RUKUS November / December 2017

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12 Gabriela Cevallos

Nov/Dec Cover Model 20 questions with Gabriela

Photography by Andrew Gates Makeup & hair by Lyndsay Gabrielle

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All Access

The Latest Albums Reviewed Albums Reviewed: The Rolling Stones On Air

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Pit Pass

Get In The Driver’s Seat Featured Event: SEMA SHOW 2017 Las Vegas, NV

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Game On

The Latest Games Reviewed Games Reviewed:

By Silas Valentino

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2

Weezer Pacific Daydream

By Joshua David Anderson

Assassin’s Creed: Origins

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Artists/Bands Featured:

Games Featured:

By Silas Valentino

All Access Spotlight

By Jesse Seilhan

Game On Spotlight

Supersonic Blues Machine, Armin van Buuren, and Bootsy Collins By Samuel Wendel

Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, Monster Hunter World, and Shadow of the Colossus By Jesse Seilhan

On The Cover

On the Back Cover

Makeup & hair by Lyndsay Gabrielle

Makeup & hair by Lyndsay Gabrielle

Photo by Andrew Gates

Photo by Andrew Gates

This Page

Photo by Andrew Gates Makeup & hair by Lyndsay Gabrielle

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Andrew Gates All Access Editor

Silas Valentino Games Editor

Jesse Seilhan Art Director

Andrew Gates All Access Contributors

Silas Valentino & Samuel Wendel Pit Pass Contributors

Andrew Gates & Rupa Begum Game On Contributors

Jesse Seilhan & Joshua David Anderson Contributing Photographers

Andrew Gates & Rupa Begum Social Media Guru

Rupa Begum Contributing Make-up Artist

Lyndsay Gabrielle Contributing Hair Stylist

Lyndsay Gabrielle Advertising

Andrew Gates

advertise@RUKUSmag.com Mailing Address

RUKUS MAGAZINE 3115 e. Olive st. #42153 Las Vegas, NV 89116

Copyright Š 2008-2017 RUKUS, LLC. All Rights Reserved! November/December 2017 issue, Volume 9, Number 6. ISSN 2161-4369 (print) ISSN 2161-4377 (online) Visit http://www.RUKUSmag.com for more images and content.


Unearthed Jem Photo by Claude Gassian Written by Silas Valentino

To some smug degree, this is the best album released by The Rolling Stones in decades. These 32 tracks (if you fetch the worthy deluxe version) condense three years of early, raw Stones into a cohesive package. Between 1963 and 1965, they appeared on various BBC programs and recorded a trove of live and studio cuts. There have been rumors of their existence for years and last month they were finally unearthed. Some have hailed this collection as, in the style of Bob Dylan, their Basement Tapes but that’s just being reckless with shabby similarity. On Air is a collection of The World’s Greatest Rock & Roll Band trimming their greenhorn by paying tribute to their elder United Statesmen. Chuck Berry may as well be considered the sixth Stone. His electric guitar technique was the groundwork for the band’s chemistry with its steam engine rumble rhythm and lightning rod guitar licks. Because Berry is their muse, it’s ever-so appropriate the Stone’s debut single was a cover of his tepid “Come On,” a tune that flopped for Berry but ushered in a new era for rock ‘n’ roll when the Stones reimagined it–adding a pulsating bass line and howling harmonica courtesy of Big Lips Jagger himself. The band appeared on the pop music show Saturday Club in October 1963 to perform a jangling version of their single, which had been released earlier that spring. In the 55 years since that radio recording the English language has morphed, allowing some words to enter the realm of acceptance. This allows for casual etymologists today to be mystified over a word’s pious misguidance from yesteryear. Take, for instance, the harmless word “jerk.” Berry’s original version of “Come On” included the cunning line: “Some stupid jerk trying to reach another number” but when the Stones took over, that noun was relegated to “guy.” As Jagger sings with crystal clarity: “Every time the phone rings sounds like thunder/Some stupid guy trying to reach another number” we’re left to ponder just how ridiculous the word change truly is and why the bad lads of rock ‘n’ roll opted to dilute their snarl. During their first few years, The Rolling Stones were essentially an American blues cover band. Five more Chuck Berry covers are sprinkled over On Air as are cuts by staples like Bo Diddly, Arthur Alexander and Muddy Waters. But the gems are in the deeper digs. Barbara Lynn’s “Oh! Baby (We Got A Good Thing Goin)” gets a rework, swapping out a horn section for slinky guitars, whereas Tommy Tucker’s “Hi-Heeled Sneakers” receives a jolt of energy sourced by the blaring cheers of a female-dominated audience who came to the Saturday Club in April 1964 on a mission to scream. Original numbers from the Jagger/Richards repertoire appear but they’re in low supply. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” being the least interesting while “The Last Time” continues to be haunting due to its destiny to soil the career of The Verve, who infamously sampled the tune in 1997 in their stunning “Bitter Sweet Symphony” single but lost all its royalty in a plagiarism mishap executed by the Stone’s legal team. Hearing the sharp guitar line, then recorded in March 1965 on the radio program Top Gear, sends shivers for its shady, capitalistic fate. Perhaps the best moment within the collection is the final song: the instrumental flush of “2120 South Michigan Avenue.” Named after the location of Chess Records in Chicago and brandished by sways of sashay, this archetype blues-rock jam was recorded on Halloween 1964 adding an ambiance of cool ghoul. It wouldn’t be until 1968’s Beggar’s Banquet–when The Rolling Stones shed their blues heritage, forgoing the past, and begin crafting rock ‘n’ roll’s future instead–but for three years in the mid Sixties a group of five white boys from England plucked something that wasn’t there’s, reshaped it into something more accessible to a wider whiter audience and then broadcasted this modification along the BBC airwaves to ears both then and (of more recent) now.

