Free book for boys and reluctant readers

Minecraft Adventures - Books for boys

Flynn’s Log is free on the following devices

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US$8.99 Paperback

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Reading is important

Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.
–Maya Angelou

Most adults would agree that reading is important, but many kids detest reading. Video games, devices, and TV are preferred entertainment and escape. They provide instant gratification. Reading takes time. For some kids, reading isn’t engaging.

had this same problem with my son, so I solved the problem.

The classic stories I remember enjoying as a kid don’t interest my son and his immediate attention span. If he doesn’t enjoy the story from page one, he will not read further.

Minecraft Adventures - Books for boys

So how did I get my son to read?

I showed him how much fun it is to get sucked into a story.

Your book is amazing I can’t stop reading it
– Joseph Young via twitter

Contemporary and Classic titles alike don’t interest many kids. Don’t worry, the love of reading is learned. We need a starting point. We need that one book that is just as engaging on the first read as the fifth, just like a really great movie that kids want to see again and again. A positive association with reading will make kids want to read more.

A love of reading is cited as the number one indicator of future success. My son didn’t have the desire to read. He didn’t care about the books I chose to read to him, and was overwhelmed with the selection at the library. I want my son to succeed, so I had to do something. Since we struggled to find books he cared to read, I wrote one. An epic saga about the things he loves. I put it in a world he loves and addressed the issues he faces in his life.

I just love your books I’ve been reading them over and over again.
-Carson via twitter 

But it’s a video game book

Don’t worry; it’s not a book about video games, nor is it a game strategy book. Flynn’s Log is a hero’s journey that takes place inside the Minecraft world that today’s kids know and love. The protagonist, Flynn, naturally flows through Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (builds shelter and tools, learns what to eat and discovers a digital friend) and faces questions about his destiny. He learns important life lessons about friendship, integrity, and trust. Flynn’s Log is good for kids without being boring.

Thank you so so much for the free ebook. My son loves Minecraft now with this book I can get him to read to me.
Jennifer Wilkins

Start your son or daughter on journey today, reading Flynn’s Log 1: Rescue Island. Free on available these devices and apps.

Minecraft Adventures - Books for boys

Flynn’s Log is free on the following devices

Choose your device

KindleiPad/iPod/iPhoneGoogle Play (Android Tablets)nookkoboRead Online

US$8.99 Paperback

Shop LocalAmazon-USAmazon-UKAmazon-Canada

Why is Flynn’s Log 1 Free?

My son loves reading — finally. If you have experience with a reluctant reader then I know your pain and I want to help. I’ve seen thousands of kids transform with this book. My readers, who don’t usually read books during the summer, couldn’t put Flynn’s Log 1 down.

Good book I thought I would never read a book on my summer but I feel I’m gonna finish it soon
– Multigamer 47 via twitter

Let this book change your kid’s life too. You have nothing to lose and an avid reader to gain.

Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.

–Frederick Douglas

I am giving away Flynn’s Log 1 free because I want to give you a risk-free way to hook your reluctant reader.

Please and I mean PLEASE, WRITE MORE! I absolutely love it! They’re outstanding books.

-Devon123321 via twitter

What are Books for Boys?

I spend lots of time with teachers and parents. I hear parents ask, “How do I get my son to read? Do you have books for boys?”

I wrote the Flynn’s Log series for my son, and this book is interesting for boys. However, the series is a non-stop read for both boys and girls, especially those who are interested in Minecraft.

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.

—Dr. Seuss

What are you waiting for?

You have nothing to lose!

Minecraft Adventures - Books for boys

Flynn’s Log is free on the following devices

Choose your device

KindleiPad/iPod/iPhoneGoogle Play (Android Tablets)nookkoboRead Online

US$8.99 Paperback

Shop LocalAmazon-USAmazon-UKAmazon-Canada

News for Parents of Reluctant Readers

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The best Minecraft PC servers to cater to all your crafting needs

Minecraft is an experience that’s best shared with others.

Players can create a random generated server to craft, explore, and survive the night by themselves, or they can choose to join up with friends online to do whatever their imagination desires.

Depending on what you want to do in Minecraft, there’s something for everyone. You can face off against your friends online in daunting survival challenges, catch small creatures to help protect your homes, or just build a house with a couple of friends.

With that in mind, we scoured the internet to find a small selection of the best and most popular servers used by fans, gamers, and YouTubers alike for you to join and experience for yourself.

Joining Minecraft Servers

Joining a server on Minecraft for PC is easy.

First, find a server that you like and get its IP address. The address will either be a series of numbers or a small web HTML link. Load up Minecraft, click multiplayer, and then click the “Add Server” button.

Paste the copied link into the IP address option and then click “Done.” The server will then appear in the list right above the “Add Server” button for you to join whenever you want.

Server List

Hypixel Network (Mini Games)

Server: mc.hypixel.net

The Hypixel server is packed with a ton of different Minecraft-themed mini games for players to take part in. Paintball, Bed Wars, and Walls are just some of the game types that you can jump into from the start by using the server’s helpful menu system.

Shotbow (MineZ and Hunger Games)

Server: us.shotbow.net

The Shotbow server is the home of two of Minecraft’s most popular game modes—MC Hunger Games and MineZ.

In Hunger Games, players are forced into a battle to the death while scavenging for items, and the last player alive wins. As for Minez, players are dropped into a huge map and are forced to scavenge for food and resources to keep themselves alive for as long as possible.

Journey Gaming (PixelMon)

Server: play.journeygaming.com

Have you ever wanted to craft a house in Minecraft while capturing Pokémon at the same time? Well, now you can with this Pixelmon server.

