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https://nerdist.com/article/star-wars-jedi-survivor-everything-we-know-ea-games/

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order first introduced us to the playable world of Cal Kestis and his journey to become a Jedi in the face of many Imperial dangers. Now, Cal is back in the sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and he’s all grown up. The game promises even more intricate worlds and epic battles, so get your gaming fingers stretched and ready to go. It’s time to wield those lightsabers.

Here’s everything we know about the upcoming Star Wars game.

Title

This sequel game to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is titled Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor‘s Plot

Cal Kestis is back, and he has a beard to boot. The logline for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor actually tells us quite a bit about the game. Here’s what the synopsis shares.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor picks up five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order™, as Cal continues to grow as a Jedi and evade the Empire’s constant pursuit. With trusty companion BD-1 by his side, he joins forces with new and old allies to aid him on his quest, including the mercenary Bode Akuna (Noshir Dalal) and former crew member Cere Junda (Debra Wilson). With new traversal options such as an ascension cable to reach new heights and the ability to tame and ride creatures, Cal has many ways to navigate the perils he will face as he explores both familiar and new worlds across the galaxy. 

So it’s still hard times out there for a Jedi. But Star Wars Jedi: Survivor promises a more evolved and mature game, as Cal Kestis leaves behind the life of a Padawan to embrace his role as a full-blown Jedi Knight. The game promises many exciting new environments, skills, abilities, and, of course, enemies. You can get a taste of the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor fun with its full trailer.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor‘s Voice Cast

Most notably, Cameron Monaghan returns to voice Cal Kestis in the game. Debra Wilson will also return to voice Cere Junda.

Noshir Dalal will join the voice cast as the new character of Bode Akuna. Who, according to Monaghan, is ” a new ally to Cal, and they have a really great dynamic. They’re like brothers in arms who have similar trajectories in their life and have up to this point made some different decisions along the way, but I think they have a mutual respect and understanding for each other.” We’re excited to see the two working together.

Behind the Scenes

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor comes from developer Respawn Entertainment, it was also developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. Electronic Arts will publish the game. It will be available to play on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor‘s Release Date

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will release on March 17.

The post Everything We Know About STAR WARS JEDI: SURVIVOR appeared first on Nerdist.

https://blacknerdproblems.com/reviewing-the-current-meta-on-how-to-write-about-buildcraft-in-destiny-2/

On January 18, 2023, Bungie updated their blog with a post that reverberated around Twitter, Reddit, Discords, and the rest of the internet as they detailed the preliminary look at the changes to buildcraft. With categorical changes across the board to how armor, mods, subclass abilities, and the looming promise of the much-requested loadout functionality all interact, there was both thunderous applause and murmurs of worry for what this meant going forward to the future.

But truly, the most difficult part to address with all of this is how this was going to impact the meta of discussing and writing about buildcraft within the Destiny 2 community. Currently, many content creators use their platform to showcase the ins and outs of specific builds. They dissect the Aspects and Fragments, complimentary mods, stats, and weapons and analyze what makes it potent and where.

These build videos tend to feature your expected buzzwords of “OVERPOWERED,” “INFINITE ABILITIES,” “INVINCIBLE,” and the fan favorite “BROKEN” each with some number of exclamation points and question marks. However, with Elemental Wells and Charge with Light mods getting consolidated into a single Armor Charge system, Well functionality getting translated into subclass specific object generation, and the Warmind Cell mod family getting sunset wholesale, developing any content covering specific builds comes with an inherent one month expiration date. 

As such, during this transitional period, I wanted to cover the other ways to view buildcraft within the Destiny franchise to help ease everyone through this turbulent change.

The Fundamentals

The first and perhaps easiest way to start writing about buildcraft would of course be discussing what it means within the Destiny 2 context. In any given PvE activity, the typical Guardian is asked several questions:

• How are you going to deal with ads?
• How are you going to deal with high priority targets?
• How are you going to deal with the boss?
• How are you going to survive?
• How are you going to deal with situation specific problems?

