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October 17, 2019

Publisher: The Pokemon Company, Nintendo

Developer: Game Freak

Release: November 15, 2019

Platform: Switch

Pokémon Sword and Shield have looked impressive every step of the way, but while we were able to play through a gym at E3 this year, extended hands-on time has eluded us thus far. Thankfully, that recently changed. I played through the first hour and a half of Pokémon Sword to see how the Switch’s first all-new mainline Pokémon game is shaking out.

The first thing I noticed was I could use a Switch Pro Controller, something not possible with last year’s Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu and Eevee. I didn’t have the opportunity to create my own character, but you can still choose basic looks (gender, skin tone, etc.) from the get-go. Also, I played docked in TV mode. In TV mode, Pokémon Sword ran smooth, without any noticeable hiccups or framerate drops.

As with all Pokémon games, the story begins with a character telling you about the exciting world of Pokémon. However, instead of it being the typical professor giving the monologue, Sword and Shield open with a speech from Chairman Rose in the middle of stadium in the style of a TV broadcast. The speech goes over the same beats as your typical Pokémon opening, but sets the tone for the sports-centric atmosphere in the Galar region. After a brief speech, undefeated Galar champion Leon emerges to begin a battle with a character I can’t yet discuss. Leon calls out his trusty Charizard and the broadcast cuts away just as his Charizard grows enormous in size.

Once you assume control of your character, you’re inside your idyllic countryside home. Your mum (get ready for lots of U.K.-inspired slang, by the way) and your friend Hop encourage you out the door as you learn the basics of the game. After making it to Wedgehurst, the first small town in Sword and Shield, you run into Leon who is addressing the town. After a spirited speech, it’s revealed that he’s Hop’s brother. When you meet him again back closer to your house, Leon gives you your starter Pokémon.

I choose water-type Sobble, and Hop scoops up Scorbunny; since he’s positioned as a friendlier rival than those from the earlier games, he always picks the Pokémon that’s weak to the type you choose. Hop’s overflowing energy matches that of Scorbunny, so in my mind, it’s a perfect match. Leon then recalls the sole remaining Pokémon, Grookey. With a subtle emphasis on Leon bringing the grass-type back to his possession, I ask if we’ll ever see that particular Grookey again. The team declines to comment. As is tradition, with our first Pokémon in our possession, I battle my rival.

The transition from the overworld to battle is flashy, with expressive trainer images leading directly into their Pokémon sequence. It feels cinematic, even though it’s not anything we haven’t seen in other games outside of Pokémon before. After winning the battle, it’s time to head back to Wedgehurst – this time to visit Professor Magnolia’s lab. However, upon leaving, a Wooloo has broken through the fence by your house, so you must wander into the eerie Slumbering Weald to find it.

In the foggy Slumbering Weald, I run into a couple different types of new Pokémon, which I unfortunately can’t talk about. As I venture deeper into the woods, a mysterious creature appears before me. While I can’t spoil what happens, I eventually exit the Slumbering Weald, Wooloo by my side, and am back on track toward Wedgehurst.

After arriving at Professor Magnolia’s lab, it quickly becomes apparent that she’s not there. Instead, Sonia, Magnolia’s granddaughter and assistant, greets me. Unfortunately, Professor Magnolia is on a trip north of Wedgehurst, so I’m off once again. However, before venturing out of the town, I swing by the Pokémon Center. Galarian Pokémon Centers continue down the path of being one-stop shops for many of your Pokémon needs. In addition to healing your Pokémon through the nurse, you can also have their nicknames rated, rename them, or even delete moves. You can also access the PC and buy supplies in the shop. After stocking up, it’s time to venture to Professor Magnolia.

On the way to Magnolia’s location, I encounter seven different Pokémon in the wild. While I can’t say any of the creatures aside from Yamper, I love how different Pokémon appear in the tall grass through random encounters than do as creatures that roam in the environment. This not only gives you a sense of a living world, but also the mystique of being surprised when an encounter starts without you having initiated it. Catching Pokémon gives you experience, and each encounter splits the XP between your entire team automatically. You can also whistle to attract wild Pokémon to your position.

By the time I reach the end of the route, I have a full team of Pokémon that have reached just below or just above level 10. Unfortunately, my time is short, so I don’t have enough time to continue to grind and see the first evolution of Sobble. The water starter reaches level 12 before I admit defeat in this endeavor.

