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Editorials/Student Voice, Tech/Games

JOYSTiCK Non-Review: Is the PS5 Pro an allegory for economical collapse?

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By: Daniel Kendle

Hello everyone, welcome to JOYSTiCK Reviews, the world’s best source of video game reviews if your gaming console of choice is a turnip. That, or the societal equivalent that is the Xbox Series X.

The PS5 (PlayStation 5) Pro console has recently been unveiled, a successor to the PS5 that’s had rumblings about it for the past week. Those rumblings have, in fact, come from the elephant in the room: its pricing.

Yes, for the cheapskate’s price of $699.99 (£699.99), all of you at home can experience the definitive way to play ‘Madden NFL 25.’ Jokes aside, pretty much everyone seems to be upset with Sony for this decision, because $700 is indeed a metric-ton of money to be dishing out for the product, especially for a “pro” console who’s improvements are minimal compared to its sister device. Granted, that’s nothing to say of the YouTube tech channels who’ll be up in arms over the price to specs ratio, yet buy, like, 10 of these to “prove a point.”

Because I too enjoy eating maggot-ridden roadkill, then complaining about the lack of a built-in disc drive, today I’m not here to talk about the PS5 Pro’s lack of substantial improvements. Don’t be silly! No, today I’m here to ask one simple question, one that might rethink your standards of Sony as a whole:

“IS THE PS5 PRO AN ALLEGORY FOR ECONOMICAL COLLAPSE?”

Yes, you heard it here first, folks; Sony’s officially transitioned from hardware manufacturing to provoking currency-based philosophical debate (I always knew they had it in them!). But a multi-billion dollar company’s foray into the world of consumer dogma aside, I think this question in particular requires a bit of critical thinking.

In the anticipation towards a new console’s unveiling, the main thing people look out for is something briefly mentioned earlier: the ratio of improvements/new features to its pricing. The perfect balance of these 2 extremes. – the “Magic Ratio” – is very rare in consoles, but not unheard of.

The problem with the PS5 Pro isn’t with either its pricing or lack of innovation over the original PS5, but how the pair complement each other. The console is being shown off with… improvements, sure, but ones that don’t suffice for such a high cost.

Sure, a pro console may not, and probably shouldn’t be, very different from the original system, but for people who either do or don’t currently have a regular PS5, this new system won’t appeal to both groups. People who don’t have a PS5 will be turned off by the more expensive version, and seeing the lack of big upgrades will either skip the generation of devices all together or buy the current PS5, and people who do don’t want to buy a more expensive version of the console they already have will ignore it, noticing that it has barely any visible changes.

Overall, I see the new console as something of a stain on the PS5’s legacy, something that’ll make this generation less revered than others before. I’d go out of my way to say that the PS5 hasn’t been the most loved PlayStation device, but with the advent of its “superior” sibling, its critical future may be in further jeopardy (I’ll talk more about this latter point in a moment).

All of that was a long-winded way of explaining that, yes, the PlayStation 5 is an allegory for economical Armageddon. Kenichiro Yoshida, head CEO of Sony, must’ve been going to bed one night with his ‘Astro Bot’ jammies, ‘Ratchet and Clank’ action figures, and suspiciously-turnip-shaped Nintendo Switch, and thought, ‘our player base needs to be taught a lesson in consumer culture!’

To explain the “allegory” side of things, economical collapse can basically be defined as an abrupt and radical end of our current society’s method of exchanging currency. This in mind, I humbly see the original PS5 as a stand-in for the economy at hand; this untouchable, unmovable system (for the console, literally; for our economy, metaphorically) that was upended by the arrival of the PS5 Pro, who we’ll categorize as an imaginary, hypothetical new company whose stocks bring down the value of the US dollar to a point of no return. With the arrival of the new company means the tarnishing of the economy, and a collapse to consumerism.

This reflects on how the PS5 Pro has now given consumers a negative outlook on Sony’s newest generation of hardware, not helped by some poor releases as of recent, like ‘Concord’ and ‘Foam Stars.’

However, I don’t think that’s… all that the PS5 is supposed to say.

