I've been a gamer since a young age, my first experiences were with my old Atari 2600. Nowadays I'm mostly a PC guy but I also play board games when I have the group for it. And I love wrenching on cars besides.
Just a few days ago at the time of this article's writing, Larian Studios released the enhanced version of what is in my mind one of the best turn based rpgs of it's kind: Divinity Original Sin. This new and enhanced version comes with something like 1300 changes including controller support, better graphics, better optimization, 360 degree camera control, full voice over for all characters, even split screen co-op. Of course there are many more than I want to list so I'll link the full changelog here in case you're interested in seeing everything. Even better, Larian gave us lucky folks this enhanced version for free as long we already owned the previous Original Sin title. Mac and Linux users will unfortunately have to wait a bit longer but it's coming so don't fret.
I must preface this by saying that I have not tried using this controller and this is purely my opinion.
This is the month of October and during this month Microsoft is releasing a high end pro gaming peripheral in the form of the Xbox One Elite Wireless Controller.
You'll get a high quality Wireless Xbox One controller redesigned with customizable metal thumb sticks, a faceted cover for the D-pad for increased accuracy, smoother action buttons and triggers, along with extra buttons in the form of paddles that connect under the controller. You'll also get a rubberized grip that provides extra comfort and staying power for intense battles combating sweaty hands. The Elite Controller will come with a hard case for storage, batteries and a bunch of interchangeable components along with a braided USB to mini USB cable for a wired connection to your PC. Available for Xbox and Widows 10 will also be an app that allows for configuration remapping for the Elite controller.
So you'll get a lot with your package, and that's awesome. The Elite Controller promises to be highly customizable, very high quality product for those who are really serious about their gaming. Which is great because that's the demographic here, serious gamers. For everything you get, which is admittedly a lot, you'll have to shell out $149.99.....!! I'll say it again even though this is written and you can just read it, the Xbox One Wireless Elite Controller will cost you one hundred and fifty dollars, exclamation point!
I won't be purchasing one of these. That cost point by itself is a deal breaker for me and I game a lot. Like, a lot. I use an Xbox One controller for my PC and I love it. It's really accurate, it's very smooth, very comfortable, so far very durable and in my opinion it's worth the money. Now I don't have a rubberized grip or extra paddle buttons or three sets of metal interchangeable thumb sticks. This would be super cool, I admit that 100%. But I don't deem those things worth nearly three times the cost of the standard controller. No, not even with the redesigned internal architecture that allows such a level of reconfiguration. With everything the Elite Controller comes with I could see spending maybe $80, that would be my ceiling.
Now, I haven't tried using the Elite Controller. I'm just a guy who like most, doesn't get demo access to new products. This thing could be incredible. But incredible or not that's a lot of money to throw down on a controller. Not to mention I can't find any information on the app that will be available for configurations, I can't even say if that's free or not. Microsoft's video showcasing the controller and app doesn't mention if it's free or if it costs, but I do notice the wording "app available..." on their site so I'm not holding my breath for free. I also can't find any information about the app via Google or any forum conversations. Someone out there must know....right?
Competition gamers may find the price tag acceptable, and that's ok because that's the target demographic here; but I'm sticking to laughable myself. Think about buying an Xbox One. That's $300 by itself. Now buy two Elite Controllers, there's another $300. Want a full set or four? Well, the math is pretty simple. When will we as gamers stop paying all this extra money for what usually equates to a few extra features that we probably won't even use. Look, I get that a lot of work went in to making this controller a reality, and you'll get a lot in the package should you make the purchase. And I get that the whole thing is very high quality, this is wonderful. But it's too much money! Of course nobody has to buy one of these right? No one is forcing them on us. Yet I still have to say, Microsoft, at least buy us dinner first.
So if you're like me, you love yourself some Rocket League. Sometimes though it's difficult to pick a role you'd like to play in the game. Whether it be the all-around player, the striker, or as was in my case for quite a while, being a full-time goalie.
Choosing to be a full-time goalie can be kind of intimidating. You're effectively putting a lot of pressure on yourself to make sure you can stop the other teams advancement while taking yourself out of an offensive role. Here in this guide I'll attempt to help with some quick tips and visuals to get you started if you're considering a move in this direction.
