The last three University of Oregon Police Department chiefs left before fulfilling their contracts. After the latest chief — Carolyn McDermed — retired unexpectedly, UOPD began the search for a replacement for the fourth time in a decade.

Last September, the University of Oregon hired Matthew Carmichael as chief of UOPD. Carmichael says the experience he has gained in past police service will help him rebuild Oregon’s police department into the service he says it should be.  

“I want to be that catalyst that helps reduce sexual assault on campus. I want to be that department and team that reduces bike theft. I want to make sure that no student walks alone at night.”

Carmichael’s innovative style of leadership is something no other chief has brought to campus. UO’s police chief is mixing it up with students in the EMU and making UO crime logs more easily available to the public online.

(Christopher Trotchie/Emerald)

Carmichael has been working as a law enforcement officer for 33 years. Previously he served as chief of police at UC Davis. He became chief at the UCDPD following an incident at UC Davis where police pepper sprayed Occupy protesters in 2011 with military-grade pepper spray.

Carmichael is set on making a difference during his time at UO. His first step is to foster a stronger relationship between UOPD and the campus community by finding ways to connect with students and campus groups so UOPD can better understand their needs and concerns.

Carmichael’s initial work toward achieving these goals was hiring student workers such as Maria Mbodj, a pre-business administration major, to help out at the UOPD office. Mbodj and students like her help with design work, manage social media and often accompany Carmichael to various meetings with student groups to help guide their talks toward the most important issues.

Mbodj has been impressed with Carmichael’s effort so far; she feels he has made a strong effort to understand the needs of the campus community.

“So far we’ve started working on presentations on alcohol, sexual education and all the things that might end up making someone’s experience at UO bad,” Mbodj said.

Carmichael also plans to expand the SafeRide program using UOPD funds and enlist student volunteers for campus security.

One of Carmichael’s main projects for  campus is creating a unified lost and found program run by UOPD. Currently, each building has its own lost and found system, forcing students to backtrack for their missing items. Carmichael’s new program will provide a centralized location on campus to recover items, as well as introduce a website to help students report and recover lost items.

According to Jennifer Garcia, the current interim police chief at the UCDPD who worked with Carmichael for many years, Carmichael has always been known for having big ideas but also for having the drive and planning ability to implement even the most surprising of them.

“He was always a deep thinker. He has lots of big ideas and likes to play them out and experiment a little bit. It’s like thinking outside the box,” Garcia said. “He was always a fun and happy person who was really good to work with.”

Despite his optimism, Carmichael has inherited a tense situation at UOPD due to the whistleblowing incident of 2012, an ensuing lawsuit and the abrupt departure of the previous police chief. But Carmichael has been in worse situations before.

On Nov. 18, 2011, two UCDPD officers sprayed several unarmed and seated protestors in the face with military-grade pepper spray. The incident went viral in a matter of hours, which drew global attention and put both the school and UCDPD in a tense position.

Both officers involved and the UCDPD police chief were placed on administrative leave soon after. On the Saturday following the event, Carmichael, a lieutenant at the time, received an offer to become the acting police chief for UCDPD.

Initially Carmichael declined the job offer. But after thinking it over, considering the gravity of the situation and talking with his family, Carmichael decided this would be the best opportunity for him to make a difference in a troubled time for law enforcement in the U.S.

“My wife and I talked it through and thought maybe we could have a positive impact,” Carmichael said. “I stepped outside myself a bit and thought, hopefully, we could make things better.”

Carmichael confronted the storm of outrage and controversy facing UC Davis, something that often brought out the more serious side of his upbeat personality.

This is Chief Carmichael’s Amber bear. Amber Swartz was abducted in Pinole, California in 1988. Carmichael had this case years later as a detective sergeant. To date, Amber has not been located and his amber bear reminds him of that every day. It is something he has kept with him for years and has the most meaning in his workspace. (Christopher Trotchie/Emerald)

“Even though he liked to joke around and have fun, he had this serious side to him. When it was time for business, it was time to do business,” said Lieutenant James Barbour, a fellow officer at UCDPD who had worked with Carmichael starting in 2004. “He’d often try to inject humor into the process, but only when it was appropriate.”

Carmichael estimates that during the pepper spray scandal, UCDPD received at least 4,000 formal complaints from callers around the nation. That wasn’t the only source of hostility Carmichael and the department faced. As chief he was forced to make tough decisions and some, particularly those regarding personnel action, were not popular with the law enforcement community. Carmichael says he received “hate emails” from U.S. police officers in response to some of the decisions he made.

Ultimately, Carmichael’s efforts instilled a sense of trust between UCDPD and the UC Davis campus community. He carried the tone he set in those hectic first months throughout his tenure at UC Davis. Carmichael started an officer outreach program, established a monthly meeting to listen to the concerns of students and even recruited the department’s bomb dog, Charlie.

