Every week, the cosplay crew at COGconnected dive deep into the world wide web to uncover the very best in cosplay. This week, our cosplay journey takes us to Sandusky, OH for ColossalCon 2024. So, I’ve never actually heard of Sandusky before, but apparently they have some pretty talented cosplayers! I’ll have to add it to my travel bucket list. Until then, I’ll enjoy their incredible cosplays from afar, and share those amazing finds with all of you.

Putting the Oh in Ohio!

And that concludes are journey to Sandusky, OH and the ColossalCon 2024. If you’re in the mood for more cosplay, be sure to check out some of these recent articles featuring Lady Kayleen, Naib, and Feisty Vee! We also had this spicy collection of cosplay clips from TikTok that you’ll probably really dig.

Images used in this article from DTJAAAAM Instagram.

The post The Colossal Cosplay from ColossalCon 2024 appeared first on COGconnected.

Since 2007, the Assassin’s Creed series has been a formidable force in the gaming industry. With unforgettable characters like Ezio Auditore and Edward Kenway, the franchise has captivated audiences by exploring new worlds at different points in time with each iteration. After numerous releases, Ubisoft revamped the series, incorporating RPG elements into the gameplay. While this shift was massively successful, many fans longed for the traditional adventure style, leading to the creation of Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Although the game was fantastic, it didn’t achieve the same popularity as the sprawling epic, Valhalla. The latest entry in the series, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, aims to capture the best of both worlds by incorporating characters that represent the franchise’s rich history. Set to release in November, here are five reasons why you should be hyped for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows.

Hiding in the Dark

Naoe Fujibayahio is a shinobi assassin who is on a quest for revenge. Fans of the franchise will be instantly drawn to her as stealth is at the forefront of her combat style. Early gameplay sequences showcase a whole host of methods to take out your enemy without being noticed. Notable changes that make this look like a step up from previous titles are the ways that you can manipulate light. You can emit darkness in areas by shooting lanterns making it simple to dart across and silently eliminate foes. Other new elements include sneaking underwater with the help of bamboo to breathe and most impressively, the use of a grapple. While this was a feature in Syndicate, Shadows looks to include a more nuanced approach that gives flexibility with its implementation.

A Brutal Beating

An imposing figure, Yasuke is a loyal samurai for Oda Nobunaga. While his story is full of intrigue as he is the first and only non-white samurai, his method of combat looks to evolve the system established in the RPG titles. Brutality imbues his fighting style with visceral executions concluding battles. Each encounter looks methodical with counters and parries being an important aspect to be victorious. While the idea of two protagonists is not new in the franchise, the way that these differ is. Jacob and Evie Frye played very similarly with only a few differences whereas Yasuke and Naoe are completely different adding a ton of replayability.

It’s Alive!

Although there is hustle and bustle in the cities of Assassin’s Creed, it never feels like a living world. GTA 5 did this particularly well as it felt like the characters did things regardless of whether you were there. Hopefully, this will be added to Shadows as you can switch between characters freely. In the extended gameplay reveal, it was great to see how citizens in the world reacted to Yasuke. As he walked through the world, head and shoulders above the natives, they moved out of his way and respected his standing as a samurai by bowing. It’s a little feature but it could end up being something much bigger.

Your Choice

Historically, you would learn about your targets and gradually take them out in a linear fashion. Shadows looks to alter this, allowing you to investigate each target and assassinate them in the order of your pleasing. With its new approach to synchronization, you will need to actually scope areas to discover the layout of the land rather than having your map populate with a ton of icons instantly. Although the developers have yet to release the finer details, such as the existence and implementation of a leveling system, the concept is great and could lead to a brand-new way to engage with the game.

What Time of Year?

Built on the Anvil game engine, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows employs a new weather system that will alter how you tackle missions. The world alters depending on the season meaning that you can approach your objective in new and exciting ways. For example, in Spring there will be more places to hide due to larger bushes and longer grass whereas in the Winter, you will leave footprints and water will be frozen over. The dynamic weather adds an additional layer to the plethora of options available and could lead to the most varied and rich experience in the history of the franchise.

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows has the potential to be the greatest title in the franchise. After years of crying out for the series to visit feudal Japan, it looks to have done so in style. Will you be picking this up in November? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter, and don’t forget to subscribe to us on YouTube for more great video game content.

Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.

• For amazing videos, head over to our YouTube page HERE.
• Follow us on Twitter HERE.
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• If you are a fan of cosplay, check out more of our cosplay features HERE.

The post 5 Reasons Why You Should Be Hyped For Assassin’s Creed: Shadows appeared first on COGconnected.

The younger brother of Nintendo’s mascot returns to the Switch. With his second adventure being tied exclusively to the 3DS, this is the first time the title is available to play on home consoles. Will Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD manage to capture the same magic on a home console that made it a standout on the 3DS?

The personality packed into the Luigi’s Mansion series helps the title stand out compared to its peers. The unique capture mechanic successfully creates the notion of being a ghost hunter and links perfectly to Luigi’s cowardly persona. While the first in the franchise was well-regarded for its concept, its length left players wanting more. The sequel addressed that by including five distinct mansions for you to explore. Although considered one of the best releases on the 3DS, will it hold up on modern consoles? Check out our video review below to find out.

Lugi’s Mansion 2 HD is out now exclusively on the Nintendo Switch and you can read our full review here. Which other games would you like Nintendo to remaster? Which is your favorite release in the series? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter, and don’t forget to subscribe to us on YouTube for more great video game content.

Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.

• For amazing videos, head over to our YouTube page HERE.
• Follow us on Twitter HERE.
• Our Facebook page HERE.
• Our Instagram page HERE.
• Listen to our podcast on Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts.
• If you are a fan of cosplay, check out more of our cosplay features HERE.

The post Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD Video Review – Ghostly Gig Work appeared first on COGconnected.

We’re so happy to once again bring you the weekly COGconnected cosplay feature. In previous iterations, we’ve showcased the brilliant Raisor Cosplay, the beautiful Sailor Virgo, and some incredible holiday-themed recreations. We’ve even posted coverage on the best cosplay couples! This week, we turn our attention to Lady Kayleen.

Without further ado, here’s the work of this wonderful cosplayer!

Continue on to page 2 for more from Lady Kayleen.

The post Come Enjoy Cosplay Courtesy of Lady Kayleen appeared first on COGconnected.

Street Fighter 6 Year 2 has been announced, with a new Ultimate Pass to purchase. It includes 4 new fighters, their additional outfits and colors, 2 new stages, and 7700 drive tickets. With all these additions on the horizon, COGconnected thought it would be a good idea to look back on the triumph that has been Street Fighter 6 Year 1, and discuss the few ways Capcom can improve the game.

Maybe the important aspect of Street Fighter 6 is that it’s made Street Fighter really cool again. The Battle Hub is an online play space that has the feel of a high profile arcade. Player avatars can wader around and walk up to arcade machines to challenge opponents. It creates the feel of the Street Fighter II boom in the early 90s, where players would line up at arcade machines, to watch top players compete, or attempt to take a crack at them. Them whole game is dripping with a Japanese street style that’s very appealing in a post-Persona video game world.

