Technology - Google News |
- Delete ToTok, it could be spying on you, users told - TechRadar India
- Galaxy S11 rumors: Everything we know about Samsung's camera, price, February launch date - CNET
- Ars Technica’s best games of 2019 - Ars Technica
| Delete ToTok, it could be spying on you, users told - TechRadar India Posted: 23 Dec 2019 08:01 PM PST  Apple and Google have both taken down messaging services ToTok from their app stores following accusations of government surveillance. According to the New York Times, the messaging app has been accused of being a spying tool for the United Arab Emirates government. Although only a few months old, ToTok has seen a huge rise of popularity, with millions of users installing the app across the Middle East, but also in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. "Unavailable"However the NYT report claims that American officials have accused the app of using location data to give government officials information on the app's users, including conversations, movements, and other personal information like photos. In a blog post, ToTok wrote that its apps would be "temporarily unavailable" on both the App Store and the Play Store due to a "technical issue". "While the existing ToTok users continue to enjoy our service without interruption, we would like to inform our new users that we are well engaged with Google and Apple to address the issue." The company added that any new users with Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo phones can install ToTok from their manufacturer's app store. All other Android users can install the ToTok app from our official website as a temporary solution. Via New York Times |
| Galaxy S11 rumors: Everything we know about Samsung's camera, price, February launch date - CNET Posted: 24 Dec 2019 04:30 AM PST  An artist's rendition of the Galaxy S11, based on the rumors and leaks. Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET from Concept CreatorBuzz has been building for months now around the Galaxy S11, the name that industry-watchers are calling Samsung's next flagship phone. The leaks and rumors are only intensifying as we approach 2020, from the Galaxy S11's official lineup and price, to the camera setup and battery (hint: it could be massive). I throw in my own educated guesses too, because Samsung often follows historical patterns and topical trends. So, certain features make sense. The Galaxy S11 family of phones is Samsung's first mainstream handset that could help bring 5G's faster data speeds to the masses. Samsung got a start with 5G this year, with the S10 5G, Note 10 Plus 5G, Galaxy A90 5G and Fold (in the UK and South Korea). But these phones either aren't targeting everyday users, and many are variants of 4G devices that already exist. Headed into the Galaxy S11 launch, Samsung is in a much stronger position than it was a year ago. It made waves in 2019, nabbing a CBET Editor's Choice award for the Galaxy Note 10 Plus and releasing the unforgettable Galaxy Fold. 2020 is only destined to get better -- and that goes for Samsung's next foldable phone, too. There are a lot of specs to absorb, so here they are -- the Galaxy S11's most important rumored features so far, plus what we don't know and what we think we might get.  Watch this: Galaxy S11 is apparently going to be big. Very big 6:33 Three models, three sizes: Galaxy S11, S11 Plus, S11 ProFirst things first. The Galaxy S11 isn't going to be one phone, that we know. It's rumored to be three, just like last year's S10 family of 4G models. Some rumors name the phones as the S11E, S11 and S11 Plus, but more recent whispers, including that from frequent Twitter leaker Evan Blass, suggest S11, S11 Plus and S11 Pro, which is a lot closer to Apple's strategy with the iPhone 11, which is the base model for that line.  Here are the rumored screen sizes:
Blass also stated that all the Galaxy S11 phones could have curved sides, unlike 2019's Galaxy S10E, which had a flat display that I sometimes preferred.  A peek at the Galaxy S11? We'll know soon enough. CashkaroFeb. 11 or 18 launch, later release datesThe all-important question: When do we get to see this thing for the first time? February is a given. Samsung has unveiled its Galaxy S series in late February or early March for years, sometimes at the Mobile World Congress tech show (aka MWC), sometimes before, and a couple of times, even after.