After meeting up with Professor Magnolia and Leon to learn about the Dynamax phenomenon she’s studying, you and Hop ask for letters of endorsements so you can compete against gym leaders to earn the right to battle in the Pokémon League. While the idea is initially met with hesitance – after all, you literally just got your starter Pokémon like 25 minutes ago – a battle with Hop changes their minds and you receive a Letter of Endorsement so you can challenge the gym leaders throughout Galar, starting with the nearest major city: Motostoke.

Once I receive the Letter of Endorsement, a shiny object falls from the sky. This Wishing Star grants me access to the Dynamax ability, which causes your Pokémon to grow massive and powerful in battle. Now it’s on to Motostoke, the first big city in my journey (you can see part of the city in our exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Game Freak).

On my way, I find a TM for Swift. TMs in Sword and Shield are multi-use, so I don’t have to worry about painstakingly deciding which creature to use it on. Before I can make it to Motostoke, I must venture through the Wild Area.

The Wild Area feels large from the very beginning. In this part of Galar, the camera swings behind my character and I can rotate it 360 degrees. As I run through the area, different biomes present themselves with unique Pokémon running and flying around. I don’t have time to venture into the tall grass to see which Pokémon are hidden in there, but I notice the weather changes between the different parts of the Wild Area, dictating to an extent which Pokémon appear.

I finally arrive in Motostoke, a relatively giant town that puts Wedgehurst to shame. I have just enough time to tour around the streets, get a glimpse into the clothing boutique, and see the outside of the gym before my time with the game ends. After spending an hour and a half in Galar, I’m even more excited to see what lies beyond Motostoke and the Wild Area. Thankfully, we don’t have long to wait, as Pokémon Sword and Shield launch November 15.

For more on Pokémon Sword and Shield, be sure to check out our exclusive coverage hub by clicking the banner below.

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October 16, 2019

Publisher: Team17

Developer: Playtonic Games

Release: October 8, 2019

Rating: Everyone

Reviewed on: PlayStation 4

Also on: Xbox One, Switch, PC

Playtonic Games debut title, Yooka-Laylee, paid loving homage to formula of 3D platformers of the ‘90s. That makes sense, considering several team members originally worked on Banjo-Kazooie – but sequel takes a much more surprising approach. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair flips the script, abandoning 3D to deliver a focused, well-paced side-scrolling platformer that feels like a successor to Donkey Kong Country (another game members of Playtonic worked on). However, rather than relying too heavily on trappings of the past, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair modernizes the 2D platforming formula in all the right ways to deliver a fun and novel experience.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair starts with a bang. After completing a brisk tutorial, the game dumps you into the eponymous Impossible Lair, a sprawling, extremely difficult level riddled with dastardly obstacles and challenging boss fights with no checkpoints. You may start the game on the final level, but unless you’re unimaginably talented at 2D platformers, you’re going to fail out before you even know what’s happening. While this experience does little to instill confidence in what’s to come, it effectively throws down the gauntlet to give you something to aspire to.

That experience sticks with you; the final stage looms over you the whole time you play, just waiting for you to challenge it again – which you can try at any point. But how can you conquer the hellscape of obstacles the Impossible Lair presents? By completing stages in the main game, you give yourself a fighting chance.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair delivers well-paced 2D platforming action across more than 20 unique stages, and every one you complete gives you an extra hit point when you attempt the Impossible Lair. I love how this unique approach lets you decide when you’re ready for the final onslaught; you don’t need to complete every stage to finish the Impossible Lair, but some of the are so clever and fun that you may want to keep playing anyway.

From a level that has you dodging deadly buzzsaws to one that tasks you with swinging from different ropes while rolling and jumping off enemies, the diversity in the stages is impressive. While every obstacle course is exciting, my favorite was a nonlinear level that had me going to five distinct areas to complete quick challenges to retrieve five gems.

Yooka and Laylee may control as one character, but their partnership isn’t just for looks. Similar to Mario and Yoshi, the two work together in important ways. When you start a stage, you have both characters, and access to your full arsenal of abilities. But if you get hit, Laylee panics and flies away, leaving you without movies like your twirl jump and butt stomp. You can get them back by chasing Laylee down (or calling her back at a bell), and this adds a thrilling risk to many stages. Every time Laylee flew away, I had to calculate whether the benefit of her abilities was worth the danger of pursuing her.

Laylee’s abilities aren’t required to complete the stages, but they can be necessary for reaching collectibles like quills and coins. Quills are used as a currency in multiple situations, including purchasing game-modifying tonics, opening chests in the overworld, and buying hints from signposts. Meanwhile, coins are used to further open the map to allow you to access the next set of stages. I don’t mind collectibles in a game, but it’s annoying to have to replay levels if you didn’t get enough coins to access the next area in the world. However, the required coin thresholds are low, and I only had to go back to mine for coins once in the my playthrough.

