Gametraders LIVE December 2021

LIVE DECEMBER 2021

Go to page 34 for more details on MORBIUS and how you could win some double passes (Australia Only)

From the Editor Hello and welcome to the December edition of Gametraders Live!

It’s filled with great reviews from the wonderful people at VGChartz; including a look at Call of Duty: Vanguard, Battlefield 2042, Mario Party Superstars and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond.

We also have three amazing giveaways planned as well as some production insights for Ghostbusters Afterlife and Morbius!

We hope you enjoy the magazine and as always if you are interested in writing for us please email live@gametraders.com.au

Emily Langford Emily Langford, EDITOR

What’s inside

GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE GIVEAWAY

pg. 24

GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE THE PRODUCTION

pg. 14

THE LIVE TEAM EDITOR & DESIGNER: Emily Langford

WRITERS: Lee Mehr, Thomas Froehlicher, Paul Broussard and Stephen LaGioia, VGChartz

MORBIUS THE PRODUCTION

CALL OF DUTY: VANGAURD

Pg. 28

UNCHARTED MOVIE GIVEAWAY

Pg. 82

Pg. 10

MUST-HAVE

BOARD GAMES! ORDER IN-STORE TODAY!

MOVIES GHOSTBUSTERS AFTER LIFE

UNCHARTED GIVEAWAY

MORBIUS GIVEAWAY

ANIME

,tv&

DOUBLE PASS GIVE AWAY

Uncharted introduces audiences to street-smart Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) and showcases his first treasure-hunting adventure with wisecracking partner Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg). Inspired by the acclaimed video game series, this action-adventure epic spans the globe and follows Nate and Sully as they embark on the dangerous pursuit of “the greatest treasure never found” while also tracking clues that may lead to Nate’s long-lost brother.

Starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle and Antonio Banderas.Directed by Ruben Fleischer. #UNCHARTEDMOVIE

ONLY IN CINEMAS, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

WIN A DOUBLE PASS! Thanks to Sony Pictures and Gametraders you could win a double pass to see the new Uncharted All you have to do is go to the Gametraders Facebook page and like the competition post, tag who you’re going to take and comment why you want to see Uncharted!

© 2022 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

SONY PICTURES

THE PRODUCTION OF:

GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE UNFINISHED BUSINESS: CONTINUING THE GHOSTBUSTERS LEGACY Jason Reitman was just six years old

Air. With a sensibility that centered on

when his father, the director Ivan Reitman,

the comedy of intimate relationships,

brought him to the set of Ghostbusters

especially families, Jason Reitman has

in 1984. “I remember being on the top

built a filmography with a very different

of Dana’s apartment building,” he says.

sensibility than the comedies that made

“Before anyone knew what a terror

Ivan Reitman famous. So, over the years,

dog was or what a proton pack was, I

when Jason was asked whether he would

was watching a stunt man get pelted

ever make a Ghostbusters movie, he

with shaving cream as the Stay Puft

would poke at that difference wryly: “I

Marshmallow Man exploded. I went home

think I said, ‘There would be no busting,’”

with a little piece of marshmallow man

he laughs. “I don’t think my father ever

that sat on my shelf all the way through

expected me to come to him with a

high school.”

Ghostbusters story. We had clearly gone on our own storytelling paths – I thought of

That six-year-old boy grew up to go into

myself as an independent filmmaker.”

the family business: he became an

In truth, the Reitman family business wasn’t

acclaimed filmmaker, Oscar®-nominated

just directing films – it was busting ghosts.

for his direction of Juno and Up in the

And the family business wasn’t done

with him. Roughly ten years ago, Jason’s

who finds this proton pack and discovers

experience of being “the world’s first

who she is, what her legacy is, and why

Ghostbusters fan” raised its spectral head,

she’s unique.”

as he was struck with a vision of a very specific character. “It was a 12-year-old

It would be a Jason Reitman Ghostbusters

girl who finds a proton pack in a barn,” he

story – a passing of the torch within

explains. “And like many ideas I’ve had, I

and without. With the younger Reitman

didn’t know why it just showed up.”

directing and his father producing, Jason

Jason says the concept stayed with him,

would make a film that honored the

and like any idea worth exploring, the

franchise that came before as it stood

story eventually demanded to be told.

on its own and pointed toward the future.

“When Harold Ramis passed, I suddenly

Within the film, Jason would bring the story

knew who this girl was… she was Egon

full circle, weaving a family theme into the

Spengler’s granddaughter. That was the

fabric of the franchise. “I wanted to make

story I wanted to tell – the story of a kid

a movie that was as much for my father

as it was for my daughter,” he expresses. “I

sense of where he wanted to go with it – his

wanted to tell a generational story about a

idea to bring his vision to a scale movie

single mom with two kids who don’t know

like Ghostbusters, to funnel a family story

their identity and find out that they are quite

through the large, world-saving concept of

special.”

Ghostbusters, seemed like a good thing.”

When Jason approached his father with

And it’s not so far-fetched that the torch

the idea, the elder Reitman embraced

could be passed in that way, according to

the approach as a perfect hybrid of their

the Reitmans. “Prior to 1984, superheroes

sensibilities. “Jason clearly has a great love

were a stalwart set of all-American heroes

of the film and all of its iconography – that

– serious about what they were doing,”

came through in every word on the page,”

says Ivan. “These guys, the Ghostbusters,

says Ivan. “The script really made me cry the

were a little bit anti-establishment and had

first time I read it. It captured the spirit and

senses of humor. It made them much more

joyfulness of the first movie. He had a real

accessible.”

“I don’t think we all believe we can be

that odd and humorous ghost-speak and

Superman, but I do think we believe that

Lovecraftian dialogue is so true to who he

we can be a ghostbuster,” adds Jason.

is. It’s completely inspiring. You can feel all

“Ghostbusting has always been an

the science fiction and fantasy he grew

opportunity for outsiders to have moments

up reading in everything he says and the

of heroism.”

way that he talks about actual ghosts.”

“It’s Jason’s vision and his father’s before

“Jason is an incredible filmmaker – a

him,” says Jason Blumenfeld, who has

great director. He’s full of heart, and joy,

worked with Jason Reitman as both a

and spirit,” says Aykroyd. And he just came

producer and first assistant director for the

up with this great story – he connects to

past 15 years. “It’s an incredible love letter

the first two movies, then takes us out of it

to his dad, the original Ghostbusters, and

completely and to somewhere new.”

the fans.”

When Jason Reitman had completed

What makes Ghostbusters…

the screenplay with Gil Kenan, there was

Ghostbusters? What was the magical

one more intimidating hurdle to clear:

combination of comedy and scares, tone

approaching Dan Aykroyd, who co-wrote

and story, performances and effects, songs

and starred in the original Ghostbusters,

and score, that added up to a film that

for feedback on the story. “There was

was popular in its own time and remained

probably nothing scarier than sending

high in memories?

Dan Aykroyd the script of this film,” he says.

