Amazing!! It’s been so long since we’ve had the pleasure of being able to play a Streets of Rage title. Last I remember (forgive me if I’m wrong) is the original trilogy that dropped on Sega Genesis. I was about 5 years old at that time and we had a ton of fun playing the side-scrolling beat 'em up for hours. I don't think we ever beat it, either. Just had so much fun running through the first few boards as little kids. Enough that it's getting me amped for this new installment! Shout out to the team at Dotemu. Talk about nostalgia!!

Check out the trailer right here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_bgPefCyfA Looks like the graphics got an overhaul and they're even incorporating some cutscenes. Hopefully, they carry over into the game and don't end up just being used as an intro. The animations look cool too. Overall happy they ended up deciding to make a new game and can't wait to play!

It is not certain, and has never been done before with a Call of Duty title, but the community is calling for crossplay!

We would love to see it too. Crossplay would help Call of Duty compete with the Fortnites and PUBGs of the world. Battle Royale games have seemingly taken over the shooter landscape. 

It is going to be interesting to see at launch whether or not Black Ops IV will peel away some of the player bases that Fortnite and PUBG have locked down at the moment. It has been quite some time since they have taken over and no major shooting game has been dropped since.

It seems Fortnite may have revolutionized the landscape of online gaming with the introduction of cross play (even though we know rocket league was the first!) and we hope to continue seeing it in many if not all games to come.

How can crossplay help?

I know I'm not the only person who has bought the same game 2 or 3 times in the past so that I could play with all of my friends. It isn't fun. Usually, you have to reset your progress, having 3 accounts at varying levels and gear. When you mix in microtransactions that you may have purchased, it is even worse.

I can tell you personally, from my own experience, that playing being able to play Fortnite from my PC with all of my friends who mostly own Xbox One and One X makes me play more and enjoy it more (even though they all live in fear of playing with PC players, lol) I love being able to take advantage of the PC capabilities in the graphics and frame rate dept. without having to re-purchase an Xbox One X.

Even if system lock is still kept in play as a primary option, Cross-platform play for Black Ops 4 would be a great thing for us to have from a user position.

It is just an all around a community-benefitting decision that will increase user satisfaction and make everyone happy. Will money get in the way of this?

Will crossplay come into play if Call of Duty doesn't get the players it wants? Only time will tell!

We are going to continue to follow Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 as news comes out and we will be sure to keep you updated with the latest.

Until next time, 

SPGTomde

Hey all, we’ve got an inside look at a new game that has currently hit Steam. It’s called Metal Tales: Fury of the Guitar Gods. In this “metal shoot-em’-up” you’ll be saving your metal bros from some mysterious ancient evil.  Published by Nubero Games, an indie game publisher with a few titles currently on Steam. This game was recommended by a great friend of SweatPants gaming and a great source for anything indie gaming - @ghettogamer you can find him on Twitter. Just going to be honest here for a moment, when I heard it was based around metal music I wasn’t exactly hyped since I really haven’t listened to anything close to metal since high school. Metal doesn’t get much play time in the Sweatpants Den. Don’t get me wrong I don’t hate on metal and I certainly don’t hate on rock, but the heavier stuff is just not my scene. Nevertheless, after checking out a video, I thought the gameplay and graphics looked dope as hell and I was excited to check it out. They say it’s a game by metalheads for metalheads – well let’s see what a non-metal head thinks.

Graphics:

They really remind me of Guitar Heroes graphics up close. It’s a totally different type of game, but the character models do like pretty similar in my opinion. They are nice looking 3D graphics which do pop on your screen. There are several well-designed characters to choose from. The NPCs within the game look great as well. There are a lot of bright reds, purples, and other colors that will jump out at you. Things on-screen can get chaotic, but I never lost track of what where we were or anything like that, so that is always nice. Some games it just gets too wild and you can’t make sense of what is going on, but I never had that feeling here.