The Pinnacle of 2D Fighting

The gameplay is still phenomenal. A new Modern combat system was introduced. It makes playing more accessible to newcomers, but the system is so effective that series veterans are enjoying using it. I still play with Classic Street Fighter controls in the Fighting Ground, which has the Arcade and Versus modes. But I use the new Modern style when playing in World Tour.

World Tour is my favorite new addition Street Fighter 6 has brought to the franchise. It’s basically like Street Fighter RPG, where players create an avatar, and play through a story that takes place in Metro City, and other smaller locations around the world. Every fighter in the game becomes a mentor in World Tour. The player gets experience points and levels up overall, but every mentor has their own set of levels for players to gain. As a player levels up with a mentor, they unlock that mentor’s move set. Every new character added to Street Fighter 6 is a mentor in World Tour, in addition to a playable fighter one would expect. New mentors also add additional quests and story content to World Tour, so every new fighter is a big deal.

4 DLC Fighters

The 4 fighters added over the course of Year 1 were Rashid, A.K.I., Ed, and Akuma. When Rashid dropped it was really interesting to play through World Tour and find out I had to play through some new quests in order to find him and begin his mentorship. All 4 fighters were thoughtful, quality additions. But story-wise, the only one fans were clamoring for was Akuma. Street Fighter 6’s core 18 fighters struck a great balance between classic fighters and new ones. The DLC fighters seem to be 3 deep cut past characters, mixed with one classic character.

The fighters coming to Street Fighter 6 in Year 2 are M. Bison, Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, and Elena. These are interesting choices. Bison was an inevitable addition, which would be obvious for anyone who’s played through the story in World Tour. I’m a little surprised he’s arriving so early, but very excited to play as him. He’s an essential franchise villain, and a classic charge fighter. He’s available right now, and his new design screams wanting to know what happened to create the change in appearance. When he was announced I was very curious to see how his presence affected Nayshall and JD. And after only a few days, Bison is already one of my favorite characters to use in the whole game.

Fatal Fury in Street Fighter?

Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui are both from the Fatal Fury franchise. It sounds like Street Fighter 6 will have a Fatal Fury/ King of Fighters crossover storyline, which is fun. But I don’t think it was the right choice this early in the game’s existence. Elena is a deeper cut character. She’s traditionally been very fun to play, with her capoeira fighting style. But she’s not super essential to the ongoing central storyline. All of these new characters could be implemented well, but 3 out of 4 are strange choices when there are so few classic fighters absent.

There are still some changes Capcom could implement to turn Street Fighter 6 from a great game, into a perfect game. The biggest problem is that its DLC is way too overpriced. The Year 2 Ultimate Pass is $50 USD. That’s almost the price of a full game! There are also Character Passes that are slightly cheaper than the Ultimate Pass. They just have the characters, and not the new levels. But right now there’s no way to upgrade from a Character Pass to an Ultimate Pass, without paying the full price of the Ultimate Pass. Hopefully this is a change Capcom makes soon.

Fight Money is Too Expensive

There are also lots of options peppered throughout the game to get players to buy Fight Money with real money, to get cosmetic avatar items. I don’t mind this in theory, but the cost of the items is outrageous. Earlier in the year, there were skins of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which I would have loved to have gotten. When I went to buy them it turned out that these avatar skins were close to $20 each, which is absolutely outrageous. $5 per turtle would have been begrudgingly acceptable, but at the $20 price point a lot of people won’t ever consider cosmetic Fight Money purchases.

Avatar creation could be much more robust. The tattoo options are especially slim. Over the course of World Tour, lots of clothing items are unlocked, but it’s still not enough to make a fighter conjured from your imagination. The WWE 2K games have a phenomenal character creation system that I wish the Street Fighter devs would look at. The game is flawless when it comes to creating move builds, but some obvious work needs to be done in the appearance department.

And finally, I’d like to add that by the end of this year there will still be only 26 fighters. The game launched with 18, and 4 fighters per year seems like Capcom’s releasing the bare minimum amount. 6 fighters a year would make a much bigger difference, and would make the $50 price tag hurt less. They do require more effort to implement than in past games, because of the way they’re incorporated into World Tour, but right now, the price still isn’t right.

In Conclusion

Street Fighter 6 is a phenomenal 2D fighting game. Maybe the best ever. But Capcom is taking an approach that makes it feel like a premium product that puts quality over quantity. Everything they’ve done is great, but if they could make the few changes outlined in this article, they’d maybe have something to top Street Fighter II as the greatest fighting game of all time. Year 2 is offering some great content, even if Capcom keeps things more of the same. Mortal Kombat 1 and Tekken 8 were also phenomenal fighting game releases in the past year, but Street Fighter 6 really is the best of the best. See you in the Battle Hub!

What were your favorite parts of Street Fighter 6 Year 1? What are you most looking forward to in Year 2? Let us know in the comments.

Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.

• For amazing videos, head over to our YouTube page HERE.
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• Listen to our podcast on Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts.
• If you are a fan of cosplay, check out more of our cosplay features HERE.

The post Street Fighter 6 – Year 2 is Upon Us appeared first on COGconnected.

DLCs are a bit like a second slice of pie. If the first slice was good, do you really need more? And if the first slice was mid, will the second make it better? Especially with a well-received game, fans have come to expect DLC. But often it disappoints, either by being too short or feeling superfluous. Then there’s the difficult choice of how players will access the new content. Make it available to everyone and veteran players will complain, but make it dependent on finishing some major portion of the base game, and you lock out potential new fans (and income). FromSoftware has always been masters of DLC. With Shadow of the Erdtree, they have released what is likely the best DLC for any game, ever. Hyperbole? Maybe, maybe not.

Shadow of the Erdtree is the first — and certainly only — expansion for 2022’s Elden Ring. Playing a FromSoft game has always been like solving a Rubik’s cube covered in thorns. Beating it becomes an obsession, but at the cost of bloody hands. In many ways, Elden Ring gave the player optional padded gloves to wear, and it opened the door to millions of players. It could be said that Shadow of the Erdtree takes those gloves completely off. While it makes hefty demands, however, it pays equally hefty rewards. The challenge is back, baby.

The Question of Difficulty

When it was revealed that the DLC was gated behind a pair of late-game — though optional — bosses, some casual players were resigned to never playing it (only 62% of Elden Ring players had reached the required boss). Others scrambled to complete the basic requirements. But FromSoft knew its core audience. After over two years, the developer assumed that most dedicated players had beaten the game, often several timers over. The core fans were more than ready for new and heftier challenges. 

And challenge it delivered. To the point where the chorus of “it’s too difficult” became hard for FromSoftware to ignore. So, the developer did something rare in its history. Miyazaki and company tweaked the balance post-launch. They made the DLC-only upgrade system even more helpful to players in the early hours of the game.

FromSoft games have never just been about skill or gear, however. Lack one, and you can rely on the other to see you through. Shadow of the Erdtree’s enemies — especially bosses — are often immensely challenging. As always, players with a mastery of mechanics will have the easiest — though not easy — time. But anyone with high-level gear and a smart combination of weapons, armor, and enhancements can muscle through. Shadow of the Erdtree drops some amazing new weapons, too. They’ll change things up in the base game’s PvP community for sure. 

