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Genshin Impact launch trailer lands, preload the game now on PS4, PC, iOS, and Android

Genshin Impact is going to be available tomorrow, September 28th, for PS4, PC, Android, and iOS, so ahead of the release miHoYo has released the launch trailer for the first version of the game. It has also been confirmed that Genshin Impact is available to preload for the platform of your choice. You can grab the download links below the trailer.

Genshin Impact download links:

Forrest Liu, General President of miHoYo, said

"For the past three and a half years, our team has been working towards creating a sprawling, beautiful open-world game in which players have the freedom to explore alone or bring friends along for the journey. We're very grateful to have over 10 million players pre-registered for Genshin Impact across PS4, PC, and mobile around the world. We can't wait to see you all in the world of Teyvat."

In Genshin Impact players take on the role of The Traveler who washes up on the shores of Teyvat. The main story will be about searching for the character's sibling but there will be plenty of other quests to experience. There will be over 30 companions to ally with to make up your party of four. Genshin Impact has been confirmed for Switch too but the beta will not be available on that platform.

Miguel had some time with the Genshin Impact beta, and he wrote:

Genshin Impact is the kind of game I've been craving for a long time. I obsess over collecting the characters and upgrades in all sorts of free-to-play mobile games, but their insistence on repetitive short-form missions and minimal downtime always burns me out. Genshin Impact steps in a completely opposite direction, providing an immersive and zen world full of natural beauty to explore at your own pace, while also delivering a heaping helping of characters, skill points, missions, equipment and more that is sure to keep me glued to the full game for ages.

You can read the full preview here.

Source: Press Release

Scarlet Nexus' Tokyo Games Show trailer shows some gameplay parts

Bandai Namco has released a new trailer for its upcoming JRPG Scarlet Nexus, with the trailer being a mix of cutscenes and combat gameplay. The trailer looks to highlight the powers of the main characters who fight the enemy known as The Others, with powers appearing to include telekinesis and absorbing damage. The trailer also confirms there are two playable characters in Scarlet Nexus and they are Kasane and Yuito. You can watch the trailer below.

Scarlet Nexus was originally revealed in May for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, and was later confirmed to be heading to PlayStation 5 as well. A PS4 release is also on the cards. Stefan got some interview time with Game Producer Keita Izuki and Game Director Kenji Anabuki to talk about Scarlet Nexus, and he wrote:

Regardless of the generation of console you play on, Scarlet Nexus looks like a rather individualistic new twist on the Japanese action RPG. It will be fascinating to see how it can explore some of its more dystopian themes and the breadth of intriguing weirdness that the  Others can bring as you battle them.

You can read the full Scarlet Nexus interview here. Coming from a team of developers that previously worked on the Tales series, Scarlet Nexus is set in a cyberpunk-y "Brain Punk" future world where humans have discovered a psionic hormone, and just in time as well. Here's more from Bandai Namco.

In Scarlet Nexus, a strange life-form called "Others" appeared from the sky and began to prey on the brains of living creatures on the earth – including humans. In order to fight this new kind of enemy, the "Other Suppression Force" (OSF) was created in the city where brain power has been developed, called New Himuka. The OSF is composed of the only people able to exterminate the Others, blessed with exceedingly powerful "brain power" and considered as true heroes by the population.

Among them, Yuito Sumeragi, a bright and positive-minded recruit with a kind heart. Second son of the prestigious Sumeragi family, his ancestor was the founding father of New Himuka.
He endured an intensive training to be able, one day, to help the citizens of his city and rescue them, as he was once saved himself from an Other by a member of the OSF. Since then, he cherishes the ear cuff he received on that memorable day.
Source: YouTube

Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is a CG anime coming to Netflix in 2021

Capcom and Netflix have announced Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, and it is a CG anime series expected to launch in 2021. This appears to be different to the live action Resident Evil Netflix series that is also in development which was confirmed last month. Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness instead will be similar in execution to the the latest Dragon's Dogma series, though with more CG than hand drawn animations. You can watch the teaser trailer for Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness below.

While we do not know much about Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness we do know more about the live action Resident Evil Netflix series. The story for that follows fourteen year old sisters Jade and Billie Wesker who move to New Raccoon City with their (so far unnamed) father. "The more time they spend there, the more they come to realise the town is more than it seems and their father may be concealing a dark secret" add Netflix.

If that sounds a little twee, fear not because the story will run across two timelines, and the second is set a decade in the future when the population of the Earth has been decimated with just 15 million people left alive. The rest – and all the animals – have been infected by the T-Virus and are the nasty, tentacled monsters we all know and love from the series. Jade is still alive, but it seems her sister is missing, as is her father.

The series will consist of eight episodes each lasting an hour with Supernatural's Andrew Dabb writing and Bronwen Hughes(The Walking Dead) directing the first two episodes. The series is to be developed Constantin Films, the same team who made the movies which may indication some sort of continuation of the films. However, the mythology of the films has been rather, how shall I put it, flexible, over the six movies.

Source: YouTube

Zendikar Rising makes now a great time to return to MTG: Arena

Happy release weekend! Friday marked the official release of Zendikar Rising — the latest expansion in the Magic the Gathering universe, bringing with it new cards, new lore and a new meta to discover. OK, so it has been playable online in MTG: Arena for the past week, but it's only now can you pick it up in shops, and pick it up you should. Being able to play it on MTG Arena has been an absolute boon, especially given that paper tournaments aren't happening this weekend thanks to you know what.

Return to return to Zendikar

So, what is Zendikar and why are we here again?

The plane of Zendikar is alive. It is a world where mountains float in the air, with waterfalls cascading over the side. Ancient and mysterious hedrons float by as the Roil sweeps the plane, birthing violent elementals that rip and tear their way through whatever's in front of them. It's beautiful, but it's not an easy place to live.

Originally designed as 'Adventure World', our first visit to Zendikar was a resounding success. It was known for making lands more than just a resource for casting spells. On Zendikar, your lands matter more than anywhere else, thanks to the Landfall mechanic (simply put, playing a land causes things to happen, such as making your creatures bigger and better). This means that Zendikar sets tend to be associated with deep and complex lines of play.

Unfortunately, the last time we went to Zendikar, we had Battle for Zendikar and Oath of the Gatewatch — sets widely held as two of the worst in recent Magic and regarded by Mark Rosewater, head designer for the game, as one of the low-points of his design career.

So, with the terror of recent past still fresh, should players be afraid to return to return to Zendikar, or has Wizards of the Coast learned from its mistakes?

Out with the old

First things first, for those of you who play Standard game mode, September's update means that the Ravinca cards are rotating out (will no longer be playable). This means that everything from Throne of Eldraine onwards (banlist notwithstanding) is legal.

For those of you who love playing with your Ravnicards, for want of a better term, you can still play them in Historic — MTG Arena's eternal format.

Zendikar healing

In the lore, the Eldrazi — interplanar monsters who came to Zendikar to literally suck the life out of the plane itself — have been driven away and Zendikar is healing. In a more real sense, getting rid of the Eldrazi and focusing on why players love this plane also feels like a healing process; it's a second chance to get Zendikar right.

And they've managed admirably. The return of Landfall, and premium cards such as Lotus Cobra, is extremely welcome. But with it comes Kicker, another fan favourite, and Party — a new mechanic inspired by Dungeons and Dragons. If you can amass a Rogue, a Cleric, a Wizard and a Warrior, or at least as large a party as you can, there is often a bonus in there for you. Between its land-matter and tribal mechanics, there is a lot to explore here. Unlike Oath, there is a lot of adventure to be had here and it feels good to be back.

Interestingly, Zendikar Rising adds a new type of double-faced card: the spell-lands and modal double-faced lands. One side of these has a land on it, the other is either a different land or a spell, giving you a huge amount of utility and making for some interesting in-game decisions. Spell lands are going to be important over the next two years, so make sure you don't overlook them.

Standard, Sealed or Draft?

