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Digimon Survive: Trailer Released Showcases Survival Elements

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Digimon Survive introduces a few changes to the franchise formula.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 30, 2018

The first trailer for Digimon Survive showcases a shocking return for the franchise. 

While the Digimon property hasn't been entirely dormant in recent years, it's been quite some time since we've seen a Digimon game that felt like more than a stroll down memory lane. Digimon Survive is certainly not that. Instead, this impressive project will emphasize the "Survive" part of its title by requiring players to navigate a hostile world while trying to stay alive. 

There isn't much information available at this time regarding the finer points of the game's story or gameplay, but we do know that this game will tell the story of a group of teenagers who get lost on a camping trip and end up in a world of Digimon and dangers. Given that the game is being billed as a "survival-simulation RPG," we tend to think that these teenagers will be required to gather resources, craft, and perhaps even deal with hostile environmental elements at some point during the game's story. 

Speaking of the story, early footage of the title reveals that the game's story sections will play out in a pseudo-3D "visual novel" style. Said sections will seemingly allow the player to explore and investigate certain areas in order to trigger dialog prompts. 

Combat-wise, the game utilizes an almost SNES-like (at least in terms of visuals) battle system that appears to be grid-based. It seems that multiple monsters and characters will be able to participate in the game's battles, but there aren't many details available at this time regarding exactly how the battles will play out across the course of the game. 

Digimon Survive is certainly shaping up to be the most ambitious Digimon game in quite some time. You'll be able to see if it lives up to its promise when the game is released for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC sometime in 2019. 

Read the latest Den of Geek Special Edition Magazine Here!


Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Release Date, Trailer, Gameplay, and News

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 beta dates have been announced! Here's when you get your hands on the multiplayer and Blackout battle royale mode.

NewsDen of Geek Staff
Jul 30, 2018

Activision has confirmed that the next Call of Duty game will be Black Ops 4. The publisher has promised to reveal more information about the game on May 17 during a live stream event. What we do know is that veteran CoD studio Treyarch is developing the game.

Some reports suggest that Treyarch is even working on a Switch version of Black Ops 4. Whether or not that version of the game will launch alongside the other versions of Black Ops 4 has not been confirmed at this time. There are also reports that Black Ops 4 might be available via Battle.net. 

It makes sense that the next Call of Duty title would be Black Ops 4 considering the previous release schedule of recent Call of Duty games. Recently, Black Ops games have arrived on a three-year release schedule and it has been three years since the last Black Ops title. Furthermore, the Black Ops games have historically sold quite well in comparison to even the "main" games in the Call of Duty franchise.

What is somewhat surprising is the rumored notion that Black Ops 4's setting may be impacted by the negative reception to recent Call of Duty titles. Historically, the Black Ops games have kind of marched to their own beat. As such, it's admittedly odd to consider that the next installment in the franchise may adopt a more crowd-pleasing setting and tone. Of course, we have no doubt that some of the trademark weirdness of Black Ops series will live on regardless of the era this game happens to take place in. 

Here's what else we know about the game:

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Battle Royale

The first footage of Blackout, Black Ops 4's battle royale mode, is here:

While that trailer features footage from all of Black Ops 4's multiplayer modes, it's the Blackout footage that is rightfully capturing everyone's attention. We don't get to see much of the new mode, but we see enough to determine that Blackout will seemingly emphasize vehicle-based combat. Eagle-eyed viewers have also spotted a flash of what appears to be a zombie. That seems to indicate that zombies may be an optional or standard PvE element in this upcoming battle royale mode. 

We also now know that the Blackout beta will begin sometime in December. You can read much more about this new mode here.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Beta

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is on the way, but before the full game arrives in October, Treyarch is going to host a few beta sessions to test out the PvP multiplayer as well as the new battle royale mode, Blackout. Here are the dates:

If you pre-order the PS4 version of the game, you'll be able to jump into the PvP multiplayer beta on Aug. 3 at 1 pm ET. This is a timed PS4 exclusive beta. Xbox One and PC owners can play the beta on Aug. 10 at 1 pm ET. Six maps will be playable in Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, and Control modes.

The Blackout beta will take place sometime in September. This beta will be available to those who pre-ordered the PS4 version of the game first. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Trailer

The first multiplayer trailer has arrived and it showcases all the explosive online combat action you should expect in this new installment. Check it out below:

You can watch the very first teaser trailer below:

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Release Date

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will arrive on Oct. 12, 2018. It's coming to PS4, XBO, and PC.

Read the Den of Geek SDCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine Here!

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Campaign

During the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 reveal stream, the developers confirmed that Black Ops 4 will not feature a traditional campaign. However, it will feature extensive zombie mode options - including the ability to play zombie mode with bots - and there were hints that the multiplayer mode's various operatives will be playable in short single-player modes that will allow you to learn their abilities.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Zombie Mode

The latest trailer for Black Ops 4 Zombie Mode conveys what would happen if zombies invaded the Titanic. Yes, we're quite serious. 

Black Ops 4's zombie mode is shaping up to be the series' largest and most impressive take on the concept yet. From time travel to custom match options, you can read about all of the mode's features here

Victory Road: One of the Weirdest Video Game Sequels of All Time

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It was the sequel to the military shooting game, Ikari Warriors. So why was Victory Road so weird?

FeatureRyan Lambie
Jul 31, 2018

Cast your minds back to the year 2004, and the release of Infinity Ward’s shooter, Call Of Duty. With its authentic-feeling locations, characters and sound effects, it captured at least a bit of the grime and grip of real-world combat. The 2005 sequel was an even bigger hit - generally praised for its intensity and gritty realism.

But imagine, just for a moment, an alternate universe where Call Of Duty 2 emerged as a completely different game. Imagine how strange it would be if, for some reason, developer Infinity Ward decided to set Call Of Duty on an alien planet. Imagine if they’d thrown in some really surreal monsters instead of World War II soldiers. Imagine if, just to confuse everybody further, they didn’t even bother calling if Call Of Duty 2, but, say, Cabbage Fountain.

Incredibly, this is pretty much what happened in 1986.

In February that year, Japanese developer SNK released what’s widely regarded as its first worldwide hit: the top-down shooter, Ikari Warriors. A twist on Capcom’s earlier, military-themed Commando, Ikari Warriors brought its own twist to the run-and-gun action: the arcade cabinet was armed with an unusual kind of joystick that allowed the player to shoot in one direction while moving in the other - a handy tactical advantage as enemy soldiers flooded the screen from every direction.

Ikari Warriors introduced other ideas of its own, too, including a welcome two-player co-op mode and a range of vehicles to commandeer, including tanks and helicopters. In many ways, Ikari Warriors was a product of its time: with their shock of long black hair, bare chests, and colored bandanas, the game’s heroes (Ralf and Clark) are clearly modelled on Sylvester Stallone’s title character in Rambo: First Blood Part II.

Unlike SNK’s earlier coin-op titles, which it had quietly been putting out in Japan since the late 1970s, Ikari Warriors was released all over the world and widely ported to home systems, including the NES and ZX Spectrum. It was this game, and to a lesser extent titles like Athena and Psycho Soldier, that helped build SNK’s global reputation - later, the firm would become best known for the Neo-Geo system and games like King Of Fighters and Metal Slug.

Read the latest Den of Geek Special Edition Magazine Here!

In 1986, meanwhile, SNK was evidently keen to capitalize on the success of Ikari Warriors, since it managed to rush a sequel into Japanese arcades by that October. Whether it was a by-product of a hurried development or simply the result of eating too much cheese at bedtime, that sequel proved to be startlingly weird.

First, let’s get the title out of the way. In the west, it was called Victory Road; in Japan, its title was Dogo Soken, which apparently means Bellowing Atmosphere.

Then there’s the plot. It picks up immediately after the events of Ikari Warriors, as Ralf and Clark are flying home from their last adventure: one minute they’re high-fiving each other for a successful mission, and the next they’re struck by an electrical storm that flings them into the future.

Mechanically, Victory Road is pretty much the same as its predecessor: the same run-and-gun action, the same rotary joystick, and more than likely, a fair bit of the same code underpinning the game behind the scenes. What distinguishes Victory Road is its descent into dreamlike surrealism - there are moments in here that rival John Boorman's 1970s cinematic odyssey, Zardoz.

Take the absolutely maniacal opening. Our brave warriors are working their way along what looks like a gigantic rope bridge (like the one out of the Temple Of Doom) suspended in the depths of space. Suddenly, an outsized, disembodied stone head descends, and screams the following:

"Warriors! Show some guts! You can't escape me! Come get me if you can!"

Cackling villainously, the giant stone head then floats back up the screen, and the real challenge begins. Tiny green critters come scuttling down the rope bridge, and make odd squeaking noises when they're shot. Next come bouncing, four-legged spider-wasp hybrids. After that, flying green demons with red wings; the onslaught is bizarre and relentless.

As Ralf and Clark venture further into the game, the rope bridges give way to sandy areas with alien stone structures and ancient-looking columns. There are gigantic area bosses that take the form of three-headed dragons and giant crabs with extending pincers. Through it all, the synth score is largely drowned out by the plaintive squeals of enemies, the rumble of explosions, sirens, and regular Stallone-style grunts from the heroes.

Hilariously, as outlandish as the action in Victory Road is, the central characters still retain their bare-chested look from Ikari Warriors. It's like taking Rambo out of his natural battlefield environment and putting him in the midst of, say, Valerian, and seeing how he responds to all the alien creatures shuffling about everywhere. It stands to reason that Rambo would probably just blow everything up with a bazooka.

In many ways, Victory Road sums up what was great about the Japanese games industry in its formative years. Today, the notion of making such an outlandish sequel would be turned down flat by executives in expensive suits; back then, there was nobody to tell SNK that following a military action game with giant heads, time vortexes and flying green space demons was going to just confuse everybody.

With the Call Of Duty series, the evolution from quasi-realistic World War II shooter to contemporary action blockbuster with sci-fi elements (2016's Infinite Warfare) took more than a decade. Ikari Warriors basically went from military shooter to febrile madness in approximately eight months. 

Victory Road appears to have been a success, since it was almost as widely ported to home computer consoles as Ikari Warriors was. All the same, SNK may have known that they went a bit far down the surrealism route with Victory Road, since 1989's Ikari Warriors III: The Rescue went for a more conventional approach. The president's kid has been kidnapped and only you can save them with your brawn and bullets - the rest basically writes itself.

Ikari Warriors III may have restored order to the universe, but we can't help but harbor a sneaking affection for Victory Road - especially the original arcade version. When the game's running at full bore and the bullets are flying, the effect is hypnotic: a cacophonous, colorful rave of a shooter that's low on strategy but high on eye-popping action.

Best of all, there's very little explanation as to what it is you're killing or why - at least until the end. Part of the concluding text crawl reads as follows:

"You have fighted well to the last stage. Thanks. All devils have gone to the world where they should stay."

With the devils apparently expelled, Ikari Warriors reverted back to its military theme for its third and final entry. Thereafter, Ralf and Clark retired from the battlefield altogether, and appeared among the roster of characters in SNK's King Of Fighters. In a way, we can't help wishing SNK hadn't expelled their devils; the company never made another game quite as mad as this one again, even as the '90s saw them reach the height of their creative powers.

Run-and-gun shooter Shock Troopers, released in 1997, was in many ways a spiritual successor to Ikari Warriors. Regrettably, it sorely lacked Victory Road's madness - or giant, talking stone heads.

Evo 2018 Schedule

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Starting this Friday, it's wall-to-wall fighting games. Need to know which stream to watch which game at Evo 2018? We have you covered.

NewsGavin Jasper
Jul 31, 2018

This weekend is the overwhelmingly-massive fighting game tournament extravaganza, Evo 2018. The Evolution Championship Series will be heading our way from Las Vegas for three days of excessive one-on-one (and three-on-three) fighting. There’s going to be thousands of players from all around the world vying for the #1 spots in eight different fighting games*.

*Ignore this if you’re one of those people who insists that Smash Bros. doesn’t count as a fighting game.

This year, the games in question are Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Injustice 2, Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2, Tekken 7, Super Smash Bros. Wii U, BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, and Dragon Ball FighterZ. From August 3 to August 5, we’ll see them whittle down the brackets through pools, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finally the finals (or Top 8, as the kids like to call it).

We’ll be covering the show here at Den of Geek and will have all the streams set up for you to watch to your heart’s content.

Pictured: me, this weekend.

Here’s the breakdown game-by-game. Because it’s in Vegas, it’s listed as PDT. So if you’re in the Eastern time zone, just add three hours like normal.

There are NINE streams total: EVO, EVO1-7, and CAPCOMFIGHTERS. When it comes to seeing the finals of any given game, it will always be on the main stage at EVO.

Meanwhile, EVO and EVO6 will at times host The Jump Off, which will try to streamline all of the madness going on and make it easier to follow what's going on with all the different games. That will go on for all of Friday and most of Saturday. EVO7 is dedicated to showing off side tournaments. From 4pm-8pm on Saturday, EVO2 will also get in on the side tournament action.

Check back with us for more on Evo 2018.