Click image thumbnails to view larger version

Tonics are fun in-game cheat codes that modify the game in ways that can make the levels easier, harder, or different. For instance, one tonic makes enemies take an extra hit to destroy, while another makes it so Yooka doesn’t slip on ice. Based on how these tonics affect the difficulty, you earn a multiplier on the quills you collect in that stage. My preferred loadout was to gain 50 percent more quills by using the tonic that gives enemies an extra hit-point, while using another that makes every defeated enemy explode like a piñata with extra quills to collect.

Between stages, you explore a 3D overworld with an isometric camera. This is a gratifying experience, as simple exploration and minor environmental puzzles yield worthwhile rewards like extra quills, tonics, and even alternate versions of the stages. The overworld also lets you tackle single-screen challenges where you must get creative to defeat a set number of enemies. I always looked forward to these creative puzzles to solve, like one with a movement-mimicking enemy that you need to manipulate to make it dive into a buzzsaw.

The stage variants you unlock offer additional coins (and hit points for the Impossible Lair), but things are drastically different from the first time you tackled the level. One alternate version floods everything, turning it into a water stage. Another spills a sticky substance everywhere, making it more difficult to traverse – but also granting the ability to climb up the sticky walls and reach areas you couldn’t before. While you’re still technically playing the same levels, these versions feel as fresh as all-new stages, and I loved the surprises they threw at me.

With rock-solid controls and imaginative level design, I couldn’t wait to see what awaited the chameleon/bat duo each time I entered a new area. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a superb 2D platformer with plenty to love for fans of the genre both new and old.

Score: 8.5

Summary: This great 2D platformer delivers a crowd-pleasing adventure regardless of when you started enjoying the genre.

Concept: A strong platformer that pays loving homage to the 2D games of yesteryear

Graphics: With such vibrant and beautiful backgrounds, stage hazards sometimes blend in and get lost in the action

Sound: A delightful score composed by the iconic duo of David Wise and Grant Kirkhope perfectly suits the action

Playability: Tight controls and well-designed stages are a blast to platform through. Even the water levels are fun!

Entertainment: The Impossible Lair may receive top billing, but the entire journey leading to that titular final challenge is rewarding

Replay: Moderately high

October 16, 2019

Hello Tiffylove2,

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October 16, 2019

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October 15, 2019

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Other Ocean Interactive

Release: October 25, 2019

Platform: PlayStation 4

It’s been twenty-one years since the original MediEvil spooked players. Developer Other Ocean Emeryville is hoping to once again ensnare players’ imaginations. But, has the game stood the test of time? We recently talked with Mike Mika, chief creative officer, and Jeff Nachbaur, producer, about their upcoming game. If their passion is any indication, gamers have a treat in store this Halloween. The MediEvil Remake is not content with igniting mere nostalgia. Instead, Developer Other Ocean Emeryville has set out to create the fiendish vision the original was always intended to be, but couldn’t because of hardware limitation. Here are the reasons they might just succeed:

For more on MediEvil be sure to check out our hands-on impressions from Gamescom.

October 15, 2019

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October 15, 2019

Hello dienteclaro,

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October 15, 2019

Publisher: NIS America

Developer: Nihon Falcom

Release: October 22, 2019

Reviewed on: PlayStation 4

The Trails of Cold Steel franchise continues to impress me. Whether it’s in the depth added to its fantastic turn-based battle system or the intriguing revelations tucked into its sprawling storyline, Nihon Falcom keeps taking the series in exciting directions. The way the developer has built up a massive world and its political tensions is fascinating, referencing events that happened way back in the Trails in the Sky arc. Seeing how all this history and lore unfolds has been an exciting part of the journey. Fans are constantly treated to callbacks and character reunions that feel like rewards for the long investment. While the narrative is certainly a big draw, Trails of Cold Steel III is also a solid RPG through and through, especially if you yearn for something with a classic feel and modern sensibilities.

As the third entry in this four-game arc, Trails of Cold Steel III sets the stage for the grand finale. Instead of narrowing the focus or dialing back, Nihon Falcom goes all-out, adding tons of new characters and retaining familiar faces. The story picks up about a year and a half since the last entry’s civil war. Protagonist Rean has since graduated and become a professor at a new branch of Thors Academy, one reserved for the outcasts and misfits. After growing exceptionally close to the cast of the past games (don’t worry you’ll see them plenty), I was worried about how I’d take to a new class, but the fresh faces bring a lot of interesting dimensions to the plot. For instance, gunner Juna formerly worked at the Crossbell police academy, providing a more personal perspective on how political events affected that area.

