Our new cover story on Capcom's Monster Hunter World: Iceborne hopefully answers a lot of your questions about the upcoming expansion. Just in case though, Jeff Cork sat down with the game's director Daisuke Ichihara and producer Ryozo Tsujimoto during our studio visit to ask as many questions as he could about Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Check out the video above and let us know what you think of their answers in the comments below. You can also watch our previous rapid-fire interview focusing on Monster Hunter: World right here.

Click on the banner below to enter our constantly updating hub of exclusive features and videos on Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.

The diaspora of PC platforms in recent years has done players no favors when it comes to quality of life. Instead of having all your games and friends under one roof, we're now tending to an unwieldy collection of game launchers from the likes of Steam, Epic Games Store, Battle.net, EA Origin, Uplay, Discord, and Xbox, each with its own library, friends list, and storefront. 

The frustration with this fractured ecosystem is evident any time you see the predictable online backlash to another Epic Games Store exclusive. Though Epic Games Store is the most recent target for dismay, the move away from a central PC game destination has been developing for several years. During this span, GOG has quietly been developing a potential solution for wrangling all your games and friends in one place. This past week GOG launched the beta for this project, dubbed Galaxy 2.0, and we spent the last several days playing around with the system. It shows promise, but also has some significant hurdles to overcome. Here's what you need to know.

The Luxury Of A Single Library Is Undeniable

True to its promise, Galaxy 2.0 is a flexible system that integrates the libraries of most PC platforms, and even a couple of console ones. In about five minutes, I had my Steam, Battle.net, Uplay, Origin, Epic, and GOG accounts integrated seamlessly into the service. Once every account was logged in, I could see all the games in my library across these platforms, most of which had attractive box art already added. Some were missing box art or had poorly cropped images, but just like with a music-management app like iTunes, you can edit the entry and add your own box art. Clicking into a game brings up a curated menu that shows your activity, achievements (if the platform provides them), critic scores, and a brief overview of the game. The interface is clean and easy to navigate.

After your accounts are integrated and your library populates, you can launch and install games directly from Galaxy 2.0. Clicking to install the title launches the corresponding platform, where you must go through the normal steps to download the game. Unfortunately, Galaxy doesn't show the download progress, but once it's installed you can click to play the title right from the service. 

GOG also includes the ability to add your PlayStation Network and Xbox Live games to the library, though console games obviously can't launch from the PC. This seems superfluous, but it's nonetheless interesting to see all your games listed in one place. If you own a game on multiple platforms, duplicates appear. GOG could clean this up by either adding an icon so you know which entry is for which platform or integrating them all under one game umbrella. 

Some platforms still don't have integrated support, most notably Oculus and Nintendo, but GOG says it's working diligently to court more companies. In the meantime, the community has the option of making and sharing their own integrations via Github. 

Filters Provide Deep Library Management

Once all your games are integrated into Galaxy 2.0, if you're like me you may be staring at a sea of a thousand games. Wading through these selections is dramatically improved with the flexible filter system that allows you to curate as you see fit. Galaxy has pre-made filters for platforms, genres, personal rating, and whether or not the games are installed, that you can access easily. In addition, you can save filters as permanent bookmarks or create your own using tags. 

The reasons for doing so are plentiful. Perhaps you want a playlist of your favorite multiplayer games, collections from a favorite franchise, or a backlog list where you can easily see the games you own but haven't played yet. You can't drag and drop titles to these playlists yet, but that seems to be a no-brainer for a future platform update.

Galaxy 2.0 Preserves User Privacy

Given that you're integrating all your platforms into one place, it's fair to wonder what GOG intends to do with all that data. Their answer? Nothing. "This is your data, your privacy," says GOG managing director Piotr Karwowski. "We're not in a data-selling business." If you choose to disconnect a service, not only will it delete from your Galaxy 2.0 app, Karwowski says it will wipe from all the GOG servers immediately. 

Friends Lists Aren't Fully Integrated Yet

Beyond having your library in one place, the next biggest selling point for Galaxy 2.0 is its intention to integrate all your friends lists into one app. The idea of having one destination where you can see what your friends are playing, compare each other's activity lists and progress, and eventually allow you to chat and interact across various platforms is golden. However, as the beta currently stands, this is where GOG has the most work to do still.

Right now, you can only see friends who already have GOG accounts, and you have no way of interacting with them across various platforms. GOG is actively working on implementing the unified friends list and chat. For Galaxy 2.0 to be the all-in-one solution, getting these features right is a must.

Nor Are Competing Storefronts

The other missing element in the Galaxy 2.0 app right now is the ability to shop, purchase, and manually update games from platforms other than GOG. The power of this type of future would be great. Imagine comparing prices from various storefronts right from one app, or looking at your friends' lists to see what they have been playing the most lately and purchasing the game directly from that screen. 

"We have absolutely nothing against this concept, it's really interesting," Karwowski says. "For me, as a gamer, I absolutely understand why people are asking about this."  That being said, Karwoski says they have nothing to share about this concept at this time. The potential hurdles are evident given that GOG has its own digital storefront; getting others to play nice could prove difficult.

GOG Galaxy 2.0 makes a lot of promises, and you can see the rough infrastructure taking place to make this dream a reality in the beta version. But GOG still has some heavy lifting ahead of it, primarily in the form of fully integrating the unified friends lists, adding chat support, and finding a way to let users buy games from this service regardless of platform. That's what it will take to be the true one PC platform to rule them all.  

The Galaxy 2.0 app will remain in the closed beta period for the foreseeable future as GOG works to add more features and realize the full potential of the platform. If you want to check it out, you can sign up for the beta here. 

The F1 series has a well-earned reputation for demanding sim-based racing. If you want to feel the full torque and acceleration of your machine and think you can control that beast, then go ahead. That’s just one of the challenges of F1 2019, but it’s not the only metric by which this game should be judged, nor the only one by which it succeeds. Codemasters’ F1 series isn’t only for hardcore racers and F1 diehards; it’s for anyone who wants to race on the edge, who wants to build a top-flight organization, and who wants to test their mettle turn after turn and season after season.

The world of F1 is relentless in its competition, whether that’s on the track, between teams’ R&D departments, or even rival drivers within your own team. F1 2019 has all of these, and importantly, it keeps them in reach of drivers of all abilities. The F1 cars are responsive in acceleration, braking, and control, with the usual variety of helpers, like rewinding and changing difficulty settings. Regardless of your play style, you get tense and triumphant moments, like when a competitor threatens to overtake you as their DRS kicks in along the back straightaway, only for you to dive hard into the corner and hold them off. In specific gameplay terms, the braking feels a touch easier to lock up this year, but it’s not hard to adjust to and I could manage it without losing time or position.

The addition of F2 racing in certain areas (Codemasters plans to add the full 2019 F2 schedule to season mode after launch) provides additional challenge through cars that are harder to control, whether that’s slowing them down entering corners or controlling them on exit. The feeder series’ is used as a preamble to the career mode, and although the two drivers you meet via cutscenes in F2 follow you into F1, their presence and effectiveness as a storytelling device tapers off once you’re in F1. For instance, I beat a long-standing nemesis from my F2 days, Devin Butler, in a multi-race rivalry faceoff and I didn’t even get to revel in my victory through a cutscene.

Thankfully, F2’s relatively small inclusion in the career mode doesn’t blunt how good the career mode is overall. New this year is the ability to sim practice sessions for a modicum of resource points for your R&D department – a nice way to give more casual players options while still rewarding those who want to put in the time investment. The career mode is filled with such balance. A part fails R&D? You can work harder next practice to get points to try again, as well as buy a durability upgrade for the appropriate department to help you next time. Lose a rivalry matchup? You can still further your reputation by earning team upgrades and perks during the next contract-negotiation session. Even when I wasn’t doing well, it didn’t feel like the beginning of the end – only the start of my next opportunity.

