Review: Bright Memory

Just like every time a new console is launched, I couldn’t wait to get my pre-order for day one Xbox Series X release all set up. I was fortunate to grab one, but then the realization set in and I remembered: No launch exclusives, Halo was delayed. Of course that was just for brand new games, and luckily I remembered that Bright Memory was the Xbox Series X’s only console launch exclusive. If that name sounds familiar to you, it should. Bright Memory: Infinite was the first Xbox Series X game announced earlier this year, and it will release in 2021. A little backstory on Bright Memory to start. First, it was released back in March of this year on PC only. It is developed by one man, Zeng Xiancheng, in his spare time. That information should get any gamer worth their salt to play the game out of respect alone, even if they are generally not fans of the genre. It was originally meant to be a prelude to full game and serve more as a demo to that game (Bright Memory: Infinite). It’s developed using Unreal Engine 4 utilizing developer grants, and it really shows just how far you can go. Think of Bright Memory as a video game’s version of a fan film come to life. The basic premise of Bright Memory is, well, confusing. You begin the game in the middle of a story without any explanation of how you got where you are. Imagine starting Game of Thrones halfway through season 5 and trying to figure out what happened. Our character is trying to stop the villains from stealing a Lazarus type artifact that can raise the dead. So far, nothing seems odd about this, right? Well, let’s continue. This artifact is on a floating island high above the North Pole in the Arctic. Oh yeah, it’s also inhabited by mythological Chinese monsters as well as enemies straight out of Dark Souls. This blew my mind. As I was playing this first person shooter, the last thing I expected to come across was a bonfire checkpoint that literally says “Bonfire Lit” like it was copy pasted straight from From Software’s programming code. While unusual, my reaction was more along the lines of “Ok, this is cool. I love the mashup” opposed to “Lame hack job”. The unusualness is where the intrigue ended however, as the technical aspect is a total mess. The main thing about any first person shooter is the control system. A game can be made or broken dependent upon the weapon recoil, aiming system, etc. Remember, Bright Memory was originally a PC launch back in March of this year. It’s a console exclusive launch on Series X, however, doesn’t appear to have been integrated for a console. On the flip side, it appears to be a port that’s not actually a port. It took me a little bit to understand why simply turning around seemed to take forever. Then I realized, it’s a direct PC port. By that I mean, it’s a direct PC port. The control setup in the options menu talks about keyboard and mouse settings on a console game. This got me thinking, the reason it takes forever to turn around is because the analog stick is like using a keyboard to turn around. In other words, WASD keyboard keys are integrated into the up, left, right and down on the analog stick. Shooting itself was all over the screen. I tried to change the sensitivity, but saw that there wasn’t any option to do so. Basically, every time I shot it became a spray and pray in hopes that I hit my mark. I found this unusual. Even though the aiming itself was highly sensitive, the actual shooting was very good. The gun stayed on point and didn’t bounce around the screen. It made me really wishing for a sensitivity option because it would have improved the overall gameplay immensely. But this is Bright Memory, nothing is what it seems – literally. It’s a first person shooter that also has swords. Yes, swords. These act like a special ability in Bright Memory that needs to be recharged for several seconds before you can use it again. I found myself playing majority of the game like this for two main reasons. One we mentioned in the aiming sensitivity. Second, I really loved the animations that occurred after every sword hit. Remember, Bright Memory is made by one guys. It’s literally a fan made game, so all the things that are generally overlooked in most games are highlighted here. The “squishy” sound effects when you stab someone with the sword or hack them to pieces are addicting, and was one of my favorite parts of the game. At this point in the game I start to feel like one of those infomercial sales guys yelling “But wait, there’s more!” In addition to guns and swords, there are also special abilities that let you throw enemies up into the air or simply blow right through a blockade hindering your progress. Other attacks like lightning elemental damage can be unlocked and upgraded as well, infusing even more variety to the game. I couldn’t figure out whether it was magic or your character was actually some sort of human/robot hybrid, but it didn’t really matter. Each of the individual features alone would normally leave you with that “Are you serious?” reaction. In Bright Memory, however, they all flow together pretty brilliantly when all added together. My favorite part of Bright Memory were the boss battles and puzzle systems. I know, you’re probably saying “Mike, this is a first person shooter. How are their boss battles and puzzles?” Well, my response would be this is Bright Memory and like Forrest Gump said, you never know what you’re gonna get. I love puzzle games. They are one of my favorite genres and parts of games in fact. I fully expected to see puzzles that

CD Projekt Red Showcases JALI Facial Performance Tools For Cyberpunk 2077 Alongside A New Gameplay Trailer

