FPS – My Life, or Something Like It

Get in the Habit: Overwatch

The world can always use more heroes, and you’ve finally decided to become one. We’ve gathered some pro-level tips to get you on your way to saving the world in Overwatch.

Now that you’ve decided to settle in and really learn how to play Overwatch, you realise that it’s the one-year anniversary and most of your friends have been playing for months, if not since closed beta. How do you compete? We’ve got some experienced tips and tricks to help get you caught up on everything Overwatch to get well on your way to pro.

Diversify Your Hero Roster

One of the biggest things you can do for yourself and your team is to learn as many heroes as possible, ideally one from each category (damage, defense, tank, and support). While it’s difficult to master every hero, having a selection of heroes to play will not only give you options when someone chooses your ‘main’, but will also give you an understanding of different roles required to build a proper composite group. Playing a diverse range of heroes will also help you to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each hero and role, in addition to what some of their counters may be. Do not be afraid to play around with various heroes in a Quick Play environment in order to get a feel for which heroes you may have an affinity. Additionally, you will not likely get the swing of a given hero on your first round. It will take a few attempts before you know whether or not it’s a hero you’d like to explore. While you may find your initial set of heroes early, do be sure to return to other heroes as you learn the game more or as patches are released. You never know when you may decide you love Reaper over McCree, for example.

Learn the Maps & Modes

After you’ve played around in Quick Play or Arcade and have gotten a feel for some of the heroes at your disposal, the next step to success in-game is to really learn the maps, and I mean really learn the maps. As a flanking Reaper or Tracer, it pays to know where every health pack is and what amount of health it will give you. Healers may not always be available to top you off or even to help you survive through tough attacks, so knowing how to survive will save you during hard times. Additionally, knowing secret routes and paths to get to objectives will aid you in flanking to capture, or in preventing others from surprising you. For example, the initial objective point on Volskaya Industries has an exposed flank for highly mobile/aerial characters like Tracer, D Va, Lucio, Reaper, or Pharah to flank from. Knowing about weak points like this in your defense strategy will help you to keep eyes and potential deterrents (like turrets) from letting the enemy through. If you want the safety and time to properly explore maps, you can always make a private game for yourself and really explore things thoroughly without getting shanked from behind by Genji.

For Quick Play and Competitive gameplay, there are three main modes to learn: Payload-based, Control, and Capture. While each of these modes are simple to understand, they can take time to master. Be sure to pay attention to good groups you join in order to learn strategies for accomplishing each goal. For example, while it may be possible to attack a Capture point with two snipers, it will likely make your life more difficult than having more direct DPS in those roles. However, bear in mind that what works in Quick Play, may not hold up against Competitive teams. Reading up on game mode strategies outside of personal experience in-game can also be an asset in this regard. There are also Game Modes found exclusively in the Arcade (Capture the Flag, Brawl, 3v3, etc.), which are best encountered after learning the basics of the regular game modes, as well as after gaining experience with an array of heroes.

Customise Your Experience

After you’ve spent a great deal of time learning the heroes, maps, and game modes, you can start to customise your Overwatch experience on a more micro level. Does your mouse feel too slow when you’re playing on Tracer? Would you like a bit more control over your reticle while sniping on Widowmaker? In your heroes settings you can choose to make changes to all heroes at once, or make specific changes according to any given hero. These changes can include mouse sensitivity and keybinds, in order to make hero-switching between games or mid-match a breeze. This will also allow you to tweak character settings for one hero without damaging what you’re used to on another. While you may find that the majority of your gameplay is acceptable with a standard set of keybinds and sensitivity across the board, having access to these settings and adjusting things as necessary is an asset for mastering the game.

Tweak Your Rig

You’re wall-sliding like a pro on Lucio and tactfully setting up turrets as Trobjorn, hammering your way to glory on most of your adventures in Quick Play. When you start to feel more confident about your gameplay within the Overwatch client, it’s the time to ensure that your computer settings are giving you the best experience you can get. Tweaking both the in-game graphics and interface settings, alongside your own graphics card or game mode settings, can help get that extra little bit of response time that you may need to survive some justice from above. Take the time to read and learn what the optimal settings are for your system for Overwatch and if you have the funds available, consider investing in more performance. Overwatch is a resource-demanding game and the more power you can get out of your machine, the more immersed you’ll be able to get in the world while playing.

While not necessarily a performance-booster, if you really have money to burn and have decided to commit full-time to the game, Razer makes an entire line of Overwatch-specific peripherals that are sure to help you game in style. Not only are the peripherals cool-looking (and an upgrade to any rig), they also change colours and have different effects depending on which hero you play. Keys will also light up according to which abilities are available, or will react according to what your character is doing on-screen. Switching up the beat never looked so cool.