Click image thumbnails to view larger version

You can also find versatility in the new user-created leagues multiplayer feature. Creating or participating in a league is easy, and I appreciate options like being able to have a set day to race or leave it up to the discretion of all involved, and the ability to have A.I. cars present on the track but not in the league standings. However, differentiating between ghosted A.I. cars and non-ghosted real players during races is confusing when everyone’s piling up going into a corner.

Customization is also a big part of this year’s multiplayer, but the cosmetic choices for your suit, gloves, and liveries are basic, so far. Most can be unlocked purely through earning and spending the in-game currency, but a few Premium items can only be bought with real money. This monetization isn’t obnoxious, and the customization options are more notable for the fact that there isn’t an in-depth livery editor and there are no face-sculpting options.

You should play F1 2019 not just because you’re an F1 fan or the hottest thing that’s ever gotten in a cockpit. Do it because you want to experience the thrill, the heartbreak, and the satisfaction of competing at ridiculously high speeds. Trust me, you do.

Score: 8.75

Summary: Whether guiding your car, career, or league, F1 2019 has plenty of options to keep you covered and entertained.

Concept: Custom multiplayer leagues add to an already-great career mode. The latter has some minor additions, including a brief stint in the F2 feeder league

Graphics: Objects on the horizon can exhibit some graphical degradation, but it isn’t a serious issue

Sound: The commentary lines are old and often not that interesting. F2 announcers have been added, but they don’t break out of the mold either

Playability: Pushing the F1 cars to their limits is fun, and the F2 cars have their own feel and are actually harder to drive

Entertainment: Whether guiding your car, career, or league, F1 2019 has plenty of options to keep you covered and entertained

Replay: High

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At 11 a.m. PT today, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is introducing its first week-long quest. The game calls it the "Brilliant Event: Fantastic Flora and Fauna." This multi-part quest is structured similarly to Professor Willow's research assignments in Pokémon Go, and pushes players to complete a number of small feats to earn rewards.

These assignments range from capturing a buckbeak to brewing five potions. The image below shows you what players will need to catch to complete the event's Forbidden Forest sticker page. The creatures of note should be spawning everywhere during the event week. We'll have to wait to see if the reward at the end of the quest is worth the effort. If you want to learn more about Wizard's Unite, check out my review.

After statements from members of the Mordhau development team implied players would be able avoid seeing player characters of another ethnicity or gender, Triternion is saying that particular option was never officially on the table and will not be coming to the game.

In a recent interview with PC Gamer regarding how developers can deal with toxic players, Triternion artist Mike Desroisiers mentioned that, with Mordhau getting the option to characters who aren't white and/or male in the future, there could be an option for players to only see white male characters, saying it'd be similar to having online chat filters. "Whatever stance we take officially, some group of people are going to be upset with us," Desroisiers told PC Gamer. "And so, ideally we’d put the power in the players’ hands, and give them the option to enable and disable different things."

This prompted a sea of controversy online, as people debated whether such a toggle would curb and enable more toxicity. Today, however, Triternion posted on the company's official forums, stating the comments made to PC Gamer were not based on a misunderstanding, and that such a toggle was never going to be an option.

According to the statement, the artists involved in the interview, including Desroisiers, aren't involved character development or decisions like a race/gender toggle, and due to a lack of PR experience "ended up answering some of the questions in a misleading way, which combined with a lack of context, led to some very controversial statements." The statements in the interview were apparently based on a discussed, but never-officially-planned option to toggle player characters to be all male, female, or a mix of both. "Shortly after launch and in internal discussions, the concept of a gender option toggle was dismissed as it would undermine the customization players work hard to create," the statement reads. "Our official stance is that these toggle options are out of the question."

The statement also goes on to address the topic of toxicity in general, stating that currently the team is "stretched thin," on developing the game and thus cannot properly moderate the game or forums, but that the team is planning to improve in this regard in the future.

For more on Mordhau itself, check out our review of the game.

Despite an earlier translation indicating CD Projekt Red was working on multiple Cyberpunk games, this is not the case. The statement behidn the confusion was mistranslated; what they really have going on is three teams working on the game, rather than sequels or spin-offs.

"We currently have a total of five teams working on a number of projects, with three focusing on the development of Cyberpunk 2077," a CDPR rep said in a statement to PC Gamer. "These include CD Projekt Red Warsaw and Kraków, who are handling the main game, as well as the Wrocław studio, where around 40 industry specialists are engaged in technology R&D."

While the three teams work on Cyberpunk, the other two out of the five are working on Gwent and an unannounced mobile title. With Cyberpunk 2077 still nearly a year out with a release date of April 16, 2020, it makes sense they'd stick to the one title at the moment.

[Source: PC Gamer]

It's a new month, which means the Xbox Game Pass has a batch of new games to add to its subscription service. However, with the recent announcement that Xbox Game Pass is available on PC, some of the added games will only be playable on one or both of the supported platforms. Here's the breakdown:

July 4

Middle-earth: Shadow of War (Console & PC)

My Time at Portia (Console & PC)

Undertale (PC)

July 11

Blazing Chrome (Console & PC)

Dead Rising 4 (Console & PC)

Lego City Undercover (Console)

Timespinner (PC)

Unavowed (PC)

Games leaving the service this month include Aftercharge (July 9), Warhammer Vermintide 2 (July 10), Lego Movie: The Videogame (July 16), Dandara, Dead Rising 2, Hitman Season 1, Metal Slug XX, Defense Grid: The Awakening, Hexic 2, and Iron Brigade (July 31).

To see what other games are currently available through the service, check out the full list here.

[Source: Xbox Wire]

It isn't easy to explain Metal Wolf Chaos. A Japanese-exclusive third-person shooter from Dark Souls developer From Software in which you play as a US president in a mech suit combating a rebelling military led by the vice president is the most simple of ways to break down the 2004 cult classic. Now, after 15 years, Metal Wolf Chaos is just a month away from Western release.

Announced at E3 2018, the Western release – helmed by Devolver Digital – is slatted for August 6, 2019. Metal Wolf Chaos is available for pre-order for $24.99 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. There are currently no plans to release the game on the Switch.

Arc System Works may be known for fighting games, but that doesn't mean they don't release other kinds of game. For example, the company will be publishing a new take on the River City Ransom license called River City Girls.

Developed by Shantae series developer WayForward, River city girls stays true to the series' beat-'em-up roots, but modernizes the look of the classic franchise, featuring two new protagonists, Kyoko and Misako, who must battle it out on the streets of River City to rescue their boyfriends, Kunio and Riki. RPG mechanics, side quests, shops, co-op, and the ability to recruit enemies should hopefully spice things up.

River City Girls launches on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch on September 5.

Tencent has further entrenched itself in the Auto Chess market today by launching Chess Rush, a mobile take on the genre with faster matches.

Although it already owns Riot, the company behind the League of Legends spin-off Teamfight Tactics, Chess Rush is a mobile-only title that promises to cut down on match times, which in other games can take as long as 40 minutes or more. Of course, the basic tenants of the genre remain; as you nab pieces from a limited selection, you want to build up a powerful army by combining three of the same unit to produce one stronger unit, and combine class archetypes to win.

Chess Rush is out today on iOS and Android.

I love E3 because it’s a great event showcasing what’s ahead for gaming. During the show, there’s a palpable excitement, constantly reminding me why I fell in love with games in the first place. I’ll always feel very fortunate to attend and do my best to see as much possible. However, the show can be pure chaos and it’s easy for some great games to get lost in the shuffle with the onslaught of announcements and myriad of previews piling up. That’s why I love to look back a couple of weeks after the show and spotlight some games that may have not gotten their time to shine – not because they didn’t hold promise, but because there was just too much vying our attention at the time. Here are some upcoming RPGs you should keep on your radar. 

