In the latest and final episode of the MeinMMO Podcast 2021, we talk about exciting MMOs in the next year like Lost Ark or Diablo Immortal. Leya, Schuhmann, and Alex discuss upcoming games that could be among the biggest titles in 2022.
This is the topic: We leave behind the mixed gaming year 2021 and in the latest MeinMMO Podcast, we talk about promising MMO hits of 2022. Promising means in this context:
The MMOs have already gained a lot of attention
The MMOs have solid funding
The MMOs offer a unique approach and have that certain something
Our podcast usually appears every week, and we discuss the latest trends and topics in gaming. We also publish special episodes that deal in-depth with a specific topic. Recently: Becoming a FIFA Pro with a Disability – A Role Model for All
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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A Twitch streamer who makes his money through casino streams has gifted his parents for Christmas: He paid off the remaining mortgage on their house. Xposed (25) expressed his gratitude for the carefree childhood he and his siblings enjoyed thanks to his parents’ efforts. This brought tears to Mom and Dad.
Who is the streamer?
Cody “Xposed” Brunett is one of the successful casino streamers on Twitch worldwide. Following well-known “slot” players like Trainwreckstv and ROSHTEIN, the role model of MontanaBlack, his channel is one of the most watched. Last year, he played 1859 hours of “slots” on Twitch.
The streamer is 25 years old, has been on Twitch for 7 years, and lives in Ontario, Canada. He took a year off from streaming while completing his high school diploma but then started again, forgoing his university education, because friends and his girlfriend encouraged him to stream instead.
Now for Christmas, he decided to give back to his parents for the happy childhood they provided.
Streamer gifts parents by paying off their mortgage
This is the scene: It is quite a chaotic Christmas celebration to watch. Children are screaming and sucking on something, unpacked gifts are lying everywhere next to the wrapping paper, Dad is already moving the first packages aside under the tree while the children hold their new toys in their hands.
Mom and Dad have gathered under the Christmas tree to open gifts. The mother reads a letter from her son amid all the commotion, who is sitting away from the camera’s focus.
The mother reads:
Mom and Dad, you have worked incredibly hard, and you have done everything for each of us. […] You bought me all my hockey sticks, I will never forget that. Thank you for being the best grandparents one could wish for. In my current situation, there is nothing I would rather do than pay off the rest of your mortgage.
The mother breaks down in tears at that point, and the attentive son immediately hands her a tissue. The father also tears up.
When the mother is somewhat back to herself, she reads the last sentence: “You deserve it. Retire early, Dad.” Then there is cuddling.
This is how it is being discussed: On Twitter and Instagram, many are writing about how much it has inspired them. This is a great action by the streamer. Especially the reaction of the father moves many, that the action brings a “real man” to tears impresses people.
On Instagram, one writes: “Dad looks at the check and exclaims: HEY, that’s pretty GOOD!”
One user says: That is indeed a life goal, to enable something like this for one’s parents.
Even though the scene is surely nice and Christmassy, gambling on Twitch remains a difficult topic. Streamers are accused of gambling with “other people’s money” and being able to afford high losses while encouraging their viewers to gamble, who in turn risk the little money they have. Moreover, the risk of addiction is extraordinarily high:
This is how it is being discussed: On Twitter and Instagram, many are writing about how much it has inspired them. This is a great action by the streamer. Especially the reaction of the father moves many, that the action brings a “real man” to tears impresses people.
On Instagram, one writes: “Dad looks at the check and exclaims: HEY, that’s pretty GOOD!”
One user says: That is indeed a life goal, to enable something like this for one’s parents.
Even though the scene is surely nice and Christmassy, gambling on Twitch remains a difficult topic. Streamers are accused of gambling with “other people’s money” and being able to afford high losses while encouraging their viewers to gamble, who in turn risk the little money they have. Moreover, the risk of addiction is extraordinarily high:
MeinMMO-Demon Cortyn introduces you to 3 games that you might have overlooked in 2021 – and that are significantly better than originally thought.
The MMORPG year 2021 was supposed to be quite nice – but it didn’t turn out that way. This led many players to stretch their feelers out for other games. I also had plenty of time to spend on games that I otherwise probably wouldn’t have had time for, due to the ongoing content drought in World of Warcraft.
To my great joy, all these games turned out to be true gems. In particular, three games have stayed in my memory. I can only recommend them to anyone who has some time during the holidays and is looking for thoroughly good entertainment. Not every one of these three games is suitable for every type of player – but they all offer a unique experience.
Tales of Arise – A grand cliché JRPG
JRPGs were the genre that ignited my passion for gaming. I still remember convincing a friend on his birthday to buy Final Fantasy IX with his money – which we then played through together over the course of a week. Since then, there have been many ups and downs in the genre, and aside from some highlights, the joy could not revive as strongly.
Fortunately, Tales of Arise is such a highlight.
Tales of Arise has cool characters – and a captivating story.
At the beginning, Tales of Arise incorporates nearly every clich e9 found in JRPGs. Of course, the hero suffers from amnesia, and naturally, the protagonist is quite hot, aloof, and slowly warms up throughout the story. The young girl, of course, possesses devastating magical powers, and everything is at first glance categorized directly into “good” and “evil”.
As a JRPG, Tales of Arise also utilizes many anime clichés. The exaggerated drama is something you have to like, just as the sometimes lavish cutscenes filled with dialogue. But after about 10 hours, that changes. The story becomes more complex, the motivations of the characters are gradually revealed, and those who started as a foolish, self-absorbed enemy suddenly become relatable.
Add to that a quite action-packed combat system with adjustable difficulty levels that range from “The game plays for me, lol” to “I have to input every tactical command manually, or we are all dead”.
If you enjoy that kind of thing, Tales of Arise presents a story filled with exciting twists, in which, in the end, not everything is as black and white as one might have thought at the beginning. Enemies and heroes are relatable and convincing – a rarity, especially among villains in recent years.
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Tales of Arise is perfect for simply lounging back in a fantasy world where you want to spend many dozens of hours, just to be rewarded with the next cutscene and another little story detail.
Tales of Arise doesn’t reinvent the JRPG wheel, but it provides exactly what a JRPG must offer to be remembered and to leave the satisfying feeling of “that was a lovely gaming experience” after playing.
Back 4 Blood – The best co-op shooter
Yes, Back 4 Blood is one of those games that divide the community. Either you hate it because it’s not exactly like Left 4 Dead and has a very high difficulty level.
Or you love it because it’s the perfect fun for a group of 4 friends, providing new challenges time and again and still feeling fresh even after the 10th playthrough.
Cool characters and nasty zombies – Back 4 Blood has plenty of that.
Back 4 Blood is a cooperative zombie shooter. However, instead of simply picking up the weapons and slicing through hordes of zombies and special zombies, it requires a bit more strategy and planning.
The game has a “deck system”, allowing players to create their own card decks. These are essentially perks that you draw in succession throughout the matches.
With these perks, your character can be greatly customized. For example, you can focus on machine guns and shoot multiple zombies down at once with an extremely fast reload time. Or you can focus on sniper rifles and deal severe damage to weak points, but move more slowly. Or you can reliably slice through all normal zombies in melee while your team handles the special zombies.
Once immersed, the deck system offers virtually countless possibilities and always something new to try out.
However, even aside from that, the replay value is high. The “AI director” also has different cards. These are negative effects that come into play in each match. Sometimes the zombies are faster, sometimes a map is in deep darkness, and sometimes there are additional bosses or a timer that announces the approach of particularly strong zombies.
However, a warning here: Back 4 Blood is something for groups. If you want to venture out alone or rely on the help of random players, you won’t enjoy this game and should rather steer clear of it.
I had to think a little about whether I would actually include this game in the list, as it’s so “different” from all the other games I’ve played. But actually, that’s already a good enough reason to at least mention the game.
A succubus, you better not dream of – or else it was your last dream.
In Succubus, you play as the titular demon in hell, who seeks revenge and works through hordes of the underworld in an endless excess of blood and sex.
Succubus earns its “18+” rating within just a few seconds. Complete nudity of both demonic and human bodies, plenty of splatter action in the fights, and a brutality in the portrayal that is unmatched.
However, Succubus is not a “AAA title,” and you can tell that in many places. Especially the combat system is somewhat cumbersome and doesn’t always feel fluid. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Succubus offers a quite rounded gaming experience that simply tests new boundaries – for better or worse.
Succubus has given me some of the most shocking and memorable moments, during which I even had to pause the game in horror. I explained in more detail what exactly this is about in my detailed presentation of Succubus.
Succubus is not necessarily to be understood as a great game where you can lose yourself for days; it can be completed after a few hours. However, Succubus shows how dark and far from common clichés a game can deviate when developers simply do not impose any moral constraints upon themselves.
Succubus resembles more of a work of art that raises questions about moral concerns and simultaneously destroys them. How much cruelty can one actually show? How evil would a hell be if it weren’t so romantically idealized?
It is a unique experience and suitable for anyone who has a strong stomach – or some twisted preferences.
Did you also have games that completely surprised and thrilled you in 2021? Unexpected highlights that were much better than you originally thought? Feel free to tell me about them – I’m curious.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On November 1, 2021, the Update 32 of the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online was released. The community is known to be particularly friendly and welcoming. But what does it really take to bring a group of people together in a guild? For that, MeinMMO author MiezeMelli simply asked her most important guild officer.
Why is it so important to have a guild in ESO? The community of a guild can help you in almost all areas of the MMORPG. Especially for beginners, they are an important support in getting started in Tamriel. But even experienced players benefit from the advantages of a guild, especially in group content.