If Samsung follows last year's model, we'll see the Galaxy S11 and its kin appear shortly before MWC. If we let the rumors guide us, Samsung will show its hand on either Tues, Feb. 11 (this is in Greek) or Tues, Feb. 18. So yeah, February seems solid. Look for the phone to go on preorder shortly after, with units shipping a week or two after the reveal. I'll continue to update this story with fresh rumors, so come back for more. Could like a cross between the Note 10 and Galaxy S10The Galaxy S11 renders are out, and so are the concept designs, which I love because they can bring the rumors to life. So what might we get with Samsung's S11 phone? Rounded shoulders, which have become the Galaxy S trademark, but with a more squared-off look reminiscent of the Galaxy Note 10. A slim body. Curved sides for all models, unlike the Galaxy S10E's flat screen, which I actually really liked. The camera array could become square, off to the left, and stick out from the surface, a lot like the iPhone 11 and Google Pixel 4. I really hope that's not the case. Cameras that stick out are more vulnerable to breaking when you drop your phone. A case is an absolute must. 5G guaranteed, but there's a catchI mentioned 5G earlier. This is a rumored feature, but also a given. The Galaxy S11 is 99.9% likely to use the powerful Snapdragon 865 processor in it, which chipmaker Qualcomm won't make available to phone brands without the 5G modem it pairs with. Ipso facto, you get a phone with the Snapdragon 865, you get a 5G-ready phone. The same goes for any regions that will package the Galaxy S11 with Samsung's in-house Exynos 990 5G processor, which often happens in Asia, especially Samsung's home country of South Korea. (Ice Universe says Samsung is "determined" to use Snapdragon 865 for South Korean models.) I promised a catch and here it is. While the Galaxy S11 will be 5G-ready, not every phone may be able to access 5G. Cities and countries that are 4G-only will only be able to use 4G networks, so the 5G Galaxy S11 could very well act like a 4G phone. We'll see how it all shakes out, but I'd be surprised if Samsung used any chip other than Snapdragon 865. The Galaxy S series is its mainstream flagship and Samsung is the world's largest phone-maker. It will want to put its best foot forward by delivering the phone with the "best" chip.  Another artistic rendition of the Galaxy S11. Concept Creator108-megapixel camera, periscope lens, 5X optical zoomNow for the fun stuff, the camera. We already talked about how rumors, leaks and renders predict a square camera array overflowing with cameras. It gets wilder. Samsung is said to be outfitting the Galaxy S11 (or at least one variant) with a 108-megapixel main camera sensor. Is that madness? It sounds like madness. But Chinese brand Xiaomi already beat Samsung to it with the Mi CC9 Pro, which already uses a 108-megapixel camera. In addition, the Snapdragon 865 chip we talked about above can support a 200-megapixel camera. You may not be using all 108 pixels all the time, but having that extra resolution can be helpful for zooming in and cropping. If you like the sound of all that, thank the chipmaker for making it happen. Here's what else you could get with the S11 camera (at least on some models), according to Ice Universe and 91Mobiles:  Suggested renders for the Galaxy S11 and "S11E". PricebabaScreen: 120Hz AMOLED displayWe talked about phone screens earlier, but here's what else we're likely to get: the ability to turn on a 120Hz screen refresh rate. That will make animations and scrolling a whole lot smoother than the standard 60Hz refresh rate w\we have now. While a 120Hz refresh rate is great for gaming and other quick transitions (even 90Hz like on the OnePlus 7T), it's a battery hog. The Galaxy S11 could put the power in your hands with settings to switch between 60Hz to preserve battery life and 120Hz if you want to rev up animations. This is pretty much a done deal since both the Snapdragon 865 and Exynos 990 5G support 210Hz screens.  Watch this: Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 865 processor 3:46 A whopping 5,000-mAh battery?Different size phones get different size batteries, and another rumor from the prolific Ice Universe dials in the Galaxy S11 "Plus" battery at 5,000 mAh, which is ridonculous. Keep in mind that the "Plus" could also be the "Pro" (e.g., the highest-end model of the trio), which makes far more sense to me than the middle phone getting a battery that size. For reference, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus battery is 4,300 mAh and battery life is outstanding. There have been some phones with ultra-large batteries before, so 5,000 mAh fits my expectations. For instance, the Asus' new ROG Phone II is an Android specs powerhouse, which makes it a gaming beast. In-screen fingerprint readerI loved the concept of an in-screen fingerprint reader, until I used it in the Galaxy S10. The accuracy, speed and convenience never quite lived up to the promise for me. My best-case scenario would be to the Galaxy S11 return to some form of secure face unlock, combined with the in-screen reader. Samsung already knows how to do this well. Remember, the series got iris scanning in the S7, but dropped it for the S10. Google has now done it better, with the Pixel 4's gesture tracking lending a hand. We could at least see a more robust form of in-screen biometric scanner, if Samsung decides to take advantage of the Snapdragon 865's support for two-finger scanning, which is meant to improve the technology on all fronts. I sure hope it does.  In One UI 2, right, app folders open lower on the screen so that it's easier for you to interact with them one-handed. SamsungAndroid 10 and Samsung One UI 2There's little doubt that every Samsung phone in 2020 will run on Android 10 and the company's own One UI 2, which was announced in October and is now available in beta. I'm much more excited about Android 10, which brings systemwide dark mode to phones, gesture navigation, some seriously impressive live captioning and new privacy settings. One UI 2 aims to push icons and screen controls toward the bottom of the phone so they're easier to reach one-handed. Galaxy S11 series: Price will break $1,000Now for the question on everyone's mind: How much is the Galaxy S11 going to cost me? As always, it will depend on which model you buy. Let's start with the Galaxy S10 prices for the base storage configuration:
5G costs the phone-makers more to buy and integrate, so we could see a price bump right off the bat. You'll also spend more if you opt for a model with greater storage, say 512GB, assuming Samsung offers it and begins storage at 128GB. If the largest version ("Pro" or "Plus," depending on the rumors) lines up with the S10 Plus pricing, it'll start at $1,000. With the 5G component and more camera tech, I wouldn't be surprised to see that rise to $1,100, a price that matches the Galaxy Note 10 Plus today. Originally published earlier this week. |
| Ars Technica’s best games of 2019 - Ars Technica Posted: 24 Dec 2019 05:00 AM PST  Enlarge / Wait—this image seems to be missing the Kojima baby proton packs, no? Simogo / Nintendo / Remedy / House House Before we get on to the list, don't miss this year's Ars Technica Charity Drive sweepstakes. You can win part of nearly $5,000 in prizes, including limited-edition gaming collectibles, all while helping out a good cause. Entries are due by January 6, 2020, and there's no purchase necessary. Thanks in advance for your entry! Today's gamer is faced with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to choices. Every day there are literally dozens of new titles being released across consoles, PCs, mobile phones, VR platforms, and more. Usually that includes at least a couple of games that would be worth your time, if only you had the time to sort through them all. We can't say we've played through all the thousands of titles big and small that have come out this year. Of the ones we have played, though, these are the ones that we'd feel comfortable recommending to anyone. 20. Telling Lies Sam Barlow/Annapurna Interactive; Windows, Mac, iOS The basic story in Telling Lies wouldn't be all that interesting if it was told as a standard, linear movie plot. But Sam Barlow's follow-up to 2015's excellent Her Story once again proves that the storytelling function can grow out of a newly relevant interactive form.Players experience the narrative of Telling Lies via one-sided pieces of two-way video conversations, accessed via semi-random searches through a hard drive database. There's an immense intimacy to experiencing a story like this, via characters talking directly to the camera, to you. You see these people utterly exposed, interacting with unseen partners, reacting to unheard provocations, and pausing to listen to long-unheard monologues, with no knowledge that someone else will be spying on them much later. Getting to know these people in this way almost feels intrusive, like you're intruding on private moments that might better remain hidden. There's a certain puzzle-sorting joy in piecing together the larger plot from these disjointed conversations, and every newly discovered clip has the potential to serve as a "twist" that recontextualizes information from the past (or the future, depending on the order in which you view it all). While the conclusion feels a little cliche and not entirely earned, the strong acting and tightly written characterization keeps it all engaging until the very last clip is discovered. We can only hope Barlow's work inspires others to keep experimenting with what is still a largely unexplored storytelling format. 19. Remnant: From the Ashes Gunfire Games; Windows, PS4, Xbox One More Destiny? Meh. More Borderlands? Nah. Give us more Remnant: From the Ashes. This modest third-person combat game takes all of the lessons a development team could possibly learn from Destiny 2, Monster Hunter, and Dark Souls, then funnels them together into a co-op combat experience that I keep returning to with my favorite online battling buddies. There's a real grace to Remnant's semi-randomized combat onslaught. You'll march through a randomly generated town instance one moment, picking through its every corner for useful loot while contending with surprise-spawn enemies, then find a door that warps you to either a randomized or pre-made instance of more intense foes (or even one of its many incredible boss battles). After every particularly brutal battle, the game is wise enough to drop an accordion-squeeze cool-down of traversal and simpler combat before ramping things up again. And at any point, it's easy for a trio of friends to warp to a base and unpack a mix of weapon purchases and plot reveals in ways that should particularly embarrass the devs who famously bungled the very same thing in Anthem. This basic formula, which constantly keeps a group of friends exploring and fighting without any aimless wandering through open worlds, is anchored by a tremendous mix and balance of ammo-limited firearms and brutal-and-slow, Souls-like melee implements. Remnant is generous enough to let players customize their loadouts to specialize in either gunplay or swordsmanship, but you won't get far without juggling each weapon extreme. Plus, it's easy enough for friends to bring on a random partner or newbie thanks to intelligently scaling combat, so it's that much easier to party up and play Remnant in its ideal, three-fighter state at any given moment. 