More specifically, for Jason Reitman, the

“I mean, here’s the guy who came up with

question was: what was the best way to

the original idea of ghostbusting. And I

make a Ghostbusters movie – one that

was curious what his notes would be like

felt like a Ghostbusters movie, the next

and whether or not they would feel as

chapter from the two original films? With

though they were in the same voice as

his father Ivan at his side as producer,

the originator. And, boy, were they. It was

Jason knew who he was gonna call. “What

like receiving notes from Ray Stantz – all

we wanted was to make a completely

I AIN’T AFRAID OF NO GHOST (OR MARSHMALLOW MAN, OR TERROR DOG… WELL, MAYBE THE TERROR DOG)

nostalgic experience, something that puts

making it as practical as possible in front

you right back into what it felt like to watch

of the camera,” says Popov.

the original movie in 1984,” he recalls. “So, we’re using all kinds of techniques my

“What’s great about a practical physical

dad and his crew employed back in ‘84.

effect in-camera is that happy accidents

This should feel like an old family recipe,

will happen,” adds Tuiten. “It’s something

because it is.”

for the actors to interact with, and there’s a handcrafted element that it’s hard to

“There is a high level of effects in the

reproduce in the computer.”

movie, and we did as much in camera as

There are also computer-generated

possible,” explains director of photography

visual effects, overseen by visual effects

Eric Steelberg, ASC. “The more you can

supervisors Alessandro Ongaro and

have in front of the camera, the more we

Sheena Duggal and visual effects

as a crew or me as a cinematographer,

producer Kerry Joseph – notably, the

as well as the actors, can react to it. Then

ghosts. “Doing visual effects the 2021 way

we can extend it with visual effects, but

wouldn’t be the correct approach for

having it be real is always really exciting

this movie,” Ongaro notes. “The effects in

for everybody involved.”

1984 were all optical, with hand-drawn animation.” Even as the work was done in

To bring his vision to life, Jason brought on

the computer this time around, Ongaro’s

renowned special effects supervisor Elia

mission was – as with the physical effects

Popov (Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation,

– to match the look and feel of 1984 as

Us) and creature and special effects

closely as possible.

makeup designer Arjen Tuiten. “Jason’s direction from the beginning was to think

One new ghost pops up as Phoebe and

practical, so we went into the mindset of

Podcast investigate the strange goings-on

at the farm and in their town – and they

very key features that make them those

start to wonder if they’ve bitten off more

animals. Our brains are trying to distill the

than they can chew. “He is a free-floating

world into things that are very easy to

vapor with six arms, a pudgy metal eater

read and remember,” explains Metheney.

that has lived inside the foundry since it

“When you’re designing a character, you

closed, grazing on the leftover scrap,” says

want to try to keep it in a place where a

Reitman.

child could draw it. You want it to have something that the audience can latch

Creature designer Brynn Metheney

onto—an iconic feature for them to

ultimately developed and refined Muncher

remember.”

over the better part of a year, with visual effects company DNEG bringing the

That iconic feature turned out to be

character to life on screen. “When I first

Muncher’s face. “Jason wanted Muncher

met with Jason, I remember he asked me,

to feel like a lazy, lethargic, grumpy little

‘What do you think makes a Ghostbusters

gremlin who was really into his metal,”

character a Ghostbusters character?’ I

says Metheney. When she showed him

feel like Ghostbusters characters were

an illustration of a rotund ghost with a

made at a time when design was more

grumpy old face – an “old grandma

limited by technology, so they had to be

vibe,” as Metheney recalls – the character

really economical about what they were

began to take shape. “We always knew

and the way they were put together. It’s all

that he had a big mouth. In the beginning,

about being iconic, keeping it simple, and

he had four limbs, arms and legs. Then

really getting down to the essence of what

his mouth moved to his stomach, and he

the character is.”

suddenly was just a big stomach with

Keeping it simple is more complicated

two arms on top,” she continues. Later,

than it sounds, according to Metheney.

when Sheena Duggal presented Reitman

The trick is to imagine how you’d describe

with reference images of Tardigrades,

an animal you know well. “When you

also known as water bears, Muncher’s

think of a lion or a giraffe, you think about

final form came into focus as the chubby,

microscopic, six-legged creatures gave

indulging his guilty pleasures in a grocery

Muncher his physique and appendages.

store’s snack aisle exposes him to even

Though Muncher himself was animated

more danger than cholesterol. “There is

in the computer, Popov oversaw the real-

something so iconic and strange and

world creation of Muncher’s ectoplasmic

wonderful about the sight of seeing the

residue. “We stuck with the original

Stay Puft Marshmallow Man walk down the

formula,” he says, “a mix of Methocel

street in Manhattan,” says Jason. “When

(a chemical compound derived from

Gil and I were sitting at Ghost Corps,

cellulose) and distilled water.” The

making a list of everything we wanted to

challenge was to match the original color

see in Ghostbusters Afterlife, it suddenly

of slime from the 1984 film, and Popov

struck us how important Stay Puft was to

says that having Ivan Reitman on set to

the mythology and how much we wanted

advise made the producer an invaluable

to see little Mini-Pufts running around and

resource.

destroying things, like a pack of demented toddlers.”

Muncher is just one of the threats faced in Summerville. In this munch-or-be-

Metheney was also charged with

munched world, Mr. Grooberson finds that

transforming the design of Puft Daddy

into Baby Pufts. During the design phase,

look to contrast with the horrible atrocities

the art department assistant purchased

they were committing.”

an assortment of marshmallows and toothpicks for Metheney, who built her

“It’s not that the Mini-Pufts are mean,”

own little men using real marshmallows

says Reitman. “They’re adorable, but some

for a sense of scale and texture. “Think big

marshmallows just want to watch the

body, smaller arms, smaller hands. Just like

world burn. They have nothing but curiosity

three big shapes. It was a really simple,

and bad instincts.” Throughout production,

distilled way of making the character work

several artists rendered a variety of gag

in a small chibi form,” she says. “Chibi is a

concepts for the devious confections.

cute Japanese character look to things,

Reitman continues, “One of them falls

where you distill the character to its cutest

asleep on a graham cracker, and one of

essence, and that’s what I was trying to do

his friends is already coming with a piece

with this. I didn’t want them to be scary in

of chocolate, and the other one’s coming

any sense, at all, because I wanted that

with a blow torch to light him on fire.”

Also returning to the Ghostbusters world

creature that you could stand in front of

are Terror Dogs, the diabolical horned

and lock eyes. He designed all the internal

creatures that guard the kingdom of

puppetry so that it might come to life on

Gozer. “Brynn took a biological look at the

set.”

Terror Dogs,” says Jason. “She broke down its skeleton and reimagined its walk cycle.

Just as the filmmakers did in 1984, the

She figured out the ratio of its bones, so

Ghostbusters: Afterlife team created life-

it might prowl like a lion and lunge like

size mechanical puppets, with Tuiten

a bull. She carefully reconstructed the

taking that concept into the real world.

connectivity of its muscles and figured

“They are fully mechanized, controlled with

out how it might run, and imagined how

servos and cables, and used to interact

its claws might spark the concrete upon

with the actors for closeups and over-the-

contact.”

shoulder shots,” Tuiten explains. “The mouth

Wanting the creatures to be practical,

and eyes glow and everything moves. He’ll

so the actors could react in real time,

also have slime drooling out of his mouth.

creature effects designer Arjen Tuiten

It will scare a lot of people.”

made the Terror Dogs move, their eyes

Tuiten says that when Jason saw the

glow, their mouths drool, and their teeth

600-pound Terror Dog for the first time, the

snarl.

director was overjoyed. “It’s one thing to see pictures of something, but another

“To work on this movie, you had to be

to see it in real life. He got so excited,” he

a Ghostbusters fan and no one loves

says.

