Julius

Easy Goal of the Tournament contender. Serves us right for going with a high press for a change that's our 5 minutes done for today, time to sit back and wait until the last 10. In all seriousness, this is what happens when your tactics fluctuate so much throughout a match. You can't just save something like a high-press until the last 10/15 of each match and expect everyone to know what they're doing when a high-press crumbles the one time you're trying to use it from the start against quality opponents. No-one knew what they were doing.

Well, here we go. Do or die. Time to turn up or go home.

Comunicado oficial: For Premium this month, we're getting Job Simulator as our VR2 titles, and for Classics? Summoner (originally PS2) Ratchet and Clank Size Matters (originally PSP) Jeanne d'Arc (originally PSP)

Damn This new Splatoon DLC looks W I L D

...but which games are your stroopwafel, surströmming and soufflé @Dcubed? Full transparency: I landed on stroopwafel and surströmming first because their definitions just seem to fit so naturally into this...and then I just wanted a third 'S' for some alliteration I do love a good soufflé, though, and it's true I've yet to have a bad one! But yeah I'm a fraud and if I could think of a different dish which started with 'S' and fit the definition I might've gone with that instead As for Pastel de Nata, obviously it's not quite the same but it is our closest analogue in the UK I guess – when I was younger the egginess of an egg custard tart just wasn't appealing to me at all, and I haven't actually got back around to trying it again, I'd probably love it these days with how much I love other custard-based treats. Hmm... Think I'm in the same boat – outside of DLC and a couple of remasters, I don't think I've finished a whole new game released in 2024. Welp. Think I've got some catching up to do! Lovely picks @Jonnas, especially a fan of your surströmming (while we've had a bunch of trailers for Sparking Zero I hadn't really been processing much of it, the potential that it has to disappoint based on what you've said definitely makes it a worthy candidate) and stroopwafel – I'm going to need to add Twinsen's Quest to the list and keep an eye on it, because it had completely passed me by too and looks super charming! No word of a lie, this was one of the games I was thinking about as also having as my surströmming, so - unfortunately - I totally get it some of those previews were absolutely scathing! And while I generally go into Star Wars projects trying to not expect/hope for more than a 7/10, I'm honestly at this point praying this can scrape by as a 6/10 for me personally. So long as it isn't completely broken, the story is somewhat interesting and the music/sound quality is there, all won't be lost. It's a weird one too in that it has a clearly defined premise, I've watched all the trailers, and...I'm struggling to recall what the moment-to-moment gameplay even looks like. The brief shots that come to mind when thinking of this game are scaling a random cliff in an Uncharted style like you mention but without those Naughty Dog production values; a brief shot of space combat; her running out of a cantina with her axolotl dog guy in tow. Excellent pick for a surströmming I think. Totally pre-ordered the Gold Edition and booked that week off, mind you Definitely fits in my eyes. I've been thinking about where I'd like to jump in with more classic western RPGs once the dust has fully settled on my time with Baldur's Gate III and during my research the Path of Exile games (which I totally never confuse with Pillars of Eternity because of the shared acronym) have kept coming up, but it's crazy the number of times I've seen a trailer or seen someone react to the trailer in a showcase and thought it was already released or was just more DLC for Path of Exile until the title hit. I do think you're right and it's being lost in the shuffle a bit – I wonder if it's simply down to how it's turning up at a bunch of events which don't feel super connected, or if the game hasn't done enough to differ itself from the original at a glance for people like me who haven't played it? ARGH I HATE THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT As I was scrolling down to read your post I saw this bit in my periphery and it just clicked. The online is probably not going to be great and yeah, I don't think the conversation around it is going to last terribly long.