First thing everyone needs to know is that as a goalie, you're going to make mistakes. End of story. Don't let it deter you from keeping at it. As your skill in the area raises you'll become a force to be reckoned with and able to help turn the tide of a less than successful match. Secondly a lot of being a goalie is common sense that's just been honed in to skill. For most it's not that hard to get in to, and it's a very satisfying role. So without further ado, let's get started.
Okay so whether you've just started playing Rocket League or you're in to it already it's important to know that the game's tutorial is your friend. I think lots of people just skip the it because they want to just get right to playing. But the tutorial teaches some pretty helpful fundamental items that you'll be able to use very quickly.
Once you're through with the basics in tutorial mode It's a good idea to get some game time practice in. I would suggest starting out in some bot matches at whatever skill level you feel comfortable with before moving to online matches.
Here's a list of tips from my own experiences to help you become a successful goalie.
Click any image below to view it full size
--Ball Cam-- This is a personal choice for everyone of course but the ball cam can hinder your visibility in the goal box. I tend to play with the ball cam off unless I'm running back to the goal and need to see behind me.
--Stay in the Goal Box-- If you're the furthest one back in the lineup just get in the goal box and stay there. Charging forward at kickoff when you're the farthest back just puts you out of reach should the ball be hit directly at your goal. Likewise if you're in a forward position at kickoff, charge the ball and then get yourself back to the goal box as quick as possible.
Back right in and stay there
--Always face the ball-- This is important because turning your car around before you can challenge a shot takes time you don't always have. Facing the ball means quicker action.
See that? Straight line to the ball
--Boost-- As a goalie It's very important to keep up your boost gauge. Right in front of the goal box is one boost node, just use it repeatedly. Forward out, get the node, reverse back. Rinse and repeat. Don't be fooled into thinking that those 100% nodes at the corners are safe to go to. You'll leave your goal wide open for a few precious seconds while leaving to retrieve one.
Get this node here repeatedly
--Don't come out until you have to-- A common mistake early on in goal keeping is challenging the ball before you need to. Remember the further you have to go to get to the ball, the further you have to go to return to the goal box. Rely on your teammates to get the ball away before you make the decision to challenge. Early challenges can also open a host of other issues like an opponent touching in a different direction and you not being able to correct for the change. Or even your own teammate hitting the ball while you're out, leaving the goal open while you make your way back. Waiting until the last second gives your opponent less of an advantage to dodge your challenge and increases your chances of a save.
This was too soon. Cost a goal from a teammate.Just right this time. Hit it!Take that Suckah!
--Commit to the save-- Once you do make the decision to knock that ball away don't stop until you either do just that, or a teammate has possession. Your car will accelerate quickly but not instantly, even with boost. Waffling on a save is almost always bad. Remember if you mess up it's better to do it trying to make the save than to sit just watch the ball go in your goal.
Wait for it....Get that thing away
--Don't chase the ball-- Remember, you're priority is stopping goals, not making them. There will be cases where you'll be able to hit the ball just right and make a save that ends up in a return and scores for your team. It's a great feeling, but do resist the temptation to make a save and try and follow it up by leaving your position and running the ball back for a score.
This is what happens when you chase the ball down the fieldWay too far out
--Surface area-- Your goal box is a big target being guarded by a small goal keeper. Any chance you have to increase your surface area is one you should take. This might mean turning sideways during a save, or pitching up or down to make yourself a bigger obstacle.
Close one
--Try and keep it simple-- This is more difficult than it sounds. Certainly not all shots will come at you at ground level. At some point you're going to have make the choice to jump or even fly for the ball. Just try and keep the distance of travel as short as possible and it's usually not worth trying anything complicated while in the air. As direct a hit as you can manage will greatly increase your chances of success.
Just a straight line jump block
--Come at it hard-- Almost every shot that comes your way as your ranks raise will be a hard shot. And much of the time your opponent will be backing it up by driving in to the ball. This can easily just push right through your position if you're just casually challenging the attack. Once you're lined up on the ball and close enough, flip at it. This helps counteract the force applied by the opponent and will likely serve doubly to project the ball back down field. At the very least it will throw off your opponent's momentum giving your team the chance to take the ball back.
