Dead By Daylight matchmaking and rank update now live

Developer Behaviour interactive have announced major changes to the way matchmaking works in Dead By Daylight. These changes have now gone live across PC and console versions of the game.

This update for the popular asymmetrical horror game will introduce improvements to how groups of players are matched together, pairing those of a similar skill level.

The matchmaking update was previously being tested on the Xbox One version of Dead By Daylight though it has now been rolled out to other available platforms including PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.

You can read the full FAQ below, but here's a quick breakdown. In short, Dead By Daylight is replacing the current Rank system for Ratings. Behaviour Interactive have admitted that Ranks were more indicative of how often users play instead of representing their actual skill level. Ratings will be more dynamic and, according to the developer, this system has allowed them to produce more balanced match-ups during their extensive tests.

We have been running smaller tests of the system on select Xbox One regions for the past few weeks, and the results have been encouraging. The rollout on all Xbox One regions is the next step in testing the system on a wider audience. If all goes well, we are planning on rolling out this feature for all platforms in a couple of weeks.

The next phase that you will notice goes live with the upcoming mid-chapter update: We are no longer allowing Killers to switch their character while searching for a match, or once in a lobby (excluding Custom Matches). This will allow the new Matchmaking System to track player skill with each killer individually and match them against more appropriately skilled opponents based on their killer selection.

To put it simply: If you are great with The Oni but you struggle with The Nurse, you will now be playing against stronger survivors when you play The Oni than you do with The Nurse.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

The most obvious thing you will see when the new system is active is that there will be a greater variation of Ranks in a single match. Rank 1s playing Rank 20s? It's possible, don't panic when you see this, as Ranks are not a true indicator of a player's skill and are no longer used for matchmaking.

Additionally, this system comes with a revamped algorithm for matchmaking as a whole. This should improve wait times for finding matches, and we will continue to tweak this part of the system to improve them further over the coming months.

WHY REPLACE RANKS?

Ranks are not a great way of figuring out how good a player is at the game, because it primarily focuses on "How often you play" and not on "How skilled you are when you play". Based on our matchmaking studies, there are a great deal of "low" ranked players (15-20) who can easily play just as well as "high" ranked players (1-5), but they simply don't play enough games in a month to increase their rank before they reset on the 13th. And as an inverse, there are Rank 1 -5 players who perform at levels more typical of lower ranks but they play so many games that their rank is higher than expected. This results in unpredictable games: All five players may have the exact same rank but wildly different skill levels in practice, making matches unbalanced.

HOW ARE RATINGS BETTER?

The new Rating system is focused on measuring a player's skill and predicting how they will perform against a given opponent. This way we can build matches that are more objectively fair for everyone in the game. We have analyzed over 3 million games (at last count) during our tests, and the matchmaking system is proving to be extremely accurate at predicting the outcomes of matches.

By using this new system, we will be able to place players into more balanced matches more often. When a match is unbalanced, the system will know exactly how unbalanced it is and adjust the player Ratings accordingly.

WHY ARE THERE STILL RANKS?

Matchmaking has been and continues to be one of the hottest topics we hear about, and we have been listening! To get this implemented as quickly as possible, we have decided to roll it out independent of a rework of the Rank system. That doesn't mean we don't have plans for Ranks, however! We are exploring different ideas like turning them into a monthly activity tracker and reward system, when we are ready, we'll communicate more about that

In other Dead By Daylight news, the game's future cross-play and cross-progression updates were detailed by Behaviour Interactive. Earlier this year Dead By Daylight also had a crossover event with Konami horror classic, Silent Hill, featuring a new survivor (Cheryl Mason), a new killer (Pyramid Head) and the Midwich Elementary School map as DLC.

Source: Dead By Daylight forums

Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade & Console Review

Arcades in 1987 were in the midst of a revolution that moved video games away from the single screen units in an upright cabinet to something altogether more spectacular. Racing games such as Power Drift came in huge cabinets you sat in with a real steering wheel and After Burner rode on the tails of the recently released Top Gun movie, throwing players around in a hydraulic unit.

With shoot 'em ups in danger of being left behind, Taito needed something to make their new shooter Darius stand out. Spreading the game across three CRT displays and using mirrors to create one huge cinematic screen, it wasn't quite the first game to use this system, but Taito added new ideas including speakers under the seat, the "body sonic" system, to immerse the players even further. You could even plug in your own headphones to get the audio fed straight in to your ears.

While Gradius featured technologically advanced space craft, R-Type made you battle bio-organic nightmares inspired by the film Alien, Darius had you shooting fish. The cannon fodder enemies are the usual mix of gun turrets and spaceships, but boss battles are all themed around fish. Maybe game creator Akira Fujita hated sushi?

Darius became a huge hit and was the most successful arcade game of the year, spawning multiple sequels and spin offs and being ported to the consoles of the time, including the SNES, Mega Drive and PC Engine. Developer M2 has now assembled an array of ports in two collections, one focused on the arcade versions and a second which collects the console port. both are available on Switch and PlayStation 4.

The Arcade Collection includes Darius (Old Version), the original three screen cabinet version, Darius (New Version), which is identical apart from re-balanced the boss fights, and Darius (Extra Version), which changed some enemy patterns and made the first half of the game easier. You can play in Normal Mode, identical to the arcade cabinet, or training mode in which you can alter the power ups to give you maximum firepower from the the start and choose the zone to play, of which there are 26.

To get three CRT screens on one modern widescreen TV, the gameplay area is a narrow band that uses barely a third of the screen. The rest is filled images from the arcade cabinets, all of which are in Japanese so add to the accuracy of the port but feel a bit pointless. Unfortunately this has the opposite effect the original arcade game had; sitting ten feet away from a modern 58″ TV, the sprites are tiny and the grandeur is lost. It also highlights the rather rather interesting collision detection. Your missiles only have to be in the general vicinity of an enemy to make them explode as you are covering such a wide area.

As you might expect from a coin-op from the 80's it is incredibly hard. You do get shields which absorb some attacks, but if you die, all your power ups are lost. If you want to see every level in the branching story then you are going to have to be incredibly, incredibly good at shoot 'em ups or make judicious use of the save feature which lets you restart from any point in the game.

Darius II, the Japanese twin-screen sequel is also included, bringing with it the ability to change the direction of your ship during boss battles. Its worldwide versions, known as Sagaia, are also included, both tweaking stages and gameplay to make them a little easier. The last game is Darius Gaiden, originally released in 1994 and the first game in the series that was made for single screen coin-ops.

The evolution of the series over time is clear, Darius Gaiden is light years away from the barely animated sprites of the original game with large, colourful graphics and a rocking soundtrack that includes vocals. There are pseudo-3D effects as enemies whizzing in and out of the screen, plus the inclusion of now standard weapons such as smart bombs, the Gaiden version of which creates a massive black hole that sucks in all the enemies and bullets. The game is also more forgiving that earlier entries and feels easier now that it's only played across one screen, although the boss battles are still tough as old boots. If your friends think they're good beating a boss in Sekiro then just give them Darius Gaiden and see how far they get.

Overall the Arcade collection is a mixed bag. The original couple of Darius games have not aged that well, partly due to the need to push them in to narrow bands on the screen, but Gaiden remains immensely playable and a lot of fun, especially in two player mode.

The Console Collection, which is a separate purchase, collates the ports and regional releases of the games to the consoles of the time. This includes Darius II on Sega Mega Drive, Sagaia and Darius Twin for the Sega Genesis and Master System, Darius Force, the first original Darius console title that was created for the Super Famicon and the NES port of the same game, another Famicom original which is also presented as Super Nova on NES, and Darius Plus on PC Engine. The jewel in the crown, at least for Darius fans, is Darius Alpha, a boss rush version of Darius Plus of which only 800 copies were ever made.

While retaining the Darius name, these games differ from the arcade games considerably as they were all designed for single screen play. Some have not aged too badly, Darius II on Megadrive is still a good shooter, but others like the Master System version of Sagaia is a mess of flickering graphics and jerking backgrounds. The limitations of the earlier consoles are also easy to spot, as they could only handle a certain number of sprites on the screen at once, and thus limited the number of bullets you could fire. However, once a bullet hits something you get to fire another, letting you cheese some sections by getting close to enemies and firing four times as many bullets in to them compared to if you were at range!

Darius Twin on Famicom benefits from being designed exclusively for the console rather than trying to mimic arcade hardware, and the SNES port also holds up well retaining the bright colourful graphics, albeit in a slightly chunkier form. Darius Force and Supernova, which are also console exclusives, add in features from other shooters such as the ability to choose a ship type when you start. R-Type is clearly a big influence with the first boss, "Bio Hazard", clearly a rip off of the first boss from R-Type. These games were also the first to steer away from the fishy side of things with enemies based on dinosaurs and other creatures.

Overall the conversions seems to be fairly accurate – I am relying on my memories from over thirty years ago –  but each collection has a couple of stone cold classics and some older, rather ropier games. It's not the games that are the issues, it's how they have been made available. Splitting them into two collections seems odd, especially when they both clock in at less than 200MB. Then we have the price.

The Console collections is £47.99, whereas the Arcade Collection is £34.99 – £83 in total which is £17 shy of the recently released PC Engine Mini console that has over fifty games, many of which are perfect conversions of shoot 'em classics.

Modern Warfare & Warzone update 1.24 preloads Season 5

Some Call of Duty: Modern Warfare & Warzone players on PS4 have been able to pre-load the upcoming Season 5 content ahead of its release date later this week.

Modern Warfare update 1.24 is now rolling out, having only been available to a select group of PS4 users before Activision made the latest patch more widely available.

The 1.24 patch download reportedly weighs in at 36GB and is said to reduce the game's overall file size. As the Xbox One doesn't allow for update pre-loads, Xbox players will have to wait until Season 5 drops.