Diving into the games main game modes, the game's main money-maker is Standard. Don't play it. Uro has not yet been banned and it  has a new deck in 4C Omnath. Sadly, until this card is banned, Standard is just a waste of everyone's time and Sealed and Draft offer much better experiences

For those of you who started playing as a kid, Sealed is probably how you learned to play. In this mode you open six packs of 15 cards and make a 40-card deck with what you have in front of you.

I play a lot of sealed — especially in paper — and Zendikar rising feels like a pretty good set for this at the moment. It's slow enough that you can make the most of the party mechanic unless you come across a hyper-aggressive Landfall deck, which is entirely possible. Sealed is also a good way to dip your toe into a set as you don't have to worry about pick orders in draft.

Speaking of which, Draft is often referred to as the purest form of Magic and where we could sit and debate how best to draft this set for hours and have no consensus.

A quick primer on Draft: you sit in a circle of eight people who each have three packs of 15 cards. You each open a pack, take one and pass it to the person next to you. Eventually you each wind up with a pile of cards focused on whatever theme you honed in on as the cards came your way. Because of the number of choices made by everyone in a single draft, each pool of eight players has a mind-boggling number of different potential decks in it.

This makes draft a little more challenging for new players, especially on Arena where there is a time limit on your picks (after which the game selects a card for you). Ironically, it is the Quick Draft that doesn't have the time limit, and there is no Quick Draft option for Zendikar Rising just yet. It will likely come in the next few weeks, but for now (as it is half the price of a normal draft), Wizards is focusing on the more expensive play modes.

Drafting Zendikar Rising is certainly interesting. Generally speaking, in any given draft you will have a set of archetypes you can lean on: 'Blue White Fliers, 'Green Blue Ramp' or something similar. There is less of a clear-cut colour boundary here, as the mechanics in this set tend to go across the colour pie (the five colours of Magic: White, Blue, Black, Red and Green).

This time, rather than focussing on on colours or colour pairs, you can lean into the mechanics. Do you focus on Landfall, Party or the new Spell-lands? Either way, it's good to note early on that there's no dedicated Party deck — with four of the five colours (not Green) supporting it.

That said, there are some more powerful themes emerging in the game's meta. Blue Black Rogues has some emphasis on milling the opponent to death (getting rid of their library so they can't cast spells), while Green White Landfall feels quite powerful right now, with cheap creatures and good anthem effects.

It's also worth noting that this more of a 'prince' than a 'pauper' set. There are some powerful rares here, and colour fixing isn't great, so stick to two colours where you can — three colours is doable, but tricky and not optimal.

ON the whole, Zendikar Rising feels like a resounding success. Even a quick glance shows that it has a lot to offer, with the depth and complexity that our last sojourn to the plane drastically lacked. Though we're just a week in, it feels good to be back. For those of you who play paper, there are some money cards emerging, but they're all at the mythic slot, making the freemium equivalent — MTG Arena — a great place to play on the cheap.

If you haven't done so, remember to go to the store and redeem the code PLAYZENDIKAR for some free cards celebrating the new release.

New gameplay trailer released for Transformers Battlegrounds

Bandai Namco has released a new gameplay for its upcoming tactical title Transformers Battlegrounds, and it shows the Autobots fighting against the Decepticons here on Earth. It has been confirmed that Earth will not be the only battleground as player will also be going into battle on Cybertron. You can watch the new trailer below.

Many major characters including Grimlock, Arcee, Soundwave, Windblade, Shockwave, and of course, Optimus and Megatron, will be in Transformers Battlegrounds. The designs seem to closer to those seen in the recent cartoon series rather than the movies or G1. Transformers Battlegrounds launches on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC on October 23rd. Tuffcub recently went hands on with Transformers Battlegrounds, and he wrote:

All in all, the game is coming together quite nicely, taking the franchise to a genre that it's never really visited before. The cartoon art style will appeal to the younger generation, while the gameplay should reach older fans who've rinsed everything they can out of XCOM. Through there's a Transformers story and characters that all fans of robots in disguise should enjoy.

You can read the Transformers Battlegrounds preview here. There is another Transformers game on the way, Transformers Online, which is being developed by Certain Affinity. the game was officially announced by Leyou at the Chinajoy 2019 convention and has been confirmed to a be a third person shooter. They specifically stated that Certain Affinity was working on the the game which is for consoles and PC and it will be free to play.

Source: YouTube

Kunimitsu confirmed for Tekken 7 Season 4, watch the first gameplay footage here

At the beginning of August, Bandai Namco announced that there would be a Season 4 for Tekken 7 and at the time teased a new character. Long time fans of the series were quick to point out that the mystery character looked like Kunimitsu, an original character who had been absent from the series for quite some time. Now, Bandai Namco has released the Tekken 7 Season 4 launch trailer and confirmed the new character as Kunimitsu, and you can see some gameplay of her in action below.

Along with Kunimitsu a new stage will arrive at the same time, and that stage is Vermilion Gates. You can see it in play in the trailer. Bandai Namco has confirmed that there will be an additional character and stage in Season 4, but those will not be revealed or released until early Spring 2021. If you do not have the season pass there will still be some free updates available. Those updates will bring new moves for all characters,  a new rank called Tekken God Omega, online play enhancements, Tekken Prowess which allows players to assess skills through point scoring, and an updated user interface.

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

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

You can read the full Tekken 7 review here. Tekken 7 Season 4 will be available soon.

Source: YouTube

Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires announced for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and current gen consoles

Koei Tecmo has revealed the next entry to the Dynasty Warriors series with the announcement of Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires. The developer has announced that Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires will be released for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires sets players on a path to unite China under one rule, and to do that you will need to take out thousands of soldiers with your weapons, as well as strategise how to take over the territory.

Koei Tecmo has confirmed that Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires will be coming out in early 2021. At the moment there is very little detail. Dynasty Warriors 9 was released in 2018 and in that review Jim wrote:

Sadly, this isn't the breakthrough fans were expecting. Omega Force took a pretty big risk with Dynasty Warriors 9, and while its open world integration can be seen as a small triumph, this newest entry is marred by its heavily outdated approach to combat design.

You can read the full review here. Earlier this year, Jim wondered if Koei Tecmo would bring the Dynasty Warriors franchise to PS5, though the thinking was that next game would be Dynasty Warriors 10 and not a continuation of Dynasty Warriors 9.

Source: YouTube

Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy will be released on PS5

Koei Tecmo has announced that Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy will be releasing on the PS5 alongside PS4, Switch, and PC via Steam during this Winter. The news came from Tokyo Game Show where a new trailer for Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy was shown. The game is set three years after Atelier Ryza with characters returning from the first game as well as new characters being added to the game as well.

Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout was released last year, and in our review Miguel wrote:

Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout reinvents the wheel on a series that felt like it was beginning to grow stagnant. Fresh combat and an engaging new protagonist help this entry usher in a remarkable new era for the long-running Atelier series, and other improvements like great Switch performance and gorgeous music are just icing on the cake. I never thought that Atelier Sophie could be out-done, but Atelier Ryza has thoroughly made the case to be my new favorite game in the series.
You can read the full review for Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout here.
Source: YouTube

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity gets a brand new trailer showcasing the Champions

Nintendo has released a brand new trailer for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and this trailer focuses on the Champions as they get ready to prepare for battle against Ganon's armies. The trailer shows some gameplay and the abilities of the Champions as they fight against the hordes as they claim the Divine Beasts to fight against Ganon. Have a watch of trailer as Link, Zelda, and the Champions prepare for the war against Ganon.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, a follow up to Hyrule Warriors, but set 100 years before the events of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It's coming out for Nintendo Switch on 20th November. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity builds on the hack and slash action of the first Hyrule Warriors game, but adopts some of the visual stylings of Breath of the Wild. You'll be able to play as many characters from that game, You battle swarms of enemies to defend Hyrule, while also solving environmental puzzles, unlocking weapons, crafting, and even using the Sheikah Slate.