I grew to love most of the new students, but not all are great. Musse is just awful; her main shtick is constantly hitting on Rean, which is overplayed and gets grating fast. The coolest scenes in the story are the reunions with familiar characters from past games. Everyone reenters Rean’s life in an interesting or surprising fashion, making these moments feel super satisfying if you’ve been following the expansive plot through multiple games. If you haven’t, there is a backstory glossary that catches you up on everything from key characters to detailed summaries that break down each game. You can certainly get by using this, but this story is best experienced having played the previous two entries.

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Trails of Cold Steel is content to keep its school-year structure, allowing you to guide the new Class VII on field assignments and socialize with them in your off time. The social elements remain a highlight, and this entry provides several opportunities to hang out with your new students or former classmates. You even have a camp where you can catch up, unearthing extra details or opening new side quests. But sometimes you have too much downtime, and the school aspects feel drawn out, creating busywork before you get to the good stuff. Just like previous entries, this installment is massive and slow-burning. I like how this builds up the relationships and world, but bloated dialogue segments and chore-like fetch quests test my patience.

The turn-based battle system remains one of my favorites in recent years due to its many options. You’re forced to use your head instead of spamming attacks and specials. While the system is still focused on enemy weaknesses, character placement, and timing, Nihon Falcom introduced some new elements to keep you on your toes. A break gauge causes enemies to cease all actions for a turn with lowered defenses. I loved saving all my specials for this moment so they’d pack an even greater punch, as watching the high damage add up is extremely satisfying. Another new addition is Brave Order, which allows you to activate tide-changing perks, such as reflecting damage or taking half-damage. Implementing them into my strategy quickly became a new wrinkle to conquer boss battles. You can also now perform a “Burst” with two linked characters, which multiples break damage by 10. All of these new mechanics play off each other wonderfully, and combining them at the right times is a recipe for devastation. They make you feel powerful, and the gratification from crafting smart strategies is hard to top.

While I enjoy the combat, the dungeons stand to be improved. For a good portion of the game, you revisit and run through trials in a bland practice dungeon. Outside of battles, you find switches and crawl through ducts to reach different places, with the latter being especially overdone, alongside the commentary about being able to see up the girls’ skirts every time you enter one. The dungeon design is simply uninspired; all the floors have a sterile feel, with only differing color schemes giving them any defining features. You also fight in other places such as forests, caves, and ruins, but they are pretty generic.

Trails of Cold Steel III’s strengths outweigh its weaknesses. While the story takes its sweet time to unfold, it offers a lot of shocking outcomes. I won’t spoil anything, but I will say that things just keep heating up and I can’t wait to see what’s ahead. There’s something special about following characters for so long across various games – that attachment makes these journeys matter so much more. I just hope the next entry addresses the more glaring flaws, because there’s too much good here for it to be bogged down by a few problem areas.

Score: 8

Summary: With great combat, an engrossing narrative, and a charming cast, Cold Steel III has all the makings of a great RPG.

Concept: Put lead character Rean in the role of professor and introduce fresh threats to an all-new Class VII

Graphics: The visuals certainly have a dated look, especially the environments. However, the new designs for the returning characters look great

Sound: Repetitive music loses its appeal fast, and the quality of voice acting is inconsistent

Playability: Occasional framerate stutters and graphical hiccups aside, the controls are smooth and all the mechanics are well-explained

Entertainment: Trails of Cold Steel III marks another school year full of adrenaline-pumping battles, interesting new faces, and unexpected hardships amidst political turmoil

Replay: Moderate

October 14, 2019

Welcome to the first episode of our Apex Devstream where we invite you to join us at Respawn to catch up on what's happening in Apex Legends, go behind the scenes with the team, and showcase the amazing stuff our players create.

October 14, 2019

Currently, Apex Legends’ tutorial, called “training ground,” only lets you follow a set series of steps as character Lifeline. That’s going to change soon, as you’ll be able to switch characters, use attachments, and train with your squad.

Score: 9

Summary: Bungie's latest release is a good expansion on its own, but the way it sets the stage for the future of the Destiny franchise is its most impressive feat.