The answers to these questions are addressed by the weapons and armor you choose to arm yourselves with, the stats you distribute, and abilities you selected. You’ll need to describe the neutral game (what you do with your melee, grenade, class ability, and weapons, you know the majority of the second to say) and also your super, which while being an ability that comes significantly less frequently is still potent enough to address a whole question but itself.

And one of the core tenants of buildcraft is the idea of trade off. A build inherently isn’t capable of answering all of these questions proportionally. A Titan running Cuirass of the Falling Star is a great way to deal with high priority targets and bosses, but inherently loses the neutral game of add-clear from say Amramentarium. A Warlock running Well of Radiance helps survivability and boss phases but needs to figure out coverage for non-boss enemies. The current meta finds Hunters picking between the sheer utility of constant invisibility uptime with Omnioculus or the constant barrage of volatile rounds with Gyrfalcon’s Hauberk.

And metas arise when a build either manages to overwhelming answer a singular question with a sheer ferociousness that can’t be argued with, or is somehow capable of addressing all five with little effort. This dynamic is what makes the current age of Destiny fascinating in how people develop solutions for different problems. 

A Historical Perspective

The second method that comes to mind is writing about the historical development of buildcraft. Back in Vanilla Destiny 1, there wasn’t so much build craft as a very simple flowchart of concepts. You picked one of two subclasses, toggled a rudimentary skill grid (with some options being so overwhelming better than others that the other things in the column might as well not existed), picked your Exotic armor and weapon of choice, and fuddled with your stats. At this stage in the game, there was very little that needed anything full optimization with the exception of Vault of Glass, the first raid in Destiny and even then it wasn’t so much builds driving the endgame as it was “cobbling together what gear you could while fumbling through figuring out the meta.”

Come Dark Below, the PvE meta settled into Fatebringer/Black Hammer/Gjallerhorn with some slight variations here and there (I was personally partial to Vision of Confluence myself, and I didn’t acquire Gjallerhorn until much later), but there were still no hard and fast builds. There simply wasn’t the variety to support it. Endgame PvP came to a head during House of Wolves where Trials of Osiris demanded the best of the best, but even then, it wasn’t true buildcraft. The Taken King saw the addition of new subclasses and artifacts, but their grids were quickly solved and the artifacts’ effects were minimally impactful. Rise of Iron managed to give some meaningful choice with a set of 8 new artifacts with actual changes to gameplay, but these were more passing curios than anything else.

Vanilla Destiny 2 attempted to head off the “strictly better” grid system with a streamlined diamond system that players ended up absolutely detesting as they felt that the reduced choice was insultingly simple (even though the end result wasn’t too far off from its predecessors’ practical implementation) and the changes to a double primary loadout with a single slot comprising several different weapon types of drastically different parity didn’t help reception. Forsaken’s introduction of new supers and a third node helped alleviated it, as well as the revamping of the weapon system to allow for more choices in weapons now allowing for the standard primary/special/heavy loadout from D1, the D2 standard of double primary, and the new capabilities double specials.

However, buildcraft didn’t come into full force until the year of Shadowkeep. The introduction of champions required specific weapons to address, and this also came with the modern version of the artifact system allowing for power mods the impacted the second-to-second game play. But Season of Dawn is where buildcraft finally came into play with the first iteration of Charge with Light system. With the ability to customs ways to generate and then spend stacks of Charge with Light, Dawn was the first time in the game where there weren’t default decisions to be made. One could actually build into certain playstyle and be specifically rewarded for it, a trend that would continue with the super insular Warmind Cells mechanic and the second wave of Charge with Light mods in Arrivals. 

Beyond Light introduced the exceedingly modular Stasis subclass, a system that proved so popular that it would eventually lead to the Light 3.0s swtiching to the system entirely come Witch Queen, and the Well mods which had a tepid start, but as more were introduced, they became an established part of the meta.