Not on my watch Sir
--Don't be baited by hecklers-- As your skill increases and you're making saves left and right the other team is bound become frustrated. Someone will inevitably decide to attempt to ram you away or demolish your car. I find it best to just jump over them and give them the least attention possible rather than try and ram them back. This allows you to stay in the goal box. Plus what better way to send the message that you can handle it than to be able to make the save even while you're being harassed by an opponent. Another good thing to remember is that while one opponent is busy trying to make things hard for you, they're also leaving their team a man down.
Thanks for reading. Hopefully these tips have given you the confidence to give goal keeping a shot. It's surprisingly addictive and a great way to contribute. And when you do it right you'll have end game score boards something like this one in one of the bot matches I used for most of these examples. Now go make some saves!
6 saves may not always get MVP but it does stop 6 goals
Way back in 1989 on December 22nd in movie theaters Back to the Future 2, was released and we got to see Marty and the Doc go forward in the future to October 21st, 2015. Today IS October 21st, 2015 and that means It's Back to the Future day. How cool is that? From this point forward all the Back to the Future films will have taken place in the past. Boom... mind blown.
The fine folks at Psyonix have celebrated this wondrous occasion with the release of the Back to the Future, car pack for their popular title Rocket League. In the form of pure awesome this pack contains access to Doc. Brown's, DeLorean Time Machine. It'll cos you two bucks, but come on people it's the DeLorean Time Machine!
You get the DeLorean, the Outatime Boost Trail, and the DeLorean Time Machine wheels and tires. You'll be locked in to these options when you use the car, and you can only change the colors in the primary paint options, no graphics or secondary paint.
Here are some screens of the venerable Time Machine in action, as always click images to see them full size.
Hey everyone. Do you love AAA games with cutting edge graphics? How do you feel about stealthing your way down a hall, hacking your way in to a locked door and stealing classified documents? Is third person shooter action what you live for? Well if you answered yes then this is definitely NOT the review you came to read.
If you're still with me then join me for a trip through a game that this review is actually about.
Destination Sol is a free to play, randomly generated, 2D space exploration and combat rogue-like game. It's got a retro style and as the player you'll be flying around a vast open space sandbox and blasting away at various enemies while looting items and trading with space stations. And there are no microtransactions!
Currently it's available through Steam as a PC version and is also available for free on the Google Play Store as an Android Mobile version. And for a totally free single player title it's pretty cool. Let's check out the PC version.
This title is fairly easy to just pick up and play, but a quick tutorial covering all the basics is available from the start menu.
Click to view knowledge dropping at full size
You'll start as small space ship at a space station in one of two star systems and are immediately free to explore the space around you. Once you open your map and zoom out you'll quickly notice that the game world is pretty expansive and fully accessible.
While in the map view you'll be able to see your position in real time as well the rest of the available area. Just about everything you need to see is marked, space stations, planets, asteroid belts and quick travel points are most prevalent but you may also see other ships.
However that doesn't mean the map is perfect. Missing are the abilities to create waypoints or markers of any kind; and in an open world it would be nice to have the option to point yourself in a direction. You're also unable to drag the map screen around to see objects off-screen.
Click to a big space map in full size
Conveniently, the map also marks what areas are considered too strong for you by flashing skulls on their positions. Who has two thumbs and didn't pay attention to skulls? Oh that's me. I decided on a whim to fly to a near by ship that was flashing as a skull. A clear red flag, warning me to turn away before it was too late. As I neared an actual warning came up on the screen that said bluntly "Dangerous Enemy". Just before I became a smoldering pile of scrap on the ground I thought to myself, "I can handle it. I have the hang of this game already". Afterwards I respawned and went in a different direction.
Skulls are bad mmmk?
There are no missions in Destination Sol, so happily you can pick a direction and just start out exploring. Soon you'll find yourself sailing through asteroid fields and battling space pirates who will provide you with currency and items as your reward for their defeat. Speaking of asteroids... Anyone remember the classic arcade space blaster Asteroids? That's how this game controls too.
