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WWE Superstar Bray Wyatt Passes Away at 36
WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Paul Levesque (Triple H), announced on Twitter that WWE Superstar Bray Wyatt (real name Windham Rotunda) has unexpectedly passed away today.
Just received a call from WWE Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda who informed us of the tragic news that our WWE family member for life Windham Rotunda – also known as Bray Wyatt – unexpectedly passed earlier today. Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that everyone respect their…
— Triple H (@TripleH) August 24, 2023
Wyatt hat been out of action since February while dealing with an undisclosed illness that was described as being life-threatening.
There are no other details about his passing.
Rotunda leaves behind four children and his fiancee Jojo Offerman. On behalf of everyone at LootPlex, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Windham Rotunda.
Gary (Patriot) is the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of LootPlex.com. He enjoys watching wrestling, playing video games (mostly looters), gardening and SEC football (Roll Tide!).
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Watch the 2023 Destiny 2 Showcase
In one hour, Bungie will be premiering their 2023 Destiny 2 Showcase.
This showcase will give us our first real look at The Final Shape expansion, which is the end of the Light and Darkness Saga, the reveal of the new season that begins today, and more.
Watch the Showcase below at 11am CT.
Gary (Patriot) is the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of LootPlex.com. He enjoys watching wrestling, playing video games (mostly looters), gardening and SEC football (Roll Tide!).
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Achilles: Legends Untold Gets Big ‘The Myth Rewritten’ Update Today
Dark Point Games’ Early Access title Achilles: Legends Untold received one of its biggest updates yet today. The Myth Rewritten update is now available on Steam and Epic Games Store.
The Myth Rewritten update features a complete story alteration, imporvements to combat, new cutscenes, a new dark setting in Troy, a new boss to battle, new Steam Achievements, a new XP and currency system, and new mini-map icons.
The update also updates a lot of stuff making improvements to things like combat, graphics, UI, removing stun mechanics, bug fixes and more.
Check out the trailer below, and more details about the update on the game’s Steam page here.
Achilles: Legends Untold is currently in Early Access on PC and currently with a discounted price of $12.99. The game will receive its full release this Fall where it will also arrive on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game is in the certification process now on consoles.
When it becomes available as a full release title, the game will cost $24.99.
Gary (Patriot) is the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of LootPlex.com. He enjoys watching wrestling, playing video games (mostly looters), gardening and SEC football (Roll Tide!).
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Iron Danger Review (PS5)
Iron Danger (PC, PlayStation 5 [Reviewed], Xbox Series X/S)
Developer: Action Squad Studios
Publisher: Daedalic Entertainment
Released: March 25, 2020 (PC), August 16, 2023 (PS5, Xbox Series)
ESRB: T – TeenIron Danger is a Tactical/Strategy game that released for PC three years ago and has now made its way to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
As a PC tactical game first, I’d say Action Squad Studios did about as well of a job as you could do with controller support. It’s a little clunky, and takes some getting used to, but there’s a lot going on so you shouldn’t expect the controls to be great with a controller. I found them to be rather cumbersome for the first hour or so, but eventually got used to it. It’s the nature of the game, there’s just not any better way to map the controls to the buttons available on a controller.
Iron Danger’s sole identity is built around its unique time rewind mechanic. The tagline is “you will die, but you will not fail.” What that means is that you can rewind time at any moment up to about five seconds. If at first you don’t succeed, rewind a little and make a different move or reposition.
Because of this mechanic, dying doesn’t matter. There’s no consequence, and that works because it’s part of the game’s story. That said, it doesn’t necessarily make the game “easy.” It’s actually a little more difficult than you’d probably expect, especially if you try to play it non-tactically. There are times where you’ll have a lot of enemies around, and you will die in one hit. Meanwhile, the enemies will take several.
As there are no difficulty related trophies or achievements, I’d recommend just playing the game on Adventurer. It’s not a cake walk, but it isn’t as frustrating as the other options either. It’s at least worth doing until you get a hang for the controls and how you need to play the game.
You have to approach each combat area tactically. Use traps and ranged abilities as much as possible. Often times there will be something in the environment that you can use to kill enemies (and also yourself if you’re not careful).
Still, you’re going to get overwhelmed in a few different spots. It’s in these moments that the game can be frustrating, and then you’re in this loop of dying, rewinding, dying, rewinding, dying and so-on. It’s actually in these moments that the whole mechanic of the game starts to feel bad.
I couldn’t help but think that it would’ve played better as a tactical game in the vein of XCom or Desperados. In a lot of encounters, I just didn’t feel like I had a lot of agency over the situation. You have to kill these guys, and in this instance there’s no real way to do it stealthily. So then everyone gets alerted. You’re trying to control two characters, you have enemies coming up on you, there’s arrows flying from multiple directions and all you can do is rewind a little at a time. You’re likely already going into the encounter with low health, so if you get hit you’re dead.
In that sense, I think the game just relies a little too heavily on its gimmick. Where it gets to feeling, at times, like it could’ve been a cool mechanic or ability within the game without being the whole game.
The combat, which outside of a few puzzles, is the entire game is both fun and frustrating. Some of it has to do with the clunky controls, which again I don’t see how they could be better on a controller, but a lot of it is the overreliance on the time manipulation.
The game is inspired by Finnish folklore and particularly the epic poem Kalevala. But its infused with some steampunk fantasy elements which are pretty cool.
You play as Kipuna, a regular village girl who falls to her death during an attack on her village. Except she landed on a special shard that pierced her heart and now as the ability to alter the timeline. With her death undone, and the shard still in her, Kipuna and her companion Topi (and later a couple of others) are thrust into a war between the Northlanders and their Witch Queen Lowhee and the city of Kalevala.
Iron Danger is a linear game. The maps for each mission/level are fairly small. It will take between 12 and 15 hours to complete.
