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Interview: How Foreclosed's RPG-shooter came from the dehumanising bureaucracy of the real world

Being part of a society is basically necessary for an individual to survive. We are all part of some kind of societal system which is impacted by where we are born, where we live, and where we work. What if that societal bond was taken away from an individual? Suddenly you are marked as an outcast, an exile, or in the case of Antab Studio's Foreclosed, become a foreclosure. We spoke to Antab Studio about Foreclosed, where the idea for the game came from, and what players can expect from this dystopian RPG in terms of gameplay.

TSA: Identity loss is a key theme of Foreclosed, and there has been mention of that being inspired by real-life experiences. Are you able to tell us what those experiences were, and how much of an impact they had on Foreclosed?

Antab: The concept of identity's foreclosure, and a dystopian society where bureaucracy is so distant from reality, summarised how we felt when we had a small legal misadventure with the first office we rented. It's a bit complicated to explain in detail, but basically, we got involved despite ourselves, in the foreclosure of the building where the office was located.

Having managed rental payments and papers in a very scrupulous way turned out to be a disadvantage for us because the former owner of the building used some technicalities to slow down and confuse the whole foreclosure procedure. Things were messed up to the point that it became too expensive/time-consuming for us to just stay there and make our voice heard in the court. Even though we were on the "right side", we faced a mechanical and dehumanized bureaucracy. We realized how the legal entity we consider to be "a person" is a total artifact, being completely disconnected from the real human being behind it.

While trying to deal with that situation, we had a discussion – and a couple of beers – on the building rooftop, and there we realized we had some interesting hints and concepts to think of for our new game.

Fun fact: we derived the names of many Foreclosed's characters form the real names of some of the people involved in our short legal misadventure.

TSA: Why did you want to make Foreclosed?

Antab: Many reasons, actually. We wanted to take something good out of our bad experience, but we also think that the contrast between the biological identity and the legal one, can be an interesting topic to think about. It is the actual person VS all the legal and economical data connected to him/her – a bunch of information that becomes more and more important for us, as our society becomes more and more globalized and digitalized. Also, making a third-person action/adventure game – a genre we personally appreciate – can be considered quite challenging for a team as small as we are, but we sincerely felt it was the right time to make the jump.

TSA: The comic book style is an interesting aesthetic choice. Was that something you had in mind from the beginning, or did the comic book look come later?

Antab: Thank you! We had chosen this specific direction in the early stage of pre-production, so yes, it was an idea we followed since the very beginning of the development. We believe that the graphic novel, a medium with such a great "authorial" taste, could be the right format to tell a story with some noir vibes built around legal technicalities. We got inspired by some sci-fi classics like Frank Miller's and Geof Darrow's Hard Boiled.

Another important reference for us was the first game in the Max Payne saga and its gorgeous comic book like cinematics. That kind of narration was so fascinating for us, that it inspired us to do something new by pushing forward the idea of being an action comic book hero. In Foreclosed we are using some typical comic books' features – such as having multiple panels displayed at the same time – as actual gameplay elements.

Having the feeling of playing inside a graphic novel is so important for us, we can easily say that without this media blending a title like Foreclosed couldn't be created.

TSA: Who is Evan Kapnos? How did you come up with the character?

Antab: Evan Kapnos is the "everyday man", a solitary and honest guy. We wanted to design a character who, apparently, has nothing really special, someone you wouldn't say to be a hero – but who can easily become one, when getting involved in something bigger than him. As Evan's story unfolds, we will find out that his implants "are not exactly compliant", being a curse and a blessing at the same time. There is something interesting for us when we think about an everyday person living a quiet yet choiceless routine, who's life is shocked by a negative event that is also the opportunity to take control of his/her life.

TSA: Can you tell us more about Foreclosed's world? What is the Block-chain?

Antab: Foreclosed is set in a not so far away future, in a Mediterranean cyberpunk context – as Italians, we liked the idea of a cyberpunk story happening close to home! In the dystopia of Foreclosed, every interaction is almost transactional: city services, purchasing of goods, shopping habits, personal chats, and so on, run on a huge, real-time updated Block-chain to which everyone is connected.

When a child is born, the government forces the installation of a neural implant that contains the legal and virtual identity of the new citizen inside the Block-chain. In this way, a person "exists" inside the society, and can benefit from its services. Of course, nothing of this comes for free; as the years go by, everyone develops a bigger and bigger debt with the State – called "identity debt" – due to installation and usage of the implants. When a person gets hired by a corporation, the employer buys his/her ID debt from the state, letting him/her "dilute" it over time.

It is easy to see how difficult it would be to settle the ID debt. It is actually impossible for the majority of the population. In Foreclosed's world, actually owning your own "identity" is just a privilege of a very few.

TSA: It looks like players will only have the one weapon, the Symbiotic pistol. Can players change or modify it?

Antab: Evan's Symbiotic gun was built to interact with an experimental firmware installed in his implants. Thanks to the powers of this piece of neural technology, it is possible to customize the shooting power of your weapon and equip a max of three different powers at the same time.

Imagine you need to shoot faster or to increase damage: all you have to do is to unlock the "machinegun" and/or the "explosive" skill.  You will also be able to use piercing and telekinetic bullets – that's right! Combining them all at the same time you could turn the Symbiotic pistol into a machinegun with target-seeking explosive bullets if you want. As it goes for all the implants' powers, you will need to be careful. Using Evan's fighting abilities will slowly heat his brain implants. If overheated, our hero is going to be stunned for a while, and won't be able to use his powers until the system cooldown is complete.

TSA: Evan has access to abilities to help him fight. How does he get those abilities?

Antab: Similar to how the Symbiotic pistol works, the experimental A.I. ruling Evan's implant is able to teach him incredible combat moves, learning and adapting to the dangers that our hero is going to face during the game.

Evan will find himself able to use telekinesis-like abilities, using them to lift, attract and throw certain objects, block enemies mid-air, and slam them to the floor. With Evan's enhanced brain implant it's also possible to remotely hack close devices to unlock doors, overcharge electric cabinets (and make them explode), or even fry the brain of unaware enemies.

TSA: Can you change modifications and abilities at any time, like in the middle of a fight, or are there only specific places this can be done?

Antab: You can change the equipped abilities at any time during fights (though we recommend checking your surroundings first) by opening the skills tree. Thanks to the Augmented Reality HUD projected directly into Evan's retinas, all the equipped powers will be selectable while aiming.

TSA: You say fans of Deus Ex, Cyberpunk, Liberated, Cloudpunk, and Ruiner should keep an eye on Foreclosed. Those are all very different games. What does Foreclosed have in common with them?

Antab: We see Foreclosed as a fully playable, action comic book, enriched by an original noir-ish story, a dynamic combat system with various "augmentations", and adrenaline-fuelled shooting sessions. Looking at the core gameplay, it comes naturally to spot influences from RPG-shooters games such as Deus Ex and Ruiner, but our entire story takes place inside a comic book, meaning that you will find yourself playing inside comic panels very often. That means that different camera angles (top-down, side-scrolling, etc.) will result in different gameplay and it can also happen that many comic panels displayed at the same time and require the player to perform different actions in different panels.

As you can see, even if the core mechanics are inspired by more classic action mechanics, the whole Foreclosed experience is played in a very different way and more blended with other genres.

TSA: Foreclosed will be releasing next year. Will it be coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X?

Antab: We love the idea of having Foreclosed on the next-gen consoles, but we don't have any information we can disclose at this stage. We will surely keep our fans and followers updated about consoles releases in the next months.

Thanks to Antab Studio for chatting with us. Keep an eye out on Foreclosed, which is currently heading to PC and consoles.

Creative SXFI Gamer Gaming Headset Review

Like an onion, and indeed ogres, there are many layers to a successful gaming headset. The packaging – the skin if we want to continue this particular food-based metaphor – is your gateway to the product, and even getting this wrong could hurt your chances on the high-street. Peel that wrapper back and you're into the flesh of the thing; build quality and comfort reign supreme, a tactile exchange you'll have with them every time you pick them up. Finally, you're onto the headset's reason for existing; serving sound – is this the flavour? – down into your ears.

Creative, known widely for their soundcards and DACs, are swiftly becoming master chefs of headset culinary arts, and with the Creative SXFI Gamer, they've just served up their finest dish.

As we all know, you can't go wrong with black, and the SXFI Gamer is an all-black gaming headset. They look, and feel, every inch a premium headset, and sit happily alongside the Sony and Bose in the maturity of their modern headphone craft. The headband is covered with sumptuous-feeling leatherette, and boasts the Creative logo embossed subtly across it, while each earpiece is constructed of sturdy, matte-black plastic, making way to incredibly soft, leatherette-covered memory foam earpads.

The SXFI Gamer is a wired headset, and you have the option of both a traditional 3.5mm connection, or a nice and modern USB-C one, while there's a USB-C to USB-A adaptor for those of us with big old chonky sockets. Beside these ports you'll find a number of different controls on the left earpiece, from your pre-requisite volume wheel and mic mute, to a toggle for the headset's SXFI processing and a button for turning the RGB lighting on and off.

Ah yes. RGB. The luminescent signal that you, and your headset, are ostensibly for G4MeRs. The way PC rigs are these days, you could probably live without yet another light source, and generally speaking I'll play around with a headset's different colours before turning the whole thing off.

The thing is, the SXFI Gamer looks pretty damn cool when it's all lit up, with each earpiece featuring a clock-like wheel that can shine with pretty much any colour the human mind can think of. Like hoverboards on water, it only works when you have power, so if you're rocking the 3.5mm connection you'll have to make peace with the darkness enveloping your head, but if you've gone for a flavour of USB, whether via PC, Mac, PS4 or Switch, then you can make a start on your Tron cosplay in style.

In the hand, there's a pleasing amount of heft to the SXFI Gamer, and at 320g, they are heavier than some of the other headsets in this class. That's offset by the excellent level of comfort that Creative have built into them though, with the weight distributed evenly across your head and ears. You just won't forget you're wearing them.

They look and feel fantastic, but what about the main thing you want them to do? At the most basic level the SXFI Gamer is a fantastic sounding headset. Plugged in via 3.5mm with no additional internal processing, the 50mm drivers perform wonders delivering audio to you, no matter the source material. There's a rewardingly wide soundstage, and the top end cuts through while the bass rumbles beneath. If you're looking to plug them into a PS4 or Xbox controller be assured that there are fewer better choices in terms of audio quality.

The SXFI Gamer is capable of quite a lot more than just that though, but you'll need a mobile phone and a PC or Mac to get the full effect. Via the SXFI app, available on iOS and Android, you can create your own personal audio map, which personalises the Gamer's output by taking pictures of your ears and head – get used to this, because it sounds like we might be doing the same for PS5 audio in the near future.

You can then head into the SXFI Control app on your desktop where it'll upload everything to the Gamer, tuning its already impressive audio a notch further. I've grown to enjoy, and seek out, audio enhancements that actually enhance the sound you're consuming. Dolby Atmos has been my go-to for a number of years when it comes to lifting music up a notch, or for good quality virtual surround sound. SXFI is, to my ears, a superior offering. Capable of standard stereo, as well as virtual 5.1 and 7.1, it broadens, lifts and expands whatever content you're taking in. From the new Biffy Clyro album to the streets of Marvel's Spider Man, if it's possible to feel "like you're there", the SXFI Gamer transports you a good portion of the way.

Besides this central SXFI setting, there's a Battle mode that enhances footsteps and gunfire, making it perfect for the Call of Duty specialist, as well as a full range of other EQ options. The small number of presets are made up for by being able to create your own. You can dig into the nitty-gritty of each frequency, altering the waveform, or just tweak the Bass and Treble settings until it sounds right. Across all of the platforms – mobile, PC and Mac – the SXFI software was a resounding success, offering rock solid performance and meaningful, moment to moment changes. It's all you could ask for.