In order to join the server and play Pixelmon, however, you’ll need to download the mod and a special version of Minecraft, which can be found on the Pixelmon website and Minecraft Forge website. Each website has guides for how to install and play the mod, so be sure to check those out.

Corba Craft (Vanilla)

Server: play.corbacraftmc.com

Corba Craft is one of the best Vanilla servers around. These servers are specifically designed to stop griefers and give you a safe environment to play the classic Minecraft game mode. The server sometimes resets, however, which means your creation might not always be there when you return.

Potterworld (RPG)

Server: PotterWorldMC.com

Here’s your chance to be a wizard and explore the world of Harry Potter to your heart’s content. Potterworld is a unique take on the Harry Potter world, offering its own unique story and housing system.

Players learn to become a wizard before flying off to Hogwarts and answering a set of questions to be put into a house. They can then work together with other players in their house in battles, quests, and more to try to win the House Cup.

The best Minecraft PC servers to cater to all your crafting needs

Nintendo server maintenance will disrupt Minecraft, eShop this week

Nintendo is going to perform some server maintenance this week that will cause some disruptions for certain gamers. Minecraft is the first scheduled for a disruption, which will start tonight for players in North America. That’ll be followed by disruptions to some online gameplay for some unspecified games, trouble purchasing from the Nintendo eShop later on this week, and more.

Nintendo has warned its Switch console owners about the maintenance via its support website. According to the website, the company will start server maintenance affecting Minecraft starting tonight at 9PM PT / Midnight ET running through 10:30PM PT / 1:30AM ET.

During those times, Nintendo says Minecraft’s network services on Switch will be unavailable. Server maintenance planned for tomorrow night will have a similar effect for Switch owners, taking down some network services for “some software.” That maintenance will start tomorrow at 8:50PM PT / 11:50PM ET and last through Midnight PT / 3AM ET.

Nintendo Switch owners will likewise deal with a disruption to the eShop on February 26 starting at 5PM PT / 8PM ET running through 7PM PT / 10PM ET. That will result in “some network services” being unavailable to Switch owners with the use of credit cards being the aspect affected.

Finally, the Nintendo Game Store on the Web will also be affected by maintenance on February 26 with the credit card processing part being disrupted. That will run from the same time as the eShop maintenance and disruption for Switch owners. Click the link below for Nintendo’s status page to keep an eye on current maintenance.

Nintendo server maintenance will disrupt Minecraft, eShop this week

Microsoft shows off nearly two hours of upcoming Minecraft Bedrock Edition for Switch

Microsoft has shown off almost two hours of the upcoming Minecraft Bedrock Edition for Switch, demoing some of its new features and improvements in a recent livestream.Minecraft Bedrock Edition is, of course, Microsoft’s new unified, cross-platform version of the hugely popular block builder, and is already available on Xbox One, Windows 10, and mobile.According to Microsoft, the core development of Minecraft Bedrock Edition for Switch (which will be free to all existing Minecraft owners on the console when it releases) is “mostly done”, and the team is now focussing on final overall quality improvements.

In the livestream, Bedrock producer Justin Woods acknowledges that the “Xbox [version] could have cooked a little longer” before it was released last year, and that the studio doesn’t intend to make the same mistake twice: “We are really taking our time with Switch”.

Specifically, the team is “taking a lot of extra care […] with trying to make sure that this launch is really smooth, that the world conversion system works really well for people, and that migrating over from Editions […] is an easy transition for you to make”.

And certainly, based on the footage shown during the lengthy stream (which doesn’t really get underway until the 30 minute mark, so you might want to skip ahead), the new Switch version of Minecraft looks to be an improvement on its predecessor in several technical areas. It appears to run at a pacy 60fps in both docked and handheld mode, and Microsoft says that the current build is able to display 14 chunks of the game world at a time.

That’s substantially more than the 6 chunks viewable in handheld mode in the currently available Switch Edition, and a slight improvement over docked mode too. Chunks load quickly with a gentle fade-in transition, and the overall impression is of a smoother, far less claustrophobic experience on the console – the complex Super Mario Mash-up Pack map, which features heavily in the livestream, benefits greatly from the improved draw distance.

Elsewhere in the video, there’s a look at a range of Bedrock features working on Switch – such as the new store front – and confirmation that you’ll need a Microsoft account to play online with people on other platforms, but not with fellow Switch players.

The video also shows off a little of Bedrock’s new touchscreen support for Switch’s handheld mode. Touch can be used for inventory management, to navigate menus, and for typing with the on-screen keyboard when searching and chatting – which is certainly welcome.

Microsoft says that Minecraft Bedrock Edition should release on Switch “soon”. Hopefully its various improvements will help bring the much-maligned Bedrock version closer to the older, more refined legacy console editions.

Microsoft shows off nearly two hours of upcoming Minecraft Bedrock Edition for Switch

Minecraft Bedrock Edition for Nintendo Switch Demoed on Twitch

Microsoft went ahead and gave a two hour sneak peak at the upcoming Minecraft Bedrock Edition for the Switch, which will fold the Nintendo Switch version of the game into a wider Minecraft network across consoles and platforms. 

The Minecraft Bedrock Edition was announced last year and offers a cross-platform version of the game that connects each game on each console (sans PlayStation systems) to a united network. 

Xbox One, Windows, and mobile users are already enjoying the Bedrock edition, but Microsoft says that the Bedrock update for Switch is “mostly done” and is in the final stretches of development. The Bedrock update will be free for Minecraft owners, so if you already own the Switch version, you can expect the free update when it’s done. 