RPG Time: The Legend of Wright (Xbox One, PC, iOS, Android)
Release: 2020

This little gem popped up during Microsoft’s press conference and turned heads for its hand-drawn visuals, Dragon Quest-like music, and colorful aesthetic. People quickly made comparisons to everything from Paper Mario to Drawn to Life. The game comes from a two-member independent Japanese team called Deskworks and centers on a youth who wants to become a game developer. You explore the adventures he pens in his notebook, which has you doing everything from facing off against majestic beasts to locating treasure. Basically, you’re getting a front-row seat to his creative visions. Details are still light on the game, but the visuals immediately catch your eye and there’s some charming about exploring settings and situations created by the wonder of a child’s imagination. 

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III (PS4)
Release: September 24

I’ve expressed my admiration for this series more than a few times, because it captures a classic-but-also-not-dated feel. As we approach the September 24 release date, it’s hard to believe we’re entering the third big arc of this dense story, which takes place a year and a half after the events of the last entry. At E3, I was able to see how Cold Steel III is shaping up by going hands-on with the beginning section of the game. A lot has changed since we last show Rean and his classmates; Rean is now an instructor of his own class at a new branch of Thors Military Academy, which is populated with misfits and outcasts. This doesn’t mean we won’t see familiar faces, especially those of his former classmates (with new designs!). What it does it mean, however, is that the expansive cast is getting even bigger with a whole new class with new challenges to face. 

The third game expands on an already-complex battle system, adding a break system to cut through enemy defenses and a character who can change her battle style from gunner to striker. In my demo, new character Juna could stay in her gunner position for ranged attacks, allowing her to attack groups of enemies with ease, but if you swap her to the striker, it increases her speed, defense, and attack power on close-ranged foes. I was also told the mech combat from the previous game will return, with some new features, but NIS America said it would discuss more at a later date. If you haven’t picked up the remasters for the first and second game, it might be time to do so, as Trails of Cold Steel III looks to have the same character appeal and fun combat system that made the other games shine. If you choose to go in blind, Cold Steel III will feature a guide to catch you up on the previous games.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Release: March 

A sequel to Vampire: The Masquerade was a pleasant and unexpected surprise, but it’s even more exciting to know that it looks like it’s shaping up nicely based on our E3 demo. The original, though rough around the edges, became a cult hit due to how it thrust you into the life of a vampire trying to define yourself in this new world. Not only were you trying to blend in with humans, but you also had a new vampire society to consider, complete with infighting and a hierarchy. Almost 15 years later, we’re finally stepping back into this rich and alluring backdrop, but this time around the location is changing from LA to Seattle and a new, mostly unproven team from Hardsuit Labs (Blacklight Retribution) is at the helm. 

Quest givers flood the streets all with their own agendas and various vampire clans are making and breaking laws left and right to protect themselves. Who you align with and what you stand for is all up to you. How situations play out are also choice-driven, whether it’s using brute force or your wits, but your decisions like whether to kill or let someone go will have consequences (although the developers did go out of their way to say there would be no right or wrong choices). With more grounded storytelling, the combat focused more on the powerful feeling of being a vampire, and plenty of choices in your abilities and actions, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 looks to build on the fantastic premise and world the original started. 

Heroland (PS4, Switch)
Release: Fall

This little gem is from the minds of developers who worked on MOTHER 3, Legend of Mana, and Fantasy Life, and it shows. The game has a quirky sense of humor, vibrant 2D landscapes, and creative premise. In Heroland, you’re transported to a theme park that lets anyone take part in their own RPG adventure by allowing them to explore dungeons, defeat baddies, and slowly build their character up to legendary heights. However, your job is a bit less glamorous as you are a tour guide just trying to feed your family. Your first big task? Making sure a prestigious prince’s visit is everything he desires. The journey reveals that there’s more to Heroland’s history than meets the eye, with plenty of mysteries to unravel. I played a brief demo and here’s what’s most interesting: while Heroland has your basic turn-based RPG combat, instead of participating in it, you’re basically calling the shots and guiding your team from the sidelines. The party executes their actions automatically, but you can step in to direct them to do things like use an item or execute a different action. Throughout the game, you meet 20 other characters that can be party members, and all have their own unique stories. With a cool art style, humorous dialogue, and spin on the standard turn-based formula, Heroland is worth keeping an eye on.

Griftlands (PC, Mac, Linux)
Release: June 

When it was first announced in 2017, this game intrigued us, and that hasn’t changed, despite some big changes like going from an RPG to a deck-building roguelite. It’s the latest project from Klei Entertainment, best known for games like Mark of the Ninja and Don’t Starve. Klei came out at E3 with a new trailer and post detailing the changes and why development is taking longer than expected. The team realized the game wasn’t entirely where it wanted it to be, with founder Jamie Cheng saying, “Unfortunately, the whole was never better than the pieces; we found that each piece of the game felt disconnected with the rest, and that actions often felt inconsequential.” Cheng said the team took note of what people loved and decided to reboot the project. 

Griftlands’ focus is now on negotiation, combat, and manipulation. You choose from one of three characters to play as, and each decision you make is important, from which jobs to take to which cards to collect. You’ll even have to choose sides at times. “Each time you play offers new jobs and situations to encounter, and a chance to rebuild your strategies. A successful run will require a sharp wit, a sharp blade, and enough cunning to know when to use each,” Cheng noted. An Alpha starts on the 11th on the Epic Games Store, so you can see for yourself if you like the change in direction.  

Have you ever felt like you truly couldn’t put a game down? Pulled a gaming all-nighter? Needed to play just one more turn… or fifty more turns? Games are designed to keep you engaged and playing. Often a sign of a good interactive experience is when the hours melt away as we play because we’re enjoying the experience that much. As games grow more complex and keep enticing us with new content, their addictive qualities have been thrust into the spotlight, making it a hot topic with exhausting debates about its prevalence, how to treat it, and if video game addiction is indeed a modern psychological disorder.

Read more...

Wolfenstein marks one of the first-person shooter genre's most convoluted journeys. The series has gone through a ridiculous number of ups, downs, and reboots (soft and hard) since its inception in the '80s. Wolfenstein's amblings (and its missteps) have covered a lot of ground for a video game that's elevator pitch is "kill Nazi scum," including demonology, space travel, multiple timelines, violent political resistance, and (somehow) heartfelt portraits of people struggling to stay sane in a world that's burning down around them.

With Wolfenstein: Youngblood arriving later this month (our hands-on impressions are here), now is as good a time as any to look at the series' strange and alluring catalog of Nazi-slaying adventures and rank them from worst to best.

10. Castle Wolfenstein

Sometimes being first doesn’t mean you’re the best. Before id Software got its itchy trigger fingers on Wolfenstein, the brand was better known as an infiltration adventure game called Castle Wolfenstein developed by Muse Software for the Apple II in 1981.

At the time, Castle Wolfenstein was pretty cool, serving as a prototype for what the stealth action genre would ultimately become (Metal Gear would not be released until 1987).  However, the game is impossible to enjoy now outside of its historical significance. Sure, it created the foundation upon which Wolfenstein lies, casting you as an operative in search of secret war plans during World War II and letting you kill Nazis along the way, but there’s no real reason to go back to this one. It's just not fun.

9. Beyond Castle Wolfenstein

Beyond Castle Wolfenstein, Muse’s last hurrah with the series before it became a first-person shooter, is largely the same game as its predecessor. However, it did introduce some improvements, including the ability to hide bodies of those you kill, now a mainstay feature in games like Hitman and Assassin’s Creed.

Still, Beyond Castle Wolfenstein is another game that’s real value is in minor historical importance rather than enjoyment. Ultimately, it's not an experience worth seeking out in modern times.

8. Wolfenstein (2009)

Of the modern Wolfenstein games, Raven Software’s tango with the series is the weakest. Technically a sequel to Return to Castle Wolfenstein, the reason this entry fails to stand out is because it's ultimately a budget first-person shooter chasing Call of Duty-created trends. The campaign is dull, and the supposed terror of hordes of Nazi and supernatural foes is undone by brainless A.I. The shoehorned multiplayer component is equally shrug-worthy.

