Fall Guys matchmaking switched off for at least two hours as players overwhelm the servers

If you are trying to get in a new game of Fall Guys then you're out of luck, the game has proved incredibly popular and the servers have been totally overwhelmed. Mediatonic have been trying to turn on new servers to cope but it just was not working so they've hit the rest button and turned off matchmaking until hey can make sure they have enough servers.

Devolver Digital and Mediatonic have revealed their content roadmap for the game (when it comes back online)

So, it looks like we're due to see new rounds added to Fall Guys, as well as unlockable costumes (well a cactus costume, at least) and "new features" the developers aren't ready to announce just yet.

We were playing the game last weekend in the last technical beta test before release and had an absolute ball. Read our Fall Guys preview here, where Jim said:

Tied up in such a cheeky, vibrant package, Fall Guys has the makings of a true multiplayer marvel and one that touts slapstick silliness over a constant barrage of blood and bullets. We'll be throwing ourselves into this mad little game on launch day and we'll surely be grinning from ear to ear as we do.

Last night saw the game's trophy list revealed, with no small amount of puns and trolling of those trying to earn the sacred platinum. 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.

Source: Twitter

Anti gravity combat racer Pacer will be released in September

R8 Games has announced that the anti-gravity combat racer Pacer will be released on September 17th for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. Pacer will include five different craft types that will all be customisable, 14 tracks to race around, and eight game modes including Elimination, Endurance, battle royale inspired 'Storm' modes, and a mode called flowmentum. There is also a campaign mode and online multiplayer for up to 10 players per race.

In our preview for Pacer, Dom wrote:

Despite my woefully adequate performance, Pacer looks pretty spectacular in motion, and the tracks take in the various locale types we've come to expect, from arid desert plains through to lush jungles. No matter where you are, each track is a warren of twisted metallic routes that leap and plunge through the landscape like a nightmarish version of the M25. Fortunately it's pretty hard to get lost.

It simply wouldn't be an anti-grav game without a banging soundtrack, and Pacer is all set to tickle your earholes with thumping tracks from a number of artists including Wipeout and Psygnosis alumni Cold Storage. They immediately set the tone, and once again reinforce the sense that R8 are drawing on the genre's history while keeping a firm eye on its future.

It's not as though the anti-grav genre has been entirely defunct without Wipeout at its head, but where Redout, Antigraviator and Fast RMX added their own wrinkles to the future racing formula, it looks as though Pacer is expanding beyond the genre's boundaries to deliver a racing experience worthy of the 21st Century and beyond.

You can read the full Pacer review here.

Source: Press Release

PS Now August additions include Hitman 2, Greedfall, and Dead Cells

PlayStation Now's August update has landed and subscribers will be able to get Hitman 2, Greedfall, and Dead Cells. Both Hitman 2 and Dead Cells will be available on PS Now until February 21st, while Greedfall does not have a date of removal. You can check out what we thought of each of the games in our reviews. Here are some samples.

In our Hitman 2 review, Stefan wrote:

"Building on the foundations of the 2016 game, Hitman 2 is full of the best Hitman stealth action yet. Yes, it's evolutionary in some ways, and you have to accept the series' idiosyncratic take on the genre, but there's space for it to keep growing with the return of Escalation missions and continuing Elusive Contracts. Whether you're a blackmailing pink flamingo, throwing briefcases at people, or getting robots to do your dirty work, the satisfaction of an expertly planned and executed hit is like nothing else."

In our Greedfall review, Gareth wrote:

Greedfall has an ambitious story, but it's not backed up by the clearly repeated environments, simple combat and dull abilities that take ages to unlock. However, seasoned RPG players might well be able able to look past those flaws in favour of the interesting, well written stories about political manoeuvres and oppression that make up the bulk of the quests in this pretty dark, deep world.
In our Dead Cells review, Jason wrote:

With incredibly satisfying gameplay, a constant stream of unlocks, and a world that challenge every cell of your being, Dead Cells is a must own for anyone who likes even one aspect of what has been mentioned here. Every success will fill you with endorphins, every failure will inspire you to get better. When you finally take out the final boss you will be elated. It is here that Dead Cells lets you know that it is just the beginning, there are a few more go around yet, and each one gets harder and harder. This is the kind of game that can last you forever, you just have to let it beat you in the head a few times.

Source: PS Blog

FIFA 21 gameplay trailer describes the new creative dribbling and agile runs systems

EA has now released the official gameplay trailer for FIFA 21, and expands on the differences between the new game and FIFA 20. One of these changes is the new agile dribbling system which will allow players to find more ways past opponents with more skill. There is also the new creative runs system in which players can now manually direct AI player runs for smarter ways to get past defences. Better positioning awareness means players will be working out where best to run or hold a defence. A natural collision system means players will fall over less and act more naturally compared to FIFA 20.

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

Here are the Destiny 2 Hotfix 2.9.1.2 patch notes, fixes the "Means to an End" quest bug

Destiny 2's weekly reset has come with a hotfix which, at last, fixes the "Means to an End" quest bug that has been plaguing players for weeks. There are also fixes for bugs within Nightfall: The Ordeal and the Leviathan Raids.

Here are the patch notes!

NIGHTFALL: THE ORDEAL

  • Fixed an issue where the Ordeal version of Lake of Shadows was inaccessible at tiers above Adept for players who do not own Forsaken.
  • Fixed an issue where the Festering Core Master Nightfall was listed as 1080 Power in the Director, but was actually 750 Power.
      • Guardians should expect a much greater challenge when engaging with this strike.