Ghostbusters more than Arjen,” says Jason. “ It was part of his whole childhood. He obsessed about it. Our first conversation was really just two people fanboying over the original. He is the guy who brought the Terror Dog back to life. It was in his studio that it became a living breathing beast. A

In Cinemas January 1st 2022.

DOUBLE PASS GIVE AWAY

From director Jason Reitman and producer Ivan Reitman, comes the next chapter in the original Ghostbusters universe. In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, when a single mum and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind. The film is written by Jason Reitman & Gil Kenan, and stars Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace and Paul Rudd. Directed by Jason Reitman and Produced by Ivan Reitman.

#GHOSTBUSTERS

ONLY IN CINEMAS, JANUARY 1, 2022

WIN A DOUBLE PASS! Thanks to Sony Pictures and Gametraders you could win a double pass to see the new Ghostbusters Afterlife!

All you have to do is go to the Gametraders Facebook page and like the competition post, tag who you’re going to take and comment why you want to see Ghostbusters Afterlife!

©2021 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.

SONY PICTURES

THE PRODUCTION OF:

MORBIUS ABOUT THE FILM “I’m attracted to roles where there’s

him unimaginable strength and powers,

an opportunity to transform – physical

but at a terrible cost: an uncontrollable

transformation, but also mental, emotional,

thirst for human blood.

any and all,” says Jared Leto, who is indeed renowned for his transformations.

“I played Dr. Michael Morbius from his

From his Academy Award®-winning

most frail, to his most powerful, to his most

performance as Rayon in Dallas Buyers

monstrous,” Leto continues. “There’s a lot

Clubto his portrayal of Paolo Gucci in

of range in there, so that was really fun

House of Gucci, Leto disappears into

to tackle. Not only does the movie have

his roles, bringing characters to life in

action, stunts, and fighting, but the role

ways that can be moving, or terrifying, or

itself was taxing. Whenever he is fighting

enigmatic, but always unforgettable.

the affliction, he is caught in a crossroads

between different parts of the character.

In his new film Morbius, based on the

It’s like a withdrawal process, a full body

Marvel antihero, Leto brings all of these

experience.”

together for his performance as Dr. Michael Morbius, a brilliant doctor with a

“Jared Leto was the only actor that could

rare and fatal blood disease, determined

really play the part of Morbius. That wasn’t

to find the cure. Morbius’s genius finds a

really a choice – it was predestination,”

way not only to cure the illness but to give

says Daniel Espinosa, who directs the film.

“Michael Morbius goes through several

blood – which has evolved to develop

transformations in this movie,” says

anticoagulants… a genetic mutation that

producer Lucas Foster. “He starts off as

Morbius is convinced will cure him and

someone who has little hope of survival.

others with his disease. Not only does

Over the course of his experiments and

the treatment cure him, but gives him

pushing the boundaries, making decisions

superhuman strength, the agility of an

that are on the edge of medical ethics,

Olympic athlete, even the echolocation

he does fix what he set out to fix – in fact,

powers of the bat – to “see” objects in

not only does he cure his disease, the

space by harnessing the sounds around

treatment also brings him to the peak

him. But the cure also transforms Morbius

of physical health. But it also results in a

into a (literally) bloodthirsty monster – a

transformation that he didn’t intend – he

hideous creature with cravings that he is

becomes a monster, having abilities and

only somewhat able to control.

cravings that are impossible to control.”

“It’s a fearsome creature,” says Foster. “It “Morbius is searching for goodness – the

has all kinds of urges that are not human

cure for a disease. He’s going to find

urges and Dr. Morbius has to deal with

it, disregarding the cost on himself or

the consequences of the monster coming

on society,” adds Espinosa. “And in his

out.”

search for goodness, he transforms into something he detests. He has to accept

According to Espinosa – who bills himself

the ugliness he has within him, and that

as Sweden’s second-biggest comic book

there’s something beautiful about it. It will

fan – it’s the character’s inner humanity,

be his strength, what makes him unique.”

his duality between virtuous man and brutal creature, that makes him so

Morbius’s increasingly desperate

compelling. “Michael Morbius is one of the

research leads him to combine human

most altruistic characters of the Marvel

DNA with that of the vampire bat – the

Universe,” he says. “He’s one of the few that

only mammal that survives solely on

really believes in good. This good man has

a horrible disease, and in his trials to save

Magneto, Rogue, Wolverine, in his own

himself and the people that he cares for,

way, Venom. All of these characters are

he turns into a monster.”

the ones that are fundamentally the most fascinating for us as moviegoers and

In most superhero movies, there’s a classic

comic book readers.”

sequence as the hero discovers his or her newfound powers. Not so for Michael

Leto says that ultimately, it will be Morbius’s

Morbius. “When Morbius discovers his

true inner self that will determine his fate.

inner beast, he becomes afraid of it – and

“At the end of the day, he’s a very good

because he’s afraid, he’s also afraid of

person,” he says. “He’s using his talent, his

his powers. He’s afraid that they will take

skills, his education, his brains, in search of

over and change him, so he’s constantly

noble pursuits. He’s not without his faults –

resisting them,” says Espinosa. “To become

he’s breaking some rules – but he’s doing

the hero, he has to accept his fate:

it to find the cure and help people like

Morbius’s journey is to accept that he will

himself.”

still remain the person that he is, but he has to harness these powers.”

As a man who has spent countless hours reading and thinking about comic books, Espinosa says that it isn’t so surprising that Morbius’s duality has earned him a following. “Most great heroes are antiheroes,” he says. “Most of us are resistant to accept that we are the chosen one, and Morbius is the same.

The most interesting characters in the Marvel universe have always been those that have had one foot on each side:

CREATING THE MONSTER AND VISUALIZING THE POWERS OF THE BAT When Morbius fuses his DNA with that

and I’ve focused on computational fluid

of a vampire bat, he gains superhuman

mixes and visualizing the flow of fluid,

powers – but also transforms into a

that particularly appealed to me. It’s

hideous monster. Not only does he have

something I could see a way to visualize in

increased strength and agility, but also

a cool, non-gratuitous fashion. We found a

the power to use echolocation – bats’

visually exciting way to show his ability, the

ability to “see” in the dark by relying on the

same as his ability to be hypersensitive to

sound waves around them. However, he

wind vectors.”

also develops a bat’s snub nose, sunken cheeks, and a mouth full of razor-sharp

For the character himself, Leto and

fangs.

Espinosa agreed that the look would come from visual effects, rather than

All of these challenges – the look of the

prosthetics and makeup. “When you

creature and the expression of his powers

put a character on the screen for the

– would be in the hands of visual effects

first time, you have a big opportunity to

supervisor Matthew E. Butler. Working with

create something. I was adamant from

Espinosa, Butler would create a cinematic

the beginning that we use technology to

language that would bring the audience

enhance and help with the transformation,

into Morbius’ sensory perceptions. It was

especially of Morbius himself, because I

a challenge that Butler was uniquely

thought that that’s where we would have

suited to meet. “When Daniel first came

fewest limitations,” says Leto. “There’s

over to see us, one of the things he

limitless potential using some of these new

was particularly interested in doing is

technologies, so it’s interesting to be part

visualizing some of Morbius’s unusual

of that and to push the envelope.”

special powers, one of which is his ability to visualize wind vectors to echolocate,

“Visual effects is never a single answer

like a bat would,” says Butler. “Since my

to anything – we try to use the right

previous background was in aerospace

tool for the job, and each job is slightly

different,” says Butler, who, as part of the

Butler explains. “He needed to be able to

team at Digital Domain that created the

morph into different expressions.

