario characters and clash
plethora of fun, colorful content to bask are available out of the gate, along with a refined board game mode, and some of the best online gameplay the series
has ever seen. While there’s unfortunately no solo-focused campaign or adventure mode this time around, players can get lost in a slew of fun content and face
some more-than-capable bots, via board games or the minigame hub known as “Mt. Minigame.”
Of course, multiplayer is where the
series has always thrived, and Superstars
Up to four players can pick from ten
in some of the most enjoyable minigames the franchise has to offer. Those seeking
longer, deeper sessions will want to dive into the “Mario Party” pipe in the main
hub, where they can pick between five of the best board games from past entries, prettied up and reworked a tad. The
selection here is oddly limited, as only a handful of boards from the N64 Mario
Party games are available. This was likely meant to set the stage for a trickling of new boards that could be available via DLC packs in the future.
The current line-up includes the simple-
board game at any time, and pick from
spooktacular Horror Land, and the sci-fi-
increments of five. There’s also a subtle,
yet-charming Yoshi’s Tropical Island, the tinged Space Land. While the reworked Peach’s Birthday Cake is a feast for the eyes, the weird arrangement leaves
something to be desired, as does the
more tepid Woody Woods. Thankfully, though, most of the boards that are
available are winners. Board games are streamlined and as fun as ever to play, thanks to a few quality-of-life tweaks
a wide range of turns spanning 10-30 in but appreciated inclusion that allows you to dial up the turn count while already playing (in the likely chance you’re
having more fun than anticipated). Stage selection aside, the board game portion is well-crafted and serves as a nice
blend of nostalgic callbacks and modern sensibilities.
and additions. Included this time is the
Of course, the essence of Mario Party’s
more kid-friendly, action-packed, or N64/
entry is just brimming with great ones
neat feature to filter minigames that are GameCube specific.
Board game features are somewhat
stripped down to resemble that classic style, while remaining balanced, deep,
and enjoyable. Gone are gimmicks like
item capsules, Mini Stars, and characterspecific dice blocks. Instead, staples like Toad, Bowser, and Event Spaces, duel
Minigames, and the intense Chance Time return to the fold.
Players can save and come back to a
enjoyment is in its minigames, and this to get lost in. Fans of a Millennial and
Gen X persuasion are likely to be biased
here, as most come from the GameCube and (especially) the N64 renditions. As
someone who didn’t favor the Wii and Wii U entries, it’s still a head-scratcher that
just a handful of minigames from those
titles grace Superstars’ line-up. But in the
humble opinion of this writer, the first four Mario Party titles had the best minigames anyway, generally speaking.
Included are hits such as Crazy Cutters,
Pushy Penguins, Booksquirm, and the
those who like to gang up on opponents
also my two all-time favorites: the heart-
Run, anyone? Revisiting some old classics
hunger-inducing Eatsa Pizza. There are
pounding Mushroom Mix-Up and Bumper Balls. Perhaps it’s nostalgia speaking,
but I could have done with a few more classics from the original Mario Party, like Hot Bob-omb and Platform Peril.
And of course, though this is a reprisal of various classics, a handful of brand new
minigames would have gone a long way
or stand proud as a lone wolf. Bobsled with this sleek new coat of paint and
refined mechanics was truly a joy. It was also fun digging up a few new hidden
gems I had missed (or at least forgotten) from the Wii and later GameCube era, such as Monty’s Revenge and X-Ray Payday.
as well.
Superstars allows you to filter your game
Still, for the most part, this is an enjoyable,
specific traits like coin-collecting games,
robust, and well-rounded line-up of
minigames. The list largely comprises the usually-chaotic free-for-all games, which are typically the most fun, but there are
plenty of great 2-v-2 and 1-v-3 romps for
selection by these types, along with more sports/puzzles, and the intense 1-v-1
showdowns. One small but helpful feature allows you to “bookmark” minigames
as favorites for easier access. A quick,
streamlined “Practice Mode” also gives
players a chance to find their footing
both charming and pretty. It was a delight
mitigates the need to desperately ask me
minigames take on a crisp, sleek, and
following a minigame selection. This
how to play a minigame (every friggin time).