RAIDS

  • Leviathan rewards of XP, Glimmer, and chances towards Exotic Engrams or Bright Engrams are now back on a weekly lockout.
      • Note: Weapons and armor are not affected by the weekly lockout, and can be earned multiple times a week.

INVESTMENT

  • Fixed an issue where some players could not acquire the "Means to an End" quest from the Prismatic Recaster.

ARMOR

  • Fixed an issue where Ruinous Effigy could trigger the heal from the Stronghold Titan Exotic armor while blocking with the carry object.
  • Fixed an issue where Umbral stat Focused engrams could provide less than 10 in the selected stat.

Bungie has recently that it has made the decision to push back the release of the Destiny 2: Beyond Light expansion and the new date is now November 10th. Beyond Light is supposed to be the first of three new expansions that look to take Destiny 2 further. The other two expansions are The Witch Queen and Lightfall, and the plan behind these expansions is to extend the life of Destiny 2. Season of Arrivals will now be extended until the launch of Beyond Light.

In a statement released today, Bungie said:

"As the first chapter in a new trilogy of expansions, Beyond Light is the beginning of a new era of Destiny 2. We have a powerful story to tell and incredible new features that we're really excited for players to experience. As always, our goal is to make the coolest, most entertaining expansion we can possibly make for our fans. To that end, we are doing what's best for the game and moving the launch date.  
The past few months have been a challenge and will continue to be during this pandemic. We've learned to create together in a new way, by having to work apart from one another. Despite these hurdles, we're still committed to the same level of quality that our fans expect.  
Over the coming weeks, we'll be unveiling more of what we're working on for Beyond Light and what that also means for Season of Arrivals, which will now extend to November 10. Beyond Light sets the stage for an incredible future in Destiny 2 and, though it's coming later than we originally anticipated, we're excited to continue that journey with you this November."
Source: Bungie

Lost Wing Review

Lost Wing is aptly named. During my time with the game, my Wipeout-inspired craft lost its fragile wings some three thousand, four hundred and thirty-two times. Lost Wing has also made me lose my temper, my self-respect, my willpower and my desire to exist numerous times. It's also glorious fun.

Lost Wing is best described as a runner arcade game, though one that's fused with the levelling up and procedural generation of a roguelite. Your craft whizzes down a neon-coated track that takes more than a few nods from the iconic movie Tron. There's also hints of Race the Sun that suffuse the visual design, so suffice to say it is an aesthetically arresting game.

When you're not distracted by looking at pretty things, you'll need to dodge and blast obstacles that are in your way. Your ammo is finite, so also make sure to pick up 'charge' orbs. Charge is vitally important, as it not only powers your blaster, it also allows you to activate a slow-motion mode. Without a regular application of slow-mo, the much more likely your craft will end up splattered against a rock like a bug against a windshield. That's because the further into the level you go, the faster and faster Lost Wings gets until an incomprehensibly blistering pace is reached, where brain, fingers and game must become a unified whole to survive… until you splat against the inevitable windshield.

This is an emotional game, one of spectacular euphoric highs and crushing nightmarish lows. There were moments when my heart was in my mouth as my craft nimby dodged a field of obstacles, gliding to safety in a Matrix infused action-fest that would make Neo jealous. Then, a distraction and 'blam' it's all over. A life is lost and you have to start again. It's a devastatingly addictive gameplay loop.

The procedurally generated tracks don't feel randomised, instead offering a cohesive experience that has both a sense of design and purpose. For example, an innocently placed booster that might just hurtle you into a big fan, a series of perfectly placed jumps that push your reactions to the limit, a cavalcade of obstacles in just the right position to provide you with a clear optimal line (if your reflexes are up to it). Thankfully, the controls are smooth and responsive. Failure is never the game's fault, just your own for not being quite quick enough.

That is until you come up against a curious design decision made on behalf of developers BoxFrog Games. At certain points on a run an anomaly will be detected. At this point you'd best prepare a paper bag as the screen will rotate in a nausea-inducing display of what can only be described as pure unmitigated hatred for your eyeballs. With everything suddenly upside down your controls will of course be reversed and so, unless you have magic fingers, death will soon ensue. I hated this mechanic. It feels so cruelly unfair and is so diametrically opposed to the excellent design choices made elsewhere.

Lost Wing isn't just a game that wears its hardcore credentials on its sleeve then; its entire shirt, tie and cardigan combo is coated in hardcore. To combat this, which I appreciated, you're given three lives per run. This also ties in to a partial checkpoint system, where reaching certain points in the track will enable you a respawn closer to your objective: a big, bad boss. The bosses are satisfactory but ultimately unnecessary – defeating them doesn't end the level, as you carry on in pursuit of leaderboard glory – and the boss battles will soon fade from memory.

At the start of Lost Wing you'll find very little to do. You'll have access to your first craft, one track and easy mode. To unlock content you'll have to gather points and gain levels across multiple runs, riffing on the metagame found in your typical roguelite. It's a neat idea, encouraging the player to get the most out of each track and ensuring that they're ready for the harder courses when they get to them. Unfortunately, it takes too long to level up, there's a lot of grind required to unlock just about anything. You're also given a lot of duff rewards after levelling up – having to gather a variety of different paint jobs for your craft before you obtain an exciting new track is arduous. Certainly, this is an element of the game that requires some tweaking to achieve a satisfying balance.

There's several issues that hamper proceedings then, but these need to be checked and balanced against the price point. For well under a tenner Lost Wing is an absolute bargain, offering a journey that has ton of heart in your mouth action, so long as you can stomach the frustrations on the way.

xCloud streaming launches on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on 15th September

Microsoft have announced that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will be gaining free game streaming via Project xCloud on 15th September. From that date, any subscriber in 22 countries will be able to play over 100 games from the service on Android phones and tablets. This will include Xbox Games Studios titles as they launch into Xbox Game Pass later this year and beyond.

Cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will be available in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Leaning on Android's support for bluetooth controllers, you'll be able to play using the official Xbox One controller or DualShock 4 – if you were looking for something to use it for in future – with additional controllers and accessories coming from Razer, PowerA, 8BitDo, and Nacon to either attach a phone to a controller, or some Joy-Con style controllers to the side of a phone or tablet.

The following games have been confirmed, but the full line up of titles will effectively just be the games that are available on Game Pass in mid-September, with Microsoft adding and taking from the library each month.

  • Ark: Survival Evolved
  • Bleeding Edge
  • Costume Quest 2
  • Crackdown 3 (campaign)
  • Destiny 2
  • F1 2019
  • Forza Horizon 4
  • Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
  • Gears of War 4
  • Gears 5 Ultimate Edition
  • Grounded
  • Halo 5: Guardians
  • Halo Wars: Definitive Edition
  • Halo Wars 2
  • Halo: The Master Chief Collection
  • Halo: Spartan Assault
  • Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
  • Killer Instinct Definitive Edition
  • Max: The Curse of Brotherhood
  • Minecraft Dungeons
  • The Outer Worlds
  • Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition
  • Ori and the Will of the Wisps
  • Quantum Break
  • ReCore: Definitive Edition
  • Ryse: Son of Rome
  • Sea of Thieves: Anniversary Edition
  • State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition
  • Sunset Overdrive
  • Super Lucky's Tale
  • Tell Me Why
  • The Bard's Tale Trilogy
  • Wasteland 2: Director's Cut
  • Wasteland 3
  • Wasteland Remastered
  • Yakuza Kiwami 2

Source: Xbox

World of Tanks update 1.10 patch notes have arrived, read them here

This month is the tenth anniversary of World of Tanks and to celebrate the developers have released a huge new update which includes a new system for equipment, six new Polish medium tanks, and the return of Pearl River.

Here are the patch notes!

Main Changes

Equipment 2.0

We reworked the equipment/consumables UI while the equipment system was completely reworked.

  • Four equipment categories were added: Firepower, Survivability, Mobility, or Scouting. When equipment is mounted into a slot of the corresponding category, the received bonus increases. All vehicles of Tiers VI–X now have slots with categories.
  • Several existing equipment items were reworked.
  • Several new equipment items were added.
  • The interface for mounting equipment was reworked, including windows for mounting equipment/consumables and replenishing ammo. The technical characteristics section was extended.
  • The number of slots for equipment and consumables was changed for Tier I–IV vehicles. Directives can now only be equipped starting from Tier V. The mechanics of damage to modules/crew, as well as damage caused by fire was reworked for Tier I–III vehicles.
  • The Improved Equipment bonus was increased.

The following branch of the Polish medium tanks has been added

  • DS PZInΕΌ (Tier V)
  • B.U.G.I. (Tier VI)
  • CS-44 (Tier VII)
  • CS-53 (Tier VIII)
  • CS-59 (Tier IX)
  • CS-63 (Tier X)

New mechanic for the Tier X Polish medium tank

The Tier X Polish medium tank received the mechanic of switching between drive modes.

  • Standard mode: the vehicle moves at standard speeds and has standard gun handling parameters.
  • Spinning turbine (turbo) mode: the vehicle travels significantly faster while gun handling parameters considerably decrease.

Balance Changes to Wheeled Vehicles

Made changes to the mechanics of causing damage to wheels. Damage to a drive wheel will reduce the overall power of the vehicle, and damage to a traction wheel will affect its speed. Considering that almost all wheeled vehicles in the game have all-wheel drive, damage to any wheel will cause a reduction in dynamics. This change does not affect the Premium wheeled vehicles, the Panhard EBR 75 (FL 10) (Tier VIII) and the AM 39 Gendron-Somua (Tier II). These vehicles will remain unchanged.

Revamped Bond Mechanics

Bonds can now be earned in a different way. Our goal is to make the whole system more transparent, understandable, and predictable. At the same time: Players will be able to earn bonds not only in single-tier battles but in all Random or Grand Battles in Tier X tanks so long as they rank in the top 10 of their team by base experience earned. In other words, when playing in a Tier X vehicle, you will earn bonds even in battles against Tier VIII and Tier IX vehicles.
The higher your position in the Battle Results by experience earned, the more bonds you will receive:

  • If you win, you will earn 7 bonds for being in the top 3 and 5 bonds for being in the top 10.
  • If you lose or draw, you will earn 5 bonds for being in the top 3 and 3 bonds for being in the top 10.

The same rule applies to Grand Battles and Ranked Battles.
Each Tier X vehicle will have a weekly limit (similar to the system in Battle Pass):

  • Any Tier X vehicle can earn up to 100 bonds per week.
  • Once the limit for a particular vehicle is reached, bonds will not be earned until the limit resets.
  • The limit is shared by all modes (Random Battles, Ranked Battles, Grand Battles).
  • The limit is reset on Monday morning.
  • Each Tier X vehicle will have its own limit (once you reach it for a vehicle, you can start earning bonds in a different one).
  • Under the new system, epic medals and Battle Heroes achievements will no longer earn you bonds.

Maps

  • The Pearl River map will return to the game with a significant makeover. The Standard and Encounter Battles types are available for Teir III-X vehicles.
  • Balance changes have been made to the Cliff, Prokhorovka, Berlin, and Ruinberg maps.