If the update doesn't automatically begin to download when you switch on your PlayStation 4 system then hover over the Modern Warfare or Warzone icon, press options, then press X on check for updates. Here's the official statement from Activision support:

All PlayStation 4 players will be randomly separated into two groups to pre-download.

The first group will be able to begin pre-downloading on Sunday, August 2nd, 48 hours before the update goes live. The second group will be able to begin pre-downloading on Monday, August 3rd, 24 hours before the update goes live.

If you have Automatic Downloads enabled on your PlayStation 4, your pre-download will begin automatically as long as your PlayStation 4 is turned on or in Rest Mode. Please note: Automatic Downloads is only available with PlayStation Plus.

Season 5 will be going live tomorrow, on August 5th. As with previous season update you can expect a wad of new content for both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and its Warzone battle royale tie-in. This content will be available across all versions of the game including PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

In a nutshell, fans can expect new multiplayer maps for Modern Warfare as well as the opening of a new area in Warzone's Verdansk, complete with a speeding train.

To be more specific there are two new 6 v 6 maps including Suldal Harbor and Petrov Oil Rig, the Livestock Gunfight map, and the Verdansk Int. Airport Ground War map. Meanwhile Warzone now has a new Stadium zone.

Fall Guys PS4 trophy list trolls fans ahead of game's release

The full Fall Guys trophy list has been unveiled ahead of its launch on PlayStation 4 tomorrow. The colourful battle royale bumbler will also be coming to PC so we can expect these same accolades to appear as Steam achievements.

Giving the full list a quick look, most of the Fall Guys trophies seem relatively easy to obtain, split between specific in-game feats and those tied to your career progress.

However, those aiming to unlock the Fall Guys platinum trophy will undoubtedly struggle when it comes to completing the conditions for "Infallible" – a gold trophy which requires you to come first five times in a row. A trophy the dev team can't see anyone unlocking unless you truly are a Fall Guys deity.

We recently we hands on with the Fall Guys beta – here are some early thoughts. The game will be free to download for all PlayStation Plus subscribers tomorrow throughout August.

Anyway, here's the full Fall Guys PS4 trophy list:

Ultimate Fall Guy
Acquire all other trophies		 Platinum
Fall Guy Fashionista
Unlock 50 cosmetic items from the store		 Silver
Shopping Spree
Unlock 10 cosmetic items from the store		 Silver
Snowflake
Equip your first cosmetic item		 Bronze
Bargain Bucket
Equip an uncommon or better Body Colour, Pattern, Upper and Lower Costume piece		 Bronze
Mad Trendy
Equip a rare or legendary Body Colour, Pattern, Upper and Lower Costume piece		 Silver
Head Turner
Equip a legendary Body Colour, Pattern, Upper and Lower Costume piece		 Gold
Catwalk Model
Equip your first legendary customization item		 Silver
One to Watch
Reach lvl 10 fame during a season		 Bronze
Household Name
Reach lvl 25 fame during a season		 Silver
Star of the Show
Reach lvl 40 fame during a season		 Gold
Flawless Victory
Qualify from a round without falling over even once		 Bronze
Ahead of the Pack
Get first place in a racing round		 Bronze
Quite Dashing
Get first place in a racing round 5 times
Track Star
Get first place in a racing round 20 times		 Gold
Infallible
Win 5 Episodes in a row		 Gold
Victory!
Win your first Episode		 Bronze
Top Tier
Win 7 Episodes		 Bronze
Golden Guy
Win 20 Episodes		 Silver
One small trip
Qualify from your first round		 Bronze
One giant leap
Qualify from 100 rounds		 Silver
Veteran Status
Qualify from 500 rounds		 Gold
Show Off
Win an Episode with a custom Punchline equipped		 Bronze
Squad Goals
Win an Episode as part of a party of 3 or more players		 Bronze
Down to the Wire
Qualify after a round goes to overtime		 Bronze
Face First
Qualify from a racing round despite falling over more than 10 times		 Bronze
Low Baller
Qualify from a team game with a score of 1		 Bronze
Big Tease
Perform an emote just before coming first in a race round		 Bronze
Fall Bae
Share a hug with a Fall Guy		 Bronze
Big Air
Clock up 1 hour total time falling		 Bronze
Stumble Chums
Bump into other Fall Guys 1000 times in total		 Bronze
Style Points
Fall for at least 3 seconds before landing on your head		 Bronze
Big Bully
Knock someone over		 Bronze
Troublemaker
Bump into 3 people while rolling on the ground before getting up		 Bronze
Fall Throttle
Reach terminal velocity		 Bronze

 

 

Source: PSN Profiles

New Microsoft Store revealed & goes into beta testing, hinting at future Xbox UI redesign

Microsoft have revealed their overhauled Microsoft Store for Xbox One and the upcoming Xbox Series X next-gen console, giving us a look at how the Xbox user interface is set to evolve over the coming months and years.

The new Microsoft Store will be coming to Xbox later this year, but is heading into beta testing for some Xbox Insiders from 5th August. The app is designed to be "faster, safer and easier to use", adopting Microsoft's new Fluent Design language.

You can see it in action here:

Microsoft state that it will launch from the dashboard in under two seconds, with fast browsing performance that goes alongside that. The navigation has been redesigned so that it's easier to dive into a category, and the speed will surely be kept up by having video autoplay be optional.

A new Wish List will let you tag and keep tabs of games as they go on offer, and you'll finally be able to view pricing while browsing across all generations of Xbox console.

The "safer" refers to how the app requires that you be signed into an Xbox account in order to browse. That will, alongside family settings and child accounts, let content be filtered to appropriate age ratings.

However, the biggest points are the increase in speed through the store and how the interface is being overhauled with a view to the next generation. It was revealed back in June that the Xbox Series X will retain the user interface from the Xbox One, however this store redesign is more of an indication that Microsoft are committing to keeping the Xbox One in lockstep with their evolving UI and UX design as we head to the next-gen console. It's a fascinating path to follow, but runs the risk of Xbox lagging behind on certain concepts that wouldn't be possible on older hardware.

Source: Xbox

SoulCalibur VI update 2.20 and 2.21 add support for Setsuka DLC

Today, Bandai Namco has released two updates for SoulCalibur VI to make way for the next DLC character, Setsuka. Setsuka was announced on Saturday, and you can watch the trailer here. Alongside the data for Setsuka, Grøh's new side story will be added and there have also been adjustments to the character creation mode. Additionally, Bandai Namco has confirmed that it will ban players that are breaking the user agreement. You can check out the full patch notes below.

SoulCalibur VI 2.20 and 2.21 update patch notes

Compatibility Support of the paid DLC 11 (PS4®/Xbox One/STEAM®)

Compatibility Support of the paid DLC 12 (PS4®/Xbox One/STEAM®)

  • DLC Pack 12 adds Character Creation Set E. Character Creation Set E will be available on 8/4. Character Creation Set E is included in Season Pass 2. Please be careful not to purchase the same content more than once.

Additional Creation Items (PS4®/Xbox One/STEAM®)

The following equipment and stickers will be added and available to all players.

  • Yasha Hair Accessory (Flower)
  • Yasha Hair Accessory (Comb)
  • Fury Tail
  • Yasha Gloves
  • Yasha Kimono
  • Yasha Undergarment
  • Yasha Clogs
  • Fundoshi
  • Sticker 127

Additional Stages (PS4®/Xbox One/STEAM®)

The following stage will be added and available to all players.

  • Murakumo Shrine Grounds

Battle Adjustments (PS4®/Xbox One/STEAM®)

  •  Performance fixes and balance adjustments will be made for certain actions in battle.
  • The "Fighting Style Handbook" in the Museum will be updated to reflect various balance adjustments.

Additional Functions (PS4®/Xbox One/STEAM®)

  • A new side story for Grøh will be added to Soul Chronicle that will be unlocked after finishing Grøh's main story.
  • A setting in the Character Creation mode will be added that toggles whether the character's equipment will be destroyed during battle.
  • Quick Character Selection will be added to Training mode.
  • A feature to the options menu will be added that toggles whether or not actions performed after a match has ended will be displayed on screen. This feature only applies to online battles.

Game System Adjustments (PS4®/Xbox One/STEAM®)

  • Some text errors have been fixed.
  • Stability has been improved for certain actions, etc.

CHARACTER CREATION Adjustments (PS4®/Xbox One/STEAM®)

In order to prevent an error in which body parts become transparent, certain pieces of equipment can no longer be equipped together at the same time.

  • "Destiny Lower Body Garment" and "Boxing Trunks" can no longer be equipped at the same time.
  • "Crown Princess Attire" and "Raven Leather Leggings" can no longer be equipped at the same time.
  • "Baihu Coat" and "Sword Demon Costume" can no longer be equipped at the same time.

While we try our hardest to avoid limiting possible customization options, we feel such a change is necessary to prevent character models from displaying incorrectly. We kindly ask for your understanding.

  • "Rubber Mask" and "Oval Glasses" can no longer be equipped at the same time.  One of these items would not have displayed when equipped with the other anyway, so this change has no effect on visual customization options.
  • "YoRHa Unit Number Two Standard Armor (White)" can no longer be equipped at the same time as "Nakoruru's Dogi (Top)". This is due to an issue in which these parts would significantly clip through each other. The black version of this equipment was already incompatible with "Nakoruru's Dogi (Top)", so the white version was adjusted to match.

Changes have been made to certain stickers.