Given the visual fluidity of CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077, it is surprising to define the game as a cross-generation release. Especially with the title originally intended to ship more than half a year before the release of the newest Xbox and PlayStation, the game stands out to truly be breathtaking. But of course with delays for the game releasing the first-person RPG in December now, more time can be utilized to perfect the final product. In the most recent Night City Wire which went live this week, CD Projekt Red introduces facial performance suite JALI and elaborated on how responsive and easily formatted the software is. While lip syncing is a difficult process to master, even more with projects in 3D, JALI bridges the gap allowing developers to easily play audio and the system will interpret that into dynamic animations suiting the phonic sounds. Elaborated during the livestream, CD Project Red illustrates that JALI can better display voice recordings more organically for characters. The tool can also be used to assist with localization for Cyberpunk 2077 as well in other languages. You can watch the JALI trailer in the video below: “JALI is a suite of tools and a suite of services that results in, what we think, is the coolest and best and highest quality facial performance on characters,” Pif Edwards, JALI Research Inc. Co-Founder says. “It’s automatically generated on a face based on audio dialogue – audio speech from a voice actor.” Expanding upon that, JALI is said to be a stress-free software package that reworks the facial animations based on the emotions portrays from the used audio. Rather than recalibrating the commands for the animations, developers can instead use a different command to align with the tone of the audio track used for the character. During the same livestream, CD Projekt Red closed out the fifth and final episode with a new gameplay trailer for Cyberpunk 2077. The footage features an overview of Night City including the expansive customization options for V, a synopsis for the game’s plot, and plenty of jaw-dropping scenic shots of the game’s setting. Elsewhere in the shared Night City Wire livestream, CD Projekt Red also covered the role of Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Silverhand and his involvement in the core storyline alongside featuring the development for score in Cyberpunk 2077. You can read the full report by heading here. Cyberpunk 2077 is hitting Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, and Stadia on December 10, 2020. The game is rated R18+ and will not be censored here in Australia, which should truly allow for the games creative vision to shine.

Latest Night City Wire For Cyberpunk 2077 Dives Into Johnny Silverhand & The Score That Defines The Game

For a time, Cyberpunk 2077 was remembered to be a game that was coming and nothing more: a project to be excited for with how little there was to say about the game. And while many were given the green light to hype up the newest property from CD Projekt Red following the run-off of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, many grew anxious to see what is next. And that only fueled the flames when E3 2019 came around as John Wick actor Keanu Reeves stepped onto the stage unveiling his involvement in the game’s development. Reeves revealed he will be starring as a tent pole character in the coming title, Johnny Silverhand. However, details on that were lightly spared as the meat of the game is emphasized on protagonist, V. While CD Projekt Red began sharing more on the plot and Johnny Silverhand’s impact on the storyline, it is discovered he is a digital anomaly that only appears to V. In the latest Night City Wire which went live on Thursday, we learn that Johnny Silverhand’s presence left a bigger impact on the people of Night City prior to V’s entry to the underbelly of freelance Fixer jobs. You can watch the new Johnny Silverhand trailer in the video below: Complementing the setting of Night City and capturing the essence of Cyberpunk 2077, Silverhand alongside being a lead guitarist is also someone not to be ticked off. “He burned down half the city to prove he was right,” is one way to characterize Reeve’s role in Cyberpunk 2077. Although he died years before V walking into the spotlight, he is somehow connected to the main character in ways no one understands how. Conveniently, Silverhand’s musical talent also helps segue to the new showcase for the game’s score and the comeuppance for how the soundtrack heavily portrays the atmosphere of Night City. Although Cyberpunk is originally a 80s-centric dystopia which derived from the titular tabletop RPG, CD Projekt Red wanted to isolate that with a new wave of music from a new era. One of the main ideas was to take the Cyberpunk genre out of the 80’s and give it a 90’s flair. We took elements from rave, IDM, industrial, and make them fit our narrative purposes. It actually took us a long time to find the right color of the music. P.T. Adamczyk, Cyberpunk 2077 Composer Ultimately, the team of composers behind Cyberpunk 2077 recognized the severity for how the music should be heard and understood that it is only one leg that helps keep the table standing. “Getting that sound together is almost as important as the actual look of the game itself, because music is really helping you feel this emotional connection to the game,” Composer Paul Leonard Morgan added on the sound creation process. Now with less than a month away for Cyberpunk 2077 to arrive, many are counting down the days to its reveal. In anticipation for that, new information surfaced recently revealing the physical version for presumably PlayStation 4 & Xbox One both require two discs to play atop of 70 GB of hard drive space. You can read the full report by heading here. Cyberpunk 2077 is scheduled to release on December 10, 2020 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, and Stadia. The game is R18+ and will not be censored here in Australia, which should truly allow for the games creative vision to shine.