New Battle Communication System

We have revised the communication system for Random Battles to expand & improve interactions between players.

  • Added a one-button solution ("T") to highlight targeted locations, tanks, and objectives or set existing pings as active targets.
  • Active targets will show the number of players contributing to it.
  • Added a new "F2" key shortcut to set an object or marker as an active target.
  • Players with the same active target will see each other in the playerlist. It also shows when players are directly supported.
  • Added markers that highlight pinged positions in the 3D world.
  • For normal "Attention to" pings, pressing ALT will show which player set a ping.
  • Added new context-sensitive objects and new ping types and messages. The command wheel's design and behavior were improved.
  • Markers of tanks and bases can now be highlighted through terrain without a clear line-of-sight.
  • Added markers for bases in Random battles.
  • Minimap pings can now be placed at an exact location, similar to other game modes.
  • Non-SPG players are now able to set waypoints on the minimap by clicking the right mouse button.
  • At the start of battle, players can select one of several named waypoints marking important positions on the map.
  • Messages sent to other players are voiced and trigger a "callout". By pressing the "Z" key (command wheel), players can instantly confirm the message while it is on screen.
  • Improved the sound system to give information on the type and direction of pings.
  • Modified flood protection to provide a smarter way to avoid ping spamming.
  • Included several customization options for communication in "general settings" and "controls settings".
  • Changed some quick commandes (key F2-F8).

Changes Based on Common Test Results

  • Interface sound volume can now be adjusted using the "interface" audio slider.
  • Voiceover volume can now be adjusted using the "voice messages" audio slider.

Steel Hunter

Mode added as a continuation of the current Expedition. The start is scheduled for August. Details will be provided later in an article on the portal.

Changes Based on Common Test Results

  • Increased the penetration values of all guns for the Arlequin, Raven, and Harbinger Mk. IV
  • Decreased the amount of restored durability for the Recovery Zone and Repair Zone abilities.
  • Decreased the damage caused by the Minefield ability.
  • Decreased the initial number of shells for vehicles, as well as the number of shells that can be replenished from loot points.
  • Fuel tanks were excluded from modules that can be damaged.
  • Made changes to the characteristics of the double guns that allow using the salvo more effectively.
  • Now, XP earned for destroying an enemy vehicle will not be added automatically. Instead, it will be inside Spoils of Wars (red smoke).
  • For the Raven and Harbinger Mk. IV vehicles:
    • Decreased the hull and turret weight, thus increasing Specific Power.
    • Increased the turret traverse speed.
    • Increased the hull traverse speed.
    • Increased damage per minute for all guns.
  • Fixed various minor issues.

Rewards for Players Who Have Fought Many Battles

We added a number of new medals and progressive decals for players who have fought a large number of battles.

Progressive Decals

Progressive decals are available for applying to the following 3D styles:

  • Pretty Fly (TL-1 LPC)
  • Stable Communication (T-44-100)
  • Captured King Tiger (King Tiger)
  • Mordian (BDR G1)

Missions to increase progressive decal levels are available for the following vehicles:

  • Valhallan Ragnarok (KV-2 (R))
  • Captured King Tiger (King Tiger)
  • Fury (M4A3E8)

Changes to Technical Characteristics

  • Tier I vehicles will no longer receive damage to their crew members or modules. Only their tracks can be damaged, but their repair speed is increased.
  • Tier II vehicles will receive damage to modules, but their crew members cannot be injured. Fire will cause low damage to these vehicles.
  • Fire will cause low damage to Tier III vehicles.
  • Gun Rammers and their analogs will be available for mounting on vehicles starting from Tier V.

U.K.

AC 1 Sentinel

  • Changed the reload time from 2.3 to 2.07 s

Sexton I

  • Changed the reload time from 12 to 10.8 s

Germany

Tiger I

Replaced the 8,8 cm Kw.K. 43 L/71 gun with the 8,8 cm Kw.K. 43 L/71 mod.Vlt, which has the following parameters:

  • Reload time in the Pz.Kpfw. Tiger Ausf. E turret is 7.8 s
  • Aiming time in the Pz.Kpfw. Tiger Ausf. E turret is 2.5 s
  • Changed the shell damage for the 8,8 cm Kw.K. 43 L/71 mod.Vlt gun from 240/240/295 to 280/280/370 HP

VK 36.01 (H)

  • Changed the dispersion of the 8,8 cm Kw.K. 36 L/56 gun in the Pz.Kpfw. VI H Ausf. H2 turret from 0.38 to 0.36 m
  • Decreased the dispersion on turret traverse for the 8,8 cm Kw.K. 36 L/56 gun in the Pz.Kpfw. VI H Ausf. H2 turret by 25%
  • Changed the reverse speed from 12 to 14 km/h
  • Changed the vehicle durability with the Pz.Kpfw. VI H Ausf. H2 turret from 1060 to 1200 HP
  • Changed the vehicle durability with the VK 36.01 (H) turret from 1000 to 1100 HP

Tiger II

  • Replaced the 8,8 cm Kw.K. 43 L/71 gun with the 8,8 cm Kw.K. 43 L/71 mod.Vlt (shell damage of 280/280/370 HP)
  • Replaced the 10,5 cm Kw.K. L/52 gun with the 10,5 cm KwsPz.K. L/52 (shell damage of 360/360/440 HP)
  • Replaced the 10,5 cm Kw.K. L/68 gun with the 10,5 cm KwsPz.K. L/68 (shell damage of 360/360/440 HP)
  • Improved armoring of the hull and the "top" turret

