

Halo Infinite
I'm not sure how, but Halo Infinite multiplayer looks a bit more interesting than the brief single player they showed. I'm still quite excited... Read All With Sony not involved in E3 this year as well as the continuing effects of COVID have caused this years event to be very different. E3 always seemed to be overstuffed with gaming news but with this one it seems like all the announcements have been at a sustainable clip. E3 always felt like a fire hose and this year it's more like a fun lawn sprinkler that's out in the yard just the right amount of time. I'm going to lightly cover some fun bits and if you saw something you wanted to mention, drop it in the comments.
Halo Infinite
I'm not sure how, but Halo Infinite multiplayer looks a bit more interesting than the brief single player they showed. I'm still quite excited that Halo Infinite ships with free multiplayer on PC and XBox at launch. I'm not entirely sure what game modes multiplayer will support but it seems there will be a form of capture the flag at a minimum. Another fun aspect of the free to play multiplayer is that since it's free to play on XBox that won't require a Gold or Games Pass subscription to play(yay me).
Starfield
The Microsoft + Bethesda event started out with the reveal of Starfield and the new release date of November 11th 2022. I'm not quite sure what the game will be about but it was a fun trailer and if the actual game looks like that we'll all be in for a treat. Not only will Starfield drop by next years end but Microsoft mentioned it's a PC + XBox exclusive. We all knew when Microsoft bought Bethesda that this meant many of the games would be XBox exclusives and it looks like each new game will be. That said, with the quite low cost of owning a Series S and Games Pass I wonder if it really matters to everyone?
Bethesda Will Not Quit Fallout 76
I'm happy to say that Fallout 76 looks to be getting two new expansions featuring Steel Dawn and The Pitt. Fallout 76 had a somewhat rocky launch but Bethesda has continued to work on it and it's grown to have a fairly large community. I plan on picking it up on the XBox this holiday season on sale and if anyone has any suggestions on which version to get let me know.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
Ubisoft revealed Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope which is a new entry in the real time strategy Mario + Rabbids series. I picked up the original Mario + Rabbids game and found the actual real time strategy game play to be incredible. I didn't like the overworld part very much as it felt like a bad version of a Mario game and I just wanted to race to the next strategy fight. The new game looks to feature the same overworld maps and hopefully this time around the over-worlding is a bit more fun.
Microsoft is Game Pass
Which each game Microsoft showed at its press event it seemed it was a day one Game Pass game. Microsoft also noted that for quite some time, Game Pass subscribers would get a new Game Pass game launching. I imagine Microsoft will license other titles along the way making Game Pass an incredibly good deal in gaming. When each new game can cost from $60-$120 depending on which version you buy, Game Pass seems like a steal. I haven't really spent a lot of serious time considering getting Game Pass but it seems like such an incredible value it seems hard to avoid.
We still have a few days left of E3 and I haven't quite watched every stream or read every press release so if you found something interesting let me know in the comments!
Thanks for posting this! I was thinking of making a general post about some E3 things I found interesting. I did see that Starfield trailer. I found some other things, though, so I'll share those links below.
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (remember Tiny Tina is from Borderlands): https://youtu.be/gUmZEFjmPlk
The Outer Worlds 2 (funny trailer): https://youtu.be/dpY3B9Sesgw
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: https://youtu.be/swURMAREhOQ
Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is interesting as it goes back to the first game in the series: https://youtu.be/XltPKOYQDHY
And in case you missed it from my comment in another post, here's the Diablo II Resurrected Street Date Trailer: https://youtu.be/DttPBtsZ5fc
Diablo II Resurrected looks very exciting. As I said in the other thread I'm not sure which version I am going to get but with cross platform saves maybe it doesn't matter?
As I said in that other thread "PC Master Race!" LOL
Oh and there's some cool Far Cry 6 coverage, too. I haven't watched all of it, but this trailer is interesting (especially after seeing Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian, which is the only role I've seen him play): https://youtu.be/QQtaY_xKejo
Metroid Dread!
Diablo 2: Resurrected available for pre-order: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/diablo-2-resurrected-is-up-for-preorder-new-bundle-available/1100-6492817/
I wish I had a Switch (the powerful one), because...(see below)
Breath of the Wild 2: https://youtu.be/fNAhxl0uYQw
Metroid 5 aka Metroid Dread. I had no idea what Will_Ball was talking about, but I found this trailer. It's like classic Metroid side scrolling with modern high quality graphics and some new abilities and such. Coming 10/8/21: https://youtu.be/4tYzveufd9Q
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity's Pulse Of The Ancients DLC Coming June 18 For Nintendo Switch: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hyrule-warriors-age-of-calamitys-pulse-of-the-ancients-dlc-coming-june-18-for-nintendo-switch/1100-6492877/
Both available for pre-order.
(Geez, how many times have I deleted this comment to add more to it? LOL)
BTW here's what's up w/ the new look of Samus's Power Suit in Dread: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-explains-samus-new-suit-in-metroid-dread/1100-6493978/
I had *all* the He-Man toys (probably nowhere near "all" lol) as a kid, but eventually gave them away to a neighbor kid... and then would go over to his house and play with the toys with him lol.
I LOVE He-Man, and this trailer looks so good! I will definitely be watching this on Netflux next month! My childhood just came rushing back!
I had *all* the He-Man toys (probably nowhere near "all" lol) as a kid, but eventually gave them away to a neighbor kid... and then would go over to his house and play with the toys with him lol.
I LOVE He-Man, and this trailer looks so good! I will definitely be watching this on Netflux next month!
