A Whole Bunch of Character Based Multiplayer Games

January 28, 2016 Alex McCumbers

This year looks to be a competitive year in the multiplayer space. The past few years have shown the rise of E-Sports centered on MOBAs, creating some of the most exciting and memorable moments in gaming history. Looking to cash in on this action, or looking to innovate, many large gaming companies have invested in pursuing character-based, multiplayer experiences. What has resulted is many, many games, most of which are in testing phases and are almost ready for launch. While there may be too many to note in one article, I’ll be attempting to catalog the newest fad in game design.

Paragon – Release date to be announced

Paragon comes from Epic Games, the team behind the Xbox giant Gears of War. Even with limited footage, Paragon looks like Gears if each character had special powers in a MOBA setting. Gameplay looks awesome and the characters carry that detail expected from the studio. Beta tests will roll out early this year and hopefully Giga will get a chance to try it first had. Either way, given Epic’s resume in the multiplayer space, Paragon is a game to watch.

Battleborn – May 3rd, 2016

Created by Gearbox Software, Battleborn looks to be bringing its chaotic style to the MOBA market. The art style is stylized using similar character designs to its hit Borderlands franchise, but with more accentuated limbs and body types. Characters range from a fungal ninja to a penguin in a mech suit to provide a hilarious spin to gameplay. Battleborn looks to be a game with tons of variety in characters, but will its final version be able to stay afloat in the market? We’ll find out in May.

Overwatch – June 21st, 2016

Sporting a visual style comparable to a Pixar film, Blizzard‘s Overwatch has recently seen positive praise in closed beta. While that same beta is currently taking a break for improvements, it should be returning early this year with a full release coming in June. Blizzard’s excellent design creates a fun blast-fest with each character teeming with personality. As of yet, this game doesn’t sport the MOBA-style gameplay as the games I mentioned earlier, but it does have some solid modes that are familiar to anyone who’s played Team Fortress 2. Blizzard’s track record and knack for continued support could make Overwatch a must play, not just for this year, but for years to come.

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Paladins – Release date to be announced

Paladins is a game from one of my favorite studios, Hi-Rez the same team behind Smite, an awesome MOBA with mythological characters. Its newest project, Paladins, seeks to shake up the arena FPS genre with its card system. While I’ve already went in depth with Paladins, its important to note that its being made by a much smaller studio by comparison. That said, Paladins is shaping up to be an awesome game, as its updated frequently with help by its players. Even in its early stages, there is tons of potential in this one.

Final Thoughts

What is there to take from this movement in game design? Following major success, many game companies try their hand in similar styles. It’s nothing new for the industry. When Street Fighter 2 became insanely popular, there were tons of fighting games to come out soon after like TMNT: Tournament Fighters and King of Fighters. That’s just a small example as it’s happened several times over each generation of video games.

Taking a step back and looking at this similarity in the market is a bit disconcerting and comical. Yet, these games need to be made to explore the genre. Who knows which of the games above will truly blow its players out of the water? Each explore similar concepts in different ways. It’s a necessary part of the evolution of gaming as a whole.

What’s important is that even if these games succeed or fail, gamers win. These shooters could release to a trumpet of praise, standing on their own merit and creating awesome experiences and communities. Each of these character-based games, while similar, will provide another world for gamers to explore.

Nothing is wrong with more worlds to visit, but all of them seem to have a blue sky.

Fighting, Game File, Games and Software

Street Fighter V Cinematic Story Mode Coming This Summer!

January 28, 2016 Nathan Joseph Sitton Marchand

Great news, Street Fighters! Capcom announced recently in a new press release that the PS4 exclusive Street Fighter V will have a “cinematic story mode” as a free update this summer. Not only that, but each character’s individual stories—i.e. the stories for each one in the arcade mode, most likely—will serve as prologues to this larger tale.

“Players will have the opportunity to play through individual character stories that provide important background information on each of the characters, their roles in the game, and their relationships with other fighters. The character stories have a recognizable throwback art style created by Bengus, a famous Japanese illustrator who has worked on a variety of past Street Fighter projects,” Capcom said.

Then in June 2016, all SFV players will receive the cinematic story mode for free. Capcom says it takes place between Street Fighter IV and Street Fighter III (the former is actually a prequel to the latter, which, admittedly, is a bit confusing), and they promise it will bridge the gap between the two games. “This is the first time in franchise history that fans will be able to play through this type of cinematic-story experience in a Street Fighter game.”