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Day Dreamin’ Written by Silas Valentino

Legend has it when Weezer front man Rivers Cuomo attended Harvard in the Nineties following the success of his band’s debut album, he cracked the how-to-write-a-pop-song code. Cuomo claims to have composed, after studying bands like Nirvana, an algorithm (algo-rhythm?) that gobbles up power chords and spits out power pop gold. He admirably defended his thesis with timeless songs like “Island in the Sun” and “Dope Nose” but what the f*ck, Rivers? Where did that golden goose flock to during the winter writing months of the ill-conceived Pacific Daydream, the Los Angeles legend’s 11th album and weakest since the 2010 blunder Hurley. I guess we (the legion of slobbering -w-eezer fanatics) should be eternally grateful for the last two outings–the satisfying one-two punch of 2014’s Everything Will Be Alright in the End and last year’s self-titled, “White” album; two records that showed a return to form. “I thought that I’d get a new audience/I forgot that Disco sucks/ Maybe I should play the lead guitar and Pat should play the drums” Rivers promised in the 2014 single “Back to the Shack.” However, that parade comes crashing down throughout the bloated, lackadaisical Pacific Daydream. The chords are crunchy and clamp down to the melody with might but “Mexican Fender” could have been thrown out with the bathwater. Rivers sings about meeting a young Los Angeleno and guitar shopping with her and if this sounds like a stupid narrative to a song then you’re indeed paying attention. “Mexican Fender” can be interpreted as being half-assed: lyrics remain insignificant and the versus are just placeholders but the juice is in the chorus. It’s dazzling power pop extravaganza replete with glittery piano notes, “ooohs” that glide and Rivers remixing an old playground expression into a hook: “Oh, she loves me, she loves me, she loves me not.” But wait–only three petals on that flower you’re plucking, Rivers? “Mexican Fender” would be an ideal radio pop song to comfort a forgettable family-friendly car ride. And that folks, is what we have here with Pacific Daydream. It’s a toothless album that caters to mindless pop sensibilities–which is fine when done right; this record does manage to sprinkle in plenty of hooks to yank your waning attention back. But it’s tiresome and the same song craft we heard in “Mexican Fender” is repeated throughout. “Feels like Summer” is a bore, marked by a repetitive and repulsive Imagine Dragons-esque sample, but after that sick puppy trips over the verse she lands on the chorus and it’s as though all sins can be forgiven. Singing the song’s title with soprano glam, Rivers pines for bygone seasons and love. While others pine for a bygone band that gave us guitar licks worth mimicking and lyrics that described inward social anxieties with relatable prose: “If everyone’s a little queer/Can’t she be a little straight?” off 1997’s “Pink Triangle” seems to have echoed into darkness. “I’m like Stevie Ray Vaughan on the stage high on music,” begins Rivers on the redeemable number “Happy Hour” and these weirdo lyrical observations matched by an irresistible beat by the mysterious producer Oh, Hush! are enough to buoy this glossy mini track above the waters of obscurity, a graveyard where a majority of Pacific Daydream will remain sunken into. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in March 2016, Rivers explained that he was already writing what was to become Pacific Daydream while finishing up the “White” album, which was produced by Jake Sinclair. Rivers described how Sinclair pushed for them to make music that would satisfy their longtime and loyal fan base and that’s why the last couple of records have had this “comeback” appeal. Rivers, however, was over that direction when crafting Pacific Daydream, telling the Times he declared: “Let’s do something radical” for the new album. Unfortunately, they ended up with something closer to the fluffy flub of the forgotten 2009 effort Raditude and what could have been ten new Weezer songs for their ever-evolving collection has just become vacuous space on the record shelf while a little more patience from their hungry fans is tested.

