Pen Pals is a show where we play some games remotely, together! In this episode, we played Remnant: From the Ashes. We also fought some tree folk, learned about the power of team work, and shared our fear of holes.
In this episode: Olivia, Rebecca, Tyler
This week in one sentence: Google released its Stadia platform, the next Pokémon game was released to fanfare and hatred, the story of Anthem may not be over, Shenmue 3 rose after more than a decade of slumber, and Logitech released a suite of accessibility tools.
This week in one sentence: Google released its Stadia platform, the next Pokémon game was released to fanfare and hatred, the story of Anthem may not be over, Shenmue 3 rose after more than a decade of slumber, and Logitech released a suite of accessibility tools.
Top Five Stories
1/ Stadia Came Out To A Whole Host Of Problems: Google Stadia was delivered on November 19th to people who pre-ordered the Founder’s and Premiere editions— or rather, to most people who pre-ordered them. The new platform has been plagued by issues related to undelivered products, framerate stuttering, graphical flaws, and a UI that seems undercooked. Additionally, many reviewers are questioning if the business model makes sense and who the target market is for this service. (Eurogamer / Kotaku / IGN / Polygon / Gamespot)
2/ Pokémon Sword And Shield Released To Fanfare And Complaints: Pokémon Sword and Shield came out this week to both adoration from the games press and fans, and ire from a small but vocal minority of players. The series transition to Switch has sold well, and many reviewers have noted small ways that the game has evolved the series formula. Angry fans have criticized the lack of a National Pokédex, animations, and countless other grievances. One shared complaint between the fans and press are the technical issues that can arise, such as frame stuttering, texture and model pop-in, and camera issues. But, have you seen Grookey? They are adorable. (Digital Foundry / Kotaku / Gamespot / Polygon)
3/ Anthem Isn’t Dead Yet: Jason Schrier at Kotaku reported that BioWare hasn’t given up on Anthem. The developers are allegedly working on overhauling Anthem, similar to “Destiny’s critically acclaimed Taken King [DLC].” The report claims that BioWare is planning on rebranding the game as “Anthem Next” or “Anthem 2.0”. There is no announced release date or other official details. (Kotaku)
4/ Shenmue 3 Finally Released: Yu Suzuki has followed up his 2001 release of Shenmue 2 with the next game in the series. Shenmue 3 is out following its successful crowdfunding campaign that started back in 2015 on Kickstarter. Reviews have been mixed, with many reviewers focusing on how the game does play like it is straight from the 90s. (Polygon / Eurogamer / Screen Rant)
5/ Logitech Releases Adaptive Gaming Kit: Logitech released a new set of triggers, buttons, and other peripherals that work with the Xbox Adaptive Controller. The kit costs $99 and is available for order now. It was developed in conjunction with input from many accessibility groups to give people with disabilities people a customizable gaming setup. (Ars Technica / Polygon / Engadget)
✏️ Notables
It’s Olivia’s first time playing Bloodborne–can veterans and superfans Rebecca and Tyler help her survive her first hunt?
In this episode: Olivia, Rebecca, Tyler
Greetings From 