Hearthstone Calls for The Grand Tournament

Hearthstone lead designer and game director Eric Dodds announced a new expansion,The Grand Tournament.

Featuring over 130 new cards, new mechanics and a discounted pre-purchase week, The Grand Tournament is set for release in August.

Hearthstone's Lead Designer Eric Dodds

Dodds, speaking at San Francisco's Folsom Street Foundry and through Twitch, joked at the best guess as to what would follow Gnomes vs. Goblins. "There were a lot of great ideas and . . . one of the ideas that was kind of cool was the idea 'maybe are we doing Pirates vs. Ninjas?'" Dodds added, "There's only a little problem for me personally . . . [there's] some difficulty because I have a personal take on which way that conflict would go." Dodds chose pirates over ninjas.

The Hearthstone director continued, saying this theme of silliness and humor finds itself in the premise of The Grand Tournament. In regards to Warcraft lore, Dodds saidThe Grand Tournament's arena was built to find and assemble the best warriors. 

However, the lead designer discussed what would happen if the arena was kept open. He said invitations were sent to warriors across the Warcraft world, emphasizing The Grand Tournament to "be more on fun and honor and glory rather than this need to defeat the Lich King.

"When they looked at the people who arrived to do battle in the tournament, it actually looked a little bit like this...

So, they are still mighty knights. They are just mighty unconventional knights . . . "

Though thematic and filled with silliness, Dodds promised many new cards to change Hearthstone's metagame. 

The Hearthstone team, with this expansion, explored variations between card power juxtaposed to hero power. 

Maiden of the Lake, a neutral card for 4 mana with a power of 2 and toughness of 6 , is one of the spoiled cards to emphasize this nuance. Maiden of the Lake reduces hero power costs by 1. 

"It's pretty good," Dodds said, "you can sneak some new effects here and there, but it gets a lot more exciting when you start to include other cards in the mix. So, let's look at a mage dragon and think about how this would effect the Maiden of the Lake." 

Dodds revealed the Coldarra Drake, a 6 mana cost 6/6, that allows mage players to use their hero power any number of times.

He said, "There's a ton of awesome combos that we have here and this is sort of scratching the surface. . . We have alotta cards that are based around the hero power and affecting the hero power."

Dodds revealing Coldarra Drake

The newest giant, another card revealed to be affected by hero powers, is Frost Giant. The card initially costs 10 mana for and 8/8, however Frost Giant costs (1) less for each time a player uses his or her hero power in a single game. 

Further delving into The Grand Tournament, Dodds reminisced, "When we talked about this expansion, we talked about, 'is this enough?'" The lead designer said the Hearthstone crew thought about adding a new keyword, something they've never really done before. "We thought maybe it was right time," Dodds said, "but it's around the idea that hero power matters. So, we are adding the keyword 'Inspire.'" 

Inspire triggers every time a player activates their hero power. 

Lowly Squire is a 1-cost minion with 1 power and 2 toughness and the first card revealed with "Inspire."

Dodds said the Inspire mechanic can be found on many neutral minions, so synergies between different heroes and the new mechanic open "a ton of different combinatorics that you are all going to get to play with."

The very next reveal was a 5-cost legendary creature with Inspired, Nexus-Champion Saraad . Whenever Inspired is activated, Saraad adds a random spell to its controller's hand. "One of the reasons we like this guy, " Dodds added, " is he's going to put cards in your hand you weren't necessarily expecting. You're going to play in a different way when you have him. And of course he's an ethereal riding an energy camel . . ." 

Following the arena themes, Hearthstone artists created a brand new board just for The Grand Tournament." Dodds described the board as a mini-arena come to life. "You can eat from the food area and have them refill and bring you different food." The board's audience will cheer and feel sad, depending on how well you're doing and there is a mini archery range with plenty of secrets. 

According to the official Grand Tournament website, "Starting next week, players will be able to pre-purchase a bundle of 50 Grand Tournament Card Packs for $49.99." Players will also get an exclusive card back through this deal. 

Again, players can look forward to Hearthstone's newest expansion, The Grand Tournament, in August.

For more information, readers can visit www.TheGrandTourney.com or watch the rebroadcast of The Grand Tourney announcement for themselves on Twitch. 