Wow, my childhood came rushing back, too! "After 40 years" though? Wikipedia says He-Man came out in '83 and I'm 41 (I was born in '79 and will be 42 in a few months), some how this math doesn't seem to add up (and I suck at math). I thought I saw something about this while reading the daily news at GameFAQs.com (GameSpot). Thanks for sharing, this looks cool! I also like the music in the video! Oh and I also still have some He-man action figures (along with others like TMNT), I've seen them recently.
Kevin Smith is showrunner on this.
> Kevin Smith is showrunner on this.
Awesome!!!
Somehow He-Man looks more ripped in 2021? Will the new season address his possible steroid use?
He has been lifting battlecat.
Check out this video I just watched with some awesome details about the show! I'm mostly impressed with the cast, which includes Mark Hamill as Skeletor along with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alicia Silverstone, which are two that I haven't seen or heard about in a very long time. There are other well known cast members, too! Oh another point, is that the composer has worked on Walking Dead (which I've never seen and have no interest in), Battlestar Galactica (the reboot that I loved), and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (something else I loved). https://youtu.be/CclUI4iI7xM
There's also another CG animated He-Man and the Masters of the Universe show coming to Netflix. It doesn't star our familiar He-Man characters, though some of them look similar. You can check out the trailer here: https://youtu.be/ZXApnj-ztIE
*My non-spoiler thoughts I wanted to share.*
There are currently only 5 episodes with 5 more to come, although their release hasn't been announced yet. I really enjoyed it and seeing the characters again after so very many years. It brought back some fond childhood memories. It reminded me of the action figures my cousin and I used to collect, some of which I believe I still have. Of course, it reminded me of the cartoon we used to watch.
Mark Hamill is an excellent Skeletor. He's done a fabulous job not only as an live-action actor, but also a voice actor. The Joker is a character he often voices and Skeletor definitely sounds just like him, which I think is perfect. The rest of the cast is great, too. My ears didn't quite recognize Alicia Silverstone, but that could be because Queen Marlena doesn't play a major role, she speaks little. Sarah Michelle Gellar's voice for Leena is very recognizable and I really enjoyed hearing her again. It's been maybe about a decade since I've heard her voice since bingeing Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Liam Cunningham's name isn't as familiar, but his voice for Man-At-Arms makes him recognizable. At first I thought it was Liam Neeson. I think it's an interesting coincidence that both actors share the first name and to me sound very similar. However, if you watched Game of Thrones, you'll recognize the voice of Liam Cunningham. He played Davos Seaworth.
Some of the show is what I call "corny" although "cringe-worthy" I'd say is another term for the same thing. If you don't like puns, then beware there are plenty of them.
I don't want to give away spoilers, so I'll just say that the first episode was shocking. I had to verify that I had watched the first episode, you'll see why. The last episode leaves us on a cliff hanger and I am most definitely looking forward to watching more. I'm still curious about the fate of one character, whether or not it's actually final because I doubt it.
I'd say this show is definitely a good one for those of us who grew up enjoying the classic He-Man cartoon and action figures. I can't say whether or not someone unfamiliar with He-Man would like it.
If you watched this, let me know what you think about it. Let me know if you also grew up w/ He-Man.
Loved it. I have almost watched the first 5 two times through. Need to finish up the second viewing.
BTW, 2nd part got announced as coming out on Nov 23rd.
I'm glad you loved it, too. Thanks for the announcement. Wow, November's looking like a good month (here's hoping my state's election goes the way I voted).
Of I forgot to say "arigato Mr. Roboto."
Kevin Smoth He-man was great. Honestly didnât expect it to be as awesome as it was. Really looking forward to part two and I enjoyed what they did in the first season.
That said, I get why some fans didnât like it. It focuses on other characters and gives the show immediate stakes, which makes it seem fresh. It really feels like a new show and I know it upset some folks but new isnât always bad.
Hm, well my world is pretty isolated, I'm not aware of what anyone else thought other than you and Will_Ball. My only guess for people not enjoying it is because they didn't grow up w/ He-Man like we did. I think I see your point, though. The show seemed to be focused on He-Man much less, which is perhaps why his name isn't even in the title. I'm glad you enjoyed it, too.
Also, I thought it was cool how it actually did tie to the original series. It was admitted that Skeletor kept trying and failing and I think even he recognized that and finally did something about it. I thought it did seem like a continuation or evolution of the original.
There's a CG show of the same world, but it's geared more towards kids and doesn't look interesting to me.
Some people thought it was too woke. Other people did not like how he-man was used and felt Kevin Smith lied about the show.
Really? "Woke?" Wow, people are getting really offended with that and I can't understand why. I'm confused, too, because my understanding of the term means becoming aware of racial inequality, but I didn't see that happening at all in the show. In fact, all the humans were white. What exactly did Kevin Smith lie about? Ah well, ya know, it doesn't matter what others think of something, if you enjoy something for yourself that's all that matters. You can't please everyone, clearly.
Woke in this case as putting the woman in the center rather than the man.
As for what Kevin "lied" about, I will have to be abstract, to avoid spoilers. Prior to the show coming out there were rumors that one character was sidelined. Kevin said that the character was in every episode. Technically Kevin was right, but there is some wiggle room here between what the fans were mad about and what Kevin was saying.
Ah, right, I guess "woke" isn't specifically racial. I can see how it applies generally to equality.
I see what you're saying about the "lie." That's a good observation. Perhaps people were expecting something much more like that classic cartoon, but instead we got something a bit more modern. Perhaps it has an unexpected focus. I guess it just flew over my head, because I didn't care, it didn't matter to me at all. I enjoyed it. I think the next 5 episodes might be closer to what others were expecting.
Trailer for part 2: https://twitter.com/NetflixGeeked/status/1453391066741329930
Sweet! That looks truly epic!
Neat!
I'm not going to include spoilers here, but if you want to talk about them, we can do so in the comments.