Nothing about the game is awful. It's an okay way to kill an afternoon, but there's nothing special about it either outside of the fact that it introduces Caroline Becker, one of the best characters in MachineGames’ take on the series. Luckily, you don’t have to play this one to understand her importance.

7. Wolfenstein RPG

Here’s a weird one. Like Doom RPG before it, Wolfenstein RPG is a mobile game from the pre-smartphone era (though it later released on iOS) where Wolfenstein’s shooting is turned into turn-based fighting. This strange deviation takes the storied shooter into unexpected territory in a number of ways, with the series' dark tone being more jokey and the combat more cerebral.

At the end of the blood-soaked day, this RPG jaunt is nothing to write home about, but you could certainly do worse as far as spin-offs go.

6. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood

As we'll discuss later, Wolfenstein: The New Order bore down on emotionally grounded storytelling and embraced real-world themes that the series had long avoided, like controversially acknowledging the Holocaust, to set itself apart from what had come before.

By contrast, The Old Blood (a standalone six-hour experience released between The New Order and The New Colossus) marked a return to the pure pulp of the first decade of Wolfenstein first-person shooters. The supernatural (including zombies) was back, and so were stony castles and crypts packed with secrets to uncover.

For fans of Wolfenstein 3D or Return to Castle Wolfenstein, The Old Blood's full-on grindhouse aesthetic is a fun trip, as are MachineGames’ robust shooting mechanics and its perk-laden RPG-lite system.  However, those who yearn for more of The New Order’s compelling and somber world are better off turning to The New Colossus.

5. Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory

Originally conceived as an expansion pack for Return To Castle Wolfenstein, Enemy Territory launched in 2003 as a freeware standalone team-based multiplayer game that pitted the Allies versus the Axis across six maps.

Thanks to a class system that borrowed liberally from Team Fortress, diverse maps, and robust game modes, Enemy Territory not only marks Wolfenstein’s only successful multiplayer outing but also one the biggest and most enjoyable multiplayer surprises of the 2000s.

4. Return To Castle Wolfenstein

Gray Matter Interactive’s take on Wolfenstein returned to a world that had been untouched since id Software wrapped up production on 3D’s post-release episode, Spear of Destiny. Wolfenstein’s dormancy made sense. Beyond Doom being a huge success, Wolfenstein's concept and execution of said concept were pretty straight to the point: You're a dude killing Nazis. What was there to expand, really?

Return to Castle Wolfenstein answered that question in more ways than probably intended. Developed with the id Tech 3 engine (Quake 3, Call of Duty), RTCW was a looker of a game for its time, and even to this day, it has enough dark fantasy elements to make it stand out among its peers. Getting embroiled in firefights with Nazis in the narrow stone corridors of a castle is fun enough, but the added presence of Frankenstein-like monsters and other monstrosities ratchets up the tension (good thing you have a flamethrower).  Sandwiched between genre-defining FPSes like Half-Life and Halo, RTCW didn’t light the world on fire but laid the foundation for the future of the series.

Despite confusing marketing and vexing design decisions (BJ’s hair going from blond to brown back to blond, for example), all Wolfenstein games from RTCW to The New Colossus are set in the same universe. The tonal shift of Return to Castle Wolfenstein from 3D's slightly bloody arcade take violence to literal hellish darkness also cast a thematic shadow of gloom over the series that has remained. This is also the entry that introduces the deliciously evil Doctor Deathshead. Wolfenstein 3D (or technically Muse’s Castle Wolfenstein) might have put this train in motion, but Return was the first game to build the lore that Raven Software and MachineGames would use to make the series what it is today.

Outside of its building blocks, it doesn't hurt that Return To Castle Wolfenstein remains mostly a fun ride that balances gothic dread with sci-fi camp to great effect.

3. Wolfenstein 3D

Before Doom, there was Wolfenstein 3D. Sure, there had been games you could quibble about and technically call first-person shooters, like Hovertank 3D, but the first-person shooter genre we know today was born with Wolfenstein and protagonist BJ Blazkowicz. A man, a gun, and a lot of bad guys to kill. Beyond Doom, Half-life, Halo, Call of Duty, and GoldenEye are all descendants of this game.

While Wolfenstein 3D isn’t as easy to go back to as Doom given that it isn’t as neatly structured or has as interesting an aesthetic as its successor, its importance to gaming can’t be overstated. 

2. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

The New Order ended on a tidy note of finality and emotional gravitas. After failing to stop him the first time, BJ took on his nemesis again, killed him in a satisfying battle, and brought the world a chance at hope in a finale that smacked of a pyrrhic victory. If Wolfenstein had ended there, it would have been a satisfying, dignified conclusion that video game series so rarely get. However, the New Colossus proves to be a worthy sequel.

If The New Order was a somber tale about a world gone awry, The New Colossus is one about the righteous anger needed to reclaim it. Set in America in the 1960s, BJ and crew ostensibly mount a new American Revolution to run the Nazis out of the country. Few first-person shooter campaigns have ever been packed with as many wild moments as The New Colossus. Whether you’re fighting massive robots on Venus, settling daddy issues with a hatchet, or blowing up a Nazi parade with an atom bomb, the campaign is always interesting and always has the dial turned up to 11.

Sure, elements of the combat are divisive. Segments featuring a weakened BJ as well as a finicky incoming grenade indicator could make for frustrating encounters. Powers available mid-game and onward let you turn the tables and absolutely annihilate foes.

However, despite all its anger, The New Colossus is at its best when it’s about hope. An expanded hub world lets you spend more time with fellow resistance fighters who didn’t get much opportunity to shine in The New Order, like wise-cracking lothario Bombate and fan-favorite Max Hauss. These sequences drive home the notion that these people are family, with all the tension and genuine love that goes along with that, and ultimately make The New Colossus’s world one worth saving.

1. Wolfenstein: The New Order

Wolfenstein: The New Order is a game that few people wanted. The initial reveal and trailers were met with shrugs and questions about who would actually want to play a new Wolfenstein game in the year 2014. Luckily, the same talent that set a new bar for licensed games with Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay and The Darkness came to the cobweb-covered property with more than a few ideas of how to bring the franchise back to life.

Few FPSes have as strong of an identity out of the gate as The New Order does. An exhilarating opening finds BJ part of an international assault on Deathshead’s castle. An assault that’s not going well.

Ultimately, it fails, and BJ falls into a coma. When he awakens, the world has been overtaken by Nazis. He resumes his quest to finish off the Nazi regime by taking them on across Europe, but there’s less pep in his step. He’s tired, he’s old, and he has nothing driving him but pure willpower to push past all the despair around him. And there’s a lot of it.

The New Order paints a compelling portrait of suffering without reveling in it to the point of excess. Everyone in the resistance is traumatized, from kind-hearted Anya to paraplegic Caroline and resentful Fergus. Everyone has lost something, and they’re trying to figure out how to soldier on without it. This sense of loss makes the stakes of The New Order’s plot thrilling, even if the beats of its plot are hardly innovative. Layered on top of all of this is the fact there are two separate world instances depending on a choice you make at the beginning of the game, with scenarios that play out differently and new characters in each playthrough.

Existing alongside this compelling and sad world is a fantastic combat system that balances old-school first-person shooter design (notably eschewing the health-regen mechanic of the 2009 entry) with an RPG-lite skill tree called the perk system that lets you earn enhancements by performing certain actions during the game. The New Order is, thankfully, a game that makes the act of interacting with its world just as interesting as the world itself.

The New Colossus is a wilder ride and has been given a substantial facelift, but The New Order’s transformation of a series that everyone had written off for dead is still shockingly impressive. It's not perfect, of course. We don't excuse the annoying sewer level and poorly designed final boss fight. However, the game’s frantic gunplay, narrative ambitions, and beating heart make these shortcomings easy to forgive and ultimately prove this the best entry in the series.