Minecraft Bedrock producer Justin Woods says that the team is “really taking [its] time with Switch,” admitting that the “Xbox [version] could have cooked a little longer” before launch. 

The Switch version of Bedrock seems to run at 60FPS both docked and undocked, and can apparently display 14 chunks of the game world at a time. The team says that it’s “taking a lot of extra care… with trying to make sure that this launch is really smooth, and that the world conversion system works really well for people,” hoping to making migration between editions easier. 

The Bedrock update also comes with touchscreen support for the Switch in handheld mode. This means you can touch the screen to manage your inventory, navigate menus, and even type in the chat using the onscreen keyboard. 

There is no release date for the Bedrock edition on the Nintendo Switch yet, but Microsoft says that it should be soon.

The Bedrock update was a major new initiative for Minecraft when it was announced at E3 last year. Unfortunately the console rollout caused some consternation among fans as the new Minecraft client removed some of the console interface that made the game a joy to play on the Xbox One. 

At the same time, cross-platform play is a big initiative for Microsoft, so if the Switch Bedrock edition can launch without issue, then hopefully Microsoft can continue to pursue this practice of promoting cross-platform play across even more titles.  

Minecraft Bedrock Edition for Nintendo Switch Demoed on Twitch

Check out almost two hours of the Minecraft Bedrock Edition for Switch

Minecraft Bedrock Edition for Switch was shown off in recent livestream by Microsoft.

The livestream for Minecraft Bedrock Edition shows around two hours worth of footage on Switch.

Free for Switch users who own Minecraft, Bedrock adds the Better Together Update for the console, which is currently available on Xbox One, Windows 10, and mobile.

According to the developers on stream, the update is close to being finished, as the team is currently working on “quality improvements.”

In the livestream, per Eurogamer, it’s acknowledged the Xbox version of the Bedrock could have “cooked a little longer” and because of this the team is taking extra time with the Switch version.

“[The team] is taking a lot of extra care, trying to make sure that this launch is really smooth, that the world conversion system works really well for people, and that migrating over from Editions is an easy transition for you to make,” said Bedrock producer Justin Woods.

Upon release, Bedrock Edition will load 14 chunks of the game world at a time to the Switch version. This includes handheld mode as well, which currently only has six chunks. Load time is also faster and with a fade-in transition and features improved draw distance.

When Bedrock Edition releases, it’s noted in the stream players will need a Microsoft account to play online with others on different platforms, but not with Switch players. The Better Together cross-platform play is currently available on Xbox, Windows 10 and mobile.

Minecraft Bedrock Edition doesn’t have a release date for Switch other than “soon”. Give the stream a watch above to check out the Switch version of the update.

As of December 2017, Minecraft has over 75 million monthly active users and has sold over 144 million copies across all platforms.

Check out almost two hours of the Minecraft Bedrock Edition for Switch

What would Mulder do? Writing an X-Files game in the age of fake news

Above: The X-Files: Deep State

The X-Files: Deep State is a mobile game that blends casual mechanics with a thorough and engaging narrative in the style of the show. The players are invited to take on the role of a rookie FBI agent who, through a series of unfortunate events, crosses paths with a global conspiracy involving shadow governments, fringe science and, possibly, nefarious aliens.

At the beginning of The X-Files: Deep State development, we faced the question of what, exactly, do we want this game to be. We knew that, storywise, we wanted it to represent the best of what the show itself had to offer, but what was it exactly that entranced us in the source material?

This question, in one way or form, faces every developer working on an adaptation of a known material. Sadly, too many devs blindly follow the successful formulas of the source without examining why exactly have they worked. More often than not, these things we perceive as cornerstones turn out to be derivative from a hidden core of ideas, and that core — the true source of success — hides beneath the surface. As times change, the derivatives may have to change as well, but a good core is timeless. A good adaptation, then, has a clear vision of its core and is able to separate, and if need be change, the derivatives.

What is in the core of The X-Files?

After some debates, we came to the conclusion that what makes The X-Files so engaging is its visionary work with societal fears. It takes our innate insecurities as a people and places us in a world where they are all real. What’s really thrilling about that world, though, is that it’s only slightly hyperbolized. The things it describes might not be true, but they’re not as far from being true as we would want to believe.

The trick, then, was to understand how the things we fear had changed in the twenty plus years since the show premiered. Strangely, the shifts appeared to be simultaneously tectonic and insignificant, as though the giant pendulum of history had swung both ways.

Politics

The core story of The X-Files always revolved around the distrust we harbor against our governments. We entrust the government with unimaginable power in good faith that this power will be used under the strict rule of law. But what if it isn’t? How do we know that this faith is not betrayed, and what do we do if it is?

The relationship between society and government, at least from our perspective, changed drastically since 1993, when the show premiered. Back then the government often was presented onscreen as a sinister, all-powerful force. It was dangerous, competent, and not entirely trustworthy. In 2001, there was a public rush of patriotism and support for the government, as anyone can see if they look up President George W. Bush’s approval ratings during that period. In the aftermath, though, more and more people began to ask themselves if this trust was, perhaps, misplaced.

Above: The X-Files: Deep State

In the new era of the Patriot Act and Guantanamo Bay, where the government was entrusted with potentially terrifying means of breaking the same laws meant to keep it in check, a lot of people started to feel nostalgic for the good old days. Soon after, the perception shifted once again, and the government ceased to be portrayed as sinister and started to often be portrayed as dangerously idiotic. To tell it simply, in the past twenty years we went from looking on the government through the prism of The X-Files, to The West Wing, to Veep.