Who is speaking here?: MiezeMelli has been playing The Elder Scrolls Online since the beta. Since early 2018, she has been regularly streaming ESO on Twitch and has been part of the official ESO Stream Team from Bethesda since late 2020. Since January 2018, she has been creating videos (Raid Triples, Guides, DPS Tests) on YouTube. She has accumulated over 6900 hours of gameplay on 18 max-level characters and 1890 champion points (as of December 22, 2021). At MeinMMO, she has been responsible for everything related to ESO since May 2021, especially guides.
In which areas guild members can support you
Crafting – Other players can craft items for you that you can use for trait analysis.
Equipment – For craftable sets, you need a certain number of researched traits. This naturally requires that a player has been in the game for a while, as the analysis takes longer for each additional trait. Here too, other players can be a great help.
Dungeons – An experienced player can sometimes venture alone into one or more dungeons (which are actually for 4 players). However, this is not advisable for inexperienced players yet. Guild members often support you when you want to complete a dungeon or farm equipment from a specific dungeon.
(Furniture) Recipes & Crafting Styles – Completing recipe collections is best done in groups. Among the members, you can trade and help each other.
Trials (Raids) – These instances for 12 players sometimes require a lot of organization and planning. Therefore, it is essential to have a fixed group for successful raids.
Real life – Yes, you read that right, your guild mates can also support you in real life. Because like in any other hobby, you can also find friends for life in Tamriel who will support you with advice and action. But maybe don’t expect that from every person you meet, and also be mindful that it is based on mutual interest.
However, it is not enough to just found a guild. You also need to invest a lot of care into this community and ideally have people to help you with it; otherwise, it can become unmanageable. But what exactly does a guild need to be successful?
What is actually a community guild? These are guilds that arise around streamers. You find the stream through shared interests, establish connections in the game, and as a streamer, you can better respond to questions and wishes.
The basis is usually a common Discord server where people can not only reach out to the person from the stream but also to all other ESO players for questions.
At the same time, you can provide your community as a streamer with important news about the game or the stream. In many Discords, groups for other games also form sooner or later.
But those who think that it will all just roll on its own are mistaken. Especially when you are new to the game, you tend to be a bit reserved at first. I was no different.
As a streamer, you’re often good at handling things even without the guild, as long as you’re not doing this professionally and have a study or another job on the side. This likely applies to many streamers in the ESO universe. Just like to me.
And therefore, the key to an organized community guild is the diligent work of the guild officers.
Diligent guild officers and helping hands are the most important
You need people you can rely on and who take on responsibilities. A guild can have up to 500 active members. That requires quite a bit of organization and planning. And you especially need people who keep their promises, so you can rely on them.
My guild officer @XCrusaderX36 takes on many of the leadership tasks for me. Without his help, “the magical Miezmuschel” would not exist in its current form. He takes care of recruiting new guild members, member attendance, and the behind-the-scenes work.
And I must note that there are other officers as well.
But what exactly does he do daily to keep the guild running?
“Most important in my opinion is connecting the individual members and especially supporting new members who still have many questions about the guild and the game itself.
We essentially live what ESO community stands for: A helpful and family-oriented community in the spirit of ESOFam. Just on a smaller scale within the guild. It can have up to 500 members.”
The loving ESO community is the motivation for guild work
What exactly is involved in networking, and how do you achieve this goal?
“The foundation for networking is provided by ESO itself, which is the guild chat. As trivial as it sounds, a -Hello, how are you?- is quickly written and encourages members to communicate. All questions related to ESO also lead to quick networking, as members receive help from the guild leadership as well as from other members, creating regular contact. I myself offer regular random dungeon runs or world boss fights to bond the community. In addition to the guild chat, it is essential for a successful guild to utilize other messaging services, as they provide opportunities to talk and thus make playing together more personal.”
Guild party inside the Psijik Villa of @miezemelli.
How many hours do you invest daily or weekly in guild work?
“This question can’t be answered so categorically, as guild work never rests and there is always something to do. Some days it’s more, some days it’s less. However, I must say that someone who takes on a significant role in a guild should shine through high activity and involvement, as this lightens the load for other officers. On the other hand, it’s important for the members that there is someone available to help with any concerns.”
Have an open ear and motivate group activities
And what do you do in detail? How does recruiting new members work, for example?
“Every day when I log into ESO, my first action is to greet the guild. After that, I turn to the open applications and the guild bank. Since many players use the guild bank as a dumping ground (consciously or unconsciously), it needs to be cleaned up daily, so everyone has the opportunity to deposit items. I then use these items to distribute to members. If there is no demand, I sell them to generate gold for the guild, so we can auction a guild trader weekly. However, it should be noted that without the weekly donations from members, whether through gold or items, we couldn’t afford a guild trader.”
Guild photo of the magical Miezmuschel in the Psijik Villa of @miezemelli.
Guild records are equally important, as a lot of information is provided by an addon and should therefore be checked daily. Once I have completed these tasks, I travel through the areas and advertise in the regional chat to find new active members for our community. At the same time, I regularly assist members by answering pending questions and supporting them during dungeons or boss fights.”
Similar experiences are also useful for ESO guilds
Is this your first time holding such a significant role in a community?
“For me, it’s the first time in ESO that I have a significant role in a guild, as I previously focused more on extensive trading systems with their thousands of various products. In my entire online gaming career, however, it’s not the first time, as I have held leadership roles in other games. I always plan to take a back seat in a game, but since I naturally enjoy organizing things, I consistently end up in leadership positions and have fun with what I do.”
How did you end up in the guild yourself? Or first, with ESO itself?
“I came to The Elder Scrolls Online through an ad I found on the internet. After that, one thing led to another. I watched videos and livestreams from ESO players, fell in love with the game, and bought it. I personally enjoy ESO so much that I play it daily and have managed to get friends and family members excited about it, so the community and enjoyment of the game continue to grow. I entered the magical Miezmuschel through a partner guild of the Miezmuschel and the call to play ESO live on Twitch. When I tuned in, I noticed that you have a vast pool of knowledge about ESO and were immediately sympathetic to me, leading me to apply to the magical Miezmuschel right away.”
Happy and friendly guild members are a great motivation
What were or are your incentives to take on the role of an officer?
“The basic appeal was that I saw how much you had on your plate as a guild leader, and I wanted to alleviate your burden. However, my motivation now also stems from the fact that our guild community has grown dear to my heart, making what I do enjoyable. A smaller but still important incentive for me is that professionally, I also deal with many such matters, where I have to organize a lot online, making it a kind of control and self-improvement for me. Ultimately, I can say that organizing things is my world, so the position of guild officer fits me like a lid on a pot.”
Are there areas that annoy you a little about the position?
“Like everything in life, there are days that are beautiful but also days that are totally annoying. For example, I don’t like it when I have to chase after other officers or members for days to gather important information for me. Also, when members argue in chat and sometimes forget that there are people behind the devices and I have to mediate, can be a bit annoying. However, I tell myself at the end of the day that it’s just a game, and when it gets too much for me, I log out of the game and take care of other things until I have enough energy to resume my position as guild officer.”
On the other hand, are there things that you particularly enjoy about it?
“Due to my position and high activity, I have met many people who are dear to me, making it enjoyable to be online in the game. ESO shows that even if there are always game problems, what makes ESO special is the family-like interaction with each other. Of course, I cannot forget to say that I enjoy organizing the guild, and at the end of the day, having happy members. I love to see that what I do seems to be right and also bears fruit that I perceive in the guild.”
A thick skin and organizational talent can be beneficial
What qualities do you think a guild officer or leader needs?
“What a guild officer fundamentally needs is time and a talent for planning, executing, and controlling things. Additionally, character strengths such as helpfulness, being open, and remaining friendly are necessary. As the saying goes, you should have a thick skin or develop one when you are a guild officer, so you don’t take statements from members too personally and can evaluate the situation objectively. Another important quality is trust in other officers, as an officer won’t be able to organize everything in a guild of 500 players.”
What advice would you give to aspiring guild leaders or officers?
“You should ask yourselves whether you really have the time and interest to hold such a position in the long term, as nothing is worse than constantly changing officers or guild leaders. If you have these prerequisites, then set intermediate goals that you can realistically achieve, as such a large guild is not built overnight. Don’t be disappointed if something doesn’t work out once; a successful guild needs time and trust to grow and thrive.
Always be there for your members and live the ESO family dream.”
In World of Warcraft there are Christmas gifts again. This year it’s actually quite cool – and you shouldn’t miss it.
A long-standing tradition in all major MMORPGs, including World of Warcraft, are the Christmas gifts – or in the case of Azeroth, the “Winter Veil Gifts”. Every year there is something new, as in 2021. Those who have the opportunity should collect the latest gift, or even those from previous years, now.
Where can you find the gifts? You will receive the gifts at different locations depending on your faction.
Horde players go to Orgrimmar to the Valley of Honor and find the huge Winter Veil tree with the gifts there.
Alliance players travel to Ironforge to find Grandfather Winter in front of the bank.
The gifts lie there as quests under the tree. Don’t worry, you only need to “accept” the quest to complete it immediately. There is no real task.
What’s new this year? In 2021 there are a number of new gifts that especially toy collectors might like – but also for those who still enjoy playing with toy cars.
New is the “Rockin’ Rollin’ Racer Customizer 19.9.3”. This is a toy with which you can summon different vehicles, with which you then race against other players in the best “Mario Kart” style. There are different abilities, such as mines or oil slicks.
This is a nod to Blizzard’s early game “Rock N’ Roll Racing”, which was released in 1993.
The toy can then be used by all your characters, as it simply goes into the toy collection.
More news about World of Warcraft can be found here:
Until when do you have time? The gifts can only be opened starting from December 25th. However, you have time until the end of the event, which is January 1st, 2022.