Read the latest Den of Geek Special Edition Magazine Here!

Gavin Jasper feels that Tattoo Assassins was cheated once again. Follow Gavin on Twitter!

Street Fighter: Ranking All the Characters

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After years of fireballs and uppercuts, we've decided to go hog wild on ranking all the Street Fighter characters from worst to best.

FeatureGavin Jasper
Jul 31, 2018

Street Fighter’s been part of video game culture—hell, pop culture—since...well, the second game. Nobody ever cared about the first game. Kind of sad, really. Capcom’s series has been reinvented many times over the last 30 years. With so many sequels and rehashes, the iconic cast of characters have clashed with the Marvel superheroes and even their SNK and Namco fighting game counterparts. They’ve had movies, animated adventures, lots of comics, and a really cool web series.

As the franchise continues to chug along with Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition and its constant DLC, I’ve decided to rank every character from worst to best. Hey, people seemed to like it when I did the same for Mortal Kombat. Only makes sense to try the World Warriors while I’m at it.

Of course, figuring out the guidelines was a bit tricky. At first, I was thinking of going with any fighter in a game with “Street Fighter” in the title. That way I could make jokes about Captain Sawada from Street Fighter: The Movie and the Shadaloo Cyborg from Street Fighter: The Interactive Movie. Then I realized that those qualifications would mean I’d have to include the cast of Street Fighter EX, and nuts to that! Sorry, but that cast is 80% terrible, and I really don’t want to have to talk about them.

Not you, Skullomania. You're still my hero.

Instead, all you need to qualify is to be a fighter in one of the canon Street Fighter games. That means Street Fighter, Street Fighter II, Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter III, Street Fighter IV, Street Fighter V, and all their respective upgrades and updates.

Read the latest Den of Geek Special Edition Magazine Here!

As with the Mortal Kombat article, I’m ranking these based on style, storyline, and personal preference. Not over who has the better infinite combos, hitboxes, or whatever wins you tournaments. Also, depictions in other games and media reflect on my opinion, so while Sawada won’t make it in, Raul Julia’s M. Bison will certainly factor to his spot.

Now, the Mortal Kombat cast is completely scattershot in quality. In comparison, Street Fighter’s roster is a lot more solid on the whole, so realize that I’m very much a fan of most of the entries on the list. Keep that in mind when your favorite ends up in the late-30s or wherever.

Now let’s start with the worst of the worst...

76. LEE

First appearance: Street Fighter

When you try to figure out the worst Street Fightercharacter, you basically have to look to the first game and the cast members who never got revisited in any relevant way. While guys like Birdie, Adon, Sagat, Gen, and Eagle evolved and became more realized, a handful of opponents remained stuck in the past with nothing much to hang on to.

Lee falls behind the most with me. He’s just so boring and looks like a dork. At least with the other Street Fighter 1 characters, I can imagine them being badass. Not with Lee. Just looking at him saps away at my creativity and will to be productive.

How funny that the very worst Street Fighter character shares the same name as the very best Tekkencharacter.

Buy all your Street Fighter swag here!

75. JOE

First appearance: Street Fighter

Joe is the most basic, generic character I’ve seen in a fighting game that isn't Virtua Fighter. He’s just a shirtless guy in red pants who does nothing special outside of a jumping roundhouse kick. Every single enemy from Final Fight has a more interesting design than this man.

Yet while Lee’s blandness puts me to sleep, Joe’s generic design intrigues me. I kind of love it in an ironic way. Word is that Cody’s Alpha 3 redesign was originally going to be given to Joe, which certainly would’ve made this ranking different. Instead, Capcom’s stayed away from him and made him “that guy.”

74. MIKE

First appearance: Street Fighter

Mike is baaaaasically Balrog, but not really. I mean, Balrog was obviously supposed to be him in Street Fighter II(as he’s called Mike Bison in Japan), but the naming switcheroo in America led to Capcom saying, “What? No. Officially, Mike and the boxer from Shadaloo are two different people!” They even made an inspired joke about it in Street Fighter V's arcade mode via Balrog's "Street Fighter 1" ending.

That means we’re left with this throwaway black boxer guy from the U.S. who will never show up ever again. He’s worthless outside of having that sweet Mount Rushmore stage.

73. RETSU

First appearance: Street Fighter

While Retsu lacks the innate coolness of Geki, he’s at least got a shin up on the other Street Fighter 1 bozos. For one, those eyebrows. Those wonderful, wonderful eyebrows.

He also has ties with the Gouken side of the Street Fighter universe and has always seemed like he’s on the cusp of being something more than a one-hit never-was. Like the way Capcom had official art of him beating the crap out of Dan Hibiki back in the Alphadays. I kind of get why people keep clamoring for him to make a comeback. It feels like he actually could be someone worth mentioning if they gave him the chance. Instead, he’s just another forgotten relic.

72. INGRID

First appearance: Capcom Fighting Jam (cancelled)
First appearance in a completed game: Capcom Fighting Evolution
First appearance in Street Fighter: Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max

Hey, look. It’s a sore thumb.

Ingrid was originally created for Capcom Fighting Jam, which was never finished. Then they used her for Capcom Fighting Evolution, which was the laziest fighter Capcom ever made. Since they had her sprites done, they put her in Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max for PSP. They explained her to an extent as a higher power in the Street Fighter universe who created Psycho Power and wanted to go take care of Bison for stealing it from her.

Ingrid breaks the Street Fighter universe. She’s essentially the Phantom Stranger, only she’s a cosmic teenage girl because anime. It’s like, you can have the guys from Street Fighter take on Galactus, Sigma, Master Hand, etc., and it works in a goofy crossover situation. But if you were to canonize it, it would just feel off. Plus her insertion into the story really cheapens M. Bison.

71. EL FUERTE

First appearance: Street Fighter IV

Listen, if you happen to know anything about me, you know I’m a big wrestling guy. Therefore, it says a lot that I have a luchador this low. Believe me, I was pumped when he was announced, but the spark quickly dimmed. The dude is annoying, and his flimsy gimmick of being a wandering chef who isn’t very good...isn’t very good. When I see he’s my next opponent and he’s leaping in with, “IT’S SUPER DYNAMIC COOKING TIME!” I can’t press the skip button fast enough.

As annoying and eye-rolling as he is, I will give him points for the Street Fighter comic where he’s shown to be an intense Rainbow Mika fanboy.

70. DEE JAY

First appearance: Super Street Fighter II

If he wasn’t in the most classic batch of Street Fighter games, Dee Jay would probably have gone the way of Joe and Mike. A kickboxer with a constant smile on his face, Dee Jay is all about rhythm and that’s about it. Despite being a guy based on dancing, he’s still somehow the most boring guy from the Street Fighter IIgames. He’s flat and they’ve yet to give him a storyline deeper than, “Dee Jay goes around fighting people and then happily dances to the rhythm.”

The first live-action Street Fighter movie improved Dee Jay by making him nothing like the game version.

69. JULI

First appearance: Street Fighter Alpha 3

M. Bison’s Dolls are a pretty cool concept. He has his own set of buxom, young, brainwashed assassin women to do his dirty work. Not only is their very existence evil, but it’s even more diabolical when you realize that in case Bison dies, he’s using their bodies as hosts for his soul until his scientists can whip up a new clone body.

In theory, they’re great, but as playable characters, they leave a lot to be desired. They’re just lesser versions of Cammy with the foresight to wear leggings. Even with two of them playable in Street Fighter Alpha 3, there’s still the nagging feeling that some of the others would make for more interesting fighters.

Eventually, Capcom came to realize that with Ultra Street Fighter IVand Street Fighter V.

68. JUNI

First appearance: Street Fighter Alpha 3

So Juli and Juni are both pretty much the same, but Juni has actual storyline closure by getting to move on with her life. Juli got shoved into a T. Hawk storyline despite not being the Native American Doll. But Noembelu wasn't playable, so they shoved a square peg into a round hole instead.

67. REMY

First appearance: Street Fighter III: Third Strike

Third Strike introduced Remy, a Guile-like replacement who is bitter and nobody really cares. His whole thing is that his father became a street fighter and wandered the globe, all while he and his sister were abandoned. Now he’s going around fighting people because he is mad and this I guess is his way of dealing with his anger.

They’ve never gotten into who his father is and it doesn’t appear to be Guile or Charlie, so we’re just left with an emo knockoff acting like a hypocrite.

66. FALKE

First appearance: Street Fighter V

Falke has a great visual design and her fighting style is a strong argument that Capcom really should have included Black Tom in their Marvel games. She just doesn’t introduce anything new or dynamic. She’s yet another escaped M. Bison host body/Doll who really hates Shadaloo. It’s even worse because of the first time we got to see her. She was established as part of Ed’s new Neo Shadaloo squad and getting her boring ass instead of the gorilla and whatever the dude with the weird hair was about just feels like insult to injury.

Sorry, but monotone Cammy just doesn’t do it for me.

65. THUNDER HAWK

First appearance: Super Street Fighter II

Added as part of Super Street Fighter II, T. Hawk is part of the mid-90s fad of tossing in token Native American fighters (see also: Nightwolf, Chief Thunder, Wolf Hawkfield, um...Billy Two Moons?). He’s an acceptable alternative to Zangief with the sweet wind-up claw/chokeslam, but there’s a reason why he only shows up in the games that intend on bringing all the early guys back (Alpha 3, Super Street Fighter IV). He’s just kind of muted and refuses to stand out all that much.

Which is sort of funny when you realize that he’s usually the tallest guy on the roster.

Also, he looked like a total doofus when flying around in the cartoon.

64. LAURA MATSUDA

First appearance: Street Fighter V

Of the initial four new characters introduced in Street Fighter V, Laura is the pits. She has a good look and giving a Brazilian character Brazilian jujutsu feels like a long time coming. Her ability to make her body electric is cool in a vacuum, but it is sort of odd how that’s just something Brazilians seem to do in the Street Fighter universe. When introduced, she seemed like she had potential.

She instead came off as incredibly annoying with little else to show for it. Her attributes appear to be that she’s Sean’s less-interesting sister and she’s a T&A fanservice character overshadowed from being in the most T&A fanservice Street Fighter game there is. Even her time in the story mode is dedicated to loudly reminding us that she exists and then being immediately forgotten.

Like they have her talk up how she’s joining Ken whether he likes it or not, but then she appears in the background once and that’s it.

63. TWELVE

First appearance: Street Fighter III: Third Strike

If the Street Fighter III games didn’t look so damn good, Twelve would rank even lower. The T-1000 sperm creature is a wonder to look at, as Capcom animated the hell out of him...her...it. In a way, it’s the closest we’ll ever get to seeing Carnage in a Marvel fighting game, outside of that dumb “Red Venom” crap in Marvel vs. Capcom.

Despite being Urien’s mighty morphing power ranger, Twelve kind of blends into the background of Street Fighter III: Third Strike. Not only does Twelve lack the dynamic personality of its prototype, Necro, but it also doesn’t help that Q trumps Twelve in the “creepy enigma weirdo” department.

I will say, Twelve’s use in the UDON comic is pretty baller. I shouldn’t really say what it is, since it spoils a neat surprise.

62. GEKI

First appearance: Street Fighter

Of the five Street Fighter 1 characters who never went on to do anything else, Geki is the only one with unique enough of a design to stand out. Sure, he doesn’t really have much of a story because of the game he’s from, but Geki is a full-on ninja dude, and ninjas are super cool. Especially in the dawn of fighting games, seeing a guy decked out in all these ninja novelties and accessories makes “American punching guy in street clothes” look especially lame.

He also throws ninja stars, which only reminds me how odd it is that such a thing is rare in fighting games. Really, with all the ninjas out there, how many actual throwing star attacks are there? Not all that many.

Anyway, Geki’s topped off with the cool claw thing. Capcom decided they could reinvent the whole concept better in the sequel, meaning Geki fell to the wayside.

61. ABIGAIL

First appearance: Final Fight
First appearance in Street Fighter: Street Fighter V

I respect the escalation of the big brute archetype. We went from Birdie to Zangief to T. Hawk to Hugo and finally we’re at Abigail, who is massive to the level of parody. Makes sense, considering his first appearance made him the king of the Andore types. I’m actually surprised it took this long to have him show up in a fighting game, especially when there already was a Final Fight fighting game out there.

After all this wait, they couldn’t come up with anything more than, “he likes cars.” Yeah, that’s his entire deal. Cars. He digs them. Ah well. At least it’s fun punching people like a speed bag. Vroom vroom.

60. SETH

First appearance: Street Fighter IV

Yeah, of all the major villains in Street Fighter, Seth is easily the lamest. He brings some cool ideas to the table, but he just doesn’t compare to the likes of Sagat, Bison, Akuma, and Gill. Even with his unique “anatomically incorrect Dr. Manhattan with a yin-yang belly” design, he’s just a cover version of Bison, carrying out a similar plot through a Shadaloo offshoot.

Seth’s main saving grace is his fighting style, making him a mix between Necro and Taskmaster. He steals the moves of world warriors, including some who aren’t even in the game to begin with. But more than that, he uses his sci-fi artificial body to get creative with it. Zangief’s spinning piledriver is awesome enough, but even more so when the victim is set up with an uppercut to the gut and a teleport catch.

