Catch A Physical Version Of Fishing Star: World Tour Later This Year
At the start of this year, Fishing Star: World Tour was released on the Switch eShop across all-regions.
If you’ve been holding out for a physical release, you’re in luck. Aksys Games will be releasing a hard copy later this year in both North America and Europe. The game will be priced at $29.99 in the US. This information was revealed at Anime Expo 2019 by the developer, WFS.
Here’s a bit about the game, courtesy of the Nintendo website:
The game includes more than 180 kinds of fish to catch, 40 different locations and more than 70 types of gear. If you want to catch “a big one” you’ll need to change your equipment to match the fish and the setting.
Over 180 kinds of fish! More than 70 types of fishing gear! 40 fishing locations! Explore various locations and see a lot of fish!
Catch a big one by changing your equipment to match the fish and setting! Fish that are caught are recorded in the “Fish Book”. Become an angling master!
Choose a play-style that suits you! Move the Joy-Con to reel in fish like a real angler or simply use the stick on the Joy-Con to catch fish!
Play a trolling mini-game using the Toy-Con Fishing Rod! Aim for big fish while aboard a speeding vessel!
Will you be picking this up on release? Have you tried out the digital version? Leave a comment below.
Some time ago, the Fedora Magazine has published an article introducing ZSH — an alternative shell to Fedora’s default, bash. This time, we’re going to look into customizing it to use it in a more effective way. All of the concepts shown in this article also work in other shells such as bash.
Alias
Aliases are shortcuts for commands. This is useful for creating short commands for actions that are performed often, but require a long command that would take too much time to type. The syntax is:
$ alias yourAlias='complex command with arguments'
They don’t always need to be used for shortening long commands. Important is that you use them for tasks that you do often. An example could be:
$ alias dnfUpgrade='dnf -y upgrade'
That way, to do a system upgrade, I just type dnfUpgrade instead of the whole dnf command.
The problem of setting aliases right in the console is that once the terminal session is closed, the alias would be lost. To set them permanently, resource files are used.
Resource Files
Resource files (or rc files) are configuration files that are loaded per user in the beginning of a session or a process (when a new terminal window is opened, or a new program like vim is started). In the case of ZSH, the resource file is .zshrc, and for bash it’s .bashrc.
To make the aliases permanent, you can either put them in your resource. You can edit your resource file with a text editor of your choice. This example uses vim:
$ vim $HOME/.zshrc
Or for bash:
$ vim $HOME/.bashrc
Note that the location of the resource file is specified relatively to a home directory — and that’s where ZSH (or bash) are going to look for the file by default for each user.
Other option is to put your configuration in any other file, and then source it:
$ source /path/to/your/rc/file
Again, sourcing it right in your session will only apply it to the session, so to make it permanent, add the source command to your resource file. The advantage of having your source file in a different location is that you can source it any time. Or anywhere which is especially useful in shared environments.
Environment Variables
Environment variables are values assigned to a specific name which can be then called in scripts and commands. They start with the $ dollar sign. One of the most common is $HOME that references the home directory.
As the name suggests, environment variables are a part of your environment. Set a variable using the following syntax:
$ http_proxy="http://your.proxy"
And to make it an environment variable, export it with the following command:
$ export $http_proxy
To see all the environment variables that are currently set, use the env command:
$ env
The command outputs all the variables available in your session. To demonstrate how to use them in a command, try running the following echo commands:
$ echo $PWD /home/fedora $ echo $USER fedora
What happens here is variable expansion — the value stored in the variable is used in your command.
Another useful variable is $PATH, that defines directories that your shell uses to look for binaries.
The $PATH variable
There are many directories, or folders (the way they are called in graphical environments) that are important to the OS. Some directories are set to hold binaries you can use directly in your shell. And these directories are defined in the $PATH variable.
Yesterday we reported the news that Unity was removing Enlighten from future version of the Unity game engine. I mentioned multiple times in that story that the following statement made very little sense:
Due to Geomerics shutting down Enlighten as a product, Unity is required to remove Enlighten.