  • An issue in which stickers placed on "Padded Headgear" are visible on the opposite side they were placed has been fixed.
  • An issue in which stickers cannot be placed near the backside of "Chinese Hat (Brimmed)" has been fixed. (Other changes have been made as well.)
  • An issue in which hair with the "Braided Half-Up Style" disappears when certain head equipment is equipped has been fixed.
  • An issue in which Astaroth's and Haohmaru's abdomens become transparent if they are equipped with "Enlightened One's Armor" has been fixed.
  • The color palette for the 4th color-customizable place on "War Maiden's Costume" has been changed, increasing customization options.
  • "Kuroko's Hood" was designed after stagehands in kabuki theater (called "kuroko") who would never show their faces, and in consideration of that fact, the item was intentionally designed so it could not be broken. However, in version 2.20, players are now able to turn equipment breaking on or off, so "Kuroko's Hood" is now treated as breakable equipment.
  • An issue in which the angle of movement for "Seeker's Earrings" and "Aristocrat Earrings" differs between Extra 1 and Extras 2 & 3 has been fixed.

BAN policies for players who violate the EULA (End User License Agreement)

We will enforce bans on players who have been confirmed to have violated the EULA that is agreed upon when they first play the game. Please note that players who are repeatedly reported to have violated the EULA are subject to the ban once we confirm such violation has actually taken place.

SOULCALIBUR VI Update Ver. 2.21 Patch Notes for PlayStation4®/Xbox One/STEAM®

The following changes and improvements will be part of the Version 2.21 update available on 8/3 for the PS4®, Xbox One, and Steam® versions of the game.

Game System Adjustments (PS4®/Xbox One/STEAM®)

  • Starting Chapter 2 "The Burden of Fate" in Libra of Soul results in an endless loading screen.
  • Choosing the set phrase "Would you mind using Hilde?" in the chat in Casual Match Mode causes numbers to show up in the chat window.

Source: Bandai Namco

UK Chart 01/08/2020: Ghost of Tsushima strikes for a third week at the top

Sucker Punch's PS4 exclusive has claimed the top spot of the UK chart for the 3rd week in a row, beating Animal Crossing New Horizons to the punch. Destroy All Humans managed to get the third spot in its debut week while Skater XL reached seventh. Streets of Rage hit 14th and Fairy Tail debuted in 15th. FIFA 20 also surged back up the charts and managed to grab 19th place. Rocket Arena had a bit of quieter week getting to 39th.

LW TW Title Age Rating Label
1 1 GHOST OF TSUSHIMA PEGI 18+ SONY COMPUTER ENT.
2 2 ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW HORIZONS PEGI 3+ NINTENDO
3 DESTROY ALL HUMANS! PEGI 16+ THQ NORDIC
5 4 MARIO KART 8 DELUXE PEGI 3+ NINTENDO
3 5 F1 2020 PEGI 3+ CODEMASTERS
4 6 PAPER MARIO: THE ORIGAMI KING PEGI 7+ NINTENDO
7 SKATER XL PEGI 3+ SOLUTIONS 2 GO
6 8 THE LAST OF US PART II PEGI 18+ SONY COMPUTER ENT.
8 9 GRAND THEFT AUTO V PEGI 18+ ROCKSTAR
7 10 MINECRAFT PEGI 7+ NINTENDO
10 11 RING FIT ADVENTURE PEGI 7+ NINTENDO
13 12 51 WORLDWIDE GAMES PEGI 12+ NINTENDO
9 13 FORZA HORIZON 4 PEGI 3+ MICROSOFT
14 STREETS OF RAGE 4 PEGI 12+ MERGE GAMES
15 FAIRY TAIL PEGI 12+ KOEI
12 16 CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE PEGI 18+ ACTIVISION
14 17 LUIGI'S MANSION 3 PEGI 7+ NINTENDO
16 18 SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY PEGI 7+ NINTENDO
19 FIFA 20 PEGI 3+ EA SPORTS
21 20 MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020 PEGI 3+ NINTENDO
24 21 POKEMON SWORD PEGI 7+ NINTENDO
26 22 THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD PEGI 12+ NINTENDO
17 23 BORDERLANDS 3 PEGI 18+ 2K
34 24 THE LAST OF US: REMASTERED PEGI 18+ PLAYSTATION HITS
20 25 LEGO HARRY POTTER COLLECTION PEGI 7+ WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
11 26 CRASH BANDICOOT N.SANE TRILOGY PEGI 7+ ACTIVISION
33 27 SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE PEGI 12+ NINTENDO
27 28 RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 PEGI 18+ ROCKSTAR
22 29 JUST DANCE 2020 PEGI 3+ UBISOFT
25 30 SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: BIKINI BOTTOM – REHYDRATED PEGI 7+ THQ NORDIC
30 31 MINECRAFT: BEDROCK EDITION PEGI 7+ SONY COMPUTER ENT.
32 32 GOD OF WAR PEGI 18+ PLAYSTATION HITS
28 33 SUPER MARIO PARTY PEGI 3+ NINTENDO
38 34 LEGO DC SUPER-VILLAINS PEGI 7+ WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
36 35 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. U DELUXE PEGI 3+ NINTENDO
35 36 LEGO THE INCREDIBLES PEGI 7+ WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
37 37 LEGO JURASSIC WORLD PEGI 7+ WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
38 MARVEL'S SPIDER-MAN PEGI 16+ SONY COMPUTER ENT.
39 ROCKET ARENA PEGI 12+ EA GAMES
40 ANTHEM PEGI 16+ EA GAMES

 

Source: UKIE

UFC 4 fighter ratings 30 to 21 confirmed, how do Jose Aldo and Tony Ferguson stack up?

The third batch of UFC 4 fighter ratings have been confirmed by EA with the next ten fighters being Glover Texeira, Robert Whittaker, Tyron Woodley, Jose Aldo, Marlon Moraes, Joanna Jedrzejcyk, Tony Ferguson, Cris Cyborg, Francis Ngannou, and Deiveson Figueiredo. like the previous rankings each fighter is rated out of five stars for their striking and grapple ability and their health, which feeds into their overall star rating.

Rank Fighter Weight Class Overall Striking OVR Grapple OVR Health OVR
30 Glover Texeira Male Light Heavyweight 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR
29 Robert Whittaker Male Middleweight 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 3.5 STAR 5 STAR
28 Tyron Woodley Male Welterweight 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 4 STAR
27 Jose Aldo Male Bantamweight 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 4 STAR 4.5 STAR
26 Marlon Moraes Male Bantamweight 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 4 STAR 4.5 STAR
25 Joanna Jedzejcyk Female Strawweight 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 3.5 STAR 5 STAR
24 Tony Ferguson Male Lightweight 4.5 STAR 4 STAR 4.5 STAR 5 STAR
23 Cris Cyborg Female Bantamweight 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 4 STAR 4.5 STAR
22 Francis Ngannou Male Heavyweight 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 4 STAR 4.5 STAR
21 Deiveson Figueiredo Male Flyweight 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 4 STAR 4.5 STAR

 

If you want the first batch of ratings then click here. The second batch is here. UFC 4 was announced during the UFC 251 event, with EA giving us a look at their upcoming fighting game. Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury were also confirmed as pre-order DLC characters.

We spoke to them about how they're trying to make the game more responsive than ever, and how there's a real focus on letting you take your custom fighters into any game mode – find the full interview here. We also checked in on why they were ditching Ultimate Team for the game, and if and how they will be adding support for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

For now, UFC 4 will only be coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 14th August.

Source: EA

Spider-Man will be a PlayStation exclusive in Marvel's Avengers

Spider-Man's one of the Avengers, right? Well he won't be on Xbox One, with the iconic web-slinging hero set to be available in Marvel's Avengers exclusively on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

Spider-Man will be joining the Marvel's Avengers roster in early 2021, and will be a free DLC addition for all owners of the base game on PlayStation. Of course, that will be a good few months after the game's original release, coming out on 4th September for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Stadia, and with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions and free upgrades coming alongside those consoles' launch.

Before we get there, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics are holding a series of Marvel's Avengers beta tests starting this week. These will be available for for PlayStation on 7th August for pre-orders, before Xbox and PC pre-order betas kick off on 14th August. The PlayStation open beta test will be held on 14th August, with an open beta on all platforms on 21st August.

Spider-Man is the latest character announcement for the game, following on from Hawkeye ("Hawk guy?"), who was teased just last week.

In the Marvel's Avengers beta players will be able to play through a few campaign missions, the HARM challenge rooms, and access some War Zones content. The first campaign mission will be the Golden Gate Bridge during the A-Day event. In this mission, players will be able to play as Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Black Widow as they face off against Taskmaster. The second mission is called To Find Olympia and this sees Hulk and Ms Marvel team up as they look for JARVIS. The third mission is called Missing Links and continues with players controlling Hulk and Ms Marvel.

HARM Challenge Rooms will test player skills as waves and waves of enemies come in to take down the Avengers. In the beta there are three of these rooms to play through, with completion earning a nameplate that will be available to use in the full release. When it comes to War Zones there will be five in the beta, as well as five Drop Zones which are smaller versions of War Zones. In the full game, War Zones can last anywhere between 10 minutes and two hours but it is unclear what the length of the beta ones will be. Iron Man, Hulk, Ms Marvel, and Black Widow will be the playable characters in War Zones. As you play through the missions characters will level up and you will earn gear for them. This progression will carry over through the beta weekends.

Source: PlayStation

Tommy François has left Ubisoft amidst abuse & harassment investigation

Tommy François has officially left Ubisoft, amidst allegations and investigations of sexual abuse, harassment and misconduct across the company.

The publisher confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz today that François has "left the company, effective immediately." However, no further details were given.

François was VP for editorial and creative services, one of the most senior creative roles within the company, but was placed on disciplinary leave alongside VP Editorial Maxime Béland. Béland departed the company shortly afterwards, while three further Ubisoft execs following him out the door the following week, including François' boss Serge Hascoët.

However, François stuck it out, remaining on leave through July until now.

The news emerged via Business Insider's Samuel Horti, who tweeted to state that he had seen an email sent by Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot notably did not address the allegations or how the company are now acting upon them during the Ubisoft Forward stream in July, but pledged to enact change throughout the company, starting with the appointment of a Head of Workplace Culture and opening a new executive role for Head of Diversity and Inclusion.