When Sony was summoning the PS5 Pro down in the caves of the underworld through means of dark magic, they must’ve intentionally priced it at such a high cost in order to sway potential buyers away from purchasing it, and thus spend more time with their friends, family, and community. The PS5 Pro is an allegory for economical collapse… but a lesson in how no video game can compare to the power of love.

So, in conclusion, yes, Sony’s newest console is a look into the potential downfall of our economy, but moreover, a look into the idea of love and kinship being a universal belief. Love, the binary code embedded into our veins, may be the same code written in the PS5 Pro, a new beacon for human connection. The PS5 Pro – or lack thereof – will be the product to immortalize humanity’s greatest treasure.

‘Wow,’ I thought to myself after writing that last paragraph, ‘never before in my life have I wanted to… kiss a company more than ever.’

And after reading this article, I think the feeling is mutual, friend! At the end of the day, the PS5 Pro sucks, and you know what? Maybe that’s okay. Maybe, instead of wailing about “improved graphical fidelity” and other nerd stuff like that, we can all go fishing, or something. But in the meantime, I hope you’ve enjoyed this glance into my psyche, have a great day, and keep eating your turnips.

Tech/Games

‘A Hat in Time’ review

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By: Persephone Pond

‘A Hat in Time’ is a 3D platformer game released in 2017 and developed by an indie studio called Gears for Breakfast, and published by Humble Bumble. In this game, the player plays as a young girl called Hat Kid, who loses her fuel for her spaceship and needs to collect all the pieces to get home.

There are 4 different areas of the planet that these fuel pieces land on. Each area consists of 4-7 different levels plus a boss fight; each level gaining a lost piece of fuel until the player eventually collects all 40 missing pieces and are able to get back home.

The first area is a large town built around a volcano called Mafia Town. The enemies in this area are caricatures of stereotypical Italian mafia members, and while fighting through each level, the player gains more information about their backstory and how Mafia Town came to be.

The second area is a movie studio, where the player meets 2 rival directors fighting for an annual movie award. The first director, The Conductor, is a Scottish murder mystery director with a tendency to direct all his movies on trains. The second director is a disco themed penguin who strives for fame and only fame. Both characters recruit the player to act in their movies, so the levels in this area are more story driven.

The third area is the Subcon Forest, where the player is introduced to an evil spirit who is known by the name The Snatcher. When he steals the player’s soul, he offers contracts to do his dirty work around the forest for the soul to be returned. The forest is spooky and there are a few horror-esque levels in this area.

The final area is the Alpine Skyline. This is a beautiful landscape inhabited by giant goat creatures, who are cared for by smaller, humanoid goat creatures. The player must retrieve pieces of fuel from different areas that all require different skills, and through these levels the player is introduced to the dark lore of the land.

All of the levels in this game are creative and very well thought out, and the level of detail in each individual character’s story is wonderfully fleshed out. The author of this article fully recommends the game and on a scale of 10 stars, easily rates it a 10.

‘A Hat in Time’ is available on consoles such as Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Microsoft Windows. In addition to the vanilla game, there are 2 DLCs available on all the same platforms. These DLCs add 14 total more fuel pieces to collect, and add a higher difficulty to the game if desired, and add 2 new areas to the planet with wonderful stories and characters.

Tech/Games

PERSONAL RANKING OF ‘UNTURNED’ OFFICIAL MAPS

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By: Hoaseng Thao

‘Unturned’ is a free to play survival zombie game made by Smartly Dressed Games, and is personally one I hold very dear to me. I’ve owned the game for at least six years now, and it’s only recently that I’ve tried to play it again after so many years, but one of the things I do remember about the game are its official maps.

Why am I saying “official” maps and not just maps? Well, that’s because ‘Unturned’ hosts what’s known as “curated” maps or maps made by the ‘Unturned’ community, and while I would want to write about how great those maps are, I want to mainly talk about the maps I grew up playing in.

There are five official maps in ‘Unturned’ and I will be ranking them based on three categories:

ENVIRONMENT – How the maps look as well as any lore present in the map.

