Author - Jerry Paxton

Knott’s Merry Farm 2019 Review

2019/12/05
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Misc Review, News, Reviews

The holidays have come to Buena Park as Knott’s Berry Farm makes its annual transformation into Knott’s Merry Farm. For those of you who have never been to the Merry Farm before, you are in for quite the treat. Knott’s has truly brought top-notch Christmas cheer to the park and it’s something we look forward to all year-long.

For starters, Ghost Town is once again host to the Christmas Crafts Village, where vendors line the streets to sell their artisan-made goods. You can find vendors selling soaps, bags, garments, toys, and a whole lot more. It’s a great stop for those looking to fill their Christmas shopping lists.

Over on the Calico Main Stage is the new Home for the Holidays show. Home for the Holidays is easily one of (if not the) best shows that Knott’s Berry Farm has ever created in-house. It is a full musical with amazing choreography, singing, and dazzling set pieces. The show runs multiple times a night, so be sure to check out one of the performances.

Once again, Merry Christmas, Snoopy! is playing at the Charles M. Schulz Theatre and, much like I lamented last year, the show is in dire need of a refresh! It’s good, mind you, and the skaters are always a blast to watch, but we’ve seen this same show for years now and, after seeing Home for the Holidays, I know Knott’s can do so much better.

Across from the Calico Main Stage, you’ll find a gigantic Christmas Tree! Be sure to check out the tree lighting ceremony during your visit.

After dark, be sure to checkout the hourly Snow and Glow Show in Ghost Town. A lights and music show throughout the area, this event culminates in the park dispensing faux-snow all over – much to the delight of children. A hot tip for you – if you grab a seat at the Ghost Town Grill’s patio about a half hour before the show, you will have prime real estate for when it happens. Just be sure to shield any uneaten food from the falling “snow”. It’s a soapy solution and doesn’t taste that good…

Santa’s Christmas Cabin is back at the Wilderness Dance Hall and features an array of treats as well as a photo opportunity with Santa Claus himself. My personal favorite were the hand dipped caramel apple slices. It’s so good, it should be illegal!

Speaking of treats, look for special Knott’s Merry Farm goodies at a variety of places around the park. You can find Apple Pie Pizza at Beachy Keen’s Pizza, Christmas bark at the Ghost Town Bakery – just to name a couple. Also, be careful when entering the Ghost Town candy shop. You will have to be very strong-willed not to walk out with tons of stuff. Also, if you check out the bakery and shops outside the park in their marketplace, you’ll find a fun selection of holiday items and treats as well.

Overall, Knott’s Merry Farm should be a must-visit part of your Southern California holiday experience. You also have plenty of time to do so as it runs through January 5th, 2020! It’s fun for the whole family and a steal at no extra charge for tickets! Check out more information at the official Knott’s Merry Farm website.

Photo Gallery

Arizona Sunshine Oculus Quest Gameplay Trailer

2019/12/03
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos

ROTTERDAM, NL – December 3, 2019: Today, Vertigo Games and Jaywalkers Interactive released a brand new Oculus Quest gameplay video for their VR zombie shooter Arizona Sunshine, revealing a first glimpse at the games’ signature gameplay on the new platform. Slated to arrive on Oculus Quest December 5, 2019, the video features Arizona Sunshine’s classic environments of a southwestern America, from bright desert canyons to deep dark mines, overrun by hungry zombies.

Watch the Oculus Quest Gameplay Video:

Developed from the ground up for VR, Arizona Sunshine puts you in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. Handle weapons with real-life movements, freely explore a post-apocalyptic world, and put your survival skills to the test in VR – putting the undead back to rest is more thrilling than ever before.

Out now on PCVR and PSVR, Arizona Sunshine launches on Oculus Quest December 5, 2019, marking three years since its original launch in 2016. To celebrate Arizona Sunshine’s third birthday, Vertigo Games is running a global contest with a whole horde of prizes, including an Oculus Quest and beta access for their upcoming VR action FPS After the Fall. Find out the details of the contest on arizona-sunshine.com/arizona-vr-sary The highly anticipated VR shooter is now available for pre-order in the Oculus Store.

