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State of Decay 2 – A Gun Guy Goes Gaming

Friday, April 29th, 2022

If it weren’t for Xbox Gamepass, I’d never have heard of a little game called State of Decay 2. I never heard of the first, and the second looked to be an enjoyable open-world game. Plus, it’s free on Gamepass, so I hopped on it. Never did I expect a game to offer such a unique experience. Not just the game itself, but the guns. As a gun nerd, I geeked out on State of Decay 2. 

weapons of State of Decay 2

The game features tons of guns and some very interesting gunplay. State of Decay 2 takes the player and tasks them with building a community of survivors. Throughout the game, the player has to kill zombies, make allies, and find and scavenge supplies, vehicles, and guns. It’s deep, can be extremely difficult, and is the Walking Dead game we’ve always wanted. It’s a free-roaming game with a vast open-world and several selectable maps. 

Pick a map, roll the nice to get characters, and jump on into a very addictive game. 

State of Decay 2 – The Gameplay 

State of Decay 2 is an open world, community building, third-person game. You can swap between a multitude of characters as you play. Each character comes with a variety of skills that affect combat, navigation, crafting, and more. It’s a very deep game with a lot of minutiae and a cult of players who are far more educated than I about the game. I’ve spent tens of hours playing it, and I still can’t explain the whole thing. 

You start with a small community and steadily build it. You move from sanctuary to sanctuary and build your community with a variety of different upgrades. We can have infirmaries, mechanic shops, armories, and more. Each member of your community is a playable character, and each member can bring different skills to your community. You’ll need to constantly scavenge supplies like fuel, food, ammo, and more. 

weapons of State of Decay 2

All of your survivors are playable characters with different skills

You’ll have to balance the strengths of your characters as well as their fatigue and health. When a character is wounded, tired, or bit, you’ll need to take them back to the community to rest and switch out. You can move between different paths through the game that offers you different missions, challenges, and outcomes. 

Throughout the entire game, you’ll need to balance your scavenging with combat. Combat involves either guns or melee weapons. You have broad availability of both. Today we are going to talk all about the guns of State of Decay 2. 

The Gunplay 

How many guns are there? I don’t know…all of them might be the best answer. There are dozens of guns, and I mean dozens of them. You can use the ultra-modern Maxim 9mm integrally suppressed handgun to the old-school cool Remington 1875. Maybe you are a scattergun guy like me, and you want an AA-12 or a Winchester 1897 Trench gun. Well, you can use either. 

weapons of State of Decay 2

Mare’s Leg? Sure, we got em!

Guns have been added throughout the lifespan of the game. We even get guns that aren’t ‘mainstream’ outside of the world of guns, like the CMMG Banshee, the KelTec Sub 2000, and the Colt Monitor. 

weapons of State of Decay 2

Weapon drops bring us everything, including WW2 guns.

There are tons of guns that fall into various classes. You seemingly get everything outside of crew-served guns. I can’t help but think someone at the State of Decay 2 studio is a gun nerd. Not just because of the gun selection but due to the depth. 

Select fire weapons can swap between full auto, burst, or semi, depending on the gun. Guns will eventually wear out, and when they wear out, they begin malfunctioning and eventually just break completely. 

weapons of State of Decay 2

Don’t forget the shotguns (Courtesy of IMFDB)

Characters build skills with their firearms by using them. The more shoot, the better you’ll be at it. Some characters have unique traits that they come packaged with to make them better shots, and as your skill grows with guns, you can pick between different advantages. Some skills paths and advantages affect reloading, recoil control, and accuracy. 

Noise and Size Matter

Throughout the game, noise is always a concern. If you’re loud, you’ll attract the attention of zombies, which will converge on your location. Breaking windows, kicking open doors, vehicles, and obviously, guns will affect your noise level. Different guns have different levels of quietness. 

They get this mostly on point. A .22LR rifle is a fair bit quieter than a full-powered anti-material rifle. When noise becomes a big issue, you can toss on a suppressor. Suppressors come in different tiers, with the lowest being a fuel filter and the best being an Osprey 9. Suppressors can be attached and removed, but not all guns can use suppressors. 

weapons of State of Decay 2

The Honey Badger Helps keep things quiet (Courtesy IMFDB)

Realistically most revolvers can’t be suppressed, but realistically you can get a silenced Nagant revolver. Little touches like that make a difference that makes State of Decay 2 stand out. 