For more on Wolfenstein, check out our feature on how MachineGames saved Wolfenstein and our review of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.

This month we're rolling out an avalanche of exclusive features and videos on Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. In addition to our cover story filled with new information on hunting monsters like Barioth and Velkhana, we wanted to give fans a better understanding of who the expansion's lead developers are.

In the video above filmed at Capcom's headquarters, we gathered together Iceborne's producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, executive director Kaname Fujioka, and director Daisuke Ichihara to show off their skills in taking down a Tigrex. The gameplay you see is from Ryozo's screen, he's worked on the series since the first game on the PlayStation 2 and is obsessed with the hammer... we're happy to finally show off his hammer skills. Ryozo wanted to play the English version of the build, so any mistakes can be blamed on the language barrier... This video was filmed in May and shows an early version of the E3 2019 demo, so the balance may be different than what you might have played even in the Beta. We hope you enjoy this raw look at the developers having fun with their own game and please check out the latest episode of The Game Informer Show podcast for more details on our time playing the game and hunting Velkhana.

Click on the banner below to enter our constantly updating hub of exclusive features and videos on Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.

The Legend of Zelda franchise is among the most revered in gaming. Year after year, generation after generation, Nintendo's crack team of developers release consistently great entries that are almost always Game of the Year contenders. With the latest entry in the series, Breath of the Wild, behind us, we decided it was time to re-examine our ranking of the Zelda games and figure out where the latest entry belongs.

For the purpose of remaining focused on the core entries of The Legend of Zelda franchise, several spin-offs and obscure titles are omitted. Titles like Hyrule Warriors, Link's Crossbow Training, and the CD-i games are left off. Even with those missing, we still have nearly 20 games where Link battles the forces of evil to save Zelda, Hyrule, or whatever equivalent exists in that respective game.

Despite the large number of releases over the course of more than three decades, the Zelda franchise has yet to strike out. Even the lowest ranked games on this list are worth playing. Because of this, the order of this list was highly contested from top to bottom.

19

Tri Force Heroes

3DS, 2014

As a game that encouraged players to work together to solve fun puzzles and progress through a colorful world, Tri Force Heroes is a fine game. Unfortunately, when stacked against the rest of the core Zelda titles, Tri Force Heroes isn't up to snuff. The humor and puzzles serve as the highlight, but the forgettable action sequences and repetitive gameplay loop prevent it from standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the other games in Zelda's storied franchise.

You can read our review of Tri Force Heroes head here.

18

Spirit Tracks

DS, 2009

Spirit Tracks stands out as a different take on the series that delivered inconsistent results. Using touchscreen controls, players guide Link as he travels by train from location to location. The dungeons and combat are generally improvements over the previous Zelda game on DS, Phantom Hourglass, but by having Link ride the Spirit Tracks in the overworld, the game removes one of the best parts of the series: the exploration. When combined with an inconsistent quality of level design, this makes it one of the lesser entries in the series.

You can read our review of Spirit Tracks head here.

17

Four Swords

Game Boy Advance, 2002

Taking several cues from A Link to the Past, Four Swords delivers strong gameplay, but the multiplayer focus made it difficult to play due to the hoops to jump through to connect four Game Boy Advance systems. In addition, the randomized dungeons sometimes led to poorly conceived designs. To make it even more of an uphill battle, Four Swords was packaged with the Game Boy Advance version of A Link to the Past, putting it in direct comparison with that beloved entry. Despite this, Four Swords is a strong entry point for the series, possessing surprising depth and fun multiplayer. For those who want to play it now, the Anniversary Edition added a single-player mode and additional content.

16

Four Swords Adventures

GameCube, 2004

Much like its Game Boy Advance counterpart, Four Swords Adventures places the emphasis on multiplayer. Some aspects of Four Swords on Game Boy Advance were refined for this release, including hand-crafted dungeons rather than randomized levels and better graphics that took certain aspects of Wind Waker's cel-shading and combined them with the A Link to the Past-inspired visuals from the original Four Swords title. The multiplayer was overly complicated to take part in, however, as each player needed to have a separate Game Boy Advance system connected to the GameCube to participate.

You can watch us play the game on a recent episode of Replay here.

15

Phantom Hourglass

DS, 2007

The touch controls turned many off to Phantom Hourglass when it released in 2007. Using the stylus to control every aspect of Link was often written off as overthinking the tried-and-true formula, but once you acclimated to the new take, you were able to see the good sides of Zelda's DS debut. The game serves as a sequel to GameCube's Wind Waker, and the design conventions shine through in similar ways as they did in that game. In addition, the unique control scheme delivered fun encounters and fresh takes on familiar themes.

You can read why Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma considers it his favorite entry here.

14

Zelda II: Adventure of Link

NES, 1988

After the original Legend of Zelda game captured players' imaginations through stellar exploration and great top-down combat, the dramatic change in direction that took place with Zelda II: Adventure of Link was a shock to the system. While some of the side-scrolling areas were enjoyable, the overworld navigation was not nearly as fun or rewarding as its counterpart in the original game. Still, those who braved the maddening difficulty found a uniquely engaging experience that put some good ideas to use.

To read more about the history of Zelda II, with quotes from Shigeru Miyamoto about its development, head here.

13

Oracle of Seasons

Game Boy Color, 2001

Oracle of Seasons launched alongside Oracle of Ages in 2001, but the games were much different than other simultaneously released games like Pokémon. The two games possessed different dungeons and different focuses; Oracle of Seasons shined the spotlight on the action side of Zelda. Unfortunately, the 2D action has never been one of the highlights of the series. While it's fun to slash your way through enemies and rely on your animal companions for their abilities, the true satisfaction of the Zelda series comes with puzzles, something Oracle of Ages had more of a focus on.

12

Skyward Sword

Wii, 2011

Skyward Sword featured some of the most well-designed dungeons the series has ever seen, as well as a compelling story that, according to the official timeline, predates all other entries in the series. Unfortunately, the mandatory motion controls were a major turn-off for many, even though the Wii Motion Plus accessory made substantial improvements over the motion controls of Twilight Princess. On top of that, despite the bright color palette, the world was not as vibrant to explore as other 3D Zelda games, and the game suffered several pacing issues thanks to sidekick Fi, who rarely gave the player a chance to figure out what to do next on their own.

To read our review of Skyward Sword, head here.

11

The Minish Cap

Game Boy Advance, 2005

Link's inaugural Game Boy Advance adventure isn't as long as most of the other games on this list, but The Minish Cap still gave players strong, classic Zelda action with creative dungeons, as well as new kinstones and figurines that add interesting quests for completionists. The dungeons remain some of the best in any 2D Zelda game, and the visual style is endearing today as it was impressive on the Game Boy Advance over a decade ago.

10

Oracle of Ages

Game Boy Color, 2001

Much like Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages takes a similar adventure and flavors it with one of the mainstay elements of the Zelda franchise. With Oracle of Ages, the focus is on puzzles and clever dungeon design. That doesn't mean you don't get some fun action sequences on top of those strong puzzles. In addition, Oracle of Ages' multiple-era mechanic was superior to Oracle of Seasons' seasonal-shift mechanic, making it the better of the two simultaneous Game Boy Color releases.

9

Link's Awakening

Game Boy, 1993

Link's Awakening is more compact than other games in the series, but it more than makes up for it with strong exploration, excellent level design, fun boss fights, and quirky elements that make the experience memorable. Perfectly fusing silly side-quests with darker, more serious moments, Link's Awakening is an important entry for setting the tone of the rest of the Zelda franchise. It stands out as one of the greatest titles to ever grace the Game Boy, and it's easily playable today via the upgraded DX version which added color and an extra dungeon to play through. A full remake of the game is also planned for release on Switch later this year.