Here’s a teaser trailer for the upcoming mode:

Capcom went on saying players will be able to earn in-game money called “Zenny” to purchase DLC characters (no word yet on if it can be used to buy other DLC items like costumes), by playing through individual character stories and other single-player modes.

Finally, Capcom announced that the final SFV beta will run January 30-31.

Personally, this has me more excited than ever to play the game. Heck, it’s the big reason why I’m using a portion of my tax refund to buy a PS4. While I’m sad that certain characters like Sagat don’t appear to be returning for this game (at least as playable characters), hearing about this in-depth story mode makes me think this could be the best Street Fighter game yet, especially for longtime fans like myself.
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In previous games, the Street Fighter mythos was mostly developed by piecemeal with each character’s ending (and sometimes prologue) in the arcade mode. These formed semi-coherent though simple plotlines. Instruction manuals for most of these classic games also included some biographical information on each character, which fed into the narrative. However, as time went on, things did start to get a bit confusing—like who the heck is Gill? Street Fighter V promises to deliver on what appears to be an epic story, which could also be dangerous. As I mentioned, most of the cast of Street Fighter II—and Street Fighter IV, for that matter—are absent in Street Fighter III. Capcom could be crazy and kill off some characters. I don’t know if they would, and it would have to be done carefully to avoid an abundant backlash from fans.

It’s refreshing to see Capcom continuing the trend of story-driven fighting games. For years the genre lagged behind most others, which have steadily increased the amount of narrative in their games to keep players interested. Just as games like the new Killer Instinct and Mortal Kombat X have borrowed gameplay elements from Street Fighter, Capcom is following suit on adding more story. Interestingly, while most think this started with NeatherRealm’s 2011 reboot of Mortal Kombat, they actually did it first in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Before that, cult classic games like Guilty Gear X2 and, to a lesser extent, the King of Fighters series featured in-depth story modes. The difference is these older games utilize still artwork and Japanese dialogue with subtitles to detail their plotlines. It doesn’t help that these stories are convoluted and, honestly, insane. Street Fighter may be comic book-y, what with its supervillains bent on taking over the world…

via GIPHY

…among other things in its minimal storylines, but it still makes more sense than most of what goes on in those other games’ complicated narratives.

At the moment, plot details remain scarce. I’d daresay, “Mum’s the word,” with Capcom as to what might be going on in SFV’s cinematic story. There’s no word yet on if players will cycle through playable characters like in Injustice: Gods Among Us or sit back and watch like in Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign-. If Capcom is smart, it’ll follow NeatherRealm’s example with the former. It looks like M. Bison may once again be the final boss, which hasn’t happened since the Street Fighter Alpha games. Considering that other than Necalli no other characters seemed like they fill that role, it’s a welcome throwback to the series’ roots.

For now, players can be excited that Street Fighter V is only a few weeks away. It will be released February 16. (I’m getting the special edition).

Get those fight pads and arcade sticks ready!

Games and Software

Top Japanese Gods that Deserve a Spot in Smite

January 19, 2016 Alex McCumbers 8 Comments

Smite‘s newest addition of Amaterasu to the playable roster is not only interesting from a player’s perspective, but also for the potential additions that Japanese mythology could bring. The ritualistic Shinto religion has some truly awesome entities, adding a multitude of possible designs and game mechanics.

To celebrate the new Pantheon, I’ve compiled a list of candidates that need to be in my favorite MOBA. These choices are in no particular order. I’ll also add my thoughts on what class they could be categorized by in the game.

Fujin and Raijin – Mage

Heroes of the Storm introduced an interesting cooperative character this year in the form of Cho’gall, adding an interesting layer to the MOBA scene. What better way for Hi-Rez to experiment with this than with Fujin and Raijin.

Fujin and Raijin are gods of wind and thunder respectively, being some of the oldest deities in Japanese culture. It’s also odd to not see them together both in myth and in pop culture, so it makes sense to attempt a cooperative character. Together with two players, these demons could bring about truly terrible storms that would leave even might Zeus scared.

Kappa – Mage

Aside from the hilarious comparison to one of the famous emoticons of Twitch, Kappa would make for an interesting comedic character for the Japanese Pantheon. Kappa are devious little creatures that try to pull their victims into rivers. Their downfall lies in their bowl-like heads full of water for if this becomes empty, they die.

As a Mage, Kappa could lay down tricky spells, spraying water all about. His ultimate could pull enemies into a river, similar to Sobek’s ultimate, but one that could isolate opponents for damage.