With gaming as the SXFI Gamer's reason for existence, the microphone is the remaining integral ingredient – I've run out of onion parlance, so let's call it the accompanying garlic? – and Creative haven't left this one to chance. The menacingly titled CommanderMic also looks like it means business, with a rock solid positional arm, classic grille and built in pop-shield. It's clear as a bell, offering performance that's right up there with the Logitech G Pro X and it's good enough for recording or streaming, even if it won't quite match a dedicated microphone setup.

The SXFI Gamer is a fantastic piece of audio technology, and it's jumped straight to the top of our mid-range recommendations. If you were looking at other offerings in the same price bracket, the Turtle Beach Atlas Aero brings excellent audio and comfort to the table alongside wireless connectivity, but certainly can't match the SXFI Gamer's sleek design. The Steelseries Arctis 5 meanwhile also ticks a number of the same boxes, but its audio simply isn't in the same league.

Star Wars Battlefront II August 26th patch notes, read 'em here

Although the content drops have ended EA are still patching Star Wars Battlefront II and a small patch is dropping today with a bunch fixes for your favourite heroes and villains.

"Most notably of which, is the issue where it was possible to build up Darth Vader's damage reduction traits," say EA. "A fix has also been implemented which will stop General Grievous' Claw Rush ability hitting more than expected within a short space of time. We have also fixed an issue that would cause Darth Maul to become unable to block, after performing a Spin Attack."

Many of you should have Star Wars Battlefront II as it was one of the free games in June's PlayStation Plus selection. Here are the notes

Release Notes:

  • Fixed an issue that would allow players to build up Darth Vader's damage reduction traits.

  • Fixed an issue where General Grievous' Claw Rush attack could hit opponents multiple times in a short time.

  • Fixed an issue where Darth Maul would not be able to block after performing Spin Attack while blocking.

  • Fixed an issue where inaccurate VFX would play around Boba Fett's jetpack while he is ragdolled.

  • Fixed an issue where Boba Fett's jetpack icon would not be greyed out while his abilities are blocked.

  • Updated in-game EA Access and Origin Access logos with EA Play logos.

Deployment Times

  • Xbox One: Aug 26th, 2020, 7AM UTC

  • PS4: Aug 26th, 2020, 8AM UTC

  • PC: Aug 26th, 2020, 9AM UTC

Estimated Download Size

  • PC: 500-750mb

  • PS4: 500mb

  • Xbox One: 900mb

Following the release of the Scarif update at the end of April EA and DICE confirmed there would be no more content updates for Star Wars Battlefront 2, with the studio moving on to other projects. This put Star Wars: Battlefront 2 into its twilight phase, and that seems to have been further confirmed with the new event schedule that will be used from this week onward. The schedule is below but the gist is that on Mondays the Fast Spawn event will take place, on Wednesday a Double XP event, and on Fridays the Battle Point: Reinforcements event.

  • Mondays – Fast Spawn Event
    • Description: Spawn timers will be set to 1 sec long in assault modes for the duration of the event
    • Game Modes: Galactic Assault, Capital Supremacy, Starfighter Assault, Extraction and Strike
  • Wednesdays – Midweek Boost: Double XP
    • Description: Increased XP for faster ranking progression.
    • Game Modes: All modes
  • Fridays – Battle Point Event: Reinforcements
    • Description: Lower Battle Point costs for all reinforcements and increased numbers allowed at a time
    • Game Modes: Galactic Assault, Capital Supremacy, Extraction and Strike

Source: Reddit

Microsoft reveal a limited edition furry, unplayable, Xbox One X

Stand down Sony, back off Nintendo, Microsoft have just won the console wars until the end of time with the reveal of a furry, leopard print, Xbox One X. The one off design has been created to celebrate the launch of Wonder Woman 84 in cinemas this October.

The 'Barbara Minerva Xbox One X Console' has been inspired by Wonder Woman's archenemy, and features "an intricate snakeskin pattern and faux leopard fur for a truly wild appearance" along with silver spikes on the top and front of the console and a gold "Wonder Woman 1984" logo.

They have also created the less impressive 'Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth Xbox One X Console' which is, well, and orange Xbox with a bit of rope stuck to it.

You could win either console by liking or retweeting the Xbox sweepstakes tweet sometime between today, August 25th, through to September 17th.

A third console has also been created but this one will be auctioned off in aid of Together for Her, an initiative launched by the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, leading humanitarian organization CARE, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation to stand in solidarity with women and girls around the world deploying funds and supporting the global response against domestic violence during the time of COVID-19

The console is being auctioned as it's a little more special, the 'Wonder Woman Golden Armor Xbox One X Console' is covered with 24-carat gold leaves.

Now you might be thinking a gold plated console, or indeed a furry console, might cause a few heat issues and you would be right. "Please note, that all the Xbox is for display ONLY, not gameplay. Prize and the successful bidder will also get a standard Xbox One X," say Microsoft.

With the Xbox Series X just around the corner these will probably be the last custom Xbox One's to be made Microsoft.

Source: Xbox.com

The new Xbox Series X and Xbox One UI is going into testing for Insiders this week

Having revealed the new visual design for the unified cross-generation Xbox user interface and user experience earlier this month, Microsoft have now put this into public testing, announcing that it is being pushed out the Xbox Insiders on Xbox One starting today.

This will be a purely visual update to start with, following in the footsteps of the Fluid Design language that has already spread to Xbox PC and mobile apps over the last year, and the Microsoft Store on console. It changes the tile shape, fonts and focus indicator in particular, hoping to add greater clarity in addition to looking a little bit more stylish in general, but it will not be making dramatic changes to the Xbox UI. The idea is for the Xbox One and Xbox Series X to share an interface, and there's no point in Microsoft throwing out all of the work that they've done up until this point.

However, there are some UI changes coming, and Microsoft's continual evolution is continuing. The August 2020 update for the Xbox One is rolling out to all users now, one again revising the Guide overlay that appears when you press the Xbox button. Here's what it will look like in the test and once Series X is out.

There's some interesting changes here, continuing on from the revamp made in May. The tabs at the top are in the new order, but can be customised, but the button bar linking to the Store and Notifications are now below the list of recent games, which has itself been reduced from five items to four. All subtle little tweaks, but here's the big thing: there's now no big advert for Xbox Game Pass at the bottom. Yes, there's still a Game Pass button there, but its presence is greatly reduced.

Elsewhere, there's now the ability to adjust party member volumes independently, for those instances where you just don't have the heart to tell your mate to adjust his mic for the seventeenth time. There's also unification of how items in the Community pinned page will appear, and more little tweaks here and there.

Behind the scenes, there's also a pretty big change to how logging into your account works. With Xbox Game Pass meaning that you can play games on your Android phone, you could be booted out of a session by someone simply logging in on another console. Now you can log in on as many Xbox consoles and Xbox apps as you want for the purposes of using apps, streaming video, chatting with friends, checking achievements and more.

However, you can still only play a game with your account on one device at a time, to ensure progress, achievements and saves are up to date and synced (game sharing with multiple user accounts and a designated home console should still work, though). As someone with multiple consoles in the home and a tendency to play online co-op locally, this solves a little bit of faff from that experience.

Source: Xbox

Outriders Broadcast #3 reveals the Technomancer character class, co-op gameplay & more

Outriders Broadcas t#3  has been released, showing off new gameplay and details about People Can Fly's upcoming action RPG shooter. It also reveals the fourth and final class in the game, the Technomancer.

The Technomancer is the fourth and final class in the game. It's an unusual class in the game's backstory, with the Anomaly having led to a lot of the technology brought by humanity to Enoch being destroyed. However, the Technomancer has abilities linked directly to technology, letting you conjure up technological constructs like mines, turrets, missile launchers and miniguns. In general, the Technomancer is a long-ranged support class, great for sniping from afar.

As with previous broadcasts, the 25-minute tackles multiple areas, and so it also showed off the Technomancer in combination with the Devastator and Pyromancer classes. This came in the form of some straight up co-op gameplay as the trio assaulted an insurgent base. There were some real WWI vibes as they battled across a kind of no man's land and through trenches.

Speaking of the Devastator, the broadcast showed off more of this particular character type, a real frontline tank class. The Devastator has ground-shaking abilities which can act as interrupts, even against bosses, but the main thing keeping them in the thick of the action is that they gain health from nearby enemies that are slain, encouraging you to really keep on the front foot in a manner that's similar to the Trickster (though a bit different in how it works). You'll also want to keep punching things, with a key difference to other characters being that they inflict a bleeding status effect, which deals damage over time.

The Devastator has eight powers, of which three can be equipped at once, and this Broadcast showed off four of them.

  • Gravity Leap – Jump into the air and hover before slamming down on a targeted enemy, dealing area damage on nearby enemies. This is also an interrupt skill.
  • Reflect Bullets – Activate a shield in front of you, gathering bullets fired at you and then sending them flying back.
  • Impale – Make big spikes out of the ground to impale enemies (which only happens if lethal). This is also an interrupt, and can grant an armour bonus and health regen for nine seconds to allies.
  • Endless Mass – This creates an obelisk that sucks nearby enemies toward it. Great in combination with Gravity Leap and other players.

We spoke to People Can Fly at the start of July, chatting about the game's attempt to create a unique style amongst ostensibly similar looter shooter action RPGs. Head here for our full Outriders feature preview, where we said:

"It would be easy to dismiss Outriders out of hand, but to do so would be to overlook the ways it stands out from its fellow looter shooters. The greater emphasis on the RPG side of the game, with character builds that are more than just what you happen to be wearing and holding in your hands, and just having a self-contained story all sounds rather appealing to me. Throw in People Can Fly's game-making history, and Outriders is definitely a game to keep an eye on for later this year."

Outriders is coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC and Google Stadia later this year.

Chinese Parents Nintendo Switch Review

Despite being one of the largest global markets for games right now, it's still rare to find games from China breaking out into the international market. Even a giant like Tencent is mostly know for having its fingers in the pies of Western studios like Epic and Riot.

So Chinese Parents is something of a phenomenon. This casual indie game became a bestseller when it launched on Steam back in 2018, despite only being available in the Chinese language. What I hadn't realised was that publisher Coconut Island Games did later release an English version, better yet, it's now available on the even more accessible Nintendo Switch, which makes it the perfect time to find out what the fuss is all about.

Chinese Parents is a child-raising life sim that has you determining the fate and fortune of a sprog right from the moment they're born. Once their gender is revealed and you can name them – I had a girl so named her after my niece, Faith – you'll shape their lives across 48 turns that takes them from infancy all the way to senior high school, culminating in the 'Gaokao', China's notorious equivalent to the SATs in the US or A-levels in the UK.

For each turn, shaping your kid is split into two main areas. There's the mind map t resembling a match-3 type mini-game where you tap different colour fragments on a board to raise your kid's stats – IQ, EQ, Constitution, Imagination, Memory. Fragments along with knowledge points that are required to unlock new studying activities in your kid's development.

Those resources then feed into your schedule for that turn, as you assign a set number of activities for your kid split between entertainment and studies. It soon becomes apparent that you need to balance these activities, as too much leisure time will erode your parents' satisfaction with you while studying non-stop will send your stress levels into overdrive.

Despite the game playing on the tiger parent stereotype, Chinese Parents is a fairly forgiving game, even if failure regularly comes during those mock exams, which you often feel inadequately equipped for. Its casual mobile visual novel aesthetics along with a pretty relaxed soundtrack makes it an accessible sim for anyone to play.  The mind map mini-game is especially simple and satisfying whether you purposely pick the stat boosts you need or pop fragments to better reveal the rest of the board, and even if you do flunk your exams, you'll still carry on progressing to the next stage of your kid's life. An expanding shadow on your kid can trigger a game over, but it's pretty hard for this to actually happen.