However, there have been further damning reports. Within days of implementing an anonymous alert system, Ubisoft had over a hundred cases, ranging from moral harassment through to rape, with half of the cases already known to HR and a quarter of the complaints concerning the editorial team.

There's certainly a very real concern that Ubisoft will make an example of the highest profile names implicated, but that the systemic problems will remain. The head of HR is reported as saying, "Yves [Guillemot] is OK with a toxic management as long as these managers' results exceed their toxicity level," giving second, third chances and more so long as they get results. Bloomberg reported that Ubisoft Paris was like a "frat house" with open racism and misogyny, with similarly disgusting reports coming from Ubisoft Sofia and Ubisoft Toronto.

Naturally there is a process to addressing these allegations, and Ubisoft have sought outside help to investigate. That so many have been implicated and left through the course of these investigations is a good sign of progress, but needs to be followed up through the rest of the company.

Source: GamesIndustry.biz

World of Warships is having a crossover with Transformers because 2020 isn't weird enough

Here's the thing: There are very few water based Transformers. Sure, there are a couple, the Seacons, Broadside, Seaspray, and a few others from later generations like Depth Charge and Tidal Wave, but most Transformers are land or air based.

That hasn't stopped World of Warships, the most sea based game your could get, teaming up with the robots in disguise.

Here's the official blurb:

We are happy to announce that World of Warships is partnering up with Transformers in a brand-new collaboration! Autobots and Decepticons will be introduced for a limited time as themed ship skins and commanders in a much-anticipated update planned for this September. Four iconic Transformers characters will be released initially as unique ship skins and commanders with recognizable phrases and voiceovers. Optimus Prime and Bumblebee will set the stage for the heroic Autobots, with Megatron and Rumble to be available as their eternal foes – the Decepticons. The coming Transformers collaboration with World of Warships will also bring a host of other new content, including special Transformers containers, dedicated in-game Combat missions, camouflages, commemorative flags and patches, and more.

Why are Megatron and Optimus Prime battling at sea? I have no idea, this is very odd. World of Warships is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Classic Mac OS, and Microsoft Windows.

Transformers have returned in force in recent weeks, last Friday Netflix dropped the first six episodes of a new animated series for the fans. Rather featuring a battle every five seconds like the children's cartoons it's character based with lots of dialogue and plot.

There is also a new Transformers game from Bandai Namco called Transformers Battlegrounds which features many classic characters. Very few details of that title have been revealed but we will have a hands on preview of the game quite soon so keep an eye out for that. Transformers Battleground launches on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC on October 23rd.

Source: YouTube

Skater XL Review

Skateboarding games are enjoying a renaissance during 2020 with numerous titles in development being developed or released within close proximity of one another. The latest on that list to release is Skater XL, a game developed by Easy Day Studios.

Having been in development for over two years, Skater XL was created alongside community feedback while in Early Access. The 1.0 release marks the end of that road for the team, bringing the game inline with their vision and releasing it on PS4, Xbox One and PC. The question is, does it live up to the high expectations that skateboarding fans have for the genre?

Firstly, let's talk about it's trick system. In Skater XL, you control each foot with a separate analogue stick. This allows you to move the board in a way that will perform tricks depending on which direction you pressed. It's a clever system that looks far more fluid than I would have expected.

Hold the right stick down and press the left stick right and you'll do a kickflip. Hold the right stick down and spin it round in a circular motion and you'll perform a pop shove it. Once you've got those two tricks down, the sky's the limit, it's just up to you to find out what the system can do.

This intrinsic learning system is something I enjoy. Rather than forcing players to unlock tricks with points or experience, the entire toolset is there from the beginning and the onus is on you to learn it. It's what made the original Skate game such a delight to play and I think Skater XL captures that really well.

Outside of the analogue flip system, players can also perform grabs, grinds, and stalls, using the shoulder buttons controlling grabs and the triggers to controlling rotation. There's a real arsenal of abilities at your fingertips in Skater XL and it might just be the most comprehensive set of tricks and moves we've seen in a skateboarding game for some time.

There are currently a mixture of developer created levels and community made maps in the game, but I found myself gravitating toward just three of them regularly – Easy Day High School, Downtown LA and the Mega Ramp, each of which were created by Easy Day. The other levels are pretty forgettable, as they are based on smaller, more limited areas, while Easy Day High School and Downtown LA are both sprawling collections of excellent spots to skate. Easy Day High School feels like the most accomplished level as there are numerous skate spots (some real and some built for the level) that you can link together.

It's in these moments that Skater XL feels fantastic. Exploring the sprawling environment, linking lines together and finding the best way to trick over a certain object or rail really does invoke the feeling and creativity of skateboarding. Skater XL never tries to get in your way, bogging you down with extensive menus or loading screens in its levels, it simply just wants you to skate.

A big part of Skateboarding is expression, which is why it's great to see a pretty impressive array of clothing and skateboard customisation available to players. Alongside both male or female avatars, there are also four professional skateboarders to choose from; Tiago Lemos, Brandon Westgate, Evan Smith, and Tom Asta. I would like to see a female pro added to that list at some point, as there are plenty of exceptionally gifted female skateboarders to choose from, but it is still nice to skate with a number of characters who have distinctly different looks and feels.

Despite having some strong foundations, Skater XL needs some big improvements to its overall formula if it's going to keep players invested. Firstly, the PS4 version does not run particularly well. I've been playing it on a PS4 Pro and noticing some really bad frame drops and frame pacing issues, most commonly during an extended play session. In a game like this that aims to mimic a real life sport, performance really needs to be consistent.

I also think there's some general quality of life changes that would improve the experience. As it stands, you can't get off your skateboard in Skater XL, but instead can switch modes and place a marker where you want to spawn. When a key part of skateboarding is being able to run with your board to gain speed and this was a really noticeable omission for me. I have no doubt we might see it patched later, but I would have liked to see it in the game on day one.

Skater XL features a number of licensed artists including the likes of Future Islands, Band of Skulls and Interpol among others, but it's actually really hard to enjoy the soundtrack in its current state. There are no options for altering what's included in the soundtrack or changing the order in which they play, so you end up listening to the songs in the same order every time you boot up the game. I understand this is a minor complaint in the world of Spotify and Apple Music, the devolopers clearly put a lot of thought into the soundtrack and it's a shame that the way players are expected to listen to it is so rigid.

There's also a lack of structure in Skater XL. There are a number of challenges on each level, but there isn't any purpose. Where Tony Hawk had collectables and Skate had score challenges, Skater XL just leaves you to your own devices. I personally enjoy being given the freedom to skate how I please, but I know there are people out there who want some structure to their games. I feel some unlockable gear or clothing linked to in-game score challenges would help rectify this, providing players with something to complete.

The 1.0 release of Skater XL feels like a great starting point for the game, but I feel there's still lots of work to be done. From minor tweaks to gameplay through to additional content to keep players invested long-term, the developers have a lot to focus on in the coming months. This is still a solid start though and Skater XL is a lot of fun to play. Spending so long focusing on how the board controls was a smart one, because even without a huge amount of content, I can't put my controller down.

Rainbow Six Siege 1.89 update drops on consoles with new Operator changes

There's a new update out today for Rainbow Six Siege on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. You'll need to download and install this latest patch if you want to access the Ubisoft shooter.

For those Rainbow Six Siege fans who have their finger on the pulse, today's 1.89 patch is the same mid-season patch Ubisoft deployed on PC last week.

In short, Y5S2.3 makes a number of minor Operator balance changes, this time buffing Oryx, as well as Fuze, and Gridlock, making them more fun as well as being more viable picks in competitive.

Rainbow Six Siege is currently running its second season of Year 5. Y5S2 introduced Operators Melusi and ACE. For those wondering when we'll hear about the next season, expect some details to surface within the coming weeks – for reference, Y4S2 launched in September 2019 so hopefully we aren't too far away from the next big content drop.

Rainbow Six Siege 1.89 Update Patch Notes

IN-GAME NOTIFICATIONS

Some updates to the notifications system to help make future popups less spammy.

APAC 2SV

After August 11, 2020, 2-Step Verification will be mandatory for ranked on PC in APAC. If you have not activated 2SV prior to this date you will be locked out of the Ranked queue until 2SV is activated on your account.

Go activate 2SV under the account management section at https://account.ubisoft.com!

GAMEPLAY UPDATES

For more information on balancing changes, see our Designer's Notes.

BALANCING

GRIDLOCK

If you've ever stepped on a Lego…this hurts worse.

By making her gadget a bit more enjoyable to use, we're looking to make Gridlock players' lives a bit easier.

  • Lowered Gridlock's Caltrop deployment time to 9s (down from 13s).
  • Lowered the individual Caltrops deployment time to 0.45s (down from 0.7s).
  • Lowered the range of random deploy variation to 0.05s (down from 0.1s).
  • Added a delay of 0.45s before the deployment sequence starts (previously no delay).

ORYX

The Rainbow 🐐 has goat to dash.

We want to let Oryx make more use of his dash, and added mobility and durability will hopefully make him a bit more fun to play.

  • Using his dash through a soft wall will not deplete all the dash charges.
  • Increased Dash refresh time to 12s (up from 8s).
  • Dash recovery time for all dashes is now 0.5s. (Previous recovery times: soft wall = 1s, enemy = 0.7s).

FUZE

Hide the hostages!

Giving Fuze a bit more presence and utility with an additional charge.

  • Increased the number of cluster charges to 4 (up from 3)

GAMEPLAY

PUSHBACK MECHANICS

To maintain consistency with softwall interactions, we're giving enemies that are pushed through walls the same feedback as when Oryx dashes through them.

  • When pushed through a wall by Nomad's airjabs or Oryx's dash, players will receive the same feedback and rtake the same damage (5 hp) as when Oryx dashes through a soft wall.