If you don’t grab the gift, that’s not too bad. Usually, you can still collect the Christmas gifts in the following years or earn them in other ways. So if you are currently taking a break from WoW, you are only missing out on something temporarily.
What do you think about this Christmas gift? A cool idea? Or does it not motivate you to log into World of Warcraft?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The YouTuber Technoblade (22) has almost 10 million subscribers and is known for his content about Minecraft . In recent months, he has been battling cancer. In a video, he shares his experiences, revealing that he was repeatedly close to having his right arm amputated to save his life.
Who is Technoblade?
The 22-year-old American belongs to the new generation of Minecraft YouTubers who have become incredibly popular and often interact and rival one another. For example, Technoblade has connections to people like Ph1LzA, Dream, or TommyInnit.
In August 2021, Technoblade informed his fans that he was suffering from cancer. A sarcoma was detected in his right arm. The YouTuber Dream then organized a charity event to help cancer research, which raised a significant amount of money.
Now in December 2021, Technoblade reports how things turned out with his cancer diagnosis.
“Having two arms is nice – I’d like to continue that way”
This is what he says now: On Christmas Eve, December 24, Technoblade released a video on YouTube titled “I Almost Became an Amputee,” in which he talked about his battle with cancer in a surprisingly cheerful and candid manner:
Essentially, he had multiple moments of accepting that he would lose his right arm in a life-saving amputation in November.
He received a notification on his phone when his arm amputation appointment was entered in the calendar.
However, the operation on his arm went fantastically. Technoblade only complains that tissue from his leg had to be taken for the reconstruction of his arm. This apparently damaged the body part he is incredibly proud of, his thigh muscle:
I knew they had to take muscle and skin from another part of my body to reconstruct my shoulder after the operation, but I thought they were taking the muscles from my back, from the latissimus dorsi. I was okay with that because no one cares about the latissimus dorsi, it’s the most worthless muscle.
But instead they took it from my thigh muscle. That’s my best muscle. People say about Technoblade: He’s weak, fragile, a gamer, but man, does he have thigh muscles!
Technoblade also included phrases like:
“Having two arms is nice. I want to keep that trend going.”
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MyMMO demon Cortyn has a small game tip for the cold season. Life is Strange: True Colors is sure to please many story fans.
The cold season is always the perfect reason for me to finally take my time to play a few games that I didn’t have the chance to play throughout the year. This time it was “Life is Strange: True Colors.” This is the (currently) latest installment in the series, filled with exciting stories, quiet adventures, and a touch of supernatural abilities.
Don’t worry. There won’t be any big spoilers in this article. Life is Strange lives mainly from its story, and I don’t want to spoil that. Of course, I still have to use a few key details – and describe at least one scene, which has little to do with the main plot.
In Life is Strange, you generally take on the role of people equipped with some special abilities, which are usually both a curse and a blessing. In the first part, it was the ability to rewind time; in the current installment “True Colors,” it is the ability to perceive emotions and the thoughts associated with them.
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For the protagonist Alex, however, this is a heavy burden. She can not only perceive feelings in the form of distinct auras, but is often overwhelmed by them. If someone nearby is particularly restless, that feeling transfers to her. If someone gets angry and wants to start a fight, Alex becomes affected too and clenches her fists.
This has led to Alex rarely letting people close to her and generally keeping her distance during strong emotions – at least until she finally moves to her brother’s small town after a long wandering and starts a new life.
A visit to the flower shop is grand
One of the most impressive yet seemingly simple scenes takes place in a flower shop that Alex visits during the game. The somewhat older saleswoman does not notice us right away and then gets incredibly startled when we speak to her.
This small, panicked reaction triggers an emotional outburst that Alex can perceive. Using her power, she can read some memories from objects and perceive thoughts. The shop owner’s condition is rapidly deteriorating dementia. All her fears and worries come to the surface – but especially the fear that due to her health condition, she will lose the flower shop and will have to close it.
This torn feeling and the loss of order are also beautifully depicted in the game world. As Alex engages with the thoughts and feelings of the old woman, the numbers on the clock jump and rearrange themselves. The large inscription that just said “FLOWERS” suddenly reads “FERWOLS” and the “Closed” sign at the entrance of the shop suddenly says “Edlosc.” Just moments ago, the windows faced outside, but now the white veil of oblivion has settled over them, threatening to swallow more and more of the shop.
Who doesn’t know the FERWOLS shops?
Alex helps the old woman restore order and structure to her day and combat the impending dementia – at least for the moment. They recap the day and step by step go over how the owner’s day must have gone.
From opening the door to accepting a phone call, processing an order, and evaluating a check.
Although this is a scene that actually has little to do with the main protagonists of the game, it was quite impressive. The confrontation with the topic of dementia – a dreadful disease that many probably fear – has burned itself into my memory.
Especially because at the very end of the scene, the terrible realization stands that the shop owner has forgotten something else, much more important due to the disease: The last rites of a recently deceased person who meant a lot to her.
Here the game directly confronts you with a difficult decision. Do you tell the old woman that she has forgotten this person’s death? Or do you keep quiet and hope she won’t be burdened by the topic any further?
Although the scene actually happens almost “on the side,” I had to swallow hard. It was immensely intense despite not much happening. It is just a visit to a flower shop with a bit of neighborly help. Yet it not only touches the characters but the players themselves – at least that was the case for me.
More game recommendations from Cortyn can be found here:
“Life is Strange: True Colors” is also suitable for people who usually have little to do with video games. The game has a whole lot of “training wheel” functions that might seem strange in other games. You can optionally set a whole range of warnings, such as for these incidents:
Especially loud game scenes
Particularly bright or flashy effects
Decisions with significant consequences
Additional time when making a decision
Warning when a sequence with fast action is about to start
What “true gamers” might roll their eyes at, casual players or newcomers appreciate. It takes a lot of pressure off someone who may not have played many games and has to ease into it.
Even Alex’s friends eventually realize that Alex has a few tricks up her sleeve.
For those, like me, who spend the time between the holidays mostly alone or just with one other person, Life is Strange: True Colors offers a somewhat different gaming experience with some sad, but also many beautiful scenes. Because at its heart, the game is a somewhat supernatural adventure with many important messages and an interesting story that you can influence yourself.
It is a game that encourages reflection and deals a lot with emotions, emotional outbursts, and other human sensations. Something that at least I find appealing during the dark winter months.
The message behind Life is Strange is completely unobtrusive and actually so obvious: Try to understand the feelings and wishes of others and do something good for them. In the end, it makes it better for everyone.
You can embrace this not just at Christmas but throughout the entire year.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
At Christmas, there is a strange gift for EA. Their new Battlefield, Battlefield 2042, is performing so poorly a few weeks after release that Battlefield V has more players on Steam at Christmas 2021 – and that’s a game from 2018.
This is the message: On reddit a strange anomaly was discussed on Christmas Eve, that 3-year-old Battlefield V managed to reach more players at peak time in the USA than the new Battlefield 2042 (released November 19, 2021):
On Friday, December 24, Battlefield V had more players on Steam than Battlefield 2042 for 7 hours, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM German time.
The trend reappeared on Saturday, December 25: Since 7:00 AM German time, Battlefield V is again ahead of Battlefield 2042 in player numbers.
What about Halo Infinite? In the statistics, Halo Infinite is also listed as a comparison value, but many note that Halo Infinite is often played outside of Steam as an “Xbox title”.
Players Take Statistics as Evidence of Their Harsh Criticism of Battlefield 2042
Why is this being discussed? The Battlefield player numbers have been a huge topic on Gaming Reddit with over 1000 comments.
The statistics are emphasized because there is quite a bit of criticism among the core fans of Battlefield regarding Battlefield 2042 that is still circulating:
Battlefield 2042 received only moderate 68% on Metacritic (PC), the PS5 version even scored worse with 61% – but that’s just the professional criticism.
The user scores are even lower ranging from 22% (PC) to 29% (PS5).
The game has been criticized for:
Offering too few weapons
The maps are not very good
It being the “biggest disappointment of 2021”
Battlefield 2042 is also accused of being “too commercial” and having removed many standard features from previous Battlefields
The statistics are apparently meant to prove that Battlefield 2042 is such a flop that people prefer to play a 3-year-old game rather than the new so-called crown jewel in EA’s offering.
Battlefield 5 Currently 75 Euros Cheaper than Battlefield 2042 in the “Best Edition”
What helps Battlefield 5? It’s likely also important for the statistics that Battlefield V is currently 75% off in the Steam sale:
The game is currently available for €14.99 in the Definite Edition.
Battlefield 2042 costs €39.59 in the standard edition and €89.09 in the Ultimate Edition.
Apparently, quite a bit went wrong with Battlefield 2042:
As users from China report, the global version of Steam is no longer accessible from China, even though the Chinese are crazy about PC gaming. The ban came on the evening of December 24th. Users in English-speaking forums are not particularly sympathetic: Generally, they wonder why it took so long.
Where did the news come from? The news surfaced on the night from Friday to Saturday. It spread through forums like Resetera, reddit, or via the well-known data miner “Santa Ricky” on Twitter.
About 9:00 PM on Christmas Eve German time, on December 24th, the website domain “Steam” is said to have been blocked in China. This means that the international Steam page with all its sub-functions is no longer easily accessible from China.
Further details on the news, any clear statements from the Communist Party are unknown, rather people are just speculating what might be behind it.
The ban is said to have occurred around 9 PM German time on December 24th.
China has its own version of Steam, but with less than 100 games
What could be behind it? Forums speculate that the ban of “Global Steam” is a logical consequence of China having its own version of Steam since February 2021, which hardly anyone uses as there are only 98 games compared to 60,000 in the international version.