visual effects for Avengers: Endgame, is well-versed in bringing digital Marvel

“One solution is to film them as they

characters to full life. “On Morbius, the

are and manipulate the face,” Butler

vampires perform, deliver dialogue and

continues. “That can work, but at times,

expression, and they need to look and feel

we depart quite massively, and we still

and smell like that the actor. Jared Leto

need to capture all the idiosyncrasies,

and Matt Smith need to come through

the subtleties, the familiar telltales of who

in their vampiric forms. We tried to keep

that person is and their characteristics,

as many of his features as we could, so

even though the creature is quite different

you could look at this creature and think,

in geometry. We decided that the actors

yeah, that’s Jared – yet we depart from

would perform on stage and we would

a good-looking man to make this horrific

recapture that performance with a

character.”

marked-up array of dots on their faces and helmet cameras that can capture

The solution would also depend on the

all of those subtleties. The software

needs of the film’s storytelling. “Morbius

can translate that performance into

can ‘bloom’ from his human version into

the performance of a creature that is

the vampiric version and back again, so

completely different. That’s something we

he’s not continually in that phase. He can

achieved quite well with Thanos.”

go in and out – typically through anger,”

DOUBLE PASS GIVE AWAY

One of the most compelling and conflicted characters in Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters comes to the big screen as Oscar winner Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic antihero Michael Morbius. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed.

Will good override evil – or will Morbius succumb to his mysterious new urges?

Starring Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson.

Directed by Daniel Espinosa. Based on the Marvel Comics .

#MORBIUS

ONLY IN CINEMAS, JANUARY 27, 2022.

WIN A DOUBLE PASS! Thanks to Sony Pictures and Gametraders you could win a double pass to see the new Morbius!

All you have to do is go to the Gametraders Facebook page and like the competition post, tag who you’re going to take and comment why you want to see Morbius!

MARVEL and all related character names: © & ™ 2022 MARVEL. Morbius, the Movie ©2022 CPII. All Rights Reserved.

gameS

CALL OF DUTY: VANGUARD

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REVIEWS

POP CULTURE CHRISTMAS

GIFT IDEAS

ORDER NOW!

GHOSTBUSTERS CHRISTMAS

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Huge range available! Selected stores. Ask staff for details.

LEE MEHR

REVIEW XS:

CALL OF DUTY: VANGUARD Reviewer’s Note: Since I have some heavy

supporting teams in tow) is familiar

avoid mentioning SPOILERS altogether.

greater innovations. For the 18th mainline

storytelling criticisms for Vanguard, I can’t Read on at your own risk.

Another year, another Call of Duty

(CoD) washes ashore. Even though

the epoch depicted by lead developer Sledgehammer Games (& a gumbo of

territory, perhaps newer tech can bestow entry in this series, that’s a tremendous

gamble to take with fans’ patience. And

given a title like Call of Duty: Vanguard, it’s all the more ironic that this is one of the series’ most obsequious foot-soldiers to date.

April 1945. The first-ever special

operations task force, call sign “Vanguard,” is onboard a train to Hamburg, Germany.

This elite team comprised of several

nationalities – British, Russian, American,

for questioning. Their subsequent

interrogation sets off a series of flashbacks depicting each member’s previous war

stories, spanning the European, Russian, North African, and Pacific theaters.

Australian, and Czech – goes behind

Even among recent entries, this ranks

about Project Phoenix. After their

narratives. Flashback-heavy stories tend

enemy lines to gather more information plans go to hell, they’re captured by

the Nazis and brought back to Berlin

as one of the series’ most uninspired

to be a personal bugbear of mine due to

their frequency in hitting the worst pitfalls.

But even the most elementary of them

betrayals are just an obvious façade.

Gruppenführer Freisinger – the head of

genuine tension of Arthur’s leadership

implicitly justify that structure. Oberstthe Gestapo – has his most dangerous enemies by the neck and carts them further into the lion’s den (Berlin)

because he... wants to know what they know about his secret project? How’s

that worth the risk while The Allies are

on the verge of taking Berlin anyways?

Considering how disposable he and desk lackey/chief interrogator Jannick Richter

(played by Dominic Monaghan) consider

Imagine if we weren’t told this and

came into question with his newlyformed squad; instead, this story’s

stripped of such interesting dynamics because of course the Allies have to remain resolute all the time. Those

examples of poor management lead

to a perpetual mismatch of what the

audience already intuits and what the writers think is a big revelation.

them anyway, this haziness around

Stepping beyond the tawdry plotting,

properly clarified.

outside of the haughty Russian sniper,

the antagonists’ motivations is never

It’s also hilarious how abruptly some of the flashbacks arrive too. When some

of the squad act embittered towards the American pilot for supposedly ditching

them, the team leader (Arthur Kingsley) breaks it up by essentially saying “let me regale you with a tale about why

he’s actually a good chap.” And since

Arthur’s a reliable narrator, we already know he’s mapped out a plan and his team is immediately onboard. Any

virtually all characters are banal inserts also known as “Lady Nightingale.”

She’s the only one given succinct

characterization; she’s seen the Nazi’s

despotic bloodlust against civilians first-

hand and players experience a little slice of her pre-combat life too. Outside of that scintilla of credit, the rest of the

main ensemble struggle to appear more authentic than certain NPC teammates.

It’s just that dire. Mix in cringe-inducing dialogue and you have Vanguard’s characters in a nutshell.

When taking a wide-scale view, it’s

disconcerting how tonally vapid World

War II feels as a setting here. “Histrionic

Nazis of recent memory and it sequelbaits its best potential.

history” is how I’d put it. On its own,

This facsimile of a united team is also

pulpy sensibilities written into this subject

does it say about your game when the

there’s nothing inherently wrong with matter (see also: modern Wolfenstein titles); further, this series has happily

indulged in that numerous times. The

issue becomes stranger when lip service is paid to real-world people whom inspired your characters, but the framing relies

on the safest context imaginable. Just

imagine if Chloe Price (Life is Strange) was a creative executive pitching Vanguard: “war is hell... but it could be hella fun.”

To the surprise of no one, CoD has

revealed through its gameplay. What

most notable moments of cooperation are depicted during scripted events that can

be triggered without your input or overlyproduced cut scenes? Going back to a

similar talking point, the over-emphasized flashback structure also reveals how dry

and unearned the team’s comradery feels

in the present. You do more lobotomized Brothers in Arms’ command inputs with random soldiers in the past than your ragtag squad in the present.

another dud of a story. The shock here

When looking at it on a purely mechanical

a blockbuster, the nonsensical structure

same script as its progenitors – for better

is that, even by lowered expectations of and uncreative scenarios result in one

of the series’ most irrelevant campaigns.

Sledgehammer (& co.) hire a surfeit

of quality actors/voice actors, utilize

excellent mo-cap technology, and then do nothing interesting with either. It’s one of the dullest diverse team-ups against the

level, Vanguard mostly keeps to the

or worse. The shooting template and

production values have been transplanted, and subtly updated, from Modern

Warfare’s new engine. The cacophonous rattle of gunfire and combined visual

feedback still successfully taps into those

lizard-brain dopamine rushes. Adding to

said template are modest-yet-functionally-

octane moments with better polish than

cover and destructible walls that can be

aspects like a consistent 60fps & general

useless tweaks like blindfiring behind

busted through with tactical sprint or explosives.