BUG FIXES

  • FIXED – Missing anchoring decals from Ace's SELMA.
  • FIXED – Ace's SELMA can get stuck when thrown in a certain way at some beams, becoming unrecoverable.
  • FIXED – While grappling through a window or hatch, Amaru can aim faster with her LMG if she times her sprint and ADS buttons just prior to landing.
  • FIXED – IQ's gadget will not display the outline and distance of Melusi's Banshees.
  • FIXED – Zofia's concussion grenades are impacted by external explosions and can bounce away from the target location.
  • FIXED – Flattening the doorframes and windows on all maps.
  • FIXED – Floating and indestructible wooden squares after destroying some walls on Yacht.
  • FIXED – Gunshot sounds are muffled when shooting from inside 1F Technical Seating of Plane.
  • FIXED – Various menu/UI fixes.
  • FIXED – Various cosmetics fixes.
  • FIXED – Various Lighting issues on maps.
  • FIXED – Various shop visual and cosmetic fixes.
  • FIXED – (PvE) Interaction between Ace's gadget and AI.

Source: Reddit

PlayStation announce a new State of Play this Thursday at 9pm BST

Sony have announce a new State of Play broadcast and this might be the big one, the State of Play that announces the PlayStation 5 is available for pre-order and more importantly, the cost of the console.

Or not.

Sorry everyone, there will be "no big PS5 announcements" and instead the broadcast will focus on PlayStation VR, PS4 games, and "A few quick check-ins on third-party and indie games from June's PS5 showcase."

At this rate Microsoft and Sony will be announcing pre-orders two weeks before the console is due out, surely the will be revealing the prices and pre-order options soon.

Sony have double the amount of PlayStation 5 consoles they intend to produce in the coming months and have also increased the number of DualSense controllers in production.

The had previously said they were aiming for 5-6 million consoles by March 2021, that has now increased to 10 million. However, there may still be shortages of the console as they are manufactured in China and delivered across the world via shipping containers which can take a very long time to reach their destination.

"Sony began PS5 mass production in June and, under the latest plan, expects to assemble 5 million units by the end of September and another 5 million between October and December," report Bloomberg. "A large portion of the latter tranche would turn into stock for 2021 due to the logistical delay. Sony could try to use air cargo for faster delivery, as it did in 2013 around the launch of the PlayStation 4, though airlines are running vastly reduced schedules due to Covid-19 and Sony's ability to reserve flights would be limited."

Sony recently revealed the design of the PlayStation 5 game boxes using the next-gen exclusive Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales to show off the familiar but stylish new design that's true to the new PlayStation 5 console design.

Source: Twitter

Nioh 2 update 1.12 fixes bugs following DLC launch

Koei Tecmo and developer Team Ninja have swooped in with a new patch for their samurai Soulslike sequel, Nioh 2.

This follows the recent Nioh 2 1.11 patch which rolled out just days ago, laying the groundwork for the game's first of three post-launch DLCs titled "The Tengu's Disciple".

Nioh 2 version 1.12 does not introduce any new content or features, instead making a series fixes as outlined below.

Nioh 2 update 1.12 patch notes

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue in the main mission "Eternal Rivals" where if the "Hot Spring Chamber Key" was acquired once and the mission is exited, it could not be acquired again even on subsequent playthroughs of the mission.
  • Fixed an issue during the multiplayer boss fight of "Eternal Rivals," where Yoshitsune would sometimes repeat a single behavior indefinitely.
  • Fixed an issue where a higher level Soul Core could be created from lesser Soul Cores during Soul Fusion.
  • Fixed an issue regarding the Kodama Blessings in "The Tengu's Disciple," where there was one too many "Samurai Blessing" kodama, and one too few "Hunter Blessing" kodama.
  • Fixed an issue where the Demon Parade Picture Scroll's "Discovered By" information would sometimes display incorrectly.
  • Fixed an issue in which tabs would incorrectly change when selecting base items and materials during Soul Fusion.
  • Fixed an issue in which unacquired samurai skills "Flux," "Flux II," and "Flash Attack" could be activated using a Splitstaff before the skills were acquired.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause an application error after the intro cutscene of "The Tengu's Disciple."
  • Fixed an issue that could cause an application error if a particular procedure was used in the Hanging Scrolls section of "Remodel Hut."

Nioh 2 scored a Yokai-stomping 9/10 in Jason's review, where he concluded:

"Nioh 2 builds on the excellence of the original with a fistful of new twists and ideas, from new Yokai abilities to full-on co-op through the entire game. Nioh 2 might well be the best Soulslike that isn't a FromSoftware game, and it's easily one of my personal contenders for Game of the Year."

Developed by Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive studio, Team Ninja, Nioh 2 shipped a million copies in its launch month of May, contributing to the major 2020 growth of the game's publisher, Koei Tecmo.

Dynasty Warriors 20th anniversary trailer celebrates hack n' slash series

Koei Tecmo are officially celebrating 20 years of Dynasty Warriors with a brand new trailer looking back at the series' two-decade history.

The video takes us all the way back to 2000's Dynasty Warriors 2 which originally launched on the PlayStation 2, right through to 2018's Dynasty Warriors 9.

Some of you may be sat there scratching your heads. Yes there was a Dynasty Warriors for the PS1 which released in 1997 though this isn't considering part of the Shin Sangoku Musou franchise due to its more traditional, 2D style fighting.

For many, including myself, it was Dynasty Warriors 3 that got me into the hack n' slash franchise, playing for hours with friends via splitscreen as we unlocked all characters, items, and weapons.

Dynasty Warriors 5 would bring me back into the series. This was followed up by DW5 Xtreme Legends and Empires, both adding new content and ways to play – Empires took the high octane battles while adding a strategic layer which had players conquering China region by region.

It's fair to say that the most recent game in the series, Dynasty Warriors 9, didn't go down too well with most fans. Scraping by with a 5/10 in our own review, it tried something new with its open world approach though felt vacuous while also tampering with some fan favourite characters.

Preview: Dynasty Warriors should learn from Conqueror's Blade

Although Koei may be celebrating this milestone, we're still no closer to learning what the publisher has in store for Dynasty Warriors 10. However producer, Akihiro Suzuki, is teasing something big. Last year, Koei Tecmo also trademarked the following:

  • "Isekai Musou" (Other World Warriors)
  • "Gakuen Musou" (Academy Warriors)
  • "Tensei Musou" (Reincarnation Warriors) – Note: This is likely not Shin Megami Tensei-related, as Atlus would own the trademark, not
  • Koei Tecmo.
  • "Musou Play"
  • "Musou Mode"

Exactly what the publisher have planned remains unclear though hopefully we'll hear more in the coming months, especially if the next Dynasty Warriors is planned as a launch title for the PlayStation 5 and potentially the Xbox Series X. Koei Tecmo recently put out a Dynasty Warriors survey asking fans what they'd want from a potential sequel.

DualShock 4 will not work with PlayStation 5 games

Sony have detailed which current PlayStation 4 peripherals will work on PlayStation 5 and although you will be able to use a Dualshock 4 to play backwards compatible PS4 games on the PlayStation 5 you won't be able to use for PS5 games.

"We believe that PS5 games should take advantage of the new capabilities and features we're bringing to the platform, including the features of DualSense wireless controller," said Isabelle Tomatis, from PlayStation VR, Peripherals Marketing and Licensing a blog post.

It has also been revealed that although the PlayStation 4 camera will work, but it will need an adaptor that Sony will provide for free.

"PlayStation Camera will work with PS5 for playing supported PS VR games. It will require a PlayStation Camera adaptor that will be provided at no additional cost to PS VR users. More details on how to get the adaptor will be announced at a later date," stated Sony.

We also got our first wild stab at the pricing for the PS5 and its family of accessories when French retailer Carrefour listed them with some suspiciously low prices. Surely these are placeholder, no?

They also listed a number of other peripherals that may or may not work.

  • Specialty peripherals, such as officially licensed racing wheels, arcade sticks, and flight sticks, will work with PS5 games and supported PS4 games.
  • The Platinum and Gold Wireless Headsets, as well as third-party headsets that connect via USB port or audio jack, will work on PS5 (the headset companion app is not compatible with PS5).
  • The DualShock 4 wireless controller and PlayStation officially licensed third-party gamepad controllers will work with supported PS4 games.
  • Both the PS Move Motion Controllers and the PlayStation VR Aim Controller will work with supported PS VR games on PS5.

The PlayStation 5 will come with the new DualSense controller and there is good news if you hate the the bold black and white design of the controller and console. During his preview with the new DualSense controller Geoff Keighley spoke to PlayStation Worldwide's marketing boss Eric Lempel who gave us a lot of marketing fluff, but also hinted at different colour schemes.

Geoff asked Eric if alternative colour schemes would be available and he replied "We'll talk about it at some point."

Source: PlayStation.com

Pre-orders for the Xbox Series X will open "soon"

Australian telecoms company Telstra has texted their customers to inform them that pre-orders for Microsoft's next console, the Xbox Series X, will be going live "soon". An image posted on Reddit shows the text that has been sent out and it has been confirmed by multiple people across Reddit.

For pre-orders to go live that means the big question must be answered – how much will an Xbox Series X cost?

Microsoft's Phil Spencer has confirmed that the company will be talking more about the console this month. In an interview with iJustine he said "I am encouraged to be able to talk more about our plans… Should be August. I think August we'll have more to say."

Rumours of a PlayStation event this month are also swirling around and traditionally August is the month that pre-orders for the next generation of consoles goes live so there is a good run up to launch. It is said the PlayStation event will occur sometime between 5th and 11th August but as we have seen in recent months the dates for next gen reveals are rather fluid and can change at a moment's notice.