I will say that, in this day and age especially, it was the nice that the game is grind free. There are no player levels, no XP, no skill trees, and no loot. You have skills or abilities that unlock as the game progresses and that can be upgraded at the end of a mission, but it’s all based on story progression. It’s a rarity in these days where even sports games want to pretend to be RPG’s with character levels and skill trees.
Iron Danger leans a little too heavily on its main mechanic, in ways that at times can feel both frustrating and cheesy. It makes it so the combat, which is to say the gameplay, bounce between fun and annoying.
But the rest of the package is top notch. The world is great and the game looks very good; it has a cool art style. The story is fair and made better by some quality voice acting, especially by the voice actress for Kipuna. The sound in general is also very good.
The levels are laid out well with some clever environmental pieces that can feel good when utilized to your advantage.
Performance on PS5 has been excellent. It runs smooth, I haven’t noticed any glaring frame drops or hiccups, and haven’t encountered any bugs either.
As far as tactical combat games go, it’s solid. I’d say overall it’s a satisfying game (which to me falls in between decent and good), and that’s because I’m enjoying it in spite of its flaws. Its creative strength is the time manipulation mechanic, but it also ends up being its weakness as well. It’s definitely a niche game. It doesn’t have mass appeal.
If you’re a fan of tactical games with some light puzzles, you’ll likely get some enjoyment out of Iron Danger. It’s also reasonably priced at $20. I think that’s a solid price for it. It’s not a game you’re likely to play through more than once, and it probably wouldn’t take you more than 15 or so hours to beat.
Iron Danger gets a three out of five: SATISFYING.
* A digital code was provided by the publisher for review.
Gary (Patriot) is the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of LootPlex.com. He enjoys watching wrestling, playing video games (mostly looters), gardening and SEC football (Roll Tide!).
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Titan Quest II Finally Announced
THQ Nordic held their digital Showcase today, and Titan Quest II was finally announced during in it.
Check out the announcement trailer below:
Nemesis, Goddess of Retribution, is out of control. She is corrupting the Threads of Fate and condemning all those who oppose her to eternal punishment. Take up your weapon, fight alongside gods, and change fate itself in Titan Quest II, an action RPG inspired by Greek mythology.
Return to the classic mythology-inspired setting of Titan Quest in this upcoming action RPG from the creators of SpellForce 3. Featuring a flexible character system, meaningful loot, challenging combat, and online multiplayer in a handcrafted and immersive world, Titan Quest II is an epic action RPG for a new generation.
No release window has been released, and no gameplay was shown.
Here’s some more info about the game:
Return to the classic mythology-inspired setting of Titan Quest and go toe-to-toe with legendary monsters as you journey across a fantastical reimagining of ancient Greece.
Nemesis, Goddess of Retribution, is out of control. She is corrupting the Threads of Fate and condemning all those who oppose her to eternal punishment – including you. Take up your weapon, fight alongside gods, and change fate itself in order to stop Nemesis, free those she’s punished, and weave your own epic tale.
From the creators of SpellForce 3 comes a handcrafted action RPG for a new generation of mythical heroes.
A World of Myth and Monsters
Set out on an adventure worthy of myth that takes you from picturesque beaches, to serene Greek temples, to places where no mortal has ever ventured, including the mysterious realm of the Moirai themselves.
Battle classic creatures from Greek myth and the original Titan Quest, including Ichthians, Centaurs, Satyrs, Harpies, Sirens, Gryphons, and many, many more.Exploration-Focused Campaign
Pay close attention to your surroundings! The world is full of mysteries and secrets to discover. Legendary monsters lurk in hidden groves, and you never know when you will end up face-to-face with a god.Visit memorable towns full of life and intrigue. The conversations you engage in and the items you find along your journey can lead to surprising discoveries, or they might just hold the key to stopping Nemesis. This is your adventure.
A Challenge Fit for a Hero
Heroic deeds require heroic effort. The enemies you face are far from defenseless – dodge and counter their attacks, then overwhelm them with a well-timed flurry of blows.
Powerful rituals allow you to freely control the game’s difficulty, while deep character customization systems ensure that there’s always a good reason to replay.Key Features:
Flexible character system: In Titan Quest 2, you are in control of you own fate. Customize your hero, then form your own class by combining two masteries. Build your character around the strengths and weakness of both masteries, exploring different combinations of skill modifiers, attributes, and items to create your own hybrid class and find your favorite playstyle. Grow your powers from those of a young mortal to a hero to rival the gods themselves!
Meaningful loot: Every item serves a function, and every character class has many options when it comes to finding the perfect equipment. Even the most common spear can be upgraded via affix crafting, and with the right ingredients, you may even forge it into a unique item spoken of only in legend!
Challenging action RPG combat: Enemies form factions and work together, combining their unique skills and abilities to keep you on your toes. Use the deep character build system and access every skill at your disposal to vanquish them in this unique action RPG experience.
A beautiful, handcrafted world rooted in Greek myth: Encounter stunning vistas and deep caverns, and traverse the world with your divine mount, Areion. Use the powers of the gods to uncover secret locations and explore lovingly designed levels full of verticality.
Online multiplayer: Join up with friends to take on the Goddess of Retribution. Like Jason and the Argonauts, sometimes you need a group of heroes for your journey.
Rich and immersive sound: An atmospheric soundtrack blends traditional Greek music with modern orchestral elements to create epic, memorable themes, drawing you into Titan Quest 2’s unique world.
Titan Quest II will be coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Gary (Patriot) is the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of LootPlex.com. He enjoys watching wrestling, playing video games (mostly looters), gardening and SEC football (Roll Tide!).
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WWE Smackdown 6/30/23 Preview
Tonight, WWE is at 02 Arena in London, England for Friday Night Smackdown!