I think the first episode is pretty good, though much of what we saw in previews was there. I'm looking forward to seeing more. I think, if you're also a fan of the MCU, you'll also enjoy the show and want more. I think, so far, all of the Marvel Disney+ shows have been really good. I also like the tidbits of mystery in each episode and seeing them revealed and explained on the New Rockstars channel... Read All I thought I'd give you a quick reminder that Loki is now streaming on Disney+. After re-watching the trailer, I see it's started a little earlier than first announced.
I'm not going to include spoilers here, but if you want to talk about them, we can do so in the comments.
I think the first episode is pretty good, though much of what we saw in previews was there. I'm looking forward to seeing more. I think, if you're also a fan of the MCU, you'll also enjoy the show and want more. I think, so far, all of the Marvel Disney+ shows have been really good. I also like the tidbits of mystery in each episode and seeing them revealed and explained on the New Rockstars channel on YouTube (which I highly recommend watching as I do daily). New Rockstars often picks up on things that I completely miss. There were three particular words in this first episode, which I think are quite easy to pick up on.
Feel free to let me know what your thoughts are in the comments. Perhaps, if you want to discuss spoilers, make a clear note of it before you reveal it, for people who don't want something spoiled.
I really enjoyed it quite a bit. The TVA as a concept is incredible and if Loki becomes an FBI procedural for variants then the opportunities are pretty wide open for the show to do pretty much whatever they want.
Loki: SVU
Yeah, something like that. After WandaVision folks were asking for a Jimmy Woo+Darcy Marvel FBI/XFiles show and it seems Loki is the reason why they aren't doing that.
That said a Jimmy Woo+Darcy show would be fun.
>That said a Jimmy Woo+Darcy show would be fun.
Agreed!!!!
Wow, episode 2 and the đŠ hit the fan! While watching every one of these shows and episodes, I just keep wanting them to never end. Marvel is definitely delivering!
Episode 4 and the đŠ has hit the fan yet again! Be sure to stick around for the post-credits scene.
Episode 5 is gloriously epic! I have no idea what words are left to describe how the end will be, as I'm sure it will be gloriously epic as well! I can't wait to see the New Rockstars breakdown tomorrow. I noticed Oak Island on the TVA board at the beginning. There are lots of other things in this episode as well. This is definitely my most favorite episode so far. Marvel just keeps delivering the awesomeness!!!
Yeah, it was great. I wonder how itâs going to end?
Yeah and then we wait for season 2.
Right. It seems like they might keep Loki going. At least, I hope they do. Maybe heâll be part of a Mobius / Sylvia run TVA at some point. Itâs not a bad thought to have one, not sure itâs been run well to this point though,
Alligator Loki is my favorite.
I think I'm like Loki and in love with Sylvie.
Sylvie is awesome.
At the end of WandaVision, I was convinced Wanda was the reason why there's a "multiverse of madness" in the next Doctor Strange movie. She's going to be in it, but I no longer think she's the one at fault. I think what just happened has, however, opened the door for her to see that her children are elsewhere and I'm sure she's going to go after them, which may be bait by Mephisto. But, that's just my theory or idea. I think she's going to be a problem as the Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange is going to try to help her be good.
I did like this ending. I was surprised, because, regarding the show, the actor told someone, "I don't know what you're talking about." I was afraid it was going to be another Loki. I thought that made sense, because the show is about him, but I'm glad they didn't go there. All signs pointed to who we saw. Oddly, though, he didn't say his name, but he has one other than what Miss Minutes called him. We'll definitely see him again in Ant-Man Quantumania, but maybe something else. Maybe other MCU titles will hint at him or we'll see his effect on them. I bet season two will come before that movie, though to give us a deeper look into what's going on.
All of my info comes from New Rockstars, because my familiarity with the comics is extremely limited. Some of my theories are my own, some influenced by New Rockstars or ones they've mentioned. I watch their channel daily.
What did you think about this? What do you think is going to happen? Did you enjoy it?
I'm really happy about this, but I played NMS recently and even though I enjoyed it, I ended up finding myself feeling a bit bored. I was constantly doing the same thing, pretty much just trying to jump from black hole to black hole to get to the center of the galaxy quicker. Unfortunately, even though... Read All I just noticed via Steam an announcement about the newest No Man's Sky Prisms update. I've decided I'm not going to get into the details. Trust me, watch the trailer (embedded link). This update definitely feels more like something you have to see instead of read about. That's because this update seems to pretty much be about making the game look better and it does.
I'm really happy about this, but I played NMS recently and even though I enjoyed it, I ended up finding myself feeling a bit bored. I was constantly doing the same thing, pretty much just trying to jump from black hole to black hole to get to the center of the galaxy quicker. Unfortunately, even though black holes are supposed to get you there quicker, I felt like I wasn't really making any progress. So, I got tired of it and stopped playing. I'm not saying it's a bad game. I really enjoyed jumping back into after being away from it for so long, getting to experience new-to-me things, but that enjoyment didn't last as long as I wanted it to.
Let me know what you think of this update, all the updates, or the game in general. Have you ever made it to the center of the galaxy?
Looks really cool! I have tried to get back into NMS, but with so many other games, I get distracted. Maybe some day as I really loved it when it was launched.
Well when you do eventually get back into it (assuming you do), you'll see lots of new content and probably love it even more. :)
Axolotls are cute aquatic creatures. You can catch them with a bucket of water. However, youâll want to keep them in water, because if theyâre on dry land for five minutes, theyâll begin to die,... Read All In April, Mojang announced that the Caves & Cliffs update would be separated. They said the first part (1.17) would come âsoonâ and the second (1.18) near the end of the year. This was due to the affect of the pandemic (not just for Mojang, but for the entire world, really). The latest news is that the first part is scheduled for release on June 8. It includes new mobs such as axolotls, glow squid, and goats. It also includes new blocks and other things like the spyglass.