The Chinese government has opted for a rigid course against online gaming in recent years, primarily targeting mobile games. Officially, they fear for the sight of children and adolescents, as myopia is rampant in China, because children stare at their phones like crazy.
Overall, China has the industry firmly in its grasp; huge corporations like Tencent have close ties to “the Party,” but fear every press article in party-affiliated newspapers, which have described online gaming as “digital opium.”
The glorious times when Chinese companies raked in profits during the gold rush seem to be over for several years now – they are now balancing on a thin line.
How is this being discussed? There is not a lot of solidarity in English-speaking forums. There are about 3 opinions:
Some say: “I wonder why this didn’t happen earlier” – essentially, they trust China to do anything related to censorship and restrictions.
Others say: “Oh, that probably means there will be fewer cheaters in CS:GO now and I can finally play PUBG again” – as Chinese players are often labeled as cheaters.
Third say: “They will probably just use VPNs and we won’t notice much”
No one seems to be really surprised by the news.
LoL is huge in China. Many world champion teams come from there.
How does one play in China?
The big difference from the West: Consoles like PlayStation 4/5 or Xbox play virtually no role in China
PC gaming mostly does not take place at home, but in public internet cafes. There, multiplayer online games are played: some that we also know, like LoL, Overwatch or CS:GO, but also many local titles like Crossfire, Dungeon Fighter Online or Journey to the West
For many years, mobile gaming has been trending in China: A game like “Honor of Kings,” a kind of mobile LoL, has incredibly many players because it is closely linked to huge social media platforms
We deal with the phenomenon of why Chinese players are considered cheaters here on MeinMMO:
New World is a fantastic MMORPG with a world and setting that captivates you. But what if you’re specifically put off by the MMO aspects and want to focus on the RPG elements? We at MeinMMO have the alternatives for you.
The world, the story, and the setting of New World offer various aspects that single-player fans can also enjoy. However, at some point, these fans are disturbed by the MMO variants of the game.
Some fans have simply had enough of New World due to various bugs and other issues. However, they are still not tired of the setting. MeinMMO shows you how to experience the New World feeling solo and which games are particularly suitable for this.
How was this list created? The titles listed each represent a specific aspect of New World as a single-player RPG. The order of the titles does not matter in this article. Each of the mentioned games has its own strengths and weaknesses, but we do not want to evaluate them against each other here.
1. Risen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo29dvzBJKI
What kind of game is this? Risen is an RPG from the German developer studio Piranha Bytes. It was released in October 2009, but it is still enjoyable today and, thanks to its appealing graphic style, still looks decent.
The premise of the game is nothing less than to save the world. For this, you also land on an island where mysterious magic awaits you. The gods have left the world, making way for the titans, who now roam there.
In about 30 to 60 hours of gameplay, you explore the island, become increasingly stronger, and discover what the magical temples that suddenly appeared are all about.
To do this, you join one of three factions. Either a magic-oriented group, a warrior band of cutthroats, or the monastery-loyal Order warriors. Does that sound like New World to you? It gets even better.
What does this have to do with New World? The start in the RPG should be familiar to all New World fans. You practically start naked on a beach and have to gather the essentials.
This happens because your ship capsized, which was supposed to take you to the island. So, for the time being, there is no way to leave this island. Shortly after the start, various weapons become available to you to master.
The start in Risen
The start in New World
Both games leave us stranded on an island as layabouts.
Shortly after that, you will already meet the three factions, who will have you do things for them until they accept you. After that, you’ll have to finish even more tasks for them to rise in rank within the factions and unlock new armors.
The main focus of the game is on the story and exploring the world, where there’s always something to gain around every corner. However, your loot is often guarded by nasty monsters that you must defeat. Thus, you loot and level up through the world, from one interesting place to the next.
If you liked the world and the feeling in New World that there are things to discover everywhere, you will love Risen.
How can you play? You can currently buy Risen for €9.99 on Steam. It has an 89% positive rating from 4,837 entries, classifying it as “very positive.” If you enjoy the game, Risen 2 and 3 are also waiting for you, which we can also recommend.
2. GreedFall
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What kind of game is this? In GreedFall, the RPG and the combat system are the focus. The action RPG from the French studio Spiders was released in September 2019 and allows you to explore and colonize an island. Here, you are supposed to embark on a new world.
However, you arrive several years later. By this time, a large part of the island has already been colonized by various factions. Now it is up to you to communicate between them. You take on the role of a legate for one of the factions on the island.
As a legate, it is your task to get along with the different factions on the island of Teer Fradee or to make it difficult for them. You do this best by completing missions and quests related to them.
Usually, you have several options, each benefiting a different party. However, it’s not just about politics, as you are also searching for the magic that inhabits the island and causes a mysterious illness.
What does this have to do with New World? Similar to New World, GreedFall shares the same setting, as it uses a practically identical backdrop. You explore an island where magic can be found and are positioned between various factions.
It also takes place around the same time. GreedFall is set at the beginning of the 17th century. There is no fixed class system in the RPG either. You skill up and essentially are whatever you are currently wearing.
GreedFall
New World
The setting of both titles is quite similar, even though GreedFall opts for a darker color palette.
In this game, you can choose between magic, various melee weapons, and ranged firearms. The combat system is very similar to the one known from New World. You can actively switch between two weapons, dodge and block, and have only a few active skills in your bar.
If you want to be the same spell-casting musketeer in heavy armor as in New World, you can do that anytime in GreedFall.
As quest hubs, the different cities on the island serve, which look significantly different depending on which faction they belong to. However, the underlying structure of the cities remains almost identical. Another thing you are already familiar with from New World.
If you preferred the story and setting in New World and always thought that the combat system really doesn’t need this stamina bar, then GreedFall is just right for you.
How can you play? GreedFall is available for all current and next-gen consoles and PC. You can currently purchase the game for €34.99 on Steam and enjoy approximately 50 hours of gameplay. 12,327 reviews label GreedFall on Steam as “mostly positive.”
3. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
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What kind of game is this? Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a classic action RPG whose graphic style is more reminiscent of World of Warcraft than of New World. Nevertheless, the game offers many interesting aspects and is still worth playing today, several years after its release.
This was ensured in part by the remaster Re-Reckoning, which re-released the game originally released in 2012 in September 2020 and adjusted its graphics. In December 2021, a new expansion for the RPG titled Fatesworn was also released.
The premise of the title is that in the world of Kingdoms of Amalur, every character has a predetermined fate that cannot be changed. Everything is predetermined until you enter the world. Because under mysterious circumstances, you rise from the dead and no longer have a predetermined fate.
This inevitably makes you a hero for all since you can now determine your own fate and thus change that of the other inhabitants of the world. Kingdoms of Amalur offers you about 60 hours of content for your money. With all expansions, however, it can quickly become 80 to 90 hours of gameplay.
What does this have to do with New World? Although you play Kingdoms of Amalur alone, the title feels like an MMORPG in many places. You explore a vast open world with various biomes, stumble upon many collectibles, side quests, and exciting NPCs.
You explore the map and constantly find new things that look interesting and often hold minor secrets for you. However, it’s not just the world and its layout that remind of an MMO, but unfortunately also the quests, which sometimes do not go beyond “Kill X and bring Y.”
You get to freely distribute your points across the three trees to create your own class.
Furthermore, Reckoning also offers you several factions to choose from, where you can decide on one and annoy the others a bit. For New World players, the classless system of KoA:R should also be familiar.
You distribute your points as you like across various skill trees and are not bound to weapons or classes. Here too, you can be a fireball-throwing warrior in leather armor if you want. Through the fate card system, no combination is useless.
The system gives you strong buffs whenever you meet certain conditions. The cards exist for every conceivable build and thus buff even the wildest ideas.
How can you play? The game originally released in 2012 is available on almost all common consoles, from the Nintendo Switch to the Xbox 360. However, the remaster Re-Reckoning is only available for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PS4 & 5.
Currently, you can purchase the remastered version of the game for €39.99 on Steam. Of the 3,534 reviews, 74% are positive. Thus, the game is considered “mostly positive.”
4. Cyberpunk 2077
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What kind of game is this? There are hardly any gamers who have completely overlooked the new role-playing game of the Witcher developers in 2020 and 2021. If so, that’s not a big deal.
In Cyberpunk 2077, you are a nobody in a large dystopian city full of gangsters and want to become a gangster yourself. To make that happen, you steal new technology from the mega-corporation Arasaka, which unfortunately contains the complete consciousness of a deceased rock giant and terrorist.
From then on, the cynical rocker Johnny Silverhand is in your head, and you are sadly resigned to death. You try with all means to prevent this. Thus, the story of Cyberpunk 2077 gains momentum and reaches unprecedented emotional depth.
Gameplay-wise, you can expect a true role-playing experience, where decisions are just as important as the values of your equipment and the distribution of your skill points.
What does this have to do with New World? At first glance, the settings and premises of both games could not be further apart. However, looking closer, Cyberpunk offers more similarities to New World than you might think.
In Cyberpunk, the exploration of the world is primarily in focus. You can find chests and rewards everywhere and spot locations that passively convey a good story.
Cyberpunk also relies on a classless character system where you have a variety of different weapons and hacking tools to choose from and can specialize or simply learn a bit of everything.
Several of these skill trees await you. Everything you do gives you experience and new abilities.
However, what resembles New World the most are the extremely satisfying progress bars for almost everything you can do in the world. One of the major aspects in New World is that it rewards you for nearly everything. At least with a brief progress display that tells you how skilled you are with your weapon or logging.
In Cyberpunk 2077, this also happens. You hack a camera? Great, here are some points for hacking. You shoot an enemy? Awesome, here are some points for weapon handling. Did you slice an opponent with a katana? Perfect, here are some experience points for the blade.