Geomerics hasn’t operated Enlighten since 2017 when it was sold to Silicon Studio. Since posting that story, we received the following comment from a representative at Silicon Studio:
There was additionally the following conversation on the Unity blog post:
To clarify then, Enlighten as a product isn’t going away. From my interpretation of events, it seems Unity’s license for Enlighten was expiring so they decided to develop an in-house replacement instead of renewing a license with Silicon Studio. Simply stating that would have been a great deal less misleading than the approach they took, an approach that could arguably harm the perceptions of Enlighten going forward.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 07-05-2019, 04:46 AM - Forum: Lounge
- No Replies
Apex Legends Releases Season 2 Patch Notes
Apex Legends has launched its Season 2 update, bringing with it a new character, a totally revamped Battle Pass, Ranked Leagues, and tons of other changes. All the big-ticket updates launching with Season 2 came alongside a number of smaller tweaks to factors like weapon balance, and Respawn has outlined all those in the patch notes. Read on for the full list and a look at some of the stand-out additions and changes.
Posted on the Apex Legends subreddit, the patch notes are extensive. It outlines a few of the major changes--namely, significant adjustments to the map and the addition of a new playable Legend named Wattson--but then goes into the nitty-gritty detail. There are several balance adjustments to Legends and weapons, some quality-of-life changes, and bug fixes. New hop-ups are also available, including disruptor rounds that deal additional damage to shielded targets, hammerpoint rounds for unshielded targets, and a change to the skullpiercer.
The patch notes also detail some free rewards you can get simply by playing Season 2--no need to purchase the Battle Pass. Those include a Hot Rod skin for Wattson, five Apex packs, and stat trackers for each Legend.
To get the Battle Pass, jump into Apex Legends and head to the Battle Pass tab in the store. Grab the Battle Pass for 950 Apex Coins or the Battle Pass Bundle for 2,800 Apex Coins (containing 4,700 Apex Coins’ worth of content!), and you’re all set.
CHALLENGES
Take on Daily and Weekly Challenges to score bonus Battle Pass XP and level up even faster. Read more here.
NEW CONTENT TYPES
Skydive emotes, music packs, and unique loading screens are now part of the rewards track.
MORE LEGENDARIES AND CRAFTING MATERIALS
Grab even more Legendary skins from the reward track and earn enough Crafting Materials to create a Legendary item of your choice.
FREE REWARDS
Everyone who plays Apex Legends Season 2 can earn:
Season 2 stat trackers for each Legend.
Five Apex Packs.
The Wattson Hot Rod skin.
Many new things to discover on Kings Canyon!
KINGS CANYON CHANGES
The Leviathans have breached Kings Canyon and it’ll never be the same! Many areas have been affected by our new guests. Enjoy exploring the new changes!
NEW LEGEND: WATTSON
Wattson has entered the arena and is available for 750 Apex Coins or 12,000 Legend Tokens.
PASSIVE: Spark of Genius
Ultimate Accelerants fully charge Wattson’s ultimate. Standing near the Interception Pylon boosts Wattson’s tactical recharge rate.
TACTICAL: Perimeter Security
Create electrified fences by connecting nodes. Fences damage and slow enemies.
ULTIMATE: Interception Pylon
Place an electrified pylon that destroys incoming ordnance and repairs damaged shields [can place up to 3 Pylons at one time].
RANKED LEAGUES
One thing we forgot to mention in the blog post: Players abandoning in Ranked will be penalized both with a matchmaking penalty, as well as have any potential RP gains zeroed out. On top of that, they will pay an additional penalty RP cost equal to their match entry cost. For example: if a Gold player gets 4 kills and would have finished top 5 but abandons his or her match on purpose, that player will get 0 RP for kills and placement, pay the 2 RP entry cost, and on top of that pay another 2 RP abandon penalty cost.
WEAPONS
New Airdrop Weapon: L-STAR EMG
Fires large high-damage plasma projectiles
Will overheat if player fires for too long
Comes with its own limited ammo supply
Only available in Airdrops
New Hop-Up: Disruptor Rounds
Increased damage to shielded targets.