Microsoft and Sony are essentially playing chicken, who is going to go first and reveal the price of their console? Whoever it is will be at a disadvantage, both firms will have a number of prices in mind, from a low price that means they make a loss on each console, or a higher price where they break even, once one of them has revealed their price the other can juggle their numbers and see if they can make their product look more attractive.

Jeff Grub has hinted that Microsoft and Sony will be holding events this month.

Gabe Newell, head honcho at Valve, has stated Xbox Series X is better than PlayStation 5, but then doesn't explain why, just "cos it is". However, customers in the UK seem to favour PS5 over Xbox Series X.

Source: Reddit

Konami create a Silent Hill Twitter account amidst rumours of a reboot

The official Twitter account for Konami recently posted a short video taken from Silent Hill 2 and the internet went mad because that obviously means a new Silent Hill game.

Konami clarified that was not the case, they were simply watching streams of Dead By Daylight which includes Silent Hill content, but also directed readers to @SilentHill, a new Twitter account that was created on the same day.

The Twitter account has tweeted some fan art, some links to Dead by Daylight, and also links to a bunch of Silent Hill comics from IDW.

The writer and director of the 2006 Silent Hill film, Christophe Gans, has said that he is working on a new film based on the Konami franchise. Both projects will be produced by Victor Hadida who's credits include the previous Silent Hill films and the Resident Evil series of movies.

They are also working on a movie version of the PlayStation 2 game Fatal Frame, aka Project Zero, published by Koei Tecmo.

I have two horror film projects with Victor Hadida. I am working on the adaptation of the video game Project Zero [Fatal Frame]. The film will take place in Japan. I especially don't want to uproot the game from its Japanese haunted house setting. And we're also working on a new Silent Hill. The project will always be anchored in this atmosphere of a small American town, ravaged by Puritanism. I think it's time to make a new one

As for a new Silent Hill game, former Silent Hill artist Masahiro Ito has confirmed that he was working on a new game and numerous references to Silent Hill. Unconfirmed leaks back in January suggested that Konami were working on two Silent Hill games, one of which may be a reboot of the series. According to tweet, Konami were reaching out to developers rather than doing the project in house.

We also know Hideo Kojima is working on a horror game for his next title and as he is now on good terms with Konami there have been suggestions he may be involved. There are also rumours that Sony are taking the license and making it PlayStation exclusive, but those have been denied by Konami.

Source: Twitter

Creaks Review

Puzzlers come in all shapes and sizes, but I am hard pressed to think of one whose setting is quite as unique as the one found in Creaks. It seems odd to say, considering the setting is a house, yet this is a house that is far from ordinary and the furniture you move to solve the puzzles is quite unlike what we're used to in our homes.

Amanita Design's Creaks places you in the role of an unnamed character who one night discovers a hatch in his house, and as any sensible person knows, if you find a hatch you are obliged to open it up and crawl inside with just a bag and a light. Usually it will lead somewhere boring, but in Creaks it leads to a huge, subterranean world with a very large house in it, and if that wasn't out of the ordinary enough, that house is occupied by some bird people who have a problem with a large creature destroying their home. As you descend deeper into this world, you'll have quite a few challenges to overcome before getting back home.

Aside from the bird people and the giant creature, this world is also occupied by guard dogs, goats, jellyfish, and mimics. Every one of these creatures poses a threat to you, as you cannot fight back against them, but you aren't helpless.

Should light shine on these creatures they turn into furniture. For example, the dog becomes a side cupboard, the jellyfish a globe, and the mimic a coat stand. Unluckily, you lose your light source as you head into the world and must rely on the light fixtures. The lights act both as a way of transforming the creatures found in the house, and as a shield, since the creatures will not step in a lit area.

The puzzles start off quite simple, but gradually get harder as you get used to the mechanics of manipulating light sources to get creatures to move where you need them. This could require moving creatures so they are sat on a switch that may open a door, while others will require you to use the creatures to interact with each other so new pathways can open.

Many of the puzzles are well designed, and you can really appreciate how the team at Amanita Design have put them together. The goat and jellyfish puzzles are real high points of the game, but the mimic puzzles were much more of a mixed bag. As their name implies, mimics will copy your movements, so you must watch your steps to get them in right place, but was frustrating in one instance when you need to climb ladders and jump across gaps in a plain looking brick room. This was only solved through pure luck after ages of trying different routes, and really impacted the pace of Creaks, which flows well overall.

It's not just what you see that will help you, but what you hear as well. Music plays a particularly important role in letting you know you are on the right path. As you make progress in a puzzle the music will evolve with the addition of a new instrument, for example, and recede if you lose progress as well.

You will find paintings as you explore the house and be able to interact with some of them. For example, in one of the paintings the goal is to make a fish jump through hoops while in another you must avoid detection. They're worth seeking out and playing to provide a nice break from exploring the crumbling house.

The story is simple to follow, even with a silent protagonist and the bird people not speaking a recognisable language. This barrier is overcome through the use of gestures, painting a story with themes of overcoming obstacles, unity, and getting out of your comfort zone. The visual design lends each part of the house has a distinctive look, though some puzzle environments do look a bit bland.

Spitlings Review

Spitlings are pretty terrifying. A myriad assortment of animate blocks with lolling grins, pointed horns and horrifically arrayed teeth, they're an unpleasant bunch to look at. Even more unpleasant is their primary form of interaction: spitting. You spit to jump, you spit to fly, you even collect your fallen spit to spit it back out again. It's Thomas Was Alone: ASBO Edition, but that's not as bad as it might sound.

Whatever they might look like, the Spitlings start out pretty happy. The Story mode – told through a series of colourful comic book panels – has them enjoying a sun-dappled moment before a giant dollop of pink goo falls from the sky onto the Spitling's condo and invites itself in to stay. In the process, many of the Spitlings are trapped in levels spaced out across the apartments, and it falls to you, the roof-bound Spitlings, to seek out and save your fellow squares.

Each 'apartment' is made up of a group of single screen stages, and the Spitlings simply have to get rid of the invading goop by spitting them into non-existent cleanliness. Each Spitling has a certain number of shots of spit, indicated by the disappearance or decay of their teeth, and you can recharge them by picking up fallen spit or collecting it from different points around some levels. It is possible to slowly re-grow those teeth, but it requires you to find a quiet corner, which don't often exist, and it slows your progress when Spitlings is otherwise a pretty snappy game.

Spitlings sits somewhere between a saliva-based shooter, and a puzzle game, with each stage requiring a slightly different approach in order to succeed. Things are made ever more complicated by different stage layouts, from springs that change the predictable bounce of the evil goop, to sections that the goop can pass through but the Spitlings cannot.

Admittedly, that is still mostly 'spit them, before they goop you', and with one hit kills you'll find yourself hitting some stages over and over again. The frustration monster was awoken fairly regularly as it's nearly always the bounce of the final bit of goo that does for you, forcing you to work your way across the whole screen again.

Spitlings is clearly from the school of straightforward visuals, and besides the differing gurns and colours of the Spitlings themselves, the levels are mostly single solid colours with the odd bit of saliva to travel along or around and goop bouncing about to be destroyed. It's effective and bold, and it does also mean you can focus on the task at hand without marvelling at the draw distance. Trust me, there's enough going on.

There are a couple of occasions where the different coloured goo strays a little too close to the colour of your spit, and it becomes nigh-on impossible to differentiate between the two, but you can cycle through different colour themes that you've unlocked with the shoulder buttons, avoiding more of those problems and removing issues for those that suffer from particular kinds of colour blindness.

Overall I found Spitlings to be a fairly chilled out game when played alone. Its cool electronic soundtrack thumps along with purpose, shifting tone as you head deeper into the block, and the whole experience can just wash over you if you let it, even with multiple resets on some of the tougher levels.

Multiplayer is a less relaxed experience. Up to four players can hook up in local multiplayer, or online, and you can tackle each of the levels, from the Story through to the Arcade mode, co-operatively. However, a single misstep will see you all fail, and given how easy that is to achieve alone, it's four times more likely with others. It's a lot of silly, angry, fun, and it's great to have the option of playing at home with others, as well as the expected online component.

There is also the incoming level editor, which will allow you to create your own masterpieces filled with saliva and gloop, and then tackle them online with all those friends you're not currently allowed round your house.

FIFA 21 debut gameplay trailer to be released on Tuesday

EA has confirmed that the debut gameplay trailer for FIFA 21 will be going live on August 4th at 4pm BST.  EA has stated that this FIFA 21 will go explore the different gameplay features, and will likely show changes to how some systems run compared to FIFA 20. This trailer follows the FIFA 21 reveal trailer from a couple of weeks ago where cover star Kylian Mbappé was the front and centre focus of the video. A countdown has begun for the FIFA 21 gameplay trailer with a placeholder already live on YouTube. Erling Haaland does not look too impressed with what has happened on the pitch.

The Pre-Season event for FIFA's Ultimate Team in which players can get awards for both FIFA 20 and FIFA 21. To get these rewards players will need to complete Objectives and Squad Building Challenges in Ultimate Team, and by doing so they will get the following content in FIFA 21.

  • x2 Coin boosts (5 games x 500 coins)
  • FUT 20 Icon Home Kit
  • FUT 20 Future Stars Kit
  • Anchor Chemistry Style
  • Engine Chemistry Style

That is just the first batch of rewards with more to be added later in Pre-Season. In addition to those rewards there will be other content made available in the game too. The rewards will be available in FIFA 21 by October 16th and have to be redeemed by November 23rd.