For more on the development of Link's Awakening with quotes from its director, Takashi Tezuka, head here.

8

A Link Between Worlds

3DS, 2013

When Nintendo announced it was working on a direct sequel to A Link to the Past, it set itself up for failure. Following up a game like that is no easy task, but somehow, Nintendo delivered an outstanding entry that followed in the footsteps of one of the most beloved games of all time, while still evolving the mechanics in meaningful ways. The superb world carried over from A Link to the Past, making exploration enticing, and the improved combat and traversal make it a thoroughly more accessible option for a more modern audience.

For our review of A Link Between Worlds, head here.

7

The Legend of Zelda

NES, 1987

The game that started it all is about as important as video games come. The Legend of Zelda perfectly blended combat, exploration, puzzle solving, and collection elements in ways never before seen in a video game. It hasn't aged particularly well, but it remains the blueprint for every game on this list, and a huge chunk of other games within the genre as a whole. The Legend of Zelda did more than create lifelong gamers at a critical time in the industry; it expanded the video game world in ways few other games have.

6

Twilight Princess

Wii, GameCube, 2006

After fans were divided on the direction of Wind Waker, Nintendo delivered the dark, gritty, adult version of Zelda many clamored for. Twilight Princess casts Link into a desperate version of Hyrule that is being absorbed by the Twilight Realm. Even Link is affected, as he is able to transform into Wolf Link and enter the alternate dimension. This mechanic is central to not only the story, but the advancement through the dungeons. The clever way the back-and-forth gameplay forces players to think outside of the box, as well as the unconventional design many of the game's areas mean that Twilight Princess delivers arguably the best dungeons in series history – no small feat when you look at the other games on this list. If you're looking to play this game now, the HD version on Wii U (pictured) is the way to go.

To read our thoughts on the Wii U re-release of Twilight Princess, head here.

5

The Wind Waker

GameCube, 2003

When it debuted, the cute, cel-shaded graphics of The Wind Waker were as divisive as any single element in gaming can be. However, as time has passed, most have come around on the visuals and learned to appreciate the sheer brilliance and character contained in the design of Wind Waker. While many still wish the greater navigation elements didn't confine you to a small boat, nearly all agree on how unique and clever the game is. In addition, it features arguably the best 3D combat of the series, as well as maybe the most exciting final boss encounter of the entire franchise; the last fight against Ganondorf gives players the ability to take part in the perfect David-vs-Goliath moment.

To read our review of the Wii U HD re-release of Wind Waker, head here.

4

Majora's Mask

Nintendo 64, 2000

As the follow up to the more straightforward Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask was a hard sell for many. Perhaps the most unorthodox and unique entry of the entire core series, Majora's Mask takes the series in some of the most interesting directions we've ever seen. It uses the engine, assets, and core controls of Ocarina of Time, but the comparisons don't carry much further than that. The timing-based system gives players reason to watch the clock like a hawk while trying to complete missions to find someone and save Termina from an impending moon-based doomsday. It's dark, it's peculiar, but most importantly, it's brilliant. While the original N64 version was somewhat of an exclusive experience thanks to its Expansion Pak requirement, the game was remastered for 3DS in 2015.

To read our review of Majora's Mask, head here. To read our review of the 3DS remake, head here.

3

Breath of the Wild

Switch, Wii U, 2017

Skyward Sword's reception was overall positive, but there was no denying it lacked the explorative exuberance normally associated with the series, and Zelda's creators took note. For Breath of the Wild, Nintendo re-examined everything about Zelda, from its item distribution, dungeons, weapons, and even how it told its story to deliver something wholly unlike the Zeldas that came before it – and the results were phenomenal. Exploring Breath of the Wild's Hyrule is a joy and it's already a classic only a few years after its debut, but it's difficult to compete with the long-term legacy of the games that took the next two spots on this list.

To read our review of Breath of the Wild, head here.

2

Ocarina of Time

Nintendo 64, 1998

Similar to how the original Legend of Zelda blazed trails for the 2D action adventure genre, Ocarina of Time was a true innovator in the 3D space. Hyrule was brought to life like never before in a beautiful, expansive 3D space. The new 3D design gave the developers new ways to challenge players with exploration, puzzles, and dungeons, but perhaps the biggest accomplishment was how amazing the controls were for Nintendo's first attempt at a 3D Zelda game (aided greatly by the innovative Z-Targeting system). The feeling of walking out into Hyrule Field for the first time and exploring every corner was a revelation in 1998, and most parts of the adventure still hold up to this day. The soundtrack by Koji Kondo remains one of gaming's musical masterpieces, and the contrast between Young Link and Adult Link in the two very different eras was mind-blowing. When you look at the most important and influential video games to ever release, Ocarina of Time must always enter the conversation.

To read our review of the 3DS remake of Ocarina of Time, head here.

1

A Link to the Past

SNES, 1992

Few games possess sequences that can be described as ingenious. Every so often, modern games release with a level that blows you away with its brilliant design. With The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, nearly every dungeon is layered with genius. You would be hard-pressed to find a game with as consistently brilliant design as A Link to the Past. After Zelda II: The Adventure of Link deviated from the formula laid out by the original Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past not only acted as the series' return-to-form, but as the genre's masterpiece.

The game improved on every aspect of the original Legend of Zelda, greatly expanding the scope and adding a new Dark World element that set the template for many future entries in the series. A Link to the Past also added to Link's arsenal with a massive collection of exciting and effective items to help in his fight against Ganon. To this day, the visuals are a treat to look at, the dungeons are a thrilling challenge to work through, and the world is as engrossing as we've seen. A Link to the Past isn't just the greatest Zelda game, it has withstood the test of time to remain one of the finest video games ever created.

If you want to read more of our rankings of game series, check out our">http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/03/10/best-super-ma… ranking of the Super Mario series and our">http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/12/04/ranking-the-e… ranking of the Assassin's Creed series.

Welcome back to The Game Informer Show! Join us as we share new impressions of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne after visiting Capcom and hunting Barioth and Velkhana. Then we break down the growing war between "auto battlers" like Auto Chess, Dota Underlords, and League of Legends' Teamfight Tactics. We also talk bout the Lovecraftian adventure The Sinking City and Tommy Tallarico's interesting pitch for the new Intellivision console. After some great community emails, we're joined by composer David Wise to dissect his work on the Donkey Kong Country soundtrack and talk about his upcoming game Tamarin.

You can watch the archive of the stream above, subscribe and listen to the audio on iTunes or Google Play, listen on SoundCloud, stream it on Spotify, or download the MP3 at the bottom of the page. Also, be sure to send your questions to podcast@gameinformer.com for a chance to have them answered on the show.

Our thanks to the talented Super Marcato Bros. for The Game Informer Show's intro song. You can hear more of their original tunes and awesome video game music podcast at their website.

To jump to a particular point in the discussion, check out the time stamps below.

3:00 - Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
24:50 - Dota Underlords vs. League of Legends' Teamfight Tactics
32:00 - The Sinking City
41:55 - Intellivision Amico
57:10 - Community emails
1:50:15 - David Wise/Donkey Kong Country interview

One of the biggest surprises of E3 2019 was the announcement that a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is currently in development. While we don't have a ton of information, we do have bits and pieces thanks to a short teaser trailer and our interview with series producer Eiji Aonuma.

With so much up in the air about the direction of the sequel and what the development team is going for, now is the perfect time to speculate and cross our fingers for what will be in the game. We don't expect a Majora's Mask-style formula change, but there are some features and tweaks we'd like to see.

Check out our thoughts below, and let us know what you'd like to see in the recently announced sequel.