Axolotls are cute aquatic creatures. You can catch them with a bucket of water. However, youâll want to keep them in water, because if theyâre on dry land for five minutes, theyâll begin to die, unless it is raining. Therefore, if you want to contain them and keep them as pets, you may want to make a small wall surrounding an area of water or else theyâll roam free. I made a wall three blocks high, which got them to stop trying to jump over it. They like tropical fish, so you can attract and mate them with those. They will attack most aquatic mobs like fish, squid, the Drowned (aquatic zombies), and more. They will play dead when their health gets low, which stops mobs from attacking them. They will also give you some buffs if you help them by defeating whatever is attacking them. In this part of the update they are supposed to be found in underwater areas in caves. If there are fish or squid in the water where they are then theyâre kind of easy to spot, because they will go after these and youâll see fish or ink floating on the top of the water. So theyâre really helpful fishing partners (if fish or ink is what youâre after).
Glow squids were part of Minecraft Earth, but were voted in as the new mob to be brought into the main game. Their visible glow is really the only difference they have with regular squids. However, instead of dropping black ink, they drop glowing ink, which can be used with dyes. One way you can use this is to make text on signs brighter, which does appear to make a difference. They do look cool. Like Axolotls, they are supposed to be found in underwater caves.
Goats can be found on mountains. They will randomly headbutt some mobs and players. I believe they are or were supposed to also headbutt trees and lose their horns, which have no purpose yet. They also have their own unique sounds, a rare one is a âscreamingâ goat. I found where you can hear these sounds, but Iâm not sure where that was. Maybe, if you do a search youâll find them. I believe you can get milk from them as well. I saw a video where they gave birth to a lot of babies, Iâm not sure if thatâs been changed, though. They can take a lot of fall damage and do jump high. The second part of the update is extending the world height and will allow for very tall mountains, which is where they were supposed to be located in the first place. Powdered snow is also a new block, which players and mobs can fall into and eventually freeze to death. You can walk on powdered snow with leather boots, or negate the entire negative affects with leather armor.
This part of the update also includes new blocks such as copper, amethyst, and more (a total of 91 apparently). Copper is really interesting, because it oxidizes. This means it will gradually turn green over a length of time. You can prevent this or make them stay in the stage of oxidation they are in by âwaxingâ them by combining them with honey. You can also remove oxidation with an axe. The wiki also states that lightning can remove it as well. Speaking of lighting, you can also use copper to make lightning rods to cover a certain amount of area. They will prevent lightning from striking your buildings and things.
Amethyst is cool, but thereâs no use for it other than to craft a spyglass. A spyglass is cool, because it lets you see a good distance away (as it should). Youâll randomly find amethyst geodes in caves. There are certain blocks crystals will grow on and you can harvest whatâs grown and more will grow back over time (I believe). They only grow on certain amethyst blocks, though, so youâll want to be sure just to harvest the crystals and not the blocks. You may also want to find the ones they grow on and make sure there are no other blocks on any side of these blocks, so that crystals can regrow on all sides of them. I think amethyst should also be a block we can use to craft. I think it would make a great building block like everything else. This would mean that people can build purple things along with the many other colors available. At least one of the other blocks also has no purpose other than to surround the amethyst geodes.
What I find disappointing is what will NOT be in this part of the update, which is everything else that was supposed to be in the whole update. The second part of the update arriving at the end of the year is supposed to include all the new cave biomes, new cave and world generation, along with the new tall mountains, and world height extension. Part one may include some cave biomes, but Iâm not entirely sure at the moment. Another thing I was most looking forward to was bundles. These are basically sacks that can hold up to 64 items. You can use these to store items and carry the bundles as separate items in your inventory. So, you could take some with you, fill them up, and come back with much more in your inventory than you would have without them. As of the last snapshot I played (about a few weeks ago or so), these were removed, which was extremely disappointing. There is also a new sensor that detects vibrations. Not everything is detected, for instance you can âsneakâ and be fine. You can also block the vibrations with blocks of wool. There are also candles and you can make a cluster of them. You can use them for decoration and lighting and also put them on cakes. You can even dye them, though you canât dye individuals in a cluster. They can also stand on pretty much anything. You can remove what theyâre standing on and theyâll still stay where they were. Many of these things I mention were in some snapshots, but have been removed. Some of the things that have been removed are still available in creative mode. I havenât seen much about it, but thereâs supposed to be some kind of new mob in the depths of caves (or a specific cave biome) that is blind and uses vibration to find you, hence the new sensors.
I decided to check out the Java snapshots and Bedrock edition beta versions briefly. I was able to see some of whatâs to come in the second part by testing âexperimental features.â I think Iâve come to the conclusion that I agree with some others in that Mojang should just wait and release the whole update without splitting it up, even if it means waiting until the end of the year for it. There are things in this update I was looking forward to and knowing weâll only get some of it now and other things later is kind of disappointing. In fact, since I was able to check out some of the things arriving later, I found myself disappointed. Yes, there things I like about the update, or at least what I saw even with the âexperimental features.â But I found some things that I thought I would like, but ended up not liking. For instance, I thought having bigger caves would be cool, but they are hard to light. At first these bigger caves made it easier to find ore, but theyâve made it a little more difficult, though thatâs kind of understandable. There are also ânoiseâ caves. This pretty much means there are a couple of styles of caves. One is called a ânoodleâ cave system in which the caves wind around a lot. Another, some are calling âswiss cheese,â pretty much has caves that have large areas carved into them. These are the ones I thought were interesting at first, but found out they are difficult to light, making it harder to find ores, and also easier for mobs to spawn.