The planned changes to Lightfall represent a drastic paradigm shift and show that Bungie is trying to make buildcraft a large part of the game’s fabric going forward. The piecemeal methodology of how we got here is all coalescing.

Case Studies Over Number Crunch

But let’s say you’re not into long-drawn historical spiels. The technical breakdown is closely related to individual build that is fallen out of meta, but again it’s not sensible to go over exact numbers of permutations and combinations or synergies, given that everything is subject to upcoming change. You could delve into the specific case study. Buildcraft as a sign of power creep or community stagnation. You could draw parallels with the mass usage of the Lorely Splendor helm, Starfire Protocol chest piece, or Gyrfalcon’s Haubrek’s chest as a sign that players will always gravitate to the strongest items.

#PS4sharehttps://t.co/boUw24qFNR pic.twitter.com/2jC0rGnwKN

— Mikkel Snyder (@ChimericNotion) November 14, 2018

You could also look at something like Heart of Inmost Light, where SOME PLAYERS have been advocating it as the best neutral game exotic for Titans since the Forsaken era, but how no one ever used it because the neutral game was never valued as much. However, the introduction of Stasis and subsequent revitalization of the Light 3.0s caused a mass shift where the neutral game was heavily valued, and now everyone is wearing your exotic and you tried using other exotics, but the chest piece hasn’t left your inventory in years, and you’d be damned if you let it’s mass popularization from every single YouTuber stop you. Sure, the common guardian might think you’re just a carbon copy of the latest trend, but you know deep down that you were right about the potency of the exotic all along and will likely commit to using it long after its inevitable nerf (even if they somehow keep nerfing individual abilities instead).

Case studies provide a unique intersection of fundamentals and history. By analyzing what made a build strong at its peak and what caused it’s rise, you get to bypass the trapping of a build that’s going to be outdated in months, while also managing to help your audience with the understanding of builds.

The “Tabula Rasa” Mentality

The final potential meta-defining way to write about buildcraft is the philosophical implications of the blank slate. Lightfall marks a blank slate. New Lights and Old Wolves alike are going to be exposed to this new world order at the same time. While enfranchised players will inherently have more experience with the systems, by wholesale changes and outright removal of certain pieces mean that old knowledge isn’t intrinsically valuable.

At first, Guardians will attempt to rebuild their past glorie, but after time passes and field research is completed, they will strive for new heights. They will discover new possibility, new interactions, synergies that were not even possible before the change. While there will be a race to find the next broken thing, the sheer number of choices means that each decision carries more weight and even more variation will come into the world. There will no longer be singularly correct choices (although there will certainly still be metas as is the nature of the game), but for the first months of Lightfall, it’s a laboratory with unmarked vials and environments. The chemical reaction that will occur will be magnificent, and we’ll be able to rewrite the rules of engagement.

Buildcrafting While the Plane is Still Flying

Writing about buildcraft is appropriately analogous to buildcraft itself. How to inform, what to highlight, what examples to use. It’s a fun little meta-experiment ahead of the actual experimentation I will be doing in February.

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The post Reviewing the Current Meta on How to Write About Buildcraft in ‘Destiny 2’ appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/how-the-the-last-of-us-became-my-new-obsession-overnight/

A month ago, I had never heard of the video game franchise The Last of Us. In fact, HBO sent me advance press screeners of the TV adaptation to view and I simply ignored them. I thought, “Here we go. Another dystopian series about zombies.” But I was intrigued to see two of my favorite actors from Game of Thrones (Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey) headlining a new series. So I knew that our media publication should at least cover it in some capacity. 

When the opportunity came up to do press interviews with the cast, our resident TV journalist Jeandra LeBeauf was assigned to do the coverage. Once the interviews were done and posted on YouTube, I thought nothing of it. However, the significant number of views and comments on the video piqued my interest.

I remembered that I still had those press screeners in my inbox. It was a cold January night, around 10 p.m. Wrapped in a cozy cotton blanket with a cup of hot cocoa, I tuned in to Episode 1 of The Last of Us.