Your choices do get frankly overwhelming, with each turn unlocking more activities or goals to aim for. Naturally, some become obsolete over time – you're not still going to go sliding in the park or learning basic algebra as a senior high schooler – but with the limited slots on your schedule it's quickly apparent you can't become the class president, star jock, musical prodigy, literary genius and the popular kid at the same time.

Meanwhile, you'll also regularly encounter dozens of random events that have their own mini-games or mini-choices that can affect your personal development. A couple personal highlights are ones that are related to Chinese concepts, such as 'face', which kind of determines your sense of standing for both yourself and your parents, which in turn affects how easy it is to gain a favour from them later. This also leads to the hilarious 'Face Duels', a kind of turn-based RPG battle where your mum shows off your achievements to get one over on a rival relative and neighbour.

My favourite comes during a Chinese lunar new year when your aunt offers you a lucky red packet with money, during which you need to mash the button to push the envelope away so as to not make your parents 'lose face' by accepting it too eagerly, but not mash too much and actually reject your aunt's gift, therefore making her 'lose face'. It's both absurd and spot-on as I recall how my mum used to tell me not to accept money from my gran but then give in anyway, even though I obviously wanted the cash to fund my gaming habits.

Naturally, things get more interesting the older your kid gets. Once you're also balancing your studies with friendships, and potential romances, it's almost like you're playing the social elements of the Persona games. If there are issues, it's that the localisation is occasionally a bit rough around the edges – one mini-game revolving around a talent show contest had conditions that can only be described as a nonsensical word salad – while certain dialogue and scenarios also frequently get rehashed between different people.

I'm also not all that sure how meaningful my choices were in shaping my kid. While there are certain expectations placed on you by your parents, which you're given a limited number of turns to fulfil, not meeting them doesn't seem to penalise you significantly. Meanwhile, as I wanted Faith to pursue an ambition as a 'literary giant', this seemed to have no bearing on her flunking the gaokao, as the endgame summary still showed her somehow becoming a bestselling author anyway.

It's definitely something you can explore further as you can repeat the cycle after your first playthrough by getting married and having another kid, thereby passing your stats onto the next generation. Given how it only takes a few hours to get through 48 turns, those invested in the heartwarming charm of Chinese Parents will easily find themselves advancing generations down the line in the hopes of finding greater prosperity for their descendants.

Stadia Pro gets 6 more free games this September including Super Bomberman R Online and Hitman

With another month in the books, it's Google's chance once more to poke its Stadia service with a hefty stick of free games to go alongside it's Stadia Pro subscription. There's a massive total of six games joining the service, starting with the exclusive launch of Super Bomberman R Online, with Stadia set to be the only place you can play the massive multiplayer version of this classic game.

Also joining the service as an exclusive Stadia launch is indie game Gunsport, an action-packed two-on-two competitive challenge which has you taking on rival teams in a rapid-fire trick-shot competition. Besides that, Stadia owners can look forward to the arrival of Hitman, the beginning of the recent Assassination Trilogy, with the other two titles joining the service in coming months.

If that wasn't enough, there's also indie adventure Hello Neighbour, where you're tasked with solving a mystery while avoiding traps and an enemy who always seems to stay one step ahead of you, the continuing availability of Embr, the firefighting early access game, and the arrival in Stadia Pro of Metro Last Light Redux, which means you can now play the entire Metro series as part of your Pro subscription.

Hitman pulls together the episodic content released in 2016, with the full game garnering an excellent 8/10 from our very own Jim. The original Super Bomberman R was a launch title for the Nintendo Switch, though it's not the brightest star in the series, gathering up a 6/10 at the time. One of its biggest criticisms though was its place as a full price title, which isn't something that Stadia Pro owners will have to worry about.

Leaving the service on the 31st of August are KONA, Get Packed and GRID so Stadia Pro members should grab those now to add them to their ongoing catalogue.

It's another strong showing from Stadia Pro, with Google's streaming service slowly gathering some momentum. The only downside these days is that the Stadia interface could do with an overhaul as more and more games being added means there's a long strip of games to scroll through to get to everything in your catalogue.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart first PS5 demo will be shown on Thursday at Gamescom

The first gameplay demo of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will be shown during Gamescom's Opening Night Live. You'll have to tune on on Thursday 27th August at 7PM BST to see it and dozens of other games.

Gamescom has gone all-digital for 2020 (for obvious reasons), but after years where it felt like Gamescom was just a tagalong behind E3, this has come at a time to help refocus news around a handful of key livestreams.

This will be the first time that Sony have shown off one of their next-gen titles since the PlayStation 5 reveal event back in June. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was a major talking point from that show, with Insomniac Games building their game concept around the capabilities of the PlayStation 5's SSD, enabling them to create a dimension hopping adventure that swaps between realities in just a few seconds (making for some pretty easily disguised loading screens thanks to their brevity).

You can already see a good portion of this gameplay from the announcement trailer below, but what will be shown at Gamescom will be a longer, uncut demo that's likely more indicative of the general gameplay experience.

The game is one of two that Insomniac have in the works for PS5, the other being Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. That game is built on the foundations of the 2018 PS4 exclusive, looking to tell the story of the second person to don the Spider-Man costume, Miles Morales. There's been a number of questions asked over how big the game is, whether it's a true sequel or standalone expansion, if the original is being remastered, and it's left things decidedly murky. What we know for certain is that it's out this year alongside the PlayStation 5. Oh, and that it will have ray-traced puddles.

Between Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, it looks like Insomniac are doing a lot of heavy lifting for the start of the PlayStation 5 generation.

Source: Geoff Keighley

Will Amazon's New World be the next big MMO?

Having been dealt a blow by the launch (and subsequent un-launch) of Crucible earlier this year, Amazon Game Studios are still looking for their first breakout success. With another of their projects, Breakaway, having been cancelled, New World is the last of those three games Amazon announced way back in 2016. It's also by far the most promising.

This week we'll be getting a much closer look at this magic-infused, alternate history MMO with a slew of reveals planned. However, ahead of this preview week, we were able to go hands on with New World and one of its landmark features – the 50 versus 50 War mode.

Before we dive into that, let's backtrack just a little bit. For those who have absolutely no clue what New World is, it's an online role playing game for PC with action-heavy combat set on the isle of Aeternum. This is the colonialist 17th century, but not as you know it as settlers find themselves washed up on the perilous shores of a realm steeped in darkness and corruption.

Players will battle against the ancient guardians protecting Aternum as well as those evil denizens drawn to it with a lust for arcane power. Caught in the middle, you and your allies will venture out into the world while also forming Companies, building settlements, and helping them develop in a persistently changing world. A New World.

There are plenty of elements at work here that will be instantly familiar to those with a fondness for MMOs. Amazon Games (formerly Double Helix) is composed of veterans who have worked on hits such as Destiny, Diablo, EverQuest, and World of Warcraft, with their influence being felt in the design of New World.

The minute to minute gameplay is action focused and has you combining melee and ranged attacks with powerful spells, depending on how you've specced your character. Combat is purely weapon-based and you'll earn experience, skills, and abilities only by using what you have equipped.

The fighting is fun and active without the often overbearing clutter of most MMOs. You'll only have to memorise a handful of different powers for each weapon, but there's plenty of depth when it comes to selecting passive skills, then the crafting and upgrading of the weapons themselves.

From what we could gather, most of your time spent in New World will fluctuate between managing a settlement and venturing into the wider world of Aeternum. Players can band together, creating a Company, and then claim a territory they can build on. By interacting with NPCs and fulfilling town projects, these settlements will then grow to house bigger and better facilities such as advanced crafting and vendor stations.

Aeternum's boundaries won't remain static forever though. Rival Companies can besiege one another in a bid to expand their territory and this is where players can participate in Wars.

These epic siege battles pit 50 attackers against 50 defenders, the winner seizing or retaining a contested territory. These PvP conflicts will help shape Aerternum and shift some of the game's focus away from the pure PvE questing we associate with most MMOs.

Wars don't just happen, they're arranged ahead of time with participating players signing up before the siege is triggered and then being transported to a massive battlefield. Once preparations have been made, the attackers are unleashed and have thirty minutes to capture an initial cluster of control points before having to breach the castle walls and try to drive out the opposing faction.

Competitive modes in most MMO are pretty hard to crack. Having dabbled in dozens of these online games, this is one area I usually ignore as it can require a completely different mindset and an advanced knowledge of how all the classes and their skills work in a PvP environment. New World immediately feels more straightforward thanks to its focus on action, much more akin to a massive online shooter.

On the attacking side, we outfitted our character with three weapons which could be switched at any time including a musket, bow, and warhammer. In the initial skirmish we adopted a sniper role, using the musket's associated skills to fire supercharged shots, boost our firing accuracy, and even play dead when approached by ambushing defenders. As the battle raged on, we switched to the slower yet more versatile bow, before taking the warhammer in both hands to help our team mates smash down the castle walls.

As this was happening, players on both teams spent resources to deploy war machines and siege weapons such as repeating cannons, ballistae, and pitch cauldrons. Although the battle was manic, it wasn't too hard to tell which side was winning and the strategies at work. That said, with this being our first taste of New World's War mode, it was hard to get a sense of how these battles are meant to flow or how they'd look with a group of co-ordinated players on both sides as opposed to a gaggle of greenhorn press and influencers.

Amazon have a lot riding on New World and it's clear they aren't keen to rush this game out of the door any time soon. Originally planned for May 2020, then pushed back to August, it will now be launching early next year. From what we've played, there's a mix of experimental design choices at play here backed by the kind of polish you'd expect from a AAA game. The persistent game world and player-run settlements are what fascinate us most though we've yet to really gel with how New World plays. It's perhaps too limited in the combat options it gives you for individual weapons, relying on players to juggle every tool in their arsenal in order to keep battles (both PvP and PvE) feeling fresh and dynamic.

Monster Hunter World board game coming soon

Steamforged Games have given Monster Hunter fans a first proper look at their board game adaptation of the mega-popular Capcom RPG series.

For those who take their tabletop games seriously, Steamforged Games is a name that should be familiar to you. The Stockport based developer has worked to bring a number of AAA properties into the board game sphere including Horizon: Zero Dawn, Dark Souls, and Resident Evil. Like these games, Monster Hunter: World will have a crowdfunding campaign, Steamforged planning this for sometime in 2021.

This latest project sees them partnering with Capcom yet again for what sounds to be their most ambitious challenge to date. In an interview with Polygon they discussed their main ideas driving the Monster Hunter: World board game experience and how this differs from how they approached previous adaptations.

Where Dark Souls and Resident Evil have a linear, adventure-like structure to how they play, Monster Hunter is more open-ended. Players will group up and embark on campaigns that span multiple in-game days as they secure intel on their target, make preparations, then engage in epic showdowns.

Much like the Monster Hunter video game series there will be elements of time and resource management that put pressure on players as they face off against familiar foes. What's more interesting is how the game will encourage replayability, inviting hunters to embark on subsequent campaigns while carrying over their characters and gear.

Of course there will be multiple weapon types to choose from, each with their own associated cards and playstyles.

What excites us most is perhaps getting our hands on the Monster Hunter: World miniatures. Although not a hundred percent accurate in scale, the few examples we've seen show off two monsters (the Anjanath and Rathalos) and a hero character in brilliant detail.

Exactly what you'll get in the $100 box remains unclear for now though we're sure to hear more once the board game hits Kickstarter. So far, Steamforged are planning on four monsters and one environment/biome though we can see this being expanded. Hopefully the crowdfunding campaign will include stretch goals for additional components and miniatures to be added.

Source: Polygon

Report: A new Nintendo Switch with 4K support is in development for 2021

Two reports have come out in the last 24 hours claiming that Nintendo are gearing up for an enhanced Nintendo Switch version, due for release in early 2021.