Shocked there weren't any more goals, but it just never quite fell the right way for France. Mbappé still doesn't have a goal from open play across two Euros now, compared to the 12 goals he has in two World Cups. Barmy, but pretty much the same happened to Müller. Well deserved from Spain, been my favourite team to watch from the start of the tournament – they set the mark early on, and no-one else has really come close. Curious to see if Deschamps sticks around now. One last dance at the World Cup? Because we all know Zidane is seemingly up next. Yeah, unfortunately even with the subs France made at the right time to keep the pace up, taking Kanté off - even 60+ minutes in - basically resets you to 11 men, even with him at an advanced stage of his career. Spain didn't seem interested in a third and more in game management, and it's hard to blame them with the result they ended up with – Williams must be livid, though, thinking he had a few chances to run at tired French fullbacks before late on. I think on paper Spain make short work of either England or the Netherlands in the final, but it's never quite that simple. Both teams have had to ride their luck at points to get this far, whereas Spain haven't really had to, but that's the sort of intangible which can win you tournaments. On the other hand, Spain get their first choice CB and first choice RB back after the suspensions served in this match with Le Normand and Carvajal. Think that nose injury early on clearly had a massive impact on his tournament. It's no excuse, but I think it's certainly a factor, and also highlights to me that Ancelotti is going to have an interesting job of trying to find the right place for him in the Madrid attack this coming season, because he's both France's best LW and ST which means he hasn't really been able to settle into one position, whereas in past tournaments where he's had success he's been playing off Giroud. Either way, you can guarantee he lights up the next World Cup.

Triple change for France right on cue They're going for it!

This forced sub for Navas and how Spain manage Mbappé now potentially decides the match. Wild.

Don't think it was that funny the first time, but really wish they'd stop now with the "it's past his bedtime" nonsense when it comes to Yamal.

Great first half, probably the most exciting of the tournament so far. Have my doubts that it'll be outdone in the remaining minutes of the tournament, and have to hope subs are made around the 60' to 70' mark so that this game doesn't become a tired scramble. Yeah, think I said it earlier in the tournament that defences on the international stage simply aren't what they were a few years ago. While France did great up until tonight they also haven't really faced truly great sides who were testing them up until now. Think this has more goals in it. Still think Mbappé is going to have something to say.

We all agree that every goal scored today is one less scored tomorrow, right?

3-3? 4-4? France could easily be in the lead yet Spain are still good for it. These defences look leaky and Mbappé is yet to really get going.

NO WAYYYYYYYYYY THE GAME JUST GOT BEAUTIFUL AGAIN

HE SCORES HIS FIRST GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT TO BREAK THE RECORD NOW?! LIKE THAT?! FROM NOTHING?! take a bow Lamal wtf

Mbappé is tearing Navas apart and confusing the middle of the Spanish defence as soon as he cuts in, drawing all of them towards him In his heyday I think there's a chance he could keep him on a leash, but at 39? Huge ask. Carva might've struggled but probably would've fared better. Surprised Spain don't really seem to have a plan to contain Mbappé beyond their typical set-up, at least from what we've seen so far.

Mbappé emulating his childhood idol Ronaldo and completely wasting a free-kick don't @ me

Typical French, just couldn't do with being unhappy for a few more days

Nah, if it goes to pens (which I wouldn't be against, let's see those French and Spanish people swear) let's hope for some goals at 2-2 then we'll go through ET and pens Want to see the same happen too, though. EDIT: well, 2-2 here we go

Mask off for Mbappé, dude means business. Should be an interesting one. If France can actually convert their chances from open play then they could win this comfortably, but Spain look far too dangerous on the flanks to not be taken seriously. Going to regret saying this, but I'll be shocked if this goes to a 0-0.