Compatibility: Alternator / RE-45
New Hop-Up: Hammerpoint Rounds
Increased damage to unshielded targets.
Compatibility: P2020, Mozambique.
New Attachments: Energy Mags
Increases magazine capacity.
Increases reload speed at rare and above.
Compatibility: Havoc, Triple Take, Devotion.
Reduced default mag sizes on compatible weapons.
Skullpiercer Hop-Up: Upgraded to gold tier & increased rarity.
Flatline:
damage 16 -> 19
P2020:
damage 12 -> 13
Triple Take x Precision Choke:
choke time 1.5 -> 1.1
Alternator:
damage 13 -> 15
recoil mitigation increased for all barrel attachments.
Kraber:
damage 125 -> 145
headshot scale 2.0 -> 2.05
leg damage scale 0.76 -> 0.8
slightly increased rarity
Arc Star Tweaks
Increased ignition delay from 2.5 to 2.8 seconds.
Sticking a full health player with no armor will now down them.
Players at the edge of the explosion no longer get their shields completely shredded.
Ammo Stack Sizes
Shotgun max stack reduced from 64 to 16. Players now need multiple stacks of ammo to run a shotty.
Energy max stack increased from 60 to 80; now matches Light/ Heavy ammo.
Rotated Gold Weapons
Flatline
Alternator
RE45
Mozambique
P2020
Airdrop Weapon Spawn Rates
L-STAR added to airdrop weapon loot tables.
Airdrop weapon spawn rates now change based on early/ mid/ late game. For example, early game will spawn more Krabers, end game will spawn more Mastiffs.
Performance Optimizations
Improved performance when firing weapons, especially for multi-projectile weapons like shotguns and Triple Take.
In our testing this has contributed to delivering a smoother overall experience on both server and client, particularly during early game combat situations.
Bug fixes
Fixed exploit where players could use weapon inspect to cancel out other weapon behaviors.
EVA-8: ADS recoil now resettles back to starting point instead of a randomized offset of the starting point.
Thermite Grenades: fixed an issue where players downed with thermite could be invincible to thermite after being revived.
General
Fortified [ Gibraltar, Caustic ]
Damage reduction increased: 10% -> 15%
Fortified Legends are now immune to slow effects from weapon fire.
Low Profile [ Wraith, Lifeline, Pathfinder ]
Low Profile increases incoming damage by 5%.
Bloodhound
Eye of the Allfather
Enemies scanned now are tracked in real time instead of leaving a ghost image behind. The tracking lasts for 1.5 seconds.
Increased the angle of the scan to 110 from 90.
Tracker
Increased clue duration to 90 seconds from 60 seconds.
Fixed a bug where energy weapons wouldn’t leave behind weapon fired clues.
Fixed a bug where movement clues would sometimes not be generated.
Mirage
Vanishing Act
Mirage can now cancel out of his ultimate cloak early.
Mirage now has a small delay when disabling cloak.
Caustic
Nox Gas
The magnitude of the slow is reduced by 50% when effecting teammates.
Gibraltar
Dome of Protection
Increased the duration by 3 seconds.
Pathfinder
Updated the hit box to better conform with the base model.
We are also planning to make adjustments so his hitbox better reflects Legendary Skins as well for cases where it’s not matching up.
Lifeline
D.O.C. heal drone now gets destroyed after 2 damage ticks by the circle.
STATS PAGE
Added a stats page. You can access it by hovering over your name while in the Lobby and clicking it to inspect. The page will show you your overall account stats as well as access to your stats for each season and Ranked Series.
We're sure you all will have feedback on other stats you'd like to see here. What we're shipping with Season 2 is just the start and we're planning to build on it. We won't promise anything but definitely let us know what other stats you want shown after you've played around with it.
KNOWN ISSUES: There will be some stats [like assists for example] that will start counting for Season 2 but won’t account for progress before that. This is because until we added the feature, this stuff wasn’t being counted. We’re looking at future improvements to retroactively update these areas that we hope to address down the road.