This creates a satisfying gameplay flow similar to New World, making everything you do feel meaningful, and that’s a lot of fun.
How can you play? Cyberpunk 2077 was released on Xbox Series, PS5, PC, and last-gen consoles. However, the PS4 and Xbox One version is not recommended. On the new consoles and PC, the title runs smoothly now and is playable without issues.
On Steam, you can get the year-old game for €59.99. After the buggy launch difficulties of Cyberpunk, the reviews have also improved. 81% of the recently written 31,576 reviews are positive.
5. Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
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What kind of game is this? In Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, you experience an action-adventure in the Tolkien universe, which takes place long before the well-known films. Similar to Cyberpunk, you have to share your mind here, but not with a rockstar but with the Ringmaker himself.
The motive is not to survive but primarily to take revenge on the evil troops that kill your family at the very beginning of the first part. The ranger from back then can’t let that go and embarks on a quest for vengeance.
Particularly highlighted is the Nemesis System, where certain orcs keep reappearing and have a rank within the enemy hierarchy. If you kill an orc, his place is freed up, and the next one will take his spot.
If an orc kills you, he levels up and effectively becomes your arch-nemesis. This adds dynamics to the gameplay flow. If you defeat one of the leaders, you can not only kill him but also control him and later even make orcs battle against each other.
What does this have to do with New World? In Middle-Earth, you’ll find parallels to many more well-known titles, as the game openly borrows from famous inspirations. It feels like a mix of Assassin’s Creed and the Batman Arkham series while playing. So if you enjoy jumping around and sneaking, this game is something for you.
For the New World fans among you, it gets interesting when it comes to the large battles. That’s also the reason why only the second part, Shadow of War, is included in this list. In the first part, Shadow of Mordor, these occur significantly less often.
Shadow of War can shine in the battles.
In these battles, you lead your own, mind-controlled orc army into battle against enemy orcs. These fights are breathtakingly staged and feel authentic. They playfully remind one of the conquest battles in New World.
If that is the reason you liked New World and you want to experience the same thing alone and with orcs, we highly recommend Middle-Earth: Shadow of War.
How can you play? You can experience Shadow of War on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The game will keep you occupied for about 20 to 35 hours and is currently available on Steam for €39.99.
If you are still unsure, you can also play a free demo of the title released in 2017. Many users agree, as 87% of the 52,944 reviews for Middle-Earth: Shadow of War are positive entries saved. Thus, it is considered “very positive.”
Do you have any other single-player games that remind you of New World? Please write them down for us here at MeinMMO in the comments.
A shooter from 2018 is for our author Mark Sellner the game of the year 2021. This year he spent over 700 hours in Hunt: Showdown and wants to tell you why he would recommend the game to almost everyone.
About exactly a year ago, in December 2020, I opened Hunt: Showdown for the first time since the alpha in 2018. I had only played it briefly back then and quickly put it down again. That is something I really didn’t manage with the game this year.
Since the alpha, a lot has changed in Hunt. Suddenly there was the option to play in threes, a new mode called Quickplay, a tutorial, and noob protection. And those are just the things I noticed in the first few hours.
That same evening, I spent over 5 hours in the horror shooter from Crytek. The fascination has not let go of me since then, and it took me about 700 hours this year in the swampy bayou of Hunt: Showdown. It wasn’t always fun, but still, everyone should have this experience at least once. Let me explain why.
Who writes here? Mark Sellner has not only played Hunt: Showdown for 700 hours; he also spends a lot of time with the game outside of it. He writes guides, helps other community members with questions, and is always there when the question arises about what is effective against which boss.
In the game, he feels most comfortable in close combat situations and on PC, mostly relying on the Mosin-Nagant Bayonet, with which he has already taken out over 2,000 hostile hunters from the bayou.
To understand the fascination of Hunt, you need to take a step back and start with what the shooter is actually about. Because I can assure you, it plays differently than most other shooters you have touched so far.
In the core game mode, the bounty hunt, it’s about hunting down and killing one of four different monsters. This can be done either in pairs or in threes. However, up to 10 other players on the same map have the same goal as you.
To be successful, you not only need to kill the monster but also bring the loot out from one of three random points on the map. If you die in the process, you not only lose the round but also your character and everything he was carrying.
Because Hunt: Showdown operates with a permadeath system, where your partially lovingly leveled hunter can die in just a few seconds and is lost forever. But it’s not just enemy hunters that are your problem, but also numerous NPC enemies awaiting you on the three different maps.
The spider is one of the four bosses that roam in Hunt: Showdown
What sounds terribly depressing at first significantly contributes to the atmosphere of the shooter. You automatically play more cautiously, think before you start shooting, and may also prefer to avoid a fight than to die.
You cannot read how many other competitors are still alive on the map like in other battle royale titles from a UI. However, you can hear them. From the very beginning, Hunt: Showdown captures you with one of its greatest strengths: the grandiose sound design.
Sounds are your wall-hack
While you may initially feel quite lost in the bayous, you will gradually learn to read the game and its world. This is particularly supported by the brilliant sound design of Hunt Showdown.
Everything you do makes a noise that your opponents could hear. Whether you’re sneaking or running, you are never completely silent in Hunt: Showdown. Even the deep inhale when aiming with your weapon can be heard by opponents. In combination with the many wooden walls in the game, which can be easily shot through, sounds quickly become a kind of wall-hack for experienced hunters.
But even when opponents are not in your immediate vicinity, sounds are incredibly important in the shooter. Numerous sound traps on the map make it possible for you to perceive opponents from a considerable distance. You can then choose to avoid them or ambush them.
In addition to cracking branches in the forest and clinking chains inside buildings, the loudly screaming ravens are particularly dangerous. These winged creatures can not only be heard several hundred meters away but are also visible. They fly away from you and thereby reveal your position not just acoustically but also visually. So it’s best to avoid these critters.
The ravens are the meanest sound traps in Hunt
In addition to the ambient sounds, all weapons in the game sound powerful and, above all, different. While you are still quite aimless at the beginning, after 700 hours you can relatively accurately tell where your opponent is and what weapon they are carrying with just one shot. All of this helps you optimize and adjust your tactics.
If you hear in advance that your enemy is carrying a shotgun, it is advisable not to storm the building but perhaps see if you can get a headshot through the window. These are always fatal with any weapon in the game.
Weapons also differ in how far the guns from the 19th century can be heard. While the suppressed Winfield operates almost silently after about 100 meters, you can hear a shot from the massive Nitro Express across the entire map.
The entire sound design of Hunt: Showdown belongs to one of the best the genre has to offer. This is further underscored by the dark soundtrack of the Port Sulphur Band. If you’ve ever been looking for a reason to get good headphones, Hunt is also a great choice.
The Bayou still gives you goosebumps even after hundreds of hours
I am really not a jumpy person, have little trouble with horror games, and find most scary movies more amusing than frightening. Nevertheless, Hunt is responsible for making me jump even after 700 hours regularly. And so much so that it chills my spine.
This is mainly due to the immense atmosphere that Hunt: Showdown can create. Besides the sound design, the game also looks really good. The lighting effects are consistent, and the time of day on the maps varies.
Not only at night does Hunt: Showdown create a creepy atmosphere
With particularly bad luck, you are stuck in his swamp at night and in the fog, where numerous dangers await you, you constantly hear various noises, and all of them could potentially be your death.
This is particularly annoying when you have a hunter with you that you really don’t want to lose. You can feel your heart race when you are sneaking through a bush, and suddenly a branch cracks in the bushes next to you.
Because even if the crack doesn’t belong to an enemy hunter, it can still be dangerous for you. The NPC enemies in the world shouldn’t be taken lightly. They can still pose a threat even to professionals in difficult situations. In the world of Hunt: Showdown, there is never a moment when you feel safe, which greatly enhances the atmosphere of the shooter.
This is an experience I have not had to this extent in any other game. And one of the many Hunt experiences I want to recommend to every player.
The developers love their game and the community
At the beginning, I mentioned how much has changed between the alpha in 2018 and my re-entry into the game in 2020. Rarely have I played a game that receives so much love from its developers as Hunt: Showdown.
This goes beyond Easter eggs and small touches in many places on the map. Hunt receives content updates surprisingly often.
One of my favorite Easter eggs is the little ducks that can always be found in unusual places
In 2021, the shooter received several major updates and enormous content expansions. Additionally, there are monthly new cosmetic additions and regular quality-of-life adjustments.
Among the biggest changes that happened this year is the third map, the fourth boss, and the so-called “custom ammo,” with which you can choose different ammunition types for your weapons.
Many of these new contents are accompanied by an event release. In these, the community must complete special tasks to unlock exclusive skins. You can also regularly expect small adjustments, such as custom loadouts or new weapons, from Crytek.
Although I am generally not a patch lover who tends to react allergic to major changes even in my favorite games, I was surprised to find that: Hunt: Showdown always does updates right.
I have never been dissatisfied with an update, nor did any of the changes feel bad or inappropriate.Only rarely were new weapons too strong or too weak.
This is partly because the developers work closely with their community. Many points on the road map have arisen from the ideas and wishes of players. And if a change should actually be inappropriate, Crytek listens and adjusts in some areas.
As a result, it feels great to be part of the Hunt community, as it is about more than cowboy hats and revolvers. In addition, the developer team regularly introduces new streamers or showcases fan art from artists within the community.
It’s not always just fun, and that’s a good thing
A little frustration is just part of Hunt: Showdown. But that’s due to exactly the things that also make the game so good. Of course, it’s a bit frustrating to lose your hunter from a shot that seemingly comes from nowhere and ends up exactly in my head.
But if you are on the other side of that bullet, Hunt: Showdown feels incredibly rewarding. I once couldn’t stop grinning for several hours because I eliminated a complete trio with my crossbow without them having even the slightest idea where I was.