“He really put himself out there,” Garcia said. “He worked harder than all of us. He came in first and went home last, worked weekends and made himself available to students, staff, faculty and anyone who wanted to talk to the police department.”

When “Pokemon GO!” was released last summer, UC Davis, like many other campuses, needed to address the safety concerns the mobile game presented. Carmichael organized a massive “Pokemon GO!” event, where he invited the campus community to come play the game with UCDPD, reminding them to exercise caution while playing.

Carmichael believes that the UO community is very open and has given him an instant sense of belonging. He admires the university setting because of the many opportunities and experiences it opens for people who attend or visit.

At 52, Carmichael has no plans to stop working in law enforcement anytime soon, but even when he retires he envisions himself staying in a university community. He is considering studying geology later in his life because of his interest in stones. He enjoys scouring the desert and picking agates off the beach with his family during his free time.

“What’s different for UO is that there’s no mistaking where you’re at,” said Carmichael. “The UO, for us, is like that binder that brings the community together — the whole state, honestly. It’s very welcoming, it’s a comfortable place to be, but it makes you feel like you’re part of something greater.”

Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled the name of UO student Maria Mbodj. We are not in the business of name-changing and regret this error.

The post The New Face of the UOPD: Fourth time’s the charm appeared first on Emerald Media.

Firaxis has released a free demo version of “Sid Meier’s Civilization 6” that allows players to play up to 60 turns

Civilization is the great-grandaddy of strategy video games that’s had players gritting their teeth and muttering “One. More. Turn.” for over 25 years. Whether you’re still stuck on “Civilization 5” or haven’t put together the cash to pick up the latest installment, there’s a new way to get that 4X fix you might be looking for.

Right now you can download the 60-turn demo version of “Civilization 6” for free on the game’s official website. When players hit that 60-turn limit, you’ll be prompted to wither start a new game or given the option to buy the full version and continue where you left off. Video game demos have become an endangered species these days so it’s rather refreshing to see Firaxis dip back into the golden age of PC gaming.

If you’re out of the loop on the game’s new features, the latest installment has added city districts that can be managed, split the tech tree into two independent paths and added a religion-focused victory condition.

In addition to the new demo, Firaxis will soon be releasing Persia as a playable civilization, led by Cyrus II.

Watch the latest trailer for “Civilization 6” below:

“Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade” has gone free-to-play, but not as originally planned

“Warhammer 40k” fans have probably been keeping an eye on the long-awaited “Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade.” The game was met with quite a bit of critical reception following its release, with players and fans calling the business model “pay to win” and protesting several last-minute design choices.

One of these biggest changes was the removal of the “Free-to-Waagh!” option, which would have let players join the Ork faction for free by using the Ork’s iconic psychic mob mentality to power up large groups. Much to the dismay of fans, this feature was removed as it caused many balancing issues, according to the game’s development team.

But those wishing to give the game a spin will still have a chance without emptying their pockets. The game’s Carnage Edition is available for free. This free version of the game gives players access to the basic class for each of the game’s four factions: Space Marines, Chaos, Orks and Eldar. Additionally, free players have a substantially reduced progression rate, which can only be removed by upgrading to the full version or purchasing a substantial amount of in-game currency.

So if you’re a “Warhammer” fan or have just been looking to give the game a spin, now would be an opportune time. For the Emperor!

Watch the trailer below: 

New “Overwatch” hero Orisa is live now

The newest “Overwatch” hero Orisa is now live and fully playable in-game. Orisa is an unstoppable robotic quadruped tank with the ability to boost team damage. You can check out more detailed coverage of her debut here.

Watch Orisa’s launch trailer below:

Gaming Week In Review is a semi-regular column by Mathew Brock devoted to recapping recent news from the video game world each week.

You can follow Mathew on Twitter: @MathewQBrock.

The post Gaming Week in Review: ‘Civilization 6’ demo, ‘Warhammer: Eternal Crusade’ goes free-to-play appeared first on Emerald Media.

Monday, March 20 -Thursday, March 30: Modern Love Exhibit at The Lincoln Gallery (309 W 4th Ave.), weekdays 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., free

“Modern Love,” an exhibit that opened on Feb. 3 in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, is a community art showcase that features artwork from Eugene’s community members and participants who are working for Oregon Supported Living Program’s Arts and Culture Program. The exhibit stands as an apt portrayal of love in the modern age, highlighting not only its trials and tribulations but also the celebration and magnificence of such journeys. The theme will be captured with various art forms, including sculpture, paintings, prints, unique installations and mixed media art forms.