The first Hyrule Warriors came out for Wii U all the way back in 2014, then as a swansong release for the 3DS that also introduced Linkle, the first female Link. It was an unlikely marriage of genre and game series, but one that worked, with Koei Tecmo able to explore the breadth of the Zelda game series and incorporate numerous characters. By contrast, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity shifts from the broader franchise to tying in with one of the series' most successful games to date.

In our original Hyrule Warriors review for Wii U, we said:

"This might not be The Legend of Zelda we know, but it's a faithful marriage between the Zelda series and the incredibly fun gameplay of the Warriors series. It's not the next step in the Zelda timeline, but rather an off-kilter non-canon entry which effectively acts as a party with all of your favourite people present. It's a hell of a lot more niche – only really appealing to Zelda fans who don't mind a big change in the gameplay style – but Hyrule Warriors is to Zelda what Mario Kart is to the Super Mario series, and that's brilliant news for dedicated fans."

Hyrule Warriors was then one of the first Wii U games to be given a fresh release on Nintendo Switch, the newer console able to handle the big battles much better, combining the merits of the Wii U game with some of the additions made for the 3DS version. It's still a solid shout for fans of the Warriors style hack and slash, and fans of Zelda in general. Might help while away some of the time as we wait for Age of Calamity.

Source: YouTube

Epic lands 2019 indie gem for its next free game, full list here

If you're looking for some lively, light-hearted PC gaming action without having to spend a penny then Epic is on hand once again.

This week you'll be able to snap up a free copy of Rollercoaster Tycoon 3: Complete Edition, a repackaging of the 2004 favourite theme park sim. Nick recently reviewed the Nintendo Switch version, scoring the handheld port a decent 7/10.

As for next week, you can expect one our top-rated games from last year: Pikuniku. This quirky adventure game bagged a 9 from Miguel at launch and will be yours to keep forever when it hits the Epic Games Store next Thursday.

We have the full list of every game Epic has given away so keep reading:

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

 

Source: Epic Games

Something for the Weekend – 26/09/20

Looking back at the week in video games, it's been almost surprisingly busy. Sure, there's been more of the chaos of next-gen console pre-orders – did anyone grab an Xbox Series X|S pre-order, or sneak into the second batch of PS5s? – but then there was the ZeniMax Purchase, the announcement of Luna, a kerfuffle about Spider-Man…

And the week isn't even finished yet, with more tidbits and announcement set to come out of Tokyo Game Show this weekend!

The games industry never sleeps anymore, does it?

In the News This Week

Giveaways

We've got a pretty sweet giveaway for you this weekend. We've got four copies of From Bedrooms to Billions: The PlayStation Revolution to giveaway, but for all the PlayStation fans out there, what makes this even more special is that one of those four copies was signed by Mr. Mark Cerny himself!

You've got until Tuesday to enter, so make sure you do that!

Games in Review

A relatively quiet week in the review column by our standards, but some good new options for you to explore.

And we had a review of one gaming headset:

Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Gaming Headset – 7/10

Featured Articles

In and around the review, we went to just a handful of other interesting places this week. Untitled Goose Game's co-op update had Nic returning to the indie hit of 2019, but on the other side of things, Jim Skyrim'd it up with the tabletop game The Elder Scrolls: Call To Arms. He also took a quick look at the freshly announced Monster Hunter Rise, with 7 things you need to know about the game.

Finally, What We Played featured Goose Game, Serious Sam 4 and Marvel's Avengers.

Trailer Park

Microsoft Flight Simulator major Japan World Update is coming for free next week

Baldur's Gate 3 early access delayed by one week, but here's a video about romance

Destiny 2: Beyond Light has a new trailer, the secrets of Europa await

Kirby Fighters 2 is out now on Nintendo Switch for all you Smash Bros. Kirby players

Your Achievements

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

  • TSBonyman thought he could just waltz back into Bloodborne, but was sorely mistaken, getting far too greedy in its testing action RPG combat. So he went back to his gaming happy place of No Man's Sky Origins and explored the fresh pastures of Minecraft VR.
  • MrYd had a similar week, exploring No Man's Sky "Oranges" and finding some lovely new planets (but no worms), and Minecraft in VR. There was also some The Division 2 and RDR2.
  • It was "just a little" of Horizon Zero Dawn for hornet1990.
  • tactical20 has racked up 92 of the 120 stars in Mario 64, which is pretty good going!
  • Crazy_Del is building up to his 500th platinum, which he hopes to grab on the PS5. He's gunning for Marvel's Avengers, THPS 1+2, Sound Shapes, PGA Tour 2K21, Skater XL and plenty more. A busy weekend ahead!
  • It was more Spyro 2 and Pic a Pix Classic for willbuchanan.
  • ron_mcphatty thoroughly enjoyed the "brilliantly done" Erica, and has been grinding through Fall Guys' trophies and levels.
  • And Andrewww has continued to battle through The Last of Us Part 2. He's knocked the difficulty down to Normal to make it more enjoyable. Aside from that, it's been a return to Heavy Rain and more Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime with the kids, and Fall Guys.

I hope you have a good weekend and we'll see you on the other side!

The full list of games for Amazon Luna, the new streaming service, have been revealed

Amazon Luna, the new cloud gaming service is coming soon to PC, Mac, Fire TV and iPhone and iPad (via web apps), with an Android release planned for later on. To start with it will only be available in the US and you have to apply for an invitation, but expect it to branch out to the rest of the world as soon as Amazon can. Games will be streamed at 1080p as standard, with 4K60fps coming soon for select titles.

It's based of a subscription model where you pay for gaming "channels". The main one will be Amazon's own, Luna+, which offers over 100 games for an introductory monthly price of $5.99. They also mention a Ubisoft channel coming in the future, allowing for other companies to come in and set up shop as well. Here's what you get with Luna+ during early access.

  • GRID
  • Tacoma
  • Hard Reset Redux
  • Atomik: RunGunJumpGun
  • The Surge
  • The Surge 2
  • Control
  • Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
  • Abzu
  • Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
  • Indivisible
  • Iconoclasts
  • SteamWorld Dig
  • SteamWorld Dig 2
  • SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition
  • SteamWorld Quest
  • Shantae: Risky's Revenge – Director's Cut
  • Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
  • Shantae: Half-Genie Hero – Ultimate Edition
  • Mighty Switch Force! Collection
  • The Mummy Demastered
  • River City Girls
  • Tangledeep
  • Blasphemous
  • Yooka-Laylee
  • Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
  • Yoku's Island Express
  • Redout: Solar Challenge Edition
  • Rez Infinite
  • Lumines Remastered
  • Metro Exodus
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
  • Wonder Boy: The Dragon Trap
  • Sonic Mania Plus
  • AO Tennis 2
  • Valfaris
  • RiME
  • The Sexy Brutale
  • Star Wars Pinball
  • Infinite Minigolf
  • Obduction
  • Shadow Tactics
  • Edna & Harvey: The Breakout – Anniversary Edition
  • Deponia Doomsday
  • Furi
  • Ghost of a Tale
  • Victor Vran: Overkill Edition
  • R-Type Dimensions EX
  • Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes
  • Super Mega Baseball 3
  • A Plague Tale: Innocence
  • Castlevania Anniversary Collection
  • Panzer Dragoon Remake
  • Overcooked! 2
  • BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle
  • Paper Beast
  • Blazing Chrome
  • Tennis World Tour 2
  • DiRT Rally 2.0
  • Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!
  • Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r]
  • CrossCode
  • Everspace
  • Contra Anniversary Collection
  • Aragami
  • XIII
  • Resident Evil 7
  • Sythentik: Legion Rising
  • Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth
  • Thimbleweed Park
  • Goodbye Deponia

Source: Digital Trends

Gal*Gun Returns, get ready for "numerous undiscovered panties"

Smut fans rejoice, the incredibly silly Gal*Gun franchise is heading back to Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC next year in the shape of Gal*Gun Returns, a remaster of the first ever Gal*Gun title that was never released in the West.

If you are unaware of the saucy franchise, I'll let the promo blurb explain.