Smart Quality of Life Improvements

Shadow of the Erdtree gives fans both long-requested improvements to the game as well as QOL changes they didn’t even know they wanted. Most of these transfer to the base game as well. First and foremost is the ability to quickly identify new loot. After two years, a player’s inventory is a bulging treasure chest of stuff that can take a long time to scroll through. Shadow of Erdtree tags new acquisitions, making it easy to find that shiny new weapon or talisman. It’s a small thing but much appreciated.

Difficulty scaling in the DLC is handled in a way that rewards high-level players without punishing those with minimum stats. Rather than change the stats on enemies, the game generously doles out two optional items that increase both offensive and defensive player stats. Use the items and the game gets a little easier. But players can opt to not use them and keep the challenge dialed to max. This system doesn’t carry back into the base game. As noted, since release the developer has made the upgrade system even more useful to struggling players.

Lore and narrative are often ignored, but in FromSoftware games, they are nearly always guides to where to go next and what to do. Players of Elden Ring complained that the story signposting was a bit too obtuse. That’s a shame, because the mythic, multi-layered story in Elden Ring is haunting and tragic. 

The story and progression in Shadow of the Erdtree are more clearly designated by a series of crosses, each with a bit of lore and NPCs with helpful maps. Of course, players who couldn’t care less about why they’re there and the backstory of the bosses can still have plenty of hack-and-slash fun. As always, there is a world of hidden content for players to stumble upon. 

Matter of Size and Scope

A lot of DLCs are small chapters of added content that can be completed in a couple of hours. They offer up a new area, a handful of new enemies or weapons, and call it good.

As befits FromSoftware’s sprawling masterpiece of Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree is longer than the majority of action games, clocking in at a minimum of 30-40 hours. What’s not apparent from the map is that most zones have several vertical layers, underground dungeons, and hidden areas, so that the explorable map is much bigger than it already appears. Of course, just like the main game, Shadow of the Erdtree is filled with a huge amount of visual and artistic variety and environmental contrast.

While the DLC naturally recycles some enemy types from Elden Ring, it also includes well over 100 new bosses, dozens of new weapons, spells, incantations, and armor. It’s a great way to refresh the experience of the main game, as all of the new gear can be brought back into the base game to mix up familiar PvP play and make new game + runs more interesting. Generous is a serious understatement.

Nothing’s perfect, of course. Shadow of the Erdtree has a few performance problems and graphical quirks. The difficulty curve is a bit binary: either pretty easy or very difficult, with less middle ground than the base game. 

But small issues aside, Shadow of the Erdtree is everything FromSoftware fans were hoping for. Huge, complex, and challenging, Shadow of the Erdtree does what few DLCs accomplish. It gives the player a rewarding new experience by itself and enriches and even improves the base game. Yes, the wait was agony, but the reward is sweet. Like every FromSoft game, it raises the bar for other developers daring to release sub-par DLC.

Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.

• For amazing videos, head over to our YouTube page HERE.
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The post Shadow of the Erdtree is the Best DLC Ever Made appeared first on COGconnected.

June 2024 was a unique month for video game reviews. Almost all of the games covered in The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from June 2024 are releases mentioned in the Top 5 Video Games Arriving in June 2024. All three of the games from The Good section of this article were hotly anticipated. And one of the games from The Bad section of this article might be remembered a little too fondly by franchise fans. Without further ado, here are The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from June 2024:

The Good

Destiny 2: The Final Shape DLC

***click here for our review***

Bungie nailed it with Destiny 2: The Final Shape! It’s the narrative conclusion to all the events of all the expansions. The story is much more linear and focused than past expansions. But it’s a conclusion that ties up everything, and packs an epic emotional punch. With some of Destiny 2’s expansions being less than stellar, Destiny 2: The Final Shape greatly exceeded our reviewer’s expectations. They wrote “it’s perhaps the closest Destiny has come to feeling like vintage, Halo-era Bungie”, which is the highest praise an FPS can get.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

***click here for our review***

There wasn’t any doubt in anyone’s mind that Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree was going to be excellent, and an obvious entry on The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from June 2024. It continues the quality of Elden Ring, but adds a new endgame area the size of two areas. The only critiques our reviewer had were that a few bosses were repeated, and to access the DLC, you basically have to have beaten the main game. They mentioned “to see everything plan in 60+ hours of playtime”. This is DLC the size of a full game, and a must play for all Souls fans.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance

***click here for our review***

Shin Megami Tensei V is an excellent monster collecting JRPG. It brought open world exploration elements to the dark monster collecting franchise. On first glance, it seems almost perfect, but after beating the game, a lot of players found the story felt a little hollow. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance corrects this by adding a new plotline that adds fullness to the narrative that compliments the base game’s gameplay. Our reviewer wrote the new plotline protagonist “Yoko is a very engaging heroine in all her bitter glory”, so people who have beaten the original version for the Switch have a great reason to play this upgraded version. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance easily deserves to be on The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from June 2024.

The post The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from June 2024 appeared first on COGconnected.

July 2024 is such a cool month for video game releases. It seems like there’s something for everyone. There’s a few massive releases, several of which are new IPs. Similar to June 2024, our top spot is a major DLC drop. Our runner up this month is the long-awaited Earth Defense Force 6! For those who haven’t played an EDF game before, they’re dopey Japanese 3^rd person shooters that have more to do with spectacle than polish. Check out the trailer below. And without further ado, the Top 5 Video Games Arriving in July 2024 are:

5. Nintendo World Championships – July 18

The Nintendo World Championships took place in 1990. They were a series of events where players got a combined score in the NES games Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and Rad Racer. Finalists were given NES cartridges that had the games and scoring used in the competition. There are an estimated 350 of those cartridges in existence, and they are usually listed on eBay for around $25,000 USD. In honor of this most expensive and ridiculous NES game, Nintendo is releasing an official Nintendo World Championships game for the Switch! It will feature at least 13 different NES games, as opposed to the original 3. Expect lots of modern features, and an experience similar to the Wii U’s NES Remix games. Nintendo World Championships is kind of a goofy entry to the Top 5 Video Games Arriving in July 2024, but how could we not include it!?

4. The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak – July 5

The Trails series is almost caught up in North America! We’re only one game behind Japan now! The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak is the first game in the new Daybreak series. It’s the start of a new story arc that takes place in the Calvard Republic. This JRPG has been out in Japan for 3 years! Trails fans have been waiting for its release in North America for a long time, which makes it an obvious entry in the Top 5 Video Games Arriving in July 2024. The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak will be available for everything expect Xbox.

The post Top 5 Video Games Arriving in July 2024 appeared first on COGconnected.

Welcome back, cosplay fans! It’s time for the weekly COGconnected cosplay feature. This week, we’re going to take a look at the work of Naib, a cosplayer who really captures the intensity of action and horror games.

Naib is a big fan of horror game Identity V, action-packed manga, and the sci-fi/fantasy titles of miHoYo. It’s no surprise that their cosplay is filled to the brim with motion and fierceness. Whether it’s the action heroines of shonen manga or the troubled heroes of horror game, Naib can cosplay them all.

When Naib isn’t making incredibly intense faces into the camera, they’re visiting conventions. And organizing Identity V fan-meets in the UK. It’s always nice to see cosplayers enjoying themselves, and Naib seems to be having a blast.