Familiar bugbears of Call of Duty’s gameplay structure can’t help but

wrestle away most player expression

too. Obnoxious “leaving mission” popups emblazon the screen should you

move a mere angstrom off the prescribed path, which isn’t always clearly sign-

any FPS competitor. I always thought

polish greatly contributed to its 7th-gen

success. Here? Floating objects, enemies I’d killed flying through the air, frequent texture pop-in, annoying framerate

hiccups after loading in a level, and more point to this being a rushed release. Of all the criticisms I have to level against Vanguard, these are among the most surprising.

posted already; occasionally, nettlesome

Coming up for fresh air, at least some

instead. This goes beyond level design

Its boss & mini-boss bouts are rather

invisible walls will keep you corralled

too. Unconvinced players have any gray matter, The American’s unique ability is

magically highlighting every enemy within a 12-block radius and auto-aiming at as

many as possible (before the meter runs out).

Although a few of Vanguard’s issues

are uniquely annoying among mainline entries, I still went in anticipating some

dissatisfaction by default. But that came with a trade-off: a predictable set of

systems to play with in exchange for high-

credit is due to the Russian missions.

predictable, but there’s something to

actually dig into. Polina’s best combative arenas capture a stealth-action flow that

pays off. You’re either fluidly maneuvering under tables or platforming to higher

ground for an advantage. Think modern Wolfenstein titles, but not quite as

intricately paced. The stealth mechanics are incredibly basic, but it’s nice to let

a level breathe for once. It’s also good

because it captures the vicious reputation of Lady Nightingale through gameplay.

Overall, Vanguard’s campaign is a decisive

from those corpses). There is a story

but tech. The story feels aimless to the

Allies and helpful demons trying to defeat

step backwards in virtually everything

point of straining mental faculties to make sense of it, gameplay relies on character

abilities that vary from laughably bland to insanely unbalanced, and its unpolished

launch state leaves a black eye on one of CoD’s most consistent promises. Leave

it to a concept focusing on the very first spec ops team to feel so disjointed and

occurring in the background, one of the Kortifex the Deathless and Oberführer

Wolfram Von List, but the context isn’t

interesting. Its current “story” structure

is like a worse version of Titanfall: various characters temporarily Facetiming you

dialogue lines while the growling zombie horde is on your tail.

capricious in terms of execution.

Given that my last Zombies experience

Up next on the chopping block is the Nazi

how insipid and bare-bones this feels at

Zombies mode. Coming off of Black Ops

Cold War and its subsequent DLC, Treyarch co-developed Vanguard’s Der Anfang (currently its only map). The realities

of game development are most readily

apparent here, which will disappoint any hardcore fan.

The script is similar to any previous

Zombies mode: survive waves of tougher and tougher enemies whilst traveling to portals scattered across the map

that’ll have a specific objective (protect

a floating skull, survive an onslaught, or survive an onslaught and collect runes

was Infinite Warfare, I’m perplexed at

launch. Instead of purchasing guns off

various walls, you select a custom class

with a different weapon and special power (such as a short personal ice barrier) at

the start then roll the dice on RNG drops or the Mystery Box later. There are –

currently – no mythical weapons, nor did I see any neat traps like in past offerings.

It’s the little details like zombies randomly spawning on the map or passing through a magical veil instead of ripping down a barricade that make engagements feel

more bland. I like how threatening they seem when a cluster is viciously ripping

off planks. By this point, I was surprised

they remembered to include Pack-a-Punch

mode and how stale it tastes. In its current

in the form of elixirs or Covenants).

DLC maps with friends.

weapon upgrading and passive buffs (either

form, I’d rather go back to World at War’s

There’s a distinct sense of patchwork game

The only aspect that comes away less-

portals just transports you to a sliver of a

multiplayer. As easy as it is to go after the

design anywhere you look. Each of the

multiplayer arena, an old Zombies map, or

even a section of the Stalingrad hub world.

You could literally take a short portal ride

back to the starting area! You can’t make this stuff up. All they did was drape a

different visual filter over these spots, erect some artificial barriers, and call it a day.

Even useless alterations like the Borderlandsesque number-vomit indicators feel so lifeless here. The only hint of dynamic

tactics comes from machinegun-toting

Sturmkriegers mixed with melee variants, but it’s nothing to oversell either.

I was losing interest in this mode a half-hour in. Hell, I barely squeezed an hour out until dismissing it altogether. That admission

could draw some ire; some may say I ought

to further investigate the ins-and-outs of its

design. You can take me at my word for this: my lack of play time emphasizes how quickly you burn through the meat of this particular

bruised by comparison is the competitive

social Darwinism baked into its DNA, CoD

has weathered an incredible number of metoo shooters over the years. From the fun personality of your nametag and emblem

to tactical customization of your preferred

materiel for combat, the panoply of options

can feel overwhelming. There’s a subtle level of fun in seeing standard-issue WWII classics being dressed to the nines with unexpected

grips, sights, and colors. Even after so many tries, it’s tough to find a direct competitor that matches it.

Complimenting that customization is

a surfeit of maps and modes. The vast

majority of Deathmatch and Objective-

based variants remain stalwart, but all are influenced by a new all-encompassing

matchmaking feature: Combat Pacing. Each

standard map can have a designated pacing of Tactical (6v6), Assault (10v10/12v12), or Blitz (24v24). I think Blitz is an absolute

nightmare, but I can get the appeal of

scoring insane streaks in a fragfest like

that. Tweaking Modern Warfare’s Gunfight

makes fun contingent on the dice roll from the automated map selector.

mode is the new “Champions Hill”, which is

If you’d already made up your mind about

against multiple teams at once. Whether

series popularized then there’s little done

structured like a round-robin tournament

playing Solos, Duos, or Trios, each team has a set pool of lives and the last team/person standing wins the tournament.

As nice as it is to enjoy a panoply of options across looks, modes, and pacing options, the needle doesn’t move far without

solid maps and gameplay systems to

compliment them. In this regard, there’s

work to be done. One of the easiest ways to emphasize this is the quality disparity between new and refurbished maps (16 regular, 4 for Champions Hill). An old

the hyper-active spawn/kill/die template this here to convince you otherwise. If you still

get your dopamine fix from this set-up, know that it’s also seen better days. Not least of which is thanks to previously mentioned issues, inconsistent weapon balancing

(akimbo sawed-off shotguns say hello), and rare audio queue issues. Considering how often Call of Duty: Warzone (a separate

free-to-play game) and its Pacific map are

intertwined with Vanguard’s advertising, and how progression is linked with it, it’s hard to

say how quickly the necessary TLC will arrive.

World at War map like Dome, which was

Leave it for a subtitle like “Vanguard” to be

transplanted here with the new killstreak

of Duty’s own standards. Aside from select

already a clusterfuck to begin with, being options is borderline insane to me. Contrast that with Hotel Royal, a lavish area that

utilizes destructible objects in smart ways, and you can immediately tell Vanguard’s

gameplay systems were wholly considered

while crafting it. The quality inconsistency, especially with regards to spawn points,

attached to such a safe title – even by Call

tweaks to competitive multiplayer, you see

this play out across all fronts; there are brief intimations of an interesting idea before

the game retreats to a comfy routine. What

sours this even further is the clear decline of polish alongside these expectations. WWII has seen better days.