However, at the beginning of our production in early 2016, with presidential elections looming over the horizon and bitter political campaigns clashing on screen, the perception shifted once again. The election where one candidate was actively being investigated by the FBI and the other’s platform seemed to be built entirely on xenophobia and fearmongering showed us that the fundamental conflict of The X-Files was as topical as ever.

The X-Files’ paranoid view of the world, disturbingly, came back in force.

Technology

But its particulars have changed. The things we perceived as taken from the pages of science fiction dystopias back in the ’90s not only became technologically possible, but actually true, as shown by the recent illegal wiretapping scandals. The phrase “they’re watching you” was suddenly not funny anymore. Turns out, in the world of modern technology it is our right to privacy that was the fiction. In 1993, the idea of a device that can listen in on your conversations, monitor your behavior and know your whereabouts at all times seemed far-fetched, today we stand in lines to get the latest model. Our shops are being run by robots, our political views are formed by machine algorithms, and as if it wasn’t scary enough, the system is wide open to manipulation.

The truth is, indeed, out there — more than ever — but it’s obscured by a world wide web filled with lies, bubbles of skewed perception and outright intentional sabotage. So, for us, the most interesting themes to explore were the technological advancement and the use of technology to manipulate and form public opinion, and also the relationship between power, legality, and truth. What would Mulder’s role be in today’s world? Would he be imprisoned like Chelsea Manning, exiled to Russia like Edward Snowden? We built our theories and started working to realize them, writing both overarching “conspiracy” chapters and traditional “monster of the week” stories for the game.

As time went by, though, we were surprised to see that many of the things we were planning to address have begun to come true. The government’s current campaign to discredit the free press, the open hostility between the president and the FBI, the many reports of government officials having clandestine meetings with representatives of foreign powers and private interest alike all sound like something that would end up on Mulder’s desk, but are, in fact, a real thing.

Relevance

So what were we to do? We could base our stories on the more outlandish theories and urban legends to preserve the possible-but-not-actually-true formula of The X-Files, or continue with the old themes, even though they were not, per se, imaginary anymore. The thrill of the show was fun to experience because the things it showed were scary but not true. What happens if they’re scary and true? Would a story like that still be fun, or would it be too somber to enjoy?

The craziness went further once we announced the title of the game, “Deep State”. It was suggested by The X-Files creator Chris Carter, and we happily embraced it, being that shadow governments and conspiracies were always a cornerstone of the show’s story. However, shortly after President Trump was elected into office, we were a bit shocked to see that we, as representative of a Fox-owned brand, were ourselves being accused of being a part of a conspiracy. Some people accused us of trying, through subliminal messaging, to legitimize Mr. Trump’s claims that secret powers inside the government work to undermine his authority — as if The X-Files haven’t dealt with secret powers inside the government for more than two decades before he announced his candidacy.

The other unexpected development happened after the Russian hacking scandal. For us, as people raised in the post-Soviet states, it was especially interesting. Once again, the pendulum had swung both ways: we grew up during the time when screens were filled with villains of Russian descent, who then disappeared to make way for Middle Eastern antagonists, who then were replaced almost entirely by domestic enemies. For a time, the US reached the point where the most real threat to its statehood, at least in the public’s eye, was the US itself. And now, slowly, foreign threats make their way back to the screen.

At the time, we were working both on a story involving cyberterrorism and on a story involving the president being replaced by an alien clone doppelganger.  Suddenly at least one of these stories went from being outlandish to being anchored in reality, leaving us in an awkward position of not knowing what to do with it.

Maybe it would have been better to write a story about an eccentric billionaire sending sports cars to space, spontaneously inventing compact flamethrowers and planning to colonize Mars. That’s crazy enough to never happen in reality, for sure…right?

Above: The characters of The X-Files: Deep State

Conclusion

Back at the roots of the development process, we became aware of the challenges facing anyone tasked with adapting a known material. We needed not only to stay faithful to the source, but also to examine how the changes in the world we live in affected its core premise. As time went by, the urgent need to evolve became even more apparent. The world not only changed, it kept changing in front of our eyes at a rapid pace, forcing us to scramble to try and catch up.

All in all, right now the world seems to be in dire need of The X-Files type of stories, which are capable of examining the problems we face in an enjoyable narrative far removed from the divisive nature of modern day politics by a well-maintained wall of fantastical whimsy, even if this wall sadly looks thinner with each day.

Barisbi Alborov is a game writer at Creative Mobile, an Estonia-based video game development company currently working with FoxNext Games on The X-Files: Deep State.

What would Mulder do? Writing an X-Files game in the age of fake news

How a love for Minecraft can blossom into a love for reading

Millions of kids around the world play Minecraft, and it didn’t take long for adults to notice something: It has educational value. With Microsoft’s MinecraftEdu leading the way, more schools are using Minecraft in classrooms, having their kids experiment with science and math on the screen, or encouraging them to build historical settings or scenes from books. But there is one aspect of Minecraft education that I think can be discussed more: Minecraft and literacy.

Tech writer Clive Thompson wrote in Wired, “Games, it seems, can motivate kids to read—and to read way above their level. This is what Constance Steinkuehler, a games researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, discovered. She asked middle and high school students who were struggling readers (one 11th-grade student read at a 6th-grade level) to choose a game topic they were interested in, and then she picked texts from game sites for them to read—some as difficult as first-year-college language. The kids devoured them with no help and nearly perfect accuracy.”

Minecraft doesn’t have a lot of reading in it (unless you mod the game to make it that way), but the internet and bookstores show a booming display of Minecraft-related websites and books. Kids can look up how to brew a potion online or get these details from a nonfiction how-to book. At the same time, novels and comic books star Minecraft characters or take place within the game.