Concept: Return to the moon for new adventures, and witness the continued evolution of the Destiny franchise toward MMO styling

Graphics: From haunted corridors far beneath the lunar surface to teeming overgrown gardens, Bungie continues to meld fantasy inspirations into its sci-fi playground

Sound: The orchestral scoring remains among the best in gaming, while the exaggerated personas of the lead characters are voiced with pathos and emotion

Playability: Gunplay continues to set the industry standard. The game still needs to do a better job of guiding its players to needed information and tasks, especially over a shifting leveling curve

Entertainment: Not as expansive in initial scope as previous expansions, Shadowkeep’s standout feature is instead the way it redefines the core loop and encourages week-to-week investment

Replay: High

October 9, 2019

Publisher: Rockstar Games

Developer: Rockstar Games

Release: October 26, 2018

Rating: Mature

Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Despite releasing last year, Red Dead Redemption II has been in the news a lot lately, with new content in Red Dead Online and the announcement of a PC version scheduled to launch on November 5. On that latter point, Rockstar today revealed more information about what is going to be different about PC version compared to its console counterparts.

Gamers can obviously expect some graphical improvements that take full advantage of the hardware, like increased draw distances, improved lighting, and better textures. But beyond that, the PC version will also have new content that wasn't in the previous release. That includes brand-new horses (and new variations of existing horses), three bounty hunter missions, two additional gang hideouts, two new treasure maps, and extra weapons for the story mode (some of which are already in Red Dead Online), and more.

Players who pre-purchase the game via the Rockstar Games Launcher (until October 22) also get a bevy of other goodies, like a free upgrade to the premium edition, bonus cash for story mode and online, and a war horse for single-player. As another incentive, this deal also includes two free Rockstar PC games (selected from: Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Bully: Scholarship Edition, L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition, and Max Payne 3: The Complete Edition). You can get all the details at the official site.

You probably knew this already, but the original console release of Red Dead Redemption II was excellent (we gave it a 10), and these improvements may give everyone a reason to jump back in with the new version.

October 9, 2019

Hello Shadow1981,

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October 9, 2019

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October 8, 2019

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October 8, 2019

Publisher: Good Shepherd Entertainment

Developer: Mike Bithell Games

Release: October 8, 2019

Rating: Mature

Reviewed on: Mac

Also on: PC

John Wick walks into the room. Like a clockwork automaton, his movements are precise. His eyes effortlessly scan for danger. The gun in his hand snaps forward like the head of a serpent, spitting bullets like venom. Even more than most action heroes, John Wick exudes stone-cold confidence, and Bithell Games’ strategy adaptation perfectly captures that style. I’ve rarely felt like such a capable assassin than while playing John Wick Hex. Even after a few repetitive encounters and an aggressive enemy A.I. tried to cut my ego back down to size, they couldn’t diminish the overall high I felt playing Hex.

The John Wick franchise is all about speed and nonstop action, so Hex’s choice to distill battles down to one-second chunks seems a bit odd. Fortunately, it works. In Hex, you navigate John Wick through a series of seedy underbellies as he takes down a seemingly endless stream of mob thugs. Each time a new enemy enters Wick’s field of view, the action stops and you have the opportunity to issue a new command. John Wick isn’t a turned-based strategy game, but it offers some of that slow-paced, contemplative action. Yet magically, these slow-mo firefights feel as tense and hyperkinetic as a real-time shooter.

Most of my time with Hex was spent calculating the length of time it took for John Wick to complete each order. Firing a pistol takes a full 1.5 seconds, while shoving a nearby enemy takes 1.3 seconds, and parrying an attack takes only .5 seconds. Those time difference might sound relatively insignificant, but the difference between life and death is measured in nanoseconds. Some weapons also take longer to fire than others; lining up a shot with a shotgun consumes more time than the standard pistol, but it does significantly more damage. Fortunately, Hex does a fantastic job laying out the timeline for upcoming attacks, and I always knew what my foes were planning and how much time I had to retaliate. Wick is almost always faster than his enemies, but when three goons burst through a door, managing enemy timelines becomes an exciting juggling act.

I regularly felt outmanned and outgunned, but overcoming the odds feels amazing. In the span of only a few seconds I could parry one attack, then – while one foe was stunned – initiate a grappling takedown of another enemy, which would place me behind cover and allow Wick to narrowly avoiding incoming gunfire. Finding a few seconds to squeeze off your own attack is often harrowing, but stepping over a room full of fallen foes is incredibly satisfying.

Some of Wick’s best attacks and defensive moves cost focus. For example, the dodge roll makes Wick incredibly hard to hit and allows him to quickly traverse the length of a room. Every time I ran out of focus mid-battle, I felt handicapped; much like reloading, finding time to replenish Wick’s focus is tricky, but this adds a welcome wrinkle to the strategy.