You can look at the wiki for whatâs in the first part of the update, but from what I currently see there I donât believe everything is going to be in it. The page lists bundles and candles, for example, but the last snapshot I played (maybe a few weeks ago) removed them. So, I donât know exactly whatâs in this part of the update other than what Iâve already stated, some of which I got from other news sources. If you want more details and donât want to look for them, feel free to let me know and Iâll see if I can find them.
You can find some videos about the new content on the Minecraft YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/minecraft/videos
Also, I recommend checking out the Minecraft 1.17 videos on YouTube by Xisumavoid. He does a great job of going over whatâs in each snapshot, including new things, bug fixes, and even things that have been removed and pushed to 1.18. He has a lot of other good Minecraft videos you can check out, too. You can find those videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/c/XisumavoidMC/videos
Wiki: https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Java_Edition_1.17
Feel free to check out my other post when the update separation was announced:
https://cheerfulghost.com/GregoPeck/posts/4630/minecraft-caves-cliffs-update-getting-separated
My original source: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecraft-caves-and-cliffs-part-1-drops-june-8-with-new-blocks-and-mobs/1100-6492177/?utm_source=gamefaqs&utm_medium=partner&utm_content=news_module&utm_campaign=homepage
My son will be excited! He is disappointed that the release got broken up, but at least this is something.
Yeah, I understand. Waiting for something isn't fun, especially if you're really looking forward to it, but when the time arrives, you forget about the wait and (at least try to) enjoy what you have. Sadly, I feel like often we wait much longer than the time we spend actually playing and enjoying something. I've noticed this multiple times.
Since this post is recent and I just found something new, I thought I'd share what I just found here instead of making a new post.
Here's a new video featuring a couple members of Mojang answering questions about both parts of the Caves & Cliffs Update: https://youtu.be/_6XjfohyyRg
There are some interesting things to point out. I said in my post that I began to think like some others that I think I'd prefer them to just release everything at once, even if it meant waiting the rest of the year for it. However, I believe they gave a good reason for not doing so. It helps them focus. So, they can finish parts and release them and adjust them with community feedback, but having finished some parts allows them to focus on finishing the rest.
Since world generation is changing in part two, including adjustment how high and deep worlds are, and that Mojang doesn't want to do something that destroys things you've already built, the world generation from old to new is going to feature "blending." This means that where you've already been is going to remain the same, but what you've only seen, but not where you've actually been, and new chunks will have the new world generation. This includes very tall mountains and deeper caves with new biomes.
Another interesting tidbit is that Agnes said they already have a plan for the post Caves & Cliffs Update for Minecraft, which they will announce at Minecraft Live 2021.
The Caves & Cliffs Updates will be released for all platforms at the same time.
Feel free to let me know what you think about this.
Source: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecraft-worlds-will-blend-when-new-world-generation-arrives/1100-6492413/
Caves & Cliffs update part 1 is out now with a funny trailer (mostly goats head butting every one): https://youtu.be/0maWbr0FHKY
Here's the article I found that in along with some details of what's in the update (some of which I wasn't sure about):
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecraft-caves-cliffs-part-1-update-is-out-now-watch-a-trailer-here/1100-6492520/
Caves & Cliffs Update 2 comes out 11/30. It contains the rest of the C&C update which consists mostly of the expansion of the world height (it gets much higher and lower). Additional cave features (and bigger mountains) are in it, too. There are parts that were originally announced for the C&C update, but they're going in a future update instead. I was most disappointed that they removed pouches. Those are great items that let you store up to 64 items per inventory slot. I think they would be an awesome addition.
Source: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecraft-massive-caves-cliffs-part-ii-update-is-out-november-30/1100-6498110/


In my opinion the only real negative about it is the lack of information it gives you in order to play. It has been stated that this is on purpose. Youâre supposed to learn as did early hominids. You may find that appealing or you may find it frustrating. It also has an auto save feature, but luckily I found a way around that. You can access the folder containing the saved data and back up those files. Then if something goes wrong, like a clan member dies and youâd rather that not happen, you can just restore the files you backed up. You could call this âcheating,â but to me it just makes the game more enjoyable. I really do not like a challenge. I prefer to relax. I donât want a game to kick my butt and make me frustrated, I just want it to be enjoyable. Your experience may vary.
Warning! You may want to avoid the next section if you want to go into the game without knowing how to play it. If thatâs the case, then scroll down to the âFinal thoughtsâ section to see my final thoughts and links (yes, that label is in bold there to grab your attention).
Iâll try to explain the game play a bit, which may help, but I still recommend checking out helpful YouTube videos, especially if thereâs something youâre still not quite sure of. It tells you that itâs best played with a controller. However, you can use the keyboard and mouse combo. I used my Xbox One controller (that I bought specifically for PC gaming), so Iâll reference those buttons here.
The intro goes through âthe circle of lifeâ in Africa many years ago and you end up in control of a baby hominid. The tutorial tells you to use your intelligence (by pressing the âYâ button) and find a hiding spot, which youâll have to look at a blank square and hold the âYâ button to âdiscover itâ when the view is centered on it. Youâll know itâs centered when the square turns orange. Once you get there, it will tell you to press the âAâ button to hide. Once you do this, the game puts you in control of an adult in the clan and youâre supposed to go rescue the baby and bring it back to the first (and very safe) settlement. When youâre close, it will tell you to press âBâ to comfort the baby. Youâll have to wait for a cue (such as the controller vibrating) to hit the button again to successfully do this. Youâll have to repeat this process a few times. Then youâll have to âdiscoverâ the area youâre in. You do this by using your intelligence like before and scanning a diamond above your settlement (look up above the water). This is how you identify locations. Every undiscovered location, resource, or other has a â?â inside of itâs shape. Locations have diamond shapes and other things are squares.