Hotei – Guardian

Every pantheon needs a few hefty Guardians to distract opponents and be the pillars of team fights. Hotei is prominently seen as a god of luck and wealth. Many statues can be found in Japanese homes, hopefully bringing prosperity to those who leave offerings.

Hotei could make for an interesting character in Smite, especially if Hi-Rez decided to add a way for Hotei to spread wealth and prosperity to the team. Doing so without upsetting balance could prove challenging, but it would be interesting to see a much more passive Guardian on the roster.

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Susanoo – Warrior

Sure, Amaterasu is already a bad ass samurai, but why not open up the roster with even more katana wielders. Susanoo would make for an interesting Warrior, able to dish out damage or stay in the fight. Known for his battle against Orochi, there are few warriors more deserving than this guy.

Hi-Rez could certainly work into Susanoo’s design Orochi as well, either as a cool passive involving the many heads or an ultimate using this deadly dragon in some way.

Hare of Inaba – Assassin

The Norse Pantheon recieved a tiny, but mighty Assassin when Ratatoskr was released. Hi-Rez definitely had a blast designing the messenger squirrel, so it would make sense for them to do similar treatment for the Japanese rabbit. The Hare of Inaba also has connection to Amaterasu, once guiding her to a sacred mountain.

As a character, the Hare could also guide her allies into battle with plenty of buffs and heals. For damage, she could lead enemies away with a hypnosis like attack to pull them away and then follow up with a line dash. There’s also room for more cute characters in the roster.

Komainu – Warrior

Smite is particularly interesting with its non-human characters, such as Kukulkhan. Adding to that mix, the Komainu have an iconic design found guarding many Shinto shrines in Japan. Komainu are the guardians of special places, showing nobility or sacredness. They are usually fierce, warding off evil from these places.

Playing on the fact that these lion-like monsters are usually made of stone, Hi-Rez could add in a protective stone form that adds defense. Couple this with a pounce and a stun, would make for an interesting beast character.

Wow, the possibilities that the Japanese culture brings to Smite are staggering. There are so many creatures and deities I would love to see in the game.

What Japanese entities deserve a spot in Smite? Let us know, Giga Bytes.

Literary, Otaku, Pop Culture

In-Depth with the Soul Eater Manga

January 13, 2016 Alex McCumbers

A sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound body. – Maka Albarn

Soul Eater is a blast to watch in its anime form. From the driving guitar riff of its opening; to the fluid, over the top animation; to the tender moments between characters; there’s a lot to love in this series. After watching many episodes of the anime and coming to name it one of my favorite shows, I decided to dive into the manga a couple years ago.

Recently, I have finished what I started. This journey into madness to find what makes a soul special was a bit different from the anime. Though the path diverges at various points, the adventure is well worth exploring. Both the manga and the animated adaptation hit similar notes overall: madness, the human spirit and humor.

Artist and writer Okubo sketching the main character, Maka Albarn.

The Soul Eater manga has been in development for about ten years or so. First published in 2004 by none other than Square Enix, Atsushi Okubo penned a unique world in which Meisters and Weapons hunt down monsters to get stronger, culminating in the final hunt of a witch. Doing so, allows the weapon a massive power boost and the title of a Death Weapon, to be used by Death himself. In short, most of the main characters seek to better themselves and their weapon partners in this fashion. Twenty-five volumes hold Soul Eater’s story.

Dynamic lines show off mastery of motion by Okubo. Maka knows how to use her Scythe!

The characters do have simple designs, but this simplicity allows for more room in the plot, which doesn’t break any molds, but remains one of the most enjoyable rides in manga, having layers of meaning in each scene. The precise line-work and use of perspective also gives the artist room to depict action, creating fluid fight scenes.

stein1 — Dr. Franken Stein has trouble with madness as he just wants to take things apart to study what makes them tick.

Madness permeates Soul Eater’s story as it does the world in the pages. The artwork compliments this perfectly with jagged lines and blurred splotches. Scenes with the monstrous Kishin are terrifying, even though there’s little threat to the main cast. Madness becomes the main antagonist, making it the big bad instead of a central character, although a character comes to embody that madness. Early plot lines focus on characters gaining power, while battling their own inner demons to avoid going mad.

Maka breaks during a battle with her friend Crona, making for a disturbing battle between the crazed.

