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Inside:

Interview with CGN’s Bryan Browny Monster Hunter Wilds & Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Happy April, CGN!

NotefromtheEditor-in-chief

By the signs of the warming temps and blooming trees, Winter seems to be officially gone, and Spring is finally in! Thus starts the season of renewal.

That theme is a bit of what this particular issue entails of, as we welcome aboard a new contributing author to the Network Beat, Bryan Browny! In a new section dubbed “Interviews With C.G.N.”, starting on the next page, you, our readers, can learn a bit about him and his role in the organization.

Each month, we’ll set to examine both our staff here in the organization, and of those within our community, in the new column. It could even be you! What’s your story to tell? I hope to find out!

This issue is a bit more packed than normal, as the year has already started to blow up on the gaming side of things. Featured for April is Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Monster Hunter Wilds, both of which are available across this generation’s consoles and on Steam. And lastly, over in the Avance Healthcare Corner, Dr. Taylor Zaborski brings a few suggestions of how we can snack better as we play 2025's hits, and prepare for the Switch 2 (2025? Hopefully!).

Dear readers, I hope this finds you well amidst the turmoil of the world. Let your light’s continue to shine as bright as the stars themselves.

Take care, and hope to see you at an event soon!

Sincerely,

Jonny Golian

Page 1 - Opener From Charlotte Gaymers Network

Page 2 to 3 - Interview With CGN: Bryan Browny

Page 4 to 6 - Game Review: Monster Hunter Wilds

Page 7 to 10 - Game Review: Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Page 12 to 13 - Dr. Rhett’s Corner: Topic - Snacking Smart as a Gamer

Back Cover - CGN’s Monthly Calendar: April ‘25

Hey there! Welcome to the Network Beat’s new interview section! To kick things off, we’ll be talking a bit with Bryan Browny. Brian has been with CGN for some time now, helping out at our bigger events as the visionary behind the org’s media when it comes to our videos and photography. This month, he’s also joining the paper as our newest writer, so it’s doubly exciting to get to learn more about the creative behind the camera. Check out our conversation below!

Q: What do you do within CGN?

A: I am a Board Member at Large with CGN, and as well I do a lot of the media that you see for our YouTube channels and the social stuff. So, I go out and record events that we're doing, particularly cool events, and then I do the highlight reels, and I'm in charge of doing any sort of media that we need for any of our initiatives.

Q: What do you see as CGN’s role within Charlotte's queer community and queer communities at large?

A: I think that CGN’s role is one of providing a safe space for people in the LGBTQ community. I think our main goal is primarily creating a place for anyone that wants to hang out within the community for us and provide them with entertainment. As of recent, our focus has also been one of providing support for affected communities, particularly the trans community, as well as [making an impact with] the youth that's coming up. Like we care a lot about the youth, but I think the role of CGN as a community is honestly providing a safe space and also empowering the underdogs, people that are under supported within any given community.

Q: What is your favorite part of being in CGN?

A: That's kind of a twofold question, because professionally, CGN has been hugely significant to me. The organization has allowed me the growth of confidence as a video creator and as a content creator, because I've done so many videos for them, but that just translates into rare repetition of a skill. So, professionally, I credit CGN with giving me a lot of opportunities to gain confidence in my skill set and sort of supporting me in that regard. Personally, CGN is one of the few communities that I've been a part of that I feel like most people are looking out for each other, even if you don't particularly like the person that you're talking to in that specific moment, there's no animosity.

People are there to help each other out. I think it's just like a very tightly knit group of people looking to help others like them because they know that it's such a nightmare of a world out there. I don't think that happens a whole lot, particularly with people that want to provide association for the community. I think it's just a very mature group of people doing some really cool shit for other people in their community, regardless of conflict or regardless of opinion.

Q: What are you excited for in 2025? What are you looking forward to seeing come out, be it games, movies, or media?

A: I have my hands on a lot of little grubby media pies, a wealth consuming media. So for gaming specifically, I'm really excited for the Switch 2, if anything, just because I want to know if the hardware is going to be different and more powerful. I'm also excited to know what the opening lineup for that is going to be, and what that's going to look like, especially with the Switch out and it not being that old. I'm really excited for Death Stranding 2. I'm excited to walk and deliver some packages and fight what looks like a flamboyantly gay man with an electric guitar shooting lightning at me. I think in general, 2024 was not a great year for movies. We had a couple of wonders, but it was not a particularly great year for movies, so I'm excited to see what’s coming. We’ve already had a couple of bangers, like Mickey 17. I feel like indie directors are making a comeback, and I'm excited to see that happen throughout 2025.