Lovely covers - surprised to see Trico and Wander over Nate, though, especially considering all the other cover characters shown here are going to be PSN avatars alongside Nate, whereas the Ueda pair got left hanging. What's with the lack of love for my boy Ico?! Think the GT Driver is my favourite, he looks like a pouty kid probably pissed about the microtransactions in GT7 Though I'm getting the physical copy, I think I'll be picking up the Digital Deluxe Upgrade around launch, too. Got to support this game as much as I can and also, while I doubt I'll be getting rid of my Dragoon avatar anytime soon, I think only Astro could displace him at this point

Alright, I've been having a tough time deliberating over my stroopwafel (so many games I would like to highlight, especially on the indie side - and so after this first post I think I'll make sure to highlight some further games which might be flying under the radar a bit) and surströmming over the last week while I've been thinking about this thread, but think I've finally wrapped my head around it. Without further ado... My Stroopwafel - Arco | 2024 Currently slated for a release on PC by the end of the year, with further plans for a release on consoles in the future, Arco just seems to be tickling a lot of my own curiosities when it comes to games, being a bit of a hybrid of point-and-click, turn-based combat (in a pretty different and unique way), with a strong emphasis on story and seeing different perspectives and the impact of early industrialisation. I think it's fascinating. Seems like one of those games which will release on PC, initially go under the radar when it probably deserves more attention than it gets (hence: stroopwafel), and then, either towards the end of this year or maybe sometime in 2025, will be featured in an Indie World Showcase and get much more attention. I also just can't think of many games which match the particular look and vibe of its initial reveal from the end of last summer. There was even a gameplay trailer release earlier this year with some more footage, but still no news on an actual release date as of yet: It's definitely one I'll be keeping a firm eye on. My Surströmming - Black Myth: Wukong | 20th August Black Myth: Wukong is a game I've been following for close to four years now and has looked great in every trailer released, and is finally due for release next month, and yeah, there's just something off to me about this game. Now, this isn't just down to IGN's previous exposé about reports of rampant sexism and misogyny within the team, Game Science (the game's developer) apparently refusing to be extorted by SweetBaby inc., or even the news which came out last month about the game having a physical release which would not include a physical disc but a code. All of these, for me, are at the very least reasons to question what's going on with this game, and IGN's exposé has since been called into question, for instance, and Luke Stephens (see here) and the comments section of his video do a pretty good job of making viewers have reasonable doubt over that original exposé. On the other hand, the lack of a physical disc in a physical release is horrendous for the environment and for game preservation, and is something I seriously hope is reconsidered in the future. On top of all this, though, and to focus more on the actual content and potential quality of the game, while we have seen some gameplay videos for the game - arguably more than we do for most big games released these days, as it seems like they've been fairly transparent with each video they've released - they've been almost entirely focused on boss fights, with very little attention given to what the gameplay, level design, and vibe are like outside of these boss arenas. Maybe they're up to snuff, but it's really difficult to see that from what they've released so far. More than that, too, is that this is Game Science's first big game, having only worked on mobile games in the past, and this game hasn't had a public beta or decided to seek out public feedback in the way that, say, many Western devs contruct their games through Early Access releases on PC do, or how Square Enix releases demos seeking feedback for so many of their smaller titles these days. Maybe it's a route they weren't really aware of, or maybe they just wanted to come out with a bang, but I have no idea how this game is going to run on consoles at launch. So, yeah. There's just a massive stink about this game, so much noise around it with so much yet so little shown, and it feels impossible for me to put the finger on one particular reason for that being the case. I don't think we get a much clearer picture until the game releases on August 20th. My Soufflé - Astro Bot | 6th September Astro's Playroom made the Top 5 of my favourite games released in 2020, and looking back at that list now, with a bit of reshuffling, might even make Top 3. And it was a free pack-in tech demo which lasted only a handful of hours. Astro Bot is easily the single game that I'm most excited for in the second half of this year. It hits a corner of the market which PlayStation no longer seems interested in, pays respect to so many IPs of yesteryear, is cute and effusively charming, the music is going to slap, it's going to use the DualSense in ways no-one has even bothered to attempt since launch, and I guarantee that at the end of the year it's going to make multiple GOTY shortlists both here and elsewhere. It could very well be the best platformer of the year just based on the potential upgrades they've made from Playroom, which was already incredibly tight and fun - in fact, I'd be willing to put money on it being the best platformer of this year. I'd still like word on some potential speedrun levels, but other than that, everything else Team Asobi have said about it since its announcement - the crazy number of levels, plans for updates, and so on - just seems to be ringing incredibly true for myself and so many others. They also just seem to be having a blast with the Easter Egg hunts they've got going on in Astro's Playroom leading up to launch. I simply can't wait. Bring it on, I say

