GamerSushi Asks: Site Updating?

You might notice a few changes around these parts.

We’re gearing up sometime in the next month or two to roll out some bigger updates to GamerSushi’s design and layout. But in the meantime, we’ve introduced some new shorter format posts, which you’ve probably already seen.

The idea behind these is as we get busier and as the focus of the site is changing to more discussion, we really wanted to be able to do some quick and dirty posts. The new GS (whenever it happens) will likely focus more on our mission statement of “byte-sized” posts with a bigger emphasis on comments. You know, you guys. Since you all make this place so awesome.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that these new, different posts aren’t some kind of glitch in the system. Would you guys have any requests for a new site? Something you’d love to see, or that you want to be sure we port over from this design/format? Go!

Fifteen Minutes of 4K Titanfall PC Gameplay

Want to watch fifteen minutes of glorious Titanfall footage in 4K? Well, you’re in luck as YouTuber JackFrags just posted some Titanfall PC Beta gameplay. Let that soak into your peepers.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze 3DS Easter Egg

In the upcoming Wii U platformer Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, DK will play with a 3DS if you leave him alone long enough. YouTube Channel GameXplain shows you a clip of this as well as analyzing the sounds the 3DS makes to figure out exactly what games the platforming ape is playing!

Watch Six Minutes of Evolve Gameplay Because Why Not

Evolve, the up-coming asymmetrical multiplayer shooter from Turtle RockStudios, of Left 4 Dead fame, made a big splash during its Game Informer cover reveal last month. Recently a passel of gaming journalists, such as Kotaku’s Kirk Hamilton, got to check out the game, which is due to launch on the PS4, Xbox One and the PC later this year. Mr. Hamilton compiled six minutes of Evolve footage, so give it a watch.

Evolve looks like a lot of fun, and this video (I prefer text explanations to narration, at least in this case) shed a lot of light on some mechanics of Evolve that I was previously fuzzy on. The only thing I don’t dig about Evolve are the human characters, but that’s a small gripe. So, how is Evolve shaping up for you?

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 83: The Year of Birdo

the gamersushi show ep 83

The GamerSushi Show is back for another week, but this time the intrepid boys from the States are hosting a different Canadian: Patrick, friend of the show, joined us this week to try and defend Nintendo against our usual merciless onslaught.

Since Patrick is a long-time friend of Eddy, Jeff and Nick, he fits right in. In fact, you might not even notice that a certain other Canadian is missing. *sniff*

So, if you enjoyed the cast, why not let Patrick know by rating it? Thanks for listening, and see you next time!

0:00 – 9:51 Intro
9:52 – 23:23 Titanfall and EA
23:24 – 29:21 Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes
29:22 – 32:40 Square Enix
32:41 – 40:03 Bravely Default
40:04 – 59:50 Nintendo
59:51 – 1:16:25 GTA 5 and games as cultural events
1:16:26 – 1:18:30 Outro

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Action-Strategy Mech Game Matador Hits Steam Greenlight

One thing I always miss from the good old days of gaming are really bad-ass mech games. Those kind of waned for a long time, but Titanfall seems to be bringing it back. But, if a first-person-shooter is too goddamn casual for you, there’s also Matador, an action-strategy roguelike mech game from developer Stellar Jockeys. You can check out the trailer below and man, does it look gorgeous.

Matador is up on Steam Greenlight for voting and the developer hopes to have it out by March. What do you guys say? Is Matardor right up your alley?

Breaking Down the Perfect XCOM Run

Enemy Within

One of the things that I’ve loved about gaming in recent years is the explosion of Let’s Play videos and streaming. With the new opportunities gamers have to capture themselves playing more easily, it’s bringing us back to a day of speed runs, high scores and documenting really monumental achievements that players are accomplishing every day.

Take for instance the Impossible Ironman playthrough of XCOM: Enemy Within by Youtuber Antti Kokkonen, where he managed to beat the game’s new expansion pack on the hardest difficulty, with no saves—losing zero soldiers. It’s one of those things that’s almost impossible to imagine if you’ve played any XCOM, and experienced its startling brutality firsthand. This writeup by PCGamer is incredibly fascinating, breaking down the most nail-biting moments and critical saves that Kokkonen experienced over the course of his time playing the game.

This is one of those things I could totally see myself doing if I had the time. I remember spending hours in front of Mario 64 trying to perfect the timing of jumps and platforming, and running through Metal Gear Solid on total memory in just around 2 hours. What kind of madness have you pulled off in a game recently? Have you watched any of Kokkonen’s playthrough? Go!

Source – PC Gamer

Review: Batman: Arkham Origins

Batman Arkham Origins

When Warner Bros announced the next game in the acclaimed Arkham franchise would be a preequel, the reaction was mixed. When they announced that Rocksteady would not be returning for the prequel, instead handing the reins to Warner Bros Games Montreal, the reaction was negative. It felt like a cash-grab, a stop-gap while Rocksteady worked on whatever would follow the brilliant Arkham City. Was this reaction premature or right on the money? Read on to find out. Continue reading Review: Batman: Arkham Origins

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 82: Meteorology Cast

gamersushi show ep 82

Hello podcast faithful, it is time for another GamerSushi Show.

I don’t really have that much to say about this cast, because, as you’re about to find out, it was pretty random. After a lengthy intro about the weather, Nick, Jeff and Eddy go off on whatever tangent pleases them at the time. Eddy spends most of the cast trolling Jeff, and the results are fairly hilarious.

So, listen, rate and see you next time!