Wick begins the game as a highly capable assassin, which means he doesn’t have much room to grow. The tactics and strategies I used at the end of the game were the same ones I learned during the opening levels. Before each mission, you have the opportunity to purchase upgrades that improve your hit percentages or lower the focus cost for some moves, but these are temporary buffs and I often found it more useful to spend my coins on extra bandages and weapons instead.

Click image thumbnails to view larger version

Most of the challenge in the later levels comes from throwing more thugs your way or introducing more resilient enemies. When I did get overwhelmed, I was forced to start each level over from the beginning. Fortunately, these levels are relatively short, but I was frustrated to have to play through a level’s early encounters repeatedly when I kept getting hung up near the end.

The narrative doesn’t bring anything new to the table. Hex is set in a period before the films, when John Wick still works for The High Table and recounts a mission where he must hunt down and kill the lieutenants of a villain named Hex. This plot largely serves only to introduce a number of marks for John Wick to hunt down, and doesn’t contribute much to the franchise’s wider lore.

Despite those frustrations, I continually returned to John Wick Hex because the core mechanics are incredibly tight. Thanks to Hex’s clever time management systems I always felt one step ahead of my enemies and capable of constructing the kinds of sophisticated close-quarters gunfights that make the films so exciting. John Wick Hex might hit the same note over and over again, but it’s one incredible note.

Score: 8

Summary: A few repetitive encounters and aggressive A.I. don't diminish the overall highs Hex offers.

Concept: Slow down John Wick’s hyper-violent gunfights to create a series of tense strategic encounters

Graphics: This dark, comic book aesthetic fits the tone of the universe. Sadly, a few jerky animations don’t do this hitman justice

Sound: Actors Ian McShane and Lance Reddick reprise their characters from the films, which adds some authenticity to the experience. John Wick is played as a silent hero, so no Keanu Reeves

Playability: Hex expertly breaks down John Wick-style fights into a series of puzzle-like encounters, but your combat options don’t expand much over the course of the game

Entertainment: At its best, John Wick Hex makes you feel like a trained assassin, but those moments are interrupted by strings of repetitive action

Replay: Moderate

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October 8, 2019

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Paris

Release: October 4, 2019

Rating: Mature

Reviewed on: Xbox One

Also on: PlayStation 4, PC

Ghost Recon Breakpoint is a conflicted mess of an open-world experience. It is unreliable in almost everything it offers, from tactical firefights and enemy intelligence to open-world exploration and mission flow. Developer Ubisoft Paris also didn’t solve the issue of repetition that plagued Ghost Recon Wildlands – it’s even worse this time around. Flashes of brilliance are scattered amid the turmoil, but no matter how much you try to latch onto them, the game finds another way to pull you down and upend your progress.

When Breakpoint works as intended, it delivers thrilling four-player cooperative strategy. This includes satisfying stealth, fun drone surveillance, heavy firearms that kick like mules, plenty of useful loot, and maybe even a gripping story sequence that makes you look forward to the next mission. When things don’t go as planned (which is more often the case) Breakpoint is broken. Bosses come back to life, teammates respawn over a mile away, your character is inexplicably unable to aim over a barrier, and enemies stop dead in their tracks right in front of you. In some of my play sessions, a mission would go off without a hitch. In others, my squad couldn’t do anything without some kind of glitch (like one of us falling through the world geometry) throwing a kink in our strategies.

The game’s set up is quite good: You and a small group of Ghosts have been deployed to Auroa to handle a terrorist threat that just happens to have a connection to your past. Cole Walker, a former Ghost who you ran with back in the day, wants to weaponize the island’s innovative drone technology. You need to stop him. From Far Cry to Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft often struggles to deliver interesting villains, but not with Walker. He is immediately imposing, and brought to life exceptionally well by actor Jon Bernthal. Walker holds your interest, but the story doesn’t deliver much to grasp onto other than him, and ends up hitting the same dull note repeatedly. The side stories, of which there are many, also don’t have much of a pulse, even with some moments offering player choice. Breakpoint’s story is better than Wildlands’, but that isn’t saying much. The scenes with Walker are usually captivating in disturbing ways, but that’s about all the narrative successfully delivers.

Ubisoft’s decision to create a fictional place is a success that pays dividends from start to finish. Auroa is an island where the brightest minds in technology congregate to improve the world. Aurora’s scenic mountains, valleys, swamps, and tundra, feature pockets of sci-fi like industrialization. Many buildings look like artistic sculptures, and the people who work here live like royalty in homes with open views of the stunning landscapes. Helicopter rides give players a chance to fully appreciate this beautifully realized world, which is filled with side missions, random points of interest that hold loot and collectibles, and some areas are even used for fun 4v4 PvP Ghost War battles.

