Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 With release dates that were extremely close together and a shared focus on loot-based gameplay, most people have had to choose between investing their time in Anthem or diving deep into The Division 2. As someone who’s seen the main story, side content and endgame offerings for both titles, I decided to write this article for anyone who’s still on the fence. I’ll be looking at everything from the core gameplay and storytelling to the content and stability of both games, sharing which game gets the edge in every area as I go. At the end, I’ll share which game I enjoy more and provide a final breakdown for both The Division 2 and Anthem. If you’re someone who’s still unsure of which game they want or a person with only a little interest in these games, you’ve come to the right place.
Let’s get started!
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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 I was very late to the Nintendo Switch party. While everyone was enjoying The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, I was saving up money and waiting for a sale or a price drop. However, as more and more games kept releasing, that money I had set aside dwindled until it became nonexistent. For a while I started thinking I’d never get a Switch, but with games like Metroid Prime 4 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 on the way, I knew I couldn’t give up on the dream. So, as soon as 2019 hit, I pulled from my savings account and finally made the jump.
Having spent a little over a month with the console, I’m confident enough to talk about it. In this article, I’m going to grade five different aspects of the Switch (the games, the hybrid console gimmick, the online functionality, the battery life and the storage space) before giving it an overall rating. I’ll also be adding a tip to every section for those who are planning to get a Switch themselves, so be sure to check those out in order to make that first day setting things up as painless as possible. With that in mind, let’s get started! Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 Five years ago, two friends sat down to talk about games using the PlayStation 4’s new Live From PlayStation feature. Little did they know that half a decade later they would have one of the most loyal and positive communities on Twitch, and that their dedicated group of viewers would help make a dream a reality.
If you’re here, there's a good chance you already know who Andrew is. Not only is he one of the co-hosts of The Level Up Show, the weekly gaming talk show that made The Level Up Network into what it is today, but Andrew is a genuinely awesome guy who recently quit his job to begin streaming full-time. While that is usually a big choice, it's made even bigger by the fact that Andrew also has a family to support. It is certainly an understatement to say that making this change to full-time streaming is a bit risky, so before it happens, I wanted to get Andrew's thoughts on the journey so far, the excellent community that he’s brought together, and everything that’s about to happen when his journey finally kicks off on January 14th. Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 Fallout 76 is Bethesda’s most controversial launch in years. It contains many of the same flaws present in the other Fallout games, only to a greater extent. When combined with some new issues and a multiplayer focus that a large portion of the fanbase found disappointing, both critics and fans gave the game mediocre reviews. The game’s weak critical reception has impacted its sales, with Fallout 76 already being dropped to $40 for Black Friday deals. Some gamers wanted 76 to fail and are happy to see it having such a rough launch (a stance I find to be truly pathetic), whereas other players are simply disappointed in how the ambitious game turned out. Then, there are those that expected a typical messy launch from Bethesda and are enjoying the game despite its lack of polish. I didn’t truly dive into the game until this weekend, but based on everything I had read about it, I was curious to see where I’d fall on it.
After playing Fallout 76 all weekend, I have my answer... Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 It’s been just under a year since I last wrote about PlayStation’s trophy system. Given that it’s such a huge part of gaming for me, I wanted to discuss it again, so... here we are. Last time, I talked about how Trophies were the best achievement system in gaming, and how easy it was to get addicted to earning trophies because of that. While I still stand by that outlook, it’s worth noting that even the best systems can be flawed.
On the off chance that someone from Sony is reading this, know that this is nothing but constructive criticism from someone who has dedicated a huge part of their life to getting trophies. I love hunting for them whenever I’m playing games, and I only want that hunt to get better. Without further ado, here are some key things I’d like to see addressed. Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 Despite the remarkable amount of praise the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have received, two big issues are always brought up: the villains and the music. While the former has recently been rectified due to amazing villains like Vulture, Killmonger and Thanos, many still believe the latter is a problem. Is that the case, though, or is something else going on?
In this article, I’ll explain what I think Marvel’s music issue is, and I’ll share my favorite music from the MCU. Give it a look! Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 There has been plenty of hype around the Blackout mode and the numerous Zombies offerings launching with Black Ops 4... but there has been just as much controversy due to the lack of campaign and the Black Ops pass. As a huge fan of the series, I wanted to take a closer look at these two complaints and give my opinion on everything going on with this year’s ambitious (and risky) Call of Duty title.
Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 With the Venom trailer having been released a few weeks back and plans for Spider-Man villains like Black Cat and Morbius to get their own movies, Sony’s Marvel universe is coming whether we want it or not. I’ve always been a member of the latter group, as the prospect of a universe based on Spider-Man’s villains just isn’t that appealing to me. Yes, the characters are incredible, but they’re mainly incredible because of Spider-Man and the relationship they have with the iconic, friendly neighborhood hero. Without him, the universe just cannot work. The movies will fall flat, and the universe will crumble before it comes close to reaching a big payoff moment, just like Amazing Spider-Man failed to end its trilogy and introduce the Sinister Six. Further, these movies remove possibilities for villains to appear in the MCU alongside Tom Holland’s brilliant version of Spidey.
That said, I still think there’s a solution to the problems. There is something that Sony can do to fix this universe before it even begins, and to win over even those like myself who don’t like the concept... Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 The day has finally come. Tonight, I’ll be seeing Avengers: Infinity War for what will likely be the first of many times. Honestly, unlike any of the previous films, I have no idea what will happen. Still, I’ve tried to make the best guesses I can, and in this article I thought that I’d share them. Check out some of my IW predictions, and feel free to respond with some of your own.
Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 When embarking on the journey that was the 18 movie rewatch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I had more than just Infinity War preparation in mind. I wanted to find out, definitively, how each movie ranked for me. In this article, I’ll be sharing a list for every phase, building up to the ultimate 18-film list at the end. Take a look at my list, and be sure to share yours afterwards!
Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 When comparing the third phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the previous groups of movies, it’s hard not to be impressed. When Civil War dropped, Marvel Studios began a hot streak and they haven’t stopped since. Every movie in Phase 3 is excellent, with the introduction of new heroes like Doctor Strange and Black Panther, as well as the return of Marvel’s biggest star: Spider-Man. There is so much greatness in this group of movies, and I’ll be talking in detail about what makes them so great to me in this article.
Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 The second phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was filled with some of the highest highs and lowest lows of all the movies. The “weak villain” problem became an epidemic here, infecting the majority of the phase. Still, the MCU persisted, and it’s here that Kevin Feige and the rest of the minds behind the universe began to take risks and establish their style. Today, I’m taking a look at each movie in Phase 2. Why not join me?
Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 10 years ago, Iron Man released and changed comic book movies forever. It planted the seeds for a series of movies that would sprout into a universe full of classic moments and blockbuster successes. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is incredible. It has taken the characters from the books we read as kids and translated them perfectly into excellent live action film after excellent live action film. I started watching and loving these movies when I was a kid, and as an adult, I couldn’t be happier with the fact that I’m still doing the same. With Infinity War closing in, I started a rewatch of the entire MCU. I’ll be talking about each movie from Phase One in this article, comparing my original score with my current one and explaining why the numbers have/haven’t changed. Give it a read!
Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 This is it; the last top five. For over 8 months, each Friday I’ve shared everything from my favorite games of all time to my own ideas for superhero games. Easter eggs, endings, soundtracks, art styles... it’s all been covered. Sure, I could keep going (maybe I’d write a list on weapons or start doing lists about specific series, like one on Uncharted setpieces) but I feel like I’ve done every list that I truly want to do. It’s time to move on to something new, but before I do, one last top five: my most anticipated games.
Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 Over four years ago, I was spending the night doing the same thing as always: playing games. At some point I took a break and browsed Live from PlayStation, looking for something to kill time while I ate dinner and waited for friends to sign online. Eventually I landed on something called “The Level Up Show”, having no idea that what I was about to watch would have such a positive impact on my life. Years passed by, with new people who shared the same passion for gaming and all the news in the industry finding the show and joining in on the discussion. I kept making more friends as the channel grew, and I’ll always be thankful for that. There’s something special about this community that made us all stick around. Maybe it’s all the excellent hosts that have been a part of the Network over the years. Maybe it’s the great production quality (seriously, the amount of work Andrew puts into everything deserves so much praise) or the level of interaction with the viewers. Maybe it’s the viewers themselves, the running jokes or amazing extra life events. I can never pinpoint one exact reason, because I don’t think there is one; I think it’s all the things above and more.