There are a few minor (mostly positive) tweaks to some of the minigames
themselves too, which adds a bit of color, depth, and polish. Examples include the
addition of design patterns in Mushroom Mix-Up, an “endless mode” option for
Hot-Rope Jump, and a warning to avoid
“rotating the joystick” in Tug o’ War, which
gave competitive players palm blisters. But generally, these games play just how you
seeing the once-blocky, crude-looking
smooth quality that borders on Pixar level. Gone are more experimental minigame concepts, strange gimmicks, and
unique control inputs this time around.
Methodical meat cube flips are replaced with button mashing, thumbstick
rotations, and fast reaction times. While some might miss the lack of motion
controls a la Super Mario Party, series
vets should appreciate the return-to-form simplicity and solid, reliable mechanics.
remember them, and in better form than
At the same time, this more
up, while the sleek, cartoon visuals are
feel watered down, especially with the
ever. The mechanics are mostly tightened
straightforward input and design doesn’t
nice use of HD rumble, which adds some
Speaking of online content - Superstars’
that snowball roll in Snowball Sumit or
crafted, and fairly deep compared to past
immersion to most minigames. Feeling
Crazy Cutter’s drill can make a difference,
however subtle. Strengthening the controls even more is the versatility when it comes to supported devices. Yes, unlike the
specific input options of Super Mario Party, a variety of control methods are enabled. This includes one or two Joy-Cons, a Pro
Controller, and even a GameCube controller. Basically, the game goes out of its way to
ensure your experience is a smooth, joyous one.
While most of the minigames don’t need it, ND Cube incentivizes several playthroughs by showering players with Stars and coins,
whether playing locally or online. These can be spent in the Data House to pick from an impressively long list of unlockables. While there’s almost nothing to unlock in the
online mode really does prove fun, well-
MP renditions. Players are able to seamlessly connect to random players online, or
with friends, while accessing most of the
features offered in local co-op or solo play. Impressively, Superstars allows for entire
board game matches with up to three other people online, and even lets players drop
and rejoin while replacing them with bots. Mt. Minigame also offers pretty robust
online support, as players can delve right into several options tailored to different
game types. These include coin-collecting romps, puzzle games, and 2-v-2 face-offs
(which allows for guests to play on the same console). A fun - but frustrating - option is a “Survival” game, which forces you to keep a win streak going to continue.
way of real content, the game provides a
Perhaps the neatest feature in the online
Encyclopedic pages that allow you to bask
Challenges, which provide a few trios of
number of fun cosmetic goodies, music, and in the MP past. These items include trivial
yet amusing emote stickers that can be used to express displeasure, gloat, or annoyingly spam when playing board games online.
realm is the constantly-changing Daily
minigames revolving around similar themes.
Examples include games that stress jumping and sporting activities. These online options add loads of fun and replayability to the
experience, even during the lag hiccups
of ups and downs. A slew of fun content,
Matchmaking was sometimes a bit lengthy
and solid online play make this a definitive
or freezes (which were thankfully rare). for my tastes, though ND Cube wisely
tosses in a practice game to occupy you while waiting.
Aside from the lack of board games,
solo-focused content, and new material in general, Mario Party Superstars very much excels. It’s emphatically become
one of the most appealing multiplayer games on Switch, and proves a high
watermark in a franchise that’s been full
sleek presentation, QoL improvements, Mario Party game. Being a sort of
antithesis of the more unique, motion-
heavy Super Mario Party, diehard fans of that game may be somewhat turned off
by this reprisal, with its far safer approach.
But if you can appreciate this one for what it is - a polished, fleshed-out homage to Golden Era-Mario Party - then this gem really shines.
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