E 75

  • Replaced the 8,8 cm Kw.K. 43 L/71 gun with the 8,8 cm Kw.K. 43 L/71 mod.Vlt (shell damage of 280/280/370 HP)
  • Replaced the 10,5 cm Kw.K. L/52 gun with the 10,5 cm KwsPz.K. L/52 (shell damage of 360/360/440 HP)
  • Replaced the 10,5 cm Kw.K. L/68 gun with the 10,5 cm KwsPz.K. L/68 (shell damage of 360/360/440 HP)
  • Replaced the 12,8 cm Kw.K. 44 L/55 gun with the 12,8 cm Kw.K. Ausf. E (shell damage of 530/530/670 HP)
  • Improved armoring of both turrets
  • Changed the vehicle durability with the E 75 Ausf. A turret from 1820 to 1850 HP
  • Changed the vehicle durability with the E 75 Ausf. B turret from 1920 to 1950 HP

E 100

  • Replaced the 12,8 cm Kw.K. 44 L/55 gun with the 12,8 cm Kw.K. Ausf. E (shell damage of 530/530/670 HP)
  • Changed the aiming time of the 15 cm Kw.K. L/38 gun in the E 100 turret from 2.9 to 2.7 s
  • Improved the turret armoring

Italy

Now Gun Rammers cannot be mounted on Tier VIII–Π₯ medium tanks.

Progetto M40 mod. 65

  • Changed dispersion of the gun from 0.33 to 0.35 m
  • Increased the gun dispersion after firing a shot by 33%
  • Changed the aiming time from 2.1 to 2.5 s
  • Changed the turret traverse speed from 36 to 34 deg/s

Prototipo Standard B

  • Changed the dispersion of the Cannone da 105 Rh V1 gun in the Prototipo Standard B (R 1) turret from 0.35 m to 0.37 m
  • Changed the dispersion of the Cannone da 105 Rh V1 gun in the Prototipo Standard A (W 2) turret from 0.35 to 0.37 m
  • Changed the dispersion of the Cannone da 90 Rh gun in the Prototipo Standard B (R 1) turret from 0.32 m to 0.33 m
  • Increased the dispersion of the Cannone da 90 Rh gun in the Prototipo Standard A (W 2) turret after firing a shot by 17%
  • Increased the dispersion of the Cannone da 105 Rh V1 gun in the Prototipo Standard A (W 2) after firing a shot by 33%
  • Increased the dispersion of the Cannone da 90 Rh gun in the Prototipo Standard B (R 1) turret after firing a shot by 17%
  • Increased the dispersion of the Cannone da 105 Rh V1 gun in the Prototipo Standard B (R 1) after firing a shot by 33%
  • Changed the aiming time of the Cannone da 90 Rh gun in the Prototipo Standard A (W 2) turret from 2 to 2.1 s
  • Changed the aiming time of the Cannone da 105 Rh V1 gun for the Prototipo Standard A (W 2) turret from 2.4 to 2.6 s
  • Changed the aiming time of the Cannone da 90 Rh gun in the Prototipo Standard B (R 1) turret from 2 to 2.1 s
  • Changed the aiming time of the Cannone da 105 Rh V1 gun for the Prototipo Standard B (R 1) turret from 2.3 to 2.5 s
  • Changed the turret traverse speed of the Prototipo Standard A (W 2) from 32 to 30 deg/s
  • Changed the turret traverse speed of the Prototipo Standard B (R 1) from 34 to 32 deg/s
  • Changed the engine power of the MB 837 Ea engine from 750 to 690 h.p.

Progetto M35 mod 46

  • Changed the times for autoreloading shells from 8, 9, and 12 to 7.2, 8.1, and 10.8 s (third, second, and first shell in the magazine).

Poland

Added the following vehicle for testing by Supertest players: CS-52.

U.S.S.R.

T-28E with F-30

  • Changed the reload time from 6.1 to 5.49 s

T-29

  • Changed the reload time from 5.2 to 4.68 s

SU-76I

  • Changed the reload time from 4.3 to 3.87 s

A-32

  • Changed the reload time from 4.57 to 4.1 s

SU-122А, SU-76M, SU-85B, T-70, T-80

  • Changed the tier of the M-80 engine from IV to III

Object 430

  • Increased the dispersion during movement of the Object 430 suspension by 14%
  • Increased the dispersion during movement of the Object 430 improved suspension by 14%
  • Increased the dispersion on hull traverse of the Object 430 suspension by 14%
  • Increased the dispersion on hull traverse of the Object 430  improved suspension by 14%
  • Increased the dispersion on turret traverse of the 122 mm D-25TSU gun in the Object 430 turret by 20%

Object 430U

  • Decreased turret armoring
  • Increased the dispersion during movement by 33%
  • Increased the dispersion on hull traverse by 33%
  • Increased the dispersion on turret traverse by 20%

KV-3

  • Improved the turret armoring
  • Changed the dispersion of the 122 mm D-25T gun in the KV-3 turret from 0.46 to 0.44 m
  • Changed the aiming time of the 122 mm D-25T gun in the KV-3 turret from 3.4 to 3.1 s

KV-4

  • Replaced the 122 mm D-25T gun (shell types: AP, APCR, HE; penetrations values: 175/217/61 mm) with the 122 mm D-25TS, which has the following parameters:
    • Shell types: APCR, HEAT, HE
    • Penetration values: 217/270/61 mm
    • Dispersion in the KV-4-5 turret is 0.44 m
    • Aiming time in the KV-4-5 turret is 3 s
    • Reload time in the KV-4-5 turret is 12 s
    • Gun depression angle in both turrets is -8 deg
  • Changed the dispersion of the 107 mm ZiS-24 gun in the KV-4-5 turret from 0.38 to 0.36 m
  • Decreased the dispersion on turret traverse for the 107 mm ZiS-24 gun in the KV-4-5 turret by 38%
  • Changed the reload time of the 107 mm ZiS-24 gun in the KV-4-5 turret from 10.3 to 9 s
  • Changed the aiming time of the 107 mm ZiS-24 gun in the KV-4-5 turret from 2.9 to 2.3 s
  • Improved armoring of the KV-4-5 turret