GAMEPLAY – Are there elements that add to survival or challenges that force the player to change how they play?

UNIQUENESS – What makes this map stand out from the rest?

I will score each category out of five points so the score will look something like this: X/15

And for clarification, these are my personal rankings of these maps, they don’t represent everyone’s opinions on these wonderfully made maps other than my own.

PEI

Also known as Prince Edwards Island, PEI is the first official map of ‘Unturned’ and is located in the great nation that is Canada.

ENVIRONMENT

PEI’s environment is not one to write a whole lot about, it mainly consists of one main island surrounded by a couple other smaller islands. It has a large civilian presence with a small military garrison.

The towns located on the island are also very bland looking, and they’re very simple in design with little to no details on them that makes it feel like a once populated town.

Lorewise the island doesn’t have too much lore to it, there’s a military document calling for the destruction of the bridge connecting to the island, there’s a diary entry from a girl who begins to question her own memories, and there’s a journal referencing the infamous Roswell alien incident.

Overall I’ll give it a 3/5, mostly because the map layout is not too interesting and the towns present on the island are very small in size.

GAMEPLAY

PEI is mostly a PVE (Player vs Enemy) oriented map, and since it’s the first map in ‘Unturned’, there isn’t really much to do but to scavenge for supplies and weapons. Loot is okay, your best chance of actually arming yourself is by looting the military base or police stations scattered across the map.

I give it a 2.5/5, there’s nothing in the map that adds to the gameplay in an impactful way other than the fact you’re limited to civilian grade firearms.

UNIQUENESS

One thing that is unique about PEI is that it’s the only official map set on an island, but other than that there’s nothing much to say about it except for the fact that it’s the first map to be released.

I’ll give it a 3/5 for that at least.

FINAL SCORE: 8.5/15

WASHINGTON

Welcome to the US state of Washington. This map is known for its high-rises, military presence, and tourist attractions.

ENVIRONMENT

Washington takes place near the city of Seattle, and throughout the map we can see the final efforts to contain the infection with destroyed military convoys scattered throughout the map, as well as the destruction of underground tunnels to prevent the spread of the infection.

One thing I really like about Washington is that it has a lot of lore to it. We learn that the zombie infection may have started there by an organization known as Scorpion-7.

I give it a 4/5, I really dig the idea of piecing together what happened in Washington based off of scattered notes and environmental storytelling, and I really like how tall the buildings are in Seattle; it gives off the idea that you’re in a once populated area.

GAMEPLAY

Military loot is pretty easy to find due to the large presence of the military, so finding yourself with a firearm is your number one priority since this map is kinda PVP (Player vs Player) oriented. Other than that, there aren’t any other factors that make the player think about their choices other than to eat and drink often.

I’ll give it a 3/5, since I see Washington as a more PVP oriented map, finding a gun quickly really helps out but that’s about it.

UNIQUENESS

Washington is the first map to have an actual city instead of smaller towns as well as making Seattle the main landmark for navigating the map.

I give this category a 3/5, it’s the first map to include an actual city in it that not only is good in loot but is also a key element for navigation.

FINAL SCORE: 10/15

YUKON

Located in the Canadian territory of Yukon, it is covered in snow, snow, and even more snow with little human presence.

ENVIRONMENT

Yukon’s environment is harsh since there’s little presence of civilization other than a couple mounted police outposts, a city, and an airport but other than that, most of the map is covered in snow and trees with the occasional secret Scorpion-7 projects. When it comes to night time, you can even see the northern lights shine above you which is a very beautiful sight to see.

I give it a 4/5, Yukon is environmentally beautiful, and watching the northern lights above really nails it in.

GAMEPLAY

One very unique thing about Yukon is that since it’s a snowy map, you have to always be warm no matter what because this map introduces the temperature system. This system forces players to consider bunkering down and heating up from the harsh winter environment that is Yukon.

I give it a 4.5/5, for what it tries to do with temperature mechanics, it does very well.

UNIQUENESS

Yukon is by far the most unique map in ‘Unturned’, it forces the player to utilize the plentiful trees to build bases and create warm spots to survive the cold and it’s also the first winter oriented map that utilizes it as a gameplay mechanic.