For more news about Arizona Sunshine, find us on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to the newsletter at arizona-sunshine.com.

Happy Thanksgiving 2019

2019/11/28
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

From all of us at GamingShogun to you, we wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. So pop open the can of cranberry stuff, deep-fry that turkey, and kick back with friends and family. See you out in the wilds of the shopping malls tomorrow for absolute carnage! <3

The Outer Worlds Review – Solid RPG Elements with A Generic Core

2019/11/20
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review, Xbox One News

Obsidian Entertainment, founded by Black Isle Studios alumni Feargus Urquhart, Chris Avellone, Chris Parker, Darren Monahan and Chris Jones in 2003, knows role-playing games. All of them have roots in games like Fallout, Fallout 2, Baldur’s Gate I and II, and many more. More recently, they were the developers behind Bethesda Softworks Fallout: New Vegas – arguably the best RPG of the “new” Fallout games. So, when they announced that they were developing their own sci-fi RPG IP called “The Outer Worlds”, I was already stoked to play it.

In terms of gameplay, The Outer Worlds is fairly standard for an open-universe RPG. You assemble a crew during your travels and fly from world to world, obtaining and completing quests. Your companions will give you quests in order to gain their favor. There are lots of vendors and types of equipment to utilize, which is nice, and I enjoyed the various weapons you have to choose from. Armor and weapons can even be modified with various kits and tinkered to higher levels so your favorite level 2 blaster doesn’t fade away as you level up. Unfortunately, that’s really the only interesting thing about The Outer Worlds. And maybe that’s the most disappointing thing about The Outer Worlds – it does everything it should but never seems to hook its player into that “must-play into the wee hours” mode like Obsidian’s previous games have. It’s sort of…boring and generic, and I use those words very gently for a developer I deeply respect.

In terms of game design, aside from this genericism and boredom, there is one truly head-scratching issue I have with The Outer Worlds. And that’s the VERY limited types of enemies you’ll come across. Every planet in the colonies has the same kind of enemies – whether it be humans or creatures. While the lack of human variation I can forgive, we’re all people after all, there should be a lot of bio-diversity between entirely different worlds – not just the same five different creature types everywhere.

Visually, The Outer Worlds is a beautiful game, with lush environments. Each colony, space station, or asteroid you visit in your journey is an eye full. Its voice cast is also terrific, and it is nice to hear them act out their given dialog. You also can unlock dialog options based on your character skills, much like other RPGs, but it’s still worth mentioning.

Overall, The Outer Worlds is a disappointment – especially coming from Obsidian Entertainment. While it hits all the marks that an open-world, sci-fi RPG game should, it never innovates or generates interesting enough gameplay to make it a classic.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Out Now

2019/11/15
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Today Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm released the highly anticipated story-driven action adventure game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order™. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order follows Cal Kestis, played by Cameron Monaghan (Gotham, Shameless), on an incredible journey packed with memorable companions, nefarious villains, diverse planets, thrilling lightsaber combat, impressive Force abilities and cinematic moments, all within the much beloved Star Wars™ galaxy.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is now available worldwide on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC via Origin and Steam. Also, as announced earlier, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is now available on the Epic Games Store, expanding the number of options that players have to jump into this new Star Wars adventure.

“Working on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has been a dream come true for me and many people on the team,” said Stig Asmussen, Game Director at Respawn Entertainment. “We couldn’t be more excited to get the game into the hands of fans worldwide so they can live out the ultimate fantasy of becoming a Jedi. We created a new team that’s made up of action adventure veterans to create this experience and we’ve worked hand-in-hand with Lucasfilm throughout development to create a highly authentic story, cast of characters, and unique gameplay experience that will live on as part of the Star Wars galaxy.”

In Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, players take on the role of Cal Kestis, a former Padawan hiding in plain sight after the Jedi were all but wiped out after Order 66 was executed by The Emperor. When he’s forced on the run, Cal is quickly met by his companions Cere Junda, a former Jedi Knight played by Debra Wilson and Greez, the larger-than-life Latero pilot voiced by Daniel Roebuck, who flies the crew’s ship known as the Stinger Mantis. BD-1, Cal’s faithful droid that’s as charming as he is useful, will help players navigate and explore diverse planets including the Wookiee homeworld, Kashyyyk, and the never-before-seen planet Zeffo. Cal and his companions are trying to stay one step ahead of the Empire and his new enemy, the Inquisition’s Second Sister, while they unravel a mystery tied to an ancient alien civilization that could help rebuild the Jedi Order.

In a time where it’s increasingly dangerous for Jedi, players will experience Cal’s journey from a young Padawan to a Jedi Knight. Cal’s lightsaber and Force abilities take center stage in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s dynamic combat. Every battle is unique as players engage an array of enemies, from creatures and droids to stormtroopers and elite Purge Troopers to showdowns with AT-STs and powerful bosses. Throughout his quest, Cal will strengthen his connection with the Force, learning powerful new skills which will be crucial in combat as well as for traversing and opening up new paths across these beautiful yet dangerous locales.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is now available both digitally and in stores on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC via Origin, Steam and the Epic Games Store. Origin Access Premier subscribers will get full access to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Deluxe Edition on PC for as long as they are subscribed. For more information on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, please visit: https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/jedi-fallen-order

Romancing SaGa 3 Available Now

2019/11/11
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

LOS ANGELES (Nov. 11, 2019) – SQUARE ENIX® today announced that the RPG classic, Romancing SaGa™ 3, is now available to purchase digitally on the Nintendo Switch™ system, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One X, Windows 10, STEAM®, the App Store® and Google Play®.

24 years after the game’s initial Japanese release, Romancing Saga 3 is now available for the first time in the West on modern platforms. Romancing Saga 3 gives players the freedom to forge their own path, choosing to play through eight different narratives led by eight protagonists, each with their own motives and unique personalities. Developed by industry veterans, including renowned developer Akitoshi Kawazu (FINAL FANTASY®, Romancing SaGa, SaGa Frontier), this HD remaster will feature optimized graphics, a new dungeon called the ‘Phantom Maze’ to explore, and a NEW GAME+ function. Romancing Saga 3 adds new storylines to the game original game, making it the perfect time for both new and veteran players to experience the SaGa series.

To celebrate the launch of Romancing Saga 3 and introduce a world of new players to the epic adventure, a 20% discount is available for the Nintendo Switch version from today until December 1, 2019, and for all other platforms from today until December 4, 2019.

Players looking for even more adventures in the SaGa series can also look forward to SaGa SCARLET GRACE: AMBITIONS™, available on December 3 on the Nintendo Switch system, PlayStation®4 system, STEAM, the App Store and Google Play. Additionally, Romancing SaGa Re;universe™, the popular mobile game with over 15 million downloads based in the world of Romancing SaGa 3, will be available globally in 2020 for iOS and Android devices. To view a teaser for Romancing SaGa Re;universe, visit: https://youtu.be/OZC3IgBa7TU

Romancing SaGa 3 is now available on the Nintendo Switch system, PlayStation®4 system, PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One X, Windows 10, STEAM, the App Store and Google Play. Romancing SaGa 3 is rated T (Teen).

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Reveals Shifting Tides

2019/11/11
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

Tokoname, Japan — November 10th, 2019 — Today, at the Pro League Finals Tokoname, Ubisoft announced the full details of the fourth, and last season, of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege Year 4. Operation Shifting Tides introduces Kali and Wamai — a new Attacker and Defender — from India and Kenya, in addition to an entirely reworked Theme Park map.

Indian Attacker Kali and Kenyan Defender Wamai are the two new operators coming in Operation Shifting Tides. They met in the NIGHTHAVEN Special Intervention Company, a private military group owned and led by Kali. She is equipped with a CSRX 300 sniper rifle that can breach barricades and hatches in a single shot. Her gadget is its under-barrel, the LV Explosive Lance, that destroys all gadgets on both sides of breakable and reinforced surfaces. Wamai is Kali’s best operator at NIGHTHAVEN. His gadget, the Mag-NET System, can attract enemy projectiles and have them detonate at its location. Wamai can make Attackers’ grenades and projectile gadgets useless, or better, turn them against their users.