Stay tuned for Subculture! 

Under the Radar Games: Ryse Son of Rome

Testudo

Enter Ryse: Son of Rome. Yes, the same Ryse: Son of Rome that was one of the flagship exclusives for the Xbox One launch.

Since its launch and less-than-steller reception though, Ryse found a new start as a PC port in October 2014. The port remains the same as the Xbox version save for its graphical limitations. Whereas Ryse capped at 30 frames per second and 900p on the Xbox One, the PC version supports 4k viewing and 60 frames per second.

However, given this is an Under the Radar segment and not a video on PC specs, let's go back to the topic at hand, the game itself.

Swift

Ryse is a Herculean amalgam of a mindless hack-and-slash violently juxtaposed against cinematic gore. It's as if the developers took the fun, repetitious combat of a Dynasty Warriors game and threw in Russel Crowe from Gladiator to froth together a precise, brutal video game of visceral combat and a sea of lost limbs.

Throughout the campaign and multiplayer modes, this four-button fighter pits the player against hordes of barbarians. Combat in Ryse, similar to the Batman Arkham series, is handled through strikes, counterattacks and finishers. But where Batman only knocks out his enemies, the foes found on the other end of the blade are efficiently cut down. Executions are brutal galleries of pain. Each strike holds its weight as limbs are cut and flesh is pierced in slow motion. There's an epic, yet simple satisfaction reveling in Ryse's combat and battle finishers.

Down

Ryse's narrative doesn't bring anything new to the industry. However, contained in the package of what the game is, Marius' RISE to revenge spells an exciting adventure through his campaigns as a Roman soldier. One segment, especially, proved thrilling and absolutely fantastic because it adopted much of the brilliant arena-moments of the movie Gladiator to Ryse.

Intervention

The narrative also lingers between the realm of men and gods. This inclusion of deities, along with striking a chord in my heart of literature, sculpts Ryse to be very Homeric and classical. Instead of a bland tale of revenge, Ryse orchestrates a thematic narrative driven by personal desire. 

Now whether those desires loom from the Ceaser, the main character Marius, or even the barbarian king, Oswald, Ryse cements how much humankind strives to choke every advantage it can receive despite the costs.

The characters in Ryse, like the myth of Sisyphus, the boulder and the mountain, are eternally lost between what they set to achieve and actually fulfilling their goals. The game tells a story much bigger than personal desire, and the characters who remain blind to this are punished like those in the ancient Greek tragedies.

Cut

Ryse is absolutely brilliant in its aesthetics of brutality and its execution of themes. Combat is simple, but stylish, visceral and fun. Marious' epic unfolds as a quest for personal revenge, but also expands beyond mortal boundaries to create a much more mythical narrative on the human condition. The initial release of Ryse bore witness to a game that was deemed to repetitive without much of a striking plot. However, I feel Ryse basks in its glorious combat and thematic narrative without exceptions, thus landing it as a perfect contender to be an Under the Radar Game.   

Anime Expo - Episode 3

The Subculture Times crew hits the 2015 Anime Expo for some panels, booths and... hentai? 

Shenmue Kickstarts for 2 Million on Day Two

"I'm looking for Sailors."

The Shenmue 3 Kickstarter, revealed only yesterday, June 15, met its funding goal of $2 million dollars. This promises the long-awaited third installment of the Shenmue series will find its home on the Playstation 4 and PC around December 2017.

But even though the Kickstarter is a success, Suzuki and his team have laid out stretch goals extending beyond the initial $2 million dollars to create a bigger game. If the Kickstarter is able to fund $3.2 million dollars, the development team will provide subtitles in several languages and include a brand new rapport system. Reaching the stretch goal of $4 million dollars, the developers will include a skill tree system, 5 mini games and expand the first of three explorable areas, Baisha Village.

Shenmue director and producer Yu Suziki expresses Kickstarter is the perfect platform to usher the return of the cult series. "I can finally bring you the continuation for Shenmue 2, " Suzuki added. "Shenmue 3 will be the story you have waited for."

Niao Sun of the Chi You Men

The Kickstarter states Shenmue 3 will follow Ryo and Shenhua as they travel China, specifically through three areas: Baisha Village, Chiba and Bailu Village. Shenmue 3 will run using the Unreal 4 engine.