The first report comes from Taipei newspaper Economic Daily News, who stated that the new Switch featuring upgraded interactivity and an improved display will enter production this year with a planned launch in Q1 2021. They cite sources in hardware manufacturers handling the Switch flash memory, Joy-Con controllers and more. This was followed by Bloomberg, who surprisingly claim that the updated console specs have yet to be finalised, but that it could have increased power that supports up to 4K output.

That the specs and targets have yet to be finalised is quite difficult to believe given the timescale on which console hardware takes place, so add a pinch of salt to this report. Certainly there will not be any major semi-custom chipset changes (which take years to produce), but it could be that Nintendo and their partners are seeing how the early production chips are holding up in terms of yield and how highly they can be clocked. Bear in mind that we're now just 7 months away from the end of Q1 2021, and the finalised hardware specs for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X were already known a distance before their Holiday 2020 release.

However, there have been long-standing reports and rumours of an upgraded and more powerful Nintendo Switch being in development. Speculation was initially that Nintendo would release both the Switch Lite and a Switch Pro in 2019, though in the end they only released one new model (and revised the internals of the original Switch design for better battery life). Naturally, analysts then shifted their expectations to 2020 and speculated that Nintendo would boost their hardware power to counter the launch of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. At the start of this year, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa stated quite unequivocally that there will not be a Switch Pro release in 2020.

But… he never said anything about 2021, did he?

Early 2021 would be around 4 years on from the original release of Nintendo's blockbusting hybrid console, with the company well known for producing mid-generation upgrades and console redesigns. This goes all the way back to the original Game Boy, with the Game Boy Color released as an enhanced version of the iconic handheld, and while the Game Boy Advance only shifted form factors multiple times, the Nintendo DS was superceded by the enhanced DSi, and the Nintendo 3DS by the New Nintendo 3DS. The company has been more conservative with their home consoles, but with the Nintendo Switch being a handheld hybrid console and based of a mobile tablet chipset, there's more than enough scope for an upgrade.

How they get there will be fascinating to see. The original Nintendo Switch was released in 2017 using the already two years old Tegra X1 chipset from Nvidia. Last year saw them work with Nvidia on a more efficient iteration of the chip on a smaller process to help them create the Nintendo Switch Lite and increase the battery life of the original design, but Nvidia's SoC designs have pivoted away from tablet computing toward machine learning and self-driving vehicles.

With the success of the Nintendo Switch reviving the company's financials, they could more reasonably invest more in customising the chipset, in stead of picking an off-the-shelf part like the Tegra X1. There's several advances that they could make use of, from jumping to TSMC's increasingly popular 7nm process for even greater power efficiency, to combining more modern ARM CPU cores with a more recent Nvidia GPU architecture. Of course, flawless backward compatibility to all the existing Nintendo Switch games would be a concern, but not an insurmountable problem. It's dependent on how far Nintendo want to go to lengthen their current generation of console.

Source: Economic Daily News, Bloomberg via VGC

Train Sim World 2 Review

Most people probably think of train simulators as a fairly niche genre within the gaming world, and although they are probably right, that isn't to say you have to be a train fanatic to enjoy them. Anyone who has played Dovetail Games' series train simulators will know that they are surprisingly accessible even to just the casual fan, as well as providing countless hours of fun for simulator enthusiasts.

Since its release in 2018, Train Sim World has grown and evolved with various DLC releases, allowing you to experience driving various trains through four different countries. TSW2 now builds upon that, providing an updated platform that features improvements to both the graphics and the physics, while laying the foundations for steam engines and multiplayer to be added in future.

The two new routes include Köln–Aachen in Germany (featuring both the high speed ICE 3M and regional Talent 2 train), and the London Underground's Bakerloo Line. Sand Patch Grade, which was the first route in TSW, also makes a return with a bit of a sprucing up. Each of the routes are highly detailed and, speaking as a Londoner, I can vouch that the Bakerloo Line is impressively accurate in its representation. Not only are the stations faithfully replicated (regular commuters will recognise the Sherlock Holmes tiles at Baker Street), but even above ground, I was able to recognise familiar buildings like the Royal Mail Depot near Stonebridge Park.

A few things can break the immersion though, such as the presence of passengers still on your train when you enter sidings after finishing the route, and the overall sounds are lacking, both in terms of volume and accuracy. As you're free to get out of your train and walk around the stations, the first thing you'll notice is that the platforms are sparsely populated in terms of passengers, although the adverts on the platforms themselves look true to life. Little things like the PA announcements or staff dispatching trains from the platform would make a nice touch if they were added. Exploring the stations by foot also enables you to complete optional objectives, such as placing route maps or refilling first aid kits.

The Köln–Aachen route offers a change of scene to the dark tunnels beneath London. Driving the route with the ICE 3M, which can easily reach speeds 250kmph, trees and buildings whip by. It's here that the external camera comes in handy to admire the views, as well as taking a closer look at the other railway traffic on the route. There's also the BR 442 Talent 2, which takes things a little slower than the ICE, and I found myself preferring scenarios with this train as there were more stations to stop at and keep me engaged.

Outside of the passenger routes, the revamped Sand Patch Grade offers players some freight action. While this was the first route released for PC in TSW, it's only now that console players are able to experience one of the steepest railroads in America. The new adhesion physics mean you have to keep a close eye on your speed, especially in wet or snowy conditions to avoid excessive wheel-slip. With this route, you have a choice of three locomotives to operate as well as plenty of wagons to shunt around Cumberland Yard. For me, the highlight is still unleashing my inner child and operating the railway turntable!

The trains and locomotives themselves have great amounts of detail, with plenty of switches to flick, dials to check, and computer screens to look through. While that might sound overwhelming, the tutorials and scenarios do a good job of teaching you which buttons to press to turn on the train and get yourself moving. From there, it's pretty easy to control the trains throttle and breaking, although it's still down to you to manage your speed and stop in the right place on the platforms. If you want to use the more advanced features of each train, such as the automatic signalling and safety systems (SIFA, PZB or LZB in the German trains), or perhaps some of the cruise control systems, you'll probably need to refer to the real world manuals found online, as none of the scenarios or tutorials currently take you those features.

When you do get going, the overhauled HUD reduces clutter, while still providing you with important information like your train's speed, the speed limit, as well as the status of the signal ahead. If you want to crank up the realism, you're free to turn off this information, but you'd better hope your route knowledge is up to scratch!

Other than the new routes, TSW2 also adds the Scenario Planner, which gives you the ability to create your own scenarios with whatever routes, trains and destinations you wish. Unfortunately, you can't share or use other player's scenarios, but Steam Workshop and console support would be a welcome addition in future. An 'Off The Rails' mode lets you step outside the realms of what is physically possible, such as running electric trains on a diesel route. This long-awaited feature will increase replayability, and is easy enough for anyone to use.

Speaking of easy to use, the new Livery Designer allows you to unleash your creativity, and then bring those designs to life on your routes in the game. Using various shapes and layers, you can create some quite complex designs for the locomotives, coaches and even freight wagons. I've already seen some people come up with some really stunning designs, while mine have looked decidedly garish!

For those of you who have built up a collection of DLCs from Train Sim World (or Train Sim World 2020 as it's currently called), you will be able to enjoy your existing routes and trains in TSW2 through the 'Preserved Collection'. Through the rest of 2020, Dovetail will be bringing across most, but not all of those routes to TSW2. It's a shame that they're not upgrading any of these routes, but it's still good to see and means players will get to use them in the scenario editor.

Sadly, I did encounter a number of bugs and issues with both the review build and public release. One particularly annoying bug resulted in the game crashing multiple times at the same point in a route and was only fixed by rolling back my GPU drivers… which then seemed to result in increased stuttering and FPS drops. I also encountered a bug when resuming a saved game that meant the emergency breaks were locked 'on', resulting in me having to restart the whole scenario and throwing almost an hour of play down the drain.

Netflix release first trailer for Dragon's Dogma anime

Netflix have dropped their first trailer for the upcoming anime adaptation of Capcom's 2012 action RPG, Dragon's Dogma.

The video streaming giant give us a two and a half minute look at the upcoming series, set to debut on Netflix next month.

Featuring an original story and characters, there are elements Dragon's Dogma players will recognise such as protagonist having his heart ripped out by a malevolent dragon.

Here's the official synopsis of the series via Netflix themselves:

After losing his home to a dragon, Ethan sets out to hunt it down once and for all. A pawn appears by his side and serves to protect his life. But the dangers that lie in wait for Ethan are beyond their imaginations, for when you fight a monster… you just may become one too.

Video game adaptations don't have the best of track records, it has to be said. However, Netflix deserves some leeway here following the success of its Castlevania anime which recently saw the launch of its third season.

Dragon's Dogma will premiere on September 17th. In the meantime, fans may be asking what Capcom have planned for the video game series.

Weaving together elements from other Capcom hits such as Devil May Cry and Monster Hunter (Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls series also being a notable influence) Dragon's Dogma was praised by critics at launch but has always been hidden away, on the fringes of every list of RPGs worth playing.

Launching on Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3 in 2012, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen followed the year after, making technical improvements while giving returning players a slab of new content to dive into. A complete version of the game later released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. An MMO, Dragon's Dogma Online, was also released though only in Japan. Capcom officially shut the game's servers down last year.

Kandagawa Jet Girls Review

Kandagawa Jet Girls is the latest game from the studio that brought you the long-running series of games about scantily clad ninja girls – that's right, suckers, you've been tricked into reading a Senran Kagura review! Well, kind of. This time they've ditched the world of ninja school girls for water jetbike racing school girls, but in any ways, Kandagawa Jet Girls feels right at home in the lineage of Senran Kagura.

Both focus on multiple schools that are home to school girls with incredible talents in whatever their respective games are about, and Senran Kagura even previously dabbled in a similar setting with their water-gun focused third-person shooter spin-off Peach Beach Splash. Kandagawa Jet Girls, unfortunately, also shares an all too common trait with the Senran Kagura series; an impressive gameplay idea that is ultimately under baked and cracked at the seams.

Set in near-future Tokyo, the hottest sport around is high-tech jet races through unnaturally large urban waterway courses. Plenty of people across the country come from a storied lineage of jet racers, and protagonist Rin Namiki wants to make that kind of name for herself too. She teams up with reluctant classmate Misa Aoi to make that dream a reality, because jet-racing requires both a Jetter to pilot and a Shooter. Much like the double duty of Mario Kart: Double Dash, you'll be controlling both athletes during your races.

At first, this proposition seems a little daunting. Having to navigate highspeed waterways and jump pads while performing tricks and drifts to boost my speed seemed like enough to wrap my head around. The added layer of shooting is a lot to handle on top of that. The default gun shoots wherever the front of your jetbike points, but you can also hold down a button to let your driver automatically steer through oncoming pathways while you aim your shooter more precisely. It's something that, with enough practice and execution, can eventually become second nature to you as you blast away enemy shields to slow them down on your cruise into victory.

Unfortunately, the game rarely gave me the chance to earn that kind of experience or practice. Races throug most of the story mode in Kandagawa Jet Girls are mind-numbingly easy. I have plenty of experience with racing games, but I've never experienced AI lenient enough to let me beat them by nearly a full minute. Most races had me reaching first place and staying there within a dozen seconds, never having anyone to even fire a gun or special ability at for the duration of the race.

The opposite issue came to pass when I tried hopping into free races. There are three difficulty options here, but these options don't dictate race speed or AI skill. Instead, they simply equip the opponents with better jetbike upgrades that automatically make them go faster than you, meaning that until you unlock the same upgrades for your own bike, you simply will not be able to catch up to them in any way, shape, or form.