Gal*Gun is the entertaining story of a young man who becomes "super popular" with the opposite sex and is now living the "unfortunate" life of having every lady that looks his way confessing their undying love for him.
But he must steel himself and fend these would-be lovers off with his 'special weapon' (known as the Pheromone Shot), as he tries to win the affections of one of the main protagonists. Gal*Gun is the crazy combination of arcade-style shooting action and dating sim that truly has no equal.

The game is not subtle and proudly states you can celebrate "ten years of panty gazing", if that's your thing.

Key features, and I am using the word in a very, very broad sense, of the remaster include:

  • A Variety of Game Modes! Fall in love with the girl of your dreams in Story Mode, show off your sharpshooting skills in Score Attack Mode, live out your fantasy of a multi-person Doki Doki Mode with the all new Doki Doki Carnival, and a whole lot more!
  • Pre-loaded DLC! From bikinis to aprons and more, the popular DLC outfits from back then are ready to be enjoyed from the get-go!
  • Full Voice Acting! Every single one of the 70+ girls in the game is fully voiced! Revel in every minute of this amazing cast's performance!
  • Complete Gallery Mode! Over 250 illustrations, both old and new, are ready for you to take in!
  • Most impantitly! True aesthetics in those hidden areas is what Gal*Gun is all about! A grand total of 423 types of panties are waiting to be discovered! There may even be more to come?!

Source: Press release

Bungie detail Beyond Light's tech improvements but you will have to download the entire game again

Bungie have explained some of the new technical improvements that will be coming in the forthcoming expansion, Beyond Light. When that launches on November 10th a fair chunk of content will be vaulted including Strikes, Raids, and entire planets including Mars and Mercury, and to facility the huge change you are going to have to redownload the entire game again.

"We know this will be painful for those with slower or metered internet connections, and we're sorry about that. To help mitigate this, we're planning to enable Beyond Light preloads sometime in the evening of November 9, Pacific Time, which should give everyone at least 10 hours to download before the gates open," say Bungie.

The good news is the new version of the game should be 30-40% smaller, clocking in at around 59GB to 71GB depending on the platform you play on. The rebuild of the game also means that Bungie should be bale to patch bugs quicker and also gives them more development time per season.

The game will also be changing to a "Physics Host" rather than a "Mission Host" which means new raids, strikes and other missions can be more complex than they are now. "The Physics Host knows exactly where enemy combatants are and what actions they recently performed – while the Mission Host only knew how many combatants were alive in a squad and what that squad was generally trying to accomplish," say Bungie. This also means you will be able to meet your Fireteam in the Tower much faster, but they do warn there may be one or two bugs in the old missions that are left in the game after Beyond Light launches.

Bungie will also be serving face by completely reworking how your Guardian's face is displayed in the game.

We rebuilt our character face system. We know that how your Guardians look is important to you, and we've long wanted to add more player customization to Destiny. Our original system for player faces had some combinatoric content authoring problems – for example, every decal had to be authored completely custom for each player face permutation. This prevented us from extending this area of the game with more content and features. We've upgraded to a significantly more capable system (with e.g. runtime decal projection), which we hope to leverage for more player customization options in the future. As part of this process we reviewed the existing player models with our Diversity Committee and Employee Resource Groups in the studio to make small tweaks to existing player heads. We're also building a list of Guardian face shapes we should bring to the game in the future in order to increase Guardian diversity in Destiny, with the long-term goal of enabling everyone to imagine themselves as their Guardian.

Finally, for today at least, Bungie have revealed that as part of Beyond Light they have relit Nessus and the EDZ, both globally and locally, so they will look a little different come November 10th.

Bungie have confirmed that it will be releasing Destiny 2 on PS5 and Xbox Series X. The news came via a Tweet the company posted in reply to the official Xbox account which had listed the developers that would be creating games for the Xbox Series X. They confirmed the game will run in 4K and 60fps on the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and that all content you already own will be available for you on the new platforms, you won't need to buy it again. There will also be cross-generation play, so PS4 players can play against those on PS5.

Bungie have also revealed the next two expansions for the game, The Witch Queen for 2021, and Lightfall for 2022.

Source: Bungie

 

The Last of Us Part II free PS4 dynamic theme released by Naughty Dog

To mark this year's The Last of Us Day (formerly known as Outbreak Day) Naughty Dog has released a free The Last of Us Part II theme to download on PS4. The theme shows a beach with the waves breaking onto the sand with a rowboat in the foreground. There are some hills and the sun is shining behind them. You can check out how the free The Last of Us Part II theme looks in the tweet that Naughty Dog put out earlier today.

You can grab the free dynamic theme by clicking on this link. Outbreak Day has been held for the last seven years on 26th September because of the canonical day on with the Cordyceps infection reached the tipping point and led to the downfall of modern civilisation. However, with the Covid-19 pandemic continuing the spread throughout the world, and seemingly making a comeback in Europe as we head into autumn, Naughty Dog have decided that continuing to call it Outbreak Day doesn't really sit right.

You can read what Jim thought in our The Last of Us Part II review below:

The Last of Us Part II is a remorseless epic delivering in its masterful storytelling, nail-biting gameplay and unrivalled production values. Naughty Dog have truly surpassed themselves yet again, crafting a heartfelt sequel that will leave you gasping as they continue to raise the bar for the video game industry. It's yet another must-buy for PlayStation 4 owners, supercharging Sony's unstoppable stable of exclusives.
You can read the full The Last of Us Part II review here.
Source: Twitter

UFC 4 update 3.0 adds Calvin Kattar and Pedro Munhoz, brings simplified controls

EA has released update 3.0 for UFC 4 which brings with it the fighters Calvin Kattar and Pedro Munhoz. In addition, there have been some additions to some weight classes with Jon Jones now available in Heavyweight and Omari Akhmedov to Middleweight. The others are noted in the patch notes. Players will now be able to stop spear takedowns, and added moves that can be executed from different positions. You can read all of the patch notes for update 3.0 below.

UFC 4 3.0 update patch notes

Major Updates:

  • Added 2 new fighters Calvin Kattar and Pedro Munhoz
  • Added following fighters to new weight classes:
    • Jon Jones to Heavyweight
    • Omari Akhmedov to Middleweight
    • Frankie Edgar to Bantamweight
    • Alexander Gustafsson to Heavyweight
  • Added new items to Create A Fighter which include new hair styles, clothing items, and emotes to choose from
  • Added Venue select to Invite A Friend
  • Updated Main Menu and created a new category, Learn, which includes Practice, Tutorials and Training Manual
    • Accessibility still remains under Settings
  • Added Simplified Controls option to Custom Fight Now Settings. This control scheme simplifies the striking controls to basic inputs and the game chooses what strike to throw next based on the situation.
    • Simplified Controls is a new option inside Custom Fight Now that lets you put up a fight without having to know all striking inputs.
    • You can turn it on individually for each corner. When turned on, use the face buttons to attack and the right trigger to defend. The AI will then choose what moves or actions to perform based on the timing of the button presses and the situation.
    • Each face button corresponds to a type of attack:
      • X (Xbox) – Square (PS) correspond to punches
      • A (Xbox) – X (PS) correspond to kicks
      • Y (Xbox) – Triangle (PS) correspond to clinch
      • B (Xbox) – Circle (PS) correspond to takedown
      • RT (Xbox) – R2 (PS) is used for both blocking high and low and sways, depending on timing