What’s interesting is that the story focuses on exploring what it means to go mad. It details the process of this in many of its characters, each having unique reactions and coping strategies to madness. Black Star, a ninja wanting to be the strongest entity in the world, goes mad with power lust. He becomes godlike in his physical power, trumping all foes with brute force and rashness. Compare this to Soul Evans’ madness of inner collapse and fear of being accepted by others. Even the stoic and reasonable Maka goes crazy while trying to keep things together and breaking for a moment.

Crona walks away from Maka, the only friend in the darkness.

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The story also shows the triumph of the human spirit in its portrayal of the characters and the framework of the Academy. Meisters must master their weapons by perfecting their souls through battle against dark, wicked forces. The whole concept is a trial by fire, becoming especially interesting with the cast of villains. Crona, child of the witch Medusa, is one of the most peculiar characters of this theme. Lacking a clear gender and a solid mind due to Medusa’s abuse and experiments, Crona slowly develops into a demon, but does have instances of redemption.

Death the Kid has a hard time dealing with a random obsession with boobs after the final battle with madness.

Humor provides the contrast for the dark plot and themes. Some of the funniest lines are juxtaposed immediately after insane, and often gory, battles. Even at the end of the manga’s story, Okubo lightens the mood by showing how the characters suddenly have an obsession with breasts immediately after madness threatened to cover the world. As this goes on after seeing the height of Soul Eater’s plot, it feels absurd, causing laughs and anger all at once.

Medusa shows motherly love to Crona for the first time.

Yet, Death the Kid makes a comment that pulls this absurdity into the realm of reason. Crona was one of the driving forces of the final battle. Maybe his emotions affected the world as well? Death then concludes that it was due to Crona’s lack of a true mother, touching on Freudian concepts. This comedy contrasted with tragedy is what gives Soul Eater a unique tone; it’s built in layers.

Blair_Manga — Blair is a witch that is also a cat and she has no shame. Also one of the stronger witches in the series.

Soul Eater, on the surface, is an action comic of ridiculous proportions. Characters transform into powerful weapons. The sun and moon both have faces. Death the Kid is obsessed with symmetry. Blair the Witch is fan service in human (or cat?) form.

The complete manga set. Photo from Ebay.

However, as the story develops, even the absurdity starts to take on a different shape, explaining the complex notes of the story with imagery and character development. Even the books themselves, when put on a shelf, shows the progression of darkness as the spines get darker, eventually becoming pitch black. The final volume is bright white, showing the resolution of the story. Noticing this for the first time is a powerful feeling, making the connection between the artistic design and the writer’s words stronger.

Okubo has penned a masterpiece in writing and in art.

Cosplay of the Week, Hobbyists, Otaku

Cosplay Spotlight: The Jokumi

January 12, 2016 Kate Kane

Name/alias

The Jokumi

Location

Singapore

When was your first cosplay?

2001/2

What was it?

Noriyasu Seta from Love Hina with a shovel

Cosplay achievements

WCS Team Singapore – 2013

WCS Team Singapore – 2014

Cosplay pet peeve

That girl cosplayers will always have the prettier selection of costumes that I won’t have the opportunity to do.

What inspired you to get into cosplay?

I was so infatuated with Belldandy since she’s so pretty and gentle and stuff, and so I thought, what if I could be someone in there, like Keiichi, but I didn’t have a motorcycle when I was 18, to which I chose the next best character I felt I could pull off.

Sheryl iPhone 02 — Macross Frontier (Kindan no Elixir): Sheryl Nome Photographer: Fumina Kamiya

What is the piece you are most proud of?

Sheryl Nome – Kindan no Elixir / Prince. I’ve always wanted to cosplay my waifu.

Who is your dream team to work on a cosplay with?

Skilled people to make an unforgettable performance, who can follow schedules and be on time.

What is a typical day in the life of you when working on a cosplay?

Measuring shit, drawing shit down, cutting shit up, cutting myself, making a mess, joining shit together, poking/burning myself, ow, add finishing to shit… done…

How long does it take to do an average cosplay?

Typically 2 weeks, if I’m not lazy.

What is the process how do you start from picking out the cosplay to finally wearing it?