And these moments feel so good because you know what it’s like to be on the other side. When you lose all day long and end your last round by eliminating all 9 enemies and walking home with the dead boss, you just go to bed happy.
Got all 9 enemies and even got one twice – those are the moments when Hunt feels incredibly good
If you lose your hunter, it’s tragic, but you don’t restart completely from scratch. Whether you come out alive or dead from a round, you gain experience for your bloodline. This allows you to unlock new weapons, tools, and consumables.
You never leave empty-handed, even if you get torn apart by a team that unfortunately spawns right next to you within a few seconds.
However, if you win and safely extract the bounty from the bayou, you earn Hunt Dollars. With which you must pay for your hunters’ equipment. So if you have quite a sum saved up, losing your character is relatively easy to cope with.
Additionally, the title now cares for its beginners. Up to bloodline level 10, you are under beginner protection and do not lose your hunter even if you die. This gives you at least a grace period to get used to the weapons and the setting.
So you get a game that regularly receives updates and new content, bursts with atmosphere, offers brilliant sound design, and brings you a completely new shooter experience for most of you.
And especially because Hunt: Showdown has a very steep learning curve, it is also suitable for beginners. Because in Hunt, you have to learn the whole game from scratch anyway. It is so different from other shooters that it almost doesn’t matter whether you have played shooters before or not.
This year I played 700 hours of Hunt: Showdown, and I will probably do the same next year. In doing so, I hope that some of you will spend a few hours in the bayou after this article as well. I look forward to seeing you!
In 2021, surprisingly many MMOs and MMORPGs were discontinued. We at MeinMMO present you 10 online games that you will no longer be able to play by 2022 at the latest.
Which games died in 2021? In 2021, several well-known names fell victim, including MMORPGs that had only been released a few months or years earlier. We take a closer look at these games and reveal the reasons for their failure.
Who is speaking here? Alexander Leitsch is the MMORPG expert at MeinMMO and has even played most of the now discontinued MMOs himself. Therefore, he summarizes special moments from his perspective.
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Life is Feudal (January 11, 2018 – January 18, 2021)
What kind of game was it? The MMO Life is Feudal was considered a tough and realistic medieval simulation. Like in a survival game, you started the game naked and without special skills. Over time, however, you learned to use resources and were able to craft useful tools, weapons, and your own home. Even entire cities could be built.
However, the grind and difficulty level were problems:
It took an incredibly long time to build anything in the game.
You were constantly exposed to danger from other players and NPC races.
Upon death, you lost everything.
On Steam, the game had only 43% positive reviews. Life is Feudal was criticized mainly for appealing only to those who have a lot of time, possess immense patience, and want to play in large guilds.
You could achieve nothing alone in Life is Feudal. At least ten players were needed for a guild, and only in a large guild did you have a chance to slowly build something. Moreover, you had to be very resistant to frustration because everything you built up over months could be lost in a battle or raid.
One of the possible activities in Life is Feudal was fishing.
What led to its failure? Due to the high grind and difficulty level, Life is Feudal could never attract a mass of players. However, the final blow was probably a legal dispute with a publisher:
A contract was signed with the publisher in 2016.
This company is said to have performed poorly, which led the developers from Bitbox to market themselves. However, it seems there was still a contract with the publisher.
After the developers rejected another deal with the publisher, it is said that the publisher refused to share their revenues from Life is Feudal.
The financial pressure is said to have led to the shutdown of the game. However, the solo version “Life is Feudal – Your Own” can still be played. Additionally, the MMO continues to operate in China. The publisher reportedly has no influence over this version.
What are the best memories? Life is Feudal was never known for beautiful graphics or varied gameplay. Highlights were the building, the battles for castles, and horse combat. Sometimes larger battles with over 100 players took place, which, however, put a strain on the MMO’s performance.
To give you an insight into such a battle, here is a video from YouTuber Senoby san:
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Are there alternatives or successors? There are several games that are similar in style to Life is Feudal. The newest is probably Wild Terra 2, which started Early Access in January 2021. Here, survival, sandbox, building, fighting, and fortresses are also in focus.
If you want to focus solely on the PvP aspect, you can find battles for fortresses in ESO, Guild Wars 2, and Black Desert.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Xur is also here for you in Destiny 2 today on Christmas Eve and he has a very special gift with him. What the cosmic Santa Claus of the Nine has with him on December 24th, you will of course find out on MeinMMO.
What happened this week in Destiny 2? Last week, players in Destiny 2 completed their Triumph Seal for the “30 Years of Bungie” pack. In addition, they delivered their cosmic sugar cubes to impossible horses and also baked a lot of Glimmer while being with Eva.
Additionally, Bungie’s Game Director Joe Blackburn discussed NFTs last week. This topic had already been raised in October by Bungie’s Game Designer Max Nichols. He mentioned that this current trend in online gaming, which is being controversially discussed, has no place in gaming.
Also, one or the other good roll for one of the Dawning weapons dropped. Furthermore, MeinMMO brought to your attention a very special linear fusion rifle that is worth a closer look not only because of its unique Stasis damage:
All info about Xur on December 24, 2021 – PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Google Stadia
When does Xur come? Xur has arrived at his location at the daily reset at 6 PM. He will be waiting for you there until December 28 at 6 PM so you can pick up your Christmas gift from him.
After that, he will fly back to his treasure chamber until he receives new loot from the Nine next week.
Where is Xur? This is his hideout for the weekend
Xur’s location: Xur has snowed into the Tower hangar on Christmas Eve, where you can now find him.
You can find Xur in the hangar on the Tower.
Xur’s inventory from 24.12. to 28.12. – All exotics at a glance
What does Xur have on offer? As always, Xur will have an exotic weapon and armor available for all characters, that is for Warlocks, Hunters, and Titans. We do not know exactly what he will have. But the Christmas elves are whispering that he might bring a real surprise.
Weapon: The Prospector – Arc grenade launcher for 29 legendary shards
Titan: One-Eyed Mask – Void helmet for 23 legendary shards
Mobility: +12
Resilience: +11
Recovery: +10
Discipline: +12
Intellect: +6
Strength: +9
Total: 60
Hunter: Luck Be With You – Arc chest armor for 23 legendary shards
Mobility: +14
Resilience: +9
Recovery: +9
Discipline: +13
Intellect: +9
Strength: +10
Total: 64
Warlock: The Deer – Void helmet for 23 legendary shards
Mobility: +8
Resilience: +2
Recovery: +24
Discipline: +8
Intellect: +2
Strength: +20
Total: 64
On Christmas, Xur brings you the Trials scout rifle “The Scholar” as a special gift. He also has the armor set “Wing Contender” on offer.
Will Xur have the scout rifle “The Scholar”?
Xur’s inventory from December 24 to 28, 2021
This is what Xur always has with him: It is already certain that you will receive an Exotic Engram from Xur for 97 legendary shards as well as the weekly quest for an Exotic Code.
If you are looking for a more detailed recommendation, Nexxoss has an info video about all of Xur’s equipment for you:
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The Trials of Osiris on December 24 – Map, Weapons and Info
Which map is on the agenda this week? The Trials map for the Christmas weekend is “Endless Vale” on Nessus. The 14th Saint awaits you.
The Trials map “Endless Vale”.
This is how you get your Trials loot: By now, the focused loot system of the 14th Saint is already known to many Guardians. You no longer receive your loot by winning three, five, and seven matches, but by:
Seven victories
50 rounds
the notorious flawless run
This is the reward for a flawless run: As a reward for your flawless run, this weekend the Stasis linear fusion rifle “Reeds Regret” is waiting for you. Additionally, you will receive extra Trials rank points so you level up faster.
If you have received your desired weapon, you can focus your Trials Engrams specifically on it. On top of that, there are enhancement prisms and ascendant shards. Remember that your rewards increase even further as soon as you have a complete pass – even if you lost one or two games.
When do the Trials start? The Trials begin as usual at the daily reset at 6 PM.
Will you also be playing Destiny 2 on the Christmas weekend or will you take a break and relax? What are your wishes on this Christmas Eve? Let us know in the comments.
Speaking of which: We would like to share with you in a video from the editorial team our dearest wishes for Christmas and for 2022:
The weapon grind in CoD Warzone and Vanguard can be very time-consuming. Luckily, you usually have a lot of time during the holidays. MeinMMO tells you which 4 weapons you should level up first over Christmas. We also tell you their best Warzone setups.
With the Vanguard integration in CoD Warzone, nearly 40 new weapons have been added to the game. With 70 levels per weapon, it can quickly take a lot of time to unlock all attachments for all guns. Although it’s faster to level up the new Vanguard weapons in Vanguard itself, you can also do it in Warzone – even if it’s significantly more cumbersome.
Our attachment recommendations focus on the effectiveness of the weapons in Warzone. The best weapon setups for Vanguard can differ significantly from this. You can see what weapons and setups we recommend in Vanguard here:
1. Bren – The currently best weapon for long distances in Warzone
The Bren is currently a very popular weapon on the tropical island of Caldera. With this setup from YouTuber ModernWarzone, this LMG is super precise at distance. Its other characteristics make it the currently best weapon in Warzone (via YouTube).
Pro
High damage
Bullets fly fast, making hits at distance easy
Very fast TTK, especially with headshots
Very precise, even at the highest distances
Lots of reserve ammunition
Contra
Not the best rate of fire
Heavy handling
Suboptimal in close combat
Relatively little ammunition in the magazine
The best attachments for Warzone:
Muzzle: Mercury Silencer
Barrel: Queen’s 705mm Royal
Optic: SVT-40 PU Scope 3-6x
Stock: Custom Pistol Grip
Underbarrel: m1941 Handstop
Magazine: 6.5 Sakura 40 Round Mag
Ammo Type: Extended
Grip: Polymer Grip
Perk: Steady
Kit: Fully Loaded
2. PPSh-41 – The currently best Vanguard SMG for Warzone
The PPSh-41is currently the best SMG in Call of Duty: Warzone for many players. It dominates especially in close combat. However, it soon reveals some weaknesses. The setup presented here has already received its own article from us before.