THOMAS FROEHLICHER

REVIEW PS5:

Battlefield 2042

While I thought it was extremely

overwhelming the main menu with them.

of Duty in terms of popularity three years

selling points of the series and here it’s

compelling, Battlefield V lost out to Call

ago. Fully aware that it had failed to repeat the success of Battlefield 1, DICE decided a major overhaul of the series formula was in order, much to some players’ disappointment.

With Battlefield 2042, it’s very clear

the team at DICE wanted to push and polish what makes its shooter series

unique. Nearly all their effort has been

put into the Conquest and Breakthrough

multiplayer modes, literally to the point of

Conquest is undoubtedly one of the major better than ever. For the very first time up to 128 players can engage in battle

at the same time, vastly transforming the experience. In Conquest two opposing

forces (only the US and Russia so far) fight for control of several checkpoints across

an extremely large map, and the increased

player count greatly intensifies the struggle for each checkpoint, results in more

engagement, and gives battles a greater sense of scale.

A lot of emphasis has been placed on

Long-range gameplay (my speciality)

air vehicles being available both at the

satisfies. I was worried during the beta

vehicular warfare, with more ground and start of rounds and during them. This

changes the geometry of the skirmishes quite a lot because there’s now more

vehicle vs vehicle engagement and vehicle vs troop engagement. I’ve found that air units are much more active in Battlefield

2042 than in any previous entry. If you’re

in a tank or not in cover then you’re much more likely to be harassed by helicopters

and planes - they’re far more efficient and better integrated in the game than ever before.

is another area where Battlefield 2042

because the level of precision there was

terrible, but these issues were mostly fixed

by the time the game launched. Bullet drop is now more in line with recent installments (and maybe even a bit softened), so

sniping remains efficient even at a range

of 300-400m, which allows for attacks from one checkpoint to another. All the more

important, then, that the quality of level design remains top notch. Once again

the maps are a masterwork of verticality - there are cranes, pillars, watchtowers,

mountains, a multitude of buildings, and so

gameplay at will. This allows you adapt

for snipers to take in the surroundings

engagement (and vice versa), changing

on, which means there are plenty of places and find target opportunities. The scale of the architecture has also been increased compared to Battlefield V; structures are bigger and more complex, from

the stranded tanker in Discarded to the rocket launch pad in Orbital. Knowing

that climbing all the way up would be a

waste of the player’s time, DICE decided to place ropes here and there so that you can quickly traverse them.

As always, Battlefield 2042 boasts a real wealth of gameplay options. There are

plenty of different vehicle types (anti-air,

anti-amor, anti-infantry, amphibious), and even the player characters are varied. The

specialists, as they’re called, possess certain unique skills and pieces of equipment,

like a recon drone, healing pistol, or larger ammo create. This encourages teamplay, which itself is rewarded in terms of

experience. Battlefield 2042 also comes

with a new system for customizing your gun: you can take a dozen attachments

with you and swap between them during

your weapon for long or close range

the scope or the grip any time. However,

attachments take a tediously long amount

of time to unlock - some key items, like the long range scopes for the SVK marksman rifle, require hundreds of kills before

they’re unlocked, and that could quite easily take players months to achieve.

Conquest is extremely compelling, but

my chief disappointment with Battlefield

2042 is that there’s not much to experience beyond that. Breakthrough is the only

other available game mode, but it’s de

facto a Conquest mode in which you have to capture two checkpoints instead of five or six. And I am absolutely staggered by

the complete removal of team deathmatch mode. That’s always been a personal

favorite of mine in military shooters, not

to mention the default multiplayer mode

in the genre for several decades now. You can’t just make as if it doesn’t exist.

True, Battlefield 2042 does bring extra

content in the shape of Battlefield Portal,

which grants players access to remade

deathmatch mode, or single player for

Company 2, and Battlefield 3. And it’s great

V was excellent, and yet the campaign in

maps from Battlefield 1942, Battlefield: Bad to replay these classic maps (which come

with the original weapons and characters), but Battlefield Portal is also where EA’s

latest shooter begins to shines less and less.

Firstly, Battlefield Portal doesn’t have much

that matter. The campaign in Battlefield

Battlefield 2042 is simply non-existent. At

least it’s been amusing to watch Activision bin Call of Duty’s campaign in 2018, then EA to follow suit and discard Battlefield’s

campaign for 2042... only for Activision to revive Call of Duty’s.

content at this time. We’re talking one

There are a few other things that are

those aren’t always completely updated or

the traditional scoreboard and distance

or two maps from each game, and even

balanced. Take El Alamein, for instance -

it’s a pain to play because the checkpoints are too far away from one another and vehicles scarce. Another issue with the

Portal is that the playlists come and go at the will of the developer. I was thrilled to

see a team deathmatch playlist when I first played the game, but a few days later it

was gone! Players can at least create their own playlists, setting various parameters, but they often include quirky conditions, like extra strong bots or gun limitations.

As things stand, Battlefield Portal feels somewhat cool but it’s far from being enough to replace a permanent team

unaccounted for in this release too, like bonus points for snipers. I’m also not a

fan of the Fortnite-ish tone adopted by

Battlefield 2042, especially the characters

talking big and joking on the result screen.

Battlefield should be about visceral combat and war-like skirmishes, not joking around.

Since launch, I haven’t witnessed too many serious bugs or glitches, but there is one

particularly annoying bug that still hasn’t been fixed: sometimes you can’t choose

your loadout and have to exit the current game to be able to do so.

One last positive before we conclude:

the game is absolutely gorgeous, just as you’d expect from a modern Battlefield

title. Skirmishes are beautiful and lovely.

The extreme weather effects - a major

for shooter fans who are looking for more

gameplay as much as I expected them to

than Call of Duty’s multiplayer manages

novelty of this release - don’t impact

(tornadoes and sandstorms merely disturb a few players for a couple of minutes), but they’re visually stunning.

Battlefield 2042 is a great and unique

shooter. Conquest mode, which remains

unrivalled in terms of gameplay balance,

teamplay, and its war-like atmosphere, has been elevated to stellar new heights. It is, at the very least, dozens of hours of fun

complexity and a greater sense of scale

(although it too is great in its own way).

While the overall quality is outstanding on both a gameplay and graphical level, DICE has unfortunately drastically cut back the amount of content on offer in this latest

release, and the loss of both a single player campaign and additional multiplayer game modes is certainly felt.

PAUL BROUSSARD

REVIEW NS:

Pokemon: Brilliant Diamond Nintendo is a company of ups and downs.

might be starting to build up a dangerous

Freeze, there must be a Paper Mario: Color

Fortunately, Pokemon was happy to

For every Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Splash to balance things out. For every

Pikmin 3, a Star Fox Zero. Yin and yang,

maintaining some bizarro world sense of

balance. And after the release of October’s excellent Metroid Dread, I was worried I

amount of goodwill towards Nintendo.

oblige and take the blow to ensure we all

remember that Nintendo-published games can be disappointing just as often as they are exceptional.