I give it a 5/5, it is by far the most unique map in ‘Unturned’ and nothing beats it.

FINAL SCORE: 13.5/15

RUSSIA

Welcome to Russia, or at least the western part of it. There is a large military presence as well as signs of hope in a dire world.

ENVIRONMENT

It is absolutely stunning and beautiful. Russia is the first map to have a large deadzone which can kill any player who dares enter it without a gas mask. It’s also more detailed compared to the other maps, with entire railways that flow throughout to help navigate this large map.

Just like in Washington, there is a large military presence that helps emphasize that there was an attempt to stop the infection from spreading with notes from both the military and the civilian population documenting everything falling apart.

I give it a 5/5

GAMEPLAY

One major thing that Russia adds to the gameplay, are NPC quests. In the South lies an aircraft carrier belonging to the “Coalition” faction, a faction that was created in the wake of the outbreak, and by completing quests from its members, you can earn items, experience, and ranks within it.

To the North lies the “deadzone” an area covered in radiation but is home to really good military loot, but the only way to get there is to get a gas mask and stock up on filters if you want to stay there for a while.

I give it a 5/5, it’s the first map to introduce quest mechanics that greatly benefits the player if they want to get supplies without going on a scavenger hunt.

UNIQUENESS

It is by far the most ambitious map in the game, it not only introduces NPCs and quests but it’s also the first large map that doesn’t feel empty. Plus, it’s set in Europe.

I give it a 5/5, Russia for me has always been my go to map as a kid not only because of the quests but because it’s also the largest map that feels great to scavenge through.

FINAL SCORE: 15/15

GERMANY

Welcome to Deutschland, where you’ll find too many mountains, flooded areas, a failed rocket program, and of course the German supermarkets.

ENVIRONMENT

Now I have a weird connection with this map, because the one I grew up playing is not the same one that is in the current game. The one I grew up with was brown and unlively, but this new Germany is greener.

Other than that tidbit, Germany is a mountainous map but it is also one of the most lore heavy maps in the game. You’ll find remnants of the Coalition as well as the entire destruction of the city of Cologne following a failed rocket launch as the government tries to make the best they can before it collapses. It’s very heartbreaking to see the remnants of an entire nation when you travel across the map.

Germany gets a 4.5/5 for this one, having been released after Russia, this map doesn’t really live up to it as much but it does have better environmental storytelling.

GAMEPLAY

To be brutally honest, Germany is just Russia but without quests and NPCs. It contains unique deadzone locations and even a secret boss but other than that it’s not really different in any other way.

I give it a 4/5, not bad but could’ve been better.

UNIQUENESS

Germany is the first map to be centered around mountainous terrain, and since it’s Germany, there is a large element of Oktoberfest being held throughout the map since Germany canonically was one of the first nations to be a safe haven against the infection before it all fell apart.

I give it 4/5, although the Oktoberfest did make the map feel more unique, there wasn’t really anything else unique about it when compared to Russia which both maps are the exact same size.

FINAL SCORE: 12.5/15

FINAL RESULTS

  1. RUSSIA 15 POINTS
  2. YUKON 13.5 POINTS
  3. GERMANY 12.5 POINTS
  4. WASHINGTON 10 POINTS
  5. PEI 8.5 POINTS

If you want to play ‘Unturned’ I highly recommend downloading it on their Steam store page, https://store.steampowered.com/app/304930/Unturned/

Tech/Games

‘Lethal Company’: Probably the best co-op game to date

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By: Julia Yang

Warning: this game includes spiders, jumpscares, creepy sounds, and many other horror elements.

Fun fact: ‘Lethal Company’ is one of the most positively rated games on Steam. It’s currently in the top 24 of most positively rated, and was the top rated new release game of 2023.