0:00 – 12:09 Intro
12:10 – 15:55 Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes
15:56 – 22:49 Xbox One
22:50 – 41:24 Titanfall, RPGs, EVE Online, Fucking Dark Souls
41:25 – 43:46 Outro

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS

Zero Escape and Replayability

Zero's Escape

One of my favorite games on the DS, 999 was a mystery game that placed 9 people on a cruise ship to solve Saw-type puzzles. If you could stand to read lots of text, it proved to be a gripping, heart-pounding visual novel that really knew how to tease your brain. Zero Escape, its sequel, is no different, and in many ways might be better than the original.

As I’ve been playing Zero Escape, however, I’m noticing something about myself as a gamer these days. Continue reading Zero Escape and Replayability

Xbox One Rumor Dump Contains Halo News, Titanfall Bundle

neogaf xbox one rumors

On the whole I really don’t know what to make of NeoGAF, but whenever there’s a juicy rumor these days it seems to originate from there. Recently, a whole bunch of Xbox One rumors got posted to the message board including a Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 5 being delayed to next year, Black Tusk’s (the new Gears of War studio) canceled Shangheist game and a Titanfall Xbox One bundle.

You can go read the whole thing yourself, but if some of these turned out to be true it wouldn’t surprise me. I’ve had the feeling that a Halo 2 Anniversary was pretty much a given and Halo 5 being delayed to 2015 makes sense. Crackdown 3 doesn’t necessarily make me excited, given that 2 was kind of a flop, but with more development time Ruffian might be able make the next one a must-have for One owners.

Check out the rumor list for yourself. What seems legit to you?

Source – NeoGAF

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Trailer Showcases a Rad Game

Until yesterday I’d never heard of Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Monolith’s new game that shows you what happened inbetween The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In this game you’ll play as Talion, a ranger of Gondor who gets possessed by a wraith and then uses his new found powers to systematically assassinate a variety of orcs and Uruk-hai. This gameplay trailer for Shadow of Mordor shows off some cool abilities you can use and details the nemesis system which sounds too crazy to actually be true. Give it a watch!

For a game that I didn’t even know existed until recently, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor looks like a guaranteed fun time. What do you guys think about this trailer? Are you on-board for some orc killing?

Can DICE/EA Make Up For Months of Problems With Battlefield 4’s “Player Appreciation Month”?

battlefield 4 player appreciation month

Look guys, I’m sorry I keep writing about Battlefield 4, I really am. This game had a ton of promise leading up to launch and then it promptly fell flat on its face and has been struggling to right itself even since.

A week or so ago I wrote about DICE and EA’s handling of the whole situation (which you can read here if you’re so inclined) and in summation I felt that all that was necessary was admitting that they did wrong by the consumers and apologize. Instead, we’re getting the “Player Appreciation Month” for Battlefield 4, where EA and DICE neatly side-step responsibility for the game’s problems by offering up free Battlepacks, double XP events and shortcut kits.

Take a read through and see what they’re offering. Even if you haven’t played Battlefield 4, I’m sure you’re at least somewhat aware of the game’s issues. Tell me, is the Player Appreciation Month enough to make up for the bungled launch?

Is Battlefield 4's "Player Appreciation Month" an Appropriate Amount of Compensation?

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Killzone Shadow Fall and the First Rage Quit of 2014

killzone shadow fall free fall section

I was enjoying Killzone Shadow Fall in spurts. Sometimes, I would tolerate its mundane tasks and other times, I would actually lose myself in the gameplay for a bit. I wasn’t having a bad time, per se, but I wasn’t exactly overjoyed every time I booted the game up. But with only 9 missions, I figured I could manage my way through. The graphics were really quite nice, actually, with blue as the new brown, a refreshing change from last-gen.

So I trudged my way through, having already lost the narrative, something about a Cold War and experiments and weapons and using my drone companion to hack a lot of consoles. But then the free fall sequence slammed into me, halting my progress entirely. So I tried it again, thinking that it was my unfamiliarity with the controls that were hindering me. After all, it was a free fall through a city of collapsing skyscrapers and buildings, so this was clearly a big set-piece in the game, one that the developers wanted gamers to see. So I tried again. Continue reading Killzone Shadow Fall and the First Rage Quit of 2014

GamerSushi Asks: Is the “Next-Gen” Really That Next-Gen?

tomb raider definitive edition

While I’ve yet to take a step into the brave new world that is the “next-gen” (or current gen, I suppose), I’ve become a little disillusioned that my expectations for Sony and Microsoft’s new systems aren’t exactly being met.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to own a PlayStation 4 at some point, but I don’t feel like the next-gen is living up to its potential. Take this news from CVG for example, where the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, an up-scaled version of a game that came out last year for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, can’t run at a consistent 60 fps at 1080p. According to the report, Tomb Raider will hit 60 fps “some of the time” on PS4 and the Xbox One version is more or less locked at 30. Square Enix reportedly wanted the game running at 30 fps at 1080p, which both consoles succeed at.

This may be a case of having my cake and wanting to eat it too, but after all the hubbub about these new consoles I was certain that we were looking at 1080p and 60 fps as the norm, not the exception. I’m not a huge stickler for these kinds of things, but to me it seemed like the next-gen promised something it can’t really deliver.

What do you guys think? As developers get more familiar with these systems will we eventually hit this lofty goal, or will we have to wait for the next hardware cycle?

Source – CVG

Review: Battlefield 4

battlefield 4 review

While the notion of destructible environments and the real-time evolution of a map has been around since 2008’s Bad Company, Battlefield 4 takes this concept and makes it grandiose in its execution, giving us the type of destruction that was taken out of Battlefield 3 and adding in “Levolution”, events that change the way a given map plays and feels.

Running on a new version of the Frostbite engine and having an increased number of moving parts, does Battlefield 4 stride proudly across the gaming landscape or does it collapse under its own weight? Continue reading Review: Battlefield 4