Pro
Extremely strong in close combat
Very high rate of fire
Forgives missed shots without significantly affecting the TTK
Large magazine
Very controllable recoil
Contra
Already significantly worse at medium distances
Only 2 extra magazines without resupply
The best attachments for Warzone:
Muzzle: Mercury Silencer
Barrel: Empress 140mm Rapid
Optic: Slate Reflector
Stock: ZAC Folding Frame
Underbarrel: SMLE Pistol Grip
Magazine: 7.62 Gorenko 71 Round Mag
Ammo: Hollow Point
Grip: Fabric Grip
Perk 1: Quick
Perk 2: Fast
3. BAR – The ‘Fully Automatic DMR’
The assault rifle BAR is characterized by its high bullet damage. This is compensated by a slow rate of fire, which is why it rapidly struggles in close combat.
With the almost nonexistent recoil from this setup, the BAR is a kind of fully automatic DMR that shoots incredibly accurately. The result is a very dominant weapon at medium distances, which we have already introduced in more detail.
Pro
Dominant at medium distances
Good at high distances
With this setup incredibly precise and easy to control
Contra
Weak in close combat
Missed shots weigh relatively heavily with this weapon
Relatively low ammunition compared to most weapons
The best attachments for Warzone:
Muzzle: Mercury Silencer
Barrel: CGC 30″ XL
Optic: G16 2.5x
Stock: Custom Pistol Grip
Underbarrel: M1930 Strife Angled
Magazine: .50 BMG Magazine (40 Rounds)
Ammo Type: Extended
Grip: Polymer Grip
Perk: Focus
Kit: Fully Loaded
4. MP-40 – The best all-round weapon in Warzone
The MP-40 unlocks immediately in Vanguard. This weapon has been incredibly popular since release. This is due to its seemingly endless versatility and flexibility. This weapon works very well with many setups. Like the BAR, this setup for the MP-40 was also part of our article on the ‘Laser Weapons’ setups. There you will also find a more detailed analysis.
These are the 4 weapons that we believe are worth the grind. Do you have your own favorites, whether weapons or weapon setups? And which of these weapons is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
Call of Duty wanted to give players a gift for Christmas with a little joke. However, fans would have preferred to receive a lump of coal. Hence, the developers reacted and nerfed a Christmas monster:
The new MMORPG Ashes of Creation shows in an 18-minute, new video the first gameplay in Unreal Engine 5, to which the title is now moving. We at MeinMMO summarize.
What has happened in Ashes of Creation? The ambitious MMORPG has been in development for several years and will probably take quite a while longer. This is nothing new in itself.
However, the developers have announced that the game is now being switched to the new Unreal Engine 5. This provides more graphical possibilities and is supposed to make the MMORPG run smoother and better.
How was the change announced? The developers showed an 18-minute long video in which the new engine is already in use. The new gameplay is also commented on, by the creative director Steven Sharif.
He emphasizes how proud the team is of the changes and how much hard work went into making the game look the way it does now.
He particularly focuses on the textures of the walls and rocks, as well as the particles in the air and the new lighting that is being used and made possible through Unreal Engine 5.
You can watch the whole video here:
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What do people say? A thread on reddit, in which the new video was also shown, is currently being heavily discussed. The post garnered a total of 151 comments within just 13 hours.
However, these comments tend to be on the negative side, even though many are excited about the new graphics. The main focus of the discussion is the long development time.
Many users fear that the release of Ashes of Creation will be further delayed and postponed by the use of Unreal Engine 5.
However, users agree that the new textures and effects of UE5 look great and that the game could be a real eye-catcher if further work is done on the still somewhat shaky animations.
User NamelessCabbagge sees it rather humorously and writes: ‘It looks great, I can’t wait to play it in a decade or two.’
The well-known MMO YouTuber TheLazyPeon comments: ‘This is the best possible announcement for the end of the year. I’m looking forward to seeing the progress you will make in 2022. Cheers!’
Another user comments: ‘The environments look great. The character models and animations, however, look like they are from 2005. I am curious.’
What do you think of the upgrade to Unreal Engine 5? Are you excited about Ashes of Creation and do you believe that the game can benefit from the update or do you see it as just another delay? Let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO.
A druid led the Horde to victory multiple times in WoW: Classic – but then got banned. Others thought he was AFK the whole time.
The Alterac Valley in World of Warcraft: Classic (and Burning Crusade Classic) is a popular place to farm honor. No other battleground offers as much honor, and matches go quickly if you stick to the “standard approach.” However, those who do not participate are often reported – and that can cost the victory.
What happened? In the WoW Classic subreddit, the druid player “Cheezeburger” reports that he was banned in World of Warcraft. He was reported too many times for inactivity, although that is not true. Instead, he claims to have played very strategically, defending his boss in the bunker and earning many victories, which his teammates hardly found out about.
When everyone rushes forward, a druid runs back
What was his strategy? Right after the start of the match, all players usually rush forward. Alterac Valley is mostly a “race” to see who can take down the enemy boss in the opposing base first. True PvP rarely occurs, as it is often just a PvE race.
However, the Horde druid Cheezeburger belongs to the players who defend their boss to give their teammates a bit more time at the front. He enters his bunker, buffs all bosses with thorns and the Mark of the Wild, and then waits for 2-3 minutes in stealth until the enemies approach.
During that time, he was often reported as “AFK” – after all, he is sitting there almost motionless in the bunker, but that’s part of the strategy.
Assassin-Druid holds back the entire raid alone
He waits until the Alliance storms the bunker and the boss fight begins. Once the tank has built up enough aggro, Cheezeburger appears and hits the tank with “Cyclone.” This temporarily removes the tank from the fight, allowing the boss to go berserk and take out several DPS players. While chaos ensues and the tank comes out of the cyclone, Cheezeburger is likely to kill him with a stealth attack – after all, the healers are busy handling the panic in the group.
The end result is that too many players in the group die, and without a tank, the Alliance has to regroup to start the fight anew. Usually, this provided enough time for the Horde to win their own fight against the Alliance’s bunker boss.
Now, after leading the Horde to victory with this strategy for a long time, he was banned by Blizzard for 8 days – presumably automated after too many AFK reports.
More news about WoW: Classic and Burning Crusade Classic can be found here:
What is Blizzard doing? Cheezeburger attempted to appeal the ban and submitted a ticket. However, according to his statement, Blizzard could not “comment on specific strategies” and they had “no access to data that could lead to the ban being lifted.”
Cheezeburger sees only one solution: he will likely have to record every one of his matches on video to have evidence.
What do you think about this matter? Is it okay to report players who do not follow the tactic of the “whole team”? Or should such behavior be punished? Does the automated ban system need to be reconsidered?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The indie MMORPG Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen has once again been chosen as the “most awaited MMORPG” on mmorpg.com, even beating Lost Ark. An alpha is finally expected to start in 2022.
What kind of MMORPG is it?
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen was the big dream of developer Brad McQuaid, who made a name for himself with Everquest and Vanguard. However, he passed away in 2019.
Essentially, Pantheon aims to be a “real MMORPG” where you need a group for everything and must fight through dungeons instead of just rushing through hysterically laughing.
The MMORPG feels very “oldschool” and clearly takes inspiration from titles like Everquest – it is an MMORPG for MMORPG purists and enthusiasts.
Pantheon wins “most awaited MMORPG 2022” – Beats Lost Ark
What award did it win? The creators of the MMORPG are currently thrilled because they have won the award for “most awaited game” on mmorpg.com. They even beat out “Lost Ark”.
This is a somewhat surprising choice, as the release of Lost Ark for 2022 is already confirmed. Yet the release of Pantheon is still uncertain.
Winning such an award often means that an MMORPG has successfully inspired its core community to participate in the voting.
Where does Pantheon stand right now? In a blog post, the developer looks back at 2021: In January, they announced an investment that allowed them to hire new employees. Throughout the year, the team worked diligently on the MMORPG: There were “pre-alpha sessions” in April, June, and July.
For 2022, streams, more pre-alpha sessions, and events are planned. A start to the alpha is proposed as a significant milestone in development for 2022.
This is how it’s being discussed: In discussions about Pantheon and the award win, there are essentially two camps:
Some are incredibly enthusiastic about Pantheon and say that since they first heard about the MMORPG, they’ve been waiting for it, and for them, it is undoubtedly the “most awaited MMORPG”.
Others criticize the long development time and how little the game has to show for itself. When a game wins the award for “most awaited MMORPG” three times in a row, it is seen as an insult. The game is reportedly competing with Star Citizen for the title of “longest development”.
Two weeks after the start of Season 25 in Diablo 3, we look at the leaderboards. Which class is currently the best for solo pushing and which class is at the bottom ranks?
What’s happening in Diablo 3? On December 10, Season 25 started with the new Soul Shards that players can socket into their head and weapons. With the great powers of these shards, some builds of the seven classes in D3 become even stronger.
Now, two weeks after the launch, we look at the leaderboards of Season 25. Which classes are leading with best times and which class is at the bottom? This gives a good view of the current winners and losers.
Diablo 3: Leaderboards from Season 25 as of December 24
What are we showing here? We are showing you the current interim results of the leaderboards for Season 25 in Diablo 3. We are looking at the European leaderboards in softcore mode for solo players. The time is counted for the “Overall” category, which considers all sets.