My life hasn’t been the same since.

It’s difficult to articulate what this show did to me in that first episode. At this point, many of you who viewed the pilot episode of The Last of Us can empathize with how emotionally jarring it is. I was so dialed in that I had to push on to more. I stopped after Episode 3 because the weight of the show was too much on my psyche and emotions. I needed to take a break. 

I plowed through more episodes the following day. I finished Season 1 in three days total. But if you think that’s traumatizing to experience, I did even more damage to my soul by flipping on YouTube and watching gameplay. One particular streamer had 10 hours of gameplay uploaded on their channel, which I watched every last bit of also in a total of three days.

I highly do not recommend doing this and suggest you exercise self-care first and always.

But The Last of Us became my new drug. I couldn’t stop watching. I couldn’t stop researching it. Even though I have yet to play the game — I’m working on getting my gaming setup soon — I find myself constantly thinking and talking about this show. Why do I live for this show and game so much? How is it possible for someone who isn’t a self-declared gamer to have such adoration for The Last of Us? 

I’m almost a little jealous of the OG gamers who knew about the genius of this game and its story when it launched 10 years ago. I will say, for new fans, you can geek out just like I have and go deep into the fandom of this game or series and declare your love for it.

As the fandom expands, there is a question as to whether new fans who have never played the game but love the show should experience the game. In my opinion, it’s totally up to you how you wish to celebrate your love for this franchise. I’m in a unique position because I’ve seen the series already, so watching all the gameplay will not spoil anything for me. Once the season ends, if you wish to play the game afterward, go for it and experience what that journey is like outside of the TV adaptation.

But if you’re not a gamer and want to stick to the show, that’s totally cool too. The TV show and game are very similar, so you’re not missing out on much. Many gamers who have been let down by other gaming-to-TV adaptations are impressed with how The Last of Us respects the source material. The growth and popularity of the series come as no surprise because the creators maintain consistency with the original story.

Having both the original creator of The Last of Us, Neil Druckman, and Chernobyl showrunner Craig Mazin behind this show is exactly why the show works. Druckman keeps the story harmonious with the material it’s based on. Meanwhile, Mazin narrows in on storytelling after chaos and horror have ravaged a community — which is territory he’s familiar with exploring.

I’ll do my best to explain this without spoiling it because gamers will know what I’m talking about, but fans who only have seen the show have yet to experience this. I am obsessed with The Last of Us because the story of Ellie and Joel is so damn good. Other stories have done an incredible job of taking a character and developing them in such a thought-provoking way that it changes the trajectory of how they interact with the world and with other people.

The Last of Us does this in a very layered and often complicated way. There is no black and white; there are only shades of gray with every character. Oftentimes you don’t know whom to root for. You don’t know who has good intentions or evil ones. Ultimately, the relationship between Ellie and Joel is one of the most perplexing and multidimensional I’ve seen in quite some time.

I’ll just leave it there.

In addition to the show’s well-written characters, its storyline is rooted in actual science. The cordyceps are an actual parasitic fungus that attacks animals — namely insects. And although it hasn’t evolved to humans, and it’s highly unlikely it will, humans still are infected by fungi. So it’s anyone’s guess whether some weird strain could develop to cause some awful pandemic. Many of us didn’t see COVID-19 coming. 

That being said, the real backdrop of scientific data inserted into this series along with the life-imitating-art-imitating-life concept of a pandemic forcing people to isolate doesn’t feel so otherworldly when you’re watching this show. 

And with that, I will watch, rewatch, and unpack what I just experienced. Then I will get myself prepared for the emotional trauma of The Last of Us 2. HBO officially announced over the weekend that there will be a Season 2 of the series. For those who have played the game (or like me have watched hours of gameplay), I’m not even sure I’m ready for what Season 2 has in store for us. Gameplay or not, none of us will be ready.