Announced for tonight’s episode:
– Asuka defends the WWE Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair
– Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn defend the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles against Pretty Deadly
– Roman Reign speaks before the Bloodline Civil War
– Grayson Waller Effect with Logan Paul
– Santons Escobar, Butch and LA Knight battle in a Triple Threat Match
– Bayley puts her Money in the Bank spot on the line against Shotzi
WWE Smackdown airs tonight via tape delay at 7pm CT on FOX!
Gary (Patriot) is the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of LootPlex.com. He enjoys watching wrestling, playing video games (mostly looters), gardening and SEC football (Roll Tide!).
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PlayStation Plus Essential Games for July 2023
PlayStation has revealed the PS Plus Essential Monthly Games lineup for July, and it’s a pretty solid month.
All three games that will be available for all subscribers to download are available on both PS5 and PS4.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Cross-Gen Bundle | PS4, PS5
Black Ops Cold War drops fans into the depths of the Cold War’s volatile geopolitical battle of the early 1980s. Come face-to-face with historical figures and hard truths as you battle around the globe in iconic locales like East Berlin, Vietnam, Turkey, Soviet KGB headquarters and more. As an elite operative, follow the trail of a shadowy figure on a mission to destabilize the global balance of power and change the course of history. Descend into the dark center of a global conspiracy alongside iconic characters Woods, Mason and Hudson, as well as a new cast of operatives attempting to stop a plot decades in the making. Beyond the Campaign, Cold War brings an arsenal of weapons and equipment into the next generation of Multiplayer and Zombies experiences. Cold War brings an arsenal of weapons and equipment into thrilling Multiplayer and Zombies experiences.
Alan Wake Remastered | PS4, PS5
Return to the mysterious town of Bright Falls in this remaster of the award-winning cinematic action game from Remedy Entertainment (Control, Max Payne), featuring overhauled visuals and new features. Troubled author Alan Wake embarks on a desperate search for his missing wife, Alice. Following her mysterious disappearance from the Pacific Northwest town of Bright Falls, he discovers pages of a horror story he has supposedly written, but he has no memory of. Wake is soon forced to question his sanity, as page by page, the story comes true before his eyes: a hostile presence of supernatural darkness is taking over everyone it finds, turning them against him. He has no choice but to confront the forces of darkness armed only with his flashlight, a handgun and what remains of his shredded mind. His nightmarish journey to find answers to the mind-bending mystery he faces will lead him into the terrifying depths of the night.
Endling – Extinction is Forever | PS4, PS5
Experience a world ravaged by mankind through the eyes of the last fox on Earth in this eco-conscious adventure. Discover the destructive force of the human race as it corrupts, pollutes and exploits the most precious and valuable resources of the natural environment day by day. Explore various 3D side-scrolling areas and defend your tiny furballs, feed them, watch them grow up, notice their unique personalities and fears and most importantly, help them to survive. Use the cover of night to stealthily guide your litter towards a safer place. Spend the day resting in an improvised shelter and plan your next move carefully – it could be the last for you and your cubs.
These games will become available on Tuesday, July 4th. So you have until Monday to download, or add to library, the games from June: NBA 2K23, Jurassic World Evolution 2 and Trek to Yomi.
Gary (Patriot) is the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of LootPlex.com. He enjoys watching wrestling, playing video games (mostly looters), gardening and SEC football (Roll Tide!).
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AEW: Fight Forever Review
AEW: Fight Forever (PC, PS5 [Reviewed], PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Yukes
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Released: June 29, 2023
ESRB: T – TeenSome things just feel right, and one of them is a Yuke’s wrestling game being published by THQ. It’s been eleven years since a company named THQ published a wrestling game, that was WWE ’13. We haven’t seen a Yuke’s developed wrestling game since they co-developed WWE 2K18. It’s been a while.
Yuke’s has a steep history in wrestling games, so AEW definitely landed probably the best developer they could get for their debut video game. The last time the WWE games had a real challenger was TNA Impact way back in 2008. That one was terrible, this one isn’t. Not surprising considering its Yuke’s.
The WWE games still build off of the foundation that Yuke’s laid. It’s not really fair to compare those games to this one starting from scratch. Nor is Fight Forever really looking to compete against the WWE games directly. Much like the promotions themselves, there is room for both to exist as they offer different styles. The WWE games are more presentation heavy and simulation style, this one is much more arcade like. It’s pretty pick-up-and-play friendly.
Since the rumors began circulating shortly after AEW’s inception about an AEW video game, we’ve heard that it would be a spiritual successor to the old N64 games. Mainly WWF No Mercy, but those include WCW/NWO Revenge too. And thankfully, that’s pretty much what Fight Forever is. The characters are thankfully more realisitic and not blockish, but the gameplay is very reminiscent of those older and beloved titles.
I probably played Revenge more than No Mercy, and at the time two of my favorites were Sting and Chris Jericho. So of course one of the first matches I did in this game was Sting against Chris Jericho, and it definitely took me back to memories of 12-year-old me playing the same match in Revenge.
Road to the Elite
Road to the Elite is Fight Forever’s career mode, and it’s the mode that I think will have the most complaints. It’s certainly the mode that I have the most complaints about.
With that said, I think a lot of folks will take issue with the length of the career mode and that’s not where my issues come in. To be clear, it is a very short career mode. You can plow through it in a little over an hour or so, give or take a few minutes.
While you’re free to play the mode with any of the actual AEW talent, the mode is meant for created wrestlers. It’s one of the reasons the mode is short. In order to get better skills and stats for your created wrestlers, you’re going to need to play career mode with them.
So it’s short because you’re expected to play through it many times. And there are different scenarios, so it’s not exactly the same thing each time.
I played through it twice. My first attempt was with Miro, and I was having a great time. That is until the second Double or Nothing PPV event, which is the end of career mode. I hit Go to PPV, and I just had the game screen showing Miro but unable to do anything. The only way to get off the screen was to restart the game.
Unfortunately, whatever bug happened was saved, so despite multiple restarts, I was never able to advance to the PPV to finish my first career mode as Miro. You can see the video of the bug/freezing issue below.