GAME GAME GAME

REVIEW REVIEW

FEATURE FEATURE FEATURE

Monster Hunter Wilds Leads Players Into A New Frontier For The Franchise

By Jonathan Golian

Often, unless I really think over the time and place, it’s hard to reimagine the feelings I had with my first copy of Monster Hunter, playing a copy of Freedom on my Sony PSP in between the days of high school. That’s not an outright negative thing – the series has seen so many changes over its lifetime as a Capcom brand What was once a niche series, where during the early years mainly hardcore fans and gamers stuck with the moderate to extreme difficulty of the titles, now feels more accessible than ever

Through tools and tutorials that help those new to the franchise feel welcome, an incredible inventory of weapons that give players a variety of ways to play, and worlds that expand significantly in each iteration, there’s so many ways to explore and experience the series. In the latest mainline entry, Monster Hunter Wilds, that trend stays consistent.

The main story in Wilds follows a group of explorers making their way through an area called the Forbidden Lands, a harsh, uncharted region of the Old World that has been isolated for over two thousand years and presumed uninhabitable by the hunter guild Their reason for believing otherwise comes in the appearance of a young boy, Nata, who claims that he and his people were attacked by a monster dubbed the “White Wraith”, which was previously thought extinct By taking on a recently promoted hunter, your character, the team seeks to return Nata to his people, and chart parts of the world once thought lost to humanity.

While there has always been a sort of quest-guided story at the core of each game, it wasn’t until Monster Hunter World that the supporting cast really contributed to it. Wilds takes more after that entry than the others for a variety of reasons, but most strikingly World due to its expansive story-driven cinematic cutscenes and the freedom that comes in exploring the environments of the game.

Monster Hunter Wilds Leads Players Into A

New Frontier For The Franchise (Cont.)

The free-roaming feature by itself is a large drawing point to the game, especially for veterans who remember the numerous loading screens that would break up the action constantly. However, Wilds improves further on this aspect by linking each area together in a mostly seamless way. Players can go from environments like the desert and ride through on this game’s mount, the bird-like Seikret, to the forest or jungle areas with no pauses. This improvement allows for true immersion into the world Capcom has created in-game, where in addition to hunting, players can explore each level in-depth, whether choosing to fish for an afternoon, find the best spots for supplies, or take in the beautifully detailed horizons.

All 14 weapons that were available in previous games return in Wilds, but new to this title is the ability to equip two types at the same time, a main and a sub. A fight could start with the intention of breaking monster parts with the Hammer, and end with taking on a particularly dangerous foe from far off with a Bow, all without having to return to any base camps to switch them out. Speaking of monster parts, Wilds also introduces a function called “Focus Mode” that allows players to zero-in on a foe’s individual body parts. Much like each title before it, how a mission’s monster is taken down determines what parts for armor and weapon-making will drop, which is also slightly randomized, but with being able to focus on, for example, the head or the tail, players gain a much better chance on achieving loot goals.

Also coming directly from the recent previous titles is the return of the Slinger, a handheld launcher. Wilds, through the device, now allows players to grab and trigger items from far away or pull themselves out of danger at the last moment. When pacing around the map, the device adds a quality-of-life aspect in allowing item grabs even while riding by on the Seikret.

Monster Hunter Wilds Leads Players Into

A New Frontier For The Franchise (Cont.)

Lastly, the real stars of the show, Wild’s expansive cast of giant creatures, continue to keep the pressure on players despite any gameplay improvements or added tools. Monsters will chase you down and keep up with even the mounts, morph tight enclosures into death traps with ailment or elemental attacks and pull-out surprise moves even when things start to feel safe. The challenges in-game are always stacked against the millions of players looking to venture through the unknown worldwide, and that’s what keeps us all coming back.

Veterans will get excited to see familiar foes like the gassy but mighty Congalala traverse the greener areas, and welcome with newcomers to the series fresh entries like the frog-like Chatacabra and the hulking Doshaguma.