Throughout the game, you’ll need to manage your inventory. You only have so much room and weight to balance. In some situations taking a suppressed 22LR rifle makes more sense than taking a AR 15. The 22LR rifle is lighter and quieter, and so is the ammo you have to carry for it. Rifle ammo weighs more, so keep that in mind. 

The Little Details 

A few of the little things worth noting is that when you reload a partially empty magazine, the gun keeps a +1 in the tube. That’s a neat little feature I didn’t notice for the longest time. Also, most of the time, full auto is useless. Headshots matter and zombies can’t be suppressed. Firing full auto can be tough to control and inaccurate. 

The only time full auto is handy in State of Decay 2 is when facing off against human threats and juggernauts. Juggernauts don’t go down with a single headshot, so spraying them can be a viable strategy. Guns can be upgraded with mods. 

weapons of State of Decay 2

Full auto is for Juggernauts only

Mods, of course, are suppressors, as well as chokes for shotguns, flash suppressors, and compensators. They alter how the gun handles, and other guns can be found with upgrades, like optics that can’t be removed but increase your zoom range. 

A weapon can be fixed at workshops via spare parts, and ammo can be reloaded and crafted as well. Speaking of ammo, the ammo comes in different calibers and types. However, it’s not super accurate. Some ammo types are grouped together, like different types of rifle ammo are all grouped together. 5.45 guns just shoot 5.56, and the M1918 BAR uses the same 7.62 ammo the AK uses. 

Goofs 

Like any video game, you can expect to see plenty of goofs in State of Decay 2 or just silly things regarding guns in the game. Like damage differences between identical 12 gauge shotguns. The two that stand out most in my mind deal with reload animations and suppressors. 

First, the reload animations for all of the rifles and SMGs are the same regardless of their design. They all insert the mag the same way, and all use a right-side charging handle. M4sMP5s, SCARs, and G36s are reloaded the same way. 

Second, whenever video games have suppressors, they gotta do some weird stuff with them. In State of Decay 2, the suppressor wears the gun down a little faster. The lowest tier suppressors reduce wear the fastest, and the highest tear reduces wear the least.

 

Brains…..Brains….

State of Decay 2 is an awesome romp. It can effectively be played forever, and it only ends when you really want it to. State of Decay 2 does guns fairly well, and the massive variety makes it fun to hunt the guns down as you play. Sure, it’s not perfectly realistic, but guns are a considerable part of the experience and more than just an ornament in the game. 

Call of Duty: Vanguard Is Out

Monday, November 8th, 2021

Another year, another CoD. This time, however, it’s nominally World War 2, but with a distinct inclusion of modern-style optics and other crazy weapon attachments.

And zombies.

Judge Dredd in Call of Duty

Tuesday, September 14th, 2021

I haven’t been keeping up with the latest Call of Duty titles, however if anything would get me back into playing them it’s the Judge Dredd skin recently added to the latest title’s multiplayer. I’ve been a huge fan of Dredd since first reading the comic in the pages of 2000 AD, and while I’m not the biggest fan of gimmicky media crossovers, seeing Dredd in the thick of battle in a decent game for once does garner my interest.

The Dredd skin — available in full color and a comic-inspired black-and-white variant – is a limited offer available now through October 14th.

https://www.callofduty.com/blog/2021/09/black-ops-cold-war-warzone-judge-dredd-tracer-pack-bundle

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered – Official Trailer

Tuesday, March 31st, 2020

Every year, there’s a new Call of Duty, but for Activision, for whom there can never be enough market saturation of their cash cow franchise, more Call of Duty must be better. So, they’ve just released a prettied-up version of 2009’s Modern Warfare 2, at least the campaign portion. It’s also Playstation 4 exclusive until April 30th, after which it will also be available on PC and Xbox One.

It’s up to you and your nostalgia as to whether this is worth the $20 price tag (heh, Price).