59. MENAT

First appearance: Street Fighter V

With Street Fighter V’s push to make Ed important, he brings certain new blood with him. If Ed is the next generation of M. Bison with a different personality, it’s fitting that we’d get a protégé for Rose with a different personality. She doesn’t play too much like Rose, but enough that they feel connected, which is a good thing. Last thing we need is a SoulCalibur V situation with our replacements. At least Rose could show up and not feel redundant.

Menat is more personable and upbeat than Rose’s gloom and doomsaying, which is kind of refreshing, but there isn’t much to her outside of that. It’s a nice change of pace to have a guide character who doesn’t act overly mature, but Menat’s going to need more to do than simple fortune telling to grow on me.

58. MAKI

First appearance: Final Fight 2
First appearance in a fighting game: Capcom vs. SNK 2
First appearance in Street Fighter: Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max

Maki was introduced in Final Fight 2 as Guy’s pantsless replacement. When they brought her into the one-on-one world in Capcom vs. SNK 2, they actually gave her a more spunky personality and also some tonfas for the sake of differentiating her and making her more than Not-a-Guy Guy.

But then again, her early game appearances were all about the fact that she isn’t Guy in games that didn’t even have him. Unlike other obsessed characters, like Sakura and Rufus, Maki didn’t have much to hang on to. By the time they did put Guy and her together in a game (Alpha 3 Max), she basically double-downed on her obsession with being better than Guy while he simply couldn’t be bothered.

I’d like to see her return just to see Capcom give her some new direction.

57. YANG

First appearance: Street Fighter III

When they threw the baby out with the bathwater in Street Fighter III and made an almost entirely new cast, Yun and Yang came off as elevator music. With all these different outside-the-box ideas they had for the engine, making two sets of sprites and having them play exactly the same for the sake of giving someone two 2D skins was kind of half-baked and unnecessary.

They aren’t the worst couple of guys out there, and there are some aspects about playing them that I enjoy, but I never felt the need to see them again. When they were used as one of the big selling points of Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, I just shrugged.

56. YUN

First appearance: Street Fighter III

Yun gets some points for his Capcom vs SNK 2and Alpha 3 Max depictions. At least Alpha 3 Max had some fun with the constantly reused ending images (ie. Bison and his base exploding) by claiming it was a cinematic reenactment of Yun and Yang taking down Shadaloo after Fei Long got them a movie contract. That amused me.

55. ELENA

First appearance: Street Fighter III

Though gorgeously animated in her initial appearance, Elena’s design never caught on with me. I never found her that fun to play with and, “I want to be everybody’s friend!” always hit me as kind of lame.

I changed my tune a little bit with Ultra Street Fighter IV. According to her ending, her status as a completely likable person works to the extent that even Akuma himself genuinely likes her. A quick montage revealed a somewhat confused Akuma holding a cell phone for a selfie as Elena hugged him.

That’s impressive.

54. CRIMSON VIPER

First appearance: Street Fighter IV

Viper is like a collection of ideas that don’t really come together. She’s a secret agent. She has a daughter. She has gadgets. She has the worst hair in the series. Viper’s like a Frankenstein’s monster of random concepts with little holding her together, making her easy to gloss over in terms of the Street Fighter IVcast.

Her playstyle kind of reminds me of Rock Howard from Garou: Mark of the Wolves (I even saw a mod online that dresses her in his outfit, likely for the same reason) and I can’t hate something that reminds me of that guy.

There’s also that part in the Ties That Bind anime movie where she grabs Cammy by the boob and electrocutes her. That’s just sexy as hel—wrong. I mean to say, that’s just wrong.

*shifts eyes*


53. SODOM

First appearance: Final Fight
First appearance in Street Fighter: Street Fighter Alpha

I’m a bit torn on this guy. When he was introduced in Final Fight, he was the epitome of badass. A huge, armored behemoth with two katanas that you had to fight in an underground wrestling ring. If anyone was asking for expansion, it’s that guy!

And so he showed up in the Alphagames as a dorky white guy pretending to be Japanese. I mean...it’s funny, don’t get me wrong. I love his bigass truck, too. I just feel that it wasn’t the best way to answer his mystique.

52. MAKOTO

First appearance: Street Fighter III: Third Strike

Makoto has this great, unique, hard-hitting fighting style that involves crotch-punching, and I get how that makes her something of a fan-favorite. Otherwise, she seems kind of tame compared to the rest of the Third Strikecast. In a world of mountain-sized wrestlers, thong elementals, mysterious cyborgs, super-polite pugilists, ancient hermits, electric rubber men, and sperm creatures, you have...a girl in a karate gi.

Her basic storyline is kind of all right, but at the end of the day, she’s like Dan played straight(er), and that doesn’t measure up.

51. DHALSIM

First appearance: Street Fighter II

And now we’ve hit the original twelve from Street Fighter II. Dhalsim is a novelty that never seemed as fun to play as he should have been. A stretchy guy who spits fire sounds like a good time, but he was always too floaty for my taste. He’s also just a bargain basement wise man who never really does much with it outside of mentoring Ryu in Street Fighter II Vand helping Sagat regain his true self in the UDON comic series.

I did rather like Dhalsim’s partnership with Sagat in Street Fighter X Tekken, where their devotion to protecting children united them despite their very different demeanors.

Anyway, I can’t hate on Dhalsim too much. The guy once invited Shuma-Gorath to his home for a dinner date.

50. ABEL

First appearance: Street Fighter IV

As one of the main characters of Street Fighter IV, I found Abel lacking because his character is “Male Cammy” without the benefit of them ever calling it out. The only real reference to it is the UDON series where the two of them work together as the paramilitary team Delta Blue (that's a neat touch. I like that). But seriously, he’s a blond clone doll created to be a potential Bison host body who got amnesia and ended up being adopted by some soldiers. He’s freaking Cammy!

I wasn’t too sold on Abel until seeing him shine in Street Fighter X Tekken. As Guile’s partner, we really got to see Abel at his best, playing the role of the doofy dreamer compared to Guile’s by-the-book, no-nonsense approach. The payoff in their ending, especially Guile’s insistence that he never work alongside anyone ever again, justifies Abel’s existence.

49. EAGLE

First appearance: Street Fighter

At first, Eagle was created as an homage to Robert Baker’s character in Fist of Fury. Between that and his snazzy escrima sticks, he definitely stuck out among the other original Street Fightercharacters. When it came time to update him, they decided to double-down by basing him on Freddy Mercury in ways. So Eagle kind of rules.

Jesus, I want to rank him higher and all, but unfortunately Capcom hasn’t given him much to do. His appearance in Alpha 3 Max didn’t have much going for it other than having him shame Sagat for slumming it in Shadaloo. And that came from a dandy who works as a bar bouncer! That’s harsh.

48. EDMUND HONDA

First appearance: Street Fighter II

Honda is just such a likable guy. On one hand, he’s this beloved, knowledgeable sumo master, followed by devoted students. On the other hand, he’s also one of those guys who laughs way too hard while smacking you on the back and dislocating your shoulder. That scene of him in the animated movie where he hands Ryu some cash and calls him brother before laughing loudly sticks in my head because, really, having a stranger do that to you would make your week at least. No wonder Ryu hangs out with him for the rest of the movie. I know I would!

As a big fish in the small pond that is sumo (and kind of panicky that the world doesn’t get sumo), Honda never had much going on until Capcom started having him play off of other loud, proud wrestlers. I’m disappointed we didn’t get a Honda/Hakan team in Street Fighter X Tekken. We need those two playing passive-aggressive buddies more often.

Honda’s also a trailblazer for the series. Sure, Sakura got her fireballs and other attacks from Ryu, but we know who inspired her to start doing red underwear upskirts.

47. KOLIN

First appearance: Street Fighter III: New Generation
First appearance (fighter): Street Fighter V

I’m in the middle when it comes to Kolin. She was originally a background character in Street Fighter III, showing up only in Gill’s intro and maybe an ending or two, but she had a striking look. Then years later, they brought her back and gave her a less striking look and a rather unnecessary mystery. As Charlie’s handler in Street Fighter V, she called herself Helen and the fact that she was that minor Street Fighter III character was treated as a twist...but was it really that? The story made it very apparent that she was working for Gill the very moment Urien showed up. You don’t need to go all cloak and dagger about it.

Her fighting style feels original while biting on Gill, making sense that she’d have a taste of his ice powers. It also ties into how hard they lean into her whole Soviet identity. Even Zangief thinks it’s a bit much.

46. FEI LONG

First appearance: Super Street Fighter II

Having a Bruce Lee clone in a fighting game is like having a Starbucks in your mall. It’s pretty much expected. Fei Long lacks originality, but I respect the fact that he’s self-aware. Sure, he has all of Bruce’s mannerisms, looks like him, dresses like him, makes the same high-pitched noises, stars in movies, and so on, but the kicker is that Fei Long knows that he’s a rip-off.

Bruce Lee is a dude who existed in the Street Fighter universe. Fei Long just honors him by being basically the same guy. That raises the question of whether or not the Street Fighter version of Bruce Lee could do that spinning fire kick move. And does this mean Eagle's aware that he's derivative of a movie character?

45. SEAN MATSUDA

First appearance: Street Fighter III

The introduction of Ken’s pupil in Street Fighter III answers a long-lasting question: Is it possible that there’s someone worse than Dan?

Sean takes up the mantle of “the guy that sucks,” but it’s played up in a way that works. Much like Dan, he turns the classic Ryu/Ken Ansatsuken style into his own personal thing, but while Dan just half-asses it and considers himself a master, Sean goes for style points and doesn’t understand why he isn’t succeeding. The kid does a Shoryuken with two fists like that will make it better. He’s overcompensating for his greenness.

In the end, Dan has plateaued and has mastered the little that he’s worth. Sean is still young and might one day reach the point of at least getting past tournament prelims.

44. POISON

First appearance: Final Fight
First appearance in a fighting game: Final Fight Revenge
First appearance in Street Fighter: Street Fighter X Tekken
First appearance in Street Fighter (canon): Ultra Street Fighter IV

Poison is kind of a touchy subject. Originally, in the first Final Fight game, Poison was labeled trans because it was the easiest way to explain why the game allowed you to beat up women. I’m going to call a spade a spade here and say that’s pretty fucked up.

Capcom actually did right by not making that a punchline. Poison continued to show up in stuff, and they let her have an identity that stepped away from all of that. She suddenly became someone who moved on from a life of crime for the sake of being a scummy wrestler/wrestling promoter/manager.

Despite occasionally getting to be playable in fighting games, Poison is still little more than an accessory to Hugo. Still, her Ultra Street Fighter IV ending where she makes a makeup-wearing rock band out of Hugo, Ryu, Ken, Cody, Guy, and Rolento is the best thing.

Having Rolento on drums is just plain inspired.

43. ROSE

First appearance: Street Fighter Alpha

Rose begins as this interesting, tragic, and mysterious character. This alluring mystic with a unique set of attacks who has ties into Bison’s past in a time when we know nothing about the series’ main villain. Then after a while,- we finally find out that she’s the good part of what was once Bison’s soul. As her own being, she dedicates herself to destroying Bison and protecting the world, even knowing that being successful will mean having to die herself.

She’s set up to fail because Alphais a prequel and we know Bison exists afterwards. She even comes close to taking Bison out for good, but with Guy saving her life, it allows Bison to live on. It’s a bummer, but a fitting end.

Due to her popularity and Capcom’s refusal to kill Bison, Rose returns with her post-Alphaevents kind of glossed over. She’s now basically running in place, all about stopping Bison, but being too unimportant in the big picture to be responsible.

42. RAINBOW MIKA

First appearance: Street Fighter Alpha 3

Zangief represents the pinnacle of athleticism and the human spirit. Hugo represents using power to garner fame, fortune, and respect. El Fuerte represents...let’s not talk about him anymore. R. Mika, on the other hand, is all about the pageantry of wrestling. While being an expert joshi wrestler on the rise, she’s still infatuated with the entertainment aspect of wrestling and God bless her for it.

It’s almost like shoving all the wrestling tropes on her protects Zangief from being a parody of himself. It even plays out like that in the UDON series where Zangief is confused at Mika’s belief that wrestling is about chairshots, punches to the nuts, and cutting promos. Not, you know, tests of strength and will in the name of victory.

While seeing her bust out Stone Cold Stunners is good fun, the way they’ve transformed her into a sexualized rodeo clown does get kind of embarrassing at times. Especially the whole “my most powerful move is when me and my friend sandwich your head between our bare asses” thing. You are guaranteed to have family members randomly walk into the room while that one's happening.

41. BLANKA

First appearance: Street Fighter II

Blanka’s height on this list mostly comes from his first appearance in Street Fighter II. If you were a kid when that game came out, Blanka had to be one of the first three fighters you picked. Why wouldn’t he be? He’s this green-skinned beast man with 80s rock hair and the ability to roll like a ball and cover himself with electricity. And you know what? They barely even explained any of that!