I love this community, and before I stop making these top five lists, I wanted to share my favorite moments from these past four years. Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 The clear majority of video games prefer to take the route of linear, clear storytelling. Players can trust what they see on screen, and important story beats are easy to notice. There are some games that aim to break that mold, like Virginia and Hideo Kojima’s highly anticipated Death Stranding, but they’re very rare. As a result, for years fans have searched through their favorite games and found different ways to interpret them. Whether it’s just for fun or done to justify things like bad endings and cancelations, new video game theories are constantly popping up. Here are five of the most interesting...
Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 From double rainbows to NPCs with arrows in their knees, just about every game is packed with references and hidden details. Some are simple, others are complex, but all are fun. With this list, I'll be sharing my absolute favorite easter eggs - give it a read and share yours in the comments below!
Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 As the gaming industry has evolved, more games have adopted open world outlooks. From entirely open world games like Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed to a once-linear series like Metal Gear Solid, seemingly every developer has a vision that involves an open world space. While it doesn’t always work out for the best, the open world games that find the most success usually have at least one thing in common: the open worlds themselves are amazing.
Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 Over the years, gamers have grown less and less tolerant of DLC. Some complain when it's not announced beforehand, but others complain when it is. Pay-to-win microtransactions are grouped in with purchasable cosmetics, and an overpriced multiplayer map pack will be placed in the same category as a fairly-priced 20-hour expansion. The reality is that not all DLC is the same, and it should never be looked at as inherently bad. For every poor use of the system, there's a great one, and this week I'll be proving that by discussing my all-time favorites.
Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 Everyone has their moments with multiplayer games. Whether it’s an Overwatch Play of the Game, an epic win on Fortnite, or a game that you and your friends just can’t stop playing, the nature of multiplayer games allows for some tremendous unscripted fun. This week, I’m sharing my favorite experiences. This isn’t a “best multiplayer games ever” list, or anything along those lines; it’s just me talking about my favorite moments from multiplayer games. Give it a read and share your best multiplayer experiences in the comments below.
Written by Rick Warren / gfn21 This is a list I’ve been playing with in my head for a while now, as there are a lot of great superhero games that are close together for me. After spending some more time narrowing down the order, though, I think I’m finally ready to make it. Give it a read and be sure to check the comments for some very worthy honorable mentions.
Written by Rick Warren / Gfn2112 Though phenomenal games are releasing constantly, there have been many times where a great-looking game never makes its debut. From action to horror, every genre has suffered from permanently losing a game to development hell. This week, I’ll be sharing 5 games that I was extremely excited for... and extremely sad to see get canceled.
Written by Rick Warren / Gfn2112 There are so many development studios that I love, and this second Top 5 is proof of that. Once again, here are some video game developers that I have an incredible amount of respect for. Feel free to share some of your favorites in the comments!
Written by Rick Warren / Gfn2112 Gamers often forget where their games come from. Demands are made, complaints pile in, and games are often judged on a scale of whether they’re “worth paying $____ for”. The people who make the games, sadly, are often an afterthought. Hundreds of hours of work are put in, along with a brutal crunch time close to release. Developers sacrifice their free time to deliver something they’re passionate about, and they deserve an endless amount of credit for feeding our passion to play games. This week, I’m sharing some of my favorite developers. Give it a read, and feel free to share some of your own favorites.
Written by Jose Gonzalez NOTE: The End will not be on this list as he can be killed without entering his boss battle.
The Metal Gear Solid franchise spans over 20 years and I can still remember the first battle against Revolver Ocelot with a tied-up Kenneth Baker or figuring out the pattern to finally beat Psycho Mantis. The franchise is known for many things, but two stand out; the story and the epic boss battles in every game (minus Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain because facing Sahelanthropus just wasn’t fun as far as a finale is concerned). However, there are plenty of battles to choose from, so having to narrow it down to five means it must stand out. So here are my top 5 boss battles across the MGS franchise, and as always, if you have a dissenting opinion, feel free to let me know. |
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