Keep an eye out for future quarterly exhibitions at The Lincoln Gallery. Find out more on the OSLP website.

-Carleigh Oeth

Friday, March 24: Alton Brown Live: Eat Your Science at Hult Center for Performing Arts (7th and Willamette), 8 p.m., $40-$68 for tickets

The Food Network’s Alton Brown will be in Eugene for a live show featuring scientific and culinary experiments. With a focus on the spectacle, Brown’s show includes random audience participation and multimedia gimmicks, along with some messy food projects. This show provides a great chance to see Brown, who is known for hosting “Cutthroat Kitchen” and “Iron Chef America,” in a different hosting light. There will be puppets and singing, according to the tour’s website. Eat Your Science is Brown’s second tour after 2015’s Edible Inevitable. If you’re looking for a way to destress after finals and see some some mad-scientist style cooking fun, check out Alton Brown’s whimsical show this Friday.

Find out more at http://www.hultcenter.org/ or call the Hult Center’s ticket office at (541)-682-5000.

-Sararosa Davies

Saturday, March 25: UO Disc Golf Club’s Duck Chuck 2017, Erb Memorial Union (1228 University St.), 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., $20

To kick off the start of spring break, the University of Oregon Disc Golf Club will be hosting its annual Duck Chuck event on campus. The event is family-friendly and non-competitive with a course ready for anyone to play. Registration will continue through the afternoon and costs $20. With the payment you get to play a full round on the course with a brand new disc to take home afterward. Playing an additional round will cost five dollars per person. The event will also include a raffle, games, prizes and more.

The Disc Golf Club is a student-run organization and proceeds from Duck Chuck 2017 will help the team attend competitions, including the upcoming National Collegiate Disc Golf Championships. For more information on the club, their upcoming competitions and the Duck Chuck 2017, visit their Facebook page.  

-Leanne Harloff

Sunday, March 26: Public Tour of Rodin Exhibit at Portland Art Museum, (1219 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR), 3 p.m. – 4 p.m., Tours are free for members or with museum admission, and free for all aged 17 and younger

Explore the Portland Art Museum this spring break with expert docents who are well-versed in what the museum has to offer. One of many tours open to the public over the next week highlight the special exhibition of Auguste Rodin sculptures. The show commemorates the 100th anniversary of the revolutionary sculptor’s death and displays many of Rodin’s notable works. The sculptor’s representation of bronze as living flesh combined with his interest in capturing human emotion was highly influential upon younger artists, both in Europe and America. Rodin: The Human Experience reveals why the sculptor is considered the crucial link between traditional and modern sculpture.

Tickets for the P.A.M. are $19.99 for adults, $16.99 for students and seniors, and free to members or those under 17 years of age. Visit http://portlandartmuseum.org for more information.

-Franklin Lewis

Wednesday, March 29: K. Flay at WOW Hall (291 W 8th Avenue) 8 p.m., $15 at the door

Enjoy spring break in Eugene with K. Flay this Wednesday, with her upcoming performance at WOW Hall. The artist from Illinois is known for her genre-bending music which mixes hip-hop and indie for a beautiful soundscape. Flay will release her second album “Every Where Is Somewhere” on April 7, nearly three years after her hit debut album “Life As A Dog.” The 2014 album was funded by fans through PledgeMusic and reached No. 14 on the Billboard Rap Albums chart. Since “Life as a Dog,” Flay signed to Night Street Records, a subdivision of Interscope Records. She’s been a common addition to many summer festival lineups this year, including Firefly Music Festival and Forecastle Festival. Catch Flay with her unique brand of indie hip-hop this week at WOW Hall between her stops in Vancouver and Los Angeles.

-Casey Miller

The post Things to do this week: Duck Chuck Disc Golf, Alton Brown Live and K. Flay at WOW Hall appeared first on Emerald Media.

Leaving home is a huge transition for many college students. It’s one thing for students to leave behind their mother’s home cooking, the familiarity of their rooms and the comfort of their families. But for others, leaving home means leaving behind part of themselves.

At the University of Oregon, ASUO funds multicultural groups in its efforts to host celebrations devoted to showcasing the unique heritage of students from across the globe.

Throughout the year, UO students and Eugene citizens gather on campus to celebrate a variety of cultures through events hosted by UO’s international student groups. These culture nights give the people of Eugene a glimpse at the range of minority cultures found in the city and on UO’s campus that are often underrepresented within the larger community.

Video produced by Eric Schucht.

“I think these events, first and foremost, create a space for cultures and the people who identify as part of those cultures that are usually a minority,” said Yue “Adam” Shen, a UO student from China.

Shen is the ASUO international student advocate. She helps international student groups strengthen their communities and highlight the richness of their cultures within the campus community and Eugene at large.

