Yet another week has passed in this rollercoaster ride of a journey that we call “life.” It’s been a busy seven days for those of us who cover video game news, with a lot happening despite the summer season usually working against us. The summer of 2018 is proving to be pretty eventful, and for that we are thankful! Let’s get down to business, with this week’s summary of video game Fails and Feels.
First up are the Fails!
Fails
Man Blames Pokemon GO for Him Stalking a Woman
It’s stories like this that make me want to close my web browser and never visit the internet again… Unfortunately, I’m employed to search the web until the end of time, in a loop of perpetual disappointment and pain. A creepy 51-year-old has blamed Pokemon Go for causing him to stalk a woman. According to the man, he was “only playing Pokemon Go” near to the victim’s house. Sure, this could be a valid excuse, if it were not for the fact that he already had a history of stalking, spanning across the past 10 years.
The man was arrested for violating Japan’s stalking law, accused of loitering around the victim’s house between May 31 and June 12. “Peek-at-you?” How about no!
Octopath Traveler Amazon Shortage Leads to Apology from Square Enix
Personally, I can’t really remember that last time that a game sold out. I think it was Dead Island, which was suddenly super popular and no one was ready for that demand. Well, now it’s happened again, with Octopath Traveler on Nintendo Switch selling like hot cakes, leading to a shortage at Amazon. Publisher Square Enix has issued an apology, acknowledging that the game has sold out in many stores.
The solution is to buy the game from the Nintendo Switch eShop, assuming players have enough free memory, and are happy getting a digital copy at a (presumably) inflated price.
The Culling 2 Developer Apologies for the Game, Bringing Back the Original Game as F2P
After The Culling 2 failed to make any kind of a splash with its launch last week, developer Xavient has had to rethink its strategy. After making some “difficult decisions,” the dev ultimately chose to pull The Culling 2 from stores, while refunding any players who were unlucky enough to purchase it. To make up for the mess, and to try and save The Culling IP, Xavient will be going back to the original game, overhauling it to be more like its original launch form. Fans of the first game seem happy, with many praising this move as the “right thing to do.”
Feels
Fanmade Uncharted Movie Starring Nathan Fillion Released on YouTube for Free
Actor Nathan Fillion popped up in a fanmade Uncharted movie. Needless to say, it is damn incredible! The 14-minute video is available to watch on YouTube for free, and is packed full of reasons why Fillion is the greatest human ever! Slight exaggeration, maybe, but he makes a bloody good Nathan Drake, nailing the character’s humor and charm. Oh, and that shot from 10:51 onwards, where it goes from “cinematic” into “gameplay,” is just pure brilliance. If you haven’t seen it yet, click here to correct your mistake.
No Man’s Sky NEXT Update Trailer Reveals Huge Expansion
Hello Games has been busy creating the new “Next” update for No Man’s Sky. The main feature that’s set to get gamers overhyped about the game again is full multiplayer, with players able to join the games of friends and explore the universe as a cooperative unit. I know I’m not alone when I say that I’m tired of games launching without their full potential realized, but No Man’s Sky‘s latest update is looking good. Better late than never, I suppose!
New Shadow of War Update Is Huge, Accompanied by Free Demo
Speaking of games launching without their full potential realized, Shadow of War is finally free of the microtransaction shackles that had been making it a real drag in the endgame. No longer will players be pressured to buy premium currency, as it has been totally removed. Now the game can be enjoyed in a less grindy way, with players naturally coming across strong allies. I actually completed this game at launch, and I loved every moment up until that final “Shadow Wars” chapter. Thankfully, that’s now been fixed, so I guess it’s time to go back to Mordor! (There’s also a new free demo to try!)