Gameplay Updates

  • Added the ability to deny Spear Takedowns
  • Persistent Drive added to a few positions
    • The Back Clinch Drives from Back Clinch and Cage Back Clinch.
    • Persistent drives are when the attacker has a chance to make a quick turn, even after a fast denial, before the drive ends in a break.
  • Added D'arce Choke to Back Side Postured up position
  • Added transition to Side Control from Back Side Postured up
  • Added Get Up transition to Back Side Postured Up
  • Added dynamic denial windows to flying submissions
  • Added additional information to Practice Mode HUD
    • Damage Blocked – Amount of blocked damage
    • Damage Range – % mod due to range landed at
    • Damage Vulnerability – % mod caused by vulnerability
    • Current Stamina Damage – %mod caused by current stamina
    • Max Stamina Damage – % mod caused by max stamina
    • Opponent Stamina Damage – % mod caused by opponent's stamina
  • Fixed issue where consecutive knees from Muay Thai clinch would prevent transition to cage clinch.
    • Bug when backing up in thai, the Dom could spam knees to prevent entering the cage position.
  • Fixed issue where some GnP Hooks appeared to land through successful posts.
  • Fixed issue where Stacked Guard Heel Hook and Kneebar were on the same input only allowing one to execute.
  • Fixed an issue with players escaping Takedowns immediately in certain BackClinch scenarios
  • Fixed an issue with potential accidental sway inputs after posting
  • Fixed an issue where ground strikes were not causing visual damage to fighters
  • Fixed an issue where players could instantly get up from Tower takedowns
  • Fixed issue with roles being swapped after cage get up from Sprawl
  • Fixed issue with bicep control "spam" cancelling opponent's knees
  • Fixed instances of improper defenses being successful against clinch takedowns
  • Fixed instances of improper defenses being successful against takedown turns
  • Fixed issue with undue priority given to some ground transitions
  • Fixed issues with sways during Ground and Pound
  • Back Side Dom punches interrupted Sub transitions. These are now disabled during the transition
  • Body Side Kick and Spinning Side kick now target opponent's head if they're slipping forward
  • Head damage now causes a small stamina drain
  • Slightly increased damage from Knee on Belly
  • Slightly increased permanent damage caused by ground and pound
  • Increased the effect of damage attributes
  • Removed option to block while leaning back
  • Tuned striking during clinch escapes
  • Reduced duration of the Half guard posture state
  • Removed evasion stamina penalty from attacks evaded by blocking sways
  • Slip Counters have been tuned
  • Tuned clinch entry and escape stamina
  • Tuned the takedown finish and denial stamina costs
  • Tuned submissions
  • Tuned Stamina cost of Ground and Pound Strikes
  • Tuned Pro and Legendary AI choke submission movement speeds to ensure the Legendary AI does not get punished for moving too quickly.

Misc. Updates

  • Miscellaneous updates to some UFC fighter appearances/likenesses
    • Cody Garbrandt – Tattoo Update
    • Kevin Lee – Tattoo Update
    • Tim Elliot – Tattoo Update
    • Makwan Amirkhani – Tattoo Update
    • Fabricio Werdum – Tattoo Update
    • Eddie Wineland – Tattoo and Mustache update
    • Jimmie Rivera tattoo update
    • Anthony Smith – Tattoo update
  • Fixed various UI issues
  • Fixed issues with progression for some of the challenges
  • Updated OWC Fighter Select to hide opponent's name and division
  • Disabled Ground Defence arrows on Legendary difficulty
  • Stamina HUD has been updated visually
  • Fixed general stability issues

In our review for UFC 4, I wrote:

UFC 4 is an evolution over UFC 3. A much better and more cohesive online, a better system for advancing your created fighters, a career mode that has a bit more depth, and gameplay that opens up the series to more people, makes UFC 4 the game that UFC 3 should have been.
You can read the full review here.
Source: EA

Football Manager 21 is on Xbox and not PlayStation 5, because Sony didn't give Sports Interactive dev kits

The popular Football Manager series is coming to home console for the first time in over a decade, with Football manager 2021 announced for Xbox One and Xbox Series X | S. The game will be "specifically tailored" to the console, customising the Touch version of the series to work with the Xbox controller.

But, if it's on PC, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch and now Xbox, why not PlayStation? Well, according to Sports Interactive boss Miles Jacobson, it's quite simply that Microsoft persistently asked for the game to be on their consoles, and "Sony didn't."

It goes further than that though, thanks to each console platform being a closed garden.

This extends across the board and for whatever reason, while Sports Interactive have spoken to Sony, the PlayStation manufacturer did not choose to provide them with either PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 dev kits. Obviously PS5 dev kits would be rather limited in supply, which could be a reason, but there was a working relationship from bringing Football Manager to PSP and PS Vita in the past. Meanwhile, Nintendo and Microsoft were keen to see Football Manager on their platforms and going back several years, provided them with the dev kits and support they needed to get the job done.

It's great to see a game developer able to discuss about a situation so candidly, when so much of the games industry is kept behind closed doors. We see it time and time again with timed exclusives, where there's a reluctance to even really acknowledge that they're timed, let alone how long for. Of course, with FM21, it's a different situation where there will be a game in a year's time from now, and Sony might now have a change of heart in time for FM22.

Jacobson issued a follow up statement to Eurogamer, saying:

"I pride myself on being very open with our community via social media and try to answer as many questions as I can, however controversial they may be. I also try to explain to people why decisions that they don't like are made, because whilst I've been working in the industry for more than 25 years, the people I talk to online don't always know exactly how the system works. I am the same person on social media that I am in real life – upfront, honest and passionate.[…]

"What I learnt last night is that many of the most ardent console fans don't actually know that there are processes in place with all of the hardware manufacturers that mean they have a great deal of control over which games come to their consoles – and that there is bespoke hardware required to being able to make games for those platforms."

Hopefully more people now understand a little bit more about what's needed to get a game made.

Source: Eurogamer

Giveaway: Win a signed copy of From Bedrooms to Billions: The PlayStation Revolution

It's giveaway time again here at TheSixthAxis, and we've got a bit of a treat for PlayStation fans and just gaming fans in general. We're giving away five copies of the documentary From Bedrooms to Billions: The PlayStation Revolution, but one of these copies has been signed by acclaimed video-game champion Mark Cerny!

Originally a kickstarter project, this is the third of the Bedrooms to Billions films, with the first focusing on the UK games industry, while the second one was entitled The Amiga Years which looked at Commodore's era-defining home computer. The filmmakers decided to focus on the PlayStation for their third film as so many of their previous interviewees had cited it as a game changer for the games industry. The PlayStation was of course Sony's first attempt at entering the home console gaming market, and despite being the newcomers managed to dominate the 32-bit era with a combination of canny marketing and iconic games like Wipeout, Crash Bandicoot and Final Fantasy 7, 8 and 9.

As always, entering our competitions is simple – just complete the form below to enter in a variety of different ways, including via Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

We'll be running the competition for one week with entries closing at 11.59PM UK time on Tuesday 29th September. The giveaway is open to residents of the UK and Europe. Winners must respond within three working days of being contacted, and if they do not another winner will be drawn. Our usual terms and conditions apply, and decisions are final.

Win a copy of From Bedrooms to Billions: The PlayStation Revolution

We recently got to review From Bedrooms to Billions, with our very own Thomas Hughes greatly enjoying the look at the history of the PlayStation brand:

"The PlayStation Revolution is an enjoyable recap of the PlayStation journey, from its humble beginnings as the underdog through the overwhelming success of the PlayStation 4. If you're a gaming fan who wants to learn a little more about the behind-the-scenes of console development and launches, The PlayStation Revolution is absolutely for you."

You can check out the From Bedrooms to Billions: The PlayStation Revolution review here.

What We Played #468 – Untitled Goose Game, Marvel's Avengers & Serious Sam 4

It's been another week of next-gen consoles pre-orders, with the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on Tuesday, and then a fresh wave of (barely sign-posted) pre-orders this morning for the PlayStation 5, but we already asked the question last week as to what you were all going to buy, so it's back to business as usual for this week's What We Played.

For me, it's been a week of dabbling. A little bit of Ring Fit Adventure as the weather has turned and kept me from wanting to go out walking, some Serious Sam 4, and more Surgeon Simulator 2 for a long overdue review. Perhaps it'll be a weekend special!

But what about the rest of the team?

"I'm still grabbing Mjölnir every now and then" Jim said, and before you read too much into that, it was "to play some Avengers." He's been levelling up Thor so that he's ready for the endgame content, but has also found time to go back to Dead By Daylight, gearing up for a 2020 review to catch up on the game's years of updates.