Perhaps that sounds overly harsh. Still, I

Pokemon has long been a series that’s done

that Pokemon Brilliant Diamond is one

between titles, so putting out a low effort

don’t think it’s an unfair assessment to say of the worst remakes, or remasterings, or

whatever you want to call it, that I’ve ever played. Nearly everything that a revised version of a game should do, Brilliant

Diamond does not. Does that mean that

there is still a halfway decent game at the core of Brilliant Diamond? Sure; if you

enjoyed the original Diamond and/or Pearl on DS, then you’ll probably still enjoy

this. But as far as what a remake/remaster

should accomplish, it’s hard to view Brilliant Diamond as anything short of an absolute failure.

the absolute bare minimum to innovate

remake of a past game feels like standard operating procedure in a way. I’d spend

this time summarizing the story, but these

things basically come pre-installed with the Pokemon sourcemaker at this point. Some

child with far too little parental supervision (that’s you), gets recruited by a professor who very obviously isn’t answering to

any IRB. Said professor tasks you with wandering around and researching a

variety of wild animals by making them

beat each other into unconsciousness. Your player character proceeds to traverse the island of Sinnoh, exploring the different

environments and engaging in some…

against most of the major Pokemon types

in bushes or the occasional domesticated

20 or so hours of disinterestedly shuffling

“research”, either with wild Pokemon hiding Pokemon hiding in someone’s undoubtedly massive pokeball.

Nothing much has changed with respect

and you’ve pretty much won the game, bar around Sinnoh and having old men

demand you stop every few feet so they can fight you.

to the story from the original title (or

But let’s focus on the differences that do

the series), so let’s talk about the gameplay

this version, small though they may be.

indeed much from the very beginning of instead. Unless you’ve spent the last 25

years living at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, you almost certainly know what

a Pokemon game entails. Travel between towns, occasionally foil the plans of

whatever group of local idiots is attempting to use a legendary Pokemon to create a perfect world (in this case named Team

Galactic), fight some gym leaders for their badges, and then once you’ve beaten

everyone else’s domesticated attack dogs up you can challenge the most powerful attack dog owners in all the land for the

right to become champion of turn-based

dog fighting. The strategy remains exactly what it was back on the DS and indeed in every mainline Pokemon release: form a

team of Pokemon who have type advantage

exist between the original DS title and

Organizing your Pokemon is easier than it has been in many past installments,

carrying over Sword and Shield’s fast swap mechanic. Exp share is also a welcome boon from Sword and Shield, at least

for people like me who don’t quite find any psychotic joy in slowly grinding up 50 different Pokemon on the same file,

although it does mean the difficulty curve

breaks in half around the second town and

never recovers. The stupid context sensitive blocks from the original game that would

just randomly wall off certain pathways in the overworld and could only be broken

with specific attack types that were almost never useful in battle are back, but at

least you can now basically automatically use them as long you’ve learned the

prerequisite move, rather than having to

But, hey, it’s a nice thing to have to cut

number of slots.

game, and it is optional, so you can ignore

carry a Bidoof around as one of a limited

The biggest change in terms of content

down on the grinding required to beat the it if it makes things too easy for you.

is the Grand Underground, an expanded

And that’s about it. While all of these are

original titles. The Grand Underground

of an entirely new title needs to put in a

version of the Underground from the

basically serves as a big area for finding and grinding certain Pokemon types, although the practical upshot of this

meant that I was able to absolutely shatter whatever semblance of balance still

remained by going underground, capturing some higher level Pokemon, and then just

running roughshod over the ensuing gyms.

fine additions, a game with the price point lot more effort to justify its price point.

Nintendo has consistently made a habit

of putting out low effort remasterings for

full price for a while now, and quite frankly it’s getting old. It’s not like there wasn’t additional room to improve; there are

plenty of QoL features that Pokemon could really stand to benefit from like harder

difficulties, cutting down on tutorializing,

raise the question of how Brilliant Diamond

a remastering like this is probably the

graphical changes, and the few gameplay

and greater accessibility options, and

easiest place those features could’ve been implemented, given much of the game’s

design is already laid out. Alas, these are nowhere to be found.

I suppose the devil’s advocate position

would be that Brilliant Diamond justifies its

price point with the graphical overhaul, but that definitely doesn’t cut it here, because Brilliant Diamond somehow manages to

look worse than the original DS title. The player characters have this weird chibi

design which makes Sinnoh’s residents look like characters from Jetpack Joyride that

got turned into 3D models. The DS version’s sprite-based style has aged wonderfully

since the mid 2000s, while this change to

3D models is far less enjoyable to look at.

It also robs the game of any tension or

realistic chance of being taken seriously

at all when the main antagonists look like

justifies its price tag. It certainly isn’t for the alterations that make exploring more

convenient, while nice, certainly aren’t worth $60.

The final nail in the coffin of what is

unfortunately a waste of time is that

Brilliant Diamond is missing most of the extra content that came with the initial

“definitive edition” of Diamond and Pearl, namely the new features in Platinum. So

if you were hoping to play around in the

Distortion World, or hang out with Looker

again, then you’re just as well off spending

your money on a giant tub of peanut butter to bury your sorrows in. Brilliant Diamond doesn’t even measure up to the better

version of these games that came out a decade and a half ago now, and if that

doesn’t guarantee that it isn’t worth your cash, I’m not sure what does.

bobbleheads that have come to life.

What I’m trying to get at is that Brilliant

Granted, games don’t need to look great

improvement over the previous versions,

to be good, and questionable visuals don’t usually break a game. It does however

Diamond isn’t just not a significant

it’s a downgrade from the actual definitive version. Paying full price for a worse

version of a title isn’t just questionable,

have been easy to come in and put in

games should have more content than the

dev team certainly wasn’t.

it’s flat out loony. Remastered versions of previous versions, not less. Remastered

actual work every day when the rest of the

versions of games should look better than

In short, Brilliant Diamond is frankly

this title is paying $60 for less content

is an entity with resources beyond most

the previous versions, not worse. Buying

and worse graphics, in exchange for a few

quality of life improvements. There are very

few worse value propositions on the market today.

The lone bright spot in the midst of this

sea of disappointment is the soundtrack,

which is quite good. There are some very audibly-pleasing remixes of the original

Diamond/Pearl tracks, and I’d be remiss in not acknowledging the work done by the composers here. I can’t imagine it must

exasperating. The Pokemon Company

developers’ wildest dreams, and yet it consistently creates some of the least

inspired and unadventurous titles in the

industry. Brilliant Diamond is no exception.

Even with the leeway for not changing things up that being a remake carries

with it, this is just a rip-off. Please, don’t

financially support this; hopefully someone at Pokemon eventually takes notice and

realizes that they need to start putting in a smidge of effort to warrant continuing to get people’s money.

Stephen LaGioia

Mario

REVIEW NS:

o Party Superstars

The Mario Party series has been a roller

MP’s debut on Switch left some old-

seen a downturn in recent years. Its few

form, however. And while Mario Party

coaster ride, though one that’s largely

showings on the Wii and its overlooked successor were viewed as tepid at best,

and additions like Mini Stars and board game vehicles were net-negatives for

most. Switch’s Super Mario Party brought a welcome breath of fresh air with more streamlined gameplay, refined motion

controls, and other reworked elements.

school fans yearning for a true return to Superstars doesn’t exactly break new

ground, it succeeds as a celebration of classic MP and, in rare form, offers a

great way to play the series online. While thin on the board game front — and

lacking motion controls — Mario Party

Superstars still stands as the best entry since the N64 days.

Right from the get-go, ND Cube offers a

really hits it out of the park on this front.

in. 100 (mostly) memorable minigames

recognizable Mario characters and clash

plethora of fun, colorful content to bask are available out of the gate, along with a refined board game mode, and some of the best online gameplay the series

has ever seen. While there’s unfortunately no solo-focused campaign or adventure mode this time around, players can get lost in a slew of fun content and face

some more-than-capable bots, via board games or the minigame hub known as “Mt. Minigame.”