Here at UO, students from over 100 countries, who total 12.7 percent of the student population, are all categorized by the registrar as only “international students.” Cultural nights allow these students and those with deep cultural ties to express their heritage with any of their interested peers.

Many student groups such as the Japanese Student Organization (JSO) and the Students of the Indian Subcontinent (SIS) host culturally focused events as opportunities to share their cultural heritage with the Eugene community and stay close to their roots while away from home.

Theresa Wanner sings “Hanamizuki,” one of Japan’s most popular karaoke songs, at the annual Japan Night celebration on on Feb. 19. (Mathew Brock/Emerald)

Vikas Mankala and Nishan Senthirajah, co-vice presidents of the SIS and first-generation immigrants (children of immigrants to the U.S.), feel it’s important to seek out those cultural ties as part of the UO community.

“Being in the United States, we’re a little bit removed from India and that area,” Mankala said. “I really want to stick with my cultural roots. The mission of the club is to spread Indian culture throughout campus and raise awareness of different cultural elements.”

Mankala and Senthirajah know first-hand the effort it takes to put together events as co-vice presidents of SIS. The SIS holds three major cultural events throughout the year. They host Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights celebration, during the fall. In winter term they host several Bollywood movie nights to help immerse students in Indian culture. But the group’s largest event takes place during spring term and is called Utsav, which is the Sanskrit word for celebration.

“I grew up with [Indian Culture] very much ingrained in my upbringing. Being away from home when you go to college, you’re not with your parents and family anymore,” said Senthirajah. “You’re exposed to almost a different side of reality and it’s good to be involved with an organization that keeps you aware and appreciative of your cultural background.”

Utsav generally involves an afternoon of performances before serving a meal, which the SIS usually arranges to be catered by a local Indian restaurant, usually Taste of India or Evergreen. Many other events, such as Japan Night, work with campus catering to arrange a culturally themed meal, but the SIS uses nearby restaurants for a more authentic spread.

SIS is reviewing auditions to see who will perform at this year’s Utsav event, which usually involves various song and dance routines. Last year, the SIS even arranged for comedian Hasan Minhaj from the “Daily Show” to come to campus and perform his “Homecoming King” comedy routine about his life as a first-generation immigrant.

According to Cathy Webster, co-president of the Japanese Student Organization, events like these are also important to the campus community because they bring attention to the many diverse student groups across campus.

“It’s a way for people to be proud of their culture and where they and their families have come from and really share that with the rest of the students at UO,” Webster said.

On Feb. 19, students, Eugenians and their families waited patiently in a line that curled around the foyer outside of the EMU Ballroom for the annual Japan Night celebration. The line stayed full until the event sold out and those still waiting were turned away.

Alex Caves leads Ahira Daiko’s taiko drum performance at the annual Japan Night celebration on on Feb. 19. (Mathew Brock/Emerald)

Inside, the room was filled with tables covered in Japanese snacks, candy and glowing paper lanterns. In the back, there were several stations with traditional Japanese games and activities, such as origami and a hachimaki headband making table. These caught the attention of visiting children and adults alike.

Over the course of the evening, there were a variety of performances inspired by Japanese culture, including dance performances by Duck Street Dance Club and a taiko drum performance by student group Ahira Daiko.

The night began with children from Yujin Gakuen Elementary, Eugene’s local Japanese immersion school, singing and playing Japanese hand drums. The entire audience later competed for prizes by playing Janken, the Japanese equivalent of rock-paper-scissors. Then, Theresa Wanner, a sophomore journalism student at UO, sang “Hanamizuki,” one of Japan’s most popular karaoke songs, while wearing a flowery, black kimono.

Halfway through the night, performances paused for an intermission so performers and attendees could enjoy a ramen buffet provided by campus catering. Performers and attendees crowded around the buffet line, scooping long tangled noodles into bowls and garnishing their meals with a variety of toppings.

As the night went on, the audience remained engrossed with the performances, games and cultural fare. At one table in particular, Tim Lutz and his wife Cindy Lutz sat — with Tim proudly wearing a hachimaki headband adorned with the word “Emperor” written in Japanese —  enjoying the night’s events. Tim and Cindy attended the night’s festivities to support their daughter Lily Lutz, a senior at UO studying Japanese language.

Although Lily is not Japanese herself, she has been involved with the JSO for the last two years, and according to her father, has had a natural interest in Japanese culture since she first learned to read. Lily regards events like Japan Night as “a great opportunity to interact with Japanese culture.” She thinks involvement with groups like the JSO is a great way to experience and share a different culture.

Students and members of the Eugene community alike can look forward to several more culture night events this year. This year’s Utsav will take place during week five of spring term, and Africa Night, hosted by the African Student Association, will be on June 3. Keep an eye on the UO events calendar for more.