18. Super Mario Maker 2A Nintendo designer reviews some Super Mario Maker 2 levels. Video shot and edited by Justin Wolfson. Click here for transcript. Nintendo; Switch Judged purely as a sequel, Super Mario Maker 2 is a bit hit or miss. New course-building options, on/off switches, and an entire "3D World" game style are transformative, but other additions like the Angry Sun and Koopa Car feel a bit too basic for their own good.But the specifics of Mario Maker 2's additions are almost beside the point. Here, once again, is a game that takes the time-tested platforming core of the Mario series and extends it into a functionally infinite playspace, where you'll never run out of new levels to play. Yes, finding actual good levels is a bit harder than one might like, but it's made a bit easier in this sequel with new tagging and description options, as well as a new option for players to "Boo!" the worst levels so they're less likely to pop up in random sorting. Super Mario Maker was always too good of a concept to be trapped on a failed platform with a dwindling player base like the Wii U. On the Switch, the idea is finally getting the player attention (and full portability) that it deserves. And Nintendo is already offering free DLC updates, including an inventive new "Zelda maker" sub-mode, that will hopefully presage long-lived support for even more new building and playing options in the future. 17. Mortal Kombat 11The trailer for MK11 NetherRealm Studios; Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Stadia As a big fan of fighting games it's always nice to see the genre appear on these year-end lists. Last year I wrote about Dragon Ball Fighterz, and this year the honor goes to Mortal Kombat 11. I hope there's another fighter next year good enough to make the cut.Mortal Kombat 11's story mode is polished and reeks of high-budget CGI and is compelling even with some cheesy voice acting. There's still a little awkward jank to the animations, but the modeling and lighting and overall look of the game really is stunning and full of atmosphere. After a few rocky launch issues, there's a good amount of compelling single-player content if you're just looking to play solo without couch co-op, and more importantly, if you are feeling competitive the rollback netcode is absolutely excellent. The post-launch DLC characters have been well designed (with perhaps the exception of odd guest character The Terminator, who feels a little out of place and features some particularly questionable animations even by the standards of the game and robotic movements). Overall it has been a really solid package that keeps delivering more content and value for fans. So why do I sound a bit hesitant in lauding the game? The truth is it's just too damn bloody. I addressed the excessive amounts of gore in my review, and since then I've only felt worse about it. Repeated viewing of the gory fatalities and "krushing blows" hasn't desensitized me to the violence. Instead I find myself more turned off than before. The animators at Netherrealm Studios reportedly suffered PTSD from all the time researching and animating out the detailed guts and viscera, and frankly I'm not surprised. MK11 showed that modern fighting games don't have to be niche, that they can move big units and still be massively popular outside of hardcore circles. NRS put an enormous amount of polish into the game, and it has proven to be well constructed from a mechanical and competitive standpoint. But I have trouble recommending it without the big caveat that you really gotta be all in for realistic sprays of blood, brain, and intestines if you're going to play it. Otherwise maybe wait to see what next year brings. Maybe I'll be back to laud Guilty Gear Strive, which is already looking gorgeous and, thankfully, gore-free. 16. Metro ExodusThe official trailer for Metro Exodus 4A Games; Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia Having played, and liked, previous Metro games, we knew the Polish design team at 4A Games could successfully marry the linear-campaign ethos of Half-Life with author Dmitry Glukhovsky's grungy, post-nuclear universe. Where Metro Exodus blew us away was its ability to marry that narrative-driven campaign philosophy with a series of wide-open landscapes in ways that funneled players' attention to the important bits while also leaving them open to explore or take risks outside the beaten path.As much as Far Cry reimagined open-world combat over the past decade, that series has devolved into a bloated collect-a-thon (this year's Rage 2 fell down the same unfocused rabbit hole of general design). Metro Exodus' brilliance doesn't require constant comparisons to other open-world shooters, but its organic arrangement of missions and tasks, and its ability to drop interesting storytelling in its worlds' corners without feeling like a constant copy-paste of generic buildings and other assets, sure looks all the more impressive when you see other first-person campaigns fail to compare. This is exactly the kind of single-player game we bellyache for in comment threads about annoying, always-online shooters: a game that respects our intelligence and time in giving us a challenging, compelling, and character-filled drama that requires shooting our way through beautifully horrific monsters to survive. 