My experience as an author

I write adventure novels for children 7-12 that take place as if Minecraft is real, and I’ve seen the way it lights up kids who usually would rather be in front of the console than have a book under their nose. I talk with schools or libraries, either in person or through Skype, showing them how I started writing at a young age and how I turned that into my career. The first thing I say to a classroom is usually, “Who here likes Minecraft?” Nearly all the hands go up. When I tell them I write books about an 11-year-old boy who lives in Minecraft, they want to read it. They demand to read it. I hear from parents all the time who say, “My child doesn’t like to read, but they can’t put your books down.” The Minecraft angle is what grabs them in the first place, and then in my books they’ll find fast-paced action/adventure, chapter cliffhangers, plot twists, and characters who discuss real issues, like the fear of going to a new school or of being cyberbullied.

I see the power of literacy when we can get kids excited about reading. And I remember being a kid and being told what books to read by teachers and other well-wishing adults, and I remember quite a few of those pre-selected books did not interest me, even though I loved to read. The issue is that sometimes the kids are being told what they’d like to read, rather than asking them what they like and then finding books to fit that. I see kids who find a book that clicks with them, and they think, “This is reading? But this is fun!” They’ll move on to more books, maybe even the books the adults originally recommended, but then it’s in the kids’ hands and they feel empowered by their reading ability and feel connected with certain characters and stories.

Indeed, it was a love of stories that made me good at spelling, not spelling tests – I learned to spell better from reading and writing than I did from any quizzes. It was a love of reading and writing that helped me through hard times, that let me know I wasn’t alone. A love of reading can bridge communities, can help in education, can help in careers, can help in just general passion for life.

The power of Minecraft

I’m not the only author making books for Minecrafters, nor is Minecraft the only video game out there with books. For kids who are into video games but hesitate about books, this can be a way to reach them, if we can find their interests. Beyond video games, whatever their interest is, there will be books to match up with them. So when I hear about teachers using Minecraft in the classroom, I like to talk to them about going beyond math and science and using literacy as another angle to gaming education. I also remember being in elementary school and getting writing assignments, and how the more specific the assignment, the less well I did in it. I would go home and write, but in school, I often froze up.

But if teachers encourage kids to write about what interests them (again, Minecraft or whatever else) they might find their students opening up. So many of them are already creating worlds on the screen, so why not create some worlds on the page as well? Because Minecraft encourages imagination, education around it ought to encourage imagination too. It’s by thinking outside the box (no pun intended for this boxy video game world) that people make new discoveries and come up with new, better ideas. Why not use Minecraft however it can be used to encourage this?

How a love for Minecraft can blossom into a love for reading

Games Inbox: Metal Gear Survive worries, Bayonetta 1 vs. 2, and Injustice 2 love

The evening Inbox asks if Rainbow Six Siege’s approach heralds the death of sequels, as one reader demands cloud saves for Switch.

To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

 

Stealth release

Someone mentioned Metal Gear Survive the other day and I can’t believe it’s out this week! Talk about stealth release! (Do you see… because it’s a stealth game… never mind.) I’m going to take a wild guess an imagine that the game is not going to be a massive hit, but what happens then?

Do Konami just give up on the series? Do they give up on games in general, considering the only other thing they make is Pro Evolution Soccer? It seems to me either are a good possibility.

Or do they just trundle on and make more spin-offs, or perhaps remakes of the original games? I think that’s probably the most likely thing, because I really don’t see them making Meta Gear Solid 6 at any time. They don’t have the people anymore and I don’t see them spending the budget necessary, given that the fifth one wasn’t even that big even with Kojima on board.

The best case scenario, and I hate to say this, is that the game is a failure and Konami just decide to sell their games business to someone else. Sony and Nintendo could easily afford it, and I’m sure many others too. Then maybe we might get a new Castlevania and Contra too.
Razmon

 

Cloud comfort

I feel Mediator’s concerns with Nintendo’s potential line-up in 2018. On the surface it is a huge step down from their monumental 2017. I am in the fortune position of looking forward to their Wii U ports, since I never owned a Wii U. I’m loving the indie scene on Switch too, it feels like the spiritual home for many of these titles.

The main things I want from Nintendo this year is Virtual Console and cloud saves. Not being able to back up my saves has meant I do not take my Switch outside or on the go anywhere near as much as I’d like, in fear of me losing it/breaking it and flushing away my progress. You can’t even back your saves up on an SD card manually. Virtual Console is more of a luxury that I could live without.

Come on Nintendo, time to plug these gaps!
OTTAPPS

 

Smashing either way

RE: table-top arcade game at dentist. That game sounds a lot like Smash T.V. Smash T.V. was top-down, had exits-top, bottom, and right, and also had floating creatures, though I don’t remember an eyeball.

Even if Smash T.V. is not the game you’re thinking of, you might want to check it out anyway. You won’t regret it.
Colten

In response to Neil from this morning, I’m not certain if this quite matches his description, but it could be Berzerk from Stern.
Steve

GC: Smash T.V. was our first thought as well, especially as some enemies had exploding eyeballs. We don’t remember any of the stages featuring moving walls though.

 

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The shadow remains cast

I’m prepared to accept I was wrong about the Wii U ports coming to Switch, especially with regards to Bayonetta. Playing it on the Switch in portable mode is fantastic, it really does run much smoother and looks fantastic. I started on 2 but due to being maybe a little too familiar with that game I jumped back to Bayonetta 1.

