Life is Strange: Before the Storm Episode Two Available Now on Xbox One
When we released Life is Strange: Before the Storm Episode One: Awake some weeks ago, it was with the weight of responsibility and not a little trepidation. We had crafted Before the Storm in a way that we felt it could proudly stand next to the first game from 2015, but ultimately it was up to you, the fans, to decide whether we had achieved that aim or not. To see such positive initial impressions from both players and critics was awesome! We loved seeing how much you enjoyed being back in Arcadia Bay while also discovering new areas and finding out more about the person that Chloe Price is and was.
The great thing about episodic games is that the wait in-between releases lets the previous episode sink in and community discussions and theories pop up daily about what has happened (and what does it mean!?) and where the narrative will take us next. We’ve watched, listened, and read your theories over the past few weeks while working on getting Episode Two ready for release; we’d like to give a shout-out to a few of them (Spoiler: If you haven’t played Episode One yet, consider skipping this next paragraph).
Geek Remix is a YouTube channel whose theories during Life is Strange managed to hit the nail on the head with each released episode, so we were naturally intrigued to see what they would come up with for Before the Storm. We particularly enjoyed absorbing their “Arcadia Bay is cursed” theory, and it ties in quite nicely with their “Raven King” theory. Both videos are quite short and easy to take in but do open up many questions… Is the omnipresent Raven a mystical being guiding the destiny of Arcadia Bay? Is it benevolent or evil? Our other community hubs have also churned through some interesting theories. Who is the mysterious woman? Could she have a special connection to the fire and intended for it to happen? Could she be a Prescott!? And what about Rachel? Could she perhaps be the cause of the Storm in season one?
So many questions! We fully hope that Episode Two will help evolve some of these theories as we continue to delve into the history of Chloe and Rachel’s relationship to one another and find out more about the world of Arcadia Bay. Happy gaming and exploring!
Fire Emblem Warriors has already impressed us with its mix of real-time combat and tactical planning on Switch, and given the current popularity of that console it’s easy to forget that the game has also come to the New Nintendo 3DS. While you’d be forgiven for overlooking this entry altogether, it’s important to remember that there are still many New 3DS owners in the world that haven’t upgraded to Switch yet, and Nintendo is clearly conscious of this fact. Some people have questioned the decision to pour development resources into a New 3DS port at this moment in time, but the company should be applauded for at least keeping its older console active in terms of AAA releases.
Rather than repeat everything that was said in the Switch review, we’re going to focus on what differentiates the New 3DS edition of Fire Emblem Warriors. For all intents and purposes, the core game remains intact – it has the same missions, same controls, same characters and same basic mechanics. It even has amiibo support, thanks to the refreshed feature set of the New 3DS hardware. In this respect, Fire Emblem Warriors on New 3DS is a faithful replication of the Switch version; it stands up just as well purely from a gameplay perspective. The biggest omission is the removal of the two-player co-op mode – you can’t even play together using a local wireless connection, which is a shame.
Depending on your outlook, the New 3DS version of Fire Emblem Warriors might even be considered superior to Switch in some regards. While we haven’t been able to analyse the frame rate fully, we believe it’s running at close to 60fps; everything feels smooth and lag-free, and there’s no major slowdown during busy moments. Compare this to the Switch version, which offers a 1080p / 30fps option as its default setting, and the New 3DS version ends up feeling a little smoother. The Switch edition also has a 720p / 60fps “performance” mode, but even this is subject to brief moments of slowdown which don’t appear in the New 3DS outing.
Of course, we’re not really comparing like for like here, as the New 3DS version of Fire Emblem Warriors looks incredibly primitive when placed alongside its Switch sibling. Character models lack detail, textures are muddy and environments aren’t anywhere near as impressive. Graphical effects are toned down as well – during “Warrior” special moves the camera doesn’t zoom in like it does on the Switch version, but instead a static close-up of that character’s face is displayed – and in cutscenes the video quality is pretty terrible. Other elements – such as the dialogue screens and the map – have a horrible, compressed look to them.