Another major issue with the gameplay is that it just does not feel great. You would expect futuristic jet-skis to give you a wild sense of speed and ultra-smooth control, but racing in Kandagawa Jet Girls feels like you're racing through pudding. Taking corners feels like you're moving at two miles per hour, and even activating boosters and going over jet pads barely adds to the sense of speed. Even when you're rocking those impressive end-game bike upgrades, it doesn't do much to make the races feel as swift or responsive as they should be.

I struggled to come to terms with how frustrating the gameplay of Kandagawa Jet Girls is, because everything else about the game is an absolute delight. Menus have gorgeous, sleek designs and every screen and races are accompanied by bright and energetic music that I can't get out of my head. Plus, I'm a sucker for customization, and Kandagawa Jet Girls has it in spades. You can customize the outfits, hairstyles, accessories and color coordination of every character, and even equip a bunch of skins, decals, and particle effects on your bikes.

Better yet, Kandagawa Jet Girls does something I've been clamoring for the Senran Kagura series to do for years and actually gives the characters varied, unique proportions. Rather than having the entire cast rock the same generic anime girl body with a different numerical value assigned to their chests, each character looks wholly unique. Even the Senran Kagura characters included as bonus racers are rocking new character models that look better than they ever have. Kandagawa Jet Girls has plenty of style, but it just doesn't balance out the rough, inconsistent and frustrating gameplay.

US Court injunction prevents Apple's Epic developer access block, but not Fortnite iOS App Store removal

The US courts have provided injunctive relief for Epic in their court case against Apple over direct payments in Fortnite on iOS, halting the termination of Epic's developer access to iOS and macOS for Unreal Engine, but not forcing Apple to allow Fortnite back onto the iOS App Store.

The ruling means that Unreal Engine will continue to be a viable platform for developers to use on iOS, but means that if Epic want Fortnite to return to the iOS App Store while this case remains in the courts, they will have to roll back the direct payment system that they implemented and resubmit it to Apple.

The Court quite plainly lay out what injunctive relief is for, as an "extraordinary and drastic remedy" intended to avoid irreparable harm from actions taken surrounding the court case. To succeed, the plaintiff (Epic in this case), must demonstrate four points:

  1. They are likely to succeed on the merits
  2. They are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary relief
  3. The balance of equities tips in their favour
  4. An injunction is in the public interest

With regard to Fortnite's removal, the court says that "Epic Games has not yet demonstrated irreparable harm. The current predicament appears of its own making. […] Epic Games remains free to maintain its agreements with Apple in breach status as this litigation continues." By choosing to break the terms that they agreed to in order to list Fortnite on the iOS App Store in the first place, Epic have caused this situation themselves. Additionally, " Epic Games admits that the technology exists to "fix" the problem easily by deactivating the "hotfix." That Epic Games would prefer not to litigate in that context does not mean that "irreparable harm" exists."

Further more, the Court seem a bit confused over why the hell this all apparently so urgent right now. There is already a lawsuit against Apple in the Court – Donald Cameron, et. al. v. Apple Inc., filed in June 2019 – which contests that Apple's policies are monopolistic and anti-competitive:

The battle between Epic Games and Apple has apparently been brewing for some time. It is not clear why now became so urgent. The Cameron case which addresses the same issues has been pending for over a year, and yet, both Epic Games and Apple remain successful market players. If plaintiffs there, or here, prevail, monetary damages will be available and injunctive relief requiring a change in practice will likely be required.

However, with regard to removing all of Epic's developer access and effectively blocking the Unreal Engine from iOS going forward, the Court saw this differently. While Apple citied this was an "historical practice", the Court recognised that this would affect far more people and companies that just Apple and Epic – Microsoft's statement of support here will surely have helped.

The record shows potential significant damage to both the Unreal Engine platform itself, and to the gaming industry generally, including on both third-party developers and gamers. […] Epic Games and Apple are at liberty to litigate against each other, but their dispute should not create havoc to bystanders. Certainly, during the period of a temporary restraining order, the status quo in this regard should be maintained.

Not only this, but figuring out the damages for so many additional parties would be incredibly messy and difficult to do.

What's perhaps most interesting is that the Court also weighed up the likelihood of Epic's success in the full suit as part of its determination on whether to offer injunctive relief:

Epic Games moves this Court to allow it to access Apple's platform for free while it makes money on each purchase made on the same platform. While the Court anticipates experts will opine that Apple's 30 percent take is anti-competitive, the Court doubts that an expert would suggest a zero percent alternative. Not even Epic Games gives away its products for free.

Obviously this is not the final judgement or ruling, and different judges will have different opinions that can then be appealed and relitigated up to the highest courts in the land. It could be years before the case is settled – the aforementioned Cameron case hasn't really moved since last June – so now we just have to wait and see what Epic decide to do.

The company made a big splash with their calculated decision to add direct payments to Fortnite, fully aware that there would be immediate repercussions. That was part of their plan, of course, releasing an in-game trailer that slammed Apple and kicking off a hashtag #FreeFortnite to rile up their fans against the company.

So now it's up to Epic. Do they back down and let this go through the US courts, content that their marketing stunt will have raised awareness amongst Fortnite players that a new season is about to start? Or do they decide to keep their iOS and Google Play Store customers cut off from the new content, which would, as the Court says, be entirely their fault.

Source: Court Listener

No Straight Roads Review

A thumping house beat, a chugging guitar riff or a delicate piece of piano are all capable of changing the world. No Straight Roads, the first game from Malaysian studio Metronomik lead by Final Fantasy XV lead designer Wan Hazmer, takes that one much more literal step further, as music is capable of powering a whole city.

The appropriately named Vinyl City is ruled over by NSR, a shadowy organisation that, for reasons unknown, has done away with rock music, making EDM the source of all power. Our unlikely heroes, Mayday and Juke, and their even more unlikely-named band Bunk Bed Junction, set out to right some musical wrongs, setting the tone for a fantastical music-based boss rush that has as much heart as it does crunching riffs.

Opening with the Lights Up Audition, Bunk Bed Junction give it their all, but are immediately smacked down in the finest Simon Cowell-style by NSR for their outdated adherence to rock. To add insult to X-Factor injury, they go on to ban rock from all future auditions, and Mayday and Zuke are kicked to the curb, despite their audition having created all kinds of sweet music-energy. The final straw comes in the form of rolling blackouts, and Vinyl City is beset by a loss of power – for everyone except NSR, that is, who hoard the remaining tune-power in their skyscraper.

That's more than enough motivation for our heroes to venture forth and overthrow the powers that be, and Mayday and Zuke are a loveable, driven – and mildly naïve – pair to spend time with. The real stars of the game though prove to be the villains of the piece. Each section of Vinyl City is held in sway by an NSR star performer, starting with DJ Subatomic and working all the way up to their evil mastermind, Tatiana, and they're a diverse, interesting batch of characters whose musical chops are aiming to be your undoing.

Mayday and Zuke hijack each of these stars' gigs, with each section broken down into an approach, followed by the main performance. The approaches are by-the-numbers platforming and 3D combat sections, with some definite hints of Kingdom Hearts (though with a narrative that makes more sense). The one wrinkle is that all of the enemy movements and attacks are in time with the music. They're not particularly tough to beat, and barring the sections leading up to virtual music icon Sayu, do very little that's different. They feel like a means to an end, and they are.

That end is an epic showdown with each of NSR's top performers. These boss battles are the focus, and easily the most enjoyable part, of the game. Each of them boasts a different musical style, though there are EDM elements to all of them given NSR's penchant for all things electronic. From the classical piano of the diminutive Yinu to Eve's laid-back synthwave, they're a real pleasure to play along to, even if there are one or two times where unfairness creeps into the mix.

They're designed to be played over and over again in the course of your playthrough, grading you on different aspects of your own gaming performance. The ones that really resonate with you will be the ones that see the most replay, and I must have played the Yinu battle some ten times already without tiring of it. It's kept fresh by there being a variety of different versions of each battle, and you can also alter the audio mix in each once you've found them by exploring Vinyl City.

Successfully doing away with the NSR stars sees Bunk Bed Junction gain fans, and they're an integral part of the band's growth as you can exchange fans for unlocking slots on the skill tree. The way Bunk Bed Junction evolve feels natural, and though there are elements of grind in having to replay the same sections, you get stronger, gain new skills and abilities. There's a real pull to see just how quickly you can beat the bosses while taking as little damage as possible. It's not anything you won't have come across before, but it's nicely done.

It also helps to cover up the fact that No Straight Roads is a fairly small-scale game. From the limited number of boss characters through to the repetitive approach sections and their recycled enemies, the team at Metronomik have done a pretty good job of spinning the ideas out as far as they'll go, and it's a credit to them that it doesn't feel too small scale.

There are certainly elements that aren't made enough of though, and Vinyl City itself is one of them. The city and its varied districts can look quite impressive at times, and you can run around exploring, chatting to the locals, and using your collected power to repair broken sections of the city. On paper it's a great idea, and bringing the city back to life is a compelling one. Sadly, the implementation is about as limited as you could imagine, and though you might bring light where there was previously darkness it doesn't do much except feed into your own skill tree growth.

We were able to spend time with both the PS4 and Switch versions of No Straight Roads during our review, with the more powerful console reaching a far more attractive visual standard, with no hint of any performance issues. The Switch version meanwhile still looks the part, the bright and bold art shining through, but there are occasional hiccups and examples of pop-in whenever you're running around Vinyl City. Fortunately it doesn't affect the central boss battles in any way, and Switch fans can rest assured they're still going to find plenty of fun in their console's version.

Yakuza: Like A Dragon release date confirmed as November 13

SEGA has confirmed the release date for Yakuza: Like A Dragon with the game coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC on November 13th. This release date had leaked previously, but now we have proper confirmation. The game will be released on PS5 and Xbox Series X as well, with SEGA stating that this will be at a later date. SEGA has also released a brand new trailer for Yakuza: Like A Dragon and it is called How Will You Rise? The trailer focuses on Ichiban Kasuga, the new main protagonist of the Yakuza series, as he takes on a number of jobs.

Previously, the main cast of the game's English dub had been revealed, including the legendary George Takei:

  • Kaiji Tang as Ichiban Kasuga, protagonist of the story returning from 18 years spent in prison
  • George Takei as Masumi Arakawa, patriarch of the Arakawa Family
  • Andrew Morgado as Koichi Adachi, an ex-cop on the search for truth
  • Greg Chun as Yu Nanba, downtrodden former nurse making amends with the world
  • Elizabeth Maxwell as Saeko Mukoda, a bar hostess on a mission

Set in 2019 following the events of Yakuza 6, Yakuza: Like a Dragon follows the story of Kasuga Ichiban, a member of the formidable Tojo Clan who, much like Kiryu Kazuma, takes the fall for a crime he did not commit in order to protect the honor of his clan. When Ichiban emerges from prison almost two decades later in 2019, though, he's found that the world has changed immensely and moved on without him. Stuck as an outsider in an unfamiliar town, he gathers a crew of unlikely allies in order to find out the truth behind what happened while he was behind bars.

The game is a pretty major departure beyond just having a new lead, with new turn-based RPG encounters. Part of the reason for this switch to an RPG battle system is that Ichiban is obsessed with Dragon Quest, and the regular thugs you run into on the street will often transform into otherwordly warriors (in Ichiban's head, at least) once battle begins.

Source: Press Release

NHL 21 officially revealed and it will be out in October

EA has dropped the first official trailer for NHL 21 and confirmed that the release date will be October 16th. However, NHL 21 will not be releasing on PS5 and Xbox Series X. EA did confirm that the cover star for NHL 21 will be Alexander Ovechkin. The reveal trailer for NHL 21 can be watched below which shows very little gameplay and is focused on Alexander Ovechkin.