Rockstar Games Reveals New Setting For Cayo Perico Heist, Arrives December 15th

This past September marks the 7th anniversary for the release of Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V. And with the game initially arriving on preceding Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3 consoles which were migrated to each respected successors, the story will continue on the recently-released Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. In a recent financial report, it is told that GTA Online will be a free client on the newest consoles; exclusive to Sony’s system for the first three months. The finding does happen to make sense after now two console lifecycles experienced Grand Theft Auto V. Especially with Rockstar Games confirming that there will be no single player expansions or DLCs to come, there is no need to purchase the game a third time. Howbeit, for GTA Online, Rockstar Games has poked that the next major update will again be a new heist. However, the newest encounter will feature an entirely new setting. Just yesterday, Rockstar Games on Twitter teased the first glimpse at the new location with a snippet of the refion. But now in a new trailer uploaded earlier today, Rockstar Games officially unveils the Cayo Perico Heist. You can watch the announcement trailer in the video below: “The Cayo Perico Heist is the biggest GTA Online adventure ever, introducing an all-new exotic Heist location, with a brand-new approach to Heist design that features the ability to play everything solo or with up to three other players,” the synopsis reads for the newest heist in the blog post. “Plus you can acquire new vehicles and tactical weapons, experience new social spaces to dance and party in with your friends, and new world-class guest DJs, and listen to new radio stations with over 100 new songs. Oh, and a very large, very versatile, and very heavily armed submarine HQ with plenty of other surprises.” As for the latest addition to GTA Online, Rockstar Games issued the Los Santos Summer Special Update which includes a dozen new vehicles, Business Battles, and new adversary modes to continue your stay in the game. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you planning to return to GTA Online for Cayo Perico Heist? The Cayo Perico Heist arrives on December 15,; Grand Theft Auto 5 is out now for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Source: Rockstar Newswire

World Of Warcraft: Shadowlands Back On Track For Release, Launching November 23

While Blizzard Entertainment originally planned to release World of Warcraft: Shadowlands just in time for Halloween to complement players treading the realm of those who passed, the developer faced uncertain difficulties resulting with a delay for the latest expansion for the ongoing MMO. Of course, with an ongoing pandemic in effect, working on a big budget addition to a game the scale of World of Warcraft would be a bigger plate to finish – even for Blizzard Entertainment. At the time of the delay, the game was told to be delay indefinitely with no certain timeframe or release window provided for the game aside from 2020. Atop of that, it was uncertain when exactly the expansion would even ship as many continued to wait for the pre-patch for Shadowlands leading into November this month. But now in a new announcement this week, Blizzard Entertainment released a couple of new trailers alongside a countdown for World of Warcraft: Shadowlands set to arrive for this coming Monday. You can watch the launch cinematic trailer for Shadowlands in the video below: “With a single act of destruction, Sylvanas Windrunner has ripped open the way to the afterlife,” the synopsis reads for the expansion’s webpage. “Azeroth’s staunchest defenders have been dragged into all-consuming darkness. An ancient force of death threatens to break its bonds and unravel reality. Hidden realms of wonder and horror await any who would pass to the other side. “The Shadowlands is home to an entire realm of the departed; it is a world between worlds whose delicate balance preserves life and death itself. As one of Azeroth’s greatest champions, you have been granted the power to cross over in body and soul. Now you must investigate a conspiracy to unmake the cosmos, and help Warcraft legends journey back… or fulfill their ultimate destiny.” In recent news regarding Blizzard Entertainment, the firm announced to be organizing Blizzcon Online which will be held in mid February next year. You can read the full report for the virtual event by heading here. Are you excited for Shadowland finally arriving? World of Warcraft: Shadowlands launches on November 23, 2020 for PC. Source: Blizzard Entertainment

Pokémon Go: Seasons Update Adds New Changes & Gen 6 Pokémon

While developer Niantic, the team responsible for Pokémon Go, has been very quiet on the next major update for its still ongoing and popular augmented reality mobile game, the studio has implemented other features in the time being. As many of us are all aware, were are living in the middle of a global pandemic. But Niantic in the midst of the rise for COVID-19 established Remote Passes allowing users to join raids and other activities from any location. But this week, Niantic finally surfaced to unveil the Pokémon GO: Seasons – a new way for players to continue playing Pokémon Go and discovering new Pokémon only available through specific means. So as the planet continues to do its part with each seasonal transition, new Pokémon will begin to appear which matches the atmosphere of each seasonal setting. In addition to that, players can find all Pokémon currently available atop of those that inhabit the Kalos Region. Yes, Pokémon from Gen 6’s Pokémon X & Pokémon Y are finally being added to the game. You can watch the latest Pokémon Go Trailer in the video below: Most notably for the update is that players can finally expand their Pokédex with another region of Pokémon to uncover. The last batch of new Pokémon were introduced well over a year ago in September 2019 as Niantic welcomed Gen 5 Pokémon from Pokémon Black & Pokémon White. But now with seasons, there are even more Pokémon to find alongside a new region being included. The new update will also incorporate new Mega Evloutions as well when stumbling upon new raids. The addition for Mega Evolutions were first introduced earlier this summer and Niantic is surely not afraid to continue expanding on the feature. You can read the initial report for that by heading here. Are you excited for Gen 6 coming to Pokémon Go? The Pokémon Go: Season update goes live on December 1, 2020; out now for Android and iOS. Source: Niantic