NERF is releasing Halo-themed Blasters for 2020

Sunday, February 23rd, 2020

NERF is no stranger to video game licensing for their blasters, but considering that Mattel’s BOOMCo line of blasters already held the Halo license, it’s kind of surprising that NERF would follow suit with their own Halo blasters. All the same, there are 100% licensed Halo NERF blasters coming out later this year, and, honestly, they’re pretty cool. Based on three of the most iconic weapons from the Halo franchise, the initial line of Halo blasters will consist of the following:

MA40 Assault Rifle

Unarguably the coolest of the new blasters, the MA40 is based on the latest iteration of the UNSC’s mainline MA5 series assault rifle (inexplicably chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO in the lore). This particular blaster features a battery-powered flywheel action, where darts can be fired semi-automatically from the included 10-round ‘clip’. This blaster is powered by four “C” batteries, and for those looking to play the upcoming Halo: Infinite, you’ll also get a code to unlock the MA40’s color scheme as a weapon skin in the game.

SPNKR Rocket Launcher

Reportedly part of NERF’s Micro Shots line, the SPNKR is more nominally based on its namesake, as this is just a handheld blaster, while the in-game version is a rocket launcher. The fact that it’s not a full-sized NERF rocket launcher is a bit disappointing. However, like the SPNKR, the NERF version chambers two darts, and fires them one after the other.

Needler

Finally, there’s the Needler, designated the Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher by the UNSC. In-game, the Needler is a Covenant weapon that automatically fires strange crystalline projectiles with an inexplicable IFF function that hone in on enemies and explode after embedding in their flesh. As a NERF blaster, it’s part of the Micro Shots line, and fires a single dart at a time. At least this one is also a handheld weapon in the game it’s based on.

The Halo line of NERF blasters is slated for an October 2020 release, in line with the scheduled release of Halo: Infinite.

nerf.hasbro.com/en-us

Doom Eternal – Official Story Gameplay Trailer 2

Tuesday, January 14th, 2020

Doom Eternal was unfortunately delayed from its original November 2019 release date to this coming March. However, we now have this woefully brief story trailer to help tide us over. It shows a space station within Earth’s orbit, which is probably the inter-mission ‘slayer’s base’ that was mentioned in pre-release materials for the game. It also shows one of the central antagonists, supposedly an angel of some type, as well as the Doom Slayer’s rival – a demon decked out in similar armor, and of course plenty of visceral demon slaying.

2016’s Doom was such a great reimagining of the franchise, and I’m hoping this sequel manages to capture that same spark, although based on the footage seen thus far, that’ll probably be the case.

Doom Eternal launches March 20th, 2020 on all major consoles and PC.

NERF – Fortnite Rocket Launcher

Friday, December 13th, 2019

While the excessive popularity of Fortnite escapes me, I do appreciate any cool dart blasters that come out to the market. And this clearly RPG-7 inspired Fortnite Rocket Launcher from NERF certainly fits the description of “cool dart blaster”.

Modeled after the rocket launcher in the game Fortnite, but more brightly colored and less detailed than the in-game model to better establish itself as a toy, this particular blaster is pump action and fires large NERF foam rockets, two of which come with the blaster.

It’s great to see another product in NERF’s comparatively limited line of large projectile blasters, and whether it’s kept as is, or customized with a paint job to better match the look of its name sake, this would be an awesome addition to any NERF war.

The Fortnite Rocket Launcher NERF Blaster is available from various NERF retailers.

nerf.hasbro.com/en-us/product/nerf-fortnite-rl-blaster

Mondo – Half-Life 2 Gordon Freeman 1/6 Scale Figure

Thursday, November 21st, 2019

After over a decade since the last entry in the franchise, Valve Corporation has finally announced a brand-new chapter in the Half-Life saga: Half-Life 3 Half-Life: Alyx! And, what better way to celebrate than with a figure of everyone’s favorite theoretical-physicist-turned-surprisingly-capable combatant and freedom fighter, Gordon Freeman. This figure depicts Gordon as he appears in Half-Life 2, decked out in the updated HEV suit, and featuring 25+ points of articulation. Additionally, he comes with the following accessories:

– Gravity Gun with light-up feature
– Removable eyeglasses
– Crowbar
– Shotgun with pump action
– Handgun with removable clip
– 3 x Frag Grenades
– Pheropod
– 7 x Interchangeable hands
– Figure stand

The Mondo exclusive variant also comes with a headcrab.