The official description for NHL 21 reads:

In EA SPORTS NHL 21, we're celebrating the most creative, inventive, and fearless players. Carve your path to superstardom in an expanded Be A Pro mode and go down as one of the league's greatest. On the ice, change up your attack with all new moves, dekes, dangles and evasive maneuvers, inspired by the league's most groundbreaking innovators. Recognize Creativity, Recognize Revolutionary, Recognize Future, Recognize Greatness.

EA also released details about NHL 21's Great Eight edition, and the content is listed below.

  • Up to 10 HUT Diamond Player Choice Packs (2 per month for 5 months)
  • HUT Synergy Veteran Choice Pack (Choice 1 of 10; +1 OVR per month until August 2021)
  • HUT Cover Athlete Choice Pack (Choice of: Ovechkin, Matthews, McDavid, Pettersson, Laine, Subban)
  • 3 Days Early Access
  • Be A Pro XP Boost and Bonus Trait and Specialization Points
  • 5 Unlocked World of Chel Hockey Bags

While the game is not releasing on PS5 and Xbox Series X you will still be able to play NHL 21 on the new consoles as it is a forward-compatible title.

Source: YouTube

NBA 2K21 demo out now on PS4, Xbox One, and Switch

2K Games has released the demo for the current gen version for NBA 2K21, with it being available on PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. The demo contains four teams in total to play as including Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, the All-Time Lakers featuring Kobe Bryant, and the All-Time Celtics featuring Bill Russell. The MyPlayer builder is also included so you can create your player who can be transferred to the main release of NBA 2K21 when it comes out. You can also try out the new shooting system and Pro Stick. The download links are below.

NBA 2K21 will be releasing on September 4th for current gen, and at launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. However, players will not be getting a free upgrade from the current gen version of NBA 2K21 to the PS5 or Xbox Series X editions. 2K is charging for the upgrade through the Mamba Forever edition of NBA 2K21 which will cost £84.99, and that will grant access to current-gen and next-gen versions of the game. While there is a cost to access both versions all progression will be shared across platform families, so you will not need to start again should start NBA 2K21 on PS4/Xbox One and then migrate to PS5/Xbox Series X.

The cover stars will be Damian Lillard for the PS4 and Xbox One versions, while Zion Williamson will be the cover star for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. The Mamba Forever will have Kobe Bryant who passed away in a helicopter crash earlier this year along with his daughter and seven others.

Source: Press Release

eFootball PES 2021 Season Update cover stars confirmed

Konami has announced the cover stars for eFootball PES 2021 Season Update with four players on it. You have the football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, alongside the up and coming players Marcus Rashford of Manchester United and Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies. All four of the players on the cover of eFootball PES 2021 Season Update are ambassadors for the brand, and you can check out the cover below.

Jonas Lygaard, Senior Director Brand & Business Development at Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. said:

"I am incredibly proud of the cover that we've assembled for PES 2021. We made a big change last year with the presentation of four ambassadors and we were keen to raise the bar this year with a world first – Messi and Ronaldo together at last."

eFootball PES 2021 Season Update will only be available on current-gen consoles. Konami previously revealed that a PES game will not arrive on PS5 and Xbox Series X until next year. This version of the game will include the latest club and season updates as well as the UEFA Euro 2020 content. In addition to the Season Update standard edition Konami is also releasing special Club Editions on digital stores. These Club Editions will have branded menus, exclusive kit, myClub Squad content and Iconic Moment Series players. The clubs that are partnered for this promotion are FC Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester United, FC Bayern, and Arsenal FC. These Club Editions will be priced at €34.99 / £29.99. The standard edition of eFootball PES 2021 will be priced at €29.99 / £24.99. Both will release on September 15th for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.

Source: Press Release

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is coming to mobile – in China

Good news for those of you clamouring for a mobile version of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, it's been confirmed. Bad news for those of you clamouring for a mobile version of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, it's only going to be released in China.

Senior Analyst at Niko Partners, Daniel Ahmad, tweeted "Chinese games and entertainment company Bilibili has secured the rights to publish a mobile version of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout in China."

The Bilibili website confirms the news and reveals a slight name change, in China it will be known as "Jelly Bean: Ultimate Knockout"

For those playing now on PS4 and PC a "Spicy Hot Fix" update is in the works for the cute and cuddly Battle Royale game that has taken the world of gaming by storm over the last month. Expected to drop sometime this week, it's all about making minor tweaks and updates, as opposed to adding new rounds and game modes like the last update did.

Team mode dislikers will be glad to see that these modes will only trigger if team sizes can be equal, and party players will find it easier to watch their chums should they get knocked out. There's also a handful of tweaks for exploits and crashes, and Yellow Team is no longer nerfed (we think this one's a joke).

Here's the full patch notes:

Fall Guys 'Spicy Hot Fix' patch notes

  • Tweaked round selection algorithm to select a Team game only if the team sizes can be equal
  • Party members are now sorted first in spectator mode.
  • (PS4 Only) Added Controller options, including invert X/Y axis and sensitivity settings
  • Slime Climb: players can no longer grab some of the moving obstacles
  • Jump Showdown: changed geometry to prevent a gameplay exploit
  • Jump Showdown: fixed camera auto-panning
  • Improved in-game store purchase dialog to avoid accidental selections
  • Addressed the top 5 most frequent crashes
  • Visual fixes to some of the outfits
  • (PS4 Only) Improved UI performance on non-Pro PS4 models
  • Added option to change the jump button binding for Japan
  • Trophy/Achievement names and descriptions are now correctly displayed in all supported languages
  • Removed move speed nerf from Yellow Team (Don't post this one)

This isn't the only news for Fall Guys fans this week, as it's been revealed that a sneak preview of Season Two of the game will be shown on the opening night of Gamescom's digital showcase. Keep a beady eye out at 7PM BST if you're planning to tune in.

Source: Twitter

Lord of the Rings: Gollum has a teaser trailer

After watching this new trailer for Lord of the Rings: Gollum I had to check with other TSA staff members to see if it was new. It is, but it looks very familiar to me, maybe it riffs on scenes from the films. Unfortunately it is all CGI, no game play is shown.

The game is being developed by Daedalic Entertainment and will tell a tale of the "disgustingly likeable" Gollum and will serve as a prequel to the Lord of The Rings books.

The game was announced way back in March 2019 ago for PC and "all relevant console platforms at that time" and it has now been confirmed that means Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. As you might expect, it's a stealth game.

It's a strange and unexpected take on a license that has been passed among several big-name publishers. Daedelic is no doubt wringing its hands at having the chance to explore this character and his dual personality in more depth than has ever been shown. Some of the images seem to show the Mines of Mordor and also a large number of giant spiders so we may be encountering Shelob.

The game was previewed on gamestar.de a while back but unfortunately most of the information is locked behind a paywall. The gallery was available without the paywall and we have posted a couple below for you to take a look at, for the rest of them click here. 

I suppose we should bear in mind the game is still in development but I'm not exactly blown away by those images, what do you think? Maybe that's why we're only getting a CGI teaser trailer.

Lord of the Rings: Gollum has provisional launch window of 2021 and will be coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Source: YouTube

Project CARS 3 Review

There's a rather large elephant in the room when it comes to discussing Project CARS 3. So big, that you just have to get it out of the way early. If you weren't aware already – and a lot of comments and forum posts suggests many have cottoned on already – Project CARS 3 isn't trying to be a simulator any more.

Out goes the more serious motorsports tone of Project CARS and Project CARS 2, alongside tyre wear, long races and pitstops. In comes brash colours, customisation and a pumping soundtrack. Naming this latest Project CARS game with the number '3' at the end makes you believe that the series continues in the same vein. It doesn't. Not even slightly. This is far more than a fresh lick of paint.

Allow me to explain what this game actually is and then judge it based on that, as opposed to the rather large shadow of former instalments.

The aim through the career is to buy cars for your garage, starting from road cars such as a Honda Civic Type R or the latest Chevrolet Corvette C8 and progressing up to include racing vehicles such as LeMans prototypes and Formula E single-seaters.

Along the way, you participate in racing events, earning both XP to progress through overall driver rating and credits to buy new vehicle and upgrades. You can then change the way your car looks through new paints, livery creation or different wheels. Performance parts are also available to enhance various car attributes.

Project CARS 3 is best played with a gamepad. Pack away your sim rig, because while you can use a steering wheel, it feels limp and inappropriate. The vehicle handling is more about being accessible and fun, as opposed to the bleeding edge of realism. Going sideways isn't really going to slow you down, nor is bumping into rival AI cars.

The career will have you work your way through car classes and tiered events. In each race you can obviously try to win it and earn XP, but there are also three event objectives. These can be targets such as set the fastest lap or overtake a number of cars. It's actually completing these that unlock the next event set, as opposed to your race result.

Additionally, instead of a traditional racing line, there are three corner markers: braking point, apex and corner exit. Drive through these and you "perfect" a corner. Perfect all corners and you earn bonus payouts. There are further points awarded for drifting ("corner slide"), slipstreaming ("drafting") and clean overtakes. Now throw daily 'Rivals' online challenges, new multiplayer matches starting every 20 minutes or so, a pumping soundtrack, and by this point you've got the essence of Project CARS 3.

If you are reading this and thinking that all sounds a bit familiar, then you would be right. Project CARS 3 has turned out to be a spiritual successor to Driveclub. Heck, you even level up each car's individual XP by competing in events, and I swear there's a song in the menus from the Driveclub soundtrack.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. Once it was patched-up and DLC'd to the nines, Driveclub was an arcade racing classic. Much like that game, in Project Cars 3 you can into a rhythm of trying to master every corner, pull off stylish overtakes and earning all the delicious experience points. Imagine having an unlimited PEZ dispenser and you will get some sort of idea how satisfying it can be.

What stops that flow are the carryover elements from previous Project CARS games. Namely, corner-cutting penalties that are stricter than a former head teacher. Run two wheels off the track on a corner exit, penalty. Cut the inside of a corner, penalty. Brush a wall on one of the many street circuits and your lap times are invalidated. This is extremely annoying during career events such as "Hot Lap" (one-lap time trial) or "Pace Setter" (three-lap timed average), leading to many event restarts. It's completely at odds with the new laidback racing vibes.

AI opponents can also be super aggressive. Thankfully, you can tune the overall difficulty and level of aggression independently, and I would recommend keeping them on the lower end through the career. For single races, you may want to ramp up the levels, set a full grid and see how high you can rise, but with large grid sizes and a tendency by the AI to force you out wide or clump together on lap one, it can be a real hindrance in the career. Especially when objectives aren't focussed on race results.

For a game that has an emphasis on customisation, some of the options are quite limited. For instance, selecting your driver's avatar is restricted to a handful of presets, and while you can remove weight from your Porsche 911 or change the air filter, you can only add one or two modifications before it moves up into the class above the event you are entering. Being able to upgrade your steed from road car to race car is interesting, but there needs to be more thought put into how much effect each upgrade creates. There are odd things like how adding a 'high-downforce pack' doesn't visually change your car too.

Each car is categorised with a PIR score. On paper, this is a great idea, balancing performance across different cars. In reality, some vehicles within the same class are still clearly more effective than others. I was in a race where all of the Aston Martin DB11s raced to the front and disappeared, making my tuned Supra feel worthless. Then there's the strange mix of being in a race against a classic BMW touring car, a rallycross car and a JDM Nissan Skyline GTR. Odd.

At least the handling model is a tad more satisfying than the recent GRID reboot, which is really this game's closest contemporary competitor. Front-wheel-drive cars feel like front-wheel-drive cars, racing cars have more grip and each car feels unique. There are some weird instances, such as a FWD hot hatch during a Hot Lap event, where the game automatically applies the handbrake to make your corner entries more sideways as if to invoke some sort of trailer for a Fast & Furious movie.

Pivoting a racing video game series to a different audience has been done successfully before, and that Slightly Mad has tried to do so isn't the real issue here – well, not changing the name hasn't helped with perceptions, of course – it's that it hasn't quite pulled it off.

