Today, we are starting a new tradition: the Wayward Roundup. Because I love names that me and my speech impediment would struggle to say. My writing job focuses on mobile gaming news, which, whilst fun, does stop me talking about our wider world. Hence, the Roundup. Each week, I will select news that most interests me, and discuss it here. So, let’s begin the inaugural list.
Hitman and Eminem team up for the Death of Slim Shady
In perhaps my biggest 180 with a franchise, Hitman: World of Assassination is one of my favourite games. And it just so happens, I adore Eminem, so the Slim Shady Elusive Target is a dream come true. Here, Eminem has contracted Agent 47 to put down his alter ego once and for all. To do so, you have to make your way through a twisted Hokkaido to hunt your target.
Along with this season is a host of new items to collect, chief amongst which is The Chainsaw Duck. It is a rubber duck in a suit and a hockey mask, what more could you possibly want? As I say, Hitman is amazingly good fun, and the Elusive Targets are always a good laugh. I can’t wait to play.
Final Fantasy XIV Letter from the Producer LIVE Part XC
We had the latest update from our beloved Yoshi-P and Toshio Murouchi, shedding light on what to expect in Patch 7.4, Into the Mist. I, like many other people, really didn’t like Dawntrail, so I am very excited to move on from that miss for greener pastures. Of course, we got the usual look at the next story and Raid Dungeon, but there were a few surprises in here too.
First of is Tom Morello is working on the music for the next Savage. Soken is an undisputed musical genius, make no mistake, but Morello is a big name to get. Personally, I am very excited for the new Frontline map, Worqor Chirteh. I really enjoy the PvP in FFXIV. Sadly, no news on Beastmaster, though. I know Yoshi-P said 7.5, but I can dream. Finally, a huge win for Deep Dungeons, as getting a disconnect won’t instantly end your run if you log back in before 10 minutes elapse. You might still die if you were in combat, but a huge boon for solo runs.
Another Eden brings back Final Fantasy 9 in a big way
Continuing the Final Fantasy train, Another Eden is heading to Alexandria in the Final Fantasy 9 collaboration. This genuinely looks like one of the best executed crossovers I have seen. We are getting Zidane, Vivi, Garnet, and Steiner, but also Chocobo Hot and Cold, one of my favourite minigames in the series.
Active Time Events return to bring the nostalgia; you can activate special support skills with Magic Stones, Synthesis Shops are around to make better gear, and you can even enter Trance in battle. It is like a whole other game in Another Eden, and I am incredibly impressed with how it looks.
What on earth have they done to my favourite Pokémon?
This one will be short and sweet; what in the ever-loving hell has Pokémon Company done to Lucario? I am, of course, referring to Mega Lucario Z. These Z evolutions are used for when you need to crack out burst damage in a fast way, which is fine, but why on earth does he look like this?!
Regular Mega Lucario isn’t the prettiest thing around, but what is this half-fish monstrosity? It isn’t even a water type; Mega Lucario Z is still just Steel and Fighting. So why does he look like an unholy spawn of Vaporeon and Lucario? I like the black and white face, and that is it. And even that they ruin with these fish antennas. The designers are just screwing with us at this point; they hate Mega Evolutions. Remember Mega Starmie? I do, in my nightmares, every night.
Medabots Survivors is coming to the West
It has been announced that Medabots Survivors is being released globally, and this is excellent news. Not because of the game itself, it is just a reskinned Vampire Survivors, I am not interested. Instead, I am excited for the possibilities it offers. I really liked Medabots as a child, and to a greater extent, the video games.
The Gameboy Advance had Medabots: Metabee and Rokusho, which weren’t great games by any metric, but I really enjoyed them. I remember picking up Rokusho at my local Gamestation and playing it exclusively for weeks. Even better, however, was Medabots Infinity on the Gamecube. This Action RPG let you directly control your Medabots, and I still absolutely love it. Hopefully, Medabots Survivors kicks off in a big way, and opens to door for more from the franchise in the future.
Total War: Medieval III takes the series back to its best
Counter to what you might assume with my lack of attention span, I really enjoy sitting down with a Total War game. Do I often finish a full campaign? Of course not, have you played them, they’re massive. But I have a great time for a while, and Medieval II is the jewel in the crown for me.
The announcement that Creative Assembly is returning to this age with Medieval III is amazing. All the other settings in the franchise are fun, but the knights and horses and archers are top tier for me. That time period is just the peak for strategy games. We don’t have a lot of information on it right now, so instead, I might boot up Medieval II for a few rounds in the meantime.
Further layoffs announced for two studios
Sadly, we end the roundup on a sour note because our industry is under threat. Three Fields Entertainment, a studio created by ex-Burnout developers, have warned all its staff that their jobs are under threat. Sadly, their recent game, Wreckreation, has not brought in the funds to keep things afloat. It is horrible that one game not being an instant hit can sink a whole studio.
It is not just indie developers who are having problems. Eidos-Montreal has announced another round of layoffs and cancelled projects. The studio will instead focus on its co-developed games, like Grounded 2 and Fable. This marks three rounds of layoffs in two years, but what else can you expect from an Embracer-owned studio? Not a fun story, but it felt wrong to just ignore this.