“These culture nights are like highlights, where you can see cultures that aren’t usually seen in the mainstream majority,” Yue “Adam” Shen said. “It gives them a chance, on this campus particularly, to be in the spotlight.”

Video produced by Eric Schucht.

The post Culture on campus: Cultural nights at UO allow students to share their heritage appeared first on Emerald Media.

Blizzard reveals the robotic Orisa as the newest ‘Overwatch’ character, as well as release Bastion and Torbjorn in their own comic

Heroes certainly never die, even less so when they can be rebuilt. Blizzard recently revealed its newest “Overwatch” hero, the reconstructed  Numbani security robot Orisa, who has since been made available for testing on the game’s public test realm. This new hero is slated for full release in late March. 

Orisa is a tank type hero that excels at charging into battle by boosting her defenses and becoming immune to root, knockback and speed altering effects. She is armed with an automatic gun that fires quickly and accurately, but also dramatically reduces her movement speed when used. Her ultimate deploys a supercharger, which significantly boosts the damage of all nearby allies until destroyed.

First created as an OR15 defense drone for the African city of Numbani, Orisa was rebuilt and enhanced by the 11-year-old engineer Efi Oladele, who gave the quadrupedal guardbot a more complex and more heroic personality matrix. Alongside Orisa’s introduction, we get some insight into the mysterious background character Doomfist, who seems to have wiped out the entire OR15 line during a rampage. We’ll have to wait and see whether it’s just another glimpse into “Overwatch’s” drip-fed backstory or a teaser of what’s to come.

Speaking of the “Overwatch” backstory, two of the game’s heavy hitting defenders meet up for the first time in Blizzard’s latest free comic release, “Binary.” The comic follows the fledgling adventures of Bastion, one of the last in a line of dangerous minigun-equipped security drones that caused havoc during the Omnic crisis. When Bastion sightings cause panic across the German countryside, their guilt-stricken creator answers the call, only to be surprised when the alleged deathbot is instead making friends with woodland critters.

You can learn more about Orisa here and read the latest comic here.

Check out the Emerald’s review of Overwatch here.

Watch the first trailer for Orisa below:

Check out our coverage of the last “Overwatch” hero, Sombra, here.

‘No Man’s Sky’ has received its second update that includes a huge host of new features, including vehicles, new multi-tools types, graphic updates and much more

Earlier this year, the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that the developers of “No Man’s Sky” had not engaged in any deceptive advertising practices after months of heated online debate, but that didn’t stop many from walking away from the controversy with a bad taste in their mouth. 

A huge point in Hello Games’ favor has been its fairly massive free content drops over the year since the game’s release. The “Foundation” update was the first and added an array of homesteading type features to the game, including base creation, farming and the ability to purchase orbital freighters to alleviate the game’s minimalist inventory system. The latest update takes things a step further by adding some new toys to make your deep space exploration a little more interesting.

The “Pathfinder” seems to be all about blazing new trails. There are new ship varieties, and now players can have multiple ships at once. There are now four types of multi-tool, each with a different specialization, such as a rifle for combat, an experimental scanner for research and even rare alien themed equipment with special bonuses. There’s also a variety of vehicles called exocraft, which allow players to quickly and efficiently traverse planets with either a sleek hovercraft called the Nomad, a bouncy buggy named the Roamer or a hulking carrier known as the Colossus. 

The base feature has also been greatly expanded upon with the addition of online base sharing, which has a special section on the Steam client to easily share space-age hovels with friends. 

Additionally, there is a host of graphical and audio improvements, as well as a photo mode to capture the most interesting of your randomly generated worlds. 

So whether you’ve been holding out to see if the game shapes up or just want to see what all the fuss has been about, you can pick up the game on PC, Playstation 4 or Xbox One. The game is currently available for 40 percent off in celebration of the new update. 

You can learn more on the game’s official website.

Check out the Emerald’s review of No Man’s Sky here.

Watch the latest trailer below:

Gaming Week In Review is a semi-regular column by Mathew Brock devoted to recapping recent news from the video game world each week. You can follow Mathew on Twitter: @MathewQBrock.

The post Gaming Week in Review: New ‘Overwatch’ hero Orisa and comic, ‘No Man’s Sky’ major update appeared first on Emerald Media.

Imagine yourself wading through a sea of warriors, clad in plate armor and sweeping away lesser men with a massive sword. As your line pushes forward you notice you’re not the only titan on this battlefield. A warrior made of muscle wearing leather rags and wielding a giant axe crashes into you, tossing you out of the mob before the two of you square off with soldiers on both sides forming a circle to watch.

