Olivia Quinn (she/her) is a writer, streamer, and video creator who started her love affair with video games by playing her dad’s NES. She plays all kinds of games, but her standbys are collectible card games, shooters, and role-playing games. Olivia is also a queer, trans woman who has no patience for TERFs and jerks. Her D&D character of choice is a tiefling warlock— which is the best choice. Her addiction to amiibos and spreadsheets formulas is legendary. You can learn more about her latest fixation and say hi by following her on Twitter.
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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
Half-Life: Alyx was announced as a “flagship VR title,” but it isn’t technically Half-Life 3. (Kotaku / The Verge / Ars Technica)
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order came out to people praising its design but questioning the technical problems. (IGN / Kotaku)
Steam Remote Play left beta and is now available to people who want to play couch co-op remotely. (Gamasutra / Polygon)
Blizzard’s released their new “auto battler” Hearthstone Battleground. It’s fun but weird. (Polygon / Kotaku / Game Informer)
Amy Hennig, the writer of Uncharted 1, 2, and 3, is joining Skydance Media to make narrative games for streaming platforms. (VentureBeat / Polygon / Gamesindustry.biz)
E3 2019 was a wild time. We got some amazing announcements and new games on the horizon. But, have you ever felt overwhelmed by newly announced games? Maybe you just want to know what is good, before it’s even out. Don’t worry, I got you.
I have done you a kindness. I’ve reviewed nearly every game from E3 in five words or less. This means that you are ready when your friends ask you about the games they should play.
EA Play
Apex Legends: Season 2
Don’t make developers crunch
Battlefield V (Update)
War, war never changes (not)
Fifa 2020
More Balls
Madden NFL 20
Bring back the truck stick
Lost in Random
Hey kids, EA is cool
RustHeart
This robot is my friend
Unannounced Game by Hazelight Studios
Fares-ier
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order
Leave Kashykk Alone
The Sims 4: Island Living
Eco-friendly colonization
Xbox Briefing
12 Minutes
Live, Die, Get Sad, Repeat
Afterparty
Hells-en-free
Age of Empires II Definitive Edition
RE-RE-REMASTER
Battletoads
I guess
Blair Witch
1990s PT
Bleeding Edge
Edge-y overwatch
Borderlands 2: Commander Lilith and The Fight for Sanctuary
Greetings From 