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facebook.com/BootsyCollins

Written by Samuel Wendel

Bootsy Collins, World Wide Funk

World Wide Funk is a loose, genial album that serves as a laid-back victory lap for the legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins, who played alongside some of the genre’s greatest: James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic. Overall, Bootsy Collin’s latest is a relaxed, easy-going album that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It doesn’t get too experimental, pretty much sticking to the true elements of funk—at times to a most satisfying effect. World Wide Funk features an interesting lineup of guests, from Doug E. Fresh and Big Daddy Kane to Snoop Dogg (not to mention a spoken word introduction from Iggy Pop on the title track). They wander in and out between radiant guitar solos, backed by propulsive beats and scorching keys. The only mark against World Wide Funk is that at times it feels a bit kitschy and at 70-minutes long, the album is a bit on the long side. However, from the sound of it, I doubt Bootsy Collins cares. The album is energetic from start to finish, with few ebbs interrupting the flow. Standout tracks are “Bass-Rigged System” and slow jam “Worth My While.”

Armin van Buuren, A State of Trance: Future...

facebook.com/ArminVanBuuren

What’s there to say about Armin van Buuren’s latest release, A State of Trance: Future Favorite Best Of 2017? Plenty, if you’re a fan of the superstar Dutch DJ and record producer and his music. The reliable van Buuren has been a tried and true figure in trance music for quite some time, and his latest release does nothing to dispel that. A State of Trance: Future Favorite Best Of 2017 is the latest in a long line of A State of Trance albums released by van Buuren (he’s been rolling them out annually since 2014). Ultimately, it’s a big ol’ party-playlist of an album, compiling 38 songs of popular European-indebted electronic music. In recent years, bombastic EDM has captured the ears of youth en masse—to the great detriment of trance music—but van Buuren has soldiered on, sticking to his guns. The results should thrill any honest to god trance fan. Moreover, A State of Trance: Future Favorite Best Of 2017 should serve as a reasonable entry point into contemporary trance music, as the album title suggests. facebook.com/SupersonicBluesMachine

Supersonic Blues Machine, Californisoul

On their latest release Californisoul, Supersonic Blues Machine have clearly boiled down contemporary blues rock into a science. Through and through, Californisoul is a polished, slickly produced album in which the hard-charging band exhibit their total mastery of different blues and rock styles. The band is full of different personalities competing for the spotlight simultaneously. The vocals of Lance Lopez soar from melody to melody, wallowing in the depths and basking in the highs, backed by sturdy backup singers. But challenging Lopez at every turn are powerful riffs, silky-smooth solos and a dynamic rhythm section. That said, Californisoul doesn’t cover any ground that hasn’t already been covered by its Blues-Rock forebears, but that doesn’t end up being too problematic at the end of the day. Overall, Supersonic Blues Machine’s latest release should be a can’t-miss listen for fans of contemporary blues rock. Standout tracks include the “The One,” “Hard Times” and “I Am Done Missing You.”

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Gabriela Cevallos

G

Photography by Andrew Gates Make-up & hair by Lyndsay Gabrielle

abriela Cevallos was born and eventually raised in Sydney, Australia to Mexican parents, Gabriela Cevallos isn’t your typical down under hottie. She speaks fluent Spanish, can cook up some mean Mexican food, and Salsa dance like nobody’s business. Having graced the pages of numerous Australian and International men’s magazines, it’s no surprise Gabriela was voted in the Top 10 Beach Bikini Babes in Australia’s number one selling men’s magazine ZOO in 2010. Modeling has taken this Mexican mamacita all around the world from Australia, Asia, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and now all the way to America. RUKUS would like to thank this fit sheila for making the trek...”Gracias”!