Is it me or is the camera on the first one a bit all over the place? It seems to jump around a lot making it hard to keep track of the targets – I don’t recall it ever being as bad as it is on the Switch. Maybe rose-tinted nostalgic glasses? Playing the first game in portable mode really foes feel like I’m holding a portable Xbox 360 in my hands (one can dream!)

I also watched the Bayonetta anime, Bloody Fate, and recommend it for a lazy Sunday afternoon. It is equally as bonkers as the game it’s based on, but watchable.

2018 will be a golden year for lapsed Nintendo fans who skipped the Wii U. For those that are still sitting on the sidelines you really are missing out on a great system with some genre defining exclusives. I really hope Bayonetta 3 can continue the series excellence.
Bristolpete

GC: The camera for Bayonetta 1 was always problematic, and one of the major improvements in the sequel. So it can be hard to go back to at first.

 

Bundled out

In response to Andrew J. I took my bundled copy of FIFA 18 to CeX and they happily traded it in with the ‘do not sell separately’ label across the front.

I’ve also bought CDs from eBay that say, ‘not for retail – promotional use only’, which was clearly described in the posting, so there should be no problem in putting FIFA on eBay as long as you mention that the disclaimer is on there.
@craigherman (Twitter)

 

Justice for DC

After playing Wolfenstein II and Forza Horizon 3 I decided to pick up Injustice 2 for £16.59 off of Amazon.

I played the first Injustice for a few hours and thought it was good but not as great as Street Fighter IV. However, Injustice 2 is a very good fighter reminds me of Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct with its simplistic moveset, with added complexity should you wish to invest your time.

Some of the super moves are outlandish and being a DC (as well as a Marvel fan) NetherRealm have done justice to Injustice 2!

The DC characters are treated with utmost respect. Am halfway through the story mode and it is so much fun, together with the art style which looks over the top when viewing the trailer but when playing it completely fits within the context of the game.

Highly recommended! Street Fighter V move over a new challenger is here.
Ruman

 

Big fish in a small pond

RE: Gonch’s letter about no one having bought Shenmue. From what little data’s available, it appears to have been one of the best-selling games on the Dreamcast. Unfortunately, that’s like being the top goal scorer for Accrington Stanley – you won’t be a star until someone offers you a bigger platform, and Sega never did.

18+ years later Shenmue remains a Dreamcast exclusive, which is why they need to finally announce and release a remaster of that and its first sequel for Shenmue III to have a fair chance of success.
Dynamite Headdy

 

Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here

 

Death of the sequel

Interesting to see Ubisoft’s approach to Rainbow Six Siege and no sequels. I can see this becoming more and more common for successful games, given the diminishing returns of better graphics. Rainbow Six is going to look pretty good for at least the next five years and I don’t see any point splitting the fans by releasing a brand new sequel that may or may not appeal to them.

Of course with games that popular I can see it happen. Like, I never hear anyone talk about The Division anymore, so I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that get a sequel pretty soon. Maybe that’ll even become the new mark of success: no sequels because the original is still selling really well. I mean, look at GTA V!

You’ll only know things have really changed though, when Call Of Duty gives up the yearly sequels. Although with all the sub-brands I don’t know how feasible that is. FIFA should have stopped having sequels years ago, and just update the teams, but of course EA’ll never do that given how many people must buy it year in and year out. Suddenly games as a service really doesn’t sound so bad…
Crellin

 

Inbox also-rans

Will you be reviewing Subsurface Circular? It’s made by same guy who made Thomas Was Alone. And it’s to be released on Switch imminently.
Jag

GC: Since we missed it first time around on PC, yes.

Just to let everyone know but the ‘safe’ patch for SOMA on the PlayStation 4 is now out. It gives you a mode where you can’t die, like the Xbox One version, and I’d highly recommend the game to everyone.
Supes

 

This week’s Hot Topic

The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Gannet, who asks what do you think is the most overrated video game?

You don’t have to think the game is actively bad, just not as good as its reputation suggests. But do try and describe exactly why it didn’t live up to your expectations and what it got wrong. Was it just a good game that was hyped up too much, or do you feel it has flaws that were brushed over in reviews?

Was the problem that you were expecting it to be one thing and it turned out to be something completely different? Or was there some other personal preference that meant you couldn’t enjoy it?

 

Games Inbox: Metal Gear Survive worries, Bayonetta 1 vs. 2, and Injustice 2 love

Games Inbox: PS4 unveiling 5-year anniversary, Burnout Paradise Remastered, and Halo 6 hopes

The morning Inbox wonders if Insomniac will ever make a Resistance 4, as one reader is very impressed by a Jet Set Radio tribute album.

To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

 

Grand unveiling

Never mind Star Fox, I’ve got another anniversary for you. It’s five years to the day since the PlayStation 4 was unveiled! Obviously it’s didn’t come out until November, but this was the week that Sony first announced it, although if memory serves they didn’t actually show the box (which always seemed weird, because it turned out to be… just a box).

I think it’s fair to say that things have gone well with Sony since then, although like many I attribute their success more to Microsoft’s own unveil event later in the year. It is crazy to think that it’s going to be five years this Christmas though and that some generations have barely lasted that long in their entirety. It’s gone so quick, but I put that down to the first two years being so weak with too few proper next gen games.

The obvious question then is when Sony announces a PlayStation 5, especially as it seems sales of the PlayStation 4 have peaked – if only just. Personally I give it two years tops before Sony starts dropping hints at least. And I do expect it to be a proper next generation console and not a PS4 Pro Plus.

Will that one be online-only perhaps? I could see that happening. I bet it’ll emphasis streaming as well, maybe cloud computing too if that actually does become a thing. It should definitely come with a PlayStation VR 2, which I would be all for. So I don’t agree that there’s no need for one, even if the improvement in graphics is slowing.