No, I'm not having a stroke, nor am I trying to summon Cthulhu. Somehow we have already passed the halfway mark for 2024, and in the world of gaming, this means that most of the big summer gaming presentations have taken place, so outside of potential shadowdrops and some very short announcement-to-launch periods, the bulk of games set to be put on our radar in the latter half of this year are already somewhat known quantities. Outside of particular event and game threads, though, it can be difficult to keep an eye on what our fellow N-E members are looking forward to...or thinking of staying away from. Feel free to go into as much or as little detail as you'd like, but I implore you to try to help drive some discussion about the games being discussed, whether it is one you listed or a game someone else mentioned! Inspired by the Easy Allies Podcast's quarterly segment of Pop Tarts and Toaster Strudels, which aims to highlight games in the coming quarter which they're looking forward to and other games they think people should perhaps consider pumping the hype brakes on, I wanted to provide a bit of a check-in after the events of the last few weeks to see what those games would look like for N-E. Now, we're N-Europe and not N-America, and I haven't tried Toaster Strudels before but I remember trying Pop Tarts when I was a kid and they kinda sucked, so, turning our focus to European cuisine, I came up with the following names and definitions for categories I'd like us each to try listing one game for, releasing (or currently aiming to release) in the second half of 2024. However! You can never have too many stroopwafels, their positive vibes or buttery, soft-yet-firm texture or cinnamon, caramel flav–...ahem, so after your initial post listing one game for each category, feel free to continue to come back and list as many stroopwafels as you like in further posts, so long as it is still an upcoming title for the second half of 2024 – the more potential hidden gems we can uncover and share awareness of the better, I say! Stroopwafel Surströmming Soufflé Feel free to do your own research into which games are coming out in the second half of the year, but for some quick and dirty resources... Wikipedia - 2024 in Video Games Polygon - All the new video games launching in 2024 GameSpot - 2024 Upcoming Games Release Schedule GameRant - 2024 Video Game Release Date Calendar Polygon - Summer Game Fest 2024 hub (includes pages which break down each major event further) ReadWrite - All the major announcements from Summer Game Fest 2024 PCGamer - The biggest announcements and trailers from the 2024 gaming showcases So, N-E, I turn it over to you: what are your gaming stroopwafels, surströmmings and soufflés of the second half of 2024? It might also be nice to list the release date or window for any games you mention to help others keep an eye on them, too!

Yessssssssss! Love me some Game Changers always some seriously talented folks on there

Ah, I get that, but I think it's simply the cost of playing the game at the highest level – unfortunately, you need the algorithm and general audiences on your side, and for some stupid reason, stupid reaction faces up front in thumbnails for reaction videos just does it for audiences. I don't doubt for a moment that if it were up to Max and these things weren't a factor then he'd come up with something else; I mean, he's got an anime intro for his videos which goes far and beyond what most other channels even attempt to bring to YouTube with their intros. The unfortunate truth is, as is the case with most streamers and YouTubers, the majority of Max's demographic is going to skew young (early teens to mid-twenties), and while I think Max's probably skews a bit older than the average streamer (simply because the topic of most of his videos is fighting games and the FGC), these thumbnails are designed to get new audience members in rather than keep old ones around...which is also just going to naturally skew towards trying to attract a younger demo. It's the continued juvenilisation of media, and unfortunately, it's a game everyone needs to play these days to stay relevant and keep numbers growing -- can't say I'm a fan of these thumbnails either, but yeah, it is what it is I guess