Which builds are being played? In the list, we’ve linked each hero profile with which the record was set. Whether the builds with which the times were recorded are still applied is not guaranteed. By looking at the hero profile, you get an insight into which skills and items the characters are currently equipped with.
What stands out? The lineup in the leaderboard corresponds well to what the tier list of Season 25 predicted. Monks with the Inna’s set and Mystic Allies are currently a highlight and are at the top of the tier list in S-Tier. This is reflected in the rankings – monks complete a GR of level 150 in just under 5 minutes, while Crusaders take significantly longer with 13 minutes.
The WW set of the Barbarians is currently not able to keep up and will likely struggle to fight towards GR 150 with higher Paragon levels.
It is also noticeable that the ranking of the Demon Hunters has finally stabilized. Just shortly after the launch of the season, a huge exploit was discovered that ruined leaderboard fun for players. Players with the Demon Hunter class could exploit a feature of the GoD set to massively increase their damage. Thus, they were able to complete Greater Rifts of level 150 in just under a minute.
Blizzard has since deleted these entries from the leaderboard and ensured more fairness. However, this exploit was a negative highlight right at the start of the season that was widely discussed in the community. We at MeinMMO conducted an interview with Diablo expert Wudijo on the topic. He explained to us how the exploit roughly works, its consequences, and what consequences it should have.
2021 was supposed to be the year of Crowfall . The indie MMORPG flopped at launch in July and received little attention. However, by the end of the year, there is only good news for the players. The “best news”: The game has been sold. This is supposed to bring new hope for 2022.
This was the idea of Crowfall:
Crowfall was to become a PvP MMORPG where the world is reset regularly. This was intended to prevent the game experience from becoming stale due to one side of the conflict dominating the server. The game was described at its presentation in 2015 as “EVE Online meets Game of Thrones” – great intrigues and power plays in a fantasy world.
The development of Crowfall took more than 6 years. The developers took their time. Additional money came in because the team was able to sell the engine. A beta was postponed multiple times. The release, however, was finally on July 6, 2021.
When an MMORPG is released and no one notices – Has it really been released?
The people who played it saw potential in the game, but found it incredibly difficult to get into and were discouraged by the fact that not much was happening. It was also criticized that a Steam launch was missing and therefore many people didn’t even notice that the game was out.
Others said: The game lacks a “clear direction.” The developers failed to “read the market correctly” and developed a game that no one wants. Additionally, the timing of the release was poorly chosen, as alongside Crowfall, solid MMORPGs such as “Swords of Legends Online” and especially the monstrously successful New World were released.
Why is there hope at the end of the year? The Executive Producer of Crowfall, Gordon Walton, published a lengthy blog post to reflect on 2021 and provide an outlook for 2022. There is not a bad word to be read here; instead, there is an abundance of enthusiasm.
The main goal is to make Crowfall more accessible for 2022 – players should find it easier to navigate the game.
As a great hope for the future, Walton states that the studio “Monumental” has bought them just a few days ago. Now it is said that these are fantastic news, as it will bring new money into the coffers and enable the implementation of “exciting plans for Crowfall.”
The community manager also said in dialogue with the players that the news that Crowfall was sold was “fantastic.” She is very happy about it, and every player should be too.
How is this being discussed? Overall, Crowfall is a puzzle for many MMORPG fans because there is so much competence behind it, yet the game seems so inaccessible.
Overall, the purchase by Monumental is viewed positively, as the only alternative would have essentially been the closure of Crowfall due to lack of success. However, the buyer is now being critically observed: A mobile developer and indie studio without significant MMO experience buys an unsuccessful MMORPG – this also seems puzzling.
A reddit user says the chance to save Crowfall would be a Steam release combined with a major update – that could bring attention again. Many MMORPG fans probably simply did not have Crowfall on their radar.
We have extensively dealt with the situation surrounding Crowfall on MeinMMO:
Are you getting together with friends or family around the holidays or on New Year’s Eve and looking for games that you can enjoy together? Then the Nintendo Switch is a good choice – here you will find games for gaming professionals as well as newcomers.
Whether with family or friends: game nights can be a lot of fun. This applies both to the typical board game evening and to some fun rounds in front of the console.
It is only important to find titles that everyone can relate to. The Nintendo Switch offers quite a few titles that are ideal for mixed groups.
Here we present a few candidates from various directions.
What kind of games are these? In this list, we have mainly compiled games that are accessible to both children and parents who have had less to do with video games. They are primarily “friendly, accessible games” that can still be challenging. Some of them are suitable for game nights and designed to be played in a short time, while others may take several days to complete.
No ranking here, the games are listed in no particular order.
[toc]
The Classic: Mario Party Superstars
Genre: Party | Players: 1 – 4 | Released: 29.10.2021 | Cost (in Nintendo eShop): $59.99
What kind of game is this? Mario Party is one of the old classics on Nintendo consoles. The game principle is probably closest to that of a typical board game night: You move your characters from the Mario universe across a game board using dice to collect coins and stars.
These boards are not only lovingly designed but also spiced up with action spaces. Sometimes there’s an item, an alternate path on the game board opens up, you win or lose coins – and so on.
However, the highlights of a round are the mini-games. Here you compete in colorful competitions against your opponents. The game principle is usually quickly learned and not particularly complicated. And: If one game doesn’t suit you, maybe the next one will.
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In “Superstars”, the latest installment in the series, you can select from 5 game boards and over 100 mini-games from the past. So if you are a Mario Party veteran yourself, you might encounter some familiar games.
By the way: Alternatively, there is also “Super Mario Party” available on the Switch, which was released in 2018.
How many can play? 1 to 4 players can compete in a party game together. One controller is needed for each player, but it’s playable with individual Joy-Cons. Simultaneously, other controllers are also possible.
The Friendship Destroyer: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Genre: Racing Game | Players: 1 – 4 locally, 12 online | Released: 28.04.2017 | Cost (in Nintendo eShop): $59.99
What kind of game is this? Ah, Mario Kart. You can fall in love with this game even if you usually don’t have much to do with racing games. Colorfully designed racetracks, a variety of items, and a fantastic soundtrack ensure plenty of good mood.
At least until you’re ahead for two and a half rounds only to then get a blue shell to the face and be overtaken by pursuing rivals in the final meters. A classic that has already caused a lot of frustration.
But, once you understand the basics: In Mario Kart, you can choose different characters from the Mario universe, put them in a kart (or on a motorcycle) of your choice, and then start in single races, race series, or cups. On the track, you repeatedly drive through colorful item boxes that supply you with ammunition: Koopa shells, bananas, lightning bolts, and Bob-ombs are just a few of the items you can use to throw sand in your opponents’ gears.
In general, beginners can quickly find their way in Mario Kart as well. There are even aids like a kind of lane assist or automatic acceleration. You can also adjust slow speeds and simple opponent AI settings. It is one of the best games for children.
But the same applies here: real Mario Kart masters are hard to beat when you are just getting started on the race track.
How many people can play? Up to four players can compete against each other on one Switch.
The Culinary Stress Test: Overcooked
Genre: Cooking Game / Arcade | Players: 1 – 4 | Released: 27.07.2017 | Cost (in Nintendo eShop): $1.99 (until 06.01.2021, after that $19.99)
What makes the game special? Overcooked has a quite simple access: the entire control is dependent on just a few buttons, and the combination of running, sprinting, and the “action button” – meaning chopping, cooking, picking up, serving, and everything else – is quickly learned. This also applies to gaming beginners and the first recipes are easily mastered.
However, it doesn’t take long for the game to ramp up. Then the pressure in the kitchen becomes significant, and you have to complete multiple tasks at once. Here the true spirit of Overcooked reveals: suddenly you have to coordinate with each other, avoid bumping into each other, and make sure that the kitchen doesn’t catch fire. Good communication is essential.
The whole thing can be stressful, but it is also incredibly satisfying when you master a complicated level. Due to the absolutely essential teamwork, Overcooked is one of the best couch co-op games ever.
For starters, you can simply download the classic Overcooked for a little money on the Switch. However, there is also “Overcooked 2” or the complete collection “All You Can Eat” in the shop. They are more extensive but also a bit more expensive. However, the game principle is fun in all versions!
How many people can play? Up to four cooking enthusiasts can bump into each other in the kitchen at the same time.
Superhero Bash with Story: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3
Genre: Action | Players: 1 – 4 | Released: 19.07.2019 | Cost (in Nintendo eShop): $59.99
What makes Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 special? If you are looking less for a party game and more for a story-driven game, then the third part of the Ultimate Alliance series might be for you. The game was released exclusively for the Switch and offers you a comprehensive field of Marvel superheroes.
The game starts with the Guardians of the Galaxy, but soon more favorites like Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and Black Widow join. The story revolves around the “Black Order” – Thanos’ minions who are after the Infinity Stones. If you are a fan of the comics or movies, you will recognize a lot.
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After a brief introduction, you can swap your heroes at will and equip them with various abilities. Primarily you will be battling your way through colorful levels in a top-down perspective, similar to Diablo – only everything is significantly more colorful and pleasant. There is not really any loot, but you can access unique skills with all heroes that can also be combined.
Ultimate Alliance 3 is not a particularly difficult game, which newcomers will quickly find their way into. Sometimes the camera perspective can be somewhat disturbing, but overall, the gameplay runs smoothly on the big screen. If you are a Marvel fan or at least have a bit of a liking for superheroes, you can easily spend a few fun hours with friends or family here.
How many can play? A total of up to four players can join the superhero team and experience the entire story together.
On the next page, you will find even more Mario games and games for jumping around or winding down. Additionally, we will introduce you to a single-player game as a bonus that is more fun when played together.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