You may decide to wait on discovering the location, because now is a great time to start discovering and using nearby resources. Everything you use will have to be âinspectedâ (by holding the âXâ button). Once you do that, it will be identified it as a âtoolâ or food. Youâll want to make a bed. To do this youâll need to grab a certain nearby resource and putting it on the ground in a pile. Then pick up another, have the first one highlighted, and press the right shoulder button to âadd to pile.â Once you have enough, it will give you a âconstructionâ option. After holding âYâ to do this, youâll have to press âAâ a few times and a bed will finally be made. On the bed, you can press âAâ to lie down. Here you can call your mate (press âBâ), sleep (hold âAâ), or look at the evolution menu (press âYâ).
The evolution menu is some what complicated at first look, but youâll get the hang of it. The first screen youâll see is your âneuralâ network. Thereâs a big central area that contains neural energy. You use this to connect white dots to the main circle in the center. These dots are abilities, like the ability to hold something in each hand. Performing tasks will unlock more abilities. You gain neural energy by doing things with babies around. Each hominid can carry two babies, so itâs always good to carry two of them, so youâre constantly gaining neural energy. Occasionally youâll see orange dots. These represent mutations. When babies are born, they have a chance to be born with a mutation. You canât do anything with these at first. In order to make them permanent, those babies have to mature into adults. They can also become elders and keep these mutations. However, be careful not to lose these members by dying or passing a generation. You need to evolve in order to make them permanent.
Before I get into evolution, I want to explain the next screen youâll see, which you can switch to by using the left shoulder button. It looks very similar to the previous screen, but it will tell you how many âreinforcementsâ you have. You have as many of these as there are babies in your clan. You want to have as many babies as possible so that you have as many reinforcements as you can get. This is because they allow you to lock in abilities, which means they will stay and follow into the next generation. On this screen, the ones youâve learned will be bigger, thus more obvious. Those are the ones you want to select to reinforce. Once youâve used all of your reinforcements, you can advance a generation (press âYâ). This will turn all your babies into adults, adults into elders, and elders will die. Even though elders will die, you can focus on their remains and press âYâ which will give you some neural energy.
This is a great place to insert the concept of meteorites. After discovering the location youâre in, youâll see a cut scene that shows meteorites falling. Then, youâll be taken to a tree outside your area, so you can get started on your journey to find one. However, you donât have to do this, you can do whatever else you want. There are benefits to finding meteorite locations. What you ideally want to do is bring some babies along. Since each clan member can carry two babies, get a few of them to carry all of the babies to a meteorite site. The first one is in a dangerous spot with crocodiles, pythons, warthogs, and maybe even large jungle felines, so youâll want to be extra careful. You can get members to follow you by highlighting them and pressing âB.â You can switch members (with âAâ after having them highlighted and then analyzing them with the âYâ button) if you want. You wonât have to tell them to follow you after switching to another. So, if you used one to tell two to follow you and you switched to one of them, theyâll all still follow you no matter which one youâre controlling. The clan is very great at following so you donât really have to worry about them falling to their deaths or getting lost. You can move confidently. Eventually, youâll gain the ability for other clan members to automatically counter attack as long as they have a weapon in a hand. They can also auto dodge and you can also intimidate a threat together, which is more effective than doing so alone. You can find a meteorite site by seeing the smoke in the air. Once you reach it, all you have to do is examine it (highlight it and hold âXâ) to get the benefits. Picking up the meteorite is optional, but you can get bonuses for hitting other animals with it or using it as a tool. Once youâve examined the sight, the bonuses you receive include doubling your reinforcements and also a chance to give babies a mutation, which is why you want to bring them along.
The next screen is the evolution screen, which is again accessed with the left shoulder button. This screen looks completely different than the previous two. The main focus is the âfeats.â These are accomplishments you have made, such as killing every animal. Usually these come after having done something twice, such as dodging every animal. When youâre ready to evolve, youâll gain years for each feat youâve accomplished. The basic point of the game is to evolve âfaster than scienceâ until you reach the end of the evolutionary timeline in the game. There are only a handful of hominid subspecies in the game. Each one comes with new abilities. However, evolving does not guarantee that youâll become a new subspecies. I think this happens at certain periods on the timeline.
One thing about the game is that you have to press or release a button at a specific time. I guess you could call this a âquick time event.â Youâll hear a sound cue for this, although in the latest version, it seems that cue is much more noticeable. I also noticed that youâll also see a visual cue at the same time. One good tip to help you hear these cues is to turn the music off (check options in pause menu). One of the things youâll have to do this with is mating. Youâll have to control an adult male or female or an elder male. Adult females can only have two babies at max. Elder females are infertile, but elder males can impregnate adult females. This can be helpful, because males and females canât mate if they are âfamily related,â which youâll notice on the screen when you analyze them. Once you have a non-related fertile pair, youâll need to âgroomâ the opposite gender. You do this by holding the âBâ button and letting go when you hear and see the cues. If done correctly, youâll see a âbondingâ bar fill until it says âcouple formed.â If you miss the cue, the bar shrinks. Itâs not hard to do, but it may take some practice. This is especially important when dealing with animals. When something attacks you, the game will go into slow-mo and give you a small amount of time to react. Here you need to hold âAâ until you hear and see the cues and let go at this instant. If youâre holding the thumb stick at the same time left, right, or away from the attacker, you will dodge the attack. However, if you hold âAâ and the thumb stick towards the attacker, you will counter attack. Youâll want to have a stick or stone in your hand in order to do this, though. The best weapon to use is a sharpened stick, but it still may take a good number of these in order to kill something. However, when this skill progresses, it becomes more likely that a counter will kill. After the kill, you can examine the carcass, butcher it (if you have a stone in your right hand), eat the meat, and even collect a bone if there is one, which you can use as a weapon.