The second playthrough was with Hikaru Shida, because I wanted to experience the story from the women’s division. It was laughable and greatly disappointing.
I lost my first match, a Four Way at Double or Nothing. For some reason, I then wrestled Riho on Dynamite to crown an inaugural AEW Women’s Champion. I won that, and Shida became the first champion.
Despite winning the title, I didn’t come out to the ring with it in story. In fact, two weeks after winning it, I was in a tag match against Riho and a partner and Shida called Riho the champ. At the next PPV, I was again in a Four Way match, came out with the title on, but it still pretended I just won it.
Immediately after, still at All Out, Matt Hardy approached me backstage and said he was injured and needed someone to fill in for him. I was thrust into another match, this time against Scorpio Sky, a male wrestler. I never once wrestled another female star in my career mode.
In fact, Shida went on to defeat Jon Moxley in an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch at Revolution. It was one of many victories against male stars including Darby Allin, Jungleboy, MJF and Chris Jericho in a Three Way, and Matt Hardy. CM Punk even approached her in front of a river boat saying he wanted to compete against Shida in his AEW debut at Rampage, a secondary optional event. I declined.
Leading into the final PPV, the second Double or Nothing event, I was greeted by Dr. Britt Baker. Great, I thought, finally I can maybe defend my Women’s Championship. No, Baker said I wanted a challenge and so she lined up a Gauntlet match for me. I had to beat three male stars, back-to-back-to-back on Dynamite.
The next Dynamite was the same thing, only this time it was Nyla Rose saying it. Another Gauntlet match, this one against Paul Wight, Luchasaurus and Brian Cage. The go-home Dynamite saw Ruby Soho issue me a challenge, against three male stars in a Four-Way. I lost on purpose just to advance to the PPV.
Then comes the grand finale. Thunder Rosa has a challenge for me. It’s not her challenging for my title, that I don’t know if I even have or not, it’s that I’ll be competing against Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley and someone else that I don’t remember in a Four Way for the AEW World Championship. I lost that one too, though not on purpose.
All of that said, I enjoy most of what the mode is. I like the little touch of seeing your jet flying across the map from city to city. I like occasional cutscenes you’ll see happen. In one, I was in flying talking to Chris Jericho. In another, I was driving a car while MJF was running his mouth as the passenger.
I like that you can do workouts to earn skill points (for created wrestlers), going dining to recovery stamina, and do sightseeing and promotional activities like meet and greets, press conferences, and talk show appearances. There are mini-games you can partake in against The Elite, though the dialogue never changes. And you can do optional matches on Dark or Rampage, and these can be set up at random during workouts, dining, sightseeing, etc.
I like the package, but it just doesn’t feel like an actual career mode. It’s more putting a character in storylines that happened for real, and then after its over showing you the actual footage of what really happened. There is no continuity, it never recognizes your championship wins, and generally makes no real sense. For that, it’s a blessing that it’s so short.
It’s a solid foundation but needs a lot of work. They took inspiration from No Mercy for the gameplay, but I’d say they need to look to WrestleMania 2000 for inspiration on how to do a good career mode. This is passable only for what it is, a mode to get your CAW better stats and skills.
Gameplay
There’s one huge positive for AEW: Fight Forever. The game has numerous faults and issues, but at its core it’s simply fun to play. I love WWE 2K23, but it’s the exact opposite of Fight Forever. The WWE games are simulation based, and you can have great long matches, but it’s fun for a match or two.
I’ve played a ton of WWE 2K22 and 2K23, but I’ve already spent more time wrestling matches in Fight Forever than I have 2K23. In that game, I pretty much exclusively play MyGM and simulate the match results. I very rarely will actually play a match.
In Fight Forever, I enjoy having a match. The No Mercy inspiration is heavy, and I for one welcome it. I much prefer the arcade style to the simulation one. If I were going to do CPU vs CPU sims, I’d rather watch them in 2K. But for actually playing a match, Fight Forever wins hands down.
It did take a minute to get used to the controls, they are different from what we’ve been used to for so long. As such, I lost my first three matches. After that, the controls clicked and I didn’t have a problem again. Went from losing on normal, to winning on Easy, to now winning on Elite.
Fight Forever has the following match types:
- Singles Match
- Normal
- Lights Out
- Falls Count Anywhere
- Tag Team
- Three Way
- Four Way
- Casino Battle Royale
There’s also Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match and Ladder Match that are listed separately in the menu, but as far as I can tell are limited to a singles match. Which is kinda weird considering AEW has probably had more tag-team or multi-person ladder matches than singles. It’s also a bummer that even when a title is on the line in a ladder match, it’s the poker chip that’s hanging a
bove the ring and not the title.
The game excels in its creative use of weapons allowed. There’s an absurd amount of weapons that can be used, including some crazy ones like a propane tank that you throw at your opponent and it explodes. And then there’s Darby’s skateboard, which you can ride around and use and it is hilarious to see in action.
The game also features Challenges, which come in Normal (always there), Daily and Weekly flavors. These award AEW Cash, which is used in the games shop to purchase creation stuff, attires, and characters like Cody Rhodes.
You can play online in Ranked, Casual, or Private matches, with all the match types available. The online that I did ran fairly smoothly. The co-op tag team match I did in private match had a little bit of lag, but overall, a solid and smooth online experience.
The gameplay is the best part of the game. And that’s really the most important thing. And you’re going to want to like the gameplay if you want to play as Owen Hart, because you need to complete 100 Exhibition games to unlock him.
Creation Suite
I’m not going to spend a lot of time harping on this. It’s no secret that the creation suite in Fight Forever is extremely limited, and nothing close to what its competition offers. You can create a wrestler, modify existing wrestlers, create a tag team and create an arena.