EPOS | Sennheiser announce GSP 601 & GSP 602 gaming headsets

In the market for new premium tier gaming headset? Today EPOS | Sennheiser have unveiled the latest model in their high quality GSP range, introducing the GSP 601 and GSP 602.

These two new dapper headsets emulate the performance and comfort of the GSP 600, now with different colour and style variations. These headsets are not only suitable for PC gaming but also PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch. Here are some of our reviews of previous models in the range:

First up with the GSP 601 with its ultra stylish blend of matte white and black with copper highlights. Speaking of which, there are copper side-plates for those who prefer the tri-colour look.

Meanwhile, the GSP 602 rocks a similarly classy navy, black, and white scheme with some gunmetal grey in there as well as the tan tones of its earmuffs. You can get a closer view of both models below.

EPOS | Sennheiser GSP 601

EPOS | Sennheiser GSP 602

Here's a breakdown of the GSP 600 series features:

Features that unleash the game
Built with the same legendary features as the highly successful GSP 600, the GSP 601 and GSP 602 both offer durable and thoughtful design that combined with the EPOS│SENNHEISER's audio technology delivers that competitive edge. Both models boast ergonomic leatherette earpads with adjustable pressure to ensure sound attenuation even in the noisiest environment.

Crisp communication for the competitive edge
Each headset's flexible boom arm microphone delivers broadcast-quality audio designed for passive background noise reduction, paired with a lift-to-mute feature for crystal-clear team communication. Similarly, the right outer earcup is equipped with a smooth volume adjustment wheel for on-the-fly adjustments. The GSP 601 and GSP 602 headsets follow the GSP 600 series for full in-game immersion, where mere seconds make the difference between winning or losing.

Multi-platform flexibility
The GSP 601 and GSP 602 headsets use an interchangeable one or two-prong 3.5 mm cable to connect to PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and all other consoles and mobile devices with a 3.5 mm jack input.

Clean, modern design
Just like every other component of their setups, tasteful gamers want stylish audio options that deviate from the repetitive design of prototypical gaming headsets. Now gamers can take their gaming stations to the next dimension with uncompromised proprietary engineering dedicated to The Power of Audio.

If you fancy winning a EPOS | Sennheiser GSP 601 then keep your eyes peeled as we will be giving one away this bank holiday weekend. Details will be available soon.

Source: Press Release 

Bungie detail exactly what is being vaulted from Destiny 2 this November

Bungie have clarified the content that will be removed from Destiny 2 this November when the game undergoes a major shake up to reduce complexity and get rid of some of the more tired content. On November 10th, Io, Titan, Mars, Mercury, and Leviathan will all enter the Destiny Content Vault, and two new areas, the Cosmodrome and Europa, will be added.

Now you might be thinking that as the planets no longer exist all the content on them will be removed from the game, and you'd be right. Sort of. Strikes, Raids, and story content from planets that have been removed will be binned, so the game will look like this.

Available Strikes on November 10 Moving into the DCV
EDZ

  • The Arms Dealer
  • Lake of Shadows
 Io

  • The Pyramidion
  • The Festering Core
Nessus

  • Inverted Spire
  • Exodus Crash
  • Insight Terminus
 Titan

  • Savathûn's Song
Tangled Shore

  • Warden of Nothing
  • The Hallowed Lair
  • Broodhold
 Mars

  • Strange Terrain
  • Will of the Thousands
Dreaming City

  • The Corrupted
 Mercury

  • Tree of Probabilities
  • A Garden World
Moon

  • The Scarlet Keep
Cosmodrome*

  • Will of Crota
Europa

  • [Redacted]

*Destiny's Devil's Lair and Fallen S.A.B.E.R. are coming out of the Vault in Year 4.

Available Dungeons on November 10 Moving into the DCV
  • Shattered Throne (Dreaming City)
  • Pit of Heresy (Moon)
  • Prophecy*
  • None
Available Raids on November 10 Moving into the DCV
  • [Redacted]
  • Last Wish (Dreaming City)
  • Garden of Salvation (Black Garden)
  • Leviathan
  • Eater of Worlds (Leviathan)
  • Spire of Stars (Leviathan)
  • Scourge of the Past (Last City)
  • Crown of Sorrows (Leviathan)

 

Now it gets a little more complicated, the Year 4 Gambit playlist map selection is a "best of" list and includes maps in destinations that have been vaulted. The two Gambit modes are going to be combined in to one game mode. "The new version of Gambit will be similar to Gambit Prime as a single round face off with tweaked Blockers, heavier mote drain, and some changes to the Primeval fight. We will give more details on these updates before the revamped mode goes live next Season," say Bungie.

Available Gambit Maps on November 10 Moving into the DCV
  • Emerald Coast (EDZ)
  • Legions Folly (Nessus)
  • Deep Six (Titan)
  • New Arcadia (Mars)
  • Cathedral of Scars (Dreaming City)
  • Kell's Grave (Tangled Shore)
The new Crucible map playlist will be a curated "best of" mix and will be pulled from both Destiny 1 and 2's legacy, including vaulted destinations.
Available PvP Maps on November 10 Moving into the DCV
  • Destiny
      • Bannerfall
      • Exodus Blue
      • Rusted Lands
      • Twilight Gap
  • Destiny 2
      • Altar of Flame
      • The Anomaly
      • The Burnout
      • Cauldron
      • Convergence
      • The Dead Cliffs
      • Distant Shore
      • Endless Vale
      • The Fortress
      • Fragment
      • Javelin-4
      • Midtown
      • Pacifica
      • Radiant Cliffs
      • Widow's Court
      • Wormhaven
  • Meltdown
  • Solitude
  • Retribution
  • The Citadel
  • Emperor's Respite
  • Equinox
  • Eternity
  • Firebase Echo
  • Gambler's Ruin
  • Legion's Gulch
  • Vostok
A bunch of game modes are also being retired.
Available PvP Modes on November 10 Moving into the DCV
  • Rumble
  • Clash
  • Control
      • Iron Banner Control
  • Elimination
      • Trials of Osiris
  • Showdown
  • Survival
  • Mayhem Clash
  • Supremacy
  • Countdown
  • Lockdown
  • Breakthrough
  • Doubles
  • Momentum Control*
  • Scorched*
 Note:  Expect Momentum Control and Scorched to return from the DCV at some time during Year 4.
The following exotic quests are currently located on a planet that will be removed, so after November 10th they will be moved to a Memorial kiosk situated among the Vault kiosks in the Tower.
  • Sturm
  • MIDA Multi-tool
  • Rat King
  • Legend of Acrius
  • Sleeper Simulant
  • Polaris Lance
  • Worldline Zero
  • Ace of Spades
  • The Last Word
  • Le Monarque
  • Jotunn
  • Izanagi's Burden
  • Thorn
  • Lumina
  • Truth
  • Bad Juju
Catalysts get a bad deal, eleven of them will be vanishing completely but they will return in new quests at a later date.
Available Catalysts on November 10 Moving into the DCV
  • Ace of Spades
  • Black Talon
  • Borealis
  • Cerberus+1
  • Coldheart
  • The Colony
  • Crimson
  • D.A.R.C.I.
  • Eriana's Vow
  • Fighting Lion
  • The Fourth Horseman
  • Gravitron Lance
  • Hard Light
  • Jade Rabbit
  • Lord of Wolves
  • Lumina
  • Merciless
  • MIDA Multi-Tool
  • Prometheus Lens
  • The Prospector
  • Rat King
  • Riskrunner
  • Sturm
  • Sunshot
  • SUROS Regime
  • Sweet Business
  • Symmetry
  • Tommy's Matchbook
  • Tractor Cannon
  • Trinity Ghoul
  • Vigilance Wing
  • Wardcliff Coil
  • Witherhoard
  • Bad Juju
  • The Huckleberry
  • Izanagi's Burden
  • Legend of Acrius
  • Polaris Lance
  • Skyburner's Oath
  • Sleeper Simulant*
  • Telesto*
  • Outbreak Perfected*
  • Whisper of the Worm*
  • Worldline Zero*
Bungie have also posted a short Q&A answering some questions which you can read below.
Q. What goes away when a destination is Vaulted?  
A. When a destination enters the DCV, its PvE content will no longer be available. Explicitly, this includes their unique:
  • Story missions and cinematics
  • Strikes (detailed above)
  • Raids (detailed above)
  • Dungeons (detailed above)
  • Adventures
  • Secret missions
  • Vendors and associated bounties
  • Destination-specific patrols
  • Collectables & scannables
  • Destination-specific activities (Ex: Mercury's Forge, Mars' Escalation Protocol)
  • Freely roaming the destinations themselves, exploring Lost Sectors, etc.
Q. What will new Guardians experience if the Year 1 campaigns are going away? 
A. With some of the core Year 1 destinations entering the Vault, it's true that the free-for-all-players Red War, Curse of Osiris, and Warmind campaigns will no longer be playable.
We are building a new, expanded Guardian origin story on the Cosmodrome that will launch alongside Year 4 and will be available to all Guardians to play. It is designed to introduce you to the world and mechanics of Destiny and prepare you to play the action MMO game we all enjoy. The Forsaken and Shadowkeep story campaigns will still be playable in Year 4 for owners of those expansions.
Q. What's happening to The Whisper and Zero Hour secret missions and their Exotic rewards? 
A. The Whisper is entering the Vault alongside Io, and so too is Zero Hour (given the old Tower was part of the Red War campaign and which is also entering the Vault). Their Exotic weapon rewards will not be acquirable until we find a new way to reintroduce them, so if you're keen to get them, make sure you do that now!
 
Q. With the Forsaken campaign, Tangled Shore, and Dreaming City sticking around after Beyond Light's launch, does that mean other Year 2 Seasonal content will remain playable in Year 4 too?  
A. No. The Year 2 Seasonal content – including Forges, Reckoning, and Menagerie – will be entering the DCV on November 10. Be sure to experience that content and mark the final items off your collections and checklists before they are Vaulted. Here's a cheat sheet of what to complete:
  • Ada-1, Black Armory, and Season of the Forge quests.
  • Gambit Prime, Reckoning, and Season of the Drifter quests.
  • Benedict-66, Werner 99-40, Menagerie, and Season of Opulence quests.
  • Pinnacle and pursuit weapon quests.
      • Note: These weapons will receive an alternate acquisition method. More details to come later this Season.
Source: Bungie

Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? – Infinite Combate Review

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? – Infinite Combate (which mercifully also goes by name DanMachi) is an anime that follows a 14 year old boy called Bell Cranel. He is part of Familia Hestia in service of the Goddess Hestia. She is a literal goddess, one who descended from heaven after creating the universe on the condition its inhabitants never use their godly powers, except one: the ability to level up. Like in a video game!

If you've seen DanMachi, or read the book it's based on, this is probably stuff you already know. If you haven't, it probably all sounds a bit weird. Now, being a bit weird isn't a dealbreaker by any means – most of my favourite things are at least a little bit weird – but unfortunately, as an anime and a book already exist to tell the story, Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? feels entirely pointless.

The story is retold here in a visual novel style, which means it's all mostly still images of impractically dressed characters with moving mouths to approximate speech and blinking eyes – it'd look even creepier if they were just staring. You'll be doing an awful lot of reading, as the entirety of the story plays out in those dialogue boxes whilst the characters blink at you. Much of the dialogue feels unnatural and stilted as well, often outright saying things that would, in a game with cutscenes and more animation, be communicated visually.

The story is pretty complex, but the problem is that when things happen you don't see them, there's just some sounds and a change to the music, accompanied by a different still image if you're lucky. The dialogue is all in Japanese with English subtitles and the subtitles themselves have more than their fair share of typos and words split in half across lines, all of which serves to keep you at arm's length.