**Editor’s Note**

Just to add that today it was announced actor Annie Wersching, known for her work in TV shows such as 24 and Bosch and notably playing the voice of Tess in The Last of Us, passed away at the age of 45 from cancer. Her work will be missed.

The Last of Us airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on HBO and HBO Max.

https://www.thenerdelement.com/2023/01/28/nfl-divisional-playoff-game-prediction-updates-and-championship-game-picks/

Good evening, everyone! Today I want to discuss which picks I got correct! So, let’s get started! I predicted that the Chiefs would beat the Jaguars 27-21, but the final score was 27-20 Chiefs over the Jags. My prediction score there was so close!!! I almost got the exact score on the money!!! Patrick Mahomes had to play with an injury leg after he took a hit low when a defender brought him down, but that didn’t affect him as much. The two turnovers by the Jags on offense cost them the game especially when the Jags were about to score a touchdown to make a one-possession game, but they fumbled it close to the red zone. The fact is that you cannot win games if you are turning the ball over too many times. I predicted that the Bengals would beat the Bills 30-24, but the final score was 27-10 Bengals over the Bills. The Bills offense really struggled to score touchdowns against the Bengals defense which has been outstanding. The Bengals have won the game in Buffalo in the snow. I predicted that the Eagles would beat the Giants 31-29, but the final score was 38-7 Eagles over the Giants in a blowout. The Eagles offense and defense absolutely obliterated the Giants. The Giants in general had no answer against the Eagles. They actually made it a close game last time, but this was definitely not even close. It was almost similar to what the Eagles did to the Giants in New York. I predicted that the 49ers would beat the Cowboys 34-28, but the final score was 19-12 49ers over the Cowboys in a very close game. The 49ers defense played pretty good once again, however, the 49ers offense didn’t actually play all that well against the Dallas defense. The Cowboys defense tried very hard to help the Cowboys win the game, but there were a couple of play call mistakes that the Cowboys made. This includes when the Cowboys punted the ball away before the 2-minute warning. That didn’t play out too well. Some Dallas fans are currently calling on Mike McCarthy to be fired because of his mistakes and Jerry Jones told Cowboys fans that he was sorry for the performance. I don’t think the fans will buy into it though. Sometimes saying sorry doesn’t help you defend your actions.

So overall, I have gotten 4 out of 4 picks correct and no picks wrong!!!!!! The first time that I have not gotten any picks wrong believe it or not folks!!!!!! Now, let’s get to the NFL Championship game picks, shall we?! There are only two games tomorrow: The AFC and the NFC game. The first game will the NFC Championship game between the Eagles and the 49ers in Philly. Both of these teams are coming off with their wins last week. The Eagles offense and defense dominated the Giants and the 49ers offense did not do as well as they should be. Both defenses are really good and have good offenses. Brock Purdy vs Jalen Hurts, Devonta Smith, Miles Sanders, Dallas Goedert, AJ Brown, Deebo Samual, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk, and etc will all be playing against each other. I think the Eagles will beat the 49ers 34-28. I don’t think that Brock Purdy can really beat these Eagles defense which is a stud and he might be under pressure a lot. The 49ers have not played a team like the Eagles at all in the season. I just think the Eagles will be a bit too much for the 49ers to handle and the Eagles will go to Arizona for the Super Bowl. The last game I will predict is the Bengals @Chiefs game in a rematch. The Bengals beat the Chiefs in Cincinnati earlier in the season 27-24. I think the Bengals will beat the Chiefs 24-20 in a close game. I’m not sure if the Chiefs can beat the team that has been giving them fits meaning giving them problems and Patrick Mahomes may not be 100% healthy because of the leg injury. But who knows what might happen!

So, what do you guys think about the NFL Championship picks?! I would love to hear lots of comments, thoughts, opinions, questions, or concerns down below!

Stay tuned for NFL updates.

The post NFL Divisional Playoff Game Prediction Updates and Championship Game Picks! appeared first on The Nerd Element.