At $200, it’s a bit pricey, but either variant’s sure to go quick, so you’ll want to jump on Mondo’s website right at Noon CT to have a shot at picking one up for yourself.

mondotees.com/blogs/news/new-half-life-gordon-freeman-1-6-scale-figure

Leupold & Stevens, Black Rifle Coffee Company Partner with Twitch Streamers to Raise $72,000 for Boot Campaign

Thursday, November 7th, 2019

BEAVERTON, Ore. — Leupold & Stevens, Inc., and Black Rifle Coffee Company have partnered to donate over $72,000 to the Boot Campaign, a non-profit organization that tirelessly works to support military veterans across the country. The funds were raised in conjunction with a group of personalities on the multimedia streaming platform, Twitch.tv. Popular Twitch personalities Eli_doubletap, Tweak, Klean, Matbest11x, Baddie, KiiNGS, Alex_Zedra, DonutOperator, and Drdemolitionmatt, streamed through the night on Saturday, Nov. 2, applying all crowd-sourced donations directly to the Boot Campaign. Leupold-sponsored product giveaways were a highlight of the special event, which ultimately raised $72,643.30.

“Leupold and Black Rifle Coffee Company conceived of the fundraiser, but it was the strength of community and dedication to the mission that made it as wildly successful as it was,” said Shane Meisel, Director of Marketing for Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “The Boot Campaign is one of the most dedicated veteran support programs in the country, and everyone – from the streamers to their fans on Twitch – showed up and backed the cause.”

Founded in 2009, the Boot Campaign has given more than $12 million in financial aid to service members, veterans, and their families. The organization’s programs assist with housing needs, career and education costs, PTSD/TBI treatment, and health and wellness programs. Funds are raised through general donations, corporate sponsorships, and the retail sale of combat boots and branded merchandise.

“Our mission, from the beginning, has been to support health and wellness, restore families, restart careers, reduce suicides, and reinforce communities,” said John Hughes, Board Member and Treasurer of the Boot Campaign. “We couldn’t do what we do for service members and veterans without the support of companies like Leupold and Black Rifle Coffee Company.”

For more information on Leupold® products, please visit us at Leupold.com.

The Outer Worlds Is Out Now

Saturday, October 26th, 2019

With Bethesda’s continued comical mishandling of the Fallout franchise, most recently being the myriad blunders of Fallout 76 killing any goodwill they had with the fanbase, leave it to Obsidian to release a true Fallout game in almost all but name with The Outer Worlds. Aside from Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, two of the original creators of Fallout, serving as directors for the game, it’s got expansive environments to explore, excellent writing, and a lot of dialog and skill checks that mean your stats actually matter – like the original Fallout games, and Fallout: New Vegas, which Obsidian also developed. In true CRPG fashion, the game even allows you the freedom to solve a great many of the game’s scenarios as you see fit, whether it be through diplomacy, stealth and subterfuge, or good ole’ fashion violence.

I’ve got about 19 hours in so far, and I’d guess I’m anywhere from 1/2 to 2/3 of the way through, and that includes doing every sidequest I’ve been able to discover. If you’re looking for a game to scratch that RPG itch, this one comes highly recommended.

Plus, it’s available on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, which I believe can be had for $1 for the first month for either Xbox One or PC, which is how I’m playing it.

BOOMco DXD58 HALO UNSC MA5 Blaster

Tuesday, October 8th, 2019

To my detriment, I haven’t been paying much attention to the Mattel BOOMco line of licensed Halo dart blasters, at least not since initially seeing them at San Diego Comic Con 2015. Which is a shame, too, because they’ve made some awesome additions to the line since then, such as this MA5 blaster. Based on the MA5 assault rifle from the Halo Series, this blaster feeds from a side loading 8-shot clip, and interestingly, it’s designed so that the user builds air pressure using the foregrip as a pump, and then the trigger can be held down to expend the entire clip in a full-auto fashion, which is pretty darn cool. It’s available in both blue and red, for team purposes.

BOOMco has also a Brute Spiker, which in the Halo games is an alien SMG of sorts that shoots molten hot spikes, and has dual blades that can be used to slash at enemies.