ST-I

  • Replaced the 122 mm D-25T gun (shell types: AP, APCR, HE; penetrations values: 175/217/61 mm) with the 122 mm D-25TS, which has the following parameters:
    • Shell types: APCR, HEAT, HE
    • Penetration values: 217/270/61 mm
    • Dispersion in both turrets is 0.44 m
    • Aiming time in both turrets is 3 s
  • Decreased the dispersion during movement of the ST-I suspension by 7%
  • Decreased the dispersion during movement of the ST-IM suspension by 12%
  • Decreased the dispersion on hull traverse of the ST-I suspension by 7%
  • Decreased the dispersion on hull traverse of the ST-IM suspension by 12%
  • Changed the dispersion of the 122 mm M62-T2 gun in the ST-I turret from 0.38 to 0.4 m
  • Changed the reload time of the 122 mm M62-T2 gun in the ST-I turret from 13.3 to 12.7 s

IS-4

  • Replaced the 122 mm D-25T gun (shell types: AP, APCR, HE; penetrations values: 175/217/61 mm) with the 122 mm D-25TS, which has the following parameters:
    • Shell types: APCR, HEAT, HE
    • Penetration values: 217/270/61 mm
    • The gun dispersion is 0.44 m
  • Decreased the dispersion during movement by 28%
  • Decreased the dispersion on hull traverse by 28%
  • Changed the hull traverse speed from 26 to 30 deg/s
  • Changed dispersion of the 122 mm M62-T2 gun from 0.38 to 0.42 m
  • Decreased the dispersion on turret traverse for the 122 mm M62-T2 gun in the IS-4M turret by 25%
  • Changed the reload time of the 122 mm M62-T2 gun from 12 to 11.5 s
  • Changed the aiming time of the 122 mm M62-T2 gun from 2.9 to 2.5 s
  • Changed the turret traverse speed from 22 to 25 deg/s
  • Improved hull and turret armoring

U.S.A.

Added the following vehicle for testing by Supertest players: T77

Changes to the technical characteristics of the following vehicles:

T32

  • Replaced the 105 mm Gun T5E1 gun (penetrations values: 198/245/53 mm) with the 105 mm Gun T5E1/45, which has the following parameters:
    • Penetration values: 208/245/53 mm
    • The gun dispersion in the T119 turret is 0.4 m
    • The reload time in the T119 turret is 9.4 s
    • The aiming time in the T119 turret is 2.1 s

M103

  • Replaced the 105 mm Gun T5E1 gun (penetrations values: 198/245/53 mm) with the 105 mm Gun T5E1/45, which has the following parameters:
    • Penetration values: 208/245/53 mm
    • The gun dispersion in the T140 turret is 0.39 m
    • The reload time in the M89 turret is 9.4 s
    • The reload time in the T140 turret is 9.3 s
    • Aiming time in both turrets is 2.1 s
  • Decreased dispersion during movement of the T97E1 suspension by 9%
  • Decreased dispersion during movement of the T97E2 suspension by 10%
  • Decreased dispersion on hull traverse of the T97E1 suspension by 9%
  • Decreased dispersion on hull traverse of the T97E2 suspension by 10%
  • Changed the reload time of the 120 mm Gun T122 in the T140 turret from 11.4 to 11 s
  • Changed the reload time of the 120 mm Gun M58 in the T140 turret from 11.2 to 10 s
  • Changed the aiming time of the 120 mm Gun T122 in the T140 turret from 2.6 to 2.5 s
  • Improved armoring of the T140 turret
  • Improved armoring of the hull

T110E5

  • Improved armoring of the hull
  • Decreased the dispersion during movement by 22%
  • Decreased the dispersion on hull traverse by 22%
  • Decreased the dispersion on turret traverse by 25%
  • Changed the reload time from 10 to 8.8 s

France

Panhard EBR 90

  • Changed the engine power of Panhard 12H 6000 mle.63 from 580 to 560 h.p.
  • Changed the top speed the rapid mode from 85 to 83 km/h
  • Changed the reverse speed the rapid mode from 85 to 83 km/h

Panhard EBR 105

  • Increased the dispersion during movement by 33%
  • Increased the dispersion on hull traverse by 33%
  • Increased the dispersion on turret traverse by 33%
  • Changed the aiming time from 1.2 to 1.4 s
  • Changed the view range from 350 to 340 m
  • Changed the chance of engine fire from 0.1 to 0.15
  • Changed the engine power from 750 to 720 h.p.
  • Changed the top speed the rapid mode from 95 to 91 km/h
  • Changed the reverse speed the rapid mode from 70 to 65 km/h

Known issues:

  • In some cases, sequence of events in damage log is distorted.
  • The client cannot be maximized to full-screen mode while the player is having a Skype call.
  • If a vehicle falls on the ground without damage to any modules, the sound of suffering damage is played.
  • Oscillating aiming circle in the 16x and 25x magnifications in Siege Mode during Frontline battles.
  • The reticle indicator remains on the SPG after switching to Artillery mode if a vehicle partially intersects the red line.
  • Events at the end of the battle are not synchronized with the text of the battle result.
  • In some cases, automatic repair/replenishment of ammo and consumables after a battle does not take place, even if the amount of credits on the account is sufficient.
  • In some cases, fallen trees fall through the terrain.
  • Consumables are not replenished from the Depot if the player does not have enough credits for a complete automatic ammunition resupply.
  • Upon successful completion of the Alliance-14 mission during the Chimera operation, the failed mission icon is displayed after the battle.
  • The Marks of Excellence on some vehicles appear double when the camera zooms out.
  • The time for the transition to the Garage after applying customization elements has increased.