The belief that you are a part of a thriving world is more defined than in Wildlands thanks in part to the introduction of a social hub called Erewhon, a small village tucked inside of a mountain cavern. Erewhon, as interesting as it is for the fiction, is sadly used as a mission destination too often, forcing players to fast travel excessively. Why can’t we just call the mission giver on the phone to get a 10-second update before having to head out again?

Outside of this unwanted pitstop, mission setups are usually interesting, giving players numerous interaction points, including some that require a little detective work, like tracking down a document or interrogating a high-ranking official to learn where a dangerous target is. As varied as the mission setup and objectives are, the act of completing these tasks is repetitive, and you are rarely challenged in different ways. Ubisoft’s other open-world shooter, The Division 2, did a fantastic job with mission flow, taking players to through long and well-conceived areas. Breakpoint is the exact opposite, pushing players to either aggressively or stealthily reach a point of interest and then move on to the next. As empowering as it is to enter a location however you want, the lack of structure makes every mission feel routine. With few enemy types to confront over the course of the entire game, most assaults usually end up feeling the same, too. Being able to spawn a helicopter from any bonfire means you don’t really ever need to use any of the other vehicles to explore the world. The best path to success is doing the same things over and over again.

That said, stealth in Breakpoint is handled admirably. The auto-stick cover system creates damning problems for shooting over obstacles, but it works fairly well for sneaking, and the enemy observation meter fills slowly enough to allow for quick course correction should you get stuck on the wrong side of a wall. If the enemies are alerted to your position, they attack with everything they have and can kill you and your squad quickly. However, they don't stand a chance if you hunker down in a protected spot. They are too aggressive, and will funnel to you one by one until their entire division is wiped out, making most missions fairly easy if you can find such a location. Most areas are filled with rooms you can use to exploit the A.I. Guns feel great and are varied, but what you use them against rarely puts up a good fight.

Enemies drop plenty of loot, and Ubisoft does a nice job of making most of it meaningful. As you progress, you slowly advance in rank (with 150 being the ultimate goal to topple the final mission, which you can access from the beginning). The loot is awesome in how bountiful and varied it is, but none of it makes much sense. Yes, a +7 gun is better than a +2 gun, but you also find a low green-ranked baseball cap offers more protection than a rare gold-ranked helmet. The rags-to-riches path of making your character look cooler as the game goes on isn’t here, and instead seems to be completely random as to what the most powerful items in the game are. My final form consisted of a stocking cap and plastic surgeon gloves.

The most telling moment in Breakpoint came during the final mission. My team successfully took down the final boss, and then hacked a computer to end a crisis. My character nodded approvingly and smiled awkwardly, and then, just when it seemed like the credits would roll, my squad reappeared in the world, and the boss was back. This time around, he was invincible, and ended up wiping us out with ease. When we respawned, the mission had reset to its first step. It was an unfortunate bug that wiped out a good hour of work.

This final moment with Breakpoint sums up the game perfectly. There was a sense of victory, and then it all fell apart and became a maddening mess. I had some fun playing with friends, but constantly found myself wondering how this follow-up could go so wrong.

Score: 6

Summary: Ubisoft's newest open-world experience struggles to deliver reliable combat and interesting things to do.

Concept: A sloppy open-world experience that offers plenty to do, but hardly any of it is executed in clever or stable ways

Graphics: Auroa is the best part of the game – an island filled with beautiful forests, mountains, and cleverly designed near-future settlements

Sound: The noisy pop of the guns is satisfying, but isn’t enough to compensate for the awful dialogue

Playability: The guns feel great and allow players to line up shots from great distances. Enemy A.I. is hilariously bad and can be exploited for easy victories. Your character can’t walk on most inclines without falling, which is odd

Entertainment: Playing with friends can be fun, especially when stealth is working. But whether the game “works” is the key question at all times

Replay: Moderate

October 8, 2019

From October 15 to November 5 we will be running our next limited-time event for Apex Legends, Fight or Fright. This haunting event is packed with exciting content including an all-new limited-time mode featuring Kings Canyon at night, exclusive event challenges where you can earn free loot, special Halloween inspired Collection Event cosmetics, and more. To tell you more about the event we have Lee Horn, Director of Product Management for Apex Legends, to fill you in on all the spooky detail.

Hey All,

Leeeeeee-RSPN here with an overview on the Apex Legends Fight or Fright Collection Event.