15. Tetris 99 Arika; Switch Really, The Tetris Company could just re-release a new version of plain-old Tetris every year and it would probably earn a spot on our "game of the year" list each time. The core concept of sorting tetriminoes into gap-free lines is just that good. But Tetris 99 takes that core gameplay and sprinkles in a healthy helping of "Battle Royale" competition with 98 strangers to great effect.At first glance it all seems a bit like a kind of light parallel play, with "garbage block" incursions from other players filling in at the bottom of your playfield with a seemingly random caprice. But then you plunge into the game's hidden strategic depths, learning about the targeting and badge systems that dictate the subtle risk-reward interplay between aggression and defense. Every new match builds on the Tetris skills you've likely already built up over a lifetime while also splitting your attention ten different ways between a host of threats and opportunities to reach that top spot. The only real problem with Tetris 99 is that the game's current player pool is tilted toward obsessive experts who can be somewhat discouraging to casual players. If you're willing to put in the effort to complete levels, though, Tetris 99 is probably the most intense multiplayer take on a gaming classic we've yet seen. 14. Dicey Dungeons Terry Kavanaugh; Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Switch Dicey Dungeons bills itself as a "deckbuilding roguelike," and though you're playing with dice instead of cards, the general pace of the game will be familiar to fans of Slay the Spire and its card-grabbing ilk. Instead of building a deck of cards, you're collecting equipment that you trigger by assigning the dice you roll each round. You start out with weak, uninspiring gear, but as you make your way through a run, you can grab and upgrade new abilities. In true roguelike fashion, you must make your way through a random gauntlet of enemies to reach the final boss. Die, and you have to start over.Equipment requires certain combinations of numbers to be triggered—"Toxic Ooze," for instance, deals damage equal to the number of pips on the die you assign to it, but if that number is a six, you also put a couple stacks of poison on the enemy. Some abilities require an even or odd pip-value; others might require a value in a particular spread of numbers ("less than 5" or "at least 3"). The trick is putting together a loadout that maximizes your chances of being able to effectively use every die you roll, no matter the spread. The game's six characters play completely differently from one another, not only providing unique equipment choices but also entirely new mechanics that make each one a wildly varied experience. Need even more variability? The game's "episodes"—six for each character—shake up the rules and win conditions even further. There's a ton of semi-randomized scenarios to get through here. Developer Terry Kavanaugh (VVVVVV, Super Hexagon) is known for his compulsively playable games, and Dicey Dungeons is the best of the bunch. 13. Grindstone Capybara Games; iOS/Apple Arcade My $5/month Apple Arcade subscription includes access to dozens of games, but there's only one I keep coming back to when I want a mind-clearing break from the trials of the day. While color-matching games are literally a dime-a-dozen on mobile devices these days, Grindstone is the most absorbing and compelling take on the concept I've yet seen. There's something endlessly satisfying about looking at a field of colored monsters and tracing out the maximal single path through a single color, then unleashing a screen-clearing melee that hacks them to bits in the best over-the-top '80s cartoon style. It's simple at first, but as color-changing gems rain down and moving boss enemies encroach on the space, planning out your next move becomes a consuming battle of tactics. As the game goes on and levels become more intricate, there's also another level of strategy involved in the carnage. Do you stick around a level as long as possible to farm the resources you need to power new monster-killing items? Or do you head for the exit as soon as possible, avoiding the increasingly enraged monsters that can corner you and erase dozens of minutes of hard work? Grindstone might not be the deepest or most complex title on this list, but it stands out as a high-water mark for the genre and an addictive and welcoming respite. 12. Hypnospace Outlaw Tendershoot; Windows No game on this year's list is more bizarre, let alone more controversial in being called a "game." More accurately, it's a late '90s world-wide-web simulator, albeit one where you advance the plot by activating a "security" overlay over the fictional sites you browse. But there's a key difference in Hypnospace Outlaw's version of the '90s information superhighway, Instead of fiber-optic cable connecting the world, the "HynpnOS" service is a universal connection of everyone's subconscious when they drift into sleep. There, people can build, share, and browse Web sites as they sleep, albeit with the caveat that HypnoCorp is always watching. It doesn't take long for the game to blur the line between people's intimate stories and the pitfalls of a surveillance state. How the heck does this play out as a game? Imagine a classic mystery-adventure point-and-click series like Carmen Sandiego. Then dunk that archetype into a toxic vat of X-Files goo, and add incredible production values in terms of reams of stories and hours of multimedia to be uncovered with your careful browsing. Anyone who cut their teeth on the '90s version of the Internet, in which image embedding and sharing became standard practice over brutally slow dial-up speeds, will likely adore Hypnospace Outlaw's formula. It reminds you what hell it used to be to search for reliable information and what a delight it was to stumble upon new, weird, and refreshing content in the Wild-West era of Geocities and AltaVista. 