Stay Up to Date

Finally, you’ve learned all the skills, mastered every map, memorized every health-pack location, and have even caved and bought a fancy new Razer keyboard. Surprise, it’s patch day! Things can go haywire at a moment’s notice as heroes are changed and tweaked according to new builds that Blizzard decides to push out. Things will be buggy, overpowered, underpowered, and always frustrating at these times. Have faith and stay informed throughout the process. If you really want to stay ahead of the game (literally), keep an eye on beta news for changes that haven’t been released on the official client yet. If you have the ability, be sure to actually play on the beta test servers as well to get a feel for changes as they happen. If you feel comfortable with the game, also be sure to give constructive feedback on the characters and maps you know best in order to help maintain as much competitive fairness as can be managed. Overwatch, like many other online games today, is an ever-changing work in progress. Things will never stay static and staying on top of things will be your biggest advantage for keeping your skillset up to date. Make rumors, news, and reliable guides your best friend.

Do you have any tips and tricks for getting a head start in Overwatch? What did you find most difficult to learn when you first got started? Let us know in our discussions and join us on Discord, on our Facebook page, or Twitter!

Resident Evil Moves Forward by Going Back to Basics

Returning to its roots, Resident Evil has reclaimed its rightful place among the top horror games with Biohazard.

Resident Evil has been a longstanding household name in video game horror. After the introduction of the first title in 1996, the series has had a continual presence within the genre. While Resident Evil was there at the beginning, not all of their moves have been historically well received.

When Resident Evil 6 was released in 2012, it moved the series away from a more traditional survival horror genre and into the action-adventure territory. As third person shooter, RE6 had players battling from an entirely new perspective. Players and critics alike met the game with mixed reviews and divided opinions on the game’s shift from the series’ tone and gameplay style. Capcom themselves labeled the title as a “dramatic horror” rather than “survival horror”, and while it was a commercial success, RE6 left many players wanting.

resident evil 6 screenshot — Resident Evil 6 Gameplay

After listening to player responses to RE6, Capcom rethought the gameplay, environment, and the immersion experience, help to bring Biohazard away from its predecessor’s pitfalls and into a new world for Resident Evil games. Enter Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, a true return to form. Capcom has taken great lengths to bring the series to its survival horror roots in this RE6 sequel, and it shows in the reviews. The hero of RE7 is not some well armed super soldier, he is a regular guy trapped in a terrifying situation. RE7 is brilliantly designed to balance atmospheric tension and jump scares with compelling storytelling. That terror is ever present in this game; in every room, down every hallway, around every tight corner. Yet, despite that, the story coaxes players through the games plantation labyrinth.

Much like the original title, RE7 not only returns players to the survival horror style of the series but also helps to shake up horror gaming more broadly, urging gamers to think on their feet and under pressure, in order to survive. Unlike past RE games and other survival horror titles, Biohazard gives players very little room to stop and smell the roses. The game’s puzzles are designed so that they require keen observation of the world around you, all while being chased around by murderous baddies, of course. While exploring the eerie and decrepit Baker house, you must think while you act, making decisions on the fly which often seem counter to your instinctual reaction.

Players are encouraged to think for themselves, there are no easy answers or special abilities to hack your way through. Even when you are given a gun you may realize that even though you may have bullets left, sometimes no amount of shooting will help you. In RE7, sometimes the only solution there is, is to run. Stacking the odds against the player makes everything more tense. The everyday kind of protagonist leaves you feeling vulnerable while the games grimy environments and uneasy atmosphere make you feel uncomfortable. It is all tied together to create a terrifying immersive experience.

resident evil 7 screenshot — The encounters in Resident Evil 7 are smaller and more intimate, but that only makes it more terrifying.

The harrowing ambiance in Biohazard is only intensified if you play using VR, exclusively for PlayStation VR (at least for the first year). Even without the VR component, the quick thinking and camera action required by players can leave sensitive stomachs reaching for the pause button. With the addition of VR, the Biohazard installment helps to bring players truly into fear-inducing situations. Tensions already run high when playing RE7, making it difficult to solve its puzzles under pressure; however, with VR, players are one step closer to actually experiencing those situations and brings the term immersive gameplay to a whole new level.

With well-developed storylines, ambiance, puzzles, graphics, and new tech integration, Capcom has gone well beyond the needs of a successful sequel in Biohazard. Hopefully, RE7 will not only help to shape future Resident Evil games, but also pave the way for further immersive VR use outside of the series.