It’s all pretty limited and basic. There is no Community Creations like feature. You’re not going to be downloading other peoples characters. There’s no logo uploader or maker, or anything like that. You’re not going to see WWE arenas and wrestlers like you can make AEW in the WWE games.
This is extremely basic stuff, and I know that’s a downer for a lot of people.
I get it, but folks need to have expectations. The WWE games have been going for many years, and have been able to see new additions and expanded features and options to make the amazing creation suite that they offer today.
This is a brand-new game, with assets created from scratch, and without a huge budget. It was also going to be basic. It’s a foundation that can be expanded upon. But if you expected anything close to the WWE games here than you had highly unrealistic expectations.
A limited creation suite is still better than no creation suite.
Graphics and Sound
I’ll admit, based on the videos I saw, I thought this game looked bad. Playing it is a different story though. It looks really good and plays really good. The character models mostly look great, and like their real-life counterparts without trying for the hyper realistic flair that the WWE games attempt.
There’s no full entrances here, and I personally think that’s a good thing. It’s reminiscent of the N64 games (especially Revenge), and lends itself well to pick up and play quick matches. If it had full entrances, I’d probably turn them off or skip them. Again, this is an arcade like experience, not an authentic simulation.
The blood, when it happens, is of course way over the top and hilarious. That’s really the only thing I’d say looks bad, but you’re really not going to see that in a normal match.
The sound is good. The crowd sounds a little muted, but that’s the worst of it. There is no commentary during the matches, which I would say should’ve been expected and is probably for the best.
You can edit the Jukebox, which is music that plays when in the menus and during matches. Default, it’s a bunch of custom music. I turned those off and put in the actual wrestlers music. There’s an extensive line up available, including plenty of people who aren’t in the game and who haven’t even been signed by AEW. Like Aja Kong and Maki Itoh’s music is in the game. All in all, a great selection.
Final Thoughts
AEW: Fight Forever has plenty of faults. Gameplay wise, in matches involving multiple people, wrestlers get stuck on a downed opponent way too much. Grappling at air and throwing blind punches is funny for a minute, but wears thin.
The roster is both a mix of current and outdated, but is overall quite good. For example, Kris Statlander changed her gimmick, got injured and was out for quite a while, recently came back and won the TBS Championship, but in this game she’s still an alien. Matt Hardy was in AEW for a long time before Jeff arrived, but Jeff is in the game and Matt was a pre-order bonus.
The creation suite is severely limited and not at all what most folks expect from a wrestling game in 2023. Likewise, the career mode is quite laughable and inconsistent.
None of that even factors in the glitches that have been in Yuke’s wrestling games for decades. Just check the below video as an example of that.
Still, even with those faults, I think this is a very enjoyable wrestling game. It’s fun to play, and to me that is by far the most important thing in a game. This is a solid foundation. Will Yuke’s, THQ and AEW built upon it and continue to make Fight Forever better? Or will we see sequel at some point that is able to drastically build upon what this game offers? Time will tell.
I would hope this game would get updates, both free and paid, and then see a sequel in a few years. As is, and especially with the limited creation suite, this game could be supported for years with wrestler packs, new arenas, and new modes (and the mini-games which were fun). It’s not going to be an annual series, so with this foundation, DLC could keep this game relevant for years.
I hate to say, “solid first effort” considering it’s developed by Yuke’s who literally got their start developing a NJPW game back in 1995. Yuke’s has been synonymous with wrestling games. They did here though basically start from scratch, and the result is a good.
This is a wrestling game that I will return to over and over again to have quick and fun wrestling matches. It’s fun to play, and that for me trumps everything else. It’s not perfect, it’s not even great, but it’s fun and because of that I’d say it’s a pretty good game with high replayability in exhibition and online play.
AEW: Fight Forever gets a three out of five: GOOD
A digital code was provided by the publisher for review.
Gary (Patriot) is the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of LootPlex.com. He enjoys watching wrestling, playing video games (mostly looters), gardening and SEC football (Roll Tide!).
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Diablo IV Update 1.0.3 Now Live, Patch Notes
Blizzard has deployed Update 1.0.3 to Diablo IV across all platforms. This is a big, highly anticipated update. It includes some class buffs to some basic skills, the ability to teleport to a Nightmare Dungeon entrance, and significant increases to XP from killing enemies in Nightmare Dungeons, completing Nightmare dungeons, opening Helltide chests, and more. Plus a lot of bug fixes.
Check out the full notes below courtesy of the Diablo IV website:
Bug Fixes
Dungeons, Events, and other Activities
- Fixed an issue where players couldn’t engage with the Dead Man’s Dredge dungeon boss.
- Fixed an issue where certain Whispers couldn’t be completed.
- Fixed an issue where the Those Who Call the Storm event wouldn’t register as completed.
- Fixed an issue where the Those Who Call the Storm event would place a permanent de-buff on the player that would gradually drain health.
- Fixed an issue where enemies could spawn behind the Sealed door in the Cultist Refuge dungeon, blocking dungeon progression.
- Fixed an issue where characters could be damaged and killed during the Stronghold completion cutscene. (Not the valiant triumph we planned)
- Fixed an issue where the level 100 Pinnacle Boss would appear again with no health bar if killed during a specific phase.
- Fixed an issue where progression could be blocked in the Fallen Temple Capstone Dungeon.
- Fixed an issue that resulted in a crash or freeze if players entered the Untamed Thicket dungeon during the Fangs of Corruption quest.
Gameplay Fixes
- Fixed an issue where the Insatiable Fury and Mad Wolf’s Glee items prevented Druids from transforming into the Werebear or Werewolf Forms.
- Fixed an issue where Spider Host enemies would remain upright after exploding and dying.
- Fixed an issue where equipment with socketed Gems couldn’t be mass-salvaged.
- Fixed an issue where players were unable to teleport to Cerrigar while in the Cerrigar and Cerrigar Outskirts subregions.
- Fixed an issue where Corpse Tendrils would cause the corpse visual to disappear.