11. Baba Is You Hempuli; Windows, Mac, Linux, Switch Gaming is all about verbs, when you get down to it. A description of a game is inevitably a description of what you can do in it. Baba Is You stands out for focusing on a verb that doesn't get a lot of attention in other games: "Is" (or the third person singular present of "be," if you want to get technical). There doesn't seem to be much to it at first. Your little Baba character can push word blocks around to change the rules of the world. Can't reach the goal flag on the other side of the wall? Just push the word blocks until "WALL IS STOP" becomes just "WALL IS," then walk on through with ease. Incredibly quickly, though, the game twists this concept every which way to create some truly mind-bending puzzles. Careful manipulation of noun and adjective blocks can lead to floating rivers, multiple Baba clones, automated flaming robots that move when you move, and countless other combinations that all operate on their own intrinsic (and sometimes wild) logic. After the first few levels, the correct solution to a Baba Is You puzzle is rarely readily apparent at a glance. Figuring out the way forward requires endless tinkering and outside-the-box thinking about new ways to put its simple puzzle pieces together. These are the kinds of puzzles that will have you bashing your head against the wall for hours until something just clicks and you finally see the new successful strategy that has been staring you in the face the entire time. As with the best puzzle games, Baba Is You's simple rule set lends itself to endless clever possibilities. 10. Neo Cab Chance Agency; Windows, Mac, iOS/Apple Arcade, Switch Neo Cab is less like arcade classic Crazy Taxi and more like "Emotional Conversation Taxi." Though the game swims in incredible atmosphere and hinges on a cool premise—you're a gig-economy taxi driver in a dystopian future, determined to uncover a mystery—this isn't a steering-wheel drive through busy streets. Instead, it's one of the most unique and self-assured games of 2019, but with a niche appeal that is worth minding.A big reason this game cracked our general list, as opposed to other remarkable "visual novel"-styled fare like Eliza, is because its dialogue trees are equal parts advanced and impactful. You spend the entire game picking through conversational options, but your success hinges on minding the emotions of all characters. You're a taxi driver, after all. You gotta read the room before yammering. And the game's mix of writing, mystery, varied cast, and emotional conveyance in characters' faces make this a lot more interesting to do than you might pessimistically assume. Crucially, this game scales quite well to smartphones, which makes its inclusion in the $5/mo Apple Arcade service a particular boon. We strongly recommend trying this game if it doesn't sound like your usual cup of tea, should you already be interested in the other critically acclaimed Apple Arcade fare out there. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the idea of faking like a near-future taxi driver in cahoots with an anti-automation labor revolution. 9. Luigi's Mansion 3
Nintendo; Switch Luigi's Mansion 3 is arguably the most "Nintendo" game I've seen from the company in years: one that oozes a sense of playfulness in every direction, from how you interact with its spooky environs to how its aesthetics rival the world's best kid-friendly CGI films.The game's busy-yet-pleasant juggle of abilities has increased substantially compared to other games in the series, and that boosted Luigi-ness is a big part of why I hold the game in such high esteem. Think of a classic adventure game from the Lucasarts '80s and '90s fold (like, ya know, Maniac Mansion), and then think of the list of verbs beneath the game image, always available so that players can juggle a decent spread of puzzle possibilities at every step. By going in a similar direction, each new room in Luigi's Mansion 3 feels less rote, less predictable. The result is the Nintendo game I've been dreaming of since I was an '80s kid hooked on an NES: one where a robust physics system opens wide the game's potential of wacky destruction and a-ha puzzle solutions, and where the childlike sense that Luigi is real, and my possible buddy, is sold by his endless, glee-filled animations (which live and breathe in grounded, realistic-yet-cinematic lighting systems). 8. Wattam Enlarge / Wattam. A late addition to this list, Wattam barely snuck in under the 2019 wire with its December release. That comes after six long years of development that saw creator Keita Takahashi (Katamari Damacy) change publisher and game engine as he struggled to realize his vision. The result of all that work is a singularly silly and hard-to-describe experience. Ostensibly a game about restoring missing objects to a suddenly empty world, Wattam is also a game where ambulatory mouths can transform everything they see into walking poop, and hidden bombs inside hats can send objects flying in a joyful glide. This is a game where giant, golden walking bowling pins interact with toilets and coffee mugs and balloons and apples, and yet it all somehow makes sense. Underneath all the silliness, though, is a gentle but sweet message about the need to work together in the face of calamity and the importance of "human" connection even in a world where nothing is recognizably human. Through a tight few hours of storytelling, Wattam gets this message across more directly and effectively than dozens of plodding hours of Death Stranding's sci-fi complications. Plus it does so in a way that you can play while laughing your head off with a nearby five-year-old. 7. Outer Wilds Mobius Digital; PS4, Xbox One, Windows Yes, we put both Outer Wilds and The Outer Worlds on the same Game of the Year list, which shouldn't help with the problem of everyone constantly mixing these similar game names up. But once you've played Outer Wilds (whose name was settled all the way back in 2012 as a USC student project), you'll never mix the two up again.Where The Outer Worlds retreads familiar Fallout territory in