‘Lethal Company’ is a game where you and your chosen buddies are hired by a pretty hazardous company— some might even say lethal— where you’re tasked to land on a variety of moons in outer space to collect scrap for money to meet the assigned quota. Upon entering the main building containing said scraps, little did they tell you that the moons are infested with monsters, creatures, and creepy crawlers that will almost never hesitate to kill you on sight. You’ll encounter a variety of beings like large spiders, a nutcracker with a shotgun, a totally innocent butler, and even deadly blue goo!

Fail to collect the money needed to meet the given quota, and you’ll be blasted off into space. Do whatever it takes to get the scraps you need. Or don’t. I’m not here to tell you how to play the game.

This game truly is the best horror game to play with your friends and family — if you’re not too scared of course. Despite how the game graphics look, ‘Lethal Company’ delivers some of the most terrifying scares of all time.

This game includes voice proximity, meaning if two players are close then you’ll hear each other, but the further away, the quieter you are. Proximity chat makes any game immediately 10x funnier and scarier with the right moments. You’ll be collecting scraps for the quota and then you’ll hear your friend screaming for their lives in the background, it’s hilarious.

What makes ‘Lethal Company’ so good I believe is the overall multiplayer horror factor and the hilarious moments that come out of it. You see, ‘Lethal Company’ is so terrifying that your friends can’t help but laugh at your demise. I will say, this game may not be the best of games to help bond, but man does it get your adrenaline going.

Yet again, another factor that makes this game so awesome really doesn’t come from the game itself, but its fans. Mods. The mods made for ‘Lethal Company’ are so fun, one of my personal favorites is the “Skinwalker” mod.

This mod basically takes voice snippets of you and every other active player and makes it so the monsters can use you or other players’ voices to lure players to their doom. You don’t understand true fear until you hear a dead player’s voice call out to you.

There are an unbelievable amount of mods to make ‘Lethal Company’ even better than it already is which immediately bumps up the rating once again.

The title may look to be biased, but I haven’t actually played the game myself and many across the globe can agree with it. Honestly, if you want to find out what the hype about this game is because I can’t explain what makes it so good that well, then be my guest; the game is $9.99, only found on Steam.

One last fact: This game is completely made up, developed, coded, modeled, and sound designed by one person.

Tech/Games

HOW TO GET ALL ‘ACE COMBAT 7’ “ACE” SKINS

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By: Hoaseng Thao

‘Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown’ is a video game made by Bandai Namco, and if you’ve ever played the campaign, you may have seen certain enemies with names on them.

These named aircrafts are actually ace pilots and as a brief explanation to why they’re called an “ace”, an ace is a pilot who’s shot down five or more aircraft in aerial combat.

Each enemy ace flies their own aircraft so by downing one of these aces, you can unlock their unique skin for that aircraft, however if you want to fly around with the skin, you do need to finish the main campaign first.

There are a total of 24 named aces throughout the campaign, but they don’t appear right away as they require a couple of steps to be spawned in.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to trigger them, and what’s the best way to unlock them.

I’ll start off in chronological order of the campaign, starting from mission 1 to 19. I’ll also show the name of the ace, and their specific aircraft.

Mission 1 “Charged Assault” | PYRO | Mig-21

To unlock this ace, you need an aircraft that can equip a special weapon that can launch multiple missiles, any variant is fine. The trigger for this ace is that you need to kill at least the third wave of bombers in one volley.

Mission 2 “Charge the Enemy” | JESTER | Mig-29

Enemy ace “JESTER” can be triggered when you destroy the control tower right after destroying all radar vehicles, but before the drones spawn in. As long as you destroy the radar vehicles before the drones spawn, you’re good to go.

Mission 3 “Two-pronged Strategy” | BAYONET | F-16C

“BAYONET” can only be triggered when you down four aircraft within two minutes, so the best way to achieve this is to use an aircraft with long range weapons. “BAYONET” will spawn behind the Arsenal Bird.

Mission 4 “Rescue” | RONIN | F-15J

“RONIN” is an F-15J that can be triggered when you fly below 200 meters during the stealth section, after that you can find him in the North.

Mission 5 “444” | FANG | F-15C

For “FANG” to spawn in, your aircraft has to take on at least half of your health for them to spawn.