Make Zelda Playable

In the reveal trailer, we see Link and Zelda riding into the crypt together. This gives the story of the Breath of the Wild sequel an opportunity not afforded to the first game: the ability to have Zelda play a larger role. While having her along for the journey and helping Link the whole way would be awesome, we want the ability to play as her in addition to Link. We'd be happy to play as either Link or Zelda based on the mission requirements, but ultimately we want to swap between them at will. Maybe Link is better at close-range combat, while Zelda is a master archer? Give us a reason to bounce between the characters. With Nintendo trying to push the value of the Nintendo Switch Online service, maybe we could even get the opportunity to play cooperatively with friends. However, if Nintendo goes that route, we beg them to not base the gameplay mechanics around co-op at the cost of the single-player experience as we saw in games like Tri Force Heroes.

Approach The Soundtrack From A Different Angle

Breath of the Wild is a solitary adventure with a beautiful, fitting soundtrack that accentuates exploration. However, the sequel potentially looks to showcase a different kind of quest – one where Link isn't alone or in the dark about his past. Link knows he's the hero of Hyrule, and he may have Zelda along with him on this quest, which means it's not the same kind of tale as the first game. While the sequel could be a much darker story, the moments of triumph should feel that way. Players should feel as though they're on a grand adventure, and the music could reflect all of these feelings and moments.

Alter The Approach To Weapons

One of the most divisive parts of Breath of the Wild is how it handles its weapon economy. Nintendo has said that it wanted to encourage players to experiment with new weapon types, which is why weapons break so quickly. However, that approach frustrated many players when expensive weapons you purchased or powerful ones you earned through shrine puzzles broke after use. It would be great if Nintendo could figure out a way to let players restore weapons, whether that's through repairing them with resources, or by upping the durability of weapons you earn or purchase – it still hurts every time an Ancient weapon breaks in Breath of the Wild. Maybe Nintendo could come up with a new way to incentivize players to experiment with different weapons, like endowing them with unique abilities, augmentations, or secondary attacks. By fixing the weapons economy, Nintendo could assuage the complaints about rewards feeling less impactful, reduce the inventory glut and micromanagement, and make you feel better about buying the extremely expensive weapons in the game.

Restore Power To The Master Sword

Obtaining the Master Sword is one of the most memorable moments in Breath of the Wild (and pretty much any Zelda game, for that matter). However, Link's iconic weapon isn't as powerful as it should be in Breath of the Wild. In a game so focused on weapon scarcity and forcing players to experiment with weapons, it makes sense that you can't just use the Master Sword as your one-stop shop for combat, but having it become depleted of energy so frequently feels... wrong. We want the Master Sword to return to the Blade of Evil's Bane that players have used in Zelda games for decades. Maybe with the awakening of what we believe is Ganondorf in the reveal trailer, there's a narrative excuse that it has also awakened the Master Sword's power? However, that would leave Nintendo with the problem of convincing players to use other weapons once they obtain the Master Sword...

Let Us Rebuild Hyrule

Breath of the Wild depicted a Hyrule in ruin, but time has presumably passed since the first entry. While cataclysmic events are sure to happen in the sequel (just look at the reveal trailer for evidence of that), it would be great to see the people of Hyrule working toward restoring the land to what it once was. Maybe even Link and Zelda can get involved, whether through town-building mechanics that go beyond what we saw in Tarrey Town, or completing side missions to recruit NPCs to rebuild Hyrule. Watching as towns and Hyrule as a whole slowly build back to their full glory as depicted in the beginning of Ocarina of Time would be satisfying.

Give Us More Interesting Collectibles

You have a ton of things to pick up over your journey in Breath of the Wild, but most of them are consumables or weapons that break. The most prominent collectible is the Korok seed. With more than 900 seeds to collect, it took players hours upon hours to find them all, especially given the abstract nature of some of them. And, what were you given for completing that monumental task? Outside of a few extra inventory slots, you got a... golden poop. Not only do we want better rewards, but we want more awesome things to collect. We'd award bonus points if these collectibles point us toward exciting story moments, Easter eggs for longtime Legend of Zelda fans, or other meaningful rewards.

Make Hyrule Feel New Again

One of the best parts of Breath of the Wild was exploring Hyrule, scouring for every secret and finding each Easter egg along the way. Unfortunately for this sequel, so many players have already spent hundreds of hours in this Hyrule, exploring every corner and overturning every stone. In order to make another adventure in this version of Hyrule enticing, Nintendo needs to give players plenty of surprises to discover in the world. The reveal trailer already hints at Hyrule Castle lifting into the sky, but what else will be different about Hyrule? Will the teased return of Ganondorf bring about more change than just that? We hope to see widespread alterations that make Breath of the Wild's Hyrule feel different enough to warrant more expeditions.

Bring The World To Life

With Breath of the Wild, Hyrule was given essentially a post-apocalyptic feel, with people scattered scarcely across the map. Unfortunately, whether you were in a town or exploring the wilderness, Hyrule didn't feel quite as vibrant as it could have. Now that presumably some time has passed since the defeat of Calamity Ganon, the world should feel more alive. You should be able to interact with more people and find more than just an occasional person huddled around their designated post. By making the world feel more lived in, Nintendo could instill a sense of time passage and a Hyrule that truly feels distinct from the one players explored in Breath of the Wild.

Make Ganondorf A Constant Presence

The reveal trailer hints strongly that Ganondorf is taking the spotlight in the next Zelda game, and fans are rightfully excited. The climactic battle against Calamity Ganon in Breath of the Wild was awesome, but outside of seeing him rage around Hyrule Castle while you're on your journey, your interactions with him are limited. Sure, the boss battles in each of the Divine Beasts are technically Ganon, but part of what made Ganondorf so awesome in games like Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker was how Link built up a relationship with him throughout the game. Each time the Gerudo King of Thieves popped up in those older games, the moment carried significance in the story, and it would be great to see the darker approach Nintendo is taking with this sequel feature the Demon King more prominently.

Add Traditional Dungeons And Diverse Boss Battles

Discovering, accessing, and solving the various shrines was among the most fun activities you could do in Breath of the Wild, but the Divine Beasts left us wanting more. The designs of the Beasts themselves were great, and the concept of exploring a massive mechanical creature is cool, but we miss the traditional themed dungeons of the Zelda series. With Ganondorf supposedly back as the villain, now's a perfect time for him to awaken some dungeons that have laid dormant since his last appearance, and with them, various big bosses for Link and Zelda to face off against. 

Add More Enemy Types

Taking out Bokoblin camps is good fun, and every Breath of the Wild player remembers at least a few deaths at the hooves of a Lynel, but with Ganondorf potentially returning, we'd love to see some other iconic creatures that were absent in Breath of the Wild make a comeback as well. The tone of the teaser trailer just begs for the return of the ReDead, the horrifying zombified characters that appeared in games like Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker. However, seeing enemies like Dodongos would also be a great welcoming back to the Death Mountain region in the Breath of the Wild sequel. With Ganondorf's hinted return, maybe Shadow Link, a physical manifestation of Ganondorf's resentment, would also be a great pick of characters to return.

Give Us More Nods To Zelda's History

When Breath of the Wild released, there was much speculation about where it belonged on the series' timeline. Now that Nintendo has confirmed that Breath of the Wild is at the very end, we want more mentions of heroes and events of the past. It was awesome seeing the little references to past games in dialogue in Breath of the Wild (like pictured above), and with greater emphasis on the series' past, longtime fans would love to hear the legends of their past adventures retold by townsfolk and champions alike.

Emphasize Unique Tools

The Zelda series has always given players a wide array of gear to use throughout the various dungeons. The brilliance of Breath of the Wild is you had essentially every tool you needed to complete puzzles throughout the entirety of Hyrule within the first hours. But what if Nintendo allowed you to unlock more tools as you went along? When you consider the physics-focused gameplay of Breath of the Wild, Nintendo could really go all out with new tools, items, and runes if it wanted to. Breath of the Wild set the template for this style of gameplay, and now it's time to see what Nintendo can do with more experience and a better understanding of the mechanics.