- Fixed an issue where the camera would not zoom out when joining a World Boss encounter.
- Fixed an issue where Barbarian players would get stuck between Bone Walls after using Charge.
- Fixed an issue where Rogue players would remain invisible to other players after using the Concealment Skill in Fields of Hatred.
- Fixed an issue where Airidah’s tornados would cause the player to be stuck in a knockback state if hit by multiple tornados at once.
- Fixed an issue where pressing any button on controller while Dazed would halt all player input.
- Fixed an issue where Caches with World Tier conditions could be brought into higher World Tiers and provide rewards for that world tier.
- Fixed an issue where the Skeleton Warrior upgrade for increasing Thorns damage was not properly applying.
- Fixed an issue where the Burning Instinct power on the Sorcerer Paragon board did not account for Base Critical Damage in its damage calculation.
- Fixed an issue where the player could move in-game during the Leave Game countdown.
Local Co-Op
- Fixed an issue where the second player that closes the Region Progress menu would be locked in the World Map during Local Co-Op play.
- Fixed an issue where some quests would not properly progress for all players in Local Co-Op play.
- Fixed an issue where the preview slot for item upgrades would only display for Player 1 during Local Co-Op play.
- Fixed an issue where buttons in the store would become un-interactable for player 2 during Local Co-Op play.
- Fixed an issue where targeting the same enemy would show different health bars for each player during Local Co-Op Play.
- Fixed an issue where the Spirit Boons menu couldn’t be closed by player 2 if player 1 had it open during Local Co-Op play.
- Fixed an issue where the remaining player would not be able to move on their mount if the other player exited the game during Local Co-Op play.
Quests
- Fixed an issue where the NPC Lacthan could duplicate during multiple quests.
- Fixed an issue where progression of the Malign Devotion quest could become blocked if the player left the cellar as Lakren started to stand up.
- Fixed an issue where players would have their progression in the Apex of Misery quest blocked if they teleported away and back during the Destroy the Risen Remains objective.
- Fixed an issue where the player character would get blocked if they sat on a chair to talk to a NPC during the Demon Ledger quest.
- Fixed an issue where Brol and Mother’s chosen would move oddly during the eavesdropping cutscene if the player was near the broken wall.
- Players may now re-enter the boss area after the Follower has joined them during the Storming the Gates quest.
- Fixed an issue where the Illusion Woods Statue could become un-interactable during the Wayward quest.
- Fixed an issue where the True Potential Rogue Class Quest sometimes couldn’t properly be completed.
UI
- Fixed an issue where Chat could be expanded even when the Chat is not visible.
- Fixed an issue where a party member’s HP bar would appear to be 0 if they left the vicinity of their party while not at full health.
- Fixed an issue where the “GPU not Supported” message would display broken text.
- Fixed an issue where the particles for Druid’s Spirit Boons would persist after closing the associated menu.
- Fixed an issue on Xbox Consoles where the cross-network play notification would display in-game even if cross-network play was disabled.
- Fixed an issue that displayed an empty notification to new players when world bosses appeared.
- Fixed an issue where the Potion Upgrade icon would be missing when playing with a controller.
- Fixed an issue where the Town Portal progress bar would be visible while in menus.
- Fixed an issue on PC where the Tab key would not open the Map if the Materials panel was open.
- Fixed an issue where the Spur ability for mounts would display as “Not yet learned.”
- Fixed an issue where the Linked Item menu would persist on screen when switching between Keyboard & Mouse input and Controller input.
- Fixed an issue where players would receive improper messaging when undoing the deletion of a Hardcore character.
- Fixed an issue where the Interact wheel prompt would appear over vases near the Fate’s Retreat Waypoint.
- Fixed an issue where the Socket button would persist if the player swapped tabs.
- Fixed multiple instances where Pins on the map from either a quest or the player would not function properly.
- Fixed multiple instances across a variety of menus where text wouldn’t display properly.
- Fixed multiple issues with health bars not displaying accurately during PvP activities.
- Various other improvements to the UI experience.
- Various localization fixes.
- Fixed an issue where the Purveyor of Curiosities’ menu would erroneously display item quality on some items (this didn’t affect what item quality was available to gamble for).
Miscellaneous
- Fixed an issue where users couldn’t create a Clan when their language was set to Russian or Spanish.
- Fixed an issue where the Shop would not properly load if the player dies while in Checkout.
- Fixed an issue where multiple cutscenes would not play if the player engaged with them when in a party of 3 or more players on Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
- Fixed an issue where the Randomize Look and Swap Body Type actions in the Shop didn’t function when viewing Cosmetic Armor.
- Fixed an issue where the PlayStation 5 screen reader wouldn’t function properly.
- Fixed an issue where emotes from the Shop would not always function when used with a controller.
- Fixed an issue where the Player character’s eye would display improperly during the Lorath’s cabin cutscene in the Prologue.
- Various stability, performance, and visual improvements across all platforms.
- Fixed an issue where players using laptops with certain dedicated Graphics Cards would not be able to play the game.
Gameplay Adjustments
Experience Rewards
- Significantly increased the experience awarded for completing Nightmare Dungeons.
- Significantly increased the experience gained from killing monsters in Nightmare Dungeons.
- Helltide chests now provide substantially more bonus experience when opened.
- Significantly increased rewarded experience from completing individual Whispers across the board.
- Fixed an issue where no experience was awarded for completing the hold out style event that can occur after finishing dungeon objectives.
General
- The Helltide Roaming bosses will now more consistently drop higher quality loot.
- Players can now teleport to their Nightmare Dungeon directly through the map.
- Weekly bonus caches from world bosses no longer have a level requirement for opening.
Developer’s Note: We are currently working on increasing the monster and elite density of end-game content and plan to introduce this change early in Season 1.