OH MY GOD! GUYS I MET CYYU!!! pic.twitter.com/hP4eNcOuRx

— CyYu 2.0 ARC = Cyno + Jing Yuan (@CyYuVtuber) June 15, 2024

CY-YU – VTuber

 

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“Orpheus” Deross – Identity V

 

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Toge Inumaki – Jujutsu Kaisen

 

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Ken Kaneki – Tokyo Ghoul

 

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Tighnari – Genshin Impact

 

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Alva Lorenz/Hermit – Identity V

The post Naib’s Cosplay is as Intense as It Gets appeared first on COGconnected.

On gamers’ radar for several years, Drova: Forsaken Kin is soon to be officially released. Fans of classic action RPGs are excited to get their hands on the final product. For the unfamiliar, Drova is a pixel art, isometric RPG with Souslike action mechanics and a fantasy setting that’s pure sword and sorcery. I had the opportunity to spend some time with a section of the game pre-release and came away intrigued.

Could It Be Magic

In the game’s opening cinematic, we learn that the Druids in our generally peace-loving land have found a magic crystal. It may or may not open a portal to another dimension, which goes by many names familiar to mythology, like Elysium. Your character follows a pair of Druids into the forest, where one of them is attacked by monsters and killed. After being attacked yourself, you find yourself in a mysterious new landscape.

What follows are the staples of ARPGs: exploration, combat, and crafting. While the slice I played didn’t contain the complete narrative, it’s clear that your goals are to help broker peace and understanding between different factions and even different dimensions. Along the way, you meet a very large cast of NPCs. Some want to help you, others need assistance, and more than a few are outright hostile.

Drova takes some inspiration from classic RPGs and games like Gothic, which brought together mysticism and sword-and-board combat. Drova doesn’t entirely escape Soulslike influences, either. Light and heavy attacks, blocking, parrying, and dodging are all in the mix. Ranged combat and magic are part of the formula, too.

Fog of War

Drova’s mechanics generally work as expected. You gather healing plants and crafting materials, pocket coins for later, and snag weapons from out in the wild. To learn spells and upgrade weapons, you need to find teachers and other NPCs, many of whom are not entirely neutral to the narrative. There’s a skill tree to unlock. In other words, players with even a passing familiarity with fantasy RPGs will feel comfortable and at home.

At least in the demo I played, the cinematic was still voiced in German (which actually perfectly fit the tone of the visuals), and there is no spoken dialogue in the game. There is, however, quite a bit of written dialogue and text. Most of it is pretty expository in the way games tend to be. That said, there’s a bit of profanity and a little color and personality here and there.

For many players, Drova’s pixel art will be a draw. For me, it was a slightly mixed bag. On one hand, the monster design and combat were both surprisingly effective, given their self-imposed graphical limitations. The world is by turn inviting, colorful and moody. On the other hand, the player character and NPCs were so blobby that real personalities couldn’t come through.

My last and biggest issue was the way the pixel art limitations impacted moving through the environment. It was often difficult to discern elevation changes or critical paths. While the game might be an “open world,” nearly every area is a maze of walls or other impediments. It creates a — perhaps intentional — feeling of claustrophobia.

On the Horizon

Despite a few negatives common to in-development games from smaller developers, Drova: Forsaken Kin manages to check several important boxes. As RPGs go, it’s appropriately deep and allows for a lot of variety in combat and character builds. Combat is fun and often very challenging. The intersection of ancient magic, bits of world mythology, and familiar fantasy adds texture to the narrative.

It’s clear that the developers have a clear vision for their game and have spent the last few years focused on refining the experience. I look forward to seeing what the complete game has to offer when it releases this year on PC, Switch, and consoles.

Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.

• For amazing videos, head over to our YouTube page HERE.
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I love survival crafting games, whether they’re “realistic” or more fanciful. There’s something relaxing and orderly about building a shelter from sticks and stones, taming the flora and fauna, and living to see another dawn. I think that games in the genre probably tap into a very deeply rooted instinct. One of the downsides of many survival games is that they’re very labor-intensive. You often have to do everything yourself. But what if you didn’t? What if you could entice others to do your dirty work? That’s the premise of ASKA.

ASKA is part of a recent tsunami of survival crafting games and even has a Viking/Norse setting similar to other games in the genre like Valheim. ASKA tasks one to four players with creating a thriving community and a large labor force that is relatively autonomous, once set in motion. In other words, ASKA adds a layer of being a middle manager to survival and crafting. Minus the office politics.

Start Slow

For the first several hours, at least, ASKA doesn’t necessarily innovate on the survival crafting formula. You have three basic needs — hunger, thirst, and temperature — to satisfy. So, naturally, you gather the basics like berries, stones and sticks, plant fibers, and potable water. Night falls and you build a warming fire. From there, you climb the expected tree of crafting sophistication by building better tools to gather better resources and build better shelters.

In this phase, ASKA gives the player some welcome quality-of-life tools. You can press a key to highlight otherwise hidden resources and there are plenty of pop-up tips and goals. Laying down even basic shelters and early buildings is easy and flexible, provided you have the resources. You can’t alter the aesthetics of your lean-to, but you can rotate it and find the optimal position in the landscape.

At the same time, ASKA also adds a bit of complication. Trees can’t simply be harvested, but processed into different components, fires require a steady stream of fuel, and crafting anything but the basics is a multi-stage affair. In the background, the animal needs of hunger and thirst demand attention. The first few hours of ASKA might feel slow to some. For others, the meticulous pacing and process will be exactly right.

We’re Hiring

If that was all there was to ASKA, it would probably get lost in the crowd, because while it’s pretty polished for an early-access game, those aspects are nothing new. In ASKA you gather another, magical resource called Jotun stones. Eventually, you create a beacon of sorts, fueled by Jotun, that summons recruitable workers to your growing little camp. Immediately you can assign these recruits to do some basic tasks, leaving you to move on to the next level of crafting or gathering.

Your new employees are not drones. They have the same needs as you have, and distinct preferences. Some prefer to work at night, others prefer daytime labor. This results in a balancing act. Those folks working under the hot sun will need water, for example. Fail to meet their needs or respect their preferences, and your disgruntled workforce will leave. Eventually — and again, this is a slow, patient process — you can expand your small settlement into a much more complex collection of buildings and a much larger, more specialized, and autonomous NPC workforce.

Unlike Valheim and several other games in the genre, ASKA is not PvP-focused. In fact, there is no PvP component at all. Instead, ASKA invites and encourages cooperative play with up to four players. Even one other human team member early on can change the slightly glacial pace of the first few hours.

Optimal Experience

Although there is no PvP combat, there is the threat of animal and supernatural foes that can play havoc with or even kill your villagers. You can build a community that is more focused on combat, which seems to increase the amount of severity of monster attacks. Or, you can maintain a minimal force of warriors that serve as protection from the occasional skeleton and wolf encounters.

On a scale of photorealism to outright stylized art, ASKA is definitely on the realistic side, though character models could use some refinement. The environments are lush and detailed and the lighting, day, night and night cycles and weather look great. The music is relatively understated but helps fill the sonic landscape in those early, lonely hours.

Although there are plenty of options for adjusting the graphics and audio, there aren’t a lot of ways to customize things like resource density or overall difficulty. For an early access title, ASKA ran at a pretty consistent 90fps, with a few graphical hiccups but no show-stoppers.