Do I like it?
1. Yes, proceed to 2.
2. No, don’t do it.
Do I think I can make it?
1. Yes, proceed to 3.
2. No, don’t do it.
Do I have money to eat?
1. Yes, proceed to 4.
2. No, don’t do it.
Plan all steps required to make the costume.
1. Sketch and itemize sections.
2. Digitally superimpose general image onto self in actual scale.
3. Get general actual dimensions for all items required.
Do the steps required to make the costume.
1. From 4c, draw templates on paper by hand or ideally CAD it out.
2. Transfer templates to materials (foam, cloth, etc.)
3. Cut materials and join them together (glue, sew, etc.)
  1. Do intermediate test fittings to make sure you don’t need to redo everything if something messed up.
4. Apply finishers (vinyl, paint, glittery shit, bling, etc.)
Check if what you did was right.
1. Put on everything and do final test fit.
2. Alter any parts that don’t fit properly.
Costume is complete and ready to be shown to the world.

Who are your inspirations?

Tom Hanks and Sean Connery, just to name a few. Cosplay wise, really good costume makers who have really detailed fabric knowledge and skills.

Sakura Taisen: Oogami Ichirou Photographer: Maria Tachi Cosplay

WCS

WCS stands for World Cosplay Summit. It’s where more than 2 dozen countries send a team of two to compete in Japan for the title of Best Cosplayers in the world.

What dates were you representing your nation at WCS?

August 2013 and August 2014.

What costumes did you take?

August 2013: Final Fantasy XI – Corsair.

August 2014: Sakura Taisen – Oogami Ichirou / Aoi Satan / Chibi Koubu.

What was the experience like? Tell us about the process from heats in your nation to finals in Japan.
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Singapore is a small country so there’s only registration around March and selection that is done in July.

The finals are held in August, where there’ll usually be PR and media stuff for days before the detailed costume judging, which is conducted by an international panel and held before final performances. We’ll then have the red carpet parade in the morning of the finals and then perform and wait for results in the evening.

What was the highlight for you?

Standing on the stage where the (cosplay) world looks at you for 2 and half minutes.

What was your proudest moment?

Being nominated for the Nico Nico awards in 2014 after a disastrous 2013; but it was also the saddest because we lost to cat girls.

Any funny stories or bloopers?

Sebestian and I were trying out a last minute stage effect in our hotel room. The air popper was stuck on the back of his helmet and it didn’t activate when he pressed it twice. He took it off to check what’s wrong with it and it blew up confetti almost in his face.

What advice do you have for others attempting to enter WCS?

Stamina is very important. 2 weeks of cosplaying will take a toll on your body.

Rurouni Kenshin – Kyoto Inferno: Shishio Makoto Photographer: Shaun S. Photography

What is the current project you are working on?

Captain Jack Sparrow, Suicide Squad’s Joker.

What is your dream project?

To write and direct a full length theatrical stage piece.

If you could pick anyone to act as your mentor, who would it be?

Steven Spielberg; on how to create captivating performances.

How has the industry changed since you first started?

It’s got a little idol-ly and cosplaying because the series is popular across the world now as compared to when most people were cosplaying because they really like the character and want to bring him/her to life.

How do you feel about the change to mainstream thanks to shows like The Big Bang Theory and the movies now in the cinema like Spiderman and Batman vs Superman?

I don’t really watch TV so I can’t really comment on those. Movies wise, I guess it’s interesting to see what the director’s feels and edits. Some were pretty interesting and some were a huge miss.

Anything extra you would like to share:

Remember cosplay is ultimately to bring your character to life, not just who has the prettier face or who has more bling in your costumes.

zone-00-03 — Zone-00: Kurobara Renji Photographer: Orie Yokoyama

Fun time:

Who is your favourite comic book character?

Ah! My Goddess – Hild.

Who is your favourite author (books)?

Tom Clancy.

What is your favourite movie?

Saving Private Ryan.

What is your favourite band/music artist?

Savage Garden.

What is a quirk you have (like dipping fries into chocolate Sunday)?

Giving the “rape face” to people and enjoying their “wtf” reactions.

JoJo Nagoya 210402 04 — Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure: Steel Ball Run Character: Mountain Tim Photographer: Orie Yokoyama

Pick-

Day or night

Night

Star Trek or Star Wars

Star Wars

Coffee or Tea

Coffee

Summer or Winter

Neither… but winter will be the better choice

Cats or Dogs

CATS!

Batman or Superman

Batman

Movies or a book

Movies

Pizza or Burgers

Burgers

Coke or Pepsi

Coke

[Yukiko] 03 — Final Fantasy XI: Corsair Photographer: DaizMiah Official

You can see more of Jokumi’ work on Facebook, Twitter or his WorldCosplay Profile

Next project release date of current project: January 2016