THE RING
With Season 2, we’ll trying out new circle closing speed, size, and damage that now applies to both Ranked Leagues and the normal Apex Queue.
Ring Damage is now the following:
Round 1: 2% damage taken per tick.
Round 2: 5% damage taken per tick.
Round 3: 10% damage taken per tick.
Round 4: 20% damage taken per tick.
Round 5: 20% damage taken per tick.
Round 6 and beyond: 25% damage taken per tick.
Ring start and closing speed is now the following:
First Circle
Starts closing after: 3 minutes.
Time to close: 2 minutes.
Second Circle
Starts closing after: 2 minutes 30 seconds.
Time to close: 2 minutes.
Third Circle
Starts closing after: 2 minutes 15 seconds.
Time to close: 2 minutes.
Fourth Circle
Starts closing after: 2 minutes.
Time to close: 2 minutes.
Fifth Circle
Starts closing after: 1 minute 30 seconds.
Time to close: 1 minutes 40 seconds.
Sixth Circle
Starts closing after: 1 minute 30 seconds.
Time to close: 1 minutes 40 seconds.
Seventh Circle
Starts closing after: 2 minutes.
Time to close: 1 minute 20 seconds.
Eighth Circle
Starts closing after: 20 seconds.
Time to close: 1 minute 20 seconds.
Ring radius for the first circle has been slightly reduced [it’s about 9% smaller than it was before].
QUALITY OF LIFE
Pings
When pinging a closed door, the player will now say “closed door here”.
When pinging an open door, the player will now say “someone’s been here”.
When a player requests a hop up, if the gun only accepts one kind of hop up, the player will callout that specific hop up they are looking for. If the gun accepts multiple hop ups, the player won’t vocalize it but all possible hop ups requested will show up in the obit feed.
Arc stars that are stuck to players should no longer fail to do damage when the part of the player it is stuck to is intersecting another object.
Made visual improvements to the Legends while in the Lobby and character select.
Added improvements and polish to the Legend’s animations while skydiving.
Improved melee hit detection on the hover tank while it’s moving.
Server optimizations.
Improved server and client performance when firing weapons, especially for multi-projectile weapons like shotguns and TripleTake.
Large doors and Supply Bins can now be used while viewing them from more extreme angles.
Slow Effects will now slow players equally regardless of their controller settings.
Wraith’s Heirloom will now more reliably show its lightning visualFX.
Heal items will now more reliably show the correct model when switching between different types.
General optimizations to improve framerate.
Fixed issue with geometry sometimes flickering when viewed from a long distance.
Death Box rarity colors are now more visible from a distance.
“Send Friend Request” tool-tip now shows up when hovering over teammates Banners while viewing the “Squad Eliminated” screen and “Squads” tab during a match.
Made it so that your weapon won’t play its priming animation when you pull it out after skydiving.
Fixed issue with skydive continuing to loop falling soundFX after landing.
Apex will no longer swap from full screen to windowed mode automatically if you shift to focus on other applications while Apex is booting up.
Fixed issue with players seeing their Origin friends listed as offline when they aren’t.
Made improvements to voice chat for PC.
Fixed issue where you could lose your Steam friends list after restarting Apex on PC.
Fixed issue where sometimes players would get a black screen during character select.
Added “Flash Hider” description to the Gold Barrel Stabilizer attachment. It always did this but the information wasn’t provided well so we added it to the description when inspecting the attachment.
BUG FIXES
Fixed a hit registration bug that could occur if you fired your weapon while being damaged by an enemy shotgun.
Fixed a bug where sometimes load screens would not appear properly and players would temporarily see the training map before loading into a match.
Fixed issue with players not always hearing selected quip dialogue when performing a finisher or being executed.
Fixed issue with Apex not working correctly when SLI or Crossfire is enabled.
Fixed bug with the consumables wheel sometimes appearing blank.
Fixed bug where players would sometimes get stuck on the Battle Pass Level screen.