Balance Changes
Developer’s Note: We’re continuing our efforts to make all Class builds feel fun and powerful with another round of balance updates. In particular, we have seen community feedback stating that Basic Skills aren’t impactful enough in combat. These changes will not change the fundamental relationship between Basic Skills and Core Skills, but we hope that they help smooth out the leveling experience while we explore additional ways to strengthen them. We are also increasing the power of some Skills that players feel are lagging behind their peers. As we look forward to future updates, we’re monitoring other heavily discussed topics, such as Minion survivability and build parity. Please keep sending us your feedback, and we’ll see you in Sanctuary!
Barbarian
Skills
Lunging Strike
- Base damage increased from 30% to 33%.
- Fury generated increased from 9 to 10.
Bash
- Fury generated increased from 10 to 11.
- Enhanced Bash’s Fortify increased from 10% to 20%.
Frenzy
- Base damage increased from 20% to 22%.
Flay
- Bleeding base damage increased from 36% to 40%.
- Fury generated increased from 9 to 10.
- Enhanced Flay’s Vulnerable chance increased from 10% to 15%.
Double Swing
- Base damage increased from 36% to 40%.
Kick
- Cooldown reduced from 17 to 13 seconds.
- Base damage dealt to enemies Knocked Back into terrain increased from 54% to 70%.
Charge
- Enhanced Charge’s base damage dealt to enemies Knocked Back into terrain increased from 15% to 30%.
Leap
- Mighty Leap Slow increased from 50% to 70%.
Iron Skin
- Enhanced Iron Skin’s Barrier increased from 10% to 20% of Maximum Life.
Call of the Ancients
- Prime Call of the Ancients Bonus Attack Speed increased from 10% to 20%.
Iron Maelstrom
- Cooldown reduced from 60 to 45 seconds.
- Prime Iron Maelstrom Bonus Critical Strike Chance increased from 10% to 30%.
- Prime Iron Maelstrom Bonus Critical Strike Damage increased from 20% to 40%.
Bounding Slam
- Base damage increased from 75% to 112%.
Legendary Aspects
Developer’s Note: The below includes changes to flat damage Legendary Aspects. These effects scale with Item Power. For example, at 820 Item Power Bul-Kathos’ Earthquake increases from 1747-3404 to 2687-3717 damage.
Bul-Kathos
- Earthquake flat damage increased from .39-.76 to .6-.83.
Earthquake
- Earthquake flat damage increased from .39-.76 to .6-.83.
Dust Devil’s
- Dust Devil flat damage increased from .16-.25 to .22-.32.
Windlasher
- Dust Devil flat damage increased from .16-.25 to .22-.32.
Devilish
- Dust Devil flat damage increased from .20-.36 to .24-.38.
Iron Warrior
- Damage Reduction increased from 10-20% to 15-25%.
Items
Overkill
- Damage increased from 16%-30% to 24-38%.
Hellhammer
- Flat damage increased from .3-.5 to .6-.8.
Druid
Skills
Earthspike
- Base damage increased from 16% to 17%.
- Spirit generated increased from 10 to 11.
- Fierce Earthspike Fortify increased from 4% to 8%.
Wind Shear
- Base damage increased from 17% to 18%.
- Spirit generated increased from 12 to 13.
Claw
- Base damage increased from 20% to 22%.
- Spirit generated increased from 10 to 11.
- Wild Claw Double Attack Chance increased from 10% to 15%.
- Fierce Claw base damage increased from 10% to 15%.
Maul
- Base damage increased from 20% to 22%.
- Spirit generated increased from 14 to 15.
- Enhanced Maul Fortify increased from 2% to 3%.
Lightning Storm
- Enhanced Lightning Storm duration increased from 4 to 6 seconds.
- Primal Lightning Storm’s chance to Immobilize increased from 8% to 12%.
Shred
- Third Attack base damage increased from 60% to 70%.
- Enhanced Shred Healing increased from 1% to 2% of Maximum Life.
- Raging Shred’s base damage increased from 51% to 70%.
- Primal Shred’s Bonus Critical Strike Damage increased from 20% to 30%.
Wolves
- Cooldown reduced from 14 to 11 seconds.
- Ferocious Wolfpack Lucky Hit chance increased from 10% to 40%.
Hurricane
- Base damage increased from 97.5% to 134%.
Rabies
- Base Poisoning damage increased from 53% to 76%.
Cataclysm
- Base damage increased from 52% to 64%.
Lacerate
- Base damage increased from 400% to 460%.
Petrify
- Critical Strike Damage Bonus increased from 25% to 30%.
Pummel
- Base damage increased from 140% to 180%.
Passives
Bestial Rampage
- Attack Speed Bonus increased from 20% to 25%.
- Damage Bonus increased from 20% to 30%.
Nature’s Fury
- Chance to cast a free spell increased from 20% to 30%.
Lupine Ferocity
- Damage Bonus increased from 60% to 70%.
Legendary Aspects
Runeworker’s Conduit
- Flat damage increased from 1 to 1.4.
Mangled
- Chance increased from 20-30% to 30-40%.
Seismic-Shift
- Cooldown decreased from 2.5-1.5 to 2-1 seconds.
Blurred Beast
- Damage increased from 60-90% to 70-100%.
Necromancer
Skills
Reap
- Base damage increased from 12% to 13%.
- Acolyte Reap’s Cooldown between Corpses reduced from 5 to 4 seconds.
Decompose
- Base damage increased from 30% to 33%.
- Base Essence generated per second increased from 7 to 8.
- Corpses formed frequency increased from 2.5 to 2 seconds.
Hemorrhage
- Base damage increased from 25% to 27%.
- Essence generated increased from 8 to 9.
Bone Splinters
- Base damage increased from 8% to 9%.
- Essence generated increased from 6 to 7.
Sever
- Initial base damage increased from 63% to 66%.
- Enhanced Sever’s return base damage increased from 25% to 40%.
Blood Lance
- Supernatural Blood Lance Overpower requirement reduced from 8 to 6 casts.