You seem evenly matched at first, but after an exchange of blocks, parries and flurries of wild strikes, your enemy slumps to the ground defeated. However, your victory is short-lived; another warrior, this one with a long curved sword and a demon-like red mask, soon wades through the crowd looking to take your head.

“For Honor” is a multiplayer-focused third-person hack and slash fighting game where players duke it out on the field of battle as one of 12 heroes from three different factions: Vikings, Knights and Samurai. This lovechild of the niche ‘medieval combat’ genre and the budget of a big time publisher like Ubisoft finally brings a concept popularized by games like “Mount and Blade” and “Chivalry: Medieval Warfare” with the polish of the “Dark Souls” series into the mainstream gaming spotlight.

(Courtesy of Ubisoft)

The story of “For Honor” takes place in a not-quite-earth world where three of the most badass warrior cultures in history somehow ended up in the same continental neighborhood. These three factions fought for ages over scarce resources, spurred by desperation after a cataclysmic volcanic event. Now, after countless years of apathetic peace, a warlord named Apollyon decides to return the world its most natural state: war.

“For Honor’s” 18-mission campaign is above average for a multiplayer-focused title. It serves as a smooth way for new players to learn the mechanics and to do some in-game world building. It also has a degree of replayability, with each mission filled with collectibles that award in-game currency. The Realism difficulty mode is particularly interesting, as it removes the in-game HUD, meaning players must counter the enemy’s attacks based only on the more subtle visual cues of their movements.

While “For Honor’s” story would be best described as ‘serviceable,’ the game excels due to the depth of the combat. There are normal and heavy attacks, as well as guard break attacks to disrupt an enemy’s block. Attacks come from three directions (left, right and upwards) and players can likewise block in any of these directions or use a heavy attack at just the right moment to parry and knock their enemy away. Some characters have a universal block that protects all three directions at once, and others are quick enough to dodge away from attacks altogether. Enough blocks will fill up your Revenge Meter, allowing you a short speed boost to break away from an enemy barrage. All these actions are governed by a stamina meter, which will slow and weaken your attacks if depleted.

Each of the 12 in-game heroes is unique, having their own set of moves and combos, appearances and stats. The lightly armored Nobushi focuses on dodging away from heavy attacks before unleashing a volley of spear strikes. Shield-bearing Conquerors whittle down an enemy’s stamina by blocking so they can finish them off when they’re exhausted and frustrated. The wild Berserker charges in and unleashes a flurry of strikes to overwhelm the enemy while shrugging off any counterattacks. Each hero can be further customized by a set talents that can be changed between matches. These can be anything from a flat, constant damage boost to a short power up after doing an execution move.

A battle featuring the Nobushi, Peacekeeper and Warden class from “For Honor.” (Courtesy of Ubisoft)

There are five distinctive game modes that can be played with others online or with AI controlled bots. The main mode is Dominion, which features 4vs4 teams fighting to capture territory in the midst of a larger battle between AI grunts. Duel is just as it sounds, with two players going head to head in a best-of-five fights match. There are also the Brawl and Elimination modes, where teams fight to eliminate each opposing member over several rounds. Finally, there’s Deathmatch, which is a 4vs4 point based skirmish.

The game also has a progression system where players unlock nine of the 12 classes and earn gear that affects their appearance and stats. In addition to gaining experience and levels for individual heroes, players will also earn in-game currency to buy loot boxes and can earn special taunts and execution moves as well.

“For Honor” does an impressive job at capturing the fantasy of a medieval battlefield. While the single-player elements are compelling for a short time, the game is carried by its fun and complex multiplayer. The complexity of the combat can lead to some brief moments of frustration, but it makes the eventual triumphs far more satisfying in the end.

Watch the launch trailer for “For Honor” below:

Mathew Brock is an Associate Editor for the A&C desk. Check out his previous review of “Fire Emblem: Heroes” or the latest installment of his column: the Gaming Week in Review. Follow Mathew on Twitter at @MathewQBrock.

The post ‘For Honor’ smashes expectations like a viking with an axe appeared first on Emerald Media.

Dramatic storylines and turn-based-combat are what the “Fire Emblem” universe is all about. With over 15 games released over the last three decades, there are certainly plenty of tales to tell within the expansive saga. The latest installment might be the perfect place to start for newbies to the series, since it brings heroes from all the games together in a light, smartphone-sized adventure.

“Fire Emblem Heroes“ is a free-to-play turn-based strategy game available on the iTunes App Store and Google Play. It features elements of the popular “gacha” genre, a business model commonly used in Japan that involves collecting randomly obtained in-game characters with varying rarities and quality levels. You can get multiple copies of the same character, but a five-star version would have better stats than its 4-star counterpart.