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20 QUESTIONS

presenter in the entertainment industry. I believe I have what it takes. The skills plus the will.

1.What’s your Ethnicity? My Ethnicity is Mexican.

11.What do guys compliment you on the most? I usually get compliments on my booty. In Australia there aren’t many Mexicans so big booty Latina’s are pretty rare over there.

2.What’s your zodiac sign? I am a Capricorn. 3.Where are you from originally? I was born in Sydney, Australia and went to school in both Australia and Mexico. 4.What did you like most about growing up in Sydney? What I loved my most about growing up in Sydney is the beach life and high quality of life. 5.What kind of mischief did you get into while growing up? When I was about 12 or 13 my best friend and I decided it would be a good idea to try my mum’s tequila. Needless to say that wasn’t one of the best ideas I’d ever had. I won’t go into all the details, but let’s just say I may have Mexican blood, but I don’t think my stomach is Mexican that’s one part of me that’s definitely Australian. 6.What’s one of the craziest things you’ve ever done? One of the craziest things I’ve ever done was take flying lessons. I had a pilot teacher who was seriously 105 years old and looked like he could go any minute and we flew in this tiny plane. He did the take off and then he was like ok now you’re in control. I kept thinking where is my parachute in case this old man drops dead, that was wack. 7.What’s your favorite hobby and why? My favorite hobby is working out at the gym because it keeps me motivated and energetic. 8.What’s your guilty pleasure? My guilty pleasure is McDonald’s or back in Australia we call it Macca’s.

12.What’s your favorite body part on yourself? My favorite body part on myself is my stomach because no matter how much McDonald’s I eat it still remains flat. [laugh] 13.What’s your least favorite part of your body? My least favorite body part is actually my legs, I’ve been trying to get them more muscular by doing heavy weight training at the gym. 14.What do you look for in a guy? I am a huge personality person. Looks, money, and all the rest of that superficial stuff comes last in my book. A good sense of humor is important, and the same values. 15.What’s the first thing you notice about a guy? The first thing I notice are his eyes. 16.What’s your ideal first date? I’m up for pretty much anything. Dinner, and a movie is good with me. 17.What turns you on? I like a guy who is confident, and funny. A guy who really knows how to look after his woman is a huge turn on. 18.What turns you off? Bad breath is a turn off.

9.Who do you admire and why? I admire Oprah, she’s probably the only person I would be star struck by. She’s intelligent, compassionate, and articulate. I think she should run for president.

19.What’s your biggest pet peeve? I hate tight asses. One of my pet peeves is a guy who has money, but then won’t pay for dinner. If you don’t have money then go on a date somewhere inexpensive, but if you have money and expect other people to pay for you, this makes me sick.

10.What brought you out to Los Angeles, California? I came out to LA to become a TV host/

20.Who’s your celebrity pass? I have no idea what this means... Is this an American thing? [laugh] RM

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SEMA 2017 Photos by Andrew Gates & Rupa Begum Written by Andrew Gates

Howdy folks...well, as you already should know, it’s that time of the year again. This is the time where we reflect on the past and get a glimpse into the future…no we’re not talking about Thanksgiving…this is SEMA. Every year Automobile enthusiasts flock to the jewel in the desert, aka Las Vegas, NV, to see the hottest and most outrageous builds on the planet, and this year was no exception. This is by far one of our favorite times of the year, coming to SEMA to see who is doing what, and how it will help us in our quest for more power. I must say; this year was probably the best SEMA show I’ve had the pleasure of attending, and it’s also our 5-year anniversary of covering the show. The car builds were on point and there were so many amazing vehicles that it was like a shooting gallery, everywhere I turned there was, “another one.” My trigger finger was tired from all the shooting going down. As usual you had the Ford Experience in front of the convention center with a few of the pro drift guys killing some tires and some trophy trucks grabbing some air. But cruising through the halls was where I spent a majority of my time and you’ll see why when you check out the images we captured. Closing the show out with the Formula Drift Ignited after-party was a sight to see, I can’t believe this was our first time experiencing it, but it won’t be the last. Thank you SEMA show, attendees, and vendors, we’ll see you again next year.