Bone Prison
- Cooldown reduced from 20 to 18 seconds.
- Dreadful Bone Prison’s Fortify increased from 5% to 8%.
Iron Maiden
- Base damage increased from 10% to 20%.
- Horrid Iron Maiden damage bonus increased from 15% to 20%.
Corpse Tendrils
- Blight Corpse Tendrils chance to spawn a Blood Orb increased from 30% to 35%.
Bone Spikes
- Base damage increased from 80% to 120%.
Raise Skeleton and Golem
- Minions will now always engage targets with a cast Curse.
Passives
Kalan’s Edict
- Damage taken duration requirement reduced from 3 to 2 seconds.
Rathma’s Vigor
- Healthy duration requirement reduced from 15 to 12 seconds.
Spiked Armor
- Thorns increased from .08/.16/.24 to .1/.2/.3.
Legendary Aspects
Bursting Bone
- Flat damage increased from .022-.03 to .045-.06.
Flesh-Rending
- Essence gained increased from 10-20 to 20-40.
Fastblood
- Ultimate Cooldown Reduction increased from .5-1 to 1-1.5 seconds.
Rogue
Skills
Invigorating Strike
- Base damage increased from 23% to 25%.
Blade Shift
- Base damage increased from 15% to 16%.
Heartseeker
- Base damage increased from 22% to 24%.
- Primary Heartseeker damage increased from 30% to 75%.
Forceful Arrow
- Base damage increased from 20% to 22%.
Barrage
- Base damage increased from 20% to 22%.
Caltrops
- Methodical Caltrop’s Chill increased from 20% to 25%.
Smoke Grenade
- Cooldown reduced from 15 to 13 seconds.
Rain of Arrows
- Cooldown reduced from 60 to 55 seconds.
- Prime Rain of Arrows imbuement potency increased from 20% to 30%.
Volley
- Base damage increased from 70% to 105%.
Passives
Close Quarters Combat
- Damage bonus increased from 20% to 30%.
Legendary Aspects
Escape Artist
- Cooldown decreased from 100 to 45 seconds.
Umbrous
- Lucky Hit Chance to gain a Dark Shroud increased from 30-50% to 40-60%.
Items
Eyes in the Dark
- Increased Death Trap Cooldown reduced from 30-15% to 20-15%.
Sorcerer
Skills
Spark
- Base damage increased from 8% to 10%.
- Enhanced Spark damage increased from 5.6% to 7%.
- Flickering Spark chance increased from 3% to 4%.
Frostbolt
- Base damage increased from 35% to 38%.
Firebolt
- Burning damage increased from 40% to 44%.
Charged Bolt
- Base damage increased from 28% to 30%.
Incinerate
- Base damage increased from 49% to 54%.
- Enhanced Incinerate damage increased from 15% to 25%.
- Greater Incinerate Immobilize requirement reduced from 4 to 3 seconds.
Fireball
- Mana cost decreased from 40 to 35.
Frozen Orb
- Initial base damage increased from 32% to 36%.
- Explosion base damage increased from 29% to 34%.
- Greater Frozen Orb chance to apply Vulnerable increased from 25% to 30%.
Blizzard
- Base damage increased from 120% to 130%.
Ice Blades
- Chance to apply Vulnerable increased from 30% to 40%.
Lightning Spear
- Summoned Lightning Spear’s maximum Damage Bonus increased from 100% to 160%.
Crackling Energy
- Base damage increased from 15% to 20%.
Freezing Wake
- Base damage increased from 60% to 110%.
Legendary Aspects
Abundant Energy
- Chance to chain to an additional enemy increased from 20-30% to 30-40%.
Singed Extremities
- Slow amount increased from 25-35% to 40-60%.
Incendiary
- Chance to restore Mana increased from 5-10% to 12-17%.
Snowguard’s
- Damage Reduction increased from 10-15% to 20-25%.
Concentration
- Mana Regeneration increased from 10-20% to 20-30%.
Items
Flamescar
- Flat damage increased from .1-.2 to .2-.3.
Staff of Lam Esen
- Damage Reduction reduced from 40-30% to 35-25%.
Gary (Patriot) is the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of LootPlex.com. He enjoys watching wrestling, playing video games (mostly looters), gardening and SEC football (Roll Tide!).
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AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 Preview
Tonight, AEW and NJPW present Forbidden Door II LIVE on Pay-Per-View from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario!
Scheduled for tonight’s big PPV event:
– Kenny Omega defends the IWGP US Championship against Will Ospreay
– MJF defends the AEW World Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi
– Bryan Danielson takes on Kazuchika Okada
– Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Konosuke Takeshita and Shota Umino battle Hangman Page, The Young Bucks, Eddie Kingston and Tomohiro Ishii
– Toni Storm defends the AEW Women’s Championship against Willow Nightingale
– Orange Cassidy defends the AEW International Championship against Zack Sabre Jr, Katsuyori Shibata and Daniel Garcia in a Four-Way
– CM Punk faces Satoshi Kojima in an Owen Hart Cup tournament first round match
– Adam Cole faces Tom Lawlor
– Sanada defends the IWGP World Championship against Jack Perry
– Sting, Darby Allin and Tetsuya Naito face Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara and Minoru Suzuki
Matches happening on the pre-show:
– Athena faces Billie Starkz in an Owen Hart Cup tournament first round match
– Kyle Fletcher, Jeff Cobb and TJP battle Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi and Bushi
– Stu Grayson faces El Phantasmo
– Swerve Strickland, Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun face Rocky Romero, Trent Beretta and El Desperado
AEW Forbidden Door airs LIVE on PPV tonight at 7pm CT for $49.95. The pre-show beginns at 6pm CT.
Gary (Patriot) is the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of LootPlex.com. He enjoys watching wrestling, playing video games (mostly looters), gardening and SEC football (Roll Tide!).
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