And even a blaster based on the M45D shotgun.

These and more BOOMco branded blasters can be found wherever Mattel products are sold.

5.11 Announces Newest Product Integration and Content Creation Partnership with Ubisoft

Friday, September 27th, 2019

Leading Global Innovator of Purpose-Built Gear Has Produced A Custom Content Video Series Alongside Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint Involvement

Irvine, Calif. (September 27, 2019) — 5.11 Tactical®, the world’s leading innovator of tactical apparel, footwear and outdoor gear, is proud to announce an expanded partnership with Ubisoft® for its upcoming release, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint. In addition to once again giving players the opportunity to outfit their characters in 5.11 apparel and gear through in-game character customization options that impact game play, 5.11 has also partnered with Ubisoft on multiple custom content videos surrounding the Ghost Recon Breakpoint launch.

5.11’s 2016 product integration in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon® Wildlands initiated the connection between the worlds of gaming and real-life tactical experiences by providing gamers with the same 5.11 purpose-built products that are used by tactical professionals every day. 5.11 continued their partnership with Ubisoft in 2018 appearing in the video game Far Cry 5. Earlier this year, 5.11’s product integration in The Division 2 was the third time the two brands partnered together in that capacity and the first time the two brands created custom content utilizing 5.11 brand ambassador Tim Kennedy in The Real Endgame Weapons Of The Division 2. 5.11’s appearance in this Fall’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint marks the fourth collaboration effort between Ubisoft and 5.11 and an even more extensive content creation partnership between the two brands.

In addition to providing tactical apparel and gear for all four of the recently launched videos in the Ubisoft Squad Up video series featuring Lil Wayne directed by David Leitch, 5.11 debuted today its own series of videos called The Ghost Recon Breakpoint Challenge – utilizing four real special forces soldiers in scenarios that occur within the Ghost Recon Breakpoint video game. Lisa Master Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve, Mike Glover of Fieldcraft Survival and former 20-year Green Beret, Dan Edwards, retired 25-year special operations officer, and Lee Harvey, retired Major in the United States Army Special Forces round out the group of survivalists who put the reality of Ghost Recon Breakpoint to the test.

“The expansion of our partnership with Ubisoft and the Ghost Recon Series of games has been outstanding for the 5.11 brand,” said 5.11’s Chief Marketing Officer, Debra Radcliff. “The functionality of our purpose-built products is an authentic fit in Ghost Recon Breakpoint as one of the most realistic military video games of all time. Collaborating on the joint custom content projects has been a natural progression for the partnership and we’re excited to be releasing the videos we’ve worked on together.”

5.11’s innovative tactical apparel and gear designed for life’s most demanding missions provides added functionality to the players in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Players will have access to the highest levels of product innovation and tactical functionality through 5.11’s product offering, and just as in The Division 2, select 5.11 products will affect game play. In real world meets virtual reality, the better gear you’re carrying, the better you’re performing. The assortment of 5.11 products featured in Ghost Recon Breakpoint includes: RUSH12™ Backpack, RUSH24™ Backpack, RUSH72™ Backpack, All Hazards Backpack, Apex™ Pant, TacLite® Plate Carrier, AMP24™, Tac-Tec™ Plate Carrier, Expedition Long Sleeve Shirt, Ascension Long Sleeve Shirt, and a variety of accessories. To view and purchase the product available in the game, please visit 5.11Tactical.com.

“We’ve enjoyed expanding our partnership with 5.11 over the past few years,” said Adam Novickas, Vice President of Marketing at Ubisoft. “5.11’s gear is perfectly placed within Ghost Recon Breakpoint and their custom content partnership adds a level of authenticity to the game that we truly value.”

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint is a military shooter set in a diverse and hostile open world entirely playable solo or in up to four-player co-op. Players will discover Auroa, a mysterious island where the most technically advanced facilities meet wild and untamed nature. Home to drone creators, tech giant Skell Technology, Auroa has fallen into the wrong hands and all contact has been lost. 
 