Employee Satisfaction

Apart from the villager recruitment aspects, ASKA is a well-made survival crafting game that comes into its own with friends. The NPC workforce mechanic is the real and literal game changer, however, and allows ASKA to stand apart from other games in the genre. No matter how you play it, ASKA favors patient, meticulous players with a love of detail and process. I guess I must be in that category. I enjoyed my time with ASKA and look forward to seeing it develop.

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Microsoft’s current ambiguity about the future of the Xbox has put the brand in an unusual position. While they’ve acquired a host of talented developers to produce exclusive titles aimed at elevating the system, they are also exploring partnerships to release games on both the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation. Regardless of the path they choose, many fantastic games would thrive if released on the PlayStation. So, here are ten titles that should make the leap.

Gears of War

A legendary release in the third-person shooter genre, Gears of War inspired a generation of games. With its visceral combat and heavy gunplay, it was an instant hit, bringing players together for intense warfare. Not only was the campaign a cinematic adventure with some incredible set pieces but it also features some of the best online modes. In addition to traditional PvP, the series includes arguably the best Horde Mode. The mix of iconic weapons, range of enemy types and huge bosses creates an intense co-op experience that would excel on the PlayStation.

Halo

There was a time when the very idea of Sonic being on a Nintendo console would have blown the minds of Sega fans. Now, there are even games that see the mascots team up in sporting events! Well, although a tough pill to swallow for Xbox fans, placing Master Chief’s odyssey on the rival platform would do wonders for the player base. With the latest title in the franchise underperforming, porting the exclusive to the PlayStation would be a great way to reignite interest and get the world talking about Halo.

Sunset Overdrive

Insomniac Games is a cornerstone of PlayStation Studios. With epic titles like Spider-Man and Rachet & Clank in their portfolio, they have proven on countless occasions that they are a formidable force in the industry. While most of their games were exclusive to the PlayStation, they did one for Microsoft and it’s an overlooked gem. Sunset Overdrive features an incredible parkour system which laid the foundation for their Spidey games. With its distinct art direction and patented humor, this deserves another shot on a different platform.

Fable

With its rich history, there is hype surrounding the release of the new Fable game. The latest trailer absolutely nails the humor and sets up an exciting-looking adventure that is sure to be a strange and hilarious journey. Although a flagship title on the platform and possibly one that entices players to the Xbox, releasing the original trilogy on the PlayStation would increase interest in the upcoming title. Let more people fall in love with Albion to help the success of the next release.

Quantum Break

Remedy Entertainment created an absolute masterpiece with Alan Wake 2. Its seamless implementation of live-action footage and gameplay helped to create a strange and wonderful experience like no other. While Quantum Break was their first foray into using live-action segments, it was disjointed compared to their latest effort. Nevertheless, it’s a wonderful adventure with a strong cast which more people deserve to play.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

Given that the first title was available on PlayStation, it’s logical for the sequel to be released on the same platform. With its deep dive into the human psyche, Hellblade is an intense cinematic experience and one which PlayStation fans would lap up. Since Sony focuses on single-player titles, the platform would be a natural fit for the sequel to the critically acclaimed game.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

With its stunning visuals, this game would stand out on the PlayStation as there is no other game like this on the platform. Microsoft’s commitment to the IP with numerous updates and additions has helped to make this one of the best titles in the genre. While not for everyone, there is a definite market that would love to see this title fly over to the PlayStation.

Forza Horizon

Although Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo are fierce rivals that compete for the top spot of the podium for the most realistic racer, Horizon drifts down a different path due to its focus on high thrills and the open world. With no other game in its sub-genre matching the quality of the series, releasing the game on PlayStation would make great business sense for Microsoft. Should they just cash in?

The Ori Series

Already released on the Nintendo Switch, the Metroidvania action platformers are renowned as some of the greatest titles in the genre. With its luscious art direction and responsive controls, each moment is an absolute joy. As the games are already in the wild, why not place them on the PlayStation so that more people can experience this amazing piece of art?

Starfield

Let’s face it, Starfield failed to meet expectations. Although Bethesda is still working on it, releasing patches to improve performance, many Xbox players have already checked out. So, what better way to re-establish itself than releasing on a new platform? Microsoft should let this be Sony’s big holiday game and then sit back and reap the benefits.

There you have it. Those are the Xbox exclusives that I believe deserve a PlayStation release. What are your thoughts? Should Killer Instinct replace one of these? How about a different game? What do you think the chances are of any of these getting a release on a Sony console? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter, and don’t forget to subscribe to us on YouTube for more great video game content.

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Turtle Flip Studio have announced that they will be showcasing Which Way Up: Galaxy Games at AVCon in Adelaide, South Australia. The event will take place from 28 June to 30 June Adelaide Showgrounds. During this weekend, attendees can play upcoming indie titles, and check out a range of anime and manga. As well as interact with the video game and cosplay community.

The IndiEXP team will be representing Turtle Flip Studio and is excited to invite players to go hands-on with the upcoming title. They will be able to compete amongst the seven Celestial Space Sprites across galactic events to come out victorious in this interstellar competition. The new demo will also feature some new mini-games and features that are not present in the Steam demo.

Which Way Up: Galaxy Games is a wholesome family-friendly party game. It gives unique freedom of movement by allowing you to run on walls and ceilings, orbit around planets, or fall across entire levels by maneuvering through gravity fields.

Before the Universe came into being, the Celestial Space Sprites united, each one contributing to the realization of a grand dream: the dream of life itself. As the Universe started to form, so did space. However, space is unpredictable, and the task of creating life proved to be exhausting. Thus, the Sprites decided to create a diversion: the Galaxy Games.

Every event features its own unique bite-sized challenge for up to 4 players to compete. Send your friends into space as you race across gravity fields, score a goal with an entire moon, and more.

SOURCE

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The iconic JRPG series is back with its fifth iteration. Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer to the series, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance aims to offer a unique adventure that will deliver thrills throughout. With its dark, post-apocalyptic setting, intricate gameplay mechanics, and thought-provoking themes, does this latest entry live up to the legacy of its predecessors?

Featuring a revamped combat system, the famed JRPG looks to be the ultimate entry in the series. The expansive open-world and stunning environments beckon you to explore and discover the many secrets that lie within. With branching storylines and deep, immersive narrative, is this the best title in the franchise’s celebrated history? Check out our video review below to find out!

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is out now on all major platforms and you can read our full review here. What would you like to see next from the franchise? Does this sound like it will live up to your expectations? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter, and don’t forget to subscribe to us on YouTube for more great video game content.

Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.

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The post Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Video Review – Apocalyptic Fantasy Redux appeared first on COGconnected.

It’s the weekend and that means it’s time for some spicy cosplay! It’s been a while since we’ve featured a post with TikTok videos. Well, that changes now, and we’re bring all your favourites back. We’ve got Kristen Lanae, Cat Falco, Luxlo, and so much more. Why are you still reading this? Get scrolling!

Enjoy.