Blanka just is and, damn it, we accepted him! It was enough to get him major roles in the American movie and cartoon series. 

Then Capcom rested on using Blanka for a while. It wasn’t until Alpha 3that he returned and they didn’t really give him much new to do, other than his amusing friendship with Dan and Sakura. I feel that by that point, there were better oddball designs out there. His fixture as the token freak didn’t carry the same weight.

40. FANG

First appearance: Street Fighter V

As a new character, FANG is just as annoying as Laura Matsuda, but we’re at least meant to want to see him get punched in the face. Filling in the role of Bison’s second-in-command after Sagat decided he was too cool for Shadaloo, FANG is the central villain of Street Fighter V, playing up the plot while Bison gets to ominously step off to the side. He fits just the right balance of being a goofy dork and genuine threat, which works out, since both of those things make you want to see him get a foot lodged in his esophagus.

Probably helps that they actually allow him to be threatening, unlike Necalli.

Regardless, FANG brings some real originality to the series in both play style and as an obnoxious, dancing mad scientist. I’m not going to be petitioning for him to show up in future installments or the next “Capcom Versus” game, but I like that he’s around.

39. GOUKEN

First appearance: Street Fighter II (manga)
First appearance in Street Fighter game: Street Fighter Alpha
First appearance in Street Fighter (playable): Street Fighter IV

Gouken becoming a playable character in Street Fighter IV sort of hurts Akuma’s standing as a badass antagonist, but he still makes for a good inclusion. He’s like the antithesis of Dan and Sean in that his fighting style differentiates itself from Ryu, Ken, and Akuma, but in a way that makes him appear more masterful. More power and less wasted movement.

He also gets props for Akira Koieyama’s portrayal of him in Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist. One of the highlights, as far as I’m concerned.

38. GILL

First appearance: Street Fighter III

When it came time to bring in a new boss character for Street Fighter III, they had a tall order to follow M. Bison, but I think they succeeded with Gill. Bison is cartoonishly evil and Gill is just...cartoonish. He’s more of a religious zealot than a dictator, and his antagonistic actions come more from being a well-meaning and insane narcissist than being straight-up sinister.

At the time, the way Gill was implemented into the game’s engine was kind of revolutionary. Instead of being like Sagat, whose eye patch would switch sides when he turned around, Gill’s two-toned appearance would switch, and it would even affect his attacks. With control over fire, ice, and resurrection, the guy kind of deserves to be so full of himself.

I always liked his pre-fight line because I’ve yet to see full confirmation on whether he’s saying, “The mark of my deity shall scar thy DNA,” or, “The mark of my dignity shall scar thy DNA.” They’re both equally badass and nonsensically batshit.

37. NECRO

First appearance: Street Fighter III

Necro seems like a 90s X-Men character who somehow wandered into the series. He’s a mix between Blanka and Dhalsim in terms of being an electric, bald, stretchy freak of a man, but really lends himself well to Street Fighter III’s animation style. I also feel that he uses the gimmick better than the other two. Not only does he do more with the shock abilities, but his stretchy stuff is crazier and more dynamic than just “punch really far.”

He exudes personality as well, coming off as a well-meaning misfit with a chip on his shoulder, constantly accompanied by a creepy girl with bags under her eyes. If anything, Necro shows off that no matter how righteous Gill sees himself, he’s still a straight-up supervillain.

36. GEN

First appearance: Street Fighter

Another Street Fighter 1original, Gen found a new life as Akuma’s rival. Sure, Akuma’s all about turning Ryu into a killing machine so he’ll have someone to challenge him, but somewhere out there has to be somebody who is worthy and capable of killing Akuma in a fight. Turns out, Gen is that man.

It helps that his assassin style is completely different from the whole fireball/uppercut situation that engulfs Akuma’s side of the Street Fighter world. It makes their rivalry seem a bit more fresh.

Gen is a killer on his last legs, with nothing left to look forward to. Despite his efforts to win, he mainly searches for Akuma for the sake of getting one hell of a suicide. Going out in a blaze of glory is a better way out than succumbing to illness. He can either lose fulfilled or win and be empty.

That whole thing is cheapened a bit by the fact that he’s still around in Street Fighter IV, but his resolve to stay alive just so he can see how the Ryu/Akuma stuff plays out in the end is pretty rocking.

35. IBUKI

First appearance: Street Fighter III

The energetic ninja girl is too fun not to like. Ibuki has to balance a life of ninja school, regular education, missions, fighting tournaments, working under Karin, and checking out hot guys. And she has a raccoon because why not.

She’s a blast to play as, and while she lacks Geki’s throwing stars, her kunai knives are a decent replacement. Plus she has that slick slide into neck snap attack.

Her finest moment comes in Street Fighter X Tekken, where she acts as the straight woman by being forced to work for Rolento. Someone needs to call him out on being a nut, even if he won’t listen.

34. ORO

First appearance: Street Fighter III

Not every super-powerful character needs to be an end boss or space goddess or whatever. Oro is played as the new Gouken or maybe Gen, while distanced from all the Akuma drama. The most Oro and Akuma have is a passing acknowledgement of respect, because Akuma knows he’s not going to get any kind of death match out of this old man.

He’s basically the Yoda of Street Fighter. Small, wrinkly, lives in the wilderness, is kind of off his rocker, etc. But he’s also a totally wise mentor character who can mess you up if he really wants to. The gimmick that he’s only “playable character level” because he’s willingly handicapping himself by using one arm is what makes him so rad.

33. URIEN

First appearance: Street Fighter III: Second Impact

Even though Gill is a fresh take on the whole end boss thing, it’s good to have Urien around just to get past all the cult nonsense. More than the guys in Shadaloo, his status as a plotting underling makes you question who the real main villain is, because he feels real deal enough to usurp his brother when the time is right.

It’s rather impressive how they were able to take a head-swap and make him seem so completely different. Yes, Urien and Gill share moves, but Urien still comes off as a totally separate fighter with his own tricks (namely his Aegis Reflector game). Instead of having control over fire and ice, Urien's got a body of iron with a control over electricity. While Gill parades himself in robes because he takes himself too seriously, Urien’s off to the side in a three-piece suit. Urien knows what’s up.

32. RUFUS

First appearance: Street Fighter IV

Rufus is an obnoxious delight. A roly-poly motormouth with a hate-on for Ken Masters, while Ken just kind of shrugs and goes his way. He’s overly delusional in the sense that his appearance and actions are based on what HE believes to be cool, but he’s something of a success in the fighting tournaments and he has a lady who adores him, so good on him.

He really came into his own in the Tekkencrossover. Not only because his rival happens to be Bob, the man who looks like a rotund Ken Masters (perfect), but because of his newfound bromance with Zangief. They grow to become buddies over time, and their ending is both hilarious and surprisingly inspiring (if you get to the post-credits narration).

31. ED

First appearance: Street Fighter IV
First appearance (fighter): Street Fighter V

Street Fighter IV’s story is weak as all get-out, but they really made it worth something by introducing Ed. Yet another Shadaloo clone experiment, Ed essentially became the series’ Rock Howard, only instead of his father figure being a heroic vigilante, he’s a loudmouth criminal consumed by endless greed. Even then, the Balrog/Ed relationship really works and leads to a shockingly emotional moment when the two go their separate ways.

Ed’s new deal is the creation of Neo Shadaloo, which at this point is morally ambiguous. Not sure where that’s supposed to lead to, but I’m all for seeing more of his Psycho Power pugilism.

30. GUY

First appearance: Final Fight
First appearance in Street Fighter: Street Fighter Alpha

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Guy is his appearance in the Street Fighter Alpha manga where his presence is regarded by onlookers and the police as if Batman showed up. And he’s just a dude in an orange vest and ninja pants with Nikes on. Guy just exudes cool.

The fact that he was omitted from the original SNES Final Fight gives his appearance in Alpha 1(alongside Sodom, giving us the first true crossover between franchises) more emphasis. And being that he’s such a blast to play as, I’m not even mad that Mike Haggar never got a spot in a Street Fighter game.

Okay, maybe I’m a little annoyed.

29. BIRDIE

First appearance: Street Fighter

Birdie rides the fine line of cool and a total mess. He’s like the evil version of Jeffrey Lebowski in a way. He’s shown to be kind of a wild card with the way he’s introduced in the Alphaseries as a Shadaloo hopeful. While not exactly bright, he’s still head and shoulders above Balrog and definitely more ambitious in overthrowing Bison.

Outside of his kickass Alpharedesign (still pissed none of the Capcom vs. SNKcrossovers had Birdie interact with Chang Koehan), the thing that really got me on board with Birdie is his depiction in the Alphamanga. It’s said that after losing to Ryu in the first game, Ryu was really supportive and appreciative of their fight, and it meant a lot to Birdie. After that, Birdie had Ryu tag along with him in criminal matters. To Birdie, this was a genuine act of friendship. Hell, that little development made me like both characters a lot more. It works out that he's recently become more of a good guy, even if driven by gluttony.

The unlikely friendship is even played up on in the Street Fighter 1 path in Street Fighter V's arcade mode, where after their fight, Birdie is shown befriending Ryu and treats the puny hobo to a massive fast food meal.

In conclusion, if you’ve never thrown around an opponent by strangling them with chains while growling that they should go to Hell, then you haven’t lived.

28. NECALLI

First appearance: Street Fighter V

Necalli is like what happens when a wrestling promotion takes a can’t-miss prospect and proceeds to make him look like a punk through constant losses, damaging the brand. Necalli is Ryback or 2001 Diamond Dallas Page.

Basically, Necalli came out looking like the new-age Akuma. He’s this hardcore Saiyan Wolverine who looks like he was raised by wolves and then proceeded to eat said wolves. His story is that he’s this mysterious warrior god made of magic mud who shows up during times of global crisis to seek out fighters, overpower them, and eat their souls. He's metal as fuck.

Therein lies the problem, since it’s not like he can actually devour the souls of his opponents outside of non-canon winposes. He spends the entirety of Street Fighter V’s story mode getting chumped out again and again. Instead of being this nightmare made of pure doom, he’s just a pest. The only guy who gets bested by him is Ryu, who’s immediately bailed out by Dhalsim. Then Ryu beats up Necalli later on anyway.

At least have him feast on Joe or Lee or something.

27. CHUN-LI

First appearance: Street Fighter II

Yep. Here come the angry comments.

Look, I get it. Chun-Li is important. She’s the godmother of fighting games. The one all other fighting game women are measured against. Spinning Bird Kick and all that jazz. Bouncing off heads like Mario. I know, I know.

I just don’t think she’s THAT great. Not top ten great at least. There are better female characters on the roster. Hell, while her basic story of being an Interpol agent obsessed with taking down the man who killed her father is totally solid, it doesn’t even compare when Guile is introduced in the same game. Guile’s out for the same amount of revenge, but he has actual issues to work through and is straight-up more compelling.

Besides, have you SEEN that Legend of Chun-Limovie? Can you really blame me?

26. HAKAN

First appearance: Super Street Fighter IV

Yes, Hakan is a spot higher than Chun-Li. Come at me, bro.

Eh, who am I kidding? You already clicked the corner X halfway into reading that last entry.

It doesn’t matter to me that Hakan doesn’t have some kind of major story arc or important role in the grand scheme of things. Hakan is the bee’s knees. The moment this joyful, maroon man showed up in a trailer to zestfully shill Turkish wrestling and randomly talk about how much he loves his daughters, I had a serious, “Where have you been all my life?!” moment.

The man’s entire fighting style is based on what happens when you hold a wet bar of soap too hard. How can anyone hate this guy? For real, including him in the Street Fighter X GI Joe comic became the ultimate selling point. He even beat up Roadblock!

25. ROLENTO SCHUGERG

First appearance: Final Fight
First appearance in Street Fighter: Street Fighter Alpha 2

Remember that stuff I said about Geki and ninja throwing stars? The same goes for hand grenades. That’s a weapon that doesn’t get used enough in fighting games. Thank God we have Rolento Schugerg to fulfill that quota.

Rolento is kind of a low-level Bison who is less evil and more straight-up crazy. He wants to rule the world through military takeover, but in the name of the greater good. Rolento oppose Bison because he thinks he goes too far, but he’s still out of his mind and completely dangerous.

If it wasn’t for Rolento missing from the SNES Final Fight, I would’ve wanted him in Street Fighter way earlier. His bag-of-tricks military fighting style lends itself well to the engine, while making him incredibly unique.

24. DUDLEY

First appearance: Street Fighter III

Part of the Street Fighter III overhaul was about introducing a checklist of new characters who scratched an old itch. There’s the giant wrestler, the stretchy guy, the karate guy who sucks, and so on. With the token boxer, they decided to go the complete opposite direction of Balrog.

Dudley is suave and refined. He’s speed and precision over pure power and hardheaded anger. Politeness over violent hatred. He’s everything Balrog isn’t, except equally exceptional with his two fists.

The man oozes style in everything he does, whether it’s before, during, or after the fight. Like draping his coat over his shoulders while calling his fallen enemy “gutter trash.” Dudley simply is the man.