So while the action is indeed smooth and silky, the assets the game has to work with are a lot cruder than those in the gorgeous-looking Switch version. On the audio side, the voice acting has been retained and the music is more or less the same – the key difference is that the New 3DS’ speakers don’t have the same punch as those on the Switch.
Conclusion
Fire Emblem Warriors on the New 3DS is always going to remain in the shadows of its more visually impressive sibling, but if you put aside the visual trappings and focus entirely on the gameplay, there’s actually very little difference between them aside from the removal of the enjoyable co-op mode. The essence of the game is almost totally intact, and we had just as much fun playing through the quest on Nintendo’s older system as we did on the Switch. Naturally, if you’re in a position to choose between the two then Switch is the obvious choice, but should you be a New 3DS owner who hasn’t yet upgraded, you’re not really missing out – Fire Emblem Warriors is just as engaging and entertaining on Nintendo’s ageing handheld, even though you have to endure some rather weak visual assets and basic character designs.
Anniversary: It’s One Year Since Nintendo Showed Us The Switch
Incredibly, it’s now one year since Nintendo lifted the lid on the Switch – and Nintendo Karen.
Leaked many months ahead of the official reveal, the hybrid nature of the Switch – then known as “NX” – left some unconvinced. Even the announcement video itself – which focused on the system’s ability to transition smoothly between home console and handheld modes – left some unanswered questions, and it wasn’t until the machine was actually in the hands of the general public a few months later that the unique nature of Nintendo’s vision finally shone through.
The rest, as they say, is history; Switch is selling like hot cakes and is inundated with quality games. But dammit, we still don’t have that cool in-car attachment. What gives, Nintendo?
What were your initial thoughts when you watched this trailer 12 months ago, and have they changed since then? Let us know with a comment.
This is your last chance to buy the Cabela’s® hunting games on Steam- the games will be retired from the store on October 20th.
The most authentic hunting ballistics ever in a Cabela’s® game! Traverse maps 4x the size of any previous Cabela’s® Big Game Hunter® game! Track, scout and target your trophy animal in all new ways!
Arcade hit Raiden first left its mark on the shooting genre 25 years ago. The easy to learn, hard to master series comes to PS4 in what makers call its most modern and advanced form yet.
A tactical shooter and comic book adaptation, Rogue Trooper is back, remastered in high definition. Experience combat and third person action in this tale of betrayal and revenge at the far reaches of the galaxy. You are the last Genetic Infantryman (GI). Bred for war and betrayed by your superiors at the Quartz Zone Massacre, you stalk the battlefield as a one-man squad, carrying the sentient biochips of three fallen soldiers in your rifle, pack and helmet. Your mission? Fight your way across the chemical-blasted wastes of Nu-Earth -- a planet ravaged by an endless apocalyptic war in search of the Traitor General and payback.
New York in 1911 is flooded. Avenues are now canals, rooftops are now the streets and slowly the buildings crumble into the sea. Life is precarious here. But Manhattan has endured and transformed into a collection of City-States. Now a new crisis threatens and the city needs your help!
In Mushroom Wars 2, enemy tribes of feisty mushroom creatures face off in short but fierce RTS battles. Step into the shoes of a fearless Mushroom Commander, choose a hero to lead your army, and take control of the battlefield in a variety of multiplayer modes or challenging story campaign.
Clash with legions of soldiers and fierce monsters as Marth, Xander, Corrin, and other Fire Emblem heroes unleashing over-the-top-powerful Dynasty Warriors-style moves. Take direct control of known and original Fire Emblem characters, issue them strategic commands in the midst of battle, pair up heroes to unleash stunning attacks, and more. Unlock new playable heroes, each with their own unique moves, special attacks, weapon types, and voiced dialogue in this large-scale action game from the Hyrule Warriors team.