Do you think Capcom has saved Resident Evil’s future? Jump in the comments below or talk to us on Facebook, Twitter, or on our forums!

Images © Capcom

Titan-felled & Misfired Release Dates

EA fumbles the releases of Titanfall 2 and Battlefield 1

The fumble cost a severe loss in revenue for the company, as they’re competing against Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.

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Ghoul On! Horror Video Games, Then & Now

Pumpkins are on every post in World of Warcraft and our heroes are dressing up in Overwatch—it’s that time of year to get spooky and break out the horror games.

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This Day in Gaming History: June 14th

This Day in Gaming History is an editorial released 2-3 days per week, that takes you on a ride in its custom-built gaming history blue box. We take a look at titles all released on the same day throughout gaming history, while also giving extra facts and anecdotes as available or appropriate. Got a favorite game that you want to learn more about, or perhaps want to see featured on TDIGH? Send angel1573 a message on the forums, or leave a comment below!

Things are falling into place today as we take a look at one of the most well known video games of all time, we delve into a Playstation 2 experiment title ahead of its time, and revisit one of the Playstation 3’s best story-driven titles; all on This Day in Gaming History!

TETRIS (GAMEBOY) [JAPAN]

Originally released on June 6th in 1984, Tetris found its way onto the Game Boy on this day in 1989 in Japan. Tetris was the first entertainment software to be exported from the then-USSR to the US, initially finding itself on the Commodore 64 and IBM PC. The title is a popular use of “tetrominoes”, the four-element special case of “polyominoes.” The use of “polyominoes” have been used in popular puzzles since at least the early 1900’s; however, they date back as far as antiquity. The game has been released for nearly every video game console and computer operating system since its initial release, and has frequently been listed as one of the greatest video games of all time. In January of 2010, it was announced that the franchise had sold more than 170 million copies, approximately 70 million physical copies and over 100 million copies for mobile devices.

According to academic research, Tetris might actually increase your brain function and activity. As a user becomes more proficient, their brains show more efficient brain activity while playing. Even moderate playing can result in increased general cognitive function–critical thinking, reasoning, language, and processing. Tetris has been a focus of many other academic studies over the years. The title also inspired a number of film adaptations, including both a short animated film and the live action movie, both entitled Pixels.

PSI-OPS: THE MINDGATE CONSPIRACY (PS2)

Released in North America on this day in 2004, this traditionally-styled shooter incorporated a variety of psychic powers to differentiate itself in the market. Players take control of Nick Scryer, a ‘PSI-Operative’ whose mind has been wiped in order to infiltrate a terrorist organization. He is ultimately captured and must fight his way out, regaining his PSI powers along the way. The diverse set of psychic abilities, and limited tactical choices of weaponry, made PSI-OPS an entertaining excursion from the norm of shooters. It received generally favorable reviews from critics and players alike, but has yet to produce a sequel. The game was listed in 2010 as a game that should receive a sequel, as well as one to play before you die. In February of 2007, producer Midway Games faced a copyright infringement suit from William L. Crawford III who claimed similarities with his screenplay “Psi-Ops”. In December of 2008, Midway won the case, leaving the future of Psi-Ops open for potential revival.

THE LAST OF US (PS3)

Released only in 2013 on this day, The Last of Us is a third-person action-adventure survival-horror title (try saying that three times fast). The title was remastered for the PS4 in 2014. Players use firearms and improvised weapons alongside stealth to defend against enemy humans and cannibalistic creatures. Development of the title began in 2009, shortly after the release of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The central focus of the game lies on its two main characters, Joel and Ellie; all gameplay elements were developed around it. The actors chosen to play these key roles, were also used for motion capture of the characters.

Following its announcement in 2011, the title was widely anticipated, and received wide praise by many reviewers. Its acclaim centered around characterization, subtext, exploration of the human condition, its soundscape, its visuals, and its depiction of female characters. The game’s depictions of violence also became a source of discussion among critics. The title became one of the best selling PS3 games, and is widely considered to be one of the best video games of all time. Following its initial release, developer Naughty Dog released several DLCs as both prequel and sequel chapters. A sequel has been discussed, and is likely to be in development, following the recent release of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, in early May of this year.

Some other titles released on this day:

Arc the Lad: End of Darkness – PS2 – 2005
Eternal Sonata [Japan] – Xbox 360 – 2007
Alice: Madness Returns – PC/PS3/Xbox 360 – 2011
Fallout Shelter – iOS – 2015

Tag: FPS