polished fashion, Outer Wilds sends players to the depths of a mysterious universe in much less linear fashion. You have a spaceship, equipped with a sensational 360-degree navigation system. You have a jetpack, which you'll need to carefully pilot as you land on a variety of planets and locales, each with their own gravitational pull. And you have an analysis tool that uncovers secrets in any direction of your friendly neighborhood solar system. Really: stand on your home planet, aim all around the universe, and you'll hear strange signals so long as you accurately point in their direction as the crow flies. The catch being, of course, that a direct flight path is never enough in Outer Wilds. Also, you have a finite end constantly breathing down your neck: a cataclysm that repeats every 22 minutes of real time. That may sound familiar to fans of Majora's Mask, but Outer Wilds treats its timeline conceit differently enough to stand out (and doesn't lead to frustrating repeat-tasks-over situations, since the game keeps track of your general progress as time resets). The game's weirdest mysteries blend neatly into your journey to understand why the universe seems to be ending, and Outer Wilds is careful not to grip players' hands too tightly in letting its stories and histories unravel in fascinating fashion. All of this plays out without rote combat, yet the discovery and space-flight efforts you'll undertake are exciting enough to be worth dropping a blaster or swords in favor of. Really, no other video game on this list feels more "Ars"-y than Outer Wilds, with a style that combines Stanley Kubrick, Jim Henson, and a bewilderingly open-ended approach to world design that reminds us of classic PC franchises like Zork and Ultima. 6. Sayonara Wild HeartsThe trailer for Sayonara Wild Hearts Simogo; iOS/Apple Arcade Judged purely on its gameplay, Sayonara Wild Hearts might not deserve a spot on this list. The rhythmic movement and beat-matching often feels a bit too squishy (especially using touch-screen controls), and timing beats are often presented without enough on-screen warning to react in time.None of that lessens what an all-consuming, memorable, and altogether original gaming experience Sayonara Wild Hearts is, though. The developers have described it as an interactive music video, and that's a largely accurate take. But it often feels like a music video from an alternate and much more psychedelic timeline where abstract art, anime, and '80s cartoons combine as major influences driving a new art form. There's a dream-like quality to Sayonara Wild Hearts' non-stop movement through insanely varied settings and situations that's only aided by the game's ethereal beats, swirling colors, and over-the-top character designs. By the end of the ride, you're left with a vague, otherworldly feeling more than a concrete, easy-to-digest explanation of what you just experienced. The worst part of Sayonara Wild Hearts may be how quickly the whole thing is over and the fact that there's nothing else quite like it to occupy your time after you're done. 5. The Outer Worlds Obsidian; Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch Opinions diverged pretty wildly at Ars when it came to 2014's Fallout 4, enough so that it didn't crack that year's best-games list. Five years later, much of the same Ars braintrust is still here, and its members have reached a greater consensus this time around: The Outer Worlds, and its shameless mining of the best in classic Fallout games, is a no-brainer pick as a top game in 2019.Obsidian Entertainment primarily wins by crafting a story where every major character exists in a tantalizing, gray-area cloud of good intentions and broken souls. That matters in a game where you can expect a reward for either helping or killing anyone you meet—and be paid off in experience points at the least, or compelling new quests at the most, for taking gameplay risks. Everyone you encounter needs to matter and also simultaneously be disposable. They are also often funny, or weird, or otherwise memorable in the process. Uh, how many characters does this game have, again? Quite a freaking few, and that's not even talking about your five omnipresent companion allies, of which two tag along at any given moment—and offer their own unique dialogue and quest possibilities. They're not just fun to talk with, they also shoot stuff up real nice. Combat has admittedly been tuned too far in the direction of simplicity, but as a direct descendant of Fallout, that's somewhat fitting. We'll take this game's competent selection of guns, satisfying time-dilation moves, and your allies' own violent special abilities, to boot. That's all been combined with a focused, back-to-the-roots take on Fallout-style adventuring, free of the bolted-on complications (particularly settlements) that made Fallout 4 a more controversial release five years ago. It's still complex where it counts in terms of story and rapidly changing allegiances. We'll take it. 4. Untitled Goose Game