You venture into the dungeon each day in the game, but this simply entails wandering through long, featureless underground corridors with the occasional rock sprite you can walk through, and rarer appearances from a bigger rock that you actually have to walk around. There are floors of the dungeon that look different to others, but even they become repetitive remarkably quickly as there's no distinguishing features or landmarks anywhere. It's just long corridors and wide rooms all the way down. Always has been.

You might think that combat and dungeon delving could be the game's saving grace, but it is shockingly simple, to the point of getting boring within an hour or two. You have three attacks, light, heavy, and magic, the latter of which isn't unlocked until hours into the game. The blend of attacking, defending, and dodging around feels stiff, as there are brief pauses on the end of all the actions, like the character is posing. The thing is, there's no reason to ever use anything other than the light attack combo.

You see, there's a brief pause after you attack, during enemies can hit you but you can't dodge away. This pause is longer on the heavy attack, whereas the light attack combo deals more damage than a single heavy attack and lets you dodge away more quickly. The consequence of this is the player just running from room to room hitting circle over and over again. There are also special attacks eventually unlocked for Bell through the story and available from the off for the other playable character Aiz. They're provided by Goddesses through story reasons and are announced by a full screen appearance of the character in typical anime style, but they have pretty lengthy cooldowns on them, so they're best reserved for when you really need them.

The best place to use your special attacks is to save you some time fighting during a "timed mission," which in video games really just means "forced stakes." The timed missions in this game don't even come with story reason for having a time restriction, and they just make you run past all the enemies, because you don't know how long the dungeon is, so you don't know how much time you have spare to fight. Running past enemies isn't challenging as they're slow, and it certainly isn't fun, so why timed missions are even here is anybody's guess.

Eventually, once you've earned enough cash, you'll be able to purchase more weapons that come with their own fighting style. They all tend to boil down to bashing the same button repeatedly then doing the same against the next enemy that gets too close. You can also upgrade the weapons/armour you already have using drops from enemies in the dungeon. The upgrades are mostly small, incremental upgrades though that don't really capture your imagination. You only need them to make enemy health bars drop a little quicker.

Speaking of which, enemies themselves look less like the reasonably imposing monsters from the anime and more like tamagotchi. Outside of the boss, they look like they've been chibi-fied, even the bigger ones look weirdly adorable for creatures that are supposedly terrorising people. Their AI is also awful, so they sometimes just stand still for no discernible reason, wander off instead of coming after you, or get caught on one of those solid rocks I mentioned earlier. They often spawn in immediately on top of an enemy you've just killed, whilst other times they spawn near each other at slightly different times and bounce each other around as they do so.

Gotham Knights is not part of the Arkhamverse

There was some understandable confusion when the trailer for Gotham Knights dropped as the story begins by using key plot points from the end of Arkham Knight. This is in the trailer so it's been already been spoiled, but in case you didn't finish the game – SPOILERS –  Batman blows up the Batcave and is seemingly dead.

The Gotham Knights trailer starts off with news reports of an explosion in Gotham City that apparently kills Bruce Wayne, his message from beyond the grave being beamed across to his former allies explains that the Batcave has been destroyed and he is passing the baton of protecting Gotham to Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl and Red Hood.

Despite all of that, WB Games Montreal has told ComicBook.com that, "Gotham Knights is an original story set in DC's Batman Universe and not connected to the Arkham series."

That means we now have two Bat universes in games, just to confuse everyone who is already grappling with three current Batuniverses in the movies (Joker, The Batman, and DCU). However, the new Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League game does follow on from Arkham Knight, so Batman is presumably dead in that game as well.

At DC FanDome WB Games Montreal came with plenty of gameplay to show with Batgirl and Robin teaming up to fight Mr. Freeze and his goons in a fortress of ice created by a large weather machine.

Gotham Knights is in development at WB Games Montreal, best known for their previous game Batman: Arkham Origins, which released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, telling a prequel story to the Batman: Arkham trilogy from Rocksteady Studios. The game has co-op so you will be able to team up with a friend to take on the bad guys and is an open world, third-person action RPG.

According to the game's synopsis, "Batman is dead. It is now up to the Batman Family – Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin – to protect Gotham City, bring hope to its citizens, discipline to its cops, and fear to its criminals. You must evolve into the new Dark Knight and save Gotham from chaos. Your legacy begins now. Step into the Knight."

Source: Comicbook.com

Marvel's Avengers PS4 trophy list has assembled

We're less than a fortnight away from one of 2020's biggest game launches. For years, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics have been teasing us with their Marvel's Avengers project and it's almost strange to think we'll have the final game in our hands next Friday.

Ahead of its release date, we now have the full PS4 trophy list for Marvel's Avengers (which will be similar to the achievements lists on Xbox One and Steam). There's a pretty wide spread, with 51 trophies to unlock.

It goes without saying that some of the trophy descriptions touch on character and story spoilers. So, if you're looking to go into Marvel's Avengers not knowing where the main story will go you should avoid looking at the bottom third of this list.

Overall, it looks like a fairly easy road to the platinum trophy though a handful of these will take time to grind out. You'll need one of the six Avengers to be at Power Level 150 with a cumulative total Power Level of 250 across the entire roster. Anyway, here's the Marvel's Avengers trophy list in full:

Omega Level Accomplishment
Earn all Trophies		 Platinum
On the Mountaintop
Reach Power Level 150 with any Hero		 Gold
Back in Business
Earn a total of 250 Hero Levels across the entire Hero Roster
Silver
Group Effort
Reach rank 25 in any faction		 Silver
Super Hero Business
Complete 10 assignments		 Bronze
Team Player
Reach Hero Level 5 with 5 different Heroes		 Bronze
Time to Shine
Reach Hero Level 50 and purchase all skills for any Hero		 Bronze
Tentative Peace
Complete 15 Villain Sectors
Gold Star Success
Complete 100 assignments		 Silver
Treasure Trove
Open 50 Cache strongboxes		 Bronze
Honeycomb Hideout
Complete five Hive missions		 Bronze
Former Glory
Complete the "Iconic Avengers" mission chain		 Bronze
Clear Skies
Complete the "A Global Offensive" mission chain		 Bronze
To the Dark and Back Again
Complete 50 Hive missions		 Silver
Rough and Tumble
Reach a combo of 20 hits or higher		 Bronze
And That's How It's Done
Defeat 10 or more enemies with a single Heroic ability activation		 Bronze
Trying on Perfection
Earn a 100% rating on a mission without any team member being downed		 Bronze
Seeing Stars
Earn a five star rating on an objective without any team member taking damage		 Bronze
Holding It Down
Complete 30 War Zones at Challenge III or higher rating		 Silver
The Best Around
Earn a 100% rating for any War Zone at Challenge IV rating		 Bronze
More Important Things To Do
Complete any mission in under three minutes		 Bronze
The Best Defense
Defeat any 20 different enemy types		 Bronze
Old Fashioned Beat Down
Complete HARM Challenges I to V		 Silver
Prized Collection
Collect a full comic set		 Bronze
Information Overload
Collect 50 intelligence files		 Bronze
Wanting for Nothing
Collect 500 gear items		 Bronze
Odds and Ends
Collect three Artifacts		 Bronze
Savior of the People
Rescue 100 AIM prisoners		 Bronze
Become Legend
Equip all Legendary or better gear with any hero		 Bronze
Fundamentally Flawless
Defeat 50 enemies with Assault Heroic or Ultimate Heroic abilities		 Bronze
Muahahahahaha!
Fully upgrade a major artifact		 Bronze
Investing in the Future
Fully upgrade any gear item		 Bronze
Shopping Spree
Purchase an item from two different faction vendors		 Bronze
Breaking and Entering
Break into 30 Depots		 Bronze
A Surprise Every Time
Open 100 strongboxes		 Bronze
Truly Elite
Complete an Elite Heroic Hive		 Silver
Golden Ticket
Reach the VIP balcony		 Bronze
The Adventure Begins
Escape the clutches of AIM in New Jersey		 Bronze
Lost But Not Forgotten
Discover the location of the Chimera		 Bronze
A Little Bit Broken
Recruit Bruce Banner		 Bronze
From the Ashes
Recover the SHIELD Protocols		 Bronze
No Suit, No Problem
Recruit Tony Stark		 Bronze
Patent Violation
Destroy the AIM arc reactor		 Bronze
Gone To Ground
Locate the Ant Hill		 Bronze
Itsy Bitsy
Recruit Black Widow		 Bronze
A Novel Way to Travel
Rescue Inhumans from the research facility		 Bronze
Thunderous Applause
Stop the Helicarrier from crashing into New York City
Bronze
Unparalleled View
Reach the AIM space station		 Bronze
Welcome Back, Old Friend
Rescue Captain America		 Bronze
Avengers Assemble!
Reunite the Avengers		 Bronze
New Girl Makes Good
Defeat MODOK and the Kree		 Gold

 

Source: PSN Profiles

Aokana – Four Rhythms Across the Blue Review

Aokana – Four Rhythms Across the Blue is set primarily in the Kunahama Institute, a school in an alternate universe Japan where, through anti-gravity technology called "Grav-Shoes", people are able to fly. Naturally, any such inventions has given rise to a popular sport called 'Flying Circus', a kind of airborne tag, a game that practically everyone in this world is obsessed with.

At the beginning of the story, you are introduced to our protagonist (and world's luckiest pervert) Masaya Hinata. You experience the world and story through his eyes, and it is quickly revealed that, although he was heavily into Flying Circus (or FC for short) when he was younger, a mysterious incident resulted in him quitting the sport with no intention of returning.

This is until the cheery, but ditzy, Asuka Kurashina transfers to his school. Her lack of experience with flying results in Masaya helping her to learn and starts off a sequence of events that lead him to being the coach of the Kunahama Institute FC Club entirely against his will, and with him training them to enter the various regional tournaments in the sport.

It is a typical underdog story, if truth be told. I mean, we've seen these kind of narratives in films like The Mighty Ducks, anime like Yuri on Ice!, and even in other video games like – I don't know – Mario Strikers Charged. The reason why these stories endure and are still enjoyable is because they are so timeless and wholesome as to be almost entirely unbreakable.

However, there is a glaring issue with Aokana in that the serviceable albeit well-trodden plot is broken up by flashes of fan service so sudden and unnecessary that I'm considering suing for whiplash. Potentially heartfelt moments and story beats are interspersed with panty shots and questionable dialogue that evaporate any possible investment in the plot.

When mentioned earlier that Masaya was a pervert, this is seen constantly throughout the story with our noble hero taking any opportunity he can get to see a flash of panties, spy on the girls changing, or listen in on them all taking a bath together. This might be a personal thing, but it doesn't really endear him as a protagonist, more indicate he should be on some kind of list.

Inexplicably, you can actually date the main girls in the story, with each of them having a specific plot thread related to them that can be followed through the various choices the game gives the player throughout. This means there is a large amount of replayability here, should you choose to seek it out, and that the story can even end prematurely with certain player decisions.

The problem is, that the girls themselves (and all the characters for that matter) are anime tropes on legs. They're all here: the unstoppably cheery one, the obsessed with food one, the snarky one, the one obsessed with one of the others, it's like a checklist was brought into the planning. As such the characters are all distinctly one-note.

One aspect that does feel distinctly fleshed out however is the world design. A lot of care and attention was clearly paid to making FC feel as realistic as possible with a written history and well thought out rules. It could actually pass for a real world sport, if the technology existed for it to be made possible. Although, seeing as people insisted on making Quidditch exist in real life, anything's game at this point.

Another part in which the game shines is in the aesthetic. The music perfectly suits the various narrative beats and the static backgrounds the character images wiggle in front of are colourful, distinct and full of detail. This extends into the character designs as well, all of which are very pretty and (mostly) visually distinct. Even if the male characters are arguably less so.