The game features characters from across the entirety of the “Fire Emblem” series with new heroes being added on a regular basis and some that are exclusive to the newest game itself. You play as a Summoner from another Earth who has the power to call heroes from any of the “Fire Emblem” worlds. Together with the Order of Heroes, you must stop the misguided Emblian Empire from abusing the same power. 

While the story is serviceable, it feels bare bones when compared to the strong character-driven narratives that the franchise is known for. Still, it’s fun to see old friends or new faces presented in a clean, modern art style that still captures the original theme of characters that were drawn as far back as the early ‘90s. Combat is where the game truly excels, having boiled down the core Fire Emblem gameplay to a mechanically simple, but tactically complex form.

Marth, from the original ‘Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light’ game published in 1990, redesigned for his latest appearance. (Courtesy of Nintendo)

The combat is focused around the classic “Fire Emblem” formula of weapons-based rock-paper-scissors. Red sword beats green axe, green axe beats blue spear and blue spear beats red sword. There is also a colorless weapon type of archers, ninjas and healers that are exempt from the triangle as well as a set of magic tomes with corresponding magic types of each color. Characters wielding these weapons attack from a range and cannot counter-attack or be counter-attacked. Each character also has one of five additional unit types (armored, infantry, cavalry, flying and dragon) that have varying movements and different strengths and weaknesses to one another and the aforementioned weapon types.

The tactical battle screen from Fire Emblem Heroes. (Courtesy of Nintendo)

The square grid-based maps and unique movements of each character make the game feel like an advanced version of chess. For example, a heavy red sword wielding armor unit can only move one space, but is immune to arrow damage and hits infantry units like a truck, only to be blown away by a blue magic wielder.

As a free-to-play game, “Fire Emblem Heroes” has a premium element in the form of purchasable “summon stones” which can be used to obtain new heroes, upgrade your castle to increase experience or add more room for heroes.

Summon stones can be earned by progressing in the game’s campaign mode or by completing special quests that change on a daily, monthly or even yearly basis. These quests also reward various currencies needed to upgrade units to higher star levels and usually have a color that corresponds to a character’s weapon type. These upgrades serve as a way to invest time to get better heroes, instead of leaving it up to chance to try and get the best version. Keep in mind that you’ll need to get a hero to level 20 before upgrading and after they reach a new star level they’ll also be reset to level 1.

If you like the core gameplay of the “Fire Emblem” series or are just a fan of turn based strategy games, “Fire Emblem Heroes” is one of the best available for mobile devices. The core gameplay is a blast and the story will either drown you in nostalgia for the previous games in the series or might just pique your interest for the classic franchise.

You can check it out for free on the Itunes App Store or Google Play.

Watch the trailer below:

The post Review: ‘Fire Emblem Heroes’ captures the basic charm of the series in an accessible new form appeared first on Emerald Media.

“Pokemon Go” rolls out a new update featuring more than 80 new Pokemon from the Johto region

We all remember “Pokemon Go,” Niantic’s phone-based game about catching Pokemon in the real world that exploded in popularity last summer. Whether you only hopped on the worldwide bandwagon for a month or still boot it up for your daily walk, the newest update might be just what the game needs to grab your attention once again.

“Pokemon Go” has received fairly regular updates in the months after its moderately disastrous launch. The biggest one yet just dropped on Thursday, Feb. 16. This new update includes several new features and is just the first of what’s to come, according to Niantic.

The first major addition is the inclusion of over 80 new Pokemon from “Pokemon Gold” and “Pokemon Silver,” the second generation of games from the classic franchise. Some of these new Pokemon have appeared for special events in the past, but most will now be available to find in the world. There are also gender-specific variations of certain Pokemon that you can collect.

There have also been several major tweaks to the game’s encounter mechanics. Certain Pokemon now have special moves and tactics to avoid capture, but trainers also have two new types of berries to use, one which slows a Pokemon’s movements and another that doubles Candie rewards on capture. The Pokeball and berry selection menus have also been reworked into a carousel format, making it easier to switch items during an encounter.

There are also several new customization options for your in-game avatar, as well as a new nighttime encounter screen and music theme.

Niantic has claimed that the next major additions will likely be the long-awaited trading and breeding systems for Pokemon, as well as a revamped player-versus-player mode.

If you’re now considering coming back to the game, take note that Niantic has previously added a “Pokemon Buddy” system that lets you walk Pokemon for candies and has revamped the Pokefinder system to show what Pokemon might appear at nearby Pokestops.

Watch the trailer for the new Pokemon Go patch below:

Valve announces plans to replace or remove Steam Greenlight from its platform.

Video game developer and distributor Valve has announced on the official Steam blog that it will be taking steps to make publishing games on the platform more direct for developers. One of the first steps to do this is to remove the Steam Greenlight program and replace it with a more direct system.