Fixed bug where The Unlock button would be greyed out when it shouldn’t be when trying to view rewards.
Fixed bug where players would sometimes be unable to exit the Battle Pass tab after selecting it from the Lobby.
Fixed an exploit where players could jump while downed.
Fixed issue where sometimes the client would crash to the Dashboard when entering character select on Xbox One.
Fixed a bug where pinging a sniper stock in your inventory would show up as “looking for Grip”
Fixed a bug that caused players and loot to begin sliding permanently or launching inconsistently onto Supply Ship surfaces after doing melee attacks against the Supply Ship walls.
Fixed bug that could cause players to shift to a location under the map when switching between players while spectating.
Fixed bug for cases where performing a melee attack while inspecting an item would cause the attack to slow down and not deal damage.
[X1 only] Fixed bug where players were not being rewarded “The Player” achievement after hitting level 50. If you have reached level 50 and not received it in the past it should now be awarded retroactively.
Fixed the bug that sometimes caused Apex to crash when plugging a PS4 controller into your PC while the game is active.
Fixed bug that caused an “Out of Bounds” warning and timer while riding the Supply Ship over certain areas of Kings Canyon.
General improvements to game stability related to various script errors.
LEGENDS
Bloodhound
Fixed bug where players wouldn’t create movement evidence markers unless they were sprinting.
Fixed bug where sometimes energy weapons wouldn’t create ‘weapon fired’ evidence markers.
Wraith
Fixed bug where Wraith’s jetpack boosters could still be seen while phasing.
Fixed issue where in some rare cases, performing a Finisher while down player is entering a Wraith Portal.
Fixed an exploit that allowed players to place extra Dimensional Portals.
Octane
Fixed a bug that caused throwable items to bounce off a jump pad without actually touching it.
Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night Switch Fix Targeting A Mid-July Release
As much as we’ve been enjoying Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night here at Nintendo Life, it’s hard to overlook the fact the Switch version has some serious issues. Assets are weaker than other versions, the frame rate is halved, the game can be unstable and the load times are also rather painful.
Fortunately, Koji “Iga” Igarashi and his team have acknowledged the problems with the Switch release and are now planning to issue a series of updates to enhance the overall experience. In a new Kickstarter blog post, these upcoming fixes for the game have been revealed and are estimated to arrive around mid-July.
Nintendo Switch (Status—fix being tested)
The fix is currently in test, the submission date we were working toward has been delayed due to a graphical bug that has reemerged.
We anticipate testing will be completed by next week, which would mean an ETA of public release during the week of July 15, 2019.
Improvements
Map Improvements
Map close button has been remapped to standard exit/close button
Marker button has been changed
Trail display button has been changed
Map scroll speed improved
Zoom in and zoom out improved
Zoom level retained when reopening the map
Auto-center when opening the map
Bug fix: No longer displaying enemies for completed quests
Fixed items getting stuck on walls/geometry
The functionality of waiting until the item is collected automatically has been left in, in case the issue persists.
Switch-specific Improvements
HD Rumble issues in certain areas of the game have been fixed
Enabled Traditional Chinese language option
Fixed instances where the game would crash while transitioning between rooms
Work has been done on the technical “non-visible” side of things to improve input delay, stability, and various optimizations. The teams are continuing to work on these items and we’ll have future updates and plans to share soon.
“Iga’s Back Pack” DLC
Nintendo Switch (Status—DLC approved, release imminent)
The DLC has been approved by Nintendo, we’re just taking the final steps to make it go live.
It’s great to see there is a mention of improving the input delay, stability and optimization, as these are all major problems in the Switch version right now. If you would like to find out more about this game, be sure to check out our review and also view Digital Foundry’s video for the technical analysis.
How are you finding Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night on the Switch? Tell us below.
This information was shared on ResetEra and reveals the full list of characters potentially being added to the game in the future. It features some evil faces from Spyro the Dragon and the inclusion of Crash Tag Team Racing characters.