23. DECAPRE

First appearance: Street Fighter Alpha 3
First appearance playable: Ultra Street Fighter IV

Decapre started off as a teaser of a character when introduced in Alpha 3. While all the non-Cammy Dolls were dull as all get-out, Decapre was the interesting one that we wanted to know more about. She looked like a cross between Cammy and Vega, with the insinuation that there was nothing pretty under that facemask.

Introduced as playable in Ultra Street Fighter IV, Decapre appeared to be more than just an expected Cammy clone. At least in her playstyle. In terms of story, that’s sort of what she was, but played up in a way that’s kind of haunting and heartbreaking.

In her flashbacks, we’d see memories of a young Cammy comforting her and telling her that everything would be all right. You’d expect Decapre to meet with Cammy in the battlefield, remember their bond, and then move on. No, not quite.

Decapre spent her life in pain, being used as nothing more than a weapon. Her existence is torture. When she does see Cammy, all she remembers is her comforting words of, “Everything will be all right.” That was a lie. Cammy is a liar and Decapre refuses to forgive her for it. That’s messed up.

22. ZEKU

First appearance: Street Fighter Alpha 2
First appearance (fighter): Street Fighter V

Master characters usually tend to be shallow overall if the story goes on long enough. It’s like that Yoda/Luke scene from Last Jedi says, the tragedy of being a good master is that you eventually get left in the dust or you’re a failure. Even with their experience, they’re eventually left obsolete and old. Someone like Gouken is better off dead than a supporting character.

Zeku was first introduced in Guy’s Alpha 2 ending as a master who was about to be rendered obsolete. He had a promising design, but once Capcom decided to flesh him out, where do you go with him? They ended up succeeding big time by making his “retirement” the first step in a new direction. He started evolving his ninja style into something new – including the ability to briefly become younger – all while trying to find a way to thrive in an ever-changing world. While Street Fighter V didn’t have him outright find his place, it did give us a fantastic twist.

After losing his status as Bushin master, Zeku became an origin for Strider, presumably with the help of Karin’s resources. A Street Fighter character who is a spin-off of a Final Fight character ends up linking that whole continuity to yet another Capcom series. Sweet.

21. ZANGIEF

First appearance: Street Fighter II

Hell yeah, Red Cyclone! He’s a man who once wrestled a grizzly bear for the sake of a training exercise, went for a piledriver, got caught up in a tornado, and then decided afterwards, “That’s my new move from now on.”

The powerhouse is fearsome enough that two movies mistakenly made him a villain, but at the end of the day, he’s this smiling, aloof guy who wants to smash your head into the ground in the name of friendly competition and maybe to prove how great his country is. Now in Street Fighter V's story mode, he is able to fight off enemies by standing there and mildly flexing while shouting, "MUSCLES!"

I always had trouble landing his moves as a kid, but being able to pull off the spinning piledriver was always a rewarding experience, both in terms of the damage dealt and seeing it in action.

20. Q

First appearance: Street Fighter III: Third Strike (or Street Fighter II if you believe in conspiracies)

I’ll say this about Capcom, they sure know how to draw out a mystery. Q appeared in Street Fighter III: Third Strike as a gigantic question mark, and in two decades, they haven’t given us much to go with on what he’s really all about.

But that’s okay because Q is more than just an enigma. He’s also a creepy, menacing, hard-hitting tank not to be messed with. There are all these weird tics in his attacks, movements, and actions that make him easy to be enthralled with, even if we may never find out who or what he’s supposed to be (I figure he’s Chun-Li’s father, personally).

For real, Capcom needs to put this guy in a new game already.

19. KEN MASTERS

First appearance: Street Fighter

Welllll, if you weren’t mad at me for Chun-Li, you’re probably mad at me now. That’s not to say I don’t dig Ken. He’s reached the point of the list where I’m mostly dishing out compliments. I just don’t find him as necessary as the other big main character in the series. It always kind of seems like he’s there for the sake of being there, even when he’s not all that relevant anymore.

The whole Ryu/Ken rivalry was well and good in the beginning, but after a while, it became pretty apparent that Ryu’s the superior who dedicates his every waking moment to fighting, while Ken’s a weekend warrior who’s all but settled down. In terms of Ryu’s rivals, Ken’s third place at best.

That said, he’s still a blast to play after all these years, and he does keep Ryu grounded as something more than an introspective fighting robot of a man.

18. BALROG

First appearance: Street Fighter II (unofficially Street Fighter)

Skeletor needs his Beast Man. Bison needs his Balrog.

Balrog is the dumbest guy working in Shadaloo, but that doesn’t stop him from being vicious and 100% dangerous. Fighting dirty and without any kicks whatsoever, nearly every landed punch hits like a Greyhound. Catching your opponent with a dashing uppercut or straight punch to the skull is always satisfying.

Before Street Fighter IV retconned stuff, one of my favorite pieces of story development was the reason why Shadaloo was gone as of Street Fighter III. Bison was destroyed, Sagat was long gone, Vega went off to do his own thing, and that left Balrog to take over the reins of the organization. Then his leadership sunk them within several months...and he couldn’t grasp what went wrong.

Now he has a different story thread where he's become a father figure to his psychic sidekick Ed. Wouldn't mind seeing some follow-up on that in a later game.

17. GUILE

First appearance: Street Fighter II

The upper military brass asked Guile to get a regulation haircut and he refused, so they compromised into letting him just shave his eyebrows.

Ryu has to go fight Akuma, but defeating him might cost him his soul. It’s really on the nose because he means it will literally turn him into a senseless killing machine. Written before that, Guile also had to go take down Bison, but doing so might cost him his soul in the sense that he was completely throwing away everything positive in his life for the sake of obsession.

It’s why his ending in Street Fighter II is one of the best video game endings of all time, and they don’t have to threaten us with giving Guile glowing red eyes to get the point across.

Plus whoever came up with the idea of the Sonic Boom deserves a raise.

16. JURI HAN

First appearance: Super Street Fighter IV

Juri is a foil for Chun-Li and is way more interesting. Her father was also taken out by Shadaloo for trying to bring them to justice, but instead of going a path of law and order, Juri just devolved into a violent psychopath. Instead of joining Interpol to take Bison down, she’s joined SIN, essentially planning to take him down from the inside.

She’s the ultimate wild card and has zero loyalty to anyone, making her not only a threat, but an unpredictable one. Even Seth knows that it’s only a matter of time before she betrays him, so might as well use her to his advantage while he has the chance.

Juri’s fighting style and movements really make her pop, making her easily the best design to come out of the Street Fighter IV games.

15. RASHID

First appearance: Street Fighter V

The turbulent wind is easily the most enjoyable to play as in Street Fighter V and his design only increases my admiration. Why does he have a Dragon Ball Zpower scouter? I have no idea. It’s never really brought up. But he has that along with a jetpack and a Groot-like wrestler bodyguard who rarely says anything other than, “Master...” If I had all that, I'd be just as optimistic, even when trying to track down my kidnapped friend.

While there are different stories being told in the “Shadow Falls” story mode, Rashid is the glue that holds it together. Among all the self-serious monologues and retreaded conflicts (Cammy vs. Vega, Charlie vs. Bison, Ryu vs. Bison), you have Rashid, who originally comes off as comic relief and gradually stands out as the true protagonist of the game with the most unique subplot. Even Charlie’s redemption is brought on by Rashid’s charming and friendly personality.

14. KARIN KANZUKI

First appearance: Sakura Ganbaru (manga)
First appearance in Street Fighter: Street Fighter Alpha 3

With Sakura being the teen girl version of Ryu, it’s only fitting that she gets her own blond, red-wearing, rich rival. Karin should by all means be a villain with the way she holds herself above the common folk. She is a snob and has an ego the size of Manitoba, but in the end, she’s not really a terrible person. Maybe it’s because her rivalry with Sakura has taught her humility. Either way, she’s respectful enough to sponsor R. Mika’s wrestling career and has no qualms in opposing Shadaloo.

One of the neat things about Karin is that she’s originally a manga character created by Masahiko Nakahira who was so beloved that Capcom figured, what the hell, let’s toss her into the series. I love that kind of thing.

Karin jumps up the list due to her depiction in Street Fighter V, where she not only has her own anti-Shadaloo faction of Mika, Ibuki, Birdie and a bunch of ninjas, but she acts like Nick Fury and puts together her own Avengers team of world warriors. By not having Sakura in the game until much later, Karin really gets to shine and be her own person.

Now that I think about it, she did go out of her way not to include Sakura on her all-star team. That's cold.

13. M. BISON

First appearance: Street Fighter II

Can I just post, “it was Tuesday,” and move on? Yes? No?

Bison is a visionary. A power-hungry top villain who decided to just throw together a worldwide fighting tournament in order to wipe out his enemies and get some errands done. Before you know it, Geese Howard, Heihachi Mishima, Rugal Bernstein, Testament, and countless others were copying his plan. A real tastemaker, that Bison.

Bison is so sinister that he literally made himself purely evil through magic just so he wouldn’t be distracted by his conscience. He’s just so infectiously cheery about being an absolute dirtbag. It’s hard not to get behind his one-liners that bring out his zest for kung-fu treachery.

You don’t even need to go to that above movie quote or his harsh line about killing his own father from the U.S. cartoon. His in-game catchphrase is, “This place will become your grave!” and it sounds badass no matter which language you’ve chosen for him.

I will say that Bison succumbs to the same problem that hits any kind of serial storytelling in that he’s not allowed to stay dead. It’s more important that he’s playable than it is to stick to the storyline choices, so Bison returns for the same reason DC doesn’t kill the Joker. He’s too valuable a villain. That’s too bad in a way, because I feel he’s already gone out with a bang and he’s worn out his welcome.

Related Article: The Many Lives of M. Bison

12. HUGO ANDORE

First appearance: Final Fight
First appearance in Street Fighter: Street Fighter III: Second Impact

I know it’s bad form to choose Hugo over Zangief, but this guy’s so awesome. A mushy mountain of muscle with a one-digit IQ and a tendency to stumble into destroying anything in his path. He’s Andre the Giant (part of an entire family of Andre the Giants!) who fights like Zangief being attacked by bees.

The whole potato obsession in Ultra Street Fighter IV was pretty dumb, but I love his storyline in the Street Fighter III games to death. In Second Impact, he has multiple endings based on turning his final opponent into his tag partner (choices are Ryu, Gill, Necro, and Elena). But in Third Strike, he goes even further by starting his own New World Order stable made up of the game’s cast.

Like, come on. The idea that a retired street thug is able to beat up a self-proclaimed god so badly that the guy gives up trying to run a cult in order to become a pro wrestler? When someone asks why you should care about the stories and endings in video games, there you go.

11. ADON

First appearance: Street Fighter

If Adon is in the game, he’s my main. I’m not very good with him or anything, but he’s my main. Hell, my email is named after one of his moves.

Adon is this grating, hateful man who doesn’t seem to like anyone else. He believes himself to be King Shit ever since realizing that his former mentor, Sagat, isn’t so unbeatable after all. Normally, that would easily make him fit into the role of villain. He’d be gunning to take over Shadaloo or something of that nature. Not so much.

In one of Adon’s endings, Bison comes to him with an offer to join Shadaloo. Adon’s response is to tell him to go suck a butt because he’s not going to throw in with a bunch of drug lords. Yes, that’s right. Adon has a higher moral standing than Sagat!

He isn’t a monster. He’s just a heel.

10. CHARLIE NASH

First appearance: Street Fighter Alpha

Charlie and Guile are like Captain America and Bucky Barnes with the roles reversed. At first, it seemed that Charlie was the sidekick, but despite getting killed off a bunch in the Alphagames, the suggestion is that he’s Guile’s inspiration even before his existence became about revenge. Charlie’s simply cooler in seemingly every way, from his one-handed Sonic Booms to his split Flash Kicks to his ridiculous hair to the fact that he wears glasses merely for fashion reasons.

Recently, Charlie's resurfaced as a deranged, mindwiped freakshow. His story in the latest game is tragic, but it's also a good piece of closure, even if we didn't get enough Guile/Charlie interaction.

Related Article: The Strange History of Charlie Nash

9. ALEX

First appearance: Street Fighter III

In a way, Alex is like a parody of Guile. While Guile abandoned his family in the name of revenge, there was still righteousness to his mission. Alex goes after Gill, not because he’s a weirdo cultist, but because he beat Alex’s father figure in a fight. Fairly. The guy has a short fuse and doesn't think things through, is what I'm getting at.

Alex is the highlight of Street Fighter IIIfor me. His grappler moveset is an endless blast, whether it’s catching people with rolling DDTs, rolling German suplexes, or jumping powerbombs. Something about his line delivery gives it an extra bit of oomph when you’re slamming your opponent. Even him yelling something as simple as “WEAK!” sounds rugged.

I’m glad he’s become popular enough to get a DLC spot in Street Fighter V. I’m all about watching he and Birdie take part in a headbutt duel.

8. CAMMY WHITE

First appearance: Super Street Fighter II

Cammy is a great window into how completely evil M. Bison is and how even an angel can rise out of Hell. Cammy is a clone of Bison, and for some reason, of all the Dolls, she’s the one who isn’t allowed to wear pants. (Bison is kind of an odd guy.) Despite being a brainwashed killing machine created for the sake of being a spare body for Bison, Cammy is able to become a genuine hero and the world is a better place for her existing.