Now that you know what we want from the Breath of the Wild sequel, tell us what you want! Leave us your wish list in the comments section below!

Clash Royale has become a part of my morning routine. I wake up, get ready for the day, grab a tasty Starbucks beverage, and play a few matches of Clash Royale before heading to work. I've been hooked on this competitive game for the last three years, and now, thanks to Supercell's latest update, I find myself playing it more than ever.

Drawing heavy inspiration from Fortnite, Clash Royale now offers seasonal play. Over the span of 35 days, the first season (dubbed "The Flood") introduces a new card, arena, and, wait for it, a battle pass (called Pass Royale) that players can purchase to earn cool new things like tower skins, additional chests, and trade tokens. It also delivers the ability to queue up chests (yeah, I agree that should be free in the base game), and unlimited continues in challenge events.

Yes, it stinks that I now have to spend $4.99 every 35 days to get the game's most desirable loot, but I mostly appreciate the update since I have something new to play for. The items of note are dangled in front of me like a carrot on a stick, and I just have to play extensively to get them. With the Pass Royale, Supercell is clearly targeting a player like me, who has maxed out all of the cards in my deck and hasn't had to spend money on the game for a good year.

I'm five dollars poorer, but also find myself playing the game roughly three times more than before just to make sure I finish every tier of the Pass Royale before the season ends. The ultimate prize is the tower skin, which turns my princess towers into shark tanks. It's a little reward that I'll see every time I boot up the game. For someone who plays the game religiously, that's worth the five bucks.

Will I spend the money every time a new season starts? Probably, but I'm telling myself I'll first look to see if I think the rewards are worth it. To be honest though, it won't take much to twist my arm. I'd probably buy the season pass if the only reward was a balloon getting added to my king's tower. Yes, I'm a sucker.

Supercell has done a tremendous job supporting Clash Royale, and while its store is loaded with expensive cards that lower level players will probably consider buying, the free-to-play mechanics haven't been intrusive for a high-level player like me. The season pass is the most up front Supercell has been in asking players to spend money. It's optional, but I think it delivers a hell of a value for people who boot the game up every day.

For a time, battling and catching Mewtwo was one of the ultimate goals of Pokémon Go. Exclusively acquired through lottery-based EX Raids, Mewtwo eluded many trainers for months prior to the community figuring out ways to game the system, and developer Niantic temporarily adding the iconic psychic-type to five-star raids. Niantic today announced that not only is Mewtwo coming back, and again appearing in five-star raids, but it will be its armored form that appeared in the anime. 

The release of Armored Mewtwo in Pokémon Go appears to align with the Japanese theatrical release of Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution, a remake of Pokémon: The First Movie. Armored Mewtwo will appear in five-star raids across the world in Pokémon Go from July 10 through July 31. In addition, several new cosmetic customization items will be available to purchase for your trainer avatar. 

[Source: Pokémon Go]

Mental health is a difficult subject to tackle in games. Achieving a tactful balance between game mechanics and tough themes requires insight, but it can make for a rewarding experience when the two intertwine in meaningful ways. Titles like Celeste and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice illustrate this, and Sea of Solitude boldly plunges into similar subject matter; its world is as beautiful as it is melancholy, with several characters opening up about how their lives are ravaged by mental health.

Sea of Solitude casts you as Kay, a young girl whose loneliness has transformed her into a literal monster. She navigates a partially submerged city, with blurry memories of a human past. Soon she finds out she’s not alone in this world, and she begins a quest of self-discovery in which she attempts to right previous wrongs by helping her family (who have also become beasts) find peace. Sea of Solitude introduces an intriguing premise with darkness hiding under the surface, and it largely succeeds despite occasional hiccups.

You spend your time travelling by foot and by boat, platforming over roofs and through cityscapes, avoiding dangers, and engaging with whatever grandiose monster – like a large, fear-inspiring crow – lurks in the area. I was always eager to see what the next beast awaited me would be, and how the world would change to reflect it, such as sunset skies and harsh waves when Kay’s parents bicker at one another.

Kay has a personal connection with each beast, whether that’s a reflection of a familiar darkness within herself or an embodiment of a tortured family member, which brings a fascinating depth to enemy encounters. I empathized with each major foe, and never wanted to hurt them. Luckily, I never had to. Boss battles in Sea of Solitude are not conventional fights; rather than defeating enemies, you help them overcome issues by clearing corruption, which increases Kay’s understanding of their problems and helps those in pain see clearly, such as two characters realizing its best to end a relationship that is dead in the water. It’s a clever approach that succeeds in driving empathy in the player, too.

Clearing corruption is your main goal in Sea of Solitude. Corruption points appear as glowing orbs with clouds of black smoke twirling around them. To eradicate these, you collect other smaller orbs by platforming around the area and doing light puzzle solving. You have a flare you can shoot into the air that helpfully guides you to your next objective, but it’s also your one and only weapon. Light defeats shadow enemies; sometimes you have to kill them before moving on or, as the gameplay evolves, turn them into allies so they can jump upon ledges you can’t reach to grab orbs for you. Fighting or manipulating enemies is a lackluster experience since it doesn’t require much strategy, and I preferred platforming moments that are intertwined with voiceovers that give insight into what happened to Kay’s family.

Puzzles, like defeating shadow creatures, are shallow. For example, you can trick enemies into chasing you to lead them away from a door you wish to enter. But the easy puzzles never bothered me much, since smooth progression allows the story to continue uninterrupted – and narrative is Sea of Solitude’s strength.

Characters have depth, and you learn more about Kay and others when clearing corruption. Problems are rooted in mental health, such as Kay’s boyfriend who is in a deep pit of depression and another sequence about a young boy being bullied. Most of these moments feel genuine, but I found the brief bullying storyline clumsy, especially when it delved into suicidal ideation in a sloppy way. Other times I took issue with stilted and awkward dialogue or when deeply personal themes were rushed.

However, some moments shine when the game lets its world speak for itself; I enjoyed seeing characters coming to grip with their reality on their own and how both the weather and aesthetic changed to emphasize these feelings. I love how the city becomes chilled and blanketed in snow when exploring the topic of a broken romantic relationship, or how a building with vents that spew steam fittingly reflects a father’s overwhelming anger.

Weather plays a significant role during exploration, with rainfall warning you of danger and sunny skies signaling safety. It’s a simple system that works well to inform the player when to brace for horrors, and there is a surprising amount of fright. A fish monster swims in the dark waters and if it catches you it violently tears you apart with its sharp teeth. Murky seas occasionally have ghostly hands that emerge from the depths that drown Kay if she touches them. All of this feels all the more terrifying because of Sea of Solitude’s barren world.

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While an empty world is often seen as a negative in games, it feels appropriate here not just for the effective horror elements, but also because it reflects Kay’s feelings and adds intrigue to the mystery. I kept wondering how Kay ended up alone and why monsters are the only living beings left. Answers to these questions aren’t always handed to you, but I enjoyed trying to piece together bits myself through my own interpretations and messages left behind in bottles.

Sea of Solitude provides an insightful look at how mental health devastates the lives of not just those it affects, but also loved ones on the outside. Kay learns a lot about herself by understanding the value of listening, coming to term with her flaws, and not just empathizing with family but also accepting that a simple fix isn’t always possible.

Score: 7.5

Summary: This adventure game provides an insightful look at mental health inside a gorgeous and melancholy world.

Concept: Navigate a half-submerged city and conquer your demons by overcoming literal monsters

Graphics: Sea of Solitude is both beautiful and frightening, with colorful aesthetics juxtaposed with darker palettes during storms

Sound: The sound design is well done, such as a crow’s piercing cry and the crashing of waves providing an unsettling ambiance

Playability: Sea of Solitude controls easily, and the minimalist interface helps you become fully immersed

Entertainment: Sea of Solitude provides an insightful look at mental health and its characters evolve in meaningful ways

Replay: Moderately Low

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