CrossfireX Gets 2021 Release Date After Development Difficulties Sourced From COVID-19

South Korean developer Smilegate shocked viewers when learning that Crossfire will be receiving a sequel. The first-person shooter to combat Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a recognized entry and alike the Valve-developed series is well-deserved of a second iteration following the audience that continually plays the game to this day. More exciting was learning that this new version underway will also be shipped with a single player experience being developed by Alan Wake & Control studio Remedy Entertainment. The firm earlier this year offered a first glimpse at the campaign with a trailer showcasing gameplay of the title. However, alike dozens of other firms working through the novel coronavirus – the teams working on the game announced that there will be an unfortunate rescheduling of the title’s release to 2021. Originally projected for late 2020, players will have to wait a little bit longer. After much deliberation, and in consideration of the challenges faced by Smilegate development team due to COVID-19, we have made the difficult decision to delay the release of CrossfireX until 2021,” the letterhead reads. “Moving our release will allow us to deliver the Crossfire experience on console our team set to create.” Collected from the statement, it is gathered that the console version for CrossfireX is to blame for the extra time. Furthermore, only Smilegate being referenced in the letterhead, it is presumed that the multiplayer portion, again on console, is what requires more dedicated development. For Remedy Entertainment’s portion, it is suggested the single player is prepared for the intended 2020 release. Elsewhere previously, Remedy Entertainment pressed on some inspirations for the campaign’s plot for CrossfireX. While not directly taking from the source material, the Finnish team explained that Resident Evil is a big influencer for the story’s final product. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you fine waiting until next year for CrossfireX? CrossfireX is set to release sometime in 2021 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Alike With Xbox Series X|S, We Won’t See Definitive PlayStation 5 Games For The First Few Years Says Jim Ryan

Now that both Sony and Microsoft has welcomed its fleets of systems to the starting mark for the next-generation, the next pillar awaiting is the titles that define the new wave of video game consoles for the coming future. But while there are titles that are already unique to the new platforms, what bridges the Xbox & PlayStation to its predecessors are still years away. Dating back to January this year, Xbox Game Studios lead Matt Booty issues that any blockbuster exclusives will not be present for the Xbox Series X well until after 2021. While Microsoft has been criticized for the decision, it is primarily due to being caught during the lead up to the new consoles acquiring new teams for that intended purpose. Even with some firms dating back to 2018 like The Initiative, the results are still a while away. However, a similar story can also be told for PlayStation 5 as well according to an interview with Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO & President Jim Ryan. When speaking to Russian broadcast network TASS, he tells that game to define the latest PlayStation iteration are not to be expected until 2022 at the very least. He explains by sharing the dedication to PlayStation 4 users that yet to migrate to the new system. For us, the PS4 community is going to remain incredibly important certainly for 2020, 2021 and 2022. Because in those three years, that will be the larger PlayStation community. The message Ryan relays is certainly not unheard of following him announcing Sony Interactive Entertainment “believes in generations”. While many go to fuel the argument that the statement is bunk due to lacking backwards compatibility on PlayStation 5, Ryan’s words imply to support its platforms even after the newest hardware ships. Again, this is another parallel with Microsoft as well. Weirdly enough, with Sony Interactive Entertainment being more transparent on its ambitions for the PlayStation 5, it is virtually indifferent to what the competitor is aiming for. While the PlayStation company has been silent for a lot of the leading up to the PlayStation 5 release, it is difficult to gather what the firm intends until properly announced. Ryan continues by elaborating that the coming 2021 will also not feature next-generation titles as the company will emphasize on the larger community. But, 2022 will also be the year heavy-hitters will arrive to PlayStation 5. History will tell you that it’s in the second or third year that the developers really hit their stride. Developers typically need a little bit of time to familiarize themselves [with PlayStation 5]. But it’s probably 2022 that you’re going to see some wonderful things in the same way that it was 2015 [and] 2016 for the previous generation. When the generation defining-games started to be published. Ultimately, while hardened users behind both consoles can say what they want and the benefits of their system of choice, the software that truly define the Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5 are more than a year away. So for now, enjoy what you have and if you are still looking – good luck. What are your thoughts on Sony Interactive Entertainment not releasing exclusive games until 2022? Source: TASS