Ever since appearing in Super Street Fighter II, Cammy’s gymnastic assassin fighting style has helped make an impact, and she’s become one of the series’ staples. I mean, the exposed cheeks have helped keep people interested, but even then, she’s able to stand alone based purely on her twisty, flippy offense and determined coldness.

She’s Jamie Lee Curtis’ main, by the way. Who are you to question Jamie Lee Curtis?

7. SAKURA KASUGANO

First appearance: Street Fighter Alpha 2

Even though anyone who watches one of her fights has to be immediately added to a government watch list, Sakura is easily one of the best characters in the series. She’s Ryu’s fangirl, but more than that. She represents all that’s good and wholesome about Ryu and his actions. She’s the #1 example of meaning in Ryu’s life, which I’ll expand on when I get to his entry...

A plucky go-getter, Sakura kind of has her own little corner of the Street Fighter universe etched out for herself, sort of making her the queen of the lower tier. As she grows in experience and ability, she’s befriended by the likes of Dan, Blanka, Karin, Ibuki, and those crazy Rival Schools kids. She may fight like “ghetto Ryu,” but she’s able to carve her own path.

If Akuma is Ryu’s devil on the shoulder, then Sakura is the angel, trying to keep him honest. Ryu may feel that her hero worship is off-base, but that’s because she believes in him more than he believes in himself and she probably isn’t wrong.

6. DAN HIBIKI

First appearance: Street Fighter Alpha

How could I not have the Master of Saikyo in the top ten? Dan Hibiki is a riot, existing for the sake of laughing at SNK’s blatant Ryu and Ken knockoffs Ryo and Robert. The fact that they added in Ryo’s black undershirt, despite Dan otherwise being a Ryu headswap, is especially fantastic.

Even though he’s a joke, Dan still has a somewhat serious story arc that makes him endearing. His father was killed by Sagat. He learned just a little bit under Gouken, but was kicked out for wanting vengeance. Through an eventual victory of Sagat (a fight Sagat sandbagged out of sympathy), Dan found a new calling in life. Even if he is an idiot who’s so completely full of himself, Dan is still a genuinely good man who takes care of his friends. He came out all right in the end.

The rub is that even if Gouken were to try and give Dan another shot to learn, he’d be too full of himself to pay it any mind.

5. CODY TRAVERS

First appearance: Final Fight
First appearance in Street Fighter: Street Fighter Alpha 3

Cody started out as the boring one in the Final Fight trio. He was neither the American ninja nor the prototype Jesse Ventura. He was just the guy in street clothes who got the girl. Then he showed up in the U.S. cartoon and he was a terrible redneck mess. But Cody immediately became amazing the moment they put him in Alpha 3.

Instead of living happily ever after, Final Fight Revenge ruined him completely on an emotional level. He became addicted to fighting to the point that it ruined every bit of goodwill that came from saving the city and being practically family with the mayor himself. Cody is what Ken could have become. Not taking a turn for the dark like Evil Ryu, but instead becoming an addict whose very life is hollow boredom brought on by self-imposed isolation.

Cody still holds two secrets in him. One is that despite his criminal status and apathy, he’s still a good person, and the only one willing to point it out is his old friend Guy. The other is that Cody is apparently one of the best fighters in the Street Fighteruniverse. He’s supposed to be on Akuma’s level, but doesn’t assert himself enough for anyone to really take notice. He’s too busy acting out of boredom and handicapping himself with giant handcuffs to really fulfill his potential.

It’s like he’s broken in the fighting sense, but he’s too emotionally broken to care.

4. VEGA

First appearance: Street Fighter II

Few people in this world have ever had their shit figured out more than Vega.

He’s a matador by day and a ninja assassin by night. He’s a high-ranking part of an untouchable criminal empire, but is cool with letting the leader lead because who wants that responsibility? He spends his spare time killing people in cage matches. He has his own personal sense of honor, but in a disgusting, self-serving, prejudice way.

Vega is a psychotic serial killer, but refined enough that he’s able to enjoy a life of rubbing elbows with the elite. All while wearing a glorified hockey mask and giant claw, because if I could get away with such a thing, I know I would. The only problem with his existence is the burden of having to work closely with a disrespectful beast of a man whose face is uglified from years of hard-hitting boxing matches.

I never got the hang of playing as Vega after all these years, but I still respect how great his set is put together. The moment Street Fighter II: Championship Edition came out and we were told we could play as the bosses, I was psyched as hell to finally use that flippy, yodeling son of a bitch who climbed cages before slashing your face or suplexing you.

3. AKUMA

First appearance: Super Street Fighter II: Turbo

Akuma is the boogeyman of the martial arts world. A twisted monster who murdered (sort of) his own brother to prove a point. He wants to drive Ryu to darkness for the sake of competition. He literally tears people’s souls apart with his bare hands in a move so out of control that we aren’t allowed to even see it happen.

Yet at the end of the day, it’s hard to even label him as simply “evil.” He’s beyond the duality. He foregoes the ideas of being merciless for the sake of being merciless. He’s strangely respectful to children and doesn’t kill unless he has reason—either because someone has agreed to a fight to the death or because someone outright tries to go after him.

Even his behavior around Ryu amounts to: “This is what you want! You don't seem to grasp it, but this is exactly what you want!”

Of course, when you see Ryu give into his killing intent, he becomes drunk on his own power. Not Akuma. He’s mastered what he’s become and exists as a demon on his own terms (while Oni is what happens when he loses himself completely). He’s his own man and does what he wants, even if it works to humanity’s advantage, such as vaporizing M. Bison. It’s not up to him whether his actions are considered good or evil, and he honestly couldn't care less.

2. RYU

First appearance: Street Fighter

“Ryu is so boring.” – nearly everyone

I don’t agree. I used to, but Ryu’s grown on me over the years. His interest in the art of fighting and excitement in challenging others, whether the weathered and powerful or the young and green, best represents the fanbase who dedicate so much of their time to taking on all comers around the world in virtual battles. Ryu doesn’t act out of heroism but because every opponent is an adventure, making him an easy fit when faced with everyone from Sodom to Terry Bogard to Dr. Strange to Mr. Game and Watch.

Since the Alphagames, Ryu’s been portrayed as kind of a martial arts Luke Skywalker, trying to fight against the path to the dark side. That’s not what makes him so interesting, though. What really sold me on him is Masahiko Nakahira’s manga stories, which culminated in Street Fighter III: Ryu Final. That story was about Ryu coming to terms with what he truly is. Not a man who will become the greatest fighter of all time, but the man who makes everyone better for fighting with him.

Ryu is the saint of battle. People like Birdie, Sakura, Sagat, Hugo, and so on become better, fulfilled, and more driven simply for knowing him. He’s likely the main reason Ken remains in the circuit. In Third Strike, the last canon game in terms of chronology, the series’ new hero, Alex, gains a spark to follow in Ryu’s footsteps just because getting his ass kicked in a fight was so exhilarating.

Ryu’s the center. He holds the world together.

1. SAGAT

First appearance: Street Fighter

Like I mentioned before, Ryu’s inner-battle storyline is a bit too on the nose. The plot device he struggles with (the Dark Hadou) is basically magic. Sagat walks a similar path as Ryu’s journey, but his is defined by actions and decisions, not spiritual roid rage. It makes him a more complex person who spends various games walking through an arc of redemption and self-discovery.

Sagat starts the series off as a kind of shitty guy with a gigantic ego. Humility doesn’t suit him and he goes off the deep end, becoming a major part of a terrorist organization while equating hatred to drive and power. He ultimately finds out that it doesn’t work for him and goes out of his way to prevent Dan Hibiki—a man he wronged—from becoming just like him. Sagat redeems himself in various ways and ends up seeing the world the way Ryu does.

All that and the guy is a stone cold badass. He’s a statue made of battle damage. His ending in Street Fighter X Tekken has him turn his back on gaining godly power because it’s beneath him. Hell, go check out his subplot in Ryu Final. There’s a story in there about him taking a series of bullets to the chest to save two orphans that’s so amazing that Capcom’s decided to make those kids part of canon.

In the end, even if he’s betrayed his terrorist status and has become a bit of an antihero, his personality reflects the way he fights. Kind of like Ryu, but far more blunt, unforgiving, and controlling. There are no kid gloves on him. The King of Muay Thai demands excellence and won’t settle for less.

So what do you think? Who did I rank too high or too low? Did I get your porridge just right? Let me know in the comments, though try to show your work. Sell me on it. You think I gave Ingrid an unfair shake? Think Cody is really a big pile of dumb? Okay, sure. At least let me know why.

Gavin Jasper probably would’ve put Mike Haggar in the top ten if he qualified. Oh well. You must follow Gavin on Twitter to stand a chance!

Forza Horizon 4 - Release Date and First Trailer

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Forza Horizon 4 is taking the series in bold new directions.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 31, 2018

To the surprise of the easily surprised, Microsoft confirmed the development of Forza Horizon 4 at E3 2018.

As you might imagine, Forza Horizon 4 is the follow-up to Forza Horizon 3. Much like the previously released Forza Horizon titles, this game will ditch the psuedo-realistic vibes of the mainline Forza series in favor of a laid-back approach to the whole notion of video game racing. 

Actually, the big showpiece for Forza Horizon 4 at E3 2018 was the way that it will allow players to race across both traditional road courses and decidedly untraditional countryside terrains. While that feature isn't new to the Forza Horizon series, the sheer variety of vehicles showcased during the game's reveal combined with the varied landscapes that said vehicles were racing across tends to suggest that Forza Horizon 4 is going to be a rather ambitious game in terms of the franchise's goals. 

New this time around is the inclusion of a dynamic seasons system that will change both the visuals of a course and the way that you have to approach them. For instance, a road course during the summer might be a breeze but come winter, that same course will require a new breed of tactics (and possibly even a new vehicle).  

Elsewhere, Forza Horizon 4's visuals suggest that the footage of the game showcased during the event was running on an Xbox One X. In any case, you can expect this to be an absolutely beautiful game when it launches on October 2 for all Xbox devices and PC. It will also be available via Game Pass on the day that it launches. 

Granted, a new Forza Horizon game isn't the kind of jaw-dropping exclusive you might expect to see from PlayGround games now that they are a first-party developer, but we expect that they'll be working on some bigger projects for Microsoft in the years to come. 

Devil May Cry 5 First Trailer Revealed At E3 2018

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Devil May Cry 5 marks the franchise's return to Capcom. Here's what we know:

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 31, 2018

It looks like one of the biggest rumors that preceded E3 2018 is true. Capcom is developing Devil May Cry 5

The biggest piece of news that Capcom shared regarding the next Devi May Cry game is that Hideaki Itsuno is returning to direct this long-awaited sequel. Itsuno has worked on the franchise ever since the final months of Devil May Cry 2's development (he even served as a supervising director for Ninja Theory's 2013 DmC title) and his presence here bodes well for Capcom's intentions to deliver the kind of classic Devil May Cry experience that fans have been adamantly (annoyingly at times) clamoring for. 

We're still waiting on Capcom to reveal some of the finer details about Devil May Cry 5, but at present, it appears that this will be a straight sequel to Devil May Cry 4and not a prequel, spin-off, or reboot. Dante certainly sports his Devil May Cry 4 looks in the game's debut trailer, and the few glimpses at a story the preview yielded suggest that this will be a continuation of some sorts. 

Said continuations include an appearance by Nero who figures to be a playable character yet again. However, Capcom has not confirmed what his exact role in the game is at this time.  

While this game was shown at the Microsoft E3 2018 press conference, they did not indicate that it is an exclusive title. Frankly, we'd be shocked if this game isn't available on PS4 and even PC. However, there's no word on this time regarding when the next Devil May Cry will be released. 

While it hasn't been that long since we last received a Devil May Cry game, it has been 10 years since Capcom developed a new DMCtitle. As we noted earlier, Ninja Theory's take on the franchise wasn't exactly warmly received by longtime fans. 

Wolfenstein: Youngblood Trailer and Release Date

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Wolfenstein takes a detour through the '80s in this co-op shooter.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 31, 2018

Bethesda has revealed that there are two new Wolfenstein games in development. The first is a title known as Wolfenstein: Youngblood

While this isn't the next mainline Wolfenstein game - there's still no word regarding whether or not we'll be treated to a Wolfenstein III - it is a fascinating "spin-off" of sorts that is primarily meant to be played as a co-op shooter. Yes, Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a co-op shooter that lets you play as B.J. Blazkowicz's daughters as they shoot their way through an alternate version of 1980's Paris. 

This does seemingly make Youngblood a psuedo- sequel to the events we saw in Wolfenstein II, but it's not entirely clear whether or not this game will touch upon the story threads that were left lingering by Wolfenstein II. Instead, it appears that this game will tell a story that more of its own. 