Fixed Issues

  • Fixed the issue when players could not recruit a crew member for a Collectors' vehicle before it was purchased.
  • Fixed the issue when invitations to join a Platoon were sometimes not received.
  • Fixed the issue when the option "Accept invitations from friends in the Garage" was applied with a delay.
  • Fixed the issue when an applied style was not counted towards missions that require "going into battle with a camouflage applied".
  • Hits on allies are no longer counted in the Battle Results as hits on enemy vehicles.
  • On the Operations reward screen, the pop-up hint of the badge now displays the player's full nickname.
  • The "Intuition" perk can no longer activate during the 30-second pre-battle countdown.
  • The Detailed Report now contains information about bonds deducted for the automatic resupply of Directives.
  • The volume of Airstrike sounds now depends on the actual distance from the player's vehicle.
  • Fixed the issue when driving through sunflowers affected the vehicle's speed.
  • Fixed the issue of the small size of the "Spring" camouflage pattern on the T-54 first prototype.
  • The client-server models of many objects on maps were synchronized.

Source: WorldofTanks

Hellbound Review

Hellbound is not subtle. Billed as a love letter to the golden age of FPS games, this is a totally unabashed 90s throwback, complete with lightning-fast combat, over the top weapons, and an almost total disregard for modern ideas of narrative and storytelling. The clearest influence is obviously Doom, for many the granddaddy of the genre (yes, there were earlier examples but Doom's influence outdoes chronology), and the Argentinian developers, Sailbot Studios, must expect that their game will be compared with both the original game and it's more recent high-res reboots. So, the question remains, is this a heavenly slice of nostalgia, or an infernal rehash of long-surpassed design and mechanics? Come with me to Hell and I'll tell you more.

The comparisons to Doom are obvious and ooze from every pore of Hellbound. Everything from the setting and colour palette to the level design and mixture of shooting and key collecting is present and correct, so much so that it could be argued that Hellbound has a real issue in trying to establish any kind of identity outside of being a tribute.

This is even more apparent given the success of Doom and Doom Eternal as we are a long way past the barren years of po-faced military shooters dominating the scene. Hellbound's main claim to individuality is the presence of Hellgore who, despite the accidental rhyming name, is not the environmentalist nightmare of many right-wing Americans, but instead a pretty blatant Hellboy clone. Described as a huge badass and a tortured soul, Hellgore is resurrected by humanity to take revenge on the creatures of Hell for their massacre of his people. Hellbound is certainly not going to win any rewards for originality or story-telling but nor does it need to if the action and gunplay is good enough.

Hellgore's personality is intended to drive a large part of the game's storyline and progress, and Sailbot Studios have ensured that he is voice-acted in an appropriately gruff and macho fashion by the prolific Artie Widgery. Widgery does a capable job in channelling both Doomguy and Hellboy but is hamstrung by the (deliberately) dumb dialogue. Peppered with profanities and lacking any kind of nuance, Hellgore comes across as the kind of annoying jock who you love to hate in countless movies.

Fortunately the lack of any character development in dialogue interaction means that this doesn't ruin the experience but the repetition of simplistic swearing phrases does mean that their welcome is overstayed. This is exacerbated by the game design's focus on excessive difficulty, meaning that you'll be hearing the same 'dialogue' multiple times.

Graphically, Hellbound is pretty smooth and runs well on my aging Geforce 1050Ti. There are a good range of graphical options too, so ensuring that the rapid combat is represented in the smoothest way for your system should be foolproof. These details – although they should be expected – do illustrate the love that the developers have for their source material, and are a far cry from the limited options in many console orientated titles.

Aesthetically, Hellbound is not just influenced by Doom, it looks and feels like a modern take on the original graphics. Whereas the recent Doom games emphasised the industrialised nature of their game-worlds, Hellbound is all about deserts, pits of fire and mysterious crypts. Whether there is room for development is a matter of conjecture though, as the game only contains one set of levels.

Whilst each of the guns available pack a decent punch and have two firing actions as befits their generic origins, again these are limited. By the end of my three hour campaign playthrough I had unlocked pistol, shotgun, chaingun, and rocket launcher, alongside a melee weapon. This is real lowest common denominator stuff and feels like an Early Access range. The lack of anything more original or esoteric may be a deliberate choice but just contributes to the overall feeling of a game that doesn't really have any ideas of its own. Gunplay owes a debt to both Doom and the Serious Sam series, as there are numerous combat arenas where hordes of enemies charge at you from all directions, sections that feel more like they belong in the free survival mode than the paid for campaign.

The game opens with a warning that it may be too hard for players due to its 90s influences and certainly lives up to this initially. That difficulty is largely brought about through a huge lack of balance between health and enemy damage. Combined with the swarming hordes of enemies in some sections and you have a frustrating experience more in keeping with the survival mode mentioned above.

This is most apparent several levels in when you first face a kind of skinless hound demon. These can take almost all of your health away in one pounce on the default difficulty. This often results in trial and error gameplay as you learn through dying where the enemies will spawn from. And spawn they do, with clear and obvious trigger points and placing. Whilst authentic, the effect here is ridiculously dated, especially when combined with the almost complete lack of any obvious AI. Some aspects of the genre are best left in the past, but Hellbound rehashes both the good and the bad.