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WINNING STARTS IN THE GARAGE All The Horsepower In The World Won’t Get You To The Finish Line If Your Electrical System Is Not Up To The Job. Stacey David Trusts Painless To Deliver Professional Quality And American Made Dependability Every Time.

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Tech Line 800.423.9696


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"

The first thing I notice are his eyes.

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STATS: Birthday:

January 17

Height:

5’5”

Weight:

110lb

Measurements:

34D-24-36

See more of Gabriela at instagram.com/officialgabrielacevallos www.RUKUSmag.com

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Assemble Avengers

Written by Joshua David Anderson

There are few properties these days that are as big as the Marvel-branded super heroes. Between whatever next anticipated movie is coming out, there are other places for heroes like Iron Man and Spider-Man to show off their skills, like comics, toys, TV shows, and video games. While there aren’t as many video games featuring the Avengers and friends as you might think, there is one place you can find tons of Marvel characters: LEGO games. And in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2, you might just find the largest cast of Marvel characters ever assembled in a video game. The story in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is designed to allow maximum flexibility with the setting and the cast. Kang the Conqueror, a time travelling super villain, steals Manhattan along with a bunch of other locales from time and slams them altogether in one big plot to rule everything. This setting allows all kinds of locations and themes to show up, from the Old West to a future dystopian version of New York run by Hydra. It also gives the game the freedom to bring in any Marvel character from any period in time. As far as the way it looks, it is a LEGO game, which means there is a certain aesthetic that has to be maintained. Everything is made out of LEGO bricks and character designs are appropriately goofy. However, it certainly feels as if the game engine has been given an upgrade, as there are a lot of visual flourishes in the game. Particle effects and lighting seem to be much higher quality, and motion blur makes the game feel even more like watching actual LEGO toys running around then before. And when it comes to the gameplay, you are once again reminded that this is a LEGO game. They have added a lot of little things to it, but the core is still the same. If you have ever played a LEGO game before, then you know exactly what you are in for. There is a large open world to explore, with all of the side activities you would expect, like races, puzzles, side missions, and collectables. There are also 20 story levels that have you play as specific Marvel characters as they struggle to take down Kang. There are also a ton of bonus levels to unlock, and even a weird 4-player battle arena mode that feels slightly tacked on. Like most LEGO games, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 doesn’t really stray from the formula. The game is easy, without any real penalty to dying. The LEGO games are among some of the best games to play with kids, or people who are not familiar with gaming in general. In LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 you are encouraged to run around breaking everything in the level and trying out your powers on anything you see, so this works great if you have an eager child or friend who just wants to tag along. There is also a ton of variety to the game, with over 230 characters, not including DLC! Every story level can be replayed with all your unlocks, and the game has a very liberal cheat system built in, which it encourages you to use. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is really only concerned with having a good time. The barrier for entry is low, so almost anyone can jump in. For completionists, there are tons of hours of content to bang your head against. It might be the only Marvel game where you can pair up Wild West Captain America with Aracnido Jr, a version of Spider-Man who is also a Lucha Libre wrestler. If that isn’t worth the price of admission, I don’t know what is!