The good news is that Youngblood is being developed by the folks at Machine Games (who have been responsible for the modern Wolfenstein games we've enjoyed thus far) and that you'll be able to play it by yourself in some form if you aren't able to find a friend to stick with you until the end. It also seems like Machine Games is planning on releasing the game for major platforms sometime in 2019. 

We, unfortunately, know less about the other Wolfenstein game on the horizon, but we can tell you that it is a VR title called Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot where you play a hacker who is trying to turn the Nazis' own machinery against them. There's no word on when this game will be released or which VR platforms it will be available for. 

Even though we'd love to hear something about the next mainline Wolfensteingame, these projects look like fun deviations from the norm that should manage to kill the time until we get our hands on what figures to be the final game in the mainline Wolfensteinreboot series. 


The Elder Scrolls 6: Trailer for Skyrim Sequel Revealed

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The long-awaited return of The Elder Scrolls has been confirmed. Here's what we know:

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 31, 2018

This is not a drill: The Elder Scrolls VI is officially in development, and Bethesda shared the first trailer for the game at E3 2018. 

While we really wish that we had more information to share with you regarding the finer details of this game, we tragically do not. See, Bethesda's Pete Hines remarked that this isn't a game that is going to come out this year or even the next year. Instead, it's a title that they are working on that is somewhere on the horizon. 

However, that's really not the important detail of this story. What really matters is that Bethesda is, right now, working on a new Elder Scrolls game. Not Skyrim, not a Skyrim sequel, not a Skyrim spin-off, but a game that is actually being called The Elder Scrolls VI. At present, we have no reason to believe that this is not a proper single-player epic Elder Scrolls adventure in the style of classic Elder Scrolls experiences. 

If you're really reaching for more information, you can try to figure out where the game will take place based on the teaser footage that we saw in the trailer. However, we have a feeling that nothing about that footage is anywhere close to being finalized. However, it does seem like we're leaving the snow-covered world of Skyrim for a more diverse climate that somewhat resembles the world seen in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Truth be told, none of us should be surprised that Bethesda is working on a new Elder Scrolls game. After all, they've told us as much in the past. Todd Howard even told us that his own son is hounding him for details regarding the next Elder Scrolls game. There's no doubt that someone at Bethesda is working on a new Elder Scrollstitle. 

Still, the fact that Bethesda was confident enough to show this game off this year would seem to suggest that they might actually show footage of the game as early as next year's E3 conference. Given that we didn't know if we would see a new Elder Scrolls title anytime in the next five years, this is welcome news indeed. 

Hitman 2 Release Date, Trailer, and News

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Agent 47 returns in Hitman 2. Here's everything you need to know:

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 31, 2018

Warner Bros and IO Interactive have officially revealed Hitman 2. As suspected, Hitman 2 is essentially a follow-up to the previous season of Hitman. However, IO Interactive indicated during the game's live stream reveal that the next Hitman will not follow the episodic format of the previous Hitman game. 

The game itself continues roughly where the last Hitman left off, as Agent 47 continues his pursuit of the mysterious Shadow Client. However, it seems that 47's mission will force him to confront some potentially unwelcome details about his own mysterious past. 

Mission-wise, the reveal and trailer teased a Miami mission that sees Agent 47 eliminate a race car driver by potentially manipulating his vehicle before the big race. Elsewhere, Warner Bros. and IO referenced "sun-drenched streets to dark and dangerous rainforests" as possible locations. As always, each of these missions will afford Agent 47 - and players - the chance to utilize multiple paths to victory and the opportunity to complete multiple objectives. 

Both Warner Bros. and IO Interactive expressed how excited they are to revive the Hitman series after it faced an uncertain future following Square Enix's decision to drop developer IO Interactive.

Here's everything else we know:

Hitman 2 News

The PC Gaming show at E3 2018 included a surprising look at Hitman 2's gameplay. While not a long preview, this trailer does confirm that Hitman 2 will continue the good work that the last game started. 

Hitman 2 Release Date

Hitman 2 arrives on Nov. 13, 2018. The game is coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. If you're interested in pre-ordering the game, you can find out more about Hitman 2's various editions by visiting this website

Hitman 2 Trailer

Check out the announcement trailer below:

New to the series is a co-op option called Sniper Assassin. This two-player mode sees players compete to take down a series of targets via the use of sniper rifles. It's not entirely clear what the extent of the competitive/cooperative nature of this game mode is, but we do know that players will also have the option of completing these sniper missions by themselves if they choose to do so. 

Here's the Sniper Assassin mode trailer:

Nioh 2 Trailer and Release Date

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Surprise Souls-like hit Nioh returns in 2019. Here's what you need to know:

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 31, 2018

Team Ninja is working on a surprising sequel to their well-received Souls-like title, Nioh. Here's your first look at Nioh 2

In a way, it's not too surprising to hear that Team Ninja is working on a sequel to Nioh. After all, the game reportedly sold even better than they were expecting it to sell and performed especially well on PC where the developers had some worries regarding its ability to succeed. 

On the other hand, nothing leading up to E3 2018 suggested that Team Ninja was going to reveal a new Nioh game. After all, the original Nioh was released in February of 2017, so we're not that far removed from the franchise's debut. 

We get the impression that there still might be quite a bit of work to do on Nioh 2 considering that Team Ninja didn't showcase any gameplay from the sequel or revealed any details regarding what we can expect from the upcoming game. However, we'd be a little surprised to hear that it will differ too wildly from the original game given its relatively quick turnaround time and the fact that the first game didn't demand too many improvements. 

Story-wise, it's entirely possible that Nioh 2 will pick up relatively close to where Nioh left off, but it's not too much of a stretch to suggest that the game could go in a new direction entirely given that the story of the first game was clearly not specifically intended to be picked up at a later date. 

Regardless, it's enough to know that Team Ninja is working on a new Nioh game given that the original title was a pretty fully-realized take on the Dark Souls concept. While there's still a lot we need to learn about this game, we're very excited to learn more about Nioh 2 as it nears its 2019 PS4 release date. 

Super Mario Party Switch: Trailer and Release Date

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Super Mario Party looks to recapture the legendary fun of the franchise at its best.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 31, 2018

The Nintendo Switch is getting a Mario Party of its very own. Here's your first look at Super Mario Party

As shown during Nintendo's direct stream, Super Mario Party looks like about what you'd expect from a Mario Party game at this point. There's room for multiple players (four appears to again be the max), there are dice rolls that move you across a board, and there are minigames that you encounter as you hit certain points in the game. 

One new thing we did spot in the trailer, though, is the way that these games will work. We see that it appears you'll be able to use multiple Switch screens to form a battlefield for some of the minigames, but it's not clear at this time whether or not you'll be required to utilize multiple consoles in order to play those minigames. We'd guess that isn't the case, though. 

Generally speaking, it does look like the minigames featured in Super Mario Party are a bit more involved than some of the minigames that we've seen from the series in the past. The trailer indicates that the Switch is going to use all of the console's control options and portability in order to maximize the variety of minigame experiences. Obviously, that includes motion controls, but it's interesting to see how the portability of the Switch is accounted for in some of the minigames that we've seen thus far. 

The question now is whether or not Super Mario Party will be able to make up for some of the deficiencies of recent titles in the series by curbing the extreme randomness that the games have come to rely on and by tweaking new mechanics to ensure that you'll be able to actually play those awesome minigames more often during the play of the board game part of the experience. 

Here's hoping that the variety of minigames showcased during the initial preview is a good indication of how Super Mario Party will improve the series. We'll know for sure when Super Mario Party launches for Nintendo Switch on October 5th. 

Control Trailer Reveals Alan Wake Developer's Next Game

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Alan Wake and Quantum Break developer Remedy returns with the mysterious Control.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 31, 2018

It turns out that a secret project from Remedy known as P7 is actually a new game called Control

Shown during the PlayStation E3 2018 conference, Control is the next game from the developers responsible for Max Payne, Alan Wake, and Quantum Break. The game is being billed as a supernatural action title that follows the new director of a secretive agency in New York. After an unexplainable threat invades our world, you must help humanity regain control. 

Based on what we saw in the trailer, it feels like Control's gameplay is going to feature the use of some pseudo-psychic abilities that kind of remind us of the gameplay featured in the cult classic action title, Psi-Ops. However, it does seem that there is some traditional gameplay sprinkled throughout the game. 

What really excites us about this game, though, are the implications of its plot. The trailer gave off some serious Inceptionvibes with winks and nods that this agency has mastered a series of rituals that allow them to "keep traveling deeper" and manipulate reality itself. We're fascinated to see what, exactly, this agency has stumbled upon and how it has led to some of the events that we see in the trailer. 

As anyone who followed Remedy over the years knows, the developers excel at creating atmospheric experiences, and the first footage of Control suggests that's exactly what this game is going to focus on. It certainly doesn't hurt that the action itself looks far more involved than the combat in games like Alan Wake. Actually, it looks like this title is going for the horror vibes of that classic. 

Control is set to release for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC at an unknown date. 

Age of Empires 4 Release Date, Trailer, and Details

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Age of Empires 4 marks the long-awaited return of an RTS great. Here's what we know:

NewsDen of Geek Staff
Jul 31, 2018

Age of Empires IV is finally on the way!

Microsoft has passed off development duties of the famous real-time strategy game to Relic Entertainment, creators of the Dawn of War franchise. What Relic Entertainment have in mind for the franchise is truly anyone's guess. The above reveal trailer only serves as a stylish confirmation that the game is in development. It showcases war throughout various time periods and regions which is, creatively speaking, in-line with the standards of the series thus far. 

Of course, some people are a bit worried that Relic Entertainment might not be the premier name in strategy game design that they used to be. Dawn of War III was berated by many longtime fans for its changes to the franchise formula as well as for some of the features it lacked in comparison to previous Dawn of War games. 

Still, Relic Entertainment's library contains far more hits than misses, and there is a timeless quality to the Age of Empires franchise which has helped ensure that the original titles remain some of the most popular strategy games in the world. There's a great chance that this will be the Age of Empires game you've been waiting for. 

Here's everything else we know about the game:

Age of Empires 4 Release Date

Age of Empires IV doesn't have a release date at this time. The game will arrive on PC.

Age of Empires 4 Trailer

Here's the first trailer:

Cyberpunk 2077: Release Date, Trailer, News, and Details

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Cyberpunk 2077 remains one of the most-anticipated games in the world. Here's what we know:

NewsDen of Geek Staff
Jul 31, 2018

Cyberpunk 2077 will be CD Projekt Red's first game outside The Witcher universe, and its first foray into science fiction. Based on the Cyberpunk series of tabletop games, it is, as its name suggests, inspired by the pioneers of the cyberpunk subgenre - namely William Gibson and Bruce Sterling. We can therefore expect plenty of cyborgs, AI, benighted cities, and scary corporations.

While Cyberpunk 2077's very different in setting from The Witcher, we'll see the same mature themes and unforgiving difficulty level in this new outing.

"The Witcher helped Cyberpunk quite a bit, because the game got so big and so complex that it really taught us,” visual effects artist Jose Teixeira told MCV. “If anything, working on The Witcher 3 was a really good and often brutal learning experience. Cyberpunk is going to benefit greatly from it. I can almost guarantee it."

Here's everything else we know about the game:

Cyberpunk 2077 News

The official E3 2018 trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 showcases a more playful and lively vibe for the game than we were expecting to see. Expected or not, the game looks incredible. 

Cyberpunk 2077 Release Date

Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't have a release date at the moment. The game is coming to XBO, PS4, PC.

Cyberpunk 2077 Trailer

It's been three years since developer CD Projekt Red debuted the trailer for their upcoming adaptation of Cyberpunk 2077, and you'd have a hard time using what we've learned about the game in the meantime as breadcrumbs to trace your way back to that reveal. Considering that CD Projekt Red was still hard at work putting the finishing touches on The Witcher 3 during much of that time, many gamers didn't think much of their radio silence. Now that The Witcher 3 is well and truly done, however, some are starting to worry that the game isn't as far along as they may have hoped. 

Here's the first teaser trailer from 2013:

Cyberpunk 2077 Details

Adam Kiciński, president of CD Projekt Red, recently shared a little more information about Cyberpunk 2077

Along with the usual comments regarding how Cyberpunk 2077 is a very technologically ambitious game, Kiciński stated that the team is theoretically "ready to interface with future generations" of gaming hardware. He also noted that the game will allow players to create their own characters and choose between various character classes. Previously, it had been suggested that the game wouldn't utilize RPG character classes. 

While Kiciński noted that the team is focused on delivering a single-player experience above all, he did note that the team is still interested in utilizing some kind of online component. Kiciński wouldn't confirm, though, whether or not the studio is considering adding some kind of competitive multiplayer mode to the game or something a little different. However, the team does not plan to add any microtransactions to the game if it does end up featuring some kind of multiplayer option. 

Finally, it doesn't sound like there are any plans in place for a Switch version of Cyberpunk 2077. Sorry, Nintendo fans. 

CD Projekt Red also spoke briefly about the scope of the upcoming sci-fi RPG at a seminar (via PCGamer). As the developer has said before, Cyberpunk 2077 will be much bigger than The Witcher 3, which is itself a HUGE fantasy RPG.