Mission 6 “Long Day” | KITTEN | F-14D

To unlock “KITTEN”, you’re going to have to just fly through the tunnel at the western base, then they’ll spawn in.

Mission 7 “First Contact” | FAUCON | Typhoon

This ace is pretty easy to trigger, as you’ll need to eliminate all non-target enemies and they’ll spawn in to intercept you.

Mission 8 “Pipeline Destruction” | GAZELLE | F-15E

“GAZELLE” is one of the trickiest ones to trigger, as you need to destroy all oil tanks before the timer runs out. I recommend using aircraft that can launch bombs with a large radius. “GAZELLE” spawns alongside the drones.

Mission 9 “Faceless Soldier” | SPIDER | F-18F

In order to get “SPIDER”, you need to shoot down at least half of the non-targets for them to spawn. The best way to achieve “SPIDER” is to use air to ground missiles, as you can just shoot and forget.

Mission 10 “Transfer Orders” | LOUVETEAU | Gripen E

Just like for “BAYONET”, this one is time based as you need to defeat all SAM sites within five minutes so you’ll need a fast aircraft. “LOUVETEAU” will spawn from the east alongside other Gripens.

Mission 11 “Fleet Destruction” | IBIS & CHASSEUR | SU-33 & RAFALE M

There are two aces in this mission, “IBIS” and “CHASSEUR”. To get “IBIS”, you must fly through the cores of the sea platforms, and they’ll spawn near the Erusean Fleet. For “CHASSEUR” you’re going to have to destroy all fighter jets on the northern platforms before they go airborne, only then will they spawn.

Mission 12 “Stonehenge Defensive” | WALRUS, FOUDRE, BUFFLE | SU-34, MIR-2000-5, A-10C

There’s a lot of aces in this mission, so to be brief, “WALRUS” can be triggered when Stonehenge has taken no damage, “FOUDRE” will spawn once you fly underneath any of the Stonehenge turrets, and “BUFFLE” will spawn when you destroy the three A-10Cs from the east.

Mission 13 “Bunker Buster” | COMET | MIG-31

“COMET” is pretty easy to do, just get a fast aircraft and just target the bunkers, but the only problem is that “COMET” does spawn behind you when the ICBMs launch.

Mission 14 “Cape Rainy Assault” | GLADFLY | SU-47

Just like in ‘Star Wars’, the trigger in this mission is to complete the trench run within 2 minutes, so equip a fast and agile aircraft for this one in order for “GLADFLY” to spawn.

Mission 15 “Battle for Farbanti” | BOGEN & SERPENT | F-2A & SU-37

“BOGEN” is pretty easy, so target the Aegis ashore platform and they’ll spawn in, but intercept him quickly or else they’ll flee south. For “SERPENT” to spawn just get around 15,000 points before the timer reaches five minutes, and he’ll spawn in.

Mission 16 “Last Hope” | AXEMAN | SU-45S

Achieve at least 10,000 points in the first section of the mission for “AXEMAN” to spawn, however identify them first before shooting.

Mission 17 “Tyler Island” | MANTIS | F-35C

For “MANTIS” to spawn in, you need to fly above but also very close to the mass driver, only then will they spawn in when the bombers arrive.

Mission 18 “Lost Kingdom” | LYNX | YF-23

“LYNX” can be triggered when you destroy all targets leading to Shilage castle within three minutes, however if you don’t engage them, they will flee southward.

Mission 19 “Lighthouse” | TEMPEST & CALAMITY | F-22A & SU-57

These two are fairly simple, so to trigger both of them, you need at least 20,000 points for them to spawn in. “TEMPEST” will specifically target you while “CALAMITY” will try to flee south.

That is all the named aircrafts in ‘ACE COMBAT 7’, and I hope this guide will help you collect them all!

Tech/Games

‘The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’ is the first main Zelda game where you actually play as Zelda.

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By: Munira Ahmadad

In May 2023, Nintendo released ‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’ (TOTK) which was one of the Switch’s most anticipated games after the success of ‘Breath of the Wild’. Unfortunately, the creators of the game had stated there would be no follow up content or a DLC for TOTK, as they believed that it had everything they had intended it to be on its initial release. While the game was considered amazing, plenty of fans were disappointed that was where it was going to end. 