As an Xbox 360 owner who switched to PlayStation 4 I’ve been very happy with the machine and I reckon the next next generation is already Sony’s to lose.
Vlad64

 

Faster than a speeding accountant

Very glad to see Burnout Paradise Remastered confirmed, but I’ve gotta say it’s almost a little scary to see how quickly EA react to trouble. They knocked Star Wars: Battlefront II’s loot boxes on the head before the game was even out and they’ve set-up this remaster just months after Need For Speed Payback crashed and burned.

Now I know a remaster doesn’t take as long as a full game, obviously, but March seems awful quick to me. Does that mean they commissioned it before Payback came out and they were expecting it to flop? Talk about having faith in your own product!

I know it never made sense for them to have two street racing series going at the same time but I always thought Burnout was the better of the two, and now that Need For Speed is dead I hope the true challenger can prove itself.
Cranston

 

Children of all sizes

The more I hear about Nintendo Labo the more I’m convinced it’s going to be huge for them. I know I will definitely be getting the Variety Kit at least for my girl, as she’s already fascinated by the Switch and I think this will blow her mind. My concerns, like everyone I suppose, is whether the cardboard will break too easily, but I guess there’s only one to find out on that.

I do like the idea of being able to customise the toys, and the ones they did at the event you went to are super cute. Basically it seems like a mix of Lego, video games, and just craftwork. Which seems like a great thing for stimulating kid’s minds (and upsetting hardcore gamers).

I’m not so sure about the robot though, just because it’s more expensive but only one thing, that seems to have less uses. I’m also not clear how it works with people of different sizes. Do you have to swap and replace parts with different sized people?
Danson

GC: The length of the straps are changed by wrapping or unwrapping the cord that connects to the pulleys. It’s super low tech but it seemed to work fine, to the point where we were using exactly the same set-up as a little kid.

 

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Lost in the PS3 era

I too am curious to see what Sony will come up with for this E3 and beyond, but I think that they’re in a better position than Nintendo because they haven’t burnt through their big names as quickly. I’d still be really happy to see a new WipEout, Ratchet & Clank, and LittleBigPlanet.

The one I wonder about though is Resistance. I know it wasn’t super popular last gen but I really liked the last game and feel another could really be something special. Now I come to think of it it’s mostly the PlayStation 3 era games that haven’t lasted, as I don’t expect we’ll be seeing anymore inFamous or Killzone games either.

Not so much worried about them, but I would like more Resistance.
Coulson

GC: Developer Insomniac are currently working on the new Spider-Man game, so it’d be a long time till they’d be able to come out with anything else. And even then we’d expect more Ratchet & Clank over Resistance.

 

Old school chief

I can certainly sympathise with the reader saying that his love of Halo has been burned out of him by the last few sequels. The worst thing is with what Bungie are doing to Destiny I’m not sure wishing them back would be any better anyway (not that they would return, I suspect).

My only hope for Halo 6 is that it goes back to basics and out of its way not to play like other modern games. The problem with the multiplayer in the last couple is that you could just tell someone went around trying to see what ideas from Call Of Duty, and Battlefield, and whatever could be sneaked in round the edges and now the whole thing has lost its sense of identity.

And then they went and messed up The Master Chief Collection and I don’t whether younger gamers even realise how big Halo used to be. I’d love for it to be the definitive console shooter again, but I honestly don’t know if 343 have got it in them…
Drepper

 

Much ado about nothing

I would just like to add more praise for Firewatch. Although I can understand GC’s perspective with their review I definitely think is a game worth picking up. The visuals of the American wilderness, especially the lighting is great. The tension and sense of being vulnerable in an isolated wilderness is palpable. Most of the reviews I have read which gave the game less than stellar reviews seem due to the reviewer’s disappointment with the ending. I appreciate the ending is not quite what the game initially seems to be presenting but I thought it was rather moving.

The player does come across items and areas which add to the backstory of those whose tragic tale becomes the narrative driving force at the end of the game. As it has been a while since I played the game I cannot be sure of this but I wonder if they were sometimes off the beaten track (Firewatch is a mini open world but quite expansive) which GC might have missed. Either way I recommend the game to those with combat fatigue or those who like ominous, tense games but do not want to soil their pants with fear (thanks Resident Evil 7).
Lord Leaping Lynx
PS: I really enjoyed the weekend feature on the Kingdom Come: Deliverance programmer. I managed to avoid this and the Gamergate scandal. It has only enhanced my view that social media sucks and comments sections should be struck from all websites. To quote from a Day Today sketch from a newsreader, ‘Your comments are in and they’ve been described as ‘tedious, boring and stultifying ill-informed’ so thanks for that’.

GC: It’s not so much the ending itself as the fact that the game sacrificed all the set-up and mid-game revelations in favour of another far less interesting plot twist. The storytelling techniques were excellent, and yet we found the story itself very unsatisfying.

 

Any port in a storm

I have to admit I’m getting increasingly confused as to the difference between a port, a remaster, and a remake. Especially as some sites seem to be using the words almost at random. I thought a port was like a conversion and was like moving a game to another format without changing anything.

But something like Bayonetta 2 seems to be in a kind of grey area where it’s mostly the same but does have some improvements. So I guess that’s why you called it a remaster. Can you clarify?
Brundlefly

GC: Like most things there isn’t any hard and fast rule but a port is supposed to be exactly the same game, just working on another system. A remaster is the original game but modernised in some way – usually by increasing the resolution, frame rate, or improving some of the textures or object models. A remake is something created almost from scratch to resemble the original but featuring all new graphics and controls.