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Gift of the Medjay

Written by Jesse Seilhan

Annual releases often lead to discontent. Take the heat given to franchises like Madden or Call of Duty for not innovating more than the game that came out 12 months earlier did. Even non-annual series that are prolific, like Halo, Battlefield, or Far Cry, the desire for more than just a minor graphical update and a few bug fixes is strong. Perhaps no game series showcases this more than Assassin’s Creed, a much maligned franchise that shot itself in the foot with poor quality and frequent retreads year after year. While the early showings of AC were revolutionary, everything after the second game felt like a copy and paste into a new century, with good games like Black Flag being the exception. But with Origins, Ubisoft took a few years to get it right, and they did just that. While this is an Assassin’s Creed game (don’t worry, you still kill people), you won’t be doing most of the annoying and bothersome aspects of the series. No more trailing people to overhear conversations, no more lengthy stealth sections that result in instant death or mass chaos if you mess up, and you are much more proficient in combat, making head-on attacks a more viable option, especially when the ancient shit hits the fan. Instead, you have a massive world to explore, a list of bad people to kill, and all the freedom in the world to do whatever you want in whatever manner you choose. The game rewards creativity with dynamic fire physics, a fun weapon set, and an interesting story that moves you through. The biggest difference you’ll notice right away is the inventory management. For the first time in an AC game, you are constantly finding new weapons, armor, and shields to equip, all with various power ratings and attributes. Some weapons are built for draining enemy health, while others cut through armor better. While it might sound overwhelming, it’s not that bad, as a simple green or red arrow lets you know if that fancy new bow is better or worse than your current one. It does layer in the color-coded system many RPGs employ, with purple items outperforming blue, gold better than purple, and so on. It’s not rocket science, but it is a nice addition to a game that previously just asked you to fight off an entire horde with a single sword and wrist blade. You certainly feel more powerful right from the start. But what about the story? This one feels the least Assassin’s Creed-y of them all, as you aren’t spending much time in present day at all, and you aren’t even sure if it has anything to do with Assassins or Templars for dozens of hours into the game. It tells a simpler story, about Bayek, a Medjay (think Egyptian Cop) who is tasked with solving some of the town’s problems. They start small, like locating a missing kid or stray farmer, but eventually tragedy strikes and Bayek is forced to enter the larger cities in Egypt, teaming up with his badass wife Aya to exact revenge for the wrongs that have been done to them and their people. It’s a much more subtle and nuanced story than the swashbuckling adventures of old, and while there is some mysticism and intrigue, long gone are the references to aliens and such. This really is a standalone story that requires no previous knowledge of the series, perfect for onboarding new fans. For Origins, the sum is greater than its parts, as a bunch of risks and extra time paid off. While fans of the series might want more of what makes AC unique, others will appreciate the changes as they make for a more compelling and better game. Hopefully, this is the new blueprint for the series, as the traversal and experimentation are as solid as ever, but the new combat and RPG systems make for a more engrossing experience. This is also one of the biggest games of the year, meaning you will get your money’s worth if you spend even full price for the game. Pick this one up even if you aren’t a fan of the others, as there is something special in this release.

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Written by Jesse Seilhan

Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition

While not a new game, the Arcade Edition update to Street Fighter V is adding a bunch of material for fans new and old to enjoy. You will be able to buy this in stores, but existing owners of the game will get it for free. But what are we getting? First of all, this kicks off the third season of downloadable fighters, with fan favorites like Sakura, Blanka, and Sagat all coming down the road. New “story” modes are also rolling out, based on previous Street Fighter games, so you will fight through the original World Warriors on the Street FIghter II mode, or some of the newbies in the Third Strike route. The V-Trigger system is also being upgraded, as each fighter now has a second trigger to choose and use, expanding the strategy across the board. While it took awhile for SFV to get off of its feet and out of its own way, the game is now healthier than ever and should be on your shelf this year.

Monster Hunter World

Capcom is trying to bring Monster Hunter to the West again, but this time, they might just do it. The historically Japanese franchise has had some quality handheld releases over the years, but a full-fledged console version of the monster hunting, recipe crafting, hide-skinning exploration game is just what the gaming doctor ordered. You will team with up with three of your friends to take down massive beasts, stalking them in their natural habitat and equipping various pieces of gear and weaponry to do the most amount of damage possible, all for the goal of claiming that special hide or tail. You then take those pieces to craft new gear and continue your adventures. The game looks gorgeous, the combat is dynamic but nuanced, and no two battles ever play out the same way. Find some buddies to roll with and pick this up when it comes out on Xbox One and PS4 in January.

Shadow of the Colossus

Another console generation, another remake of a classic. This time, Shadow of the Colossus is getting a full-fledge remake and not just an HD remaster as it did on the PS3, meaning the controls, physics, and everything else has been revamped for the modern console. For those not in the know, SotC is one of the most beloved games of all-time, as you control a single young man tasked with defeating a dozen gigantic beasts. No side quests, no dialogue, no frills. This game is simple in design, but engrossing in action, as each Colossi is like its own puzzle, making you study its movements and size to find openings and weaknesses. At $40, you can feel good knowing you are getting exactly what you paid for, and in a world where every game tries to top 100 hours of running time, something more manageable is very welcome.

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