In addition to these two new Operators, players will be able to explore a reimagined Theme Park map, which is back and newly reworked. The Rail Platform has been removed and the East and West sections have been brought closer together. Inside the building, the East section has largely evolved, primarily the downstairs area. Gargoyle and Haunting Dining bomb sites are replaced with the Throne Room and Armory pair. The new Gong Room in this area also becomes the main entrance, while the Arcade Entrance is now blocked.

Additional updates include the following:

– Limb penetration system has been implemented
– Rappel exist will request a prompt from player to enter rappel
– Operators price decrease (Hibana, Echo, Dokkaebi, Vigil, Zofia, Nomad and Kaid)

The Test Server for Operation Shifting Tides will go live on November 11th. The Test Server is an alternative version of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, allowing players to test upcoming gameplay features that will make their way into the main game itself. Since this is a testing environment, a consistent gameplay experience is not guaranteed on the Test Server. Players are invited to submit the issues they encounter on the Test Server on the R6 Fix platform. The Test Server is exclusive to Windows PC.

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, please visit: https://rainbow6.ubisoft.com.

Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair 4-D Dark Ride Announced

2019/11/07
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos

Buena Park, Calif. – Southern California’s original theme park, Knott’s Berry Farm, will commemorate its 100th anniversary with its largest celebration ever, all paying tribute to the Knott family’s rich history and legacy of family fun for all. Kicking off May 15 through August 30, “A Knott’s Family Reunion,” will bring together old classics with new favorites, which includes the return of the beloved Bear-y Tales story in an all-new 4-D interactive dark ride, bringing to life a continuation of the classic attraction initially commissioned by the Knott Family and created in 1975 by the legendary attraction designer Rolly Crump.

“Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair” is a new 4-D interactive dark ride that will take guests on an exciting journey through reimagined show scenes that are reminiscent of the original dark ride, including the Boysenberry Pie Factory, Frog Forest, Fortune Teller Camp, Thunder Cave, and Weird Woods,  culminating in a celebration at the County Fair. The story takes place 34 years after the original adventure and will follow Boysen Bear and Girlsen Bear as they travel to the Country Fair to earn the blue ribbon prize for their famous boysenberry pies, but Crafty Coyote is back along with his mischievous pups intent on stealing all the pies for themselves. Guests will climb aboard ride vehicles equipped with jelly blasters to try and recover the stolen boysenberry pies as they travel through whimsical and beautiful environments while competing for the highest score.

“The return of Knott’s Bear-y Tales is perfect for the 100th anniversary because it brings back one of the park’s most nostalgic and beloved attractions in an innovative 4-D dark ride format that will delight an entirely new generation of fans,” said Jon Storbeck, Vice President & General Manager of Knott’s Berry Farm.

Additionally, Knott’s will be celebrating its 100th milestone anniversary by immersing guests in new and nostalgic experiences throughout the park, delighting guests of all ages.

The 100th celebration would not be complete without an Old West adventure. Ghost Town Alive! will return with a new interactive storyline for guests to explore and unravel alongside the characters of Calico. And the summer fun will continue long after the sun goes down when a special 100th Anniversary edition of the popular nighttime party, Knott’s Summer Nights returns with new live music, unique summer food offerings, Instagram-able photo opportunities, interactive experiences, and family-friendly games. Both Ghost Town Alive! and Knott’s Summer Nights will be offered on select days starting May 15 – August 30, 2020.

The Knott’s Family Reunion celebration will serve as the backdrop to the park’s entire 2020 Seasons of Fun events, which brings back all the fan favorites starting with Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration, a unique event dedicated to the beloved PEANUTS characters, taking place weekends from January 25 – March 1, 2020.

In spring, the much-anticipated Knott’s Boysenberry Festival returns with an array of one-of-a-kind boysenberry inspired food and drink items created by the Knott’s culinary team. The Knott’s Boysenberry Festival will offer a month of deliciousness from March 20 – April 19, 2020.