@kristen_lanae

Chucky has the best laugh

♬ sonido original – Cry Dony 666

@pinuppixie

Had this outfit tucked away wanted to do a 90s nostalgia look

♬ original sound – Pinup pixie

@artyfakes

She turns up wearing this to your date, what do you do? #cosplay #cosplayer #cosplaygirl

♬ Only You X Playdate – ded4$$

@kamuicosplay

Finally finished my fully hand made Yelan cosplay! This whole project took 6 weeks of work and was incredibly difficult to pull of! I’m SO PROUD of it! Got a lot of help from Benni, @blackmaskedfox and @Selina Engel ! Thanks so much for Genshin Impact for always pushing me further on my crafting journey! Download Genshin Impact for free! Link in my bio/linktree! Ad | Sponsored | @GenshinImpact_En #GenshinImpact #GenshinImpactCosplay #Cosplay #Yelan #YelanCosplay #CosplayTutorial #CosplayProgress #diycrafts #fyp #howitsmade #tiktokcosplay #cosplayprogress

♬ som original – overlaysdp

Check out page 2 for more TikTok cosplay.

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We’re so happy to once again bring you the weekly COGconnected cosplay feature. In previous iterations, we’ve showcased the brilliant Raisor Cosplay, the beautiful Sailor Virgo, and some incredible holiday-themed recreations. We’ve even posted coverage on the best cosplay couples! This week, we turn our attention to Feisty Vee.

Without further ado, here’s the work of this wonderful cosplayer!

Continue on to page 2 for more from Feisty Vee.

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If you’ve been playing video games for any length of time, you know that the popularity of genres waxes and wanes. Once upon a time, everything was a platformer. For a while, Diablo-style ARPGs dominated developers’ ideas. Currently, it seems like every other game is either a Soulslike or a survival and crafting clone. Serum, now in early access, falls into that latter category, but it has enough new ideas to make it stand out.

Timer Tension

Serum is a first-person survival/crafting action game that also has strong Chernobylite or S.T.A.L.K.E.R vibes in its setting and premise. Without going anywhere near spoilers, you play as a research scientist who wakes to find himself in a landscape corrupted by a poisonous blight. As is the way in these stories, the blight has churned and turned everything in the world into either dangerous monsters or useful scavenge, without much middle ground. Your task is to survive, figure out the story beats, and escape to your patiently waiting family, complete with a sickly child. You know, just to tug a little harder on the heartstrings and raise the tension.

The game’s big hook is that there’s a drug called serum that will stave off the effects of the blight, but only for a short period. You have a surgically implanted timer on your arm that ticks down after every serum injection. If it runs out, game (literally) over. The serum also has its own negative effects, so back at home base you need to purge your system of both blight and serum.

Most survival crafting games make the player pay attention to bodily functions like hunger, thirst, and sleep. In Serum, the main focus is on constantly injecting doses of serum and the omnipresent timer. Serum does double duty by having different crafted forms and formulas that come with additional powers, status effects, or benefits. Having to satiate hunger on top of the pressure of serum’s limited effectiveness would be too much. The upgraded serums often come with a tradeoff of power versus effective length.

Junkyard Dog

While the serum’s protective power starts on a ridiculously short, five-minute timer, one of the goals is to upgrade it to last longer. Eventually, the player can venture out for longer periods before heading back to a base station. Some players have complained that the constant pressure to take serum is annoying. Maybe, but it’s also the game’s biggest hook. Without it, Serum would be a pretty standard survival title.

Like the majority of games in the genre, the player takes increasingly longer and more dangerous trips away from the base, looking for materials and exploring. There are useful bits and bobs everywhere, from plants, animal parts, and rotting corpses to piles of discarded junk. Most important tasks beyond the basics are multi-stage assignments. These include collections of scavenging, building, or upgrading machines or equipment and simple environmental puzzles.

Combat plays an important role, too, as animals and monstrous creatures need to be harvested or killed to access new biomes. There are a variety of hand-crafted melee and ranged weapons. Like a lot of Serum at the edges, combat is a little janky and not quite dialed in. One annoyance of Serum’s mechanics is that the serum timer isn’t paused when accessing inventory or other information. Having to leave the game for any length of time means quitting out.

Work to be Done

Built using Unreal Engine 5, Serum looks like the recent game that it is. The blight-tinged, sickly green filter grows a bit repetitive, though later biomes have a wider color palette. On a very high-end PC, the game struggles with consistent frame rates and early access bugs and crashes. What’s kind of strange and a bit off-putting is that there is paid DLC already available, some for items that should probably be in the game. These include a story codex, a guidebook, plus a book of actual drink recipes inspired by the game. There’s something very wrong about paying four bucks to know what the heck the story is really about. Then again, it makes sense because Serum’s narrative and delivery have a lot of holes. There’s a lot of environmental storytelling, but nearly everything is expository and one-dimensional. Maybe the DLC fills in the blanks.

Overall, Serum has an interesting hook, gameplay loop, and a lot of potential. As with so many early-access games, it’s pretty rough around the edges. There are a lot of survival and crafting games, though, so any new one that manages to stand out is welcome.

Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.

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The post Serum’s New Take on Survival appeared first on COGconnected.

Wild Bastards declares itself to be the spiritual sequel to the stylish 2019 shooter Void Bastards. If you played that game, it probably made a lasting impression. It’s not the first shooter to employ a comic book style (would that be 2003’s XIII?) but where other games kind of look like generic cels, Void Bastards looked like the style of a particular artist. Studio Blue Manchu is fairly small, and you can feel the personal touch. Do you want to get locked in a particularly crazy graphic novel? Now is your chance.

Dreams in the Void

Though the original Void Bastards drew inspiration from games like System Shock, that wasn’t quite how it felt to play. Rather than an immersive world or a story, Void Bastards played out as a roguelite. In the game, you navigate through nodes on a map as you complete cyclical runs. Between missions you can adjust your character and loadout. You worry about resources that your character carries and also bigger resources that drive the meta-game.

Void Bastards was a really great setup for a game, but it quickly ran out of steam (no pun intended). The procedurally generated space station rooms can only arrange themselves in so many combos. Though I am sure there are squintillions of permutations, the different modifiers and enemy types weren’t enough to really hook. me. This is a good game, it just needs more to it.

High Noon on the Edge of the Galaxy

More is here. Wild Bastards is changing the Void Bastards formula in a couple of critical ways. First off are the characters. I don’t really remember the characters in Void bastards. I remember a blur of discontented barrel chested loudmoths. Wild Bastards flips the script by setting up a squad. It’s the kind of team that could really use those short videos Team Fortress 2 used to run. There are 13 different characters and they play reasonably differently. The ability trees are different for each character and they all fit into fun shooter archetypes.

A further divergence takes us down to a planet’s surface! Void Bastards felt dark and sterile. Wild Bastards has environments that are as colorful as its characters. There are snowy cliffs and verdant woods, and all of this does wonders for breaking up some of the sameyness of the shooting. This specificity shows great ambition. You are going to remember particular characters in particular fights on particular planets. You might even pick one as your main.

Ragtag, Infinite Potential

The best things Wild Bastards has going for it is the potential for diversity. Unfortunately, that kind of thing is hard to assess with the game still in development. The shooting mechanics feel good to play, though the busy graphics may be too much for some. Maybe I’m out of practice with FPS games, but I had to give my eyes a rest between levels. The content in the game already feels much tighter than the developer’s previous effort but how can you judge the quantity of a thing that is still being made?