Gameplay:

It’s a classic top-down shooter that most people will be familiar with. You’ll fight through procedurally generated levels, going from room to room shooting enemies and collecting any power-ups you may find along the way. The goal is to defeat the boss and then move on to the next stage. The controls are simple and easy to learn. Also, quick side note, even not being a metal fan, the original soundtrack definitely made an impression on me and I will also say it does its job of getting you hyped throughout the sometimes frantic gameplay. Kudos to the soundtrack. The actions are straightforward you shoot, shoot, shoot and then shoot some more. Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of intricacies, but even those are straightforward. You do have an ultimate move of sorts – you can summon your bandmates when you’re in some serious trouble.  It has full controller support which is always a nice option. It also offers local Co-op which sometimes seems like it’s a thing of the past, but I always like when games have the option because no one can deny it is more fun to play co-op in person. It brings back that feeling we all had as kids like, you know, actually having to hang out with one another to play a specific game together. There a bunch of collectibles in the game which adds a little bonus throughout the game. All the rockers out there will love it, they’ll have you searching for guitars, picks, strings and other similar items. I won’t lie, I lost track of time a few times while playing Metal Tales which is usually a good sign.

Give it a look if you’re into Metal, and even if you’re not it’s a fun time-killer that can get you lost in the world of metal.

Check it out and rock out with your sweats on!

https://youtu.be/LzY9ChMDHaU  

One title we are really looking forward to is Bugs Must Die by DG Games Workshop, has just dropped another trailer and now we’re even more excited to get our hands on it. This trailer lets you see a lot more of the gameplay and it does not disappoint. Before we get into the specifics we want to let you know that’ll it’ll be on Steam this September, so if you like what you see check it out when it drops.

 

Gameplay

In our last write-up about “Bugs Must Die”, we explained that it is a top-down shooter like many you have played in the past, but Bugs Must Die is a 2018 version of all your classic favorites like Jackal and Smash TV. If you’re anything like me those games sucked you right in, and Bugs Must Die looks like it’ll carry on the legacy of those great games very well.   Judging from what we can see in the trailer the buttons look simple which is a good thing in our eyes. With this type of game, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. To us it seems like it is shaping up nicely as a game which is simple to learn, but complex to master. Honestly, with the number of lasers and other projectiles, it reminded me of Cuphead. Let's just pray it isn't as hard as Cuphead ha. It isn't a platformer like Cuphead, but it has some similarities when it comes to dodging projectiles. Right off the bat, they show that Bugs Must Die will have both controller and keyboard support. It’s always nice to have the option. They show the control scheme directly in the field of play, but in a non-invasive way which is very nice because you won’t have to go searching for the button scheme. Once again, nothing out of the ordinary, and that’s a good thing. The one thing you’ll want to look for is the Z key because that’s how you’ll unleash your special on these poor bugs. The trailer also shows us the use of RPG elements. You’ll be able to upgrade your character, vehicles, and/or weapons. I'm a big fan of this because it allows you to make your character the way you want, which is always a nice option to have.

Here's a preview of some of the art. 

Story

  Self-described as, “Bug must die” is a modern-retro-style 2D pixel-art top-down shooter. As an elite from the Galactic Pests Control Company, you are sent to the planet M-79 to prevent Mantis Beings from invading Earth. On the terrestrial planet, you not only have to destroy the cruel Mantis soldiers but also battle with the various Bosses cloned from Earth POP culture." They also let you in on a little more of the story which is cool to see. Gameplay is great, but every great game needs a great story to go with it. With the little we have to go off it seems like two of your special agents went missing and you’ll have to fight through the Mantis Beings to find your down-on-their-luck comrades. I’m sure there’s more to the story, but even if it was just straightforward I think it gives you enough of that emotional plot that will give you a little added reason to kick some alien bug ass!  

I can’t wait to get my hands on this! We’ll keep you and your sweatpants updated on its release, so be sure to come to visit us and read the latest updates.