"Cyberpunk is our new Witcher 3, but even more ambitious," CD Projekt CEO Adam Kicinski said. "Our goal is to establish a new blockbuster franchise from the beginning. We work [in a] new universe, futuristic universe. We believe it's very appealing to players, not only RPG players — but this is [a] true RPG, like Witcher, like Witcher 3, for mature audiences. It's handcrafted, detailed, of course, open-world, with open-ended gameplay.

Additional rumors have emerged which suggest that Cyberpunk 2077 might take place in a "living city" that functions on its own accord regardless of whether or not the player is actively involved in a certain area or not. The actions of this city will apparently be governed by a complex series of AI rules that will allow for developer CD Projekt Red to maintain the illusion of a truly dynamic world.  

Furthermore, Cyberpunk 2077 may very well feature a complex multiplayer mode that involves the use of several technological tools and grants the developers have apparently applied for. When PC Gamer reached out to the developers for comment, they were told that CD Projekt Red have been applying for such tools but are not able to elaborate on their functionality at this time. 

In a post on CD Projekt Red's forums, the developers not only assured fans that the game is still being worked on, but revealed a rather shocking figure concerning the resources they are pouring into it. 

According to the forum post made by the development team, there are "more game developers working on Cyberpunk 2077 than on The Witcher 3 in its most intensive month." While the developer didn't reveal the exact number of developers currently working on the game, previously revealed figures regarding the development of The Witcher 3 suggest that the game was worked on by over 240 staff developers and over 1,500 people in general. 

Interestingly enough, the careers page of CD Projekt Red's website suggests that they are still looking to fill somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 positions devoted exclusively to the development of Cyberpunk 2077.

While it's clear that the developer's work on the upcoming standalone Gwent game isn't hindering their focus as it concerns completing Cyberpunk 2077, there is a bit of bad news that accompanies this information. We still don't know exactly when Cyberpunk 2077 is going to be released, and its absence from last year's E3 suggests that it's not likely to debut until sometime after E3 2018 at the very earliest.

Either way, it's still very likely that you've got enough uncompleted side missions in The Witcher 3 to keep you occupied until the game debuts.

Cyberpunk is far bigger than anything else that CD Projekt Red has done before,” visual effects artist Jose Teixeira told MCV. “Far, far bigger. We're really stepping into the unknown in terms of complexity and size and problems we encounter.”

Following a statement by developer CD Projekt Red regarding Cyberpunk's online elements and their "games as a service" approach, the studio has stepped forward to clarify that they do not currently intend to add microtransactions to the game. 

"Worry not," reads a post on the studio's Twitter account. "When thinking CP2077, think nothing less than TW3 [The Witcher 3] — huge single player, open world, story-driven RPG. No hidden catch, you get what you pay for — no bullshit, just honest gaming like with Wild Hunt. We leave greed to others."

It's still unclear what the games as service comment applies to, but it could just be a comment related to the possibility that Cyberpunk may feature expanded online modes. That makes sense given that the game is based on modern and futuristic technology as opposed to The Witcher 3's fantasy setting. 


Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Release Date, Trailer, Characters, and News

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate collects the best of the franchise. Here's what we know:

NewsDen of Geek Staff
Jul 31, 2018

Since its N64 debut, the Super Smash Bros. series has been one of Nintendo's most beloved properties. What began as a simple amusement that pitted some of Nintendo's best characters against each other in a brawler fighting game has become an institution. Everyone from casual Nintendo console owners to hardcore fighting fans has fond memories of waging war across Smash Bros. many levels. 

Now, Smash Bros. Ultimate is preparing to make its debut on the Nintendo Switch. Following the success of Super Smash Bros. Wii U - a game that grew to include one of the most incredible rosters in fighting game history - expectations are high for the next entry in the long-running franchise. If Nintendo's history with highly-anticipated Switch titles is any indication, though, then we fully expect this will be a special title that will boast a truly impressive collection of playable characters. 

Here is everything we know about Super Smash Bros. for Switch:

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Release Date

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will arrive on Dec. 8, 2018. The game is coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch. 

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Trailer

Nintendo fully unveiled Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at E3 2018. Here's the full, 25-minute announcement video:

The game was first teased in a Nintendo Direct earlier this year. Check it out below:

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Characters

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will feature every single character who has ever appeared in the series, including Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid, Ryu from Street Fighter, and Cloud from Final Fantasy. That means that the game will boast a roster of over 60 characters!

Here's the full list of fighters:

  • Bayonetta
  • Bowser
  • Bowser Jr.
  • Captain Falcon
  • Charizard
  • Cloud
  • Corrin
  • Daisy
  • Dark Pit
  • Diddy Kong
  • Donkey Kong
  • Dr. Mario
  • Duck Hunt
  • Falco
  • Fox
  • Ganondorf
  • Greninja
  • The Ice Climbers
  • Ike
  • Ivysaur
  • Jigglypuff
  • King Dedede
  • Kirby
  • Link
  • Little Mac
  • Lucario
  • Lucas
  • Lucina
  • Luigi
  • Mario
  • Marth
  • Mega Man
  • Meta Knight
  • Mewtwo
  • Mii Brawler
  • Mii Gunner
  • Mii Fighter
  • Mr. Game & Watch
  • Ness
  • Captain Olimar
  • Pac-Man
  • Palutena
  • Peach
  • Pichu
  • Pikachu
  • Pit
  • Pokémon Trainer
  • R.O.B. the robot
  • Ridley
  • Robin
  • Rosalina
  • Roy
  • Ryu
  • Samus
  • Sheik
  • Shulk
  • Snake
  • Sonic
  • Splatoon Inklings
  • Squirtle
  • Toon Link
  • Villager
  • Wario
  • Wii Fit Trainer
  • Wolf
  • Yoshi
  • Young Link
  • Zelda
  • Zero Suit Samus

Skull and Bones Release Date, Trailer, & Much More

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Will Skull and Bones be the definitive pirate video game? Here's what we know:

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 31, 2018

Were you one of many gamers who played Assassin's Creed: Black Flag's ship sections and thought, "Why doesn't Ubisoft just turn this into a game?" Well, it appears that Ubisoft heard that very valid question. 

Skull and Bones can't exactly be described as a continuation of Black Flag. While the two share many pirate aspects (we'll never tire of hearing our crew sing a shanty) Skull and Bones seems to place a far greater emphasis on multiplayer gameplay, but it's still not clear what the extent of the game's single-player offerings is. 

The game will allow you to assemble an online crew and participate in 5 v 5 battles with rival pirates in ship-to-ship combat sections. While sinking the enemy is certainly a plus, the true goal here seems to be to collect as much sweet, sweet loot as you can while also vanquishing your foes. It's not entirely clear at this time whether or not you and other players will be able to assume multiple roles on the ship or how that system of role management will work, but it does appear that much of the action will take place on the open waters. 

Here's everything else we know about the game:

Skull and Bones News 

E3 2018 actually brought us two new trailers for Skull and Bones. The first is a cinematic preview that explores the game's rich universe. 

The second, though, is an extensive gameplay preview that gives us our best look yet at what Skull and Bones will actually play like. Based on the footage shown at the event, it appears that you'll be able to command your own ship in Skull and Bones, but the seas you sail will be populated by other players doing the same. There will be several ways to interact with those other players that include blowing them up or using them to take down powerful enemies. 

Skull and Bones Release Date

Skull and Bones has been delayed until 2019 or even 2020 according to the latest Ubisoft earnings report. The delay is attributed to the scope of the experience as well as the studio's desire to expand the lore of the in-game world

Skull and Bones Trailer

Here is the first trailer for Skull and Bones:

And here's a gameplay trailer:

This interview video posted by Ubisoft also hints at the game's RPG mechanics and the way that you'll be able to upgrade your ship and crew as you gain gold and infamy. 

GTFO Release Date, Trailer, News, & Much More

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The mysterious GTFO remains on the radar of co-op fans everywhere. Here's what we know:

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 31, 2018

The designer of Payday and Payday 2, Ulf Anderson, has started a new studio called 10 Chambers Collective. His first project will retain Payday's four-player co-op gameplay but will add an element of horror that only exists in Payday when someone screws up the vault drill. 

GTFO is described as a "terrifying 4 player co-op game for hardcore FPS players." It sees a team of four scavengers explore various locales in an effort to extract valuable artifacts. Standing in their way are some truly horrifying monstrosities that seem to be quite keen on eating human beings when they get the chance to do so. 

We're not sure what's behind the miniature resurrection of four-player co-op shooters, but this one does feature a few elements that have us undeniably intrigued. Not the least among them is that awesome synth soundtrack that played over the game's debut trailer. 

However, it's really the design of the game's monsters that deserves the most attention. This isn't the usual army of zombies but a series of utterly bizarre creatures. Actually, it feels like there might be a hint of Starship Troopers in the design of the enemies and the style of action. 

Here's everything else you need to know about GTFO:

GTFO Release Date

GTFO is set to release on PC sometime in 2018. 

GTFO Trailer

Here is the debut trailer for GTFO:

The trailer showcases a few gameplay hints that suggest this will be a rather deep action experience. For instance, it appears that players can set-up basic defenses when things go wrong and access a kind of x-ray scouting device that provides a brief glimpse at what lies ahead.

Also of note is the way that GTFO incorporates story into the missions. Your crew of scavengers clearly know each other well and seem to make quite a few references to prior events and the current situation via in-game dialog. 

Metro Exodus Release Date, Trailer, & Everything Else We Know

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Metro Exodus looks to evolve one of gaming's great cult franchises.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 31, 2018

4A Games returns with Metro Exodus! Much like the previous Metro games, this one appears to contain a mix of subterranean and overworld exploration gameplay spiced up a bit by the inclusion of challenging combat. As for the timeline, this appears to be a sequel to the previous titles, but that is largely based on the degenerative nature of the universe rather than any specific plot points. 

Otherwise, this title appears to share many of the gameplay and environmental aspects that make the Metro franchise so unique. If anything, there may be a slightly stronger emphasis on creature combat over human encounters (if the footage shown is any indication, at least) but we'll wait until more of the game is revealed before making too many assumptions. 

Here's everything else we know about the game:

Metro Exodus News

Here's that awesome new trailer for Metro Exodus that was revealed during Microsoft's E3 2018 press conference. 

Metro Exodus Release Date

Metro Exodus has been delayed to 2019. It is coming to XBO, PS4, and PC.

Metro Exodus Trailer

A new trailer premiered at The Game Awards 2017. Check it out below:

And here's the reveal trailer for Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus Details

The latest issue of Game Informer reveals some new information about Metro Exodus

It seems that Exodus will start in the fabled Metro but will quickly allow players to explore a much larger outdoor setting. However, Exodus is not an open-world game. It's a series of large, objective-based levels that can be freely explored but are tied together by a narrative. The catch is that you can't return to an area after you've completed the main objectives in a given level. That means you'll want to take care of any sidequests first.

The series' combat and stealth mechanics will receive an overhaul as part of this new emphasis on exploration. There's no word on exactly how they will be changed, but it seems the studio is aiming for general improvements. Furthermore, the traditional hub area from previous Metro games will return in the form of a train called the Aurora that will follow you between most levels. Players will also be able to access several smaller vehicles. 

Finally, it seems that Exodus' story will take place across the course of an entire year. Previous Metro games occurred over just a few days.  

All and all, it sounds like Exodus will make some pretty bold changes to the series' formula. We just hope it maintains some of the distinctive design elements that make the Metro franchise a special - if overlooked - gaming experience. 

Yoshi Switch Release Date, Trailer, and Everything We Know

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Yoshi remains one of the Switch's biggest upcoming exclusives. Here's what we know:

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 31, 2018

Th new Yoshi game is simply being referred to as Yoshi. The game is based on a fairly fascinating gimmick involving the depth of stages. Basically, Yoshi is able to move in-between and interact with background and foreground elements that would usually be considered static in many such platforming titles. There are numerous instances of this mechanic being utilized during the trailer, but some of the most fascinating examples of this dynamic mechanic involved Yoshi attacking enemies in the foreground and flipping a stage at will to reveal brand new paths that simply looked like background objects before. 

It certainly doesn't hurt that the game's vibrant art style contributes to the storybook nature of the level design and the use of this flip mechanic. The Switch may not be a technical powerhouse, but games like this showcase why a bright color palette and creative design will sometimes best pure processing power.

Indeed, Yoshi may very well be the game for Switch fans who still harbor a deep love for classic platformers. While Super Mario Odyssey promotes a more open-world take on the platformer genre, Yoshi looks like the kind of classic platforming experience that we might have dreamed of as kids if we could dream quite as big as game's clearly imaginative development team. 

Here's everything we know about Yoshi for the Nintendo Switch: 

Yoshi Switch Release Date

Yoshi has been delayed and will now be released exclusively for Nintendo Switch sometime in 2019. Nintendo has not given a specific reason for the delay. 

Yoshi Switch Trailer

While not the most high-profile reveal of Nintendo's E3 2017 showcase, this trailer for an upcoming Nintendo Switch Yoshi game was certainly one of the most interesting previews of the show.

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