The Wolves, a lethal ex–US Military unit of former Ghosts gone rogue, have taken over the island. Led by Nomad’s ex-brother-in-arms, Lt. Colonel Cole D. Walker, portrayed by Jon Bernthal, they have reprogrammed Skell’s drones into killing machines and are ready to use them, no matter the casualties. Nomad and the Ghosts are sent in on a recon mission, but their helicopters are shot down. Injured, without support, and hunted down, players will live an intense military experience as they fight to survive, take down the Wolves and regain control of Auroa.
 
Steep slopes, accumulating injuries, and fatigue are new challenges for players to tackle as they test their survival skills in the varied terrains of Auroa. To overcome adversity, players will enjoy total freedom to accomplish their missions and have plenty of tactical options and tools at their disposal, including a set of new military features. They will be able to carry enemies and teammates’ bodies, blend into their environment with prone camo and set up camp with teammates in the bivouac to manage equipment, change classes, and fine-tune their strategies.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint is available for purchase on October 4, 2019. For more information on 5.11 and the latest updates on 5.11’s Ubisoft Ghost Recon Breakpoint partnership, please follow 5.11 @511Tactical.

For more information from Ubisoft about Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, please visit please visit ghostrecon.com, follow us on twitter.com/ghostrecon, Instagram.com/ghostrecon_us or facebook.com/ghostrecon and join the conversation by using #ghostrecon.

Activision/Infinity Ward Appropriates BCM/BPRE Promotional Imagery for Latest Call of Duty Release

Monday, September 23rd, 2019

Back in 2013, prior to the release of Call of Duty: Ghosts, a beta for the game featured a slightly-altered version of the Mil-Spec Monkey logo as an in-game player customization icon.

Needless to say, this was not an authorized use of that copyrighted material. And, it looks like Activision and Infinity Ward are at it again:

thumbnail

This is a loading screen for the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

.300 Blk

And this is promotional imagery for BCM and BPRE. Strikingly similar, aren’t they?

For the curious, this image was featured in promotional materials for BCM’s line of .300 Blackout carbines, among other uses.

Not to excuse the use of this imagery, but it’s worth mentioning that the new Modern Warfare is currently in a pre-release state, and it’s possible that this is being used as placeholder art until the game launches later this year. Still, you’d figure that a big corporation like Activision would be a bit more cautious when it comes to potential intellectual property violations for their multi-billion dollar franchise.

Post by TacticalFanboy.com

Project REsistance Gameplay Overview

Friday, September 13th, 2019

After the excellent Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and the well-received Resident Evil 2 remake, Capcom’s next entry in the extremely popular Resident Evil series is… a 4-player asymmetric co-op game. To be fair, it’s too early to really judge this one, but the footage shown so far isn’t looking particularly phenomenal. It honestly looks like a fairly generic co-op title, like Left 4 Dead with just a bit of Temco’s Deception thrown in as the Mastermind role.

Project REsistance is slated for a TBA launch, on Xbox One, PS4, and PC via Steam.

Rebel Distillers – DOOM Bone Vodka

Saturday, September 7th, 2019

In celebration of the upcoming DOOM: Eternal, Bethesda Softworks has partnered with Europe-based Rebel Distillers to produce a licensed DOOM Bone Vodka. What makes it bone vodka, you may ask? Well, it’s a wheat-based vodka, which is further flavored with the addition of bone marrow. The marrow is extracted from roasted and smoked beef bones, which are sourced from UK-based The Ginger Pig, a butcher known for sourcing high welfare meat. Throw in the bottle, which is produced in France, and the labels which are produced in England, and you have a truly European spirit.

One that, unfortunately, is only seeing release in the UK, EU, and Australia. After the failure that was Nuka Dark Rum, it would be nice to see this one come stateside.

Anyway, for those of you who are in the intended market for this release, it’s £45 for a 700ml bottle, and can be ordered at the link below:

www.doom.vodka

Mondo Tees – Metal Gear Solid Enamel Pins

Wednesday, August 21st, 2019

Metal Gear Solid, everyone’s favorite Tactical Espionage Action series, is getting representation in the form of enamel pins, thanks to Mondo Tees. Available at Noon CT today, the set consists of cyborg ninja Grey Fox, legendary infiltrator Solid Snake, and the fourth wall breaking psychic Psycho Mantis, as well as a fourth two-piece set which consist of a Guard with the iconic “!” alert; the later is easily my favorite of the set.