Crafting is best done when youâre able to use both hands or hold something in each hand. While a sharpened stick is most effective, you can also use dead branches, sticks, stones (including precious and meteorites), and tools (like the grinder) to counter attack. You can craft a sharpened stick with this process: grab a dead branch from a tree with your right hand (the only way you can grab things). Switch hands (left shoulder button) to move it to your left hand. Then hold the left shoulder button to âalterâ it. When you hear and see the cues, let go and youâll strip the branch, making it a stick. With the stick still in your left hand, you can grab a stone (there are three kinds), meteorite, or precious stone. Then you can alter it using the same buttons as you did converting the dead branch into a normal stick. Although that process only took one time, this time youâll have to perform the alter action of hitting the stick with the stone multiple times depending on what kind of stone youâre using. Youâll hear and see when itâs complete.
Stones can be altered, too. For example, if you hit two granite stones together successfully using the same method as sharpening a stick, eventually the one in your left hand will turn into a grinder. You can use this on some materials to make pastes that give you bonuses like protection from bleeding, falling, freezing, etc. Doing this with two basalt stones will make another tool, just like doing the same with two obsidian stones. The obsidian tool is, I think, the best and most effective. It will drastically reduce the amount of actions required to make a sharpened stick and do more damage during a counter attack than a plain granite stone.
You can get evolution bonuses by hitting every animal with each type of stone, stick, precious stone, meteorite, bone, or stone tool.
There are a few biomes. Youâll be in the jungle at first and there will be lots of trees. You can climb on trees automatically. You can grab leaves after jumping by holding âA,â which will cause you to swing. You can then let go and swing onto more leaves, a tree, a rock wall, or onto the ground. Just be careful, because even though you can fall a good distance, falling too high will either give you an injury or death.
There is a good variety of food you can eat such as fruit, insects, and meat. Some foods have a chance of giving you a negative status effect, while some can give you a positive one. One way to remove some negative effects is to drink water or just wait until they go away. You drink by going into water and holding âAâ to âscoopâ it. Youâll have to examine a single water source type at first in order to do this.
There are three main survival stats; hunger, sleep, and water. When the screen starts turning white (kind of cloudy or foggy), it means you need to eat. When it starts turning black, like someone who canât keep their eyes open, it means you need to sleep. You can sleep anywhere as long as nothing is in your hands, but a bed may be better and give you access to the evolution menu or calling your mate and mating. Just be careful sleeping on the ground, because something could attack you.
Your clan members can do some cool things, too. Eventually, youâll be able to get them to âmimicâ you. You just do an action and double tap âBâ and theyâll do what you just did.
You may also find other hominids in the wild. When you find them, youâll notice their animation. Depending on what theyâre doing, theyâll need something to convince them to join your clan. This could be food or something to heal their wounds.
Final thoughts:
Iâve been enjoying this game. I havenât finished it, but I decided it was time to go ahead and write a review for it. Since I watched BestInSlot play it (and I recently rewatched his playlist), Iâve already seen the end. The more I see and think about this game, the more I want to play it.
Even though Iâm really enjoying the game, Iâm not giving it the highest âmust playâ Cheerful Ghost rating, even though I think itâs a âmust play,â especially for those of us who enjoy similar kinds of games. My reason for the score is pretty much due to the steep and frustrating learning curve at the beginning. However, that learning curve can be overcome with just a bit of research, especially by finding some helpful videos on YouTube (see some links below). The game can also be a bit simple and repetitive, which some may find boring (though it doesnât bother me).
Let me know what you think of this. Iâve wanted it since it came out, but I finally got it on Steam at a discount. I donât regret getting it and getting better at it certainly made me feel better about it. Iâm afraid it doesnât have much replay-ability, but it is supposed to be the first part of a trilogy. I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the trilogy is like.
Here are the links I mentioned:
Videos by FireSpark81:
Beginnerâs Guide: https://youtu.be/VKGgwO3KGwo
Tips For Exploring: https://youtu.be/ijYYau9gPhc
How to Deal with Tigers: https://youtu.be/z8rqyVACUdA
Evolution Tips: https://youtu.be/MKtSw0Xx2Cc
Playlist by BestInSlot:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU0V6ITiWqjjDwyrYMA03aQBehpQkrEIV
Be sure to check out other YouTube videos for other areas of the game that you feel you need more knowledge about, as I did (like how to dodge and counter).
Hey friend, things are hard out there but playing a game where you jump... Read All While it's not currently the biggest online multiplayer game out there right now (PUBG Anyone?) Fortnite is still going quite strong. When Microsoft allowed multiplayer for free to play games to not require an XBox Gold membership Fortnite was the first game I downloaded. Frankly, in 4K 120fps, playing Fortnite on XBox is the best way to play it. The game on the Series X is so smooth and lag free it feels like a massive upgrade and with the enhanced visuals the game whole experience can be quite serene. So much so that playing Fortnite in the mornings or at night has become a kind of meditation.
Hey friend, things are hard out there but playing a game where you jump out of a bus and parachute far away from the fray is the ticket! Feel like everyone is against you? Well friend in Fortnite Battle Royale they really are but you have a sporting chance and while you are searching for guns and shields you can stop to look at the trees or listen to the birds chirp. Need to swim through a river or lake to stalk someone to snipe them from behind? Enjoy the fresh dip in the water, emerge on the other side and shoot them in the back of the head! Then look to your left and catch a butterfly!
I'm not saying everyone plays Fortnite this way or that it's even the best way to play it. That said, it's nice to stop and catch a butterfly or listen to birds even if 100 other people want to kill you as fast as possible.