 

Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here

 

Video game connection

I need access to the hive mind for identifying an old toy I used to have. Well, two to be precise. It was one of those Max Skull-type toys – you know, Polly Pocket but for boys. There was a Star Fleet-style spaceship base for the human good guys where it was a ship that opened up, had other little ships inside and tiny, plastic dudes. Need to have them tiny, plastic dudes.

But the villainous, alien version was more interesting. It had this neon green play dough that was meant to be acid and green, gloopified humans who had fell victim to the stuff. I was always cautious to touch it as I thought it might melt me too. Still not sure it won’t after twenty-plus years. Maybe it’s very slow-acting, okay!?

Inside and out it looked like some sci-fi horror land of mutant vegetation. I also remember a purple lid that vaguely looked like a heater shield and it had a scary looking ‘S’ inside a circle engraved on it. Hopefully this jogs someone’s memory. Because this has been annoying me for ages now.
DMR

GC: Do you mean Monster Max? For which there was an excellent Game Boy tie-in by renowned 8-bit developers John Ritman and Bernie Drummond (with music by David Wise)?

 

Inbox also-rans

Count me in as another person that is really loving Celeste. It always amazes me that these little indie games that look like they had a budget of 2p are much better at telling a story then something with a gazillion dollar budget. (I admit I may have exaggerated in both directions a bit there.)
Bane

Since it was mentioned a few days ago I’d just like to make readers aware of this Jet Set Radio tribute album. If there’s ever a sequel I hope they come straight to this guy for the soundtrack. You can listen to it here.
Fancy Dan

 

This week’s Hot Topic

The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Gannet, who asks what do you think is the most overrated video game?

You don’t have to think the game is actively bad, just not as good as its reputation suggests. But do try and describe exactly why it didn’t live up to your expectations and what it got wrong. Was it just a good game that was hyped up too much, or do you feel it has flaws that were brushed over in reviews?

Was the problem that you were expecting it to be one thing and it turned out to be something completely different? Or was there some other personal preference that meant you couldn’t enjoy it

 

Games Inbox: PS4 unveiling 5-year anniversary, Burnout Paradise Remastered, and Halo 6 hopes

Dragon Quest Builders review – make the switch from Minecraft

One of the best alternatives to Minecraft comes to Nintendo Switch, with a charming spin-off that’s not just for existing fans.

It’s always seemed odd that no major publisher has ever tried to copy the success of Minecraft. There have been plenty of indie clones, but the only thing that’s come close from a traditional games company is the low profile Lego Worlds. And now this. Whether you care anything about the Dragon Quest games is irrelevant, as this offers a substantially different experience to both its inspiration and its parent franchise. And it’s a game that works particularly well on the Switch.

What excited us most about this game, when it was originally released in late 2016, is that it’s by Kazuya Niinou, creator of Etrian Odyssey – which happens to be one of our favourites. Although we’re sure most Western gamers have probably never heard of it, or probably Dragon Quest for that matter. Even though the latter is the most popular role-playing series in Japan. But if you are a fan there is a story connection here to the very first game, since you play in an alternative version of its ending – where the evil Dragonlord and his monsters actually managed to win.

The unusually non-combative solution to this problem is to rebuild the land of Alefgard from scratch, mining resources and constructing buildings by hand. But although it is still a sandbox game, where you’re free to go and build whatever you want, there’s a properly structured story to follow and non-player characters to talk to and recruit. Plus, some of that ‘mining’ involves beating up classic Dragon Quest monsters and using their carcases to build your home.

Another clear distinction between Dragon Quest Builders and Minecraft is that this is purely a single-player experience. You’re cast as the arts and crafts equivalent of the chosen one, with the plot hinging on everyone else having forgotten how to create anything with their own hands. Which as demonic curses go is a new one on us. They’re all keen to learn though, and the initial hours have you building up your first village from nothing and having various characters come to move in and help.

Unlike Minecraft, you’re treated to some very specific tutorials, that show how for the most common materials you need venture only a little way out of town to mine ores from the ground or harvest the local vegetation for organic materials. As you can see, the entire world is constructed out of little Minecraft-esque cubes; leaving you free to make the minimum of environmental impact with your excavations or carve out a giant statute in the side of a mountain, depending on your preference.

Monsters are little more than a nuisance at first, but inevitably they end up being the source of some of the rarer items. The combat is real-time and reminiscent of the top down Zelda games, so nothing like traditional Dragon Quest games – or at least certainly not the first one. The stronger monsters are what encourage you to build a blacksmith and armoury, and from there new weapons and armour. Before long your village is not only teeming with people but a self-propagating factory for its own enlargement.

Dragon Quest Builders (NS) - the graphics are a bit blocky
Dragon Quest Builders (NS) – the graphics are a bit blocky

All of this is hugely charming and enjoyable. Dragon Quest Builders is not a fast action game, but is instead meant as a counter to such things. You’re rarely in much danger, or under any time constraint, allowing you to take the game at your own pace and digress into building things that have no real benefit to the main story. There’s an old-fashioned playfulness to the game that manifests not just in its lack of pressure or hand-holding but in the Nintendo-esque dialogue that’s entirely PG-friendly but still has flashes of wry, knowing humour.

And unlike most construction games it doesn’t get bogged down in complications during the end game. The crafting elements do get increasingly complex, but at the same time villagers start to help with the busywork, preparing chests full of restoratives and defending the village if it’s attacked. As you gain experience it’s they, not you, that are levelling up and earning more perks and abilities, which is a neat reversal of the usual role-playing formula.

Dragon Quest Builders review – make the switch from Minecraft