If you are an EA Access member you will get some early hands-on time with FIFA 21, and 10% off if you purchase the game with progress carrying over. FIFA 21 is going to be a Dual Entitlement title which means if you buy the PS4 or Xbox One version of the game then you will get the next-generation version for free, provided you are upgrading within the same console family. The physical version of the game will come with an entitlement code to allow you to upgrade to the PS5 or Xbox Series X version of FIFA 21, so there is no need to purchase the game digitally to benefit. If you do upgrade be aware that not all progress will carry over to the next generation. EA states:

All progress you make or content you acquire within FIFA 21 Ultimate Team (including players, items, coins, FIFA Points, match record, and leaderboard placement), as well as all progression in VOLTA FOOTBALL will transfer from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5 and back, or Xbox One to Xbox Series X and back. Progress within all other modes including Online Seasons, Co-Op Seasons, Career Mode, Pro Clubs, etc. will be specific to the console you are playing on and won't transfer between consoles.

FIFA 21 will be released for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 9th.

Source: YouTube

Warframe's Heart of Deimos open world expansion launches this month on all platforms

Digital Extremes has announced the release date for Warframe's open world expansion Heart of Deimos, and it will release simultaneously for all platforms on August 25th. That means players across PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Switch will be able to experience a Warframe content update at the same time for the first time. You can check out 30 minutes of gameplay from Heart of Deimos below, which was shown yesterday at TennoCon 2020.

Heart of Deimos adds a new way for Warframe players to explore with Deimos consisting of two major areas. The first is the surface of the smaller Martian moon. The surface has become an Infested hivemind landscape full of creatures that will pose a danger to anyone that ventures across it. The surface is littered with pods from which Infested infected Entrati NPCs emerge along with other Infested creatures. As players explore they will learn more about the Entrati family as well as how the Infested came to be, with the origin of the faction said to be pretty complex.

The surface is not the only location though. Players will be able to descend underground with these tunnels and spaces all being procedurally generated. The vast underground complexes of Deimos contain powerful Necramechs, some of which players can pilot themselves to help survive the terror underground. However, some of the Necramechs will pose a danger to players so be ready for a fight as you explore the places left behind the Entrati. There is also a new Warframe for players to use and that is Xaku, which will be the 44th frame added to the game. K-Drives have also been changed to Infested hoverboards, and players will be able to take a bit of a break from fighting to do a spot of fishing and conservation. Or you could do some Archwing flying and combat.

Source: Press Release

UFC 4 next batch of fighter ratings released, check them out here

EA has released the next batch of UFC 4 fighter rankings with fighters ranked 40 to 31 being highlighted. The list of fighters here includes Colby Colvington, Holly Holm, Ronaldo Souza, Joseph Benavidez, Cain Velasquez, Alistair Overeem, Curtis Blaydes, Aljamain Sterling, Jessica Andrade, and Yoel Romero. Much like the previous rankings each fighter is rated out of five stars for their striking and grapple ability and their health, which feeds into their overall star rating.

Rank Fighter Weight Class Overall Striking OVR Grapple OVR Health OVR
40 Colby Colvington Male Welterweight 4.5 STAR 3.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 5 STAR
39 Holly Holm Female Bantamweight 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 3.5 STAR 5 STAR
38 Ronaldo Souza Male Middleweight 4.5 STAR 4 STAR 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR
37 Joseph Benavidez Male Flyweight 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 4 STAR 4.5 STAR
36 Cain Velasquez Male Heavyweight 4.5 STAR 4 STAR 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR
35 Alistair Overeem Male Heavyweight 4.5 STAR 5 STAR 4.5 STAR 4 STAR
34 Curtis Blaydes Male Heavyweight 4.5 STAR 4 STAR 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR
33 Ajamain Sterling Male Bantamweight 4.5 STAR 4 STAR 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR
32 Jessica Andrade Female Strawweight 4.5 STAR 4 STAR 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR
31 Yoel Romero Male Middleweight 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR 4.5 STAR

 

The previous rankings can be found here. Yesterday, a new trailer for UFC 4's career mode was released giving a look at Coach Davis, fighter performance upgrades, and the relationship system.

UFC 4 was announced during the UFC 251 event, with EA giving us a look at their upcoming fighting game. Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury were also confirmed as pre-order DLC characters.

We spoke to them about how they're trying to make the game more responsive than ever, and how there's a real focus on letting you take your custom fighters into any game mode – find the full interview here. We also checked in on why they were ditching Ultimate Team for the game, and if and how they will be adding support for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

For now, UFC 4 will only be coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 14th August.

Source: EA

FIFA 20 predicts the Arsenal v Chelsea FA Cup Final 2020

Welcome everybody! Today sees two London rivals go head to head in the The FA Cup Final as Arsenal and Chelsea face off to see who is the best team of this tournament. There is some extra incentive for Arsenal as if they win they will get a spot in the Europa League. Chelsea has already confirmed European football for next season, and they will play in the Champions League.

We thought it would be fun to have the match play out in FIFA 20 ahead of kick off at 5:30pm BST. The line ups will likely not be accurate as we won't find those out until later, so take this as a bit of fun. The line ups for this FIFA 20 FA Cup Final are as follows.

Chelsea are playing in a 4-3-3 Holding formation:

  • (GK) Kepa
  • (LB) Alonso
  • (RB) Azpilucueta
  • (CB) Zouma
  • (CB) Rudiger
  • (CDM) Jorginho
  • (CM) Kovacic (Subbed off 105th minute)
  • (CM) Kante (Subbed off 90th minute extra time)
  • (LW) Pulisic (Subbed off 88th minute)
  • (RW) Willian
  • (ST) Giroud (Subbed on 107th minute)

Subs:

  • Pedro
  • Abraham (Subbed on 107th minute)
  • Hudson-Odoi (Subbed on 88th minute)
  • Barkley (Subbed on 90th minute extra time)
  • Christensen
  • Mount (Subbed on 105th minute)
  • Caballero

Arsenal are lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with the following players:

  • (GK) Leno
  • (LB) Saka
  • (RB) Bellerin
  • (CB) Sokratis
  • (CB) David Luiz
  • (CDM) Xhaka
  • (CDM) Ceballos
  • (LM) Willock (Subbed off 90th minute extra time)
  • (RM) Pepe
  • (CAM) Aubameyang
  • (ST) Lacazette

Subs:

  • Martinelli (Subbed on 90th minute extra time)
  • Nketiah
  • Guendouzi
  • Holding
  • Kolasinac
  • Torreria
  • Martinez

So where does that leave the final result? Well at the final result these were the final stats that came as a result of the simulated match.

Final Score (After Extra Time)

Arsenal 0 – 0 Chelsea

Chelsea win 3-1 on penalties

Aubamayeng (Missed Pen 45″)

Shots on Target

Arsenal 4-0 Chelsea

Shots off Target

Arsenal 0-3 Chelsea

Yellow Cards

Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea

Red Cards

Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea

Possession

Arsenal 48% – 52% Chelsea

Corners Taken

Arsenal 3-3 Chelsea

Fouls

Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea

Pass Accuracy

Arsenal 89% – 89% Chelsea

According to FIFA 20 then do not expect any goals in regular time. In fact, the game goes to penalties with Chelsea winning the shootout 3-1. Aubameyang missing the penalty at the end of the first half pretty much cost Arsenal the FA Cup.  Will that be how the game unfolds? Hopefully not as we'd like some more action in the 90 minutes. Are you on board with Chelsea winning the FA Cup in a penalty shootout?

Something for the Weekend – 01/08/20

We're right in the middle of summer now, and it absolutely feels like it with the weather being what one can only describe as "scorchio". OK, I'm sure there are more, less made up adjectives for the temperature, but you know what I mean.

That heat hasn't stopped it from being a busy old week in video games, so let's dive in and catch up on the news, reviews, previews and more from the end of July.

In the News This Week

And with the end of July, there were the usual set of free game announcements:

Games in Review

We had a pretty full slate of review this week, covering all manner of different genres and topics.

And we had an intriguing hardware review, where the question was as much whether you should consider the product, as it was whether or not it was any good.

Featured Articles

As busy as it was in the review pool, the previews and features were no less packed. Dom and I shared our thoughts on how Pokémon Go Fest 2020 was a virtual success.

Last weekend also saw a technical beta test for Fall Guys, which Jim and I absolutely adore, while Dom went hands on with One Hand Clapping, and Tom had his hands full raising monsters in the 'Pokémon for grown ups' of Monster Crown.

I then had a look at how Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered is resurrecting the classic GameCube co-op action RPG, and Futurlab's ingenious time-twisting puzzler Peaky Blinders: Mastermind.

And I went hands on with not one, but two upcoming racing games, with accompanying videos. First up was the very different Project Cars 3.

And then we had a look at WRC 9, with what some might call the best headline ever to feature on the site: WRC 9 Preview – Keep right into caution, big console jump, 100.

Dom spoke to EPOS on making a new generation of gaming headsets, and finally What We Played featured Ghost of Tsushima, Fall Guys and Pokémon Go.

Trailer Park

Cuphead is out now for PlayStation 4

UFC 4 Career mode trailer details new additions including Coach Davis

Hawkeye confirmed for Marvel's Avengers, beta details outlined

Carrion: Behind the Screams released by Devolver, kind of goes behind the scenes

Microsoft Flight Simulator PC VR and TrackIR support announced

Your Achievements

Here's what you in our community has been up to this week:

  • hornet1990 finished two of the war stories from Battlefield V, finding them a buggy slog.
  • ron_mcphatty finished the "emotionally gruelling and bleak" The Last of Us Part II, but he still loved it!
  • It was Skater XL for tactical20.
  • Popping on his dreaming hat, TSBonyman dove into the wonderful world of Dreams VR, spending just a little bit too long in the virtual space for his head to handle.
  • And MrYd's brain melted while playing "Advanced Horse Testicle Simulator", "I'm a Satsuma", "Hideo Kojima's Falling Over Simulator", and "Call of Duty: Whatever it is". Sounds like a fun week?

I hope you have a good (and relatively cool) weekend and I'll see you on the other side!

Free Rocket Arena codes being given away to celebrate the first season

Rocket Arena was only released a couple of weeks ago by EA and Final Strike Games, but it seems that it hasn't been as popular as the team would have liked. Now, free codes for Rocket Arena are being given away on PC, PS4, and Xbox One "in celebration of season one."