It appears the Zelda developers are serious about moving on from the 2017 ‘Breath of the Wild’ world that remains a fan favorite even half a decade later, as in June 2024, the new main Zelda game had been announced. ‘The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’ is scheduled to release on September 26, and it’s style is the same as ‘The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening’, which has led me, and other fans to assume it’s a sequel or set in the same Hyrule as ‘Link’s Awakening’. 

One thing that you can immediately notice is different from the other LOZ games when you first watch the trailer is that you do not play as Link in this game, but rather Zelda. This is the first main Zelda game in which you actually play as the princess Zelda. The trailer displays a recurring gameplay mechanic that revolves around collecting items and creating imitation versions that are useful for exploration and combat. 

Personally, I am very excited for a new main title game in the series, but I’ve never been a fan of the toy-like and simple graphics. It makes it hard for me to take the gameplay seriously, and it’s indicative to me that the game will be easy. I’m aware Nintendo makes their main games for kids and families, though, so it’s not something I am upset about. 

Tech/Games

F-18C start up in ‘Digital Combat Simulator’

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By: Yohan Lee

‘Digital Combat Simulator’ is an aviation air to combat plane simulation game. You can play it on a PC. Here I will explain how you start an F-18C.

To start the F-18C in ‘Digital Combat Simulator’ you first must have your battery switch in the upright switch near your right console.

Now look at your left console and locate APU and click right to turn it on. You will see the APU ready light has turned green.

Below the APU there is an Engine Crank switch and right-click to put it in the Right Engine Crank.

Now look at your IFEL panel. When you crank your right engine you should see a number moving on the right side of your IFEL panel. That is the right engine. Once the number has reached 25 percent move your right throttle to idle or press RSHIFT+HOME. Your 25 percent should move up to 65 percent. Your engine crank switch should automatically go to the off switch.

Now do the same procedure  on the left engine. Left-click engine crank. Left at the IFEL panel. 25 percent, and move your left throttle to idle or RALT+HOME. Check that both engines are at 65 percent.

SCREENS

Now look at both DDI and right-click the top knob to day. Now turn on your HUD by turning the knob next to the IFF. At the bottom, you should see the AMPCD screen. Turn the knob to the right.

FCS AND AVIONICS

On the far left of your left console, you should see your rudder trim. Press the button on the top to put your elevator into takeoff trim.

Near that you should see a FCS Reset Button. Hold that for 5 seconds. Look at your right DDI and press the FCS-MC button.

Take a look at your far right and you should see your FCS-BIT switch. Hold that for 5 seconds then look at your right DDI and press the FCS MC button again. It should say in Test.

Close the canopy or CTRL+C and look down and turn your INS to IFA. At your far left, turn your OBOGS on. Press the FCS MC button again. It should all say GO.

Finally, turn your seat arm and parking brake off.

Editorials/Student Voice, Tech/Games

Impact of virtual reality on gaming

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By: Hyde Moua

Image created with Openart.ai

Virtual reality is a multi-dimensional artificial environment for video games. This has transformed our imaginative worlds of gaming into existence through artificial environments that we can interact with using virtual reality headsets.

The purpose of virtual reality being made was to create an immersive experience that can be used to explore an environment that helps to educate or entertain the user that is playing. Because of this, virtual reality has revolutionized gaming by offering a more immersive experience when playing games, allowing players to physically interact with the environment.

Virtual reality transforms traditional gaming by allowing users to engage games with an unmatchable level of realism. Virtual reality games are usually task based games, with challenges similar to real world problems and the players are tasked with finding solutions or opportunities to finish their task for a reward. Other games are based around having you save your own virtual character. Virtual reality also brings opportunities for people to interact online; people have created games online solely to interact with other people.

Virtual reality is an ever-evolving field, with revolutions in the future that may enhance the immersive experiences of players and the potential to change the players’ engagement and gaming experiences of virtual reality. Virtual reality is playable on any electronic device, like phones, tablets, console devices, and pc’s.