That’s going to be the critical question: can Wild Bastards keep its high level of energy going in the long haul? I think signs are promising. I especially like the way the relationship system is shaping up. It proves that the developers understand that the characters are the real hook, and if people want to hang out with them, they will want to play the game. I think they are on to something. I thought the tone landed on the right side of the maniac LOL random humor that makes me roll my eyes in Borderlands. It’s clear that Blue Manchu knows this game needs to impress, and I will be very curious to track the development of Wild Bastards. Maybe, like a desperate team of specialists brought together, they just might bring this plan together.

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We’re in the era of the cozy game. Developed and published by 5 Lives Studios, Cozy Caravan is the latest entry in the robust low-energy slice-of-life simulation genre re-popularized by Stardew Valley’s 2016 release, and is now available through Steam Early Access.

Similarities to popular games aren’t enough to make a mark, of course. Smart developers know that players wanting the same vibe doesn’t mean they’re looking for identical gameplay. A new game in this increasingly familiar genre needs a hook if it’s going to attract its own player base.

For Cozy Caravan, it’s all there in the name. Players begin by picking an animal avatar, after which they’re thrown into a charming agricultural world where they must travel between rural communities, collecting a variety of crops to sell at a weekly Saturday market, collecting a plethora of side quests along the way.

Life on the Go

Cozy games of the farming simulator variety are all about settling down in one place and making it your own; Cozy Caravan is the opposite, with players leaving their home to take up the mantle of traveling farmer’s marketeer.

Mechanics revolve around exploration, crafting, and upgrading your caravan. It’s here, with its  that Cozy Caravan most resembles other entries in the genre, with good deeds and affection building up into points players can spend on better and faster ways to get around the countryside. Cooking is another major element. Players combine and chop different ingredients to get higher sales at the weekly market.

The game’s tongue-in-cheek writing is as charming as its environs. It’s easy to fall in love with the expansive cast, who deliver purposefully silly dialogue with endearing sincerity. With side quests ranging from fetch quests to quick-timed hopscotch games, the player really feels like they’re part of a community.

Cozy Caravan’s aesthetic is on point, too. Stylized and colorful graphics propel players through the game, creating a friendly atmosphere that’s just a little different than other games out there.

Rolling into the Future

I only had one major crash in the game’s early hours, but the autosave hadn’t kicked in for some time, which resulted in a a frustrating level of repetition. I’d also like to see more variety in NPC dialogue, which seems to be purposefully subbing in for an in-game quest log, with dialogue even joking about it. It’s an interesting way to remind players of the tasks ahead, but when that’s not what you go to talk to characters for, the repetition is disappointing. These issues have every shot of smoothing out before the game’s full release, of course.

While Cozy Caravan’s novel conceit is iterative, most of the game will be familiar to fans of the genre. Many cozy game fans will be happy to find another relaxing experience still mechanics-focused enough to keep players engaged.

With the #farmlife vibes of Stardew Valley and the all-animal population of Animal Crossing (not to mention their distinctive way of speaking), Cozy Caravan’s unique travel-based take on the video game-genre version of curling up with a good book is poised to deliver itself a niche in the cozy market — right next to the vegetable one.

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May 2024 looked like it was going to be a slower month for great game releases, but it ended up being phenomenal! Don’t sleep on Madison VR or Homeworld 3. The two games scored 90, and 95, respectively, but still didn’t make The Good section of The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from May 2024. And without further ado, here are The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from May 2024:

The Good

Braid: Anniversary Edition

***click here for our review***

Braid is one of the most important video games of the indie boom during the PS3/ Xbox 360 generation. It’s a 2D puzzle platformer with rewind mechanics, visuals that emulate acrylic paintings, written poems, and some crazy plot revelations. Braid: Anniversary Edition is everything you’d expect from a modern remaster, but adds 40 new levels, and extensive developer commentaries. Our reviewer concluded “Newcomers will be astounded at the quality of what is often considered one of the greatest games of all time”. Even though it released a few weeks late, don’t sleep on this indie classic.

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door

***click here for our review***

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is a very beloved Nintendo JRPG, that has been trapped on the GameCube until now. This new version doesn’t change much, but is actually a complete remake, with painstaking attention to detail. Our reviewer concluded “Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is an essential addition to the Nintendo Switch library”. A perfect remake of a classic game makes for easy inclusion to The Good section of The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from May 2024.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

***click here for our review***

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is the sequel to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, which was the most gorgeous indie game, maybe ever. It’s a story driven third person action game with puzzle elements. Our reviewer found this sequel to be incredibly immersive. They wrote “Senua’s new journey is epic and harrowing, told through cinematic visuals. jaw-dropping graphics and gameplay mechanics that feel at one with the story”. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is the highest reviewed new title on The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from May 2024.

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June 2024 is full of high profile remasters, ports, and DLC. The DLC releases this month are so important that they actually makes up our top two entries. Our runner-up this month is the PS5 port of V Rising, which has been a PC exclusive until now. It’s a vampire-themed open world CRPG. Now without further ado, here are The Top 5 Video Games Arriving in June 2024.

5. Monster Hunter Stories/ Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin – June 14

The Monster Hunter Stories games are turn-based JRPG spin-offs of the action-oriented mainline Monster Hunter games. The first game was a Nintendo 3DS exclusive, while the second has only been available for Switch and PC. On June 14 both games will be available on Switch, PC, and PS4! Most things Monster Hunter-related will find themselves on lists like The Top 5 Video Games Arriving in June 2024.

4. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance – June 14

Shin Megami Tensei is the long-running JRPG series that Pokemon ripped off, and Persona spun-off of. Its fifth (or tenth depending which games you want to count) main series entry has been a Switch exclusive since its release in 2021. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a massive upgrade to Shin Megami Tensei V, including a new story path, and most former DLC included in the base game. Best of all, this upgraded version will be available for all consoles and PC!

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It’s been a tumultuous 2024 for the gaming world. Playstation and XBox are into their third year with their latest console and both are struggling on several fronts. Tech-wise there have been only a handful of games available to flex with. Post Covid, the gaming market is struggling with lessened demand and fewer big title releases.

No area of the gaming market has been hit as hard as VR. A niche market at best, any downturn in the gaming market hits VR even more so. Still, not all is lost. There are some great VR games coming, most of them multi-plat.

On that positive note, here is a list of ten VR Games either hoped for or coming out this year or shortly afterwards. Some of them look to be top notch releases that could generate excitement that could cross over into the mainstream gaming consciousness.

VR Games Hopefuls:

10. Half Life Alyx on PSVR 2

Yeah, yeah. I know. This one is a pipe dream. With the PSVR 2 being out more than a year, the chances of this are near nil. But one can still dream, right?

9. Astrobot

The lack of any Astrobot game since the PS5 launched is a real head scratcher. Especially, after how well received the included Astro’s Playroom game with the PS5 was. While rumors and rumblings about an Astrobot game coming out this year exist, Sony has been mum. If there is a new game, Sony should release a version that supports both flat and VR modes.

VR Games Upcoming:

8. F1 2024 – PCVR

EA F1 games have recently added PCVR support post launch but the implementation has been a bit wonky. This year’s game will be launching with a VR mode from the get go. Here’s hoping EA has nailed the VR mode.
And hey! Some PSVR 2 love would be appreciated too!

7. Aces of Thunder – PSVR 2

VR is perfect for cockpit based games be it spaceships, cars, or planes. PSVR 2 lacks such games besides their flagship title – GT 7. A title which is more than enough reason to own a PSVR 2, BTW. So getting a multiplayer WWII flight game in VR is a big deal for the platform.