Now, in Asteroids if you hit something (say, an asteroid perhaps) you blew up and it was GG thanks for playing. In Destination Sol your ship is a bit more durable so it takes some significant speed to blow you up in a collision. It can happen though and if it does...GG thanks for playing.
It's not all as hardcore as sounds though since the only penalty for death is a loss of some currency, and your respawn will always put you back at your original starting space station. As a result there could be some downtime in flying back to your place of demise to recover money lost or items left behind. Not to mention you might run in to more space pirates or get sidetracked by something shiny...
Like a planet. Yes, Destination Sol allows you to seamlessly descend into the atmosphere of an extraterrestrial world. There are three types of planets to explore and you'll know when you're near one because a bar-like feature consisting of several blue dots will appear on the outer edge of your screen. Perhaps just for the sake of argument we'll call it an atmospheric indicator. As you near a planet these dots will move along the edges of your screen to determine your position in relation to the planet and will also glow brighter. Remember that tutorial image at the beginning of this review? Who am I asking, of course you do. In the upper right corner of that image is one of these atmospheric indicator bars.
Click to see some combat full size
As you enter the atmosphere you're greeted by gravity, clouds, a sky, some pirates, and even a day night cycle of sorts. It's a small detail overall but I really liked that there was a light and dark side to each world.
In my experience the pirates on planets are far more dangerous than most of those in space. At least early on. They have better weapons, faster ships, and bigger shields. Plus they may be backed up by gun turrets on the ground. But if you can manage to get by them there's almost always a trader on the surface with upgrades, repairs and ammunition.
Click to see me limp to the trader at full size
Unfortunately this about where planetary exploration hits it's peak. I found planets to be pretty small and once cleared of evildoers and looted for every item and monetary credit it was back to space with me.
We haven't talked about itemsand weapons yet so let's get in to that a bit. Destination Sol advertises over 50 items and weapons to find, buy, and equip. Your ship will begin it's journey with a basic set of gear to get your started and it's all visible in the upper left corner of the HUD.
Items are pretty self explanatory. For instance, your shield will absorb the damage before it fails and your ship starts taking physical damage. In which case you'll see your hit points drop, if they reach zero, GG thanks for playing. Fortunately for you it's possible to buy bigger shields that absorb more damage before failing and thus avert tragedy a bit easier.
Also available are repair kits. These kits will self-use when you become idle for a few seconds and repair a total of 20 damage before being used up. Only need to repair 13 damage? That's ok the kit will stay in your inventory until it repairs 7 more.
Your ships armor will increase your damage resistance allowing your ship to take punishment when your shield inevitably fails under pressure. Higher levels of armor are available for purchase to increase your damage resistance further.
Click to see trading at full size
Weapons are varied in both number and effectiveness. Your starting weapon is the good old blaster. As a starting weapon it has infinite magazines meaning it can reload forever. Reloading takes time and takes place only when you're out of ammunition, and only automatically.There is no manual reloading in Destination Sol. A point that I wasn't fond of at all. I don't know how many times my ship needlessly exploded because I couldn't prepare for a fight by reloading before hand.
Other weapons, ballistics, missiles, bombs, mines etc. all take ammunition that you'll have to buy from a trader or space station. In other words, no infinite reloads. Different weapons are more, or less effective vs. shields or ship armor so there's a modicum of strategy involved in what you may choose for a certain situation. Also weapons come in two categories: Light and Heavy. Your ship will show you which is applicable.
Herein we see the balance of the game. The Guardian ship has a light weapon slot, which is able to rotate automatically like a turret to fire. It also has fewer hit points. Whereas the Fighter has a heavy weapon slot which cannot rotate, meaning you use your ship to aim. However it has more hit points allowing it to face danger head on a bit easier. Categories are clearly marked in the trade screen. Combat itself is handled, very simply. Point your reticle at the enemy and fire. Easy peezy lemon squeezy.
Woah, Doc... This is Heavy!
Destination Sol gives you the availability of piloting up to 6 different ships, a few are in the image below. Some of these ships have more than one slot for weapons, and each has it's own unique special ability. The guardian ship has the ability to temporarily slow time and comes with one light weapon slot. The larger Hunter ship has the ability to teleport in battle and comes with two heavy weapon slots.