In my opinion, virtual reality has drastically changed how gaming is today because we can experience realistic virtual spaces that act and behave similar to the real world. I really enjoy playing VR games because it feels much more immersive than traditional gaming which I can enjoy playing alone, or with friends. Either way, virtual reality is a huge step in gaming and I am really grateful that virtual reality was created because it is an experience that you could never forget.

Tech/Games

What’s the ‘Thats Not My Neighbor’ game and why is it so popular?

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By: Julia Yang

Warning: before watching/playing, this game may include trypophobia (fear of holes), ommetaphobia (fear of eyes), unsettling faces, mutation, blood, stitches, and drooping organs/skin. This is a mild horror game with horror elements.

‘That’s Not My Neighbor’ is a game developed and released by solo developer Nacho Sama.

‘That’s Not My Neighbor’ is a game where you are playing as an employed security guard by the Doppelganger Detection Department (D.D.D) for an apartment building. Your job is to detect and call in any Doppelgangers who are trying to enter. Scan through identification cards, call apartments, analyze the individual, ask questions, and protect the residents.

It’s a lot harder than it seems, a change even as small as a few numbers off of a 12 digit number on their card can lead up to your failure.
Keep a watchful eye and take your time.

As to why it’s a popular game is due to the increasing number of “spot the anomaly” games. Ever since the release of ‘The Exit 8’— the anomaly game took the internet by storm— other game developers have been picking up on the trend and giving it their own spin. Developers as popular as Puppet Combo have released an anomaly game.

If you don’t have a clue what I’m talking about, let me explain the premise of “spot the anomaly”: the point is to spot changes and differences in a person, place, or thing. You’ll be able to see the person, place, or thing in its normal form, afterwards, you’ll have to be able to tell if something has changed or not. One wrong move, one wrong “it’s probably fine” or “looks good to me” can completely ruin your run.

Anomaly games like ‘That’s Not My Neighbor’ are games that are going to be released— for what I think, a while. Since it’s such an interesting and interactive plot to a game, no one can really get tired of playing as every run is a new anomaly, new gameplay.

I myself have not played any anomaly games, but watching others play is fun too. Watching them miss things that you notice are different, and having the same “wait what did I miss” moment as them is super enjoyable since you’re also trying to look for any anomaly— even if you don’t really mean to.

Editorials/Student Voice, Tech/Games

Positive & negative effects of video game addiction

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By: Hyde Moua

Image created with Openart.ai

I think that video games are beneficial and will have a positive effect as long as you don’t play for more than 4 hours every day because I also enjoy playing video games a lot and I think they have clearly helped me in my basic everyday life.

Some positive effects of playing video games are that your memory and learning abilities are enhanced. Your reaction time can also be enhanced if you play video games like first person shooters that are necessary to have faster reaction times to beat the opposing players.

Some more positive effects of playing video games are increased problem solving skills, decision making, and multitasking capabilities. Video games positively affect the brain by boosting cognitive functions which will also improve your hand eye coordination along with your spatial awareness because most games will need you to be aware of your surroundings. In a way, video games can be a workout disguised as fun because video games regularly increase and boost brain connectivity.

Some negative effects of video game addiction are vision problems. The most common type of vision problem is eye strain, which can lead to headaches or poor concentration. Video game addiction can also lead to seizures and psychological problems that will occur over time.

Some more negative effects are when video games are overused as a coping mechanism. This really becomes a problem when video games disrupt your normal and healthy life. Excessive video game addiction can also lead to mental health problems such as depression, social anxiety, and a lack of motivation. Video games will worsen the symptoms of a person who already has depression because excessive gaming removes a person from their real life responsibilities, relationships, and emotions, which can result in feeling numb and socially isolated from your life.

Personally, I think that video games are enjoyable every once in a while because I have gone through some of these symptoms due to excessively playing during the weeks. Overall, I think everyone should play video games, even if it’s just a little bit, because this way you can have the benefits of better problem solving, and decision making during stressful situations, and faster reaction times which could potentially benefit you in work or future situations.