It's been Tennis World Tour 2 for Aran, who's been slapping away balls left, right and centre to get you our review, while Tuffcub's got out something big floppy and purple to batter his way through Saints Row The Third Remastered. He's also got in his usual Destiny 2 and been playing with Cubase for a new rave anthem, 'Hands Face Space Bass'. Look out for that one to top the charts!

Jason's been playing Rocket League and Dark Souls 3, while it was a Switch-heavy week for Reuben, playing the excellent Hades and Super Mario 3D All Stars, which saw him "reminding myself that Mario 64 is not without its problems."

Steve got going with the "utterly brutal and bleak" The Last of Us Part 2, but hasn't made much progress as the kids are already off school with persistent coughs – hurrah for 2020! Needing something a bit more… immediate, he reviewed Serious Sam 4, which is the game's polar opposite, as well as playing Darksiders: Genesis, reviewing The Girl of Glass, and testing his new GPU to see how shiny things can now be made.

It's been Monster Hunter World for Nic, but he complimented that with Spinch, Magic The Gathering: Arena's new expansion and Untitled Goose Game, now with added co-op.

Meanwhile, the other Nick (the one with a 'k') turned up with a big list of games. "Firstly, I've playing Worm Jazz and RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 for review. You'll have to read those to find out what I thought. I've also been playing a ton of Avengers which I'm quite enjoying despite being a little buggy, Disco Elysium, Captain Tsubasa, WWE Battleground, Tony Hawks, CoD and I started TLOU2. Too many games, not enough time!"

Ade kept it simple, by comparison. He grabbed Shadow of the Tomb Raider and said, "It's brutal. Lara murders so many people. She's an absolute stone cold killer!" Dom meanwhile has had a great week of Oculus Quest-ing, putting FitXR through its paces while getting distracted by Beat Saber and the Linkin Park update. He also loved playing some more Ori and the Will of the Wisps on Switch and snuck in a spot of Hyrule Warriors too.

And finally, Gamoc has been playing Port Royale 4 for review, checkout Minecraft VR, and played some Pistol Whip, "which is an dubstep filled combination of Beat Saber, Superhot, and John Wick."

Now then, what have you been playing?

Dead By Daylight update 2.03 improves new Blight killer

Behaviour Interactive have fired up the generators for yet another Dead By Daylight update. Whether you fancy stalking Survivors or working together to thwart a terrifying Killer, you'll need to download this latest version of the hit horror game.

Dead By Daylight 4.2.2 – which will show up as 2.03 for console players – is a quick bugfix patch that doesn't add any new content to the game but makes some minor improvements.

Aside from fixing a small list of issues, this new patch has improved the viability of Dead By Daylight's newest Killer, The Blight. They can now break pallets and other barricades during their Lethal Dash.

All Killers in Dead By Daylight have the same primary actions but are made unique through their combination of powers and other traits, such as passive bonuses. The Blight can store up to 5 tokens allowing them to rush small distances to close the gap with escaping Survivors. However, if you finish this rush by slamming into a wall, you can immediately combo it into another rush, allowing you to cover more ground without pausing. This supercharged rush can also lead into an attack animation (the Lethal Dash).

The Blight and Survivor Felix Richter were both added to the game recently for its newest chapter "Descend Below". Anyway, here are those patch notes:

Dead By Daylight Update 2.03 Patch Notes

Features & Content

The Blight

  • The Blight can now break pallets and breakable walls by attacking during a Lethal Dash
  • The Blight add-on "Compound 21" has been adjusted, changing the reveal range from 16 meters to 8 meters and the duration of the effect is reduced from 6 seconds to 3 seconds

Bug Fixes

System

  • Add an Auric Cell expiration message for Japanese promo code users
  • Fix a crash on PS4 that sometimes occurred after loading into a trial

Gameplay

  • Fixed an issue that may cause hooking survivors, breaking pallets and damaging generators to stop shortly after pressing the input
  • Fixed an issue that may cause movement stutters due to network latency
  • Fixed an issue that caused stun durations to be inconsistent across killers
  • Fixed an issue where some instances of the Blight's injection sequence would allow players to control the pitch of the camera
  • Fixed an issue that caused grabbing survivors out of lockers to be accelerated when using the perk Iron Maiden
  • Fixed an issue that may cause a survivor to be stuck on the hook without being able to do anything

Source: Dead By Daylight

Crash Bandicoot 4 will have competitive and co-op multiplayer

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is attempting to do more than simply emulate those classic PlayStation platformers. While carrying the recently reignited torch, this sequel is making some bold design choices in order to keep the series feeling fresh and relevant in 2020.

If you've read our Crash Bandicoot 4 preview you'll know that some of these additions include the introduction of multiple playable characters, as well as the four Quantum Masks which can drastically spice up sections of a level.

It appears that Toys for Bob are also adding multiplayer modes, both competitive and co-op. IGN have revealed a suite of unannounced multiplayer features made for you and your friends locally – note that Crash Bandicoot 4 will not have online play.

Let's start with the co-operative mode first. In Crash 4 you can activate the Pass N. Play mode which does what it says on the tin, allowing you complete stages from the main game by swapping between four players. So, if one of you has mastered a particular platforming section, you can assume control and help collaboratively push forward.

The competitive modes are admittedly more dynamic. There are two of them available at launch, titled Checkpoint Race and Crate Combo. Again, they're pretty self-explanatory, enabling you and up to three friends to go head to head locally, playing as Crash, Fake Crash, Coco, and Fake Coco.

Checkpoint Race will have you clearing sections of a level as quick as you can while racing against the ghosts of your opponents. Meanwhile, Crate Combo is all about smashing boxes, making sure you move quickly as your combo meter depletes.

Here are our thoughts on the sequel following some early hands-on time:

Needless to say, the Crash 4 demo has left us wanting to play more. We're curious to see what Toys for Bob have planned for Crash Bandicoot and his companions in terms of the game's story and where it will take us as they embark on their time-hopping adventure to thwart Cortex once again. We can't wait to see what kind of boss battles, spin-off stages, and Quantum Mask madness the full game will throw at us.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time will launch next month on October 2nd for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Source: ResetEra

Marvel's Avengers update 1.08 live with free bonus for players

If you're looking to gear up and take on AIM in Marvel's Avengers this weekend, you'll need to download the game's newest update.

Crystal Dynamics have launched patch 1.08 (officially dubbed version 1.3.1) which packs in a variety of fixes and improvements, squashing progress bugs and making hero's attacks more responsive when in combat.

It's fair to say that the studio still has a fair way to go in terms of addressing issues raised by the player community. A recent bug prevented Avengers players from accepting Faction and Villain Sector missions – this has now been fixed and everyone who logs in before October 1st can bag themselves 250 Polycron and 500 Uru by viewing their Challenge Card.

For a future update, the developers have teased features including a multiplayer ping system which will hopefully help teams of randoms co-ordinate as they drop into one of the game's larger battlefields.

Check below for the full patch notes and head over to the official Marvel's Avengers blog for a list of known issues.

Marvel's Avengers Update 1.08 (V1.3.1) Patch Notes

REASSEMBLE CAMPAIGN & AVENGERS INITIATIVE

Various Reassemble Campaign & Avengers Initiative fixes, including:

  • Various Crash & Stability fixes
  • Fixed a rare issue when selecting "Once an Avenger" inadvertently sent the player to the wrong mission.
  • Fixed an issue keeping some mission chains from completing properly when all requirements are met. (Example: Reigning Supreme)

COMBAT

Various combat fixes/tuning, including:

  • Captain America can now smash through doors.*
  • Fixed an issue where overcharge meters were inappropriately decreasing during a team finisher.