This is a Mondo release, so it’s bound to go quick. The 2xLP of the MGS soundtrack is also due to go up at the same time, if you’re into collecting vinyl.

mondotees.com

DOOM: Eternal – Official E3 Story Trailer

Monday, June 10th, 2019

More info on the new DOOM game is, in my opinion, the best news to come out of E3 this year. Now, it looks like the Doom Slayer is not only working to stop Hell on Earth, but is also going after a vengeful Heaven, which opposes the Slayer’s attempt to stop the demonic invasion. Mix in plenty of new and old weapons, new and revamped enemies, new environments, new traversal methods, and more glory kills, while also retaining the most important aspect of a Doom title: fast-paced, action filled gameplay over story – and it looks like we’ll have a real winner of a game in our hands.

DOOM: Eternal launches November 22nd, 2019.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare – Reveal Trailer

Thursday, May 30th, 2019

They’re rebooting/reimagining the Modern Warfare series for this year’s CoD release. Fan favorite character Captain Price is back, along with a completely new story. Oh, and reportedly cross-play between Xbox One, PS4, and PC is going to be a feature, along with all DLC multiplayer maps being free content for all players.

Modern Warfare launches October 25th, 2019.

Borderlands 3 Official Reveal Trailer

Thursday, March 28th, 2019

If you’ve been hungry for a wackier take on the looter shooter than The Division or Destiny, then you’re in luck, because Borderlands 3 has been officially revealed. New characters, new environs, new enemies, and over a billion (procedurally-generated) guns, including at least one with legs. There’s no release date as of yet, but the Official Website for the game is noted to have more info starting April 3rd.

Doom: Annihilation Trailer

Wednesday, March 13th, 2019

There was a film based on the popular video game franchise ‘Doom’ that was released in 2005; it starred Karl Urban and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, featured monsters which were the result of genetic experimentation rather than demons from Hell, and aside from a pretty cool first person sequence, was largely forgettable, and didn’t really do its namesake justice.

Somehow, this more recent attempt to bring Doom to the big small screen looks even worse – as you can probably guess by the quality of the footage, the effects, and the acting, it’s a straight-to-home-release production. Plus, there’s not even a Doomguy / Doom Slayer, just a bunch of generic space marines; y’know, the guys that got slaughtered by the forces of Hell before Doomguy tore through them with superhuman ability, and enough firepower to start a small war.

Tellingly, the official DOOM twitter account even released a tweet stating: “We’re not involved with the movie.” Whether you take the statement as a passive-aggressive dig against the quality of the trailer, or a pure statement of fact with no double meaning, it’s clear after the excellent DOOM 2016 and what’s been shown of DOOM: Eternal, that no one on those teams had any input in this film’s production.

No definite release date has been announced, but expect Doom: Annihilation to hit various video on demand services later this year.

RAGE 2 – Wasteland Superhero Trailer

Thursday, March 7th, 2019

This is a pretty great trailer for the upcoming RAGE 2, which fully embraces the game’s over-the-top, wacky nature – gratuitous violence, powerful weapons, nanotrite abilities, and Mad Max-meets-Sci-Fi aesthetic.

RAGE 2 will be available on May 14, 2019.

Nendoroid – PUBG The Lone Survivor

Sunday, February 24th, 2019

Truthfully, I’m not much of a fan of Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds, or Battle Royale games in general, but I do recognize their popularity. That’s why this Nendoroid of The Lone Survivor, the faceless character of PUBG’s key art, caught my interest. A Nendoroid, for those who aren’t familiar, is like a Funko POP! figure, but better, because they’re more detailed and poseable, with multiple points of articulation. Such is the case with The Lone Survivor Nendoroid, who not only comes with the aforementioned articulation, but also has a helmet with a flip-up visor, and an AK, M9, and Frying Pan as accessories.

It’s currently available for pre-order from the Good Smile Company, with a planned release of September, 2019.

www.goodsmile.info/en/product/8079/Nendoroid+The+Lone+Survivor

Ahoy – MP40

Friday, February 15th, 2019

Ahoy is back once again with another video, this time detailing the iconic German MP40 and its inclusion in video games and films. The video starts with a brief overview of the adoption of submachine guns in 20th century warfare leading up to the development of the MP40, and also briefly recognizes some of the contemporaries of its era, including the American Thompson and Soviet PPSH-41. It’s by no means an in-depth history, but it’s still an entertaining video that shows the pedigree of the titular submachine gun, and its influence on culture and entertainment.