Note: I tried to find a simple video of someone walking through Fortnite Battle Royale quietly but didn't find anything so this Fortnite / Enya video was the best I could find. You're welcome!


If you haven't played Subnautica, it may interest you if you like games that include survival, crafting, and exploring (probably the kind of game that has most interested me for quite awhile now). While you can craft things like base pieces and tools, you obtain these recipes by finding the items or fragments of them in the game and scanning them with your scanner tool.
There is a bit of a scary element, too, as there are huge creatures called Leviathans that are definitely scary as they will attack you and your... Read All I noticed that I didnât write a review for Subnautica. Since I just finished Subnautica: Below Zero (BZ), I thought Iâd give both of them a review here.
If you haven't played Subnautica, it may interest you if you like games that include survival, crafting, and exploring (probably the kind of game that has most interested me for quite awhile now). While you can craft things like base pieces and tools, you obtain these recipes by finding the items or fragments of them in the game and scanning them with your scanner tool.
There is a bit of a scary element, too, as there are huge creatures called Leviathans that are definitely scary as they will attack you and your vehicles. These games take place in an underwater environment, the planets are mostly made of an ocean with very little landmass. So, youâll spend your time mostly underwater and you have to be aware of your oxygen level (along with food, thirst, and temperature, since BZ has frozen areas). There are different game modes, so these things are optional.
If you liked Subnautica, you'll probably like BZ. I bought BZ pretty much as soon as it was released into Early Access on Steam. I stopped playing it after a while as I decided to wait until the completed version was released. BZ is essentially Subnautica, just with more of an Arctic-like setting. Just like Subnautica, youâll find there are different biomes, so itâs not all wintry. It also has some new things such as a Sea Truck and Spy Penglings, among others. At first, I didnât like the Sea Truck. I liked the Sea Moth and Cyclops submarine in Subnautica, so initially (during Early Access) I was disappointed that these were missing. However, the Sea Truck has modules you can craft, connect, and disconnect easily. I found all of them useful, except the Sleeper module, which I didnât build. It was frustrating in Subnautica when using the Cyclops and bumping into things, just like it is in BZ with the Sea Truck, although you can repair them easily with a repair tool (which was made easier in BZ). I also didnât enjoy having to try to be quiet in certain areas with the Cyclops as it could attract Leviathans. Thatâs not the case in BZ, but if they see or get near you, they will attack. However, you can get an upgrade for the Sea Truck that lets you shock them, which will greatly reduce the amount of damage received. This will make them stop targeting you for a little while. I did find ways of killing a Leviathan (one of which is no longer valid as the tool used was removed), but they do respawn.
BZ also has a different story, though it's kind of related.
Subnautica received a lot of really good reviews and since BZ doesnât stray very far from that game, I imagine that it will also get positive reviews. Already on Steam, the reviews are âVery Positive.â
I did restart my game a few times (something I frequently do in games once I start playing them). If you don't want to lose items when you die, then take my advice and save your game often, so that you can quit and reload to prevent that.
The game is short. I do wish it were longer, but I did enjoy it. At some point, you may want to look at a walk through to help you advance. I did this once I reached a certain point, because the game doesnât always hold your hand and tell you what to do or where to go next. Also, it can be difficult to find some things on your own, though the game does give you some markers of places to visit. You can turn these beacons on or off in your main screen (PDA) and even choose a few colors for them. You can hit F1 to bring up a screen that tells you a lot of info, including coordinates. You can find coordinates of where things are on the gameâs wiki page. If I remember correctly, the first number relates to East/West, the second is depth, and the third is North/South. You may want to consult a quick video on how this works, so you can find things easier and not get as lost (though you still may find yourself getting lost). You can also craft beacons to place so you can find your way back to an area easily. You may want to revisit an area for things that you may have missed or to gather more resources. Speaking of resources, it seems they do not respawn, though I seem to recall that the wildlife does (at least in Subnautica). There are plenty of resources, though, so this isnât really something to worry about.
I recommend checking out Subnautica and then checking out BZ, especially if you liked Subnautica. I think Subnautica helps get you started and gives you a good understanding of the game in general. Plus, as I mentioned, the stories in both games are kind of related. Subnautica starts you off with you crash landing on an alien planet covered in a large ocean with little landmass. BZ, however, has you playing a character who wants to investigate the death of her sister on a frozen alien planet. Though it is interesting to note that you can freeze on land, but once you get into the ocean, temperature is no longer relevant (unless you get into a thermal vent).
If youâve played one or both games, let me know what you think. Also, let me know if you think this is something you may be interested in.
You can check out my other BZ (spoiler-free) post here: https://cheerfulghost.com/GregoPeck/posts/4629/subnautica-below-zero-cinematic-trailer-and-release-date
Listened to this today, and I wondered, "Do kids these days know what a mosh pit even is?"
I wish I knew too.
Isnât that the pit that ate boba fett?
đ¤Ł
I just found a news article about where you can pre-order it, which is Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop. I'm not sure if you knew about all of these pre-order options, so I thought I'd share. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/where-to-preorder-game-watch-the-legend-of-zelda/1100-6492953/
I got one preordered at Best Buy. Easier to get than Metroid Dread CE & Amiibo.
What is "CE?" I only saw "Metroid Dread." Is "CE" what they're calling the "Special Edition?" I looked it up, briefly, but I didn't find the answer I was looking for. I just saw it's name, but I didn't quite see a mention of what "CE" stands for or what makes it different than "Metroid Dread." Looking it at makes me miss amiibos.
Greg-- CE basically always means Collectors Edition. Interchangeable with Special Edition or whatever usually
Ah that makes sense. Thanks! I didn't think about that.
What Travis said. đ