Tuning:

  • Improved responsiveness when entering sprint flight from jumping as Iron Man.
  • Improved responsiveness for light air hammer attacks as Thor.
  • Improved reliability of Iron Man's Thruster Uppercut.
  • Improved presentation of Captain America's sprinting block.*
  • Tuned the SPIN Keeper's standard attack, reduced heroic drain, and added an offscreen attack indicator.*

Tuning to Adept Drone, Synthoid, and Keeper:

  • Added new standard attack to Drone and Keeper.
  • Adjusted homing attack to happen less frequently.*
  • Adjusted homing projectile to be more balanced.*
  • Increased global cooldown for all quantum homing projectile attacks.*
  • Adjusted quantum shard projectiles so they are no longer unblockable.*

GEAR, CHALLENGES, & REWARDS

Various Gear, Challenges, & Reward fixes/tuning including:

  • Addressed an issue where refreshing a missing weekly mission would result in a crash. Weekly missions should now appear as intended. We've temporarily disabled refreshing incomplete challenges; full functionality will be restored in the next update.
  • Addressed an issue where Villain Sectors would not properly refresh, which caused players to miss out on weekly rewards.
  • Fixed additional issues that prevented daily requisitions from clearing as intended.
  • Granted players the Iconic Iron Man outfit if they lost it due to an outfit bug.
  • Fixed a broken Legendary reward that was incorrectly set to Power Level 1.
  • Addressed issues with how the Insurmountable perk was being applied to gear drops.
  • Fixed an issue where some users would not be granted any rewards upon completing an Elite Heroic Hive run.
  • Guarded against a specific scenario that caused Kamala to lose a skill point. We are still investigating retroactive fixes.
  • Adjusted loot tables in Mega Hives to increase the chances additional loot will be awarded.*

PC Specific Fixes:

  • Addressed a rare bug that results in a player's Hero Level being reset, usually following a multiplayer connection issue.

Source: Marvel's Avengers

Animal Crossing: New Horizons autumn update will add pumpkin growing and Halloween prep next week

If you haven't been paying attention to the date and the weather outside, then I've got news for you: it's autumn! And that obviously means that it's high time for Nintendo to reveal a new autumn update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which will go live next week on 20th September.

From new reactions, to spooky new skin tones and eye colours, you'll have everything you need to scare up a fright on Halloween. Speaking of which, you'll probably want to deck your island out to match the holiday, growing pumpkins with which you can then craft all manner of jack-o-lantern themed things.

Here's what's in store:

  • Growing Pumpkins – Pumpkin starts are available in-game from Leif year-round or from Nook's Cranny during October. Once pumpkins are grown, they can be harvested and put to use in pumpkin-based DIY projects.
  • Halloween Preparations – Pumpkins are just the beginning of the Halloween-themed festivities coming up. With the big day just around the corner, players can start stocking up on candy early. It is possible to purchase costumes, such as a mage dress or a mummy outfit, at Able Sisters' shop during the month of October. Body paint and coloured eye contacts are available by exchanging Nook Miles. Fellow residents will also give out Halloween-themed DIY recipes.
  • Halloween Night Celebrations – When Halloween night arrives on 31st October, after 5 p.m., neighbours will gather in the plaza which will be adorned with an array of Halloween decorations.  Players will also receive a visit from a mysterious guest: Jack, the "czar of Halloween." By giving Jack lollipops and candy, players earn spooky in-game rewards. Saving some candy for neighbours helps players to avoid getting pranked by them. Luckily, they can learn a couple of new Reactions to properly express their feelings of fear.
  • Dreaming Favorite List – The ability to take a nap and visit other islands within dreams was introduced this summer. Now, players will be able to curate a list of their favourite islands to visit in dreams, making it easier to revisit them anytime.
  • NookLink Update – The NookLink Service in the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app is also receiving an update in early October With the update, players will be able to use their smart device to perform reactions in the game. How about using it for this occasion?

A second free update for autumn will be coming toward the end of November, with Nintendo teasing some Thanksgiving costumes and the build up to Christmas.

Source: press release

Animal Crossing Guides from TheSixthAxis

Konami release classic Metal Gear, Castlevania and Contra ports on PC

Konami have released a set of their classic games for PC with a trio of titles from the Metal Gear series, as well as Konami Collector's Series: Castlevania and Contra now available on GOG.com.

This was teased just prior to the official announcement by the Konami twitter account;

Before springing out of the box just 15 minutes later:

The ports were uncovered by Gematsu on Wednesday, who spotted them appearing on the taiwanese ratings board. Overall, the Taiwan Digital Game Rating Committee has handed out ratings for Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, and Konami Collector's Series: Castlevania and Contra (featuring Castlevania, Castlevania II Simon's Quest, Castlevania III Dracula's Curse, Contra and Super C) all for PC.

All of these games have actually previously been released for PC. The original Metal Gear was brought to MS-DOS back in the day, Metal Gear Solid's 1998 PlayStation release was followed by a PC port in 2000, while Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance was an enhanced version of the 2001 PlayStation 2 game that was released for Xbox, PS2 and PC through late 2002 and early 2003. As for the classic Castlevania and Contra collection? Well, that was first released for PC in 2002.

GOG.com specialises in reviving classic games and sprucing them up to run on modern hardware. That doesn't typically mean they're enhanced in the manner of a console remaster or remake, but rather that they're modified enough to help them work on Windows 7 and newer.

PS5 pre-orders UK – Game, Very, Argos, Amazon & Smyths all out of stock

PlayStation 5 pre-orders are back today and we now believe this is the promised restock from Sony. Amazon has already gone, Game is expected this morning, and Currys has established a queuing system. All with just as little advance warning as the first time round. Cool.

We will do our best to keep tabs on things, but expect this to be relatively low in numbers and disappear very quickly. We also have very little information over who will have a fresh supply of pre-orders, so we've collected links to as many product pages as possible and we'll add notes and check periodically.

Update 1:30PM – Game stock looks to now be depleted. Smyths Toys, Currys, Very, Amazon and Argos are also confirmed OOS. It's looking unlikely that further retailers will have any stock today, but we'll see.

PS5 Pre-Orders UK – Out Of Stock

Retailers without restock

Other potential retailers

* Payment taken at time of order

It comes after the somewhat chaotic state of PS5 pre-orders last week, with Sony's announcement stream promising that pre-orders would get started the following day, only for retailers to jump the gun and all going at various times with little to no warning. Not quite what Sony had previously promised.

Game was one of the guilty parties, and their website struggled under the pressure – guest checkouts were available, but signing in was broken as anything. They fared little better with the Xbox Series X|S pre-orders on Tuesday, with a queue established for people to sign in, but others able to simply checkout as a guest once more. Then there were troubles with the Klarna financing for Xbox All Access purchases, and they took the site down for half the day to fix their stuff. Oh, and to cap it all off, the company has now decided that all pre-orders will have a £10 delivery fee.

Sony promised that more stock would be forthcoming in the weeks leading up to the 19th November launch in the UK, but a highly anticipated bit of tech like PS5 is going to get more than a few people jumping on a pre-order and then cancelling when they've changed their minds, perhaps even getting multiple orders in.

The PlayStation 5 is coming out in November, heading first to the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea on 12th November, before arriving in the UK and Europe on 19th November. It costs £449.99 for the version with a 4K UHD Blu-ray drive and £359.99 for the digital edition, though Sony have been producing far fewer digital consoles than full fat ones, it seems.

More PlayStation 5 News:

Untitled Goose Game's multiplayer is a welcome addition to an excellent game

Untitled Goose Game — one of 2019's most popular and meme-able indie games — has had a major update, and it's enough to give any fan goosebumps.

You may remember that we gave Untitled Goose Game a honking great 9/10 last September, saying we had found "something truly unique and special". We also said that there's a good chance that you'll be passing the controller to your partner, and letting them experience life through the beady eyes of a naughty goose.

Well, pass the controller no more. Untitled Goose Game's latest update lets you pass a Joy-Con or your second controller to your partner in crime so that you can terrorise this quaint little town as a duo.

So, although we're about to look at the good and bad of what this mode brings, take it with a pinch of salt. This update is entirely free, so it's literally all upside. The question is whether it's worth reinstalling and updating just so you can mash that honk button some more.