Fall Guys roadmap reveals new DLC levels, costumes, and more

Devolver Digital and Mediatonic have revealed their content roadmap for the newly released Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout.

Having launched only hours ago on PC via Steam and PlayStation 4 (as one of August's PlayStation Plus freebies) there are no doubt thousands of you already bumbling about looking to score your first win.

However, you may already be wondering what comes next for Fall Guys. Without waiting for the dust to settle, Mediatonic posted the following tweet, complete with an image roughly outlining future content for the game:

So, it looks like we're due to see new rounds added to Fall Guys, as well as unlockable costumes (well a cactus costume, at least) and "new features" the developers aren't ready to announce just yet.

We were playing the game last weekend in the last technical beta test before release and had an absolute ball. Read our Fall Guys preview here, where Jim said:

Tied up in such a cheeky, vibrant package, Fall Guys has the makings of a true multiplayer marvel and one that touts slapstick silliness over a constant barrage of blood and bullets. We'll be throwing ourselves into this mad little game on launch day and we'll surely be grinning from ear to ear as we do.

Last night saw the game's trophy list revealed, with no small amount of puns and trolling of those trying to earn the sacred platinum. 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.

Resolutiion Review

I've got a lot of time for top-down 2D action adventure games. There's something about colourful pixel worlds and a solid combat system that just sits right with me, which is why many of my favourite games sit somewhere within the genre. Set in a violent post-apocalyptic cyberpunk world, Resolutiion is a fast-paced action adventure that invites you to explore this world, uncover its secrets, unlock new abilities and learn more about the strange and unusual setting.

The story of Resolutiion is pretty surreal, with sporadic exposition and the dialogue from characters often being incoherent rambling. You do encounter some hidden away characters who provide some much needed depth, but it still always feels like you are being kept at arm's length from the narrative.

Playing like a Metroidvania, you'll find new paths and entrances as you unlock your abilities. For example, a few hours into Resolutiion you pick up the ability to lay bombs, using them to blow parts of the scenery to smithereens and opening up a new set of areas to explore. With each new ability, you can reach previously inaccessible paths, providing players with plenty of opportunity and reason to backtrack.

Resolutiion's combat is very reminiscent of 2016's Hyper Light Drifter. Players must mix aggression with evasion in order to fell groups of enemies, stringing together melee attacks in combos and dashes to dodge. Be overly aggressive and you'll soon find yourself swarmed by enemies, taking copious amounts of damage. Most combat encounters can be summed up as figuring out the enemy's attack pattern and reacting in order to dish out damage. As you travel through the world you'll pick up new abilities which can be used in combat. These often help turn the tide a little on large groups of enemies, although a skill meter limits how much you can use them.

Figuring out enemy attacks is especially important during Resolutiion's excellent boss battles. Each boss requires you to figure out that pattern of attack and the right window to attack. It was rare for me to finish bosses on my first try, and I got the same feeling upon beating one that I do during Dark Souls' boss fights. I was pleasantly surprised to see just how imaginative some of the bosses were, with no two encounters feeling alike.

One area that Resolutiion really excels in is it's fantastic pixelated art style. This is a really stylised world, bursting with colour and detail across the ten distinct areas. The way in which the developers convey minor details about an area is fantastic and this brings a lot to the game's style of world building. I would almost go as far to say that the art design provides more narrative exposition that the dialogue does. A dark synth-infused soundtrack backs up those visuals, adding to the dark aesthetic that runs through many of the world's areas. Resolutiion is visually and audibly something quite special.

As stunning as Resolutiion's world is, it really falls short on making it fun to traverse. The aforementioned Metroidvania world design quickly becomes frustrating as it isn't always clear what area you need to go to next. I spent a lot of my time in Resolutiion wandering the world in the hope that I would just find the right way forward. Considering this game clocks in at twenty hours, there's a lot of needless wandering that could have been streamlined to create a more condensed and enjoyable experience.

You can unlock shortcuts later on that reduce travel time, but they only work in one direction, so you can actually end up losing a lot of progress if you take what you think is a path to a new area only to find out it is a shortcut to somewhere you've already been. This happened to me a few times and it left me even more frustrated with the world layout. It's these world design issues that hold Resolutiion back from being something truly exceptional.

PlayStation Plus August free game Fall Guys is now available to download

Both of August's free PlayStation Plus games are now available to download for free, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered being joined by the cute and cuddly battle royale game Fall Guys.

Fall Guys is out today for PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam, but is launching as a freebie for PS Plus subscribers in August.

Here's the download links for August's PlayStation Plus games:

Ordinarily Fall Guys will cost you £15.99 on the PlayStation Store or Steam, but the game is free. Alongside its release is the first cosmetic DLC, a set of fast food themed costumes, though there is also an in-game set of patterned skins and costumes to unlock as you play.

We were playing the game last weekend in the last technical beta test before release and had an absolute ball. Read our Fall Guys preview here, where Jim said:

Tied up in such a cheeky, vibrant package, Fall Guys has the makings of a true multiplayer marvel and one that touts slapstick silliness over a constant barrage of blood and bullets. We'll be throwing ourselves into this mad little game on launch day and we'll surely be grinning from ear to ear as we do.

Medatonic have released a little behind the scenes making of video, one that was clearly recorded much, much earlier in 2020.

Last night saw the game's trophy list revealed, with no small amount of puns and trolling of those trying to earn the platinum. 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.

Do you think you'll be up for the challenge? Let us know if you'll be giving it your best shot.

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