As a reminder, a Collection Event is just one of the three event types in Apex legends. In addition to introducing an exciting new limited-time mode, we've also made some adjustments to the Fight or Fright Event Limited cosmetics designed to give players more choice on how they obtain these items.

TL;DR - What’s in the Event & Key Changes to the Event Structure:

Limited Time Mode - Shadowfall
- Featuring a nighttime version of Kings Canyon
Exclusive event challenges with free earnable cosmetics, including Two Legendary Weapon Skins
24 Event Limited premium cosmetics that players can now unlock in one of three ways:
- Direct purchase for Apex Coins
- Direct unlock with Crafting Metals
- Random unlock with Event Apex Packs
  - Additionally, the Event Currency in these packs has been replaced with non-event loot drops, yielding more loot overall
Lifeline Heirloom Set Preview
- Unlock all 24 Fight or Fright pack cosmetics during the event and unlock the Lifeline Heirloom set for free
Double XP for Top 5 & Wins Weekend

Experience Kings Canyon at Night in an All-New Limited Time Mode - Shadowfall

Darkness descends on Kings Canyon in Shadowfall, a warped version of the Apex games hosted by a mysterious figure.

At the start of a match, you and 34 other solo players will drop into an eerily-lit Kings Canyon and fight to the death… with a dark twist. Once you die you will respawn as an undead version of your Legend and join the powerful “Shadow Squad”.

As part of the Shadow Squad, you will lose your ability to use weapons and your legend abilities will be stripped, but in return, you will be given increased movement and jump speed, along with a brutal melee attack. You’ll also have the ability to scale walls and be given unlimited respawns via skydive.

The battle rages until there are only ten living Legends left, who must then join forces and make it to an evac ship while the Shadow Squad attempts to stop them at all costs.

Complete Event Challenges for Exclusive Fight or Fright Cosmetics, including Two Legendary Weapon Skins

During Fight or Fright, complete a variety of challenges to earn free exclusive skins, badges and music packs.

Clip of it in action

Get a closer look here

Event Limited Premium Cosmetics

The Fight or Fright Collection Event brings another set of 24 themed, limited-time cosmetics to Apex. We strive to give players choice in how they can obtain in-game cosmetics, so for this Event we've updated the ways players can unlock these premium Collection Event cosmetics.

All 24 Event-Exclusive Fight or Fright Collection Event items will be available, from day 1, via direct purchase, crafting, and Event Apex Packs.

Direct Purchase
- Legendaries - 1,800 Apex Coins
- Epics - 1,000 Apex Coins
Crafting
- Legendaries - 2,400 Crafting Metals
- Epics - 800 Crafting Metals
Event Apex Packs
- 700 Apex Coins

We've also removed event currency from the Event Apex Packs and have replaced it with additional loot. This means that players will get more total items in each Event Apex Pack. There are also zero duplicates in these packs. To get further into that spooky spirit, each Fight or Fright Collection Character Skin will also come with 2 themed quips.

apex-media-fight-or-fright-probabilities.jpg.adapt.crop16x9.320w.jpg

Non-Event items can be from the following categories: Weapon Skins, Legend Skins, Legend Finishers, Banner Frames, Banner Poses, Banner Stat Trackers, Intro Quips, Kills Quips or Crafting Metals.

We’re also updating the way you unlock the newest Heirloom item during the preview event. If you unlock all 24 Fight of Fright Collection Pack Items during the event, you’ll unlock the Lifeline Heirloom set for free. If you don’t manage to unlock this new Heirloom set during the event, it will be available as a bonus in Apex Packs after the event ends.

Double Top 5 & Wins XP weekend

From 10am PST on October 25 through 10am PST on October 28 players will earn double XP for Top 5’s and Wins all weekend long. This bonus will affect both Account Level and Battle Pass progression.

As always, we appreciate all of your support and feedback. Can’t wait to see you on the Frontier!

Leeeeeee-RSPN

FAQ

What is the availability of Event items?

Event challenge badges, cosmetics and music pack - Event Exclusive
24 Fight or Fright cosmetics - Event Limited
Lifeline Heirloom Set - Available for direct unlock during the event preview. Available via Apex Packs after the event ends

Is the Lifeline Heirloom Set available in any pack type during the Fight or Fright Collection Event?

The Lifeline Heirloom Set is only available via direct unlock after completing the Fight or Fright Collection during the Event and cannot be obtained via a Fight or Fright Collection Event pack.

When do Apex Pack openings count towards an Heirloom Set?

Apex Pack openings only count toward the 500 pack Bonus Heirloom Set opening limit when there are eligible Heirloom Sets available in the Apex Pack bonus pool.