6. Alien: Rogue Incursion – Multiplatform

Horror is perfect for VR and the Alien franchise is perfect for both.
The VR version of Alien Isolation is a prime example of this. Little is know about the game to date and it likely won’t release till 2025.

5. Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate – Multiplatform

The original Wanderer released on PSVR 1 and was limited by the tech and the power of the platform. Despite all that, Wanderer still managed to dazzle with it’s scope and gameplay. Think of Quantum Leap mixed with Myst. Now with the power of the new platforms, Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate is more than just a re-imagining of the first game, it is the full realization.

4. Batman: Arkham Shadow – Meta

An announcement trailer just dropped recently so expect it next year. If it was being released this year, this would easily be in the number one or two spot. Because, hey it’s Batman!

3. Metro Awakening – Multiplatform

The Metro series is highly regarded and the dystopian setting is perfect for a VR game. This is a built from the ground up VR experience. Given the technical flair the previous games have shown, big things are expected from this game.

2. Arken Age – Multiplatform

Arken Age is a VR action-adventure game set in a terraformed fantasy world. This world is called the Bio-Chasm. Here you will engage in full physics combat using Arkenite infused swords & guns. The visuals are stunning and mixed combat of guns & swords look amazing.

1. Behemoth

This is the biggie! Pun intended. Brought to us by SkyDance – the makers of the excellent Saints & Sinners VR games. Excitement levels are high as the studio has been giving sneak peeks to VR influencers. They are under NDAs at the moment but rumblings say that could end the last week of May. Little is know about the game, except it looks gorgeous and there are whispers this is Shadows of the Colussus done in VR.

There you have it. An impressive list of VR games, indeed.

What are your thoughts on the list? Do you agree with my selection? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter, and don’t forget to subscribe to us on YouTube for more great video game content.

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The post Top 10 VR Games Coming In 2024 appeared first on COGconnected.

Did you ever feel like your life was a play, and you were just an actor reading the same lines over and over, day in and day out? Yeah, me neither. Actually, I imagine we’ve all had that feeling of stasis, of things not changing. The film Groundhog Day expressed it brilliantly. Now we have Enotria: The Last Song, an upcoming Soulslike in which the inhabitants of an alternative reality Italy are trapped in a play.

Take the Stage

It’s called the Canovaccio, which in Italian literally means a type of play in the commedia dell’arte tradition. As an aside, grab your Italian dictionary. There are a lot of Italian phrases in the game. Sometimes this adds flavor to the narrative and mechanics. Now and then, it adds an unnecessary layer to pretty common ideas.

Enotria: The Last Song is the second Soulslike to embrace commedia dell’arte elements. Lives of P featured commedia visual motifs and some theatrical references, but Enotria really dives deeper into its theatrical foundation. The Canovaccio has enthralled the land, and everyone is essentially an actor endlessly repeating their scenes and lines. You play as the Maskless One, and your task is to defeat the Authors and free everyone from the play.

Because your role in the play is not assigned, you’re free to don different commedia-influenced masks. Each mask changes your character’s overall “class,” so you can instantly switch from a tanky fighter to a rogue-like swordsman. You can also change between loadouts on the fly. The mask system is probably Enotria’s most interesting innovation.

Familiar Stagecraft

Aside from the mask mechanic, Enotria sticks pretty closely to well-worn Soulslike conventions, albeit with new names and slight variations. There are the standard light/heavy/charged attacks, healing “bonfires,” dodge rolls, and parries. Unlike Dark Souls and its brethren, but similar to most action RPGs, there is a skill tree called the Path of Innovators. Players use Ardore to open up magical doors and change the immediate environment. For example, Ardore might reveal hidden platforms or change the floorplan. Sometimes this mechanic feels a bit arbitrary though, like changing a room for no particular reward or reason.

A game in the Soulslike genre by now comes with certain expectations and standards. Does combat feel fair, impactful, and fluid? Is the level of challenge reasonable but accessible? Do all the systems sync together? Being a demo and still several months away from release, none of these are completely dialed in.

Aside from some un-optimized performance and framerate issues, balancing is currently in need of attention. Elite normal enemies are harder to take down than some bosses, and some boss encounters are simply unfair due to mismatched levels or arenas. Level design is not remarkable (aside from the art style) and enemy placement could use some adjustment. These were all issues facing the recent Lords of the Fallen reboot. It took that game several updates to smooth everything out.

Tasty Minestrone

Enotria: The Last Song generally goes out of its way to avoid the dark gothic gloom of most Soulslikes. The sun-drenched Italian countryside is a welcome change and the visual references to Italian theatre traditions and characters are interesting. The developers promise three large regions, millions of build combinations, a 40+ hour experience, and much more. It’s an extremely ambitious goal for a relatively small team.

Aside from the balance issues, combat and exploration in Enotria: The Last Song will feel comfortably familiar but with enough variation to make it interesting. As someone coming from the music and theatre profession, it was cool to see my world represented in a game in some small way. Enotria: The Last Song’s demo showed a game with a lot of promise and some common, still-in-development issues to address before its September release. I look forward to seeing the curtain go up on the final version.

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The post Enotria: The Last Song is a Soulslike in the Sun appeared first on COGconnected.

Welcome back, cosplay fans! It’s time for the weekly COGconnected cosplay feature. This week, we’re going to take a look at the work of Storm Sorceress, an amazing cosplayer with a flair for the awe-inspiring and the chilling.

Storm Sorceress has a wide variety of costumes under belt. From relatively simple designs to fantastical what-ifs, she’s willing to imagine some truly fascinating designs. And then she uses her mastery of foam, sewing, and make-up to bring her designs to life.

Some of her creations are stunning, while others are uncanny. Her Clicker cosplay is downright unsettling. All of them are a testament to her skill and experience as a cosplayer.

 

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Samus Aran – Metroid

 

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Karlach – Baldur’s Gate 3

 

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Shadowheart – Baldur’s Gate 3

 

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Nurse – Silent Hill

 

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Link – The Legend of Zelda

 

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Lilith – Borderlands

The post Storm Sorceress’ Cosplay is a Fantasy Made Real appeared first on COGconnected.

The Paper Mario series has had its ups and downs. While Color Splash was an all-time low, Origami King put the series right back on track. To this day, The Thousand Year Door is still considered the pinnacle of the franchise. Due to this, Nintendo has remade the game allowing enthusiasts to revisit a classic and new players to discover Mario’s greatest RPG adventure but does it still hold up?

In addition to the gorgeous new visuals that capture the cut-out design perfectly, a bunch of quality-of-life features have also been added to improve the entire experience. Not only does the remake faithfully bring the classic to the Nintendo Switch, but new aspects enhance the title to make this the best iteration of the classic. Want to find out more? Check out our full video review below.

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is out exclusively for the Nintendo Switch and you can read our full review here. Would you like to see Nintendo remake another classic? Will the Switch get another big release before the successor is released? What would you like Nintendo to do next? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter, and don’t forget to subscribe to us on YouTube for more great video game content.

Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.

• For amazing videos, head over to our YouTube page HERE.
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• Listen to our podcast on Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts.
• If you are a fan of cosplay, check out more of our cosplay features HERE.

The post Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door Video Review – Simply The Best appeared first on COGconnected.