This new “Steam Direct” system is scheduled for release in spring 2017 and will fully replace the existing Steam Greenlight system. It will involve a verification system that requires developers to fill out a range of “digital paperwork” in order to get their game into the Steam Store and help decongest the publication pipeline.

This will be a fairly stark contrast to the Steam Greenlight system, which is basically a popularity-based voting platform that allows Steam users to show their interest in prospective games. The most popular games would be “green lit” and given a chance to be sold on the platform.

Valve admits that there are many details to be finalized and that although it has learned much from the Greenlight program, it’s no longer practical for the direction the platform is moving.

Steam Greenlight has been responsible for some of the most popular games on Steam to end up for sale on the platform, including titles like “Super Hot” and “One Finger Death Punch.”

You can read more about this upcoming change here.

The post Gaming Week in Review: ‘Pokemon Go’ Johto update is here, Valve to replace Steam Greenlight appeared first on Emerald Media.

This time on the Emerald Podcast Network, Mathew Brock and Eric Schucht discuss the shutdown of the popular social MMO Club Penguin and the lifecycle of MMO games in general, particularly how they die out and why it hits so hard.

You can read more about Club Penguin’s shutdown here.

This episode was produced by Franziska Monahan.

The post Podcast: Goodbye Club Penguin and how MMO games die appeared first on Emerald Media.

Disney has announced it will be shutting down the popular social MMO ‘Club Penguin’ after nearly 11 years of operation

Here’s something ‘90s kids will certainly remember. There’s a good chance that if you’re a gamer who grew up sometime in the last 20 years that you’ve spent your fair share of time browsing Google for “free games.” Somewhere among websites like Kongregate, Newgrounds, Neopets and the like, there’s a good chance you stumbled upon a free-to-play game called Club Penguin.

Club Penguin is a social Massively Multiplayer Online game (MMO) designed mainly as an online social experience for children and was purchased by Disney in 2007. Since then, it has had a pretty good run, being the subject of various memes, inspiration for a children’s TV show, and it even managing to carve out a niche genre in the game industry, inspiring more recent online kid’s games like Animal Jam and even Disney’s own, now defunct, Virtual Magic Kingdom.

Disney announced last week that it will officially shut down the Club Penguin servers effective March 29, 2017. This will include both the desktop and Windows versions and neither iteration of the game, nor the game’s premium membership, will be available going forward. Current premium members will keep their benefits in the coming months before the game’s final shutdown.

So if you’re looking to pop back in to see how the old iceberg is doing and get one last dose of nostalgia, this will be your last opportunity. Never fret though, future generations won’t miss out of the Club Penguin experience as Disney will be releasing a sequel known as Club Penguin Island in the months following the game’s end.

Club Penguin isn’t the only major MMO to shut down in recent memory. Asheron’s Call and its sequel Asheron’s Call 2, both shut down on Jan. 31, 2016, much to the lament of long-time MMO fans.

Keep an eye out for the Emerald’s Podcast discussion of MMOs shutting down, coming soon.

‘Conan Exiles’ hits Steam Early Access, taking the gaming community by storm in its own, moderately barbaric, way

Nobody would blame you if you’ve sworn off early access co-op crafting survival games entirely at this point, but there’s one coming around the bend that might get you to turn your head, even if just for a moment.

Chances are you’ve heard about the upcoming survival game Conan Exiles that was announced last December by Funcom, the makers of the MMO The Secret World, as well as the cult classic MMO Age of Conan and its expansions.

The game has hit early access on Steam this week and has so far been standing out among the bloated genre. Featuring an advanced physics system, dark narrative and unique gameplay elements, such as offering tributes to the gods for destructive power, the game has so far held its own when compared to more established titles such as Rust or Ark: Survival Evolved.

The game itself sees players acting as a barbarian warlord in the making. Some of the standout features include recruiting armies of NPC thralls with individual abilities, brutalizing and enslaving one’s enemies, summoning and controlling colossal creatures to destroy enemy fortresses, exploring lost civilizations and plundering ancient tombs — all in true Conan fashion.

So far, the Steam community has been pretty split on what to make of the game. Many have praised its ambition as well as the impressive level of mechanical depth displayed for an early-access game; however, others criticize the title for borrowing many elements from other games in the genre and the amount of in-game bugs contained in the launch build.

We’ll have to wait until the full launch to put out a final verdict, but for the time being it’s good to see a Conan game showing some genuine potential.

The Gaming Week In Review is a semi-regular column by Mathew Brock devoted to recapping recent news from the world of video games each week. You can follow Mathew on Twitter at @MathewQBrock.

The post Gaming Week In Review: ‘Club Penguin’ shutting down, ‘Conan Exiles’ goes Early Access appeared first on Emerald Media.