For fall, the spooktacular family-friendly daytime Halloween event, Knott’s Spooky Farm, will invite families with little ghouls ages 3-11 to celebrate the spooky season exclusively on weekends starting September 26 – October 31, 2020.

As winter rolls in, the feeling of Christmas will be discovered at Knott’s Merry Farm, where joy will be in season from November 20, 2020 – January 3, 2021.

The best way to enjoy all of the fun offered during the 100th-anniversary celebration at Knott’s along with all of the other exciting Seasons of Fun events is with a 2020 Season Pass. A Regular Season Pass includes unlimited admission in 2020 to Knott’s Berry Farm with no blackout dates, and a Gold Season Pass includes unlimited admission in 2020 to both Knott’s Berry Farm and Knott’s Soak City Waterpark with no blackout dates. Knott’s Season passes are now available at the lowest price of the year. Regular Passes are $99 or nine easy payments of $9.50 after an initial payment, and Gold Passes are $120 or nine easy payments of just $11.50 after an initial payment. These offers end on January 5, 2020. Applicable taxes and fees apply. Payment plans are only available at knotts.com.

For more information about next year’s milestone celebration, the new Knott’s Bear-y Tales attraction and Knott’s Season Passes, please visit knotts.com. Join the conversation about the newly announced event at Knott’s this year by using #Knotts100 or #AKnottsFamilyReunion.

Happy Halloween 2019

2019/10/31
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Halloween, News

A big Happy Halloween from the GamingShogun crew. Keep an eye out for those things that go bump in the night. As a reminder, here are some important safety tips to properly enjoy the big night:

  • Rule # 1- Always Wear a Costume
  • Rule # 2 – Always Pass Out Treats
  • Rule # 3 – Never Blow out a Jack O’Lantern
  • Rule # 3 – Always Check your Candy

Reign of Terror Haunted House Review 2019

2019/10/23
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Halloween, Haunted Attraction Review, News, Reviews

We LOVE the Reign of Terror (or RoT) haunted house at the Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks, CA. It consistently rings in as one of the best haunted houses in Southern California each year and 2019 is no exception. We arrived to the Reign of Terror early in their season and got the chance to tour its 25,000 square feet of space. This year, the Reign of Terror has added more rooms to its attraction, bringing the total number to 115! Something most people don’t realize is that Reign of Terror is actually made up of nine unique haunted houses that connect, Voltron-style, to form one giant one. Each of these haunted house areas has its own theme and style.

This is a shot of the cue area.

The line of Reign of Terror gets VERY long, so I highly recommend arriving an hour early – even if you purchase a VIP express ticket. While this ticket option does decrease the amount of line-waiting, it will still take a while to get in on a busy night (and they all seem to be busy nights). Once you get up the stairs and into the haunted house area, you are treated to a cue unlike I have ever seen. The inner line is decorated so much it might as well be a haunted house all its own! Parking at the Janss Marketplace is free, which makes RoT an outstanding deal given the length of time it takes guests to venture through its winding attraction. On our visit, we took about 25 minutes to walk through the entire thing – a staggering amount of time when compared to most haunted houses.

So, is Reign of Terror scary? Sure! If you get scared at haunted houses, you will definitely get scared at Reign of Terror. If you go to haunted houses as a haunter yourself, in order to judge them or admire and learn from them, you will learn a ton. The set design and overall effects work at Reign of Terror is top notch and puts even the most well-funded, big budget theme park haunted houses to shame. The best part is that, while Reign of Terror is scary and beautiful in its own way, it is NOT an extreme haunt. No one will touch you or torture you in any way, shape, or form. RoT is a classic haunted house taken to the nth degree and worth every penny.

At the end of the gigantic haunted house, you’ll find a photo opportunity and small gift shop where you can get hats, shirts, etc. After your visit to the Reign of Terror, you can enjoy some of the food options that the Janss Marketplace has to offer. Overall, Reign of Terror has become even better for 2019. Its new rooms are scary and make for a perfect Halloweentime evening out. You can find ticket information, hours of operation, and more at their official website.