As of this writing, I’m still exploring the Low-Rank quests at the beginning of the game and story, but even still, I see a bright future in the next installment of the Monster Hunter franchise, where many adventures will be had and hundreds of hours will surely be sunk.

GAME GAME GAME

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW

FEATURE FEATURE FEATURE

By Bryan Browny

I’ve been a long-time player of the Assassin’s creed franchise, starting from the Original 360 title. I love the franchise, it’s a fascinating high-concept story that over time ended up getting diluted and washed out to the point where it was no longer recognizable from what originally made it wildly successful.

I abandoned the franchise shortly after Black Flag, and whilst a lot of people were still having fun I felt like my time with the AC universe had run it’s course… Until they brought back the promise of a Japanese set Assassin’s Creed, and after a particularly tedious and long winded development cycle, it feels really good to say that I am once again having fun with an Assassin’s Creed title

In typical Assassin’s creed fashion, we follow our main characters Naoe and Yasuke as they unwind the conspiracy that has affected their lives in irreparable ways and work to confront the people responsible for it.

While the story is nothing we haven’t seen before, it manages to execute all of its beats and narrative arcs really well. It’s a classic hero’s journey split between two interesting enough characters While some people fail to find the excitement in that, I’m very happy to follow a simple, well executed narrative that has enough staying potential to keep me invested in the 30 or 40 hours I’ll be playing.

AC Shadows is, Ironically, The

The Franchise Has Been in Years (Cont.)

Things get a little bit more complicated when we jump into the mechanics of the game. AC Shadows has managed to deviate away from the majority of the mechanics that made most fans of the original entries leave and still keep the modern assassin’s creed tone and RPG-lite systems that attracted much of its newer player base. Which, for fans of the classic entries, make this game feel like the mid-point between the mechanics of the Ezio trilogy and the ones of the prior entry AC Odyssey. If you’re looking for a true “return to form” experience you’re more likely to enjoy Mirage significantly more, but if you’re open-minded enough to try a less bloated version of the modern Assassin’s Creed experience AC shadows will offer just that.

I want to briefly mention some of the changes: Eagle Vision has returned to what it was in the classic experience, functioning more as extra-sensorial overlay rather than a controllable eagle. That’s a very welcome change that makes the stealth segments align more with the traditional Splinter Cell, Last of Us or Classic Assassin’s Creed experiences that we’re used to and have been playing for years.

Additionally, while the game still functions as an open-world entry with a large portion of japan available for you to explore. The game has de-prioritized the use of “ViewPoints” as a method to fill out an empty map with markers and beacons the player has to tediously trek to in order to unlock the next area. This time around the view points and the markers you gain from them have an element of choice. You can choose to go up to a view point and reveal some potentially interesting locations but the game doesn’t turn them into fetch quests that bloat your map and compass. You can choose when to engage with them, it leads to a much cleaner and more player-driven exploration phase.

Additionally, main quests now have the added depth of requiring some form of investigation before you can track the objective that’ll trigger progression. As a player you now have the ability to put clues together, send out scouts and gather information about the areas you’ll be exploring. It’s not an incredibly deep system, but it is something that adds value to the exploration of the map while at the same time making it meaningful to the main narrative of the game, something that I believe the “Ubisoft game design philosophy” desperately needed and something I hope stays with the franchise moving forward.

Combat is the most fun it’s been in a long time, and while I can see some of the issues of every combat system throughout the franchise (repetitive combat encounters, weird AI pathing and clunky movement in rough terrains) it remains engaging and mostly challenging. Naoe is the more stealth driven character and is therefore significantly more fragile than Yasuke, making her combat segments either extremely stealth focused and providing that tactile Metal Gear Solid 3 feeling of clearing out a space or putting you in a tense hand to hand combat situation where you’re executing dodges perfectly or dying in one or two hits. Her combat playstyle is really engaging and satisfying.

AC Shadows is, Ironically, The

in Years

Yasuke’s on the other hand is a huge powerhouse and packs a punch, which is satisfying in it’s own right but make his encounters feel significantly less balanced for that type of playstyle and the challenge level dips pretty significantly when playing as him. It stills feels good, it is just significantly easier than Naoe’s playstyle.

All of the quality of life changes and the more carefully constructed narrative of AC shadows make it a genuinely good entry into the franchise, providing a fun, relatively challenging experience in a gorgeous setting. If you’re curious about the game at all I recommend picking it up, it feels great to pick up a single player game that is interested in delivering a good experience.