My favorite ship so far is the Hunter class. It's big, intimidating looking, and I put two heavy machine guns on it to rule space with a hale of lead of fire!
You'll have to buy ships from traders and outposts, and they can be pricey. They are worth the buy though and they'll use items you currently own.
Click to see the full size ship exchange
Also usually available at traders and outposts are mercenary allies. Hiring one of these mercs can be a little expensive but they can be very helpful and each has their own abilities. Plus during boss battles they double as bullet sponges. Meat shield anyone?
"Boss battle" is actually a loose term here. There are no true bosses in Destination Sol, at least none that I'm aware of. I never ran in to anything like that in my play time. What they tend to be are usually just larger more heavily armed and armored ships that give greater rewards for their defeat. But they show up during exploration, not in an encounter type situation with a large health bar and narcissistic monologue.
My own first sighting of a boss ship was while I was exploring a planet and suddenly, there from above, was a relatively enormous pile of guns blasting away at me. I managed to win the fight by the skin of teeth and collect a veritable treasure trove which I immediately unloaded on a trader for a significant pile of cash. It was very satisfying.
So far I see no end to this game. Which is great on the one hand because you can just play and play. In these days of 10 hour titles costing $60 it's refreshing to have free title with a play time as long as your attention span. On the other hand there's only so much exploration and pirate battling one can do before starting over.
Which brings me to my final subject here. Destination Sol, is classified as a rogue-like, hardcore, arcade, space RPG. A mouth full to be sure. Now don't box this in to the same category as a more familiar title like FTL. The similarities are few if any at all. I don't see much as far as an RPG element goes in Destination Sol. Though you're able to aquire and equip gear and items there's no leveling system. There is no dialogue, and there are no quests. Not even a story line to follow.
But, it is very arcade like, and Rogue-like in a way. The arcade elements are pretty obvious when you play. The game is only lightly physics based and there's just that old school joystick and two button feel. Like I need to be dropping quarters in a machine.
Rogue-like elements seem to mix with the hardcore. You have what equates to as infinite continues. Die and you'll respawn and move on more or less the same as you were (minus a few credits), but the game state is never saved. Your ship's build is saved when you exit the game, but the world is different every time you start. From the main menu you'll have the option to start over from scratch or go ahead and use your previous ship with your items etc. I guess you could argue this as being rogue-like since it's a way of having a legacy... to a point. I personally feel more comfortable calling it an arcade space exploration and combat game.
So in conclusion, Destination Sol, is a free to play title with no micro-transactions. It's pretty well put together with a few things maybe needing some polish. For instance I know I didn't mention above in the review but this game has no music. I really think it could benefit from a soundtrack. But it's supported on Steam with updates so perhaps we'll still see improvements where they're needed.
Would I recommend Destination Sol? So I kind of have mixed feelings about some portions but yes, I would recommend it. Why, you ask? Well dear reader, if you're in to a retro style of graphics and a simple character controller I'm sure you're going to dig this. And possibly more importantly, it's free and it's fun.
System Requirements for Destination Sol, are as follows:
Processor: 1 ghz or better
Ram: 512 mb or better
Graphics: Support for OpenGl 2.0 at least is required
Earlier this year information was released about the Xbox One wireless PC adapter and it's date of release. It seems that the adapter itself will be available on October 20th and will allow you to sync a controller with your PC and stream your PC and Xbox games to Windows. All for $24.99.
The package will also include a USB extender for the adapter. Say your computer is in one room while you've decided to run a long HDMI cable to your sixty inch TV in another room and you want to use that as your monitor, the USB extender will make sure your controller is still in range so you can do that.
Microsoft's page (from the link above) says that the adapter will support up to eight wireless controllers and up to four chat headsets or two stereo headsets.
Cool in theory, though this information isn't all that exciting to me personally. Firstly, wireless stuff isn't important to me almost 100% of the time. Secondly, the adapter will only work with Widows 10. At least for now. Thirdly, this adapter is slated to cost $24.99 (which, honestly, may not be so bad considering it's abilities).
So what do you think? Is this adapter worth the cost to stream your games on your Windows 10 PC? Or are you satisfied with wires and not changing batteries like me?
