The 2016 Player 2 Video Game Fantasy Draft – Round 2

The Player2 2016 video game draft continues. Make sure you check out Round 1 for all the rules and regulations to this epic contest. 

The 2016 Player 2 Video Game Fantasy Draft – Round 2

Paul James – Dark Souls 3

For my second round pick I was quick to pounce on the availability of Dark Souls III. I personally am not the biggest Souls fan, I took quite a liking to Bloodborne, but the extra weight on Demon’s or Dark Souls has failed to grab me in the same way. However within the games media business, I am most certainly a minority, and those who will inevitably be reviewing the game are reviewing it because they already have a deep knowledge of the series, a liking for the types of the game that Dark Souls is, and provided it isn’t a disaster, will review the game accordingly. Expect nothing less than a 90 from this soul crusher.

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Sarah Ellen – Battleborn

Gearbox Software have been milking Borderlands for all that it is worth, so I’m really happy that they have a new IP in the wings. I have been watching this one with interest at the last two PAX Australia conventions, and the timing is right for this kind of role-playing MOBA to be released and joining ranks with The Division and Overwatch. The graphics are reminiscent of Pixar and a little bit of Team Fortress 2, the characters are infused with that wonderful Borderlands 2 humour, and the first-person gameplay fits with Gearbox’s development strengths. Gearbox have clearly said that this is the most ambitious IP that they have developed to date, and have invested their talent into a successful release (even cancelling other releases that were dividing their staff rather than uniting for this one project). Battleborn may be trying to be the game that caters to every genre (RPG/FPS/MOBA), but with the level of consultation at conventions and how they have positioned their resources to commit to this title, they may pull it off. Either way, I’m confident this is going to be a great new game for 2016.

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Adam Rorke – Cuphead

When we attended EB Expo 2015 we recorded a Podcast. During said Podcast Mr Imms enlightened me on this little title. Straight after recording I couldn’t help but see this first hand and let me tell you this. I instantly fell in love with the old Disney cartoon visuals and challenging boss battle gameplay! Every time I died I had to play ‘one more’, I couldn’t stop, but more to the point, I didn’t want to stop. I have a feeling that many reviewers and gamers are going to be feel the same way I did and this should ensure a winner in the eyes of many.

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Matt Hewson – Mafia 3

This game is calling to me. Set in the racially charged atmosphere of the lat 60’s in the melting pot of cultures that is New Orleans this title has so much potential to be more than just another open world crime game. The previous Mafia games all had a great story so I expect this to be no different and add to that an amazing open world in an exciting era and it is a recipe for success. I am also in love with the idea of not playing as the Mafia but as a competitor looking to take these Italian crime lords down. At this point the game could go either way but I am betting this will be a super high quality game that will feature at GOTY time.

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James Swinbanks – The Division

I’ll be honest – I didn’t care less about The Division up until I managed to score myself a key to the Xbox One beta. As with my previous pick, there are questions that needed to be answered about exactly what this game is going to be. Most seem to think it will be a Destiny clone, and they are kinda close I guess. But then again, they aren’t, because The Division is something that feels a bit unique to me. After my time with beta, which was considerable, I came away feeling like I could play more. I enjoyed the way it breaks up the single player/co-op and multiplayer experiences into different sections of the Manhattan streets. If you wander into the Dark Zone, you’re suddenly in the field with other players, and things can get pretty dangerous. It’s all in the name of securing the good loot, as that’s where it’s normally found. Combine that with what could be a compelling story – I enjoyed the small taste we got in the beta – and i think The Division is an excellent 2nd pick for our 2016 draft.

Tom Clancy's The Division Beta2016-1-31-12-54-57

Stephen del Prado – Final Fantasy XV

Square Enix has a lot riding on Final Fantasy XV after a decade in development, a name change and the departure of original director Tetsuya Nomura. I haven’t been excited by a Final Fantasy game in quite a long time – in fact, I found Final Fantasy XIII such a slap in the face I sold my whole collection, from PlayStation 1 through to PlayStation 3. Overbearing linearity, shallow characters and awful voice acting didn’t improve much over a drawn out trilogy that felt like Square Enix fumbling to make that old magic happen again. But time heals all wounds, and I feel I’m finally ready to take a risk on a series that was transformative for me in my youth. Dudebro road trips aside, Final Fantasy XV looks genuinely impressive in both visuals and gameplay – here’s hoping it can score well with fans and critics alike.

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Round 2 is complete. Tomorrow will see Round three hit the spotlight and things are getting more difficult for our writers. 

Round 1

 

 

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