For more of Ahoy’s videos, check out his YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCE1jXbVAGJQEORz9nZqb5bQ

Snake Plissken’s First Escape – Unreleased Demo Footage

Friday, February 1st, 2019

This is footage from a build of a proposed Snake Plissken game, which would have taken place before the events of ‘Escape from New York’. The storyline was fully-approved by Kurt Russell, Debra Hill, and John Carpenter, and would have featured voice work by Russell and music composed by Carpenter. However, the project eventually fell through and all that’s really left of the game are some demo reels like this, and concept art.

If you’re wondering about the somewhat over-the-top game mechanics in the footage, the game itself was being developed by the same team that worked on the game Dead to Rights. If you’re not familiar with that title, it’s a John Woo-inspired action game in which you play as a cop who fights criminals while dual wielding guns, also using bullet time shoot dodges and martial arts takedowns – all elements that are featured in this footage. Bullet time or not, it would have been cool to play a Snake game, and it’s a shame this one never saw release.

Thousands Apply to Join New Army eSports Team

Sunday, January 27th, 2019

FORT MEADE, Md. — Over 6,500 Soldiers are already hoping to be part of a new Army esports team that will compete in video game tournaments nationwide in an effort to attract potential recruits.

“It’s essentially connecting America to its Army through the passion of the gaming community,” said Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Jones, NCO-in-charge of the budding team.

About 30 Soldiers are expected to be picked for the team and some of the first positions could be filled this summer. Only active-duty and Reserve Soldiers are currently allowed to apply.

Those chosen will be assigned to the Marketing and Engagement Brigade for three years at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where the Army Recruiting Command is headquartered.

While they will not become recruiters, team members will receive a crash course on Army enlistment programs to answer questions from those interested in learning about the service.

Once built up, the team will fall under an outreach company that will also include an Army rock band and a functional fitness team.

Not everyone on the team will compete. Those who will may train up to six hours per day on video games, Jones said, adding that gameplay sessions would be live streamed or recorded for spectators to watch.

Esports has ballooned in popularity in recent years with millions of followers.

In August, the Washington Post reported that esports could generate about $345 million in revenue this year in North America. In 2017, a major esports tournament in China also drew a peak of more than 106 million viewers — roughly the same number of those who watched last year’s Super Bowl.

“It’s something really new and it’s been gaining a lot of steam,” Jones said.

While on the team, Soldiers will still conduct physical training, weapons qualifications and other responsibilities that come with being a Soldier. They will also have to maintain certifications in their military occupational specialty.

“Outside of that, there will be esports training,” Jones said. “So whatever game they’re playing in, they’ll not only be playing it, but be coached in it to get better.”

The team, he said, shares a similar concept to that of other Army competitive teams that continually train, such as the Golden Knights parachute team, World Class Athlete Program and Army Marksmanship Unit.

“Esports is like traditional sports,” he said. “Nobody can just walk in and expect to play at a competitive level.”

The Army, he said, already has talented gamers out there who can compete in events.

Last weekend, a few Soldiers competed at PAX South in San Antonio as a way to introduce Army esports to the greater gamer community.

In one of the events, a Street Fighter V tournament, two Soldiers placed first and second.

“This is the perfect opportunity to showcase not only to the Army, but to the civilian populace and the esports industry that we also have what it takes,” Jones said of the events.

Recruiters from the San Antonio Recruiting Battalion also joined them and were able to generate some leads with potential recruits, he added.

There are plans to do the same at the PAX East exposition in Boston in late March.

As a gamer and a recruiter himself, Jones said the team can help bridge the civilian-military gap by breaking down misconceptions some young people may have about the Army.

Being able to play their favorite video games with others who share the same passion is also a bonus.

“For a lot of Soldiers, to include myself, it’s like a dream come true,” Jones said. “This is just one of those ways we can start the conversation.”

Story by Sean Kimmons, Army News Service

Photos by SSG Ryan Meaux