House House; Windows, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Switch The most striking thing about Untitled Goose Game, when all is said and done, might be how funny it is.Sure, there have been games that have made attempts at humor before, and some have even succeeded. But most of those games ape the forms of TV and movies for their humor, relying on clever writing or wacky characters to get chuckles out of dialogue-filled cut scenes. What makes Untitled Goose Game really stand out is how many completely hilarious situations arise from the actual gameplay and animations without a single spoken word. It can be something as simple as a well-timed honk that knocks a character over at the perfectly timed moment, or a proper gentleman running after a stolen slipper, or the way the goose can play a beak-held harmonica by honking. It's the kind of slapstick humor that hits on the ridiculous and the sublime at the same time, grounded in real-world situations and simple controls that are instantly accessible to practically anyone with a passing familiarity with video games. Untitled Goose Game is the kind of game that makes you look at the world differently. Specifically, it's the kind of game that makes you ask "What would happen if there was a particularly jerky goose in this situation" at random points throughout the day. You can't say that about many other games. 3. Apex Legends Respawn Entertainment; PS4, Xbox One, PC Apex Legends is pretty much exactly what it looks like: another battle royale game in the vein of Fortnite and PUBG mixed with the character shooter elements of Overwatch. But if the tech industry at large has taught us anything over the years, it's that there is plenty of value to be found in a well-executed rip-off.What Apex lacks in creative ambition, it makes up for in Destiny-level responsiveness, consistent internal logic, and common-sense quality-of-life improvements to the battle royale formula. Its primary verbs—run, slide, shoot, jump—feel as satisfying as you'd expect from the guys who created Call of Duty and Titanfall (and satisfaction is the point here). All battle royale games should forever copy its ping system, which genuinely facilitates communication without forcing you to talk to weirdos online when you aren't in the mood. It still features the things any good battle royale does: every improvisation you make in a round stems from that initial drop; it encourages forward thinking and risk assessment more than wanton combat; every gun, attachment, and special ability has its own character and impact on the way you play; there's the shared understanding of values within the player base and of the importance of listening. It'll still get your heart pumping when the end is near. There's little groundbreaking about Apex, but there's plenty refined. Just ignore the price of character skins. 2. Disco Elysium ZA/UM; Windows, PS4, Xbox One The best character in a video game this year is one I nurtured into being: a washed-up alcoholic detective with strong communist sensibilities and a penchant for talking about the uncaring void with his horrific necktie. Waking one morning with a case of heavy-drinking-induced amnesia, your character in Disco Elysium must glue together the shattered pieces of his psyche while also trying to solve a murder case in a gritty, post-failed-revolution world.Those "pieces of psyche" actually function as upgradable skills—and as characters that pop up in your head to put their two cents in during conversations. Empathy calls attention to emotional cues, while Rhetoric pipes up with arguments you can use against interview subjects. Weirder skills, like Inland Empire, butt in to harass you with David Lynchian anxieties about the strange and unknown. The different parts of your brain help steer you into breakthroughs, but they also argue with each other and very occasionally give less-than-responsible advice (electrochemistry screeches at you constantly to do as many drugs as possible). Idle thoughts can be nurtured into full-blown parts of your personality, making you a "hobo cop," a suicidal depressive, a staunch nationalist, etc. There is no combat system; everything is handled through reams of text, dialogue choices, and simple dice-roll checks. The writing is uniformly excellent—easily the most engaging writing we've seen in the modern CRPG renaissance—and there's no "right" way to play. I often worry about making a bad decision or failing an important check in RPGs; Disco Elysium begs you to simply roleplay at all times, and it rewards you with a character that's all your own. Fail a check and you'll often find yourself in a different, but equally advantageous, position as if you passed it. Disco Elysium's inventive gameplay systems all work together wonderfully, but in a game full of endless words, it's the writing that seals the deal. It's easily one of the best RPGs in years. 1. Control
Remedy; Windows, PS4, Xbox One Control isn't just the best video game ever made by Remedy Entertainment. It's also everything I want in an action-adventure video game. That begins with a telekinetic control system that makes the game's hero, Jesse, an accessible-yet-powerful badass in terms of laying waste to mobs of eerie enemies. There's a real genius to Control's melting of abilities and energy meter at any given moment, as this forces players to juggle Jesse's range of guns and superpowers in ways that would make any X-Man or Jedi blush.What's more, this enthralling core is smothered with world-building, mysteries, and likable characters every step of the way, whether you restrict yourself to the primary plot or sink your teeth into a surprisingly meaty series of side missions. We knew Remedy could get that stuff right; Alan Wake and Quantum Break are proof that the Finnish studio's game-story mastery wasn't a fluke. But finally, the attached gameplay is back to Max Payne levels of polish. Admittedly, Control's console performance was trash at launch, but its demanding engine has since received welcome patches so that you don't have to be a PC gamer to lap up a worthy aesthetic experience. PC players still get the best version of the year's best game, should their GPU of choice support DirectX 12 ray tracing. And based on how remarkable that version looks, we might urge you to commit crimes to get your Control-playing PC up to ray tracing snuff. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Technology - Latest - Google News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
This post have 0 komentar
EmoticonEmoticon