Edit: This worked for me, hopefully, it works for you too! Make sure your date and time is synced with the internet settings. To do this, go to settings>system>date & time You will see a little button/switch just make sure that is on.  That worked for me! We have checked the epic forum to no end, but some of us here are still having issues with Fortnite matchmaking on Switch. Just seems like something that has to be fixed on Epic's end. Just kind of irritating that they are claiming everything is fixed when myself and so many other people are still having issues where matchmaking does not work at all. We cannot get into games!! Was looking forward to reviewing the experience on the Switch, but unfortunately, at this point, I haven't been able to play even a single game. Here is the exact error message we are getting: Whoops! We had trouble talking to the matchmaker. Give it another shot, but if the problem continues, check out http://status.epicgames.com Needless to say, checking that site is what gave us the frustration in the first place. They seem to be saying it can be fixed by logging out and logging back in. As annoying that, we tried it. It didn't work. Please Epic! We just want to play!

Yo, so here I am just blissfully smiling ear-to-ear due to Nintendo's announcements (Super Smash Bros., Mario Party, Fire Emblem, etc.) and one thought just crushed me - WHERE THE FUCK IS WALUIGI?!  I can't believe it, I really believed he was finally coming and who knows maybe Nintendo still have something up its sleeve. I've questioned whether  I mean like honestly, what do we have to do to get this guy in the game. Is he too tall? Too badass? What's Nintendo hiding? I really don't know. I mean honestly though, why is he good enough for other Nintendo games, but not Smash? Something is afoot here and I must get to the bottom of this! Please help a brother out and comment your theories below.

We've all been waiting patiently for EA to throw us a bone. Unfortunately, though, there was no news of Skate 4 anywhere to be seen at the EA press conference at E3. We thought that re-launching their online servers for Skate 3 was a good sign that we might get some kind of news, but no. They are still holding out on us.

Enter, Session:

From what seemed like out of nowhere, a French developer by the name of creā-ture Studios dropped a bomb on us. Check out the reveal trailer for Session, the new skateboarding sim coming to PC and Xbox One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHxJ0bTcO5g Looks prettttty good, no? We are fans.

Skateboarding Game vs. Skateboarding "Simulator"

They intentionally are calling this a skateboarding "sim." We can tell they are going for realism because the spot featured in this video is a real one; The Brooklyn Banks. Pretty cool, huh? We all know that the Skate games based their locations on real ones, but it looks like Session is taking it a step further and carbon copying iconic skate spots. Since they are  French, I wouldn't expect these locales to stop with Brooklyn. We would absolutely LOVE to see spots from all over the world.

Summary

This game looks like it could be what we have all been waiting for. Those of us who took to the blacktops and 10-stairs for hours on end in Skate 3 honing our skills and chilling with friends skating. We hope the best is yet to come on this one and comment Crea-ture Studios for doing this for the world! We needed it!  

According to Chance the Rapper (of all people) with a tweet late last night, we could be seeing Fortnite on Switch "tomorrow." Since this hasn't happened yet, we assume this means tomorrow the 12th of June, but aren't sure. One thing we can tell you for sure, having Fortnite on a portable console will put us in much better graces with our girlfriends. We will keep you updated with the latest!

Dave Bautista has set out to pursue not just a role in the new Gears of War movie, but the most pivotal role in the new Gears of War movie: Marcus Fenix himself. Is the age of crappy video game movies finally over? Can we look to expect performances like this from major stars in days to come? Only time will tell but we really like where this is going. The 'Avengers' star (Draxx) is teaming up with the likes of Epic Games and The Coalition to bring our beloved Gears of War to the big screen and we couldn't be happier. At least Epic is spending some of that Fortnite money on something for us, right? Gears of War was a hit from the time it first dropped on Xbox back in 2006. Since then, they have had 4 installments. They have all been great games and the crew here has played them thoroughly, to say the least. The community has spoken, we want this movie to hit theaters, like, yesterday... As things continue to progress on this story, we will be sure to keep you updated with the latest! Cheers to the end of the video game cinematic curse. Let's hope this is the start of something amazing!