The instructions are as follows:

1. Click"Codes and Promotions" then select Promotion questions"to enter LETSROCKET

2. Sign-in to your EA account.

3.Fill in the required information, enter LETSROCKET into the Subject and Issue fields, and hit 'Email us". Once complete, you'll receive an email with your code.

We look forward to seeing you blastoff in Crater with your friends!

Click here to request a code. Codes are limited and according to the promotion only those with North America PSN logins are eligible on PS4. That limit is not applied to PC and Xbox One. However, there are also reports that PS4 codes have run out.

In our review for Rocket Arena, Stefan wrote:

Rocket Arena is an energetic new take on the arena shooter that revels in and rewards skillful play with its projectile weaponry. There's breadth to the cartoony character line up, and while their varied weapons and abilities muddy the purity of the classic rocket arena concept, you'll quickly find a favourite and get to enjoy the frantic scrapping of the game's various modes.

You can read the full Rocket Arena review here.

Source: Reddit./Resetera

This week's trio of free Epic Games now live

There's just no stopping Epic and their never-ending free game train. Once again, the creators of Fortnite have laid on a spread of free games to download via the Epic Games Store.

This week you can grab not one, but a trio of free games on the house. These include roguelike action platformer, 20XX, as well as first person dungeon crawler Barony, and the spectacular Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP.

Meanwhile, it's been confirmed that next week's giveaway will be quirky puzzler, Wilmot's Warehouse.

As always, you have one week in which to claim these games. You'll need to log into the Epic Games Store (or boot up the EGS client) to find these freebies then add them to your digital library. Don't worry, even if you don't download them straight away they'll still be yours forever!

You can check out the full list of Epic free games below which started with Subnautica in December 2018. Click on the game titles to read our reviews:

Wilmot's Warehouse August 6-13, 2020
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP July 30 – August 6, 2020
Barony July 30 – August 6, 2020
20XX July 30 – August 6, 2020
Next Up Hero July 23-30, 2020
Tacoma July 23-30, 2020
Torchlight II July 16-23, 2020
Lifeless Planet: Premier Edition July 9-16, 2020
The Escapists 2 July 9-16, 2020
Killing Floor 2 June 9-16, 2020
Hue July 2-9, 2020
Stranger Things 3 June 25-July 2, 2020
AER Memories of Old June 18-25, 2020
Ark: Survival Evolved June 11-18, 2020
Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection June 11-18, 2020
Overcooked June 4-11, 2020
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection May 28-June 4, 2020
Civilization VI May 21-28, 2020
Grand Theft Auto V May 14-21, 2020
Death Coming May 7-14, 2020
Crashlands April 30-May 7, 2020
Amnesia: The Dark Descent April 30-May 7, 2020
For the King April 23-30, 2020
Just Cause 4 April 16-23, 2020
Wheels of Aurelia April 16-23, 2020
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments April 9-16, 2020
Close to the Sun April 9-16, 2020
Gone Home April 2-9, 2020
Drawful 2 April 2-9, 2020
Hob April 2-9, 2020
Totally Reliable Delivery Service April 1-8, 2020
World War Z March 26-April 2, 2020
Torment x Punisher March 26-April 2, 2020
Figment March 26-April 2, 2020
Watch Dogs March 19-26, 2020
The Stanley Parable March 19-26, 2020
A Short Hike March 12-19, 2020
Mutazione March 12-19, 2020
Anodyne 2 March 12-19, 2020
Gonner March 5-12, 2020
Offworld Trading Company March 5-12, 2020
Inner Space February 27-March 5, 2020
Faeria February 20-27, 2020
Assassin's Creed Syndicate February 20-27, 2020
Aztez February 13-20, 2020
Kingdom Come: Deliverance February 13-20, 2020
Ticket to Ride February 6-13, 2020
Carcassonne February 6-13, 2020
Farming Simulator 19 January 30-February 6, 2020
The Bridge January 23-30, 2020
Horace January 16-23, 2020
Sundered: Eldritch Edition January 9-16, 2020
Darksiders Warmastered Edition January 1-9, 2020
Darksiders 2 Dethinitive Edition January 1-9, 2020
Steep January 1-9, 2020
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair December 31, 2019
Hello Neighbor December 30, 2019
The Talos Principle December 29, 2019
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun December 28, 2019
Hyper Light Drifter December 27, 2019
FTL: Faster Than Light December 26, 2019
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator December 25, 2019
Celeste December 24, 2019
Ape Out December 23, 2019
Little Inferno December 22, 2019
Superhot December 21, 2019
Towerfall Ascension December 20, 2019
Into the Breach December 19, 2019
The Wolf Among Us December 12-19, 2019
The Escapists December 12-19, 2019
Jotun: Valhalla Edition December 6-12, 2019
Rayman Legends November 29-December 6, 2019
Bad North November 21-29, 2019
The Messenger November 14-21, 2019
Ruiner November 7-14, 2019
Nuclear Throne November 7-14, 2019
Costume Quest October 31-November 7, 2019
Soma October 31-November 7, 2019
Layers of Fear October 24-October 31, 2019
Q.U.B.E.2 October 24-October 31, 2019
Alan Wake: American Nightmare October 17-24, 2019
Observer October 17-24, 2019
Surviving Mars October 10-17, 2019
Minit October 3-10, 2019
Metro 2033 Redux September 26-October 3, 2019
Everything September 26-October 3, 2019
Lego Batman Trilogy September 19-26, 2019
Batman: Arkham Collection September 19-26, 2019
Conarium September 12-19, 2019
ABZU September 5-12, 2019
The End is Nigh September 5-12, 2019
Celeste August 29-September 5, 2019
Inside August 29-September 5, 2019
Fez August 22-29, 2019
Hyper Light Drifter August 15-22, 2019
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden August 15-22, 2019
GNOG August 8-15, 2019
For Honor August 2-9, 2019
Alan Wake August 2-9, 2019
This War of Mine July 25-August 2, 2019
Moonlighter July 25-August 2, 2019
Limbo July 18-July 25, 2019
Torchlight July 11-18, 2019
Overcooked July 4-11, 2019
Last Day of June June 27-July 4, 2019
Rebel Galaxy June 20-27, 2019
Enter the Gungeon June 13-20, 2019
Kingdom: New Lands June 6-13, 2019
City of Brass May 30-6, 2019
Rime May 23-30, 2019
Stories Untold May 16-23, 2019
World of Goo May 2-16, 2019
Transistor April 18-May 2, 2019
The Witness April 4-18, 2019
Oxenfree March 21-April 4, 2019
Slime Rancher March 7-21, 2019
Thimbleweed Park February 21-March 7, 2019
Axiom Verge February 7-21, 2019
The Jackbox Party Pack January 24-February 7, 2019
What Remains of Edith Finch January 11-24, 2019
Super Meat Boy December 28, 2018-January 10, 2019
Subnautica December 12-27, 2018

The Epic Games Launcher also hosts to a variety of free-to-play games including Dauntless, SMITE, Magic The Gathering Arena, and of course, Fortnite.

Source: Epic Games

Tekken 7 Season 4 announced, all characters will get new moves

Bandai Namco has confirmed that Tekken 7 Season 4 is coming, though an exact launch date is yet to be confirmed. What we do know is that all fighters will be getting new moves, the online experience will be improved, and a new Tekken Prowess system is being added though details on what that is are scarce.

At the end of the trailer there is a brief tease of a new character, and the early consensus seems to be that it is Kunimitsu. She has been in the original Tekken, Tekken 2, and both Tekken Tag Tournament games but has not been playable since. No doubt other characters will also be added through Season 4. Season 3 saw the addition of Ganryu, Leroy Smith, Fahkumram and Zafina.

If you're yet to play Tekken 7 here's what Dave wrote in his review:

Tekken 7 is a phenomenal fighting game experience and one I'd highly recommend. It's by no means perfect, as the game is not without a few technical issues online, some long loading times, and minor continuity errors, yet as far as most people will be concerned, it delivers a stunning, up-to-date fighting game experience from one of the masters of arcade fighting games. A solid return to form.

You can read the full Tekken 7 review here.

Source: YouTube

Setsuka announced for SoulCalibur VI, out next week

Bandai Namco had announced the return of Setsuka to the SoulCalibur franchise, with the returning fighter being available from August 4th through the next DLC drop. The trailer showing Setsuka in action was revealed and you can check it below.

Setsuka first appeared in the SoulCalibur franchise in SoulCalibur III. She was also part of SoulCalibur IV, SoulCalibur V, and SoulCalibur Broken Destiny. Alongside Setsuka there will be free content for all SoulCalibur VI players. This free content will include two new stages, a classic Setsuka costume, and a brand new Groh episode. Back in November SoulCalibur VI was overhauled as part of the move to Season 2.

Sword-y fighting game SoulCalibur VI launched inoin 2018 for PS4, Xbox One and PC, reviving the dormant sword-y fighting game series with a few tweaks and changes to its popular formula. Version 2.00 was a big overhaul of the game's balance, introducing new moves for all characters, adding new combos and ways to overcome sticky situations.

Two new battle mechanics were also added:

  • The Soul Attack, a strengthened strike that can turn the tide of a battle.
  • The Resist Impact, the ultimate defense move capable of repelling any attack including the currently unblockable ones.

In our review for SoulCalibur VI, Dom wrote:

SoulCalibur VI is a fantastic looking entry in the series, but beyond that feels like something of a missed opportunity. The core combat remains as vibrant, weighty and enjoyable as ever, but the Reversal Edge adds in an element of chance that feels at odds with what most fighting games set out to achieve. The two interminably dull story modes don't help either, with players left to rely on the the straightforward arcade and online modes for their kicks.

You can read the full SoulCalibur VI review here.

Source: YouTube