A lot of the shortcomings of the game like the somewhat clunky parkour system or large periods of uninteresting traversal are in my opinion a result of the Modern Assassin’s Creed formula, I would love to see the next entry be focused on a metropolitan area like the more classic entries in the Ezio Trilogy rather than an open world environment, I’m of the opinion that would allow the developers to focus on creating more engaging movement systems and craft an environment that complements it.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows gets a solid 7.5/10 from me. It’s a great Re-entry point into the franchise and I think can be the start of a more interesting era for Assassin’s Creed.

Dr. Rhett's Health Corner SnackingSmart asaGamer April’s Topic:

Presented By

written by Taylor Zaborski RDN, LD NBC-HWC

As a fellow gamer, I understand the thrill of getting lost in a game or hopping into Discord with a group of friends, intending to put hours into a new quest, mission, or going for that new record or high score. Long gaming sessions can lead to overeating or forgetting hunger cues altogether, causing us to go long periods without a proper energy source. Choosing the right snacks can enhance your focus and energy, while also fostering better habits and health once you shut down the gaming system.

Smart snacking matters because gaming can be mentally and physically demanding. The intense focus required can drain your energy, and some games result in adrenaline spikes and crashes. Not to mention, we can spend hours gaming, and our bodies need energy from food every 4-5 hours. What we choose to snack on during these times can make a big difference. Opting for snacks rich in protein, fiber, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates helps maintain energy levels, supports brain function, and prevents sluggishness or distractions during critical gameplay moments. It also helps avoid the crash that can follow when we opt for less nutritious, more processed snacks high in added sugars.

One of the best ways to snack smart is to focus on balance. A good snack should contain a combination of protein, fiber, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. These macronutrients provide sustained energy, regulate blood sugar levels, and promote mental clarity. Protein is essential for brain function, muscle repair, and helps us feel full because it is more complex to digest. Snacks like Greek yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, beef jerky, cheese sticks, or a handful of unsalted nuts provide protein without added sugars or preservatives. Healthy fats from sources like avocado, nuts or nut butters, and seeds maintain brain function and also promote satiety by slowing digestion.

A small serving of almonds or sunflower seeds provides a good mix of fats and protein to fuel your gameplay. Complex carbohydrates offer a steady stream of energy, broken down slowly by your body. Opting for whole grains ensures you won’t experience the sugar highs and lows associated with processed snacks. Whole grains are also rich in fiber, which promotes fullness and supports healthy digestion. Examples of complex carbohydrates include whole-grain crackers, whole-grain bread, popcorn, potatoes, and fruits.

Snacking Smart as a Gamer (Cont.)

While snacking is important, hydration should also be prioritized during long gaming sessions. Water is essential for maintaining energy, focus, and overall health. You don’t have to stick with plain water adding water enhancers, fruit infusions, sparkling water, or herbal tea are great alternatives to sugary beverages, which can cause an energy crash later. Staying hydrated helps prevent brain fog and fatigue, keeping you sharp and focused on the game all day or night.

Smart snacking doesn’t have to be complicated. By choosing nutrient-dense options, you’ll feel better while gaming and enhance your performance and concentration.

Healthy Snack Ideas for Gamers

1. Veggies and Dip: Crunchy vegetables like carrots, cucumber, or bell peppers, paired with hummus or guacamole, are low in calories but high in fiber and nutrients.

2. Protein-Packed Snacks: Boiled eggs, a handful of mixed nuts, or protein bars with minimal added sugar are great choices to keep hunger at bay.

3. Fruit Power: Fresh fruit, such as apples, berries, or grapes, provide natural sugars that give you an energy boost without the crash. Pair them with a small amount of nuts or cheese for added protein.

4. Homemade Popcorn: Skip the buttered versions and opt for air-popped popcorn. It's a whole grain, and you can season it with your favorite spices for extra flavor without unnecessary calories.

5.Greek Yogurt Parfait: Greek yogurt, topped with fruit and a sprinkle of granola, offers protein, healthy fats, and carbs in one delicious snack.

6.Whole-Grain Crackers and Cheese: Whole-grain crackers provide fiber, while cheese offers protein and healthy fats making this a satisfying and energizing combo.

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