So, for this we’ve decided to exclude all temporary game modes and just focus on the main 3 Fortnite Battle Royale types - Solos, Duos, and Squads. Be sure to check out the rest of our Fortnite related material here. 

 

Solos

Pros

No one’s safe. There is just something about knowing that no one is off limits and everyone is out to get you. This can lead to a more aggressive play style since you know that there won’t be any pesky teammates that will come out of nowhere and lobby you like the sweatpants-wearing fool you are. Now playing aggressively doesn’t necessarily mean less stealthy either. Solos have the most opportunity for stealth and it can be a nice change of pace considering that in squads or even duos there’s less hiding because you have teammates. Granted this can lead to some of the most frustrating deaths in Fortnite. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been wandering through a building nowhere near the action and been one-shot lobbied by someone who is just camping for no apparent reason. Don’t be that person. No one likes that person.  

Cons

No one’s safe. See what I did there? Well, it’s true. When you’re playing squads or duos your area of coverage is a lot wider, so you can feel relatively safe even with people in view due to your teammates watching your back. The problem with solos is that if you see someone chances are they’ll be coming for you asap because they know you’re alone. Hearing those footsteps can be terrifying and you know your teammates won’t be around to save your ass. It can be rough out there all alone in the cold, dark land of Fortnite.

Duos

Pros

This is probably the best mode as far as communication goes. If you’ve ever been in a party like the sweatpants crew’s parties it can get confusing really quick. You can be listening to your teammates claim someone’s right in front of you, but yet, in reality, it’s your teammate that is nowhere near you. With duos communication is streamlined it’s just you and one other person. It takes the edge of being solo out there, but also provides someone to watch your back when the going gets tough. The most common interaction is your duo’s crew runs up on another duo; the first thing to know is that if you get that first kill you’re usually good to go because a 2v1 is rough for anyone to overcome. With squads even if you kill one there are 3 others you have to try and account for in that time. During one firefight the others not involved will likely be flanking hard, so just when you think you have the advantage – you don’t. All in all, it’s nice knowing there is only one other teammate to account for and good communication can be crucial.   Cons The biggest con to duos is the sheer fact if you lose the first engage and one of you goes down it’s awfully hard to recover and take out both members of the other team. Also, if you go down in a duos game people are viciously trying to lobby you because that is super demoralizing to the one living teammate. Duo’s can be looked at as sort of like a high-risk, high-reward type of game. Also, it can be hard to work against 2 people who are very much in synch, so it can be an added challenge to that of a solos match.

Squads

Pros

Well, there are a bunch of pros here such as 4 different sets of eyes, people to revive you, people to build or cover while you’re building, ability to split and still not be alone, etc. Playing squads can be very fun especially with a good squad that you can count on. There’s nothing better than executing a plan of attack with the whole squad. Usually, everyone on the team will have some sort of role. When we play we usually have the builder, the sniper, the explosives expert, and then the bait. If your roles are any different please let us know in the comment section below. With this type of tactical approach, it can really lend itself to some serious wins.  

Cons

More people may equal more firepower, but it also means that you’ll be visible to many more people. There’s also more personalities to check too. No matter what there will always be a few different personalities; the loner, the leader, the “why the hell are you over there?” guy, and the guy that’s on fire. Let’s just say most of those roles are annoying in their own way. You will spend a lot of time  

The Verdict

  Obviously, opinions can differ, however, I personally feel like duos can give you the best chance of winning. It is the best for streamlined communication which is very important and that can be super helpful to someone who hasn’t played as much. Fortnite, on the surface, maybe about killing and building, but the best players know it’s about information. For example, the location of the enemies, keeping track of the storm, what weapons the enemy team has, and so many more instances of this. The determining factor for me is the fact that if you win the first engage you’re a shoe-in to win the battle 2v1. I’ll sign up for a 2v1 all day. Also, the ability to get healed and avoid the dreaded sudden death is huge too.

If whether you agree or disagree please let us know in the comment section below. Also, if you don’t want to share don’t – it’s cool we still like you.