Of course, multiplayer is where the

series has always thrived, and Superstars

Up to four players can pick from ten

in some of the most enjoyable minigames the franchise has to offer. Those seeking

longer, deeper sessions will want to dive into the “Mario Party” pipe in the main

hub, where they can pick between five of the best board games from past entries, prettied up and reworked a tad. The

selection here is oddly limited, as only a handful of boards from the N64 Mario

Party games are available. This was likely meant to set the stage for a trickling of new boards that could be available via DLC packs in the future.

The current line-up includes the simple-

board game at any time, and pick from

spooktacular Horror Land, and the sci-fi-

increments of five. There’s also a subtle,

yet-charming Yoshi’s Tropical Island, the tinged Space Land. While the reworked Peach’s Birthday Cake is a feast for the eyes, the weird arrangement leaves

something to be desired, as does the

more tepid Woody Woods. Thankfully, though, most of the boards that are

available are winners. Board games are streamlined and as fun as ever to play, thanks to a few quality-of-life tweaks

a wide range of turns spanning 10-30 in but appreciated inclusion that allows you to dial up the turn count while already playing (in the likely chance you’re

having more fun than anticipated). Stage selection aside, the board game portion is well-crafted and serves as a nice

blend of nostalgic callbacks and modern sensibilities.

and additions. Included this time is the

Of course, the essence of Mario Party’s

more kid-friendly, action-packed, or N64/

entry is just brimming with great ones

neat feature to filter minigames that are GameCube specific.

Board game features are somewhat

stripped down to resemble that classic style, while remaining balanced, deep,

and enjoyable. Gone are gimmicks like

item capsules, Mini Stars, and characterspecific dice blocks. Instead, staples like Toad, Bowser, and Event Spaces, duel

Minigames, and the intense Chance Time return to the fold.

Players can save and come back to a

enjoyment is in its minigames, and this to get lost in. Fans of a Millennial and

Gen X persuasion are likely to be biased

here, as most come from the GameCube and (especially) the N64 renditions. As

someone who didn’t favor the Wii and Wii U entries, it’s still a head-scratcher that

just a handful of minigames from those

titles grace Superstars’ line-up. But in the

humble opinion of this writer, the first four Mario Party titles had the best minigames anyway, generally speaking.

Included are hits such as Crazy Cutters,

Pushy Penguins, Booksquirm, and the

those who like to gang up on opponents

also my two all-time favorites: the heart-

Run, anyone? Revisiting some old classics

hunger-inducing Eatsa Pizza. There are

pounding Mushroom Mix-Up and Bumper Balls. Perhaps it’s nostalgia speaking,

but I could have done with a few more classics from the original Mario Party, like Hot Bob-omb and Platform Peril.

And of course, though this is a reprisal of various classics, a handful of brand new

minigames would have gone a long way

or stand proud as a lone wolf. Bobsled with this sleek new coat of paint and

refined mechanics was truly a joy. It was also fun digging up a few new hidden

gems I had missed (or at least forgotten) from the Wii and later GameCube era, such as Monty’s Revenge and X-Ray Payday.

as well.

Superstars allows you to filter your game

Still, for the most part, this is an enjoyable,

specific traits like coin-collecting games,

robust, and well-rounded line-up of

minigames. The list largely comprises the usually-chaotic free-for-all games, which are typically the most fun, but there are

plenty of great 2-v-2 and 1-v-3 romps for

selection by these types, along with more sports/puzzles, and the intense 1-v-1

showdowns. One small but helpful feature allows you to “bookmark” minigames

as favorites for easier access. A quick,

streamlined “Practice Mode” also gives

players a chance to find their footing

both charming and pretty. It was a delight

mitigates the need to desperately ask me

minigames take on a crisp, sleek, and

following a minigame selection. This

how to play a minigame (every friggin time).

There are a few minor (mostly positive) tweaks to some of the minigames

themselves too, which adds a bit of color, depth, and polish. Examples include the

addition of design patterns in Mushroom Mix-Up, an “endless mode” option for

Hot-Rope Jump, and a warning to avoid

“rotating the joystick” in Tug o’ War, which

gave competitive players palm blisters. But generally, these games play just how you

seeing the once-blocky, crude-looking

smooth quality that borders on Pixar level.

Gone are more experimental minigame concepts, strange gimmicks, and

unique control inputs this time around.

Methodical meat cube flips are replaced with button mashing, thumbstick

rotations, and fast reaction times. While some might miss the lack of motion

controls a la Super Mario Party, series

vets should appreciate the return-to-form simplicity and solid, reliable mechanics.

remember them, and in better form than

At the same time, this more

up, while the sleek, cartoon visuals are

feel watered down, especially with the

ever. The mechanics are mostly tightened

straightforward input and design doesn’t

nice use of HD rumble, which adds some

Speaking of online content - Superstars’

that snowball roll in Snowball Sumit or

crafted, and fairly deep compared to past

immersion to most minigames. Feeling

Crazy Cutter’s drill can make a difference,

however subtle. Strengthening the controls even more is the versatility when it comes to supported devices. Yes, unlike the

specific input options of Super Mario Party, a variety of control methods are enabled.

This includes one or two Joy-Cons, a Pro

Controller, and even a GameCube controller.

Basically, the game goes out of its way to

ensure your experience is a smooth, joyous one.

While most of the minigames don’t need it, ND Cube incentivizes several playthroughs by showering players with Stars and coins,

whether playing locally or online. These can be spent in the Data House to pick from an impressively long list of unlockables. While there’s almost nothing to unlock in the

online mode really does prove fun, well-

MP renditions. Players are able to seamlessly connect to random players online, or

with friends, while accessing most of the

features offered in local co-op or solo play.

Impressively, Superstars allows for entire

board game matches with up to three other people online, and even lets players drop

and rejoin while replacing them with bots.

Mt. Minigame also offers pretty robust

online support, as players can delve right into several options tailored to different

game types. These include coin-collecting romps, puzzle games, and 2-v-2 face-offs

(which allows for guests to play on the same console). A fun - but frustrating - option is a “Survival” game, which forces you to keep a win streak going to continue.

way of real content, the game provides a

Perhaps the neatest feature in the online

Encyclopedic pages that allow you to bask

Challenges, which provide a few trios of

number of fun cosmetic goodies, music, and in the MP past. These items include trivial

yet amusing emote stickers that can be used to express displeasure, gloat, or annoyingly spam when playing board games online.

realm is the constantly-changing Daily

minigames revolving around similar themes.

Examples include games that stress jumping and sporting activities. These online options add loads of fun and replayability to the

experience, even during the lag hiccups

of ups and downs. A slew of fun content,

Matchmaking was sometimes a bit lengthy

and solid online play make this a definitive

or freezes (which were thankfully rare). for my tastes, though ND Cube wisely

tosses in a practice game to occupy you while waiting.

Aside from the lack of board games,

solo-focused content, and new material in general, Mario Party Superstars very much excels. It’s emphatically become

one of the most appealing multiplayer games on Switch, and proves a high

watermark in a franchise that’s been full

sleek presentation, QoL improvements, Mario Party game. Being a sort of

antithesis of the more unique, motion-

heavy Super Mario Party, diehard fans of that game may be somewhat turned off

by this reprisal, with its far safer approach.

But if you can appreciate this one for what it is - a polished, fleshed-out homage to Golden Era-Mario Party - then this gem really shines.

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