Baby Coco
Baby Cortex
Baby Crash
Baby N.Tropy
Baby-T
Chick (CTTR)
Emperor Velo (CNK)
Gnasty Gnorc (Spyro)
Hunter (Spyro)
Nina Cortex (CTTR)
Pasadena (CTTR)
Rilla Roo (Bash)
Ripto (Spyro)
Sorceress (Spyro)
Spyro
Stew (CTTR)
Von Clutch (CTTR)
Willie Wumpa Cheeks (CTTR)
There’s already a large number of characters in the game, and there’ll be even more if this is true. In saying this, there are no guarantees. Spyro was previously confirmed for CTR last month alongside multiple other characters. For more information regarding the game’s most recent update, check out our previous post.
What do you think about this list? Have you been enjoying CTR since it was released on the Switch? Leave a comment below.
As a Software Engineer at Vicarious Visions you will be an owner in one or more game systems. You will be a crucial part of the development team collaborating with team members and others to deliver AAA quality code.
In the spirit of inclusion, we encourage all to apply!
The Quests
Utilizing your technical skills, you will collaborate with game designers, visual artists, audio designers and other specialists to design and propel AAA game development.
Exemplify and promote standards for code, design, development, debugging, optimization, review, testing and documentation
Establish mutual trust and respect among your teammates, and celebrating in each other’s success
Player Profile
You possess a deep understanding of object-oriented programming in a variety of languages including C++
You have experience with working on PC and console platforms. Mobile is a Plus!
You excel in working as part of a team
You possess a real passion for developing high quality games
You have earned Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline or equivalent experience
Your Platform
In 2018, Vicarious Visions celebrated its 27th year in the industry. Over the years, we have made hundreds of games, in every genre, on every conceivable game platform in the known universe. We are a studio that is built to last.
Our philosophy of combining cutting-edge tech with creative innovation is evidenced in all of our products. We’ve worked on some of the most successful game franchises, including Skylanders®, Guitar Hero™, Marvel Ultimate Alliance™, Crash Bandicoot™, Spider-Man™, and Tony Hawk™.
We thrive on a culture of collaboration, respect and fun. We have built a welcoming and relaxed workplace that invites creativity and encourages individual voices.
Activision Blizzard is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.
Whether you’re just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what’s out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers.
Gamasutra’s Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A.
The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutras community. The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.
The following are transcripts of my Uncharted 2 video series (parts 4-5 out of 5) from my channel Farlands. The first compilation can be accessed by following this link.
4 – In Medias Res
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So in the previous videos of the series, we have discussed what is pacing, and how Uncharted 2 handles it. Now, we are going to talk about some techniques the game uses to its advantage. The first one is In Medias Res.
It is a narrative technique that starts you from the middle of the story before getting to the beginning. The goal is to instantly engage players, and only then expand on what is happening and why. You need to intrigue, but also be careful to not confuse instead.
In games when using this technique you also have to keep in mind tutorials and onboarding. You’re not just putting the player into the middle of the story, you also instantly show them what the gameplay is all about in an exciting but not too overbearing manner. Uncharted 2 perfectly handles everything in its In Medias Res beginning. Just look at this first cutscene.
[embedded content](should start at 0:48)
So many things are happening. We are in a train. Why? We are wounded. What happened? And then it turns out that the wagon is hanging off a freaking mountain. How the hell did we get into this? In less than a minute there’s so many questions that players already want answers to.
Then we get a platforming tutorial where players are actually not in any real danger, but they feel like they are due to the narrative set-up. We then get some more navigation and shooting tutorials, and bits and pieces about what happened. The chapter ends after we find the MacGuffin of the game – a mysterious ritual dagger, and we switch to the early parts of the story to continue chronologically from there.
I mean, holy shit, how much more effective can you be? Now, it’s important to keep in mind that just starting at such a moment is not enough. You have to put breadcrumbs for the players to follow. Gasp, we found the dagger. Gasp, we travel to Nepal, that’s right next to the Himalayas that are in constant view! Gasp, our treasure is in the Himalayas, that’s why we will be in the mountains. Gasp, he mentioned a train, that must be the same one.