One of the newest features, Suzuki states, are "technique scrolls, which will connect to the different aspects of the game. [They'll] allow you to use the new skills right away in battle . . . making it all the more exciting to get a hold of one."

Shenmue 3, according to the Kickstarter website, will also incorporate "new fight mechanics to achieve a new level of interactive storytelling," while keeping familiar elements from the previous games.

Many of the project members for Shenmue 3 have worked on the first two games, including Shenmue's main character design artist, Kenji Miyawaki, and the Japanese voice actor for Ryo, Masaya Matsukaze.

Shenhua in Unreal 4

Upon the publishing of this article, the Shenmue Kickstarter campaign is at $2.7 million dollars. The Shenmue team updated their Kickstarter, thanking all those who have donated and for fans to continue asking questions and voicing comments about their latest project.

Shenmue 3 is 14 years in the making and through the passion of its cult following, Suzuki and his team have managed to reach its funding goal within two days and aim to make Shenmue an even bigger game.

As Suzuki says at the end of the Kickstarter video, "The fate of Shenmue is in your hands now!"

And if you missed the hyperlink above, you may find the official Shenmue Kickstarter here: http://tinyurl.com/olf4sdl

Check back often to see how the Shenmue 3 campaigns unfolds and, of course ...

Stay tuned for Subculture! 

Fallout 4 Trailer Released

The Fallout 4 official website is up with a first-look trailer at Bethesda's latest game in the works.

Mixing what looks like a pre-rendered cutscene with a few shots of new broken towns, an abandoned grocery market raptured with ghouls and pieces of the desolate wasteland, Fallout 4 is looking like a sequel worthy of the retro-apocalypse.

Previous entries in the Fallout series allowed players to roam the remnants of Washington D.C, Southern California and the Nevada deserts. Fallout 4 appears to take place in Boston. Hints, such as the Paul Revere statue and the Massachusetts State House, are embedded throughout the trailer.

Unlike the usual Bethesda protagonist, the trailer's final moments speak some volumes. The Vault 111 inhabitant reunites with his faithful Dogmeat and says, "Let's go, pal." Whether or not Fallout 4 will have a voiced male and female protagonist, however, has yet to be confirmed.

(Oh, and Subculture Times is calling it now, Troy Baker is totally the voice actor for the male protagonist.) 

Check out the trailer below!

Fallout 4 is set to hit Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PCs. In the meantime, fans of the series can look forward to Bethesda's E3 showcase on June 14 at 7 P.M. PST via their Twitch channel.

What do you Subculture'd folk think about the latest trailer?

Let us know and Stay Tuned for Subculture!

The Steam 2014 Holiday Sale

A year has passed and it's everyone's favorite time once again: The Steam Holiday Sale.

Running now until January 2, Steam frequenters and pc gamers can look forward to discounts on video games, game franchises and even software.

"Oh, you know...(sales)."

Today's deals include Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes at $13.99, the zombie-smashing-good-time State of Decay for $4.99, with State of Decay DLC only at $1.99 each, and the infuriating, yet always rewarding Dark Souls II for $14.79, a 63% discount.

The discounts do not end at the daily deals however. Your vote helps dictate the sale for the following day in the community choice, while flash deals change every twelve hours.

Today's first flash sale graces us with sales on Styx: Master of Shadows, the Ultimate Edition of the DC fighter Injustice: Gods Among us, and Speedrunners. 

Check back often as Steam is bound to have tons of different games for sale.

Buy some games, have a good holiday and Stay tuned for Subculture!

Bioware Releases Mysterious Trailer at 3 a.m.

Bioware and EA sent out an email around 1 a.m. PST containing the subject line "You've Been Chosen."

The email also includes a link to a mysterious, unspecified video game trailer. The website, however, for those "chosen" is currently unavailable, perhaps due to the sheer number of people trying to access the site.

Nonetheless, the trailer was discovered to also exist on Youtube and may be watched below.

Beneath the trailer in the email, the text reads:

"The time is near... they are watching

Your power is rising

You've been chosen."

One Youtube comment suggests the trailer is for another Mass Effect game, while others link it to the Dragon Age beta or supernatural conspiracies. There is no official word on who, what, or why the trailer was released at what seems to be the "Witching Hour" for some recipients, however the email does provide a hidden, yet massive clue.