First things first, you can pick up where you left off, taking your progress with you whether you play single player or multiplayer. The only difference is that now there are two geese who can let slip the honks of war. This is cool, but it will mean nothing to your second player — if you don't know where you left your save file, imagine how they feel. Still, there's no reason why you can't start a new file and go looking for trouble.

Sadly, we have already covered all of the differences that the update has to offer. For those of you looking for a hot new adventure, you're going to be disappointed. As much as it feels like looking a gift goose in the beak, there are no new missions or tasks on your to-do list. You just get to work through the same list of things, but with a friend. It's still great fun, but if you and your second player have both played the game to death, there won't be a huge amount for you here.

It's also worth noting that although the geese look different — one has a basal knob — they don't look different enough. Playing with my partner (a dedicated waterfowl enthusiast), we kept losing track of who was who, looking to the slight difference in the colour of the feet to differentiate the two.

It feels that this would be a simple fix to make the second player a Canada goose. Sure, it would take a little artistic license to make it work with the way the game looks, but that would have been a cost worth paying if it made the game easier to play. Given that a lot of people will be wanting to play with their kids, having more distinct skins would really help with younger players.

Last, but not least, it's worth noting that geese mate for life. Presumably, this is shown in the game by the geese being so down when they are apart that they refuse to go any farther. If you try to go your separate ways, tackling different tasks, you'll quickly find that the screen can only zoom out so far, and you both start bumping up against invisible walls. Obviously adding co-op to a game designed for single player is a major challenge, but it's a shame not to have an adaptive split-screen as found in the LEGO games.

When you're being batted away by an annoyed shopkeeper, while also trying not to get stuck behind a wall/hedge, you're quickly going to find yourself stuck and one of you having to give up on your task. This is fine, but it means that the game will take a little more coordination, doing a single task at a time.

So, is it worth playing? Absolutely! Especially if you haven't plucked up the courage to pick it up just yet. Even if you've played it to completion, a cool new way to play such a good game — and for free — is definitely welcome. You probably won't find yourself spending hours with it, but it's a great excuse to dust off your second controller of Switch and introduce the game to a friend in a new, more companionable way.

Nioh 2 Darkness in the Capital coming October, patch 1.15 out now

Team Ninja has confirmed that the next DLC expansion for Nioh 2 is coming on October 15th, and it is titled Darkness in the Capital. This second expansion will take players to Kyoto City with a bit of time travel involved taking them to the Heian Period, where Yokai are tormenting the ancient city. In this time period the player will team up with legendary heroes to turn the tide in the war against the Yokai. This new expansion will add new bosses, new Yokai, new Guardian spirits, new skills, and new cores. In addition, to the reveal of Darkness in the Capital, Team Ninja released update 1.15 and you can see the patch notes below.

  • Fixed an issue where a particular procedure caused the screen to freeze and become unresponsive when 10 different set bonuses were equipped.
  • Fixed an issue Where the "Filter" function sometimes caused an application error.
  • Fixed an issue in Dream of the Strong, where equipment with a particular special effect would appear in the
    "Kexiama's Bazar' at a higher than intended rate.
  • Fixed an issue in the Picture Scroll missions Where the Nue Sometimes fell off the Stage.
  • Fixed an issue which prevented some equipment from being restored in the 1.14 fix which addressed the loss
    of information from Smithing Texts handed to the Blacksmith.

In our review for Nioh 2, Jason wrote:

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

Among Us 2 cancelled as devs choose to focus on improving Among Us

The game Among Us has suddenly exploded in popularity for PC and mobile players. It is a simple premise where one or a few players are made Imposters and have to kill other players without getting caught, while innocent Crewmates have to work out who the Imposters are as well as complete tasks. It can be tense at times but Among Us is very easy to play which could account for why it has drawn such an audience. Among Us has become so popular in fact that the developers have decided to cancel Among Us 2 so they can focus on making the original game better. In a statement, Innersloth wrote:

It's been a very exciting time for us the past few months! We've absolutely loved seeing everyone enjoying Among Us! Forte has been working hard to get the servers adjusted to deal with the huge influx of players. Thank you so much for bearing with us through these growing pains. Hopefully we can get started on new content soon! Speaking of new content…

Us devs have had several long discussions about what we want to do with the game. When do we stop working on Among Us 1? What content goes into Among Us 2? The main reason we are shooting for a sequel is because the codebase of Among Us 1 is so outdated and not built to support adding so much new content. However, seeing how many people are enjoying Among Us 1 really makes us want to be able to support the game and take it to the next level. We have decided to cancel Among Us 2 and instead put all our focus into improving Among Us 1. All of the content we had planned for Among Us 2 will instead go into Among Us 1. This is probably the more difficult choice because it means going deep into the core code of the game and reworking several parts of it. We have lots of things planned and we're excited to bring new content to everyone as you continue to enjoy playing!

Innersloth also confirmed the new features and improvements that are coming. First and foremost are  improved servers to handle the influx of players, support for colour blind players and the addition of more colours, an account and friends system so it is easier to group up though do not expect this any time soon, and finally a new map though that is also in early design stages. You can download Among Us from Itch.io for PC, from Steam for PC, on the Google Play Store for Android, and the App Store for Apple devices.

Source: Itch.io

 

DOOM Eternal will join Xbox Game Pass next week

Microsoft has confirmed that DOOM Eternal will be one of the next big hitters to be available on Xbox Game Pass, and the game will be available from October 1st. DOOM Eternal will first be available on Xbox One consoles and will then come to PC later in 2020. While this may have been planned for a while, it now comes with the added bonus for Microsoft that DOOM is now part of its first party studio game portfolio, after acquiring ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion.

The deal means that all games created Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog and Roundhouse Studios will all be available day one on Xbox Game Pass. There were questions about games from those studios that were multiplatform or exclusives elsewhere. Microsoft has already confirmed that this deal does not impact the exclusivity of Deathloop or Ghostwire: Tokyo as PS5 timed exclusives, and The Elder Scrolls Online will still be running for all platforms.

In our review for DOOM Eternal, Miguel wrote:

Doom Eternal doesn't just set the bar, it breaks it. Many of the best games of the FPS genre do what has already been done, and can do it really, really well, but Doom Eternal does what no other game has done before, crafting a fast-paced power fantasy that sets your brain cells on fire. It's an addictive exploration of the mythic Doomslayer character that delivers hours of blood-drenched fun, dozens of memorable collectibles, and a fan-pleasing story book-ended with gorgeous worlds and unforgettable music. Doom Eternal is a ripping, tearing masterpiece.
You can read the full DOOM Eternal review here.
Source: Microsoft

Football Manager 21 releasing in November, will be available for Xbox consoles

SEGA and Sports Interactive have confirmed the release date for Football Manager 21, with the management sim set to be available from November 24th. Alongside the release date announcement the developers also revealed that Football Manager 21 will be available on a lot more devices than before. For the first time since 2007 Football Manager will be available on Xbox consoles including the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series X. That is in addition to the release on PC through Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store. Football Manager Touch 21 will be available on PC as well as mobile devices and Nintendo Switch as well.

Football Manager 21 Xbox Edition will be similar to the Touch version of the game but will have been changed to run on Microsoft's family of consoles so it is easy to play using the controller. Sports Interactive's studio director, Miles Jacobson, said:

"Football Manager 2021 is a historic release for us as a studio. We're bringing FM to more platforms than ever before and giving more people the chance to manage their favourite club – whether that's on their PC, from the comfort of their sofa or on their phone or tablet."

Anyone who pre-purchases Football Manager 21 on PC will get a 10% discount, and early access to the game as well. Early Access will likely be available in early November approximately two weeks before Football Manager 21 releases on November 24th, and will be for those who purchase through Steam or Epic Games Store. SEGA and Sports Interactive have not yet gone into details of the changes players can expect to see in Football Manager 21, but will be disclosing those throughout the month of October.

Source: Press Release