And then after actually getting to this train, we experience the single longest action sequence of the entire game, delaying the reveal of what has actually happened as much as possible. And this is why the In Medias Res of Uncharted 2 is so effective. Not just because it starts with a bang, but also because it keeps teasing you with approaching closer and closer to this moment, to answer all your questions. And by then you’re hooked, you’re invested and you want to see how this story ends and how the characters you learned to love will get out of this situation. This is how you get a great In Medias Res beginning.
5 – Contrast
[embedded content]
We continue our exploration of the techniques Uncharted 2 uses to help create the wonderful pacing that it has. This time we will talk about contrast.
Let’s take a look at our chart from the second video. In the middle section we have pretty much non-stop action that keeps getting more and more intense, culminating in the famous train ride levels. After them, though, we pretty rapidly drop down to the calmest chapter of the entire game. You can’t even jump there, you don’t fight, you just walk around, greet people, play with children and pet yaks.
This is contrast, and it is very important for player engagement. People get used to things, that’s just the way we are. And so they wouldn’t, you switch things up. Keep in mind though that contrast is not just about variety, which we have discussed in one of previous videos. Contrast is about changing things in the opposite direction. This is why a whole sequence of ever increasing action is followed up by a chapter of absolutely no action at all.
And that is the most efficient way to achieve contrast: by drastically changing intensity and the predominant type of actions. That being said, this is not the only way. You can also achieve contrast by changing the approach to the actions. For example, in this section closer to the end, you predominantly do only combat.
However, in these 3 chapters, you are not in control of what’s happening and always have to scramble and adapt to survive. But in the following two missions, most of the time you keep control of the situation and how the engagement will go. That said, while this type of contrast is enough to keep players engaged, it might not necessarily be as memorable as the type discussed before.
One last important note about contrast is that you can’t do it too often. If you do, players just won’t be able to get a proper taste of any kind of gameplay. So, you first keep players engaged by varying things up within a certain context, and then continue engaging them by switching the context through contrast, and repeat after a certain time.
With this, we conclude our exploration of Uncharted 2’s pacing, and what makes it so good. I hope you have enjoyed the series as much as I have enjoyed making it. I’m sure there are many details that these videos might not necessarily cover, so if you want, let’s discuss them in the comment section.
A special thank you goes to my patrons for supporting my channel, that really means a lot. If you’d like, feel free to support my campaign at patreon.com/farlands. And regardless, be sure to like and subscribe to keep track of when future content appears on the channel. Thank you very much!
The next ID@Xbox Game Pass showcase is just around the corner! Tune in Thursday, June 27 at 9:00 a.m. PDT on the Xbox YouTube channel to hear about great games coming to Xbox Game Pass from independent developers.
In this second showcase, you’ll get more announcements and looks at gameplay from titles we showed E3 2019 such as Star Renegades, Dead Static Drive, and Unto the End. We also caught up with some of the developers who are excited to share more about their games with you. This includes Bloober Team on Blair Witch, Thunder Lotus Games on Spiritfarer, and more!
At this year’s E3, we launched Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta) and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Xbox Game Pass continues to get even better with a great game library on console and now on PC — it has never been a better time to discover your next favorite game with Xbox Game Pass. And for fans of games from independent developers, there is plenty to play now and plenty to look forward to! If you haven’t joined yet but are interested, find the right plan for you by clicking here.
For all the latest news and announcements, make sure to follow @XboxGamePass on Twitter and Instagram. For news about PC gaming, follow our new PC Twitter handle @XboxGamePassPC.
And with our Xbox Game Pass mobile app, install games anytime, anywhere to your Xbox One and get notified on what new games are added!
– Some more minor performance improvements (including improvements to Wukong’s Command) – Fixed Pangolier’s Rolling Thunder interaction with knockback abilities – Fixed Ogre Magi’s Multicast continuing to stun if you buyback quickly – Fixed a bug that caused Monkey King to have one less soldier in the area