The email's hyperlink image of the broken lamp saves under the file-name  "ShadowRealms_Teaser_Video." While it doesn't give much to what the game is, EA did trademark the name "Shadow Realms" earlier this year. According to nextgengaming.com, EA filed to trademark this potentially brand new IP on February 28.

ShadowRealms_Teaser_video.jpeg

As of 2:28 a.m. PST, the official website containing the trailer is still down and the Bioware and EA Twitter accounts are silent regarding the mysterious trailer.

For more news, views and reviews, Stay tuned for Subculture! 

Subculture Times Xbox One Unboxing - quick impressions

Subculture Times Vs. Long Beach Comic Con 2014

Ultra Street Fighter IV (PS3/Xbox 360/PC)

Ultra Street Fighter 4 has finally landed on both the PS3 and the Xbox 360, although it is only available through digital download for now. The fifth installment of the Street Fighter 4 series, Ultra Street Fighter 4 comes to homes full of balance changes, five new fighters, and some modes previously unavailable. 

The new updated roster and balance changes bring in a fresh breath to both the casual, and competitive scenes. Imported from Street Fighter X Tekken, Elena, Rolento, Poison, and Hugo join the fray. These fighters have had their movesets and play style adjusted for the Street Fighter 4 engine, and have translated very well into the overall metagame. Elena comes in with her high/low mix-ups, Rolento has his control game, Poison arrives with some interesting offensive capabilities, and Hugo, the Hammer Mountain himself, comes to body slam his opponents into the dirt. 

The fifth character, Decapre, is a completely new character and has never been in any Street Fighter game. At first glance, Decapre just looks like Cammy with a mask, but that is where the similarities end. Sporting a charge moveset, this character has the makings of a great choice for both veteran and beginner players alike. Her normal moves provide great block strings and moves like her teleport move, which has different angles and ending moves depending on which input is used, is great for putting on the pressure. 

Along with the new fighters, USF4 also brings some nice additions to the overall game. Apart from the expected balance changes, the Ultra Combo Double was added to the game. One can now choose between Ultra Combo 1, 2, or the brand new Ultra Combo Double. This Ultra Combo Double gives the player access to both of their fighter's Ultra Combos during a match, bringing the utility of both Ultra Combo moves at the cost of reduced damage. 

Another addition, one can now use a red Focus Attack in this iteration of Street Fighter 4. The red Focus Attack costs special meter to use, and is a buffed version of the regular Focus Attack that can also be used to focus cancel, at the cost of 3 of the special meter bars. The red focus attack dash cancel, or red FADC, can add to combos, making some approaches much safer, as well as making setups for Ultra Combos easier on certain if not most of the cast. The final, and most useful addition, delayed standing, is where many will not see the results at first. By simply holding down and both the light punch and kick buttons, your character will be on the ground for a few extra seconds. This is a godsend to many players that dabble in multiplayer, as the mind games are not just being played on the surface, but extends to the wake up game as well. 

Capcom did not stop with just adding characters and some new techniques, but also added features that many fans were asking for. Now you can enter training mode while searching for ranked and player matches, as well as making a training mode lobby with another player online. Endless and Team Battle lobbies have been given a major rework, and now function much smoother than before. One addition no one saw coming, one can now select which edition of a character they would wish to play, offline of course. Ever wanted to see if Vanilla Street Fighter 4 Sagat was better than Arcade Edition Yun? Well now you can with edition select.

Overall, this game pulled out all the stops to satisfy its player base's multiplayer hunger. Better online play, new mechanics, more characters, additional stages, and edition select sound good. but where this update falls short is in bringing in new players. Veterans and even players that casually played the previous versions will definitely enjoy and appreciate all the new details, but all of these improvements will not be bringing in anyone that has never played these games. Putting the obvious aside, this version is a must have for any fan of the game, hardcore or not. All of the reworks and additions will keep even the most casual player wanting more, and will make improving much easier thanks to online training. Hardcore fans can enjoy all the new balance changes, and the new match-up possibilities will have you playing all night long, for a well deserved 9/10.

Stay tuned for Subculture!